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Hip-Hop All-Stars In The Booze Business: We Rate The Product

Posted 7/19/11 5:30 pm EST by in Lists, Pharrell


Pharrell Williams

By Zachary Swickey

Pharrell Williams, hip-hop producer and connoisseur of all the finer things in life, is the latest musician to plunge into the liquor business with the announcement of his own alcoholic beverage, which is designed specifically for women.

Dubbed “Qream,” the lady drink will come in two flavors – Strawberry Qream and Peach Qream – when it hits shelves nationwide later this month. Partnering with one of the world’s largest spirit makers, Diageo, Pharrell not only helped develop the flavor of the ultra-premium cream liqueur, he also designed the bottle and will serve as the brand’s cultural ambassador through its advertising campaign.

In a statement to AllHipHop, Pharrell said, “Qream was created for contemporary women who work hard and want to relax with friends at the end of the day. I want them to reward themselves ‘deliciously.’ Women make up half the population and Qream is about celebrating that power.”

Pharrell knows a thing or two about swooning ladies, so he may be the perfect guy to develop a premium cream liqueur for the fairer sex. However, the booze business has plenty of other rapper-branded drinks to give Pharrell and Qream a healthy amount of competition.

Below I provide my opinion on the most notable and tasty. Read More...

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Justin Bieber's 'Never Say Never' Finally Arrives, Bringing Usher, Miley Cyrus And Ludacris

Posted 2/11/11 10:30 am EST by in Music


After months of anticipation, the day is finally here, as "Never Say Never" — the documentary/concert film about the rise of Justin Bieber — is finally here. The 3-D spectacle hits theaters today in a weirdly busy weekend at the movie theater, as this Friday also marks the release of the Adam Sandler romantic comedy "Just Go With It," the animated front lawn fantasy "Gnomeo & Juliet" (featuring the voice talents of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt), the Ed Helms breakout indie comedy vehicle "Cedar Rapids," the historical action epic "The Eagle," compilations of the short films and animated shorts nominated for Oscars and the sex toy documentary "Orgasm Inc."

But of course, "Never Say Never" is the main event, as it stars perhaps the biggest pop sensation of the last 18 months and features never-before-seen behind-the-scenes looks at his early life, his musical beginnings, his connection with his fans and the swirl of activity that always surrounds him. It's a lively, kinetic movie that appears to be taking a genuinely clear-eyed look into the life of a superstar.

Obviously, you can properly prepare for "Never Say Never" by spinning your copy of Bieber's My World 2.0, but in case you need a boost, there's the playlist below. In addition to Bieber songs and tracks that prominently feature the word "never," there are also entries from the film's special guests, including Ludacris ("My Chick Bad"), Miley Cyrus ("Party in the U.S.A.") and Usher ("DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love"). Kick things off with "Eenie Meenie" (which features Sean Kingston, another special guest in the film) and fire up your purple 3-D glasses.


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Enrique Iglesias Previews Video For 'Tonight'

Posted 12/15/10 12:30 pm EST by in Music


Sweeping shots of beautiful beaches? Check. Ludacris hanging out with hot girls, probably popping bottles of bub? Check. Enrique Iglesias looking foxy on a giant boat and stepping of a private jet? Check and double check. Those elements are all present and accounted for in the two sneak peeks of Iglesias' forthcoming video for his single "Tonight." As you may have figured out by now, we're a bit obsessed with the raunchy club jam here at MTV News, so we're equally stoked to see how Enrique will capture the song's joie de vivre in visual form.

Iglesias has noted that when he sat down to record the song about being straightforward with a lady about his intentions to bed her, he didn't want to sound "arrogant." (Writer's aside: Even an arrogant Enrique is a hot Enrique.)

"For me, the most important thing when I was in the studio singing it was, 'How do I sing this and not sound arrogant, like an idiot or way too out there?' And that's really what it came down to," he explained to MTV News. "I did it a bunch of times, and I heard it back, and it felt good for me, the phrase: 'Please excuse, I don't mean to be rude, but tonight, I'm [f---ing] you.' I thought I didn't want it to be one of those songs I heard on the radio and say to myself, 'Man, I wish I would have sang that.' And I felt it was one of those special ones."

