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| 50 Cent, Fall Out Boy, Backstreet Boys To Perform At 'TRL' Finale Posted: 29 Oct 2008 12:47 AM PDT Carson Daly returns to co-host the show's big send-off.
50 Cent, Fall Out Boy and the Backstreet Boys are the latest artists confirmed to perform on next month's "Total Finale Live," joining Beyoncé on the two-hour special. And when you've got a lineup that big, there's only one man you can call to host it all: Carson Daly. On Thursday (October 23), it was announced that Daly — the show's original host — would serve as co-emcee for the big finale, alongside current host Damien Fahey. Daly appeared on the first episode of "TRL" in September, 1998, and helmed the show until 2003, when he stepped down to host his own talk show, NBC's "Last Call With Carson Daly." "Total Finale Live" will air Sunday, November 16 at 8 p.m. ET. In addition to the performances, fans can expect in-studio appearances from a host of "TRL" faves, including Ludacris, Mariah Carey, Diddy, Snoop Dogg, Taylor Swift, Fred Durst and members of Good Charlotte and Korn. Former "TRL" VJs Dave Holmes, Jesse Camp, La La Vasquez and Hilarie Burton will also be on hand for the festivities (a show this big needs lots of hosts, after all). Though the "TRL" finale is still weeks away, the celebration of the show's history is already revving up. Throughout the course of the month, MTV.com and MTV News will feature special retrospective countdowns and give fans a look back at the best moments from the show's decade-long run. And on the show's official site, TRL.MTV.com, viewers can check out video highlights, photo galleries of past guests and a decade's worth of pictures taken in the famed "TRL" photo booth. On November 16, the site will also feature behind-the-scenes coverage of the event, plus red-carpet photos from the "Total Finale Live" preshow. Related Artists | |
| Lil Wayne Calls Son's Birth 'Nasty' But 'Wonderful' Posted: 30 Oct 2008 07:34 AM PDT 'I delivered him. I held the left leg the whole time,' rapper says.
Lil Wayne is known for spending most of his waking hours in the studio cooking up tracks. But backstage at New York radio station Power 105's Powerhouse concert on Tuesday, Wayne said he happily stepped out of the box last week to be on hand for the birth of his first son, Dwayne Michael Carter III, at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. "I delivered him. I held the left leg the whole time," Wayne said in an interview posted on the Power 105 site. "It was nasty, very nasty, but it was wonderful. October 22, 9:25 a.m., 7 pounds, 12 ounces. He's the best thing to ever happen to me, next to my daughter." The rapper broke the news that he was expecting another child while accepting the Lyricist of the Year trophy at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, telling the crowd at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center that his first son would likely be arriving in just a "couple of days." Wayne's first child, an 8-year-old girl named Reginae Carter, is from a relationship with his high school sweetheart, Antonia "Toya" Johnson; the name of the boy's mother has not been revealed. During the radio interview, Wayne did not discuss why | |
| Jam Master Jay Murder Investigation: Six Years Later, What's The Status? Posted: 29 Oct 2008 03:05 AM PDT To his family, friends and fans, it just doesn't make any sense.
No closure after more than half a decade? The murder of hip-hop icon Jam Master Jay — which took place on October 30, 2002 — is still unsolved, and as another year passes without any significant breakthroughs in the case — no new evidence, fresh leads or confessions — hope of finding the killers fades a little more. You would think that the brutal murder of one of the most beloved figures in hip-hop in a high-profile crime that shocked the nation would have produced at least a couple of suspects by now. But, sadly, like the murders of two other rap icons — the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur — years after the crime, all we're left with is rumors, speculation and a maddening lack of closure for friends, fans and family.
