Adele , Bon Iver , Bruno Mars and Mumford & Sons each landed multiple nominations in the biggest categories for the 54th Grammys, but more surprising was who didn't: Kanye West . Although West is up for seven awards when the statues are handed out Feb. 12 in Los Angeles, he received only one major nomination Wednesday night during a televised concert to announce nominees: in the song of the year category for "All of the Lights." The tune is also nominated for best rap/sung collaboration and rap song of the year. West's 2010 album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and this year's collaboration with Jay-Z , "Watch the Throne," are nominees in best rap album, and their song "Otis" is up for best rap song and best rap performance. Bon Iver received three nominations in major categories: the group fronted by Justin Vernon is up for best new artist, and the song "Holocene" is a contender for record of the year and song of ...

Detroit rapper Big Sean has hinted at an upcoming new record featuring him, Kanye West and Kid Cudi as fans continue to wait for the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation album. Confirming plans for the collaborative project to drop in 2012, Sean said the recording process is nearly finished . "Compilation almost done and ready," Sean said in an interview. "Y'all are gonna get that at the top of the year, around spring time. Single's out soon. So expect nothing less than the f*cking best. How many songs have I done for it? Just a few. You know, me, [Kid] Cudi and Kanye [West] got this cold a** one. I only did like three but I'm gonna do some more for it. So it's going to be fresh." ( 57th Ave ) In ealry November, Sean reflected on how the G.O.O.D. Music compilation began to come together . "Kanye was like, 'Yo, we got the illest people in the world on one label.' I've been telling him, 'We need to do a group thing, a group album...

Kelly Rowland has revealed that she is keen to collaborate with Kanye West and Drake . The singer said that she "loves" West and wants Drake to work on a remix of her next single 'Keep It Between Us'. She told RWD Magazine : "I would love to work with Kanye. We haven't managed to speak about it yet but I would still love to as I love his creative expression. "I'd also love to collaborate with Drake for a remix of 'Keep It Between Us'. Maybe my fans can start a campaign on Twitter!" The X Factor judge also said that she is a "major" fan of singer and producer Labrinth , adding: "I also think [producer] Harmony is sooooo crazy! I really want to get into the studio with both of them for my next album." Kelly Rowland's third studio album Here I Am is out this week. > Kelly Rowland hints at X Factor exit: 'Touring is my focus' Watch the music video for Kelly Rowland's latest single 'Down For Wha...

After waiting impatiently for two hours, the lights dimmed and the crowd started shrieking. I joined in because Jay-Z, the reigning king of rap, appeared five feet from me. I was not prepared for that in the least. If you haven't attended a Throne concert featuring two of rap's juggernauts, Kanye West and Beyonc's husband, you haven't truly lived a fulfilled life. I attended the show in Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center, where most of the audience was as late as the performers themselves, but the show was well worth the wait. For the first two songs, "H.A.M." and "Who Gon Stop Me," the two men performed on separate daisies on the floor, which slowly rose higher and higher. There isn't a better way they could have kicked off the show, which was more of a party than a concert. After that, in one of my favorite images from the entirety of the Throne era, the American flag, dropped from the ceiling and "Otis" began. Out of respect ...

It gets bigger every year, and 2011 was no exception. Enjoy this photo gallery of the 25 best photos from the Victorias Secret Fashion Show in New York City, featuring performances by Jay-Z and Kanye West, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj and more. 1 of 25 Scenes from the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City, with performances by Jay-Z and Kanye West, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj and more. Photos by Brad Barket (AP) and Jamie McCarthy (Getty). 2 of 25 Scenes from the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City, with performances by Jay-Z and Kanye West, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj and more. Photos by Brad Barket (AP) and Jamie McCarthy (Getty). 3 of 25 Scenes from the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City, with performance! s by Jay -Z and Kanye West, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj and more. Photos by Brad Barket (AP) and Jamie McCarthy (Getty). 4 of 25 Scenes from the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City, with performances by Jay-Z and Kanye Wes...

