2012 Grammy Nominations: Kanye West Tops The List

For the second year in a row, a hip-hop artist is leading the pack in Grammy nominations.

Although his name was only called for one category during Wednesday's (November 30) "Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!," Kanye West walked away with a leading seven nods, following the hip-hop trend set by last year's leading nominee, Eminem. He's nominated for his Watch the Throne joint album with Jay-Z and also picked up a few nominations ? including Song of the Year ? for his powerhouse collaborative track "All of the Lights," which features Rihanna, Fergie and Kid Cudi. He's even nominated against himself, with Watch the Throne and his own My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy nabbing Rap Album of the Year nods.

West was followed by this year's critical darling, Adele, who is tied with the Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars for six nods each. Lil Wayne and dance-music breakout Skrillex each garnered five nods.

While the Grammys have a reputation for catering to an older demographic (Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for 2009 Album of the Year, anyone?), this year's nominees are notably young, with 34-year-old West looking downright geriatric next to fellow nominees Adele (23), Rihanna (23), Lady Gaga (25) and Bruno Mars (26).

Take a closer look at this year's Grammy nominees through photos!

The 54th annual Grammys air Sunday, February 12, on CBS. Here are the rest of the nominations:

Album of the Year
� Adele - 21
� Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
� Lady Gaga - Born This Way
� Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops & Hooligans
� Rihanna - Loud

Record of the Year
� Adele - "Rolling In The Deep"
� Bon Iver - "Holocene"
� Bruno Mars - "Grenade"
� Mumford & Sons - "The Cave"
� Katy Perry - "Firework"

Best New Artist
� The Band Perry
� Bon Iver
� J. Cole
� Nicki Minaj
� Skrillex

Song of the Year
� Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie - "All of the Lights" � Mumford & Sons - "The Cave"
� Bruno Mars - "Grenade"
� Bon Iver - "Holocene"
� Adele - "Rolling In The Deep"

Best Pop Solo Performance
� Adele - "Someone Like You"
� Lady Gaga - "Yo� and I"
� Bruno Mars - "Grenade"
� Katy Perry - "Firework"
� Pink - "F***in' Perfect"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
� Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse - "Body and Soul"
� The Black Keys - "Dearest"
� Coldplay - "Paradise"
� Foster The People - "Pumped Up Kicks"
� Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera - "Moves Like Jagger"

Best Dance Recording
� deadmau5 and Greta Svabo Bech - "Raise Your Weapon"
� Duck Sauce - "Barbra Streisand"
� David Guetta and Avicii - "Sunshine"
� Robyn - "Call Your Girlfriend"
� Skrillex - "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites"
� Swedish House Mafia - "Save The World"

Best Rock Performance
� Coldplay - "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall"
� The Decemberists - "Down By the Water"
� Foo Fighters - "Walk"
� Mumford & Sons - "The Cave"
� Radiohead - "Lotus Flower"

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
� Dream Theater - "On The Backs of Angels"
� Foo Fighters - "White Limo"
� Mastodon - "Curl of the Burl"
� Megadeth - "Public Enemy No. 1"
� Sum 41 - "Blood In My Eyes"

Best Rock Album
� Jeff Beck - Rock 'N' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul
� Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
� Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown
� Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
� Wilco - The Whole Love

Best Alternative Music Album
� Bon Iver - Bon Iver
� Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
� Foster the People - Torches
� My Morning Jacket - Circuital
� Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

Best Traditional R&B Performance
� Eric Benet - "Sometimes I Cry"
� Cee Lo Green and Melanie Fiona - "Fool for You"
� R. Kelly - "Radio Message"
� Raphael Saadiq - "Good Man"
� Betty Wright and the Roots - "Surrender"

Best R&B Album
� Chris Brown - F.A.M.E.
� El DeBarge - Second Chance
� R. Kelly - Love Letter
� Ledisi - Pieces of Me
� Kelly Price - Kelly

Best Rap Album
� Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne
� Lil Wayne - Tha Carter IV
� Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
� Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday
� Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
� Beyonc� and Andre 3000 - "Party"
� DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne - "I'm On One"
� Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey - "I Need a Doctor"
� Rihanna and Drake - "What's My Name?"
� Kelly Rowland and Lil Wayne - "Motivation"
� Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie - "All Of The Lights"

Best Rap Performance
� Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes - "Look at Me Now"
� Jay-Z and Kanye West - "Otis"
� Lupe Fiasco - "The Show Goes On"
� Nicki Minaj and Drake - "Moment 4 Life"
� Wiz Khalifa - "Black And Yellow"

Best Country Solo Performance
� Jason Aldean - "Dirt Road Anthem"
� Martina McBride - "I'm Gonna Love You Through It"
� Blake Shelton - "Honey Bee"
� Taylor Swift - "Mean"
� Carrie Underwood - "Mama's Song"

Best Country Song
� Thompson Square - "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not"
� Blake Shelton - "God Gave Me You"
� Trace Adkins - "Just Fishin' "
� Taylor Swift - "Mean"
� Vince Gill - "Threaten Me With Heaven"
� Kenny Chesney (featuring Grace Potter) - "You and Tequila"

Best Americana Album
� Linda Chorney - Emotional Jukebox
� Ry Cooder - Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down
� Emmylou Harris - Hard Bargain
� Levon Helm - Ramble At The Ryman
� Lucinda Williams - Blessed

Best Blues Album
� Gregg Allman - Low Country Blues
� Marcia Ball - Roadside Attractions
� Warren Haynes - Man In Motion
� Keb' Mo' - The Reflection
� Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator

Best Folk Album
� The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
� Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
� Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
� Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs
� Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest

What do you think of this year's nominations? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Lady Gaga To Be Honored As LGBT 'Hero'

Lady Gaga has never been shy about her feelings for the LGBT community ? she's perhaps the biggest and most A-list advocate for LGBT youth. Now her work with the community is earning her some recognition.

At this year's annual Trevor Live event, the singer will be honored by the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that offers suicide-prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. Gaga will receive the Trevor Hero Award, Press Party reports. The organization will also recognize Google Inc. with the Trevor 2020 Award.

"Our young people are at the center of a health crisis, and vocal leaders like Lady Gaga and technology leaders like Google Inc. have stepped up to help change our culture," David McFarland, interim executive director and CEO of the Trevor Project, said in a statement.

"Our honorees are working with the Trevor Project to make a better today and a brighter tomorrow for youth. We are proud to honor Lady Gaga with the Trevor Hero Award and Google Inc. with the Trevor 2020 award for their work to help young people express their true selves with pride."

Gaga and her mother recently started the Born This Way Foundation, which will focus on "youth empowerment and equality by addressing issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development and will utilize digital mobilization as one of the means to create positive change."

The Trevor party is set to go down on December 4 at the Hollywood Palladium. Gaga won't be the only A-lister on hand at the big show.

Fergie, Mary J. Blige, Miley Cyrus, Gleeks Chris Colfer and Darren Criss, Julianne Hough and "True Blood" star Joe Manganiello are just a few of the stars slated to appear. Criss made headlines last year when he was joined onstage by Katy Perry at the event. The two performed her track "Teenage Dream," which he had famously covered on "Glee."

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Lady Gaga Reads To Her Fans From Photo Book

Lady Gaga's Terry Richardson-shot photo book hits stores in less than a week, and as such, she's decided to give her fans a sneak peek ? with a little Mother Monster Story Time.

In a new video posted on her YouTube channel, Gaga reads the intro she penned for the book, an essay about her relationship with Richardson that's long on literary flourish and also serves as an examination of self, not to mention a rallying cry for those on the fringes of society. It is, to say the very least, very Gaga.

Reclining on a couch in a black, sequined outfit (with matching chapeau), LG cracks the tome ? which, she notes, is "dedicated to the Little Monsters, naturally" ? and pores over her prose. And somewhere, Terry Richardson is undoubtedly blushing.