"It's a shame that we're still at this juncture," said Derrick Parker, a former NYPD investigator and author of "Notorious C.O.P.: The Inside Story of the Tupac, Biggie and Jam Master Jay Investigations from NYPD's First 'Hip-Hop Cop.' " "Homicides like this happen all the time in the streets, but this case is different because of who Jay was." At the time of his death at age 37, Jam Master Jay (born Jason Mizell) had already achieved worldwide fame as the turntablist and founding member of Run-DMC, arguably the most influential hip-hop group of all time. Jay elevated the cut-and-scratch to an art form and helped define DJing as we know it. With so much time since his murder, some observers fear the case may be going cold. "I see very little chance of this ever being solved," said Ethan Brown, author of "Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent and the Rise of the Hip-Hop Hustler" "Even if there is a break in the case and they make an arrest and it goes to trial, you could easily destroy the credibility of the witnesses." Indeed, after six years, Jam Master Jay's murder has become more about the witnesses than the victim and about an investigation that has seen differences of opinion over everything from motive (was the murder drug-related or was it a personal dispute?) to methodology (did NYPD detectives fail to provide adequate protection for key witnesses?). Many observers think witnesses might not be doing enough to help solve the crime. Compounding that problem is the view that the authorities have not been aggressive enough in pursuing persons of interest in the case, including Ronald "Tinard" Washington, a convicted armed robber currently in prison on an unrelated charge who was staying with Jay's sister and cousin in Jay's mother's home at the time of the murder and who had clashed with Jay. Another major roadblock to solving the crime is the turmoil between Jay's family and Randy Allen, the DJ's close friend and business partner, whom some suspect knows more about the murder than he has been willing to discuss publicly. "Imagine your best friend getting killed right in front of you," said a source close to the investigation who prefers to remain anonymous. "How do you not say anything? How do you not tell the police?" Criticism has also fallen on receptionist Lydia High, who identified Washington as one of the gunmen who entered Jay's 24/7 Studio on the night of the murder but who police failed to arrest. Questions about trust and truthfulness among Jay's inner circle are raised in a new documentary on the DJ's life and legacy, "Two Turntables and a Microphone," directed by Guy Logan and produced by Jam Master's cousin, Stephon "Phonz" Watford. The film premiered in June at the Hollywood Black Film Festival and is executive-produced by 50 Cent. "I wanna say thank you to 50 Cent for being a part of this documentary that's coming out with his album [Before I Self Destruct] that's about the life of Jam Master Jay," Russell Simmons told MTV News. "It reaffirms his legacy for his family. It's helpful. It's good the industry still recognizes him. His influence was profound, like [Jay discovering] 50 Cent. ... Jay's life is something I definitely celebrate." In addition to his alleged role as an accessory in the Jay case, prosecutors have also gathered evidence of Washington's alleged involvement in the 1995 murder of Randy "Stretch" Walker, an associate of the late Tupac Shakur. Everyone who has weighed in on the case — from investigators to journalists, fans and family members — agrees that one of the biggest hurdles has been trustworthiness and the willingness of the witnesses, including Allen, to tell the truth to police. One of the sad ironies of the case is that these witnesses were also friends of Jay's. There was hope that Washington might provide a break in the Jam Master Jay investigation when, in 2007, he was convicted for a string of robberies unrelated to Jay's murder. This year, as Washington was awaiting sentencing in that case, federal prosecutors tried to negotiate an agreement with him to provide evidence in the murders of Jam Master Jay and Randy "Stretch" Walker in exchange for a lesser sentence on the robbery convictions. Washington, however, refused to cooperate. "In order to make a deal with the feds, he would've implicated himself in these other murders," Parker said. "That could mean life in prison — or even worse: the death penalty." Parker speculated that federal prosecutors might have taken too hard a line during the cooperation negotiations. "I think the feds were looking for a slam-dunk case, and sometimes you just have to take the foul shot. And if Tinard's not willing to cooperate, you can be sure there's someone else out there who is." In "Two Turntables and a Microphone," Jay's childhood friend Runny Ray, JMJ artist Onyx and onetime business partner Darren "Big D" Jordan give separate interviews that say all signs point to the individuals in the room. And, with Washington behind bars, attention has turned once again to the three eyewitnesses who were with Jam Master Jay inside the Merrick Boulevard recording studio on the night he was murdered. High, the studio receptionist and Allen's sister, identified Washington as the accomplice but also