Tag Archives: nicki-minaj

Kanye West Is ‘Stepping Backwards’ For New Music, Q-Tip Says

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Kanye West Is ‘Stepping Backwards’ For New Music, Q-Tip Says

‘He’s looking forward but reaching back, which is interesting,’ he tells XXL. By James Dinh Kanye West Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Utilizing Auto-Tune and the electro-pop trend, Kanye West took a musical departure with his last album, 808s & Heartbreak. But the rapper is heading back to his early roots with his new album, according to collaborator Q-Tip. “This album is, in a good way, going backwards,” Q-Tip told XXL magazine of the project. “He’s such an artist. He knows exactly what he’s doing. When he did [ 808s & Heartbreak ], that was such a departure from College Dropout. But now he’s stepping backwards, so this album will be more of a sonic extension of College Dropout and Graduation, but he’s doing it with a new attitude.” The Tribe Called Quest member explained that West is attempting to mix his sound of the past yet simultaneously cover new ground. “He’s looking forward but reaching back, which is interesting,” Q-Tip told the magazine. “It’s a calculated toe in yesterday’s water, if that makes any sense at all.” In July, ‘Ye spoke about the inspiration behind the yet-untitled project. “Everyone says all great art comes from pain, but I think my greatest art comes from excitement and joy,” he said. “It’s a completely different perspective about being extremely excited about stuff that is only cool to me.” The LP, which is due in stores later this fall, is set to feature additional production credits from DJ Premier, Pete Rock and No I.D. Lead single “Power” finds the rapper taking on the media, haters and everyone in between. As the project has gained momentum, West has treated fans to a slew of new tracks including “Monster,” featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj; “Devil in a New Dress” ; and “G.O.O.D. Friday,” featuring Common, Pusha T, Kid Cudi, Big Sean and Charlie Wilson. More than likely, West will perform his new material when he serves as the musical guest on the Bryan Cranston-hosted “Saturday Night Live” episode October 2. What are you expecting from Kanye’s new album? Share your thoughts below! Related Artists Kanye West Q-Tip

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Nicki Minaj Says Lil Wayne Is ‘Focused’ In Prison

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Nicki Minaj Says Lil Wayne Is ‘Focused’ In Prison

MC talked about Weezy, Justin Bieber and more in interview with Funkmaster Flex. By James Dinh Nicki Minaj Photo: MTV November will be an important month for Nicki Minaj . During that month, the Young Money darling will drop her debut album Pink Friday and celebrate Lil Wayne’s release from jail. In an interview with Funkmaster Flex , the Harajuku Barbie spoke about her latest visit with Weezy, the backlash to Will.I.Am’s VMA outfit and a recent attempt to scam her fans. “I went to see [Lil Wayne], like, five days ago,” she told the DJ. “I was on Rikers. First of all, his birthday is coming up in a few days. He was just very focused, but he was laughing the same way. He was just making me laugh.” Minaj admitted that she forgot to thank her mentor when she revealed her album title during a live chat with fans . “He said that people were writing him in jail saying, ‘We love Thank Me Later and we can’t wait for Pink Friday .’ So he said he was looking at the letters and was like, ‘What the hell is Pink Friday ?’ ” the rapper explained. “I didn’t even tell him that [was] my album name and stuff, and he found out in jail by fans writing him letters. So he was like, ‘OK, Nick, that’s the name of your album,’ and we were just having a great conversation.” Nicki then talked about the blowback her VMA performance partner, Will.I.Am, received for his all-black outfit, which included dark makeup . “You’re talking to me. And I live for doing stuff that is super crazy and outside the box, so I loved it,” she said. “People are always going to have an opinion. It’s like ‘Yo, let him do his thing.’ I think that Will.I.Am lived on a different planet. You can’t expect him to make common folk happy. Common folk ain’t never happy with anything. … They going to pick everything apart.” The Peas frontman wasn’t the only guy she spoke about. When asked if she thought teen heartthrob Justin Bieber had a crush on her, she joked, “I think so. I think he had a little jungle fever. You know what I mean? I had to let the young boy know.” The two shared a cheek kiss during the 2010 VMAs. Before Minaj left, she took some time to address a recent controversy surrounding an upcoming concert at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She is being billed as the event’s headliner, even though she isn’t performing. “I didn’t have anything to do with it,” she said. “People are going around pretending that they are able to book me. They’re acting like they can sign paperwork and get me to do clubs, but in fact, I’ve never met these people a day in my life. I don’t know who these people are.” Nicki explained that she woke up one day and found fans tweeting about it. “I thought that it was a joke and then I clicked on it and it was dead serious, so I had to shut that down.” For now, the singer has recruited a legal team to look into the matter and said that she’ll post her actual tour dates on her Twitter or official website . “I’m so tired of people getting scammed,” she said. Related Artists Nicki Minaj Lil Wayne Funkmaster Flex

