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Day in Pop Report for 02/05/2015


Beyonce To Perform At Grammys With John Legend and Common
(Radio.com) The Grammys performance of Common and John Legend will feature a very special guest: Beyonce. Common confirmed to Us Weekly that the queen of R&B will descend from on high during his and Legend's performance of "Glory," singing an intro to the song, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord."

"We do have an incredible introduction to our performance," Common told Us. 'A segue into our song 'Glory,' as a tribute to Selma, being done by the great Beyonce. That's one of the greatest talents you can have, helping us segue into it. To co-create a performance with someone like her. It's good."

"Take My Hand, Precious Lord" is a classic gospel song written in 1956 by Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey. It's noted for having been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s favorite song. King is the subject of the film Selma, from which "Glory" is taken. Read more here.

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Puff Daddy Allegedly Assaulted Man At Super Bowl Party
(Radio.com) Puff Daddy's been on a boxing spree of late. Everyone who happens to get in his way--including, reportedly, Drake--has caught a knuckle sandwich courtesy of the original Bad Boy.

Now a man has filed a suit against the rapper after he allegedly punched him at a Super Bowl party over the weekend. TMZ has acquired a video clip from the party, claiming it to be the lead-up to the incident.

While it does not show Sean Combs committing any kind of actual violence, it does feature his presumably former fan Steven Donaldson mouthing off to the rapper in a way that could definitely lead to a fight--"f- you for not performing," yells Donaldson, in an aggressive tone. The video ends with a team of security guards affiliated with Diddy carrying Donaldson out of the party. Read more and watch the clip here.

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Mary J Blige and Sam Smith To Duet At The Grammys
(Radio.com) No one's complaining, but every year it seems like fewer actual awards are given out during the Grammys. That's because the show is always jam-packed with performances, including several one-off collaborations. And this morning, the 57th annual Grammy Awards added to the already-packed roster, announcing a plethora of all-star duets that will grace the stage at L.A.'s Staples Center this Sunday night.

Mary J. Blige will perform alongside her collaborator and friend Sam Smith, while Beck will take the stage joined by Coldplay's Chris Martin. And country newcomer and Best New Artist nominee Brandy Clark will step into the lights alongside honky-tonk enthusiast (and two-time Grammy winner) Dwight Yoakam.

Ed Sheeran, Herbie Hancock, John Mayer and Questlove will jam together, too--which is on top of Sheeran's additional performance with Electric Light Orchestra mastermind/uber-producer Jeff Lynne. Also added to the bill are Juanes, classical pianist Lang Lang (following up his performance at last year's Grammys with Metallica) and Sia. Read more here.

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Bobby Shmurda's Bail on Hold
(Radio.com) Bad news for Bobby Shmurda and fans rooting for his release from prison. The rapper, thought to be on the way to release after posting a two million dollar bail, is not being released as expected.

The New York Times reports that the suretor of the bond has withdrawn the money, and thus kept Shmurda locked up. Kenneth Montgomery, Shmurda's attorney, said that 'management associates' have put on hold the expected bail money.

'We're trying to do a new bond application and are in the process in the figuring that out," Mr. Montgomery said. 'We're hoping to get it done within the next week." Read more here.

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Martina McBride Announces New Tour Leg
(Radio.com) Martina McBride has enjoyed her time on the road so much, she doesn't want it to end. After extending her Everlasting Tour into a fall leg, McBride announced that she will add more dates for 2015.

"The band and I are having so much fun on this Everlasting Tour," she said in a press release. "I really wanted to put together a show that is as visually entertaining as it is musically entertaining.

"The addition of the horn section and singers adds so much energy to what we do. We are enjoying the fresh take on our hits of the last 20 plus years as well as being able to play so much of the new album because it's familiar music to my fans. I think we are all wishing this tour really would last forever!"

Mcbride's tour will kick off it's 2015 leg on Feb. 10 in Midwest City, Okla., and stop through Texas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota, among other states. Check out the dates here.

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Katy Perry to Perform At The Grammys?
(Radio.com) How does Katy Perry follow up her epic, record-breaking Super Bowl performance? Well, by taking on music's biggest night, of course. According to a report from Billboard, Perry will perform at the Grammys this Sunday (Feb. 8), bringing her fans the touching ballad "By the Grace of God" off her latest album, Prism.

Billboard reports Perry plans on having "a highly visual spectacle with dance elements playing a central role." So, don't think there won't be some dancing sharks or other mammals on that stage with her just because she's going with a ballad.

Perry last performed at the awards in 2011, also slowing things down with a dance-filled take on "Not Like the Movies" off Teenage Dream before launching into that album's title track. Read more here.

