Rabu, 26 November 2008

MTV News

MTV News

Britney Spears, Lil Wayne, Kanye West Among Musicians We're Most Thankful For

Posted: 26 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST

T.I., Metallica, R.E.M. also stood out in a year that was all about change.
By Conor Bezane


Britney Spears
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images

Once again Turkey Day is upon us, and it's time to take a moment to reflect on what we're thankful for. Of course, we at MTV are in the business of music, so it's only natural for us to examine all the musicians who made this year a memorable one. Since change was the mantra in this election year, we thought we'd highlight the artists who bent the rules and weren't afraid to be different.

Kanye West
Why We're Thankful: If there's anyone who stuck their neck out and did something different this year, it was Kanye West. His fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak, is brand-new, but we've already taken a liking to it because it's quite a bold statement. Instead of rapping, Kanye takes a complete left turn and tries his hand at singing — shocking for a hip-hop artist, but a point well taken.

Metallica
Why We're Thankful: The biggest metal band in the world came back with a vengeance, blowing us away with the thrash-metal masterpiece Death Magnetic. Producer Rick Rubin really brought out the best in Metallica, and the songs hearkened back to the days of Master of Puppets.

Death Cab for Cutie
Why We're Thankful: Ben Gibbard and company returned with their sixth album, Narrow Stairs, and challenged us with an eight-and-a-half-minute single, the absolutely gorgeous "I Will Possess Your Heart." Possess our heart? It did.

Britney Spears
Why We're Thankful: Britney finally did something right in 2008. After wallowing in pop purgatory the past couple of years, she won big at the VMAs and made a major comeback. "Womanizer," from her upcoming album Circus, was quite the catchy single — her best since "Toxic" — and its scorching video shows Brit at the top of her game. It's Britney, bitch, and she's back on track.

Will.I.Am
Why We're Thankful: Voters made history this year with the election of Barack Obama. Will was more than happy to provide the soundtrack, weaving Obama's victory speech after the New Hampshire primary into "Yes We Can," an anthem for those who dared to hope. The speech-set-to-music and the accompanying video reached millions, young and old, and spread Obama's message of change.

Lil Wayne
Why We're Thankful: Lil Wayne was once again the hardest-working man in hip-hop this year. It's no secret that the economy took a big hit in 2008, and everyone knows that the music industry isn't doing so hot either. But Weezy's Tha Carter III sold a whopping 1 million copies in its first week, proving that it's still possible to be a powerhouse in the age of album leaks and illegal downloading.

T.I.
Why We're Thankful: One of the most ubiquitous singles this year was T.I.'s "Live Your Life." Thank to Rihanna's yodeling hook, we couldn't get the song out of our heads, but that's OK. It was a cool song. But we're also thankful for the way the rapper turned his life around. After getting arrested on weapons charges last year, T.I. began carrying out his community-service sentence by speaking to kids and encouraging them to stay in school.

R.E.M.
Why We're Thankful: R.E.M. could've easily rested on their laurels and put out another boring album, but they didn't. Accelerate was not a return to form, but it was a return to quality. The album sounded urgent and of-the-moment, with political lyrics about the fragile state of the economy, corrupt politicians and wartime anxiety — a refreshing dose of straight talk.

Honorable mentions: Young Jeezy for "My President Is Black" and Nas for "Black President."

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MTV To Host 'Be The Change Inaugural Ball' With ServiceNation On January 20

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 03:20 AM PST

On the day of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, ball will celebrate youth-voter turnout and commitment to volunteer service.
By Chris Harris


President-elect Barack Obama
Photo: MTV News

On Tuesday (November 25), MTV announced that it has partnered with ServiceNation to co-host the "Be the Change Inaugural Ball" in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2009 — the same day President-elect Barack Obama will take his oath of office.

The event will celebrate the massive youth-voter turnout in this month's presidential election and an active commitment from America's youth to impart positive social change through volunteer service. ServiceNation is an organization that campaigns to increase support for expanding national service programs like the Peace Corps and Americorps. In September, it hosted a forum with Obama and Senator John McCain, in which both presidential candidates agreed on the importance of community involvement.

