Losing a loved one can be a devastating ordeal in its own right. Losing three in a short span of time can be downright debilitating — and its an experience Fat Joe unfortunately knows firsthand.

“When [Big] Pun passed away, I went through depression,” the rapper said in an interview with Music Choice. “And I’m not just saying depression lightly — real depression. It was him, my sister and my grandfather at the same time, so I was going through so much and everybody doubted me.”

The Bronx native recalls overhearing some of his closest friends saying that his musical career was finished around that same time. That motivated him to breathe new life into his work, and he credits Pun with giving him the foundation to be able to do that.

“Even though I discovered Big Pun, the truth is, he taught me how to make hit records,” Joe said. “He literally sat me down and said, ‘Yo, right about here, you gotta talk to the girls, Joe. Right about here we gotta keep it gangsta.’ He literally showed me.”

“Once he passed, I got used to the money, I got used to the fame, so I was like, ‘We gotta hit some home runs.’ So, we did the ‘We Thuggin’’ with R. Kelly, ‘What’s Love,’ we had the ‘My Lifestyle,’ it was a serious run.”

Of course, losing Pun hurt, but it sounds like the lessons Pun left behind sparked the second — and extremely successful — leg ...

Fans have been patiently waiting for Joey Bada$$’s debut album, B4.DA.$$, for a while now, and early Tuesday morning (September 30), he gave them a taste of what to expect. The New York native dropped the audio and a new video for “Christ Conscious,” which he calls one of his “favorite records off of the album.”

“That record to me is like, ‘I’m here,’” he explained to MTV News. “The whole idea of the song is, I’m building up, channeling my energy, getting stronger and stronger until one day I finally evolve. And that’s what it is in the video: Me ascending to this next level.”

The visuals, which were shot in his native Brooklyn, find the buzzing MC walking the streets before ultimately rising off his feet and into the sky. Throughout, the directors, M-I-E, interspersed visually captivating special effects that give the video an aesthetic that balances gritty and futuristic. And though he credits the directors for bringing his vision to life, the Cinematic Music Group MC says he “visualized the whole video instantly” when he heard the track.

(Watch the ‘Christ Conscious’ video above)

And exactly how he heard the track — which is produced by Zoe Supreme — is actually an odd but awesome story.

“I went on YouTube, ’cause back before I got on, I used to always go on YouTube and look for beats,” he says. “Like, just search J. Dilla stuff. What I did this time was I was like, Yo, I actually got a ...

One of the most anticipated new rap records of the year dropped last week, when Kendrick Lamar released “i,” his first solo single since 2012′s good kid, m.A.A.d city.

The song, which interpolates the Isley Brothers’ hit “Who’s That Lady?” was produced by Rahki, who says it’s just a taste of things to come. He also explained that it was a collaborative effort throughout.

“Every time Kendrick worked on the record, every time he had Ali mix it, he called me [to] come through,” the 31-year-old producer told MTV News. “He’s that type of artist where he wants the producer to be a part of the record, which to me is the most important thing in the world. That’s why the music comes out so good with Kendrick — he’s all about the music.”

Rahki, who produced the gkmc bonus track “Black Boy Fly,” says he first started sending K. Dot beats for the new project right after the debut dropped. Once Dot came off tour this summer, they got in the studio together — though they only finished “i” about a week before it dropped.

“We started really building. We got in. We talked about life. I was just with him like every day all summer. He told me the idea of what he was looking for for the album, and so we just started building ideas that way. So everything we did for ‘i’ was built solely based off of us [conversing]. I didn’t have those records ...

Pharrell has associated with and taken cues from Japanese culture and art throughout his career. From his work with Nigo and Billionaire Boys Club to his collaborations with Uniqlo to his hosting of the documentary “Tokyo Rising,” the singer and producer has worked with Japanese tastemakers on a number of occasions. For his new video, “It Girl,” he was at it again.

