December 13, 2013
BEYONCE' Surprise, "it's me Bitches"
Beyonce brought music giant iTunes to its knees last night as it buckled under the strain of millions of her fans rushing to download her 5th album which she secretly launched at midnight.Two versions of the self-titled album - one featuring explicit language and another family-friendly version - are currently ranked No.1 and 2 of the iTunes albums chart.Industry insiders told US magazine Billboard the self-titled album sold 80,000 copies in three hours.Immediately after spreading the news of the album launch, Twitter was awash with frustrated tweets from fans unable to download it.The social media giant said their early data shows mentions of Beyonce spiked by 500,000-plus tweets after the stealth release.It said the news generated more than 1.2million tweets in 12 hours, with 5,300 tweets every minute at the height of the hysteria.
MADONNA TOPS the list period!
Singer Madonna performs at the Staples Center as part of her MDNA world tour in Los Angeles, California in this October 10, 2012 file photo. Madonna is the highest-paid musician in 2013 with estimated earnings of $125 million, easily surpassing singer Lady Gaga and veteran rockers Bon Jovi, Forbes magazine said on November 19, 2013. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Forbes Magazine's Top 10 Highest-Paid Women in Music 2013 was just unveiled and the list of female musicians and artists including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift (Top 3) is very impressive! Madonna not only topped the list of the Top 10 Highest-Paid Women in Music 2013, but she also topped Forbes Magazine's annual list of the Highest-Paid Musicians in 2013 (both male and female artists) by earning $125 million in 2012 and $305 million from her MDNA Tour.
According to Forbes, Lady Gaga is Top 2, earning $80 million dollars, with her tour reportedly grossing $168 million.
Singer Lady Gaga attends a news conference in Tokyo December 1, 2013. Lady Gaga is in Japan to promote her latest album "Artpop". REUTERS/Toru Hanai
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift, who celebrates her 24th birthday on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013, is the Top 3 Highest-Paid Woman in Music 2013 with $55 million earnings thanks to her successful records and endorsement deals from various top brands.
Musician Taylor Swift accepts the artist of the year award at the 41st American Music Awards in Los Angeles California November 24, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Check out the other women who made Forbes Magazine's Top 10 Highest-Paid Women in Music 2013 list below.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Women in Music 2013 (Source: Forbes Magazine):
1. Madonna ($125 million)
Aside from her very successful MDNA Tour ($305 million gross), the material girl proves she's still got it after all these years with her impressive concert merchandise sales, her fragrance called Truth or Dare and her clothing line, which is aptly named Material Girl, a nod to her famous moniker.
2. Lady Gaga ($80 million)
Often compared to Madonna for her similar shocking ways, Lady Gaga is Top 2 in 2013. Even if her "ARTPOP" album sales was not included in Forbes' scoring period for 2013 because it was released later this year, she still managed to make enough money to merit being the title of the second Highest-Paid Woman in Music 2013. Her tour alone grossed $168 million! It looks like the Queen Monster and her little monsters will be rejoicing with a great victory party.
3. Taylor Swift ($55 million)
The youngest woman among the Top 10 at 23 years old (about to be 24 in the U.S.), she is already doing so well at such a young age. She already has four successful studio albums, including her latest one "Red," which has sold 1.2 million copies since it debuted in October 2012. Her tours on the road also add to the heft of her earnings. Plus, she is an in-demand product endorser with multi-million dollar deals for brands such as Sony, Covergirl and Diet Coke.
4. Beyoncé ($53 million)
Beyoncé has beaten her husband Mr. Carter, who is more popularly known as rapper Jay Z, by earning over $2 million in every city she plays in. She also has a lot of old hits as a solo artist and as part of the successful Destiny's Child group. In addition to her earnings from her musical career, she also gets her millions from endorsement deals with H&M and Pepsi, not to mention her clothing line House of Dereon.
5. Jennifer Lopez ($45 million)
JLo earns her millions from her successful world tour that amounts to over $1 million per night. She earned a total of $52 million in 2012. She also had a $12 million salary from "American Idol," because she used to be a judge in the singing competition. She is poised to earn more in 2014 because she is back in the judges' seat of "American Idol," (AI) with a reportedly higher salary than before. Lopez also snagged a starring role in Q'Viva, a Latin song competition for Fox.
6. Rihanna ($43 million)
Thanks to Riri's successful shows and albums, including her newest one titled "Unapologetic," which is her seventh album in seven years, she shone bright like a diamond with her million dollar earnings. Riri is probably toasting to Vita Coco, which she also endorses, to celebrate her success.
7. Katy Perry ($39 million)
In the Little Monsters of Lady Gaga vs. Katy Cats of Katy Perry battle, it looks like Lady Gaga won in terms of being paid well. While Lady Gaga is in Top 2, Katy is only on the seventh spot. It's probably because her successful new album "PRISM" wasn't included in Forbes' tally. But, Katy Cats can still roar because Katy earned a lot for her private gigs. She also has a deal with Popchips wherein she holds an equity stake. And, her fragrances with Coty, including Katy Perry Purr, Meow and Killer Queen are well-loved.
