Sherri L. Smith, BlackWeb20.c0m

You don’t have to be a big name producer or a media mogul to see that things have changed in the music game. Gone are the days of spending millions to push a new artist. Hell, it’s hard for an established artist to get that kind of promotion now. And with the stations that were formerly music television turning into barren wastelands of reality shows, the video stars that hunted the radio star into extinction are also going the way of the dinosaur. Music needs a new business model — stat. Read the rest of this entry »

Rihanna’s Pop is Fuming Over Photo Release
Rihanna’s dad is steaming over the release of photos showing that his daughter was battered on Grammy night, allegedly by her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown. Much of his rage is directed at the Los Angeles Police Department. “Sloppy work on their part,” Ronald Fenty told People.com via telephone from Barbados Friday, shortly after the photo appeared Thursday night on TMZ.com.  But Fenty isn’t the only one venting. LAPD official are also looking for clues regarding who gave the Web gossip site the photograph. In a statement issued this week, the department is asking for help finding any “information concerning the unauthorized release of the photograph.” LAPD Chief William Bratton told reporters that the force has launched an internal investigation into whether the photo is police evidence, and he is looking into how TMZ got the picture. His department may even pursue a felony conspiracy case against TMZ and anyone might have assisted it in getting the image.   “We are not treating this lightly,” Bratton said. “It’s an embarrassment to this department if in fact evidence was leaked. It’s going to be a very painful experience for any personnel from this department and possibly those who they may have engaged in a conspiracy with to violate the laws of California.”      

Idol Studdard is Hurting for Cash
Former ‘Idol’ Ruben Studdard could use some serious record sales. Two years after being dropped from his label, the Velvet Teddy Bear is in arrears to state and federal tax authorities to the tune of about $254, 119. Click for more.

A onetime “American Idol” contestant who was obsessed with judge Paula Abdul, was found dead in a car parked not far from Abdul’s California home Tuesday.  Police identified the woman as 30-year-old Paula Goodspeed, and say her death appears to be a suicide. According to police, Goodspeed, who was a contestant on season five of “American Idol,” has been fixated on Abdul for years. Abdul told The Associated Press that she is “deeply shocked and saddened” at the apparent suicide.   No official cause of death has been determined.