Two of the biggest names in the history of hip-hop: Jay-Z and Kanye West. Two utterly distinctive personalities. One album: "Watch the Throne." One stage: this Sunday night, it will be Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The most anticipated hip-hop show of the year brings together the two voices in hip-hop that might matter the most -- the king and his heir-apparent. In pop music, where hype and reality often are indivisible, here's the rare event that might, just possibly, live up to expectations. Their album-collaboration "Watch the Throne" is good enough to indicate that it will. Or, maybe Jay-Z finally is past his prime, and should have really made good on his often-threatened retirement. Maybe West's original, brash brilliance has been obscured too much by his often-obnoxious, ego-driven public persona, and a backlash is brewing, big-time. Maybe this is just a giant train wreck in the making. It's a gamble, and an expensive one. Will it be worth it...

After waiting impatiently for two hours, the lights dimmed and the crowd started shrieking. I joined in because Jay-Z, the reigning king of rap, appeared five feet from me. I was not prepared for that in the least. If you haven't attended a Throne concert featuring two of rap's juggernauts, Kanye West and Beyonc's husband, you haven't truly lived a fulfilled life. I attended the show in Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center, where most of the audience was as late as the performers themselves, but the show was well worth the wait. For the first two songs, "H.A.M." and "Who Gon Stop Me," the two men performed on separate daisies on the floor, which slowly rose higher and higher. There isn't a better way they could have kicked off the show, which was more of a party than a concert. After that, in one of my favorite images from the entirety of the Throne era, the American flag, dropped from the ceiling and "Otis" began. Out of respect ...

Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Watch The Throne" tour came to Detroit on Saturday to a massive crowd at the Palace. The duo played 39 songs total , for a two-and-a-half hour set. Many of those were classic solo hits, but the pair also seemed particularly drawn to the song off their joint-effort "Watch The Throne" album. They were so drawn, in fact, that they performed "N*ggas in Paris" seven times . The multiple-encore is apparently not a new phenomenon, at least on this tour. West and Jay-Z played the same song six times at a previous show in Boston . And before that, they played "N*ggas in Paris" five times in Miami. Kansas City, Mo., is up next. Will they break the record and get to hear "N*ggas in Paris" eight times? Maybe fans should just be grateful the increase isn't exponential. Watch a video of the finale performance at the Palace above, and click over to the Free Press for ...

Kanye West will play two epic Big Day Out sideshows in January at venues in Sydney and Melbourne that are almost large enough to contain his monsterous live show (and ego). Of course Kanye headlined the first night at Splendour with a set described by FL as over 90 mins of non-stop singles featuring chest-pulsing beats, but these sideshows will be his first stand alone shows in Australia since the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the Jay-Z collaboration Watch The Throne . Kanye West sideshows: Friday 27th January Sydney Entertainment CentreTuesday 31st January Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Soundgarden have also announced extra dates in January joining the long list of Big Day Out sideshows for 2012.

In a venue fittingly named the Palace, raps royalty held court Saturday night. Ruling the hip-hop kingdom as The Throne, Jay-Z and Kanye West swung through Auburn Hills to serve up a booming, muscular show of hits for an audience of more than 15,000. In a booming, muscular show with an array of eye-popping visual treats, Jay and Ye served up a staggering litany of hits 39 in the 2-hour set as they expertly pulled the crowd into periodic frenzies. With a hyped audience that rarely sat (and that included local music luminaries as varied as Anita Baker and Mike Posner), the night had the inescapable feel of a Big Event. The two superstars opened their Palace spectacular on opposing stages across the arena floor, facing each other as they worked into the pulsing new song H.A.M. Soon they were together on the main stage, swapping verses on material from their album Watch the Throne before rotating turns in the spotlight as they drew generously from their respective solo repertoires. West ...

Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West 's defense team appear unfazed by a 2010 lawsuit claiming he stole his "Stronger" Graduation anthem by citing a 19th century philosopher. According to reports, Yeezy's legal squad is attempting to have the case fully dismissed . Kanye West has cited 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in an attempt to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the dismissal of a claim he stole his hit song "Stronger" from another songwriter. In a brief submitted Friday, West's lawyers make the case that it's ludicrous for the plaintiff, Vincent Peters , to make a copyright allegation on a rap lyric said to derive from one of Nietzsche's century-old maxims. Earlier this year, a federal judge dismissed the claim, finding not enough substantial similarity between the two songs. Peters was undeterred. As Nietzsche once said: "All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at...

