We’ll start things off today on the charts.

Adele finds herself atop of the Billboard 200 yet again, pushing Lasers down to number 3 after Lupe had an impressive opening week. Rise Against debuts this week at number 2 with their 6th LP Endgame. Glee and Mumford and Sons’ Sigh No More take the number 4 and 5 spots, respectively.

Rise Against:



The Top 100 is almost the same from last week, with a little reordering and the addition of The Black Eyed Peas. The top 5 are as follows:

1. Born This Way---Lady Gaga
2. E.T.---Katy Perry ft. Kanye West
3. S&M---Rihanna
4. Fuck You---Cee Lo Green
5. Just Can’t Get Enough---The Black Eyed Peas

Hip-Hop fans can be thrilled, because “Watch The Throne” seems to be on the way soon! The album which is to be a collaboration effort by Hip Hop titans Jay-Z and Kanye West, has been said by Jay’s longtime engineer Young Guru to be “essentially finished. It just needs little tweaks and things like that. But the core of the album is finished”.

The first single off the album was released January 11, 2011, entitled “H.A.M.”. The song is below:



Kanye and Jay=Classic=Hurry up and release this album!

“Right now, I’m really trying to get Jay and Kanye to hurry up and finish this Watch The Throne album because the world needs to hear it," Young Guru said.

I agree.




Chris Brown has made headlines this week. Not beating anyone up, merely punching through windows on 43rd street, and storming off the set of Good Morning America.

When on the show this past Tuesday, Chris Brown became increasingly annoyed at Robin Roberts as she continued to ask questions about his past incident with Rihanna even though his new album was being released that day and he wanted to focus on that.

Robin claims that “right before the interview I let him know of the subject matter and the topics”, and claimed that she was shocked at his response because the two have had “a wonderful relationship. I’ve been to his home, he’s very gracious, and we’ve had easy conversation”.

So what does the completion of anger management courses mean these days…………..

Whatever. What pisses me off is GMA, the next day, spilling every detail of what happened that day, and then having the nerve to "invite him back". Please! But here's the video



None of that is stopping Chris from releasing what is projected to be the number 1 album on the charts for next week, with F.A.M.E. being expected to produce anywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 units. Congrats!





On a sad note, Elizabeth Taylor died yesterday from “congestive heart failure” at the age of 79. The beloved Hollywood superstar was also active in raising money for the AIDS cause, and grew close with Elton John through this shared initiative.

Last night at his concert, Elton John dedicated a song to Ms. Taylor, and had some comments:
“God bless you, Elizabeth. God knows how we're going to replace you. This is for you and your beautiful memory and for all the people you helped and saved."

He then performed “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”.



R.I.P. to Ms. Taylor!

And with that, I will see you Sunday. Later!

This week in music brought us gunshots, death, and the destruction of myths……….

Not so glamorous.

The gunshots game in the form of Wyclef Jean being shot in the hand in Haiti last night on the eve of presidential elections there. Jean backed out of these elections a while back, and is now supporting fellow musician Michel Martelly.

Why someone in Haiti would shoot Wyclef Jean, who has done enough to win the Haiti Nobel Peace Prize (if there was one), is something I cannot figure out.

Nevertheless, Wyclef was reported to have left the hospital in fine condition as of this morning.



Death came in the form of Nate Dogg passing away this past Tuesday. The legendary singer is known primarily as a coveted collaborator with hip-hop artists such as Ludacris and Snoop Dogg, and is held in high respect in that genre.

Here's one of his biggest hits below:



Nate Dogg (Nathaniel Hale) died of complications from a series of strokes that he suffered between December 2007 and January 2008.

My prayers are with him!

The destruction of myths leads us to something a bit happier thankfully.

Lupe Fiasco took to twitter after his album LASERS debuted at Number 1 on the billboard charts this week, selling just over 200,000 copies.

Lupe tweeted the following:

“Took Gaza Strip's Politics and put them number one and shit, took the myth that concious dont equal commercial and mothafuckin pummeled it!”

