MTV News |
- Lil Wayne's Prison Release Delayed, Guard Says
- Lil Wayne Fans Wait All Night For Prison Release
- Rihanna Describes Her Business, Musical Evolution
- '127 Hours' Takes Viewers On A 'Ride,' James Franco Says
- Robert Downey Jr. Is 'Challenging For The Right Reasons,' Says 'Due Date' Director
- Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta Arrives In Madrid For 2010 EMAs
- Lil Wayne To Celebrate Prison Release With Miami Bash
- Kanye West Says He 'Connects' With George Bush
- Lil Wayne's Rocky Road From Tour-Bus Arrest To Rikers Release
- Akon Recalls Faking An African Prince, On 'When I Was 17'
- Gucci Mane Traffic Charges Dropped
- Lil Wayne 'Didn't Want Any Problems' Behind Bars
- Lil Wayne To Be Released From Prison Early Thursday, Drake Says
- How Did Taylor Swift's <i>Speak Now</i> Sell A Million In A Week?
- T.I.'s <i>No Mercy</i> To Drop December 7
- Lil Wayne's Crew To Talk Prison Release On 'RapFix Live'
- Demi Lovato's Treatment Sheds Light On Teen Issues, Expert Says
- 'Megamind' Star Will Ferrell Recalls His Most Devious Deed
- Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil Tour Dates Announced
| Lil Wayne's Prison Release Delayed, Guard Says Posted: 04 Nov 2010 01:48 AM PDT Guard tells MTV News the MC's time was 'miscalculated' and he won't be released Thursday morning.
Lil Wayne will have to wait an additional day before he returns home, a Rikers Island corrections officer told MTV News on Thursday morning (November 4). The superstar rapper was expected to be released around 1 a.m. but apparently needs to ride out one more day before he is a free man.
"His time was miscalculated. He owed, he owes one day of 'good time,' so it's gonna be another night," Officer Caraballo said Thursday as MTV News awaited the New Orleans lyricist's release outside the rapper's jail. Caraballo added that "good time" is reduced when an inmate runs into trouble behind bars. "If you get an infraction in jail, they'll take away 'good time' — time that you accumulated for good behavior." Although the officer did not confirm what may have caused the delay of Weezy's release, it is possible that a May incident in which the MC was caught with headphones and an MP3 player, which is a violation of prison rules, may have come into play. However, a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Correction told MTV News on October 5 that the MP3 player flap would not land Weezy additional jail time. Caraballo said Wayne would be released "probably tomorrow" (Friday, November 5). A spokesperson for Rikers Island Correctional Facility, Officer Daniels, confirmed to MTV News that Weezy remains in prison but was unable to comment on when the rapper may be released or whether his time was extended due to an infraction.
Young Money President Mack Maine stopped by the MTV News offices Wednesday and revealed that Weezy would celebrate his homecoming with a party Sunday at a Miami strip club. According to Maine, Wayne's musical family plans to "just treat him like a king, like the royalty that he is and make him feel like we really missed him and welcome him back to the family, basically." The party follows Drake's Light Dreams and Nightmares Tour stop Saturday in Las Vegas, a show at which both Maine and Drizzy have hinted Wayne may make a surprise appearance. MTV News remains on the scene following this developing story. Stick with MTV News throughout the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage. Related Videos Related Artists | |
| Lil Wayne Fans Wait All Night For Prison Release Posted: 04 Nov 2010 03:07 AM PDT 'I'm here until ... he gets out,' one die-hard tells MTV News.
Eight months behind bars doesn't seem to have weakened Lil Wayne's fan support. Anticipating Weezy's release Thursday morning (November 4), several of the superstar MC's New York City-area fans hit the Rikers Island parking lot around 12:30 a.m. to welcome the MC home. Despite the frigid temperatures and late-night hour, many fans seemed determined to greet Wayne during his first few moments of freedom -- even if that meant hanging around a jailhouse parking lot all night.
Although a prison guard later said that Wayne would not be released Thursday morning, as was expected, the dozen or so fans hanging around the parking lot seemed ready to wait for any period of time. Maria and her girlfriends told MTV News that they headed to Rikers after checking out a Wednesday-night tweet from Weezy's protégé Drake, which suggested the MC would be freed within the early morning hours. "[I'm] a huge fan, and so are my girls," she said. One of her girls said they planned to wait until daybreak to catch the MC but changed their minds after catching Drizzy's Twitter message.
