[video] Jon Stewart Ethers Jim Cramer LIVE!

It’s nothing more entertaining than some network beef.

Inside Bernard Madoff’s new home: the Metropolitan Correctional Center prison in Manhattan

via Daily News

Bare-bones bunk beds with meager mattresses, white-washed cinderblock walls and a shared sink.

Jet-setting financier Bernard Madoff relocated Thursday to Manhattan digs a bit more spartan and cramped than he enjoyed while fleecing his oblivious clients.

Inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center, typically home to terrorists, gangsters and drug dealers, the high-rolling Ponzi scheme mastermind is one of 750 inmates.

His sprawling East Side duplex is just a memory, replaced by a 7-1/2-by-8-foot cell. After 45 years of waking up with wife Ruth, Madoff may share his room with another inmate.

Instead of a leisurely weekend brunch, the 70-year-old Madoff gets a 6 a.m. wake-up call with breakfast served 30 minutes later.

Internet ad tracking system will put a ‘spy camera’ in the homes of millions, warns founder of the web

via Daily Motion

The inventor of the world wide web has launched a damning attack on plans to spy on the internet browsing habits of millions of households.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee warned such technology was even more sinister than allowing companies to install TV cameras in our homes, and said the details revealed could be used by stalkers or foreign agents wanting to blackmail British politicians.

Internet providers BT, TalkTalk and Virgin Media are all considering a system known as Phorm, which would track the web pages that their 11million customers look at.

The potentially lucrative system creates an anonymous profile of a surfer’s interests which is then used by retailers to target them with relevant adverts.

Phorm insists it is far less intrusive than the existing tracking and profiling of surfers by internet search engines such as Yahoo and Google. It says there is nothing to link a name or address to the profile and customers can also opt out.

However, Sir Tim, 53, told a Parliament summit on privacy laws: ‘It is very important that you can use the internet without a thought that, when we click, a third party will know what we clicked on in a way that might affect how our insurance premium changes, whether we can get life insurance or another job.’

The technical term for monitoring the details of individual’s web surfing is ‘Deep Packet Inspection’.

Sir Tim said this kind of activity provides unprecedented information on an individual.

‘It reveals huge amounts about people’s lives, their loves, their hates and fears. People use the web when they are in a crisis.

Scientists develop mobile phone battery that can be charged in just 10 seconds

via Daily Motion

A revolutionary mobile phone battery that recharges in 10 seconds instead of several hours has been created by scientists.

The new device charges 100 times as fast as a conventional battery and could also be used in phones, laptops, iPods and digital cameras within just two or three years, they say.

The same technology could even allow an electric car to be charged up in the same time that it takes to fill a conventional car with petrol – removing one of the biggest obstacles to green, clean motoring.

The quick-charge battery is the brainchild of engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The MIT team say their invention uses materials already available to battery manufacturers and would be simple to mass produce.

The invention is based on conventional lithium ion rechargeable batteries found in most cameras, phones and portable computers.

Lithium ion batteries are used in portable gadgets because they  store a large amount of energy in a small space.

45 percent of world’s wealth destroyed: Blackstone CEO

via Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Private equity company Blackstone Group LP (BX.N) CEO Stephen Schwarzman said on Tuesday that up to 45 percent of the world’s wealth has been destroyed by the global credit crisis.

“Between 40 and 45 percent of the world’s wealth has been destroyed in little less than a year and a half,” Schwarzman told an audience at the Japan Society. “This is absolutely unprecedented in our lifetime.”

But the U.S. government is committed to the preservation of financial institutions, he said, and will do whatever it takes to restart the economy.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner plans to unfreeze credit markets through a new program that will combine public and private capital in a fund that would buy bank toxic assets of up to $1 trillion.

“In all likelihood, that will have the private sector buy troubled assets to clean the banks out in terms of providing leverage … so that we can get more money back into the banking system,” Schwarzman said.

He expects the private sector to end up making “some good money doing that,” but added there were complex issues on how to price toxic assets.

