‘People dehumanize you and they forget you’re a real person,’ Sean says of his frequent collaborator during MTV News’ ‘RapFix Live.’ By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Sway Calloway and Rebecca Thomas Big Sean on “RapFix Live” Photo: Rich Sancho/ MTV News One topic Chris Brown has no problem discussing at length is Detroit rapper Big Sean. The R&B crooner heaped praise on the Kanye West prot
Song is the latest from Tha Carter IV, due May 16. By Jayson Rodriguez Lil Wayne Photo: Taylor Hill/ Getty Images Lil Wayne isn’t a biter; he’s just an admirer. The New Orleans rhyme spitter’s second single from his forthcoming Tha Carter IV, “If I Die Today,” arrived online Wednesday (March 23), and the track is a take on Rick Ross’ “I’m Not a Star” from the Miami rapper’s Teflon Don album. Weezy’s version features a new verse from Ross and the same production by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, T.I.). According to Young Money President Mack Maine, the song was one of the first numbers Wayne heard when he was released from prison in November. The Cash Money MC liked Ross’s “I’m Not A Star” so much he decided to record his own version. “When I was in jail, she let me call her collect/ But if she get greedy, I’mma starve her to death,” Wayne raps. ” … You f— with me wrong, I knock your head off your neck/ The flight too long I got a bed on the jet/ The guns are drawn, and I ain’t talking about a sketch/ I pay these n—as with a reality check.” Last week, during the kickoff of his I Am Still Music Tour in Providence, Rhode Island , Wayne revealed the release date for his highly anticipated project . “May 16, believe that,” Wayne told MTV News. “It can come out tomorrow ’cause I’m so finished. … Tha Carter IV will be dropping May 16. If you’re not doing anything, do me.” What do you think of Weezy’s latest? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Artists Lil Wayne Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
Song is the latest from Tha Carter IV, due May 16. By Jayson Rodriguez Lil Wayne Photo: Taylor Hill/ Getty Images Lil Wayne isn’t a biter; he’s just an admirer. The New Orleans rhyme spitter’s second single from his forthcoming Tha Carter IV, “If I Die Today,” arrived online Wednesday (March 23), and the track is a take on Rick Ross’ “I’m Not a Star” from the Miami rapper’s Teflon Don album. Weezy’s version features a new verse from Ross and the same production by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, T.I.). According to Young Money President Mack Maine, the song was one of the first numbers Wayne heard when he was released from prison in November. The Cash Money MC liked Ross’s “I’m Not A Star” so much he decided to record his own version. “When I was in jail, she let me call her collect/ But if she get greedy, I’mma starve her to death,” Wayne raps. ” … You f— with me wrong, I knock your head off your neck/ The flight too long I got a bed on the jet/ The guns are drawn, and I ain’t talking about a sketch/ I pay these n—as with a reality check.” Last week, during the kickoff of his I Am Still Music Tour in Providence, Rhode Island , Wayne revealed the release date for his highly anticipated project . “May 16, believe that,” Wayne told MTV News. “It can come out tomorrow ’cause I’m so finished. … Tha Carter IV will be dropping May 16. If you’re not doing anything, do me.” What do you think of Weezy’s latest? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Artists Lil Wayne Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
Punkers Rise Against crash the boards at #2, while Travis Barker bows at #9. By Gil Kaufman Adele Photo: Jon Furniss/ WireImage Adele will retake the #1 position on the Billboard 200 next week after dropping down to the #2 slot last week. Sales of Adele’s 21 album were down 26 percent, but it still manages to retake the top thanks to 98,000 units moved, pushing the British R&B smoothie over the 750,000 mark after four weeks, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. That was enough to keep veteran punks Rise Against down at #2 with the debut of their latest, Endgame, which sold 85,000 copies to edge out last week’s #1, Lupe Fiasco ‘s Lasers, which sits at #3 on sales of 47,000 as sales dropped by 77 percent. The only other debut in the top 10 comes from Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker , whose all-solo bow, Give the Drummer Some, lands at #9 (28,000). The rest of the top 10: Glee: The Music, Volume 5 (#4, 43,000), Mumford & Sons , Sigh No More (#5, 41,000), Justin Bieber , Never Say Never – The Remixes (#6, 34,000), Avril Lavigne , Goodbye Lullaby (#7, 32,000), NOW 37 (#8, 30,000) and Marsha Ambrosius , Late Nights & Early Mornings (#10, 28,000). It was a short trip to the