"Sometimes it seems as though I've waited my entire life to be photographed by Terry Richardson. With Terry, the relationship extends beyond the photograph, and if you're lucky, he will teach you something truly profound about yourself," she reads. "I have discovered through him that shame is an obsolete notion and apology is an injustice to any performance. ... To say he is a free spirit is a tremendous understatement and to say that he, or I, make people uncomfortable is spot on.

"Terry finds beauty in the most intricate and unassuming of places. His photography beckons the question over and over again: 'Should there ever be limitations in art?' Because when he captures me in a moment of such tandem and artistic human purity, I'm convinced the answer is that we must push the boundaries of culture through love and acceptance," she continues. "There is no moment too strange, no angle unflattering ... and never a time that I feel embarrassed or unsafe. Awaked in me is a perverse liberation inspiring me to feel that it is OK to view yourself as hyper-human. This is how Terry views me. I am so real, he says, that I am unreal."

Those seemingly "hyper-human" moments include unfiltered photographs taken over the course of 10 very hectic months, that feature of Gaga in dispose, including "waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth, in the bathroom, in the bathtub, in the shower," as she explained to MTV News earlier this year.

"The thing about Terry, if you know anything about his photography, is that nothing is staged; I mean, that's sort of what he is renowned for. He can get you to do things and he can capture things that no one can ever capture," she explained. "He could come backstage and he would say, 'Oh my God, the fans!' And I'd say 'I know ...' And he'd say, 'Baby, wow!' And then he'd film me, like, peeing in a cup and, like, ridiculous things."

What are you expecting from the Lady Gaga photo book? Let us know in the comments!

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'Mad Max' Might Get New Trilogy, Two Video Games

In Hollywood, trilogies are the new sequel. So it should come as no surprise that George Miller, creator of the original "Mad Max" series, has a new trilogy in the works for the franchise.

The first film in the new series, "Mad Max: Fury Road," has long had Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron attached as its leads, but that flick is only the first in three films Miller has already written. In an interview with the Financial Times, Miller admitted that the trilogy was a natural progression of the writing process.

"We started with ['Fury Road'], but we then started to do a second story and a third. We?ve written the script for the second and almost finished the third. We never intended to, they were part of the exploration of the characters," he said.

Of course, first "Fury Road" actually has to be made. The flick has been notoriously delayed, first last summer, again in March and then again recently because of unexpected weather conditions in Australia. So, presumably, as long as "Fury Road" finally goes in front of the camera and makes a profit, we might get to see Miller's entire new vision.

In addition to the film, Miller also said that a "Mad Max" videogame is in the works. Apparently Miller and Warner Bros are teaming up to have a studio in Sweden develop the game.

"With the government?s support we can immediately go forward with two games,? Miller's partner Doug Mitchell said in the interview. "Warner Bros is standing by, willing to do 'Fury Road;' the incentive would bring it back here in a New York minute. It's not immediately obvious but the potential in the video games sector is massive."

Can you get behind a new "Mad Max" trilogy and video game(s)? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags george miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

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'Prometheus' Trailer Leak 'Heartbreakingly Unfair'

Tom Rothman, CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, does not like leaks. He especially doesn't like leaks when they come from one of Fox's most anticipated and fiercely guarded films, Ridley Scott's "Prometheus."

A bootlegged, shaky and watermarked version of the first trailer for "Prometheus" showed up online Sunday, and even though the unauthorized debut didn't last long before 20th Century Fox had the video pulled, an untold number of eager fans caught it and spilled on the details.

On the red carpet of the Gotham Independent Film Awards, Rothman spoke with MTV News' Josh Horowitz about his disappointment with the leaked trailer. "I heard some of it leaked, which wasn't so good," he said.

For such a drawn-out buildup, the release of the bootleg trailer marked a point of anticlimax. To Rothman, the leak was nothing short of a severe injustice. "That's not fair. It's heartbreakingly unfair, because ... the quality of the visuals is as spectacularly beautiful, shot in 3-D compositionally the way only a master could do it," Rothman said. "For some early, early, early, early half-baked, half-assed test to leak, it's so unfair."

The Fox exec did, however, guarantee that the film will make a splash once it sees a proper release. "I will promise you this: When that material is ready and it comes out, you should go see it in 3-D on a screen. It will deliver."

Even though the secrets of the trailer are out, that still leaves many questions to be answered, namely where "Prometheus" fits in the "Alien" universe. While certainly connected, claims that "Prometheus" acts as a prequel have been shot down by almost everyone involved with the project.

Rothman made the same denial, even going so far as to place his hand over his heart. When pressed to explain how "Prometheus" could share continuity with "Alien" and take place before the events of that film but still not qualify as a prequel, Rothman offered up his explanation.

"I suppose if you want to definitionally be that literal, but it does it a great disservice. I will tell you, here's the way to think about it. If you looked at the whole movie, 95 percent of it is entirely unto itself," Rothman said. "Ridley said it right: If you're a fan and you look closely, you'll spot strands of DNA."

For him, "Prometheus" ends up being about so much more than continuity. "I'll tell you the great thing: It's way bigger than that. The ideas are way bigger, way more original and ? it's a scary word ? way more profound."

Check out everything we've got on "Prometheus."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more ? updated around the clock ? visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Taylor Swift To Premiere 'Ours' Video Friday

Taylor Swift is giving her fans a little treat for the holidays: a brand-new music video. The singer will drop the clip for her Speak Now ballad "Ours" on E! on Friday evening.

In a photo tease from the video, Swift sits on a bed in just a white, oversized cardigan, her hair swept up, looking off into the distance. Swift performed the song at the CMA Awards earlier this month. For the performance, she kept it equally simple, sitting on a big, comfy couch, strumming her guitar.

The track, featured on a bonus edition of her chart-topping 2010 album, is a country-tinged ditty about falling for someone everyone thinks you shouldn't. On it, she sings, " 'Cause I love the gap between your teeth/ And I love the riddles that you speak/ And any snide remarks from my father about your tattoos will be ignored/ 'Cause my heart is yours."

The timing of the video release comes just as Swift is knee-deep in writing her next album. "I've just been so excited about what's gonna happen in the next year," she said. "I'm also really excited about [the next album]. I've been writing all the time. I've been writing so much for the new record. I can't believe I'm saying that already: It comes out in a year, but I'm already excited about it."

As the year wraps up, Swift's schedule remains busy until the holidays. She was on hand Tuesday night for a taping of CMT Artists of the Year in Nashville. It airs December 13 and will also feature Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum and Brad Paisley.

But perhaps what has Swift the most pumped is the holiday season. "I'm excited about the holidays," she said. "I love Christmas. I love the whole buildup to Christmas and the way that everything is exciting and wintergreen-ish and Christmas tree-ish."

What are you expecting from the "Ours" video? Let us know in the comments!

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Grammy Nominations Concert Will Get 'The Message'

LOS ANGELES ? The fourth annual Grammy nominations concert Wednesday night (November 30) will include a special performance nearly three decades in the making. Rappers LL Cool J, Common and Lupe Fiasco will join Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five members Melle Mel and Scorpio for the group's classic "The Message" during "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! Countdown to Music's Biggest Night."

The generations-spanning ensemble hit rehearsals hard Tuesday afternoon at the Nokia Theatre, using every minute available to practice. That meant squeezing in extra rehearsal time in a lower-level lobby before they even jumped onstage. While Rick Ross had previously been announced as a performer, he was not present at Tuesday's rehearsals. Ross' absence was hardly felt however, as the cast of all-stars had plenty of energy to fill the massive theatre.

"Rehearsals [are] a lot fun," said LL Cool J, who's pulling double duty, also acting as the show's host.

"Been rehearsing with Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Scorpio, Common and Lupe Fiasco working on this 'Message' thing, and it's an honor."

