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There’s a formal debate going on in Chicago about a subject that people have been arguing about for years. Why they needed a formal panel to talk about it is anyone’s guess. But there it is. The panel discussion “Does Hip-Hop Music Hate Women” had over 400 people in attendance. I guess all that Imus outrage isn’t out of our collective systems yet. The debate centers around the language used in the music, which Imus pointed to as an excuse for his comments. If they do it, why can’t I?

What these debates forget about is the culture that this language comes from. These are not white songs from suburban neighborhoods. This is a music born of harsh times, and these are the words that the people on the street use every day. I can’t see how reflecting the culture automatically means they hate women. I rather think that woman are idolized in this culture, but that’s just me.

Cheeky popstar Lilly Allen was added to the list of artist who will take part in the concert in honor of Princess Diana. The concert will be held at Wembley Stadium this summer.

Both Allen and veteran Rod Stewart were announced as additions to the bill today, as well as Kanye West, Natasha Begingfield and Status Quo.

Rod has performed in other royal concert like the Queen’s jubilee so it’s no surprise he was picked to take part in this too.

But Allen was a surprise for many of the reporters who watch closely the preparations for the event.

The concert will be hosted by Elton John who was a long-time friend of the princess.

The sons of Diana – Harry and William are the main organizers of the event which will take place on July 1^st, marking the day when Diana would have turned 46.

When the event was launched, Prince William said: ”We wanted to have this big concert with, you know, full of energy, full of the sort of fun and happiness which I know she would have wanted.”

If you want to visit the concert there would be extra tickets on sale on Friday 27^th at 09:00 BST on the event’s website and all the money from the concert will be spent for charities supported by the late princess.

It seems that a custody decision has finally been made in the case of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter, Dannielynn. A court on the Bahamas shot down Virgie Arthur’s last request for custody, disappointing Anna Nicole’s mom, but making Larry Birkhead a very happy man. She had filed a motion yesterday in a last ditch effort to keep the baby from leaving the country, but the court saw right through it and even ordered her to pay $3,000 to the court for holding things up.

Today was also the day that Larry got an appended birth certificate for the infant. On the document he is now properly listed as the father, not Howard K. Stern. It’s not completely over, however, since they will have a hearing on custody matters on June 8th. Things finally seem to be settling down for Dannielynn. I’m happy for her, but there is still one question out there: what happens to all her money?

The ex-singer said that her child looks like Eddie.
She has named Eddie as the father of the baby in the birth certificate and says that Angel Iris Murphy resembles very much her father.
She said in an interview with Britain’s OK magazine: ”I look at the baby and she has big smile and dimples. She is gorgeous, she has taken the best bits of both of us.”
Mel B continues the fight with Eddie and is sure he is the father of her baby. After the end of their 7-month relationship and after the birth of the kid Eddie insisted on having a DNA paternity test made to make sure he is the dad.
The actor hasn’t contacted with Mel after she gave birth and it looks like he doesn’t want this baby at all.
“In my fantasy world this would never have happened and we would have been living happily ever after. We would be married and having more kids.” The ex-singer confessed.
Mel claims that they had a blissful relationship before Eddie’s shock interview four months ago, and revealed they even got tattoos of each other’s name.
Well everything has an end and for Mel this wasn’t the outcome she had dreamed of but she has no option but to continue her life without the man of her life and to care of her newborn baby.

At this weekend MTV Australian Video Awards, one attendee will be conspicuously absent. Snoop Dogg has been uninvited from the event, mainly because he is not allowed in the country. The explanation? He’s not “the sort of bloke we want in this country”, the immigration minister said Thursday. Oh I guess the marijuana and guns finally caught up with him.

Evidently this isn’t the only country Snoop isn’t going to be visiting any time soon. Merry Old England won’t have him because of his antics at Heathrow Airport. It is ironic that Australia was created by criminals, and now won’t allow a singer into the country for being convicted of crimes. In my opinion, it’s fairly hypocritical. It’s awfully extreme to ban someone for visiting your country simply because he knows people in Los Angeles gangs. Okay, maybe more than knows, but you get my meaning.

