Radio Ro Blog

Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver DeSean Jackson recently hit up a nightclub with a few of his homies where they ended up spending $10k in the first 10 minutes and $25k throughout the night. What lockout?

Word on the streets is that Amber Rose had a very interesting relationship with Nicki Minaj’s ex-boyfriend Safaree. Here’s what allegedly went down: “At Nicki’s birthday in Vegas on [December 9th] weekend, Nicki caught her boyfriend Safaree in Amber’s room . .. she knew something was going on.” And there’s more. “Later to find out by going into Safaree’s phone, [Nicki learned] that Amber was sending Safaree naked pictures of herself via bbm.” Nicki initially BROKE IT OFF with Safaree. Safaree later CONVINCED Nicki that NOTHING happened between him and Amber . . . and that Amber was just a SMUT that was trying to GET WITH HIM. Nicki eventually BELIEVED Safaree and took him back. According to the source, Nicki broke it off with Safaree and then later took him back after he convinced her that Amber was just trying to get with him. Amber has denied these allegations via twitter

Lakers forward Ron Artest has promised that he would explain on his website his reasoning for changing his name to “Metta World Peace.” So far, he hasn’t come up with the explanation. It doesn’t take much for an athlete to change his name. Sometimes, he needs a stage name; others simply revert to a childhood nickname. Source

Grammy-winning female MC and Hip Hop legend, Missy Elliot reveals that she’s been secretly battling the rare disorder for the past three years. Elliot was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease that leads to over activity of the thyroid gland and affects the body’s metabolism. “I was [driving and] trying to put my foot on the brake, but my leg was jumping,” Elliot explains. “I couldn’t keep the brake down and almost crashed. I couldn’t write because my nervous system was so bad — I couldn’t even use a pen.” Elliot also experienced hair loss while undergoing radiation treatment for the disease, as well as mood swings. Graves’ Disease can be debilitating for sufferers and is incurable. It is, however, treatable. Radiation treatments have helped Missy cope — so has exercise, which prompted the star to shed 30 pounds. “I’m 30 pounds lighter because I’ve been exercising,” says the 39 year-old. “My thyroid is functioning, so I haven’t had to take medication in about nine months. [But] you live with it for the rest of your life.”

X on Drake: “I don’t like Drake. It’s nothing that he did to me, He actually is talented. He’s very talented. Yeah, I don’t like him. It ain’t nothing personal. I don’t like his stuff. He is talented. He has a little wordplay here and there, but when I see him and hear him it’s like — ‘Money, I’m not rockin with that.’” X on Jay-Z: I’ve not talked to him yet, since. But I had a show November 18th, before I got locked up–No November 12th I had the show. And somebody in the crowd was like ‘What’s up with Jay-Z’ and I was like ‘F*ck Jay-Z’. And it ended up all over the place. So he called Swizz [Beatz], Swizz called me, and he tells Swizz ‘Yoo, why your man dissin me? I was gonna do a song with him’–Coulda, woulda, shoulda. F*cking bullsh*t. I don’t wanna hear that sh*t. And like ‘Yo, can you just get him to say he ain’t mean it’–NO! I’m not saying that. What I did say is if he wanna talk to me, I’m man enough to let him know why it’s ‘F*ck You’, but it’s still ‘F*ck You’! That’s what it is. I’ll let you know why, I can do that. It ain’t like you gotta worry about me running up on you shooting you. It ain’t that serious. You don’t owe me nothing. But if you want an explanation as to why it’s ‘F*ck You’, I’ll be more than happy to tell you why.”

