Exclusive Upclose and Personal with "Rachael Williams.....International Model and Arising Entreprenuer....."

 UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL  WITH

Rachael Williams: 
International Model and Arising Entrepreneur.

How do you find Ghana?
It's my first time and I love it! I think the heat is alright because when I go back to London, its gonna be raining so I'm enjoying it whilst it lasts.

Can you tell me about yourself ?
Well, I grew up in London, I'm more of  Jamaican heritage but my ancestors are Ghanaian somewhere along the line. I graduated in psychology in counseling.Yeah and I got into modeling because I won Miss Black Britain in 2006. It was the first ever in London. After, I went on to do Miss England in 2007 and then I decided to do the London fashion week and Caribbean fashion week. I have done a lot shows around the Uk, New-York, and now in Ghana.

Are you doing shows in Ghana?
I'm doing photo shoots. I had a show in Sierra Leone last week, and it was really really good! I was there for three days and I loved it. Because I hadn't been there before and it was fun meeting all the other models from there, and some models from Nigeria as well and the community.



I can tell you really enjoyed yourself.
 (laughs) yes I did.

How old were you when you started modeling?
Eeerrrm when I was 19. I'm 24 now, yeah since then I've been doing it. I do a lot of photo shoots and fashion shows and I work at least three times a week. I'm very busy, but I love it. I wouldn't change it for anything!

I know you are the Face of Arise Magazine fashion week. Tell me how that happened.
I just got booked for it, just before the show took place. And they did the photo shoot. I had to hold the magazine in a promotional way, and they posted it outside the venue and around Nigeria (Lagos). So I flew down to the show even though I had work in London. It was really really bad because I didn't know about the show until the last minute so.. (laughs)

 
 Could you describe a typical week for you as a model?
It's waking up around 7:00am, then to casting. If you are not casting all day, then it's a photo shoot. Basically traveling up and Down in London and carrying your portfolio. It's fun, but then it's very very tiring and you get hungry. And if the weather is not that great, because you have to care about your appearance making sure you always have your heels with you, make sure you are well groomed because you could see any one, and people would like to take pictures of you so you always have to look very presentable. And then you go to the gym, you work hard and make sure you eat well, and you are always prepared because you might have a job the next day. And if you get the job, it could be from 9:00am to 6:00pm every day. It could also be a quick booking, a one hour booking or two hours booking




So where do you see yourself career wise in say the next five years?
In 5 years, I hope to have travelled to many different countries and modeled for brands in those countries. Yes, so in five years time, I see myself working and traveling. And oh yeah, I run a company called 'We Girls Rock', and we are working with Ghana schools. Everything is working smoothly so far. When I'm not modeling, I do that.

Can you tell me a bit about the competition you face in the industry?
There's always competition no matter which work group you go into, I mean there's always going to be competition. If you go in for a job, the directors always look for someone who matches that role, so I cast with five other girls who look the same as me and you know there's going to be only one of you girls who's going to get the role. But at the end of the day, there's no point being rude to another girl or being too too nice to another girl because you are not going to see her inside the casting room. What matters is that, you make sure you do your thing and be confident. Yes, confidence is the key because as a model you could get rejected all the time. Well, that's what I do, it's confidence! (shrugs)


What are your goals as a model? How do you see yourself progress in this field?
My goals? Like I said travel, I know the sort of field I am in. So it's about making sure I fit in the modeling field and making sure I stay humble within my self and errm..... yes stay humble, be confident, and keep on moving.

If u could meet anyone in the world, who would it be and what would u ask them?
Usher!!! (laughs) I have a big crush on Usher, I always see him but I have not actually formally met him. I don't know what I'll say to him, he's like my celebrity crush! I'd love to meet Michelle Obama too. We were supposed to meet in Sierra-Leone last week but she couldn't fly in at the time,but I was really really excited I was going to meet her. She's very strong, and powerful,and everything I'd wanna be as a woman. She's my idol and I'd love to meet her, but I don't have anything to ask her. I'd just love to sit with her and chat with her, yeah. (laughs)




Tell me, What of kind of music would i find on your iPod?
Everything, at the moment. I have downloaded a lot of Ghanaian songs and Nigerian songs. I like Wizkid at the moment, I think he's great. Ruff and Smooth, 4x4, oh and I also listen to hip hop, gospel music everything! You know in London, we got like funky house, grime, yeah all of that, I got a whole range. I'm a music girl  and I like to dance!

Then you can show us some few moves?
(laughs) I'm not dancing now.

