LIL WAYNE'S MANAGER FIRES SHOT AT GRAMMY AWARDS OVER NICKI MINAJ SNUB

Young Money affiliate Cortez Bryant, most known for managing Lil Wayne, has shared his issues with the Grammy Awards panel this year after failing to add Nicki Minaj to the nominees list.

Although proud of Drake and Lil Wayne for snagging a handful of nods, Bryant made his issues over Minaj's absence known.

"Congrats to @LilTunechi and @Drake and @Hit_Boy on their Grammy Noms butttt......," he tweeted Thursday (December 6).

"They was on some bullsh*t for not nominating @NICKIMINAJ" (Cortez Bryant's Twitter)

Despite past nods at the annual ceremony, Minaj did not receiveany for the February event.

For the 2013 Grammy Awards however, Minaj will not have the same impact. The nominations list was revealed on Wednesday night, with no trace of the YMCMB rapper in any category. Her sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was released in April, making the Grammys consideration deadline and bearing electro-pop singles like "Starships" and "Pound the Alarm," but none of them made enough of an impact to earn her a nod. (MTV)

Last year, Nicki sparked an uproar over her televised Grammy Awards performance.

Those who tuned in for Nicki Minaj's Grammy performance experienced a wave of emotion: First they were confused, then amused and then just plain angry. There was fire and a man dressed like the pope. Minaj levitated. Then, an exorcism. Viewers stared at their TVs, slack-jawed and unsure of what exactly they were watching. The religious response to Minaj's performance will surely be furious -- the Catholic League is likely firing up its angriest press release yet -- but fans' reactions were fast and frank. They had no idea what sort of spectacle they had just witnessed, but few of them liked it. (Washington Post)

She later stepped up and defended her decision to do a religious-themed set.

"I don't know what is the big issue?" she asked. The 29-year-old said her five-minute live rendition of her songs "Roman's Revenge" and "Roman Holiday," which included dancing priests, an exorcism and levitation, was just a part of a movie she's writing. "You know how people write plays and movies? That's what I did. I wrote that and I gave the world a tiny little preview of what was to come. And so I have to perform it on the set in which it would be in the movie, right?" she said. Minaj, who is known for her outrageous style, walked the Grammy red carpet in an oversized red robe with a man dressed as a pope at her side. She said her performance, which featured a film clip, was partly inspired by the 1973 movie "The Exorcist." (Associated Press)

COCO COMES CLEAN ON CHEATING ALLEGATIONS: "WOKE UP TO PEOPLE IN A PANIC ABOUT SOME PICS"

Reality star Coco Austin has stepped up to clear the air on rumors and speculation about her marriage to rap veteran Ice-T after steamy photos of her with another hip-hop artist emerged.

Rather than ignore the hype, Coco informed her 952,000-plus Twitter followers nothing is wrong with her marriage.

"Woke up to people in a panic about some pics, please guys I'm happily married, sometimes fans & friends take silly pics. Its harmless. #RELAX," she tweeted December 7th. (Coco's Twitter)

Reports of Coco's possible cheating heated up the Internet Friday (December 7) morning.

December 07, 2012: Rapper Ice T may have just LOST HIS PRIZE POSESSION . . . his wife. MediaTakeOut.com managed to get their hands on SUGGESTIVE PICS of his wife CoCo and another man - Oakland rapper/mogul AP.9 (from the group Mob Figaz). We had been getting word FOR MONTHS that CoCo and AP.9 had an . . . INTERESTINGLY CLOSE relationship. But we weren't prepared to put them ON FULL BLAST until we had PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE. And while these pics don't say FOR CERTAIN that something is POPPIN OFF between these two .. . it makes you wonder why she would take SO MANY kissing pics with dude . . . on so many DIFFERENT occasions. This is a MediaTakeOut.com EXCLUSIVE report. If any other media outlet STEALS it, we will NEVER link to your articles or credit you with any breaking news again. Plagiarism is SERIOUS!! (Media Take Out)

Last year, Ice talked to SOHH about his bond with the curvy model.

