Pop star Rhianna has just released a sultry black and white visual for her single “Kiss It Better”, from her new album “Anti”. The video features the singer intermittently standing, writhing, on the ground and floating through space through various stages of undress while singing to the Prince-esque synth and guitar track. In fact, Rhianna appears in the video alone, it contains no backdrop. When “Anti” was released in January, “Kiss It Better” hit the top of Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 Chart and still claims a  place on the Hip Hop/R&B and Hot R&B Songs Charts. “Anti” currently holds the No 3 position on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. In other Pop/R&B news, alternative soul singer Adrian Daniel blends sonics with story telling for his debut album “Disillusions”, premiering on Billboard. The Brooklyn bred artist began his career as a dancer gracing stages at the Apollo Theater and Brooklyn Academy of Music before forming a band called L.C.D. and pouring his passion into singing and writing. Now, he’s gained notoriety with previous projects like 2012’s “Memoirs Of  A Stoner” and 2014’s “Fkkking High”. The 15 track effort blends funky grooves with smooth vocals. “Disillusions” will be released tomorrow. Singer/actress Brandy isn’t pleased with her record label. According to the Associated Press, the songstress is suing Chameleon Entertainment Group, alleging that the company has kept her from recording and releasing new music since 2012’s “Two Eleven”. In 2011, Brandy signed a five album deal with Chameleon, but only one has surfaced since then. According to the lawsuit, Brandy claims Chameleon isn’t letting her record because they want her to sign a new deal with them. It also stated that she dissolved her contract with the label and is seeking a judgement that it is void. Prior to the deal with Chameleon, Brandy was signed to Epic Records after being with Atlantic for most of her career. She released “Beggin & Pleadin” via BET earlier this year, it was her first album in some time. Could the saga of “The Life Of Pablo” be coming to an end? Sources told Billboard magazine that Kanye West’s latest album ‘The Life Of Pablo”, which has been streaming exclusively on Tidel since it’s release on Valentine’s Day, will not only be available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music tomorrow, it will finally be available for sale. Now that West seems pleased with the last minute tweaks and adjustments he’s been making to the album, including several done yesterday, “Pablo” could be available for download on his website in the next few days, possibly today.

Singer Chris Brown took to his Instagram timeline to express his feelings regarding Kehlani’s situation with OVO singer Partynextdoor and NBA star Kyire Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This morning Brown wrote “KYRIEMVP. There is no attempting suicide. Stop flexing for the gram. Doing shit for sympathy so them comments under your pics don’t look so bad.” Brown continued, “OK IM DONE. Guess she gone have to watch the games from a real box now. “THE TELEVISION” “OHB” “OUTTA HERE BIH. I’ll be the BIGGEST PIECE OF {–}. But ima ride for my Homies regardless. KYRIE is probably one of the only good guys left. IDGAF!!! The amount of followers I got and the amount of comments are the amount of fucks I give. {–}”. Brown has 15.8 million followers. Kehlani has been mum amid allegations that she cheated on Irving with PND, who posted a photograph of him  apparently holding Kehlani’s tatted hand in bed to his Instagram only to deleted it after rumors began circulating on social media. The “You Should Be Here” singer also shared posts on her Instagram before deleting them. On Monday night, the Grammy  nominated singer uploaded a post to her Instagram denying the allegations. Yesterday, she gave an update saying that she was healthy, home and with people who love  her. Representatives for Brown and Kehlani couldn’t be reached for comment. Following Rhianna’s smash single “Work” and Kanye West paying homage to Sister Nancy on the “Bam Bam” sampling “Famous”, Jamaican songstress Sade enlists the services of reggae veteran Shaggy for the track “Dum”, premiering on Billboard. The BET Music Matters artist also recruited Grammy award winning producer J-Vibe for “Dum”, which will be released via Shaggy’s imprint Ranch Entertainment. The song also appears on her EP “Jerk Sauce”, which was released March 25. Hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs announced that Bad Boy will be reuniting for a one night concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Arena. The May 20 concert, which will mark the Notorious B.I.G.’s 44th birthday, was announced via a statement from Puffy. Faith Evans, Lil Kim, Ma$e, 112, The LOX, Total, French Montana and Mario Winans are all slated to perform at the concert as well, which also includes guest appearances by Mary J. Blige and Jay Z. Tickets go on sale Saturday April 2 at Live Nation. The last time Bad Boy performed together was at the BET Awards. This is sure to be a hot ticket. Rapper Iggy Azalea has returned to the Hot Rap Songs Chart with the No. 8 entry “Team”. It marks Azalea’s ninth charting single and highest debut as a solo artist, also matching her No. 8 entry in 2014 as the featured artist on T.I’s “No Mediocre”. The entrance is her first to chart in nearly a year since “Trouble”, featuring Jennifer Hudson, which spent five weeks on the list in April and May of 2015.

