N.E.R.D.
Photo: Jun Sato/ WireImage

Pharrell's falsetto can only go so far. So he, along with the rest of the N.E.R.D. troops, recruited a new singer into the fold for their fourth album, Instant Gratification, slated to be released sometime in 2010.

The addition of Rhea, introduced to the band by a mutual friend, has the producer promising some lofty things for the foursome's next project.

"Musically, we're just somewhere else [with her]," Pharrell told MTV News. "The music is now very 3-D. It's something you have to hear. But you'll see. We're definitely somewhere else. I want to leave that impact moment for when you purchase your download and you purchase your CD. The music is very three-dimensional. We're just really excited. We feel like N.E.R.D. has always been the punks of hip-hop and the outcasts of alternative music — just a little different. But this time, we're taking no prisoners."

The Neptunes artist explained Rhea might be petite, at just 5-foot-4, but her booming voice and her classical background blend in with the genre-bending trio of N.E.R.D., also including Chad Williams and Shae.

"Now you have this little Tinkerbell that's just stepped in and has been amazing," he said. "It's made it a fun process. We can go in so many more directions, because we have the vocal support."

Rhea, a Toronto native of Guyanese descent, met the fellas only once in person before she auditioned for them via Skype. She sang "His Eye Is on the Sparrow." Her rendition impressed the guys, and she soon found herself signing on.

"It was just a really good time," she said of meeting the collective. "When I came in there and I met them and they heard me sing, I think they decided it was the right fit."

"Don't be bashful," Pharrell chimed in. "We lost our minds. We thought she was great."

N.E.R.D. are set to hit the road next week with Jay-Z on his Blueprint 3 tour.

• N.E.R.D.
• Pharrell Williams

N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ Getty Images

After Jay-Z put in road time with Mary J. Blige last summer and Ciara earlier this year, it'll be a strictly boys night out when he takes the stage on October 9 to kick off a 24-date tour of college campuses and arenas. Joining him in the first sustained tour in support of the near-platinum The Blueprint 3 will be N.E.R.D., VMA house band leader Wale and Jigga protégé J. Cole.

The tour launches at Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania, on the Penn State University campus on October 9 and will take the crew to arenas in Canada, Seattle, Baltimore and Providence. Along the way, it will stop at campuses in Champaign, Illinois, Ypsilanti, Columbus, Amherst, El Paso and Austin, where the tour is currently scheduled to wrap up on November 22.

North Carolina native Cole, 24, the first signing to Jay's new Roc Nation label, appears on the Blueprint 3 track "A Star Is Born," and the tour will be his first major exposure to life on the road. Cole, who was trying to hustle tracks to Jay just a few years ago, is slowly getting used to life in the spotlight. He recently told MTV News that the session for the "Star" was the first time he'd ever been in the studio with his new boss, an experience that was understandably nerve-wracking.

"[Jay-Z] was on the couch at first, right there," Cole said. "It was the first time I was in the studio with Jay. And Beyoncé was there, to make it 10 times worse. Half my thoughts are trying to think of a verse, and then Jay-Z is there watching you write a verse. So, I'm soaking it up."

Jay-Z tour dates:

» October 9 - University Park, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center
» October 10 - Highland Heights, KY @ The Bank of Kentucky Center
» October 13 - Edmonton, Alberta @ Rexall Place
» October 14 - Calgary, Alberta @ Pengrowth Saddledome
» October 15 - Kelowna, British Columbia @ Prospera Place
» October 16 - Vancouver, British Columbia @ General Motors Place
» October 17 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
» October 21 - Ypsilanti, MI @ Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center
» October 23 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
» October 24 - Providence, RI @ Dunkin Donuts Center
» October 25 - Amherst, MA @ University of Massachusetts Mullins Center
» October 27 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
» October 28 - Columbus, OH @ Ohio State Value City Arena the Schottenstein Center
» October 29 - London, Ontario @ John Labatt Centre
» October 30 - Montreal, Quebec @ Bell Centre
» October 31 - Toronto, Ontario @ Air Canada Centre
» November 1 - Ottawa, Ontario @ Scotiabank Place
» November 7 - Fresno, CA @ Fresno State Save Mart Center
» November 12 - Champaign, IL @ University of Illinois Assembly Hall
» November 19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Tingley Coliseum
» November 20 - El Paso, TX @ University of Texas at El Paso Don Haskins Center
» November 21 - Lubbock, TX @ United Spirit Arena
» November 22 - Austin, TX @ University of Texas at Austin Frank Erwin Center Arena

