Friday, 16 May 2008

♫ BEYONCE: SHOULD HAVE [NEW SONG LEAKED IN FULL]....

A new song which is set for inclusion on Beyonce's forthcoming album has leaked in FULL and it's called Should Have. The snippet leaked this week but now the song has leaked in full and in HQ. As the song is an unauthorized leak, I won't be posting it here, but I'm sure if you scourge the Net, you'll find it.... EASILY.



As to what I think of the song, I am absolutely loving it. The synthy pop ballad is right up my street. Supposedly, Ryan Tedder produced it, which doesn't surprise because it does sound like something he would do. It's different but hot at the same time and Beyonce's vocals are absolutely killing it. If this is what's to come from Beyonce's new album I am really anticipating it. I know you guys were having your lil discussion in the other post. Well, continue it here!

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CELEB SPOTTINGS: R&B SINGERS OUT & ABOUT // TINY & RAPPER T.I WELCOME A BABY SON + KFC PROPOSITIONS RIHANNA....

Last night, Nick Cannon was hard at work playing DJ at an Operation Smile fund-raising event in New York City. Mariah Carey wasn't too far away as she attended the event to give her Deejaying hubby some support. Check out the two getting all cuddly after his gig came to an end:



Mariah looked great wearing five-inch heels and a fitted Ralph Lauren dress. Mariah was also at the event because she is an ambassador for Operation Smile, which provides surgery to children with cleft palates and other facial deformities. Once Nick had completed his deejaying duties he joined his wife in the VIP room where they immediately put their arms around each other and began whispering. Before long, the two slipped outside into a waiting SUV.

Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas of TLC fame was spotted outside of the Waverly Inn in NYC on Wednesday night:



This chick looks EXACTLY how she did 17 years ago when TLC first hit the scene in 1992. Her and Stacy Dash are certainly the fountain of youth. Still hard to believe she's 38.

On Wednesday, Rihanna paid a visit to the Z100 studios in New York City:




She had lots of fun with their presenters. Meanwhile, here's a lil bit of light-hearted banter. KFC has written the 'Umbrella' chart topper an open letter thanking her for getting intimate with Chris Brown in one of their establishments. Check it out:

Dear Rihanna,
We were very excited by your and Chris Brown’s recent visit to a Miami-area KFC restaurant. Clearly, like Kentucky Fried Chicken and our founder Colonel Sanders, you two know how to kick it up a few degrees. And, Rihanna, that's a secret recipe worth sharing with the world. We could feel the heat – literally – in our restaurant that night .... so much so that we’d like to invite you and Chris back to any KFC for a free meal including the Colonel’s Hot Wings. Whether lunch or dinner, home or on the road, our doors are always open to you. Think of it as a personal way to send an SOS whenever you crave a little Original Recipe.

Like you, KFC is dedicated to supporting charity causes. If you and Chris are again photographed making KFC a 'hot' date-night spot, we'll make a donation to your charity, BELIEVE, which helps underprivileged children. Hearing about your fondness for KFC was music to our ears. Please don't stop making KFC your favorite mealtime choice. Good luck to you and we hope to see you again soon with or without an Umbrella.

Somebody's got jokes I see.

Anyway, here's a couple of pictures of Estelle performing at the Crystal Club in London last night:



WTF is that outfit?

Do ya'll remember Tameka 'Tiny' Cottle from 90's R&B girl group Xscape? Well, a congrats is in order for her and rapper T.I. Tiny gave birth to their second son this morning. They called him Major Harris. Check out some pics of their recent baby shower:





The baby shower was attended by R&B singer Monica (2nd row, 1st pic) Tiny's bandmate Kandi Burruss (2nd row, 2nd pic), Tiny's daughter and T.I's daughter (2nd row, 3rd pic) and Tiny's parents (2nd row, last pic) as well as many other guests. Congrats to them once again.

SPLASH // WIREIMAGES // RIHANNA DAILY // WENN // SANDRA ROSE

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BET AWARDS 2008 NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED....

