SWEDEN'S PIRATE PARTY ENTERS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
While the British decided that what the European Parliament really needed was a couple of racists, the Swedish decided to return a pair of pirates. Though let's put this news into context. Robert Kilroy Silk has been an MEP for the last five years. So whatever happened in this election, I think its fair to say the Euro chamber has survived worse.

But yes, capitalising on opposition among some web users (especially younger web users) in Sweden to the Stockholm court's decision to fine and imprison the founders and funder of controversial BitTorrent tracker The Pirate Bay, the so called Pirate Party took 7.1% of the overall Swedish vote in last week's big European count, meaning the pro-file-sharing body will get at least one and maybe two seats in the European Parliament (Sweden is about to get two more seats overall, and it's thought one of those may well go to the Pirates).

It is pretty big news, because the party only launched in 2006 and, as an organisation primarily concerned with one issue - internet rights - few in the Swedish media expected them to gain any real political power; or at least that was the viewpoint before The Pirate Bay trial.

Although the Pirate Party is not officially linked to the BitTorrent tracker, they did capitalise on the Swedish-based online community who supported the so called Pirate Bay four, who were, of course, ordered to pay the record companies millions in damages and sentenced to a year in jail for enabling mass copyright infringement via their BitTorrent-focused search engine (not that they've paid a penny or served any jail time).

Allegations that the judge who ruled on the case was biased, with well known sympathies for and personal friendships within the pro-copyright lobby, have only aided the Pirate Party in their efforts to rally the usually anonymous online blogging community into making a more tangible stand against attempts to enforce the content industries' copyrights online, and over concerns moves by government and major corporations in Sweden threaten individual's online privacy rights.

Whether having one maybe two seats in the European Parliament will really strengthen the lobbying power of the Pirate Party in their bid to relax copyright rules and protect privacy rights, at home or at a European level, isn't clear, though in PR terms in Sweden it provides quite a boost, and gives the organisation a lot more legitimacy. The result also possibly shows just how disenfranchised young Swedes are with mainstream politics, and/or what can be achieved with some good web-centric electioneering.

Asked about the result, Pirate Party leader Rick Falkvinge told TorrentFreak: "We've felt the wind blow in our sails. We've seen the polls prior to the election. But to stand here, today, and see the figures coming up on that screen... What do you want me to say? I'll say anything. Together, we have today changed the landscape of European politics. No matter how this night ends, we have changed it. This feels wonderful. The citizens have understood it's time to make a difference. The older politicians have taken apart young peoples' lifestyle, bit by bit. We do not accept the authorities' mass-surveillance"

There were reports that a version of the Pirate Party in Germany might also win a seat, though that is not the case. According to the latest report on TorrentFreak the anti-copyright, pro-privacy group there got 1% of the votes overall, which isn't enough to win them a seat in the European chamber. However, the Party's lead candidate Andreas Popp says their share of the vote was, in itself, an achievement. Popp told the website: "This was the first time we ran for the European elections. And although many voters have hardly known us, we got a great result. This shows that many citizens identify themselves with our goals. I want to thank all people who supported us, we could not have done that without them. We have fulfilled our minimal goal of 0.5%. Now we can start up for real!"

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POLITICAL SHIFTS AND HOW THEY MIGHT IMPACT ON MUSIC
I'm not sure the successes of periphery parties UKIP and BNP in the European elections here in the UK will mean much for the music business, except, in the latter case, presumably rallying more support from planet pop for the Love Music Hate Racism campaign. One can only hope so.

The top level election results, though, possibly suggest efforts to secure copyright extension and stricter rules on file-sharing and secondary ticketing should be focused more on relevant Tories rather than current ministers, given it's them who may well be the decision makers by this time next year. But I suppose the main political development of short term significance to those in the music industry who lobby political types was Friday's shabby cabinet reshuffle.

In particular Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary - who on Thursday committed the government to some sort of albeit vague "technical measures" to stop "persistent file-sharers" - was promoted out of the world of creative types, internet issues and extending copyright, and into the domain of medics, hospital hygiene and extending life, he becoming Health Secretary. Ben Bradshaw, honourable member for Exeter, was promoted from a Health ministry job to become top man at the Department Of Culture, Media And Sport.