Well, it seems that while this video will never be "Hero" (undoubtedly one of the best clips ever made), we're excited to see what Enrique has up his sleeve for the clip for this very, very special track.

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Enrique Iglesias' 'Tonight' Makes An Offer No Woman Can Refuse

Posted 11/2/10 11:30 am EST by in Music


The idea of Enrique Iglesias and Ludacris teaming up for a new single is enough to perk our ears up, but the content of "Tonight" has got the MTV Newsroom buzzing. The track (not to be confused with more PG songs of the same name from the Jonas Brothers or New Kids on the Block), has the singer telling his lady love one thing: "Tonight I'm f---ing you." It's a line that probably even made the typically blue-working Ludacris blush a little bit.

The track is club-ready, which means that Iglesias croons that line no less than 1,000 times over the course of the song. (Note: These calculations may not be entirely accurate.) And while the song seems almost too funny to be real, it had every man, woman and child (OK, no kids actually work here) of MTV News blushing. Everyone here had to listen to the song's incredibly catchy chorus a few times to make sure that Enrique was actually being that forward — and then found themselves singing along inappropriately merely seconds later.

Sure, on "I Like It," he teased us with his Casanova ways with lines like "Girl please excuse me If I'm coming too strong/ But tonight is the night/ We can really let go/ My girlfriend is out of town/ And I'm all alone/ Your boyfriend is on vacation/ And he doesn't have to know," but this is a man who romantically made love to Jennifer Love Hewitt on top of a pile of stolen cash in his legendarily epic video for "Hero." He's not a love'em and leave'em kind of guy. He's Enrique!

And yet, the approach has proved to be hugely effective (at least musically). Every few seconds, somebody here in the MTV Newsroom will sing the chorus to him- or herself, not even realizing that it probably shouldn't be popping up in the middle of a meeting. (Yeah, it's just that catchy.) And for that we commend Enrique for being so bold and saying what we all (well, most of us) have been wishing he'd say to us for years. Between Enrique, Kanye and Cee-Lo, the most popular songs in the MTV Newsroom have also been the dirtiest.

So give the song a listen and let us know if you're just as surprised by and enamored of it as we are!

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The Forbes List Of Highest Paid Hip-Hop Stars Reveals Some Excellent Diversification

Posted 8/18/10 12:30 pm EST by in Music


Hip-hop has come an awfully long way since its humble beginnings inside an apartment in the Bronx. It has blossomed into an industry worth millions and millions of dollars, much of it collected among an elite group of performers and moguls. The rap world has some of the best diversification of any genre, as rappers are regularly involved in record labels, film (both in performance and production capacities), fashion, food and professional sports. That's why Forbes magazine's list of the top 20 earners in hip-hop is so intriguing, as the biggest money makers aren't necessarily the artists with the biggest hits (though that certainly helps).

But who has the best portfolio of all the MCs on the list? Here are the five best revelations from this audit.

Jay-Z
The number one entry on the list (with an income of $63 million) not only has one of the biggest albums (The Blueprint 3) and singles ("Empire State of Mind") of the past year but also one of the best batches of extra-curricular cash flows. The most interesting? His stake in the Broadway musical "Fela!"

Akon
Though his last album came out in 2008, Akon's success can be attributed to his incredible business deals (including an alignment with Pepsi) and his label Kon Live, which has put out Lady Gaga's best-selling albums.

Dr. Dre
Further proof you don't necessarily need new music to fill your wallet, Dr. Dre still brings in money hand over fist for his watershed 1992 album The Chronic and also rakes in a ton of cash via his Beats by Dre line of top-shelf headphones. Imagine how much his worth will skyrocket when Detox finally hits.
Read More...

