EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: The Ring A.J. McLean Gave To His Fiance

As you may or may not know by now, Backstreet Boys singer A.J. McLean proposed to his girlfriend, Rochelle Karidis, on stage at a Las Vegas night club earlier this month. The Ralphie Radio Show obtained this photo of the engagement ring given to Karidis:

McLean previously described the ring to MTV News:

"It is a square head with princess-cut diamonds surrounding and a one-carat diamond in the center and there's also about 20 or 25 princess-cut diamonds on the actual band," he said.

No date has been set for the wedding.

DR. MICHAEL HALL: No Surprise Heidi Montag's Doctor Doesn't Want To Perform More Procedures On Her

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Dr. Michael Hall, creator of the Longevity Anti-Aging Center, called The RRS, offering his professional opinion on Heidi Montag's obsession with cosmetic surgery, and her doctor's comments that he doesn't want to perform any more procedures on her.

Read more about Dr. Hall here.

TMZ'S DAX: Conan Walks Away With A Big Pay Day

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TMZ's Dax checked in to The RRS to detail how much Conan O'Brien and his crew will receive after leaving NBC.

Catch Dax on TMZ TV - Local listings here.
Check out the the latest here.

AUTHOR STACY NELKIN: Cupid On A Budget

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Stacey Nelkin, actress and co-author of the book, "You Can't Afford To Break Up: How an Empty Wallet and a Dirty Mind Can Save Your Relationship", called in to The RRS to discuss how a Cupid can work effectively within a tight budget.

Read more here.

EXCLUSIVE: Nick Jonas Hasn't Met Prince, Doesn't Watch "Jersey Shore", Does Rock A BlackBerry

Much is being made in the media over Nick Jonas and his new project: Nick Jonas and The Administration. How successful will they be? Are the Jonas Brothers no more?

The chatter is growing louder after E! News reported that Joe Jonas is now writing songs off on his own, with other musicians that don’t share his last name. However, the man the brothers refer to as “The President” told me exclusively on “The Ralphie Radio Show” that his brother Joe did recently talk shop with one artist – U2 front man Bono.

“The main thing that Bono was saying, was to just be honest with your music,” revealed Nick on his second-hand account of the conversation. “Yunno, when you write your lyrics, write things that are real to you. And don’t be afraid to be too honest.”

It seems the youngest of the 3 musical brothers already picked up on those traits though. Nick wrote a bunch of honest songs – and honestly believed they weren’t for the Jonas Brothers. He told Joe and Kevin how he honestly felt. Now Nick has an honest chance of breaking the stereotypes of an artist cultivated by the Disney machine and to be perceived as well, an honest musician.

Jonas offered up, sorry last time here, honest answers during our conversation, which lasted over 10 minutes. Apparently, the inspiration behind “Stay” – a song written after the initial recording process of the new album – is quite authentic.

“I actually wrote that song in (Washington) D.C. on a day off that we had, a couple weeks ago,” said Jonas. “I was going through some things in my life and that kind of inspired the song and it’s always good when you can pull from real inspiration and real stuff in your life.”
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Part 1: Influences - Prince, Stevie Wonder, U2's Bono


Part 2: President Obama, Blackberry, "Jersey Shore", "Stay"

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Nick seemed equally surprised and impressed that fans already know the lyrics simply from YouTube videos of the live performances. Jonas said the band recorded a studio version of the track recently in Boston, and that it will see the light of day somehow – possibly in an album repackage or as an iTunes bonus.

It’s also been reported that at one show recently – fellow Disney star Selena Gomez was crying as Jonas played the song. The two were recently photographed together in Chicago and ended up on the front of TMZ.com. I reminded Nick that while I’m sure he’d like to keep his personal life just that, he should still be happy that he’s relevant to the point where people care.

“Well, thank you – that’s very, very nice of you to say,” he responded with a chuckle. “Yunno, it is what it is.”

The conversation did not stray from music-related topics often, but the TV show “Jersey Shore” did come up. The Jonas clan was raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Nick heard of the MTV show, but has not seen an episode.

“I did see the YouTube video of Snooki, I believe it is, getting punched in the face,” he admitted. “For me personally, I feel like, coming from New Jersey, and going from that area, which, if you’re from that area, you just know that that’s kind of what it’s like. And so for people across the U.S., they’re thinking, ‘Wow, this is crazy, I’ve never seen this.’ But for me, it was like, ‘Man, that’s home.’”

Jonas still has a couple friends from Seaside Heights.

That album by the way, Who I Am, hits stores February 2. Jonas is in the midst of a 22 date-tour – a trek that he admits is much more scaled down in venue size and production from the massive schedules he embarked on with his brothers. Nick says it’s not a coincidence – as the group tries to center each performance on the music itself.

“This project in particular for me was about just being able to express myself as an artist and as a musician,” he said. “Hopefully, people will respond well to it.”