With that being just one of about 9 tweets of bars that all form one big rhyme. Good stuff!



Lupe also released the dates for his nation-wide tour that will start on March 27th in Los Angeles, CA on Friday. Dates are below:

Mar. 27: Los Angeles, CA (DUB Car Show - LA Convention Cntr.)
Mar. 31: Durham, NC (Duke University)
Apr. 1: Ann Arbor, MI (University Of Michigan)
Apr. 13: Albany, NY (SUNY Albany - Washington Ave. Armory)
Apr. 16: Keene, NH (Keene State College)
Apr. 19: Oxford, OH (Miami University)
Apr. 21: Phoenix, AZ (Mesa Amphitheater)
Apr. 24: New York, NY (Roseland Ballroom)
Apr. 25: New York, NY (Roseland Ballroom)
Apr. 26: New Haven, CT (Yale University)
Apr. 28: Bristol, RI (Roger Williams University)
Apr. 29: University Park, PA (Penn State University)
May 1: Baltimore, MD (Meriweather Post)
May 6: New Orleans, (LA Congo Square--Appearing with Performance w/Band)
May 7: Boise, ID (Boise State University)
May 11: Lewiston, ME (Bates College - Grey Gym)

Go check him out!!!

The rest of the charts went as followed:

Top 200 Albums:

1. LASERS-Lupe Fiasco
2. 21-ADELE
3. GLEE: THE MUSIC, SEASON TWO---Glee Cast
4. GOODBYE LULLABY-Avril Lavigne
5. COLLAPSE INTO NOW-R.E.M.


Top 100 Songs:

1. Born This Way- Lady Gaga
2. Fuck You-Cee Lo Green
3. E.T.-Katy Perry ft. Kanye West
4. S&M-Rihanna
5. On the Floor-Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull


Lady Gaga, Adele, and Cee Lo Green have gone nowhere, which is great for their pockets. 2 of those names are two of the weirdest people on earth, and one of them (Adele), I still have no idea who it is. Maybe I should get on that?!


That is all the music news for today so come back mid-week and I will have a recap of the SXSW!

A lot has happened since I was last with you Tuesday. I just thank God that there are NO new pictures of Waka Flocka Flame naked. Nor has he signed an endorsement deal with the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Not that he would have any reason to. But hopefully he would not have to look that one up!

“Givin brain ain’t bad, girl don’t be that opposed……”---Lyrics from Comeback Season by Drake.

After reading that, it’s not too hard to see what Drake and former President Bill Clinton have in common, and the two are teaming up for a fundraising event for Bill’s “The Clinton Foundation”, which encourages students to get involved with solving issues like poverty, climate change, education and health care.

President Clinton will open the event, sponsored by The Millennium Network, with remarks, and Drake will close the event with a performance.

Moving to the Charts, this week’s Billboard 200 found no change at number one, which was no surprise, and likewise Lady Gaga and Cee Lo Green stayed atop the Hot 100. The top 5 for each were as follows:

Billboard 200:

1. 21-Adele

2. Late Nights & Early Mornings-Marsha Ambrosius

3. Sigh No More-Mumford & Sons

4. Never Say Never: The Remixes-Justin Beiber

5. Now 37-Various Artists

Hot 100:

1. Born This Way-Lady Gaga

2. Fuck You-Cee Lo Green

3. S&M-Rihanna

4. Fuckin’ Perfect-Pink

5. On The Floor-Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull

I unfortunately feel responsible to share this horrible video by Lady Gaga. This, my friends, is what pollutes our society today!

Big shout-out to Ms. Ambrosius, one have of the legendary duo Floetry, who finally got that first album released this week. She has been a coveted collaborator with many in Hip-Hop and R&B for years, and she now has her own chance to shine after a few delays for the release of this album!

