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Drake Never Considered Changing Thank Me Later Release Date

‘If they got the music already, let’s let them listen to it,’ the Toronto MC recalls telling label after leak. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway Drake Photo: MTV News Back in April, Drake revealed June 15 would be the release date for his much-anticipated debut, Thank Me Later. But when his album leaked well before its expected delivery, the Toronto rapper was adamant that the album rollout plan remain unchanged. “They tried to force me into a situation — I’m not sure if it was the label — [but] somebody tried to force me into a situation and drop the album June 9,” Drake told MTV News earlier this week. “I really was like, ‘June 9 isn’t enough time to let them digest all the leaked music. If they got the music already, let’s let them listen to it. Let’s give them that two weeks to ride around to it and talk to their friends about it.’ ‘Cause that way when they show up to the store, there’s no pressure — you know what you’re buying. You’re just going to support an artist you love and music you believe in.” His strategy seemed to have paid off. Hundreds of fans lined up outside of a Best Buy store in Manhattan to meet the rapper, who showed up to greet them and sign their copies of Thank Me Later. “I got here at 3 in the morning,” Natalia Morales, the first female fan to meet Drake, told MTV News. “I’m ecstatic right now. I’m still shaking!” For his part, Drake is returning the “thank you” for all the adoration he’s received this week from fans, especially the die-hards who camped out overnight to buy his LP. “I have more than confidence in them,” he explained. “I have a relationship with them, I understand. I don’t ever for a second doubt them.” What do you think about Drake wanting fans to have time to enjoy his album once it leaked? Let us know in the comments! Don’t miss the “Drake: Better Than Good Enough” documentary , airing Wednesday, June 23, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake We’re Thankful For Drake This Week! Related Photos Drake Takes Manhattan! Drake’s Style: From A To Drizzy Related Artists Drake

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Drake Never Considered Changing Thank Me Later Release Date

Miley Cyrus Says ‘Rock Band’ Is Her Tour Warm-Up

‘It’s pretty cool that now I can warm up playing my own songs,’ Cyrus says of having her songs added to the game. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway Miley Cyrus Photo: MTV News This is a big week for Miley Cyrus. After dropping her new album, Can’t Be Tamed, and performing a live-streamed show to celebrate it on Monday, she’s giving fans a glimpse of what it’s like to be her with Tuesday’s release of some of her songs to the “Rock Band” store. Actually, Cyrus has long been a fan of the game, which she said offers her the chance to practice while on the road. “I sat in front of the TV 90 percent of the tour, just playing ‘Rock Band’,” Cyrus confessed to MTV News. “It’s pretty cool that now I can warm up playing my own songs on ‘Rock Band’ and then go do it in real life. So it’s pretty rad. It’s a better warm-up.” This will mark Cyrus’ “Rock Band” debut, with five songs made available for download in the “Rock Band” music store. The “Miley Cyrus Pack 01” will feature five of Miley’s fan favorites, including “Can’t Be Tamed” from her new album, as well as “7 Things,” “Fly on the Wall” and “See You Again” from 2008’s Breakout, and “See You Again” from her 2007 debut, Meet Miley Cyrus. “I can’t wait for my fans to be able to download and play five of my songs in ‘Rock Band,'” Cyrus said back when it was announced that she’d be joining the ranks of Green Day and the Beatles in the “Rock Band” world. “I love that people can rock out with me and play my new song, ‘Can’t Be Tamed’!” Will you be playing Miley Cyrus “Rock Band”? What other songs do you think she should release for the game? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Miley Cyrus’ MTV Live-Stream Show MTV News Extended Play: Miley Cyrus Related Photos The Evolution Of: Miley Cyrus Related Artists Miley Cyrus

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Miley Cyrus Says ‘Rock Band’ Is Her Tour Warm-Up

Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’ Video: Check Out Exclusive Sketches!

