PR stunt, schmee-R stunt. Kanye West is totes in love with Kim Kardashian, at least according to Us Weekly sources. “They’re perfect for each other. He thinks she’s his Beyonce,” an insider says of Kanye’s feelings , adding that the rapper’s fallen “genuinely head over heels” for the infamous, voluptuous, expressionless-as-drywall reality star. Kim and Kanye have been friends since 2004, with this source claiming the latter pursued the former for a very long time. Why did Kardashian finally give in to the relationship with the loquacious rapper? We’ll have to ask her mom and/or public relations team. Kim herself has been surprisingly mum on the topic of a romance with Kanye , while Kris Humphries doesn’t care at all about the exploits of his ex.
In a New York Times Magazine profile, White hints that the dynamic between him and Meg White ultimately led to the band’s demise. By James Montgomery Jack White Photo: WireImage Jack White gets deep in a New York Times Magazine feature, discussing his marriage, his children and his relationship with former wife/ White Stripes drummer Meg White (he also talks about being taught how to weld by Bob Dylan, though perhaps that’s a story for another day). For the first time since announcing the end of the Stripes last year, White talked about the dynamic that ultimately led to the band’s demise, intimating that it was Meg who didn’t want to continue making music, and that he was forced to bring the project to a close “so we can move on with our lives.” “Some people can live their whole lives in limbo,” White said. “There came a point where I said, ‘If we’re not doing this, we need to put an end to it right now.’ And that’s what she wanted to do.” When asked by writer Josh Eells why Meg no longer felt like being a part of the White Stripes, Jack responded: “You’d have to ask her. I don’t know what her reasons are. Having a conversation with Meg, you don’t really get any answers. I’m lucky that girl ever got onstage, so I’ll take what I can get. “Meg completely controlled the White Stripes,” White continued. “She’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met, and you don’t even get to know the reasons.” Meg White declined to be interviewed for the Times piece, though Jack seemed to backtrack on claims he made to British magazine NME last month, when he said there was “absolutely no chance” he’d ever re-form the Stripes, admitting that he misses making music with Meg. “I’d make a White Stripes record right now. I’d be in the White Stripes for the rest of my life,” he said. “That band is the most challenging, important, fulfilling thing ever to happen to me. I wish it was still here. It’s something I really, really miss.” In the meantime, he’s moving on. White’s first solo album, Blunderbuss, is set to hit stores on April 24. Related Videos Goodbye To The White Stripes Related Photos The White Stripes: A Career In Photos Related Artists The White Stripes
Producer talks to MTV News about ‘Come on a Cone’ and ‘I Am Your Leader,’ the two songs he did for Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. By Rob Markman Hit-Boy Photo: MTV News Make no mistake: Nicki Minaj is an MC through and through. For as many chart-toppers as the femme fatale has in her catalog, she has the rap bars to match it. On her latest LP, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, the Queens, New York, spitter balances pop tunes with some gritty-sounding tracks, thanks to producers like G.O.O.D. Music’s in-house weapon Hit-Boy. By contributing both “Come on a Cone” and the Rick Ross and Cam’ron-assisted “I Am Your Leader,” Hit-Boy provided the perfect sound beds for Nicki to spew her venom. Without ever having a conversation with Nick about a specific vibe, somehow Hit-Boy knew just what she needed for her bipolar Roman Reloaded. Landing the kinetic “Come on a Cone” on the LP was pretty simple, if you let the West Coast hitmaker tell it. “I kind of did these records [and] just blindly sent her some beats. It was out of the first batch of beats that I sent,” Hit-Boy told MTV News on Thursday of “Cone.” Initially, the bass-heavy, space-age track didn’t suit Nicki’s needs, but it was an easy fix. “The tempo was a bit slower so she was like, ‘Can you speed this up?’ I sped it up, and she hit me back like, ‘Yo, this is crazy, I’m writing to it,’ and [she] just kept having me send beats,” he said. It’s been an eventful week for Hit-Boy, who saw both Roman Reloaded and his and Kanye West’s “Theraflu” released this week. On the new Pink Friday, both Hit-Boy-produced tracks land in sequential order, so right after “Come On a Cone” comes “I Am Your Leader.” Rapping alongside Ross and Cam’ron, Nicki once again proves she can go toe-to-toe with hip-hop’s big boys. She would not be outdone. “Nunchuck her, no time to duck her/ Sign of the cross ’cause this is her last supper,” she spits to an unnamed competitor. The “N—as in Paris” producer wasn’t in the studio when the reigning rap queen recorded to his selections, but after hearing the finished product, he was impressed with her performance. “I just went in blindly, I just sent beats, which is like the stars aligning,” he said. “She picked the right joints and blacked out on them.” To celebrate the release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, we’re examining the “Evolution of Nicki Minaj” throughout the week. Check MTV News every day to see how the Southside Jamaica, Queens, Barbie went from a promising mixtape standout to rap’s reigning queen. Related Videos The Evolution Of Nicki Minaj Related Artists Nicki Minaj
