Katy Perry to Launch Her Own Record Label

At the age of 27, Katy Perry has already sent 11 singles to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and sold 3.7 million albums to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. She's been an actress and will soon be hitting the silver screen with the July premiere of her 3D movie, "Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D."

Now she'll add an executive title to her resume -- the pop star revealed in her Hollywood Reporter cover story that she's in the process of launching her own record label. "I'm preparing for it now," Perry said of the as-yet-unnamed imprint. "And when this record label does come to fruition, I'm going to try and avoid the things that take away any fighting chance for an artist to have financial success."

Once the label is formed, Perry -- who has been signed to EMI's Capitol Records since 2007 -- will follow in the footsteps of fellow pop superstars Madonna, who started Maverick Records under Warner Music Group in the '90s; Frank Sinatra, who founded Reprise; and Prince, who created Paisley Park Records in 1985.

Perry also discussed her upbringing, divorce from comedian Russell Brand, upcoming 3D film -- which she helped to finance with her own $2 million -- and more in the interview.

Justin Bieber's 'Believe' Aiming For Year's Biggest Debut

J ustin Bieber's "Believe" album is on course to net the singer his best sales week yet -- and the biggest debut of the year.

Industry sources suggest that the set, which came out today (June 19), may sell between 400,000 to 500,000 copies by the end of the tracking period on June 24. (However, it's still very early in the week, so those sales projections will change on a daily basis.)

If "Believe" does sell in the 400,000 to 500,000 range, that would easily secure Bieber his largest sales frame yet. His highest week thus far came when "My World 2.0" sold 291,000 in its second week on the chart in April, 2010.

"Believe" could also land the largest debut this year for an album. It would surpass the start of Madonna's "MDNA," which launched with 359,000 according to Nielsen SoundScan. (The best sales frame overall in 2012 was registered by Adele's "21" in the wake of her multiple Grammy Awards wins in February. It sold 730,000 in the week after the Grammy show

Chris Brown Injured in Club Brawl, Drake Denies Involvement

The camps tied to Chris Brown, Drake and Meek Mill made a scene at a downtown NYC nightclub early Thursday, allegedly throwing bottles and blows over an argument about Rihanna. The brawl went down at SoHo club W.I.P. between 4-5 a.m. and left five people injured, police confirmed.

Brown tweeted several messages after the fight, including a photo that appears to show a gash on his chin. "Ni**as throwing bottles! Y'all ni**az weak!" he wrote in posts that have since been taken down.

According to GlobalGrind.com, a fight broke out after Brown sent Drake a bottle, which the Canadian rapper apparently saw as a provocation. He reportedly began arguing with the singer about his ex-girlfriend Rihanna and then "punched Chris Brown in the face, and hit him in the mouth with a bottle before he could retaliate from the punch."

However, Drake has denied involvement in the fight, explaining he was actually heading to the exits during the tussle. "Drake did not participate in any wrongdoing of any kind last night at W.I.P. He was on his way out of the club when the altercation began," a rep told TMZ. "[Drake] did not engage in any activity which resulted in injury to person or damage to property."

One of Brown's deleted tweets asked, "How u party with rich n---- that hate? Lol.... Throwing bottles like girls?#shameonya!"

Witnesses told the New York Post that "all hell broke loose" at the club and Global Grind has published an image purportedly showing the aftermath after the venue was cleared of partiers.

Rapper Meek Mill, a friend of Drake's, who was at the club at the time and was reportedly involved in the fight, later wrote on Twitter, "It wasn't me… (shaggy voice) lol."

Drake and Meek Mill, who are on tour together, arrived at W.I.P. after attending a listening party for Maybach Music Group's compilation album "Self Made Vol. 2" at Sin City, a strip club in The Bronx.

Kendrick Lamar Talks 'Section.80,' New Album and Upcoming Videos

"I'm making music that represents my generation, their struggle," Kendrick Lamar told Billboard.com's The Juice before hitting the stage in NYC on Wednesday (Aug. 31).

