Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Trayvon Martin's Death Hits Hip-Hop Community Hard
'His legacy can become something that helps change things,' Nas tells MTV News of late Florida teen.
By Rob Markman, with additional MTV News staff reporting
Trayvon Martin
Photo: AP
The tragic shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin has led to a public outcry for justice, which many feel has not yet begun to be served.
George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old who claims he shot Martin in self-defense, has yet to be arrested or charged with a crime. Demonstrators have taken to the streets, lawmakers have protested on Capitol Hill and even President Obama has spoken out in support of Martin and his family.
The hip-hop community has also been vocal about the delicate matter, which has overwhelming racial implications. "It's something very near and dear to me, because my son is around his age," Young Jeezy told MTV News last week. "He looks like an innocent kid. I understand the situation as far as dude wanting to be [on] neighborhood watch, but everybody that's black and young ain't up to no good."
On February 26, Martin was shot dead by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman as he walked through a gated Sanford, Florida, community. Zimmerman believed Martin — who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt — looked suspicious, so he called 911. The police dispatcher advised Zimmerman not to pursue the teen, but he reportedly ignored those instructions. By the time police arrived on the scene, Martin was dead. Although Zimmerman admitted to the shooting, police declined to arrest him citing the state's "Stand Your Ground" law, which allows a person to kill in cases of self-defense.
Mobb Deep's Prodigy doesn't understand why local authorities didn't take Zimmerman into custody. "To me, it's up to the police department out there in Sanford to handle that the right way," he said. "They were supposed to arrest him."
"It's unfortunate any time things like that happen, and I don't know exactly what the motivation of the man who actually killed him was, but it doesn't feel positive," 50 Cent said. "For any circumstances when someone's killed and there's a person there that we know did it, regardless of their intentions at that point, there's right and wrong. And I think that it's obvious who's wrong in this actual situation."
Over the past week, there have been rallies calling for the arrest of Zimmerman in New York City, Chicago and Trayvon's native Sanford, Florida. During a March 23 press conference, President Obama said if he had a son "he'd look like Trayvon," and on Wednesday (March 28), Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush was removed from the House floor after he gave a speech in support of Martin while wearing sunglasses and a hooded sweatshirt in a symbolic show of solidarity.
Game believes Trayvon's death is another example of racial injustice in America. "For some reason, people don't think that they need any excuse to kill us, beat us, hit us, run us over, disrespect us or anything like that," he said. "This is just another reminder that stupidity still exists."
Killer Mike took a militant stance, expressing his frustration with the so-called Stand Your Ground law. "If we're not gonna change the laws, then we have to change our mentality," he said, urging young black men to arm themselves as long as they operate within the confines of their state's gun laws.
Trying to make sense of a senseless act, Nas hopes that young Trayvon didn't die in vain. "Maybe he thought in football he'd have a legacy," Nas reasoned, "but now his legacy can become something that helps change things, hopefully."
Share your condolences for Trayvon Martin's friends and family in the comments below.
Michael Jackson - Beat It
- Artist: Michael Jackson
- Label: Epic Records
- Director: Bob Giraldi
- Album: If Ever...
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Whitney Houston Remembered By Beyonce
'She was the ultimate legend. The ultimate woman,' Beyonce says in a statement to MTV News about Houston, who died Saturday in L.A.