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Waka Flocka Flame Releases New Song With Migos' Offset
(Radio.com) Waka Flocka Flame and DJ Whoo Kid last graced the world with a collaboration, "5:56," on Christmas Eve. And if you've been eagerly waiting for the last five weeks for the pair to return, today, your wish has been granted.

And "Ova" doesn't just feature the aforementioned collaborators. Also along for the ride are Migos member Offset and Ca$h Out. The resulting track is instantly anthemic and repeatable, everything we'd hope for from a new Waka Flocka cut.

This song is not officially from his upcoming I Can't Rap Volume 2, but could easily be included in the upcoming joint venture. Likely we will receive more properly shared sampling from the effort before it appears in the world.

Listen to the new track here.

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Young Thug Won't Buy Jay Z's Albums
(Radio.com) Young Thug has just given the interview of his lifetime, if that can be measured by headline-making pull quotes. The piece, which was published by GQ, finds the Atlanta rapper musing on everything from his life goals (read: money) to the point at which he'd drop the "young" from his name (spoiler: never).

But there's no more controversial aspect of the story than when Young Thug shares his thoughts on Jay Z. Unlike many of his peers, Young Thug doesn't exactly look up to the rapper turned business mogul, music-wise--at least not in Jay's current state.

His views on the East Coast rap staple stemmed from a statement he made where he said "I don't want to rap forever." When pressed to explain that thought, Thug said, "I don't want to be 50 years old and rapping, man. I'm pretty sure nobody wants to do that. I'm pretty sure Jay Z don't wanna rap right now."

"If you're 30, 40 years old, you're not getting listened to by minors," Young Thug continued. "Like, Jay Z has some of the sickest lyrics ever, but I would never buy his CD, just because of my age and because of his age. By the time I turn that old, I ain't gonna be doing what he's doing." Read more here.

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J. Cole's 'Wet Dreamz' Gets Marching Band Makeover
(Radio.com) J. Cole's recent album 2014 Forest Hills Drive is now Gold-certified, selling over 300,000 copies--and now the album cut and fan favorite "Wet Dreamz" has also gone brass, courtesy of the Southern University Marching Band.

The university's marching band is known as the Human Jukebox because of its skill at transforming pop hits into brass symphonic arrangements. The 230-member ensemble gave a new twist to Cole's production, and recorded it live on the field.

The song manages to capture the upbeat quirks of the beat, while still transforming the original into a stomping anthem fit for bleachers full of rowdy football fans.

Cole was very pleased with the results: "I ain't make it until I saw this. A high honor! Thank you," he tweeted. Check it out here.

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Dwight Yoakam Releases Title Track Of New Album
(Radio.com) Dwight Yoakam's forthcoming album Second Hand Heart will be available on April 14, and leading up to the release of the album, fans can get a sneak preview of the album's title track, premiered via Rolling Stone Country.

The track has the country singer telling the story of a woman lamenting of how she wished she never started a relationship. "It's better off just not to start/ Then to have to watch us fall apart," he sings.

Yoakam said he originally wrote the song's opening verse years ago with plans to have it on 2012's Tree Pears. "I never finished it," he told Rolling Stone Country. "It wasn't meant to be a part of that record and now I know why. It's its own statement, and it led this collection of songs in a way." Read more here.

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Bobby Brown Says Bobbi Kristina Never Married Nick Gordon
(Radio.com) Initial reports indicated that Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina--currently hospitalized after a friend found her unresponsive in the bathtub in a suburban Atlanta townhouse on Saturday--was married to her significant other Nick Gordon.

Now, a lawyer representing Bobby Brown has provided a statement to the press denying all reports that Brown's daughter was ever married. Billboard reports that Brown's statement disputes a Twitter post Bobbi made in January of 2014, when she claimed to have been married to Gordon.

According to Brown, Bobbi is currently "fighting for her life" in the hospital, after being moved from North Fulton Hospital in Roswell, Ga., to Atlanta's Emory University Hospital. Read more here.

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Eli Young Band Release 'Prayer for the Road' Video
(Radio.com) Eli Young Band is gearing up for new music and a new tour this year--and, as it turns out, a new video as well. The country band has released a bonus video for "Prayer for the Road," the last song on their 2014 release 10,000 Towns, via The Boot.

The video brings the song to life as a firefighter is shown lying on the ground of a scorched home covered in soot. Throughout the four-and-a-half minute clip, a montage of his life's major events flash on the screen: his proposal to his wife, their wedding day, his newborn baby, childhood birthday parties and him leaving to fight a fire.

While the interpretive video ends with some unanswered questions, it leaves it up to the viewer to decide the fate of the firefighter in the song. "Prayer for the Road" was written by band members Mike Eli, Jon Jones, James Young, Chris Thompson and songwriters Kyle Jacobs and Billy Montana. Read more here.

