Normani and Sam Smith‘s ‘Dancing with a Stranger‘ is sailing towards the bank with a $50,000 cheque aboard.

Full story below…

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While Rap is renown for being the battle of bars, there’s no denying that the titans of the genre duke with their lavish expenditure.

Indeed, while aspects of the music industry have shrunk, what hasn’t downsized are the vast sums some of music’s most notable MC’s are willing to spend on adding a visual exclamation-mark to their lyrics.

A new tally has found both Lil Wayne and 50 Cent to be at the forefront of Rap’s biggest spenders.

Huge earners thanks to their diversified portals of success (see: charts, touring, TV ventures, and beyond), the Hip-Hop heavyweights have proven that they aren’t afraid to pump said funds back into their videos (with Fiddy’s ‘Candy Shop’ and Weezy’s ‘Lollipop’ both well over the seven-figure mark.

Check out how the numbers stack up below….

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Not even a year after adding her special touch to the ‘On the Basis of Sex’ soundtrack courtesy of the critically acclaimed ‘Here Comes the Change,’ Pop singer Kesha is lending her vocal prowess to another soundtrack:  The ‘Angry Birds 2’ movie.

Courtesy of the Ryan Lewis-produced ‘Best Day (Angry Birds 2 Remix),’ the bubbly song – co-written with her longtime collaborator Wrabel (as well as Scott Harris and Lewis) – precedes the ‘Angry’ film’s arrival into theaters August 14.

“I’m feelin’ so nice/ I ain’t got no negative energy/ High fives and good vibes/ Wrote this one for all my friends/ And enemies,” she sings.

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Monica is in full promo mode in support of her latest single, ‘Commitment,’ and its parent album.

In addition to prepping for a performance on ‘Good Morning America’ this week (July 30), the Grammy-winning diva dropped by ‘Wendy Williams Show’ earlier this week (as we reported here) and also visited our friends at ‘The Clay Cane Show’ on SiriusXM.  While there, Mo dished on a number of hot topics including her thoughts on R. Kelly‘s ongoing legal woes.

As we reported here, the embattled R&B legend – who has collaborated with Monica in the past – is currently jailed and facing multiple counts of aggravated sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child pornography, enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and obstruction of justice.  When quizzed on how she felt about the mounting charges against the ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ singer (given how young she was when her career started), she did not bite her tongue.

Hear her statements on this and so much more inside:

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Today’s From The Vault pick comes courtesy of UK royalty. This week, we give you the R&B classic, ‘Fill Me In’ by British crooner Craig David.

Rolled out as the singer’s debut solo single, it was featured on his debut album ‘Born To Do It’ and was written by David alongside Mark Hill who also produced the track.

It debuted at #1 in the UK, and peaked at #15 in the US in 2000.

Max and Dania directed the song’s music video which presents Craig as an enchanted lover trying to get with the girl next door.

Another version – with a similar plot – was commissioned for the US and was directed by Darren Grant.

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Way before Adele, Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis, Craig was waving the flag for the UK on a global scale, and his talent and overall proposition were as much a breath of fresh air as his successors.

At a time when R&B was having one of many moments, Mr David managed to capture the very essence of the British Urban scene and turn it into a uber-serviceable crossover product.

Needless to say, two decades later, the song still bangs. What’s more, he is still considered a pioneer when it comes to modern male R&B, and rightfully so.

Your thoughts?

Will Smith has just set another record at the box office.

Awesome news after the bounce…

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Christina Milian‘s family is expanding! Because the singer/media personality has announced she is pregnant.

Details below…

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Chance The Rapper made headlines on Friday when he unleashed his long-awaited album debut ‘The Big Day’.

The follow-up to 2016’s breakthrough set ‘Coloring Book’ is a star studded affair – boasting guest spots from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, Shawn Mendes, and Da Baby.

With the 22-song, indie set being showered with praise? What are its numbers shaping up like?

The answer awaits below…

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Disney‘s ‘Lion King‘ is on its way to becoming one of the highest-earning movie releases of the year.

Full story below…

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With female rap having quite the resurgence of late, Megan Thee Stallion has emerged at the forefront of the new wave of ladies turning up the heat.

Still, as she continues to activate her Hot Girl Summer, she’s giving props to those who came before her – namely Nicki Minaj.

In a cool moment of ‘U-N-I-T-Y,’ the pair jumped on Instagram Live and showered each other with love, praise, and admiration.

Check out the action below…

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Lil Nas X is set to take a ride from the ‘Old Town Road’ to the town’s courthouse thanks to a lawsuit with a whopping $25 million tag attached.

More inside:

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July 19 brought with it the gift of ‘The Gift,’ the Beyonce-curated companion soundtrack album to Disney’s live action remake of ‘The Lion King’ (in which the Pop diva also stars).

Launched to the masses on the back of the anthemic tune, ‘Spirit,’ the opus – described as ‘sonic cinema’ and a ‘love letter to Africa’ – is drenched in the continent’s influence and not only features some of the region’s most prominent performers like Tiwa Savage, Shatta Wale, Burna Boy, and Wizkid, but also calls on fellow Urban heavy-hitters such as husband Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and more to contribute.

As it’s collected critical acclaim aplenty since its unveiling, industry insiders originally forecasted that fanfare would be mirrored commercially when it was projected the set would top next week’s Billboard 200 (as we reported here).  With its inaugural sales tracking week behind it, however, new reports confirm it missed the mark.

Details inside:

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