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Eminem And Ludacris Should Collaborate, According To Readers

Posted 7/28/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


In one of the tightest Billboard races in recent memory, Eminem's Recovery narrowly edged out Rick Ross' Teflon Don to stay in the top position on the chart. It's Eminem's fifth straight week on top, bringing the total sales of Recovery up to 1,700,000 copies sold. Ross held his own with 176,000 copies shifted in his first week, but he couldn't knock Eminem out of the top spot. Will Fat Joe or Avenged Sevenfold find a way to climb up top next week? Will Ricky Rozay find his way top the top in his second week? Will the premiere of the video for Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" kick start another sales surge that keeps Eminem on top for the rest of the summer? The album chart hasn't been this compelling in years, and it feels good to speculate again.

Eminem can chalk up at least part of his success to the collaborations on Recovery, including tag team efforts with Rihanna, Pink and Lil Wayne. On Tuesday (July 27), we asked who Slim Shady's next collaborator should be, and in something of a surprise, Ludacris topped the voting with 40 percent of the total vote. People seemed to be really enthusiastic about Em and Luda coming together on a rapid-fire smash that would complete Eminem's down south trifecta (which includes T.I. and Weezy).

Nicki Minaj ended up in second place, which was not particularly surprising considering she is currently enjoying a massive hit with "Your Love." She finished with 25 percent of the total vote, just ahead of Katy Perry (who nabbed 13 percent). In another shocking twist, Justin Bieber earned himself eight percent, ahead of both the Clipse (six percent) and Ross (five percent).

What producer would you pair up with Ludacris and Eminem? Let us know in the comments!

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Justin Bieber's 'Somebody To Love' Voted His Best Collaboration

Posted 7/21/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


On Tuesday, the MTV Newsroom Blog wondered aloud about the best collaboration Just Bieber has ever been a part of. Though the 16-year-old singer only has a handful of songs to his name, he has managed to hook up with a number of high-profile artists and create a string of hits with other stars. In addition to the two songs he has recorded with mentor Usher (My World's "First Dance" and the remix to My World 2.0's "Somebody to Love"), he has shared track space with Ludacris ("Baby"), Jaden Smith ("Never Say Never"), Sean Kingston ("Eenie Meenie"), Jessica Jarrell ("Overboard") and Soulja Boy ("Rich Girl"). But which one of those tracks stood above the others as the favorite among fans?

The poll ended up being a two-horse race between "Baby" and the remix of "Somebody to Love." Even though "Baby" sits at number five on the Ultimate Chart, "Somebody to Love" won the day, taking 37 percent of the total vote. "Baby" finished in a distant second place with 24 percent, while "Never Say Never" (which only appeared on the soundtrack to "The Karate Kid") came in third with 16 percent of the vote.

Even though "Somebody to Love" features Usher, his presence didn't seem to help the popularity of "First Dance," his other tag-team with Bieber. That track only took in three percent of the total vote, earning it a spot in last place. Just above it was "Rich Girl" (four percent) and "Overboard" (seven percent), with "Eenie Meenie" in the dead center spot with eight percent.

Bieber is currently working on new music, and it's almost a certainty that he will be collaborating with many more artists in the future (including Dr. Dre, about whom Bieber tweeted earlier this week). Who else will Bieber hook up with in the studio? Will Usher join him once again? Will he work with Drake to create an ultimate Canadian superpower? Will he jam with Asher Roth, who has Bieber's skills as a rapper? Only time will tell.

Who should Justin Bieber collaborate with next? Let us know in the comments!

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What Is Justin Bieber's Best Collaboration?

Posted 7/20/10 11:35 am EST by in Music


Over the course of the last week, the MTV Newsroom Blog readers have been weighing in on some of the best collaborations that Eminem has managed to pull off over the course of his long career. It's impressive that even after a decade in the game, Slim Shady is still one of them most coveted and in-demand players on the hip-hop scene, both for his signature rhyming and his unique approach to production. When Eminem appears on a track, it tends to lend said song an instant blast of credibility and also gives it a swift kick in the sales pants as well. In fact, there's only one other artists out there whose collaborative services may be more in demand: Justin Bieber.