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Derulo On Lady GaGa, Haiti, New LP

Despite Monday's Lady GaGa/Jason Derulo show being postponed, the "Whatcha Say" singer still made time for The RRS, chatting for the first time about GaGa's tour changes and appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Derulo also dropped some knowledge about hit self-titled LP, which hits stores this March.

Part 1: Lady GaGa, Haiti

Part 2: Self-titled LP, T-Shirt ripping

TMZ: Creepin' On Ke$ha

I love TMZ - a reporter calls my show at least once a week to chat about one of the many entertainment stories they are breaking exclusive news on. But, this photog is creepy. No, not because he's videotaping Ke$ha shopping in New York City, while she prances around sans pants, ala Lady GaGa. Instead of the video, focus on the audio... his running commentary is, well, priceless.

MTV NEWS' SHAHEEM REID: Lil Wayne Working On Tha Carter VI

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MTV News reporter Shaheem Reid called in to "The Ralphie Radio Show" last week to chat about footage posted on mtvnews.com of Lil Wayne from a new DVD entitled, “The Nino Brown Story, Pt. 2.” The footage is unprecedented – showing the rapper as his fans have never seen him… laughing in the vocal booth, chatting in the mixing room, hanging out in his New Orleans home.
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Check out MTV News here.
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After chopping it up about the DVD, which hits stores January 22, I asked Reid what new music we could expect from Wayne before he heads to prison next month. I also inquired about a possible release date for Tha Carter IV.

“I talked to Wayne, and he’s already on Carter VI,” revealed Reid. “It just depends on what music he wants to release.”

The reporter – who visited Scranton to cover the kickoff of Weezy’s summer tour at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain – says Wayne will be in prison for 8 to 12 months, and that there’s a chance the we could begin hearing material from the album while he’s away.

TMZ'S DAX: NBC Gives It Back To Jay, Old Show Title Included

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TMZ's Dax called in to The RRS to chat about Jay Leno officially moving back to "The Tonight Show."

Catch Dax on TMZ TV - Local listings here.
Check out the the latest here.

WINGMAN WEDNESDAY: A Believable Lie

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The Wingman insists, if you're going to lie about your profession - make it good - and make it believable.

Visit The Wingman MySpace, Facebook, & Twitter.

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Derulo Talks About GaGa's Oprah Appearance And Helping Haiti

In an interview that aired Monday evening on "The Ralphie Radio Show", Jason Derulo, the main supoprting act for Lady GaGa on "The Monster Ball" tour, spoke for the first time about the recent cancellation of a couple shows, as well as GaGa's appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" The segment with Winfrey taped the morning after GaGa failed to perform at Purdue University. She would eventually cancel her Saturday and Sunday tour dates, and postponed Monday's performance at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

The "Whatcha Say" singer defended his tour mate's condition and decision to tape the show. He also offered a possible explanation as to how she might have been able to appear on the show but still be forced to cancel concerts.

"There's something you can take, it's like a shot, like steroids, which a lot of performers take for a quick fix," explained Derulo. Although later clarifying that he wasn't sure whether GaGa used the remedy or not, he reiterated that it is common for artists to rely on it for very short stints. "It's definitely not something you can do all the time."

Derulo also said that there are certainly no hard feelings over the incident.
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Listen to the audio below, and check The RRS blog later for the interview in its entirety:

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"I mean, 'Oprah' was obviously a really, really big thing - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said. "She just had to do that."

The Miami-born singer still spent the weekend in Atlantic City - performing a previously-scheduled solo date on Friday, then performing a second time on Saturday - the night he was to perform with GaGa at The Borgata. Derulo donated all proceeds from the second show to the relief efforts in Haiti - a disaster which hit home for the crooner.

"My heart goes out to Haiti. My parents are from Haiti," revealed Derulo. His uncle still resides there, and survived the earthquake.

"For the first couple days, like, he was just sleeping on the streets," Derulo said. "He was saying how the streets just smell of death."

While on The RRS, Derulo solicited listeners to text "YELE" to 501501. The text will donate $5 to Yele Haiti - a grassroots foundation started by singer Wyclef Jean to aid the country.

The Country Side of Ke$ha

Katy Perry sang gospel before singing about kissing girls... Lady GaGa channeled more Alanis before Madonna. Now comes footage of pop's newest princess... Ke$ha, seen below singing "Honky Tonk Song" with her brother in Nashville at an undisclosed dive bar.

AAR, Sum 41, WTK, Hey Monday, The Cab highlight Vans Warped Tour 2010 Lineup

Check dates here.
Full lineup here.

Of course, some of the highlights...
- The Cab
- Hey Monday
- Sum 41
- We The Kings

And headlining...

THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS!

Lil Wayne Doin' His Thang

Loving this candid footage of Weezy F. Baby recording in-studio... read more about it here.

DAILY DOWNLOAD: Nathan f/ Flo-Rida - Caught Me Slippn

Up-and-coming UK crooner Nathan called The RRS to chat about his musical endeavor in to the US and his track with Flo-Rida, "Caught Me Slippn".

