Selasa, 15 Desember 2009

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Kanye West Is MTV News' #7 Man Of The Year

Posted: 15 Dec 2009 03:50 AM PST

MC started off the year at Obama's youth inaugural ball, but 2009 will be remembered for West's VMA stage-crash.
By James Montgomery


Kanye West
Photo: Daniel Boczarski/ Getty Images/ MTV News

Which stars had the biggest year? All this week, we'll be unveiling our top nine men and women of 2009, counting down to the #1 man and woman on Friday.

7. Kanye West

Last year, Kanye West placed second in our man of the year countdown, after a roller-coaster 12 months filled with just as many highs (headlined Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, released edgy 808s & Heartbreak) as there were lows (the fact that his headlining slot at Bonnaroo didn't begin until nearly 4:30 a.m., his punch-up with a paparazzo at LAX). This year, he lands at #7, if only because, while his highs were still plenty high, it was his lows — or, really, one low in particular — that most will be talking about for years to come.

2009 Highlights: It's debatable whether anyone actually considers it a highlight, but West's incident with Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was the celeb story of the second half of '09 (until Tiger Woods crashed his Escalade into a tree, that is). It caught the attention of everyone from Barack Obama to Cobra Starship and caused West to apologize publicly and repeatedly.

It all culminated in West's teary interview on "The Jay Leno Show," on which he said he was "ashamed" of his behavior and said he was planning to take some time away from the spotlight to cope with the sorrow that still haunted him following the death of his mother, Donda. Soon after, he disappeared, leading to speculation about his mental health and, eventually, the cancellation of his much-anticipated tour with Lady Gaga.

TOP 9 MEN OF THE YEAR

9. Eminem
8. Drake
7. Kanye West
6. stay tuned ...

Of course, the VMA outburst — and West's "I'm really happy for you and I'm gonna let you finish ... " speech — became the fodder for parody, too, both online and onstage at other awards shows like the Emmys and the Country Music Awards.

But such is West's scope and talent as an artist that his year wasn't completely overshadowed by the Swift incident. He opened 2009 by performing at President Obama's "Be the Change" youth inaugural ball, wowed Grammy audiences with an audaciously excellent performance of "Swagga Like Us," alongside Jay-Z, T.I., Lil Wayne and a very pregnant M.I.A., and shined the spotlight on some of his protégés, including 88-Keys and Kid Cudi.

He killed it on some of the hottest songs of the year — Jay-Z's "Run This Town" and Drake's "Forever" come to mind — he released a pair of limited-edition sneakers through Nike, and was referred to as "gay fish" on an infamous episode of "South Park" (an incident that ruined his dining experience at Cheesecake Factories everywhere). And, as 2009 draws to a close, West is reportedly working on material for Drake's anticipated Thank Me Later debut, and his College Dropout was just named Album of the Decade by Entertainment Weekly.

Good, bad or otherwise, very few artists dominated the headlines like West did in 2009. And, having gone through the fire, we expect him to make a triumphant return in 2010.

Also this year, West rocked an impressive "Tum Tum" shag; bragged about his footwear from a Paris hotel room and a speedboat; appeared in the oddly prescient, Spike Jonze-directed short film "We Were Once a Fairytale"; and collaborated with 30 Seconds to Mars (oh, wait, maybe he didn't).

Which stars had the biggest 2009? Over the next week, we'll be unveiling our top nine most newsworthy, controversial and fascinating men and women of the year. We based our list on factors like music sales, box-office performance, MTVNews.com headlines and traffic, overall reach (crossover singles, appearances in movies, licensing of songs for commercials, clothing lines, etc.), plus X-factors like "impact" and "buzz." (And no, President Barack Obama didn't make the list — we'll leave that to the folks at Time.) This is by no means an exact science, but we think the list we've put together represents the men and women who helped make 2009 the most exciting and memorable 12 months in recent history.

We'll be rolling out our list of the Top 9 Men and Women of 2009 two per day until Friday, when we unveil MTV News' Man and Woman of the year! As always, we also want to know what you think, so weigh in with comments below, or upload them to Your.MTV.com!

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Chris Brown Cancels His Twitter Account

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 05:13 AM PST

The move follows days of angry tweets about retailers 'blackballing' his new album, Graffiti.
By Larry Carroll


Chris Brown
Photo: Jason LaVeris/ Getty Images

Chris Brown's irate state of mind, as displayed over the weekend in a series of angry tweets, came to an end Monday afternoon (December 14) when the embattled R&B artist abruptly canceled his Twitter account and abandoned tens of thousands of followers.

"I WANNA THANK MY FANS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT," Brown posted on his @MechanicalDummy account, moments before it was deleted. "I LOVE YALL. GOODBYE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The exit comes just a couple of months after Miley Cyrus did the same thing, citing a desire for more privacy. Brown's move is particularly curious, however, considering that he was wearing his thumbs raw with all the Twitter time he had spent over the past few days.