• N.E.R.D.
• Jay-Z
• Wale
• J. Cole

Pharrell Williams at his Billionaire Boys Club/ Ice Cream store in New York City on Thursday
Photo: Nicole Sweet/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — It isn't unusual to see lines of young people stretching down the block in downtown New York for various reasons. Those in line at the Billionaire Boys Club/ Ice Cream store Thursday evening were waiting to grab an exclusive hat and T-shirt and, oh yeah, to meet super-producer, N.E.R.D. frontman and fashion icon Pharrell Williams.

As part of Fashion's Night Out, a citywide initiative to boost the retail industry, Pharrell worked behind the register at the Soho location of his BBC/ Ice Cream brand. Fans started to line up before the store opened at noon, even though Pharrell wasn't scheduled to arrive until 6 p.m. He said he was fortunate to receive such a turnout.

"I feel blessed. I know that none of this had to be," said Pharrell, who had performed with N.E.R.D. the night before. "I could be in many different places, and fortunately I'm here."

Pharrell founded the brand in 2005 along with A Bathing Ape creator Nigo. The brand is known for its T-shirts, denim, sweatshirts and sneakers in a variety of vivid colors featuring imaginative logos and patterns.

Pharrell said the kids who support the brand embrace it, but they make it their own. "We look at these kids as soldiers, not necessarily to represent me, but just representing freedom of being who you want to be, not feeling tethered down to a particular style or archetype or genre," he explained. "And that's what I try to do."

He added that every once in a while he wants to give back.

"I was blessed and fortunate enough to have this experience, and I don't want to take it for granted," he said. "Every once in a while I want to shake the hands of, like — forget the music. I love the music, but I'm saying I want them to know I really appreciate you rocking our designs."

• N.E.R.D.
• Pharrell Williams

Asher Roth performs on Governors Island
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

NEW YORK — Governors Island was crawling with people Wednesday evening, as Asher Roth and N.E.R.D. performed at the Water Taxi Beach on the city's former military post.

"We're on an island, so there's no rules," Roth shouted to the crowd at the start of the show. He opened his set with a performance of his album's first track, "Lark on My Go-Kart," and his stage presence seemed improved from past shows. The "College"-loving rapper has matured to a more traditional hip-hop performer. Whereas before he rode out in a go-kart and was surrounded onstage by props and friends dressed as joints, this set featured just him, his DJ (Wreckineyez), his hype man and drummer. While the show did boast a few goofy moments — all four paused for a poorly rehearsed dance routine to "Candy Rain" by Soul for Real — Asher's genuine talent as an MC was on display.

The crowd was largely there for headliners N.E.R.D., but Roth, a VMA Best New Artist and Best Hip-Hop Video nominee, was able to win over a few fans. Before he left, he had plenty of hands raised in the air ... in a "Star Trek" Vulcan salute.

Even more in the audience saluted and screamed as the intro from "Time for Some Action" began, and Pharrell's voice reached them. The crowd erupted once N.E.R.D. finally appeared.

Pharrell and Shay tag-teamed as frontmen, while Chad played keyboard just behind them at the center of the stage. The group fed off the audience's energy as they blitzed through "Kill Joy" and "Backseat Love." Pharrell paused to ask the crowd to stop taking pictures and to enjoy themselves instead. Even photographers in the press pit paused, unsure if he was addressing them as well.

The audience seemed willing to put down their cameras and cell phones, enjoying the rest of the group's set as Pharrell thrashed about the stage.

The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards air live this Sunday, September 13, at 9 p.m. ET, but New York is celebrating the VMAs all week long! Stay tuned for party coverage, concert reports, behind-the-scenes updates and more.

• The 2009 VMAs Are Taking Over NYC!