Part 1: The song, working w/ Flo-Rida

Part 2: The new "British Invasion", New LP

Never Get Cheap With These 7 Things...

From COED Magazine... 7 things you should never get cheap with...

1. Hair Replacement
2. Boob Job
3. Dentist
4. Adult Entertainment
5. Car Insurance
6. DUI Attorney
7. Tattoos

Meteorologist Snooki With The 7-Day...

Her show airs on MTV. Jay Leno invited her on his ill-fated prime-time show twice. She receives $10,000 to appear at clubs and events. Yet still, it seems America can't get enough of Nicole Polizzi - known to the masses as "Snooki" from "Jersey Shore". In her latest cameo, Snooki trades in lush background of Seaside Heights for a green screen on New York TV station WPIX.

TMZ'S DAX: Leno To Return To Late Night Timeslot

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TMZ's Dax called in to The RRS after TMZ broke the news that NBC would move Jay Leno back to 11:30 p.m. after the Winter Olympics.

Catch Dax on TMZ TV - Local listings here.
Check out the article here.

EXCLUSIVE: Elliott Yamin Says He'll Watch "Idol" On Tuesday

Some former "American Idol" contestants try and distance themselves from the show when pursuing a solo career after the season ends. Elliott Yamin is not one of those contestants.

“Uh… “Idol,” what’s that?” joked Yamin, who placed third on the fifth season of the show. “Look, the bottom line is, you and I wouldn’t be talking about records and albums and just having this conversation if not for my whole experience from that show.”
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A night before his performance at the Crocodile Rock Café in Allentown, American Idol-alum Elliott Yamin checks in to The RRS to chat about touring, Idol, and baseball.

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Yamin called up “The Ralphie Radio Show” to talk records, albums, and performances – as the next night he would take the stage at The Crocodile Rock Café in Allentown.

“I feel like I’m in debt… with the amount of gratitude that I have for (Idol) and the opportunity,” said Yamin. “It was the best thing I could’ve ever done for myself.”

That being said, Yamin notes that despite touring, he’ll try and catch the start of the ninth season, which kicks off this Tuesday on FOX.

“Yesterday, some of the guys (in my band) and I were going through the DVR, and trying to find out what time it came on, so we could record it,” revealed Yamin, who is touring on a bus equipped with DirecTV. “We set the first one to record.”

EXCLUSIVE: Ke$ha - The Father-Less Pop Star With A Not-So-Soft Side

You know her as Ke$ha, the trash-talking, hard-partying pop star who's single, "TiK ToK" recently sold the most digital copies in a week by a female artist. BTW, the song that she sings the hook of, Flo Rida's "Right Round", sold the most overall.

Her family and friends know her as Kesha Rose Sebert - a trash-talking, hard-partying aspiring artist, who is finally breaking out on the grandest stage of 'em all.

And as for Ke$ha, seems she knows who she is, and what she's doing - but as for who her father is? Well, that’s another story.

“This guy called me up, and said, ‘I think I’m your dad,” explained Ke$ha. “So like, I moved to (Los Angeles), and off-the-plane moved in with him. And turned out he’s totally not my dad, and so I lived in my car for a minute… and then, I ended up getting my own apartment.”

Believe it or not, that’s one of Sebert’s more tame stories… her official website’s bio starts with an account of the pop star’s face-to-face meeting with an icon. Ke$ha paid off a gardner and snuck in to Prince’s house to give him a demo. Sebert met The Purple One, and she left the CD there for him, but she never heard back.

It seems Sebert loves to tell stories – and tales she tells on her debut LP, Animal, which hit stores Tuesday. The following day, before taping a performance on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” – the 22 year-old singer/rapper/story teller called in to “The Ralphie Radio Show.”

It’s a true Hollywood tale: the girl who lived in her car, and still doesn’t know the identity of her father, goes on to help sell the two most downloaded singles in a sole week. Of course, you probably didn’t know Ke$ha sang the hook of “Right Round” because she didn’t receive credit for the single. It was her decision to not be credited and not appear in the music video. Matter of fact, Sebert says at first she didn’t receive much of anything for the performance.
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Part 1: CD Release Party Shut Down By Po-Po, Living In Her Car

Part 2: Animal, "Right Round", Katy Perry's Engagement

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“I didn’t get shit,” Ke$ha said, rather calmly, noting that in addition to no up-front payment, the track did not yield her any royalty checks. “I got a car,” she later admitted when pressed about whether the song could be credited with landing her a deal on RCA Records. The 1978 Gold Trans-Am that she currently drives can also be seen in the video for “TiK ToK.”

You can say what you’d like about the type of music, or the context of it – but Ke$ha insists the songs are sincere and “unapologetically fun.”

“The music is honest,” she clarifies. “I write with sheer honesty, so anything that’s in any of my songs, like, chances are I’ve probably done that at some point. I’m not saying like, I do these things every day.”

