Wednesday, July 16, 2008
posted by Sam at 6:18 AM
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Timbaland To Produce New Jay-Z LP; Say's 'It'll Be A Monster'Hit-maker of the moment Timbaland recently spoke with MTV about the Jay-Z's forthcoming album, which he has been appointed executive producer:
"He wants me to do the whole thing this time around," Timbaland said Monday during a visit to the MTV News office. "I'mma make it a classic too. You better believe it. It'll be a monster! I always say this: You get a first single from me, I'mma get you up to gold. And it's hard to get you up to gold in this day [and age]."

Tim insisted that an LP featuring him and Jay would sell more than the 500,000 copies needed for a gold record, as they're both international platinum artists.

"Jay should never chill," he said about the rapper's decision to return to music full time. "We had a long talk, and I really talked to him. Jay-Z does it for the love. That's different. When somebody does it for the love, you don't stop. He has everything, but he's still current. A million people are buying his album regardless.

"We wanna go to the world," he added. "The world is 'Big Pimpin'.' 'Big Pimpin' ' is an international hit, so we wanna do 10 of those. Meaning, some of the songs gonna sound like M.I.A. would rap on some of the beats. You gonna be like, 'Whoa!' But it's Jay on 'em. That means it reaches everywhere. I'mma have songs with bagpipes. The music is gonna be so worldwide, he'll be able to tour the rest of his life, maybe, off just this one album. The Jay-Z album is gonna be phenomenal. You know why? We don't care. We're doing great music just to do it. We doing it for our fans who love us to say we ain't quit. I'm doing it 'cause that's my homeboy."
Though I'm feeling the whole 'everyone jumping on the Timbaland bandwagon' thing is becoming a lil' tiresome, I'm pretty interested to see what he'll deliver for Jay. After that faux retirement and the so-so 'Kingdom Come' LP, Jay has staged a great return to form with the release of last year's 'American Gangster' and successful tours. Here's hoping this new album continues the trend.

Your thoughts?

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Sunday, July 13, 2008
posted by Sam at 10:30 AM
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ThisDay Music Festival Pics
A bevy of stars including Usher, Rihanna, Jay-Z and more hit Nigeria's 3rd annual ThisDay Musical Festival this weekend. Check out pics from the event:

ThisDay Music Festival Pics ThisDay Music Festival Pics ThisDay Music Festival Pics
ThisDay Music Festival Pics ThisDay Music Festival Pics

Supermodels Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford were also in attendance.

ThisDay Music Festival Pics

What do you think of the pics?

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Wednesday, July 9, 2008
posted by Sam at 10:23 AM
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Jay-Z In Vogue Italia's 'All Black Issue''Rapping mogul Jay-Z poses it up in fashion magazine Vogue Italia - L'Uomo Vogue. Check out the pics:

Jay-Z In Vogue Italia's 'All Black Issue''Jay-Z In Vogue Italia's 'All Black Issue''Jay-Z In Vogue Italia's 'All Black Issue''
What do you think of the pics?

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Sunday, June 29, 2008
posted by Sam at 1:31 PM
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Despite the controversy surrounding Jay-Z being billed as the headliner at the largely 'Rock' Glastonbury festival, the renown rapper silenced naysayers by delivering a show-stopping set. Inclusive were a tongue-in-cheek opening of Oasis' 'Wonderwall' - which took aim at group member Noel Gallager's remark that “I’m not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong”, as well as a remix of Estelle's 'American Boy'. Check it out:

Ms. Jigga was also in attendance to support her husband...

Beyonce

What do you think of the performance?

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
posted by Sam at 7:10 AM
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Beyonce Breaks Silence Jay-Z Marriage After more than a month of silence, Beyonce has spoken out about her much talked about marriage to long-time partner Jay-Z:
“I don’t deny it (the wedding). I just don’t talk about it. We’ve never talked about us and it’s kind of protected our relationship. I think it’s kept us out of tabloid drama. A lot of actresses that have had successful relationships don’t talk about them, so neither do I.”{Source}
Kudos to them for not allowing the media to infiltrate what they have.

Any thoughts?

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
posted by Sam at 1:14 PM
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Beyonce & Jay-Z Sign Marriage LicenceWhile Beyonce and Jay-Z continue to remain tight-lipped about their much-talked about wedding two weeks ago, the pair made a very public declaration of their union. This past Friday the pair finally signed their marriage licence - before it expired, according to PEOPLE.com:
Scarsdale Town Clerk Donna Conkling tells PEOPLE the license – which lists the wedding date as April 4 – was received on Friday afternoon. The couple applied for the license just three days before the ceremony.

Interesting. It's a bit puzzling as to why they left it so long to sign the document - which usually is signed at the actual ceremony....

Any thoughts?