Rapper Notorious B.I.G. will live on via an upcoming duets album with singer Faith Evans titled “The King & I”. The songstress, who teased the project with her late husband during a 2014 interview with Hip Hollywood, recently appeared on the Dame Dash Radio Show to offer an update, revealing that the project is in the finishing stages. She added that she’s also been working with B.I.G.’s  mother, Voletta Wallace. After Dame suggested piecing a story together about Faith’s relationship with Biggie, Evans noted that she wanted to execute the album properly. Evans also noted that she’s written a play based on her 2009 book “Keep The Faith: A Memoir”. Universal Music Group has been paying itself instead of paying royalties it owes Lil Wayne, according to a lawsuit filed by the rapper/producer’s attorneys yesterday in California. Dwayne Carter Jr., known professionally as rapper Lil Wayne, is suing UMG and Sound Exchange, claiming he’s been shorted millions from his work discovering and nurturing talents Nicki Minaj, Drake and Tyga. Carter claim Universal diverted millions of dollars of his profits to repay itself the $100 million it advanced Cash Money Records Inc. A spokesperson for Universal Music Group released a statement saying that the claims are without merit. Stay tuned. Rapper Big Sean has signed with William Morris Endeavor, which will represent him in all areas, according to the talent agency. 28-year-old Detroit native, born Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, has placed three albums in the Billboard Top 200 Chart. He’s sold a total of 27,000 albums in the United States to date, according to Nielsen Music. In addition, he’s placed nine singles in the Billboard Top Ten R&B/Hip Hop Songs Chart, including three No. 1s. He’s had 24 entries in the Billboard Hot 100. The rapper, who has deals with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music Group, Def Jam and Roc Nation, was previously represented by ICM. The one year anniversary of streaming service Tidel’s  launch event will take place tomorrow in New York City, so of course the service is celebrating the day before by releasing new numbers on both subscribers and exclusive releases. In it’s first year, Tidel claims it passed three million paid subscribers globally, adding 2.5 million subscribers to the 540,000 it had when it launched in the United States. Tidel also released numbers for streams of  Kanye West’s “The Life Of Pablo” for the first time after West’s request to hold the numbers when the album became available in February. According to Tidel, “Pablo” surpassed 250 million streams in it’s first ten days of release. “Pablo” has gone through several changes since West stated that it would only be available on Tidel as he updates certain tracks and made the single “Famous”, featuring Rhianna, available via Apple Music and Spotify, ending his Tidel only crusade. Tidel now boost 20 co-owners, up from the 16 it started with . French band Indochine has become the latest addition, after Lil Wayne, Damian Marley and TIP all signed recently. Jay Z, Beyoncé, Rhianna, Kanye West and Madonna were all present for the launch event as the service’s original artist-owners.