On Friday, Brown went to the social-networking hub to express anger over certain retailers he claimed were "blackballing" his new album, Graffiti. As Brown is attempting to return to prominence following his February assault against then-girlfriend Rihanna, he claimed, "Major stores are blackballing my CD. Not stockin the shelves and lying to customers," asking on his Twitter page, "What the f--- do I gotta do..."

Over the weekend, the 20-year-old continued his attacks on music retailers, telling his Twitter followers that he had gone into a Walmart and discovered that his record wasn't even available for purchase. "Just was at Walmart in Wallingford CT, 844 north colony," Brown tweeted Saturday night. "The[y] didn't even have my album in the back ... not on shelves, saw for myself." Brown said he talked to the store's managers and "they didn't even know anything. Wow!!! But they had Alicia Keys album ready for release for this Tuesday comin ... the manager told me that when there are new releases it's mandatory to put em on the shelves ... BUT NO SIGN OF #GRAFFITI. BS."

A sales associate at the Walmart in question told MTV News that the store had actually sold out of the album.

Throughout the weekend, representatives for Brown and his label, Jive Records, were not available or had no comment when MTV News reached out. Similarly, they would not address Brown's apparent cancellation of his Twitter page. Now, when you click on his @MechanicalDummy alias, viewers are greeted coldly with a "Sorry, that page doesn't exist" notice.

Sales figures for Brown's Graffiti, meanwhile, are due Wednesday.

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Mixtape Of The Year: The Top Runners-Up, In <i>Mixtape Daily</i>

Posted: 15 Dec 2009 03:50 AM PST

Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Gucci Mane and many others brought the hotness on mixtapes this year!
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes


50 Cent
Photo: G-Unit

On Monday, Mixtape Daily crowned Drake's So Far Gone the best mixtape of 2009, but there were plenty of others that excited fans from 'hood to 'hood — plenty of mixtapes that were so popular the street couldn't contain them and they made their way into the 'burbs and even onto TV stations like ESPN. So without further ado — and in no order of preference — here's our list of the rest of the best mixtapes of 2009.

The Hottest Mixtapes Of 2009

50 Cent: Forever King
DJ Collaborator: Whoo Kid
Necessary Notes: Who uses a Jackson 5 beat as the soundscape to rap about one of his one of his neighbors pumping crack cocaine down the block? 50 Cent! Who uses Jeff Redd's dance-floor-friendly '90s R&B classic instrumental "You Called & Told Me" to rap about eluding a D.A.'s charges and engaging in shoot-outs? None other than 50 Cent. You get the picture. Fif did indeed leave his beloved rugged drums and indignant basslines behind to smooth it out on the R&B tip, but the content was "harsh" just the same. The G-Unit General mostly dug into the crates for '90s R&B instrumentals for his beat-jacking here.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Michael Jackson Freestyle," "Funny How Time Flies," "If U Leaving Then Leave"

50 Cent: War Angel LP
DJ Collaborators: N/A
Necessary Notes: Another classic for the street catalog! 50 Cent crafted a devilishly gangsta unofficial album as his protest to all the bubblelicious hip-hop he said he'd been hearing. "Redrum" hit New York radio as did "OK, You're Right," which wound up on Before I Self Destruct. Its video is one of the tightest of '09.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Redrum," "C.R.E.A.M. 2009." "OK, You're Right"

Lloyd Banks: 4-30-09: Happy Birthday Volume Four
DJ Collaborator: Whoo Kid
Necessary Notes: Gravelly voice? Check! Punchlines? Check! Banks celebrated his birthday by giving back to the streets with a double mixtape. Fans were treated not only to the Boy Wonder's raw spit, but went beyond the G-Unit and reached out to the likes of Jay Rock, Uncle Murda, and even showcased a guest spot he did for Red Café. Our biggest gripe with Banks is that he still hasn't dropped Volume Five.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "My Way or Nothing" (featuring Uncle Murda), "Have It All," "Don't Come Around"

The Clipse: The Road to Till the Casket Drops
DJ Collaborator: N/A
Necessary Notes: We loved the Re-Up Gang's series of mixtapes, but nothing can compare to listening to the best two-man group in the game molest their peers' tracks with assured proclamations and commentary on real-life, underworld experiences. In this prequel to Til the Casket Drops, their successes are boastful, their losses are explained as heartbreaking but life-changing lessons ... and they still maintain they can out-rap everybody!

