Rihanna and Young Jeezy
Photo: MTV News/ Getty Images

Yet another new song from Rihanna's upcoming Rated R album hit the radio Monday (November 2).

The track is called "Hard," and it matches the title. It has an abrasive party beat, and Rihanna and guest Young Jeezy aren't shy about discussing their elite status.

	Rihanna's Rated R Collaborators

"Tougher than a lion/ Ain't no need in trying/ I live where the sky ends, yup, you know this," Rihanna sings in a near-rap flow. "Never lying, truth telling/ That Rihanna reign just won't let up/ ... The hottest bi--- in heels right here."

Meanwhile, Jeezy talks about his progression. "I used to run my block like Obama and them," Jeezy raps. "Don't believe me, ask my momma and them/ Tell 'em give me back my swag/ They tried to clone me/ See my Louis Chucks, Louis flag, Louis flames, Louis belt/ What that make me, 'Louis Mane'?/ ... 'Hard,' if one word describes me/ If I wasn't doing this, you know where'd I be."

"Hard" writer The-Dream talked to MTV News about the track last week.

" 'Hard,' I want that song to explain itself," he said. "Most of the stuff I wrote — still to this day what I write — I try to find out through people what they're going through or what they gotta say. Then we put that in."

Another Rihanna song, "Wait Your Turn," leaked online Monday. Rated R comes out November 23.

• Rihanna's Rated R Collaborators

• Rihanna
• Young Jeezy

Rihanna
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Rihanna's Rated R will come out November 23 and feature new collaborations with the man behind her biggest hit so far. The-Dream, who wrote "Umbrella," penned a couple of tracks for the new LP.

"Me and Rihanna, she just cut the last of the two records we did. It's a record called 'Rock Star,' " the singer-song writer divulged earlier this week, backstage at the Izod Center in New Jersey. "The first record is a record called 'Hard,' which features [Young] Jeezy. Both of those records are pretty insane."

Dream declined to go into much detail about the tracks, but said the Rihanna/ Jeezy collaboration is one for the record books.

" 'Hard,' I want that song to explain itself," he said. "Most of the stuff I wrote — still to this day what I write — I try to find out through people — what they're going through or what they gotta say. Then we put that in."

Dream also said that nobody has to worry about Jeezy's verse. The Snowman delivered as always.

"Oh, c'mon, he killed it! You know Young killed it," Dream smiled. "That's ATL right there. That's all we do."

Last week, Rihanna released the single "Russian Roulette," which was written by Ne-Yo.

"I trust Rihanna to be Rihanna, and she trusts me to be me," Ne-Yo recently told MTV News. "That's the coolest thing about our relationship. I don't expect anything more from her. I must say this song is a step in somewhat of a different direction for both of us. We kind of both took a chance."

Sean Garrett has also written for the album, with Polow Da Don lending production.

• Rihanna's 'Russian Roulette' Video Set

• Rihanna
• The-Dream
• Young Jeezy

Jay-Z
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/ Getty Images

There's a lot of big mixtape news this week, including our full report Friday on Lil Wayne's No Ceilings tape. Make sure to come back later for a nice exclusive for your weekend. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here's a little jewel from our sit-down with Jay-Z.

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

Young Jeezy and Young Hov have not yet filmed a video for "Real as It Gets." Earlier this month, Jeezy told us he and Jay-Z would be filming a decadent clip for the record.

"We just gonna go dumb," Jeezy forecasted. "Call Rick [Ross] up, everybody. [We'll have] cars, watches, blunts, money, just go dumb. Dumm-meeee! That's what we need to do."

We spoke to Jay-Z earlier this week, and Jigga said the clip is still in the cards; they just have to figure out scheduling.

"We're trying to do that now as well," Jay said of the video. "Hopefully, we'll shoot that. But it's difficult. I don't have too many gaps in my schedule. So I'll try to figure it out. I really wanna do it in Atlanta."

Jay is currently on a tour of mostly colleges, and the rap legend said he's already planning a tour for early 2010 that Jeezy might be going on as well.