A record 24 million people between the ages of 18 and 29 voted in the 2008 presidential election, accounting for 18 percent of the 133.3 million voters who hit the polls. It marked the third major election in a row with increased youth-voter numbers, and for the first time in 20 years, the number of young voters surpassed the number of voters over the age of 65.

The ball will be staged at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center and will feature several leading artists, celebrities and government officials (to be named later), alongside hundreds of young people who've been chosen to attend based on their demonstrated volunteerism.

The "Be the Change Inaugural Ball" will be televised live across all MTV platforms, including MTV, MTV2, MTV Tr3s, mtvU, MTV Hits, MTV Jams and MTV.com on the evening of January 20. Exact air times will be announced in the coming weeks.

The live television event will also include live broadcasts from other locations across the globe, where young people are completing major service projects. Leading up to the event, MTV will showcase stories of young people providing service within their communities on a daily basis, beginning on January 1.

"Over the last year and culminating in this election, we have seen a groundswell of engagement and a refreshed spirit of activism from young people," MTV general manager Stephen Friedman said. "ServiceNation is the perfect partner for this inaugural event, given that they encompass a broad coalition of youth service organizations. We want to celebrate young people across the nation who are answering the call and working to make changes in their communities and beyond."

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Britney Spears' Greatest MTV News Moments

Posted: 26 Nov 2008 05:01 AM PST

We look back at our history with Brit before her tell-all documentary, 'For the Record,' premieres Sunday.
By James Montgomery


Britney Spears during her first MTV interview in 1999
Photo: MTV News

It's quite popular to say that Britney Spears has grown up before our very eyes. Primarily because it's true.

From her early days as a pint-size "Star Search" contestant to her rise to fame as a half-shirted pop tartlet, and finally her ascension to global-star status — with brief detours into motherhood and mental instability thrown in for good measure — Britney has lived her entire life in front of the camera. And, more often than not, that camera was ours.

We've got an entire wing of the MTV News' vault dedicated to Ms. Spears, filled with more than 10 years' worth of moments both amazing and embarrassing (and often a little bit of both). And with the double whammy of Brit-itude currently on the horizon — Sunday's premiere of the tell-all documentary "For the Record" and the release of her new album, Circus, the following Tuesday — we decided to dig deep into that vault to bring you a couple of glimpses of Brit at each stage of her career.

Some of the clips you've never seen before; others were just too great not to show you again. So here, for your viewing pleasure, are Britney's five greatest MTV News moments.

Moment #5: Brit's First Time (December 18, 1998)

In her first MTV interview — with MTV Radio — a 17-year-old Britney (who actually looks about 12) talks about recording her debut album in Sweden ("Everyone was so nice!"), her tour with 'NSYNC ("Girls out in the audience are lifting their shirts up! It's really bad!"), and her favorite Christmas memory ("One year, I got a go-kart!"). Oh, and she says that her New Years' resolution is to stop biting her nails. Scintillating stuff, indeed.

Moment #4: Britney's Grammy Slumber Party (February 21, 1999)

After injuring her knee in rehearsals for the "Sometimes" video, Britney is unable to attend the Grammy Awards. So, instead, she invites some friends over to her place (which looks strangely like every college apartment ever) and throws a slumber party. Those "friends" end up being the pop group Innosense, who would subsequently disappear off the face of the Earth soon after this taping. They all change into pajamas ( despite the fact that it's only about 3:30 in the afternoon), gossip about their favorite guys (Paul Walker gets a lot of love here ... remember him?) and sing along to Lauryn Hill songs using lollipops as microphones. And, in a moment that would prove to be eerily prescient given the events that would transpire over the following decade, Brit positively houses a bag of Cheetos.

Moment #3: Britney Goes Shopping With Serena (September 7, 1999)

With the 1999 Video Music Awards just a few days away, poor Britney still had nothing to wear. Luckily, MTV News was there — and we brought Serena Altschul, a platinum card and a limousine, of course. Brit gets personalized fittings from Tommy Hilfiger and Todd Oldham (who helps her wrangle a wayward breast at one point) and makes stops at Versace and Bergdorf Goodman. At the end of the day, she still can't decide what outfit to wear, despite Serena's insistence that a furry/sparkly Oldham cloak/half shirt ensemble is "the sexiest." Lo and behold, two days later on the VMA red carpet, Brit is rocking it. More proof that you should always listen to Serena Altschul.

