Nas Expected To Land At #1

Rapper Nas' new album, Life Is Good, is being projected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album would give Nas his sixth number one album. That puts the Queens-born legend in company that includes Eminem and Jay-Z.

1996's It Was Written, 1997's The Firm with Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature, 1999's I Am, 2007's Hip Hop Is Dead and 2008's "Untitled" all hit number one on the charts.

Life Is Good could possibly be the only title that will sell over 100,000 this week, Billboard reports.

Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne Win Billboard Awards

The 2012 Billboard Music Awards were held last night (May 20th) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There weren't a whole lot of surprises in what turned out to be an entertaining but fairly stale show. Chris Brown took home the award for Top R&B Artist, with LMFAO landing Top Duo/Group and Hot 100 song awards.

Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa both took home awards at the big show, as well.

The late Whitney Houston was honored with a tribute by John Legend and Jordin Sparks, with Alicia Keys joining the legendary Stevie Wonder onstage when he was celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Justin Bieber was named "Top Social Artist."

RZA On Hip Hop's Headphone Craze

With his new Chambers by RZA line, the Wu-Tang superproducer has thrown himself into the hip hop headphone fray that includes fellow stars like Dr. Dre, 50 Cent and Ludacris. RZA says that he doesn't like to fuel negative one-upmanship in hip hop, but he doesn't mind some friendly competition amongst rappers.

"I don't like to compete against my own crew, meaning, hip-hop," RZA told Billboard. "Hip-hop to me is a family. But you do want to sell the most records, have the biggest song and win the Grammy." That said, he was quick to set his line apart from the efforts of MCs. "With much respect to the other guys, [Dr.] Dre is a producer and I'm a producer," he said. "If anyone is into sound and dealing with sound, it's more the producer than a rapper. We get more technical."

Jay-Z Sets Billboard Record

Rap superstar Jay-Z has become the hip hop artist with the most Billboard Top 10 hits with his Kanye West-assisted smash "N***as In Paris" jumping to the number eight spot on the charts. The song jumped seven spots in one week. It gives Jay his 18th Top Ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 single, surpassing Ludacris and Lil Wayne.

That gives Jay and Kanye'sWatch the Throne album its first Hot 100 top 10 after "H*A*M" reached No. 29 and "Otis," featuring the late soul legend Otis Redding, rose to No. 12; and, "Who Gon Stop Me" peaked at No. 44.

...Throne has sold 1.1 million copies. As "Paris" climbs. The hit gives West his 14th top 10 single.

Drake @ Radio City NY w/Friends + Videos Bonus Jay-Z

Video: Drake performs "Karaoke" with Francis

Video: Drake Peforms "Light Up" with Jay-Z


source BillBoard