These pictures show the dramatic scenes as an undercover NYPD cop was allegedly taken out by one of Justin Bieber’s own bodyguards. The undercover policeman was mistaken for a crazed fan trying to attack the teenage superstar in a bizarre melee that resulted in one of Bieber’s own security guards being issued with a summons. The pint-sized singer was at an event at Macy’s department store in New York when the cop was allegedly grabbed by a bodyguard as screaming teenage girls surged towards the 17-year-old. The plain-clothed officer stepped in to protect the Canadian heartthrob from the crowd surge when an overprotective Bieber bodyguard allegedly grabbed him and tried to pull him away from the boy. Bieber was reportedly shaken up by the incident, which saw the bodyguard issued a summons for disorderly conduct. Source

Weezy’s hip hop run might be over sooner than you think… The Young Money leader also revealed to XXL that he plans to retire soon and hints at C4 possibly being his last offering. “I’m bowing out still on top,” he says. “I’ma make y’all want me when I retire. I’ma make y’all be like, ‘Nooo!’ I ain’t leaving out this bitch when y’all be like, ‘Yeah, it’s about time, dawg.’ Carter IV might be my last one. I’ma make y’all be like, ‘Fuck!’ Yeah, nigga, I’m gone.” Source

Will Smith rarely drops gems on us but DAMN!! is all we gotta say about the relationship tips he gave ESSENCE Magazine… If You Marry Your Best Friend, You’re Good Every man wants to marry his homie, Will explained. A lot of women will impress them, but it’s the one they can always laugh with and be themselves with that will ultimately impress them the most. If you can be yourselves around each other, 100 percent of the time, and they can make you life like no one else can, you’ll never have a dull moment together. Remind Him of What He Has When you start to feel that you’re nagging your husband to the point of no return and nothing you’re saying is getting through, Will suggests you try a new approach. Hold him close, look him right in the eyes, and tell him that you love him, you’re right there, and you always will be, BUT you need him to pick his socks up – right now. As Will puts it, it’s important to remind him that your request is coming from a good place, and what you want is a small thing in the grand scheme of things. Um, genius! All Men Need A Little Space “If you don’t give your husband thirty minutes to himself when he first gets home he’ll stop coming home,” Will told me, straight up. (You’re thinking, no way, right? I did too!) When I asked Will when a wife was supposed to say her piece, he responded, “anytime after that.” Will reminded me that everyone’s home needs to feel like a happy place, and it won’t if you’re “greeted with negativity” every time you enter the door. Touché Will. Talk about a pause for the cause. Focus on Balance and Excitement Always According to Will and Jada’s way of thinking about marriage, maintaining a happy union isn’t just about making time for one another, it’s about making the time count too. Excitement and mystery are everything, he said. Surprise them, let them know you love them, laugh together – whatever it takes to put a smile on their face. Source

