The hook of the first songs T.I. guests on since being sentenced to a year and a day in prison says, "Don't take me to jail." Isn't it ironic? Tip collaborates with Usher on a new leaked record from Raymond v. Raymond called "Guilty," where the singer is charged with breaking his girl's heart.
Tip did record another song with Usher last year before going to prison, but it sounds like the rhymes on "Guilty" were recorded recently — he name-checks a certain scandal-plagued athlete. "Right hand to the sky/ Strike me down if I a lie," the King of the South proclaims. "If she sayin' she's the victim in this case then what am I/ She got proof, well I got alibis too/ I never been on bullsh-- ... she ain't caught me on no Tiger Woods sh--/ Do what I expected when she met me/ Ballin' against the law/ Shawty arrest me then." Usher then pleads guilty.
"I guess I'm guilty of always being in the club," he sings. "I guess I'm guilty 'cause girls always wanna show me love/ I guess I'm guilty for living and having all of the fun/ Girl, I'm guilty for that/ Girl, I'm guilty."
Other recently leaked songs include "She Don't Know" featuring Ludacris and "OMG" featuring Will.I.Am.
As sales of his latest album, Graffiti, continue to falter, Chris Brown issued a message to his fans this week to help revive his music career in the wake of his guilty plea to felony assault on former girlfriend Rihanna last year.
Posting on the Web site SayNow.com — a site that enables people to leave and share recorded messages — Brown apparently said American radio stations are not playing his songs, which has made promoting Graffiti difficult for him. In an earlier message, Brown urged fans to keep in touch with him by calling a special 877 number while he is on tour.
At press time, a spokesperson for Brown had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment on the message, nor confirmed that the messages are definitely from him.
In a new missive uploaded on Wednesday morning, he directly asks fans to lend him a hand. "Hey, what's up, y'all? CB. I ain't never really did this but right now I'm just calling ya'll, I need all of my fans' help," he said in the 90-second clip. "I need all the fans that I have, I need y'all's help. It's crazy because a lot of radio stations ... some radio stations aren't playing my records. They're not being that supportive and I wouldn't expect them to.
"It's on the fans and what you guys do [whatever is] in y'all power to bring me back because that's all I need, is you guys," Brown continued. "Nothing else will do that except for the fans. There's nothing else that I can do. I'm doing everything that I need to do. I'm doing me as a person and I'm a better guy. But it's on y'all.
"My singing and my music is all great, but I do it for you guys and everything else but it won't be possible if I'm not relevant on the radio and it won't be possible for me to be an artist if I don't have any support from people that give me an artists outlet. I can't be an underground mixtape artist!" Brown said with a laugh. "I just want all my fans to help me. I love y'all. Peace."
Since its release in early December, Graffiti has spawned the singles "I Can Transform Ya," "Crawl" and "Sing Like Me," with only "Transform Ya" gaining traction on radio and the album's sales stalling out at just over 250,000 copies. The singer mounted a small "Fan Appreciation" tour from October through December that hit modest theaters that were considerably smaller than the arenas he played with Bow Wow on the tour for his previous album, 2007's Exclusive, which has sold nearly 2 million copies to date.
When contacted back in November, a number of radio programmers told MTV News they weren't shying away from playing Brown's songs on the radio in light of the sordid details of the assault that leaked prior to Brown's guilty plea.
And though fans appeared to like "Transform Ya," many programmers appear to have cooled on the singer's music for now. At the moment, Brown does not have any songs in the top 50 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
Kings of Leon may be taking a well-earned break after winning three Grammy Awards, including the "Record of the Year" prize, but fans of the band will soon have a new way to experience the group's breakthrough songs. Tapulous, the game maker responsible for the wildly successful Tap Tap Revenge iPhone game app, has enlisted the band for the newest addition to its roster. "Kings of Leon Revenge," a new version of the popular game series, will feature playable versions of ten of the band's biggest hits, including "Use Somebody," "Notion" and "Sex on Fire."
The game, based on the Tap Tap Revenge model, including a Bluetooth enabled Battles Mode which will allow fans to go head to head on the band's tracks. The premium version of the game also features a private Kings of Leon chatroom accessible only through the app.
The Kings of Leon Revenge app sells for $4.99, and is available from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch.
Kings of Leon are set to headline the Bonnaroo Music Festival in June, its only scheduled U.S. gig in 2010. The band is expected to start recording a new album sometime this year.
Kings of Leon Revenge includes the following ten songs:
"Use Somebody"
"Sex On Fire"
"The Bucket"
"Crawl"
"Be Somebody"
"McFearless"
"Notion"
"On Call"
"Black Thumbnail"
"True Love Way"
Despite naysayers' talk that the duet album between T-Pain and Lil Wayne will never happen, Mr. Pain says the project is very much still alive, just on hold.
"The T-Wayne album, we're actually gonna wait until he gets out," Pain said about Weezy's jail time. "He has so much going on. He has Rebirth out right now. I don't wanna interrupt that. We just gonna wait until he gets out to really get in on that. We recorded a bunch of songs. But, right now, it's time for him and his personal sh--. We definitely got an album's worth of material, but it's only an album's worth. It's nothing to pick from. We just got an album. We can put out whatever we feel like and say, 'Hey, this is T-Wayne's album,' or we can actually try to make it good. Like we're actually trying to make an album and say, 'This is the good T-Wayne album.' Rather than just record 12 songs and say, 'Here you go, mutha----as! I know you want it. You gonna buy it anyway, just 'cause you think it's good.' "
Pain, who always has a joke up his sleeve or in his top hat, had a lighthearted response when asked what he thought of his supergroup teammate having to go to prison.
"It happens, man," the singer said. "People go to jail. That's something he's gotta go through. I'm happy it's not f---ing 10 years. That's just something that's going on. I know his commissary [prison store] is ridiculous. He's got so much money in his commissary. You think Baby is gonna let him sit up in there and eat Doritos? Wayne got [his food] coming with steaks. ... I know what's going on there.
"Young Money is still there also. He's in the studio 24/7," Pain added. "It's gonna be like Tupac. You still gonna get 1,000 songs from Wayne. You ain't gonna miss nothing. It's gonna be like he never went to jail. I'm pretty sure they're gonna put out a gang of songs. I'm pretty sure they're gonna do a 'Free Lil Wayne' campaign. That's how it goes."
Usher and his creative team began tossing around ideas for his next album, they had one goal in mind: to get his swagger back. "I had checked out," the singer acknowledges. "I went all the way into being super husband and super dad, thinking, 'I've got to be serious all the time. I've got to be the man.' I put my swagger down for a minute, but I didn't throw it away. Now it's time to get it back."
Flashing a devilishly engaging smile, Usher exudes steely determination as he shifts position on a rehearsal room couch at Centerstaging in Burbank, Calif. Clad all in black-from tennis shoes to the shades he never removes during an hourlong interview-the singer is there to rehearse for his Feb. 27 performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. His quiet fortitude on a rainy afternoon becomes all the more compelling-and fitting-when it's learned the room he's rehearsing in was last used by Michael Jackson while mapping his own anticipated return on the This Is It tour. "It wasn't intentional," Usher says when asked about the coincidence. "But I love being in this space. That same energy is still here; it lingers. All I've ever wanted as an artist is to appeal to as wide an audience as Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson."
Now all eyes are on Usher as the March 30 release date approaches for "Raymond Vs. Raymond." It's the often-delayed follow-up to his 2007 album, "Here I Stand"-and the first since his much-publicized marriage to Tameka Foster ended in divorce. While "Here" eventually became a platinum seller (1.2 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan), fans' response to its more serious, mature tone paled in comparison to Usher's previous multiplatinum hallmarks, "8701" (4.7 million) and "Confessions" (9.7 million).
With three tracks simultaneously climbing the R&B and pop charts and the recent hire of a new manager, industry veteran and AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips, can the 31-year-old divorced father of two recapture his swagger? Lamonda Williams, director of video on demand for Music Choice, believes that Usher is primed to capture the base he lost.
" 'Here' was a transitional album that got him from the Usher we knew through his tumultuous marriage and divorce," Williams says. "Now you hear him boldly breaking out on the singles 'Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)' and 'Lil Freak.' There's an in-your-face cockiness, but in an 'I'm free' kind of way."
Despite a title that echoes the confrontational heading of a divorce filing, "Raymond Vs. Raymond" was never envisioned as a contemporary take on Marvin Gaye's 1979 marriage-rending epic, "Here My Dear." It was more about "we've got to get this old-man shit off you; you've got to have some fun," says Mark Pitts, who A&R'd the project and is president of black music for Jive Label Group. "We said, 'We've got to get the guys wanting to be him and the girls wanting to do him.' That was our approach."
After meeting just before Christmas 2008 to begin laying the groundwork for the album, the next thing Pitts and a still-married Usher did was get out of his hometown of Atlanta. "I didn't want my music to be biased by what I was going through in my personal life or corner myself with a specific sound from there or New York," says Usher, who eventually settled in Las Vegas. "Vegas is an eclectic melting pot that gave me the freedom to be more creative."
Usher, who first landed on the R&B singles chart in 1993 with "Call Me a Mack," began collaborating on songs with producers Dre & Vidal and Pharrell Williams. In Los Angeles, he also began working with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Polow Da Don. Then it was back to Las Vegas, joining forces in a self-styled Rat Pack collective that included songwriter/producers Johntá Austin, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox.
During the course of additional songwriter and producer collaborations with Sean Garrett, the Runners, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Ester Dean and Jive labelmate Miguel, Usher keyed in on the "Raymond Vs. Raymond" concept.
"People immediately thought, 'Oh, damn, he's about to talk about what happened in his marriage,' " Usher recalls. "But it would be too shortsighted to just talk about my relationship. A lot of the things I spoke about on 'Confessions' weren't my own experiences. It was an outlet for stories I'd heard."
