‘I was too young to understand everything in it, but I understood everything in it,’ Cease tells MTV News of 1994 track. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Notorious B.I.G. Photo: Bad Boy The Notorious B.I.G. had plenty of hit singles, like “Big Poppa” and “Hypnotize,” but more often than not, his album cuts were just as memorable. He may have only given fans two albums before he died on March 9, 1997, but Biggie crafted a catalog that is still celebrated 15 years after his death . Songs like “Gimme the Loot” and “Ten Crack Commandments” resonated with fans without music videos or radio play. Till this day, one of Lil’ Cease’s favorite B.I.G. songs is “Everyday Struggle,” from Big’s 1994 debut, Ready to Die. “I’m sure I was about 13,14,” Cease said, recalling his age when his friend first tracked the record. “I was too young to understand everything in it, but I understood everything in it.” On” Everyday Struggle,” the Notorious B.I.G. rapped with a hustler’s remorse. Rather than brag about his crack sales, like rappers often do, Big painted a picture of the downside of the street life. He rhymed about his mother’s disappointment with his lifestyle, the murder of his close friend “Two Techs” and horrific dope-fiend binges. “I don’t wanna live no mo’/ Sometimes I hear death knockin’ at my front door/ I’m living every day like a hustle, another drug to juggle/ Another day, another struggle,” he rapped on the hook. “Just that right there was our story. I was out there 11, 12 years old trying to do that, trying to hustle, trying to get out there and make money,” Cease said. Lil’ Cease estimates that Biggie was 19 years old when he recorded “Everyday Struggle”; to be able to paint such a vivid picture at such a young age was a rarity. “Just the music, the beat, the production and then the way Big was rhymin’ — me knowing Big was only 19 years old when he was writin’ all that stuff,” he said. “I watched Puffy listen to it, I watched [Hot 97 DJ] Mister Cee and [former Source magazine editor] Matty C and ’em listen to it. They was lookin’ at Big like he was a robot. “It just made me feel proud because I was actually a part of that,” Cease said. Join MTV News as we celebrate the Notorious B.I.G.’s life on the 15th anniversary of his death. From now through Sunday, we’ll be rolling out exclusive and commemorative content from Biggie’s closest friends, collaborators and biggest fans. To join the conversation on Twitter, hit @MTVRapFix using the hashtag #biggie15. Related Videos Remembering Notorious B.I.G. Related Artists Notorious B.I.G. Lil’ Cease
‘We’ll get together almost every night, all the coaches, believe it or not,’ country singer tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena Blake Shelton Photo: MTV News While there seems to be a friendly rivalry between the four judges on “The Voice,” off camera, that rivalry is nonexistent. The sole country star among the foursome, Blake Shelton, revealed to MTV News just what those crazy kids do when the cameras stop rolling and they are left to their own devices. “We hang out a little bit,” he told us. “It’s different out there in Los Angeles, and I don’t really fit in on the scene, but there’s been a time or two [we’ll hang out], normally during the live episodes, especially last year. We’ll get together almost every night, all the coaches, believe it or not.” Shelton remembered one get-together where the only lady judge showed up to party with bells on. “I had a party last year at my house,” he recalled. “And I’ll be damned if the first person at my door wasn’t Christina Aguilera. We love our house parties on ‘The Voice.’ ” The singer’s love for all his judge pals extends beyond a good party; he wants them on his team too! One judge in particular would be Shelton’s first pick for Team Blake : “Cee Lo, because he can do anything. He can do rock. I’ve never heard him rap, but I’m sure he can rap. I know he does whatever it is he does [musically, and] he’s really good at it. That’s who I want: Cee Lo.” But what if he could cast his dream bromance? Well, that honor goes to someone else. “All I have to say is, it’s true: I have a man crush on Adam,” Shelton admitted . “It blows me away people can pick up on that just by watching that on television. I want to kiss him. I want to kiss him so bad. I don’t care if it’s mutual or not. Can you honestly tell me that you don’t have a little bit of a crush on Adam? He’s sexy, is the word I’m using.” Would you like to attend a “Voice” judge party? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Blake Shelton