Although his actual achievements for the music industry could probably be written down on one side of a post-it note, Burnham was widely seen as a friend of the music business, and had a good relationship with key personnel at most of the key music industry trade bodies. With the minister who actually oversees intellectual property, David Lammy, less keen to portray himself as a friend of the music industry (although, possibly, more in tune with the opinions of some musicians), it's thought the major music companies really need a friend in the DCMS to ensure their interests are truly represented, especially on copyright issues.

It remains to be seen if Bradshaw is that man. Of course the record companies et al could try appealing to the government's new 'Enterprise Champion' with their claims that stricter and longer copyrights are required to ensure the long term success and growth of content enterprises, though those who know their British music copyright history will know Alan Sugar is prominent for his role in stopping the record industry's attempts to use litigation to defeat P2P's piracy predecessor, home taping.

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DUNSTONE SAYS TURNING ISPS INTO THE PIRACY POLICE WOULD ACHIEVE NOTHING
In related news, as the content industries await the publication of the final draft of the government's 'Digital Britain' report, and to see how Burnham's vague commitments last week will be expressed in it, the boss of one of the UK's biggest internet service providers TalkTalk (the biggest if and when its takeover of Tiscali UK is completed) has again spoken out against the music industry's suggestion that it is the net firms who should be leading anti-piracy initiatives, possibly by inflicting 'technical limitations' or maybe even disconnection onto those web-users who infringe copyrights.

TalkTalk boss Charles Dunstone, always the most vocal in his criticism of the music industry's attempts to make the ISPs take on the role of piracy police, has told reporters that even if the net firms did agree to take a hardline approach to file-sharing (or if they were forced to do so by government) it wouldn't achieve anything, because file-sharers will employ (and indeed some already are employing) new technology that hides their infringing activity.

Dunstone: "If you try speed humps or disconnections for peer-to-peer, people will simply either disguise their traffic or share the content another way. It is a game of Tom and Jerry and you will never catch the mouse. The mouse always wins in this battle and we need to be careful that politicians do not get talked into putting legislation in place that, in the end, ends up looking stupid. [They should be fousing on] education and allowing people to get content easily and cheaply. This idea that it is all peer to peer and somehow the ISPs can just stop it is very naïve".

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MADONNA WILL ADOPT FROM LESOTHO IF MALAWI ADOPTION IS NO GO
According to the Mail On Sunday, Madonna will adopt a child from Lesotho if she can't get the Malawian authorities to agree to her adoption of Chifundo (Mercy) James.

As previously reported, the singer went to court in Malawi back in April to request to take James out of the country, following her successful adoption of another Malawian child, David Banda, back in 2006. She was, however, on this occasion refused permission, on the grounds that would be parents need to be resident in Malawi for 18 - 24 months prior to adopting. As also previously reported, she has appealed against that decision, and is awaiting a verdict.

But, the Mail claims, she's already getting a back up plan ready in case that appeal fails. A source is quoted as saying: "Madonna is not a patient person, she's used to getting what she wants. She has said she won't give up on Mercy, but if she's blocked from adopting her legally, then she will think about trying to adopt another baby. She has already started looking at other African countries. She has promised David a sister and she wants another African child. She has done some research on Lesotho and because it's a place that is ravaged by AIDS and has a high number of orphans, it could be the perfect second choice".

A rep for the star has insisted that hope for the Malawian appeal has not been abandoned, saying, "There is no news on when the ruling is going to happen. We remain hopeful".

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SPECTOR'S WIFE: PRISONERS TREATED WORSE THAN ANIMALS
Phil Spector's wife Rachelle Short has criticised her husband's treatment in prison. Speaking to the LA Times about the imprisoned record producer, who is facing two decades in jail unless he can successfully appeal his conviction for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson at his home in 2003, Short said: "He's locked in a 5-by-9-foot cell 23 and a half hours a day. They treat people worse than animals. I want that known". Asked how Spector's imprisonment had affected her own life, Short continued "it's like I'm floating in the middle of nowhere ... it's like I'm just hanging", while responding to allegations she married Spector in 2006 in a bid to access the producer's multi-million dollar fortune, she added "I don't take anything from my husband, and I never have; I'm a good person, but people don't see any of that or know how hard I work".

