February 10, 2012

Nicki Minaj Is Also A Member Of The Big Ang Fan Club

Okay, let’s do a running tally of people we love who also love Mob Wives. So far, celebrities like Christina Ricci, Lana Del Rey and Anthony Hopkins have confessed an obsession with the show, and Diddy has tweeted his love for Big Ang. So it only makes sense that we add Nicki Minaj to this ever-growing list of superfans. In an interview with Paper, Minaj talks to Simon Doonan about her addiction to trash TV (which he shares), and she singles out Big Ang in particular.

Minaj: I love Mob Wives.

Doonan: Me too!

Minaj: I love Big Ang — what is that? And I love the way those girls talk to each other: “Don’t YOU be coming at ME!!!” I love every freakin’ moment. And I watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Beverly Hills. Taylor and Adrienne and the girls.

Now all we can think about is getting Nicki and Big Ang together, that’s a match made in heaven.

[UPDATE] The feeling is mutual, according to Twitter.

[Photos: Getty Images]

Tags: , , Simon Doonan, Mob Wives 2, Nicki Minaj

October 28, 2011

Last Lap: Madonna’s Next Collaboration Will Feature Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.

Madonna, Nicki Minaj And M.I.A Share The Love
In the latest installment of “Madonna Is Down With The Kids (Like, Totes)” it’s been announced that both the eccentric Nicki Minaj and the cooler than thou MIA will appear on Madge’s lead single, “Give Me All Your Love,” from her forthcoming album. On that note, it’s now rumored that these three will also be performing during halftime of the Super Bowl this year. [Billboard]

Controversial Web Sensation Lana Del Rey Signs With Interscope
After a mountain of hype resulted in a tsunami-sized backlash, Lana del Rey has inked an album deal with Interscope, home to not only some of the biggest female-fronted acts in the biz (Mary J. Blige, No Doubt), but also some of the web friendliest (Robyn, Feist). [Pitchfork]

Poptimist Explores The Notion That Epic Rock Is Just “Secular Gospel”
Tom Ewing‘s article about stadium-pop as a “hustle” is an interesting read, with references to bands as contemporary as Coldplay and Arcade Fire while remembering classics like The Beatles and The Who. [Pitchfork]

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Tags: , , Lana Del Rey, David Lynch, MIA, Karen O, Nicki Minaj, Adele, Madonna, Elton John

October 26, 2011

Be Relevant This Halloween: How To Dress As 2011′s Biggest Music Moments And Memes

Halloween is coming up and it’s time to start getting serious about costumes if you don’t want to be a sexy [insert noun here] or a regular-person-but-just-covered-in-blood-because-that’s-all-you-had-time-to-buy. This Halloween dare to be a little bit braver, a little more irreverent, and a little more clever with your costumes. That’s right folks — no more Lady Gaga get ups, lest you be deemed “like, sah 2010!” There’s a wealth of cultural reference at your disposal this year, with 2011 being renamed the Chinese Year Of The Meme (it hasn’t really, I just said that to get your attention). We’ve picked out some of our favourite musical memes of the year in the hopes that you’ll be inspired to trick yourself out in the spirit of a wickedly self-aware Halloween…

PREGONCÉ

Why? Only the baby of hip-pop royalty Jay-Z and Beyoncé could become an Internet meme and every GIF aficionado’s wet dream before the little tyke is even born. Barely beyond conception, Baby Bey-Z hit the Internet harder than “Friday” (see below) and made “Pregoncé” a word faster than you can say, “I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly.” For Halloween, go as Pregoncé in the costume she wore at the VMAs earlier this year when she unleashed unveiled her newly rounded belly to the world.

How? We’ll start from the top down: first you need some crazy 70′s flicked blonde hair, wig it if you’re a brunette or a dude, and if you’re already blessed with the golden tresses, heat up those rollers, girl! Next you’ll need a white shirt (stuffed with a pillow, of course we don’t expect you to actually get pregnant) and black pants; easy. The sparkle blazer might be a bit harder. I suggest taking a cheap / second hand blazer, a can of spray on glue, a butt-load of glitter and having the absolute time of your life. Add some velcro to the inside of the blazer so it’s easy to rip open over the course of Halloween as you constantly re-enact the big reveal. Carry around a fake microphone so you can throw it down dramatically before you rub your belly emphatically and smile, smile, smile!

