Universal Music Publishing Group Signs Exclusive World-Wide Publishing Agreement With Adam Young Of Owl City

Universal Music Group

UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP (UMG) AND SERATO ANNOUNCE INNOVATIVE SECURE DIGITAL DELIVERY SERVICE FOR DJs WORLDWIDE

Nokia, Island Def Jam Music Group, Universal Music Group International & superstar artist Rihanna announce breakthrough global music partnership

โนเกีย ประกาศความร่วมมือทางดนตรีครั้งสำคัญระดับโลก กับ Island Def Jam Music Group, Universal Music Group International และศิลปินซูเปอร์สตาร์ Rihanna

George Michael "Live in London" DVD Out December 7

Matisyahu Announces "Festival of Lights" Dates in New York

New Shakira Single "Give It Up To Me" Now Streaming On MySpace!

Katt Williams Released On Bail Following Weekend Arrest

Robin Thicke Hoping To Get Lil Wayne On <I>Sex Therapy</I>

Lil Boosie Sentenced To Four Years For Probation Violation

Rihanna Shouts Out Maya Angelou, Her Mom At <i>Glamour</i> Awards

Lil Wayne's <i>Rebirth</i> Due Out December 15

Katt Williams Released On Bail Following Weekend Arrest

Comedian free on $41,150 bond after being charged with burglary in Georgia.
By Gil Kaufman

Katt Williams
Photo: Larry Marano/ Getty Images

After being charged with burglary and criminal trespassing in Coweta County, Georgia, on Sunday, comedian Katt Williams was released on $41,150 bond on Monday afternoon, according to TMZ. The "Wild 'N Out" alumnus reportedly had a crowbar when he entered a home in Newman, Georgia, from which he allegedly stole $3,555 in jewelry and collectible coins.

A lawyer for the comedian (born Micah Williams) told TMZ that his client had been staying at the home of producer Barry Hankerson while filming a movie in the area. Attorney William Briggs added that his client was involved in a dispute with one of Hankerson's employees, who fabricated the incident, Briggs claimed.

In a recording of a 911 call obtained by TMZ, the home owner, Daniel Broach, says Williams wouldn't let him leave and "threatened to beat me up." The caller also said he wasn't sure if Williams had a weapon.

Williams was admitted to a psych ward in South Carolina last November, shortly after being arrested on gun charges in New York. Prosecutors later dropped the charges after encountering problems proving their case. The comedian also skipped his scheduled hosting duties at the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards and an appearance on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien."

Robin Thicke Hoping To Get Lil Wayne On <I>Sex Therapy</I>

'We're kind of good luck charms for each other,' singer says of frequent collaborator Weezy.
By Jocelyn Vena

Robin Thicke
Photo: CBS

Robin Thicke is no stranger to working with Lil Wayne: The two have already collaborated a few times. Now the singer, who is currently putting the finishing touches on his December release, Sex Therapy, is hoping to get Wayne on another song in the very near future.

"I'm just finishing it and I'm gonna send the album to Wayne to see if he wants to be [on it] 'cause he's been on my last two albums and I've been on his last two," he said.

Thicke and Wayne first collaborated on "Shooter" and "All Night Long," then hooked up again for "Tie My Hands."

"We're kind of good luck charms for each other," he said. "So I definitely want to get him on there to keep the good luck alive."

In October, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to felony gun possession, and he's now scheduled to spend at least eight months in prison. But Thicke says he's just focusing on all the amazing work that Wayne has contributed to the world of music. "He's an amazing artist and a great friend," he said when asked about the sentencing. "And we're all supporting him through all of that."

Wayne isn't the only MC on the album. Sex Therapy will also feature Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z, who Thicke was particularly excited to work with. "[It's] kind of like a De La Soul kind of song, but [Jay] was really excited about it," he told MTV News. "To work with him was a dream come true. It was one of the best days of my life."