Punk legend Iggy Pop is now a senior citizen, able to collect social security and presumably sit on his front porch yelling at kids to get off his lawn. How is Iggy taking old age? Bye stage diving of course. With his reunited band the Stooges, Iggy celebrated his birthday in concert in San Francisco. At the end of the show, balloons bearing his likeness dropped from the ceiling as the crowd sang “Happy Birthday.”

Interestingly enough, Iggy seemed a little down despite all the attention. I guess turning the big 60 can do that to a guy. It makes you look back at your life and realize that there is more behind you than in front of you. I know that when I turn 60 I sure as hell won’t be stripping down to a pair of skin tight jeans and jumping into a crowd of screaming music fans. Congrats all the same Iggy. Here’s to another 60 years living the dream.

“Euphoria Morning” was Chris Cornell’s first effort to stand on his own as an artist, without a band standing by his side, or as he puts it, in his way. For years he has been part of bands I’ve loved: Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, Audioslave. Once I got my hands on “Euphoria Morning,” however, I learned it was Chris and his voice I was in love with, not the bands themselves.

So it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside to hear that he is working on his next solo project, “Carry On.” This is the sort of CD I would wait out in the rain to buy, not that I’m a stalker or anything. I just love this man’s music. Sine he left Audioslave in February, I and many thousands of fans like me have been pining away for more Chris. So you will find me standing outside the Virgin Mega Store nearest me on the morning of June 5th. If you happen to stop by, bring coffee, I’ll need it.

The duo confided that the inspiration for their upcoming album “we are the night” came from club previews. They have finished remixes and the album is expected to come out on 19th of June.
Rowlands tells that their work as DJ help them a lot to make new tracks because they can see what people like and what type of music make them dance and thus go to the studio and record their ideas.
Rowlands says that there are songs of Chemical Brothers which their fans would always remember like “Saturate” and “Burst Generator”. And this album is something new and fresh. It has tracks you may have never imagined you’ll hear from them but you’ll really like it because those boys know what they are doing.
The duo admits that the weirdest song in the album is “The Salmon Dance” featuring Fatlip and it is one of the most offbeat tracks ever to appear on Chemical Brothers album. They say they are really satisfied from their work with Fatlip and although the track is all about salmon it sounds brilliant.

Lil’ Romeo has skills, not just in hip-hop, but also on the b-ball court. Yessir, soon he will be Romeo Miller, the newest member of the USC Men’s Basketball team. He is a Beverly Hills High School junior right now, but he’s evidently talented enough to be signing a contract with the University of Southern California now. Sports, specifically basketball run in his blood, or so says his parents. His dream is not to be a world famous singer. Romeo wants to be in the NBA.

Interesting, isn’t it, how talent clusters like this in people? We saw it in Michael Jordan and his ability to play two completely different sports. Jon Bon Jovi too has this multiplicity of talent, being both a musician and an actor. Heck, we even saw it in King Henry VIII, who too breaks from killing off his wives to write lovely music. Does this mean that if you’re talented in one thing you’re more likely to have other strengths as well? It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

His new album “Exclusive” is expected to be released in September. In the making has taken part: The Underdogs, Bryan-Michael Cox, Sean Garett, Scot Storch as well as will.i.am. Chris himself has written some of the songs in his new album.

This new album is expected to be more mature mixed with Brown’s exuberant mix of R&B, hip hop and pop. Now the fans are expecting the first single from the album to be released pretty soon.

When being asked what he thinks about his new work Chris said that he doesn’t want the people to think he wants to grow up and go overboard because this way he will loose his fans. Chris said that he wants to make more songs about what concerns himself like sexuality and stuff like that. He admits that if possible he wants to get an older crowd with some of the tracks.

Chris Brown is being compared with Usher but about this he says “It’s nice but I don’t focus on that. I think I’ve strayed away from now. I am in a lane of my own, just having fun and making it to the best of my ability.”

