Jay-Z and Kanye West have been building anticipation for their album, “Watch the Throne,” by holding a string of hush-hush VIP listening parties.

Hova hosted a three-hour preview and discussion for bloggers at the Mercer Hotel this month. But then he and Yeezy hosted another party last week at SubMercer, which a guest called “small and really intimate.”

On Thursday, after the single “Otis” had leaked, Jay and DJ Whoo Kid spun the track at Greenhouse. Whoo Kid tacked on a 30-minute set of Jay’s hits while Jigga stood back. “He hung out in a roped-off area all night, and admirers tried to get near him,” said a spy.

 




 

The rapper and the tiny twin were spotted by sources making out at West’s 34th birthday at SubMercer early Thursday morning at 2 a.m. — part of a busy week of scenemaking and modelizing by the superstar.

Insiders say West had asked Olsen to attend his birthday party at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards dinner Monday. But after the dinner, spies at the Mercer Hotel, where West is living while his SoHo apartment is being renovated, spotted him dining with leggy Victoria’s Secret model Chanel Iman.

West has been keeping himself active with the ladies. He was spotted flirting with another Victoria’s Secret model, Kate Upton, in April, and then was seen smooching a blonde at his hotel during the Cannes Film Festival. And he was recently linked to Miss Universe Albania 2010 Angela Martini, who was noticeably missing from the birthday bash that was attended by Jay-Z, John Legend and Maxwell Born.

On Thursday night, West kept fans — and Jay-Z — waiting three hours before he hit the stage at Skylight One Hanson in Brooklyn. Jay cooled his heels for hours in a car outside the packed art deco venue. Sources said he was waiting for West to start the gig so that the duo could perform together. But Kanye, who’s known for making audiences wait, took too long and Jay-Z left.

Aziz Ansari introduced West at the Heineken Red Star Access event at the stroke of midnight. In shades, a backward ball cap and four gold chains, West opened the show with four tunes and then took turns performing with acts from his G.O.O.D Music label, including Pusha T, Big Sean, CyHi and Kid Cudi.

Guests in the audience included Estelle, Russell Simmons, Tyson Beckford, Bobby Flay and Jessica White.

 

While Kanye West has doubled down on the fashion trade, the rapper has exited the burger biz.

West struck a deal in 2007 with Fatburger to open 10 burger joints, and launched two in the Chicago area in 2009. But the deal has been dissolved, and in January, Fatburger shuttered one location and bought back the other, a rep for the chain confirmed.

Fatburger still has branches owned by Queen Latifah in Miami and super-producer Pharrell in Macau. West attended the CFDAs here this week and is reportedly designing his own clothing line in London.

 

Kanye West has a new gal pal: Miss Universe Albania Angela Martini. Sources close to the NEXT Model Management brunette say Martini and West have been seeing each other for a few months, though it’s unclear how serious things are.

“They are dating,” one source tells us. “I just don’t know if it’s exclusive.” Another says, however, that Martini “really likes” West and is “hoping they’ll announce a relationship soon.” (A rep for West did not get back to us.)

The 5-foot-10 beauty seems to be discovering the perks of dating a celebrity: She hung out with West’s pal Jay-Z at The Darby on W. 14th St. on Friday night. Also at the club were Christina Aguilera and boyfriend Matt Rutler. West was not in attendance.

 







 



Kanye West and Jay-Z

John Legend and Fonzworth Bentley

Sean “P. Diddy” Combs

Mos Def

Shwayze

Andy Roddick

 

The ‘Stonger’ rapper who has spoken many times of his aspiration to become a designer is said to have encountered trouble when heading to exhibitions for fashion houses Alexander McQueen and Balmain.

Kanye reportedly appeared at Le Grand Hotel in the French capital with his entourage for the Balmain show only to be told he wasn’t invited, leading him to head to “a separate part of the hotel, so people didn’t see him,” according to a source.

A representative for Balmain show organiser KCD told the New York Post newspaper: “Mr. West requested to attend and we let him know we would not be able to accommodate him.

“He chose to come to the door anyway and we kindly let him know we could not accommodate him.”

The 33-year-old rapper then had problems getting into the Alexander McQueen show, run by the same company.

The representative added: “He did not make a request to attend, but he came uninvited.”

Eventually he was let in through the side door “by venue management, not through the front door.”

Kanye has, however, been welcome at many other events during the fashion week, including Valentino, Givenchy and Vivienne Westwood shows.

The source said: “Kanye has been a welcome guest at several events that KCD has managed over the years.

“Several designers chose to have smaller shows this season and therefore chose to not invite celebrities in order to accommodate press and buyers.”

 

Kanye West and rap mogul Marion ‘suge’ Knight have reached an out-of-court settlement over a longrunning legal battle stemming from a 2005 shooting at a Florida party.

Death Row Records founder Knight demanded more than $1 million in damages and took West to court after the incident, in which he was shot in the leg, claiming he would not have been injured if the Stronger hitmaker had hired better security for the bash.

The case was thrown out of court in November after a Miami judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove the shooting could have been prevented. But Knight filed new papers in December appealing the decision.

Now Knight has dropped the case and the pair has reached a confidential agreement, reports AllHipHop.com.



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