Video premieres March 11 on MTV.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Lil Wayne in the "Drop the World" video
Photo: Cash Money Records

Smashed TV sets, burning fires and pure chaos mark the proceedings for Lil Wayne's "Drop the World' music video featuring Eminem. An exclusive 30-second clip is available on MTV.com and the video is scheduled to premiere March 11 on MTV.

Director Chris Robinson told MTV News recently that the visuals would be aggressive and feature a heavy amount of technology and in the preview, Robinson's warning is apparent.

Wayne is standing at the crossroads of an abandoned block and as he raps the song's chorus — "I'm gonna pick the world up and drop it on your f---ing head" — while looters run back and forth, smashing items and making sure pandemonium ensues.

Robinson described the shoot as "just energy" and raved about Eminem's entrance.

"You got two guys who are basically huge supernovas coming together, and the way that the song is constructed is great," he said. "Because unless you see it coming, you don't know Eminem is on the track. The first two hooks and the first two verses are all Wayne, and it's kind of a surprise when Eminem comes through, and we matched it visually how Eminem enters the piece. From the concept and to just hearing the lyrics, with both of these amazing lyricists killing it, the whole video is just energy."

In the clip, a comet strikes the sky and seconds later Eminem appears among the debris. Wayne then joins Em as the two pose for cameras.

"It hurts but I'll never show/ 'Cause pain you'll never know/ If only you could see how lonely and how cold/ And frostbit I've become," the Detroit MC kicks off the third verse, singing his flow.

The collaboration is from Wayne's rock-leaning effort Rebirth. Wayne had long sought out Shady to join forces with him on a record. They were both part of the all-star "Forever," also featuring Kanye West and Drake, but fans clamored for just the two superstar lyricists to appear on a song together. However, it wasn't until recently that Eminem was available, after working on his comeback album and battling his drug addiction.

"There hasn't really necessarily been a time for me to go to collaborate and sh-- lately, because I been so locked down in the studio," Eminem said. "But I'm open for whatever. There's a lot of rappers in the game I respect, especially right now."

• Lil Wayne's 'Road To Rikers'

• Lil Wayne Heads To Rikers Island

• Lil Wayne
• Eminem

Video premieres March 11 on MTV.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Lil Wayne and Eminem on the set of their video for "Drop The World"
Photo: Young Money Entertainment

Lil Wayne has been recording music and filming videos at a feverish pace as he waits — and waits — to begin his one-year prison term in New York, which has been delayed three times and is now scheduled for Monday.

One of the most anticipated videos Weezy has on deck is Rebirth's "Drop the World," featuring Eminem. A preview of the Chris Robinson-directed clip has appeared online.

The video is scheduled to premiere March 11 on MTV.

In the clip, the superstar rappers can be seen together during Em's portion; Wayne serves as the hypeman to Slim Shady as they both mug for the cameras while standing in front of a green screen.

Robinson spoke to MTV News about the video, which he promised would be aggressive and use new technology.

In another scene, Wayne is seen performing in front of a riot occurring behind him. The broken glass, fire and commotion fit with the track, a raucous collaboration that finally sees Wayne and Em collaborating on a song that features just the two of them (they previously collaborated on Drake's "Forever").

Robinson, who's worked with Wayne in the past, said Eminem brought a comic relief to the set, which was filmed in one day on the eve of the 2010 Grammy Awards.

"He was a down-to-earth dude, very funny," Robinson told MTV News. "He was cracking jokes all the time. Sometimes on a set it can get grueling, but I found Em's whole crew to be cool."

It was the first time Robinson had worked with the Detroit rap star.

Robinson had a long list of credits, including most of T.I.'s standout videos. The director also has a movie credit under his belt, again working with Tip, for his debut "ATL."

But the veteran director said working with Eminem was its own unique experience, noting that it made him feel like a fan again.

"It was the first time I ever met Em and I felt like I was 18 again," Robinson explained. "I was like, 'I'm here with Lil Wayne and Eminem!' Still, to have that kind of feeling, 'Wow, I'm shooting with these guys,' it was good. It wasn't just another day, it felt very special."

