Blogamole › Nicki Minaj

By Omar Paredes

What’s the deal with all the new females emcees going at Lil’ Kim? First it was Nicki Minaj taking shots at the once self-proclaimed “Queen Bee”, and now it’s up and coming Harlem rapper Azealia Banks. But unlike Nicki Minaj, Banks isn’t waiting to put out a diss record; she’s battling via Twitter.

After previously showing much admiration for the one-time Biggie Smalls protégé, Banks sent out a series of tweets calling out Lil’ Kim, after a supposedly planned collaboration went south.

You can read the tweets off Banks's Twitter feed, but basically the beef stems from a tweet Banks sent, claiming that she had written a verse for Lil’ Kim, to speed up the whole recording process because “everyone knows Lil Kim doesn't write her own raps”.

According to Banks, she was then contacted by Lil’ Kim’s assistant refuting the claim, which lead her to proceed with her twitter rant.

The old Lil’ Kim may have been persuaded to shoot back at the young emcee, but rather than add fuel to the fire, her team issued a statement totally dismissing Banks, saying the two female rappers have “NEVER spoke to one another or met AT ALL.”

Banks completely disregarded the statement and continued to tweet, sticking to her claim that Lil’ Kim’s “team told me to write the verse for her.”

Enough with the "Tweefing" [tweeting + beefing] already!

Who do you think would win in a rap battle, Azealia Banks or Lil’ Kim?

Tags Azealia Banks, Biggie Smalls, blogger: Omar Paredes, Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, twitter

Tags blogger: Omar Paredes, Coca-Cola, Katy Perry, michael jackson, Nicki Minaj, Pepsi

By Astrid Rivera

Get ready, Pepsi fans, because the classic beverage is about to undergo a radical transformation courtesy of mega-rapper Nicki Minaj.

The soda manufacturing giant struck a multi-million dollar deal with Minaj to launch the newest line of Pepsi beverages called 'Pop'. Following in the footsteps of her mentor and fellow rapper Lil Wayne, who also signed a deal with Pepsi's Mountain Dew with the tag DEWeezy, Nicki is sure to bring her record label tons of cash money and young money for that matter.

The internet is abuzz with the pixelated footage that was leaked on YouTube of the upcoming commercial featuring Nicki in South America. Derek Jackson, Glu agency chief that brokered the agreement said,

"You'll see the commercial probably in the next two months. That'll be a segue into a new beverage Pepsi has called 'Pop,' and she'll be the face of the brand... it's going to be explosive."

It's safe to say everyone is expecting Pop to be explosive, as is everything related to Nicki Minaj. In fact, these days Nicki está hasta en la sopa with endorsement deals with OPI and M.A.C. plus a fragrance in the works.

Just last year she was the first female rapper to ever land on Forbes' Hip-Hop Cash Kings list of top earners with a whopping $6.5 million. Yet, with all the new endorsement deals this figure will no doubt seem like chump change in 2013.

I kinda feel bad for Drake who is officially team Coke since endorsing Sprite long before Nicki or Wayne decided to side with Pepsi. Hm, I wonder what they drink at the movies?

That begs the old time question, Coke or Pepsi? And will Nicki Minaj's endorsement be enough to convert Coke fans? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Astrid Rivera, Coke, drake, Forbes, Lil'Wayne, M.A.C., Nicki Minaj, Opi, Pepsi, pop news, Young Money Cash Money

By Astrid Rivera

New York Fashion Week ended on a spectacular note thanks to MAC Cosmetics who recently named Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj as their newest Viva Glam ambassadors.

MAC threw an amazing party in honor of the talented pair at 37 Studios in Manhattan Wednesday night. Since being appointed, Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj have been in charge of promoting the company's newest MAC Viva Glam makeup line, which donates 100 percent of its profits to the MAC AIDS Fund.

Since 1944, MAC has raised more than $235 million to help women, men and children that are affected by HIV/AIDS. The hot duo are following in the footsteps of past ambassadors such as Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga and Elton John.

The star-studded event was nothing short of excessive fabulousness that included Benny Benassi as the DJ. Among the many celebs who were spotted at the New York shindig was Kelly Osbourne, stylist Brad Goreski and designer Christian Siriano. The guests of honor appeared before everyone under bright pink lights and to the sound of a revving engine.

"I just want to say it is an honor for me to be part of this family. This work is really valuable to try and create some consciousness," said Martin who is set to star in the upcoming Broadway production of Evita next month.

Minaj added to this,

"We all know someone with HIV/AIDS. It's a disease that doesn't discriminate. Not matter what your age is, please protect yourself."

This was Minaj's first major appearance since her controversial "Roman Holiday" performance at the Grammys and thankfully no exorcisms took place at this event. 