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DOHERTY CHARGED FOR DRUGGY SOMETHING
Ah, this is making me feel all kind of nostalgic. Pete Doherty was arrested for mile-high drug usage in Switzerland on Friday. The exact nature of the charge against the Babyshambles man isn't known, though he paid a fine and was allowed to go free.

Doherty was arrested at Geneva airport after a BA official alerted the Swiss authorities that he suspected a passenger was taking drugs in the plane's toilet. The singer was reportedly found slumped in a bathroom on the jet, and a hypodermic needle allegedly found near him was handed into police.

Commenting on the affair, a Geneva police spokesman told The Sun: "We were contacted by the captain of a BA flight and a passenger was controlled by police. He was charged, but I cannot say what with. He paid a fine and was allowed to go".

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LEMONHEAD SUES OVER GM AD
Evan Dando is suing General Motors over allegations that the car giant infringed his copyright in using The Lemonheads' song 'It's A Shame About Ray' for the soundtrack of a 2008 TV ad campaign in the US. I'm not sure on the specifics of the claim, nor whether GM's bankruptcy, announced last week, will impact on it. The car firm's bosses say they have applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to enable them to restructure the company for long term survival. If they fail, Dando might have no one to sue. Though he has also named the ad agency and licensing company involved in the ad campaign as defendants.

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SANTIGOLD BACKS BLOCKED MIXTAPE
Despite the fact that she has been involved in similar projects herself, Santigold's US label Downtown Music have taken a dim view of a new Santigold-sampling mixtape by Terry Urban called 'Southerngold'. Urban apparently received a cease and desist letter from the label shortly before he was about to put the much anticipated mix online.

Urban told fans: "I'm not selling this, I'm not making a dime. I'm encouraging everyone to BUY Santigold's album and I'm helping to expand her fan base to new markets. In addition, none of these songs are as they would appear on her actual album. EVERYTHING is remixed and redone so there is no competition with her actual in-stores album... It's ironic that Downtown Records biggest group was signed due to a project with similar ambitions, Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse with 'The Grey Album'".

Initial reports criticised Santigold herself, but she later issued a statement supporting Urban. She said: "Some kid just hit me up about this on MySpace. It was the first I ever heard about it. I've never heard anything about this DJ or this remix, and certainly did not send a cease and desist letter. I'm a supporter of mixtape culture and intend to get to the bottom of it".

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BRITNEY SETTLES WITH EX-MANAGER
Britney has settled a lawsuit brought against her by former manager Johnny Wright.

As previously reported, Wright, who managed Britney from 1999 to 2003, said he was due royalties from Britney's work until 2008, but hadn't received anything since December 2006. He launched his legal proceedings back in November 2007, and at one point unsuccessfully tried to force Spears to give a deposition - her people successfully argued that, despite being a globally touring pop performer once more, that poor old Britney was still too unstable to do anything like taking part in formal legal proceedings.

An out of court settlement was reached on Friday, the specifics of which are not known, though we do know the court official overseeing Spears' conservatorship, which puts all her affairs in the hands of her father, approved the deal and signed off a second agreement which will see Spears pay Wright's legal fees in relation to the case.

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FIDDY SETTLES PROPERTY LAWSUIT
Also settling is 50 Cent, who has come to an agreement over that previously reported lawsuit in relation to his Connecticut mansion. Fiddy was suing an engineering firm who surveyed the property before he bought it off Mike Tyson's ex-wife, claiming that their estimate suggesting that the house needed $500,000 in repairs and renovations was far too low, as the hip hopper ultimately spent $6million on it. The surveyors argued that Tyson had ended up spending so much because his he made extravagant choices regarding the development of the house. The case went to court last week and Fiddy himself testified, but an out of court settlement was reached on Friday. Details of it have not been released.

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MOST RECENT DMX CHARGES MAY BE DROPPED
According to reports, DMX has managed to get a plea deal over charges relating to that previously reported altercation with prison guards during his recent stint in an Arizona jail.

