MTV News |
- Rick Ross Bosses Up As The #5 Hottest MC In The Game
- Lady Gaga Says Decision To Cancel Kanye West Tour Was 'Mutual'
- New Lady Gaga Track 'Bad Romance' Leaks
- DJ AM Has 'No Replacement,' DJ Z-Trip Says Of Vegas Gig
- Paramore Postpone Shows Due To Hayley Williams' Laryngitis
- Omarion Says 'It's Gonna Be My Time' This Fall
- Ryan Reynolds Says Don't Expect A Lady Gaga Collabo On 'SNL'
- Mariah Carey Shows Off <i>Imperfect</i> Range On 'Today'
| Rick Ross Bosses Up As The #5 Hottest MC In The Game Posted: 03 Oct 2009 05:16 AM PDT Despite his very public battle with 50 Cent, Ross stays hot.
The 2009 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is on! As in 2007 and 2008, the list, determined by the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust, is based on an MC's achievements right now, rather than an entire career. The criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow and how those things are implemented musically as the main factors. The Brain Trust also considers buzz, impact, commercial success — sales, airplay, business ventures, Web presence, endorsements and helping to spawn other artists' careers — and the intangible, impact: Can an artist not only contribute to the rap game but influence cultural shifts? Are they trendsetters? All of these factors — and the results of our audience poll, which closed last week and gets a vote at the Round Table during the Brain Trust's debate — 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 at 10 p.m. during "P. Diddy's Starmaker"! Flame Thrower: Rick Ross 2009 Rank: 5 Previous rankings: 2007 (not ranked); 2008 (#4) Why He's Hot: How did Rick Ross make it to the Hottest MC List's top 5 in back-to-back years? Because this top-tier word assassin released what seven of Roundtable members consider the preeminent hip-hop release of the year, Deeper Than Rap. Deeper ceaselessly and seamlessly did its job, entertaining throughout with Ross' lithe lyrical delivery, which forms a mesmeric marriage with soulfully melodic tracks that play like the score to an Oscar-winning film.
"Magnificent" mixed Ross' sophisticated thuggin' with John Legend's Grammy-winning starpower and vocal luster to make for one of the most heavily spun hits this year. The striking "Mafia Music" was strong enough to ignite a musical and Internet war with G-Unit. While "Maybach Music 2" — featuring T-Pain, Kanye West, and Lil' Wayne — was one of the preeminent posse cuts of the year. Despite all the controversy surrounding his past as a corrections officer, most of rap's elite not only kept their embrace of Ross, but they worked with him on mixtapes as well as on his LP. The fans, for the most part, didn't seem to care either. Deeper Than Rap sold more than 150,000 copies in its first week of release. Although those numbers didn't quite match the quality of the work, the album did top the Billboard albums chart — a feat all three of Ross' albums have accomplished. Deeper's campaign showed why Ross became a hustler's poster child a few years back. The M.I.Yayo Mayor took to the Internet with no less than nine self-produced and self-financed videos to keep his album running, and to introduce mixtape material with his crew, the Triple C's, and other artists from his Maybach Music Group label. Ross has continued to leverage the Web to keep his relevancy up, with vlogs and behind-the-scenes footage from his videos. Ross and company continue to keep their Jordans in the streets with the recent release of the double-CD mixtape Maybach Music 2: White Sand.
