‘Drake introduced me, it was great,’ Weezy tells MTV News of his 2011 performance. By Rob Markman, with additional reporting by Jim Cantiello Lil Wayne performing at the 2011 VMAs Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage When last year’s Video Music Awards aired, Lil Wayne was in a Rikers Island jail cell serving out an eight-month bid. So when he agreed to participate in this year’s VMAs , he knew it had to be big. Not only did Weezy close out the awards show on Sunday night, he timed his Tha Carter IV for a midnight digital release, so fans could purchase the album shortly after watching him on TV. “This was actually very important to me,” Weezy F. told MTV News correspondent Jim Cantiello after closing the big show. “I’ve actually never had a moment like this.” Kicking off the performance with “How to Love,” Wayne started out subdued. Dressed in a white tee, fedora and black-and-white cheetah-print pants, he crooned the words to the acoustic ballad. But by the end of the first verse, the Young Money CEO went into full-on rock mode, stripping his shirt and tossing his hat as he jammed out to a Black Sabbath-inspired rendition of his street single “John.” Wayne even jumped into the crowd and greeted his friend and collaborator on the song, Rick Ross . After making his way back to the stage, the Rebirth rapper picked up a guitar and began to play a few notes before slamming it to the ground in true rock star fashion. All in all, it seemed to be an enjoyable night for Weezy and his YMCMB family. After Nicki Minaj won Best Hip-Hop Video , Wayne, Birdman, Mack Maine and Tyga happily celebrated in the aisles of the Nokia Theatre. “This is my first time, period, so I’m just ecstatic, I’m amazed,” Wayne said about closing the VMAs. “I already have Moonmen at home, so I was good with that. Nicki Minaj got a Moonman, so that was awesome. I got to perform, Drake introduced me, it was great.” Tell us what you thought of Wayne’s VMA performance in the comments below! Related Videos VMA 2011: Performances VMA 2011: Backstage Interviews Related Photos VMA 2011: Show Highlights Related Artists Lil Wayne Rick Ross Drake Nicki Minaj
With the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind around the corner, today’s biggest acts recall 1991’s other classic albums. By James Montgomery Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik Photo: Warner Bros. In a few short weeks, Nirvana’s epochal Nevermind album turns 20, a milestone that will be marked with much coverage, celebration and consternation in the media — and understandably so. After all, it was a game-changer in every sense of the term, the kind of album that brought about seismic shifts in music, fashion and culture in general, one that defined a generation and, as such, deserves to be mythologized. And, in the coming weeks, we suspect you’ll see no shortage of stories that do just that. While Nevermind casts an indelibly lengthy shadow, it bears mention that there were no shortage of other magical, massive and equally mythological albums that hit stores in 1991 — from mega-platinum rock blockbusters to best-kept indie secrets, and just about everything in between — classics that, had Nirvana never broken through, would probably be getting the royal treatment right now. In 1991, rock truly rocked, so, in celebration of that fact, we’ve asked some of today’s biggest bands to discuss their favorite albums from that rather amazing year. On Wednesday, we heard from Death Cab for Cutie and Blink-182 ; now, Skrillex and Foster the People share their faves. Don’t worry, we’ll give Nevermind its due — but right now, we’re paying tribute to 1991’s other indispensible albums, in the words of their biggest fans. Metallica, The Black Album The one where “old” Metallica ended and “new” Metallica began — at least according to the die-hards — the band’s fifth studio album (it’s technically self-titled, though, come on, who doesn’t call it The Black Album ?) saw them drifting away from their slash-and-burn thrash-metal past into a new, decidedly fuller phase, one fleshed out with orchestral flourishes and an increased focus on the booming rhythm section of Jason Newstead and Lars Ulrich. Though its recording was plagued by battles with producer Bob Rock, The Black Album features the band’s most iconic songs — “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” etc. — and remains their best-selling to date, moving a staggering 22 million copies worldwide. Love it or hate it, you can’t deny its impact, both on the band and the next two decades of hard rock. As Remembered by Skrillex : “Man, The Black Album was me sitting in my room when I was 9 years old, trying to learn all the songs on guitar. That was, for me, rocking out, no reservations, like I was on the stage. And learning the ‘Holier Than Thou’ riff was, like, the biggest achievement, because it’s so hard. Every record on that album is so amazing. … Obviously, ‘Enter Sandman,’ ‘Wherever I May Roam’ … that was the first Metallica song I learned, after ‘Enter Sandman.’ I love The Black Album. It’s perfect; it’s a masterpiece in every way, from front to back, and it’s inspired me, consciously or subconsciously, because I had such a connection to it.” Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik One of the most important, celebrated albums of the ’90s alt-rock explosion, Blood Sugar saw the Chili Peppers grow up, get deep and, of course, become hugely famous. While songs like “Give It Away” and “Suck My Kiss” still bobbed and weaved with the band’s visceral energy, it was on tracks like the massive “Under the Bridge” and “Breaking the Girl” where they slowed things down and found their biggest commercial successes. Recorded by producer Rick Rubin in a supposedly haunted mansion in Laurel Canyon, its creation has become the stuff of rock legend, and though the Peppers would subsequently sag beneath its success (guitarist John Frusciante, unable to cope with his sudden fame, quit the band mid-tour) Blood Sugar still stands as perhaps the finest accomplishment of their 28-year career. It would be nearly four years before they released a follow-up, though, given the album’s hugely influential status, you really couldn’t blame them. As Remembered by Mark Pontius, Foster the People : “My favorite record of 1991, and I think the only reason I got this record was my sister had it, and she’s older than me, so it just sort of fell into my lap, is Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik. I think I have to credit that record [for teaching me] a lot of my drumming skills. I loved playing their records, and that one always stuck out to me. It had so much grit, and that was rock and roll at that time of my life.” What is your favorite 1991 rock album? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos Death Cab, Blink-182, Skrillex Remember Classic Albums From 1991 Related Artists Skrillex Red Hot Chili Peppers Foster the People Metallica Nirvana
‘I never been on a real video set,’ MGK admits to MTV News. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Matt Elias Machine Gun Kelly on the set of the “Stereo” music video Photo: MTV News Bigger deals mean bigger budgets. While on the come-up, Cleveland, Ohio’s Machine Gun Kelly made the most of his independent music grind, but his new deal with Diddy ‘s Bad Boy Records has allowed the rapid-fire rapper to do things slightly bigger. “This is the first video we’re doing with Bad Boy/Interscope,” MGK told MTV News on Monday while on the set of the Colin Tilley-directed clip for his mixtape cut “Stereo.” “Man, our videos? C’mon man, they’re like all directed by us; like jokes, then we turn it and flip it and make it great,” he said of his past vids like “Cleveland” and “Salute.” For “Stereo,” Kells invaded Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility in Whittier, California. “We shut the whole thing down, moved all the prisoners in one room and they’re all jerking off together, it’s pretty crazy,” he joked. “It’s just a bunch of just badass girls, and we’re all just getting shipped to the correctional facility and we’re just having a bad time. It’s like the music comes on and it kinda cheers us up, kinda just excited and ready to do whatever.” In August, Diddy announced that he signed MGK on “RapFix Live,” and while Kelly doesn’t exactly fit the Bad Boy rapper mold set by the likes of the Notorious B.I.G. , Mase and the LOX , Combs insisted that he doesn’t want the youngster to change a thing. “He will not be changing for Bad Boy; he will not have a typical Bad Boy swag,” Diddy said. “He’s not going to be popping champagne or driving around in Bentleys. He’s gonna be him and true to himself. He has a lot of creative control in his project.” After breaking through with his 2010 mixtape Lace Up, MGK caught hip-hop’s attention. His popularity began to grow so much that the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers began to play his hometown ode “Cleveland” at home games during the 2010-2011 basketball season. On the upbeat “Stereo,” MGK raps metaphorically about his love affair with music and his stereo. For Kells, turning his underground fan-favorite into his first big visual means the world to him. “We’re just about being organic and keeping everything how it was before the deal, so we’re taking one of the older songs that the fans love,” he said. “I never been on a real video set. I’m so happy I’m from Cleveland, Ohio, dude. This whole experience is just crazy.” Related Artists Machine Gun Kelly
‘I never been on a real video set,’ MGK admits to MTV News. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Matt Elias Machine Gun Kelly on the set of the “Stereo” music video Photo: MTV News Bigger deals mean bigger budgets. While on the come-up, Cleveland, Ohio’s Machine Gun Kelly made the most of his independent music grind, but his new deal with Diddy ‘s Bad Boy Records has allowed the rapid-fire rapper to do things slightly bigger. “This is the first video we’re doing with Bad Boy/Interscope,” MGK told MTV News on Monday while on the set of the Colin Tilley-directed clip for his mixtape cut “Stereo.” “Man, our videos? C’mon man, they’re like all directed by us; like jokes, then we turn it and flip it and make it great,” he said of his past vids like “Cleveland” and “Salute.” For “Stereo,” Kells invaded Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility in Whittier, California. “We shut the whole thing down, moved all the prisoners in one room and they’re all jerking off together, it’s pretty crazy,” he joked. “It’s just a bunch of just badass girls, and we’re all just getting shipped to the correctional facility and we’re just having a bad time. It’s like the music comes on and it kinda cheers us up, kinda just excited and ready to do whatever.” In August, Diddy announced that he signed MGK on “RapFix Live,” and while Kelly doesn’t exactly fit the Bad Boy rapper mold set by the likes of the Notorious B.I.G. , Mase and the LOX , Combs insisted that he doesn’t want the youngster to change a thing. “He will not be changing for Bad Boy; he will not have a typical Bad Boy swag,” Diddy said. “He’s not going to be popping champagne or driving around in Bentleys. He’s gonna be him and true to himself. He has a lot of creative control in his project.” After breaking through with his 2010 mixtape Lace Up, MGK caught hip-hop’s attention. His popularity began to grow so much that the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers began to play his hometown ode “Cleveland” at home games during the 2010-2011 basketball season. On the upbeat “Stereo,” MGK raps metaphorically about his love affair with music and his stereo. For Kells, turning his underground fan-favorite into his first big visual means the world to him. “We’re just about being organic and keeping everything how it was before the deal, so we’re taking one of the older songs that the fans love,” he said. “I never been on a real video set. I’m so happy I’m from Cleveland, Ohio, dude. This whole experience is just crazy.” Related Artists Machine Gun Kelly
‘Yeah, we are going hard for Christmas!! #mistletoe,’ Bieber tweeted. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: FilmMagic Just after news hit that Justin Bieber had been involved in a minor car accident , the teen pop star began releasing details about his forthcoming Christmas album , which he just announced last week. In a Twitter conversation with his manager, Scooter Braun, the pair revealed more info about the album, even sharing that it won’t contain the holiday standards fans might expect. “This Christmas album is amazing. Might be the best album yet,” Scooter Braun wrote on the social networking site. “All originals … soon 2 b classics. every1 i play it 4 is blown away. #excited.” The 17-year-old superstar then shared, “@scooterbraun yeah we are going hard for Christmas!! #mistletoe.” He later revealed that he had been recording tracks with some of his pals. “Had a great studio session with my big bro @seankingston and the talented @jonathanrotem #GOODMUSIC.” Producer Kuk Harrell (Rihanna, Katy Perry) has also been tweeting about hitting the studio with the singer and revealed another collaboration. “Wow!! Got to see @justinbieber & @taylorswift13 write a song together last night!!” he shared last week. “SMASH!!!! SMASH!!! SMASH!!! Let’s do it again y’all!!!” Bieber hit the stage with Swift during one of her shows in Los Angeles last week. Perhaps as a hint of what is to come, Bieber also retweeted a message from Braun in which Braun said, “Goin 2 bed listening 2 this new xmas album bieber is coming with. really #classic. original xmas tunes that r legit hit records. #greatmusic.” Bieber has been working hard on new music, both holiday-themed and other. When MTV News caught up with him earlier this summer, he wanted his fans to know that anything is possible on his next album. “[I’m] writing about how I feel and producing. I’ve been producing on my laptop and on my computer,” he said. “I’ve been really into it and, hopefully, this next album will be huge.” He added, “I’ve done a lot on my acoustic guitar, so it’s gonna have that vibe,” he explained. “I’m not gonna really limit myself. I think music is music, and genre — I mean, I know there’s country music, there’s rock music, but my music is different. My voice is not meant for any style. I just want to make music.” Are you excited about Justin Bieber’s Christmas album? Tell us in the comments. Related Artists Justin Bieber
‘It’s especially an honor to be able to give back to the Japanese community that’s been so devastated and been so great in supporting us,’ Bennington says. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Vanessa Whitewolf Chester Bennington of Linkin Park performs to raise money for Japanese tsunami relief in Los Angeles Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Linkin Park got together with 1,100 of their biggest fans on Wednesday night to play a very special show. Normally used to rocking tens of thousands, the group squeezed into the very intimate Mayan Theater in Los Angeles for a benefit for Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief that was fueled by their followers’ energetic fundraising efforts. “It’s a really exciting night tonight. We’re performing a show with he B’z from Japan, [the] biggest rock band in Japanese history,” explained singer Chester Bennington before the gig. “It’s an honor to be able to play with these guys, and it’s especially an honor to be able to give