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MTV Video Music Awards 2007

The MTV Video Music Awards will air live from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Sunday (September 9th) at 9 p.m. ET. Timbaland will serve as maestro of the annual event, which will hand out Moonman awards and feature a host of performances. Justin Timberlake and Beyonce lead the pack of award nominees with seven nods each. Rihanna and Kanye West each received five, and Amy Winehouse received three.

This year’s VMAs will feature performances by Rihanna, Kanye West, Fall Out Boy, Akon, Nelly Furtado, 50 Cent, Mark Ronson and Gym Class Heroes. Also set to take the stage are the Foo Fighters, T-Pain, Common, Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley, Alicia Keys, T.I., Adam Levine of Maroon5, Mastadon and Serj from System Of A Down. But the most talked-about artist is Britney Spears, who has officially signed on to open the show. She’ll attempt her comeback with a performance of her new single “Gimme More,” featuring stage tricks coordinated by magician Criss Angel.

Maroon5 singer Adam Levine is one of the many artists looking forward to the show. He and guitarist James Valentine tell us a little bit about what to expect from Levine’s performance : (Adam Levine) “I’m actually going to sing with Mark Ronson’s band. They’re doing a little variety situation, and I’m gonna do a song with him. (James Valentine) They do Mark Ronson-style remixes of all the contemporary songs. So everybody’s gonna be up there singing with his band.”

Nicole Scherzinger and Lil’Wayne will perform during the VMA pre-show, which kicks off at 8 p.m. Some presenters include Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Hudson, Rosario Dawson, Robin Thicke and the cast of HBO’s Entourage.

On Sunday night, Spears will grace the VMA stage, nestled within the Palms Casino Resorts’ Pearl Concert Theater, to perform “Gimme More,” the first single from her forthcoming fifth album, which is slated for a November 13 release.

2007 MTV VMA Nominees

Video of the Year
Amy Winehouse : “Rehab”
Beyoncé : “Irreplaceable”
Justice : “D.A.N.C.E.”
Justin Timberlake : “What Goes Around … ”
Kanye West : “Stronger”
Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) : “Umbrella”

Male Artist of the Year
Akon : “Don’t Matter,” “I Wanna Love You” (featuring Snoop Dogg), “Smack That” (featuring Eminem)
Kanye West : “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” “Stronger,” “Classic (Better Than I’ve Ever Been” — DJ Premier remix, featuring Nas, KRS-One and Rakim)
Justin Timberlake : “Let Me Talk To You/ My Love,” “SexyBack” (featuring Timbaland), “What Goes Around … ”
T.I. : “Big Things Poppin’ (Do It),” “You Know What It Is” (featuring Wyclef Jean), “What You Know”
Robin Thicke : “Can U Believe,” “Lost Without U,” “Wanna Love You Girl” (remix, featuring Busta Rhymes and Pharrell)

Female Artist of the Year
Amy Winehouse : “Rehab,” “You Know I’m No Good”
Beyoncé : “Irreplaceable,” “Beautiful Liar” (featuring Shakira)
Fergie : “Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal),” “Glamorous” (featuring Ludacris), “Fergalicious” (featuring Will.I.Am)
Nelly Furtado : “Maneater,” “Say It Right”
Rihanna : “Umbrella” (featuring Jay-Z)

Best New Artist VOTE
Amy Winehouse : “Rehab,” “You Know I’m No Good”
Carrie Underwood : “Before He Cheats”
Gym Class Heroes : “Clothes Off,” “Cupid’s Chokehold/ Breakfast in America”
Lily Allen : “Alfie,” “Smile,” “LDN”
Peter Bjorn and John : “Young Folks”

Best Group
Fall Out Boy : “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race,” “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs”
Gym Class Heroes : “Clothes Off,” “Cupid’s Chokehold/ Breakfast in America”
Linkin Park : “What I’ve Done”
Maroon 5 : “Makes Me Wonder”
White Stripes : “Icky Thump”

Most Earthshattering Collaboration
Akon (featuring Eminem) : “Smack That”
Beyoncé and Shakira : “Beautiful Liar”
Justin Timberlake (featuring Timbaland) : “SexyBack”
Gwen Stefani (featuring Akon) : “The Sweet Escape”
U2 (featuring Green Day) : “The Saints Are Coming”

