In the wake of an investigation by the player’s association, Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith said Thursday he wasn’t influenced by rap mogul Jay-Z to join upstart agency Roc Nation Sports. Smith announced last week he had become a client of the upstart firm, headed by Jay-Z.

The NFLPA is looking into what Jay-Z’s influence on Smith might have been, especially since Roc Nation did not have any certified negotiators on staff at the time. Smith fired his original representation shortly after the NFL Draft, when he plummeted from a projected Top-10 pick to the Jets at No. 39.

He denied the NFLPA has reached out to him on the matter.

“I don’t have any concerns. Jay-Z didn’t recruit me,” Smith said. “I chose Roc Nation Sports for management because it was something that myself and my family came to a conclusion and we felt comfortable with and I’m happy to be a part of that.

“I’m here to talk about football and that’s life outside of football. And what I do in this locker room and on that field is what matters.”

It has been a struggle on the field for Smith as well, who did well in rookie minicamp but has had more downs than ups since then.
Smith frequently underthrew his wide receivers on Thursday during organized team activities (OTAs) and his timing was frequently off on his routes. On one play, second-year safety Antonio Allen sat underneath the coverage and perfectly broke on the ball to break up the pass. The recognition of coverages has been slow and his decision making has been suspect.

Smith has yet to sign a contract with the Jets.

Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.

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Keyshawn Johnson and Justin Bieber are at odds.

In one of the weirdest stories you’ll ever hear, the former NFL receiver called the cops on the teenage pop star after Bieber whizzed by Johnson in his Ferrari. According to TMZ, Bieber went flying by Johnson, who was driving a Prius, at “breakneck speeds” in Calabasas, Calif.

Johnson was furious and attempted to chase Bieber down and knocked on his front door. Bieber, per TMZ, ran away and hid from Johnson in the confines of his Hollywood mansion. Apparently, Bieber speeds frequently.

Jones-Drew under investigation

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew allegedly hit a security guard in Florida Sunday night. No charges have been filed and police said Jones-Drew was cooperating fully with the investigation.

The Jaguars and Jones-Drew aren’t commenting at this time.

NFLPA looking at Jay-Z

The NFLPA is looking at Jay-Z’s role in luring Jets rookie Geno Smith to his newly-formed sports agency, Roc Nation Sports.

Jay-Z doesn’t have authority to sign players since he’s a non-certified agent. Smith posted an Instagram photo of himself with the rapper before he was an official client. The NFLPA can’t punish Jay-Z, but they can take action against the certified agent who inked Smith.

NFL Draft switches dates
The NFL announced what had been previously speculated: the draft is moving to May 8.

The draft, usually held two weeks earlier, had to be switched due to a scheduling conflict with Radio City Music Hall. The NFL combine will be held Feb. 18-25 in Indianapolis.

Texans’ Foster carted off
Texans running back Arian Foster left practice in a cart Tuesday after straining his calf.

It’s unclear how much time Foster will miss, but teammate Andre Johnson said he didn’t think it was “anything serious.”

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Whether you’re tailgating before the show or rocking out inside the venue, summer concerts are a ready-made soundtrack that is just awaiting your participation to build memories. Here are the biggest and best bets for your concert dollar.

Hot 97 Summer Jam
While we usually use this space to lightly make fun of a concert bill, there’s just so many great acts on here that we need to use all of the space to tell you who’s playing: Wu-Tang Clan, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, Miguel, Wale, Fabolous, A$AP Rocky, French Monatana and Joe Budden!
June 2, MetLife Stadium

Paul McCartney
Ellen DeGeneres once introduced Sir Paul at the Grammys by saying, “The next performer needs no introduction.” True to her word, she left the stage and let it be for one of the last living Beatles. We’d like to do the newspaper equivalent.
June 8 and 10, Barclays Center

One Direction
If seeing the New Kids/98 Degrees/Boyz II Men show bummed you out, go see a boy band that includes actual boys.
June 28 and 29, Nikon at Jones Beach

Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars has turned his “Unorthodox Jukebox” into a 1980s time machine, which works out just fine for his opening act, Fitz and the Tantrums, who have also set the dial for the 1980s with their brand new “More Than Just a Dream.” Wear your neon jams and join them.
June 29, Barclays Center

Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z: 20/20 World Tour
Arguably the biggest tour of the summer, it remains to be seen how Jay-Z and JT will split the stage on The 20/20 World Tour. We can only hope that there are 20 songs from each artist, rather than a staged recreation of the best moments of ABC’s most popular investigative journalism TV show. That said, it would be awesome if they did that for the first few shows and then switched it up by the time they got here.
July 19 and 20, Yankee Stadium

Americanarama Festival of Music
For a genre that takes itself a little too seriously when at its worst, these three giants of Americana prove that a sense of humor is necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff. By calling their tour Americanarama, Bob Dylan, Wilco and My Morning Jacket are having a good ole time.
July 27, Nikon at Jones Beach

Justin Bieber
Who would have thought at this time last year that the Justin Bieber tour would become the equivalent of the Rolling Stones’ 1972 tour in terms of rumored debauchery? We can only hope he’s still around for his own 50 and Counting tour in 2060.
Aug. 2, Barclays Center