In honor of Record Store Day, the Foo Fighters (pictured below) have announced that they are releasing a Covers Album on the celebrated day, this upcoming Saturday, April 16. Titled “Medium Rare”, the Foo Fighters will cover artists such as Pink Floyd, Cream, Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band on the Run”, and a host of other songs and artists.

Turning to education (education?!?), a popular Hip-Hop program entitled “The Global Awareness Through Hip Hop Culture” will have to be cut from the only school that hosts it this upcoming June. The school is a charter school in L.A., and is facing continued and increasing budget cuts in its education program and as such, will have to stop funding the program. Creator Sebastien Elkouby is not giving up though, and is determined to find funds for the program elsewhere. "I'm open to bringing the program wherever the need is. I know that there's money available to fund creative programs. We just have to find it. Who knows? It may even come from someone in the Hip Hop community”, Elkouby told Hip-Hop DX reporters. You can find out more about the program and how you can help out at www.globalawarenessthroughhiphopculture.com.

Equally sad (well, at least to some) is the breaking up of “Hollywood Hunks” Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. The couple released a joint statement this past Thursday announcing the break up.

“We are confirming that they mutually have decided to part ways," reads the statement. "The two remain friends and continue to hold the highest level of love and respect for each other."

(watch the clip from 1:50 to 2:00 and shed a tear)

I hope I don’t break up with my girlfriend after 4 years! Doesn’t time mean anything?!?!?

Well, stay tuned this Wednesday for more music news, but that’s all I’m giving you today. Later!

It is Tuesday, March 08, 2011, and already there is a bunch to talk about this week in music!!!

A bunch of notable albums dropped today, including Raekwon’s Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, Avril Lavigne’s Goodbye Lullaby, R.E.M.’s Collapse Into Now, Glee’s The Music, Season Two, Volume 5, and Lupe Fiasco’s highly-anticipated L.A.S.E.R.S.

Will any of these albums overtake Adele’s 21 for first place on the charts? I think so. But will any of them eclipse Adele’s first week sales of 352,000? That’s asking a lot. I imagine people are tired of buying R.E. M.’s CDs, as this is their 15^th LP, and we shall see if Lupe’s album will match up with all the hype surrounding it.

Lupe’s hype continued into this week as more revelations surrounding his new album, which took over three years to release, came out. He claims to “not really care about the success anymore”, and chuckled while recounting when he was specifically told “not to rap too deep on this record”. The album, which released one single a week starting 6 weeks before the album dropped, features Skylar Grey, Trey Songz, John Legend, and others.

Other breaking news is that of Waka Flocka Flame's new PETA ad. Or should I say NUDE P.E.T.A. ad.

I cannot believe it either.

But Waka, who signed a deal with PETA in February, has begun to appear in various advertisements, highlighted by his Ink, Not Mink nude ad, which is posted below. I hope that this is the last time I EVER see Waka Flocka Flame naked.

On a sad note, Diddy reminisced a bit with Power 105’s Angela Yee this morning while speaking on the coming 14^th anniversary of his death. “March 9^th is a day of celebration, it ain’t really like a day of mourning”.

Good to hear from Big’s closest friend, who last night received the Jackie Robinson Award, which is awarded to those who “embody the humanitarian ideals of Jackie Robinson and raises funds for the Jackie Robinson Foundation”. As a central figure in Hip-hop for over 15 years and a ground-breaking black business-man, Diddy has indeed earned this award. Congrats!

The words "Charlie Sheen" and "crazy" seem to go together pretty well these days…………..

Although Raekwon doesn’t seem to agree. He thinks that “Charlie Sheen is a rich dick, man”.

I don’t know if that’s any better though.

Further comments from the Wu-Tang member’s interview with “The Juice”:

“I just think when you behave yourself like that, when you’re so much of a powerful man, it ain’t cool. You make $2 million an episode, B ---What the fuck?!”

For some strange reason, I agree.

Rae’s new album, Shaolin vs. Wu Tang, dropped today, complete with collabos with Ghostface, Rick Ross, and the highly-anticipated track with Nas, Rich & Black.