• Asher Roth, N.E.R.D. Warm Up NYC For The 2009 VMAs

• N.E.R.D.
• Asher Roth

Photo: sxsw.com

South by Southwest is sort of like running a marathon, except you're drunk most of the time, and there's nothing but BBQ and tacos to eat, and have sun stroke, and you basically hear live music from the moment you wake up until the second you pass out. So, actually, it's not really like a marathon at all, except in duration (and probably perspiration).

Yes, it's that time of year again — SXSW is upon us. It's a magical week that comes around each March, when the city of Austin, Texas is overrun with hundreds of bands and thousands of hipsters in really tight pants, all braving the blazing Texas sun to catch can't-miss sets from much-buzzed blog acts, top-secret performances by some of the biggest names in music (there's a couple of doozies this year), and have a really gigantic, really debauched party.

At SXSW 2008, there were performances by mainstays like Paramore, N.E.R.D., R.E.M., and My Morning Jacket, star-making turns by Vampire Weekend, No Age, MGMT and Katy Perry, appearances by Perez Hilton and Rachael Ray, even a Britney Spears rumor (and, as luck would have it, we spoke to almost all of 'em). Rumor has it, there was also plenty of partying — though we don't really remember, to be honest.

This year, things are looking to be just as awesome. There are rumors (repeat: rumors) of performances by Metallica — under the relatively awesome Norse name of Volsung — on Friday and Kanye West on Saturday. We'll see the return of alt-rock greats Jane's Addiction — in all their original-lineup glory — and faerie queen Tori Amos. Big Boi, Rick Ross and Jadakiss are all scheduled to appear. There will be sets by the Silversun Pickups, Explosions in the Sky, Primal Scream, Devo, the Hold Steady, M. Ward and Peter Bjorn and John. Plus, indie heavyweights like the Thermals, the Decemberists (performing their new album, The Hazards Of Love, in its entirety) and Grizzly Bear, who will unveil tracks from their much-anticipated Vecktimest album at what promises to be a revelatory church show.

We know it's a lot to handle.

Of course, it wouldn't be SXSW if there weren't also a ton of up-and-comers grabbing headlines, too. From lo (perhaps even no)-fi noisemakers like San Diego's Wavves and Brooklyn's the Pains of Being Pure at Heart to NME-approved female electro-poppers Little Boots and Ladyhawke, there's no shortage of buzzed-up bands to catch in and around Austin this week. And that's not even mentioning bands like Passion Pit, Crystal Stilts, the Dirty Projectors and Marnie Stern — who's already given us an SXSW preview of her own. Throw in a strong hip-hop contingent — multiple sets by Asher Roth, Kid Cudi, Kid Sister and B.o.B — and you can see why the whole "marathon" comparison is more than apt. There literally is not enough time in the day to see everything, but that doesn't mean you're not gonna try your hardest to do it.

And, of course, MTV News is going to be there too — checking out bands, staying up way too late, making terrible decisions and trying very hard to remain sane. We'll be bringing you up-to-the-minute updates on SXSW on MTVNews.com, the Newsroom blog. We'll have live video of shows, interviews with bands and even a BBQ story or three. In short, we're going to try and bring you everything you're missing at SXSW 2009. It's hard work, for sure. But we do it because we care.

MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

• South By Southwest 2009: Looking Back

• Passion Pit
• Metallica
• Silversun Pickups
• The Decemberists
• Kanye West

Pharrell in N.E.R.D.'s video for "Sooner or Later"
Photo: Interscope

Tough times call for tough measures, according to N.E.R.D.

Pharrell Williams and company recently premiered their next video, the somber "Sooner or Later," from 2008's Seeing Sounds, and the trio said the daily headlines inspired visuals for the track.

"We were talking about how the stock market crashed and how the world economy is so terrible, so the [directors] came up with this concept right around this same time," Williams explained of the clip. "Next thing you know, we're here [on set]."

The Malloys are the directors behind N.E.R.D.'s "Sooner or Later" clip. The brothers, Emmett and Brendan, have helmed videos for the White Stripes ("Icky Thump") and the Black Eyed Peas ("Don't Phunk With My Heart"). For "Sooner or Later," the pair put a broom in the hands of Pharrell; the image is decidedly working-class and quite a departure for the flashy Billionaire Boys Club enthusiast.

