Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Lead MTV VMAs

Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors," Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop," Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven," Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" featuring T.I. and Pharrell, and Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble," are set for an epic battle to take home Video of the Year. more on this story

Jay-Z Tops Kanye West With New Album

(Radio.com) Turns out Jay-Z didn't need the 1 million free Samsung downloads of his new album Magna Carta... Holy Grail to have one of the best debut sales weeks of 2013.

Data from Nielsen SoundScan confirmed that Magna Carta, the rapper's 12th studio album, is the No. 1 album in the country, selling 527,000 (non-Samsung) copies in its first week.

The numbers place Hova as having the second-largest opening week of the year, bested only by Justin Timberlake, whose The 20/20 Experience opened with 968,000 copies sold.

The sales total also confirms that despite there being arguably more hype surrounding the release of Kanye West's Yeezus, Jay is really the king of the charts. Yeezus managed sales of 327,000 in its first week, no doubt hindered by a hit in prestige due to a pre-release leak.

Then again, it's not like Jay-Z was free of hindrances, either. The million free downloads for Samsung users would have impacted the final sales numbers, as may have a Spotify stream the day before the album's official release.

Regardless, Magna Carta's sales mean it is the best-selling rap record of the year in terms of its first-week numbers, taking the spot formerly occupied by Kanye West's Yeezus. more on this story

Mom Charged For Leaving Her Kids In Car During Lil Wayne Show

(Radio.com) A West Palm Beach, Florida, woman was arrested and charged with child neglect after she attended a Lil Wayne concert and left her two children unattended in her car. The name of Wayne's current tour, America's Most Wanted, feels even more appropriate now.

Radio.com spoke with Deputy Eric Davis of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to confirm the report, as well as gather more details. Brittany Nicole Harris attended Lil Wayne's concert at the Cruzan Amphitheatre Sunday night (July 14) in West Palm Beach. While she went into the concert venue to watch Weezy's performance, she left her two toddlers, ages three and five, unattended in her car.

An employee spotted the children near a Nissan in the parking lot during the show. The employee alerted the authorities, according to the Palm Beach Post.

"[She had] the kids in the car [and] a lot of our deputies work those concerts and we have zero tolerance for nonsense," Davis told us. more.

Broadway Beatles Tribute Bands Go To Battle

(Radio.com) Let It Be is facing off against Rain, but not in a battle of the best Beatles songs. Instead this is a stand off that will be taking place in court between two tribute bands who have each brought their mop tops to Broadway.

The Beatles tribute show, Rain, which was on Broadway for nine months from 2010 to 2011, is suing Let It Be, which begins previews of its own tribute show next week.

According to The New York Times, Rain is claiming that Let It Be has used some of the same musical arrangements, between-song banter and even wigs.

According to court papers, all but 3 of the 31 songs featured in Rain are also in Let It Be and "the artwork used as background during the performance of many of those songs are similar or identical." more on this story

Alan Jackson Announces New Album Release

Country music star Alan Jackson is taking a slight musical detour for his new album, The Bluegrass Album, which he has announced will be released on September 24th.

The new album is one that Jackson has wanted to record for sometime to share his love of bluegrass music. He recruited Keith Stegall and his nephew Adam Wright to produce the record.

Jackson wrote eight original songs for the album including "Blacktop," "Blue Ridge Mountain Song" and "Mary." He also takes on some blueglass standards including The Dillards' "There Is A Time," John Anderson's "Wild and Blue" and a ¾-time version of Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky."

The backing band on the album includes Scott Coney (acoustic guitar), Sammy Shelor (banjo), Adam Steffey (mandolin), Tim Crouch (fiddle), Tim Dishman (bass), Rob Ickes (dobro) and Ronnie Bowman and Don Rigsby (vocals). more on this story

Demi Lovato Debuts Made in the USA Video

(Radio.com) Demi Lovato is "Made in the USA" and proud of it as she proves with the music video for the second single from her fourth studio album, Demi, which was released earlier this year.

