Lecrae's Biggest Grammy Win? Getting His Calls Returned Now

'What it's done, if anything, is make people maybe take me serious as an artist,' Lecrae tells MTV News of post-Grammys life.

Lecrae surprised many when he took home a 2013 Grammy for Best Gospel Album, and while the Gravity MC has done well to stay grounded since his big win, he can't help but notice how things have changed around him.

"After the Grammy man, the biggest thing is people return your phone calls," he laughed to MTV News after wrapping up an interview with Shade 45's "Sway in the Morning" radio show last week.

Lecrae Feels Like He's Being Accepted As A 'Serious Artist'

For Lecrae, whose music is faith-driven, but not alienating, the golden gramophone motivates him to stay on his musical path. It also goes a long way in changing the perception of him as a rapper. "What it's done, if anything, is make people maybe take me serious as an artist, serious as an MC," he said. "I think now it's like, 'Huh maybe I need to investigate. If it's worth giving a Grammy to maybe I should check this dude Lecrae out.' "

There is a misconception that because Lecrae is into his faith, that he aims to preach to others. Over the past few years with projects like hisChurch Clothes mixtape and of course Gravity Lecrae has found his voice and has been able to balance a responsible message with skillfully crafted lyrics. "For the most part people think I'm trying to condemn or [think] every time I get two seconds with you [or] I'm about to preach to you or something along those lines, but that's really not me," he said. "I'm just being authentically who I am."

Have you caught on to Lecrae after the Grammys or were you a fan all along?

Lecrae Fans Are 'Everyday People'

Justin Timberlake Premieres Emotional 'Mirrors' Video

Timberlake pays tribute to his late grandfather in his new 20/20 Experienceclip.

Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience may very well be his mostpersonal record to date, so it's not surprising that his brand-new video for that album's second single, "Mirrors," is the most personal of his entire career.

Of course, on rare occasions in the past — like, for example, "Cry Me A River" — Timberlake has pulled back the curtain on his private life, but here, in a striking new clip directed by Floria Sigismondi, he gives us more than just a fleeting glimpse. The video opens with a dedication to his grandparents, William (who passed away late last year) and Sadie, and essentially tells the story of their entire relationship, from teenaged courtship to adult strife, old age and beyond.

Though it is never implicitly stated, one quickly realizes that "Mirrors" also details the grieving widow, who, alone in the bedroom she shared with her husband for decades, mourns her deceased husband: She clutches one of his old dress shirts, thumbs through old books, remembers good times and bad; and though both actors share the screen, they rarely — if ever — actually embrace ... it's as if he only exists to her as a memory, and that they are forever united, they will truly never be together again.

William and Sadie Bomar, Justin's grandparents, were married for 63 years, and according to reports, his failing health prevented him from attending Timberlake's wedding to actress Jessica Biel. The "Mirrors" video makes a passing reference to this, in a scene where his grandparents' wedding ring falls through the air, only to be caught by Timberlake, who then embarks on a lengthy, and quite wrought, dance sequence. The message appears to be clear: He will carry on their legacy, even if he's not sure he'll be able to.

It's a clip that packs an emotional wallop, a downright beautiful examination of the ebbs and flows of love and the true connection that continues once our time here is over. That's a rare thing indeed, and so is this video ... it is understated and elegant and really truly touching. And it proves that, despite all his "Suit & Tie" swagger, Justin Timberlake is just like the rest of us: capable of looking back, humbling himself and paying tribute to things greater than himself. He's human after all.

What do you think of Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors?" Let us know in the comments below.

Usher's Next Album Is 'Everything You Can Imagine'

'It's gonna be freaking out of here,' the singer tells FADER of his upcoming project.

Usher is putting fans on notice: The all-around entertainer plans to defy all sonic expectations on his upcoming album.
"It's gonna be freaking out of here, man," Usher said in a FADER interview at South by Southwest. "Space and sky, that's what it'll be. You look up, and it's everything you can imagine."
Usher visited the Austin, Texas, festival for the first time and hit the stage on the final day with the Afghan Whigs, whom he called "indie-rock royalty," as well as Sudanese artist Sinkane. The R&B veteran said the performance was representative of what's to come.
"I'm a studier, man," he said. "I'm always listening to all types of music."
Discovering these diverse sounds has been the inspiration for what will be his eighth studio album, Ush said. No release date is set, and Usher's seventh album, Looking for Myself, just came out last June. That album included the sexy hits "Climax" and "Lemme See" with rapper Rock Ross, but also featured production with unlikely collaborators Diplo and Swedish House Mafia. Usher did offer fans a teaser of his new sound in February, releasing a single called "Go Missin'."
The album will likely have to get worked into Usher's schedule, as he will join Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Shakira next week as a new mentor on season four of "The Voice."
Does the promise of new music by Usher turn you on? Let us know in the comments below!

