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Lady Gaga Says New Album Will Be ‘Spiritual’

Gaga says Fame follow-up reflects how she feels ‘much more connected to God.’ By James Montgomery Lady Gaga Photo: Jon Furniss/ WireImage In a new interview with The Times of London, Lady Gaga gets deep on a number of topics — life, love, health, wealth and religion, to name just a few — and from the sound of things, all of those are going to be addressed on her new album. “You know when people say, ‘If you could say one sentence about who you are, what your life is,’ it’s that. For the whole album,” Gaga told the paper (link). “Because I recently had this … miracle-like experience, where I feel much more connected to God.” When The Times ‘ Caitlin Moran pressed Gaga to clarify her statement, she made it clear that the new album will not shy away from topics like God and religion, but the scope won’t just be limited to Gaga’s own Christian upbringing. The goal, she explains, is to explore them in an all-encompassing, broader sense. “[It’s] more spiritual,” Gaga says. “I don’t want to say much, because I want it to stay hidden until it comes out — but I will say that religion is very confusing for everyone, and particularly me, because there’s really no religion that doesn’t hate or condemn a certain kind of people, and I totally believe in all love and forgiveness, and excluding no one.” Gaga also says that, despite being in the middle of a seemingly endless world tour, she’s recording music “every day.” In fact, she said she has already completed the majority of the follow-up to her ultra-successful The Fame and The Fame Monster. But she was mum about just when her Little Monsters will be able to hear any of it. “[I] can’t talk about it yet,” she said. “But everyone’s going to f—ing know about it when it comes out.” Related Photos Lady Gaga, Elton John Perform At Rainforest Benefit The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga Lady Gaga Lights Up Germany Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga Says New Album Will Be ‘Spiritual’

Taio Cruz Sexts With Ke$ha In ‘Dirty Picture’ Video

The clip ends with the two together at a sexy house party. By Jocelyn Vena Taio Cruz Photo: MTV News Taio Cruz ‘s new clip for his track “Dirty Picture,” which on Monday (May 24), opens with the singer speeding through the desert alone. Before long Cruz is at a house party where everyone is drinking and sending pretty PG-rated dirty texts, a fitting idea considering the song is all about sexting. All Cruz wants his lady friend to do is “take a dirty picture.” While Cruz is grinding up against some of the female revelers at the bash, enter Ke$ha , all dolled up, hanging out in the ladies’ room responding to Cruz’s call to arms, asking that her man do the same. Then we’re back in the desert with Cruz, who’s thinking about his woman again. And once again we’re back at the party, and it seems that there’s not one person who isn’t getting into the sexting action, kissing, touching and bumping and grinding as the flashes flash. Ke$ha’s role in the video is limited; eventually she and Cruz are hanging out while elsewhere ladies are getting alcohol poured all over them. The video ends with Cruz and Ke$ha canoodling, telling their loved ones to “click, click, snap” that dirty picture their way. Cruz recently talked to MTV News about working with Ke$ha on the track, noting that Lady Gaga was his initial choice. But Ke$ha won him over after producer Dr. Luke told him all about her. “She looked really sexy, and I just thought she was talented. Her voice was awesome,” he said. “It had this — I hope she won’t mind me saying this, but her voice has this kind of yodely quality to it, the way that she does things and the way that she ends words. I just loved that quality about it.” Related Artists Taio Cruz Ke$ha

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Taio Cruz Sexts With Ke$ha In ‘Dirty Picture’ Video

Bret Michaels Says He’s ‘Not Back 100 Percent Yet’

Despite recent health crises, Michaels tells the ‘Today’ show, ‘I’m ready to rock.’ By Jocelyn Vena After beating Holly Robinson Peete on Sunday night’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” Bret Michaels sat down with Meredith Vieira on the “Today” show on Monday (May 24) to say that although he’s not back to his old self yet, he is ready to make the strides to get there. “It’s great and awesome to be here. … The doctor said it’s not very smart to be here, but I’m not a very smart guy in that capacity. I really knew I wanted to be [at the finale],” he told the anchor. “This is the truth: I’m not back 100 percent yet, but I’m one of those guys that I have to have a goal, and I’m very driven, and I say this truthfully, I love life.” Michaels noted during the interview that his intention of winning “Celebrity Apprentice” hadn’t changed even after the several medical crises he’s experienced in the past month. “When I went in there to do the show, I was committed 100 percent,” he said. “Everybody wants to win for their cause and I went in there, I had no intention to hurt anybody. My intention was to do the best job I can do. When I had the hemorrhage I thought it was over. I got to tell you I was so happy to have been there. I set my goal.” While Michaels is taking his recovery day by day, he says that he’s looking forward to performing again, including his planned summer tour. “I say this much, I don’t know that I’m ready yet and I’m going to take it in baby steps,” he explained. “I’ve had so many amazing fans. … I’m ready to get out of the hospital and on the road. I’m ready to rock.” Related Photos Bret Michaels’ Career In Photos Related Artists Bret Michaels

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Bret Michaels Says He’s ‘Not Back 100 Percent Yet’

B.o.B’s ‘Airplanes’ With Hayley Williams: Summer Jam Of 2010?