Produced by Takashi Murakami, directed Mr. and Fantasista Utamaro, and with animation production provided by NAZ, the clip turns Pharrell 2D — as he becomes a cartoon, finds himself inside a video game, and woos his anime-created “It Girl.” It’s simultaneously visually appealing — with lots of cool graphics and bright, popping colors — and a bit funny — seeing an animated P swoon over some bikini-clad anime women.

This is a second time this month that the judge from “The Voice” has found himself in a video game. Last week, the Virginia native — and his famous hat — showed up in a clip from the upcoming “NBA 2K15.”

“#YourTimeHasCome to meet me in @2K #NBA2K15. New face scan technology will make it possible for us to meet face-to-face in one scene. Coming soon,” he wrote on Instagram.

The game drops October 7. Meanwhile, G I R L, the album that features “It Girl,” is available now.

Adam Fleischer

With additional reporting by Janelle Myers

That’s What Friends Are For
Surprise, surprise. Lorde‘s cooking class partner, paper doll-making influence, and VMA date, Taylor Swift, was the first person to hear her “Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” song “Yellow Flicker Beat.” Taylor posted a photo of her handwritten lyrics from the single, which Lorde regrammed and said: “she was instantly obsessed with it/would make me play it to our other friends in her kitchen like a proud mom.” In return for the “Shake It Off” singer’s support, Lorde told everyone to listen to Taylor’s upcoming 1989 album.

From Being A Pussycat Doll To An Actual Cat
Nicole Scherzinger pounced on the opportunity of a lifetime and landed a role in the legendary musical “Cats,” playing “Glamor Cat” Grizabella in its London production.

Can I Get A Little Help From My Friend?
We haven’t heard anything from Amber Rose since her divorce from Wiz Khalifa was announced, but her close friend singer Christina Milian provided words of encouragement and support alongside an Instagram “girl power” photo of the pals.

She Was Doing So Well…
After more than a year of staying away from trouble, Amanda Bynes was arrested on Sunday for a DUI. She was released on $15,000 bail after spending around six hours in jail. Life was improving for the actress after her parents were granted temporary conservatorship in July 2013 following a series of disturbing incidents. Bynes had ...

Is The CW’s “Arrow” about to cross over with FOX’s “Gotham?” It seems unlikely, given the different networks and all… But a major plotline on tonight’s (September 29) episode of “Gotham” may suggest that the two shows are more linked than we first imagined.

Before we get into serious spoiler territory, a little bit of background. Though DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. are the companies behind most, if not all of the multitude of DC Comics-based TV shows and movies about to hit your eyeballs over the next few years, they’ve been very clear that the properties won’t cross over.

During the Television Critics Association press tour for “Arrow” and “The Flash” – two shows that do exist in the same, shared universe – DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns explicitly stated that the duo of series wouldn’t meet up with Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck in “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.”

“It’s a separate universe than film so that the filmmakers can tell the story that’s best for film,” Johns told the press. “While we explore something different in a different corner of the DC universe. We will not be integrating the film and television universes.”

Which is well and good, but what about “Gotham,” not to mention NBC’s “Constantine,” TNT’s prospective “Titans,” FOX’s “Lucifer,” or CBS’ “Supergirl?” It’s not unheard of for networks to cross two shows over, but given the multitude of contracts involved, it certainly seems unlikely.

Except on “Gotham” we get the ...

Chris Brown is not pleased with TMZ, and he’s particularly upset with the site’s founder, Harvey Levin.

“What the devil looks like in person. Lol,” Breezy captioned an Instagram post on Monday afternoon (September 29), with a picture of Levin. “You sad little man. You’ve been trying for years to destroy me. It won’t work. Your efforts are flattering.”

The post, which he quickly took down, was likely a response to a story that appeared on the gossip site earlier today with the headline, “CHRIS BROWN SHOVES WOMAN Blocks Her Attempted Kiss.”

