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Rick Ross Owns The Stage At Vice Upfront Party

Posted 9/16/11 1:15 pm EST by in Concerts, Rick-Ross


By Rya Baker

An upfront is a strange animal. By (loose) definition, it's a meeting in late May hosted by television network executives to entice advertisers into buying ad time during the network's shows, both old and new, and wooing press into writing about said programming.

Last night, Vice, the growing media empire that started some 17 years ago as a free, Montreal-based magazine, did things a little differently at their "Full Frontal Vice" party. In addition to celebrating the acquisition of the domain name www.vice.com (which was once, yes, a porn site), a short film was screened displaying the company's new journalistic endeavors, which will be featured on the company's new Internet HQ along with content being parsed to such global partners as the Huffington Post in the US and The Guardian in the UK. An HBO show, set to go into production this fall, was also announced.

Sure, press was there (hi!) and men in suits made appearances, but also on hand at Brooklyn's One Hanson Place were strippers, a brief presentation given by Vice CEO Shane Smith on how the company's growth was inspired by the business model of Internet porn, and some big bands (and one Boss) came through to help the celebrations. Read More...

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We Have High Hopes For Rick Ross's Wingstop Franchise

Posted 8/5/11 11:21 am EST by in Music


It may not come as a surprise to learn that Rick Ross enjoys the occasional chicken wing, so it sort of makes sense that the beefy rapper has just inked a development deal with Texas-based Wingstop to launch a series of restaurants, the first of which is slated to open in Memphis this fall.

Ross — who, of course, name-checked Wingstop's lemon-pepper wings in his hit "MC Hammer" — joins former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman as an investor in the chain (Troy is also Wingstop's "national spokesman"), and he is understandably excited about the endeavor, telling AllHipHop.com "After tasting Wingstop's signature lemon-pepper flavored wings in Miami, I knew this was a franchise I wanted to add to my investments."

Indeed. Of course, it should be noted that Ross isn't the only one excited about the news — we, too, often find ourselves "fiending lemon pepper" — and while we're not exactly sure if Wingstop's franchise charter allows owners to change the menu, we'd like to think that Ricky will add his own, uh, entrepreneurial flair to his restaurants.

So here are some Rozay-approved additions to the menu ... coming soon to a Wingstop near you.

» The "9 Piece" Meal: A family-sized order of Wingstop's signature wings, sauced and tossed to your liking. As an added bonus, can be ordered from your iPhone.

» The "Archie Bunker:" Never-breaded wings slathered in a creamy Alfredo sauce. So white we just might charge you double.

» The "Three C's Combo:" Color, cut and clarity. Or, you know, cheddar, cool-ranch, and cayenne-pepper flavored wings.

» The "B.M.F.:" A big mother-f---ing buffalo chicken sandwich, comes with Big Meech coleslaw and Larry Hoover fries.

» The "Trilla:" A classic. Heaping portion of Wingstop "boneless chicken strips," smothered in Jay-Z's tangy teriyaki sauce. R.Kelly extra.

» The "Uhhh!:" Ricky's favorite. A guttural, sweaty plate of wings, fries and strips, drizzled with garlic parmesan sauce. Comes with a side of Maybach Music honey mustard and a large soda. No substitutions, because, as the owner says, "God Forgives, I Don't."

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Songs Of The Summer: Rap/Hip-Hop

Posted 6/21/11 11:00 am EST by in drake, Lil Wayne, lupe fiasco, Rick-Ross


By Morgan Schwartz and Matt Goodhue

If you’re not a pop person and found our first five songs of the summer to be a little, well, not your taste, don’t sweat it. We compiled our favorite rap/hip-hop jams for the summer to give you a taste of what we’re listening to. Whether the songs speak of summer romances or partying the night away, they are sure to set the mood for the best season of the year.

1. “Super Bass,” Nicki Minaj

If we’ve learned anything from Ms. Minaj, it would be that girls can do rap and hip-hop just as well, if not better, than any man. In this new single, Nicki does what she does best and raps over an awesome beat before breaking into a catchy chorus that gives those of us not quick enough to spit along with her a chance to sing with this summer jam. The music video’s neon colors and sexy outfits are enough to put it at the top of our playlist, and the sex appeal combined with Nicki’s lyrics may just get us ready for our own summer romance!

2. “Out of My Head,” Lupe Fiasco ft. Trey Songz

This has definitely been a great year for Lupe and it’s about to be an even better summer. Although this song of isn’t one of the singles off his new album, Lasers, his performance of this jam at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards got our attention. Like “Super Bass,” “Out of My Head” talks about a possible crush and is perfect for your blossoming summer love. Trey Songz’s hook – “girl I want you to know/I can’t get you out of my head, my head” – makes us think this song could be the soundtrack to your summer romance? You’ll have to download it to find out…

Read More...

