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| Jay-Z To Play 'Concert On The Eve Of Change' The Night Before Obama's Inauguration Posted: 06 Jan 2009 03:04 AM PST Tickets for the performance go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
Jay-Z will play a special concert in Washington, D.C., on January 19, the night before President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, it was announced Tuesday (January 6). Billed "In Concert on the Eve of Change," the "intimate performance" will take place at the 1,847-capacity Warner Theater and will feature Jay performing with his full band. Tickets for the performance go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. The rap icon has long been an Obama supporter. Jay, along with music executive Kevin Liles, Mary J. Blige and Diddy penned, an open letter one month before the November election calling for the hip-hop community to vote in support of Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden. "Where it stands today, we are on the verge of making history, the kind of history that will be a part of our culture's legacy," the letter reads. "The kind of history that bridges the gap between race, religion and culture, the kind of history that will ignite a light that shines bright from generation to generation, screaming that our voice does matter and our vote does count. The kind of history that will enable the next generation of leaders to encourage vision, not division, to encourage hope, not hopelessness, to encourage the power of the people, not the power politics of the few." In addition, Jay took the opportunity throughout his and Blige's "Heart of the City" tour to praise Obama while condemning the current administration. Video images of Obama would appear on a screen behind the stage while Jay stopped mid-performance during "Blue Magic," as he got to the lyric where he disses President Bush. "Y'all ready for change, right?" he often said. "This concert isn't sponsored by Barack Obama or nothing like that ... I'm just voicing my opinion as a citizen of America." Young Jeezy, T.I., and Russell Simmons are among the other members of the hip-hop community who will celebrate Obama's win. The aforementioned will appear at Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network's Inauguration Ball, which is also scheduled to take place January 19 at the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C. Related Artists |
| Eminem's New Song, 'Crack A Bottle,' Featuring Dr. Dre And 50 Cent, Hits The Web Posted: 06 Jan 2009 01:20 AM PST Song's release follows close on the heels of 50's premiere of 'I Get It In.'
Code red! The three-headed monster is wide awake and ready to assault the world. Just hours after 50 Cent's new single, "I Get It In," touched down all over the Net on Tuesday (January 6), a new Eminem song surfaced. Well, it's not so new, to tell the truth. Several weeks ago, an unfinished variation of the jam landed on mixtapes under the title "Number One." On Tuesday, the apparently final version debuted under the official title "Crack a Bottle" (the name Em revealed last month when lamenting the leak). The new incarnation features Dr. Dre and 50 Cent. Eminem's lyrics are still the same. "So crack a bottle, let your body waddle/ Don't act just like a sloppy model, you just hit the lotto," Em raps on the chorus, after introducing himself like a ring announcer. "Uh-oh, uh-oh, bi---es, hoppin' in my Tahoe/ I got one riding shotgun, and not one of them got clothes." "Andre the Giant," as Eminem refers to Dre, comes in second with the same verse we heard Slim Shady reference on the unfinished mixtape version: "They see that low-rider go by, they like, 'Oh my!'/ You ain't gotta tell me why ya sick, 'cause I know why/ I dip through in that six tre like, 'Sic 'em, Dre!'/ ... What else can I say, I love L.A. ... / I'll be damned, I just crashed my Benz/ Driving round with a smashed front end. Let's cash that one in." 50 Cent has the last verse, which he dedicates to balling "out of control" and intimidating other big Willies: "I'm the napalm, the don, I'm King Kong," Fif boasts. "Get rode on, wrapped up and ringed on/ I'm so calm, through Vietnam, ring the alarm ... / I stunt, I style, I flash the sh--." A couple of weeks ago, Eminem told Billboard.com that he was disappointed about the song leaking, before it was ready. "It wasn't close to finished, and it even has me doing guide vocals for Dre as a suggestion of how he could lay his verses down," he told the site. "It's like someone catches you peeping in your window before you got the Spider Man costume all zipped up! Nobody is supposed to see that. We are gonna finish it up, though, and get it out there how it's supposed to be." Interscope Records hasn't released a statement about plans for the song, which will likely appear on Eminem's Relapse, one of the most-anticipated new albums of 2009. Related Artists |
| MCs To Watch In 2009: Asher Roth Posted: 07 Jan 2009 04:59 AM PST 'I'm very honest with my music and I think people appreciate that,' the suburban rapper says.
