JOHN LEGEND AND ROOTS TO RECORD SOUL AND BLUES ALBUM.

R&B star JOHN LEGEND is teaming up with critically acclaimed hip-hop group THE ROOTS to record an album of soul and blues covers. The artists will present their own "unique interpretations" of protest songs from singing icons including Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Roberta Flack and Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes on the forthcoming disc Wake Up.

Legend tells Rolling Stone, "Everything is certainly inspired by the original but we took our own creative licence with it." And The Roots drummer Ahmir '?Questlove' Thompson insists the new rendit ions of old classics will be so original, they won't immediately sound like covers. He adds, "I wanted to choose cover songs that were so under the radar, so uniquely interpreted, that it would take you a second to realise that these are cover songs (at all)." Wake Up is expected to be released this summer (10).

SEAN KINGSTON AND ROCKERS GOOD CHARLOTTE IN THE STUDIO.

BRANDY AND MONICA PERFORMED THEIR HIT SONG "THE BOY IS MINE."

Brandy performed at the V-103 Soul Session in Atlanta and brought out Monica for a surprise performance of "The Boy Is Mine". This is the first time the two performed the song in 10years and the 2nd time they've performed it in history! Thanks to Bryan Behar for the tip and picture links.

T-PAIN THANKFUL FOR TIMBERLAKE MIX.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE offered to remix T-PAIN's hit song CAN'T BELIEVE IT after picking it out as his favourite rap record. The former 'N Sync star listened to all of the rapper's tracks before announcing that the single with Lil Wayne was his pick of the bunch. And T-Pain was shocked to receive a phone call informing him that Timberlake wanted to create a new version of the track.

He tells AllHipHop.com, "Justin and I met about six months ago. I was working on the album in a Miami studio and he was in the room next door. "He came by, I played him a few tracks and afterward he said that, out of all my song, Can't Believe It was his favourite. I was shocked. Fast-forward to this week and I got a call saying Justin had hopped on Can't Believe It. "This is an artist who rarely does remixes, and out of every hot record out there, (he) chose to hop on mine. That's some real amazing s**t. I immediately called and thanked him."

JOHN LEGEND 'PROUD' OF PROTEGEE ESTELLE!

R&B singer JOHN LEGEND is thrilled that his protegee ESTELLE has cracked the U.S. with her hit song AMERICAN BOY. The British singer was dumped by V2 Records after her first single 1980 failed to make the U.K. chart's top ten in 2004. But Estelle was soon noticed by Legend, who promptly signed her to his own Homeschool record label shortly after her departure from V2.

And Legend is delighted that the star has enjoyed so much success with her hit track, which reached number one in the U.K. and rocketed to number 11 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 after its release in March (08). He says, "There has been a lot of talk about who is coming over from the U.K. I am very, very proud of Estelle. American Boy is the song of the summer. "I think this album is more sophisticated than her first. The writing, production and her confidence has grown too. Overall she is a better artist."

WYCLEF JEAN RECORDS VENUS WILLIAMS THEME.

Former FUGEES star WYCLEF JEAN has recorded a track for tennis player VENUS WILLIAMS to use as her theme at the U.S Open. The singer/songwriter recorded 'Venus (I'm Ready)' as a tribute to Williams and the sporting ace will use it throughout her stint at the tennis tournament in Queens, New York. Williams tells AllHipHop.com, "I was so happy to meet Wyclef and work with him on our Iconoclasts (show) episode but not even in my wildest imagination did I expect that such a beautiful song would be one of the outcomes from meeting Wyclef.

"He is an amazing human being and it is truly an honour for me to be recognized in such a wonderful way by such a gifted musician and exceptional person."

The U.S. Open began on Monday (25Aug08).

YAWN!: NE-YO FORGIVES SPEARS FOR ALBUM SNUB

R&B singer NE-YO has forgiven BRITNEY SPEARS for not using any of his songs on her last album - insisting there is no "animosity" between the pair. Ne-Yo penned six tracks for Spears to record for her hit 2007 album Blackout - but not one of the songs made it on to the final version of the LP. But the singer/songwriter isn't bitter about the decision - and is adamant that he can't feel bad about the snub as he has never met the Toxic hitmaker.

He tells MSNBC.com, "I never met Britney Spears, I can’t have animosity with someone I don’t know. You have way bigger fish to fry, little mama, than me about a couple songs. "I tried to call her, call her people. They didn’t want to return a phone call, so I said all right, well, I guess I will take these songs that were written for Britney and give them to other people. Time is money.”

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK NOT RECORDING WITH JACKSON AND MADONNA.

LATEST: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK star DONNIE WAHLBERG has laughed off claims the reunited boy band are teaming up with MICHAEL JACKSON and MADONNA. Recent reports suggested the group had held secret talks with the pop legends about a collaboration on their comeback album. Wahlberg was quoted as saying, "It's very exciting. It's one big party and everyone wants to join us." But the singer insists the quote was made up, posting the following comment on the band's blog: "We are not recording with Michael Jackson and/or Madonna.We never claimed to be, either. Good fun reading about it though!"