"You gotta love the person you're with," Ice-T laughingly toldSOHH. "It shouldn't be a marriage of convenience or think it's something that'll look good for the press. You gotta find somebody that you really dig. You have to be a fan of your mate. Back in the days, people got married and it was some fairytale thing. Now, it's more of a business partnership. You have to become real teammates. I tell Coco all the time, it's hard enough for one person to make it in the world, so if you're two, it should be easier. Hopefully, not harder." (SOHH)

Coco also delved into what helped solidify their relationship together.

"You gotta like what they do, too," Coco added. "As far as I go, I didn't really know a lot about rap but I liked Ice as a person. So whatever he was in to, I was in to and I had to get in to because I started having to research it a little bit. Just like me. He met me modeling so he kind of had to become a fan of me modeling. He probably never thought about that before." (SOHH)

Todd Moscowitz Steps Down From Warner Bros., Cameron Strang New Label Head

One month after adding Rhino Records to his portfolio of responsibilities, Warner/Chappell Music chairman and CEO Cameron Strang is now adding the Warner Bros. Records label. Strang is replacing president/CEO Todd Moscowitz, who has resigned, the company confirmed in a statement issued late this afternoon. Rob Cavallo and Livia Tortella, Warner Bros. Records' Chairman and co-President/COO, respectively, will report directly to Strang.

The move means that Strang will now oversee all of WMG's West Coast U.S. operations.

Billboard Power 100: Cameron Strang

If some saw Strang's purview adding Rhino Records as a portent that he was the Warner Music Group executive likely to eventually step into the departed WMG recorded music chairman/CEO Lyor Cohen's shoes, then today's news can only fuel that speculation.

While Moscowitz is regarded as a disciple of Cohen, who left the major in late September, that relationship is not seen as a factor in his departure from Warner. Instead, some says Moscowitz exit is more related to Strang's ascension. Moreover, asince the appointment of chairman Rob Cavallo, Moscowitz and co-president/COO Livia Tortella in 2010, Warner Bros. market share for albums plus track-equivalent ones has descended from the 6.19% it stood at for the week ending Sept. 12, 2010, to 5.81% at the end of 2011 to its current level of 4.72%.

But Moscowitz is hailed for adding R&B album market share to 3.1 percent this year from 1.4 back at the end of 2009. He's also credited with growing R&B track market share to 4.35 percent this year.

So far the team has produced three platinum sellers, Michael Buble's "Christmas," and the Black Keys albums "Brothers" and "El Camino." On the urban side, while it has yet to produce an album with gold-level sales of 500,000 units, it has had several big sellers with Wale, Meek Mill and Jill Scott. Moreover, one of the reasons why CEO Tom Whalley was let go in 2010 was because his  affinity for rock music was going against the grain of the explosive sales power generated by pop music. The addition of Moscowitz and Tortella to the Warner Bros. leadership was supposed to fix that by getting the label into the pop-music business,  but the label hasn't yet produced a million-selling hit this year. It produced two last year with Jason Derulo's "It Girl" and Waka Flaka Flame's "No Hands."

Strang headed up his own New West label and publishing operation before coming to the Warner Music Group. While initially an entertainment lawyer, he is considered a serious business executive, who understands both technology and has an appreciation for the creative process.

Recently, Strang brought in Jon Platt as president of Warner/Chappell and also has Rhino president/CEO Kevin Gore also reporting to him.

RICK ROSS CANCELS REST OF MMG TOUR

The show won't go on for the rest of the Maybach Music Tour.

MMG leader Rick Ross issued a statement to AllHipHop exclusively about the tour that was originally scheduled to run to Dec. 2 but was then pushed to Dec. 16. It was abruptly cut short by promoters in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina due to gang threats. While the first leg of the tour was successful, reps for Rozay said the second leg was cancelled because of “apparent lack of organization and communication on the part of the tour promoter."

The Bawse also issued an apology. “I want to apologize to all of my fans who I missed performing for due to the cancellations and want to let them know that I will get back to their cities,” Ross says. “I enjoyed my experience with my little bros Wale and Meek Mill and I’m ready to get back in the studio to make good music.”

Layoffs Hit Major-Market Clear Channel Stations

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment is going through another round of layoffs, this time with cuts taking place at many of the company's major market clusters. According to reports, the cuts have effected stations in Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Detroit, Denver, Cleveland, Orlando, Austin and others.

