R. Kelly is no stranger to R&B classics; indeed a vast array of his material enjoys such status. For that reason and so much more, this week’s classic From The Vault clip is Kelly’s 1996 smash ‘Downlow (Nobody Has To Know)’. The song’s popularity, which saw it peak at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, was undeniably spear-headed by its dramatic, cinematic video. Featuring Ronald Isley and Garcelle Beauvais, the clip remains a stand-out among Kelly’s already impressive body of work.

Randomness: Songs such as this really have me sighing at the state of the industry today. I mean when was the last time an outright R&B song -in the vein of this-achieved such high chart recognition. Instead, uniformity and genericness populate what was once a musically diverse industry. In days of old, one could see R&B, Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop  songs all vying for the top spot and actually having a fair chance of achieving it. Today, top ten’s often sound like the same damn song. SMH…

Your thoughts?

Check out Janelle Monáe on the cover of the latest issue of JET magazine. Within the edition, the electrifying entertainer speaks about the influence James Brown had on her career and how she felt to perform for Prince at the 2010 BET Awards.

What do you think of the cover?

Murder INC’s Irv Gotti has long been renown for not holding his tongue. Ironically, the once-influential label head will no doubt set tongues wagging with his latest statements. For in a recent interview with VIBE, Gotti claims that “Nicki Minaj is just as talented as Lauryn Hill“.

His full quote after the jump…

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Chris Brown lit up the stage at ‘Reggae Sumfest’ in Montego Bay, Jamaica late last evening. The high-energy entertainer danced up a storm for the crowd at the event where fellow R&B/Pop star Usher will be performing tonight. Check out the fan footage below:

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Former Destiny’s Child singers Michelle Williams and LeToya Luckett were spotted out together once again – this time at Tao Las Vegas last night (July 23rd). Both ladies look stunning. {Pictures via I Had Heard}

Randomness: I wonder if they exchange Mathew horror stories? Just a thought…

More pics after the jump…

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It’s hard to believe that for all Nicki Minaj‘s success, her debut LP has yet to be released. Indeed, the collaboration-queen is still cooking up material for the as-yet-untitled record (which hits stores November 23rd).

With the likes of Swizz Beats and Sean Garrett already on board, Minaj revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that Will.i.am is the latest hitmaker to join the list of producers on the record.

Check out what she had to say of the Black Eyed Peas frontman’s contribution to the record, as well as the ‘surprises’ the LP boasts, after the jump…

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Teairra Mari sat down with Honey magazine’s Honey TV to discuss the details of her new EP, ‘Sincerely Yours’ (in stores on August 17th). During the conversation, Mari spoke quite candidly about the constant comparisons made between her and Rihanna, the direction of her next studio album, ‘At That Point’, and why the decision was made to release an EP. Check out the footage below:

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Tank will be releasing a new album later this year. ‘Now or Never‘ will be the first record the R&B singer will be releasing via Atlantic Records, preceded by the 1st single, ‘Sex Music’. The album hits stores on September 21st. Give the track a listen below:

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Peep Pop starlet Katy Perry on the cover of the latest issue of Billboard magazine. The quirky 25 year old’s feature is accompanied by an insightful article (in which she talks her musical journey so far, new album ‘Teenage Dream’ and her team’s plan to make her an album’s artist, as opposed to a singles artist). Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Your thoughts?

Pop collective JLS are set to release their self-titled US debut in less than two weeks time. Arriving in stores via their Stateside label Jive, the group’s US fans (if they have any at all) can get their hands on the LP on August 3rd.

With the Aston and co’s’ Stateside promo push yielding little of anything, it’ll be real interesting to see what first week numbers they do. As I’ve said many a time, JLS are getting away murder over here – something I can’t see the US taking to.

Tidbit: I still “can’t” with that album cover. Ortise..SMH..always doing too damn much.

Your thoughts?

Check out the official cover for Usher‘s new EP ‘Versus’. The record, which hits stores on August 24th, features collaborations with the likes of Jay-Z, Ciara, Bun B, and Pitbull.

The cover looks cheap as hell. I can’t hate on his label, though. From the tacky artwork, to the lack of any new promotional shots, it’s clear they aren’t spending money on anything they don’t need to,  especially when – given ‘Raymond vs Raymond‘s’ success – ‘Versus’ will likely be a big seller anyway. That said, where has the creativity gone?

Your thoughts?

Earlier today a sneak peek of Jay Sean’s video for his new single, ‘2012 (Ft. Nicki Minaj)’, was made available. Now the entire track has surfaced on web. Give it a listen below:

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