Meanwhile, bandmates Chad Hugo and Shay Haley got placed on mopping and janitorial duties, respectively.

"Sooner or later, it all comes crashing down," Williams sings on the song's chorus. "Crashing down, when everyone's around/ I bet you would've paid up or you'll cash down."

"Rob & Big" star Rob Dyrdek makes a cameo in the clip. Williams produced the official anthem of Dyrdek's skating crew, "Hoppin' Over Fences." The MTV star is optimistic the video will help ease the concerns of fans that are being hit hard by the slumping economy.

"Hopefully, we're letting everybody know it'll be OK," Dyrdek said.

• N.E.R.D.

Common
Photo: MTV News

ATLANTA — You'd better believe it: Common still intends to make his long-talked-about Believer LP.

"The Believer is definitely gonna be an album," Com said Saturday before his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. "It's gonna be the next album. I was ready to make The Believer, then I started working on an EP called Invincible Summer. Then I was like, 'OK, "Universal Mind Control" — that's the name of the single.' Like we said on the song, 'If you wanna dance, let's dance.' That's what that whole concept is like: Whatever you want the people to do, you create the music for them to do it."

The Universal Mind Control album was mostly helmed by the Neptunes, but Kanye West does pop up. Common made that choice because he hopes to get his music in the clubs for the first time in his career.

"Where I am with Universal Mind Control, which is the name of the album as well as the single, I wanted to make some music people can enjoy," he said. "It's a lot of stuff going on in the world right now. Sometimes people need to release. I felt that energy abroad, going to different parties in Spain and London, even back in the States. It was good times. I want people to have good times musically."

Common hopes to hit the road in support of his current project. "I'mma tour starting the beginning of next year," he said. "We just did a tour with N.E.R.D., which was real live. But we're gonna go out again and tour with this album."

Universal Mind Control will be released December 9.

• Common
• N.E.R.D.

Denver's Pepsi Center
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Four years ago in Boston, a little-known senator from Illinois made his debut on the national stage with a stirring keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. This year, that senator, Barack Obama, will again give a pivotal speech at the DNC, but this time he'll be the headliner and his speech will be a historic acceptance of the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

More than 50,000 people will attend the convention — including 5,000 delegates and 15,000 reporters — which will take place Monday (August 25) through Thursday at Denver's Pepsi Center. The convention will be capped on Thursday by Obama's eagerly anticipated speech in front of 75,000 at INVESCO Field at Mile High during a free event open to the public.

Thursday will mark the first time since John F. Kennedy's 1960 address at Los Angeles' Memorial Coliseum that a Democratic nominee has given his acceptance speech outside the convention's main floor. Given the image of youth and change that Obama has cultivated during the campaign season, the allusion to Democratic history is clearly intended to tug on heartstrings. The speech will also coincide with the 45th anniversary of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, another bit of serendipity that provides further emotional resonance for the man who has made history as the first black presidential nominee of either major political party.

But just what is the purpose of the gathering, and why are Democrats spending a reported $40 million-plus on the event? Some facts about the convention:

» Delegates from each of the 50 states meet at the Democratic National Convention every four years to select the Democratic candidates for president and vice president.

» The event, which typically takes place in a major city such as Chicago (11 times), Baltimore (eight) or New York (five), is not open to the public, but only to delegates, the press, party members and other invited guests. The Denver convention will take place on the 100th anniversary of the party's 1908 convention in that city.

» A complicated formula is used to determine how many delegates are invited from each state, using the number of votes cast in the past three elections. It looks something like this: (State's Democratic Vote/Total Democratic Vote) + (State's Electoral Vote/Total Electoral Vote)/ 2 X 3,000 = # of Delegates Per State. The formula ensures that heavily Democratic states have a higher number of delegates. Organizers expect 4,440 delegates to attend, with 4,235 casting votes.

» Thanks to his lead in elected delegates and superdelegates, Obama is expected to receive the nomination. Democratic Representative Loretta Sanchez, however, predicted that half of the Democrats in the House could cast their votes for Obama's former rival for the nomination, Senator Hillary Clinton. The Obama campaign has agreed to allow a floor vote at the convention to assuage Clinton supporters, though even Clinton has said she plans to vote for Obama.

