Drake: "It's Cool to Hear Now, But I Know In 10 Years It Will Actually Mean Something"

Drake shares his reactions to his Grammy Award nominations, which he says may be a major first for the music industry.

And the Nominees Are: 2010 Grammy Awards

The 52nd annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, on CBS, starting at 8 p.m. With 10 nods, Beyoncé leads all the nominees. Taylor Swift trails with eight nominations, while Lady Gaga earned five.




RECORD OF THE YEAR
* Halo - Beyoncé
* I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
* Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon
* Poker Face - Lady Gaga
* You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift


ALBUM OF THE YEAR
* I Am... Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé
* The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas
* The Fame - Lady Gaga
* Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King - Dave Matthews Band
* Fearless - Taylor Swift




SONG OF THE YEAR
* Poker Face - Lady Gaga & RedOne, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
* Pretty Wings - Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)
* Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
* Use Somebody - Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
* You Belong With Me - Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)




BEST NEW ARTIST
* Zac Brown Band
* Keri Hilson
* MGMT
* Silversun Pickups
* The Ting Tings


BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
* Hometown Glory - Adele
* Halo - Beyoncé
* Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
* Sober - Pink
* You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift




BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
* This Time - John Legend
* Love You - Maxwell
* Make It Mine - Jason Mraz
* If You Don't Know Me By Now - Seal
* All About The Love Again - Stevie Wonder


BEST DANCE RECORDING
* Boom Boom Pow - The Black Eyed Peas
* When Love Takes Over - David Guetta & Kelly Rowland
* Poker Face - Lady Gaga
* Celebration - Madonna
* Womanizer - Britney Spears




BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
* Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyoncé
* It Kills Me - Melanie Fiona
* That Was Then - Lalah Hathaway
* Goin' Thru Changes - Ledisi
* Lions, Tigers & Bears - Jazmine Sullivan


BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
* The Point Of It All - Anthony Hamilton
* Pretty Wings - Maxwell
* Sobeautiful - Musiq Soulchild
* Under - Pleasure P
* There Goes My Baby - Charlie Wilson




BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
* Blame It - Jamie Foxx & T-Pain
* Chocolate High - India.Arie & Musiq Soulchild
* Ifuleave - Musiq Soulchild & Mary J. Blige
* Higher Ground - Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters
* Love Has Finally Come At Last - Calvin Richardson & Ann Nesby


BEST TRADITIONAL R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
* At Last - Beyoncé
* Soul Music - Anthony Hamilton
* Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight -Boney James & Quinn
* Sow Love - Ann Nesby
* Woman Gotta Have It - Calvin Richardson


BEST URBAN/ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE
* Daykeeper - The Foreign Exchange
* All Matter - Robert Glasper & Bilal
* Pearls - India.Arie & Dobet Gnahore
* A Tale Of Two - Eric Roberson, Ben O'Neill & Michelle Thompson
* Blend - Tonex




BEST R&B SONG
* Blame It - James T. Brown, John Conte, Jr., Jamie Foxx, Christopher Henderson, Brandon R. Melanchon, Breyon Prescott, T-Pain & Nathan L. Walker, songwriters (Jamie Foxx & T-Pain)
* Lions, Tigers & Bears - Salaam Remi & Jazmine Sullivan, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)
* Pretty Wings - Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)
* Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
* Under - D. Babbs, L. Bereal, M. Cooper, A. Dixon, J. Franklin, T. Jones, R. New & K. Stephens, songwriters (Pleasure P)


BEST R&B ALBUM
* The Point Of It All - Anthony Hamilton
* Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics - India.Arie
* Turn Me Loose - Ledisi
* Blacksummers' Night - Maxwell
* Uncle Charlie - Charlie Wilson


BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM
* I Am... Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé
* Intuition - Jamie Foxx
* The Introduction Of Marcus Cooper - Pleasure P
* Ready - Trey Songz
* Thr33 Ringz - T-Pain


BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
* Best I Ever Had - Drake
* Beautiful - Eminem
* D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune) - Jay-Z
* Day 'N' Nite - Kid Cudi
* Casa Bey - Mos Def




BEST RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
* Too Many Rappers - Beastie Boys & Nas
* Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent
* Money Goes, Honey Stay - Fabolous & Jay-Z
* Make Her Say - Kid Cudi, Kanye West & Common
* Amazing - Kanye West & Young Jeezy


BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
* Ego - Beyoncé & Kanye West
* Knock You Down - Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo
* Run This Town - Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West
* I'm On A Boat - The Lonely Island & T-Pain
* Dead And Gone - T.I. & Justin Timberlake




BEST RAP SONG
* Best I Ever Had - Aubrey Drake Graham, D. Hamilton & M. Samuels, songwriters (Drake)
* Day 'N' Nite - S. Mescudi & O. Omishore, songwriters (Kid Cudi)
* Dead And Gone - C. Harris, R. Tadross & J. Timberlake, songwriters (T.I. & Justin Timberlake)
* D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune) - Shawn Carter & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, Paul Leka, Janko Nilovic & Dave Sucky, songwriters) (Jay-Z)
* Run This Town - Shawn Carter, R. Fenty, M. Riddick, Kanye West & E. Wilson, songwriters (Athanasios Alatas, songwriter) (Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West)




BEST RAP ALBUM
* Universal Mind Control - Common
* Relapse - Eminem
* R.O.O.T.S. - Flo Rida
* The Ecstatic - Mos Def
* The Renaissance - Q-Tip


View the complete list of nominees at Grammy.com.

2009 American Music Awards Live Performances

Janet Jackson medley



Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind"



Rihanna "The Wait Is Ova"/"Hard"



Eminem and 50 Cent "Crack A Bottle"/"Forever"



Mary J. Blige "I Am"



Whitney Houston "I Didn't Know My Own Strength"



Videos courtesy of Mr. World Premiere

Beyonce, Jay-Z Hit the Stage at 2009 EMAs

Here's two noteworthy performances from this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, taped today in Berlin.

Beyonce "Sweet Dreams"

Beyoncé - New Music - More Music Videos

Jay-Z "Empire State of Mind"

Jay-Z - New Music - More Music Videos

BET Hip Hop Awards: The Cypher with Mos Def, Black Thought and Eminem

Now that was dope! Click here to hear a mix of all three cyphers from the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards with DJ Premier, featuring Mos Def, Black Thought, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Buckshot, Crown Royyal, Joe Budden, Wale, Nipsey Hussle, Gsan & KRS-One.

Spotted at NahRight.com

Hip Hop Official's Recap of the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards Red Carpet

Hip Hop Official caught up with Mario, Bun B, B.o.B., New Boyz, Lil Boosie, Chopper, Jay Rock, Nispey Hu$$le, Trina, Lil Scrappy, Jim Jones, Rick Ross and Greg Street at this year's BET Hip Hop Awards. Didn't know Kid 'N Play were still cool, let alone attending award shows together. And who granted Pretty Ricky access on the Red Carpet? The Red Carpet alone has the makings of a hot mess. Tune into BET on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. to watch the full show, hosted by Mike Epps.

Drake Earns Seven Grammy Pre-nominations

Your favorite unsigned hype, Heartbreak Drake, has received seven Grammy pre-nominations. It's a list of recordings that are submitted by record companies and individuals that are then voted on by members of the Recording Academy, which comprises more than 150 experts from the recording industry.

These are the songs and categories Drizzy is up for:
1. Best Rap Solo Performance
a) Drake – Best I Ever Had

2. Best Rap/Sung Collab
a) Mary J. Blige ft. Drake – The One
b) Young Money – Every Girl
c) Drake & Trey Songz – Successful

3. Best Rap Song
a) Drake – Best I Ever Had

4. Record of the Year
a) Drake – Best I Ever Had

5. Song of the Year
a) Drake – Best I Ever Had

Spotted at All Things Fresh

Lil Mama Takes to "Empire State of Mind" to Explain VMA Situation

It seems the whole world watched Lil Mama's ass-making incident during last week's VMAs. Now the Brooklyn femcee has responded to the situation by kicking a rhyme over the very track that prompted her fall from grace, as it were. Here it is: Lil Mama's "Empire State of Mind."



Does this do more harm than good?

Swagger Ready's MTV VMAs 2009 Recap

Wow, what a night! There's a lot of ground to cover, so I'll get right to it with a few looks from the Red Carpet.


Dirty Money makes its first VMAs appearance.


Cassie on the Red Carpet, looking fierce.


Miss Keri, baby!


Joe Jackson's sorry self with some arm candy.


Lady Gaga looking a hot mess.

