Chris Brown
Photo: Pool/ Getty Images

In an interview with People.com, Tyrese Gibson spoke out in support of his friend Chris Brown, as well as Rihanna.

"Although he appears to be really strong through all of this, it's really taking a toll on his spirit," Gibson reportedly told the site on Sunday at the 2009 Ball Up Street Ball Tour in Los Angeles. "People like me and Puff [Diddy], we're just trying to show him love and keep his spirits up while he's going through all of the heat, and there are a lot people doing the same for Rihanna."

Since news broke in February of the alleged altercation between Brown and Rihanna, the pair reportedly reunited — staying at Diddy's Miami home — but are now reportedly taking a break. Yet conversation around the incident has continued to rage, and was even the subject of a special episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" earlier this month and a disturbing public service announcement from the teen organization DoSomething.org.

Gibson also pointed out that the two are still quite young, which makes the situation even more difficult. "And a lot of people forget that he's 19, she's only 21.

"It's really hard for him to focus right now on his music, even though he really wants to," Gibson continued. "At the end of the day, I'm not trying to justify it because wrong is wrong, but unfortunately, us as entertainers, we have to grow up onstage with a lot of people looking at us."

• Chris Brown And Rihanna: The Aftermath

• Rihanna And Chris Brown: A Photo Timeline

• Tyrese
• Chris Brown
• Rihanna

Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel and Shia LaBeouf at the "Transformers" premiere
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

"I can't even believe that I'm looking at what I'm looking at," "Transformers" actress Rachael Taylor exclaimed. "It is so epic. And I would challenge someone to top [it]."

OK, so the 22-year-old Aussie was talking about the blockbuster movie (see " 'Transformers' Stars Dish On Sexy Robots, Kissing Scenes In Virtual World"), but from our perspective Wednesday night on the "Transformers" red carpet, we think she could have just as easily been talking about the premiere itself, an outrageously grand affair that took over Los Angeles' Westwood district — transforming the bustling college community into robot central.

(Check out pics of Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and more on the "Transformers" premiere red carpet.)

But the biggest transformation of all may have been saved for the celebrities in attendance, all of whom were smiling, laughing and joking around on the carpet — and even breaking into song or dance ("Transformers, more than meets the eye," crooned Tyrese, doing his best version of the '80s cartoon's theme song. "Transformers, robots in disguise!").

For some of the younger stars, the carpet was a trip down memory lane. Surrounded by real-life, giant robots, awed by the crowd and enthusiasm, the premiere was a chance to goof off and relax. Without knowing it, they had been transformed back into kids.

"I watched the cartoon, I had the toys," former Backstreet Boy AJ McLean exclaimed. "This is too badass, this is awesome. I feel like I'm 10 again."

"I think I was probably 5 or 6 when I got my first Transformer. It was the coolest toy," said Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington. "It still is!"

"[I've been a fan] since the second grade," chimed in Busta Rhymes. "Rocking the Underoos!"

Any red carpet that has celebrities admitting to wearing Underoos has got to have more going for it than just a highly anticipated movie. But take a beloved franchise that reminds people of their youth, and no leap of the imagination is too big — even becoming a Transformer yourself.

"I'd be like a 1972 Gremlin that turns into a giant robot — missiles, shoulders that shoot off, maybe some kind of guns on my waist," Dane Cook said of his look if he were to become a Transformer. "[My] rib cage [would] open up."

So epic was the carpet, we began to wonder if it could ever be topped.

"If anyone could do it," Taylor said, "it [would] probably be [director] Michael [Bay]."

We'll just have to wait for "Transformers 2."

Check out everything we've got on "Transformers."

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• MTV Rough Cut: Michael Bay
• 'Transformers' Exclusives ... Roll Out!

• Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, More At "Transformers" Premiere
• "Transformers"

• Tyrese
• Busta Rhymes
• Linkin Park

Tyrese
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

B2K? Broken up. 112? Broken up. Dru Hill? Broken up. New Edition, Boyz II Men, Jodeci? No new music in years. With Jagged Edge and the fairly new Pretty Ricky and B5 seemingly the only male R&B groups left standing, the days when fans had an endless array of acts to choose from — such as Troop, Silk, Guy, Today and Intro — have been long gone. But now there's a trio that want to give the game a "jolt."

Singers Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank have formed a trio called TGT — which stands for Tyrese Ginuwine Tank, of course — and have an album and tour in the planning stages.

"Imagine us putting all three of our worlds together for the ultimate R&B fan experience," Tyrese said Tuesday via phone from his house in L.A. "Me, Tank and Ginuwine been talking about this forever. The reason why this makes sense is that besides all of us being R&B singers, we're all good friends. In this industry, you can't have a real conversation with a lot of people. It almost feels like you're having a conversation with somebody famous, instead of having a real conversation. Every time I see Tank, every time I see Ginuwine, we all had good energy regardless."

Ginuwine and Tank revealed that the three have roots that go back deeper than just politicking at industry functions.

"We've all known each other for over 10-plus years, so it wasn't heavy on the brain," Tank weighed in on Wednesday (May 23). "It was like, 'Cool, let's do it.' "

"Tyrese is my boy," G said. "Tank is my boy. I'm the first artist he's ever been on the road with. We go all the way back to 'Pony.' He was my background singer on my tour. Tyrese was my best man at my wedding. Needless to say, we are all close. I always wanted to experience the group thing.

"There's a void," he continued, referring to the lack of male R&B groups. "This is the perfect time for Tank, Tyrese and myself to give that jolt. You have a lot of solo artists out here. ... R&B is at a downfall, it needs something to shock it. I think this is just the thing. So I brought it to them and said, 'Are y'all up to it? It's gonna be a whole lot of work, but let's get it done.' They both said, 'Yeah.' We figure we can handle it. Now the particulars have to get sorted out."

As G puts it, the biggest obstacle concerning the project is choosing which label to release an LP through. After over a decade on Sony Music, Ginuwine recently made the move to upstart independent label King Music. Tyrese is signed to Clive Davis' J Records and Tank is signed to Universal/Republic.

"Now you're talking about three labels, three R&B artists, it's gonna be situation," Ginuwine predicted. "I'm the one in the group that's trying to dot all the I's and cross all the T's. If all goes well, we should be in the studio in September."

"Everything can be worked out," Ty optimistically declared. "That's just the truth. How is it gonna happen? I don't know. I think when anything makes sense, you figure out a way to work it out."

