New Led Zeppelin On The Way? Jason Bonham Hints At 'Jam' Sessions With Jimmy Page -- But Not Robert Plant

Drummer admits he doesn't know what will come of 'new material.'By Chris Harris





Jason Bonham

Photo: Larry Marano/ Getty Images




On Friday morning, mere hours before he was due to take the stage with classic rockers Foreigner at Detroit's GM Renaissance Center, drummer Jason Bonham — the son of late Led Zeppelin kitman John Bonham — told Jim Johnson and Lynne Woodison of local rock station 94.7 WCSX that he'd be an ex-member of Foreigner as of September 1. But that's not the only thing he said.
Much to the delight of Led Zeppelin fans everywhere, Bonham revealed that he's been meeting up with Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones in recent months and that they've been "trying to do some new material and writing."
It was the first time since Led Zeppelin announced they would re-form for a single performance (which happened late last year at London's O2 Arena, in honor of the late Ahmet Ertegün, who signed the band to Atlantic Records in 1969) that anyone connected to the band has confirmed publicly that new music could be on the horizon for the iconic rockers. While the bandmembers have stopped short of definitively ruling out such a reunion, singer Robert Plant insisted in the wake of last year's show that he intended to focus on promoting and touring behind his critically lauded album with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss, Raising Sand.
Not that Bonham knows what — if anything — will happen with the new material he's been working on with Page (who collaborated with pop singer Leona Lewis on an uneven version of Zep's "Whole Lotta Love" at the Olympic closing ceremonies in Beijing on Sunday night) and Jones. He said he just shows up and takes his seat behind the kit.
"I've been over [to England] a couple of times," Bonham said. "I've been working with Jimmy and John Paul and trying to do ... some new material and some writing. I don't know what it will be, but it will be something. At the moment, all I know is I have the great pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and start work on some material. When I get there, I never ask any questions. If I get a phone call to go and play, I enjoy every moment of it. Whatever it ends up as, to ever get a chance to jam with two people like that, it is a phenomenal thing for me. It's my life. It's what I've dreamed about doing."
He said it's still too early to tell what will become of these "jam" sessions, but admitted that the "possibility of doing something is in the cards. I really felt it was in the cards from the moment we walked offstage at the O2." Bonham also explained that, before there could be a Led Zep LP, "lots of politics [would need to] get ironed out," but added that recording with Zep is "something I've always wanted to do."
Bonham noticeably didn't mention frontman Plant's name during the discussion. A spokesperson for Page's management had no comment on the matter, and a spokesperson for Jones' management could not be reached by press time.



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Gearing Up For The 2010 VMAs!

Check here for news on performers, presenters, nominees and more leading up to this year's big show!





Photo: Warner Bros. Records








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Last night David and I met up with Adriana for a quick dinner date at 8 oz. Burger Bar on Melrose Ave in West Hollywood, CA and we had a grand ol’ time: We ate and caught up and ate and laughed and ate and ate. So, yeah, it was a typical Monday night. After [...]

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Kanye West Drops Justin Bieber 'Runaway Love' Remix

Track channels old-school Wu-Tang Clan, with two new verses from Raekwon.By Jayson Rodriguez