MAC always has its finger on the pulse and celebrating these two as ambassadors is an excellent way to bring attention to the cause at hand. Can't wait to see if these two ever get inspired to collaborate musically as well, that'd be a hell of a song!

Do you think Ricky Martin and Nicki Minaj are good ambassadors for MAC Viva Glam? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 37 Studios Manhattan, Astrid Rivera, Benny Benassi, Brad Goreski, Christian Siriano, Evita, Kelly Osbourne, MAC Viva Glam, Nicki Minaj, pop news, Ricky Martin, Roman Holiday, The Grammy's

By Michael Lopez

Initially, no one expected this year's Grammys to carry such a somber note. But with Saturday's passing of Whitney Houston, that's ultimately the tone that dominated the night. Houston seemed to be on the everyone's mind, including Adele who earned six golden statuettes.

The British crooner took home multiple awards last night, including Album of the Year for 21. Winning for every category she was nominated in, Adele hit the acceptance stage six times for honors like Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album.

"Oh my God...thank you so much, thank you! Hello!" an emotional Adele said during one of her acceptance speeches. "This record is inspired by something really normal and everyone's been through it—that's a rubbish relationship. I can't tell you how I feel about it, it's been the most life-changing year."

The evening proved to be a bit life-changing for the Foo Fighters too, who took home five awards throughout the night. Their Wasting Light record nabbed Best Rock Album and their "Walk" single was honored twice, as Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance.

Dave Grohl and company seemed thrilled with their victories. And they delivered one helluva final jam onstage, playing classics from The Beatles' Abbey Road album alongside Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty.

Unfortunately Tr3s fave Bruno Mars seemed to get snubbed in all of his respective categories, losing primarily to Adele. Though he did deliver a powerhouse performance of "Runaway Baby" that got the crowd roaring.

Indie fave Bon Iver took home Best New Artist and 85-year-old crooner Tony Bennett earned two Grammys for his Duets II album. Chris Brown got the night's Best R&B Album for F.A.M.E. and Kanye West dominated the rap categories, winning Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Album for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

On the Latin side of things, Maná scored a shiny Grammy for their Drama y Luz record and Los Tigres del Norte's MTV Unplugged soundtrack won Best Banda Album. Even the late Steve Jobs won a posthumous honor, earning the Grammy Trustees Award.

But no one at the L.A. venue could escape the lingering presence of Whitney. With a last minute change up, the show brought out Jennifer Hudson, who belted out an amazing rendition of Houston's classic "I Will Always Love You."

Host LL Cool J went on to deliver an emotional speech about Whitney's contributions to the music biz.

"Heavenly father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us," he told the crowd. "Though she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit.”

And for those of you following Grammy fashions, the night's most outrageous outfit belonged to…(you guessed it) Nicki Minaj. Taking things even further than Lady Gaga, the 29-year-old hip-hop star showed up in a bright red nun dress alongside a Pope lookalike.

What did you think of this year's Grammys? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 21, Adele, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bon Iver, Bruno Mars, Celebrities, Chris Brown, Fashion Face-Off, Foo Fighters, Grammy Awards, Grammys, Hot Stuff, Jennifer Hudson, Kanye West, LL Cool J, Los Tigres Del Norte, Mana, Música, Nicki Minaj, Steve Jobs, Style, Tony Bennett, Whitney Houston

By Larry Yepez Jr.

If the leaked list is to be believed, Madonna will be performing hits from across her nearly three-decade career in her Indianapolis Super Bowl show.

The material girl has already started rehearsing for the Feb. 5 halftime show at Lucas Oil Stadium. According to the leak, the estimated 15-minute performance will feature five songs -Gimme All Your Lovin, from her upcoming album,  90's dance anthem Ray of Light and her hit Vogue among others.

The album cut of the newest song, Gimme All Your Lovin, features Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., but it hasn't been confirmed if they'll appear at the stadium.

So what's up with all the recent leaks about Madonna? Could it all just be publicity stunts?

After a man was arrested late last month in Spain for leaking a demo of her single 'Gimme All Your Lovin,' Madonna is now mounting an investigation into how the man got the song -and believes the culprit comes from her inner circle according to UK newspaper The Sun.

The report also states that single tracks "have been exchanging hands for well over $1,000" while hundreds of hours of footage, including video and photographs featuring the pop icon, have been obtained illegally in exchanges for tens of thousands of dollars.

"It is all part of the same deal made by a few unscrupulous characters to line their pockets," said one unnamed source quoted by The Sun.

The news came after celebrity blogger Perez Hilton posted information which leaked last week regarding a possible album title ('LUV') and several song titles for Madonna's upcoming studio effort. The album is expected to be released in late March.

Are you excited to see Madonna's performance next month?

