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 | Posted by newsngossip
| Wed, December 23, 2009 at 12:31 AM |
"Soldier Of Love," the first single off Sade's highly anticipated new album of the same name, is already making radio history in the wake of its Dec. 8 release.
The track entered the Urban Hot AC tally at No. 11, becoming the chart's highest debut of the decade and its third highest of all-time. Also "Soldier Of Love" debuted at No. 5 on the Smooth Jazz airplay chart and became the first ever vocal to hit No. 1 on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown.
"Soldier Of Love" which Sade co-produced with Mike Pela, was written by Sade along with longtime collaborators Andrew Hale, Stuart Matthew man and Paul Spencer Denman.
Recorded in England and set for release on Feb. 9, the album marks her first official studio set since the multi-platinum release of...More SADE
Listen To SADE's "Soldier of Love"  Share on Facebook ·  Bookmark on Delicious NBC's big hope to replace "ER" has been placed on life support.
The network has decided not to order any additional episodes of its new big-budget action medical series "Trauma," which featured Derek Luke in the role of a paramedic.
Ratings for the drama have stalled since its season premiere, but it showed a small ratings uptick this week against CBS repeats, prompting the network to book the series for three more weeks.
"Trauma" will now finish production on its original 13-episode order before unplugging the machine, so to speak.
Amazon.com Widgets On the heels of officially announcing his departure from longtime label home Def Jam, Jay-Z is close to signing a deal that will bring his future recordings to Sony, sources told Billboard.com.
The agreement, which will link Jay-Z's Roc Nation releases with Sony's Epic Records for distribution, "is 95% complete," according to sources close to the negotiations. A formal announcement is expected in the coming weeks.
Just last week, Jay-Z confirmed his split from Def Jam, where he was once president and CEO. The parting of ways from the Universal Music Group-owned label reportedly cost him $5 million, but left him in control of his future master recordings.
Last year, Jay-Z and concert promoter Live Nation struck a wide-ranging deal that included touring, publishing and albums. The roughly $150 million pact includes a partnership in Roc Nation, as well as the rapper's own recordings and tours for the next 10 years.
"He definitely didn't want to...click to continue reading  “One thing that was a big deal for us; we took the N-word out of the script. It was written in real language," says director Benny Boom." I came on and I said, ‘It’s possible for us to create a film where we don’t see drugs and shooting and see us calling each other that. They can still have as much fun, and it have as much action and people will leave so clear headed that they won’t even realize that they never heard that word at all.”
The guys behind “Next Day Air” are hoping to create the next new thing in urban film. Producer Inny Clemmons, writer Blair Cobbs, and director Benny Boom teamed up for the new film with an objective to keep audiences smiling with good art.
“Next Day Air” follows the plans of two bungling criminals who are mistakenly delivered a package of cocaine. The duo hope to flip the drug delivery into a fortune while being caught in the middle of the dealers that sent it, the recipients who missed it, and the fellas that delivered it.
“It all came from true stories that happened [in] my life,” writer Blair Cobbs said. “The actual baseline of the package being delivered to the wrong address was just an epiphany. It just hit me. For this movie to journey this whole way, and for me to meet Inny and Benny and for it to all happen, it was a miracle in...click to continue reading DuBose Music Group has announced the hiring of rap veteran MC Lyte as Executive Vice President of its burgeoning music entity.
The recording artist and writer will be tasked with shepherding DMG's talent acquisitions and artist development, according to a statement released by the company.
"Lyte is a rap music icon and music scholar with a wealth of industry connections and an extensive knowledge of urban music," said James DuBose, CEO of DuBose Entertainment. "With Lyte at the helm, DMG is perfectly positioned to usher in the next generation of artists and influence a new generation of music fans."
As her first major deal since joining...click to continue reading Memphis is in a snit.
Since 1907 the world’s largest African-American denomination, Church of God in Christ, has held its annual convocation in Memphis, Tennessee. Last year the gathering brought over 50,000 visitors and $35 million dollars in revenue to the city in just one week. Next year, much to the surprise of Memphis city officials, the convention will be held in St. Louis.
Otis Sanford, a journalist for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the daily newspaper wrote in an opinion column, “So what does St. Louis have that Memphis doesn’t? I know St. Louis is the gateway to the west, big deal. Memphis is the front door to the Delta.”
