It’s no surprise that Eminem has a healthy dose of respect for Kendrick Lamar. Like Em, K. Dot is a meticulous and potent lyricist, who places a premium on the power of words and the value of song concepts — not to mention that he’s signed to Dr. Dre.

But we didn’t know that the Slim Shady felt this strongly about the 27-year-old.

“We’ve been in Compton before,” Em told The New York Times as part of the paper’s recent feature on the T.D.E. rapper. “But the way that Kendrick did it was so different…The album is crafted from front to back, the way each song ties into each other — to me that’s genius.”

The Rap God also sees a trait in Kendrick that’s been evident in his own work for years.

“There’s a certain hunger that you can sense about Kendrick,” Em said. “He raps to be the best rapper in the world. He competitive-raps. That’s one of the things that’s going to drive his career. He’s going to be around for a long time.”

So far, musically, the mutual admiration has manifested in just one song: “Love Game,” from November’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Em touched on his thoughts on the young rapper and how the collaboration came to life in an interview with MTV News last year.

“The fact of what Kendrick is doing, even before the ‘Control’ verse,” he said. “Just about what he did on his album and the way he put it ...

When it comes to feminism, “Obvious Child” star, actress and “Saturday Night Live” alumna doesn’t hesitate to add her name to the list.

“Am I a feminist? F–k yeah, I’m a feminist,” she said in a recent sit-down with MTV News. “I think that unfortunately people who are maybe threatened by feminism think that it’s about setting your bra on fire and being aggressive, and I think that’s really wrong and really dangerous.”

Slate, whose latest movie follows her stand-up comedian character as she meets a guy, has an unplanned pregnancy and deals with the consequences of that, agreed that her movie is a feminist work, and offered strong advice about how to change the male-skewed gender gap in Hollywood.

Check out the interview clip to hear Slate’s thoughts on feminism and how to make the world a friendlier place for female filmmakers.

Kase Wickman

Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O has her own album on the way.

The singer — who has been with the rock group since its formation in 2000 — announced on Wednesday (June 25) that her debut solo album, Crush Songs will be released on September 9 in the U.S. via Cult, Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas’ label.

And — as the title suggests — it sounds like she won’t be straying far from the deeply personal topics that she explored on Yeah Yeah Yeahs hits like “Maps” and “Cheated Hearts” and on her Oscar-nominated “Her” track, “The Moon Song.”

“When I was 27 I was crushed a lot. I wasn’t sure I’d ever fall in love again. These songs were written and recorded in private around this time,” Karen O wrote in an announcement on her website. “They are the soundtrack to what was an ever continuing LOVE CRUSADE. I hope they keep you company on yours.”

Emily Blake

What robot would you f–k?

That’s really the central question of the very special game of “F–k, Marry, Kill” that MTV News’ Josh Horowitz played with the stars of “Transformers: Age of Extinction” in a new “After Hours.” The stars have to pick from Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and baddie Galvatron.

Pretty much everybody ended up marrying Optimus, including Mark Wahlberg. “Optimus is my right-hand man,” though he also said he “wouldn’t have sex with any of them.”

As Kelsey Grammer said, Optimus is a “model citizen,” which would certainly make him a great husband.

A surprising number of stars ended up f–king the new bad guy, Galvatron, including Grammer, which makes sense, since he informed us that “I like wild bitches. That would be the wildest ride.”

New castmember Nicola Peltz went for Optimus for the physical relationship too, and costar Jack Reynor agreed, though neither was too comfortable with the answer

“I’m sweating,” Reynor said.

But what about poor Bumblebee? While Peltz would put the ring on his robotic finger, Ben McKee of Imagine Dragons, who wrote the end credits song for the movie, imagined (dragons) a darker fate for the fan favorite, prompting a big debate among the group.

“Don’t kill Bumblebee!” exclaimed Daniel Platzman, while a displeased Dan Reynolds was unhappy Ben was “speaking on behalf of all of us.”

So if Imagine Dragons breaks up, chances are it was over this game. But at least Bumblebee knows he’s loved.

“Transformers: Age of Extinction” opens June 27.

Jun 25, 2014 | No Comments on Watch The Stars Of ‘Transformers: Age Of Exctinction’ Play F–k, Marry, Kill With Robots

Common reunited with No I.D. to work on his upcoming album Nobody’s Smiling, but Dion wasn’t the only Chicago artists who’s imprint will be on the project. On Wednesday (June 25), Common debuted several covers for the album, featuring different Chi-Town artists, including Lil Herb, King Louie, Dreezy and more.

While Common’s face is featured on the standard covert art, the deluxe versions features himself, King Louie and Lil Johnny, and other renditions include solo shots of the artists.

“The album covers from Nobody’s Smiling — the concept came from the staff at Def Jam who was like, ‘Man, we got this idea about having different people from Chicago on your covers,’” Common explained.

“Why I was super geeked about it, is because you got Lil Herb up against the background, you got King Louie up against the background,” he continued. “I’m on one cover but then for them to be on another cover…Lil Herb, Dreezy, Lil Bibby…I got a lot of artists from Chicago and I feel like it’s my time to do that.”