Though the 16-year-old Bieber only has one album and one EP to his name, he has accumulated an impressive number of tag-team productions. Bieber's biggest single "Baby" featured an assist from Ludacris, while the Canadian pop singer can currently be heard tearing up the Billboard chart with the remix of "Somebody to Love," which includes a guest spot from mentor Usher (who he also teamed with on My World's "First Dance").

Bieber has also found success teaming up with Sean Kingston ("Eenie Meenie"), Jessica Jarrell ("Overboard"), Jaden Smith ("Never Say Never") and Soulja Boy ("Rich Girl"). For a guy who has really only been in the spotlight for a year, that's an impressive number of collaborations with some truly top-shelf talent.

But which song reigns supreme? It's up to you to decide! Vote in the poll below and leave your thoughts in the comments!

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The 2010 Baseball At-Bat Music All Stars

Posted 7/14/10 11:30 am EST by in Music


The streak is over! On Tuesday night (July 13), the National League broke an incredible streak of futility and topped the American League by a score of 3-1 in the 2010 Major League Baseball All Star Game. In winning the Midsummer Classic, the National League will now have home field advantage at this year's World Series. Though Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann walked away as the MVP of the game (his three-run double represented all of the offense for his squad), there were also great performances from New York Mets third baseman David Wright, Chicago Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd and pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez, David Price, Matt Capps and Jonathan Broxton. It was an excellent game, especially if you like pitching, as there were a tremendous number of strikeouts spread across nine innings.

Members of the baseball All Star teams are selected via fan voting, player recommendations and manager selections. But really, each player should be judged by the quality of his at-bat music. What began as a sort of clever thing that occasionally happened has become a key part of a player's persona. In some parks, the at-bat song is accompanied by specific highlight montage for that particular star, which makes some baseball at-bats a lot like professional wrestling entrances. Here is the true All Star roster based solely on at-bat songs.

Player: Eli Whiteside, Catcher
Team: San Francisco Giants
Song: Ozzy Osbourne, "Crazy Train"
An oldie but a goodie, Osbourne's tune about going off the rails reflects Whiteside's unpredictability and also his manic energy.

Player: Paul Konerko, First Base
Team: Chicago White Sox
Song: Metallica, "Harvester of Sorrow"
Konerko is having a resurgent year, and he comes to bat with an incredible tune. A lot of athletes use Metallica songs, but while many will choose more popular fare like "Enter Sandman" or "Master of Puppets," Konerko goes with a blaster from ...And Justice For All. That's the mark of a true fan.

Player: Ian Kinsler, Second Base
Team: Texas Rangers
Song: Ram Jam, "Black Betty" and the Alkaholiks, "Make Room"
Not only is Kinsler actually an all star second baseman, but he also has one of the crazier (and best) one-two punches in the at-bat music world. Ram Jam and the Alkaholiks — together at last!
Read More...

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Spend Mother's Day With Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé And Other Celebs And Their Moms

Posted 5/9/10 10:00 am EST by in Music


It's Mother's Day today, so hopefully you dropped your card in the mail, made brunch reservations or at least gave mom a call to remind her how grateful you are that she raised you. The great thing about Mother's Day is that it brings everybody together on an even field. After all, whether you're the Queen of England, the starting first baseman for the Chicago Cubs or an insurance salesman from Des Moines, you all had mothers. Celebrities are no different, which is why we put together a collection of our favorite famous folks and their respective female parental units, including Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson.

Celebrity mothers come in all shapes and sizes, whether they are ubiquitous because of the underage-ness of their famous daughters (like Tish Cyrus or Lisa Tisdale), famous because they are important fixtures in their kids' public lives (Lynne Spears, Tina Simpson or the late Donda West) or notorious for all the wrong reasons (we're looking at you, Dina Lohan).

Still, even the most tabloid-friendly mothers deserve a salute on the day designed for them, so keep mom in mind and have a look at the gallery below of your favorite celebrities and their respective mothers, starting with Miley and Tish Cyrus and continuing on through Flavor Flav and Anna Drayton, Sean and Janice Combs, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles and a host of others.

(Click here for more photos of our favorite actors, singers and stars with their moms!)

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