Check out these new Amerie photos that were shot by popular photographer DEREK BLANKS recently. The 30 yr. old singer recently inked a deal with Def Jam Records after she parted ways with Columbia Records in 2007. Amerie is hoping the new contract with Def Jam will give her another shot at success. In case you need a refresher course on how talented this woman is, peep the video after the jump…

It looks like the self-proclaimed “pitbull in a skirt,” Eve, will be releasing her heavily delayed album after all. Fans of Rapper/Actress Eve should be pleased to learn she has been working harder than ever to finalize her latest album now titled ‘Flirt.’ In a recent interview, the West Philly MC blamed her disc’s repeated setbacks on her “whole music label situation” with Interscope, but said it should finally surface this spring or summer.

Initially set to hit stores in 2007 under the title Here I Am, the former Ruff Ryder said the LP has undergone many changes. “It won’t be called ‘Here I Am’ anymore,’” she said. “Now it’s called ‘Flirt.’” Eve continues to say “I had to get in there and put in some upbeat music that I wasn’t depressed about...” “It’s fun, it’s sexy, it’s totally me. Imagine if ‘Tambourine’ had kids — that’s what the CD sounds like.” “I am truly, truly sitting on some amazing music. Nobody’s been waiting longer than me to get this monkey off my back!”

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As the 51st Annual GRAMMY awards draw near, a portrait of Rihanna for the awards and the 'Celebrate The Music That Makes Us' promotional campaign has surfaced this week. All of the text used for Rihanna's portrait contain song titles from artists who have influenced or affected her life and career. Rihanna says she was so inspired by Destiny's Child's that stormed onto the charts in 1997 with “No, No, No” that she’s named five of the groups songs in addition to cuts from Prince, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston in her recently revealed GRAMMY portrait. Some of the other GRAMMY artist that are involed in this campaign and that will have a portrait created using song titles that have inspired them include Stevie Wonder and Lil' Wayne.

Jermaine Dupri, one of the industry's most
consistently successful top-charted producers and songwriters, has been fired as the president of Island Records Urban Music, a division of the Island Def Jam Music Group. A formal announcement of his departure from the position, which he has held for nearly two years, was recently confirmed to AllHipHop.com that Dupri has been terminated effective immediately.

Here's a first look at Christina Milian's new video for her song, "Us Against the World." The video ballad – which is the R&B singer-songwriter's first single off her upcoming album, Dream in Color, due in April – will premiere on MySpace on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Christina breaks breaks it down via MTV: “I’m in sand dunes,” she explained. “And, I’m out there … me and my guy, [and] we probably are the last two people on Earth. Really, I’m on my own and I’m searching, and finally he comes to me. I don’t know where he’s been, and he comes back to me. It’s very timeless. When you see it, it’s nothing like anything you’d see now. I want to be iconic in every music video that I do. I want to make a mark. This is very different.”

Beyoncé is the first artist lined up for next year's Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Organizers of the festival announced Tuesday the singer has confirmed her participation. The July event will mark the 15th anniversary of the celebration of black music and culture.

Lil Wayne was the most rewarded by the Recording Academy on Wednesday, receiving eight Grammy nominations including album of the year for "Tha Carter III." His CD was the only record this year to sell 1 million copies in its first week. Following close behind with album of the year contention, singer-songwriter Ne-Yo's "Year of the Gentleman" who got six nominations. Singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, who has drawn comparisons to Lauryn Hill with her hit "I Need You Bad," had a breakthrough night, with five nominations. Other multiple nominees included Jay-Z and Kanye West, who had six nominations each. T.I., Lupe Fiasco, and Jennifer Hudson garnered four each. The Grammy Awards are scheduled for live broadcast on CBS on Feb 8.