Paramore Say Lead Up To New Album Has Been 'Terrifying'

We're ready for it to get here now,' Paramore say of self-titled album, due April 9.

It's been nearly four years since Paramore released an album ... and the time since Brand New Eyes has been eventful, to say the very least. So, with their self-titled record less than a month away, you can't blame them for being a little anxious.

"The feelings are so vast and so many ... [we're] so excited, first and foremost. So ready for people to hear it," guitarist Taylor York said. "But it's terrifying putting out a record — something you really poured your heart into and worked so hard for. We're ready for it to get here now,because you're living in your head, thinking of all the scenarios; you know 'Are people going to like it? Are they gonna hate it? Is it going to flop? Will it be huge?' I'm ready for it to be judged and move on."

"Judge us!" Hayley Williams laughed. "Judge us please!"

And while Paramore will have to wait for the critics to weigh in on their new album, they've already received judgment from their fans at the handful of dates they've played in the lead-up to the record's release. And, in a lot of ways, that feedback — however partial it might be — is the most important thing of all.

"It seems like people are into everything we're doing now, which is exciting. We took some time off from the road, to make the record and kind of breathe for a second and wake up in our own beds for once, and it was nice," Williams said. "And I think that support we got while we were away for a minute meant so much to us; and it means even more now that we've come back and seen that our fans have stood by us and hung out and waited for us to come back with an album that we really believe in."

Are you counting the days until Paramore's new album? Let us know in the comments below.

Atlas Genius Had To Perfect The Art Of Hotel Recording

'It's so hard to achieve so little when you're touring,' says singer Keith Jeffrey of recording some of their debut on the road.

Atlas Genius have done things backwards from day one. The sibling duo from Adelaide, Australia, built a home studio three years before playing their first live shows under that name, slaving away at construction during the day and playing covers in bars at night.

But once the alt-rock pair unleashed their first tune, the driving power pop nugget "Trojans," on the world in the fall of 2011, it instantly grabbed a global audience and set them on a fast track to non-stop touring and a major-label record deal.

MTV News recently caught up with singer/guitarist Keith Jeffrey and brother drummer Michael at the 2013 Woodie Awards in Austin, Texas, and one of MTV's "Artist to Watch" for 2013 said the recoding of their full-length debut, When It Was Now was equally unconventional, and, as it turns out, time-consuming.

"We did 98 percent of the album in our studio back home and then there were a few things we wanted to finish," said singer Keith about the sessions, which included material tracked in hotel rooms and other studios around the globe. "It's so hard to achieve so little when you're touring. Because touring is such a full-on thing. I wouldn't recommend it, but it has its uniqueness. Looking back it's kind of funny that we were doing it in hotel rooms in Chicago and Harrisburg."

Not to mention finishing some songs in the midst of last year's devastating Hurricane Sandy, added Michael.

While their career is already in overdrive back home, the duo said it has been surreal to play some of America's most beloved late night shows as they make their publicity rounds stateside.

"We've done a few late night TV shows ... when you're on these iconic shows you've watched growing up and now you're on those shows?" said Keith marveling at their rocket ride from casual viewers to late night stars. They'll get another chance on Thursday, when they drop by "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," after having plugged in on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" in February.

Lil Wayne Takes Playful Shots At Nicki Minaj On 'High School' Video Set

Weezy and Nicki clown around in new footage from the set, shot days before Wayne was hospitalized.

Lil Wayne was released from the hospital on Monday after spending six days in an intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, but in new behind-the-scenes footage from Nicki Minaj's "High School" video, it's clear to see that the YMCMB rapper was in great spirits just a couple days prior to his health scare.

