This story is doing wayyyyyyyyyyy too much!!! A body-building firefighter was suspended without pay Friday after he was busted for beating and biting his transgender model girlfriend, officials said. Taylor Murphy, 28, was hauled into court late Thursday for the alleged attack that left Claudia Chiarrez with bruises and bite marks. She was shoved into a phone booth and choked in a midtown hotel room earlier this month, court records said. Chiarrez, who goes by the stage name Amber Vaughn, is a petite blond who underwent sex-change surgery. She claims to have been disqualified by “America’s Next Top Model” and also appeared on “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.” The assault allegedly began outside Flashdance, a club at Broadway and 52st St., at 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 6. Murphy allegedly flew into a rage, grabbed his 30-year-old gal pal by her blond locks and dragged her for three blocks north on Broadway. The firefighter then tossed the 124-pound victim over his shoulder, marched to a phone booth, shoved her inside, choked her and left her there, documents charge. Murphy later showed up at the Hotel Metro on W. 35th St., where he grabbed Chiarrez by the neck, slammed her on the bed, put his hand over her mouth as she screamed, and began to “kick, punch and bite [Chiarrez] in various parts of [her] body,” according to a criminal complaint. Source
In case you can’t afford those $200+ “Watch The Throne” tour tickets, here’s a chance for you to do some live throne watching. Jay-Z and Kanye West, the co-creators of the nation’s No. 1 album, “Watch The Throne,” are reportedly joining the lineup of performers at the VMAs. According to E! Online, most of the MTV production team does not know exactly when the “surprise” performance by the hip-hop superstars will take place. One possibility is that Jay-Z and West join Jay’s wife, Beyonce, onstage for her previously announced VMAs performance and run through “Lift Off,” the uptempo “Watch The Throne” highlight that features Beyonce on the chorus. SMH at this “surprise” getting out. Will this make you watch the VMAs if you weren’t already planning on it?
Watch the Throne surpasses Viva la Vida as digital first-week sales king. By Rob Markman Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images There should be some interesting conversation this week between Jay-Z and his buddy Chris Martin. Billboard is reporting that when the sales numbers for Watch the Throne are released Wednesday, Hov and Kanye West will break Coldplay’s U.S. one-week sales record on iTunes. Billboard learned through its sources that the album — which was exclusively available through iTunes from its release on August 8 to August 11 — sold approximately 290,000 units through Sunday. That’s 8,000 more digital copies than Coldplay slung when they dropped their 2008 album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. On Friday, Throne was released to physical retailers, and when the first-week digital and physical sales are tallied together, it is a safe bet Jigga and Yeezy will land the #1 spot on the Billboard albums chart. See what fans thought of the Watch the Throne pop-up store, which appeared in NYC last week. When MTV News interviewed a panel of hip-hop experts last week, estimations of Jay and Kanye’s sales varied. Vibe editorial director Datwon Thomas guessed the Throne would sell 500,000, while Hot 97 DJ Kast One thought the album would push up to 400,000 copies. Predicting the final first-week sales number for Watch the Throne isn’t easy, though. While most albums traditionally drop on a Tuesday, WTT was released on a Monday, and its four-day iTunes exclusivity further complicated matters. By the time the physical CD was released on Friday, it was difficult to judge how buyers would react. While the album was originally predicted to sell just north of 500,000 copies, now that number is looking like it will fall anywhere between 410,000 and 450,000. What do you think Watch the Throne will sell in its first week? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Welcome To Jay-Z And Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne’ Week Related Photos Exclusive Photos Of The ‘Watch The Throne’ Recording Sessions Related Artists Kanye West Jay-Z
Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne collaborative album released exclusively to itunes last week Monday August 8. According to several reports, the album has broken a itunes sales record. Jay-Z and Kanye beat out Coldplay for the best first week sales on itunes. Watch The Throne moved 290,000 copies breaking Coldplay’s previous record with their 2008 Viva La Vida album, which sold 155,000 copies. Jay and Kanye can really go on that joyride in the maybach stunt car for real now. Recent Post: Jay-Z & Kanye’s “Otis” Vehicle Will Be Up For Auction Jay-Z & Kanye West (The Throne) “Otis” [MUSIC VIDEO] “Watch The Throne” Listening Party [PHOTOS & RECAP]
Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaboration is getting some big first-week estimates from the experts. By Rob Markman Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images There is little doubt that when Watch the Throne debuts on the Billboard albums chart next week, Jay-Z and Kanye West will snag the #1 spot. The real question is: How much will the superstar duo actually sell when the smoke clears and the first-week retail registers are tallied? “I’m gonna say, ladies and gentlemen: 450,000,” Shade 45’s DJ Wonder said on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live.” Statik Selektah and Hot 97’s DJ Kast One predicted similar numbers. Kast guessed the duo would sell anywhere from 350,000 to 400,000 thousand copies of their new LP, while Statik, who spins on Shade 45’s “Showoff Radio” show on Thursday nights, thought the Throne would hit the 500,000 sales mark and earn themselves a gold plaque in the first week. Get a sneak peek of the Throne’s “Otis” video, and tune in to MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com or BET at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT to watch the world premiere. On Monday, the day of Watch the Throne ‘s exclusive iTunes release, Billboard.biz predicted that the mega-collaboration would sell anywhere between 400,000 and 500,000 units. But the very next day, the site reported that based on the first day of sales, WTT was projected to go upwards of 500,000 in week one. Estimates