MTV News |
- Exclusive: Lil Wayne Talks <i>No Ceilings</i> Mixtape
- Carrie Underwood Says 'Every Woman' Has Met A Cowboy Casanova
- Tupac Featured On <i>Night Of The Living Dead Part II</i> Mixtape
- Rihanna's Song 'Hard,' Featuring Young Jeezy, Hits Radio
- Dave Grohl Looks Back On Foo Fighters' Career With <i>Greatest Hits</i>
- 'The City' Boss Kelly Cutrone Says Olivia Palermo Is 'Misunderstood'
- Alicia Keys Calls 'Empire State Of Mind' Video With Jay-Z A 'Triumph'
- Chris Brown Reveals <i>Graffiti</i> Album Cover Art
- 50 Cent Shows His 'Softer Side' In 'Baby By Me' Video, Fans Say
- Keri Hilson Tried To Make Drake's Birthday Wish Come True
| Exclusive: Lil Wayne Talks <i>No Ceilings</i> Mixtape Posted: 02 Nov 2009 12:06 AM PST We rundown some tracks and get words from Weezy, in Mixtape Daily.
As promised, we got Lil Wayne talking about his No Ceilings mixtape right here. Weezy F. Baby's first official mixtape of the year — he's going in, he's going off, the man in his prime. We're going to take you right in the studio as Wayne records his joints. If you want to get the whole tape for free, check out Young Money's new Web site. This Week's Main Pick Street King: Lil Wayne Holding It Down For: Young Money/ Cash Money Mixtape: No Ceilings
Real Spit: When you're hip-hop's most active touring act and prolific song maker, sometimes your agendas don't mesh. Wayne's been all around the world on his I Am Music tour and Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival, but he says it's too difficult to record while you're on the road. He has a studio on the bus, but you can't record when the bus is rolling. But now, with touring over and Wayne settled back into his routine of living in the studio, he had time to craft No Ceilings — No Ceilings because the sky is the limit. "I don't like to do real songs on there, 'cause the producers be wanting their money," he told DJ Scoob Doo about beat jacking. "So I just do sh-- that's already out. It's easier. N---as be like, 'You killed that n---a on his own song.' That's not the intentions. No, I did not kill nobody on their song. I like the song. That's why I liked it. I didn't kill them. I ain't even rapping like them. I killed their song though." A leak of the mixtape popped up early last week, but Weezy wants everyone to know that it wasn't the official version — he recorded more records, such as "Single," the mixtape title track and a unofficial remix to Beyoncé's "Sweet Dreams," for the proper version. "I got great producers and great friends that gave me great beats," Wayne said. "I went in and did four or five new songs." No Ceilings — in full — dropped on Halloween via the new Young Money Web site. "I'm gonna scare the sh-- out everybody in the muthaf---in' rap game," Wayne told us with a grin. Wayne and Scoob Doo will be releasing "The Nino Brown Story 2" DVD later this year. Joints to Check For: » "Oh Let's Do It." Three minutes and 45 seconds of pure rap dumb-out — Wayne sounds just as hungry now as before he sold a million albums in one week. Dr. Carter kicks his first lines about his jail sentence next year. "Lock the CEO up/ And I'm the CEO, f---/ Prison in February, and I ain't in no rush." He also says a farewell to his ever-present cup. "Rest in peace my Styrofoam, now they won't know what I be on." Look out for when he switches flows halfway through. » "Banned From TV." Weezy goes ape over classic Swizz Beatz from Noreaga's posse cut. "Bi---, I'm in the building/ You just decorating," he raps. "I'm just detonating, then I get blatant/ More dangerous than Internet dating/ Scoob got the cameras on, so I gotta show off/ I put your sister, I'll knock your bro off." Then there's the line that has the whole sports world talking. "Smoke weed, talk sh-- like Lane Kiffin." Kiffin, of course, is the controversial coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers football team. Weezy loves sports. » "Watch My Shoes." Weezy immortalized the beat from 3 Deep's song of the same title. Wayne talks about making love to the beat and digesting his comp. "I'm so unfit because all I eat is rappers/ And these rapper ain't sh--/ I like my fast food faster." » "Sweet Dreams." Beyoncé featuring Nicki Minaj — the Young Money millionaires get in where they fit in, adding extra spice to B's smash. Nick has an array of one-liners referencing Plaxico Burress, "Kung Fu Panda" and our favorite, Falcon Heene: "I'm everywhere/ You like balloon boy, you was never there." Meanwhile, Wayne does it for the show, coming "cold as Theraflu," igniting a lyrical powder keg. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Carrie Underwood Says 'Every Woman' Has Met A Cowboy Casanova Posted: 03 Nov 2009 03:50 AM PST 'We're not trashing this guy; we're just warning these other girls about him,' she says of her sassy single.