top 10 for veterans R.E.M. , whose Collapse Into Now slips 16 slots to #21 in its second week as sales dropped by 67 percent to 19,000. But apparently an appearance on “American Idol” last week was enough to boost the sales of the Black Eyed Peas’ slow-moving The Beginning, which jumps 16 places to #28 as sales were up 24 percent to 13,000, putting them just short of 600,000 in four months. The show even helped goose the sales for last season’s “Idol” winner, Lee DeWyze , whose dead-on-arrival debut, Live It Up, re-enters the top 200 after falling off the charts for six weeks. DeWyze, who also performed on “Idol” last week, quadrupled his weekly sales totals to 5,000, racing back into the top 200 at #96 and pushing the disc closer to 130,000 in total sales, the worst showing yet by an “Idol” winner. “iCarly” star Miranda Cosgrove’s second album, High Maintenance, comes in at #34 (11,000), while sales for a 10th anniversary “Idol” hits compilation were tepid, as the disc limps in at #136 with nearly 4,000 units shifted. Over on the iTunes albums chart, Rise Against take the top spot, followed by Adele, Fiasco, Mumford, the “Glee” compilation, Barker, Rihanna ‘s Loud, Bieber’s My World 2.0, Lavigne and Ambrosius. The iTunes singles chart belongs to Katy Perry ‘s collabo with Kanye West , “E.T.,” which edges out the first original “Glee” single, “Loser Like Me,” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “Just Can’t Get Enough.” The rest of the iTunes top 10 singles: Rihanna, “S&M”; the “Glee” cast, “Get It Right”; Lady Gaga , “Born This Way”; Chris Brown , “Look at Me Now”; Jennifer Lopez , “On the Floor”; Cee Lo Green , “Forget You” and Ke$ha , “Blow.” Next week should see a serious shuffling at the top, as stores will be stocking Jennifer Hudson’s second album, I Remember Me, as well as the first new disc in five years from the Strokes, Angles, and, fresh off a controversial window-bashing TV appearance, Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. Related Artists Adele
After meeting the Biebs, Odd Future MC tells MTV News he wants them to ‘do fun sh– that I feel like he hasn’t been able to do.’ By Steven Roberts, with reporting by Christopher “CJ” Smith Tyler, the Creator Photo: MTV News Needless to say, Justin Bieber has a lot fans. From Kanye West to Kim Kardashian to nearly every teenage girl in the world, Bieber has amassed quite a dedicated following. But he seems to have picked a rather odd fan along the way as well. Odd Future’s Tyler, the Creator has Bieber Fever in a big way. In fact, hehas called the teenage Canuck his Idol. In the days leading up to the premiere of Bieber’s 3-D movie, “Never Say Never,” Tyler could be found online tweeting down the days until its release. So of course, when the two finally met Tyler was excited. “I WAS JUST WITH JUSITN F—ING BIEBER. F—,” Tyler tweeted . “HE LIKED YONKERS, F—.” Two photos emerged of the two together, one blurry and the other showing both teen sensations posing side-by-side. When MTV News caught up with Tyler — and the rest of Odd Future — at South by Southwest , he still had a huge smile on his face. “We [were] kicking it with him for like 10, 20 minutes. He’s a chill dude. First thing he was like, ‘Oh, I just finished talking about your video, that sh– was crazy,” Tyler said. “He just started asking me questions about my sh–, and it was kind of weird because I was going to ask him sh–. But he was intrigued enough [about] what we had going on.” He also said he showed the Biebs how to pose for their photo. Initially, Bieber threw up the peace sign, but Tyler convinced him to swag it out another way. Bieber was really chill and Tyler hopes they’ll hang out soon. “I want to take him egging cars and f—ing sh– up and paintball and just go skate and go do fun sh– that I feel like he hasn’t been able to do.” What do you think of Tyler and Justin’s budding bromance? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Tyler, The Creator Related Artists Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Justin Bieber
Singer’s ‘GMA’ outburst may hinder his ability to gain new fans, experts say. By Jocelyn Vena Chris Brown Photo: Jason Kempin/ WireImage As details begin to bubble to the surface about Chris Brown’s “Good Morning America” outburst, fans and the media are wondering if he ruined his chances at the musical comeback he’d planned to have with the release of F.A.M.E. on Tuesday . “Of all the places not to have a public meltdown!” Popeater.com correspondent Rob Shuter told MTV News about the chair-throwing fit he reportedly threw after “GMA” host Robin Roberts brought up his 2009 assault of Rihanna . “It shows you his level of arrogance and stupidity. He has proved he has temper tantrums and is a violent person, which is