Will.I.Am Says Black Eyed Peas 'Are Never Breaking Up'

It's hard to remember it now, but there was a time BF (Before Fergie) for the Black Eyed Peas. If leader Will.I.Am has his way, though, there will never be an AF (After Fergie) , despite her international success as a solo star.

Will was forced to clarify this point over the weekend, when rumors surfaced that the Peas were breaking up and that Fergie was headed for permanent solo status. "Don't believe gossip about Fergie leaving the group (we are never breaking up) it's all lies!!!" Will tweeted on Saturday. The comment was in response to claims to Radar Online by an unnamed source that there were tensions between Fergie and Will and that the band's female singer was eager to settle down and start a family with her husband, actor Josh Duhamel.

Speaking to Sirius XM radio on Saturday at Los Angeles' Electric Daisy Carnival, Will told the Area station, "She called me today. I talked to her today, I was like, 'So, Fergie is it true that you're leaving?' She was like, 'You're a f---ing idiot!' I was like, 'You know I'm just jokin' with you, pulling your leg.' We ain't going anywhere. It's a family. People are reading into our vacation [schedules]."

After two hip-hop based records, BEP added Fergie to their lineup in 2001, in time for their breakthrough album, Elephunk, which featured the hit "Where Is the Love?" Though they had marginal success before, since hooking up with Fergie, the group has had a non-stop parade of international successes, including "Don't Phunk With My Heart," "My Humps," "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling."

While Fergie tasted huge solo success on her own with The Dutchess in 2006, Will has become an in-demand producer, working, recording with and remixing everyone from Rihanna and Usher to U2, John Legend, Mariah Carey and the late Michael Jackson.

2010 BET Awards Belong To Chris Brown, Alicia Keys And Prince

Chris Brown, Alicia Keys and Eminem shined the brightest among the star-filled Shrine Auditorium on Sunday night (June 27), wowing the audience at the 2010 BET Awards in Los Angeles.

Brown put out a sizzling tribute to Michael Jackson, just days after the one-year anniversary of the pop icon's death, with a medley that included "Remember the Time" and "Billie Jean." The embattled R&B star's take on "Man in the Mirror" was measured and emotional, tugging at the hearts of many as Brown broke down during the song's refrain.

The singer was decked out in full MJ gear, from the bandaged fingers to the high-waisted pants. As he struggled to finish the lyrics to the song, the audience assisted him, completing the lyrics he could not as he dropped and rose from his knees.

Alicia Keys was just as stirring, performing her own solo set and contributing to the tribute to Prince, who was honored with a lifetime-achievement award. Patti LaBelle and Janelle Monae also joined Keys to pay homage to the Purple One. Keys, replete with her newly public baby bump, sang "Adore" and shocked those in attendance when she crawled atop her piano to finish out the sexy number.

Eminem also performed twice, taking the stage with B.o.B for the "Airplanes" remix and his own "Not Afraid."

Drake was among the night's big winners, as he and Young Money cohort Nicki Minaj took home trophies for Best Hip-Hop Artist, male and female, respectively. The Lil Wayne protégés both shouted out their imprisoned CEO and later took part in crowd-pleasing performances.

Drake brought out Young Jeezy, after he ran through his own "Fireworks" and "Over," and the pair debuted the remix to the Snowman's latest, "Lose My Mind."

Young Money's leading lady was at the center of two performances: Ludacris' show-ending set and Diddy's Dirty Money showcase. Minaj was as colorful as ever, and the femcee was sexy in an outfit as tight as her razor-sharp rhymes. The Queens rapper shouted out her fellow female rhyme-slingers, helping to dial down the back-and-forth between her and Lil Kim.

Justin Timberlake Introduces His Group FreeSol And Their Mixtape

Fire Starter: Free Sol

We usually like to put our Fire Starter out a little later in the week, but this is a special edition. We have Justin Timberlake giving a major co-sign to a new mixtape. You've seen JT present artists from his burgeoning Tennman Records, such as Esmee Denters and Matt Morris. Next up under the Grammy winner's wing are FreeSol, a group from his hometown of Memphis that fuses rock, hip-hop and a little R&B.

"They're rock stars," Justin said of the group at February's William Rast fashion show in New York, where they also performed. "It's nice to work them organically and not feel like, 'Hey, you gotta listen to this band!' I'm trying to find cool ways to implement them into the culture of what it is we already do."

