The Game has plans to sign with Cash Money once his deal with Interscope ends. He says he has been tight with the Cash Money, Young Money camp since NBA player Baron Davis days with the New Orleans Hornets. Baron Davis is the godfather to The Game’s son and the rapper got tight with Birdman when he use to visit the city. “I talk to Baby everyday,” is what he told XXL Mag . The Game has one more album left on his deal with Interscope Records. He says he expects to reach a new agreement with Cash Money sooner than expected. “We been playing with the idea of going over to Cash Money or trying to marry that and Black Wall Street,” he explained. “So, we’ll figure it out before the end of the day. I definitely think that’s where I’ll probably end up. Cause they winning, they want to win and I been winning and want to continue to win.” The Game’s The R.E.D. Album is expected to hit stores on August 23. Recent Post: The Game Responds To His Haters On Twitter Birdman Buys $8 Million Car?
‘It was coming from me, but it was also the voice of many others,’ he tells MTV News of his atypically raw lyrics. By Rob Markman Common Photo: Warner Bros. Throughout much of his career, Common has been quite the ladies man, so it may have been surprising for some when he opened his new single with: “I want a bitch that look good and cook good.” On the Nas-assisted, No I.D.-produced single “Ghetto Dreams,” from Common’s upcoming album The Dreamer, The Believer, the Chicago rapper/actor offers a lyrical list of qualities that any would-be lady friend should possess, and while it may sound crude, the MC insists the song is highly conceptualized. For Common, it all started with No I.D.’s swirling beat and the Nas vocal sample he laid on top of it. “Once he sampled that ‘Ghetto Dreams’ sample from Nas, it was like, ‘Man.’ That vocal sample was like, ‘Damn this gives me a straight direction and way to go’,” Com said in an exclusive video interview with MTV News. “I was like, ‘I want a bitch that look good and cook good.’ I was just thinking about being in the ‘hood, what I want, and then the song goes on from there,” he said of the opening line that ends with the lyric “Cinderella fancy, but she still look ‘hood.” “Right there I’m saying, ‘Look, I want a bad woman.’ She look raw and she could cook and she could get very elegant, but at the same token she has the know-how in the street.” According to the lyrics, the dream lover the MC describes is uninhibited enough to have sex in the backseat of a car and smoke marijuana but still totes a Bible. “That says a lot about her,” Common reasoned. “She could get high, you might get high with her, she might drink, smoke a J with her, but at the end of the day, she still got her Bible there.” Com Sense even references his fantasy girl’s love for Beyonc
‘American Idol’ finalist promises MTV News upcoming debut will have ‘edgy, fun, soulful’ songs with assists from star producers. By Gil Kaufman Pia Toscano Photo: FOX When people say they’ve been waiting their whole life for a particular moment, Pia Toscano knows exactly what they mean. The 22-year-old, ninth-place finisher on season 10’s “American Idol” has been grinding away at her musical dream since she was 13, and after all those years of rejection and false starts, she’s finally feeling like things are going her way. “I can’t believe it, I really can’t believe it,” she told MTV News of her rebound from a disappointing finish on her fifth try at “Idol.” She’s now signed to a major-label deal with Interscope Records and has booked studio time with some of the most sought-after producers in the business. Though her country/pop-leaning first single, breakup tune “This Time,” seems like it encroaches a bit on the territory of teen “Idol” runner-up Lauren Alaina and maybe even winner Scotty McCreery, Toscano promises that’s not the direction she’s headed. “That song sounds kind of country, but [the album’s] not just one thing, not pop or R&B,” she said while making her way through the airport on the way to an Idols Live! tour date. “It will be pop with an R&B influence, with an edge. It will be soulful and powerful.” Had she not been bumped from the competition so shockingly early , Toscano said viewers would have realized that she had much more in her bag of tricks than the power ballads she sang on the show. “It’s funny, you’re labeled as one thing on the show … and ‘American Idol’ opened up tons of doors for me and allowed me the opportunity to be signed to Interscope, but before I got on there, I was writing my own stuff and not doing a lot of ballads,” she said, explaining that those diva numbers were what best suited her vocally on the show. And not only does she not blame the audience for seeming to get it wrong by booting her, Toscano said her early exit may have been a blessing in disguise. “If I had made it a week further, I may not have gotten signed by Interscope,” she said. “I got [to] working immediately, doing demos for [Interscope boss] Jimmy [Iovine] and I had to work for him to pick me up and sign me.” Contrary to some early erroneous reports, Toscano said she was not signed to Interscope immediately, but had to get in the studio and prove herself. Once Iovine signed off, Toscano said the dream really began to take shape as she got to work with songwriter Ester Dean, who wrote “This Time,” after giving the world such hits as Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” and “S&M” and Nicki Minaj’s “Superbass.” But more important, Toscano has logged studio time with two producers she’s dreamed of working with for years. One of the biggest is Rodney Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Brandy, Beyonc
Check out new music from Vado “Let It Burn” (F*ck Your Life). The Harlem MC is hard at work on his Interscope Records debut. Cam’ron and Vado will be releasing Boss of all Bosses 3 mixtape soon. I doubt this is new music from any of those projects, just something for your playlist. Check out the audio below.
