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Rick Ross Announces Everything at New York MMG Press Conference

Not just any rapper can just call a press conference, let alone mediated by Rap-Radar's Elliott Wilson and featuring some of the hip-hop world's biggest names stopping by to talk about how great you are. But as Wilson himself put it, "everything Ross does is big," So Ross assembled his entire Maybach Music Group roster—minus Stalley, who was overseas on tour—to make some announcements of the big things going on with the Untouchable Maybach Music Group Empire.

First and foremost, Ross's much-anticipated, oft-delayed God Forgives, I Don't now has an official release date: July 31st. The date might not be tremendously exciting for fans that expected GFID to be out late last year, but with Ross's health scare and his general perfectionism, it's probably the first realistic date we've heard for the album's release. "The stories that's being told on this record are gonna make it stand apart from everything else I've ever done," Ross said of his fifth studio album. "This was the missing part of my legacy, and it's gonna put me over the top." (Ross also said that nothing of his that's already been released is gonna make it to the final record—sorry, "I Love My Bitches" megafans.)

In addition, Ross's team all showed up to announce the release dates of their own respective albums. They are, deep breath: Meek Mill's Dreams and Nightmares, out August 28th, with a new single in June, Wale's untitled Ambition follow-up, due at the top of 2012 ("The very tippy-top") and the entire label's Self-Made, Vol. 2 compilation, out June 26th. In addition, the first MMG effort from the newest official label signee, one-time B2k member and R&B star of yesteryear Omarion, is also in its way, preceded by the Rick Ross-featuring single "Let's Talk," which borrows from a couple '90s classics, sampling the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa" and interpolating Salt n Pepa's "Let's Talk About Sex" in the chorus. "Today I become a made man," beamed Omarion, who apparently now also goes by the name "Maybach O."

Finally, Rick Ross also took a moment to reflect on his outside business ventures, as detailed by his financial compadres Diddy and Swizz Beats. The latter announced some exciting news for Rozay's plus-sized fans, as he revealed that The Boss would be partnering with Reebok to release a line of Big and Tall footwear. "I got all y'all big guys, tall guys," Ross proclaimed. "We goin' in, we turnin' up." No doubt.

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The Great Boy Band Hair-Off, Final Four: Princeton vs. Omarion

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Over the next week, we're going to be squaring 32 of the all-time greatest boy band hair cuts—individual members of boy bands that is, with some groups having multiple eligible members (and one or two members having multiple eligible haircuts)—off against one another, with the goal of crowning the greatest boy band haircut of all time. From Davy Jones of The Monkees' Proto-Bieber 'do to Justin Timberlake's stringy Ramen-noodle look from his 'N Sync days to Harry Styles of One Direction's soon-to-be-iconic swoop, haircuts from all eras of boy bands are in play.

Our first rounds saw a great number of lower-seeded upsets, launching today’s biggest stars over classic and cult coiffure role models alike—so much for our strange fascination with Chris Kirkpatrick’s skunk nest. A total of two number one seeds fell to the bracket game floor in the first round, just like the strands of their once-fabled hairstyles did many years ago, while One Direction's Harry Styles prevailed over U.K. mate Nathan Sykes of The Wanted in round two, ending the ongoing debate over who is more awesome—for now. Most recently, K-pop fans and Disney lovers have made their feelings known, launching their respective favorites into the coveted Final Four, and now R&B fans are forced to show their true allegiances.

Next up: A battle between two generations of smooth crooners as Too Much Hair takes on the Braids, Dreads and Fades region. Mindless Behavior's Princeton may have hair wide beyond his years, but is it enough to defeat Omarion? Those familiar braids did help launch B2K to radio and chart success long before the boys of MB were even a thought in our minds. Examine the matchups below, and then vote in the polls underneath to decide who you want to advance to the next round. It’s the first-ever Great Boy Band Hair-Off—forget all the camaraderie and chemistry that usually defines the boy band experience. This March, there can be only one.

