MTV News |
- Raekwon Is The #10 Hottest MC In The Game!
- Tokio Hotel Exclusive: Tom Kaulitz Says, 'I Have More Sex In My Voice' Than Bill!
- Paramore's Hayley Williams Stays 'Normal' Despite Band's Fame
- Will Lauren Conrad Watch 'The Hills'? 'Probably Not!'
- OJ Da Juiceman Goes 'Below Zero' On <i>Alaska In Atlanta</i> Tape
| Raekwon Is The #10 Hottest MC In The Game! Posted: 28 Sep 2009 03:53 AM PDT Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II puts veteran MC back in the game.
The 2009 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout has begun! As in 2007 and 2008, the list, determined by the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust, is based on an MC's achievements over the past year or so, rather than an entire career. The criteria is based on a combination of verbal skill, flow, music, commercial success — sales, airplay, business ventures, Twitter followers, endorsements and helping to spawn other artists' careers — and the intangible, impact: Do they move the needle on the culture? Can the mere mention of their names start conversations? Do they start trends? All these factors — and the results of our audience poll, which closed last week — contribute to deciding who is the Hottest MC in the Game. We'll be announcing an MC's rank every day this week, with the full list revealed on Sunday! Flame Thrower: Raekwon the Chef 2009 Rank: 10 Previous Rankings: 2007 (unranked); 2008 (unranked) Why He's Hot: They've got him behind the pot again! Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon the Chef came back to cook up one of the most potent offerings of 2009 with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, which is the hottest album in the streets right now. And no, the Brain Trust isn't just overcome with nostalgia — the conceptual Cuban Linx II picks up where its timeless predecessor left off a decade and a half ago. Rae articulates his calm anger and heavy-handed, at times unmerciful underworld regulation with a compellingly clear yet callous delivery. Production-wise, he went for the best: RZA, Dr. Dre, the late J Dilla. The Chef has been able to do what few in his age bracket have accomplished: maintain respect and excitement with their more mature core audience, yet stay current and appeal to newer, younger fans. Chef came off a very low-profile hiatus late last year and reintroduced himself through one of his biggest venues to generate interests, the Internet. He's tweeted close to 3,000 times on his @raekwonicewater page and he's been a mainstay on YouTube and hip-hop blogs this year. Rae's moment of Net infamy came late in the summer, when he and his crew had a physical altercation with Joe Budden while Budden was live-streaming from his dressing room. Rae has not released the videotaped footage of the incident he has in his possession, but instead has let his music grab the headlines. And with all the critical acclaim he's gotten, the Chef's notoriety won't be stopping any time soon: Cuban Linx sold almost 70,000 albums in its first week of release, another testament to his popularity. Co-Signer: Fabolous Ignitable Incitement: "It just feels good to know that Wu-Tang is back in the race again," Rae told MTV News a few weeks back. "If it took me to be that dude to be like, 'Yo, Rae, go do that real quick,' that's what it was. I'mma always rep my team, solo or with the [Wu-Tang] army, whatever. I represent that W. It feels good to know that people know that cats still got it. I told y'all that awhile ago: Yo, it's nothing to real Gs [for me to come back]. To real G's, it's nothing! "I wasn't trying to top [the original] Cuban Linx," he added. "I was in a different frame of mind [on the first album]. I was in the street, I was peddling, I was running around with guns in my pocket, running from police. That was me living the life, hands-on. This one is me being an author, going back down memory lane. I don't do the things I used to do no more, but one thing I can say is anything I learned then, I still apply to this day. Your history is very important. You wanna know where you came from so you can know where you gotta go." Blistering Ballistics: "Broad-day jungle, living with the rodents/ The goons'll run through, blow a bag and hunt you/ Always flaky, callused hands/ My mans, come through the avenue, Swiss cheese patrons/ Blood that flood the hall, every head'll drop/ Jump in the Maybach, switch the station/ These rap n---as is wash, hang 'em on the pole, no head ... Famous for my kitchen knives, rings and the fifths are stainless/ Gun down your trooper, grenade your coupe up/ Plain and simple n---as is poo-butt/ F--- with my crew: what?" Hot Streak Albums: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II Selected Mixtapes: Blood on the Chef's Apron Singles: "Catalina" (featuring Lyfe Jennings), "House of Flying Daggers" (featuring Ghostface, Method Man and Inspectah Deck), "Nu Wu" (featuring Method Man and Ghostface) Street Bangers: "10 Bricks" Key Guest Appearances: Jadakiss' "Cartel Gathering" (also featuring Ghostface) Meteoric Metrics: Business Ventures: Owner of Ice H20 Records Tour: Rock The Bells (summer of 2009) Monumental Moment: Release of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II MTV News will be unveiling the Hottest MCs in the Game all week! We'll be announcing an MC's rank every day this week, with the full list revealed on Sunday! Related Artists |
| Tokio Hotel Exclusive: Tom Kaulitz Says, 'I Have More Sex In My Voice' Than Bill! Posted: 28 Sep 2009 03:53 AM PDT Watch the band in the studio, recording Humanoid.