• Lil Wayne's 'Road To Rikers'

• Lil Wayne Heads To Rikers Island

• Lil Wayne
• Eminem

Black Eyed Peas, Vampire Weekend and John Mayer also set to perform at Ireland's largest music festival.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Eminem and Jay-Z
Photo: Activision

Eminem and Jay-Z will be among the marquee acts participating at the Oxegen 2010 music festival this summer in Ireland, it was announced on Tuesday (February 23).

The multi-platinum rappers are the standouts on a bill that also includes the Black Eyed Peas, Vampire Weekend, Empire of the Sun, Muse and John Mayer.

Em is scheduled to close out the multi-day fest, which takes place July 8 to July 11. The Detroit MC will rock the main stage and be joined by D-12 and a live band backing the performance. There are no details regarding Jay-Z's set date or location as of press time.

The annual spree is Ireland's largest music festival. Oxegen was founded in 2004 and in the past has featured a range of artists including the Killers and R.E.M. Last year, Nine Inch Nails were among the headliners.

In addition to Em and Jay, the 2010 line will include Muse, David Guetta, and DJ A-Trak.

Recently, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggested Eminem and Jay-Z should headline a concert at the NFL magnate's new stadium, which hosted the record-setting NBA All-Star game earlier this month.

"Those are the kinds of stars or the kinds of individuals that people are so interested in seeing," Jones told MTV News. "We've got a venue there that can show them and their skills and talent. We could put a crowd in there to watch them."

The "Renegade" collaborators, Em and Jay, have hooked up a few times already in the past year. They both consulted on the "DJ Hero" video game and later performed in Los Angeles during an event sponsored by the gaming company. The event featured one of the last performances by DJ AM.

• Jay-Z And Trey Songz Perform In Sunrise, FL

• Jay-Z
• Eminem

Clip premieres March 11 on MTV.
By Jayson Rodriguez and Ryan J. Downey

Eminem and Lil Wayne
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images

Lil Wayne and Eminem will come together once again when MTV premieres the video for "Drop the World," the acclaimed rappers' landmark collaboration, on March 11.

Lil Wayne feverishly filmed a series of music videos in the weeks leading up to what he thought would be his last day of freedom two weeks ago, before dental surgery postponed his prison sentence. Director David Rousseau told MTV News that the Cash Money superstar recorded up to nine videos in one weekend, though most were in front of a green screen so his image could be added later to the finished clips.

Wayne was definitely on the set for the Chris Robinson-directed "Drop the World," however, which was filmed the night before the pair performed a snippet of the track, the next single from Wayne's Rebirth album, at the Grammys.

Robinson told MTV News he was very conscious of the heavy weight carried by both hip-hop superstars, likening the onscreen collaboration to a cinematic counterpart: "How did Scorsese put Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio in the same movie?" And while he wouldn't reveal the premise driving the video, he promised it will match the song's intensity.

"As a director, it's how do you, more than anything, combine these two artists together and create something that's special," he explained. "Because when you have two artists together, it's like, 'Oh, they'll stand next to each other [and that's it].' It's very awkward sometimes to have two very big stars. How are you gonna cover that? Especially two artists that are so big. You can do that with a performance at the Grammys, because the spectacle is to watch them onstage and sit in the audience and look at it. But as an artistic piece to have some magic, or if it's a mood piece or whatever way you communicate the music, you have to take two people into consideration with how you do that.

"You got two guys who are basically huge supernovas coming together, and the way that the song is constructed is great," he continued. "Because unless you see it coming, you don't know Eminem is on the track. The first two hooks and the first two verses are all Wayne, and it's kind of a surprise when Eminem comes through, and we matched it visually how Eminem enters the piece. From the concept and to just hearing the lyrics, with both of these amazing lyricists killing it, the whole video is just energy."

Wayne is scheduled to begin his one-year jail sentence in New York on March 2 after undergoing eight root canals.

• Lil Wayne
• Eminem

'You got two guys who are basically huge supernovas coming together,' Chris Robinson tells MTV News.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Lil Wayne and Eminem perform at the 2010 Grammy Awards
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage

Lil Wayne feverishly filmed a series of music videos in the weeks leading up to what he thought would be his last day of freedom two weeks ago, before dental surgery postponed his prison sentence.