Just hours after Lil Wayne began his one-year prison term yesterday (March 8), another hip-hop king announced his return to the game. T.I. premiered his latest track, appropriately titled "I'm Back," yesterday on his official website. He also revealed on a conference call held an hour after the song's debut that his upcoming seventh studio album will be released on August 24.
"I ain't never let you down, I'mma shine on sight / Keep your mind on your grind and off of mine's, all right?," Tip raps on the song. "Hard, I'mma ball on those squares, I flow/ A quarter million dollar cars everywhere I go ... No matter what they doin' they don't do it like me / like a G I hold it down for the town I'm at, in a flash like that / recognize I'm back."
Later in the first verse, T.I. dismisses wanna-be thug rappers atop the Trackslayerz' beat, and name checks rappers that like himself earned their stripes by serving time. "You ain't got a pimp bone in your body, I can tell you ain't never bought a key or caught a body/ N*gga probably just seen Wayne, Gucci Mane, me and Boosie all go to prison/ Now he flip his whole image/ N---a trippin'," he rhymes.
Although T.I. didn't take any questions during the conference call, which included a select group of DJs, the rapper did reflect on the track. There is a title for the album, but he declined to disclose it.
"I appreciate the support and how hard I was going in during the brief hiatus," Tip said. "The support don't [sic] go unnoticed and I don't take it lightly. This marks a special day for us, because we putting out the first song off the album - not an official first single, just something to keep the streets warm. It's properly entitled 'I'm Back.' It's a lot of things that needed to be spoken on. In my absence, it [sic] was a lot of things that went down, a lot of matters that needed to be addressed. This was the greatest platform for me to do it. It was the first song I did when I came home. You get me fresh out the box going in. I'm sure you guys will enjoy it."
Tip spoke for a little over three minutes. He said that he should be traveling from city to city this summer.
"It ain't gonna be long before all this is behind me," he promised, in reference to his prison sentence on weapons charges, which is expected to end in the next few weeks. T.I. was released to a halfway house in December and made his first public appearance since heading to prison last month when he accompanied girlfriend Tamika "Tiny" Cottle to an event. "Middle of April, beginning of May. Y'all gonna start seeing me. Y'all already know, once again it's on. Like we always do this time," T.I. said about future appearances.
"As long as there is air in my esophagus, champ, I'mma keep going," T.I. said in closing. "Nothing is gonna stop that. Nothing short of a 12 gauge is gonna stop me from doing what I do, champ. I just wanna say thank y'all and we gonna keep movin' on."
Now that Lil Wayne has been sentenced to one year in prison following several delays, the reality is setting in for his fans and friends. No one in the hip-hop community wants to see Weezy leave, and rappers also realize they need to run tighter ships in Wayne's absence.
Young Jeezy said he'll not only miss Wayne's work ethic and music, but also his friend's rebellious attitude.
"Wayne, like I like to call myself, is a trap-aholic," Young Jeezy told MTV News last week in New York, hours before he brought Weezy onstage at Madison Square Garden as a surprise guest during Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 Tour. That performance — which also included Nicki Minaj and Drake — would be Wayne's last before he went to jail.
"He stays in the studio, he stays working," the Snowman added. "We'll definitely miss that. At the same time, we'll definitely miss what he brings to the game as far as him just being Wayne and doing what the f--- he wanna do. We definitely gonna miss that. But it's just an eye-opener to all of us. Instead of targeting the hustlers and the people trying to make it in the streets, now that the streets is dried up, now [the police] are targeting the entertainers and the athletes, what have you. Real talk, not trying to preach to the choir, we gotta be careful out here. What I mean to my culture is more than me proving a point."
Diddy echoed Jeezy's sentiment that police are keeping a very close eye on the hip-hop community.
"I think we gonna miss a certain energy that Wayne has," Diddy said. "The beauty about it is, he'll be back, and hopefully he'll come back a better person. Whenever we get in trouble, we're in the public spotlight. So hopefully there's a lot of kids out there who could learn from any mistakes that we may have put ourselves in, even if we're not guilty of the crime sometimes. We are human. People have to learn: 'Make sure you know where you're going, who you riding with, what the situation is.' We're targets. I'm just happy he doesn't have to do a lot of time and that he'll be out, and hopefully he'll use the time wisely and use it in a positive way."
"It's evident that nobody's safe. That's reality," Lloyd Banks added about rappers not being above the law, with Lil Wayne going to jail on the heels of T.I. and Gucci Mane. Banks himself has an assault case pending in Canada. "People make mistakes, have poor judgments sometimes, and things happen. Hopefully, all those artists can bounce back from it stronger and use that time [in jail] to be more creative. Come back home and get right back to where they was at. It's something that's always been around. We been talking about [rappers going to jail] since Tupac."
Lil Wayne turned himself in to authorities Monday (March 8) after multiple sentencing delays for a July 2007 gun-possession charge.
A near riot broke out in front of the Manhattan Criminal Court Building when the superstar MC entered, escorted by police and his Cash Money crew. Photographers aggressively angled to capture the last images of the rapper before he was formally sentenced to one year in prison.
Dressed in black jeans, a black shirt and a gray jacket, Lil Wayne made his way in, before Judge Charles H. Solomon sentenced the rapper. The New Orleans native sat next to his lawyer, Stacey Richman, without addressing the court.
After Solomon reminded Wayne of his charges, the rapper firmly nodded that he understood. Police then handcuffed Lil Wayne and he stood up to be taken away.
He paused momentarily before leaving and nodded to Cash Money execs Birdman and Slim, who were present in the courtroom. Just like that, Wayne was gone.
The rapper reached a deal with prosecutors in November to plead out to a lesser deal, and in return, he is expected to be released from prison as early as October. In 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested for attempted gun possession following his first headlining performance in Manhattan at the Beacon Theatre. New York is among the toughest states in the country when it comes to gun-possession laws. In other states, Lil Wayne could have gotten off with a misdemeanor rap and probation. However, in New York, only law-enforcement officials and those affiliated with authorities are permitted to carry firearms.
The Black Eyed Peas captured the Number One spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second straight week as “Imma Be” bought off the continually rising Young Money track “Bedrock,” which moved up one spot to Number Two. Between “Imma Be,” “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas have maintained the Number One spot on the Hot 100 for a large chunk of the last year, and The E.N.D.’s first two singles racked up a record-breaking 26 consecutive weeks on the charts between April through October 2009. Ke$ha’s “TiK ToK,” which enjoyed a Hot 100 chart-topping run comparable to the Peas, dropped from Two to Four this week.
Elsewhere on the Hot 100, Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” was the biggest gainer in the Top 10, leaping from Number 23 last week to a Number Nine finish in only its third week on the chart. Ke$ha’s “Blah Blah Blah” with 3Oh!3 seems unlikely to replicate its predecessor’s glory as her second Animal single remained stuck in Number 11 for the second straight week (it has peaked at Seven so far). After getting skewered by the Saturday Night Live cast, the bad news continued for the “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” crew kept on coming, and the charity single plummeted from Number Six all the way down to Number 36.
Drake premiered his first single, "Over," in his hometown on Toronto radio station 93.5 The Flow today (March 4). The track, off his upcoming debut album, "Thank Me Later," now slated for a May release, is produced by in-house producer Boi-1da and is available on Drake's official website, octobersveryown.blogspot.com.
"This is the first single off my first album -- this is still the beginning," Drake told radio-show hosts Jus Red and Jwyze. "As great as everything has gone, it's still the beginning."
"Bottles on me, long as some drink it . never try to ball, f*** are y'all thinking / making sure the Young Money ship is never sinking / 'bout to set it off, set it off, Jada Pinkett," the 23-year-old rapper rhymes in a paced, aggressive flow. "I swear this life is like the sweetest thing I've ever known / 'bout to go Thriller, Mike Jackson on these b****es / all I need is a f***ing red jacket with some zippers," he continues.
"I went with 'Over' as the first look because of the words in the hook," Drake said on the airwaves. "The hook being the most repetitive part. I got a lot of great songs on my album. I got songs for women who wanna feel special. I got songs for dudes - if you ever thought my music was too soft, this is one you will enjoy. I got a lot of variety on there, but the biggest thing was that opening line on the hook: 'I know way too many people here right now that I didn't know last year.'"
"I know way too many people here right now that I didn't know last year / who the f*** are ya'll? I swear it feels like the last few nights we been everywhere and back / but i just can't remember it all," Drake harmonizes on the chorus atop an epic beat with what sounds like marching band drums and violins. "What am I doing? What am I doing? / oh yea, that's right I'm doing me, I'm doing me, I'm living life right now, man / and this what I'mma do till its over, till its over / but it's far from over."
"I've just gone so many places in a short amount of time," he added. "This record sums up where I am right now in my career. I think it's a great first impression. The album is going to be a great body of work for you to get lost in. Right now I just wanna have some fun. When we're out partying, I want people to have some fun too, because this is the one."
In related news, Drake recently filmed a video in Miami for a collaborative effort with labelchief Lil Wayne, which will also scheduled to appear on the album. The clip is slated to premier in coming weeks.
Kelly Clarkson will soon take her pop anthems on the road as the latest artist to join the Lilith Fair. It was announced on Thursday (March 4) that Clarkson, The Bangles, The Go-Go's, Dixie Chicks' Emily Robison and Martie Maguire's side project the Courtyard Hounds, Martina McBride and Suzanne Vega will be the latest ladies hitting the road for the female-focused festival.
They join previously announced acts like festival founder Sarah McLachlan as well as Ke$ha, Colbie Caillat, Tegan and Sara, Corinne Bailey Rae, Erykah Badu, Emmylou Harris, Metric, Jill Scott, La Roux and Loretta Lynn, to name a few.