» Delegates are not paid for their participation, and most will come at their own expense after being selected on a statewide level in a sometimes complicated process that involves some politicking of its own. Some as young as 19 will be participating for the first time alongside party veterans. The youngest delegate is Minnesota's David Gilbert-Pederson, 17, who is one of two delegates under 18 expected at the event; almost 15 percent of the delegates are 36 years old or younger.

» The incumbent party traditionally holds its convention after the challenging party's. The Republican convention will take place in Minneapolis-St. Paul during the first week of September. The conventions were pushed back this year due to the Olympics.

» House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be nominated to chair the convention, whose first day's theme will be "One Nation." On Monday's schedule: an address from Michelle Obama and a tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy.

» After a bruising primary season in which Senator Obama ran neck-and-neck with Senator Clinton, Democrats faced the possibility of a brokered convention, during which the nominee would not have been chosen until a vote at the convention. But that potentially divisive option was avoided when Clinton conceded the race to Obama.

» Michigan and Florida had their delegate votes docked for moving their primaries to January, but after much wrangling and back-and-forth, the two states were granted half-votes each at the convention.

» Tuesday's speakers include Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, all of whom had generated buzz as potential running mates. The theme is "Renewing America's Promise," and the keynote speaker will be former Virginia Governor Mark Warner. Senator Clinton will also give a speech during prime time, and the party's proposed national platform will be discussed and debated.

» Wednesday's theme is "Securing America's Future." Former President Bill Clinton will address the convention, as will vice presidential candidate Joe Biden. Former presidential candidate Bill Richardson is also among the speakers, as well as 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

» The final day's theme is "Change You Can Believe In." Obama will deliver his speech that evening.

» According to the DNC, California will have the biggest delegation at 503, with American Samoa pulling up the rear with 13 delegates. Journalists from more than 130 nations will converge on the event.

» Some terms you might hear during the convention:

At-Large Delegate: These are pledged delegates who are the very last to be elected on a statewide level and represent presidential candidates in proportion to the statewide vote the candidate received in the primary or caucus.

Credentials Committee: This group resolves any disputes over the seating of delegates and alternates to the convention.

Platform: This is the official statement of the party's position on a variety of important issues. Each issue included in the platform is called a "plank."

The convention won't be all politicians and funny hats, though. According to the New York Daily News there will be serious star power on-hand as well, including possible appearances by George Clooney, Madonna, Kanye West, Scarlett Johansson, Susan Sarandon, Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Matt Damon.

James Taylor and Tony Bennett are performing at a fundraiser for Pelosi during the event, and Kanye West is reportedly hosting a gig in honor of the Recording Industry Association of America. Among the stars that could make appearances are Annette Bening and hubby Warren Beatty, Matthew Modine and Kerry Washington.

Rock the Vote will hold an event called the Ballot Bash during the first night of the convention; it will feature sets from Fall Out Boy, N.E.R.D. and Jakob Dylan, with an afterparty DJ'd by Nick Cannon. In addition, Rage Against the Machine will be playing a gig during the DNC — as well as during the Republican convention the following week — as part of a larger protest called the "Tent State Music Festival to End the War." Daughtry, Everclear and the Flobots will play a show sponsored by the Grammy Foundation during the DNC as well. Other acts playing during the convention include Death Cab for Cutie, Cold War Kids and Moby.

And don't worry about missing out on the action: MTV News and our Street Team '08 will be on the ground at both conventions to sort through all the speeches, streamers and ceremony to find the information you need to choose our next president. And head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election. And after history is made in Denver, MTV News will help you make sense of it all in "Obama Decoded," premiering Friday, August 29 at 7:30.

• Fall Out Boy
• Daughtry
• N.E.R.D.
• The Flobots

N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams
Photo: MTV News

As the Neptunes, N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo have worked with some of the biggest names in the music biz — and they brought in some big guns for the remix and Hype Williams-directed video of "Everyone Nose": Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and Pusha T of Clipse.

"I think Pusha put the meltdown on it," Pharrell set on the set of the video when asked which rapper has the best verse on the track. "But, I mean, I like everybody's verse because I think that Lupe killed it, Kanye killed it. Mine was more about style than how dope the rhyme was. It was really my melody that I liked more than anything — that's why my vocal approach was a little different from what you would hear me do. I wanted to just do something different that would look different on me."