That also applies to the three men trying to find time in their schedules to actually make the album. Tank's Sex Love & Pain just debuted at #2 on the Billboard albums chart (see "Linkin Park Rule The Albums Chart: New LP Has Best First-Week Sales Of The Year"), so he's been all over the country promoting and doing concerts. Tyrese has a busy concert schedule as well, and he's also promoting his July 4 flick, "Transformers" (see " 'Transformers,' 'Die Hard' Sparking A Totally Rad '80s Revival"). Ginuwine has also been a fixture on the stage the past couple of years — but mostly in an acting capacity, in musicals such as "Mama's Sweet Potato Pie," "Men, Money & Gold Diggers" and, most recently, "The Bachelorette Party." He begins work on his next LP, New Beginning, in July.

"It'll take scheduling. Some things might not happen," Tyrese admitted of the group's agenda.

This isn't the first time Ginuwine has tried his hand at making a supergroup. Ten years ago there was talk of him, Sisqó and Usher joining forces, but that never panned out. R&B hasn't seen a project like TGT take shape since the late Gerald LeVert teamed with Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill to form LSG in the '90s. They released two albums as a collective.

"Most of the things that people who have tried to do supergroups have done wrong in the past has ended up in the papers, so you learn from that," Tyrese said.

"I think when someone doesn't know their lane, when someone doesn't understand what they bringing to the table," he added about why supergroups sometime run into problems. "I'm bringing R&B and hip-hop R&B and the Hollywood side to the table. Ginuwine is bringing most of the #1 records to the table. Tank is fairly new, but he's on fire. What Tank hasn't done for himself, he's done for other people. He has the respect of everyone in the game with all of [the] #1 hits [he's written] as well as how big his record ['Please Don't Go'] is. So he's bringing that weight up, which is a lot of weight."

All three artists have an idea about who they want to work with. Producers and songwriters such as R. Kelly, Timbaland, Scott Storch, Tim & Bob, the Underdogs, Rodney Jerkins and Bryan-Michael Cox come up unanimously.

"Anybody that has hits, man," G said. "We're not gonna turn down no hits. We're looking at 10-12 songs on the album. I believe we can have at least eight songs that are smashes, that are able to be first singles. Whoever wants to be a part of this history-making CD, that's who we're gonna go at. It ain't about no check. It's about wanting to win. Changing the game and wanting to win."

TGT's first song together will be the remix to Tank's "Please Don't Go." Tyrese recorded his part Tuesday and Ginuwine is supposed to lay down his vocals within the next couple of days.

"The remix is gonna be crazy," Tank asserted. "I think we're gonna get a visual for it too, with a video. It's gonna kick off the movement and make the demand for TGT. ... They're gonna want us a lot sooner than maybe we were ready for. Once people see us together, it's gonna make some waves.

"Sonically, I'm putting the Jodeci edge on it," he continued. " 'Please Don't Go' already has a slight edge on it, but I kinda twisted the track. I dug into my DeVante [Swing] crates and put a nice edge to it. The kind of edge where you expect us to be wearing all black in the video, some leather pants and boots. That kind of sound.

" 'Please Don't Go' relates to a subject matter but I wanted to create a situation in the remix where we're interacting, not just singing a song. Like we're having a conversation where people are gonna be, like, 'Did you hear what Tyrese said to Tank? Did you hear what Tank said to Ginuwine? They're not beefing, are they?' "

Once the remix is complete, the group is hoping to hit the studio in September and launch a trek — which already has a name, the Shirts Off Tour — in November.

"As far as when it comes out, realistically, I would say next year," Ginuwine said about the album. "The tour hasn't really been set to where we wanna set it at. We want to meet Tank on a lot of the dates he's doing and give [audiences] a taste. Once we meet him on the road, we'll see what the reaction is to that. We're gonna try to change what he's doing into a Shirts Off-type thing.

"It's gonna be unfair, I think," Tank said, predicting that the trio will cause a big stir onstage. "When I did my album release party in D.C., it was crazy because Raheem DeVaughn performed. Akon performed. Avant performed. Morris Chestnut came out onstage. He got some 'Boyz N the Hood' love. Me and Ginuwine got onstage together and rocked 'Freek'N You.' The audience looked at us like, 'What is going on?' They were stunned. Me and G were like, 'If this is how it's gonna be, we're gonna have a problem. More security. Lock down the hotel floors. It's gonna be crazy.'

"I want this thing to be like how it was when the Beatles were out," Tank continued. "It was 1,000 people at the airport with signs and taking pictures. I want it to be an event. Pandemonium."

"I want the ladies in the audience to forget about the men in their lives that night and make it do what it do," Tyrese added about the tour. "We gonna go out and do records from TGT first. Then the individual records they all love. It don't get no better than that."

Well, "better than that" might be a high-debuting album. Tank knows a thing or two about that after the SoundScan results came in.

"I don't think going against Linkin Park for #1 is fair," he smiled. "It's a celebration right now. It's been a long road, but [I'm] back. I'll just say my fans haven't went anywhere. They've done me a great service by waiting patiently. I don't know who's gonna come out after five years and debut like this and have a [single] climb the charts like this. It's all basically due to the fans that stayed down."

[This story was originally published on 5.23.2007 at 2:30 p.m. E.T.]

• Tyrese
• Ginuwine
• Tank (R&B)

Tyrese performs on Saturday night
Photo: Joe Conzo

NEW YORK — Over the weekend, R&B was present as the genre's elder statesmen, the Isley Brothers, brought their clan to the city. Not to be outdone, Hollywood heartthrob Tyrese drew a plethora of women to support his first profession: singing.

If fans of Mr. Biggs didn't know, Ron Isley is not in the big house — at least, not yet. The singer, who in 2006 was sentenced to serve more than three years in federal prison for tax evasion, has not started serving his time. He's out on bail appealing his conviction and is still performing, which is what he's done for most of his 66 years.

The Isley Brothers held court in Harlem on Friday night — not at the Apollo, but at the United Palace Theater, which is probably most popular for being the home of the Reverend Ike's Sunday service. While Ron Isley came onstage in his swanky outfit of an all-red overcoat with matching shirt, fedora and dress pants, his brother Ernie, the band's guitar player and writer of many of its classics, stuck to a more rock and roll look with white jeans, a bandanna tied around his thigh and a red doo-rag.

With a catalog as deep as the Isleys', Ron had no problem finding a hit record to sing. Toward the beginning of his set, he started with selections such as "Footsteps in the Dark" and "The Pride."

Later in the night, Ron brought out his brother Rudolph — who left the Isleys almost two decades ago to become a minister — for their "biggest song ever," "Shout." Ron Isley then turned the attention to his wife, who was the group's lone backup singer. The two sang "(At Your Best) You Are Love." "You're a positive, motivating force within my life/ Should you ever feel the need to wonder why/ Let me know, let me know," they sang.

Then Ron took it from sentimental to sexy. "I'm gonna take my clothes off," he said before breaking into "In Between the Sheets." "Not all of them, though. Just some." His onstage stripping was limited to untucking his shirt.

