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B2K will primarily be remembered as the jumping-off point for Omarion's career, but most people forget that the group did have a series of hits during their peak. And of those singles, they all bowed down to the greatness of "Bump, Bump, Bump," which ascended to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 on this day in 2003.

The group — consisting of Omarion, Lil Fizz, Raz-B and J-Boog — first began to make noise in late 2001 with the single "Uh Huh." B2K's sound wasn't straight pop (they borrowed a lot from hip-hop-influenced R&B groups of the late '90s like Jagged Edge and 112), but they were presented as the urban alternative to the glut of boy bands (who were still in steady command of the pop charts even after the turn of the century). Their self-titled debut hit in early 2002 and scored the group two more singles, but their big breakthrough came following the release of their second album Pandemonium! in late 2002 (just after the release of the group's Christmas album Santa Hooked Me Up, perhaps the most awesomely-titled holiday collection of all time).

With an assist from Diddy, "Bump, Bump, Bump" climbed up the Billboard Hot 100 until it finally reached the top, finally ending the reign of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" (which was on top for a staggering 12 straight weeks). Unfortunately, the stay at the top for "Bump, Bump, Bump" was only temporary, as it stepped aside in favor of Jennifer Lopez's "All I Have" after only one week (the Lopez song, featuring a guest verse by LL Cool J, was in the number one position for four weeks before ceding it to 50 Cent's "In Da Club"). For a brief moment, B2K were on top of the world (though they broke up shortly after), and they have the video for "Bump, Bump, Bump" to remember their time in the sun.

Tags B2K, Diddy, video

If rock bands want to pick up a little exposure on television, there are a handful of shows they can visit that will guarantee them effective time on the air. There's the always music-minded "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," the dorm room favorite "Conan" and the indie-friendly, headline-grabbing "The Daily Show." But for some real cross-generational promotion, Nickelodeon's "Yo Gabba Gabba" is the only game in town. The show returns for its third season on Monday, February 7 (the day after the Super Bowl), bringing with it a very special musical guest on its premiere episode. Even though they've been on hiatus for the better part of a year, the Killers will take the stage on the show to perform a tune called "Spaceship Adventure," which plays into the episode's treasure-hunting theme. The nod to Chewbacca is especially fantastic.

The Killers have been officially on hiatus since the beginning of 2010, but they've been pretty prolific anyway. Frontman Brandon Flowers may have recorded and released a solo album (the criminally underrated Flamingo), but the band did manage to get together a handful of times over the course of the year (including a high-profile gig on the lawn of the White House as part of President Obama's Fourth of July celebration). They also recorded and released their annual Christmas single (this one was called "Boots" and was one of the finest in the band's history).

Having rocked Yo Gabba Gabba, the Killers will next make their way into the studio in May of 2011 to work on their new album, which would be their fourth (following 2004's Hot Fuss, 2006's Sam's Town and 2008's Day & Age).

What do you think of the Killers' performance on "Yo Gabba Gabba"? Let us know in the comments!

Tags The Killers, video, Yo Gabba Gabba

By Matt Elias

Cold War Kids celebrated the release of their new album Mine Is Yours (which hit the streets today) with a record release show on Monday night (January 24) at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Fans squeezed into the sparse warehouse space to catch the intimate yet in-your-face performance. The dim lights and plywood walls made it feel like the band — Nathan Willet, Jonnie Russell, Matt Maust and Matt Aveiro — were playing a backyard barn party — a very special treat indeed.

When we last heard from CWK, they had just released their EP Behave Yourself and were about to head to Nashville to record their next full-length. It marked the first time that the foursome worked with an outside producer (Jacquire King, the man behind the fist-pumping Kings of Leon tunes that you know and love).

The resulting album finds the Kids recapturing their signature soul-punk sound, but taking it to a more atmospheric place. That's what the packed crowd at the Bootleg Theater were treated to on Monday night, as frontman Nathan Willet promised a set full of new songs — many of which, he admitted, had never been played before an audience.