Previous Regions: Final Four: Joe Jonas vs. G-Dragon

Elite 8: Pretty/Girly and Too Much Hair, Dye Jobs and Braids, Dreads and Fades

Round Two: Pretty/Girly and Too Much Hair, Dye Jobs and Braids, Fades and Dreads

Round One: Pretty/Girly, Too Much Hair, Dye Jobs, Braids, Dreads and Fades

The Boy: Princeton (4)

The Band: Mindless Behavior ("Mrs. Right," "My Girl")

The Era: '10s

The Hair: A huge afro that sometimes gets parted in the middle, when he can see out from underneath it all. As the MB frontman, his hair helps reinforce the band's stance on a timeless issue: bigger really is better.

The Boy: Omarion (7)

The Band: B2K ("Bump, Bump, Bump," "Uh Huh")

The Era: Early '00s

The Hair: Thin braids so tightly wound, it's as if they served to keep all the musical mastery he was privy to deep inside his beautiful head.

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The Great Boy Band Hair-Off, Round Two: Dye Jobs and Braids, Dreads & Fades

Over the next week, we’re going to be squaring 32 of the all-time greatest boy band hair cuts—individual members of boy bands that is, with some groups having multiple eligible members (and one or two members having multiple eligible haircuts)—off against one another, with the goal of crowning the greatest boy band haircut of all time. From Davy Jones of The Monkees’ Proto-Bieber ‘do to Justin Timberlake’s stringy Ramen-noodle look from his ‘N Sync days to Harry Styles of One Direction’s soon-to-be-iconic swoop, haircuts from all eras of boy bands are in play.

Our first round saw a great number of lower-seeded upsets, launching today’s biggest stars over classic and cult coiffure role models alike—so much for our strange fascination with Chris Kirkpatrick’s skunk nest. A total of two Number One seeds fell to the bracket game floor, just like the strands of their once-fabled hairstyles did many years ago.

Next up: Round Two of the Dye Jobs Region, where all the most rampant abusers of Clairol and L'Oreal in boy band history find themselves, plus the Braids, Dreads and Fades region, where the best haircuts that go every which way but bald duel to the death. Examine the matchups below, and then vote in the polls underneath to decide who you want to advance to the next round. It’s the first-ever Great Boy Band Hair-Off—forget all the camaraderie and chemistry that usually defines the boy band experience. This March, there can be only one.

Previous Regions: Pretty/Girly and Too Much Hair

The Boy: Justin Timberlake (1)

The Band: 'N Sync ("Tearin' Up My Heart," "Bye Bye Bye")

The Era: Late '90s / Early '00s

The Hair: A goldilocks-esque set of peroxide blonde curls, whose similarity to a certain dorm-room food staple has oft been cited. It's a look we haven't such much of from JT—or from anyone else, for that matter—since the millennium turned.

The Boy: G-Dragon (5)

The Band: Big Bang ("Lollipop," "Tell Me Goodbye")

The Era: Late '00s / '10s

The Hair: While everyone else in the boy band world went yellow, Big Bang's G-Dragon went blond, blue, red, or whatever other color necessary to make waves in the K-Pop world. Standing out in that scene is no small order, you know.

The Boy: A.J. McLean (3)

The Band: Backstreet Boys ("I Want It That Way," "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)")

The Era: Late '90s / Early '00s

The Hair: Because nearly every boy bander was obligated to go blond around the turn of the century, A.J. decided to give it a go. You may or may not have noticed at the time, however, given his tendency to cover up whatever hairstyle he was currently rocking with a succession of goofy hats.

The Boy: Nick Lachey (7)

The Band: 98 Degrees ("Because of You," "Give Me Just One Night (Una Nocha)")

The Era: Late '90s / Early '00s

The Hair: Nick didn't go the full-fledged dye route that Justin adopted, instead preferring to go with just the frosted tips--a look just as iconic of the late '90s in its own way. Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray certainly understands, anyway.