denies seeing the face of Jay's killer. Over the past six years, Allen and High have given (to the press and to the police) different — and sometimes conflicting — accounts of what happened in the studio that night, casting further doubt on their testimony. "Enough is enough," Allen said in response to allegations that the people in the studio are responsible for stalling the case. "If you're not involved with the intentions to solve the murder of Jam Master Jay, then it doesn't even matter to me." The second eyewitness, Uriel "Tony" Rincon, has rarely spoken to the press about Jay's murder, but in January, he sat down with MTV News correspondent Tim Kash for his first in-depth, on-camera interview about what he saw and heard the night of October 30, 2002. Rincon described how he and Jay (both avid video game players) were sitting on a couch inside the studio playing "Madden NFL" when the gunmen entered. In that same moment, Rincon said, his cell phone rang. "I lean over to pick up the phone, and I just hear fast footsteps," Rincon recounted. "I hear Jay say, 'Oh sh--,' and I hear the shots, and that's when I got hit in my leg. It was basically two shots — one which had hit me and the second one that had hit Jay." During the interview, Rincon revealed the two small scars in his thigh marking the entrance and exit points of the bullet. Although Rincon was physically closest to Jay when he was shot, he said he never saw the killer's face. "He was wearing something dark-colored with some kind of hood," Rincon recalled. "But again, all I saw was the back." Rincon added that he was "almost positive" that Jay himself saw the face of his killer. The third eyewitness is Allen, who, in several interviews with MTV News has described how he chased the perpetrators from the studio but never saw their faces. "There's people running, and I'm looking for a familiar face, a face that didn't belong, but I didn't see any faces like that," Allen told MTV News in November 2007. The testimonies of Allen and other members of Jay's inner circle have not placated those who believe that Jay's close friends know the killer, and — in the interest of protecting that individual and, by extension, themselves — are reluctant to name names. As another year passes with Jay's friends still at odds with one another and with investigators, the potential for a breakthrough in the case becomes less likely. "The more time goes by in a criminal case such as this, the harder it is to get a conviction," Brown said. "It's disheartening," said the source close to the investigation. "Your friend gets murdered, and so you run and hide? I don't care if you hate the cops. It's not about the cops. It's about being a stand-up citizen." For full coverage of the Jam Master Jay case, see the Jam Master Jay Reports. 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| Miley Cyrus Begs For Her First Car, As She Admires Careers Of Lindsay Lohan And Britney Spears Posted: 30 Oct 2008 08:45 AM PDT Disney star will be performing at the American Music Awards on her 16th birthday.
Though Miley Cyrus celebrated her birthday earlier this month, she's still weeks away from turning 16 and, like any teenager, the biggest thing on her mind is getting her driver's license. "I am begging [to get my first car]," Cyrus told "Extra." "I got to go take my test first — I don't really want to go get my picture taken. It's, like, really hard to pick out your outfit." On her actual birthday, November 23, the teen sensation will be heading back home to Nashville to perform at the American Music Awards. "That's my birthday present, to go back home," Cyrus told "Extra." Cyrus again denied the rumor that she's itching to leave "Hannah Montana." "No! We've got too many episodes to finish. ... I am staying with the show," she said. "It's so much fun. We have a really good time. As much as it's really hard work, it's really great." But the gossip you won't see Cyrus addressing any longer is anything to do with her alleged boyfriend, 20-year-old aspiring musician/model Justin Gaston. "It's hard, because anytime you say anything, it's like the next day, Google alert!" Cyrus said referring to an interview she did with Ryan Seacrest in which she said she and Gaston were "very happy" together. "Oh my goodness, I wish I would have just shut up. Everyone else is in a frenzy about something that meant nothing for [me] to say." While in Germany to promote her album Breakout and its next single, "Fly on the Wall," Cyrus recently told the press that she doesn't mind being compared to Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, since she thinks they're both "really talented," despite their controversial public images. "I just think that they are super-successful, and hopefully, when I am compared to them, it's them ... career-wise, because they have all been super-successful and had amazing careers," she said, adding of Spears, "I don't know about around here, but at the Video Music Awards and everything, Britney Spears has been taking all the awards home and has really had quite a comeback." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists | |
| Posted: 30 Oct 2008 06:27 AM PDT Though he didn't make the top 24, Leming signed a contract that may forbid him to release album.