8. Pink ($32 million)
Pink's hit singles including "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" "Just Give Me A Reason" from her "The Truth About Love" 2012 helped her become part of the Top 10 Highest-Paid Women in Music for 2013. Plus, like the others in the list, her tour has grossed millions, amounting to over $2 million per city!
9. Carrie Underwood ($31 million)
Underwood has proven that she is not a one-hit wonder and a flash-in-the-pan "American Idol" winner because she is still around since winning the AI contest in 2005. She is still spewing out hit albums and singles and earning numerous awards and recognitions for her talent. Thanks to her newest album, "Blown Away," she has blown away her contemporaries because it went platinum, further earning her more millions. And, she has played in over 100 shows which were included in Forbes' tallies.
10. Mariah Carey ($29 million, tie)
Thanks to "American Idol," Mimi has earned $18 million just to be a judge of the famous singing competition. She also used her AI gig to promote her new songs and earn more in the process due to successful record sales. Like the other female musicians in the list, she augments her income through business deals including perfume and other Mariah Carey merchandise.
10. Nicki Minaj ($29 million, tie)
Minaj is notably the only woman among the top hip-hop earners, which are dominated by male artists. Even if she only earned $12 million as an "American Idol" judge, compared to Carey's $18 million, she still ended up in a tie with Carey on the tenth spot. Thanks to Nicki's steady music sales, endorsement deals, which include MAC, and heavy touring to promote her singles and albums, she was able to catch up and match Mariah Carey's earnings.
The Forbes Magazine Top 10 Highest-Paid Women in Music 2013 including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift is really an inspiring list for all the women out there who want to be successful. It shows that women can match or sometimes even beat men in terms of earning money. Back in the days, men always out-earned women, but now, things have definitely changed, which gives hope for all the women out there that if you work hard for your goals, you will succeed, just like the women in Forbes' list. But, it also helps if you have a musical talent and business smarts added to the formula
November 30, 2013
ALEC BALDWIN does it again! MSNBC has cancelled his show!
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| Alec Baldwin |
"Photographers have tripped and fallen on babies in strollers on my block," he wrote. "They have nearly struck my wife in the face with microphones. They provoke me, daily, by getting dangerously close to me with their cameras as weapons, hoping I will react. When I do, the weapon doubles as a device to record my reaction. And then, apparently, I lose every time. If quitting the television business, the movie business, the theater, any component of entertainment, is necessary in order to bring safety and peace to my family, then that is an easy decision."
I don't believe Baldwin could walk away from his livelihood and not return, he loves this stuff and he's a damn good actor, but anger management seems like a great idea.
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 2013!! Miley Cyrus Live Performance "Wrecking Ball"
#MileyCyrus #AMA2013
Rihana "DIAMONDS" Live at the AMA's 2013
#rihana #diamonds
Jennifer Lopez Pays tribute to Celia Cruz Live at the AMA's 2013
'Catching Fire' Box Office Stuns With $161.1 Million Opening Weekend
By JAKE COYLE 11/24/13 12:42 PM ET EST 
NEW YORK (AP) — The "Hunger Games" sequel "Catching Fire" opened with $161.1 million at the box office, narrowly besting the original film and setting a record for a November opening.
The result, from studio estimates Sunday, fell short of some expectations, and failed to dethrone the year's biggest box-office opening of $174 million for "Iron Man 3." But it did best the previous top November opening of $142.9 million by "Twilight Saga: New Moon."
But the bigger budget and better reviewed "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is doing far better abroad than the 2012 original. It opened with $146.6 million internationally.
The domestic total included Thursday night screenings that made approximately $25 million. The film's three-day weekend total of $136.1 million was actually less than "The Hunger Games."
BEYONCE "God Made You Beautiful"
Lady Gaga is set to release her latest album, "ARTPOP," next month, but she got an early listen to the finished project this week.
Gaga took to Twitter to dish on the project,saying that receiving the copy of the album made it "real." The 27-year-old singer was impressed with her own handiwork, calling "ARTPOP" the "album of the millennium." The record is led by Gaga's two singles "Applause" and "Aura," and features collaborations with R. Kelly, T.I., Too Short, and Twista.
Check out Gaga's tweets on the matter, as well as the tracklist to "ARTPOP," below.
1. "Aura" 2. "Venus" 3. "G.U.Y." 4. "Sexxx Dreams" 5. "Jewels N' Drugs" (featuring T.I., Too Short and Twista) 6. "Manicure" 7. "Do What U Want" (featuring R. Kelly) 8. "Artpop" 9. "Swine" 10. "Donatella" 11. "Fashion!" 12. "Mary Jane Holland" 13. "Dope" 14."Gypsy" 15. "Applause"
Bon Jovi, surprises a fan an walks her down the isle for her Vegas wedding!
Sorry, girls. If you didn't get the news, like, two decades ago: Jon Bon Jovi is already married.
However, a Bon Jovi superfan still managed to make the rock star part of her wedding dreams — by recruiting JBJ to walk her down the aisle at her Las Vegas nuptials!
