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Eminems "Recovery" first week sales are in
(Defsounds)
Hitsdailydouble.com is reporting that Eminem moved 753,870 units of his latest release Recovery after hitting store shelves and online retailers last Monday, June 21st.
This makes Em's Recovery 2010’s highest selling first week sales number, and it will land number one on the Billboard charts knocking Drake down to number two after moving 156k copies of Thank Me Later in his second week on the charts.
Update
Update: Hits Daily Double was few thousand + off, but the official first week numbers as Soundscan reports for Eminem's Recovery are 741,000. Which still make's it a heavy week for Em.
Jay Z makes the top of the Forbes List
(Defsounds)
Forbes Magazine unveiled their Top 100, and Jay-Z landed in the number one spot as highest ranking Hip Hop
star, and was number 15 overall on the Top 100 with 63 Million earned in the past year.
Celebrities that joined Jay-Z on the Top 100 are Oprah who topped the list of highest ranking celebrities, followed by Beyonce. Diddy (30mill), Akon (21mill) and Lil Wayne (20mill) are all among the Top 100.
One notable name left off Forbes’ 2010 Top 100 is 50 Cent, as he fails to make to the list for the first time since he was named Hip Hop Cash King for 2008.
The Celebrity 100 is based on money and fame, a system Forbes decided to use which takes into account earnings estimates from films, books, endorsements and more from June of 2009 to June of 2010.
Drake Takes Virgin America's 1st Flight To Toronto; On Board with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mayor of San Francisco and Virgin's Founder
Drake flew on Virgin America's first flight from San Francisco to Toronto. Today's flight marks the beginning of Virgin's nonstop flights from California to Canada, Toronto. California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Mayor of San Francisco, and Virgin's founder also took the inaugural flight with Drake. Drizzy even got some promotion for his debut album out of the deal. His Thank Me Later cover was painted on the side of the airplane Drake flew on.
Jennifer Hudson Speaks On Brutal Murder Of Family Members In 2008 On 'VH1's Behind The Music'
People.com: She's kept quiet about the brutal 2008 murders of her mother Darnell, brother Jason and nephew Julian. Now, Jennifer Hudson is finally speaking out.
"It's all a blur, it was surreal," she says on VH1's Behind the Music: Jennifer Hudson on Monday night. "It was like I was outside of myself."
As her very public nightmare unfolded, the Oscar-winning actress says she went into seclusion.
"For almost two weeks straight . . . [I was] inside one room with just family and friends coming in and out," she says. "I prayed when I'd get up in the morning and prayed before I laid down at night."
Hudson barely addressed the murders until the 2009 Grammys, where she performed a poignant, moving rendition of "You Pulled Me Through."
"I was definitely thinking of my family when I was singing that song," she says. "I could hear my brother in my head, like, 'Jennifer, you need to kill this, you need to get up and do it.' I knew he would be disappointed if I didn't do it justice."
Today, "I feel like I've lived about three or four different lives," she says, adding that her 11-month-old son David (with her fiancé David Otunga) has helped her heal.
Little David, "reminds me of my nephew," says Hudson, and he also helps her remember her mother. "In so many ways I channel her because she was such a great mom."
Her son, she adds, "makes me feel like the most special person on earth. I want him to get the same love and the same upbringing my mother gave us."
Fabolous vents on twitter about not performing with Khaled on the remix
Fabolous has always been a beast so its no surprise that he went in on this beat. The beat was originally done by Cam'ron & his new sidekick Vado. When the beat drops Fab comes out strong with lines like "It damn sure ain't my birthday but shorty say thats daddy cake, When she make it clap sound like kids playing paddi cake".
He's known to be a lyrical genius & a punch line heavy hitter so every time he touches the mic I always listen in for a line to repeat. When an artist connects with a listener like that it means he's doing something right. Not according to people at BET, & Dj Khaled though. Apparently Fabolous was very upset & taking shots at some people on twitter last night. With out winning any awards & not being apart of a performance he was supposed to be in Fab took it to twitter & he said:
Anyway new freestyle take a listen
Fabolous "Mister Crocker" by Young Simmons
Lil Wayne supports Drake and Nicki Minaj from jail with a letter
The third letter from Wayne since his March 8th incarceration was released today and shows the rapper giving props to Drake and Nicki Minaj for taking home BET Awards before thanking several fans that reached out to him in jail.