Ever since Lupe Fiasco made the statement that “the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America,” he has taken some heat from not only his fellow entertainers, but from both liberals and conservatives in the political arena. Even Fox News talk show host Bill O’Reilly called him a “pinhead” in regards to his viewpoint on the President and government because he felt as though Lupe Fiasco wasn’t willing to come on his show to defend his remarks. Media mogul Russell Simmons decided to use Global Grind as a platform to create a dialogue with Lupe, allowing him to explain the statement and expand on his thoughts. Lupe explained why he believes America is based on hypocrisy and further compares Osama Bin Laden’s role as a mastermind of terrorist acts as that of our President who pushes aggression and sends our soldiers to war to kill innocent people. Read his thoughts below (*it’s a little long but he made very interesting points): Lupe: America was based on a hypocrisy and what we had done is basically an extension of that hypocrisy. My issue and what I try and do is expose that hypocrisy but expand the conversation to make it honest. To make the conversation honest so it speaks to everyone so people become educated to those things. So for me it boils down to everything that America does. It’s foreign policy is very hypocritical, it’s very backwards. We don’t count the other bodies, for us the war is one-way. And they’re not even wars of attrition, not even honest wars. They’re not wars that were like wars that were fought 200 years ago or wars that were fought a hundred years ago. These are wars that are based on business. These are wars that are based on “let’s build these drones and we gotta try this technology but we need to make sure it works so we need to at least kill X amount of people so we can prove the value of this particular project that we spent 40 billion dollars on,” so to speak. And you multiply times how many things are going through the Pentagon military industrial complex. So when I make the statement about Obama being a terrorist it was funny because somebody had did it … on one of the blogs or one of the news pieces or one of the internet sites that actually ran with the story or re-put it out, one of the people in the commentary related the whole situation to Osama bin Laden right? And Osama bin Laden was the unquestioned head of Al Qaeda, he was the mastermind, he was a financier, he was a politician, he orchestrated things for al-Qaeda and what have you, but Osama bin Laden wasn’t a suicide bomber. He wasn’t a soldier. If he was a suicide bomber he would be dead, because his first mission there would be no more Osama bin Laden. Other than the time that he spent in Afghanistan, as far as we know he was never the one running in to the supermarkets shooting people, he was never the one running into the mosque shooting people, he was never one at the roadside setting up IEDs, he didn’t fly the planes into the buildings or anything like that. He was the mastermind, the financier and what have you. And some instances the way al-Qaeda is set up there’s certain things that Osama bin Laden probably didn’t even know about that was occurring all throughout the Middle East, all throughout North Africa and in the U.S. as well. So he’s a terrorist even though he never really did a terrorist act. So they related it to Obama and they said well Obama is kinda in the same light. Every President before him and every President that comes after him that still pushes aggression first. Whereas Obama never killed anybody. Him himself. He doesn’t know how to fly a stealth fighter. He never piloted a drone from a hundred miles away and dropped a bomb on a wedding or a birthday party. But at the same time too he should receive the same amount of credit for those actions of the people that are under him and the organizations that he heads. He should receive the same credit and the same title that Osama bin Laden gets. What’s the difference between somebody walking a bomb in strapped to their chest into a wedding full of innocent people or a bomb coming from a stealth fighter two miles up and coming into the roof into a wedding full of innocent people? What’s the difference? At the end of the day you’re killing innocent people. So for me it’s — and that’s from somebody else that was from somebody spectating and commentating on the situation. So as long as they can inspire things like that then I feel that it’s a just and a real honest and critical conversation that we’re having right now. It’s inspiring this type of thought, for people to start thinking critically about what’s going on. I can sit out and fully — ya’ know if it was in a political context and we sat down and had the real political discourse and I went and quoted all of the books I read and documentaries I’ve seen and the knowledge and the numbers and the statistics that I have — I can explain why, what, when and where to a tee. But in the state that we live in and the way the media’s run and the way the internet works I’m at the mercy of the soundbite and I’m at the mercy of the attention span of 140 characters on Twitter and things of that nature. I think there’s a certain level of hypocrisy that this country was founded on and I’m just kinda trying to find out the effects of it now. If that makes any sense? Read more: Lupe Fiasco Defends His “The Biggest Terrorist Is Obama” Statement | Necole Bitchie.com

In an interview with VIBE Magazine, rapper DMX was extended an invitation to join an emerging label. VIBE: You got major labels interested? DMX: Yeah. Actually, Rick Ross’ peoples wrote me a letter while I was in here. VIBE: What! DMX: Yeah like ‘Yo we got a home for you. We’ll pick you up in a limo. Just come to Miami. Just come, we got you.’ VIBE: Oh wow, have you thought about that? DMX: I’m thinking about it. It was a good feeling. I respect him as an artist, and I would like to work with him. But he got the whole Illuminati thing going on. I got fans who write me like ‘I’m glad you’re not a part of that.’ And I don’t know what it’s really about entirely. So it might be like a good thing. VIBE: That’s crazy man. Because I don’t know if you heard but right now Rick Ross is on fire. Maybach Music Group signed up a whole bunch of people. Wale, Pill–and they’re really doing it man. That would be a crazy power move if you guys joined up. DMX: Yeah. I have respect for him and he expressed interest that he wanted to work with me while I was out. So I definitely want do a song with him, but I don’t know about the record label thing. I would have to see what his camp is like and feel people out. I’m not the average artist. The rap legend is currently less than a month away from being a free man. He was sentenced to a year for violating his probation last December.