N.E.R.D. and two of the remix's three guests (Kanye and Lupe) recently shared the stage during the first leg of Kanye's recent Glow in the Dark Tour.

Like the spoken-word intro track on N.E.R.D.'s Seeing Sounds album (where you'll find the original version of "Everyone Nose"), the video is a nod to nostalgia.

"The concept [is based on] old '80s video-game graphics playing behind us while we're rhyming," Williams said. "We just want to have fun with the project. In a day and age where the record industry is what it is, I'm lucky enough to be on a label that understands and they'll just let us have fun."

The original version of the song — with its indelible chanted chorus of "All the girls standing in the line for the bathroom" — is so hot that the "Why remix it at all?" question seems worth asking. (Back in April, the filming of the video for the original version of the song erupted into a brawl.)

"We wanted something with more of a straight-ahead, club-bumping beat, just a different take on it," Hugo said. "We like to remix, dismantle, take apart shit and put it back together. It's just like a Rubik's Cube: When you can't solve it, you just break it and you put it back together."

"We think that 'Everyone Nose' in its current form already hits a certain demographic a certain way, so I just wanted to go and do something different," Williams added.

Besides, the song has already made a strong impact with fans, as the group has found out on tour.

"We just came off the road from being in Europe for a long time, just doing festivals across the continent of Europe," Williams said. "It's just been incredible performing for 50-80,000 people. And when 'Everyone Nose' comes on, everyone just has their hands in the air. It's just incredible. So this is kind of like a token of our appreciation for everybody that's been supporting the project thus far."

• 'Everyone' Comes Out For New N.E.R.D. Video

• N.E.R.D.
• Pharrell Williams
• Kanye West
• Lupe Fiasco
• Clipse

Nas
Photo: MTV News

Artist: Glasses Malone

Representing: Blu Division/ West Coast

Mixtapes: Gangstas Don't Dance and F--- Glasses Malone

411: G.Malone is an equal-opportunity entertainer. The Cali rapper has two new mixtapes dropping soon — and not just to meet the demand from his growing fanbase. Gangstas Don't Dance is gonna be released specifically for those who have been following him since he made his name spittin' as part of the Black Wall Street camp. And the other one, well, he might be able to explain that one better himself.

"I did a mixtape for all the haters," he said, adding that he plans to launch a Web site to sell "F--- Glasses Malone" gear. "I had to cater to the haters. ... It's a mixtape for all the people that dislike my success or dislike what I got going on. They can buy all the 'F---Glasses Malone' merchandise, the 'F--- G.Malone' merchandise, get all the apparel. They can support me by hating that way. So I made a mixtape that's sure to piss everybody off."

Gangstas features G.Malone alongside his crew, Blu Division. He said that mixtape is more uptempo and more along the lines of a traditional mixtape, on which they hop on other people's beats. It's more for the G's to get their boogie on to.

"It's a way we could put out club music without having to make club music," he explained. "So we talking a lot of sh-- on a lot of the popular dance records or records that encourage dancing."

In the meantime, G.Malone is wrapping up his long-awaited debut album, The Beach Cruiser, set for a June 3 release on Hoo-Bangin'/ Cash Money Records. The tentative second single, "Go Big," is due later this month, and Malone said he has been recording material for possible future projects with Mack 10 and Mistah Fab.

Joints To Check For

"Like Suge" from F--- Glasses Malone. "It's a song that I dedicated to a lot of people that get bad reputations, or bully reputations, out on the West Coast, and I made a song just for them," Malone explained. "A lot of people are gonna dislike me for making the song, because it's proppin' one of the industry's most-hated moguls, which is Suge [Knight], who is one of my favorites, as far as all the great business and all the great moves he did."

"Certified" remix (featuring Lil Wayne, Bun B and Kam) from Gangstas Don't Dance. "You seeing the video [for the original] right now with Akon on MTV," G.Malone boasted. "I'm pretty sure the remix is gonna get the club rocking like the original did."