Although the name Lilith Fair conjures up visions of folk singers, pop star Ke$ha said that she's bringing her own glittery vibe to the mix with raucous pop anthems like "Tik Tok" and "Blah Blah Blah." "I think it's cool," Ke$ha told MTV News about being included on the tour. "I definitely will bring the glitter and I think I can also bring a youthful fun, like a strong woman but in just a kind of a fun way, to Lilith."
So what does she think made her the perfect candidate for the tour? Her girl power, obviously. "I think I'm on Lilith because it's famous for standing for women and strong women and I'm really excited and honored to be in that group and classified as a strong female woman," she explained. "I'm really excited to be included in that. It's kind of a big deal. It's scary now that we're talking about it."
No dates have been announced yet, but the following cities have been announced as stops on the tour:
Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Birmingham, Alabama; Boston; Calgary, Alberta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Detroit; Edmonton, Alberta; Hartford, Connecticut; Houston; Indianapolis; London; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; Montreal; Nashville, Tennessee; New York; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland, Oregon; Raleigh, North Carolina; Salt Lake City; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Louis; Tampa, Florida; Toronto; Vancouver, British Columbia; Washington, D.C.; and West Palm Beach, Florida.
St. Louis native J-Kwon, who made a huge splash in 2004 with the hit "Tipsy," has been missing for almost a month, his label says. Gracie Production released a statement Tuesday night asking for help finding the MC.
"J-Kwon is a big part of the Gracie family, and we are obviously increasingly worried and want to make sure he is OK," Gracie Productions CEO/President Tony Bucher said in the statement. "We've already received thousands of e-mails from fans and supporters who are worried about J-Kwon, and we want everyone to know how much we appreciate the love and support. If anyone has seen J-Kwon or has access to him, please let him know we are worried about him, and to please let us know everything is ok."
Bucher and Gracie Productions have also gone as far as setting up a Twitter page @WhereIsJKwon so fans can write with any info they may have.
According to a rep for Gracie Productions, Kwon was working on a self-titled album to be released on March 23. Last year, via the indie, the 24-year-old rapper put out the albums Hood Hop 2 and Hood Hop 2.5.
J-Kwon's biggest project was the original Hood Hop, which came out in 2004. Powered by the party anthem "Tipsy," the then-17-year-old gained national exposure and even performed on "Saturday Night Live."
"I'm 17, so I can't get into the club," he explained to MTV News in 2004 about the controversial song. "I used to stand outside and see people so tipsy, so drunk, they basically did like a two-step away from the club. I took all that and was like, 'OK, what does every teen think?' When I say, 'Teen drinking is very bad, but I got a fake ID though,' people think I'm actually promoting drinking to teens. Nah. When I say, 'Everybody in the club getting tipsy,' I mean we ain't drinking but everybody else is. That's what we see, not what we do. A lot of critics come at me about this. If I was promoting teen drinking, believe me, I would've sold the song for an ad."
Kwon had a hard-knock life to begin with. He was kicked out of the house at age 12 and became homeless. In 2003, he auditioned for L.A. Reid and Jermaine Dupri, who were at Arista at the time.
"When I went in for the deal I was like, 'What if they don't sign me? Forget them. If they don't sign me, I'mma keep rolling.' That's how I approach every situation," he told MTV News. "So I'm rapping for L.A. and at the end of the verse, my line was something like, 'You don't like it, L.A., bite me,' and I turned around and mooned him, straight up."
Hood Hop was the only J-Kwon album released under the So So Def imprint before the rapper and the label parted ways years later.
These days, Nicole Scherzinger seems to be the last Pussycat Doll standing. With the other members of the girl group going their separate ways, the "Dancing With The Stars" contestant and the group's founder, Robin Antin, have been left to pick up the pieces. What's next for the girl group?
A fresh start, for one thing. In a chat with MTV News on Wednesday, Scherzinger confirmed what Antin had already hinted, and what fans had suspected as members of the group announced one by one that they were pursuing careers away from PCD: "We're also gonna have a new cast of Dolls. And I'm excited," she said.
These days, when Scherzinger isn't working on her "DWTS" moves, she's in the studio recording songs that could appear on the followup to the Dolls' 2008 full-length Doll Domination. "Right now I've been in the studio working on music non-stop. We're gonna have another Pussycat Dolls album for all of our fans out there, but that's gonna be late this year.
"I'm still Nicky Doll," she added. "And I'm just plowing away in the studio making music that I love."
Nicky Doll added that the music she is working on will most likely appear on the next Dolls album, although she didn't rule out the possibility of releasing her long-simmering solo record. "I don't know if I'm gonna put [the new music out] under my name yet or if it's going to be perfect for the Dolls," she said. "It doesn't matter. I just want to make great music for the fans. It's going to be popular music, but I'm definitely going with [a] more rock, soul-inspired sound."
After her more morose turn on her 2009 release, Rated R,Rihanna has promised that her follow-up disc will be "more energetic." And hitmaking producer and songwriter Sean Garrett is one of the people helping to spruce up Rihanna's edgier sound.
"I got a record on Rihanna's new album," Garrett tells Rapup.com. "She's got some surprises. The record I gave her was very, very positive, very big. It's a f---ing smash."
The track, he says, is "a humongous radio record," more in tune with her previous releases like "Umbrella" and even her latest single, "Rude Boy." "It's just so infectious. It's about getting past any drama and just being happy to be alive," he explained. "It's an encouraging record. It feels great, and it's got great tempo. I made sure that it was bulletproof.
"It should be a single unless something crazy happens," he continued. "It's hot as f---. I think it's a record that's gonna stay on the radio for a long time."
Garrett, like some fans and critics, was surprised about the dark material on Rated R. — and not in a good way. "Whenever I think of Rihanna, it makes me happy. To be honest, I wasn't really that excited about hearing her in a dark zone," he said. "I love Rihanna for being that girl. ... She's like the lil' fantasy chick — nice brown skin, beautiful woman with a Caribbean swagger that's ridiculous."
It looks like Lil Wayne will get at least one more day of freedom before beginning his yearlong prison sentence for gun charges. On Tuesday morning (March 2), hundreds of people were evacuated from the New York courthouse where Wayne (born Dwayne Michael Carter) was to be sentenced due to a smoky basement fire. Wayne's lawyer, Stacey Richman, told MTV News that the hearing has been postponed and will not take place on Tuesday; the new date was unclear at press time.
According to The Associated Press, courts spokesman David Bookstaver said the fire was apparently started in a wooden contractor's shed, causing the evacuation around 10:30 a.m. after the building filled with smoke.
NY1 reported that the courthouse would be closed for the rest of the day as a result of the fire, which caused injuries to five firefighters, two civilians and one prisoner. It took crews over an hour to bring the blaze under control.
After winning a sentencing delay in order to undergo eight root canals, Wayne was scheduled to be formally sentenced and turn himself in to begin his one-year prison term in New York on Tuesday. Wayne, 27, pleaded guilty in October to attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
Wayne has been working feverishly in recent weeks to complete a number of videos and songs to stay relevant during his physical absence. He released a statement to fans late Monday, in which he tweeted, "Yesterday i smiled, today i smirked, tomorrow i stop ... Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, they're needed. The F is for family, friends, and fans..........thank u...........your love and prayers are felt. They kant lok up my heart bekuz y'all already have it on lok. ......thank u."
Soulja Boy Tell'em has vowed to prove himself as an MC on his next album, The DeAndre Way.
For the effort, the rapper has already said he wants Jay-Z and Eminem onboard. So far, he's been in the studio with Kanye West, and Soulja said 'Ye was impressed with his upgraded material.
"When I was in the studio, I played him a couple of joints, and then he just said, 'Damn, he's really starting to go hard,' " Soulja Boy told MTV News on the red carpet of BET's "Rip the Runway." "And I was like, 'Yeah, you feel me?' ... Out of all the artists to get the go-ahead or the co-sign from, it was Kanye."
Recently, Soulja Boy and West have been collaborating on material for 'Ye's next album. West requested the teen sensation to help produce tracks for him.
Soulja Boy spoke to MTV News late last year, after he created three tracks "back-to-back-to-back" for West, and said the sessions were beneficial to both musicians.
"Me working with him, collaborating on different beats," he said of working with West. "Him showing me a lot of stuff I didn't know. Me showing him a lot of stuff he didn't know. He had an ear for my sound. Of course I had an ear for all the stuff he did. Genius! You know what I mean?"
Lady Gaga loves her overseas little monsters so much, she decided to add more dates to the European jaunt of her Monster Ball Tour. The tour was scheduled to wrap March 8 in the UK before picking up in Australia for a number of dates. But Gaga will head back to Europe in May for 10 new dates, as well as two rescheduled dates.
It was also announced that Gaga will embark on her first major arena tour when she returns to North America this June, hitting 30 cities. More info is coming soon.
Gaga will be on the road with glam-rock band Semi Precious Weapons, who recently spoke to MTV News about what it's like to the opening act for the woman who was once their opening act at club gigs in New York.
"When we met her, we were doing shows here bringing, like, 300 people or so, and we were looking for bands to open for us," bassist Cole Whittle recalled. "They were all boring, but she was fun and partied, and her and [Gaga's performing partner] Lady Starlight had a really cool show. We were like, 'I'd much rather see this than some hipster band.' "
So they opted to do the future pop star a favor and have her join them for their shows. Despite the fact that she was playing to very small crowds, she was beyond thankful for the spot.
"She was big fans of ours before we met her. She was so grateful to be playing with us, 'cause she loved us so much," singer Justin Tranter said. "She was like, 'I've never seen so many people! Thank you so much for letting me open.' It's obviously a little different now. Them tables have turned! [Back then,] it was still the most awesome thing we'd ever seen. It's still the most awesome show we ever saw. She's always been the coolest girl!"
