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Dom Kennedy Is Taking ‘A Stand’ On His Latest Mixtape

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

L.A. MC tells Mixtape Daily he wanted The Original Dom Kennedy to show ‘the way we grew up and our lifestyle.’ By Steven Roberts, with reporting by James Lacsina Dom Kennedy Photo: MTV News Main Pick Street Captain : Dom Kennedy Representing : Los Angeles Mixtape : The Original Dom Kennedy Real Spit : With the exception of Game and Snoop, it may seem like the West has remained quiet for the last few years, but if you agree with that sentiment, then you probably haven’t been paying close enough attention. L.A., in particular, has a gang of young, up-and-coming spitters primed to grab the mantle. Case in point, Leimert Park’s very own Dom Kennedy. Dom has been making noise on the underground for some time and now he’s packing shows in a city near you. The Cali MC recently dropped his latest mixtape, The Original Dom Kennedy, and he told Mixtape Daily that it reflects the sides of him that have been missing from his previous projects. “It was a part of me that wasn’t in all of those projects, and with The Original Dom Kennedy, it was a time for me to take a stand in music. The way we grew up and our lifestyle, being kids from the inner city of Los Angeles. I just felt like that was missing,” Dom said. Joints to Check For

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Wiz Khalifa Contemplates Success In ‘The Race’

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The Pittsburgh MC talks about his new Rolling Papers today at 4 p.m. ET on MTV’s ‘Rapfix Live.’ By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Steven Roberts Wiz Khalifa Photo: MTV News Through hard work Wiz Khalifa has risen from heralded underground rapper to hit-making star in the past year, and he addresses his ascent on his new album, Rolling Papers. On the I.D. Labs-produced track, “The Race,” the Pittsburgh lyricist takes a smoke-filled trip down memory lane. “I’m in the race and taking the winner’s place,” he waxes melodically on the song. “No foot on the breaks/ One of the best, homey, that’s what they call me/ It’s lonely at the top, ain’t no company/ So now I just stunt on my own, I just stunt on my own.” “It’s a personal song without being too preachy,” Wiz told MTV News about the track as he celebrated his album’s release on Tuesday. “It really just explains how I feel at certain points. Just doing work, anyone can feel like that when you grinding from the bottom and get to a certain point. You see people who, in the beginning or middle, were riding with you, then there’s some adversity, and at the end of the day, it’s about who’s with you in the end.” After being tapped as a rising star by Rolling Stone while he was still in high school and putting out a series of mixtapes and an independent album, the 23-year-old Wiz was soaking up his recent success as he inked his name on copies of Rolling Papers at a Best Buy in Manhattan. “It’s totally exhilarating to see kids lined up outside, screaming, wanting the album and purchasing the album,” Wiz said. “It was actually, like, a year ago that I first started working on the album. “I didn’t really know where I was going, but I knew I was going somewhere,” he added. “To have it done and to see the full vision and for people to be excited about it and the entire buildup, it’s just really magnificent.” Wiz Khalifa makes his second appearance on MTV News’ “RapFix Live,” hosted by Sway on Wednesday (March 30) at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com. Related Artists Wiz Khalifa

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Daniel Radcliffe Says Final ‘Harry Potter’ Press Tour Will Be ‘Weird’

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ actor will trade Broadway for red carpets when ‘Deathly Hallows’ premieres in July. By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe Photo: MTV News The end is almost upon us. Over a decade after production on the first “Harry Potter” began, the final film hits theaters in July, and as J.K. Rowling promised Daniel Radcliffe , she’s not going to write more books about the boy wizard. That’s fine by Radcliffe, who has joked on many an occasion that he’s ready to leave the franchise behind, not least because there’d be something unseemly about playing Harry as the actor approached middle age. But he’s not done with “Potter” yet. There’s still the upcoming press tour for the second part of “Deathly Hallows,” which will require Radcliffe to step away from his new Broadway musical, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” for a few days. And, as he told MTV News recently, transitioning from one show-business world to another is going to be strange. “In a way, it will probably be weird to suddenly have to switch out of the mode I’m in for this show and then go and do press,” he said, adding with a laugh, “But I can do that. I’m very versatile!” Being able to jump from performing to plugging and back again, Radcliffe added, simply comes with the territory. “I think any actor that does a big film or even a show like this now without the expectation that they will have to do press for it is very naive,” he said. “It’s part of the job. It’s as much a part of the job almost as anything else.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV News Rough Cut: Daniel Radcliffe Related Photos ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 1’