Three albums into her career, Carrie Underwood is already a country-music vet, paving the way for ladies like Taylor Swift to find success outside of Nashville. On her latest album, Play On, the "American Idol" alum is proving her songwriting muscle, especially on the sassy first single "Cowboy Casanova."
"I think to every woman, this song would be telling a story about someone they know or met or has tried to pick them up in a bar," she said in an interview with CMT. "There's definitely guys in my past, even if it was a friend's boyfriend or something." Underwood, who has released her fair share of sassy country/pop hits, insists that her song is in no way bashing the title dude. "We're not trashing this guy; we're just warning these other girls about him. Who knows, maybe now people can listen to this song and better identify these men," she said, jokingly adding, "I'm helping women around the world!" Although Underwood helped write seven of the 13 songs on the album, working with writers like "Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi and Mike Elizondo (Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg), Underwood would rather a song on her album be good than written by her. "It's really not that important to me. I love to write, but the best songs win — end of story — whether they're mine or not," she said. "There were a couple where I was like, 'No way' — and they were my own! You'd think I'd be pushing, but I'm not. There are some awesome songwriters out there." Related Artists |
| Tupac Featured On <i>Night Of The Living Dead Part II</i> Mixtape Posted: 03 Nov 2009 03:50 AM PST 'This tape is full of classic records,' the Cookin' Soul guys tell Mixtape Daily.
Lil Wayne's No Ceilingsis making a serious argument for Mixtape of the Year right now. Halloween was a great day for music — heck, a bunch of great music dropped last week. This week is off to great start with the new Rihanna and Young Jeezy joints and Game is talking about releasing four mixtapes at once. Check in with us all week for some exclusives — but today, those Cookin' Soul cats bring back one of the all-time best. Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables Mixtape: Night of the Living Dead Part II Headliner: Tupac Shakur Co-Starring: Cookin' Soul and DJ Whoo Kid Key Collaborations: "The Beyond" featuring Jay-Z; "Halloween Pt. II" featuring Notorious B.I.G.; "The Fog" featuring Notorious B.I.G.
Essential Info: Producers got in on the Halloween action, putting their latest mixtape out on Saturday along with releases from Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy and others. The Soul brothers concentrated on putting a new spin on classics from Tupac Shakur. "Last year we made a classic, Night of the Living Dead Part I," Soul's Big Size said. "So we was talking with Whoo Kid and said, 'We gotta come back this year with another classic. Tupac!,' " Zock added. "One of the greatest ever. We're keeping with the concept of the first one, sampling from horror movies, original soundtracks like 'Fog,' 'Halloween' and 'Dawn of the Dead.' " "This tape is full of classic records," Size confirmed. You can download the mixtape from their Web site. Other Heat This Week » Wiz Khalifa - B.A.R. (Burn After Rolling) For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Rihanna's Song 'Hard,' Featuring Young Jeezy, Hits Radio Posted: 02 Nov 2009 04:14 AM PST The track, which was written by The-Dream, has an abrasive party beat that matches its title.
Yet another new song from Rihanna's upcoming Rated R album hit the radio Monday (November 2). The track is called "Hard," and it matches the title. It has an abrasive party beat, and Rihanna and guest Young Jeezy aren't shy about discussing their elite status.
"Tougher than a lion/ Ain't no need in trying/ I live where the sky ends, yup, you know this," Rihanna sings in a near-rap flow. "Never lying, truth telling/ That Rihanna reign just won't let up/ ... The hottest bi--- in heels right here." Meanwhile, Jeezy talks about his progression. "I used to run my block like Obama and them," Jeezy raps. "Don't believe me, ask my momma and them/ Tell 'em give me back my swag/ They tried to clone me/ See my Louis Chucks, Louis flag, Louis flames, Louis belt/ What that make me, 'Louis Mane'?/ ... 'Hard,' if one word describes me/ If I wasn't doing this, you know where'd I be." "Hard" writer The-Dream talked to MTV News about the track last week. " 'Hard,' I want that song to explain itself," he said. "Most of the stuff I wrote — still to this day what I write — I try to find out through people what they're going through or what they gotta say. Then we put that in." Another Rihanna song, "Wait Your Turn," leaked online Monday. Rated R comes out November 23. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Dave Grohl Looks Back On Foo Fighters' Career With <i>Greatest Hits</i> Posted: 03 Nov 2009 03:50 AM PST 'We never intended for [the band] to become as big as it did,' Grohl says.
