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Taylor Swift Thinks Taylor Lautner Is Hot

Or so she says in an interview for April’s Elle, which may have happened before their breakup. By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift on the April cover of Elle Photo: Elle Taylor Swift is on the cover of the April issue of Elle, and inside she reveals her thoughts on the hotness of her ex-boyfriend, “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner . But don’t get too excited by the possibility that this interview might lead to a romantic reunion — it appears to have been conducted before Swift and Lautner went their separate ways. The interview may have taken place in December 2009, when Swift was spotted wearing a hairstyle similar to one she’s sporting in the accompanying photos (bangs and all). In addition to talking about her fears and her lyrical inspirations, she sheepishly shared that her “Valentine’s Day” co-star was on her hot list. “Um, well … Taylor Lautner,” she said in response to a query about who she thought was hot. The two reportedly split up in late December. Swift has never been shy about using her relationships as lyrical inspiration . “I like to categorize the various levels of heartbreak,” she told Elle . “I’ve only had that happen once. A letdown is worth a few songs. A heartbreak is worth a few albums.” Swift, who kicked off the second leg of her Fearless tour on Thursday, also talked about her own level of fearlessness. “I overthink everything,” she explained. “I overanalyze everything.” Sometimes for Swift, though, all that thinking can lead to success. For instance, she claims that the power of positive thinking ultimately pushed her to move to Nashville, where she realized her musical ambitions. “I just got it into my head that there was this magical place that I needed to go to because that was where dreams come true,” she said. But it seems that as her star rises and her popularity grows, so does the scrutiny Swift faces from the public and the media. She said that these days, people are waiting to see if she’ll make a mistake. “I’ve had countless opportunities to do some really bad things,” she said. “And then people start combing through everything I do, trying to find the next mistake and misperception, which leads to more scrutiny. “Like, if I go to a bar, even if I’m not drinking, who’s to say that a source isn’t going to say that I was doing something I shouldn’t have been doing?” she went on. “So it’s not only about your own moral compass, but the moral compasses of other people that you don’t know.” Related Artists Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift Thinks Taylor Lautner Is Hot

Adam Lambert Releases New Song, ‘Voodoo’

‘American Idol’ runner-up tweets that spacey track will appear on upcoming For Your Entertainment remix EP. By Jocelyn Vena Adam Lambert Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images Adam Lambert is under someone’s spell in his new song “Voodoo.” The track, which appears on international versions of Lambert’s debut album For Your Entertainment, should be released in the U.S. soon, according to his Twitter account . Lambert announced the song’s release to his fans late Thursday, writing, “Song will be released soon in US on WWFM & FYE Remix EP! Check out VOODOO! Bonus track co-written w Sam Sparro appearing on international release of FYE. Turn it up.” “Voodoo” has a spacey feel that is reminiscent of the For Your Entertainment cover art. (Co-writer Sparro has penned tracks for “Star Trek” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” With its throwback, new-romantic vibe, it feels like it could have easily been recorded by Duran Duran during their 1980s heyday. The song opens with last year’s “American Idol” runner-up singing “Moon shine/ On the bayou/ Love shrine/ Break the taboo/ I want to know what’s/ In your potion/ Bound by total devotion.” Before long, Lambert is singing about his lover’s “voodoo” and being under a spell. Lambert, who is currently on an international promo tour , is planning to hit the road in the U.S. in support of For Your Entertainment. He recently told MTV News that he hopes to show off some next-level looks on stage . “I hate the term, ‘Oh, I couldn’t ever pull that off,’ ” he said. “I let that go when I was about 20. I try to aim to pull anything off that comes my way.” How do you feel about “Voodoo”? Tell us in the comments below! Related Artists Adam Lambert

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Adam Lambert Releases New Song, ‘Voodoo’

