In her brief but already prolific career, Rihanna has collaborated with some of the biggest stars in the business, including Justin Timberlake (on "Rehab"), T.I. (the buoyant "Live Your Life") and Ne-Yo ("Hate That I Love You"). But her two biggest tag-team efforts have been with legendary rapper Jay-Z. The first time they crossed paths was in 2007 with "Umbrella," which was just voted the best song of the decade in a recent poll. More recently, she provided the hook for "Run This Town," Jigga's big comeback single and video that also featured Kanye West. Despite the star power in the room, Rihanna said that creating that incredible jam was nothing but fun.

"They're like my brothers," Rihanna told MTV News' Sway during their interview yesterday. "Especially Jay-Z. We're really close." The singer also told Sway that "working with him was effortless but really enjoyable, and every time we perform the song it's fun." She most recently enjoyed herself this past weekend, when she joined Jay-Z on stage in Los Angeles for a performance of "Run This Town."

But what about Rihanna's other brother, the somewhat reclusive Kanye West? "I actually haven't seen him in a while," she admitted. "But last time I saw him, he was good."

For more from Rihanna, including her thoughts on the aftermath of her interview with Diane Sawyer on last week's "20/20," the concept behind her new album Rated R and her touring plans for the coming year, check out the entire "Extended Play: Rihanna" now.

By Nuzhat Naoreen

Jennifer Lopez has a new album coming out early next year called Love?, and like most artists, she has already put out a single to help promote it ("Fresh Out the Oven," featuring Pitbull). But unlike most of the music world, she has also given herself an alternate personality to go along with her new album.

Say hello to "Lola."

Who is Lola? As of right now, she's a silhouetted dancing figure with a Web site and a Twitter account.

Her first — and so far only — tweet was posted last Tuesday and doesn't provide too many answers: "Lola here. What's my deal? Well, wouldn't you like to know…"

The few words of text on the Web site don't help much either: "She was mysterious … she was like someone I'd never met."

No official word yet on how long Lola's sticking around, but if she's here to stay she'll certainly have some competition — and a lot to live up to. After all, J.Lo's just one of many divas to take on an alter ego. Beyoncé introduced the world to Sasha Fierce last year, while Mariah Carey often references her alter ego Mimi. Even rappers aren't immune to switching up their personas: T.I. split an album with his other character T.I.P. back in 2007. Each of those superstar artists have set quite a precedent, but if anybody can rise to the occasion, it's Lopez.

By Matt Thompson

After winning an Emmy for his work on "Saturday Night Live," Justin Timberlake will return to television this Monday (October 12) to appear on "The Jay Leno Show" for a segment called "Ten at Ten." Timberlake will appear via satellite from Las Vegas and answer 10 of Leno's questions. Tom Cruise (who was asked if he had ever been to a strip club), Cameron Diaz, LeBron James and Miley Cyrus have all submitted themselves to Leno's interrogation.

What could Leno possibly ask Timberlake? Jessica Biel's name is sure to pop up, as the couple's relationship (and its possible end) have made them a staple on the gossip pages in the past week.

Timberlake is great on TV and in movies, but his primary vocation has been relatively ignored as of late. He has not released a studio album since 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds. Despite this, Timberlake has recently appeared on hit singles "Dead and Gone" (with T.I.) and "Love Sex Magic" (with Ciara), both of which have cracked the Billboard Top Ten.

Timberlake's current project is "The Social Network," a movie about the founders of Facebook, which is due for release in 2010. Timberlake recently told Entertainment Weekly that he's not working on a new album, so it could be a while before he brings sexy back once again.

LeBron James may be the best player in the NBA (and there are arguments for him being the game's best of all time), but he hasn't yet tested his skills on the microphone like some other basketball stars. Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Chris Webber and Kobe Bryant have all dipped their toes into the rap game with varying degrees of success, but perhaps the most successful (and ubiquitous) baller-turned-MC is Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq has put out several hit records and dropped a couple of popular singles (especially during the beginning of his career), and he happens to be James' newest teammate on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs got to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Orlando Magic last season, but maybe Shaq is the missing piece of the puzzle.

James may not have any experience as a rapper, but he certainly knows his way around the hip-hop game. (You need only look at the soundtrack to his new movie "More Than a Game," which features appearances from T.I., Jay-Z, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, for proof.) So he knows a thing or two about quality rapping. But how would James rank his newest teammate as an MC?

So there you have it. While LeBron named Jay-Z as his number one pick for the annual MTV News Hottest MCs list, he thinks that Shaq could easily hold his own with the likes of J. Hova. Along with a championship, maybe LeBron can broker a long-awaited collaboration between Jigga and Shaq.