While filming the video in LA on March 12, Nicki only shared a few bikini photos with her Twitter followers, but Wayne was very much present on the set, filming his scenes and even taking a few playful shots at his protégé for being pampered in between takes.

In the footage we get a few more shots of Nicki in her bikini as she tests out the hot tub, but when she has some trouble walking in those sky-high Louboutins and doesn't feel like going it barefoot, she asks a security guard to carry her, to the amusement of Wayne. "You serious Nicki?" Wayne can be heard shouting in the background, as he sees her being carried away. "You make a n---- hold you? You wack as f---!"

Nicki is beside herself with laughter as Wayne takes his shots, and we see them clowning around again later when she asks for his advice on what to wear. He replies, "Nothing!" before launching into a couple lines from 2 Chainz's "Birthday Song" — "bad bitch contest, you in first place" — to back up his argument.

Wayne is clearly having a good time on the set, replying to Nicki as she gently scolds him about keeping things running smoothly for the shoot, "You don't have to tell me. This is my dream." Birdman also makes a cameo between takes, with Nicki making fun of his infamous hand rub and explaining that she initially hoped he'd appear as her husband in the clip.

While Wayne was in the hospital for the past few days, his YMCMB family, including Mack Maine, Birdman, Drake and Nicki, all paid him visits to show their support.

Taylor Swift Ending Her Fairy Tale Days On 'More Mature' Red Tour

Singer tells fans to 'expect the unexpected' on upcoming tour, which kicks off on Wednesday in Omaha.

Taylor Swift is ready to kick things up a few notches on her Red tour, which kicks off Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska. And while she's played the fairy princess on past jaunts, fans should expect a more grown-up Taylor this time around.

"I think that the visuals kind of portrayed on this tour will be, I guess, more grown-up and a little more mature than things we've done in the past," she explained about the trek. "And I think on my previous albums and my previous tours I've really liked to operate in the element of fantasy and I think that this tour will incorporate a little more reality into the visuals, which is nice."

Speaking to fans from tour rehearsals, the 23-year-old chart-topper noted that anything and everything is possible when it comes to the look and vibe of this tour.

"I think from the Red tour fans can expect the unexpected," she further explained. "I think I really like the element of surprise and I love incorporating that into the shows. I like for these tours to be completely different from every single one we've done."

The tour kicks off on one lucky day for Swift, March 13. During the massive jaunt, she will be joined by pal Ed Sheeran, who previously described the gig as "mind-blowing," as well as various other opening acts including internet sensation Austin Mahone. The tour is slated to end on September 21 in Swift's home base of Nashville.

But, that's not all: On Wednesday, she will also gift fans with the Anthony Mandler-directed video for her latest single, "22." Swift shot the video, with her real-life pals in tow, last month in and around Malibu.

Chris Brown Helps Fabolous Get 'Ready' For Smash Comeback

MTV News drops by video set to watch Loso get back in the game.

Fabolous knows a thing or two about balance. Throughout his entire career, the Brooklyn MC has equally doled out murderous mixtape material and unstoppable radio hits. His latest single, "Ready" featuring Chris Brown, feels more like the latter.

"I'm ready to come back. I've been off for a couple of years. I've still put out a few mixtapes, you know The S.O.U.L. Tape 1 and 2," Fab told MTV News of how he spent his time since dropping 2009's Loso's Way. "But it's time for me to get back in the game commercially and drop some radio hits. I think everybody knows Fab for those genuine radio smash records and that's where 'Ready' starts right back off, my foundation of what I do."

The Runners-produced "Ready" is the very first single off Fab's upcoming Loso's Way 2. The slow-rolling track finds the veteran lyricist delivering clever one-liners to the ladies, while Chris Brown laces the chorus with his own brand of seductiveness.

Fab contends however that the song has two tasks. One, of course is to be romantic, the other goes beyond the bedroom. "I actually made this song to inspire other people. 'Ready' is a mind state you want to be in as well," he said. "That's the kind of mind state I want to be in — I want to be ready for whatever the world brings to me... it's also for you and your lady. You might just be trying to get her ready for whatever you're trying to get her ready for. That's what the song does too."

On Sunday, Loso and Breezy hit the beaches of Malibu, California, to start filming a video that matches the song's heat. "We definitely wanted a tropical [scene]. We wanted some ocean because the second location is actually in the Dominican Republic," Fab revealed. "We wanted something here that could match the tropical feel of the island."