Lupe Fiasco seemed to have no qualms with doing another tribute performance (you know, after that VH1 Hip Hop Honors situation a few years ago), which can most likely be attributed to the confidence-boosting of the group's maestro, Grandmaster Flash.

"You'll see, my position is to make sure that everything's moving, everything's flowing," Flash said. "Make sure rappers are entertaining all sides of the room ? center, left, right. Everybody got their lines: We have new rappers that are doing the lyrics to the song, to make sure that they're quite comfortable with it. I had a deep conversation with Common, and I had a deep conversation with Lupe, like, 'Are you guys comfortable? Do you really, really feel comfortable?' It's the way that I used to do it when it was Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five as a group."

Lupe Fiasco joked, "Grandmaster Flash is like a drill sergeant. He's like, 'Let's do it again, do it again, let's do it again, do it again.' He's like, 'You got it? No? Let's do it again. Hold up ? let's do it again, let's do it again.' So, that was cool." For LL, who remembers first hearing "The Message" on a boombox in his neighborhood as a youngster, taking part in the performance is like reliving his childhood. "I liken it to a kid who's in a rock band in the garage and now he's onstage with [Mick] Jagger," he said. "That's what this is like for hip-hop."

While LL and his counterparts were ecstatic to be part of this special performance, Melle Mel and Scorpio, founding members of the Furious Five, were equally excited to be sharing the stage with their successors.

"They took a song that even ultimately wasn't their song, but they're so passionate about it," Scorpio said. "They wanted to keep practicing and practicing, and just to see that blew my mind because that's our natural format ? Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five ? practice, practice, practice. But for them to keep doing it to wanna get it right, it's an honor."

Catch the special performance ? along with Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Usher, Ludacris, Sugarland and more ? at 10 p.m. ET/PT Wednesday night (November 30) on CBS.

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Big Time Rush Preparing For 'Crazy' U.S. Tour

Big Time Rush already have some big plans heading into the New Year. Starting in February, the boys from the hit Nickelodeon TV show will hit the road for their Better With You Tour. The 16-stop trek will be the band's first U.S. headlining tour, and they'll be promoting their recently released second album, Elevate.

"It's going to be crazy," Carlos Pena told MTV News of the upcoming tour. "The summer tour was just a little taste of what it is. We're doing, like, four weeks of basically a tour boot camp in January and it's going to be nuts."

The boys of Big Time Rush will be going through a rigorous training to get in shape for what's sure to be a high-energy show.

"You have to condition yourself," Kendall Schmidt said. "Because being onstage for over an hour, especially the kind of show that we have, we have so much energy onstage that it's literally an hour-and-a-half workout."

Training isn't the only thing they have on their mind ? the group plans to be heavily involved in every aspect of planning the tour.

"We need to relearn a whole new album," James Maslow said. "So we literally have to prepare, create, design everything from what we're gonna do with lighting and sound effects and then physically onstage, dance moves. So we've got a lot of work ahead of us for this tour, but we're excited."

Big Time Rush will be bringing another boy band along for the ride: British group One Direction will be hitting the road for a few of their show dates. However, they still have an open slot for the first leg of their tour, and they seem to have the perfect idea of who should fill it.

"It would be cool to have Jordin Sparks," Pena said. "We did a whole episode with her, and just hanging out with her that week was awesome, so it would be cool to have her on tour with us."

Are you going to see Big Time Rush on tour? Let us know in the comments!

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Lady Gaga Wants To 'Take Helm,' Laurieann Gibson Says

It was the breakup heard around the world. No, we're not talking about Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. When news broke that Lady Gaga and her creative director, Laurieann Gibson, had split, everyone immediately wondered what had happened between Gaga and her right-hand woman.

Gibson has remained relatively quiet about the split, but in a new statement to The Hollywood Reporter, she opens up a bit more about the breakup, clarifying that she was not fired from the Haus but left on her own. She added that Gaga wanted to take the reins when it came to her career.

"I am fulfilled with the work I have done with choreographing all of the iconic moves, creative directing the artist, appearances, shows, directing the tour, music videos, and the HBO Monster Ball [special], which was a culmination of my work as its creator and director," Gibson said about the five years she spent working with Gaga. "Recently, Lady Gaga was motivated to take the helm of the creative direction of her career and as such I decided to step away."

Gibson, who currently serves as the in-house creative director at Interscope Records (where Gaga is signed) and has starred in two of her own reality shows (the BET dance-competition show "Born to Dance" and another dance reality series, E!'s "The Dance Scene"), is now focused on expanding her brand with other artists and in new ways.

"I am extremely proud of her, and in stepping away I wish her all the best," she said of the pop star. "I look forward to continuing my work with notable artists, as well as new artists that are part of my Interscope Records deal, and the upcoming seasons of my TV shows."

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'Mission: Impossible' Clips: Jeremy Renner Conquers His Fears

Tom Cruise is on the run, and we've got a brand new look courtesy of two just released clips from the upcoming fourth movie in the "Mission: Impossible" series, "Ghost Protocol."

This time around Jeremy Renner plays Brandt, a team member who may be more than he lets on. In the two clips here, Brandt goes over mission logistics with Benji Dunn, as played by Simon Pegg. It is Brandt's job to infiltrate a computer, but the problem is there is some heat and a bit of a drop, 25 feet, and Brandt's not happy to hear about it.

In the second clip, we fast forward to the mission itself and the moment of truth. Watch as Brandt has to make the decision to jump and leave his fate in the hands of Benji.

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" hits theaters on December 21 and IMAX screens early on December 16.

What did you think of the clips? Are you excited to see "Mission: Impossible"? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

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Comedian Patrice O'Neal Dies At 41

Patrice O'Neal has died at age 41.

The news of his death was was confirmed by his co-star on "The Opie & Anthony Show." The comedian and radio personality suffered a stroke back in October.

O'Neal was best known for his work as a stand-up comedian but also appeared in several films like "25th Hour," "Scary Movie 4" and "Furry Vengeance." In addition to being a regular guest on Opie and Anthony's show, he also made multiple appearances on "Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn," "Chappelle's Show" and "The Office."

Click for photos from the life and career of Patrice O'Neal.

Just this past September, he was one of the many comedians who poked fun at Charlie Sheen during his "Comedy Central Roast." He also hosted VH1's "Web Junk 2.0" back in 2006. Earlier this year, his Comedy Central special "Elephant in the Room" premiered on the network.

For those who knew him best, it was his bigger-than-life personality that will be missed most. "Yes it's true that our pal Patrice O'Neal has passed away," Opie, a.k.a. Gregg Hughes, tweeted. "The funniest and best thinker i've ever known PERIOD. #devastated." He then tweeted out a link to a video of the late comedian laughing on the radio show, simply adding, "Patrice O'Neal Greatest Laugh EVER."

Born in Boston on December 7, 1969, O'Neal got his start on the stage and in the early '90s and moved to Los Angeles to shoot for the big leagues. Eventually, his stand-up career resulted in smaller roles in films, as well as the HBO comedy special "One Night Stand." He had been living in the New York area at the time of his death.

The New York Daily News reports that O'Neal died Monday night. Shortly after his October stroke, his friend and fellow comedian Jim Norton opened up about his condition on the radio. "We don't know how he is. We don't know how he's going to be," Norton said. "I didn't want to do this by myself. I wish we had more news for you."

Share your condolences for O'Neal's family and friends in the comments below.

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Lil Boosie Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison

Lil Boosie has been incarcerated since June 2010, awaiting trial for a murder charge. On Tuesday (November 29), the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native (born Torrence Hatch) pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiring to smuggle drugs into prison and was sentenced to eight years behind bars.

Local TV station WFAB reports that District Judge Mike Erwin passed down the sentence after Boosie admitted that he tried to smuggle drugs into Louisiana's Dixon Correctional Center and Angola State Penitentiary. Upon hearing his sentence, the 29-year-old rapper requested admittance to a drug rehab program, and while the judge agreed to recommend treatment, he wouldn't order it. Boosie will receive credit for the time he has already served behind bars.

