Asher Roth is a true man of the people. A few weeks ago, the young MC hinted that he was going to start a revolution down at South by Southwest — and Asher did not disappoint.

After his packed performance at Club de Ville, Asher took to the crowded Austin streets with our MTV News crew. Despite going to the doctor earlier that day because of an irritated throat, he insisted on hanging out with the throngs of music lovers wandering the streets.

Asher lit up when he got the MTV News mic (or, as he affectionately referred to it, his "magic wand") and immediately started talking to all the fans on the street. So what did Asher want from the SXSW'ers? He asked them to give their Twitter-size assessment of their experiences thus far. Although the request confused many of the inebriates on Austin's famed (and debaucherous) Sixth Street, Asher is a charming and convincing dude and was able to coax answers — albeit many incoherent ones — out of everyone.

By this point, it was well after 2 a.m., and we were all getting a bit famished. We dashed over to the closest pizza place (a ridiculous $4 a slice ... a far cry from Asher's college days). Seeing the daunting SXSW lines, Asher flashed a smile and challenged two girls near the front to a game of rock-paper-scissors for their place in line. It took about 30 seconds for him to lose 2-nil ... but the girls were nice enough to let Asher order with them, and of course he returned the favor by shelling out for the pizza.

So with pizza in hand and a bunch of new SXSW friends in tow, our night ended. And Asher Roth had once and for all secured the title of SXSW Man of the People.

South By Southwest 2009 wrapped on Sunday, and we're back in New York, picking through the hours of tape we shot, reminiscing about the good times (check out our favorite SXSW moments) and trying very hard not to fall asleep on our keyboards. This is proving more difficult than I had imagined.

Because after the week-long party that is SXSW, there's the inevitable hangover. And, well, right now, that hangover is fierce — and I don't even drink!

I slept 10 hours last week. On Saturday night, I didn't sleep at all, as we wrapped production at 4:30 a.m., then headed right to the airport for our 7 a.m. flight. The scene at Austin-Bergstrom International was like something out of "Dawn of the Dead," with bands, publicists and hipsters wandering around the terminal like zombies, shoveling breakfast tacos into their mouths. There were bodies sprawled on the floor, heads buried in hooded sweatshirts, sunglasses covering bloodshot eyes. It was like one gigantic commercial for Promises. And it's only gotten worse since then!

I've been back for roughly 24 hours now, and — surprise, surprise — I still haven't been able to sleep, since my body was coached into staying awake until 5 a.m. every night. I have gigantic bags under my eyes, my hair is wild, and I'm sporting a really nasty SXSW beard — basically I look like some dude who'd be hanging out at a bus station somewhere. Or Joaquin Phoenix.

And what's worse, after writing so much, I cannot bring myself to write another word about SXSW ... about the Decemberists or Metallica or Asher Roth or Kanye or BLK JKS. I cannot think of a witty thing to say about BBQ, or the weather, or Sixth Street. I am officially tapped. In the words of Steve Malkmus, "I need to sleep ... why won't you let me sleep?"

Still, duty calls. So here's the final word (or words) on South by Southwest 2009: It was great. I had a blast. We all did. And we can't wait to go back again next year. And if I can say that right now — in the midst of a soul-crushing SXSW hangover — I really mean it!

MTV News was Live & Mobile at the South by Southwest festival last week, with blogs, articles plus live and on-demand video of all the bands, gigs and BBQ!

If one man was to build a completely new musical genre, they would have to be pretty talented. Craig Brewer, the man behind films like "Hustle and Flow" and "Black Snake Moan," which positively seep with the music of the South -- both old and new -- is probably the man to produce it.

Brewer's new Memphis-based Web series $5 Cover exposes the nitty-gritty heart of a town with music flowing through its aorta. "I'd like to believe that Memphis should be a genre itself" Brewer points out.

This is not such an easy task when your town cradles rock acts like Lucero, hip-hop acts like Al Kapone and noirish crooners like Amy LaVere. How can so many genres co-exist as one?

"The $5 Cover show is really about Memphis. Yeah we have rap and yeah, we have rock and roll. And we have singer song writers, but I really like to believe that Memphis itself should be a genre. ... It's more of the spirit of the city is reflected in the sound."

But what is it about Memphis that really binds these musicians together?

"I knew a lot of these musicians before my career took off" Brewer explains. "They've never really had much money.”

And with limited coin in their pockets, budding musicians that want to play out have to ask for a nominal fee. "I think there's a special time in every musician's life where they go from just playing in their house, to saying 'I think I am going to play for people.' "

Hence the show name: $5 Cover. "You're not too green, but you're not necessarily selling out stadiums."

MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

I'm going to put it out there, and you can hate me if you want: I just watched Kanye West, and had the absolute best seat in the house. No joke. And by "Best", I mean seriously B-E-S-T. Like, about two feet directly in front of Kanye for the almost 30 song set.