“Unapologetically fun” is kinda a term you could use to describe another track… Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl.” Perry and Sebert are friends – and Ke$ha made a cameo in the video for Perry’s debut single. Yet, due to all of the commotion around her own debut, Sebert did not hear that comedian Russell Brand proposed to Perry… until I told her on The RRS.

“Are you serious?!” she exclaimed, before I cited multiple reports from Brand’s publicist and the comedian himself. “Wow, no shit.”

Sebert hasn’t met Brand, but is happy for the newly engaged couple. Although, she did have to think for a second on what she would give them as a wedding gift.

“I would get her… a giant… inflatable…,” she said, thinking out loud, before I cut her off and reminded her that the censors were standing by, if need be.

“No, some sort of animal. Or I’ll buy her a boat… I dunno.”

Mariah Strugg-i-ling On Stage

Mariah Carey is no stranger to awkward live TV... matter of fact, she could be the spokesperson for it. Anyways, Tuesday night, she gets on stage at an awards show in California to accept an award for her performance in Precious... and well, the video will tell the rest of the story...

I'm sorry, but Mimi's ramble immediately conjured up memories of Joe Namath to me...

8 Women Completely Off Limits

Can't say I agree with all of these... nonetheless... 8 women that are off limits in anyone's life, as listed by mademan.com... which seems to be offline... so we'll link here... and the list...

Your Friend’s Ex

Your Friend’s/Ex’s Mom

Your Ex’s Sister

Your Boss’ Daughter

Your Boss

Your Doctor

Pregnant Chicks

Nuns

20 Things That Happen In 1 Minute

I find this fascinating... a graphic from of all websites, i-am-bored.com, that depicts 20 different events that take place in the US in just 60 seconds... damn, must be nice to be Oprah!

DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It On The Pop)

Thought you might enjoy this, a clever mash-up of the 25 biggest songs in 2009 according to Billboard... definitely worth your time here.

EXCLUSIVE: Lil Wayne Packin' A BB Gun In TMZ Photo

Early Saturday morning, TMZ posted a photo of Lil Wayne, claiming he clutched what appeared to be an automatic weapon, with the caption that the picture was taken on July 27, 2009 in Pennsylvania.

The Ralphie Radio Show can confirm the photo was taken that day, in Scranton, outside of Lil Wayne's hotel - The Radisson. As I reported back in July, the "gun" in question is actually a BB gun. According to my source, Wayne went as far as to hide it from people on his bus, as he didn't want a picture like the one above surfacing.

Oops.

AUDIO: TMZ's Leslie Harris On The Kid Cudi/RRS Story

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The Ralphie Radio Show broke the news FIRST that Kid Cudi was off Lady GaGa's "Monster Ball." TMZ picked up the story and linked to the blog. TMZ's Leslie Harris called in to chat about the story.

Catch Leslie on TMZ TV - Local listings here.
Check out the article here.

EXCLUSIVE: Kristinia Debarge Talks About The Story Behind "Future Love"

The song “Future Love”, originally co-written by Ryan Tedder and recorded by the boy band Varsity Fanclub, may have hit airwaves first – but according to singer Kristinia Debarge – the song belongs to her.

“It’s my record now,” responded the 19 year-old when I asked her if she “covered” the song. “I’ve never heard (Varsity Fanclub’s).”

Debarge claims she didn’t find out until about a month after recording the song that VFC released a version prior to her recording. Initially, it caught her off guard.
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19 year-old Kristinia Debarge chatted with The RRS about her songs, "Goodbye" & "Future Love" plus opening up for Britney Spears - and you'll never believe what cell phone number we have that she doesn't!

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“I was like, ‘Why am I doing this record? That’s someone else’s!’ (Island Def Jam Music Group) were like, ‘No no no, it’s yours,’” explained Debarge.

Producer Jim Jonsin and rapper Pitbull helped to differentiate Debarge’s version from VFC’s by releasing a remix, which IDJMG sent to radio stations in November. Similar to other tracks he cameos on, Pitbull never reached out to Debarge or the label – he simply heard the track, recorded the verse, and sent it off.

“I still haven’t got to talk to (Pitbull) about it yet, which I would love to do,” revealed Debarge. “I wanna thank him for doing this record with me. We both recorded that record separately.”

Right after she told me this, I immediately called Pitbull – but to no avail, as he didn’t pick up and his voicemail inbox was full.

Debarge is currently working on her sophomore album, the follow-up to Exposed - which spawned a Top 20 hit in "Goodbye". The singer reveals she will be writing more on this album - which is still untitled - although Debarge hints the title will have "something to do with wishes."

EXCLUSIVE: Alleged Kid Cudi Punching Victim Says He Hasn't Received An Apology

Michael Sharpe, the 19 year-old college student who says he received a haymaker from one of his favorite emcee's, Kid Cudi, now says he still hasn't received an apology.