Rapper Big Sean and singer Jhene Aiko will join forces for a collaborative effort titled “Twenty88”. The Saulson Hills songstress and Detroit rapper have collaborated previously on the tracks “Beware” and “I Know”. The project will tell the story of the highs and lows of a relationship, with insights into conflict, memories, love, sex and more. Producers Key Wane, Detail and Tommy Brown all pitched in on the project, according to a press release. A @Tweenty88 twitter account has also been launched, offering video teasers of Aiko in an orange bob wig along side a spectacled Sean. The duo will make their television debut as Twenty88 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on March 31. Fox Television’s  drama “Empire” will release it’s soundtrack ahead of it’s new season, set to premiere on March 30. The comeback set will include never before heard tracks from upcoming episodes, including “Crown” by singers Jamila Velazquez, Yani Marin and Raquel Castro, who portray the female vocal group Mirage a Trois. “Crown” premieres on Billboard today. Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is expanding his endeavors to include a charter school in Harlem, his native neighborhood. The Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School will launch for the fall 2016 school year, following his five year search for educational partners and community leaders and Combs says creating the school is a dream come true. Combs said in a statement: “I want to impact the lives of young people in my community and build future leaders. The first step is offering access to a quality education.” The school will be overseen by Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School’s founder Dr. Steve  Perry, who founded Capital Prep Magnet School in Hartford CT in 2005 and will be housed in the same building with El Museo Del Barrio. Diddy along with the board has also selected Orlando educator Danita Jones to serve as principle, via a press release. The school’s website states that its mission is to provide disadvantaged Harlem students with skills necessary for college and careers. The Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School is accepting applications for 6th and 7th grades and will enroll 60 students. They plan to add a grade each year until the school is fully enrolled with 700 students in grades 6 through 12. Rapper Kanye West was apparently in a generous mood when he released  a collaboration between he and gospel singer Kirk Franklin via SoundCloud yesterday. The track, titled “Ultralight  Prayer” is an extended version of his single “Ultralight Beam” and ends with a closing sermon from Franklin, although it wasn’t added to his  new album “The Life Of Pablo” and didn’t appear on Tidel either. It was very noble of West just the same.

Happy birthday Queen of Soul Aretha Louise Franklin. 74

Happy birthday Patricia Lynn Sylvers (The Sylvers) 55

Songstress Snoh Aalegra lays it all out there on her upcoming EP “Don’t Explain”. With bluesy vocals that echo Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill, the Swedish singer/songwriter pushes creativity to the limit, even mixing it up with singer/guitarist John Mayer, who provides guitar work on the track “Under The Influence”, which premieres on Billboard today. She told Billboard: “This album is a passion project that is very dear to my heart. It’s been so inspiring to have complete creative control and to just have fun creating and collaborating with people I admire greatly. Each and every person who is involved in this EP are beyond talented. All I can say is I feel blessed.” Aalegra’s “Don’t Explain”, which also includes collaborations with James Fauntleroy and DJ Dahi, will be released April 8. The A$AP Mob and TDE come together for A$AP Ferg and ScHoolboy Q’s new single. The visual for “Let It Bang” begins with a shout out to the Wu Wear clad Harlemite’s uncle Psycho and flashes back to 1996 New York. Brooklyn rapper Young Dirty Bastard plays the role of Psycho, and was, according to Ferg, a Wu Tang Clan fan and frequent of the neighborhood park.  Q also makes a cameo appearance and delivers some rhymes in honor of his “crackhead uncle.” Ferg’s sophomore effort, “Always Strive And Prosper”, is slated for release on April 22. Also on the video front, P-Funk master George Clinton puts soul in the solar system for the visual for “Ain’t That Funkin Kinda Hard On You (Remix)”, featuring Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube. The Compton rapper mans the Mothership Connection with a cool sixteen as actor Michael Colyar transports from his cousin’s broken down car to the pimped out spacecraft. Dr. Funkenstein later reports for hook duty as Ice Cube delivers his street bars for a sound trip that’s out of this world. “Ain’t That Funkin Kinda Hard On You” first appeared on Funkadelic’s 2014 effort “First Ya Gotta Shake The Gate”, their first since 1981. Every now and then something incredible is born of a Change.org petition. The latest example involves rapper Snoop Dogg. The petition, titled “Get Snoop Dogg To Narrate The Whole Season Of Planet Earth”, came to existence recently and has generated enough signatures to get the attention of the rapper. The petition was inspired by videos where Snoop narrated the documentary series “Planet Earth”, giving the show  his own spin by calling it “Plizzanet Eart”. As the old saying goes, one thing lead to another and now “Planet Snoop” exists. The new original series features Snoop offering commentary on nature videos, following the same formula as before, but it will be more official this time and hosted exclusively on his media platform Merry Jane. Even better still is that the first episode has arrived and features what has been described as “an epic battle between a California ground squirrel and a snake narrated by the one and only Snoop Dogg.” Thank you Snoop.