Director David Rousseau told MTV News that the Cash Money superstar recorded up to nine videos in one weekend, though most were in front of a green screen so his image could be added later to the finished clips. One video the rapper was on the set for, however, was his upcoming clip with Eminem for "Drop the World."

The collaboration between the two esteemed MCs is the next single from Wayne's Rebirth album. The pair performed a snippet of the track at last month's Grammy Awards.

Chris Robinson directed the "Drop the World" video and told MTV News on Tuesday (February 23) that the shoot — featuring the two heavyweight MCs — was comparable to a movie set.

"As a director, it's how do you, more than anything, combine these two artists together and create something that's special," he explained. "Because when you have two artists together, it's like, 'Oh, they'll stand next to each other [and that's it].' It's very awkward sometimes to have two very big stars. How are you gonna cover that? Especially two artists that are so big. You can do that with a performance at the Grammys, because the spectacle is to watch them onstage and sit in the audience and look at it. But as an artistic piece to have some magic, or if it's a mood piece or whatever way you communicate the music, you have to take two people into consideration with how you do that. And for me, I almost take it like a feature film: How did Scorsese put Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio in the same movie?"

The clip was filmed on the eve of the Grammys, Robinson said. It was a one-day shoot, and Wayne was on the set for upward of 14 hours. As of press time, no details regarding the premiere are available.

The "Drop the World" video is still being edited, Robinson said. It's likely the director will complete the final clip by the top of next week. Wayne is scheduled to begin his one-year jail sentence in New York on March 2 after undergoing eight root canals.

Robinson wouldn't reveal the premise of the video, but he promised the clip would match the song's intensity.

"You got two guys who are basically huge supernovas coming together, and the way that the song is constructed is great," he said. "Because unless you see it coming, you don't know Eminem is on the track. The first two hooks and the first two verses are all Wayne, and it's kind of a surprise when Eminem comes through, and we matched it visually how Eminem enters the piece. From the concept and to just hearing the lyrics, with both of these amazing lyricists killing it, the whole video is just energy."

• Lil Wayne
• Eminem

• Jay-Z
• Beanie Sigel
• Eminem

Plus: DJ Drama talks about recent collabos with Fabolous and Chris Brown, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid

Eminem and Jerry Jones at Cowboy Stadium
Photo: James D. Smith/ AP Images

Celebrity Favorites

While most members of the Mixtape Daily family are big fans of the Dallas Cowboys' rivals (Shaheem rolls with the G-Men for life, J-Rod loves the Eagles, and Rahman bleeds Jets green), we have to give it up to owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys Stadium. The massive, breathtaking, suspended hi-def screen alone sets it apart from the pack.

We won't get too sentimental about spending NBA All-Star Weekend there, but we did get a chance to catch up with Jerry at Jay-Z and LeBron James' "Two Kings Dinner & Afterparty." The owner of America's Team recalled giving Eminem a tour of the palatial venue when Mr. Mathers attended the Cowboys vs. Chargers game in December.

"We, of course, are great fans and were tickled to death to have that kind of interest," Jones said of Em coming to the stadium.

Jones said we might eventually see a huge rap show at the stadium, which could hold well over 100,000 fans for a concert, and he thinks Em or Jay-Z would be perfect to pack the venue. "Those are the kinds of stars or the kinds of individuals that people are so interested in seeing," he said. "We've got a venue there that can show them and their skills and talent. We could put a crowd in there to watch them."

"I'm here [playing Dallas] in a couple of weeks, actually," Jay-Z said when asked about Jones' comments. "I'm not playing the big stadium, but one day."

Meanwhile, Jones said he got the feeling Em was interested in rocking Cowboys Stadium. "I believe he was thinking of how it would sound in there for him to be involved [for a concert]," Jones said of Eminem's tour of the venue.

Cowboys Stadium hosted the 2010 NBA All-Star game this past Sunday, which broke the record for attendance with more than 108,000 fans.