OFFICER RICKY FINALLY COMES OUT: Rick Ross Fesses Up In May XXL Cover Story, “Yes, It Was Me In Those Pictures”

via Thisis50

With his third solo album, Deeper Than Rap, slated for an April 21st release, Rick Ross is gracing the cover of XXL magazine’s upcoming May issue.

On Denying Being A Correctional Officer

“Me not answering or addressing that situation has nothing to do with my career. I’ve accomplished enough, and I’ve made enough money for me to be good… Yes, it was me in those pictures. But I’ma tell you this. Me taking that job, I was doing my job. You understand what I mean?”

WOULDN’T IT HAVE BEEN EASIER TO ADMIT THIS IN THE BEGINNING??

Micheal Jackson Tickets Going for $10,000

via  JohnJohnSaidIt

Tickets for Michael Jackson’s comeback gigs are selling on the Internet for nearly $10,000.

The Thriller hitmaker, Michael Jackson, announced his return to the stage last week at a press conference in London, unveiling a residency of 10 shows starting in July.

More than a million people registered to buy tickets and when pre-sale seats were made available on Wednesday they were snapped up within minutes thus prompting the singer to more than double his run and extend the residency until September.

The tickets which go on sale to the general public this Friday are expected to fully sell out and are already being offered up on the Internet, with one pair of seats on eBay reaching $9,999.99.

Adding to the Jackson mania is a rumor that says he will extend his tour to the United States to perform 30 shows in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

We’re the first to make fun of Jackson’s odd behavior, so its only fair that we congratulate the mysterious King of Pop on a successful comeback so far.

Congrats!

[VIDEO] 50 Cent Presents “Officer Ricky”- In To Deep (Hey Baby) [Cartoon]

50 Cent TV reports “50 Cent’s Cartoons Presents his 5th episode “Officer Ricky: In To Deep (Hey Baby)” features Rick Ross, Khaled, Mase, DMX, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and more!”

Drug Kingpin Makes The Forbes Billionaires List

via mogul monolugues

This is crazy, Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin Guzman-Loera, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel made the Forbes Billionaires list, tying at #701 with a net worth of $1Billion. Im kinda surprised that forbes would even feature a drug dealer in their distiguished publication. Check out his profile:

Net Worth:$1.0 bil
Fortune:self made
Source:Drug Trafficking
Age:54
Country Of Citizenship:Mexico
Residence:Sinaloa State
Industry:Shipping
Education:NA,
Marital Status:NA,

Mexico’s most wanted man, “El Chapo”, or Shorty, heads the Sinaloa cartel, one of the biggest suppliers of Cocaine to the U.S. In 1993 was arrested in Mexico on homicide and drug charges. Escaped from federal prison in 2001, reportedly through the laundry, and quickly regained control of his drug trafficking organization, which he still controls today. In 2008 Mexican and Colombian traffickers laundered between $18 billion and $39 billion in proceeds from wholesale shipments to the U.S. Shorty, an alleged tunnels expert, is believed to have directed anywhere from a third to half of that during the past 8 years. Apparently started out working with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, “El Padrino”, or the Godfather, head of the most powerful drug trafficking group in Mexico at that time. U.S. government is offering a $5 million reward for his capture.

Source: Forbes.com

[video] Nipsey Hussle- Turn’D Up (The Making Of Hip Hop’s Next Superstar) [Episode 3 Trailer]

Street Knowledge reports New Trailer for Nipsey Hussle “Turn’D Up” The Making of Hip Hop’s Next Superstar Episode Three. With guests appearances from The Game, Tony Yayo, DJ Whoo Kid, Alchemist, and Kay Slay. The all new thirty minute minute documentary is exclusively dropping on WSHH. Currently on tour with The Game. For more info log on to Nipseyhussle.com

[video] Joaquin Phoenix Attacks Heckler Fan At His Own Concert In Miami While Rappin! (Then Gets Kick’D Out)

Actor turned rapper Joaquin Phoenix jumps off the stage during a performance at a Miami Beach nightclub and confronts an audience member who is heckling him. It is unknown whether the scene is real or fake. You decide.