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Did Eminem, Kanye West, Drake Or Jay-Z Have The Best Year In Hip-Hop?

Posted 12/28/10 5:30 pm EST by in Music


The year 2010 is nearly complete, and that means it's time to assess exactly what happened over the past 12 months. Pop was strong again (fueled by the likes of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry) and rock spent most of the year in the doldrums, but hip-hop was clearly the dominant force on the music scene from bell to bell. Rappers were everywhere you looked, and they were grabbing chart positions, selling huge numbers, selling out arenas and grabbing headlines. And it wasn't just the heavy hitters like Eminem and Jay-Z, as young upstarts like Drake, Nicki Minaj and Wiz Khalifa scored big hits in their rookie years aided by little more than raw talent and some mixtape buzz. It was a year where hip-hop grew, expanded and explored new territories, and hopefully 2011 will allow that trend to continue.

But of all the stars who had gigantic years, who had the absolute best? It'd be easy to say Eminem, who had a best-selling album, two chart-topping singles and some hugely popular videos. But a guy like Drake could easily take that title, as he rose up based on his lyrical prowess and managed to deliver a largely excellent debut album that managed to transcend the hype. Or did the biggest year in hip-hop belonged to Rick Ross? The man from Miami somehow managed to turn his gruff delivery and neck-snapping beats into big pop hits (including the inescapable "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)"). But maybe it's all a moot point when you consider how dominant Kanye West was.

It's up to you to decide who dominated the hip-hop universe in 2010. Vote for your favorite in the poll below, and if you think somebody else deserves the title, let us know in the comments!

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Rick Ross Says The VMAs Are Just Like Pandora: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 9/10/10 3:30 pm EST by in VMAs


"This is gonna be the dopest MTV VMAs ever. I'm letting you know. Not only because I'm a part of it, but when I walked into the auditorium where the VMAs are being held, I felt like I stepped off a ship on Pandora. If you ever saw the movie 'Avatar,' that's the feeling. Everything feels big, everything feels futuristic. It feels space-age. As soon as I walked in, just the ambiance from the show, it overtook me, watching the rehearsal. Get ready to tune in. Make sure if you never watched the MTV Video Music Awards, make sure this is your first one. And if you have [seen one], expect the game to be stepped up 2,000 percent. ... It's the best of music, it's the best of performances, it's the best host and the dopest set I've ever seen ever. This is Pandora."

-Miami rapper Rick Ross, guaranteeing that the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards will indeed be the best entry in the show's nearly three-decade history. Ross spoke to MTV News from inside the confines of the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, where he was observing rehearsals for the big show (which airs live this Sunday, September 12 at 9 p.m. Eastern on MTV).

Not only is Ross excited about the futuristic feeling of the room, but he is also eagerly anticipating the performance of first-time VMA host Chelsea Handler. "We got the dopest female in late night hosting the show, Chelsea Handler. She's on fire right now," Ross said. "She's sizzling. She's sexy as ever."

The Teflon Don rapper (responsible for "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)," one of the best singles of the year), isn't nominated for any Moonmen, he will be making a very special contribution to the show, and though Ricky Rozay is keeping it a surprise, it will undoubtedly be memorable.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

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Rick Ross' 'B.M.F.' Fuels The MTV News Fantasy Football Draft

Posted 8/27/10 9:30 am EST by in Music


Thursday night (August 26) was extra long for a dozen MTV News staffers, as once the news-gathering day ended, the fantasy football day began. The 2010 NFL season begins on Thursday, September 9 when the Minnesota Vikings visit the New Orleans Saints in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship game (for the rest of the league, the season starts on Sunday, September 12 — the same day as the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards). Once again, 12 members of the MTV News team have come together to square off against one another for fantasy football greatness.

Though the predominant attitude among fantasy football players seems to suggest a move away from the running back-centric focus of past years, but the MTV News fantasy football draft kept a strong focus on runners (13 of the first 24 picks were backs), but there were plenty of curve balls. There was a big run on receivers in the second round (Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Roddy White and Randy Moss all got snapped up) and many players seemed genuinely unconcerned about the running-back-by-committee situations on the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins.

Like any event here in the MTV News offices, the start of the MTV News fantasy football draft required an appropriate song to kick off the festivities. Before MTV News Rock Editor James Montgomery made his opening pick (he chose Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson), the league cranked up Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)," the unofficial song of the summer here in the MTV Newsroom. We got so wrapped up in the track that somebody even tried to draft Larry Hoover. We ended up having an excellent draft, so apparently the secret to an excellent evening begins with a little Maybach Music.

