Hundreds of thousands of people from every corner of the United States crammed onto the grounds of the National Mall Sunday, getting the opportunity to take in a concert of historic proportions. On hand to offer up songs of hope and encouragement to President-elect Barack Obama and his family were the biggest names in music – Beyoncé, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and Shakira, to name a few. There were mass choirs, and instrumentalists and inspirational speeches to mark the opening inauguration ceremonies of America’s 44th president, the nation’s first African-American commander in chief. “What gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us today, but what fills the spaces in between,” Obama said. “It is you, Americans of every race and region and station who came here because you believe in what this country can be and because you want to help us get there. . . . And as I prepare to assume the presidency, yours are the voices I will take with me every day I walk into that Oval Office.” Although U.S. Park Police and the National Park Service have shunned giving estimates about crowd size – since they were blasted for what appeared to be a major undercount at the Million Man March in 1995 – a senior security official told CNN that there were at least 300,000 people.

Three 6 Mafia event ends in violence. A fight at a West Hollywood show by Oscar-winning group Three 6 Mafia has left a woman with a broken leg. The clash took place as the rappers ended their gig at the House of Blues and resulted in the female spectator getting trampled. Two people were arrested in the incident this week after L.A.County Sheriff’s deputies responded with both force and swiftness.

Oprah’s mom allegedly owes store $150,000. The Valentina, Inc. boutique has named the mother of talk show diva Oprah Winfrey in a lawsuit claiming that an open charge account has gone unpaid. Vernita Lee allegedly has $155,547.31 in unpaid clothing and services, such as delivery. Her $2,000 minimum monthly payments on the account reportedly stopped without explanation or any further arrangements of pay. Fortunately for Ms. Lee, her daughter was recently listed as Forbes magazine’s top-earning TV celeb – again – checking in with a nine-figure net from 2007 to 2008.

Woman purchases Death Row Records for $24 million

Susan Berg may not have much in common with Tupac or Snoop Dogg, but she owns the label responsible for most of their music. The suburban California beautician was the only bidder in an auction of bankrupt Death Row Records this week, which she scooped up for $24 million. With the purchase, Berg comes into control of 20 unreleased potential Tupac hits – which means a second knockout against ex-CEO Suge Knight, who was left unconscious in a recent street scrap with a barber. How does a 300-pound former bodyguard keep getting chumped by hairstylists?

Kanye West strikes back against festival critics
Remember when fans at the Bonnaroo festival dissed rapper Kanye West for taking the stage hours after he was scheduled? Well Kanye remembers, too. ’Ye put on the caps lock in his blogged rebuttal for anyone who may have missed just how offended he was: “I am sick of negative people who just sit around trying [to] plot my downfall. I understand if people don’t like me because I like me, or if people think tight clothes look gay, or people say I run my mouth too much, but this Bonnaroo thing is the worst insult I’ve ever had in my life. This is the most offended I’ve ever been … this is the maddest I ever will be. I’m typing so fucking hard I might break my f–king Mac book Air!!!!!!!! Call me any name you want….arrogant, conceited, narcissistic, racist, metro, f-g , whatever you can think of…. BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL! NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL!” He wrote it twice, so, apparently, that means you have to pay attention.

Barack Obama’s iPod reflects “pretty eclectic tastes”
Hip hop could have a home in the White House. You may have heard that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is a fan of Jay-Z. Sen. Barack Obama tells Rolling Stone magazine that he also enjoys Ludacris and admires Russell Simmons. “I have pretty eclectic tastes,” Obama says in an interview set for publication tomorrow. Among others in his iPod, the politician names Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Obama’s smiling face is featured on the cover of the latest edition of Rolling Stone.