It’s always healthy to be able to laugh at yourself, but the climate of Hip Hop is an all-out circus these days.  Between Pimpin’ Curly and Joaquin Phoenix I don’t know which one takes home the honor of the most slapstick actor of ’09.

[video] adidas “March is a Brotherhood” Campaign

via Hypebeast

Coming off a year that featured three adidas teams in the Final Four, including eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks, adidas looks to take Brotherhood one-step further for the 2009 NCAA Tournament by bringing current NBA stars to the locker rooms of top-ranked college programs. Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady and Josh Smith are featured in four videos entitled “March is a Brotherhood”, sharing their admiration and respect for the college game. Although these players leaped the college ranks, they are now reflecting on the purity of the game and celebrating the NCAA basketball brotherhood. For the Tournament, adidas Basketball is also introducing the Mad Clima – a new court shoe designed to keep adidas’ elite schools lighter and cooler during crucial tournament play. The new design offers ClimaCool technology to keep players lighter and cooler during NCAA tournament play. The “March is a Brotherhood” program and product collection launches today via adidas Basketball.

[video] TONA f. Tenisha – MAJOR

Check the First Single Off Tona’s “DIRECT DEPOSIT LP” In Stores June 2nd www.bigtona.com. Shout out to E1 MUSIC, formerly known as KOCH Records.  This is the latest from TONA, the homie from up north in Canada.  I’m diggin’ the graphics in this.  Tell us what you think.

[video] Master P & Patrick Ewing SNICKER commercials

They obviously got some Hip Hop heads over at whatever ad agency is handling this account

Ex-Gov Call Girl Ashley Dupre Blogs at Global Grind

via Global Grind

Ok – this is a long one – but it’s the first time I’ve blogged in an entire year, so I have a lot to say.  This past year has been a difficult one, but it has also been a period of awakening for me.  I’ve gained a perspective on life that I probably never would have been able to achieve if not for all of the heartache.  In great part, discovering my identity came through the quiet reflection I enjoyed while practicing yoga, and the inner strength I’ve developed attracts powerful things.  I’m seeing that the stronger I am at my core, the more natural and effortless it becomes to draw positive people and uplifting experiences into my life.

For example, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined befriending Russell Simmons while taking class at a yoga school I started going to in the past year.  This school has been the safe haven for my self-study and spiritual development.  The more I know my true self, the more I come to have faith that my presence on earth means more or at least has different meaning than the media or disbelievers have tried to frame it to be.  Russell was there, reaching out to give me hand placement tips and educate me about the virtues of yoga that he’s discovered throughout the years.  He explained the importance of understanding that our actions sometimes have far reaching consequences – a lesson that certainly resonated with me.  And never would I have imagined finding my new fairy godmother, Kelly Cutrone, who has become such an inspiration to me and stood by me even at her own expense.  I am blessed to have them and other people in my life who are honest, positive and want to help me walk a better path.

“African-American” Buying Power Increases

Does this mean if we band together we’re recession proof? Um, not without a plan we won’t

via Adweek

NEW YORK African Americans constitute the largest racial minority market, wielding greater economic clout than ever before, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth.

That sector’s buying power was $318 billion in 1990. But 18 years later, African-American buying power equaled $913 billion, and is projected to increase to $1.24 trillion in 2013, per Selig. That would mark a 35.7 percent gain over those five years.

The African-American Internet population reflects the high percentage of young people in the general African-American community: 30 percent overall are under age 18, and 71 percent of that group is online.

While 45 percent of African-American households had some type of Internet access in 2007, this group is more likely than white Americans to surf the ‘Net via mobile phone, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Chris Brown’s Manager, Alleged Former Lover Denies Involvement in Alleged Rihanna Assault

via HipHopRX

In a statement released Wednesday, alleged former lover and manager to Chris Brown, Tina Davis, has denied any involvement in causing the alleged fight between Brown and his girlfriend pop singer, Rihanna.