Ok, so if there's one thing you wish you never did in the past, what would that be?
I think I plan too much. I always plan things and I expect things to go out exactly the way I planned it, so I would change that. And I wish I lived my childhood freely, and took things as they came, not being head strong. But then, I'm happy with where I am now so I don't know how much I would change the past. But as I see myself in the future, I just want to make sure that I don't plan too much but just take things as they come, because if you plan and something goes wrong, it will just mess up everything.

If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
I think I'd be a rabbit (laughs) yeah a rabbit because, first of all I like rabbits, they eat a lot and they store the food just like me. I eat so much, but I don't know where I store the food. (laughs) And also, they are seen when they want to be seen, friendly, and very quiet. They don't like making any noise, like me. I'm very quiet and I don't like to be in your face. It's only when I'm working that I have to be that way. Because my normal self, I'm quiet that way. Yeah a rabbit.

(laughs) What kind of rabbit though?
A black furry one.


So tell me, what kind of drink do you take? Are you a coke person?
Ok this is cranberry juice (points to her drink), and yeah, I have coke all the time, and sprite. I don't take alcohol so I always have different fruit juice.Well, I have had alcohol before and I never liked it, and when I started modeling I heard it wasn't good for your skin so I don't drink it. On Christmas I have it, just a little bit.


What are your likes and dislikes?
 I don't know (pause for a while) I hate annoying people, yeah annoying people and people that takes things so seriously. And people that don't know how to have a laugh or chill out, because when you work too hard you have to have time for your friends and family because you know, you got to play sometimes.




Earlier on you talked about graduating in psychology in counseling, how do you plan on working with it?
You know, at 'We Girls Rock' (her company), there's a lot of times we have to mentor other girls, so I think that will help me when I'm speaking one on one with the girls, advising them, guiding them. Yeah that's it.

Ok my final question before we wrap up, between an iPhone and a blackberry, which one would you choose?
iPhone! I only have the blackberry for my messenger but I'm an iPhone person.

KojoSkelon

www.ghanatrends.tk

Fabolous and Redcafe thrill fans in Ghana

American rappers, Fabolous and Redcafe thrilled their fans in Ghana with about two hours of back to back performances this Easter season. The much-anticipated 233 Connect concert at the Dome of the Accra International Conference Centre saw the headlining act, Fabolous performing some of his old hits and some new tracks from his latest mixtape, ‘The S.O.U.L Tape’.  Fabulous and Redcafe were obviously excited about performing in Ghana for the first time as they told patrons about how happy they felt about being in Ghana throughout their performances. They were also overwhelmed by the response from the Ghanaian crowd that turned out in their numbers and rapped along to their songs.
The Fabolous concert also saw performances from supporting Ghanaian and Nigerian acts including Sarkodie, VIP, Ruff N Smooth, 4x4, J-Town, Bra Kevin Beats, Tribesman, Ice Prince, Wizkid and D-Money. DJ-Black provided mixes to set off the party at the Dome, while DJ Abrantee of London’s Choice FM was the host.

