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Justin Bieber, Chris Brown Spotted In Studio Together

Pair has previously worked on two tracks together, ‘Up’ and ‘Next to You.’ By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber and Chris Brown Photo: Getty/WireImage Pals Justin Bieber and Chris Brown were spotted heading into a studio together on Monday. According to Rap-Up.com , the singers met up at the Record Plant in Hollywood. “Studio. #NEWMUSIC,” Bieber tweeted early Tuesday morning, leading us to believe the session was for his next album. Previously Bieber told MTV News that he wanted to focus less on features for his next album, but given the fact that Brown recently wrote a track for Joe Jonas , it’s possible he may have just been assisting with some writing. The rumored session marks the latest collaboration for the pair, who have appeared on two tracks together in the past. First, they remixed Bieber’s slow jam “Up,” then Bieber jumped on Brown’s ballad “Next to You.” Bieber’s producer, Danja, told Rap-Up.com that he’s aiming for an “edgier” sound for the 17-year-old’s next release. “What I’m creating for him I think is definitely a more mature sound. That’s where he’s headed now,” he explained. Earlier this year, Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, revealed some other names the pop star hopes to get into the studio with, including Drake, a collaboration Bieber hinted at last year. Bieber is also reportedly working with Kanye West. “Him and Kanye [West] had a call today about a song they’re trying to work on together,” Braun said. “Kanye wants to produce a bunch of songs for the new album.” Related Artists Chris Brown Justin Bieber

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Justin Bieber, Chris Brown Spotted In Studio Together

Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon Bring House Down With ‘History of Rap 2’

Duo hit on songs by Vanilla Ice, Cypress Hill and 50 Cent on ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon’ on Tuesday. By Gil Kaufman Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake Photo: NBC We already know Justin Timberlake can do funny on “Saturday Night Live,” and serious in “The Social Network.” He can obviously sing (though he doesn’t seem that interested in doing it lately), and now he’s top-lining his first motion picture with “Friends With Benefits.” But the dude can also rap, which he proved again on Tuesday night when he visited old pal Jimmy Fallon on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” and dropped a blazing sequel to their first road trip through hip-hop with an equally head-spinning “History of Rap 2.” Though he made it seem like he was once again reluctant to pick up the mic, it took very little convincing to get Timberlake to lace up. “No, no, no stop. It’s not gonna happen, we can’t do it again, we can’t top …” Timberlake told the cheering crowd before locking eyes with Fallon and grabbing a conveniently hidden microphone from behind his chair and strutting to the stage. Over the next five minutes, he and Fallon ripped through two dozen classics, opening with Kurtis Blow’s legendary “The Breaks,” before segueing into another early rap totem, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message,” complete with both men busting out their best robot dance moves. It’s easy to sound great when you’ve got the Roots backing you up, and the band was more than up to the task, hitting the right bass-heavy tone for N.W.A.’s “Express Yourself,” as Fallon and Timberlake traded off on a verse, then nimbly pivoting into a peek at Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise.” Curiously, it was Fallon who did most of the heavy vocal lifting, taking on the chorus to Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock’s “It Takes Two” as Timberlake jived behind him and added the song’s indelible yelps. From there they busted through a variety of hip-pop standards: Salt n’ Pepa’s pelvic-thrusting “Push It,” a tiny taste of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,” Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours,” Cypress Hills’ “Insane in the Brain” and a hip-swiveling throwdown of DJ Kool’s party anthem, “Let Me Clear My Throat.” The pair had clearly rehearsed the bit to a T, because neither stumbled even for a moment during the routine. Whether it was their thuggish ruggish take on DMX’s thudding “Up in Here,” Timberlake’s swishing falsetto break on Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” (which lead to an awkward moment where both men seemed to question their sexuality for a brief second), or their intertwined duet on 50 Cent’s “In da Club,” the music just flowed seamlessly. Timberlake gave the crowd a bit of sugar during Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” shaking his booty while Fallon sang the verse, before both men took on the falsetto chorus. They then teased Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” and got their Auto-Tune on for DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win.” While Fallon needs a bit of work, clearly nobody has to school Timberlake in the finer art of Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How to Dougie,” though the former boy-band star did have to ease his co-star back a bit when Jimmy got a tad too into character and in the cameraman’s face during a menacing trip through Rick Ross’ “Blowing Money Fast.” “Jimmy, Jimmy, stop … why do you always do that?” a concerned Timberlake said as he pulled his pal back. The whole shebang ended with the boys trading lines on Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” and then rolling out into the studio and getting the audience to help them sing the chorus. “Clap your hands, everybody, if you got what it takes, cuz I’m Justin, I’m Jimmy and we want you to know that these are the breaks,” they chanted as they brought it all home. Related Photos The Evolution Of: Justin Timberlake Related Artists Jimmy Fallon Justin Timberlake