Beyonce
Beyonce was going to release a new album this year. Remember that? Seems like she might not have remembered either, as Mrs. Carter sets out on the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour before her new songs have even hit the market. It’s kind of like when it’s the end of the school year, and absolutely all of your friends are psyched to be done with exams, but you’ve still got one left that you totally forgot to study for. But in this case, Beyonce can just say, “I’m Beyonce, I don’t have to take the final.”
Aug. 3, 4, 5, Barclays Center

Under the Influence of Music Tour
Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Rocky, B.o.B. and Trinidad James are a stellar lineup, but we have to wonder: Now that marijuana is pretty much totally legal, when are musicians going to stop giving their tours titles with little winking references to weed?
Aug. 6, Nikon at Jones Beach

Kenny Chesney
One thing that has not changed in America for the past 100 years: Cowboys are still really good at herding large groups of mammals into confined open-air structures. Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves round out this rootin’-tootin’ bill.
Aug. 10, MetLife Stadium

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‘The Great Gatsby’
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan
Rating: PG-13
2 (out of 5) Globes

It’s both tragic and nastily enjoyable when people who don’t understand lit classics turn them into films. The funniest part about Baz Luhrmann’s amusingly inappropriate 3-D-plus-Jay-Z film of “The Great Gatsby” comes right at the end. Judgmental but ineffectual blank slate Nick (Tobey Maguire) has been jotting down the novel’s/film’s events, and his musings are eloquent and incisive enough, it appears, to justify being a book. He writes the title: “Gatsby.” But a sentimental mood overtakes him — the loss of a man (Leonardo DiCaprio) whose decency stood out amid a society of cads. So Nick adds “The Great.”

Baz couldn’t even crack open the Cliffs Notes? The idea that the title is not loaded, that it is in fact completely sincere, betrays a dereliction of duty. This capper is the film’s dumbest, forehead-slappiest moment. The rest is brain-drained and simplified, but almost disappointingly inoffensive, even with Bryan Ferry’s jazz-tinged renditions of rap songs blasting as flappers guzzle martinis. Luhrmann’s excess, as Luhrmann will tell you, is almost defensible when portraying a Roaring Twenties bacchanalia.

But he mostly keeps a lid on it. The 3-D isn’t overdone, and is even sometimes well done. The green light from across the harbor, separating Gatsby from Daisy (Carey Mulligan), his unobtainable beloved, gets an extra dimension of longing and impossibility when given a third dimension, especially a fake one. The technology is mostly used on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s actual words, which periodically float onto the screen when they’re uttered — as though Luhrmann could possess their meaning by literally throwing it on the screen, in comin’-at-ya 3-D.

He can’t, in part because he seems to think of “Gatsby” as a sad love story, with Daisy simply kept from Gatsby by mean Tom (Joel Edgerton, a fine actor miscast — although you try to beat Bruce Dern’s spot-on turn in the 1974 version). Luhrmann’s version is faithful to the narrative — not hard when you have 2 ½ hours to tackle a slender work — but without understanding its complexities. Riotous, time-warpy parties and all, Baz plays it straight, or as straight as one can when his actors always look like they’re standing in front of green screen. (Or in Maguire’s case, just staring, mouth mildly agape. A thankless role is the one he was born to play.) Every image looks artificial, and the actors are directed to act like animatronic versions of themselves, to fit in. Only DiCaprio makes it out alive. Where Robert Redford, in the ’74 one, looked the part, DiCaprio does that and nails the desperation, the sketchiness, the charisma and the reckless passion.

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What Baz Luhrmann did to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” has dominated reports on the film: the 3-D, the rap music, the dazzling digital effects in a film about flappers and pre-Depression excess. But there are still actors with characters they had to play, ones who have been continuously debated over the novel’s nine-decade existence.

“Everyone has an interpretation of who these characters are,” says Leonardo DiCaprio, who stresses the Robert Redford comparisons further by playing mystery millionaire Jay Gatsby, as Redford did in the 1974 film adaptation. “The Gatsby I remember reading when I was 15 years old is far different the Gatsby I read as an adult,” he says. “What I remember from junior high was this hopeless romantic, who was solely in love with this one woman, who created this great amount of wealth to respectfully hold her hand.

“To reread it as an adult, it was fascinating. It’s nuanced, it’s existential, and at the center is this man who is incredibly hollow. He’s attached himself to this relic known as Daisy. She’s a mirage,” he says. “I was struck by the sadness in him the first time. Now I look at him completely differently. I look at him as someone who is very hollow and searching for some meaning. He’s holding onto this image. One very telling sequence is when Nick notices that Gatsby is holding onto Daisy, but he’s still staring at the green light. He’s finally got her in his arms, but he’s still searching for this thing he thinks will complete him. That’s the Gatsby I was incredibly excited about playing as an actor.”

Carey Mulligan had similar difficulties with Daisy, the trophy wife, married to wealthy cad Tom (Joel Edgerton), with whom Gatsby is obsessed. “There are holes in Daisy’s character, and she disappears for a long time,” Mulligan explains. “Often she’s not saying what she means, or acts quite erratically. There’s quite a lot to fill in, just to play her consistently.” But Mulligan chose a side. “She was a product of her time. When I defend Daisy, I always say she came from a family that would demand she marry for money. If she didn’t, that would have been scandalous.”

