Chris Brown - "Run It"

Destiny's Child - "Lose My Breath"

Diddy featuring Brandy - "Thought U Said"

Honestly, something that's more like this, and less like "London Bridge," I'd be fine with. It sounds like a lost Sugababes track! Too bad any chance of it being released as a single went up in smoke when Brandy had that traffic mishap.

Confirmed: Britney Spears Working On New Album [EW]

In London, runners will be treated to an exclusive performance by world-renowned American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer Moby in the city's famed Wembley Stadium. Other all-star artists confirmed to play at the Nike+ Human Race include chart-topping rock band All-American Rejects in NY; hometown favorite Fall Out Boy in Chicago; R&B songstress Kelly Rowland in Paris; dance-electro-pop duo The Pinker Tones in Madrid, Turkish pop sensation Kenan Dogulu in Istanbul; the Fantastic Four in Munich; Beijing-based singing duo Yu Quan in Shanghai and American rock band Boy Likes Girl in Singapore.

One has to wonder why Diddy isn't in on this.

Kanye West Announced as Grand Finale Performance for the Nike Human Race - the World's Largest One Day Running Event [Business Week]
I Run NYC [YouTube]

Ish Entertainment is behind the untitled 50 Cent show, which will center on 16 contestants as they live together and compete in challenges that relate to street savvy and business smarts. Show - kind of a hip-hop 'Apprentice' - will end each week with 50 Cent narrowing his search. Ish's Michael Hirschorn, Stella Stolper and Chris Choun exec produce with 50 Cent and Chris Lighty. Eight episodes have been lined up.

Diddy, the original murmuring hip-hop mogul, is getting ready for Making The Rock Band, a guitar-conscious spin off of Making The Band in which Diddy, as well as guest stars along the lines of Travis Barker, Dave Navarro, Pete Wentz, and Scott Ian, will search for the new Fuzzbubble.

50 Cent Joins MTV For Mogul Search [Variety]

First of all, there's the moment every time the song appears when I think that, by some miracle, it's actually the Beatnuts, before the disappointment sets in. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

Secondly, you might think the video makes you look like a "petulant fool", but the few seconds of you rubbing lotion on J.Lo's ass are vastly more watchable than the entirety of He's Just Not That Into You is likely to be. We've all made mistakes, Ben. You have Bounce, I own several Newsboys discs. It happens, dude... it's all in how you recover.

Affleck hated Lopez video [Ireland Online]

Among other things, the March 17 article and related Times publications reported that newly discovered information supported Shakur's claims that associates of music executive Sean "Diddy" Combs orchestrated an attack in which Shakur was injured at the Quad Recording Studios in New York on Nov. 30, 1994.



The information, which came from the purported FBI reports and other sources, said that James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond, a talent manager; Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant, a figure on the New York hip-hop scene; and James Sabatino, purportedly one of Combs' associates, arranged the assault on Shakur because they were angry that he had rejected overtures to sign with Combs' Bad Boy Records.



The Times now believes that Sabatino fabricated the FBI reports and concocted his role in the assault as well as his supposed relationships with Combs, Rosemond and Agnant.



Consequently, The Times specifically retracts all statements in the article, and in its related publications, that state or suggest in any way that Rosemond, Agnant and Sabatino orchestrated or played any role in the assault on Shakur or that they lured him into an ambush at the Quad studios.



To the extent these publications could be interpreted as creating the impression that Combs was involved in arranging the attack, The Times wishes to correct that misimpression, which was neither stated in the article nor intended.



The Times also reported that Sabatino told Combs in advance that Shakur was going to be attacked. The Times now believes that Sabatino had no involvement in the attack and that he never spoke to Combs about it. Any statements or implications suggesting that Combs was given advance knowledge of the assault on Shakur, or played any role in it, are specifically retracted.



In addition, The Times was mistaken in reporting that Rosemond has served prison time for drug dealing and was convicted in 1996 of drug offenses. The Times specifically retracts those statements.

While there are still many unanswered questions surrounding the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, one hopes that this is the last time the Times or Phillips will claim to have the answers.