There are some days on the calendar that are simply loaded down with celebrity birthdays, as though some days lend more cosmic fame than others. September 25 is just such a day, as there are a number of fantastically talented, awesomely dynamic personalities who will be blowing out the candles today. Some will obviously be more festive than others. It's unlikely that T.I. (who is currently serving a 10 month prison sentence for illegal weapons possession) will have as big a party as, say, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones (she could buy an awful lot of cake with that T-Mobile money). Former UFC champion and current star of "The Ultimate Fighter" Rashad Evans is probably having a bittersweet birthday, especially considering his grudge match with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson won't be happening any time soon. Ryan Leslie can probably get himself an extra cupcake, as his hotly-anticipated second album is sure to make a splash when it hits in November. And how will Will Smith celebrate turning 41? I'm not sure how he spends his birthday, but I do know that I play "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" at my party every year.

But despite all the high-profile birthdays today, this morning's Wake-Up Video nod goes to Santigold, who is now 33 years old. Even though her debut album came out well over a year ago (and she's been putting out singles since 2007), her tunes remained ubiquitous throughout the summer, mostly thanks to that Bud Light Lime commercial that borrowed "Lights Out." It's an excellent song with a super-cool video, but now it just makes me crave a citrus-flavored lager.

Having spent my entire professional career interviewing famous people (save for those few months where I wrote about bespoke suits and bathtubs shaped like slingback heels), I don't really get starstruck. There are a handful of people around whom I squeal like a teenage girl (as anybody who has been in the room with me while Rob Zombie is present can attest), but I generally don't get blown away by fame.

But when it comes to raw, physical abilities, it becomes a whole different ball game. I'll start hyperventilating over even the most minor athletes. I shook late Boston Celtic Reggie Lewis' hand once and count is as one of the great moments of my life. My brother met former Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd at a bar a few years ago and I got really jealous. I once went to an industry party solely because I was told Kevin Garnett would be there. The point is, I'm blown away by sports figures, so when I was called upon today to sit down with His Royal Highness LeBron James, the King of Everything, I had to take a few deep breaths.

I sat down with King James (along with film director Kris Belman) to talk about "More Than a Game," the documentary about his high school basketball team. We also went over the movie's killer soundtrack, which features tunes from Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z and T.I., as well as the killer remix of Drake's "Forever" that features verses from Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem. He also revealed who his pick is for the "Hottest MCs" list, who he thinks had the best verse on "Forever" and how he rates new teammate Shaquille O'Neal as an MC — all of which will be appearing all over MTV News over the next few days.

But stupidly, here's the first thing I thought when I shook James' hand: "Man, this guy is tall." I've been around basketball players all my life, but I've obviously never been around the best in the game. It is incredible that James is so unbelievably fast considering his size. The other thing I noticed? His tattoos are great. The dude really carries his ink well.

So the sum total of observations I was able to make during my interview? LeBron James is tall and has tattoos. Insight! But hey, at least I got a great photo (I'm on the bottom), so nobody can say I was never in the presence of royalty.

Right now, there's no place I'd rather be than here in New York City. There are two great reasons. First, the Video Music Awards are in town this whole week, with the big awards show taking place on Sunday night. But it's also the start of New York's Fashion Week. It all kicked off last night with New York's famous Fashion Night Out, where stores from Bloomingdale's to BAPE all kept there shop fronts open until late to showcase new designers and clothes.

Outside the Billionaire Boys Club boutique store in Soho, hundreds of kids were lining up, eager to get their hands on some exclusive limited edition gear. Inside the store, there was a special guest cashier: Pharrell Williams. We ducked into the store to talk to Pharrell about why he was manning the till, his take on the nominees at this years VMAs and who he thinks are the hottest MCs in the game right now (Kanye, Drake, T.I., Jay-Z, the Game, Rick Ross — he says hip-hop is in a good place right now). He broke down what it was like working with Jay-Z on The Blueprint 3 and how "So Ambitious," arguably the best track on the album, came together. He talked about working with Drake — who he called "The Truth," which is a huge compliment coming from a producer of his stature.

Before we left him to meet the hundreds of waiting fans, we grilled him with the Ultimate VMA Quiz. I wouldn't say he cheated his way to getting everything right, but imaginary-phoning a friend might be bending the rules just a little bit.