Tags Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Gimme All Your Lovin, Holiday, Lucas Oil Stadium, M.I.A., Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Perez Hilton, Ray of Light, Super Bowl, The Sun, Vogue

By Michael Lopez

This weekend, music fans were treated to another memorable awards show with the 2011 AMAs. Outside of some lively performances from Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, and Enrique Iglesias, the event featured big wins for Taylor Swift and a JLo outfit that got the gossip blogs buzzing.

Swift probably received the most attention of the night, taking home Artist of the Year, Country Female Artist, and Country Album. Fresh off her CMA sweep, Taylor seemed to be quite overwhelmed by her monster victory.

"I want to thank my band and my crew and the fans for filling up stadiums," said an emotional Swift from the stage. "And my mom and my dad and my brother who came with me tonight, and my fans who continue to amaze me."

Adele didn't do too bad either, earning the night’' Adult Contemporary Artist award as well as Pop/Rock Female Artist. Nicki Minaj (who delivered an incredible live rendition of "Turn Me On" with David Guetta) scored two AMAs herself, for Rap/Hip-Hop Album and Rap/Hip-Hop Artist.

And the AMAs made sure to honor a few Latinos too. Bruno Mars won for Pop/Rock Male Artist and JLo got the Latin Music Artist trophy. Lopez, in particular, attracted a ton of coverage for her revealing bodysuit. At 42-years-old, she flaunted a near perfect body during her performance of "Papi."

Jennifer did get a little bit of heat from the critics though, for bringing out a Fiat car during her live set. Many felt that the move was a blatant form of advertising (Lopez is currently a Fiat spokesperson) and thought it cheapened her performance.

And though they didn't take home awards, Tr3s faves Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Christina Aguilera made their presence known too. Enrique was backed up by a full-blown marching band for a lively rendition of "I Like How It Feels." Pit joined JLo for her second song of the night, "On The Floor," and Xtina and Adam Levine rocked the house with their hit duet "Moves Like Jagger."

Other highlights included tributes to Heavy D, a Justin Bieber/David Hasselhoff appearance, and will.i.am debuting his new track, "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)." But as lively as it was, the 2011 AMAs failed to make a major dent with viewers. Last night's show scored a dismal 1.3/3 ratings share, marking an all-time American Music Award low.

Did you watch last night's AMAs? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 2011 Amas, Adele, AMAs, American Music Awards, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bruno Mars, Celebrities, Christina Aguilera, David Guetta, Enrique Iglesias, Fiat, Heavy D, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Música, Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, Taylor Swift

Tags By Larry Yepez Jr., Chisme, Give Me All Your Love, Guy Oseary, M.I.A., Madonna, MTV, Nicki Minaj, popnews

By Ikam Acosta

Basketball Wives reality TV star Evelyn Lozada just signed a movie and book deal with Cash Money Content that will have her spilling her guts about what it's like being a basketball wife. I'm sure you can call her an expert on that. Lozada is currently engaged to Chad Ochocinco, from the New England Patriots. She was also formerly married to Anton Walker, former player for the Boston Celtics.

Lozada will co-write a book series called The Wives Association with Courtney Parker, former writer for Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The series will be

"loosely-based on Lozada's life, using the alter ego Eve Inez-Landon to fictionalize the true stories she has learned from years of dating professional athletes."

Evelyn Lozada wanted to allow readers to experience what it was like to be a wife of one of these athletes and learn every juicy details that this lifestyle entails. She hopes to turn these novels into a "full-fledged brand" down the road, eventually developing films based on the book series.

Cash Money Content is the book publishing branch of Cash Money Records, the label that signed artists such as Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. The label was formed by two brothers, Bryan "Baby" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams.

Lozada is excited about working with the label.

"Everything Baby and CMC touches turns to gold, and our brands together will be magical."

Will you be one of the thousands reading up on the secret exciting lives of basketball wives?

Tags Anton Walker, Basketball Wives, Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Celebrities, Celebrity Couples, Chad Ochocinco, Evelyn Lozada, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, popnews, Reality shows, Television

By Michael Lopez

This past week, Nicki Minaj decided to "clean house" and fire one of the housekeepers from her Hollywood Hills home. But the catch is, the former maid claims Minaj forcibly ejected her and "treated her like an animal."

It all makes for some interesting chisme, particularly after TMZ released even more salacious details. According to the site, the maid in question grabbed one of Nicki's pictures from the trash and asked her to autograph it. That's when Minaj went ballistic, screaming obscenities and kicking the housekeeper to the curb.

Apparently, things got so bad a police battery report was filed. Though the incident happened last week, Nicki still seems to be fuming today and claims the entire incident was a cheap attempt to extort money.

You'd think if that was the case, the maid would come forward and share her "exclusive" story. But so far, the woman is choosing to remain anonymous. Perhaps she'll have better luck cleaning homes for the Schwarzeneggers.

Do you think Nicki was out of line? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Housekeepers, Nicki Minaj, popnews, TMZ