NICKI MINAJ SAYS RETAILERS AREN'T DOWN TO RE-UP: "TARGET & WAL-MART ARE NOT SELLING THE ALBUM" [VIDEO]

Young Money rapper Nicki Minaj discussed her new Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up and why mega retailers like Wal-Mart are not stocking their shelves with the LP.

Nicki said the difficulty in selling re-releases has kept her album outof select store chains.

It's hard to get the album because the stores basically said that the last few re-releases they had put out did not do well and they didn't want to take a chance. Target and Wal-Mart are not selling thealbum, and Target is actually my biggest retailer. Best Buy only took limited [stock] because they wanted to play it safe. It kinda sets you up to fail." ("The Breakfast Club")

Recently, Minaj talked about her new re-release getting packed with rap bars.

"I am in a stage right now, where that's just how I feel," she told MTV News, turning the word feel to "fill" in that Southside Jamaica, Queens way. "I'm on my rap sh-- -- that's just how I feel right now. But I'm [also] saying that there's nothing wrong with being diverse. [But] where I am right now? I'm back to my popping sh--!" she declared before cracking up into a contagious fit of laughter. "The Re-Up is what I do naturally. It's what I came into the game doing," she emphasized. "So I actually don't have the fears about it being critiqued. I guess when I started doing dance songs, then there was more like a question mark there, 'cause I had never done it." (MTV)

Her album's tracklisting surfaced across the Internet last month.

The hottest chick in the game Nicki Minaj is all set to release "Pink Friday...Roman Reloaded The Re-Up" on November 19th! UrbanBridgez.com has your exclusive first look at the official tracklisting below to disc 1 which features all new songs! "Pink Friday...Roman Reloaded The Re-Up" is a double CD which features the original "Roman Reloaded" and also a 90 minute DVD from her recent tour. The DVD will feature behind the scenes footage as well as appearances by Lil Wayne, T.I., Justin Bieber, Rihanna and more! One of the new tracks on the bonus disc is rumored to feature Lil Wayne. UB First: Official Tracklisting "Pink Friday...Roman Reloaded Re-Up" 1. Up In Flames 2. Freedom 3. Hell Yeah 4. High School 5. I'm Legit 6. I Endorse These Strippers 7. The Boys feat. Cassie 8. Va Va Voom (Urban Bridgez)

Weeks prior, reports of Nicki's decision to re-package her sophomore album heated up music blogs.

The repackaged album, "Pink Friday Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up," will contain new songs, one of which Minaj plans to debut next week. "I'm releasing my album in November. It's called 'Pink Friday Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up' and I'm putting lots of new songs on there," Minaj told E News! while on the red carpet at last night's 2012 MTV VMAs (Sept. 6). "I'm actually going to drop my new single next week. So Barbz, you are going to spaz, you are going to love it, you are going to go crazy," she continued. (The Juice)

Check out Nicki Minaj's interview:

KE$HA MAKES BRA, NECKLACE, EARRINGS FROM FANS' TEETH

By now you all know we love Ke$ha, but this is just bizarre...

Apparently, the pop star made a bra from her fans' teeth. We're dead serious! During a recent interview with BANG Showbiz Ke$ha asked each of her fans to send her a tooth.

“I asked for them to send me their teeth and I got, like, over 1000 human teeth. I made it into a bra top, and a headdress, and earrings, and necklaces, " said the singer. "I’ve worn it out! I love them! I call them my family, my animals. This whole record is for them. The book is for them. The title of my Warrior was inspired by hearing their stories.”

From over the 1,000 teeth she received, Ke$ha was able to make a bra, earrings, and a headdress.

Is this going too far?

LiveNation.com Relaunches With New Social, Mobile Features

While many working Americans took the day off to prepare for Thanksgiving on Nov. 22, the folks at Live Nation Labs, a division of Live Nation Entertainment, were busy dealing with the aftermath of their newly re-launched LiveNation.com.

"It's the day before Thanksgiving for everyone else in America, but it's the day after launch for us," Live Nation Labs co-founder/LiveNation.com GM Eric Garland tells Billboard.biz. "Everyone is here and running around with their hair on fire. Reminds me of some John Hughes movie."

LiveNation.com quietly re-launched on Nov. 20 with the sleek feel of an iPhone app. Live Nation believes the revamp will encourage music fans to visit the site on a more frequent basis through a host of new features its providing in the areas of social media and mobile. The website also boasts a newly designed logo with the accompanying tagline: "One Nation Under Music."