That’s all the news I have for now…………..later in the week I’ll be back to recap what happens between now and then. May Charlie Sheen remain (or should I say become) quiet until then. Later!

CAPTURE THE STORM

Another assignment see me breaking "Capturing the Storm" by video. The idea was to capture what the St. John's experience is to you, and so since to me it signals diversity, I just tried to get as many different facets of my experience at or through St. John's on my camera.

There is one explicit scene from Amsterdam. But St. John's sponsored that trip through Discover the World so............

Per Request of my Professor, I am going to break traditional topic lines again and present to you all a little piece of my day in pictures.............

[I took this picture of the D'Angelo Center from the new red

steps in-between Marrilac, the back of the library, and the

Registrar's office. I love this building, and spend most of my

time at night there. Whenever I go somewhere to study, it's

there!]

[This is myself inside the D'Angelo Center. My back is to

the stairs that lead up to the subject of my next picture.

I was, in that picture, getting some work done for some class.

Actually I had just had an argument with my girlfriend, who

took this picture. Guess I won the argument.]

[This is the inside of Starbucks, another place that I love.

Although ridiculously overpriced, it is ridiculously good.

My favorite is the Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with Caramel

Drizzle and whip cream. Everyone calls me gay for this. Not

sure why, but I do not really care.]

[This logo was on the outside-left wall, and I could not get it in

the picture before without backing up farther then I wanted, so

I just went up to it and took a close range photo! Completes

the Starbuck look.]

[Can you guess which one I am? If you guessed the guy with

the white undershirt on because you figured that nothing else

distinguishes 10 black guys on a basketball court except the

one not wearing the same thing as the others.................You

were right. That is me. I love the game of basketball, and this

is me playing in my intramural league game. My team is currently

undefeated, for the second year!]

[This is our group "posing", per say, in a huddle, where we

were listening to our coach, Mark "Big Money" Bunz, give

us a bunch of information that we all know...........and give

us a bunch of orders that we would not follow. We are the same

age as our coach. We don't even listen to professors. What

makes him think we will listen to him? This is a joke and

he will never see this so.........It's cool. I hope.]

I am posting a slideshow of all these images complimentary

of www.divshare.com. Go visit!

Another week of music gone by. Lets recap:

Hitting the Charts, Lady Gaga refused to give up her number one spot with Born This Way, which stayed atop the charts for a second week. The top 5 of the Hot 100 is below:

1. Born This Way---Lady Gaga

2. F**k You---Cee Lo Green

3. Grenade---Bruno Mars

4. I Need A Doctor---Dr. Dre ft. Eminem and Skylar Grey

5. Firework---Katy Perry

The list is the same as last week, with the exclusion of Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow”, and the inclusion of Dre’s “I Need A Doctor”. The only reason it took three weeks to hit the top 5 is because this was one of the few songs that the Doc was able to keep secret until it actually came out to radio. But that’s just an opinon………..lets get back to facts.

Top 5 Billboard 200:

1. Never Say Never: The Remixes----Justin Beiber

2. Sigh No More---Mumford & Sons

3. Now 37---Various Artists

4. Need You Now---Lady Antebellum

5. Doo-Wops & Hooligans----Bruno Mars

The Billboard 200 is not too hard to understand; all of the artists featured in the top 5 (and all but one in the top 10) performed and/or won awards at the Grammy’s two weeks ago.

Eminem, as a sort of symbol of all the success he has had since he released Recovery, became not only the most liked living artist on Facebook, but also reached 1 billion views on YouTube to join the likes of Justin Beiber and Rihanna as the only people to have ever done so.

See Em’s facebook page for yourself as well as his YoutubeVevo page.

Also subject of much discussion is Dr. Dre’s new song with the former Slim Shady I Need A Doctor. Watch the video below:

Em claims to have presented this song to Dre with the intentions of getting him fired up to complete the album and thus his comeback. Whatever the case, it has certainly resonated with fans, as the song moved to number 4 on the charts from being in the 30’s last week.