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Intro," "Big Dreams," "Feds Taking Pictures"

J.Cole: The Warm Up
DJ Collaborators: N/A
Necessary Notes: "Pardon the interruption/ A proper introduction is necessary/ When your sh-- is legendary." J. Cole may not have reached legendary status just yet, but the kid out of "Fayette-nam" (Fayetteville, North Carolina) certainly possesses the lyricism and hunger of some of the great ones. Although The Warm Up may have been the first time many people ever heard of theJay-Z co-signed J.Cole, it's actually the follow-up to his relatively unknown 2007 mixtape with DJ On Point, The Come Up. Whether or not The Warm Up is the first you've heard of J. Cole, we can almost guarantee it won't be the last.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Grown Simba," "Lights Please," "Dollar and a Dream II"

Gucci Mane: Cold War series
DJ Collaborators: Holiday, Drama and Scream
Necessary Notes: He had the nation yelling "Burr!" Gucci made the boldest moves on the mixtape circuit this year, being the first to release three tapes simultaneously on one day — a Saturday, at that. So what if his hotly anticipated album, The State Vs. Radric Davis, was less than two months from being released? So what if he had just put out the Burrrprint mixtape a week prior? Gucci Mane LaFlare had a lot to say, and the streets always stopped to hear him out.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "In My Business" (featuring Drake and Sean Garrett), "6," "Street Cred"

Gucci Mane: Writing's on the Wall
DJ Collaborators: DJ Holiday
Necessary Notes: This was the controversial return of Gucci Mane. There were hundreds of Gucci songs floating around in 2009, but this was the first full street opus sanctioned this year. His fans couldn't download the tape fast enough, the hard copies were essential for any vehicle in the South. This is where Gucci's flight started its takeoff, especially with the debut of his hit, "Wasted."

Can't Miss Tracks: "Girls Kissing Girls" (featuring Nicki Minaj), "She Gotta Friend" (featuring Juelz Santana), "Wasted" (featuring Plies)

Jadakiss: Kiss My Ass: The Champ Is Here, Part 2
DJ Collaborator: Green Lantern
Necessary Notes: The tape was the set-up for Jada's Last Kiss LP. Lyrically, Jada was lethal as ever, swinging his battle axe in the booth like a Yonkers He-man. Once again, The Black Babe Ruth proved he can terrorize the rap scene whenever he decides to get active.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Child Abuse." "The People" (featuring Styles P), "Letter to B.I.G. (Green Mix)"

R. Kelly: The Demo Tape
DJ Collaborators: Drama and Scream
Necessary Notes: Oh, the disappointment — not in the quality of this mixtape, but we were hoping to catch a couple of tracks like "Club to a Bedroom" and "Disrespect My Shorty" on Kell's Untitled LP. It definitely was a great look to have a music legend as big as R. Kelly acknowledge the streets, freestyling over a plethora hip-hop tracks and even giving away original material for free. The Demo Tape was the Pied Piper's first-ever mixtape, and a warm-up for his LP.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Club to a Bedroom," "Disrespect My Shorty," "Birthday Sex" (remix)

Kid Cudi: Dat Kid From Cleveland
DJ Collaborator: DJ E-V
Necessary Notes: "This kinda how it is when you're livin' young and fast/ Management is playing loud, b---hes dancin,' shakin' ass." Kid Cudi only released one mixtape, 2008's A Kid Named Cudi, but he built so much buzz off of that tape that fans wanted more. Cleveland's own DJ E-V answered the call. He collected various Cudder tracks floating around in the ether that didn't make the first mixtape to hold fans off until the album, Man on the Moon.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Rollin' " (featuring Jackie Chain), "Switchin' Lanes" "She Came Along" (featuring Sharam)

Lil Wayne: No Ceilings
DJ Collaborator: N/A
Necessary Notes: If not for the undeniable impact of So Far Gone (which Wayne was all over), No Ceilings would easily have been the mixtape of the year. Stylistically he was a Sasquatch, stomping the competition to bone gristle and standing high atop the remains. With his raps, the "Mixtape Weezy" gave the most quotables on one body of work this year, plus Wayne gave an inadvertent peek into the future when he rapped "Tiger Woods on these hoes..." on "Swag Surfin' " ...

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Throw It In the Bag" (remix), "Banned From TV" "No Ceilings"

Lupe Fiasco: Enemy of the State: A Love Story
DJ Collaborators: N/A
Necessary Notes: "Stay outta the sun's way, like you drinking blood" — that one line says it all. Lupe Fiasco is fueled by a quest to be known as the Hottest MC in the Game. Lu may be taking awhile to craft his upcoming album The L.A.S.E.R.S. Manifesto, but his talent doesn't take hiatus. Enemy of the State was released on Thanksgiving Day, and obviously Lu was hungry. He jacks beats from everyone from Lil Wayne to Slaughterhouse — and even Radiohead's "Natonal Anthem" — and measures up to each and every one of them. Although the tape is less than 30 minutes long, we're discovering a new punchline everyday.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "The National Anthem," "Angels" (remix), "All the Way Turnt Up"