The cuts appear to include people at all levels of station operations, including several program directors and hosts who have been with the company for many years such as Adult Contemporary KOST Los Angeles PD Stella Prado, who had been with the station for over 20 years, and Mainstream Top 40 WHYI (Y100) Miami afternoon host Michael Yo, a 12 year veteran.

At the end of November New York Operations Manager and Urban WWPR (Power 105) Program Director Cadillac Jack surprised the industry by stepping down from his position after 22 years with the company, but a Clear Channel spokesperson tells Billboard the two are completely unrelated and that Jack stepped down of his own accord.

The company released the following statement about the cuts:

"We are constantly looking at all aspects of our business to ensure that it reflects how the best organizations work today, taking advantage of the latest cutting-edge technology and organizational structure so we can continue to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible.

"Like every successful business, our strategy continues to evolve as we move forward as a company; this creates some new jobs, and unfortunately eliminates others. These are never easy decisions to make.

"In the process of making these recent changes, some employees were affected. We thank them for their service and wish them all the best for the future."

While probably unrelated, the cuts follow a recent report by Moody's Investor Services that says the company could have a hard time refinancing $10 billion in debt coming due in 2016. Analyst Scott Van Den Bosch is quoted as saying, "If CCU is to have a realistic chance of refinancing $10.1 billion in debt in 2016 its operating performance will need to improve well above current levels." Otherwise, Van Den Bosch says the looming obligations could necessitate some sort of merger or a sale of assets. It's hard to imagine though that, regardless of how deep these cuts go, they would be enough to radically influence how that debt is dealt with.

This is not the first time Clear Channel has adjusted their workforce in the fourth quarter. Last October the company made a round of cuts across their small and medium market properties that were seemingly directed at making better use of bigger name, nationally syndicated hosts. The company also had anotherround of restructuring back in March of this year. 

2 CHAINZ CASHES IN ON GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: "[THIS] FAR SURPASSES MY DREAMS"

Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz has reacted to snagging an "Rap Album of the Year" Grammy Awards nomination this week and how the major accomplishment even surprised him.

Chainz acknowledged the nod and explained what it meant to compete against hip-hop's finest.

"This is a moment of shock mixed with gratefulness. 2012 has been an unbelievably blessed for me, my family and my team in so many ways," he said in an email on Friday (December 7). "We've worked so hard to create music that the fans can appreciate. And it definitely paid off. I knew when I put the album out that it would be received well, but a Grammy Rap Album of the Year nomination far surpasses my dreams. To be in the same category with legends like Nas. Man, that's a big honor. I'm Extremely Blessed." (MTV)

Maybach Music Group rapper Wale shared a similar reaction earlier this week when his "Lotus Flower Bomb" got nominated for "Best Rap Song."

"Hol up... Wtf?!!!???? This is unreal," he tweeted Wednesday (December 5) night.

"Speechless." (Wale's Twitter)

Along with Nas, Chainz's Based On A T.R.U. Story faces stiff competition from Drake, Lupe Fiasco, Rick Ross and The Roots.

Best Rap Album » Drake, Take Care » Lupe Fiasco, Food & LiquorII: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1 » The Roots, Undun » Nas, Life Is Good » Rick Ross, God Forgives, I Don't » 2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story (Grammy)

As of last week, his long-awaited solo effort has sold over 400,000 copies.

Evening things out in Top 50 is 2 Chainz's Based On A T.R.U. Story moving up 15 spots to No. 48 with 21,600. With 15 weeks under his belt, the Atlanta rapper's solo debut has moved 404,700 copies. (SOHH Sales Wrap)

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony airs Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Check out some recent 2 Chainz footage:

Two Days Before Deal Expires, Vevo and YouTube Far From Agreement

With less than two days before YouTube's deal with Vevo expires on Sunday, the two companies are still far from an agreement, according to a source knowledgeable with the negotiations. 

But because the contract has a 120-day automatic extension that keeps it in effect  through early April, neither side is pressed to get a deal done right away, despite the hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising money at stake. 