The song’s catchy chorus and crossover appeal make it a prime candidate. By Kyle Anderson Photo: MTV News They say the secret to having a hit is pretty easy: It needs a good beat you can dance to and should repeat the chorus hundreds of times. This is why Aerosmith’s “Dude Looks Like a Lady” is probably the greatest single ever. But scoring the official jam of summer is a little more complicated. It requires a big chorus, cool-sounding production and that certain enigmatic quality that makes it sound good while meat is being grilled. B.o.B’s “Airplanes” (which features an assist from Paramore singer Hayley Williams ) is one of those songs. The Atlanta MC is riding a wave of cool with the chart-topping success of his debut album The Adventures of Bobby Ray, and while the album’s first single, “Nothin’ on You,” had the sort of feel-good groove that would have made for a great summer song, “Airplanes” kicks it up a notch with a funky verse and a great sing-along chorus care of Williams, the song’s secret weapon. “Can we pretend that airplanes/ In the night sky / Are like shooting stars?” she sings. “I could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now).” “I bring something totally different than what he brings to it,” Williams told MTV News earlier this month. And as Entertainment Weekly ‘s Leah Greenblatt points out, “You can put that song on and please a lot of people at the same time.” The crossover potential of “Airplanes” makes it a strong candidate, and that should compensate for the fact that the lyrics and the accompanying piano track make the song somewhat darker than most summer jams tend to be. Vote for the summer jam of 2010 in the MTV Newsroom now, and stay tuned all week for more on the hottest songs of the season. Do you think a darker song like “Airplanes” qualifies as a summer jam? Talk about it in the comments. Related Artists B.o.B Paramore

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B.o.B’s ‘Airplanes’ With Hayley Williams: Summer Jam Of 2010?

Bono’s Back Surgery Postpones U2 Tour

New leg of the 360 Tour was set to kick off in Salt Lake City on June 3. By Kelley L. Carter Bono Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage U2 frontman Bono has undergone emergency back surgery at a hospital in Germany, a manager for the group said. Due to the hospitalization, the first date of their tour has been postponed. The 50-year-old singer, whose real name is Paul Hewson, was injured while preparing for the group’s tour. According to a statement on U2’s website , Bono is being treated by neurosurgeon Dr. Joerg Tonn and Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt. “Bono will spend the next few days there, before returning home to recuperate,” the statement read. “Once his condition has been assessed further, a statement will be made regarding the impact on forthcoming tour dates.” Paul McGuinness, the band’s manager, said in an MP3 posted on the website on Friday (May 21) that because of the injury, U2’s 360 Tour stop on June 3 in Salt Lake City has been postponed. After that date, the band was scheduled to play in Anaheim, California, on June 6 and 7, followed by Denver on June 12 and Oakland, California, on June 16. There’s no word whether other dates have been canceled. Bono had recently told The Associated Press that sales of the group’s latest album, No Line on the Horizon, have been somewhat soft, which made for U2’s lowest-selling CD in more than a decade. The band also has said that the massive tour has yet to break even due to the enormous production costs of setting up and designing the 170-ton, $40 million stage. “We hope to get things resolved as soon as possible,” McGuinness said. Send your well-wishes to Bono in the comments. Related Artists Bono U2

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Bono’s Back Surgery Postpones U2 Tour

Diddy Says Nicki Minaj Is ‘One Of The Great Ones’