New European dates for Monster Ball Tour:
»May 7 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Globe Arena »May 10 - Hamburg, Germany @ Color Line Arena »May 11 - Berlin, Germany @ O2 Arena »May 15 - Arnhem, Netherlands @ Gelredome »May 17 - Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportspaleis »May 21 - Paris, France @ Bercy »May 24 - Oberhausen, Germany @ König-Pilsener Arena »May 27 - Nottingham, UK @ Trent FM Arena »May 28 - Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena »May 30 - London, UK @ O2 Arena »June 2 - Manchester, UK @ MEN Arena »June 4 - Sheffield, UK @ Sheffield Arena
LMFAO's Sky Blu isn't a violent person; he's a partyer. But when former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney placed a "Vulcan grip" on him, he said he physically struck back because he was in the heat of the moment.
"I look at the man, like, 'Are you serious?' And then, boom, Vulcan grip comes out on my shoulder," Sky Blu told MTV News about the incident. "He Vulcan-gripped me real quick. The man was sitting here and said, 'Sir, put your seat up,' and, pow, and what I did was a Vulcan-grip countermove. I learned this when I was a youngster. Bam, forehead."
So Sky Blu actually hit Romney in the face? "Oh, yeah, I got him," he said. "I went upside his head one time. That was the reaction when you touch me, especially during a heated exchange, I'm gonna have to rearrange your forehead piece."
Sky Blu and his musical partner Redfoo made headlines last week when word broke that LMFAO were involved in a skirmish with Romney. The Massachusetts governor reportedly was upset when Sky Blu reclined his seat into the passenger behind him before the flight took off. Romney's wife was the one seated behind Sky Blu, he said, but she didn't voice any displeasure until the conflict occurred. Sky said he barely reclined his seat.
Although the LMFAO guys joked that they were saints that morning who helped "little old ladies cross the street," Sky Blu said Mitt Romney was pleasant afterward. He just didn't appreciate Romney's approach, let alone being grabbed by him.
"First of all, that's too hard-core for the first talk," Sky said. "For the break-the-ice, that's too hard-core — especially if you're not a flight attendant."
A Florida woman prominently featured in a homemade sex tape posted online by 50 Cent last year as part of his feud with Rick Ross has sued 50 (born Curtis Jackson) in New York City, claiming he unlawfully distributed the video over the Internet.
According to The Associated Press,Lastonia Leviston filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Manhattan, claiming unauthorized use of her name or image and emotional distress caused by the public release of a video she made with an unidentified man in 2008. In the tape, Leviston is seen showing off a tattoo on her chest with the initials "RR," seemingly in reference to Ross, and 50 is heard providing exaggerated voice-over narration to the action in his wigged "Pimpin' Curly" persona.
In the lawsuit, Leviston claims the rapper posted the video on ThisIs50.com last year, blurring out the face of the man in the tape but not hers, and that 50 edited himself into the video.
The New York Daily News reported that Leviston claims she asked the man in the tape, Maurice Murray, to destroy it. He agreed, but then allegedly either gave or sold it to 50. In addition to airing on 50's site, the video made it onto YouTube and other video-sharing sites and has been seen millions of times, the suit claims. Leviston also claims that 50 spoke about the video on a radio program and referred to her as a "call girl" in it.
A spokesperson for 50 could not be reached for comment at press time.
The release of the video was part of a long-running beef between 50 and Ross, which featured a number of dis-heavy mixtape songs, mocking animated videos and a clip in which 50 appeared with Tia Kemp, the mother of Ross' son, who mocked her former partner.
With about a month until the release of My World 2.0, (due March 23), Justin Bieber took to his Twitter to announce the second single off the album. He plans to follow-up "Baby" with the track "Never Let You Go." The pop singer, who will celebrate his Sweet 16 on Monday, will release the new song on Tuesday.
"It's only 5 days until my bday, but now it's only six days until I release a new song off of My World 2.0 on ITUNES!! Wanna know which song??" he tweeted on Wednesday night. "Next Tuesday after my bday (help 'Baby' get to #1 for my bday!! Lol) I will release 'Never Let You Go' finally on iTunes from My World 2.0!!!"
Bieber also posted a link to a video of him performing the love song, on which he sings, "It's like an angel came by, and took me to heaven/ It's like you took me to heaven girl/ 'Cause when I stare in your eyes/ It couldn't be better/ I don't want you to go."
"Everyone spread the word," he told his extremely loyal Twitter followers.
Bieber, who will promote his album by performing on "Saturday Night Live" and the Kids' Choice Awards, recently released his music
video for "Baby." The video has cameos from Drake and Ludacris and even shows off some of Bieber's smooth Michael Jackson-inspired dance moves.
"It starts off, I really like this girl, but we didn't [get] along; we couldn't be together," Bieber explained. "Basically, I want her back and [I'm] kind of going through the whole thing. I'm chasing her around, trying to get her, and she's kind of playing hard to get, but I'm persistent. I keep going."
Kris Allen's "American Idol" appearance on Thursday (February 25) will not just be a homecoming for the show's reigning champ, but also an opportunity for the 24-year-old to contribute to a worthy cause: the ongoing relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
Allen traveled to the embattled island nation last week, and before he takes the "Idol" stage for the first since his win last May, the singer spoke with MTV News about his experience in Haiti and what he hopes to accomplish during Thursday's appearance.
"It was a weird trip, because you get over there — everyone's seen the pictures and stuff and the videos — it's really bad," he said. "It's a lot of destruction. A lot of people have been affected by it. But there's a lot of stuff going on."
Allen pointed to the relief efforts of organizations like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross, who have been working on the ground ever since a 7.0 quake nearly leveled the capital city of Port-au-Prince in January. During his visit, Allen stopped by an aid camp that opened the night of the earthquake and now is the temporary home for more than 3,300 Haitians, with more arriving every day. All these relief groups, the singer said, "have done so many amazing things for the Haitian people and gave that nation a lot of hope for the future."
The idea for the trip to Haiti came from "Idol" creator Simon Fuller. As soon as Fuller made the suggestion, Allen came onboard. He ended up handing out food, breaking up fallen concrete with a sledgehammer and clearing rubble with his hands, all the while working side by side with the Haitian people. Allen's last stop took him to a tent where mothers come to breastfeed their babies and care for their children.
During Thursday's show, viewers will be asked to make online or text-message donations to the Idol Gives Back Foundation, with funds going to support the United Nations Foundation's ongoing efforts in Haiti. "I wanted to go over there and help," Allen said. "I felt like I did that in a little way. I think that me being on the show is going to be a bigger help than me going there with the little bit of manpower that I have."
Kanye West is a bold personality and presence, so when director Nabil Elderkin and the rapper decided to film the "Coldest Winter" video they both agreed on one thing: to leave the 808s & Heartbreak star out of the clip.
The video, which premiered on Monday via iTunes, features an ominous woman in white, running throughout a dark, wintry forest populated by scary Grim Reaper-like characters. And West is nowhere in sight.
Elderkin didn't even have to sell the rapper on that concept. "You know what, the funny thing is, he didn't want to be in it," Elderkin told MTV News. "I wasn't even gonna put him in it. He didn't want to be in 'Paranoid,' to be honest. There was more Kanye in 'Paranoid' [originally], and I took him out. He's just cool right now with putting out visuals that fit the song without having to be in it. I think he's in that place in his life where right now he just wants to make art."
When Elderkin — who has collaborated with West on "Welcome to Heartbreak" and "Paranoid" — presented the rapper with this latest idea, it wasn't in treatment form. The director simply told West about the concept, and the rapper was onboard almost immediately.
Elderkin said he feared overshadowing the song, one of the most personal on the emotional 808s & Heartbreak, which was inspired in part by West's mother passing and a failed relationship. Instead, he wanted the visuals to complement the music, which features West's eerie production and the haunting refrain: "Goodbye, my friend, will I ever love again." Much like 'Ye's "Flashing Lights" clip, this one doesn't have a linear plot.
"Sometimes I don't want to get too literal with videos, like, 'This is what this is suppose to mean, and that's what that is suppose to mean,' " he said. "I wanted to leave it open to interpretation. I want people to get whatever they want out of it."
Snoop Dogg just released his Malice N Wonderland album late last year, but that's not stopping the West Coast MC from teaming up with Kid Cudi and hipster producer Diplo for his new single "That Tree" for his follow-up LP More Malice. The album is slated to hit shelves on March 23.
The track is a trippy mix of descending drum rolls as Snoop comically rhymes "groupies on my head like a kufi" until Kid Cudi's voice begins the melodious hook.
"Everything I'm having no it ain't necessity/ Though I'm shining, keep on grinding/ What you see ain't all of me," Cudi sings over organs.
As enjoyable as the song is, Diplo, the cut's producer (who has also worked with M.I.A. and Santigold), had no idea the two rappers were even recording the track.
"I've known Snoop's manager Ted Chung for a while and I actually met Snoop through the Swedish singer Robyn at the Grammys last year," Diplo recalled. "We exchanged information because he'd heard of me and I kept in touch. When Ted came around asking for beats, I didn't have any so I gave him some small loops and Ted actually just looped the loops over again."
Diplo never heard anything more about the beats until late one night during another recording session with Kid Cudi.
"Cudi was like, 'I just did a track with Snoop over your beat.' And I was like, 'What are you talking about?' " Diplo told MTV News. "I had no idea that Ted had taken the small loops and they'd rapped on it, so Ted eventually sent me back a vocal and I kind of constructed a track around that."
Unfortunately, "That Tree" did not make the track listing for Malice N Wonderland.
"It didn't make that album because of deadlines and it wasn't in the right shape," Diplo said. "But they liked the track and really wanted to use it, so I did some more work on it and that's why it's just coming out now."
Lil Wayne and Eminem will come together once again when MTV premieres the video for "Drop the World," the acclaimed rappers' landmark collaboration, on March 11.