Asher Roth is a white rapper. He also happens to sound like another (very popular) white rapper. It can be a daunting task to break out as a new hip-hop artist, but it can be especially daunting when whenever you open your mouth to spit you're compared to Eminem — and your first MTV News article opens with said comparison. "With me, it just happens that the comparison to any white MC is easy," Roth said. "I'm a white kid, so it's kind of like, 'All right, this kid is an Eminem, a Beastie Boy or something like that.' "
Roth explained that, in the music industry, you are always going to be compared to somebody because that's how people categorize their art. People compared Eminem to Vanilla Ice — both were white and both were rappers, but that's where the comparison ended. Eminem quickly differentiated himself and established who he was, and Roth seems poised to do the same. "You really have to establish yourself and just distinguish yourself doing something a little bit different," Roth continued. "MySpace and Facebook and the blogs have made it easy, if you put enough of yourself out there to distinguish yourself as an individual." Roth has used these social-networking sites, as well as his blog, The Daily Kush, to establish himself and to reach out to others — there are numerous videos of him interacting with college kids and stars alike. Whether he's running from security on USC's campus or receiving praise from Akon or Ludacris, his buzz is building. "I knew once I had their attention for one second they'd be interested," Roth said. "So that's kind of the point where we are at. We've got people's attention, and now it's what we're going to do with people's attention." He's ready to keep making his music and won't allow the pressure to get to him because, once you're in, there's really no turning back — you can't become un-famous. "You just have to be comfortable in your own skin, and I am," he explained. "I'm very honest with my music and I think people appreciate that and they are very receptive, because the music is very relatable. It makes me approachable as an artist." Asher is open about his background, and readily admits that he is from Morrisville, Pennsylvania — the suburbs, not the streets. He is a big fan of classic rock, jazz and hip-hop, and he tries to fuse those influences in his music. He's also quick to point out that he's only 23 — a lot younger than Eminem or the Beastie Boys. "I'm a whole generation younger. There's a new generation of artists that are coming, who are younger and speak for an entire different generation. Kids who are 13-, 11-, 10-years-old might not even know who Em is. ... I think that's where we are at ... really distinguishing that this is an entirely new generation of rappers." Check out Wale and B.o.B. in our "MCs To Watch In '09" series, and come back Thursday for our next artist, Charles Hamilton. Related Videos Related Artists |
| 50 Cent Premieres New Single, 'I Get It In,' Featuring Beat Dr. Dre Recorded For Eminem Posted: 06 Jan 2009 09:23 AM PST Second single from Before I Self Destruct gets Funkmaster Flex stamp of approval in New York radio debut.
50 Cent has teased us for months with talk — or lack thereof — about his new big collaboration with Dr. Dre. On Monday night, he got one of the hip-hop industry's most craved endorsements: a debut of the record on Hot 97 with DJ Funkmaster Flex dropping bombs of approval while the song played. After its premiere, the next single from Before I Self Destruct, "I Get It In," had been blasted all over the 'Net by Tuesday morning (January 6). 50 starts off shouting out several brands of liquor, then breaks down some of his club exploits and adventures as a heartbreak kid: "I can't be responsible for what I say or I do when I talk intoxicated/ Shawty say I told her I love her/ I put her out the next morning saying, 'Bi---, I must have been faded. "Sat-tur-daaay! Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday we get it in/ I need a drink/ Get me a drink," he insists on the chorus. The beat, which has New York b-boy drum boom-bap and Left Coast synth splashes, was pilfered from studio sessions in which Dr. Dre gave tracks to Eminem, 50 told Mixtape Monday in November. "I did a song produced by Dr. Dre," 50 said. "I got the production from Detroit, because Dre was working with Em right before I got out there. I just missed him. I went through Em's computer and found what I needed. Yes, I did. I got me the record I needed. I was like, 'Wait till they hear this.' I wrote it; Em heard it. He was like, 'You gotta keep that for yourself. This is too crazy.' First, I think he was gonna take it from me, then he was like, 'He gotta use that for himself.' " The first offering from Before I Self Destruct was "Get Up," which 50 classified as just an initial taste of the album. "My song 'Get Up' is performing great. I'm happy with 'Get Up.' It moved faster than 'I Get Money' at radio," Fif said. "But I'm just looking for the opportunity to present more of my material [prior to the album's release]. It's not the strongest effort on my album; it's just a great start for me." Before I Self Destruct is currently slated for a February 3 release. Interscope Records, 50's label, has not yet released any plans for a possible video for "I Get It In." Related Artists |
| Timbaland Responds To False <i>Shock Value 2</i> Reports Posted: 06 Jan 2009 03:24 AM PST 'That's just bogus,' Timbaland says of erroneous reports that Timberlake, Stefani will appear on LP.