For her latest music video, Lovato finds inspiration in the American heartland, with Friday Night Lights actress Aimee Teegarden and 90210 actor Dustin Milligan as a couple forced to deal with Milligan's military deployment overseas. Lovato sings the song in the middle of a state fair carnival, complete with fireworks.

Lovato stars in the recently released trailer for the third season of TV's The X Factor, with Simon Cowell calling his fellow judge "a different Demi this year. She respects me." more on this story

Willie Nelson To Play Stardust Album In Full For First Time

(Radio.com) At the Hollywood Bowl next month, Willie Nelson is going to do something he's never done before. During his two-night stand (Aug. 9-10) at that iconic venue, instead of his usual live show–which typically focuses on his own vast song catalog alongside a cool blend of country, blues, jazz, pop, and other material–he's going to perform his 1978 album Stardust in its entirety.

Released in 1978, Stardust is a collection of pop standards that marked a departure from the laid-back 'outlaw' country sound Nelson had become internationally famous for thanks to albums like Phases and Stages, Red Headed Stranger, and Wanted! The Outlaws.

On Stardust, Willie offered superb, pared-down versions of jazz-pop standards like Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia On My Mind," Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies," and Kurt Weill's "September Song." The album opened up his musical world considerably–it also went platinum within a year and has since sold more than five times that amount.

The Hollywood Bowl performances mark Stardust's 35th anniversary. Nelson will perform the Stardust set with a full orchestra led by David Campbell. He and his Family Band will also perform during the show, and Lyle Lovett and His Large Band are the opening act both nights. more on this story

Skylar Grey Talks Working With Eminem and J.R. Rotem

(Radio.com) Skylar Grey, best known for her work writing "Love The Way You Lie" and contributing the female voice to "I Need A Doctor," just released her new album, "Don't Look Down." DJ Toro got to sit down with the songstress and get the inside scoop on the heavy-hitting production team.

Grey both wrote and sang for the executive producer of her album, Eminem, who she admitted she was initially nervous about working with. "It was amazing to be able to bounce things off of him," she said.

Initially, before Skylar collaborated with Slim Shady, she worked with someone a little closer to home: her mom. "We made three albums by the time I was 14," she said. "Folk music, kids songs. And then I went solo because I was like, 'It's not cool to sing with mom anymore.'"

J.R. Rotem was the driving force behind the new record, Grey said. He produced multiple songs on the album, giving the tracks a new flavor. "J.R. produced 'Wear Me Out,'" Skylar said, "and if you listen to 'Wear Me Out,' you would never believe that J.R. produced it." More including the full video stream of the interview.

Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby Reuniting For Album and Tour

Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby will be teaming up once again to hit the road together this fall and they will be releasing a new live album later this summer, which comes from their last tour together.

Skaggs Family Records have set an August 20, 2013 release date for the new live album, "Cluck Ol' Hen," which was captured during the duos tour together six years ago in support of their first collaborative album, Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby.

"We recorded quite a few of the live performances from our tour and came up with a really great CD," says Skaggs. "It's a great merging of two different styles. Listening to this live CD just reminded me of how much fun we had touring together. Every show was a gift."

Hornsby notes, "I've been fortunate to be a part of scores of collaborations through the years. Along with my time with the Grateful Dead, and the various Spike Lee projects, I consider the long-time association with Ricky to be the deepest and most satisfying collaboration of them all. Hopefully this record captures the sound of a bunch of guys having a great time playing music together. That's what it sounds like to me."

On collaborating with Hornsby, Skaggs notes, "Working with Bruce Hornsby is a show in itself. He's one of the best musicians I've ever played with. His talent level is very high and his take on Bluegrass music is very much like Jazz. It's all just free form and fun."

"I have great respect for the traditions that Ricky Skaggs represents and lives in his music and his life," says Hornsby of Skaggs. "When I come into his world, I feel it's my job to enhance that tradition, and maybe add some new colors to the palette to paint with. I also feel it's my job to make him (and his band) laugh a little."