Singer will debut her first single, ‘This Time,’ on the American Idols Live! Tour. By Kara Warner Pia Toscano Photo: Getty Images The rumors have been swirling since the day after her shocking “American Idol” exit back in April, but Pia Toscano has officially been signed to Interscope Records. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “Idol” songstress will release her debut single, “This Time,” on July 12 and perform the song as part of her set during this summer’s American Idols Live! Tour. “This Time” was written by hitmaker Esther Dean, who is responsible for Rihanna’s hit singles “S&M,” “Rude Boy” and “What’s My Name.” Dean’s musical stylings can also be heard on Nicki Minaj’s smash “Super Bass.” “This Time” is surprisingly not a ballad — which was Toscano’s specialty during her short-lived time on “Idol.” Instead, it is said to be an acoustic-guitar and beat-driven track. “I am thrilled to be joining the Interscope and 19 Recordings family,” Toscano said in a statement released to The Reporter. “[Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman] Jimmy Iovine was an amazing mentor during my time on Idol and I’m looking forward to working with him and everyone at Interscope Records and 19 Recordings. This is a dream come true.” When Toscano stopped by the MTV Newsroom earlier this year, she was coy about the Interscope rumors. “I don’t know yet what’s going on with that,” Toscano said. “Hopefully good things.” She did open up a bit about her hopes and dreams, career-wise, in addition to possibly re-teaming with her “Idol” producers sometime soon. “Rodney Jerkins was my dream. Harvey Mason Jr., amazing. Ron Fair is incredible, and those were the three producers I’ve always wanted to work with, that I’ve always dreamed of,” she gushed. “And this made it all possible. I definitely want to work with Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart,” she added. Toscano went on to say that she’d be “totally” into doing a few duets. “I would love to do a duet with Alicia Keys, Christina [Aguilera], people that I’ve looked up to,” she said. “Jay-Z would be cool.” What about one with rumored love interest, “Dancing With the Stars” pro/ aspiring musician Mark Ballas? “Ha, totally,” Toscano agreed. “Mark is very, very talented, so it could happen.” Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
‘It will all be clear in the negotiations following me turning this actual album in,’ Fif tells MTV News. By Rob Markman 50 Cent Photo: Tiffany Rose/ WireImage After selling millions of records with Interscope, will 50 Cent be looking to jump ship? Anything is possible as the G-Unit head honcho prepares his fifth and final contracted album on the powerhouse label. “I don’t know,” 50 told MTV News when asked if he would ink back with Interscope once his five-album deal was fulfilled. “It will all be clear in the negotiations following me turning this actual album in. And, of course, the performance and how they actually treat the work will determine whether you still want to stay in that position or not.” Last week, on June 16, Fif took his label to task via Twitter when he fired off, “I’m sorry to announce I will not be releasing a new album this year if we don’t get on the same page.” Soon after, he tweeted: “My whole career iv been doing sh– and they have been playing catch up this is the last f—ing album THEY BETTER WAKE UP AND WORK.” Feeling he could no longer wait on the label and that he had to take matters into his own hands, the rapper then went on to release his new street single “Outlaw” later that evening. “It’s not necessarily [Dr.] Dre or [chairman] Jimmy [Iovine]; it’s more the guys that they pass the responsibilities on to,” 50 told MTV News the next day. “It takes longer for people, because they’ll be like, ‘OK, we’re gonna do this and we’re gonna do that,’ and the building will start having those conversations, but they’re not actually moving at that point. “They’re behind it, but to get everybody moving at the same beat and moving at the same pace is the object,” he added. “That was what the goal was even writing that statement and releasing the song.” It’s obvious that for 50, there is a lot riding on this