50 Cent Rear Ended By Mack Truck

They also report that, "As a precautionary measure 50 was taken to the hospital wearing a neck brace." They have photos and video here.

Spice Girls Reunite

(popmusiclife) The Spice Girls reunited in London Tuesday to promote the launch of Viva Forever!, a new musical based on their hit songs.

The BBC reports that Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell helped unveil the show at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in central London.

"We're going to be introducing a whole new generation to Girl Power," said Beckham. more on this story

Jessie J Sued Over Domino

Jessie J has been hit with copyright infringement suit for her biggest hit, "Domino."

Singer Will Loomis claims that large portions of his 2008 song "Bright Red Chords" were used in "Domino," according to Billboard.

"Mr. Loomis never consented to the use of his song," said Loomis' attorney Chris Arledge in a statement, "and we look forward to obtaining an appropriate remedy from the court for this clear infringement."

You can check out Youtube videos of both songs as well as a comparison video here.

Justin Bieber Scores Biggest First Week of 2012 With Believe

Justin Bieber's new album "Believe" has debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart this week.

While well below early estimates, Believe sold 374,000 units last week according the Nielsen SoundScan numbers.

However, that number was big enough to give "Believe" the biggest first week sales for this year, which topped Madonna's "MDNA" first week sales of 359,000, according to Billboard. See Billboard's report for more details.

Singled Out: Alphanaut's Run

Today Mark Alan, a.k.a. Alphanaut, tells us about the song "Run" from his brand new sophomore album, "Little Sun," which was released this week. Here is the story:

One of the many benefits of having a dog is learning some very simple life lessons from them. If we pay attention, they can be unique instructors on how to find pleasure in the most routine things. This was always the case with my first dog, Dingo. I wasn't at all prepared to be such a student, but it didn't take too long for me to get with the program. Out of everything I learned from this pup, the most important was the art of simply living in the moment. Like most of us, my life was often consumed with 'getting somewhere', and I rarely took the time to just 'be'.

The lyric for Run came to me one sunny day at a dog-friendly beach. Dingo was completely lost in the moment, running along the shore in total bliss, breathing in the briny air and feeling the cool sand under his paws.

For Dingo, the absolute greatest place to unwind was the beach. To say this dog was obsessed with the ocean would be an understatement. Riding in the car he would pace around, often jumping in the front passenger seat pushing the dashboard with his paw to get us there faster. The moment we'd turn onto Pacific Coast Highway, the smell of the salt air would elevate him to new levels of anticipation, just like a kid on their first trip to Disneyland.

The birth of the melody for Run started off with the bass line, which I thumbed out on my keyboard. I really wanted to keep the song groove-oriented, so I tried my best to keep the chord changes simple between verse and chorus. To me, the bass represents the pace and adrenaline we get from the experience of running, with the rest of the instrumentation painting the sensations of waves, wind, birds and other sea life.

The recording process for Run was fairly complex. It was one of just a handful of tracks on the new Little Sun album that required multiple studio days; which were drums, piano and a string session. The rest of the song, like most of the album, was recorded at my home in Los Angeles.

The two biggest highlights for me recording this song was working with bandoneon player Ben Bogart, and the session with the Stiletto Strings girls. What was produced on those two days really helped solidify the spirit and energy of the song, and took "Run" to a whole new level. If you've ever had the pleasure of hearing something you wrote come to life at the hands of skilled musicians, you'll understand the electricity I felt in those moments.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album (be sure to click on the Little Sun link to read more about the album and Dingo) right here!

Fitz and The Tantrums Post Free EP

Dangerbird sent over word that Fitz and The Tantrums are now giving away a free 5-song EP recorded live at the House of Blues in Boston. (email sign-up is required)

The EP includes three live versions of "News 4 U," "Pickin' Up The Pieces," and "Breakin' The Chains of Love."

It also includes two live cover songs of "Sweet Dreams" (originally by the Eurythmics) and "Steady As She Goes" (originally by The Raconteurs). Grab it here.

