Rihanna Talks About Eminem Collaboration

There is something all too real about the musical collaboration between Eminem and Rihanna on Em's latest single "Love The Way You Lie." The song has sparked much conversation because its subject matter deals with domestic violence, a subject both artists have a real-life connection to. In a recent interview, Rihanna spoke about the decision to do the record, after her highly-publicized domestic feud with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.

"It's something that, you know, we've both experienced...on different sides, different ends of the table," the singer told "Access Hollywood." "[Eminem] pretty much broke down the cycle of domestic violence and it's something that people don't have a lot of insight on....The lyrics were so deep, so beautiful and intense. It's something that I understood, something I connected with."

The song is currently at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. The video, which features Megan Fox ("Transformers") and Dominic Monaghan ("Lost") as love interests, has already been shot and is expected to debut any day now, so stay tuned to BET's 106 & Park for more details.

EXCLUSIVE: Teairra Mari Is Her Own Sponsor

Going from a teenager to an adult is always a tough transition, but for Warner Bros. recording artist Teairra Mari, that switch just came naturally. “I’ve always been super-advanced for my age,” says the 22-year-old R&B singer. “I was the girl who left out the door for school in sneakers, but carried heels in my book bag, and when I got to school, I changed into them. I’ve always had that in me.”

When Teairra Mari dropped the single “Make Her Feel Good” under Jay-Z’s Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam label, she was only 16, and thus, her image had to be just that, clean and 16. But nowadays, with the buzz around her popular-yet-controversial single, “Sponsor,” Teairra is showing the industry that she is far from a teenager. Teairra Mari’s grown-up image has heads turning, and the sexy new look is definitely helping to put her name back up in the mix.
“Sponsor,” Teairra’s recent single, is an up-tempo R&B cut that talks about a woman who “got herself a sponsor;” in other words, someone to pay her way. And with the negative perception around what many men perceive as “gold digging,” Teairra is dealing with a little bit of an industry backlash. “I didn’t write ‘Sponsor.' When I first heard it, I was like, ‘Uh, I don’t know if I want to do that song.’ But it was so catchy and I kept singing it when I would walk away, so [I decided] I’m gonna do it, but I’m going to do it sarcastically.” Teairra says if you really listen to the song, you can hear the sarcasm in her vocals.
“I always try to tell women, my sponsor is my job,” she defends. “There is nothing wrong with getting spoiled either. If your sponsor is your boyfriend, then that’s who he is. If you go to the movies with your man and you get to the checkout and he ain’t digging in his pocket to pay; guys are always expected to sponsor the movie night.”
But sponsors aside, Teairra is a young woman who's got her own, and she is working to keep it that way. The singer is simultaneously putting the finishing touches on a mixtape with DJ Drama titled “Point Of No Return,” a digital EP titled “Sincerely Yours” which will drop on August 17, and her upcoming sophomore album. Not only is she staying busy in the studio, she's also been putting in time on the movie set. Teairra's movie debut will be in the upcoming Ice Cube release, "Lottery Ticket." So this time, it's clear that Teairra Mari is in control of her own destiny.

Formerly under the guidance of her then-label head, Jay-Z, Teairra now knows firsthand that her hustle has to be on point, not just when it comes to music, but when it comes to the business. After being dropped from Def Jam in the aftermath of the changes that took place a few years ago, the Detroit-bred singer isn’t expecting anyone to hold her hand. In an interview back in 2008, Teairra seemed disturbed by not having heard from Jay-Z personally after being dropped, but nowadays she’s more understanding. “I haven’t talked to him [Jay-Z], but since I was released, he had this concert, I think it was last year, and he did a show in Detroit and my mom went. My mom said he was so nice to her, and I sent him an email thanking him and that was the last time we spoke. I told him that I wasn’t giving up and I was going to show him and make him proud.” She continued, “People just don’t understand that. People are always trying to get a negative response out of me. Business is business and until you are an executive or in the business, you really can’t speak. It’s no hard feelings, and I’m quite positive he has no hard feelings toward me.”

July is Deadliest Month of Afghan War for US

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Three U.S. troops died in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the death toll for July to at least 63 and surpassing the previous month's record as the deadliest for American forces in the nearly 9-year-old war.