Fabolous A.K.A Loso Live In Gh

Top 10 most hated GH. musicians

There are lots of unloved but yet friendly musicians out there who people can’t help but cheer these days. But who wants to read a list of the most much-loved musicians when they can rather read the opposite of it.
Here’s a list of the most hated figures in the Ghana music industry. It was really tough to narrow this list down and everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. Hate it or love it!!!.
10. Diana Hopeson: Her trademark ‘Anago’ headgear always makes you think she is carrying so much load on her head. She should be able to realize that her time is over. Where are her age mates like Stella Seal (Dugan), Bernice Ofei, Helena Rhabbles and co? Since she took the presidency seat of MUSIGA, we still haven’t seen a change in the music industry oooh, the ‘quarrels’ are still on going.
9. Tinny: For starters, one of his nicknames is “Aletse Kankpe” or “Aletse” which literally means “father of knowledge” and people think that has bloated his ego. To cut this short, Tinny has always been arrogant and is still arrogant. Am close to him but people who are not close have made this claim and still stand by it. And you know what makes this funny ? Tinny does not care whether people hate him or not, he is still able to pull crowd.
8. Kokovelli: Anyone who liked the Trinity boys could also point an odd one out. Well, he always yelled his signature - Zaa Za Zaza Zaza. He’s already a big artiste on radio, shows and TV yet everyone seems to agree he has no talent. To his credit, he did come up with a dance that reigned in the late 90s. Luck is the best word that has to be bestowed unto Kokovelli, he had one of the best productions – Lisarf Music, was cruising a 5 series BMW at a young age, flossing around and had so many girls at his feet.
7. Reggie Rockstone: He flatly promised that he was retiring from the music scene as he proclaimed hiplife was in trouble. I wasn’t at the Fat Joe and Omarion show but what is that I heard he stooped so low to open the show for Omarion not even Fat Joe. (I guess people will remember when he was put on bill for the Jay Z concert in Ghana and refused it that Sean Carter should pay him respects by opening the stage for him or introduce him to the audience) and that’s just part of why the hiplife legend gets the ‘hateration’ treatment.
6. Obour: Call him the Diddy of the music industry. To be plain with Bice, some of his lines are wack and it’s always running faster than the beat. Anyway, he is a smart ass dude and always using music to ‘curtain raise’ his projects and always ends up getting the ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢. So people please don’t hate, like they always say it’s all about the benjamins. Question: Obour, have you consider retiring from the game. Answer: Naah, it’s because of the love I have for the game.
5. Alhaji Sidiku Buari: Up till date, he is the most feared man in the Ghanaian music industry. He is best at taking people to court and always winning. You dare write or talk something bad about him, which is even true, he will have his own way of winning. What a world!!! And I hear he has bought most of the musicians so that makes him their mouthpiece.
4. Czar: Despite how many people like his song, “Araba Lawson”, most other people don’t feel the same. After people heard he was a spare parts dealer at Abbosey Okai and was making lots of cash there. They think he should stick his nose there rather. The main reason why music fans were not down with Czar was his ‘class one’ rhymes - Fly, fly, oh fly. This girl gonna make you fly. “So beautiful like butterfly. Touch my body, Mr starch. Yes, I no dey lie. Menya no a, sweetie pie. Pie pie”. Why does he think we want to shout our nursery rhymes and poems again.
3. Kontihene: This rapper sings and raps which I think makes him versatile and has made him brig out good songs. But if you near him, you will know who really he is. Radio DJs, managers, TV stations, event organizers and all bodies that that work in line with Ghanaian music will tell you really he is. People don’t move with Kontihene because he has a very bad attitude – always having issues here and there no wonder he does not have so many Ghanaian musicians as pals. And what did I hear that his last manager, Micky Osei Berko (Master Richard) bolted away with his money, hmmm.
2. Mzbel: Miss Elizabeth may have enjoyed a successful year as the best female artiste, but it wasn’t that long time ago when she was almost ‘devoured’ by male KNUST students when she performing and was paid a surprised visit by unannounced guests at her premises. The term sex and nudity sells, is what Mzbel and her dancers have employed in their promotional strategy. Most females hate Mzbel because she is very trashy and does not  add classiness to her sexiness and style.
1. Samini: For Emmanuel Samini I don’t know why people envy him for his hard earned stardom. The guy worked his ‘ass’ to the top, so why. It’s so funny, his own music peers talk behind him but hail him when he is on stage commanding the audience. Are you guys for real. Eeeei, MTN even made it worse when they made him in icon in their company and he later started cruising a black Land Cruiser on black rims.

Sarkodie crowned best and fastest lyricist in Ghana

Wow, what an evolution” is what most spectators said after seeing Sarkodie perform at JOY 99.7’s annual Old schools reunion recently held in the capital (Accra-Ghana) where he was officially crowned best and fastest lyricist after most radio and television stations were contemplating on a viable contender to his title.
Though he was the hottest artiste on the bill, it was very relevant for the media to originally prove him as the real revelation of the highly ranked Hip-life industry through competition and stage performance.
Most people asked questions like,” where has Sarkodie been hiding?”,” why did Dr. Duncan (Adom 106.3 FM) take long years to groom him?”, “Is Twista faster than Sarkodie?”, ”when is his album coming out?”,” why does he dress so simple and decent?” and lot more after being transitioned from King of underground (battle) Hiplife to best and fastest lyricist in Ghana.
Already, the West African populace has crowned him king of underground mixtapes after he killed DJ Khaled’s “I’m so hood” - (gemifo) and Rick Ross’ “Hustler” - (Tema hustla) beats.
Being aware of the entity with the fastest speed (light), he shares the view of being faster than light with words through constant practice since the already crowned fastest rapper’s eviction is not a challenge to him. He expressed the need to rap fast as a product of making more points of an issue and sending a complete picture of the said topic in few minutes to build a complete but relevant masterpiece.
Sarkodie is a well-known Computer whizz  in Tema (industrial city of Ghana-centre of the world) and specializes in system software and applications though he’s got passion for making nature visually impressive (creative and fine arts). Being respectful but outspoken, intelligent but caring, calm but motivating, it was very predictable to be recognized as being very decent and disciplined in the global music industry.
Being highly motivated by Obrafuo’s “Pae Mu Ka” album, the greatest hiplife sensation is yet to release his first album in December 2008 though prospects already indicate his hit tracks like “push”, “Babe, “chat with you and listen are poised to grab foreign awards.
Though he is the first and only corporate musician in the world to have ever performed at an international high forum round table on aid effectiveness, he shares the view that globalization is everyone’s right to grab whiles discovery as an inbuilt potential. He never ends an interview without showing gratitude to his fans, family, friends and management Crew (DUNCWILLS ENTERTAINMENT) for completely molding him to be who he is today.