exactly what we were talking when he hit Rihanna. What he did yesterday confirmed what an out of control fellow he is.” Ian Drew, senior music editor at Us Weekly, thinks that this will certainly have an effect on his album sales. “I definitely think this is a huge step back for him,” he said. “It was a huge mistake. You control how you react. He didn’t react the right way. He showed in one breath that he still has a huge temper and he can’t control himself. He just ruined everything he had built up again. He chose to act up that way and now he’ll bear the repercussions.” So what’s next? “I think the fans that stuck with him through Rihanna will stick with him through this,” Shuter said. “What isn’t going to happen is he’s not going to be able to grow his fanbase. … I think you say sorry and put out good work. You can come back. He has to apologize now. He has to be an angel, I think. Now, for the rest of his life, he has to be careful. He is young, but he’s had every advantage, and I think that’s what makes people angry: To have all these advantages and still mess it up is very hard to forgive.” “Good Morning America” has asked the star to appear on the show again, but Drew believes that instead, Brown should take a rest from his promotional plans. As of press time, Brown hadn’t accepted the show’s offer to appear again. “There’s always a way back, anyone can. My advice to him would be: Just don’t do any interviews and put out a strong record and let it speak for itself,” Drew said. “Let the music do the talking. Let that be the statement.” Related Videos Chris Brown’s Epic Album Release Day Related Photos The Ups And Downs Of Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. Album Release Week Related Artists Chris Brown
Track is from their upcoming movie ‘High School.’ By Jayson Rodriguez Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa Photo: MTV News Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa aren’t at odds on their new track, but the lyricists draw the line at partaking in their recreational activities without chipping in. On the latest track from their forthcoming movie “High School,” Snoop and Wiz retool Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” and Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney’s “The Girl Is Mine” into an ode to — what else? — their favorite environmental supplement. “The Weed Iz Mine” features both rappers boasting about their pot stashes. “I hear n—-s talk about what they rolling up,” Wiz spits on the synth-heavy number. “Smell what I smoke ‘fore the bag open up.” “This is church music, listen to the choir,” Snoop raps. “To burn my kush you must use fire.” Late last year, the veteran MC and the upstart lyricist announced they were teaming up for a movie and soundtrack venture called “High School.” “We decided to go ahead and say, ‘You know what? Let’s do a movie and a soundtrack and just become, you know, bosom buddies and do what we do ’cause we love what we do and we love each other and at the same time we know what the people want,’ ” Snoop Dogg said . “The people want to see the two generations come together where hip-hop ain’t about old school and new school. It’s just about good music and making good moves and putting something out there that’s classic where people can respect it and say, ‘Yeah, so now, this was some gangsta sh– that really made hip-hop gradually grow to another level.’ ” Related Artists Snoop Dogg Wiz Khalifa
DJ Juanyto tells MTV News the singer was ‘all about his fans’ at post-‘GMA’ party. By Jocelyn Vena Chris Brown attends his F.A.M.E. album release party on Tuesday in New York City Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage On Tuesday night, Chris Brown was in great spirits as he partied alongside fans at his F.A.M.E. record-release party at New York’s Webster Hall. Earlier in the day, he made headlines when he had a public meltdown backstage after his interview with “Good Morning America,” but by the time the party started, Brown just wanted to redirect the energy to his album. “It was good. There was nothing but girls in there,” DJ Juanyto, who was at the party, told MTV News. “He came onstage, no Hollywoodness. He took all that energy from everyone and started performing. It was dope. No type of negativity. He was really positive. It was really dope.” Brown also performed at the gathering, bringing out pals like Bow Wow, Waka Flocka Flame and Lloyd Banks. E! News reports that the star alluded to his earlier drama, saying, “I wasn’t gonna perform tonight, but f— it! A lot of whack sh– happened today.” Juanyto confirmed that Brown alluded to the media drama, but he said Brown also added, “I’m really here for my fans.” “After he performed, he went up to the balcony and was partying,” Juanyto said. “He came back downstairs and he brought out Lloyd and got into a reggae dance competition with the audience. He’s really all about the fans. There was no drama whatsoever. When he’s around his fans, he has all that love. He’s really all about interacting with his fans.” Brown stayed at the party for about two hours and made sure that the focus stayed on his fan appreciation. “He just really was all about his fans,” Juanyto added. “He really made sure he spent all of his time with them, and he thanked them for coming out. He said, ‘I don’t care how you get the album, as long as you have it, I appreciate it.’ ” Related Videos Chris Brown’s Epic Album Release Day Related Photos The Ups And Downs Of Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. Album Release Week Related Artists Chris Brown
Producer Deezle says he hasn’t gotten his fair cut of the song’s sales. By Gil Kaufman Lil Wayne Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images It’s almost a given. An artist scores a major hit that sells millions of records and a short time later is sued by someone either claiming he or she actually wrote the song or worked on it and didn’t get a fair slice of the pie. Cue the lawsuit from the producer Darius Harrison (a.k.a. Deezle), who has filed a court action against Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records, claiming that he has not gotten his paper from the sales of Lil Wayne’s smash hit “Lollipop” and the album it was featured on, Tha Carter III. According to TMZ , the $20 million lawsuit claims that Deezle, who says he produced “Whip It,” “Prostitute 2,” “Action,” “Mrs. Officer” and “Let the Beat Build” as well as “Lollipop,” is entitled to his cut of royalties on the reported $70 million the album has grossed on sales of 6 million copies. “Lollipop” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won a Grammy for Best Rap Song in 2009. Harrison previously sued Wayne for $2.5 million over what he claimed were unpaid royalties from the sales of “Mrs. Officer.” The liner notes to Carter list Harrison as a co-producer along with Jim Jonsin on “Lollipop” and as the recording engineer on most of the other songs on the disc. A spokesperson for Wayne and Young Money/ Cash Money could not be reached for comment at press time on the lawsuit. In the meantime, Wayne has been working on putting the latest member of his crew into the spotlight: Lil Twist. “That’s where I get my little oomph from, when I bring my whole clique out there, and I want them to be heard,” Wayne told MTV News last week. “I remember when [Bad Boy] had Total, Biggie, Ma$e, Junior Mafia, all of them other people. Then you think of the Roc. We’re more so like the Roc. ‘Cause Jay always had artists the world didn’t know, but he put them on the proper song and everybody knows the song. But this time around, I want you to know the song, I want you to know the person, I want you to know us. And it’s no secret about it, I got the toughest team in the game right now and later.” Related Artists Lil Wayne
Rapper, who is headed to jail on a weapons charge, admitted that he failed to pay taxes on $4 million in income. By Gil Kaufman Ja Rule Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images Queens rapper Ja Rule pleaded guilty to tax evasion in federal court in New Jersey on Tuesday, admitting that he had failed to pay taxes on more than $4 million in income. According to the Associated Press , the platinum-selling MC (born Jeffrey Atkins) earned the money between 2004 and 2006 while he lived in an upscale northern New Jersey enclave. The plea deal included an agreement by prosecutors to dismiss two counts of unpaid taxes on income earned in 2007 and 2008. Rule, 35, will be sentenced on the three remaining tax evasion charges in June and faces up to one year in prison and $100,000 in fines on each count. Ja Rule pleaded guilty to attempted gun possession in December, stemming from a July 2007 arrest, but his prison sentencing was delayed earlier this month so he could get his finances in order. Lil Wayne, who Ja Rule performed with on that July night at the Cash Money star’s Beacon Theater show, was arrested on the same night and eventually served eight months in prison for the same offense. Rule is now slated to be sentenced on June 8 and has agreed to a two-year prison term in that case. At the time of the sentencing postponement, Rule’s lawyer said the delay would allow her client to resolve his tax issue and maybe work on his next musical project as well. “We want to finish the album, and there’s also a tax issue,” lawyer Stacey Richman said. “Somebody, an accountant, had filed an incorrect form, and this is to correct what was done in the past.” Related Artists Ja Rule
Breaking Sports Video
