Though faring better worldwide holistically than it is in the US, last month saw Nicki Minaj’s ‘Pink Friday : Roman Reloaded‘ certified Platinum for shipments of 1 million copies.

Prompted by the rise in its demand- following the launch of her world  tour and the release of the smash hit single ‘Pound The Alarm’, the LP’s certification received somewhat of a promo boost last night when the Rapper was awarded with its plaque.

In the above snap, Cash Money exec Baby can be seen presenting Minaj with the Platinum plaque during a showing of her tour in the Southern city of New Orleans.

Her response below…

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With the August 28th release of Tamia‘s ‘Beautiful Surprise’ album drawing ever-nearer, the soulful songbird took vocal flight on FOX’s Good Day New York where she served up the first televised performance of the set’s title track.

Watch her stirring showing below…

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Judging by the looks of things, the scene of being a reality talent show judge is set to be very hot this season.  And with reports bombarding the rumor mill that R&B veteran Toni Braxton is set to join the scene, it looks to get even hotter!

With fans long knowing of ‘Dirrty’ diva Christina Aguilera‘s multiseason sit on ‘The Voice’ panel and Britney Spears’ forthcoming stay on ‘X Factor’ , the recent inclusion of multi-octave songbird Mariah Carey on the ‘American Idol’ bench has added much spice to the broth.

As many prepare for the diva showdown, Extra TV tapped Aguilera during a ‘Voice’ season 3 promo run to get her thoughts on Spears’ and Carey’s inclusion on the reality talent show judge lineup.

Never one to hold back, get into what Xtina shared with eXtra after the jump:

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‘R.I.P’ performer Rita Ora is putting to rest any speculation on who will guest her forthcoming debut album ‘Ora’.  Set to rock charts on August 27th (UK), the ‘Roc the Life’ beauty took to Twitter to whip fans into a frenzy over the upcoming 15 song set by revealing its tracklisting.

Find out who and what made the cut below:

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Season two of NBC’s The Voice may have wrapped merely months ago, yet with a head-on-clash with Simon Cowell’s X Factor US planned for September, filming for season 3 is already underway.

Case, point, the shot above of coaches Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine rocking the stage together.

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How great does Xtina look?! Fingers crossed her new material mirrors the “hot tamale” of her look.

Your thoughts?

Welcome ‘New Day‘, the moving new release by 5o Cent featuring Alicia Keys.

Pulled from his forthcoming ‘Street King Immortal‘ LP, the Dr. Dre produced cut arrives after a snippet emerged online yesterday, awaiting your listen below…

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Pop pin-up Justin Bieber continues his foray into the Urban arena with new single ‘As Long As You Love Me’.

The 18 year old drafted in rapper Big Sean for the track, the accompanying video for which is previewed in a freshly released clip.

Check out what the latest visual from Bieber’s ‘Believe’ project is set to serve up below…

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As one of Pop’s more commercially viable acts, there’s no denying the impact Drake has made on Hip Hop and wider culture alike- at the forefront of the ever popular ‘College Rapper’ trend launched by Kanye West‘s ‘808 & Heartbreaks’.

Now, perhaps in realization of his popularity, he has made some very interesting remarks to The Jewish Chronicle.

Remarks, we’re sure will split opinion as Moses did the Red Sea.

Read below…

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Hip-Pop star Nelly is back. And with this month ushering in the debut his new single ‘Mary Go Round’, the St. Louis native has hit the promotional trail.

His first stop? Arguably, the toughest. The ‘Country Grammar’ rapper dropped by Power 105.1‘s Breakfast Club this morning, where Charlemagne and co didn’t hold back.

Does the MC keep his cool? The answer awaits after the jump…

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Three years after resurrecting Female Rap, 2010 saw the release of ‘Pink Friday‘- the debut album by Nicki Minaj.

Hailed for its provocative and a times poetic ( ‘Catch Me’, ‘Here I Am‘) numbers, the LP now stands with sales of over 2.5 million copies  worldwide, successfully  outselling Rihanna‘s ‘Loud‘ without ever spawning a US #1 single.

Now, four months after releasing its follow up ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’, she has compared the two with the benefit of her hindsight.

Her conclusion below…

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Comeback queens Mutya Keisha Siobhan were snapped gussying up for the Olympic Opening Ceremony in London today.

The trio (who are the founding members of the Sugababes) announced their reformation last week – much to the delight of the Brit-Pop diaspora.

Needless to say, the ladies look stunning!

Your thoughts?

For Miguel fans, the last year has seen no shortage of new music from the crooner.

Welcoming praise for his work on his ‘Art Dealer Chic’ collection, today saw him release two new cuts pulled from his latest EP ‘Kaleidoscope Dream : The Water Preview’.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with Miguel or his work, these cuts ( ‘Use Me’ and ‘Don’t Look Back’) are definitely worth a listen, marking two of his more impressive releases.

Enjoy below…

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