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Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon Bring House Down With ‘History of Rap 2’

Beyonce Shares Her Love For Frank Ocean, Kanye West

B shares how Jay-Z and his collaborators influenced her chart-topping 4. By Jocelyn Vena Beyonc

Portugal. The Man Make The Leap On New Album

Band’s first major-label effort, In the Mountain in the Cloud, is a big thing, borne of even bigger tensions. By James Montgomery Portugal. The Man Photo: MTV News Portugal. The Man have released six albums in six years (plus a completely re-recorded acoustic record too), but they’ve never made anything like In the Mountain in the Cloud, their latest swirling, psychedelic effort. Mainly because it almost killed them. “To be perfectly honest, we wrote the album, did pre-production and then everything fell apart,” singer/songwriter/guitarist John Gourley told MTV News. “And I think it was the fact that this had all fallen apart that it actually came together so well in the end. I think we spent seven months, eight months on the album, and it was just going into the studio, messing everything up, leaving the studio, crying about it for a month on tour, then trying again.” The recording of In the Mountain, which hit stores on Tuesday, was rife with intra-band tensions, battles with producer John Hill and a fair amount of boozy flare-ups. All of these were new experiences for the band, who — as you may know by now — first formed in Sarah Palin’s old stomping grounds of Wasilla, Alaska, and spent the first years of their existence making music in relative anonymity. All of that changed when they signed with Atlantic Records and began mulling the prospects of making a major -label record. “We were definitely feeling it at the time,” bassist Zachary Carothers sighed. “We signed to Atlantic Records and this was going to be our first release on the label, so we didn’t want to let anybody down. Not us or anyone. And, of course, we wanted them to like it too.” Which is where the perils Portugal faced differ slightly from those of innumerable bands that make the jump to a major: They weren’t being told what they couldn’t do, they were being asked what they could. And that prospect paralyzed them more than anything. “We had this meeting with Atlantic … and we were talking about songs — the reason we play music, why we love music, our favorite writers — this big meeting about songs,” Gourley said, “And as I left that meeting, they said to me, ‘Hey John, you know what? Just forget all that stuff. Just make the record you want to make.’ And, I don’t know why, but that was the most difficult part.” But after some months, the record began to take shape. And, if anything, it really was the album that Portugal. The Man had always longed to make: a crawling, sprawling thing, brimming with big ideas and even bigger ambitions. From the sun-dappled psych of “Got It All (This Can’t Be Living Now)” to the slow-burning churn of “Sleep Forever,” it’s unquestionably one of the year’s most compelling listens, a decidedly major album in just about every conceivable way. And even if they have signed with the big boys, Portugal are still finding ways to keep things manageably micro: Take, for example, their epic mini-movie for “Sleep Forever,” which, though it’s filled with epic shots of the Alaskan wilderness, was actually little more than a home movie. It just looks like it cost a million bucks. “We just went out behind my parent’s house in Willow, Alaska, and got some footage from a plane as well,” Gourley explained. “It was all fairly inexpensive, because we just lived at home and went out every day for a week and a half and made our own food … and the dogs were already there — my parents mush dogs, ran the Iditarod and everything.” Tell us what you think of Portugal. The Man’s video for “Sleep Forever” in the comments! Related Artists Portugal. The Man

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Portugal. The Man Make The Leap On New Album

Chris Evans ‘Put The Gloves On’ For ‘Captain America’ Stunts

‘He’s not flying, he’s not shooting fire,’ actor tells MTV News of Cap’s real-man abilities. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Chris Evans in “Captain America: The First Avenger” Photo: Paramount Pictures Chris Evans has been honest about the fact that taking on the role of comic book hero Captain America wasn’t an easy decision for him. However, once things got rolling, the reluctant superhero fully embraced the celebrated character and put all of the necessary hard work into his performance, especially the stunt work. “The good thing about Cap is that most of his abilities are rooted in what a human being is capable of — he’s not flying, he’s not shooting fire,” Evans explained to MTV News. “For the most part, the stunts involved were hand-to-hand combat, so any time I can put the gloves on and get in the ring, I’ll do it.” So which stunt sequences in “Captain America: The First Avenger” were his favorites? “There are a couple scenes, but I’m not going to tell ya,” he teased. “We’ve got some good fight sequences. There are some big … you’ll have to go see [the movie],” he said, stopping before he could be tempted to reveal anything else. “You’ll have to go see it.” In addition to stunts, being an actor involved in bringing a Marvel character to the big screen also means having tons of merchandise, including action figures, with your face plastered all over the packaging. Evans didn’t admit to collecting any yet for himself but predicted his mom will try to grab anything she can get her hands on. “These are all things my mother will collect and will fill our entire basement with,” he mused while looking at a Cap toy that, when a button is pushed, spouts pre-recorded patriotic and motivational phrases like “I am Captain America!” “Rise and shine soldiers!” and “Courage makes a hero!” “Courage does make a hero,” Evans said with a smile. “He speaks the truth.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Captain America: The First Avenger.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV First: Captain America Related Photos Five Cool Moments From The ‘Captain America’ Trailer ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