• Robin Thicke
• Lil Wayne

Lil Boosie Sentenced To Four Years For Probation Violation

Rapper must go to prison immediately after reportedly leaving home during house arrest.
By Gil Kaufman

Lil Boosie
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

A Louisiana judge sentenced rapper Lil Boosie (born Torrence Hatch) to prison for four years on Monday for violating the terms of his probation. According to WAFB News, District Court Judge Chip Moore revoked Boosie's probation after an ankle monitor indicated that the MC had violated the terms of his release more than once by leaving his home during house arrest.

After taking a plea deal to a third-offense marijuana-possession charge in September, Boosie, 25, was expected to receive a 10-year sentence with all but the first two years suspended, likely keeping him behind bars for a year or so.

Boosie was convicted on drug and gun charges in September in connection with an October 2008 arrest when police found a bag of marijuana, a blunt and a gun in a vehicle he was driving. The pot charge along could have landed him in prison for 20 years, with a mandatory minimum of five years for the gun charge. After the plea, Moore ordered Boosie to be electronically monitored and to clear all concert dates with the court while awaiting sentencing, according to Louisiana newspaper The Advocate. But when the judge found out that the rapper had violated his terms, Moore ordered him to spend four years in prison, meaning he will likely do at least two full years, his lawyer said.

Boosie was ordered to report to prison immediately after Monday's hearing, and he will be on probation for five years following his release. The firearm charge will be dropped if Boosie successfully completes his probation.

Before his sentencing, Boosie appeared at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta last month and told MTV News that the prison stretch was just a "minor setback," predicting that he would only be gone for a year at most.

"I gotta go away for, like, 10 months to a year," Boosie said at the time. "It's just a minor setback for a major comeback. I was gonna take 'em to trial, but I'm not gonna take them to trial. They offered me a deal. In Louisiana, you can't really win, bruh. So I'm gonna do my year, come back home, step it up even more. I leave on November 9."

Though his latest album, Superbad: The Return of Boosie Bad Azz, has failed to make much of a dent on the charts since its release in September, the MC said he's already got his next one in the pipe.

"I turned in the album this Tuesday to Warner Bros. It's gonna be called Free at Last," he said at the time. "It'll drop the week I come home. It's gonna be crazy. Crazy, man."

That album features cameos from B.G. and Young Jeezy. Boosie said he's already shot four or five videos for the effort.

• Lil Boosie

Rihanna Shouts Out Maya Angelou, Her Mom At <i>Glamour</i> Awards

Singer jokes and tears up as she accepts Woman of the Year award.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna arrives at <i>Glamour'</i>s Women of the Year Awards on Monday
Photo: Michael Loccisano/ Getty Images

After a week in which all eyes were on her revealing interview with Diane Sawyer, Rihanna was funny and confident on the stage Monday night, when she accepted the Glamour Woman of the Year Award in New York.

After Iman's introduction of the fashionable singer, Rihanna began her speech (which can be seen in this YouTube video) by brushing tears from her eyes and saying, "I'm PMSed, sorry." She then went on to joke about her striking ivory Stephane Rolland gown: "As usual, I decided to wear the tightest dress I could find!

"I am shaking right now — I am so nervous, but overwhelmed and honored ... to be Glamour's Woman of the Year," she continued, noting that fellow winner Maya Angelou, who won the lifetime achievement award, really raised the bar for acceptance speeches that night.

"I didn't even know I had to speak; I didn't know what kind of event it was, I didn't know anything until a few hours ago," she said. "I have to say, Maya Angelou, I love you, but you made this terribly more difficult for me."

"First, thank you to Iman," she went on. "It is very incredible that you're presenting me with an award. It was a real honor to be named Glamour's Woman of the Year, especially because I think of myself as just becoming a woman. I just turned 21 this year. Just to be mentioned in this group of women is overwhelming. I love being a part of a night where we're celebrating women and such strong women."