Justin Bieber and Kanye West

Photo: Getty Images




On Kanye West's re-engineered vision of Justin Bieber's "Runaway Love," which arrived online Monday (August 30), 'Ye and Raekwon take turns trading Wu-homage rhymes in between the teen's vocals.
West sampled the Wu-Tang Clan's 1993 breakout smash "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F--- Wit" for the number. In his verse, Kanye pays homage to Raekwon's standout verse on Jodeci's "Freek'N You" remix, among other nods to the Staten Island collective. The veteran Wu lyricist also gives a nod to that same verse.
"Yo, 'Ye, what up," Rae spits, opening the track like he did on the Jodeci hit. "You got stacks like the International House of Pancakes/ All alone, ready to phone me and your hand shakes/ Palms is wetted, don's regret/ Never to walk miles for love, I sit in the starter's deck."
"Last name West, and my teeth diamonds," West rapped. "She said, 'Yo, what's your occupation: crazy rhyming?' "
Bieber's vocals are the same as on the original. Raekwon anchors the song with two verses, and Kanye has one verse on the track.
Raekwon spoke to MTV News earlier this month and revealed that only he and West joined forces in the studio for the track. The wordsmith made no mention of Bieber among the celebrities who were present during the session at New York's Electric Lady Studios.
"Kanye was just being Kanye," Rae said. "He was definitely excited. The energy in the room was already speaking for itself. It was time to get up and have fun on the track together. We was drinking, laughing, being normal cats. At the same time, we had a houseful of celebrities in the house as well. [Kanye] was moving through the facility, checking out the studios he had. He had three studios in there.
"You had Akon in the building. Mos Def was just chillin'. Mos is a good friend of 'Ye's," Rae added. "You had Charlie Wilson, the legendary cat from the Gap Band. Chris Rock walked in. These are guys that really respect who 'Ye is. 'Ye's energy is cool. He's a normal cat. A normal Chicago/world cat. Very mature. Having a great time."
The record came together after Kanye West and Justin Bieber talked to each other via Twitter. "Listening to @JustinBieber 'Run Away love,' " West wrote "I love Sunday mornings in the crib."
Bieber responded and the two traded messages about their mutual admiration.
West then added Raekwon in the mix. The producer revealed that the Wu-Tang Clan star performed on one of his favorite remixes of all time, Jodeci's "Freek'N You" redux.
"Maybe me and Rae should hop on Runaway Love! FLEX would drop bombs," West wrote on Twitter, referring to Hot 97 DJ Funkmaster Flex's method for showing his approval of records.
What do you think of Kanye West's "Runaway Love" remix? Let us know in the comments!



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Most Hong Kong diners are familiar with Hainan chicken rice, which appears on menus from Southeast Asian restaurants to hotel coffee shops around town. The dish that most serve is the Singaporean version -- which has more dips than you would find accompanying the dish in Hainan Island itself. On the sub-tropical South China isle, the most prized chickens come from the Wenchang area in its east.
Traditionally, the rice is fried with garlic before cooking and the water in which the tender fowl is poached turns to stock that is used to boil rice and for accompanying soup. We take a look here at some of the better variations on the dish, available in Hong Kong.read more

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Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year

Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.By James Montgomery with MTV News staff





Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday

Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images




"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."
He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.
You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.
And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.
And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.
To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.
"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."



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Afrojack Wants 'Take Over Control' To Be 'Big All Over The World'

The David Guetta protégé also talks 'big' plans: 'Hopefully doing some stuff with Britney Spears.'By Akshay Bhansali





Afrojack

Photo: MTV News




Afrojack dropped his single "Take Over Control" on Monday, and with its release, the Dutch DJ/producer seems intent on expanding his self-invented "bleepy" sound to a mass audience.
"Popwise, I'm working with a girl called Eva Simons," Afrojack told MTV News earlier this year. "She's also from Holland. We have one track together called 'Take Over Control' that's gonna be the first dance/bleepy pop song," he explained at the time.

Afrojack was widely celebrated at this year's Winter Music Conference in Miami, with many of the genre's heavy-hitters commending his new contribution to electronic/dance music. The song is already a hit in Europe, and after performing it during sets throughout his 2010 North American tour and at Los Angeles' Electric Daisy Festival, "Take Over" has become something of a set staple for DJs.
"I think ... Well, I hope, it's gonna be big all over the world," Afrojack (born Nick Van de Wall) said. "Ministry of Sound wants to push money into it. Everybody wants to push it, and make it into the new revolution song. So, I'm so lucky that they have chosen this song."
Popularizing his bleepy Holland House sound might be a lesson gleaned from his mentor and frequent collaborator, David Guetta, who in a show of support posted a Beatport.com link to "Take Over" Monday morning. Once considered solely a house music star, Guetta has within the past two years become a global crossover pop success by "urbanizing" what the mainstream American music scene had long considered a niche category.
"He's like my big brother. I was never into pop stuff," Afrojack said of Guetta. "I was never into the charts, and TV and everything, but he introduced me to it and let me know how it worked and how it was fun to make. I started making a little bit of pop music on the side just for fun and it actually turned out pretty well. So we are doing some big things. Hopefully doing some stuff with Britney Spears.
"He was in the studio with me the first time he finished the new song for Rihanna," Afrojack continued. "He was like, 'OMG. You gotta hear this ... it's crazy. So I was expecting some crazy club sh--. But he played me that track and it was a good [pop] track. So that's what inspired me to do that."
Fans can purchase the "Take Over Control" download at Beatport.com or hear it live when Afrojack performs this Saturday at New York's Electric Zoo electronic music festival. He's joined on the lineup by Armin van Buuren, Diplo, Avicii, Wolfgang Gartner and Axwell, among many other acts at the two-day event.
What do you think of Afrojack's new single? Tell us in the comments!