Moment #2: Britney Is A Total Liar (May 5, 2000)

During an SUV ride to a taping of "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," MTV's Brian McFayden makes a point of inquiring about the tattoo of a fairy on Spears' lower back. Taken aback by such a brazen question, Brit first tries to laugh the whole thing off ("That's fake! I don't have a tattoo!"), then attempts to back up her claim by showing off another "fake" tattoo on her shoulder blade, which, bizarrely, isn't there. Clearly reeling, Spears then tells McFayden that "If I was to get a fairy on my back, that would be what I would get, definitely. Because I collect angels and fairies and it would be like she's watching my back." Of course, Spears actually did have the tattoo, which made her decision to lie about it all the more puzzling. Also puzzling, McFayden's decision to share with Spears that he's planning to get a tattoo of a Nebraska Cornhuskers football helmet on his back because "it would be so rad."

Moment #1: Britney's Homecoming (January 15, 1999)

In celebration of Brit's so-called "homecoming" show in nearby Baton Rouge, Louisiana, MTV News' John Norris headed down to her actual hometown of Kentwood, where he talks to her friends, family and gets a tour of her childhood home (which features plenty of wood paneling and floral upholstery). This clip is amazing on about a million levels, from the appearances by Brit's mom, Lynne (pre-tell-all memoir), and sister Jamie-Lynn (pre-prepubescent pregnancy), to the fact that a Kentwood restaurant was selling chili pie for only 99 cents. Also: See Britney perform in what appears to be about two-thirds of a Body Glove wetsuit. Wonder why Norris chose to interview Spears' brother on a bizarrely spray-painted trampoline, and most of all, try not to snicker when Lynne describes the fellas from 'NSYNC as "good, clean-cut guys [who] have good, wholesome fun."

Getting pumped about the Britney Spears documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Shanna Moakler Has Marriage Advice For Heidi Montag And Spencer Pratt; 'Hills' Stars, Others React To Surprise Wedding

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 03:08 AM PST

'Don't allow third parties into your marriage,' Moakler advises.
By Jocelyn Vena


Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag
Photo: MTV News

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are joining the illustrious ranks of couples who have tried to stay married on MTV.

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey pondered chicken versus tuna on "Newlyweds," only to divorce after three years of marriage. Then there was Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro, who decided that death was an unreachable long-distance goal and divorced after starring in their show, "'Til Death Do Us Part," also after three years of marriage. (When contacted by MTV News, Simpson and Electra had no reactions or advice for Speidi.)

Meanwhile, Shanna Moakler, whose on-again, off-again marriage to Blink-182's Travis Barker was chronicled on "Meet the Barkers," offered this little nugget for the couple via a statement to MTV News: "No matter what happens, cameras rolling or not, never stop communicating and don't allow third parties into your marriage."

A few of the couple's "Hills" co-stars are also talking about the wedding. "I am surprised and not surprised at the same time," Audrina Patridge told People. "They obviously adore each other and are very committed to one another. Heidi and Spencer seem like the types who would want a lavish wedding full of friends and family. I do think it's very romantic that they eloped."

Whitney Port, whose "Hills" spin-off "The City" is set to premiere next year, told "Extra," "I just heard it like everyone else yesterday. Congratulations to them. I think it's great if that's what they're ready to do. Good for them."

Jonah Hill, who went to high school with the groom, seemed unfazed by the news, but had only kind words for the couple. "I wish them the best. That sounds cool."

Along with family and fellow castmembers, "Hills" superfan Gabrielle Union was quite surprised by the event.

"Really? All right, well, good for them," she told MTV News at the "Cadillac Records" premiere. "Where are they registered? I don't even want to know! That's so frightening! Did Lo go? I doubt it. I love Lo."