"It's like a school, it's like a classroom," frontman Free said earlier this year of working with Timberlake. "He's a genius. A lot of people think he's [just] that dude from 'NSYNC, but really, he's a baby Quincy [Jones]. We learn a lot."

Along with Free, the group consists of Premo D'Anger on keys and bass, "Kickman" Teddy on the drums and guitarist Elliott Ives. The collective has already recorded more than 100 songs for their debut album — some of them with Timberlake — and they just dropped their mixtape, RockNRolla, with DJ Benzi.

"The mixtape was an idea to paint a picture of what we're trying to do," Free said. "A lot of people, whenever they describe us, they say 'rock/rap.' So immediately you may think of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Linkin Park, something you've heard before. I think that what we do is something extremely different, original. I think the mixtape was an idea to kind of create the picture of what we're trying to do. We took a lot of older [songs], whether it be AC/DC or Smashing Pumpkins, and make them our own. Live bands, live musicians. We approached the mixtape concept through the eyes of a band."

"I got a call from Free saying, 'Let's do this mixtape,' " Ives recalled. " 'Can you take some samples of some rock stuff that you're a fan of and dice them up? Make some beats and let's make some songs. We're gonna call it RockNRolla.' "

Ne-Yo Expecting A Child

It appears that life is imitating art for singer/songwriter Ne-Yo. The R&B gentleman, who guested on 50 Cent's 2009 hit "Baby by Me," recently confirmed that he and his girlfriend, Monyetta Shaw, are expecting a child together.

"I am 30, and I do have my first child on the way, and I'm very, very, very excited about that," the hitmaker told Ebony magazine. The star also revealed that the new addition to his family is due in January. "It's a New Year's baby," the singer told the magazine.

The dad-to-be said he doesn't know the baby's gender yet because the little one was curled up in the womb during the first ultrasound, apparently making it hard to determine the sex. The star jokingly called out his unborn child, saying the baby was "stubborn." However, the child appears to be taking after his or her mother, because, the singer added, "They didn't get that one from me."

A rep for Ne-Yo also confirmed to MTV News that the star is expecting.

While this is the singer's first baby, this is not the star's first brush with fatherhood. Ne-Yo's former girlfriend reportedly gave birth to a child, Chimere, who the star once claimed as his own until he later learned he was not the boy's biological father. Ne-Yo and his ex were reportedly in litigation over the matter. "I'm not allowed to talk about it, and I'm not allowed to see [Chimere]," Ne-Yo told USA Today in 2008.

However, the star did seem very open to the idea of raising children and told the paper, "I've been thinking a lot about kids lately." He even revealed that he wanted "a girl and a boy" and appeared ready to assume the role of a protective dad. "When the first guy comes to my door asking for my daughter, I might end up going to jail," Ne-Yo said. "I just don't know how I'll handle that."

The impending pitter-patter of little feet is not the only thing the singer has on his plate; the star is also preparing to drop his latest album, Libra Scale. The star told Ebony, "I'm just in a really good place right now."

Eminem Honors Dr. Dre At ASCAP Awards Ceremony

It's been over a decade since his last solo album, but when Dr. Dre was honored with ASCAP's Founders Award Friday night, it was a reminder to everyone that the doctor is still one of hip-hop's biggest pioneers in the game today.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers held it's 23rd annual Rhythm and Soul Music Awards last night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, where some of music's biggest names were recognized for their contributions to music.

The biggest award of the night was handed to Dr. Dre for his achievements in the music industry and for inspiring and influencing his fellow music makers. The ASCAP association put together a presentation package that played across the big screens, highlighting some of Dre's greatest quotes. One moment that had the audience cheering was Dre's stab at critics, saying, "You can't critique my sh-- unless you have done half of the stuff I have accomplished."

Shortly after the piece ended, DJ Kid Capri took the stage to perform a set of songs chronicling Dr. Dre's career that included early hits such as "Keep Their Heads Ringin'," "Let Me Ride," and "Gin and Juice" as well as more recent Dre productions such as "In Da Club," "Family Affair," and "Rich Girl."

Eminem made a rare, surprise appearance to present the award to Dr. Dre, whom he thanked for believing in him. "It would have been a lot easier for Dre to dismiss me like most people did," Eminem stated. "But he didn't. He stepped up to the challenge because he saw something in me. ... He changed the face of music and he changed my life."