project. He isn’t opposed to re-signing with the record company helmed by Iovine, but he also isn’t opposed to walking away and going independent either. For the Southside Jamaica, Queens, MC, the label support for his upcoming LP will determine his next move. “It’s not like you’re gonna be able to make a project bigger than the actual project is, but if the songs are right and you have full support and you feel that support, why would you want to go anywhere else?” he said. “If not, if you don’t have that support, why would you want to sign to another system? In the financial state that I’m in, you just do it yourself.” In 2010, 50 took his artist Lloyd Banks and signed him to EMI Records , where he structured the deal to operate much like an independent. Banks’ The Hunger for More album has already produced five singles and created a presence for the Queens rapper among his contemporaries. “You’ve seen the success of Lloyd Banks’ project with me being behind him financially,” 50 said. “You can’t tell the difference between him and other artists that are on major record companies.” Do you think 50 should stick with Interscope or go indie? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Photos The Evolution Of: 50 Cent Related Artists 50 Cent
‘It was an apology from one human to another,’ one resident at NYC center tells MTV News of meeting the ’30 Rock’ star. By John Mitchell Tracy Morgan meets with LGBT teens Photo: GLAAD Earlier this month “30 Rock” star Tracy Morgan offended many with homophobic remarks he made during a stand-up show in Nashville. The comedian has since made several public apologies and announced this week that he had partnered with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in its efforts to combat anti-gay bullying. On Friday (June 17), in his first major project with GLAAD, Morgan met with youth from the Ali Forney Center in New York City, the nation’s largest organization serving homeless LGBT youth. The actor also met with Elke Kennedy, whose 20-year-old son Sean was killed in 2007 in an anti-gay hate crime. “Initially, he seemed very nervous, I think he seemed kind of frightened when he got there,” Carl Siciliano, the head of the Ali Forney Center, told MTV News after the meeting with Morgan. “I don’t think he knew what to expect from us.” Siciliano said Morgan was “very apologetic” and ‘just wanted to make it really clear that he was there to apologize, that he hadn’t meant to do this, that he was hurt by what he had done. He was repeatedly apologetic.” At the center, Morgan spoke openly with the young residents, including Jayden, who was rejected by her family when she came out of the closet. “It was an apology from one human to another and I really appreciated that,” Jayden told us. “Today, Tracy saw firsthand the toll that homophobia and anti-gay violence can take on a person’s life,” GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said in a statement. “By meeting with LGBT teens left homeless because of who they are, we hope that Tracy has come to understand that so-called ‘jokes’ about gay youth are not just irresponsible, they are damaging.” The actor also spoke with Kennedy, an LGBT activist who travels around the country speaking out against anti-gay violence and rhetoric as part of Sean’s Last Wish , an organization she founded in her son’s memory. According to Kennedy, Morgan was so moved by Sean’s story that he got choked up, saying, “You know, that should never happen. That’s why my comments, the ones I made, are not going to be made again.” Kennedy said she believed Morgan was truly sorry for the comments he made, which included alluding to killing his own son if he grew up to be homosexual. “I feel like he made a commitment during this meeting to make a difference,” she told MTV News. “He said that he was going to use his talent as a comedian to be an advocate for the LGBT community.” During the meeting, Morgan announced that he’ll return to Tennessee on June 21 to apologize to those he offended during his stand-up act. While in Nashville, he also plans to meet with the Tennessee Equality Project and local advocates. What do you think of Tracy Morgan’s efforts? Tell us in the comments.