Director Mathew Cullen reveals eye-popping artwork used to create Katy Perry’s Candyfornia. By James Montgomery Concept art for Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” Photo: Matthew Cullen In the past, Mathew Cullen has run into some problems when it came to directing big-budget videos … namely, too many voices, too many people trying to tell him what he could (or couldn’t) do. Suffice to say, he didn’t have that problem on the set of Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.” “I definitely can say that was not the case with this one,” Cullen laughed. “It was very collaborative, no one said no to anything. And Katy, well, she was great. I’ve never met anyone who worked harder or was more committed to making a great video.” But make no mistake about it: Cullen was prepared to push Perry. As these exclusive concept sketches prove — Cullen emailed a batch to MTV News on Wednesday — he was bursting with ideas for the “Gurls” video, from wild costumes to eye-popping candy-colored sets. Not only was KP game to try them all, but the entire “Gurls” team was too. “Her main stylist coordinated a huge team of people to help make the costumes. Diesel was a part of it, designers in New York too. Every single piece of clothing was custom,” the director said. “And then we had [the painter] Will Cotton, whose work was a big inspiration on the look of the video, working as the artistic director. Everyone came together and worked very hard, because we all wanted to create something that captured her voice as an artist and celebrated her personality.” Perry was so committed to the project that she threw some ideas of her own into the mix — the whole “chest-mounted frosting cannons” thing was all her. And she put in overtime to ensure the clip would be impressive. In fact, the entire thing worked so well that Cullen only wishes the video could’ve been longer. After all, some of his clever ideas didn’t even make the final cut. “[Perry] worked 19 to 20 hour days, and only slept four to five hours in between. So, over 48 hours, she was awake for nearly 40. And it was amazing, really,” Cullen said. “She was ready to work, and wanted the video to be great. It’s too bad we had to edit it down though. We had a lot of ideas, and what’s in the video is only a fraction of them.” What’s your favorite part of the “California Gurls” video? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’: Frame By Frame MTV News Extended Play: Katy Perry Related Photos Concept Art For Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’ The Evolution Of: Katy Perry Related Artists Katy Perry

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Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’ Video: Check Out Exclusive Sketches!

Drake Recalls Visiting Lil Wayne In Prison

‘There’s a whole world moving out there that he hasn’t seen for so long,’ Drizzy tells MTV News. By Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Sway Calloway Drake Photo: MTV News When Drake visited Lil Wayne last week in Rikers Island, it was an experience like no other. “It was just not the country club,” Drake told MTV News on Tuesday, the day his debut album, Thank Me Later, was released. “It wasn’t his Miami condo. It wasn’t Atlanta. It wasn’t Tree Sound Studios, all the places I’m used to seeing him. It wasn’t Club Liv in Miami. It wasn’t any of them.” Drake has tried to wrap his head around Wayne’s situation in prison. It’s been difficult, but he did grasp some jewels from their visit. “He kept looking to the window,” Drizzy described. “He’d look up at the window almost like he’s looking right through it. It’s frosted, so you can’t see out. I was like, ‘Why does he keep staring through the window? There’s nothing out there.’ To him, there’s a whole world moving out there that he hasn’t seen for so long. He was just like, he told me something I never thought I’d hear him say, which was, ‘You’re the ultimate artist. You’re better than me. You don’t have the tattoos, you don’t cause any trouble. People like you.’ He was like, basically, ‘Look at me and look at you.’ “He was like, ‘Man, listen. You know what I think you’re about to do? You’re about to do 2 million,’ ” Drake recalled, echoing Wayne’s sentiments from last week’s “Nino Brown Story, Pt. 3″ preview . ” ‘You’re about to do 2 million the first week.’ ” Drake thought back to a conversation they previously had, when the Toronto native wanted to get a tattoo; Weezy advised against it. ” ‘Whatever, man, whatever you do, do not get no tattoos never in your life,’ ” Drake recalled Wayne telling him. ” ‘They gonna think you got it because you came around me.’ He said the same thing to me [during the Rikers visit]: ‘Don’t change yourself, please. You got it. I’ve never met a young dude that has it figured out, but you got it. Don’t mess it up. Just be you. Sing! Rap! Be you. Don’t stop smiling.’ That’s what he said.” What do you think about Drake and Wayne’s relationship? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake Drake’s MTV Special “Better Than Good Enough”

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Drake Recalls Visiting Lil Wayne In Prison

T.I. Says Critical Georgia Parents Ignored His ‘Message’