"We were planning on coming in the morning, but we saw it on Twitter so we were like, 'Let's play it safe and come tonight,' " she said. Maxime Viard and Raphael Soula, who originally hail from France, got the news about Wayne's impending release on MTV.com and quickly headed down to the facility to see Weezy in person. "It's been a while. We didn't see [him in], like, eight months," Viard said. Soula added, "We miss you." Viard said the Young Money leader's gritty swagger is a big hit overseas, dubbing Wayne "the best one." "He's the most fashionable one. In Paris everybody talks about him, and he's the man there," he said. Viard maintained he was down to wait for hours to see the MC. "If we're sure that we can get him, [I can wait] all night. It's not a problem for me. I got all my life behind me." While Frank Mafi and Alex Cirio didn't travel as far as Viard and Soula, they seemed pretty amped to show their support for Wayne. "We were in the area, grabbing a bite to eat, [and] we read Drizzy's Twitter. So we came around [like], 'Maybe we'll get a glimpse of something,' " Mafi said. "Once I heard he was getting out tonight, I said, 'We have to swing by. Gotta swing by and see my man Weezy [and] show him some love,' " Cirio added. Like Viard, he was ready to put in the time to salute the hip-hop megastar as he wraps up his bid. "I'm here until ... he gets out," he said. "I'm here." When asked why a grown man would spend hours milling about a prison in the middle of the night just to catch a "glimpse" of Wayne, Cirio said it's all about respect for Weezy's skills. "The talent that he has is unbelievable," he said. "Then he's had a lot of time to come up with [music]. I could just imagine what he has for the streets." Throughout his jail time, Wayne's support from his fans has remained unwavering, and many said all they wanted from the MC was more hits. "We all love you, you're great," one fan said. "Everyone loves your music, and just keep doing your thing." Stick with MTV News throughout the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage. Related Videos Related Artists | |
| Rihanna Describes Her Business, Musical Evolution Posted: 04 Nov 2010 02:20 AM PDT 'A lot has evolved since then,' Rihanna tells MTV News of the time between Rated R and the upcoming Loud.
In the year since Rihanna released her dark, moody Rated R album, she has re-emerged as the dance-tinged, Caribbean-flavored pop singer her fans grew to love. And her November 16 release, Loud, certainly mirrors that evolution, revealing a girl who overcame a number of personal issues to get back to a smiling, confident hitmaker. "A lot has — I won't say changed, but a lot has evolved since then," she told MTV News. "A lot of growing up, a lot of responsibility in terms of taking control of my business and stuff like that."
In the past 12 months, Rihanna has definitely become more of a businesswoman, launching her own company and working closer with her mentor, Jay-Z. "It feels so good, because the closer you are to your business, the clearer you are about a lot of things," she explained. "And that responsibility doesn't feel like a burden. It feels like the right thing to do, and we just launched my new company Rihanna Entertainment, and I'm being managed by Roc Nation alongside of that. So I feel really good. It feels great to be home." For those not familiar with Rihanna's company, she has described it as a brand that will "merge all of her businesses, including music, film, fragrance, fashion and book ventures." And these days, she's super busy with all those projects, but she's most busy promoting her album, which has fans going crazy thanks to collaborations with everyone from Drake and Nicki Minaj to Eminem. Rihanna is in a much different place from when she "vented" about her tumultuous year on Rated R. "This album is an expression of all those feelings that I went through in the last eight months, just different emotions," she said in November 2009 about her assault at the hands of then-boyfriend Chris Brown and how it affected her music. "All of it isn't angry, all of it isn't dark and sad, 'cause I didn't go through that the whole time. That was part of it. It was really a roller coaster, and you get that when you're listening to the album." What do you think about Rihanna's latest sound? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Related Artists | |
| '127 Hours' Takes Viewers On A 'Ride,' James Franco Says Posted: 04 Nov 2010 02:20 AM PDT 'You're really going through it with the character in a way that's not like a lot of other movies,' he tells MTV News.
Despite the reports of intense audience reactions to "127 Hours" — including fainting and nausea — star James Franco said the diverse range of emotions is part of a heightened movie-going experience due to director Danny Boyle's creative vision. "127 Hours" is based on the harrowing true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston, who was pinned beneath a boulder in Utah and freed himself by amputating his own arm in 2003.
"This movie is great to watch with an audience," Franco said. "Because I think what Danny did, when I hear [him] talk about how [he] approached the movie, and what he was interested in was creating an experience," he said. "Aron wrote the book, and he documented everything that happened. You can read the book and understand to a certain extent what he went through, but movies are a different medium, and you can really deliver an experience in a different way." With Boyle having focused the action in the film on a very specific part of Ralston's story — his time stuck in the canyon — Franco said the intensity is heightened. "When you watch this movie, it's like you're going on a ride and you're really going through it with the character in a way that's not like a lot of other movies," he said. "It was an amazing challenge," Boyle said of the production. "I'd always wanted to make [this film]. I've always been fascinated by the idea of trapping someone. In a medium that's all about movement and change, constant vibration of images, I thought it would be wonderful to challenge that and see if we could make an action movie where the hero doesn't move." Check out everything we've got on "127 Hours." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos | |
| Robert Downey Jr. Is 'Challenging For The Right Reasons,' Says 'Due Date' Director Posted: 04 Nov 2010 02:20 AM PDT 'All that Robert cares about is elevating the material at all times,' director Todd Phillips says.
Robert Downey Jr. boasts one of the greatest assortment of characters of anyone in Hollywood, but that doesn't necessarily make him the easiest man to work with. Among Downey's many fine qualities is his inability to be anybody but himself — except when in character, of course — which almost always makes for a very memorable interview.
