Felice Nero still scoffs at the notion that her son didn't make first chair trombone at Vancouver's Evergreen High School. To Javier Nero, it isn't such a big deal. The 20-year-old musician is entering his third year of study on scholarship at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City. He's won the Downbeat Magazine Student music award for arranging; has performed at the 50th and 51st Monterey Jazz Festivals, as well as with some of the world's top jazz performers. His list of accomplishments could go on.

Singer Erykah Badu has paid a $500 fine and will serve six months of probation for disrobing in Dallas' Dealey Plaza during a shoot of a music video.The Skanner News Video

Local hip-hop mogul Cool Nutz launched an upgraded version of his website for Jus Family Records. The website also provides a link to his the video of "Baseball Numbers" from the album Incredible.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Abbey Lincoln, a jazz singer and songwriter known for her phrasing, emotion and uncompromising style, died Saturday in New York at age 80.

ATLANTA (AP) -- Everything seems to be falling back into place for T.I. since the rapper ended a 10-month term inside a U.S. federal prison and a halfway house earlier this year.

Overwhelmed by the lawsuit and the media attention over her affair with a two-timer.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Erykah Badu has been known to use a beat machine and a laptop during her performances, but on the last day of the Lollapalooza music festival, the Grammy-award winning singer blew a shiny whistle.

And the debate has begun: Is the song a treatise against (or apology for) domestic violence, or an irresponsible glorification of it? Or, is it something uncomfortable in between? And how exactly to explain the role of Rihanna, who has said she aims to help young people learn the lessons of her ordeal?

Recording artist Alice Cooper hosted freak show auditions at the London Dungeon for his upcoming Halloween party

On Saturday, environmentalism, diversity and music come together like nothing before at Fernhill Park in Northeast Portland. Powered entirely by solar panels, the concert aims to raise awareness of emerging technologies and will act as a fund-raiser for the up and coming nonprofit, Minority Information Outreach.