MTV News |
- Eminem Is The Hottest MC In The Game!
- Taylor Swift Says <i>Speak Now</i> Tracks Are 'Snapshots'
- Kanye West's 'Runaway' Is 'Very Expressive,' Media Student Says
- Audrina Patridge Calls 'Dancing With The Stars' Competition 'Surprising'
- Justin Bieber Announces Acoustic Album Release Date
- Kanye West Jokes About Devil Worship, Illuminati Rumors
- 'Paranormal Activity 2' Wins Weekend Box Office
- Kanye West Breaks Down Opening Line Of 'Runaway'
- Matt Damon And Wife Welcome Another Daughter
- Jay-Z Lands At #2 On Hottest MCs In The Game List!
- Kanye West Is Back As #3 Hottest MC In The Game!
- Drake Returns To Hottest MCs In The Game List At #4!
- Rick Ross Holds Strong At #5 On Hottest MCs List!
| Eminem Is The Hottest MC In The Game! Posted: 24 Oct 2010 12:47 AM PDT Ultra-successful Recovery album and Home and Home Tour with Jay-Z shoot Em straight to the top.
Everyone loves a comeback story, and in 2010, that's what they got from Eminem. Even though Marshall Mathers sold 608,000 copies of 2009's Relapse in its first week, the project was panned by critics and longtime Em fans. They said he rhymed in too many weird voices, that the production sounded dated and that the subject matter was too grim. The LP didn't make enough of an impact, and there really wasn't much buzz around Eminem to even warrant him making the Hottest MCs list last year.
This year, however, was totally different. Eminem pretty much dominated 2010 from start to finish, and the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust voted him the #1 Hottest MC in the Game. "Obviously, the last album was lackluster," mtvU's Yomi Desalu said during the Hottest MCs roundtable discussion. "I think he recognized that, not being on the board last year." Em got back in the swing of things this year, first by ripping the all-star posse cut "Forever," which, despite being released in September 2009, had enough momentum to keep playing all the way into 2010. Then he guested on the Lil Wayne single "Drop the World," a highly anticipated duet between the two rappers that had been buzzed about for years; added a poignant verse to the remix of B.o.B's "Airplanes"; and even dropped a couple of freestyles (on Drake's "Over" beat and Lloyd Banks' "Beamer, Benz or Bentley"). It all led up to the release of the first single from Recovery, "Not Afraid." The song was a turn of form for Em that found him spitting motivational rhymes and encouraging people to face their fears, for better or worse. In a post-recession America, it felt like a message people really needed to hear: Don't give up, because we're all in this together. "Not Afraid" hit #1 on the Hot 100 and pushed Recovery to 741,000 units sold its first week. Em followed that with "Love the Way You Lie," which was poignantly assisted by Rihanna. That song also hit #1 on the Hot 100, as well as pretty much every other Billboard chart. The video was viewed 6.6 million times on the day it debuted on Vevo, a record for the site, and has since been viewed 167 million times. Both songs remain staples on radio playlists and video countdowns nationwide. "Something about Em this time around, you don't feel like he's following some type of formula," MTV Jams' Tuma Basa said. "He didn't come out with that corny Slim Shady record. This time, he came like, 'I came to play.' And the records have this motivational anthemic type [of feel] we haven't seen in him. He's stepping into a new space." While there's little doubt Em will take home a stack of trophies at the 2011 Grammys, he actually nabbed two this year for Best Rap Album (Relapse) and Best Performance by a Duo or Group ("Crack a Bottle" with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent). He also brought home VMAs for the Best Male Video and Best Hip-Hop Video for "Not Afraid," while winning three Teen Choice Awards (Choice Rap Album for Relapse, Choice Rap Artist and Choice Rap/Hip-Hop Track for "Love the Way You Lie"). He also had a handful of performances on the BET Awards, the VMAs and the Grammy Awards. And who could forget his cameo on the season finale of HBO's "Entourage"? Em was everywhere in 2010. But it was his Home and Home Tour with Jay-Z this past September that really showed just how big of a year he had. MTV News' Shaheem Reid wrote of the concert at Comerica Park: "Detroit hasn't screamed this loud at a baseball park since Kirk Gibson was hitting home runs in the 1984 World Series." Em actually faced stiff competition during the roundtable, where he was initially voted #2. Some Brain Trustees were coming for his head, claiming Jay-Z or Kanye should actually have that slot. The coup didn't last long, though. "When you do close to 3 million in three months — come on, man," MTV News supervising producer Sean Lee said. "You think Kanye's gonna sell 3 million?" MTV News senior producer Rahman Dukes added. Others, like MTV News senior writer Jayson Rodriguez, felt like Kanye held more cultural caché at the moment. He was the new guy on the block; Em was old news. But when it came down to a test of skills and performance on records, Eminem got the nod. "He jumped on Wayne's 'Drop the World' and murdered that verse," Reid said. "Obviously, you heard him on 'Airplanes' with B.o.B, a very unexpected collaboration. Now you gotta come sit at the table with the other bosses in rap, and he's doing it." Eventually, after initially voting to keep Jay-Z at #1, because of Eminem's momentous year, the roundtable pushed Em to the top. The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now complete! As in 2008 and 2009, the criteria was based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence. Upload your reaction to our list, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com or send tweets with the hashtag #hottestmcs — the best responses could be on TV or our hip-hop blog, RapFix! For the complete 2010 Hottest MCs list go here. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Taylor Swift Says <i>Speak Now</i> Tracks Are 'Snapshots' Posted: 25 Oct 2010 03:51 AM PDT The songs are about what happens 'when we wait until it's almost too late to say how we feel,' Swift tells MTV News.
