Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" Becomes Highest-Charting Female Rap Song Since 2002

Rap singles by solo female emcees rarely crack the Pop chart's top ten, but Nicki joins a short list that includes Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Da Brat.

By moving from the number four spot up to the number three spot on Billboard magazine’s “Hot 100” singles chart, Nicki Minaj’s single “Super Bass”  threatens to break a decade-long record that is currently held by Missy Elliott. The record was established in 2002, when Missy’s “Work It” reached the number two spot and remained there for 10 consecutive weeks. As it is, “Super Bass” has already become the most commercially successful solo single by a female rapper in nearly a decade.

Should Nicki’s latest single move to a higher slot on the chart, it will be the third time within two years that the Young Money artist has made Billboard history. In 2010, Nicki Minaj became the first female emcee to have seven songs on the Billboard Top 200 Singles chart. She followed that feat by becoming the first female Rap artist with an album in the top 10 for 14 consecutive weeks or more. The previous record was held by Lauryn Hill, with 10 consecutive weeks for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

“Nicki isn't like any other female rapper,” says Cash Money co-founder/co-CEO Ronald “Slim” Williams, told Billboard. “We knew she had the goods when Lil Wayne signed her. She's not a female rapper—she's a pop star who happens to rap.”

A full breakdown, including the previous female Rap artists to crack the top 10, and why some high-profile Rap/Pop collaborations didn’t meet the proper classification, is available at Billboard.com.

Dr. Dre Strikes $300 Million Deal Between Beats Electronics & HTC

The West Coast veteran strikes another lucrative deal with his Beats Electronics, which already partnered with HP and Chrysler.

After placing highly on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list earlier this week, Dr. Dre is building his business acumen. The West Coast veteran has struck a $300 million deal between his Beats Electronics and Taiwan-based smartphone maker HTC, which is taking a 51 percent stake in the company (via RR).
Beats, which produces the popular Beats by Dre headphones, will work with HTC to build “high performance mobile sound products such as HTC devices with built-in Beats sound innovations,” arriving as early as this fall.

"The marriage of these two companies is very, very good. We are very good for each other," says Jimmy Iovine. "With HTC's innovation, technology and leadership, we feel we can really compete with anybody in this area."

Beats Electronics has already struck some lucrative partnership deals with HP and Chrysler, the latter of which is integrating Beats into its sound system for the upcoming 2012 Chrysler 300S.

Birdman Talks Money, Aspires To Be A Billionaire

Cash Money's leader speaks on why he makes more than $100 million and says he wants to be a billionaire.

When Forbes Magazine estimated Birdman's wealth to be at $100 million, he felt they were incorrect. The Cash Money leader has said that the exact figure is much higher. In a recent interview with Forbes, Birdman spoke about why he felt $100 million was so low, how he plans on making a billion and why he feels he's earned all of his success.

“I just felt $100 million was low,” he told Forbes. “With all the different entities, I think I should still be a lot more than that. $500 million. $250 million, easy … As a child I always felt if I could make $1 million, I could make $100 million. If I could get $100 million, I’m just nine steps away from being a billionaire. And that’s the goal.”

will.i.am Addresses Snoop Dogg's Pseudo Diss On Dr. Dre's "Kush"

The Black Eyed Peas frontman reacts to the line, "Tighter than the pants on will.i.am."

The Black Eyed Peas frontman reacts to the line, "Tighter than the pants on will.i.am."

On Dr. Dre’s “Kush,” Snoop Dogg spits the line, “Still I am / Tighter than the pants on will.i.am.” But the Black Eyed Peas frontman isn’t taking it personally. Speaking with LA Weekly, will.i.am brushed off the pseudo diss, claiming that Tha Doggfather was actually paying him a complement.

“When Snoop said ‘Tighter than the pants on will.i.am,’ he was talking about how my flow is tight, how my style's tight,” he explained. “My budget's not tight, though; everything's tight but the budget. [Laughs.] I looked at it as 'That's dope.'”

In fact, will is working with Snoop Dogg on his upcoming television show “i.am.FIRST: Science is Rock & Roll,” which he describes as “a science fair and rock concert all mashed together.” He also revealed that he’s working on two solo albums at the same time, and will spend his time off from BEP working with artists like Justin Bieber and Usher.

Terry G Stole My Song’ – Danny Young Insists

The news going around town now is that self-proclaimed ‘Akpako Master’ and pop star Terry G has allegedly ‘stolen’ his colleague and client Danny Young‘s song and released it as his. Danny Young has come out to accuse the award wining singer/producer claiming Terry G stole his song and reproduced it as his.
Today, Danny Young who still sounded distraught and disappointed, told Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET) in a phone conversation that the story is true. ‘Yes it’s true and I’m getting tired of the whole thing, please speak with my management, they’ll give you all the details’. And Danny Young’s manager who goes by the name Kay La La, narrated the whole story to NET in a phone conversation.

‘Danny Young had attended an event held at Elegushi beach, Lagos. He met up with reggae singer Rock Steady who was at the time recording his songs and told Young that he would like for him to be on his album. Days later, Rock Steady and Danny Young hooked up and Terry G’s studio where the former was recording. Terry G asked Danny Young to feature on a new song which also featured Rock Steady, they recorded and called it a day.

Weeks later Young visited Terry G and asked him to feature on a song his was recording titled ‘Eli Jah‘ for his upcoming album ‘Rebirth. They played the song in Young’s car and Terry G loved it. He readily wanted to feature on it but suggested he changed a few instrumentation. Being skeptical of the idea, Danny Young decided not to give him the song data. After repeated attempts to get Terry G on the track, Danny Young’s crew got tired of Terry G’s evasions and traveled to Jamaica then Dubai for shows only to see Terry G’s version of the song titled ‘Jah Hailo’ posted on the blogs on arriving Nigeria’.
Danny Young immediately recorded and released his own version and in the second verse is heard accusing Terry G of stealing his song.

Repeated attempts to talk to Terry G and his management proved abortive as phone calls placed through were not responded to. They were also yet to respond to SMS enquiries as at press time.
This wouldn’t be the first time Terry G is getting into messy waters with an artiste over rights infringement. He has, in recent past, been accused of unauthorised copying/sampling. And that’s just one aspect of the many controversies marring his otherwise brilliant career. Off-and-on altercations with the likes of Mallam Spicy, AY.Com, Side One and Kelly Hansome have also fuelled his image as a bad boy – something his management are now keen on washing off….

My father died of HIV AIDS – Big Brother Amplified winner, Karen Igho

MNET Nigeria presented current Big Brother Amplified co-winner Karen Igho to the press at Planet One, Ikeja, and below are excerpts from Karen’s statements at the press conference:

‘I don’t really know my father. He married my mother at a very young age but now he is dead. He died of HIV AIDS. I am not ashamed to say it. I wish I saw him to ask him questions, to ask him why he blamed me for things I didn’t do. I didn’t get the chance to tell him I loved him.’

‘The journey wasn’t an easy one. Whatever anyone said about me, good or bad, I thank you and I say one love. I had no strategy unlike what most people think. I was just myself.’

‘My boobs were never a strategy, when I discovered I had lumps in my breasts, I had removed them and had the boob job done to prevent any further occurrence. It’s funny how my mother got to hear on the show. My 17-year-old sister recently discovered lumps in her breasts too’.

 ‘I want people to know that the disease is real. I am going to use part of my winnings to do a massive campaign about this disease.’

‘I didn’t know I was going to win even though I didn’t see anybody as my competitor. My head was straight. I saw everybody as potential winner. That is why we were in the house in the first place. Anyways, we are all stars.’

Karen won $200 000.