Ross did all this in the face of some tough obstacles: His attempted cover-up of his past employment as a prison guard was brought to light, and Ross later confirmed it. He was mocked by some fans and in a very public battle with 50 Cent. Through it all, the always-confident Rick Ross kept his own smile wide, showing that phenomenal music can swashbuckle through scandal. The fans as well as his peers rallied behind him. 2009 could have played out so much differently for the Big Bawse from Miami but in the end, he got to smile wide and often. Co-Signer: Rakim "He's trying to bring the skills back to the table," legendary MC Rakim told MTV News. "A lot of people don't give a lot of down-South rappers credit for spitting. He's one of those brothers that's trying to bring lyrics back to the table, and he's doing it. He's bringing the Miami flavor. I think he's expressing what he's living in Miami and what everybody else is doing down there." Ignitable Incitement: "I knew all the time," Ross told MTV News about scoring another #1 album despite his battle with 50 Cent and some fans questioning his credibility. "You gotta really know somebody's integrity. You gotta know if you're dealing with a champion or not. When I say 'Bawse,' I put that infamous on it because I mean it. If I'm not a boss, I believe I am. I know where I came from and what I accomplished. In my book, I'm certified. That's what I love about the hip-hop game: It's competitive. I love when you stack the chips against me, 'cause when I hit those numbers, those odds are gonna be in my favor, so we gotta triple up." Blistering Ballistics: "17, tryna man up/ Feed the fam boy, I put that on these damn goods/ All I got was diabetes and a damn hug/ People talkin' down, callin' me a damn scrub/ Young n---as, all you wanna do is roam free/ On your own feet, gotta cook your own beef/ I'm too cool for lame dudes to ridicule/ I laugh while I'm doing laps in the swimmin' pool/ I don't owe you n---as nuthin'/ Call me two fingers when you see a n---a stuntin'/ Black Phillip Drummond limousines of the Hummer/ Penthouse suite, pretty beach, I call her summer" (from "Usual Suspects") Hot Streak: Album: Deeper Than Rap Selected Mixtapes: Maybach Music II: White Sand Singles: "Magnificent," "All I Really Want," "Go" (with Triple Cs and Birdman) Street Bangers: "Rich Off Cocaine" (featuring Avery Storm), "Usual Suspects" (featuring Nas), "Maybach Music 2" (featuring T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Kanye West), "Face" (featuring Trina), "Cigar Music (I Do It)" (featuring Masspike Miles), "Mafia Music" Key Guest Appearances: Red Café's "Hottest in the Hood" remix, Jennifer Hudson's "Spotlight" remix, Birdman's "Stay Strapped" remix (also featuring Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne), Ace Hood's "Champion" (also featuring Jazmine Sullivan), DJ Khaled's "Out Here Grindin'," Masspike Miles' "Love Drunk" Meteoric Metrics: My Space Friends: 435,678 Business Ventures: Mayback Music Group Record Label (featuring Triple Cs, Masspike Miles, Magazeen) Tours No major tour, but Ross performs frequent spot dates. Monumental Moment: Releasing the classic Deeper Than Rap while withstanding his beef with 50 Cent and controversy over his previous employment as a prison guard. Forecast: Ross knows that with the tide in his corner, he'd be a fool to take any breaks. The Bawse is going to keeping riding his wave, with the Triple C's' debut coming on October 27 and his next solo LP, Teflon Don, due next year. What do you think of Rick Ross' placement on the Hottest MCs in the Game list? Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to -- the best videos could be on TV! 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 at 10 p.m. during "P. Diddy's Starmaker"! Related Videos Related Artists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lady Gaga Says Decision To Cancel Kanye West Tour Was 'Mutual' Posted: 01 Oct 2009 11:43 PM PDT 'But I'm not taking any time off,' singer says about her upcoming solo tour.
NEW YORK — Lady Gaga and Kanye West shocked fans on Thursday when they announced they'd be canceling their much-anticipated Fame Kills tour without explanation. But on Friday at an event in New York City, Gaga, who didn't get into specifics about the cancellation, did say that West would be taking some time off and she would be hitting the road on her own.
"Well, actually, it was a mutual decision to cancel the tour," she told MTV News on the red carpet for the Billboard Women in Music event. "But I'm not taking any time off, so I'll be leaving just a week later than I was supposed to on my own solo tour. It will be the same places. So I will see you guys there. I'm putting out my re-release as well — The Fame Monster on November 24." She added that an announcement about who will be joining her on this new trek will be made soon. As for the look of the tour, she told reporters she'd be starting from scratch. "In respects to the creative work that [Kanye and I] did together, I won't be doing any of the things that we designed for the tour," she explained. "It will be entirely new, and it will be just as amazing and memorable and epic." Responding to 50 Cent's recent disparaging comments calling the co-headlining trek "the gay tour," Gaga said, "I think it's sad — and I think that nobody in any genre of music should accommodate homophobia." Related Photos Related Artists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Lady Gaga Track 'Bad Romance' Leaks Posted: 02 Oct 2009 01:56 AM PDT Robotic disco song could be the single Gaga promised to debut on 'SNL.'
