Drake
Photo: MTV News

The Cash Money/ Young Money synergy continued recently in Miami. All the family was there: Lil Wayne, Drake, the Birdman, Nicki Minaj, Lil Twist, Lil Chuckee, Mack Maine ... everybody. Wayne and his Young Money camp shot the video for "Bed Rock," while Birdman corralled Drake and Weezy for "4 My Town (Play Ball)," the next single off his album Priceless, due Monday.

"Me, Birdman and Wayne, we got this new song — I guess you could say it's like another 'Money to Blow,' " Drake said on set. "[The] three dudes that brought you the original are coming back, trying to make it just as big. It's cool, man, to come out here and see the classic Cash Money feel. Everything is really big. It's borderline cartoon. All the best things — the best cars, the best-looking women, the lights. It's one of those videos that's fun to do."

Birdman continued to say that while Drake is family, he has his own niche.

"Me and my son been working 20 years, literally. Working with Drake brings a different spark," Birdman said about working with Wayne and Drake. "[Drake's] got a different spark. He's him. He brings him to what we do. It's a different look. It brings something else to it. What I love about him is he does his own thing. He has his own thing with our thing and it makes it bigger. Drizzy!"

On the Birdman's official Twitter page, it was announced that Wayne's Rebirth LP and the Young Money album have both been pushed back to December 22.

• Drake
• Lil Wayne

Photo: DrJays.com

• Robin Thicke
• Rakim
• Jay-Z
• Lil Wayne
• Eminem

Kidd Kidd
Photo: Dream Big

Fire Starter: Kidd Kidd

We're going to keep flying through the green light this month in the Fire Starter section. The hot talent from the South keeps emerging. So far, we've brought you Pill and Donnis out of the ATL. This week, we take it to New Orleans for Kidd Kidd.

"Kidd Kidd, my face on every wanted poster" — you might not have recognized the voice, but Kidd was on one of the biggest singles of 2008: Lil Wayne's "Mrs. Officer." The downtown New Orleans native linked up with the uptown N.O. legend (Kidd says downtown cats are known for being grimy, while uptown fellas are famous for stuntin') more than six years ago as part of Wayne's side clique Sqad Up. The collective — which also included Gudda Gudda and T-Streets, who are now down with Wayne's Young Money label — released a slew of mixtapes and underground, independent albums on Wayne's now-defunct Money Yung'N Records.

"Wayne, he works hard," said Kidd, who is known primarily by the nicknames "Peanut" or "Nutt" in his hometown. "You've got to give it up to him. He's a hard worker, so I feel like if I'm around you, I have to work just as hard as you. When he's in the studio, I'm in there. I have to make sure I'm on top of mine too. It was just about being at the right place at the right time."

Since last year, Kidd has ventured out to do his own thing and has linked up with music-industry vet Sha Money XL, who played an integral part in 50 Cent and the G-Unit's rise to fame.

"I want to see the best for him," XL told Mixtape Daily. "I got the label deal too. We're gonna put out records regardless, but it's more for me to get him out there as big as he can be, 'cause he's a star. I want to see him rise to the top. If another major comes in and got the right money, we can do it. L.A. Reid, all y'all know we get to it. We can get to it."

Kidd's first stop to making sure everyone knows his face and his music is the mixtape New Kidd on the Block, hosted by DJ Whoo Kid and DJ Scream. The CD has a mixture of freestyles and new songs, as well as old records he recorded with Drake and Wayne.

"I wanted to put those songs out there, because somebody else was already trying to," Kidd explained. "It wasn't out there how it was supposed to be, so we put those on there."

Some of the records Kidd dug in the crates for was "My N---a," which lent some melodic inspiration to Drake's "Best I Ever Had' and the original version of "Forever" — sans Eminem and Kanye West (Drake and Wayne's verses are totally different form the version you hear on the radio).

"What a lot of people don't know, ['Forever'], it was a me, Drake and Wayne song, the original before they did the remix to it."

He also flipped his own version of Drake's "Fear," which is about Kidd's introduction to the rap game. "It's letting people know, 'Don't be scared of me. Just give me your ear and let me do me,' " Kidd explained.

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

• Mixtape Daily: Jay-Z, Robin Thicke, Nicki Minaj, More

• Drake
• Lil Wayne

Leighton Meester
Photo: Steven Roberts/ MTV News

NEW YORK — She already made "Good Girls Go Bad" with Cobra Starship and looked for "Somebody to Love" with Robin Thicke. Now Leighton Meester's about to "Make It Rain" with Lil Wayne.