A 50 calibre U.S. Air Force door gunner waits as a patient is loaded onto his helicopter during a rescue mission for a wounded Afghan soldier in the Arghandab Valley, Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, Thursday July 29, 2010. Rescue teams one part of the U.S. Air Force's 451st Air Expeditionary Wing in southern Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

PHOTOS: Get 15 Facts About the War in Afghanistan
In Kabul, police fired weapons into the air Friday to disperse a crowd of angry Afghans who shouted "death to America," hurled stones and set fire to two vehicles after an SUV was involved in a traffic accident that killed four Afghans on the main airport road, according to the capital's criminal investigations chief, Abdul Ghaafar Sayedzada.
SUVs are often associated with foreigners, but it remained unclear who caused the accident because the occupants fled the scene. Sayedzada said two foreigners' vehicles at the scene were burned by the crowd.
A fatal traffic accident caused by a U.S. military convoy in 2006 triggered an anti-American riot in Kabul that left at least 14 people dead and dozens injured.
The three U.S. service members died in two separate blasts in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, a NATO statement said Friday. It gave no nationalities, but U.S. officials said all three were Americans. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity pending notification of kin.
U.S. and NATO commanders had warned casualties would rise as the international military force ramps up the war against the Taliban, especially in their southern strongholds in Helmand and Kandahar provinces. President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan last December in a bid to turn back a resurgent Taliban.
British and Afghan troops launched a new offensive Friday in the Sayedebad area of Helmand to try to deny insurgents a base from which to launch attacks in Nad Ali and Marjah, the British military announced. Coalition and Afghan troops have sought to solidify control of Marjah after overrunning the poppy-farming community five months ago.
In Kabul, a crowd threw stones and set fire to an SUV after a traffic accident Friday in which two Afghans were killed and two were injured, according to traffic official Abdul Saboor. SUVs are associated with foreigners, but Saboor said the occupants of the vehicle fled the scene.
The tally of 63 American service member deaths in July is based on military reports compiled by The Associated Press. June had been the deadliest month for both the U.S. and the overall NATO-led force. A total of 104 international service members died last month, including 60 Americans.
The American deaths this month include Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley from Kingman, Arizona, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, from the Seattle area. They went missing last week in Logar province south of Kabul, and the Taliban announced they were holding one of the sailors.
McNeley's body was recovered there Sunday, and Newlove's body was pulled from a river Wednesday evening, Afghan officials said. The Taliban offered no explanation for Newlove's death, but Afghan officials speculated he died of wounds suffered when the two were ambushed by the Taliban.
The discovery of Newlove's body only deepened the mystery of the men's disappearance nearly 60 miles (100 kilometers) from their base in Kabul. An investigation is under way, but with both sailors dead, U.S. authorities remain at a loss to explain what two junior enlisted men in noncombat jobs were doing driving alone in Logar — much of which is not under government control.
Newlove's father, Joseph Newlove, told KOMO-TV in Seattle he too was baffled why his son had left the relative safety of Kabul.
"He's never been out of that town. So why would he go out of that town? He wouldn't have," he said.
Senior military officials in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, said the sailors were never assigned anywhere near where their bodies were found.
A NATO official in Kabul shot down speculation the two were abducted in Kabul and driven to Logar — the same province where New York Times reporter David Rohde was kidnapped in 2008 while trying to make contact with a Taliban commander. Rohde and an Afghan colleague escaped in June 2009 after seven months in captivity, most spent in Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.
Samer Gul, chief of Logar's Charkh district, said the two sailors, in a four-wheel drive armored SUV, were seen Friday a week ago by a guard working for the district chief's office. The guard tried to flag down the vehicle, carrying a driver and a passenger, but it kept going, Gul said.
Gul said there is a well-paved road that leads into the Taliban area and suggested the Americans may have mistaken that for the main highway — which is much older and more dilapidated.
Elsewhere, violence continued Friday.
Four Afghan civilians were killed and three were injured when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Zabul province of southern Afghanistan, provincial spokesman Mohammed Jan Rasoolyar said. When police arrived at the scene, Taliban fighters opened fire. One insurgent was killed, the spokesman said.
In Kandahar, a candidate in September's parliamentary election escaped assassination Friday when a bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded, city security chief Fazil Ahmad Sherzad said. The Interior Ministry said a woman and a child were killed and another child was wounded.

 

Tiny and T.I. Married!

