Jay-Z: ‘Poet’

- During an interview with NME Jay-Z has claimed that rappers are ‘the poets of our generation’, saying  artists need to talk about ‘hard truths’ in their records. He lauded his groundbreaking appearance at Glastonbury 2008 as ‘knocking the door down’, and insisted that despite his closeness to President Barack Obama he would not be toning down his lyrics. Jay-Z recently scored his first UK number one single with Run This Town.

- Leonard Cohen is reported to have fainted onstage during a concert in Spain on Friday. Despite the collapse, said to have been caused by food poisoning, his tour will continue as normal with a performance in Barcelona tonight.

- Robbie Williams is expected to finally reunite with Take That for charity concert Children In Need at the Royal Albert Hall late next month. “It’s been absolutely amazing. I’ve always wanted to be in a band ever since we split,” The Mirror quotes him as saying. The ‘split’ in question was instigated when he himself walked out on the group, to launch one of the most successful music careers of all time alone. Williams releases his comeback album Reality Killed the Video Star on November 9th.

- Kanye West and Lady Gaga will co-headline a tour together this winter, reports Pitchfork. Dates stretching across America and Canada have been announced from November through January, with an international leg expected to follow.

- Keisha Buchanan is to leave the Sugababes, to be replaced by Jade Ewen, last seen in another dismal British performance at the Eurovision Song Contest. Despite twenty four top 40 singles in the UK, none of the groups original members remain with the band.