1. Queen Latifah to Produce and Judge New CW Singing Competition
The Star Next Door is expected to debut this summer with Latifah, Gloria Estefan and John Rich as judges. [MORE]

2. Maia Campbell Plots Comeback with New Music
In a recent interview with Get Noticed Media, the former child star and daughter of the late, notable author BeBe Moore Campbell now shares that she’s got her life back on track and is ready to work again. [MORE]

3. Timbaland to Host BET Music Matters Showcase at South by Southwest
BET’s Music Matters program is rolling out a star-studded line-up for its annual showcase at SXSW. Multi-platinum producer Timbaland has been tapped to host the 2012 event and he’ll be rolling out a roster of talent that includes today’s hottest MCs and R&B acts. [MORE]

4. Brandy Honors Whitney Houston with New Album Title
Brandy has revealed the title for her highly anticipated new album, and the name is very personal for more reasons than one. The R&B star said her new LP will be called Two Eleven, which represents both her birthday (February 11) and the day her idol Whitney Houston died. [MORE]

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

1. Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose Engaged
It was only a matter of time. Lovebirds Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose, who have been gushing over one another since they hooked up in late 2010, announced their engagement March 1 via Twitter.

“She said yes!!!” Wiz tweeted sometime around 11 a.m., with a link to an Instagram photo of Amber Rose’s hand adorned with pink stiletto nails and a very conspicuous addition — a diamond ring. [MORE]

2. Frank Ocean Threatened With Lawsuit by Rockers the Eagles
Frank Ocean’s star may be rising, but not everyone is a fan. The Odd Future crooner recently revealed that representatives of the seminal classic rock band the Eagles are threatening to sue him over an uncleared sample.

On his breakout 2011 mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, Ocean sings over the Eagle’s classic “Hotel California” on his song “American Wedding.” The mixtape and song were released for free, so Ocean hasn’t run into any legal trouble yet. However, according to Ocean, Henley’s label, Rhino Records, have forbid him from performing the song live. [MORE]

3. Whitney Houston Covers Essence
There is no shortage of publications and TV programs that have taken time to honor Whitney Houston’s life and career since she passed away on Feb. 11, a day before the Grammy Awards. Essence magazine’s April issue will be the latest with a special tribute to the late singer, her talent, rise to stardom, and how she influenced so many who came after her. [MORE]

After 30 years in the business, one would think the men of New Edition would be a little rusty on their slick choreography of yore. But their recent stop at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center proved quite the opposite. Ronnie DeVoe, Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, and Bobby Brown brought a celebration of brotherhood to the stage.

Past line-up changes, in-fighting, personal ups and downs were all an after thought as all six men blasted through a set of their biggest hits “Candy Girl,” “Popcorn Love,” and of course “Is This The End.”

Held just a day after the funeral of Brown’s ex-wife Whitney Houston, rumors were swirling around if he would show-up. And when the concert opened with just the five members singing, “If It Isn’t Love,” the rumors seemed true. However, at the end of the song, Bobby Brown came out on stage with a smile on his face and the crowd went wild. “It’s been the worst two weeks of my life and what did I do, I went to my family,” said the controversial singer who addressed the crowd.

While their collective hits have become classics, their solo hits have been just as successful. Bobby was…Bobby, performing and grinding his way through “Tender Roni” and “My Perogative.” Johnny made the ladies swoon with “My,My, My,” while Ricky, Ronnie and Michael (better known as Bell Biv Devoe) made the crowd move with their hard-hitting 90s hits “Do Me Baby,” and “Poison.”

The Verdict: The boys from Boston are back at it again!

—Nikki Kimbrough

Photos: Billy Davis

For New Edition tour information and dates: CLICK HERE

1. Wendy Williams: Keep It Professional, Chris Brown and Rihanna
It’s open season on Chris Brown and Rihanna’s rekindled friendship. The latest celebrity to weigh in on the pop stars reuniting musically is magnetic talk show host Wendy Williams, who urged the stars to keep their new friendship on a platonic level.

