The rap music impresario Sean Combs has gone on a charm offensive to woo the world's biggest advertisers as he gears up for the launch of his new television channel, called Revolt TV, aimed at what he calls "millennials" – people in their teens and early twenties who were born just before the new millennium.

"Hello everyone, this is Sean Combs with some very exciting news about my favourite show of all time, Downtown Abbey. Yes, I am an Abbey Head."

Gucci Mane’s announcement to his 1.1 million Twitter followers that he was changing his name to “Guwop”, caused such a stir among fans that within an hour the rapper had changed it back. But the change itself showed that in the ephemeral world of hip-hop, you’re no one if you haven’t had a rap-rebrand.

Chart star Chip joined a dream team of rappers - alive and dead - as they flew in from the US.

City slickers hoping for analysis of the autumn statement picked up their copies of the Financial Times today to find George Osborne being described on the front page as "G-Dawg".

Status symbols don't come much bolder than being ferried around in a chauffeur-driven car. It's a sure-fire way to let everybody know that you are somebody. Just ask Andrew Mitchell who, before resigning last week for "swearing" at Downing Street police, had put in an order for a chauffeur-driven Jaguar XF, despite most ministers making do with a Toyota Prius. His replacement Chief Whip, Sir George Young, promptly cancelled the flash car, saving the taxpayer an estimated £100,000. Mitchell never got the driver he longed for, but he should take comfort from the fact that chauffeurs, while being an enviable perk of any job, can often be more trouble than they're worth.

This week Snoop Dogg announced he's to change his moniker to Snoop Lion in line with his new reggae album 'Reincarnation'. Pop is littered with acts changing their names – whether to symbolise a change in direction or (as when Prince became a symbol and then Prince "1958–1993") to annoy their record company.

A video posted by an US activist group highlighting wartime atrocities in Africa, has proved once again the power of social media as a campaigning tool.

A fabled beauty comes to town

Would Harriet Walker be hooked by the latest trend sweeping London's social scene? You're Havana laugh

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Emmy The Great, aka 27-year-old Emma Lee-Moss, grew up in Hong Kong and the Home Counties. Now based in London, the singer-songwriter sang with Noah and the Whale before making two solo albums, First Love (2009) and Virtue (released this June).

Lady Gaga would give away "every dollar" she has if she could.