The BET Award 2008 nominations were announced yesterday. R&B acts has three nods, Keyshia ColeMary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Chris Brown have two, whilst Rihanna, Mariah Carey and Ashanti get one each.


{Mary J Blige & Nelly at yesterday's BET press conference}

The show will air on June 24th in Los Angeles and performers who will take to the stage include Mariah Carey, Usher and Mary J. Blige, although many more will be added to the bill. Voting will be open on May 20th. Under the cut, I included ALL the R&B acts who are in the running for a nomination but you can view the full nominee categories by clicking here. Some of them are a joke, but then, BET is one of those Award shows you just don't take all that seriously.

Best Female R&B Artist
Rihanna
Alicia Keys
Mariah Carey
Mary J Blige
Keyshia Cole

Best Male R&B Artist
Chris Brown
Trey Songz
Ne-yo
J. Holiday
Raheem Devaughn

Best Group
Danity Kane
Day26
Gnarls Barkley
UGK
Playaz Circle

Video of The Year
Like You'll Never See Me Again - Alicia Keys
The Way That I Love You - Ashanti
Just Fine - Mary J Blige
Honey - Erykah Badu
Good Life - Kanye West feat T-Pain

Best Collaboration
Kiss Kiss - Chris Brown feat T-Pain
Let It Go - Keyshia Cole feat Missy & Lil Kim
Low - Flo Rida/T-Pain
I'm So Hood (The Remix) - DJ Khalid feat Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman & Rick Ross
Good Life - Kanye West feat T-Pain

Viewers Choice Award
No One - Alicia Keys
Lollipop feat Static - Lil Wayne
Kiss Kiss feat T-Pain - Chris Brown
Let It Go feat Missy & Lil Kim - Keyshia Cole
Crank Dat (Soulja Boy) - Soulja Boy

BET J Award
Raheem Devaughn
Chaka Khan
Ledisi
Jill Scott
Angie Stone

Best New Artist
Estelle
Flo Rida
Chrisette Michele
Soulja Boy
The Dream

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♫ JENNIFER HUDSON: SPOTLIGHT [NEW SINGLE]....

Jennifer Hudson's official lead single from her forthcoming album has leaked. It's called Spotlight, taken from the set which will be released in September via J Records. Check it out:









♫ JENNIFER HUDSON: SPOTLIGHT

Surprisingly, I'm liking the song. I'm not in love with it and did grow on me after a couple of listens, but I do like it. I think it has a nice melody to it. I'm not really certain if it's a sure-fire hit or anything but in the long run, we'll have to wait and see how it does.

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MICHELLE WILLIAMS BLOGS ABOUT VIDEO DELAY....

Yesterday, Michelle Williams wrote an entry in her Myspace blog explaining why her new video for We Break The Dawn didn't premiere. The video was scheduled to premiere last night but it didn't go down. She writes:

I don't think the video will be ready to premiere as posted!!! I thought that I should let you know!! Trust me....I am so ready for it to be out, but at the same time I want it to be perfect for you guys!!!! I know that I'm disappointing many of you out there who have been ANXIOUSLY waiting!!! That's kinda why I ha
te when dates are set and made public and then the artist or label decides to change it!!! It's been a lot of that lately in the industry!!! Hopefully by Monday.....the world will see it!!! [READ THE FULL ENTRY]

On the left (above) is a brand new promo pic that the singer posted on her page. The pic shows Michelle's shorter haircut which is looking a lot more mature and elegant, which I'm liking very much. It seems shorter realistic lengths are the in thing amongst todays R&B acts - Rihanna, Mary J Blige, Monica, Keyshia Cole, Fantasia and so forth. Also, on the right is her single cover for We Break The Dawn. I really hope we get to see the video on Monday. Now the question is, where is Solange's video at?

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♫ PUSSYCAT DOLLS: WHEN I GROW UP [NEW SINGLE]....