Judging by the crowd's energy, the band had nothing to worry about. Many of those in attendance were already singing along to the new songs, a great compliment considering the album was still a few hours from being officially out. Standout tracks included the title track, "Louder Than Ever" and "Sensitive Kid."

Seeing CWK live is seeing them at their best. It's a stage show full of raucous vigor, especially during the mid-song roughhousing between Willet and Maust. There's never a dull moment, and that tradition continues with Mine Is Yours.

Tags Cold War Kids

"When you got a producer that has that kind of production track record, you even have to credit both Eminem's success and my success to Dr. Dre as a producer. My first single off of Get Rich or Die Tryin' — people constantly tell me it was a classic — was produced by Dr. Dre, 'In Da Club.' Without that momentum from that song, I'm not sure they would have taken to 'P.I.M.P.' the same way or '21 Questions' or any of the other hit records I released following that."

-Multi-platinum rapper 50 Cent, discussing how much influence Dr. Dre has had on his ultra-successful career. Though the actual released date is in doubt (the rumors about the album dropping on April 20 have been established as false), it appears as though Detox will be showing up on the streets before 2011 has walked out the door. There are plenty of good signs, as the first single "Kush" has already premiered (along with a great video) and the second single "I Need a Doctor" (which features production by Alex Da Kid and some verses from Eminem) is about to drop any day.

Meanwhile, 50 Cent is also expected to drop an album this year (the hotly-anticipated Black Magic) and also has two finished films in the can (one called "Vengeance" that stars Danny Trejo and a second called "Blood Out" that is headed by Val Kilmer). He was recently spotted hanging out in Park City, Utah with the cavalcade of stars celebrating the Sundance Film Festival (which is where MTV News caught up with him).

Are you more looking forward to new music from 50 Cent or Dr. Dre? Let us know in the comments!

Tags 50 cent, Dr.-Dre, Quote, video

Now that the nominations for the Academy Awards are out, it's time to start handicapping. But no matter what anybody predicts today (or for the next month), we won't know whose hand will be raised in victory and given a little statuette until the show airs on Sunday, February 27. Until then, you can stay tuned to MTV News for all the latest updates, analysis, interviews and predictions regarding the 83rd Academy Awards.

(Click here for photos of the 2011 Academy Award nominees, including Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Jesse Eisenberg!)

Despite the eclecticism of the field and the surprise entries in the field, it seems like a lot of the categories are already wrapped up (people already seem to be handing Colin Firth the Best Actor prize for his performance in "The King's Speech," and it seems inevitable that Aaron Sorkin will be walking away with the Best Original Screenplay prize for "The Social Network"). One of those sure shots? Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who will almost certainly be taking home the award for Best Original Score for their soundtrack contributions to "The Social Network" (which would put Reznor half way to getting his EGOT). But who will win the other big music-based award — the one for Best Original Song?

Interestingly, none of the songs from "Burlesque" (one of which won a Golden Globe) were nominated for an Oscar. Instead, the nods went to "Coming Home" (from "Country Strong"), "I See the Light" (from "Tangled"), "If I Rise" (from "127 Hours") and "We Belong Together" (from "Toy Story 3"). Of those four, you can probably take out "If I Rise" (which we thought should get nominated for a Razzie yesterday). Either one of the remaining three could score a victory, though it seems like the songs from "Tangled" were especially loved by fans of the movie, so perhaps the money should be on that.

What should win the Oscar for Best Original Song? Let us know in the comments!

Tags academy awards, Dido, Mandy Moore, oscars

Last week, the official lineup of the 2011 Coachella Festival announced to the world that the summer concert season is closer than everybody thinks (this despite the fact that snow continues to fall at an alarming rate in most of the country). Only a week later, the Coachella lineup has already been upstaged by another concert that happens to be going down a week later at the very same venue. On Saturday, April 23, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax will come together at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California for a one-day-only event that is unprecedented in the world of metal. Though the "Big 4" have played a handful of shows in Europe, this is the only show they'll do in the United States, and it promises to be a huge day for anybody who has ever banged his or her head to some classic metal riffs.