Chelsea Clinton isn’t the only one walking down the aisle this weekend.  Us Magazine is confirming that T.I. and Tiny are officially married!  They tied the knot in Miami but will repeat the vows in three different locations — a small private island off the coast of Miami, Atlanta and Las Vegas.
T.I. and Tiny have been dating on and off since 2001 and T.I. proposed in July of 2009.  They have two kids together; T.I. has three kids from previous relationships.  There has been speculation over a possible secret marriage ceremony for weeks and now it’s official!
Congrats to them both!

Judge Lopez

 

In the running ... Jennifer Lopez

 

SEXY star Jennifer Lopez is tipped to take over as a judge on American Idol after Ellen DeGeneres quit.

Leaving ... DeGeneres

Talk show host Ellen, 52, who was drafted in to replace Paula Abdul, is leaving after just one series. She said the show was not right for her.
Singer and actress J-Lo, is said to be keen to join American Idol.
Ellen's fellow judge Kara DioGuardi is also set to leave, although Randy Jackson's job is said to be safe.
Simon Cowell quit earlier this year to prepare for the launch of the US version of The X Factor.

It’s official: Chelsea and Marc tie the knot Interfaith ceremony caps weeks of speculation, buzz

Mike Groll / AP

Wedding guests wait Saturday afternoon for a shuttle bus to take them to the wedding of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky at the Astor Courts estate in Rhinebeck, N.Y.

RHINEBECK, N.Y. — Chelsea Clinton has married her longtime boyfriend in an interfaith ceremony at an exclusive estate along New York's Hudson River.

Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton announced in a statement that their daughter wed investment banker Marc Mezvinsky on Saturday after weeks of secrecy and buildup that had celebrity watchers flocking to the small village for the evening nuptials.
“Today, we watched with great pride and overwhelming emotion as Chelsea and Marc wed in a beautiful ceremony at Astor Courts, surrounded by family and their close friends,” the statement said. “We could not have asked for a more perfect day to celebrate the beginning of their life together, and we are so happy to welcome Marc into our family. On behalf of the newlyweds, we want to give special thanks to the people of Rhinebeck for welcoming us and to everyone for their well-wishes on this special day.”
More than 400 guests were expected at the historic estate, and some of the celebrities spotted in Rhinebeck for the event included actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, fashion designer Vera Wang and Madeleine Albright, who was secretary of state during Bill Clinton's second term as president.
Details of the wedding have been difficult to come by, with shopkeepers, innkeepers, vendors and restaurateurs sworn to secrecy. Officials restricted airspace over the estate, and the area will remain a no-fly zone until 3:30 a.m. Sunday.

Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wave as they arrive for an after-party for their daughter Chelsea in Rhinebeck, N.Y., on Friday night.

The New York Times reported that the wedding ceremony celebrated and honored both Jewish and Christian traditions. Chelsea Clinton, like her mother, is Methodist; Mezvinsky is Jewish. The Times said the ceremony was to be conducted by Rabbi James Ponet, a Jewish chaplain at Yale University, and the Rev. William Shillady, executive director of the United Methodist City Society, and was to include friends and family reading the Seven Blessings, often recited at Jewish weddings after the vows and exchange of rings.
'The only celebrities in town?' In the early afternoon, Danson and Steenburgen strolled through Rhinebeck toward one of the hotels being used for the wedding. Both said they were excited about the upcoming ceremony.
"I knew her since she was a baby so this is a big moment," said Steenburgen, who wed Danson in 1995. "She's a lovely, lovely girl."
Reporters, who had been searching for celebrities in vain for most of the day, quickly zeroed in on the couple, prompting Danson to ask, "Are we the only celebrities in town?"
Donna Vena drove 50 miles to Rhinebeck from her home of Mount Kisco, New York, in the hopes of spotting a celebrity.

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"Why not?" she asked Saturday morning, a camera slung over her shoulder. "Big story. Maybe see Oprah."
Nearby, two young women passed out slices of pizza with "I do" written in pepperoni.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the hotel where many of the guests are staying were rewarded Friday night when the Clintons exited a van arm-in-arm outside the Beekman Arms Hotel.
Shortly before 11 p.m., the former first lady, wearing a long green dress, waved to the cheering crowd waiting behind metal barricades and quickly went into the hotel. She left with the former president about a half-hour later.
'We love it here'
Earlier Friday, the former president made an appearance around lunchtime, popping out of a car and walking a few blocks, greeting people on his way to a restaurant.
Looking fit and relaxed in blue jeans and a black knit shirt, he gave easy answers to questions shouted by well-wishers and reporters.
Newsweek: Good girl Chelsea grows up
"We're all fine. We love it here," he said, when asked how he was. "Chelsea loves the area as well."
And what do you think of Mr. Mezvinsky, Mr. President, someone asked.
"I like him very much," Clinton said. "I really do. I admire him. Hillary feels the same way."