The rapper, real name Earl Simmons, was charged with aggravated assault against guards at the Tent City Jail whilst serving his ninety-day sentence on charges of fraud, drugs possession and animal cruelty. Some speculated the incident might lead to the hip hopper serving more jail time, but it seems that won't be so; a source has anonymously revealed that a judge is set to dismiss those charges, to which DMX will plead guilty.

Simmons was released from prison on 14 May.

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SATURDAYS GIRL INJURED AT GIG, SHOW GOES ON
One of The Saturdays, Vanessa White, was injured at the start of a gig in Dundee on Wednesday, but turned up on stage in a wheelchair half way through the concert to perform for the remainder of the set.

According to reports the singer tripped over a wire as she walked onto the stage for the second night of the band's UK tour and fell down some steps. A label spokesman confirmed she strained her foot at the concernt, but said she would be fine for future gigs.

On the subject of her wheelchair-bound performance, White said: "There was no way I was going to miss it!!!", while her bandmates added: "She is a trooper and sang her heart out".

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SAXOPHONIST BUTERA DIES
Saxophonist Sam Butera, who played with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Prima, has died in hospital in Las Vegas at the age of 81. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Butera was born in New Orleans, and began playing saxophone at the age of seven after hearing it played at a wedding. He began work as a professional musician straight after high school, and was immediately successful, beginning by working for big band drummer Ray McKinley's orchestra, and being named one of America's top upcoming jazz men by Look magazine when he was just eighteen years old. By his early twenties, he had worked in the orchestras of Tommy Dorsey, and Paul Gayten.

When the big band sound decreased in popularity, he turned to lounge jazz in Las Vegas, a move that ultimately led to what was probably his most significant career phase, his period of time leading a band, The Witnesses, for the aforementioned Louis Prima, from 1954 to 1975. The arrangements and compositions the pair created during that period have since been covered by the likes of David Lee Roth, Los Lobos and Brian Setzer.

Prima's widow Gia, who sang with the band from 1962 to 1975, told Billboard: "Make no mistake. Louis' true ace-in-the-hole was Sam Butera. For 21 years, Sam and Louis kicked Las Vegas butt!"

Speaking about when she heard Butera play for the first time, she said: "I was fourteen years old. Best thing I ever heard and saw. He was an amazing technician of his instrument. Every night on stage and feeling the camaraderie, for me, are my fondest memories of Sam. Every night was a new experience. It was beautiful".

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WILL.I.AM FOCUSING ON THE PEAS
Black Eyed Pea will.i.am has split from himself. Well, that's to say he's putting his solo career on hold and says he'll be concentrating on Black Eyed Peas projects from now on. He told reporters: "I'm not doing another solo album. It's all Peas".

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LYNNE PRODUCES SPEKTOR
According to reports, ELO/Traveling Wilburys man Jeff Lynne has produced four songs for Regina Spektor's new album 'Far'. The tracks he's worked on are called 'Blue Lips', 'Folding Chair', 'Wallet', and 'Genius Next Door'. The LP, which has also been part-produced by both Jacknife Lee and Mike Elizondo, is due out later this month.

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NEW HOUSTON ALBUM RELEASE PLANNED
A new album from Whitney Houston is due out on 31 Aug, according to reports. The new record, the pop singer's first LP in seven years, is yet to be titled, and is apparently being jointly produced by Akon and the aforementioned Will.i.am. Houston has, of course, in recent years, more usually made the headlines for her drug problems and troubled marriage to, and divorce from, Bobby Brown, but the 45 year old star recently performed at a pre-Grammy party, and presented a prize at the award ceremony. Her last album, 'Just Whitney', failed to chart in the UK, so it remains to be seen whether the power of Akon, Will.i.am and enough marketing will win listeners over.

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4AD CELEBRATE PIXIES RELEASE
Beggars label 4AD have announced a music and art event to celebrate the release of new Pixies multi-album box set 'Minotaur'. It will all take place on the release date, 15 Jun, at Village Underground in Shoreditch and will feature art installations by Vaughan Oliver, who did all of The Pixies' album cover art, and the band themselves will be in attendance, following a turn at the just sold out Isle Of Wight Festival this coming weekend.