What the "Hills" fans really want to know is: How is this going to change the show that brought the pair together? "MTV wishes Heidi and Spencer the best," a statement from an MTV spokesperson reads. "And we can't wait to share their special moment with 'The Hills' fans later this season."

Eminem's <i>Relapse</i>: Swizz Beatz Talks About Songs He Submitted For LP, Including Collaboration With 50 Cent, Dr. Dre

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST

'It's the Eminem that you missed, that you loved, that you need,' producer says of long-awaited album.
By Jennifer Vineyard


Eminem
Photo: MTV News

Eminem mentioned during the "TRL" finale earlier this month that he's hard at work on his upcoming album Relapse — but he wasn't giving up many details.

However, when we caught up with producer Swizz Beatz, at the Black Ball, Keep a Child Alive's annual fundraiser, in New York earlier this month, he filled in a few blanks for us.

Swizz said he's submitted five songs to Eminem, including one featuring both Dr. Dre and 50 Cent. "I don't know the title yet, but it's classic," he said. "It's sounding big."

Another song Swizz submitted to Em is a track the producer is referring to as a "Stan Part 2." "You know how 'Stan' ... was the big [song]?" Swizz asked, referring to the obsessed-fan track which sampled Dido's "Thank You." "So I worked on part 2, and I think it was, like, totally genius."

Swizz said that while Eminem has apparently been away from the mic for a long time, he's in good form on Relapse. which, Em said on "TRL," will be out next year, in "probably January, February."

"It's different," Swizz said. "Different sound, different mindframe. He's clear. But it's the Eminem that you missed, that you loved, that you need, especially right now in the industry, going into '09. He's coming back to take the cake."

Swizz said that politically minded songs like "Mosh" are "not really" on the agenda as much as "a lot of personal stuff."

Asked whether that subject matter involved Eminem's rehab stint, the death of his close friend/ D12 member Proof, his second divorce from Kim Scott, or his mom's recent memoir, Swizz laughed and said, "I can't give it away!"

Making a key difference in Em's new mindset, however, is that he has "a lot of people supporting him this time," Swizz said. "I just think you can hear a new energy in him. And, you know, the producers, everyone's bringing forth their best on that level."

On "TRL," Eminem also mentioned that he'd "done probably a hundred songs in the last couple of years," and Swizz said that it's still being decided which tracks will make the final cut.

"How it works: They get a whole bunch of songs," the producer explained, "and it's not over until the budget is closed and the artwork is done. It's just an ongoing thing."

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Britney Spears Says 'I Feel Like An Old Fart'; Talks About Post-Divorce Dating, Sons' Foul Mouths

Posted: 24 Nov 2008 10:47 PM PST

'Preston says the F-word now sometimes,' she says. 'He must get it from his daddy.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears on the cover of <i>Rolling Stone</i>
Photo: <I>Rolling Stone</I>

Britney Spears is everywhere these days promoting her new LP Circus, (which you can hear now on Imeem). She left Monday for a promotional trip to Europe, her "For the Record" documentary airs on MTV Sunday night, and next week she's hosting a party in New York's Times Square, appearing on "Good Morning America" and on the cover of Rolling Stone. Despite that hectic schedule, one of the things Britney talked with the magazine about — conversation topics were limited by her staff — is how quiet her life is these days.

"I feel like an old person now," she says in the interview. "I do! I go to bed at, like, 9:30 every night, and I don't go out or anything, you know what I mean? I just feel like an old fart."

Spears also talks a lot about her two young sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston, whom she describes as "special people." In the article, Spears sounds like any young mother marveling as her children grow. "Like, they're going to preschool now!" she says. "I went there to pick them up on Friday, and seeing them in their little classroom and seeing Jayden being bad or not listening?

"It's like, those are mine, and it's just crazy, you know what I mean?" she continues. "And the things that are coming out of their mouths right now ... you never know what they're going to say, and they're so smart yet so innocent."

However, she admits that some of the things they say aren't quite so smart or innocent. "It's weird 'cause they're starting to learn words like 'stupid,' and Preston says the F-word now sometimes. He doesn't get it from us. He must get it from his daddy. I say it, but not around my kids."

