November 25, 2024

About the author  ⁄ MTV News

Go Behind The Scenes Of Rihanna And Eminem’s ‘Monster’

Eminem has a ton of unforgettable moments, even if Slim Shady himself has forgotten them. Luckily for Marshall, his with Rihanna jogged his memory— or so you would think.

"I had to go home and get my strait jacket," Eminem says to camera in a "Monster" behind-the-scenes video on Thursday (April 3).

The strait jacket that Em refers to is the same to the one he wore in 1999 classic vid for "My Name Is" —either that or it's very similar.

"Redoing this scene actually brings back no memories for me because I don't remember it," he says with a straight face and dead pan voice.

In the BTS piece, Em's manager Paul Rosenberg leaves the rapper a voicemail, explaining the concept behind the "Monster" vid. If you are one of the 131 million people who watched the video on YouTube since its released in December, then you know that Rihanna plays therapist as Em revisits classic moments in his life as a super star.

Most of the clip is a retread of what we already know, but we do see and hear some pretty cool things. For starters, if you ever get the chance to leave a message for Em on his cell phone you will hear: "You have reached the voicemail box of: Suck It."

We don't get to see him interact much with Rihanna, whom he will partner up with for a tour later this summer, but we do get to see him make a hilarious Elton John impression.

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Fat Trel Reveals Why Master P Deal Really Fell Apart

Before he linked up with Rick Ross and Maybach Music Group last year, Fat Trel was working closely with another rapper-turned-boss. But things ended on a sour note between the two men. "It didn't go right. Things weren't done correctly on the busines... ...

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Top 10 Reactions To David Letterman’s Retirement Announcement

David Letterman, the longest-serving late night host in television history, will reportedly announce his impending retirement on Thursday night's (April 3) broadcast.

Variety reported that Letterman will retire in 2015, after 22 years behind the desk on CBS' "Late Show," and a prior 11 as the host of NBC's "Late Night."

According to a transcript provided to Variety, Letterman said he had informed CBS chairman Les Moonves of his decision prior to taping.

"I just want to reiterate my thanks for the support from the network, all of the people who have worked here, all of the people in the theater, all the people on the staff, everybody at home, thank you very much. What this means now, is that Paul and I can be married," he said.

"We don't have the timetable for this precisely down — I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future, 2015 for the love of God, in fact, Paul and I will be wrapping things up."

Musician Mike Mills, who performs on Thursday night's show, tweeted the first word of Letterman's announcement Thursday afternoon.

Of course, Letterman's signature trope is the top 10 list, a segment at the top of the show in which he satirizes and breaks down a daily topic. As a tribute to Letterman's eventual departure from our TV screens, we've pulled together a top 10 list of what we imagine to be the reactions of his peers in hosting and comedy.

10. Conan O'Brien

9. Jon Stewart

8. Jimmy Fallon
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Why Kevin Gates Said ‘No Thanks’ To A Cash Money Deal

Most rappers would jump at the chance to sign on with Cash Money Records, but not Kevin Gates.

The Louisiana rapper has been building a steady fan base for some years now, and garnered a ton of industry attention with 2013's The Luca Brasi Story and Stranger Than Fiction — particularly from CM CEO Bryan "Birdman" Williams.

"I'm around Birdman, and it's like I got the world right here in my hands. One song, one look [and] I'm in the paint forever," Gates told MTV News on Tuesday of the mogul who helped launch the careers of Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj.

While most up-and-coming artists look at Baby and see opportunity, Gates saw something different.

"I listened to Birdman talk about how it got it out the mud and how it took him 20 years to build his brand. That inspired me," he said. "I don't want no handouts, I want to get it out the mud."

It's a topic that Gates raps about on "Wish I Had It," a track off his last project By Any Means. "A vision without action is merely a dream," he says at the beginning of the track before he raps: "Young Money wanna sign me/ My rap jacket too violent."

Rather than dream, Gates took action and continued to build his company Bread Winners Association, then signed on with Atlantic Records. "It was kind of like '8 Mile' a little bit," Gates said, drawing a parallel between his underdog status and Eminem's character in the 2002 film.