The story includes two videos — each of the same moment, but from different angles — that show CB walking through a crowded, loud nightclub while holding hands with his girlfriend, Karrueche Tran. A woman grabs the X singer’s face, appearing as if she’s trying to kiss him, and he attempts to make his way past her.

“When you look back on your life when it’s that time for you to depart, what can u actually say you’ve accomplished in life?” Brown continued in his photo caption. “Bringing people down and being the number one source for negativity. Life’s too short homie. Find some sort of happiness. You are a grown ass man. God bless you bruh.”

Adam Fleischer

This weekend marked the third anniversary of J. Cole’s debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. To commemorate that occasion, he could have dropped the lead single to his upcoming third album. Alas, that didn’t happen. But on Monday (September 29), we did get some new Cole bars, as he hopped on the remix of Maroon 5′s “Animals.”

“This is pain, this is love/ This is sent from above/ This a gift from the Gods/ This was meant to be,” the North Carolina native raps to kickstart his part. For the rest of the verse — which clocks in at just 30 seconds, leaving you wanting plenty more — Jermaine speaks of a love lost, but not quite gone. “I hope your new man don’t mind, girl you’re mine forever,” he spits to close.

Maroon 5 also dropped the official video for “Animals” on Monday, which finds lead singer Adam Levine getting bloodied and obsessed and in love.

The remix seems to be a sign that Cole is in the studio, at least, so hopefully that new single is on the way soon.

Adam Fleischer

The season four premiere of “Once Upon A Time” was chock-full of “Frozen” references, as promised. No, you didn’t get to hear anyone say “Let it go,” and there was no Olaf – but between Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and even reindeer Sven, there was plenty for fans to sing about.

But there was one “Frozen” moment that may have totally passed you by.

That’s because it didn’t involve Elsa, the giant snow-monster (you know, Marshmallow?) or anything from Arendelle. In fact, the moment snuck by because it instead was played out by two of the regular main cast members.

Here it is, and see if you can figure out the reference:

ABC

Did you get it? If not, you may want to build a snowman, because…

Disney

So it’s not a shot-for-shot remake or anything, and that’s what makes it more subtle than, say, the shot-for-shot remake of Anna & Elsa’s parents dying in the cold open. In this case, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is trying to talk to a clearly upset Regina (Lana Parrilla). Emma goes to Regina’s office, rattles the doorknob, and says, “Regina, I know you’re in there.”

It’s a clear nod to the “Elsa, I know you’re in there,” lyric from “Do You Want To Build A Snowman;” as is Regina’s slumped over, crying position on the other side of the door, a parallel to how Elsa is ...

Wish I Was There…
Beat masters Diplo and Skrillex hit the studio with Usher this weekend to make some music and make it rain. They were joined by songwriting/producing duo Rock City, who helped pen Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” and Rihanna’s “Pour It Up.” Why all the giant wads of cash, though? Diplo said that he, Rock City and Usher were allegedly going to the strip club. Not sure if that’s true, but we can’t wait to hear the material these four music powerhouses come up with.

Classic Franco
James Franco’s NYU thesis film a.k.a. his behind-the-scenes SNL documentary “Saturday Night” is available on Hulu Plus. After watching it, I learned that Bill Hader is the king of accents and 19 more interesting facts about the live sketch comedy series.

The Bronx Comes To Malibu
Jennifer Lopez‘s car, with her friend actress Leah Remini in tow, was rear-ended by a drunk driver, but luckily they were okay. She took to Instagram to comment on the incident calling the other driver a “drunk fool” and using the hagtags: “#GRATEFUL #THANKYOUGOD #DontdrinkandDrive!!!! #cursedthatfoolout #theBronxcameout #dontmesswithmycocnuts #mamabear #leahstayedcalm #thatwasweird.”

Lorde, Give Us More
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1” soundtrack curator Lorde revealed more lyrics to the film’s single that she will drop soon.

Must-See Video Of The Day
Joe Jonas surprised fans when he joined his former “Camp Rock” co-star (and former flame) Demi Lovato at her show in Los Angeles to ...