Back in the summer of 1995, a strange album appeared in stores. It had an odd brown cover with a comically futuristic pistol on it, and was simply labeled Foo Fighters. There was no indication that a member of one of the most important bands in history was behind it — but it's hard to imagine that anyone interested didn't know that it was the first album from ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl's new band, which, at the time, was just him.
On Tuesday (November 3), more than 14 years later, the band releases Greatest Hits, a collection of 14 of their biggest singles plus two new songs, Wheels" and "Word Forward." But this isn't Grohl and his bandmates calling it a career — rather, they see it as a way to recharge the batteries and reevaluate their future as a band. "The last three records happened within four years, so we were constantly working," Grohl told MTV News last week. "At the end of this touring cycle, it seemed like the perfect time to take a break. We're burnt, the audience needs a break and we need to back off and regroup and re-evaluate and get it back together. But in the meantime, let's put out this thing." Grohl said their record label has been asking them for a hits compilation for several years, but they've been so inspired to make new music that it never felt like the right time. Of course, he's kept himself busy with side-gigs throughout the band's career, whether playing drums for Tom Petty, Killing Joke or Queens of the Stone Age — or, in recent months, forming a band called Them Crooked Vultures with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Queens' Josh Homme and Alain Johannes (that (that band will release its debut LP on November 17). Looking back at the body of work the Foos have produced over the years makes their frontman proud — and more than a little amazed. "It's kind of cool," he said of the album. "I look at the sequence of songs, and it's a pretty accurate representation of what's been going on with the Foo Fighters in the past 15 years. This band started sort of on a dare, and we never intended for it to become as big as it did." Related Artists |
| 'The City' Boss Kelly Cutrone Says Olivia Palermo Is 'Misunderstood' Posted: 03 Nov 2009 03:50 AM PST 'I want her to be happy and well-adjusted,' fellow mean girl says.
Not everyone gets along with Olivia Palermo, including former Diane von Fürstenberg co-worker Whitney Port and current Elle colleague Erin Kaplan. Fellow mean girl Kelly Cutrone, Port's boss on "The City," seems to understand Olivia's iciness — but that doesn't mean she couldn't take her in a catfight. "Olivia Palermo, well, I don't know if I'll be crossing paths with her," she told MTV News. "If I did, I think I would win."
Cutrone said Port's frienemy is surprisingly sensitive. "Have I met her? Yes, I have met her. What is my feeling about her? I haven't hung out with her lately," Cutrone said. "I think she is slightly misunderstood. But I think that she's also a very sensitive person that may escalate at times." Regardless of Palermo's good or bad attributes, Cutrone wants the best for her. "My feeling about her is, I want her to be happy and well-adjusted," she said. "She's never done anything bad to me, so I can't go for the jugular on Olivia." In other Cutrone news, she recently weighed in on who she would like to see play her (a.k.a. Fiona Chen) in the forthcoming big-screen adaptation of Lauren Conrad's "L.A. Candy." "What about Jonathan Rhys Meyers? That could be a really good crossover role for him," she joked to MTV News. "They would have to have black hair — they would have to be slightly on the mean side. I would like Cher to play me. I think that would be really great. She's ageless, and she has long black hair, and she wears all black, and she could be really mean." To see what happens with Kelly and Olivia, tune in to "The City" on Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ET. |
| Alicia Keys Calls 'Empire State Of Mind' Video With Jay-Z A 'Triumph' Posted: 01 Nov 2009 11:29 PM PST 'The way it's put together, it is so New York,' singer says of Hype Williams clip.
Alicia Keys and Jay-Z show off their "Empire State of Mind" with a tour of New York City in the Hype Williams-directed video that premiered on Friday. The video features black-and-white images of the city intercut with full-color shots of Jay and Keys performing in Times Square.
"It is a masterpiece video," Keys told MTV News. "The way it's put together, it is so New York. You totally get it and understand it. It's artistic. It's hard. It's beautiful. It's like everything. And definitely getting to be in the middle of Times Square on my piano [with] Jay, representing our home city is a triumph. It was unbelievable." To Keys, the video has all the key elements of an homage to her hometown: "You have to have the skyline — it's not New York without the skyline. You have to have the Empire State Building — it's not New York without the Empire State Building. You have to also have variety. That's what New York is about. There's diversity here and so you see that. It's really beautiful." The video was shot on location in some of the busiest areas of the city that never sleeps, which always provides interesting challenges for the crew. "I think that's the exciting part about it," said Keys, who performed the song with Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium for game two of the World Series last week. "That's why you feel the energy that is New York. And you'll see different parts of New York, and different parts of New York have different energy, so you see that a lot. I understand from Hype and Jay they, like, bogarted parts of New York, and they went in and you feel that and it's all love." Related Artists |
| Chris Brown Reveals <i>Graffiti</i> Album Cover Art Posted: 02 Nov 2009 01:16 AM PST Singer appears as a serious, space-travelling, guitar-playing graffiti artist.