As previously reported, it was believed that Tina Davis supposedly had a previous relationship with Brown when he was 16 years old.

Also, as stated in the previous reported, Davis was revealed as the supposed mystery woman who allegedly sent a three-page text message to Brown on the day of the altercation and alleged assault sparked over a fight between Chris Brown and Rihanna over the supposed text message, which in a detective’s affidavit reportedly reads was “from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with.”

Davis has now denied those allegations.

“There are no emails between Ms. Davis and Mr. Brown of the type which have been described in media reports,” Davis’ attorney reportedly said in a statement.

Davis is also seeking out the source of the false allegations for possible legal pursuit and prosecution.

“If the source of the false rumors is identified, legal action will be taken,” the statement added. “The relationship between Ms. Davis and Mr. Brown is that of manager and client. There has never been any other relationship. Given the nature of the legal issues affecting Mr. Brown, Ms. Davis will not be making any further statements,” the statement concluded.

In other news, Chris Brown has reportedly withdrawn his consideration from the Kids Choice Awards over the current controversy surrounding his alleged charges of assault and criminal threats against girlfriend Rihanna. The singer was up for two Kids’ Choice Awards: favorite male singer and favorite song for “Kiss Kiss.”

Rihanna also is up for two Kids Choice awards, including favorite female singer and favorite song for “Don’t Stop the Music.”

Nike x Lance Armstrong “Stages” Collection | A Complete Look

via High Snobiety

After showing some images of the sneakers on display at the event at the Montalban Theater this afternoon, we can now show you the complete line-up of sneakers and clothing, created as part of the “Stages” initiative by Nike in collaboration with Lance Armstrong and his Livestrong Foundation.

CLICK [HERE] for the rest of the lineup

[pic] Rick Ross’ DEEPER THAN RAP Album Cover

Just by the change in lingo I can tell that the BOSS Ricky Ross has been aiming for the female market something fierce.   By the look of things, I guess the suites up at Def Jam are waging their bets on the ladies showing love for the big fella, cuz the street cred is on life support. Well, here goes…I hope homie ain’t beltin’ out tunes on this one!

source: RapRadar

T.I. Initiative Aims to Remove Guns from the Streets

"Do as I say, not as I do, PIMPIN!"

via Allhiphop

Superstar T.I. and his K.I.N.G. Foundation have formed a coalition with the Political Swagger Foundation and C.H.A.N.G.E. Initiative to remove guns from urban communities.

The first stop for T.I. is Houston, where on March 14 the Atlanta native will host Responsibility Is a Lifestyle: Give Back Your Gun Day.

The event commences at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Throughout the day, any person with an unregistered weapon will be able to turn in the firearm without fear of questioning, fines, or arrest.

The outreach program was enacted partly due to a recent sociological study by Northeastern University.

The results displayed that from 2002-2007, there was 31 percent increase in the murder rate for juvenile African-American males.

Hip Hop Radio DJ: ‘Say No To Sex’

via CBS3

You can hear her weeknights on 100.3 The Beat. But, these days, hip hop radio DJ Kendra G has another audience tuned in … teenage girls saying no to sex.

Developed in September of 2008, the program entitled ‘Abstinence Is Kool: I’m Not Doing It,‘ seeks to empower young women as they pledge to abstain from sexual activity for the 2008-2009 school year.

And while Kendra G stands behind her program, she understands the contradiction it poses to the sexually driven images often associated with hip hop.

“All we see is the one side of hip hop … the girl dancing, the female doing whatever she has to do to get with the guy. But, I’m also a face of hip hop and I’m saying abstinence is cool,” said Kendra.

And with encouragement from hip hop heavy weights Common and Jamie Foxx, one-hundred and seventy girls have declared “they’re not doing it.”