It apparently makes for an interesting filmmaking experience as well, as "Due Date" director Todd Phillips recently explained. "Robert is a very challenging actor," the director told MTV News. "He's just a challenging person, and I think he's challenging for the right reasons. It's always about elevating the material. Robert is never challenging about, "My trailer needs to be parked closer to the set" or "I need this type of food" or "Don't look in my eyes." All that Robert cares about is elevating the material at all times." Phillips said he was never tempted to hold Downey back over the course of shooting "Due Date," particularly because the actor's charged personality pushed the director to get more creative in the filmmaking process. "You never try to wrangle, really," he said. "The last thing we want to do on a comedy is rein people in, so I kind of appreciate that energy that [Downey and co-star Zach Galifianakis] have, that kind of connection — or lack of connection in a way — and I think it works for the movie. But it can be hard." It certainly doesn't hurt that Downey has been singing Phillips' praises lately, having told MTV News that the "Due Date" director is his soul mate. The compliments aren't lost on Phillips, who confessed: "It's amazing. Having grown up and seen his movies — Julian in "Less Than Zero" and some of these iconic characters — just watching that as we grew up and now to be working with him, and having him go out and say that [I'm] one of the best directors he's ever worked with or 'Due Date' is the best experience making a film ... it's crazy, surreal and very humbling." Check out everything we've got on "Due Date." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. | |
| Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta Arrives In Madrid For 2010 EMAs Posted: 03 Nov 2010 08:41 AM PDT Our special guest correspondent also reveals details on his band's forthcoming album.
MADRID — Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta just arrived in Spain's capital city, and he's already pulling double duty. See, AT&T and MTV News decided to send Saporta to Madrid to work as our special guest correspondent for the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards, and he's definitely delivered, serving as both tour guide and translator. Though, really, it's been more of the former and (a lot) less of the latter.
"I think I'm like the only translator here!" Saporta told MTV News on Wednesday (November 3). "You guys obviously forgot to bring a translator, or actually, I think you booked me so you could save on a translator ... you know, like a two-for-one." And though he spent most of the day darting across Madrid — making stops at landmarks like the Plaza Mayor and the Museo Reina Sofía — and preparing for possible interviews with EMA performers like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Ke$ha and 30 Seconds to Mars, Saporta also took a minute to give us an update on Cobra Starship's new album, which the band is beginning work on in a Brooklyn studio. And from the sound of things, the process is going rather well. "The thing that's hardest for us is that we've become so good, and we've got too much stuff to choose from right now," he said. "I'm only half-kidding, we're really not that good, but we do have a lot of stuff, and I think it's all about just trying to figure out where Cobra Starship is headed musically. "I'd love to do something that really separates us from the pack a little bit, but not too much. I don't wanna do what every other band does when they have a little success, like, 'OK, now we're going to make a record that's completely self-masturbatory,' " he continued. "It's not going to be a thing like that. Our fans will still like it. [But] it's weird, we've always been these underdogs who talk a lot of sh--, but in some ways, we've had a lot of blessings, so we have to find this balance between being gracious and still being a snot-nosed brat." The blessings he's referring to are, of course, all the successes that came with Cobra's last album, the breakout Hot Mess. And though it's, as he puts it, "super-early" in the process, Saporta is already thinking about lining up collaborators for the new album ... including old friend Kara DioGuardi, who co-wrote their smash hit "Good Girls Go Bad." And he's also trying his hand at writing newer, somewhat more, uh, mature songs. Sort of. "When we started Cobra, no one thought it was going to work, so in a lot of ways I was the dude who was ready for war, and I had that attitude," he said. "And that kind of attitude, it definitely took a toll on my soul a little bit. It makes you an angry person, and I definitely had my run-ins with problems. So I'm trying to bring a little more tranquillity into my life. Not to say I'm going to be a total pu--- or anything, but I've grown up too." The 2010 EMAs will air on MTV2 on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, and an edited, performance-heavy version will be broadcast Friday, November 12, at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. Related Artists | |
| Lil Wayne To Celebrate Prison Release With Miami Bash Posted: 03 Nov 2010 08:03 AM PDT Newly freed MC will hang with family then live it up at King of Diamonds strip club.
Lil Wayne's camp is making sure he's welcomed home from his eight-month prison term in style. The MC is slated to be released from Rikers Island within the early morning hours Thursday, and Mack Maine, the president of Young Money and Wayne's childhood friend, confirmed that a major bash in his honor will go down this Sunday in Miami. The Weezy insider gave MTV News exclusive details about the epic celebration in an interview Wednesday (November 3).
"It's gonna be crazy. We have a private party first and then we going to King of Diamonds after, which is a strip club. It's going to be crazy, it's going to be real elegant, extravagant, we gonna party like when Frank came home, like [the movie] 'King of New York,' " Maine explained. "It should be a lot of beautiful women, just ... beautiful scenery. Just treat him like a king, like the royalty that he is and make him feel like we really missed him and welcome him back to the family, basically." As the head of the Young Money family, Maine said that Wayne has been sorely missed by his inner circle, who were trained to "stay afloat, and everyone handled their own weight."
"Everybody's just happy that he's coming home," he said. "It's been a rough eight months, period, and he's the leader of the tribe." The party follows Drake's Light Dreams and Nightmares Tour stop Saturday in Las Vegas, a show at which both Maine and Drizzy have hinted Wayne may make a surprise appearance. "I would just advise you to book a ticket out there. If you can get tickets to that show on the 6th, I would strongly advise it," Drizzy told MTV News. Watch the complete interview on MTV News' hip-hop live stream, "RapFix Live," which will stream on RapFix.MTV.com and MTV.com at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. Stick with MTV News throughout the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage. Related Videos Related Artists | |
| Kanye West Says He 'Connects' With George Bush Posted: 03 Nov 2010 01:33 AM PDT MC says that after his Taylor Swift/VMA drama, he understands how it feels to be dubbed a racist.
