Jay-Z Explains Origin Of 'PSA' Verse In 'Decoded'

Hov says writer's interpretation of one of his outfits sparked song's line about Che Guevara.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Rahman Dukes


Jay-Z
Photo: MTV News

In his new book "Decoded," Jay-Z will break down the meaning behind some of his game-changing rhymes. However, before the book hits shelves November 16, Hov gave MTV News the behind-the-scenes story of how he dreamed up the lyrics to one of his cult hits, the interlude "Public Service Announcement" from 2003's The Black Album.

Jay said he personally chose each of the songs featured in "Decoded" for several reasons, and "PSA" made the tome because of its unique origin. Bars from the second verse of the Just Blaze-helmed track were penned after a journalist interpreted the symbolism she picked out in one of Jay's outfits. However, Hov thought the scribe's analysis of his look was a bit of a reach.

"The second verse of 'PSA' may not have that many hidden jewels in [it], but the story behind why I wrote the second verse is pretty interesting. It's sort of that look on rap, how this writer had written this article about me wearing this Che Guevara shirt [with a] Jesus piece, and she was like, 'The Jesus piece is hitting his head,' and I was like, 'You're going a little too far. It's a T-shirt and a chain. It's not literally hitting his forehead,' " he recalled. "That [experience] inspired the entire verse. 'I'm like Che Guevara with bling on, I'm complex.' It's the whole entire story of how and why I came to write that second verse on 'PSA.' "

In addition to pulling the curtain back on some of his famed rhymes, Hov said he hopes the volume as a whole will demonstrate the artistry of hip-hop and show that it's not just a bunch of dudes throwing around bawdy rhymes.

"I think, more so than anything, just to explain or to let people realize who just listen to rap [like] 'Let's browse through it,' to show people the depth in rap and its poetry," Jay-Z said. "[I want to show] that rap is really poetry; it's not just a bunch of guys putting rhyming words together. There's thought behind it and there's cleverness and there's inspiration. There's social reason and there's political reason and there's angst and there's anger and all these different things inside music."

Are you looking forward to copping Jay-Z's "Decoded"? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650686/20101022/jay_z.jhtml

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Ke$ha Talks VMA Garbage Bag Ensemble, Lady Gaga's Meat Suit

'It was amazing. I got to wear a garbage bag on national TV,' singer says.
By Kyle Anderson, with reporting by Kara Warner


Ke$ha
Photo: Jason LaVeris/ FilmMagic

Even if they didn't walk away with Moonmen, just about everybody who attended the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards exited the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles a winner. Taylor Swift started some buzz with new music, and Paramore's Hayley Williams finally got to do a live tag-team with B.o.B. Another winner in spirit? Ke$ha, whose first visit to the VMAs was a positive one.

"It was amazing. I got to wear a garbage bag on national TV," Ke$ha gushed on the red carpet at the premiere of the second season for the HBO show "Eastbound and Down." "It was fun. It was good. And I got nominated for four, and it was a dream come true just to be there."

The 23-year-old singer, who did indeed wear a dress made from garbage bags, was impressed with the level of fashion experimentation at this year's show. "It was fun. I think everybody was having fun with it," she said. However, she is not entirely sure she would be able to take the steps that Lady Gaga did with her head-turning meat-based ensemble. "I don't know if I could actually put raw meat on me," she admitted.

With the VMAs behind her, Ke$ha is working on a new album, but was mostly excited to get out and support her favorite show on television. "I don't watch TV, but this show I connect with on a really deep level," she said. "I kind of feel like I'm the female version of Danny McBride: Kind of white trash, just ready to party."

The Moonmen have all been handed out and the stars have gone home, but there's plenty of 2010 MTV Video Music Awards news, interviews, behind-the-scenes scoop, party reports and more still to come, so keep it locked on MTVNews.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648057/20100917/kesha_.jhtml

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Umpire Watch: Postseason Bunting

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Controversial calls have become as much a part of the Major League Baseball postseason as Derek Jeter and patriotic bunting. In Umpire Watch, we intend to document those calls, at least until commissioner Bud Selig puts us out of business.

It looked early on like the men in blue might find their way into the spotlight once again in Game 5, what with the strange tiff that seemed to unfold between Pat Burrell and Roy Halladay after a first-inning strikeout when it turned out that both men were really upset with home plate umpire Jeff Nelson and not one another.

As it turned out, though, the NLCS umpiring crew had a much better night Thursday than it managed the previous evening, with only one play in the game worthy of much discussion -- and not much need to go frame-by-frame on the DVR to find out what actually happened.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/10/22/umpire-watch-postseason-bunting/

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Ke$ha Talks VMA Garbage Bag Ensemble, Lady Gaga's Meat Suit

'It was amazing. I got to wear a garbage bag on national TV,' singer says.
By Kyle Anderson, with reporting by Kara Warner


Ke$ha
Photo: Jason LaVeris/ FilmMagic

Even if they didn't walk away with Moonmen, just about everybody who attended the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards exited the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles a winner. Taylor Swift started some buzz with new music, and Paramore's Hayley Williams finally got to do a live tag-team with B.o.B. Another winner in spirit? Ke$ha, whose first visit to the VMAs was a positive one.

"It was amazing. I got to wear a garbage bag on national TV," Ke$ha gushed on the red carpet at the premiere of the second season for the HBO show "Eastbound and Down." "It was fun. It was good. And I got nominated for four, and it was a dream come true just to be there."