Lil Wayne feverishly filmed a series of music videos in the weeks leading up to what he thought would be his last day of freedom two weeks ago, before dental surgery postponed his prison sentence. Director David Rousseau told MTV News that the Cash Money superstar recorded up to nine videos in one weekend, though most were in front of a green screen so his image could be added later to the finished clips.
Wayne was definitely on the set for the Chris Robinson-directed "Drop the World," however, which was filmed the night before the pair performed a snippet of the track, the next single from Wayne's Rebirth album, at the Grammys.
Robinson told MTV News he was very conscious of the heavy weight carried by both hip-hop superstars, likening the onscreen collaboration to a cinematic counterpart: "How did Scorsese put Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio in the same movie?" And while he wouldn't reveal the premise driving the video, he promised it will match the song's intensity.
"As a director, it's how do you, more than anything, combine these two artists together and create something that's special," he explained. "Because when you have two artists together, it's like, 'Oh, they'll stand next to each other [and that's it].' It's very awkward sometimes to have two very big stars. How are you gonna cover that? Especially two artists that are so big. You can do that with a performance at the Grammys, because the spectacle is to watch them onstage and sit in the audience and look at it. But as an artistic piece to have some magic, or if it's a mood piece or whatever way you communicate the music, you have to take two people into consideration with how you do that.
"You got two guys who are basically huge supernovas coming together, and the way that the song is constructed is great," he continued. "Because unless you see it coming, you don't know Eminem is on the track. The first two hooks and the first two verses are all Wayne, and it's kind of a surprise when Eminem comes through, and we matched it visually how Eminem enters the piece. From the concept and to just hearing the lyrics, with both of these amazing lyricists killing it, the whole video is just energy."
Wayne is scheduled to begin his one-year jail sentence in New York on March 2 after undergoing eight root canals.
Ke$ha donned her best zebra-print catsuit and hit the stage in London for a "secret" MySpace show on Monday night. The singer played a six-song set that included glitter cannons and dancing transvestites, according to reports.
The blog WeArePopSlags.com reported that many fans dressed in their best animal-print garb, an homage to Ke$ha's debut album, Animal, as they partied at the Bathhouse, where the pop princess performed "Backstabber, "Party at a Rich Dude's House," "Dinosaur," " F--- Him (He's a DJ)" and her singles, "Blah Blah Blah" and "Tik Tok."
In the days leading up to the show, a message was posted on her MySpace page about the show and its wild dress code: "To really set off the party, Ke$ha would like you to release your inner beast. Come as an animal. Ke$ha will be looking for her favourite outfit of the night, so go wild."
Before she took the stage, Ke$ha tweeted about her excitement for the show. "I love London," she wrote. "All. The. Animals. Ready. To. Dance?"
Apparently, many fans were turned away from the show, and Ke$ha later apologized, "I'm so sorry 4 any of my fans that tried to come to the show and didn't get in last night. I begged the fire marshal to let me play 2 shows but they wouldn't. Thank u for coming, and I will make it up to you I swear I love u guys and would never ever want u to have to stand in the cold."
With her MySpace show behind her, fans can look forward to a new video from the singer. Ke$ha recently shot a video for "Blah Blah Blah" with her pals and song collaborators 3Oh!3.
Justin Bieber is apparently huge in France. The 15-year-old pop star on Monday (February 22) that his in-store appearance in Paris that afternoon was cut short after a large crowd of fans swarmed his meet-and-greet. The police were forced to shut down the event at the Citadium store after a large number of fans showed up to meet the singer.
"Paris is crazy!" Bieber wrote following the experience. "Had some interviews this morning with mags and radio. Got to practice my French a little. But then the in-store ... There were thousands of kids at the in-store and the police were not expecting it. They reorganized the crowd and we got it going, but after a little while the police stopped it and came in and said it was over and I had to leave."
Bieber apologized to the fans he missed. "Sorry to any of the kids I didn't get to meet. I love all of you for your support. To start my trip in Paris like this already, the love and the energy is amazing. Thank you so much."
This isn't the first time Bieber fans have caused pandemonium. Last November, an appearance he was scheduled to make at Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, New York, was canceled after fans started a stampede. According to reports at the time, someone in the mall falsely screamed that Bieber was inside their store and kids rushed toward his mistaken location. One young girl was reportedly hospitalized and several fights allegedly occurred.
Rihanna has had a difficult past 12 months in the aftermath of her assault by Chris Brown. But the "Hard" superstar has endured, by being both outspoken about her experience in hopes of helping others and by channeling her experience into Rated R, her most rounded effort to date. She told MTV News last year that she "vented" on the project.
Don't expect her next album to be as dark as Rated R, though.
Rihanna said the follow-up, which has no timetable set yet, will be less intense. "Rated R, I love the sound of it, in terms of the bass," Rihanna explained to MTV Korea. "I really like the bottom, the grime of it. But if I were to combine that with more energetic, up-tempo pop records, then I think that will be a happy marriage. And that's where we'll probably go next."
Rated R was inspired mostly by Rihanna's ordeal in the wake of her and Brown's breakup. The singer was the subject of media headlines worldwide. She kept away from the spotlight after a brief reunion with Brown following their altercation. But when Rihanna returned, she had an album that chronicled her months away from the glare.
"This album is an expression of all those feelings that I went through in the last eight months, just different emotions," she said shortly after Rated R's release. "All of it isn't angry, all of it isn't dark and sad, 'cause I didn't go through that the whole time. That was part of it. It was really a roller coaster, and you get that when you're listening to the album."
A glittery 22-year-old party animal from Nashville has overpowered 75 of music and film’s big names.
All the star power on “We Are the World 25 For Haiti” wasn’t enough to knock Ke$ha out of the Number One spot on the Hot 100 and “TiK ToK” reigned for its ninth consecutive week, Reuters writes. As Rolling Stone reported last week, Ke$ha is the first female artist since Debby Boone to remain atop the Hot 100 with her debut single for this many consecutive weeks. Boone locked down Number One for 11 straight in 1977 with “You Light Up My Life,” so Ke$ha needs to hold off the competition for 14 more days to tie the record. When RS asked Ke$ha about her blitz on the Hot 100, she said, “It’s all really weird, and really, really cool. I’m just so impressed that my fans are so amazing, I have the best fans in the world, sorry! It’s just the truth.”
While the “We Are the World” remake debuted at Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100, chart history demonstrates that Ke$ha shouldn’t let down her guard just yet: Back in 1985, when the original “We Are the World” was released, it took over a month for the single to climb to the top spot. Once there, it didn’t relinquish Number One for nearly four weeks. That “We are the World” entered at Number 21 in its Hot 100 debut, so the 25th anniversary rendition of the song is off to a much better chart start than its predecessor.
In addition to “We Are the World 25 For Haiti,” Ke$ha might also face some stiff competition from former Hot 100 incumbents the Black Eyed Peas, whose “Imma Be” at Number Three could make a run for Number One now that its 10-minute-long video is out. Ke$ha may even challenge herself, because “Blah Blah Blah,” another single off her debut Animal, jumped 11 spots to Number 11 on the Hot 100.
"On to the Next One" is Jay-Z's current single, but that doesn't mean he's ready to move past his latest hit LP, The Blueprint 3. Hov said he's thinking about two more videos from his opus.
"I wanna shoot 'Venus vs. Mars,' " he told MTV News last weekend in Dallas. "I may shoot two — I shot 'Run This Town' [and 'D.O.A. (Death of Auto Tune)'], I been shooting two at the same time. I'll probably shoot 'Venus' and maybe 'A Star Is Born.' But I definitely wanna shoot 'Venus' — I got an amazing concept in my mind."
However, he said he doesn't think he'll shoot a clip for "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)," which he, Rihanna and members of U2 performed during MTV's "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon.
"I don't think there will be a video," he explained. "The number is ridiculous as far as the [money generated by the Hope For Haiti Now] album. I'm excited about the whole effort we put into the telethon. I don't think it's entertainment, I think it's a real thing. It's helping real people through a real tough time, and we'll just move on from there."
While out in Dallas for the NBA All-Star Game, Jay also told MTV News that he wasn't sure when a new album is coming, but he did have one song for it already.
"I don't know," he said. "I didn't really start yet. I got a couple of scraps and I got a couple of ideas. I didn't really go into the studio yet. I've been toying with ideas and direction and things like that.
"I got one crazy record," he added. "To be honest with you, it's crazy. I got one and we'll build from there. Whether it comes out this year or next year, it depends on the music and how it's coming out. I don't really have any dates."
Nas has pleaded not guilty to a contempt filing from ex-wife Kelis alleging that he owes over $200,000 in child and spousal support.
The proceedings happened this morning (February 19), in response to Kelis’ lawyer filing the motion last month.
In December, Kelis was awarded over $50,000 per month in spousal and child support on the grounds of Nas’ reported annual gross income of $4 million, and her dependence on him for financial stability.
Kelis filed for divorce last April while pregnant with their son, citing irreconcilable differences. The child, named Knight, was born in July, with Nas being refused entry into the delivery room due to intoxication.
Although the split was rumored to be due to infidelity, both parties remained silent on the situation until earlier this month, when a leaked version of the Nas/Damian Marley song “Strong Will Continue” contained lyrics addressing the failed union.
“How in the hell am I supposed to stay comfy /When I pay child support, alimony monthly?...So I've stuck with some married women so fine/Cheating while their husband rushing on the 40-yard line / Wonder if this is what my ex did the whole time."
According to TMZ.com, the contempt hearing has been scheduled for March 10. If found guilty, Nas will face jail time.
At press time, the Queens lyricist’s anticipated collaboration album with Damian Marley (Distant Relatives) is still slated for an April 6 release.
Drake is hard at work on his forthcoming major-label debut and has tallied some time in the studio with Kanye West, so far, among others.
