Sam Sifton, the Times's culture editor, says that while such decisions are handled on a case-by-case basis, rap artists often get special treatment. "There's a big difference between [Houston rapper] Bun B and Tony Bennett," Sifton says, referring to Bernard Freeman and Anthony Dominick Benedetto, respectively. "Tony Bennett took a stage name, which I think is a little different from taking an alias. Someone like Jay-Z can be Mr. Carter, certainly, or he can just be Jay-Z, but he's never going to be Mr. Z."

But is there a meaningful distinction between a "stage name" and an "alias"? That Sifton made an example of Jay-Z—rather than someone like, say, Ghostface Killah, whose chosen moniker is further outside the mainstream nomenclature—suggests that at the Times, at least, there is, and that rappers are in a class by themselves. Why else would Alicia Keys, a performer from beyond the rap realm—who took a stage name (or devised an alias) based on the instrument she plays—have never been outed as Alicia Augello-Cook? In Kelefa Sanneh's October 5, 2003, Times CD roundup, Outkast rappers André 3000 (André Benjamin) and Big Boi (Antwan Patton) got name-dropped, while Erykah Badu's birth name (Erica Wright) was never mentioned.

Even more confusing are articles that seem to follow no logic whatsoever: a December 3, 2006, Times profile on celebrity Sirius Radio hosts refers to rap personality Ludacris as Christopher Bridges (and as "Mr. Bridges" in subsequent references), but allows Eminem (Marshall Mathers), Snoop Dogg (Calvin Broadus), and Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) to use their stage names. On second reference, though, Bob Dylan is "Mr. Dylan," while Eminem remains Eminem; Snoop is only mentioned once, but judging by former Times treatments he would have been called "Snoop" or "Snoop Dogg" had his name come up again.

I suspect that some of the reason Ludacris was referred to as "Mr. Bridges" was that there's at least some precedent; his movie and TV credits frequently refer to him as Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. But what, pray tell, could be the difference between a "stage name" and an "alias"? Is it one of those "I know it when I see it" tests, where "Erykah Badu" can pass as a reasonable entry on a legal document while "Andre 3000" couldn't, at least not until we all start getting our official numeric aliases for easier bad-credit spotting?

Name-Dropping [CJR via Gawker]

The VIP arrangements in place for the rapper include a Land Rover tour of Worthy Farm, the muddy dairy fields where 72-year-old farmer Michael Eavis hosts Britain's largest and best-known festival.

"I had a word with his manager," said Eavis. "And he said: you're country folk down there, we're city kids. I said that a lot of people that come to Glastonbury are city kids too, and I would show him around to prove it." Eavis said preparations included a tour of Trash City - a field of sculptures and robots made of waste - a trip around Shangri La, this year's weird and wacky "festival within a festival", and a stop in the comedy tent.

However, Jay-Z and his partner Beyoncé Knowles, recently rumoured to have married, will avoid the stone circle, a place many fans view as the spiritual soul of the Somerset event. "The hippy thing, his manager said, isn't quite up [Jay-Z's] street," Eavis added.

Not yet, anyway. Wait until he needs a big idea for one of his Live Nation-produced tours, though, then he'll be all about finding some rocks and soul.

Jay-Z gets into the spirit of Glastonbury to silence critics [Guardian]

"I saw Jay-Z as we were leaving the arena after the fight, gave him my tape, and asked him to listen to it", explained Rose, who also wrote a book called Mike Tyson Tried To Kill My Daddy. "He took the demo with him and shortly after that he began using the whispering (which he now frequents) in his songs. I had previously trained some of my artists to use that style, but it quickly became obsolete after Jay-Z got a hold of it. He used the whispering to enhance his music and financially benefit from it. Jay-Z disregarded the fact that it was my demo where he got the style from as he went on to use it for his own personal gains, which is wrong"...



Rose has served the lawsuit papers two of Jay-Z's night clubs and will shortly be sending them to Def Jam Records' headquarters, where Jay-Z is the CEO.

If this does somehow make it to court, I hope that the defense will argue that the "whispering tone" proved no actual benefit to the sales or quality of Jay-Z's later albums.

