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Rihanna leaves manager, now under Jay-Z's umbrella

NEW YORK – Rihanna is now under Jay-Z's umbrella.

The Grammy-winning pop singer has parted ways with manager Marc Jordan and is now being managed by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management.

Rihanna told The Associated Press in a statement Wednesday that she's "so excited to take this next step in my career."

The 22-year-old is also launching a new company called Rihanna Entertainment. She says it will "merge all of her businesses, including music, film, fragrance fashion and book ventures."

Jay-Z signed Rihanna to Def Jam in 2005. The two won a Grammy in 2008 for the hit song "Umbrella." Earlier this year, the pair picked up two Grammys for the rap song "Run This Town," which also featured Kanye West.

She's released four albums and plans to release her fifth CD, "Loud," on Nov. 16.

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Music Review: Trey Songz's 4th release is average

Trey Songz, "Passion, Pain & Pleasure" (Atlantic Records)

Trey Songz has a new album? Yup.

The singer, who became an R&B star after the release of his breakthrough 2009 CD "Ready," is trying to capitalize on that success with "Passion, Pain & Pleasure."

But what the 25-year-old should have been is patient. The new effort shines at moments, but it sounds rushed — some of the songs are average when they could have been outstanding.

"Bottoms Up," the lead single, has a club-ready beat, but the lyrics are weak and Nicki Minaj steals Songz's thunder with her animated rhymes. "Unfortunate" starts off nicely, but its hook is annoyingly repetitive while "Red Lipstick" and "Doorbell" feel cheesy. Even the Drake-featured "Unusual" is unnecessary.

Songz fares better on the tunes about love lapses: He sounds cool on the Mario Winans-assisted "Can't Be Friends" and classic on "Please Return My Call." He downright demands that his lover come back on the thumping "Made to Be Together." Songz also shines on his signature bedroom grooves "Love Faces" and "Massage."

"Ready" was a Grammy-nominated album that made Songz one of R&B's leading men and helped him break onto the pop charts. This new album should have been released as an extension of that project.

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: Vocals are top-notch and production crisp on "Please Return My Call," a 1990s-sounding sincere plea to a lover.

"Millions of Americans Want to be Heard on Capitol Hill!" says Dr. Kathleen T. Ruddy

The Breast Health & Healing Foundation, (BHHF) , has launched “Lobby Me,” the first of its kind application for IPhone, Android and Blackberry that allows the user to send personal emails directly to Senators, Congressmen and the staff who run their offices on Capitol Hill.

Belleville, NJ (PRWEB) September 14, 2010 -- The Breast Health & Healing Foundation, (BHHF) , has launched “Lobby Me,” the first of its kind application for IPhone, Android and Blackberry that allows the user to send personal emails directly to Senators, Congressmen and the staff who run their offices on Capitol Hill.

"Lobby Me,” is the next logical and technological step in the evolution of American democracy,” said Dr. Kathleen T. Ruddy, Founder and President of the Breast Health & Healing Foundation.“Armed with “Lobby Me,” the average American can freely communicate with their lawmakers without having to pay lobbyists huge fees first.