The hard times continue for male "American Idol" castoffs. The latest (alleged) victim is frequently weepy, formerly homeless singer Josiah Leming, who just last week announced that his major-label debut on Warner Brothers' Reprise Records would be out in early 2009. A teaser digital EP, Undercover: Selections From Josiah Leming's Album Debut, was just released on Tuesday, but, according to the New York Post, that might be the only music you hear from Leming if the "Idol" folks have their way. Leming, 19, didn't make the show's top 24, but a strict contract all "Idol" contestants must sign that makes them promise to record only with the "Idol"-preferred label, Sony/BMG, and gives show producer Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment exclusive rights of refusal for management and merchandising. So his current record deal might be in violation of that pact. The Post reported on Thursday that Leming "received an official letter from 'Idol' threatening legal action if he puts out his record in January as planned." E-mails requesting comment from Leming's label and "Idol" spokespeople were not returned at press time. "Josiah was the only 'Idol' contestant ever to get a record deal who didn't make the top 24, and one of only four contestants to get a deal this year," an unnamed rep for Leming reportedly told the paper. "He has personal reasons for getting his music out, threat or not." Leming, one of eight siblings from Morristown, Tennessee, who famously spent some time camping out in his 1989 Mercury Topaz, is eager to get the album out for a very personal reason. According to the rep, Leming is "racing the clock" because his mother has terminal cancer, and "nothing is going to stop him from getting his music out while she is alive to share it." The paper reported that Leming's lawyer has responded to the "Idol" letter but hasn't heard back yet. If it does get released early next year, Leming's album, produced by Dave Kosten (Bat for Lashes), will feature a suite of emotionally charged, Keane-esque piano-driven songs all written by Leming and recorded over several weeks this summer in London. Among the songs on the sample EP (and streaming on his MySpace page) are: "Arctic Outcry Wind," the majestic "Angels Undercover," "Theysay," "This Cigar" and "To Run." Leming is currently on tour. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos | |
| Backstreet Boys Talk New Boy-Band Titans The Jonas Brothers, Old 'NSYNC Rivalry Posted: 30 Oct 2008 05:04 AM PDT Group also reminisces about 'TRL': 'This is something that we've been a part of since the beginning,' Nick Carter says.
Remember the good old days when the Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC were battling it out for boy-band supremacy, yet they wanted it to look like there was no rivalry and that things were cool between the two groups? Well, all these years later, the Backstreet Boys finally admit that there was definitely some competition during the late-'90s pop explosion. "A healthy competition creates this big ball of energy that just doesn't stop and continues to grow," Nick Carter said. "Obviously, with 'NSYNC and with us — we're allowed to say it now, it's OK — it was a lot of fun, and it pushed us to be better as a group. I'm sure it pushed them as well. It's just like [Michael] Jordan and [John] Starks ... and the world loves it. We were happy to be a part of it. And we're still striving to be better."
"We all fed each other," Howie Dorough agreed. "Everyone was trying to be on top of their game. ... The media sometimes made us out to have a rivalry going on. ... There was never any animosity amongst us, but it made for a lot of fun for the fans to get out there and support both sides." And it wasn't just during the fun times that loyal Backstreet Boys fans stood by their sides. The guys recall the time when A.J. McLean used the "Total Request Live" stage to tell the world that he was going into rehab in 2001. He says he chose "TRL" — which ends its 10-year run November 16 — because it was the obvious place for a pop act to go when announcing big news. "I was definitely happy with that decision," McLean said. "We had talked about how we were going to approach it. I left it up to the four other guys, 'cause I was going through such turmoil in my head. But I think the reason why we picked 'TRL' was because it was our hub. That's where everything started for us. ... What better way to reach the fans? What better place for us to talk to people and be that honest with the situation? "I still, to this day, have not watched the episode," he added. "I've seen bits and pieces of it, and then when I see Kevin cry, I stop." In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the guys recall having the power to shut down the center of the Big Apple during a "TRL." "You used to be able to see out the windows, and then after that, they blacked out the windows and wouldn't let us go near the windows," Brian Littrell remembered. "We literally shut down Times Square. I remember it being calmer, then it became crazy." The guys will be on hand for the "TRL" finale, where they'll be performing some fan favorites for the crowd. Nick isn't ready to see it go. "Sad. This is something that we've been a part of since the beginning," he said. "So many great memories. Why are you taking it off? What's wrong with you guys? Things have to change." The guys are no stranger to change. In 2006, founding member Kevin Richardson left the group, and now the guys are pursuing "new goals." Dorough said Richardson is in "such a good place right now," raising a family and pursuing an acting career. "In the beginning of the tour [this year], we left a gap onstage where Kevin would be, and then it started closing up," Carter said. "We love him to death. We have to move on. We have new goals and dreams." The guys have since released new music and plan to release more next year. They also continue to tour, all with Richardson's blessing. And despite how weird it still is to not have him around, they have no plans to slow down anytime soon. "We're the happiest we've ever been. We're all united," McLean said, and Carter added that this is going to be the beginning of a new era — a fresh start for the guys. And pop music today is as hot as it was nearly a decade ago, thanks to acts like the Jonas Brothers, and the Backstreet Boys are passing the boy-band torch to their former tourmates. "They opened for us on the 'Never Gone Tour.' They're a talented bunch of kids. They're growing up fast," Littrell added. "I don't feel reluctant to give them advice. I'll never forget: We were doing a show in Florida with the Temptations, and one of those guys stood up and said, 'This is show business, and as you're doing your show, your business could be running out on you.' I'll never forget that." Related Artists | |
| Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Timberlake, Usher, More Encourage Voting With '5 More Friends' Video Posted: 28 Oct 2008 11:45 PM PDT PSA sequel also features Scarlett Johansson, Shia LaBeouf, Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen DeGeneres.