Lady Gaga has firmly established herself as a new-millennium dance diva, so it should come as no surprise that a new leaked track (possibly from the upcoming reissue of her debut, called The Fame: Monster) has the feel of a classic disco anthem, Gaga'd for 2009. "Bad Romance" — which leaked out on Friday (October 2), one day after her eagerly anticipated Fame Kills tour with Kanye West bit the dust — is a mixture of Gaga's signature robotic delivery with a Cher-like sound. Produced by collaborator RedOne (the producer behind such hits as "LoveGame" and "Poker Face"), the song is similar in tempo to "Poker Face," opening with a series of ah-ah-ahs and ooh-la-las, amid a thrumming beat and swirling keyboards. "You know that I want you/ And you know that I need you," Gaga coos before busting into the full-throated chorus, in which she sings, "You and me could write a bad romance ... / Caught in a bad romance." The minimal beat stays at a low boil for most of the song, rising up in an ecstatic, Erasure-esque throb during the chorus, but lacking the immediate pull of some of Gaga's biggest hits to date. Gaga tweeted about the song on Friday afternoon, telling fans, "leaked next single is makin my ears bleed. Wait till you hear the real version." Earlier this week, Gaga told a San Diego radio station that she'd be debuting a new track on this weekend's "Saturday Night Live," where she is the musical guest. Gaga also announced plans to go out on tour on her own next month, saying the cancellation of the Fame Kills tour was a "mutual decision" reached with West. Neither artist has spoken in depth about what caused the outing to fall apart. The nearly five-minute-long "Bad Romance" could be found on a number of blogs by Friday afternoon, but a spokesperson for the singer declined to comment about whether the song will appear on the reissue, which is due out on November 24. Related Photos Related Artists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DJ AM Has 'No Replacement,' DJ Z-Trip Says Of Vegas Gig Posted: 02 Oct 2009 03:20 AM PDT 'I want people to understand that I'm not filling his spot or his shoes,' Z-Trip says of new spot at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
World-famous crowd-pleaser DJ Z-Trip will be the new resident DJ at the Rain nightclub in the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Friday nights, setting up his turntables on the night formerly run by his good friend, the late DJ AM. "Z-Trip's Revolution" will kick off on October 16 and the mixmaster told MTV News that after nearly 15 years of relentlessly touring the world, the timing was right for him to put down some roots for the Rain gig. "I have done a couple of these in the past here and there, but it never really worked out because I'm always touring," he said. "They offered me this a while back and I couldn't commit because of scheduling, but this time I could make it work and I kind of wanted to make it work because traveling is great and I love it, but it's nice to be able to count on being home sometimes." AM, who died of an accidental drug overdose last month, was the resident DJ on Friday nights at Rain, where he spun at the popular "Rain in the Desert" club night — but Z-Trip stressed that out of respect for AM and every other fallen DJ, he doesn't want to be thought of as taking over or replacing his fellow turntablist. "We were friends and we knew each other and it's kind of hard — it's a tough subject," said Z-Trip, who has declined to speak on the topic until now. "I want people to understand that I'm not filling his spot or his shoes. I'm trying to do my own thing, but I'm not disrespecting his thing by not acknowledging it. There's no replacement for that person. I will most definitely shout him out, that's what hip-hop is based on. Every day I DJ in Vegas I'll be thinking about that dude, every day of my life. But the way I acknowledge him is the way I acknowledge all those who've fallen, like Roc Raida — it's not about one guy. Every time I get up and spin, I'm honoring and doing it for all the people who've fallen behind." The weekly gig by the man known as the Godfather of Mash-Ups will feature artwork created exclusively by famed street artist Shepard Fairey, whose "Hope" posters in support of then-candidate Barack Obama were ubiquitous during last year's presidential election. "That's huge for me, because iconically I wanted to make sure this thing looked and felt like where I come from," he said. "He and I are from the same cloth. I always felt he does visually what I do audibly. He's one of my favorite contemporary artists." In addition to manning the turntables himself on an almost weekly basis, Z-Trip (born Zach Sciacca) has lined up some guests to join him on some upcoming dates, including DJ P on October 30 and MSTRKRFT on November 13. He is currently scheduled to play the club on those dates, as well as November 6, December 4 and 31, January 8 and 22, and February 5 and 25. On the nights he's not there, celebrity guest DJs will step in to help, with the current roster including Will.I.Am (October 23), Jazzy Jeff (November 20), DJ Skribble (November 27) and DJ Vice (December 11). "The concept behind the night was to bring other people in and make it be about the name of the night: revolution," Z-Trip explained. "It's about revolving and evolving, so, for me I want to keep things as open as possible." For that reason, Z-Trip will be setting up four turntables every night he's there, with an extra set for anyone who happens to be in the building who he wants to invite up. Z-Trip, who is known for touring all over the world and opening for the Rolling Stones, was recently named America's Best DJ for 2009 by DJ Times magazine. He recently jammed on some new music with former House of Pain leader Everlast for a potential future project and completed work on remixes for the Beastie Boys and the Dead Weather. But the project he's most psyched about right now is his debut as an avatar in the "DJ Hero" video game, which also features three of his exclusive tracks. "It's definitely weird," he said of the video game treatment. "When I started doing this, and every day along the way, I never envisioned these things could happen — I consider myself an underdog and to be in a video game, it's timeless, it encapsulates me. Any DJ would want that. Not just the vanity of it, but they are actually looking to DJs and stepped to the right DJs to push the game forward." Related Photos Related Artists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paramore Postpone Shows Due To Hayley Williams' Laryngitis Posted: 01 Oct 2009 11:57 PM PDT Band reschedules rest of U.S. Brand New Eyes tour to give frontwoman time to recover.