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Kanye West's Tag-Team With Bon Iver Inspires A Crossover Fantasy List

Posted 8/16/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


Thanks to Jay-Z and Beyoncé repping for Grizzly Bear and hanging out at Coachella to see some Pitchfork-approved acts, indie rock and hip-hop have been having a very public love affair lately. Sometimes it's a late night hook-up that is walk-of-shame worthy in the morning (paging Weezer and Lil Wayne) and other times it's so seamless you wonder why nobody thought of it before. Kid Cudi rolled out the carpe for Ratatat and MGMT on his studio debut, Ghostface Killah has admitted to loving Vampire Weekend and the Black Keys chopped it up with everyone from Mos Def to RZA and Raekwon on the Blakroc album.

In the most recent example, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon revealed that he spent a couple days earlier this year in Hawaii with Kanye West, laying down some of his patented hushed, pastoral vocals for 10 songs that might appear on West's upcoming CD. That got us thinking about other unlikely but potentially awesome rap/indie collabos that we'd love to see.

Thom Yorke and Erykah Badu
The Radiohead frontman has never come out one way or another on his feelings about hip-hop, but the thought of his mournful wail and morose lyrics intertwined with the boho queen's politically-charged verses and esoteric arrangements feels like a slam dunk.

(Click here for more of our fantasy hip-hop and indie crossovers, including Lil Wayne, Foxy Shazam, Nicki Minaj and Phoenix!)

Jim James and Clipse
What could be finer than the high and lonesome wail of the My Morning Jacket singer over the grinding coke raps of Pusha T and Malice? Nothing, that's what.

Waaves with Lil Wayne
Weezy keeps trying to get his rock game right, so maybe he can finally land the plane with unpredictable Beck 2.0 Nathan Williams. Since both tend to speak in riddles, it would be a perfect match.
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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Rick Ross' 'B.M.F.' Gets Cali Swag District's Motor Running: MTV News' #MusicMonday

Posted 7/26/10 10:30 am EST by in Music


Really, you should be listening to music every day, but thanks to Twitter, Monday has become the best day of the week to discover new songs, show some love to the tune currently dominating your iPod playlist and quietly judge the listening habits of your closest friends. Yes, it's #MusicMonday, one of Twitter's most enduring trending topics. Hence "MTV News' #MusicMonday," a weekly look at the songs your favorite stars are currently crushing on.

This week, upcoming hip-hop act Cali Swag District turns Rick Ross' "B.M.F." up to 11.

Not only do Rick Ross' massive singles resonate with fans, but they also spread throughout the hip-hop community. Ross' particular combination of street thuggery, pure hedonistic boasting and local Miami flavor (typically paired with a cinematic, low-end-heavy beat) turns most of his songs into stone-cold bangers. Such is the case of "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)," the single from Ross' about-to-top-the-charts album Teflon Don. When up-and-comers Cali Swag District stopped by the MTV News office last week, they too sung the praises of Ross' latest masterpiece.

"I gotta say Rick Ross' 'B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast),'" dancer M-Bone told MTV News. "There's something about when it starts off it just gets us amped."

"We actually put that song on our performance disc," added MC and DJ C-Smoove. "It's just ... once that beat drops, we just boom. We just explode."

Cali Swag District know a thing or two about hair-raising singles, as the group's single (and dance craze) "Teach Me How to Dougie" has earned them a tremendous amount of fan enthusiasm and respect from the rest of the hip-hop community. No doubt "Teach Me How to Dougie" is more than one person's go-to jam on this #MusicMonday.

What's your #MusicMonday jam? Let us know in the comments and tweet us @mtvnews!

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Join Rick Ross And Sway On 'RapFix Live'

Posted 7/23/10 12:35 pm EST by in Music


Do you love Rick Ross' new album Teflon Don? Want to know what Ricky Rozay has to say about the tracks on the album? Curious about how he works with producers? Ever want to pitch a collaboration to him? Eager to get his insight on the BP oil disaster? You'll be able to get those questions answered — plus a whole lot more — when Ross appears as the special guest on the premiere of "RapFix Live," a new live-streaming Web show produced by MTV News. Sway will sit down with Miami's biggest boss to talk about Teflon Don, the Miami Heat and whatever else is on the mind of one of hip-hop's most talented, dynamic names.

You can check out the live stream right here at the MTV Newsroom Blog starting at 1 p.m. ET, or you can roll over to this page. Want to weigh in on Ross' work or ask the big man himself a question? Fire up your Twitter account and blast a tweet @MTVNews using the hash tag "#RapFixLive." Your question might get read live on the air and answered by Ross himself, live and unedited!

Check out the live-stream below starting at 1 p.m. ET. And be sure to stay tuned to MTV News for more updates on Rick Ross and the juggernaut that is Teflon Don (which is expected to knock Eminem's Recovery off the top of the Billboard album chart). And for daily servings of the freshest hip-hop news and insight, be sure to get excited for the launch of MTV News' latest blog RapFix, which will blow up worldwide on August 2.

Got a question for Rick Ross? Tweet us @MTVNews and use hash tag #RapFixLive!

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