Yes, Lil Wayne.

The "Gossip Girl" star revealed her latest collaboration to MTV News before performing at the new American Eagle store in Times Square on Tuesday night, where she sang a medley of cuts off her yet-untitled album, including a remix of the Cobra Starship track.

"I met [Wayne] a few months ago, and he's honestly — I don't even know if he'll want people to know that he's incredibly polite and respectful," she said about the hip-hop wunderkind, with whom she actually presented the award for Best Song From a Movie at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. "He's so talented and very funny. And really optimistic, and super supportive of me, which I've really, really appreciated so much."

It seems that since their meeting a few months back, Wayne's been a fan of Blair Waldorf's budding discography — and even picked which track he'd be featured on. "I sent him a couple of my songs," she said. "He's been diggin' on them for a while. Then he heard ['Make It Rain'], and he was like, 'All right, I'm gonna kill it!' "

While many musical partnerships can be conducted without both artists being in the studio together, Meester and Weezy got some face time during the song's recording — a feat for any artist, considering Wayne's notorious nocturnal office hours.

"It was like, literally, 4 o'clock in the morning," Meester said of the time she showed up at the studio to watch Wayne work himself into her song. "He was so sick — he didn't even write anything down. He just, like, vibed to the music and dances. I don't even know how he does it; he's amazing."

• Leighton Meester, Pete Wentz Help Launch American Eagle In Times Square
• Star Gazing: Leighton Meester

• Leighton Meester
• Lil Wayne

"Best Rapper Alive" mixtape
Photo: DJ Trackstar

Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables

Mixtape: Best Rapper Alive?

Headliners: Lil Wayne and Royce Da 5'9"

Co-Stars: DJ Trackstar and the Smoking Section

We Can't Stop Playing: The "D.O.A." freestyles; the "Ignant Sh--" freestyles

Essential Info: This is just a mixtape you put on and forget about the fast-forward button. This is one of those gem mixtapes, because you know there's a guarantee that lyrics will be as sharp as a Peyton Manning pass. DJ Trackstar plays Butch Lewis, promoting a dream rhyme fight between Weezy F. Baby and the Nickel Nine. Trackstar took beats that Lil Wayne and Royce Da 5'9" rapped over separately on mixtapes and on proper albums and mixed a tape to make it sound like the two were battling for an entire CD. He even has a score card with the track list.

Obviously, there is no way to judge a battle between the two, because these verses weren't recorded for that purpose, but it's dope nonetheless listening to the two abuse each track worse than Manny Pacquiao dismantled Miguel Cotto in the ring Saturday night.

We know Wayne composes his bars in his head and doesn't write anything down. Royce recently stopped by the 1515 headquarters and told us how he attacks his rhymes.

"I got a lot of different methods," said Royce, who released the LP Street Hop late last month. "Right now in my career, I don't have a particular go-to method. It's all different ways I do it. Everything starts with the music. I gotta have the actual beats. I come up with concepts sometimes without hearing any music, but I can listen to a beat and say, 'This concept that I have in my mind matches this beat.' I might sit on a concept for years. I got a song called 'Taxi Driver,' and I had the concept, but I had to wait on the right beat. I got a Mario Winans beat, and I had to make it mesh. It starts with the beat, then concept, then the flow, then the words. The words are the easiest part.

"I prefer to have everything mapped out," he added about going into the studio. "I'm a technician when I write. I prefer to have everything mapped out. I like to go in there with all the tools already, then it's an easier day for me."

Mixtape: Blockstars 2

Headliner: DJ Kay Slay

Co-Stars: Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Beanie Sigel, 50 Cent, Maino and Mike Beck

We Can't Stop Playing: Sheek Louch's "Everyday"; "Warm It Up" by Styles P; "Self Destruction 2010" by various artists

Essential Info: We listen to the Drama Hour on Hot 97, but there's nothing like throwing on a Kay Slay mixtape and hearing the Drama King start to yell. You don't know if he's gonna call somebody out or shout somebody out, but for damn sure, Kay is going to let you know you are listening to his tape. It's all good. Right about now, Kay is in full burn mode. He's starting to warm it up for his next LP, More Than Just a DJ, which hits January 20.