The So Far Gone rapper revealed to GQ that he'd spent some time in Hawaii recently with West working on his album as well as the Chicago superstar's next effort.
The Lil Wayne protégé may be hip-hop's next big thing, but he told the magazine — which featured the Toronto native in a dress-shirt selection photo spread — when it comes to dividing 'Ye's attention between both projects, it's not exactly a 50/50-type thing.
"More like we work on his album until he gets tired," Drake joked about the process. "His album is going to be one of the best hip-hop albums of the last 10 years."
The 808s & Heartbreak rapper has had a huge influence on Drake's career, even before they collaborated on the shoot for "Best I Ever Had" — last year Drake spoke to MTV News about West's work, which he credited with shaping his own career.
"Before I ever got the chance to meet him, Kanye West shaped a lot of what I do, as far as music goes," Drake said. "We always, always, always took the time to listen to Kanye's music and appreciate it beyond. We searched the samples and we find out where his inspiration came from, because he has one of the best ears in music, period. He knows how to recognize great music that's not his. He knows how to utilize great sounds and great music. So before I met him, I had the utmost respect for Kanye West. I'd even go as far as to say he's the most influential person, as far as a musician, that I'd ever had in my life."
West has kept a low profile in recent months following his stunt involving Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. And although his behavior has been admonished, West remains popular among his fans, ranging from kids to adults. The range in West's fanbase is something Drake has also been praised for, which the younger MC credited to the combination of his foul mouth and clean image.
"I say 'bitch' and sh— like that, but I'm parent-approved," he said, poking fun at himself. "Parents are like, 'That's an intelligent young man, that Drake.' "
At his latest William Rast fashion show, Justin Timberlake admitted there is a "blatant correlation" between music and fashion — however, for the time being, Timberlake is more focused on the clothes and less worried about putting out new music.
He hasn't put out a solo album since 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds, but he said he isn't going to force the tunes out. "You know, music is ... music exploration, I find that when it comes up ... it comes up like a freight train," he said. "So when it does, I definitely won't run from it."
However, the bottom line is that Timberlake has no plans to release his own new music anytime soon. In addition to his fashion empire, he's also busy promoting acts on his Tennman label, like Esmée Denters and Free Sol. "Right now I'm enjoying working with new artists, working with some of the acts that I have signed to my little label, which I just started," he explained.
Meanwhile, Timberlake and business partner Trace Ayala will be concentrating on growing their successful William Rast brand. "I know, for me, with the label is just keep expanding," he said. "We just signed an eyewear deal, so we're working on eyewear. It's really growing fast.
"Just give a little flavor here and there to go a little deeper and build a collection where we hope to go," he continued. "We want to have our own furniture. We want to design interiors on cars. We want to go as far as we can with this brand."
Chris Brown was in a Los Angeles courtroom yesterday to provide a progress report on how his probation program is progressing; last year he was sentenced to 1,400 hours of “labor-oriented service” after pleading guilty to assault charges stemming from his violent pre-Grammy incident with Rihanna in February 2009. The judge on the case was impressed by Brown’s efforts, telling the singer “It looks like you’re doing really, really well” after the Richmond, Virginia police chief who is overseeing Brown’s sentence reported the singer had so far completed 32 days of hard labor and had attended 17 of his 52 scheduled domestic violence counseling sessions, CNN reports.
As Rolling Stone previously reported, Brown is completing five years probation, 180 days of community labor and a 52-week counseling program. The judge requested that Brown’s labor work be “actual physical labor” involving tasks like washing cars, picking up garbage and cleaning up graffiti, which is ironic considering his latest album was called Graffiti and showed Brown on the cover emptying a spray can. A court-imposed restraining order also mandates Brown remains 50 yards away from Rihanna except at entertainment events both stars attend, where the distance is reduced to 10 yards. The restraining order, like Brown’s probation, is in place until 2014.
Brown’s next progress report will come on May 11th, at which point the judge said she anticipates Brown’s community service sentence to be well over halfway through completion. As for how Brown was doing in his domestic violence counseling sessions, the agency running the program noted that Brown is “participating and doing a very good job.”
To date, the only party the members of LMFAO appear to support is the one that starts with shots and ends with being passed out on the floor in a heap of spandex neon tights and bikini tops. But group member Sky Blu made news on Monday for getting into a scuffle with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
When news first broke that Romney had gotten in a fight on a plane, the identity of the other man wasn't revealed. On Thursday, however, TMZ reported that it was none other than Sky (born Skyler Gordy), half of the "Party Rock" duo. According to the site, Blu claims that despite initial reports that he became "physically violent" first after Romney asked him to put his seat up, it was the former Massachusetts governor who started things.
After hanging with MTV News' Sway in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics over the weekend, LMFAO boarded a flight to Los Angeles. And according to Blu's account of the incident in a video posted on TMZ, he was tired, put his new "Party Rock" jacket over his face and leaned his coach seat back while the plane was still on the ground. That's when Romney began yelling at him to put the seat upright.
"I'm trying to just adjust myself so I can go to sleep," Blu said. "I just hear this guy, he's, 'Sir, sir, put your seat up!' I thought it was a flight attendant at first ... and he says again, 'Sir, put your seat up!' A little louder and more angry towards me."
If Romney had asked nicely, Blu said he might have put his seat up, but since he was so rude ... Well, next thing you know, Blu said Romney reached out and put his hand on his shoulder and asked him again to put his seat up. Blu said he knocked Romney's hand away, thinking nothing of it. "His wife screams. ... They're getting loud, so then the flight attendant comes over, and I try to get louder than them to plead my case. 'No, the man assaulted me! I was protecting myself!' I might have thrown a few cuss words in there."
In the video, air marshals are seen escorting Blu off the plane. He said they diffused the situation and though the police detained him for a minute, he was not arrested but given a ticket for the next flight out.
"I have no hard feelings toward him," Blu said. "I'm sure he's a good dude."
And while Blu, an avowed Democrat, said he would not vote for Romney, he admitted he might get a drink with the Mormon politician ... if he drinks.
Spokespeople for LMFAO and Romney could not be reached for comment at press time.
The years between 2000 and 2009 were very good for Beyoncé, 'NSYNC, Michael Jackson and Nickelback, according to figures released by the Recording Industry Association of America on Wednesday. The music-industry trade association tallied gold (500,000) and platinum (1 million) certifications for the first decade of the 2000s, and those coming out at the top of the heap also include Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Linkin Park, Flo Rida and Lil Wayne.
The big winner, though, was Beyoncé, who topped all lists with the most total gold and platinum certifications at 64, which includes tallies for cumulative album, digital song, master ringtone and music video certifications. She was followed by classic rock act the Eagles, who had 48 total certifications, and the late Michael Jackson at 44.
The group category in total album certifications was led by Nickelback with 25. Britney Spears grabbed the top female solo artist category at 23, and country act George Strait snagged the male solo title with 29. The top digital song certifications belonged to Taylor Swift with 25, followed by Kanye West (19) and Linkin Park (13) in the group category. Beyoncé (19) edged out T.I. (15) in the most master ringtone certifications race. Flo Rida's five-times platinum "Low" was the best-selling digital download of all time and Lil Wayne's five-times platinum "Lollipop" was the highest certified ringtone ever.
The decade's highest certified album sales award was a tie between 'NSYNC's No Strings Attached and Outkast's Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below, which were both certified at 11-times platinum, equaled in the female solo artist category by Shania Twain's Up! and just ahead of Usher's Confessions, which topped the male solo artist race with a 10-times platinum score.
While Flo Rida set the record, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift both came close in the most certified digital song category, each going four-times platinum with, respectively, "Just Dance" and "Love Story." Coldplay and the Fray took the group honors with "Viva La Vida" and "How to Save a Life," respectively; both went three-times platinum.
Behind Wayne in the master ringtone section were Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" in the female solo slot at three-times platinum and D4L ("Laffy Taffy"), Hinder ("Lips of an Angel") and the Shop Boyz ("Party Like a Rock Star"), who all hit three-times platinum in the group class.
While Lady Gaga's performance at the Brit Awards on Tuesday was a heartfelt tribute to her late friend, designer Alexander McQueen, the show served as a preview for the next phase of her Monster Ball Tour, which launches in England on February 18 before moving on to New Zealand, Australia and Japan in March. In an interview with London's 95.8 Capital-FM on Tuesday, the singer spilled a few new details on what her fans can expect.
"The show is a musical, it's not just a pop show, there are lines and a score — there's a lot of music that you haven't heard before. Some of it's very old, some of it's new, there are scores specifically for the show itself," Gaga said. "The show's completely different and I have some really amazing surprises, and it's unlike anything I've done before."
She also spoke a bit about the bizarre keytar that she played during the Brit Awards, which turns out to be the Haus of Gaga's latest innovation.
"We have this new instrument that I brought to the Brits tonight, 'Emma,' which is what I was playing on the stage. She's a hybrid from all these other instruments, which is quite funny to deal with," she explained.
Earlier this month, Gaga spoke with Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM show about the tour, noting its city vibe.
"It's still called Monster Ball, but it's more of a musical and less of a concert. It has a New York theme, it's a story, and the story is that me and my friends are in New York and we're going to the Monster Ball, and we get lost," she told Seacrest.
Avril Lavigne and Brody Jenner might be Hollywood's hottest new hookup.
Sources tell E! News that 25-year-old Lavigne and the Hills star have been seeing each other quietly over the last couple weeks.
"They're hooking up," an insider said, "but they're keeping it low-key."
Not so low-key that they haven't been seen in public, however. The pair, who both became single late last year, were first spotted at dinner at Koi Feb. 4. According to a restaurant source, the "Sk8ter Boi" warbler and 26-year-old hunk left together in the same car and drove to club Voyeur.
They were last seen out again on Thursday, back at Voyeur, where they partied all night.
