On his VMA-nominated "Started From the Bottom" Drake boasted: "I could turn your boy into the man" and on the cover to his upcoming album Nothing was the Same Drizzy illustrates that very lyric — literally.

It was a busy Wednesday (August 21) for Drake, who announced on Twitter that he will be performing at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday August 25. The Young Money cash king also announced a new release date for his LP, which will arrive September 24, one week later than originally planned. If that wasn't enough, the "Successful" MC also revealed two NWTS album covers on his new website OVOSound.com.

The first cover is a profile painting of a baby Aubrey, with a full afro and a pick in his hair. With a childlike wonderment in his eye, young Drake gazes toward the right with a white-clouded picture perfect, blue-sky in the background.

The second cover depicts a current Drake gazing to the left, with a full-beard, part in his hair and two chains around his neck. When positioned side-by-side, the two covers make it seem that Drake is staring at himself — past and present.

Both covers were designed by Kadir Nelson, who also created the album cover for Michel Jackson's 2010 posthumous compilation Michael. On Sunday, Drizzy will give his first television performance of "Started From the Bottom," his first release from NWTS. The album's smooth-sounding second single, dropped earlier this month and has been quickly climbing up the charts.

Right after performing at OVO Fest in his ...

When Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music, the Detroit kid got a very special signing bonus.

"For me, when I got my first chain, Kanye gave me my first Jesus piece," he told Sway on Wednesday (August 21) in the kick-off to MTV's four days of livestreaming leading up to Sunday night's 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (9 p.m. ET/PT). As long as he was feeling nostalgic, Sean also talked about how the Nas and Kid Cudi-assisted track from his upcoming album, Hall of Fame, transported him back to his time growing up on D-Town's crumbling avenues.

"It also takes me back because I talk about being in high school [and] how my mom ... I used to hate when your parents had to come pick you up and you had a busted-ass car," he said. "You had to hop in there and you're friends was right in front of you. So it takes me back to those times and how I manifested being able to buy my mom a new car, the car she wanted."

Times are better now for the 
 MC, whose name has gone global recently thanks to the intense attention drawn to Kendrick Lamar's verse on the song.

Feeling that there wasn't really a young black male voice from Detroit who could tell the city's story, Sean said "Hall of Fame" is his way of creating a platform to get the word out. "I'm not on the highest platform, but I'm still on a platform to ...

Over the past three decades, there has been the odd installment of the MTV Video Music Awards where an underdog shocks the world by winning Video of the Year ... think Panic! at the Disco in 2006, or Jamiroquai in 1997. Though it's safe to say that won't happen at this year's show.

Mostly because there are no underdogs in the 2013 Video of the Year category. Instead, it's five of the biggest names in the business going head-to-head for the ultimate prize. The guy with the year's best-selling album? He's in the running. The group with the year's best-selling song? They're here too. So is a guy with five #1 singles, the undisputed champion of the Summer Jam sweepstakes and the girl who had the biggest album debut in a decade.

Simply put, it's superstars only. So who's got the best shot at winning? Shoot, your guess is as good as ours (how can there be a favorite when they're all favorites?!?) Here's a look at the five nominees for Video of the Year ... any of which could take home the hardware on Sunday night. And be sure to check out MTV's VMA All Access Experience on vma.mtv.com where our experts will weigh in on the closely watched category.

Justin Timberlake, "Mirrors"

Not only has he won 14 Moonmen over the course of his career, but JT is tied with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for the most nominations at this year's show. Oh, and he's getting the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, too. made its ...

It's hard to look at Joey Bada$$ and not see remnants of Buckshot, the veteran Brooklyn MC who first captivated the world 20 years ago as a part of Black Moon with their debut album Enta da Stage.

Buck hails from the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, while the younger Joey reigns from the neighboring Flatbush. Last week, the two met up on the boardwalk of Coney Island, Brooklyn's amusement capital, that may still be most known as the backdrop of the 1979 gang film "The Warriors."

With the summer winding down and the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards looming, the two MCs took the opportunity to link up and bridge Brooklyn's generational gap, as the "RapFix" cameras captured it all to celebrate our Brooklyn Hip-Hop Week.

"BK, how was that like for you when you were coming up," an inquisitive Joey asked, as the Boot Camp Clik leader began to paint a 1990s-era Brooklyn picture.

Buck told stories of his days coming up alongside the Notorious B.I.G., putting out hip-hop gems like "Who Got the Props?" and "I Got Cha Opin (Remix)" and while he celebrated the past, the insightful vet didn't ignore Brooklyn's rap future. "When it comes to right now; you are that n---a," he told Joey, who was taken aback by the adoration. "Y'all are the new golden age. Thanks to y'all the age has survived."

Like Buckshot, Joey is celebrated for his deep and measured timbre, love for classic jazz hip-hop fusion and rap independence. Back in the '90s Buck was courted by Def Jam Records, but ...

2 Chainz stays fresh as hell in his everyday life — ya know, just in case the Feds are watching. So you can only imagine what the rapper will do when he makes a special appearance at Sunday's 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.

During a special episode of from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn — where the awards show will take place in just a few days — MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway announced Wednesday (August 21) that 2 Chainz will be making a special VMA appearance. What the "No Lie" MC will actually be doing during the big show is anyone's guess, but judging from his history with MTV, you know it's going to be good.

Deuce shocked the VMA crowd last year when he brought his buddy Lil Wayne out to perform "Yuck" and Tunechi's own hit single "No Worries." 2 Chainz bopped up and down the stage, twisting his wrist in the air, while Wayne rode his skateboard and dove into the crowd, making for quite a show.

Since last year's VMAs, Chainz has seen his star rise. He's been featured on tracks with Fall Out Boy, The-Dream and Beyoncé. His current single, was produced by and features Pharrell. On September 10, 2 Chainz will drop his second solo LP, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time. "I'm putting together different sounds to make people be like, 'This is about me. Me and my people, this is our time,' " he told MTV News in June after headlining Hot 107.9's Birthday Bash concert in Atlanta.

It was the pic that went down in infamy — a kissy moment between Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber captured in a selfie. After "The Way" singer posted it to her Twitter account, fans went nuts, wondering if she had left her longtime boyfriend for the Believe superstar. But after Grande put the rumors to bed, the frenzy subsided and she was able to tell the real story to MTV News.

"I think [fans] had trended #JustinAndArianaSelfie or something like that, so I was like, 'we have to do this,' " Ariana told us during "Live from MTV," airing at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday (August 21) on AllAccess.MTV.com.

"Yo, let's take a picture," Justin had told her after he met Ariana's grandparents at a meet-and-greet (her Nonna has a BIG crush). Ariana pulled out her phone and smiled for a quick snap.

"I just was smiling and he kissed me on the cheek!" she said, eyes wide. "And I didn't know what to do. I just walked out of the room."

In a panic, Grande did what any person would've done if the heartthrob gave them a smooch, but the pressure didn't stop there.

"I got shy," she said. "And then Scooter came after to me and said, Scooter says Justin says you have to post that picture. And I said, 'I will not.' "

But c'mon, it's Justin Bieber. Pics or it didn't happen! So why was Ariana hesitant?

"I don't want the drama that comes with it," she admitted.

But Bieber got his way, tweeting about the pic and making it public ...