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Tags: , , , , , Andy Samberg, Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, Kreayshawn, The Lonely Island, Rebecca Black, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Beyonce

October 12, 2011

British Princess Rappers Meet Their Idol Nicki Minaj On Ellen

Ellen DeGeneres has some serious A&R muscle. The comedian and talk-show host already emerged as a leader in the post-Scooter Braun YouTube talent-search industry. The single-week turnaround she pulled off this week, though, is next-level. Last Wednesday a “Super Bass” cover, performed by an eight-year-old British girl named Sophie Grace Brownlee and her five-year-old cousin Rosie, went viral; by yesterday the two were appearing on Ellen, where they got to meet, and perform with, Nicki Minaj. Six days is, frankly, an astonishing turnaround for a television show like this. (Kudos to the staff of Ellen.) We don’t know that the girls have a Greyson Chance-esque recording career ahead of them anytime soon—Nicki Minaj encourages the girls to put school first and singing second—but the whole thing is completely adorable. They try on Nicki’s wigs!

“The Surprise Of Their Lives” [Ellen]

Tags: , Nicki Minaj

October 3, 2011

Styles Upon Styles Upon Styles: The Top 5 Recycled Lines From A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory



Last week, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of A Tribe Called Quest’s seminal album, The Low End Theory, and after spending quality time with the LP, it became clear that many artists may have snagged sonic gems from the trendsetting hip-hop quartet over the years. If you’re a fan of rap music, you already know that sampling and re-working existing songs is commonplace in the creative process; similar to contemporary art’s idea of the “readymade,” producers will lift elements from one song and add them to a new canvas to re-envision their use. But what happens when the same thing is done with lyrics?

One little-known fact: Lil’ Wayne’s“A Milli” is a slowed-down sample of one of Phife’s lines from a remix of “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo” off Tribe’s first album, 1990′s Peoples’ Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Sometimes referred to as swagger-jacking, a rapper re-purposing the bars of artists before him or her can in other circumstances be seen as a salute-beckoning sign of respect. And in Tribe’s case, it should be! In addition to sitting down with ATCQ for their first joint interview since 1998, we also got to chat individually with in-and-out, behind-the-scenes group member Jarobi White to scoop his brains for memories on the group’s incredible second album. In honor of its Album-Versary, we present you with Jarobi’s exclusive interview clips, and the Top 5 Recycled Lines From The Low End Theory.

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Tags: , , , YC, En Vogue, Nicki Minaj, Salt-N-Pepa, DMX, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Kid Rock, A Tribe Called Quest

September 26, 2011

Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj And A Slew Of Today’s Biggest Pop Stars Headline The iHeartRadio Festival [PHOTOS]

The MGM Grand played host to a plethora of pop stars this weekend for the Clear Channel-sponsored iHeartRadio Festival, two nights of genre-spanning, crowd-pleasing pop music. A mix of veterans and newcomers thrilled the (reportedly very drunk) crowd on both nights. The most successful performers were those who stuck to a setlist of hits, like Jay-Z, who may have performed “On To The Next One” but didn’t take its advice about his old songs, including favorites from The Blueprint and The Black Album alongside newer singles like “Empire State of Mind” (with a guest appearance by earlier performer Alicia Keys). Those whose songs were less well-known by the crowd, like Sublime with Rome, were less well-received.

Perhaps the big surprise of the weekend, according to reports, was Jennifer Lopez, who, in a set that spanned her musical career, proved supremely capable of standing among the pop titans of today (with a Pitbull feature on “On the Floor”). Saturday’s “special guest” Sting also more than pulled his weight, backing Steven Tyler on bass early in the evening, then joining Lady Gaga for performances of “Stand By Me” and his own “King of Pain.”

Tags: , , , , David Guetta, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Natasha Bedingfield, Rascal Flatts, Alicia Keys, Steven Tyler, Kenny Chesney, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Sinbad, Rihanna, Nicole Scherzinger, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre

September 18, 2011

VH1′s 40 Most Shocking Hip Hop Moments [COMPLETE LIST]

VH1 debuted the latest countdown in our long-running The Greatest series, the 40 Most Shocking Hip Hop Moments, this evening. If you missed it, don’t worry; it will rerun tomorrow night, Monday, September 19, at midnight. If you’re looking for the complete list, look no further. Here are the 40 Most Shocking Hip Hop Moments … so far!