"You can tell they're into each other and both like to have a good time," another source says. "They're cute together."
The reality-TV playboy split in December from Playmate Jayde Nicole, and Lavigne filed for divorce from rocker Deryck Whibley last October.
Akon, who signed Lady Gaga to his KonLive imprint (along with her being signed by Streamline and Cherry Tree) at Interscope Records, is pleased that his decision is paying off.
Says Akon, "She's pretty much retired me. She was definitely a blessing. She came at the right moment. I'm glad I believed in her, boy. That goes to show you, if you believe in something strong enough, it will pay off. I was like 'Yo, I want to sign that right there. She needs to be under my umbrella. Jimmy was like 'Yeah, whatever you want. Take her. Let's get it done.' And she just blossomed into a super megastar, man."
Lady Gaga will also reportedly be featured on Akon's next album out later this year.
With his self-titled debut album hitting stores March 2, Jason Derülo admits that he owes a big thank you to "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi. Derülo isn't some "Idol" reject who got advice from DioGuardi during audition rounds of the show; his relationship with the hitmaking songwriter actually goes a bit more personal than that.
"Kara DioGuardi is my baby mama," he joked to MTV News about the singer/songwriter, who moonlights as Warner Bros. Records senior vice president of A&R. "Nah! She took a part in kind of discovering me. [Producer] J.R. Rotem brought me to her, and they put the deal together. She's been there through this entire process."
Record execs can be very meddlesome in the creative process, but Derülo said DioGuardi is very nurturing. "She's never once tried to butt in, 'cause she's an amazing songwriter," he said. "She's never tried to butt in or change me at all. She's trusting me to take the reins on this whole thing."
DioGuardi might not be intruding, but it is her job to dole out advice to musicians. Derülo said her advice for him is much different than the advice she gives out on "Idol."
"Giving advice to me and giving advice to someone who's really, really new at this [is different]," he said. "I mean, I've been doing this my whole life, and I have a songwriting background. The advice she gives me is much different. She's the same sweetheart behind the scenes as she is on Idol."
Syco Music/Sony Music Entertainment's star-packed charity cover of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts," rush-released under the name Helping Haiti to raise funds for victims of the Haiti earthquake, stormed to No. 1 on the new U.K. singles chart.
Alicia Keys' "The Element of Freedom" (J/Sony) started a second week atop the album chart last night (Feb. 14).
Helping Haiti, hastily convened by Syco supremo Simon Cowell, sold 453,000 copies last week to become the U.K.'s fastest-selling charity single of this century.
It features the vocals of Syco artists Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle and Joe McElderry, Cowell's fellow "X Factor" judge Cheryl Cole, plus Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Gary Barlow and Mark Owen of Take That, Mika, Michael Bublé, James Morrison, Jon Bon Jovi, James Blunt and two members each of JLS and Westlife.
R.E.M.'s original version of the song reached No. 7 in the U.K. in 1993.
After three weeks at the singles summit, Owl City's "Fireflies" (Universal Island) thus fell to No. 2, as "If We Ever Meet Again" (Interscope/Universal) by Timbaland featuring Katy Perry held at No. 3. Keys climbed again, 5-4, with "Empire State of Mind Part II."
Those who feared John Mayer would zip his lip and let his guitar do the talking in the wake of Playboy-gate needn't have worried.
During Mayer's Battle Studies Tour stop Friday night (February 12) at the Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit, the embattled singer talked — and talked and talked — from the stage, but not about Jessica "Sexual Napalm" Simpson, his affinity for pornography or the racist and homosexual slurs in the Playboy interview that landed him in hot water earlier this week. Instead, Mayer mused about VH1 Classic, the 1970s and Sylvester Stallone — namely "Over the Top," 1987's Stallone-starring arm-wrestling epic.
"Me taking off my jacket, you understand, is sort of like Sylvester Stallone turning his hat around in 'Over the Top,' " Mayer told the crowd of 12,000, after removing the black jacket he wore during the first couple of songs of Friday's show. "You know, like Sylvester Stallone says in 'Over the Top,' one movie in a giant string of arm-wrestling movies. That's when you know Hollywood was flush with cash. Somebody walked in and said, 'I got an idea, you take Stallone ... ' they're like, 'Sold. Wait, hold on, what's he doing?' 'He's arm wrestling.' 'Double sold. Let's do it.' "
The off-the-cuff riff felt like Mayer trying out new stand-up material, as he wondered aloud if anyone actually uttered the words "Over the Top" in the film. Basically, he seemed like he was back to his jokey, irreverent self, and he let his onstage apology in Nashville on Wednesday — and his tweeted apologies the same day — speak for themselves.
Mayer, backed by his five-piece band and two backup singers, opened the two-hour concert with "Heartbreak Warfare," his current single, and continued through a host of material from Battle Studies and his previous efforts. Covers of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" and the Police's "Message in a Bottle" were added into the mix, and a mid-show run-through of his very first single, "No Such Thing," was performed acoustically — "How I used to play it at coffee shops," he said.
If so desired, plenty could be read into the video screens behind Mayer that projected a blazing wall of fire or lyrics such as "I'll come through, like I do when the world keeps testing me, testing me, testing me" (from "Vultures"). But through his lighthearted stage banter and sincere thank-yous to the crowd for spending their Friday evening with him, he seemed doggedly determined to move forward from the controversy.
Kara Dubay of Rochester Hills, Michigan, didn't mind spending her Friday with Mayer and wasn't concerned about his comments from the Playboy interview. "I don't care what he does in his personal life, really," the 19-year-old college student said. "I like him for his music, so I don't think [his personal life] is anyone's business."
David Trierweiler of Grand Rapids, Michigan, said he thought Mayer's comments in the Playboy article were lost in translation. "I think he meant well, it just came across wrong," said Trierweiler, 22. "By no means did he mean to say anything against anyone else."
Katelyn Van Slyke, a graduate student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, agreed. "I think that everyone takes what he says way too seriously. Everything he says is like a joke with himself. He's a funny guy."
She said Friday's concert and the warm reception he received from the 80 percent capacity crowd proved he can move past the negativity caused by the racy interview. "He can move on from it. He's a weird guy, and his personality goes into his music, that's what makes him so unique," she said. "He apologized, and I don't think he's a bad guy. He's just taken way too seriously."
They've been together for more than three years and have two children. Now, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are planning to make it official.
"Yep. i'm engaged. Very happy. Yeah we've been engaged for a while so your all kind of late on that. But Thanks for the hooplah all the same," Madden Tweeted Monday night, after news of their plans to wed went wide. He also expressed thanks to relatives who did not let word of the engagement slip.
He Tweeted: "P.s. thats why i love my family and friends. None of them are sources. All good tight lipped people who let us enjoy it! Thanks everybody"
Richie said Monday night during a taping of the Late Show with David Letterman that the couple are engaged to be married, a source told PEOPLE.
After the show, Richie headed to the New York restaurant Abe & Arthurs – without her fiancé – for dinner. “She was glowing,” says a source. “She was telling her table how happy she was.”
Richie, 28, and Madden, 30, began dating in December 2006 and have daughter Harlow, 2, and son Sparrow, 5 months.
And while they've been living as a close-knit family, as recently as October Richie dashed engagement rumors. "One day I would love to get married," she said. "It's not something we're talking about right now. If my kids ask me to get married, I'd get married."
Lady Gaga might be busy touring, winning awards and keeping people guessing with her near-hourly costume changes, but producer RedOne, who collaborated with Gaga on her hits "Bad Romance," "Just Dance" and more, promises that they plan to hit the studio again soon.
"We spoke about it, absolutely," RedOne — who picked up a pair of Grammys for his work with Gaga late last month — told MTV News. "So we're gonna start very, very soon. I think within weeks, we're just gonna rock again. When me and Gaga get together, it's crazy. It's unbelievable."
With so many hits under their belts and such high expectations, he admitted that he's feeling some pressure. But RedOne, who recently produced the "We Are the World" remake, said pressure has helped him produce some of Gaga's biggest songs.
"It's the same. It was a little pressure coming from 'Just Dance,' 'LoveGame' and 'Poker Face' — all these hits, they were massive. We got together, and the same magic happened," he said of reuniting with Gaga for The Fame Monster. "We did 'Bad Romance,' it was incredible. We did it on a tour bus. When we get together, magic ... that's the beauty of it. She hasn't changed at all to me."
So how will they top the massive popularity and undeniable charm of "Bad Romance"? Well, you'll have to stay tuned. "You should wait for it," he teased. "That's the mystery. That's what's going to make it more special when it comes out."
Lady Gaga remembered her friend and fashion icon Alexander McQueen on Friday by tweeting a photo of them in a happy embrace.
Gaga was the late McQueen's unofficial muse, wearing his designs on both the red carpet and in her work. Remember the red lace see-through outfit at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards? Those "armadillo" heels she rocks in her "Bad Romance" video? McQueen's, of course.
The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga are the two big leaders of the iTunes all-time most-downloaded songs list, which the company released for the first time on Thursday (February 11). Both artists had songs in the top 10 — with the Peas occupying the #1 and #3 spots — and Jason Mraz, Coldplay, Flo Rida, Taylor Swift, Leona Lewis and Ke$ha filled out the top 10; Katy Perry also had a strong showing in the top 25, and Flo Rida and Gaga also had songs at #19 and #23, respectively.
The entire top 25 is posted on iTunes, with all songs available as an album for $31.95.