1. 
   
   More on Chelsea’s wedding
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      Getty Images stock
      Chelsea Clinton: Let them eat gluten-free cake
      
      Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky are expected to serve wedding guests a gluten-free cake. Full story
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      AP
      Chelsea’s wedding: $15K for toilets?
      
      What does it take to throw Chelsea Clinton's lavish wedding? According to some estimates, $3M.  Full story
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      AFP - Getty Images
      Chelsea Clinton then and now
      
      Images: Daughter of a president and a Secretary of State, the only child of Bill and Hillary Clinton has grown up in the public eye.

The former president's half-brother, Roger Clinton, was spotted early Saturday afternoon with his son Tyler, picking up food at the same restaurant. When asked by reporters if he was excited, Roger Clinton said, "Yes, very excited" as they slipped into a waiting SUV.

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The wedding is set to take place at Astor Courts, a secluded estate along the Hudson River built as a Beaux Arts style playground for John Jacob Astor IV more than a century ago. The estate features the sort of commanding view that once inspired Hudson River School painters, as well as 50 acres of buffer space to shield the party from prying eyes.
Chelsea Clinton and Mezvinsky were friends as teenagers in Washington, and both attended Stanford University. They now live in New York, where Mezvinsky works at G3 Capital, a Manhattan hedge fund. Mezvinsky worked previously at Goldman Sachs as an investment banker.
Clinton completed her master's degree in public health earlier this year at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
Mezvinsky is a son of former U.S. Reps. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky of Pennsylvania and Ed Mezvinsky of Iowa, longtime friends of the Clintons. His parents are divorced.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Foxy Brown Appears In Court With New Lawyer

Rapper Foxy Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, appeared in Brooklyn criminal court yesterday (July 27) after pleading not guilty last week to charges of public lewdness, harassment and criminal contempt for violating an order of protection that her neighbor, Arlene Raymond, had taken against her. But just as drama seems to follow Foxy, the New York Post announced that she had been dropped by her attorney just a couple days before the hearing.

Despite the reports, Foxy's new manager Bernadette Brennan told allhiphop.com that the rapper had not been dropped but had decided to go with a more "high-powered attorney." Her new lawyer is Salvatore Strazzullo.
Strazzullo told the judge that Foxy was innocent. "When it comes down to it, what a tremendous waste of the city's money this order of protection is," he said.

This isn't the first time that Foxy has parted ways with an attorney. Back in 2008, the lawyer who represented her in Miami angrily withdrew from her case.

Brutal slaughter of pilot whales

Brutal ... hundreds killed in island cull

THE disembowelled bodies of brutally slaughtered whales line a dockside just 230 miles from Britain - as families with children wander among them.

More than 200 protected pilot whales were hacked to death with knives and sharpened hooks by fishermen who trapped them in coves on the Faroe Islands.
Disturbing images show deep gouges where whalers hacked at the animals to sever their spinal cords. Others show the bodies of unborn calves torn from their mothers' wombs.
Crowds of islanders, including youngsters, gathered to watch the slaughter, known as "the grind".
Anti-whaling activist Peter Hammarstedt, 28, exposed last week's killings by posing as a film-maker in the fishing town of Klaksvik.
He said: "One whale had five to six chops to her head. Her death would have been slow and extremely painful. Some whales are hacked repeatedly for up to four minutes until they finally die. When I got to the docks it was a truly gruesome sight."
Swede Peter, a member of activist group Sea Shepherd, said he counted 236 dead whales before he was recognised by a local and made his escape.

Gruesome ... dock scene

 

 

 

Heartbreaking ... calves were torn from womb

Pilot whales are classified as "strictly protected" under EU rules.The Faroes are a protectorate of Denmark and Sea Shepherd says the Danes are failing in their obligations by allowing the slaughter to continue.
Locals kill whales for food. A Fisheries Office spokesman said: "We use the most efficient and humane means of killing."
But Campaign Whale director Andy Ottaway said: "This appalling slaughter must end. It's an unfolding tragedy."

Karate Belter

He's got some moves ... Jaden Smith plays Dre Parker in The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid
(PG) 140mins

IT should really be called the Kung Fu Kid, what with that being the martial art 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) learns.
But there wasn't a huge 1984 hit movie of that name ready to be given a 2010 makeover.