It is finally upon us. Taylor Swift's Speak Now, her long-awaited, highly anticipated follow-up to 2008's Fearless, came out on Monday (October 25) and judging from the subject matter, the singer has done a lot of living in the last two years. And she tells MTV News that right now was the perfect time to share those experiences.
"I've been working on this album for two years and having written every song on this album and not having any co-writers making the concept of this album come together and sort of writing everything for this album within the concept, it actually all happened very naturally," Swift told us. "So I write songs about things that really intensely, emotionally affect me at the time I'm going through them." Swift doesn't bottle her emotions. Instead, she revealed that she wrote the album in the heat of the moment. "You know a lot of artists will take two years, or one year or however many years it takes and they'll live life and then afterward they'll write their album about it," she said. "But I sort of write as life is happening to me, so all of these songs are snapshots of what I was feeling at that moment." Hearing Taylor's explanation, it seems obvious why the album has the title that it does. "There are 14 songs, that in deciding to call the album Speak Now, which that decision is based on the fact that I wrote this song called 'Speak Now.' [And that song] is about interrupting your ex-boyfriend's wedding and it's all based on that moment in the wedding where the preacher says, 'Speak now or forever hold your peace,' which I think is an incredible metaphor for all these situations we find ourselves in, in life: when we wait until it's almost too late to say how we feel." What do you think of Taylor's Speak Now album? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Videos |
| Kanye West's 'Runaway' Is 'Very Expressive,' Media Student Says Posted: 25 Oct 2010 03:51 AM PDT 'You could tell he wanted people to feel it,' Jacqueline Cruz tells MTV News.
Kanye West's "Runaway" film, which premiered Saturday on MTV, is an artful arrangement of imagery. From the fallen phoenix all the way down to the marching Klansmen, it's overflowing with powerful, downright heavy set pieces, each positively dripping with symbolism and deeper meaning.
But what does it all mean? Well, you'd practically need a degree to figure it all out, and luckily, we found someone who does (or will very shortly): Jacqueline Cruz, who studies culture and media — with a focus on music — at the New School in New York City. And with her help, we decoded the imagery behind "Runaway," and, as she put it, there's a lot to take in. "It was very expressive. You could tell he wanted people to feel it ... the imagery, the contrast — a lot of shots where it was black with a splash of red, he used a lot of warm colors contrasted against the dark images, so I thought that was strong, because red provokes angry emotions," Cruz said. "It showcases Kanye as an artist, addressing contemporary issues, like race and the different roles played in society." Cruz singled out the film's lengthy dinner sequence — in which all of West's dinner guests are African-American (dressed in white) and the servants are Caucasian — as an example of "Runaway" tackling rather complex issues, and, of course, there's the matter of the phoenix herself, which serves a dual purpose in "Runaway." On one hand, she plays into the larger theme of man versus nature; and, on the other, she's a very pretty metaphor for Kanye's triumphant return to the spotlight. "I think [she] embraces nature and how, in a sense, we're ignoring it. And how she has fallen and we are trying to civilize her, and she can't; it's destroying her. She's losing her wings. She's not really who she is," Cruz said. "[And] it relates to [West's] previous incidents, of him being burned in the media and him having to lose his dignity and his ego for him to represent what he really is as an artist, and I think that's a really strong statement." To that end, "Runaway" is a success, because, as Cruz puts it, the film manages to be both hugely experimental and deeply personal — the kind of thing only someone like Kanye West could pull off. "I think it's going to be around for a long time and it's going to spark up a lot of talk," she said. " 'Runaway' is about the fall of somebody and how you may change and you may try to conform to what's going on, but after you have fallen, you realize that it's not who you are, and it's not who you need to be; you need to be true to who you are ... it's definitely related to him." What do you think of "Runaway"? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Photos |
| Audrina Patridge Calls 'Dancing With The Stars' Competition 'Surprising' Posted: 25 Oct 2010 03:51 AM PDT 'It's going to be a challenge,' Brandy says of dancing the tango and a mini marathon this week.
