In today's end of the week rap up producer The Dream talks retirement, Nas has to cough up some serious money for Kelis and their child, Swizz Beats and Alicia keys give Whitney Houston a helping hand while Alfamega appeals to TI in an open letter.
Times Up
Singer/Producer the Dream who has been the musical mind behind a string of hits lately as well as his own albums has announced his retirement from music after releasing his third album.
Talking in an interview the Def jam artist said "It's the third album and my final album, actually. I'm not doing an album after that. I've accomplished what I've accomplished. I feel like I'd rather kill The-Dream than somebody else kill me. So that's the big headline there, killing The-Dream...It's over with, so nobody has to worry about 'Has he lost it,' 'When's it gonna drop,' 'Where's it at.' I'm giving you the last record 'cause I said it was the last record before you telling me which one is the last record. I'll just tell you."
Linked to pop princess Christina Milian, the Dream has produced songs for the likes of Rihanna, Beyonce, Mariah Carey and is expected to be working on a new project with Kanye West in a production capacity.
Nas Told to Pay $40K a month
Rapper Nas who announced the birth of his first son with estranged wife, R&B singer Kelis earlier this week was ordered to pay the singer just under$40,000 in alimony and child support yesterday by a LA Superior Court Judge Louis Meisinger.
Kelis had originally requested $80,000 from the rapper which was met by disapproval from the Hip-Hop community.
Nas is also expected to cover lawyers fees and forensic accountant fees for Kelis, which amounts to $45,000.
Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys Lend a Helping Hand
The new couple of Hip-Hop/R&B, sonsgtress Alicia Keys and super producer Swizz Beatz are working on a song that is expected to thrust former Arista Golden girl Whitney Houston back into the spotlight.
The singer who reached unprecedented heights in the eighties when she was discovered by Clive Davis, also responsible for the emergence of Alicia Keys, has been missing from the music scene 2002 when she released her Just Whitney album
The track that the couple have worked on is called Million Dollar Bill and is slated to be the first single from her I Look to You album.
Alfamega Pens Letter to TI
Rapper and once Grand Hustle associate Alfamega has composed a letter to his once friend and boss TI after being publicly ousted from the collective earlier this year.
The Smoking Gun reported that Alfamega was actually a DEA informant which encouraged TI to cast him from his label.
Now with Ti sitting in prison where he is serving a one year and one day sentence for buying guns Alfamega is asking the Atlanta rapper to give him a chance to explain his story in the letter which appeared on line yesterday.
"On the real, I'm not coming to you as a disgruntled crying a**ed b*tch who's mad about being let go," Alfa wrote. "I'm coming to you as a man who is disappointed that he was publicly exiled by a friend. You've often said that you're a man of your words but hommie; you are not being true to your words... I rode for you when there was no one else there to ride for you.
“24/7, I was on call for you pimp. On many occasions, I sidelined my family choosing to risk my early demise for you. With a little cheddar, you can easily employ dudes to kill for you all day every day. Conversely, try finding someone who will put their life on the line and die for you... I was the first person you called when you got into that altercation in LA with Shaka's DTP people.
“Without any questions, I was right there ready to go to war for you... Time after time, I defended your honor because you were my dawg; if they disrespected you, they disrespected me... Once this is published, I'm giving you a week to call me.
“Should you choose to not call me within that timeframe, I'll know exactly where we stand. At that point, we'll separate... Hope you come home soon pimp, keep your head up and let all the bull go. Don't worry about propaganda, people always gone talk."
Melanie Cornish
Tagged in Nas