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Michael Jackson's Brother Jermaine Celebrates King Of Pop On 'Larry King'

The Jackson family still hasn't 'come to terms' with MJ's death a year later, Jermaine says.By Eric Ditzian





Jermaine Jackson on "Larry King Live"

Photo: CNN




On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson's family and friends gathered at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, California, to lay the King of Pop to rest in the Grand Mausoleum. Almost one year later, shortly before the actual anniversary of his death, MJ's brother Jermaine returned to the site to tape an interview with Larry King.

"It's been tough," Jermaine told the talk-show host. "It went so fast. We've been just putting the pieces together and the family's been having a lot of meetings and we're just trying to hold on. We haven't come to terms. It's something we're learning to live with. We will never accept it."
Speaking softly and quietly, Jackson said the inside of the mausoleum is dark and cold. "To walk this corridor, and all you hear is your footsteps. Michael shouldn't be here. I always felt that," he said, adding that MJ should have been buried at his Neverland Ranch estate.
A year later, Jackson said Michael's three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, are enjoying as normal a life as possible. They love movies, Jermaine said, though he is not sure if they've seen "This Is It," the documentary about Michael's final months as he prepared for what were to be his comeback shows in London. Jermaine also revealed that they do not visit their father's gravesite at Forest Lawn.
Each of the family members, Jackson said, continues to grieve in their own ways. And they continue to raise questions about the circumstances surrounding MJ's death. Jermaine acknowledged that numerous interventions had been made concerning Michael's use of various prescription medications but denied any suggestion that his brother did not want to live. Rather, Jermaine said the family believes Michael was murdered and that Dr. Conrad Murray, the singer's personal physician who was charged with involuntary manslaughter as a result of MJ's propofol overdose, is not the sole person responsible for the death.
"All of us feel that he's the fall guy," Jermaine said. "It's higher up than just the doctor.
"He did say on numerous occasions, at times to my mother, that he felt that he was being threatened, someone was trying to kill him," Jermaine added about his brother.
While the Jackson family awaits the start of Murray's trial, which they plan to attend, they lament the way the pop singer has been treated by the media, the public and prosecutors in the years before his death.
"If you listen to the content of his lyrics and his music, that's what he is, that's what he wrote from his heart, from his soul," Jackson said. "And it's sad, because now people realize what kind of person he was all along. But he's not here to see that. He got a bum rap because he was so misunderstand. He was trying to take the world on his shoulders and to bring an awareness to the world of what we need to do as people."



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 Eye contact? Check. Genuine smile? Check. Made the first move? Check.

No, I wasn't getting picked up at a bar. I was going undercover as a mystery shopper to test the Singapore Service Star (SSS) initiative, a scheme developed by the Singapore Tourism Board, aimed at improving the quality of service in Singapore. For the world-class city that Singapore bills itself as, service here is like opening a box of chocolates -- you never know what you're going to get, and often the result is a rude surprise.read more

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Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says

'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.By Chris Harris





Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland

Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images




There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.
Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.
On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.
"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."
Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.
"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."
DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.
"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."
As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.
"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."
While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?
"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."



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Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year

Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.By James Montgomery with MTV News staff





Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday

Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images




"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."
He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.
You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.
And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.
And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.
To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.
"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."



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You can spit raw pig organs out into the crowd, play blast beats at deafening volume or wear enough corpse paint to clog your pores until next Halloween, but the real test of whether a musician has balls of steel can b tested most effectively by an eight year old kid asking them where babies [...]

