Timbaland
Photo: Getty Images/ Peter Kramer

Timbaland still can't find the right category to classify his smash album Shock Value. He better figure something out quick — the producer is planning to go into the lab and make another one.

"It be hot for the world," he boasted of the 2007 album. "I really do focus groups. I get reports, readouts. I'm not gonna talk about it. If you ask for documentation, I got it. I'm a businessman and at the same time a CEO. But I looked at the charts: I went platinum in 16 different countries. Africa? Double platinum. Ireland? Double platinum. New Zealand? Triple platinum. London? Platinum. London is the hardest place to go platinum. France? Platinum. They don't like nobody unless you French, but they like me."

The LP's follow-up, Shock Value 2, already has a few tracks in the can but no release date yet. Tim said he wants to stay away from working with some of the same folks he included last time, just to keep everyone guessing.

"Shock Value is really like the Now [That's What I Call Music!] compilation," he said. "That's my goal for this — not [to showcase] me as an artist. Of course I'll do my little part, introduce some people. It gives me room to go tour across the world. People request me. I put on a show. I put on a musical show.

"Right now, I have a song with Madonna that I didn't put on her album. I saved [it] in case I wanna do one for me," he revealed. "Of course I'mma do one with Beyoncé. Of course I'mma do one with Jordin Sparks, Rihanna. It's a lot of people. I'mma do one with Jonas Brothers. I'mma try to have 10 major ones."

On the hip-hop side, Timbo said he's looking at T.I., already has T-Pain and expects Jay-Z. "Jay was really on the last one, but he wanted to change [the song]," he said. "I said, 'Look, man, I gotta put out an album. You're killing me.' "

Aside from Shock Value, Tim said he might be producing one of Jay-Z's next LPs in its entirety. Next up for the super-producer are LPs from Missy Elliott and Chris Cornell.

• Timbaland
• Rihanna
• Beyoncé
• Jonas Brothers

• Rihanna
• Lil Wayne
• Beyoncé
• Fergie

Jacob "The Jeweler" Arabov
Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage.com

Rappers had better stock up on their yellow-diamond tennis bracelets and sapphire-sprayed platinum chains, because the king of bling is going up the river for a while.

Jacob "The Jeweler" Arabov — the infamous New York diamond merchant who has outfitted countless rappers, NBA players and even onetime Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani — was sentenced Tuesday (June 24) to two and a half years in federal prison for lying to investigators about his part in a multistate drug ring.

According to The Associated Press, Arabov, who pleaded guilty in October to falsifying records and giving false statements, as part of a deal with federal prosecutors, was given seven months off his potential three-year-plus sentence for his extensive charity work. He was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine (barely enough to buy one of his low-end chains) and forfeit $2 million to the government.

"I feel ashamed that I broke the laws of this country, a country that has been so good for me," read a statement from Arabov, a 43-year-old Russian immigrant sometimes known as Jacob Arabo. "I will carry this shame for the rest of my life."

Arabov has gotten shout-outs in multiple Kanye West songs ("Touch the Sky," "All Falls Down," "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"), not to mention tracks by 50 Cent, R. Kelly, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Fabolous and Young Jeezy. He was arrested at his Manhattan shop in 2006 and accused of being part of a conspiracy to launder about $270 million in drug profits. Officials dropped the money-laundering charges against the jeweler as part of his plea agreement.

He was among 40 people indicted in the scheme orchestrated by the Black Mafia Family, which ran drugs out of Detroit beginning in the 1990s. Arabov will report to prison on January 15, and the judge in the case said he might have to receive drug treatment while in prison because he tested positive for cocaine following his arrest.

• 50 Cent
• R. Kelly
• Jay-Z
• Beyoncé
• Fabolous

Usher
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Usher has been making some boss moves for his latest LP, Here I Stand. Who else can commandeer appearances from both Jay-Z and Beyoncé, not to mention Will.I.Am, Young Jeezy and Lil "This is th-the remix baaaa-baaaay" Wayne?