"Yeah, that's a possibility," Hov said. "Young Jizzle — I got a great relationship with him. I think he's one of those guys that's gonna be here for a minute. People are interested in what he has to say. It's not about a song, although he makes great songs. It's more about what he has to say or what he has to offer: music that is sustainable, which is great and will be around forever."

Streets Is Talking: News And Notes From the Underground

Maino has become the go-to guy for artists who need a surprise at their New York shows. Alicia Keys, the Game, T.I., 50 Cent and, last night, Mario have all called on the Brooklyn MC. And Main said: Why shouldn't they?

"Like Jay said: People lie, but numbers don't," Main boasted in Mario's dressing room at the Izod Center in New Jersey during Power 105's Powerhouse '09 concert. "If you look at the numbers, I'm probably the most consistent new artist from New York. When you step outside of New York, I'm one of the only new artists from New York that get spins all over the country. My single is platinum; numbers don't lie. We bringing the plaque back to Brooklyn. I'm running around like I ain't never had nothing before. They gonna say, 'We seen Maino walking up Fulton [Street] with a platinum plaque.' Got-damn right!"

Maino is already working on a new LP.

"It's coming," he promised. "I'm putting out a new record next week. I ain't gonna talk about it; I'm just gonna put it out."

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

• Mixtape Daily: Polow Da Don, Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, More

• Jay-Z
• Young Jeezy

Mike Epps
Photo: MTV News

ATLANTA — Ice Cube and Mike Epps have reunited for their fifth film together, "Lottery Ticket," which comes out next year. As Epps told us during the BET Hip-Hop Awards taping, he and the rap icon are actually supporting another star rapper in the movie: Bow Wow.

"Bow Wow and Brandon T. Jackson [are the stars]," Epps said. "Me and Cube are actually almost doing cameos in this movie. It's for Lil' Bow Wow and them. But we all help each other out in this business."

Earlier this year, Epps and Cube shot the movie "Janky Promoters," which also stars Young Jeezy. The movie, which centers on two shifty music promoters, has yet to be released while Cube and company have been negotiating the comedy's distribution. Meanwhile, Epps is releasing the comedy/rap LP Funny Bidness ... Da Album (October 27) as well as a new stand-up special, "Under Rated & Never Faded" (November 10).

On the BET red carpet, Epps, who hosted the show, said he was looking forward to seeing Cube, Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy. He was also itching to crack jokes at the expense of the celebrity audience.

"Hey, man, I'm cracking everybody," he warned with a grin. "I gotta keep it secret [who I'm going to target]. ... It's gonna be family fun. Everybody knows the inside jokes of everybody around here. It's gonna be fun, though."

Check out everything we've got on "Lottery Ticket" and "Janky Promoters."

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

• Bow Wow
• Young Jeezy

Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Young Jeezy
Photo: Getty Images

Celebrity Favorites

Young Jeezy and Rick Ross are like DMX and Jay-Z back in the day. They are carrying on a new era of Def Jam. On Tuesday night, VH1 aired "Hip Hop Honors," a celebration of the label's silver anniversary. The Southern giants say they are proud to keep the label's legacy alive.

"To be a part of Def Jam, I feel that the biggest legacies have been lived at Def Jam," Ross said. "From the dudes I love like EPMD, of course the LL Cool Js, of course Jay-Zs — but this is that next run. When you think of the classic tours, the Ruff Ryders, Cash Money tours, I feel like we bubbling and building these brands too. Most definitely, with the moves we making, we both bosses, we gonna keep it like that."

"We're the new generation of hustlas," Jeezy added. "New generation of entrepreneurs. We're the new generation of going out there and getting it from the streets. We're selling a lifestyle. This is how we live every day. The better you live like that, the better music you sell. ... He put on Triple C's; I put USDA on. That's real tough music. We doing it the right way. We connected. If we was doing something else, it would have been the same thing. He hit me for a video — he could have hit me for anything.