At issue is the revenue split that YouTube shares with Vevo for the advertising that runs on the music company's videos. Also being discussed is the "cost-per-thousand" ad rate that YouTube charges. Vevo believes that the rate should be higher, given that its channel contains premium content. 

YouTube typically gives "the majority" of the advertising money it collects to content partners such as Vevo. But the split could range from 51% to more than 75% going to partners, after a 10% sales commission is paid out. Neither Vevo nor YouTube has disclosed the details of their current arrangement. 

Vevo in November disclosed that it paid out more than $200 million, a portion of its overall revenue, to artists since 2009. Much of that revenue came from its relationship with YouTube, which continues to generate the vast majority of Vevo's views. 

Doug Morris, who led on the founding of Vevo in 2009 when he was head of Universal Music Group, and who is now chief executive at Sony Music Entertainment, earlier this summer threatened to take Vevo's videos to other platforms if YouTube doesn't sweeten its current deal. Other platforms could include Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple, he told the Los Angeles Times in July. 

Neither side, however, is eager to call it quits, because the arrangement is mutually beneficial. 

"We always hope to renew our relationships with valuable partners," YouTube said in a statement, declining to comment specifically on its talks with Vevo. 

Vevo is often the top channel on YouTube. In October, it attracted more than 52.1 million unique viewers who generated 603.2 million views on YouTube, making it the most popular channel, according to comScore Inc. On the other hand, YouTube accounted for 98.2% of Vevo's overall unique viewers. The rest came from Vevo.com and its extension on Sony Music's site.

TYGA NOMINATED FOR 3 ADULT FILM AWARDS

Despite recent questions about his street cred, YMCMB's Tyga continues to diversify his portfolio. After making his debut in the adult entertainment industry this year with his “Rack City XXX: The Movie,” All Hip Hop reports Tyga has been nominated for three 2013 AVN Awards for Best Wall-to-Wall, Best Music Soundtrack, and Best Oral Sex Scene.

“He’s not the type of guy to slap his name on the box and have someone else do the legwork. He really cared about putting out a solid product – and he did. Not to mention, the soundtrack is bangin’!” lauds, AVN editor Steve Javors of the publication that recognizes top adult films of the year.

The new dad says he was surprised about the nominations but appreciated the acknowledgement of his producing and directorial debut. Although you won’t catch Tyga in any compromising positions, the porno flick features the rapper along industry stars Jada Fire, Havana Ginger and Ica LaFox.

Tyga is set to perform a medley of tracks at the show on January 19, 2013 at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Former 'X Factor' Judge Cheryl Cole Sues for $2.3 Million

British pop star and former "X Factor" judge Cheryl Cole  filed a lawsuit Friday claiming she is owed at least $2.3 million by Blue Orbit Productions, the entity that produces the American TV show.

Cole was let go as a judge on the show before the first season began on the Fox network - reportedly over concern that American audiences would not be able to understand her accent - but she says she had a pay-or-play contract for two seasons.

Cole was paid her $1.8 million salary for the first season; but was not paid an additional $2 million for the second season or other money she was promised for her expenses, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

That included a $100,000 wardrobe allowance as a one-time payment, a $25,000 one time allowance for her stylist; $15,000 per month for a hotel or apartment in L.A. and a $2,500 per month living allowance.

The contract also allegedly called for Blue Orbit to reimburse Cole for the cost of her personal security as well as first class, round-trip airline tickets between London and L.A.

Besides what Cole believes she is owed, the lawsuit asks for interest on the money, legal fees and "further relief as the Court may deem just and appropriate."

Attempts to reach Blue Orbit productions were unsuccessful.

Long-sealed Notorious B.I.G. autopsy released

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  **FILE**In this March 8, 1997 file …
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  **FILE**In this March 8, 1997 file …

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An attorney for the family of Notorious B.I.G. said Friday it's ridiculous that Los Angeles police have not arrested anyone for the rapper's 1997 killing, which has returned to the spotlight after coroner's officials released a long-sealed autopsy report.

The report revealed that injuries cause by a single bullet killed the rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, during a drive-by shooting in March 1997. Wallace was hit by four bullets after leaving a music industry event, but one that hit his heart, left lung and colon caused his death, the 23-page report states.

