‘Wayne chooses what’s going on. He’s the boss,’ Gil Smith tells MTV News. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne Photo: MTV On his 2008 tour Lil Wayne proclaimed that he was music. Just in case there are any doubters, Weezy is currently reassuring fans on his I Am Still Music Tour . And on Sunday Lil Tunechi once again staked his claim and put his diversified musical prowess on display on The show featured Wayne’s hardcore rap bars on “A Milli,” his rock-out howl on “Drop the World” and some R&B stylings on his “How to Love”/ “Lollipop” mashup. One of the forces behind Weezy’s growth is his musical director, Gil Smith, who has been touring with the Young Money CEO since 2008 and helped put together the set list for Wayne’s “Unplugged” special. “It was crazy. We were on tour on the first leg of the I Am Still Music Tour and it just came in an e-mail: ‘Wayne has unplugged,’ ” Smith told MTV News. “As a band we kind of get together and we get excited about stuff like that. So we start thinking about which songs he could do.” Choosing from the Cash Money star’s catalog of music is no easy feat, especially when you have to satisfy an intimate audience of fans as well as the millions of folks expected to watch on television. “Thankfully we’re familiar with his repertoire, having been on the road with him,” Smith said. “We’re familiar with what songs he loves, what songs are important to him, and then also wanting to incorporate Tha Carter IV, which is being released this summer.” What Smith and his team ended up with were different segments of a show: one for longtime fans, another to showcase new music from Tha Carter IV and then lastly some random favorites. The next step was taking the ideas to Team Weezy. “As far as working with Wayne’s management, Tez, he is very helpful in putting together the set list,” Smith said. “Other than that it’s Wayne. He chooses what’s going on. He’s the boss.” With Wayne’s approval, songs like “Mr. Carter” off of Tha Carter III, “Hustler’s Muzik” from Tha Carter II and brand-new tracks like “How to Love,” “6 Foot, 7 Foot” and the previously unheard “Nightmares of the Bottom” ultimately made the cut, thanks to Gil Smith and of course Lil Wayne. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Lil Wayne MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne Related Photos Related Artists Lil Wayne
‘Wayne chooses what’s going on. He’s the boss,’ Gil Smith tells MTV News. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne Photo: MTV On his 2008 tour Lil Wayne proclaimed that he was music. Just in case there are any doubters, Weezy is currently reassuring fans on his I Am Still Music Tour . And on Sunday Lil Tunechi once again staked his claim and put his diversified musical prowess on display on The show featured Wayne’s hardcore rap bars on “A Milli,” his rock-out howl on “Drop the World” and some R&B stylings on his “How to Love”/ “Lollipop” mashup. One of the forces behind Weezy’s growth is his musical director, Gil Smith, who has been touring with the Young Money CEO since 2008 and helped put together the set list for Wayne’s “Unplugged” special. “It was crazy. We were on tour on the first leg of the I Am Still Music Tour and it just came in an e-mail: ‘Wayne has unplugged,’ ” Smith told MTV News. “As a band we kind of get together and we get excited about stuff like that. So we start thinking about which songs he could do.” Choosing from the Cash Money star’s catalog of music is no easy feat, especially when you have to satisfy an intimate audience of fans as well as the millions of folks expected to watch on television. “Thankfully we’re familiar with his repertoire, having been on the road with him,” Smith said. “We’re familiar with what songs he loves, what songs are important to him, and then also wanting to incorporate Tha Carter IV, which is being released this summer.” What Smith and his team ended up with were different segments of a show: one for longtime fans, another to showcase new music from Tha Carter IV and then lastly some random favorites. The next step was taking the ideas to Team Weezy. “As far as working with Wayne’s management, Tez, he is very helpful in putting together the set list,” Smith said. “Other than that it’s Wayne. He chooses what’s going on. He’s the boss.” With Wayne’s approval, songs like “Mr. Carter” off of Tha Carter III, “Hustler’s Muzik” from Tha Carter II and brand-new tracks like “How to Love,” “6 Foot, 7 Foot” and the previously unheard “Nightmares of the Bottom” ultimately made the cut, thanks to Gil Smith and of course Lil Wayne. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Lil Wayne MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne Related Photos Related Artists Lil Wayne
