Nicki's New Fragrance

The grind never stops for Nicki Minaj. After getting our hands on her new record with Lil Wayne “High School“, we get a look at the commercial for Nicki’s Pink Friday fragrance which is available at Macy’s.

CASSIDY BLOWS UP MEEK MILL W/ DISS, RIHANNA'S NUDE GQ PIC UNVEILED, CIARA'S GRANDMA SHAKES THAT AZZ

Throwdown Thursday! It's some quick punches for today as Cassidy and Meek Mill officially rumble in the jungle. Could it all be over Rihanna? Not likely, but considering a behind-the-scenes naked shot of the R&B diva, it's doesn't sound like a far cry. Speaking of R&B hotties, is Ciara'sgrandma shaking it fast? All this coming up in SOHH Whatcha Think.

[Editor's Note: The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of SOHH]

1. Let The Games Begin

How long has it been since some quality diss records have dropped? No disrespect to Lil Wayne, but his disses at Pusha Tfell on deaf ears and even Chris Brown's Drake disses were forgotten almost overnight. All that has changed courtesy ofCassidy and Meek Mill. It appears they're mad at each other and Cass has officially struck first. DaJaz1 has the diss record on lock:

"Don't believe this n*gga hustlin', this n*gga bluffin' / Look him in his eyes, the only time he cookin' pies is in the kitchen oven," he raps. "His fake a** better break fast before he get his food ate like an Egg McMuffin / He ain't the only n*gga f*ckin' that chick he cuffin." Well this is gonna get fun & interesting. After going at each other on Twitter yesterday, Cassidy drops a new joint dissing Meek Mill called "The Diary Of A Hustla". Shouts to DJ Thoro for sending it through. Sidebar: The battle between these two will NEVER HAPPEN. There's not enough security in the world for this to go down. (DaJaz1)

Shots fired? More like bombs dropped! It's rare that you'll see a lot of emotion from me in here, but to see the potential that can come out of a quality battle? Cassidy dropped some pretty intense bars, but will Meek answer back? #SOHHWhatchaThink?

2. Peek-A-Boob

Rihanna has made it known she is comfortable showing off skin. We've already had countless times where she's been topless, done girl-on-girl and other memorable acts in SOHH Whatcha Think, but a new behind-the-scenes shot of Rihanna may top everything. Media Take Out has more:

MTO SUPER-DUPER-MEGA EXCLUSIVE: We've Got NEKKID Pics Of Rihannna . . . From BEHIND THE SCENES At A Photo Shoot!!! (Warning - Parental Discretion) November 15, 2012: MediaTakeOut.cm got some HI-RES images, take at the GQ photoshoot. And you can see her GOODIES . . . pierced and all!! (Media Take Out)

As it always goes in here, you're going to have to actually go to MTO to get the real deal. Have we grown to accept Rihanna's bad girl self? Clearly this was not an accidental shot. With that said, why hasn't she just gone ahead and done an adult mag like Playboy yet? #SOHHWhatchaThink?

3. Granny Swag

Family is always something special and something you should cherish. Ciara showed just how much she loves her Grandma recently and all things considered, 50 Cent better watch his grandfather out when hanging out with this gal. Necole Bitchie has the inside:

Ciara recently posted up a video of her grandmother's reaction to hearing, "Got Me Good" for the first time and let's just say, Cici obviously comes from a long line of dancers. Her grandma, in all her senior citizen glory, was shaking it up like the rent was due. Ciara tweeted: [My Grandma Gladys is Gettin It In! She told Me Shes Reppin for the Senior Citizens! Lol.] Go head Gran Gran! (Necole Bitchie)

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, everyone should be happy to have relatives like this. It makes you wonder what other characters Ciara has in the family tree. Also, how long before she and granny get offered a reality show?

That about wraps it up for today. This is SOHH On The Spot giving you the morning scoop from your favorite gossip sites.

