1. Mary J. Blige: I Didn’t Sign Off on Burger King Ad
A day after executives at Burger King pulled a controversial ad featuring Mary J. Blige, the R&B icon has issued a statement telling her side of the story following a storm of backlash from fans.

In a statement to TMZ.com, Blige revealed that she did not sign off on the version of the ad that features her signing about the restaurants fresh new crispy chicken wrap sandwich.

“I agreed to be a part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, that’s not what was happening in that clip.” [MORE]

2. Adele Hopes to Collaborate with Beyoncé
Adele may be between albums right now, but there’s one dream collaboration that remains on the hit singer’s mind. In an interview with French radio station NRJ, the U.K. export said she can’t wait for the opportunity to sing with Beyoncé.

“I adore Beyoncé, I’ve been listening to her since I was about 11,” Adele said. “I think her work as an artist and a singer is enviable in terms of the length of her career and how she’s grown and grown, but most of my inspirations are [from] old music and sadly they have all died.” [MORE]

3. Nicki Minaj Disappointed About Not Getting Lauryn Hill Feature
Although Nicki Minaj has made a lot of headlines for her beef with one particular female rapper, the “Starships” rap star has plenty of love for most of her female contemporaries. Minaj went on record in an interview with Hot 97′s Funkmaster Flex last night, praising her favorite female MCs including the one she really wanted to work with on her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.

Growing up, Minaj considered Grammy Award winner Lauryn Hill one of her idols, but she unfortunately fell short in her attempt land a feature from the rap legend.

“I wanted to get her on ‘Champion,’” Nicki told Funkmaster Flex. “That would have been crazy, right? She was my fave.… Lauryn to me is the goddess. I’d love to meet her. I’m pretty sure she’s heard me talk about her a billion times.” [MORE]

1. Rihanna Plans to Launch Her Own Fashion Line
Rihanna has been sparking fashion trends for years and now the singer wants to officially alter our wardrobes with her own clothing line. She’s already collaborated with Emporio Armani for a capsule collection and serves as the company’s spokesmodel, but during an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Rihanna revealed plans to launch her own fashion line in the future. [MORE]

2. Beyoncé Attends Obama Fundraiser with Tina Knowles and Gloria Carter
The public rarely catches a glimpse of Jay-Z’s mom or see her hanging out with her daughter-in-law Beyoncé, but on Monday night, Gloria Carter was looking sharp alongside the singer and Tina Knowles. The three were present at a fundraiser for President Obama’s reelection campaign fundraiser in New York City. [MORE]

For more music news, visit BET.com/news/music

1. Beyoncé Plans First Post Blue Ivy Concert
Beyoncé may still be in mommy mode, but the superstar entertainer’s work is never done. The Associated Press reports that Bey has officially booked her first post-baby concert for Memorial Day weekend. [MORE]

2. T.I. Joins Cast of Starz Drama Boss
T.I. will flex the acting chops that have landed him film roles in ATL, American Gangster and Takers as a new cast member on the second season of Boss, a Lionsgate TV-produced dramatic series that airs on cable network Starz. [MORE]

For more music news, visit BET.com/news/music

1. Ice Cube: NWA Biopic Is Close to Production
Bringing the story of NWA to the big screen is high on Ice Cube’s priority list, the rapper and filmmaker says. Though he’s been talking a lot lately about an upcoming Friday sequel, Cube says it’s probably the NWA biopic that’s likely to make it to theaters first. [MORE]

2. Lil’ Kim Is Open to Taking New Risks Musically
Lil Kim stopped by the MTV RapFix couch yesterday, and the Queen B held forth on her new musical direction, her rumored relationship with Maino, and never being surprised by Diddy.

Discussing her new single “If You Love Me,” the former Junior M.A.F.I.A. member explained that her uncharacteristic singing on the hook was inspired by her desire to take risks while recording her new album. [MORE]

3. Retired L.A. Detective Says Notorious B.I.G.’s Killer Is Known
Fifteen years ago today, Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down in Los Angeles. And, although no one has ever been officially charged with the killing, that doesn’t mean investigators haven’t zeroed in on one or two suspects over the years. To commemorate the anniversary of the great rapper’s death, Complex caught up with a retired L.A.P.D. detective who recently published a book identifying who he believes was responsible. [MORE]

4. Commentary: Will Beyoncé’s Breast-Feeding Incident Inspire Other Black Mothers?
Last week, the media went crazy over a report that R&B singer and new mom Beyoncé breast-fed her 7-week-old daughter, Blue Ivy, in public while having lunch with husband Jay-Z in New York City.