40) Nicki Minaj gets butt slapped by Regis Philbin
39) Wyclef runs for president of Haiti
38) 50 Cent shockingly thin Twitter pics
37) Lil Wayne goes to prison and gets grillz removed
36) Redman’s shocking Cribs episode [WATCH]
35) Cam’ron’s anti-snitching 60 Minutes interview
34) Dr. Dre’s shocking transformation at VMAs
33) Sir Mix-A-Lot’s raunchy “Put ‘Em on the Glass” video
32) Lil Mama crashes stage during Jay-Z and Alicia Keys VMA performance
31) Suge Knight knocked out

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Tags: , , , The Greatest, Geto Boys, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Warren G, Three 6 Mafia, ODB, P. Diddy, Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross (Hip-Hop), Tupac, 2 Live Crew, Lil Mama, DMX, Lil Wayne, Flavor Flav, Wyclef Jean, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Lauryn Hill, Kanye West, Foxy Brown, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Common, Cam'ron, 50 Cent

September 15, 2011

40 Most Shocking Hip Hop Moments Set To Debut On Sunday, September 18

Ever since the first time that someone decided to break out a turntable at a block party in the Bronx, scandal and hip hop have gone together like peanut butter and jelly. From notorious murders and untimely deaths to sleazy sex scandals and high-profile arrests, rarely does a week go by without some sort of drama going down in the hip hop community. On VH1’s 40 Most Shocking Hip Hop Moments, which debuts this Sunday, September 18, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, we’ll count down the most mind blowing, controversial, stunning and horrific moments ever.

You’ll have to watch the show to guess the final order, but some of the things you can expect to see will range from the silly (like Gucci Mane’s triple scoop ice cream cone face tattoo and Nicki Minaj getting her booty slapped by Regis Philbin) to the serious (the murders of Biggie and Tupac, the latter of which occured 15 years ago this month). On VH1’s 40 Most Shocking Hip Hop Moments, we’ll revisit all the stories that caused people to either gasp or #SMH.

VH1′s 40 Most Shocking Hip Hop Moments is a two-hour special, which will immediately be followed by the television premiere of our latest Rock Doc, Planet Rock: The Story Of Hip Hop And The Crack Generation. It’s a night that hip hop fans won’t want to miss! To get a taste of what it will be like, follow along to watch comedian and familiar VH1 talking head Donnell Rawlings share his personal thoughts on what the most shocking thing about hip hop is.

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Tags: , , , , The Greatest, T.I., Nicki Minaj, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., 2 Live Crew, Gucci Mane

September 7, 2011

Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” Is The 2011 VH1 Song Of The Summer

For the last 14 weeks, we’ve been tracking the race to see which track would become this year’s Song Of The Summer. Since people consume music in so many different ways these days, our goal was to put together a democratic formula that compared how a group of over 70 songs performed across five of the primary channels that people frequently use to listen to their favorite jams: the Billboard Hot 100 (radio play & sales), the iTunes charts (pure sales), Last.fm scrobbles (listening on computer and mobile devices), the YouTube music charts (streams) and, of course, our VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown. Each week, we tracked how our group of competitors fared in each of these different platforms, and then added up the results.

So, without any further ado, we are psyched to announce that Katy Perry has taken home the first place prize in VH1′s first annual Song Of The Summer competition! When the summer began, it looked like Adele‘s “Rolling In The Deep” was going to be an unstoppable force, but as soon as Katy dropped her 80s-tastic “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” video during the week of June 27th, she dominated the countdown from there on out. Katy was gracious enough to film an quick speech for us while she accepted our totally awesome Song Of The Summer trophy, which we’ve got for you above.

For you completists, here is our final Song Of The Summer countdown chart (that is, until Memorial Day 2012 rolls around!). And you’re on Spotify, you can subscribe to our VH1 Song Of The Summer 2011 playlist and re-live the summer whenever you want.


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Tags: , , , , Katy Perry, Adele, Bruno Mars, Lmfao, Britney Spears, Foster the People, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Hot Chelle Rae, Ne-Yo, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Beyonce, OneRepublic, Jason Derulo, Maroon 5, TOP 20 VIDEO COUNTDOWN

September 2, 2011

Song Of The Summer Countdown: What Was Your Favorite Song Of Summer 2011? (POLL)


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Sad to say, but the impending arrival of Labor Day weekend means it’s time to put another summer in the books. All summer long, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the race to determine this year’s Song Of The Summer, following how songs have performed in terms of the Billboard Hot 100, iTunes sales, Last.fm scrobbles, YouTube streams and, of course, our VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown.

We’re going to announce this summer’s winner here on the VH1 Blog on Tuesday, but before we do that, we’d love to find out what YOU, the VH1 audience, felt was this year’s Song Of The Summer. What song did you jam the most on the beach? Which track was blasting when you put your ragtop down so your hair can blow? What jam got you and your friends pumped up for a night out on the town? Vote as many times as you like in our poll below. (Oh, and congrats to You Oughta Know artist Foster The People for being only the third song all summer long to hold the top spot in our countdown with their zeitgeisty smash, “Pumped Up Kicks”!)

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Tags: , , , Beyonce, Foster the People, Adele, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, OneRepublic, Nicki Minaj, The Band Perry, Pitbull, Hot Chelle Rae, Lil Wayne, Coldplay, Rihanna, Demi Lovato

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