Salute to all the DJs out there expanding your brand and making it happen. You guys continue to drive the culture.

Other Heat This Week

» Rakim - Seventh Seal (independent album)
» OJ Da Juiceman - 6 Ringz: The Michael Jordan Edition
» Kevin Cossum - Hook vs. Bridge

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

• Mixtape Daily: Jay-Z, Robin Thicke, Nicki Minaj, More

• Lil Wayne

Shakira in "Give It Up To Me"
Photo: Sony

The hips don't lie! Shakira's gone "Single Ladies" in her brand-new "Give It Up to Me" video (from her recent She Wolf LP), which finds everyone's favorite practitioner of midsection manipulation showing more than a few Beyoncéisms.

While the video doesn't mimic Beyoncés work, the influence is evident: From the dangly earrings and high-cut leotard to an aerodynamic 'do (which has since been replaced by a mane of dreadlocks) and a spate of dance moves that would make even the stoutest of chiropractors cringe, "Give It Up To Me" takes those elements, throws them into a blender, spins them around the globe and sees them brought home by Lil Wayne.

In fact, "Give It Up to Me" manages to carve out its own little niche, thanks mainly to Shakira's seemingly boundless spirit (which is a nice way of saying "she's a little crazy.") While not as nutty as her "She Wolf" video, "Give It Up to Me" is far from straightforward, either. There's the fact that she opens the video dressed like Jennifer Lopez from her days as a Fly Girl ... the inexplicable hieroglyphics on her left arm ... the part where she and her backup dancers turn into human caterpillars ... the part where she transforms into a super-shiny Shiva floating above Manhattan.

So yeah, it's pretty out there! And it shows Shakira and Beyoncé to be kindred spirits: both mine similar territories, both tend to skew delightfully odd, both shake their lower extremities at dangerous velocities (the video for their duet, "Beautiful Liar," is enough to give you whiplash). And they're both great, too, the kind of pop acts we don't see often enough these days

"Give It Up" — like much of Shakira's She Wolf album — is her take on straightforward club pop, with a straightforward video to match ... but, given that Shakira's involved, it's anything but straightforward, which, of course, means I love it. Shakira really is a true original — as she says, the hips don't lie.

• Shakira's 'Give It Up To Me' Premieres
• MTV News Extended Play: Shakira

• The Evolution Of: Shakira

• Shakira
• Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne
Photo: Mark Venema/ WireImage

NEW YORK — Lil Wayne lives by his own rules when it comes to recording music and, apparently, when it comes to making movies too.

The rapper is the subject of the forthcoming documentary "The Carter," set for a straight-to-DVD release Tuesday. The film, much like Wayne's records, is anything but conventional.

In fact, according to the project's producer, Quincy Jones III ("Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel," "Beef"), the Cash Money Records lyricist shunned the idea of a typical documentary in favor of a more raw, vérité look at his life.

"Typically, when we do documentaries, we sort of have a general understanding of what story we want to cover, and we'll go get interviews to cover the gaps in the story. And we'll do a lot of historical background and summarizing and stuff like that," Jones told MTV News. "With Wayne, he was like, 'I don't want to do anything that's really missionary. I want to give this a whole, new, fresh approach, so I don't necessarily want to do a formal sit-down interview.' And, I think, long-term, that worked out better for us, because sometimes when people do sit-town interviews and it's like a formal interview, you have a chance to do knee-jerk responses, and a lot of the questions will be similar to what other people have asked him. In this case, we were like a fly on the wall in his life for, like, seven months before he dropped [Tha Carter III] and about two or three months after."

On Thursday night, E! reporter Ben Lyons and Shade 45 satellite-radio host Angela Yee hosted a screening for "The Carter" at Manhattan's Landmark's Sunshine Cinema. The film follows the superstar on his travels to Amsterdam, Los Angeles and all points in between. The documentary opens with the rapper in his hotel room overseas, where he's recording material via a makeshift setup: a laptop, headphones and his trusty microphone. Wayne dances to a track that's inaudible to the audience. Soon, he starts rapping aloud, and it's part of what would later become his verse to T.I.'s "Swagga Like Us."

Throughout the documentary, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, Wayne is captured in a series of candid moments. Though Wayne was never formally interviewed for the project, he agreed to let the cameras film him, and several members of his camp spoke at length about him, from Birdman to manager Cortez Bryant to daughter Reginae Carter, who playfully kicked a rhyme that showed her own musical skills.