After a quick wardrobe change, Ron came back out, this time wearing a black tuxedo. The concert became theatrical as he performed "Contagious," which chronicles him catching R. Kelly cheating with his woman. Kelly was not there, but the Isleys did have an actor onstage acting out the King of R&B's parts while Ron sang his dialogue. "Now don't I know you from somewhere a long time ago?" Isley sang. "No, no, I don't think so," the actor lip-synced. "Yeah, I feel I know you, brother, very well," Isley continued later. "Now I think y'all better leave this place/ 'Cause I'm about to catch a case."

The Isley family affair turned its direction toward the children right before saying goodnight. Ron, now wearing a black smoking jacket, brought out three of his grandchildren as well as his 4-month-old son during "For the Love of You."

On Saturday night, the R&B flavor continued just minutes away from Harlem, at the Paradise Theater in the Bronx. Unlike the Isleys, this show was definitely for the youth. Teenagers Young B and DJ Webstar started off the night with a dance frenzy, bringing their "Chicken Noodle Soup" live to the stage.

Then it was Trey Songz's turn to light up the night. The singer's set was strictly for the ladies, as he musically wined and dined them, starting with new selections like his current single, "Wonder Woman," then working his way through songs from his latest LP, I Gotta Make It. His closer, "Gotta Go," was done without a shirt on, of course, and the ladies in the front row reached up to grab any part of him they could get a paw on.

Tyrese, backed by a live band, began his set by pulling from his guest appearances and soundtrack cameos. "What do you like?/ A whole lot of foreplay before we get it started," he sang from Da Brat's "What'chu Like," coming out clad in jeans and a ball cap that were both bedazzled.

"Every time I try to leave, something keeps pulling me back," he sang a few minutes later, doing his hook from Chingy's "Pullin' Me Back." "Telling me I need you in my life/ Every time I try to go, something keeps telling me that/ Everything's gonna be all right."

Tyrese's set took an acoustic turn as a guitar player sat on a stool and played while 'Rese — fresh from a quick change and wearing a white suit (also bedazzled) — sat down and sang some of his ballads, such as "Lately."

"Sweet Lady" was the closer, keeping the women on their feet. "Sweet lady, would you be my/ Sweet love for a lifetime," he crooned. "I'll be there when you need me/ Just call and receive me."

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Tyrese, Trey Songz And More Onstage In New York, 04.14.07

• Tyrese
• The Isley Brothers
• Trey Songz
• Webstar

Tyrese "Black Ty" Gibson
Photo: Mark Davis/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — Tyrese may have raised a few eyebrows last year when he introduced his rap alias, Black Ty, on his most recent release, Alter Ego. But now that he's earned his respect as an MC from both fans and peers alike, he said, Black Ty is officially here to stay.

In fact, Tyrese says he's already 14 tracks deep into his next project, Black Rose, a single-disc album that will again be split evenly between his R&B and rap personas.

"For the most part, I try to keep [the identities] separate," Tyrese said last week while in Manhattan for a show. "It's one person, but it's two different experiences. And I got real hip-hop fans now who don't even f--- with Tyrese 'cause they love what Black Ty talks about. Then I got fans that are open-minded, who love me as a singer but [also] love me as an MC, which totally catches me off-guard. I would love to do another double album, I don't know yet. [J Records] allowed me to stretch my song cap compared to the amount of records I normally put out on a single album. So that caps still exists, it's not [even] a numbers thing, it's a respect thing."

The singer/rapper is still early in the recording process, so he did admit he doesn't have a full plan formulated for the album just yet. But he'd probably love to have one of his Alter Ego collaborators on there — Tyrese heaped praise on Snoop Dogg. He said Snoop supported his rap ambitions from day one and has been putting in a good word for him. "In radio interviews, whatever, Snoop has been there, and I can't put a price on that," Tyrese said.

Currently, Tyrese is on the road for the next few weeks in support of Alter Ego, but once his tour wraps, he'll head back to the studio as soon as he can. He explained he still enjoys R&B, but his rap career brought on a new challenge for him that singing couldn't quite match. And now, as a rapper, Tyrese claims he's risen to the challenge.

"I've mastered myself as an MC," he said. "All I can do now is come with lyrics and concepts and whatever comes to me from here on out. Black Ty is here, I ain't going nowhere."

Tyrese tour dates:

• 3/16 - Jackson, MS @ Freelon's Nightclub
• 3/17 - Atlanta, GA @ TBA
• 3/18 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
• 3/21 - St. Louis, Mo @ The Society
• 3/23 - Memphis, TN @ Plush
• 3/24 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Deja Vu Nightclub
• 3/25 - Shreveport, LA @ Shreveport Convention Center
• 3/27 - Toledo, OH @ The Bijou
• 3/28 - Jackson, MI @ The Rocket
• 3/29 - Mount Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino
• 3/30 - Traverse City, MI @ Streeter's
• 4/1 - Minneapolis, MN @ Trocadero
• 4/5 - Alcorn State, MS @ Alcorn State University

• Tyrese

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton's attorney entered not guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence on behalf of the heiress Tuesday (January 9), The Associated Press reports. Hilton, who was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in September, was not required to appear at Los Angeles County court for the arraignment. She was formally charged with one count of driving under the influence and one count of driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or above, and a judge scheduled a January 23 pre-trial hearing. If Hilton is convicted, the first-time offender would likely face a fine and enrollment in an alcohol program, according to prosecutors. ...

Daughtry, the band led by "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry, have begun eking out dates for their upcoming tour. The rockers get the party started January 28 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, then hit Los Angeles and San Francisco soon after that. They will be on the road through April, at least. ... On the subject of "Idol," auditions for the new season of the hugely popular program will start airing next week. The two-part season premiere will feature the Minneapolis auditions on January 16 and the Seattle tryouts the following day. Auditions from Memphis, Los Angeles and more cities will air January 23 through February 6. While you've got your day-planner open, expect the first results show to happen February 22. ...

An attorney representing Tyrese's girlfriend has issued a statement on his client's behalf, blasting reports that the singer assaulted her last week. Los Angeles police responded to a domestic dispute at the couple's apartment Thursday morning, and police were told the R&B singer had punched his girlfriend, who is three months pregnant with his child, in the arm and leg. "Reports that Tyrese punched my client in the arm, thigh or anywhere else are false," attorney Paul Berra said in the statement. "It is true, Mr. Gibson and his girlfriend had been arguing. She became very emotional and distressed during the argument and called 911 in an attempt to get a mediator. Mr. Gibson, frustrated, left the home. My client, Mr. Gibson's girlfriend, who is 11-weeks pregnant, then became more upset and began throwing up. When the paramedics arrived, concerned about the baby, they took her to the hospital. Fortunately, she was fine. Once at the hospital, she was asked by a nurse whether she had been assaulted. She said, 'No.' She was then asked what her pain level was on a scale of zero to 10. She said, 'Zero.' She then discharged herself. Mr. Gibson and his girlfriend are very much still in love, together and excited about their [expected] child. She is quite saddened that this event was so distorted." Tyrese wasn't charged in the assault, but police said they would still like to interview him as part of their investigation into the incident. ...