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Young Money’s Shanell Says Street Single Is For ‘Boss’ Chicks

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘The way I write my love songs comes out different,’ R&B upstart says of penning Nicki Minaj-assisted ‘Cupid’s Got a Gun.’ By Jayson Rodriguez Shanell Photo: Jason LaVeris/ Getty Images Young Money’s Shanell has a voice as sweet as Red Velvet cake, but the singer/songwriter isn’t your average R&B pop tart. On her new single “Cupid’s Got a Gun” featuring Nicki Minaj, she’s as sharp with her lyrics as her boss Lil Wayne is with his rhymes. Shanell says the song represents the “tough skin” type of girls. “Me and my homegirl Mika Means were actually in the studio and we were coming up with stuff and we started that song, “Cupid’s Got a Gun,” Shanell told MTV News this week. “It’s a love song, but it’s a love song told in a different way. I’m not really a mushy person, so I express my emotions, it’s like, instead of saying I love you, it’s I f—ing love you. So the way I write my love songs comes out different. And it’s this energy that I felt that it needed, ’cause I consider myself a boss type of chick and I got a tough skin. I thought Nicki would be perfect to be on this record to exemplify that boss type of energy. I played it for her and she jumped right on it.” The song is the first effort from her forthcoming debut album. According to Shanell, “Cupid’s Got a Gun” wasn’t slated to be the first single but after it leaked to the Web earlier this month it drew a strong response. As a result, she and her team are prepping to work the song as a street single to tease the upcoming LP. She hopes to drop that full-length for the masses next summer. Meanwhile, she has her hand in other projects like her gig as the face clothing line Married to the Mob’s fall collection. The singer has also written a video treatment for “Cupid’s” that she described as a combination of “Smooth Criminal” and the movies “Sin City” and “Kill Bill.” “As a writer, there’s a picture in my head and I’m basically writing a story to the pictures that flash in my head,” Shanell explained. “So I always had the visual for the video in my head. But once we got Nicki on it, I thought, Oh, [those three as a mix would work]. I’ve written it out and I’m looking for a director now.” Are you looking forward to seeing the collaboration from Young Money’s first ladies? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Shanell Nicki Minaj

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Nicki Minaj Calls VMA Pre-Show Set ‘An Amazing Look’