Latest mixtape is ‘a day in the life of’ Big K.R.I.T., from ‘8:04 AM’ to ‘5:04 AM.’ By Rob Markman Big K.R.I.T. Photo: MTV News Main Pick Headliner : Big K.R.I.T. Representing : Meridian, Mississippi Mixtape : 4Eva N a Day Real Spit : Ever wonder what goes on during the course of your favorite rapper’s day? On his latest mixtape, 4Eva N a Day, Big K.R.I.T. gives fans an intimate look into his life. From the moment he wakes up on the first track, appropriately titled “8:04 AM” to the tape’s second to last track “5:04 AM,” K.R.I.T. spreads his soul over the course of 17 selections. “I just wanted to do a sequel to Return of 4Eva, instead of it being just a group of songs, I said, ‘Man, let me do something conceptual,’ ” K.R.I.T. tells Mixtape Daily of the motivation behind his 2012 tape. Last March the Meridian, Mississippi MC/producer dropped his critically acclaimed Return of 4Eva. Though his releases are considered mixtapes, K.R.I.T. presents his works like albums. There are no freestyles, only well-thought-out songs of the rapper’s own original production. On his last tape, songs like “Highs & Lows,” “Dreamin’ ” and “The Vent” found K.R.I.T. bypassing the standard rap fare of money, cars and clothes, choosing to give more substance in his music. 4Eva N a Day takes the formula futher. ” 4Eva N a Day was pretty much a day in the life of as far as me,” he said. “So I tried to put my whole life on wax, from the moment I wake up, real life conversations with my father, my actual grandmother, there’s audio of her talking before a song. There’s people in my life that are actually on this tape.” “Boobie Miles” is an inspirational hymn inspired by the Texas high school running back whose real-life story inspired the 1990 critically acclaimed book “Friday Night Lights” and the movie of the same name. On the track, Krizzle urges listeners to put God first, a spiritual theme that carries the tape throughout. The title track finds the self-proclaimed King Remembered in Time celebrating his relative victories in the face of haters. On “Handwriting,” the Def Jam signee vents about label woes, and on “Insomnia,” he seeks some sexual healing to help ease the stresses of his day. If you let K.R.I.T. tell it, the life of an up-and-coming rap star isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, but you also get the feeling that the rookie wouldn’t have it any other way. Joints to Check for
‘If I feel it, I can get on it,’ Nas tells MTV News about his collabo on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Nadeska Alexis Nicki Minaj Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage When Roman gets reloaded on April 3, it looks like Nicki Minaj ‘s alter ego will have some backup. On Friday (March 16), the Harajuku Barbie unveiled the track list of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Of course, Young Money counterparts Lil Wayne and Drake make appearances, but so do Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Cam’ron, Young Jeezy and 2 Chainz, not to mention Nas on a song called “Champion.” “Nicki hit us up, I got love, so it was nothin’ — I did the record,” Nas told MTV News on Saturday night before his show at South by Southwest. “Champion” also features Drake and Young Jeezy, and based off the features, one can assume that fans will see Nicki in full-on MC mode, as opposed to the pop presence on her current single “Starships.” It’s a duality Nicki embraces. “I guess I am pop culture just because what I’m doing seems to be popular. When people want to do what you’re doing, it’s kinda popular,” she told MTV News after her NBA All-Star Game performance in February. While fans wait to see how Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded holds up sonically, Nas gives his own assurance for “Champion.” For the Queensbridge, New York, MC, it all boils down to a simple feeling: “It’s hip-hop music; music is music. If I feel it, I can get on it. I heard the track, I felt it, I loved it.” What are you expecting from Nas, Drake and Young Jeezy’s Nicki Minaj collaboration? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Nas Nicki Minaj
