HHDX News Bits (Friday)

According to Nielsen BDS and as reported by USA Today, R&B and Hip-hop dominated the top 100 songs of the year once again, accounting for some 60% of the top songs. Hip-hop and R&B, so-called urban music tripled the percentage of pop songs and collected six times the figures of country and rock music

Also according to Nielson, overall album sales were down 7 percent this year to 618.9 million. Many are quick to blame bootlegging (such a conspiracy blaming a small online group known as ibootleg). However, CD sales in 1996, before the Internet was in wide use, were some 616 million

The Sources annual Power 30 is slated to hit news stands next week, and as always it comes loaded with controversy. Irv Gotti will be named number one this year as the most powerful force in hip-hop.

Many are puzzled as Murder Inc. hasnt been a force in hip-hop in years and 2005 came without so much as a gold album and only two greatest hits albums from Ja Rule and Ashanti. The most noteworthy event of 05 for Gotti was his acquittal for money laundering charges. There has been speculation that Gottis personal relationship with Mays and Benzino landed him the spot