Alicia Keys
Photo: Michael Loccisano/ WireImage

Two high-profile collaborations from Alicia Keys' forthcoming Element of Freedom LP hit the Internet on Friday (December 4) — along with news that Jay-Z will not be featured on Keys' retake of "Empire State of Mind," although plans originally called for him to contribute a new verse to the song.

One of the collaborations, "Put It in a Love Song," a duet with Beyoncé is a bouncy pop track about a girl who just wants her lover to write her a song and prove to her he's worth her time. The song features a brief chat ("Hey yo, B!" "What up, A?") between B and Keys at the beginning.

On the other, "Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)," Keys gets a helping hand from Drake, but he sings backing vocals rather than contributing a rapped verse. The song is a gentle, dreamy ballad about contemplating a relationship, with Drake softly crooning in the background.

Finally, although Jay-Z was originally scheduled to contribute a new verse to Keys' remake of their #1 single, "Empire State of Mind," a rep for Keys confirmed to MTV News on Friday that Jay will not appear on the new version of the song, which is titled "Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down." No reason was given for the change of plans.

Earlier this fall, Keys promised fans they should "expect the unexpected" on the disc. "You can expect, like, to be moved," she said. "You can expect to really be into a zone. I think you can expect the unexpected, 'cause there's going to be things that you're going to be like, 'Wow, is that her? Is that her?' And I love that about it. You can definitely expect to see major growth, but you're going to fall in love with this album."

• Alicia Keys Performs With Jay-Z In New York City

• Alicia Keys
• Beyoncé
• Jay-Z
• Drake

Photo: Young Money

• Drake
• RZA
• Snoop Dogg
• Beanie Sigel

Drake
Photo: Young Money

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

Drake, you keep making Toronto proud. Two Grammy nominations, no album — that cat deserves it. A few days ago while soaking up the Grammy festivities, Drizzy gave us the inside scoop on his anticipated Thank Me Later LP. "Fireworks" kicks the whole thing off.

"The album opens up with a song I'm really proud of called 'Fireworks,' " he told us. " ... I get asked so many questions. Due to press people around, I have to deflect them. It's like when you put in the CD, all your questions are answered right away. It's a great, triumphant record right away. That opens up the scheme, and from there, hopefully, it's a colorful journey for everybody."

Drake also let it out of the bag that his debut now has a tentative March release date and that, besides his guests Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, he wants to get Sade involved.

The Streets Is Talking: News and Notes From the Underground

As Gucci Mane's Cold War mixtape series continues to get burn on the streets, an unlikely supporter is making sure the project gets added legs. Philadelphia DJ Diplo is remixing all three discs with an eclectic vibe and sounds of electronica, reggae and Brazilian Carioca — and, of course, more hip-hop.

"Gucci Mane is an underdog, and a divisive artist," Diplo said in a statement sent to Mixtape Daily. "I thought it would be cool to have a bunch of kids and weirdos do some mixes of his songs. We all are fans, and we are from different scenes. Gucci is a rapper that doesn't try and be anything he is not; he's straight up. Maybe it's ironic and all, but I'm just a fan and have been since day one. Gucci Mane is the cool uncle I never had, even though I'm pretty sure I am older than him."

Look for more on that Gucci/Diplo project in the coming weeks. Gucc's album, The State vs. Radric Davis, comes out Tuesday.

• Mixtape Daily: Drake, RZA, Snoop Dogg, Beanie Sigel

• Drake

Photo: Young Money

• Drake
• Wale
• Asher Roth

Drake
Photo: Rahman Dukes/MTV News

You can thank him about a month later than he'd originally planned: Drake says he is now aiming to release his official debut LP, Thank Me Later, in March. Even with the slight delay, the 23-year-old Canadian singer/rapper is pleased with how it is shaping up.

"I'm making progress on it," Drake said with a smile Wednesday night at the Grammy nominations concert in Los Angeles, where he'd just learned — to his surprise — that he's up for two awards. "I'm hoping for March now. It's just pulling everybody together: I had a wish list for my managers of everybody I wanted involved that stem beyond hip-hop. I'm trying to pull it all together."