Garland, whose media tracking and technology compay BigChampagne was acquired by Live Nation last December, says the re-launch was more about increasing user visits by enhancing the live music experience and less about trying to sell more concert tickets.

"It started in conversations between [Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino] and me about a more engaged fanbase and how to provide fans with a place to celebrate their passion for live music," he says. "The goal is now to get them to stay and come more often. My first concern is not whether they buy a ticket. It's a huge win for us with fans and for the business if they merely get in the habit of sharing their passion and experiences with our community."

Here's a sampling of some new features on LiveNation.com:

CONCERT COUNTDOWN 
The Concert Countdown feature does exactly what its title suggests: it's a clock on an event page that counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the upcoming event. The feature also provides a button to purchase tickets and share that experience with friends on Twitter or Facebook. "Before the actual day of the show, there's never really been a way to socialize or share that participation," Garland says. "The idea of Concert Countdown was to turn your first awareness of the show - whether it's the on-sale, the announcement or buying the ticket -- into something you can share and own."

 SHOWBOOK 
The ShowBook feature allows LiveNation.com users to upload their own concert photos to the site, thereby creating a more personalized and engaging relationship with those who visit the site. The new LiveNaton.com also aggregates fan photos from such social platforms as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. ShowBook is a key part of the site's mobile strategy, "intended to be a better place to find and participate in a community of fans who love the things you do," Garland says. 

REVAMPED SHOW FINDER 
Garland says he's fully aware that the primary reason people visit LiveNation.com is to find event information or buy tickets. So the simplest upgrade to the site is the search engine to find concerts and events in your area. "The old LiveNation.com took nearly five seconds to return a search result if you used the search bar," he says. "We're down in the tenths of one second, in terms of search performance on the new site. That sounds like a small thing, but it's really important when you're talking about a utility." Those who register to the site, he says, will be provided with event recommendations and inform users about what events their friends are attending. 

ONE NATION CHANNEL One Nation is a video channel of original content, featuring everything from live performances to artist interviews. The video content will also appear on relevant artist, concert and venue pages. "What we're trying to do with One Nation is create the things that give real intimacy and create exchanges between artist and fans," Garland says. The channel will eventually allow artists to communicate directly with fans via short videos about an upcoming tour or new album. In turn, fans will be able to respond with videos of their own. "So you get these conversations going back and forth between artists and fans," he says. 

Meanwhile, Garland says improvements and tweaks will be made to LiveNation.com on a daily basis. And look out for new features in the near future. "We won't stand still for very long," he says.

AFTER SNOOP DOGG PERFORMANCE, 2PAC GETS RESURRECTED AGAIN? [VIDEO]

Nearly a year after the late 2Pac got resurrected at the annual Coachella music festival, popular car maker Ford is reportedly keeping Makaveli's legacy alive.

According to reports, Ford has used one of the rap icon's poems to promote a new vehicle.

For a man who is no longer alive, Tupac Shakur manages to get a lot done. First he's performing with Snoop Dogg and now he's teaming up with Ford to push the new Fusion. He's still got good taste; that's a slick looking car. He might not have been available to read it himself, but his poem "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" is read aloud as four men extract a red 2013 Ford Fusion from a block of concrete. The new Fusion is certainly beautiful, but is it worthy as a rose to this poem? (Complex)

In Pac's poem, he emphasizes the ability of beauty stemming from unexpected places.

"Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?" the poem says. "Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk without having feet. Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared." ("The Rose That Grew from Concrete")

Ford has reportedly used the rapper's words to spark interest in the black community.

The 2013 Ford Fusion is being marketed with the help of the late Tupac Shakur, the murdered rapper who has been called "an ambassador of the dispossessed." Ford said it is delivering a "riveting message to the African American community" with its Fusion marketing campaign that uses Shakur's poem, "The Rose That Grew from Concrete." The automaker says the poem is the "perfect description for the way the new Fusion's design came to be." (Keep It Trill)

A posthumous album based on Shakur's poetry dropped over a decade ago.

The Rose That Grew from Concrete is an album based on the poetry of Tupac Shakur, released in 2000. This album features a large cast of celebrities reading Shakur's poetry and writing, much in the spirit of a traditional spoken word album. (Wikipedia)

Check out the Ford commercial:

NEW MIXTAPE: FABOLOUS ‘THE S.O.U.L. TAPE 2′

Happy Thanksgiving from Fabolous!