“I hope everyone's summer has been going well doing whatever it is you like to do. On my end, I'm alive, breathing and blessed…
You already know how I'm passing the time – reading and working out. I know I say it every letter, but thank you from the bottom of my heart for the pictures, rocking free weezy tees, and continuous letters. They mean the world. I promise to continue to update as much as I can and answer as many questions as I can from you guys.
Shout out to my YM family for making me proud last night.
Love and appreciate life.
God bless.”
Method Man pleads guilty to tax evasion
The former Wu-Tang Clan member was arrested Oct. 9 on charges he failed to pay state and personal income taxes. He pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted failure to pay tax.
He was sentenced to a conditional discharge, which means the arrest will be purged from his record if he stays out of trouble.
"When he found out about the tax issue he hired someone and immediately corrected it," defense attorney Peter Frankel said. "He took care of it quickly like the good member of our community he is."
The musician, actor and artist, who lives on Staten Island and whose real name is Clifford Smith, failed to file tax returns for 2004 through 2007, prosecutors said. The most he owed for one year was $32,799.
Prosecutors said when people cheat on their taxes, other New Yorkers have to foot the cost.
"In these days of massive budget shortfalls and service cuts, tax evasion is a crime against all New Yorkers," Richmond County District Attorney Daniel Donovan said. "Whether you are a celebrity or an average Joe, you will be investigated, arrested and prosecuted."
In 2007, Method Man was arrested on a minor drug charge and was ordered to visit 15 city high schools to warn students about the dangers of drugs.
"He's not your typical rapper," Frankel said. "He's not a troublemaker."
Drake talks with Allhiphop.com exclusive interview
Part 1 of 2
AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about your rise to success and having the biggest opening week for a Hip-Hop artist in 2010?
Drake: First of all, I’m humbled by everything. It hasn’t really set in. It hasn’t really registered. You know, we don’t do too much celebrating, but I’m just thinking about the next win..the next win. You know, like Kobe Bryant says. I don’t know what a ring feels like. Until I get the ring, I’m never satisfied. I’m very humbled, very honored by the response of what we’ve done thus far, but – in my mind - we could do a lot better. I’m just working towards that.
AllHipHop.com: Why do you say that? Why do you say you feel you could do a lot better? You’ve done quite a bit…
Drake: I just listen back on my own music. I think I could spit better verses, better hooks, better selections. As far as music goes, all around, you know? Make better videos, although “Find Your Love” is one of my favorite videos. It is a great video, but you know, come up with a better marketing plan. Mostly musically though, I just feel I can do better. I think I can rap a lot better than I’m rapping right now. If I could make better over all music for the world to sing so…you know. That’s just how I feel. You know, the people around me say I’m too hard on myself, but that’s how I’ve always been.
AllHipHop.com: Are you pleased with your album, Thank Me Later?
Drake: I’m pleased with it for certain reasons. I’m pleased with it overall, on a whole as a body of work. I think that there are some great moments in there. I think it’s very reflective of where I’m at in my life. I think it’s the perfect soundtrack for this particular summer. I think it’s an overall good album. I don’t think by any means that it’s the best that I could do though only because I feel like I learned so much about my life in the period while I was making my album. And not only that, because of the schedule, I was just under duress making the album. It was very hectic. It was a lot of time constraints. Or I couldn’t be in the same place as 40 (his friend and producer Noah "40" Shebib) and Boi 1 Da. They had a demand prior to the album coming out, which is a rare thing. I think with a clear head and a little more time, and a different mindset, I can make a good album.
AllHipHop.com: How, if at all does the pressure affect the creative process?
Drake: It’s never the pressure that affected the creative process, more than it was the time. It was the time. Recording on tour busses at 9AM is just not the ideal situation to finish your album, but maybe it is, maybe I wouldn’t have had those great moments on the album like I did if it wasn’t for that situation. At the same time I just feel like everyone works better when they are rested, when their heads are clear. It was more the time constraint that affected me more so than this weight on my shoulders or this pressure that everyone assumed would occur. I didn’t really necessarily feel this first album pressure. I feel like we have longevity in this game, so I wasn’t really too worried about that. I just wanted to make some great music. I love seeing people react to my music. Its like a drug, one of the strongest drugs ever in my opinion. (Whispers “not that I’m doing drugs”) I just love that feeling. Putting out a feeling and having it really be the one is more addicting than anything in my life now.
AllHipHop.com: Let me ask you this. I appreciate your music, but I will admit I am not a die-hard type of fan like some fans that you have. So I am a little mystified at some of the critics that think there is a different Drake from now to So Far Gone to other earlier work. Do you feel like addressing some of the critics or are they just unaware of how you have evolved in the process of your mixtapes, to the EP to now?