Last June, Boosie pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to introduce contraband into a penal institution, three counts of possession with intent to distribute narcotics and three counts of conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute narcotics.

The first-degree murder charge stemmed from the October 2009 death of Terry Boyd. Boosie is accused of paying hit men to kill the 35-year-old man and, if convicted, he may face the death penalty. During Boosie's stint behind bars, the East Baton Rouge DA's office also began to build another case against Boosie, trying to link him to five additional murders.

During a prison interview in May, the Trill Entertainment rapper told XXL magazine he was being unfairly targeted by the justice system. "[I'm here] 'cause of the songs I made, before I was indicted, about the police in Baton Rouge and what's going on here," he said. "There's a lot with our record label that the system don't like. ... They took my hard drive out of my house after I got arrested. I have albums for days in there. They still haven't returned it. They've had it for damn near a year now. I need that music."

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Jennifer Lopez Planning Greatest-Hits Album

Jennifer Lopez certainly has had some big hits. Since releasing her debut album, On the 6, in 1999, J.Lo has commanded pop radio with tracks like "If You Had My Love," "I'm Real," "Love Don't Cost a Thing" and "Jenny From the Block."

And she hasn't stopped. This year, she released Love?, featuring club bangers like "On the Floor." Now, J.Lo plans to give her fans a proper greatest-hits album.

"I just got the call a week ago that the greatest-hits album for Jennifer Lopez is coming up," vocal producer Kuk Harrell told MTV News. "Now I'm just waiting for them to put on the schedule [and] let me know what songs we're actually cutting and stuff like that."

While he didn't have too many details about what fans should expect on the album, Harrell did share who else Jenny is hitting the studio with. "I think [when] I find out what the direction is, I will definitely go in the lab. I will get in the lab with Tricky Stewart and The-Dream and see what we can come up with for it."

Harrell has certainly been busy this year. He worked with Rihanna on her Talk That Talk album, Justin Bieber on Under the Mistletoe (and will work with him again on his next album) and now has plans to hook up with Lopez. He's grateful for all the opportunities he's been given.

"I'm so fortunate to be able to work with Rihanna and Justin Bieber ... and Jennifer Lopez for that matter, so anytime a call comes in to work with the three of them, it's always 'yes,' because it's just assumed [it'll be good]," he said. "They're superstars, so how are you going to turn them down? Unless we have a scheduling conflict, but it's always a 'yes.' It's always an immediate 'we're gonna kill it.' That's when my competitive edge comes out. It has to be the best. It has to be better than anything we've ever done."

What tracks do you hope to see on J.Lo's greatest-hits album? Let us know in the comments!

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'John Carter' Poster: Lost In Our World

The latest poster for Disney's "John Carter" won't give you a clear look at Mars or the creatures that live on the planet. That being said, it's definitely the coolest promotional material I've seen thus far for the upcoming sci-fi flick.

Anyone who knows the basic premise of "John Carter" knows that its titular hero, played by Taylor Kitsch, is a stranger in the strange land of Mars. This poster really underlines that by having him tinted in blue, while the rest of Mars and its residents are deep oranges and reds. It's simple, but it works.

The new poster comes hot on the heels of a brand new image from the film that does give fans a good look at Mars. And, even better, a new trailer will sandwich this week of "John Carter" sneak peeks when it premieres tomorrow on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Based on the classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, "John Carter" tells the story of former military captain John Carter who inexplicably gets transported to Mars and becomes unwillingly involved in the war between the planet's people. He soon discovers that the survival of Barsoom (Mars) and its people rests solely in his hands.

"It's such a grand movie, and John is in every shot of this film, so of course it's a big gap," Kitsch said in a recent interview with MTV News. "You go on film, and you read for him a couple times and then you get to the screen test and you're starting to battle through this."

Are you looking forward to "John Carter"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags john carter, Taylor Kitsch

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Lady Gaga, Britney, Taylor Swift, Beyonce Drop Concert DVDs

Music fans planning to burn off those post-Thanksgiving calories with some holiday shopping are in luck: Some of pop's biggest divas dropped live DVDs on Monday (November 21): Beyonc�, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Britney Spears all have concert specials out, just in time for your Black Friday wish list. Here, MTV News breaks down the four releases (and one more to watch out for).

Taylor Swift
Just as Taylor wraps up her Speak Now Tour this week, the American Music Award winner is releasing "Speak Now World Tour - Live." The 18-song DVD features Swift performing some of her biggest tracks during that arena-filling trek. And if that's not enough Taylor, there's also a 16-song CD that fans can snatch up.

Beyonc�
Filmed over four shows in New York, weeks before B announced her pregnancy at the VMAs, the "Live at Roseland" DVD special shows the Queen B recounting some of the greatest moments of her career before launching into a nonstop live performance of her 4 album. It also includes behind-the-scenes footage that gives fans their first look at the wedding dress Beyonc� wore the day she married Jay-Z.

Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is giving her little monsters a front row seat to her epic Monster Ball Tour. Filmed during stops at Madison Square Garden earlier this year, the concert originally aired on HBO and earned the pop star an Emmy. The DVD also includes previously unseen material that didn't make the final cut on HBO. In addition, Gaga is releasing a new album, Born This Way - The Remix, today.

Britney Spears
After debuting her Femme Fatale live concert special on Epix earlier this month, Spears is releasing the spectacle on DVD this week for those who may have missed it. Full of costume changes, swirling dance numbers and a sexy lap dance, this special is perfect for the Brit enthusiast.

One to Pre-Order: Adele
A fifth diva will get into the game on Cyber Monday. On November 28, Adele drops her own concert special, "Live at the Royal Albert Hall." And given that it might be a while before the singer hits the road again (she's on the mend from throat surgery), the DVD will at least give fans a taste of Adele's live stage show.

Share your concert DVD shopping picks in the comments section!

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'Dark Knight Rises' Commissioner Gordon 'Very World-Weary'

This holiday season, fans looking forward to next year's release of "The Dark Knight Rises" should be thankful for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and all the press its star Gary Oldman is doing.

MTV News' Josh Horowitz caught up with Oldman, who stars in both of those films, on the red carpet for the Gotham Independent Film Awards and noticed something different about his face. The iconic Commissioner Gordon mustache was missing. After wrapping the film recently, Oldman lost the mustache in favor of a cleaner look.

"The Gordon mustache is retired," Oldman confirmed. "They gave me a shadow box, and it has my badge, my glasses and the mustache. He is retired."

Empire magazine's recent on-set feature dropped the detail that "The Dark Knight Rises" will take place seven years after the end of its predecessor "The Dark Knight." This obviously leaves a lot of time out of the story and a lot of changes for the characters, including Gordon. Oldman said that his character has a return to an earlier form for the trilogy's finale.

"He's a little reminiscent of the Gordon you see in 'Batman Begins.' They've tidied up the city, but there's still work to be done. He's very world-weary," Oldman said.

One of the more mysterious cast additions, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as beat cop John Blake, meant an extra man in Gordon's Gotham PD. Oldman described his time working with Gordon-Levitt as a little distracting, but in a good way. "Someone that talented, I do these scenes with him and you can't put a pin through an insincere moment," he said. "It's wonderful. You come out of character sometimes because ... you're in the scene and you find your head going, 'Wow. He's pretty good.' "

Check out everything we've got on "The Dark Knight Rises."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies ? updated around the clock ? visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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Patrice O'Neal Dead At 41: Actors, Comedians React On Twitter

The comedy world lost another giant today as Patrice O'Neal has died at age 41. Support for the popular stand-up comedian and frequent "Opie & Anthony Show" contributor has been overwhelming already, with fellow comedians, actors, writers and other celebrities taking to Twitter to share their memories of O'Neal and their condolences for his loss.

See what everyone from Donald Glover to Sarah Silverman had to say about Patrice's passing in today's special edition of Twitter-Wood.