Quadruple Threat of the Year
Beyoncé
Bono
Jay-Z
Justin Timberlake
Kanye West

Monster Single of the Year
Avril Lavigne : “Girlfriend”
Daughtry : “Home”
Fall Out Boy : “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs”
Lil Mama : “Lip Gloss (No Music)”
T-Pain (featuring Yung Joc) : “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)”
Timbaland (featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian) : “The Way I Are”
MIMS : “This Is Why I’m Hot”
Plain White T’s : “Hey There, Delilah”
Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) : “Umbrella”
Shop Boyz : “Party Like A Rock Star”

Best Director
Beyoncé and Shakira : “Beautiful Liar” (director : Jake Nava)
Christina Aguilera : “Candyman” (directors : Matthew Rolston and Christina Aguilera)
Justin Timberlake : “What Goes Around …” (director : Samuel Bayer)
Kanye West : “Stronger” (director : Hype Williams)
Linkin Park : “What I’ve Done” (director : Joseph Hahn)
Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) : “Umbrella” (director : Chris Applebaum)

Best Editing in a Video
Beyoncé and Shakira : “Beautiful Liar” (editor : Jarett Figl)
Gnarls Barkley : “Smiley Faces” (editor : Ken Mowe)
Justin Timberlake : “What Goes Around …” (editor : Hollee Singer)
Kanye West : “Stronger” (editors : Peter Johnson and Corey Weisz)
Linkin Park : “What I’ve Done” (editor : Igor Kovalik)

Best Choreography in a Video
Beyoncé and Shakira : “Beautiful Liar” (choreographer : Frank Gatson)
Chris Brown : “Wall To Wall” (choreographers : Rich & Tone and Flii Styles)
Ciara : “Like A Boy” (choreographer : Jamaica Craft)
Eve : “Tambourine” (choreographer : Tahesha Scott)
Justin Timberlake (featuring Timbaland) : “SexyBack” (choreographer : Marty Kuldeka)

BMI held their Urban Awards ceremony in Las Vegas on Friday (September 7), honoring the likes of T.I., Ne-Yo, Mr. Collipark and Pharrell Williams among others.

The ceremony, held at the Zumanity Theatre at New York-New York Hotel and Casino, attracted some of music’s biggest stars in town for MTV’s Video Music Awards.

Some of the nights honorees included T.I., Ne-Yo and Mr. ColliPark who each earned Songwriter of the Year titles. They each composed four songs on BMI’s most-performed list. T.I. co-wrote hits “My Love” and “What You Know,” along with Lil’ C’s “Shoulder Lean” and Nelly’s “Grillz”; Ne-Yo co-penned Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” and his own “Sexy Love,” “So Sick” and “When You’re Mad”; and producer Mr. ColliPark co-wrote the Ying Yang Twins’ “Badd,” Diddy’s “Come to Me,” Bubba Sparxxx’s “Ms. New Booty” and David Banner’s “Play.”

“Check On It” secured Song of the Year honors for co-writers Slim Thug and Sean Garrett, and a special presentation officially recognized legendary MC, Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of Run DMC, as the newest BMI Icon.

As one third of Run-DMC, Rev Run helped change the sound of rap by simultaneously being more street and rock & roll than his contemporaries. From the classic single “Sucker MCs” (1983) to their standard-setting discs Run-DMC, King of Rock, Raising Hell and Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC helped take hip-hop, and music in general, to a whole new level. They stayed at the top of the pop charts for most of the 80s and knocked open the doors to commercial freedom for the hip-hop generation.

The night’s other big winners included Pharrell Williams, who earned the Producer of the Year title; EMI Music Publishing, named Urban Publisher of the Year; and T-Pain’s “I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper),” which nabbed the BMI Urban Ringtone Award. Executives from music trade magazine Billboard were also on hand to give out No. 1 Awards to the BMI songs that reached the top spot on its urban music charts during the past year.

In addition to the BMI awards, Billboard was on hand to recognize the BMI-affiliated writers whose songs reached no. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Tracks, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot 100 charts during the past year.