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Chris Evans ‘Put The Gloves On’ For ‘Captain America’ Stunts

Rick Ross Protege Gunplay Lets Off Shots On New Mixtape

Self-Made is loaded with street references and gun-toting anthems, in Mixtape Daily. By Rob Markman Gunplay Photo: Triple C’s Rick Ross ‘ Maybach Music Group has become a hotbed for rap talent. Not only is there Meek Mill, Wale and Pill, who are all prominently featured on the recently released MMG-compilation Self-Made, day-one Maybach fam like Miami rapper Gunplay continues to hold it down for the streets. On his latest, DJ P-Cutta-hosted mixtape, Off Safety, GP keeps it extra-grimy. Anchored by Gunplay’s street single “Rollin’,” which features Ross and Waka Flocka, Off Safety is drenched with drug references and gun-toting anthems. On “No Arm and Hammer,” Gunplay employs some humorous wordplay on the song’s hook when he shouts, “No arm and hammer in my Hannah Montana,” using the Miley Cyrus character’s name as newfangled slang for cocaine (or “white girl” as the drug is so often called). “Mask On” is another murderous track. On it, producer Lil Lody uses a gun’s click and clack as a sound effect within the beat. Gunplay means business with his booming voice and hard-hitting flow as he raps, “Looking like I’m about to hold the whole world hostage.” Sounds like it too. The Carol City, Miami, rapper slows things down on “Skrate Up Menace” as he contemplates his standing with God after doing so much dirt in the streets. The island-tinged “Herbalist” is a marijuana ode with a twist. Starting out with a reggae sample, the Kino Beats-produced track is then peppered with kinetic drums that raise the song’s energy as GP spits his verses. Lil Wayne prot

DMX Released From Jail

‘It is time to let the Dog out of the kennel,’ rapper’s manager says in a statement announcing the release. By Gil Kaufman DMX (file) Photo: Getty Images It took a week longer than he anticipated, thanks to some jailhouse violations, but DMX was released from an Arizona state jail in Yuma on Tuesday morning (July 19) after serving nearly eight months of a one-year sentence for probation violations . A spokesperson for the rapper (born Earl Simmons) confirmed his release to MTV News and hinted that the end of X’s latest stint behind bars will hopefully mark a new beginning for the troubled MC. “Earl has so much more to offer the world,” manager Nakia Walker said in a statement announcing X’s release. “His latest project has been on hold for so long! It is now time for X to redefine the world of Hip-Hop with his highly anticipated album of inspirational, painful & street accredited rhymes. It is time to let the Dog out of the kennel.” “I spoke to my daughter, I just got off the phone with my wife,” DMX told AllHipHop.com following his release. “I’m going to go see my daughter while the sun is up, then I’m going to be in the studio, man.” Though the Yonkers, New York, native’s music career has been stalled out for much of the past eight years due to legal and drug issues, he has signed a label deal with UMMG (United Music & Media Group), and Walker has promised “extraordinary things happening from rapper DMX over the next couple months that include collaborations with major names in the music industry.” DMX was slated for release last week after serving seven months of his one-year sentence — including credit for 100 days behind bars while awaiting trial — but was held over for an extra week due to several minor infractions, including refusal to submit to a drug test and smoking in unauthorized areas. Related Artists DMX

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DMX Released From Jail

Common Defends ‘Ghetto Dreams’ Lyrics

‘It was coming from me, but it was also the voice of many others,’ he tells MTV News of his atypically raw lyrics. By Rob Markman Common Photo: Warner Bros. Throughout much of his career, Common has been quite the ladies man, so it may have been surprising for some when he opened his new single with: “I want a bitch that look good and cook good.” On the Nas-assisted, No I.D.-produced single “Ghetto Dreams,” from Common’s upcoming album The Dreamer, The Believer, the Chicago rapper/actor offers a lyrical list of qualities that any would-be lady friend should possess, and while it may sound crude, the MC insists the song is highly conceptualized. For Common, it all started with No I.D.’s swirling beat and the Nas vocal sample he laid on top of it. “Once he sampled that ‘Ghetto Dreams’ sample from Nas, it was like, ‘Man.’ That vocal sample was like, ‘Damn this gives me a straight direction and way to go’,” Com said in an exclusive video interview with MTV News. “I was like, ‘I want a bitch that look good and cook good.’ I was just thinking about being in the ‘hood, what I want, and then the song goes on from there,” he said of the opening line that ends with the lyric “Cinderella fancy, but she still look ‘hood.” “Right there I’m saying, ‘Look, I want a bad woman.’ She look raw and she could cook and she could get very elegant, but at the same token she has the know-how in the street.” According to the lyrics, the dream lover the MC describes is uninhibited enough to have sex in the backseat of a car and smoke marijuana but still totes a Bible. “That says a lot about her,” Common reasoned. “She could get high, you might get high with her, she might drink, smoke a J with her, but at the end of the day, she still got her Bible there.” Com Sense even references his fantasy girl’s love for Beyonc