Perry Sanders Jr. said he was not given any notice that the report would be released, and he criticized police for not closing one ofLos Angeles' highest-profile unsolved murders, especially since he had been told that police had identified those responsible.

"I've been advised by the homicide detective that was in charge of the investigation and is no longer with the department that the crime has been solved for several years now," Sanders told The Associated Press. "This was confirmed by at least one other person who is currently on the force, and it is ridiculous that an arrest has not been made for a crime that's allegedly been solved for several years."

A 2011 book by former Los Angeles police detective Greg Kading claimed both murders had been solved, although no arrests have been made and federal prosecutors in 2005 declined to file charges after a lengthy, bi-coastal investigation.

Police spokesman Richard French declined to comment, saying Wallace's killing remained an open investigation.

The coroner's report had been sealed for more than 15 years until police lifted a hold on it last week, Chief Coroner Investigator Craig Harvey said. The report details the trajectory of each of the shots that hit the rapper from Brooklyn, N.Y., and states there were no signs of alcohol or drugs in his system when he died.

Sanders, who dropped a federal civil lawsuit against the city in 2010 in order to give investigators an opportunity to investigate further, said solving the case was more important than any lawsuit.

"In no way shape or form is this about civil litigation," he said. "This is about the criminal justice system and it functioning properly."

The lawsuit Sanders filed on behalf of Wallace's family and widow Faith Evans ended in a mistrial in 2005 after attorneys discovered the city withheld a trove of LAPD documents.

The civil case could be refiled, although that has not yet occurred.

Both Los Angeles police and the FBI investigated Wallace's killing, which came just months after another rap superstar, Tupac Shakur, was gunned down in Las Vegas. The FBI looked into whether any Los Angeles police officers were involved in Wallace's shooting.

The deaths of Wallace and Shakur have been the subject of rampant speculation about the motives. The one-time friends became rivals and instigators in an East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry during the mid-1990s.

In March 2011, the FBI electronically released files on its investigation, which were heavily redacted but shed new light on the efforts that investigators took to try to find those responsible for the rapper's death. Agents conducted surveillance and interviews in Los Angeles, San Diego and New York, the files showed.

The agency did not have an immediate comment Friday on the release of the coroner's report or whether it was still investigating Wallace's death.

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Eddie Murphy Tops Forbes’ Most Overpaid Actors List

According to Forbes, Eddie Murphy is the most overpaid actor in Hollywood. After calculating how much his last three films (Imagine That, A Thousand Words, and Meet Dave) earned at the box office per dollar of pay, the publication found that for every dollar Murphy was paid, they returned an average of only $2.30.

Denzel Washington also made the list, returning an average of $6.30 for every dollar paid. Forbes however, did not include his latest hit, Flight, which has already earned $84 million on a $30 million budget. A movie must earn twice its production budget in ticket sales in order for it to turn a profit.

Other stars on the list included Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up, 27 Dresses, The Ugly Truth), Sandra Bullock(All About Steve, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), and Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda, The Big Year). 

See the full list on Forbes here.

Grammy Awards 2013: Major Nominees List

The nominees for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards were announced on Wednesday (Dec. 5) with Fun., Frank Ocean, Mumford & Sons, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) leading the way with six nods apiece. Below is a list of the major nominees for the Grammys, being held Feb. 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

Album Of The Year: 

"El Camino" -- The Black Keys 
"Some Nights" -- FUN. 
"Babel" -- Mumford & Sons 
"Channel Orange" -- Frank Ocean 
"Blunderbuss" -- Jack White 

Record Of The Year: 

"Lonely Boy" -- The Black Keys 
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" -- Kelly Clarkson 
"We Are Young" -- FUN. Featuring Janelle Monáe 
"Somebody That I Used To Know" -- Gotye Featuring Kimbra 
"Thinkin Bout You" -- Frank Ocean 
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" -- Taylor Swift 

Best New Artist: 
Alabama Shakes 
FUN. 
Hunter Hayes 
The Lumineers 
Frank Ocean 

Song Of The Year: 