Kanye West stopped riffing on the academic theme after his first three albums but it appears he has not thrown out his schoolbooks just yet, claiming to have been influenced by 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche when penning the lyrics for 'Stronger.' The rapper's legal team revealed his inspiration for the multi-platinum 2007 single as part of an ongoing court case in which Virginia songwriter Vincent Peters claims to have had one of his recordings plagiarised. Peters claims West stole multiple sections of the chorus to the track, which he produced in 2006 and later passed on to the rapper's business manager, including the first line: "What don't kill me makes me stronger." However, West's lawyers say Stronger is based on Nietzche's original, century-old maxim, which no-one can lay a claim to. A federal judge already dismissed Peters' claim earlier this year, but the decision was appealed. Speaking on the case, Kanye's atto...

MONTREAL - They came, we saw, they conquered. Rap kings Jay-Z and Kanye West brought their Watch the Throne tour to the Bell Centre Tuesday night, and there was much rejoicing. The two were performing in support of their collaborative album, released in August. And while that document offers a rare chance to hear the superstars team up in the studio, the live show was an opportunity to see them tag-team rhymes on the same stage an infinitely more exciting prospect for the 13,000 fans who greeted them like the second coming. Everyone was on their feet from the first notes of opener H*A*M they would not sit for the rest of the evening a deafening roar erupting as the two men took their positions on platforms at opposite ends of the arena. The twin towers went up in tandem, rising slowly as the massive, LED-covered blocks displayed images of sharks and pit bulls. It made for a stunning spectacle as the pair segued into Who Gon Stop Me. After starting out apart, they came together (and ...

Date: Thursday Nov. 24, 2011 7:42 AM ET TORONTO In the first hour of Kanye West and Jay-Z's marathon show at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday, West let the beat drop while performing his hit "All Falls Down" and the Toronto crowd quickly picked him up, a faithful choir crooning the song's memorable chorus en masse. Most performers would've milked the moment, but West merely smirked before launching into his next marquee tune, sending the assemblage into another frenzy. At the two-hour- and 20-minute-long show, two of hip-hop's biggest stars made a convincing case for their self-appointed royal status, breathlessly charging through hit after hit, an adoring crowd in eager pursuit. "Tonight, we're living our dream in front of y'all, Toronto," Jay-Z said in introducing the duo's rags-to-riches collaboration "Made in America." "How far are you living that dream right now? We feel you." It was a rare bit of banter in a ...

Born Jay-Z: Shawn Carter; Dec. 4, 1969 (41), in Brooklyn. Kayne: June 8, 1977 (34), in Atlanta. Education Jay-Z: Dropped out of high school. Started at Eli Whitney High School, then George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn (with The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes) and ultimately dropped out of Trenton Central High School New Jersey. Kanye: Graduated from West Aurora High School in Oak Lawn, Ill., took painting classes at American Academy of Art in Chicago, before transferring to Chicago State University, where he dropped out. Nicknames Jay-Z: "Jazzy," his nickname in the neighborhood, evolved into Jay-Z (in honor of mentor Jaz-O and the J/Z subway train in Brooklyn). Also, Jigga and Hova (take on Jehovah, meaning God). Kanye: Ye; Yeezy; Louis Vuitton Don. First jobs Jay-Z: Hustling drugs (claims to have never had an actual job). Kanye: Working at the GAP, where he returned in 2009 to work as an intern in fashion design. Mu...

Youd probably be surprised to hear that an international music superstar gets his lyrical inspiration from a 19th-century existentialist philosopher. At least until we told you it was Kanye West . Then youd say, Oh, put your headphones back on and listen to Watch The Throne for the 4,814th time. That, however, is exactly what Yeezy is claiming in his response to a copyright lawsuit filed by musician Vincent Peters over his song Stronger. Filed in 2010, dismissed and currently up for appeal, Peters case claims that Kanye must have jacked his song, seeing as how the two tunes share the same title, some lyrical similarities, and most damning of all, a reference to supermodel Kate Moss . Case closed, your honor! Make some room in Solitary! Both men admit that their lyrics are inspired on some level by the Friedrich Nietzsche maxim, That which does not kill us makes us stronger, a saying which everyone on the planet has heard at some point in their lives. Kanyes lawyers are making the ...