Cali Swag District Call M-Bone Setup Rumor ‘Crazy’

‘It really hurts us,’ C-Smoove says on ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway “RapFix Live” with Cali Swag District Photo: MTV News Since the shooting death of Cali Swag District’s Mante “M-Bone” Talbert in May, rumors have swirled while his loved ones search for answers. Rumblings of jealous rivals and gang activity have surfaced, but what bothers CSD the most is a rumor that suggests the group’s surviving members had something to do with Bone’s death. “[There’s] nothing we can do about the rumors,” Yung said on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live.” “We can talk like we’re talking right now because it ain’t gonna change anything, but once it comes to the light, then we can breathe.” C-Smoove called the setup rumor “crazy.” “We made it together. We’ve been knowing that dude since we were kids,” he said. “It really hurts us and our label and the team. How could you believe something like that when we did everything together?” The setup theory is particularly baffling for the group, who emerged as stars from their Inglewood, California, neighborhood thanks to their 2010 hit single “Teach Me How to Dougie.” “We succeeded together, we got out the ‘Wood together. We had fun all the time, everything we did was to have fun because that’s what we do,” Smoove said. “We wanted to have fun and give the people what they wanted. And for people to think something like that, it’s just mind-boggling. How could you figure?” Yung added: “It’s crazy. We think about that all the time, like, how could you even think something like that? We’re family, we’re brothers. So we want the rumors to just stop.” Sound off about the M-Bone rumors in the comments below. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Cali Swag District Related Photos Cali Swag District’s M-Bone: A Life In Photos Related Artists Cali Swag District

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Cali Swag District Call M-Bone Setup Rumor ‘Crazy’

Pitbull And Wyclef Get Fit With Zumba

‘You go up there and you’re like, ‘Man I need to be a part of that,’ ‘ Pit tells MTV News. By Rob Markman Pitbull Photo: MTV News Pitbull and Wyclef Jean may have their roots in hip-hop, but through the years, both performers have garnered worldwide appeal and conquered multiple musical genres. Recently, both artists linked up with choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez and contributed to his Latin dance-inspired Zumba fitness program. “You see my stage shows, you see me flying through the air, backflips, doing all kinds of stuff. Zumba for me is natural, because it’s exercising and dancing without feeling it,” ‘Clef told MTV News last week at the Zumba Fitness convention in Orlando, Florida. Zumba was conceived by the Colombia-born Perez in the 1990s using dance to promote physical health. Combining musical elements like hip-hop, samba, salsa, meringue, mambo and even a bit of belly dancing, Perez’s program has grown into one of the hottest fitness crazes in gyms across the world. The Fugees producer partnered up with Zumba, and now his single “Historia” has been included as an official Zumba track that instructors use to teach their classes fitness through choreography. Pitbull’s “Pause,” a track from his recently released album Planet Pit, is also part of the Zumba playlist. “The way Zumba has done it is taken all those things that maybe we’ve all learned from different countries and put it into a form where it’s global now,” Pit told MTV News. “Same thing we’ve done with music, so that’s why I think they both ride parallel and they coincide.” During last week’s convention, both Pit and ‘Clef performed for 7,000 Zumba instructors, who moved in sync with the dancers onstage to specific Zumba choreography. “I’m up there and I’m rocking and 7,000 instructors are doing the exact moves to a song that I composed. I can’t even explain to you what that feels like,” Wyclef said. “That’s incredible.” While a rapper getting down with a fitness program may seem strange to some, Pitbull insists that the Zumba vibe is infectious. “It’s not someone looking like, ‘Man, what’s Pitbull up there doing exercise?’ ” he said. “Nah, you go up there and you’re like, ‘Man, I need to be a part of that.’ ” Jean agrees, pointing out that Zumba’s many cultural elements adds to its strength. “If it’s hot in Brazil, it’s hot in Afghanistan, it’s hot in Jerusalem, it’s hot in Flatbush [Brooklyn, New York]. It all should be on that one CD and we all should be able to rock with it,” he said. “And that’s why I’m into the Zumba movement.” Have you ever tried Zumba? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Wyclef Jean Pitbull

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Pitbull And Wyclef Get Fit With Zumba