Kanye West To Perform At The MTV Europe Music Awards

When Kanye West performs Thursday at the MTV Europe Music Awards, it will be the second time he's taken the stage at the ceremony — but the first time he's been invited.The rapper stormed the stage at the 2006 awards show in Copenhagen after he failed to win the best-video prize, telling the crowd that "if I don't win, the awards show loses credibility."

The next year the temperamental West vowed he would never return to MTV after he went home empty-handed from the MTV Video Music Awards.The rapper and the music network have since reconciled, and West is scheduled to join a high-profile slate of performers — including Beyonce, Kid Rock and the Killers — in the Beatles' home town of Liverpool for Thursday's show.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney, who was born in Liverpool, is to receive an "ultimate legend" award.MTV Networks International Chairman Bill Roedy said McCartney was "one of the true greats.""Not only has he has been one of the most formative influences on the music scene on a global scale, but he is one of the founding fathers that has earned Liverpool the recent accolade as most musical city in the U.K.," Roedy said.

Britney Spears, Coldplay and Duffy lead the nominations for the annual awards, which are presented in a different European country each year.All three acts are nominated for album of the year, alongside Alicia Keys and Leona Lewis. Spears, Lewis, Coldplay, Rihanna and Amy Winehouse are up for act of the year, while Duffy is competing for best new act against One Republic, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and the Jonas Brothers.

The winners are selected by fans across the continent.Pink is among a slew of U.S. and international acts bringing celebrity color to the gray northwestern English city, which has been designated European Capital of Culture for 2008. More than 10,000 music fans were expected to fill the Echo Arena on the bank of the River Mersey for the show, hosted by "I Kissed a Girl" chart-topper Katy Perry.

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Alicia Keys Is On The Cover of Blender magazine

Alicia Keys is on the cover of the May issue of Blender magazine. The 27-year-old singer looks great, and even shares her views on who really created gangsta rap and gives us a look inside the personal breakdown she recently experienced.In the latest issue of Blender, Alicia Keys reveals that her success was followed by a bout of depression. She says she “was hanging off the edge of a cliff”, a state of mind which her manager says resulted in “dark, weird” music. Alicia is feeling much better now and is instead exploring her sexual side with her latest music.

As for her conspiracy theory, Keys says that east coast-west coast rapper feud that took the lives of Tupac and Biggie Smalls is fueled by the government to prevent another great black leader from emerging.“‘Gangsta rap’ was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. ‘Gangsta rap’ didn’t exist.”

Keys is well-read on the topic of the struggles of African-Americans. She has read several Black Panther autobiographies and wears a gold AK-47 around her neck, which symbolizes “strength, power and killing ’em dead.” Alicia hopes to put her political knowledge to use on her next album, so look for more than just love songs from the ballad singer.

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