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There's no denying that American Idol has been able to make some major stars throughout its 13 seasons. From Carrie Underwood to Kelly Clarkson to Adam Lambert, the reality competition has been a major launching pad for the U.S. music scene in the last decade. And now, following the premiere of American Idol's 14th season, Forbes has released its annual list of the top-earning alums from the long-running program. -
Snoop Dogg Announces 'Bush' As Title Of New Pharrell-Produced Album, "Peaches N Cream" As First Single
Back in September, Snoop Dogg revealed that he had been collaborating with Pharrell on a new album, and in October he announced that he'd be dropping the record via Pharrell's I Am Other label and Columbia Records. New details have now emerged about the effort. During a panel hosted by Omnicom Media Group at CES in Las Vegas yesterday, Snoop confirmed Bush as the album title and "Peaches N Cream" as the first single. The effort is due out sometime in mid-March, Rap-Up reports. -
R. Kelly Shares New Song 'Happy Birthday' for 48th Birthday [LISTEN]
Today, Jan. 8, happens to be R. Kelly's 48th birthday, so in celebration the R&B legend has shared a new song, appropriately titled "Happy Birthday," which you can check out below. The track premiered on DJ MoonDawg's radio show in Kelly's native Chicago — which explains all of the annoying sounds in the beginning — and features Kelly doing some heavily Auto-Tuned singing about watching two girls make out — on his birthday, presumably — all over a pretty basic backing track. It is definitely not one of his best, but it is so ridiculous you should probably take a listen anyway.You can check out R. Kelly's "Happy Birthday" here: -
Will 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Generate Enough Heat with an R Rating from MPAA?
It seems like we have been waiting forever for the film adaptation of "Fifty Shades of Grey" to be released, and now that it is almost here, it has finally been given an official rating by the MPAA. Although it seemed like it was heading for an NC-17 branding, it has just been announced that "Fifty Shades of Grey" will hit theaters Feb. 13 with an R rating.The film, based on E.L. James's risqué BDSM trilogy, pulled an official R rating due to "strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity," which, of course, is no surprise to anyone who has read the series. But there has been concern all along about taking something so graphic and putting it on the big screen. In order to make fans of the book happy, whatever unfolds on screen is going to have to be really hot and risky. It is almost hard to imagine the film being able to mirror the book with just an R rating, don't you think?Perhaps what Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, have managed to create on screen will still hold even if it is not identical to the book. If their chemistry works well enough and if the actual movie is as cleverly crafted as the teasers for it have been, then it could work. Dornan recently talked about "Fifty Shades of Grey" being a love story at its root. Maybe they have worked to tap into an emotional connection as well as the obvious physical one that the book series is based on. -
Elliott Smith Tribute Album from Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Due for March Release
It's been over 11 years since Elliott Smith tragically passed away, and now the "Miss Misery" singer is getting his due with a tribute album. Yesterday (Jan. 7), it was announced that The Avett Brothers' Scott Avett and singer-songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield will be releasing a tribute album for the late Smith, fittingly titled Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Sing Eliott Smith. -
LL Cool J to Host Spike TV's 'Lip Sync Battle,' Rapper Latest Addition to Jimmy Fallon's 'Tonight Show' Spinoff
LL Cool J has been tapped to host Spike TV's upcoming adaptation of The Tonight Show's bit, Lip Sync Battle. Jimmy Fallon, John Krasinski and Stephen Merchant are signed on as executive producers. The show will run for 10 episodes starting April 2. -
Wakarusa Festival Releases 2015 Phase 1 Lineup: The Roots, STS9, Paper Diamond & More
It's the week of festival lineups. Coachella got things started and then Governors Ball made their announcement to compete with more genre-specific festivals, Ultra Music Festival and Bottlerock threw their hats in the ring as well. Jam/dance music festival Wakarusa has joined the lineup announcement fray with their first group of artists. Headlining the festival are Tonight Show house band and hip-hop/neo-soul veterans The Roots, jam band favorites STS9, Paper Diamond, Savoy, Young The Giant, The Devil Makes Three and many more, according to a press release. -