Pete Doherty, singer from Babyshambles, has owned up to the fact that he is an addict. Well, that’s the first step, right? Even his friends want him to quit, he says. Friends don’t let friends, well, you get the idea. Now, it’s interesting to note that Pete has owned up in court to the fact that he’s still using. “I’m quite keen to show a negative test as soon as possible really,” he admitted before the magistrate. I’m fascinated.

I wonder how this would fly in an American courtroom. Could I walk up to the judge and let him know that yes, I did J walk in front of that Dairy Queen, but I am hoping to stop doing it very soon? Somehow I doubt it. Pete has been in a long time relationship with Kate Moss, twiggy supermodel extraordinaire. Do they use together, or is she part of that growing group of people that want to save Pete from himself? Was it the drugs talking when he announced she was his fiancé? I’ll keep my eye on this one. I want to know how it turns out.

Reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee will support his new album “The Cartel: The Big Boss”   with a 40 city tour through the US and Latin America. The starting date is 31 August.

This year Daddy Yankee will visit Boston, New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas. Ticket prices will be from $40 to $100.

Eight-year old reggaeton performer Miguelito who is signed as a part of Yankee’s label will take part in his concerts in the US.

The tour of Daddy Yankee in 2005 in the US was the first of its kind. Never before has a reggaeton performer succeeded to collect such a huge audience. Daddy Yankee appeals to Latinos and the general market and this is winning situation for him.

In Latin America Daddy Yankee will perform in Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Dominican Republic at arenas and stadiums with 30 000 to 40 000 capacity.

In 2008 the reggaeton superstar is having concerts not only in the US and Latin America but in Europe and Asia.

I know models are known for running around without much on, but mega supermodel Kate Moss has taken that to an extreme. Christie’s of London will be auctioning off nude photos of the model, and most likely they will rake in some serious cash. And no, we aren’t going to link the photos, sorry Charlie. Not all the photos being auctioned are nudes, but all of them are rare. The two pictures of au natural Katie are expected to fetch in upwards of $70,000. Yep, that’s right, almost $100k for askinny girl running around without clothes.

This is the point where I sigh deeply and close the fashion magazine. I am tired, deeply tired of emaciated skeletons being our society’s concept of beauty. There is a reason that the size two dress is still hanging on the rack when you walk into the stores: NO WOMAN WEARS A SIZE TWO! Okay, now that that is out of my system, back to the nudie pictures. Kate is making cash off her beauty, and who’s to say she shouldn’t. If I felt I could get that much money from pictures of myself I might run around without clothes too.

A spokesman of Kelis announced that she will take part in Rock Ness. This event has become annual and many famous singers like Groove Armada, Chemical Brothers, Manic Street Preachers, Daft Punk, The Feeling  etc. take part in it. The concert is held on the Loch Ness lake and the set is really interesting. I wonder what will happen if Nessi emerge from the water during the concert. Don’t you think it will be funny? If you want to see how Nessi looks like you must visit the concert. If you don’t see Nessi, at least you will be able to see and listen to Kelis and many other good singers. The tickets are on sale now. And beware of the monster…

He was an idol for millions of people but he wanted only one thing – to die. On 8 April 1994 when the electrician Gary Smith is doing a routine check he finds the body of Kurt who has murdered himself after taking an overdose of heroin. The causes for his strange behavior come from his childhood.

Kurt starts taking drugs when he is just a little boy because he was hyperactive. The side effect was insomnia. At the age of 8, his parents get divorced and from then on Kurt starts to live in his own world and ignores everything around him. On his 14th birthday his uncle gives him a guitar. It becomes the way to let off steam. When 15 he meets Chris Novelich and truly discovers music. His father was careless about his son and Kurt sleeps under the bridges. In 1987 he and Chris founded Nirvana – the first period in Kirt’s life when he feels happy. But then he finds drugs again and this turns him back to his former depressions. Even his wife and daughter are unable to help him. And then in 1994 when he comes back to Seattle to have a rest, he decides to do it forever. His music remains to remind for his tough life.

