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Rapper NELLY has launched a scathing attack on his record label following disappointing sales of his new album - insisting poor marketing and distribution are to blame for the lowly chart position.
The hip-hop star’s latest offering, 5.0, entered America’s Billboard 200 chart at number 10 following its release earlier this month (12Nov10), selling 63,000 copies.
But Nelly, who has enjoyed top three hits with all of his previous records, is adamant the album could have performed better if it had been properly supported by his bosses at Motown.
In a series of posts on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "A record deal is a 50/50 partnership! As (an) artist it’s your job to provide the record company with music that they (record company) can sell! Thing about the partnership is that (in) the public eye the responsibility is not 50/50! The artist is always the 1 who catches 90 per cent of the blame. When (an) artist doesn’t deliver sufficient material they gets its budget cut for (their) next album or worse dropped from the label!… Who should be held responsible wen (sic) (an) artist has a history for selling records so it’s not like a new artist (and) no1 (sic) knows his (or) her name?…
"The fact is that some1 (sic) needs to hold up there (sic) end of the partnership!… If u (sic) only ship 200thound (200,000 copies) of an album how many are u f**king tryen (sic) to sell?? The artist does (not) control that nor does he or she control marketing."

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Tough new drama WINTER’S BONE took the top prizes at the Stockholm Film Festival in Sweden over the weekend (27-28Nov10).
The movie, which tells the story of a 17-year-old girl living in America’s Ozark Mountain range, was named Best Film at the glitzy ceremony in the Swedish capital on Saturday night (27Nov10).
The film’s lead, Jennifer Lawrence, picked up the Best Actress prize, while the picture also landed the Fipresci critics’ award.
Director Gus Van Sant was honoured at the gala, picking up the Stockholm Visionary Award, while Swedish actress Harriet Andersson, who starred in a number of Ingmar Bergman films, received a lifetime achievement prize.
The festival jury was headed by actress Holly Hunter.

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NATALIE PORTMAN and MILA KUNIS were kept apart on the set of BLACK SWAN as director DARREN ARONOFSKY attempted to fuel an onscreen rivalry between the real-life pals.
The actresses play ballet dancers in the new movie and their characters are both vying for the coveted lead role in a production of Swan Lake.
Aronofsky was determined to make the onscreen tensions as real as possible, so he kept the two stars away from each other during filming.
He tells the Los Angeles Times, "I knew it might be really hard to keep them apart because they’re friends, but I just didn’t want them to know each other’s motives. I didn’t want them to compare notes. I wanted them to come from different places." Portman reveals the director tried hard to create a rivalry between the pair as they both trained hard to perfect their ballet moves.
She adds, "He’d say, ‘Oh, Mila is doing really well on her stuff. She’s so much better than you.’ Darren would tell us things about each other to try to make us jealous. I think he was trying to create a rivalry in real life between us."

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An actor collapsed on stage in New York on Saturday (27Nov10) as he portrayed the death of legendary psychoanalyst SIGMUND FREUD.
Martin Rayner plays the title role in an Off-Broadway production of Freud’s Last Session, which dramatises a fictional meeting between the psychologist and famed author C. S. Lewis.
But Rayner’s turn in Saturday’s matinee performance at Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater was cut short when he lost consciousness during a crucial death scene. The audience didn’t realise Rayner was no longer acting until his co-star Mark H. Dold asked if there was a doctor in the house, according to the New York Times.
Rayner, who has appeared in TV shows such as Frasier and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, was admitted to hospital for treatment, although no details about his condition have been given.
Carolyn Rossi Copeland, one of the play’s producers, says, "(It was) very much art imitating life."

