When MTV News' Sway headed down to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration, he was expecting it to be one giant party. And while it certainly was for some, he didn't do much besides rehearse for his gig as the MC of MTV's "Be the Change" Youth Inaugural Ball. Matter of fact, he didn't really leave his hotel room ... aside from one day, that is: when he took a moment to reflect on the historic impact of the events with his 84-year-old grandmother. He also reflected on the feeling in D.C. on that historic day, and on his interviews last year with Barack Obama.

"I managed to leave the hotel in the afternoon and meet up with my grandmother, Elsie Waters. ... She's the matriarch of my fam, and she made the pilgrimage to D.C. to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama. We met up at the Smithsonian, and we just talked about everything that was happening. I didn't know how to sum it all up, but she said so many things that were so right. Read more...

By Ashley Mastronardi

Sure, I was pretty excited just to be in D.C. for MTV's "Be the Change" Youth Ball yesterday. But in the back of my mind, I was also really hoping for the chance to meet Barack Obama. Well, that wasn't going to happen (apparently the Secret Service is impervious to flirting, as I learned on Monday night when I batted my eyelashes to try to catch a glimpse of the future POTUS, who was attending an event at our production hotel).

For me, the icing ended up coming in the form of larger-than-life R&B diva Aretha Franklin, who made an appearance at the tail end of the MTV ball. It was around 1:30 a.m. when I heard my usually jaded colleagues and top MTV execs oohing and ahhing at the sight of the legend who, along with her enormous hat, had serenaded Obama and a crowd of about 2 million at his swearing-in ceremony earlier in the day.

And now here she was at our little party, in an elegant white feathered gown and with an entourage of about 20.

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By Jayson Rodriguez

We all know Kanye's got a little bit of Björk in him, so if he's going to look a little Billy Ocean-ish with his 'do — that weird afro-mullet he sported Tuesday night at the Youth Ball — he can get a pass. Slightly.

MTV's Rahman Dukes was sitting next to me in the office during the show and, well, let's say he's not as generous with the passes. Kanye's 'fro is growing at a Chia Pet rate, and he needs to figure it out quick: to 'fro or no? He's treading on dangerous (fashion) ground with that toeing-the-line look. Maybe he should just follow Rah's advice: Cornrow that ish up already!

Jay-Z, on the other hand, has been sporting those black-rimmed specs a little too tough lately. At a Knicks game, cool. To the "Notorious" premiere, no sweat. But when Hov started rocking them around D.C., he went a little too far. Last night was like seeing Superman with gray hair in his wavy black tresses. There was Jay, live on TV, performing his track "History" in concert for the first time — and if the sight of an MC rapping in a tux wasn't weird enough, with those Urkel glasses? Ow. We winced, knowing the hip-hop blogs were gonna cut him up the next morning. Earlier in the day, he had 'em on but with a Russian "Spies Like Us" hat (it was cold out, but c'mon), and he looked more like a United Nations scientist than CEO of the R-O-C.

See photos of the two rappers here as well as Kanye and Jay-Z's performances at the inaugural balls after the jump.

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By Alex Shapiro

Through many decades, countless concerts in all different musical genres have had at least one thing linking them together: that jerk who yells "Free Bird!"

Anyone who's been to a rock show in the past 30 years knows exactly who I'm talking about (hey, it might even have been you!). The dork who waits for a relatively quiet moment in between songs and then yells out the words — so innocently written by late Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zandt, long before the band became famous — that have become rock's F-bomb, apparently thinking it's the most original, clever, spontaneous concert-going stunt since the invention of crowd surfing.

Yelling "Free Bird" at a gig has never been funny. Ever. Until last night. And here's why ...

Just hours after Barack Obama's historic nomination, the crowd at the Youth Ball (where Kanye West, Fall Out Boy and Kid Rock performed) was poised, almost silent with excitement, waiting for the new president to make his appearance. The energy in the room was palpable.

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Fall Out Boy spent inauguration day scaling trees and performing alongside Kanye West and Kid Rock at President Obama's Youth Ball, but out of 24 very hectic hours, there are three minutes that definitely stand out from the rest: when they got to meet Obama himself.

Even if they don't exactly remember how the whole thing went down.

"We literally found out we were going to meet him, like, a couple [of minutes beforehand]," FOB frontman Patrick Stump laughed. "A lady walks into the room and was like, 'We're leaving right now. ... You're meeting the president. It was like we had no time to prepare, no time to anything. ... You just walk up, and they were like, 'You gotta go now,' and they shove us against the wall and then in comes the president. It was amazing."