The artwork is very fitting, since the album title was inspired by Common’s hometown, where violence continues to rip the city apart.

“I feel like a new artist because I created this album with the purpose to give back to my city and to the culture of hip-hop,” he said. “Def Jam is part of the foundation of hip-hop and being able to work with No I.D. was returning to my ...

Chris Brown rejected a plea deal on Wednesday (June 25) in a case stemming from his felony assault arrest in Washington, D.C., last year.

According to the Associated Press, the singer was close to reaching an agreement that would keep him out of jail, by pleading guilty to simple assault. But his attorneys did not agree on the statement of facts about what happened on the night of October 27 outside of D.C.’s W hotel.

Brown rejected another plea deal in the same case in January, with his attorney, Mark Geragos, once again maintaining that the singer did nothing wrong.

Alleged victim Parker Adams claimed that Brown and his bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, assaulted him after he tried to take a picture with the singer and two of his fans.

But Geragos told reporters that the statement of facts was inaccurate, and that “they wanted him to read from a script that wasn’t true.”

Brown will go to trial on September 8.

Emily Blake

When tuning in to former “Hannah Montana” star Emily Osment’s new ABC Family sitcom “Young & Hungry,” which chronicles the adventures (and pratfalls) of food blogger turned personal chef Gabi Diamond (Osment), one truly can’t help but think, “are you sure this is ABC Family?”

Because “Hungry” — despite its goofy physical humor and gorgeous, House-of-Mouse approved young cast — is decidedly a lot sexier than the network’s other fare, at least in the overt sense. Other shows might hint at sex or even show a suggestive makeout scene after the characters have been officially dating for an acceptable amount of time, but “Young & Hungry” shows Osment having sex with her boss in the very first episode. After just meeting him.

And she ends up locked in his closet after the fact, which quickly makes it clear that sex is not going to be a hot-button, handle-with-gloves issue (if at all) like it is on other young adult shows. But 22-year-old Osment — whose “Montana” audience has aged right along with her — isn’t particularly concerned about the show’s more risque content alienating the network’s core audience.

“It is physical [comedy] and it is a sitcom, but it’s older and it’s sexy and it’s funny, and it’s a different style,” she told MTV News. “It pushes the limits for ABC Family.”

ABC Family

However, Osment adds that any raunchy bits from the show (which is produced by “High School Musical” alum Ashley Tisdale) are ...

Frank Ocean has parted way with his longtime management team, according to Buzzfeed.

The singer had been managed by Christian and Kelly Clancy — who also manage Odd Future — since 2010, but split from the two earlier this year, the report says. The New Orleans-bred talent has yet to select new management, though.

“This is a guy who has the ability to change things, and for him to change things, he has to follow his intuition,” Chris Clancy told MTV News last year. “If he doesn’t follow his intuition, then it’s not real. The goal is to trust the guy who wrote the music to present his art, his way — Frank has incredible intuition. Just f—ing incredible. He very clearly sees things; my job is to say, no matter how far out it may be, I’m going to trust that.”

In a 2013 New York Times profile of Ocean, writer Jeff Himmelman shed some light on the relationship between the Clancys and the 26-year-old.

“His managers, Christian and Kelly Clancy, told me the night before — by way of explaining that anything could happen, or not, interview-wise — that Frank Ocean makes the decisions where Frank Ocean is concerned,” he wrote. “They help him steer, but he goes only if he wants to.”

Odds are he’ll have new management before he releases his sophomore album, which he’s currently at work on.

“When I was making the first [album] there were a group of artists that I ...

So much happened to the ladies of Litchfield during season two of “Orange is the New Black.” [Season two spoilers ahead.]

Taystee (Danielle Brooks) and Poussey (Samira Wiley) were torn apart by Vee (Lorraine Toussaint). Larry (Jason Biggs) cheated on Piper (Taylor Schilling) with Polly (Maria Dizzia). Morello (Yael Stone) ended up being a crazy person, Pornstache (Pablo Schreiber) ended up in jail, and poor Red (Kate Mulgrew) got hit in the face. More than once.

With all of this unfortunate crap bringing them down, MTV News decided to ask the cast if there were any good things that they wanted to happen to their characters next season, which is already in early production in New York. Of course they couldn’t offer up specific details on the goods to come, but Brooks, Wiley, Stone, Biggs, and Mulgrew (along with Selenis Leyva [Gloria], Nastasha Lyonne [Nicols], Uzo Abuda [Crazy Eyes], Laverne Cox [Sophia], and Laura Prepon [Alex]) gave some answers that just might surprise you:

Taystee and Pouseey want to reunite…

“It was rough to be torn apart. Any time you go through something like that, it’s not an overnight thing where you say, ‘okay we’re cool, we can put on our Amanda and McKenzie voices and be alright.’ There’s still healing that needs to take place between the two girls.” — Danielle Brooks

… And so do Nichols and Morello.

“I felt jealous [of Nicky's conquests], and I definitely missed the [sex] scenes. It was nice to get to come together ...