back to the Japanese community that’s been so devastated and been so great in supporting us.” The show was populated by fans who met the group’s challenge to each raise $500 or more for Japanese tsunami relief in order to earn a pair of tickets. It was a continuation of LP’s Music for Relief charity, which was started in the wake of the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami, which has subsequently raised funds for victims of other natural disasters, including the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. “We wanted to do something where we kind of engaged our fans to give money, because we’re always asking them to give money all the time because unfortunately, there are natural disasters affecting so many places all over the earth that we’re always asking our fans for money,” explained Bennington of the group’s ongoing fundraising efforts. “We wanted to do something that was exciting for our fans and gave them something to look forward to, a goal that was beyond anything they’d done before.” One initial idea had LP donating all the money from a show in Japan to relief efforts. But that felt like the obvious thing to do, so instead they came up with the notion of a secret show that would engage fans by having them “earn” the tickets. “We set a goal that we thought was pretty high, at $250,000, and amazingly our fans — from both Linkin Park and B’z — have generated over $350,000 in 60 days,” he said. “Which is unbelievable considering not only the devastation in Japan but also the economic struggles people are having here in the U.S. as well.” In fact, he said proudly, the top fundraiser brought in more than $13,000. Related Artists Linkin Park
‘It meant a lot coming from him,’ JoJo tells MTV News on VMA black carpet about Drizzy’s response. By Jocelyn Vena JoJo Photo: MTV News LOS ANGELES — JoJo has certainly grown up somewhere between releasing “Leave (Get Out)” back in 2004 as a 14-year-old and her very NSFW remix of Drake’s “Marvin’s Room.” As soon as JoJo dropped the sultry, sassy track , redubbed “Marvin’s Room (Can’t Do Better),” earlier this summer, blogs and music lovers went crazy over her mature voice and even more mature lyrical content. In the song, she coos lines like “F— that new girl that you like so bad/ She’s not crazy like me, I bet you like that.” Much like the Drizzy version, JoJo’s version is a swirling ode to drunk dialing that special someone, and the longing of the track seemed to resonate with folks — which is the most surprising part to JoJo, considering she drops a few F-bombs. “I was shocked!” she told MTV News on Sunday night on the VMA black carpet about the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the remix. So how did she end up recording her answer to Drake’s track? “Well, one of my friends was like, ‘Jo, you gotta hear this new Drake song!’ I loved it, and I thought Drake was really emotional and honest,” she explained. “I was like, ‘This a great record,’ so I had a little time in the car ride [on my way to the airport]. So I wrote my version in the car ride, and I landed in L.A., I went to the studio, I recorded it, and the next day I put it on the Internet, and people really, really loved it. And I was totally shocked, ’cause I was scared to use the F-word, and I didn’t know how people would respond to it.” The track, produced by Jordan Gatsby and featuring vocals from Travis Garland, is not only fan-approved, but also approved by the Canadian rapper himself. “He said I killed it and that he was really happy with everyone’s response,” she said of Drake’s reaction. “It meant a lot coming from him. It was all out of respect.” The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners , fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest. Related Artists JoJo Drake
‘It’s legendary,’ Flo tells MTV News of his brand-new single. By Rob Markman Flo Rida Photo: David Livingston/ Getty Images Soul singers are making a comeback in 2011. First Jay-Z and Kanye resurrected Otis Redding on their single “Otis,” and now Flo Rida reworks some classic Etta James vocals for his new single “Good Feeling.” And like his past #1 hits, including 2007’s “Low” and ’09’s “Right Round,” Flo is expecting to top the charts once again. “It’s legendary, we got Etta James featured on there, so it’s crazy,” he told MTV News from the 2011 VMA black carpet on Sunday. “Produced by Dr. Luke; you know we always with those #1 records. I’m very excited.” The song, which was released to iTunes on Monday, starts out with a dance-infused drum pattern, complete with electric bleeps that echo throughout the intro. After the eighth bar, Etta James’ vocals are ushered in: “Ohhh, sometimes I get a good feeling.” The sample is lifted from James’ 1962 “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” and has been updated for a 2011 electro-feel. After the chorus, Flo comes in, rapping in double-time about his success in the music game. And the Carol City, Florida, MC has much to celebrate. Later this year, he’ll release his fourth solo LP, Only One Rida (Part 2), the follow-up to his 2010 album, which included the hit singles “Club Can’t Handle Me” and “Turn Around (5, 4, 3, 2, 1).” Now he can add a song with Etta James — or at least an Etta James sample — to his list of musical moments. “You know, it just gotta be a blessing from God to make that happen,” Flo Rida said. “We got that cleared and I’m very excited.” The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners , fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest. Related Artists Flo Rida
