Erykah Badu touched down in Hollywood, where she performed her first single “Window Seat” on Tuesday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

The mother of three told BET that Janelle Monáe, Sa-Ra, Estelle, Jay Electronica, and Solange (“I love her style. That’s my baby sister”) are among the artists she’s listening to these days

The Norwood family invites viewers into their busy lives on VH1’s “Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business,” premiering April 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Watch the extended trailer for the one-hour episode series, in which Brandy and Ray J learn the ropes of the family company, but can they avoid letting business get in the way of their personal relationships?

Multiple Grammy Award-winning recording artist, actress, and songwriter Janet Jackson will make her only concert appearance of 2010 at this year's ESSENCE Music Festival on July 4th weekend in New Orleans. This performance will be Jackson's debut at the ESSENCE Music Festival, as well as her first full concert since 2008.

Jackson--who has sold over 100 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling artists of all time--joins Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys on the all-star lineup. Jackson is scheduled to perform on July 2nd, the opening night of the festival. The announcement was made today in celebration of Jackson's iTunes release of "Nothing," the theme song she performs, co-wrote and co-produced for Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?" opening nationwide April 2, 2010.

Jackson's appearance adds more star power to the 40th anniversary celebration of ESSENCE, the first magazine to grace Janet Jackson on its cover.

Usher takes his finger off the pause button and pushes record live on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” The singer hit the stage at New York City’s NOKIA Theatre on Tuesday morning (March 30) to perform material from Raymond v. Raymond, including “There Goes My Baby.” While there, he also disclosed plans for an upcoming tour.

Lights, camera, Usher! The R&B superstar keeps his eye on the prize in the performance-driven video for “OMG,” the first international single from his new album Raymond v. Raymond. The Anthony Mandler-directed visuals feature a skirted will.i.am, who also produced the Auto-Tuned song.

“The video is a spectacle,” Mandler told Didntinviteme.com. “It really emphasizes what we love about Usher and the character and the icon that he is, and most importantly, it’s really a video that showcases his superstardom.”

Usher’s promo tour kicked into high gear with a smoldering performance of his single “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” on Monday’s “Late Show with David Letterman.” Despite his love for music, the 31-year-old singer told The New York Times that he doesn’t want to have to be working in nine years. “Hopefully at 40 I won’t have to be on a stage,” he said.

Ludacris arrives to “Chelsea Lately” bearing gifts in the form of his Conjure cognac. The rapper, who currently has the No. 1 album in the country, discusses his bet with Diddy, what he does on his RV, and his “Baby” collaborator Justin Bieber’s “player” ways.

Lady Gaga celebrated her 24th birthday yesterday and tweeted a whole bunch of messages to her "little monsters" from Australia, where she's currently touring. Her big plans? She tweeted: “I am going to find the nearest bar that smells like urine and get very drunk. I’m going to be 24. I don’t feel young.”

Lady Gaga (Bauer Griffin)The pop star also took to twitter to thank her fans – whom she dubs “little monsters” - for their ongoing support and birthday greetings, and promised them she intends to keep making music for another three decades.

She wrote: “Thank you so much for all the beautiful birthday messages, videos, and gifts. The greatest present I’ve been given this year is you I love u. I’m 24 today, so you know what that means? Let’s raise a glass to 30 more years of writing music and videos for my beautiful little monsters.”

The singer then posted a link to a video made by fans showing a compilation of people wishing her happy birthday. She tweeted: “i’ve never cried so hard in 24 years, from pure joy and unconditional love. Tears are streaming.”

Gaga has also revealed plans for her third album, the follow up to 2009’s The Fame Monster.
She said: “I’m working on it now and I’ve already written the core of it. I’m continuing to travel round the world and... it’s certainly my best work to date.”

Some of Rihanna's fans are as Rated R as her latest album. The pop songstress is said to be shocked by some graphic fan mail she received recently, and her rumored boyfriend Matt Kemp has reportedly stepped in to make sure the letter writer, who calls himself "Buster," can’t get to her.

Rihanna arriving at the Kids' Choice Awards (Bauer Griffin)A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “Matt has asked Rihanna’s team to be extra cautious since she was sent two very steamy letters. Her friends are also concerned about the situation. They spent a long time talking about it when they dined at the Spanish Kitchen in West Hollywood last week. They are really worried things with this guy are going to get out of hand.”

In what could be a result of her new security measures, the 22-year-old singer reportedly had a gold golf cart when she appeared at the Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday night, which took her just 17 meters from one side of the backstage area to the other.

Rihanna also performed at the annual ceremony, playing three songs -- "Hard," "Rude Boy" and "Don't Stop the Music."

Speaking at the event, Rihanna said she's planning to develop her sound on her next record.

