• Common follows in the footsteps of such luminaries as Eminem, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dog by making the transition to the big screen. And Smoking Aces is not even about weed. Or poker. [PitchforkMedia]

• Not a day can go by without a "music is trendy" piece from the New York Times. [NY Times]

• Whitney Houston, unfortunately, tried to follow James Frey's method of getting off crack. [Boston Herald]

• The Brit awards nominations are out — surprise! They're dominated by a bunch of British bands. [The Guardian]

• The NAACP Image Awards nominations are out — surprise! They're dominated by Kanye West. [AOL Celebrity]

• Sony launches the first record label focusing on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered artists, which is scheduled to drop during Gay Pride Month. Where oh where will they fit Ricky Martin in? [CNN Money]