THE SHOW: 8-31-09 (R KELLY BACK IN COURT/TOO SHORT ARRESTED FOR WEED...REALLY??/MECHAD BROOKS IS NOT GAY!!/WHITNEY NEW CD OUT TODAY!!

WHITNEY'S CD IS OUT TODAY

Whitney Houston's long-awaited comeback disc I Look to You finally arrives in stores today, a day earlier than the typical Tuesday C-D release date. A rep at J Records tells us "fan demand" prompted the label to put the disc out a day earlier however industry insiders say the real incentive was to make the album eligible for a 2010 Grammy (all entries have to have been released before the month of September). Houston recently said during a listening party for the disc, "I sang from my heart, my soul, my spiritual awareness. This is from me to all of you." The title track lead single is currently at number-26 on the Billboard R-&-B singles chart. I Look to You includes guest spots from Akon and contributions from Alicia Keys, Johnta Austin, Swizz Beatz, David Foster and Diane Warren

R KELLY BACK IN COURT...DAAAYUUMMMMM!

R. Kelly is being sued by a Chicago man who claims he was paid four-dollars-and-fifty-cents an hour to work in Kelly's home. Gregory Preston further claims he sometimes worked more than a hundred hours a week. The suit was filed last week and covers the years between 2006 and 2008. Kelly's camp replied with a statement saying, "Mr. Preston's allegations are ludicrous. R. Kelly intends to defend himself vigorously against these fabrications, and he has no doubt that when the facts are presented in court, he will prevail."

RUN DMC & JMJ WAY - A STREET NAMED AFTER RUN DMC

A street in the Queens, New York neighborhood where Run D-M-C grew up was officially renamed for the group in a ceremony yesterday. The corner of 205th Street and Hollis Avenue is now officially known as RUN D-M-C J-M-J Way.

Too Short was popped for D-U-I and possession of marijuana in Las Vegas last week. It's the Bay Area rap veteran's second D-U-I bust in Sin City within the past three months.

MECHAD BROOKS IS NOT GAY!!! NOW STOP IT!!!

Mechad Brooks' star has officially risen - the Internet blogs are claiming he's gay. But the actor, who recently gained popularity as "Eggs" on H-B-O's hit series True Blood, tells us, "I'm openly heterosexual." Brooks says a friend of his told him a picture of him joking around on the Internet had sparked the rumors, but his activism around gay rights issues may have also lead some to jump to conclusions. "It says more about them than it does about [me]. Maybe it's people who want me to be gay or think, 'At least he's not in the same dating pool as me.' But too bad fellas, I am. Lock your women up!" Brooks stars in the forthcoming film Just Wright opposite Queen Latifah and Paula Patton. The season finale of True Blood airs September 13th.