Technicality May Send ‘Freeway’ Rick Ross Back To Prison

via Allhiphop

Former cocaine kingpin “Freeway” Rick Ross is in danger of being sent back to prison despite a judge ruling to release him.

Ross has been in prison for the last 14 years, serving an original 20 year sentence for attempting to purchase 100 kilograms of cocaine from a federal agent in 1996.

Due to a successful appeal and model behavior, the courts ruled that Ross was eligible to be released this month to a halfway house, and begin the transition back into society.

However, Texarkana Federal prison officials have stated Ross’ paperwork has been “lost,” and the correctional facility will not honor the judge’s ruling.

Wendy Day, celebrated Hip-Hop advocate and founder of the Rap Coalition, explained that the prison’s actions are a concerted effort to keep Ross from moving on with his life.

“We need help and support in contacting everyone and anyone of power who works for the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) to get this situation resolved,” Day disclosed in a statement. “Rick should have been out over a year ago, and this newest so-called ‘glitch’ is the 5th time that the warden and the BOP have directly gone against the Judge. How can they get away with this? I don’t know – but they are.”

Interview: The Evolution of Jeezy

via RapRadar

So far, Young Jeezy is having the best week year ever. Still reveling in the success from last year’s aptly titled The Recession, this January, Da Snowman became the official spokesman for Belvedere Vodka, Then last week, inked a deal with management firm Hip-Hop Since 1978 (Kanye West and Lil Wayne). Sweetening the pot, this summer he makes his acting debut alongside Ice Cube and Mike Epps in the comedy Janky Promoters. Sitting down with RapRadar, Jeezy talks about on his new deal, film, and writing for Kanye West.

You recently signed your management deal with Hip-Hop Since 1978. Why did you hook up with them at this stage of your career?
It got to the point where I wanted to focus just on my music and I wanted to trust somebody else to put it in they hands. So I just took my Louis Vuitton backpack off and put it on them for a minute. I been doing a lot for myself, but sometimes you just gotta expand your game and the way you do that is get linked with people. That’s what they do for a living, all day everyday.

The Recession was critically and commercially successful. Do you think you’ve proven yourself with this album?
I think when it marinates on people and when they realize what I was trying to do and what I set out to do, I’ll feel much better. But for the most part, if people really knew how much work I put into that album, how many studio hours, and how much I paid attention to what was going on to complete the project, then I think it [would be] appreciated much more. I was working night and day on that shit. I just felt like I had a lot to prove. I had to show people that I wasn’t just some nigga that was just standing on the corner a few years ago, doing what I was doing. I had to show them that I’m a part of this society. I’m a part of this world.

Why didn’t the iTunes bonus song, “Done It” make the cut?
Yo, I’m about to shoot a video for that. I’m about to tell you the realest shit in the world. You know why that song didn’t go on my album? Cause it was a fuckin Hall and Oates sample and they cleared it the day the after the album was turned in. We kept trying to track them down to clear it, but they cleared it the day after. That shit hurt me. I went in on that song. I brought out harmonicas, violins— we built that song from scratch. I had a saxophone player come in my nigga! That was it. That was the one. They cleared that shit like a day after I turned my album in. I could not believe it.

Damn, that sucks. Were you tight for not winning the Grammy for Best Rap Performance last month?
I mean shit, my nigga I was bitter. I was ready for whatever. But you know, just to get nominated for some shit like that was a sign for me. It definitely showed me to keep it moving and go just go harder next time, man. But shit, I’ll see ‘em next year. I ain’t letting up. I don’t give a fuck, I’m a winner.

Twitter Tips: How to Use Twitter to Job Hunt

via CIO

Though LinkedIn tops the list of professionally-oriented social networks for job seeking, you can also use Twitter to get the word out about your skills and talents to relevant people in your industry.

But you must take some steps to be a good Twitter citizen before you tweet yourself into your next gig. We spoke with some career and social media experts on how to utilize Twitter for the purpose of job seeking, and the ways in which you can promote your own interests while helping others at the same time. (As you’ll find, you can’t do one without the other).

