I’ve been meaning to update you guys on a number of things for a while now, but (as usual) have been procrastinating. So without further ado LOL…

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There are doubts about whether Ne-Yo will be able to perform at his three remaining UK shows after he was taken ill and left the stage in tears during a gig in Manchester.

The R&B singer, who was performing at the MEN Arena in Manchester on Thursday, was crying after struggling to sing on stage for over half an hour.

He told fans he had never not completed a show before but couldn’t continue with his performance.

Ne-Yo is meant to be performing in Liverpool tonight ( Friday ) and in Newcastle and London over the weekend.

BBC Manchester presenter Karen Gabay was at the concert and said Ne-Yo looked like he had a “really bad fever”.

She says Ne-Yo started his gig 30 minutes late and announced that he wasn’t feeling well quite early on.

“Even after the second song, for a man who is normally so cool, he was sweating.

“He was doing a Michael Jackson tribute and you could see that he was actually struggling to finish every musical phrase. He kept asking the audience to bear with him.

“Then he actually was crying – I thought it was because he had done a couple of Michael Jackson tributes and he was getting a little bit overcome, but it did seem a bit strange – he was very emotional.

‘Floods of tears’

“Then he did a slow song, he was really struggling to move, he was absolutely pouring with sweat, and he went over to a table. He was actually hanging on for dear life and he looked as if he was about to drop then, he looked so ill.

“My friend also noticed that his songs had been shortened.”

Gabay says Ne-Yo then went off for a “very long break” before he came back on stage in “floods of tears”.

“He absolutely couldn’t hold tears back – the crowd were applauding him and he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Then he said he’d never had to do this before – he’d never not been able to finish a show – he said it though tears, it was unbelievable.

“He looked like he had a really bad fever.

“Then he went off stage crying.”

Although most of the crowd cheered, Gabay says some people booed.

“Then they announced the show wasn’t going to be cancelled, it was postponed – so in effect saying he will do the show again.” {Source}

Not content with losing out to Kanye West 2 years ago, rapper 50 Cent has once again laid the gauntlet down to one of his contemporaries – this time in the form of Jay-Z, new reports are claiming. The G-Unit general is set to release his long delayed LP ‘Before I Self Destruct’ on the same day Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, releases his eagerly anticipated ‘Blueprint 3’ record: Peep the report below:

Rapper 50 CENT is preparing to go head-to-head with JAY-Z – he’s reportedly releasing his new album on the same day as the hip-hop heavyweight.

The In Da Club hitmaker has been locked in the studio putting the finishing touches to his fourth studio release, Before I Self Destruct, with his mentors Eminem and Dr. Dre.

But he’s setting his sights on a challenge with the Big Pimpin’ superstar and according to reports, plans to drop his album on 11 September (09) – the day Jay-Z’s long awaited Blueprint 3 is due in stores.

Ironically, 50 released his third album Curtis on the same day in 2007 when he went up against Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella signee Kanye West – and lost.

West’s Graduation outsold Curtis by an estimated 266,000 copies in the U.S. to snag the number one spot, while the Stronger star also came out on top in the U.K. {Source}

I actually feel quite embarrassed for ol’ Curtis. After all it doesn’t take a genius to see whose gonna come up short in this one. For, by and large, folk just aren’t checking for 50 like that anymore, while Jay’s popularity continues to soar – even at this late stage of his career. If there was ever a time to sit down and fall back for the once noteworthy 50, it would be now. SMH…

Your thoughts?

“I didn’t see (Beyonce’s) ‘Obsessed,’ so I can’t comment” she says “but it’s just not about how talented you are anymore. It’s about, ‘How much box-office revenue will this person generate?’ When you see certain people – we won’t name names – they just don’t have the skill, and no one in their team has said, ‘You need acting classes’”

R&B star Kelly Rowland stopped by The Today Show today to plug her Bravo reality series The Fashion Show, as well as her new single ‘When Love Takes Over’. An interesting watch.

Nas and Kelis’ divorce seems like it’s getting messier and messier. Such a shame. Check out the latest twist in the saga, which sees Nas submitting that he simply does not make as much as Kelis is making it out he does:

Nas has fired back in his bitter divorce case with Kelis claiming he’s paid her more than she says and he makes less than she thinks.

For starters, Kelis claims Nas raked in $11 million for his album deal. Nas fired back in legal papers, “I did not receive even half that amount”… claiming it’s more like $4 mil. Nas claims his income is declining, and he’s only pulling in $147,165 a month.

As for what he spends … $71,371.96 a month, which includes $10,000 a month in clothing/hair/toiletries/personal effects.

Kelis, who is about to give birth to their child, claims Nas hasn’t paid a penny for child or spousal support since he left her. Nas, who says he wants to be “fully involved” in the parenting of their child, claims he’s agreed to pay $350 for a stroller, $450 for a baby sling and $1,598 for two cribs.

Nas thinks $5,000 a month is reasonable for child support since the kid will just be a newborn. {Source}

Believing Nas and Kelis were gonna be that one couple in the industry that managed to keep it together, I find it real unfortunate that they’ve parted and it’s all being played out so publicly.

Your thoughts?