As previously reported, Minotaur consists of all five of the group's albums - 'Come On Pilgrim', 'Surfer Rosa', 'Doolittle', 'Bossanova', and 'Trompe le Monde' - and comes in various editions with various bits of bonus material.

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GIGWISE SURVEY ON WHO WILL CLAIM OASIS REFUND
According to a Gigwise survey, 77% of fans who attended Oasis's ill-fated first gig at Heaton Park last week are planning to apply for their previously reported promised refund, whilst the remaining 23% were satisfied with the performance that ensued after technical difficulties were dealt with. If every fan were to claim their money back, it would apparently cost the band and their promoters £3 million. Crikey.

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LIVE REVIEW: The Horrors at Electric Ballroom in London on 5 Jun
I've never attended a gig before where I've been squashed so thoroughly and actually enjoyed it - er, not in a weird way, mind you. "Is that The Horrors? Yeah, 1963 called, they want their Beatles fans back". After getting used to the fact that I was being swung around like a bag of potatoes at a farmer's market for the majority of the proceedings whilst standing beside a troop of screaming young ladies, I found myself fully immersed in a spectacular live experience that was truly like no other. The Horrors - flanked by special guests acts German band 1000 Robota (who had a captivating novelty charm, and in my opinion should have been higher on the bill) and mysteriously-lit drone borers Factory Floor - spent their entire set, bar encore, playing material from their sophomore and most recent album 'Primary Colours'. The split was well received - 'New Ice Age' and 'Scarlet Fields', not only highlights from the LP but definite new live favourites, had revved the crowd up to hyperactivity by the time that they came out for three last songs chosen specifically from 'Strange House' - 'Sheena is a Parasite', 'Count in Fives' and 'Gloves'. Frontman Farris Badwan, who has always had a certain Nick Cave-esque swagger about him, lumbered coolly around stage completely aloof to the mass hysteria that was happening before him, a mere three yards away in the pit. But somehow, despite his seemingly detached onstage presence, he created - along with his bandmates, with their equally too-cool-for-school reservation - a fan feeding frenzy. The crowd were hungry - and The Horrors (as much as it pains me to write this), were quite willingly their meat. TW

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AIF APPOINT SHOWSEC FOR JOINT FESTIVAL CRIME TASK FORCE
The Association Of Independent Festivals has announced a deal with security giant Showsec who will head up their anti-festival-campsite crime task force.

The aim is to have a coordinated operation between all the indie festivals signed up to AIF in a bid to tackle organised groups who target all festival campsites in a bid to nick valuables left by festival-goers at the bottom of ruck sacks. Successfully identifying and prosecuting these gangs, it's hoped, would dramatically cut the levels of crime on the average festival site. Showsec were chosen to set up the task force after the job was put up for tender by the AIF last Autumn.

Confirming Showsec's appointment, AIF co-founder Rob da Bank told reporters: "We announced the AIF Security Task Force earlier this year as one of the cornerstones of why I wanted to form AIF in the first place and we've been working hard with the security industry and with AIF members to get a working plan which we now have. We feel confident we're now in a position to help make a difference to help protect the public who attend our events".

Showsec's Simon Battersby added: "We fully support the AIF's initiative to reduce crime at festivals, and we are extremely pleased to be working alongside them this year to enable festivals to clamp down on crime".

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TAKE THAT SINGSTAR TO BE LAUNCHED
Sony Computer Entertainment have announced that they will release a Take That version of their popular karaoke franchise SingStar. The game has been put together by three-way negotiations between SCE, EMI Music Publishing and Take That manager Jonathan Wild.

Wild told reporters: "It's incredibly important to the band to be able to give their fans a quality product and we felt that The SingStar Take That game really delivered this. EMI Music Publishing have worked closely with Sony and ourselves to develop a product that puts the band and their iconic songs at the centre of a new interactive experience. It's a brand new way for fans of Take That to enjoy and perform their favourite songs which they have taken to their hearts over the past two decades".

The new game will be on the market in time for Christmas.

