More Top Stories: Disturbed, 50 Cent, Diddy
Disturbed on Pace for Number One
With Disturbed’s new album Asylum estimated to sell between 130,000 copies and 150,000 copies in its debut week, the heavy metal act will likely grab the Number One spot on the Billboard 200 away from Katy Perry. Barring a late surge by the Now 35 comp, expected to sell 110,000 copies, Asylum would give Disturbed their fourth consecutive chart-topping album. [ Billboard ]
50 Cent Temporarily Quits Twitter
50 Cent has promised to abstain from tweeting until September 6th in order to focus on his upcoming album, The Return of the Heartless Monster. However, just 20 hours after quitting Twitter, 50 checked back in to weigh in on the T.I. arrest. “Tiny gotta take that charge. Say it was yours Baby,” 50 wrote. [50 Cent Twitter]
Diddy Sued for Age Bias
A former Bad Boy employee, claiming she was fired because of age discrimination, has hit Diddy with a lawsuit. Fifty-one-year-old Francesca Spero, who worked for Diddy for two decades and reportedly introduced him to Russell Simmons, says she was fired in March 2010 after having hip surgery. A rep for Bad Boy countered that age bias was not among the “many reasons” Spero was let go. [AP]
Atlantic Records, ESPN Team Up
Atlantic Records and ESPN have reached a deal arranging for Atlantic artists like T.I., Janelle Monae, and B.O.B to have their music featured during ESPN’s college football broadcasts this autumn. [Billboard.biz]
Springsteen Ticket Lawsuit Thrown Out
A New Jersey judge has dismissed a lawsuit against two web sites that allowed the scalping of Bruce Springsteen concerts before the tickets even officially went on sale. The judge ruled the sites couldn’t be held responsible for what their users, in this case third-party ticket sellers, post. [ New York Times ]
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