VIBE Magazine catches up with Lil’ Mama on the topics of copying Nicki Minaj & Lady Gaga’s style… Lil Mama: Come on, let’s be real okay. You have all these people wearing different colored hair. At the end of the day I’m a bombshell, so I’m going to do me. If I want to go platinum, I’m going platinum. Let’s not forget that we have had people doing these things way before the people who are doing it now and let’s also not forget that the black community sometimes we really hang ourselves because every time another black female gets up there and does something that may be current, we criticize each other and try to put each other down, but when Katy Perry and Lady Gaga do it, they all eat. But I’m not going to be a part of that. I’m going to do me, regardless. Vibe: Very valid point… I think the biggest style criticism was thrown at you this past MTV Movie Awards. Bunch of people thought you jacked Nicki’s haircut. Lil Mama: But my cut is blunt and futuristic and Nicki Minaj started wearing that bob on her head after she came to my show, so at the end of the day I know what I do and I know what I possess and I know who I am. I’m a trendsetter. The biggest form of flattery is imitation so I’m flattered. I understand the universal law. I’m not confused, I don’t feel like a follower. I started so many things that new artists are doing now anyway –my style, the way I’m aggressive on a track, the way I come through, the way my beat bangs. There are so many things that were borrowed, that I influenced that’s happening in music right, so I’m far from discouraged. Source

“Absolutely,” he answered. “Sometimes I have a brain that needs to be turned off. Some people are just better high.” The singer/actor, now 30 years old, admits that during his episode of MTV’s Punk’d, he was stoned off his ass. As far as his plans for the rest of the year, it sounds like Justin has basically cleared his schedule to pursue every pothead’s dream life. He says: “There’s a lot to enjoy if I can just sit still, actually stop and take more time. That’s what I’m trying to do this year. I did four movies in a row and finished the fourth—the movie Now—on my birthday. Ever since, I’ve been retreating, doing nothing, listening to music, enjoying myself, playing golf.”

A convicted felon has stepped forward to say he was behind the 1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac Shakur that fueled the bloody rivalry many blame for the rapper’s murder two years later. Dexter Isaac, now in jail for murder, told AllHipHop.com that he robbed Shakur outside the Quad Studio in Manhattan in November 1994 on the orders of hip hop management mogul James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond. He said Rosemond, the CEO of Czar Entertainment who manages Mike Tyson and Sean Kingston, paid him $2,500 “plus all the jewelry” except for one diamond ring Rosemond allegedly wanted for his girlfriend. Rosemond turned himself in last month after a fugitive warrant was issued for his arrest in relation to federal cocaine distribution charges. He has denied any wrongdoing and released a statement saying Isaac was a government information. Isaac said he’s coming forward now because he’s mad at Rosemond’s claim and because he believes the statute of limitations on the crime has passed. “I want to apologize to (Shakur’s) family and for the mistake I did for that sucker,” Isaac told AllHipHop in a letter sent from prison. “I am trying to clean it up to give (Shakur’s and Biggie’s) mothers some closure.” The 1994 robbery at the midtown recording studio landed Shakur at a Manhattan hospital with five gunshot wounds. Shakur accused rival rapper Christopher “Notorious B.I.G” Wallace of involvement in the robbery and took revenge by sleeping with Biggie’s wife Faith Evans. Biggie answered back in his songs. Shakur was later shot four times on a Las Vegas street in September 1996 and died six days later in an unsolved murder. One year later Biggie was killed by an unknown gunman in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Source

Just a few more months to go until rapper T.I. is released from prison. Until then, Tip finds the time to respond to fan letters as well as write letters of his own from his cell. Check out his latest piece directed to his fans… What up world? Been a minute. I’d like to thank you all for the thousands of letters, cards, books, pictures and words of encouragement. I’m truly grateful. I’m sure you already know I’m nearing the end of this chapter of my life, and looking forward to taking all of the things I’ve learned with me while leaving all the rest of the “BS” behind. I’ve been tuned in somewhat to what’s been happening out there. I can’t even begin to tell y’all how much being on the outside looking in, having to witness all that’s going on (and not going on) in the game affects me. Not being able to do what I love especially. It’s like a whole other sentence within itself. But I really do appreciate all the love, respect, shout outs and salutations during this very difficult period in my life. Everybody from da homies Weezy, Killa Mike, R. Rozay my lil bruh B.o.B, Terrence J (106 & Park) and my “durty” Nelly. Regardless of whether the gestures were the greatest or the smallest, they still meant the world to me. REAL TALK. The separation from my art has definitely sparked an inferno of inspiration that will soon be felt by all. As a matter of fact, to show my appreciation to those that have been in support of me and granted the requests of TEAM T.I. I’ll be releasing a record in the near future (couple of weeks tops) to hold y’all over til I get back in action. During this time of seclusion I have developed a mind full of thoughts, ideas, plans and strategies of change to incorporate into my professional endeavors, as well as my personal lifestyle. But none of them is as strong as my determination to conquer my own imperfections and my will to WIN NO MATTER WHAT!!! I love, respect and appreciate all those who have stood beside me and I have accepted those you didn’t. But one things for sure and two for certain. As long as the Most High blesses me with the ability to live and breathe….My campaign will continue!!! Stronger, smarter, bigger and better than ever. For those that doubt that…See me when they free me. Love King