‘I think the message is more important than who’s giving it,’ Tip says of his middle school visit, on ‘The Wendy Williams Show.’ By Jayson Rodriguez T.I. Photo: Moses Robinson/ Getty Images T.I. won over fans and court officials alike last year when he starred in the MTV show “Road to Redemption.” In the series, viewers followed the Atlanta MC as he counseled troubled kids about avoiding the mistakes he’d made. Filmed before he went to prison on weapons charges in June 2009, “Redemption” also helped satisfy the requirements of Tip’s reduced sentencing deal , which included 1,000 hours of community service. But not everyone was moved by the rapper’s progression. In April, some parents of students at a Georgia middle school were upset after learning that T.I. visited as a featured speaker. Parents were not notified before the rapper’s appearance. T.I. responded to the criticism in an interview with talk show host Wendy Williams. He told Williams that before lashing out against him — parents should ask their kids what they’d learned. “Well, to be perfectly honest, speaking freely if I may, I honestly believe that they should more concerned with the message than the guy giving the message,” the rapper said during Friday’s episode. “I think they should have asked their children, ‘What did you hear? What did he say?’ The complaints came after the fact. I think they should have asked, ‘What did this guy tell you?’ I think the message is more important than who’s giving it. Because if it had been an accountant, a dentist, someone else coming in giving the same message, the message wouldn’t have been received.” Last year, in an interview with MTV News, Tip opened up about the heart-to-heart conversations he was having with children, and said he would continue to give the talks ever after his release from prison. He addressed specifically the kids he had mentored on “Road to Redemption.” “[I know] they desire to,” Tip said of his impression that the at-risk youth wanted to do good. “Of course, they don’t ride around with T.I. every moment of every day of their life — when they’re not with me, they’re back in their environment that they were in before they met me,” he explained. “The people they spend most of their time around can have a negative influence on their decision-making sometimes. A lot of times they can overcome that negative influence, sometimes it’s half and half. They still go to school, get good grades, do the right thing. When they come home, sometimes they’re kicking it here and kicking it there, doing things — they might not do it as much as they used to.” What do you think about T.I.’s comments? Share your thoughts comments. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: T.I. Related Artists T.I.

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T.I. Says Critical Georgia Parents Ignored His ‘Message’

T.I. Says He’s ‘Reppin’ ‘ For Lil Wayne While He’s In Jail

‘His daughter and my daughter, they’re real, real close,’ Tip says. By Shaheem Reid T.I. Photo: Sam Hendrick T.I. says he’ll always have Lil Wayne ‘s back. Just a few short months ago, Tip was in Wayne’s shoes , having to put his career on hold and telling his loved ones goodbye while he served time in prison. “Yeah, I speak to him. Sure,” Tip said earlier this week in the MTV Newsroom when asked if he’s in contact with Weezy. Tip said their relationship is a lot deeper than trading 16 bars on each other’s songs. “Well, his daughter and my daughter, they’re real, real close,” Tip explained. “My daughter spends the night with them, his daughter comes spend the night with us. I told him, ‘Whatever I can do. Whatever it is that’s within my power’ … I know how it is with kids, especially with a period of time like that. “Even though it may seem like a short time — to the media, it may seem like ‘He got off easy’; to everybody, it may seem like ‘It’s only a couple of months’ — to a child, that’s an eternity,” he continued. “So I’m like, ‘Whatever I can do, it’s all good.’ I just let him know there’s people out here who’s still reppin’ for him, people who will go above and beyond to do whatever it needs to be done.” While sitting down with MTV News, Tip also revealed that while he was incarcerated, Eminem was a peer that supported him . “Especially since I went through my situation [with having to go to prison]. [He would] just kinda remind me that ‘I’ve been through dark period in my life too. You’re gonna make it. You’re one of the ones we need, so you’re gonna make it. Stand tall and walk the walk,’ ” Tip said. “He just made it a point to always reassure me of the spot that I hold in this thing that we got called hip-hop. It was incredibly helpful. It was incredibly noble of him, in my eyes, to even take the time out to reach out to me. We continue to stay in touch,” Tip said. “He wrote me since I was in the joint. We’ve spoken several time since I’ve been back home. We maintain a healthy relationship.” Next up, Tip is releasing a project straight to the streets and Internet on Thursday — for free. It’s called F— a Mixtape and is hosted by DJs Drama and MLK. Lil Wayne guests on the project. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: T.I. Related Artists T.I. Lil Wayne

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T.I. Says He’s ‘Reppin’ ‘ For Lil Wayne While He’s In Jail

Rick Ross Talks About ‘Secrets’ Shared With Kanye West

Pair collaborated on ‘club banger’ called ‘Live Fast, Die Young’ for Ross’ Teflon Don LP. By Shaheem Reid Rick Ross Photo: Akshay Bhansali The respect level between Def Jam labelmates Rick Ross and Kanye West is so (super) high, that the two just don’t collaborate on songs, they share in-studio recording secrets, musician to musician. Ross went to Hawaii earlier this year to work with West on his Teflon Don LP, due July 6. “It was my first time there,” Ross said about his trip to West’ island sanctuary. “Just to see how beautiful it was — how serene it was. Just to walk into this orbit — I like to call it — which Kanye creates his music in. We both were having breakfast one morning and we were talking, we both were telling each other just recording secrets, things that artists don’t usually share with each other.” The Bawse said Kanye dropped a gem on him that was remarkable and unexpected. “One of the most incredible things he said — or really that I’ve heard in my whole career — he told me and showed me how to hear sounds in colors,” Ross said. “I was mesmerized, but I don’t wanna go too deep into it. We came up with a record called ‘Live Fast and Die Young,’ I can’t wait for it to hit the streets. You’re going to hear it real soon.” Despite the serious title, Ross said the tune will bring people out to the dance floor. “Most definitely!,” the Miami MC promised. “It’s gonna be most definitely a club banger, but it has that edge to it. That’s how ‘Ye loves to make music, he loves to take it to the edge. That’s where we went with it. It makes you feel like if you had that one record the rest of your life to play, that’s it right here. It’s really gonna make you feel good. We both talk about seeing the pitfalls in our rearview [mirror]. It’s a feel-good record.” “Live Fast and Die Young” is under serious consideration to be Teflon Don ‘s second official single, following up the Ne-Yo assisted “Super High.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Rick Ross Related Artists Rick Ross (Hip-Hop) Kanye West