may be adjusted again once the physical copy of the album is released to retailers on Friday, but as of now, Vibe editorial director Datwon Thomas’ guess is on pace with current projections. “I’m going just north of half-a-mil, only because of the fact that they’re coming out so unorthodox,” he said of Watch the Throne ‘s rollout , which as of now has produced no crossover single, just the boom-bap affair, “Otis.” “I don’t know if Middle America has latched onto the concept of just throwing out a hot record that can just carry through urban areas and not lift off with the traditional hook that they’re used to from a Jay or Kanye.” Some wondered if superstars like Hov and Yeezy were actually capable of selling a million copies in one week. Rap Radar founder and Respect magazine editor in chief Elliot Wilson didn’t rule out the romanticized sales figure, though he feels it may be unobtainable at this point. “I think they’d love to sell a million records in the first week and show that you could still do something like that,” he said. “I think it’s possible. Is it probable? Probably not, but I think it will do big-boy numbers first week. I think it will do at least 400k or something like that.” What do the critics think of Watch the Throne ? No one has ever entertained the thought that Watch the Throne could tank. Even though fans had only heard two songs leading up to the album’s drop (“H.A.M.” and “Otis”), Jay-Z and Kanye’s respective legacies were enough to ensure the Throne’s sales success. The real question was whether it would meet critical expectations. “I don’t think [Kanye and Jay] really care what the sales look like,” Wilson said. “I think it’s more about people saying the album’s dope and the peer group props that come with it, and the influence and the impact and the fact that, ‘Damn we really did do it. We really did get it out there. Now we’re gonna go on tour, and it’s a celebration.’ ” What are you expecting from the “Otis” video? Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #MTVOtis. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame And Royce Da 5’9″ Related Photos Exclusive Photos Of The ‘Watch The Throne’ Recording Sessions Related Artists Jay-Z Kanye West
Watch the Throne clip will hit MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT. By Rob Markman Jay-Z and Kanye West in their “Otis” video Photo: Roc-A-Fella Jay-Z and Kanye West will continue to keep fans watching. Three days after the monumental release of their collaborative album Watch the Throne, Hov and Yeezy will premiere the LP’s first video, for “Otis,” on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET on Thursday at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT. Immediately following the premiere, the Spike Jonze-directed music video will air on MTV Jams and MTV Hits, with an encore airing on MTV2 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Read all about how Jay and Kanye are breaking the mold with Watch the Throne. “Otis” captivated music fans when it premiered last month on DJ Funkmaster Flex’s Hot 97 radio show in New York. The song, which samples Otis Redding’s 1966 rendition of “Try a Little Tenderness,” finds Jay and ‘Ye rapping eight bars apiece before passing the mic back and forth several times during the track’s two-minute-and-58-second run. There is no catchy chorus or melodic refrain, just the dusty record loop and hard-hitting rhymes, which made the song an instant fan favorite. Days after the song’s release, two pictures from the video’s set were leaked online. One photo showed a large American flag draped over a blue wall, correlating with Givenchy designer Ricardo Tisci’s cover art for the single. The second pic was of Jonze and West on set, but it ultimately revealed nothing about the clip’s theme or overall feel. What are the critics saying about Watch the Throne ? So far, the “Otis” video has been shrouded in mystery, much like the Watch the Throne album itself. Because the LP didn’t leak early like most albums these days do, fans didn’t get their first listen to the album until it was officially released Monday. Now they get to see WTT ‘s first visual when the “Otis” video premieres Thursday. In addition to the premiere, fans can check out MTV News’ “RapFix Live” on Wednesday (August 10) at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com and watch as industry experts weigh in on Watch the Throne and what to expect from the joint album’s first video. What are you expecting from the “Otis” video? Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #MTVOtis. Related Videos Get Ready To ‘Watch The Throne’ Related Photos Exclusive Photos Of The ‘Watch The Throne’ Recording Sessions Related Artists Jay-Z Kanye West
Illuminati Hov has created a new Hip-Hop urban legend. The story goes that he was on his way to his office at Roc Nation, around 3:00pm this afternoon, when he felt the need to stop by Hot 97 and visit with his old cronie Angie Martinez to address some things, namely the “The Throne is gonna fall apart before it even started” rumors we heard this morning. Here are a couple of highlights, courtesy of HipHopWired.com : “Kanye is a genius talent. Yeah we had a fight or something…I heard that I know we’re doing something right when I woke up to all that, I was like okay we’re hot now Kanye’s my brother. Yes we get on each other’s nerves but that’s part of pushing each other…the people who have problems with Kanye and myself are the people who are complacent in life. People don’t like to be pushed, it’s annoying. We push each other to be greater so yes at times in the studio where we’re yelling but that’s about it. I would never put my…I would never disrespect that man, I have so much respect for him. Put my hands on him…if I did it would be like in a backyard, you know…like brothers and you would never hear about it.” Our personal favorite moment from the interview: Yeah, I speak to [Young] Chris often. Freeway as well. I spoke to Beans when his grandma passed, we had a conversation. I don’t speak to Peedi at all, cuz he’s a psycho. [Angie: Jeez, that’s harsh.] What? [Angie: That’s not harsh?] No, he’s a psycho. That’s what I truly believe. Not trying to be funny or anything. Oh, and he’s also pulling a page from Wifey ‘s book: I’m sick of myself. Seriously, I gotta shut down after this. I never been on radio or TV this much in my life. I’m sick of myself. Flip the page for the full interview.