By Jocelyn Vena
<P>One day after pop music <a href="/news/articles/1679035/whitney-houston-dead-celebrity-reaction.jhtml">lost one of its icons</a> and greatest voices, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/houston_whitney/artist.jhtml">Whitney Houston</a>, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/knowles_beyonce/artist.jhtml">Beyoncé</a> is opening up about the death of the pop superstar. She recalled meeting the singer for the first time 15 years ago, just as she was breaking into the industry herself. </P><P> </P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Whitney Houston: Life And Music Of An Icon" id="id:1679030" width="240" height="211"></div><p> </P><P> </P><P>"The loss of Whitney Houston is painful. I remember meeting Whitney for the first time when I was 15. She was the ultimate legend. The ultimate woman. Not only was she confident, poised, stunningly beautiful and intelligent, but she was sincere and kind," she said in a statement to MTV News. "She took the time to make everyone feel like they were very important to her." </P><P> </P><P>Beyoncé continued in the statement that Houston's killer vocal abilities helped make her the superstar she was. "I, like every singer, always wanted to be just like her. Her voice was perfect. Strong but soothing. Soulful and classic. Her vibrato, her cadence, her control. So many of my life's memories are attached to a Whitney Houston song," she said. "She is our queen and she opened doors and provided a blueprint for all of us. God bless her." </P><P> </P><P>Her statement comes on the same day that Houston will be remembered at the 2012 Grammy Awards. B's "Dreamgirls" co-star Jennifer Hudson will lead the <a href="/news/articles/1679040/whitney-houston-grammy-tribute.jhtml"> Grammy tribute to the late icon</a>, along with Houston's longtime friend and collaborator, Chaka Khan. </P><P> </P><P>She joins a long list of divas who have recalled Houston's undeniable influence on their own careers, including Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Christina Aguilera. </P><P> </P><P>"Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston," Mariah Carey wrote about the <a href="/news/articles/1679049/whitney-houston-dies-details.jhtml">loss of Houston</a>, who was found dead in her Los Angeles hotel on Saturday."My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth." </P><P> </P><P>It's not only pop divas who are recounting her influence, but also <a href="/news/articles/1679063/whitney-houston-dead-grammys-2012.jhtml">producers from the world of EDM</a>. "She had the swagger and she had the voice," Diplo told MTV News during our pre-show live stream. "I was listening to a bunch of records last night, and I was amazed at how deeply I felt about her records as a child." </P><P> </P><P><b>MTV News' Sway and James Montgomery will be live from the <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/grammys/">Grammys</a> red carpet all evening to get reactions from music's biggest stars on the death of Whitney Houston. Watch reactions and remembrances at MTV.com.</b> </P><P> </P><P><i>Share your condolences with Whitney's family and friends on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mtvnews/posts/381732435187118&rdquo" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page.</i></p>
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsKe$ha Drops Lil Wayne, T.I., Wiz Khalifa 'Sleazy' Remix
Remix also features Andre 3000 and is a bit racier than the original track.
By Jocelyn Vena
<P>As promised, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/kesha_/artist.jhtml">Ke$ha</a> and her boys Lil Wayne, T.I., Wiz Khalifa and Andre 3000 dropped a new <a href="/news/articles/1672529/lil-wayne-kesha-ti-wiz-khalifa-remix.jhtml">remix of "Sleazy"</a> on Tuesday (December 13). </P><P> </P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="MTV News Extended Play: Ke$ha" id="id:1661961" width="240" height="211"></div><p> </P><P> </P><P>The Bangladesh-produced song originally appeared on K-Dollar's 2010 <a href="/news/articles/1651081/keha-gets-sleazy-on-new-cannibal-track.jhtml"><i>Cannibal</i> album</a> before a <a href="/news/articles/1656039/andre-3000-pops-up-on-kehas-sleazy-remix.jhtml">remix featuring Andre</a> popped up earlier this year. The latest version of the song is available for purchase and is all over blogs like <a href="http://www.rap-up.com/2011/12/12/new-music-kesha-f-wiz-khalifa-andre-3000-ti-lil-wayne-sleazy-remix/" target="_blank">Rap-Up.com</a>. The song gets a bit dirtier and introspective thanks to verses from the guys that play up the track's bumping beat. </P><P> </P><P>Wiz kicks it off, rapping about designer clothes and his lady love, Amber Rose. "OK, I'm young and I'm tatted/ I get them bucks like an addict/ Rocking this Christian Dior/ I spend so much on my fabric/ I got a wifey at home/ And what she wants she can have it," he spits before going on about chilling on the beach, being rich and his prowess in the bedroom. </P><P> </P><P>Sitting in between Wiz and Tip is Andre's recycled verse, before T.I. gets his shot and gets sexy, asking Ke$ha, "Do you know what to do with me?" before he launches into a verse all about how good he is to the ladies. "Bad bitches know me/ So don't bother introducing me/ They want me more than diamonds," he brags before explaining that it has a lot to do with his impressive anatomy. </P><P> </P><P>Wayne closes it out, adding his own signature flair. "We be on that sh-- that no one be on/ That's what we on/ Smoke that neon, Kings of Leon/ Dynamite, Napoleon/ Got some skinnies and a tee on/ And some Vans," he rhymes about his famous sense of Weezy-fied style before the song circles back to the funky chorus, where Ke$ha declares that she doesn't "need you or your brand-new Benz/ Or your bougie friends/ I don't need love lookin' like diamonds/ Lookin' like diamonds." </P><P> </P><P>If any of K's fans or critics were wondering if she has the swagger to chill with the guys, she displayed some of her sass when she <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/KESHASUXX" target="_blank">tweeted</a> about the remix. "Question ANIMALS ... who can say they got with Lil Wayne, T.I., Andre 3000 and Wiz Khalifa on a f---ing hot track??" she asked. "ill give u one clue ... Its $." </P><P> </P><P><i>What do you think of the "Sleazy" remix? Tell us in the comments!</i></p>
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