Mitchell Rose Suing Hip-Hop Icon Jay-Z [East Side Boxing via Real Talk NY]

"Straight Out The Rarri," a collaboration between Jeezy and Ross, leaked late last year, and it may be the template for the future of Def Jam: It's a bombastic, attention-grabbing track fronted by two minimally talented rappers reaffirming their eternal hardness via lyrical tropes that would have sounded dull on a No Limit album ten years ago. Whether you think Jay-Z was running an artists' colony or a retirement home, he obviously had a desire to push hip-hop as a creative genre with a sense of history. If Stewart's future signings fit with the ones that got him where he is, we should just be grateful if they realize "snitch" rhymes with "bitch."

Jay-Z Replacement Confirmed, Shakir Stewart Named New EVP Of Def Jam [SOHH]
Young Jeezy feat. Rick Ross - Straight Out The Rarri [YouTube]

Glastonbury tickets, which normally are nearly impossibly to obtain, are moving slowly this year, and there's already been some grumbling about Jay-Z as a headliner (although Brits should thank their lucky stars they didn't end up with Jack Johnson, right?) However, the acts announced today are a mixed bag of wtf's and pleasant surprises, with John Mayer, James Blunt and Gilbert O'Sullivan leading the former and Leonard Cohen, the Verve and The National the best of the latter. Somewhere in the middle, we have Duffy, The Feeling, Manu Chao, and Goldfrapp. Another category adequately covered is "Who The Hell Are These People And Why Do Their Names Seem Like Noises Toddlers Make?", featuring The Ting Tings and Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong.

The TBA filled announcement below:

Friday, June 27

Pyramid Stage

Kings Of Leon, The Fratellis, Editors, The Gossip, The Feeling, KT Tunstall, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, The Subways, Kate Nash

Other Stage

Panic At The Disco, The Enemy, We Are Scientists, Foals, The Hoosiers, Ben Folds, Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong, Vampire Weekend, Hilltop Hoods

John Peel Stage

Jamie T, The Cribs, Reverend And The Makers, MGMT, The Ting Tings, Young Knives, Lightspeed Champion, Glasvegas

Saturday, June 28

Pyramid Stage

Jay-Z, Very Special Guest TBA, Manu Chao, The Raconteurs, James Blunt, Crowded House, Seasick Steve, The Hold Steady, Shakin' Stevens

Other Stage

Massive Attack, Hot Chip, Elbow, Duffy, The Wombats, Neon Neon, Black Kids, The Golden Silvers, The Travelling Band

John Peel Stage

Biffy, Clyro, The Futureheads, Band Of Horses, The Courteneers/The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, The Teenagers

Sunday, June 29

The Verve, Leonard Cohen, Goldfrapp, Very Special Guest TBC, John Mayer, Gilbert O' Sullivan, TBC

Other Stage

Groove Armada, The Zutons, The Pigeon Detectives, Mark Ronson, Scouting For Girls, Jack Penate, Newton Faulkner, Black Mountain, Hoodoo Gurus

John Peel Stage

The National, Spiritualized, Crystal Castles, Brain Jonestown Massacre, The Stars, The Courteneers/The Black Keys, Rocket Summer

Glastonbury festival lineup leaked [Guardian]

In an interview with the BBC, the Oasis man said the festival was "built on a tradition of guitar music" which the rapper failed to fit into.

Asked by the interviewer what he made of Glastonbury's failure to sell out, he responded: "Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Gallagher continued: "Sorry, but Jay-Z? Fucking no chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music, do you know what I mean? Even when they throw the odd curveball in on a Sunday night and you go, Kylie Minogue? Don't know about that."

According to the BBC, Gallagher, whose band Oasis headlined the festival in 1995 and 2004, also said: "I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."

Hmm, he didn't seem to have a problem with the Black Eyed Peas sharing the bill with his band in 2004. Could our man Noel be a little, well, embittered over the fact that his band isn't sharing top billing with the Verve and Kings Of Leon? Or does he just have a long-brewing crush on Fergie?

