Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye Take on the Apocalypse

Beyoncé sets record with 6 Grammys; Swift captures album of the year

(NEWSER) - Beyoncé won six Grammy Awards tonight in Los Angeles, setting a record for a female performer, but was foiled in two high-profile categories. The R&B superstar captured song of the year for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it)," while Taylor Swift took home album of the year for "Fearless"—one of the 20-year-old pop-country star's four trophies—and Kings of Leon won Record of the Year for "Use Somebody." More»

(NEWSER) - Kanye West says Jay-Z’s new album, Blueprint 3, will not feature the Auto-Tune effects West himself has relied on in the past, MTV reports. “We actually removed all the songs with Auto-Tune off of his album to make the point that this is an anti-Auto-Tune album,” said West, who is producing the record. “Even though I released an album that has all Auto-Tune!” More»

9/11 benefit marks her first live show since Chris Brown assault

(NEWSER) - Rihanna's comeback took another step forward last night when she joined Jay-Z on stage for her first live performance since the February assault. During Jay-Z's star-studded 9/11 benefit concert in New York—John Mayer, Mary J. Blige, and, of course, Beyoncé also performed—Rihanna took the stage with him and Kanye West for a live version of "Run This Town," reports the Daily News. More»

(NEWSER) - Jay-Z's new Blueprint 3 seems to have critics divided. Some see flashes of brilliance showing the rap veteran at his best, while others see a mediocre effort that relies too much on celebrity.

• Jay-Z sounds "hungrier than he has in years on about half the tracks, while sharing time with guest stars or grappling with undercooked production on the rest," writes Greg Kot for the Los Angeles Times. "Yet even at three-quarters speed, Jay-Z can still be formidable."

Jay-Z, JT, Kanye among those who want to record

(NEWSER) - Rihanna’s planned duet with ex Chris Brown ended on a flat note when he allegedly assaulted her—but lucky for her, she has five back-ups good to go. Jay-Z, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, and Soulja Boy are all ready to record with her, the Mirror reports. “Rihanna has been working with the biggest names in the business,” says a source. “She is going to blow everyone away.” More»