Sharpe checked in from the Phillipines, where he's home on winter break. Just five days ago, the college student thought he did the right thing by tossing a wallet that wasn't his back on to Kid Cudi's stage. Cudder took the gesture as an insult - video that surfaced online shows the rapper remove his ear monitors, jump off stage, and land a hard punch to the face of a fan, allegedly Sharpe. But after our 10 minute conversation Thursday, it seems that the fan's feelings are hurt far more than his face.

Photo courtesy of TMZ. Video of the incident is below:

"Being home now, and talking about it with my family... it's different," Sharpe revealed in relation to his feelings on the incident. "Definitely, if he would have hurt me seriously, I'd be much more upset. I didn't really think about that though until I came home."

Sharpe also said he has been in touch with a man claiming to be Cudi's manager. The person kept insisting that an apology would be forthcoming, however that seems less likely as the days pass.

"How busy can he be, that he can't call me and apologize?" asked Sharpe. "If you punched someone at a bar, and you were sorry, wouldn't you make it a point to call and apologize? I'm not even looking for anything, other than just an apology. I'm just a fan."

It was in that vein that Sharpe sent his latest and thus far, last series of text messages to the rapper's alleged manager. After hearing news that Kid Cudi would no longer be on tour with Lady GaGa, a story first reported by The RRS, Sharpe reached out to make sure everything was cool. The "manager" retorted with a defensive, press release-like statement, noting that Cudi pulled himself off the tour, and was not asked to leave.

"I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'" recalled Sharpe. "Like, is he trying to make a statement through me? That was it for me."

EXCLUSIVE: We The Kings Release "Smile Kid", Live Like Rock Stars

We The Kings found out first hand that there are many benefits to rock stardom. Apparently one of those is that if you’re in the band, you’re never stuck with the bill… even if you ruin bed sheets in a New York hotel for three consecutive nights.

“It was crazy, we kept waking up and there were smiley faces everywhere,” explained front man Travis Clark – who referred to the new tattoos that each band member got – the smiley face that graces the cover of WTK’s latest LP, Smile Kid. The ink was fresh, and the boys from Bradenton, Florida found themselves in the Big Apple promoting the new album. Even Clark became a little skeptical of how the situation would play out with the hotel.
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“I was just like, ‘Dude, they’re not gonna give us any more sheets,’ because we’ve literally ruined every one of them,” admitted the lead singer. “We probably ruined four beds (worth of sheets)… three nights in a row.”

But according to Clark – the mishap didn’t cost the band a dime. He admitted that usually a check or tab is the one thing WTK does not have to worry about.

We The Kings chatted with The Ralphie Radio Show before year’s end – the band’s fourth appearance on The RRS this year, leading all other artists. Chris Daughtry placed second with three guest spots.

EXCLUSIVE: Justin Bieber On Meeting Obama, Touring, Dating, and More

He’s 15 years old – already traveling the country with an entourage, performing at sold out venues, shutting down shopping malls, and singing for the President of the United States. Yet, you can’t blame Justin Bieber for finding it a bit weird that people actually care about his dating life.

“A little bit,” the pint-sized singer responded when I asked him if he thought it was strange that people asked him about his personal life at his age. “I mean, I’m young. I mean, I’m dating but I’m not dating anyone specific, yunno what I mean? Just like, being a kid.”

Refreshing to hear that despite all of the hoopla, and record sales, and commitments – Bieber can still focus on just that – living the life of a 15 year-old. When I spoke with him, a crew from the New York Times trailed him for an upcoming feature. Also rolling with Justin – two reps from Island Def Jam Music Group, two managers, band mates, and dancers.

You can’t blame any of the aforementioned for surrounding Bieber – the teenager became the hottest ticket in pop music faster than you can say “Bieber Fever.” Things don’t look to ease up anytime soon – 2010 will bring a new LP in My World Part 2 along with a headlining tour. Usher’s protégé revealed on The RRS that there will be an opening act for the trek, but would not announce who.
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Any star that rises as quickly as Bieber in this day and age is bound to have some controversy following – and that came courtesy of a scheduled mall performance that went awry. Matter of fact, Justin never showed up. But, on November 20, a thousand screaming tweens did storm in to the Roosevelt Mall on Long Island – and a false spotting of the teen sensation sent the crowd in to a frenzy. Paramedics took one girl away on a stretcher and police arrested IDJMG’s senior vice president for sales.

A few weeks later, Bieber played for an estimated 20,000 people outside at the Citadel Outlet Mall in Los Angeles. Although the event went off relatively smooth, there were a few reported instances of near-trampling as fans waited impatiently for the artist to arrive. All of this begs the question – have we seen the last of Justin Bieber mall appearances?

“I dunno, as long as we have enough security I think we’ll be fine,” he said. “I just don’t want little girls to get hurt… I just love to be able to perform for my fans in general.”