She admits that her divorce from Kevin Federline has cast a pall over her relationship with her children. "I didn't think my husband was gonna leave me," she says. "Otherwise, I'd be with my babies 24/7. But since they're almost like twins, they both take care of each other. I think they look like me. They don't look like their father at all."

The singer does talk a bit about getting back into the dating world, mentioning two different dates she went on (she was accompanied on both by her assistant Brett and her manager Larry Rudolph's associate Adam Leber). She said she ordered dessert first on one of the dates in order to get it over with faster.

"Right when we got there, we just knew it was just bad," she recalled with a laugh. "He looked like an older version of Harry Potter but skinnier. And we just started crackin' up, like, oh, my God. So I had to get dessert first.

"And the other date I had," she continues, "the guy was really, really tall and a lot older. Right before we got there, Brett was like, 'What do you think he's going to be like?' And I was like, 'I bet he turns out to be very L.A.-suave.' And he was. We're trying to ask him questions, like, 'OK, you're into martial arts, so what kind of martial arts are you into?' And he was like, 'Oh, all kinds.'... But you know how silly we are, so we were just cracking up."

Getting pumped about "For the Record," Britney Spears' documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Heidi Montag's 'Upset' Father, 'Hurt' Sister Say They Didn't Know She Was Marrying Spencer Pratt

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 08:34 AM PST

'Whatever Heidi chooses, I support her,' sister Holly says.
By Jocelyn Vena


Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag
Photo: John Shearer/ WireImage

Not long after news broke that "Hills" stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt eloped last week in Mexico, the bride's family is reacting with confusion, and seem genuinely offended the pair got married without them in attendance.

"I would be upset if she got married and didn't invite me!" Bill Montag told People Monday. He added, "Then we just have to have another wedding here!"

Meanwhile Heidi's sister, Holly, admitted that she had "no idea" the pair were planning on walking down the aisle last week. "I knew they were down in Cabo, but I had no idea what was going on," she said at "The Hills" after-show party on Monday night. "I never would've expected [a wedding].

"I had a plane ride here to Toronto. I get off the plane, and I have 40 texts and e-mails," she continued. "I am a little bit hurt. I want to hear what really happened. But whatever Heidi chooses, I support her. She's my sister; I love her. I want her to be happy."

Asked if she would have objected to the wedding if she'd attended, Holly said, "No, I wouldn't. I mean, whatever Heidi chooses ... she's an adult. She's a big girl and whatever makes her happy, I fully support."

Holly and her mom, Darlene, tried to contact Heidi when they heard the news of the wedding, which Us stressed took place on Wednesday, not Thursday (as was widely reported). Holly explained, "She didn't know, either, what was going on, and we were frantically calling [Heidi]. Everybody's pretty upset."

Holly said she's surprised her sister would choose to elope, considering her strong religious views. "She's very religious. She always wanted to have a big wedding in a church," she said. "We talked abut being each other's maids of honor. But whatever makes her happy."

When asked if she had anything to say to Heidi, she added, "I would say I wish you the best and a lifetime of happiness, and I will always be there for you, and I love you."

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Kanye West Vs. Guns N' Roses: A Fairly Even Match After All (Numbers-Wise, Anyway)

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 02:52 AM PST

GN'R's label revises the timing of its reporting, so both albums' debuts will be based on seven days of sales.
By Chris Harris


Kanye West
Photo: Gareth Cattermole/ Getty Images

Last week, using information provided by a spokesperson for Guns N' Roses' label, Geffen Records, MTV News reported that first-day sales of the band's long-awaited LP, Chinese Democracy — which was released as a Best Buy exclusive on Sunday — would not be released to Nielsen SoundScan until next week.

Seemingly, this would have given Axl Rose and friends an advantage over Kanye West, who released his 808s & Heartbreak on Monday, in the race for Billboard's peak position, as GN'R's first-week figures would include an eighth day of sales — not seven, as with West's new opus.

However, on Tuesday (November 25), Geffen revised its statement, saying instead that the first-week sales data it will be releasing to SoundScan for Chinese Democracy will be based on sales tallied Sunday through Saturday, whereas West's will be based on sales tallied Monday through Sunday — which means that both albums' debuts will be based on seven days of sales.