October is already shaping up to be a pretty unlucky month for tours: Kanye and Gaga have scrapped their much-hyped Fame Kills jaunt, Miley Cyrus canceled a stop on her Wonder World Tour due to strep throat, and, now, you can add Paramore to the misfortune list. Because on Friday (October 2) — one day after postponing a Los Angeles show due to frontwoman Hayley Williams' vocal struggles, which actually first appeared two nights earlier, during their tour kickoff in Pomona, California — the band took things one step further, spiking a week's worth of shows while Williams recovers from laryngitis. "Paramore regret to announce that all dates beginning in San Francisco [Friday] evening through October 9th in St. Paul will be postponed due to a case of laryngitis for singer Hayley Williams," the band said in a statement. "The tour will resume in Chicago on October 10th. Tickets for all postponed dates will be honored at the rescheduled dates listed below. Refunds may also be claimed at point of purchase." All postponed dates have been tacked on to the tail end of the Brand New Eyes tour, which was supposed to wrap with a November 1 homecoming show at Nashville, Tennessee's legendary Ryman Auditorium. Paramore will now play St. Louis on November 3; Kansas City, Missouri, on November 4; St. Paul, Minnesota, on November 6; Denver on November 8; San Francisco on November 10 and Los Angeles on November 11. In a post on Paramore's official site, Williams apologized for the postponements and gave fans an update on her condition. "This week I saw one of the best doctors in the country to check on my vocal cords. I knew it wasn't going to be good but knowing that we were just starting our tour, I was trying to remain positive about it. In short, I've got laryngitis and need several days of vox rest," she wrote. "I just have to be smart about this whole thing. So, we may have to rework the way I do stuff on the road ... like not only do I need to watch what I eat, but how much I talk at meet-and-greets and signings and press. "IT SUCKS!!! But I'm doing every thing I can, taking every precaution, to get it right. I wanna be on tour, man!" she continued. "All in all, this is the reason for the postponement of the upcoming shows. Just know that we WILL be coming back for you guys! The entire tour is going to happen ... and I'm psyched. Thank you again for the incredible support that you've shown me and the guys. We always say it but seriously... Paramore fans are the best fans." Related Videos Related Artists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Omarion Says 'It's Gonna Be My Time' This Fall Posted: 02 Oct 2009 02:38 AM PDT Singer explains why he's releasing Ollusion without the help of Lil Wayne.
There's a reason Omarion named his upcoming album Ollusion. "Everything is based on perception, and I'm a testament of perception," O explained to MTV News. "All the moves I made, things might look a certain way, and they may be at times, but they might not. You always got to dig deeper and ask the questions." And one of those questions might be: What exactly happened between O and Lil Wayne? In August, the Cash Money superstar announced on a California stage that the former B2K frontman was signed to Young Money. Then, less than a week later, the union fell through, and Wayne affiliate Mack Maine tweeted that Omarion was no longer a part of the team. The marriage seemed almost as short as Britney Spears' to Jason Alexander. "When we were in the process of making the deal and the signing part, I wanna say it was roughly six to seven months, or maybe even a little longer," Omarion revealed. "To most people I know it seems like, 'Well, that was fast.' [Laughs.] I totally get it. "Truthfully, though, I just really saw Wayne's position, and I respected him as a businessman in building the entity he wants to build," he continued. "My idea when we were getting together was that we were coming into more of a partnership. But I'm a leader, and he's a leader. When I thought about it and I really looked at the history of artists that do what I do, they're never under the umbrella of a crew." So, Omarion moved on and swapped out the "Lollipop" MC for Gucci Mane on his single "I Get It In." (He dismisses the rumor that he leaked the song and dropped from Young Money as a result.) O says he was fortunate to be able to pick up another talented rapper to maintain the track's vibe. "Before Wayne became Wayne, the streets really felt him; that's how he did a million his first week," O said. "And Gucci is the next one [to follow that path], and I was just a fan too." The track is the first offering from Ollusion, due November 24 on Omarion's own StarWorld Entertainment. He's set to shoot the video for the single later this month, along with the follow-up, "Hoodie" featuring Jay Rock. The 25-year-old is hoping that the visuals, along with the new music, will help re-introduce him to a public that hasn't heard much from him in four years. "I really took out time this go around to get a lot of knowledge — and not just in ... the game, but as man," Omarion said. "Being in the entertainment business as long as I have and making that transition to a man is a really hard thing. "I can't wait to showcase what I been working on and show why I call myself the king of dance," he added. "I wanna show people my work. Everybody has their time, and right now, I just feel like it's gonna be my time." Related Artists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ryan Reynolds Says Don't Expect A Lady Gaga Collabo On 'SNL' Posted: 02 Oct 2009 02:46 AM PDT 'Saturday Night Live' host was excited to meet episode's 'strange' musical guest.
