Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip.
Miley Cyrus Shouts Out Gucci Mane on Twitter
Pop princess Miley Cyrus gave an unlikely plug to Gucci Mane on Twitter today (April 7), posing next to the rapper’s Source cover. “Don’t mind me just showin off muahhh grill with @gucci1017 at the urrrport!” she wrote. (@mileycyrus)
Kanye West Releasing Silk Scarf Line
As someone who once boasted that he slept on fur pillows, it should come as no surprise that Kanye West is planning to release his own line of silk scarves. The rapper is planning to work with design duo M/M to produce “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”-inspired scarves this spring. (Nowness)
Stone Roses Shoot Down Reunion Rumors
After rumors spread that alternative vets the Stone Roses were reuniting after meeting up at the recent funeral of bassist Mani’s mother, Mani has denied that the group was considering a reunion. “Two old friends meeting up after 15 years to pay their respects to my mother does not constitute the reformation of The Stone Roses,” says Mani. “Please fuck off and leave it alone. It isn’t true and isn’t happening.” (NME)
Lady Gaga To Perform at MuchMusic Video Awards
Lady Gaga will perform at the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards, organizers said Thursday. It will be Gaga’s first return to Toronto since early March, when she made headlines by sharing a concert stage with ten year-old Youtube sensation Maria Aragon to perform the duet “Born This Way.”
Nicki Minaj to Receive Breakthrough Artist Award At NARM
Nicki Minaj is the latest artist announced for the upcoming NARM convention’s award night; she will be named “Breakthrough Artist of the Year.” Other honorees announced for this year’s convention (May 10-12 in Los Angeles) include Brian Wilson for the Chairman’s Award, “American Idol” for the Outstanding Achievement Award; songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff for Outstanding Achievement Award for Musical Collaboration; and artist and advocate Annie Lennox for the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award. (Full story at Billboard.biz)
‘X Factor’ Getting Two Hosts
Simon Cowell may not be ready to reveal all the judges of his upcoming Fox show “The X Factor,” but it has been revealed that the show will have two hosts. Cecile Frot-Coutaz — CEO of FremantleMedia North America (which produces “X Factor”) — says, “In terms of casting the judges, again, we’re making sure the looks are different [from ‘American Idol’]. And I can reveal that we’ll have two hosts on ‘The X Factor.’ (THR)
(Reporting by Katie Morgan, Jason Lipshutz and Ricardo Gomez)