Travis Barker Gets Tattoo In Memory Of DJ AM

Hip-to-knee piece incorporates late DJ’s signature lightning bolt. By Gil Kaufman Travis Barker’s thigh tattoo Photo: twitter.com/trvsbrkr Travis Barker has paid the ultimate tribute to his late friend and musical partner DJ AM : getting a memorial tattoo honoring the celebrity DJ. Barker posted a photo of the thigh tattoo to his Twitter account on Thursday . The nearly hip-to-knee piece reads “In Memory Of” in cursive, with AM’s signature lightning bolt logo floating in a bank of clouds that have sunbeams streaming out of them. The image also incorporates a weeping angel whose head is ringed by a beaming halo. The tat was finished on Thursday night by body artist to the stars Mister Cartoon. He’s no stranger to inking Barker, having given the Blink-182 drummer a wrist tattoo of his daughter’s name last year. Barker and AM survived a 2008 plane crash in South Carolina that took the lives of four people. AM (born Adam Goldstein) died last August of an accidental drug overdose after struggling with a relapse in the aftermath of the crash. The drummer will take the stage with DJ A-Trak in Hollywood for performances next Tuesday and Wednesday. The shows will be Barker’s first live performances with a DJ since AM’s death. “When Travis hollered, I was definitely flattered,” said A-Trak. “We started by jamming once, back in the fall, just came over to the studio, and we did, like, one hour of jamming, which we thought was maybe a half an hour. “I just started playing records and scratching, and he was playing on top, and it went really, really naturally,” A-Trak continued. “It was very fluid. And we stopped and looked at the watch, and it was like, ‘Oh, we’ve been playing for an hour and didn’t even realize it.’ And I think that solidified for both of us in our minds that we could do this pretty easily.” Barker and A-Trak will perform each other’s remixes as well as some new collaborations. Related Videos Remembering DJ AM Related Photos DJ AM: A Life In Photos Related Artists Travis Barker DJ AM

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Travis Barker Gets Tattoo In Memory Of DJ AM

Drake Premieres First Single ‘Over’

The first official track from Thank Me Later debuts on Toronto radio. By Shaheem Reid Drake Photo: Paola Kudacki/GQ After a nearly yearlong wait for his fans, Drake’s debut single off of his debut album Thank Me Later is here. The song, “Over,” deals with Drake coming to grips with fame. And just like Drizzy chose to stay with his home team, Young Money, when signing his record deal, he also chose to debut his first official record in his hometown, on Toronto radio station 93.5 the Flow. The song is also available for download on Drake’s Web site . “Bottles on me, long as someone drink it,” the 23-year-old raps in a slow, aggressive flow. “Never drop the ball, f— is y’all thinking?/ Making sure the Young Money ship is never sinking/ ‘Bout to set it off in this b—-, Jada Pinkett/ You too fine to be laying down in bed alone/ I can teach you how to speak my language, Rosetta Stone.” The track was produced by Boi-1da and has an energetic feel. ” ‘Bout to go Thriller, Mike Jackson on these n—-s,” Drake later raps. “All I need is a f—— red jacket with some zippers.” Even with anticipation for the record through the roof, Drake said he’s keeping everything in perspective. “This is my first song,” he told radio-show hosts Jus Red and Jwyze. “This is still my first single of my first album. This is still the beginning, as great as everything has gone.” “I know way too many people here right now that I didn’t know last year,” Drake sings on the hook. “Who the f— are y’all?/ I swear it feels like the last few nights we been everywhere and back/ But I just can’t remember it all/ What am I doing? What am I doing?/ Oh yeah, that’s right/ I’m doing me, I’m doing me/ I’m living life right now, man, and this what I’mma do till it’s over/ Till it’s over/ But it’s far from over.” “I went with ‘Over’ as the first look because of the words in the hook,” he said. “The hook being the most repetitive part. I got a lot of great songs on my album. I got songs for women who wanna feel special. I got songs for dudes — if you ever thought my music was too soft, this is one you will enjoy. I got a lot of variety on there, but the biggest thing was that opening line on the hook: ‘I know way too many people here right now that I didn’t know last year.’ “I’ve just gone so many places in a short amount of time,” he added. “This record sums up where I am right now in my career. I think it’s a great first impression. The album is gong to be a great body of work for you to get lost in. Right now I just wanna have some fun. When we’re out partying, I want people to have some fun too, because this is the one.” The video for “Over” is scheduled to be filmed soon in Los Angeles. Related Artists Drake

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Drake Premieres First Single ‘Over’