Tokio Hotel are bringing their fans inside the studio once again with another exclusive, behind-the-scenes clip provided to MTV News. In the video, the pop-rockers are working on Humanoid, due October 6.
Speaking from the Los Angeles studio where they recorded the Scream follow-up, lead singer Bill Kaulitz discusses having to sing in German and English. "They have to do this super complicated thing: change the session ... from German to English," he explained. "Yes, constant switches. I believe no other singer has to remember so many different lyrics like I do. It's only the third album, and I already have 10,000 songs." Meanwhile, Tom Kaulitz talks about the different dynamics he and brother Bill have in their voices, saying one thing separates them: "I have more sex in my voice," Tom explained. "Actually, the decision [for Bill to be the lead singer] was because of the securities. The securities asked us for it, because if I sing, there would be an escalation at each show. To calm things down, we went with Bill." Tom also discussed how his brother has to work to remember the songs they are recording for when they hit the road. "He needs to remember everything for the tour. I actually did all of the recordings up to now," he said. "He needs to learn everything for our tour, which is why we rented this studio. We'll check it out, and hopefully he'll manage the upcoming albums without me." He also talked about the time the guys in the band tried out different roles. "Bill was playing bass, because it's the easiest," Tom recalled. "He only had to play a few tones. Yes, I [played the drums. Drummer Gustav Schäfer], he sang, and [bassist] Georg [Listing] played the guitar. That was wicked. I think we performed [the Scream track] 'Monsoon,' didn't we? "[Gustav turned it into hardcore metal] to cover [the fact] that he can't sing," Tom continued. "I was perfect. Like a clockwork. But the others messed it up." Related Artists |
| Paramore's Hayley Williams Stays 'Normal' Despite Band's Fame Posted: 28 Sep 2009 03:53 AM PDT 'I don't want to be that person that's closed-off and thinks I'm special,' frontwoman says.
FRANKLIN, Tennessee — Hayley Williams is not a role model. She is just a girl from Mississippi who moved to Tennessee, met a bunch of boys and started a band. That the band sold more than a million copies of their last album (2007's Riot!) and followed that up with one of 2009's finest rock efforts (Brand New Eyes, which hits stores Tuesday) is largely immaterial. In fact, it does not change anything about Williams, her life, or the way she views herself.
We know all this because, when Williams and her Paramore mates welcomed MTV News to their hometown of Franklin, Tennessee, last week, she told us as much, while she was driving us around in her banged-up Mazda. There is no pretense involved with Hayley Williams. No trappings of fame. She's just a small-town girl, and she'd like everyone to know it. "I don't want people to look at me and go, 'Oh, that's the girl from this band,' I just want to do my thing," Williams said. "I know the guy who sold me the house ... he lives across the street from me. I know my next-door neighbor. She's this super-sweet old lady, and the first week I moved in she brought me a plant — a really cute plant to put in my kitchen, and it's still there. I still have it." And her outlook isn't going to change anytime soon, because Williams has surrounded herself with like-minded friends and musicians, all of whom wouldn't hesitate to put her in her place if her head got too big. "I have random friends that are in other bands, and ... those are the people I look up to, and that I know have made it enough in the business that they can make a living doing what they love and they're still grounded," she said. "They still love being around people and they're not secluded and all weird just because they got a little successful. I don't want to be that person that's closed-off and thinks I'm special. I look up to bands that inspire me. And those people are normal and I'm the same. I'm normal too." Related Artists |
| Will Lauren Conrad Watch 'The Hills'? 'Probably Not!' Posted: 28 Sep 2009 03:53 AM PDT But she does plan to support pal and former co-star Whitney Port: 'I'll watch 'The City.' '
On Tuesday, new episodes of "The Hills" will debut, and it will be the first season without original star Lauren Conrad. Fans will get the chance to watch all the drama that Kristin Cavallari will be stirring up, but that doesn't mean Cavallari's onetime "Laguna Beach" frienemy will be tuning in. "Um, it's more of a relief," Conrad told MTV News about life after "The Hills." "It's kind of nice."