If you’re new to Twitter, we recommend reading our beginners’ guide to Twitter, as well as our Twitter etiquette guide, to learn more about what makes this community operate. Overall, it’s important to remember that Twitter is about exchanging ideas and letting people know more about you based on the content of your tweets.

Know who to follow

If you want someone to think about you when a job opening arises, you need to get on that person’s Twitter radar. One way to do this: follow the key people in your industry and watch their updates closely to see what types of topics and projects interest them the most.

For starters, use Twitter’s search tool to look for certain keywords of interest. After you search, the results will show people who are tweeting those terms; then you can scan their public profiles to see if you should be following them. This can also help in your content strategy (more on that in the next section).

50 Cent to produce movie based on “Saints Row” video game

via Woooha

50 Cent x Cheetah Vision. 50 Cent continues to search around Hollywood as his production company, Cheetah Vision, aggressively looks to buy up scripts and put movies through the studio pipeline. Although 50 is looking for a comedy to star in, he recently told reporters in a conference call that he recently bought the rights to turn the video game “Saints Row” into a movie. 50 officially states:

“With my relationship with THQ, they’ll actually see me develop Saint’s Row into an actual screeplay and into a film project. I’m optioning the rights for that right now, so they’ll see that before they see me do it from my own perspective for my game.”

In the “Saints Row” video game you play a gang leader who is betrayed, wakes up from a coma, and must regain your gang status in the city of Stilwater. This means recruiting new gang members, taking rivals out and making that cash. 50 Cent was able to secure the deal because the developer of “Saints Row,” THQ, is the same developer that just put out 50’s newest game “Blood on the Sand.” 50 ideally plans to make the “Saints Row” movie and then wants to look into turning “Blood on the Sand” into a movie as well.

Scion Drops Big Daddy Kane Documentary Online for Free

Big Daddy Kane x Scion. We just posted yesterday that Big Daddy Kane had a documentary short called BDK that was commissioned by car company Scion. Well Scion just hit us up and told us the entire documentary is actually online at their official online video site. So check out BDK at the Scion video site here. It’s legit, free and about 17 min. long…and a great look at one of the pioneers of the hip-hop movement.

Chris Brown Withdraws Name from Kid’s Choice Awards

TMZ reports:

Chris Brown is officially letting Nickelodeon off the hook, and taking himself off the list of nominees at the upcoming Kids’ Choice Awards.

In a statement, his rep says: “Chris very much appreciates the support of his fans and the honor they have paid him in the way of nominations for Favorite Male Singer and Favorite Song.

Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding the incident last month has shifted the focus from the music to whether he should be allowed to be among those nominated.

While Chris would like to speak to his fans directly about this and other issues, pending legal proceedings preclude his doing so at this time. Once the matter before him has been resolved, he intends to do so.”

source: Thisis50

[video] Cam’ron- “I Got It For Cheap” Prelude (The Bakery Pt 2)

Cam’ron “I Got It For Cheap” Prelude (The Bakery Pt2) from Miss Info on Vimeo.  The story of Cam and his chemically-imbalanced Chicago cousin Bang continues in the second interlude from the upcoming mini-movie “The Bakery.” At the end of the interlude is another video snippet, for “I Got It For Cheap.”While we don’t get any more of those amazing boost-mobile-chirping iphones LOL…we do get more awesomely awkward interaction between Cam and Cousin Bang. And its safe to say….yes, animals were harmed in the filming of this movie.

[video] Rodney Jerkins & Diddy talk new online venture MusicMogul.com

Rodney Jerkins x MusicMogul.com. Grammy Award-winning super producer Rodney Jerkins has just launched a new online music talent site called MusicMogul.com. Site is an online “American Idol” of sorts where people of all musical talent can compete to win a recording deal with Jerkins. Every 90 days, peers and judges on the site will choose a new winner.