Luhrmann made great attempts to modernize the novel, chiefly by splicing modern music between hot jazz. But the novel has much to say about our era on its own. “In a lot of ways this book predicted the great crash of the late 1920s in America,” says DiCaprio. “It’s a book that talks about the great opulence in America during that time period, and the idea that the future is endless and we can keep consuming and living the way we do without any consequences. It’s timeless in the sense that it’s an 80-year cycle. We encountered it again in our modern era. It’s not an American novel in that regard; it’s something that’s worldwide. Fitzgerald is commenting on society and human nature and the great pursuit of wealth. “

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A week ago, Jay-Z announced he was creating Roc Nation, a sports agency group, and Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano would be the first client.

On Tuesday, a report surfaced indicating the Brooklyn-born rapper would be selling his small share of the Nets, a team he helped rebrand following the move from New Jersey last year.

According to a report by Yahoo Sports, Jay-Z will be selling his 0.067 share, or 1/15th interest, in the team that he was an original investor in along with Bruce Ratner. Jay-Z would need to sell his share in the team if he wants to begin representing NBA players for Roc Nation as speculated.

“I would say he had an enormous amount to do with the rebranding of the team,” interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said before Tuesday night’s game with Philadelphia. “I’m not close to it at all, but it’s what I heard and read and saw he was huge. You’d be hard to overstate what he was to the rebranding, so that would be disappointing.”

Since his involvement with the Nets began, Jay-Z has been one of the symbols of the team in Brooklyn along with Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. He opened the building with a concert in late September and has attended several games.

According to Forbes Magazine, the Nets have a value of $530 million and, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Jay-Z’s share is worth roughly $350,000.

Daily Joe Johnson watch

Joe Johnson has missed 18 of his last 27 shots in his last two games after missing the previous five with a sore left heel.

The team announced he was a game-time decision earlier Tuesday but they decided to play him with the hopes of managing his minutes to prevent further injury.

The Nets will play six games over the final nine days of the season but are one of six playoff teams facing the same situaion, which is why health is a priority.

“I think we’re gonna look at other people perhaps a bit more or not go big, big minutes at least in back-to-backs,” Carlesimo said to reporters at the morning shootaround. “If we go big minutes tonight, we’re probably not going to go big minutes tomorrow. It would be great if we could get through tonight and have something in the tank for tomorrow, but I really think we’ve gotta go day-to-day. I’m looking at it very cautiously and I’m very concerned with what we have left.”

Nets honor Ebbets Field

Tuesday marked the 100th anniversary of the first game played at Ebbets Field, which was located in neighboring Flatbush on Bedford Avenue and before the game the Nets celebrated the occasion by displaying the 1955 World Championship banner on the court before the game.

Coincidently, the Dodgers also opened Ebbets Field with a 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Robinson Cano has known Jay-Z since making his major-league debut in May 2005 and likes everything about the rapper, businessman and part owner of the Brooklyn Nets.

But that’s not why he decided to drop Scott Boras as his agent to become the first athlete represented by Roc Nation, a group that is part of the Creative Artists Agency.

In a three and half minute interview, Cano did not disclose much about the switch. The main points he tried to convey were that it was a family decision and that a lot of people have told him it was a good move to leave the agent known for trying to get virtually all of his clients to free agency.

The question many Yankee fans want to know is if it increases the chances Cano will re-sign in the offseason. Cano is on the last year of a six-year, $57 million deal and reportedly was looking for a $200 million deal similar to those signed by Albert Pujols and Joey Votto recently.

However, Cano remained quiet when asked if it enhanced the likelihood of him remaining in pinstripes.

“I’ll let my agent talk about the contract and stuff like that,” Cano said. “I want to stay with the same team. You know, if my agent decides that and talks to the Yankees, we’ll see what happens.

His comments around a throng of reporters in the clubhouse also will be the last time he talks contract in a public setting.

“Right now, my focus is on playing baseball,” Cano said. “There’s no contract or anything like that on my mind. The season has started and I don’t want to be a distraction for my teammates. All I want to do is focus on playing right now.”

Girardi, Teixeira talks agent switches

The only issue manager Joe Girardi could see about Robinson Cano switching to an agency headed by Jay-Z would be recording an album and even when he said that, he was kidding.

In other words switching agents doesn’t make Girardi think his star second baseman’s personality will change.

“Robby loves to play this game,” Girardi said. “When a guy changes agents, I don’t really think it necessarily changes the guy. It changes his representation but it doesn’t change who Robby Cano is. Everything that I’ve seen from Robby is that he loves to play this game and is prepared to play every day.

“I don’t see why changing agents would change that unless he’s got some recording issues that he has to deal with. I don’t see how it’s going to change him. I haven’t heard he’s putting out an album.”

Mark Teixeira is someone who can relate to what Cano is going through. The process of free agent speculation began early in his career when he with the Rangers.

The Rangers eventually traded him in July 2007 after their offer did not meet what Teixeira was looking for. The Braves dealt him a year later to the Angels after their offer also fell short in the eyes of Teixeira and Boras.

“In 2005, I was already fitted for pinstripes,” Teixeira said. “It was my third year in baseball and I hit 43 home runs, had a great year and everybody said, ‘Great Mark, you won’t be a Ranger much longer.’ So I had guys like you [reporters], maybe two or three around, maybe everyday saying, ‘When are you going to get traded, when are you going to get traded,’ because the Yankees at the time were one of the only teams that could provide the type of contract stability that I wanted, no-trade clause and winning every year.