The film was stuck in a legal battle when Lil Wayne attempted to have the project's release blocked. Earlier reports suggested he was unhappy with the final cut. Jones said the rapper actually saw the finished version of the documentary and was ecstatic over it. The producer said he's unsure what caused the grievance but offered that the film is a fair and "intimate" look at the life of one of hip-hop's hottest MCs.

"That's a real special time in his career and life [when we filmed him]. He'll never get that window back," Jones said. "That's, like, the best time. We caught him leading up to Tha Carter III and then right after, when he went platinum [in the first week of release]. We were on the bus with him when he got the message. It was cool, because I think this is probably by far the most intimate film we've ever done, because he gave us so much access."

Check out everything we've got on "The Carter."

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

• Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne
Photo: Sarah A. Friedman/Contour by Getty Images

Someone has apparently been trying to pass themselves off as Cortez Bryant, the manager of rappers Drake and Lil Wayne. According to a statement released by Bryant Management, "It has come to light that an individual has been impersonating Bryant Management CEO Cortez Bryant for financial gain through false bookings of his clients, specifically the much buzzed-about recording artist Drake."

Bryant, who is also the president of Young Money Entertainment, claims that the impostor has created a false Twitter account and an official-sounding e-mail account in his name, "which he then utilizes to secure and pocket deposits for false bookings and club appearances." The individual is not named in the statement, and it was not revealed where the alleged incidents took place, but Bryant said he is working with authorities investigating the alleged activity and that he's confident the person will be arrested soon.

A spokesperson for the publicity firm that released the statement on behalf of Bryant said the impostor has been targeting the Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, and Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia, markets, offering to book shows and appearances by Drake, whose gigs are booked solely by the ICM Talent & Literary Agency. The alleged fake Twitter account is credited to "Cortez Bryant The Mgr of Superstar Rapper Lil Wayne."

Recent tweets contain such messages as "who wants to make some easy money hit me," "promoters hit me if you want Drake or Wayne for a show" and "getting ready for tour this paperwork is crazy, who wants to help hit me up." The account appears to have been started in July.

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

• Drake
• Lil Wayne

B.G.
Photo: MTV News

If it were just about the music, the long-awaited Hot Boys reunion probably would have already happened. All four members — Lil Wayne, B.G., Juvenile and the currently incarcerated Turk — seem to be onboard. There are even some unreleased Turk vocals in the vaults. However, B.G. said that with him and Lil Wayne having problems with the law, it's unlikely a record will drop anytime soon.

"I know I got my own personal dealings to deal with, as far as with the system and things of that nature," said B.G., who was arrested for illegal gun possession recently in Louisiana. Meanwhile, Wayne is expected to be sentenced to a year in prison in a New York court in February.

"I know Wayne's got to face the music with his situation with the system," B.G. added. "But we got time. We got a whole bunch of time to put the album together. We record quick. We already got songs done. But I look at it like, if we record from now until whoever gets sentenced or however it go, we still wouldn't be able to put the album out until [Wayne] comes home. When shorty comes home, I know he'll wanna record a whole 'nother album. So you might have a double Hot Boys CD. You never know. I don't know how it will work out."

Aside from legal woes, the Hot Boys project still poses problems on the business end.

"It's a paperwork thing," B.G. added. "We gotta get the paperwork straight. A lot of lawyers involved, a lot of managers involved — we gotta make sure everything is everything."

Meanwhile, Juvenile is more optimistic. He says he's already received a payment to work on the album.

"We been came to an agreement on that," Juve told us recently. "I already got a check on the new Hot Boys album. I'm probably the only one that has gotten paid. It's all a matter of them getting the business straight with B.G. — I think Wayne is already in — and Turk. Matter of fact, Wayne is in. Wayne is the one who wrote me the check."

Both B.G. and Juvenile say that they have now reconciled with Cash Money Records Co-CEO Bryan "Birdman" Williams.

"We spilled our guts out to each other," Juve said of his talks with Birdman. "We put it out on the table. We let bygones be bygones. Let's put all this aside and get money."