"The remix to 'Love in This Club' features the Queen and ... one of the illest," Usher began to tell MTV Base of the version featuring Wayne and Beyoncé, whom he's dubbed the Queen of R&B.

Trumpeting Weezy F. Baby, he said, "Wayne, pound for pound, is one of the illest in the game, and I wanted it to be something that would be a surprise, be a shock. Have shock value. That's what the remix is all about. 'Damn, did you hear the remix? It's crazier than the original. I like it more.' I just think it's great. Plies actually did a verse on it as well. He came with it. Everybody basically did their thing, and I am very happy that I was able to put that one in."

Although it's still unclear whether or not Ush will be dropping a video for his mega-reworking, he just let loose a video for another single, "Moving Mountains." The clip starts exactly where the video for the original "Love in This Club" ends, with Ush walking out of a steamy nightspot only to see everything around him — including the venue he just exited — in shambles. In "Moving Mountains," he has to climb to the highest peak to find his love.

Here I Stand comes out on Tuesday (May 27). The singer also confirmed to MTV Base what Polow Da Don told MTV News several weeks ago: that Polow was responsible for putting Young Jeezy on "Love in This Club," a move Usher obviously didn't mind.

"Jeezy is one of the greatest rappers of our generation," the singer noted.

• Usher
• Lil Wayne
• Beyoncé
• Will.I.Am
• Jay-Z

Jay-Z and Beyoncé (file)
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

Jay-Z was voted the greatest MC of all time and Mary J. Blige is the greatest R&B singer of our generation, so when they call themselves "the Heart of the City," they're really repping Anytown, U.S.A. If you love hip-hop and/or R&B, you've more than likely been enamored with Jigga and MJB at certain points, if not throughout their careers.

The box-office receipts are indicating that their fanbases (both individually and collectively) aren't waning. Their joint-headline venture is selling out across the land, and even though the duo played a show in New Jersey several weeks back, on Friday Jay and Mary finally made it to their city, NYC. Who has meant more to the Apple than Jay and Mary? There's a short list of artists that have arguably had just as significant an impact, but a pair who have meant more? That's a tough one.

Jay and MJB have two sold-out dates coming up at Madison Square Garden. Friday's show was added last, and of course it was filled to the brim. Women and men. The 'hood and Hollywood. Young and long in the tooth. Grimy rapper Uncle Murda and cleaner-than-a-preacher-on-Sunday celebrity Oprah Winfrey. Everyone came out to the show.

With fans including Jodie Foster, Naomi Campbell and Justin Timberlake in attendance, Hov and the Queen did what they do: electrify with an endless array of hit records.

During Jay-Z's solo set, he has a part where he shows off. Jay literally sits in the DJ booth and pushes buttons to cue up instrumentals of classics like "Money Ain't a Thang," "Who You Wit" and "Hard Knock Life." "F--- that," Jay yelled every time he played a song, cutting it off within seconds of bringing it up. Humorously, he started " '03 Bonnie & Clyde" and just like before, he stopped it after a second. "F--- that," he said with a grin. Then Hov pulled up Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" and, you guessed it, said, "F--- that too. ... No disrespect."

But almost immediately, Beyoncé came onstage, walking with a sassy "how dare you" strut. Jay started "Crazy in Love" again, and B did her crowd-pleasing "uh oh" dance. She walked over to Jay, did a spin, smiled and went backstage. Jay doubled over laughing.

The Heart of the City Tour hits Atlantic City, New Jersey, Monday night (May 5) and returns to New York May 6 and 7.

• Jay-Z And Mary J. Blige Perform In Atlanta, April 8, 2008
• Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, More Rock The American Airlines Arena In Miami

• Beyoncé
• Jay-Z
• Mary J. Blige

Beyoncé and Jay-Z (file)
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

While Jay-Z and Beyoncé have yet to publicly acknowledge their April 4 wedding in New York, it now appears as though they're confirming the union, in a nonverbal, but very official, sort of way.