Want to be a dancer on Beyoncé's upcoming world tour? You've got a little more time to play with. The Chicago final auditions for the contest will happen February 10-11, not January 27, as previously reported. ... Jennifer Lopez, Terrence Howard, Dane Cook and others have joined the long list of presenters for the Golden Globe Awards. The ceremony will air live on NBC Monday at 8 p.m. ET. ... A Mick Wall-penned biography of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose is due in stores May 4. The former Kerrang! magazine writer's "Axl Rose - The Unauthorized Biography" features interviews with bandmembers before GN'R hit it big, and is being described by publisher Sidgwick & Jackson as "a no-holds-barred study of the troubled life and turbulent career of the group's singer and leader." The tome will examine Axl's childhood abuse, his run-ins with the law and his Chinese Democracy odyssey. ... The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Sunday that the GN'R frontman is in Sin City, putting the finishing touches on the band's long-awaited album, which is slated for a tentative March 6 release. The paper claims Rose is laying down the final vocals for Chinese Democracy at the recording studio at the Palms hotel. ...

It's been exactly one year since Howard Stern debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio, and in that time, the company has added more than 2.7 million new subscribers — up to 6 million from 3.3 million. Stern's Howard 100 channel will replay his inaugural Sirius show Tuesday, followed by the "Best of 2006 Top 10 Countdown Special," which replays the best moments of the year as determined by fan votes. "It's been a great year and the show is better than ever," Stern said in a statement. "We've delivered on the promise of satellite radio; I can do whatever I want and say whatever I want." Reuters reports that Sirius presented Stern with a bonus worth nearly $83 million on Tuesday as a thank you for surpassing subscriber goals. ... Mastodon have unveiled a side-scrolling video game inspired by the Atlanta metalers' latest album, Blood Mountain. In the online game, one assumes the role of a burly warrior and collects diamonds while avoiding dangerous creatures like wolves, all to collect the various pieces of a key that unlocks the one and only Blood Mountain. Fans can play along at WarnerReprise.com. ...

The dates for the No Fear Music Tour, featuring headliners Killswitch Engage, have been revealed. The trek — which also includes DragonForce, Chimaira and He Is Legend — gets under way February 21 in Philadelphia, with dates scheduled through April 8 in Chicago. ... With the exception of a brief, odd cameo at the Grammy Awards in February, funk legend Sly Stone has been largely off the map for much of the past 30 years. That hiatus might be ending soon, though, according to an article in The Los Angeles Times. The reclusive singer and bandleader isn't scheduled to perform with the new Family Stone band on Saturday at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California — which is not the same group he led in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but features several members of his extended family. But the 62-year-old singer has been writing new songs for an album due this summer on his own PhattaDatta record label. ... Hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari has composed a song that features Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech playing in the background. Ben-Ari will perform the tune Sunday at a Washington, D.C., Love of Israel gala honoring Ambassador of Israel to the United States Daniel Ayalon. ...

"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, a founding member of 1960s country-rock forerunners the Flying Burrito Brothers, died Saturday in Petaluma, California, AP reports. He was 72. The pedal-steel guitarist — who was also a stop-motion animator, an Emmy-winning visual-effects artist and composer of the "Gumby" TV series theme song — had been living with Alzheimer's disease. Kleinow's last recording with Burrito Deluxe, a band he founded in 2000, will be released next month. ... Animator Iwao Takamoto — who created Scooby-Doo and directed the 1973 animated film "Charlotte's Web" — died of heart failure in Los Angeles on Monday, AP reports. He was 81. The Los Angeles native learned the art of animation while being held at an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II, and was later hired by Walt Disney Studios despite his lack of formal training. Takamoto, who went on to work for Hanna-Barbera, lent his hand to classics including "Cinderella," "Lady and the Tramp" and "The Flintstones."

1.8.2007

Diddy hosted a birthday bash for basketball player Gilbert Arenas in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, according to The Associated Press. Busta Rhymes, the Game, T.I. and Lil Wayne performed at the event, which was held at the nightclub Love. ...

Hundreds of dancers turned up at a Houston audition on Saturday, trying out for a part in Beyoncé's world tour. Thirty semifinalists were selected from the Houston auditions and will face off with selected dancers from four other cities — earlier auditions were held in Los Angeles and Atlanta last month, with tryouts in New York (Thursday and Friday) and Chicago (January 27) to come. Once all tryouts are complete, Beyoncé and choreographer Frank Gaston will review the tapes and narrow the field to 40 dancers who will accompany the singer on tour. ...

Jay-Z has joined the esteemed ranks of phthalo, Prussian and cornflower by lending his name to a blue hue, AP reports. The rapper teamed up with General Motors to unveil a GMC Yukon Denali concept vehicle painted "Jay-Z Blue" — a deep, reflective cobalt — at a North American International Auto Show pre-event in Detroit on Saturday. ... Barbados native Rihanna was named Female Entertainer of the Year at the Barbados Music Awards on Friday. "I am always delighted to win awards," the singer said in an interview with AP, "but it's especially great to win awards at home." Rihanna also scored prizes for best album (A Girl Like Me) and best song ("Unfaithful"). ...

With drummer David Silveria on temporary hiatus and a new album to record, Korn have enlisted 56-year-old veteran drummer Terry Bozzio (Steve Vai, Richard Marx) as his fill-in. While not an official member of the band, Bozzio will hammer the drums for its forthcoming LP and may even tour with the group in support of the disc. According to Korn's management, "they are currently writing and rehearsing with [Bozzio] and things are going well." The spokesperson emphasized that Silveria is still Korn's official drummer, but added that, for the moment, the bandmembers "aren't looking too far into the future." ... Bloc Party will promote their new album, A Weekend in the City, due February 6, with a North American tour kicking off March 11 in Seattle and wrapping up March 31 in New York. Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes is opening on select dates. ...