‘I’m not gonna act like I’m a superhero,’ Mac tells MTV News of his persona on upcoming mixtape. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sam Hendrick Mac Miller Photo: David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns Mac Miller sure knows how to have a good time. On his 2010 breakout mixtape K.I.D.S., the then-teenage MC promoted party and B.S., and has continued to do so on hyped-up follow-up singles like “Donald Trump” and “Party on Fifth Ave.” With his mixtape Macadelic, due Friday, the Woodie of the Year winner is looking to switch things up. “It’s a lot different from anything I’ve ever done,” he told MTV News of the mixtape backstage at the mtvU Woodies . “In my past projects, I always thought about them a lot, like, ‘Where are the party jams? Where are the jams that are fun?’ ” This time out, Mac took a different creative approach with Macadelic. “I was trying to make a complete project, but on this project, all I wanted to do is just say what was on my mind,” he said. “I just worried about saying what I wanted to say, and I felt like there were a lot of things that I wanted to get off my chest, and this mixtape was the way to do it.” One thing Miller wanted to address were the critics who painted him as a frat-boy rapper only concerned about partying, doing drugs and bedding women. “I didn’t have the best reviews on a lot of things, and I speak on that,” he said. “I talk about that. I’m not gonna act like I’m a superhero and sh– doesn’t bother me — of course it bothers me, so I spoke on it.” Cam’ron and Sir Michael Rocks appear on the tape, as well as a big-time feature Miller chose to keep secret for now. “I can’t say who it is,” he teased. “But it’s just wild, wild.” Who do you think is Mac’s surprise Macadelic feature? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Back To The ‘Burgh With Mac Miller And Wiz Khalifa Related Artists Mac Miller
‘Things will definitely be a little different’ when pregnant Snooki and crew shoot season six this summer, an MTV rep confirms. By Jocelyn Vena The cast of “Jersey Shore” Photo: MTV Snooki promised at the end of the latest season of “Jersey Shore” that she’d be back for more Seaside Heights, New Jersey, shenanigans, and she wasn’t lying. MTV News has confirmed that there will be another season of the “Shore” — with mom-to-be Snooki joining her pals. Although further details about season six of the hit MTV reality show have yet to be released — though we do know “Shore” will tape this summer — the network released a statement hinting that there will be new themes to explore. “While things will definitely be a little different this time when they hit the boardwalk, their trademark hilarity and family dysfunction will remain the same,” an MTV rep teased. A pregnant Snooki and JWoww are in the midst of filming their own spin-off, while DJ Pauly D’s spin-off, “The Pauly D Project,” will premiere on March 29. But the crew will reconvene for another summer in the sun in Jersey. When MTV News caught up with Pauly D recently, he seemed excited to shoot another season that made him and his housemates household names. “Absolutely! I’m there! I love summers on the Jersey Shore,” he said. “I love it as a show, and I love it with my roommates. I wouldn’t do it without [them], I gotta do it with them. I want all of them [there] and I want the Jersey Shore.” Looking back on season five, Pauly said that if the cast had learned anything, it was how much they loved the Shore after a season spent abroad in Italy. “This season, we kind of appreciated Jersey more,” he said. “So we took advantage of it and everything it has to offer. We were in Italy for so long [last season] that we never were away from the country for that amount of time, so you realize how much you miss gym, tan, laundry. There was no tanning beds in Italy.” For continuing “Jersey Shore” coverage, be sure to check in with MTV’s Remote Control blog.