The Boy: Izzy (8)

The Band: Us5 ("Maria," "Round & Round")

The Era: '00s

The Hair: Thick and bushy dreads hanging down like an octopus with hairy legs, often decorated by a colorful bandanna across his forehead.

The Boy: JB (5)

The Band: JLS ("Everybody In Love," "One Shot")

The Era: '10s

The Hair: Swirling waves inscribed on the side of his noggin, opening the door for the tagging of various messages or his own name, should people start getting this British import mixed up with someone else.

The Boy: Baby Blue (6)

The Band: Pretty Ricky ("On The Hotline")

The Era: '00s

The Hair: Borrowing heavily from frontmen of '80s hair bands, the side stripes, plus the height of his pseudo-mohawk, ensured he'd ~~regret this years later~~ have a look like no one else's.

The Boy: Omarion (7)

The Band: B2K ("Bump, Bump, Bump," "Uh Huh")

The Era: Early '00s The Hair: Thin braids so tightly wound, it's as if they served to keep all the musical mastery he was privy to deep inside his beautiful head.

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The Great Boy Band Hair-Off: Braids, Dreads & Fades Region

Click to enlarge

Next up: The Braids, Dreads & Fades region. A haven for the overstyled. From ridiculous designs proudly shaved into the side of one's head, to voluminous braids any seven-year-old girl would be jealous of, like Ellis Island, we here at Popdust welcome it all. Examine the matchups below, and then vote in the polls underneath to decide who you want to advance to the next round. It’s the first-ever Great Boy Band Hair-Off—forget all the camaraderie and chemistry that usually defines the boy band experience. This March, there can be only one.

Previous Regions: Pretty/Girly, Too Much Hair, Dye Jobs

The Boy: Chris Kirkpatrick (1)

The Band: 'N Sync ("Tearin' Up My Heart," "Bye Bye Bye")

:Era: Late '90s / Early '00s

The Hair: Kirkpatrick began his boy band career with an atrocious middle part, before finding his calling throwing colorful accessories and random add-ons into his famous coif. At its best, his look most closely resembled a rat's nest of braids, dreadlocks and leftover snacks found on the No Strings Attached tour bus.

The Boy: Izzy (8)

The Band: Us5 ("Maria," "Round & Round")

The Era: '00s

The Hair: Thick and bushy dreads hanging down like an octopus with hairy legs, often decorated by a colorful bandanna across his forehead.

The Boy: Justin Timberlake (4)

The Band: 'N Sync ("I Want You Back," "Pop") The Era: Late '90s / Early '00s

The Hair: Sharing a dressing room with four other dudes led JT to experiment with various shades and styles, but none deserved as much criticism as his head full of corn rows, years before the world was ready for a white man rapping.

The Boy: JB (5)

The Band: JLS ("Everybody In Love," "One Shot")

The Era: '10s

The Boy: Romeo (3)

The Band: Immature/IMx ("Never Lie")

The Era: '90s/ Early '00s

The Hair: An explosion of dreads meets unidentified shrubbery in a grungy blond tint. A classic look made complete only when accompanied by an eye patch.

The Boy: Baby Blue (6)

The Band: Pretty Ricky ("On The Hotline")

The Era: '00s

The Hair: Borrowing heavily from frontmen of '80s hair bands, the side stripes, plus the height of his pseudo-mohawk, ensured he'd ~~regret this years later~~ have a look like no one else's.

The Boy: Jacob Underwood (2)

The Band: O-Town ("Liquid Dreams," "All or Nothing")

The Era: Early '00s

The Hair: A collection of dark brown and auburn dreadlocks that grew at a rapid pace once he was sure he made the band, during the inaugural season of the reality series.

The Boy: Omarion (7)

The Band: B2K ("Bump, Bump, Bump," "Uh Huh")

The Era: Early '00s The Hair: Thin braids so tightly wound, it's as if they served to keep all the musical mastery he was privy to deep inside his beautiful head.