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Adam Lambert's 'Whole Lotta Love': The Story Behind The Cover

Glam rocker tackled the legendary 1970 Led Zeppelin song for 'American Idol' rock night.By Gil Kaufman





Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on "American Idol" on Tuesday

Photo: R. Mickshaw/Getty Images/ Fox




Imagine a freight train speeding toward you at midnight. Or a rockslide barreling down a hill as you try to outrace it. That's the feeling of the ominous, chugging Jimmy Page riff that kicks off Led Zeppelin's 1970 Stonehenge of rock, "Whole Lotta Love." And that's before singer Robert Plant leans into one of the nastiest, ecstatic rock screams this side of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."
That's the song Adam Lambert chose to sing on "American Idol" rock night Tuesday (May 5), and, needless to say, it was a challenge that the eyeliner-loving Los Angeles stage veteran was more than up for, hitting a series of high notes and rock screams that would have made Plant proud. It was a risky maneuver that paid off for Lambert, who chose a tune that came in at #75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004.


The legendary British rock act recorded the tribute to Chicago blues icon Willie Dixon during their second U.S. tour after working it out in their live show, including it on their 1969 classic album Led Zeppelin II. Like many of the songs Zeppelin performed early in their career, "Love" was a blues standard turned on its head with a heavy dose of crunching psychedelic guitar and thundering drums, courtesy of late drummer John Bonham. The song was based on a 1962 tune by another blues forefather, Muddy Waters, called "You Need Love," which was penned by Dixon.
For Zeppelin's version, Plant customized the lyrics by adding some lyrical quotes from a few other songs Dixon wrote for Howlin' Wolf, "Back Door Man" and "Shake For Me," nailing the tricky vocal in a single take. It was also inspired by 1966's "You Need Loving" from the British rock group the Small Faces, for whom Zeppelin had great affection, but they also did not credit Dixon for his part in writing the original lyrics. The song became Zeppelin's first U.S. single and their only U.S. top 10 hit. Though their manager would not let them release singles in the U.K. because he thought it cannibalized album sales, the song was finally released as the band's only British single in 1997.
Dixon sued Zeppelin over the song in 1985, claiming it borrowed too heavily from his "You Need Love," and Zeppelin reached an agreement with him, with Dixon using the money he received to set up a program that provided musical instruments for schools. A cornerstone of heavy rock, the tune -- which was the theme song for the long-running British countdown show "Top of the Pops" in the 1970s and '80s -- has been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Tina Turner and Ben Harper to Prince, Slash, Leona Lewis, Train's Pat Monahan, the London Symphony Orchestra and Jane's Addiction.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.



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Watch: The Commercial For ?Radiance? By Britney Spears

While Britney Spears was bizzy being happy and in love in Hawaii with her hot elder beau Jason Trawick this weekend, her promo team was bizzy being hard at work for the living legend here in SoCal behind the scenes. Yesterday the first promo video commercial for Britney‘s latest fragrance called Radiance was unleashed upon [...]

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Mary J. Blige Dishes On Her 'Crazy' Led Zeppelin Covers

'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll





Mary J. Blige

Photo: MTV News




You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.
In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.

But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.
"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."
Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.
"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.



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Diddy, Trey Songz Applaud Chris Brown's Emotional BET Awards Performance

'He left his heart on the stage,' Songz says of singer's Michael Jackson tribute; host Queen Latifah and others also react.By Rochell Thomas





Chris Brown at the 2010 BET Awards

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic




Folks had nothing but love for Chris Brown, who fell apart during his tribute to Michael Jackson at the 10th annual BET Awards on Sunday night (June 27).

At the afterparty, hosted by the tag team of Diddy and "Hustle & Flow" actress Taraji P. Henson, everyone from a show producer to the cast of the soon-to-be-revived BET series "The Game," as well as some of the night's winners and presenters, had something to say about Brown's emotional performance of "Man in the Mirror," during which the singer fell to his knees crying, genuinely unable, it seemed, to sing the song.
"You know who stole my heart tonight?" Henson asked.
"Chris Brown!" answered Diddy, host Queen Latifah, BET personality Tigger and a group of others in near-unison.
"He was so vulnerable," Henson continued. "I love you, Chris!"
During the tribute, Brown channeled Michael as he danced to "Remember the Time," "Smooth Criminal" and "Billie Jean."
The winner in the Best Male R&B Artist category, Trey Songz, said, "Chris killed that. He left his heart on the stage. He gave genuine emotion. I was proud of him and I was happy for him for having that moment." Songz didn't mention Brown choking on the lyrics during the song: "He did that justice. Everybody's been waiting for that."
Brown may have been waiting for his turn to do a tribute to his idol Michael Jackson, but he also was happy to have an opportunity to speak to his fans later in the show.
"I let y'all down before, but I won't do it again," he said as he accepted the award for the AOL Fandemonium prize, which was presented by siblings Brandy and Ray J. "I promise." Fans voted online, giving Brown the win over Nicki Minaj, Trey Songz and Justin Bieber.
What did you think of Chris Brown's Michael Jackson tribute? Tell us in the comments