One of the top names on his list is a legendary vocalist who recently announced she'll be releasing her first new album in almost a decade.

"I'm really trying to work with Sade," he revealed. "Lil Wayne will be on it. Young Jeezy, Jay-Z, Kanye will be doing work on it. It's in the family."

There is one other guest that he elected to be coy about. "It's this other one I'm excited about that's kinda left [field]," he demurred. "It's gonna be a great project — well-rounded."

Drake also took a moment to reflect on just how much those Grammy nominations — both of which are for "Best I Ever Had," a song from his mixtape/ unofficial debut LP So Far Gone mixtape/album — mean to him.

"Whether I take them home or not, this is an amazing moment for me," he said. "Everybody knows the Grammys are the awards to receive as a musician. It symbolizes not popularity, but great music. Also, Grammys are what kept me up at night while I was in high school. Grammys are why I work so hard. This is the goal: to win a Grammy. If it happens, it'll be [marked off of my] life checklist."

• Drake
• Young Jeezy
• Kanye West
• Jay-Z

Drake
Photo: MTV News

During the Grammy nominations concert event on Wednesday night, short clips of some of the year's biggest songs were played before the actual nominated songs were announced.

That format threw at least one of the nominees for a loop: Drake didn't even realize he'd been nominated.

The fast-rising, 23-year-old singer/rapper/actor said he was shocked to learn that he's up for two Grammys: Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song, both for "Best I Ever Had," from his So Far Gone mixtape/album.

"Every other category, they were like, 'Well, here is who had good songs this year.' I was like, 'OK, I put out a song so they put my song on the screen,' " he told MTV News after the event. "Then my road manager C.J. tapped me and said, 'No, you're nominated.' My phone started vibrating, it was surreal!"

One of the people blowing him up was his mom.

"My mother was swearing up a storm," he laughed. "She was cussing like a sailor. She's super excited — I think she's excited. [The messages] were broken swear words and exclamation marks. She's not the best text-messaging expert! She must be excited. I think everybody who was involved in the project was patting themselves on the back, which they should."

As for what he thinks his chances might be, Drake said, "I'm 23 years old, I'm from Toronto, I'm [just] happy to be there. Whether I take them home or not, this is an amazing moment for me. Everybody knows the Grammys are the awards to receive as a musician. It symbolizes not popularity, but great music. Also, Grammys are what kept me up at night while I was in high school. Grammys are why I work so hard. This is the goal: to win a Grammy. If it happens, it'll be [marked off of my] life checklist."

He also added what he'll be doing to celebrate: "I'm gonna have a drink tonight!" he smiled. "I never get too crazy, but as a team I think we deserve it."

• Grammy Nominations Concert: Backstage

• Grammy Nominees In Pictures

• Drake

Beyoncé
Photo: Paul Warner/ WireImage

The nominees for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards were announced Wednesday night (December 2) in Los Angeles, with a star-studded telecast/concert headlined by Nick Jonas (and his brand-new band the Administration), the Black Eyed Peas and Maxwell, but that paled in comparison to the names that scored noms.

Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Eminem, Drake, the Kings of Leon and Green Day were just some of the artists who landed early Grammy nods Wednesday night — the full list of nominees was posted on Grammy.com following the telecast — setting the stage for a very big night Sunday, January 31.

Leading the pack of early nominees were a trio of ladies, Beyoncé, Gaga and Swift, who each landed nominations for Album, Record and Song of the Year. The Black Eyed Peas' massive "I Gotta Feeling" picked up a pair of nods, for Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Beyoncé nabbed the most noms with 10, followed by Swift with eight; BEP, Maxwell and Kanye West with six; and David Guetta, Jay-Z and Lada Gaga with five.

The Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" scored noms for Record and Song of the Year; the Best Rap Solo Performance category pits Jay, Eminem and Drake against one another; and Green Day will face off against U2 and the Dave Matthews Band in the Best Rock Album field.

