by Rebecca Thomas 11 mins ago

When J. Cole insisted on his searing tribute to Michael Brown that all that young black men “wanna do is break the chains off,” it resonated because it acknowledged that the shooting of an unarmed, African-American teen by a white police officer in a St. Louis suburb seemed to be rooted in race. But an eye-opening national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center last week proves that many Americans still aren’t convinced the color of Brown’s skin is at the heart of this case.

Over the course of four days, 1,000 adults from across the U.S. weighed in on the Brown shooting. The survey subjects were divided overall, but never more so than when blacks and whites addressed the same issues.

African-Americans were overwhelmingly eager to engage in a broad discussion about race in America, with most saying the Brown case had pushed the topic to the forefront.
The shooting in Ferguson raises important issues about race that merit discussion:
80% of blacks agree
37% of whites agree

But white Americans weren’t as quick to equate the Brown case with race. Nearly half thought the issue was being overblown.
The issue of race is getting more attention than it deserves:
47% of whites agree
18% of blacks agree

Getty Images News/Scott Olson

Support for the police in the aftermath of the Brown shooting was nearly ...

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by Maurice Bobb 21 mins ago

Gucci Mane was sentenced to three years and three months in prison on Wednesday (August 20) after pleading guilty in May to a federal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge.

According to the Star Tribune, the embattled rapper born Radric Davis agreed to enter his plea after reaching an agreement with prosecutors based on the seriousness of the offense and his extensive criminal history, which includes aggravated assault.

In addition to remanding Davis to the penitentiary for 39 months, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones also ruled that he serve three years of supervised release with travel limitations and to pay a $5,000 fine.

“You’re still a young man, and you can still do a lot if you follow and abide by the law,” the judge said after hearing from the rapper’s family.

The “Wasted” MC’s lawyers requested that his 11 months time served by credited to his sentence, but the judge informed his legal team that the matte was at the discretion of the Bureau of Prisons.

Citing Gucci’s addiction to lean (a mixture of codiene-based prescription cough syrup and soda), his attorney Drew Findling asked that the judge send his client to a facility on the West Coast, away from the distractions of home, with a substance abuse recovery program.

“He understands he has some work ahead of him, and his goal is to bring a resolution to this case through this sentence and to get back to something that is very important to him and his ...

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by Kase Wickman 4 mins ago

Yikes, yikes, yikes. This teaser for FX’s “American Horror Story: Freak Show” may be a mere 10 seconds long, but it’s a supercreepo 10 seconds. There’s just something about a slowly unfurling monster claw paired with spookily tinkling music box melodies that just gets our shiver engines going every time.

And, “AHS” fans, we didn’t just get a ticket to the show today — we also got a premiere date. Yes, step right up, your favorite spooky ghosty creepy crawly miniseries is coming back to FX on October 10. Set those DVRs and grab those flashlights, because things are about to get really weird up in here.

Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Michael Chiklis and Angela Bassett star in the series. “American Horror Story: Freak Show” will air Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

by RG Daniels 5 mins ago

The MTV Video Music Awards have been around 30 years and counting, and the 31st annual MTV Video Music Awards air on Sunday, August 24. Naturally, music changes over time (only Weird Al remains fresh and palatable forever!), which means the awards change, too. From new wave to hair metal to rap to grunge to hip-hop to alternative to nu metal to emo to garage rock to EDM and everything else in between, the VMAs have celebrated it all. Let’s remember some of those discontinued categories and wonder if they’ll ever make a return. (Probably not.)

Best R&B Video (1993 – 2006)

Getty Images

Yes, believe it or not, R&B was once isolated as its own powerful genre.
First to Win: En Vogue — “Free Your Mind”
Last to Win: Beyoncé (featuring Slim Thug and Bun B) — “Check on It”
Personal Favorite: R. Kelly — “Ignition (Remix)”

Best Rap Video (1989 – 2006)

Getty Images

Somewhere in time, rap and hip-hop were considered two vastly different things. The differences between the two are probably best summed up by KRS-One, who famously said “Rap is something you do / Hip-hop is something you live” in his song “Hip-Hop Versus Rap.” While boh genres are as relevant as ever, the Best Rap Video category disappeared after 2006.
First to Win: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The ...

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by Ryan McKee 59 mins ago

The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards will shine brightly in the record books for all eternity. Wait, are there record books for twerkin’? If not, there will be soon and Miley Cyrus’s performance against Robin Thicke’s midsection will be one of the first entries.