‘Nicki is up there. Her story has just begun,’ the mogul says of managing the Young Money MC. By Jayson Rodriguez Diddy Photo: MTV News Diddy is expanding his empire. The mogul recently announced the opening of a management firm that he’ll oversee in addition to his existing business holdings, which include a restaurant, clothing line and, of course, Bad Boy Records. Rick Ross was the first to ink with Diddy , describing the knowledge Diddy has as “priceless.” And now, Nicki Minaj is finalizing the paperwork that will allow the Last Train to Paris superstar to guide her career. The Young Money femcee has already been in the studio with Diddy, and he’s been singing her praises. “Nicki Minaj, she’s definitely one of the great ones,” Diddy told MTV News, speaking publicly for the first time about his new signee. “She has a long way to go, but you know how we recognized LeBron [James] was a great one, Tiger [Woods] was a great one, and Kobe [Bryant] was a great one? Nicki is up there. Her story has just begun.” So far, Nicki Minaj has released only one single, the Sean Garrett-assisted “Massive Attack,” which boasts a Hype Williams-directed video. But she’s been prominently featured on a slew of other artist’s records, including Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad,” Robin Thicke’s “Shakin’ It 4 Daddy” and Mariah Carey’s “Up Out My Face.” In February, the Queens lyricist spoke with MTV News and said she’s in no rush to release her yet-untitled debut. “With the album, just like with my mixtape, I never like to rush it,” Minaj explained. “With the album, I think it’s more important that people get accustomed to seeing a female rapper again. Before I drop an album, people need to come out and see. People don’t even know what a female rapper does. We’re so not used to seeing it. “It’s nonexistent in categories. We don’t get nominated. I need to work [the people] up to accepting a female rapper again and accepting my style and all of that — then the album will come. Honestly, I’d love to put an album out this year, but I don’t believe in rushing things either. We’ll see.” Do you think Diddy will do a good job of managing artists like Nicki Minaj? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Diddy Nicki Minaj

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Diddy Says Nicki Minaj Is ‘One Of The Great Ones’

Cam’ron Explains Why He Set Up Shop In Atlanta

‘We’re trying to just get a different vibe,’ he says of recording in ATL for a few months. By Shaheem Reid Cam’ron Photo: MTV News ATLANTA — Harlem rap king Cam’ron has enough bread to set up shop anywhere. He’s had ties to Florida and he’s heavy in the Midwest. Now, Killa has packed his bags and headed down South. Cam has temporarily relocated to Atlanta to record his next few projects. “We got a bunch of stuff going on,” Cam explained recently. “I got my solo album to do. We got ‘Killa Season 2’ soundtrack. ‘Cousin Bang, the Movie’ soundtrack. To keep it 100, down South, they got a lot of hot beats with no samples. We’re trying to just get a different vibe. I did four of my albums in New York, one in Chicago, one in L.A. But I never did an album recording in Atlanta. So me and Vado came down here to get a different vibe. We’re gonna be down here for a few months recording and working.” Killa has already started his next mixtape, a collaboration with DJ Holiday . Cam and Vado also just released their Boss of All Bosses tape with DJ Drama . The set features the new Vado single “Speakin Tongues.” “I don’t know what nobody thought,” Cam told Mixtape Daily of the song. “It’s me. This is what I do for a living. But shout to Vado. It’s his record. He got the beat and all that. I was like, ‘Nah, we gotta put that out immediately.’ “Let me break it down: We’re the U.N. That’s the name of the team,” Cam described. “The U.N. is ‘Us Now.’ We got an album coming out in August that’s gonna be stupid. Vado’s solo joint, look towards December [for that one]. But I want everybody to be focused on that U.N. album, ’cause when that comes out, it’s gonna be bananas. Stupid. This August. [‘Speakin Tongues’], this is the first single off of it.” “The song is about partying, living the Harlem life. Ballin’,” Vado added. “You already know.” What do you think Cam’s Atlanta music will sound like? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists The Diplomats

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Cam’ron Explains Why He Set Up Shop In Atlanta

Drake Reps H-Town ‘Till The Day I Die’ On Away From Home Tour

The Toronto MC brings out Houston rap luminaries Bun B, Lil Keke, Trae Tha Truth and others. By Cynithia Allen Drake (file) Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Drake did the Texas two-step this week, bringing his Away From Home Tour to Dallas on Wednesday, and the next day, to Houston, where he closed out his initial run of U.S. dates. The 23-year-old Toronto MC’s show was highly anticipated in H-Town, a city Drake gave props to on “November 18th,” off the Chopped N Screwed version of his So Far Gone mixtape. He opened Thursday night’s show at Houston’s Verizon Wireless Theater with his club banger “Over,” whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Drizzy told his fans that “only three things matter at this time: Number one, I’m Drizzy Drake. Two, I’m part of the hottest team in the game right now — Young Money/ Cash Money. Finally, I rep H-Town till the day I die.” The Grammy-nominated artist showed his respect for the City of Syrup with a performance of the aforementioned “November 18th,” which true Houstonians know was inspired by the Screwed Up Clique’s late-90s posse cut “June 18.” One of the Clique’s original members, Lil Keke, was on hand to deliver his verse from the ensemble track. And the Houston rap scene was amply represented at the concert: In addition to Keke, Drake brought out Houston luminaries Z-Ro, Trae Tha Truth and the Underground King himself, the timeless Bun B. Cash Money’s Birdman, who has made appearances on several dates of the tour, came through for “Money to Blow,” and then performed the Big Tymers hit “Still Fly.” The theater seemed to shake to the rafters as the excited crowd began reciting lyrics — “Gator boots with the pimped-out Gucci shoes.” The stage was then turned over to Young Money members Gudda Gudda and Lil Twist, who came out to assist on “Bed Rock.” The show continued with the lovemaking theme on “A Night Off,” which saw Drake bring out a microphone whose stand was covered in female undergarments. The ladies went berserk, throwing bras and panties at the dynamic MC, a practice that has become a ritual at every Away From Home show. In an interview Drake gave to CNN , he said he was attempting to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most bras thrown at a performer during a single show. When Drake chose a 27-year-old Houston fan to join him onstage, he warned her that anything could happen, including licking, sucking or kissing. No one seemed to be left disappointed at this show. And while he may not have been given the key to the City of Syrup, Drake proved he already has the town on lock. Are you planning to see Drake in Concert now that he’s added more dates to his tour? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Drake