Former President George W. Bush has a surprising supporter in his corner: Kanye West. Five years after the outspoken MC blasted the then head of state for his approach to the Hurricane Katrina rescue effort — which was criticized as sluggish and ineffective — the incident is still a sore spot for the polarizing politician. Bush recently dubbed West's 2005 mid-telethon declaration that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" the "most disgusting moment" in his presidency.
Yeezy said he sympathizes with Bush because he knows what it's like to be publicly branded as a bigot due to the aftermath of busting up Taylor Swift's 2009 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech. "I definitely can understand the way he feels to be accused of being a racist in any way because the same thing happened to me. I got accused of being a racist. With both situations, it was basically a lack of compassion that America saw," West said in an interview with Houston's 97.9 The Box Wednesday (November 3). "With him, it was a lack of compassion with him not rushing, him not taking the time to rush down to New Orleans. With me, it was a lack of compassion of cutting someone off in their moment. But nonetheless, I think we're all quick to pull a race card in America, and now I'm more open, [due to] the poetic justice that I feel to have went through the same thing that he went. And I really more connect with him just on a humanitarian level because that next morning, the next morning when he felt that, I felt that same thing too [with the Taylor Swift incident]." In addition to relating to a politician he once dubbed a racist, West congratulated Swift on the instant platinum debut of her latest album, Speak Now, and said he's turned over a new leaf. "I do think I changed a lot. I do think that I'm more compassionate, I'm more sensitive to people's emotions. I'm just understanding that it's not about me, it's not about just what my opinion is all the time — especially when it's someone else's show," he said. "I became a better person, I needed that time off. Because a lot of times when people become celebrities, the moment when you don't have to do your own dishes anymore, you don't have that responsibility anymore, a lot of times you lose a level of humanity," he explained. "It's a growing process. I feel like a brand-new artist. I feel like respect is something that's hard to earn and easy to lose, and I feel like I'm on that path to getting all that back right now. " What do you think about Kanye West's response to George Bush? Let us know in the comments. Related Artists | |
| Lil Wayne's Rocky Road From Tour-Bus Arrest To Rikers Release Posted: 03 Nov 2010 05:20 AM PDT Take a look back at Weezy's ups and downs since the night of his Beacon Theatre show in 2007.
Lil Wayne is set to be released from prison early Thursday morning, after serving eight months of his year-long sentence. It's the end of a chapter in his life that began back in July 2007, when Wayne's tour bus was pulled over in New York City. Here, MTV News revisits the sequence of events that have brought us to this fateful day, when Weezy once again finds himself a free man. July 27, 2007: Lil Wayne performs his first major headlining show at New York City's Beacon Theatre. Juelz Santana, Ja Rule and Kanye West join him onstage. But the night ends disappointingly around 11:30 p.m., when police pull over his tour bus and arrest him for possession of a .40 caliber pistol. He's released a day later on $70,000 bond.
January 22, 2008: Weezy's tour bus is stopped by border patrol on Interstate 8 in Yuma, Arizona. A search of the bus turns up $22,000 in cash and three legally registered firearms (one registered to Wayne himself in Florida). But the search also turns up 105 grams of marijuana, 29 grams of cocaine and 41 grams of Ecstasy. Wayne is charged with one count each of felony possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and possession of drug paraphernalia. October 22, 2009: Accompanied by Cash Money CEOs Bryan "Baby" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams, Wayne appears in a Manhattan courtroom and pleads guilty to attempted gun possession. Sentencing is scheduled for February 2010, and he's expected to serve 8-10 months. Almost on cue, the very same day, two new Weezy songs leak online. Baby and Slim throw their support behind Wayne. February 6-8, 2010: Video director David Rousseau shoots nine videos with Lil Wayne over the weekend leading up to Wayne's sentencing. The marathon production schedule includes videos for "Da Da Da," "Knockout" and "Get a Life" from Wayne's Rebirth LP, as well as others from the upcoming Carter IV album and the We Are Young Money compilation. March 2, 2010: After Wayne's February sentencing is delayed due to his need to have multiple root canals performed on his teeth, a courthouse fire delays his sentencing even longer.
March 8, 2010: Wayne turns himself in to the authorities and is officially sentenced to a year in jail at Rikers Island. Wayne nods in agreement with the charges relayed to him by Judge Charles H. Solomon, and he's then handcuffed. He gives a final nod to Baby and Slim, and is taken out of the courtroom. It's thought at the time of the sentencing that he may be released as early as October, as months before, in November 2008, he pleaded to a lesser deal. April 2, 2010: Wayne launches WeezyThanxYou.com, a site for him to post updates, blog and respond to fan mail. April 20, 2010: Wayne's protégé Drake keeps his name alive at a BMI showcase in Atlanta. He leads the crowd in a "Free Weezy" chant. A month earlier, Drake tells MTV News he'll do everything in his power to keep Young Money afloat during Wayne's absence. June 30, 2010: An Arizona judge sentences Wayne to three years probation in the 2008 Yuma, Arizona, case involving drugs, drug paraphernalia and firearms on his tour bus. The probation is set to begin when Weezy is released from his prison stay at Rikers Island. Wayne appears before the judge via video monitor and pleads guilty in the case in order to receive leniency in the sentencing. October 4, 2010: Wayne is ordered into solitary confinement for an incident in May, when he was reportedly found with a pair of headphones and a charger for an MP3 player. October 12, 2010: While the digital release that preceded it debuts at #2 on the Billboard charts, Wayne's eighth studio album, I Am Not a Human Being, reigns supreme at #1 on the Top 200 when it's released as a physical CD. It sells 125,000 copies its first week in stores. The project, originally intended to be only an EP, is buoyed by the Drake-assisted single "Right Above It," which hits #1 on the Billboard rap chart and #6 on the Hot 100. Stick with MTV News through the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists | |
| Akon Recalls Faking An African Prince, On 'When I Was 17' Posted: 04 Nov 2010 09:38 AM PDT Senegalese-American singer details his high school hustle in episode premiering Saturday.