Rihanna, Katy Perry, Billy Joel, 122 Other Artists Tell Pandora: 'That's Not How Partners Work Together'

The battle over webcasting royalties went up a notch Wednesday when 125 artists ranging from Alabama to Zac Brown Band wrote an open letter to Internet-radio company Pandora Media over its attempt to change the way the statutory webcasting rates are set.

The two-page letter -- which will run as advertisement in Billboard's next magazine -- titled "A Musician's Perspective on Pandora" criticizes the Internet radio giant for seeking a lower statutory webcasting royalty.  "Why is the company asking Congress once again to step and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely upon?" the letter reads. "That's not fair and that's not how partners work together."

The controversy is over the Internet Radio Fairness Act, a bill that would implement a new standard for setting statutory royalty rates paid by webcasters. Pandora is one of many webcasters that takes advantage of the Section 114 compulsory license that allows webcasters to operate by paying a statutory royalty to SoundExchange, the organization that collects digital performance royalties for sound recording owners, performing artists and featured artists.  A new standard would most likely result in a lower statutory rate for webcasters.

Business Matters: The Truth About Pandora's Payments to Artists

"These artists have joined together to tell Pandora it's time to go back to the drawing board.  We all want Internet radio to succeed, but it won't if it tries to do so on the backs of hard working musicians and singers," said musicFIRST Executive Director Ted Kalo in a statement. 

Other artists who signed the letter include Rihanna, Katy Perry, Don Henley, Journey, Brian Wilson, Missy Elliot, Billy Joel and Camper Van Beethoven, whose David Lowery has been a vocal critic of Pandora and proposed legislation it supports.

Pandora Sues ASCAP for Lower Rates

The bill will not go to committee this year and will be introduced again in 2013, sources tell Billboard.biz. Sources also point to a likely hearing on webcasting royalties by the House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet on or around November 27, 28 or 29. No hearing has been announced yet.

Jonas Nachsin Stepping Down as Roadrunner President

In a surprise move, after more than 20 years at Roadrunner and 12 as president, Jonas Nachsin is stepping down from that post. 

At press time, there was no word on who will replace him, but a source told Billboard.biz that new leadership will be announced within days. In the hours after his departure, sources said that nine people had been laid off from the label, primarily in the IT, finance and royalty areas, although different sources said longtime publicist Amy Sciarretto was let go as well. 

Nachsin's own exit letter to his staff, which Billboard has obtained, indicates that WMG and Atlantic Records' senior management want to ensure that the label remains an enduring brand. 

"I am so proud of what we have accomplished to showcase Roadrunner as not only a 'record company' but as a lifestyle and cultural beacon for fans around the globe," Nachsin wrote. "The chemistry of groundbreaking artists worked by a world-class group of truly committed employees has made Roadrunner a name with no equal over the years. That will continue." He closed by thanking "the great team here much success as they move forward into a new chapter for Roadrunner." 

His memo was followed by one from Atlantic co-chairmen Craig Kallman and Julie Greenwald, thanking him for his substantial contributions and years of dedication. 

"For two decades, Jonas has been a passionate champion of Roadrunner's incredible roster of artists and helped forge the unique identity of one of the world's great labels," the memo reads in part. "Everyone who has worked with Jonas -- including artists, managers, the Roadrunner team and the wider Warner Music family -- have all been touched by his commitment and leadership. He has been instrumental in the careers of so many extraordinary artists, from superstars including Nickelback and Slipknot to breaking talents Young the Giant and Stone Sour. We will all miss Jonas and wish him the best in his next endeavor." 

Roadrunner is expected to continue as a hard-rock brand, but now the question is who will have the stewardship of the label. 

In April of this year, the departure of founder Cees Wessels -- whom Nachsin thanked in his farewell email, for "[giving] me my start and the opportunity to help grow Roadrunner into the important, vibrant label it has become" -- and a staff downsizing shook the hard-rock community: the label has been an iconic brand since the 1980s, with artists ranging from King Diamond and Sepultura to Slipknot and Nickelback. 