The Times retracts Tupac Shakur story [LA Times]

BTdubs, does anyone out there have a copy of the August 1994 Spin? Phillips profiled Death Row impresario Suge Knight in it, and I'd be keen to give it a glance. Not to be a conspiracy nut, but anyone who saw Biggie & Tupac has to wonder why a reporter who tends to portray Knight as a victim ("People familiar with the situation say Knight tried to control the rival Bloods factions with money and gifts. But his largess often provoked resentment.") is so gung-ho about proving that Diddy (Diddy!) is a murderous mastermind.

The Times apologizes over article on rapper [LA Times]

FBI records obtained recently by The Times say that a confidential informant told authorities in 2002 that [James] Rosemond and [James] Sabatino "set up the rapper Tupac Shakur to get shot at Quad Studios." The informant said Sabatino had told him that Shakur "had to be dealt with."

The records — summaries of FBI interviews with the informant conducted in July and December 2002 — provide details of how Shakur was lured to the studio and ambushed. Others with knowledge of the incident corroborated the informant's account in interviews with The Times and gave additional details.

According to this information, Rosemond and Sabatino, infuriated by what they saw as Shakur's insolent behavior, enticed him to the Quad by offering him $7,000 to provide a vocal track for a rap recording.

Three assailants — reputedly friends of Rosemond — were lying in wait. They were on orders to beat Shakur but not kill him and to make the incident look like a robbery, the sources said. They were told they could keep whatever jewelry or other valuables they could steal from Shakur and his entourage.

A member of Shakur's posse cooperated with the rapper's enemies, relaying their offer of a $7,000 payment and keeping them informed of his whereabouts on the night of the assault, according to the informant and the other sources.

The scheduled beating only turned into a gun battle when Pac himself produced a firearm when cornered by his attackers; the Times has refused to name the three men involved "because they have not been charged," though it does note that all three are "serving time in federal penitentiaries for unrelated crimes." (The newspaper also doesn't directly link Diddy/Bad Boy to the planned attack, though this MTV News headline certainly suggests that author Chuck Phillips feels the mogul was at least aware it was going down.) Sabatino and Mr. Combs have both refused to comment; Rosemond continues to dismiss claims of his involvement.

An Attack On Tupac Shakur Launched A Hip-Hop War [LA Times]

SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS ISSUES A CALL TO ACTION FOR YOUNG VOTERS TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED ON SUPER TUESDAY
Diddy Declares 2008 "The Year of the Youth Vote"

New York, NY—Diddy issued a challenge to young voters everywhere to finish what they started in the 2004 election and make their voice heard by turning out in force and casting their ballots in the two dozen Democratic and Republican primaries taking place on Tuesday, February 5th.

More than any other group of voters, young people are most directly affected by the issues at stake in this election. From the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, to health care to the rising cost of a college education, young people need their voice to be heard, if there is going to be change on the critical issues.

"Thanks to your VOICE and your VOTE, the political candidates can no longer ignore your concerns about this country and your future. Young people are poised to continue the work that Citizen Change and other organizations started in 2004, when more than 20 million young people showed up at the polls and voted," said Diddy. "In 2004, you waited in lines, you said enough was enough. And in 2008, you've inspired more young people get in the game."

"Change will only be real when young people across this country go to the polls on Super Tuesday and in November and stand up and have their votes counted. This election is already historic because of who is running in it. It will gain a greater place in history because of who is voting in it."

According to CIRCLE, voters age 18-29 account for 21% of the voting eligible population account for 20% of registered voters in this election. There are 32 million Millennial voters in the United States, who are spreading out across the political parties and winning their vote will be crucial to both determining each parties' presidential nominee and who will ultimately become the next President of the United States.

Diddy will be announcing Citizen Change's plan of action for the 2008 election in the coming months.