Remember a time long ago, in a far away land, when men were globally generalized as being emotionally disconnected? And somewhat standoffish when it comes to their feelings? You know what I’m talking about: when guys used Snoop Dogg’s famous line, “we don’t love dem hoes,” as their anthem and kept it moving! Well, it seems as though, after the new millennium approached, the rock solid brick wall men built years ago came tumbling down like the Berlin Wall. Oh, trust me, I’ve seen it all, and I’m not talking about only in my personal life either, just look at what goes on in the media. Take for instance Z-list rapper, Joe Budden. This kid has been in more nasty break-ups than Destiny’s Child. But the break-up isn’t the issue, it’s what occurs AFTER the break-up that makes him, as Somaya Reece would say, “a vagina.” When he was with Tahiry, he saw to it that he vlogged a great deal of what transpired in their relationship so naturally, he wouldn’t be tight-lipped after things went south. Budden did everything from broadcasting their differences on blogs to calling into radio stations, having twitter fights, and even making songs about it. Now, Budden recently broke up with model Esther Baxter. However, things got extremely ugly after Budden wrote a song about Baxter, as she proceeded to make claims that Budden abused her and caused her to have a miscarriage. Budden isn’t the only emotional guy out there though, there are scenarios that everyone has seen that occur in your everyday life. Furthermore, because this issue is becoming inevitable, I’ve listed 5 ways to let you know you’re guy may just be “a vagina!” 1. If he blows up your cell EVERY time you have a girls’ night out. Either he REALLY loves you or he’s just a straight up bugaboo. And there are ways around those issues. If it’s just that he really loves you, you have to sit him down and try to explain that although you feel the same about him, it’s also healthy for the two of you to still do your own separate things every now and then as well. That way you will never lose sight of yourself throughout your relationship. On the other hand, if it’s just that he’s a bugaboo, get rid of him. You’ll never have any time to yourself and that could cause issues further down the line in your relationship. 2. He demands you to drop all of your male friends the moment you start talking. Girl, this is a sign that your new guy has the potential to be a control freak with very low confidence. He’ll always think you have negative intentions, so save yourself the energy and end it the moment this happens. This guy will have it embedded in his head that you’ve either been intimate with your male friends before or desire to be with them at some point in the future. He views them as his competition therefore, you’ll never catch a break. 3. He cries because he “just loves you so much.” The only instances this is even almost acceptable is on your wedding day, your death bed or your funeral. Anything other than that is just weird and a little creepy. The whole Lifetime-movie, crazy-in-love stalker steez is not attractive on anyone. 4. After every argument, he writes subliminal statuses about you. This is a sure sign that he can’t hold water. He will tell anyone who will listen the ups and downs of your relationship. End it immediately. If you wanted someone to know specifics about you, tell them yourself. Every detail of your relationship doesn’t need to be displayed all over Facebook and Twitter. You will never feel completely secure in your relationship if he is sure to broadcast to the world every single disagreement. 5. He has a history of messy break-ups. This is a warning sign so please proceed with caution. While one or maybe even two messy break-ups in a row are understandable, if this becomes a pattern it could form a cycle and the problem is likely not his former girlfriends. It could be him. He has a lot of growing up to do and it is up to you to determine if you want to be by his side while he matures. This is a situation where you have to evaluate your life and his and see if you even have the energy to deal with that drama. Even the healthiest relationships are hard as it is, as a woman you need to be able to decide if you are willing to deal with a man that is extremely sensitive. If you do make that decision, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Be mindful that you should be able to learn from your partner and be able to uplift each other, if he isn’t adding any positivity into your life or encouraging you to succeed then you can find a much better situation than the one you are in. In short, you can’t control much in your life so the things that you can control you should make as easy as possible. “My Man Can’t Read, Got His Baby Momma Pregnant & He’s Sleeping With An Ex” 11 Things You Need To Know About Men & Relationships
Remember a time long ago, in a far away land, when men were globally generalized as being emotionally disconnected? And somewhat standoffish when it comes to their feelings? You know what I’m talking about: when guys used Snoop Dogg’s famous line, “we don’t love dem hoes,” as their anthem and kept it moving! Well, it seems as though, after the new millennium approached, the rock solid brick wall men built years ago came tumbling down like the Berlin Wall. Oh, trust me, I’ve seen it all, and I’m not talking about only in my personal life either, just look at what goes on in the media. Take for instance Z-list rapper, Joe Budden. This kid has been in more nasty break-ups than Destiny’s Child. But the break-up isn’t the issue, it’s what occurs AFTER the break-up that makes him, as Somaya Reece would say, “a vagina.” When he was with Tahiry, he saw to it that he vlogged a great deal of what transpired in their relationship so naturally, he wouldn’t be tight-lipped after things went south. Budden did everything from broadcasting their differences on blogs to calling into radio stations, having twitter fights, and even making songs about it. Now, Budden recently broke up with model Esther Baxter. However, things got extremely ugly after Budden wrote a song about Baxter, as she proceeded to make claims that Budden abused her and caused her to have a miscarriage. Budden isn’t the only emotional guy out there though, there are scenarios that everyone has seen that occur in your everyday life. Furthermore, because this issue is becoming inevitable, I’ve listed 5 ways to let you know you’re guy may just be “a vagina!” 