Props to Dre, whose illustrious career is run through in film and pictures in the beginning, and Eminem, who has come back with a vengeance this year!

On a, um, darker note, these pictures of Beyonce:

Set off critics, who claim that Beyonce darkening her face in an issue of French Mag L'Officiel Paris in tribute to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti was not fashionable, but “flat out offensive” and degrading.

I beg to differ. People can make ANYTHING offensive and degrading if they want to perceive it as such. But do you really think that Beyonce went in to that photo shoot with the intention of being offensive? Not a very smart business move, and Beyonce, who has made over $80 million dollars in 2009, is all about her business.

I don’t know if we’ll see Chris Brown and Rihanna this close anytime soon, but the restraining order that kept Brown at least 50 yards away from Rihanna at almost all times (10 yards away at entertainment industry events) has been lifted. Brown just completed a one-year domestic violence court required under his probation.

That’s all I have for today, but come back next week to find out the musical winners at the Academy Awards and some updated info on the most anticipated album releases of the year. Later!

Getting right into it. JUSTIN BEIBER=== DEAD.

Truth or Fiction?

Go here to see

Okay. For all of those who don’t want to click the link and who react to whatever images you see like this is 30’s radio broadcasting……………………..

Justin Beiber was simply featured in an episode on CSI………..his second, actually, and apparently his last. After firing a gun at cops, Beiber was shot to death. I find it sad that if this happened in real life, which I’m not purporting, then it would have a significant effect on some part of our economy.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! To God and the gays??? NO. To Lady Gaga, who is the singer of the 1,000^th number one song on Billboard 100 since the chart begin keeping track of them in 1958.

Top 5 Billboard 100 for this week:

1. Born This Way---Lady Gaga

2. Fireworks---Katy Perry

3. Grenade---Bruno Mars

4. Black and Yellow---- Wiz Khalifa

5. Fuckin Perfect---Pink

Top 5 Billboard 200:

1. Now 37---Various Artist

2. Sign No More---Mudford and Sons

3. My World 2.0---Justin Beiber

4. Pink Friday----Nicki Minaj

5. Greatest Hits So Far!--- Pink

Why an album by Various Artists can claim the number 1 spot on the Billboard charts, I don’t know. And Mudford and Sons always makes me think of Sanford and Son………

Funny thing is, if you know what Mudford and Sons is, then you probably don’t know what Sanford and Son is……..and vice versa. The world we live in can be quite hilarious. Satirically speaking.

Some of the 2011 Bonaroo Line Up In Pictures:

In some Hip Hop news, Lil Kim hates the entire world of Hip-Hop, including: Drake, Diddy, Nicki Minaj, and Birdman.

Rick Ross meanwhile was hooking his Maybach Music Group with Warner Music, signing the group to a contract of an undisclosed amount and announcing it on Saturday via twitter. Congrats to the self-proclaimed “Boss” for ending the bidding war and leaving Def Jam.

Radiohead dropped their much-anticipated The King of Limbs a day early on Friday, February 18^th. This is their 8^th album, and is perceived to be either a hit-or-miss album. I think its worth the buy……….

JUSTIN BEIBER. I’m just highlighting that name in case you haven’t seen it before. Anyway, the weekly feed finds him having his song “Baby” being covered on Glee, he performed at the Grammys, and he was on CSI as previously mentioned. He’s also at the All-Star Game, which I’m watching now.

I’ll have that performance for you in the next post!

Pop rock group Paramore announced a summer release for their new album which remains unnamed. The group is on tour now, and the album announcement comes as music to fans’ ears in the wake up losing their guitarist josh and durmmer Zac Farro.

Rounding out the week with a little All-Star flavor, RON ARTEST is in the process of making a new mixtape entitled Ball’n, which features guests such as Nas, Bun B, Chamillionaire, Three 6 Mafia, Gucci Mane, Paul Wall, and others.