Following J. Lo’s ‘Dance Again’ video with boyfriend Casper Smart, MTV News looks back at the singer’s habit of enlisting real-life loves for videos. By John Mitchell Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart in the “Dance Again” music video Photo: Island If Jennifer Lopez ‘s stylish video for “Dance Again” proves anything, it’s that the diva must not be a fan of photo albums. We know what you’re thinking: How did he get that out of J.Lo’s glittery new clip? Well, it’s the only explanation for why she has time and time again recruited her current boyfriend for a video. It’s a trend that dates back 16 years, to her appearance in Diddy’s “Been Around the World.” In the years since, ex-husband Chris Judd, former-fianc
On ‘Today,’ reality starlet discusses shout-out in rapper’s new ‘Theraflu.’ By Jocelyn Vena Kim Kardashian on “Today” on Friday Photo: NBC What’s up with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West ? After being spotted around New York City together this week, and Yeezy proclaiming his love for the reality starlet on his track “Theraflu,” fans are very curious about their relationship status. After years of romance rumors — and denials — could it be that these two friends have decided to add benefits to the mix? When Kardashian sat down for an interview on Friday’s (April 6) “Today,” she didn’t exactly clarify what the twosome are up to. “I haven’t looked on the Internet in a while; it’s a new rule in life. The movie was really interesting,” she laughed about catching “The Hunger Games” with the MC. “I completely respect and understand you have to ask these questions, but I said before, Kanye and I have been friends for years, and you never know what the future holds. I like the song.” The conversation then turned to her split from Kris Humphries . Of wanting to finalize her divorce from the basketball player, she said, “I would love one,” noting that she didn’t want to dig too deep on the subject out of respect for Humphries’ privacy. “I have closed that chapter. I’m ready to move on.” She later responded to any critics who believe she got married for her reality show. “That’s something that’s really ridiculous to me. Why would I marry someone for ratings? I didn’t need that. I fall hard, and I followed my heart. When things don’t work out, that’s sometimes how life is. When I realized it fast, what’s the point in dragging something out?” Kardashian also discussed her infamous flour bombing at an event in L.A. After learning that a PETA activist had dumped the flour on Kim, who frequently wears fur, her sister Khlo
Reality star caught departing West’s NYC crib wearing the same clothes she had on the night before. By John Mitchell Kim Kardashian leaves Kanye West’s apartment in New York City on Thursday Photo: Pacific Coast News Things certainly seem to be heating up again between hip-hop superstar Kanye West and reality-TV diva Kim Kardashian, and now she’s been spotted leaving his NYC apartment — sporting the same outfit she was wearing the night before when she and West reportedly hit the movies together. For photos of Kim leaving Kanye’s apartment, click here. According to TMZ , the relationship is “just starting,” though we’d like to add the word “again” in there, as the two have been linked previously. During her visit to “RapFix Live,” West’s ex-girlfriend Amber Rose told Sway Calloway that West and Kardashian “were both cheating on me and [Kim’s ex] Reggie [Bush] with each other.” West kicked off this most recent Kim K. relationship reveal yesterday when he dropped his new track with DJ Khaled, “Theraflu.” In one verse, he finally addresses his long-rumored relationship with Kardashian, rapping, “And I’ll admit, I fell in love with Kim/ ‘Round the same time she had fell in love wit’ him/ Well, that’s cool, baby girl, do ya thing/ Lucky I ain’t have Jay drop him from the team.” The “him” referenced here is unquestionably Kardashian’s ex-husband Kris Humphries. Our evidence : Humphries plays for the New Jersey Nets, the NBA team co-owned by West’s Throne buddy Jay-Z, hence the “Jay drop him from the team” lyric. Last night, the pair were spotted by paparazzi leaving a screening of the blockbuster flick “The Hunger Games.” In those pics, Kim is seen wearing a feathered jacket, gray tank top, leather trousers, black heels and sunglasses … which, minus the jacket, is the same ensemble she was rocking this morning when she was spotted leaving West’s NYC apartment. Eyewitnesses said she left the building flanked by Kanye’s bodyguards and climbed into his Mercedes, which took her back to her hotel. Do you think Kim and Kanye are an official item? Let us know your thoughts on the new-ish couple in the comments below! Related Artists Kanye West
Levi Johnston is going to be a father again. As we reported yesterday, Sunny Oglesby , 20, is pregnant with his child. It’ll be Levi’s second and Sunny’s first. Will they last? And be good parents? Who knows, but this relationship is considerably less tumultuous than his previous fake engagements to Bristol Palin . “We’re definitely both in love – we hunt, we fish together,” Levi, 21, gushed to In Touch last year about his galpal, who he’s been dating for 18 months. “She’s definitely what I’ve been looking for. We do everything together.” Suffice it to say, Sunny Oglesby has seen this hotness. A lot . Levi praised Sunny Oglesby for not being into his infamy. “She sees the real me, she doesn’t care about any of this,” the author of Deer in the Headlights said. “She’s a preschool teacher. She actually has problems with her father as well, she’s never met him. Her mom’s great, her mom’s there for both of us and it’s going really well. I’m really happy. She’s so great with kids .” While Levi was still feeling marriage-shy last year – “I’ve learned my lesson with marriage so far, twice it backfired!” – maybe Sunny’s The One?