The BeyHive was put on high alert yesterday after Twitter account Shady Music Facts reported that Beyoncé’s iTunes page had gone down and that there were 13 unlisted videos on her Vevo site. There’s more: Mrs. Carter’s upcoming album will be released next month.  At press time, the Bey video count on Vevo is 117. Add the number of music videos, audio, performances and shows and the total comes to 130 clips, leaving 13 unaccounted videos, according to Jezebel. Although Shady Music Facts confirmed that Bey’s iTunes page was back up, there has been no explanation for the perceived glitch. There has also been speculation that Bey will release an album next month, which would precede her forthcoming “Formation” tour. The 40-city date stadium trek, which is slated to begin on April 27, got it’s name from Beyoncé’s recently released surprise single “Formation”. Representatives for the singer couldn’t be reached for comment. Hip hop act A Tribe Called Quest has released a statement following the death of member Malik I. Taylor, a.k.a. Phife Dawg, also known by the nickname “The Five Foot Assassin”. Taylor died Tuesday at the age of 45 due to complications from diabetes. The statement read: “Our hearts are heavy. We are devastated. This is something we weren’t prepared for although we all know that life is fleeting. It was no secret about his health and his fight. But the fight for his joy and happiness gave him everything he needed. The fight to keep his family happy, his soul happy, and those around him happy, gave him complete and unadulterated joy until he heeded his father’s call. We love his family, his mother, his father, his son, his wife, his nieces, his family here in New York, Atlanta, California and Trinidad.” The statement continued, “Thank you for the outpouring of prayers and support from the fans, fellow artists, music outlets, blogs, radio stations, DJ’s, social media and the music community at large. This too is part of his joy and means a lot to him. His family is overwhelmed by the support, well wishes and are thankful. His music and what he’s contributed is seismic and hard to measure. He’s affected us as much as he’s affected all of you. We’re inspired by his daily joy  and courage. He wasn’t in pain. He was happy. We take comfort in knowing that he will be beside his grandmother.” Taylor released five albums with A Tribe Called Quest partners Q Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad from 1990-1998. He will be missed. Rapper Young Thug and Sir Elton John have been manifesting a collaboration for quite some time now. Although news of anything formal hasn’t been confirmed as yet, the pair meeting in Atlanta yesterday has resulted in growing speculation that the two are working on something together. Adding fuel to the fire, the two posed for photographs together on Thug’s private Instagram account. These two have definitely been up something. Right? John praised the rapper during an interview with Noisey, with rumors of a “Rocket Man” remix swirling since then. It’s so secret that rapper Kanye West is a Justin Bieber fan. He’s expressed admiration for the pop star on many occasions. He’s also rocked out to the Bebs will riding shotgun with wife Kim Kardashian. The most recent outing to a Bieber concert may have pushed him over the edge and into the Belieber realm. TeamKanyeDaily recently posted photographs of West at recent Bieber shows  in Los Angeles rocking out. He recently stated that “What Do You Mean?” was  his favorite song of 2015 and he’s standing by that sentiment. West brought The Game, Diddy and the Kardashians to the show and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Too bad Bieber didn’t appear on “The Life Of Pablo”. Imagine what it would have been like if the two had taken the stage together.

