"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.

"She said she felt very rejoiceful that she not only got to see this moment, but that she got to experience it in her lifetime. It made her reflect on her life and on everyone who has lost their lives in the struggle for equality — but not just black people. Everyone who marched in the civil-rights movement. Everyone who has been discriminated against or felt disenfranchised. She said this was the first time she ever thought that people were galvanized by something ... and how, for the first time in a long time, it felt like good was winning.

"The feeling of euphoria [in D.C.] was amazing. ... I walked by myself — it was just a couple of miles, but it took me, like, an hour. I hugged so many people and shook so many hands. There was this feeling in the air ... it was a feeling of love. And it made me think back to when I was a kid, and they asked you to imagine what heaven was like. To me, heaven was a gigantic playground that everyone played on. Everyone you had met before, everyone who you would meet. And I thought, 'This could be what heaven is like.' And when Obama spoke, he was like a messenger. For a brief moment, it all looked and felt like heaven. ...

"[Last fall] we had flown to interview Barack after his first debate with [Republican candidate] John McCain, and I was focused and on my game. But before we talked, some of his friends and advisers were around him, and they came up to me and were like, 'Hey, man, we saw your list of the Hottest MCs in the Game ... we think Jay-Z should've been #1.' [Laughs] They were talking to me about hip-hop, man. And I tried to get on them, like, 'I don't know if you're qualified to be talking about this ... show me your iPod.' And sure enough, one of the guys had, like, every Jay album on his iPod. And he said Barack listened to a lot of Jay too. It threw me off my game, you know? But I gotta respect him for that. He knew what he was talking about."

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.

Unfortunately, Aretha didn't stay long. Maybe it was the 18-year-olds dancing like maniacs or the fact that most other celebs (including fellow legend Cher) had already left, or maybe it was the way my colleagues and I surrounded her with our cameras like paparazzi, but the Queen of Soul graced us with her presence for all of five minutes.

We weren't letting her get away that easily! Although we were leaving anyway (I swear, we were), my coworkers and I were drawn to her like magnets and followed her all the way to the elevators while singing "Sweet Caroline" to her. (Weird, I know, but I think this may have been due to a combo of alcohol and the excitement of the day). Aretha was the pied piper of the Youth Ball! One of my colleagues compared the experience to being high. Others were speechless. It was a moment that's really hard to put into words (you kind of had to be there), but it's one that was almost as cool as meeting the prez would have been. We love you, Aretha!

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.

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.

Kanye West Performs At The Youth Ball:

Jay-Z Performs At The Neighborhood Ball:

To Roc-A-Fella's D.C. edition, here's what we say: 'Ye, yay; Hov, nay.

What do you think about their looks? Let us know!

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.

Then the music stopped and the lights faded. Sway interrupted Rosario Dawson's interview. According to our live blog, Ashton Kutcher and Usher readied their camera phones.

And then, right before the band began to play, heralding Obama's appearance — as if it has been whispered into his ear by an angel, an anonymous ballgoer crowed out the words: "FREEEEEE-BIRRRRRRD!" And it was actually funny!

Why? Maybe because it was so unexpected, given the circumstances; maybe because the thought of Barack Obama busting into "Free Bird" is hilarious. Who knows? I just want to extend my hand in congratulations to that person for having the nerve to yell that at such a momentous event, and making it funny.

BUT: Never do it again. Nobody. Do it. Ever. Again.

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!

"It was fantastic," guitarist Joe Trohman said. "He came out on my right-hand side. All of a sudden, he's there in my face and said, 'Oh, what's your name?' and I almost just went, 'Uh, Obama?' I freaked out and didn't know what to say. But he was so nice and cool. Just the fact that he and Michelle came up and were like, 'What's your name? It's really nice to meet you.' It was so cool."

So what exactly did the guys in FOB say to the commander in chief during their brief meeting? Did they perhaps try to sneak in some quick lobbying? Or maybe slip him a copy of Folie à Deux? Turns out, they just kept it simple.

"I just made sure to call him 'president' a lot. I'm sure he wants to hear that more now," Trohman laughed.

"Yeah, he's got to get used to hearing it," Stump added.

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.

On Tuesday, volunteers working with the St. Bernard Project helped Robin Albers and her 14-year-old daughter Denise complete renovations on her new home in St. Bernard Parish — and MTV News was on hand to celebrate the experience. As the Youth Ball carried on, workers raced to their final treatments to the home before revealing their work to Robin for the first time.

"We are home! We are finally home!" she cried, embracing her daughter happily. For Robin and Denise, Tuesday made her evacuation from the area come full circle.

Hurricane Katrina made them leave, but now they're home again.

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.

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.

It's hard to describe how overwhelming it is to see two adorable teens, who once shared a puppy love so deep that it caused Miley to highlight her hair for Nick. But footage has emerged from Monday night's "Kids' Inaugural: We Are the Future," showing Nick hugging performers and fans who were on-stage at the end of the show as the guys finished up their performance of "Burnin' Up."

You can hear the fan who taped the encounter say to herself "awkward!" as Nick gets to Miley: Will he hug her, or won't he? With baited breath and what can only be described as feeling this might be really awkward, the two former lovebirds shared a hug.

So, we as proud Americans, thank you for making something like this happen.

Your fellow American,
Jocelyn

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) ...

Gil 10:17 p.m. I saw one of Kanye's bandmembers earlier in the night and he was wearing this crazy black face shield that looked like a welding get-up. I actually thought he was here to do some emergency repairs ...