Last week, the cast of "Dancing With the Stars" said goodbye to "Brady Bunch" star Florence Henderson. Now, with the remaining competitors proving that it's still anyone's game, Audrina Patridge and Brandy say they have no idea who might win the mirror-ball trophy. "At this point, I don't know! Everyone seems to be surprising everyone every week and I'm really in competition with myself," Patridge told MTV News. "All these dances are actually very difficult. They may look easy, but they're not! It's hard! So I'm still just trying to compete, like Brandy said, with my own nerves and fear."
Patridge earlier revealed that her lack of dancing experience was a hurdle heading into the show. "I was not a dancer at all going into this. I really had a clean slate ... and everything I learned, I learned from [partner Tony Dovolani], and every week is a new challenge, a new twist," she said. "They just keep making it harder and harder, but now we're at the halfway point and that's what you expect." With just a few weeks left, the dancers are taking a week-by-week approach to the contest. This week Brandy will hit the dance floor doing a tango, and she talked to us about her expectations. "We have two dances this week, so I'm looking forward to it because it's going to be a challenge," the singer said. "And I want to see how I develop in this next phase of the competition." Brandy and all of the other couples are also set to participate in a mini on-air dance marathon. She's hoping that she and her partner will hold up. "We're dancing the tango this week and then we have to do some marathon thing where it lasts four minutes and I guess the person with the most stamina wins that round," she explained. "So hopefully, [my partner] Maks [Chmerkovskiy] and I can pull something together." Who are you pulling for on "Dancing With the Stars"? Tell us in the comments! |
| Justin Bieber Announces Acoustic Album Release Date Posted: 24 Oct 2010 04:05 AM PDT Pop star tweets new LP will drop November 23.
Justin Bieber fans are just a month away from checking out a new acoustic album from the teen sensation. Last week, the Canadian pop phenomenon tweeted about releasing a collection of acoustic tracks in time for the holidays, and on Saturday he announced the record will hit shelves in November. "On November 23rd the Unplugged Acoustic album comes out!" Bieber tweeted. "Taking it back to how we started. Spread the word." The megastar crooner has previously hinted that the record will include toned-down versions of album cuts from My World and My World 2.0, as well as a freshly recorded track Bieber knocked out in Hawaii. The singer's musical director and guitarist, Dan Kanter, has mentioned the album has a global feel. "Loving the percussion... Cajones and congas!" Kanter tweeted. "Definitely an influence from our travels around the world!" In addition to releasing a suite of mellowed-out tracks, Bieber also dished in September that he's working on a follow-up to My World 2.0 slated to drop near the end of next year. The untitled album will also include a contribution from fellow Canadian hitmaker, Drake. "[It'll] probably [come out] fourth quarter next year," Bieber said while working the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet. "Drake is gonna be on that album; I'm not sure [who else]. I'm gonna ask him if he can get [Lil] Wayne on there." 2011 is shaping up to busy year for the Biebs. While he's aiming to drop more new music next fall, his 3-D movie, "Never Say Never," will hit theaters in February. "Never" director Jon Chu explained to MTV News in August that the flick is "gonna tell the underdog story of where he came from." "It's a really fascinating story and it has a lot to do with our sort of digital lifestyle now," Chu said of the film's arc. "He was able to do what corporations try to do now when they use YouTube and they don't even know what to do with it yet. It's a pretty cool story for our time." Are you excited for Justin Bieber's new acoustic album? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| Kanye West Jokes About Devil Worship, Illuminati Rumors Posted: 24 Oct 2010 07:08 AM PDT 'Question ... can you devil worship on the new iphone?' MC quips on Twitter.
