In an interview this week with the Associated Press, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said that he plans to tour Seoul, Beirut, Dubai, Johannesburg and Sydney, among other international locales, this fall.

"There's a lot of places I haven't been," he reportedly said. "They've heard my music but they've never really seen me perform live."

He also said he's considering ending his retirement entirely.

"I go back and forth with it," he reportedly said. "I believe the industry as a whole needs certain events to happen to sustain it and keep it alive. ... you need big artists, you need major events that happen. ... So when I look at it in those terms, I believe that an album is needed."

R&B producer Dallas Austin [ tickets ]--who has worked with a long list of stars that includes TLC, Madonna and Pink--reportedly was arrested May 19 on drug-possession charges at Dubai's airport.

According to an Associated Press report, Austin is charged with possessing illegal drugs for personal use--a crime that is typically punished in the United Arab Emirates with several years in jail. Police have not disclosed further details; he reportedly is due in court for a July 2 hearing.

Austin, 34, reportedly was in the UAE to attend concerts.

Jazz singer Diana Krall [ tickets ], 41, and her husband, rock veteran Elvis Costello [ tickets ], 51, are expecting their first child in December, according to published reports.

Founding Arctic Monkeys [ tickets ] bassist Andy Nicholson, who didn't join the band on its recent North American tour, has exited the group.

According to a statement posted on Arctic Monkeys' website, Nick O'Malley, who filled in on bass during the North American dates, will remain with the group through the summer.