Carolina Liar Plan Off Dates On Kelly Clarkson and The Fray Tour

Carolina Liar will be hitting the road for a North American summer tour with Kelly Clarkson and The Fray and have announced some additional headlining dates during the trek.

The tour is set to kick off in Ridgefield, WA on July 21st and will wrap up on September 15th in Nashville.

Carolina Liar are touring in support their 2011 release Wild Blessed Freedom, produced by Max Martin (Katy Perry, Pink, Avril Lavigne) and Shellback (Kesha, Leona Lewis). more on this story

Aimee Mann Returning With New Album

Aimee Mann has set a September 18th release date for her new studio album, Charmer. We were sent these details:

Influenced by what Mann calls the "super pop" of the 70s and 80s, the album is her first release since 2008's celebrated @#%&*! Smilers, which the BBC called "undeniably beautiful."

Of Charmer, her eighth studio album, Mann comments, "I'm fascinated by charming people and the whole idea of charm. It's hard to remember sometimes that there is usually an agenda behind the act of being charming, and that is what I'm most interested in. Is someone's charm being utilized just to try and entertain people, make them feel special and interesting, or is there a more sinister purpose behind it? Sometimes I think 'charm' can just be another word for 'manipulation.'" The album also includes a duet with James Mercer of The Shins on "Living a Lie." Mann will support the new album with tour dates this fall. more on this story

Kris Humphries Deposed By Kim Kardashian Legal Team

(TMZ) Kris Humphries swore under oath during his deposition Monday ... Myla Sinanaj was just a friend, who was mighty curious about Kim Kardashian ... sources connected with Humphries tell TMZ.

Kris -- who was required to sit for the depo by Kim's legal team -- insisted he only knew Myla for a few months, even though we're told they [have been involved] since January.

Sources connected with Kris tell us ... he admitted he spoke "generally" to Myla about Kim, but only when she asked questions, such as ..."What's she like in real life?" Kris testified he never spoke to Myla about his divorce.

And our sources say ... Kris was asked various questions about his allegation that Kim defrauded him into marrying her and her motivation was just a crass ploy for ratings. We're told Kris offered no specifics ... no evidence of fraud.

Sources connected with Kris say they don't want to disclose evidence of fraud until the trial. Thing is ... his testimony was under oath and we're told he offered nothing. more on this story

Today Replacing Ann Curry With Savannah Guthrie?

(TMZ) Ann Curry and NBC are negotiating her exit from "Today" and the hang-up is money ... sources connected with the network tell TMZ.

Our sources say Savannah Guthrie has already made her deal with the network to succeed Ann as co-anchor of "Today," but the snag is the amount of money Ann will get.

As we first reported, Ann gets $10 million a year. She is one year into a 3-year contract, and from what we're hearing NBC does not want to pay her $20 million for the balance of the contract.

Sources tell us Ann wants the full $20 mil and her exit papers. NBC wants to pay her $10 mil and give her a foreign correspondent job. And therein lies the hang-up.

The network could pay her the $20 mil and then prohibit her from working anywhere else for 2 years. But we're told they don't want to shell out that kind of dough, so Ann's lawyer and NBC are haggling.

NBC wants to make the switch quickly ... certainly before the Olympics so they can showcase Savannah. We're hearing the goal is to make the announcement late this week or early next. more on this story

Hunger Games Star Jennifer Lawrence Assists Girl Who Collapsed

(TMZ) Frightening moment for "Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence on Monday when an underage girl collapsed on the front lawn of her L.A. apartment complex.

The Santa Monica Police Department tells TMZ ... Lawrence was out walking her dog ... when she noticed a random girl laid out on her back.

As Jennifer rushed to assist the young woman, someone in the area called 911 ... and paramedics raced to the scene.

Cops tell us ... "The young lady who collapsed was a juvenile and was part of a group that was together."

It's unclear why the young woman was in front of Jennifer's home ... but cops say, "Alcohol may have played a role in the incident."