Chris Brown released the album cover for his forthcoming Graffiti album (due December 15) on Monday (November 2). The singer tweeted the image on Monday afternoon, just as images from his "Crawl" music video were released. On the cover, Brown is decked out in all black wearing a blazer, turtleneck, sunglasses and army boots and holding an electric guitar one shoulder and a can of spray paint in the other hand — which actually looks like a mechanical hand. He appears to be standing in a spacecraft, in front of a window showing stars and the Earth. The album's title is in a liquid, futuristic silver font, contrasting oddly with a collection of colorful cartoon characters. "CHRIS BROWN 'CRAWL' VIDEO STILLS & ALBUM COVER+NIKE SPORTSWEAR RIVALRY COLLECTION FEATURING CASSETTE PLAYA & MORE!" Brown tweeted, with a link to his site, MechanicalDummy.com, where he posted photos. In stills released from his "Crawl" video, Brown is seen on two main sets — one in a desert, the other a snow- and puddle-spotted alleyway. In both settings, the singer wears the same outfit: thick black glasses, brown leather trench coat, white T-shirt, fingerless gloves, white belt, jeans and high-top sneakers. In one photo, he is joined by Bad Boy artist Cassie, who will make an appearance in the video. The video was directed by his "I Will Transform Ya" director, Joseph Kahn. "I mean, everything that's happened to him in the year, I think this is going to be his big statement, in terms of what he's feeling and what he's living through right now," Kahn explained to MTV News. "I don't even know if Chris is trying to say anything with the video. I think he just sort of, as an artist, I think Chris communicates more through what he does ... and so what he does in the video will speak for itself." Related Photos Related Artists |
| 50 Cent Shows His 'Softer Side' In 'Baby By Me' Video, Fans Say Posted: 02 Nov 2009 03:15 AM PST Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland is a hit in the clip: 'It's nice to see her out there.'
50 Cent talks a big game in his songs, relaying his tales from the street to his eager fans. And when you think "50 Cent music video," you'd probably expect a similarly tough take.
So what's with the family-man look in his brand-new clip for "Baby by Me," featuring Ne-Yo? We took the music video down to the folks waiting in Times Square to be in the "It's On With Alexa Chung" audience to see what they thought of the new V-neck-sweater-wearing 50 Cent. "I like to see the softer side of 50 Cent — wearing the sweater, with the kids," Ryan said. It seems like the people are ready to trade "50 Cent the badass" for "Curtis the family man." For a handful of respondents, Kelly Rowland's role in the video was a highlight. "I haven't seen Kelly in a while," T'shawn said. "It's nice to see her out there, looking all sexy in her lingerie." Even the bedroom shots seem to convey a kinder, gentler 50 Cent. And with Ne-Yo on the hook, the song itself definitely has the crossover effect. "I've never actually liked 50 Cent, but this one really caught my attention," Josie told us. "I actually like this song a lot." What do you think of 50 Cent's softer side? Are you happy to see Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland back on the scene? Let us know in the comments section below! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Keri Hilson Tried To Make Drake's Birthday Wish Come True Posted: 02 Nov 2009 03:19 AM PST 'I called him and [the phone] went straight to voice mail,' she says of her attempt to serenade the MC at his request.
It seems like celebrities even turn to Twitter to make birthday wishes come true. Drake turned 23 years old on October 24, and one of the gifts he asked for was a serenade from Keri Hilson. Drake posted the request on Twitter, saying, "I wish Keri Hilson would call me and sing 'Slow Dance' to me for my birthday. That's my jawnt." Ms. Keri spoke to MTV News last week and assured us that she definitely tried to grant Drake his request, but the Young Money young gun would not answer the phone.
"I tried," Hilson explained. "Drake ... for his birthday he asked me to sing my latest single 'Slow Dance.' I just randomly saw it. I rarely check my updates, but I did. ... You know, Drake rarely tweets. That's why I said, 'It feels like my birthday with you tweeting and all.' He said, 'For my birthday, I really wish Keri Hilson could sing me "Slow Dance." ' So he said, 'Keri, you should call me and sing "Slow Dance" a cappella.' So I was like, 'He's gonna call me out?' So I called him and [the phone] went straight to voice mail. I tried. I told him I tried and he put on Twitter, 'She actually tried.' " Drizzy did give Hilson her props, writing, "Twitter is too powerful ... Sing to me my angel ... Sing to meee!" Both Hilson and Drake have recorded songs for Timbaland's upcoming Shock Value 2. Related Artists |
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