Jay-Z

Jay-Z And Kanye West Skip Grammys Despite Wins

13 Feb 2012 15:09:19 EST

Jay-Z and Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images

Related Artists

Lil Wayne Disses Jay-Z, Kanye In Pre-Grammy Freestyle

12 Feb 2012 13:26:21 EST

'I asked her what she want to watch, she said, 'Surely not the Throne,' ' Weezy rhymes, adding to the MCs' back-and-forth.
By Rob Markman

Lil Wayne
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Here we go again. Hours before Lil Wayne and the Throne face off in the Grammy battle for Best Rap Album at Sunday night's (February 12) awards show, Weezy threw shots during YMCMB's pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

After receiving some new sales plaques for his wall, announcing that he had signed R&B singer Christina Milian and paying homage to the late Whitney Houston, Wayne dropped an a cappella freestyle directed at Jay-Z and Kanye West. "I met a bad red bone, I took the bi--- home/ I asked her what she want to watch, she said, 'Surely not the Throne,' " Weezy spit before he dropped the mic and moseyed offstage, according to Rap Radar. Things began to sour after a 2009 interview in which Cash Money CEO Bryan "Birdman" Williams objected to Jay-Z taking the crown for MTV News' "Hottest MCs in the Game" list for that year. "I don't think he the #1 MC, in no kinda way," Baby said, casting the first stone. "Wayne is the best, he do the most and he make the most money. I don't think no n---a in the business make more money than us." Jay returned fire at the top of 2011. On the Throne's "H.A.M.," Jigga made it clear that not only was Birdman, a.k.a. Baby, and Wayne not holding any Hov-caliber bucks, but that financially they couldn't even compare to his wife, Beyoncé. "I'm like, 'Really, half-a-billi?' N---a, really, you got Baby money/ Keep it real with n---as, n---as ain't got my lady money," Jay rhymed. Not to be outdone, Weezy waited a few months, but responded in August of last year on "It's Good," a track from his Tha Carter IV LP, which also featured Jadakiss and Drake. "Talkin' 'bout Baby money? I got your Baby money/ Kidnap yo' bitch, get that how-much-you-love-your-lady money," Wayne rapped in direct response to Jay's "H.A.M." line. Hova didn't seem too bothered by the line. In an October interview with MTV News, Jay brushed off Weezy's shot on "It's Good." "That's sport, that's rap music," Jay said. "Nothing is going to change but the participants." On Christmas Day, Tunechi and Jay's Throne partner, Kanye West, were spotted together at an L.A. Lakers basketball game, so the rap tit-for-tat can't be too serious. However, it will be interesting to see if either Jay or Yeezy respond to Wayne's latest jab. Whatever the case, if either the Throne or Weezy win the Best Rap Album award at the Grammys, you can bet the hip-hop world will be paying extra special attention to the acceptance speech.

Should Jay-Z and Kanye West respond to Lil Wayne's latest Throne dis? Tell us in the comments! MTV News' Sway and James Montgomery will be live from the Grammys red carpet tonight starting at 5 p.m. ET to get reactions from music's biggest stars on the death of Whitney Houston. Watch reactions and remembrances at MTV.com.

Related Videos

Related Photos

Related Artists

Beyonce And Jay-Z Unveil First Blue Ivy Carter Photos

10 Feb 2012 19:20:35 EST

'We welcome you to share in our joy,' reads a note posted with the five photos, signed by 'the Carter family.'
By Kelley L. Carter

Beyonce and Blue Ivy Carter
Photo: Courtesy of the Carter family

And now we've seen her. On Friday (February 10), Jay-Z posted the first photos of his and Beyoncé's daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, on his Life + Times website.