Well, that rounds out this week. Come back for Rihanna's halftime performance and updated chart news Wednesday!!!!

This is not the usual post for this blog......

But in response to a request by my professor, I will be posting an audio and transcript below of a two-part interview conducted by myself and Mya Swann.

The transcripts of the best 2 minutes from each part of the interview is below............

Part 1

Maya: Hi everyone this is Maya Swann with

Gabriele: Gabriele Dow

Maya: And were going to have a few questions for him today, so Gabriele your at St. Johns, what are you studying at St. Johns?

Gabriele: I’m a communications major with business and Spanish minor

Maya: Business and Spanish minor, that’s interesting, so you’re going to use the Spanish towards what?

G: I love learning the language, and I would like to have that as a qualification on my resume

M: So are you fluent in Spanish?

G: I’m close to being fluent in Spanish; I plan on being fluent by the end of the summer when I go to Spain and study abroad

M: Can you give us a sentence in Spanish?

G: Me encanta (Spanish )

M: No hablas, so what did you just say?

G: I said I love the language Spanish and Spanish girls

M: Oh okay, so your major is in communications. So where do you want to go with your communications?

G: Not exactly sure but I know I want to do journalism, ideally I would like to get into the Graduate program at Georgetown University for journalism and that will take me wherever it does.

M: What kind of journalism, Sports Journalism, Broadcast Journalism?

G: Not sure exactly, pretty sure I don’t want to do Sports Journalism, I love music, so I probably want to do something with music

M: Favorite artist Go

G: Jay-Z

M: Favorite Jay-Z song Go

G: I don’t know, probably Public Service Announcement, don’t know their all great

M: So where are you from?

G: I’m from Houston Texas, born and raised

M: Okay, so are you a Cowboys fan?

G: No, Houston actually has their own team

M: The Texans, so are you a Texans fan?

G: No, I’m actually a Patriots fan

M: I’ve never met a southern Patriots fan, you’re the first. So you’re from Texas, do you want to stay in New York, or where would you like to go after you graduate?

G: I would stay in New York I until I found a job, im not sure I don’t really like New York that much so I don’t plan on staying forever defiantly I don’t want to do that, but I don’t want to move back to Houston either

M: What’s your ideal job

G: My ideal job would be writing music reviews for Rolling Stone in Los Angeles

M: Oh so you like the warmth, you know New York’s pretty cold?

G: Yea New York is pretty cold, I like the heat you know im from Texas

M: Are you going to work strictly in music writing

G: I like music, I don’t know what I would branch off into, and I could write my own magazine or something.

M: Working for rolling stones, writing your own magazine, so you have a little a bit of a career plan here

G: Yes, now I just have to make it happen

M: Im sure you will Gabriele, well that’s Maya Swann with Gabriele Dow and were out of here.

Part 2

1:40-2:20

Gabe: A random question……

Gabe: Do you, like managers of basketball teams?

Mya: Do I like managers of basketball teams……..No I don’t. They’re very, forceful. And they act like because they have a job on the basketball team, that they---I feel like this is a personal question………Oh! Well, I um (while laughing briefly), frankly don’t tend to care for them, but some of them are okay. Some of them.

Gabe: Ok, cool, cool. That’s a great answer, a great answer. I know a few, by the way; that’s why I was asking.

Mya: Yea (laughs).

4:50-6:01

Gabe: And, is that your hair that you’re wearing?

Mya: Yes, this is my hair

Gabe: Oh ok, just checking.

Gabe: I didn’t know if it was part of the fashion, or if it was God-given, or what.

Gabe: Well, that shirt is very becoming on you,

Mya: Thank you.

Gabe: Of course if I were on you I’d be coming too.

(Laughs by both parties for about 5 seconds)

Mya: This guy

Gabe: I’m not going to put that on the,

Mya: I don’t think you should

(more laughs)

Gabe: I just wanted to say that to see what you; how do you react to that?