The 2009 MTV VMAs got off to a beautiful start with Madonna speaking about the King of Pop. Her touching speech shared some of the similarities between the two -- both born in August 1958, both grew up in the suburbs of the Midwest and both have eight siblings -- and painted a picture of how the world turned our backs on him, yet how he surpasses any musician in terms of impact in pop culture.

This is an excerpt from Madonna’s remarks:
“I think he got the shorter end of the stick. I never had a mother, but he never had a childhood ... How do you recreate your childhood when you're under the magnifying glass of the world for your entire life? There is no question that MJ is the greatest talent that the world has ever known … Michael Jackson was a hero ... He was so unique, he was so original, he was so rare and there will never been anyone like him. He was a king. But he was also a human being. Sometimes we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them … I hope that wherever Michael is right now, he is smiling about this.”



And then, came the tribute, which as well-done, to say the least. A step up from that shoddy job BET did in June. I’m just sayin’. Dancers came out in all the MJ looks from throughout the decades and relived such hits as “Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal.” But, when Janet came out and did “Scream,” I about lost it! The performance gave me chills. I admire Janet for her strength and giving a stellar performance amid the pain. Haha. Did anyone else catch Laurie Ann “Boom Kack” Gibson and Chris Judd dancing in the background? It kind of sucks that her performance was overshadowed by an asinine stunt that Chi Town’s Finest pulled soon after (Read on for the details of that debacle …).

That was a tough act to follow, but I kind of thought that lame segue into the award show with Katy Perry singing her version of “We Will Rock You.” Umm, hello. At the very least, Russell Brand should have just began his opening remarks.

Why MTV invited Russell back as a host, I don’t know. He needed to sit down about five minutes into the show. Also, did he need to highlight the speculation about Lady Gaga being a hermaphrodite?

MTV Shows

So shenanigans ensued straight out the gate with the introduction of the award for Best Female Video, the first award announced. What happened next has become the most talked about portion of the ceremony. Taylor Swift -- who is a virtual unknown in comparison to fellow nominees Beyonce and Lady Gaga -- won the award. Who else but Kanye West appears like Houdini out of thin air on stage, snatches the mic from her hands and proclaims that “Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.” *Cut to Beyonce looking like, ‘I know this Negro didn’t!* Damnit, Kanye! It wasn’t even an award he was nominated for and yet his drunk arse just had to speak out! Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but you don’t need to let it be known, especially not in that way. Also, how did he get up there so fast?



I don't blame it on the vodka. I blame that ish on the Henny! Hilarious. Shocking. Appalling. And to think that was Taylor’s FIRST VMA. Way to taint that accomplishment forever.

To her credit, she did give a high-energy performance aboard a subway of “You Belong With Me” moments later.

Many of the Tweeples were outraged by Yeezy’s heinous display, including P!nk:



Ye was escorted out, and this apology, if you can call it that, appeared on his blog shortly thereafter.





Amid that controversy, Beyonce took the stage and really did her thing. Who else could dance so hard and sing so well? She makes it look so effortless.

Best Male Video went to T.I., and Best Hip Hop Video was awarded to Eminem for “We Made You.” He dedicated his award to his homie, Proof, who passed away in April 2006.

Then Kid Cudi performed “Make Her Say” with house band Wale and UCB, which was kinda weak. Thought he should have had been on the main stage. Cudi remembered his friend, DJ AM, who died Aug. 28.

Why Britney Spears won Best Pop Video and Lady Gaga won Best New Artist, I don’t know. By the way, Gaga’s stylist should be fired. I cringed at every outfit she had on. It was very distracting.

Beyonce did win the award for Video of the Year. She then said she wanted to let Taylor Swift “have her moment.” So she was able to give the speech she deserved. I’m glad Bey won because that video was probably one of the most watched videos of the year. Just type “Beyonce Single Ladies Put A Ring On It” and you’ll see the many remakes that fans attempted to recreate -- some better than others. Let’s be honest. But that act from Bey was sincere and unexpected.



Jay-Z rockin’ “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys was the second-best performance of the night. A. Keys sang her heart out and Jay has a way of stirring up emotion with his delivery. The backdrop was amazing as well. The way he came out … Dope! But why did Lil’ Mama feel it was OK to go on stage? Clearly, she was an uninvited guest. Did you see Jigga tap her like “Sityoassdown!”?



We got to see a special clip of Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” documentary, which will be in theaters on Oct. 28. What a nice way to end the night full of tomfoolery and drunken debauchery.

