Last night's annual "VH1 Hip-Hop Honors" show tipped its pimp hat to Def Jam Records, perhaps the most influential hip-hop company in history. When Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons launched Def Jam from Rubin's NYU dorm room 25 years ago, they surely could not have anticipated that they would nurture some of the greatest talent the hip-hop world has ever seen, from LL Cool J and Public Enemy to Ludacris and Young Jeezy.

In addition to more than two decades of killer music, artists on the Def Jam label have also focused on having a keen visual sense. As a result, some of the clips the label has put out over the years have become cornerstones of the video genre. From the punk-rock simplicity of the Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" to the grimy savagery of Redman's "Blow Your Mind" and Onyx's "Slam" to the widescreen gloss of Young Jeezy's "My President" and Rick Ross' "Magnificent," Def Jam videos have been eclectic and occasionally surreal but always memorable.

Def Jam's video history reveals some interesting wrinkles in the label's history. For example, Slayer's iconic album Reign in Blood was originally put out by the label (not shocking, considering Rubin's affinity for metal) and "Raining Blood" makes for a fascinating entry in the label's history. And even though Def Jam was always primarily identified as an East Coast label, they put out one of the bigger records of the early-'90s West Coast gangsta era in Warren G's Regulate ... G-Funk Era, which meant that the clip for "Regulate" (featuring a breakout performance from Nate Dogg) was a Def Jam original.

So take a look at the 20 videos that make up Def Jam's history, from oft-forgotten clips like Oran "Juice" Jones' "The Rain" and EPMD's "Headbanger" to more high-profile clips like Sisquo's "Thong Song," Ja Rule's "Holla Holla" and, of course, the Beastie Boys.

MTV News has been keeping a close watch on the backstage happenings at the 2009 Outside Lands Festival, and we've been talking to so many artists that it's sometimes difficult to find the time to actually stand in front of a stage and watch a band perform. But there was one person I definitely wanted to be in front of this weekend at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and that person was Slug from Atmosphere. The Minneapolis rapper brought a healthy dose of hip-hop to the early afternoon proceedings and drew an impressive crowd despite the chilly conditions and the normal final day malaise that settles over most festivals.

Those of us who crowded in to see the show were not disappointed, as Slug ripped through a rugged set full of call-and-response anthems like "God Loves Ugly," "Guns and Cigarettes" and "Trying to Find a Balance." He brought out fellow Minnesotan Brother Ali to run hype and tag-team on a few verses, many of which included shout-outs to the Beastie Boys, who were supposed to headline Sunday night's festivities but had to pull out because of MCA's cancer treatment (they were replaced by Tenacious D, who close out the weekend tonight). Slug dropped in references to Beasties hits like "Intergalactic," "Slow and Low" and "Sabotage," all of which were greeted warmly by the rhyme-loving crowd nodding their heads and waving their hands.

It was a classic Atmosphere set, full of equal parts swagger, angst, funk and fury. Slug's lyrics may be complex and hyper-literate, but like any good MC, he still knows how to move a crowd.

The clock on the wall says it's just about time to punch out here in the Newsroom, but that doesn't mean we don't have time to reflect on everything we learned this week, as there was much education flying around the office.

» We learned that at least one "Twilight" star has heard "Screaming at a Wall."

» We learned that sometimes Cake is just as good as cake.

» We learned that at least one member of the MTV News staff owns a copy of the soundtrack to "A Life Less Ordinary."

» We learned that John Mayer's lyrics often blend together with his tweets.
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By Rya Backer

It's been a pretty whirlwind 24 hours for us Beastie Boys superfans. Yesterday, a stop was placed on our hopes and dreams of the release of a new album (whispers are that it's really great), a festival tour peppered with a few individual shows in between and general press blitz mayhem when MCA delivered the very sad, very sobering news that he needed to take time out to be treated for cancer.