Recently if you turn the TV on there is no way not to see one of her new songs. For two months or so she released three new singles- “Promiscuous”, “Say It Right” and “All Good Things”. All of them turned into undisputable hits and reached the tops of American charts.

Nelly Furtado is one of the most talented female singers nowadays. I personally like her very much. Her voice is so peculiar that when you hear it you can’t mistaken it with someone else’s. She also has very interesting vision that attracts the public. I am sure she’ll continue to release hit after hit because she still has too much to give to her fans who really admire her.

Forget love. Money’s just fine by the Beatles.

Apple Corps, the company representing Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of the late George Harrison and John Lennon, has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against EMI Group, which accused the record giant of screwing the Beatles out of $59 million in royalties.

Terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.

“I can confirm that we have reached a mutually acceptable settlement and that we are not going to comment beyond that,” a rep for EMI said.

The seminal Liverpool band sued EMI in London’s High Court in December 2005 after two years of negotiations to resolve the accounting dispute amicably fell through.

The dispute began after an audit by Apple Corps determined EMI had shortchanged the band on a percentage of sales of every Beatles album and solo work the moptops produced between 1963 and 1976. Among the records made during that time frame: A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, Abbey Road, Let It Be and Lennon’s Imagine.

The announcement of a settlement is good news for Beatles fans, as it now opens the door for the group’s vast catalog of hits to finally be released for download via sanctioned Internet sites like iTunes.

The Beatles are one of the last major holdouts among recording acts who’ve yet to distribute their songs digitally, but the agreement with EMI could change all that—it’s expected the two parties will now come together and hash out a royalty plan that encompasses online sales.

In related news, it was announced this week that Apple Corps head Neil Aspinall, overseer of the Beatles’ business interests for 40 years, stepped down from his post on Tuesday. The 64-year-old executive got his start as the legendary rockers’ road manager and personal assistant before going on to take charge of marketing Beatles music, videos and other merchandise after their split in 1970.

Aspinall was also responsible for initiating previous litigation against EMI in the ’80s when Apple accused the label of failing to pay the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers millions of commissions from record giveaways to retailers. Both sides eventually settled out of court in 1989.

He also helped the Beatles get back additional sums by launching various lawsuits over the years on behalf of Apple Corps against similarly-monikered Apple Computer (which has since changed its name to Apple Inc.), alleging trademark infringement.

Apple Corps’ latest case against Apple Inc. ended in defeat last May when London’s High Court ruled that the computer and gadget maker did not violate the terms of a 1991 settlement by using its fruity logo on iPods and iTunes.

Avoiding another court showdown, the two sides subsequently ended more than two decades of legal wrangling in February by striking a deal that gave Apple Inc. ownership of all the trademarks concerning “Apple,” including the logo for iTunes. In exchange, the computer maker agreed to license certain trademarks—the ones pertaining specifically to music—back to Apple Corps.

Since then, rumors of an online deal have been heating up, particularly after Aspinall confirmed several months ago that the Beatles were in the process of remastering their entire repertoire for an online release.

Oh I love it. This is the part where I clap my hands in glee. A cable TV producer has decided that Jim Morrison needs a pardon. That’s right, they’re trying to clear the name of the dead lead singer of The Doors. Evidently on a hot summer’s night in Florida Jim got personal with the crowd and showed them a new side of himself, the side without clothes. He was charged with misdemeanor exposure and profanity. Yep, he was charged with being profane. Unfortunately Morrison died in Paris while he was waiting for an appeal.

The point people are trying to make is that if this happened today, there would be no charges. It’s true, honestly, that standards have changed, but we are talking about 1969 Miami, and that was definitely a different time. In 1969 exposing yourself to a crowd of fans didn’t sell more t-shirts, it got you arrested. And if I did the same thing, I probably would be arrested, but I guess celebrity status gives you more freedom on stage. I think it is silly to expect people to open a case and clear the name of a dead guy for a misdemeanor, only because he is famous. Yes he was a poetic genius, but does that make him above the law? Does this really shroud poor Jim Morrison in a cloud of infamy? I don’t think so.