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Saturday, April 12, 2008
posted by Sam at 7:57 AM
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Beyonce & Jay-Z At Houston Rockets Game Newlyweds, Beyonce and Jay-Z, were snapped together at the Houston Rockets vs Phoenix Suns basketball game in Houston, Texas yesterday.

In other 'Jayonce' news, click here to read this NY Post article that has been making the rounds recently about the mainstream media's lack of interest in 'the wedding'.

Your thoughts?

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Saturday, April 5, 2008
posted by Sam at 12:27 PM
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Earlier this week, Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z stopped by the David Letterman Show to promote their co-headlining 'Heart of The City Tour'. What's more, the respected pair performed 'Can't Knock The Hustle' from Jay-Z's 'Reasonable Doubt' LP. Check out the performance, as well as their hilarious interview below.

The Performance:

The Interview:

LOL! Jay had me rolling with the R. Kelly jibes. About the performance, it was awesome.

Your thoughts?

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posted by Sam at 2:50 AM
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Check out some of the arrival pics from one of the undeniably biggest events on the industry calender, the Beyonce and Jay-Z wedding {Some pic credits: The YBF} :

Matthew Knowles

Solange Knowles

Kelly Rowland

Michelle Williams

A guest arrives

A media circus to say the least. Peep the pic above of the scene a car arriving at the wedding was greeted with. Still, it's expected, considering Bey and Jay'z level of celebrity. Granted I don't usually buy into the hype, I must say the suddenness of this all kinda makes it all the more engaging.

What do you think of the pics?

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Friday, April 4, 2008
posted by Sam at 6:11 PM
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Beyonce & Jay-Z - It's Legit!

Following much-speculation, PEOPLE.com have confirmed that Beyonce and Jay-Z did indeed tie the knot today. Check out their report below:

After years of speculation, singer Beyoncé Knowles wed her longtime boyfriend, rapper Jay-Z, on Friday, a friend of the couple tells PEOPLE.

Though there is no official confirmation, the friend says, "It happened earlier this evening. Jay wanted it to be a really private affair – close friends and family."

The ceremony was followed by a lavish party at the rapper's Tribeca apartment that drew Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles, her father/manager Mathew, her sister Solange, her Destiny's Child mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and the couple's friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

The wedding buzz began when the couple went to get a marriage license at a village hall in Scarsdale, N.Y., on Tuesday.

Wow, so it turned out to be true after all. Congratulations to them!

Your thoughts?

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posted by Sam at 2:01 AM
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Beyonce & Jay-Z To To Wed Today? Following the reports earlier this week that Beyonce and Jay-Z had secured a marriage licence, there is increasing speculation that the much-talked about couple are set to wed today in New York:
Jay-Z has performances with Mary J. Blige in Massachusetts last night and North Carolina tomorrow - but nothing today.

And New York news organisations are reporting Knowles is currently in the Big Apple, together with her mother Tina and former Destiny’s Child bandmate Michelle Williams.

Jay-Z and Knowles successfully applied for a wedding licence in Scarsdale, New York on Tuesday, and they have 60 days from that date to exchange vows - before the paperwork deadline expires.

The latest rumours come just a day after Jay-Z staged an alleged bachelor party in Toronto, Canada.

Representatives for both stars are refusing to confirm or deny marriage reports.{Source}
What's more, Beyonce's former Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly and Michelle, uploaded this joint video blog on Youtube yesterday. Though there is no mention of a wedding, something does seem kinda fishy. Check it out:

Hmm. I guess if the marriage stories are legit, then congratulations to them. With industry relationships lasting all of five minutes these days, I have to commend Bey and Jay on being able to sustain for so long. {Random tidbit: Kelly and Michelle had me rolling...too funny}

Your thoughts?

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Thursday, April 3, 2008
posted by Sam at 3:39 AM
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Jay-Z To Ink $150 Million Deal With Live NationAccording to The New York Times, Jay-Z is set to leave current label Def Jam to sign a deal with concert promoter Live Nation for a whopping $150 Million. The package deal would see Live Nation finance the mogul's own entertainment venture, as well as future recording and tours for the next 10 years.

The venture, which will reportedly be called Roc Nation, will split profits with Live Nation. Jay will release a minimum of three albums during the deal’s decade long duration - receiving a $10 million advance per album.

Jay's deal, which is expected to be finalized sometime this week, would be the most expensive (and expansive) agreement the concert promoter have secured thus far. Within the last 6 months, Live Nation have signed both Madonna and rockers U2 to similar '360' deals for $120 Million a piece.

This news comes on the heels of Jay's standing down as President of Def Jam last December, following the breakdown of negotiations for a more lucrative deal. Jay's final Def Jam release is slated to drop before the end of the year.