She told MTV: "Rated R, I love the sound of it, in terms of the bass. I really like the bottom, the grime of it. But if I were to combine that with more energetic, up-tempo pop records, then I think that will be a happy marriage. And that's where we'll probably go next."

Will Smith has a lot of time on his hands these days, and apparently he's using it up on the set of his wife's medical drama. He's a producer on the show, called HawthoRNe, and sources say he's stirring things up, and slowing them down, by dissecting the script. Everyone's hoping he finds a new hobby or role, and soon.

The Smith family, plus Jackie Chan. (Bauer Griffin)But he has allegedly been infuriating cast and crew by submitting “pages of notes and rewrite requests” every week. A source told the New York Daily News newspaper: "He is not currently shooting a movie, so he's been a constant on the set in recent weeks. He's been inserting his input and requesting so many changes to the script that it pushed back the production schedule tremendously and caused everything to spiral out of control. Everyone is praying for him to book a new movie so that he will go away."

Will is currently making a decision on whether his next movie will be Men in Black 3 or City that Sailed but has no definite filming commitments lined up.

Jada recently revealed her husband wants to be the US President. She said: "Will is thinking about going into politics. He once said he could imagine becoming US president. He wasn't joking, he was quite serious about it."

After years of sidestepping questions about his sexual orientation, singer Ricky Martin reveals in a heartfelt posting online that he is gay.

"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," Martin, 38, said Monday on RickyMartinMusic.com. "I am very blessed to be who I am."

He said his twin sons, who turn 2 in August, inspired him to be true to himself.

"To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids were born with," Martin writes. "These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed."

Martin has said fatherhood changed his life for the better. "I'm so happy!" he told PEOPLE in December 2008 after his sons were born. "Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing. Being a father feels amazing. This has been the most spiritual moment in my life."

After Martin's announcement Monday, the Gay, Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation issued a statement in support of the singer.

"When someone like Ricky Martin comes out, hundreds of millions of people now have a cultural connection with an artist, a celebrity and, perhaps most importantly, a father who happens to be gay," said Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD. "His decision to model this kind of openness and honesty can lead to greater acceptance for countless gay people in U.S., in Latin America and worldwide."

Read Ricky's Full Message

A few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my life. From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And thisis something worth celebrating.

For many years, there has been only one place where I am in touch with my emotions fearlessly and that's the stage. Being on stage fills my soul in many ways, almost completely. It's my vice. The music, the lights and the roar of the audience are elements that make me feel capable of anything. This rush of adrenaline is incredibly addictive. I don't ever want to stop feeling these emotions. But it is serenity that brings me to where I'm at right now. An amazing emotional place of comprehension, reflection and enlightenment. At this moment I'm feeling the same freedom I usually feel only on stage, without a doubt, I need to share.

Many people told me: "Ricky it's not important", "it's not worth it", "all the years you've worked and everything you've built will collapse", "many people in the world are not ready to accept your truth, your reality, your nature". Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided to move on with my life not sharing with the world my entire truth. Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions.

If someone asked me today, "Ricky, what are you afraid of?" I would answer "the blood that runs through the streets of countries at war...child slavery, terrorism...the cynicism of some people in positions of power, the misinterpretation of faith." But fear of my truth? Not at all! On the contrary, It fills me with strength and courage. This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids where born with. Enough is enough. This has to change. This was not supposed to happen 5 or 10 years ago, it is supposed to happen now. Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment.

These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed.

What will happen from now on? It doesn't matter. I can only focus on what's happening to me in this moment. The word "happiness" takes on a new meaning for me as of today. It has been a very intense process. Every word that I write in this letter is born out of love, acceptance, detachment and real contentment. Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution.

I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.

The-Dream presided over the set of “Love King,” the first single from his new album of the same name, earlier this month in Atlanta with director Lil’ X. He will shoot another clip for the song’s remix on Thursday with Ludacris. Meanwhile, Mr. Radio Killa is already plotting his next album and hinted at Love/Affair as the title.

Usher and Ellen DeGeneres took on The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida over the weekend. The roller coaster goes from zero to 40 mph in two seconds flat, but Ursh kept it cool, leaving most of the screaming to Ellen and his fans. Their theme park adventures will air on Thursday’s episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Kelly Rowland debuted her new single “Commander” live at DJ David and wife Cathy Guetta’s “F*** Me I’m Famous” party at Mansion in Miami during Winter Music Conference on Saturday (March 27). The dance record was produced by Guetta (“When Love Takes Over”) and written by Rico Love (“Sweet Dreams”), and will appear on Kelly’s Universal Motown debut album.

“I was nervous and anxious,” she wrote about performing the song for the first time, “But when I hit the stage I felt the inner ‘Commander’ come to life!”