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Powered by DatPiff.com

Download Link: Fabolous – The S.O.U.L. Tape 2

1. Transformation
2. For The Love [Prod. By Streetrunner]
3. B.I.T.E. [Prod. By Teddy Da Don]
4. We Get High [Prod. By C-Sick]
5. Diamonds [Prod. By Mally The Martian & Hype]
6. Guess Whos Bizzack (Feat. Broadway) [Prod. By Mally The Martian]
7. Louis Vuitton (Feat. J.Cole)
8. Life Is So Exciting (Feat. Pusha T) [Prod. By The Arsenals & Sarah J]
9. Only Life I Know (Feat. Troy Ave) [Prod. By John Scino]
10. Diced Pineapples (Feat. Trey Songz & Cassie) [Prod. By Cardiak]
11. Beauty (Feat. Wale) [Prod. By AraabMuzik]
12. Want You Back (Feat. Joe Budden & Teyana Taylor) [Prod. By Sonaro]

LENNY KRAVITZ SET TO PLAY R&B LEGEND MARVIN GAYE

Lenny Kravitz has been chosen to play the late R&B serenader Marvin Gaye in a upcoming film about the legend’s life. According to many London publications the names of actors such asGary Gray, Will Smith, and Terrance Howard have been thrown around but Kravitz won the vote for the leading role. His acting career took off with supporting roles in successful films including Precious and The Hunger Games.

The film, directed by Julien Temple, will begin shooting in Ostend, Belgium where the Motown legend spent his last years coping with alcohol abuse and tax issues. While some people are looking forward to the film others are not so approving. Gaye’s second wife Janis Gaye has expressed her doubts about the film, mentioning she's “very skeptical” about the upcoming project. “Midnight Love,” the same name as Gaye’s final studio album, is the film’s unconfirmed title.

NICKI MINAJ "DENIED ACCESS" FROM HER OWN NY PARTY?

Young Money rapper Nicki Minaj is making headlines this week for reportedly getting denied access to her own Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up album release party in New York City.

Details of the alleged denial surfaced online Wednesday (November 21).

A source familiar with the incident told The Huffington Post that the 29-year-old "Starships" singer was scheduled to attend the event but was denied entry from Greenhouse club when she rolled up with her boyfriend and a hefty entourage of 25 people at 3:30 a.m. Incidentally, the downtown hot spot is also owned by the same folks who run WIP, the club of choice for Drake-Chris Brown brawls. "The cops denied [Minaj] access saying the venue was capacity," the insider said. "She tried to celebrate with fans but was turned away at the door." (Huffington Post)

Maybach Music Group's Meek Mill ran into a similar incident last summer.

Meek Mill is now unwelcome at some New York nightclubs after being caught up in the June 14 brawl at W.i.P. in SoHo between Chris Brown and Drake that left several clubgoers injured. The Philly-born rapper was partying with Drake's camp at the hot spot when the fight broke out between entourages that sent liquor bottles flying. Early yesterday, Mill was turned away from Meatpacking District club Tenjune after rolling up at about 2 a.m. And he even eagerly posted word of his arrival at the swanky spot on Twitter. But the bouncers didn't seem to share his zeal for getting inside. Mill tweeted after he was denied by the doormen: "I don't got no love for these clubs that discriminate against a certain race! [Bleep] you . . . u won't get these racks!" (For our slang-impaired readers, "racks" means "money," in thousands.) After Mill left, observers told us that police showed up at the venue because of an unrelated incident, but left within minutes. A Tenjune rep had no comment on the incident. (New York Post)

To make things worse for Nicki, she recently revealed how many retailers are not carrying the new LP.

"It's hard to get the album because the stores basically said that the last few re-releases they had put out did not do well and they didn't want to take a chance. Target and Wal-Mart are not selling thealbum, and Target is actually my biggest retailer. Best Buy only took limited [stock] because they wanted to play it safe. It kinda sets you up to fail." ("The Breakfast Club")

Recently, Minaj talked about her new re-release getting packed with rap bars.

