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Bruno Mars is in the clear. Yesterday, the Grammy-winning pop singer was cleared of a felony cocaine possession after meeting the agreements of a plea deal struck approximately one year ago.

On Wednesday, a state court judge in Las Vegas dismissed the case against Mars, 26, which began when the "It Will Rain" star pleaded guilty to cocaine possession on February 16, 2011. He was fined $2,000 and ordered to undergo drug counseling and perform 200 hours of community service. Mars was arrested in September 2010, when he was found with 2.6 grams of cocaine following his show at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

"Bruno earned the dismissal," Mars' lawyer told reporters. "He exceeded the expectations of the court."

The Grammy Awards have gone seven years without an official host, until this year. LL Cool J will do the honor of hosting the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, which will air on Feb. 12 from Los Angeles.

LL Cool J has hosted "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! - Countdown To Music's Biggest Night" since its inception in December 2008, and this will be his first time hosting the annual Grammy Awards telecast.

"I'm thrilled to be part of Music's Biggest Night," LL Cool J said, via statement. "I will always have fond memories of my first Grammy Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream."

The MC joins previously announced performers and current Grammy nominees Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift. Aldean and Minaj…

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Are Rihanna and Chris Brown keeping a secret relationship? A new report suggests that the pop star and singer/rapper, who ended their relationship after Brown assaulted Rihanna in early 2009, have been privately hooking up for nearly a year.

According to Us Weekly, multiple sources have confirmed that the pair have been casually meeting up, even though Brown is currently dating model Karrueche Tran. "They can't get enough of each other. I don't see it ending well," says one industry source quoted for the piece.

However, a rep for Brown tells Us, "He and Rihanna are just friends… He's not cheating." A rep for Rihanna did not comment for the story.

In Feb. 8, 2009, Brown was charged with two felonies stemming from a brutal attack on then-girlfriend Rihanna that took place in his car. Both singers were scheduled to perform at the 2009 Grammys later…

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You know the protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has gone mainstream when the headline of the Drudge Report on Wednesday morning reads, "Hands Off the Internet!"

Numerous Internet companies engaged in a "blackout" protest Wednesday against two anti-piracy bills, SOPA and its counterpart in the Senate, the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA). The bills are supported by the RIAA, MPAA and countless other creative and business organizations.

A handful of leading Internet sites are showing that fear is a great motivator. The logo on Google's home page is covered by a black rectangle. Following the link takes the reader to an "End Piracy, Not Liberty" page with information on the bills and an online petition.

At Wikipedia, a black welcome screen asks the visitor to "Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge" and warns that Congress is…

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Music publications this week are reporting that Jay-Z has penned a poem swearing off the use of the word "bitch," in honor of his newborn daughter Blue Ivy Carter.

The first publication to report the poem's existence, Rolling Out, cites no publication source for the poem and could not be reached for comment. Sources close to the rapper have declined to confirm or deny its authenticity.

A day before the re-opening of his NYC night club, 40/40 Club, Jay-Z told The Daily News that the "poem and story are fake."

The only release from Jay-Z since Blue Ivy's birth, the single "Glory (feat. B.I.C.)," was dropped via the rapper's website Jan.9. "Glory" made Billboard history as Blue Ivy became the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard chart -- the song features her coos and cries.…

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1. iHeartRadio

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In the 1950s, it was not uncommon for a band to make money off an ancient bit of technology known colloquially as an "album." People bought "albums" in exchange for money that was divided mostly between the store, the label, the distributor, and the band, which included not only the artists, but also producers and lawyers.

In the following 60 years, music hasn't died, but the old business model quite nearly did. People still buy solid, non-digital albums. Millions of people, in fact. In fact, vinyl sales are projected to hit 3.6 million in 2011, more than 10-times the figure from 1993.

But the vast majority of music we listen to comes out of the Internet, where most of it is free. How are bands supposed to make money off of clouds and $0.99 files? This extremely cool chart from the folks at…

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J. Cole is no longer at the top of the Rap/Hip Hop charts this week, but who's at #1? Murs and Ski Beatz rocket their way onto the charts, while Styles P holds a Top 100 spot.

Lil Wayne re-claimed the top of the Hip Hop charts, after three weeks of J. Cole's tenure. Additionally, Murs' first album with Dame Dash's Blu Roc Records squeezed onto the charts, as this week's key addition.

Lil Wayne's…

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