At the time, Nachsin and the remaining Roadrunner staffers assured the industry and community that the label A&R staff would continue to sign and issue great hard-rock artists. Consequently, whoever is named as Nachsin's replacement will likely be scrutinized for his or her hard-rock bona fides. 

In December 2006, the Warner Music Group announced that it had entered into a deal to acquire a 73.5% stake in Roadrunner Music for $73.5 million; the deal closed on Jan. 30, 2007. At the time, the label employed about 100-120 people worldwide and had offices in eight countries. WMG fully acquired Roadrunner in November of 2010. 

After WMG assumed full ownership of the company, about 20 staffers were let go at the label's headquarters in the Netherlands as Warner assumed back-office support functions. About 36 staffers were let go in the April 2012 downsizing and most of the label's offices were shuttered, with the remaining international staffers either working out of their homes or in WMG offices, sources told Billboard at the time. 

Currently, Roadrunner's year-to-date U.S. album share for 2012 stands at .76%, which is consistent with its performance over the last two years. Its share was .85% at the end of 2011 and .74% at the end of 2010, but that was when Nickelback's "Dark Horse" album was amassing 2.5 million units of its 3.2 million in total sales. Before that album hit, in 2007 Roadrunner's market share was .73% and in 2006 the label finished with .92% market share. 

In 2008 and 2009, its U.S. album market share was 1.08% and 1.58%, respectively. Current artists on the Roadrunner roster include Airbourne, Blackstone Cherry, Gojira, Dream Theater, Killswitch Engage, Korn, Machine Head, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Opeth, Ratt, Rush, Slipknot, Soulfly, Stone Sour, Storm Corrosion, Trivium, Theory of a Deadman, and Young the Giant.

NEW FOOTAGE OF JAY-Z'S BARCLAYS OPENING WEEK CONCERTS

"How many people in the building been down since day one?" Hov asked the thousands of fans that flocked to the Barclays Center during his eight-show affair.

Jay-Z's official blog Life+Times presents footage of his performances of "Dead Presidents" and "Can I Live?" Watch the live rendition of his Reasonable Doubt tracks below.

VH1 Launches Artists.VH1 Music Platform

VH1 will now offer its own music platform for fans to discover a range of musical genres as artists showcase their tunes on Artists.VH1.

Viacom Music Group, the mass media company that owns MTV, VH1 and CMT, is expanding its artist platform on VH1 following MTV's successful beta launch of Artists.MTV this year. Since its launch mid-August, nearly 10 thousand artists have claimed or created their Artists.MTV page and has already generated more than 3.3 million site visitors.

MTV Unveils Artist.MTV Pages, Tries to Catch MySpace Napping

"With the launch of Artists.VH1, we're filling a major void in the digital music space by providing non mainstream pop artists and their fans direct access to one another reflective of what we deliver on air with our Storytellers and You Oughta Know franchises," said Tom Calderone, president of VH1.

Calderone adds, "The platform offers both established and emerging artists a homestead where they can have more access to their presence across our screens to control their image and opt into a myriad of opportunities including music video rotation and song integration in our programs that will generate both exposure and revenue."

Artists.VH1 will give new artists an opportunity to showcase their talent across VH1's multiple brands, channels and shows, making tracks available for streaming. The discovery platform aims to provide a digital space for artist groups that are currently underserved including adult album alternative (AAA) artists, catalog artists, as well as R&B and soul artists. Fans will also be able to discover major label artists including Mumford and Sons to Alicia Keys to Def Leppard on VH1's digital platform.

Artists.VH1 will have its first on-air debut during 2012 VH1 Divas on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW MUSIC: WALE "FREEDOM OF SPEECH"

At the stroke of 5pm, Wale made a special announcement as promised and took to Twitter to debut his new pro-Bama banger "Freedom of Speech" produced by No Credit. The MMG spitter also announced the release of his upcoming mixtape Folarin with DJ Clark Kent due Christmas Eve on Dec. 24.

Let freedom ring and hit play below.