@JimGaffigan RIP Patrice O?Neil. Undeniably brilliant.
-Jim Gaffigan ("Super Troopers")

@BrianLynch RIP Patrice O'Neal. Hilarious human being.
-Brian Lynch ("Hop")

@SarahKSilverman RIP Patrice O'Neal. You made us laugh til we cried.
-Sarah Silverman ("The Muppets")

@DonaldGlover f--k.....one of the funniest and smartest comedians ever. Rest in Peace Patrice O'Neal.
-Donald Glover ("Community")

@michaelianblack Ah, s--t. I didn't know him but I admired him. RIP Patrice O'Neil.
-Michael Ian Black ("Wet Hot American Summer")

@PattonOswalt Yes, I'm serious. And very, very sad. #RIPPatrice
-Patton Oswalt ("Young Adult")

@thebrianposehn F--k, I am so sad. Just woke up to the news. We lost another great comic and a sweet guy, Patrice ONeal. My thoughts are with his family.
-Brian Posehn ("The Five Year Engagement")

@ThatKevinSmith I shared some air & some air time with the man on O&A & he was always funny & thoughtful. Patrice - He WILL be missed: http://t.co/6k7yZ2Rl
-Kevin Smith ("Red State")

@sethmeyers21 RIP Patrice O'Neal. A day spent watching clips of him on-line is a day well spent.
-Seth Meyers ("Saturday Night Live")

@bobsaget Patrice O'Neal. So damn funny and so smart and such a giant heart.
-Bob Saget ("Entourage")

@denisleary Patrice O'Neal. One of the funniest men who ever walked this earth. RIP.
-Denis Leary ("Amazing Spider-Man")

Leave your memories of Patrice O'Neal in the comments section and on Twitter.

Tags Patrice O'Neal

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Diablo Cody Says 'Evil Dead' Remake Is 'Grounded In Reality And Timeless'

An "Evil Dead" remake is on the way, and you have screenwriter Diablo Cody to thank -- partially, at least.

MTV News caught up with Cody while she was promoting her new movie "Young Adult" and couldn't resist asking about her revisions on the latest drafts of Fede Alvarez's "Evil Dead" script, and she admitted that she didn't know how many details she could spill about the highly anticipated remake. She was willing to share how she contributed to the project, though.

"It was really important again to the filmmakers that it remain totally grounded in reality and timeless. They weren't trying to make some hip trendy horror movie full of pop culture references. I really hope people don't think that that's what I was hired to do," Cody said. "I came in and worked on characters and relationships, things like that."

That being said, Cody said the film will have plenty of references to the original movie. She kept the 1981 flick in mind when writing her changes to the script, and said it's important to everyone involved to keep the spirit of the first movie alive in this one. The biggest part of that is making sure its creative team are still on board, which they are.

"I will say that Sam Raimi, of course, and Bruce Campbell are both involved as producers and that I wouldn't have worked on it otherwise. Had to have the original geniuses," she said.

Are you looking forward to the "Evil Dead" remake? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags bruce campbell, diablo cody, evil dead, sam raimi

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Justin Bieber Tops Kim Kardashian As Bing's Most-Searched Person

Having already bested Lady Gaga in the race to 2 billion YouTube views, Justin Bieber can now lay claim to another e-title: He's just been named the year's most-searched person on Internet search engine Bing, edging out his old pal Kim Kardashian for the title.

Yes, Bieber sits atop Bing's annual list of the most-searched people of 2011, making the leap from #6 on last year's list and knocking Kardashian down from the top spot, which she held last year. Jennifer Aniston came in at #3 on the list (up from #9 in 2010), and a whole host of other females ? including Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus ? round out the top 10.

Bieber was the only male to make Bing's most-searched people list, which last year featured Jesse James, Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods and Barack Obama (who plummeted from #5 to #49 in 2011 ... always a good sign in the lead-up to an election) in the top 10. Also dropping out of the top 10 were actress Sandra Bullock and reality TV mother-of-the-year Kate Gosselin.

Not surprisingly, Bieber also tops Bing's list of most-searched musicians ... and not surprisingly, he's also the only male to make the top 10. JB bested Katy Perry to take the top spot, followed by Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. Bieber's girlfriend Selena Gomez made the list at #6, just ahead of Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Beyonc� and Taylor Swift.

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Lady Gaga Wants To 'Take Helm,' Laurieann Gibson Says

It was the breakup heard around the world. No, we're not talking about Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. When news broke that Lady Gaga and her creative director, Laurieann Gibson, had split, everyone immediately wondered what had happened between Gaga and her right-hand woman.

Gibson has remained relatively quiet about the split, but in a new statement to The Hollywood Reporter, she opens up a bit more about the breakup, clarifying that she was not fired from the Haus but left on her own. She added that Gaga wanted to take the reins when it came to her career.

"I am fulfilled with the work I have done with choreographing all of the iconic moves, creative directing the artist, appearances, shows, directing the tour, music videos, and the HBO Monster Ball [special], which was a culmination of my work as its creator and director," Gibson said about the five years she spent working with Gaga. "Recently, Lady Gaga was motivated to take the helm of the creative direction of her career and as such I decided to step away."

Gibson, who currently serves as the in-house creative director at Interscope Records (where Gaga is signed) and has starred in two of her own reality shows (the BET dance-competition show "Born to Dance" and another dance reality series, E!'s "The Dance Scene"), is now focused on expanding her brand with other artists and in new ways.

"I am extremely proud of her, and in stepping away I wish her all the best," she said of the pop star. "I look forward to continuing my work with notable artists, as well as new artists that are part of my Interscope Records deal, and the upcoming seasons of my TV shows."

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Lady Gaga, Britney, Taylor Swift, Beyonce Drop Concert DVDs

Music fans planning to burn off those post-Thanksgiving calories with some holiday shopping are in luck: Some of pop's biggest divas dropped live DVDs on Monday (November 21): Beyonc�, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Britney Spears all have concert specials out, just in time for your Black Friday wish list. Here, MTV News breaks down the four releases (and one more to watch out for).

Taylor Swift
Just as Taylor wraps up her Speak Now Tour this week, the American Music Award winner is releasing "Speak Now World Tour - Live." The 18-song DVD features Swift performing some of her biggest tracks during that arena-filling trek. And if that's not enough Taylor, there's also a 16-song CD that fans can snatch up.

Beyonc�
Filmed over four shows in New York, weeks before B announced her pregnancy at the VMAs, the "Live at Roseland" DVD special shows the Queen B recounting some of the greatest moments of her career before launching into a nonstop live performance of her 4 album. It also includes behind-the-scenes footage that gives fans their first look at the wedding dress Beyonc� wore the day she married Jay-Z.

Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is giving her little monsters a front row seat to her epic Monster Ball Tour. Filmed during stops at Madison Square Garden earlier this year, the concert originally aired on HBO and earned the pop star an Emmy. The DVD also includes previously unseen material that didn't make the final cut on HBO. In addition, Gaga is releasing a new album, Born This Way - The Remix, today.

Britney Spears
After debuting her Femme Fatale live concert special on Epix earlier this month, Spears is releasing the spectacle on DVD this week for those who may have missed it. Full of costume changes, swirling dance numbers and a sexy lap dance, this special is perfect for the Brit enthusiast.

One to Pre-Order: Adele
A fifth diva will get into the game on Cyber Monday. On November 28, Adele drops her own concert special, "Live at the Royal Albert Hall." And given that it might be a while before the singer hits the road again (she's on the mend from throat surgery), the DVD will at least give fans a taste of Adele's live stage show.

Share your concert DVD shopping picks in the comments section!

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'Mission: Impossible' Clips: Jeremy Renner Conquers His Fears

Tom Cruise is on the run, and we've got a brand new look courtesy of two just released clips from the upcoming fourth movie in the "Mission: Impossible" series, "Ghost Protocol."