Perhaps growing tired of ducking interviews, holing themselves up in abandoned churches and flying to Budapest to record songs with a full orchestra, the Arcade Fire are taking the concept of guerilla marketing to new levels of ridiculousness. Last month, they debuted "Intervention," a song from their hotly anticipated new album Neon Bible, via a mysterious toll-free phone number. And this weekend, they used a bizarre pseudo-infomercial posted on YouTube to announce the track list and release date for Bible, as well as give fans previews of several songs on the record. In the spot, "Juno-Award-winning guitarist" Richard Reed Parry — wearing a paper mask, clutching a megaphone in one hand and the Arcade Fire's Juno Award (sort of the Canadian Grammy) for Songwriters of the Year in the other — announces that the band's new disc will hit U.S. stores on March 6. He then fires up an oscillating fan as song titles and sound clips from Bible fly by. At the end of the spot appears the full track list for the 11-song album, which includes the first single, "Black Mirror"; "Keep the Car Running"; "Ocean of Noise"; and a reworked version of "No Cars Go," which first popped up on their self-titled 2003 EP. Fans can also hear "Black Mirror" at frontman Win Butler's journal on the Arcade Fire Web site. ...

Elvis Presley would have turned 71 on Monday (January 8), but another living legend has his own milestone to celebrate: David Bowie and his 60th birthday. Bowie was reportedly going to spend the day at his apartment in downtown New York, according to Agence France Presse, but his wife Iman told England's Daily Mirror that "he's not freaking out" about the milestone. ... Former "You Hear It First" artist Matt Costa is kicking off 2007 by hitting the road with G. Love. The trek starts Friday in Nashville and wraps February 3 in West Hollywood, California. ... The reunited Sebadoh will launch their first tour in 14 years February 26 in San Diego. The trek, featuring Lou Barlow, Eric Gaffney and Jason Loewenstein, ends April 16 in Tucson, Arizona.

Marilyn Manson and his wife of a year, model and burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, are calling it quits, AP reports. Von Teese (born Heather Sweet) cited irreconcilable differences in papers filed December 29 in Los Angeles Superior Court. The couple married November 28, 2005, and separated on Christmas Eve, according to court documents. ... Dave Matthews will guest star as a virtuoso pianist with a brain disorder on an episode of the Fox series "House, M.D." that will air in March. Matthews plays a man who suffered a severe neurological impairment — and ended up with a great musical talent — as the result of an accident when he was 10 years old. Matthews' character comes to House (Hugh Laurie) with cerebral bleeding, and the doctor attempts to get to the root of the problem while determining the origin of the brain rewiring responsible for his musical gift. ... Tiger Army and the Almost have been added to the lineup for this summer's Warped Tour. They join Bad Religion, Paramore, Cute Is What We Aim For, Big D and the Kids Table, K-os and the Fabulous Rudies on the festival's bill. ...

"American Idol" alum Constantine Maroulis joins the cast of the off-Broadway show "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well Living in Paris" on Tuesday. "It's funny because people are like, 'Oh, he's an actor now?' " Maroulis told MTV News. "But they don't realize I've been doing this a very long time. I studied at the Boston Conservatory. I was in [a touring production of] 'Rent' long before Idol.' " Maroulis said that he wasn't that familiar with Brel before he signed on to do the show, but now hopes he can bring the late singer/songwriter — who he called "a genius that people in this country don't know" — to a new audience. "It's truly some epic stuff," he said. "It's very underground. He was, in the '60s, doing some crazy stuff. More like a folk singer, poet. ... [Brel] was as big as Bob Dylan in Paris in the '60s." ... Alabama hardcore outfit Haste have broken up following an extended hiatus. "This has been one of the most amazing experiences of our lives, but we have all come to the point where it is time to move on," the band said in a statement posted on its MySpace page. "A simple thank you does not express the gratitude we feel for everyone who has supported us over the years. Haste has been a huge part of all of our lives and we are all very sad to see it go, but it is time to have some closure to this part of our lives." Haste formed in 1995, and released three albums — the most recent being 2003's The Mercury Lift.

• Paris Hilton
• Daughtry
• Tyrese
• Guns N' Roses
• Mastodon

Young Jeezy's <i>The Inspiration</i>
Photo: Def Jam

With Christmas just around the corner, it's apropos that this week's Billboard albums sales chart will be topped by a Snowman — not Frosty, of course, but Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy, who melted visions of a #1 debut that have been dancing around "American Idol" Taylor Hicks' head.

The sophomore solo set from Jeezy, The Inspiration, sold more than 352,000 copies its first week on store shelves, besting Hicks' self-titled offering by more than 53,000 scans, leaving the salt-and-pepper-haired singer settling for second best. Taylor Hicks generated more than 298,000 in week-one sales during a hectic seven days for record-shop cash registers, according to the latest SoundScan totals.

With The Inspiration, Jeezy — a former member of hip-hop quartet Boyz N Da Hood — has earned the first chart-topping showing of his career, and even bested his first LP, 2005's Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, which opened at #2 with 172,000 in sales. (Watch the Snowman discuss the making of his new LP in this RAW chat).

While his #2 chart entry wasn't shabby, Hicks hasn't proven himself to be the most sought-after "Idol" on the charts. The self-titled debut from Daughtry, the band fronted by "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry, achieved week-one scans of close to 304,000 following its release last month. Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts sold more than 314,000 copies its first week, and Clay Aiken's 2003 Measure of a Man racked up 613,000 in first-week sales, which was enough for the chart's peak position. That same year, Ruben Studdard's Soulful also opened at #1, selling 417,000 units.

Following Hicks at #3 this week is one of the surprise hits of 2006: the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original series "Hannah Montana," which continues to generate strong interest at retail with nearly 274,000 copies grabbed up. The Now That's What I Call Music! 23 collection, featuring contributions from Justin Timberlake, Fergie, Snoop Dogg and Christina Aguilera, finished at #4 with 235,000 units scanned, followed at #5 by Josh Groban's Awake, selling 222,000 copies.

Underwood's Some Hearts climbs four spots this week to #6, with sales reported at 199,000, while Daughtry occupies the chart's #7 slot with 181,000 scans. Holding at #8 is the Beatles' Cirque du Soleil soundtrack project Love, with 178,000 scans, followed at #9 by Reflections (A Retrospective), an anthology featuring some of Mary J. Blige's biggest hits that debuts this week with 171,000 sold. (Get personal with Blige as she reveals her struggles and rates her LPs in this RAW chat.) Rounding out the top 10 is Il Divo's Siempre, with 167,000 copies sold.

Jeezy, Hicks and Blige weren't the sole newcomers to this week's chart. In all, just seven releases cracked the top 200 during a week in which the country's best-selling albums generated more than 9.3 million in total sales — up from the previous week's 7.2-million-sold mark. The latest from former "American Idol" victor Fantasia Barrino, Fantasia, opened at #19 this week with close to 133,000 copies sold. Tyrese's Alter Ego bows at #23, selling 116,000 units, while Ghostface Killah's More Fish checks in at #71 with 36,000 scans. Finally, finishing at #98 is the deluxe edition of Neil Diamond's 2005 opus 12 Songs. The re-release, which Diamond was hocking on QVC earlier this month, boasts two discs of Neil numbers, and sold more than 24,000 copies last week.

