Verizon has pulled sponsorship from the Gwen Stefani tour and severed their partnership with her opener, Akon, after the artist was caught on tape dry humping a 15 year old during a recent show in Trinidad. Actually, that’s putting it a tad lightly. It looked more like dry raping. In Akon’s defense, it was an 18+ show and the young Pastor’s daughter had no place there to begin with. However, the young woman was under the impression that she was participating in a dance competition to win a “trip to Africa,” only to find out it was a sex contest, and Akon considers himself to be ‘Africa.’

The ‘dancing’ that was caught on tape and spread virally across the internet depicts Akon throwing the young woman into several lewd positions while essentially humping the hell out of her. It was very reminiscent of the Tara Reid video where Akon and cohort double team the ‘actress’ in a rather vulgar display…vulgar even for her. Actually, it is reminiscent of just about any Akon show footage, since his ‘dance contest’ is a regular feature at his concerts. I suppose no one from Verizon bothered to checking into this before putting him in all of their commercials and sponsoring his tour with Gwen.

Watch the video below (borders on NSFW)

One Less Reason will be performing tomorrow at Memphis in May. OLR just finished tracking two songs.

I Hate Kate has been touring with Social Distortion and is recieving love from KTCL in Denver. The track Always Something is #7 of all the currents (over all).

Unsigned The Fugue State has finished material with producer Mudrock (Avenged Sevenfold, 18 Visions, Godsmack, Chimaira)

In other new artist news….

KOAR fav Ludo has just completed their record with Matt Wallace (Faith No More) and will be released in September on Island Records. Anna Nalick is recording her second record with producer Mike Flynn (The Fray).

According to sources Atlantic Records will split with Vice Records who houses Bloc Party and the Streets. Atlantic will decide what artists they want to keep.

Struggling MTV will move the upcoming Video Music Awards to Las Vegas for the first time. MTV, struggling to bring back the unscripted zaniness of the show’s early years, will take over the entire Palms, using suites and a rooftop club “to inject a new kind of life into the format,” Ignjatovic said.

The new location won’t change the perception of unscripted zaniness. To little to late. Plus, the whole show and every segment will be casted anyway. Due to the internet people now know whats real and not real.

Speaking about the internet, read the article ‘Things that Changed the Internet‘. 747 Million adults logged on in January.

Not surprisingly, Hip hop magazine ‘The Source’ has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Coolfer)

Producer songwriter Brian Howes who was behind the success of Hinder’s Lips of Angel will produce the new act Adelitas Way that will be released on Interscope.

Check out the new Kelly Clarkson Never Again video. This song is great to be angry to and the video is perfect. Kelly pulled off the sexy, angry, ex – Perfect. It also has the Alanis ” You Oughta Know” vibe. This song is going to be a huge hit. Movie offers should follow after this performance.

BMI ‘Pick of the Month’ is alternative/folk artist Fion Regan. He will be performing Wed. May 23rd at the Living Room (NYC)

Soundscan

Avril Lavigne
Best Damn Thing
TW 121,630
Total 407,988

NIN
Years Zero
TW 57,666
Total 245,928

Daughtry
TW 48,505
Total 2,358,914

Hilary Duff
Dignity
TW 21,657
Total 232,658

Fall Out Boy
Infinity on High
TW 17,278
Total 795,154

Top Catalog Albums

Pink Floyd
Dark Side of the Moon
TW 7,082

Guns N Roses
Greatest Hits
TW 7,064

Google responds to Viacom’s copyright infringement lawsuit over YouTube….ITS LEGAL!

Google finally has a response to Viacom copyright infringement lawsuit over Google’s video-sharing sharing site YouTube, arguing that the site’s activities are legal.
Viacom sued Google on claiming that YouTube has used digital technology to “willfully infringe copyrights on a huge scale. Google said that YouTube respects the importance of copyrights and goes above and beyond what is required under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which gives Web hosts protection from copyright lawsuits so long as they comply with requests to remove unauthorized material.

Google is playing Politics here and are re-writing basic definitions. Its a twisted argument and they want to hide behind the DMCA. Read KOAR’s article on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

MTV’s struggling TRL may change its name to YouRL….

MTV is struggling to maintain its hip brand for teens as internet sites like MySpace and online video ites compete for its viewers’ affinity. While the show is still in development, YouRL is the leading title, an MTV spokesperson confirmed. MTV executives have said that, when the show relaunches, online participation will be key. A play on the echnical term for a Web address, URL—”uniform resource locator”.

YouRL? Now, thats creative!

The Shockstars will sell out their upcoming June 21st gig at the Metro. Check out the tracks Baby Baby and Butterfly (People are Afraid). Click here to view the live performance of Baby Baby. Labels as well as other media/internet companies will be attending the performance. For more information contact Dan Friedman.