1. If he blows up your cell EVERY time you have a girls’ night out. Either he REALLY loves you or he’s just a straight up bugaboo. And there are ways around those issues. If it’s just that he really loves you, you have to sit him down and try to explain that although you feel the same about him, it’s also healthy for the two of you to still do your own separate things every now and then as well. That way you will never lose sight of yourself throughout your relationship. On the other hand, if it’s just that he’s a bugaboo, get rid of him. You’ll never have any time to yourself and that could cause issues further down the line in your relationship. 2. He demands you to drop all of your male friends the moment you start talking. Girl, this is a sign that your new guy has the potential to be a control freak with very low confidence. He’ll always think you have negative intentions, so save yourself the energy and end it the moment this happens. This guy will have it embedded in his head that you’ve either been intimate with your male friends before or desire to be with them at some point in the future. He views them as his competition therefore, you’ll never catch a break. 3. He cries because he “just loves you so much.” The only instances this is even almost acceptable is on your wedding day, your death bed or your funeral. Anything other than that is just weird and a little creepy. The whole Lifetime-movie, crazy-in-love stalker steez is not attractive on anyone. 4. After every argument, he writes subliminal statuses about you. This is a sure sign that he can’t hold water. He will tell anyone who will listen the ups and downs of your relationship. End it immediately. If you wanted someone to know specifics about you, tell them yourself. Every detail of your relationship doesn’t need to be displayed all over Facebook and Twitter. You will never feel completely secure in your relationship if he is sure to broadcast to the world every single disagreement. 5. He has a history of messy break-ups. This is a warning sign so please proceed with caution. While one or maybe even two messy break-ups in a row are understandable, if this becomes a pattern it could form a cycle and the problem is likely not his former girlfriends. It could be him. He has a lot of growing up to do and it is up to you to determine if you want to be by his side while he matures. This is a situation where you have to evaluate your life and his and see if you even have the energy to deal with that drama. Even the healthiest relationships are hard as it is, as a woman you need to be able to decide if you are willing to deal with a man that is extremely sensitive. If you do make that decision, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Be mindful that you should be able to learn from your partner and be able to uplift each other, if he isn’t adding any positivity into your life or encouraging you to succeed then you can find a much better situation than the one you are in. In short, you can’t control much in your life so the things that you can control you should make as easy as possible. “My Man Can’t Read, Got His Baby Momma Pregnant & He’s Sleeping With An Ex” 11 Things You Need To Know About Men & Relationships
‘I think Dre is, like, really cracking down on getting Detox finished,’ Em tells ‘RapFix Live’ about Bad Meets Evil project. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Eminem Photo: MTV News With no production credits from the good doctor on the upcoming Bad Meets Evil EP , rap fans have been wondering whether Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″ forgot about Dre. Not exactly. During Wednesday’s (May 18) “RapFix Live,” Slim Shady explained Dre’s absence on their upcoming joint project, titled Hell: The Sequel. “I think Dre is, like, really cracking down on getting Detox finished, so I think he’s more so focused on that,” Em says of the producer who discovered him. Still, it wasn’t like Eminem or Royce reached out to the Doc either. “I really didn’t say anything to Dre till kinda like the last minute. We didn’t really say anything to anybody about what was going on because we weren’t sure what was going to happen with it,” Slim explained to Sway. “It wasn’t like I said, ‘Yo, Dre, can we get a beat for this project that we’re workin’ on?’ Because it wasn’t really necessarily a project yet.” Hell: The Sequel does feature production work from Mobb Deep’s Havoc, Sid Roams, Bangladesh, Denaun Porter, DJ Khalil and Supa Dups , who produced the project’s first single, “Fast Lane.” Still, there was no real science to selecting the beatmakers who’ll appear on the EP, which is dropping June 14. “We didn’t reach out to any producers, because we were just cuttin’ random,” Royce said. “And we didn’t actually know that we were workin’ on a project.” Eminem elaborated on how the duo went about securing music for the record. “It was more so that we were getting beat CDs from the label — from Shady and some of the A&Rs there were sending us beat CDs from various producers — and we would hear beats like, ‘That one’s crazy.’ ” What did you think of Em and Royce’s appearance on “RapFix Live”? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Eminem And Royce Da 5’9″ Related Artists Eminem Dr. Dre Royce Da 5’9″