"The A Team" -- Ed Sheeran, songwriter (Ed Sheeran) 
"Adorn" -- Miguel Pimentel, songwriter (Miguel) 
"Call Me Maybe" -- Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen & Josh Ramsay, songwriters (Carly Rae Jepsen) 
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" -- Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi, 
songwriters (Kelly Clarkson) 
"We Are Young" -- Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & Nate Ruess, songwriters (FUN. Featuring 
Janelle Monáe) 

Best Pop Solo Performance: 

"Set Fire To The Rain (Live)" -- Adele 
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" -- Kelly Clarkson 
"Call Me Maybe" -- Carly Rae Jepsen 
"Wide Awake" -- Katy Perry 
"Where Have You Been" -- Rihanna 

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: 

"Shake It Out" -- Florence & The Machine 
"We Are Young" -- FUN. Featuring Janelle Monáe 
"Somebody That I Used To Know" -- Gotye Featuring Kimbra 
"Sexy And I Know It" -- LMFAO 
"Payphone" -- Maroon 5 & Wiz Khalifa 

Best Rock Performance: 

"Hold On" -- Alabama Shakes 
"Lonely Boy" -- The Black Keys 
"Charlie Brown" -- Coldplay 
"I Will Wait" -- Mumford & Sons 
"We Take Care Of Our Own" -- Bruce Springsteen 

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance: 

"I'm Alive" -- Anthrax 
"Love Bites (So Do I)" -- Halestorm 
"Blood Brothers" -- Iron Maiden 
"Ghost Walking" -- Lamb Of God 
"No Reflection" -- Marilyn Manson 
"Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)" -- Megadeth 

Best Rock Album: 

"El Camino" -- The Black Keys 
"Mylo Xyloto" -- Coldplay 
"The 2nd Law" -- Muse 
"Wrecking Ball" -- Bruce Springsteen 
"Blunderbuss" -- Jack White 

Best Rock Song: 

"Freedom at 21" -- Jack White 
"I Will Wait" -- Mumford & Sons 
"Lonely Boy" -- The Black Keys 
"Madness" -- Muse 
"We Take Care of Our Own" -- Bruce Springsteen 

Best Alternative Music Album: 

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes 
Will Ever Do -- Fiona Apple 
Biophilia -- Björk 
Making Mirrors -- Gotye 
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming -- M83 
Bad As Me -- Tom Waits 

Best Dance/Electronica Album: 

"Wonderland" -- Steve Aoki 
"Don't Think" -- The Chemical Brothers 
"> Album Title Goes Here <" -- Deadmau5 
"Fire & Ice" -- Kaskade 
"Bangarang" -- Skrillex 

Best R&B Performance: 

"Thank You" -- Estelle 
"Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)" -- Robert Glasper Experiment Featuring Ledisi 
"I Want You" -- Luke James 
"Adorn" -- Miguel 
"Climax" -- Usher 

Best Urban Contemporary Album: 

"Fortune" -- Chris Brown 
"Kaleidoscope Dream" -- Miguel 
"Channel Orange" -- Frank Ocean 

Best R&B Album: 

"Black Radio" -- Robert Glasper Experiment 
"Back To Love" -- Anthony Hamilton 
"Write Me Back" -- R. Kelly 
"Beautiful Surprise" -- Tamia 
"Open Invitation" -- Tyrese 

Best R&B Song: 

"Adorn" -- Miguel 
"Beautiful Surprise" -- Tamia 
"Heart Attack" -- Trey Songz 
"Pray for Me" -- Anthony Hamilton 
"Refill" -- Elle Varner 

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: 
"Wild Ones" -- Flo Rida Featuring Sia 
"No Church In The Wild" -- Jay--Z & Kanye West Featuring Frank Ocean & The--Dream 
"Tonight (Best You Ever Had)" -- John Legend Featuring Ludacris 
"Cherry Wine" -- Nas Featuring Amy Winehouse 
"Talk That Talk" -- Rihanna Feautring Jay--Z 

Best Rap Performance: 

"HYFR (Hell Ya F***ing Right)" -- Drake Featuring Lil Wayne 
"N****s In Paris" -- Jay--Z & Kanye West 
"Daughters" -- Nas 
"Mercy" -- Kanye West Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz 
"I Do" -- Young Jeezy Featuring Jay--Z & André 3000 

Best Rap Album: 

