Not the type of outing most would suspect, Macy Gray was booted from the Dancing With The Stars competition.  Apparently, watching her dance was as painful as listening to her sing…ouch!

    iTunes represents almost  80% of the market for the music downloads industry, the award winning service iTunes Music Store has set the standard in digital media and has blazed the trail for many services that followed. 

iTunes Music Store has more music titles and genres available than any other music service we’ve seen. The service also offers a strong feature set, including an integrated music player, in-depth information on artists and albums, music videos, audiobooks, movies, television shows and games.  The idea to download free music no longers enters the mind.  Free music downloads are not necessary with such a feature rich product.  The risk in a free music download is too high and apple has taken this out of the equation.  Simply put, there is no such thing as legal free music downloads.  For all the best mp3 downloads, apple is worth the bite.

Apple has recently negotiated a deal with the music studios to remove the digital rights management previously embedded in iTunes songs. Now all songs purchased from iTunes can be played on any MP3 player. Most songs are still $.99, but soon some will be available for $.69 and $1.29 as well. You can also upgrade your previously purchased songs at a nominal price.

  Pop star Mika has been slammed by a crime prevention organisation for joking about shoplifting and has been labled “irresponsible”.

Contactmusic.com reports, that the singer admitted in a recent interview that he has previously taken goods without paying in stores, but “just the small stuff like toys or pick ‘n’ mix (sweets).”

But the comments have been met with condemnations by Crimestoppers, which has branded the star “irresponsible”.

“Comments appearing to condone shoplifting in any context are wrong,” said a spokesperson.

Mika isn’t the only star to admit to stealing. Last week Megan Fox revealed that as a teenager, she was convicted of taking cosmetics from US superstore Wal-Mart.

  Pearl Jam is on course to nab its first No. 1 album on the U.S. pop chart in 13 years next week.

Industry prognosticators suggest the band’s new “Backspacer,” released on Sunday, could shift anywhere between 175,000 to 200,000 copies by week’s end. That sales figure should easily place it ahead of the competition when the Billboard 200 chart for the period ended September 27 is published on Wednesday.

The new album — Pearl Jam’s first not with a major label — is sold exclusively in the United States through Target, iTunes, Pearl Jam’s Web site and independent retailers.

The group’s last studio release, 2006’s self-titled set, bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 279,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band last graced the No. 1 slot way back in 1996, when “No Code” became its third chart-topper.

Since “No Code,” the group has notched three No. 2 albums (“Yield,” “Binaural” and “Pearl Jam”) and a No. 5 set with “Riot Act” in 2002.

Other albums looking to enter high on the Billboard 200 chart next week include Three Days Grace’s “Life Stars Now,” Five Finger Death Punch’s “War is the Answer,” David Gray’s “Draw the Line” and Mika’s “The Boy Who Knew Too Much.” The current champ is Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 3,” which sold 298,000 copies during the week ended September 20.

  The music world is in mourning after it was announced by hip hop artist Busta Rhymes that his personal DJ, Roc Raida, is dead aged 37.

Raida, an avid mixed martial arts devotee, had injured his back while training at a gym, and had received back surgery twice in the time since to correct the injury.

He was recovering from the surgery when complications saw his health take a turn for the worst, and he died Saturday Sept. 19. at 2:05 p.m.

Born Anthony Williams, Raid won the 1995 DMC World DJ Championship, earning a spot in the DMC Hall of Fame four years later. The turntable spinner worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Ghostface Killah, Jungle Brothers, Busta Rhymes, Big L and Linkin Park.

He had released six solo albums and seven more with his group, the X-Ecutioners.

Williams had trained in mixed martial arts for several years. He was recovering at an “inpatient physical therapy facility” at the time of his death, according to a statement from his family.

“Family and friends will miss him dearly. Please give the family their privacy,” the statement continued.

Busta Rhymes said on his Twitter stream, “I never met a more humble man in the industry…So unbelievably talented and most importantly such beautiful spirit…I LOVE U MY BROTHER…” before talking about how “We r loosing all of these great people this year as a result of God calling his army because something is about 2 go down!!”