Gallagher brands Jay-Z 'wrong for Glasto' [Guardian]
[Photo: AP]

After Jay-Z announced he would headline the upcoming four-day O2 Wireless Festival at Hyde Park (an indoor gig) a week after Glastonbury, rumors spread that he would drop out of the earlier festival, offended by claims that British campers aren't psyched to wait through three days of mud (and bands like Kings Of Leon) to see him. Word even got out that Prince might replace him. But Glastonbury organizer Michael Eavis says such claims are rubbish.

Speaking to XFM, Eavis said that the reports of a possible Jay-Z cancellation were "completely unfounded" and "nasty, malicious rumours".
"The Sun was carrying a story that he was pulling out," he continued. "I'm not sure where they got from, probably from the people that were doing a show in London the following week [the Wireless festival in Hyde Park, which Jay-Z is set to headline], because they were tying to sell tickets for their show."

Jay-Z's great and all, but I really can't think of a context where I would be disappointed if he wasn't magically replaced by Prince. Songs, concerts, candid tabloid snaps with Beyonce—Prince would always be preferable.

Jay-Z Ready To Pull Out Of Glastonbury [FestivalWise]
Prince replacing Jay-Z at Glastonbury? [DigitalSpy]
Michael Eavis: 'Jay-Z Is Not Pulling Out Of Glastonbury' [NME]

• Beyonc-Jay
• B' Jay
• Bonnie & Clyde '03
• Bay-Z (in love!)
• Bay-Jay
• Bay-Jay Johnson

Beyonce And Jay-Z Take Out Marriage License [People/Photo: AP]

FIRST-LISTEN VERDICT: Technically this one hit the blogs after we had closed up shop last night, but it's probably maybe kinda worth a shout out despite being, like, hours old, if only to hear tour bus BFF's Mary and Jay tackling an awkwardly chill Swizz beat. Oh and to hear Jay refer to the duo as "Ms. No More Drama and Barack Obama." (At least we think he's comparing himself to good senator from Illinois; that could actually be Barry doing the background ad libs.) 'Course Jay's ego forces him to go one step further a few lines later by casting himself as Mr. Loaves and Fishes, posing like Jesus in Evisu, though he's quick to point out he's so much more.
WHERE TO FIND IT: Nah Right

In the claim, Mr. Campbell said that Mr. Ratner and Jay-Z worked "in concert" with Barclays, and "profited from the African Slave Trade and continue to profit from these gains, through a conspiracy dating back hundreds of years and continue to date to oppress Black people, enslave them, unlawfully deport them to all corners of the Earth..."

Well, this should make things interesting backstage at the next Hip-Hop Honors. Naturally, Ratner is brushing off Herc'sthe beef as a bunch of hooey, and though it remains to be seen how the suit will progress, it's unlikely the currently mum Jay-Z legal team will let such claims stand unchallenged. Whatever non-rap ventures he's undertaken post-Black Album, it's doubtful Jay wants "accused slave trade profiteer" as a bullet point on future resumes.

UPDATE: As a few eagle-eyed commenters have noted, the Observer has since updated its story to reflect that the man who has filed the lawsuit is "a different Clive Campbell," this one a "Brooklyn-based activist," than the Campbell we know and love as DJ Kool Herc. Apologies to Herc for repeating the error.

Hip-Hop Founder Filing $5 B. Claim Against Jay-Z, Bruce Ratner [NY Observer/Photo: AP]

ONE-LISTEN VERDICT: Only months after American Gangster comes "Ain't I," apparently off the mysterious Blueprint 3 (forthcoming album? mixtape? USB stick?), a track where the recently emancipated CEO claims that he "took a pay cut to become an exec/so the next motherfucker can earn his paycheck" while giving the hairy eyeball to anyone claiming his lukewarm comeback attempts have knocked him from the position of being your favorite rapper's rapper, flashing a little of the haughty (but not terminally self-satisfied) snarl we last heard on The Black Album. You don't walk away quite buying his assertion, but it's also Jay's first reaffirmation of his godhood in some time where it doesn't sound like he's grinding through the cocky motions for a paycheck he last needed sometime in 1996. The Timbaland beat likewise ditches the big, blocky Euro synth riffs of his recent career renaissance for an intricate early '00s throwback that combines the thump of "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," the bubbling hand drums of This Is Not A Test-era Missy, an eerie keyboard peal, and a snatch of metal guitar. Possibly a rebuff aimed at rap critics who worry Tim's trend towards lady-friendly dance-pop means he's lost his way as a hip-hop producer, those bummed by his non-stop late-decade beatboxing will nonetheless frown about 2:40 in, when the track shifts to a muddy 30 second mouth-music breakdown that kills the momentum.