"[Dallas Mavericks owner] Mark Cuban initiated the idea as we were building the stadium," Jones said about how the All-Star game ended up in Dallas. "I dreamed of having a basketball game in there — basketball or soccer. A chance to do the All-Star game was a dream come true. It's been great working with [NBA commissioner] David Stern. It's been great working with Mark with what we're doing. ... I've been out there spending most of my time watching them construct the setting for the game. The NBA hasn't spared anything making it special for the fans."

Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From the Underground

It's been quite the wait for DJ Drama and Fabolous' The Funeral Service: There Is No Competition 2. First, the Gangsta Grillz presentation got pushed back from Christmas because of Fab's show schedule. Then, Fab decided to hold the tape up a few more weeks after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. While his tape has nothing to do with what happened in Haiti, the Brooklyn native wasn't going to release a mixtape with the title The Funeral with so many in mourning worldwide. Then Fab decided to put a few more songs on the tape.

We spoke to DJ Drama on Monday night, and he said Fab was in ATL with him, in the lab finishing up, and the mixtape could be out within the next week. Drama's Gangsta Grillz schedule is stacking up quite nicely. He and Cam'ron are making another mixtape, he and Yo Gotti also have a tape that will be going into production soon and, of course, there's Trap or Die 2. Dram said he hasn't heard any music from TOD collaborator Young Jeezy but is eagerly anticipating what the Snowman is going to come up with, just like the rest of us.

On Sunday, Dram and Chris Brown released the mixtape In My Zone. C. Breezy's tape is more of an underground street album than a regular tape. There are a lot of new and unreleased songs rather than freestyles. But one freestyle in particular that has people talking is Brown's take on Trey Songz's "I Invented Sex."

"A lot of people weren't expecting the project to be in this direction," Drama said. "It's really an album. His fans are happy. Even the doubters had to come in, sh-- is crazy. It's grown. It's definitely grown music.

"To me, good music is good music," Dram added about Chris' take on Songz's hit. "I've always been a supporter of quality music. Chris is a grown-ass man. It's topics that's grown men speak on. ... A lot of the music, if it was to come out in stores, it would have an explicit rating. But homie's grown up."

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

• Mixtape Daily: Jay Electronica, Jay-Z, Eminem, More

• Eminem
• Jay-Z
• Jerry Jones

'There are certain things you can't say, or sing, on television,' the network's Chris Ender says.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Drake and Eminem perform on the Grammys Sunday
Photo: Robyn Beck/ Getty Images

Some fans are saying CBS censors were overeager with the bleep button during Drake's performance of "Forever" with Lil Wayne and Eminem at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, but a CBS spokesperson defended the audio edits on Monday (February 1).

The sound was dropped out a number of times during the collective's performance, which drew the ire of fans watching at home. On Twitter and Facebook, viewers posted about their confusion, thinking technical difficulties were to blame. The issue continued as blogs and Web sites, most notably New York magazine, questioned the censorship.

A spokesman for CBS, however, said the rappers were free to perform within a certain parameter that each entertainer had to abide by. CBS' Chris Ender praised the MCs' showmanship but said the explicit material made it difficult to broadcast without some degree of censoring.

"It was a rousing musical performance, but words were edited from the live telecast that didn't meet our broadcast standards," Ender explained, according to The Associated Press. "We have great respect for artists' creative freedom, but there are certain things you can't say, or sing, on television."

According to a number of reports, the "Forever" performance was more audible during the tape-delayed broadcast on the West Coast. Many have also noted that the artists themselves actually censored their lyrics and either replaced them with clean words or pauses. It's a difficult position for CBS to be in, though, considering Wayne and Eminem chose to perform a song that many have yet to hear — "Drop the World," from Weezy's upcoming Rebirth album — which includes a significant amount of profanity.

The 2010 Grammy Awards may be over, but MTV News will have much, much more from the show, including reports on your favorite nominees, party photos, behind-the-scenes video and much more from the big show!