“To me, he was the best DJ on the planet–nobody can tell me different,” his friend Lord Finesse told StreetHop.com. “Until they do what Roc Raida has done, from body tricks to beat juggling to speed scratching. I mean, everything … he made that shit look easy.”

A post on Williams’ MySpace page had previously warned fans that “rumors and chatter are not accurate.” His family called the death “unexpected.”

Williams is survived by his wife and three daughters.

  MTV Networks International has unveiled the nominations for the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) and the first three confirmed performers at the Berlin ceremony – Green Day, Leona Lewis and Tokio Hotel.

The EMAs take place at the O2 World, Berlin on Nov. 5 at 9pm CET and will be broadcast live by MTV in more than 40 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Kings of Leon and Lady GaGa top the list of nominees with five each. Green Day has snagged three nominations – best live act, best group and best rock.

Leona Lewis has been nominated in the best female category, while German rock act Tokio Hotel is up for best group.

“The MTV Europe Music Awards prides itself on consistently delivering exceptional live performances by some of the biggest and most exciting musical acts in the world – and this year will be no exception,” said Bruce Gillmer, co-executive producer and SVP, Talent & Music, MTV Networks International, in a statement. “In addition, the awards’ nominations honour the musical achievements of a truly broad range of artists from superstars such as Beyonce and U2 to newer acts Daniel Merriweather and Pixie Lott.”

The 2009 EMAs will comprise 13 categories and 23 regional awards. Eleven categories will be selected by MTV viewers – voting opened on www.mtvema.com today (Sept. 21).

The awards are sponsored by Sony Ericsson and Dell with a further sponsor to be announced shortly.

   Rammstein have one thing on their minds.

The German industrial band will release their new single, “Pussy,” on Sept. 22 before Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (Love Is For Everyone in English), their upcoming sixth studio album, comes out Oct. 20.

“Pussy” is the first track in four years from singer Till Lindemann, guitarists/singers Richard Z. Kruspe and Paul H. Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, keyboardist Christian “Flake” Lorenz and drummer Christoph “Doom” Schneider. A video for the track, which will be directed by former Bathory drummer Jonas Akerlund (Madonna, Blink-182), will be shot shortly.

Here’s how a press release describes “Pussy”:

“Carried by a gigantic wave of testosterone, Rammstein unsheathes its sword and presents what makes man an animal. So start your engines. With pedal to the metal on the Autobahn of German cliches, where homage is paid to the hand-to-hand battle between sexes with words like Bratwurst, Blitzkrieg, and Mercedes-Benz… to destinations abroad, past Heidi with her burgers and away from the German Frauleinwunder.”

Rammstein did pre-production for Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da at Germany’s Castle Beesenstedt and recorded most of the album at Sonoma Mountain Studio Estate in North Carolina. The disc was mixed by Jacob Hellner (Clawfinger) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Rammstein will tour in support of Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da throughout November, December and February and you can see them here:

Nov. 8 Lisbon, Portugal @ Atlantic Pavilion
Nov. 10 Madrid, Spain @ Palacio De Comunidad De Madrid
Nov. 11 Barcelona, Spain @ Pavello Olimpic De Badalona
Nov. 14 Bilbao, Spain @ Bizkaia Arena
Nov. 16 Nantes, France @ Le Zenith De Nantes Metropole
Nov. 18 Basel, Switzerland @ St. Jakobshalle
Nov. 19 Geneva, Switzerland @ Geneva Arena
Nov. 21 Vienna, Austria @ Stadthalle
Nov. 23 Munich, Germany @ Olympiahalle
Nov. 24 Leipzig, Germany @ Arena
Nov. 25 Prague, Czech Republic @ O2 Arena
Nov. 27 Katowice, Poland @ Spodek
Nov. 29-30 Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
Dec. 2 Lyon, France @ Halle Tony Garnier
Dec. 3 Strasbourg, France @ Le Zenith De Strasbourg
Dec. 4 Luxembourg, Luxembourg @ Rockhal
Dec. 6 Arnhem, Netherlands @ GelreDome
Dec. 8-9 Paris, France @ Le Bercy
Dec. 10 Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportspaleis
Dec. 11 Frankfurt, Germany @ Festhalle
Dec. 12 Stuttgart, Germany @ Schleyer-Halle
Dec. 14 Hamburg, Germany @ Color Line Arena
Dec. 15 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Forum
Dec. 17 Rostock, Germany @ HanseMesse
Dec. 18-21 Berlin, Germany @ Velodrom
Feb. 6-7 Dortmund, Germany @ Westfalenhalle 1
Feb. 8 Mannheim, Germany @ Maimarkthalle
Feb. 10 Chemnitz, Germany @ Arena
Feb. 11-12 Dresden, Germany @ Messehalle
Feb. 14 Erfurt, Germany @ Messehalle
Feb. 15 Kiel, Germany @ Sparkassenarena