"House N---a" from F--- Glasses Malone. "It's a song where I get [a lot] off my chest about people who tend to repeatedly persecute hip-hop," Malone said. "So that was my response to them, for acting like they're trying to help the culture itself, but in reality they're helping people who are trying to destroy the culture. Because if you wanted to help it, I feel like these certain people could have done a lot of things in closed environments instead of in the world to see, so they could discredit hip-hop. "

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» DJ Blazita - Philly Heat 2
» DJ Delz - D187 Hood Radio, Volume 16 (Hosted by: Rick Ross)
» DJ Self and Young Jeezy - Street Certified, Volume Two
» The Empire and Lil Wayne - The Drought Is Over 5 (Grand Closing)
» HeveHitta and DJ Unexpected - Bun B: Southern Royalty

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» Busta Rhymes - "Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water on 'Em)"
» G-Unit - "I Like The Way She Do It"
» Nas - "Let's Go"
» State Property - "Ocean's Seven"
» Styles P - "Am I in the Right Game"

Fire Starter: St. Laz

Gunfire has taken some of the best hip-hop has had to offer, including Tupac Shakur, the Notorious B.I.G, Big L and Freaky Tah. It also recently struck down upstarts like Cavlar and wounded rising rappers like Max B. Brooklyn rhyme-spitter St. Laz has responded with his new video for "Starve the Ghetto," in which he takes the violence in hip-hop to task. "This entire American culture has been indoctrinated with violence since the popularity of Western movies, which were 100 percent about shooting and killing [being] worn as a badge of honor," he explained. "This is why, till this day, gun violence is so glorified. It's the American way."

Celebrity Faves

This month, MTV is celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the most influential TV series ever: "Yo! MTV Raps." That's right, we said it. You know how everyone is always reminiscing about "back in the day"? These are those days! The show ran from 1988 to 1995, and exposed hip-hop, in all its youthful essence, to a worldwide audience. If you were too young to have watched it back when it was on (and that's likely), then just know that "Yo!" was your favorite rapper's favorite TV show. So how are we celebrating? Go to Yo.MTV.com and you'll be able to check out highlights from the best episodes, all your favorite videos, live freestyles from legends like Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie, plus some of the funniest, smartest and best moments from hosts Fab 5 Freddy and Ed Lover & Dr. Dre. Check out the little montage we put together from some of the artists who rocked the show.

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

Nas' controversially titled album Nigger has been delayed more than a New York-bound car in the Battery Tunnel on a Sunday night. But the Queensbridge rapper is still determined to put out his project.

With the highly charged song titles and hot-button topics he's addressing, however, he's finding out it hasn't been so easy to pull in collaborators. That's why, Nas explained, he's looking to team with more left-of-center acts.

"I always want to work with different dudes when it's time to put together a record, so I was just out there, listening to tracks from different cats and seeing what's good out there," he said. "Cats that make music that says something to people, you know what I'm saying? So I kinda wanted to work with more cats out there that's doing something different.

"I don't wanna reveal everybody that I worked with yet," Nas added. "Because I'm still working [and] still finishing up the record. And I think I want that to speak for itself."

Esco was also hush on whom he's supporting in the Democratic presidential primary. Similar to 50 Cent, who initially endorsed Hillary Clinton and is now undecided, Nas didn't want to commit to one candidate when he's still feeling out their platforms. But he did say he was particularly fond of Barack Obama.

"This election year, I'm still not really sure where I sit with politicians," Nas said. "I'm not really trustin' [them] still. But I think this election is the best thing we could ask for right now, coming out of [George W.] Bush. What better candidates could you ask for other than Hillary and Obama? So, you know, this presidential run, it makes more sense than it ever did before.

"I'd love to see Barack Obama become the president. He's the face of America, hands down," the rapper said. "There's no two ways to look at it, man. The man's got what it takes. He's serious. As a kid, you always think, 'We'll never see a black president,' you know? 'There'll never be a black president.' And you always feel that way. Everybody's always grew up that way, black and white. So I think now, with Obama having a great chance of winning, I think [with] black and white, there's been something lifted off their shoulders. It's like, 'This can happen. This can be great.' And it's about time." ...