Senegalese-American pop&B star Akon was very proud of his African heritage growing up and didn't hesitate to play up his exotic background to pals. On the latest episode of "When I Was 17" — which also features Kerry Washington and Donald Glover — the singer remembers his cross-cultural style, which paired traditional African garb with American streetwear.
"When I was 17, I thought I was the flyest thing on the planet," Akon says in the episode, which premieres Saturday at 11 a.m. "Of course, I still had my African roots so I would wear dashikis that kinda matched my jeans." "Dashikis and the Air Jordans — that was Akon's style," 'Kon's brother Omar chimes in. Akon may have schooled his American friends on international style with his look, but the soon-to-be-star took things a step further, hoodwinking friends into believing he was royalty from a far-flung locale. "I think I was a young hustler at that time. I told everybody, 'I'm a prince!' " Akon remembers. "People just didn't know any better so they believed that we were princes from Africa," Omar adds. The singer took a page directly from the classic '80s Eddie Murphy/ Arsenio Hall comedy about a prince trying to find his way in the U.S. "I would play off that, because when 'Coming to America' came out years ago, it felt like that was the thing to do," said Akon, who was 17 in the late '90s. "He had all the girls thinking he had all this money," his brother Bu adds. "That was my thing in high school. [People would say], 'Yeah, he a prince; you know he a prince, right?' Like 'Yeah, I'm a prince, see?' " 'Kon says, flashing a wide grin. "That was fun!" he cackles. "When I Was 17" — this week featuring Akon, Kerry Washington and Donald Glover — premieres Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV Related Videos Related Artists | |
| Gucci Mane Traffic Charges Dropped Posted: 03 Nov 2010 05:20 AM PDT MC was released from Atlanta jail Wednesday, according to local reports.
Gucci Mane was released from jail Wednesday (November 3) after being hauled in for cruising down the wrong side of the road Tuesday. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that prosecutors declined to follow-up on the rapper's traffic charges after Tuesday's incident. Officials were reportedly dropping the case. Gucci (born Radric Davis), was arrested after an off-duty officer spotted the MC wildly steering a Hummer. Gucci was also seen arguing with another man in front of an auto body shop and ignored police when they attempted to intervene. The rapper apparently struck the other man and was subdued with pepper spray. The MC was charged with running a red light or stop sign, damage to government property, obstruction, no license, no proof of insurance and other traffic charges, as well as driving on the wrong side of the road. Gucci's label had no comment when contacted by MTV News. Tuesday's flap was just the latest in Gucci's litany of legal run-ins. Among the rapper's most high-profile brushes with the law is his sixth-month prison sentence for a parole violation, which kept the MC behind bars for the release of his hotly anticipated 2009 release, The State vs. Radric Davis. The MC, who followed that up with The Appeal in September, said his most recent bid changed his perspective on the game. "[Prison] is a real problem in hip-hop — it's a struggle to let that culture go. You can't let the ideology of the street get you in trouble," he said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times. "I just wish I didn't have to go to jail to learn that. But sometimes we have to sacrifice and be responsible." Related Artists | |
| Lil Wayne 'Didn't Want Any Problems' Behind Bars Posted: 03 Nov 2010 05:53 AM PDT A Rikers Island source tells MTV News an often 'demure' Wayne welcomed visitors including Nicki Minaj, Diddy and Birdman.
Lil Wayne's incarceration is drawing to a close, and MTV News consulted a Rikers Island source who revealed to us just who came to visit the jailed MC during his eight-month stint.
"Nicki Minaj came through, of course Diddy came through a couple of times, Lauren London, these are people I saw," our source said. "Birdman had a posse with him, it was about seven guys." According to Rikers Island rules, an inmate can only have a certain number of guests and "the max is three." And while many stopped by to see Lil Wayne, the New Orleans MC was only allowed one visit per week and those visitors were only permitted to stay for a maximum of one hour.
The days that family and friends could see Weezy were also determined by a strict schedule. Wednesday and Thursday are reserved for late visits that run between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m., while Friday, Saturday and Sunday are set aside for early visits, starting at 7 a.m. and running until 2:30 p.m., our source said. The Rikers insider also elaborated on Weezy's emotional arc during his imprisonment. "At first he was lowly, demure, you know, down," the source recalled. "But then he seemed pretty OK, normal. Not too talkative because when we move them, we can't have any talking in the hallways." Although some of the other prisoners may have interpreted Lil Wayne's silence as a slight, the MC was simply trying to establish a record for good behavior. "A lot of people wanted to shout out at him and they thought he was dissing them because he was so high and mighty," the source shared. "But he was just following orders because he didn't want any problems." Still, when he was allowed to mingle, the Rikers Island source said that Wayne interacted with the inmates in his "housing area," wrote on WeezyThanxYou.com or played the card game Uno. Stick with MTV News throughout the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists | |
| Lil Wayne To Be Released From Prison Early Thursday, Drake Says Posted: 03 Nov 2010 04:28 AM PDT 'Between the hours of 1 - 2am ...WEEZY IS COMING HOME,' Drizzy tweets.