• Stars Shine On The 2010 Grammys Red Carpet
• Grammys 2010: Red-Hot Performances

• 2010 Grammy Parties
• The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Performances

• Drake
• Lil Wayne
• Eminem

'It was real cool to work with such talented people,' drummer says.
By James Montgomery

Travis Barker performs onstage at the 52nd annual Grammys
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

When MTV News spoke to Travis Barker on Friday, he was pretty much in the dark about his Grammy-night performance with Lil Wayne, Drake and Eminem, saying, "I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing yet."

So on Sunday night, immediately following that performance, he was pretty amazed — not to mention a bit relieved — that they had all managed to pull it off.

"Aw man, it was so fun," Barker said. "They're all professionals. I think we went through the song one time all together — that was it — and everyone nailed their part. It was real cool, man, to work with such talented people."

With only one rehearsal under their belts, the fabulous foursome managed to turn in one of the standout performances of Grammy night, roaring through versions of Wayne's "Drop the World" and Drake's "Forever." Part of that was due to their professionalism, to be sure, but a lot of it also had to do with the fact that Barker knows Em, Weezy and Drake pretty well. After all, he's worked with them in the past.

"Part of [the performance] was my remix [of Drake's "Forever,"]" Barker said. "But I know all of those guys. Over the summer, when I was on tour, I was in Detroit for a day, and I went in and did a song with Eminem for my record. We did a track together, and he's doing lyrics now, so I got to work with him in his studio, but this was the first time I got to play with him.

"And with Wayne, we had just run into each other a bunch of times in the past," he continued. "I did some drums for something on Cash Money, and he traded me a verse for my album."

Both Em and Wayne will appear on Barker's upcoming solo album, which he said might be called Can the Drummer Get Some? That's also the name of a song he recorded with Weezy, Swizz Beatz and Rick Ross, which Barker says may very well be the first single.

The 2010 Grammy Awards may be over, but MTV News will have much, much more from the show, including reports on your favorite nominees, party photos, behind-the-scenes video and much more from the big show!

• Stars Shine On The 2010 Grammys Red Carpet

• 2010 Grammy Parties
• The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Performances
• The 2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet

• Travis Barker
• Lil Wayne
• Drake
• Eminem

'We might need that to happen,' Drake says at Grammy Awards red carpet.
By Shaheem Reid

Drake and Sway
Photo: MTV News

It looks like the planned March release forDrake's hotly anticipated official debut LP, Thank Me Later, may not happen. It's already February and the 23-year old said he's still recording his opus.

"Not yet," Drake said Sunday night at the red carpet of the Grammy Awards, when asked if he was done recording. "I got a couple more things."

One of those things has the potential to be a blockbuster: Drizzy and Eminem may have a follow-up to "Forever," which the pair performed with Lil Wayne and drummer Travis Barker at the Grammys.

"Me and Em talked about something today," Drake revealed. "We might need that to happen."

As for the official first single from the album, the Young Money franchise player is ruminating on it.

"I'm gonna figure that out this week and it should be coming in a week or two," he said. "It's all coming soon. I won't take too long."

Besides performing "Forever" with Slim Shady and Lil Wayne, Drake was nominated for two Grammys, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance, both for "Best I Ever Had." (He lost out to Jay-Z in both categories.)

"That song is a real honest song," he said. "It connected with a lot of women — my moms likes it. For it to be Grammy-nominated is an honor, man. It's always good when the words in your music are something that you live by and you get to hear it every day on the radio and you're not ashamed of it.

"It's all moments I need to cherish and observe," he said, summing up the evening.

The 2010 Grammy Awards may be over, but MTV News will have much, much more from the show, including reports on your favorite nominees, party photos, behind-the-scenes video and much more from the big show!

• Grammys 2010: Red-Hot Performances
• Stars Shine On The 2010 Grammys Red Carpet

• 2010 Grammy Award Performers

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The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Performances

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Eminem And Elton John Perform At The 2001 Grammy Awards

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Clash Of The Celebrities

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2010 Grammy Award Performers

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MTV News' 2009 Men Of The Year

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Who Should Replace Steven Tyler In Aerosmith?

• Aerosmith
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Eminem, Flaming Lips, More Get Freaky At 2009 Voodoo Festival In New Orleans

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2009 American Music Award Nominees

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'VH1 Hip Hop Honors' 2009

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