Singer is expected to appear at Santa Monica mall on Monday after being treated for food poisoning, exhaustion. By Jocelyn Vena Selena Gomez Photo: MTV News After news broke on Friday that Selena Gomez had been hospitalized , the singer resurfaced over the weekend and was seen getting more medical attention. A photo was taken of the singer going to a Los Angeles-area hospital on Saturday. In it, the star looks a bit under the weather, sporting a striped tank and white jeans. Usmagazine.com reports that the singer, who fell ill shortly after appearing on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on Thursday night, is being treated for a combination of food poisoning and exhaustion. Gomez also showed up on the Internet, taking to her
‘Different artists are supposed to hook up and make something beautiful,’ the underground MC tells MTV News. By Rob Markman Tech N9ne Photo: MTV News Among his underground following, Tech N9ne can do no wrong. But his fans, appropriately dubbed the Technicians, did get a little uppity when news broke that the Kansas City, Missouri, rap veteran would be collaborating with the likes of Lil Wayne on Tech’s recently released All 6’s and 7’s. “No, I was not afraid of the backlash because I was getting it when Wayne said he wanted to work with me to [Hot 97 DJ] Funkmaster Flex when he was in Rikers,” Tech N9ne told MTV News during an intimate sit-down at his Strange Music headquarters in Lee Summit, Missouri. “All of my fans, a lot of my fans were like, ‘Oh no, don’t f— with Wayne. No, no, no, he’s mainstream and you’re underground — it don’t mix.’ ” In October 2010, while still serving his eight-month prison bid for gun possession, Weezy revealed to Flex that he would like to work with Tech. For Tecca Nina, Wayne’s name-drop was an introduction point for new and curious fans, but for his long time die-hards, there was some skepticism. “Different artists are supposed to hook up and make something beautiful, that’s what makes music wonderful, I think,” Tech said, defending against criticism that he was selling out. “I already knew what I was gonna do. When I get with these [well-known collaborators], the beats gotta say their names.” The resulting collabo is “F— Food,” a raunchy track that not only features Weezy, but T-Pain on the hook as well. The song’s lyrical depiction of explicit sex acts will make it a hard sell for radio, but then again according to Tech, airplay was never the point of the union. “Everybody else is just going to try to put it on radio and big hit, boom and get their money off these cats. Nah, I just want to do beautiful music,” he said. The Young Money CEO isn’t the only popular rapper to appear on All 6’s and 7’s, Atlanta’s B.o.B also lends his production and lyrics to the project on “Am I a Psycho?.” The dreary track is a far cry from Bob’s 2010 radio hits “Nuthin’ On You” and “Airplanes.” Tech remembers the feeling he got when he first heard the beat and often reminds fans of B.o.B’s oft-overlooked lyrical prowess. “I chose it like, ‘Whoa,’ he did the beat and he did the chorus and I said, ‘That’s my world right there,’ and he wrote a verse for it. He’s a lyricist,” he said before citing Bob’s very first single, 2007’s “Haterz Everywhere,” as further proof. “That was thugged-out; that was gutter. I ain’t forgot B.o.B; he supposed to expand. But I know he can go, so we did ‘Am I a Pyscho?’ with Hopsin.” Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Yelawolf, Kendrick Lamar and Stephen Carpenter of the Deftones also appearances on All 6’s and 7’s, but Tech N9ne puts any notions that he’s going mainstream to rest. “I brought people into my world,” he said. What do you think of Tech N9ne joining forces with Lil Wayne? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Tech N9ne Lil Wayne B.o.B
‘Different artists are supposed to hook up and make something beautiful,’ the underground MC tells MTV News. By Rob Markman Tech N9ne Photo: MTV News Among his underground following, Tech N9ne can do no wrong. But his fans, appropriately dubbed the Technicians, did get a little uppity when news broke that the Kansas City, Missouri, rap veteran would be collaborating with the likes of Lil Wayne on Tech’s recently released All 6’s and 7’s. “No, I was not afraid of the backlash because I was getting it when Wayne said he wanted to work with me to [Hot 97 DJ] Funkmaster Flex when he was in Rikers,” Tech N9ne told MTV News during an intimate sit-down at his Strange Music headquarters in Lee Summit, Missouri. “All of my fans, a lot of my fans were like, ‘Oh no, don’t f— with Wayne. No, no, no, he’s mainstream and you’re underground — it don’t mix.’ ” In October 2010, while still serving his eight-month prison bid for gun possession, Weezy revealed to Flex that he would like to work with Tech. For Tecca Nina, Wayne’s name-drop was an introduction point for new and curious fans, but for his long time die-hards, there was some skepticism. “Different artists are supposed to hook up and make something beautiful, that’s what makes music wonderful, I think,” Tech said, defending against criticism that he was selling out. “I already knew what I was gonna do. When I get with these [well-known collaborators], the beats gotta say their names.” The resulting collabo is “F— Food,” a raunchy track that not only features Weezy, but T-Pain on the hook as well. The song’s lyrical depiction of explicit sex acts will make it a hard sell for radio, but then again according to Tech, airplay was never the point of the union. “Everybody else is just going to try to put it on radio and big hit, boom and get their money off these cats. Nah, I just want to do beautiful music,” he said. The Young Money CEO isn’t the only popular rapper to appear on All 6’s and 7’s, Atlanta’s B.o.B also lends his production and lyrics to the project on “Am I a Psycho?.” The dreary track is a far cry from Bob’s 2010 radio hits “Nuthin’ On You” and “Airplanes.” Tech remembers the feeling he got when he first heard the beat and often reminds fans of B.o.B’s oft-overlooked lyrical prowess. “I chose it like, ‘Whoa,’ he did the beat and he did the chorus and I said, ‘That’s my world right there,’ and he wrote a verse for it. He’s a lyricist,” he said before citing Bob’s very first single, 2007’s “Haterz Everywhere,” as further proof. “That was thugged-out; that was gutter. I ain’t forgot B.o.B; he supposed to expand. But I know he can go, so we did ‘Am I a Pyscho?’ with Hopsin.” Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Yelawolf, Kendrick Lamar and Stephen Carpenter of the Deftones also appearances on All 6’s and 7’s, but Tech N9ne puts any notions that he’s going mainstream to rest. “I brought people into my world,” he said. What do you think of Tech N9ne joining forces with Lil Wayne? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Tech N9ne Lil Wayne B.o.B
Viewers make special a Twitter trend and demand its release on iTunes. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne performs on “Unplugged” Photo: Frank Micelotta/MTV/PictureGroup Lil Wayne may have been out at Miami’s Liv nightclub on Sunday (June 12) celebrating the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA championship , but his fans took to Twitter to celebrate Weezy. With all of their collective online efforts before, during and after the premiere of “MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged,” fans made “Lil Wayne Unplugged” a trending topic. ” ‘Lil Wayne Unplugged’ was the best thing I’ve ever watched on TV!! Hopefully there’s a DVD for it,” tweeted iReadWeezy. “I wish i was there (Lil Wayne Unplugged),” added @_BriRozay. The “Unplugged” special was broadcast simultaneously on MTV2, MTV and MTV.com Sunday night. And though that happened to be the same time the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in the championship-clinching game of the NBA Finals, fans managed to watch as Weezy tore through hits like “A Milli,” “Fireman,” a cover of Tupac’s “Hail Mary,” “6 Foot 7 Foot” and his latest, “Nightmares of the Bottom.” “Watching this Lil Wayne unplugged during halftime … pretty dope,” tweeted Question210. Others tuned in to the hour-long special in its entirety as they commented on Wayne’s set-list . For @dizturbdwun , he was particularly impressed when Birdman Jr. performed a mash-up of his Tha Carter IV single “How to Love” and his #1 hit “Lollipop”: “That’s tight how they blended ‘How to Love’ & ‘Lollipop’ on ‘Lil Wayne Unplugged.’ They need to release that to iTunes.” B32LLS is ready to purchase a retail version of Tunechi’s special as well. “I gotta buy the lil wayne unplugged that gotta hit stores asap,” he blasted out on Twitter . Some fans had to postpone their “Unplugged” viewing, however. In the comments of MTV News’ post-show recap , Emily Pearl Davis wrote, “Unfortunately, I missed the show, but after reading this, I know just how intense it was (of course)! Wayne’s a god.” She shouldn’t worry too much, though. “MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged” is available on-demand on MTV.com right now, and it re-airs on MTV2 on Monday (June 13) at 9 p.m. ET. What did you think of “MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged”? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne MTV News Extended Play: Lil Wayne Related Photos MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne Related Artists Lil Wayne
Actor talks about his initial reaction to the ‘heroic’ turn of events in ‘Baelor.’ Spoiler alert! By Kara Warner Sean Bean in “Game of Thrones” Photo: Helen Sloan/ HBO So how about Sunday night’s episode of “Game of Thrones” ? To say that it was a doozy barely scratches the surface of all the shameless double-crossing and bloodshed that occurred. SPOILER ALERT! : For those who haven’t yet watched “Baelor” (or read the novel), do not read any further. MAJOR, major spoilers ahead. A recap can hardly do justice to the episode’s gruesome events, which have been adapted quite faithfully from author George R.R. Martin’s brilliant plot twists and turns, but we can provide you with a video interview of “Game of Thrones” star Sean Bean talking about the big “event.” “It’s quite heroic, I suppose,” Bean told MTV News of the lead into his character’s shocking death scene. “I didn’t just get knocked off and nobody notices. Plenty of people noticed,” he said with a smile. “It was a good one.” Bean said that when he read Martin’s book, Ned Stark’s death was as much of a shock to him as anyone. “He’s such a predominant character, straight through all of it, and you think, ‘Wait a minute, what’s happening?’ He’s obviously been betrayed left and right and center, but you never thought it would come to this,” he admitted. “Even the shock on his face before it happens it’s like, ‘But we made a deal.’ It’s a pretty awful ending and the kids are watching as well.” Bean said that the short-lived role was amazing to play, and the filming of his final scene was appropriately epic and ambitious. “We were in Malta in the middle of a big square,” he recalled. “A big piazza with hundreds and hundreds of people on a raised platform, I’m making a last speech, I have my hands tied behind back. I kind of say that I have betrayed the realm and I have been a traitor in order to save my children. … It’s real heartbreaking stuff.” But as Martin fans well know, this doesn’t mean the end of shocking twists in the series, because, as Cersei Lannister put it, “In the game of thrones, you win, or you die.” What did you think of this shocking turn of events? Head over to the MTV Movies blog to vote in our “Game of Thrones” poll !