[HT: 30frames]

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Fat Joe Beefs Up LP With Eddie Murphy Cover; Diddy Joins The 'Party' Too! [MTV]
Eddie Murphy/Rick James - Party All The Time [YouTube]

Personal Assistant to Celebrity
Publication or Company ''Hip-hop media mogul''
Industry Public Relations, Television
Salary Negotiable
Job Duration Full Time
Job Location New York, NY USA
Job Requirements Prominent celebrity hip-hop mogul is seeking a top-notch, professional and outgoing Personal Assistant to coordinate business, social and personal affairs. This role involves handling business and personal tasks. It is imperative that the Assistant has the sophistication to communicate effectively with people at all levels of management and handle highly confidential matters. Due to busy schedule, the Assistant needs to be accessible on weekends and evenings to handle ongoing activities. Other details will be explained upon employment.

Qualifications/Requirements
Applicants must be 21 or older.
Must have a "whatever it takes" attitude.
You'll need a big personality to stand out amongst the other candidates.
Be available and on-call 24/7.
Contact Christopher Catalano
Email Address NewYork@WorkForPDiddy.com

Personal Assistant to Celebrity [Mediabistro, reg. req.]

Combs is not alone in his failure to bring fair use to the court's attention. Although the Beastie Boys successfully defended their right to sample a three-note flute sequence in one of their songs a few years back, they too failed to pursue the fair-use defense in that case.

Why would Combs, one of the biggest names in hip-hop, fail to defend sampling? Maybe it was simply inadvertence. Maybe it was a strategic decision (albeit a very bad one, as it turned out). Or maybe it was more calculating. Combs and his label can afford to pay for samples. Many aspiring artists and their fledgling labels—the next generation of would-be moguls hungry to unseat Diddy—cannot. Maybe Diddy cares more about the benefit of reduced competition than defending the work of the artist and the technique that helped create his empire. Tell us, Diddy, what were you thinking?

Leaving aside certain ironies in Falzone's argument—Biz Markie's use of Gilbert O'Sullivan "felt uninspired and sounded like simple theft," but Diddy, king of jacking entire well-known hooks, is supposed to be the one to defend sampling as an art form?—the main reason why Diddy's legal team neglected to pursue a fair use defense was probably a simple matter of economics. Falzone is "the executive director of the Fair Use Project and a lecturer at Stanford Law School," according to his Slate bio, so he has to know that such defenses represent a long, costly process with a poor track record for success. Higher courts have often overturned successful sampling defenses, whether based on fair use or not, which makes cutting and running early on that much more cost-effective.

Under Falzone's guidelines, Diddy's bottom line-driven failure to stump for the creative process does represent an ethical misstep. (On the other hand, who would mistake Diddy for an artist first and a businessman second?) Sampling laws have been out of whack for over 15 years, but if Falzone took a look at popular hip-hop in 2007, it would be clear why major labels (and major label artists) aren't particularly interested in reforming them. Falzone states early on that "by the time B.I.G. recorded Ready To Die, sampling had come to define hip-hop." But as numerous critics have pointed out while charting the rise of Southern hip-hop over the last few years, by 1994 hip-hop had already started to turn decisively toward keyboards, programmed drums, live bass players, and all sorts of things that don't require licensing fees, leaving sampling to those too deep underground to be noticed by the law or wealthy enough to afford to cover their asses. If labels can make money off Soulja Boy's preset steel drums, it seems like tilting at windmills to expect them to raise a stink over a young producer's right to use a "Funky Drummer" loop.

Why Hasn't Diddy Tried To Save Music Sampling [Slate]

The lawsuit claimed James Waldon, 27, spoke to Combs in The Box and then one bodyguard punched him in the mouth, knocking him backward onto a table, and two others began hitting and kicking him continuously.

Waldon rolled off the table and was chased around the club by the bodyguards before escaping. The beating left Waldon with numerous injuries, including mouth and teeth problems, according to court papers.

But what did he do to deserve the kind of flogging that gives you "mouth and teeth problems"? Surely Diddy reserves this level of violence for only the most serious conflicts.

After saying hello and exchanging pleasantries, court papers say, [Waldron] invited Combs to see a performance of a hip-hop music group he was promoting.
At that point, court papers say, "Combs gestured at (a bodyguard) to forcibly remove Mr. Waldon from close proximity to Combs," and the assault began.