The rapper and his superstar wife are seen in the photos holding the newborn in a series of five photos. In the first large photo, we see the baby swathed in a polka-dot wrap sleeping. In the remaining images, she has her eyes wide open and is being held by her beaming mother, and in another, her back is to us while she's being held by her smiling father. Photos: Blue Ivy Carter revealed. There's a note that reads: "We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives. The Carter family." The baby-picture reveal is just the latest Blue Ivy news. On Thursday, it was confirmed that the high-profile couple filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark Blue Ivy's name. The patent is intended to prevent the use of their daughter's name by non-related parties. The application was filed by Beyoncé's company, BGK Trademark Holdings, and is currently pending. The Washington Post reported that it will likely get approved, considering that parents are legally authorized to trademark the names of minor children. Earlier this week, Beyoncé revealed her post-pregnancy body, and she's back in fighting shape only a month after the birth of her baby girl. B was photographed twice this week, including at the first night of Jay-Z's two-night charity stint at Carnegie Hall. What do you think of the first Blue Ivy photos? Let us know in the comments!

Related Videos

All About Beyonce And Jay-Z's New Arrival

Related Photos

Related Artists

A Guide To The Grammys 2012

10 Feb 2012 14:29:00 EST

Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

Related Artists

'N---as In Paris' Video Warning Not Enough For U.K. Epilepsy Group

10 Feb 2012 11:30:49 EST

'The warning won't necessarily work for everybody,' Epilepsy Action spokeswoman Louise Cousins says.
By Gil Kaufman

Kanye West and jay-Z in the music video for "Paris"
Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records

A year after getting called out for the seizure-inducing potential of his strobe-tastic "All of the Lights" video, the Throne's Kanye West clearly got the message and preemptively put a warning on the "N---as in Paris" clip.

But even with the notice that precedes the live performance collabo with Jay-Z — which uses dizzying, flashbulb-like psychedelic effects similar to the "Lights" video — the same group that called for the previous warning is urging caution. "Epilepsy Action was not consulted about this video, although we now know that watching it does pose a risk to people with photosensitive epilepsy," said Stacey Rennard, campaigns manager for the U.K. charity in a press release. "We are pleased to see that a warning has been put in place to make people with photosensitive epilepsy aware that the video may be harmful. However, the warning does not go far enough and the video is still potentially dangerous. Many people with photosensitive epilepsy, especially young people, do not know they have it until something triggers their first seizure." The new warning came because of concerns that those most vulnerable to experience seizures from the video may not be appropriately shielded by the disclaimer. "Photosensitive epilepsy is most prevalent in those aged 7 to 19," Louise Cousins, a spokeswoman for Epilepsy Action, told MTV News. "Everybody has a 'seizure threshold,' but somebody may have a tendency to have seizures but not come into contact with anything that has so far triggered it in them [until they view the video]." Cousins said the warning is fine for people who know they may suffer from the disorder, but those who are not aware may view the "Paris" clip even after reading the warning because they have never experienced a problem before. The organization was pleased that the Throne decided to proactively add the caveat — after Epilepsy Action campaigned to have one amended to "Lights" last year — and so far, there have been no reports of any problems. However, Rennard said that it was "very disappointing that, despite the concerns raised last year about the 'All of the Lights' video, Kanye West has knowingly made another video which could be harmful to some fans watching it. We would like to see the music industry show much more responsibility by not commissioning videos that contain potentially dangerous imagery." For now, Epilepsy Action is not concerned about any potential problems in England, where such videos are barred from airing on TV unless they are edited into safer versions. A spokesperson for the Throne could not be reached for comment at press time.

Related Videos

The Throne's 'Paris': A Closer Look

Related Photos

Epic Scenes From Jay-Z And Kanye West's 'Paris' Video

Related Artists

The Throne's 'Paris': A Closer Look

09 Feb 2012 17:39:22 EST

MTV News' hip-hop team takes a closer look at the epic new video from Jay-Z and Kanye West.
By

Kanye West and Jay-Z in the music video for "Paris"
Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records

Related Artists

Jay-Z And Kanye's 'N---as In Paris' Rooted In 'Real Life'

09 Feb 2012 17:20:16 EST

'That record is a process of what was happening in Paris at that time,' Watch the Throne A&R Bu Thiam tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman

Kanye West in the video for "Paris"
Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records

The best rap records are usually rooted in reality, but fans have come to expect their favorite MCs to use a bit of poetic license when delivering their rhymes. That's not the case with Kanye West and Jay-Z, though: According to Def Jam VP of A&R Bu Thiam, the lyrics on the Throne's "N---as in Paris" — the video for which was released Thursday (February 9) — are as real as they come.