The Pussycat Dolls new single, When I Grow Up has leaked and it's produced by Rodney Jerkins:









♫ PUSSYCAT DOLLS: WHEN I GROW UP

The uptempo club-banger is the lead single from the 'doll's forthcoming sophomore album. Girl power is reigning down on us yet again, and with the girl groups all fighting to come out on top this summer, the claws will definitely be out. Round one goes over to PCD. I think it'll do well because it's different but it has the elements to become a certified radio hit. Right now, the song is getting mixed reactions but what do YOU think?

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DANITY KANE PERFORM ON 'PEPSI SMASH'....

Danity Kane performed a couple of their songs on Yahoo's Pepsi Smash this week. They performed their latest single Damaged and Poetry from their newest album Welcome To The Dollhouse as well as their debut single Showstopper.



Why didn't they perform Bad Girl? As it's their next single, I would think they'd want to promote it. They stay performing the same tired ass songs. Courtesy of YouTube, performances are under the fold.

DAMAGED:


POETRY:


SHOWSTOPPER:

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PUSSYCAT DOLLS WILL UNVEIL BRAND NEW SINGLE ON JIMMY KIMMEL....

The Pussycat Dolls will be performing their brand new single 'When I Grow Up' on Jimmy Kimmel on May 20th at ABC as well as at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards LIVE on June 1st.



The girls will release their as-yet-titled sophomore album sometime in the summer, but a tentative release date has yet to be announced. We'll soon see why Nicole aint shit without the other dolls. But that said, I look forwards to hearing the new single. It seems this summer is all about the girl groups.

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Thursday, 15 May 2008

CELEB SPOTTINGS: R&B SINGERS OUT & ABOUT....

On Tuesday, May 13th, newlyweds Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon had lots of fun at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California where they had a wedding reception for their close family and friends:



Very corny, phoney and calculated in deed. So where do I start? In the second and third pics, Mariah is seen hugging Nick Cannon's mother and Grandfather. The love-struck actor had the whole park shut down after paying a mid-six figure sum so that he and Mariah could party with 100 friends and family. He also decorated the park in Mariah's latest theme colours by using pink and purple balloons along with her trademark butterflies. They also had a banner which read: 'Mariah and Nick: A Love Story'. Mimi's latest new album was playing throughout and each guest received a pink or red Superman cape as a gift (huh?). The loved-up couple were extremely playful as they kissed, cuddled and giggled like naughty teenagers on the rampage. They were seen enjoying the rides and heading back to their reception to greet guests.

More flicks:






I've never seen anything so staged in my whole entire life. Talk about overkill. A love story involves keeping most of those moments sacred without the watchful eye of the public and the media. There are just some stuff you keep to yourself. It's funny seeing Mariah get on that British journalist a couple of months ago for asking about her love life, and declaring her rights to preserve a personal relationship since her whole life has become a public spectacle. And look at her now, pimping out her marriage to Entertainment Tonight and anyone who'll show an ounce of interest. How quickly things change.

Yesterday, Beyonce and Jay-Z were were at Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference semi-final basketball playoff series between the Celtics and the Cavaliers:




Beyonce was also seen out in Manhattan. The chick surprisingly looked nice and trendy in her Khaki pants along with a grey woolly beanie and Chanel jacket. What a massive improvement from the disastrous outfit in yesterday's posting. However, I am seeing a pouch in Beyonce's stomach area. Either she's preggers or she decided to gauge on Popeyes chicken WITHOUT working out or, she's stopped working out completely. The mystery continues.

Cherish put in appearance on TRL this past Tuesday to promote their album The Truth which was released this week:




My album review should be up before the end of the week. They're sooooo going to flop, which is a shame, because they can sing.

Faith Evans brought her 11-year-old son Christopher Wallace Jr. a.k.a Biggie Smalls Jr. a.k.a. Little Biggie to the set of the Biggie Smalls movie in Brooklyn this week:



Mother and son were also spotted at the 'Notorious' movie wrap party on May 10th. Aw, Lil Biggie was honouring his late daddy. Faith on the other hand, looked washed up. Aside from the book, what's going on with her musically?