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The attorney general of Connecticut has launched a scathing attack on KIM KARDASHIAN and her sisters for launching a credit card aimed at kids - accusing the stars of peddling a "dangerous financial fantasy".
Kim, along with her siblings Khloe and Kourtney, have lent their name to the Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard, which lets parents give their children a small amount of credit so they can keep track of their finances.
But the scheme has riled officials in Connecticut and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has issued a statement warning of the perils of handing over credit cards to kids.
The statement reads, "Keeping up with the Kardashians is impossible using these cards - laden with pernicious and predatory fees that swallow card value. These cards are feckless financial tools designed to promptly diminish in value with virtually every transaction - and even when consumers don’t use the card at all. The family is marketing a dangerous financial fantasy." Blumenthal has also demanded bosses at the company behind the card, University National Bank, provide specific details about how the card is promoted and sold in the state in a bid to protect consumers.

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A lawyer is suing CHRIS NOTH over accusations the actor accepted a refund for a $109,000 (£72,670) retainer that was never paid.
Samuel Hagan claims a banking error led to the sum being handed to Noth and his business partner, who helped run his now-defunct New York City nightclub the Cutting Room.
Hagan says he did not notice the mistake until after the refund had been given, according to the New York Post.
Noth opened the Cutting Room in 1999, but the club was closed last year (09) after overheads spiralled. Recent reports suggest the actor plans to revive the nightspot and has already signed a lease on a new building at an undisclosed location in Manhattan.

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Troubled Broadway musical SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK failed to win over theatre critics following its first preview performance on Sunday (28Nov10), after the production was marred by technical glitches.
The show, directed by Julie Taymor and featuring music by U2’s Bono and The Edge, has finally crawled to the stage for preview performances after suffering numerous setbacks as producers scrambled to solve a series of technical and safety issues.
The musical, which has cost more than $65 million (£43.3 million) to stage, was performed for the first time at the Foxwoods Theatre on Sunday, in front of reporters and 1,800 paying audience members.
And critics are already issuing harsh reviews ahead of the musical’s official opening date next January (11), with one writer at the New York Post calling the production an "epic flop".
The reviewer wrote: "Not even Spider-Man could avert this disaster. Last night’s opening preview of Broadway’s most expensive production ever, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was an epic flop as the $65 million show’s high-tech gadgetry went completely awry amid a dull score and baffling script." A New York Times critic detailed the night’s technical glitches, adding: "The show stopped five times, mostly to fix technical problems, and Act I ended prematurely, with Spider-Man stuck dangling 10 feet above audience members." A critic from the New York Daily News also claimed, "A fifth stop an hour into Act II caused some theatergoers to walk out," but was hesitant to write off the musical entirely, adding the audience "called it a surefire smash hit despite some kinks".

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Director IRVIN KERSHNER has died at the age of 87.
The American moviemaker, best known for directing Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, passed away at his home in Los Angeles after a long illness.
The news was confirmed by his goddaughter Adriana Santini on Monday (29Nov10).
Kershner began his career teaching photography at the University of Southern California, before stepping behind the camera to work on a number of TV shows and small screen movie Stakeout On Dope Street in 1958.
His film career took off in the 1960s and he went on to direct a number of movies including A Fine Madness with Sean Connery in 1966, Up The Sandbox starring Barbra Streisand in 1972 and The Return Of A Man Called Horse with Richard Harris in 1976.
He remains most famous for stepping behind the camera for the second Star Wars installment in 1980.
After stepping away from the sci-fi franchise, Kershner directed Connery again in 1983’s unofficial James Bond film Never Say Never Again and took the helm of RoboCop 2 in 1990.

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JACK NICHOLSON provoked a real reaction from LEONARDO DiCAPRIO on the set of THE DEPARTED by unexpectedly pulling a gun on him during a crucial scene.
The multi-Oscar winning film tells the tale of an undercover cop, played by DiCaprio, who infiltrates a gang led by Nicholson’s crime boss character.
One famous scene sees the mobster voice his suspicions of a traitor in his midst, and director Martin Scorsese reveals Nicholson shocked everyone on set by deviating from the script and pulling out a weapon to frighten his co-star.
And even though the sequence was later edited out, Scorsese admits he is still moved every time he sees the Titanic star’s reaction on-screen.
In a new book, Conversations With Scorsese, he says, "The first thing Jack did was sniff the glass and say, ‘I smell a rat’… And then he pulled a gun on him. He didn’t tell me he had a gun. It was great… we took a lot out, but Leo’s reaction is real-time.
"I still get chills (when he says) I smell a rat. It’s so real to me."

