If you happen to pass by Sean Combs, be sure to wish him a happy birthday, as the man better known as Diddy turns 40 years old today. While it's bizarre to think if Diddy as a guy in the depths of middle age, it's also odd to think that he isn't older. Diddy has been such a dominant, ubiquitous force in pop culture since the '90s that it's almost as if he has always been with us. There have been countless highs (smash hits like "It's All About the Benjamins," "I'll Be Missing You" and "Bad Boy for Life") and devastating lows (most notably the death of his friend the Notorious B.I.G.), but he has certainly changed the face of hip-hop and gave rise to the idea of diversification among pop stars. He's dabbled in fashion, fragrances, restaurants and alcohol, and his empire is constantly expanding.

They say hip-hop is a young man's game, though that's mostly because the art form itself is only about 30 years old. Still, there aren't a whole lot of artists who are aging as gracefully as Diddy is, though a handful of these 40-and-over elder statesmen join him. (Jay-Z enters the club in December.)

RZA
Age: 40
Early Career: Built grimy beats and rapped psychedelic nonsense alongside his Wu-Tang Clan brothers on the instant classic Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
Today: Spends equal time in the music world (mostly behind the decks) and the film world (where he both acts and provides scores for friends like Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino).
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By Hillary Crosley

Who knew a record label started in a New York University dorm room could become so successful? Apparently Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. The two created Def Jam Records 25 years ago, and it's become one of hip-hop's premiere labels, housing some of the brightest stars, with Nas, LL Cool J, etc etc among the artists in its legendary catalogue. So it's no surprise that "VH1's Hip Hop Honors" is celebrating the storied label this year.

MTV News checked out the rehearsal for the big show, which tapes on Wednesday night (September 23) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and airs on October 13. For the third year in a row, Tracy Morgan will serve as host. Morgan's comedy skits appear between behind-the-scenes interviews with Jay-Z, Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio "LA" Reid, Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin and former Def Jam executives Lyor Cohen, Julie Greenwald and Kevin Liles.

Public Enemy, the Roots and Street Sweeper Social Club (comprised of Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and the Coup's Boots Riley) practiced for their performance first. Ashanti followed, reuniting for two jams with her longtime partner-in-crime Ja Rule. Rule looked and sounded just as he did in 2001. Ashanti even helped out Rule on one song, rapping his lyrics in a faux-gravely voice to a giggling set full of dancers.

Up next, Warren G and Trey Songz performed a remix of one of Warren's biggest hits (which we can't reveal). During their performance, Ghostface was sitting at a table taping a segment called "What Would Ghostface Do?" where MCs stop by and ask Ghost for advice. As he wrapped up a session with Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes, Ghost spotted Warren G and gave him a big hello. Meanwhile, Travis went back to hosting a VH1 trivia segment where all of the performers are quizzed on their Def Jam history. Who knows their hip-hop math? Let's just say that Rick Ross might be the subject's star pupil.

Back on the stage, Ludacris (who'd just gotten off a plane) hopped on stage with Southern rap legend Scarface for two cuts that you haven't heard in awhile. Read more...

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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Today is historically a big day for speaking truth to power and stepping up to the man: July 2 was the day the Second Continental Congress resolved to sever ties with the British Empire (though obviously the Declaration of Independence wouldn't be signed until two days later, marking the Independence Day holiday). In 1777, Vermont became the first state in the U.S. to abolish slavery, and in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act that guarded against segregation. July 2 is a day for all kinds of revolution — in 1881, 20th President James Garfield was shot, leading to his death later that year.

In one of his finest speeches, Thomas Jefferson once said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." In honor of rising up to fight the power, enjoy Public Enemy's 1989 call to arms.

By Ashley Mastronardi

Something I never dreamed would occur happened to me yesterday: Flavor Flav clocked me on the nose with the clock he wears around his neck!

I was working at my desk, minding my own business, when all of a sudden I heard someone shouting, "I'm back MTV! I'm back! I'm back!" Seconds later Public Enemy/ "Flavor of Love" star Flavor Flav came prancing down the hallway in a multicolored fur coat with a small entourage, and blasted into the MTV Radio's lounge. Read more...

The kids at hipster site Pitchfork announced the starter lineup for their annual music festival, to take place July 18-20 in Chicago's Union Park. In keeping with their "Don't Look Back" series, the festival will kick off on the first night with Public Enemy performing their seminal hit, It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back. Other acts over the three days include LA noise duo, No Age, Deerhunter side-project Atlas Sound, New York's Animal Collective, and the most awesome psych-metal band around, Boris.

Tickets for the festival (one of our favorites) go on sale Wednesday, March 12. The lineup - with more artists to be announced in coming days, weeks, months:

Friday 18 July

Pitchfork and All Tomorrow's Parties Present "Don't Look Back"

Public Enemy performing It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back

Saturday 19 July

Animal Collective
!!!
Vampire Weekend
Dizzee Rascal
No Age
Atlas Sound
Fleet Foxes
and more

Sunday 20 July

Spiritualized
M. Ward
Boris
Extra Golden
El Guincho

and more

· Kanye West was really serious about that Connect Four battle with Beyonce. TMZ says that the game is now part of his tour rider and must be provided backstage for all his shows on his upcoming Glow In The Dark tour.

· Attention SOHH, Pitchfork, and Billboard (and Reuters and NME and...): The new Gnarls Barkley video for "Run" has not been banned by MTV. It debuted on MTV.com and debuts on TRL Thursday. [UPDATED: This video totally needed some edits in the UK because it didn't pass their seizure test! But not here. It's good to go on both sides of the Atlantic!]

· We here in the hip-hop corner of the Newsroom have notoriously debated the Hottest MCs and the Greatest MCs of All-Time before. But we've always wanted to do a Greatest Producers of All-Time show, too. And if we did, the Bomb Squad would definitely be in the mix. Hank and Keith Shocklee are responsible for the dense, layered and noisy rhythms of the early Public Enemy albums, plus Ice Cube's first solo album, Amerikkka's Most Wanted, his best. (It's worth noting that obtuse sampling laws would probably prevent both albums from ever getting made today). Finally - FINALLY - they are working on their first solo album, plus a world tour. Some of the old-timers 'round the way are excited.