Mya: Um……….”This guy”, that’s my response

(I laugh) Okay

Gabe: Um, That’s all the question that I have for Mya Swann today so,

Gabe: Thank you Mya for participating in the interview

Mya: Thank you Gabriele

Gabe: Yes, and we will talk to you all later. Bye.

Mya: Okay. Bye!

February 6-12 (and 13th!!!!!!)

GRAMMY WEEK!!!!! And we will certainly get to those. But first, allow me to recap the biggest stories of the week leading up to the 53rd edition of “who will the Academy snub this year?” that is, none other than The Grammys.

In hind sight of two less-than-stellar Super Bowl performances, Fergie was heard defending Christina Aguilera’s forgetfulness on Dan Patrick’s radio show Monday, saying:

"It's such a huge venue, your nerves take a hold of you," said Fergie. "I completely understand. She's one of the best singers of our time. Nobody can take that away from you. ... But you get nervous at these things. We're human."

Moving on, Big Sean finally has everything set up to release his debut album Finally Famous: The Album, on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. MUSIC/Def Jam label. Big Sean has been on the radar for about 2 years now through his “Finally Famous” series, and most recently as a consistent contributor to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Friday tracks.

Beyonce announced that she would be a headliner at the Glastonbury Festival this June. She will perform a 90-minute set on the last day of the festival, closing it out. Congratulations to Mrs. Knowles, who watched her husband in England last year when he became the first Hip-Hop artist to perform at Glastonbury. Now it’s her turn.

"This really is the biggest festival in the world and I cannot wait to perform there. I'm pumped just thinking about that huge audience and soaking up their energy."

While Beyonce was announcing her Glastonbury plans, a judge announced 10 yards as the amount of distance that Chris Brown would have to keep from Rihanna, following a court order stemming from the incident in 2009 when he admitted to beating Rihanna. Keeping 10 feet apart…………He should have just avoided her in the first place, no????

Billboard.com relased their annual “Top 40 Money Makers”, chronicling the highest-earning artists of the year, all things considered. The top 5 were as follows:

5. Justin Beiber $22,492,565
4. Dave Matthews Band $23,942,353
3. Roger Waters $24,489,675
2. Bon Jovi $30,441,776
1. Lady Gaga $30,556,342


I’m not sure who Roger Waters is, and I’m jealous of Justin Beiber. I feel like a lot of people can relate to the preceding sentence.

THE GRAMMYS

And now, the Grammys. Last night at 8 o’clock, the Grammy’s began with a tribute to the wonderful Aretha Franklin, with Christina Aguilera more than making up for her Super Bowl performance. Alongside Martina McBride, Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Hudson and Florence Welch, Christina helped sing beautifully a medley of Franklin's biggest hits, such as "Respect"

Lady Gaga, arrived in an egg and performed "Born this Way". Enough of her.

B.O.B. gave, as usual, a great performance with Bruno Mars playing the piano while the two performed their hit “Nothing on You”. Janelle Monae then came out and joined B.O.B. and they performed "Tightrope"

Here are a few of the top awards:

· Best Rock Album: Muse, The Resistance
· Best Pop Vocal: Lady Gaga,
· Best Country Album: Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum
· Best New Artist: Esperanza Spalding
· Best Rap Album: Eminem, Recovery
· Record of the Year: Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
· Album of the Year: Arcade Fire, The Suburbs

I personally thought that Hip-Hop got snubbed in the “Record of the Year” and “Album of the Year” categories. Eminem definitely should have won BOTH awards. The first for Love The Way You Lie, and the second for Recovery.

Someone please tell me how a song that was number one in 23 countries and was number 1 on Billboard charts in America for 7 weeks does NOT win Record of the Year? RIDICULOUS.

All in all, the grammys were a disappointment, as a number of the performances were mediocre at best, and I still don’t understand why 30 minutes of the show were devoted to country music.

See you next week!!!