4/24/09 Kirk Franklin
Fighting the fight has turned out to be a good thing for gospel music sensation Kirk Franklin. During the 40th annual GMA Dove Awards, the platinum-selling pint-size holy roller's latest opus, 'The Fight of My Life,' won the award for urban album of the year. Considered the "biggest night in gospel music," the Dove Awards is the longest running and most prestigious televised ceremony recognizing achievement in all genres of Christian and gospel music. Some of the industry's biggest acts came out for the event, which took place at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn., on April 23. According to Franklin's longtime publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, this is the singer's 13th Dove Award honor.

4/24/09 Raekwon
Fellow Wu-Tang Clan rhyme slinger Raekwon has finally found a home with EMI Music to release his long-awaited, highly-anticipated album 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2' this summer. "The wait is finally over," he said in a statement. "Words cannot describe how extremely happy I am to work with EMI Music to put out my album." The album, which is the followup to Rae's 1995 classic solo debut, will feature collaborations by Dr. Dre, RZA, J Dilla, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Bun B, and The Game among others.

4/21/09: Smokie Norful
Gospel music dynamo Smokie Norful has a reason to smile. The Little Rock, Ark., native's latest project is the top-selling gospel album in the country. The 'Live' opus debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart this week – netting the Grammy Award winner his second chart-topping debut and third number one project. "Smokie's hard work, talent and commitment to the ministry shine through on his new album," stated Ken Pennell, president of EMI Gospel, who released the project last week. 'Live' was recorded in front of a standing room audience at the Cannon Center in Memphis, Tenn. The 10-track CD was produced by Norful and Jason Tyson and includes guest performances by Tony Award winner Heather Headley and Stellar Award winner Tye Tribbett.

4/21/09: Kanye West
With his debut Nike shoe, "The Air Yeezy," in stores, Kanye West is looking to capitalize off his new endorsement with a cameo in this year's NBA playoffs. West's latest single, 'Amazing,' with rapper Young Jeezy is featured in a new NBA playoffs commercial promoting this year's slogan: "Where amazing happens." Recently, West and Jeezy wrapped up shooting the single's video in Hawaii, which was directed by Hype Williams.

4/21/09: Keyshia Cole
R&B-singer-turned-reality-star Keyshia Cole is gearing up for yet another tour in support of her latest album, 'A Different Me.' Beginning May 13 in Cincinnati, Cole, alongside singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, The Dream, and Bobby Valentino, will hit the road for a 20-city trek. For Cole, connecting with fans through touring is the "most intimate" aspect of her career. "The most gratifying thing for me in show business is having the ability to be intimate with my fans. Singing directly to them is the most intimate thing I can do," she said in a statement. 'A Different Me' tour ends June 20 in Los Angeles.

4/21/09: T.I.
As T.I. prepares to serve his one-year sentence on May 19 for felony weapons charges, he also has plans to re-release his platinum-selling album 'Paper Trail.' 'MTV News' reports the Grammy Award-winning rapper will include five new songs, including collaborations with The Dream, Ciara and a unreleased verse from Kanye West. A release date for the project was not revealed at press time.

4/21/09: Black Eyed Peas
Back by popular demand, Grammy Award-winning group the Black Eyed Peas have finally released their latest single, 'Boom Boom Pow,' from their forthcoming album, 'The E.N.D.' According to group member Fergie, the song is "kind of to the left" for a first single, which she says transcended into the concept for the video's single. "The concept is the Peas' birth into the digital afterlife," she recently told 'MTV News.' "So the transformation is us going into a sort of birth or cocoon and coming out the other end as forms of energy. It's a parallel to the music industry. Now everything is downloaded." 'The E.N.D' (The Energy Never Dies) is set to hit stores in June.

4/21/09: LeToya Luckett
Former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett is readying the release of her sophomore solo album, 'Lady Love,' on June 23. True to the album's title, Luckett focuses on the many aspects of love and relationships expressed from a woman's point of view -- a topic contrary to her 2006 debut. "The first album was more about getting adjusted to being solo and finding my lane," Luckett explained to the 'Hollywood Reporter.' "It's still about soulful feel-good music. However, I didn't want to be stuck in a comfort zone. I wanted to be freer, more daring vocally and lyrically, to reflect the situations I've experienced."

4/21/09: Cam'ron
Despite being on hiatus for few years, Harlem-bred MC Cam'ron is set to make his return to the hip-hop scene next month with his new album, 'Crime Pays.' The former Dipset front man recently revealed to Billboard that he's taking advantage of the World Wide Web to help generate interest for the project. "The idea was to put out a video every week to warm people up to the album," he said. "I didn't care about putting out singles. I just wanted people to know the album was coming. That's what I love about the Internet. Instead of having to wait on radio to play your song or TV to play your video, I can use the Internet as a tool to get my music out earlier." 'Crime Pays,' which features 'I Used to Get It in Ohio' and 'Cookies and Apple Juice,' hit stores May 12 via Asylum Records.