Typically, albums are released in the U.S. on Tuesdays, and SoundScan tracks weekly sales data from Monday through Sunday, meaning that most albums' debut spots on the chart are based on six sales days. But unlike many other retail outlets, Best Buy reports sales figures that were recorded between Sunday and Saturday.

What this ultimately means is that West and Rose will battle it out for the chart's top spot fair and square — numbers-wise, anyway — with neither artist having an inside track. If anything, West's latest offering, as well as the Killers' Day & Age and Ludacris' Theater of the Mind (which were all released on Monday), will have an unfair advantage in the sales contest over every album released on Tuesday.

This development comes on the heels of a report released Monday by "Hits Daily Double," which claims Chinese Democracy is on pace to scan anywhere between 300,000 and 500,000 copies that figure also includes a reported 25,000 iTunes downloads.

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Shawty Lo Talks About Scuffle With T.I.'s Camp At Atlanta's Dirty Awards

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 06:27 AM PST

Lo tells MTV News police stopped the fight before anyone came to blows.
By Shaheem Reid


Shawty Lo and T.I. at the 2008 Dirty Awards in Atlanta on Monday
Photo: Eric Perrin/Ozone Magazine

During the third annual Dirty Awards Monday night at Atlanta's Georgia International Center, members of T.I.'s and Shawty Lo's camps got into a physical altercation, according to witnesses. Lo puts full blame on the head of Grand Hustle records, while Tip could not be reached for comment after the dustup.

"I didn't go and start nothing. If they rewind the cameras, they'll see how it started," Shawty Lo told MTV News early Tuesday morning (November 25). "I'm a man. I respect every man as a man. If a man disrespects me, what am I supposed to do? T.I. needs to contain his people. We're not standing down. I performed my music; 107.9 [one of the show's organizers] called me to perform. I didn't come to start no beef with him. I gave Tip a shout-out at the BET Awards."

As he was performing his hits such as "Dey Know" and "Dunn, Dunn," Lo said that members of Tip's Grand Hustle family, most notably artist Alfamega, came out of their seats, stood in front of the stage and started "mean mugging.'" (Click here for photos of T.I. and Shawty Lo from the Dirty Awards)

"Basically, I didn't start saying anything about Tip," Lo explained. "I was performing my music. During 'Foolish,' all of them was coming in front of the stage doing their mugging. After 'Dunn, Dunn,' I performed the dis record 'Don't I.' That's what made perform the dis record. I ain't gonna lie; they was disrespecting me. I wasn't gonna let them disrespect me."

As Lo rapped the barb-riddled track some eyewitnesses said Tip's crew started throwing chairs onstage. While Shawty said he cannot be sure who threw the first chair, he thinks it was Big Kuntry.

A witness told MTV News that Tip's camp did not get hostile with Lo before "Don't I" and that Lo threw gas on the fire by calling out Grand Hustle's Yung L.A.

Shawty Lo and his D4L camp were taken to the back after the fracas and the show was temporarily suspended. Surprisingly, it resumed shortly after, and that's when things got strange. Lo said that he ran into T.I. backstage, and Tip suggested an immediate closed door meeting to which Lo agreed. They once again talked about ending their feud — "It's been squashed a few times," a source who asked not to be named said — which has been going on for over a year now.

"He told me the beef was over with," Lo recalled. "I said, 'If the beef was let go, me and you have to publicize it. We have to do it together.' He agreed to do that, and we shook hands in the back room."

But the tension was far from over. With the show back in session, Lo and his people were allowed back to their seats. Tip got onstage to accept an award, and during his speech, a witness said the King of the South declared that "if somebody's got a problem with me, do something better than me." Soon after that comment, Tip started performing "Ain't I" with Yung L.A. They didn't get through the entire record, because during the performance, Alfamega and others in the Grand Hustle camp got into a scuffle with Lo's D4L squadron.

While Lo said that Alfa jumped off the stage to approach Lo and his crew, a witness said that Alfa was never onstage, just standing to the side. But everyone agreed that a melee took place during "Ain't I," ending the Dirty Awards for good.