This time around Jeremy Renner plays Brandt, a team member who may be more than he lets on. In the two clips here, Brandt goes over mission logistics with Benji Dunn, as played by Simon Pegg. It is Brandt's job to infiltrate a computer, but the problem is there is some heat and a bit of a drop, 25 feet, and Brandt's not happy to hear about it.

In the second clip, we fast forward to the mission itself and the moment of truth. Watch as Brandt has to make the decision to jump and leave his fate in the hands of Benji.

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" hits theaters on December 21 and IMAX screens early on December 16.

What did you think of the clips? Are you excited to see "Mission: Impossible"? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags exclusive clip, Jeremy Renner, mission impossible ghost protocol, simon pegg

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Lady Gaga Wants To 'Take Helm,' Laurieann Gibson Says

It was the breakup heard around the world. No, we're not talking about Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. When news broke that Lady Gaga and her creative director, Laurieann Gibson, had split, everyone immediately wondered what had happened between Gaga and her right-hand woman.

Gibson has remained relatively quiet about the split, but in a new statement to The Hollywood Reporter, she opens up a bit more about the breakup, clarifying that she was not fired from the Haus but left on her own. She added that Gaga wanted to take the reins when it came to her career.

"I am fulfilled with the work I have done with choreographing all of the iconic moves, creative directing the artist, appearances, shows, directing the tour, music videos, and the HBO Monster Ball [special], which was a culmination of my work as its creator and director," Gibson said about the five years she spent working with Gaga. "Recently, Lady Gaga was motivated to take the helm of the creative direction of her career and as such I decided to step away."

Gibson, who currently serves as the in-house creative director at Interscope Records (where Gaga is signed) and has starred in two of her own reality shows (the BET dance-competition show "Born to Dance" and another dance reality series, E!'s "The Dance Scene"), is now focused on expanding her brand with other artists and in new ways.

"I am extremely proud of her, and in stepping away I wish her all the best," she said of the pop star. "I look forward to continuing my work with notable artists, as well as new artists that are part of my Interscope Records deal, and the upcoming seasons of my TV shows."

Jennifer Gimenez Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Morrison Jennifer ODell Jennifer Scholle Jennifer Sky Jenny McCarthy

Busta Rhymes Recalls LONS' 'Yo! MTV Raps' Breakup

"Yo! MTV Raps" meant so much to so many people. More than just a weekly video show, "Yo!" brought fans into the then-undocumented worlds of their favorite rap stars.

" 'Yo! MTV Raps,' just in a nutshell, gave everybody an opportunity to look at artists as real people," Busta Rhymes told MTV News of the groundbreaking series, which will make a return on Sunday on MTV2 at 12 a.m. ET. "You saw us when we were upset, you saw us when we were happy, you saw us when we were beefin', you saw us when we were celebrating some sh--."

For Busta, who started his career as a member of the 1990s Long Island, New York, rap quartet Leaders of the New School, "Yo! MTV Raps" documented one of the most pivotal moments in his career. "Leaders of the New School broke up on 'Yo! MTV Raps,' with Fab Five Freddy hosting it," Busta recalled. "I'll never forget that day."

It was 1993 and LONS had just released their second album, T.I.M.E. (The Inner Mind's Eye), which was anchored by their #1 Billboard Hot Rap Single "What's Next." Still, despite their growth as a group, Busta Rhymes and member Charlie Brown began collaborating with other acts as soloists. Bus had already delivered a scene-stealing verse on A Tribe Called Quest's 1991 "Scenario" and appeared on Heavy D's "A Bunch of N---as" with a then-unknown Notorious B.I.G. Brown had opened up doors for himself as well, also appearing on "Scenario" and Funkmaster Flex's "Nuttin' but Flavor" with Ol' Dirty Bastard and Biz Markie.

"Me and C. Brown, we ain't really dig each other for a long time," Busta said, citing a silent competition between him and his former bandmate.

During the 1993 episode of "Yo!" all the members introduced themselves for the camera, shouting out Leaders in the same breath ? all except Brown. "Just lounging, getting to know myself and what my capabilities are and what I'm gonna do in life," he said.

"The cameras is rolling and we're looking at each other like, what the f--- this n---a talkin' about," Busta recalled. "We're steppin' to Brown beefin' like, 'What is this?' [And he's like,] 'I don't wanna be in the group no more.' "

Busta Rhymes went on to release his solo debut The Coming in 1996 and has enjoyed one of the most storied careers in hip-hop. On November 17, the Dungeon Dragon announced his latest deal with Cash Money Records and Google Music, but despite all of his highlights, the LONS split ultimately made Busta who he is today.

"That was just a big moment. That was a defining moment for me," he said.

Watch "MTV2 Presents: Yo! MTV Raps: Classic Cuts" on December 4 at 12 a.m. ET, immediately after the "2011 Sucker Free Awards."

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Birdman Boasts Of YMCMB 'Family Atmosphere' In 'Y.U. Mad' Video

Birdman has every reason to smile, and in his latest video, for "Y.U. Mad," the #1 Stunna puts his diamond-encrusted grill on full display. Not only is his YMCMB record label the biggest rap label of the year thanks to high-profile releases from Lil Wayne and Drake, but the camaraderie displayed in his new clip, which premiered on MTV2 on Sunday, is very real ? both on and off camera.

"We like this with each other on an everyday basis. It's just fortunate that it's a video and they get to see it in that way," Birdman told MTV News from his trailer on set of the "Y.U. Mad" video shoot in Miami back in October. "It's a family atmosphere, and we talk a lot and we work a lot, and when it comes down to the music, we do it together, we're unified. It's what Lil Wayne and Birdman and Young Money, Cash Money all about ? working as a team."

The proof is in the Gil Green-directed video off Birdman's upcoming solo LP Bigga Than Life. Nicki Minaj sets things off, in character as "The Female Weezy." Dressed in a white wifebeater, camouflage pants, skater sneakers and a blond dreadlocked wig, Nicki embodies Lil Wayne's persona as she prances on the screen rapping her verse.

It wouldn't be a Birdman video if the #1 Stunna didn't flaunt his wealth. In one scene, Baby rides around M-I-A in a white convertible Mercedes Maybach, in another he sits with YMCMB execs Mack Maine and Cortez Bryant at a long dining table littered with vodka bottles and exuberant amounts of cash.

Still, it's the ear-to-ear grins that make "Y.U. Mad" stand out from previous Birdman videos like "Fire Flame" and "Always Strapped." Wayne may have had the most fun on set, rocking a high-top, red fur hat, colorful shorts and a backpack containing his skateboard.

The song was originally something that Nicki was working on but then gave to Birdman in order to keep it in the family. From the first listen, the Cash Money CEO was in love with what is now his latest single. "I liked it from the start," he said. "Working with Nicki is just special anyway. It was something she gave me and I felt good about it so we rocked with it." And apparently they had a blast doing it.

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Lady Gaga Reveals Elton John Duet For Next Album

Lady Gaga is wasting no time in working on her follow-up to Born This Way. Half a year after she dropped the chart-topping album, she is already crafting the sound for the next one. Over the weekend, Lady Gaga appeared on British talk-show host Alan Carr's "Chatty Man" and teased what fans should expect for her follow-up to BTW.

"My next duet, I believe, will be with Elton," she said. "I'm already working on my next album, and I played him a song that I wrote and he really loved it. I don't want to give anything [else] away!"

Of course, Gaga and Elton have quite a backstory together. The two recorded the track "Hello Hello" for the "Gnomeo and Juliet" soundtrack, and Gaga is godmother to Elton's son, Zachary.

In addition to the chat, Gaga also cooked up some chicken Milanese and performed her latest single, "Marry the Night," in a bright pink dress and giant pink hair bow. Her performance was uncharacteristically simple, with Gaga simply sitting at a piano. Last week, she teased the video for the clip, which includes a nearly two-minute-long monologue about the nature of sanity and art.

