Two of hip-hop's biggest stars, Eminem and Jay-Z, took the stage earlier this week for a rare joint performance in L.A. -- and the two were making headlines on their own, as well.

Eight years to the day after hip-hop superstar Jay-Z released his benchmark album, The Blueprint, he'll return with his long-awaited new record, Blueprint 3.

On a night that celebrated a video game called DJ Hero, two of the biggest MCs in history racked up all the high scores.

This week Eminem scored the year's best-selling album, the Beastie Boys visited Jimmy Fallon, Chris Brown broke his silence, and former Wilco member Jay Bennett passed away unexpectedly. All these stories, plus the week's best editor's blogs, photo galleries, audio/video, news, and reviews, below:

After an eleven-year partnership resulting in one of hip-hop's most impressive and consistent discographies -- including 2001's classic The Blueprint -- hip-hop superstar Jay-Z has announced his departure from longtime label Def Jam.

New York rapper/biz impresario Jay-Z has announced plans for summer tour of intimate performances that will unveil his forthcoming album, The Blueprint 3, with a full live band.