In a move that could be classified as either a really incredible coincidence or a really incredible diversion tactic (let the legend get treated, radiated and recuperated in peace!), the Boys have released a full-version of "Too Many Rappers," featuring Nas. When Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 drops, it'll be the sixth track on the album, because you were wondering.

This song is really exciting for a lot of reasons. Allow me to elucidate:

» This is the first full-length song we've heard from the new album. No, the two minute bites from "Lee Majors Come Again" and "B-Boys in the Cut" do not count. Nor does the Bonnaroo performance video for "Too Many Rappers." I remember hearing a bootleg of "That's It, That's All" before To The Five Boroughs came out, and it sounded amazing. Then I heard the real song and, well, I've got nothing nice to say, so I won't say anything at all about it (my mom brought me up right). Which brings me to my next point...

» I think "Too Many Rappers" is incredibly fun and good! Hooray! I just consulted my extensive Beastie Boys iPod library, and I couldn't really find another song "Too Many Rappers" resembles. Maybe "Drums of Death," but that was Mike D. rapping on an U.N.K.L.E. track. And the fuzz bass reminds me of "Gratitude." The point is it sounds new and different and great.

» Nas has a great cameo. The last time they teamed up with another rapper was when Q-Tip joined them on the Ill Communication classic "Get It Together," though I don't recall Tip ever giving Christian Louboutin a shout-out.

So MCA, until you're back in top form, this'll hold us over.

Adam Yauch (aka MCA of the Beastie Boys) announced today that the group will be taking some time out while he deals with a cancerous tumor on one of his salivary glands. As a result, the group will push back the release of their new album Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1 and bow out of their upcoming tour dates, including headlining slots at Lollapalooza and All Points West. MTV News wishes Yauch a speedy recovery.

What's an even bigger bummer is that it's unlikely the Boys will be available to attend this year's Video Music Awards. It's a shame indeed, because they happen to be responsible for one of the best VMA performances of all time. On the 1998 edition of the show, the trio teamed up with DJ Mix Master Mike to bust through "Three MCs and One DJ" before launching into their hit "Intergalactic." Their five manic minutes on stage proved them to be not only some of the best old-school rappers still in the game but also some of the genre's most dynamic performers. Get well soon, Yauch.

Welcome to the weekly Newsroom Poll, where we will give you a sneak peek into the lives and minds of some of the correspondents, writers, editors and producers here at MTVNews.com. Every week, they'll answer a poll question that will reveal some of what we talk about behind the scenes here in the newsroom. Enjoy!

One of the recurring themes that came up during this week's Michael Jackson memorial was the idea that the video for "Thriller" was such a huge event that it not only made people love Jackson but love music videos as an art form. Everybody who works here at MTV News had that moment at one time or another — the one where music videos suddenly became the greatest thing in the universe, even if for a short time. Which brings up this week's poll question: What music video was the one that made you love music videos? Our responses are below, but make sure you add your own stories in the comments and at Your.MTV.com!

Rick Marshall
The first music video that really stuck in my head and turned me on to music videos was a-ha's "Take On Me." Sure, it's an easy pick given that MTV was playing the video over and over when it first aired, but I was 7 years old when I first saw Steve Barron's pencil-sketched, rotoscoped take on the song, and it's still one of my favorite videos. "Take On Me" was my first exposure to music videos that were more than just taped recordings of a band only differing from one another by lighting choices and camera angles. Given my current gig as editor of MTV's comic book and movie blog Splash Page, my early fascination with the video's mix of live action and animation probably offered a great indicator of where I'd end up a few decades later. Over the years, it's become apparent that appreciation for the "Take On Me" video is pretty much a common theme among comic book and animation geeks who grew up during the '80s. Between Barron moving on to direct the awesome 1990 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" film and more recently, a great riff on the video during an episode of "Family Guy," it doesn't seem like a coincidence that "Take On Me" was one of the first music videos I latched onto. Heck, as far as I'm concerned, it's a sign of geek cred.
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This morning, the Beastie Boys sent out a press release announcing the album cover and tracklisting for their new album Hot Sauce Committee, which comes out September 15. Here is the immediate conversation I had with MTV News correspondent James Montgomery (conducted via e-mail despite the fact that we sit across from each other).