In a curious turn of events, someone has been spreading false information about MTV and Timbaland. Responding to multiple erroneous online reports about his forthcoming Shock Value 2 album — which claimed that Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Usher and others will appear on the album, and which were incorrectly attributed to MTV.com — Timbaland got on the phone with us to set the record straight on Tuesday afternoon (January 6). "It's funny," Timbo said about the surprisingly detailed report, which claimed it was based on an advance preview of five tracks from the album. "I'm surprised people are watching me like that. I am recording the album, but I don't know none of them joints, none of them songs. That's just bogus." As for an official track listing, the production wizard was mum — and he didn't confirm or deny whether any of the artists listed in the report will appear on the album. He did speak generally about the album's direction, however. "I'm just revamping. I'm not even at a stage to say where I'm at. I'm not at a beginning, I'm not at a middle. I'm just zoning out trying to find a new sound I wanna attack, and I think I got it. It's something you never heard, something I never tried. "It might be something you might have heard, I don't know," Timbaland added. "I'm trying to figure it out myself. I'm just having a bunch of fun right now. I don't wanna go too left, but I wanna give them something different." Tim did say the album is coming in 2009. During his last MTV News interview, Timbaland said he didn't want to use artists that were featured on the first Shock Value for its sequel. However, he did hint that he may have changed his mind while recording the new album. "As you see, it's not a lot of artists out here," he said. "I'm going back to whoever fits the song. If this person fits the song, I'mma use him. I gotta do what my gut feeling is telling me to do." The Virginia native refused to reveal any guests, but did say to look for one or two records where it is just him performing by himself. Related Artists |
| Lindsay Lohan Blogs That She And Samantha Ronson 'Did Not Break Up!' Posted: 06 Jan 2009 06:48 AM PST Rumors of the actress and DJ's split emerged after alleged New Year's Eve fight.
For those of you still keeping score at home: Lindsay Lohan and porkpie-hat-loving DJ Samantha Ronson have not broken up ... at least not as of today. The tabloid-targeted couple reportedly got into a very public fight in Miami on New Year's Eve, but according to a post on Lohan's MySpace blog Monday, things are perfectly OK. The post, titled "Rumors," features a picture of the smiling couple wearing matching white outfits and Lohan's statement about a "little piece of TRUE information ... we did NOT break up!" The sometime actress/singer went on to excoriate the tabloid press for not doing their research. " 'Access Hollywood,' 'Extra,' 'ET,' every tabloid, Page Six ... AND every GOSSIP website. Get your stories straight, please. It's really annoying to have all of your friends e-mailing you saying, 'I saw,' 'I read,' etc ... NOT TRUE." As if to hammer the point home further, Lohan includes a link to her 2005 single "Rumors," a prescient song about visiting a club and asking the DJ to turn up the music, so she can just live her life and have some fun away from prying eyes. "I'm tired of rumors starting/ I'm sick of being followed," the lyrics plead. "I'm tired of people lying/ Saying what they want about me/ Why can't they back up off me/ Why can't they let me live/ I'm gonna do it my way/ Take this for just what it is." "Access Hollywood" had reported on Monday that the couple split following a series of New Year's arguments that allegedly resulted in Lohan moving out of the home she shares with Ronson. The chatter began following stories over the weekend in the New York Post that the couple had fought publicly during a New Year's Eve set by Ronson at the Miami club Mansion, where the two reportedly engaged in a shouting match outside the club. During that alleged spat, which, according to reports, occurred in a "really gross alley," Lohan is said to have screamed at Ronson, "When I storm off, you are supposed to follow me!" That verbal altercation then allegedly escalated into a physical shoving match back at the couple's hotel that resulted in mirrors being broken in their room. TMZ then reported that the nuclear meltdown continued at the Miami International Airport in the American Airlines Admirals Club lounge as the two awaited a flight back to Los Angeles. Related Artists |
| 'The Hills' Stars Share Their New Year's Resolutions Posted: 06 Jan 2009 01:03 AM PST 'I'm trying to be nice to everyone,' Spencer Pratt says.