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Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says

'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.By Chris Harris





Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland

Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images




There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.
Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.
On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.
"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."
Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.
"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."
DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.
"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."
As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.
"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."
While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?
"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."



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Rihanna's 'Battleship' Will Join Pantheon Of Singers' First Flicks

From Madonna's 'A Certain Sacrifice' to Taylor Swift's 'Valentine's Day,' pop stars' first forays into acting have been interesting.By Eric Ditzian





Taylor Swift in "Valentine's Day"

Photo: New Line Cinema




Last February, during a swing through South Korea, Rihanna told MTV Asia that she had dreams of becoming a Hollywood superstar.
"I would love to get into comedic movies," the 22-year-old said. "As well as action. I love action. I would love to play a badass one day."
Well, a badass she very well might be, as she's signed onto "Battleship," a sci-fi action flick based on the classic board game and co-starring Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgård. Of course, this isn't the first time a celebrated singer has ditched the recording studio for the soundstage. As Rihanna boards "Battleship," she joins a long line of artists-turned-actresses. Let's take a look back at the first movie roles from some our favorite singers.
Beyoncé in "Austin Powers in Goldmember"
No disrespect to the 2001 MTV movie "Carmen: A Hip Hopera," but 2002's "Goldmember" was Beyoncé's first turn on the big screen. And what a debut it was. She essentially played herself, albeit a '70s version of herself with super high hair and a handgun, but that is exactly what Beyoncé needed. The role didn't require very much in terms of acting chops and gave her the chance to get comfortable in front of the camera. Veteran comedic talent like Mike Myers, Seth Green and Michael Caine got the laughs, while Beyoncé benefited from simply sharing the frame. "Goldmember" grossed almost $300 million worldwide, and she went on to star in the critically acclaimed "Dreamgirls" a few years later.
Madonna in "A Certain Sacrifice"
Madge's first high-profile role arrived in 1985 with "Desperately Seeking Susan," but she actually shot her first movie six years earlier. The low-budget "A Certain Sacrifice," a sex-and-violence filled story set in New York's Lower East Side, languished on the shelf for years until Madonna hit the mainstream. She actually did everything she could to prevent the film's release, but "Certain Sacrifice" eventually got a home video release. Madonna might not be proud of the flick, but it certainly didn't have a negative effect on her Hollywood career. She went on to star in a slew of glitzy productions, including "Evita," for which she won a Golden Globe in 1997.
Queen Latifah in "Jungle Fever"
Latifah signed her first record deal when she was just 17. By the time she was 21, she'd also landed a small role in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever." She went on to meatier roles in "House Party 2" and "Juice," opposite Tupac Shakur. By the new millennium, she had an Oscar nomination for "Chicago" on her résumé and a string of starring credits to her name.
Britney Spears in "Crossroads"
At perhaps the height of her fame, Spears took on a starring role in 2002's "Crossroads," a road-trip story featuring musical interludes and the talents of Dan Aykroyd and Zoe Saldana. The film was a critical dud and a box-office disappointment, and Spears has yet to get another chance at the big screen. In recent years, she's contented herself with cameo appearances in "How I Met Your Mother."
Taylor Swift in "Valentine's Day"
The country superstar appeared as herself in 2009's "Hannah Montana: The Movie," but not until this year's hit ensemble comedy, "Valentine's Day," did Swift slip into an acting role. She played a high school student who falls for her classmate, played by none other than Taylor Lautner. No word yet what her next movie project might be, but her, "Valentine's" director Garry Marshall is gearing up for his next ensemble flick, "New Year's Eve." Ms. Swift, ya interested?
Who is your favorite musician-turned-actor? Talk about it in the comments.
Check out everything we've got on "Battleship."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.