Ciara’s new album has been derailed. Orginally scheduled to be released on December 9th, Fantasy Ride was then pushed back to January 2009 and now according to Entertainment Weekly, has officially been pushed back even further, to Spring of 2009. The first single from Fantasy Ride, Go Girl, failed to spark an interest with fans, peaking at #78 on the Hot 100 chart before falling off after only four weeks. “The response to ‘Go Girl’ wasn’t strong enough to ignite an album,” says a rep for the Zomba Label Group. “It’s a nice setup single because the video introduces Ciara’s new look and her new body, but it’s not the opener.”

Nearly two years after a fatal car accident, R&B singer Brandy says she barely got through the ordeal. “It was a tough situation to go through. I can’t really talk about it in any great detail because of legal matters but it was just something that I don’t like to think about often” the “Right Here (Departed)” singer told Ryan Seacrest Monday. “I prayed a lot and I had great people around me to help me up and lift my spirits and I got through it. I don’t even think that I’m all the way over it.” Getting in the studio to record “Human,” her forthcoming album, due in December, Brandy says certain songs were inspired or linked to the pain and emotional rollercoaster following the accident and subsequent legal issues. “Right Here (Departed)” ended up being a song that was specifically related to friends and family who stuck by her side. “A lot of people can related to that song because everyone needs someone to be there for them.”
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Alicia Keys leads the pack this year in American Music Award nominations with four – including Artist of the Year and Favorite Soul/R&B Album for her latest CD "As I Am." Lil Wayne's successful 2008 run – fueled by his hit album "Tha Carter III" – culminated in three nods, including Artist of the Year and Favorite Male Artist-Rap/Hip-Hop.

Janet Jackson is returning to her "Rock Witchu" tour and finally revealing the mystery illness that led her to cancel a string of concerts.
Following two weeks of scrapped shows, Jackson was scheduled to resume her tour Wednesday night at the Verizon Center in Washington after a bout of migraine-associated vertigo. She is being treated for the illness, which is characterized by dizziness, imbalance and other symptoms.
"She's a world-class entertainer and needs to be at the top of her game to give her fans the show they expect," Jackson's manager, Kenneth Crear, said in a statement. "She's feeling much better and is ready to hit the road again to finish the tour."
Upcoming stops include Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, New York and East Rutherford, N.J.
Jackson, 42, will announce new dates for concerts she postponed in Montreal; Boston; Philadelphia; Greensboro, N.C.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Uncasville, Conn.

"EMOTIONS WILL HAVE YOU BROKE!" In the last episode of Making the Band 4, Danity Kane member, Aubrey O'Day was kicked out of the group. Ms. Aubrey was dissed and dismissed after going head to head with Diddy. The questions that remain are... After all that went down, will Danity Kane be dismantled? Or will Aubrey just be replaced? Or can the group work together and remain a foursome?

Check out the album cover for the soundtrack of the upcoming film, Cadillac Records, starring Beyoncé, Adrien Brody and Jeffrey White.
There will be a two-disc deluxe version, as well as a regular version, and the soundtrack drops on December 2nd, via Sony Columbia. You can pre-order via Amazon.com.

Tiffany Evans is back in the studio working on her sophomore album, Ponytail Krush, slated for release on Columbia Records in early 2009. The 16-year-old describes this release as a coming-of-age project, which she calls an “emancipating experience.”
“When I sat down with my manager and the record label, I told them I did not want to be limited in the type of songs I recorded this time around. I want to make music for everyone. I describe this album like turning a radio dial and no matter what type of music the station plays, you can find a Tiffany Evans record on the playlist,” said the pint-sized singer. In an effort to create a universal album, Tiffany Evans titled her new album Ponytail Krush. “Anybody can wear a ponytail. No matter the age, male or female—ponytails are for everybody—just like my music is for everybody,” explained the Bronx native.

