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    Drake Strikes Out With Rihanna, But Female Intruder Ready, Willing

    Keith Girard
    Drake, the Canadian rapper, infamously struck out with Rihanna, but he’s still apparently a chick magnet. A female intruder allegedly broke into his house and was discovered wearing one of his hooded sweatshirts. The woman, who was not identified, was discovered in the rapper’s bedroom by a member of his entourage. The 24-year-old woman was arrested and charged with felony burglary, ...
    HIP-HOPMusic
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    The Day the Music Died: How Greed Is Killing the Cover Band Scene

    David Fagin and Keith Girard
    If you want proof that music is dying, just watch the Super Bowl halftime show. Or, God forbid, turn on your radio. Aside from paying $100 or more to see a huge arena show, there’s very few places to go these days to hear live music. Especially for free, or close to it. That’s because ASCAP and BMI, the performing rights organizations that pay performance royalties to artists, have been actively targeting the local bars and restaurants that still feature cover bands playing live music....
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    Rita Ora Wants Out of Stalled Jay Z Record Deal; Is Rihanna to Blame?

    Keith Girard
    Rita Ora, the UK singing sensation, is suing to break her contract with record mogul Jay Z, claiming she’s been “abandoned” by his Roc Nation record label. Is Rihanna the real reason her singing career has been sidetracked? Jay Z personally signed Rihanna to a record contract while he was president of Def Jam Recordings. Her debut album, Music of the Sun in 2005 and sophomore effort A Girl Like Me the following year both reached the top ten on the US album charts. ...
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    Will Dana Leaves Rolling Stone With Lawsuits, Scandal in His Wake

    Keith Girard
    Will Dana, the long-time managing editor of Rolling Stone magazine, is leaving the iconic music publication amid continuing fallout since he was forced to retract a story about an alleged gang rape at the prestigious University of Virginia. Although Dana technically wasn’t fired, he’ll leave next month without another job lined up. Rolling Stone was launched in the 1960s by Jann Wenner, 69. He continues to be listed on the masthead as Editor....
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    Pharrell Williams May Get Relief From $7.4M ‘Blurred Lines’ Jury Verdict

    Keith Girard
    Pharrell Williams may get half a loaf in his bid for a new trial in the “Blurred Lines” copyright case that stunned the music industry after a jury awarded $7.4 million to the family of late-singer Marvin Gaye. In a hearing on motions in the case yesterday (June 29), federal district court Judge John Kronstadt said he was leaning against Williams’ request for a new trial. But he called the $1.6 million jury award against the singer and producer “excessive.”...
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    Iggy Azalea Clears the Air on Delayed Tour, Social Media Retreat (audio)

    Keith Girard
    Iggy Azalea’s new tour, her first ever in major arenas, isn’t disintegrating and she hasn’t quit social media in disgust, although she is sometimes disgusted by it, she revealed in a new interview today (Mar. 12) in Los Angeles. The Australian rapper, real name Amethyst Amelia Kelly, touched off a lot of wild rumors when the tour delay was announced two days ago. Speculation centered on disputes between the 24-year-old rapper and Def Jam Recordings on issues ranging from poor promotion to difficulty working with her. ...
    HIP-HOPMusic
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    Jimi Hendrix ‘Black Widow’ Guitar at Center of Ownership Fight

    Keith Girard
    One of Jimi Hendrix’s lesser known musical instruments, a storied “Black Widow” acoustic guitar, is a the heart of a bitter legal fight between his estate and the former bassist for Earth, Wind and Fire, who was once married to Hendrix’s step-sister. Hendrix owned dozens of guitars during his brief career. Today, most are worth tens of thousands of dollars and are housed in museums. After Hendrix died, the guitar ended up in the hands of step-sister Janie Hendrix’s ex-husband Sheldon Reynolds, who is being sued by Hendrix’s estate, Experience Hendrix....
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    Iggy Azalea, Jennifer Lopez Shake the Room in New ‘Booty’ Video

    Keith Girard
    Jennifer Lopez gets jiggy with Iggy Azalea in steamy hot girl-on-girl action in their new video for Lopez’s song “Booty,” which is all about having the boom to shake the room. Ironically, Lopez, at 45, is nearly twice as old as the Australian rapper, who is 24. She could be her mother. As it is, they make a pretty dynamic pair, ass-slamming in the opening moments of the video...
    HIP-HOPMusic
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    Iggy Azalea Falls on Stage; Watch Other Artists Who Tumbled, Too!

    Keith Girard
    Iggy Azalea endured another rite of passage on her way to rap stardom. She fell off the stage last Friday during a performance leading up to the MTV Video Music Awards. But don’t call her clumsy. She follows a long line of artists who tumbled while performing. In fact, stage veteran Jennifer Lopez warned her a while back that it was bound to happen. Now, she joins Steven Tyler, Lady Gaga, Shakira and a slew of others. ...
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    Nicki Minaj Takes Off Her Top in New Pills & Potions Video (watch!)

    Keith Girard
    Nicki Minaj takes a minimalist approach to her new “Pills and Potions” video. It’s mainly just her against a blank screen, but who needs more with the way she moves, writhes and pulls on her clothes? Nicki dropped the video Monday (June 9). Rapper The Game plays her love interest. Nicki sings about love and double dealing with her nig*a. ...
    HIP-HOPMusic