As we count down to the premiere of her ‘Part of Me’ video, MTV News picks our favorite Katy Perry clips to date. By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker Katy Perry Photo: EMI We’re just a couple days away from “MTV First: Katy Perry,” when the pop star will premiere the music video for her #1 hit, “Part of Me” on MTV. As her seventh #1 single, “Part of Me” has a long line of awesome videos to live up to. And as we count down the hours to the video premiere at 7:23 p.m. on Wednesday, it seems like an opportune time to look back at our five favorite Katy Perry videos so far. #5: “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)” This Marc Klesfeld-directed, 8-minute mini-movie opened with Kathy Beth Terry waking up the morning after throwing quite the rager, wearing absurd head gear and dreadful overalls. While this was not Katy’s first foray into the comedic music video genre by any means, this was the first time that she pulled all hands on deck to maximize the laughs with meaningful cameos from a glassy-eyed Darren Criss, Kevin McHale as a love interest, the mentoring of Friday expert Rebecca Black, Corey Feldman, Hanson, Debbie Gibson and, of course, Kenny G. Complete with dream sequences, beautiful fluorescent leggings a la 1985, a rooster and end credits that clearly save the best for last, “T.G.I.F.” is hands-down Katy’s most fun video to date. #4: “I Kissed a Girl” Rewatching the video for her first #1 hit, we see a personality far more timid and sex kitten-ish than the Katy Perry we know now. But we still recognize strong visual themes that are scattered throughout her more recent videos, live performances and magazine spreads. Director Kinga Burza brought us bizarre yet compelling imagery that seems to have set the tone for all videos to follow. The pink-and-red color scheme creates a burlesque backdrop around Katy’s former 1940s-pin-up-girl look that she hit the big pop scene with in 2008. We get to see a cat (not Kitty Purry technically, but perhaps a nod?), a pretty cake (confection!), and a pillow fight with a group of scantily clad women (including a pre-famous Ke$ha). The video ends with her waking up to realize the whole video was a dream, and she happens to be sharing a bed with a man who looks suspiciously similar to her then-boyfriend, Travie McCoy. #3: “California Gurls” This now-iconic video set the Candyland theme Perry took on the road with her for the sold-out California Dreams World Tour . As Snoop Dogg plays a naughty game of “Candyfornia,” the game piece, Ms. Perry, is faced with obstacles in the Mathew Cullen-directed adventure, including an army of pissed-off Gummy Bears and sinister candy snake vines. The obstacles are no match for her whipped cream-shooting bikini top and her happy-go-lucky demeanor she maintains while lying nude on some of the prettiest cotton candy clouds ever spotted. Her lavender, blue and black wigs foreshadowed Perry’s constantly-changing hair styles we see today. The visual effects in the video, surprisingly intricate for such a silly and sweet concept, transform Katy’s homeland California with all of its picturesque landscapes into a tantalizing Willy Wonka land where everything is edible, including the Hollywood sign. The video also marked Katy’s first noteworthy choreographed dancing, which was a new territory not explored from her One of the Boys era of videos. #2: “Firework” Katy Perry looks like a princess in this Budapest-set, Dave Meyers-directed tearjerker (happy tears!) that led the way for anti-bullying anthems even before Pink’s “F—in’ Perfect” and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way . Featuring a child cancer patient, a boy whose parents are fighting, a girl struggling with her weight and a teenage boy with a same-sex love interest, Katy Perry’s message of “igniting the light” is loud and clear as fireworks burst from everyone’s chest and purple streaks in one’s hair have never looked so good. #1: “The One That Got Away” Marking her second collaboration with director Floria Sigismondi following “E.T.,” “The One That Got Away” takes the top prize because of its clever jumps through time, a convincing old-lady makeover, Diego Luna’s spicy cameo, and Perry managing to look more beautiful than ever amid a fascinating emotional breakdown. Set against the backdrop of California panoramas, this music video neatly ties together the imagery she introduced us to in her equally gorgeous video for “Teenage Dream,” while letting the story of love and loss run wild, giving Katy the chance to show us the extent of her talent, as she showed her high potential for dramatic acting. Can Katy Perry top this list with “Part of Me”? Find out when during “MTV First: Katy Perry,” when the pop star will debut the video at 7:23 p.m. ET on MTV, followed by an 30-minute interview with MTV News’ James Montgomery on MTV.com. Immediately following the premiere of “Part of Me” on MTV, the video for the deeply emotional single will air on Logo, debut on MTV.com, VH1.com and LOGOtv.com, and go into rotation on mtvU, MTV Hits and AMTV the following morning. Additionally, the video will debut on Saturday, March 24, at 9 a.m. ET/PT during VH1’s “Top 20 Countdown” and on TeenNick’s “Obsess This” music block at 7 a.m. ET and Sunday, March 25, at 8:30 a.m. ET. Do you agree with our top five picks? Let us know in the comments section. Catch “MTV First: Katy Perry” on Wednesday, March 21, when the pop star will debut her long-awaited video for “Part of Me” at 7:23 p.m. ET on MTV. Then head over to MTV.com for an exclusive 30-minute interview with MTV News’ Perry! Related Artists Katy Perry