"That's the homie," he added. "I hit him up a few [years] back, for the USDA tape: 'I need a remix for the "White Girl." ' He sent it back next-day air. So he hit me [recently] and told me what he was doing. I'm in! 'Erryday.' "

Ross and Jeezy brought both their families to a soundstage Sunday night to film the video for "Erryday." That song is the next single from the Triple C's album Custom Cars & Cycles.

"I watched Jeezy establish a brand," Ross said. "When you speak of successful executives coming out of the South that's still in the streets making moves, that's one of the dudes I look at. It was a huge record. I reached out to my family, he made it pop. Not only that, he let [Jeezy's Corporate Thugz Ent. artist] JW shine on the record. That's from the crib, the bottom. It was just love. The streets feeling it, and that's what it's about."

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

• Mixtape Daily Video: Lil Boosie, Big Gates, Young Jeezy More

• Young Jeezy
• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)

Young Jeezy and Rick Ross
Photo: MTV News

ATLANTA — Young Jeezy made another onstage connection with Young Hov on Saturday night, when the Snowman brought out Jay-Z during the BET Hip-Hop Awards. The following night, Young told MTV News that their performance of "As Real as It Gets" was the setup for an even bigger event, the song's video.

"Opened up the BET Awards, me and Jay-Z," Jeezy said on set of Triple C's and Rick Ross' new video for "Erryday." "Shouts out to the homie, man, he stopped through. He was on his way to another show. But that's what we do. Real ones do real things. I just wanted to do something big for the city. Since the song is on both of our albums, we gonna shoot the video. It's gonna be crazy. We said, 'Let's go ahead and break it in at the BET Awards.' "

Jeezy explained that the video is going to display some of their riches. "We just gonna go dumb," he said. "Call Rick [Ross] up, everybody. [We'll have] cars, watches, blunts, money, just go dumb. Dumm-meeee! That's what we need to do."

Jeezy also said he wouldn't mind doing some more shows with Jay-Z.

"I'mma keep it all the way live, homie. At this point in my career, I'm like, whatever, I do this from the heart," Mr. 17.5 said. "Everything I do is real to me. If it's some strings and orchestra with it, and we still talking about what we supposed to be talking about, I'm all for it."

• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
• Jay-Z
• Young Jeezy

Young Jeezy celebrates his Birthday after the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta on Saturday
Photo: MTV News

ATLANTA — One of the BET Hip Hop Awards afterparties was a birthday party. After the big show, Young Jeezy hit ATL club Dreamz and welcomed guests Lil Boosie and Lil' Webbie to the VIP section.

DJ Don Cannon spun records from the stage as the three popped bottles of champagne in VIP. At around 3 a.m., the music inspired Jeezy to grab the mic and perform. First were his underground bangers "Trappin Ain't Dead" and "24, 23 (Kobe, LeBron)."

"Kobe, LeBron/ I used to pay Kobe, but now I pay LeBron," Jeezy rapped.

Cannon then put on Jeezy's CTE clique anthem "Biggest Movie Ever."

Out of nowhere, Fabolous appeared onstage and Cannon threw on Loso's Jeezy-featuring "Do the Damn Thang."

"What you wanna do," Young said. Fab — who had a drink in his hand instead of a mic — gave Jeezy the "I don't know" shoulder shrug, but the DJ soon handed him a mic. Fab and Jeezy went back and forth on that track as well as "Diamonds." Cannon turned the party into a concert, playing Fab's "Breathe" and "Throw it in the Bag" remix.

Fabolous had performed the original "Throw it in the Bag" during the BET Hip Hop Awards earlier in the night at the Atlanta Civic Center. Jeezy opened the show with Jay-Z, performing "As Real As It Gets."

The after-afterparty for Jeezy was at club Miami, where the MC continued to party well into the early morning.

