Janet Jackson and her former boyfriend Jermaine Dupri are set to reunite on her forthcoming studio album. The news came via Dupri’s production partner, Bryan-Michael Cox, who revealed that in addition to Darkchild and Kendrick ‘WyldCard’ Dean, they will be contributing tracks to the project. Janet’s new album hit stores later this year. {Source}

This Janet album is sounding better by the moment! Dupri created a classic with the highly underrated track ‘Rock Wit U’ in 2008, a song that was clearly ahead of it’s time. There is no doubt in my mind that this album will be a ‘make or break’ moment in Janet’s career, and she is going to have to pull out all of the stops to sway things in her favour.

Thoughts?

Beyonce launched her new fragrance ‘Heat’ yesterday. The singer was joined by one of her Destiny’s Child alum, Michelle Williams (above), for the event at 15 Union Square West in New York City. Peep more of the images below:

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Check out the full version of former Misteeq lead singer Sabrina Washington‘s new single ‘OMG’, which surfaced today. Validating my previous  comments on the preview, the song – in its entirety – is a delicious slice of Electro-Pop, with a satisfiable Urban undercurrent. I like.

Look out for the song’s video this week. Oh and you’ll be seeing a lot more of Ms. Washington around these sides (hint hint ;-))

Sabrina debut solo LP ‘Dirty Pop‘ is set to hit stores later this year.

Hit or Miss?

According to MTV.com, not only will Pop icon Janet Jackson feature on the soon-to-be-released ‘We Are The World’ remake, she will be singing the same part her late brother, the King of Pop Michael Jackson, sang on the original 25 years ago:

Co-producer Richie said that Janet Jackson would be laying down her version of Michael Jackson’s part on Tuesday, and he hinted that some other artists might also be added over the next few days.

What’s more, there is talk of Michael’s children being featured in some capacity:

Quincy (Jones) is saving perhaps the most touching moment for last. At the request of Katherine Jackson, Maya Angelou penned a poem to be read at the end of the song. Quincy is going to speak to Michael’s children about reading that narration. {Source}

As cynical as some may feel to the news of Janet’s involvement or that of Michael’s children, I personally think it honourable. For, the cause – charity – is something that was evidently important to MJ and definitely a part of his lasting legacy. Hence it’s great that his family are actively continuing that. I can’t wait to hear the finished track, which is set to debut during the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Tidbit: Click here to see pictures of the recording session and list of featured artists.

Your thoughts?

As Ludacris readies the release of his new LP ‘Battle of the Sexes’ (due March 9th), a new Ciara-assisted remix for his latest single ‘How Low Can You Go’ has surfaced. Set to feature on Luda’s album, the remix goes hard! Ciara turns in a hotter than hot verse m- profanity and all (Ms. Harris excels on up-tempo cuts in this vein), which makes for the already decent track to be that much better. Good stuff.

Randomness: Am I the only one feeling when Ciara hops on tracks like this as well as the poppier cuts? I ask as I consistently hear folk slamming her for ditching her ‘roots’. Yet the last time I checked Crunk was dead. As the success of many before have shown, there is nothing wrong with keeping elements of what folk know you for (which she has), yet crossing over at the same time. I mean do people really think Beyonce, for example, would be ‘Beyonce – the megastar’ if she carried on singing a certain brand of R&B ala ‘Bills Bills Bills’ and ‘Say My Name’. Artistic growth is all about trying new things and expanding your reach….right?

Hit or Miss?

Legendary producer Quincy Jones assembled over 80 artists at in Los Angeles last night to record the 2010 version of ‘We Are The World’ in support of Haiti. The session, which has been spear-headed by Jones and Lionel Richie, who together with the late, great Michael Jackson fronted the original 25 years ago, was recorded at the Jim Henson Studios in Hollywood – the same place the 1985 version was recorded in. Look out for the track’s debut during the Winter Olympics later this month.

Stars who recorded during the session for the new version included:

Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Kanye West, Celine Dion, Lil Wayne, Barbra Strisand, Wyclef, Pink, Gladys Knight, Justin Bieber Akon, Snoop Dogg, Mya, Brandy, Robin Thicke, Tyrese, Trey Songz, Jamie Foxx, Toni Braxton, Kid Cudi, LL Cool J, Keri Hilson, will.i.am, Nicole Scherzinger, among others.