"I am in a stage right now, where that's just how I feel," she told MTV News, turning the word feel to "fill" in that Southside Jamaica, Queens way. "I'm on my rap sh-- -- that's just how I feel right now. But I'm [also] saying that there's nothing wrong with being diverse. [But] where I am right now? I'm back to my popping sh--!" she declared before cracking up into a contagious fit of laughter. "The Re-Up is what I do naturally. It's what I came into the game doing," she emphasized. "So I actually don't have the fears about it being critiqued. I guess when I started doing dance songs, then there was more like a question mark there, 'cause I had never done it." (MTV)

50 CENT HELPS PROVIDE THANKSGIVING MEALS TO SANDY VICTIMS

50 Cent continued to share his wealth this past week in New York City.

On Wednesday (Nov. 21), Curtis, Feeding America, the Food Network and SMS Audio teamed up to provide Thanksgiving meals for hungry New Yorkers and victims of Hurricane Sandy at the "Our Table Is Yours" event at the Cipriani Restaurant in downtown Manhattan, New York.

"[Hunger,] it's a world issue, it's not a third-world issue," he explained to MTV News. "One in six Americans are actually going hungry. You got kids that's surviving based on their school lunch and more than one out of five kids are experiencing hunger."

Watch Fif talk about the experience below:

House Judiciary Subcommittee Announces Internet Royalties Hearing For Nov.

The debate over Internet radio royalties is headed to Washington D.C. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet will hold a hearing on Wednesday, November 28 on the topic of music licensing.

No witnesses have been announced. Billboard.biz expects representatives from Pandora, a radio broadcaster such as Clear Channel, a representative from SoundExchange and a performing artist to testify and answer questions from committee members.

Business Matters: If Big Radio Had Pandora's Royalty Rate, It Would Owe Billions

The hearing makes good use of idle time at the end of the 112th Congress. The Internet Radio Fairness Act will be re-introduced in Congress next year, sources tell Billboard.biz. It's also likely that a competing bill by Jerrold Nadler, currently in draft form, will be introduced this year. The Nadler bill, supported by SoundExchange and record labels, calls for the CRB to use the "willing buyer, willing seller" standard for all digital services, thus bringing satellite radio and cable radio to the same standard as Internet radio.

The bill, sponsored by Jason Chaffetz and Jared Polis in the House and Ron Wyden in the Senate, would instruct the Copyright Royalty Board, which sets statutory rates for digital performances, to use a different standard when setting rates for Internet radio companies. Under an 801(b) standard, the CRB would be allowed the consider a range of factors that includes the maximization of availability of creative works to the public, a fair return for the copyright owner and a fair income for the copyright user. The current standard used for Internet radio, the "willing buyer, willing seller" standard, is more narrowly focused and tries to replicate a market-based transaction.

Business Matters: Internet Radio Bill is About Fairness -- and Money

The debate over the Internet Radio Fairness Act has been heated. An open letter signed by 125 musicians -- which ran as an advertisement by musicFIRST and SoundExchange in Billboard -- criticized Pandora for seeking a process that could give it a lower statutory royalty rate.

Artists have weighed in, too. An article at Pitchfork by Damon Krukowski (Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi) bemoaned the speculative business models of Pandora and Spotify that pay "ridiculously low" royalties and "are doing nothing for the business of music."

NICKI MINAJ CHOPS IT UP WITH THE BREAKFAST CLUB

Nicki Minaj stopped by the World's Most Dangerous Morning Show this morning to grace the radio personalities with her sass. She discussed her controversial E! three-part special, today'sRoman Reloaded: The Re-Up drop, her perfume Pink Friday, American Idol, and more.

The first lady of YMCMB even reprimanded the Power 105.1 radio hosts for not having her songs lined up in a timely manner and for not buying her fragrance. Never one to neglect her Barbz, Ms. Minaj chopped it up with them on Twitter while taping the show. Watch the footage below.

AFTER THE MONEY & PLATINUM PLAQUES, LIL WAYNE ANNOUNCES FINAL ALBUM

Young Money leader Lil Wayne is ready to start focusing on retirement and has even announced his final solo effort will be an upcoming Carter IV follow-up.

Weezy F. Baby said dedicating more than 20 years in the rap gamefueled his decision.

"I know y'all want me around for a little bit, [but] Tha Carter V is my last album," he revealed. "I've been rapping since I was 8 years old; I'm 30 now. That's a long time, and I like to do so many more things, and when I like to do something, I end up loving to do it real quick. And I love to do something, I'm fully focused on it and it only, and music sometimes is not that 'it.'" (MTV)

Earlier this year, Cash Money co-founder Birdman spoke on the importance of Wayne leading Young Money.