“Now it seems like every team has that kind of money but when I was a free agent not that long ago and there was only a few teams you could really go to and the Yankees were losing their first baseman.”

Hafner makes first start

The Yankees are opening their season by facing five right-handed pitchers in the first six games. That meant Travis Hafner might not get many starts if any at all.

Instead, last night, Hafner started against Clay Buchholz and made his debut for the team that called his agent in late-January.

Hafner was limited to 66 games in his final season with the Indians. He missed nearly three months with right knee soreness and lower back inflammation but expressed optimism that losing some weight in spring training might help him avoid that problem this year.

“I’ve been able to lose some weight in spring training to take some pressure off my back and leg,” Hafner said. “Everything feels good, so I’m looking forward to the year.”

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Robinson Cano has traded in the ultimate deal maker for the ultimate in star power.

ESPN reports that Cano has fired power agent Scott Boras and will join Jay-Z’s new agency, Roc Nation. He is the first athlete to join the agency group, a part of Creative Artists Agency.

CAA already represents athletes such as the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, the Broncos’ Peyton Manning and Cano’s Yankee teammate Derek Jeter. None of them are under the Roc Nation umbrella, however.

“At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors on and off the field,” Cano said in a statement. “I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates.”

Cano is in the final year of a six-year, $57 million contract and talks had stalled on an extension with the Yankees. Boras, well known in the baseball community for being a ruthless negotiator, reportedly was looking for a long-term deal in the neighborhood of 10 years and $200 million — similar to deals signed by the Angels’ Albert Pujols and Reds’ Joey Votto in the past two years.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the team had offered Cano a “significant offer” this offseason.

Cano admitted the talks were weighing on his mind even as he tried to focus on baseball.

“I’m just focusing on baseball,” Cano told reporters March 3. He admitted it wasn’t far from his mind though. “It’s never gonna go out of your head, that’s all I can say.”

For Yankees fans looking for a return, the signing of Cano with New York-native Jay-Z, a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets, is likely a good sign that Cano will be advised to stay with the Yankees.

ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell tweeted a picture Tuesday morning of Cano signing the new contract with Jay-Z.

Photo of @robinsoncano signing his representation contract with Jay Z twitpic.com/cggjbu

— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) April 2, 2013

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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We’ve seen many hacking scandals in the past few months, but one hacker might have taken it a step too far.

Twelve big celebrities and political figures including Jay-Z, Beyonce and Hillary Clinton, were all victims of a hack. The person behind the stink posted detailed information about their finances.

A website posted social security numbers, credit card information, mortgage amounts, car loans, phone numbers and other banking information of Jay-Z, Beyonce, Hillary Clinton, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson, Ashton Kutcher, Joe Biden Robert Mueller, Eric Holder and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.

Biden and Clinton did not have much of their financial information compromised, though other personal information was posted on the website.

Though its police chief was also a victim, the LAPD has launched an investigation, according to TMZ.

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

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Update: Justin Timberlake appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and addressed the Kanye West controversy … sort of.

Fallon pointed out that that Timberlake changed the lyrics of “Suit & Tie” during his Saturday Night Live performance. Timberlake responded “Did it seem that way? … Did I change a line? It is live. You know, really, everyone, keep calm.”

“Keep calm and Kanye on,” Fallon swiftly responded.

There are no hard feelings on Timberlake’s side as he announced his admiration for the rapper.

“Let me just, for the record … I absolutely love Kanye. So there’s that. We love Kanye, right?” Timberlake asked the audience.

So there’s that indeed, readers. The feud between the two stars seems to be water under the bridge … for now, at least.

 Metro’s original story below:

Everyone wants to be Jay-Z’s best friend. Even mega-stars Kanye West and Justin Timberlake are feuding over who is Mr. Carter’s bestie.

It all started a few weeks ago when Kanye went on a rant about how “he got love for Hov, but he ain’t fucking with that ‘Suit and Tie.’”

We all knew it was a matter of time before Timberlake responded. In true JT fashion, though, he took the classy, high-road approach.

Midway through his performance of “Suit and Tie” on Saturday Night Live, Timberlake changed the line “shit so sick got a hit and picked up a habit” to “my hit’s so sick got rappers acting dramatic.”

And then Jay-Z appeared on stage, so it’s safe to assume who won this feud.

For those of you wanting to hear it for yourself, the dis comes at approximately the 2:15 mark of the video.

On the topic of Justin Timberlake, he killed it on SNL. His skits were funny and his performances of “Suit and Tie” and “Mirrors” were the best ones so far.

JT and JayZ for the win, folks.

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

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UPDATE: According to Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly is not opposed to the Guns for Greatness program.

“Commissioner Kelly… is working with the organizers to make it happen,” Browne said.

Metro’s original story is below.

Hip-hop music executive Michael “Blue” Williams has pitched the NYPD a different kind of gun buyback program: “Guns for Greatness” — and “Greatness” is Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert tickets.

Williams’ proposal suggests that people turning in illegal firearms receive tickets to some of this summer’s most anticipated shows.

Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne confirmed that NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly is considering the proposal. Ed Mullins, a sergeant in the detective squad at the 67th precinct, is hoping Kelly approves the program.