Hosted by LL Cool J — who kicked the night off with a medley that mixed his biggest hits ("Mama Said Knock You Out," "I Need Love") with some soon-to-be-nominated songs (Gaga's "Poker Face," B's "Single Ladies") — the telecast also featured big-ticket performances from BEP, who did "Feeling," accompanied by a video featuring Adam Lambert, Timbaland and Chris Daughtry singing along to the chorus, and Nick Jonas, who unveiled his new project the Administration and growled his way through a strummy, rootsy tune called "Who I Am," while his brothers Kevin and Joe looked on approvingly.

Maxwell, who scored a Song of the Year nom for his "Pretty Wings," paid tribute to the late Michael Jackson with a stirring, soulful rendition of "The Lady in My Life," off his iconic Thriller album, which won an astonishing eight Grammy awards in 1984.

The 52nd annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 31.

Grammy nominees announced during Wednesday night's telecast:

Album of the Year
» Beyoncé, I Am ... Sasha Fierce
» The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
» Lady Gaga, The Fame
» Dave Matthews, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
» Taylor Swift, Fearless

Record of the Year
» Beyoncé, "Halo"
» The Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"
» Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"
» Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"
» Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"

Song of the Year
» Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
» Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"
» Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"
» Maxwell, "Pretty Wings"
» Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
» The Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"
» Bon Jovi, "We Weren't Born to Follow"
» The Fray, "Never Say Never"
» Hall & Oates, "Sara Smile"
» MGMT, "Kids"

• Grammy Nominations Concert: Backstage

• Grammy Nominees In Pictures
• Nick Jonas Debuts New Band At Grammy Nominations Concert

• Beyoncé
• Taylor Swift
• Lady Gaga
• Drake
• Kings Of Leon

Timbaland
Photo: Lester Cohen/ WireImage

Timbaland is back for another round of mayhem with his new album, Shock Value II.

Hitting stores December 8, the album branches out from strictly hip-hop and features pop stars such as Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and his good friend Justin Timberlake, along with rockers like Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, the Fray and Daughtry.

However, Drake is featured on the album's next single, "Say Something," about a famous man who makes plenty of money, but neglects to spend enough quality time with his girl.

"What's a star when his most important fan is missing?" Drake raps. "We can work it out," he sings on the chorus. On the track, Timbaland describes his relationship with his woman as a "catastrophe," however the beat is buoyant — "Say Something" is built for the party.

"Meet in tha Middle" is a bit more optimistic, with Tim singing, "We gotta meet in the middle" on the hook. You'll recognize Brandy's vocals holding down the background duties, but you definitely won't believe your ears when she comes in on a guest verse. Credited under the moniker Bran Nu, the veteran singer introduces an MC alter-ego.

"I been giving you more than a little, had the ball then you double-dribbled," she raps. "You don't listen, I don't never get my point across/ I washed your dirty draws, you out with dirty broads/ You did me dirty dawg, cause you'se a dirty dog/ It's a curtain call and I ain't mad at all."

"Undertow" uses piano to bring a smoothed-out, midtempo feel to accompany the vocals of Esthero and the Fray as they sing about not missing out on a great opportunity. Meanwhile, on "If We Ever Meet Again," Tim and Katy Perry see each other in a bar and the attraction is instant and mutual — but they're both too shy to make that love connection.

Shock Value II is kicked off by "Morning After Dark" — a track inspired by "Twilight" — featuring Nelly Furtado and Tim's new artist SoShy.

• Timbaland
• Daughtry
• Miley Cyrus
• Drake
• Katy Perry

Kid Cudi
Photo: MTV News

Kid Cudi recently wrapped filming on the first season of the new series "How to Make It in America," opened for Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball Tour and is even set to headline his own shows soon — and he's also found time to work on the video for "The Pursuit of Happiness" with Josh Hartnett and Brody Baker.

MTV News caught up with Cudi on his final day of filming for the HBO series and he explained how he got Hartnett to produce and Baker to direct his next video. "I was actually telling Josh that I wanted to shoot the video. We were hanging out one day, and he [Hartnett] was like, 'Aw, I know this one guy, he's done great work. He's really dope and refreshing.' I was familiar with his stuff. He [Baker] did the music video for Animal Collective's 'My Girls,' and I was a fan of that video."