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Jeremy Renner To Star In 'Mission: Impossible IV'

'Hurt Locker' actor will appear alongside Tom Cruise in next 'M:I' installment.By Kara Warner





Jeremy Renner

Photo: Kevin Winter/ WireImage




From "The Hurt Locker" to Hawkeye in "The Avengers" to a role opposite superspy Ethan Hunt, Jeremy Renner's career is on the rise, as Paramount announced Thursday (August 26) that the Oscar-nominated actor will appear as an operative alongside Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible IV."
According to Deadline, Paramount production chief Adam Goodman feels Renner "has a Daniel Craig quality" that he wants for the role. Sources tell the site that the studio was also looking for an actor who might be able to continue on with the franchise, should Cruise choose not to return in the future (Cruise is expected to return for a fifth installment).
Other actors considered for the role include Tom Hardy ("Inception"), Chris Pine ("Star Trek"), Kevin Zegers, Christopher Egan and Renner's "Hurt Locker" co-star Anthony Mackie.
Although the production has had a few bumps and uncertainties along the way, Cruise has been vocal about his commitment to bring in new talent to the franchise. "My whole thing with the series is always having a new director come on and put their stamp on 'Mission: Impossible,' " he told MTV News recently. "Brian De Palma was first, then John Woo, J.J. Abrams and now Brad Bird, so it will be Brad Bird's 'Mission: Impossible.' "
Regarding his thoughts on the story line — which is, of course, heavily under wraps — Cruise said simply: "It's sick. It's fun, really fun."
Ever since his star-making turn in last year's awards-season darling (and Best Picture winner) "The Hurt Locker," Renner has been lining up a slate of prestigious and high-profile projects. He'll next appear in Ben Affleck's much buzzed about Boston drama "The Town," followed by a stint as superhero Hawkeye in Joss Whedon's "Avengers," and then his role in "Mission: Impossible IV."
The production, directed by Bird, with Cruise and J.J. Abrams producing, is set to begin shooting this fall.
Check out everything we've got on "Mission: Impossible IV."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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The Snazzy Napper

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No hay más Led Zeppelin

A pesar de lo dicho ayer, Peter Mensch, manager del guitarrista Jimmy Page, se retractó totalmente en eso que la banda buscaría un reemplazo al ultragenial Robert Plant para seguir rockeando y toureándola por el mundo tras su show de 2007 en el O2 Arena de Londres por el poder de la música más sexual de la historia. No habrá más Led Zeppelin, no hay planes de que lo haya.
Mensch comentó: "Led Zeppelin se acabó. Si no los vieron en el 2007, se los perdieron. Probaron reemplazantes a Robert Plant, pero nada funcionó. Se acabó. No hay planes para continuar. Francamente, ojalá todos dejaran de hablar al respecto."
Los fans no están nada contentos, especialmente los británicos, considerando los precios delirantes de las entradas del show reunión.
¿Y a ti? ¿Qué te parece todo esto?



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Beyonce's 'Why Don't You Love Me' Almost Didn't Happen, Bama Boyz Say

'It was the last one we expected her to pick,' song's producers reveal.By Steven Roberts





Beyoncé

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic




If you've listened to Beyoncé's "Why Don't You Love Me" and inexplicably felt like you were a spy in the middle of an international conspiracy, then don't feel like you're weird. When producers the Bama Boyz, created the song, that's exactly how they felt.