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U.S. newsman ANDERSON COOPER will never forget interviewing LADY GAGA in London - because she got him so drunk on whisky he struggled to question her.
The journalist jetted around the world to chat with the pop superstar on her Monster Ball tour, and got to socialise with the Poker Face hitmaker when she was off duty.
But he admits their personal chats hampered his professionalism - because she plied him with booze while he tried to quiz her on her life.
Cooper tells The Insider, "I was really interested to meet Lady Gaga. She’s obviously a fascinating person.
"We actually ended up (one) day in a pub in London drinking Jameson, which I don’t really drink. So, she got me to drink like two of them, and by the end I was ready to have the interview be over because I really sort of couldn’t ask any more questions."

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KATY PERRY has explained her recent penchant for sexy latex dresses - she wants to wear them as much as she can while she’s still young.
The California Gurls star has caused a stir with her racy wardrobe choices, which have included a number of brightly-coloured, figure-hugging plastic gowns.
Perry insists she’s the perfect age to slip into the slinky numbers - and admits she loves dressing up to grab attention.
She tells People.com, "They have an expiration date and that’s why I’m wearing them now at 25. (They’re) the most comfortable thing I ever wear. (They) make (me) look extra skinnier.
"I’m such a sucker for a theme, so if I go somewhere like Vegas, I’ll dress like Vegas! Or if it’s Christmas time, I’ll dress like Mrs. Claus!"

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Scottish singing sensation SUSAN BOYLE is determined to play herself in a new musical - to prevent producers casting a lookalike in the role.
The 49 year old has sold millions of albums since appearing on last year’s (09) Britain’s Got Talent and a show about her meteoric rise to fame is being planned.
But Boyle isn’t keen on hiring an actress to play her - insisting she’s the best woman for the job.
She tells Britain’s The Sun, "I’m definitely going to be on stage. I’d rather that than having to sit watching people up there looking like me.
"I want to be doing the music parts, so I’ll be coming in and out of the show. I’m looking forward to doing some live work. It’ll be really nice to see so many of the people who have supported me in person." The show is reportedly set to tour the U.K. next year (11).

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SIMON COWELL is a big fan of JUSTIN BIEBER - he listens to the teen singer’s album every night before he goes to bed.
The Baby hitmaker thrilled TV viewers in the U.K. when he performed on the music mogul’s talent show The X Factor on Sunday night (28Nov10).
And Cowell had a bizarre backstage confession to make to Bieber - he relaxes by listening to the Canadian star’s music each night.
Bieber writes on his Twitter.com blog, "X Factor we had fun. Simon told me he listens to my cd every night before he goes to bed." And Bieber also praised British women, including X Factor judge Cheryl Cole, adding: "London girls, u go hard… Cheryl u looked lovely as usual. So fine."

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Singer CEE LO GREEN quit smoking pot after he suffered a weed-induced anxiety attack at the height of his fame with former band GOODIE MOB.
The Forget You singer insists he doesn’t smoke at all now because he’s too worried about another attack.
He says, "I never got comfortable with it (marijuana) again." And even Green can’t believe he’s singing on Slim Thug’s new tune Marijuana - because he has no recollection of the recording session: "When that song came out, I was like, ‘I’ve got a song with Slim Thug…?’ I don’t even understand what I’m saying."