Kanye West's latest artistic endeavor, the musically-driven, short film "Runaway," has been a hot topic among his fans, with #runaway and #askkanye becoming Twitter trending topics after the film's Saturday night premiere on MTV. Apparently, some viewers felt the project invoked symbolism of the Illuminati, an ancient secret society that has been linked to contemporary conspiracy theories suggesting an elite group of leaders control the world unbeknownst to the general public.
On Sunday (October 24), 'Ye took to his Twitter page to humorously address rumors that he's a member of the purported society and worships the devil. Apparently, Yeezy has no clue what the society even is. "I've got question about "the illuminati" ... what is it exactly ??? ... and why do people think pop stars have a membership???!!! LOL," he tweeted. "Is illuminati and devil worshipping like the same thing ... do they have a social network that celebs can sign up for?" The MC also joked about which new tech gadgets and social media outlets would work for his so-called satanic lifestyle. "Question... can you devil worship on the new iphone??? LOL!!!" he typed. "What's better for devil worshipping Iphone or the Droid... Does lucifer return text... is he or she on Skype? Don't wanna be sexist." 'Ye even took a crack at sparking a devil-friendly trending topic. "#DoyouthinkLucifer uses in in ear monitors or signature Beats by Dre headphones???!!!" Yeezy wrote. The MC did say he was cool with legendary hip-hop spinner and producer DJ Clue, who's known for lacing many of his projects with a chant that sounds similar to Illuminati. "I am down with Cluemanotti though," he wrote. "That's my boy." Yeezy joked about claims that he's down with the devil on Twitter, but he has also recently addressed one of his lyrics that may have riled up fans. In a sit-down with MTV News after the premiere of "Runaway," broke down the meaning of a rhyme from a freestyle he kicked last year that lit up the blogosphere. "There's this line where I say, 'I sold my soul to the devil, that's a crappy deal,' and all these people said, 'What you mean you sold your soul to the devil?' But when I say it, I'm saying, when I allow other people's ideals to interfere with what I know is true to myself, that's the devil," West explained. "So, it's like, people talking mess on the blogs is the devil or ...trying to call me names, that's what the devil is. And me thinking twice about what it is that's really in my heart because of what people's reaction would be is me selling my soul to the devil." The lyricist maintained that he will no longer let others' opinions stifle his creative expression. "You're on earth for only 80, 90 a hundred years," he said. "I have to create from my dreams, from the dreams I had as a 5-year-old, and use everything — all the greatest people and all the tools I have around me — and ask as many questions as I can to help facilitate and bring this out. And this [film] is one of the first examples of a dream coming true." Yeezy isn't the only hip-hop star to catch heat about a visual supposedly packed with satanic imagery. Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz batted away rumors, earlier this year, that the slick video for their collabo "On to the Next One" was riddled with demonic references. What do you think about the rumors about Kanye West? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Paranormal Activity 2' Wins Weekend Box Office Posted: 24 Oct 2010 12:47 AM PDT Horror flick pulls in $41.5 million.
The freak-out flick "Paranormal Activity 2" entered theaters at the top of this weekend's box office. The highly-anticipated follow-up to the low-budget 2007 horror smash stuck to the practical effects and improvisational style of its predecessor. The movie continues the series' tradition of pulling in major bucks as well, making $41.5 million since landing in theaters Friday. The stunt-packed, prank juggernaut "Jackass 3D" slipped to second place after its massive debut last week. However, the "Jackass" fellas' latest bag of gross-out tricks hauled in a hefty $21.6 million over the weekend. The film's total estimated gross now sits at around $87 million. The action flick "Red" finished out the weekend in third place. The movie, which stars Hollywood veterans Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and Bruce Willis, made $15 million. The figure bumps the flick's total estimated tally to just over $43 million. The Clint Eastwood-directed supernatural drama "Hereafter" hit the fourth-place slot. The film, which stars Oscar-winning leading man and screen vet Matt Damon as a psychic grappling with his ability to connect to the afterlife, raked in $12 million. David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin's smash, dot-com drama "The Social Network," rounded out this weekend's box-office top five. The film, which boasts performances from Jesse Eisenberg and "SexyBack" crooner turned actor Justin Timberlake, rang up $7.3 million in ticket sales. The weekend numbers bump up the movie's total estimated gross is nearly $73 million since its debut at the beginning of the month. Check out everything we've got on "Paranormal Activity 2," "Jackass 3D" and "Red." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| Kanye West Breaks Down Opening Line Of 'Runaway' Posted: 24 Oct 2010 03:05 AM PDT West said line about not trusting media reports is 'poignant.'