"Take Care" -- Drake 
"Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1" -- Lupe Fiasco 
"Life Is Good" -- Nas 
"Undun" -- The Roots 
"God Forgives, I Don't" -- Rick Ross 
"Based On A T.R.U. Story" -- 2 Chainz 

Best Rap Song: 

"Daughers" -- Nas 
"Lotus Flower Bomb" -- Wale featuring Miguel 
"Mercy" -- Kanye West Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz 
"The Motto" -- Drake Featuring Lil Wayne 
"N****s in Paris" -- Jay-Z & Kanye West 
"Young, Wild & Free" -- Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Featuring Bruno Mars 

Best Latin Pop Album: 

"Independiente" -- Ricard Arjona 
"Ilusion" -- Fonseca 
"Kany Garcia" -- Kany Garcia 
"Con Quien Se Queda El Perro?" -- Jesse Y Joy 
MTV Unplugged -- Juanes 

Best Country Solo Performance: 

"Home" -- Dierks Bentley 
"Springsteen" -- Eric Church    
"Cost Of Livin'" -- Ronnie Dunn 
"Wanted" -- Hunter Hayes 
"Over" -- Blake Shelton 
"Blown Away" -- Carrie Underwood 

Best Country Duo Performance: 

"Even if It Breaks Your Heart" -- Eli Young Band 
"Pontoon" -- Little Big Town 
"Safe & Sound" -- Taylor Swift & the Civil Wars 
"On the Outskirts of Town" -- The Time Jumpers 
"I Just Come Here for the Music" -- Don Williams Featuring Alison Krauss 

Best Country Album: 

"Uncaged" -- Zac Brown Band 
"Hunter Hayes" -- Hunter Hayes 
"Living For A Song: A Tribute To Hank Cochran" -- Jamey Johnson 
"Four The Record" -- Miranda Lambert 
"The Time Jumpers" -- The Time Jumpers 

Best Americana Album: 

"The Carpenter" -- The Avett Brothers 
"From The Ground Up" -- John Fullbright 
"The Lumineers" -- The Lumineers 
"Babel" -- Mumford & Sons 
"Slipstream" -- Bonnie Raitt 

Best Blues Album: 

"33 1/3" -- Shemekia Copeland 
"Locked Down" -- Dr. John 
"Let It Burn" -- Ruthie Foster 
"And Still I Rise" -- Heritage Blues Orchestra 
"Bring It On Home" -- Joan Osborne 

Best Spoken Word Album: 

"American Grown" (Michelle Obama) -- Scott Creswell & Dan Zitt, producers (Various Artists) 
"Back To Work: Why We Need Smart Government For A Strong Economy" -- Bill Clinton 
"Drift: The Unmooring Of American Military Power" -- Rachel Maddow 
"Seriously…I'm Kidding" -- Ellen DeGeneres 
"Society's Child: My Autobiography" -- Janis Ian 

Best Comedy Album: 

Blow Your Pants Off -- Jimmy Fallon 
Cho Dependent (Live In Concert) -- Margaret Cho 
In God We Rust -- Lewis Black 
Kathy Griffin: Seaman 1st Class -- Kathy Griffin 
Mr. Universe -- Jim Gaffigan 
Rize Of The Fenix -- Tenacious D

NEW VIDEO: THE DREAM "WAKE ME WHEN IT'S OVER"

Terius Nash brings us a visual from for his heart achy track, “Wake Me When It’s Over,” from his free album, 1977. While it’s painfully obvious who this song, and most of that album was about, Kamille Leai joins The Dream in a seemingly normal tale of a love gone bad, until the stunning conclusion of the video. The re-release of his project will be released on Dec. 18.

Eve Pregnant With First Child

Rapper/actress Eve is expecting her first child with British billionaire boyfriend Maximillion Cooper, according to the Black Health Zone. They report that she is a little more than three months pregnant.

While this would be Eve’s first bundle of joy, it would be Cooper’s fifth. Eve moved to London earlier this year to be with her beau, most recently gushing about him to Hot 97.

“People came at me like, ‘I can’t believe you’re dating a White dude and you don’t like Black dudes no more,’” she said in the interview. “I’m like, ‘I love Black men, it just so happens that my heart went this way right now.’ Who knows? I’m happy. My family’s happy.”