4/21/09: Sean "Diddy" Combs
Multifaceted media mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs recently landed an upcoming role in 'Get Him to the Greek.' The Nicholas Stoller-directed film, which also stars Russell Brand, finds Combs playing the role of Sergio, a record label executive, while Brand plays an out-of-control rock star named Aldous Snow. 'Get Him to the Greek' is scheduled to hit theaters next year.

John Coltrane
Born in High Point, NC, the saxophonist, composer and band leader has been compared to Charlie Parker as the most revolutionary and widely imitated saxophonist in jazz. Throughout the '50's his addiction to drugs and then alcoholism disrupted his career. Shortly after leaving the Miles Davis Quintet, however, he overcame these problems; and it is said that his introduction to Islam led him on a spiritual path exploring the religions of the world, changing his style forever.

Abbey Lincoln
Anna Marie Wooldridge, vocalist and composer made her recording debut in 1955. While married to Max Roach from 1962-1970 she found it difficult to get work in jazz due to the political nature of some of her music and became involved in acting. Despondent with the lackluster acting career she immersed herself into songwriting and returned to her musical roots. Quoted to say, "I'm not trying to save or fix the world. I'm just singing about my experiences. My songs are observations."

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Billie Holiday
Holiday led a harried life from early on. Reports of childhood rape coupled with a neglectful father are the experiences many feel molded the earthy, soulful, melodious style of the blues/jazz chanteuse. Her career got a great push when she recorded 'What a Little Moonlight Can Do' and 'Miss Brown to You.' A white gardenia worn in her hair became her unique trademark. Born Eleanora Fagan, fans still enjoy her music and artists are still sampling her work nearly 50 years after her untimely death.

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Bobby "Blue" Bland
Perhaps part-time chauffeuring for B.B. King and Roscoe Jordan gave Bland the impetus to fuse his gospel choir vocals with jazz and R&B and enter the realms of professional entertaining. Projecting grainy, down-to-earth vocals punctuated with gutt wrenching growls and snorts he mastered his own hallmark style that would come to be known as the "chicken-bone sound." The Hall of Fame inductee also earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

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Cassandra Wilson
Despite the struggles during her high school years at the height of racial tension in Mississippi, Cassandra formed a musical group with two young white men. "I'm interested in crossing boundaries," explains Wilson, "to be able to operate in several worlds at once is the result of being open minded, whether in music or some other part of the experience." Wilson is often described as an accomplished jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and musician.

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Dianne Reeves
Successor to Dinah Washington, Reeves as an interpreter of lyrics and a skilled scat artists has enjoyed the success of a string of hits and four Grammy Awards for 'Best Jazz Vocal Performance' for her albums 'In the Moment,' 'The Calling,' 'A Little Moonlight' and 'Good Night and Good Luck.' She is the only singer to have won this Grammy for three consecutive recordings.

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Dinah Washington
Born Ruth Lee Jones, Washington developed her musical prowess at an early age under the influence of her mother who played keyboard for their church on Chicago's south side. In 1943 she was invited to join Lionel Hampton's big band. After making the leap from jazz and blues to R&B and pop she became world-renowned for such hits as 'What a Difference a Day Makes,' 'Unforgettable,' 'This Bitter Earth,' and duet with R&B singer, Brook Benton called, 'Baby, You Got What It Takes.' An unintentional but lethal combination of alcohol and pills forever stilled Dinah Washington's magnificent voice in Detroit on December 14, 1963.

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Ella Fitzgerald
Dubbed 'The First Lady of Song,' Fitzgerald was and still is one of the most popular female jazz singers in the U.S. In her lifetime she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums. Many musical greats worked with Ella ranging from Duke Ellington to Frank Sinatra. Her first on-stage performance was at the world famous Apollo Theater in 1934 at the age of 17. Not only is she known for unique vocal talent she will remain forever remembered for her philanthropic efforts and generous donations to organizations for disadvantaged youths.

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George Benson
Benson recorded jazz albums featuring greats such as Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and Earl Klugh. When signed by Warner Brothers, execs urged him to return to singing, resulting in one of the best selling jazz albums in music history, the multi-platinum, multi-Grammy Award-winning Breezin' (1976). Much to the chagrin of fans of his strict pieces, Benson adopted funk, soul and R&B into his repertoire garnering him great international fame.

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George Duke
"I really learned a lot about music from the church. I saw how music could trigger emotions in a cause-and-effect relationship," said Duke. The jazz pianist has worked with the likes of Cannonball Adderly, Nancy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and many others. Producing the single 'Sukiyaki,' by A Taste of Honey proved to be his big break as the song soared to No. 1 on the pop, adult contemporary and R&B charts, selling over two million copies.

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