And before you criticize me for being braggadocios, consider this: I've spent 5 days so far at SXSW working 20 hour days, lugging 50 pounds worth of camera equipment, and subsisting off of a diet of Doritos and lukewarm beer. Just putting it out there…

So I guess there's something to be said for Karma, because on my last day here in Austin, I arrived at the Levi's Fader Fort to shoot the G.O.O.D. Music Showcase, and got ushered waaaaay up front to the press pit. I had heard rumor that Kanye would be showing up, but hadn't heard anything concrete. Apparently I wasn’t the only one to hear the rumor, because the venue was absolutely packed, and a line snaked down the block.

But lo and behold, Kanye took to the stage wearing sunglasses and a denim vest, and spent the next hour and a half (give or take) energetically performing with a cavalcade of G.O.O.D. Music artists - including Consequence, GLC, and Big Sean. Kanye alternated dueting with G.O.O.D. Music artists, and performing an eclectic assortment of his own catalogue (including, "Amazing," "Drive Slow," "Spaceship" and "Crack Music")

But the night really picked up once Yeezy's protégé Kid Cudi took the stage, performing "Welcome to Heartbreak" with the man of the hour. After Cudi performed a few songs with Kanye, the REAL surprise of the night was revealed - an appearance by COMMON - who took the stage and immediately and frenetically dove into his single, "Universal Mind Control". From this point onward the energy was absolutely palpable. Some highlights: Kanye and COMMON performing "Get 'em High" (during which Kanye climbed the scaffolding and COMMON crowd surfed), and a "Love Lockdown" finale where Kanye, Common, and all the G.O.O.D. Music artists took the stage together.

Well, this job taketh, and this job taketh away. After my night standing feet away from Kanye, COMMON and a host of others as they performed an amazing show, I now I find myself writing this, eating some stale Doritos, and mentally preparing myself for my 7am flight back to New York City... and back to reality.

MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

The Tigers finished the regular season 33-3, won their fourth-straight Conference USA title, and earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Oh, and on Saturday night, they beat the University of Maryland to advance to the Sweet 16. This is a big deal, trust me.

So naturally, when MTV News came out to cover a Memphis Music Showcase at the Dirty Dog Bar (featuring $5 Cover artists like Lucero, Al Kapone and Two Way Radio), I had to ask some of the best musicians in M-Town about the fortunes of their hometown team. Were they overcome with the fever-like symptoms of March Madness like I was? And did they like the Tigers to win it all?

Of course. Well, at least the ones who had any idea what I was talking about, anyway ...

Check out more after the jump.

Yes, it's true, I got plenty of blank stares when I asked about the Tigers -- seems, as far as sports fans go, most Memphis bands are pretty good musicians -- except for the guys in Lucero, that is. Seems that their brand of gruff, decidedly blue-collar punk (think the Hold Steady or the Gaslight Anthem, only sung by a dude with sandpaper in his larynx) also lends itself to serious basketball fandom.

Okay, that's an exaggeration. Frontman Ben Nichols (he's the one with the tats and the growl) seemed to have never even seen a basketball. But luckily, bassist John C. Stubblefield was there to pick up the slack.

It's always the bass players.

MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

More specifically, the status of Outkast's new album. And while Boi wasn't about to reveal everything about the group's follow-up to 2006's Idlewild, he didn't exactly leave us hanging, either.

What's he got to say? Read on.

As it turns out, the new 'Kast seems to be heading in a slightly "stoopid" direction ... a throwback to Boi and Andre 3000's manic, panic earlier efforts (think Stankonia or Aquemini). Once again teaming up with ATL's Organized Noize production team, Boi says that he and Dre are nearing completion on the still-untitled disc, though, as is the case with pretty much everything involving the dynamic duo, there's a catch.

Seems that the new Outkast album won't be completed until both Boi and Dre release their respective solo albums ... which, given the holdup with Luscious and the, um, complete and utter lack of information about Andre's solo joint, means that, well, Outkast fans probably shouldn't be holding their breaths for a new album.

Still, it's good to hear Big Boi talking Outkast. Even better? Watching him talk about it:

MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

Luckily, the clouds are clearing and the stars are aligning and it seems like today just might be the day where I get to see actual music (not only that, but if all goes according to plan, I'm gonna see some-odd sixteen bands and full sets to boot, scattered at 5 or 6 different venues around town.

You can follow all my progress live throughout the day as I run my butt around town too. Red Bull and sunscreen will surely be my best friends.

What's my schedule looking like? There's not many major artists on today's SXSW schedule (other than Rick Ross and the rumored Kanye West performance - which the rest of our team will be rockin') - so I'm gonna be checking out a lot of great stuff bubblin' around the underground.