For a full list of the night’s winners, visit BMI.com.

Babygrande Records recently announced it has signed Dipset member JR Writer to a million dollar multi-album deal.

Without disclosing the particulars of the deal or how the money would be distributed, Babygrande posted a statement on their official webite.

“J.R. is an incredible artist. At 23, he has already accomplished so much and we will work closely with him to continue his success,” the statement read. “His last album sold over 100,000 copies and if Koch distribution can deliver again, we know we can.”

The Harlem bed rapper began his career appearing on various albums from Diplomat members and released his debut album, History in the Making, via Koch Records last year

Writer is currently working on his first release on Babygrande titled Writer’s Block 5 which is slated to hit stores on November 20.

Other rappers signed to Babygrande include Norega, Raekwon’s click Ice Water, fellow Dipset and Fight Klub champ 40 Cal, Canibus, Gillie Da Kid, Hi-Tek, Brand Nubian’s Lord Jamar, Kanye West affiliates Sa-Ra and Diplomat affiliate Un Kasa, to name a few.

When will Beyoncé, 26, and boyfriend of more than four years Jay-Z, 37, finally say “I Do”?

“One day soon — let’s leave it at that,” the usually tight-lipped rapper told reporters earlier today at a press conference in Las Vegas, where he announced plans to open his third 40/40 Club at the luxury Palazzo hotel.

Would they tie the knot in Sin City?

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s kind of comfortable here. If [Palazzo President Rob Goldstein] throws in the ring, who knows?”

At least they’d have somewhere to celebrate: His new $20 million, 24,000-square-foot club — slated to open December 20 — will come complete with 24-karat gold and platinum floors, 85 plasma TVs and — count ‘em! — five VIP rooms.

“Las Vegas is like no other place in the world,” he said.

In fact, he says he may even snap up digs there eventually.

“I’m going to ask [Goldstein] for advice,” Jay-Z said. “He’s pretty good with the real estate. We’ll see what happens”

After months of BET coming under fire for its degrading depiction of Black women, a similar boycott has been launched against VH1 to protest against network executives who knowingly perpetuate negative stereotypes of Black women through its programming.

An employee of the network leaked information about a production meeting regarding a potential new reality show titled Interracial Love. The show, created by Tobias White, the white father of two interracial children, would feature professional, respectable, Black women who look beyond race to find true love. According to the employee, network execs rejected the show because the depiction of the Black women would be in opposition to those shown on such popular (yet controversial) shows as Flavor of Love and its spawns, I Love New York and Flavor of Love: Charm School.
Flavor Of Love’s 90-minute first season finale drew nearly 6 million viewers — a performance that made it the most watched broadcast in VH1’s history.The premiere of the second season of Flavor Of Love drew 3.3 million viewers, an all-time season premiere record for the 21-year-old network.

In a letter written to Black Press Radio, the employee shared what she was told happened during the production meeting. According to the employee, an executive stated: “It is our thoughts that the viewers are more interested in seeing Black people in a ‘ghetto’ role. This show will not sell.”
Though the quote was second-hand information, Black Press Radio (www.blackpressradio.com) followed up on the story and reported on a statement sent in by Maura Wozniak, the Senior Publicist for VH1 Communications. In the statement, Wozniak confirms that Interracial Love was rejected. However, she made no comment about the alleged quote. Instead, she claims the show was simply determined to be ill-fitting for the network. She states:

“VH1 receives hundreds of unsolicited ideas for shows a week and has dozens of original programs in development…As is often the case, we immediately passed on this pitch because it does not make sense for the network at this time. But we are always open to ideas that fit in with our music and pop culture focus.”

In response, Black Media News immediately voiced its full support of a boycott against VH1. The organization wrote:

“There is a boycott that has taken a life of its own against the VH1 Network. We here at Black Media News have been watching the support around this boycott. VH1 had made racist comments about black women and why they only cast shows that stereotype black women as ghetto. The story was leaked on the Tom Joyner morning show and was also reported on Black Press Radio. The following comments were made by an employee of VH1. We feel these statements are worse than Don Imus due to the fact that they are not talking about just 12 black women they are talking about an entire race of black women. VH1 shows their views in their shows of black women. They have been type casting with black women only in ghetto roles. This is a very racist view and we ask for the continued support of this boycott…. ”

VH1, BET and MTV, which have each been scrutinized for their misogynistic depiction of Black women, are all owned by the same parent company, Viacom.