Yawn Donnie! Who cares? They had the most boring time in the MMVA pressroom. Then he stood up my radio homie for life Devo Brown.

Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Hough Lend Hands To Wrigley's

Wrigley's, the confectioner maker, is turning to contemporary artists Ne-Yo, Chris Brown and Julianne Hough to remix its signature jingles. Each artist has redone one of Wrigley's gum jingles. Chris Brown will sing about Doublemint, Ne-Yo will do Big Red and Julianne Hough is paired with Juicy Fruit. While Brown and Ne-Yo are both urban artists, Hough is a country singer.

Wrigley's will host a concert in New York on July 29 to unveil the new jingles. Radio station Hot 97 is expected to give away tickets for the show as part of the promotion. An advertising campaign from New York's Translation Advertising, part of the IPG network, will launch on the day of the concert. Hints that Chris Brown would be partnering with Wrigley's were dropped earlier this year in his video "Forever" from his re-release, "Exclusive (The Forever Edition)." “In the beginning of the video he is chewing a piece of gum while singing…” and the chorus sings the line "double your pleasure, double your fun" the long time tag line for Doublemint.

SNOOP DOGG GOES BOLLYWOOD!!!

Rapper SNOOP DOGG is embracing the Bollywood industry - by making a music video with Indian superstar AKSHAY KUMAR. The Drop It Like It's Hot hitmaker is joining forces with Kumar to make the promo, which will be used as the main title to upcoming film Singh is Kinng. Kumar, who has more than 80 South Asian film credits to his name, is best known for the Khiladi movie series - in which he plays an Indian version of superspy James Bond. The duo will meet in Chicago, Illinois next month (Aug08) to begin work on the project, according to New York Post gossip column PageSix.

MICHAEL JACKSON WOWS NE-YO WITH SONG CRITIQUE.

MICHAEL JACKSON has given NE-YO a big boost by giving the R&B pin-up's new song a rave review. Ne-Yo wrote the track Closer with Jackson in mind, and played it for his hero while they were working together on the King of Pop's comeback album. Ne-Yo recalls, "He told me that he likes the way I do Michael Jackson. I asked him what he meant by that, and he said, `When you do that, it doesn't feel like you're trying to copy me or trying to be me. It feels like you're complimenting me.' "And that's what I'm doing. It means the world that he liked it."

USHER EYES MARVIN GAYE BIOPIC.

R&B superstar USHER wants to play the leading role in a biopic of legendary singer MARVIN GAYE. The Love in This Club hitmaker has already played Gaye once before during a guest-appearance on U.S. television show American Dreams. And now he is desperate to portray Gaye in a movie version of his life story. He says, "I want to be the person who tells the story of Marvin Gaye because I understand the conflict he had as a man." Unfortunately for the singer, a film about Marvin Gaye's life is already in production - with former Law & Order star Jesse L. Martin in the lead role.

LIL WAYNE TO FORM GROUP WITH T-PAIN.

Hip-hop star LIL WAYNE is joining forces with singer T-PAIN to form a supergroup. The Lollipop hitmaker is convinced the pairing will be as big a success as their own solo careers - because there is so much chemistry between them in the studio. He tells MTV.com, "We both have the same energy. I don't sleep... I think it's the cousin of death. As much as you sleep, you're impersonating death to me. He (T-Pain) don't sleep. I play all day. He plays all day and all night.

"The (musical) connection is crazy. He loves to be creative, he loves to work; I love to create, I love to work. He really wants people to respect his rapping; I really want people to respect my harmonising." Lil Wayne first teamed up with T-Pain for the track Got Money from his new album Tha Carter III.

PUSSYCAT DOLLS EYE WINEHOUSE COLLABORATION.

The PUSSYCAT DOLLS have plans for an unusual collaboration - they want to make a record with troubled British singer AMY WINEHOUSE. The Don't Cha hitmakers recently teamed up with Britney Spears to shoot the video for their new single When I Grow Up. And now the pop group want to enlist the help of the Back To Black singer to create a "sexy" new track. Lead singer Nicole Scherzinger insists she would love to get the 24-year-old on board. She says, "I am not sure what Amy thinks of us, but I think we can make something sexy that will sell."

MISSY ELLIOTT WANT TO WORK WITH AMY WINEHOUSE.

Rapper MISSY ELLIOTT has been desperate to work with AMY WINEHOUSE ever since she was wowed by the troubled Brit's "raw" talent years before she had a hit. Elliot and producer pal Timbaland were tipped off about the singer before she shot to fame with her debut album Frank in 2004 and they decided to check her out during a brief trip to Britain. She says, "I don't think she had a deal yet... (and) I was like, 'Who is this girl?' "Me and Tim (Timbaland) went up to her and told her, 'Yo, you hot.' Immediately when I saw her, I was like, 'She gonna blow!' It was something different, something refreshing. So it didn't surprise me that she's as big as she is."