Lamar's refreshing style of storytelling has an uncanny way of connecting with his fans. This was evident when the majority of the21 songs in Lamar's set were taken over by his fans in a bonafide rap-a-long.

Amongst the 400-plus at SOBs were industry insiders, including writers from MTV, Village Voice and VIBE, as well as radio personality Angela Yee and music executive, Kevin Liles. Blogger of YouHeardThatNew.com, LowKey hosted.

The Juice: "Section.80" has gotten great responses. How does it feel?

Lamar had everyone's arms in the air from the start of his set ("The Heart Pt. 2") to its closing ("HiiiPower"), sharing childhood stories of the two most influential people in his life, his parents. "My father gave me the balance I needed. I put that same balance in my music," Lamar told The Juice. "[It's] the balance of knowing the gang culture from my cousins, uncles, and pops. And at the same time, my mother and father gave me the idea of being a dreamer. They taught me the world is bigger than Compton and to go out and explore it. That made me an individual. I actually know who I am, where I come from, and what I got to do to represent and connect people."

Kendrick Lamar: It feels good to know that I went in with a concept in mind to talk about my generation and that everybody caught on to it so fast and understood where I was coming from. The fact some have crowned it as one of the best albums so far is great. It's not the fact that they gave me the recognition but that they understand "Section.80." There's a message in there for my generation. They got it and fast!

What's the story of the man behind "Section.80"?
I'm a good kid in a mad city. When you think of Compton, you think of the stigma of gangs and gang culture. That's something I've been around my whole life. I was always that one individual in my neighborhood who was always trying to escape the influences rather than being oblivious to it. But, I also had my head bumped  a few times to finally know what I was doing. The only thing that separates me from my friends in jail is the fact I had a father. He gave me the balance I needed. I put that same balance in my music -- the balance of knowing the gang culture from my cousins, uncles, and pops. And at the same time, my mother and father gave me the idea of being a dreamer. They taught me the world is bigger than Compton and to go out and explore it. That made me an individual. I actually know who I am, where I come from, and what I got to do to represent and connect people.

Was there something that happened in your life that made you make such a personal album?
One of the things that really sparked the idea was a memory I had of a close friend of mine, being 17 years old, turning 18 next year, and getting 25 to life for a violent crime. He had no guidance and was caught in that negative stigma of our generation that don't care about anything and don't listen to anybody. He was so young and his life is almost completely gone, it's like he missed the whole world. Just the fact that's gone from him at such a tender age shows me that we have a lot to go as far as listening and being able to critique ourselves as individuals. That's what "Section 80" represents. [It's] that particular moment [in which] I thought back to the pain I felt when one of my friends was about to be gone for a minute. That's the creation process going into the studio, thinking about those emotions.

What were some of your thoughts after "Section.80" came out?
My favorite rappers like Jay[-Z], Kanye [West], Nas they're in a whole different space now. They were once in the space we were at as kids but now they're in[to] money, so they can't really relate to the average 18-year-old getting out of high school [that's] trying to figure what he's about to do with his life. Getting fucked up, going to parties, and just being carefree -- "ADHD" basically. I can relate to it because I was in school a few years back and I know what it feels like to be in that space where you're a rebel not listening to your parents, not listening to the world because you're confused. When I go to these neighborhoods in Compton, people tell me, 'you did something that not only represents you but it represents all of us. Thank you for making this music that represents me, that represents my struggle.' That feels good to me.

Considering who you've been working with lately (Dr. Dre, J. Cole and others) and what people are saying, do you feel pressured or stressed on the music you're currently working on?
No I don't because I've held a lot of subjects and topics in for a bigger purpose, for my debut album. I always said "Section 80" was just a warm-up for the story I'm trying to tell. "Section 80" was more about the people, my debut album will be more about me. I know what I have to do and what I have to talk about, so there's really no pressure.

What goes through your head when you're recording?
Making sure it's as organic as possible. I don't really like to force things. If it don't come then and there I'll leave it alone and hopefully it comes back [whether it's] two hours later or a day later. Whether it's a feel good record, sad, down, or whatever it is, you're going to relate to it. The story of Kendrick Lamar is the story of a good kid in a mad city. It's about a boy trying to figure out the world. My records don't come off preachy, they come off as [me] trying to find answers. Maybe me and the listener can give each other answers and try to figure it out together.