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Snoop Dogg Explains How Kanye West Collabo ‘Eyez Closed’ Happened

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I was in the studio with Swizz Beatz and heard some beats, and it was Kanye West,’ Snoop recalls to MTV News. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Steven Roberts Snoop Dogg Photo: MTV News Snoop Dogg was working with Swizz Beatz in the studio when he decided to let the world know he settled on a name for his next album — Doggystyle 2: The Doggumentary — which he later shortened to just Doggumentary. The producer proved to be good luck for the veteran rapper. During another session in New York when the pair were working together, Snoop said he heard music coming from another room and decided to investigate. The result? “Eyez Closed,” from his latest project — which dropped Tuesday (March 29) — produced by and featuring Kanye West; John Legend also appears on the track. “I was in the studio with Swizz Beatz and walked down the hallway and heard some beats, and it was Kanye West,” Snoop told MTV News. “He called me into the studio and played me a couple of songs from his album. He was like, ‘I got this song that’s not gonna make the album, but listen to it.’ ” The rocking “Eyez Closed” lifts a sample from Jimmy Spicer’s “Money (Dollar Bill Y’all),” also used by Maino for his breakout “Hi Hater.” On the number, a reflective Snoop pays respect to the younger generation while reaffirming his status. “Run these MCs, I’m tougher than leather,” Snoop raps. Earlier this month, Snoop spoke with MTV News about his career, which has spawned 11 solo albums, from his Death Row days to riding with Master P and his No Limit soldiers to his latest incarnation as Wiz Khalifa’s mentor . “I don’t really think of it as reinventing myself, ’cause it’s all within me,” Snoop explained. “It’s all who I am. It’s more or less faces of Snoop Dogg or characters of Snoop Dogg that’s in this one spirit. But at the same time, he’s able to embellish different parts of the character to create this look, that style, that sound. But it’s all the same. Because when I do it all at once, when I do a concept that has all the songs, I don’t have enough time to change and act like this; it’s still me.” Have you heard Snoop’s latest yet? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Artists Snoop Dogg Kanye West

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Wiz Khalifa Hypes Rolling Papers At NYC In-Store Appearance

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It’s totally exhilarating to see kids lined up outside,’ MC marvels on the day of his debut album’s release. By Steven Roberts Wiz Khalifa Photo: MTV News NEW YORK — A year ago, Wiz Khalifa was a relative unknown. Sure, Wiz was selling out shows, but outside his loyal Taylor Gang fanbase, he wasn’t a household name. That all changed with the release of his breakout mixtape, Kush & Orange Juice, and the anthemic single “Black and Yellow.” Fast-forward 10 months, and Khalifa’s major-label debut, Rolling Papers, is in a battle for the week’s #1 release against Snoop Dogg and Britney Spears. MTV News caught up with Khalifa on Tuesday afternoon (March 29) for his in-store at Best Buy in Union Square, and even he was shocked to see fans lined up around the block. “It’s totally exhilarating to see kids lined up outside, screaming, wanting the album and purchasing the album,” Khalifa marveled. “It was actually like a year ago that I first started working on the album. “I didn’t really know where I was going, but I knew I was going somewhere,” he continued. “To have it done and to see the full vision and for people to be excited about it and the entire buildup, it’s just really magnificent.” Plenty of excited — but also laid-back, of course — Wiz fans waited outside Best Buy for a chance to meet Khalifa and get his autograph. Many of them came out on Monday night to buy the album at midnight and receive a wristband to meet Wiz on Tuesday. “I love that kid, no lie. I don’t know that kid personally, but when I greeted him, I was in the zone,” fan Daniel Candelairo told MTV News. “I’ve been listening to him since ’07, so unlike most people out here claiming Taylor Gang — I’m not into all of that. I just listen to his music and I promote him.” Candelairo recalled catching flak for being a Wiz fan back in the day, but he’s enjoyed the turnaround. “He’s blowing. Everybody loves this kid,” he said. “It’s awesome. I’m proud of him.” Have you checked out Wiz’s debut album yet? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Artists Wiz Khalifa