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Rick Ross Talks About ‘Secrets’ Shared With Kanye West

Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato Dish On New Seasons of ‘JONAS,’ ‘Sonny’

‘We take the band and move it out to L.A.,’ Joe says of a change of scenery on the Disney Channel show. By Jocelyn Vena Jonas Brothers Photo: Sam Hendrick/ MTV News The Jonas Brothers are taking their show on the road this summer. The guys have given the next installment of “JONAS” a new name: “JONAS L.A.” The JoBros are trying their luck in the City of Angels, and they think fans will enjoy the change of scenery. “We’re excited for the TV show to come out. It’s something we’ve been working on since February and looking forward for everyone to be seeing it,” Joe told MTV News about the show, premiering in June. “We take the band and move it out to L.A., where we’re all trying to do different, individual projects.” While the plot of the show seems vaguely influenced by real-life events ( Joe recently teased that he and his brothers are working on solo projects), fans might be surprised by the new format of the show. “I think what’s really neat is it’s the first time the Disney Channel is doing a continuous story line,” Kevin added. “Every episode is ‘Next time, on “JONAS” ‘ or ‘Last time on “JONAS.” ‘ It allows the characters to grow and you follow them through relationships, the good and the bad.” Like the JoBros, tourmate Demi Lovato is also looking forward to finding love on her show, “Sonny With a Chance.” “There’s definitely more romance this season finally between Chad and Sonny,” she said of the show, which kicks off this summer. “So you can see how that evolves with the cast of ‘So Random,’ how they react to Chad and Sonny’s new flame.” She also said fans should look forward to Joe Jonas making a cameo this season, as well as Raven-Symon

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

‘Twilight’ Star Ashley Greene Offered Lead Role In ‘Scream 4’

Greene will join Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette in sequel. By Eric Ditzian Ashley Greene at the “New Moon” Photo: Lester Cohen/ WireImage After years spent as a supporting player in the “Twilight” universe, Ashley Greene might be poised for breakout star status in Hollywood. She recently wrapped a starring role in “The Apparition” opposite Sebastian Stan (“Gossip Girl”) and Tom Felton (“Harry Potter”), and now she’s looking to step into a lead part in “Scream 4.” Greene’s rep confirmed to MTV News that the 23-year-old actress has been offered the starring role, joining returning stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Greene would play Campbell’s cousin, who is being established as the franchise’s new heroine for both “Scream 4” and future installments of the horror series. Additionally, Lake Bell is said to be in negotiations for a starring role, while Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”) and Rory Culkin (“Signs”) have been offered parts. Panettiere would play Greene’s best friend, and Culkin would play Greene’s love interest. With “Scream 4” coming more than a decade after its predecessor, Campbell originally bowed out of the production , declining to reprise her role as Sid, the unfortunate girl who’s always on the run from the Ghostface Killer. Campbell’s decision forced franchise creator Kevin Williamson to go back to the drawing board . But the actress eventually reconsidered, Wes Craven signed on to direct and the film will hit theaters in April 2011. “We have fun with the idea of endless sequels, or ‘sequelitis’ as Kevin calls it in the script,” Craven said recently of the upcoming movie. “Sid goes through these three horrendous things, and ‘Stab’ was based on those horrible things. And then they’ve been taken by a studio and run into the ground in a series of sequels. She has been off by herself and living her own life, and she’s even written a book that has gotten a lot of critical acclaim. She’s kind of put her life back together in the course of these 10 years. But, certainly, there would be no ‘Scream’ without Ghostface, so she has to confront him again, but now as a woman who has really come out the darkness of her past.” Check out everything we’ve got on For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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‘Twilight’ Star Ashley Greene Offered Lead Role In ‘Scream 4’