On Sunday, the Destiny’s Child alum hosted the launch of her charity I Heart My Girlfriends in Miami Beach with friends La La Vazquez and Serena William

After a nearly four-year absence, Kelis awakens our senses with the visually striking video for “Acapella,” the first single from her fifth studio album Flesh Tone, arriving in the U.S. this June. The singer describes the Rankin and Chris Cottam-directed clip as having a “really strong, universal, tribal vibe to it.” Her eight-month-old son Knight Jones, the inspiration behind the David Guetta production, makes his first public appearance on the back of his mama.

Rihanna storms the stage on a pink camouflage tank to the beat of “Hard” at Nickelodeon’s 23rd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards held at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in Westwood, Calif., on Saturday (March 27). The stylish singer reunited with her robotic friends while performing a medley that also included “Rude Boy” and “Don’t Stop the Music.” Watch below.

Katy Perry got slimed! (thesun.co.uk)

Katy stole a kiss at the show, and also got slimed while announcing Miley Cyrus as the winner for Favorite Female Actress. The green goo covered her from head to toe, and Miley was just relieved it wasn't her! "Thank you, Katy, for not sliming me," she said when she got on the stage.

Another star who won big last night was Taylor Lautner, who scored Favorite Male Actor and got the cutest couple prize for his character in Twilight. He said: "I have to admit, I have always dreamt of winning one of these orange blimps. Seriously."

See a video of Katy getting slimed here:

Kelis debuted a new electro-pop song called “22nd Century” from her forthcoming album Flesh Tone at the Belvedere Music Lounge during the Winter Music Conference in Miami. She also sang “4th of July,” which she previously performed at a New York club. The multi-faceted star will unleash her tribal music video for “Acapella” tomorrow.

Lady Gaga is definitely on fire right now -- with sold-out shows across the world, a huge fan following, crazy music videos, and an even crazier wardrobe -- so some might say she'll be one of those one-in-a-million performers who goes down in history in a big way, like Michael Jackson.

Gaga's producer Rodney Jerkins, who worked with her on her latest song "Telephone," which got about a billion views on the internet yesterday, said she reminds him of the late King of Pop, whom he worked with on the "Thriller" singers 2001 album Invincible.


Michael Jackson (Getty)
Rodney told People.com: "We haven't seen an artist like Gaga in a long time - we haven't seen an artist that really has no fear. I remember Michael Jackson used to tell me he was crucified for doing Thriller, but he had to do what he felt was needed at that time. I'm just happy to be part of history.

I've always wanted to leave my stamp on music, and to be able to say that I worked with Michael Jackson and now I'm working with Lady Gaga, who'll probably go down in history as one of the best female entertainers of all time ."

He also talked about how he found the initial task of marrying together the "street" sound which Beyonce, who sings a verse of "Telephone," wanted with the disco theme the rest of the track has.

Rodney explained: "When I got on the phone with Beyonce, she was telling me she wanted her verses to have a hood, street element, and I actually was caught off-guard. I wondered, 'How am I going to do that? How am I going to make a disco/techno record and create a hood, street anthem vibe for her verse?' But once I got to the studio, it just kind of came to me."

Erykah Badu has everyone talking about her new music video, in which she sheds her clothing while walking the streets of Dallas. Before baring it all, the soul songstress consulted her family, including her mother, children, and baby fathers.


Even the bold Badu had reservations about going through with risqué clip for “Window Seat,” the first single from her fifth studio album New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh. Filmed guerilla style in one take on March 17 in her Texas hometown, the concept was inspired by dance-punk duo Matt and Kim’s revealing video for “Lessons Learned.” Badu tried hard to ignore those around her as she walked along the grassy knoll where President John F. Kennedywas assassinated.

But she didn’t pay her detractors any mind. First she turned to Jay Electronica, producer and father to her youngest daughter Mars. “I asked @jayelectronica if i should go [through] with it . he said . IF YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT DO IT – YOU GOT 1 SHOT TO BE ERYKAH,” she tweeted.

Also on her board of advisors was former boyfriend and OutKast member André 3000, father to her son Seven. “Andre said,if u gone go ,go all the way.”

And what about father #3, West Coast rapper The D.O.C.? “D.O.C. said, U got huge balls kid.& gave me a high five.”

So she knew what she had to do. “I bathed,took a breath.i started the car had to put money in the meter cause i had to leave my car incase cops came … after last action , we ran like hell!”

Voice acting is easy work practically speaking. No trip through make-up. No blocking to learn. And no traveling to distant locations. Which is why it pays so much less than shooting a live-action movie... unless you happen to be one of the principle characters in the Shrek franchise.

Mike Myers and Shrek co-stars Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy all made a new Forbes list of Hollywood's "Animation A-List," which features ten stars who bring in the most buzz and the most cash for their big screen voice work. Topping that list is Myers, who earned about $108,000 per minute on Shrek the Third.