‘American Pie’ alums pose for pictures at their high-school reunion in brand-new teaser. By Terri Schwartz Cast of “American Pie Reunion” Photo: Sam Jones / Universal Pictures The East Great Falls class of 1999 are coming back together for a good old-fashioned “American Reunion.” The first teaser for the fourth installment of the “American Pie” comedy series hit the Internet, courtesy of People.com , and the 60-second clip features a montage of pics of the main characters posing in a photo booth at their high-school reunion. “Get ready for one last slice,” the video teases in a voiceover. Starring Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Mena Suvari, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott and Eddie Kaye Thomas, the final movie in the “Pie” series follows the beloved characters as they come together for their 10-year reunion. A recently released plot synopsis teases that things aren’t so different for the old friends a decade later; Finch (Kaye Thomas), for one, is still longing for Stifler’s (Scott) mom. It turns out that the bond among the castmembers is also just as strong, even so many years after they filmed the ’99 original. People.com caught up with Scott and Biggs, and they talked about the impact “American Pie” has had on their lives. “We realized that no matter how much we may have changed individually, as a group, we will always be connected and have a special chemistry that arises immediately when we’re together,” Biggs said. According to Scott, that involves a lot of boys being boys. “In many respects, we’ve grown up a lot,” he said. “But on the other hand, we haven’t grown up at all. On set, Jason Biggs was farting up a storm, Chris Klein was belching, and Eddie Kaye Thomas and Biggs were hitting each other in [the groin].” Directed by “Harold & Kumar” helmers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, “American Reunion” has reunited its original cast en masse: Eugene Levy, Natasha Lyonne , Shannon Elizabeth and Jennifer Coolidge are all back. Newcomers Katrina Bowden and Chad Ochocinco also hit the reunion when the movie opens in theaters on April 6, 2012. Check out everything we’ve got on “American Reunion.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘It’s a Miami record,’ Young Money rapper tells MTV News at VMAs. By Rob Markman Lil Twist Photo: Michael Bezjian/ WireImage LOS ANGELES — Lil Wayne may have just dropped Tha Carter IV, but don’t expect his Young Money artists to just stand around and bask in Weezy’s multiplatinum glow. Drake’s Take Care will be the next album to drop on the label, and Tyga’s Careless World is coming soon, as well as Birdman’s Cash Money release Bigga Than Life. Dallas rapper Lil Twist is cooking up his debut too, and fans can expect a big-time collaboration. ” Don’t Get It Twisted is definitely coming before the year is over,” the 18-year-old rapper said on the 2011 VMA black carpet. “I’m getting ready to put out my next record, which features Justin [Bieber], the one that everybody’s been waitin’ on. ‘Wherever You Are’ featuring Justin Bieber coming soon.” Twist and Bieb’s friendship is no secret. Twizzy has been teasing a full collaborative mixtape between the two, but as of now, nothing has materialized. “Me and Justin, we actually met through a mutual friend, and after that, we got real cool, actually,” he told MTV News last November. “[We] started working in the studio, sending stuff through the MacBook and everything. And then he was like, ‘Yo, bro, we should do a mixtape. Let’s go.’ We just started then.” While there is no telling when the mixtape will come, Twist is confident that their single will surface shortly. “It’s gonna be great. It’s a cool summer record,” Twist told MTV News of his and Justin’s upcoming collaboration. “It’s a party song. Straight for the sun. It’s a Miami record.” In 2010, Twist dropped the album’s first single, “Little Secret,” featuring Bow Wow and came back this year with the Lil Wayne-assisted “Love Affair.” The R&B-laced song found Twist singing about being caught in the middle of a love triangle, while Wayne crudely rapped around the same subject. For his current single, “New Money,” the YMCMB young’un hooked up with R&B singer Mishon. A promotional insert included with Tha Carter IV CD has Don’t Get It Twisted slated for a November 8 release; whether that date sticks remains to be seen. What are your expectations for a Lil Twist/ Justin Bieber collaboration? Tell us in the comments! The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards have wrapped, but the real action is just getting started! Stick with MTV News for winners , fashion pics, video and behind-the-scenes stories about everything that went down. Visit VMA.MTV.com for the latest. Related Artists Lil Twist Justin Bieber