After detours to Las Vegas and Hollywood, the MTV Video Music Awards are finally coming back to New York City's Radio City Music Hall, the site of the very first VMAs 25 years ago. New York is not only inextricably linked to MTV (the office is just a handful of steps away from Radio City Music Hall) but it also contains dozens of iconic landmarks, buildings and neighborhoods that provide great visuals and personalities. But just as the city has unique personalities, so does the army of pop stars who make up the VMA crowd. It got us thinking: What would certain stars look like as New York City landmarks?

We started with Lady Gaga, pop music's greatest modern art experiment. Naturally, she is the living embodiment of the Guggenheim Museum, a worldwide centerpiece for contemporary pieces.

Others were more obvious. Jay-Z, who helped put Brooklyn on the hip-hop map, seamlessly became the Brooklyn Bridge. Britney Spears is always shining and full of attention-grabbing energy, which makes her a perfect fit for Times Square. Since the history of the Video Music Awards lives in her DNA (she performed on the very first show in 1984), Madonna is like a living Museum of Natural History. The hot Young Money MC Drake? He's the new Yankee Stadium because while he is brand new to the game, something about him feels old school.

Want to see Taylor Swift as the Statue of Liberty, T.I. as Wall Street and Kanye West as the Empire State Building? Click here for the complete "VMA Stars As New York City Landmarks" gallery, which also includes Robert Pattinson, Green Day, Lil Wayne and Beyoncé!

The MTV Video Music Awards are just a few short days away, and though there is all sorts of buzz surrounding the performances, the parties and the New York-centric stunts that will be happening all this week into Sunday's broadcast, it's important to remember that the reason the biggest stars in music will gather in Radio City Music Hall is to see who wins the coveted Moonman in each of the 15 categories. We'll be taking a look at each of the top categories this week, starting today with the Best Male Video award. The nominees are Eminem's "We Made You," Jay-Z's "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," T.I.'s "Live Your Life," Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent" and Kanye West's "Love Lockdown."

Best Male Video has been around since the first Video Music Awards in 1984, where David Bowie's "China Girl" beat out Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, Herbie Hancock and Michael Jackson for the prize. Past winners of the award include legends like Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Will Smith and Beck, as well as recent noisemakers Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake.

Two of the men nominated for the award this year have already won it, as Eminem took home the Moonman for Best Male Video at 2000's event for "The Real Slim Shady" and again in 2002 for "Without Me," while Kanye West took home the Best Male Video prize in 2005 for "Jesus Walks." Jay-Z's "99 Problems" snagged a nomination for Best Male Video in 2004 but lost out to Usher (though he still grabbed four awards — including Best Rap Video — that same year). This is the fourth consecutive Best Male nomination for T.I. (who has never won a Moonman in any category) and the second year in a row that Ne-Yo has been nominated for an award (he lost out to Pussycat Dolls in the Best Dancing in a Video category).

Of the five videos, Jay-Z's is the newest and the one with the most buzz. "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" is on The Blueprint 3, which hits the streets today. The next newest comes from Eminem, whose album dropped earlier this year and whose first single "We Made You" announced the return of Slim Shady to the top of the music world. The other three clips all come from 2008 albums (Kanye West's performance of "Love Lockdown" even closed last year's show). So it seems like it will be a showdown between Eminem and Jigga, though the person who has the best chance of scoring a Moonman in this category is director Anthony Mandler, who helmed both "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" and T.I.'s "Live Your Life."

A year ago today, a kid from Baltimore dived into a swimming pool a dude in a Speedo and emerged a legend. Just shortly after 11 a.m. local time in Beijing on August 17, 2008, Michael Phelps helped his team take first place in a relay race to earn himself an eighth gold medal, breaking the record for the most top prizes taken in a single Olympics. In seven out of the eight races he won, Phelps broke either a world or Olympic record (all told, Phelps holds a grand total of 37 world records, the most recent of which he broke only three weeks ago). The record had been held by Marc Spitz, another swimmer who took home seven golds in 1972. Phelps owns 14 golds and 16 medals total, only two shy of the all-time record held by gymnast Larissa Latynina, who competed for the Soviet Union in 1956, '60 and '64.

Since his unfathomable run last year, Phelps has had a few ups and downs (including a recent car accident), but despite those hiccups he remains a dominant athlete and one of the most recognizable sports stars on the planet. Phelps told reporters that he prepares to compete by listening to music (in Beijing, he was constantly photographed wearing his iPod earbuds) and that his playlists included Lil Wayne, T.I. and Young Jeezy. So at last year's MTV Video Music Awards, Phelps parlayed his celebrity into the opportunity of a lifetime: He introduced a performance by Weezy, one of his favorite artists. In honor of his amazing accomplishment, Phelps should take today to kick back, shine his bling and crank up "Fireman."