• MTV News RAW: Young Jeezy
• MTV News RAW: Mary J. Blige

• Young Jeezy
• Taylor Hicks
• Daughtry
• Carrie Underwood
• Mary J. Blige

Young Jeezy's <i>The Inspiration</i>

With the War on Christmas and the War on the War on Christmas raging on, another holiday is about to begin this weekend: Hanukkah. But while the festival of lights is starting to glow, the number of CD releases is dimming — as it does every year around this time. Young Jeezy, Tyrese, Ghostface and a pair of Idols are hoping you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet and will be scouting for snowballs as they try to outdo each other with new albums. So before Hanukkah Harry comes a knockin', let's light a candle for each of the eight major releases dropping this week:

Oh Jeez: It must be the wintertime, because Da Snowman is about to open his trap. With CD sales so low these days, Young Jeezy deserves extra credit for carrying his 2005 major-label debut, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, to multiplatinum status. Now he hopes to nab another carrot — maybe he can use it as his Snowman nose! — with The Inspiration, the guest list to which puts 101's to shame. The 16-track platter features T.I. ("I Got Money"), R. Kelly ("Go Getta"), Keyshia Cole ("Dreamin' "), Timbaland ("3 A.M.") and others ... feeling inspired?

A Hick Move: So if 63.4 million people voted for Taylor Hicks in the final round of "American Idol," that means his maiden major-label LP should sell about ... 9 minus 6, carry the 1 ... well, let's just say Soul Patrol will be giving Da Snowman a run for his money. Like Jeezy, Hicks has enlisted some hitmaking talent to help him do his self-titled big-time debut up right: Rob Thomas, "Un-Break My Heart" author Diane Warren, producer Matt Serletic (Courtney Love, Santana) and even Bryan "Summer of '69" Adams all claim songwriting credits on the LP. With covers of songs made famous by Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye to boot, Hicks might be tasting another #1 prize next week.

Straight From the Barrino: Also doing the whole "Yeah, I won 'American Idol' and I'm naming my new J Records album after myself" thing is Fantasia, who in 2004 wore the crown that currently sits atop Hicks' head. That same year saw her debut, Free Yourself, get platinum honors, a feat the Grammy-winning single mom and Kanye West tourmate hopes to duplicate with Fantasia. This CD is a busy one: Missy Elliott co-wrote and co-produced three tunes; Outkast's Big Boi pops in for a visit on "Hood Boy"; Swizz Beatz puts his polish on "Surround U"; Diane Warren, Babyface, Bryan-Michael Cox and Sean Garrett also help out with writing and production; and Fantasia samples songs by James Brown, Al Green and the Supremes throughout.

'Rese's Pieces: Topping off J Records' busy menu this week is Tyrese's two-disc Alter Ego, which features his titular Black Ty rap persona. The aforementioned Michael Cox and R. Kelly lend their production skills to this LP as well, although 'Rese has a boatload of additional help: Lil Jon crops up on "Turn Ya Out" on the first, R&B-centric disc; and on disc two, Snoop Dogg spruces up "Get Low" and "Roll the Dice"; the Game helps Tyrese reminisce about "Ghetto Dayz"; Method Man shows him how to "Get It In"; and David Banner, Mannie Fresh, Kurupt, Lil Scrappy and Too Short prop him up elsewhere.

Something's Fishy: Ghostface Killah is squaring off against Black Ty and Def Jam labelmate Jeezy with More Fish, which, as the small lettering near the album title leads us to believe, is actually a quasi-collaborative affair with Ghost's Theodore Unit. The MC's son, Sun God, who is a member of the crew, also helps out his dad, who is releasing this LP less than 10 months after dropping its predecessor, Fishscale. Underground-hip-hop tastemaker MF Doom produces "Cartoonz" and "Stones From Greece," the latter of which drops references to the Hardy Boys. Oh, and some guy named Kanye West joins forces with this Ne-Yo dude for a remix of "Back Like That."

The Hits Just Keep Coming: Now that's she's really broken through — and landed oodles of awards and nominations along the way — it's time for Mary J. Blige to stop and reflect. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul chalks up four new recordings on Reflections (A Retrospective): the opening "Reflections (I Remember)," the single "We Ride (I See the Future)," "You Know" and the John Legend duet "King & Queen." There are 15 tracks in total — which averages out to one for every year Blige has been recording.

Fire Up the DVD Player: The ever-outré AFI have been exorcising their inner demons for 15 years, but at long last a DVD is coming down the pipe. Shot with a startling 22 cameras at the Long Beach Arena in Southern California on September 15, the 18-song performance by the band balances out to 72 minutes' worth of goth-a-riffic footage — and includes a guest appearance by Tiger Army's Nick 13. For A Fire Inside's biggest show to date, they let loose with "God Called in Sick Today," "Death of Seasons," "Kill Caustic" and "Bleed Black." Happy Hanukkah.

Also doing the DVD thing for the first time are Taking Back Sunday, whose "Partone" disc (no, not "Part One") you probably won't find in the DVD racks. The New York rock quintet are appending their 90-minute video to re-releases of the band's Louder Now CD, which itself is being furthered with four additional live tracks. Like AFI's video, the TBS DVD component collects performances from the Long Beach Arena, but also captures the bandmembers at home, in their hotel rooms and beyond. A making-of-the-album feature and behind-the-scenes material from the group's "MakeDamnSure" video round out the release.

Song Title of the Week:

"Bump What Your Friends Say" from Fantasia

Other Notables:

Sonic Youth's The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities: Pulling together this band's obscure material is like dumping buckets of water out of a (diamond) sea: No matter how hard you work at it, there will always be more. This disc prudently selects just 11 odds and sods, including the previously unreleased outtake "Fire Engine Dream" and unissued versions of "Three Part Sectional Love Seat" and — coincidentally — "Queen Anne Chair," as well as Japan-only bonus tunes, soundtrack and compilation cuts and more.

Duncan Sheik's "Spring Awakening: A New Musical" soundtrack: The cult-fave singer/songwriter showed off his lofty ambitions with 2001's Phantom Moon, for which he constructed somewhat elaborate orchestral arrangements with poet/dramatist Steve Sater. But few were prepared for what Sheik threw together a couple of years later: a Broadway musical he wrote with Sater that is based on a controversial 19th-century drama about sex, violence and suicide. The musical backdrop to the theatrical production — which opened Sunday in New York — includes "The Bitch of Living," "The Word of Your Body" and "I Don't Do Sadness."

Various artists' "B4MD: Before the Music Dies": Everyone knows CDs will soon become extinct — but while we're at it, is pop music on its way out altogether? That's the hypothesis drawn up in this critical look at the genre, narrated by Forest Whitaker and featuring performances and commentary by Dave Matthews, Erykah Badu, the Roots' ?uestlove, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, My Morning Jacket, Ray Charles and more. "The reality is that superficiality is in, and depth and quality is kind of out," Branford Marsalis says in the film. Decide for yourself.