What’s especially interesting about this particular incident is that for first time this national debate has been centered on a Black woman. And that’s good given that we need more breast-feeding role models, given that African-American women are less likely to breast-feed than women of other races and ethnicities. [MORE]

For more music news, visit BET.com/news/music

There are a slew of new and slept-on artists that are on Centric’s radar, and these artists should be on yours:

10. Elle Varner
“Cause I only wanna give it to you…” sings Elle Varner (pictured above) on her 2011 debut single, “Only Wanna Give It To You” featuring J. Cole. The song was became a top 20 Billboard R&B hit, introducing the curly-haired singer/songwriter to the masses. A BET Music Matters artist—and soon be named Centric Selects artist—the California native is gearing up for her debut album, Perfectly Imperfect, slated for release later this year.

9. Stacy Barthe
Stacy Barthe. She’s not your average looking popular singer, and her talent isn’t average either. Simply put, she’s a star in her own right. The Grammy Award nominated Barthe, has successfully penned songs for the likes of Britney Spears, Kelly Rowland, and Rihanna; but now she’s stepping into the spotlight. Her last three EPs—In The In Between, Sincerely Yours, and The Seven Days Of Christmas—have spawned a slew of buzz-worthy singles including, “Never Did,” “Comfy Little Coffin”, and “Without You” featuring Frank Ocean.

8. Jhené Aiko
Nearly a decade ago, Jhené Aiko—billed as Jhené—had a top ten R&B hit with “L.O.V.E.” Billed as the cousin of T.U.G. labelmate and former B2K member Lil Fizz, she was young, cute, and spunky. Fastforward to 2012, and she’s now a mother (she has a 3 year old daughter with singer Omarion’s younger brother O’Ryan) and touting a new musical sound. Her 2011 alternative R&B mixtape, Sailing Souls, re-introduced her to some, and introduced her to many—even attracting Def Jam Records, who signed her late last year.

7. Emeli Sandé
The UK has soul! Just ask Emeli Sandé. The R&B/soul singer’s latest single “Next To Me” reached number one in Ireland and Scotland, and number two on the UK singles chart. The video for the song has gotten over five million views on YouTube stateside—guess she’s doing something right. Certainly not a newbie, Sandé has enjoyed an accomplished career as a songwriter, writing tunes for a slew of British artists—Leona Lewis, Tinie Tempah, Susan Boyle, and Alesha Dixon.

6. The Weeknd
In two years, the 22 year old performer has managed to attract the praises of BET, MTV, Rolling Stone, and XXL Magazine thanks is large part to rapper and fellow Canadian, Drake. His three mixtapes—House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence—have all been received well, with the latter earning nearly four out of five stars by RollingStone.com.

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Who is Chris Robinson? Oh, he’s just a noted director of films, commercials and music videos. Nominated for Video Director of the Year at the 2011 BET Awards, Robinson has directed music videos for the likes of Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Usher and Jay-Z. His ten plus years in the business have culminated in being honored at this year’s EYE on BLACK directors salute, and in recognition of this accolade, THE HOT 10 is counting down Robinson’s hottest ten videos.

10. Fat Joe ft. Lil’ Wayne, Baby, R. Kelly, DJ Khaled “Make It Rain” (2006)

9. Jay-Z ft. Beyonce “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde” (2006)

8. Usher & Alicia Keys “My Boo” (2004)

7. Monica “Everything To Me” (2010)

6. Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)” (1997)

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1. Don Cornelius Cremated in Private Ceremony
Don Cornelius, the legendary founder of Soul Train, was cremated at a private service in Los Angeles attended by friends and family on [last] Friday. Reverend Jesse Jackson led those gathered in prayer, the Associated Press reports. [MORE]

2. Houston’s Family Prepares for Singer’s Funeral
BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) — Whitney Houston’s death has created heartrending echoes of tragedies past: The painstaking investigation that follows the shocking loss. Why was Houston found underwater in a Beverly Hills hotel bathtub, beyond resuscitation?