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ARQIVA WINNERS
It was the commercial radio industry's big night out on Friday, with the 2009 Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards, which are a bit like the Sony Awards though the BBC can't enter so commercial radio types generally have a happier night. Coming up, the full list of winners, but first some quotes from the boss of commercial radio trade body RadioCentre and the radio chief at sponsors Arqiva.

RadioCentre's Andrew Harrison: "The Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards recognise the huge diversity of programming that commercial radio offers - these stations work incredibly hard day in day out to ensure their listeners hear great radio programmes - congratulations to all the winners".

Arquiva's Paul Eaton: "It's great to be supporting these prestigious awards for the 10th year in a row. The number of submissions again this year has been very encouraging, and the level of expertise among all entries is forever increasing. Our congratulations go to all winners and Arqiva is very proud to help recognise the entire radio production chain and support functions".

Programmer Of The Year: Darren Henley, Classic FM
Presenters Of The Year: Jamie Theakston And Harriet Scott, Heart
Presentation Newcomer Of The Year: Ryan Taylor, Star Radio Cambridge

News Award: Pirate FM News Team
Programme Or Feature Of The Year: Classic FM - The A-Z Of Classic FM Music

Station Sound Award: Jackfm
Station Creative Award: Gary Muircroft, Carole Mcconnell And Ann-Marie Miller, Central FM
Neil Robinson Memorial Award For Marketing Excellence: Suzanne Grant - Radio City
Social Action Initiative Award: 97.4 Rock FM - Breakfast Breakout

National Sales Team Of The Year: Talksport
Local Sales Team Of The Year: Alpha Radio
Marketing Award: 107.6 Juice FM

Technical Innovation Award: Global Radio Creative Technology Team For The Iphone Application

Station Of The Year (Under 300,000 Potential Listeners): Star Radio Cambridge
Station Of The Year (300,000 - 1 Million Potential Listeners): Lincs FM
Station Of The Year (Over 1 Million Potential Listeners): Talksport
Digital Station Of The Year: Planet Rock
Schools Radio Award: Chepping View Primary School

Special Award: John Myers
Radiocentre Chairman's Award: Central Office Of Information (COI)
Arqiva Gold Award: GMG Radio

Most Played UK Artist On Commercial Radio: Take That

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CHART UPDATE
Oh look, Paolo Nutini, you know him right? Well, he's only gone and got himself a residency at the number one spot in the album charts with 'Sunny Side Up'. Well done him. I hope he treated himself to a nice pie to celebrate. Or perhaps someone could prepare some eggs for him as part of a special 'you topped the chart' breakfast. I think we all know how he'd like them cooked. Daniel Merriweather, who entered the albums chart at number two with 'Love & War', gets no pie or eggs; there's no grace in second place Daniel. You can, if you wish, go and join the war in Afghanistan. But there's no love for second place artists I'm afraid. Both Paolo and Daniel played an equal part in pushing Eminem down to number three. But if they can live with that, then I guess I can.

Elsewhere on the albums chart Paul Potts goes straight in at number five with his new long player 'Remember I Got There First Boyle', Diana Krall is new at 11 with 'Quiet Nights', the lovely Eels go in at 18 with 'Hombre Lobo' (Mr E can have as many pies and eggs as he likes - I never said the system was fair, Daniel) and the new Pretenders hits flim flam enters the chart at 35. The Killers seem to be getting some album chart action this week too, with both 2004's 'Hot Fuss' and last year's 'Day & Age' re-entering. I'm not sure why that is - perhaps their albums are on special in Asda - or, come to think of it, I read somewhere killing was back in fashion, that might be it.

In the single's chart the Black Eyed Peas and Dizzee Rascal swap places so that the former go top again, which is bonkers, or not as the case may be. Kasabian go straight in at three with 'Fire', which is, coincidently, what me colleague Andy CMU was predicting when Tinchy Stryder's song 'Number One' ceased to be at number one. In the end Stryder and his mates N-Dubz slid off the singles chart top spot without bringing about the apocalypse, disproving Andy CMU's theory. Though the track did fall out of the Top 5 last night, and within hours the BNP had two seats in the European Parliament, so he was right to be nervous about the positioning of this track.

