March 16, 2025

About the author  ⁄ MTV News

Pusha T Says Kendrick’s ‘Control’ Verse Was Just For ‘Sport’

Pusha T stepped into the "RapFix Live" realm Thursday (August 22) to speak publicly about being named by Kendrick Lamar in the young Compton's rapper's frenzied "Control" verse.

Having previously tweeted about it, Pusha told host Sway that he felt Kendrick's comments were designed to maintain the "sport" element of hip-hop. He also quashed the idea of getting muddled up in any beef with Kendrick, as he added that the two have collaborated on a track on his own upcoming My Name Is My Name album, which is now due out October 8 via Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music machine.

"I personally myself have been, you know, by myself and alone when it comes to my lyrical barbs with other rappers and so on and so forth," began Pusha as he addressed Kendrick's words. "Regardless on what behalf I've done it on and regardless of what the reasoning behind them, like, I just shoot, like I don't ask no questions, I don't ask for help, I'm not into that. I'm different; I'm a warrior. That's what I do."

Macklemore Wanted To Write 'Angry Battle Raps' After Hearing Kendrick On 'Control.'

Pressed to elaborate on how he felt when he heard Kendrick's rapped rant, which also included references to J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, Drake and Mac Miller, Pusha said, "I don't feel slighted, man, I've been doing this. I've been shooting at the top of the food chain for like two years straight, alone, nobody! This is nothing new. This ain't nothing new. It's the sport, man, at the same time ...

Read More →

Katy Perry’s New Lyrics: What We Learned!

Katy Perry fans are piecing together Prism little by little. And after the "Roar" singer gave her KatyCats the chance to unlock two songs with the help of MTV and Pepsi, we already have their titles and some lyrics.

The titles to "Dark Horse" and "Walking on Air" were revealed on KatyPerry.Pepsi.MTV.com, and on Thursday (August 22), we got a special look at some of her lyrics. So what do they all mean? Come along with MTV News as we learn more about Prism.

She's Getting Darker
The lyrics to "Dark Horse" are presented to us in black and white. Moons, stars and lightning bolts scatter the page in a Halloween décor. "So you wanna play with Magic. Boy, you should know whatcha fallin' for," Katy writes. KatyCats may get serious black-magic vibes from these lyrics.

After all, Katy has buried her California Gurl and burned her blue wig, signifying a newer, more mature era for the pop star. So, "Dark Horse"? We're not surprised.

Or Is She?
But then again, the "Dark Horse" lyrics are adorned by unicorns, which, if you ask anyone, are more magically delightful than creepily dark. And judging by her Lisa Frank-esque "Roar" artwork, her use of unicorns might me more "rainbows and butterflies" than a dark, mysterious myth.

Click over to the "Walking on Air" lyrics page, where we see mega-powered girl-power in its full glory. Pink stationery. Hearts. Angels. Glittery kitten heels. If Perry has ditched her cupcake obsession for a scary, roaring, bad-girl attitude, we have yet ...

Read More →

Drake’s <i>Nothing Was The Same</i> Cover Explained!

Drake hopes that his latest single, will be played at weddings a decade from now, and according to Kadir Nelson, the artist responsible for crafting his Nothing Was the Same album cover, Drizzy had the same idea with his visuals, commissioning an iconic piece of art that would endure the years.

On Thursday, just a few days before he takes the stage at Sunday's 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Drake released the cover art featuring two side profiles of the Toronto native, one of baby him sporting a mini afro and another of him as an adult.

Nelson — a painter, illustrator and artist from New Jersey who transplanted to Los Angeles as a child — told MTV News that Drake reached out after seeing some of his work. "He was recording at a studio in L.A. where I have art on display, and asked me if I was interested in illustrating the artwork for his cover," Nelson explained, adding that they collaborated on the idea.

"He wanted a signature painting," the artist shared. "He didn't want something that looked like a hip-hop album cover — he wanted something that was a little bit more artsy and had more weight to it, so I did a number of sketches, and when we picked out what he liked, I sculpted it together."

Placed side-by-side, it seems that the YMCMB rapper is taking a long and thoughtful look at himself, through the past and present.

"Art is always open for interpretation, but he wanted something that represented his heart ...

Read More →

Taylor Swift’s VMA-Nominated ‘Trouble’: Watch Frame-By-Frame Breakdown!

Taylor Swift hung up her sparkly party dresses to play a good girl gone bad in the video for "I Knew You Were Trouble." In the clip, Swift's pink-haired onscreen persona abandons all good reason to fall for a tatted-up bad boy.

The "Trouble" video has earned Swift two nominations at Sunday's 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. The Anthony Mandler-directed clip is up for Video of the Year and Best Female Video. To get the inside scoop on the clip, MTV News sat down with her co-star, the video's resident bad boy and "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" actor Reeve Carney, to take the video frame by frame.