The 48-year-old singer, who had prescription drugs in her room, left behind disconsolate family and friends and unfulfilled dreams. Her body was flown Monday by private jet to New Jersey, where she was born and where her funeral is being planned. Late Monday, a hearse under heavy police escort arrived at the Newark, New Jersey, funeral home that officials said was handling the arrangements for the late pop star. [MORE]

3. Christina Milian Is The Voice’s Top Choice
The singer/actress talks to BET.com about joining the hit reality show. [MORE]

4. Luke James Shines at 2012 BET Honors
It doesn’t take long to recognize that Luke James was blessed with the intangibles needed to reach superstardom. His versatile voice, talent for songwriting and model good looks have already caught the attention of industry power players like Beyoncé Knowles, who featured Luke in her video for “Run the World (Girls),” and Frank Gatson, the creative force behind Knowles, Michael Jackson and countless others. Now that the music industry has taken notice of his potential, it’s time for the New Orleans native to deliver on the expectations. [MORE]

5. Common Says Drake Feud Is Over
While on the Grammy red carpet Sunday night Common revisited the oft-discussed topic of his beef with Drake, but this time the veteran emcee declared the skirmish to be “over.”

“It’s over. But it was all in the art of Hip Hop,” Common said in an interview with Touré for Fuse Network. “He said some things to me so I had to say some things back.” [MORE]

For more music news and information, visit BET.com/news/music

1. Chris Brown, Adele Big Winners at 2012 Grammy Awards
Chris Brown and Adele both had major comebacks [last night]. The superstars were the big winners at the 2012 Grammy Awards, with Brown bringing the audience to their feet with a triumphant performance of his “Turn Up the Music,” and winning the trophy for Best R&B Album for F.A.M.E. Adele will have her hands full going home with no less than six awards—a full sweep that includes Album of the Year. [MORE]

2. Kanye West to Return to Paris Fashion Week
Kanye West might have drawn mixed reviews when he debuted his first fashion line last fall, but he’s not letting that stop him from forging his way into the industry. According to WWD, the rapper is heading back to Paris next month to show off his eponymous collection. [MORE]

3. ‘Devastated’ Clive Davis Dedicates Pre-Grammy Party to Whitney Houston
Despite the loss of a dear friend, the show reluctantly went on for Clive Davis and the hundreds of guests at his annual pre-Grammys party. News of Whitney Houston’s death, which occured just hours before she was set to attend and perform at the gala, put a somber tone on the event where music’s biggest stars–including Diddy, Kim Kardashian and Mary J. Blige–were gathered.

“So, by now sadly, we have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney’s passing. I don’t have to mask my emotions. Not in front of this room full of so many dear friends,” Davis told the audience at the Beverly Hilton, openly crying on stage. [MORE]

4. Jay-Z and Beyoncé Reveal First Photos of Blue Ivy
It’s the moment we’ve all been anticipating. One month after the birth of their first child, Blue Ivy, Jay-Z and Beyoncé are letting the world get a glimpse of their precious newborn.

The rapper took to his web site, Life and Times, on Friday and posted several images of the happy family and included the following message: “We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives. – The Carter Family” [MORE]

For more music news and information, visit BET.com/news/music

1. Timbaland and Missy Elliott Plan Solo Albums For June
Timbaland and Missy Elliott were an unstoppable tag team in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and this summer the dynamic duo may ride again. In an interview with MTV News, Timbo recently announced that he and Missy are both planning to drop solo albums this June.

“Me and Missy are both coming with our albums at the same time, and it will be in June,” the super producer declared. [MORE]

2. Andre 3000 Stars in Gillette “Master of Style” Campaign
The rapper talks style and appears in a commercial alongside Adrian Brody and Gael García Bernal. [MORE]

3. Simon Cowell Shoots Down Rumor of Beyoncé Joining X Factor
The entertainment mogul talks X Factor firings and denies he made lucrative offer to Bey. [MORE]

For more music news and information, visit BET.com/news/music

1. Beyoncé Makes First Public Appearance Since Birth of Blue Ivy
For a good cause, new parents Jay-Z and Beyoncé spent their first night out on the town together since the birth of their daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The power couple spent Monday night raising money for the United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation—well at least Jay was.

The hip hop mogul kicked off his two night charity concert series at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall, with his lovely wife there to support him in the hallowed halls. Decked out in a curves hugging red dress Beyoncé was amongst the audience that watched Hov lay down his raps accompanied by a 36-piece orchestra and his 10-piece band. [MORE]

2. Whitney Houston and Ray J Spotted Dining Together
Have Whitney Houston and Ray J been struck (once again) by cupid’s arrow? The former lovers, who dated from 2007 to 2009 and then briefly fell back into old habits in 2010, were spotted dining together at cozy West Hollywood eatery Le Petit Four on Sunday. [MORE]

3. Mary J. Blige Talks Sobriety, Marriage on Wendy Williams
Mary J. Blige stopped by the Wendy Williams show [last Thursday], and the Queen of Hip Hop-Soul opened up about weighty topics including drug addiction, marriage and motherhood. [MORE]

For more music news and information, visit BET.com/news/music