‘It’s like the reincarnation and the birth of me becoming who I really am,’ MC tells MTV News at South by Southwest. By Rob Markman, with additional reporting by James Montgomery Snoop Dogg Photo: MTV News Maybe murder isn’t the case after all? Eleven solo albums into his career, Snoop Dogg insists that fans have yet to see the real him, but on his next album, he hopes to change all of that. “It’s a project where it’s more about the element of surprise, but at the same time it’ll be talked about in due time,” Snoop told MTV News this weekend at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. “It’s special; it’s a real special project to me because it’s like the reincarnation and the birth of me becoming who I really am.” On his 1993 multiplatinum debut album Doggystyle, the Long Beach, California, MC became the poster child for gangsta rap, while simultaneously fighting a real-life murder case, which helped add to his mystique. Through the years, Snoop began to slowly back away from that hardened street image and began landing notable endorsements and movie roles. His 2007 reality show “Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood” painted the picture of Snoop the family man. And with his next LP, the Doggfather plans to evolve even more. “I never really knew who I was through the music,” Snoop admitted. “I was always a very peaceful, kind, loving, caring individual and making music to symbolize that sometimes never was my key.” The global rap star doesn’t elaborate on exactly how the music will change, but it’s clear he has an eye toward the future, hoping to ensure some more longevity for himself. “This record, and this project will symbolize that and gives me the opportunity to step into the world of the stadium and then do those kind of songs that last 40, 50 years to go along with what I’ve already done,” he said. Are you looking forward to hearing a more loving and caring Snopp Dogg? Tell us in the comments. Related Videos South by Southwest 2012 Related Artists Snoop Dogg
Nas presents his debut album Illmatic and gives first performance of ‘The Don’ in Austin. By Nadeska Alexis Nas performs at SXSW 2012 Photo: Getty Images A classic never dies and Nas proved that to a packed house during the final night of SXSW, with a performance of his debut album Illmatic at ACL Live at the Moody Theatre. The 20th anniversary of Illmatic ‘s release (April 19, 1994) is quickly approaching, and to commemorate the occasion, VEVO tapped the Queens, New York MC to perform his celebrated album in its entirety. The stage of Austin’s Moody Theater was transformed into an elaborate set designed to replicate the atmosphere of mid-90s Queens. An image of the Queensbridge Houses were set behind a New York City bus stop tagged up with “RIP Ill Will,” (a tribute to Nas’ childhood friend Willie “Ill Will” Graham) and Nasir Jones climbed a flight of stairs, emerging from a subway tunnel to begin his set. The veteran rapper was brief with his words, simply introducing himself, “My name is Nas and tonight I’m bringing you Illmatic ,” before beginning “N.Y. State of Mind.” Legendary producers DJ Premier and Pete Rock, who both had a hand in crafting Illmatic , manned the turntables and joined Nas in reminiscing about his early days. Rapper AZ joined Nas to assist on “Life’s a Bitch,” and the duo diverted from Illmatic momentarily to perform The Firm’s “Phone Tap.” DJ Premier kept the memories coming, teasing Nas about the first time he heard him rapping back in 1991 (“You were rapping some sick, demented s—“), which prompted Nas to perform his verse on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbecue.” In between classics like “The World is Yours,” “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” and “Halftime,” DJ Premier and Pete Rock encouraged crowd participation and kept energy levels high with a short tribute to fallen legends Big L and Guru. But before Nas finished his set, he brought things back to the present, with the first performance of his new single “The Don,” which will appear on his upcoming tenth studio album Life is Good. Related Videos South by Southwest 2012 Related Photos SXSW 2012 Related Artists Nas
