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Forget Christmas Carols And Celebrate The Season With Run-D.M.C.

Posted 12/24/09 9:00 am EST by in Music


Merry Christmas everybody! We here in the MTV Newsroom want to wish anybody celebrating a happy and healthy holiday. It's the time of year when you don't have to worry about excess, so feel free to eat too many cookies, drink too much eggnog and give out too many hugs to family and friends. Also, be sure to play your Christmas music to death, because it will be the last time you can do so for another 350 days or so.

While "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bells" are fine choices when it comes to caroling, they're a little played out. Instead, you should tuck into some modern favorites. Want to gather around the hearth and grab Aunt Deb for a duet on the Pogues' "Fairytale of New York"? You should do it. Are you more of a punk at heart? Strap on the Ramones' "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)." Feeling a little more irreverent about the Yuletide season (and the end of the world)? Then "Christmas at Ground Zero" by "Weird Al" Yankovic is your new favorite holiday jam. If you want something more traditional but still want to stretch your range, take on Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You." And if you want to have a freak-out on Christmas in addition to New Year's Eve, tuck into the Flaming Lips' "Christmas at the Zoo."

But if you're like us here in the Newsroom, you're going to gather around the tree and spit some verses from Run-D.M.C.'s immortal "Christmas in Hollis." Check out the video below, and keep watching for the rest of "Get Your Yule On," the official MTV News Christmas video playlist. "Christmas in Hollis" is by far the best Christmas rap in history, and it's the best way to remind yourself that whether you celebrate or not, there should be joy in the season. Enjoy your holiday.

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Eminem, Jessica Simpson And Lady Gaga Get In The Christmas Spirit: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 12/23/09 5:00 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


If you're anything like us, you still have gifts to buy, presents to wrap, bags to pack and eggnog to consume, and you've got to do it all in about 17 minutes. But before you run off to your fabulous holiday plans — be it the drive up to Fargo to see the family or a trip to St. Kitts for some fun in the sun — be sure to check out everything you might have missed this week here in the MTV Newsroom. We'll be back on Monday (December 28) for regular updates, though if any news breaks you can bet MTV News will be on top of it. In the meantime, have a great holiday break, and remember to leave out cookies for Santa.

» Eminem got into the Christmas spirit by dropping his new album Relapse: Refill and dressing up as "Shady Claus."

» Jessica Simpson was so excited about one of her Christmas gifts that she nearly lit her hair on fire in a video on Twitter.

» If there's any justice in the universe, then KRS-One and Lupe Fiasco's "Dunking on Reindeer" will become a new holiday standard.

» Kevin Jonas decided to get away before holiday and spend some quality time in Mexico with his new wife.
Read More...

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Legendary Graffiti Artist Phade Creates Mural For Hip-Hop Museum

Posted 12/23/09 3:39 pm EST by in Music


By Rahman Dukes

If you ask iconic New York City graffiti artist Phade (better known as Shirt King Phade from the legendary Shirt Kingz) about the current state of hip-hop, he'd more than likely tell you it's alive and breathing and resides in the Bronx, New York.

Whether you agree or disagree, Phade has been around the culture for decades and just like any other passionate hip hop fan is entitled to his opinion. But the difference between Phade and your average fan is Phade has lived the life of a rapper. And his crew, the Shirt Kingz, are his clique.

For those who may not be aware, Phade and the almighty Shirt Kingz carved a name for themselves in hip hop history by hooking up some of the '80s biggest acts with customized clothing. From LL Cool J to BBD to Biz Markie to Jay-Z, you weren't considered royalty in hip-hop if you didn't own a piece of clothing from the Shirt Kingz.

While the days of Phade and his brothers Nike and the late Kashim designing shirts for the likes of Big Daddy Kane (featuring cartoon character Wyle E. Coyote holding a bottle of Olde English malt liquor) have passed behind him, Phade and Nike still remind the hip-hop community where the origins of the music came from: the art.

For the past week, Phade has been hard at work on his latest masterpiece: A mural for the Hip-Hop Cultural Museum located in Harlem, New York. Read More...