Ryan Leslie was also spotted at Kanye West's Glow In The Dark afterparty this week:



For those still in the dark, his album has been pushed back to August 26th. I know he was mad pissed that his debut album didn't see the light of day so let's hope this date sticks. I like his music.

Willy and Que from Making the Band's Day 26 chilled out at Home nightclub in NYC alongside Teyana Taylor, Chrisette Michelle and Que's girlfriend Dawn from Danity Kane:



Those two are still going strong. And Chrisette scares me.

Ludacris hosted his 5th Annual Ludacris Foundation Dinner and Casino Night at Atlanta's The Foundry at Puritan Hill last night, in which Ciara attended:



I simply love this chick. What else is there to say?

WIREIMAGES // JUST JARED VIA BAUER GRIFFIN // REUTERS PICTURES // ALL THE PARTIES

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RIHANNA MAKES BILLBOARD HISTORY // 'TAKE A BOW' IS NO 1 ON BILLBOARD HOT 100....

Rihanna has made a near-record rise to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 TODAY with her latest new single Take a Bow, which moved from 53-1. Opening-week digital downloads (267,000) is behind the sudden surge, as the track begins at No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs.



Check out the report below:

The song's bump is the second-best leap to No. 1 in Hot 100 history, trailing only Maroon 5's 64-1 jump with "Makes Me Wonder" last May. Coincidentally, Rihanna is featured on the band's "If I Never See Your Face Again" which will debut tomorrow at No. 57. With the lofty digital take, Rihanna now owns two of the top three opening week download tallies in chart history. Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" set the mark with 286,000 last month, surpassing the 277,000 moved by Rihanna's "Umbrella" when it debuted in the June 9, 2007 issue. "Take a Bow" is one of four new songs on an expanded CD/DVD edition of Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad" album, due June 17 via Def Jam.

Well I be damned! I certainly wasn't expecting that. Take A Bow is an okay song, bland but okay; nothing groundbreaking. I really wasn't expecting it to do so well. Good for Rihanna! Her singles do absolutely amazing on the charts. To date, Rihanna's album Good Girl Gone Bad has sold 1.3 million in the United States since it was released almost a year ago, and 4.8 million worldwide.

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♫ ROBIN THICKE: MAGIC [BRAND NEW SINGLE]....

Robin Thicke's brand new single 'Magic' was played on French radio yesterday. Via the stream, you can now listen to the MQ radio rip below. The song is the lead single taken from his forthcoming album 'Something Else':









♫ ROBIN THICKE: MAGIC

I am loving the upbeat R&B cut. It's really groovy; a proper summer anthem. I'm feeling it mainly because I dig the sample. I was expecting something a little more cutting edge and fresh but this is still a good track. The album is expected to be released this summer but a tentative release date has yet to be announced. The song will be digitally released on May 20th.

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CHRIS BROWN'S 'EBONY' PHOTOSHOOT....

Last week, I posted Chris Brown's magazine cover for his latest feature in the June 2008 issue of Ebony. Now you can check out the full spread below:


The pictures may be photoshopped to the max, but he looks scrum. The 19-year-old heart throb who is currently dating Rihanna, has three main steps in order for the lucky gal to capture his heart:

1. Don't throw yourself at him because he won't respect you for it!
"It's a turn on too, but it can be a turnoff. They're degrading themselves...It's just annoying, like bugging versus being themselves, you know what I'm saying?"

2. When throwing your panties at him, always make sure they're clean!
"Ah you cant touch every panty" he says, laughing. "I get a drumstick and I pick it up like, 'OK, these drawers better be clean.' But it's funny to see panties thrown up. You see bras, and big bras, and you're like wow. That's amazing. But if it was a man drawers. I'd definitely think it was nasty".

3. As much as he loves his fans, he'd only date one if she could move past him being a celebrity.
"I would date a fan. It just depends on how much a fan they are. Can they see past me being an artist and look at me for who I am as a person?"

Click here to check out behind-the-scenes footage of Chris's Ebony photoshoot.