Jerkins AKA Dark Child, has produced mega hits from everyone including Brandy to Michael Jackson and he has some heavy hitters supporting the site as well like Diddy. Check out the video of Diddy and Jerkins spotlighting the new website from Access Hollywood.

Jim Jones Reprises Play On March 24th

via Allhiphop

Harlem, New York rapper Jim Jones will launch a five-day run of his critically acclaimed play Hip Hop Monologues.

Jones will perform in five different showings, which will take place March 24-28th at the 37 Arts Theater in New York.

Hip Hop Monologues, which is produced by Damon Dash, Sony Entertainment and J Kyle’s Korner Ent., originally debuted in November 2008.

The play featured Jones performing songs from his latest album Pray IV Reign in the form or a scripted story.

Hip Hop Monologues is an autobiographical telling of Jones’ life, which centers around his family, fame, fortune and jealous rivals.

After advice from an elder, Jones is faced with the decision of pursuing his career or returning to life on the streets.

During the play, Jones will be backed by a live band conducted by Om’Mas Keith of SA-RA, as well as a number of professional actors.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (March 10). Prices start at $40.

Chuck D Launches Sellaband, Digital Artist Storefront

via HipHopDX

Chuck D , Public Enemy’s front man, has remained one of the most iconic figures in the rap world even after he stopped topping charts. His latest project, Sellaband has already been making noise in different parts of the world, but it is now being launched in the United States.

Sellaband is a new concept that allows independent musicians to get money from fans in order to record new music. Fans can chose how much they give an artist for his recording of new music. Skeptics may doubt the monetary gains made, but it has already generated more than two million dollars since it began in 2006.

Sellaband’s European presence is strong. Partners AOL Europe, Amazon and ArenaFest have agreed to have two Sellaband acts in each of their concerts this summer.

“SellaBand’s business model takes music to a whole new level by linking fans directly to musicians and leveraging those relationships for the creation of new music,” said Chuck D through a statement. “It’s an ‘everyone wins’ solution and is the new, new frontier and will completely redefine the way the music business operates.”

Chuck’s BTN Eastlink is in charge of all North American operations of Sellaband. For more information on Sellaband, visit www.sellaband.com

Study Links Blogs, MySpace And Album Sales

via HipHopDX

When Ghostface Killah [click to read] professed his disappointment last year about the lack of sales for The Big Doe Rehab [click to read] compared to the amount of friends he had listed on his MySpace page, questions on the real influence the giant networking site had already been raised.

In a recent study titled, “Does Chatter Matter? The Impact of User-Generated Content on Music Sales,” New York University researchers looked to reveal this problem concerning online content and sales, and whether or not there was a way for music Web sites to increase sales inadvertently through independent content.

With MySpace being one of the major resources for fans to check out their favorite artists, researchers hypothesized that, “On average, a band with thousands of friends on MySpace to be more popular with MySpace users than a band with a handful,” thus selling more albums in the first month. Using the rankings of Amazon.com, one of the world’s largest online retailers, researchers determined the outcome of their studies surprising to say the least. [More...] For one, they found that an increase in MySpace friends for an artist did not correlate to an increase in sales. Not only that, but the amount of MySpace friends did not serve as a strong indicator for album sales in general.

On the other hand, blogs that posted content of artists repeatedly on their sites, termed “blog chatter,” resulted in relatively more sales for the artist. Through this study, it would seem that Ghostface’s concerns and artists expectations in general for sales should now be attributed to blogs rather than label-invested outlets.

[audio] Letter to B.I.G.- Raekwon

For the obvious reasons, this is legendary to say the least.  It’s never too late to bury hatchets!

Raekwon-LETTER TO B.I.G.

CLICK [HERE] for AUDIO

[video] DAILY SHOW- In Cramer We Trust

This is developing into an interesting “Talkshow” beef with Jon Stewart taking a dump on CNBC and jim Cramer in particular.  In this day and age when content is KING an entire career’s worth of work can get reduced to rubbish with a clever 15 second sound bite.  Well, in Cramer’s case Stewart found enough of them to put together a remix like none other.