The couple filed a signed wedding license on Friday in Scarsdale, New York, according to a spokesperson for that village's clerk's office. The two are notoriously private about their relationship, but ever since they allegedly obtained the license in Scarsdale on April 1, their marriage has been the focus of nonstop speculation.

Jay and B are said to have wed during a private ceremony at the rapper's New York apartment. After exchanging vows, the couple — who had dated for six years before tying the knot — reportedly celebrated with a lavish party, which was attended by their families and many celebrities, including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and wife Gwyneth Paltrow. DJ Cassidy, one of Jay's favorites, served as the evening's entertainment.

This news follows recent reports that Beyoncé had been spotted during her hubby's recent gig with Mary J. Blige in Atlanta, proudly displaying an enormous rock on her left-hand ring finger.

UsMagazine.com reported last week that Beyoncé's sister Solange "played coy" when asked about the wedding during a visit to the mag's offices, saying, "What night are you talking about? Friday? Hmm. Friday. I really don't [know]," and "I have no idea!" when asked if her sister likes being married.

"Family is family, and we're all [a] very tight-knit, protective family," she added.

• Jay-Z And Mary J. Blige Perform In Atlanta, April 8, 2008
• Beyonce & Jay-Z Retrospective

• Beyoncé
• Jay-Z

Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Canceling the caterers, then hiring them back at the last minute. Confiscating guests' cell phones and cameras. Applying for a wedding license out in the 'burbs. Hell, not admitting that they've been dating for six years.

Plenty of celebrity couples try to keep their wedding days private by doing everything they can to throw the paparazzi and celebrity press off the scent in the hours and weeks leading up to their special day. Ever since paparazzi helicopters buzzed Madonna and Sean Penn's wedding in 1985, the cat-and-mouse game has become part of the story anytime a power couple make it official.

But Jay-Z and Beyoncé have taken the cone of silence to new heights by refusing to even confirm, even after the fact, that they're now man and wife — if they are.

"They are intensely private people," said Laura Schreffler, senior writer for OK! magazine. "It took them years to even admit they were a couple, and they say more about themselves as a couple in their music than they do out loud. I don't think they'll admit [to getting married] now, and I don't think they have to. They have no one to answer to." Schreffler said keeping their wedding a secret could be the couple's way of trying to have a semblance of normalcy in their otherwise closely watched lives.

So it's been left to fans and the paparazzi to gather the scraps of proof, though the newlyweds aren't making that easy either. Jay has yet to wear a wedding ring in public, either onstage the night after the intimate event at his posh New York apartment, or during a Houston Rockets game he attended on Friday with B, who covered up her hand so as not to give anyone a clear shot of her reportedly impressive wedding ring.

That was a sharp turnaround from the week before, when Beyoncé, 26, waved the rock around during Jay's April 8 show at Atlanta's Philips Arena during the line, "I got the hottest chick in the game wearing my chain," from Jigga's "PSA." Jay, 38, was not as forthcoming the night before that gig, reportedly saying, "I don't know what you're talking about," when patrons at his 40/40 club in Manhattan congratulated him on the blessed event.

This kind of secrecy is becoming more and more common among celebrity couples trying to hold on to their final bits of privacy in a 24/7 paparazzi world. From Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez pulling a bait-and-switch on their wedding guests by telling them they were attending a backyard awards ceremony to Ellen Pompeo keeping her secret wedding under wraps for weeks afterward, celebrities are getting better at throwing reporters off the scent — or at least keeping the photographers on the wrong side of the fence.

"Beyoncé and Jay-Z don't need any more press," Schreffler said, adding that it's also unlikely that the couple is holding out for a big magazine-cover payday for exclusive photos. "Jay-Z has more money than many people, so it's not about the money."

Jay may not be talking, but others certainly are. From tourmate Mary J. Blige offered congratulations the night after the wedding from the stage, to former Def Jam boss Russell Simmons telling reporter Chris Yandek last week that he was proud of his former protégé.