The Grammy-nominated production trio of Eddie Smith, Jesse J. Rankins and Jonathan Wells are signed to Mathew Knowles' (a.k.a. Beyoncé's father) Music World Entertainment, and have worked with B for some time. In fact, the song's inspiration came from the time they spent in London at the end of her B-Day Tour.
"After the tour left, we stayed over in the UK, because we fell in love with it. It was a big thing for us, being out there, and we watch a lot of movies, so we all felt like Jason Bourne, to be quite honest with you," Rankins said. "We felt like James Bond or something. We were running around on like — this is kind of embarrassing — pretend missions in our head and we felt like we needed a theme song for it."
He said they started working on the song that would become "Why Don't You Love Me" in London, and completed it once they were back Stateside. They said that the song's structure was unusual, but luckily it ended up in the right person's hands.
"What happen was [B's sister] Solange called us and was like, 'Hey, I'm going to write a couple of records for my sister. Send me some tracks!' We had a lot of bangers that felt more like Beyoncé, but we actually put that one last on the CD because we figured 'This is not Beyoncé,' but we knew Solange would like it," Rankins said. "So we stuck that one there — but we battled with even putting it on there, because it was the last one we expected her to pick. So Solange sent it back with a song written to it, and it was the 'Why Don't You Love Me' lyrics. The song was hot!"
The Bama Boyz met in junior high and high school and linked back up in college at Alabama A&M University, where they threw parties as DJs. They eventually landed internships at Sony Music before hooking up with Mathew Knowles.
Despite their name, the group's sound doesn't necessarily scream Alabama. Their EP, Socially Awkward, is filled with music that can't readily be classified as electro, R&B or hip-hop.
"We actually like the fact that our name is the Bamaz — people say, 'Ah, they're going to sound like this.' But then we you hear [us], you're like 'What? Are they really from Alabama?' It's just like a gumbo of lots of different genres and styles."



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'Last Exorcism' Tops Friday Box Office

'Takers' with T.I. and Chris Brown nabs second place.By Mawuse Ziegbe





Ashley Bell in "The Last Exorcism"

Photo: Lionsgate




The Box-Office Top Five
#1 "The Last Exorcism" ($9.4 million)
#2 "Takers" ($7.5 million)
#3 "The Expendables" ($2.7 million)
#4 "Eat Pray Love" ($ 2.2 million)
#5 "The Other Guys" ($1.9 million)
"The Last Exorcism" scared up major ticket sales on its opening day. The supernatural horror flick raked in an estimated $9.4 million on Friday. "Exorcism," which is directed by Daniel Stamm and boasts gore-master Eli Roth of the "Hostel" series fame as a producer, drew enough moviegoers to grab the top spot. The film, which follows a documentary crew in rural Louisiana hired to capture the creepy antics of a supposedly possessed young girl, goes light on digital wizardry in favor of scoring scares with practical effects.
In the second place slot is the star-studded heist flick "Takers." T.I., Chris Brown, Idris Elba, Hayden Christensen and Matt Dillon work the screen in a story about a crew of suave thieves set to carry out a major job. The thriller snatched $7.5 million in Friday ticket sales.
Sliding to third place is the heavily-armed action fest "The Expendables." The fiery, butt-kicking flick raised $2.7 million on Friday, after ruling the box office for the past two weeks and sitting comfortably at the top spot. Friday's haul edges the total domestic tally of the Sylvester Stallone-helmed enterprise near the $75 million mark.
"Eat Pray Love," featuring marquee vet Julia Roberts, settled into fourth place. The soul-searching movie adapted from the runaway hit memoir of the same name, nabbed $2.2 million in box office receipts on Friday. The loopy cop comedy "The Other Guys" continues to power along, taking in $1.9 million and rounding out Friday's top movies in the fifth-place slot.
Although "Avatar" wears the crown for the highest-grossing film ever, the re-release of the James Cameron adventure, revamped with previously unreleased footage, failed to crack the top ten with only $1.2 million in Friday ticket sales.
Check out everything we've got on "The Last Exorcism" and "Takers."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.



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Exclusive: Raekwon Talks Finished Justin Bieber Remix With Kanye West

'I definitely didn't give him anything that I thought was too hot to be spoken on by a 16-year-old,' Rae tells MTV News.By Shaheem Reid





Raekwon

Photo: Getty Images




Kanye West's Twitter spawned one of the most talked-about (and unexpected) musical collaborations in years — and the song was only finished Wednesday.