The long wait for Lil Wayne is almost over. The superstar MC's protégé Drake announced Wednesday (November 3) via Twitter that the Young Money/ Cash Money head will be a free man early Thursday. "Between the hours of 1 - 2am ...WEEZY IS COMING HOME," Drizzy tweeted. Two different sources close to the rapper maintain that Weezy will be released early Thursday.
Wayne began serving a prison bid at New York's Rikers Island in March stemming from a 2007 gun arrest after a concert at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre. On Tuesday, the superstar lyricist penned a final letter for fans as he prepared to return home and back to the music game. "As I greet you all in my last days on this island, I must reflect," Wayne began his post on WeezyThanxYou.com. "I think back to when I first arrived and I had no clue what I'd be experiencing. I was never scared, worried, nor bothered by the situation. For that, I thank God, my family, and you, my amazing fans. I prayed for you all every night, as I'm now aware that I was in y'alls prayers as well." Speculation about Weezy's post-prison plans has reached a fever pitch. His family has suggested an intimate celebration with all of his children is in the works.
"[Wayne's daughter Reginae] said that she wanted to celebrate her birthday when her dad comes home," Wayne's ex-wife Antonia "Toya" Carter told MTV News. "She just wanted to get all her siblings together along with me, Lauren [London], Nivea, Sarah, everybody with her dad and just celebrate her birthday. We were all just gonna go to Miami or whatever and just spend some time with him, 'cause he's been gone for a while and she misses him like crazy. I will feel complete again when he comes home, 'cause it's like a lot of weight was shifted on me. She took it so hard, because her and her father have this great relationship and she's not able to talk to him when she wants to all the time. It kinda bothered her for a while, so it's gonna be a big relief. We all gonna be so happy when he comes home." Drake recently hinted that the MC could make a surprise appearance at the Toronto hip-hop star's upcoming Light Dreams and Nightmares tour stop Saturday in Las Vegas. "I would just advise you to book a ticket out there. If you can get tickets to that show on the 6th, I would strongly advise it," Drizzy told MTV News. Stick with MTV News throughout the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage. Related Videos Related Artists | |
| How Did Taylor Swift's <i>Speak Now</i> Sell A Million In A Week? Posted: 03 Nov 2010 12:24 AM PDT Clever promotions, a Target deal and fan loyalty paved the way, her label boss tells MTV News.
Record labels routinely throw a bunch of things at the wall to see what sticks, sometimes landing a goldmine with unexpected hits like Lady Gaga, but mostly striking out with albums few people connect with.
Then there's Taylor Swift. Through her first two releases, the breakout young country superstar has slowly, steadily built a massive audience with a combination of heartfelt songwriting and countless dates opening for established stars before headlining on her own, not to mention an approachable persona and a tireless devotion to connecting with her fans. All those years of hard work paid off this week when Swift's third album, Speak Now, launched the 20-year-old singer into the record books by selling more than 1 million copies in its debut. How did Taylor do it? According to her label boss, through a combination of clever, wide-net marketing, a key exclusive contract with Target, a blitz of high-profile media appearances and, perhaps most importantly, that unique bond with her fans. "For the most part, Taylor hasn't been out in the marketplace for the past year," her Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta told MTV News. "She's appeared on awards shows here and there, but what's really fantastic about this week is people are getting some new, in-person, live interviews with her and falling in love with her all over again. ... It's been two years since she's done any long-form interviews, and now people are remembering why they're seeing her everywhere: because we love her and she's made a brilliant record." Even after the Kanye West incident at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Swift gave few interviews and mostly avoided walking the red carpet, even at awards shows where she was performing and winning trophies. Borchetta said that was all part of a plan to avoid the perpetual press cycle and allow fans a breather from reading chats with Swift when she didn't have new songs to talk about. But it wasn't just the absence that made the heart grow fonder. Swift's previous disc, November 2008's Fearless, continued to move major units throughout 2009, ending up as that year's best-selling disc. In the meantime, Swift was cooking up a fresh batch of confessional, no-holds-barred songs about her love life (and, apparently, Kanye) that have helped her buck the trend of singles-focused acts who can't move full albums. "She's able to engage people in a way that's different than most other artists," Billboard's Keith Caulfield told MTV News last week. "People feel that she's speaking from the heart and making a very personal statement. The songs come from her heart and [talk] about her feelings. You feel like you have more of a connection with her than other artists." Combine that with a crossover appeal that reaches not just fans of veteran country stars like Shania Twain, but also contemporary acts from Britney Spears to Carrie Underwood, and a release date close enough to the holidays to guarantee stocking-stuffer placement, and you have another potential blockbuster. Thanks to her strong songwriting and attention to detail, Swift has also trained her followers to want her full album, not just cherry-picked singles. That has helped boost her sales at a time when many similar pop artists are seeing their single download sales far eclipse their album sales. And, of course, she tweeted her thanks to those die-hards on Wednesday (November 3) for making her album a success. "I ... Can't ... Believe ... This ..., You guys have absolutely lit up my world. Thank you," she wrote. Borchetta said he began working with his marketing team on the plan for Speak Now in February, focusing in on landing a Target exclusive because of his admiration for how the company has handled recent exclusives with Christina Aguilera, the Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood and John Legend. "That's