Paula Abdul Leaves American Idol

New York, NY – Fox has delivered one of the hottest shows on television for past eight seasons with the intricate American Idol series. For those eight seasons, Pop icon vixen of the 80’s and 90’s, Paula Abdul, was one of the character judges that won the hearts of many being the protagonist to Simon Cowell’s antagonist on the show’s back and forth attributes. American Idol within itself has been a fan favorite since its first introduction into Fox’s primetime slot and has spawned several talented artists that eventually hit mainstream music. At one time three pivotal judges, now four, could be seen between two to three nights on television going through a huge list of amateur singers and non-singers in each city trying out for their chance of a lifetime, for that recording contract.

Paula Abdul’s public announcement of her resignation from the show hit fans and the network with an immediate bewilderment. It was seems as though it could be due to non-feasible contract renegotiations with Fox Entertainment. Was Paula unhappy with the offer that was presented across the table for her during contract renewal or does she assume she deserves more money? This all seems possible.

During a Television Critics Association press conference on Thursday, Fox Entertainment chairman, Peter Rice, spoke to reporters about Abdul’s sudden decision of resignation from the show. According to Rice, Abdul will not be returning to the show.

These were his comments:

“We were hoping Paula came back, we love Paula. She’s been clearly wonderful on the show for eight years and was an important part of the ‘Idol’ family. There’s going to be a change. It wasn’t a decision we made. But now that the decision’s been made, we have to look at it in a positive way. We have to look at it as an opportunity for the show to bring a different energy to it and an energy that can be entertaining for the public.

With Abdul’s sudden resignation, Fox Entertainment will be searching for a suitable replacement that can live up to her expectations that Paula bought to the cast. There would have to be an immediate chemistry between the new judge and the ones that have been there.

“What we need to find is someone who has great chemistry. It’s really a casting job. … There are multiple right answers and there are multiple wrong answers. Our job in the next four to five months is to really consider what makes this the most fun and the most entertaining.”

According to Rice, the network made, what they state is, a fair offer to Abdul, but she declined. According to reports, the offer was a multiyear, eight figure salary that would be 30% raise from her initial contract. At press time, Fox is searching for an immediate replacement for the next season to join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi for the fourth permanent judge.

Keep posted to 24hourhiphop.com for more updated news in Abdul’s replacement on American Idol.

Shyne Release Date Approaching

New York, NY – Ex-Bad Boy artist Shyne has been incarcerated for quite some time now, as matter fact for the past 8 years. Ever since his indictment in 2001 for the shooting in Club New York, which involved Diddy and Jennifer Lopez at the time, he has been patiently waiting ever since. And since that year, speculation spread that execs were working behind the scenes to get him released or at least lighten his sentence, and just like every year that passed, nothing seemed to happen. Now as his release date draws extremely close, speculation into the actual date is still up in the air as a computer malfunction states otherwise.

Shyne’s attorney, Oscar Michelan, recently spoke to MTV News concerning the upcoming release of his client after eight years and seven months of incarceration stating that the actual date of his release was never in question. At the time when Shyne was initially incarcerated in June of 2001, his sentence stated that he will not be eligible for release until October of 2009. This also included the first two months that he served at in Riker’s Island prior to his sentencing. And even then, his release date was always set for October. According to Michelan, the reason behind the confusion was possibly from the misinterpretation of legal filings and a computer error.

These were his comments to MTV News:

I’ll tell you what happens; I think [the basis for the rumor] was created by a computer because the Department of Corrections has a Web site where you can do an inmate look-up. And if you have the information it will show you that [Shyne’s] earlier release date was originally April [of this year] and then June. And we don’t know how that was in there. But it showed that. And then what would happen is before a release date [an inmate] would get produced before a parole board, and in the institution there would be rumors that [Shyne] was up for parole. I guess inmates or guards would spread the rumor.”

Either way, Michelan states that Shyne has never even been bought before a parole board:

To my knowledge he was never actually physically presented to a parole board, because there was no decision to be made. It was clear when he would be getting out — he would be getting out the earliest he could — so what would he discuss, really?

At press time, Shyne has been cleared to be released on October 6, 2009. The questions lingering in fans minds now is, Is Shyne still under contract with Def Jam and will he regain his creditability amongst the music industry and release another album?

Keep posted to 24hourhiphop.com for updated news on the release of Shyne.