JAY-Z SIGNS WILLOW SMITH

Willow Smith, 9, has signed a record deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation record label -- and her debut hip-hop single "Whip My Hair" has already been viewed over 100,000 times on YouTube just a day after its release.

In a radio interview today with Ryan Seacrest, Jay-Z said that little Willow is destined for superstardom -- and he even compared her to Michael Jackson.

"I heard the record first before I knew that it was recorded by a nine year old and I was like, man that record's a smash," Jay-Z said. "I believe in superstars. I believe in big records and in superstars and I think [Willow] has both."

"She has a child's innocence but she has a clear vision of who she is and who she wants to be," he continued. "I can only imagine that's how Mike [Michael Jackson] was as a young kid, he knew exactly what he wanted."