Jay Z

Kings of Leon have cancelled all dates of their 2011 tour because the lead singer, Caleb Followill, is suffering from "vocal issues and exhaustion. " The announcement was made Monday by tour promoter Live Nation. The band had been scheduled to perform at Jiffy Lube Live August 9 as part of the 30-city tour. Tickets bought online or by phone will be refunded automatically; others can be refunded whereever purchased. Jiffy Lube Live started offering refunds today. The US tour will not be rescheduled because of the band's international tour schedule, the statement said.

Kanye West and Jay-Z, whose new collaborative album "Watch the Throne" will be released next month, will also tour together, it was announced Monday by concert promoter Live Nation.  The two rappers will go on a 24-city tour, also called "Watch the Throne," that will kick off in Detroit September 22. The tour includes stops in Washington - on Sept. 29 at the Verizon Center - and Baltimore - on Nov. 1 at 1st Mariner Arena . Tickets go on sale August 8, the same day the album is released exclusively on iTunes.

Here are the pros and cons of "Otis," the second offering from Kanye West/Jay-Z's collaborative album, Watch the Throne , which drops Aug. 1 digitally. If you like buying CDs (bless you), you can purchase it Aug. 5. The suits are taking down all of the YouTube videos, so head over to the Life + Times website to stream it. PROS •••• Kanye sends a subtle diss to Drake ("N----s talking real reckless / stuntmen" plays on Drake's famous line "I made enough for two n----s, boy / stunt-double")

Dallas Mavericks guard DeShawn Stevenson has engaged Miami Heat forward LeBron James in a war of words during the NBA Finals, bringing back memories of when Stevenson was with the Wizards and James was still in Cleveland. Reminiscing about that beef on Thursday’s “Outside the Lines,” ESPN’s Bob Ley recited the first verse of "Blow the Whistle," a Stevenson diss that LeBron’s buddy Jay-Z wrote in 2008 -- including the line, "When you talking to a don, please have respect like you're talking to your mom. " Listening to the stoic sportscaster read Jay-Z lyrics might not be for you, but I thoroughly enjoyed it .

In January, Drake facetiously told Tim Westwood that he heard “some other guys” — Kanye West and Jay-Z — were doing a joint album. He even inferred the titans jacked the idea from him and Lil Wayne. It’s a funny shot (collaboration albums are nothing new to any genre) but it spoke volumes to Drake’s view-point: the young guns run the game and it’s time for the old (Jay) and slightly less old (Kanye) to fall back a bit. In case Jay and Kanye missed the message, Drake spells it out on “I’m On One.” The DJ Khaled-single also features Rick Ross and Wayne, but it's entirely Drake’s moment.

Start spreading the news: Sinatra's out at the Belmont Stakes. The New York Racing Association says Frank Sinatra's classic version of "New York, New York" is being replaced by "Empire State of Mind" as the music heard when the horses step onto the track for the $1 million Belmont on Saturday. The change is being made because Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" has become a "quintessential 21st century theme song for New York City," says NYRA marketing director Neema Ghazi. "New York, New York" replaced "Sidewalks of New York" in 1997.

For live music lovers, Tuesday night was a clash of the titans: Van Morrison, Jay-Z, Jewel and Snoop Dogg all performed at different Baltimore venues. It's rare to see such a diverse lineup of star musicians at once in Baltimore. Here are excerpts from reviews of the four shows, which originally appeared on the night life and music blog Midnight Sun: Jay-Z at 1st Mariner Arena: : Jay-Z's performance was a 90-minute hit parade that toured through "The Black Album," "Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life" and the rapper's latest No. 1 album (his 11th to debut at No. 1, which surpasses Elvis' record)

The differences between Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z - two hip-hop icons - can be subtle or striking. Snoop drops it like it's hot. Jay-Z brushes his shoulders off. Tonight, Snoop and Jay-Z will have at least one thing in common: They'll both be performing in Baltimore, though at slightly different venues. Jay-Z is headlining 1st Mariner Arena, which seats more than 14,000, depending on the staging. Snoop is at the slightly smaller (but no less respectable) Rams Head Live in Power Plant Live, which holds 2,000, give or take.

ORLANDO, Fla. - There was a big personality waiting to leap out of Michael Phelps. He was just waiting for someone to ask the right questions after he waved to a crowd of fans in a celebratory parade hosted by Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom yesterday. Phelps, of Rodgers Forge, chatted with a row of television reporters. He gave rehearsed answers to the same tired questions. "Has the reality of eight gold medals sunk in yet?" several reporters asked. "When the eighth happened, I had to realize what really happened," said Phelps, who has traveled to Portugal, London and New York in the past eight days.

Kanye West ESSENTIALS: A Chicago rapper with limited mike skills, West was underdog producer before becoming The Rap Diva. He made beats for Jay-Z and other hip-hop stars before releasing three multiplatinum albums of his own. WHAT TO EXPECT : West is the centerpiece of his over-the-top production, complete with glow-in-the-dark backdrops, whose ambition strives to match the size of his ego. No word on whether he'll have that production-heavy set at...