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British opera star RUSSELL WATSON was in such agony during his battle with brain cancer, he considered leaping to his death from a hotel balcony.
The tenor was diagnosed with a pituitary gland growth in 2005, and was devastated when the tumour returned two years later.
He won his fight against the disease in 2007 following surgery, but Watson admits his ordeal brought him close to giving up on life.
The singer tells Britain’s The Sun, "I am quite religious and I remember really praying and demanding, ‘Why me? Why twice?’ "I thought I was going to lose everything, I thought my career was over. I just couldn’t believe it had happened for the second time. It seemed so unfair.
"There was one time when I felt like ending it all. I was standing on a balcony of a hotel in L.A. and I just thought, ‘F**k this, I’ve f**king had enough.’ "I thought of throwing myself off, but that was because the pain was so bad and I just wanted it to stop. But I wouldn’t have done it - I’ve always seen myself as a fighter and I wasn’t going to give in."

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LIVE AID hero BOB GELDOF is no fan of his iconic charity track DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? - he’s branded it the "worst song in history".
The former Boomtown Rats frontman teamed up with Ultravox singer Midge Ure to pen the classic festive song in 1984 to raise cash for famine relief in Ethiopia.
The track, sung by the biggest stars in ’80s British pop under the collective name Band Aid, also inspired Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie to write their own charity record, We Are The World - but Geldof has confessed he hates both songs.
He says, "I am responsible for two of the worst songs in history. One is Do They Know It’s Christmas? and the other one is We Are The World. Any day soon, I will go to the supermarket, head to the meat counter and it will be playing. Every f**king Christmas." And Geldof even admits he’s annoyed when he hears carol singers performing the song, adding: "Sometimes I think that’s wild because I wrote it. Or else I am thinking how much I want them to stop because they are doing it really badly."

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WYCLEF JEAN has waded into the debate over Sunday’s (28Nov10) election in Haiti - branding the polling day a "fraud" and joining calls for votes to be re-cast.
The former Fugees star applied to run for the position of president, but was forced to withdraw his candidacy after he was found to be ineligible for office. His subsequent appeal was turned down.
Jean flew to Haiti to cast his vote in the poll, but he was left fuming when he was turned away because officials couldn’t find his name on the voting registration list.
In a series of posts on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "This election is not going in the right direction, voting at (a) school on Delmas 3 just stopped due to violence. Election fraud has begun!… They cannot find my name on the list and even though I have an observer card signed by the CEP (Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council) they did not allow me to vote." Jean was eventually allowed to cast his ballot, but the election was marred by allegations of vote-fixing, and several Haitian candidates held a press conference to denounce the election as a "massive fraud" and call for public demonstrations to back a re-vote.
And the musician appeared to support calls to re-run the election.
He adds, "This is not democracy this is dictatorship under the facade of democracy! But the Haitian people will not be intimidated we want to vote!!… I stand for fair elections, I will stand with my country!… Love my country I love my people. I’m supporting their choice. Everybody has the right to choose freely his government."

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STEPHEN DORFF is desperate to work with director SOFIA COPPOLA again, because she handed him "the best role" in Hollywood "in the last five years" by casting him in SOMEWHERE.
The Blade star plays a bad-boy actor whose life is changed when his young daughter comes to stay, and the new movie has won rave reviews and earned Coppola the top prize at the Venice International Film Festival in September (10).
Dorff admits working with the Lost in Translation director was an "amazing experience" and fears he will never find such a good part again.
He says, "I’ve been in the business my whole life. I’m an old man. I’m 37 for Christ sakes. But after working with Sofia, I’m having a hard time finding anything that is remotely as good.
"Working with Sofia was king of like the kiss of death (sic). I told Sofia, ‘I hope we get to do another one because it’s very hard to find another one now after I’ve worked with you because it was such an amazing experience’.
"Certainly this is the best part I’ve ever played, especially in this time when there are less and less movies about real characters and original voices and directors that have original styles.
"Sofia gave me single-handedly, the best role in the last five years for a young man. Nothing compares to it. I’ve read everything and it is the best."

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