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Kanye West And Jay-Z: A Timeline To Watch The Throne

Two of rap’s undisputed hip-hop kings began drafting the blueprint for their upcoming joint LP more than a decade ago. By Jayson Rodriguez Kanye West and Jay-Z Photo: Lester Cohen Archive/ WireImage/ Getty Images Jay-Z and Kanye West are undoubtedly hip-hop royalty, so it’s only fitting the pair titled their forthcoming joint effort Watch the Throne. The credits between the two justify the name: multiple Grammy nods, millions of sales and trend-setting moves. The standout rappers kicked off their project with the release of their first single “H.A.M.” first thing Tuesday (January 11), and now, MTV News looks back at the pivotal moments that led to this event. “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” When Kanye met Jay: In 2001, the upstart producer powered Hov’s breakout hit from his classic LP The Blueprint and, in the process, reignited (along with Just Blaze) the soul-sample movement reminiscent of hip-hop’s Golden Era. Chaining Day It’s the Roc!: After providing hits for everyone on Roc-A-Fella’s roster from Beanie Sigel to Cam’ron, ‘Ye took his talents from behind the board to in front of the microphone, as he joined the label as an artist — and got a shiny new necklace to commemorate the occasion. “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” Remix Shining side by side: Yeezy wasn’t exactly a natural fit for the Roc — his prep-inspired look didn’t jibe with the hustler’s ethos projected by the crew — but on this rumbling remix, which was released amid the Jay-Z/ Dame Dash split, ‘Ye moved to the forefront and proved to be one of the label’s biggest acts. The Blueprint 3 Respect: With West having ascended to superstar status in his own right, Jay-Z brought in the Chicago MC/producer to helm the majority of his 11th studio album . It was an undeniable acknowledgement of ‘Ye’s gifted musicianship and continually growing prowess. Watch the Throne The rulers: West holed up in a Hawaii studio to work on his most recent album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but before he wrapped up the project, he relocated to New York for a residency at the Electric Lady Studios. There, he launched his “G.O.O.D. Fridays” sessions, which West said inspired him and Jay to put out an EP that has evolved into an eagerly anticipated full-length album . Are you excited for Kanye and Jay to drop their Watch the Throne ? Tell us in the comments!

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Kanye West And Jay-Z: A Timeline To Watch The Throne

Are Kanye And Jay-Z Delivering Watch The Throne Too Soon?

Critics weigh in on whether ‘Ye risks fans gorging on product while they’re still feasting on acclaimed Dark Twisted Fantasy. By Jayson Rodriguez Kanye West Photo: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/ WireImage Kanye West should be basking in the critical acclaim of his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album. He scored a number of year-end accolades for the project, including recognition from us here at MTV News. But a mere two months after the LP’s November release, the rapper’s already in promotional mode for his next project, Watch the Throne, a joint effort with Jay-Z . How did everything happen so fast? Jay-Z, of course, has been a prolific MC, having released six consecutive #1 albums, from 1998’s Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life to 2003’s The Black Album. And after a self-imposed exile, Kanye has proved to be just as productive as his mentor, including West’s three-month-long G.O.O.D. Fridays series, during which he released a new single each week. Back in October, during a lengthy sit-down, West casually told MTV News’ Sway that the Watch the Throne EP had evolved into a full-length album. “We putting out a whole album now,” he said. “We had done five [songs] so far, but then a few of them kind of were out there, and I put them on my album. Sorry, Jay. But we got some more, and we’re going to the South of France at the end of the month to just record new ideas. But we’ll probably be done with the album in a day.” According to ‘Ye, Jay-Z only has to write 10 verses (a hint?: the album will only be 10 songs), and West is collaborating with a bevy of producers, so his load will be substantially reduced as well. Another question, however, is whether fans will flock to the project so soon after snapping up West’s extravagant solo release. The early answer seems to be a resounding yes. “I think it’s smart because I imagine the two albums will be very different sonically, so it won’t be a case where one overshadows the other,” Complex senior editor Toshitaka Kondo told MTV News. “Also, when an artist is hot, their fans can’t get enough as long as the output is good. Young Money has had five or six different releases, including the Young Money album and projects from Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Drake in the last 13 months, and I can’t see how it’s hurt any of them. I can’t see the sales of this album necessarily cannibalizing the sales from Kanye’s [last album] anyway. It’d be one thing if they were dropping within a few weeks of each other, but given how fast people consume music these days, six months is plenty of time.” Perhaps, though, instead of debating whether it’s too soon to put out the album, the more poignant thing to consider is this: arguably the two biggest stars in hip-hop want to make an album together ! “All artists need to find a way to combat falling record sales and meet fans’ desire for constant gratification — a new album from two of hip-hop’s biggest stars isn’t going to hurt,” the Amplifier ‘s Caryn Ganz said. “It could even renew interest in Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and encourage people to revisit it,” she said. “All the recent collaborations between these two have been very strong, like ‘Run This Town’ and ‘Monster,’ and Kanye seems to bring out a fascinating artiness in Jay. They just have to be careful that they don’t push it too far in an artsy, esoteric direction and lose their whole street base. But the timing doesn’t seem strange to me at all — strike while Kanye’s still making headlines for the right reasons, rather than wrong.” Do you think it’s too soon for Kanye and Jay to drop their Watch the Throne ? Tell us in the comments! Related Photos Kanye West’s Amazing Year Related Artists Kanye West Jay-Z