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘As an underground female rapper, that’s the biggest accomplishment so far,’ she tells MTV News. By Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Tim Kash Nicki Minaj Photo: MTV News People are still talking about Nicki Minaj’s colorful performance at the VMA pre-show with special guest Will.I.Am, and she recognizes what a big milestone it was in her young career. “That was an amazing look,” Nicki told MTV News right after the main show Sunday night. “I’m so thankful to have that opportunity. As an underground female rapper, that’s the biggest accomplishment so far.” Nicki also threw kudos to her Young Money family member (and Twitter ex-husband ) Drake. “Our divorce isn’t finalized yet,” Nicki joked before assessing Drake’s performance of “Fancy” with Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz. “No, he was amazing. He’s always spot-on. I thought Mary sounded like honey. Honey! Amazing. And, of course, my baby Swizz Beatz was up there. I loved it.” The day after the show, Nicki was back in her hometown of New York performing as part of the Jay-Z and Eminem’s Home and Home concert series . Minaj came out with Jiggaman and Kanye West for “Monster.” “I’ve just been blessed to be on a song with two living legends,” Nicki told DJ Drama recently on his Gangsta Grillz radio program. “In my book, Jay and Kanye are icons, and I never in a billion years would have thought I would be on a song with one of them, let alone both of them. I’m happy people think I murdered the record. It just feels exciting to be a part of that collab. Seriously.” Minaj’s VMA pre-show performance won over some new fans as well as her peers. “I think Nicki Minaj is the truth,” Katy Perry said of Minaj . “I think she is amazing, and I love her sense of style. I love her beautiful figure. It’s hot.” “What I love about Nicki is she has the eye of the tiger and she is fearless,” Minaj choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson said. “These are the components that I saw about three years ago in Lady Gaga. I thought, ‘This is going to be fantastic.’ Her swag is amazing.” What did you think of Nicki’s VMA pre-show performance? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos VMA 2010: Nicki Minaj And Will.I.Am Performance Related Photos Nicki Minaj’s Wildest Looks Related Artists Nicki Minaj

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Will.i.am Remembers Knowing ‘All’ The ‘Sesame Street’ Songs

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Now the BEP frontman gets to perform his ‘ What I Am’ for the show’s season premiere, September 27. By Kyle Anderson, with reporting by Tim Kash Will.I.Am on the set of “Sesame Street” Photo: MTV News Will.i.am made quite an impression on the music world when he performed with Nicki Minaj during the pre-show of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, and he’s about to make waves among an entirely different audience soon. His new song “What I Am,” which he performed for “Sesame Street,” just premiered online , and the track will also be featured on the show’s season premiere on September 27. Flanked by an army of “Sesame Street” all-stars (including Big Bird, Elmo, Grover and Cookie Monster), Will croons an inspiration track about being yourself, setting goals and working hard to achieve those goals. The video segment was recorded back in November, and MTV News was there to catch up with Will (and Grover). “The song is called ‘What I Am,’ and it’s about making goals and working hard to achieve them,” Will told MTV News. He was especially honored to be on the set of “Sesame Street” and working with some of the Muppets who gave him his early education. “You have to understand: I was like 4 or 5 years old, and I always wanted to watch ‘Sesame Street,’ ” he said. “Grover helped me learn about numbers and about the alphabet, and I used to know all the songs.” He had a fan in Grover, who insisted he liked the Black Eyed Peas, as well as “carrots, broccoli, all those vegetables.” Grover later taught will a few dance moves while the producer provided beatbox backup. Will represents the first in a series of high-profile guest appearances on the 41st season of “Sesame Street,” including Katy Perry, Usher, Jude Law, Ryan Reynolds, Kara DioGuardi, Reggie Bush and Zoe Saldana. What do you think of Will.i.am’s “Sesame Street” song? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Will.I.Am

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Ciara Teases ‘Possible’ Collabo With N.E.R.D.

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We’re talking about doing a couple of things,’ Ciara says at the VMAs. By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Shaheem Reid Ciara Photo: MTV News Ciara and N.E.R.D. blazed the stage when they performed the band’s sultry single “Hot-N-Fun” at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards . When MTV News caught up with the ATL princess on the show’s white carpet, she dished that fans could be rocking to a white-hot collaboration between CiCi and the hip-hop crew in the future. “We’re talking about doing a couple of things. We’ve been in the studio a little bit too, just, like, talking about things and stuff,” Ciara said. “In the future, it’s very possible that you’ll be hearing something more from possibly me and N.E.R.D. and also maybe even just me and Pharrell, musically.” The songstress, who took on Nelly Furtado’s vocal duties from on the original track, joined the band for a hip-twisting, back-bending performance at the show’s Chevrolet Cruze Drive-In. Whether a Ciara/N.E.R.D. project actually jumps off, the songbird said she enjoyed turning up the fire with the band onstage. “I have to say, I had a lot fun performing with Pharrell. He’s such a sweetheart, their whole crew, Chad [Hugo], Shay, all of them are such sweet guys,” she said. “I had a wonderful time.” One project that is definitely in the works is Ciara’s upcoming album, Basic Instinct. Perhaps recruiting the “Hot-N-Fun” fellas for some new tracks is a smart move, as the singer told MTV News last year that her Fantasy Ride follow-up will be, well, “hot and fun.” On last week’s VMA carpet, the singer updated her fans about her new videos and promised another dope musical ride. “My fans are gonna really be happy. They’re gonna really be in for a treat. I worked so hard on this record. I just shot two videos: ‘Gimme That’ and ‘Speechless,’ ” Ciara said. “My fans are gonna be so happy, I promise you guys. I’m so excited.” What do you a think a Ciara and N.E.R.D. collabo may sound like? Sound off in the comments! Related Artists Ciara N.E.R.D.