Additionally, iTunes has created a "Countdown to 10 Billion Song Downloads" contest, for which the winner will get a whopping $10,000 gift certificate. Anyone who downloads a song (beginning Thursday) or enters the contest on iTunes' Web site is eligible. For complete details, see iTunes' Web site.
iTunes' most-downloaded songs of all time, as of February 11, 2010:
1) "I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas
2) "Poker Face," Lady Gaga
3) "Boom Boom Pow," Black Eyed Peas
4) "I'm Yours," Jason Mraz
5) "Viva la Vida," Coldplay
6) "Just Dance," Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis
7) "Low," Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain)
8) "Love Story," Taylor Swift
9) "Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
10) "TiK ToK," Ke$ha
11) "Disturbia," Rihanna
12) "So What," Pink
13) "I Kissed a Girl," Katy Perry
14) "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Beyoncé
15) "Hot N Cold," Katy Perry
16) "Stronger," Kanye West
17) "Live Your Life," T.I. (featuring Rihanna)
18) "Hey There Delilah," Plain White T's
19) "Right Round," Flo Rida
20) "Party in the U.S.A.," Miley Cyrus
21) "Don't Stop Believin'," Journey
22) "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
23) "Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
24) "Fireflies," Owl City
25) "How to Save a Life," the Fray
John Mayer addressed the growing outrage over his racially and sexually charged interview with Playboy on Wednesday afternoon, posting a series of messages on Twitter that started off with an apology for his use of a racial slur.
"Re: using the 'N word' in an interview: I am sorry that I used the word," Mayer tweeted. "And it's such a shame that I did because the point I was trying to make was in the exact opposite spirit of the word itself. It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize using it, because I realize that there's no intellectualizing a word that is so emotionally charged."
In the Playboy interview, Mayer spoke about his strong African American fanbase and collaborations with rappers Jay-Z, Kanye West and Common. "Someone asked me the other day, 'What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?" he said. "And by the way, it's sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a n----r pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass? But I said, 'I can't have a hood pass. I've never walked into a restaurant, asked for a table and been told, 'We're full.'"
"Again, because I don't want anyone to think I'm equivocating: I should have never said the word and I will never say it again," Mayer tweeted.
After apologizing, the singer went on to reflect on oversharing in general, suggesting that he might filter himself during future interviews. "While I'm using today for looking at myself under harsh light, I think it's time to stop trying to be so raw in interviews... It started as an attempt to not let the waves of criticism get to me, but it's gotten out of hand and I've created somewhat of a monster. I wanted to be a blues guitar player. And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock. I don't have the stomach for it."
On Tuesday in New York City, a judge delayed Lil Wayne's prison sentencing until March, allowing the MC time to recover from dental surgery. Wayne's camp is obviously pleased they have been afforded a little more time to spend with their friend and mentor before he has to report to jail for a year.
"That's still a blessing, man," Tyga said. "He could spend more time with his family, get what he needs to get done.
"We talk about it all the time," Tyga said of Wayne's upcoming time in prison. "It's not really a subject that's gonna hurt us [Young Money artists] as much. We're used to being around Wayne all day, every day, and his work ethic, so we just look at it like we need to work harder. Even though we work very hard, we need to work harder. This man shot six videos in one day in, like, five hours. That was motivation — that was a lot of inspiration right there to see somebody do that."
Tyga is referring to Weezy's production spree over Super Bowl weekend, in which he shot a total of nine videos in about 36 hours in Miami. The Cash Money/ Young Money family want to make sure the hub of their crew has plenty of visuals to tide the fans over while he is gone. Weezy also got in front of the cameras for two of Tyga's songs.
"We just shot a video for my single featuring Wayne, called 'I'm On It,' " Tyga explained. "That'll be coming out real soon. We got cameos from Drake, Juelz Santana was there — we did that. We did another song of mine that's on Birdman's album as well as my album — that's called 'Leave Home.' It's me and Wayne, featuring Birdman. That one's crazy too. Look for 'I'm On It,' that one's coming real soon. Wayne did a lot of videos in one day. We did what we needed to get done."
Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment are excited to announce the initial lineup for the 2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The ninth annual four-day camping and music festival will be held on June 10-13 on the same beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. A full list of confirmed acts follows, and more will be announced in the coming weeks. The final Bonnaroo 2010 lineup will total over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days.
Perhaps bringing you the most diverse and ambitious lineup to date, the 2010 event draws world-class acts from a staggering range of musical worlds.
2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Confirmed Artists:
Dave Matthews Band • Kings of Leon • Stevie Wonder • Jay-Z • Tenacious D • Weezer • The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform "Dark Side of the Moon" • The Dead Weather • Damian Marley & Nas • Phoenix • Norah Jones • Michael Franti & Spearhead • John Fogerty • Regina Spektor • Jimmy Cliff • LCD Soundsystem • The Avett Brothers • Thievery Corporation • Rise Against • Tori Amos • The National • Zac Brown Band • Les Claypool • John Prine • The Black Keys • Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers • Jeff Beck • Dropkick Murphys • She & Him • Against Me! • The Disco Biscuits • Daryl Hall & Chromeo • Jamey Johnson • Clutch • Bassnectar • Kid Cudi • Baaba Maal • Kris Kristofferson • Medeski Martin & Wood • The xx • GWAR • Dan Deacon Ensemble • Tinariwen • Wale • Deadmau5 • The Melvins • Gaslight Anthem • Mike Snow • The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band • Dr. Dog • They Might Be Giants • Punch Brothers • Isis • Blitzen Trapper • Blues Traveler • Miranda Lambert • Calexico • OK Go • Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue • Martin Sexton • Lotus • Baroness • Dave Rawlings Machine • Mayer Hawthorne and the County • Japandroids • Jay Electronica • Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros • Ingrid Michaelson • The Dodos • Manchester Orchestra • The Temper Trap • Cross Canadian Ragweed • Big Sam's Funky Nation • Carolina Chocolate Drops • Needtobreathe • Tokyo Police Club • The Entrance Band • Local Natives • Brandi Carlile • Mumford & Sons • Rebelution • Diane Birch • Monte Montgomery • Julia Nunes • The Postelles • Lucero • Here We Go Magic • Hot Rize • Neon Indian • B.O.B
More acts will be announced in the coming weeks!
The largest and most revered music and camping event in the country, Bonnaroo has elevated the American rock festival to an unprecedented level. As the only round-the-clock major U.S. music festival, Bonnaroo packs an unparalleled amount of entertainment options into its four days. The event has offered its attendees the amenities and community spirit of a small city, with 24 hours of activities including a comedy theater, cinema festival, jazz club, silent disco, arcade, Internet cafés, restaurants, yoga classes and hundreds of high quality craft vendors. Since its inception, Bonnaroo swiftly earned its status as the countrys premier music and arts event. The Wall Street Journal called Bonnaroo one of rocks best festivals, continuing to hail that the 2009 lineup fairly bursts with some of the most gifted acts in rock and pop. Entertainment Weekly called it the best of all sonic worlds, while the New York Times said, Bonnaroos very loose mandate and a wise one for any festival is to choose performers who deliver in a live performance, with current hits and studio expertise as lower priorities. One of the pleasures of the festival is that it defies narrowcasting: Its not an Americana festival, an indie-rock festival, a gathering of 2008-9 hitmakers or anything but what its producers and, presumably, ticket-buyers are happy to hear. Rolling Stone called Bonnaroo one of the 50 moments to change the history of rock and roll.
TICKETS: Once again, Bonnaroo has created a couple of unique ticketing options for its fans. The festival is offering a special payment plan in which tickets will be available for five (5) payments of $50.00 plus applicable fees. In addition, fans will have the option to purchase a Bonnaroo Green Ticket that will help to support the development and implementation of sustainable improvements at the festival for years to come.
Lil Wayne's sentencing has been delayed until March 2 due to dental surgery, his attorney announced in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday (February 9).
The rapper was scheduled to be formally sentenced by a judge and begin serving his one-year term stemming from a 2007 arrest that resulted in a guilty plea in October for attempted weapons possession.
The Cash Money MC arrived shortly after 2 p.m. with his label heads Birdman and Slim. He quietly entered the courtroom as photographers snapped pictures from the hallway. Wayne wore a navy coat and black-framed glasses, and he sat still while his lawyer Stacey Richman spoke.
She informed the judge that she sent a notification to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office that the rapper is suffering from a cracked tooth and would need to postpone his sentence. The judge agreed and ruled to reschedule for March 2.
The postponement wasn't guaranteed. The rapper has typically arrived to his previous court appearances with a small crew that included a bodyguard and his road manager, in addition to Baby and Slim. On Tuesday, however, he was accompanied by that group as well as Lil Twist, Mack Maine and several others from the Cash Money/ Young Money camps. The proceedings were swift and austere as the prosecution agreed that the rapper would receive better care with his own dentist versus treatment at the Rikers Island facilities.
The rapper is set to undergo surgery February 12 in Miami, according to Richman. He will need a week to 10 days to recover. His defense offered prosecutors February 25 as a date for Wayne to turn himself him in after surgery, but Judge Charles H. Solomon instead selected March 2.
The judge then warned Wayne that he must return to Miami on Tuesday. Solomon insisted if he leaves tomorrow, there would be a chance his surgery would be delayed due to hazardous weather conditions leaving New York, where a snowstorm is expected.
"I don't want this to get pushed back anymore," Solomon said. "This is the last adjournment."
While not entirely unexpected, the delay has surprised many, considering that Wayne has been hard at work in recent weeks recording music and videos to be released during his time in jail, and even said goodbye to fans in a live streaming video early Tuesday morning.
Michael Jackson's doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the pop singer's death.
Prosecutors announced the charge Monday against Dr. Conrad Murray, a Houston cardiologist who was with Jackson when he died June 25. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Murray's attorney Ed Chernoff says Murray will plead not guilty.
Jackson hired Murray to be his personal physician as he prepared for a strenuous series of comeback performances in London.
Officials say the singer died in Los Angeles after Murray administered the powerful general anesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to get the chronic insomniac to sleep.
Lil Wayne's sentencing has been delayed until March 2 due to dental surgery, his attorney announced in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday (February 9).
