Meek Mill may be a star — but the tardy “Tupac Back” rapper still needs to show some respect to those richer and more famous. The rapper held a top-secret listening party for his debut solo album, “Dreams and Nightmares,” in a legendary venue Wednesday night, but by the time he arrived, the guests with the most wattage — Jay-Z and Will Smith — were history.

Ideally, Sunday’s news that Nicki Minaj will join a new group of new judges for this season’s American Idol — along with Mariah Carey and country singer Keith Urban — might be the start of an improvement in the rocky relationship between hip-hop and reality television. Save reality satires like those produced by Ego Trip (The White Rapper Show and Miss Rap Supreme), hip-hop fans have endured a specific kind of exploitative, buffonish trash.

Wyclef Jean did so break up the Fugees. He won’t quite cop to it in conversation, or in his new memoir, “Purpose,” but with Anthony Bozza, he writes of an explosive affair with Lauryn Hill so combustible that it’s no surprise it burnt down the house.
“It was like we were two outlaws in love.

Wiz Khalifa and his bride-to-be Amber Rose are writing one heck of a love story right before our eyes. On Thursday (September 6), the famed hip-hop duo took to the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards to announce that they are expecting their very first child come. In contrast to their comfy but casual white attire at last year’s ceremony, Khalifa and Rose were sleek and sexy in black as they shared the big news with Sway.

The biggest moment at the MTV VMAs wasn’t aired on TV … it was captured on a live Internet feed … when Rihanna approached Chris Brown on her way to her seat and gave him a HUG AND A KISS.

Tech N9ne’s Strange Music continues making power moves, signing rising rapper Rittz to its roster. Introduced to Rittz by Yelawolf, Tech N9ne was impressed by Rittz’s dazzling delivery, vocal clarity and ability to rock a crowd. Tech N9ne made signing Rittz a priority with his business partner, Travis O’Guin.