Kanye West has launched an interesting defense against charges the lyrics to his Daft Punk-sampling hit "Stronger" resemble those on a track submitted to his management by a Virgina songwriter named Vincent Peters: He's stating the obvious and admitting they come straight from Friedrich Nietzsche. Peters first sued West last year and a a federal judge dismissed the case in early 2011, proclaiming the songs weren't similar enough (lyrics-wise; the music is not at issue). But Peters appealed, and as the Hollywood Reporter notes, the two tracks are both called "Stronger," both cite the Nietzsche philosophy "That which does not kill us makes us stronger," both rhyme "stronger" with "longer," and both reference Kate Moss. THR has the full brief West's lawyers recently filed, which contain the amusing bullet point, "Plaintiff Cannot Claim Ownership of the Name 'Kate Moss.' " In the "Statement of the Case,...

Getty Images Kanye West has cited 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in an attempt to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the dismissal of a claim he stole his hit song "Stronger" from another songwriter. PHOTOS: Top 10 Highest-Paid Music Artists In a brief submitted Friday, West's lawyers make the case that it's ludicrous for the plaintiff, Vincent Peters , to make a copyright allegation on a rap lyric said to derive from one of Nietzsche's century-old maxims. Peters, a Virginia man, sued West in 2010 claiming that "Stronger," which won a Grammy and is one of the most downloaded songs on iTunes of all time, was an illegitimate copy of a song he recorded in 2006. Peters argued that he gave a copy of his song to West's aptly named business manager, John Monopoly , whom Peters believes provided West access to his work. PHOTOS: Kanye West's Indie Rock Dalliances Earlier this year, a federal judge dismissed the clai...

There were rumors of a deejay slated to serve as an opening act; none appeared. The headliners didnt show up until 25 minutes after their scheduled start time. And so, almost half an hour late and with no warm-up, Jay-Z and Kanye West took the stage at the sold-out TD Garden last night. They fired the crowd up instantly. Thats because, with all of the publicity given to Jay-Z for being an entrepreneur of cool and for being half of pop musics reigning power couple and to West for being a loose cannon with a habit of shoving his foot in his mouth, its easy to forget that theyre both just staggeringly good. Last night served as a powerful reminder. They began on separate stages on opposite ends of the Garden, delivering the dark, threatening H.A.M. to one another across a sea of fans. They soon joined together, but after a fistful of cuts from their recent Watch The Throne collaboration, they took solo turns, trading the spotlight and coming back together every few cuts. In one astonishin...

Kanye West has sparked rumours that he has a new girlfriend when he was spotted cosying up to a mystery girl in a Miami club at the weekend. The 'Monster' rapper looked pleased with himself as he hung out in the VIP area of Mokai nightclub and found a young lady to cosy up to. Dressed in a bright t-shirt, black jeans and his beloved Air Yeezy's, Kanye can be seen sitting close to girl and having an intense conversation. Aware that she was being snapped by photographers inside the club, the unknown woman put both of her hands up to her face to prevent her photo being taken. Kanye has been linked to several women in recent months, first to a French model, and most recently to Victoria's Secret model Chanel Iman who he spent time with during Paris Fashion Week. Check out Kanye and the mystery lady in the gallery below. Kanye West spotted cosying up to mystery girl in Miami club... 50 Cent Attacks Fan After He Is Accused Of Being Obsessed With Chris Brown Kim Kardashian...

Kanye West and Jay-Z's Watch the Throne outfit played Boardwalk Hall Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Good news for habitus of mur.mur nightclub at the Borgata in Atlantic City: The hotspot is big enough to accommodate Kanye West s extraordinary ego . (Reportedly, Kanyes randy Id is no less well-endowed with energy and desire .) Kanye hung out at mur.mur Saturday night after performing with hip-hop legend Jay-Z in the duos royal and royally successful outfit, Watch the Throne at A.C.s Boardwalk Hall . Read Inquirer music critic Dan DeLuca s review of Watch The Thrones show at the Wells Fargo earlier this month.

Jay-Z says that touring with Kanye West on their Watch The Throne tour is like "one huge party" and he is having a "great" time. The pair have embarked on a tour of North America, performing songs from their recent collaborative album Watch The Throne . Speaking about their time on tour so far, Jay told MTV News : ""We're having a great time. The most important thing is that the people that are coming to the concert are leaving there thrilled and we're having an amazing time. Jay goes on to say that he is having such a good time that he has even lost his voice, saying:"As you see, I don't have a voice. It's like the best party you've ever been to every night. It's star-studded and it's music and it's just unbelievable." Have you been to see the boys on tour? Beyonce cheers on Jay-Z and Kanye West on Watch The Throne tour... VIDEO: Rihanna Sends Expletive Message During 'We Found Love' X Factor Performance ...