Jay-Z - "Ain't I" [Nah Right]

"I gotta admit - lately I've been listening to a lot of Jay-Z," he recently told BET. "This new American Gangster album is [good]. Kanye, I like. I enjoy some of the newer stuff. Honestly, I love the art of Hip-Hop. I don't always love the message of Hip-Hop." He's totally one of those rock critics who turns a blind eye to gangsta rap nastiness if it's coming from the famous guy that everyone likes! Actually to be serious for a moment (I know, I know): maybe I'm just a soft touch when it comes to folks appealing to my hope for a more nuanced discussion of art and morality in the current, particularly puritanical public sphere, but I'll admit I think it's totally boss that a (serious, non-crazy) presidential candidate is actually admitting to a conflict over his love for popular music that crosses traditional lines of good taste, rather than simply trashing it on its PMRC-stamped face. So boss, in fact, that I won't even close out with a snarky one-liner. Barack Obama just melts my cynicism away like Calgon.

Obama: "I Love The Art Of Hip-Hop" [AllHipHop]

Is this shot of the surely-now-ex-HP spokeshandmodel and his ladyfriend using matching MacBooks during rehearsals for Jay's show at the 40/40 club in Vegas last week a sorta-subtle hint that Jay-Z and Apple will announce their long-rumored label venture at MacWorld next week? Or are these two just checking their e-mail on their friends' computers because BlackBerry access was limited by the rehearsal studio's thick walls? It's so hard to tell!

Caption This [Crunk + Disorderly]

OMGGGG11!!!111!!1 KILL THE RECORD INDUSTRY FOREVER!!
• "Jay-Z and Jobs are both brilliant businessmen, and the move would make sense on a number of levels: The labels almost view iTunes as a competitor now, the industry landscape is rapidly transforming, and whoever finds the magic formula for a new kind of label/distribution firm stands to make a lot of money as they establish the new paradigm of the industry. And iTunes already is something like a label." [Gizmodo]

• "[Y]ou can probably be sure that whatever music is made through this new label will only be available via iTunes and I would have to imagine giving Steve Jobs' rant early last year, will be DRM-free.... All I know is that if this rumor is true, it's going to be another massive blow to the traditional record companies." [ParisLemon]

No Way
• "Don't believe the hype. Jay's tenure at Def Jam was far from an overwhelming success, and he starred in an HP commercial. That alone would give Apple pause in most cases. Secondly, I don't see what Apple gains by sharing their venture with Jay as the executive in charge. The company would be much better served following the cue of Starbucks and launching a label with high-profile, established artists making new, high-margin recordings under tight distribution. And, on that level, the source of this rumor becomes a bit more clear. I do believe it's possible that Apple might launch a record label — they got clearance from the last deal with Apple Corps, if I recall correctly. It might even be iTunes-only. But if Jay-Z's involved, it's for a recording contract — not as business leader. Then again, "launching" a label could easily mean putting out the first album..." [Cult Of Mac]

• "While we're sure there's a nugget of truth to this, Jobs would be shooting himself in the foot if he started an Apple-branded label. Let's break down why this is kinda goofy. The idea is that Jay-Z, whom recently left Def Jam, will launch a label partnered with Apple. The problem is, Steve Jobs can't do that; the other labels would call shenanigans (rightly so, too) and jump ship, there would be federal trust issues at play, and more importantly, Apple is banned from ever starting a record label due to previous litigation with the Beatle's Apple Records. If those aren't good enough reasons for you, then we don't know what else to say. That doesn't mean, though, that Jay-Z isn't starting a label himself, in fact that's likely. And we wouldn't put it past the genius to make it the first mainstream digital downloads-only label. In fact, we'd not be surprised if he made an exclusive distribution deal with Apple. That would totally make sense, and not really cause any of the previously mentioned headaches." [CrunchGear]

Maybe?
"I can tell you that Jay flat out denied this when somebody asked him about it back in October.... I can't tell you if this is actually going to happen or not, but I do know that the music industry needs some kind of earth shattering wake up call. This may or may not turn out to be it. Something needs to be done sooner rather than later." [Nah Right]

^* Uh, who would we be thinking of? Jermaine Dupri?