Oh, an invitation to a show. No wonder he was so upset.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sued For Assault [Variety]

According to Mariah, "I heard about this competition, and I wish Puff all the best with his new fragrance, but I think we're actually appealing to different types of women. M by Mariah Carey is about being unforgettable, not unforgivable. It's not about a ménage à trois or a one night stand, it's for the woman who wants the man to fall in love with her immediately, stay in love, and treat her like royalty."

Not to come off cynical about love or anything, but somehow a ménage à trois/one night stand seems a little less fantastical.

Mariah Carey Strikes Back At Diddy [Vibe]

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Earlier: A True Gentleman

Diddy is clearly entranced by the power of YouTube, and now he's taking that fascination one step further: Instead of looking for a personal assistant by doing something boring like asking for cover letters and references, he's asking those looking to organize his late-night Burger King runs and complicated finances to upload videos stating their case for employment worthiness. (That sucking sound you heard was the country's newspaper publishers, whose classified-ad revenue has taken yet another body-blow.) One tip for aspiring targets of Diddy's day-to-day freakouts: If you really, really want the job, you may want to make sure that your interviewer can actually hear you.

Diddy's Assistant [YouTube, via ProHipHop]

Only one awkward moment emerged during Prince's forays into the crowd. He approached the daunting bunch on what could have been dubbed the "hip-hop power couch" — it included Diddy, Death Row Records founder Suge Knight, Erykah Badu and Nas, among others — and tried to hand the microphone to Nas.

The rapper declined to ad-lib, however, simply muttering, "I love Prince," and handing back the hot potato. Prince then tried to work his charm on Badu; she gave up a half-hearted rhyme about sisterhood, but it fizzled out. About half of those seated on the couch then abruptly departed (although Nas and Badu both stayed).

This must have been one of the most terrifying moments in Diddy's life: With Suge and Nas by his side and Prince standing right in front of him, he's faced with the prospect of having to rap—in public! If only he'd sprung an extra $3,121 and grabbed an extra seat for his ghostwriter.

Prince charming at the Roosevelt [LATimes]

Puffy's Vanity Video [TSG TV]

The suit says Combs, without provocation, shouted an obscenity at Rechnitzer, who then warned his girlfriend that they should leave, prompting Combs to yell at him, "I'll smack flames out your a—!" At that point, the suit says, Combs "attacked, assaulted and battered" Rechnitzer, causing him "to fly backwards several feet" into a vehicle behind him.

A police spokesman said officers were investigating an incident in which Rechnitzer said he was punched on the right side of the face by a man talking to his girlfriend.

The police report did not identify the other man, and the police spokesman said he could not confirm that Combs, 37, was the subject of the investigation. Combs' lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, called the lawsuit "completely baseless."

Diddy's new catchphrase attempt came as a shock to friend and former collaborator Godzilla, who claims to have created the "smack the flames out of your ass!" slogan in 1998; a trademark-infringement suit is expected in federal monster court this afternoon.

'Diddy' hit with assault suit {Reuters via CNN.com]

Gerard Rechnitzer was at a post-Oscar bash Sunday night with his fiancee at Teddy's at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. At around 2 AM Monday morning, the 27-year-old Rechnitzer was on his way to the parking lot when he made a pit stop in the bathroom. When he walked out, he noticed his fiancee was surrounded by six men, including Combs. We're told the 5'7", 140 lb. Rechnitzer watched as Combs chatted up his girl for about five minutes, and then asked his fiancee to leave with him.

At that point, Combs allegedly told the woman he was having a party and invited her to come. Rechnitzer persisted and asked his fiancee again to leave with him. Combs then allegedly socked Rechnitzer in the jaw.

Ah yes, the old mac-and-whack* maneuver, in which a hot-tempered millionaire-playboy woos a lady the only way he knows how: By crowding her with his intimidating entourage, and then smacking around her boyfriend. Rechnitzer's just lucky that Diddy wasn't carrying around one of his oversized novelty champagne bottles.

* alleged whack.

P. Diddy Investigated for Assault & Battery [TMZ.com]