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Drake Reps H-Town ‘Till The Day I Die’ On Away From Home Tour

Drake Calls Thank Me Later Release A ‘Crucial Moment’

‘It actually feels like my last album, not my first,’ he tells Billboard. By Jayson Rodriguez Drake on the June cover of Billboard magazine Photo: Billboard The pressure is on for Drake to deliver on his highly anticipated debut album, Thank Me Later. And the Toronto MC is well aware of the expectations. In the May 29 issue of Billboard, Drake said it feels like he’s working on his final album, rather than dipping his toe into the pool for the first time. “I know I have a lot of growing up to do, but I guess, unfortunately, people won’t judge me as if this is my first album or my first year in the game,” Drake said of the album, due June 15. “This is a crucial moment for me. It actually feels like my last album, not my first. I’ll be working hard to make sure you remember it. I’ll be in your city, performing all the songs, and hopefully looking at you in your eyes and let you know it’s real out here, man. I’m ready.” Recently, Drake announced he is extending his Away From Home Tour , which will feature an international leg in July with stops in Norway and the U.K. Earlier this week, the Thank Me Later track list was revealed; T.I. and Young Jeezy will join Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and The-Dream on the collection. Drake has long insisted that, despite the buzz surrounding his rising star, he wants his first album to be “relatable,” much in the same manner that made his breakout mixtape, So Far Gone, a fan favorite. “At the end of the day, one of the biggest things I’ve been toying with on Thank Me Later is that it’s kind of hard for me to come out and be like, ‘I’m still the underdog,’ ” Drake told MTV News last year. “I can’t rap about the same things [as I did] on So Far Gone, so it’s just really trying to tell the greatest story that’s never been told, which is the story of a rapper’s come-up, and tell it without being corny or over-bragging or sounding like, ‘Feel sorry for me.’ It’s going to be a very interesting record, because I’m really going to have to dig deep and tell stories that people can relate to. But it’s kind of hard, because my life is at a very different place now.” Are you going to get Drake’s Thank Me Later when it comes out? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Drake

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Drake Calls Thank Me Later Release A ‘Crucial Moment’

Rick Ross Calls ‘Super High’ Video A ‘Pivotal Point’ In His Career

‘It was a much bigger video than I have done previously,’ he tells MTV News. By Shaheem Reid Rick Ross Photo: Akshay Bhansali When hip-hop fans sit back and watch his videos, Rick Ross wants to give them the same chills he got as a youngster when he saw new clips from Eazy-E and Big Daddy Kane. The Bawse released his new video for “Super High” on Sunday, and in the climatic scene, he gets to have an Arthur Fonzarelli moment: wearing a leather jacket and sitting on a fly motorcycle with an even flyer check on his arm. “It’s a real pivotal point,” Ross said about the video, in which he and leading lady Stacey Dash get to chill under the sun on a mountaintop. “Just for me to be sitting on a Harley Davidson. … It was a much bigger video than I have done previously. … Just to be sitting on the mountaintop, my arm around Stacey Dash. I’m burning in between takes. [Director] F. Gary Gray is in a helicopter flying above me, and the pilot is the same pilot that is flying the chopper through the tunnel in ‘The Italian Job.’ That’s F. Gary’s partner. We met, and he did it as love. “I’m just sitting there thinking of all this, it just gets deep,” he added about the surreal moment. “It just lets me know my mind is very powerful. It’s very powerful as long as I stay focused. I can keep getting creative and raise the bar.” Ross said to get the ageless Dash to appear in his clip was just a matter of pressing send. “She is most definitely a beautiful young lady,” he said. “She’s also a class act. She was so youthful, vibing, having a good time. So I take my hat off to her. I wanted to do something different, so I put an actress into it. Someone who I was a fan of, someone I wanted to meet. I threw a name at [F. Gary], he texted the number real quick.” What did you think of Ross’ epic video? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Rick Ross Related Artists Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)

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Rick Ross Calls ‘Super High’ Video A ‘Pivotal Point’ In His Career