MUSIC NEWS: T.I. PUSHES BACK PAPER TRAIL / TIMBALAND TALKS SHOCK VALUE 2 / NAS ENDS LIL’ WAYNE’S REIGN

Friday, July 25, 2008

Rapper, T.I., who recently leaked his first official single, “Whatever You Like,” will shoot the new music video this weekend in Los Angeles, however, the new album is being pushed back to September 30th!

Timbaland, who is pictured here with artist and protege Keri Hilson on TRL last week, spoke briefly with MTV about his upcoming album, Shock Value 2, which he’s already begun working on.

Here’s what Tim had to say:

“Shock Value is really like the Now (That’s What I Call Music!) compilation,” he said. “That’s my goal for this — not to showcase me as an artist. Of course I’ll do my little part, introduce some people. It gives me room to go tour across the world. People request me. I put on a show. I put on a musical show.

“Right now, I have a song with Madonna that I didn’t put on her album. I saved it in case I wanna do one for me,” he revealed. “Of course I’mma do one with Beyoncé. Of course I’mma do one with Jordin Sparks, Rihanna. It’s a lot of people. I’mma do one with Jonas Brothers. I’mma try to have 10 major ones.”

On the hip-hop side, Timbo said he’s looking at T.I., already has T-Pain and expects Jay-Z.

“Jay was really on the last one, but he wanted to change the song,” he said. “I said, ‘Look, man, I gotta put out an album. You’re killing me.’ “

I’m hoping he still goes on in with Missy Elliott, who is working on her new album, as well as work with some other folks that he did on the last project. I definitely would love to see some work with Brandy, and The Clutch and more.

Nas ends Lil’ Wayne’s 4-week reign on the Billboard chart with his latest album, Untitled. Although I absolutely love the new single from Nas, “Hero,” featuring Keri Hilson, I didn’t think it’d debut at #1 on the charts due to the lack of promotion. Even though Nas always seemed to be on the blogs, I never heard much about the release date for his album.

Nas’ album sold 187,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, becoming the rapper’s fifth #1 release on the charts.

Nas’ prior album, 2006’s Hip-Hop Is Dead also debuted at #1 but sold 354,000 over Christmas week. Meanwhile, after three non-consecutive weeks at #1, Tha Carter III slips to #2 with a 15% sales decrease to 105,000.