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Are Kanye And Jay-Z Delivering Watch The Throne Too Soon?

Are Miley Cyrus And Nick Jonas Recording A Duet Album?

Cyrus producer Shakur Green reportedly tweets that the exes are working on a joint LP. By Jocelyn Vena Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas Photo: Rob Hoffman/JBE/Getty Images In 2009, Nick Jonas and Miley Cyrus released the breakup ballad “Before the Storm.” The track, which was recorded after the two had split and right before they briefly reconciled, was featured on the Jonas Brothers album Lines, Vines and Trying Times. Now, it seems that the duo might be trying to make that magic happen again. Music producer Shakur Green, who worked with Cyrus on her Time of Our Lives EP, tweeted that he’s heading into the studio to work with the teen stars. “Returning to the studio w/ Miley Cyrus & Nick Jonas on 1/14,” he wrote in tweets posted on the AnythingDisney blog , which gained access to the producer’s protected Twitter account. “Can’t release any additional information about the project other then it’s going to be one of the top albums of 2011,” he added. “We’re only recording 7-10 records. She has other producers she working with besides myself!” Although he kept the details somewhat scarce, he did reveal one major piece to the puzzle: “I will share this info: It’s going to be a double disk duet album!” A rep for the stars hadn’t responded to MTV News’ request for comment by press time. Cyrus did join the boys onstage for one show in June 2009 to play “Before the Storm.” At the time, when MTV News caught up with Nick, he expressed how much he really loved the song. ” ‘Before the Storm’ is probably one of my favorite songs on the record,” Nick said. “I think it’s probably one of my favorite songs because it has a great story to it. It’s a duet with Miley, which is great.” What do you think about Miley and Nick possibly teaming up for a whole album? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Miley Cyrus Jonas Brothers

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Are Miley Cyrus And Nick Jonas Recording A Duet Album?

Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies

Testimony has Conrad Murray removing IV stand and two bags of medication. By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson’s bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5 Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray , featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop’s bodyguards about Murray’s actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive. After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly , security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star’s bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911. The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson’s bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method. “I said, ‘Dr. Murray, what happened?’ ” Alvarez told the court. ” ‘He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,’ that’s all he said.” Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson’s daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed. He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson’s penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not. Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of medicine bottles and instructing the security guard to put them in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray’s instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson’s bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a “milk-like substance” in the bottom of the IV bag. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as “milk of amnesia” thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911. “After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray’s instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray’s instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?” Walgren asked. “Yes, sir,” Alvarez responded. TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story. Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson’s body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan). Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson’s son, Prince. The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks. Related Artists Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies

Robert Pattinson To Star In David Cronenberg’s ‘Cosmopolis’

‘Breaking Dawn’ heartthrob will play the lead in film adaptation of Don DeLillo’s futuristic novel. By Kara Warner Robert Pattinson Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Robert Pattinson has signed on for his first big post-“Twilight” lead role. The actor is set to star in David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis.” According to Deadline , Pattinson will play Eric Packer in the futuristic film, an adaptation of the novel by Don DeLillo. In the film version, Packer is described as “a financial wunderkind,” who risks his entire fortune to bet against Japan’s yen on a tumultuous day. His chancy move puts him in mortal danger. The flick is said to be “a drama that is a study of capitalism in a slightly futuristic metropolis.” The novel is a modern reinterpretation of James Joyce’s classic “Ulysses,” set in New York City in the year 2000, around the burst of the dot-com bubble. Most of the action in the book takes place over the course of one day, in the limousine Packer takes to his various errands. Other stars rumored to have signed up for the project include “Inception” star Marion Cotillard and Paul Giamatti. Deadline reported that Pattinson wanted the role because he is a big fan of Cronenberg’s work and an admirer of DeLillo’s books. The “Twilight” superstar is still hard at work on the vampire franchise. He’ll appear again as Edward Cullen in the two-part finale “Breaking Dawn,” the first of which opens in November. But up next, he’ll hit the big screen in the Depression-era romance “Water for Elephants,” alongside Reese Witherspoon. Acknowledging what millions of Pattinson fans already know, Witherspoon recently gushed to MTV News that her co-star is “extraordinarily attractive.” What do you think of Pattinson’s newest role? Tell us in the comments! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos The Evolution Of: Robert Pattinson

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Robert Pattinson To Star In David Cronenberg’s ‘Cosmopolis’

Has Angelina Jolie’s ‘Cleopatra’ Found A Director In Paul Greengrass?

‘Bourne’ director is reportedly close to being signed for the movie. By Eric Ditzian Angelina Jolie in “Alexander” Photo: Warner Bros. For a hot minute, it appeared as though James Cameron would be switching up his directorial itinerary, sweeping into the world of ancient Egypt and helming the Angelina Jolie-starring “Cleopatra” before jetting back to Pandora for his “Avatar” sequels. Now it seems that Paul Greengrass — who, for a similarly hot, similarly short minute, was circling the director’s chair for the Cameron-produced “Fantastic Voyage” — will be taking on directing duties for “Cleopatra,” the 3-D adaptation of the current New York Times best-seller, “Cleopatra: A Life.” Deadline is reporting that producer Scott Rudin has said “we’re pretty close” to signing a director for the project and that sources tell the website filmmakers “like the idea” of Greengrass for the gig. Jolie, though, hasn’t yet discussed the possibility of Greengrass, who left the “Bourne” franchise late in 2009. “I hope to one day [play her], but we don’t have it all together,” Jolie told MTV last month about the film. “All the pieces are not together.” Sony is said to be eyeing a production start in 2011 and readily acknowledges that the budget will be massive. Rudin described the script, which has been penned by Brian Helgeland (who also wrote the “Green Zone,” which Greengrass directed) and is based on Stacy Schiff’s biography, as presenting “a completely revisionist Cleopatra, a much more grown-up, sophisticated version.” “She’s not a sex kitten, she’s a politician, strategist, warrior,” he went on to explain. “In the Joseph Mankiewicz movie, Elizabeth Taylor is a seductress, but the histories of Cleopatra have been written by men. This is the first to be written by a woman. It felt like such a blow-the-doors-off-the-hinges idea of how to tell it, impossible to resist.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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Has Angelina Jolie’s ‘Cleopatra’ Found A Director In Paul Greengrass?

Can Kanye West And Jay-Z Outdo Themselves On Watch The Throne?