“Any program that gets people to turn in illegal handguns is a good program,” Mullins said. “What’s especially good about this program is people look up to celebrities, and we’re now bringing them in to help send the message to get firearms off the street.”

Browne did not elaborate on what Kelly’s hesitations might be, and Mullins couldn’t think of any problems with the program himself.

“I don’t see a downside,” Mullins said. “We’ve done these programs before and they’ve been very successful.”

Typically, the NYPD offers cash vouchers in their buyback programs. Mullins said the funding comes from a variety of sources, including outside sponsors or organizations and individuals within the community.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Rapper Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake are teaming up for a 12-city summer stadium tour that will include concerts in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, music promoter Live Nation said on Friday.

The “Legends of the Summer” tour will kick off at the Roger’s Center in Toronto on July 17, and finish on August 16 at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

Venues in Boston, Detroit and Baltimore will also be included in the tour.

Earlier this week Live Nation said the duo, who together have won 23 Grammy awards and two Emmys and have sold 67 million albums, will also be performing together in London at the Wireless Festival on July 12-13.

Timberlake’s new album, “The 20/20 Experience,” which will be released next month, features “Suit & Tie,” a collaboration with Jay-Z. The two performed a duet together at the Grammy Awards earlier this month.

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Stop whatever you’re doing and try to wrap your mind around this: Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z are uniting on stage.

The New York Post is reporting that the two mega-stars will share the stage in an upcoming tour. The Post reports they’ll do ten dates. Rolling Stone magazine is reporting eleven to thirteen shows.

The tour will be across America over the summer in support of “The 20/20 Experience.”

“We’re definitely going on tour … I don’t know how much I should say … It’s going to be a lot of fun, I know that,” Justin Timberlake told a red carpet reporter at the Grammys, according to Pitchfork.

According to the reports, they’ll be on tour the same time Beyonce is on tour.

We’re predicting JT, Jay-Z and Bey will join force on the Barclays Center stage. This is just wild speculation based on nothing but our dreams.

To prepare for the tour click here to listen to ‘Suit & Tie.’

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

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Katy Perry’s birthday isn’t until Thursday, she apparently couldn’t wait to get the party started, throwing a lavish Halloween-themed costume birthday party at Los Angeles’ Magic Castle on Friday, according to Us Weekly. And while guests including Kristen Stewart, Neil Patrick Harris and Skrillex were in attendance, the birthday girl — dressed up as a vampire — only had eyes for John Mayer, whose elaborate zombie-hunter costume even involved a prosthetic nose and chin. “They were in their own world. She didn’t even talk to her friends much,” a source says. “It was just her and John. She’s obsessed with him. She said hello to people but then went right back to him.”

While Taylor Swift is over the moon with current boyfriend Conor Kennedy, she reportedly suffered heartbreak at the hands of One Direction member Harry Styles just before meeting Kennedy, according to Radar Online. Apparently the pair dated briefly earlier this year but ended it abruptly when Styles was photographed locking lips with model Emma Ostilly. “Taylor really liked Harry, and even though they weren’t exclusive, he hinted at making it official with her,” a source says. And while Swift was allegedly warned by her personal psychic of impending heartbreak, she was still caught off guard the morning she awoke to a barrage of text messages from Style “begging for a chance to explain and telling her not to believe everything she reads,” the source says. “She immediately googled Harry and found all the stories and pictures of him kissing Emma. She was heartbroken.”

New dad Jay-Z is getting some ace parenting advice from a very distinguished source: President Barack Obama. When the rapper and wife Beyonce met with the president and first lady last month, apparently Obama wanted to know how things were going with 10-month-old daughter Blue Ivy, the president says in an interview with Cleveland’s Z107.9. “I made sure that Jay-Z was helping Beyonce out [with Blue Ivy],” Obama says. “And not leaving it all with mom and the mother-in-law.” The Obamas apparently have a great rapport with Jay-Z and Beyonce. “I’ve gotten to know these guys over the first several years,” Obama says. “They’re good people. They’re down to earth. Beyonce could not be sweeter to Michelle and the girls. So they’re good friends. They really are down-to-earth folks. We talk about the same things I talk about with all my friends.”

“Blue Bloods” star Jennifer Esposito is irate over producers of the hit CBS show sidelining her character due to the actress’ health issues, and she’s taken to Twitter to vent. “CBS put me on unpaid leave and has blocked me from working anywhere else after my doctor said you needed a reduced schedule due to Celiac [disease],” Epostito writes. “CBS didn’t listen to my doc and I collapsed on set. Which everyone saw! After a week off, my doc said I could return to work but CBS implied that I was not truly ill and this was a scheme to get a raise! It’s been almost two months without bringing me back to work and keeping me from working anywhere else! Absolutely shameful behavior.” The show’s studio has responded with a statement saying that Esposito “is a wonderfully talented actress and we hope that she will be able to return at some point in the future.”

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According to A Great Big City, cops tried to pull over the driver when the Hummer was spotted going the wrong direction down Sixth Avenue at around 2:15 p.m. The site also reports the Hummer was stolen from Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club on 25th Street — the site of President Obama’s fundraiser tonight.

The driver of the Hummer took off, eventually colliding with a taxi and an MTA bus on 23rd St. The vehicle also damaged the Rub BBQ restaurant at 208 West 23rd St.