As far as the collaboration portion of the video, Fabolous is excited about Breezy's involvement. "I don't want to tell the whole video, but Chris Brown is definitely killing his performances as usual, and he pulls off another spectacular performance today," he said.

What do you think of Fabolous and Chris Brown's "Ready"? Let us know in the comments!

Ke$ha, Pitbull Ready To 'Party' During Kids' Choice Awards

Pitbull will team up with Christina Aguilera for 'Feel This Moment,' while Ke$ha will perform 'C'Mon.'

In case you were worried that Nickelodeon's 26th Annual Kids' Choice Awards wasn't enough of a party, things just got a whole lot rowdier.

Pitbull and Ke$ha will serve as the night's musical performers. The Miami rapper will be joined by Christina Aguilera to perform their track "Feel This Moment," while party girl Ke$ha will be on hand performing her Warriorsingle, "C'Mon."

"Can't wait to play the Kids' Choice Awards for the first time," Pitbull said in a statement. "Look forward for fans to also see the first performance of 'Feel This Moment' with Christina Aguilera. It's gonna be fun, dale!!!"

Ke$ha was equally excited about the booking, adding, "Kids' Choice is always one of the most fun awards shows of the year. I can't wait to come out and party with all of my animals!!!" (Ke$ha will be back on the small screen in April as the star of her own MTV documentary series"Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life.")

Celebrities from across all entertainment platforms — ranging from music to TV to movies to sports — will try to take home a blimp at this year's show, which will be hosted by "Transformers" star Josh Duhamel. Nominees in a range of categories include Taylor Swift, One Direction, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Stewart, Will Smith and more.

Fans can vote in all categories across all of Nick's digital platforms. A complete list of nominees and additional information can be found on Nick's website. The show will go live at 8 p.m. ET from USC's Galen Center in L.A. on March 23.

What are you looking forward to most at this year's Kids' Choice Awards? Sound off below!

One Direction Stump For Frank Ocean, Ed Sheeran Wax Statues Next

The 1D wax statues will make their debut in London in April before making stops around the globe.

One Direction are about to get waxy. On Monday (March 11), Madame Tussauds announced that the fivesome will soon make their debut as wax figures. The wax likenesses will make premiere in London in April before circling around the globe.
"We actually first heard when we were over at Madame Tussauds looking at the figures so we were even more like 'Wow we're going to get one of these made'," Liam Payne recalled. "And they are so amazing as well. The quality of the work that goes on over there is mad."

One Direction Ponder What Other Celebs Should Join Madame Tussaud?

Zayn Malik added, "This is insane like all the biggest stars around the world get these wax works made of them and why are we five normal lads, just like jokers, getting these wax works made of us... it's an amazing honor. It's really cool."
Fans can get a first look of the statues when they premiere on April 18 in London, where they will remain there until July 11. The next stop on their tour will be in New York. They will hang out in the Big Apple from July 19 to October 11 before heading to Sydney from October 24 to January 28. Additionally dates and locations will be announced at a later time. The statues take up to four months to create and eventually will be seated on a bench where fans can hang with them.
In addition to sitting beside the idols, they may try to kiss them — a prospect some of the guys accepted with open arms. Niall Horan said, "I suppose it's kind of strange because they're quite fun to look at but I don't know about kissing them."
Louis Tomlinson was a little more open to the idea, adding, "I think it's cool that our figures are gonna be kissed by different people; hopefully that's hygienic."
Liam offered to trade places with his statue for the day, while Harry Styles remained perplexed by his statues' possible encounters. He said, "It might get a bit waxy... maybe we should make them out of lip balm."
Madame Tussauds has certainly recreated a number of A-listers already, but 1D offered up a few suggestions of their own as possible future muses.
Malik was down for a Frank Ocean likeness, calling the possibility "cool." Meanwhile Harry stumped for Mother Teresa and Liam into the idea of a Jay-Z statue. "I think Madam Tussauds should make Adele 'cause she started this whole British invasion and she's done a lot for music around the world and she's smashed America," Niall said.
Louis, on the other hand, would like to see his pal get waxed next. "I think it'd be cool to have Ed Sheeran there in his little orange hoodie with his orange hair," he said of his best mate and songwriter.
Are you excited to see what One Direction look like as wax statues? Tell us in the comments!