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Snoop Dogg Remembers Nate Dogg As A ‘Genuine’ Homey

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It was the things he did for me as a friend before I had a record deal,’ Snoop tells MTV News. By Steven Roberts Snoop Dogg Photo: MTV News Nate Dogg was laid to rest this past weekend in his hometown of Long Beach, California. Several artists came to pay their last respects, including Dr. Dre, Daz and Kurupt . They gathered alongside the G-Funk crooner’s friends and family on a gloomy Saturday morning. At his funeral, an emotional Snoop Dogg spoke about how the two attended the same high school. “1986, Poly High School, that’s where we connected for the first time,” Snoop reflected on his friend. “We didn’t know each other, but the music connected us. We built a brotherhood, a friendship.” On Monday (March 28), MTV News caught up with Snoop after his appearance on “The Seven,” and he elaborated on what his friendship with Nate meant to him. “As a friend, Nate Dogg, was like a brother, a homey, someone who understood Snoop Dogg, someone who understood the struggle of Snoop Dogg, because he was a part of the struggle of Snoop Dogg. We created a group, 213: me, him and Warren G, back in the late ’80s that spawned our careers.” The rapper and the crooner collaborated frequently throughout their careers, recording G-Funk hits like “It Ain’t No Fun” and “Bitch Please,” but for Snoop it was all about the time they spent together coming up. “His friendship meant so much to me, because it was more about before we made records, as opposed to when people [saw] us in the limelight. It was the things he did for me as a friend before I had a record deal. The belief he had in me as an artist, as a homey, and just staying down and sticking to the rules of the game. That’s what made Nate so genuine.” Related Videos Remembering Nate Dogg Related Photos Snoop Dogg Tweetpics: The Tattooed Tribute To Nate Dogg Nate Dogg: A Life In Photos Related Artists Snoop Dogg Nate Dogg

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Snoop Dogg Remembers Nate Dogg As A ‘Genuine’ Homey

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It was the things he did for me as a friend before I had a record deal,’ Snoop tells MTV News. By Steven Roberts Snoop Dogg Photo: MTV News Nate Dogg was laid to rest this past weekend in his hometown of Long Beach, California. Several artists came to pay their last respects, including Dr. Dre, Daz and Kurupt . They gathered alongside the G-Funk crooner’s friends and family on a gloomy Saturday morning. At his funeral, an emotional Snoop Dogg spoke about how the two attended the same high school. “1986, Poly High School, that’s where we connected for the first time,” Snoop reflected on his friend. “We didn’t know each other, but the music connected us. We built a brotherhood, a friendship.” On Monday (March 28), MTV News caught up with Snoop after his appearance on “The Seven,” and he elaborated on what his friendship with Nate meant to him. “As a friend, Nate Dogg, was like a brother, a homey, someone who understood Snoop Dogg, someone who understood the struggle of Snoop Dogg, because he was a part of the struggle of Snoop Dogg. We created a group, 213: me, him and Warren G, back in the late ’80s that spawned our careers.” The rapper and the crooner collaborated frequently throughout their careers, recording G-Funk hits like “It Ain’t No Fun” and “Bitch Please,” but for Snoop it was all about the time they spent together coming up. “His friendship meant so much to me, because it was more about before we made records, as opposed to when people [saw] us in the limelight. It was the things he did for me as a friend before I had a record deal. The belief he had in me as an artist, as a homey, and just staying down and sticking to the rules of the game. That’s what made Nate so genuine.” Related Videos Remembering Nate Dogg Related Photos Snoop Dogg Tweetpics: The Tattooed Tribute To Nate Dogg Nate Dogg: A Life In Photos Related Artists Snoop Dogg Nate Dogg