TMZ Cites RRS As First To Report On Cudi Tour Change

Big thank you to my good friends at TMZ, who linked to The Ralphie Radio Show blog in their report of news I broke today in regards to Kid Cudi's departure from Lady GaGa's "Monster Ball." Despite my deletion of the story from the blog, TMZ still gave credit to The RRS, as we first reported the change.

The Ralphie Radio Show and TMZ have enjoyed a great partnership since the official launch of The RRS in August 2007. I've always preferred TMZ to other celebrity news blogs because they actually report - as in gathering sources, fact checking, breaking news, and creatively writing/distributing the facts. This simply reaffirms my beliefs, as TMZ did not have to link to the blog, but did because from a journalistic perspective, it was the right move.

EXCLUSIVE: Kid Cudi Off Of Lady GaGa Tour (Original Report)

Okay, before I get in to the story, let's post this:

That is a screen shot of my blog earlier today with the story that I initially broke in regards to Kid Cudi. If you read the screen shot, you know the details of the story. A source at Interscope Records confirmed to me that Kid Cudi was no longer on Lady GaGa's tour. They did not specify whether Cudi left or was asked to leave, but according to my source, this incident in Vancouver may have played a role.

The story posted to the blog at 2:25PM EST on December 16, 2009.

I posted the article and immediately distributed the link via e-mail, Facebook, & Twitter. It wasn't long before both MTV and TMZ got wind. Next thing, Interscope received calls. Next thing, I received a call, and was asked to take it down. I was told that some type of official statement was forthcoming.

Please keep in mind, I did nothing wrong - I was never asked not to talk about the information I received, and all parties involved were aware that I was a radio show host. Nonetheless, I obliged. Essentially, I accomplished my mission: to break the story first.

When you report on a story, you have to put all personal feelings aside. Interscope Records has always, always treated me well. Interview with Lady GaGa, New Kids On The Block, Keri Hilson, Ryan Tedder... I could go on... all not possible without some level of cooperation from Interscope.

That being said, I value my relationship with the label a great deal, and therefore took the link down. It's now back up in a different form - because clearly the story is out there, so whether it's up on my blog is neither here nor there at this point. Kid Cudi released a statement. The storyline has come to a close.

Why repost? My good friends at TMZ linked to The RRS blog. I'm saving that story for a different post. Long story short, I didn't want TMZ to look out of place for linking to my blog, considering the story was missing from it when the link was put up.

Tomorrow on The RRS... we'll speak with Michael Sharpe, the student who was punched, and get his reaction to the incident.

DAILY DOWNLOAD: "A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3" Spreads Holiday Cheer For Good Cause

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Singer/songwriter Benjamin Wagner checked in to The RRS to chat about "A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3" - a compilation of seasonal songs that is sold with proceeds benefiting 826, a nonprofit tutoring, writing, and publishing organization with locations in seven cities across the country.

Check out 826 National here.
Purchase A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3 here.
The video for the compilation single, a cover of "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You" is below:

RRS EXCLUSIVE: Michael Sharpe Says Alleged Kid Cudi Manager Reaches Out

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Days after allegedly being on the receiving end of a haymaker from Kid Cudi during a show in Vancouver, 19 year-old Michael Sharpe called The RRS to explain why he won't press charges, and how Cudi's people may in fact be reaching out to him...

Video of the incident is below:

EXCLUSIVE: Former Yanks PR Head Rick Cerrone on Tiger Woods

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Rick Cerrone manned what Sports Illustrated called, "The Hottest Seat in Sports." As the Yankees' Senior Director of Media Relations from 1996 through 2006, he worked side by side with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. Cerrone checked in to The RRS to offer his thoughts on Tiger Woods' indefinite hiatus from golf.

Visit Rick's official website here.

HUFFINGTON POST: Bill Bellamy Talks Tiger

The Gatorade comment at the beginning is priceless, can't wait to run it back on The RRS...

Click here for the clip.

Lady GaGa Relates To Yankees Closer Mariano Rivera

As if I didn't need another reason to play her music more on the show...

MTV Shows

TMZ'S LESLIE HARRIS: Jersey Shore's Advertising Woes

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The advertisers of Jersey Shore are jumping aboard and off ship faster than you can say, "hair gel." TMZ's Leslie Harris elaborated.

Catch Leslie on TMZ TV - Local listings here.

WINGMAN WEDNESDAY: Playing Hard To Get

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The Wingman explains how some women play hard to get.

Visit The Wingman MySpace, Facebook, & Twitter.

DR. PAUL SCHIENBERG: 4 Ridic Reasons Girls Dump Guys

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Dr. Paul, author of "You Can't Afford to Break Up: How an Empty Wallet and a Dirty Mind Can Save Your Relationship", shared his thoughts on this article during The RRS.

More on Dr. Paul here.
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Gabe Saporta Tweets About His RRS Interview...

Aw shucks... thanks Gabe... and I thought that drink the tour manager handed him after our interview was his first of the night!