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REALITY TV PERFORMANCES: FANTASIA PERFORMS 'BORE ME (YAWN)' ON AMERICAN IDOL // OMARION PERFORMS MJ'S 'THRILLER' ON DANCING WITH THE STARS....

Last night on the American Idol Results show, Fantasia Barrino performed 'Bore Me (Yawn)'. She showed off a new flaming red hairdo:


The performance was, um, crazy. Fun, but utterly crazy. I certainly wasn't yawning, and neither did it bore me. She didn't sound that nice at all. But hey, at least she no longer has to worry about being judged. Did ya'll catch Simon's facial expression at mark 2:55. Hilarious!

On the results show of Dancing With The Stars, Tuesday night, R&B singer Omarion performed Michael Jackson's Thriller:


Performance was hot. I absolutely loved it. You always hear about Chris Brown and Usher being the hottest male dancers in music right now, but I think O is highly underrated.

Speaking of Chris, ya'll remember when he tributed MJ with his Thriller performance at the World Music Awards in London back in 06?:


Who owned that performance?

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ALICIA KEYS SCORES $25 MILLION ENDORSEMENT DEAL WITH VITAMIN WATER....

Alicia Keys is on course to land herself a major pay day. She has reportedly scooped a $25 million deal with beverage company Glaceau to front a new campaign for its Vitamin Water line.



Alicia is set to become the new face of the company's health-conscious products, once fronted by rapper Fiddy. Get that cheddar Licia. Also, Alicia is also giving her fans the opportunity to free access of her wardrobe, offering fans an outfit she wore in MTV micro series 'Fresh Takes'. As part of the 'Shirt Off My Back' contest hosted by Singersroom and Dove, contestants can now enter to win a grey Triple Five Soul blouse and decorative necklace worn by Alex (Alicia Keys) and an autographed photograph. To enter the contestants can log on to Singersroom.com/contest/ by May 19th, 2008.

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ASHANTI'S PHOTOSHOOT FOR JUNE 2008 ISSUE OF 'MAXIM'....

Ashanti did a sizzling hot photoshoot for the new June 2008 issue of Maxim magazine with Shannon Elizabeth on the cover. Check out the shoot below, from the mag, which is out on sale, now:


I loves it! The singer who releases her album The Declaration on June 3rd has ranked at #37 on Maxim's Hottest Women of 2008.


Also, you can check out her brand new promo shoot:



Cute.

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Wednesday, 14 May 2008

CELEB SPOTTINGS: R&B SINGERS OUT & ABOUT....

Janet Jackson attended the Alexander McQueen Boutique opening in Los Angeles, last night. The singer showed up wearing a Japanese Kimono inspired gown, which coincidently contained the colours of her Def Jam label mate Mariah's latest album E=MC²:



The audacious dress that Janet wore is an actual Alexander McQueen creation. However, I don't think the look quite works on Janet. The sleeves are waaaay too flowy and long and it just didn't look right. Janet has also been locked in rehearsals for her forthcoming Discipline tour which will kick off this coming September.

Last night, Beyonce was spotted leaving Madison Square Garden after watching Kanye West's show. The singer tried to get with the summer blues with her neon yellow nails and Girl Scout-inspired green outfit:



She looked a hot mess, but then, this is Beyonce we're talking about. Still, the singer was all smiles. I guess the high-waisted skirt will further fuel the rumours that she's expecting her first baby. Kelly Rowland has meanwhile denied that Beyonce is preggers but her father won't deny or confirm. Hmmmmm....

Chris Brown had a 19th birthday celebration at Rebel in New York City last night. The party was attended by girlfriend Rihanna and pals Teyana Taylor and Lil Mama amongst others. Dawn from Danity Kane was there with her man Que from Day26 as well as Day26 singer Willie:







Chris has really let himself go. And he really needs to sort out his lil skin problem. I know he must be thrilled to bits that he's sleeping with Rihanna so as a result, I assumed that it would have given him more reason to keep himself neat and well groomed. His appearance in the past was never so ragged. He was always fresh from a sharp haircut and he always looked clean and well put together. He use to care. Now it's like, he doesn't care at all. I adore Chris but he was looking like a right tramp at his own party. If this is the effect Rihanna has on him, maybe they're not so good for each other after all.