Swift and Carney shot the "Trouble" video last November in Los Angeles. The video follows the sometimes-troubled courtship of the onscreen lovers, right from first glance to last kiss. Carney recalled, "They did a lot of shooting, just kind of having us improvise, and Taylor was great at that. Not to be silly by using the name of one of her albums, but she is a very fearless person or at least she comes off to be that way."

Carney got the chance to play Swift's daring beau, who throws around his bad boy calling card quite frequently, including when he hangs out of a car while it's in motion. "That car was really, really fun," he said. "I loved the fact that they allowed me to that. That's the good thing about not being the star. They would never have let Taylor stand up like that, even if she had ...

Read More →

‘You’re Next’: The Reviews Are In!

Following a summer packed with horror hits like "The Conjuring" and "World War Z" comes a third bloodfest worthy of joining their ranks. a long-delayed slasher film from director Adam Wingard ("V/H/S") and writer Simon Barrett, places a squabbling family of well-off one-percenters in the anniversary party from hell when a group of creepily masked marauders arrive. Australian actress Sharni Vinson emerges as a force to be reckoned with during the film's mayhem, possibly heralding the arrival of a new scream queen.

While the film might use many tropes associated with other home-invasion and slasher films, critics are united in their praise for Wingard and Barrett's deconstruction and subversion of the ubiquitous genres. The film is packed with creative kills, characters you love to hate and genuine laughs — all of which make it a likely heir to the successful "Scream" franchise. In a summer already filled with critically and commercially successful horror films, it looks like "You're Next" could be the real victor.

Here's what critics are saying about "You're Next":

A Triumphant Throwback
"'You're Next' is a throwback, this time to the smarty-pants verbosity of the 'Scream' era ... Wingard milks door-creeping suspense for all it's got, and when the script takes a turn toward devious backstabbing, there's relish in it. Nothing here is new, but you can't call expert craft like this warmed-over. Solidly satisfying with ruthless forward momentum, the film plays like a minor triumph." — Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York

Watch Out For Sharni Vinson
"But the real badass of 'You're Next' is the tanned and whippet-tough ...

Read More →

Pusha T, Fifth Harmony, Junior Mafia Hit Brooklyn: Watch VMA All Access Now!

VMA All Access kicks off its second installment Thursday (August 22) with a ton of talent, including Pusha T, Brooklyn's own Junior Mafia, Fifth Harmony and Matt & Kim.

The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards are four days away, but we're celebrating until Sunday with the All Access Experience, our exclusive behind-the-scenes live stream leading up the big show on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT at the Barclays Center in BK.

Thursday night promises a jam-packed roster of music and hijinks, so grab a chair and get comfortable: There's tons of dancing to be had later on. Here's the rundown:

We Bring You The Hottest VMA Headlines, 4 p.m. ET

Time Flies And Jason Derulo Rock Out, 4:30 p.m. ET

"Rapfix Live" Keeps Your Evening Fresh With Pusha T, Junior Mafia And More, 5 p.m. ET

Timberlake, Kanye, Jay-Z And More — A Peek At The Dudes Of The VMAs And Their Duds, 6 p.m. ET

A Solid Hour Of Pop Featuring A Fifth Harmony Fashion Show, Performance ... And A Few Surprises, 7 p.m. ET

Have Dinner And Drinks With Matt & Kim, MTV News' James Montgomery And Some Very Knowledgeable Food Bloggers, 8:00 p.m.

MTV's "The Grind" Makes A Sweaty Comeback With DJ Nick Catchdubs! 9 p.m. ET

...

Read More →

‘Same Love’ Parodies: Watch Vine’s Hottest Meme

The MTV Video Music Awards are all about fun — especially since the party has moved to Brooklyn this year — but the VMAs have a serious side. And that comes in the form of the Best Video with a Message category.

Kelly Clarkson, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Snoop Lion, Miguel and Beyoncé are all nominated in the category — Kelly for her "People Like Us" individuality anthem, M&RS for their "Same Love" gay-rights proclamation, Snoop for his "No Guns Allowed" anti-violence jam, Miguel for his social questions in "Candles In the Sun" and Bey for her empowering UN performance "I Was Here."

But despite all the real and sincere messages going on here, fans were able to find fun in the songs. On Vine, Macklemore's "Same Love" parodies became a meme, with people hijacking the song's first verse and making it their own.

Come along with MTV News while we explore the silly, the awkward and the downright hilarious "Same Love" Vines.

The Vine Famous
Omegan and Jessica Hansen have gotten quite a few followers for filming six-second self-deprecating selfies. So when it came to the "Same Love" parody, it was no different.

The Hairy
MTV's "Catfish" creator Nev Schulman had a big dream when he was in the third grade, and it's come back to haunt him.

The Juicy
Aleyna makes a serious admission. And it's a juicy one.

The 'Full House' Nerd
BlackDaddy has procured quite a following, so when he posted his parody, it blew up the #Samelove hashtag even more, which is followers parodying his parody.

The Hungry
Savanna Eley was a ...

Read More →