It's a new year and, for many people, that means it's a chance to start fresh — an opportunity to make promises to themselves and resolve to be a better person. Even some of your favorite "Hills" castmembers have made New Year's resolutions that they hope to stick to! "My new year's resolution is to find a good guy," Stephanie Pratt told MTV News. "And to get rid of all the bad guys from 2008."
Meanwhile, her maybe sister-in-law Holly Montag was looking to the customs of the past to improve her future. "I do [have a resolution] ... to write more letters and cards," she said. "I don't know, I feel like it's such a special thing for someone to get a card in the mail and it doesn't take much and I'm horrible at it right now." And, like some of you out there, two of the "Hills" favorites haven't pegged down how they are going to better themselves in the upcoming 12 months. "I haven't thought of it yet," Lo Bosworth revealed. Whitney Port — who is now a New Yorker on her "Hills" spinoff "The City" — said that she, too, is up in the air about her resolution. "I don't have a New Year's resolution yet," she said. "I'm like, 'I don't know.' I'd have to think about it." However, the man who has caused the most controversy in the "Hills" universe, Spencer Pratt, revealed that he is willing to change quite a bit for 2009. "I'm friends with everybody now. I'm trying a new path out," he said. "I'm trying to be nice to everyone. It's a New Year's resolution. There you go: Be a nicer Spencer." Related Photos |
| Apple Announces iTunes Pricing Changes Posted: 06 Jan 2009 02:34 AM PST Songs will now be available at three price points: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29.
At the Macworld Conference & Expo on Tuesday (January 6), Apple Vice President Philip Schiller revealed iTunes pricing changes and a new MacBook Pro, CNN reports. Schiller explained that the new iTunes store will have pricing ranks, offering songs at three different price points: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29. More songs will be sold at the lower price point than at the higher, Schiller said. The pricing shift comes more than a year after Apple almost shut down its iTunes store in protest of a proposed royalty hike that would threaten the store's 99-cent price structure. On top of several improvements to software offered by Apple — like Learn to Play, which will be a part of the new "Garage Band" — Schiller also announced plans for a 17-inch MacBook Pro notebook. It weighs in at 6.6 pounds and is less than 1-inch thick. On top of its lightweight design, the notebook can last up to eight hours on a single charge and runs on less power than a light bulb. "This is the best display we've ever shipped in a notebook," Schiller said of the MacBook, which will cost around $2,800 and should arrive in stores later this month. Schiller filled in for Steve Jobs, who has given the keynote address since 1997. Jobs pulled out of the appearance after word started to spread that he wasn't in the best of health. His absence had many attendees of the conference buzzing about what could be ailing the company's CEO. In 2004, Jobs was treated for pancreatic cancer. For complete digital music coverage, check out the Digital Music Reports. |
| Lil Wayne Predicts Super Bowl Winner! Posted: 05 Jan 2009 11:29 PM PST MC makes his prediction on ESPN's '1st and 10.'
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