Now, if they’re going to do music together, fine,” Williams told The Hollywood Reporter. “[But] please don’t go back to him romantically speaking. The girl is too young to be giving a woman-beater a second chance.” [MORE]

2. Bizarre Announces Departure From D12
Bizarre, rap’s brazenly shirtless big man long before Rick Ross came around, has announced that he’s officially separated from D12, the Eminem-backed crew of hip hop hooligans that rose to fame in the early 2000s. [MORE]

3. Frontrunners Revealed for Whitney Houston Biopic
The race is on to decide who will play Whitney Houston in the high-profile biopic of the late performer’s life. Meagan Good recently disclosed she had been meeting with Houston about the part before her untimely death, but UK’s Daily Mail reveals that another name is at the top of insiders’ lists: Rihanna.

The sexy pop star — who, aptly, stars in the remake of Houston’s classic The Bodyguard — is the rumored favorite, but the Daily Mail says Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Willow Smith and Vivica A. Fox are also being considered. Presumably, they would play Houston at different stages in her life. [MORE]

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

1. Andre 3000 Denies OutKast Reunion Album in the Works
Bad news for OutKast fans. Despite reports that Andre 3000 and Big Boi would be hitting the studio to work on a reunion album, Dre recently told GQ that the rumors aren’t true. [MORE]

2. Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid Talk Whitney Houston, X Factor Future
In a media conference call on last Wednesday, Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid confirmed that Whitney Houston was on their radar to join The X Factor to fill one of the spots left open when Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger were fired.

“We love Whitney and we would have certainly considered it, but the truth is it never quite came to that,” said Reid. “There was an interest there, but we never actually had meetings about it. We’re both huge fans of Whitney and we’re very sad about the loss of Whitney, but we didn’t really get that far so I don’t think it’s proper to comment beyond that.” [MORE]

3. Kanye Makes a Topless Debut in Vogue
Anna Wintour politely pled the fifth when asked what she thought of Kanye’s KW collection, but at least Vogue’s editor-in-chief is giving the rapper some shine in the magazine’s pages.

Kanye makes his first ever appearance in the March 2012 issue of Vogue, posing shirtless in leather pants and beads alongside of his friend and Givenchy’s creative director Riccardo Tisci. [MORE]

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

1. Erykah Badu Talks Re: Generation Music Project
When she was told she’d have just four hours to write the lyrics for a song, record her vocals, and perform it that night, Erykah Badu was understandably “petrified." But working on deadline for the Re: Generation Music Project turned out to be a satisfying experience. The documentary, a fascinating look inside the creative process, follows five electronic DJs and producers, each assigned a musical genre, as they remix a piece of music and collaborate in the studio with well-known artists. [MORE]

2. Diddy, Magic Johnson to Launch Cable Channels
Coming soon to your living room...24 hours of Diddy and Magic Johnson. Cable giant Comcast announced today that the company will work with the media moguls to launch their own branded channels, as part of a mandate given to Comcast to support minority-owned networks. The company has said it will launch 10 such networks by 2018. [MORE]

3. Aretha Franklin Reacts to Criticism Over Missing Whitney Houston’s Funeral
The Queen of Soul has had enough. Aretha Franklin has responded to reports that she wasn't in attendance at Whitney Houston's funeral because Whitney's mother, Cissy Houston, uninvited her at the last minute. [MORE]

4. Adele’s Record Sales Soar After Grammy Awards
In an incredible post-Grammys bounce, Adele's blockbuster album 21 sold an additional 730,000 copies last week, a full year after it was released.

This marks the 21st week that 21 has spent at the number-one spot on Billboard, the most for any album released since the SoundScan era began in 1991, and the seventh most of all time. [MORE]

Don’t call it a comeback, Jon B. hasn’t stopped making music. While his latest string of projects haven’t bested his first three releases—1995’s Bonafide, 1997’s Cool Relax, and 2001’s Pleasures U Like, all of which were either certified gold or platinum—the music that fans fell in love with over a decade ago is still there—but updated.

The singer, who is currently promoting his seventh studio album, Comfortable Swagg, brought his undeniable swagg and arsenal of hits to the stage of New York’s B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. With his keytar in tow, Jon was greeted to the stage by the shrieking screams of the female fans who packed the house. Opening his set with the groove-heavy “Finer Things” from the Pleasures U Like album. Whipping through his biggest hits “They Don’t Know,” “Are U Still Down,” “I Do (Whatcha Say Boo)” and “Pretty Girl”—all musts for a Jon B. set—he eased in his new material, including the “Only One,” “Comfortable Swagg,” and the electronic dance tinged “It’s Goin’ Down.”