‘It’s gonna be like a band that’s worked together for a long time that’s maturing into a new sound,’ one expert tells MTV News about joint album. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Steven Roberts Kanye West and Jay-Z Photo: Getty Images As Kanye West upped the ante on his and Jay-Z’s joint project (as if the title Watch the Throne weren’t enough) from an EP to an LP, the Chicago star also ratcheted up expectations for the album. Fresh off feeding bloggers, critics and fans a full plate with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, ‘Ye now faces the challenge of doing it again, mere months later. The collaboration is already one of the biggest events of the year, whether or not it arrives next week, as Kanye announced on New Year’s Eve. But given the challenge, will the two icons be able to pull it off? “A lot of cats always talk about doing something together. It’s a cool idea at 3 in the morning, but it never pans out,” Rap Radar’s Elliott Wilson told MTV News, referring to grounded efforts by Nas and AZ, Foxy Brown and Lil’ Kim and countless other superstar duos. “But the fact that they’re really doing something is a smart move.” Creatively, the project gives Jay-Z, arguably the most decorated MC in history, new ground to cover. And for ‘Ye, it gives him the opportunity to ascend to a pedestal (albeit it briefly) next to Hov in the hip-hop landscape. As a result of their friendship, it’s easy to see why they came together in the first place. But perhaps the results (‘Ye quickly concocting beats and Jay putting rhymes to them just as fast) made the effort expand into a full album. “They have a very interesting and dynamic relationship. They love each other, and they also have a very competitive relationship,” Complex Editor in Chief Noah Callahan-Bever explained. “But I think it brings out the best in both of them.” There’s no arguing the Kanye West-powered Blueprint remains one of Hov’s most revered projects. “Some of Jay-Z’s best work has been on Kanye’s beats,” New York Times critic Jon Caramanica said. “Even on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, you hear Jay stepping his game up. You hear Jay trying. ‘Cause he’s not just tossing out this verse and it’s gonna be on Joe Blow’s record. He’s like, ‘This is the verse for the Kanye record, so I’m gonna do this there where I really try to fit the mood and really go in.’ And I think Kanye is bringing that out of him, whether it’s implicitly or explicitly.” Their union may not be groundbreaking, since they have a track record, including tracks on West’s most recent record (“Monster” and “So Appalled”) that were originally slated for the EP. Instead of an end result dripped in mystery, though, like most experimental projects, the beauty of this one is that we’ve sampled it before. It’s just a matter of meeting the potential of so many of their past hits. “It’s gonna be like a band that’s worked together for a long time that’s maturing into a new sound,” Caramanica said. What are you expecting from the ‘Ye and Jay joint album? Let us know in the comments!

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Can Kanye West And Jay-Z Outdo Themselves On Watch The Throne?

Foo Fighters To Return This Spring With ‘Massive’ New Album

Yet-untitled record is shaping up to be their heaviest to date. By James Montgomery The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage The Foo Fighters , for the majority of their career, have been the kind of band that only operates on a really, really huge level (witness their two-night stand at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2008 for proof of this, or even the sprawling, double-disc In Your Honor album). So when Dave Grohl is saying that their new album is, well, “massive,” you’re probably going to notice. On Tuesday (January 4), Grohl spoke to BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe about the Foos’ still-untitled new album (which they had apparently just finished the night before, according to a celebratory tweet ), and from the sound of things, it’s going to be a big deal. “There’s 11 songs and, front to back, there’s not one sleepy ballad,” Grohl said. “The fact that we did it without any computers, it was just really simple. It just sounds massive. It’s different to any other Foo Fighters album, because it just sounds big. It was really inspiring.” The band began work on the album — which Grohl said will be hitting stores “in spring” — last September. They teamed up with super-producer Butch Vig (Nirvana’s Nevermind ), former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and, judging by the photo he posted on the band’s Twitter account, frequent Nirvana collaborator/former Foo Pat Smear too. But rather than go for a big studio sound, the band opted for a much, well, simpler approach. “It was really in my garage,” Grohl said. “You could put a minivan in there and that’s it. We entered into this project with a direction. The first song we started recording, the tape just started shredding.” And judging by the early results — a 10-second snippet of a song called “White Limo” the band tweeted on Monday — Grohl isn’t kidding about the massive part. Or the rough-around-the-edges garage bludgeon, either. This really could be their heaviest work to date. And now, with the recording out of the way, the Foos can focus on more important tasks — like picking the first single. “I don’t even know what the single is going to be,” Grohl said. “It’s hard to choose because it sounds like there’s more than one.” What are you expecting from the new Foo Fighters album? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Foo Fighters