"YMCMB start and stop with Wayne; it ain't no YMCMB without Wayne," Birdman said in an interview. Birdman wouldn't confirm the exact figures in the deal, but he made it clear that when it comes to Wayne, who he considers a son, the sky is the limit. "The type of situation we did never been done in urban music; it's probably the biggest deal ever in urban music," he said. "I'm blessed to even do that -- whatever my son want, he can get. It's all his anyway, so it don't really matter to me." (MTV)

Back in August, Wayne revealed his struggles with boredom in today's music industry.

"I just felt like it was time. I got bored," Weezy told DJ Dramawhen asked about the motivation behind his upcoming mixtape. "Being me, I always feel like I ain't done nothing yet. So I'm always looking for the next thing 'to do.' Other than that, yeah, it does get pretty boring when it comes to just the rapping and all that type of stuff. I've done so much of it. I've been doing it since I was eight and I'm about to be thirty in September and I'm still rapping. I kind of feel like I'm getting old. [laughs]" (Drama Like The DJ)

In XXL Magazine's July/August 2011 cover story, Wayne discussed his motivation to retire at an early age, seemingly ending a long streak of album releases.

The Young Money leader also revealed to XXL that he plans to retire soon and hints at C4possibly being his last offering. "I'm bowing out still on top," he says. "I'ma make y'all want me when I retire. I'ma make y'all be like, 'Nooo!' I ain't leaving out this b*tch when y'all be like, 'Yeah, it's about time, dawg.' Carter IV might be my last one. I'ma make y'all be like, 'F*ck!' Yeah, n*gga, I'm gone." (XXL Mag)

BACK ON THE POLE? LISARAYE SET TO PLAY STRIPPER AGAIN IN NEW ROLE

Diamond is back, and looking riper than ever.

According to Carlton Jordan, LisaRaye is prepping to hit the stage—and the pole—once again in her new film, Monica.

The Players Club actress will reportedly be joined by Lynn Whitfield, Carmen Electra, Lisa Raye, KD Aubert, Ali Cobrin, Nia Peoples, and Briana Evigan. There's no other information available about the plot or any other details, but we'll keep you updated as it comes in.

GO TO CARLTON JORDAN TO SEE AN EXTRA SCREENSHOT FROM THE FILM.

David Hyman Steps Down as Mog CEO

In a surprise move, Mog founder David Hyman stepped down as CEO of the company yesterday, just months after selling it to Beats Electronics. The news was first reported in CNET and confirmed by a Beats rep and by Hyman via a Facebook post.

"Effective immediately, David Hyman will be stepping down from his role as CEO of MOG, but will continue working closely with the company as a strategic advisor," the rep said.

The sale of Mog to Beats, which was first reported in March and closed early in July, brought Beats a missing link in its business chain. "We've since expanded the Beats mission to every other link in the music experience chain - speakers, mobile phones, personal computers and automobile sound systems," Beats COO Luke Wood said in a statement announcing the deal. "With Mog, we are adding the best music service to the Beats portfolio for the first truly end-to-end music experience. With their talent and technology, the possibilities around future innovation are endless."

Mog has long ranked far behind subscription leaders Rhapsody, Spotify and Muve Music. The last public figure Mog gave was 160,000 average monthly users, a number that includes both paying subscribers and users of its free on-demand service. It launched in December 2009 as a paid subscription service and introduced free on-demand listening in September 2011. In recent months, Mog has taken the usual tactic of offering two free months of premium access to users who upgrade from the free offering.

Mog originally launched as a network of music blogs that were tied together by an advertising network. That advertising network was kept separate of the music service and was sold to Townsend Media Group in August.

After the sale, Hyman was to stay on as CEO while reporting directly to Wood.

Late yesterday, Hyman posted on Facebook, "MOG... my child, it's been a long great journey. But like Sting said, 'If you love something, set it free.' You're in good hands at Beats. I'm looking forward to my first real break since 1994. Nepal? Kauai? Taking a year off. Do not disturb." 

IT'S MURRRDDDDDDDER AGAIN: JA RULE'S PRISON RELEASE DATE REVEALED?

Former Murder. Inc. star Ja Rule will reportedly get his first taste of freedom early next year after spending time behind bars on a gun conviction last year.

While details are still coming together, Rule is expected to get released in February.