"I know Jay-Z. We signed him at Def Jam many years ago," Simmons said. "I watched him grow as an individual, and I watched him become a great giver. Beyoncé supported us at the Hip-Hop Summit. ... They are two people I have a great deal of admiration and respect for. I love them both, and seeing them get married is a perfect order. I am very happy for them."

But even Blige was a bit vague about the wedding when she offered some praise from the stage the night after the event, saying, "Congratulations to my man, Jay-Z, and my girl B."

So for now, until they release their next album and offer us a musical update on the state of their union, that's probably as close as we're going to come to an official confirmation.

• Beyonce & Jay-Z Retrospective

• Jay-Z
• Beyoncé

Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

• Beyoncé

Beyoncé
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

While it remains to be seen whether we'll ever get an official confirmation that Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z were, indeed, wed Friday night during a private ceremony inside the rapper's New York apartment, it certainly appears as though the couple's six-year courtship has taken a turn toward permanence.

According to People.com, Beyoncé was spotted wearing an enormous rock on her left-hand ring finger Tuesday night at Jay's concert with Mary J. Blige at Atlanta's Philips Arena.

Knowles, wearing a short black dress and big hoop earrings, reportedly sat in a VIP area of the arena, with the couple's friend Usher. Both bounced out of their seats when Jay took the stage, dancing along to his hit song "PSA," which — conveniently enough — features the boastful rhyme, "I got the hottest chick in the game wearing my chain."

The report said that the new bride proudly displayed the mammoth diamond, as she waved her arms to the beat. She was also seen backstage, lounging on a plush red couch, sporting shades and singing along to Blige's tunes.

After exchanging vows on Friday, the couple reportedly celebrated with a lavish party at the apartment, which was attended by the couple's families and many celebrities, including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and wife Gwyneth Paltrow. DJ Cassidy, one of Jay's favorites behind the ones and twos, served as the evening's entertainment. While rumors of the couple's impending nuptials have been floating about the ether for more than two years, things really heated up early last week, when the couple allegedly secured a marriage license in Scarsdale, New York.

On Monday, Jay-Z was seen celebrating — sans his old lady or a wedding band — at his 40/40 club in Manhattan, where he watched the NCAA men's basketball championship game. When congratulated by several patrons, according to People.com, Jay-Z claimed he didn't know what they were talking about.

On Wednesday (April 9), UsMagazine.com reported that Beyoncé's sister Solange also "played coy" when asked about the reported wedding during a visit to the mag's offices, saying, "What night are you talking about? Friday? Hmm. Friday. I really don't [know]," and "I have no idea!" when asked if her sister likes being married.

"Family is family, and we're all [a] very tight-knit, protective family," she reportedly added.

• Jay-Z And Mary J. Blige Perform In Atlanta, April 8, 2008
• Beyonce & Jay-Z Retrospective

• Beyoncé
• Jay-Z

Jay-Z and Beyoncé (file)
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Though it goes against our instincts as journalists, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and as much as we hate to say it: Don't tell us. Don't tell us the intimate details about your wedding (if, indeed you are married), your honeymoon or your newly married life, because if all our celeb-watching has taught us anything over the years, it's that keeping it private will help keep you together.

Sure, if your goal is to get as much media attention as possible, let the headlines roll — hell, do a reality show while you're at it. But if you're smart, you'll ask yourselves where the couples who made up "Chaotic," "Newlyweds," "Meet the Barkers" and "Till Death Do Us Part" are now. They've all long since parted, no death required. So what else can you learn from celeb couples who've made it past "I do"?

(Not Too) Crazy in Love: The roller coaster of fights and makeup sex can be fun for some, but once you're married, it's time to push the drama to the side and focus on stability. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this month, described their marriage in Oprah Winfrey's O magazine as "a classic old-world family structure in which people like to spend time with each other and construct their lives so they can." Sounds sweet, right? Doesn't mean it can't be spicy as well. Christina Aguilera told Ellen DeGeneres that she and hubby Jordan Bratman have a tradition called "Naked Sundays" where they spend the day, well, naked. Who said stability and routine had to be dull?

