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Can Drake Or Jay-Z Top Eminem For Best Rap Album? Better Know A Grammy Category

Posted 2/8/11 11:30 am EST by in Grammys


The 53rd Grammy Awards are upon us, and they bring with them dozens of artists competing in 109 different categories. The performers on the show — which airs live on Sunday, February 13 — include Eminem, Cee Lo Green, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Drake, Arcade Fire, Justin Bieber, Miranda Lambert, Katy Perry, Muse, B.o.B, Usher, Bruno Mars, Jaden Smith and Janelle Monae. It promises to be one of the biggest nights in the history of music, and MTV News will be bringing you wall-to-wall coverage of the big event.

But the awards are the big draw, and just as the MTV Newsroom Blog does with the MTV Video Music Awards, here are a series of guides to some of the biggest categories on the docket. This time around: Best Rap Album.

Though as not as high-profile as the prize for Album of the Year, the Best Rap Album category arguably has more heavy hitters than it's broad-minded counterpart. Of the five albums nominated for the prize, four of them were true smashes — and also managed to have incredible legs (only the Roots' How I Got Over wasn't a commercial success, and arguably wasn't even the best Roots album to come out last year if you consider their tag-team effort with John Legend on Wake Up!).

It isn't just about sales either, as Eminem's Recovery, Drake's Thank Me Later, Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 and B.o.B's The Adventures of Bobby Ray not only sold big numbers but also pushed hip-hop into exciting and fascinating new directions. Eminem raised the bar for lyricism, Drake introduced a new kind of energy, Jay explored darkness and B.o.B hopped genres like a Gummi Bear on a pogo stick.

But which one will walk away with the hardware? Eminem is the most-nominated artist at this year's show, so it's always a good bet to go with the guy who has the most. But the voters could be looking to reward Jay-Z for a stellar year and B.o.B for crossing so many lines and appealing to so many people. However, Eminem has won this particular prize four times before, so he's almost a lock for a fifth.

Notable Winners: The Fugees, The Score (1997); Kanye West, The College Dropout (2005); Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (2009)

Notable Robberies: Diddy's No Way Out is actually pretty excellent, though it's not better than the albums it topped in 1998 (including Missy Elliott's Supa Dupa Fly, Wyclef Jean's The Carnival and Notorious B.I.G.'s Life After Death). Also, even Eminem would admit that his own The Slim Shady LP probably should have lost the Best Rap Album prize to the Roots' Things Fall Apart in 2000.

Who do you think will win the Grammy for Best Rap Album? Let us know in the comments!

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Justin Timberlake And Jimmy Fallon Write 'History Of Rap'

Posted 9/30/10 12:16 pm EST by in Music


At this point it just feels like Justin Timberlake is teasing us. Following up on the "SNL" skit last weekend, in which he refused to answer questions about when he's going to make another album, Timberlake dropped by Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" on Wednesday night to talk up "The Social Network" and ended up providing further proof that one of the great music talents of our time is seriously holding out on us.

After Timberlake gave major props to house band the Roots and Fallon teased the bespectacled singer about his historical knowledge of hip-hop, Justin mentioned that 'NSYNC once asked legendary hip-hop crew the Sugarhill Gang to open up one of the boy band's shows back in the day. That inspired Fallon to ask the band (spontaneously, of course) to serve up a taste of Sugarhill's classic "Rapper's Delight."

What ensued was a head-spinning blue-eyed ramble through rap history, as Fallon and Timberlake hopped out of their seats and started trading lines on "Delight" like a suburban basement Run-DMC. Speaking of DMC, they moved into a few lines from that Rock and Roll Hall of fame group's "Peter Piper," easily segueing into a nasally take on the Beastie Boys' "Paul Revere," Digital Underground's "Humpty Dance," Snoop Dogg's "Nuthin' But a G Thang" and Tupac's "California Love."

Then it was back to the East Coast for Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy," the Roots' "The Seed 2.0," Eminem's "My Name Is" and Missy Elliott's "Work It." They also threw in snippets of songs by A Tribe Called Quest, T.I. and Rihanna, Kanye West and Soulja Boy, ending with Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" as they wandered out into the arm-waving audience. Exhausted, the duo brought it ball back with one more out-of-breath half verse of "Rapper's Delight," setting off yet another instant viral hit from the Fallon studios.