"I haven't seen this interview w/@ralphieaversa yet, but from what I remember of it (umm..not much), it was he lazarus! http://bit.ly/6yzKrf"

The permalink to the tweet is here. Gabe's twitter is here. Mine is here. Interview is on the blog, yo.

Lady GaGa Interviewed By John Norris

This is part three of five... very in depth, lots of substance. Love her thoughts on electronic music having soul. Much props to John Norris on this.

WINGMAN WEDNESDAY: 1 Year Anniversary

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The Wingman celebrates 1 year of creepin' on The Ralphie Radio Show - here's a compilation of his greatest hits... and misses.


Visit The Wingman on MySpace, Twitter, or Facebook.

AUDIO: Brad Wilson, BradsDeals.com

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He scours the net for the best deals, then posts them for your benefit. Brad Wilson, founder of BradsDeals.com, weighs in on holiday shopping, Black Friday, & Cyber Monday on The RRS.

EXCLUSIVE: Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta Talks Touring, Hot Mess, & Pete Wentz

From the outset, it seems as if Gabe Saporta is having the time of his life, and you really can’t blame him.

The band he fronts, Cobra Starship, just wrapped up a tour with Boys Like Girls, scored a Top 10 hit in “Good Girls Go Bad”, and was even paid a high compliment from the lead singer of a band they idolize; Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo told MTV News he’d most like to tour with Cobra, out of any band, dead or alive. But as exciting as all of the aforementioned is, Saporta seems just as pumped about everything else in his life – whether it’s having a picture of his face tattooed on his boss’s leg, or receiving a Red Bull and vodka from his tour manager after a taxing set.

During our ten minute chat, Saporta chatted openly about Hot Mess, the tour, and Decaydance Records head honcho Pete Wentz. Twice during the interview, he called over to Boys Like Girls, prompting lead singer Martin Johnson to join in our conversation for a second and drummer John Keefe to claim he was too busy with his own interview (truth be told, no one was interviewing him, but a BLG camera crew caught it all on tape). Never did Gabe look or sound tired… despite stepping off the hot, muggy stage of the Crocodile Rock Café in Allentown just prior to sitting down with The Ralphie Radio Show.
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Part 1:

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“Backstage shenanigans, non –stop bro,” proclaimed Saporta, before mockingly stating, “If Ralphie would hang out, but he’s gotta be (back home), his mom’s making lasagna.”

Actually, I had a club appearance. I might have taken a rain check on the lasagna (no offense, Ma) to hang out with these guys. It seems the party-vibe exhibited in Cobra’s latest LP isn’t a far stretch from the musicians themselves. Saporta told me that the band holed up for a few weeks in, of all places, The Poconos, to record the album. While “Hot Mess” has a negative connotation in our society, the lead singer feels that Cobra Starship is shifting the definition with the new LP and title track.
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Part 2:

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“For me, (hot mess) is awesome,” said Saporta. “Kate Moss, that girl’s a hot mess! She’s bangin’, but like, you’ll find YouTube videos of her doing drugs. And she loses her endorsements because she’s a hot mess. That’s rock ‘n roll.”

It seems for now though that the LP will be defined by “Good Girls Go Bad” which features Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester. The record gained more traction on-air and in the club when a remix hit the Internets with a new verse from rapper Flo-Rida.

“I’ll tell ya where it came from, outta nowhere,” admitted Saporta. “Mike Caren, he’s a top dude at Atlantic (Records), really sweet dude. He discovered Flo-Rida. He’s like, ‘Yo man, I can get Flo to do a rhyme on one of your songs. You just gotta promise to do a trade later on.’”
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Part 3:

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Caren explained to Gabe that a trade meant in exchange for Flo-Rida rapping on “Good Girls Go Bad” – Saporta would have to hop on one of the rapper’s tracks.

“I’m like, ‘Lemme think about that? DUH!’” exclaimed Saporta. “Whenever he wants some cool punk rock singing on one of his songs, I’m in there like swimwear.”

The track also yielded the latest in the ongoing ribbing between Gabe and Wentz. Saporta set the record straight on The RRS, stating that the official bet was if “Good Girls Go Bad” went number one on the iTunes chart, the Fall Out Boy bassist would let Saporta pick his next tattoo.

Although for only 30 seconds, the song hit the top of the chart, confirmed by numerous screen captures. Saporta picked his third grade class photo as the tattoo for Wentz.

“Even though Pete Wentz is my friend, he’s also the boss man. And sometimes the record guys… they stop returning your calls if your record doesn’t do well,” explained Saporta. “So I’m thinking, ‘Yo, if I got Pete’s tattoo of my face on his leg man, he’s always gonna have to return my calls.”

Sure he’s never one to look back, but given his present, you have to at least give Saporta props for his foresight – even though it doesn’t look as if Cobra Starship will have a hard time snagging Wentz’s attention in the immediate future.

