Sir Elton John: That's a rap

Sir Elton John wants to record a hip-hop album. The flamboyant singer wants to overhaul his sound and introduce more "beat" to his music after being inspired by rap music. He said: "I want to bring my songs and melodies to hip-hop beats, like 'No Diggity' by Blackstreet." Elton - who famously performed with rap superstar Eminem at the 2001 Grammy Awards - has revealed he is planning to collaborate with a host of hip-hop artists on his latest album. He added in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine: "I want to work with Pharrell, Timbaland, Snoop, Kanye and Eminem and see what happens. It may be a disaster, it may be fantastic but you don't know until you try." Meanwhile, Elton has posed with his pet dogs for a new charity calendar. The pictures featured in the calendar, entitled 'Pet Pawtraits', were shot by Rod Stewart's fiancée Penny Lancaster and feature a host of stars with their four-legged friends, including Rod and music mogul Simon Cowell.