November 20, 2011 4:06:00 PM UTC Rap sensation Drake has credited Kanye West and Andre 3000 with helping him realise he could be a hip-hop star without a tough reputation. The Best I Ever Had hitmaker began his career as an actor in Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation and admits he initially lacked the self-confidence to pursue a move to hip-hop. Drake now acknowledges it was his heroes West and Outkast's Andre 3000 who paved the way for him to rap without a "street" image. He tells Vibe.com, "I think Kanye deserves a lot of credit and Andre 3000 deserves a lot of credit for the shift in what you have to be to be a rapper, and what your music has to sound like. Those guys made it Ok for melody to be introduced. They made it Ok to not necessarily be the most street dude. "For me, I started to believe more in myself when I saw those two guys. I thought, 'I'm good at rapping, so if they just respect the talent and don't crucify you for wh...

Jay-Z has compared the 'Watch the Throne' tour to attending the "best party". The rapper, who teamed up on the Watch the Throne album with Kanye West , kicked off the North American jaunt at Atlanta's Philips Arena on October 28 and will finish in Vancouver's Rogers Arena on December 18. Talking to MTV News , Jay-Z expressed his excitement over the positive response that the live shows have received from fans. "We're having a great time. The most important thing is that the people that are coming to the concert are leaving there thrilled and we're having an amazing time. "As you see, I don't have a voice. It's like the best party you've ever been to every night. It's star-studded and it's music and it's just unbelievable." Justin Bieber recently performed a freestyle rap over Jay-Z and Kanye West's track 'Otis' during a radio station interview. Chris Brown has also released a remixed version of th...

Kanye West wasnt kidding Friday when he said, early in his performance with Jay-Z at Mohegan Sun Arena, Weve got a lot of hits to do. For real. West and Jay-Z covered a lot of ground, including most of their recent collaboration Watch the Throne and a staggering number of songs from their own catalogs. (See more photos here .) Its not as if there was a lack of material to choose from. Kanye and Jay-Z are perhaps the biggest rappers on the planet, and it wasnt hard to see why during a concert that lasted more than two hours (after starting nearly two hours after the time printed on tickets) and encompassed parts of nearly 40 tunes.Together and separately, they dominated a massive stage set, which included an auxiliary platform at the back of the arena. The stage was bare, apart from three musicians on keyboards (and a live guitar once or twice) tucked discreetly at the back of the main stage, and a pair of gigantic video screens. Well, almost bare: there were cubes. On opening song H...

News: Asher Roth Leaves SRC Records, Joins Kanye West & Big Sean's Home Team Friday, Nov 18, 2011 9:31PM Written by Cyrus Langhorne Rapper Asher Roth has reportedly parted ways with SRC Records and inked a record contract at the same label home to rap stars Rick Ross, Big Sean and Kanye West . Def Jam. While details are still emerging , Roth's new label situation reports hit the Internet on Friday (November 18). Former SRC Records artist Asher Roth has now been signed to Def Jam! Congratulations to him. He plans on releasing his new mixtape, Pabst & Jazz , on Monday (November 21). There have also been talks of Asher releasing his follow-up to 2009's Asleep in the Bread Aisle , called Is This Too Orange , in 2012. UTG will keep you in the loop with that piece of news. Def Jam is still under the Universal name so it's not like he's changing the frame completely but we wish him the best of luck. ( Under The Gun Review ) The label shift move has been confirme...

If it came with a scratch n sniff sticker, Watch the Throne would smell like a shiny new car. A Rolls-Royce, to be exact. Everything about the album has the regal air of luxury, from the gold-plated artwork to the lyrical references to extreme wealth to the outsize personalities who made it. And that title! Only Kanye West and Jay-Z, two rock stars masquerading as rappers, could get away with that. The message behind their new album together couldnt be more pointed: Please step aside as Jay-Z and West keep a close watch over their kingdoms. And now their two kingdoms have become one. When West and Jay-Z come to TD Garden on Monday, theyre bringing with them not just the marquee hip-hop event of the year, but also a juggernaut tour that proves just how supreme the genre reigns. I think it shows how strong hip-hop is, especially here in Boston, says Dylan Sprague, program director for JAMN 94.5, Bostons most popular hip-hop radio station. The ticket sales and album sales have been extrao...