Dre then took the stage to accept the award, pausing during his speech as he fought back tears. "I'm living an incredible life," he said. "Making a living doing what I love and having people love it. I can't even explain what that feels like."

Dre went on to pay respects to his mother, who became pregnant with him at the age of 15. "She was always told by family, friends and neighbors or whatever, she was going to ruin her life and mine," he said.

He also thanked his wife, whom he described as his in-house A&R and playfully promised her he was going to give her "something real special for this tonight." Closing out his speech, he thanked Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records, for being with him through his ups and downs, and last but certainly not least, his fans.

Jay Rock Goes From 'Hood 'Hardhead' To 'Hottest Breakthrough MCs Of 2010' Candidate

"Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010" Candidate: Jay Rock

Even if you never saw Jay Rock or didn't know about his street credentials, one listen to records like "All My Life in the Ghetto" with Lil Wayne and Will.I.Am or freestyles like "Anti Social" and you can tell that the Watts, California, native's rhymes are 'hood-validated.

The husky roar in his baritone, the vivid narratives and the pain in his flow all give Rock one of the most captivating young voices in hip-hop. His candidacy for "Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010" comes with a collective thumbs-up from the streets.

"Starting out in Watts, I can say I really had a love for music," Rock said of his early musical inspirations. "I always had a love for music. When I was 6, 7 years old, I was raised on all the old-school stuff. My momma used to play oldies in the house. That's all my momma used to play around the house was oldies. But when I stepped outside my project unit, that's when I listened to the Dres, Scarfaces, DJ Twists, Mausberg. I was brought up on that. I fell in love with rhyming when I turned 13. I was in junior high. I got into it, but I wasn't serious. It was just for fun."

Rock didn't care too much about cultivating his skills; he was too busy chasing paper.

"I was doing what I do, being a hardhead in the streets. I didn't even know one of my big homies was in the music game," Rock explained. "I heard he was looking for me. I thought it was to chastise me for some stuff I did being a hardhead. But the whole time, he wanted to get me in the studio. He heard one of my tapes, a song I was on. I used to be ducking and dodging. Shout-out to Top Dawg, he snatched me out the streets and said, 'I'mma make something happen. You don't need to be out in the streets doing that dumb stuff.' "

Rock started putting out mixtapes in 2006 and has been signed to the Warner Music Group for the past three years, waiting to release his debut, Follow Me Home.

Eminem Does 'Top 10,' Jay-Z Talks LeBron James On 'David Letterman'

Eminem and Jay-Z will appear on the "Late Show with David Letterman" tonight (June 25), and in addition to performing on the rooftop together, the two rappers also talk with the cranky host.

In preview clips released online, Em is seen participating in Letterman's famous "Top 10" segment and Jay sits down on the couch to chat with Letterman.

Letterman and the Brooklyn MC discussed Cleveland Cavaliers star (and Jay-Z pal) LeBron James' impending free agency and the arrival of Mikhail Prokhorov, the New Jersey Nets' new Russian billionaire majority owner.

"The tall guy," Hov joked, referring to Prokhorov.

"You're a guy," Letterman then told the rapper. "I'm a guy. Now, if LeBron James wants to be a guy, he will stay where he is and not cut the heart out of that city by leaving Cleveland. You wouldn't do that, would you? Cleveland is in desperate decline. And one of the glimmering hopes they have —"

"How's your ratings in Cleveland?," Jay interrupted to laughs.

Jay, who holds a minority stake in the Nets, admitted if he found himself in a similar situation, he could concede to Letterman's point.

Only three of Eminem's Top 10 items about advice for kids had been previewed at press time, including jokes about "Toy Story 3," illegal downloading, and a dig at BP in the wake of the Gulf leak.

"Don't get mixed up with drugs, gangs or oil executives," the Detroit MC deadpanned.

The two rappers taped their appearance earlier in the week in New York. Initially, they requested to perform on top of the famed Ed Sullivan Theater marquee, but officials for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg declined to grant a permit.

The pair were able to skirt the issue, however, by taking the show to the rooftop of the building and away from the streets where officials had concerns over public safety.

Eminem and Jay-Z's joint appearance was a part of promotion for their stadium concert series this September in New York and Detroit; two additional shows were announced on Thursday.