The NYT's anonymous sources corroborated earlier reports that Jay wanted a lot of money to continue staying in his position—or at least a deal more lucrative than the one that's expiring, which could pay Jay as much as $10 million if he hit certain financial targets. Jay-Z still has "one or more" albums left under his other contract with UMG, although rumors that he may cut loose and start a label with Steve Jobs and Beyonce will probably still fly, since nothing makes starved newsmongers' hearts go pitter-patter like Apple-related rumors.

Jay-Z to Quit His Day Job as President of Def Jam [NYT]

THE GOOD: UGK just sneaks into the Top 10. Soulja Boy trumps the Arcade Fire. (More of an ideological victory than an aesthetic one, admittedly.) A handful of oddballs (Liars' bleak joke at the expense of the Reid brothers, CRS' low-key Yorke-freaking posse cut) do their best to liven things up a mix of iTunes top-sellers and Paste-y faves.
THE BAD: But it isn't the make-weight Billboard pop filler or the old-dude rock that sinks this list so much as its complete lack of taste. That Kid Rock's execrable "So Hott" is included is baffling enough, let alone that RS thought it was better than 62 other songs this year. It's not even a decent Kid Rock song! At least they had enough taste/sense to stick Fergie and Nickelback down at Nos. 96 and 100, respectively.
THE WHAAAA? Speaking of which, listen to me very carefully: Rolling Stone called Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" a "modern day version of 'I Will Survive.'" I can't say it any better than Matos did: "NO NO NO NO NON ON ON ONO NONONO."