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Foo Fighters To Return This Spring With ‘Massive’ New Album

Nas Talks Lost Tapes Vol. 2, Label Issues

The rapper says he may release the rarities collection later this year as part of a deluxe version of his next studio album. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Rahman Dukes Nas Photo: MTV News Nas’ anticipated The Lost Tapes: Vol. 2 could be fans’ gain and current label Def Jam’s loss. The rapper revealed that he intends to release the project as part of a special-edition version of his next album, due out later this year. “Because I kind of lost time, I really wanted to release [the album] in December,” Nas told MTV News just before the holidays. “But I’m starting my next album. So I feel like I’ll probably give The Lost Tapes as a deluxe, maybe, on the next album for free. I’m trying to figure that out now.” In October, Nas allegedly blasted his recording home after the company reportedly bungled the release of The Lost Tapes project, which is a collection of unreleased gems from the gifted MC that skew toward his more poetic side. An e-mail message from the Queens rapper sent to executives at Def Jam was obtained by a blog and posted online. In the note, Nas expressed frustration over what he characterized as his label’s lack of activity surrounding the project; the first volume was a critically acclaimed collection issued in 2002 that included material left off of his studio albums after the songs were pirated. “You don’t get another Nas recording that doesn’t count against my deal … PERIOD!” Nas wrote at the time . “Keep your bullsh– $200,000 fund. Open the REAL budget. This is a New York pioneer’s ALBUM, there ain’t many of us. I am ready to drop in the 4th quarter. You don’t even have sh– coming out! Stop being your own worst enemy. Let’s get money!” Now, however, Nas says he’s not sure which label would release his next album. “It’s not safe to say that it’s gonna be on Def Jam,” he told MTV News. “You know, news at 11. We coming with the information on that soon.” Would you be interested in buying Nas’ Lost Tapes Vol. 2 as part of a deluxe package with his next album? Tell us in the comments. Related Artists Nas

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Nas Talks Lost Tapes Vol. 2, Label Issues

Lady Gaga To Unveil Polaroid ‘Grey Label’ Project At CES

Pop star’s collaboration with the instant-camera maker will be revealed Thursday. By James Montgomery Lady Gaga Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images Nearly a year ago, when Lady Gaga announced that she had signed on as a creative director with Polaroid, the singer told fans she’d already begun work on a series of “prototypes in the vein of fashion/technology/photography innovation.” This Thursday, we’ll finally get to see the fruits of her labor. That’s when Polaroid will unveil their so-called “Grey Label,” the end result of — as the company puts it in a statement — “a collaboration between two of the most influential icons of our time: Polaroid and Lady Gaga.” The launch will happen at the massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but little monsters can also watch it unfold live on Polaroid.com at 3:30 p.m. PT. Of course, it’s not exactly clear what Polaroid’s Grey Label will actually entail (the former instant-camera giant says it will be “the next generation instant experience”), but there’s already a fancy website dedicated to the project, complete with a clock counting down to the big reveal. Gaga isn’t speaking about the project either (she’s probably too busy unveiling pertinent information about her upcoming Born This Way album — and her backside — on Twitter, but in April, she held a creative meeting with Polaroid in Tokyo, in which she apparently wowed her new corporate partners with her ideas. “It’s very clear from our first few sessions that she is a creative tour-de-force, and a key player on the Polaroid team. … The partnership is all channeling Lady Gaga’s fashion sense to create innovative products with her fans in mind,” a post on Polaroid’s website read last year. “The collaboration will deliver new products that mix the best of ‘instant’ with digital era multi-media.