West and Justin Bieber started talking on Twitter a few days ago about making a remix of the Biebs' "Runaway Love." 'Ye suggested Raekwon get involved, and the next day, the Chef and the Louis Vuitton Don were in New York's Electric Lady Studios knocking out verses.
"Kanye was just being Kanye," Rae told MTV News about the session. "He was definitely excited. The energy in the room was already speaking for itself. It was time to get up and have fun on the track together. We was drinking, laughing, being normal cats. At the same time, we had a houseful of celebrities in the house as well. [Kanye] was moving through the facility checking out the studios he had. He had three studios in there.
"You had Akon in the building. Mos Def was just chillin'. Mos is a good friend of 'Ye's," Rae added. "You had Charlie Wilson, the legendary cat from the Gap Band. Chris Rock walked in. These are guys that really respect who 'Ye is. 'Ye's energy is cool. He's a normal cat. A normal Chicago/world cat. Very mature. Having a great time."
Rae said his followers on Twitter alerted him that Kanye and JB were talking on their pages about collaborating and had brought his name up. He didn't hesitate to let them know he wanted in.
"This is a conversation that extended from the Twitter thing," the Staten Island general explained. "Kanye was having a conversation with Justin over the Twitter. They came up with this great idea to have me involved. I was told to check it out and see what they talking about. They was right. They was saying, 'This is something Kanye and Justin want to do.' So automatically, first thing I do is hit them back and say I'm with it. Definitely, it created a movement. A lot of people want to see what could be the outcome to this remix. It's definitely a hot remix."
For the past year, most of Rae's accolades have been coming via his raw street music, most exemplified by 2009's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II LP. Obviously, Rae didn't go into the "Pyrex Vision" or "Surgical Gloves" zone with his rhymes for Bieber's fanbase.
"All I did was ride the beat and listen to what he was singing to," Chef said of his rhymes on the "Runaway Love" remix. "I can go basic when I want to. I can go rated R, I can go rated PG. I definitely didn't give him anything that I thought was too hot to be spoken on by a 16-year-old. I know how to read beats, and listening to the record, I just complemented. At the end of my 16 [bars], when you do hear Justin coming, it fits and it's a great sound. I didn't go crazy. One thing people gotta recognize about me, I'm the Chef. I know how to make spicy food, I know how to make food that ain't spicy. I made something that fit the criteria.
"Me and Kanye are just here to sprinkle a little bit more love on this man's success and all our success," he added.
Rae didn't exactly have Bieber Fever before this collabo, but he respects the teen's work. Chef said he recognized Bieber's star quality and potential when he saw him perform last year. The MC hasn't heard an entire Justin album yet, but his kids are big fans.
The "Runaway Love" remix has also sparked the opportunity for more Raekwon/ Kanye West collaborations. "We sat down and we talked about it, we talked about doing things in the future. This is just the beginning," the Wu-Tang co-founder revealed. "This is something that was supposed to happen a long time ago. He started throwing on them tracks, ideas started coming to my head. I was like, 'If this cat produces a Rae and Ghost record, what could come out of it?' Every album, he evolves. He's always doing the extra, or absurd, the abnormal, but it sounds crazy."
On Tuesday, Rae released his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II: Gold Edition on iTunes. The set includes new songs, remixes and music videos. The project helps commemorate the 15th anniversary of his classic first Linx.
Are you excited to hear the "Runaway Love" remix? Let us know in the comments!



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It didn't take long for the Kanye West-Justin Bieber collaboration to come to fruition. Just days after tweeting about a possible joint project, West let fans know that he's nearly finished remixing Bieber's "Runaway Love."

Early on Thursday (August 19), West tweeted, "Finishing @JustinBieber Runaway Love remix too... don't know when they gonna drop it but Raekwon's verse is crazy!!!"
Prior to jumping on the track, Wu-Tang rapper Raekwon confirmed that he was working toward getting the West-Bieber project off the ground. "It's definitely gonna happen," he told XXL magazine. "When you got these kinda talents merging together to do something exciting, I think it's something that's gonna make the fans check it out. I'm big fans of both of these guys. I think, at the end of the day, shorty is a sensation. And [for him] to acknowledge me, it makes me feel good that the young generation is checkin' me out like that. And at the same time it gives me a position to play a big brother in the game. He wants my assistance or whatever, he can get it. I respect him, I like his style."
Its' been quite a week for Bieber, who re-tweeted Raekwon's XXL confirmation. In addition to having West and Raekwon work their magic on his song, it was just announced that the VMA-nominated singer will also perform at the big show. He tweeted his excitement, saying, "Performing at this years VMA's!!! Last year i went and no one knew who i was and this year gonna PERFORM!!! Wild!! DREAM BIG!"
The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 12, at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for the winners in general categories, including Best New Artist, from now through September 12.



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