Bags of potential ... Dre attends martial arts school

After Dre's mum (Taraji P Henson) is relocated for work from Detroit to China, he finds himself the victim of a group of bullies led by the particularly vicious Cheng (Zhenwei Wang).

Mr Han ... Jackie Chan

The initial beating he gets is no play-fight - kicks and throws have a bone-crunching reality to them and it's initially quite shocking to see two kids go at each other so hard.
As the bullying continues at school, you are desperately willing him to meet his mentor, learn some sweet moves and get his revenge.
Soon enough, said mentor comes along, no Mr Miyagi this time but Mr Han instead (Jackie Chan).
The janitor at the apartment block where Dre lives, he's a man whose training techniques are as obscure as the original's "wax on/wax off".
Chan is already a legend but, free from so much of the comedy clowning he does in most of his Hollywood output, he plays Mr Han as a tragic, subdued man whose relationship with Dre is as important for him as it is for the boy.

As Dre, Jaden Smith is the perfect mix of cockiness and vulnerability and, taking after his old man Will, the kid can deliver the funnies too.
The relationship between Chan and Smith's characters drives this film, a step up for director Harold Zwart who gave us the dire Pink Panther 2.
If only he'd cut down the flabby two hours plus running time - the film could have done with being as lean and mean as its promising young star.
Rating: Three out of five

Becks back with reds

Holding role ... Becks give Posh's hand a squeeze

Matrix

BEING injured is miserable for a footballer.

DAVID BECKHAM snapped his Achilles tendon, ruling him out of the World Cup and the end of the season with AC Milan.

But, weirdly, he seems to be having a great time on the road to recovery.

No wonder. POSH is looking pretty fit at the moment, and he must have plenty of time on his hands to keep her occupied.

The LA Galaxy and former Red Devils ace was snapped with Posh leaving interior designer KELLY HOPPEN's party in Notting Hill, west London, after having another tear-up with their famous pals.

ALAN CARR, GORDON RAMSAY and EMMA BUNTON were also out for the knees-up.

Earlier this week I revealed that the Beckhams had hosted their own bash - with the star of TV's Pineapple Dance Studios LOUIE SPENCE in attendance - at Beckingham Palace.

As Becks said: "You can't get enough Louie."

I wonder how much longer that will last?

THE EVOLUTION OF T.I.

The Evolution of T.I.

Tip is a long way from the trap. Since bursting onto the scene in 2001, the rapper has released five platinum albums, launched his Grand Hustle imprint and become a movie star (“ATL,” “American Gangster”). Now with “Takers” readying to hit theaters, Tip is putting on a new hat: movie producer. Here, we take a look at the evolution of T.I.’s career.

 

 

 

 

False Start

Then signed to Arista Records, T.I. released “I’m Serious.” Bold and cocky, the rapper proclaimed himself, “king of the south” before his debut album hit stores. Despite receiving good reviews, the album tanked commercially.

 

 

 

Square One

After getting dropped from Arista, Tip went back to work on the mixtape circuit and generated a buzz big enough to spark bidding wars between several labels. In the end, he signed with Atlantic Records. 

 

 

Told You So

Capitalizing off his momentum, Tip dropped “Trap Muzik,” an album many consider his best work, in 2003. Lead by singles like “24,” “Let’s Get Away” and “Rubberband Man,” the LP went platinum.

 

Set Backs

With “Trap Muzik” approaching platinum status, Tip was sent to jail on a parole violation charge. He was released in 2004.

 

 

 

Back to Back

Striking while the iron’s hot, Tip released Urban Legend in 2004. Featuring singles like “Bring Em’ Out” and “U Don’t Know Me,” the LP marked his second consecutive platinum release.

 

 

Coronation

Tip reached superstar status with the release of “King,” his fourth LP. The CD coincided with his big screen debut on “ATL” and served as the flick’s official soundtrack. 

 

 

 

Hollywood

A year after the success of “ATL,” Tip secured a role in “American Gangster" alongside Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. He’s now set to star in “Takers,” a film featuring Idris Elba, Chris Brown, Matt Dillon, Paul Walker and Michael Ealy. He also produced the movie.

 

 

 

Grand Huslter

With his career now on track, T.I. began releasing projects from other artists on his Grand Hustle imprint. To date, they’ve dropped projects from Young Dro, B.o.B., Eightball & MJG and DJ Drama. 

