Most Successful Celebrity Entourages Most record execs work to build a label full of artists that will stand the test of time and bring in the big bucks . In today’s music industry, however, the company you keep seems to be just as important as what you bring to the table individually. Adding to or becoming a part of an entourage doesn’t always increase your chances for success , but in the case of these money makin’ multitudes full of artists, athletes, reality stars and a host of other A-list affiliates, it most certainly keeps them in the spotlight, on the airwaves, and at the top of the food chain. Hit the flip to check out these entourages full of celebs that are runnin’ the game right now. Which one would you say is holdin’ it down the heaviest in Hollyweird? Images via Wenn
‘I spit and I spit for real, so I wanted to bring that hunger aspect to it and that feeling like I gotta be #1,’ MC says of The Hunger Game. By Rob Markman, with reporting by James Lacsina Tito Lopez Photo: Main Pick Headliner : Tito Lopez Representing : Gulfport, Mississippi Mixtape : The Hunger Game Real Spit : Tito Lopez sure is confident; then again, if you could rap tightly packed bars like the Gulfport, Mississippi, MC, you would be too. On his latest mixtape, The Hunger Game, Tito puts all of his skill and confidence on full display. “I named my mixtape The Hunger Game basically because if anybody knows me, they know I love movies,” Tito told Mixtape Daily. Lopez found a parallel in “The Hunger Games” film and the rap game where he hopes to one day be crowned a king. “If you never seen that movie these kids have to fight to the death, they’re kids and it’s really kind of messed up. They gotta fight ’till it’s one winner and I feel like that’s the competition aspect that’s missing out of rap,” he said. On “Try Me,” Tito invites all would-be detractors to the battlefield. “Feast on beats and pick my teeth, if you want some bitch come find me/ I’ll make it hard for you to stand as a man, let alone stand by me, come try me,” he spits to end his first verse. Tito is currently a rap underdog, even though his talent has earned him a deal with Capitol Records. On “Mass Appeal 2.0” he proves his worth lyrically over a re-worked Gang Starr instrumental and then rhymes over another DJ Premier beat with his “Devil’s Pie” freestyle. Both are winners. With “Jessica,” Tito shows that it isn’t all slick metaphors and battle raps, as he weaves an intricate story rhyme about a high-school crush. His current single “Mama Proud” shows even more range; it’s a heartfelt tune dedicated to his come-up in the game. After listening to tracks like “Black Ice Freestyle,” “They Told Me” and “Ventilation,” it becomes increasingly difficult to deny Tito his place in the game. “I spit and I spit for real, so I wanted to bring that hunger aspect to it and that feeling like I gotta be #1,” he said. “If I gotta knock cats out to be that, I will be that.” Joints to Check For > > “They Told Me”— “It’s like a triumphant type joint. I’ve made that just to basically let people know I’ve come along way.” > > “Jessica” — “This is one of my favorite joints period. I tell a story about a girl who she has low self-esteem, she made some bad choices, had a hard life and she don’t have no self-respect or nothin’ like that. Basically during the story, I’m trying to tell her to respect herself more, to make better choices.” Related Artists Tito Lopez
She may have a tumultuous relationship with rap, but Azealia Banks has caught the attention of one of the most notable MCs in the game : Nas. In an interview with Rap-Up, God’s Son showered Banks with praise. “I f*** with that ‘212,’” he said. “She has incredible star power, you can see it already… Continue
Salaam Remi compares Nas’ 10th solo album to Back to Black and The Score By Rob Markman Nas Photo: Despite having more than 20 years in the game and a number of classic albums already under his belt, Nas admitted to MTV News he’s “a little nervous” about completing his 10th solo album, Life is Good. Luckily, he has friends like producer Salaam Remi to reassure him. When Nas and Salaam were putting the finishing touches on the album, the rapper admitted doubt started to creep in. “At this point when we’re mastering, I start to get a little nervous,” Nas told MTV News on June 12. “I start thinking about those records I could’ve, should’ve, would’ve done that didn’t make it.” Remi, who worked with God’s Son on the majority of Life is Good, made it clear to Nas he has no doubts. The producer told him that the upcoming album reminded him of Amy Winehouse’s 2006 breakout Back to Black and the Fugees’ 1996 Grammy Award-winning LP The Score. Sounds like a lofty comparison, but Salaam produced on both Winehouse’s and the Fugees’ classic albums, so he is an authority on the matter. It’s not that Nas lacks confidence, but in the past he has been known to leave some pretty amazing records on the cutting-room floor. In fact, on 2002’s The Lost Tapes, he unearthed gems like the soulful “Doo Rags” and “No Idea’s Original.” For Life is Good, however, Nas firmly believes that he has all the right songs on there. Last November, Salaam spoke with MTV’s Mixtape Daily and described his friend’s recording process. “It’s always way more songs, Nas’s process is that he really records a lot and goes through different ideas and gets to that point,” he said. With Life is Good, the rap great thinks he has the right mix of tracks, however. “I feel like the record is definitely one of my more focused records,” he said. “It’s only the mastering part that I get nervous [about], because I’m like, ‘After it’s mastered, that’s it.’ ” Already Nasir has released “Nasty” and “The Don,” two street singles that are reminiscent of New York’s mid-1990s hip-hop movement. His latest single, “Daughters,” is a reflective jewel where he examines his role as a dad. So far it sounds like Esco has a quality album on his hands and he doesn’t want to look back with any regrets. “Three years from now, when I’m listening to it, I don’t want to always think what I should’ve put on this record … just so it could be a complete piece of work,” he said. “But it is a complete piece of work.” What are your expectations for Nas’ upcoming Life is Good LP? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Nas