Ja Rule checked in to his current prison term in June of last year, and in just a few more months, he'll be able to wave goodbye to his cell...hopefully for good! His site has announced that the New York rapper will be released from jail in February of next year, which gives him just 3 months until freedom! The site also posted some recent pics of Ja from behind bars, and it looks like he's been hitting the gym heavy! (In Flex We Trust)

Earlier this year, reports of Rule's jail acquaintances surfaced online.

Serving two years for gun possession, Ja Rule found a new posse behind bars -- a couple of cons he calls "Hevey D" and "Koz." The Queens-raised rap star says disgraced pol Alan Hevesi and corporate greed poster-boy Dennis Kozlowski took him under their wings. From Kozlowski, he got stock tips. From Hevesi, he heard about the perennial impasse in Albany. They watched Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert together. "Outside, you don't meet guys like this every day. This place is amazing," Ja Rule told the Daily News during an exclusive interview at Mid-State Correctional Facility in upstate Oneida, N.Y. The rapper, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, has been in prison since June for gun possession and tax evasion. He's not scheduled to get out until February 2013, but he's getting ready for his new album, "Pain is Love 2," to drop later this month -- and networking. "Koz just got out on work release. Not to say I wish he was still here," he said. "But they're both great, smart guys." (New York Daily News)

Last December, the rapper inked an open letter describing his time behind bars.

"My first n*ght here was crazy inmates screaming, banging, and kicking the doors calling the male CO's b*tch a** n*ggas & f*ggots telling the female CO's how they gonna f*ck em, throwing plates of food out their cells onto the floor LOL. WELCOME TO THE GREEN MONSTER! This type of sh*t would never happen upstate at best you'd be in the box for a month at worst the infirmary. I even got into it wit these stupid n*ggas trying to assassinate my character talkin about I'm snitching to the guards and that I'm getting special treatment. I barked on these n*ggas and set em straight cause as a man there's only so much you can take before you snap. At first I tried to ignore there lil comments until they started talkin sh*t like they gonna kick my door and all this clown sh*t. But the funny thing is when I started screaming on them lettin them know they got the wrong n*gga they got excited it was like that's what they wanted to bring the hood out of me. That's when I realized that I'm dealing wit kids they can't be n*ggas my age cause that would've lead to instant confrontation not instant admiration." (VIBE)

A month prior, the rapper released an open letter detailing a failed suicide attempt.

"Today I can truly say I've been through it all. A young kid comes in today they put him in the 18 cell right next to mine he looked kinda depressed coming in but nothing out of the ordinary a few hours go past and all of a sudden I hear someone choking he's trying to kill his self. We all heard it everyone runs to their cell doors and start kicking,banging, calling the CO's. Now I've seen a person get shot and I've even seen someone die from a drug overdose but this was different this was suicide. It was like I can hear the life leaving his body the CO's rush in the cell they saved him. I didn't even think some sh*t like this was possible in these cells. He tied his bed sheet to a pole that's attached to a sink which is about 3 feet off the ground made some sort of noose wrapped it around his neck then threw himself forward into a boston crab carmel clutch type position. I never understood why a person would wanna kill themselves life is love & love is living it's gods most precious gift. After they brought him back to his cell in the suicide suit he cried for hours we tried to console him telling him it's never that bad to wanna kill yourself." (Jailhouse Journal Entry)

Slapped with two years for his 2007 gun conviction, Rule also got issued two additional charges for tax evasion in July 2011.

Rapper Jeffrey Atkins, also known as Ja Rule, was sentenced Monday to 28 months in prison for failing to file tax returns with the IRS after admitting that he did not file his taxes for five years, the Justice Department said in a news release Monday. The 35-year-old performer from Saddle River, New Jersey, had pleaded guilty to three of five counts before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz, who imposed the sentence in Newark federal court. (CNN)

KANYE WEST ON VERGE OF PLACING CAREER IN MUSIC MOGUL'S HANDS

Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West is reportedly close to hiring former Def Jam president and music mogul Lyor Cohen to help manage his career.

While nothing is set in stone just yet, reports of the likely partnership have started buzzing online.

GO WEST, BIG MAN: Lyor Cohen is said to be closing in on a deal to manage Kanye West. But rather than replacing Kanye's current manager, Izvor "Izzy" Zivkovic, Cohen will likelymake Izzy part of a bigger play, according to insiders. Is Kevin Liles involved? (11/19a) (HITS Daily Double)

The news comes just weeks after Cohen left his executive positionat Warner Music Group.