R-E, U-P, G-A-N-G! The Brothers Thornton, also known as the Clipse, are in full Re-Up Gang mode right now. The VA duo were in Texas for South by Southwest, with Ab-Liva and Sandman to round out the crew, and delivered a warning about their upcoming Re-Up project.

"We been banging over everybody else's beats, destroying them," Pusha T said of the We Got It 4 Cheap mixtape series. "Now we gonna get on originals and do what we do."

Pusha said it's an exciting time for them right now. The lyrics are always on point when it comes to the crew, but he said it's about building the Re-Up sound. He cited Dame Grease as a favorite producer of theirs and mentioned the Neptunes and Swizz Beatz as other possible producers on the project. Pusha said he wanted the Re-Up Gang to have a recognizable sound away from the Clipse, kind of like the Ruff Ryders had in the '90s.

The fellas are still getting the most mileage out of their recent mixtape, the third installment of We Got It 4 Cheap. Pusha said that will be the last mixtape anyone sees for a while, until the Re-Up album drops. He didn't give a date. Once the demand is up for Re-Up, he said the official album will follow. The feared lyrical foursome is set to film two videos from the DJ Drama-hosted We Got It 4 Cheap.

"We're setting the foundation right now," Pusha said. "It should be stressful, but it's been fun. When we do Clipse, it's all business. But right now, with the excitement we get from Ab-Liva and Sandman, it should be fun for our fans to follow what we got coming."

"All the girls standing on the line for the bathroom" have a mean case of the sniffles. N.E.R.D. sing about what goes on behind (some) closed lavatory doors on their new single "Everyone Nose." With sneezes aplenty underneath their rhymes, Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley broach the subject of socially snorting cocaine.

Yes, when the girls go in the bathroom, they're powdering their faces with that other white stuff, N.E.R.D. say. The song has been stirring up controversy thanks to a rumored fight on the set of its video shoot last Wednesday.

"We love the reaction that we get [from that song]," Skateboard P told us recently. "They know what we're talking about."

"Me, personally, I'm shocked it's being embraced the way it is," Shay added. "I feel like it sticks out like a sore thumb in comparison to what you hear every day on the radio. We're definitely happy. It's just our personal observation of what we've seen over the past couple of years, so we felt like making a party record out of it."

N.E.R.D.'S third album, Seeing Sounds, will be out later this spring. ...

For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines.

• Mixtape Monday Video: Nas, N.E.R.D., Re-Up Gang & More

• Nas
• N.E.R.D.
• Clipse
• Re-Up Gang

Asher Roth, N.E.R.D. Warm Up NYC For The 2009 VMAs

• Asher Roth
• N.E.R.D.
• Pharrell Williams
• The Neptunes

2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards Red Carpet

• T-Pain
• N.E.R.D.
• T.I.
• Soulja Boy Tell'em
• Plies

Lindsay Lohan, T.I., M.I.A., More Come Out For Diesel's Rock 'N Roll Circus In NYC

• T.I.
• Lindsay Lohan
• Franz Ferdinand
• Paris Hilton
• Kate Nash

2008 Austin City Limits Festival

• N.E.R.D.
• Gnarls Barkley
• MGMT
• Silversun Pickups
• The Fratellis

Vampire Weekend, Paramore, N.E.R.D., & More Rock SXSW 2008

• Kaki King
• Mike Farris
• R.E.M.
• The Von Bondies
• The Raveonettes

Jay-Z, Diddy, Mariah, Game, Lil Jon, Fergie, Others Party In Miami

• Diddy
• Pitbull
• Christina Milian
• Lil Jon
• Game

Lindsay, Usher, Snoop, Game, Gwen And More Hit The 2005 VMAs White Carpet

• Fall Out Boy
• The Bravery
• Nick Cannon
• David Banner
• Rihanna

47th Annual Grammy Awards Red Carpet

• Beyoncé
• Kanye West
• Mos Def
• Gwen Stefani
• Black Eyed Peas

MTV.com LIVE: N.E.R.D. Photos 04.15.2004

• N.E.R.D.

Jessica Simpson, Janet Jackson, More At Wango Tango On-Air Festival

• Jessica Simpson
• Clay Aiken
• JC Chasez
• Black Eyed Peas
• Hilary Duff