Here are the songs on Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da:

“Rammleid” (Ramm-Song)
“Ich Tu Dir Weh” (I Hurt You)
“Waidmanns Heil” (Hunters’ Greeting)
“Haifisch” (Shark)
“B******” (Buckstabu)
“Fruhling In Paris” (Spring In Paris)
“Wiener Blut” (Viennese Blood)
“Pussy”
“Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da” (Love Is For Everyone)
“Mehr” (More)
“Roter Sand” (Red Sand)

    Let’s face it, the world and his/her dog has an opinion on the Kanye West & Taylor Swift debacle. 

Turns out, Mr. Z wants everyone to give his ’Run This Town’ playmate a break.

The ’Blueprint III’ dude told the BBC: “He’s just a super-passionate person, and of course it was rude because it was Taylor Swift’s moment, but that’s the way he really felt. He’s been that passionate from his first record.

“He used to jump on tables … I was trying to make the first Blueprint, he’s jumping on tables, rapping, and I’m like: ‘Yo, not now.’ That was just him. He’s always been that passionate.”

The ’99 Problems’ rapper had a word with his protege, nevertheless.

He revealed: “I told him I think it was rude, that he has to watch his passion. At the end of the day, we’re going to celebrate him for his passion more than vilify him, because his passion, which caused him to make ’Graduation’ and all these great records, is the same thing that causes him to step out of line sometimes…That passion right there, that wasn’t fake or staged — it was how he really felt, and it was just inappropriate.”

Now Jay-Z reckons Kanye West should get right back on the showbiz horse and show the world what he’s good at.

He added: “It’s an awards show, really, and I think it’s a bit blown out (of proportion). He’s on the cover of every paper, he didn’t kill anybody. Nobody got harmed. I don’t think he should lay low, I think he should go on tour and have a brilliant career.”

   Has Avril Lavigne uncomplicated her life and dumped Deryck Whibley?

Avril Lavigne doesn’t think her husband is so damn hot any more, according to Us Weekly. In the latest issue, the mag reports that the pop-punk princess has kicked Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley to the curb. Lavigne, 25, reportedly told Whibley to move out of their $9.5-million, 12,000-square-feet mansion in L.A.

“She dumped him and told him she was leaving him,” an insider told Us. “She wants to move on.”

Rumours of the split have been circulating for months.

In late August, Lavigne was spotted partying sans Whibley in Southampton, enjoying the company of several male admirers — apparently a sign of things to come.

Us Weekly’s source claims the filing of divorce papers is imminent and that Whibley is “crushed.” He and Lavigne married in 2006 after two years of dating.

  KANYE WEST was kicked out of MTV’s Video Music Awards for storming the stage for a rant about an award.

The rapper was ejected from the bash in New York last night after he ran on stage and grabbed the microphone from Taylor Swift, who had just been awarded Best Female Video, the very first category of the night.

West ruined her speech by muscling in and declaring to the stunned audience that Beyonce should have won it instead.

Ignoring the boos and jeers, West, who had been seen swigging Hennessy cognac all night, said: “Yo Taylor. I’m really happy for you, I’m going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.”

During his outburst, the cameras cut to Beyonce who looked shocked and mortified, before panning back to Swift who was left standing speechless in the middle of the stage.

West later apologised on his Twitter page for his outburst, which, according to other guests at the event, left the 19-year-old country star in tears.

He said: “I’m sooooo sorry to Taylor Swift and her fans and her mom.