Nicki Minaj: Beam Me Up Scotty
DJ Collaborator: Holiday
Necessary Notes: Nicki is a superstar in the making — and for her rhymes and her charisma, not just for her looks, which have had the fellas on the blogs swooning all year. Nick's tape was an essential item for the iPod this year, proving that she is the leading candidate to resurrect the female rap scene. Minaj sang, she rapped, she talked dirty on the tape — and the promoters recognized her growing popularity (helped by her spot with the Young Money crew on Lil Wayne's America's Most Wanted Tour), keeping her booking agent's phone ringing.
Can't Miss Tracks: "I Get Crazy" (featuring Lil Wayne), "Kill Da DJ"

Nipsey Hussle: Bullets Ain't Got No Name series
DJ Collaborator: Skee, Reflex, Whoo Kid and The Empire
Necessary Notes: The consensus on the streets is that Nipsey Hussle is going to lock things down in 2010. We've been waiting quite some time for a new West Coast superstar, and Snoop Dogg's favorite new artist seems destined to follow in the Chuck Taylor footprints of Snoop and Game. Nips' series rang bells from East to West, and his flow was undeniable.

Can't Miss Tracks: "Speak My Language," "Rap Music"

Snoop Dogg: I Wanna Rock
DJ Collaborators: Whoo Kid, Scream and Skee
Necessary Notes: "The older I get, the better I'm made/ The bolder I get, the older I age/ So I'mma be here for a long muthaf---in' time." Snoop is telling the truth, 100 percent. The veteran's mixtape was so cold, we feel it's almost as dope as his new LP, Malice N Wonderland. The title track from the mixtape and premier cut from his album has to be one this year's hardest party records.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Blasten" "I Wanna Rock" "World of a Gangsta"

Triple C's: White Sand
DJ Collaborators: N/A
Necessary Notes: The album Custom Cars & Cycles didn't connect on the SoundScan charts, but Rick Ross and his gang kept their love affair with the streets on full throttle. This mixtape not only showcased all of Ross' young guns, but it was declaration that despite the acclaim and big sales for Ross' Deeper Than Rap, he's devoted to staying hungry and keeping his bars crisp.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Thug Battlefield" (featuring Jadakiss), "Southside (featuring Lil Wayne), "Where Dey Do Dat At"

Tony Yayo: Swine Flu series
DJ Collaborators: Whoo Kid
Necessary Notes: With no album since 2005, Tony Yayo knows that mixtapes keep him alive. Like Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent, Yayo the Talk of New York stood ten toes down on the asphalt, waving the G-Unit flag with multiple solo releases, none making more noise than his morbidly titled Swine Flu 1 and 2. No radio play? No problem. Yayo mastered the art of the viral video this year, using visuals to promote his tapes like they were actual LPs.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Cadillac" (featuring Lil' Boosie), "Stay Strapped," Goin' In"

Yo Gotti: Cocaine Muzik series
DJ Collaborators: Drama and Scream
Necessary Notes: Gotti was moving independently, but his presence in the streets just felt like he had a machine behind him — especially in the Southern markets. This is a name you're going to be talking about next year as an artist to watch: He's building up to have a Gucci Mane-like pop in 2010. While the title of his mixtapes would lead you to believe that the subject matter is dense, Yo showed his reached with the women by giving them props on "5 Star" — that mixtape song turned into a hit single

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Shoot Off," "5 Star," "Newspaper on the Floor"

Young Dro: R.I.P.
DJ Collaborator: Don Cannon
Necessary Notes: "How many different flows y'all gonna make me have?/ How many different hoes y'all gonna make me grab?/ How many different 44's y'all gonna make me blast?/ Who be the freshest in them clothes?/ Y'all gonna make me ask?!" Minus the last one, these are all legitimate questions. While the title of his mixtape may seem boastful, confidence is never lacking in a man rocking an all-white suit! Dro does back his declaration by killing each track with wit and flow.

Can't-Miss Tracks: "Y'all Funny" "I Don't Know Y'all" "Ric Flair"

What are your picks for the hottest mixtapes of the year? Let us know below, or upload a video to Your.MTV.com!

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Nick Jonas On Miley Cyrus Guest Spot On 'JONAS': 'We'll See'

Posted: 15 Dec 2009 03:50 AM PST

'We'll see what happens,' he says of 'Hannah Montana' crossover.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Tim Kash


Nick Jonas
Photo: MTV News

Early next year, the Jonas Brothers will begin to film the second season of their Disney TV show, "JONAS." And, considering they share a network, will "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus stop by the set to hang with the brothers? Anything is possible.

Nick joked that the guys may need to step up their game before that happens. "I don't know — we'll see. They do a lot of the crossovers," he told MTV News. "Our two shows are shot a little differently ... so they could, and we'll see what happens. Right now we're just trying to get our acting together before we have guests."

Until Miley books herself a guest spot on the show, Nick did say that there will be some changes on the series. "There's a lot of new changes, a lot of exciting things. I think for my brothers and I and the rest of the cast, we've all [said we want it to be] the best it can be," he added. "Really giving it our all. We've grown as actors. Hopefully we can bring the fun and a better show to the fans."