Drake: Well I think the thing is that people get confused between the music and moment. I think that’s the biggest thing that causes people to say, “Oh, Drake has changed.” The music that’s on Thank Me Later is very eclectic and is a unique brand of music and it is still our sound. We went with a very unconventional creative method. I think the reason that people hold So Far Gone in such high regard is because it was their first time hearing that sound. First of all the sound the way it came out was very accessible, which to a lot of people that was an innovative approach. And then not only that, a lot of people that had never heard me rap, and a lot of people had never heard 40’s (Noah “40” Shebib) production, or they had never heard the music we chose to flip. It was very much the moment, you know, and it was something new, and I think that is always more exciting. I think that as you gradually become more and more familiar with someone they become less and less exciting, they can still make great music, but the music and the moment is what people get confused. I still believe strongly in Thank Me Later as an album.
AllHipHop.com: I noticed the Jay-Z verse on “Light Up,” where he cautions you on people that try to lure you into distracting beefs. The next week or so, there’s this “thing” with Lil Kim. How true did that verse ring for you?
Drake: Yeah I think the main thing for me was – and the reason I lashed out in that situation – was, because it wasn’t about me. And there are a lot of stupid things that other of rappers are going to try and rope me into. But at the end of the day, unfortunately, that’s not what pushes my buttons. You can say anything to me and I will not react to it. And even in that specific situation [with Lil Kim] when things start getting said about me, it lost its thrill. You know what I mean? My biggest thing was I don’t like when you talk about people I love. People that I know for a fact are working very hard and are very respectful people. I don’t like that. That pushes my buttons more than anything you can say about me. It was wrong for ever saying anything in regards to that situation and, as you can see, I left it alone. Its over at this point. You know, I’m not going to give somebody a “look” off that. The fact is, I see Nicki pay a lot of respect to a lot of emcees in the game and she’s just working hard, doing her thing. Other individuals who aren’t relevant get jealous.
AllHipHop.com: I feel you. Can we see a collaboration, between you and Rihanna? She put it out there and I know you rapped about it. You think we’ll see that in the future?
Drake: You said she put it out there?
[Rihanna told told E!: “Right now I’m listening to Drake, Jay-Z, Kings Of Leon, Ke$ha. He’s really, really talented, and I think he’s one of the illest lyricists out there right now, so I would love to work with him.”]
AllHipHop.com: Yeah, that she would love to work with you.
Drake: (pausing, seemingly shocked) When was that?
AllHipHop.com: (laughing) Uh, yesterday?
Drake: Really?
AllHipHop.com: Yeah!
Drake: That’s exciting news. (laughs) Yeah, yeah…I love her very much. She’s a great person and a great artist. I would be honored. We actually did a song together and it just never came out. But, uh…it would be great to have something out there. It would be cool.
AllHipHop.com: We’ll…make it happen! We put it on Twitter and a bunch of people replied requesting to see you and Rihanna do a song.
Drake: We’ll make it happen. I’m sure.
AllHipHop.com: I was mystified at some of the comments and I recently put on Twitter the question, because somebody told me, “Drake’s not Hip-Hop” and I was baffled, because I feel like, in your lane, you represent lyricism. Especially with…
Drake: Sorry to chime in so soon, but I think the biggest thing is like it all depends on what is your perception of Hip-Hop. Like, if your perception of Hip-Hop is not being that successful, still being the underdog, being seen as hungry, in turn picking music that’s not commercially appealing… If that’s your definition of Hip-Hop, then you’re right…I’m not Hip-Hop. I think that is the definition of Hip-Hop to a lot of people.
But I think if your definition of Hip-Hop is utilizing every opportunity to showcase a lyrical talent, making great music and making music that’s not complete sell-out like dance music or going too too pop, I think that I keep it Hip-Hop. I never doubt myself in that regard. I think a lot of people feel Hip-Hop, in their eyes, is not shiny. Its dull and gritty and its not about doing Jay Leno or getting nominated for Grammys or a lot of things that have come my way over the years. Like that stuff its too shiny, that’s when you’re too far gone.
AllHipHop.com: Which is more important to you, So Far Gone or Thank Me Later?