Meanwhile Elliott is preparing to release an album in 3 years and she graces the cover of Billboard magazine.

Rapper P. Diddy says he is desperate to collaborate with British singing sensation Leona Lewis on his next album.

P. Diddy wants to work with Leona Lewis. The hip-hop mogul is desperate to collaborate with the British singing sensation on his next album because he thinks she is one of the hottest talents around. He said: "I want that girl on my next album. I'm a huge fan. Not only is she so, so beautiful, she has a great voice. She is extremely talented. She has one of the best voices I've heard. I'm thinking about my next album and definitely want to make it work, so she's on it. It's all about Leona Lewis."

The Didster also revealed he wants to do some charity work with Madonna - who recently finalised her adoption of Malawian boy David Banda. He added to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "I would like to do something with Madonna in Malawi. I see what she does and I think it's fantastic. I'd love to help any way I can." Finally, the busy rapper has his sights set on a fashion-collaboration with "stylish" soccer star David Beckham, who he greatly admires. He said: "What a stylish guy. I'd love to do a fashion range with David Beckham. I heard he's doing a shoe range with Snoop, perhaps we could collaborate to do something for charity." Watch out for the Didster now!

RIHANNA WANTS TO FORM TRIO WITH WINEHOUSE AND DUFFY.

R&B star RIHANNA wants to record a "feminist anthem" for her next album with fellow chart-toppers AMY WINEHOUSE and DUFFY. The Umbrella hitmaker has drawn up a wishlist of musicians and producers she wants to work with when she next hits the studio, with Winehouse, Duffy, and Winehouse-collaborator Mark Ronson right at the top. She tells the BBC, "I love Mark Ronson. We've talked about doing something together on my next album". Rihanna adds of a 'dream team' with Brits Winehouse and Duffy: "How amazing would that be? We've all got three different voices, it would be brilliant. Now that would be a feminist anthem. "I love Amy. I think she's great, so unique. I love her album. And I also love what Duffy is doing, she's brilliant, as well."

KEYS PLANS ODD COLLABORATION WITH WHITE STRIPES.

R&B queen ALICIA KEYS has set up one of the oddest collaborations in music history by revealing she wants to work with the WHITE STRIPES.The Fallin' singer insists she's keen to take her music in a different direction and would like her next album to include eclectic tracks with the White Stripes and Queens of The Stone Age. Keys admits the White Stripes are one of her favourite bands: "They're very raw, very cut and dry.

It's, like, drums and guitar. It's that simple, and I love that. "I think that combining that style with mine, which already has a raw feel to it, and my voice, I just think we could do something really interesting that mixes rock and soul together, the blues and emotion, and it could be really touching." And Keys claims the unlikely collaboration isn't as far-fetched as some might imagine: "We've had some conversations. When the time works out, and it definitely will, it will happen."

WPLHH: LUDACRIS & TOMMY LEE PLAN SHOWER RECORD BID.

(WPLHH) White People love hip-hop! Now that explains what Tommy Lee was doing in this picture at the 5th anniversary of the Ludacris Foundation earlier this past week........Just look at the Pepsi logos back there. Who would ever think this day might come?

Rapper LUDACRIS and rocker TOMMY LEE are hoping to set a new world record for the biggest group shower as part of a new environmental awareness TV series. The odd couple is getting serious about all things green on upcoming U.S.show Battleground Earth - but they're taking time out to have a little fun in Las Vegas. Ludacris and Lee are inviting fans to join them at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino pool on 19 May (08) for a bid on the clean record. But the two hellraisers are keen to keep the shower a family affair - and they've asked that all those hoping to take part bring and wear a bathing suit.

Lee and Ludacris hope the stunt will also raise awareness about water conservation. The two stars are travelling around America raising awareness about the environment and checking out the measures some eco-warriors are taking to save the planet as part of the Planet Green network show.

WHITE PEOPLE LOVE HIP-HOP-ERA: Rapper ICE-T set to perform with Symphony Orchestra.

WPLHH: White People Love hip-hop!

Rapper ICE-T is set for an unusual collaboration next month (Jun08) - when he hits the stage for a unique performance with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The hip-hop star will grace the stage at Indiana's Hilbert Circle Theatre on 18 June for the world premiere of the orchestrated version of late American poet Langston Hughes' 12-part masterpiece, Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz. Ice-T - real name Tracy Marrow - will narrate Hughes' poetry set to the music of jazz professor Dr. Ronald McCurdy, who composed the project using musical cues that had been suggested by Hughes before he died in 1967.

The performance will be the first time the rapper/actor has performed with a live symphony orchestra. He tells AllHipHop.com, "It is a great honour to perform with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Ron McCurdy for this landmark event celebrating the brilliance of Langston Hughes."