Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip.
“Jersey Shore” cast member DJ Pauly D is currently in talks with 50 cent, who wants to sign him to his label G-Unit for a three-album deal. According to sources close to the negotiation, the DJ met with 50 cent in New York last week to discuss the potential record deal. The two also reportedly discussed the creation of a Pauly D merchandise line, which would include headphones. (TMZ)
The whereabouts of missing Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt have been discovered. After some seemingly revealing lyrics from Earl’s OFWGKTA group members Domo Genesis and Hodgy Beats, rumors began to surface that Earl was possibly in Samoa. On the track “Tang Golf,” released Mar. 30, the they rapped, “Ask Syd where we at/She’ll tell you where we going/To free Earl from the f**king Samoans.”
Following this, Complex Magazine discovered a military student on Facebook who claimed to have been friends with Earl at a “program” in Samoa, which the student says Earl was sent to because of his “disrespectful music [and] behavior.” With further research, Complex discovered that Earl had, in fact, been in Samoa attending the Coral Reef Academy, a therapy center for American young men who are “lost in anger, depression, drugs, or alcohol.” Earl’s attendance to this program was confirmed by David Huebner, U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, in a photo and blog post about his trip to Coral Reef Academy. (Complex)
Fourteen-year-old Australian pop singer Cody Simpson, who is currently signed to Atlantic Records, announced yesterday that his latest endeavor, rather than in the music field, will be cereal-related. Simpson has launched Cody Crunch, his new cereal available for purchase on CodyCrunch.com.
Bobby Brown, member of New Edition and former reality star, has reached a happy point in his life. After years battling drug abuse, the singer has maintained sobriety. “I’m definitely in a better place in my life,” says Brown. “Six years sober from drugs. I’m just really grateful that I can get off the heroin, the crack, the coke.” Brown will be release a new album, “The Masterpiece,” in May. (The Boombox)
On Wednesday (Apr. 13), Oprah featured a multitude of performances in honor of “women who rock.” The performances included duets by Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow, performing “Landslide,” Joan Jett and Miley Cyrus performing “Bad Reputation,” “Cherry Bomb” and “I Hate Myself,” and Pat Benatar and Avril Lavigne singing an acoustic “Love Is a Battlefield.” The show also featured an appearance by rap group Salt-N-Pepa and Sister Sledge, who led the all-star guests in a sing-along of “We Are Family.” (Oprah.com)
(Reporting by Jillian Mapes and Jazmine Gray)