T.I. himself was never involved personally in either of the night's scuffles, and he was escorted offstage and out of the show once the mini brawl began. Lo maintained that the two parties were cut off by police before they ever came to actual blows. Police did start shooting pepper spray and the self-proclaimed King of Bankhead was hit in the eyes.

"They sprayed me in my face. I couldn't see nothing," Shawty Lo told.

David Banner was the host of the Dirty Awards, which were attended by Big Gipp, Soulja Boy Tell'em, Monica, Murphy Lee, Ludacris and Rick Ross. There are also witness reports that a member of DJ Drama's Aphilliate camp got into a fight with one of Young Jeezy's CTE camp members. Has Monday night put a black eye on the example of unity Atlanta's rappers had recently set?

"I don't know, we'll see," Lo said. "[Me and Tip's conversation] ended on a positive note with the conversation. I don't know where he is [with the beef]. I guess he just be talking. One thing about it, Shawty Lo ain't no punk. T.I. is just a rapper. He knows how to read a book good. Where I live is for real. I ain't got nothing against homes. He's got family, I got family. I'm not trying to kill him, he's not trying to kill me. I got fans that love me. He's not not gonna run all over me. I ain't Lil' Flip."

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Britney Spears Is More 'Self-Conscious' And 'Reserved' Now, <i>Rolling Stone</i> Photo Editor Says

Posted: 25 Nov 2008 03:13 AM PST

'Her motherly aura comes through,' Jodi Peckman says of recent cover shoot for the mag.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears at her <i>Rolling Stone</i> photo shoot
Photo: Rolling Stone/Wenner Media

Jodi Peckman isn't new to working with Britney Spears on a photo shoot. Rolling Stone's director of photography has worked with the pop star several times over her career and admits that 2008 Britney isn't the bubblegum pop star she met back in 2002.

"There was a difference now than in 2002," she told MTV News about the recent Rolling Stone cover story on Spears. "She was really childlike then. She came bouncing in with her iPod and chewing her bubble gum with her thick Southern accent. She was very outgoing.

"I think she feels less comfortable now, and that's natural for any woman getting older," she added. "I think she's more self-conscious now. She didn't hold back, it's just that she's more reserved."

Peckman also worked with Spears in 2003, and she already saw Spears rapidly maturing from a bouncy kid to a woman. "She was a little more down to earth in 2003. It was quite different," she told MTV News. "She was more to herself, smoking cigarettes in the parking lot. She kept to herself more. She was a bit more private."

Peckman has noticed over the years that the people and the energy surrounding Spears have never been the same. And despite any issues RS writer Jenny Eliscu had gaining access to the singer, Peckman said that the shoot went smoothly.

"It was much more low-key this time around. There was much less pressure on us," she said. "She arrived to the shoot before I did. She came with her publicist and her personal assistant. Her mom was with her; her manager showed up about an hour later. Very calm, very mellow. It was really stripped-down. The time before, it had been more high-intensity, more controlled."

The theme for the shoot was no theme at all. Peckman wanted to show everyone the natural Spears. No costumes, no sets, no drama. "She's still a young girl, but she looks more mature. There's something about her. She's a mom now, and she's been through a lot, and maybe just her motherly aura comes through."

And the inspiration was simple for the shoot: stripped-down Marilyn Monroe — not glossy, sexy Marilyn Monroe. "We wanted her to be natural, almost as a reference was Marilyn Monroe in the actor's studio," Peckman explained. "We just let her under the beautiful light and let her be herself. We kept it simple."

And the moment Spears took the picture that would end up as the cover shot, Peckman knew. "Well, first of all, having a celebrity on the cover where there's no eye contact with the reader isn't the norm. But it was such a spontaneous, caught moment. It wasn't posed that way," she said. "The minute we got that picture, I knew right away. Caught moments just translate so well.

"She's so great that she can do high-concept and stripped-down," Peckman added. "She really gives it to the cameras. ... We just wanted to make her look like a beautiful woman."

Getting pumped about the Britney Spears documentary? Share your thoughts by uploading a video to YouRHere.MTV.com, or sound off in the comments section below. "For the Record" airs Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

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