 

 

 

 

Split Personality

The king of the south continued his platinum ways with T.I. Vs. T.I.P.

 

 

 

A Year and a Day

Only days before the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards, Tip was arrested for attempting to purchase guns in an Atlanta parking lot. A convicted felon, he faced up to 10 years in jail, but got his sentence reduced to a year and a day when the judge saw the positive influence he could have on the community.

 

 

What's Beef?

Tip had his share of feuds in the beginning of his career. While he held grudges early on (Lil’ Flip), he’s now willing to let bygones be bygones. Things escalated when he and Ludacris traded disses on Young Buck’s “Stomp.” The two later made peace and appeared on each other’s respective albums. He also feuded with Shawty Lo only to squash it later.

 

 

 

Road to Redemption

With his setence approaching, Tip logged in countless hours of community service and lectured in schools. His MTV show, "Road to Redemption," also documented Tip as he reached out to at-risk kids and tried to help them change their lives for the better.

 

 

The Best Part

In the months leading up to his sentence, Tip released “Paper Trail.” The LP marked a change in content for the rapper. Gone were the tales from the trap. Instead, the disc featured uplifting and inspiring songs like “Live Your Life” featuring Rihanna. The LP’s his biggest selling release to date. 

 

 

 

 

Family Man

Tip is set to marry his longtime love Tiny Cottle. The couple has two sons together.

 

 

 

  

 

Kanye West Accused of Stealing Lyrics to "Stronger"

Kanye West is an artist who is well-respected for both his production talent and his lyrics. In fact, he prides himself on growing his writing skills when it comes to music. That's why it comes as a suprise that a unknown producer by the name of Vince P. is accusing West of stealing the lyrics to his hit song, "Stronger."

According to an exclusive interview with Bossip, Vince P. claims that Kanye West stole some of the lyrics for "Stronger" from him. The producer says that he gave one of his songs, also titled "Stronger" to John Monopoly, a Kanye West manager at the time. Says Vince P. of the songs, "They are very similar...I mean, there's a 1 in 200 million chance that we would use the same title and the same quote from a German philosopher....How many hip hop songs are talking about Kate Moss or French fashion designers?....Yeah, it may be a coincidence, but you aren't going to have six or seven coincidences."
Vince P. says he is filing a copyright infringement suit against Kanye West. "Credit is due somewhere....It's no hard feelings. I just want my money....We want the money that we're owed," he says.

Neither Kanye West or his reps have commented on the matter. 

DMX Sent Back to Jail

DMX's legal woes continue. According to TMZ.com, the rapper is scheduled to turn himself in today and begin serving time on a reckless driving charge stemming from 2002.

The Yonkers MC is scheduled to surrender to Los Angeles authorities today (July 27). X's manager told TMZ the rapper is "focused"on handling his previous legal issues so he can put his troubled past behind him. He's been ordered to spend 90 days in jail. X recently finished serving a 4-month jail stint for probation violation in Arizona. He was released on July 6.

Simmons received probation for assaulting an officer with a food tray while serving time for theft, drug and animal abuse charges last year.

BP replaces CEO Hayward, makes record loss

LONDON – BP's embattled Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward will be replaced by American Robert Dudley on Oct. 1, the company said Tuesday, as it reported a record quarterly loss and set aside $32.2 billion to cover the costs of the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

BP Plc (British Petroleum) Executive Vice President for the Americas and Asia Robert Dudley speaks at the Boston College Chief Executives' Club in Boston, Massachusetts May 6, 2010. BP Plc is expected to install an American troubleshooter as chief executive in the next 24 hours, replacing Tony Hayward, who has come under fire for his handling of the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Dudley, the U.S. executive managing the response operation to the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is poised to get the top job in a move that could soften U.S.-led attacks on the British oil major, sources close to the company say. Picture taken May 6, 2010. REUTERS/Adam Hunger/Files (UNITED STATES - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT ENERGY BUSINESS)