The driver was reportedly arrested at the scene.

According to the FDNY, eight people were injured in the incident. Four of the victims had serious injuries, while the other four sustained minor injuries. One person refused treatment. The rest of the victims were transported to Beth-Israel Hospital or Bellevue. 

The NYPD was not releasing further information this afternoon.

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Paltrow got up on stage with rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West during the “Watch the Throne Tour” in Paris on Friday. She later tweeted a photo of herself standing near the rappers, with the caption “Ni**as in paris for real.”

“Niggas in Paris” is the title of a song by Jay-Z and Kanye West and one that the pair performed 11 times that night, according to TMZ.

Despite the fact that Paltrow didn’t fully spell the n-word in her tweet, many of her Twitter followers fired back at her for using the word at all, calling it racist.

Paltrow later responded to the criticism, tweeting, “Hold up. It’s the title of the song!,” but her prior comment has sparked an Internet-wide debate over the use of the word and who exactly is allowed to say it. Some fans insisted it’s never alright for someone to use that word, especially in reference to specific people, as some believe Paltrow was referring to Jay-Z and West by saying “for real.”

Other fans rushed to her defense, saying it’s perfectly fine for her to say the word that’s in the title of a song that Jay-Z and West both say themselves.

Here’s a roundup of tweets debating the issue. Is Gwyneth Paltrow in the wrong or in the right?

[View the story "Gwyneth Paltrow: Ok or not? " on Storify]

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A new TV spot offers a glimpse at the soon-to-open 18,000 seat arena. The ad mostly seems like an attempt at convincing Brooklyn to like the Barclays Center, which, mission accomplished, because they got Jay-Z.

It begins with a series of Brooklyn-defining words flashing across the screen which are read aloud by a raspy-voiced narrator.

“It is a lifestyle,” says the narrator over some slow-motion video of people crossing the street.

“It is an attitude,” he adds as the camera pans over a still shot of Jay-Z on stage.

Now to the good part.

“The transformation of its residential and business areas has prepared this great borough for an even greater future. It has prepared Brooklyn for the Barclays Center.”

You heard it right, Brooklyn. All that history was just preparing you: You’re ready now, Brooklyn. You’re ready for Barclays. Spread your wings and fly.

The rest of the video includes a push at convincing people that the Barclays Center is right up there with the Brooklyn Bridge as a great Brooklyn landmark. Later on, the narrator tells us just how easy it is to get to the Barclays Center from absolutely anywhere. See for yourself.

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Courteney Cox hasn’t been having much luck in the romance department since her split from husband David Arquette, she admits in an interview with Howard Stern. “No guy’s asked me out. I’m not saying I’m not ready to have a make-out session, but it just makes me nervous. I don’t like to go out in general,” she says. “I have sexual feelings, and there’s ways to deal with that.” But Cox admits that dating needs to make its way to the top of her agenda: “It’s time for me to get out there. It’s not easy to meet people. They don’t call me,” she explains.

Zac Efron and “Mirror Mirror” star Lily Collins were spotted attending a birthday party for a pal of Efron’s together at L.A. restaurant STK recently, prompting speculation that the young actors are now an item, according to People magazine. “They even walked in holding hands,” a source says. “They had a drink at the bar together and then joined the birthday crew on the patio.” That same night, though, Efron hit up nightclub Lexington Social House to hang out with Miley Cyrus.

Blue Ivy Carter, the 1-month-old daughter of Jay-Z and Beyonce, is set to be a household name, so naturally her parents felt the need to trademark it. In late January, the couple filed an application at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to prevent Blue Ivy’s name from being used, according to the Washington Post. And they weren’t just being paranoid, as the office had already received — and denied — multiple applications for trademarks using the baby’s name, including a fashion design entrepreneur and a fragrance company. Both were rejected, with the office citing that the name belongs “to a very famous infant.”

Jennifer Aniston is used to the rumors and stories about her that keep the tabloids in business, but that doesn’t mean she has to like them. In fact, as she tells InStyle magazine, one — involving Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie — is particularly more annoying than the others. “There are so many,” she says of the misconceptions about her. “I would say the triangle with my ex-husband — and that there’s a feud there. It’s constant. It’s a story headline that won’t go away, but it’s a money thing — a story that has nothing to do with reality.”

Justin Timberlake reportedly skipped the Super Bowl to celebrate his 31st birthday with weekend of skiing in British Columbia, Canada, according to the Calgary Herald. “One of our employees had quite the interesting experience. It was one of those ‘no way, no way, that’s not him’ moments,” the owner of a local ski shop tells the newspaper.  “He was smaller than [we] thought. And he was going around with a bit of a beard.” There was no word if Jessica Biel, to whom he recently proposed, was along for the trip.

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In the wake of his split from Katy Perry, Russell Brand has reportedly set his sights on “New Girl” star Zooey Deschanel — and has been sending her “fun, flirty texts,” according to Hollyscoop. Sources say that Brand “thinks she’s hysterically funny and cute, too. He loves her quirky sense of humor, and thinks they’d be great together both on-and-off screen.” Coincidentally, Deschanel filed for divorce from husband Ben Gibbard just days before Brand filed for divorce from Perry.