Kanye West's film debut, "Runaway," is short on dialogue but the film's few verbal exchanges make an impact.
The first line appears minutes into the movie when West advises the newly arrived phoenix — played by Selita Ebanks — to be wary of the information dished out by the media. West shuts off a televised report that has captivated the phoenix, saying, "First rule in this world, baby, don't pay attention to anything you see in the news." West explained in an interview with MTV News directly after the film's premiere that he kicked off the dialogue with the concise declaration because of his personal experience with published hearsay. "I just thought that was so funny," he revealed. "When me and Hype [Williams] sat and wrote the entire script we had a lot more dialogue and I just thought that was a poignant thing. I thought of it just on set ... for the first thing for you to hear me actually say on my first film. 'Cause everyday on the news there's some new bullsh-- about me ... or about everything going on. Once you're on this side of the camera you're like, 'Aw man, none of this stuff is actually real.' " West added that he had specific ideas for the delivery of the film's spare script. "I wanted to hit all the lines just kinda cheeky, really heavy-handed, on some [Quentin] Tarantino-like [style] 'Anything you say in the news,' " West said, playfully affecting a thuggish accent."So it almost has a cadence of rap." 'Ye added that the film's lack of verbally-articulated lines makes the project difficult to characterize. "But just the fact that [there's] only three points of dialogue through it you can't classify what type of film this is either," he said. As far as his acting skills, 'Ye said he feels he's on par with other filmmakers who occasionally jump in front of the camera. "I think I'm around a level of like, Tarantino or Spike Lee or something like that" he said. "I'm no Daniel Day-Lewis ... but I created the whole thing so it doesn't really matter [as long as] you get the point." 'Ye's first foray into film clocks in about 35 minutes, but while the artist maintained that he'd like to see "Runaway" in movie theaters, he said he's not sure if he would make a feature-length production. West said he's largely indifferent to the running time of his projects and that it's all about putting out a game-changing piece of art. "The idea of full-length is not my main concern," he said. "It's just that people enjoy themselves and ... they have to put their hands over their ears because what they see just blew their brains out." What did you think of the dialogue in Kanye West's "Runaway" short? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Matt Damon And Wife Welcome Another Daughter Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:30 PM PDT The actor's wife gave birth to Stella Zavala Damon Wednesday.
It looks like every night will be ladies night in Matt Damon's household. The Oscar-winning actor and his wife, Luciana, welcomed their fourth daughter, Stella Zavala Damon, on Wednesday, according to People. "Mom and baby are both healthy," the actor's rep told the magazine. "The whole family is thrilled." The couple's brood also includes daughters Isabella, Gia and Alexia. Damon recently told Parade.com that he and his wife are "done having kids" after their latest addition, saying, "Lucy is in her third trimester for the fourth time and I think that's about enough to ask of any woman." The actor said he plans to instill strong values in the four daughters he and his wife are raising. "I think what's important for kids to know is that your decisions here on earth matter, your behavior matters, and how you treat other people matters. It matters here and I'm hoping that it matters in the afterlife, too. It just comes down to accountability for your own behavior that's important," he said. "So whenever I talk to my own kids or whenever they ask, I try and put the hereafter in kind of an ethical framework. If I had a bucket list, I'd say raising my four girls to be strong, good women would be number one." While Damon is welcoming a new arrival in his personal life, he deals with the dearly departed in latest professional role. In the Clint Eastwood-directed drama "Hereafter," the actor plays a psychic who tries to stop profiting from his unique ability, to the dismay of his money-hungry brother. The film opened among the top five films at the box office on Friday. Share your well-wishes for the family below! |
| Jay-Z Lands At #2 On Hottest MCs In The Game List! Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:48 PM PDT Even without a 2010 album, Jay stayed relevant with new singles and guest spots on Kanye West tracks.
Good music stands the test of time. Just ask Jay-Z. The Roc Nation chief spent the better part of 2010 riding the wave of success from 2009's The Blueprint 3. Songs like "Empire State of Mind," "Forever Young," "On to the Next One" and "Run This Town" kept BP3 on the Billboard albums chart for 56 weeks, well into 2010. Jay racked up awards for Best Rap Solo Performance for "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song for "Run This Town" at the Grammys. He won CD of the Year for BP3 and Best Live Performer at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. He toured the country on the BP3 Tour (which yielded him a reported $1 million a show) and split Home and Home dates in Detroit and New York with Eminem.