Keith Urban Glad 'American Idol' In Voter's Hands Now

If there's one thing we've learned about first-year "American Idol" judge Keith Urban at this point, it's that it's that he's a big softie at heart.

Yes, he will occasionally ding a contestant for picking the wrong song or not staying true to themselves, but overall the country thunder from down under has been all smiles, sweetness and encouragement to season 12's wannabes. Hell, he's even gotten a bit misty-eyed at times!

Keith Urban Is Relieved 'American Idol' Is Now In The Fans' Hands

But once America picked this year's top 10,
 Urban wasn't afraid to say he was breathing easier.

"It's more of a relief," Urban told PointMaza after Thursday night's elimination when asked about his feelings now that the voters at home are deciding the fates of the top 10. "It will be frustrating to watch people go that we wish could have stayed that might have just had a bad night and their better than that."

Thursday night's show revealed your contenders for the crown, which include Lazaro Arbos, Paul Jolley, Burnell Taylor, Curtis Finch Jr. and Devin Velez on the male side and Kree Harrison, Candice Glover, Janelle Arthur, Angie Miller and Amber Holcomb for the ladies. Left to pursue their dreams elsewhere were such panel favorites as Zoanette Johnson
 and Charlie Askew, as well as Vincent Powell, Elijah Liu, Breanna Steer and Aubrey Cleland.

Urban said whenever a contestant has a bad night, or picks the wrong song, he really feels it.

"My heart breaks for them on the night," he said. "It's already happened on some of the really important nights. I've just watched them and gone, 'Ugh! That wasn't the performance for tonight. You know it, I know it.' Ahhh, it's heartbreaking!"

Do you think America got it right with the top 10? Let us know in comments below!

Justin Bieber 'Getting Better' After Concert Collapse

'Figuring out what happened,' Bieber tweets after being rushed to the hospital in London.

Justin Bieber is recovering after being taken to a hospital in London on Thursday (March 7). The singer reportedly struggled with breathing problems and collapsed backstage at his concert.
His manager, Scooter Braun, came onstage to tell the crowd at the O2 arena what was going on. "Justin got very light of breath. The whole show he's been complaining. He's backstage with the EMTs and the doctor," Braun said in a video posted on TMZ.


Witnesses said Justin went backstage and got oxygen from emergency personnel. Though it was recommended that he stop the show, Bieber was determined to power through for his fans, E! News reports. He got through four more songs and was taken to the hospital for evaluation immediately afterward.
Bieber slams "rumors, rumors and more rumors" about his week in London.
He has since tweeted that he's "getting better" and "figuring out what happened." He thanked his fans for the love and pulling him through the night.


This puts the icing on a crazy 19th-birthday week for Justin, who called out "dummies" for making it the "worst birthday" for the pop star.
Share your well-wishes for Justin in the comments below.

French Montana Feels New York Love In First Show Since Shooting

It's been a rough couple of days on the road for French Montana, but on Monday night the Bad Boy returned home.
Monday night's New York City show had none of the drama that marked his last show in Philadelphia on Thursday night, where one man was killed in a drive-by shooting not far from French's tour bus. Montana made no mention of the incident when he took the stage at SOB's at about 11 p.m., but rather let his hits speak for him. (He had already issued a statement about the incident on Friday.) There was also no mention of PointMaza debate where Montana narrowly missedthe #10 spot to his buddy Meek Mill.

Meek Mill Kicks Off The 'Hottest MCs' Countdown At #10

To start, Montana and a few dozen of his handlers took the stage to the tune of Big Sean's mixtape favorite "Mula," a Young Chop-produced banger that French is featured on. The track was punctuated by a live drummer, who couldn't be seen onstage, but played in time with the DJ who cued by the rapper's tracks one by one.
French has made a name, not just for his underground mixtape material, but also for his radio-ready high-powered collaborations. And for his homecoming, the head Coke Boy brought out a number of guests including DJ Khaled, Wyclef, Uncle Murda, Yo Gotti, Chinx Drugz and Trina, whom French is rumored to be dating.
There were no outward signs of affection, but he and the Miami rap queen united to perform their Mac & Cheese 3 duet "Tic Toc." To cap off his all-star parade French brought out Busta Rhymes, who saluted Montana for repping for New York and dropping his debut LP Excuse My French on May 21, the day the Notorious B.I.G. would have turned 41. "There ain't never been a n---a from New York, whoever dropped an album on B.I.G.'s birthday," Busta said before launching into his verse from Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now."