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DJ Mustard Remixes 'FourFiveSeconds'
(Radio.com) DJ Mustard is continuing his streak of outfitting tracks for the dance floor. His latest remix in that vein is a wobbly drop-heavy take on Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney's slow-burning folk track "FourFiveSeconds."

The West Coast producer's edit, which follows up his similarly sped-up reworks of Beyonce's '7/11" and Clean Bandit's "Rather Be," is the perfect track for Rihanna and West fans wishing they went in more of a dance direction.

For those fans, maybe DJ Mustard can take on the rest of Rihanna's album? It seems likely that she'll stick to this kind of BPM on her album since, in the behind-the-scenes clip for the recently released "FourFiveSeconds" video, she said the track was the first taste of her upcoming album.

Similarly, West hasn't shown any signs of coming up with an album full of club-bound tracks. Aside from "FourFiveSeconds," his other single "Only One" has a more organic, heartstrings-pulling feel. Listen to the remix here.

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Taylor Swift Has Put A Spell On Channing Tatum's Daughter
(Radio.com) Taylor Swift, the baby whisperer? According to Channing Tatum, she has a magical hold over his daughter that he just can't explain. Tatum, who graces the cover of Vanity Fair's 21st Annual Hollywood issue with Reese Witherspoon and Amy Adams, says his little girl, Everly, who's just a year and a half, keeps him from watching TV, but he's very up on his Swift.

Tatum told the magazine (via E! News) he spends all his time listening to Baby Einstein and Swift's "Shake It Off." "She's a sorcerer of the highest regard," Tatum says, before noting. "In a great way, I don't mean it in a bad way.

"I don't know what she's doing in that video," he added. "But my daughter will watch it to the point of just insanity." Taylor might be driving Tatum insane, but he's working a little magic--Mike that is, with the sequel's new poster, which shows a lot of abs. Like a whole lot. Read more here.

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Kendrick Lamar, Robert Plant, Modest Mouse Lead Sasquatch Lineup
(Radio.com) The reveal of this year's tentpole music festival lineups continues. Today the Pacific North West Sasquatch Festival announced its lineup and, as far as 2015 festivals go, it's like no other.

For headliners, the three-day event in George, Wash., will bring together Kendrick Lamar, Robert Plant and Modest Mouse. The event will also feature Lana Del Rey, Ryan Adams, Of Monsters and Men, The Decemberists, Tame Impala, St. Vincent, Ryan Adams, Spoon.

Hip-hop wise, the festival managed to secure Run the Jewels, ScHoolboy Q, Action Bronson and Ab-Soul. The festival happens over Memorial Day Weekend (May 22-25). See the full lineup here.

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Whitney Houston Biopic Sent Bobbi Kristina Over The Edge?
(Extra) "Extra's" AJ Calloway sat down with Debra Antney in Atlanta. Antney a well known music manager and good friend to the Brown family opening up about the tragic situation surrounding Bobbi Kristina.

Debra visiting the family at the hospital before Bobbi was moved to Emory University Hospital, "She blinked her eyes, she did do that�She's not out of danger, but it ain't over with yet." Her father Bobby Brown by her side, "He's a wreck, you know, thankful he got a good wife that stands right by him, you know, and he has a little support team there so, but how would anybody be."

Some questioning if the 'Whitney' biopic sent Bobbi Kristina Over the Edge. The TV movie, directed by Angela Bassett and starring Yaya DaCosta, followed Whitney's rise to fame and turbulent relationship with Bobby Brown airing just two weeks ago.

Debbie saying she couldn't bring herself to watch. When AJ asked if she thought the movie affected Bobbi Kristina, Antney replied, "Would you not think that would affect you?"

She went on to say, "That baby has not stood a chance since she was conceived, just about. She was talked about, ridiculed. All the people that had all those things to say about her� that's a baby, a 21-year-old baby. To have to constantly listen to things, and to still have to deal with the death of her mom, and every five minutes they are posting something about her mother� and never anything good."

Antney added, "everyone has a breaking point." Her message to everyone regarding Bobbi Kristina, "Leave the negative behind," and "start putting positive thoughts into the universe." Watch video here.

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Cake Boss Buddy Valastro Opens Up About DWI Arrest
(Extra) "Extra's" Mario Lopez with the "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro at our H&M studios in Times Square. Buddy speaking out for the first time only to "Extra" about his arrest for DWI in November.

The TLC star telling Mario what happened the night the NYPD pulled him over, "Listen, I learned a valuable lesson, I really thought that I was fine, I wasn't and it will never happen again." He explained, "It's one of those things, I was out for a business dinner, I had one glass too many�When I got into the car I thought I was fine to drive and obviously I wasn't and the cops did their job."