Fans are also anxiously awaiting "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," in which both Joe and Nick find onscreen love. So, who does Nick think makes the better movie boyfriend? "That's a funny question," he laughed. "I don't know. I think that Joe and Demi [Lovato's] chemistry onscreen is great ... it's a great story they have. I don't know how to judge myself when it comes to that. I'll just have to let people decide for themselves what they think."

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Charlie Murphy's Wife, Tisha Taylor Murphy, Dies

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 04:03 AM PST

Charlie is best known for his spots on 'Chappelle's Show' and being Eddie Murphy's older brother.
By Larry Carroll


Tisha and Charlie Murphy
Photo: Hector Mata/ Getty Images

Tisha Taylor Murphy, the wife of actor/comedian Charlie Murphy — star of "Chappelle's Show" and older brother to Eddie — succumbed to a long battle with cancer, dying Sunday in her sleep at the couple's home in New Jersey.

"Tisha Taylor Murphy, wife of comedian and actor Charlie Murphy, passed away peacefully on Sunday with family at her side after facing the challenges of cancer for the past two years," Murphy's publicist, Lyndsey Jacobs, confirmed to MTV News in a statement. "The Murphy Family appreciates all of the support they have received from friends and fans and requests privacy during this very difficult time."

The Murphys were married in 1997 and have two children together. Charlie Murphy has a third child from a previous relationship.

Charles Quinton "Charlie" Murphy, 50 years old, was born in Brooklyn and raised by his mother and stepfather after his birth father left the family and was later stabbed to death. After serving in the United States Navy, he began a career as a comedian, often sharing the spotlight with his superstar younger brother whose career took off just as his was beginning. Charlie Murphy made his feature-film debut alongside Eddie in 1989's "Harlem Nights," then went on to appear in "CB4" and "Night at the Museum."

Murphy's greatest success, however, came with the 2003-06 TV hit "Chappelle's Show," where he was a recurring character actor. Starring in classic sketches that cast him as himself in "Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories," the comedian would remember his "adventures" in Eddie's entourage, hanging out with the likes of Prince and Rick James. Although the show was a huge success, it left the air when Dave Chappelle walked away from the series. Most recently, Murphy has been providing a voice for the animated series "The Boondocks" and filming the upcoming movies "Our Family Wedding" and "Co2."

Drake Is #8 On MTV News' Men Of The Year Countdown

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 12:22 AM PST

Drake's rise to superstardom was swift in 2009, thanks in part to co-signs from MCs like Lil Wayne and Kanye West.
By James Montgomery


Drake
Photo: Valerie Macon/ Getty Images

Which stars had the biggest year? All this week, we'll be unveiling our Top 9 men and women of 2009, counting down to the #1 man and woman on Friday.

8. Drake

Drake's rise to superstardom was one of the biggest stories of 2009. From his humble beginnings as Jimmy Brooks on "Degrassi: The Next Generation," Drizzy (born Aubrey Graham) took the hip-hop world by storm, thanks to the success of his So Far Gone mixtape and subsequent partnership with Lil Wayne's Young Money label. Drake collaborated with the biggest names in the game, was co-signed by everyone from Bun B to Kanye, and didn't let a little thing like tearing the ligaments in his knee stop his climb. Grammy nominated, often-imitated, Drake came out of nowhere to lay the blueprint for success in '09. Now he knows G4 pilots on a first-name basis.

2009 Highlights: In February, he made his So Far Gone mixtape available for free on his MySpace page, and it all went nuts from there. Drake jumped on Lil Wayne's I Am Music Tour soon after, and was quickly named a "Fire Starter" by MTV News' Hip-Hop Brain Trust. Then, riding a wave of hype, he headlined a Hot 97 "Who's Next Live" show at New York club SOB's, wowing a crowd that included Kanye West and Talib Kweli.

With fame came certified sex-symbol status, which meant whispers that he and Rihanna were an item (which he denied), and he tried to downplay it all by proclaiming himself not to be a ladies man, but rather, "An honest man." Of course, it was kind of difficult to hear him over the throngs of squealing ladies who followed his every move.

OUR TOP 9 MEN OF THE YEAR

9. Eminem
8. Drake
7. stay tuned ...

He joined up with Wayne again on his America's Most Wanted Tour, and soon signed to Weezy's Young Money Records. But his time on the tour would be short: three days in, he collapsed onstage, tearing three ligaments in his knee and forcing him to drop off the bill (though his knee would go on to launch a much-discussed Twitter account).

But really, 2009 was all about Drake's music, and the tremendous in-roads it made for him. He was only the second artist in Billboard Hot 100 history to have two songs in the Top 10, with "Best I Ever Had" and "Every Girl," and the So Far Gone mixtape was so successful that Young Money/Universal decided to re-release it as an EP. He collaborated with the likes of Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z and Trey Songz, and his "Forever" (featuring verses by Em, West and Weezy) was a posse cut for the ages. He landed at #3 on MTV News's Hottest MCs list, and closed out '09 with a pair of Grammy nominations and much hype surrounding his Thank Me Later LP, which is tentatively due in March.