Earlier this month, Leonardo DiCaprio, along with a slew of his A-List friends, urged people to register to vote, with a PSA called "5 Friends." Well, DiCaprio et al are back to remind everyone to actually get out to the polls in the new PSA "5 More Friends," which includes some familiar faces from the original, like Ellen DeGeneres and Usher, as well as some average American voters. The clip begins with celebrities — everyone from Harrison Ford, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Cruise and Shia LaBeouf to Neil Patrick Harris, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller and Will Smith — going against the original PSA's mock message. In the new video, the stars are stunned to hear that they're supposed to urge Americans not to vote. When Tom Cruise asks, " 'Don't vote?' Now, what do you mean 'Don't vote?,' " director Steven Spielberg explains to the actor that, just like the last ad, this one will eventually list all the reasons why Americans should vote. Spielberg then asks the celebs to sound more sarcastic, to which Justin Timberlake responds, "I can do anything. I was in a boy band, OK?" The video also points out that 537 votes determined the 2000 election. "There's more Baldwin brothers than that," Ryan Reynolds jokes. The celebrities then share all the reasons why they're voting. A few regular citizens add their own reasons, including a soldier who says, "If you're not voting for yourself, vote for people like me." The clip then lists a Web address where viewers can find their local polls. And, just like in the original, the celebs wait around while viewers send the clip to five friends. Since its debut on October 1, the original "5 Friends" PSA has been viewed more than 5 million times, according to a press release. The statement also claims that major voter-registration sites — including Google, Rock the Vote and Declare Yourself — have reported that more than 300,000 new voters registered due to the video alone.
Get informed! Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election, including everything from the latest news on the candidates to on-the-ground multimedia reports from our 51 citizen journalists, MTV and MySpace's Presidential Dialogues, and much more. Related Artists | |
| Beastie Boys Get 'Scatalogical' On 'Good-Weird' Upcoming Album Posted: 30 Oct 2008 05:00 AM PDT 'It's overwhelming, in a good way,' MCA says of group's latest effort.
First of all, if you happen to find yourself at one of the Beastie Boys' Get Out and Vote Tour stops, well, congratulations on living in a swing state. Secondly, if, during the show, you hear what appears to be an unending stream of poop jokes coming from the stage, congrats again: You probably just got a sneak peek of the Beasties' new album. Because the B-Boys are, in fact, hard at work on the follow-up to 2007's all-instrumental The Mix-Up (they were listening to rough mixes when MTV News interviewed them at their NYC headquarters last week), and judging from what they're telling us, this one is going to be a decidedly more lyrical affair — about one topic in particular.
"It's a very wordy record, in a good way," Mike D told us. "It's pretty scatological, to be completely honest. There are probably more scatological lyrics on this particular album than ever before," MCA added. "If you don't know what that means, go home and look it up." If you're not near a dictionary, we'll save you the trouble: "Scatology" refers to "the study of poop" or "an obsession with the obscene" (or something like that), which means that if Yauch is telling the truth, well, then, Beastie Boys fans are in for quite a ride the next time out — but scat isn't the only subject covered on the album. "Not to give too much away, but there are in-depth studies on animal behavior and their organs," D snickered. "Actually Beastie Boys: Animal Kingdom is really not a bad title for it — just going to put that out there." "[There's] a lot of stuff on it. I would say there's a lot going on with the record," MCA said. "There's a lot of layers to it. It's a deep record. It's overwhelming, in a good way." When pressed, D and MCA would only offer that the album features "all-new material" (always a plus), meaning that the idea of re-recording The Mix-Up with vocals seems to have been abandoned. And just what will that potentially filthy, brand-spanking-new material sound like? Well, "weird." But not in a bad way, and rather deliciously so. "It sounds good — it's weird, but it's good-weird," MCA laughed. "You don't want bad-weird." "We're making a 'good-weird' album for the people. Good-weird is good though," D added. "Like, when you go to a restaurant and you try something, and it's kind of weird and it's nothing you've ever tasted before, and you're actually even questioning why you're eating it while you're eating it. But then afterwards you're like, 'You know what, I'm really glad I ate that. I really liked it.' And then all of a sudden it's, like, two days later and you're like, 'Damn, I'm gonna go back and get that dish.' " Related Artists | |
| Lil Wayne And Jay-Z Fail To Collaborate Onstage At Joint New Jersey Show Posted: 29 Oct 2008 08:49 AM PDT Despite Weezy's promise they'd do 'Mr. Carter' together, the two keep their sets separate.