B.o.B Talks New Single ‘Nothin’ On You,’ New Mixtape, New Album

‘The biggest lesson I learned is patience,’ Atlanta MC says. By Jayson Rodriguez B.o.B. Photo: MTV News Upstart Atlanta MC B.o.B aka Bobby Ray isn’t your average rapper by any means. First of all, he plays the guitar — and while Kanye West, Drake and Lil Wayne have tried their hands at shredding, none of them can spin a wayward, folksy tune like he can. Combine that with co-signs from Eminem and T.I., who signed the Mixtape Daily Firestarter alum to his Grand Hustle roster , and you have the makings of a breakout star. So how, exactly, does Bobby Ray plan on introducing his soulful Southern lyricism? With his new single, “Nothin’ On You,” a sprightly, musical number from his forthcoming debut, B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray . “Introducing B.o.B or Bobby Ray — it takes more than one song to do it,” the rapper told MTV News from red carpet of BET’s “Rip the Runway.” “But I feel like this song is really genuine and really sincere, so I feel good about people finding out about me through ‘Nothin’ On You’.” The song, featuring Bruno Mars, currently rests at number 37 on the Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B chart. Although “Nothin’ On You” is still picking up steam, it’s already received praise — the program director at Los Angeles’ KIIS FM told Entertainment Weekly that B.o.B would be the next big thing on radio. Bruno who, along with Phillip Lawrence from production team the Smeezingtons, helmed the track, gushed over Bobby Ray’s talent. “It’s great — he’s an incredible artist,” the singer said. “We actually wrote and sung on the hook. We’d been fans of his for a minute and he came in and just murdered those verses. Hopefully the rest is gonna be history.” The rapper has been signed to Atlantic Records for some time now and graced the pages of 2009’s XXL Freshman 10 issue, with fellow rookies Kid Cudi, Asher Roth and Wale, among others. Waiting on the bench wasn’t without its challenges. At one point B.o.B threatened to pull the plug on his promising career before it even started, though he later backtracked and said the rumors were exaggerated . “It does get frustrating, trying to be as free as possible but at the same time working with people,” the rapper told MTV News last year. But with a new mixtape — the DJ Drama-hosted May 25th — in the streets and a release date on deck for his debut, April 27, Bobby Ray said he learned the value of patience. “I will tell you this about the journey as an artist to get to the point where you actually have a release date,” he offered. “The biggest lesson I learned is patience. Once you get here it’s like, OK, now you have to keep going. You never get to an end. So you have to be patient and pace yourself. Take time. It’s like building a house. You gotta take time, build a foundation, get the walls right, get the electricity right, get ther plumbing right and make sure when you turn the light on that the door don’t open up.” Related Artists B.O.B. “Bobby Ray” B.o.B.

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B.o.B Talks New Single ‘Nothin’ On You,’ New Mixtape, New Album

Ke$ha Slams Britney Spears For Lip-Synching

‘I would never do that to my fans,’ ‘Tik Tok’ singer reportedly says. By Gil Kaufman Ke$ha Photo: Splash News Online Ke$ha recently lashed out at Britney Spears for lip-synching during her concerts. “I think that’s bullsh–,” Ke$ha reportedly told the U.K.’s “I don’t think that’s fair at all for people who are going to see the show. I think if you are going to be a singer, you should sing. If you are going to be a dancer, you should dance.” Ke$ha, who sang background vocals on Britney’s 2008 track “Lace and Leather,” said Spears should be clearer about which parts of her show are live and which are pre-recorded. “If you are going to do a combination of the two, you should make it very clear when you are singing and very clear when you are dancing,” she said. “I would never do that to my fans.” But even though her comments were harsh, Ke$ha said she meant no offense to Spears. “People have asked me before to mime,” she explained. “I have been up at three in the morning for a television show with jet lag, but I refuse to mime … It’s treating people as if they are too stupid to realize you are not actually singing. “Sometimes it is hard to sing and dance at the same time but I would rather be off and be real and genuine about it to my fans. I don’t want to treat my fans like they are stupid.” A representative for Ke$ha had not responded to MTV News’ requests for comment at press time, and a spokesperson for Spears had no comment. “That is my take on my fans and life in general,” said Ke$ha. “My whole record is super-honest. I am really honest. When I am singing I may sound sh—y sometimes, but at least you’ll know I’m singing.” Related Photos MTV.com Exclusive: Ke$ha Related Artists Ke$ha Britney Spears

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Ke$ha Slams Britney Spears For Lip-Synching

Jay-Z Visits President Obama At White House

‘I just came from the White House,’ Jay tells crowd at his show in D.C. Wednesday. By Jayson Rodriguez Jay-Z (file) Photo: Chris Gordon/ WireImage Jay-Z took advantage of his time in the Beltway on Wednesday to visit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. “I just came from the White House,” he told the audience at the Verizon Center on the Washington D.C. leg of his Blueprint 3 tour. According to The Washington Post , Hov made the remark during the last minutes of his concert. Officials confirmed to the Post on Thursday (March 4) that President Barack Obama had indeed met with the Brooklyn MC and the pair chatted briefly. In an interview overseas last month, Jay-Z revealed that when he once called President Obama, he heard BP3 playing in the background . He also told British talk-show host Jonathan Ross he had been invited to the White House by the Obama administration “a couple of times,” but at the time, the witty lyricist hadn’t had a chance to take the president up on the offer. “Hopefully we’ll keep him in for eight years, so I’ll have time to get there” Jay joked. The Roc Nation boss was an avid supporter of Obama during the presidential campaign. He also referred to him in a series of lyrics, most notably for Young Jeezy’s hit “My President,” to which Jay-Z contributed a verse on the remix that premiered during a party that coincided with the president’s inauguration. “Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk/ Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run/ Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly,” he raps on the track. “So I’mma spread my wings/ You could meet me in the sky.” “It’s just the progression. … You sat, you walked, you ran, you ran to fly,” he said about his Obama rhyme last year on the eve of the inauguration. “You know, just the progression and how far we’ve come as a nation. It feels good to say that, ’cause I never had that type of feeling to say ‘as a nation,’ like I was part of the American dream. And I believe a lot of people didn’t feel like a part of the American process for so long.” At Wednesday’s show, a fan jumped onstage and was escorted off by Jay’s bodyguard. Related Artists Jay-Z