And making us all wonder anew, seriously Justin, when are you going to make another album?

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Spotted: The Roots Make It Cool To Go Back To The Apple Store

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


Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Apple is having a weird year. Sure, the iPad is a big hit, but the problems with the new iPhone continue (with more than one group calling for a full recall of the new device). And visiting the Apple Store tends to be a pain, as it's always crowded and sometimes impossible to tell who actually works there. But all that was washed away at the store's Soho branch in New York City on Tuesday (July 13), as they welcomed the Roots to the "Apple Store Live" series. The group took time out from their busy schedule as the house band for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to burn through a handful of tracks from their excellent new album How I Got Over. Black Thought, ?uestlove, Captain Kirk Douglas and the rest treated a capacity crowd to an hour-long set that got heads nodding and butts bouncing.

They weren't the only musicians celebrating on Tuesday, as Lil Jon and Atomic Tom hit the red carpet for the release party for the soundtrack to MTV's "Jersey Shore" (an album that features Enrique Iglesias, LMFAO, David Guetta and Taio Cruz). Click here for these photos as well as the rest of the "Spotted" archive, which features over 400 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, Demi Lovato, Madonna, the Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, Adam Lambert and 50 Cent!

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'Eclipse' Cast Members Begin Their Domination Of The 'Late Night Lineup'

Posted 6/14/10 10:00 am EST by in Television


"In six months I went from hosting 'The Tonight Show' to performing at a refugee camp," Conan O'Brien joked to the sweaty hordes gathered in the comedy tent for the once-and-future late night host's 90-minute set at this past weekend's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. As O'Brien laid the groundwork for his new show with his Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour in preparation for his return to TV this November on TBS, the rest of the late night world has been mostly in cruise control, owing mostly to the fact that it's the summer and people like to take a break. But there also may be a bit of burn out from the constant fireworks during the early part of 2010, when late night hosts were all taking jabs at each other in the spirit of competition. Since then, it has been relatively low-key. After all, when was the last time Jay Leno did something notable?

That could change this week. "The Tonight Show" has the potential to grab headlines, as Leno has a list of eclectic and unpredictable guests paying visits to his studio. Most notably, he'll have on a handful of stars from the upcoming film "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," including Ashley Greene (Monday, June 14) and Robert Pattinson (Tuesday, June 15). He'll also welcome stars from "Grown Ups," including Rob Schneider (Wednesday, June 16) and David Spade (Friday, June 18). On the music front, he'll have Travie McCoy on Tuesday and Kelis on Friday, which will make for a week full of tough, funky jams — not a typical sight on "The Tonight Show."

David Letterman seems to be catering to a slightly older audience this week, as he'll welcome Helen Mirren and Cyndi Lauper on Monday (not together, we assume) and Katie Couric and Devo on Tuesday (again, probably not together). Miley Cyrus will grace the couch on Thursday, June 17 to talk about her new album Can't Be Tamed. "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" also seems to be gunning for an older demographic, as he'll welcome Don Rickles and Ozzy Osbourne on Tuesday (one of his few new shows this week). For youth, you have to turn to Jimmy Fallon, who will have on Broken Social Scene (Tuesday), the Gaslight Anthem (Wednesday) and Blitzen Trapper (Thursday).

But once again, the "Something for Everyone" award goes to "Live! With Regis and Kelly." On Friday, the show will feature both Miley Cyrus and Devo, bridging the gap between old and new like nobody else will this week.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing on talk shows this week? Let us know in the comments!

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Thanksgiving Day Parade Headlined By Boys Like Girls, The Roots

Posted 11/25/09 1:40 pm EST by in Music, Television


Most Thanksgiving traditions involve food, and the rest all involve television. There is always football on, the evening inevitably ends up centered around the worst movie you can find and the morning always starts with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Every year, there is always a heavy emphasis on music from marching bands, Broadway stars and rock groups alike, and this year's is no different. While they will probably never reach the apex they hit at last year's parade (which featured an appearance by Rick Astley, possibly the greatest Rickroll in history), there are still plenty of opportunities for music to shine on Turkey Day.