Chris Brown lands cover of the June/July Issue of THE SOURCE Magazine. Inside of this issue, he is asked “What is the hardest part about being Chris Brown”? He replies: “The hardest thing about Chris Brown is understanding that you’re ‘Chris Brown’. I just noticed the value of my brand, and who I am as a person now.”

If you internet pirates didn’t already notice, Beyonce’s upcoming “4″ album has already been leaked in its entirety to the Internet. Check out Beyonce’s statement on this unfortunate matter… My music was leaked and while this is not how I wanted to present my new songs, I appreciate the positive response from my fans. When I record music I always think about my fans singing every note and dancing to every beat. I make music to make people happy and I appreciate that everyone has been so anxious to hear my new songs.

Lady Gaga's Born This Way set another record this week, but not one that Gaga's team will be happy about. Sales of the album dropped off by 84% from its sizzling (but discount-inflated) opening week. That's the the steepest drop-off in sales, expressed in a percentage basis, of any of the 17 albums that sold 1 million units in a week in Nielsen SoundScan history. Gaga's album sold 174,000 copies this week, down from 1,108,000 last week, when sales were goosed by a two-day, 99-cent sale at Amazon. The old record for the steepest drop-off following a million-unit week was held by *NSYNC's 2001 album Celebrity. Sales dropped by 76% in the week following its 1,880,000 debut. Two recent albums were tied for second place in the steepest drop-off column. Sales of Lil Wayne's 2008 hit Tha Carter III and Taylor Swift's 2010 smash Speak Now both dropped off by 69% in the week following their debuts of 1,006,000 and 1,047,000, respectively. A big drop-off was to be expected. But the fact that Gaga's drop-off was steeper than any of the other follow-ups to albums that had a million-unit week is troublesome. It seems obvious that the opening week tally for Born This Way was generated not only by hard-core fans, but also by casual fans who just didn't want to pass up such a deal. Last week's near giveaway worked in the short term (by giving Gaga the biggest one-week sales total since 2005), but it may have also served to devalue albums in general and Gaga's brand in particular. Born This Way may not even log a third week at #1. Adele's 21, which is currently 53K copies behind Born This Way, could easily return to the top spot next week. You may be wondering why *NSYNC's album experienced such a sharp drop-off in its second week. Celebrity was released 16 months after the boy band reached its peak with No Strings Attached. In the world of boy bands, 16 months is a lifetime. If you want to know which three albums experienced the mildest drop-offs in the weeks following their million-plus weeks, here you go. Sales of 50 Cent's 2005 album The Massacre slipped by just 32% in the week following its 1,141,000 debut. Sales of Eminem's 2002 album The Eminem Show dropped by 39% in the week following its 1,322,000 debut. Sales of Garth Brooks' 1998 double-disk set Double Live slipped by 40% in the week following its 1,085,000 debut. Born This Way fell off even more sharply in the digital realm. The album sold 38K digital copies this week, a 94% drop from its record-setting opening week total of 662K. Born This Way isn't even #1 on this week's Digital Albums chart. That honor goes instead to Death Cab for Cutie's Codes And Keys, which sold 59K digital copies (57% of its total). Born This Way holds at #1 in the U.K. for the second week, but it drops from #1 to #7 in Japan. Gaga's previous full-length, The Fame, logged seven weeks at #1 in the U.K., but didn't reach #1 in Japan.