"What I realized in this process is that them dudes really rap about what they go through," Thiam told MTV News back in August after Watch the Throne was released. "I've A&R'd other albums, and people, sometimes they rap about somebody else's story or what they think is a story. But those guys, everything they rap about is what they're actually going through." Take "N---as in Paris," for instance, which has music fans across the world shouting, "That sh-- cray." On the song's hook Hov raps, "Ball so hard mother----ers wanna fine me," and while it sounds like an empty MC boast, the popular lyric is rooted in truth. Hov, who is a minority owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets, was caught taking pictures with the University of Kentucky's men's basketball team during their NCAA tournament run last year. It all seemed like a harmless gesture, but contact between NBA personnel and potential NBA college prospects is prohibited. In April, the Nets were fined $50,000 for Hov's actions. "When you hear it, you're thinking it's bragging, but no, it's really true," Thiam said of the Throne's lyrics. "It's crazy how they take the words and they make the songs and make it reality, and you're thinking it's just verses, but nah, it's really reality for them dudes."

Beyond b-ball drama, the accomplished A&R who also helped string together Rihanna's Talk That Talk said the entire "N---as in Paris" record is just a reflection of Jay and Kanye's wild outing to France. "Going out, kicking it and just having fun. That record is a process of what was happening in Paris at that time," he said. "It's real life, I promise you, it is." What's your favorite lyric from the Throne's "N---as in Paris"? Tell us in the comments!

Related Videos

The Throne's 'Paris': A Closer Look

Related Artists

Beyonce And Jay-Z's Blue Ivy Trademark: An Expert Explains

09 Feb 2012 15:20:04 EST

Couple likely 'trying to protect what they rightfully own or created,' family law expert tells MTV News.
By John Mitchell

Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect their month-old baby's name and reserve it for future use, MTV News has confirmed. The superstar couple reportedly sought the trademark to stop the use of Blue Ivy's name by others.

It's a smart move, according to family law attorney and author Vikki Ziegler. "[Seeking the trademark] forestalls competitors from using the child's name and or third parties from attempting to sell the baby's name back to the couple," Ziegler told MTV News. "They are likely trying to protect what they rightfully own or created, shall we say, by trademarking Blue Ivy's name." The application to trademark Blue Ivy Carter's name, filed by BGK Trademark Holdings (Beyoncé's company) is currently pending but will likely be approved because, as the Washington Post reports, parents are legally authorized to trademark the names of their minor children. "In essence, it's a trademark for a brand, and this brand is expected to be one hot commodity — just look at Blue Ivy's parents," Ziegler said. "Anyone else that tried to use the name after the trademark was approved could be sued and held liable for damages."

While the Patent Office looks fondly on attempts to trademark the name of one's own child, attempts to do the same with the names of other people's kids are another story, as two designers learned when they sought — just days after Blue Ivy's birth — to trademark the baby's name for their own use. Applications from fashion designer Joseph Mbeh to patent "Blue Ivy Carter NYC" and by an unnamed designer to trademark "Blue Ivy Carter Glory IV" for a fragrance line were denied by the Patent Office, which noted in its decision that the name belonged to a "very famous infant" and consumers would wrongly assume that any products bearing the name had been approved by Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Ziegler noted that the trademark would "protect against others using the child's name as a brand of merchandise in the same marketplace," so it will not impact the "Blue Ivy" trademark held by a clothing boutique in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The store filed to trademark its name on January 19, 2011, a year before Queen B and Jay made the name famous. They received approval on August 23 — five days before Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the MTV Video Music Awards. What do you think about Beyoncé and Jay-Z trademarking Blue Ivy's name? Let us know in the comments!

Related Videos

All About Beyonce And Jay-Z's New Arrival

Related Artists

Jay-Z And Kanye's Live Vocals Hype Up 'Paris' Video

09 Feb 2012 13:46:49 EST

The Throne add new instruments and ad libs to just-released 'N---as in Paris' clip.
By Rob Markman

Jay-Z and Kanye West in the music video for "Paris"
Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records

The Throne's "N---as in Paris" has been getting the people going since Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne dropped last August, and on Thursday (February 9), the dynamic rap duo breathed new life into their inescapable hit.

