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MP3 News Breakers: Madonna, Jay-Z, Diddy, Elvis, Lil' Flip
German government eyeing Madonna concert; Jay-Z launches self-branded diamond wristwatch; diamond necklace stolen from P. Diddy; Elvis anniversary attracting thousands to Graceland; Lil' Flip reworks upcoming album.
German prosecutors warn Madonna of indecency
Harsh condemnation from Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim leaders didn't stop Madonna from performing a mock crucifixion on stage in Italy last week. But can the German government?
Madonna performing in Italy/AP Photo
German prosecutors announced they will check media reports of Madonna's Sunday concert in Düsseldorf to determine whether the 48-year-old pop star's concert is insulting to religious beliefs--a crime in Germany. A conviction carries a maximum imprisonment of three years, according to E! Online, and German authorities will have the sole discretion in deciding whether Madonna's stunt crosses the line.
In the concert routine, Madonna wears a crown adorned with fake thorns--a la Jesus--while images of African AIDS victims appear onscreen. The singer denies that the concert is a parody or otherwise "disrespectful" of the Roman Catholic Church, said Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg.
"Madonna does not think Jesus would be mad at her, as his teaching of loving thy neighbor and tolerance is Madonna's message as well," Rosenberg said.
The Düsseldorf concert is the 45th concert of Madonna's 56-date Confessions tour across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
Thousands of dollars in Jay-Z
Do you have several thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket? Jay-Z is inviting wealthy fans to grab a special-edition wristwatch that bears his name.
A pricier, pinker $40,000-$50,000 Jay-Z-branded watch
Eighty stainless steel, octagonal, self-winding, diamond-ingrained watches will be auctioned in New York as part of a promotion celebrating Jay-Z's 10th year in the music biz; in 1996, the rapper released his critically acclaimed Reasonable Doubt.
Fifty of the watches--dubbed the Audemars Piguet Royal-Oak Offshore Jay-Z 10th Anniversary wristwatches--will be auctioned September 20 at a hotel in New York. Antiquorum Auctioneers estimates each watch's value at $20,000 to $25,000.
But 30 pricier, pinker, and golder variations of the watch will also be auctioned. Each of the deluxe watches is valued at $40,000 to $50,000.
Each watch comes with a special iPod, gift box, and certificate.
Thief yanks $11 million Diddy necklace
Someone allegedly made off with an $11 million diamond necklace belonging to P. Diddy, but they didn't use an auction to do so. A thief stole the necklace while Diddy--real name Sean Combs--was on the Spanish party island of Ibiza, according to The Sun.
"He was livid when he found the necklace had been stolen," an anonymous source told the British newspaper. "He loves being extravagant and his collection of flash jewelry is his prized possession."
"It's a trademark for rappers, it's a status symbol," the source said. "He will feel lost without it."
Bush, fans honoring The King's passing
Elvis Presley may have died 29 years ago, but his fame seems immortal.
Elvis Presley
A spokesman for the pioneering musician's estate told the Associated Press that up to 10,000 Elvis fans are expected to make the trek to Memphis, Tennessee, where Elvis' mansion-turned-museum is located, for the 29th anniversary.
Presley died there on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42, succumbing to a heart attack believed to have been spurred along by abuse of prescription drugs.
President George W. Bush, his wife, Laura, and the White House staff said in a statement that Graceland and Elvis hold a "special place in the cultural life of America." Bush took the prime minister of Japan--a self-proclaimed fan of the American rock legend--on a tour of Graceland in June.
Album leak spurs Lil' Flip to pen new tunes
After a nasty fallout with his Sony record label and his entire upcoming album's being leaked to the Internet, rapper Lil' Flip has officially signed with a new label and spiced up the album, to be released in fall, with new songs.
Lil' Flip
Asylum Records, a hip-hop division of Warner Bros. Records, yesterday officially announced the signing of the 25-year-old rapper, who will release his next album, I Need Mine.
Lil' Flip bought out his contract with Sony in late June and nominally signed with Asylum. I Need Mine was originally scheduled for release in June before being leaked in its entirety to the Web.
"We held out on releasing this album on Sony because the setup was never right and I felt that my fans deserved the best from me," Lil' Flip said in a statement. "I've written and recorded a bunch of songs that I'm sure my fans will love, and now that I am with Warner Bros. Records/Asylum I am confident that I am in the right place to take my career to the next level."
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