Drake: They both are important for different reasons. You know So Far Gone is what got me here. A lot of people were like if you had added “Best I Ever Had” to this album then it would have been crazy. But it never could have and it just happened the way it happened it just not possible. And Thank Me Later I guess we will see how important it is. If I do win some awards and if I do break some records this year, then it will be important in its own right. It’s also a great thing to get off my back. It was a solid body of work and it had an incredible first week and we did some great things. It was a pretty epic rollout and I think this is the bar that we keep raising. Next album who knows, I think maybe next album we can do the release concert in Dubai and I will jump off a building and land into the back of a drophead Phantom.
AllHipHop.com: On Twitter they want to know if you really want to marry Nicki Minaj.
Drake: (Laughs) She’s an unbelievable woman. I don’t know. It’s too early to tell…. (laughs) I love Nicki, really I just be messing with Nicki. I like to embarrass Nicki a little bit since we are on a public forum… no really I just like to make her blush.
AllHipHop.com: When are you going to put out your R&B mixtape?
Drake: Whenever 40 wants to start making some R&B beats. He’s right next to me so if he has something good, then we are one step closer.
Lawsuit filed against rap star Drake
(Vladtv)
Hugh Hefner's former label Playboy Records owns the rights to Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds' "Fallin' In Love" which is sampled in the very beginning of Drake's "Best I Ever Had" song. As a result, an infringement suit was filed against Drake & Universal Music Group.
Playboy states: "[They] knew or should have reasonably known, that the sound recording was protected by copyright..." and that "each Defendant continues to infringe upon Plaintiff's rights in & to the copyrighted sound recording."
Souljaboy deletes his twitter account
(AllHipHop News) Atlanta rapper/producer Soulja Boy has deleted his Twitter account, after amassing over two million followers on the popular social networking site. Although the rapper has yet-to-reveal his reasoning for deleting his Twitter account, the website was abuzz with the news, as the rapper quickly became a trending topic. The rapper caught a lot of negative feedback from people on Twitter using the hash tag #ifsouljaboysarapper. The move could also cost Soulja Boy thousands of dollars in lost revenue. According to reports, Soulja Boy and Kim Kardashian were the highest paid celebrity tweeters, earning up to $10,000 per-tweet.
50 cent returns to the hood to teach health and other stuff
Rapper 50 Cent has a message for kids: Get off your butts.
The platinum-selling superstar hosted a day of games and healthy snacks at a Queens park Saturday to encourage kids from his old ‘hood to put down the video games and get some exercise.
“I just want [kids] to be active, move around and be physical,” the 34-year-old Queens native told the Daily News. “Don’t sit in front of a computer all day.”
The Grammy winner whose real name is Curtis Jackson took his message to heart by taking off in a golf cart around Baisley Pond Park in Jamaica with his pint-size fans in hot pursuit, struggling to catch a glimpse of the hip-hop superstar.
“It’s exciting for me to be able to be back in the community in a different way – in a positive way,” said the drug dealer-turned-father, who was riddled with nine bullets in a 2000 shooting.
“It means something to me to be a positive influence on the kids.”
Forever Young Day was organized by the rap icon’s nonprofit youth group, the G-Unity Foundation.
Fellow Queens rapper Lloyd Banks also made an appearance.
“Hopefully, this day can inspire kids to want to be something,” said Banks, 28, whose given name is Christopher Lloyde.
“I couldn’t honestly say where I would have been without music.”
Kids participated in relay races, Double Dutch or took turns jumping in the blowup castle – which sported a giant image of the rapper.
Other fans cooled off with paper fans emblazoned with 50 Cent’s mug before grabbing free turkey or veggie burgers or helpings of whole-wheat pasta salad.
Sean Chung, 14, of Jamaica, came in hopes of having the “In Da Club” singer sign his shoes – or his cell phone.
“He inspires me to do better in school and keep my head up,” Chung said. “If he made it outta here, I can too.”
Obama says no excuses to fathers
One of the primary slogans being used by the White House to express President Barack Obama's most recent fatherhood initiative is the term "no excuses." I agree Mr. President, there should be no excuses. Rather than seeing fatherhood to be the blessing that it is, there are too many dads who are choosing to deliberately walk away from the table.
But while we are on this theme of "no excuses," I thought I might help you also ensure that you are as committed to this terminology as you expect other black fathers to be. While there are many dads who deliberately walk away from the table, there are thousands of fathers who can't make child support payments or otherwise provide for their families, in large part because black male unemployment is the highest in the country. In fact, on last count, black male unemployment was around 18 percent, epidemic proportions for most Americans, but in the midst of the banter, these facts continue to be ignored.