the place you want to be, and they only do one or two a year," Borchetta said, adding that he loved how Target handled its commercials for the Swift album — which features three bonus tracks, three remixes and 30 minutes of exclusive video — and noted that the extra music Swift provided for the chain was all killer, no filler. "Taylor doesn't write throwaways. When finalizing this album, she kept writing, and I told her we would have a home for these songs." But Borchetta didn't stop there; he also convinced Starbucks to step out of its musical comfort zone and stock Speak Now, a move that came after his team flew out to meet the coffee chain's executives, who he said fell in love with the music. Add in placement at everywhere from Hot Topic stores to other nontraditional retail outlets, and you have a Swift-nami that ensured fans could get the album anywhere they wanted to. "We had to create new storefronts for this, because there's not going to be another record chain in our lifetime," Borchetta said. "That's why I would take our marketing department and go to a mall in another city and say, 'Look around, be creative, where can we be?' It's like getting Rascal Flatts in JCPenney. You have to make your music more accessible." The final piece of the puzzle is Swift herself. From tirelessly shaking hands, doling out hugs and signing items for her young fans to performing on "Dancing With the Stars," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "Live! With Regis and Kelly," just more than a month shy of her 21st birthday, Swift is easily one of the hardest-working women in show business when she has a record to promote. Borchetta marveled at her stamina in just one day last week, when she got up at 4:30 a.m. to play the "Today" show, then swept off to a midday event, performed on "The Late Show With David Letterman" that night and moved on to another NBC taping, then back to "Letterman" for a CBS radio event and a late-night meet-and-greet. She was up again early the next morning for "Regis" and a midday event for 1 million kids watching at 25,000 schools on the Channel One network. "She worked her fool butt off," Borchetta said. Now comes the celebration. But unlike other artists who get suitcases of cash, cars or other flashy gifts for reaching major milestones, Borchetta said Taylor will probably keep it low-key. "We'll have a big dance party," he said. "That's what she loves to do. It's never been about things for her. It's more about friends and her fans." Did you pick up Taylor's latest? Why do you think it was such a success? Share your thoughts in the comments! 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| T.I.'s <i>No Mercy</i> To Drop December 7 Posted: 03 Nov 2010 03:51 AM PDT Incarcerated MC reveals news to MTV's 'The Seven' in a pre-taped exclusive clip.
T.I. headed back to jail earlier this week to ride out an 11-month sentence, but the embattled MC didn't leave fans without an update on his music. The Atlanta lyricist revealed in a video message to MTV's "The Seven," which aired Wednesday (November 3), that his upcoming LP will drop next month.
"My new album, entitled No Mercy, will be released on December 7," Tip said in a message taped before he turned himself in to the Forrest City federal facility in Arkansas on Monday. The MC also expressed his gratitude to fans who continued to support him through his ongoing troubles. "I wanna give a shout-out to my fans for standing by me all this time," he said. "Without you, I'm nothing. You all make it all possible. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and you'll hear more from me soon. Hold it down until I get back to you." Tip also introduced an exclusive snippet of the visual for his redemption song with his "Takers" co-star and much-maligned singer Chris Brown, titled "Get Back Up," in which the superstar rapper reflects on his previous slip-ups. T.I. was sentenced to nearly a year in prison a few weeks ago after getting arrested in Los Angeles with his wife, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, in September on drug possession charges. The incident was a violation of his probation stemming from a sentence for weapons charges handed down last year. Cottle was also charged with misdemeanor drug possession in connection with the incident, and pleaded not guilty on Monday, the same day T.I. began his sentence. Are you looking forward to T.I.'s album in December? Tell us in the comments! Don't miss "The Seven" every weekday at 5 p.m. ET on MTV. Related Artists | |
| Lil Wayne's Crew To Talk Prison Release On 'RapFix Live' Posted: 03 Nov 2010 02:52 AM PDT Guests from Cash Money/ Young Money will chat with Sway about all things Weezy on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.
On Thursday, following an eight-month sentence, Lil Wayne is scheduled to leave New York's Rikers Island. MTV News will continue our breaking-news coverage during WeezyWatch with a special edition of "RapFix Live," which will stream on RapFix.MTV.com and MTV.com at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Several guests from inside the Cash Money and Young Money families will stop by to discuss Wayne's release, what the MC has planned and just how soon fans can expect new music. Sway will be taking questions from fans during "RapFix Live," so tweet us at @MTVRapFix or upload your video queries to Your.MTV.com, now and throughout Thursday's WeezyWatch broadcast, for your chance to ask a question. Recently, MTV News spoke to a source at Rikers Island about the rapper's release process. "They have to check his docket number to see that he doesn't have any open cases or open warrants," the source told MTV News. " ... He has to be fingerprinted and dressed. It's another process again before he leaves." According to the source, Lil Wayne will begin the exit process around the inmates' breakfast time, at 4 a.m. The process could take more than two hours, depending on the work- and caseload on Thursday at Rikers Island. As inmates are processed for admittance and exit, the dockets clear and each prisoner is also cleared, allowing groups to be sent on their way. Stick with MTV News throughout the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark WeezyWatch.MTV.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists | |
| Demi Lovato's Treatment Sheds Light On Teen Issues, Expert Says Posted: 03 Nov 2010 02:07 AM PDT 'The biggest step is being brave enough to tell somebody you might need some help,' Dr. Dorian Traube tells MTV News.