We're told paramedics didn't feel the girl needed to be transported to a hospital -- instead, she was treated on the scene and cleared to leave. more on this story

Scarlett Johansson and Xtina May Get Restitution From Nude Photo Hacker

(TMZ) The man who hacked nude photos of Scarlett Johansson should be forced to pay the actress $66k for her troubles ... at least that's what the U.S. Government is recommending to the judge in the case.

The government has filed new documents with U.S. District Court in California ... in which prosecutors explain how celeb hacker Christopher Chaney should be sentenced for his crimes.

As we previously reported, Chaney pled guilty to 9 hacking-related felonies back in March ... after stealing racy photos of several starlets including Mila Kunis.

According to the docs, the gov. believes Chaney should be sentenced to 71 months in prison ... and forced to pay restitution to some of his victims ... including:

-- $7,500 to Christina Aguilera
-- $66,179.46 to Scarlett Johansson
-- $76,767.35 to actress Renee Olstead

The gov. also believes Chaney should pay $10k to AFTRA Health Fund.

In the docs, prosecutors argue that Chaney's crimes were even worse than that of Michael David Barrett -- the guy who videotaped a naked Erin Andrews and posted the footage on the Internet.

Barrett was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his crime.

Chaney is due back in court on July 23 when he will be sentenced. more on this story

Charlie Sheen Hotel Room Meltdown Reports Shot Down

(TMZ) Charlie Sheen is adamant ... he is not BANNED from the Ritz-Carlton in NYC and did not trash the living hell out of his hotel room ... despite reports to the contrary.

A rep for Sheen tells TMZ ... the "Anger Management" star was merely having dinner with family and friends at the hotel ... and was absolutely NOT participating in a drug and hooker party in his room.

According to reports, Sheen was asked to leave the property and never return to another Ritz -- but Sheen's people tell us ... the whole story is complete BS.

We shot Charlie walking out of the hotel yesterday, and everything seemed fine -- he even posed with a fan.

Sheen's rep says, "If you want to call 'dinner with family and friends' a party, so be it."

TMZ spoke with someone who works in the hotel who would know if there was damage to a room ... and he said no one in the hotel had a destructive meltdown that night.

We also spoke with someone in the room next door to Charlie who tells us nothing happened ... no noise, no hookers, no incident. more on this story

Booker T. & the MGs' Green Onions Remastered

Concord Music Group have set a July 24, 2012 release date for Booker T. & the MGs' Green Onions, which is part of the label's Stax Remasters series.

Enhanced by 24-bit remastering by Joe Tarantino, two live bonus tracks and newly written liner notes by Grammy Award-winning Stax historian Rob Bowman, the reissue not only spotlights one of the most entertaining and influential soul and R&B recordings of the 1960s, but also reaffirms the album's enduring nature a half-century after its original release.

Underscoring the historical significance of this 1962 recording is the recent decision by the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, to add the album's widely recognized title track to the National Recording Registry. The song was selected for preservation because it is "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant," according to a Library of Congress announcement at the end of May 2012. more on this story

Cassandra Wilson To Play Blue Note Jazz Festival

Cassandra Wilson is set to take part in this summer's Blue Note Jazz Festival in New York City.

She will perform two shows nightly on June 28, 29, 30 and with two new July 1 shows at The Blue Note.

Cassandra Wilson will be performing in support of her eighteenth album, Another Country, out now on eOne Music. more on this story

Jamie Foxx, Quentin Tarantino, Tyler Perry For BET Awards

Jamie Foxx, Quentin Tarantino, Tyler Perry and Laz Alonso have been added as presenters for the BET Awards 12.

They join the previously announced presenters Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Meagan Good and host, Samuel L. Jackson.

BET Awards 12 will take place live at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

Delta Rae Perform Live Medley

The Warner Sound channel has just added a new live one take medley video from Delta Rae.

In the clip, Delta Rae performs four of their songs: "Morning Comes," "If I Loved You," "Is There Anyone Out There," and "Bottom of the River."