All that was more than enough for the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust to crown Jay-Z the #2 Hottest MC in the Game this year, down one slot from last year's list, where he held down the top position (he was #2 in 2008 and #7 in 2007). "Jay has legacy, which you can't ignore if you're just talking about the last 12 months," MTV News senior writer Jayson Rodriguez said during the Hottest MCs roundtable. "What Jay does better than anybody is he leverages his past legacy to do things now." The type of seniority Jay has in the game is evidenced best when he appears on others' songs, and 2010 found him doing a lot of that. There was his scene-stealing verse on Rick Ross' "Free Mason," on which he addressed the conspiracy theorists that took him to task for his "On to the Next One" video. Then there were a handful of Kanye West records, like "Monster," "So Appalled" and the "Power" remix. And there was the Drake cut "Light Up." He was even called on to make a song for charity in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti, linking with Rihanna and U2's Bono and The Edge for "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)." "There's nobody in the game that's even coming close to spitting how Jay is doing," MTV News' Shaheem Reid said. "When you talk about Hottest MCs, that's the very foundation ... and Jay is just murdering everything in hip-hop right now, lyrically." And then there's the things Jay does outside of hip-hop (he's not a businessman; he's a business, man). Despite not being able to woo LeBron James to New Jersey, he's still a minority owner in the Nets. Along with Will Smith and his wife Jada, Jay produced the Tony-winning Broadway play "Fela." Plus, he's the head of Roc Nation, which manages acts as wide-ranging as Mark Ronson, the Ting Tings and recent signee Willow Smith. He also still has a pair of 40/40 sports clubs in New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey. All these ventures allowed Jay to top Forbes' Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, with $63 million earned in 2010 alone. But Jay didn't make it to #2 without contention. In fact, the roundtable initially voted him #1. He wasn't demoted because of anything he did, per se, but more so because Eminem had a more impactful year. "Jay owned last year; it carried over into this year," MTV News senior producer Rahman Dukes said. "[But] if you want to look at it like a 12-month period, it's not been bigger than Eminem. If you asked Jay himself, I bet you he'd tell you Eminem had a better year than him." Many on the roundtable claimed Jay was using his verses on Kanye's songs to keep himself relevant, since Hov didn't drop a new album this year. "All the legacy aside and everything we talk about, we made Jay #1 last year based on the work that he put in," MTV New supervising producer Sean Lee said. "I know he shined on some verses, but when you look over the course of a year ... " Put to a vote, Jay-Z and Eminem swapped positions, with Eminem landing at #1 and Jay at #2. The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now complete! As in 2008 and 2009, the criteria was based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence. Upload your reaction to our list, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com<.a> |
| Kanye West Is Back As #3 Hottest MC In The Game! Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:34 PM PDT G.O.O.D. Friday series and epic TV performances thrust 'Ye back into the spotlight.
Some artists are so hot, they can make up for almost a full year out of the spotlight in just a few short months. Well, at least Kanye West can. Even though he was featured on popular songs like "Forever," with Drake, Eminem and Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z's "Run This Town," 'Ye essentially went into hiding after his infamous run-in with Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs, traveling to Europe to intern at Fendi and, later, Hawaii to begin recording his forthcoming LP, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, due November 22. While he resurfaced with the anthemic single "Power" in late May and its accompanying "Portrait of Power" art installation in early August, it was really the oddest of things — his joining of Twitter — that signified Kanye was ready to get back in the mix. To that end, perhaps his Twitter apology to Taylor Swift in early September was the moment when he officially shrugged off the cobwebs and said, "OK, let's do this."