In other Gaga news, there was recently a shake-up in Gaga's camp when creative director Laurieann Gibson departed. For anyone who hasn't been paying attention for the last couple years, Gaga explained just how important the people who work with her are.

"To explain really what it's all about, me and my friends travel the world together and what we do, we all lay around in bed and we write down every idea that we have," she said. "It's quite honestly the greatest dream of my life. We get to make art for the whole universe."

Anna Paquin AnnaLynne McCord Anne Marie Kortright April Scott Arielle Kebbel Ashanti Ashlee Simpson

'Mission: Impossible' Clips: Jeremy Renner Conquers His Fears

Tom Cruise is on the run, and we've got a brand new look courtesy of two just released clips from the upcoming fourth movie in the "Mission: Impossible" series, "Ghost Protocol."

This time around Jeremy Renner plays Brandt, a team member who may be more than he lets on. In the two clips here, Brandt goes over mission logistics with Benji Dunn, as played by Simon Pegg. It is Brandt's job to infiltrate a computer, but the problem is there is some heat and a bit of a drop, 25 feet, and Brandt's not happy to hear about it.

In the second clip, we fast forward to the mission itself and the moment of truth. Watch as Brandt has to make the decision to jump and leave his fate in the hands of Benji.

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" hits theaters on December 21 and IMAX screens early on December 16.

What did you think of the clips? Are you excited to see "Mission: Impossible"? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tags exclusive clip, Jeremy Renner, mission impossible ghost protocol, simon pegg

Ashley Tappin Ashley Tisdale Asia Argento Aubrey ODay Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne

B.o.B Drops E.P.I.C. Mixtape

Mixtape Daily: Main Pick
Mixtape: E.P.I.C. (Every Play is Crucial)

Headliner: B.o.B

Representing: Atlanta

Real Spit: B.o.B is out of this world. From his underground 2009 single "I'll Be in the Sky" to his Hayley Williams-assisted hit "Airplanes," Bobby Ray has always fancied himself a different type of rap artist, and on his next LP, things will get stranger.

His upcoming sophomore effort, Strange Clouds, aims to stretch the boundaries of music. "It's all about the fusion between the outer limits and the inner limits, from the sky to the ground; it's everything in between, above and below, so Strange Clouds, for me, it's my 'Twilight Zone,' " he told Mixtape Daily on the video set for his "Strange Clouds" single.

But before B.o.B embarks on that particular mission, he gave fans a taste of what they can expect from the new album Monday (November 28) when he dropped his newest mixtape, E.P.I.C. (Every Play is Crucial) on DatPiff. During the course of 15 tracks, Bob serves an array of tracks that showcase his multitude of musical abilities. He's spitting straight bars alongside Meek Mill and Playboy Tre on the title track, then experimenting with melody on "What Are We Doing."

The hard-as-nails "Boom Bap" is a hip-hop purist's dream: The drum-driven track unites the multiplatinum-selling T.I. with underground hero Mos Def, and together with Bobby Ray, they go in without need for a hook, MC'ing just for the sake of MC'ing. Things get even better on "Things Get Worse" with Eminem, as Slim Shady brings the ATLien into his world of hysterical celeb-bashing.

On "Welcome to the Jungle," B.o.B tackles the Throne's kinetic instrumental from their much-talked-about album. "Perfect Symetry" unites the "Nothin' on You" star with Atlanta's 2011 street king 2 Chainz ? and then, of course, there is Lil Wayne on "Strange Clouds."

What a preview.

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Lady Gaga Gets Crafty In Thanksgiving Special Preview

Gather 'round, Little Monsters! Lady Gaga is serving up something special during a preview for her very-first 90-minute holiday TV special, "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving," which will air at 9:30 p.m. ET Thursday on ABC.

"So excited for everyone to see the Thanksgiving Special I directed!" the pop star wrote on Twitter alongside a link to a preview. "Getting into the holiday spirit!"

In a three-minute teaser, Mother Monster gathers with a crowd of third-grade children from her former elementary school to make some festive crafts and share personal holiday-food traditions. "I want everyone to go around the room and say one thing that their family makes for Thanksgiving," she tells the swarm of girls. Gaga is met with a number of answers, including turkey, ham and pumpkin pie, and one girl's choice leads Gaga to reveal one of her favorite Thanksgiving foods: "I love cranberry sauce. My mom makes the best cranberry sauce ever!" she tells the student. It's just some simple chit-chat as they create Thanksgiving crafts and later help the pop superstar tie her apron.

In addition to the festive footage, Gaga also takes to an intimate stage to perform "Bad Romance" and, later on, to an outside balcony for her latest single, "Marry the Night." Dressed in a shoulder-less black dress with matching hand gloves, the songstress channels her inner Audrey Hepburn as she offers fans some dramatic poses during the number.

Can't get enough of Gaga's holiday tunes? The singer just released a four-track digital EP called A Very Gaga Holiday on iTunes, which includes "White Christmas," "Orange Colored Sky," "Yo� & I" and "The Edge of Glory."

Will you be watching "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving"? Let us know in the comments!

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Yelawolf Recruits YouTube Fan For Radioactive Debut

It's not every day an artist takes a fan and gives them a feature on an album, but with Radioactive, Yelawolf did just that, placing singer Mona Moua on his debut LP.

After Moua failed to get into a sold-out Minneapolis show, she went home and recorded "Ode to Yelawolf" and uploaded the original composition to YouTube.

"It was actually really good," Yela told MTV News about the song and video Moua uploaded back in April. "Her melody was good, she could play guitar. ... I was a bit blown away by how talented she was."

In the video, Moua strums the guitar while singing about her disappointment after not getting into the sold-out show. "No Trunk Muzik for me," she sang before integrating Yela song titles like "Mixing Up the Medicine" and "Pop the Trunk" into the rest of her sullen lyrics.

Little did Moua know that the heartfelt display would land her on 'Wolf's "Write Your Name" on Radioactive, which dropped last week. "We had a record called 'Write Your Name' about the unsung hero, and it just so happened that her tone, it just fit perfectly," he said, crediting the idea to Ghet-O-Vision head Kawan "KP" Prather. "KP had the idea to bring her out and put her on the hook and she killed it."

Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, "Write Your Name" mixes the drums from Rick Ross' "Aston Martin Music" with a new, melancholy piano melody. On the track, Yelawolf uses his small-town come-up from Gadsden, Alabama, to exemplify how much more untapped talent may be waiting in the wings. Moua sings the all-too-perfect hook, "I'll write your name across the sky and take away the stars, 'cause you light up the night/ You're as high as the moon, when you're here with me/ That's why I'm gonna write your name for the world to see."

Have you heard "Write Your Name" yet? Share your reviews in the comments!

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Black Eyed Peas Go On Hiatus After Star-Studded Miami Show

The Black Eyed Peas had a lot to be thankful for on Thursday, namely, a major break from nearly non-stop touring and recording. The multiplatinum group announced before their show on Wednesday night at Miami's Sun Life Stadium that they were going on indefinite hiatus to work on other projects.

"Tonight is our graduation. It's a very special night for all of us," singer Fergie announced at the gig. "We're so thankful to be sharing this night together." The band didn't go into the good night all alone, though, as they packed the show with appearances from a number of pals, including T-Pain, Sean Kingston, Cee Lo Green, Jason DeRulo and Queen Latifah.

The past 10 months have been action packed for the hip-pop act, as they played the Super Bowl halftime show? in February, recorded a video for Japanese tsunami relief in March and played the iHeartRadio Festival in July. They were slated to perform at the Michael Jackson Forever tribute concert? in Cardiff, Wales, last month, but scratched at the last minute due to "unavoidable circumstances."

They made it official with an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Wednesday morning, during which Will said that they "always have two cycles of records and then we take a break." He explained that the quartet has lasted this long because they often take breaks to work on solo projects and get their personal lives in order and then come back and "make beautiful music."