T-Pain Joins DJ Drama For Upcoming Gangsta Grillz Mixtape 'The Iron Way'
T-Pain made his way back into the spotlight this year after proving he didn't need the help of Auto-Tune to sing. He has shifted his focus from making hits to making personal music, and with that comes the release of his upcoming album Stoicville: The Phoenix, which is due out in this year. Ahead of that, however, he will be teaming up with DJ Drama for a new mixtape in the Gangsta Grillz series called "The Iron Way." According to The Fader, the two are currently in the studio putting "the finishing touches" on the effort. The release date for the tape has yet to be announced, but you can view the artwork above. -
Wiz Khalifa Shares Chaotic 'Raw' Music Video [WATCH]
Wiz Khalifa has shared the music video for his "Blacc Hollywood" track "Raw," which you can check out below. The Gerard Victor-directed clip features extensive use of negative black-and-white photography and flicker film techniques, so much so that the video opens with a trigger warning for those who suffer from seizures — do not watch this video if you have epilepsy. There is not much of a story, but there does not really need to be one with such complicated and fascinating visuals.You can check out Wiz Khalifa's "Raw" music video here, but again, do not watch it if you are prone to seizures: -
Did 'Today's' Matt Lauer Have an Affair with Giada De Laurentiis?
Giada De Laurentiis has been plagued with rumors ever since announcing her split from husband Todd Thompson last week. She has been accused of cheating on her soon-to-be-ex with several different men, and while De Laurentiis is denying all accusations of infidelity, there is one that is raising eyebrows. The celebrity chef has been accused of hooking up with the host of "The Today Show," Matt Lauer, who is often the subject of cheating rumors himself.According to Page Six, De Laurentiis denies getting cozy with the married Lauer in 2011 in Barbados, where he was filming a segment for the NBC morning news program. The problem is that Lauer has been accused of cheating on his long-suffering wife Annette Rogue, with numerous women over the course of their 17-year marriage. Even just a few weeks ago we told you about how Lauer chose to spend last summer holed up in his New York City apartment rather than out in the Hamptons with his wife and children. That was after NBC agreed to have a helicopter fly him to and from work each day so he could be close to his family all summer.It is Lauer's dicey history that is making many wonder if something did happen a few years ago with De Laurentiis. -
Cool C Receives Second Stay of Execution: Philadelphia Rapper Will Live to See Another Day
Philadelphia rapper Cool C was scheduled to be executed today, Jan. 8, but a judge in Pennsylvania decided to grant the artist a stay of execution. This is the second stay Christopher Roney has received after being convicted of killing a female police officer in 1996. His first stay was granted in 2006, Philly station NBC 10 reports.According to the court case, Roney, along with Steady B — real name Warren McGlone — and Mark Canty, robbed a PNC bank in the late 1990s. Officer Lauretha Vaird entered the bank during the robbery and was shot to death. Despite witness reports and surveillance tapes, Roney has maintained his innocence, claiming to have been eating with his mother at the time of the murder.Vaird was the first female officer murdered on duty in Philly.McGlone was sentenced to life in prison for murder in the second degree. He and Canty both fingered Roney as the trigger man in the 1996 ordeal.Roney gained notoriety in the late 1980s as part of the Hilltop Hustlers, which scored an underground hit with "Juice Crew Dis." He released two solo albums, "I Gotta Habit" in 1989 and "Life in the Ghetto" in 1990. Roney linked up with McGlone and Ultimate Eaze in 1991 to form C.E.B. Their only album, "Countin' Endless Bank," produced one charted single with "Get the Point." He also gained praise with "Glamorous Life." -
Kevin Jonas Explains Jonas Brothers Break Up After Being Booted From 'Celebrity Apprentice': "The Friction Was Too Much" [WATCH]
The Jonas Brothers broke up unexpectedly in 2013 right before the release of a new album and the beginning of a world tour. Each brother went his separate way with Kevin Jonas eventually putting out a food app (Yood) and signing on to Celebrity Apprentice, from which he was just booted.
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