Montana made way for plenty of his own hits, closing the night with a medley of pre-Bad Boy crowd pleasures like "New York Minute," "Straight Cash," "Move That Cane" and "Choppa Choppa Down." Of course there were newer hits like "Shot Caller," "Pop That," "Ocho Cinco" and the Nicki Minaj-assisted "Freaks" without Nicki.
As the crowd filed out to the tunes of Montana's imprisoned partner-in-rhyme Max B, it was clear that on this night there would be no drama for French, just some serious hometown love.

Psy Teams With 2 Chainz And Tyga On 'Gangnam Style' Remixes

Psy made headlines when he told PointMaza he was "ending" his signature smash "Gangnam Style" on New Year's Eve ... though it appears that retirement talk may have been a tad premature.

Because "Gangnam" is getting another go 'round, thanks to the folks at Republic Records, who have just announced the Remix Style EP ... and it's being released digitally on Tuesday (March 5).

The EP features remixes by Diplo and Afrojack, not to mention that much-discussed collaboration with 2 Chainz, which now also features a verse from Tyga. According to Republic, the reworked versions take the song "straight to the dance floor with propulsive production and uncontainable club energy," which is good, because we definitely didn't hear "Gangnam" in every club on the planet last year.

Meanwhile, Psy continues to prep the follow-up to "Gangnam Style," and he's determined to go it alone, eschewing the expected collabos to prove that he's more than a one-hit wonder, as he explained to PointMaza earlier this year.

"I don't think I'll be doing any collaborations until my new track is done, and it's not done yet, but I'm thinking of doing it by myself, so I can prove I can do it one more time," he said. "And I'm working hard on it, because I've got to be good with the track and the video, and I've got to be able to perform it on the stage."

Can you take more "Gangnam Style?" Let us know in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy S IV to be impressive performer, but made out of plastic?

The Samsung Galaxy S IV puzzle is getting solved each day by the rumor and today’s part is about the materials it is made of. Russian analyst Eldar Murtazin claims he has already seen the Galaxy S IV and it will feature a similar plastic build like its predecessor.

Still, Murtazin believes, the Galaxy S IV adds the necessary updates and few nice tweaks that will convince users to buy it and become Samsung’s best sold smartphone.

What’s interesting is that Murtazin also claims some of Samsung-selected press (and most likely carriers) got to see the S IV behind closed doors at MWC 2013. It’s no wonder then we are seeing so many various leaks floating around.

The Galaxy S IV has just made a sweeping appearance on AnTuTu benchmarking app, and so far is said to feature a 4.99-inch 1080p display. It will allegedly come with different hardware depending on the market, but a Qualcomm Snapdragon version is likely to come in the States. All of the versions however impress with performance.

It will also allegedly come with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front shooter. Internal storage is 16GB or 32GB and expandable via microSD cards. Battery life is said to have remained roughly the same as on the Galaxy S III.

Finally, Murtazin reassures that the S IV has already entered mass production and is completely ready for the official unveiling on March 14th in New York.

source: Mobile-Review

Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole Getting 'Mad Competitive' On Upcoming Project

J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar take their MCing very seriously. The two friends have long-planned to drop a collaboration project, and while the release date is up in the air, Cole assures that both rappers will on their lyrical A-games.

"It's mad competitive. It has to be, because we both love it. We're not gonna speak about it, it's not gonna be like, 'Yo man I killed you,' " the Roc Nation rapper/producer told PointMaza during an interview last month during the 2013 NBA All-Star weekend.

"It's pride. You have pride in your craft and what you do, but to a certain extent," Cole explained of the friendly competition that exists between most MCs.

J. Cole Says Kendrick Lamar Collaboration Album Is 'Coming'

Sometimes though, it isn't about who has the best bars, but making the best possible songs and in those instances both K-Dot and Cole work toward a unified goal. "It's not about who's better verse, it's about the song," he said. "But if it's just for flexin', you definitely wanna show out."