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

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Five Reasons Why Maybach Music Should Sign Omarion

The Internet (Hip-Hop Wing) was set alight recently by a picture of Omarion elbowing his way into a posse pose of Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, which along with reports of the singer showing up on stage with Rozay at a recent gig at the Hammerstein Ballroom, has led to speculation that The O might be joining up all official-like with MMG. While Omarion would represent an off-beat pick-up for MMG—his rap credentials are sketchy at best, and it's been a solid half-decade since he even appeared on a Top 40 hit—we think the reasons are actually quite numerous as to why the signing would make sense.

Gotta keep up with YMCMB's formidable collection of has-beens. While Maybach Music has been sitting around twiddling their thumbs, Young Money has been amassing a stockpile of talent that would absolutely be running the game right now if it was still 2002. Mystikal, Busta Rhymes, Fred Durst...hell, when it was announced (erroneously, apparently) that Lumidee was joining the gang, we barely even blinked. Omarion alone wouldn't be enough to compete with YM's ten-years-too-late gang, but it'd be a hell of a start. You guys remember how big "Bump, Bump, Bump" was?

What's more, Omarion used to be on YMCMB. Before Drake and Nicki Minaj took the label into the stratosphere, Young Money briefly experimented with Omarion on their label, with mixed results—third album Ollusion sold less than 20k in its first week and failed to generate a hit single (though, to be fair, "I Get It In" was fucking awesome). If MMG could make it work with O, that'd be a hell of a feather in their cap over YM for Hottest Crew in the Game debates. Hey, if they can do it with Wale...

Boy bands are huge again. Omarion solo might not be as smart a signing as B2K entire would be...but then again, remember how all those solo members of New Kids on the Block and Menudo and the Bay City Rollers (OK, maybe not the Bay City Rollers) ended up having solo hits for the first time in ages around the time that BSB and N Sync started blowing up? If there's even a 10% chance that O might be able to give MMG a "Give It To You," think they gotta roll the dice on that one.

Veteran Leadership. Groups have been following Omarion into the fray since he was a teenager, whether as the frontman and mouthpiece for B2K, or as the head of breakdancing crew The Lil' Saints in You Got Served. It's like having a Derek Fisher in the locker room (or at least it was before the Lakers traded him yesterday for a box of Jujyfruits)—he might not be able to get it done the way he used to, but the fact that he's been there and done that already makes for a comforting and reassuring team presence.

More Sports-Team Hats. Rick Ross and Wale have the East Coast pretty well covered, and Stalley is forever repping the midwest, but the West Coast has gone criminally represented in group photo ops thusfar. If Omarion even owns a throwback L.A. Kings hat, we can only imagine what kind of Lakers and Raiders spreads he has back at Chateau O. A little diversity never hurts, guys.

[Bossip]

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A Nation of Pop Stars Reacts to the Dallas Mavericks' Championship

First and foremost, a hearty congratulations from us here at Popdust to the Dallas Mavericks, and finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, for winning their first NBA championship in franchise history, at the expense of the unprecedently hyped Miami Heat. The Mavs held strong through a rough first shooting half from the German Moses in Game Six last night, and pulled away in the fourth quarter for a surprisingly easy 105 - 95 victory, winning the series four games to two, in the process ensuring a glorious third-straight off-season of "What is the fucking deal with that LeBron James?" questioning.

The world's eyes—those not tuned to the Tonys, anyway—were on the American Airlines Arena last night, and that included a number of leading lights from the pop community. Some were disappointed with the result, others vindicated, others pleased, but drunk and hungry. Observe, a cross-section of pop star response:

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/Nelly_Mo/status/80101437081780224"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/JordinSparks/status/80103559768711168"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/jimjonescapo/status/80102667594117122"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/BigBoi/status/80101459764588544"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/ddlovato/status/80104032202522624"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/duttypaul/status/80102796225036288"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/dynation/status/80103482182471681"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/joshgroban/status/80107869244104704"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/twistaGMG/status/80117951021318144"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/JoeBudden/status/80092591584051200"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/1Omarion/status/80148340104364032"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/kelly_clarkson/status/80104403931111425"]