Since then, it's been 'Ye Day every day, to the point where the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust has voted him the #3 Hottest MC in the Game, up one position from last year's list and down from his #1 bow in 2008. A lot of Kanye's recent buzz has been built off his G.O.O.D. Friday series of song leaks. "He's basically putting out a mixtape on the radio," MTV News supervising producer Sean Lee said during the Hottest MCs roundtable discussion. "These songs are throwaways for his album. He's taking this beat from here, this feature on here, let me get this person on here, and putting them out to the public. And the public is consistently responding to these records." It's one thing to put out new music and another altogether to put it out with such consistent star power and quality. He was the first person to get RZA and Jay-Z on a song together ("So Appalled"), he got singer Ryan Leslie to spit some verses ("Christian Dior Denim Flow"), and he even mashed up Justin Bieber with Wu-Tang's Raekwon the Chef ("Runaway Love" remix). Then there's the song "Runaway," with Pusha T, which he debuted at the VMAs. And even after dissing "Saturday Night Live" on "Power," he was so heavy in the game that they had to invite him on the show to perform anyway. "I think it's the rebranding of Kanye West," MTV News associate producer Steven Roberts said. "The fact that he's come back out, these big grandiose performances, closing out the VMAs, him on 'Saturday Night Live,' the songs every Friday. It's not just the hip-hop community that's looking out to him; it's the entire music community looking out to Kanye West." What's more, Kanye has done everything with a very polished artistic sensibility. No other rapper could pull off having director Marco Brambilla create their very own moving art installation in place of the traditional music video. In fact, probably no other rapper would even think of it. "One of the things we've consistently said about him on this list with regard to his impact is his ability to push the culture forward in different ways," Lee said. "That 'Power' video, there's not a lot of artists that can do that, a 90-second moving painting where he doesn't even perform." Additionally, Kanye's been trotting the globe premiering "Runaway," a 35-minute short film, starring himself and model Selita Ebanks, that serves as a companion piece to his new LP. It's received strong reviews and added to what is perhaps 'Ye's biggest buzz ever heading into the release of an LP. West was rewarded for his work with Jay-Z at the 2010 Grammys, taking home awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song for "Run This Town," and now he's prepping a proper EP with his big brother called Watch the Throne, tentatively due in stores right before Thanksgiving. Kanye is so hot right now, XXL handed him the entire magazine for the month of October, even letting him write his own cover story. How's that for power? The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now complete! As in 2008 and 2009, the criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence. Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com or send tweets with the hashtag #hottestmcs — the best responses could be on TV or our hip-hop blog, RapFix! For the complete 2010 Hottest MCs list go here. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Drake Returns To Hottest MCs In The Game List At #4! Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:25 PM PDT Drizzy delivered on his debut and was a staple on radio in 2010.
In 2009, Drake dropped the instant-classic mixtape So Far Gone (which sold upward of 70,000 units its first week when it was released as an EP last September) and appeared on songs with Jay-Z, Fabolous and Mary J. Blige, among others. He was the industry's new "it" guy, nominated for two Grammys after only a mixtape. His clout was reflected on last year's Hottest MCs in the Game list, with the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust ranking him #3. What more did Aubrey Graham really have to do?
Well, for one, he needed to drop an actual album to prove he was more than just a fly-by-night sensation. He also needed to hit the road and show he was a dynamic performing artist who could fill an arena. And, finally, he needed to make up for some past flubs like the poorly received "Best I Ever Had" video. He did all that and more this year, which led the Brain Trust to vote him the #4 Hottest MC in the Game of 2010. Drake was a staple on radio all year, whether it was "Bedrock" with Young Money, "Money to Blow" with Baby and Lil Wayne, "Forever" with Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem, or any one of the songs from So Far Gone that stayed in rotation. "He's been on the radio all year," RapFix editor Hillary Crosley said during the Hottest MCs roundtable. "Like, I can't get away from him. It's impossible." "Different artists, they may have a hot regional presence or be hot on the East Coast or Down South around Atlanta or whatever," added MTV News supervising producer Sean Lee, "but this dude — everywhere, man." Sure, there are artists who might be big on the radio, but few do it as whimsically as Drake does. To wit, his Thank Me Later singles were all creative stretches. "Find Your Love" was an R&B single that found Mr. Graham not rapping, but crooning over a rich piano line and lo-fi electro blips. "Over" saw him spitting feverishly against staccato drums and questioning his newfound fame. And "Fancy" was a gentlemanly nod of female appreciation — not something rappers are typically wont to do. Reception to these songs was overwhelmingly positive, leading Thank Me Later to move 447,000 units its first week, and it's closing in on platinum status. But Drake also made his presence felt perhaps in the most important arena of the modern music business: performing. Aside from staging the October's Very Own festival in Toronto this past August (where Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Eminem and Jay-Z made appearances), but he also hit the road for his Light Dreams & Nightmares Tour. And what's more, he was the guy Eminem and Jay-Z brought out at their Home and Home concert series this past September. Yeah, the big dogs really get down with Drake like that. "You got the biggest-selling artist of the past 10 years, Eminem, who brings out Drake to hype up the crowd at the Home and Home Tour," Sway said, acknowledging just how powerful of a statement that move was. That said, the roundtable wasn't in agreement that Drake really had the performance component of his career down just yet. In fact, during the taping, Drake was actually voted #3 on the Hottest MCs list but was then demoted by Kanye West, who the Brain Trust felt brought more to the table as an artist. "You know what Kanye does that Drake doesn't? He reminds you of what a full package is," MTV Jams' Sheila Grullon said. MTV News senior producer Rahman Dukes replied: "What's missing from the Drake package?" "He's missing charisma," MTV Jams' Tuma Basa said. "He's missing drama." MTV News senior writer Jayson Rodriguez put the battle between the two in context of what type of attention each artist gets. "Kanye is attracting the world's attention," he said. "Whereas Drake isn't there yet. He's building that up." In a vote, Kanye beat out Drake for the #3 slot. But still, give credit where it's due: Drake won an ASCAP Award for Rap Song of the Year ("Forever"), a BMI Award for Most Performed Urban Song of the Year ("Best I Ever Had"), Best Male Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards and New Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards. He also graced the covers of XXL, Vibe, Complex and Billboard and even had his very own MTV documentary, "Better Than Good Enough." He's come a long way since "Degrassi." The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now complete! As in 2008 and 2009, the criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence. Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com or send tweets with the hashtag #hottestmcs — the best responses could be on TV or our hip-hop blog, RapFix! For the complete 2010 Hottest MCs list go here. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Rick Ross Holds Strong At #5 On Hottest MCs List! Posted: 23 Oct 2010 11:14 PM PDT The Bawse earned his spot with 'B.M.F.' street banger and start-to-finish classic album Teflon Don.