Elsewhere in the singles chart those Pet Shop Boys go straight in at number 21, which I did see coming, actually, while Enter Shakari are straight in at number 28 with 'Juggernauts', Carolina Liar is new at 31 with 'Show Me What I'm Looking For', and the Bill Withers' classic 'Aint No Sunshine' appears at number 40, a track presumably downloaded on mass when people opened their curtains yesterday morning. Ironically the sun did then come out, which didn't work out well for Bill, who only discovered at the last minute that when it comes to the British music charts, it's 'Sunny Side Up'.

The UK music charts are compiled on an Excel spreadsheet and seventeen post it notes by the guys, girls and a pet hamster at the Official Charts Company. The hamster's called Maurice, in case you wondered.

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TI MARRIES GIRLFRIEND
US rapper TI, aka Clifford Harris, reportedly married his long-term girlfriend Tameka Cottle at a private ceremony in Miami before he began his previously reported jail sentence. The couple have been engaged for two years and are already parents to two children, in addition to three children from TI's previous relationship.

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KELIS HINTS AT NAS INFIDELITIES?
It's being speculated that Kelis has hinted via Twitter that estranged husband Nas was cheating on her before they separated. As previously reported, the singer filed for divorce back in April, despite the fact that the pair are expecting their first child together, and a legal battle over custody and support payments is already under way.

I'll leave it to you to decide if you think she is, in fact, talking about her ex. Here's what she says: "This lovely day I would like to touch on cheaters. Super brief! Why be cowardly why not go after what you really want? Do people know what...They want? (Probably) not which just goes into know and respecting ones self. Also we can discuss whores I mean the nasty sub par tricks that... participate in the cheating. Well let me say this, both parties that are gross. And in reality they deserve each other".

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ADELE'S MUM NOT IMPRESSED BY GUM
Adele has said that her mother was not best pleased to see her chewing gum as she picked up her Grammy for Best New Artist earlier this year.

The singer told Glamour magazine: "When the award for Best New Artist was announced, I was so convinced that the Jonas Brothers or Duffy were going to win, I wasn't prepared at all. I'd undone my belt and I had chewing gum in my mouth. I nearly cried during my speech but I thought, 'No, I can't because of the Kate Winslet Golden Globe moment. One British person doing that is enough for one year'. When I came off stage and rang my mum to tell her, she was like, 'Yeah, I saw...you had gum in your mouth!' I don't think she was impressed!"

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IRV GOTTI SAYS EMINEM NOT THAT GREAT
Irv Gotti of The Inc (formerly Murder Inc) Records has reacted to Vibe magazine's naming of Eminem as the "best rapper alive", and he clearly doesn't agree.

He told MTV: "Shit like that kinda pisses me off. You know why? Because let's take Eminem's records. Watch my analogy. Eminem is a great artist, no doubt. He puts words together, he's witty, a smart lyricist, a great lyricist. But how can we say the guy is the best rapper alive? I've been to battles with DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule, that was some real shit. Homie, you wouldn't been able to survive. I say take Eminem, and let him say 'Hard Knock Life'. Still hot. Now, let's have Jay-Z say the 'We Made You' song. They would laugh him out the fucking building. It would be over".

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NOEL BANS NME FROM OASIS GIGS
Noel Gallagher has accused the NME of trying to stir up more trouble between Oasis and support band The Enemy after the latter were forced to pull out their first gig with the former (last week's technically troubled show at Heaton Park in Manchester) because frontman Tom Clark got food poisoning.

Writing on his blog, Gallagher said: "There's been an attempt by the NME to try and start some juvenile, pathetic feud between the bands in the run-up to these gigs. Can I assure everyone that there is not and never will be anything between the working classes and its heroes. If I personally see any weasel from the NME at these gigs (which is highly unlikely) they'll be getting escorted off site. In fact, you could do me a favour here. If you see an NME journalist at any of the gigs (and let's face it, they're pretty easy to spot; they don't stray far from hospitality, wear God-awful clothes - particularly the shoes - got dreadful hair and that kind of "mug me" look about them), give 'em a clip round the ear-hole from me and tell 'em to behave".

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