Yesterday, Rihanna and Chris were seen heading back to their Manhattan hotel after she spent the evening rehearsing for an upcoming show:



As usual, Rihanna is soooo put together and stylish and fashionable.

Anyway, yesterday night, Chris joined Rihanna on stage at the Glow In The Dark tour, where they both performed the Umbrella remix:


Cute. Beyonce and hubby Jay-Z really enjoyed the show.

Mariah Carey REALLY has new hubby Nick Cannon all sprung like a dog on a lead. It's no secret that Mariah has a bathroom in her NY home in dedication to the furry kitty collection HELLO KITTY. Apparently, Nick was spotted in a Hello Kitty store buying the goods for his beloved wife Mariah in Beverley Hills yesterday:




I laughed really loud at seeing these pics. Very romantic I guess. Most men wouldn't even be seen dead in a HELLO KITTY store but .... in the name of love I guess. I've noticed this dude is CONSTANTLY in a suit now. He obviously wants to appear all smart and conservative since being married to Mariah. This is the kind of effect that should take place with ANY man in love with his lady. You change, grow up and do what it takes to meet certain standards.

Last night, Danity Kane's Aubrey and D. Woods attended Entertainment Weekly/Vavoom Upfront Party which went down at the The Bowery Hotel in New York City:



Something about D. Woods irks the shit out of me. I just can't put my finger on it. Aubrey stays looking like ..... Aubrey.

Diddy also attended Kanye's Glow In The Dark after party last night. So did his rumoured jump-off chick Cassie:



Things are REALLY hotting up in deed. They even wore matching brown leather jackets. On Diddy's expense I s'pose.

WENN // SPLASH // WIREIMAGES // INFDaily

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BEYONCE & SOLANGE'S NEW AD FOR SAMANTHA THAVASA // KRUCIAL TO WORK ON NEW BEYONCE ALBUM....

Beyonce and Solange Knowles appeared on a billboard overlooking a fashion district in Tokyo today. The sisters have been promoting the summer 2008 line of hot-pink handbags for Japanese fashion firm Samantha Thavasa. Solange and Bey made history by becoming the first black celebs ever to star in a campaign for the Tokyo company. Check out Beyonce and Solange in the new Samantha Thavasa ad:


Photo: Splash News

Can we say HOTNESS? Even Solange looks beautiful. I say it meaning that we all know Solo has to make do with playing second fiddle to Beyonce career and looks-wise. In other Beyonce news, Kerry KRUCIAL Brothers has confirmed that he's working on Beyonce's new album. 411's Tony Farinella sat down with Krucial for an exclusive interview. He didn't say much about the Beyonce album except that he's working on it.

Here's the confirmation:

TONY: Finally, what are your plans for the future?
Kerry Brothers: Right now, my plan is to definitely continue producing and songwriting for other artists. I currently just finishing working with Anthony Hamilton, I'm in the studio with Robert Randolph, and also working on music for Brandy, Beyonce, and the list goes on. But, really, the plan of the future is to really spread this out.

You can check out the whole interview by clicking here. Kerry is doing the damn thang working it out with three of the MAIN R&B chicks in the game. I like how he's choosing to work with those with talent as to not waste his production.

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♫ NEW MUSIC FROM LLOYD, ASHANTI & TEAIRRA MARI....

UPDATE: I've just been informed in the comments section that the Ashanti song is not the full version of "Body on Me". It's just a fan-made mash-up of the Ashanti snippet and Nelly's full version.

Today's music post features new tracks from latest new Interscope artist Teairra Mari and Motown/The Inc artists Ashanti and Lloyd, who are all releasing forthcoming albums this summer.



♫ Lloyd: Heart Attack
A new track has leaked from Lloyd's forthcoming album Lessons In Love and it's produced by man of the moment Bryan-Michael Cox. The breezy midtempo cut sure is a lot better than the other songs that have leaked from the album,