We got a nice little piece of information yesterday regarding a surprise presenter at this weekend’s MTV VMA’s, Dr. Dre. Now what would cause the elusive (aka Mr. always in the studio) producer to return to an award show? It is really strangeto hear that Dr. Dre will be presenting anything in public since the last time he went to an awards show someone got stabbed.

Now if Dre maybe had some project or an album to promote then his appearance might make more sense. Possibly an album that has been talked about for the last six years. An album that has found it’s beats on songs from 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and The Game. An album that had dozens of song songs leaked with everyone from Rakim to Jay-Z. The album is called Detox and it just might be Dr. Dre’s final album.

Dr. Dre confirmed (in this video with Bishop Lamont) that Detox would be coming out in September 2007.

Pharrell Williams, one-half of the production duo The Neptunes, is collaborating with Moet Hennessy USA to score the music for an upcoming Hennessy campaign. The ads, which included seven Internet spots and three conventional TV commercials, will begin airing in the next few weeks and feature music created by the producer extraordinaire. “Taste is the new bling,” says Ewen Cameron, CEO at Berlin Cameron United in New York. “Hennessy, volume wise, has a very urban skew to it. But what was happening in the urban market and the mainstream market was a move to brands like Belvedere and Grey Goose.” Now, Moet Hennessy is openly targeting the hip-hop nation in order to overtake their competitors. “The urban metro market was evolving and the insight we had was the new ultimate consumption was taste,” Cameron says. “Instead of showing off your rims or clothes, it was about showing off the symbols that articulate your taste.”

Tony Yayo (real name: Marvin Bernard) was in court Thursday (September 6) to hear motions in the case in which he is alleged to have roughed up the 14-year-old son of Game manager Jimmy “Henchman” Rosemond in March. According to Yayo’s lawyer, Scott Leemon, the judge denied his request to obtain e-mails from Rosemond’s Czar Entertainment connected to the case. But in a significant development, Leemon said he revealed in court that he provided the district attorney’s office with an affidavit three weeks ago from a witness who knows the 14-year-old and Yayo, witnessed the incident and said Yayo did not slap the boy. “That person has already signed the affidavit saying Yayo was not the person who slapped the boy,” Leemon told MTV News. “The judge instructed the DA to send an investigator and investigate it because nothing has been done in three weeks.” Yayo is due back in court October 30. A spokesperson for the DA’s office did not return calls for comment at press time.

During a recent airing of his Fox News show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” the commentator blasted Nas’ free concert for the students of Virginia Tech (see “Nas, John Mayer, Dave Matthews To Headline Free Concert At Virginia Tech”) as an “abomination” and “atrocity.” O’Reilly referred to Nas — or “Nazz,” as the TV host pronounced it — as a “gangsta rapper” and said his lyrics are as “violent as they come,” citing songs such as “Shoot ‘Em Up,” “One Mic,” Ether” and “Made U Look” as his musical history of violence. (The show also displayed some of Nas’ concert footage and videos, plus the scene where Jay-Z gets shot in the video for “99 Problems.”) O’Reilly called Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger “a villain” for allowing Nas to perform.
“Having a rapper who trades in violence perform at Virginia Tech insults the victims, the university and the entire commonwealth,” O’Reilly declared. The Nas controversy has been the topic of several of his shows.