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Tuesday was a great night at the Izod Center. But if you had seen Jay-Z and Lil Wayne doing their more up-to-date material in concert before, the Power 105.1 Powerhouse concert wasn't a night you'll be talking about for years to come. The onstage pairing of Jay-Z and Lil Wayne didn't happen as Weezy had promised it would, and fans missed the opportunity to see Hov and the Birdman Jr. do "Swagger Like Us" and "Mr. Carter" onstage together for the first time.
The hope for that collaboration began to fade when Wayne played "Mr. Carter" as his second selection. He appeared onstage at about 8:50 p.m., over an hour before Jay's 10 p.m. start time. No way in the world Hov was going out that early. No way. Sure enough, Wayne started the song behind the mic stand. He grabbed the mic and came closer to the crowd at the part that comes right before Jay's verse, but there was no stir behind him, except from his live band. The New Orleans superstar threw up the Roc-A-Fella sign, and after a bar with no Jay, Wayne actually started rapping the the line in which the Brooklyn goliath tells his "heir" to go further in the game than he did. And just like that, the dream was over. No Jay and Wayne together. That's not to say the two didn't make the Izod shake individually. Wayne has fully crossed over into rock-star mode. He hasn't looked like your average rapper in years, but Tuesday, it was obvious he's fully evolved into hip-hop's rock-and-roll poster boy. He even sported a flannel shirt and Chuck Taylors. "Say, 'Yeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!' " he roared at the top of "Got Money," a few songs into his set. It was his most energetic play. He and his artist Mac Mayne ran back and forth across the stage, waving their arms and telling the crowd to go "this-a-way" and "that-a-way." But no one was going to leave their seats. Everyone was standing fixated on Wayne. After Wayne said the universally known lines about the roof being on fire, he told his fans, "We don't need no water 'cause we got the fireman." There was an explosion of audible adoration when the beat for "Fireman" kicked in. Later he spoke to the women. "Ladies, you wanna taste something sweet?" This led to "Lollipop." During one of the more naughty parts of the song, he lay flat on his back, legs bent, singing into the mic. Then he went for the guitar. Back in position at the mic stand, he teased "Can't Believe It" before a full-on rendition of "Comfortable." Wasn't too much Wayne guitar playing, but the band had his back. "This song is dedicated to every police out there," he noted before his next selection. "I love police, especially female officers." Bobby Valentino then came out for "Mrs. Officer." Before "Misunderstood," he expressed the importance of voting in the upcoming national election. "Y'all ready to rock? Let's rock," he said, before shedding his flannel shirt and getting wilder for "I'm Me." "A Milli" was his closer. No shirt, just unabashed wildness as his dreads swung, and he moved the crowd. Jay-Z brought his 12 years of hits with him and wasn't shy about trumpeting his hard work and success, as DJ AM played his records. Toward the end of the concert, Hov went up to the DJ booth to give the crowd snippets of hits such as " '03 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Crazy in Love." After he told AM he didn't want to hear the latter, Beyoncé walked out to "Single Ladies." B didn't sing, but she and her two backup dancers performed some sexy moves to the new single. The song ended with Mrs. Hova holding up a diamond ring. "Damn," Jay said. "I don't know what the f--- to play after that." Jay came down from DJ booth for "Big Pimpin'." AM didn't have to do much work; Lucky Lefty let the crowd do most of the record themselves, a cappella. Jigga did plenty of rapping, though. There was a lot from American Gangster, including "Pray," "Blue Magic" and "Roc Boys." "Who's registered to vote?" he asked the crowd. "I'm not telling y'all what to do. I'm telling you what I'm doing. I'm voting for Barack Obama, that's what I'm doing." Monsters such as "PSA," "Give It to Me," "Show Me What You Got," and "Dirt off Your Shoulder" came throughout the night. "It feels good to be home, baby," Jay said before shouting out various, random members of the audience. "Don't take it for granted. November 4, make sure to vote." He also cautioned voters to bring iPods and water in case of long lines at the polls. Openers D-Block came out very early in the night. The crew's most visible member, Jadakiss, came out during Ne-Yo's set for "Right by Your Side." Ne-Yo also brought out Plies for "Bust It Baby," and the Southerner received a thunderous applause. Later, Fabolous came out with Ne-Yo for "Make Me Better." For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports. And upload your own concert pics, videos and reviews to You R Here! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists | |
| More Than One Person May Have Been Involved In Hudson Family Murders: Report Posted: 29 Oct 2008 06:59 AM PDT Police trying to determine how William Balfour's car got moved on day of killings.