With just a week to go until its long-awaited release, we look back on the year-long journey to the Throne. By Rob Markman Kanye West and Jay-Z Photo: Getty Images The wait is almost over. On August 8, Jay-Z and Kanye West (now collectively known as the Throne ) will drop their long-awaited, full-length album Watch the Throne on iTunes as a digital exclusive, with physical retailers to follow on August 12. It was August 2010 when Kanye first sent the rap world buzzing when he tweeted, “Me and jay bout to drop a 5 song album called ‘Watch the Throne.’ ” By October, that five-song EP had turned into a full-length LP. West confirmed with MTV News ‘ Sway that he and Hov were going all in. Check out exclusive photos of Jay-Z and Kanye West in the studio. “We putting out a whole album now,” ‘Ye 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,” he chuckled. “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.” Things didn’t quite work out as planned, or perhaps Kanye overstated things, but the recording took way more than 24 hours. Nevertheless, while on a promo run to promote his book told Sway that he enjoyed working with Kanye and marveled at his growth as a beatmaker and lyricist. “This is another level of that recording,” Hov said. “Because Kanye, I’ve seen him — really, he’s like a brother to me — I’ve seen him from the beginning to where he is now. And to see him as a producer and to see how he’s growing as a producer and as an artist, for me, on another level, it’s enjoyable. I’m watching the guy that I pretty much mentored become his own guy, with his own opinion. It’s fantastic.” Fanatics wouldn’t get their first taste of Watch the Throne until January 2011 when the duo released “H.A.M.,” the Lex Luger-produced energy ball that found ‘Ye and Jay trading braggadocios verses. In the end, however, ‘H.A.M.” wasn’t the big hit that fans and pundits expected. Still, expectations for the album remained high. “There’s songs on there that’s making you go crazy,” Swizz Beatz told MTV News of the project without revealing too much. “That album is amazing, but I have to let those guys talk about that, because that’s their expression. All I can tell you is it passed the bar.” Read MTV News’ first impressions of the album after an exclusive listening session. Anticipation led to multiple rumors about the LP’s release date. First, it was reported that Throne would drop on July 4. Instead, during the Fourth of July weekend, the LP was made available for pre-order . Soon after, an official track list was revealed on Jay’s Life and Times blog. The track list confirmed that Beyonc
Jay-Z and Kanye West have collaborated to bring the world super group “The Throne.” Fans have been waiting what seems like a lifetime for the official release date of Watch The Throne but do not fret the dates have been revealed. The collaborative effort will be exclusively released to Itunes on August 8 and to physical retailers on August 12. Tickets for their fall tour will go on sale the same day as the Itunes release and the tour starts September 22nd in Detroit! Jay-Z & Kanye West “Otis” [NEW MUSIC] What Jay-Z and Kanye’s New Track “Otis” Taught Me [OPINION] Here are the tour dates: Sept. 22 – Detroit, MI – Palace of Auburn Hills Sept. 24 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre Sept. 25 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre Sept. 27 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center Sept. 28 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center Sept. 28 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center Oct. 4 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center Oct. 6 – Chicago, IL – United Center Oct. 7 – Chicago, IL – United Center Oct. 8 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center Oct. 10 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center Oct. 13 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome Oct. 14 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena Oct. 16 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion Oct. 17 – Sacramento, CA – Power Balance Pavilion Oct. 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center Oct. 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center Oct. 21 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena Oct. 25 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center Oct. 26 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center Oct. 29 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena Oct. 30 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum Nov. 1 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena Nov. 3 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Join The Conversation On Our Facebook Page :
Young Jeezy has recently started doing promo for the upcoming and oft delayed, Thug Motivation 103 . The ATL trap star hit New York’s Hot 97 radio station for a sit down interview with Angie Martinez . During their conversation, Martinez asked about the status of his feud with rap’s Teflon Don, Rick Ross . Jeezy’s reply made it seem as if he was over it. Has the beef been squashed? Watch the video and draw your own conclusions. Related Posts: Tyrese Ft. R.Kelly & Rick Ross “I Gotta Chick That Love Me” Remix Young Jeezy “Shake Life” [NEW MUSIC] Listen To Young Jeezy & DJ Drama “The Real Is Back” Mixtape