Do you think about making a hit when recording?
I really don't think of hits. What I think of are melodies. I think melody is the the drive for all records, period -- whether it's a hit, a cliché "underground" record, or a cliché mainstream record. I can talk about whatever I want as long as it has melody. That's something I learned by being in a household with parents [that] played gangsta music and oldies. I went back and listened to the Isley Brothers and Al Green and figured out what really captivated their sound. It was the melody. So if it turns out to be a hit record then so be it.

What are you currently working on?
I'm actually working on my debut album. My debut album is really going into depth of who Kendrick Lamar is -- this kid who had run-ins with negativity in Compton. Everybody wants to know the story of how I was able to be in this city my whole life and come out with a positive mind set. For good and for bad, I'm going to talk about it all, in depth.

We're also trying to get [more] visuals done for "Section.80." I know a lot of people want to see the visuals behind the concept, [I'm] thinking "The Spiteful Chant," "Ronald Reagan Era" and especially "Keisha's Song." We'll be warming [them] up for the next month or so. They're in the works right now just going through the editing process.

Lil Wayne Breaks iTunes' Single-Week Album Sales Record

Less than three weeks after the U.S. iTunes Store's single-week album sales record was broken by Jay-Z & Kanye West's "Watch the Throne," it's been smashed again -- by Lil Wayne's new "Tha Carter IV."

"Carter" has sold over 300,000 downloads via iTunes in only its first four days of release, according to Cash Money/Universal Republic Records. That outpaces the 290,000 that "Throne" moved through iTunes in its entire first week.

Lil Wayne's 'Tha Carter IV': Track-By-Track Review

"Carter's" achievement is all the more impressive as it's available through all digital and physical retailers, not just iTunes. Comparatively, "Throne" was sold exclusively through iTunes for its first four days of release.

Lil Wayne's 'Tha Carter IV' Now Aiming for 850,000 Debut

Further, "Carter IV" is on its way to an overall first-week start of more than 850,000 copies -- digital and physical sales combined -- so say industry prognosticators. The tracking week ends on Sunday night, Sept. 4. We'll have the final, official Nielsen SoundScan weekly sales figures on Wednesday morning, Sept. 7.

Madonna Fans Rejoice: New Album Due in Spring 2012

Madonna's 12th studio album will be released in the spring of 2012, with its first single due out in February or March.

The diva announced the news herself in an interview with Sweden's Sveriges Television (SVT) in Venice, Italy. Madonna is there to promote her film "W.E.," which premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, Sept. 1.

Madonna says that she's "started a little bit of work in the studio" for the forthcoming album and will continue recording in "New York, until the end of the year" when she returns to the United States. The entertainer began working on the album officially on July 4, as confirmed by her manager Guy Oseary, via a tweet. That day marked her "1st day in the recording studio for the new album."

She also didn't correct the interviewer when he mentioned how she was re-teaming with producer William Orbit, which would seem to indicate a confirmation of their collaboration. Orbit co-produced and co-wrote the bulk of Madonna's 1998 album "Ray of Light." The set debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, has sold 3.9 million copies in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan and won the Grammy Award for best pop album.

The as-yet-untitled new album will be her first studio release after leaving Warner Bros. Records and entering into an all-encompassing deal with Live Nation. Her final Warner Bros. studio set, "Hard Candy," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has sold 739,000 in the U.S. It spawned the hit single, "4 Minutes," featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, 

Watch American Idol 2011 TV Show All Episodes

Name: American Idol
Type: Children
Run Time: 2002 -
Seasons: 10
Full Episodes: 366 / 318 Links
Streamed: 
Full Episode Summary: This hit FOX musical reality series follows three judges, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul, along with host Ryan Seacrest around the United States in search of the next American Idol, a pop star that truly shines above all the rest. With help from the viewers, they will decide from thousands of participants who will walk away with a record deal and the fame and fortune that is sure to come along with it.