Interestingly, it has been a while since we've heard fresh music from each of these bands. Metallica have been relatively quiet since the 2008 release of their ninth album Death Magnetic, though they have been sporadically touring since the album's release. Slayer released their 10th album World Painted Blood in 2009, while Megadeth was last heard from with 2009's Endgame. Anthrax recently reunited with singer Joey Belladonna and have an album coming out in 2011 (though anybody looking for guitarist Scott Ian's six-string stylings should check out the album he put out with the Damned Things last year). The Big 4 concert seems like it will be full of new material and experiments from all four bands and promises to be the year's biggest metal event.

In honor of four of the loudest, hardest, best bands in the history of metal coming together for this show, check out the videos below. Enjoy Metallica's hard-hitting "Sad But True," then move on to Slayer's "Seasons in the Abyss," Megadeth's "Symphony of Destruction" and Anthrax's "Black Lodge."

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Tags Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer

Every day a multitude of stars wander 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.

Though there are plenty of rappers and players in the hip-hop game who are fashion-conscious, but nobody (not even Kanye West) takes it as seriously as Nicki Minaj, who has been traveling the world not only wearing amazing clothes but also watching them. The Pink Friday MC was seen at the famous Gare Du Nord train station in Paris on her way to visit Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week (which shows off the Spring/Summer 2011 collections). The rapper was all smiles, possibly because her debut album continues to tear up the Billboard chart and is about to cross the one million mark in sales. There's more from Minaj in the near future, as she'll be appearing in the video for Kanye West's "Monster," dropping her own clip for "Moment 4 Life" and undoubtedly stealing other people's tracks from coast to coast.

Minaj wasn't the only star making it happen in public, as film types continued to make noise in Park City, Utah for the annual Sundance Film Festival. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Eminem, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Madonna, the Jonas Brothers and Mariah Carey!

Tags nicki minaj, photo, Spotted!

On first glance, Sam Beam (the man behind Iron & Wine) doesn't look all that much like a rock star. Pasty-skinned and profoundly bearded, Beam looks more like a mysterious mountain man than a prolific, transcendent songwriter. Clearly, looks can be deceiving, as Beam has taken his project from humble roots to incredible heights over the past decade or so. Through three studio albums, a handful of EPs and a number of singles and compilations, Iron & Wine has pushed its base sound (a sleepy-eyed, psychedelic take on singer-songwriter tropes) into the ether, welcoming in all sorts of new sounds and more melody.

Beam's new album Kiss Each Other Clean (which hits the streets today) is his most ambitious yet, dragging in pieces of soul music, experimental rock and classic '70s AM singalongs with nary a folk strum in sight. It seems to be ushering in a new era for Iron & Wine, but will Beam alienate his core audience? Or is he still worth listening to?

Based on the first round of reviews, it appears as though people are willing to follow Beam on his journey. "Beam's headed someplace, and it's worth following," wrote Jody Rosen in his three-and-a-half star review in Rolling Stone. "Beam's lovely voice anchors melodies of crystalline clarity and unshakable catchiness. But the music won't stay still, moving from stormy psychedelic rock to white-guy funk to what sounds like a Beach Boys version of a country-western ballad."

In his review for Entertainment Weekly, Simon Vozick-Levinson didn't think that everything worked on Kiss Each Other Clean, but agreed that there was way more good than bad on the eclectic album. "Over the course of 44 minutes, [Beam] tries out unexpected effects like whining guitar, mildly skronky horns, burbling electronics, and occasional profanities," he wrote. "Not all of the new sounds enhance Beam's lovely melodies, but they rarely obscure those underlying charms, either."

The Los Angeles Times was far more enthusiastic, already talking about Kiss Each Other Clean as one of the best releases of the young year. "Beam's evocative folk has evolved into incorporating dips into soul, woozy R&B and loose-limbed '70s rock," critic Chris Barton wrote. "The driving funk of 'Yr City Is a Sucker' features high-pitched choruses and jazzy brass reminiscent of early Chicago that builds to Beam ranting like an end times prophet who can see the walls crumbling. It's not always the stuff of angels, but it's something far richer."