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Odd Future’s MellowHype Eat Tacos With Jay-Z

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Also, the duo’s Hodgy Beats tells MTV News, ‘We’re trying to put out two albums this year.’ By Steven Roberts, with reporting by Christopher “CJ” Smith and Dominic Masi While Tyler, the Creator may be Odd Future’s outspoken mouthpiece and (currently missing) Earl Sweatshirt the group’s most intriguing member, MellowHype’s Hodgy Beats and Left Brain are no less talented and the pair are primed to start making a lot of noise themselves. MellowHype consists of producer Left Brain and rapper Hodgy Beats, and they performed alongside Tyler during OF’s watershed moment on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” in February. The duo first met in high school and went on to release two albums, YelloWhite and BlackendWhite, last year, while Hodgy released his solo The Dena Tape in 2009. Both MellowHype projects were well-received and they plan to re-release a re-mastered version of BlackendWhite through their new label, Fat Possum. And that’s not all. When MTV News caught up with the duo in Austin during South by Southwest, Hodgy said they planned to drop a lot more material. “We’re trying to put out, like, two albums this year, even if it’s not put out, we’re trying to make two albums. I’ll have my solo album, so for me it will be like three albums,” Hodgy said. “We’re pretty much already finished with the new MellowHype project, which is called MellowHype Numbers. We have 2 more songs to record and then it’s done.” Hodgy said they had been working out of the studio in engineer Syd’s house for the last four years, typically crank out three songs a day. “I’ll sit there, we’ll build and the next thing you know we have a song. We have the chorus, we have the ad-libs finished, we have the hook, we have everything we want. It’s not hard, because I’m not working. I’m just enjoying my task.” Despite the whirlwind Odd Future has been swept up in over the last few months, Hodgy said he was shocked by the impact their music has made. The L.A. group has appeared in and on the cover of several magazines, got “signed” in a Funny or Die video and arguably made the most noise coming out of Austin for SXSW . For Left Brain, the highlight of his time in Texas was when the group enjoyed some “good-ass tacos” with Jay-Z. (The group first met with Jay, weeks ago, during their brief East Coast tour.) “It was hard for me to look at Jay-Z for 10 minutes. Like, real sh–, this is the godfather of music,” Hodgy said. ” ‘I just shook his hand in his house.’ Honestly, it made me want to work harder. Jay-Z is amazing.” What are your thoughts on Odd Future offshoot MellowHype? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Jay-Z

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Above & Beyond’s Tony McGuinness Turns Breakup Into ‘Sun & Moon’