"Atlantic reached out to us, and we're like we ...

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‘Expendables 3’ Trailer: Who Isn’t In This Movie?

The Expendables are back — again — with some new faces and a typeface they lifted from the "Fast & Furious" series.

The first trailer for "The Expendables 3" spentds the first half teasing the kind of large-scale action that is associated with the — well, what do you know — the "Fast & Furious" series, and the back end teases the ever-growing roster of aging action heroes, MMA fighters, Kellan Lutz and Kelsey Grammer.

This time, Sly Stallone has added a few big names to his all-star action roster including Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas and Mel Gibson. There's also the interesting addition of arm bar machine, Ronda Rousey, the UFC Woman's Bantamweight Champion, making her the first female Expendable.

The story this time around is pretty straight forward. Gibson plays the awesomely named Conrad Stonebanks, a corrupt arms dealer who originally formed the Expendables with Barney Ross (Stallone). The partners eventually turned on each other, and Barney was forced to put Stonebanks down.

But when he seemingly returns from the dead, Barney turns to the rest of the Expendables to bring the team's former leader to justice.

"The Expendables 3" opens in theaters on August 15.

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What’s ‘Pointe’ Author Brandy Colbert’s Favorite Dance Movie?

From a descent into madness in "Black Swan" to the sizzling chemistry of "Step Up," pop culture has already taught us in so many ways that everything is better and more dramatic when there's dancing involved.

Which is why we're so incredibly excited about "Pointe," a story about kidnapping, eating disorders, sexual assault, repressed memories and sizzling secrets; all set against the backdrop of one gifted dancer's quest to become a professional ballerina.

All that drama, plus pointe shoes? Yes, please: this is one book that's bound to make a splash when it hits shelves next week. And before it does, author Brandy Colbert shared with MTV News the inspiration behind her story, plus a super-steamy exclusive excerpt from her novel.

At its heart, "Pointe" is a story of struggle, shame, and redemption for Theo, it's heroine: she's a 17 year-old dancer who has almost stopped being haunted by her troubled past, but is thrown for a loop when her best friend, Donovan, suddenly turns up again after having been missing for years. Where has he been, and what happened to him?

Donovan isn't talking — but Theo might know more than she's willing to admit, even to herself.

Brandy Colbert expertly interweaves that mystery and its surrounding drama with the challenges Theo faces on her way to a career as a professional dancer, and anyone who's ever been serious about dance will recognize right away that the author knows her shizz — from the beating a body takes in hardcore ballet training to the peculiarities of friendships that start in ...

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What Does Smoke DZA Have To Do With Sean Kingston?

Most know Smoke DZA as a staple of rap's underground on the mic, but he's put in some behind-the-scenes work, too.

"Flow sold millions, shouts to Sean Kingston," the Harlem MC raps on "Count Me In," from his latest album, Dream.Zone.Achieve, which dropped Tuesday.

"Sean is my little brother," DZA said when asked about the reference on Wednesday's episode of . "I was able to be a part of his career before it started budding. And at the beginning, I helped, somewhat."

Though he didn't specify on camera, the NYC native later confirmed to MTV News that he worked on "Drummer Boy" and "Kingston," from the Jamaican-born artist's 2007 self-titled debut, as well "Colors," featuring Rick Ross and Game.

He's often associated with smoked-out rhymes and an underground aesthetic, but the rapper stressed his versatility when he spoke on his work with Kingston.

"I could do anything," he said. "That's just being from Harlem. I always felt like I could do anything. At that point in my life, where I was penning and selling swag, it was really like I was already an artist. I was already doing what I was doing, so that just added to the puzzle."

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Vybz Kartel Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder

Vybz Kartel is almost out of options. The Jamaican dancehall star has been sentenced to life in prison, with no chance of parole until he serves 35 years. In mid-March, Vybz (born Adidja Azim Palmer), was found guilty in the August 2011 murder of pro... ...

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