The cops arresting Buddy whose alcohol level was just above the legal limit, Buddy trying to use his celebrity status to get out of the charges reportedly telling the officers you can't arrest me, I'm the Cake Boss. Buddy defending himself, "If I did say anything like that I totally apologize to him and the police department, I'm not like that."

Valastro since pleading guilty to the charges, his license suspended for 90 days, paying a $300 fine, "Listen I paid the price. I manned up. I know that I'm wrong."

The "Cake Boss" moving on renovating the family bake shop after 25 years. "The flag ship store in Hoboken, we're actually about to renovate and turn it into kind of our new design of what the bakeries are and it's featuring an open kitchen so you can actually see what the bakers are baking." And expanding, "We're actually going to be doing a Carlo's Bakery right here, 42nd and 8th in Times Square" Moving into other states as well, "Mohegan Sun (in CT) and we got Philadelphia, we're starting to grow Mario."

The 42 year old also starting his own production company after being on television for the past five years, "I feel strongly about doing content you can watch as a family and making it and really drive our company in that direction and so I've been lucky enough to start that and you're going to be seeing a lot of great things come out of Cake House Media." Watch video here.

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Ellen DeGeneres Walks Out to Lil B's 'Ellen DeGeneres' On Fallon
(Radio.com) As if Lil B's high billing at the upcoming Coachella festival isn't indicator enough that the Based God has truly arrived, how about this as another benchmark?

Lil B's song, "Ellen DeGeneres," was used as the walk-out music for none other than Ellen DeGeneres herself. The moment came on The Tonight Show's Los Angeles week-long residency and came through the filter of The Roots.

Ellen shows her moves to the song, though it is unclear if she had any knowledge of the song's existence prior to taking those steps outside the curtain. Should Ellen and Lil B ever discuss these moments of arrival, Ellen could maybe relate by telling of the time she got her own video channel, Ellentube. Where's your LilBtube?

But, thanks to the Vine skills of The Fader's Larry Fitzmaurice, we can all relive the moment. Watch it here.

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Zedd, Tiesto, Hardwell Lead The Spring Awakening Lineup
(Radio.com) The lineup for the fourth annual Spring Awakening Music Festival has been released, and it's a doozy. Electronic music fans of all stripes will be able to find something to appreciate over the festival's three-day lineup, June 12-14. The first day will start off with headlining sets from Zedd and Eric Prydz, followed by Hardwell and Diplo on Saturday.

Tiesto and Afrojack will round out the lineup on Sunday. The company behind the festival has also announced that an additional surprise headliner, making their Chicago debut, will be unveiled over the next few weeks.

The rest of the festival's stages will feature sets from the likes of Dada Life, Duke Dumont, Excision, Martin Garrix, Oliver Heldens and Zeds Dead. The festival will feature three branded stages, featuring sets from Paul Van Dyk, Zomboy and Jamie Jones respectively. It will also feature sets from local Chicago talent like house legend Cajmere, Derrick Carter and trap mavens Flosstradamus.

Check out the full lineup here.

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Snoop Dogg's Son to Play College Football with Puff Daddy's Son
(Radio.com) As previously reported, Snoop Dogg and his son, Cordell Broadus, are the subjects of an ESPN series that focuses on the younger Broadus' high school football career.

And, anyone that has seen Friday Night Lights can tell you the ultimate drama surrounding talented high school prospects is where they will play their college ball. And, like, who Tim Riggins is hooking up with. But that's another article.

For Broadus, that decision has turned out to be UCLA, the longtime second fiddle in the Southern California football world (behind usual powerhouse USC, Snoop's favorite team. Well, former favorite team now). But, UCLA is considered by some to be the better academic school, and much prettier. So, there is that.

Broadus will attend UCLA along with another notable spawn of a rapper: Justin Combs, son of Diddy. Read more here.

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The Walking Dead Mid-Season Premiere Preview Goes Online
(Radio.com) It's been a loooong two months since we last saw a new episode of The Walking Dead. But let's be honest: we needed that time to recover from the mid-season finale which saw the death of (do we need to say "Spoiler alert" here?) Beth (played by Emily Kinney).

This weekend, TWD returns, and AMC has just posted the first two minutes of the mid-season premiere (watch the video above). The first thing we see is a shovel, digging in the dirt, presumably digging her grave.

Soon we see Beth's sister Maggie (Lauren Cohan) weeping, and we hear Father Gabriel Stokes (played by Seth Gilliam, and BTW, we don't trust this guy, do we?) reading a eulogy. Noah (Tyler James Williams), Beth's friend from the hospital, weeps.

"We know if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," says Father Gabriel, calmly, as we see photos of what seems to be a young Noah with another boy, possibly a friend or brother. Read more and watch the preview

Read more here.

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