“I’m in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment. Beyonce’s video was the best of this decade . . . I’m sorry to my fans if I let you guys down . . . I’m sorry to my friends at MTV . . . I will apologise to Taylor.”

Later, Beyonce picked up the award for Best Video for Single Ladies and invited Swift back on to the stage before hugging her and handing her the microphone, giving her the chance to finish her acceptance speech.

Speaking about the incident with West after the show, Swift said: “I was standing on stage and I was really excited because I’d just won the award and then I was really excited because Kanye West was on stage. And then I wasn’t excited anymore after that.’

And she said she was very grateful to Beyonce for giving up her moment to allow her to speak.

Speaking to MTV, she said: “It was just so wonderful and so incredibly classy of her and just gracious and wonderful to let me say something.

“She’s just been my hero and one of my idols ever since I was little. She’s a great person.”

But other stars that performed at the event and witnessed West’s rant, came out in defence of Swift, includin Pink, who reportedly had to be held back by security as she went to confront him.

On her Twitter page, she wrote: “Kanye West is the biggest piece of sh** on earth. Quote me.

“My heart goes out to Taylor Swift. She is a sweet and talented girl and deserved her moment. She should know we all love her. Beyonce is a classy lady. I feel for her, too. It’s not her fault at all, and her and Taylor did their thing. And douche bag got kicked out.”

Katy Perry also took Swift’s side and wrote: “F*** u Kanye. It’s like you stepped on a kitten.”

      It’s tough for hip-hop stars to age well. Once they become celebrities living in mansions and starring in family movies, street cred is usually the first thing to go. Just ask Ice Cube. Longevity just wasn’t built into the hip-hop lifestyle, with its premium on youthful swagger, street tales and fast turnover. 

But Jay-Z, who turns 40 in December, asserts that he’s the exception on his 11th studio album, “The Blueprint 3” (Roc Nation), which he rush-released Tuesday after it leaked on-line. In hip-hop, extreme wealth is more potent than any drug, more lethal than any Glock – or so Jay-Z says.

  “I’m a multimillionaire, so how is it I’m still the hardest [guy] here,” he announces on “D.O.A. (The Death of Auto Tune).”

 The track takes a shot at the ubiquitous vocal effect that has dominated hip-hop production in recent years, though Jay-Z is not above using it himself elsewhere on the album. If nothing else, Jay-Z has proven himself an expert at knowing the marketplace, and “The Blueprint 3” employs a handful of top-dollar producers (Kanye West, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, the Neptunes) to cover all the commercial bases, Auto-Tuned or not.

 Its reach echoes the first “Blueprint” album, released in 2001 and coproduced by West, at that time a relative unknown still three years away from making his star-making solo debut. The combination of West’s dusty soul grooves and Jay-Z’s determination to reassert his skills as a master MC (after a few years in the pop celebrity wilderness) turned the album into a landmark.

“Blueprint 2” came out a year later, but was a far less focused effort, larded with cameos, as if Jay-Z could only be intermittently bothered to participate in his own album.

“Blueprint 3” splits the difference between its two predecessors, with Jay-Z sounding hungrier than he has in years on about half the tracks while sharing time with guest stars or grappling with undercooked production on the rest. At its core, the album is less about introducing newfound skills or subject matter than it is a platform for Jay-Z to showcase his imperious flow, to reassert his world-conquering ego, to remind everyone just who the heck he is. Just as his New York predecessor Rakim made his menacing delivery sound almost off-hand, Jay-Z has a way of delivering the news as if he’s already done it all — twice.

Born Shawn Carter in 1969, he grew up a drug dealer in the Brooklyn housing projects. He turned to hip-hop as a way out, self-releasing his debut in 1996 when no label would take a chance on him and turning himself into a star and powerbroker. Last year Forbes magazine estimated his annual income at $82 million. Little wonder he once crowed, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.”

By celebrating his business as a more elevated (and legal) form of gang-banging, Jay-Z has turned himself into something of a rap godfather. But he’s been phoning it in lately; on his 2006 album “Kingdom Come” he sounded as though he would rather be hanging out on his yacht with Beyonce.  