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Jay-Z Visits President Obama At White House

David Otunga Would Marry Fiancee Jennifer Hudson In The Wrestling Ring

‘It would be quite a show,’ WWE star said, although Grammy and Oscar winner Hudson probably won’t go for it. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Larry Carroll David Otunga Photo: MTV News A rumor that wrestling star David Otunga wanted to marry his superstar fianc

T.I. Announces ‘I’m Back’ With New Single

Record company announced imprisoned rapper’s song will premiere next week. By Jayson Rodriguez T.I. Photo: Grand Hustle Taking a page out of Michael Jordan’s book when the hoops legend returned from his first retirement, T.I. ‘s new song title is composed of just two words that say all anyone needs to know: “I’m Back.” The imprisoned rap star’s promotional Twitter account posted a message saying T.I. would have a major announcement to make on Monday, March 8. (His fianc

Lil Wayne, Kanye West Protege Mikkey Halstead Working On First Album

‘It’s really going to be done the way I want,’ he tells Mixtape Daily. By Steven Roberts Mikkey Halsted Photo: MTV News Fire Starter: Mikkey Halsted You would think that if Kanye West produced your demo with beats he hand-selected for you, you would be good to go. Now if that demo somehow found its way into the hands of Cash Money Records CEO Birdman, you’d definitely be topping the charts in no time. As a teenager, Mikkey Halsted was lucky enough to experience both of those scenarios, although things ended up not working out as planned. Hailing from Chicago, Halsted was introduced to Kanye by his sister, Miss Criss, another artist West had been working with in 2001. Criss raved to the producer about her brother’s lyrical skills but it wasn’t until ‘Ye overheard Halsted freestyling that he began to really pay attention. “Just going over to Kanye’s mama’s house, I used to be just kicking it, freestyling,” Halsted explained. “I really wasn’t taking hip-hop seriously at that point. I was into trying to make it to the NBA — I was a ballplayer. We got over there freestyling one time and he was like, ‘Damn, man, you’re really raw for real. Your sister wasn’t lying.’ He was like, ‘Man, take these beats, man, and see what you can do.’ ” Halsted came back the next day with three records finished, and the duo worked on a 15-song demo that made it to the executive offices of Cash Money Records. “This is before Kanye went to the Roc and all that … got to Cash Money, they heard it. They went crazy. They actually tried to get Kanye and me to sign.” Mikkey and his sister both signed and actually went on tour with the label, and although things did not ultimately work out with Cash Money, he built great relationships — Lil Wayne is still one of his good friends. Weezy shouted out Halsted in the October 2008 issue of XXL saying, “If anybody had me really get on my sh–, [it was] Mikkey.” Halsted also learned from the Cash Money work ethic. “I learned the independent game from them and I saw how they grinded. I took the Cash Money grind and applied it to my own situation and with my work ethic. I saw Wayne [work], and me and Wayne kind of came up together in a way,” he said. “All of those things and all of those different people kind of made me who I am today.” After a short stint signed to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def imprint, Halsted found himself independent again — and relishing it. He hooked back up with Kanye’s onetime mentor and Grammy-winning producer, No ID, and the two have steadily been putting out mixtapes and releasing songs to the hip-hop blogosphere. They are currently working on an independent album called The Darkroom. “It’s really going to be my first album and it’s really going to be done the way I want — the way No ID and I wanted to do it if we didn’t have any label interference,” Halsted said. “But it’s just a good thing. I’ve been through so many different things in a short period of time, so thank God I started as a teenager so, you know, you feel like you matured now, you ready for everything that’s coming.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Videos Mixtape Daily: Young Jeezy, Lloyd Banks

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Lil Wayne, Kanye West Protege Mikkey Halstead Working On First Album