BP said the decision to replace Hayward, 53, with the company's first ever non-British CEO was made by mutual agreement. In a mark of faith in its outgoing leader, BP said it planned to recommend him for a non-executive board position at its Russian joint venture and will pay him 1.045 million pounds ($1.6 million), a year's salary, in lieu of notice.
"The BP board is deeply saddened to lose a CEO whose success over some three years in driving the performance of the company was so widely and deservedly admired," BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said in a statement accompanying the quarterly earnings update.
Svanberg said the April 20 explosion of the Macondo well on the Deepwater Horizon platform run by BP in the Gulf of Mexico has been a "watershed incident" for the company.
"BP remains a strong business with fine assets, excellent people and a vital role to play in meeting the world's energy needs," he said. "But it will be a different company going forward, requiring fresh leadership supported by robust governance and a very engaged board."
Besides permanently plugging the oil leak and cleaning up the spill and the company's image, Dudley will oversee the sale of $30 billion in assets over the next 18 months to bolster the company's finances.
Hayward, who has a Ph.D in geology, had been a well-regarded chief executive. But his promise when he took the job in 2007 to focus "like a laser" on safety came back to haunt him after the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and unleashed a deep-sea gusher of oil.
He became the lightning rod for anti-BP feeling in the United States and didn't help matters with a series of gaffes, raising hackles by saying "I want my life back," going sailing, and what was viewed as an evasive performance before U.S. congressmen in June.
In a statement on Tuesday, Hayward said it was right that BP embark on its next phase under new leadership.
"The Gulf of Mexico explosion was a terrible tragedy for which — as the man in charge of BP when it happened — I will always feel a deep responsibility, regardless of where blame is ultimately found to lie," he said.
On top of the $1.6 million payout, Hayward retains his rights to shares under a long-term performance program which could eventually be worth several million pounds if BP's share price recovers. The stock, which has lost around 40 percent since the well explosion, was almost flat at 417 pence ($6.45) in early trade on the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
Hayward, who will remain on the board until Nov. 30, will also be entitled to draw an annual pension of 600,000 pounds from a pension pot valued at around 11 million pounds.
Svanberg described Dudley, 54, who was thrown out of Russia after a battle with shareholders in the company's TNK-BP joint venture, as a "robust operator in the toughest circumstances."
Currently BP's managing director, Dudley grew up partly in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and has so far avoided any public missteps. He spent 20 years at Amoco Corp., which merged with BP in 1998, and lost out to Hayward on the CEO slot three years ago.
Dudley will be based in London when he takes up his appointment and will hand over his present duties in the United States to Lamar McKay, the chairman and president of BP America.
BP said the $32.2 billion charge for the cost of the spill led it to record a loss of $17 billion for the second quarter, compared with a profit of $4.39 billion a year earlier. It is the first time in 18 years that the company has been in the red. The charge includes the $20 billion compensation fund the company set up following pressure from President Barack Obama as well as costs to date of $2.9 billion.
But the company also stressed its strong underlying financial position — revenue for the quarter was up 34 percent at $75.8 billion — and Hayward said it had reached a "significant milestone" with the capping of the leaking well.
Crews were restarting work to plug the leaky Gulf well after the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie blew through, forcing a short evacuation. The U.S. government's oil spill chief, Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, said Monday that the so-called static kill — in which mud and cement are blasted in from the top of the well — should start Aug. 2.
If all goes well, the final stage — in which mud and cement are blasted in from deep underground — should begin Aug. 7.
BP said the bottom kill could take days or weeks, depending on how well the static kill works, meaning it will be mid-August before the well is plugged for good.
Hayward said the company expects to pay the "substantial majority" of the remaining direct spill response costs by the end of the year.
"Other costs are likely to be spread over a number of years, including any fines and penalties, longer-term remediation, compensation and litigation costs," Hayward said.
BP said the sale of $30 billion in assets over the next 18 months will be "primarily in the upstream business, and selected on the basis that they are worth more to other companies than to BP."
That would leave the company with a smaller, but higher quality Exploration & Production business, it said.
In London, Greenpeace protestors closed more than 50 service stations in a protest timed to coincide with the company's earnings update. The environmental action group is calling on Dudley to focus the company on greener and renewable sources of energy.
Richard Hunter, head of U.K. Equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said that significant challenges remain for the company but it is "moving aggressively to position itself for the tough times ahead."
"The triple pronged approach of increased provisions, asset sales and a new CEO should be a potent mix in forming a strong future foundation," Hunter said. "Behind the obvious headlines, the underlying trading performance was robust with a significant improvement having been made on a like for like basis."
The company reported that underlying replacement cost profit — the measure most closely watched by analysts — was $5 billion for the three months between April and June when adjusted for one-off items and accounting effects. That compared favorably with a $2.9 billion profit for the second quarter of 2009.
"Outside the Gulf it is very encouraging that BP's global business has delivered another strong underlying performance, which means that the company is in robust shape to meet its responsibilities in dealing with the human tragedy and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico," Hayward said.
Higher prices for oil and gas made up for slightly lower output and a loss in gas marketing and trading in Exploration & Production, while Refining & Marketing reported increased profits as a result of strong performance in the fuels value chains and the lubricants and petrochemicals businesses.
The company said it planned to reduce net debt to a range between $10 billion and $15 billion within the next 18 months, compared to net debt of $23 billion at the end of June, to ensure that it had the flexibility to meet its future financial obligations.
Capital spending for 2010 and 2011 will be about $18 billion a year, in line with previous forecasts.