• Soulja Boy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg And More At The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

• Young Jeezy
• Fabolous

Ice Cube arrives at the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

ATLANTA — At the Atlanta Civic Center, Young Jeezy — who often has high-profile guests to join him onstage — pulled off a huge move during the BET Hip-Hop Awards, kicking off the show by bringing out surprise guest Jay-Z. Hov and Young opened the show with "As Real As It Gets," with the two hip-hop heavyweights going back and forth on verses. With the audience on their feet by song's end, Jeezy said, "Welcome to Atlanta."

Jay later took home the MVP of the Year award, beating out such popular peers as Lil Wayne and Drake. Hov dedicated his win to Mr. Magic, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. "Brooklyn, we did it again," he said at the conclusion of his brief speech.

Other big winners announced during the show were Drake for Rookie of the Year and DJ AM for DJ of the Year.

Busta Rhymes stood in for the turntable great, who passed away in August. "I'm honored to accept this," he said. Rhymes also saluted his recently deceased personal DJ, Roc Raida, and pioneer Mr. Magic who formatted his New York radio show with 100 percent hip-hop in the 1980s.

DJ Drama was the house DJ, with DJ Khaled serving as the show's MC. Mike Epps, the show's host, did a short stand-up routine as he cracked the mic, clowning on everyone from Lil Mama to Snoop Dogg. And after Faboulous performed "Throw it in the Bag" and its remix with The-Dream, the crowd was treated with some throwback flavor.

As Fonzworth Bentley and the New Boyz announced the nominees for Rookie of the Year, legendary hip-hop duo Kid 'N Play made their way onstage. The Boyz had proclaimed to be rap's first two-man team to dance as well as rock the mic, prompting Kid 'N Play's entrance to "Rollin' With Kid and Play" to perform their signature dance.

One of the standout stars of the show was ATL's Gucci Mane, who performed several times throughout the night, changing into outfits that included his snow-white fur and jewelry pieces like his outrageous iced-out egg beater. Gucci first came out with Mario for "Break Up" and then took over the stage, bringing out Plies for "Wasted." Gucci also appeared with Soulja Boy, OJ Da Juiceman and a umbrella-toting Shawty Lo for "Gucci Bandana." Mr. Mane's night ended with Wale as they performed the stage debut of "Pretty Girls."

Snoop Dogg also logged multiple stage appearances, debuting his own new record, "Gangsta Luv," with The-Dream (transitioning into a finale of "Gin and Juice") and keeping the crowd on their feet during a surprise highlight, Dorrough's "Ice Cream Paint Job" remix — a remix that included the song's star as well as Jim Jones, Soulja Boy and Nipsey Hussle.

Ice Cube was honored with the I Am Hip-Hop award, with an introductory video that included a voice-over from Dr. Dre. "From that first rhyme he spit for me, I knew Cube was a star," Dre said. The award was presented to the former N.W.A member by Young Jeezy and Cube's favorite MC, Chuck D.

	The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

"Without Chuck D, we'd be on a real bad collision course," Cube said in his speech. The legendary trailblazer also called for the hip-hop nation to do "what we feel" and encouraged old b-boys to "keep doing your music" and not let anybody push them out. "As long as you got a tongue, you're not too old to rap," he added.

During breaks, BET showed videotaped packages of their now-famous "cypher" rap sessions. DJ Premier played a beat while three sets of MCs rapped. The first set included KRS-One and Wale, while the second set showcased Joe Budden and Nicki Minaj. The rhyme of the night went to Eminem, however — his session included Black Thought and Mos Def. Em hit a rapid-fire flow that addressed everything from sex to Barack Obama.

Veterans the Goodie Mob ended the night with powerful, high-octane renditions of their classics "Cell Therapy" and "Get Rich to This." It was the group's first televised reunion after nearly a decade apart and had the entire audience singing along in their hometown.

