newsmakers

newsmakers

Original MTV veejays receive book deal

NEW YORK

MTV’s surviving original veejays have some wild times to share.

Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced Thursday that it had signed with Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and Martha Quinn for an “uncensored” oral history of the music channel launched in 1981. The book currently is untitled, and no release date had been set. A fifth veejay, J.J. Jackson, died in 2004.

According to Atria, the veejays will talk about everything from partying with Van Halen to a disastrous “Paint the Mutha Pink” contest with “Pink Houses” singer John Cougar Mellencamp.

Lil Wayne writing his prison memoir

NEW YORK

Lil Wayne is offering a literary tour of his prison days.

The million-selling rapper has signed with Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, for the memoir “Gone Till November.” Hachette announced Thursday that the book will tell of his eight months spent at the Rikers Island complex on a gun-possession charge. The book is scheduled to come out in November, two years after his release.

Born Dwayne Carter Jr., Lil Wayne had the best-selling album of 2008 with “Tha Carter III,” which won a Grammy for best rap album.

Foo Fighters, Swift to sing at Grammys

NEW YORK

Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars both have six Grammy nominations, including album of the year. And now both acts will perform at the award show.

The Recording Academy announced Thursday that Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson also will hit the stage at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12.

Kanye West leads with seven nominations. Adele also is up for six Grammys, including album, song and record of the year.

The Grammys will air live on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Vindicator wire services