The tag-team project has been teased since 2011, but Cole also assures us that it will happen. "It's coming. We already got too many songs. Even if you just get an EP, you gonna get something, but we got sh-- that we holding in the stash," he said.

Cole convinced us with his confidence, but he did say that he now realizes why the business makes it difficult for two artists, from different labels to collaborate on a single project. Artists like Nas and AZ, MF Doom and Ghostface Killah, and Fabolous and Ne-Yo have all been conceptualized, but none of them have yet to materialize.

"Now I see why those joints don't happen, but it's a different thing when you got will and both your minds are set on it; it should happen," he said. "But I can see why that sh-- is hard, like all those f---in' joints that were supposed to happen back in the days."

French Montana Says He 'Was Not Involved' In Philadelphia Shooting

French Montana may be signed to Bad Boy Records, but when it comes to Friday morning's (March 1) shooting that left one man dead, the rap star insists that he had nothing to do with it.
After his concert Thursday night at the Theatre of the Living Arts in Philly, gunfire erupted in front of the hotel where Montana's bus was parked. Shortly after midnight a black four-door sedan pulled up and a passenger from the vehicle fired several shots. Two people standing in front of the hotel returned fire to vehicle, but police say no shots were fired from inside the tour bus. The incident claimed the life Jowann King, 26, of Flushing, New York, who was fatally shot in the chest. A second unidentified victim was treated and released.

French Montana Is On The Guard After Rick Ross' Drive-By Shooting Attempt

"My bus was located in the vicinity of the incident that took place away from the venue, last night in Philadelphia," French said in a personal statement sent to PointMaza. "I had a peaceful concert and was not involved. My deepest thoughts and sympathies go out to the families of the victims, as well as all of those who were affected."


Montana and members of his crew, including fellow rapper Chinx Drugs were interviewed, but French's spokeswoman told PointMaza that they were all released post questioning. "They are still interviewing a ton of people," said Philadelphia Police spokesperson Officer Christine O'Brien. "From what we were told he [Montana] was on the tour bus at the time and was not even aware of the shooting. The captain [in charge of the investigation] said everyone in [Montana's] group was more than cooperative with police."
PointMaza has learned that French's Friday night stop in Allston, Massachusetts has been canceled, but the rapper's camp tells us that the tour will resume in New York City on March 4 and hit the rest of its scheduled stops.

Mac Miller's Movies With The Sound Off Is 'Finally Ready'

The creative process varies from artist to artist, but for Mac Miller, one of the necessary steps for completing his highly anticipated sophomore LP,Watching Movies With the Sound Off, was skipping mundane grooming tasks like shaving. Now that the star of the PointMaza reality series "Mac Miller and the Most Dope Family" is clean-shaven again, it can only mean one thing: The follow-up to his Billboard-charting debut, Blue Slide Park, is finally done.

"In the next few weeks, I'ma start dropping videos," Mac told Sway Calloway on Wednesday when he appeared on "RapFix Live" via Skype. "I've been locked in this dungeon in California in my house working on this project, and it's finally ready. This is the first time I'm somewhat clean-shaven in like a year and a half. I've had like a gigantic beard and when you grow your beard out all crazy, people think you're insane. That's what's been happening to me, and now I'm clean-shaven. I look like a regular person. But I'm really happy about this album."

Mac Miller Feared His Reality Show Might 'Suck'

The Macadelic MC didn't reveal song titles or guest features for Watching Movies, but he did explain how he's grown artistically since his first offering moved a record-setting 144,000 units independently in its first week.

"I think that it's really what's going on right now," Mac said. "Blue Slide Park, the album was kind of about growing up in Pittsburgh and just about that feeling and [Watching Movies] is just what's going on in my head right now, after the time I've spent doing what I'm doing. It's got some stuff on there that I think, if you like to listen to some music that will make you think, it might do the trick."

After mentioning that Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner, the bass guitarist who played sideman for Suicidal Tendencies and Snoop Lion, laid down a mean outro for the project, the Steel City rapper revealed that this time out, he chose to ignore the temptation of making a hip-hop album based solely on bangers.