1 "Roc Boys" Jay-Z
2 "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" Randy Newman
3 "Umbrella" Rihanna
4 "D.A.N.C.E." Justice
5 "Four Winds" Bright Eyes
6 "Dough Is What I Got" Lil Wayne
7 "Rehab" Amy Winehouse
8 "Long Walk Home" Bruce Springsteen
9 "Boyz" M.I.A.
10 "Int'l Player's Anthem" UGK
11 "Stronger" Kanye West
12 "Gunslinger" John Fogerty
13 "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal" Of Montreal
14 "I Get Money" 50 Cent
15 "Piece of Me" Britney Spears
16 "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" Spoon
17 "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" Radiohead
18 "Icky Thump" The White Stripes
19 "1234" Feist
20 "All My Friends" LCD Soundsystem
21 "Crank That" Soulja Boy
22 "Keep the Car Running" Arcade Fire
23 "Teenage Love Affair" Alicia Keys
24 "What Goes Around . . . Comes Around" Justin Timberlake
25 "Teenagers" My Chemical Romance
26 "Same Girl" R. Kelly and Usher
27 "Silver Lining" Rilo Kiley
28 "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" Miranda Lambert
29 "The People" Common
30 "LDN" Lily Allen
31 "Don't Matter" Akon
32 "When Under Ether" PJ Harvey
33 "Backed Out on the . . ." Kevin Drew
34 "Are You Alright?" Lucinda Williams
35 "Girlfriend" Avril Lavigne
36 "Situation" 1990s
37 "Throw Some D's" Rich Boy
38 "So Hott" Kid Rock
39 "Guitar" Prince
40 "Old News" Dr. Dog
41 "Just Fine" Mary J. Blige
42 "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" Fall Out Boy
43 "Us Placers" CRS
44 "Bleed It Out" Linkin Park
45 "Halloweenhead" Ryan Adams
46 "Do You Feel Me" Anthony Hamilton
47 "The Pretender" Foo Fighters
48 "Kiss Kiss" Chris Brown feat. T-Pain
49 "Makes Me Wonder" Maroon 5
50 "The Heart Gently Weeps" Wu-Tang Clan
51 "Killing the Blues" Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
52 "Pressing On" John Doe
53 "Black Mags" The Cool Kids
54 "I-95" Fountains of Wayne
55 "Hold On" KT Tunstall
56 "Lip Gloss" Lil Mama
57 "Men's Needs" Cribs
58 "Grip Like a Vice" The Go! Team
59 "Let It Go" Keyshia Cole
60 "Make It Witchu" Queens of the Stone Age
61 "Down Boy" Yeah Yeah Yeahs
62 "The Last Fight" Velvet Revolver
63 "Buy U a Drank" T-Pain
64 "The Magic Position" Patrick Wolf
65 "White People for Peace" Against Me!
66 "Big Shit Poppin'" T.I.
67 "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" Vampire Weekend
68 "Tambourine" Eve
69 "Seahorse" Devendra Banhart
70 "Bed" J. Holiday
71 "Impossible Germany" Wilco
72 "You! Me! Dancing!" Los Campesinos!
73 "100 Days, 100 Nights" Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
74 "Comfy in Nautica" Panda Bear
75 "Phantom Limb" The Shins
76 "Go Getta" Young Jeezy
77 "Chelsea Dagger" The Fratellis
78 "The Songs That We Sing" Charlotte Gainsbourg
79 "Myriad Harbor" New Pornographers
80 "Stop Me" Mark Ronson
81 "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe" Okkervil River
82 "Ultimate" Gogol Bordello
83 "The State of Massachusetts" Dropkick Murphys
84 "The Crystal Cat" Dan Deacon
85 "It's Me, Bitches" (Remix) Swizz Beatz
86 "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car" Iron and Wine
87 "Dashboard" Modest Mouse
88 "Computer Camp Love" Datarock
89 "I Wish That I Could See You Soon" Herman Dune
90 "Threshold Apprehension" Black Francis
91 "Freak Out" Liars
92 "Mistaken for Strangers" The National
93 "Is There a Ghost" Band of Horses
94 "2 Hearts" Kylie Minogue
95 "Satan Said Dance" Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
96 "Big Girls Don't Cry" Fergie
97 "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" Grinderman
98 "Wild Mountain Nation" Blitzen Trapper
99 "Never Again" Kelly Clarkson
100 "Rockstar" Nickelback

The 100 Best Songs Of 2007 [Rolling Stone]

And unsurprisingly, it's because Jay "wanted big, big money that was way out of sync with the realities of today's record business," i.e. all the cost-cutting that his parent company's been doing via layoffs over the past week or so. Add to that the fact that people are starting to see American Gangster as something of a flop (it's sold 695,000 copies in four weeks and is slowly sliding down the SoundScan charts), his lack of visibility around the office, and the artists who have been pretty disgruntled with his leadership and the writing's on the wall—even if, as some observers have claimed, IDJ is going to throw most of its resources into hip-hop and R & B in the coming years. Not that companies in the current era aren't used to having overpaid show-runners who have been the source of much "bad boss" public ire from a dwindling roster of employees, but giving Jay a raise amidst all this chaos is too far for even the record business to go.

Jay-Z in Jam over contract [Rush & Molloy]

Jay made everyone realize that iTunes taking what we give them and doing what they want with it isn't the way it has to be. He put the light on and made other people realize, "Oh these guys are just selling our music, they ain't making it." If anything, WE made iTunes. It's like how we spent $300,000 to $500,000 each on our videos and MTV and BET went ahead and built an entire video television industry off of our backs. We can't let that happen again. These businesses exist solely because of our music. So if we as artists, producers and label executives stand up, those guys at Apple can either cooperate, or have nothing for people to buy and download on their iPods.

Apple thinks that's never gonna happen. They think that we as the record industry will never stick together. But Universal sells one out of every three records. All it'll take is for Warner Music to say, "You know what, I'm with you," for us to shut 'em down. No more iPods! They won't have nothin' to play on their players! We can take back the power if we're willing to sacrifice some sales to make our point.