Nas spoke exclusively to MTV News on Wednesday, dismissing his detractor.
“It’s what he’s supposed to do. He has an image to uphold,” Nas said initially, laughing it off. But the conversation took a more serious turn when Nas described O’Reilly’s stance against him — and previous outbursts against peers such as Snoop Dogg and Ludacris (see “Ludacris Barks Back At Pepsi, O’Reilly; P-Roach Antics Not An Issue For Soda Giant”) — as being prejudiced and outdated.
“He’s a racist,” Nas said. “Everybody has a marketing plan; his marketing plan is racism.
“He doesn’t understand the younger generation. He deals with the past,” Nas continued. “The people he represents are Republican, older, a generation that has nothing to do with the reality of what’s happening now with my generation. … He’s not really on my radar. People like him are supposed to be taught and people like me are supposed to let n—as like him know. I don’t take him serious. His sh– is all about getting ratings or whatever. I wouldn’t honor anything Bill O’Reilly has to say. It just shows you what bloodsuckers do: They abuse something like the Virginia Tech [tragedy] for show ratings. You can’t talk to a person like that.”
Nas maintained that some of his harsher lyrics are no more rigid than the reality that inspired them.

“Here’s somebody that speaks about America in his music, and the community that I come from has the same kind of violence as Virginia Tech,” the legendary rapper said about himself. “It’s unnecessary, stupid violence. Hip-hop is a part of the generation of [Virginia Tech] as well as alternative and pop and rock. Hip-hop is a part of that. That’s why I’m [performing at the concert]. With Bill O’Reilly, it doesn’t raise an eyebrow to me because it’s garbage, its bullsh–. He has nothing to do with the real people who go to school or the parents who had to endure that tragedy.”

The New York MC also opined that O’Reilly should be exploring the inspiration for music’s depictions of violence instead of making blanket statements about the content itself.
“Let him ask why I made the songs I made,” Nas said. “It didn’t come from nowhere. It came from this country. I’m not talking about Russia in my music. I’ve never been to Russia. I’m not talking about Africa, Switzerland, China. I’m talking about me being American and growing up in a crazy world and helping to reflect all different sides of life. I got songs also about totally different things — ‘Black Girl Lost,’ you feel what I’m saying?”
Besides O’Reilly, seven families of the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy have spoken out against Nas performing, and there was an editorial in the school newspaper saying it would be a poor choice for the rapper to perform some of his songs where he talks about guns.
University officials responded by saying the announcement of the concert has been getting overwhelmingly positive feedback and that the lineup would not be changed.
Despite the controversy, Nas says he was asked by the school to perform and there are many people who would be disappointed if he did not come.
“I’m still coming,” he reiterated. “Unfortunately, man, a lot of places in America have to deal with unnecessary violence. Somebody like me who knows it firsthand and could relate, … I had a best friend killed, plenty other friends killed. I been through it. I seen it. My music reflects reality. I think that’s what makes it important that I come through and show love to those people [at Virginia Tech]. They deserve it.”

“A Concert for Virginia Tech” takes place at the school Thursday (September 6). John Mayer, Phil Vassar and the Dave Mathews Band will also perform. A spokesperson for O’Reilly was unavailable for comment.

Miami rapper Rick Ross is getting ready for the release of his upcoming LP, “Rise To Power.”The album, which is due out on September 18th, will not be released through Ross’s current recording home (Def Jam Records) however—it’ll instead be released through Texas independent, Suave House records.

Suave House records, which originally discovered Ross in 2000, will be dropping the album after working out a deal with Def Jam records who made numerous attempts to halt production.

“Ross was signed to me in 2000—I found him,” Suave House owner Tony Draper tells Billboard. “I’m the key to the south. Unfortunately, I was in a bad situation with Jcor Entertainment. I had a joint venture deal with Jcor, who had their distribution deal with Interscope Records. Jcor was supposed to supply marketing dollars, but they didn’t. They only paid $500,000 on a $5 million tab. So to not tie up my artist, I allowed Ross to go to Slip-N-Slide Records in 2002.”

Slip-N-Slide then signed a joint venture deal with Def Jam Records in 2006.

“Def Jam tried to stop me from putting the record out but with the help of [Slip-N-Slide head] Ted Lucas, we’ve finally worked it out,” says Draper. “Def Jam wanted me to compensate them for building the Rick Ross brand. So I ended up giving them a point on the album. I have no problem with Def Jam, but honestly, they couldn’t have stopped me. Def Jam stepped up in a classy manor. But if they hadn’t raised up, I was ready to go the whole legal route. Def Jam can’t stake a claim to the masters that I own.”

“Get That Bread,” Ross’ first single off “Rise To Power” is slated to drop this week.