In hip-hop, the streets do the talking. And in 2010, the streets anointed Rick Ross their savior. Not only did his fourth LP, Teflon Don, debut at #2 on the Billboard albums chart in July with 176,300 sold its first week, but Ross had the undeniable street anthem "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)," which sold more than 100,000 copies despite being available on the free Albert Anastasia EP. What's more, he was still fighting off criticism from being outed as a corrections officer and beefing with 50 Cent. But good music can't be stopped, and Ross supplied plenty of it this year, so the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust voted him 2010's #5 Hottest MC in the Game, the same ranking he received last year.
In a musical climate that doesn't often find artists producing full-length albums that match their hype, Ross delivered a stellar LP from beginning to end. "Teflon Don, that's the album of the year right now, I don't care what it sold," MTV News' Shaheem Reid said during the Hottest MCs roundtable. "From 'I'm Not a Star' down to ['All the Money in the World'], 'Tears of Joy,' it just really grips your soul when you hear him having the foresight to bring Cee-Lo back. Cee-Lo was singing his heart out. I feel like I'm in church." "A lot of artists make trendier records, and those trends come and go," MTV News supervising producer Sean Lee said. "But as far as records and art that's gonna stand the test of time, that's what Ross is doing." "B.M.F." was big at urban radio, hitting #6 on the Billboard Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was almost impossible to not hear it bumping from a car stereo everywhere you turned. "It has legs like a track star," MTV News senior writer Jayson Rodriguez said. "All summer, it's been rocking. Whether in the 'hood, you hear it banging, [or] opening the BET Hip-Hop Awards. "So it got the 'hood with that record, but [also] big-production performances." "It's a hard record," MTV Jams' Tuma Basa said. "There's no formulaic syrupy hook on it. It's not some big-branded producer putting his name all over the beginning of the song." Indeed, the production on "B.M.F." was so heralded that the beatmaker behind it, Lex Luger, became the flavor du jour, even getting recruited by Kanye West ("See Me Now"). Leading up to the release of Teflon Don, the anticipation was clearly there. You could just tell Ross was about to come with something amazing. He recruited F. Gary Gray ("Law Abiding Citizen"), who had directed fewer than 10 music videos in the past decade, to helm visuals for "Super High." He had the Albert Anastasia EP, there were songs leaking from the album with Kanye West ("Live Fast, Die Young") and there was his celebrated joining of Twitter (@rickyrozay). His presence was felt elsewhere as well. Kanye called him to Hawaii to work on his upcoming My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy LP (he appears on "Monster"), while Diddy started managing him. The two recently formed a group together called the Bugatti Boyz. Ross appeared in a skit on the VMAs this past September, performed at "VH1 Hip-Hop Honors" as well as the BET Hip-Hop Awards (where he won Track of the Year and Club Banger of the Year for "B.M.F."). He even starred in his very own Nike commercial, proving that the rotund rapper is definitely throwing his weight around outside of just music. The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now complete! As in 2008 and 2009, the criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence. Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com or send tweets with the hashtag #hottestmcs — the best responses could be on TV or our hip-hop blog, RapFix! For the complete 2010 Hottest MCs list go here. Related Videos Related Artists |
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