Time to end the scrimmage and get in the game! Khloe Kardashian Begins Fertility Treatment According to TMZ reports : Khloe Kardashian wants a baby bad, and we’ve learned she’s undergoing fertility treatment. Sources connected with Khloe and Lamar Odom tell TMZ … they have tried in vain for months to get pregnant. So Khloe went to ART Reproductive Center in Bev Hills Monday … to start the process. With Kim Kardashian by her side for moral support, Khloe gave up some blood so the docs could evaluate her hormone levels. She’s waiting for the results, and will then get a stylized treatment program. Our sources say fertility treatment has been a long time coming — they were going to start the process while living in Dallas, but distractions with Lamar’s BB career put everything on ice. Image via WENN Good luck you two!
Actress is pregnant with her first child. By Katie Byrne Will Kopelman and Drew Barrymore Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images Drew Barrymore wed her fianc
Game show legend, known for kissing all female contestants, loses his battle with cancer. By Jason Kaufman Richard Dawson Photo: Getty Images Richard Dawson, the host of “Family Feud” who made kissing all female contestants on the show his signature, is dead at 79 after losing a battle with cancer. News of Dawson’s death came from his son Gary through a post on Facebook. “Dear Friends. It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my father passed away this evening from complications due to esophageal cancer. He was surrounded by his family. He was an amazing talent, a loving husband, a great dad, and a doting grandfather. He will be missed but always remembered…” Dawson hosted “Family Feud” for nine years from 1976 through 1985, also returning to the show for the 1994-95 season. He became known for kissing all the female contestants on the “Feud,” a signature move that earned him the nickname “The Kissing Bandit.” He would explain years later that it was something he had learned during his childhood from his mother. Dawson grew up in England and pursued a comedy career early on, eventually landing bit parts in TV shows and films, including a spot on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He married British sex symbol Diane Dors in 1959 and moved to California, which put him in close proximity to the entertainment industry. He eventually landed a role on “Hogan’s Heroes” as Corporal Peter Newkirk. Through the years, Dawson would spend his time between films, TV appearances (including “Laugh-In”) and even music, recording psychedelic tunes in the late ’60s. But it was his appearance as a panelist on the game show “Match Game” in 1975 that led to the “Feud” job that would make him a TV legend. Dawson made fun of his own image in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger action film “The Running Man,” playing diabolical game show host Damon Killian. Dawson’s kissing skills were quite potent. He met his second wife, Gretchen Johnson, when she was a contestant on “Feud” in 1981. They married a decade later. When Dawson returned to host the show in the ’90s, his wife had one rule: No more kissing any contestants. Share your condolences for Dawson’s friends and family in the comments.
‘I kill one of them,’ the Belgian action icon told MTV News about his role as a bad guy in the upcoming ‘Expendables’ sequel. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz If “The Expendables” brought the pantheon of action-movie heroes together for one balls-to-the-wall R-rated epic, then the amounts of badassery that “The Expendables 2” promises to bring to the table is even further off the charts. Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger are upping their game from cameos to full-fledged co-stars this time around, with Chuck Norris roundhouse kicking his way into the fray as well. And then there’s Jean-Claude Van Damme, who won’t be just another mercenary following Sylvester Stallone’s lead, either. Quite the opposite, in fact: The Muscles from Brussels is going to be the movie’s villain. “I play Mr. Vilain,” the actor told MTV News during a recent interview. “And I kill one of [the Expendables].” Which Expendable will meet his maker at Vilain’s hands? Van Damme wouldn’t spill the beans. But he did explain why he wanted to go the villainous route for “Expendables 2” rather than join Stallone’s rag-tag group of good-guy mercenaries. “They asked me if I wanted to be an Expendable guy, and they said it’s going to be a big franchise. But I don’t want to be in ‘Expendables 20,’ ” he said. “I want to play a villain to make a good impression. When you play a villain, you get more from Stallone. He gives you more screen time, and then we’ll see what happens. I think him and I did a good job together.” It’s not just his dynamic with Stallone that Van Damme enjoyed, either. The Belgian actor got to work with a healthy portion of the action icons on the “Expendables” cast, folks he already knew from various encounters over the course of his storied career. “You have all those guys: Chuck Norris, Arnold, Bruce Willis, and there’s lots of testosterone,” he said of the vibe on set. “In ‘Expendables,’ you have all of those guys with their trailers and bodyguards. I knew them all. I knew Chuck when I came [to Hollywood] years ago, Arnold with ‘Last Action Hero.’ Bruce Willis, I met him once on Sunset [Boulevard] while driving and racing together. Since I’d met all of them … I was the guy going there in a very friendly way. It was cool. For me, it was cool.” Of course, even with all of those stars in the mix, it’s Van Damme versus Stallone that fans will want to look out for. With Stallone set as the series’ protagonist and Van Damme in the mix as the main baddie, it’s bound to get explosive when these two titans finally clash on the big screen. “It’s like [George] Foreman versus Muhammad Ali,” he grinned. Are you looking forward to “Expendables 2”? Let us know in the comments section below! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Expendables 2.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com .
‘I kill one of them,’ the Belgian action icon told MTV News about his role as a bad guy in the upcoming ‘Expendables’ sequel. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz If “The Expendables” brought the pantheon of action-movie heroes together for one balls-to-the-wall R-rated epic, then the amounts of badassery that “The Expendables 2” promises to bring to the table is even further off the charts. Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger are upping their game from cameos to full-fledged co-stars this time around, with Chuck Norris roundhouse kicking his way into the fray as well. And then there’s Jean-Claude Van Damme, who won’t be just another mercenary following Sylvester Stallone’s lead, either. Quite the opposite, in fact: The Muscles from Brussels is going to be the movie’s villain. “I play Mr. Vilain,” the actor told MTV News during a recent interview. “And I kill one of [the Expendables].” Which Expendable will meet his maker at Vilain’s hands? Van Damme wouldn’t spill the beans. But he did explain why he wanted to go the villainous route for “Expendables 2” rather than join Stallone’s rag-tag group of good-guy mercenaries. “They asked me if I wanted to be an Expendable guy, and they said it’s going to be a big franchise. But I don’t want to be in ‘Expendables 20,’ ” he said. “I want to play a villain to make a good impression. When you play a villain, you get more from Stallone. He gives you more screen time, and then we’ll see what happens. I think him and I did a good job together.” It’s not just his dynamic with Stallone that Van Damme enjoyed, either. The Belgian actor got to work with a healthy portion of the action icons on the “Expendables” cast, folks he already knew from various encounters over the course of his storied career. “You have all those guys: Chuck Norris, Arnold, Bruce Willis, and there’s lots of testosterone,” he said of the vibe on set. “In ‘Expendables,’ you have all of those guys with their trailers and bodyguards. I knew them all. I knew Chuck when I came [to Hollywood] years ago, Arnold with ‘Last Action Hero.’ Bruce Willis, I met him once on Sunset [Boulevard] while driving and racing together. Since I’d met all of them … I was the guy going there in a very friendly way. It was cool. For me, it was cool.” Of course, even with all of those stars in the mix, it’s Van Damme versus Stallone that fans will want to look out for. With Stallone set as the series’ protagonist and Van Damme in the mix as the main baddie, it’s bound to get explosive when these two titans finally clash on the big screen. “It’s like [George] Foreman versus Muhammad Ali,” he grinned. Are you looking forward to “Expendables 2”? Let us know in the comments section below! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Expendables 2.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com .
‘I see myself as part of the collective of hip-hop,’ Jay-Z tells MTV News, saying his success is good for the culture. By Rob Markman Jay-Z Photo: MTV News Jay-Z ‘s career trajectory is something else. He was once a tongue-twisting underground MC who started his own Roc-A-Fella Records independently because he couldn’t secure a major-label deal. Now Hov is rap’s biggest draw, turning his multilayered bars into multimillion-dollar businesses. In hip-hop, where so much worth is based on the notion of maintaining street credibility, it would be easy for someone of Jay-Z’s stature to lose touch. “I’m not jaded by the whole process,” Jay-Z insisted when he spoke to MTV News out in Philadelphia to announce his upcoming Made in America music festival. On that day, Jay took the stage at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the city’s mayor, Michael Nutter, which is nothing new. On his 2009 single “On to the Next One,” Jigga bragged that he had President Obama “on the text.” Still, the man who once battled DMX while standing on top of a pool table is not desensitized. “I’m a fan of the journey as well,” he said. To his credit, Jay has remained on top of his game on the road to becoming a global icon. Just this past weekend, he performed in Paris, where he and Kanye West rocked their infectious rap hit “N—as in Paris” 11 times in front of a star-studded crowd that included wife Beyonc
