50 Cent defends lyrics, jabs Master P

In announcing the nominations for the BET Awards this week, 50 Cent defended the use of controversial words in his lyrics and took a jab at Master P in the process. During a press conference in which he incessantly plugged his forthcoming album, Curtis, which hits stores June 26, Fiddy responded to the controversy over hip-hop lyrics in the wake of the Don Imus "nappy-headed hoes" controversy.

When asked if he would voluntarily avoid using the three words (b****, hoes, and the N-word) that some leaders have called to be removed from hip-hop, 50 replied, "Music is a mirror, and hip-hop is a reflection of the environment that we grew up in. It's the harsh realities that end up in the music. If I ask you to paint a picture of the American flag and not use the color red, you're gonna have a difficult time. To capture what we try to capture in the art form, I'm sure some conservative Americans can't [identify] with it because of their lifestyle and the way they've actually been brought up, and they haven't been exposed to those realities."

When asked if he would follow Master P, who said this week that he is starting a label, Take A Stand Records, to combat vulgarity in hip-hop, 50 said, "Well Master P doesn't sell CDs anymore. You can tell him I said it. Cameras are rolling, right? Curtis, June 26."

Shakira wedding rumors abound

Latin American media outlets are again rife with reports that Shakira is set to wed her longtime boyfriend Antonio de la Rua. Newspapers in the Dominican Republic reported that the Colombian star will marry in September in her mansion located in the resort Punta Cana, on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic. De la Rua and Shakira have been together for more than seven years. Rumors of their pending marriage have popped up several times over the years.

Mims receives ringtone award

Set over a beat that could easily pass as a polyphonic ringtone in and of itself, Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot" was honored this week for being the 50-millionth ringtone purchased by Virgin Mobile customers. The milestone was reached earlier this year. Last year, Virgin Mobile customers downloaded 14.8 million ringtones.

"This Is Why I'm Hot," arguably the biggest hip-hop song of the year, has sold more than 2 million ringtones, 200,000 of which were downloaded by Virgin Mobile customers, having topped the Billboard Ringmasters chart for two consecutive weeks. The song continues to hold the No. 2 spot on the current Ringmasters chart.

Report: Richards to pen autobiography

Now this could be one heck of a read. The New York Post reported today that Keith Richards is set to pocket more than $5 million by signing a deal to pen his memoirs. The Rolling Stones guitarist is expected to meet with publishers in New York City this summer. The Post quotes Richards' agent Ed Victor as saying "it's way too early to talk about it." He did, however, say the book could be "the greatest rock 'n' roll book of all time."

Victor represented Eric Clapton in a deal that secured the singer just under $5 million for Clapton: The Autobiography, which is set to hits stores late this year. The Post noted that Stones' frontman Mick Jagger was forced to return a $1.6 million advance in the 80's after the singer failed to produce a promised autobiography, saying he couldn't remember enough to do a book.

Killers' Flowers sustains throat injury

The Killers ended their concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado last night after just two songs as frontman Brandon Flowers sustained a throat injury. Following the second song of the night, Flowers left the stage, leaving many fans confused. An announcement was later made over the PA system that Flowers was being checked out by a doctor, and drummer Ronnie Vannucci then apologized to the crowd and said that the show would have to be rescheduled. The band said today on its Web site that the show will be rescheduled for September 4.

Report: Winehouse marries in Miami

British singer Amy Winehouse married her boyfriend, Blake Fielder-Civil, in Miami on Friday, People magazine reported today. "Yes, Amy did marry today in Miami," her publicist Tracey Miller told the mag. Winehouse, 23, and Fielder-Civil, 23, have been engaged since April. At the time, Winehouse told UK newspaper The Sun, "I hope to be with him for the rest of my life."

The pair has had a turbulent relationship over the years, and Fielder-Civil is widely believed to be the inspiration for "Tears Dry On Their Own," from Winehouse's break out album, Back to Black. "We've been back together about a month, but we've been seeing a lot of each other for quite a few months," Winehouse told Entertainment Weekly. "We are best friends."

Ike Turner arrested, freed

An old warrant that was never deleted from police records in Los Angeles forced Ike Turner to spend a night in jail. The famed musician and ex-husband of Tina Turner was pulled over after police spotted him driving more than 80 miles per hour and straddling lanes on Interstate 405 in the San Fernando Valley. After they stopped the car, police determined that Turner had an outstanding warrant on a 1989 felony narcotics charges and arrested and booked the 75-year-old artist in a downtown jail. Following a court hearing and further review, the warrant was deemed old and invalid, and Turner was freed.