The "Paris" video, which was released Thursday, compiles tour footage and features live audio that replaces the original recorded version fans are already familiar with. The idea is to bring the Watch the Throne Tour to fans who didn't get to make it out to the legendary run or those who simply want to relive it all over again. For those familiar with Watch the Throne's third track, the changes are noticeable from the get-go. The video's sound bed begins with Jay-Z addressing a stadium filled with fans. "Y'all ready to leave?" he asks. "Well 'Ye not ready to leave." "Any Jay's not ready to leave," Kanye adds. "It's only one thing left to do. Again!" On that cue, the Yeezy-directed clip jumps into full gear, and the remixed version of "Paris" begins. The first difference is the sliding electric piano laid atop the track's all-too-familiar opening bounce melody. It's not the first time West has switched up a mix for a video. In 2009, when he dropped the visuals for "Paranoid" from 808s & Heartbreak, he added new synths to enhance the sound of the record.

The real gem of the live remix comes from Hov and Yeezy's vocal performances. Jay's verses now sound more hyped up and energetic; there is a grit in his voice that we just don't get from his studio recordings. The ad libs and interaction between the two MCs is key as well. As Jay raps, "I ball so hard mother----ers wanna fine me," 'Ye backs him up, shouting, "Haaa!" after each line to hype the experience up. Hova returns the favor when Yeezy spits his 16 by riffing, "Go, go, go, go!" repeatedly. There is absolutely no replacing the original "N---as in Paris," and it isn't likely that the video version of the hit record will make a dent in many DJs' playlists. Still, the new "Paris" keeps things fresh and enhances the video-watching experience. How cray is that? Which version of "N---as in Paris" do you prefer: the new live version or the original studio cut? Tell us in the comments!

Related Videos

The Throne's 'Paris': A Closer Look

Related Photos

Epic Scenes From Jay-Z And Kanye West's 'Paris' Video

Related Artists

Kanye West And Jay-Z Premiere Eye-Popping 'N---as In Paris' Video

09 Feb 2012 12:00:31 EST

Part live clip, part kaleidoscopic freakout, the 'Paris' video more than matches the song's massive impact.
By James Montgomery

Kanye West and jay-Z in the music video for "Paris"
Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records

After the premiere of Kanye West and Jay-Z's new "N---as in Paris" video — which bowed Thursday (February 9) on MTV.com — someone joked that I needed to watch it 13 times in a row to best approximate the experience of the dynamic duo's Watch the Throne tour. And it's true, Kanye and Jay did play "Paris" a whole lot during their trek ... mostly because the song elicited such a thunderous response from sold-out crowds nationwide. So it's somewhat fitting that the video (which was directed by West) is equally live ... and just as thunderous.

Filmed in part during the run of Throne shows at the Staples Center in Los Angeles — additional footage, one can assume, was shot during a casted performance, unless the Staples crowd was 85 percent female models — the clip captures both the loose jocularity of 'Ye and Jay and the electric energy that coursed through the venue when "Paris" leapt from the speakers (many, many times). West fills the video with eye-catching kaleidoscopic effects, creating dizzying visuals that fold the audience, the stage and everything else in upon themselves, making fractals upon fractals. No wonder the clip is preceded by an epilepsy warning. Check out epic scenes from the "N---as in Paris" video! Given the size and scope of both the song and the artists performing it, the "Paris" video is also loaded with lasers, prowling panthers, pop-up-book cityscapes and the aforementioned models. Shoot, even producer Hit-Boy makes a one-second cameo. It's a head-spinning, pulse-quickening mixture of imagery and movement, of sight and sound — an experience unlike any other live clip.

Oh, and yes, Will Ferrell makes an appearance too, though it's in the form of a scene from "Blades of Glory" (guess Ferrell wasn't lying when he told MTV News that plans to feature him in the clip never quite materialized). So truly, there's something for everyone. If you caught the Throne tour, the "Paris" video is sure to inspire heady flashbacks. If you didn't, well, here's what it was like, only pushed to the absolute max. And to further replicate the live feeling, I recommend watching it for roughly the next hour. It's the way the thing was supposed to be viewed, after all. Did the "Paris" video capture the live Watch the Throne experience? Leave your comment below!

Related Videos