It's not like the Peas will be off the map entirely after three years of touring in support of The Beginning and The E.N.D. will.i.am just released a new single from his upcoming solo album, #willpower, featuring Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger, entitled "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)." Taboo plans to spend more time with his family and promote his book, "Falling Up," while apl.de.ap will reportedly focus on being an education ambassador in the Philippines and Fergie will do more solo recording and perhaps start a family.

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Black Eyed Peas Go On Hiatus After Star-Studded Miami Show

The Black Eyed Peas had a lot to be thankful for on Thursday, namely, a major break from nearly non-stop touring and recording. The multiplatinum group announced before their show on Wednesday night at Miami's Sun Life Stadium that they were going on indefinite hiatus to work on other projects.

"Tonight is our graduation. It's a very special night for all of us," singer Fergie announced at the gig. "We're so thankful to be sharing this night together." The band didn't go into the good night all alone, though, as they packed the show with appearances from a number of pals, including T-Pain, Sean Kingston, Cee Lo Green, Jason DeRulo and Queen Latifah.

The past 10 months have been action packed for the hip-pop act, as they played the Super Bowl halftime show? in February, recorded a video for Japanese tsunami relief in March and played the iHeartRadio Festival in July. They were slated to perform at the Michael Jackson Forever tribute concert? in Cardiff, Wales, last month, but scratched at the last minute due to "unavoidable circumstances."

They made it official with an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Wednesday morning, during which Will said that they "always have two cycles of records and then we take a break." He explained that the quartet has lasted this long because they often take breaks to work on solo projects and get their personal lives in order and then come back and "make beautiful music."

It's not like the Peas will be off the map entirely after three years of touring in support of The Beginning and The E.N.D. will.i.am just released a new single from his upcoming solo album, #willpower, featuring Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger, entitled "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)." Taboo plans to spend more time with his family and promote his book, "Falling Up," while apl.de.ap will reportedly focus on being an education ambassador in the Philippines and Fergie will do more solo recording and perhaps start a family.

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'Muppets' Screenwriter Nick Stoller Weighs In On Oscar Odds

Sure, we're really excited that Billy Crystal is now hosting the Oscars and blah blah blah but, let's face it, how cool would it have been if that "Muppets for Oscars" campaign had actually panned out?

In the few days between when Eddie Murphy exited as host and Crystal took over, there was a brief glimmer of hope that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would choose to have "The Muppets" host instead. The film is shaping up to be one of the highest-rated movies of the year, and has enough public press that the box office might soon reflect that, so (in our humble opinion) it could have been a perfect match-up. "The Muppets" screenwriter Nick Stoller agreed in a recent interview with MTV News.

"That was a really exciting three days," he said. "It would have been so good!"

To him, there was only one major flaw in the plan: arm strength. Puppeteers like Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson and Dave Goelz have handled Kermit, Fozzie and Miss Piggy, and Gonzo respectively for as far back as we can remember, so it's not like there would be a rotating cast of puppeteers working the show. Stoller said he just didn't think they would be able to handle pulling the strings for a three-to-four hour awards ceremony.

"I literally think it comes down to [arm strength]," Stoller said. "To have the arm strength to have those Muppets up for three, four hours, I don't know actually if it's possible unless you're taking some major steroids, which if you've seen some of the puppeteers, they're not."

That being said, Stoller still hopes the Muppets are involved in the ceremony in some way. And, in our opinion, that way could be winning an Oscar themselves. Stoller said he's in "the comedy ghetto" so he hasn't even started thinking about awards season, but if the film were to win one Oscar, he thinks it should be for Bret McKenzie's music.

"Bret McKenzie's should be nominated for 'Man or Muppet.' He should win for 'Man or Muppet.' All the songs are fantastic, but that song in particular is just amazing," Stoller said.

Would you like to see the Muppets be involved in the Oscar ceremony? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags Bret Mackenzie, Nick Stoller, Oscars, The Muppets

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'Muppets' Screenwriter Nick Stoller Weighs In On Oscar Odds

Sure, we're really excited that Billy Crystal is now hosting the Oscars and blah blah blah but, let's face it, how cool would it have been if that "Muppets for Oscars" campaign had actually panned out?

In the few days between when Eddie Murphy exited as host and Crystal took over, there was a brief glimmer of hope that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would choose to have "The Muppets" host instead. The film is shaping up to be one of the highest-rated movies of the year, and has enough public press that the box office might soon reflect that, so (in our humble opinion) it could have been a perfect match-up. "The Muppets" screenwriter Nick Stoller agreed in a recent interview with MTV News.

"That was a really exciting three days," he said. "It would have been so good!"

To him, there was only one major flaw in the plan: arm strength. Puppeteers like Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson and Dave Goelz have handled Kermit, Fozzie and Miss Piggy, and Gonzo respectively for as far back as we can remember, so it's not like there would be a rotating cast of puppeteers working the show. Stoller said he just didn't think they would be able to handle pulling the strings for a three-to-four hour awards ceremony.

"I literally think it comes down to [arm strength]," Stoller said. "To have the arm strength to have those Muppets up for three, four hours, I don't know actually if it's possible unless you're taking some major steroids, which if you've seen some of the puppeteers, they're not."

That being said, Stoller still hopes the Muppets are involved in the ceremony in some way. And, in our opinion, that way could be winning an Oscar themselves. Stoller said he's in "the comedy ghetto" so he hasn't even started thinking about awards season, but if the film were to win one Oscar, he thinks it should be for Bret McKenzie's music.

"Bret McKenzie's should be nominated for 'Man or Muppet.' He should win for 'Man or Muppet.' All the songs are fantastic, but that song in particular is just amazing," Stoller said.

Would you like to see the Muppets be involved in the Oscar ceremony? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags Bret Mackenzie, Nick Stoller, Oscars, The Muppets

Dania Ramirez Danica Patrick Daniella Alonso Danneel Harris Deanna Russo Denise Richards Desiree Dymond

'Muppets' Screenwriter Nick Stoller Weighs In On Oscar Odds

Sure, we're really excited that Billy Crystal is now hosting the Oscars and blah blah blah but, let's face it, how cool would it have been if that "Muppets for Oscars" campaign had actually panned out?

In the few days between when Eddie Murphy exited as host and Crystal took over, there was a brief glimmer of hope that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would choose to have "The Muppets" host instead. The film is shaping up to be one of the highest-rated movies of the year, and has enough public press that the box office might soon reflect that, so (in our humble opinion) it could have been a perfect match-up. "The Muppets" screenwriter Nick Stoller agreed in a recent interview with MTV News.

"That was a really exciting three days," he said. "It would have been so good!"

To him, there was only one major flaw in the plan: arm strength. Puppeteers like Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson and Dave Goelz have handled Kermit, Fozzie and Miss Piggy, and Gonzo respectively for as far back as we can remember, so it's not like there would be a rotating cast of puppeteers working the show. Stoller said he just didn't think they would be able to handle pulling the strings for a three-to-four hour awards ceremony.

"I literally think it comes down to [arm strength]," Stoller said. "To have the arm strength to have those Muppets up for three, four hours, I don't know actually if it's possible unless you're taking some major steroids, which if you've seen some of the puppeteers, they're not."

That being said, Stoller still hopes the Muppets are involved in the ceremony in some way. And, in our opinion, that way could be winning an Oscar themselves. Stoller said he's in "the comedy ghetto" so he hasn't even started thinking about awards season, but if the film were to win one Oscar, he thinks it should be for Bret McKenzie's music.

"Bret McKenzie's should be nominated for 'Man or Muppet.' He should win for 'Man or Muppet.' All the songs are fantastic, but that song in particular is just amazing," Stoller said.

Would you like to see the Muppets be involved in the Oscar ceremony? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Tags Bret Mackenzie, Nick Stoller, Oscars, The Muppets

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