Interestingly, though Michael Jackson’s original vocals will not feature, the Jackson family will have a presence on the track; with Janet Jackson confirmed to record and submit her vocals remotely, and some members of Jackson trio 3T also present during the session.

Tidbits: It’s also been reported that Lady GaGa will be featuring on the track in some capacity. Like most, though, I am wondering where Beyonce is…

In any case, check  whole lot of pics from the session after the jump…

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The 82nd annual Oscar Award nominees were announced within the hour, and Lee Daniel’s critically acclaimed ‘Precious’ has scooped nominations in the several major categories!

*Comedienne and talk-show host Mo’Nique is nominated for Best Supporting Actress

*Lead, Gaboruey Sidibe – who played ‘Precious’ – is up for Best Actress

*The movie’s director Lee Daniels has been nominated for Best Director

‘Precious’ is also up for Best Picture

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As one of the most potent pieces of cinematography I’ve seen in a long while, I most definitely feel the nominations are very much deserved (as are their potential wins). Tune in to the show on March 7th to see how ‘Precious’ fares…

Your thoughts?

Sam

1) Monster – Lady GaGa

2) My Ring – Toni Braxton

3) Say It – Ne-Yo

4) Rude Boy – Rihanna

5) For The Lovers – Whitney Houston

Trent

1) On To The Next One – Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz

2) Poker Face – Lady GaGa

3) Bad Romance – Lady GaGa

4) The Roof – Mariah Carey

5) If Only You Knew – Patti Labelle

What are Your Top 5 Songs of The Moment?

As reported earlier, an extensive list of celebrities came together to cover REM’s classic ‘Everybody Hurts’. Now the track which features stars including Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Cheryl Cole, Kylie Minogue and JLS, to name a few, has finally surfaced. The single will be available for download on February 8th with all proceeds benefiting Haiti. {Source}

This is a beautiful remake. All of the singers included have their own unique qualities and that added so many different colours and textures to the recording that it did not have before. However, there were two artists on the track that sounded somewhat similar; Leona Lewis and Mariah Carey. Their voices have a very similar ‘air’ and definitely work well together. Little by little I hope they are getting closer to recording a duet because I sense it would be nothing less than spectacular.

Hit or Miss?

The first single from Fantasia’s highly anticipated forthcoming studio album has emerged. The track, entitled ‘Even Angels’, was produced by The Stereotypes, and will be performed on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ tomorrow. Fantasia’s new album hits stores later this year.

It looks like Fantasia took a page from the Mariah Carey playbook with this one.  In fact, this sounds a lot like something Carey and Bryan-Michael Cox would have put forward. Either way, it’s a brilliant song. Her breathy vocals work wonderfully over the production, displaying passion yet restraint. This song may definitely be the radio hit that she has been looking to capture with her new LP.

Sdiebar: I’ still excited to hear ‘Move On Me’!

Hit or Miss?

Rihanna sat down with DJ Skee on 102.7 KISS FM recently. The model discussed several topics including working with Jay-Z and Bono, who she thinks is the better rapper between Jay and Kanye as well as her role as an industry “trendsetter”. Rihanna also revealed her admiration for Ke$ha who she calls “the new ‘it’ girl of the industry”.

I doubt anyone is surprised that Rihanna is a fan of Ke$ha. Both ladies have put forward similar, club–ready tracks and are definitely ‘it’ girls of the moment. The real talking point of this interview was when she addressed her role as a “trendsetter”. It’s great to see that she admits to drawing “inspiration” from others because her entire style seems “inspired” by Fefe Dobson and Kelis.

Thoughts?

The BET Honors 2010 aired in the US a few hours ago. This year’s show honoured Whitney Houston for her historical achievements in music, as well as Queen Latifah, Diddy (for his business success), and other non-entertainment figures.

Check out the night’s performances below, which included live showings from the likes of Jennifer Hudson, Mary. Blige, StevieWonder, Trey Songz, Jazmine Sullivan, Patti Labelle, Ryan Leslie, India Arie and Kim Burrell.

As you’ll see Jennifer Hudson and Kim Burrell shut it all the way down! Awesome!

Jennifer Hudson – I Will Always Love You

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