But the big twist is that they perform them as a seemless medley that was captured in one take. Check it out here.

Girl Talk, Public Enemy, M83, The XX Lead Treasure Island Fest Lineup

Treasure Island Music Festival have announced the lineup for this year's event which takes place on October 13th and 14th in San Francisco.

Saturday October 13th will be headlined by Girl Talk, making him the first artist to ever return to Treasure Island, while Sunday October 14th will be headlined by The xx, who will be making their only U.S. festival appearance in 2012.

The lineup also includes Public Enemy (marking their 25th Anniversary), M83, The Presets, Grimes, Gossip (making their first stop back in the Bay Area since 2009), Best Coast, Porter Robinson, SBTRKT, Divine Fits (Spoon's Britt Daniel and Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner making their Bay Area debut), and Los Campesinos!. The San Francisco Bay Area will be well represented by Toro y Moi, Tycho, Ty Segall, The Coup, Imperial Teen, K.Flay, and Dirty Ghosts. The lineup is rounded out by the likes of Araabmuzik, Youth Lagoon, Matthew Dear, The War On Drugs, Hospitality and The Neighbourhood. more on this story

Mel Gibson DUI Sheriff's Deputy To Be Fired

(TMZ) The L.A. County Sheriff's deputy who famously arrested Mel Gibson in 2006 for DUI is about to be fired ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us ... Deputy James Mee has received a letter stating that the Sheriff's Dept. intends to give him the boot for allegedly violating procedure by engaging in a high-speed pursuit that ended in a fiery explosion.

Mee and his lawyer, Richard Shinee, have accused the Sheriff's Dept of retaliating against the Deputy because Sheriff Lee Baca believes Mee is the one who leaked 4 pages of Mel's arrest report to TMZ. Mee's superiors had ordered the deputy to remove the 4 pages, which contained a blow-by-blow of Mel's anti-Semitic tirade on Pacific Coast Highway. The Sheriff's Dept. lied to TMZ, repeatedly telling us that Mel was arrested "without incident" and no anti-Semitic remarks were uttered.

The incident that triggered the firing occurred on June 17, 2011, when Mee attempted to stop a driver who was allegedly drunk. The driver, who was traveling around 30 mph, gunned it and was going more than 100 mph when his car skidded into a gas station, hitting 2 pumps which triggered an explosion. Check out the security footage here.

In the letter, the Sheriff's Dept. accuses Mee of not only violating the pursuit policy but lying to his superior about his involvement in the chase. The main gripe was that Mee didn't immediately notify emergency officials there was a crash. Mee's lawyer, Richard Shinee says Mee DID promptly reach out for help.

Shinee tells TMZ, "Nobody in the history of the Sheriff's Dept. has ever been fired for allegedly violating the pursuit policy." Shinee says these are "trumped up charges calculated to vindicate their wrath against him."

Shinee adds, "This final act of retaliation falls on the heels of a series of retaliatory acts by the Sheriff's Department."

A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, where Mee can plead his case, but sources tell us the die has already been cast. more on this story

Former Miss Arizona Teen USA Admits To Drinking Before DUI

(TMZ) Former Miss Arizona Teen USA Tori Vance -- who pled "not guilty" to DUI last week after her recent arrest -- is now admitting ... she DID have something to drink before cops busted her behind the wheel last month.

Tori was out shopping in L.A. yesterday with a beauty pageant buddy when she gave us the blow-by-blow -- saying, "I was coming from Rosa Mexicana. It was Cinco de Mayo. So I shouldn't have been driving. I know better."

Tori added, "I didn't even give it a thought and I had something to drink." QUICK REMINDER -- TORI IS ONLY 18 YEARS OLD.

After leaving the restaurant, Tori said she pulled an illegal U-turn and -- just her luck -- a cop car was right behind her. The giant sombrero she was wearing at the time probably didn't help her case.

As we reported, Tori pled "not guilty" -- but our guess ... her lawyer's are currently hammering out a plea deal with prosecutors. Tori's due back in court July 25th. more on this story