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Alec Baldwin And Steve Martin Muse On Plastic Surgery: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 12/23/09 2:44 pm EST by in Movies


"I think there's a cliché of how people look when they have it done. I don't have anything against it theoretically if you don't end up looking weird, like a non-person." -Steve Martin

"Your goal is not to look like a tranny. I'm not saying 'tranny' in the pejorative sense. I mean in the descriptive sense." -Alec Baldwin

-Two of the stars of "It's Complicated" discussing the delicate art of plastic surgery. The pair (along with co-star Meryl Streep) sat down with MTV News' Josh Horowitz to discuss the stories behind the making of the new Nancy Meyers-directed film, which opens on Christmas Day. In the film, Streep's character contemplates getting some sort of work done after her husband (played by Baldwin) leaves her for a younger woman. Does she go through with it? Sorry, no spoilers here. "It's Complicated" is part of one of the most packed Christmas release slates in recent memory, featuring a number of high-profile and hotly-anticipated titles. In addition to the Streep-Baldwin-Martin monster in "It's Complicated," you can also catch Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law in "Sherlock Holmes," Terry Gilliam's trippy "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" and the all-star sorta-animated flick "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel."

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Peaches Geldof Apologizes For Miley Cyrus Death Tweet

Posted 12/23/09 2:04 pm EST by in Music


By Cara Alwill

Twitter has elevated itself from simple micro-blogging service to the fastest source for breaking news in the entertainment industry. This past weekend, news of Brittany Murphy's death spread rapidly via the service, with celebs reacting and sharing their grief for the late actress. But how can we be sure everything that's tweeted is truth?

Just the other day, 21-year-old British Socialite Peaches Geldof (daughter of Live Aid guru Bob Geldof) proved that tweets need not be taken lightly, as she caused a widespread hysteria when she tweeted that Miley Cyrus had died. According to reports, Geldof received a text message from a friend in the industry claiming the "Hannah Montana" star had passed away, and rather than fact-checking, Geldof took to her Twitter account. Geldof's followers immediately responded, shutting down the rumor and confirming that they had just seen Cyrus perform in London.

Cyrus has had quite an interesting history with Twitter. After leaving the social networking site in October (making her departure a trending topic for a solid week), she rapped about her decision in a video clip called "Goodbye Twitter." The teen queen cited her reason for leaving as wanting to start "living for moments not living for people." Even though she no longer provides dispatches about what she's eating for dinner or what song she's falling asleep to, it seems like Cyrus can't escape Twitter's wrath.

After fan outrage about Cyrus' supposed death, Geldof removed the tweet and later apologized to concerned fans. "Didn't want to cause distress by tweeting that I'd heard that Miley had died," she wrote. "Turns out it was a rumour." No doubt she'll be a little more careful with her words moving forward.

What's your favorite Twitter-related hoax of 2009? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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Spotted: Diddy Has A Sweet Tooth

Posted 12/23/09 1:20 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

It's a little frosty in his hometown of New York, which is why Diddy made the right choice in hanging around in Los Angeles in the days before Christmas. Sure, he's wearing a coat, but he doesn't have to worry about forgetting his scarf in a cab or making sure his gloves stay in his pockets. During his stroll through L.A., the Bad Boy founder bought some candy from some kids, which is how photographers caught him mid-chomp. The rapper/producer is preparing for the release of his new album Last Train to Paris, which is already one of the most hotly-anticipated new records of 2010. The mogul has gone an awfully long time without new material — it has been four years since the underrated Press Play.

Diddy wasn't the only star escaping New York for the sake of some sunshine, as Rihanna was spotted shopping in Beverly Hills. The cold didn't bother the well-bundled Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson, who took their son Bronx shopping at Barney's in Manhattan. Click here for these pictures plus the entire "Spotted!" archive, which features over 300 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, the Jonas Brothers, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Jessica Simpson, Katy Perry and Janet Jackson!

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R. Kelly, Lady Gaga And Raekwon: 10 In 2009

Posted 12/23/09 12:58 pm EST by in Music


2009 is coming to a close, which means that it's time to check in on what the favorite albums, artists, songs and moments were among the fine folks in the MTV Newsroom. Be sure to check out James Montgomery's definitive year-end list for 2009, and enjoy the "10 In 2009" series that will be running over the next two weeks.

It was a weird year for me, as I was unemployed for the first part of it. So I went from not thinking at all about music to only thinking about music all the time. So it took me a while to even remember what happened in February (a lot, as it turned out). But anyway, here's the list.

10. 50 Cent, War Angel
Drake may have had the mixtape of the year, but 50 had an amazing return to form with his pair of independent releases. War Angel reminded everybody why we fell in love with 50 in the first place, as it was equal parts tough and catchy. There are no radio singles, but in a perfect world, "Redrum (Murder)" would have been a radio smash.