When you and your administration have been asked to manage this issue, you've given long lists of excuses, starting with "I'm not the president of just black America," or "You should pull yourself up by your bootstraps," etc. Well, my argument to you is that if men are not expected to make excuses for why some are unable to provide for their families, perhaps the government should stop making excuses for promoting, advancing and perpetuating proven structural inequality which continues to make the black man's journey that much more difficult. There are certainly ways to overcome hardship, but collective hardships are going to lead to statistically disparate outcomes.
I had a dad, and I am a dad. As you can imagine, it's not easy. All the while, we've done our jobs and loved our children. The one thing I don't appreciate as a dad is the idea that somehow men like me are believed to not be willing to give the very same love that other fathers give their children, or that we are somehow inferior to the rest of society. It's easy to dole out criticism, but equally difficult to accept it. So, if black men are willing to accept criticism from the government and others who continue to insist that we are choosing to be ineffective dads, I am hopeful that your administration will back up your critiques with purposeful action which creates real opportunities. We do not need to be taught how to play with our kids and love them, we need to be given the chance to provide. Patronizing ads (like this one) featuring daddies playing with their daughters aren't going to help that same daddy find a job to feed her. End of story.
Tiger Woods' Wife Earned $411,000 Per Day During Marriage
(Aol)
As a Finance Professor, I thought I'd do some quick analytics on the serious earning power of Elin Nordegren, the wife of Tiger Woods, if the reports are true that she might walk away with a $750 million dollar settlement. Initially, I thought that such an amount would be impossible for Elin to obtain. But after talking to a major film producer who works with "Hollywood types" on a regular basis, I walked away with a different conclusion. According to the opinion of my friend, who shall remain anonymous, it turns out that Elin's lawyers likely have a tremendous amount of leverage over Tiger Woods. Should the divorce go to trial, they would "ask him about every girl he ever kissed, every woman he ever slept with, every time anyone put whipped cream on his butt and spanked him, and every sexually-perverted thing he's ever done. By the time that trial is over, Tiger's image would be ruined forever."
Well, alrighty then.
With that said, let's start breaking down Elin Nordegren's riches. I would say that it's like she won the lottery, but lotto winners don't have it this good. Let's start from the beginning, shall we? If Elin Nordegren gets a $750 million settlement out of this divorce, she will have earned:
- $411,000 per day for the five years of her marriage.
- $2.3 million per week
- $12.3 million per month
- $150 million per year, more than Tiger has ever earned in any year, including endorsements. It's also more than the 2009 payroll for the entire Los Angeles Lakers.
If she invests her money and earns an average annual return of 10 percent (not unreasonable for the wealthy of America), she will earn $1.4 million per week in interest alone, or $6.2 million per month. So, the $75 million she would earn in annual interest would be nearly triple the annual salary of the highest paid player in the NBA.
Remember when 50 Cent said, "Have a baby by me, baby, be a millionaire"? Reminds you of that song, doesn't it?
Diddy and Rick Ross to cover the next Vibe Magazine
Diddy and Rick Ross to cover the next Vibe magazine. Remember when Biggie and Diddy did the cover. Is Diddy really trying to make another Biggie or relive his early Badboy days. Nah Diddy say it aint so.
Fergie says Will .I. Am ego is too big
Fergie can't stand Will.I.Am and that is one of the main reasons she wants to leave the band, a source close to them told RadarOnline.com exclusively. The other reason is she's decided she wants to have a baby! "Fergie is saying she wants out of the band and the second half of the tour isn't confirmed for early next year," the source said. "Things have gotten really bad with Will.i.Am. And it's not just Fergie who is clashing with him. So is the rest of the band. His ego is out of control." (Radar Online)
Sylvester Stallone to play John Gotti in movie
Actor Sylvester Stallone is in talks with the late John Gotti’s son, “Junior” John Gotti, to make a movie about his father’s life as a mobster, CNN has confirmed. Stallone himself would star as the "Teflon Don" in the film, which would tell the story of his life as the boss of the infamous Gambino Mafia family, as told through the memories of his son. The elder Gotti was convicted for murder and racketeering in 1992 and died in June, 2002 at the age of 61. According to TMZ, the project is far enough along in development that Stallone is ready to choose a screenwriter. It's not Stallone's first time playing a mobster, but a previous attempt has probably been forgotten by most of today's moviegoers: 1991's "Oscar," a John Landis-directed comedy about a gangster, played by Stallone, trying to go straight.