In her speech she thanked a slew of people she works with, including stylists, Def Jam, L.A. Reid and Jay-Z, but Rihanna saved the important people for last, when she thanked her mom and grandma for making her the strong woman she is today.

"[I thank] my entire family who flew here from Barbados — shout-out to you, Mommy, hi!" she said. "I really look up to my gran and my mom. They are my two women of the year. I love you very much, Granny. I love you very much, mom. They've shown me what strong women can accomplish and achieve. Without their unconditional love and guidance, I wouldn't be here, and I hope I can be an example for young girls and women today. Thank you so much."

Though Glamour made a point of mentioning the Chris Brown assault at the event, Rihanna told MTV News on Monday that she doesn't want to become known only for the incident.

"I don't want to be the big domestic-violence spokesperson, because that doesn't define who I am," she said. "But if I can help young women in any way, and that being one of the things they need help with, then I'll do that."

• Rihanna

Lil Wayne's <i>Rebirth</i> Due Out December 15

After several delays, Universal gives official release date for long-awaited rock album.
By Gil Kaufman

Lil Wayne
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

The wait is ova. No, not that one. After months of delays and rescheduled street dates, Lil Wayne's new album, Rebirth, finally has an official release date. According to Billboard.com, the disc long rumored to be Wayne's "rock" album will drop on December 15.

The album will come on the heels of his just-released No Ceilings mixtape. And while there has been some confusion about just how much actual rocking Wayne will do on it— he does appear on the new Weezer album — the rapper recently told Billboard that he does indeed bang his head on Rebirth.

"Yes, the album is still rock," he said. "I play guitar on 80 percent of the songs, and there's a lot of rock influences and rock beats. I also have Travis Barker on the album. But I don't want people to think I'm trying to do something I can't do. Don't think you're going to put on the album and hear me screaming and singing.

"When I said I was doing a rock album, it was about doing a freedom thing," he continued. "This album isn't hip-hop. When I do my Carter albums, I know I've got to rap, I know I've got to spit. I know the words I've got to say and the subjects I've got to talk about. I also know the things I shouldn't say, the things I shouldn't talk about. There's none of those limits on this album. I say what I want, how I want. That's what this album is: a freedom album."

Wayne has suggested that he might release Rebirth and the Young Money crew album as a double disc. Because a few of the songs from Wayne's album have leaked online during the past few months, he said he went back to the lab to cook up some new songs to throw off fans who thought they knew what he was up to.

"I had to add new cuts, because a lot of things leaked, making people think they had an idea of what I was doing with Rebirth and what it would sound like," he said. "And I hated that, because I never want anybody to think they know what I'm doing until I present it. So what I did was make it totally different. I flipped it."

In addition to protégé Drake, the album is slated to include guest spots from members of Fall Out Boy and Lenny Kravitz. It's unknown if Rebirth will be the last full-length album Wayne will release before he is scheduled to go to prison in New York for at least eight months after pleading guilty to a felony charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon.

A spokesperson for Wayne did not return requests for comment at press time for confirmation that the Young Money album, We Are Young Money, will be packaged with Rebirth.

• Lil Wayne
• Travis Barker

Love, Peace and Soul Reigned at the 'CENTRIC PRESENTS: 2009 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS' Show Taping on Tuesday, November 3

This Fall, Grammy® Award-Winning, Multi-Platinum Recording Artist Monica Makes Her Reality Television Debut With "MONICA: STILL STANDING" on Tuesday, October 27 at 10:00 p.m.*

Beyonce, Maxwell and Keri Hilson Lead the Nominations for the CENTRIC PRESENTS: 2009 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS SHOW Premiering on Sunday, November 29 at 9:00 PM*

The Hottest Night in Hip-Hop Has A Home on BET -Tune in Tuesday, October 27 at 8 PM* for the World Premiere of the '2009 BET HIP-HOP AWARDS'

Next Up On 'THE MO'NIQUE SHOW'...