In making the announcement, Cohen said, "To all the artists and employees who live and die for the music every day, and who personally sacrifice for the good of the creative process: 'keep on keepin' on' in the tradition of a company that respects and honors the artistic community." Len Blavatnik, Chairman and founder of Access Industries, said, "I personally want to thank Lyor for his dedication and contributions to Warner Music. He has been both a business partner and personal friend and I wish him only the best." Stephen Cooper, WMG's CEO, said, "Lyor Cohen has built something very special here. While we understand his desire to move on to his next challenge, the enduring success of our recorded music division will serve as a great testament to the progress we've made during Lyor's time at WMG. We are grateful for Lyor's contributions, and we wish him the best. I'm confident that given the strength of our talented management team in Recorded Music, we'll be able to drive further success." Following Cohen's departure, the company's senior label executives will report directly to Stephen Cooper. (Market Wire)

Prior to joining the ranks at WMG, Cohen made a name for himselfat Def Jam.

Lyor Cohen has served as the Chairman and CEO, Recorded Music for Warner Music Group since 2011. Prior to that, he served as Vice Chairman, WMG and Chairman and CEO, Recorded Music - Americas and the UK, since September 2008. Previously, Cohen was Chairman and CEO, Recorded Music North America from March 2008 to September 2008 and Chairman and CEO, US Recorded Music since joining the company in March 2004. From 2002 to 2004, Cohen was the Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam Music Group. Cohen served as President of Def Jam from 1988 to 2002. Previously, Cohen served in various capacities at Rush Management which he founded with partner Russell Simmons. (Market Wire)

Earlier this year, Lyor landed on Billboard's 2012 Power 100 Index list.

1. Irving Azoff 2. Coran Capshaw 3. Lucian Grainge 4. Martin Bandier 5. Doug Morris 6. Michael Rapino 7. Rob Light 8. Len Blavatnik 9. Tim Leiweke 10. Jimmy Iovine 11. Eddy Cue and Robert Kondrk 12. John Hogan 13. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter & Beyonce Knowles 14. Lyor Cohen 15. Randy Phillips 16. Emmanuel Seuge 17. Frank Cooper 18. Barry Weiss 19. Rob Stringer and Steve Barnett 20. Arthur Fogel 21. Marc Geiger 22. Dan Mason 23. Bob Pittman 24. Roger Faxon 25. Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Birdman" Williams 26. Rio Caraeff 27. U2 and Paul McGuinness 28. Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman 29. Daniel Ek 30. Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald 31. Lewis W. Dickey, Jr 32. Peter Grosslight 33. Charles Attal, Charlie Jones and Charlie Walker 34. Robert Greenblatt 35. Van Toffler 36. Monte Lipman 37. Antonio "L.A." Reid 38. Joel Katz 39. Mark Campana and Bob Roux 40. Tim Westergren 41. Peter Edge and Tom Corson 42. Tom Poleman 43. Chip Hooper 44. Hartwig Masuch 45. Rob Cavallo and Todd Moscowitz 46. Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch 47. Nathan Hubbard 48. Jay Brown 49. Evan Lamberg 50. Jon Bon Jovi (Billboard Biz)

JACKIE CHAN WILL RETIRE AFTER NEXT MOVIE

Chinese action star Jackie Chan says his next movie will be his last - at least in the action genre.

The star of the "Rush Hour" series with Chris Tucker, as well as numerous other films including "Drunken Master" and "Rumble in the Bronx," is well-known for performing his own stunts in his films. But at the age of 58, he's made it clear he's going to be hanging up his stuntman clothes.

"Why (do) I have to use my own life to still do these kind of things?" he said. "I will still do as much as I can. But I just don't want to risk my life to sit in a wheelchair, that's all."

Chan wrote, produced, and directed his next film, "Chinese Zodiac 2012," in which he plays a treasure hunter searching for stolen sculptures of the Chinese zodiac animals. It will also mark the end of his career of risking his body - Chan is often cited as the actor with the most broken bones in film history, thanks to his affinity for performing his own stunts. But he says that with stunt doubles and special effects technology, he will still be able to appear in action films in the future.

In the meantime, Chan has become a noted philanthropist, raising millions of dollars for charities in his native China and around the world.

What's your favorite Jackie Chan flick?