Maxwell and Erykah Badu at Madison Square Garden June 26, 2010
Brooklyn-born singer/songwriter Maxwell is catapulting off his two recent Grammy Awards® and his number one, platinum BLACKsummers'night album which dominated year-end critics lists. BLACKsummers'night is Maxwell's fourth studio album and first in eight years. The album is the first installment of a trilogy: BLACK is a much darker but soulful compilation, SUMMERS' will lean more toward the gospel side, and NIGHT will be more of a cool collection of slow jams.
Eminem's "Recovery" set to beat Drake with over 600,000 sold first week
(Billboard)
Eminem's "Recovery," released on June 21, is headed for the top spot next week with a very large sum. Industry sources estimate the album will rack up the biggest sales week of the year, as the set could exceed 600,000 copies by week's end on Sunday, June 27. There's even the chance it could surpass the 608,000 that Em's last set, "Relapse," started with last year.
"Recovery" is on track to be Eminem's sixth straight No. 1 debut -- and sixth overall No. 1. His only album to miss the top spot was his "Slim Shady LP" debut, which bowed and peaked at No. 2 in 1999.
Other albums released this week and due on next week's charts include Ozzy Osbourne's "Scream," Miley Cyrus' "Can't Be Tamed," the Roots' "How I Got Over," Herbie Hancock's "The Imagine Project," Sia's "We Are Born," Keith Sweat's "Ridin' Solo," Trip Lee's "Between Two Worlds," Cyndi Lauper's "Memphis Blues" and Macy Gray's "The Sellout."
Next week's album charts competes with the same week in 2009 when: in the wake of Michael Jackson's death, the King of Pop ruled with the top three selling albums in the U.S. as "Number Ones," "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" ranked at Nos. 1-3 with 108,000; 102,000 and 101,000; respectively.
Lady Ga Ga follow up album finished
(Billboard)
Lady Ga Ga has finished the follow up to her latest album. The title will be announced on New Years Day and she may get a tattoo of the album. She also says that this is a much angrier album.
Michael Jackson's estate earns a estimated 1 billion since his death
(Billboard)
Michael Jackson's estate is reportedly bringing in those big dollars. Since his death the estate has brought in about 1 billion and half of that is from record sales the other is from other deals such as licensing agreements. There is more, Sony Music is said to have lots of unreleased MJ music, so we can expect to hear new music up until 2017.
Twitter has gone global
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg may no longer be worried about Twitter and its impressive growth rate – and he shouldn’t be – but that won’t keep the micro-sharing service from continuing to boast impressive growth numbers all around the world.
Online analytics firm comScore noted Twitter’s overall continued growth, even based on incomplete data (third-party client users aren’t included in its numbers), and now Pingdom is doing its share by pointing out where exactly Twitter’s staggering international expansion is happening right now. The short version: just about everywhere.
Pingdom took a look at Google Trends for Websites traffic data for Twitter.com to see where the service is experiencing the fastest growth in terms of monthly usage. Again, that means its findings are far more fit for deducing overall trends than they are able to accurately detail Twitter’s user numbers, since a lot of people use desktop and mobile clients for tweeting.
For your information, Twitter COO Dick Costolo at the beginning of this month said they are currently at 190 million users, who are collectively posting some 65 million tweets per day. And last April, Twitter’s lead engineer for its International team, Matt Sanford, said over 60% of registered Twitter accounts were already coming from outside U.S. borders.
Anyway, these are the regions Pingdom says Twitter’s traffic curve is pointing sharply upwards the most:
Latin America
The fastest growth, according to Pingdom, is in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. Notably, the real turning point seems to have been around January 2010 for all those countries. We’re not sure why – it would have been more logical to see those jumps occur in November 2009, when Twitter was made available in Spanish.
As Pingdom points out, those five countries represent a potential audience of about 150 million Internet users, based on stats provided by Internet World Stats.
Bing launches new entertainment search
Microsoft’s search engine just got a whole lot more media-focused with the launch of Bing Entertainment, a new vertical centering on music, movies, TV and games. The goal behind the new destination at bing.com/entertainment is to make it easier to find what movie to watch, what music to listen to, what casual games to play: “spend less time searching for entertainment and more time doing the stuff you love.”
New features within each content section aim to connect searchers with answers more quickly. In Bing Music, users will now be able to preview entire songs from the 5+ million song library, plus get lyrics, artist profiles, upcoming concerts and events, and purchase tracks with one click from iTunes, Zune or Amazon. Bing Movies brings together visual search results with customer reviews, showtimes, in-line movie trailers, one-click purchasing, related Facebook and Twitter updates plus Bing Maps integration for planning an evening out.
