Because of some backstage machinations, Ne-Yo is a little bit richer.

The R&B star has scored a nice payday for being dumped from R. Kelly’s road show last year. A Los Angeles judge has ordered Kelly’s promoter to pony up $700,320 to the “Because of You” Grammy winner.

Ne-Yo went to court in December, alleging he was bounced from the Double Up tour because his opening set was getting better reaction from fans and critics than Kelly’s. The bill also featured Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday.

Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey made his default judgment after Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment refused to respond to the lawsuit filed by Ne-Yo under his real name, Shaffer Smith.

Per his suit, Ne-Yo was supposed to earn $785,000 on the 25-date jaunt, but the 25-year-old performer was canned by Rowe after the second show on Nov. 15 and only received a fraction of the contracted amount.

At the time, the promoter blamed the dismissal on Ne-Yo’s camp for not completing the proper paperwork. {Source}

Good to see justice served…

“As far as Foxy or Teairra Marì, these are people that I have given chances to. It’s understandable that they would be upset, but you got to look at it from my point of view as well. I gave Teairra Marì the same shot I gave Rihanna. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

“You know that stuff is going to happen, eventually it’s going to happen. What I’m happy about is, that no matter what people say, no one has ever said that I am dishonest or that I have taken one dime from them . . . I’ve never cheated anyone out of a dime. No one’s ever said that, right?” {Source}

Kudos to Jay for not getting messy with his response. I guess he does have a point…

1. Like This – (ft. Eve) (Sam’s Single Pick #4)
2. Comeback
3. Ghetto – (ft. Snoop Dogg)
4. Work (Sam’s Single Pick #1)
5. Flashback
6. Every Thought Is You
7. Show – (ft. Tank)
8. Interlude
9. Still In Love With My Ex (Sam’s Single Pick #2)
10. Love (Sam’s Single Pick #3)
11. Better Without You
12. This Is Love
13. Gotsta Go – (ft. Da Brat)

Your picks?

A visionary live music artist; West’s Glow in the Dark show has achieved critical acclaim cross the world. This will be the first time UK fans can watch the NEW show that has been touring the globe. West’s atypical hip hop set design includes a robot designed by acclaimed artist Christian Colon, creatures designedz by the legendary Jim Henson creature store, as well as Daft Punks Pyramid.

An epic show that transcends the all too familiar boundaries of hip hop.

12 November – O2 Arena
13 November – Newcastle Arena
15 November – NEC Birmingham
16 November – SECC Glasgow
17 November – MEN Manchester

Tickets are £32.50 (Regions) and £35 (London). Tickets are on-sale now, available through the 24-Hour hotline: 08444 775 775 or online www.AegLive.co.uk

Having missed Kanye’s show the last time he was in London,I will definitely be hitting this one.

UK folk, will you be going to see Kanye?

Fans may have noticed that 50 has been missing from the promotional ads for his new movie “Righteous Kill” starring Al Pacino and Robert Deniro.

According to a report found on Woooha.com, 50’s absence is due to the filmmaker’s concerns that he is no longer appealing to the “urban market.”

“The real reason the studio cut Curtis out of the campaign is because their research and exit poll information showed that 50 actually was not the urban or young demographic box office draw they were hoping for,” read the report.

“50 basically can’t draw in the core demographic that used to buy his albums by the millions. The box office let down of ‘Get Rich Or Die Trying’ should have been a hint of things to come.”

“It’s no secret in the music world that 50 Cent has lost some mainstream appeal, but in the film world you don’t necessarily need multi-platinum albums to have a successful film career (Common, Mos Def, etc.) you just need to appeal to the urban demo. 50 clearly is losing that appeal.” {Source}

Hardly surprising. Although, I must say, it’s been a pretty rapid fall from grace for 50 – from loosing to Kanye, to G-Unit’s latest LP flopping to this.

Your thoughts?