While in recent years Angelina Jolie has seemed to tame the bad-girl ways that made her famous, Brad Pitt insists — rather coyly — that her at-home behavior is still pretty fun. “She’s still a bad girl,” Brad says in an interview with CBS This Morning. “Delightfully so. It’s not for public consumption.”

Beyonce showed off her post-baby body in her first public outing since giving birth a month ago, attending husband Jay-Z’s charity concert at Carnegie Hall, according to Us Weekly. The new mom reportedly made the most of her night out at the concert’s after-party, as well. “She made a much bigger effort to say hello to nearly everyone, making rounds around the whole club before joining Jay-Z and guests in the VIP room,” a source says.

All of David Beckham’s professional bona fides didn’t matter when it came to challenging a referee at his son’s soccer match recently, as the heated exchange ended up with Beckham being forced to leave the field. “The kids are 7 years old and he sent the kid off,” Beckham tells Jonathan Ross during an interview, defending his actions. “I was like, ‘Come on, he’s 7, referee, you can’t send him off.’”

Given how much the “Twilight” franchise has changed his life, it’s no surprise Robert Pattinson tends to give a lot of thought to the vampire series — and the ramifications of its success. “Doing something like ‘Twilight’ opens doors and it closes others,” Pattinson tells the Herald Scotland. “You can say, ‘Oh if I was still unknown, then no one would judge me. But at the same time, nobody would give a s— either. It’s a weird little balance.”

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First, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday that the couple was entitled  to the superstar treatment they got at Lenox Hill that has been criticized by other new parents, because the famous pair shelled out the cash for it.

Bloomberg defended the rumored $1.3 million spent at the hospital by the couple to ensure absolute secrecy, saying it helped subsidize health care for others, according to DNAinfo. The celebrity parents were at the center of controversy after a new dad whose twins were in the NICU at Lenox Hill said he was barred from seeing his babies while the famous family was on the move inside the hospital.

“If [the hospital] got paid a lot of money and it let them provide services to other people who don’t have insurance or can’t afford it, I’m not so sure it’s a bad thing,” Bloomberg told reporters at an unrelated press conference.

“I don’t think you should keep people from seeing their babies, or whatever, but have different services for people who are full-paying patients. It’s easy to go and criticize, but somebody’s got to pay,” he added.

The couple left Lenox Hill with their new baby late last night. What is being rumored as the first photo of Beyonce with her daughter popped up online today. Go Ham or Go Home asks: real or fake? What do you think?

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I speak, of course, about Blue Ivy Carter, who, according to a press release from her two very famous parents, had a very “emotional and extremely peaceful” birth. And, per the release, came into the world “naturally.”

You hear that? Not only was the birth peaceful, it was “extremely” so, meaning that Beyonce does not vomit or poop herself while bringing life into this world. I doubt she even grimaced or cursed, she is that perfect.

Another perfect (and ridiculous) thing? This baby’s bling lifestyle. Beyonce and Jay-Z reportedly spent $1.5 million on designer toys and nursery furnishings. “Jay-Z bought Beyonce a solid gold handmade Ginza Tanaka rocking horse for $600,000. They’ve even splashed out on a $30,000 magical windmill playhouse for the garden and a mini Bugatti car, too,” a source tells Britain’s Star magazine. “They’ve bought a wardrobe packed with thousands of dollars’ worth of one-off designer baby clothes.” Other items reportedly include a Swarovski crystal-encrusted high-chair, a chic lucite crib and gold and diamond rattles from Tiffany & Co.

Since the source of this story is Star magazine, let’s take this with a grain of salt. A high chair covered in crystals? That has to cause some major diaper rash.

Lohan moves on to Lifetime

If there is a place for Lindsay Lohan (besides rehab), it’s the Lifetime network — she is the embodiment of an after-school special. Luckily, it looks like the disgraced starlet has figured that out. After false starts with shots at playing Linda Lovelace and Victoria Gotti, Lohan is trying the biopic route once again to get her career restarted by signing on to play Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime Original Movie “Elizabeth & Richard: A Love Story,” according to Deadline. The film will focus on Taylor’s relationship with Richard Burton.

For more gossip news visit Dorothy Robinson’s Word blog. Follow her on Twitter @DorothyatMetro.
 

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The famous pair reportedly shelled out $1.3 million to rent out an entire floor of Lenox Hill hospital for the birth of their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, on Saturday night. They also stationed an entourage of body guards at the hospital, ensuring absolute isolation for Beyonce before, during and after her delivery by C-section.

“They locked us into the NICU and would say, ‘You can’t come out to the hallway for the next 20 minutes.’ When I finally was able to go back out, I went to the waiting room and they’d ushered my family downstairs,” Neil Coulon, a man whose wife also delivered a baby, told the New York Post.

One would expect the star treatment be given to the diva baby of music’s most famous couple, but hospital workers say it was taken to the utmost extreme. In renovations that began two months before the birth, tinted tape covered the windows of Beyonce’s hospital room and its regular door was replaced with one that was bulletproof. The entire floor would reportedly go into “lockdown” mode anytime the superstar family was on the move.

“These are parents who are going through very stressful times,’ Caloun said of parents whose babies are in the NICU. “To have that circus roll into town, having to deal with all this drama because someone is a superstar, isn’t fair.”

The bad press surrounding the birth of his daughter is now just one more problem Jay-Z has to add to his list, which already has 99. 

