Ne-Yo Is Interested In Working With H.E.R. And BTS

Nicki Minaj will be one of the honorees at Billboard's 14th Annual Women in Music event. On December 12 in Los Angeles, Minaj will be the recipient of the Game Changers Award for her impact on the music industry as one of the first rappers to blend hip-hop and pop while headlining arenas and influencing today's new generation of women rappers.

“Billboard’s Women in Music is an annual opportunity for us to celebrate influential women from across the industry who are impacting both business and culture,” said Hannah Karp, Billboard’s Editorial Director in a press release.  “We’re thrilled to highlight another diverse group of women this year who’ve pushed limits, broken boundaries and defined the decade.”

Minaj's award comes one year after becoming the first woman to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart one hundred times over the course of her four-studio album career.

Other artists and music industry executives will also be honored. Roc Nation's COO Desiree Perez will also receive the 2019 Executive of the Year Award. Alanis Morisette will be presented with this year's Icon Award and Brandi Carlie will accept the annual Trailblazer Award.

Hosted by Hayley Kiyoko, The 14th annual Women in Music Event and Red Carpet Pre-show will stream live at YouTube.com/Billboard beginning 6 pm PT/9 pm ET.

Out of a trio of solo studio albums, Dr. Dre's 2001 project continued to elevate his rank as one of music's top producers. Ahead of its 20th anniversary (Nov. 16), the California native and record executive Jimmy Iovine reflect on the sophomore album for Apple Music.

Highlighting singles like "Still D.R.E.," "The Next Episode," and "Forgot About Dre," the media mogul takes a trip down memory lane and reveals details including Jay-Z's pen game on "Still D.R.E.," Eminem leading as the mastermind behind "Forgot About Dre," and creating music magic with Snoop Dogg.

Dre said his main mission was to remain behind the boards, but early collaborator The D.O.C. encouraged him to record his vocals. "I'm trying to put myself in the studio with a lot of great artists as far as the microphone work goes, and then I'm trying to just get on a song or two here and there," he said. "My first album 'The Chronic' and the '2001' album I believe I might be on like four or five songs. It sounds and appears like I'm on more because of the way I sequenced the song and structured it. I didn't want to appear on the album at all, to be honest. I just wanted to produce, find artists, and produce them. The D.O.C. talked me into getting on the mic and doing this thing."

Dr. Dre also revealed that Eminem was the album's missing link which ultimately inspired "Forgot About Dre." The Hollywood Walk of Fame star recipient said Em originally wrote the song with the former and Snoop Dogg in mind, laying down reference vocals for Uncle Snoop which sounded appealing to Dre.

"I had no idea what triggered him to write that song," he shared. "He just came in with those lyrics and we wrote some music to it and that was that." Alongside Em's appearance, Xzibit, Rell, Kurupt, MC Ren, Mary J. Blige, and more gifted the 1999 album with their vocals.

Watch the full recollection below where Dr. Dre also shares his thoughts on how music is made and distributed today.

Today (Nov. 13), a Miami federal judge sentenced rapper Kodak Black to 46 months in prison on weapons charges. According to the Miami Herald,“  the state asked for 46 to 57 months, while Black’s lawyers had pushed for 37 to 44 months or less.

The 22-year-old rapper pleaded guilty in August to lying on a background form when he purchased handguns back in January. Kodak lied again in March when he attempted to buy more guns. He also ran into trouble during his stint behind bars while awaiting sentencing. During the court hearing, prosecutors revealed that Black had beat up a prison guard.

Before his sentence was handed down, Kodak accepted responsibility for his crimes. “I’m sorry for the actions that led me for where I’m standing,” said the artist, who grew up in Pompano Beach’s Golden Acres housing development. "I do take full responsibility for my mishap.”

Black allegedly got into an altercation with a prison guard since being in jail.  According to reports, prosecutors said Kodak was under the influence of an unknown substance when he assaulted an officer, beating him in the face and groin so badly that the guard ended up in the hospital with a hernia.

Kodak’s lawyers disputed the facts of the melee, insinuating that Kodak was drugged and instigated into the altercation by a gang member.

“Kapri displayed disruptive behavior," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Brown. “He was involved in a fight on Oct. 29, with another inmate." A corrections officer stepped in, spraying mace on both inmates.

The judge ultimately decided that the violent dispute couldn’t be factored into the sentence Kodak was to be given.

Kodak also has other pending criminal cases. One involves the 2016 alleged sexual assault of an adult aged high-school female in Florence, South Carolina. Another involves drugs and guns and that were found in Kodak’s car as he and his entourage crossed into Canada for a show last April.