It sounds slightly terrifying, but the guys in FOB said it was probably the highlight of their career. After all, it's not every day you get to shake hands with the most powerful man in the world, who turns out to be a pretty nice guy.

See FOB recall their experience of meeting President Barack Obama after the jump! Read more...

By Akshay Bhansali

January 20, 2009, was a remarkable night for America in many ways. The first is the most obvious: The country solidified its intent on new leadership.

But also on Tuesday night, in Chalmette, Louisiana, a band of brothers and sisters showed the world that change can happen one house at a time. It can be done expeditiously, and with care. And that blood and sweat spent in a race to make the dreams of a fellow person come true can prove just as personally gratifying.

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Dear First Family:

First off, congrats! This is truly a historic occasion. We wish you all the best as you embark on this challenging and exciting time in American history. I'm sure it will be interesting for all of us as Americans.

But next, we have to thank you for giving us an equally historic occasion: a Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas reunion hug caught on tape! That's right. You, our country's new first family, have brought together the former king and queen of Disney. Read more...

Our crack reporters are live-blogging from the backstage of our "Be the Change" inaugural Youth Ball, featuring Kanye West, Fall Out Boy and Kid Rock, and reports from Kenya, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. For a look at what went on during the rehearsals earlier in the day, head here — to start this blog off, we've got Gil Kaufman as he warms up after waiting outside for an hour ...

Gil Kaufman 9:20 p.m. Cool, I didn't miss much while I was waiting outside, and right now, Kid Rock is killing it ... in a mellow, sit-down-and-chill, summer-breeze kind of way.

Gil Kaufman 9:49 p.m. Usher just swept into the house. He's one of our correspondents for the night and he's cabbage-patching to Bell Biv DeVoe’s "Poison" as wife Tameka Foster, decked out in an elegant, eggplant-colored, floor-length gown looks on and laughs.

Daniel "Monty" Montalto 9:50 p.m. It's official: The Youth Ball is now the hottest ticket in town! No kidding, I just heard of one big-time A-lister who was looking to get in but was having a hard time even getting a ticket.

Shaheem Reid 9:52 p.m. Fonzworth Bentley and legendary NBA villian/ forward Bill Laimbeer are holding court on the dance floor — not dancing, having a discussion.

Daniel "Monty" Montalto 10:10 p.m. Kanye West just took the stage and everyone in the place ran toward the stage like there was an emergency. Then again, there kinda was: 'Ye was bringing down the house with a medley that kicked off with "Touch the Sky" and “American Girl” and went into some of his biggest pre-808s and Heartbreak hits. Virtually everyone is now on the right-hand side of the room, where Kanye is playing. Even the bars are empty! And Kanye is KILLING IT — and taking the black-tie dress code to levels that make me feel underdressed (of course) ... Read more...

By Akshay Bhansali

It's clear. The pulse of Chalmette, Louisiana, is racing today. Yes, the fervor of a new era in American politics certainly kick-started things Tuesday.

The president's sermon whipped many into a frenzy. But there is an added electricity in the air: Word of mouth has spread through St. Bernard Parish, from Arabi all the way up to Violet, that over in Chalmette a race is on!

A team of volunteers from the St. Bernard Project is hustling to finish "Rebuild the Dream," their 24-hour, "Extreme Home Makeover"-style odyssey that has brought Robin and Denise Albers one step closer to home. Or to a home, I should say. They've been moving for more than three years, thanks to Hurricane Katrina. But with the helping hands of many fine young folk, hopefully, that will all change this evening.

"We're gonna finish this house," exclaimed Bethany Gagnon, an 18-year-old high school graduate volunteer from Connecticut. Clearly, there is no stopping these kids, and with such benevolence who dare do so?

But can they finish in time? As I've said before, the race is on. Watch "Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" online now, and come back Thursday for the full performances from Kanye West, Kid Rock and Fall Out Boy. Stick with us for wall-to-wall coverage of the inauguration and of the scenes in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Kenya.

By Gil Kaufman and Shaheem Reid

Get a behind-the-scenes look at our "Be the Change: Live From the Inaugural" special from a pair of writers lucky enough to be there now!

Gil, 7:40 p.m.: Not that I'm complaining, but after standing outside for eight hours this afternoon for the inauguration, the last thing I expected to do was wait in line in subzero weather tonight for 90 minutes to get into the Youth Inaugural Ball. I've been told I missed all of Fall Out Boy's set. I'd complain, but I think my lips just froze to my teeth.
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