"Me and Diplo did something crazy 'cause I had to have some high energy on there, but for the most part, the album is very, it's more cerebral," Mac said. "I think I've always wanted to do a very chilled-out project, and I always tend to feel nervous. 'But I gotta throw the bangers on there so everyone can have something to jam to.' With this one, I was like, 'Nah, I'm just gonna make some chill music that people can just sit and listen to in their headphones by themselves and go to sleep to or something like that.' "

Diddy Got Swag 'Because I Stopped Wetting The Bed'

Rap mogul tells Ellen DeGeneres that he was a child bed wetter because he drank too much Kool-Aid.

You'd think that a world famous entrepreneur/producer/rapper/jacked water mogul like Diddy would have infinite sources of swag. Frankly, with all his riches and accomplishments, it's hard to think of him ever being a shy, or awkward kid.
Well, there's hope for all of us now, because just a few days after a media blitz announcing his deal to become the face of AQUAhydrate
 along with Mark Wahlberg, Diddy, 43, went on the Ellen DeGeneres show on Friday (March 1) to reveal one of the most shocking secrets from his past.

Mark Wahlberg, Diddy Announce Aqua Hydrate Partnership

Yup, he was a bed wetter.
After proclaiming that he grew up drinking nothing but Kool-Aid and sodas as a kid and that AQUAhydrate has changed his life, Diddy copped to messing his sheets all the time, blaming it on the K-K-K-K-Kool-Aid.
"One thing I want to say is, I grew up as a Kool-Aid kid. I never drank water," Diddy told DeGeneres. "I used to pour a half a pound of sugar into the Kool-Aid. Besides it having me bouncing off the walls, I used to be a bed wetter."
Wait, what? TMI Pee Diddy! (Sorry, we had to do it.)
"I guess I'm confessing that I used to be a bed wetter," he explained. "So I went on this quest to stop wetting the bed, and the first day I had a sleepover and I didn't wet the bed, it was, like, one of the greatest days of my life. It gave me the swagger that I have today because I stopped wetting the bed."
Dr. Diddy then explained to Ellen's young viewers that there's something in sugar that makes you wet the bed. Which got us thinking, really?
"Excess sugar consumption, especially refined white sugar, can cause many health issues and conditions, including the need to urinate more often," according to the Livestrong website. " Too much sugar triggers the urinary tract system in an effort to eliminate the substance from within the body."

Billie Joe Armstrong Says 'I Was The Joke' In 'Only Interview' About Rehab

The Green Day frontman opens up about his battles with pills and alcohol and his struggle to stay clean in Rolling Stone.

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong lets it be known that "this is definitely the only interview I'm gonna do" about his battles with substance abuse in a new Rolling Stone cover story, and he certainly made it count.
In the new issue on newsstands Friday (March 1), Armstrong opens up about his battles with prescription drugs and alcohol — the former he took for "anxiety and sleep," the latter he's been struggling with since at least 1997, when Green Day released Nimrod — and the night where everything came to a head: September 21, when, after a day spent popping pills and drinking, he melted down during Green Day's set at the iHeart Radio festival in Las Vegas.
"The thing in Vegas, some people love it, some people hate it. I know I'm not gonna relive that. That's a side of me I don't want my fans to ever see again," he said. "I blacked out. I remember tiny things, getting to the venue, being backstage, trying to shake the buzz off ... People will remind me a little bit [about it now]. Or I'll see a photograph. It makes me so sick. What I said or did, that's not what really bothers me. It's the fact that it wasn't me. I'm not that person. I don't want to be like that."
Armstrong entered rehab following the gig, and tells Rolling Stone that, while in treatment, he worked on his addictions using "meditation through prayer." During that period, he had only "semi contact" with his bandmates — "Tre was scared. Mike was f---ing pissed," he said — though part of his recovery involved coming to terms with just how his battles with substances had come to affect not just his Green Day mates, but his wife Adrienne, too.
"I'm sure that crossed her mind, that if I didn't get sober I could potentially lose all of that stuff," he said. "I could have lost the band too. I didn't realize how destructive I was. I thought everybody was in on the joke. But I was the joke."
And with Green Day poised to return to the road, Armstrong said he's still nervous about how he'll handle his newfound sobriety — "I'm not sure I'm ready," he said. "There is still the obsession with alcohol" — but he's determined to push on, and excited to begin the next phase of his career ... on his terms.
"I never want to be the guy who talks about addiction," he said. "The last thing I want is sympathy from anybody. I don't want a pity party."
What do you think about Billie Joe's interview? Let us know in the comments below.