Bing TV collates over 1,500 shows and 20,000 full TV episodes from partners including Hulu, CBS, Viacom and others. Along with access to episodes and reviews, users can also socialize search results and episodes via Facebook, Twitter, instant messenger or email. Bing Games aggregates reviews, cheats and walkthroughs for console and PC titles as well as providing 100 playable casual games right in-line.
Drake's first week sales, Thank me later sells 462,000 copies almost gold first week
(Thisis50)
Drake’s first week sales are in and they do impress. The Young Money artist’s debut album Thank Me Later officially moved 462,989 copies in just a week. Not to mention, his album already has gone platinum in Canada. Yep, platinum in just a week in his home country. Drake is officially the next big thing.
Indie Grind Daily: D. Julien
New music from D.Julien "Nineteenth Lap" audio
Don't worry about the BS homie, stay focused and be consistent and you will reach your goals.
Wiz Khalifa sells out tour and more
(AllHipHop News) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rapper Wiz Khalifa is touring heavily in support of his most recent mixtape Kush and Orange Juice and has sold out nearly every show of his most recent tour across the country.
According to Wiz, 54 out of 57 shows on the nationwide "Deal or no Deal Tour" featuring Yelawolf and Wu-Tang member, U-God, have sold out completely.
“People have been showing up. All of the tickets have been presale, a lot of them have been at the door and it’s been good,” Wiz told AllHipHop.com. “People are rocking merchandise, singing the words of the songs, there has been an ambulance at nearly every show outside.”
When asked about some of the crazier things he has seen on the tour, Wiz stated that “the combination of people passing out and with all the things that people will do to get backstage, to just smoke with us. It’s gotten pretty crazy.”
Wiz is currently working on his new album and despite rumors about what label will distribute the project, Wiz said he was weighing his options.
“Everyone knows I have been busy on my tour, so as far as business moves I kind of have just held off and just getting things straight,” Wiz told AllHipHop.com. “I am back recording. “I have been recording for several weeks now and I like to start fresh and really get a vibe going. We got a vibe early and we are gonna kill ‘em.”
Although the album has a titled, Wiz Khalifa remained tight-lipped about the name and concept of his upcoming project.
“It’s going to be an event, just like anything else that I do and I think that each one of my projects that we drop is getting bigger and better.”
Wiz Khalifa’s next appearance will take place on July 3rd in Detroit at the Majestic Café.
Eminem performs at Red Bull emsee contest
Eminem surprised the crowd with an unexpected performance in NYC at the Red Bull Emsee contest.
Nicki Minaj sets the records straight on rumors and more
emale rapper Nicki Minaj recently spoke about how she wants to be able to have longevity in hip-hop, and to stay relevant in years to come.
She told DJ Envy: "I am still hungry though, I guess I'm not hungry in a monetary way. But I'm hungry like, I want to know what it feels like to be able to have 10 albums under my belt, and I think when you're a perfectionist, when you're an artist, you want to be great at your craft and right now, that's where I am. I feel like, you know what, yes, I am a new artist, I still have to put out an album, I still have to prove myself. I still have to prove myself to me.
In the interview Minaj was also asked about the rumour going around that she was dating P Diddy, something that she denied:
“That is, wait, can I just say, I hold everybody's hands! I hold my bodyguard's hands! Noooo I'm not dating Diddy! Listen, sometimes I think they know these things are false. But when people ask me, I think, 'I didn't even know I was gonna have to even address that.' When I'm ready to announce new management, you'll know." Source: Mtv.co.uk
Princess of Crime Mob on SPATE Radio
Listen to full interview here
http://www.spateradio.com
The Amazon Kindle still competing with the iPad and Nook
Earlier today, Barnes & Noble announced a new WiFi-only Nook eReader at $149, and that it was slashing the price of its 3G version to $199. Amazon had to answer. And it just did.
The new price of the Kindle is a svelte $189 — down from $259. Yes, it just happens to be $10 cheaper than the 3G version of the Nook (all Kindles come with 3G connectivity built-in). It’s also now more than $300 cheaper than the cheapest iPad.