[video] WOLVERINE videogame Trailer

[video] Serani- NO GAMES

New music video for “No Games” by Serani from his new album coming soon

MTV sets its sights on comedy scripts

via Breitbart

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – MTV’s next target: scripted comedy. The cable network is developing an unprecedented number of scripted half-hour projects, including an animated series and five pilots.

“We’re going to apply the same tenets of creativity and genre-busting to scripted comedy that ‘Laguna Beach’ used to make over the documentary,” MTV head of programing Tony DiSanto said. “It makes sense as a progression for us when a lot of our shows like ‘Run’s House’ and ‘The Hills’ look scripted to start going forward with actual scripted shows.”

The projects include a 20-episode series order for a new animated series, “DJ and the Fro,” that revolves around two office drones who swap viral videos while surrounded by workplace mayhem.

The network’s quintet of pilots — not all of which have closed deals — are a mix of live-action and animated projects, with three set in high school and two based on existing Web series.

Gitmo prisoners defend ‘blessed’ 9/11 attack

via CNN

(CNN) — Five Guantanamo prisoners accused in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the U.S. staunchly defended their actions, calling the operation “blessed” and “great” and the accusations against them “badges of honor.”

“You are the last nation that has the right to speak about civilians and killing civilians,” the five said in a response this month to the U.S. government’s war crimes charges.

“You are professional criminals, with all the meaning the words carry,” the response said. “Therefore, we will treat you the same. We will attack you, just like you have attacked us, and whomever initiated the attacks is the guilty party.”

The six-page response from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who plotted the attacks, and four others castigates the actions of the United States and its allies in the Middle East and calls the United States “the terrorist country number one in the world.”

The military commission set up to hear the men’s cases at the Guantanamo Bay inmate facility received the signed document Thursday, and a military judge ordered its release on Monday.

Reports Say Chris Brown & Rihanna Recording Duet

via FMQB

After the well-documented scuffle between Rihanna and Chris Brown, it looks like the pair is recording a song together. It was previously reported that Brown and Rihanna reconciled at Diddy‘s Miami Beach mansion in late February, and Brown appeared in court on March 5 on assault charges. Brown was granted a continuance in the case and his arraignment has been pushed back until April 6. In the meantime, the two are reportedly in an L.A. studio with producer Polow Da Don working on a new track. Brown is hoping to include the duet on his new album, which is due out later this year. “They’ve been working on it together,” a source told E! News.

Meanwhile, both artists are apparently working on separate material for their own solo albums. One of the producers reportedly working with Rihanna, Adonis Shropshire (Mariah Carey, Usher, Beyonce) told HipHollywood.com that so far the recording sessions have been relatively light for the 21-year-old singer.

Jill Strada Tapped as Head of KISS FM

via Street & Industry

Urban AC WRKS-FM (98.7 Kiss FM)/New York taps sister Rhythmic CHR WQHT-FM (Hot 97) APD/MD Jill Strada to Program Director. She replaces Ebro Darden, who will continue as PD of co-owned Hot 97. Strada, a 13-year radio vet, joined Hot 97 from WPYO-FM/Orlando in 2007, where she served as Program Director. Before becoming WPYO’s PD in November, 2005, Strada was the station’s APD/MD.

Strada commented, “I am excited to take on the position of Program Director of the legendary 98.7 Kiss FM, New York’s premiere heritage radio station with a talented and passionate team who are ready to raise the bar in this new PPM world. Under my leadership we will continue Kiss FM’s long standing commitment to excellence and will focus on taking the station to new heights.”

Emmis/New York Market Manager Alex Cameron commented, “I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Jill Strada to Program Director of Kiss FM. Jill will provide programming expertise, leadership and her positive energy to bring focus to this heritage property in our market that so genuinely represents the voice, music, interests and issues of its community.”