Work It ... Only a Little: Depending how you look at it, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise lasted either 10 years or three films — and we're hoping there's no repeat run with Katie Holmes. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez lasted two years/ two films (and one music video) while engaged, but Ben and Jennifer Garner are still going strong, in both career and relationship. J. Lo and Marc Anthony take working on a relationship to an extreme, since they apparently refuse to work with anyone else: They shot a movie together, they toured together, and he dabbled as a photographer for their babies' debut in People magazine. Though they come as a package deal, this doesn't seem to help them with anything but the babies. Which brings us to ...

Baby Boy ... or Girl: Having kids — whether you adopt or use your own DNA — is one way to turn your coupledom into more of a family. Not that you have to in this day and age, but it sure seems to brighten up Will Smith's life with Jada Pinkett Smith when he can costar in a movie with his own son, Jaden. Though we would ask that you take pity on your future children (and us) and not follow the lead of your friends/ wedding guests Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow in picking out names — nothing fruity, please. And if you do choose to adopt, try not to shop duty-free — even though it appears to work for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, it ended in disaster for Mia Farrow and Woody Allen.

Lose Your Breath: While we don't want you to out-and-out lie, as celebs are wont to do when their couplehood is new or in trouble, don't spill all your secrets — whether it be in the form of the aforementioned reality show or an autobiography like Bobby Brown's "Being Bobby Brown: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But ... ." Whether your marriage lasts or not — and for your sake, we hope it does — keep some things private. It was bad enough when Bobby and Whitney let us into their bathroom, but we don't need to be in their bedroom too. And if and when you become pregnant, don't fret about telling the world — we'll already know.

Survivors: Yes, have a prenup to protect yourself, but make this marriage count. As soon as you get into the mindset that you can just get a divorce, that this isn't for the long haul, you're putting yourself at a disadvantage. Bono and his wife Ali? They've been married for 25 years. Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne? The same — despite a reality show and her being his manager. Sometimes those rules just don't apply. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward? They celebrated their 50th anniversary this year — after making many films and babies together. "Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades," Woodward said in the book "Double Exposure: Take Two," before offering up the key to their longevity: "To be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that's a real treat!" Jay, hope you were taking notes.

• Successful Celebrity Couples

• Jay-Z
• Beyoncé

Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Fabolous, More Party At New York's 40/40 Club

• Jay-Z
• Beyoncé
• Fabolous

Great Grammy Moments: Beyonce, Kanye, Rihanna, More

• Alicia Keys
• Kanye West
• Beyoncé
• The Time
• Fergie

2008 Grammy Awards Performers And Presenters

• Foo Fighters
• Beyoncé
• Rihanna
• Aretha Franklin
• Mary J. Blige

2008 Grammy Award Nominees: Akon, Fergie, T.I., More

• Akon
• Amy Winehouse
• Jay-Z
• Christina Aguilera
• Justin Timberlake

2007 VMA: Winners Gallery

• Justin Timberlake
• Timbaland
• Rihanna
• Robin Thicke
• Jennifer Hudson

Adrian Grenier, Nelly, Shia LaBeouf, Britney And More Stars Spotted In Vegas

• Jay-Z
• Beyoncé
• Britney Spears
• Boys Like Girls
• Common

The 2007 MTV Video Music Award Nominees

• Beyoncé
• Justin Timberlake
• Shakira
• Amy Winehouse
• Kanye West

MTV Tr3s Fashion Scrapbook: Beyonce

• Beyoncé
• Destiny's Child

Beyoncé, 50 Cent, Jennifer Hudson, More At The 2007 BET Awards

• Michelle Williams
• Beyoncé
• Kelly Rowland
• Jennifer Hudson
• 50 Cent

2007 Movie Awards Nominees: Pirates And Spartans And Borats, Oh My!

• Beyoncé
• Jennifer Hudson
• Justin Timberlake