“The Blueprint 3” aims to show everyone he’s still got wicked skills on the mike. It does, even as it also illustrates that sometimes he coasts on his celebrity. The opening “What We Talkin’ About” sets the tone: He doesn’t have time to escalate longstanding beefs with his rivals because, let’s face it, they’re just peons and he’s got more important things to do, like hang with his pal, the new U.S. president.

 Hubris reigns. He’s the king of New York, able to command cameos from Rihanna and Alicia Keys on “Run This Town” and “New York State of Mind,” respectively. These tracks are the sound of Jay-Z cruising for pop hits, and they already sound like anthems. But there’s no justifying “Forever Young,”  with a vocal hook sung by Mr. Hudson; it’s the kind of mush that suggests there might be something true to those rumors Jay-Z has gone soft. There’s the ponderous “Reminder,” a blustery list of accomplishments. And “Venus Vs. Mars” reaffirms that Jay-Z has never been particularly strong at seduction raps.

 Yet even at three-quarter speed, Jay-Z can still be formidable. Timbaland’s sci-fi production on “Off That” is a poor fit, but the MC opens up a spigot of rhymes about refusing to live in the past, invoking his nemesis Bill O’Reilly to comic effect. The hard-edged soul claps of “A Star is Born” and the zinging strings of “Already Home” (both produced by West) are natural fits, and he dazzles without breaking a sweat. He even turns a joke about his resemblance to a camel into an opportunity to once again disarm his critics. The message: Don’t mess with ol’ Gray-Z.

   The Lads from Liverpool have finally taken their first step into the digital domain via MTV and Electronic Arts’ latest music video game: The Beatles: Rock Band. The game rocks, and it’s being released tomorrow.

It’s the culmination of three years of planning and development, which included the laborious task of breaking apart songs recorded over 40 years ago in single-track format to create discrete guitar, bass, drums and vocal tracks, as well as multiple meetings with the band’s surviving members and family to ensure an authentic look and feel.

The result is a strikingly sincere interactive recreation of the world’s most recognizable pop band, from their trend-setting styles to plastic replicas of their instruments, including Paul McCartney’s Hofner violin bass and George Harrison’s Gretsch Duo Jet guitar (alas, no sitar for the group’s Indian-influenced pieces).

The story mode leads players through the band’s career, beginning with the mop tops performing songs like I Saw Her Standing There and Do You Want to Know a Secret at Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club before moving on to the band’s Ed Sullivan Show appearance, Shea Stadium in New York and Budokan gig in Japan.

The second half of the game features the Fab Four boasting mustaches and more individual hairstyles as they record albums in London’s Abbey Road Studios, which transforms into psychedelic dreamscapes inspired by the band’s films and album art during songs such as Yellow Submarine and Come Together. Think shimmering underwater landscapes and kaleidoscopic flowers.

Unlocked along the way are dozens of rare photos and recordings that provide insight into the band as it matured, including a 1963 holiday greeting recorded for the band’s fan club and candid footage of them travelling by helicopter to their Shea Stadium show.

But while authentic digital depictions and band trivia is appreciated, the real reason fans will flock to game shops in the throes of a modern form of Beatlemania is the chance to play the group’s timeless music.

Happily, that music sounds great (despite the digital tinkering) and is a blast to play. Plucking the opening melody of Octopus’s Garden made me feel part of the band, and it was fun to see just how long I could keep up with John Lennon’s larynx-searing vocals on Twist and Shout (a trivia tidbit tells us that even Lennon was only able to make it through the song once during the original recording session).

The songs are generally easier compared to those found in previous Rock Band games, but that’s likely for the best, given that players are also expected to take part in the Beatles’ signature three-part harmonies. Trying to sing backup vocals – which differ in pitch and timing from the lead vocals – while simultaneously playing guitar or drums is tricky, to say the least.

The bad news? The disc contains only 45 songs, about half the number found in Rock Band 2. What’s more, the story mode can be finished in a single leisurely evening. This may come as a shock to players who are still working their way through the epic career modes of other games in the franchise, which spanned over 100 hours. Scores more Beatles tracks are slated for release through the online Rock Band store, but at the costly price of over $2 each or about $20 an album.

Perhaps there was a good reason why the Beatles waited so long to jump on the digital bandwagon: They were waiting for the biggest possible payoff.