‘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
Following performances from Lil Wayne, Big Boi, and Wiz Khalifa, Eminem capped off a hip-hop-heavy lineup at Bonnaroo with his debut appearance at the festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Although Eminem may have gave a false impression when he started of with a chant leading people to believe Lil Wayne may of joined him on stage… Read More At HipHopWired.com
Weezy’s Friday-night headlining set was fierce, fiery and even saw the end of a long-running feud. By James Montgomery Lil Wayne performs during the 2011 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Photo: Erika Goldring/WireImage MANCHESTER, Tennessee — Over its 10-year history, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has played host to all sorts of acts, but few of them — if any — ever took the stage to a prerecorded message from the New York State Department of Corrections (not even Phish). Lil Wayne did just that on Friday night (or, more correctly, early Saturday morning), bounding onstage while the last strains of a DOC phone message — recorded after he was released from prison last November — faded from the rather formidable stacks of speakers that flanked him. And it was just one of the history-making moments during his headlining set. Bonnaroo has had hip-hop acts headline previously ( Kanye West took a rather disastrous turn in 2008, and Jay-Z mainstaged without much incident last year), but they weren’t Wayne. He’s not a household name on par with ‘Ye or Jigga, and there existed the very real question of whether his set would translate to the Bonnaroo crowd . But when Wayne wrapped his set just before 3 a.m., that question had been answered. Not only did he go over like gangbusters, but he did it in gritty, sweat-drenched glory. He worked it hard, hanging from his microphone stand, descending into the crowd below and rolling around on the stage floor. He tore off his yellow tank-top mid set and stalked the stage in only a low-slung pair of shorts, aqua-colored socks and checkered Vans. And he spit verses at a staggering rate. You could call it a star-making turn, but Wayne’s already a star … though, perhaps, on this night, he truly became one in the eyes of the Bonnaroo elite. Song-wise, his performance didn’t stray too far from the set he’s been working on his I Am Still Music tour — he opened with “I’m Goin’ In” and segued into “Bill Gates,” thundered through “A Milli,” deftly moved through “Swag Surfin’ ” and “Hustle Hard,” worked in swatches of “Green and Yellow,” slowed things down for the ladies on “I’m Single” — and he brought out members of his Young Money family (Mack Maine, Lil Twist, Shannelle, Jae Millz) to give them some shine too. And in that regard, his Bonnaroo set was pretty historic too. He was one of the first headliners to put on a genuine revue, a musical, multiple-act bill that just so happened to double as his set. As can be expected, his performance tended to lose some steam when Weezy was sharing the stage with his associates (or when he’d disappear and let them perform on their own), but he more than made up for it in the sheer tenacity of songs like “Welcome to My Hood” or “Drop the World” (which didn’t suffer from the lack of Eminem). Backed by a lock-step live band, songs like “Forever” and Lollipop” pulsed and surged with icy precision. Songs from his upcoming Tha Carter IV album, “How to Love” and “6 Foot 7 Foot,” expanded and contracted with elasticity, particularly the latter, which brought his set to a close — eternally buoyed by his rasping voice and staccato cadence. Perhaps to mark the momentous nature of his headlining performance (which, if it wasn’t his biggest show to date, has got to be in the top three), or, maybe just to make actual history, Wayne even brought out his former in-house producer — and, by all accounts, former friend — Mannie Fresh, who parted ways with Cash Money in 2005 under less that harmonious circumstances. The two embraced onstage, while those in the audience who were wise to the backstory cheered wildly, and though the moment was brief, it served notice that whatever disagreements the two may have had, they were all but forgotten by now. After all, no one — not even Lil Wayne — would let a petty feud stand in the way of history. Stick with MTV News for show reports and interviews from Bonnaroo 2011 all weekend long. Related Photos Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2011 Related Artists Lil Wayne