Australian bride Branka Delic, who married fiancé Gonzalo Cladera Saturday, was so bound and determined to have her favorite musician at her wedding that she came up with an ingenious solution: she started anonline petition to encourage Bon Jovi to give her away.
"All her life, Branka thought she would marry Bon Jovi himself," her campaign states. "Sadly, at the age of 34 she realised this would never happen, and she accepted Gonzo’s proposal instead."
Lest you had any doubt — cough, cough — that Delic is not a true fan, here's even more evidence of her devotion: the couple deliberately chose Vegas's Graceland Wedding Chapel for their ceremony, which is the exact same place Bon Jovi married his wife, Dorothea, back in 1989.
You could say she was livin' on a prayer ... which wound up being answered. Bon Jovi caught wind of the stunt and, since he happened to be playing in town at the MGM Grand that night, graciously accepted her offer. Good thing he did, because, as the bride warned in her petition, "there’s a real chance Branka will skip out on the wedding and go to the concert instead."
October 14, 2013
Jay Z, Timberland and others using the Underground rail after his concert at the 02 Arena in London on October 12, 2013
Miley Cyrus discusses her relationship with Liam Hemsworth on Ellen
September 2, 2012
Days after the tragic passing of Violator Management founder Chris Lighty, the late music mogul's brother Dave Lighty and longtime friend Russell Simmons have questioned the validty of the suicide reports. Dave Lighty said he could not see his brother pulling the trigger and ending his life.
Associated Press - Jay-Z performs at the "Made In America" music festival on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012, in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
"I'm surprised, shocked, and lost at this moment. I want the truth to come out. This isn't my brother. My brother was a strong person, is a strong person. Nothing is adding up. I can't get a direct answer from anybody...I understand there's a process to be followed. I can't even get clear answers from people I think I should be getting clear answers from... I just want to know what really happened to my brother. If he did take his own life, all right, I just wish he could have reached out and spoken to us. We were all here for him. I just want the truth. The truth." (Fox 5 News)Simmons shared a similar sentiment and questioned the suicide reports.
"I don't think Chris Lighty killed himself. His brother Dave, wants an investigation and so do I. Nothing's adding up... http://bit.ly/PHt86Q," he tweeted August 31st. (Russell Simmons' Twitter)Reports claim an argument with his wife may have contributed to Lighty's death.
According to the New York Daily News, sources say Lighty killed himself after an argument with his wife, Veronica, who filed for divorce last year. "I'm tired of this," Lighty is reported to have said before shooting himself in the head. (The New York Police Department could not confirm this information with MTV News.) Law enforcement sources also told the Daily News that Lighty's wife told police that her husband had acquired a sizable tax debt totaling $5 million, though the Associated Press reports that Lighty had paid most of it off, owing only $330,000 in state and federal taxes. (MTV)
Jay-Z mimics Rocky at Philly Made In America fest
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jay-Z's entrance said it all: He bounced up and down on top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, mimicking Rocky before he took the stage in front of nearly 50,000. His song "Made In America" played in the background.
Jay-Z, like Rocky Balboa, has a rags-to-riches American dream story, and the 42-year-old entertainer — who grew up in the Brooklyn projects and released his debut album in 1996 — shared some of that through songs in his 90-minute set Saturday night at the Budweiser Made In America festival.
He entered from the back of the stage after running down the steps to perform "Public Service Announcement." That was followed with the night's first cameo: a prerecorded video with President Barack Obama.
Obama urged the crowd to vote this fall. He also said Jay-Z's story is "what Made In America means" and added that he enjoys listening to the rapper's music on his iPod.
Jay-Z headlined the first night of the two-day festival he curated, performing hits like "99 Problems," ''Dirt Off Your Shoulder," ''Big Pimpin'" and "Empire State of Mind."
The event is the first of its kind for the entrepreneurial Jay-Z, who is married to superstar Beyonce and owns a music management company, fashion line, nightclub and restaurant; he's also a co-owner of the Brooklyn Nets.
"Since you were so good to me, Philly, I'm going to be good to you tonight, Philly," Jay-Z yelled.
Rappers Pusta T and Big Sean hit the stage, and Kanye West followed, receiving an electrifying roar from the crowd. They performed a medley of hits, such as "Mercy," ''Dance" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing."
Jay-Z also brought out his former protégés and Philadelphians Freeway, Chris and Neff, as well as Memphis Bleek. Common, 2 Chainz and Swizz Beatz also made appearances.
The scene was colorful and energetic, as thousands of music fans shifted from the three stages on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to watch Skrillex, D'Angelo, Passion Pit, Janelle Monae, Calvin Harris and 10 other acts. Sunday's line-up includes Pearl Jam, Run DMC, Odd Future and Drake, who was in the crowd Saturday night.
The festival is being filmed as a documentary and will be directed by Ron Howard. Proceeds from the ticketed event will benefit United Way chapters.
Jay-Z closed the night with West, performing the smash hit "...In Paris." Then fireworks blasted.
By | Associated Press June 26, 20012 50 Cent is out of the hospital after he was injured in a car accident in New York on Tuesday, June 26. A spokesperson for the 36-year-old says the rapper was taken to New York Hospital Queens and treated for “minor neck and back injuries.” AP 