EXCLUSIVE: Boys Like Girls On Twitter, Taylor Swift, & Thanksgiving

Just because Martin Johnson tweets, doesn’t mean the Boys Like Girls front man thinks the micro-blogging service is doing anyone any good.

“I think Twitter is really stupid,” said Johnson during an interview on The Ralphie Radio Show. I chatted with the lead singer and guitarist Paul DiGiovanni before another stop on BLG’s headlining fall trek with Cobra Starship. “I think it’s ruining America’s youth.”

Quickly I retorted that Johnson himself owns an account, with over 35,000 “followers.”

“You have to do a Twitter if you’re in a band… keep people updated,” explained Johnson. “Dude, people don’t talk to each other anymore. You go to a show, and kids, like, are texting each other… it’s scary man.”
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I asked Johnson if he’s apprehensive to send out updates, or is even tempted to cancel his account all together. He began to answer before cutting himself off, admitting that he can become “preachy” and “annoying” about the subject. DiGiovanni then chimed in.

“It’s just another way for people to communicate with each other and contact each other,” said the guitarist. “I don’t think it’s gonna be bad.”

Social networking and it’s affect on our country wasn’t the only subject spoken about during the interview. Of course, the guys talked about the latest single from Love Drunk, “Two Is Better Than One”, featuring Taylor Swift.

“It felt, when we made (“Two Is Better Than One”), like it was something special,” revealed Johnson. “The song was fully produced and we were like, ‘It’s missing something so bad,’ and we had been friends with Taylor for a couple years. John (Keefe) actually played on Fearless. So we called her up and asked her to do it, and as soon as we got her voice on there it was just like, ‘Oh man, this is something special.’”

THE MAINE In Studio!

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The fellas, on tour with Cobra Starship & Boys Like Girls, made some time for The RRS...

EXCLUSIVE: Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz To Make Big Announcement Before Year's End

You know when Pete Wentz starts paraphrasing Jay-Z, he means business. Actually, I wasn’t sure what the Fall Out Boy bassist meant when he dropped this during our conversation – but I think we’re all about to find out soon.

“People are gonna be really sick about the next deal I make,” said Wentz, who is also the head of Decaydance Records. “If people felt weird about the last one, people are gonna feel real weird about the next one.”

I asked Wentz to elaborate on his “On To The Next One” reference, and well… he at least continued.

“It’s got nothing to do with Fall Out Boy or Island Def Jam,” Wentz admitted. “It’s gonna be different, and it’s gonna make people feel sick, or happy.”

The only timeline Wentz gave to the big announcement is that it will not happen on Thanksgiving or Christmas, but will happen before the end of the year. He said that everyone is a little lost on what’s happening, but that he’s going through with it – whatever it is – anyways.

Interestingly enough, shortly after our conversation, he posted this Twitter update, "I kinda lost my mind for real. Not really looking for it either".

Wentz called in to The Ralphie Radio Show to promote Believers Never Die: Greatest Hits. The FOB compilation hit stores and iTunes on Tuesday, and features two new tracks.

“Ahh man… funny question, yunno?” Wentz responded when I asked why the band released a “best of” album at this particular moment in time. “Fourth quarter. Labels like to put out greatest hits in the fourth quarter, don’t they? And ‘why now?’ because it’s like, the band doesn’t have enough hits to have a greatest hits. And ‘why now?’ because maybe it’s like, you have a contract you want to get out of. We asked ourselves all those questions, and then decided to put it out as something for the fans.”
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Part 1: Believers Never Die: Greatest Hits, "Alpha Dog"

Part 2: Hair Cut, Future Plans, Angels & Kings (Wentz's NYC Bar)

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The timing is also curious given that Fall Out Boy as a band is currently on a hiatus, or as Wentz told MTV News the night before – a “decompressing.” So, while supporters may not have new material in the immediate future, they will have two new songs from the release, including the first single, “Alpha Dog.”

“We felt like (“Alpha Dog”) didn’t fit in,” Wentz reasoned as to why the track didn’t appear on Folie A Deux. The song did pop up on a mixtape the label head released prior to Fall Out Boy’s last LP. “It felt too electronic. At the time it felt futuristic, now it feels it is the right time for it.”

And oh how the times have changed. Wentz is 30, with a child and a wife, and will be living in New York for at least the next 13 weeks. His spouse, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, makes her Broadway debut on November 30 in the musical, “Chicago.” For Wentz, this will translate to more time with his son. Bronx Mowgli Wentz turns 1 on Friday. This will probably also find the entrepreneur with more opportunities to manage and appear at his New York bar, Angels and Kings. The drinking establishment might be to blame for the slow, sometimes rambling responses I received from Wentz throughout our chat.

“I was there, in my head, last night,” Wentz said. “But I don’t think I was there, in reality.”

EXCLUSIVE: Allison Iraheta To Make GMA Appearance

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American Idol finalist Allison Iraheta stopped by The RRS to play her new track and talk about her new LP, hitting stores on December 1.