Fif also reveals that he is on Dr. Dre’s next single, ‘The Psycho.’ By Rob Markman 50 Cent Photo: Michael Tran/ FilmMagic 50 Cent went into renegade mode Thursday, blasting his label on Twitter and releasing his new single “Outlaw” independently of Interscope. Don’t get it twisted, however: The G-Unit General isn’t just acting off of emotion. This is all part of his plan to light a fire under the label in preparation of his fifth, yet-untitled album. (50 confirmed to MTV News that this is not the Black Magic album he had announced in 2010.) On April 18, Fif announced via Twitter that he was going to be dropping a single from his new album, but never did. When MTV News caught up with him a few days later on the L.A. set of Nicole Scherzinger’s “Right There” video, 50 backtracked , saying that instead, he opted to work in conjunction with Interscope on the release. “So I had the record I was ready to launch, and we sat down and everybody talked,” Fif told MTV News in an interview Friday (June 17). “What happens is, there are a lot of people involved in my actual launch, because its three parties; it’s Shady, then you got Aftermath, then you got Interscope, and then you got me on my end. So by the time we got to go sit down with [Interscope chairman] Jimmy [Iovine], we talked a little bit, and then I ended up having to go see Dre, because we had the issue, the confusion about the Twitter stuff.” The “Twitter stuff” the Southside Jamaica, Queens, rapper is referencing is when he charged on the social-networking site that Dre and Jimmy Iovine were “mad” because Fif announced that he was developing his own brand of high-end head headphones to rival the Good Doctor’s Beats by Dre. “We sat down, we cleared that up, me and Dre, and then we said, ‘Let’s just get back to the music and do what we do,’ ” Curtis said before revealing his and Dre’s next move. “Immediately after, we wrote a song together called ‘The Psycho’; it’s Dre’s next single.” After making peace with his partners, it was 50’s intention to release his own single with his label’s support and have a record that would impact radio so he could perform at Hot 97’s annual Summer Jam concert at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. There was no single and, subsequently, no 50 Cent at the show, which took place June 5. “Why would I be going to Summer Jam to perform a bunch of feature songs?” the rapper asked rhetorically. “That’s not for me. I rather not be there than to go through that.” Things took a turn Thursday when the MC tweeted: “Ok I tried to be cool with my record company. I went to the meeting talk to everyone and sh– feels like there moving in slow motion,” adding that he wouldn’t drop an album in 2011 unless Interscope got “on the same page.” Then he premiered his new song “Outlaw” later that evening in an effort to cause excitement for his upcoming LP, which will be his last on Interscope. Though he is visibly concerned about how the rollout of his album is being handled, Fif wants to be clear about where he places the blame. “It’s not necessarily Dre or Jimmy; it’s more the guys that they pass the responsibilities on to. It takes longer for people, because they’ll be like, ‘OK, we’re gonna do this and we’re gonna do that,’ and the building will start having those conversations, but they’re not actually moving at that point.” What do you think of 50 Cent’s label drama? How about the new song “Outlaw”? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists 50 Cent
Soulja Boy is facing a $1 million lawsuit over a canceled Harrisburg, PA concert back in 2010. Joseph Sheldon Brewster filed the lawsuit on behalf of his company TrinCity Entertainment stating that the “Pretty Boy Swag” rapper canceled a show at the last minute and kept their $16,250 deposit. According to the suit TrinCity booked Soulja for a December 10, 2010 show, paying the ATL rapper a down payment of $16,250 plus paying out an additional $11,500 for bus transportation and advertising costs. The lawsuit goes on to claim the reps for Soulja Boy’s record label, Interscope reached out to TrinCity and requested to postpone Soulja’s performance so the rapper could catch a show in Hawaii the following week. Read the full story at Hip Hop Wired. RELATED: Soulja Boy Says That He Is Collaborating With Drake RELATED: Soulja Boy Says He Will “Hoe That N*igga Ice-T On Everything” RELATED: Soulja Boy & Diamond Call The Durtty Boyz To Confirm Relationship [EXCLUSIVE]
Between, signing to Shady, starting C.O.B. clothing and dropping The Million Dollar Story ep, the West Coast arm of Slaughterhouse, Crooked I has been one busy hustler. But between sips of Slaughter Water, the Long Beach bomber took some time to share shed some light on his latest moves. Check the technique. Words by MC TUD: I know you’ve had to answer this question a million times, but inquiring minds gotta know. How’s it feel to sign to Shady Records as a member of Slaughterhouse? Crooked I: I’m gonna be real with you, I just got back from Hawaii and as soon as I landed and went to the baggage claim a couple dudes started taking pictures of me! I’m like “Yo, this didn’t happen the last time I came to Hawaii! (Laughs) It’s crazy man, the power of Shady records? I could get used to this! You and Joell have had the most experience with the Interscope machine. Even though it’s through Shady, did any of the horror stories ever cross your mind when you were signing up? Actually when I got on Death Row they were just cutting ties with Interscope. But to answer it’s never a bad day walking into Interscope Records! (Laughs) That almost sounds like the politically correct answer! Nah man! (Laughs) They are the “machine” and if they believe in a project and push the button it’s going somewhere! It was a testament to my character too. Because when I was on Death Row I was asked to make songs dissin Em and Dre. I always thought, “you don’t even know these n*ggas, you don’t have no real beef with them, why you dissing them?” If I had, I wouldn’t be in this equation! (Laughs) You mentioned earlier you were in Hawaii, what was cracking out there? I was out there with my dude G-Dub, we forming a new company called “The Commission” and I got this new clothing line coming. So we was out there discussing that, get away from everything and just strategize … Mecca man the doors are open. I got a shot, I’m taking my shot cause it’s been a long tome coming, so I’m going! Lets talk on the clothing line… Circle Of Bosses. It started off family and friends and it spread to different parts of the world. I decided to bring the movement to the clothing culture because I’ve always been fascinated by that. It’s not a rapper trying to have a clothing line, it’s a movement with a clothing line. One of out big t-shirts right now is “Do Not Cock-Block.” I was able to give a special hoody version to Bun B on his birthday at SXSW. Speaking of SXSW, How’d that go? We really popped it off. We had EPMD, DJ Quik on stage, DJ Premiere on the turntables. Hip-Hop was in the building. Just to have Erick Sermon saying “Yo, Yall give it up for Slaughterhouse!” I remember being a kid watching “Erick & Parrish Makin Dollars.” So to have acknowledgement from legends is always dope. Well you’re going the right way for legendary status. The Brisk campaign shows that. What’s the name of this new drink you guys have? “Slaughter Water” which is the Brisk Ice tea of your choice with some vodka. Brisk brought a big truck to the middle of the street and were giving out free tacos and Brisk. We had that truck popping! (Laughs) But yeah it’s been great working with major corporations on a level like that and still be true to our art form. You know Slaughter is real raw and uncut. That’s why Shady is the perfect fit. NOBODY says crazier shit than Em … so we good. (Laughs) The corporations are just one of the perks and that’s a beautiful thing. Ok business aside, with Em stamping Slaughterhouse in a time where lyrics are on the upswing, do you feel any pressure to produce results or else lyricist may have to take a backseat again? I think we have the ability to really inspire the next generation to get back into their lyrics. Niggas done came up to me and said “I been rapping for years but I fell victim and started making booty clap songs because I thought I was never gonna get my career off the ground,” and that’s some bullsh*t to have to go through. We still gone have that middle layer that’s full of successful wack sh*t but lyricism has always been at the top but I think now it’s going to be a little more crowded. I think you’re starting off right with Million Dollar Story Yeah man, Million Dollar Story EP that I just dropped is the pre-album to Million Dollar Story the album. Niggas might know me in the “almost famous” atmosphere but now it’s time to go to a whole new stratosphere. I’m putting this product out as an introduction and a re-introduction. I aint trippin on sales, as long as I can get the visibility to show how we doing it in 2011 on the west coast cause it ain’t all about Chuck Taylors and six-fours no more. That’s no disrespect to what the legends put down but it’s time for a new day. N*ggas is stepping they bars up, n*ggas is getting fresh, the Hip-Hop energy feels good right now. Well speaking of legends, I can’t let you get outta here without a chance to speak on one we just lost, the big homie Nate Dogg. Word, RIP to Nate, I wish I could have worked more with him. We definitely got joints that we did years back, we got joints that we were planning to do. It’s a big tragedy for Hip-Hop and a humongous loss for the west. He did classic shit that the whole fuckin club will stop and sing along to with him. Nate was just that dude man, because after moving out to the nice neighborhood, he would still come out and be visible. I really respected that because he inspired a lot of people with his presence. And 41 is no time to die. I’m gonna have a shot of Henny for him cause that was his shit and keep his family in my prayers. 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