New Releases:

· Fantasia - Fantasia (J) [Buy Now] Read: "Fantasia Unleashes Her Inner Rock Star: 'This Time It's My Own Vision' " · Ghostface Killah - More Fish (Def Jam) [Buy Now] Read: "Ghostface Killah Warms Up Leftover Fish For Second 2006 Album" · Taylor Hicks - Taylor Hicks (Arista/ 19 Recordings) [Buy Now] Read: "Taylor Hicks Hopes 'Traveling Circus Of Fans' Follows Him On Tour" · Red Wanting Blue - The Warehouse Sessions (with DVD; self-released) · Duncan Sheik - "Spring Awakening: A New Musical" soundtrack (Decca Broadway) · Tyrese - Alter Ego (two CDs; J) [Buy Now] Read: "Tyrese Gives In To Rap Passion, Plans To 'Change The World' With Double LP" · Young Jeezy - The Inspiration (Def Jam) [Buy Now] Read: "Jeezy Waiting On Kanye For LP; Addresses Rumors Of Tour With Jay, Nas" · Various artists - "Charlotte's Web" soundtrack (Bulletproof) · Various artists - "Children of Men" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande) · Various artists - "Eragon" soundtrack (RCA)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Ames Brothers - Together (two CDs; Jasmine) · Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Me - Deluxe Edition 5.1 (DVD Audio version; Desperation) · Mary J. Blige - Reflections (A Retrospective) (Geffen) [Buy Now] Read: "Mary J.'s Greatest-Hits LP Brings Three New Songs, Brushes Off Rumors" · Neil Diamond - 12 Songs (limited-edition "artist's cut" with bonus CD; Columbia) · Kangaroo - Kangaroo (Fallout) · Ramsey Lewis - Legends of Jazz With Ramsey Lewis (box set with four CDs and four DVDs; LRS) · Sonic Youth - The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities (Geffen) · Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now (limited edition with bonus DVD "Partone"; comes in two different covers; Warner Bros.) [Buy Now]

Music DVDs:

· AFI - "I Heard a Voice - Live From Long Beach Arena" (Interscope) · Eagles - "Music in Review" (Classic Rock Legends) · Genesis - "The Definitive Critical Review" (two CDs; Classic Rock Legends) · Elton John - "Music in Review" (Classic Rock Legends) · Barry Manilow - "Manilow Live!" (Image) · Oasis - "The World's Greatest Albums: The Oasis Phenomenon - The Ultimate Critical Review" (Classic Rock Legends) · Various artists - "B4MD: Before the Music Dies" (BSide) · Various artists - "Best of 'Later ... With Jools Holland' 2000-2006" (Warner Bros.)

Coming Attractions:

December 19: · Katharine McPhee - TBD (RCA) Read: "Katharine McPhee's LP: A Little Bit Pussycat Dolls, A Little Bit Mariah" · Mos Def - Tru3 Magic (Geffen) [Buy Now] · Nas - Hip-Hop Is Dead ... The N (Def Jam) [Buy Now] Read: "MTV News Exclusive: Nas Previews Hip-Hop Is Dead ... The N" · Styles P - Time Is Money (Ruff Ryders) · Trick Daddy - Back by Thug Demand (Atlantic) [Buy Now] · UGK - Underground Kingz (two CDs; Jive) [Buy Now] Read: "Ex-Con Pimp C Juiced For UGK Album, Says He Has Lessons To Teach"

December 26: · Good Charlotte - "Fast Future Generation" DVD (Epic/Daylight) · N.W.A - The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge (deluxe version with DVD also available; Capitol/Priority) · Omarion - 21 (Sony Urban) Read: "Boy To Man: Omarion Grows Up On The 'Personal' 21" · Switchfoot - Oh! Gravity (Columbia) Read: "Life, Death, Social Entropy? Switchfoot Get Weighty On Oh! Gravity" · Various artists - The Family Values Tour 2006 (Firm)

January 2: · Various artists - L-Tunes: Music From and Inspired by "The L-Word" (Columbia) · Carly Simon - Into White (Columbia) · Unwritten Law - The Hit List (Rocket Science)

• Young Jeezy
• Taylor Hicks
• Fantasia
• Mary J. Blige
• AFI

Yung Joc
Photo: Jason Campbell

After 13 grueling weeks of fantasy football brutality, the smoke has cleared, the wounded have been carted off the field of battle and only four teams remain in the hunt for the MTV League title. But much like "The Highlander," there can be only one who will hoist the trophy come season's end (but unlike "The Highlander," it's doubtful Christopher Lambert will be involved.)

(As the season winds down, see how it all started! Method Man, Paul Wall and the others fight to draft the best players in this video.)

Of course, the biggest postseason question is this: Can anyone stop Block Entertainment, the two-headed fantasy juggernaut helmed by Yung Joc and label CEO Block? They're the top seed in this year's playoffs, having finished the regular season with an 11-2 mark, riding high on an eight-game winning streak (see "Meth Is In, Tyrese Is Out For Playoffs: Fantasy Football Week 13 Recap"). Plus, their roster boasts one Mr. LaDainian Tomlinson, the fantasy football equivalent of Tecmo Super Bowl-era Bo Jackson.

Method Man — in as the #4 seed with a 6-7 record that's more a testament to league-wide ineptitude than anything else — has the unenviable task of trying to stop the Block in the first round of the playoffs, while Paul Wall's Lone Star Monsters take on division rivals Cool & Dre. First-round matchups will last two weeks, with the championship game taking place over weeks 16 and 17.

Oh, and in a move straight out of the YMCA Rec. League, there's also a "Consolation Ladder" going on, which is basically a bizarro playoff set up as a way for the other four teams not good enough to make the postseason to keep playing. In those, uh, epic matchups, Liz Hernandez's squad squares off against the team led by Tyrese (who will hopefully continue starting Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, despite the fact that he's been on the injured reserve list since week 11), and Uncle Luke battles Lil Wayne in a contest that might very well be the definition of a Pyrrhic victory (considering their combined 9-17 record).