Jordan’s ‘wedding fight rap’

Row ... Alex Reid and Jordan

 

 

JORDAN and Alex Reid could face arrest over a punch-up at their wedding, The Sun can reveal.

Cops are probing claims that Reid's cage fighter mates attacked paparazzi at the church.

Officers watched the ITV2 show Katie and Alex, For Better For Worse, about the wedding in Surrey on July 3.

Sources said Reid, 34, Jordan, 32, and ITV2 may now be charged with incitement offences or breach of the peace.

Posh bags fifth Vogue cover

EVERY young girl dreams of being on the cover of Vogue - and now VICTORIA BECKHAM has done it for a FIFTH time.

The WAG queen, 36, graces the cover of Turkey's August edition of the fashion bible.

And you can see Posh's other Vogue covers - from Britain, Germany, India and Russia - in the slideshow below. 

 

Latest cover ... Vic on the cover of Turkish Vogue

COPYRIGHT: VOGUE

 

Vogue India ... Victoria Beckham

COPYRIGHT: VOGUE

 

 

 

Home turf ... Posh on the cover of Vogue UK

COPYRIGHT: VOGUE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guten tag ... Posh on German Vogue 

 

 

First 3D home vid camera... £1,300

Model ... Panasonic

 

 

BRITS will soon be able to film their own Avatar-style movies with the launch of the world's first 3D home camcorder.

The £1,300 gadget, on sale in September, uses two special lenses and was developed with Hollywood film studios.
Users can edit 3D content, copy films to their computer or burn them on to DVD and Blu-Ray Discs. They need a 3D TV to watch the films.
The Panasonic HDC-SDT750 model features detachable lenses so owners can still film in 2D.
Panasonic UK spokesman Barnaby Sykes said: "3D technology is the future of entertainment.
"Imagine filming your baby's first steps in 3D. It will bring your precious memories to life."
Demand is expected to be high and experts predict film website YouTube will soon open its own 3D channel.

 

Sparrow shuts up his noisy bird

Shhhhh ... the sparrow closes his noisy partner's beak

 

 

 

THIS sparrow had a simple solution to his partner's constant squawking — he rudely closed her beak with his tiny talons.

The hen-pecked bird put an end to the noisy tweeting in a move that most downtrodden men can only dream of.
The bizarre moment was caught on camera by amateur snapper Urs Schmidli as the sparrows flew around his garden.
Urs, who spends several hours a day waiting to capture magic moments on film, said: "In this one shot it really looked like the darker male had just had enough of a nearby female's cheeping and decided to try and quieten the din down."
The postman, from Sherz, Switzerland, also captured the sparrows sorting out the garden pecking order by using their wings to see each other off.
Urs, 55, studied the birds for a month before he began taking pictures.
He said: "I had a feeling that there were some things going on that were too fast for the human eye, so I decided to take a closer look with a camera. I'm glad I did."

Pecking order ... two sparrows fight for food

 

 

 

Battle ... the birds show off in the garden

 

Ange looks Jolie le

 

Splitting image ... sensational Angelina
Jolie sashays into Tokyo

 

I DOUBT the Japanese fans who turned up for ANGELINA JOLIE have ever seen a leg this long.

The star was in Tokyo for the premiere of her movie Salt.

Tat's all right ... back in fashion

Yesterday I showed you pics of Ange arriving at the airport with four of her kids.
This time the tots were with minders - perhaps because she was grabbed by an over-excited fan the day before.
But she was back in style in a dress cut to the waist - exposing her long left limb.
You have to feel for the snubbed right one.

No fan-ks ... Ange is grabbed in the
crush by an overexcited supporter

Big hit ... Jolie big crowds turned out at the airport

Europics