Skaggs and Hornsby will also hit the road this fall, embarking on the Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder Tour. Thirteen dates have been announced so far. more on this story

Bonnie McKee Proud Of Her High School Friend Macklemore

(Radio.com) It's probably only been about a minute since you've last heard one of Bonnie McKee's songs on the radio. She's already written numerous hits for the likes of Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Ke$ha, Carly Rae Jepsen & Rita Ora, just to name a select few, and now she's back on the scene with her very own single "American Girl."

You may have already seen the star-studded teaser video for the single which features tons of artists and celebrities that she has worked with over the years singing along, including Katy & Carly, a cross-dressing Tommy Lee, KISS in full makeup, Taio Cruz, Becky G, Adam Lambert and SO many more!

"It was really an honor," said Bonnie. "I was expecting to get like maybe five or six people, I just threw out a net and was like, 'whoever wants to be a part of it!'"

Also in the video, her old friend, Macklemore, singing along in a tub. Of course, Bonnie knows him as just "Ben."

"Actually, I grew up with Macklemore," says Bonnie. "I was in a Hip Hop group with him in Seattle back in the day called Elevated Elements. Then I ended up moving to L.A. at 16 and he changed his name right after that. So when 'Thrift Shop' blew up and I heard it on the radio I was like, 'this is so good!' Then I looked at the video and I was like, 'no way, that's Ben… that's my high school buddy!'"

Stream the full interview and check out the video here

Mayer Hawthorne Celebrates New Album Release

(Radio.com) Mayer Hawthorne makes no apologies for the fact that his new album, Where Does This Door Go, sounds nothing like his previous two records. At a concert on the eve of the album's release (July 15), the soulful Michigan native showed the breadth of himself — his hip-hop background, his love of '70s funk and Steely Dan, that soaring falsetto of his. All just a hint of his new release, which features production from Pharrell, among others.

"This is a very special night," Hawthorne said from the Bowery Ballroom stage. "Tonight I have a brand new album that comes out worldwide in two hours. It is definitely a celebration in this mother f*****."

And he wasn't lying. As the smell of pot engulfed the room, his fans danced and bobbed their heads throughout the entirety of his set. Many sang along to the soon-to-be-released tracks and at times he conducted the room in a sing-along, outstretching his arms while teaching them the lyrics to his new material. They seemed to be receptive to the new sounds, despite what Hawthorne may think otherwise.

"This album is very different from my previous two records," he recently told Radio.com. "Some people are not going to like that. Some of my fans that have been following, sorry guys."

He added, "I could never go back and do another A Strange Arrangement [his debut album]. It would be impossible at this point."

A huge fan of Steely Dan, Hawthorne wanted Where Does This Door Go to reference the '70s smooth jazz-rock duo — only, you know, with a bit more sex. To achieve this, he acted in a way some might find counter-intuitive: he added hip-hop beats, 808s and drum machines.

Instead of doing everything himself, Hawthorne broke his previous rule and enlisted the help of others. Where Does This Door Go consists of 15 tracks, many of which are produced by Hawthorne and Pharrell Williams, Greg Wells, Jack Splash and Oak. He credits Williams to pushing him in this new direction. more on this story

Nas Honored With Harvard Hip-Hop Fellowship

(Radio.com) With a slew of platinum-selling and critically acclaimed albums to his credit (although after being nominated for more than 13 separate GRAMMY awards, he has yet to take a single one home), Nas is no stranger to accolades. But his latest achievement is both academic and honorary in nature.

According to Rolling Stone, Harvard University's Hip-Hop Archives and W.E.B. Du Bois Institute have created the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship, which will "fund scholars and artists who show productive scholarship and creative potential in the arts in connection with hip-hop."

"I am immensely over-the-top excited about the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship at Harvard. From Queens, NY to true cultural academia," Nas said in response to the fellowship.

"My hopes are that greed for knowledge, art, self-determination and expression go a long way. It is a true honor to have my name attached to so much hard work, alongside great names like Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois and to such a prestigious and historical institution, and all in the name of the music I grew to be a part of." more on this story

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