Ryan Reynolds is spending the week preparing to host "Saturday Night Live," and despite bringing some ideas to the table, it sounds like he'll only be doing the skits the show's writers came up with for him. "They turned down my Kirk Cameron [impression]. That hurt," he joked to MTV News at rehearsal on Friday (October 2). "A little 'Growing Pains' present-day sort of tapestry, if you will. Maybe next time, though."
Fortunately, the writers gave him the role of a lifetime: a Norwegian actor pretending to be an American criminal. "We were just doing the 'Norwegian Actors' Playhouse,' where Norwegian actors tackle tough American roles with seamless accents — or not so seamless," he said. "I've been playing one all my life, but it was nice to do it on camera for a change. It was exciting." He's also excited about his co-stars on the show. "I mean, you're sitting in a scene with Fred Armisen and Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig," he said. "And it's not hard for them to be funny, that's for sure. He may fit in with the actors, but he's not so sure about the show's musical guest, the one and only Lady Gaga. "Ryan Reynolds and Lady Gaga is a natural fit, I think," he said sarcastically. While they may not go together like hot dogs and mustard, Reynolds was dazzled by the singer earlier this week during her soundcheck. "It was pretty exciting to meet her, though. She's a talented musician. You sort of forget that with all the glitz and glamour," he said. "She plays piano beautifully and sings beautifully and is this masterful musician but, at the same time, will put on an entire unitard made of hearing-aid-colored fabric and be a little strange, so you sort of forget." So have they bonded enough to strike up a musical collaboration? Um, probably not. "I don't think it would sound too good," he said. "It would sound a lot like Lady Gaga eating a grown man alive." Related Photos Related Artists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mariah Carey Shows Off <i>Imperfect</i> Range On 'Today' Posted: 02 Oct 2009 12:50 AM PDT 'It's a little bit about reflecting on life,' singer says of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.
Fans filled Rockefeller Plaza early Friday morning (October 2) to catch a glimpse of Mariah Carey stopping by the "Today" show to talk about her latest album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, and performed a four-song set.
Beginning the show with an early classic — "Make It Happen," off of Emotions — the singer embraced the crowd's lively energy early in the morning. Dressed in a black leather trench coat and accessorized with a glittery microphone, Carey paced the stage, holding fans' hands as she performed the 1991 track. Of course, Mariah also performed her two latest singles. She was hoisted in the air by dancers for "Obsessed" and accompanied by a church choir for her Foreigner cover, "I Wanna Know What Love Is." Between songs, Carey talked about the album's title with host Meredith Vieira. "Everybody's imperfect, and we try to be the best we can but you know, it's tough," she explained. "And 'memoirs' is just the fact that I write, and I've been writing poems since I was a little girl. I write lyrics and songs. It's a little bit about reflecting on life." Carey later told MTV News about the wide range of emotions fans will experience through the album's songs. "I put a lot of myself into it," she said. "I think that people can expect a whole lot of different stuff. There are some songs that are just funny with jokes. They're upbeat as well as uptempo. They make you laugh, and you can also dance to them and enjoy them. And then there's ballads — some of them are just really sad, but they have a little bit of an edgier element to them. Then there's those big ballads." One of the "big ballads" the singer may have been referenced could be The-Dream-produced "H.A.T.E.U.," which concluded the mini-concert on "Today." Mariah also took the opportunity to tell MTV News about her role in the upcoming film, "Precious," which opens December 3. When director Lee Daniels approached her to play Mrs. Weiss, Carey said he told her, "You're going have to get really ugly and you're going have to do this and that. We're going strip you down in every way." And despite the character's lack of sex appeal and makeup, she signed onto the project. "I said, 'Cool,' because I felt like it was something that I sort of needed to do, and I love the book so much, so I thought it would be a really nice thing," Carey explained. Related Photos Related Artists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You are subscribed to email updates from MTV News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar