‘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
Even though she stays at the top of the charts, at this point Rihanna’s love life (or lack thereof) is more interesting than her music. The 24-year-old singer is a self-proclaimed bad girl who has no qualms about smoking marijuana, attacking her Twitter followers for voicing their opinions, and making some bad decisions when it comes to Chris Brown… Continue
Ludacris has been relatively quiet since he dropped his mixtape, 1.21 Gigawatts: Back For The First Time, back in 2011. Since then, Luda has been hard at work on his latest album Ludaversal and has been in the studio with people like Chris Brown, Anita Baker, Larenz Tate, Jim Jonsin and more… Continue
Iggy Azalea is the first white female rapper to ever appear on XXL Magazine’s Freshman cover, and T.I. wasted no time in signing the British femcee to his Grand Hustle label! According to Iggy, “Tip reached out just to meet me, to say hello, and I found a position for him conveniently where he could be used, and he was f*cking with it.” That isn’t quite how T.I remembers it. “Her exact words were, ‘It’s very smart of you to call me because I’m going to be smashing shit for quite some time now and no one will be able to breathe if you’re not on my team,” said the Atlanta rapper! Get More: Music News RELATED: T.I. Ft. Young Jeezy “F*ck Da City Up” [MUSIC VIDEO] Check Out XXL Magazine Freshman Class Of 2012 Big Meech: T.I. Was No Snitch T.I. Hits The Studio With Dr. Dre For New Mixtape! [VIDEO]
Alley Boy’s got the streets talking with his mixtape N*gganati and the track “I Want In,” which features the ATL rapper taking some subliminal shots at T.I. and Young Jeezy . In this exclusive interview in the Hot Spot Light, Alley Boy spoke to B High about his differences with T.I. and Young Jeezy, his label Duct Tape, being on the run from the law before his last jail stint, the Atlanta rap scene and moving forward with his career. Listen to the exclusive interview below! RELATED: Yung LA Addresses Duck Tattoo Drama & Drug Rumors [EXCLUSIVE] Yung LA Gets Duck Tattoo On His Face Covered Up [VIDEO] Listen To Young Jeezy & DJ Drama “The Real Is Back” Mixtape VIDEO: Gucci Mane Recorded Verses For New Mixtape From Jail
Latest preview reveals Spidey’s new mask — and his attitude. By Kevin P. Sullivan Andrew Garfield in “The Amazing Spider-Man” Photo: Marvel / Columbia Pictures “Spider-Man” fans who stayed up late Monday were treated to the second trailer from the superhero’s upcoming reboot. The preview for “The Amazing Spider-Man” showed off new action sequences, a transformed reptilian villain and the smart-ass attitude fans of the comics have missed in recent years. We’ve watched the trailer more times than we care to mention and took the opportunity to break down our favorite moments. Here are the five key scenes from the “Amazing Spider-Man” trailer: Mask You’d have to think back hard, but believe it or not, the first trailer only included a glimpse at Spider-Man’s mask. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but it isn’t until you see the old red-and-blue for a period longer than half a second that you realized what you were missing. The new suit looks good, if slightly over-stylized, but the mask brings it home and makes it feel like a “Spider-Man” movie. Attitude “Spider-Man 3” may have caused you to forget that Spider-Man is actually kind of a smart-ass and not just an emo guy who dances in the street with side bangs and zero self-awareness. In “Amazing,” the wisecracking Spidey returns to make a carjacker feel like a complete dumbass, as he should. Andrew Garfield ‘s take on the hero brings back the fun, intentionally. Mr. and Mrs. Parker The official plot synopsis released a few weeks ago focused on Dr. Connors’ connection to the flighty parents that Mr. and Mrs. Parker were. The trailer plays off that new information and shows Peter hunting down the one-armed doctor to find out what happened to the parents he barely knew. It’s an element we haven’t seen in the previous films and one “Amazing” wants to put front and center. Lizard With the extra emphasis on Curt Connors comes an extended look at his bigger, greener side. After teases with flipped cars, we get to see the Lizard fully transformed, albeit a fleeting peek. They wouldn’t want to spoil it all for us, but we saw enough to confirm that the PEZ dispenser was, in fact, accurate. The Spire The trailer finishes with a shot from an action sequence that most likely takes place near the end of the film. Peter stands on the spire of a skyscraper, dressed in Spider-Man attire from the neck down, but he won’t be standing for long. The spike begins to tumble, and Pete struggles to not fall with it. The shot brings the serious action notes the first trailer lacked and makes us question how much we haven’t seen from the film. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Amazing Spider-Man.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Photos The Amazing Spider-Man
Bon Iver, J. Cole and the Band Perry also in the mix for coveted statue come Sunday. By Gil Kaufman Nicki Minaj Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Whoever ends up staying in their seat when the Best New Artist trophy is handed out at Sunday’s Grammys shouldn’t feel so bad: They’re in pretty good company. Recent years have seen such multiplatinum stars as Justin Bieber , Drake , Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift come out on the short end in the category. Then again, there’s a distinct possibility this year’s winner could make history by becoming the first dubstep act ( Skrillex ) to take the prize, the first true indie rocker ( Bon Iver ) to snatch it or just the second female MC ( Nicki Minaj ) bestowed with the honor. This could also be the year when the music industry fully embraces the fact that just putting a traditional album out is not the surest (or only) path to Grammy glory. Among those in the mix are acts like J. Cole and Minaj, who’ve slowly built up careers by mining the mixtape path to glory and Skrillex, who went from indie punk rock to the top of the glow-stick-waving heap by perfecting a stomach-rumbling mix of dance music, techno beats and rock energy through a series of EPs and singles in front of ever-expanding, sweaty live crowds. Bon Iver (the nom de rock of sensitive singer Justin Vernon) brings his own unique path to the mix. On two acclaimed independently released albums of sensitive, wistful forest folk, Vernon has provided an antidote of sorts to Minaj’s hyper, in-your-face rhymes with music that washes over you instead of hitting you over the head. But his commercial prospects have not dimmed at all due to his chosen path, as Bon Iver tunes have shown up in Miller Genuine Draft ads and have landed him on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album and, reportedly, in the studio with Alicia Keys. With just her debut album, Pink Friday, to her credit, Minaj has gone from mixtape queen to pop/rap icon in just four years, culminating with her Super Bowl halftime appearance on Sunday alongside Madonna. Along the way, the Queens native has made spotlight-stealing cameos on songs by Kanye, Mariah Carey, Ludacris, DJ Khaled and Drake. Like Minaj, Cole slowly bubbled up on the mixtape circuit to a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, dropping a number of impressive guest verses along the way for Jigga, Wale, B.o.B and Young Chris. By the time his major-label debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story, dropped in May, he was already being touted as one of the hottest young stars in the business. Though they’ve been playing together since 2005, country trio the Band Perry didn’t release their first full-length album until October. They’ve since recorded with Bieber for his Under the Mistletoe album, scored three American Music Awards nominations as well as a trio of hit singles. Who is your pick to win the Best New Artist Grammy? Let us know in comments below! MTV News is all over the Grammys ! Stick with us from now through Sunday’s show as we bring you everything you need to know. Related Photos 2012 Grammy Performers 2012 Grammy Nominees
Chicago rapper GLC recently released his mixtape entitled Eternal Sunshine of the Pimpin Mind . From the mixtape, he drops the video for the inspirational track, “Reach For The Top,” produced by up and coming beatsmith Mr. O . The former Kanye West collaborator spits about remembering the lessons his mother told him when he was growing up. The video reflects the journey to achieving your dreams. Why did Kanye never release GLC’s album? Check out the video below. Leave us your review in the comments. While you’re at it, download GLC’s mixtape here . RELATED POSTS: GLC Explains Chicago Gentrification And Overcoming Gang Strife [VIDEO] GLC On Making Kanye West’s “Spaceship”[VIDEO] Kanye West, GLC, Arrowstar & Timmy G Are The Go-Getters
Breaking Sports Video