Monty 10:20 p.m. Fall Out Boy were out in full force watching Kanye's performance from the side of the stage. Not too long after Kanye left the stage, the crowd broke out in to a chant of "O-BA-MA!" reminding everyone that no matter how hot Kanye's performance was (and it WAS), Barack is headlining this show ...

Shaheem 10:21 p.m. Kid Rock arrived in Washington, D.C., today, just in time to hear Barack Obama speak. "I listened to it," he said. "We had just gotten off the plane. We were in the van, but that's the important part: Listening to it."

Gil 10:21 p.m. Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore just arrived.

Shaheem 10:23 p.m. Obama chants are echoing throughout the ballroom. The crowd actually had an extra two pops during "Love Lockdown." People started setting up American flags on the stage, away from Kanye. That's where the Obamas will be for their dance.

Speaking of dancing, there was a couple ballroom dancing throughout Kanye's whole set!

Monty 10:32 Kid Rock, Tobey Maguire and Ashton Kutcher are all hanging out together by Sway's position, waiting for the president ...

He's here! The place is going bonkers!!!! I've never seen Bush greeted like a rock star, but to this room, Obama is even bigger than that. Everyone in the room has their cameraphones up in the air to catch this moment.

Benjamin Wagner, 10:35 p.m. Even Ashton Kutcher is snapping iPhone photos on an MTV News homebase crowded with Demi, Kid Rock, and Usher. The crowd is chanting "Yes we can!" Obama laughs ...

Gil 10:33 p.m. Ashton and Usher gave each other a bro-hug on the MTV riser, then, a few minutes later, stand together to watch President Obama address the crowd.

Shaheem 10:50 p.m. It's too much to talk about: I just shook hands with Spiderman. Right before the Obama's came on, Tobey McGuire, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Kid Rock, Usher and his wife Tameka all came to the MTV homebase to watch the speech and dance. Ashton taped the whole thing on his camera; Usher got most of it too. When Usher was called away right before the band started playing, Ashton turned to him and said "You're gonna miss the dance!" "You can't miss the dance," Demi added. But Ush, the professional he is, was focused and hit the floor for his TV appearance.

Afterward, Usher and Tobey McGuire greeted each other.

Benjamin 10:56 p.m. Fall Out Boy met Obama 10 minutes before tearing through "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs," which they dedicated to ex-President Bush.

Shaheem 10:57 p.m. Funny moment: After Ashton and Demi had their interview with Sway at the MTV homebase, Ashton yelled to the crowd, "We did it!" His wife must have not heard. As they were walking down the steps, she said, "Give them a little wave. Did you give them a wave," she said about the crowd. "Oh, I did," he answered ...

Shaheem 11:01 p.m. Singer Eric Benet is walking around the ball ... by himself! Poor guy ...

Monty 11:10 p.m. President Obama and the first lady came through here like a slow-dancing tornado. I heard they were behind schedule, but it felt like they were here for a flash. The prez spoke a bit and gave the crowd some love, then they slow-danced to an instrumental version of "At Last." Afterward, Obama said, "That's what's called old school," getting a big laugh out of the crowd. And just like that, the president and first lady were gone.

Monty 11:13 p.m. Fall Out Boy just ended their set with "Sugar We're Going Down" and like 'em or not, anyone who says those guys don't put on a good show has never seem 'em or is a liar. I actually just heard that the guys got to meet Obama prior to taking the stage — something none of them had ever done, despite being early, vocal supporters of the new prez.

Gil 11:14 p.m. There is a photographer in the photo pit who totally looks like ex-Vice President Dick Cheney — er, without the wheelchair.

Gil 11:15 p.m. Kanye just walked by and I was blown away by his crazy faux-hawk, wedge-sideways fade hairstyle. That dude really is on some outer space ish ...

Gil 11:30 p.m. The crowd is still going strong, grooving to Britney's "Womanizer" and the remix of T.I.'S "Whatever You Like." Here's the thing: I've been to something like five balls this weekend (it's surprisingly easy to lose count) and all I could think of them was, "You paid a thousand bucks for this?" But tonight? Kid Rock, Kanye, Fall Out Boy and the president? I woulda paid to be here! (Just kidding, boss ...)

Monty 11:39 p.m. Sway is getting ready to interview Fall Out Boy and Kanye together — which can only be a good thing, since the last time 'Ye and FOB got together, it resulted in the amazing "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" remix. Let's hope Kanye gets inspired to do something with "America's Suitehearts," which definitely brought down the house tonight.

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.

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.

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.

Shaheem, 8:30 p.m.: As some members of the press wait in a holding area, Geraldo Rivera walks in and tries to leave out a different entrance leading to the ballroom. The security guard stops him. Rivera says: "Sir, I cannot stay here. I'm about to go on air." Rivera walks out to his destination with no incident. Kanye practices his set. His last piece for rehearsal is "Heartless." The DJ is playing Alicia Keys right now.

Gil, 8:31 p.m.: I'm inside now. I can't remember a time when I saw this many young people this dressed up ... maybe an episode of "My Super Sweet 16." It's kind of nice. They're chowing on mini-BBQ sandwiches while the sound of the bands soundchecking thumps up through the floor from the ballroom below.

Shaheem, 8:42 p.m.: Usher, Bill Bellamy and Sway are taking photos at MTV's home base. I also snapped a pic with Usher as he told me about his experience today. He sat up close to see Obama's speech and was very moved.

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.