William Balfour, the only person detained by police thus far in the murders of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew, might have been in prison last weekend if authorities had decided to revoke his parole when police found him with cocaine in June. As the investigation continued, Chicago police said on Tuesday that they now think it is possible more than one person was involved in the slayings. Law enforcement sources told the Chicago Tribune that while they're focusing on Balfour's movements the day of the murders, October 24, they're also trying to determine whether someone else drove Balfour to the Hudsons' home on Chicago's South Side that morning. Witnesses have said that Balfour, 27, drove his Chrysler to the Hudson's block around 7 a.m. on Friday, but the vehicle was found parked about a mile away outside a local high school later that day. Security video showed someone parking it there, but detectives have not been able to identify the driver from the images. The time stamp on the video showed the car was left there around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, but the paper said it was unclear if that time stamp was accurate. Balfour, the estranged husband of the singer's sister, Julia Hudson, is still being held on a parole violation after being arrested and questioned in the case on Friday, but has not been charged. His girlfriend told police that he came to her home on Chicago's West Side shortly after Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason, were killed in their home; the body of Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was discovered Monday morning in the back of Jason Hudson's Chevy Suburban, which was parked on the street on Chicago's West Side. On Wednesday afternoon (October 29), police found a gun in an alley approximately a block from where the Suburban was parked, the Tribune reported. At press time police had not announced whether the weapon was connected to the shootings. The Tribune reports that cell phone records placed Balfour on the West Side at the time that his Chrysler appears to have been left at the high school, so if the time stamp on the video is accurate, someone else might have driven Balfour's car from the Hudson home to the school. Either way, police don't believe that Balfour used his own car to travel from the Hudsons' home to his girlfriend's. Over the course of the last few days, details about Balfour's past emerged, including news that, while on parole for a 1999 attempted-murder conviction, he was arrested for cocaine possession in June of this year. Court records show that Balfour was stopped by police after he got out of a car that had turned a corner at high speed in an area where police were investigating calls of shots fired. When officers approached the car Balfour was driving, they found cocaine in it. According to the Tribune, the Illinois Department of Corrections was contacted about the new drug charges because of Balfour's parole, but the agency opted not to revoke his parole and return him to prison. The case was dropped in July after a Cook County Circuit Judge found police had no probable cause to arrest Balfour. A law-enforcement source added that Balfour had also violated his parole by failing to complete required counseling programs for substance abuse and anger management, but that his case "fell through the cracks." TMZ noted that Balfour's father is serving a 30-year prison sentence for murder, that his brother is in prison for drug dealing and that, according to court documents, Balfour was a member of the notoriously violent Gangster Disciples gang. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Balfour will face a November 10 hearing at Stateville prison to determine whether there is probable cause to revoke his parole for his failure to meet his anger-management-class requirements from the 1999 conviction. "He's got some substantive alleged violations, including 'Did he abide by terms of substance-abuse counseling?' and 'Did he abide by anger-manager counseling?' " Jose Montes, chairman of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, told the paper. Balfour, who served almost seven years in prison on the 1999 conviction, and who missed a meeting with his parole agent on the day of the murders, was due to have his parole lifted in May. The paper reported that he told his parole agent that he was "babysitting on the West Side" during a phone conversation on Friday. [This story was originally published at 9:59 a.m. ET on 10.29.2008] Related Videos Related Artists |
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