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Trey Songz Talks ‘Building’ ‘Bottoms Up’ With Nicki Minaj

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘She came to the studio for three hours and listened to my whole album,’ Songz says of their meeting. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway Trey Songz Photo: MTV News A week before this year’s BET Awards, as Trey Songz was working on his new album, Passion, Pleasure & Pain , the singer thought to himself that Nicki Minaj would make for a good guest on the project. A week later, however, as he watched the awards show, he realized he wasn’t the only fan of the Lil Wayne prot

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Travie McCoy Builds On ‘Billionaire’ With New Singles

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Travie hopes ‘Need You’ and ‘We’ll Be Alright’ can have some of his first single’s success. By James Montgomery Travie McCoy Photo: MTV News When it comes to fatherhood, Travie McCoy is still learning the ropes. We’re not talking about the trappings of actual fatherhood, mind you — to the best of our knowledge, Travie doesn’t have any kids — but rather the bittersweet reality of raising a single up from infancy, watching it blossom into an massive hit and then having to send it on its way. ” ‘Billionaire’ is still kind of bubbling and doing its thing,” McCoy told MTV News last weekend at his VMA rehearsals in Los Angeles. “It’s kind of like my little son that’s all grown up, and it’s like, ‘All right, either go to school or go in the army. Do whatever you want now. You’re on your own.’ He’s kind of grown up and matured, and now I’m nurturing ‘Need You,’ which is the next single, you know?” But “Need You” is just one of his new projects. The video is still being cut, and so he’s also promoting “We’ll Be Alright,” the next U.K. single off his Lazarus album. The video for that song began making the rounds this week. And he’s not showing signs of slowing down any time soon. “[‘Need You’] is kind of one of the more serious, introspective songs on Lazarus, and visually, the video’s gonna have the same tone,” McCoy said. “And the next single in the U.K. is ‘We’ll Be Alright,’ and that video has already dropped. All my people in the U.K., I know you’re up on ‘We’ll Be Alright,’ [with] the Supergrass [sample]. Everything’s beautiful, man, and there’s still a few more after that, so I’m just gonna ride it.” And while he’s still working Lazarus, McCoy is also finding time to prep Papercut Chronicles II, the new record from Gym Class Heroes . The band is obviously his first love, but at the moment, it’s kind of difficult to fit it into his schedule. Fatherhood, it would seem, is a lot tougher than it appears. “We’re hustling and scrambling on PCC II. Every chance I get — I have little bits of time here and there — I’m spending it all on the next Gym Class record,” he said. “We’re about 16, 17 songs deep. It just keeps growing. … Matt [McGinley]’s on tour with me, playing drums, so we’re working on stuff together while we’re on tour, and [GCH’s] Disashi [Lumumba-Kasongo] and Eric [Roberts] are working on stuff together. The new stuff is so good, man. It’s outrageous.” Related Artists Travie McCoy

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Katy Perry Calls Nicki Minaj ‘The Truth’