• '2012' Clips: Preview The End Of The World
• MTV News Extended Play: Shakira

• Hot Boys
• Lil Wayne
• B.G.
• Juvenile

Lil Wayne in his "Got Money" music video
Photo: Universal Motown Records

There will be no recession in record stores over the holidays. In fact, with major releases from some of the biggest names in music slated to hit stores over the next six weeks, this shopping season is packed with one of the biggest bumper crop of anticipated releases in years.

Unlike past years, when hyped albums by Madonna, Eminem, U2 and other megastars were the focus of shoppers' action, this year's offerings span a wide variety of new stars (the "American Idol" triumvirate of Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta), reissues by Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, a greatest-hits collection from Britney Spears and highly anticipated albums from Rihanna, 50 Cent and Shakira. (All dates are subject to change.)

November 17
First out the gate are a number of albums that have been kicking around for so long, some people began to wonder if they would ever hit shelves. Chief among them is 50 Cent's Before I Self-Destruct, a disc that has been pushed around for nearly a year as the G-Unit boss made room for his capo, Eminem, to release Relapse. Kid Sister will also finally get a street date for her long-simmering Ultraviolet album, which has been in the offing even longer than 50's disc.

"Idol" winner Kris Allen will come out of the gate with his self-titled debut, which will vie for attention with the debut from Diddy pal Justin Bieber (My World), John Mayer's Battle Studies and "MTV Unplugged" disc from Katy Perry. Also, look for greatest-hits albums from Fall Out Boy (Believers Never Die) and Janet Jackson (Number Ones).

November 23
Thanksgiving week will blow things out even more, as turkey-stuffed shoppers will be able to choose from two Beyoncé albums: a live disc called I Am ... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas, as well as a deluxe edition of her I Am ... Sasha Fierce album. She'll be fighting for attention with a deluxe edition of Britney Spears' The Singles Collection, two versions of Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster reissue, Shakira's She Wolf and Rihanna's Rated R.

A couple of divas could spoil things for the array of superstars, as "Britain's Got Talent" breakout Susan Boyle drops her first effort, I Dreamed a Dream, and "Idol" glam rocker Adam Lambert offers up his bedazzled For Your Entertainment. Also set for release is Pricele$$ from Cash Money boss Birdman and the self-titled debut from BlakRoc, anchored by blues duo the Black Keys and featuring cameos from Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, ODB, Raekwon, Ludacris and Jim Jones (which actually drops on the 27th, which they've dubbed "Blak Friday").

December 1
The ranks thin a bit by December, which brings the debut album from "Idol" firebrand Allison Iraheta, Just Like You, as well as the first CD from "Dollhouse" singer and Internet sensation Priscilla Renea, Jukebox.

December 8
Things get a bit nutty again the following week, with a pileup of big names, led by Chris Brown with Graffiti, the 20-year-old singer's first release since his guilty plea in June for assaulting former girlfriend Rihanna in February. The hip-hop-heavy week will also see the long-delayed Till the Casket Drops from the Clipse, Gucci Mane's The State vs. Radric Davis, and Snoop Dogg's Malice N Wonderland.

Super-producer Timbaland will host the usual array of A-list talent for his Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2, while 30 Seconds to Mars emerge from a year of label drama with This Is War. Indie faves Animal Collective offer up the Fall Be Kind EP, and rapper Redman will also stuff some stockings with a little something called Reggie Noble 9 1/2, Ludacris will release a greatest-hits album and smoothie Robin Thicke will provide some Sex Therapy.

December 15
There are only a handful of big names on the roster for December 15, but they're major ones, led by Lil Wayne's long-delayed Rebirth, the soon-to-be-incarcerated rapper's so-called "rock" album, which may be packaged with the debut from his Young Money crew. Alicia Keys will return with The Element of Freedom.

December 22
And, as befits a true diva, Mary J. Blige has the lane all to herself December 22, when she drops Stronger.

• Year-End Albums Video Playlist

• Britney Spears
• Lil Wayne
• John Mayer
• Adam Lambert
• Rihanna

Lil Wayne's Battle With His Gun Possession Case

• Lil Wayne

Who Are The Landmarks Of The VMAs?

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

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

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

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

• Lil Wayne
• Drake

America's Most Wanted Tour Stops In L.A.

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

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• Soulja Boy Tell'em
• Nicki Minaj
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Lil Wayne And Drake Rehearse For America's Most Wanted

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The Evolution Of Weezy

• Lil Wayne

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

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Mixtape Daily: Other Notables, Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne And More

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