Also this year, Drake refused Kanye West's invitation to re-make the "Best I Ever Had" video ... Drank a bottle of Opus One wine, wrote a lengthy blog post detailing his prodigious healing abilities ... Sorta feuded with Universal Motown head Sylvia Rhone and the ghost of Tupac Shakur ... Remained unrepentantly Canadian.

Which stars had the biggest 2009? Over the next week, we'll be unveiling our top nine most newsworthy, controversial and fascinating men and women of the year. We based our list on factors like music sales, box-office performance, MTVNews.com headlines and traffic, overall reach (crossover singles, appearances in movies, licensing of songs for commercials, clothing lines, etc.), plus X-factors like "impact" and "buzz." (And no, President Barack Obama didn't make the list — we'll leave that to the folks at Time.) This is by no means an exact science, but we think the list we've put together represents the men and women who helped make 2009 the most exciting and memorable 12 months in recent history.

We'll be rolling out our list of the Top 9 Men and Women of 2009 two per day until Friday, when we unveil MTV News' Man and Woman of the year! As always, we also want to know what you think, so weigh in with comments below, or upload them to Your.MTV.com!

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Susan Boyle Is MTV News' #8 Woman Of The Year

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 12:46 AM PST

The 47-year-old Scot went from YouTube sensation to major recording artist in 2009.


Susan Boyle
Photo: Charles Eshelman/ FilmMagic / MTV News

Which stars had the biggest year? All this week, we'll be unveiling our top nine men and women of 2009, counting down to the #1 man and woman on Friday.

8. Susan Boyle

In 2009, your favorite YouTube sensation became your mom's favorite recording artist, as Susan Boyle — a frumpy, 47-year-old shut-in from Scotland — became an international megastar, thanks to her prodigious vocal talents, a now-legendary audition on "Britain's Got Talent" and some fabulously erratic behavior. YouTube clips of her performances have racked up more than 100 million views, and her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, shattered sales records worldwide. She's been parodied on "The Simpsons," "South Park" and "30 Rock," analyzed ad infinitum by journalists and social critics, and adored by millions of fans. Despite all that, she still lives in the same Scottish council home she grew up in, with her cat, a 10-year-old longhair named Pebbles.

2009 Highlights: It's safe to say that before April 11, 2009, no one knew who Susan Boyle was. But that night, she auditioned on the season premiere of "Britain's Got Talent," belted out a jaw-dropping take on "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Misérables," and the rest was history.

The clip of Boyle's audition — which starts with the "Talent" audience and judges rolling their eyes and snickering at the plain-faced singer, then quickly takes a turn as Boyle wows the room with her voice — became required viewing on YouTube, attracting millions of eyeballs within hours of the show's initial airing. Within a week of the audition, Boyle's Wikipedia page was viewed more than 66 million times, an online record. And within days, she was appearing live via satellite on CBS' "Early Show."

OUR TOP 9 WOMEN OF THE YEAR

9. The Kardashians
8. Susan Boyle
7. stay tuned ...

The Boyle juggernaut rolled on, and not even a shaky rendition of "Memory" could keep her from the "Talent" finals. But, along the way, cracks started to develop. Boyle reportedly suffered a meltdown after being taunted by a pair of journalists in the lobby of a London hotel. On the eve of the finale, there were rumors that she might not even perform. She did, but in a shocking result, finished second to a dance troupe called Diversity.

Following the show, Boyle was hospitalized after suffering an "emotional breakdown." Her stay in the hospital attracted widespread attention, and even Britain's prime minister wished her a speedy recovery. Five days later, she was released and skipped out on rehearsals for the upcoming "Britain's Got Talent" tour. She subsequently appeared on only a handful of tour dates so that she could begin work on her debut album.

In September, Boyle appeared on "America's Got Talent," wowing audiences with her take on the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses." At the end of November, she released her I Dreamed a Dream album in the U.K., and it set a record for the biggest first-week sales in the country's chart history. Here in the States, Dream also debuted at #1, selling more than 700,000 copies (the largest first-week number of the year) and giving her the biggest debut for a solo female artist in SoundScan history. She easily held on to the top spot the following week, selling an equally impressive 502,000 copies of the album.

Boyle served as an inspiration to people everywhere, including the painter of this picture. She also attracted the attention of artists like 50 Cent, who said he wanted to work with her. "I got to get her on a track, for real. We'd make a hit," the rapper laughed. "Everyone is talking about her. She's got an amazing voice, and together, we'd get everyone dancing."

