Nearly a year ago, pop duo Karmin identified itself the music industry’s most exciting upstart immediately after turning out to be a viral YouTube sensation.

Their spit-polished, homespun covers of ubiquitous hits this kind of as Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now,” LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” and Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” garnered more than 100 million views and turned the heads of virtually every record label executive — the pair even met with Kanye West.

The duo — whose name is a hybrid of the word “carmen,” which in Latin signifies “song,” and “Karma” — consists of Berklee grads and real-existence couple Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan. With Heidemann’s chameleon-like capability to switch from pop diva to spunky femcee and Noonan’s deft musicianship (he’s most likely the only crooner in today’s Best 40 that can sling a trombone) they scored a large-profile deal with Sony Music Entertainment, the very first signing below Antonio “L.A.” Reid’s restructured Epic.

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Do you put on hoodies with sport coats? Kanye West is judging you.

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Beyonce’s July 2011 Essence magazine cover story earned her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists.

Having lately signed a multi-million dollar deal with Pepsi, Nicki Minaj has now been revealed as a model in vogue designer Jeremy Scott’s commercial campaign for Adidas. Get it. [MTV]

Footage has surfaced of Harlem rapper G. Dep’s 2010 murder confession. The guilt-ridden rapper turned himself in to police almost two decades after the 1993 shooting, but just lately attempted to reverse his confession. The video could seal his fate. [YouTube]

This is the greatest review of Kanye West’s “Theraflu” that you will ever see. “That is so significantly swag, I want to kill myself for not getting that a lot swag!” This man requires PMA to the next degree. [YouTube]

In a recent interview with GQ Uk, A$ AP Rocky recommended some of his favored books. “I adore Harry Potter and JK Rowling — never laugh at me! Either The Sorcerer’s Stone, The Chamber Of Tricks, The Prisoner Of Azkaban, The Goblet Of Fire or The Half-Blood Prince. I am the most significant Harry Potter fan in the f—ing globe. Does that freak you out? You’ve gotta be by yourself.” Ok. [GQ United kingdom]

Apparently Jon B. has a new video for “At ease Swagg,” the titular song from his new album. That’s cool, man. [SingersRoom]

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Nicki Minaj’s sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, leaked a week before it’s April 3 release date, and was quickly branded a mediocre LP. There is a lot to listen to. Minaj’s second effort should be a double album, maybe even a triple disc. It clocks in at 19 tracks, 69 minutes and crosses three genres: hip-hop, pop and EDM (electronic dance music). Tracks 10 through 15 are an all-out dance party — a place Minaj’s full-length debut didn’t dare to go — thanks to club-friendly production from RedOne.

Despite being named after her troubled and flamboyant alter-ego Roman Zolanski, Minaj’s sophoore album doesn’t conceptually rely too much on her inner man — only a handful of tracks are belted out in character. The 29-year-old MC does return to her early rap roots singing more explicitly and along with more experienced players — Nas, Beenie Man, Young Jeezy and Cam’ron — and the usual cast — Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. Truth be told, Roman Reloaded doesn’t have the same continuous start-to-finish play objective as its predecessor — diss tracks get repetitive and one-too-many “let’s get wasted at the club” bangers make fingers wander toward the skip button — but the album does have something for everyone.