Sigh … It’s gonna take a lot to top this one.

Shouts to ConcreteLoop.com and BrokenCool.com for the images, and Mr. World Premiere for the clips.

Janet Jackson Will Open Up the VMAs with a Tribute to Michael

Janet Jackson, the kid sister of pop icon Michael Jackson, is slated to open this year's MTV Video Music Awards with a tribute to her legendary brother, who passed away in late June.

Given her understandable privacy after MJ's passing, her performance, which will open the awards ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 13, will be one to watch. Let's hope she throws this one in the mix. She has to!



Spotted at Buzzworthy.MTV.com

And the Nominees Are: 2009 MTV VMAs

The nominees are in for this year's MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé and Lady Gaga lead the pack with nine nods apiece, while Kanye West and Eminem face off in four categories.

Don't forget to tune into the live show on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 9 p.m.

BEST FEMALE VIDEO

Beyoncé - New Music - More Music Videos

Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Katy Perry "Hot n Cold"
Kelly Clarkson "My Life Would Suck Without You"
Lady Gaga "Poker Face"
P!nk "So What"
Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me"

BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO
Asher Roth "I Love College"
Eminem "We Made You"
Flo Rida "Right Round"

Jay-Z - New Music - More Music Videos

Jay-Z "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"
Kanye West "Love Lockdown"

BEST MALE VIDEO
Eminem "We Made You"
Jay-Z "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"

Kanye West - New Music - More Music Videos

Kanye West "Love Lockdown"
Ne-Yo "Miss Independent"
T.I. feat. Rihanna "Live Your Life"

BEST NEW ARTIST
3Oh!3 "Don't Trust Me"
Asher Roth "I Love College"
Drake "Best I Ever Had"

Kid Cudi - New Music - More Music Videos

Kid Cudi "Day N' Nite"
Lady Gaga "Poker Face"

BEST POP VIDEO
Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Britney Spears "Womanizer"
Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester "Good Girls Go Bad"

Lady Gaga - New Music - More Music Videos

BEST ROCK VIDEO

Coldplay - New Music - More Music Videos

Coldplay "Viva La Vida"
Fall Out Boy "I Don't Care"
Green Day "21 Guns"
Kings of Leon "Use Somebody"
Paramore "Decode"
Lady Gaga "Poker Face"
Wisin y Yandel "Abusadora"

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Britney Spears "Womanizer"
Eminem "We Made You"
Kanye West "Love Lockdown"
Lady Gaga "Poker Face"

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO
Anjulie "Boom"
Bat For Lashes "Daniel"
Chairlift "Evident Utensil"
Cold War Kids "I've Seen Enough"
Death Cab for Cutie "Grapevine Fires"

Gnarls Barkley - New Music - More Music Videos

Gnarls Barkley "Who's Gonna Save My Soul"
Major Lazer "Hold The Line"
Matt And Kim "Lessons Learned"
Passion Pit "The Reeling"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Heads Will Roll"

BEST VIDEO (THAT SHOULD HAVE WON A MOONMAN)
Beastie Boys "Sabotage"
Björk "Human Behaviour"
David Lee Roth "California Girls"
Dr. Dre "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang"
Foo Fighters "Everlong"
George Michael "Freedom"
OK Go "Here It Goes Again"
Radiohead "Karma Police"
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers "Into the Great Wide Open"
U2 "Where The Streets Have No Name"

BEST ART DIRECTION
Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Britney Spears "Circus"
Coldplay "Viva La Vida"
Gnarls Barkley "Who's Gonna Save My Soul"
Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
A.R. Rahman & Pussycat Dolls feat. Nicole Scherzinger "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)"
Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Britney Spears "Circus"

Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake - New Music - More Music Videos

Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake "Love Sex Magic"
Kristinia DeBarge "Goodbye"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Britney Spears "Circus"
Coldplay "Viva La Vida"
Green Day "21 Guns"
Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"

BEST DIRECTION
Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Britney Spears "Circus"
Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester "Good Girls Go Bad"
Green Day "21 Guns"
Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"

BEST EDITING
Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Britney Spears "Circus"
Coldplay "Viva La Vida"
Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"
Miley Cyrus "7 Things"

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Eminem "We Made You"
Gnarls Barkley "Who's Gonna Save My Soul"

Kanye West - New Music - More Music Videos

Kanye West feat. Mr. Hudson"Paranoid"
Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"