The 23-year-old singer, who did indeed wear a dress made from garbage bags, was impressed with the level of fashion experimentation at this year's show. "It was fun. I think everybody was having fun with it," she said. However, she is not entirely sure she would be able to take the steps that Lady Gaga did with her head-turning meat-based ensemble. "I don't know if I could actually put raw meat on me," she admitted.

With the VMAs behind her, Ke$ha is working on a new album, but was mostly excited to get out and support her favorite show on television. "I don't watch TV, but this show I connect with on a really deep level," she said. "I kind of feel like I'm the female version of Danny McBride: Kind of white trash, just ready to party."

The Moonmen have all been handed out and the stars have gone home, but there's plenty of 2010 MTV Video Music Awards news, interviews, behind-the-scenes scoop, party reports and more still to come, so keep it locked on MTVNews.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648057/20100917/kesha_.jhtml

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Britney Spears 'Glee' Episode Draws Record-Setting Ratings

Tribute episode brings in 13.3 million viewers.
By James Dinh


Britney Spears and Heather Morris on the set of "Glee"
Photo: FOX

Madonna's "Glee" tribute episode might have been titled "The Power of Madonna," but it was the show's tribute to Britney Spears that reigned supreme. The broadcast, which featured cameos from the pop princess herself, drew 13.3 million viewers, leading the 8 p.m. hour and posting its best-ever rating among adults 18-49.

Tuesday night's episode, appropriately titled "Britney/Brittany," had a 5.8 rating and rose 4 percent from last week's season-two premiere. The feat made history for "Glee," as it becomes the first series since NBC's "Seinfeld" in 1993 to debut as the top series of the week and then spike in ratings the following week, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The episode, which highlighted Heather Morris' character Brittany S. Pearce, revolved around the McKinley High students' fight to perform Britney Spears numbers. Through anesthesia-induced sequences, the Gleeks tapped into their inner pop star to perform renditions of the singer's hits, including " ... Baby One More Time" and "Me Against the Music."

In addition to Spears' appearances on the hit Fox show, the singer took to Twitter during the West Coast premiere to thank fans for campaigning in support of the episode. "I loved it! Thank you guys SO much for making this happen!" she tweeted. The pop princess also gave props to the many song and video re-creations, including "I'm a Slave 4 U," saying, "Slave: Oh ... My ... God ...! Those little boys are SO cute! I know how hard it is to dance with that snake! Nice job."

Spears' manager, Adam Leber, also showed his appreciation for the episode, which spawned multiple trending topics on Twitter. "So glad you guys loved the GLEE episode! The Overwhelming worldwide response has been insane.3 of the top 10 worldwide trending topics.Sick! Big big big thank you to Ryan Murphy, the incredible cast and Brit's fans for making it happen...."

After such success, it wouldn't be surprising if the rumors of a second Spears-devoted episode came true, since "Britney/Brittany" only included hits from the first few years of the singer's career.

Did you catch the Britney Spears-themed episode last night? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648982/20100929/spears_britney.jhtml

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Mary J. Blige Dishes On Her 'Crazy' Led Zeppelin Covers

'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll


Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News

You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.

In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.

But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.

"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."

Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.

"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.

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Brandon Inge, Tigers Ink Two-Year Deal

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Brandon IngeThird baseman Brandon Inge has agreed to a two-year deal with the Tigers, with an club option for the 2013 season, the team announced Thursday.

The 33-year-old third baseman finished the season with a .247 batting average with 13 home runs and 70 RBI. He played in 144 games, all at third base, where he led the American League with a .977 fielding percentage.

"The Tigers' organization is pleased to announce the signing of Brandon today," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "Brandon is one of the top defensive third basemen in the game and a quality individual we are proud to have as a representative of the organization."

On the final day of the regular season, Dombrowsky said that he wanted to keep Inge at third base because of his defensive skills and outstanding work ethic.

 

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Source: http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/10/21/brandon-inge-inks-two-year-deal-with-tigers/

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Lady Gaga, Beyonce Among Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women

First lady Michelle Obama takes top spot on list, which also includes Oprah and Sarah Palin.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

Lady Gaga has notched another milestone on her road to global pop-culture domination. The 24-year-old singer was recently named one of Forbes magazine's World's 100 Most Powerful Women list alongside CEOs, heads of state and media phenoms like herself.

Gaga took the #7 slot on the list, which was unveiled Wednesday (October 6), behind women such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama, who was named the most powerful woman on the planet (and is the first African-American to top the list). Gaga was the second-most powerful entertainer in the rankings, coming in behind Oprah, who clocked in at #3.

Other powerful ladies include Gaga's "Telephone" collaborator Beyoncé (#9), talk-show host and former "American Idol" judge Ellen DeGeneres (#10), author and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (#16) and screen siren and activist Angelina Jolie (#21). Gaga is no novice when it comes to Forbes shout-outs. In June, she debuted at #4 on the magazine's 2010 Celebrity Power List, due to her cash-magnet Monster Ball Tour, $62 million in earnings, Web popularity and deals with companies such as Polaroid and MAC. B was bumped two spots to #2 after raking in $86 million from her world tour, arsenal of endorsement deals and House of Deréon products. Oprah has been a Forbes mainstay, coming in at #1 this year on the Celebrity Power List after ceding the crown to Angelina Jolie the year before. The mogul snatched the top spot back with a nine-figure payday and media conglomerate that includes TV shows, magazines and more.

Perhaps Gaga will wield her hefty worldwide clout to push for her causes. A longtime gay-rights supporter, the entertainer has most recently waged a campaign for the repeal of the U.S. Armed Forces' polarizing "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

What do you think of Gaga making the Forbes list? Sound off in the comments!

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