Kevin Kane, President and CEO of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau puts the blame on the economy. "It's very competitive out there. Cities with larger buildings, larger hotels, are literally out there trying to buy business," Kane said. "Do whatever they can do to help this economic shortfall people are feeling."
While the city officials and business owners bemoan the loss of revenue, hotel and restaurant service workers tell...click to continue reading Jennifer Hudson performed for her hometown crowd in Chicago for the first time since her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew were murdered in the city in October.
The gig, part of her U.S. tour with Robin Thicke, stopped at McCormick Place on Saturday. During the show, the Oscar and Grammy winner dedicated her song "You Pulled Me Through" to relatives in the audience and brought four cousins on stage to sing with her, according to the Associated Press.
The bodies of her mother...click to continue reading
The Jennifer Hudson BVConnect A new unauthorized biography of Diana Ross claims she slept her way to the top of Motown in addition to her relationship with founder Berry Gordy in a quest to become the label's biggest star, reports the New York Post.
"The Diana Ross few knew outside of the Motown colony was on a fast track to rise to the top from the first day she got to Motown; not incidentally, that was also the first day she knew who[m] she wanted to sleep with to keep up the momentum," writes Mark Ribowsky in his unauthorized biography, "The Supremes: A Saga of Motown Dreams, Success and Betrayal," out in July from Da Capo Press.
"That, of course, turned out to be Berry Gordy, but only after" some other in-house romances, the book says. "In no time, Ross would climb beyond [the Supremes] onto the A-list as a solo act, record six more Number 1 songs, and earn millions as well as top billing in two movies."
Ribowsky also says...click to continue reading
The Diana Ross BVConnect  Multi-platinum artist Ginuwine broke onto the scene in the ...90s and garnered a fan base of females thanks to his smooth tenor vocals, sexy lyrics, and infectious tracks.
The fact that he makes women swoon didn't hurt either. Ginuwine's debut album, titled "The Bachelor," released his first hit single, "Pony," which saturated the airwaves in 1996 as he and producer Timbaland became a hit duo.
Now, "the bachelor" is a married man, with children. And with five albums and a few hits and collabos later, the showman is prepping a new disc called "A Man's Thoughts."
"I wanted something that would intrigue people," he said of the new album's title. "I did about 40 songs and once I started picking the songs I wanted to be on the CD, it kind of all tied into a man's thoughts how a man thinks and how a man does things in certain situations."
However intriguing the CD title or the music of the new disc, the latest buzz on Ginuwine has not been about his forthcoming album. In early March, reports surfaced that Ginuwine and actress LisaRaye who stars in his "Last Chance" video from the forthcoming disc were snuggled up in a restaurant in Beverly Hills. The story was soon revealed as bogus and perhaps even a publicity stunt set up by "other people."
"The media really takes things and runs with it," he said of the wild reports of kissing and hanging at a hotel with his longtime friend. "I just didn't know that it was like that now. I've been out the game for a while, but I'm no stranger lies or the paparazzi, but for them to just say things just like that, without actually knowing what's going on, was really amazing to me."
Ginuwine confessed to EUR's Lee Bailey that he thinks LisaRaye is a beautiful girl, but explained that the two were never an item.
"I admire her and I admire her work, but we were never together. We were doing a video and that's really it. I don't even know where it came from."
He said that in addition to never wanting to lose the...click to continue reading
The Ginuwine BVConnect During her taped performance Wednesday night following the live broadcast of "American Idol," Jennifer Hudson told host Ryan Seacrest that she and her fiancé, David Otunga, have finally set a wedding date.
"But it’s a secret,” said Hudson, who placed 7th during "Idol's" third season. “I can’t tell anybody.”
Sporting a black dress, a blazer, and leggings, Hudson, 27, who won a Grammy for best R&B album earlier this year, gave a rousing vocal performance of her single “If This Isn’t Love.” Fellow "Idol" alum Ruben Studdard also pre-taped a performance on Wednesday that aired last night.
Hudson, who will be touring with Robin Thicke to promote her self-titled, debut album starting March 31, told Seacrest, “It feels great” to be back on the stage where she started her singing career.
On Thursday's "Ellen DeGeneres Show," the comedic host presented Hudson with an engagement gift: a tandem bike.
"David is...click to continue reading
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