The Los Angeles Times reports that Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the newspaper that Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home and CPR was performed.

TMZ.com reported that he may have suffered cardiac arrest.

Jay-Z may be living in holy matrimony with longtime love Beyonce, but if the two have a child, it won’t be his first. According to reports, the 39-year-old mogul fathered a son back in 2001 with a model named Shanelle Scott. Although this isn’t the first time this story has come up, a UK tabloid claims to have evidence legitimizing the assertion.

Jay apparently met Scott long before his relationship with Beyonce and broke up with her before the child was born. Scott and her son allegedly reside in Trinidad in a $2.5 million home purchased for her by Jay.

The Brooklyn born rapper’s representative has long denied the claims noting that there is “no truth to these ridiculous rumors.” However, his rep has refused to comment on the tabloid’s latest allegation.

The boy is believed to be 7-years-old and comes to visit Jay whenever Smith is in New York for modeling gigs.

Since getting together in 2003, Jay and Beyonce rarely comment on their relationship. Their 2008 wedding was also kept under wraps. The ceremony, which took place in the rapper’s New York City loft, was an intimate affair attended by the couple’s close family and friends.

He proposes the ultimate MC battle, in which his team of five would go up against Jay, Kanye West and others.

By Steven Roberts

When Mos Def visited Angie Martinez’s New York radio show Tuesday to promote his new album, The Ecstatic, neither had any idea that would be promoting the most spectacular MC battle ever.

In March, a video hit YouTube that featured Mos challenging Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and others to a battle. Martinez asked him about the video. Mos admitted it was a candid moment in front of friends.

“I don’t have to address it, but what I said, I will stand by,” Mos said, adding that his comments were in regards to an article he saw (ours?) naming Jay-Z the greatest MC alive. “Friend or foe, I love you all, but I’m saying if you saying that you’re better than Slick Rick, who is still very alive and well, you saying that you’re better than Rakim, you saying you’re better than Black Thought — and the people making that claim have never been in a position to have to defend that in an open forum.”

“But isn’t it all up to what you like?” Martinez asked.

“It is subjective, but people start coming out and making claims that you can’t defend,” Mos said.

He made an analogy to an automaker saying it has the best V8 engine. The automaker has to prove that against other automakers’ engines, and a race would prove who is better.

“I just don’t believe that claim, where any of these rappers are saying that they are the best alive,” Mos Def said. “Really?!? Well, you can easily put that to the test.”

“Didn’t you say that too, about yourself?” Angie asked

“I ain’t saying that I’m better than them, but they certainly ain’t better than me,” Mos replied. “I have no doubts about that at all. I work at this. This ain’t just coming off of some pumped-up ego swagger. I do this.”

Mos went on to propose a “Battle of New Orleans.” The battle would take place at the Superdome in New Orleans and would settle all discussion. There would be a variety of battles, including the marching bands from Grambling and Morgan State duking it out, breakers from Korea going against those from France, a battle of the beats between Swizz Beatz and Kanye West, and finally an MC battle between teams of five.

“My dream team would be myself, Black Thought, MF Doom, Jay Electronica and Nas,” Mos Def said. “I was saying for Jay, or somebody like Jay, or Kanye, or whoever, put you and your four together, and we’ll go at it.”

Mos said that this was a friendly proposal and that his comments were more about defending Slick Rick and Rakim than anything. He didn’t think it was right for anyone to say they were the greatest while both are alive.

Martinez asked if he realizes that people may take this the wrong way, and Mos reiterated his stance: “I ain’t gettin’ at no rappers. This is, where is your skill set at? I’m always in a position to learn or grow, so if somebody’s got a stronger skill set, and I could draw strength from that, then I’m cool with that. My ego is not involved with this.

“There are no losers in this scenario,” he added. “It’s really just a sound clash and a skill trade exhibition, and it grows the culture.”

“This took a turn I didn’t see coming today,” Martinez said, laughing.

“Y’all brought up the whole battle thing,” Mos Def said. “I don’t try to get at no rappers. Come on, man. I love all of y’all. I do this because I care.”

After receiving some backlash for his “Death of Autotune (DOA)” record, Jay-Z has addressed DJ Webstar’s recent Twitter disses and blamed the rapper’s comments on his age.
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In addition to Webstar, Jay also spoke briefly on the overall sound of his upcoming album, The Blueprint 3.

“Nah, he’s a young guy,” Jay explained in an interview. “So he probably, he doesn’t have a full understanding of what I’m saying. So, you know, or maybe he’ll understand one day, but right now, he’s a young guy. He doesn’t know no better…It’s a new classic, that’s what I like to call it. Kanye [West] is doing the bulk of the production, Timbaland has some incredible records on there and I’m still working on it since I got a little time and can only get better.” (WGCI)

Webstar recently called out Jay’s age upon responding to the rapper’s “Death of Autotune” song.

“Who heard old a** Jay-Z hating,” he wrote via Twitter. “Bottom line is a 40 year-old can’t relate to a 17 or 22 year-old so he could never end my career. @bowwow614 I know he’s a legend bro, just like you a legend but I don’t give a f*ck about that just ’cause you a legend don’t mean you take out my family’s mouth. At the end of the day he’s a human just like me, he ate already enough for everybody, let the young n*gga’s eat. I know y’all said he ain’t say my name but who else could he be talking about besides me and [Ron] Browz? He shouted everybody else out that do it. And I only have two songs with autotune anyway but still right is right and wrong is wrong, legend or not!” (DJ Webstar’s Twitter)

On the day it was announced thatRihanna would be forced to testifyagainst ex-boyfriend Chris Brown at a June 22 hearing into his assault case, the “Umbrella” singer hit the town with friends – including Aubrey “Drake” Graham, the Canadian rapper to whom she’s recently been linked.

The pair were spotted smooching on May 18 at Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge in Manhattan. On Wednesday night, Rihanna and Graham laughed and chatted at a bash for the Black Eyed Peas’ Target deluxe version of their album, The E.N.D., held at the N.Y.C. nightspot The Griffin.

Rihanna – looking stunning in a light grey sweater dress and large hoop earrings – arrived at The Griffin shortly after 11:30 p.m. and stayed nearly two hours. Drake left a bit earlier – only to wait outside the club’s front doors. Both he and Rihanna drove off at the same time, in separate vehicles.

While in the club, a happy-looking Rihanna, 21, appeared to be enjoying herself, holding court in a banquette to the left of the stage, where will.i.am DJ-ed the party – and gave an affectionate shout-out to Rihanna when she entered the club. Besides mingling with fellow guest Wilmer Valderrama, Rihanna also walked hand-in-hand up to the DJ booth with Fergie.

As for entertainment, Fergie and the Peas performed “Meet Me Halfway,” “Now Generation” and “Electric City” from their new album, while Will.i.am played a range of songs, including “Pump Up The Jam,” “American Boy” and “Show Me Love.” For her part, Rihanna bobbed her head to the music, danced a little and lip-synced “American Boy.”

STOCKHOLM — Festival organizers say hip-hop and R&B singer Lauryn Hill has canceled all tour dates in Europe this summer for health reasons.

Stockholm Jazz Festival spokeswoman Liisa Tolonen says the artist’s agent informed the festival late Tuesday that all performances in Europe by the former Fugees singer have been canceled. This includes shows in Sweden, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, and Austria.

Tolonen said Wednesday the agent cited health reasons for the cancellation but declined to give more details.

The tour would have marked a comeback to stage by Hill who has kept a low public profile in recent years. She was the planned headline act for The Stockholm Jazz Festival, one of Sweden’s biggest music events.