• Soulja Boy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg And More At The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

• Ice Cube
• Young Jeezy
• Jay-Z
• Lil Wayne
• Drake

Young Jeezy performs in Cincinnati on Thursday
Photo: Gil Kaufman / MTV News

CINCINNATI — From the screams and shout-back lyrics in the near-capacity crowd at Riverbend Amphitheater on Thursday night, you'd think Lil Wayne had never visited the Queen City. In fact, Weezy was here earlier this year, playing the local arena to an equally enthusiastic audience. And, as if further proof were needed that he's "the best rapper alive," as he frequently reminded his faithful in neon letters on the big screen above the stage, even a surprise appearance by Snoop Dogg couldn't steal the spotlight from Weezy F. Baby on this night.

With just a handful of dates left on the America's Most Wanted tour, Wayne's 90-minute show provided ample proof that even if his long-rumored "rock" album, Rebirth, doesn't end up riff-packed as advertised, the New Orleans-bred MC still has plenty of love for headbanging and guitar slangin'.

	Weezy And Yeezy Perform In Cincinatti

For much of the show, Wayne was backed by his hard-hitting four-piece band, which grinded out power chords that would do a metal-loving bar band proud, particularly on the (literally) explosive opening tune, "A Milli," which was accompanied by showers of sparks, flash bangs and Kiss-worthy pyro.

The show opened much more quietly several hours earlier with brief sets from Jeremih and Pleasure P, who warmed the stage up for Soulja Boy Tell'em. The teenage rapper stormed out with his four man S.O.D. Money crew, dressed in camo shorts and matching green Ed Hardy shirt, his coaster-size watch and diamond studded globe chain nearly blinding everyone in the first 10 rows.

With each tune punctuated by tooth-rattling samples of gunshots, Soulja Boy largely ignored his older hits in favor of tracks like "Gucci Bandana," getting the largely female crowd teetering back and forth in unison to the molasses-thick, rib rattling bass thump of "Turn My Swag On."

He took the stage solo for "Kiss Me Through The Phone," but curiously ignored the tune that made him famous, "Crank That."

Young Jeezy was next, augmented by a single hype man and a DJ for trunk rattlers like "My Hood" and "Trap or Die," occasionally dropping out the beat entirely and pushing through his street-smart lyrics in just his hoarse holler.

And then Snoop Dogg came out. The surprise appearance by the Doggfather — who was hanging backstage with Cincinnati legend/Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins earlier in the night — drew hollers from the crowd. Dressed in a powder-blue tracksuit, Snoop took the mic for a few verses of "Gin and Juice" before leaving in a puff of smoke as Jeezy rolled into "Put On," during which his black-clad band bounced out, black bandanas covering their faces.

Now backed by a guitar, bass, keyboards, a drummer and a three-piece horn section, Jeezy worked through the hook of "Love in This Club" (warning "this ain't no motherf---ing R&B show") before sliding into the more thug-riffic "Imma Do Me." How large is Jeezy? As the strains of this year's unofficial inaugural anthem, "My President," boomed out, Jeezy saluted, thanked the crowd and walked off stage without dropping a single lyric from the tune.

By the time Wayne came out, the amphitheater — which was nearly empty when the show began — was packed with girls in their micro-mini, gladiator-sandal finest and the suburban dudes grinding right behind them. They joined Wayne in pointing to the east and west during "Got Money," looked up to the clear night sky for "Phone Home" and shouted along to Weezy's verse on "Swagga Like Us," which was accompanied by rolling drums and a squealing guitar solo.

With barely a moment to breathe, Wayne dove right into "Mr. Carter" during an opening barrage that played like one of his mixtapes, as hot jam after jam was rolled out by DJ 4our 5ive, who kept things moving briskly. As you might expect, giant, face-flushing flames shot up during the nearly-metal take on "Fireman" before Wayne took a moment to pay homage to a trio of rap greats — Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z — with verses from each. He, of course, added himself to the hip-hop triumvirate, as "the best rapper alive" blazed across the on-stage screens and he strapped on a Gibson Les Paul guitar for a shambling rumble through Aerosmith's "Walk This Way."

"Prom Queen" turned into a trip to a Vegas-worthy strip club as four dancers with pom-poms shook it while Wayne's guitarist blasted out an Eddie Van Halen-worthy solo amid synchronized stripper pole routines. In case you didn't get it, the stage filled with huge clouds of green smoke for "Kush," as a half dozen fog geysers accompanied a Cypress Hill-like woozy bass thump.