First up, I'm gonna be checking out King Khan & the Shrines and Los Angeles' so-called "tropical punk" quartet Abe Vigoda over at Waterloo Park (I got to see them yesterday and their new material is sounding fantastic). Then it's off for a quick stop at the terrific Woodsist showcase thrown by Todd P at Mrs. Beas for Montreal noise-makers AIDS Wolf and Mexican' weirdo-punks Los Llarmarada. Afer that, I'll be at Tyvek at Beerland (they're from our piece on lo-fi). Then I'm off to check-in with the Dirty Projectors (hear about them in our piece on Brooklyn Bands. Then it's back to Waterloo for freak-folks Akron/Family and what should be the first performance from B.o.B. (now Bobby Ray) and his new band (watch some of them rehearsing) After that, back to the Woodsist showcase for the remainder of their unbelivably stacked schedule of Psychdelic Horses***, Brooklyn bedroom recording master Blank Dogs, The Oh-Sees, Eat Skull (from our Portland piece), two great new Brooklyn bands in Woods and the Crystal Stilts, another set from WAVVES (who we've already been covering this week) and finally, to cap off the epic night is Los Angeles' Smell-scene kings No Age (also from our piece on lo-fi).

Make sure to keep tabs on me and hear some new music you may not have heard from throughout the day over at sxsw.mtv.com.

"Only [he] can get away with something like this."

Charles Hamilton's process of playing shows and putting out music has something you won't find with other artists, a truly personal touch. We caught up with the rapper at the primarily short-shorts and western shirted SXSW conference in Austin, Texas. He gave us the low down on his plan for his hip hop roll out in 2009.

The self described Hamiltonization Process lays out a unique schedule of mixtapes, songs and tour dates. "I'm literally coming directly to you" said the MC. But what's different in his approach is the nonchalant attitude and confidence he displays. "What I've been doing here at SXSW, is chillin'. [I'm] not looking for much attention. [I'm] enjoying the death metal bands and going to the hip hop spots here and there. [I'm] really just enjoying the environment."

This relaxed style of interaction seems to be working. His performance at Bird's Barber Shop on Friday only showcased three songs including "Brooklyn Girls" and "Windows Media Player" but the crowd wasn't disappointed by the small set. They showered him with accolades and cheers to bring him back for an encore. He gave them a freestyle as a goodbye gift before making his final exit.

Hamilton laments about his approach during our interview: "I think its an aspect of the spotlight that's really being ignored that your average 'celebrity' is not really ready for."

Obviously as his popularity increases, things might change. But for right now, you can check C-Hams in the streets of Austin without a big head.

South By Southwest is a big deal. Which is why MTV News sent our A-Team down to Austin to cover it ... A crack squad of writers, producers and electronics experts (plus a token indie snob), on a mission to deliver you the best moments from the biggest music festival in the U.S.

Over the next 96 hours, our Team will be blogging their brains out, interviewing their a--es off, and checking out bands, both big and small. They will probably also eat at some point. Sleep is not an option. Sunstroke definitely is.

It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it. And as such, we figured you'd like to know more about the brave men and women who are forgoing shut eye and leaving their loved ones behind to bring you the news and events of SXSW 2009.

So, let's the final two members of the team, shall we?

Andrew Ross Rowe, aka "Computer"

The tech connect. The man with the plan. Is able to fix anything, then post it on the Interwebs. Makes HTML jokes. Is exceptionally tall, yet probably cannot dunk. Constantly on Twitter.

Fun Fact: He braved a huge line to get the iPhone 3G.

Act I'm Most Looking Forward To Seeing At SXSW: "The Harlem Shakes, because their live performance has so much energy."

Twitter? See above: @MTVAndy

James Montgomery, aka "Grampaw"

MTV News's Rock Editor/token bitter old man (sorry, Loder). Thinks none of the bands at SXSW could carry Pavement's jock. Is frequently confused by technology. Is frequently bemused by "lo-fi" bands. Has Twitter beef with Dave Navarro.

Fun Fact: Is probably complaining about something right now!

Act I'm Most Looking Forward To Seeing At SXSW: "Didn't I already answer this? Oh, okay then. Dan Auerbach."

Twitter? Regrettably, yes: @Positivnegativ

MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

And that, when we finally woke up this am, it was actually nearly pm? Oh, and our Flixwagon phones are no longer working?

I'm telling you all of this in an attempt to explain why a) Our Saturday Breakfast Briefing is actually more of a Brunch Briefing; and b) we have no video to go with said briefing.

Still, that doesn't mean we didn't actually have a meeting, because after a very hectic Friday night -- including performances by Metallica and Asher Roth -- we needed to regroup, because Saturday is shaping up to be just as big.

For a full rundown of the final day at South By Southwest (Kanye West!), keep reading below.

Saturday is full of interviews -- Rick Ross, Bun B and Kid Cudi, to name just a few -- and celebified day parties, including Rachael Ray's second-annual soiree (sets by the Hold Steady, the Airborne Toxic Event, and Ra Ra Riot), Perez Hilton's glitzy "One Night In Austin" event, featuring Ladyhawke and Little Boots, and tonight, perhaps the most anticipated show of SXSW: the G.O.O.D. Music party, rumored to feature a set from none other than Kanye West.

We haven't received official confirmation of K Weezy, but let's just say that, aside from Metallica's "surprise" gig at Stubb's last night, it's the second worst-kept secret of South By.

So, yeah ... gonna be a big day. And keep in mind that we fly out at 7 am Sunday, which means ... yep, once again, no sleep for us.

Yee-Haw!