Perhaps the most notable act at event is Boys Like Girls, who will perform their new single "Two is Better Than One" during the parade. That particular tune features a guest vocal by none other than Taylor Swift, who is not scheduled to be in New York that day, though her drop-in would be an especially ratings-friendly surprise. Boys Like Girls are currently on tour with Cobra Starship, but after getting national exposure on one of the bigger television events of the year, look for them to break out big soon.

The other big guest appearance will be Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, who will be rolling on a float and (theoretically) kicking up some Thanksgiving jams. (Who doesn't want to hear how Black Thought freestyles on topics like "cranberry sauce" and "tryptophan"?) Again, hopefully Fallon will grab a little more attention for his excellent late-night show, which is worth tuning into if only to see the Roots play every night of the work week.

The rest of the lineup is typically eclectic, featuring Andrea Bocelli, Gloria Gaynor, Katharine McPhee, Jay Sean, Ziggy Marley and, of course, Kermit the Frog.

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Miley Cyrus' Tour Bus Crash The Latest In A Sad Line Of Rock Tragedies

Posted 11/20/09 3:50 pm EST by in Music


Early this morning, one of Miley Cyrus' tour buses crashed in rural Virginia. The vehicle was carrying several members of Cyrus' production crew but not the singer herself. The driver of the bus is dead and one of the crew members was sent to the hospital.

There are all sorts of tragedies that are inherently tied to rock music (overdoses, car crashes, production accidents and the like), but there have been far too many incidents involving tour buses. It shouldn't be shocking, as they are unruly mammoths forced to push forward (usually in the middle of the night) over all manner of terrain for hours and hours at a time. They're difficult to handle and difficult for other drivers to deal with.

Last week, Canadian singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk updated her MySpace blog to let fans know that her tour bus had run off the road (she blamed the incident on her driver falling asleep). Just a few months ago, Bret Michaels' tour bus was struck by another car (though no injuries were reported on either side). In August, Canadian rockers MercyMe were involved in a crash that killed two people in Indiana. Last fall, Roots' drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson sent a Twitter message from an ambulance after their bus crashed outside of Paris, France. That's five major accidents in just a year, and the list goes on and on.

Of course, the most notorious (and tragic) bus accident in rock history came in September of 1986, when original Metallica bassist Cliff Burton died when the band's bus skidded off the road and crashed in Sweden (there's even a memorial stone by the crash site). The driver was awake and alert but undone by black ice in the middle of the night.

The tour bus is typically the best and most cost-effective way for most bands to cross the country (or the continent), but there's clearly a safety issue here. Are there any solutions? It's hard to tell, but something needs to be done.

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Har Mar Superstar Conquers 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'

Posted 10/27/09 10:10 am EST by in Music, Television


If you're like me, you woke up Tuesday morning (like, really, really early), stumbled down to your underground media bunker (not as sexy as it sounds) and did a triple take when you saw the phrase "Har Mar Superstar" at the very top of Google Trends. Like, above Rudolph Valentino and the hot Mormon muffins calendar.

But we were probably confused for different reasons. See, I know who Har Mar is. In fact, I'm a huge fan of the balding, tubby Minnesota hunk of white funk thunder who bears an uncanny resemblance to Jon Lovitz' character in "The Critic." The singer (who also records under the name Sean Na Na and whose given name is Sean Tillman) has been making waves the past few weeks thanks to the outrageously weird video for the first single, "Tall Boy," from his new album, Dark Touches. In case you haven't seen it, two words will suffice: Eva Mendes.

Har Mar, whom "Late Night" host Jimmy Fallon referred to as "one of the most unique performers" to emerge over the past few years, likely got the Google bump after a bigger slice of America caught wind of his unique stylings on Fallon's Monday night show. Wearing an African-themed caftan, gold lamé cocktail gloves and red pants, the diminutive funkster shimmied across the stage, whipped his ape drape around and proved for the umpteenth time that you can't judge a book by its cover.

The slinky performance of the shimmery funk tune that appears to swing both ways and which allegedly was offered to Britney Spears first, prompted Fallon to refer to Har Mar as a "legend." It also drew praise from house band drummer ?uestlove of the Roots, who tweeted, "Hahahaha told my band they weren't ready for Har Mar Superstar," and Fallon himself, who added, "Har Mar Superstar done gone and did it on tonight's show."