Which stars had the biggest 2009? Over the next week, we'll be unveiling our top nine most newsworthy, controversial and fascinating men and women of the year. We based our list on factors like music sales, box-office performance, MTVNews.com headlines and traffic, overall reach (crossover singles, appearances in movies, licensing of songs for commercials, clothing lines, etc.), plus X-factors like "impact" and "buzz." (And no, President Barack Obama didn't make the list — we'll leave that to the folks at Time.) This is by no means an exact science, but we think the list we've put together represents the men and women who helped make 2009 the most exciting and memorable 12 months in recent history.

We'll be rolling out our list of the Top 9 Men and Women of 2009 two per day until Friday, when we unveil MTV News' Man and Woman of the year! As always, we also want to know what you think, so weigh in with comments below, or upload them to Your.MTV.com!

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Drake's <i>So Far Gone</i> Is <i>Mixtape Daily</i>'s Mixtape Of The Year

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 03:50 AM PST

'Best I Ever Had,' song from mixtape actually garnered two Grammy nominations — but the streets love it too.
By Shaheem Reid


Drake
Photo: Young Money

If Drake is not a household name for everyone just yet, the 23-year-old is on the front porch, ringing the bell. That he's done it without even putting out an official album shows just how far he's come in 12 months. What a journey it's been for the Toronto native in 2009.

I first met Drake last year in Los Angeles around Grammy time. Lil Wayne's co-manager Cortez Bryant introduced me to Drake as a new "singer" that they were working with. Drizzy was cool but barely spoke: At the time, there was no way I'd envision him as having a shot at making the MTV News' "Hottest MCs in the Game" list, let alone finishing in the top three. He was a "singer," right?

Everyone — including Drake — is probably surprised at how much he's achieved this year. On the basis of its quality and impact, Mixtape Daily can say that So Far Gone isn't just the top mixtape of 2009, but one of the greatest of all time. As a body of work, the project is better than most albums from the past few years.

First off, as promised, homes is singing, and it isn't anything corny — in fact, one young lady I know was brought to tears after hearing "Brand New." And his rapping skills were a stunning surprise: His clarity, tone, articulation, confidence and — always paramount — lyrics are first-class.

The impact of So Far Gone built gradually but rapidly, via blogs and word of mouth. As "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful" began picking up radio airplay, Drake began getting offers from just about every major label. Yet he elected to stay with Lil Wayne's team and inked with their Young Money label, with distribution by the Universal powerhouse, which quickly released an altered version of the mixtape as an EP — and which has led to Drake receiving two Grammy nominations for "Best I Ever Had," a song that was originally released on a mixtape! From the Net to the streets to the Grammy red carpet: Hands down, this is our mixtape of the year.

Joints We Checked For

» "Lust for Life." The title alone makes this track (not included on the re-release) a must-listen. Drake gives his declaration of being hip-hop's newest That Dude. "The game got these old handprints on it/ But I'mma be the one to pour cement on it/ And start over." His delivery was subtle but effective, like bullets from a silencer.

»"Houstatlantavegas." Drake described the song to us thusly: "A lot of people think it's about strippers but it's not. It's actually kind of about women who live life with the mentality of a stripper, I guess you could say. Or it's these girls that sort of drift from place to place and city to city depending on where the event is or where the next show is, where the next awards are. They have guys fly them out, meet guys there and they kind of ... I have come across so many women like that either started out like that or I met them and they became like that. And it was just important for me early on, in that disc, to capture that emotion because it actually led to the demise of a relationship that I was in. So yeah, it was just kind of just a way of speaking to a specific type of girl. When I talk about women I don't like to talk in generic terms, I like to really speak to women — not to say anything they're doing is wrong but I like to be very specific when I talk to women, so they feel something."

» "Successful" (featuring Trey Songz and Lil Wayne). Drake: "I remember hearing the record and the drums coming together, and they were just so rocking and it has this pocket and there was no melody yet, and [when the chords came in] it was so eerie. I was like, 'Yo that's it!' Every note fell into place. So I had this beat sitting here that I love so much and I didn't know what to do with it. Sometimes as an artist you find a musical piece that you love so much that you want to do it justice. It's a very overwhelming feeling at times. So I actually turned to Trey Songz and I was like, 'Yo, I got this joint and I know how it makes me feel. I just don't know how to say it the right way.' So I sent him the record and he sent me back this hook and was like, I want to call the song 'Successful.' "

» "November 18." Drake says of this track, which also is not included on the re-release: "My connection with the South is one of the best connections in the world: My father is from Memphis, Tennessee, so at a young age I got a feel for what the South was really about [because] I got to go down there every summer. It really shaped the person that I am to be able to go from a city like Toronto to Memphis. It's like two different worlds: Toronto being this big city, more cultured, it's very different than Memphis. So to go to Memphis I used to love the feeling that I would get hanging out with my cousins and hearing the music from the South and seeing how they support Southern artists. Actually, of the first artists that I really got that feeling from was Yo Gotti. In Memphis at the time Yo Gotti was fresh, he was new, he was just popping. I used to go to his shows and I would sneak in. It was just a thrilling feeling to be a part of it. And then I just started listening to music that the South had to offer and it influenced a lot of my sound."