Well thank God someone finally made that argument. Apple may hold the copyrights and be cashing the checks, but a first-year business student (or blogger) knows it's consumers who power iTunes, where full albums are also available 99 percent of the time, determining what format sells in Steve Jobs' store. And it's long been obvious to everyone with head removed from ass (i.e. not invested in selling albums) that said consumers have voted in favor of singles, and laughable to argue that if labels suddenly yank all product from iTunes there will be a brief period of grumbling followed by consumers returning to the full album with tails tucked. But you all already know this. So why does a man who has spent most of his adult life in the record industry find it so hard to understand? The problem might be that, like most multi-kazillionaires, JD has lost touch with the people.

We'd cut the single off a few weeks before the album came out to get people to wait and let the excitement build. When I put out Kris Kross we did that. We sold two million singles, then we stopped. Eventually we sold eight million albums!
Did consumer complain? Maybe so. But at what point does any business care when consumer complains about the money? Why do people not care how we - the people who make music - eat? If they just want the single, they gotta get the album. That was how life was.

"These peasants will take what we give them and like it! Why do they not think of the health of their king before their own?" Man, you can't teach the nouveau riche anything.

A Good Album Is More Than Just A Collection Of Singles [Huffington Post]

Biggest Debuts: Bowing at No. 3 was the umpteenth greatest-hits collection by Garth Brooks, Ultimate Hits, which sold 352,000 copies; behind him was Chris Brown's Exclusive, which sold 294,000. Angels & Airwaves (No. 9) and Cassidy (No. 10) also had top-10 debuts, and Zune stars Wisin Y Yandel entered the charts at No. 14.

Notable Jumps: Last week's CMAs helped albums by Taylor Swift (+156%, up from No. 26 to No. 8) and Sugarland (+112%, up from No. 28 to No. 13) more than double their sales tallies from the week before; Reba McEntire also saw a 44% jump for her duets album, which ticked up to No. 12. Further down the chart, Miranda Lambert's criminally overlooked Crazy Ex-Girlfriend had a 45% sales gain (No. 181 to No. 131), and Kellie Pickler's tear-stained performance resulted in Small Town Girl entering the top 200 for the first time after being on store shelves for a year. (Meanwhile, Rascal Flatts, whose woeful show-closing performance probably made a bunch of people leap for their remotes, saw sales of Still Feels Good drop by six percent.)

Dropping Off: Naturally, all the meanie gossip blogs were mau-mauing about Britney Spears' Blackout selling only 87,000 copies last week; that's 70% off its first-week sales total, which resulted in it tumbling from No. 2 to No. 7. But you'll have to look a little further down the chart for the week's biggest percentage drop, which belongs to Brit Brit's fellow teenpop alumns the Backstreet Boys. Unbreakable proved to be anything but, taking a whopping 77% week-to-week hit and plunging from No. 7 all the way down to No. 40.

Nickelback Award For Inexplicable Durability: Surely the Eagles count here, right? Long Road Out Of Eden dropped nearly 50% in week-to-week sales, but that still means 359,000 people trucked out to Wal-Mart to buy the thing. And "Hotel California" had a 2% uptick on the digital-tracks charts, too.

The top 20, with sales totals in parentheses:
1. Jay-Z, American Gangster (425,000)
2. Eagles, Long Road Out Of Eden (359,000)
3. Garth Brooks, Ultimate Hits (352,000)
4. Chris Brown, Exclusive (294,000)
5. Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride (121,000)
6. Josh Groban, Noel (116,000)
7. Britney Spears, Blackout (87,000)
8. Taylor Swift (68,000)
9. Angels & Airwaves, I-Empire (66,000)
10. Cassidy, B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story (63,000)
11. High School Musical 2 soundtrack (59,000)
12. Reba McEntire, Reba Duets (55,000)
13. Sugarland, Enjoy The Ride (55,000)
14. Wisin y Yandel, Wisin vs. Yandel: Los Extraterrestres (53,000)
15. Colbie Caillat, Coco (51,000)
16. Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, Raising Sand (50,000)
17. Rascal Flatts, Still Feels Good (50,000)
18. Andrea Bocelli, The Best Of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere (50,000)
19. Josh Turner, Everything Is Fine (45,000)
20. Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (43,000)