Here's everything else you need to know about Har Mar: he often ends up nearly nude during his shows (trust me, he gave my friend a very sweaty, intimate hug at a club show a few years ago that she will never forget), his 2004 album, The Handler has at least four absolutely classic, very nasty electro funk tunes on it ("Body Request," "Cut Me Up," "Back the Camel Up" and "Bird in the Hand”) and he made a cameo in the 2004 movie "Starsky and Hutch" as "Dancin' Rick," a disco champ who takes on Ben Stiller's David Starsky.

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Behind The Scenes With Rick Ross, Ghostface And Ludacris At 'Hip-Hop Honors' Rehearsal

Posted 9/23/09 2:52 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


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...

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Jimmy Fallon And Diddy Remix The News With The Roots

Posted 7/29/09 9:15 am EST by in Music, Television


Somehow, while nobody was paying attention, Jimmy Fallon became something of a hip-hop lightning rod in the hip-hop community, and his show "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" has become a haven for rappers who just want to have fun. Of course, Fallon recruited the Roots as his house band, which has been a deft move, as not only is the music on the show largely great but they've also reached out to their friends for some after-hours jams (last week, Wale sat in with the group and freestyled his way through an excellent show). Last night during Fallon's monologue, the host busted out a recurring segment called "Slow Jam the News." Normally, it involved Fallon whispering news segments while the Roots' Tariq "Black Thought" Thompson sings the jokes. But last night, Fallon got an assist from Diddy on a remixed version of the news.

Fallon, Thompson and Diddy combined to deliver a hilarious take on Barack Obama's sluggish polling numbers. Later in the show, Diddy sat down to talk about his new MTV show "Making His Band," his vodka (he shared his recipe for the "OG Diddy," which combines Ciroc with lemonade and Welch's grape juice), his production history, his fragrance ("Men gotta smell good, too") and his upcoming album Last Train to Paris, which he promised "will make you dance, make you groove and make you love your woman better." When you look at Jimmy Fallon, you don't necessarily think, "Yep, there's a guy who knows the vibe of the streets," but so far his taste in hip-hop and his willingness to embrace it in late night (not something often seen) has made his show a must-watch for any rap enthusiast.

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Zack Morris Agrees To Jimmy Fallon's 'Saved By The Bell' Reunion

Posted 6/9/09 1:44 pm EST by in Television



"EEKKKSS!!!!" That was the immediate, incredibly visceral reaction several of my coworkers and I had when we watched the clip of Mark-Paul Gosselaar in full character as Zack Morris on last night's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

Sure, it was a ploy for Mark to plug his new TV show — which sadly isn't some extension of "Saved by the Bell" and is instead about lawyers — but this is the best way I've ever seen someone plug a show. Zack, dressed exactly the same as he did when he was in high school at Bayside, insisted that he is actually Zack, and that he changed his name to Mark-Paul Gosselaar to pursue a career in acting.

Gosselaar — who doesn't seem to have aged a day since "Saved by the Bell: The College Years" ended in 1994 — knows that all we really care about is his "SBTB" alter ego. As he sat on Jimmy's couch, crossing his legs to show off his pegged jeans, black socks and hideous high-tops, Mark/Zack managed to reference every greatest "Saved by the Bell" moment ever: That summer he worked at the Malibu Sands resort and judged the Miss Liberty pageant; the time he almost got all Hollywood on the group and started hanging out with teen star Johnny Dakota. But the real way he proved that he really was Zack Morris was by calling a time-out and freezing everyone as he talked directly to the camera. Yes, that actually happened.

All hardcore "SBTB" fans know about being timed out, just as well as they know about the Kelly Kapowski poster that once hung in Zack's bedroom (which also made an appearance on "Late Night"). What did come of Zack's relationship with Kelly? Well, she dropped him for Jeff from the Max, again, just like in high school. And Zack ended up with Stacy Carosi. If this means nothing to you, then you're clearly a preppy.

And in case you ever wondered if Zack Attack's greatest hit, "Friends Forever," still stands the test of time (not unlike his amazing cell phone), then you will be excited to know it does, especially when he sings it with the Roots.

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