Wayne's "daddy," Birdman, did his nightly cameo on "We Takin' Over," "Run This City" and "Always Strapped," before the show hit a bit of a lull as Weezy brought out the Young Money All-Stars one at a time for some shine. Though Nicki Minaj made eyeballs pop with her liquid leather pants and a silver-and-blue bustier during her speed-rap spotlight (and despite a co-sign from Baby), up-and-comers like Lil Twist, Lil Chuckee and Gudda Gudda got polite applause.

Finally, nearly an hour into the show, Weezy dipped deeper into songs from Tha Carter III, grinding through the dark dirges "3 Peat" and "Let the Beat Build" and gladly getting cuffed by four sexy cops during "Mrs. Officer." The stripper poles came out again for "Lollipop," which rocked like Travis Barker had gotten his thunderpaws on it, though it was hard to know what to watch as Wayne thrust at Minaj while flames shot up and scantily clad dancers tossed money at each other.

At the end of the night, Wayne stood center stage surrounded by his extended Young Money family, but you can be sure all eyes were on Mr. Carter.

• Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne At America's Most Wanted Stop In Cincinnati

• Snoop Dogg
• Young Jeezy
• Lil Wayne

Eminem
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

It's the label that brought acts like LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Jay-Z and Ludacris to the world, and now, 25 years after it launched in a New York University dorm room, Def Jam Records continues to lead the way, boasting a roster that includes the likes of Kanye West and Rihanna.

And on October 13, a host of elite artists — including Eminem, Rick Ross, Mary J. Blige, Young Jeezy, Ludacris and Fabolous — will celebrate Def Jam's 25th anniversary with performances at VH1's "Hip Hop Honors 2009" show. But they're not the only ones lining up to pay their respects. DMX, Method Man and Redman, the Roots, Kid Rock, Trey Songz, Ja Rule, Onyx, Warren G and Public Enemy are also scheduled to perform at the sixth-annual Honors, which will be taped at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House and premiere at 9 p.m. ET/PT on October 13 on VH1. "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan will once again serve as host for the evening. Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon and Brett Ratner will be on hand as presenters.

Fans can go to HipHop.VH1.com now to comment on this year's lineup and to weigh in on what they'd like to hear at the show. Additionally, on Monday, September 14, VH1 will launch the full show site at HipHop.VH1.com with artist profiles, exclusive online programming, show information and more. Additional VH1.com and VH1 Mobile efforts for "VH1 Hip-Hop Honors" will be announced in the coming weeks.

• Eminem
• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
• Mary J. Blige
• Young Jeezy
• Ludacris

Rihanna's Rated R Collaborators

• Rihanna
• Young Jeezy
• Will.I.Am

Soulja Boy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg And More At The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards

• Soulja Boy Tell'em
• Ludacris
• Snoop Dogg
• Goodie Mob
• OutKast

Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne At America's Most Wanted Stop In Cincinnati

• Lil Wayne
• Young Jeezy
• Snoop Dogg
• Soulja Boy Tell'em

Is Young Jeezy One Of The "Hottest MCs"?

• Young Jeezy

Young Jeezy, LeBron James At 'America's Most Wanted' Festival

• Young Jeezy

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, Young Jeezy, Mary J. Blige And More Come Out For Hot 107.9's Birthday Bash 2009

• Lil Wayne
• Trey Songz
• Plies
• Shawty Lo
• Pleasure P

Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, T-Pain, More At Hot 97's Summer Jam 2009

• Maino
• Movado
• Jim Jones
• Jadakiss
• Young Jeezy

T.I., Nas, Common, More At BET Inaugural Ball

• Common
• Nas
• T.I.
• Young Jeezy
• Nick Cannon

Young Jeezy's "Presidential Status" Inaugural Ball

• Young Jeezy
• Jay-Z
• T.I.
• Wale
• Bow Wow