Jay-Z takes the lyrical/visual combo literal with the celebrity cameo-saturated video for the celebratory second single from American Gangster, working his Rolodex overtime and maxing out his bar tab, as is the prerogative of your average bazillionaire. Even dirtbag bloggers who rarely do their laundry have to admire the way those suits almost speak louder than the horns. And not content to let Ridley Scott have all the fun, Jay humbly requests you watch the whole thing, because the out-of-nowhere twist ending means he might be prepping a non-shameful "Trapped In The Closet" with a six-figure budget.

Video: Jay-Z - Roc Boys [Nah Right]

"Jay-Z has created his equivalent of "Tommy," "Operation-Mindcrime," "Ziggy Stardust" or whatever concept album you chose to compare it to, and he wants listeners to absorb it in full doses."

Wait...Operation: Mindcrime? Well, it is a "concept album about a man becoming disillusioned with American society". Except instead of Geoff Tate's beleaguered everyman "joining in a conspiratorial plot to assassinate its corrupt leaders," Mr. Carter's protagionist starts poisoning people with high-potency heroin. Close enough. Perhaps next year Jay will tackle his version of The BQE or Tales From Topographic Oceans. (Good looking out on that headline pun, too.)

Jay-Z Puts A Gangster "Lien" On iTunes [Variety]

• "What unites the collection more than a specific sound is a narrative arc that loosely parallels Lucas' rise and decline. On 'Fallin',' the record's emotional climax, Jay-Z raps frantically as the walls close in. 'The irony of selling drugs is sort of like using it,' he admits over Jermaine Dupri's chaotic looped keys, 'Guess there's two sides to what substance abuse is.' But ultimately, Jay-Z fends off disillusionment and knuckleheaded usurpers, only to emerge cockier than ever on the next track. Lucas, in the film and in real life, gets pinched and turns snitch. For Jay-Z, that would be out of character." [EW]
• " Just Blaze contributes "Ignorant Shit," an outtake from The Black Album that's spruced up with a funny Don Imus dis and a defense of hip-hop lyrics: 'Are you saying that what I'm spittin'/Is worse than these 'celebutantes' showing they kitten?' This obviously has nothing to do with the concept; neither do references to the Jena 6 or dope that has "'ess steps than Britney.' But then the concept is really just a spark to get Jay started. Forget Frank Lucas: The real black superhero here is Jay, and with American Gangster, Gray-Hova is back in black." [RS]
• "There's a writers' adage that advises, 'Show, don't tell,' that Jay-Z has taken to heart. In his recent work, he's been concerned about telling everyone how great he is. On American Gangster, he shows it - crafting not just the likely album of the year, but one that will likely go down as one of hip-hop's greatest." [Newsday]
• " At 15 songs spread across 60 minutes, American Gangster would've been better cut by one-third. Nonetheless, it's undoubtedly the comeback that Kingdom Come should've been but wasn't. It works because Jay-Z not only sounds like he has something to say, but something to prove." [Chicago Tribune]
• "Once, words just seemed to flow out of him, as if he couldn't help himself; now it's clearer than ever that he's choosing them carefully. That makes him easy to admire; obsessives and skeptics alike may well be impressed by the clarity and complexity of these rhymes. But these days it's much harder for him—and, therefore, for us—to get carried away." [NYT]

A girl just called in to Power 92 looking to beg for tickets to Jay-Z's sold-out-in-a-minute show at the House of Blues next week. It wasn't ticket giveaway time yet, but Donnie Devoe offered to give her a ticket if she'd go up to her boss—she was at work—and slap him across the face with her thong.

The one she was wearing at the time, presumably, and not the spare one she no doubt keeps in her desk for "special occasions." Anyway, the woman declined, which I'm actually sort of surprised by, but maybe that's because I've seen so many people lining up to humiliate themselves for the few shows that actually sell out these days. What I'm more shocked by is the way the station would only give her one ticket if she engaged in the thong-slapping. What on earth would she have to do to get a plus one?

Would you do it? [Crickets]