I'm not sure about this. Not hating or anything, but I keep asking myself: is 2008 Jay-Z really worth that much? The moderate sales of his last couple of releases (in comparison to his past LP's) kinda suggest he's not. What's more, these increasingly popular '360 deals' seem kinda risque to me. One only has to look at the amount of artists, who at some point in their careers, have been unhappy with their label; so I can only imagine the drama that would ensue should one of these type of deals turn sour - as the artist would have signed over literally everything - music, tours, merchandising...the lot. Saying that, I can't knock Jay's hustle.

Your thoughts?

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008
posted by Sam at 1:58 AM
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Beyonce & Jay-Z To Finally Tie The Knot?PEOPLE.com are reporting that Beyonce and long-time boyfriend Jay-Z have taken out a marriage licence in Scarsdale, New York. Could it be wedding bells for music's most-talked about couple?
According to a source, the pair took out a license on Tuesday morning. The document is valid for 60 days.

A rep for Beyoncé told PEOPLE, "No comment." Jay-Z's spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
I'd be surprised if this latest claim was actually true. After all, if I'm counting right, they've 'reportedly' tied the knot 20 times already. Saying that, after six years of dating, this wouldn't be too far fetched either.

Your thoughts?

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Sunday, March 23, 2008
posted by Sam at 11:54 AM
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Urban music heavy-weights Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige kicked off their joint 'Heart of the City' tour in Miami's American Airlines Arena last night (March 22nd). As well as opener The Dream, many other big names were in attendance including Kanye West and Timbaland.

For those wondering what the hell is going on with Mary's project - after all, things seem to have gone extra quiet after 'Just Fine' - she will be releasing the Bryan Michael Cox produced 'Stay Down' as her next single.

{Click pics to enlarge}
Jay-Z & Mary J. Blige Kick Off Tour Jay-Z & Mary J. Blige Kick Off Tour Jay-Z & Mary J. Blige Kick Off Tour

What do you think of the pics?

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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
posted by Sam at 8:12 AM
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The video for Jay-Z's new single 'I Know' - the third to be lifted from his 'American Gangster' album - made its yesterday. I'm liking this. Interestingly, Lenny Kravtiz’s daughter Zoe stars in the vid.

What do you think of the video?

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Monday, February 25, 2008
posted by Sam at 2:29 PM
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According to the NY Daily News, rappers Jay-Z and Nas may be dropping a collaborative LP in the near future:

Rumors continue to swirl about Jay-Z’s still-unconfirmed new record label, Carter Music Group. We hear that Jay is partnering with rapper Nas on an album of duets, “The Kings of Hip Hop,” to be released on the label early next year. Jay’s rep is keeping tight-lipped.

As appealing as the concept sounds, it's probably best left on paper. Jay, of all people, should know that collabo albums tend to have more riding against them than for them (see: 'Best of Both Worlds'). Random tidbit: What happened to Bow Wow & Omarion's 'Face Off? LMAO.

Your thoughts?

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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
posted by Sam at 3:32 AM
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Peep this picture of Rihanna and Jay-Z after Sunday's Grammy ceremony. Wonder what was going on here?

Caption this

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Monday, February 11, 2008
posted by Sam at 4:48 AM
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Beyonce, Jay-Z & Michelle At Sony BMG Party
Following her performance at the Grammy's at the Beyonce attended the Sony BMG Grammy after-party, along with Jay-Z, and Destiny's Child bandmate Michelle Williams. John Mayer and Aretha Franklin and John Mayer were among the other celebrities who also stopped by the party.

What do you think of the pic?

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Thursday, February 7, 2008
posted by Sam at 10:42 AM
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Jay-Z Teams With Mary J For US Tour
Two of Urban music's biggest entities, Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige, are set to join forces for a 3 month North American tour. Billed as the 'Heart of the City' tour, Jay and Mary will kick off the 26-show arena trek on March 22nd in Miami and wrap up in May. Both artists latest efforts, 'American Gangster' and 'Growing Pains' respectively, are certified Platinum - after only a few months on sale.

Jay said in a statement: 'The (songs) we're playing are the soundtracks to people's lives. We've poured our hearts out many a night in the studio and look forward to going one step further on stage.' {Source}

I think it's a great pairing. Jay and Mary have lasted the distance in the industry, so this tour will be a testament to that.

Will you be going to see Jay & Mary?

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Monday, December 31, 2007
posted by Sam at 8:32 AM
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Jay-Z Opens 40/40 Club in Vegas Jay-Z was joined by a host of stars to celebrate the opening of the Las Vegas arm of his 40/40 nightclub. Attendee's included Beyonce, of course, Solange, Mary J. Blige, Tichina Arnold, Al Sharpton, Joe Jackson and Robin Thicke. Check out pics from the event below:

Beyonce

{Click pics to enlarge}

Beyonce & Solange Mary J. Blige & Al SharptonTichina Arnold Joe Jackson

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