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Trance group gears up for Miami music week with their newest single. By Adam Stewart Tony McGuinness Photo: MTV News For Above & Beyond , and their loyal following, these are exciting times. With Miami’s annual Anjunabeats party on the horizon (at the Ice Palace on March 24), and their highly anticipated second studio album, Group Therapy, out in June, 2011 is shaping up to be a massive year for the U.K. trance trio. The album’s first single and video , “Sun & Moon,” recently hit the Web, and MTV News had the chance to catch up with one third of the collaborative, Tony McGuinness who gave us a little insight into the story behind song. “It was written about the same girl [Katy] that a lot of our early songs were written about,” McGuinness told MTV News. “It was a contender for the OceanLab album [ Sirens of the Sea ], but for many reasons, it didn’t make it on. It’s gone through a number of incarnations, and I think the reason why we were really happy for it to be the first single is that the sound of it is very now. … It is kind of classic Above & Beyond, a sad song — and that’s sort of what we do. I think when we do it well, we do it as well as anybody. That’s kind of our trademark, really.” The video, directed by Ferry Gouw, stars Alex Childs and Steve Cato as a feuding couple who have entered that “one last try” phase of a failing relationship that ends in a breakup. Eventually, she leaves him, and he turns to music and dancing for comfort. “I think everybody that you spend time with in your life, you learn from and grow through that period, and certainly that was true with Katy,” he explained. “So, she’s in my past, she’s a ‘failed relationship,’ but to me it was anything but a failure. And that’s what this song’s really trying to say, you know, whatever experiences you have, romantic or otherwise with people, there’s always a part of that relationship that lives on in your memory, hence the line, ‘You’ll never get over me, I’ll never get over you.’ I think those things are important. We’re still friends. I’m not sure how she feels about me writing about the darker parts of our relationship all the time, but, you know, I think that’s part of the inspiration that you get from other people.” McGuinness defines “Sun & Moon” as a sequel to the smash single “Alone Tonight”, from 2006’s Tri-State. “I really wanted to make sure that we represented the album, which I think ‘Sun and Moon’ does,” McGuinness said. “[It’s] smack back in the middle of what the album’s about. So I think sonically and musically and lyrically, it’s a very good advert for the album.” Will you be checking out Above & Beyond at their annual Anjunabeats party at the Ice Palace in Miami on March 24? Come say hi to the MTV News crew and let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Above & Beyond’s Tony McGuinness Turns Breakup Into ‘Sun & Moon’

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Trance group gears up for Miami music week with their newest single. By Adam Stewart Tony McGuinness Photo: MTV News For Above & Beyond , and their loyal following, these are exciting times. With Miami’s annual Anjunabeats party on the horizon (at the Ice Palace on March 24), and their highly anticipated second studio album, Group Therapy, out in June, 2011 is shaping up to be a massive year for the U.K. trance trio. The album’s first single and video , “Sun & Moon,” recently hit the Web, and MTV News had the chance to catch up with one third of the collaborative, Tony McGuinness who gave us a little insight into the story behind song. “It was written about the same girl [Katy] that a lot of our early songs were written about,” McGuinness told MTV News. “It was a contender for the OceanLab album [ Sirens of the Sea ], but for many reasons, it didn’t make it on. It’s gone through a number of incarnations, and I think the reason why we were really happy for it to be the first single is that the sound of it is very now. … It is kind of classic Above & Beyond, a sad song — and that’s sort of what we do. I think when we do it well, we do it as well as anybody. That’s kind of our trademark, really.” The video, directed by Ferry Gouw, stars Alex Childs and Steve Cato as a feuding couple who have entered that “one last try” phase of a failing relationship that ends in a breakup. Eventually, she leaves him, and he turns to music and dancing for comfort. “I think everybody that you spend time with in your life, you learn from and grow through that period, and certainly that was true with Katy,” he explained. “So, she’s in my past, she’s a ‘failed relationship,’ but to me it was anything but a failure. And that’s what this song’s really trying to say, you know, whatever experiences you have, romantic or otherwise with people, there’s always a part of that relationship that lives on in your memory, hence the line, ‘You’ll never get over me, I’ll never get over you.’ I think those things are important. We’re still friends. I’m not sure how she feels about me writing about the darker parts of our relationship all the time, but, you know, I think that’s part of the inspiration that you get from other people.” McGuinness defines “Sun & Moon” as a sequel to the smash single “Alone Tonight”, from 2006’s Tri-State. “I really wanted to make sure that we represented the album, which I think ‘Sun and Moon’ does,” McGuinness said. “[It’s] smack back in the middle of what the album’s about. So I think sonically and musically and lyrically, it’s a very good advert for the album.” Will you be checking out Above & Beyond at their annual Anjunabeats party at the Ice Palace in Miami on March 24? Come say hi to the MTV News crew and let us know what you think in the comments below!

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