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There had to have been a musical motive to naming the child Blue (rhymes with “My boo?”). While it’s not likely the name was inspired by albums by Joni Mitchell or Weezer, I bet every time she does a doodle they can call it “The Blueprint” and “The Blueprint II.”  That, and it would have been weird to name her “Hova-ette.”

Yet another celebrity engagement/pregnancy

Sienna Miller has stopped her homewrecking ways, it seems (remember when she allegedly broke up the marriage of Balthazar Getty?). The actress and boyfriend Tom Sturridge are ready to get married and have a family, though which they’ll do first isn’t clear. Miller recently confirmed she’s expecting her first child in June, and now word comes that Sturridge popped the question during a recent vacation to Paris, according to Life & Style. “They’re engaged and really happy. Her family is happy, as they absolutely adore Tom,” a source says. “He filled their hotel suite at the Ritz with flowers and presented her with a vintage Victorian ring.”

For more gossip news visit Dorothy Robinson’s Word blog. Follow her on Twitter @DorothyatMetro. 

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Fellow celebrities and friends of the couple offered their congratulations to the new parents on Twitter.

“Welcome to the world princess Carter! Love Aunty Rih,” tweeted Rihanna.

Gwyneth Paltrow tweeted, “Welcome to the world Blue! We love you already.”

The couple, who married in 2008, reportedly went to great lengths to keep the birth under wraps at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. Beyonce checked in under the name Ingrid Jackson, according to the Daily News. The parents also spent $1.3 million to rent out the entire fourth floor of the hospital.

Welcome to the world, Blue Ivy Carter! Looks like we were totally off in our baby name predictions.

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Rodriguez and Diaz are done

The on-again, off-again relationship between Cameron Diaz and Yankees star Alex Rodriguez is reportedly off — again. “They broke up recently,” a source close to the couple tells Us Weekly. “They’re still very friendly and like each other. He has an enormous amount of respect for her.” As it turns out, work got in the way this time: “She’s very busy with her career,” the source says. “And he’s had injuries and wants to focus on his game. They’re dedicated professionals.”

We love it too, Sofia

“Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara is OK with her voluptuous figure, even if it helped her land a role as a transexual in a 2006 film, “Grilled.” “I look like a transsexual anyway. I’m a woman, but I’m super-exaggerated with my boobs,” Vergara tells The Advocate. “When I get ready for an event, I always look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘I look like a transvestite!’ I love it.”

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We’ve decided to express our congratulations for the couple in the form of baby name suggestions that we really hope they consider.

1. Sasha F. Knowles-Carter. Beyonce’s alter ego is of course “Sasha Fierce” and we know a little girl for the couple would mean one fierce baby! Typically, we’re not fans of hyphenated last names, but in this case, both parents have dropped their last names, so maybe they’ll express their true identities through their offspring.

2. Roc-a-baby. We have Roc-A-Fella records and Rocawear. This baby could be Jay-Z’s biggest brand extension yet.

3. Lil Hov. Come on, it’s a given that this kid is going to end up in the music industry. Might as well start with a sweet rap name right off the bat. This one is a tribute to one of Jay-Z’s many nicknames.

4. BeyoncJay. For obvious reasons.

5. Marvin or Otis. After Marvin Gaye or Otis Redding, two of Jay-Z’s biggest influences. If anyone else had these names, they’d get beat up on the playground, but we think this kid could stand up for himself.

6. Gloria. Maybe Jay-Z would want to honor his mom, who’s appeared on “The Black Album” talking proudly about her son.

7. LeToya or LaTavia. Those are the exiled members of Destiny’s Child, so not only has Beyonce already stolen the limelight from them, but now she could steal their names. That would be cold. Deliciously, deliciously cold.

8. Brooklyn. This one could actually be for realz. In his song “Hello Brooklyn 2.0,” Jay-Z raps, “Brooklyn, if we had a daughter guess what I’m a call her? Brooklyn Carter.” Granted, Jay-Z is having a baby with Beyonce, not Brooklyn. However, the mom-to-be is apparently a big fan of the name, too, since she was pictured sporting a “Brooklyn” tattoo in 2010.

What would you name Beyonce and Jay-Z’s baby?

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The answer might be in the project’s first video, “Otis.” Smiling as they trade verses and ride in a Maybach that gets the “Mad Max” treatment, they look like they are having fun with no rules.
“That’s the beauty in it. They didn’t need to do it for money. Not worried about radio singles or marketing campaigns, they just went in and produced what they thought was a dope album,” explains Geespin, assistant program director of New York’s Power 105 FM.

The presentation of the album was unprecedented. It was for sale exclusively through iTunes, while streaming online for free from Aug. 8-11. Then it hit all digital and physical retailers on Aug. 12. This allowed the Throne to dodge that most treacherous of artistic enemies in this digital age, the Internet leak.

The set also broke the U.S. iTunes Store’s one-week sales record last week when it sold nearly 290,000 downloads.

With the physical sales added to the digital, “Watch the Throne” is a lock for the top spot when Billboard updates its charts today.

In the music business, success usually breeds imitation. Are we on the brink of seeing more special projects like this? Will there be an heir to the Throne, so to speak? Geespin thinks so.

“I wish that more artists in the position would be more conceptual instead of thinking radio spins,” he says. “It’s good for the culture.”

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