Lauryn Hill is pregnant with her sixth child and announced her news at the end of her concert at Detroit’s Chene Park on Saturday night. “I keep having these children. I don’t know if I’m the most fertile woman in America. I’m going to be taking time off to give birth,” she told the crowd. Lauryn already has five children, Zion David-Nesta, 13, Selah, 12, Joshua, nine, John, seven, and three-year-old Sarah with partner Rohan Marley but it is uncertain of the fathers identity of her upcoming child.

Francesca Schiavone thought she had a set point. When Li Na's ball sailed wide on a deuce point at 6-5 in the second set, the defending French Open champion believed she was one point away from forcing a third set in this year's final. Running through her mind could have been the thought of snatching away any momentum the Chinese player gained after cruising to a first set win and laying that seed of doubt in Li's mind that maybe, just maybe, she had blown her best chance to win a -- and then an abrupt change. Before Schiavone would have had a chance to run through the scenarios in her mind, the call was overturned. Chair umpire Louise Engzell ran onto the court, inspected the ball mark left by Li's shot and overruled the call made by the linesman. Point, Li Na. Advantage, Li Na. Schiavone argued. She insisted that the ball bounced wide of the line and that she should have won the point. Engzell looked again at the mark, which wasn't on the line as much it was immediately adjacent to it. There was no clay in between the mark and the line, nor any indication from the mark that the ball had landed on it either. Schiavone lost the ensuing argument. In frustration, she fully circled the mark as Engzell went back to the chair. Schiavone lost the next point, leading to a tiebreaker. Then she dropped the next seven after that to lose the match in straight sets. In all, the Italian lost eight straight points after the overrule.

Policy experts have focused on alternative ways of eliminating Social Security's 75-year financing gap, but lost in the debate is the fact that even under current law Social Security will provide less retirement income relative to previous earnings than it does today. Combine the already legislated reductions with potential cuts to close the financing gap, and Social Security may no longer be the mainstay of the retirement system for many people. In 2002, the frequently quoted replacement rate for the "medium earner" who earned about $42,000 in today's dollars and retired at age 65 was 41%; that is, Social Security benefits were equal to 41% of the individual's previous earnings. Under current law, three factors will reduce this replacement rate: 1) the extension of the full retirement age; 2) the increase in Medicare premiums; and 3) the taxation of Social Security benefits. 1. The Extension of the Full Retirement Age Under current law, the full retirement age is scheduled to increase from 65 for those reaching 62 in 2000 to 67 for people reaching age 62 in 2022. This increase is equivalent to an across-the-board benefit cut. For those who continue to retire at age 65, this cut takes the form of lower monthly benefits; for those who extend their work lives, it takes the form of fewer years of benefits. Thus, as reported in the Social Security Trustees Report, the replacement rate for the medium earner will drop from 41% to 36% for people who retire at age 65 in 2030. 2. The Increase in Medicare Premiums The rising cost of Medicare will also affect future replacement rates. For the medium earner, Medicare premiums, which are automatically deducted from Social Security benefits, are scheduled to increase from 5% of benefits for someone retiring in 2002 to 12% for someone retiring in 2030. 3. The Taxation of Social Security Benefits The third factor that will reduce Social Security benefits is the extent to which they are taxed under the personal income tax. Under current law, individuals with less than $25,000 and married couples with less than $32,000 of "combined income" do not have to pay taxes on their Social Security benefits. (Combined income is adjusted gross income as reported on tax forms in addition to nontaxable interest income and half of your Social Security benefits.) Above those thresholds, recipients must pay taxes on either 50% or 85% of their benefits. In 2002, only 20% of people receiving Social Security had to pay taxes on their benefits, so median earners typically did not pay any taxes. But the thresholds are not indexed for growth in average wages or even for inflation so, by 2030, as real benefits and other income increases, many medium earners will pay tax on half of their benefits. The bottom line is that the net Social Security replacement rate for the medium earner will decline from 39% in 2002 to 29% in 2030 under current law. Policymakers need to be aware of this fact when they consider how much of the 75-year financing gap should be closed by benefit cuts and how much by tax increases. Alicia Munnell is the Director for the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.