While Miley’s hard-workin’ butt was the night’s biggest highlight, plenty of moments made the show unforgettable: Lady Gaga sported a shell bikini, *NSYNC reunited, Macklemore made an inspired statement for equal rights, Katy Perry roared…you know what, it’s better to relive via the funny rap video above.

by Kase Wickman 60 mins ago

Take a quick glance at the news and we think you’ll agree: President Barack Obama could certainly use one less, one less problem.

The good folks at the baracksdubs YouTube account made that happen, painstakingly hacking up the president’s press conferences, speeches and public appearances, sprinkled with a dash of autotune and supported by a backing track, to make a pretty dope cover of the commander in chief covering go-go boots-wearer in chief Ariana Grande.

It’s like they always say: Come for the lipdub of Barack Obama singing “Problem,” stay for the furious, silent John Boehner cameos.

Say it with us now: One less, one less prooooooob-luuuuuuum.

by Adam Fleischer 1 min ago

If you’re anything like me, this is likely what happened when Nicki Minaj dropped her “Anaconda” video: First, you watched it. Then, you couldn’t talk. Then, you couldn’t stop talking about it.

Nicki, of course, understood this. And so she held a Q&A on Twitter on Wednesday (August 20) to field questions from fans.

Here are some of our favorite tidbits.

She had a little confidence juice before making Drake a very lucky man with that lap dance

And Drizzy was very happy. Obviously

He earned that distinction by being in the right place at the right time

She cut a scene on the beach because she didn’t like it

But she loved every scene that made the final cut equally

And the workout made her laugh the most

There’s footage of the kitchen scene that was too explicit to make it into the video

If that’s the case, you could probably sell that footage for a lot of money to the highest bidder, Nicki. Just sayin’.

Related: Watch Nicki Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’ Workout In 14 Booty-Ful GIFS

by Rob Markman 4 mins ago

We’re expecting some hip-hop history when Nicki Minaj takes the stage at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. We’re not sure what the Young Money MC has planned, but if we know Nicki she’ll be looking to steal the show when it goes down this Sunday, August 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

It won’t be the first time hip-hop has rocked the VMAs, in fact hip-hop has had some pretty unforgettable VMA moments. Here are 12 times hip-hop ruled at the Video Music Awards.

1. “Walk This Way”

Rob Verhorst / Getty Images

Run D.M.C. became the first hip-hop act to perform at the VMAs when they rocked “Walk This Way” alongside Aerosmith in 1987. Pay homage.

2. The First Award

Jim Smeal / Getty Images

In the 1980s, hip-hop was a fast-growing genre that hadn’t quite found a place at mainstream awards shows. In 1989, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (that’s Will Smith to you) won the first award for Best Rap Video at the VMAs, beating out MC Hammer, Ice T, Kool Moe Dee and Tone Loc.

3. Uncle L

Barry King / Getty IMages

Before he was an actor on “NCIS,” LL Cool J was a damn good rapper who tore the house down at the 1991 VMAs, performing his classic “Mama Said Knock You Out.”

4. “Murder Was The Case”

Snoop Dogg pulled out all of the stops for his 1994 VMA performance, recreating a ...

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by Kase Wickman 8 mins ago

How’s this for a surefire mood-lifter: A crazy-ass llama jumping around to the beautiful strains of DMX’s “Party Up (Up In Here).” You don’t even have to imagine what that might look like, because it’s on video in this very post in six glorious seconds of brilliant joy.

This afternoon, don’t thank us. Thank this totally rad llama for all that it does. We are.

Thanks, llama.

by Shaunna Murphy 9 mins ago

Can you believe it’s almost time for the final season of “Sons of Anarchy?” For six years we’ve happily jumped on board for Kurt Sutter’s messy, chaotic roller coaster ride of a show, and on Tuesday, December 2, that ride will finally come to an end — but not before a few more twists, turns, and upside-down loop things, of course.

MTV News has screened the show’s September 9 premiere, which (season six spoiler alert!) picks up only a couple of weeks after Jax’s wife Tara was brutally murdered by the show’s matriarch, Gemma. It’s an explosive — but also kind of meditative? — start for the season, and needless to say, we’re already chomping at the bit for more.

We obviously can’t disclose the nitty gritty details, but we do want to share the wealth, so here are six things to know about the season premiere of “Sons of Anarchy”:

Um, It’s Dark

FX

Does this one seem like a no-brainer? A no-brainer like how Tara has no more brains after Gemma stabbed them with a giant fork?

Yeah, Tara’s death looms heavy over everyone in the season premiere, which I’m sure you can all understand. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some moments of levity — a couple of them even involve Juice, which is insane given his current life situation — but from the moody, violent opening montage to the, well, moody, violent closing montage, everything that’s happened over the past six years is getting to SAMCRO like never ...

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