Pop Shots - Decisions, Decisions

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from a middle school’s decision to have Gucci Mane at their career day, to Justin Timberlake deciding on a release date, to the result of Ke$ha’s brother deciding to press the record button on his video camera, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Crawford Long Middle School in Atlanta, which, judging by this story, has fairly low aspirations for it students, invited Gucci Mane to speak at the school’s career day. For those who may have forgotten, Gucci Mane’s incredible decision making skills have led him be arrested for murder, assault with a weapon, and battery, and get an ice cream cone with the word “Brrr” tattooed on his face. At one point his lawyer attempted to claim he was mentally incompetent to stand trial. Maybe I’m being too hard on Crawford Long Middle School, though. Perhaps budget cuts made it so they had to combine career day with their scared straight program, in which case, bravo!

* Chris Brown was reportedly back to his fighting ways again last week, getting into an altercation with fellow singer Frank Ocean over a parking space. For the record, Chris Brown has now attacked Ocean, Rihanna, Drake, a plate glass window, and a flock of birds. This makes him only five fights away from winning the douchebag decathlon and taking home a lifetime supply of Ed Hardy clothing.


* Tina Turner is on her was to becoming a citizen of Switzerland. Must... resist... Swiss... chocolate... joke.

* Justin Timberlake has announced The 20/20 Experience, his first new album in more than six years, will be released on March 19th. The album, which will hopefully have nothing to do with the investigative news journalism show 20/20, will hit stores one month after he performs at the Grammys. Justin Bieber fans can’t wait to wonder “who’s the old guy?”

* Speaking of the Biebs, the Canadian wunderkind released an acoustic album this past week. The album, Believe Acoustic, has Bieber singing different arrangements of the songs from his Believe album, and features a new song, “Nothing Like Us,” which is about his split from fellow pop star Selena Gomez. In it he questions “Girl, why would you push me away? / Lost in confusion, like an illusion... But that is the past now, we didn't last now.” Don’t worry Biebs, we all get dumped, and if you’re looking to dive into another celebrity relationship I hear Honey Boo Boo may be available.


* Someone really doesn’t like Rick Ross. The portly rapper had 18 bullets sent his way last week while he was driving his Rolls Royce, which he eventually crashed into an apartment building. The crazy thing is, whoever was shooting at Ross missed 18 times. Dude shouldn’t go to jail, he should go to an eye doctor.

* We’re going to learn a lot more about Snoop Dogg on March 15th, because that’s when Reincarnated, a film chronicling his genre shift from hip-hop to reggae hits theaters. Reincarnated features Snoop reflecting on his life, from his Death Row Records years, to becoming Snoop Lion (which no one will ever call him). Of course, since this is being told by Snoop, and he’s a humongous pothead, expect large chunks of his life to be left out, and lots of laughing for no reason whatsoever.

* In more music documentary news, Ke$ha’s brother, Lagan Sebert, saw something special was happening with his sister two years ago and decided to turn his camera on and document her ascent in the music world. The result is a ton of footage that has been edited into an MTV series set to premier in April titled Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life. I don't know about you, but I'm interested in seeing what new things we'll learn about her. Hopefully it will all be like the story of how she got the dollar sign in her name.


And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.