In the release, Amazon plays up the fact that it can be read in bright sunlight thanks to its e-ink screen, and is just 10.2 ounces. These are both shots at the iPad, which had a backlit screen (making it hard to read in sunlight), and, at 1.5 pounds, is significantly heavier than the Kindle. Also played up is the fact that the Kindle Store includes access to over 600,000 books — including 109 of 112 of the New York Times bestsellers. This is a shot at both the Nook and iPad. Nook claims to have more eBooks (over a million), but apparently has fewer NYT best-selling titles. Meanwhile, Apple’s iBook store has far fewer titles than either.
So is this enough to keep the Kindle humming along? Perhaps. The $189 is attractive. When I bought the Kindle last year, it was nearly $200 more ($359), which was way too expensive for the average consumer, but I still enjoyed the device. The price cut to $299 made it a little better. And the cut to $259, better still.
But was the pre-iPad world. Thinking about the Kindle at $359 now compared to the iPad at $499 is laughable. Yes, the Kindle is easier on the eyes thanks to e-ink, but the iPad can do about a thousand more things (and that might be an understatement) on top of its role as an eReader.
Amazon has yet to add a color screen or a touch screen to device, and while they’re supposedly working on ideas for both, it will likely be a while before they can do either. So that leaves them one choice: slash the price. Making it $10 cheaper than the Nook makes it an obvious choice over the Barnes and Noble device, but people looking at the iPad will still likely be a bit torn. If Amazon really wanted to go for the kill, they’d make the thing $99 — something which I bet they do sometime in the next year.
Find the full release below:
SEATTLE—June 21, 2010—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that Amazon Kindle, the best e-reader on the market (see this recent press release from the world’s leading consumer reporting organization—http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/06/amazons-kindle-tops-cr-ebook-reader-ratings.html), is now only $189, down from $259. Kindle is the 3G wireless portable reader that allows you to think of a book and be reading in 60 seconds, from wherever you happen to be. Easy to read even in bright sunlight, the 10.2 ounce Kindle is light enough for one-handed reading. Even though it’s a 3G wireless device, Kindle has no monthly fees or annual contracts. The Kindle Store includes over 600,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including 109 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases from $9.99. In addition, over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available to read on Kindle. Since its release, Kindle has been the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon. Kindle is in stock and available for immediate shipment at the new lower price of $189. Learn more at www.amazon.com/kindle.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including http://www.amazon.com, http://www.amazon.co.uk, http://www.amazon.de, http://www.amazon.co.jp, http://www.amazon.fr, http://www.amazon.ca, and http://www.amazon.cn. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Video Set: On the video set with Nicki Minaj and Sean Kingston
(Globalgrind)
Sean Kingston and Nicki Minaj teamed up to shoot the video for Sean Kingston’s newest song, "Letting Go (Dutty Love)". After being featured on Justin Bieber’s light and friendly attack on indecisive lovers,“Eenie Meenie”, Sean Kingston's collaboration with the notoriously raunchy Nicki Minaj may have come to a shock for many.
But it works. The song is a little more PG-13 for Sean, but not so bad that he’ll be banned from Radio Disney, and it’s a cute look for Nicki, as well. These pictures from the video shoot so Nicki Minaj trying out a cute, new look: a yellow and black polka-dot jumper and pin-up girl hair.
Interested to see how the video comes out.
Jay-Z Settles Lawsuit With Boston Red Sox Star David Ortiz Over "40/40" Club Name
(Contactmusic)
Jay-Z has reportedly agreed to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit with David Ortiz after suing the baseball player over the name of his nightclub in the Dominican Republic. The Big Pimpin' star and his business partner Juan Perez filed a lawsuit in New York in April (10), accusing the Boston Red Sox star of infringing upon the name of their 40/40 sports bars by naming his hotspot the Forty/Forty Club. They claimed Ortiz had been a patron at their Manhattan club on "several occasions" before opening his own bar in his native country, according to the New York Post. But the two parties have now reportedly ended the legal dispute, with Ortiz agreeing to rename his venue and pull down its promotional website FortyForty.net.
Lil Wayne bans daughter from seeing him in prison
Reginae's mother and Wayne's ex-wife Toya Carter told VIBE that the estranged couple made an agreement to not permit the adolescent from visiting her father in the New York prison. "That's no place for a kid to go...Wayne and I just decided not to let her go to Riker's Island, period. She's never been. He makes sure he talks to his daughter everyday, talking and writing is enough."
In previous interviews, Toya, star of her own BET reality show, Tiny and Toya, has commended Wayne as a father, and his ability to juggle stardom and his daughter.
COURTESY OF HIPHOPDX.COM