"FRIDAY" STAR DODGES BULLET, FLEES B-DAY BASH AFTER GUNSHOT

Comedian Mike Epps reportedly had his birthday bash in Los Angeles cut short last night (November 19) after a gunshot led to clubgoers escaping and police getting involved.

Details of what reportedly went down in Hollywood's Tru nightclub surfaced online early Tuesday.

Someone fired a gun inside a Hollywood nightclub during a showdown between Mike Epps posse and other clubbers -- this according to law enforcement sources. Cops with really big guns (see video above) -- rushed to Tru nightclub just after midnight, responding to a call that a shot was fired inside the club, where the "Next Friday" actor was celebrating his birthday. According to law enforcement sources, a fight had broken out between Epps' camp and other clubgoers when someone pulled out a gun and fired a warning shot. (TMZ)

Rather than stick around, Epps fled the scene amongst other partygoers.

We're told everyone in the club ran for the doors, including Epps, who then fled the scene. No one was seriously injured ... but two women who were inside the club say they were trampled by panicked clubbers who raced for the exits. Another witness who was inside the club tells us, "Everybody scattered, everybody started fighting and everything." The witness says Mike had just arrived to the party when the gun went off ... and at that point the actor jumped in his car and left. Cops are currently investigating, and would like to speak with Epps to sort out what happened. TMZ shot footage of Mike arriving to party minutes before the shooting -- and he told us his birthday wish ... a "big booty girl." (TMZ)

Days prior, the Friday movie franchise star acknowledged fanswishing him a happy birthday.

"Appreciate all the Birthday Love! Thank you!," he tweeted November 18th. (Mike Epps' Twitter)

Coincidentally, fellow Friday After Next co-star/comedian Katt Williams ran into legal problems a few days ago.

Comedian Katt Williams was arrested in Oakland early Thursday morning on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Williams' tour bus was parked outside the Oakland Marriott when the alleged scuffle when down. An 18-year-old Berkeley man claims that Williams hit him in the head with a bottle on the bus, and police tracked Williams down several hours later and took him into custody. (SF Examiner)

NAS CAN'T ESCAPE MONEY PROBLEMS, RAPPER FORCED TO PAY BIG BUCKS

Rap veteran Nas continues to make headlines for his money woes and, specifically, his reported tax-related complications with the state of Georgia.

According to reports, the Peach State is looking to cash-in on Nas' fortunes.

The State of Georgia is rooting for Nas to make a fortune on his concert tour ... because the government just got the green light to garnish a MILLION BUCKS from his earnings to repay a massive tax debt ... TMZ has learned. The Georgia Department of Revenue has filed new legal docs in their effort to collect $1,083,435 from the rapper for taxes it claims Nas owes for the years 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010. (TMZ)

Rather than waiting on Nas to pay up, concert promoter Live Nation is getting forced to withhold fully paying him for his shows.

According to court docs, the GDR obtained an order commanding Live Nation -- the promo company behind Nas' tour with Lauryn Hill -- to garnish his wages until the dept is satisfied. The tour is currently underway, and Nas-- who's also on the hook for millions in unpaid taxes to the federal government -- is sure to make a boatload of money. A rep for Nas tells us the matter has recently been settled -- but the GDR insists the case is still open and they're trying to collect. Pay your taxes, people. (TMZ)

Last month, Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane poked fun at God's Son'spublicized money problems.

"Does Nas make a 150 blood money per week off a mixtape," Gucci asked in a video. "Yeah, blood money. Nas' f*cked up right now. Yeah. Me and you got [whips], I just bought me [something]. Don't you have a drop top? ... You got the white one, I'm getting the black one? Nas got one? [laughs]" (Hood Affairs TV)

The rap mogul lost one of his Georgia homes through foreclosure a few weeks back.

Life's a bitch ... Nas sang it and now he's living it ... because besides being knee deep in tax debt, TMZ has learned the rapper just lost his Georgia crib to foreclosure. According to official records, Nas purchased the 2-bedroom, 3-bath pad back in 2004 for $585,000 ... but according to SunTrust bank (which issued him the loan) ... Nas couldn't foot the bill and defaulted on the payments, still owing $507,000. SunTrust recently foreclosed on the property and then sold it to the highest bidder at public auction last month for $348,500 ... WAY LESS than the rapper paid eight years ago. It's a steal for the new owner -- the house is over 3,500 square feet with a walk-in pool and hot tub ... granite counter-tops ... custom theater ... gym and game room. (TMZ)