The consummate artist, Jon successfully mixed in covers of Patrice Rushen’s “Forget Me Nots” and a quick, sweet rendition of George Benson/Whitney Houston’s classic cut “Greatest Love of All.”

Now an independent artist, he stressed the importance of supporting artists of his caliber, while making light of what some might assume to be is his current situation. “The collection plates will be passed around,” he jokingly said to the audience.

Yes his name isn’t in the spotlight as it once was, but his talent still shines brightly—this show proved that.

For More Info:

Jon B: Website | Twitter

1. John Legend Joins Estelle at Show in Atlanta
Estelle was well supported at her BET Music Matters Tour stop in Atlanta last night, where the “American Boy” singer was joined on stage by fellow R&B star John Legend. Legend was in town for a conference at Georgia State and decided to swing by the performance at Center Stage Theater, which also featured singers Stacy Brathe, Luke James and Elle Varner. [MORE]

2. Pharrell Talks Scoring the Academy Awards
As the big show approaches, the super producer discusses the role he’ll play in providing a soundtrack for the Oscars. [MORE]

3. Mariah Carey Speaks On Whitney Houston’s Death
In an emotional appearance on Good Morning America this morning, Mariah Carey opened up for the first time about the death of her friend, collaborator and one-time rival Whitney Houston.

“I’m almost incapable of talking about it. It’s very heavy for me emotionally,” she began, speaking with GMA’s Robin Roberts. “It was great and I don’t think people could ever understand our relationship … there was always this supposed rivalry in the beginning and then we did the duet and we became friends. I loved her. We all loved her. May she rest in peace … her legend’s gonna go on forever.” [MORE]

1. Chris Brown and Rihanna Back Together, Musically
No more rumors. No more secret rendezvous at the studio. No more subliminal tweets. The cat is officially out the bag. Three years after their now infamous break-up, Chris Brown and Rihanna are friends again.

The young superstar tandem released two new songs on Monday (February 20), confirming what many have been speculating on for weeks. Brown appears on the remix to Rihanna’s latest sexual sizzler, “Birthday Cake,” while Rih Rih adds her vocals to a re-up of Brown’s high-energy cut “Turn Up the Music.” [MORE]

2. Celebrity Friends Gather To Celebrate Whitney Houston's Life
All eyes are on Newark, New Jersey, this afternoon, as Whitney Houston's celebrity friends arrive at the star's funeral service at New Hope Baptist Church. Not since Whitney first found her voice within those walls as a child in the choir, have those walls resonated with so much starpower. [MORE]

3. Robin Thicke Arrested for Marijuana Possession
R&B singer Robin Thicke was arrested in Manhattan [Feb. 17] for smoking weed while sitting in a parked Cadillac Escalade. [MORE]

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

1. Whitney Houston's Death Spikes TV Ratings
The Whitney Houston gravy train has started. In the days following her death, profits have poured in from increased album sales, a surge in visits to gossip and news sites and unprecedented interest in the icon's upcoming film Sparkle. But news magazine shows on TV are experiencing the biggest bump.

According to Neilson numbers printed by the Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Tonight reaped the most benefit — a whopping 36 percent more viewers than the previous week — with their special report from the Grammys, which aired on ET's network, CBS. [MORE]

2. Chris Brown Denies Joking About Hitting Women
Chris Brown is known for speaking his mind, especially on Twitter, but he also knows when to draw the line.

According to TMZ, Brown was accused of making a pass at a woman at the Lasio Professional Hair Care suite Grammy gift lounge on Feb. 10 by dropping the line, "Can I get your number? I promise I won't beat you." [MORE]

3. Lauryn Hill Asks Fans to Be "Patient" With Her Transition
Lauryn Hill delivered an exclusive Valentine's Day performance at the Palladium in Hollywood, and the former Fugees' member had a personal message for those in attendance. During the show, Hill referenced the death of Whitney Houston as a good reason for the public to give their favorite stars a break when they don't live up to the expectations of fans, reports the LA Times Pop & Hiss blog. [MORE]

4. Aretha, Stevie Wonder to Sing at Houston's Funeral
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will sing at the private funeral Saturday of Whitney Houston in what promises to be a very musical service.

Publicist Kristen Foster also confirms that invitations went out to Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown; her co-star in "The Bodyguard," Kevin Costner; and Oprah Winfrey. [MORE]