“Lobby Me” utilizes the user’s zip code to identify their specific lawmakers in Congress and the staff who run their offices.The user can then send a personal and direct email about their special interests:their job, their family, their financial security. And the user can expect, in return, a response to their emails from those who represent them in the halls of Congress.Since these are not form letters that are being generated from the application, but personal communications from individual citizens, “Lobby Me” has the potential to energize average Americans, encouraging them to participate more fully in the political process that affects their lives. “Lobby Me” is one of several smartphone applications released by the Breast Health & Healing Foundation. Last spring BHHF launched the Breast Health GPS for the Iphone and the Ipad. That free app uses GPS guidance to locate the nearest mammogram screening center anywhere in the country.It was, and remains, the number one breast cancer app in the iTunes store.Dr. Ruddy’s goal was to raise awareness about research on the breast cancer virus, a particular focus of her work as the leader of the first and only foundation dedicated to understanding the causes of breast cancer and using that knowledge to prevent the disease. “But raising awareness is only part of the goal. Funds are needed to support research,” said Dr. Ruddy. “That’s where “Lobby Me,” fits in. Every time someone downloads the app the $3.99 fee goes to support specific research efforts.” Heading the list of critical research projects is the work being done by Dr. Vincent Tuohy at the Cleveland Clinic. In May of 2010 Dr. Tuohy announced the development of the first preventive breast cancer vaccine. The next step, begin testing his vaccine for safety in women. Funds from the sale of “Lobby Me” will go directly to support those efforts. With the release of “Lobby Me” Dr. Ruddy aims to refresh democracy by making it convenient for average Americans to directly participate with their lawmakers in crafting laws that affect the lives of millions of citizens who have no time or money for lobbyists.At the same time, Dr. Ruddy hopes to generate substantial funds from the sale of “Lobby Me” – with 100% of the profits to be used to support research on the breast cancer virus and the first preventive breast cancer vaccine. The Breast Health & Healing Foundation is the leading voice advocating for the Pure Cure, prevention. Founded by Dr. Kathleen T. Ruddy just two years ago, BHHF has made enormous strides:the #1 breast cancer app in the iTunes store (Breast Health GPS), the first breast cancer news app for iPad, a documentary film nominated by Rethink Breast Cancer for its 2010 Film Festival, inclusion by PUMA in the 2010 contest to be the sole recipient of its nationwide fund-raising campaign for breast cancer, the first Breast Cancer Suit:The Pink Virus Project in the Russell Building in Washington, DC in October 2009, and the second Breast Cancer Summit: The Virus and the Vaccine, to be held in the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill on September 14, 2010 - where “Lobby Me” will be officially introduced to Washington, D.C. and the world. About the Breast Health & Healing FoundationThe Breast Health & Healing Foundation is a 501(3)(c)tax exempt non-profit foundation The mission of the foundation is to discover the specific causes of breast cancer and to use that knowledge to prevent the disease.

Contact:Larry Dell973-986-1433larrydell(at)comcast(dot)net

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Breast Health & Healing FoundationLarry Dell973-986-1433Trackback URL: http://prweb.com/pingpr.php/U3F1YS1Qcm9mLUNyYXMtVGhpci1TcXVhLVNxdWEtWmVybw==

Rihanna reveals "Loud" album title, debuts single

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Rihanna unveiled her new single "Only Girl (In the World)" on Tuesday shortly after announcing the title of her fifth studio album, "Loud," on her official fansite.

"Yes it is called 'Loud'," the pop star told fans while appearing on Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show on Tuesday. "Get loud everybody. Get crazy. Get excited. 'Cause I'm pumped. I'm just gonna be me."

"Only Girl (In the World)" aims squarely for dancefloor domination, as the 22-year-old pop star whose hit songs have included "Umbrella" and "Disturbia" pours her heart out to one man over a full-throttle production by Norwegian hitmaking duo, Stargate.

"Want you to make me feel/Like I'm the only girl in the world," Rihanna belts on the chorus. "Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love/Like I'm the only one who knows your heart."

The R&B singer hit the headlines last year when her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown attacked her and was sentenced to five years probation before she released a new album, "Rated R."

Producer Stargate is also responsible for previous Rihanna hit singles "Please Don't Stop the Music," "Hate That I Love You" and her most recent No. 1 hit, "Rude Boy."

If "Only Girl" is any indication, Rihanna's "Loud" will be a departure from the edgier fare of "Rated R," which has sold 975,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In a recent interview with Billboard.com, Alex Da Kid -- the producer/songwriter behind Eminem's current No. 1 "Love the Way You Lie," which features Rihanna -- said the pop star's new material is "like a mixture of her two sides. It's commercial, but at the same time it's got an edge to it -- it has substance."

Rihanna echoed that sentiment during her chat with fans. "I'm gonna miss the Rated R era too, but nothing compares to the album I just made," the singer said, adding, "I wanted the next step in the evolution of Rihanna, and it's perfect for us."

(Editing by Christine Kearney)

Sotheby's to sell rare Audubon 'Birds of America'

LONDON – A British auction house is selling a work of natural history billed as the world's most expensive book, alongside a rare first edition of Shakespeare's plays.

One of only 100 or so remaining copies of John James Audubon's early 19th-century "Birds of America" is valued at between 4 million pounds and 6 million pounds ($6.2 million and $9.2 million), while a Shakespeare First Folio from 1623 is expected to fetch at least 1 million pounds ($1.54 million).

Sotheby's books expert David Goldthorpe said Thursday the two tomes are "the twin peaks of book collecting" — the most expensive book in the world, and the most important.

They from the collection of the late 2nd Baron Hesketh, an aristocratic book collector.

The sale will be held in London on Dec. 7.