When asked if she would tune in to see any of the drama she said, "Probably not!" But she does plan to support pal and former co-star Whitney Port: "I'll watch 'The City.' " Back in June, Conrad told MTV News that she has no plans to pop up on "The Hills" anytime soon. "I'm not planning on it," she said. "I'm happy with the time I walked away, and I think that from now on, they're going to pick it up and do a great show. But I think that my time on it is done." As for her future in TV, Conrad said it will probable be more like her recent guest spot on "America's Next Top Model." "I wouldn't do a show like 'The Hills,' " she said. "Nothing with my personal life, but possibly something hosting. I think I have a little bit of time to figure out what I'm going to do next." To see if Kristin Cavallari can fill Lauren Conrad's shoes, tune in to MTV on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of "The Hills." |
| OJ Da Juiceman Goes 'Below Zero' On <i>Alaska In Atlanta</i> Tape Posted: 28 Sep 2009 03:53 AM PDT DJ Holiday 'turned the thermostat down' for his and OJ's ode to bling, in Mixtape Daily.
Every week is huge on this Web site, but this week in particular, we're going in. Mixtape Daily is going to keep rolling strong, and we got that Hottest MCs project finally being released from the cage. It's a beast. Check for numbers 10 through 6 all this week right here on MTVNews.com, and on Sunday, we're going to reveal the rest of the list on "P. Diddy's Starmaker." Not to neglect the current business at hand, OJ Da Juiceman and DJ Holiday just put a new mixtape out to the streets and, yeah, judging from the title, you know it has everything to do with them diamonds. On a totally unrelated note, much love to DJ Infamous.
This Week's Main Pick Street Kings: OJ Da Juiceman and DJ Holiday Holding It Down For: Atlanta and, apparently, Juneau Mixtape: Alaska in Atlanta Real Spit: "The concept came from me chillin'," the flamboyant OJ explained about his mixtape title. "Having all this jewelry over my way. ... We call jewelry cold. Alaska in Atlanta, it was only right to get Holiday. He was the best person for that thang. We back, me and Holiday. Everything is cold. Everything is below zero. We freezing. Three chains on. We swangin', you feel me? It gets rained on like a basketball player. Time for another round. We swagged up. MTV, you already know." "We got a big, big movie going on right now," Holiday said. "I kept it hot for the summer, I keep the streets on fire, so I had to turn the thermostat down and bring my big homie OJ Da Juiceman out." The tape has all new production from M-16, Drumma Boy, Fat Boy, Khao and up-and-coming youngster Lex Luger (not to be mistaken for former WCW World Heavyweight Champion "The Total Package" Lex Luger). Holiday has new mixtapes with Young Dro, Yung L.A., Webbie, Zero, Rocco, Nicki Minaj, Slim Thug and Gucci Mane and Mr. LaFlare's "little brother" Flocka Flame coming up. Joints To Check For » "Time Clock." "That's Fat Boy's [beat]," OJ said. "Big up to Fat Boy. That's like a full-course meal. We eating, man. Our plates are never empty." » "Vegetarian." "Lex Luger, I see you," OJ said. "We swagged up. That was produced by my little homie Lex Luger outta VA. Everybody look out for that. We swagged up. Everything is below zero right now. I should have had blue on to be like 'Sub Zero.' We rocking like cutoff stockings." » "Burr Beer." "That's basically an intro to the mixtape," Holiday said. "It's a new sound. We switching the swag up. We got a new guy named Lex Luger. His sound is just crazy. For OJ, on this mixtape, he matured a lot on his delivery and his sound. He's not just talking about the same thing. He's still celebrating for somebody from East Atlanta to make it out the 'hood and see the world, tour arenas, it feels good." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos |
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