But we're not here to focus on the also-rans — we're interested in crowning a champion. So with week 14 set to kick off tonight — with a rust-belt showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns — let's take a look at our playoff matchups:

Block Entertainment (#1) vs. Method Man (#4)

On paper, this looks like a complete cakewalk for Joc and Block, what with the Tomlinson factor and all. But take a closer look, and you'll see that this one could actually be a real nail-biter. We'll give Meth the edge in the QB department (Carson Palmer over the struggling Eli Manning), while the running back situation is actually a lot closer than you might think. Block's been riding the one-two punch of Tomlinson and Frank Gore for weeks now, but Method Man counters with the rejuvenated Shaun Alexander and Willie Parker (who, to be honest, has been horrible the past two weeks). We'll give Joc and Block the advantage there, but just slightly. The matchup might come down to wide receivers, and again, it's gonna be close: Colts catch-machine Reggie Wayne and Cowboys de facto go-to guy Terry Glenn have been money for Meth all season long, while Block will rely on always-shaky Giants WR Plaxico Burress and injured (and questionable to play this week) Saints star Joe Horn. This one's gonna be a doozy.

Paul Wall (#2) vs. Cool & Dre (#3)

These two teams met three times during the regular season — highlighted by a 100-100 tie in week seven — and battled for supremacy in the Crunchtime Firing Squad Division all the way down to the wire. In the end, Wall ended up taking the division crown, and now Cool & Dre will be looking for revenge. Again, this looks to be a close one. No doubt, C&D have the advantage when it comes to QBs (Peyton Manning vs. Jon Kitna), but as long as they insist on starting injured Dolphin Ronnie Brown, we're gonna give Wall's pair of Jaguars backs, Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, the nod in the RB department. And when it comes to wide receivers, Steve Smith is nice for Cool & Dre, but they need to yank injured Colts tight end Dallas Clark out of their lineup ASAP (you know, since he's not gonna play again this season). Wall counters with the three-headed monster of the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald, the Lions' Roy Williams and the Chargers' Antonio Gates, which gives him a big-time edge. We like Paul in this one.

And with that, it's on! Check back here Tuesday to find out who's coming out on top.

Click here for the MTV News Fantasy Football League standings.

• MTV News Fantasy Football League

• Yung Joc
• Method Man
• Lil Wayne
• Tyrese
• Paul Wall

Method Man
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

Ladies and gents, it's officially a wrap.

The MTV News Fantasy Football League regular season has concluded, and it's on to the playoffs. Congrats to Block Entertainment (the two-headed fantasy beast of Yung Joc and company CEO Block), who had the best overall record in the league. They clinched their playoff berth weeks ago but stayed hungry and have been on a wild winning streak.

(See how it all started! Method Man, Paul Wall and the others fight to draft the best players in this video.)

Three other playoff spots were up for grabs going into week 13. There were a couple of surprises, a nail-biter, and to give you a spoiler, Luke — yes, Uncle Luke! — remained hot.

Method Man vs. Lil Wayne (56-60)

Sure, Method Man would have loved to say he stomped his way into the playoffs and not crawled his way to the first round, but they call it "the second season" for a reason, right? Meth's team looked very dilapidated this week. Carlson Palmer and Shaun Alexander — Meth's big guns — both failed to score 20 points (13 and 15 respectively), and the rest of his squad's stats are not worth mentioning. Meanwhile, Reggie Bush had his best game of the season, but his 40 fantasy points were wasted on Wayne's bench. Bush had four TDs this week (too bad this isn't a keeper league). Weezy also had Marvin Harrison on the pine this week with his 23 fantasy points, but the MC still eked out a win, and, most importantly, avoided having the worst record in the league.

Cool & Dre vs. Uncle Luke (59-78)

Luke, where have you been all year, homie? Mr. Skywalker closed out the year on a high note with three wins in a row, and lo and behold; his main man Edgerrin James finally ran for 100 yards last week (11 fantasy points). Luke might have had the worst team in the league as far as records go, but when next year starts up, he'll be tied for first place! Cool & Dre, uh, there may just be a problem. They had two gaping doughnuts in their lineup last week when Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown and Colts tight end Dallas Clark both wound up injured and unable to play. They are supposed to be out next week too, which doesn't bode well for C&D, who made the playoffs. The duo must be praying for one of those big Peyton Manning games next week. And maybe Steve Smith will show up. All that chatter about him being the best wideout in the league is about as dormant as Michael Richards' career right now. Just like the comedian's recent stage tirade, Smith's 88 combined yards the past two weeks is nothing to smile at.

Liz Hernandez vs. Block Entertainment (67-96)

The thoroughbreds from Atlanta keep killing 'em. Liz Hernandez was their latest victim. The lovely MTV News correspondent had her playoff hopes go up in smoke when she faced the league's almost unstoppable two-headed monster. Eight in a row for Block and Joc, and as is the story every week, LaDainian Tomlinson carried the ball and their team to victory for 30 fantasy points. Liz's lamentable letdown (try saying that five times in a row) came in the form of the inconsistent Terrell Owens. Only eight points from T.O. this week, and running back Rudi Johnson's performance was about as dreadful as the Mohawk haircut of his Bengals' teammate Chad Johnson. Five fantasy points from C.J. was all Liz got.

Tyrese vs. Paul Wall (67-80)

Tyrese basically sleepwalked his way right out of playoff contention. A few weeks ago, he looked like a sure thing for not only the playoffs, but possibly the best record in the league. Starting an injured Donovan McNabb the past few weeks showed that his head really wasn't in the game. Paul Wall's was. With Wall's win, he actually took home the best record in the Crunchtime Firing Squad Division. His victory wasn't that jaw-dropping (the Steelers' 16 points was the most he had from a single entity on his roster this week), but it was just enough to work. He faces Cool & Dre in the first round next week. They both had identical records, and if you remember, the last time they played each other, they wound up in a tie.

Click here for the MTV News Fantasy Football League standings.

• MTV News Fantasy Football League

• Paul Wall
• Method Man
• Lil Wayne
• Yung Joc
• Tyrese

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres In Los Angeles

• Michael Jackson
• Adam Lambert
• Katy Perry
• Ashley Tisdale
• David Cook

Tyrese, Trey Songz And More Onstage In New York, 04.14.07

• Trey Songz
• Tyrese

Gwen, Beyonce, Paris, Game, More At The 2006 American Music Awards

• Gwen Stefani
• Beyoncé
• Weird Al Yankovic
• Game
• Josh Groban

Nick Lachey, Shakira, 50 Cent, Fall Out Boy, More Arrive At The 2006 VMAs

• Shakira
• Fall Out Boy
• AFI
• Danity Kane
• New Found Glory

In Focus: Tyrese Gibson

• Tyrese

In Focus: Tyrese Gibson

• Tyrese

Usher, Mary J., Diddy, Snoop, More At 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Celebration

• Usher
• Diddy
• Mary J. Blige
• R. Kelly
• Snoop Dogg

Rob Schneider, Tyrese Gibson, Princes of Malibu

• Tyrese

Lil' Kim, Ludacris, Monica, Snoop, More On BET Awards Red Carpet

• Lil' Kim
• St. Lunatics
• Roscoe
• Clipse
• Floetry

"2 Fast 2 Furious" Photos

• Tyrese
• Ludacris