James: This is rather ... uh ... interesting. The cover makes it look like they're on "Lost." Also, there are songs called "Bundt Cake" and "Funky Donkey" and "Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament."

Kyle: I'm hoping "Lee Majors Come Again" is a prolonged sex fantasy about Col. Steve Austin.

James: Sadly, I think it's a hardcore track, a la "Heart Attack Man." Also, I love how they've now started referring to their songs as "compositions." "Ahem ... this next composition is titled 'Crazy Ass S---.'"

Kyle: "Crazy Ass S---" is, of course, a Phillip Glass cover.

James: Is this enough for a blog?

When Conan O'Brien moved from the 12:30 slot to the more high-profile "Tonight Show," there was concern in the media (and in the MTV newsroom) that O'Brien wouldn't be able to be as aggressively weird as he was allowed to be on his old show. But on Friday, a familiar face returned to the fray: Former Eminem rival Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who took his microphone to Bonnaroo to poke fun at dirty hippies and take down a handful of bands, including TV on the Radio and the Beastie Boys. Triumph's Beasties interview was probably the finest bit, which saw Robert Smigel's puppet note, "It used to be 'Check Your Head' and now it's 'Check Your Prostate.'" Check out the entire clip below.

Perry Farrell does it to us every year. Yes, his brainchild Lollapalooza is one of the best rock deals for the money every summer, with more than 100 bands playing right on the Chicago lakefront in beautiful Grant Park. But whoever maps out the schedule grid must be a masochist, because this year's lineup has more than its share of conflicts that are going to force some serious musical Sophie's choices. I have already begun stewing over the ones that are trying to break my heart.

Friday is not so bad. Yes, I'd like to see White Lies, but I'll probably choose Jersey punk outfit the Gaslight Anthem. And as much as I've always wanted to check out nutso electronic duo Crystal Castles, by evening I'll probably need to be soothed by the dulcet tones of Fleet Foxes. The headliner spot is an easy one for me, since I just caught Kings of Leon but haven't seen Depeche Mode in six years, and I know their show will have a bit more flash than the Followill brothers' more straight-ahead set.
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I envy you ... the unwashed masses, the blissfully unemployed, the bearded and bedraggled. You get to go to Bonnaroo, to revel in four days of unadulterated muck and music and mind-altering substances. I don't, because I am stuck in meetings all week.

And this is most certainly a bummer. See, I love Bonnaroo. I think it's the best fest in America, an experience every music fan must have at least once in their lives (and I'm not just saying this because, back in 2007, I got to fly a helicopter there).

But this year, because of the time constraints due to back-to-back-to-back business meetings (read: impending adulthood), I'm not going to make it down to Manchester, Tennessee. I will probably regret this for the rest of my life, because Bonnaroo 2009 looks like it's going to be a blast.

And, yeah, I know that the weather forecast for Manchester could charitably be described as "cataclysmic" — the phrase "strong storms" is bandied about, which should make camping in an open field with 80,000 other revelers a rather messy affair — but that doesn't change the fact that there are tons of can't-miss moments spread out over the fest's four days. Which means that if you're brave enough to, uh, brave the weather, you're gonna be in for a treat.

So even though I won't be down in Tennessee with you, I figured I could still lend a hand. I've thrown together a Bonnaroo Cheat Sheet, highlighting some of the fest's best acts. These are the bands you probably can't afford to miss, even if you have to trudge through six feet of water to check them out.

» Thursday: A bit of a light schedule, as most of the 80k will still be setting up their tents, but you'd be doing yourself a favor if you checked out Passion Pit, a much-buzzed electro-pop outfit from Massachusetts who just released their debut disc, a dazzler called Manners. If you can get past frontman Michael Angelakos' pinched squeal, there's plenty of goodness.
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