R&B star Ne-Yo has won the lawsuit he filed against a tour promoter acting on R. Kelly's behalf, after being kicked off a tour with R. Kelly back in January. Peep the report below:

Because of some backstage machinations, Ne-Yo is a little bit richer. The R&B star has scored a nice payday for being dumped from R. Kelly's road show last year. A Los Angeles judge has ordered Kelly's promoter to pony up $700,320 to the "Because of You" Grammy winner. Ne-Yo went to court in December, alleging he was bounced from the Double Up tour because his opening set was getting better reaction from fans and critics than Kelly's. The bill also featured Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday. Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey made his default judgment after Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment refused to respond to the lawsuit filed by Ne-Yo under his real name, Shaffer Smith. Per his suit, Ne-Yo was supposed to earn $785,000 on the 25-date jaunt, but the 25-year-old performer was canned by Rowe after the second show on Nov. 15 and only received a fraction of the contracted amount. At the time, the promoter blamed the dismissal on Ne-Yo's camp for not completing the proper paperwork.

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If you’re holding out hope for a new Tribe Called Quest album, stop it. It’s over. No matter how much you want them to come back, they don’t want to, so cherish every Tribe album you have because you’re not getting anything else. This of course, is all via Q-Tip. The most popular member from the groundbreaking hip-hop group recently revealed that Tribe fans should not to expect any new material. Contact Music quotes Q-Tip saying, “It will never, ever happen. We don't want to be one of those groups that comes back 15 years later and puts out an album that's not that good. It's why The Beatles never got back together.” And if you don’t believe Q-Tip, go listen to those post-Lauryn breakdown Fugees songs that dropped a few years ago.

USHER PUTS MOM BACK ON PAYROLLUsher has decided to put his mommy back on to her manager game:
“Usher has dissolved his management arrangement with Benny Medina and has re-engaged Jonnetta Patton as his manager,” his rep said in a statement Wednesday. Usher split his mother as his manager in May 2007. He then hired Medina, who was integral in the launch of the artist's recent album, "Here I Stand." In 10 weeks, it has sold 948,000 units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's the No. 8 best-selling album of 2008 so far. However, it hasn't come close to matching the gaudy numbers of its predecessor, 2004's "Confessions," which sold 3.77 million copies in its first 10 weeks and is at 9.6 million to date.

The Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul Mary J. Blige has been hit with whopping $2 Million fine over the 'illegal' placement of a track from her most recent LP 'Growing Pains': Mary J. Blige is facing a $2 million federal suit claiming music on her most recent No. 1 album, “Growing Pains,” was stolen. Producer Theron (NEEF-U) Feemster wrote the music for the song “Work That,” but the tune is owned by Dream Family Entertainment Inc., according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan Federal Court. The court filing claims the New York-based firm never gave Blige, Feemster or Geffen Records, the distributor, rights to use the song. “Mr. Feemster created the music while he was under contract with Dream Family. Dream Family then owned the music, yet the music was used without permission in a Mary J. Blige release recording,” said Dream lawyer Brian Caplan. “It was released as an album, a single and in a commercial,” Caplan said. Rights to the lyrics of the song - which was featured with Blige in an iPod commercial - are not in question. Caplan said it was unclear if Blige knew the music belonged to someone other than Feemster, and said the producer “had no rights to the music he used.”

In a recent interview with AllHipHop.com, former Princess of The Roc, Teairra Marí spoke out on the current status of her relationship with one-time mentor Jay-Z and the misdirection on her first LP:

AHHA: Is there still a relationship at all with Jay-Z?
Teairra Marí: There is no relationship there at all. I haven't heard from him since that time. I think I sent him a happy birthday message because his birthday is two days after mine, like two years ago and since then it's been nothing. And I don't want it to be – Actually, it's fine because I was a young girl. If you could come into a young girl’s life and then just throw her on the curb, you put this father presence on and then be like, “I’m done with it.” I don’t want a relationship like that.

AHHA: With your first album, Roc-A-Fella Presents Teairra Mari, do you feel that project accurately depicted where you wanted you career to go and what you wanted your sound to be?
Teairra Marí: I was 17 and I had a parental advisory sticker on the album. I was totally against that. I was pre-instructed to do what I did. They wanted me to be that rebellious, young teenager. At the time I was going through a rebellious stage so I guess I could see it, but the curse words I didn’t totally understand it, like a cursing 17-year-old girl. I just did what I was told because I believed in those people.