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I can’t believe she hasn’t even put out a record yet and she’s still Nicki Minaj!’ Perry tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Audrey Kim Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj at the 2010 VMAs Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj presented the Best Male Video award together at the VMAs , and it was evident that the two fun-loving pop stars shared a kinship. Their love of colorful costumes and fun music make it easy for fans to understand why they might get along, and Perry explained just what she loves about the Young Money princess. “I think Nicki Minaj is the truth,” she told MTV News at her alma mater, Santa Barbara, California’s Dos Pueblos high school, where she performed Tuesday night. “I think she is amazing, and I love her sense of style. I love her beautiful figure. It’s hot.” But it’s about more than just the aesthetic. She thinks Nicki has that certain “it” factor. “I like her whole attitude. She’s so funny and a chameleon, and you really don’t know exactly what you’re going to get from her, but you know it’s going to be entertaining at every corner,” she said. “She’s really fun. She belongs in this world. I’m very excited for her record. I can’t believe she hasn’t even put out a record yet and she’s still Nicki Minaj! It’s amazing.” When talking about fellow pop stars like Lady Gaga , Perry pointed out that the “over-the-top” aesthetic only works if the performer also has a “spine.” “Some people that are just like, ‘Look at me, I have something on my face or head’ — I don’t want to be specific because I don’t even know what I’m trying to say — they’re just not following through,” she said. “I like all that theatrical stuff, but at the end of the day, I like to strip it all off and sit down with my guitar and write a song.” Like Perry, Nicki hopes that her music can tell a story and resonate with people. “This album is my heart and soul,” the rapper said about Pink Friday, which arrives in November. “This is me explaining every single relationship that I’ve ever been in and explaining it in a way that every woman in this world can understand it.” Share your thoughts on Nicki Minaj in the comments! The Moonmen have all been handed out and the stars have gone home, but there’s plenty of MTV Video Music Awards news, interviews, behind-the-scenes scoop, party reports and more still to come, so keep it locked on MTVNews.com. Related Artists Nicki Minaj Katy Perry

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Nicki Minaj Wants To Bridge ‘Gap’ Between Gay Fans And Hip-Hop

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Talking up her gay alter ego, Roman Zolanski, in Out, MC says Lil Wayne tour could be enlightening for the duo’s fanbases. By Kelley L. Carter Nicki Minaj on cover of Out Magazine Photo: Out.com Nicki Minaj just might be the one to bridge the gap. The 25-year-old female MC hasn’t even released her debut album, Pink Friday, yet, but already her quirky hooks and outrageous fashion have made her one to watch in the gay community. Minaj has a bevy of gay fans, and she’s hoping that she’ll be the one to spearhead a movement to eradicate homophobia in hip-hop. She talks up her gay fans, her bi-curious lyrics and her embrace of her female following in the latest issue of Out magazine, hitting shelves next week. “I started making it my business to say things that would empower women, like, ‘Where my bad bitches at?’ to let them know, ‘I’m here for you,’ ” Minaj says of her female followers. “Then, when I started going to the shows and it was nothing but girls, it was like, ‘Did I go too far with embracing my girls?’ Because now they want to kiss and hug me.” Minaj, whose many aliases include the Harajuku Barbie, said the really haters came out when she embraced that particular image, which surprised her. At MTV Video Music Awards pre-show on Sunday, Minaj performed in a pink-and-purple spacesuit and a cotton-candy-colored wig. She appeared as a Barbie landing from outer space, popping and locking with robotic moves. “It’s interesting that people have more negative things to say about me saying, ‘I’m Barbie,’ than me saying, ‘I’m a bad bitch,’ ” she told the magazine. “Once I figure something is irritating people, I’m going to do it more because I like to get on your nerves until you realize how f—ing stupid you are.” Instead, Minaj said, she’d rather focus on what a homophobia-free rap world might look like, hinting at a tour with her mentor, Lil Wayne. “Normally, Wayne probably wouldn’t have gay guys coming to see his shows much, but they’re definitely a big part of my movement, and I hope they’d still come out and see me,” she said. “I think that will be really, really interesting, just to start bridging that gap. We’ll see.” What do you think of Nicki’s relationship with her gay fans? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related Videos VMA 2010: Performances Related Photos Nicki Minaj’s Wildest Looks Related Artists Nicki Minaj

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