9. Jarvis Cocker, Further Complications
The former Pulp frontman augmented his brand of posh Britpop with a bit of savagery care of producer Steve Albini (the noisy mastermind behind Nirvana's In Utero). The new level of guts only added to the grooviness of tunes like "Angela" and "I Never Said I Was Deep."

8. Viva Voce, Rose City
Remember when Scarlett Johansson sang back-up for the Jesus & Mary Chain at Coachella in 2007? This is what a whole album of that would sound like (except, you know, better). "Red Letter Day" has been one of the most played songs on my iPod this year, and for good reason: It's got a groove so sinister that it probably freaks out Nick Cave.

7. Double Dagger, More
In the manic stew that is the Baltimore music scene, Double Dagger stands above everyone else. The awesome noise generated on More is almost childlike in its exuberance, as if it was recorded on a playground full of kicked-in amplifiers. "No Allies" is the best first track on any album released this year.

6. Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster
"Bad Romance" is obviously one of the best singles of the year, but the amazing thing about The Fame Monster is that it contains seven more songs that are just as good. "Alejandro" should be burrowing its way to the top of the charts by the end of January 2010, and "Speechless" is simultaneously heartfelt and insane. Gaga bears the mark of true genius: She makes everything look easy.
Read More...

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Justin Bieber Returns Home To Serenade Fans For The Holidays

Posted 12/23/09 11:47 am EST by in Music


Justin Bieber may currently reside in Atlanta (not too far from Asher Roth), but he grew up in tiny Stratford, Ontario, Canada, a town with only a few hundred people. But through the power of the Internet, Bieber managed to catch the attention of the right people and went from singing in local competitions to having a top 10 album and singing for President Obama.

On Tuesday, Bieber went home for the holidays. He paid a visit to the MuchMusic studio in Toronto to perform live and interact with some fans. "Canada!" he tweeted. "I'm back." Following an interview and a performance, Bieber gave some flowers to a grateful fan.

While in Toronto, Bieber was also surprised with his first platinum plaque for My World, and next week, MuchMusic will air "Leave it to Bieber," a special documentary about the 15-year-old singer's rise to fame. It'll be a great way to kick off 2010, a year that will see Bieber release the second part of My World.

In the meantime, there are still "golden tickets" available in copies of My World. Anybody who finds one will get either a cameo in a Bieber video or a free personal concert. The singer continues to tweet about the tickets and encourages his fans to seek them out (he notes on his Twitter that there might be golden tickets sitting under Christmas trees right now).

(Check out more photos of Justin Bieber's visit to MuchMusic!)

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Celebrate Christmas With Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber And Rihanna

Posted 12/23/09 11:22 am EST by in Music


By Chad Bullock

Christmas music is tough. All the traditional carols are played out before Thanksgiving, but not everybody can get behind Metal Christmas. But there are solutions, which is why we put together this list of eight excellent Christmas tunes by some of today's hottest artists. Crank these tunes up for optimum holiday cheer.

Lady Gaga, "Christmas Tree"
Chart-topper Lady Gaga teamed up with Space Cowboy for this non-traditional and vaguely sexual holiday song. But it's okay, because the lyric "Light me up with me on top" doesn't have to sound dirty (but can be if that's how you roll at Christmas).

Justin Bieber, "Someday at Christmas"
Usher's 15 year-old protégé tackles this cover of Stevie Wonder's holiday classic like a total pro. He most recently wowed the president with a performance of the tune on the "Christmas in Washington" special.

Rihanna, "I Just Don't Feel Like Christmas Without You"
This melancholy cut from 2006's That's What I Call Christmas 3 makes for a great listen if you're feeling a little blue this holiday (though judging by her GQ cover photos, she'll never have to worry about being alone).
Read More...

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Kanye West Turns Up In A Bathing Ape Lookbook

Posted 12/23/09 11:03 am EST by in Music


By Steven Roberts

We haven't seen much of Kanye West, since, well, this. West has been spotted around Italy with his girlfriend Amber Rose, blogged a bit about some year-end awards and released a few verses here and there, but he's been keeping a pretty low profile — until now.

West is featured in what looks like his own spread for the 2010 A Bathing Ape Spring Lookbook. West is rocking a variety of looks from the influential Japanese brand's spring collection, which includes a mixture of varsity jackets, denim jeans and work trousers, as well as their signature T-shirts, sneakers and vivid multi-color print hoodies. The spread was shot by photographer Keiichi Nita — a one-time protégé of Terry Richardson — and features West against a white backdrop.

A Bathing Ape's Spring 2010 catalog is available through Amazon.co.jp or at your local international book store.

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