Cudi gave Baker a rough idea of what he wanted and the director embellished it, presenting something "dope" and special to him.

"I just saw the first rough cut the other day. Drake is in it. He has a cameo ... a bunch of my homies that I knew coming up," Cudi said. "We were just kicking it. When you see the video, it just makes me feel good, because I'm seeing all my friends and people that matter in my life. We were all celebrating. It's like a New Year's Eve-type thing. Everybody's just getting wasted."

While "The Pursuit of Happiness" features MGMT and was produced by Ratatat, they weren't available for the video shoot. However, Cudi is thinking about making another version featuring both groups.

"I'm going to pull the Kanye and do multiples," he laughed.

• Kid Cudi
• Drake

Young Jeezy and Drake
Photo: Derrick G

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

"Denzel, watch out," DJ Khaled laughed. "I'm coming!"

Khaled not only got a chance to say lines, but he also was involved in action scenes during the recent filming of his video for "Fed Up." Usher, Drake, Young Jeezy and Rick Ross all came to Miami for another of the DJ's now-signature mammoth posse cuts.

The chaos starts when Khaled brings a briefcase — with special contents — to a meeting with some underworld bosses.

"I can tell they trying to set me up," Khaled described of himself in the Gil Green-directed video. "The boss that I am, I'm on my P's and Q's. When they said the deal is off, I let them know the streets is fed up."

Khaled then has to jump through a window to escape. Luckily, Young Jeezy is pushing the getaway whip.

"Jeezy was there waiting on me in the exotic car," Khaled said. "One of the fastest cars in the world. I jump in that, me and Jeezy are out! Jeezy goes in [rapping], speaking his mind. I'm with him. Then he sees the Maybach. He pulls over, I jump out the car into the Maybach with Rick Ross. Ross is getting interviewed, but he says, 'Come on.' DJ Envy, he's in the Maybach too. He's helping me get away."

The chase doesn't stop there. Khaled goes from the Maybach to the docks, where Drake is on a boat. From the boat, Usher hovers above in a helicopter where he lends a helping hand to the DJ.

Khaled said he was especially impressed with Usher's performance on a rooftop and in a tunnel, where they had to stop traffic.

"We're getting it off, letting the people know we're here," Khaled said. "Usher does the most amazing performance ever. Usher is singing, kicking the camera. His energy is wild. When I say Usher is going in, I thought I was seeing Michael Jackson. The whole time, his energy, he repped. He just was going in. He gave us a helluva performance. I thanked him 100 times. He don't do too many features. It was fun. He's a great person."

The video ends with Khaled revealing what is worth risking life and limb for inside the briefcase.

"That's the setup for the next single, 'Put Your Hands Up,' " Khaled said. "I let them know it's coming. It's some movie sh--. It was a three-day shoot. It's gonna be the best video in the game."

For those asking where Lil Wayne is in the video, he's not there. Although he appears in a new version of "Fed Up," Wayne never intended to be in the video.

"Wayne jumped on the song later," Khaled explained. "I'll call that the 'just added version.' He just showed love and jumped on."

"Fed Up" is the first single from Khaled's upcoming LP Victory, which drops next year.

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

• Mixtape Daily: DJ Khaled, Drake, Usher, Lupe Fiasco

• DJ Khaled
• Drake
• Usher

Woodie Awards 2009 Nominees

• 3Oh!3
• Alicia Keys
• Amanda Blank
• Animal Collective
• Anjulie

Who Are The Landmarks Of The VMAs?

• Britney Spears
• Lady Gaga
• Jay-Z
• Lil Wayne
• Beyoncé

Lil Wayne And Drake On "America's Most Wanted" Tour

• Lil Wayne
• Drake

2009 VMA Nominees

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Green Day
• Kings Of Leon
• Paramore
• Fall Out Boy

Lil Wayne, Drake, More Kick Off 'Young Money Presents: America's Most Wanted' Tour

• Drake
• Young Jeezy
• Soulja Boy Tell'em
• Nicki Minaj
• Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne And Drake Rehearse For America's Most Wanted

• Lil Wayne
• Drake