Judges call it a draw as singers tackle songs picked by Jimmy Iovine and the panel. By Gil Kaufman Scotty McCreery preforms on “American Idol” Wednesday Photo: FOX This is it. Wednesday night’s (May 18) “American Idol” performance show was the last, and best, chance for this year’s top three to make their final impression on voters before next week’s finale. With two teenagers and a 20-year-old vying for the title, the pressure was on to deliver the best three performances of their lives. Along for the ride to give some support was Beyonc
Singer is the first performer announced for the June 25 event, which will help victims of Japan’s recent earthquakes and tsunamis. By James Dinh Lady Gaga Photo: Getty Images Just a few weeks after the May 23 release of her highly anticipated new album, Born This Way, Lady Gaga will take the stage to perform at the MTV Video Music Aid Japan on June 25. According to a press release, Gaga is the first performer to be announced for the 10th annual MTV Video Music Awards Japan, which is being dubbed the Video Music Aid Japan this year in order to raise awareness about the recent natural disasters that hit the country and benefit the Japanese Red Cross. The international event will be hosted by Japanese pop sensation AKB48 and feature a string of performances from international, regional and Japanese artists. The broadcast will be a highlight of MTV Japan’s Music of Hope campaign, which is the channel’s multiplatform response to the tragic March 11 earthquake and tsunami. In addition to the usual award-show traditions, the program is expected to feature news about the artists and youths who have been impacted by the country’s natural disasters. MTV Video Music Aid Japan will broadcast live from the Makuhari Messe convention center near Tokyo on MTV Japan, MTV Korea, MTV China and MTV Southeast Asia. In addition, a special one-hour version of the event will air on MTV channels worldwide as an installment of the network’s weekly live music series. Mother Monster’s performance at the VMAJ is just another attempt for the pop superstar to assist in the Japan relief efforts. On the very same day that the earthquake hit, Lady Gaga announced that she had designed a special prayer wristband with all of the proceeds from sales going to benefit those affected by the disaster. After two days of sales, Gaga revealed that her fans had raised $250,000 for the victims, tweeting, “Monsters: in just 48 hrs you’ve raised a quarter of a million dollars for Japan Relief.” Are you looking forward to Lady Gaga’s Video Music Aid Japan performance? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Lady Gaga
‘If you’re in the moment and you are literally living these characters, you forget about everything else,’ he tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Taylor Lautner Photo: MTV News Taylor Lautner joked with MTV News during Wednesday’s
We offer up song suggestions for the top nine. By Eric Ditzian “American Idol” top 9 Photo: FOX Last week on “American Idol,” it was all Elton John , all the time. On Wednesday (April 6), the contestants get to open up more than one songbook, because this week’s theme is based on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll exhibit. They’ll be able to cover everyone from Jefferson Airplane to Jane’s Addiction, the Moody Blues to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the 5 Satins to the 4 Seasons, plus Kings B.B., Carole and Ben E. But with great variety comes great responsibility. Here’s what we’d like to from the remaining nine hopefuls: Casey Abrams With a cleaned-up beard on his face and a fire lit under his butt following a near-exit, Abrams stormed back into the mix with last week’s most emotionally resonant take on Elton. We pray he learned his lesson and will show similar vocal restraint Wednesday. He’s got a lot of soulful singers to choose from — Sam Cooke, Ray Charles — but one tune jumped out to us: Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross” could turn into a much-needed “moment” for Abrams. Haley Reinhart Will she pull a Jacob Lusk, or can Haley build on her showstopping performance last week and stake a claim as a potential dark horse? A few weeks ago, Lusk busted out a stunner then followed it up by regressing back to the barely controlled eruptions he calls singing. Haley will once again have to show off those growls, but she can’t over-rely on them. The perfect song for her is the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” — except instead of going with intense Southern rock,
Now that Showtime ‘s finished off their Shameless season, Starz has stepped in to fill the voluptuous void left by Emmy Rossum with the new Holy Grail of TV nudity, Camelot. In the second episode, French tent-pitcher supreme Eva Green made an alliance with the dark side in order to regain the throne of Camelot, an activity that is of course best done in the nude. We also saw the lovely vision of Tamsin Egerton come to braless life as she threatened her future husband Arthur with her rock-hard nipples- oh,and a knife. Last night was the official beginning of the season, and if this nude streak continues, Camelot will make you spank a lot for weeks to come. Also last night, Kate Winslet showed more shadowy boob in the sack with Guy Pierce in part 3 of Mildred Pierce . However, Evan Rachel Wood and her wooly wookie wig have yet to make an appearance, prompting another Great Depression here at Skin Central. See more nudity from last night’s episodes of Camelot and Mildred Pierce after the jump!
