Sir Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Bob Dylan... 50 Cent? The times really are a-changing.
The hip hop superstar took home top honors at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Pop Music Awards Monday night, where he was named Songwriter of the Year by a group of industry peers.
The awards, voted on by more than 700 songwriters, recording artists and industry leaders, were doled out at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and in addition to Eminem's protege, also gave kudos to Green Day, Annie Lennox and Kelly Clarkson.
"I want to tell you that I use you for energy," 50 Cent said while accepting his award via a video message. "I listen to the material that you create...it helps me move to the next level...it inspires me to write even more exciting material."
It was the rapper's second time receiving the ceremony's top honor. He was so awarded for his contributions to five radio-friendly songs, "Candy Shop," "Disco Inferno," "Hate It Or Love It," "How We Do" and "Just A Lil Bit."

The No Doubt frontwoman and her rocker hubby, Gavin Rossdale, welcomed their first child together, a baby boy they named Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, according to a statement from their rep.
The baby was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and weighed in at seven pounds, eight ounces. Us Weekly, which first reported the arrival on its website, claimed he was delivered by C-section. Both mother and child were said to be doing well.
It's the first child for Stefani, and the second for Rossdale, who has a daughter from a previous relationship.
Stefani first announced her pregnancy during a performance in December, telling the crowd during a singalong, "I want you to say it loud enough so the baby hears it!"

Since DMX barreled into the rap scene in 1998, his fans and friends have affectionately called him "the Dog." But pretty soon, that might be his official name.

As he explores spirituality, X said, he's thinking about switching his stage moniker but wants to keep it simple.
"I think I'm going to have to do that soon for spiritual reasons," X told MTV Europe about shedding the Dark Man X name. X also said he was thinking about the name Dog, but he wasn't sure.
"It's just the whole Dark Man thing," he continued. "Because if you look at it, from a spiritual point of view, the Bible teaches us that we can speak things into existence. ... And Dark Man, you know, it may not be the best name for me."
X's album Year of the Dog, Again is slated for the end of August (see "DMX Signs With Columbia, Will Release Long-Delayed LP This Spring"). His new single, "Lord Give Me a Sign," is produced by Scott Storch and addresses his quest to get closer to God.

Kanye West has been accused of plagiarism during a hearing at the New York District Court in Manhattan.
IOF, a New Jersey group, have said that West, along with rapper Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, stole the lyrics and beats from their song 'Straight Like That', to create the 2003 hit 'Stand Up'.
The words "like that" are at issue in the case, and appear more than 80 times in both songs.
In the IOF track, the phrase "straight like that" is used, while in the Ludacris tune, the words "just like that" appear.
Both Ludacris and West - who co-produced 'Stand Up' - are expected to testify at the trial, BBC News reports.
Christine Lepera, lawyer for the defendants, has already criticised the case, telling the court: "There are scores of songs out there with the words 'like that' with that type of rhythm. None of you can monopolise certain expressions."

All of this may sound like the makings of Cirque Du Soleil, the Eurovision Song Contest, Live 8, a lost weekend in Vegas, and an evening at either the Kabbalah Centre or Coyote Ugly rolled into one. But of course, it was just the opening night of Madonna's much-hyped Confessions tour in Los Angeles.

Halliwell left the Spice Girls under controversial and somewhat secretive circumstances in 1998; the girl group continued on without her (releasing one post-Ginger album, 2000's rather inappropriately titled Forever, which Q magazine recently declared the 16th worst album of all time). Meanwhile, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1999 with Schizophonic; while the album was unsuccessful in the U.S., she put out two other solo albums in her native Britain, Scream If You Wanna Go Faster and Passion.

The Aussie pop star is understood to have scheduled a number of comeback concerts in her home town of Melbourne for November.
However, it seems the dates at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne will see Kylie's long-awaited return to the live stage and the public eye.
A "source" told the U.K.'s People newspaper: "She insists on Melbourne for her family, friends and hometown supporters.