The two have been dating for almost three years, she said.

Congratulations to new mommy-to-be Eve!

Scooter Braun on Bieber Grammy Snub: 'I Wasn't Mad, Just Voicing My Opinion'

Manager and label owner Scooter Braun was mystified Thursday morning why his tweet about the lack of a Grammy nomination for Justin Bieber had taken on a life of its own and become a news story.
 
"I wasn't mad, just voicing my opinion," Braun said, expressing pleasure for the two nominations his Schoolboy Records act Carly Rae Jepsen received. "I saw a lot of chatter online and made a comment. I don't think there was anything wrong with any other nomination. I just felt Justin deserved to be acknowledged."
 
As for Bieber himself, a representative for the teen singer said he resumed writing sessions in a studio after learning his "Believe," the fifth biggest-selling album of 2012, was passed over.

Grammy Awards 2013: Major Nominees List

Braun first saw the Grammy nominations in the parking lot outside Korea Creative Content Agency on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles where he was receiving a Dari Award for person of the year, owing to his work with Psy. Once the presentation of awards for American people and businesses who had worked to elevate Korean arts was concluded, Braun stepped outside and started scrolling through the list of nominees.
 
His assistant brought him a second phone. "I've got phone calls to make to some happy people and some calls to some people who aren't," Braun said. An hour later, he would tweet.  "The kid deserved it. Grammy board u blew it on this one."
 
An executive at Bieber's label, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, said their hopes were high for a nomination after meeting with Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation representatives. Bieber visited schools on behalf of the Grammys, Grammy Camp and was involved in other Grammy-related charities.

Bieber was nominated for three Grammys in previous years.
 
In discussing Bieber with current and former label executives, there is a sense that his age, 18, is working against him. "If he was 35, he'd be nominated in numerous categories," was one pop music label executive's response. "When you are so much younger than your industry peers, you tend to be overlooked."
 
Grammy nominating committees are filled with industry veterans who are likely to not view "Believe" the way others who worked on the album do. "Believe" is seen as a transitional album for Bieber, coming out of his teen idol phase, and a success internationally and at radio among people who have worked on the album and its tracks. Those are factors that do not play into a selection, but when massive hits such as fun.'s "We Are Young" and Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" secure nominations, it is clear that popularity does play some role in the selections.
 
At the end of today's interview, Braun continued to state that he is not angry with the Recording Academy. "If you want to see me mad, read my Jets tweets -- read what I have to say about my favorite football team."

Minister Louis Farrakhan Hospitalized With Fever

CHRISTIANSTED, St. Croix (AP) — Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has sought medical care in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Farrakhan representative Akbar Muhammed says Farrakhan went to a hospital on Tuesday with a “low-grade fever.” He says Farrakhan has left the St. Thomas hospital and is describing his condition as “fine.”

Farrakhan, 79, had been scheduled to give a speech on St. Croix but it was canceled. He is expected to visit a St. Croix prison on Wednesday.

Farrakhan is on a Caribbean tour to islands including Barbados, Dominica, and the Bahamas.

He has had a number of health problems over the years, including prostate cancer surgery in 2000 and a five-week hospital stay in 2007.

The Chicago-based Nation of Islam has espoused black nationalism and self-reliance since it was founded in the 1930s.

MARIJUANA OFFICIALLY LEGAL IN WASHINGTON

Marijuana became officially legal in Washington state on Thursday, the first state in America to allow recreational use of weed by adults. Fans of the law celebrated the best way they could -toking up in front of Seattle's famed Space Needle, with loud reggae music and ounces of sticky icky.

Of course, that part was still illegal. Pot is only permissible in Washington in private homes, and smoking in public places can result in a $100 fine. That's still better than jail time, and similar to drinking in public in most places.

Colorado will join Washington next month in legalizing recreational marijuana use, and both states will soon allow weed to be sold in special stores, similar to liquor stores. Driving under the influence will remain illegal, and in the eyes of the Federal government, all possession, sale, and growing of weed is still a crime. That presents a unique problem for Washingtonians, who must continue to duck the feds while local cops smile and continue on their way.

Are you planning a trip to the Pacific Northwest?