Now that Demi Lovato has entered a treatment facility to deal with "emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time," her public struggle is shedding light on a whole range of issues that many teenage girls face. Lovato has been open in the past about the pressure she's under, including her self-esteem issues and constant media scrutiny.
Dr. Dorian Traube, assistant professor at the University of Southern California's School of Social Work, spoke to MTV News about the advice she has for young people who might be going through a similarly difficult time. "Well, I think regardless to whether the bullying contributed to what sent her to seek treatment, she's in treatment because she's having issues related to self-esteem and mental health, and all of that makes you feel lonely," she explained. "So I think it's important for young women or teens to realize that it is important to find an environment in which they feel like they excel and treated with respect and that they have a good cadre of friends around them." Traube urged young people to find that safe haven. "If they don't find that at school, they should try and find that in extracurricular activities," she advised. "It is as important to have a number of people around them their own age that they can relate to, but they also need some adults in their life that they trust, because there are a lot of confusing messages that come at teens. So it's important to have an adult that has a little bit more perspective on it who they respect and trust who can kind of help them decide those messages." She added that there are a number of places teens can turn to if they feel they need assistance. "At the end of the day, the stuff that is happening with Demi Lovato is related to mental health, and we don't like to talk a lot about mental health, especially among teen girls," she explained. "It's a very stigmatized thing to talk about, but they should know that all teenage girls go through some mental-health difficulties, whether or not it's related to self-esteem or depression or insecurity. And so there are tons of resources out there ranging from local community activities to seeing a therapist to engaging in some group treatment with other teen girls. There's a cadre of really good services out there, but the biggest step is being brave enough to tell somebody you might need some help." Share your well-wishes for Demi in the comments. Related Photos Related Artists | |
| 'Megamind' Star Will Ferrell Recalls His Most Devious Deed Posted: 03 Nov 2010 04:24 AM PDT 'As, like, a little kid, I shoplifted an extra pack of $500 bills for my Monopoly set,' he tells MTV News.
In thinking of the great villains in film history, Will Ferrell isn't exactly the first name that comes to mind (his unforgettable performance as Mugatu in "Zoolander" notwithstanding). He's far too funny and nice to ever really be a bad guy, which is why Ferrell is perfectly cast as the conflicted supervillain in "Megamind." Likable animated characters aside, when we caught up with the man behind the large blue head, we asked him, in the spirit of villainy, to dig deep and reveal his most devious deeds.
"This is an absolutely true story. I played a lot of Monopoly as a child — and by myself," Ferrell recalled, "I don't know how that works out, but I would play Monopoly, and I kept running out of $500 bills. They don't give you a lot of $500 bills. And my local drug store, they sold individual packs of extra Monopoly money, and there was a pack of $500s, and I, as, like, a little kid, I shoplifted an extra pack of $500 bills for my Monopoly set." Gasp! Will Ferrell, a childhood shoplifter? Say it ain't so. "Something came over me, and I was like, 'I need this,' and I just shoved it into my pocket, and I've never shoplifted [again]," he assured us. "It was the one time I did it. So I shoplifted fake money from a drugstore. That's my most evil thing that I've done." But did anyone ever find out? "They're going to find out now," he said. Somehow, we think Ferrell's in the clear on this one. Check out everything we've got on "Megamind." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. | |
| Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil Tour Dates Announced Posted: 03 Nov 2010 02:19 AM PDT Immortal World Tour begins October 2011 and travels across North America to nearly 30 cities.
If you never got the chance to see Michael Jackson in concert, this could be the next best thing. On Wednesday (November 3), Jackson's estate and Cirque du Soleil announced the dates for the Immortal World Tour. Written and directed by Jamie King, the multimillion-dollar shows are scheduled to begin October 2011 and travel across North America to nearly 30 cities. According to a press release, the event is set to combine Jackson's timeless tunes and choreography with Cirque's creative background to showcase "Michael's global messages of love, peace and unity." The production hopes to bring fans into a fantasy world based on the singer's inspirational Giving Tree, which remains the central muse for his love of everything including music, dance, fairy tale and magic, and nature. A presale for Cirque Club Members and MichaelJackson.com subscribers begins Wednesday, while the general-public sale starts Saturday. Earlier this year, Cirque du Soleil President and CEO Daniel Lamarre spoke to MTV News about incorporating the late singer's new, old and unreleased songs into the production. "The entire catalog is open to us ... we don't know [which songs we'll use] yet, but obviously all of the people will be looking for the big hits of Michael Jackson; we don't want to avoid that," Lamarre said. "We want to make sure that we will meet musical expectations from the fans." The Immortal World Tour dates, according to a press release: 2011 tour dates: 2012 tour dates: Will you purchase tickets for the Immortal World Tour? Share your thoughts below! Related Photos Related Artists |
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