‘It’s very hard for me to accept, but I get it,’ singer tells Elle in May issue of public backlash. By Rebecca Thomas Rihanna on the May 2012 cover of Elle Photo: Tom Munro / Hearst Digital Media Rihanna didn’t call her latest album Talk That Talk for nothing. The Good Girl Gone Bad regularly hits Twitter to hash it out over everything from her taste in ink to her take on fellow R&B divas . But the one subject she’d kept off her tongue was ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. So the Bajan beauty’s decision this year to very publicly reconcile with Brown, who served probation for assaulting her in 2009, by teaming up with him in February on a pair of remixes was widely met with shock and, in many circles, outrage. In the new issue of Elle, however, the blond cover girl tells the magazine she understands her decision is a hard pill for some to swallow. “The bottom line is that everyone thinks differently. It’s very hard for me to accept, but I get it,” she says. “People end up wasting their time on the blogs or whatever, ranting away, and that’s all right. Because tomorrow I’m still going to be the same person. I’m still going to do what I want to do.” Rather than view the violent end of her relationship with Brown as a brutal low to be endured as a victim, the superstar says the fallout from the headline-making assault gave her courage. “It gave me guns,” she says. “I was like, well, f—. [The public knows] more about me than I want them to know. It’s embarrassing. But that was my opening. That was my liberation … Now you know that, so you can say what you want about it. I don’t have anything to hide.” In the wake of her provocative “Birthday Cake” remix with Brown, the 24-year-old was rumored to have reunited with the “Deuces” singer both in and out of the studio. But Rih says in the May issue (out April 17) that she’s focused on changing her single status to “in a relationship,” stressing over the pervasive man shortage and her busy schedule. “I feel like it’s hard for everybody ! I don’t think it has anything to do with being famous. There’s just a major drought out there.” What do you think of Rihanna’s comments about Chris Brown? Tell us in the comments. Related Photos Rihanna And Chris Brown: A Photo Timeline Related Artists Rihanna Chris Brown
‘It’s very hard for me to accept, but I get it,’ singer tells Elle in May issue of public backlash. By Rebecca Thomas Rihanna on the May 2012 cover of Elle Photo: Tom Munro / Hearst Digital Media Rihanna didn’t call her latest album Talk That Talk for nothing. The Good Girl Gone Bad regularly hits Twitter to hash it out over everything from her taste in ink to her take on fellow R&B divas . But the one subject she’d kept off her tongue was ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. So the Bajan beauty’s decision this year to very publicly reconcile with Brown, who served probation for assaulting her in 2009, by teaming up with him in February on a pair of remixes was widely met with shock and, in many circles, outrage. In the new issue of Elle, however, the blond cover girl tells the magazine she understands her decision is a hard pill for some to swallow. “The bottom line is that everyone thinks differently. It’s very hard for me to accept, but I get it,” she says. “People end up wasting their time on the blogs or whatever, ranting away, and that’s all right. Because tomorrow I’m still going to be the same person. I’m still going to do what I want to do.” Rather than view the violent end of her relationship with Brown as a brutal low to be endured as a victim, the superstar says the fallout from the headline-making assault gave her courage. “It gave me guns,” she says. “I was like, well, f—. [The public knows] more about me than I want them to know. It’s embarrassing. But that was my opening. That was my liberation … Now you know that, so you can say what you want about it. I don’t have anything to hide.” In the wake of her provocative “Birthday Cake” remix with Brown, the 24-year-old was rumored to have reunited with the “Deuces” singer both in and out of the studio. But Rih says in the May issue (out April 17) that she’s focused on changing her single status to “in a relationship,” stressing over the pervasive man shortage and her busy schedule. “I feel like it’s hard for everybody ! I don’t think it has anything to do with being famous. There’s just a major drought out there.” What do you think of Rihanna’s comments about Chris Brown? Tell us in the comments. Related Photos Rihanna And Chris Brown: A Photo Timeline Related Artists Rihanna Chris Brown
Baldwin’s rep confirmed that the ’30 Rock’ star proposed to Hilaria Thomas over the weekend. By Gil Kaufman Photo: Getty Images If you’ve noticed that “30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin seems more fit and trim lately, it might have something to do with the influence of his 28-year-old girlfriend, yoga instructor Hilaria Thomas. Actually, make that fianc