» "Ignant Sh--" (featuring Lil Wayne). The song that got the most play in our office, its Just Blaze beat (taken from Jay-Z's song of the same title) has a classic feel. Drizzy was so arrogant on the record, not too many people could have come after him on the beat, but Wayne was a downright rap hooligan on it. It has so many quotable lyrics in such a short time span, let's just highlight: "Better cover your eyes, your face falling/ Watch the game from the side, I'm playing calling/ No, I didn't say that I'm flawless/ But I damn sure don't tarnish."

If you need any more convincing, be sure to track down both the mixtape and the re-release. And stay tuned for Drake's official debut LP, Thank Me Later, due in March. Can 2010 be Drake's year even more than 2009 was?

We'll have lots more Best of 2009 picks from Mixtape Daily all week!

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Rihanna's 'Hard' Video: Check Out A Preview!

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 09:32 AM PST

Full video premieres Thursday at 4 p.m. on MTV.
By Kyle Anderson


Rihanna in her video for "Hard"
Photo: Def Jam

Rihanna has always managed to turn heads with her visual sensibilities, starring in fascinating music videos that show off her fashion-forward outlook and her willingness to dive into complicated narratives and images. The singles from her latest album, Rated R, have been no exception: She opted for stunning simplicity on "Wait Your Turn (The Wait Is Ova)" and explored dark noir themes on "Russian Roulette."

Her new video (for the Young Jeezy-assisted "Hard") premieres on MTV at 4 p.m. on Thursday, and MTV's Buzzworthy blog has a 30-second preview.

The preview features the singer dressed in military garb. It's hardly a regulation uniform, though, as she's not wearing pants and at one point pulls her green fatigue shirt open to reveal her chest (with black tape over her breasts). It's the sort of sexy warfare motif that has been all over the artwork for Rated R (most notably the cover to the "Russian Roulette" single).

"It's couture military," Rihanna explained to MTV News during a visit to the video's set two weeks ago. "Everything is surrounded around the idea of something military. We have tanks, we have troops, we've got helicopters, we've got explosions. We've got lots of cute outfits, lots of bullets. It's crazy."

In another image from the video, she is wearing war paint and shoulder pads with spikes coming out of them. That scene takes place in a desert, which recalls the classic clip for Tupac's "California Love." It should give a nice boost to the already well-performing "Hard," which currently sits in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Rihanna's "Hard" video premieres Thursday at 4 p.m. on MTV.

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Short Dawg Signs To Lil Wayne's Label, Readies Debut LP

Posted: 14 Dec 2009 05:13 AM PST

'They were happy to have me over here with them,' MC says of his Young Money labelmates.
By Shaheem Reid


Short Dawg
Photo: MTV News

Houston native Short Dawg has been flying back and forth from his hometown to Atlanta and Miami — anywhere he has to go to record, he gets it in. Short was signed to Def Jam back in 2005 as part of the Russell Simmons Music Group, and later moved over to So So Def when Jermaine Dupri had an executive seat with the company. After years of waiting, nothing ever happened, and he was finally granted his release.

In 2007 Short became friends with Lil Wayne and, with no label contracts binding him, finally signed to Young Money a few months ago.

"I'm definitely on that album — you know I gotta be on that thing," he said about appearing on the We Are Young Money compilation, due December 21.

"It was an 'about time'-type thing," he added about officially signing. "We all been cool. Everybody's been seeing me. We all been hanging on tour buses, going out of town together. Me and Wayne did the 'Hurricane Season' movie together. We were out there in New Orleans together for, like, three months. Everybody embraced me. They were happy to have me over here with them. It's all love over there, one big strong family. All talented people."

Like family members Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga, Short (the name comes from his high school basketball days when he stood at 4-foot-11) also sings in addition to rapping, and insisted fans will get a taste of both on his still-untitled solo debut.

"You gonna learn that I'm not just a rapper," he said about his LP. "I love alternative music. I give you a taste of my alternative side." In fact, one of his alter egos is Elvis Freshly.

"Me and my creative thoughts came up with an alter ego ... something for the ladies," he said. "I got the blue suede shoes and everything. I ain't got no grease for the scalp to make my bangs come out though."

DJ Toomp and Kwamé are among the more established names producing the LP — which has been recorded over the last four years — while various Young Money members along with Akon, Pimp C and Bun B are guest-starring. There's also another cameo appearance that people will be looking forward to hearing: Too Short. The Oakland legend had the nickname "Short Dog" all the way back in the '80s, but the younger Short Dawg says the Bay Area O.G. gave his blessing several years ago to use the moniker.

Short Dawg's new mixtape, Southern Flame Spitta Vol. 3, is out now.

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