While the final number haven't been made public yet, the three Shrek stars were reportedly paid more than $10 million each to reprise their roles for the upcoming fourth installment. The full Forbes list of A-List voice actors is below. Check out the Forbes feature to see why they made the list.

1. Mike Myers
2. Cameron Diaz
3. Jack Black (tie)
3. Owen Wilson (tie)
5. Ellen Degeneres (tie)
5. Eddie Murphy
7. Ben Stiller (tie)
7. Tom Hanks
9. Ray Romano
10. Jim Carrey

Adidas Originals spokeswoman Ciara has a fashionable conversation on the streets of London. The fashion-forward star describes her style (“tomboy chic”), her favorite item of clothing, where she loves to eat and shop in London town, her highlight of 2009, and plans for 2010. She also reveals her desire to launch her own clothing line in the future.

“Starting my own fashion line is one of my goals,” says Ciara. “It’s one of those things that I don’t want to rush into, but I have plans to do that in the best and most affordable way possible for the consumer.”

The guy who hacked into the Twitter accounts of Britney Spears, Lily Allen and Barack Obama has been nabbed in France. Francois Cousteix, who went by the online name of Hacker Croll, has been charged and released on bail after a joint effort between the FBI and French police tracked him down.

Francois Cousteix (indyposted.com)Francois, who claims he is "a nice pirate", despite accessing dozens of private social networking pages of celebrities, had managed to access the personal accounts by guessing the answers to their security questions which users are asked if they cannot remember their password. Francois, 25, said: "I am not a hacker. I did not want to destroy anything."

If he is found guilty of illegally accessing a computing system, unemployed Francois faces up to two-years in prison sentence and a fine of about $40,000. Francois, who has no specialist computer training, also claimed he had gained access to Facebook and Google accounts, saying his motivation was simply to prove he could do it.

He said he had accessed the accounts with the passwords he found by studying published information enabling him to correctly answer security questions put to users who have forgotten their passwords. Common questions include 'What is the name of your junior school?' and 'What is your date of birth?'.

Jean-Yves Coquillat, state prosecutor in Auvergne, where the hacker lives, said: "He acted as the result of a bet. He is not a hacker in the strict sense of the word. He entered a house where the door was open."

Francois will stand trial in June.

Erykah Badu is known for her originality and she doesn’t disappoint with her latest thought-provoking video. Fat Bottom Bella strips down in the clip for “Window Seat,” which takes a surprising turn at the end.

Janet Jackson fans holding out for a new album from the pop icon will have to wait. The youngest Jackson is putting music on hold to focus on other priorities.


The Grammy winner tells Rolling Stone that she’s no longer working on her 11th studio album. “There was a time where I was actually in the studio and I was recording, but I’m not working on an album,” she says.

Although reports suggested she was signing with former home A&M Records, Janet reveals she has not settled on a label after leaving Island Def Jam in 2008. “There have been a lot of record labels that have asked me to sit down and talk with them, but I don’t know if I want to do something completely independent, or go with a major.”

Bryan-Michael Cox told Rap-Up.com that he had been working on material for the stalled project with Jermaine Dupri. “I’m producing Janet’s album with Jermaine and it’s going to be hot,” the producer-songwriter said in January.

The 43-year-old superstar has not decided what direction she will go in with her next effort. “I haven’t decided on exactly where I want to go or what I want to do,” she adds.

In the meantime, Janet has satisfied hungry fans with “Nothing,” the first single from the soundtrack to Why Did I Get Married Too?, available now on iTunes. The Tim Palen-directed video is expected to debut next week.

Beyonce Knowles pregnancy rumors were all over the internet yesterday, with claims that the songstress and her rap star hubby Jay-Z are expecting their first little one. But, trusty Gossip Cop has squashed the buzz -- claiming there is no bun in the oven for this duo. Sorry, guys.

No baby for these two love birds just yet. (Getty)The craziness all started when blog Mediatakeout.com claimed: "According to our source Beyonce is doing fine and resting (for now), but she's expected to continue working throughout her pregnancy. And we're also told that Jay-Z is extremely happy to be having his first child with Beyonce."

However, Gossip Cop claims the source isn't right, and an actual source close to the singer has denied the reports. A spokesperson for the couple has refused to comment on the matter. Beyonce's publicist Alan Nierob said: "We don't respond to private matter inquiries."

The baby rumors have been going around for a while now, and it was first reported in November of last year the couple was trying for a baby. At the time, a source said: "Jay-Z's normally very secretive but he is so excited about the prospect of becoming a dad, he just let slip that they're trying for a baby."

However, around the same time the 28-year-old singer admitted she wanted to focus on being a wife before starting a family. She said: "It's not time for that yet. But definitely there will be a time. I want to be a great mother, the kind of mother that I have. I want the same bond that I had with my mom and that would be enough for me. The security and love I feel being in a relationship, a marriage, it's absolutely incredible. Incredible."