Sad news out of the hip hop community. Malik Isaac Taylor, known professionally as Phipe Dawg, and founding member of the pioneering hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, passed away last night. He was 45. He had battled ill health in recent years and underwent a kidney transplant in 2008, following renal failure due to complications from diabetes. He later became a diabetes advocate and shared his story in a 2012 documentary, “Beats, Rhymes And Life”. A Tribe Called Quest was formed in the late 1980’s by Phife, Jonathan Davis, known as Q-Tip and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White, who later left the group at the height of it’s success. The group would later make it’s mark as one of the most progressive hip hop acts of it’s time. Commercial success never eluded them. A Tribe Called Quest’s 1996 release “Beats, Rhymes And Life” reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 and it’s follow up, “The Love Movement”, which was released in 1998, peaked at No. 3. An earlier album, “Midnight Marauders”, reached No. 8 on the U. S charts in 1993. The group was rewarded in 2005 with a Special Achievement Award at the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. Phife, who also went by the nicknames “Five Foot Assassin” and “The Five Footer” due to his diminutive size, ( he stood at 5 ft. 3 in.), released a solo album, “Ventilation: Da LP” in 2000. A Tribe Called Quest reunited sporadically over the past decade, including a performance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. That appearance coincided with the 25th anniversary release of the group’s debut album, which features remixes by Pharrell, Cee Lo Green and J. Cole. The Roots drummer Questlove has become a man in demand. Not only is he publishing a culinary page turner “Somethingtofoodabout”, he’ll also executive produce and score the forthcoming indie thriller “Vincent N Roxy”, his representatives confirmed to Billboard magazine. The action crime drama centers on the bad romance between a punk rocker and a small town loner who fall in love only to be followed by violence after they go on the run, according to Rolling Stone magazine. Quest’s previous scoring credits include the 2015 Chris Rock presentation “Top Five” and episodes of the Comedy Central hit “Inside Amy Schumer”. The Gary Michael Schultz directed “Vincent N Roxy” will appear at the Tribeca Film Festival next month. Rapper Kanye West’s albums aren’t selling like they used to, but sales of his merchandise are going through the roof. Opening his “The Life Of  Pablo” pop-up shop over the weekend, West took to Twitter to announce that over a two-day period his clothing sold over $1 million, all from one location. If that’s true, it’s incredible news. Lines were crazy at the event, which stretched for blocks on Friday, March 18, so it isn’t impossible. It’s also been rumored that his pop could move outside New York City. Los Angeles and Chicago have been mentioned as possibilities.

With recent photographs of the former members of Destiny’s Child creating hysteria, is it a question of whether anyone misses the multi-platinum recording act? Not likely, but there’s an indication that they miss it too. While on a promotional tour to support her upcoming reality series “Chasing Destiny”, co-lead vocalist Kelly Rowland discussed the importance of female groups and missing bandmates Michelle Williams and Beyoncé Knowles at SXSW this year. Rowland stated, “It’s what we’re used to right now. And like I said, there’s nothing wrong with it. But I think it’s time for another generation to see women coming together. I think it’s time for another generation to see camaraderie. I think it’s time for another generation to hear voices together. To hear the power of it, how exciting it is. How it’s a force on stage. That is something that is missed. Hell, I miss it.” The new mother also touched on why she believed Destiny’s Child ruled the charts the way they did. “Confidence. They better be able to sing their butts off and these girls can sing their faces off. And their work ethic. I think the difference between Destiny’s Child and everyone else, we just outworked everybody.” “Chasing Destiny” airs on April 5 on BET. Buying expensive jewelry comes with an added price it appears, armed security. R&B singer Ray J continues to put his money on his wrist and around his neck,  providing the only logical explanation for an arguably excessive security detail. TMZ reported that the singer/reality star and his fiancé Princess Love stopped at jeweler Leon Diamond in New York City, where the duo spent over $50K on some new bling. After investing in a $40K rose gold Rolex, two charm pendants valued at $7,500 each, and a 4-carat diamond and rose gold  pendant valued at $10K, adding an armed security guard to the mix makes good business sense. The couple was escorted by a hooded, armed security guard on Thursday March 18 and their receipts at the high end jewelry store appear to be the reason why. The security guard carried an AR-15 rifle, which is legal in Michigan due to the state’s open carry law and seems to be a comfort Ray J is becoming too comfortable with . Regardless of whether it becomes the norm, we know Ray J isn’t mad about it. He’s too busy being blinged out. R&B singer Santigold  is all about self love in the visual for her latest single “Can’t Get Enough Of Myself”. The video includes appearances by actress Olivia Wilde, Adam Samberg and rappers Jay Z and Pharrell Williams. In the New York based video, Hova and Wilde light up sidewalk posters and billboards while Pha-Real stunts on a Jumbotron. Samberg, who will assume the lead in the upcoming comedy “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping”, makes his way into Sangtigold’s photo booth shoot. The single appears on her latest album “99 Cents”. TMZ reported that Kanye West has filed a request to a judge to reward him for cleaning up his act by omitting a misdemeanor battery charge from his record. After pleading no contest after an altercation with the paparazzi in 2014, West was ordered to perform 250  hours of community service and was given 24 months probation. West followed through with his end of the deal. He also put in more time than requested by volunteering at LA Trade Tech’s fashion school, and didn’t violate his probation. Since he is now eligible to have his record expunged, he has reportedly filed the necessary paper work to take care of the 2014 incident. It’s safe to say that the judge will comply with the request and we’ll see less of the old Kanye West, except on Twitter.

Drake and Rhianna made a young cancer patient’s wish come true during a stop in Miami on the singer’s Anti tour. A 14-year-old named Megan, who has progressive metastasized sarcoma and lives in Florida, met the duo backstage last week through the Make A Wish Foundation, according to the foundation’s representative. Megan wrote, “BEST DAY OF MY Life! I MET THE LOML.” He was so sweet and down to earth. Gave me and my family some OVO clothing. BEST DAY EVER. NO LIE. @champagnepapi LOVE YOU! Drake Snap chatted his  meeting with Megan, even planting a kiss on the cheek. Drake wrote, “This is the best Snap chat I’ve ever done before.” He added, “It’s all love.” The Make Wish Foundation representative said Megan’s wish was to meet Drake because he is her favorite singer and she has listened to his music throughout her diagnosis and treatment. Drake and Rhianna surprised South Beach with a rendition of their hit “Work” that evening. Without a doubt, Cash Money fans were excited when Lil Wayne, Birdman and Juvenile reunited on the Mannie Fresh produced collaboration “Hate”. During a recent interview with Genius, Mannie was candid about putting the project together and shared an update on Wayne and Baby’s relationship by saying that everything isn’t resolved between the two. He added that he told the two, “We can resolve all that behind the curtain, but for now, let’s make some music for the people.” When it all started coming together, the brotherly love came out. We did the song, then, I wish you the best. We should do it more often.”  Fresh admitted that while he has other songs with Wayne and Juvenile in the vaults, it’s difficult to get the gang together for a collaborative project. In the meantime, Fresh has a forthcoming project due on Mass Appeal Records. Singer/songwriter/producer R Kelly will hit the road in support of his 12th No.1 and 13th studio album “The Buffet”. The 40 city tour will begin on April 21 in Cincinnati and stop in major cities such as Chicago, Miami, Dallas and Atlanta. Tickets for the Buffet Tour will be available for purchase on March 25 at Ticketmaster. Young Thug has made his feelings regarding Rich Homie Quan known recently. Last week, during a show in California, the Atlanta native yelled, “F**k Rich Homie Quan” while on stage. It’s the culmination of tensions between the two Rich Gang members. In response, Rich Homie Quan took to Instagram to defuse the situation. The two artist haven’t released music together since 2014’s Rich Gang mixtape “Tha Tour Part 1.” Quan hinted last November that another Rich Gang project was coming soon, but nothing has been released yet.