Spin also got on board with the idea that the album will almost certainly end up on best-of lists in 2011. "Kiss delivers plenty of unexpected layers, employed judiciously in service of Beam's usual ruminative ideas about good and evil, love and death," wrote critic Josh Modell. "The wheat-colored troubadour hasn't disappeared completely, but even the acoustic-rooted tracks are flecked with new hues."

The British press also fell head over heels for Iron & Wine's new album. NME declared it "a surprising and majestic triumph," while The Guardian gave it four stars and said, "Beam comes across as a latter-day prophet, casting his gentle eye over capitalist, warmongering western society with sorrow and kindness. His eccentric experimentation does much to temper the earnestness of his endeavor — and makes you appreciate all the more the direct loveliness of piano ballad 'Godless Brother in Love' and the honeyed nostalgia of 'Tree By the River.'"

What do you think of the new album by Iron & Wine? Let us know in the comments!

Tags iron-&-wine, reviews

The excellent year in film that was 2010 is about to formally come to a close, as the nominations for the Academy Awards were announced this morning. As always, there was a healthy mix of the expected ("The Social Network" scored eight nominations, while "The King's Speech" took home 12 and "The Fighter" nailed down seven), the unexpected (after being ignored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, "True Grit" picked up 10 nominations, including a Best Supporting Actress nod for 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld) and some snubs (Ryan Gosling was denied a nomination for his work in "Blue Valentine" and Christopher Nolan was not nominated for Best Director for the mind-bending, envelope-pushing "Inception").

But clearly the highlight for the MTV Newsroom Blog is the nomination that Trent Reznor picked up for Best Original Score for his work on "The Social Network" (with partner Atticus Ross). Of course, "The Social Network" is full of people who have had extensive work in the music world. Director David Fincher (nominated for Best Director) began his career as a music video director (he took the lead on such classics as Madonna's "Vogue," Paula Abdul's "Straight Up," Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" and George Michael's "Freedom 90") and was one of the first artists to make the transition from videos to feature films. Director of Photography Jeff Cronenweth (nominated for Best Cinematography) started his professional life in music videos, shooting clips like Nine Inch Nails' "The Perfect Drug" and Eels' "Novocaine for the Soul."

Plenty of the people who weren't nominated were involved as well. Star Justin Timberlake of course began his public life as a musician, first as a member of *NSYNC and then as one of the most dynamic solo performers in pop. And co-star Andrew Garfield (who was totally robbed during the awards season) brushed up against the music world when he served as director Terry Gilliam's assistant while Gilliam worked on a live webcast of an Arcade Fire concert in 2010.

Tags David Fincher, The Social Network, Trent-Reznor

Back in October, Alicia Keys celebrated a very important birthday — that of her son Egypt Daoud Dean, her first child with husband Swizz Beatz. But today she gets to celebrate her own birthday, as the Manhattan-born Keys is now 30 years old.

Astonishingly, Keys has been a player in the music game for a decade now, as her debut album Songs in A Minor came out way back in 2001. She made an immediate impact with her unique sound, which took the tropes of bohemian R&B and blended in organic funk, coffeehouse folk and just a little bit of flashy vocal pizazz. Keys' early singles ("A Woman's Worth," the Prince cover "How Come You Don't Call Me" and especially the infectious smash "Fallin'") were all refreshing and thrilling, and her sound only evolved from there. Her 2003 album The Diary of Alicia Keys not only expanded the boundaries of her sound but also blew open the scope of her lyrics. Tracks like "If I Ain't Got You" and "Karma" not only attacked the Billboard charts but also sought to reinvent the genre in real time.

The hits kept coming, as 2007's As I Am yielded the huge singles "No One" and "Teenage Love Affair," and 2009's The Element of Freedom gave way to "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" (a sequel to her chart-topping hit with Jay-Z) and "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" (a tag-team with Canadian hip-hop superstar Drake). But perhaps Keys' greatest song came early in the cycle for The Element of Freedom in "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart," which is probably the best Prince song the Purple One never wrote.

Tags Alicia Keys, video