Voting for MTN Ghana Music Awards opened

 

You can vote via txt by MTN short code 1767. vote now for your favourite artist.

Top 10 artistes in Ghana with swag

2010 was a spectacular year full of activities from January down to December, artiste flaunting their finesse and swag on major platforms all year round. Celebrity publicist, Quame Junior compiles a list of the top 10 artiste who displayed exceptional swag consistently throughout the year 2010.
1. PROMZY: Starting up on first position is a member of the group VIP, PROMZY. He was simply on point all year, whether at private parties, casual engagement or major performances, he had it all capped.
2. EAZZY: Best Female artiste of the year 2010 by all standards both by performance and success of songs. Making it at number two on the list.
3. SARKODIE: Coming up at number three is Artiste of the year at the just ended Ghana Music Award, simply enthralling.
4. PAEDAE: Some call him the boss of all bosses. When you are looking for him, you might probably find him at the refuse to be broke office. Paedae coming up at number four.
5. PAPI: Their hit song "Move Back" seems to spur a lot of controversy but his swag cannot be affected. Papi crunching the fifth position.
6. CAPTAIN PLANET: He is very fond of calling out names of girls in most of his rap lines but his swag seems to be an independent variable. Captain Planet of 4X4 fame.
7. EFYAH: She was undeniably the best life performer in the year 2010. Her unique taste of fashion put her on the seventh position on the list, truly confirming the transition from Jane to Efyah.
8. TINNY: He represented Ghana and the Ga people in the first ever Africa B.E.T Cypher. His swag predominantly a part of his image. Tinny at number eight.
9. ASEM: 'Fylla' capped the headlines in the latter part of the year bur his swag has been a part of him all through his career.
10. JON GERMAIN: Landing his first ever live performance alongside music maestro Kojo Antwi in December. Jon Germain is definetely a force to reckon with when it comes to swag. At number ten is the Allo Tigo anchor.

All set for Dr Cryme's video premiere

For fans anxiously waiting to see Dr Cryme’s new video, they'll have to wait no longer. The date has been set for 25th March for the corporate launch and the 26th March for premiere + jams at Barcadis Nite Club. All events start at 8pm.
The E Jam Records first signed artiste is also scheduled to take over Ghana Music.com also as he premiere’s’ ‘Kill Me Shy’ video.

The metamorphosis of 4×4

There seems to be a lot of changes in the music industry lately.4×4 just released a long press statement.Lets help you with a summarised version.

4×4 did not renew their contract with Paradise entertainment and have formed a label called  X4 records and are set to release a 5th album called ‘waist and power’.Abortion a member of the group has changed his name to CoDED.
4X4 recently joined the one8 supergroup and Airtel brand partners.Toontoom.com wishes them all the best.

J.TOWN RELEASES J-MIXES 2

J-Town or Stefen Menson released his mixtape today, friday called Moment For Life J-Mix vid off his J-MIXES mixtape series . Download it http://limelinx.com/files/915342563a6ff1412fdc980741a71812

The mixtape features E.L,Mr Max and others.
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHZBmglsz6k and watch a preview of whats to come this friday,11th March,2011.
We wish you all the best and Good Luck J-Town !

OBRAFUOR FIRES MANAGER !

MICHAEL Elliot Okyere Darko aka Obrafuor, Musician and CEO of Execution Entertainment Incorporated has announced the disengagement of the services of Franklin Kofi Wiafe Agyekum as his manager with immediate effect. Franklin has also been relieved of his post as a Publicity Coordinator for the Execution
Entertainment label.The release went further to say that Frank had engaged in irregularities concerning contract agreement and performance fees.Temporary enquires and bookings through Equatorial Consult Limited on 0208078169 or 0278065660 until further notice.

OLEKU Regains no 1 on Top 10

 

Looks like Naija is still holding the West African music scene down
Last week Oleku regained its no 1 hold on DJ Black’s top ten,making ice Prince the first Nigerian to gain and maintain the top position for 2 continuos weeks on DJBlack’s top ten at ten.Oleku has quickly become a club,radio,and street favorite. the number of remixes is uncountable.

Kanye West Turned Defiance Into Victory In 2010 Via Twitter, G.O.O.D. Fridays and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 'Ye came out on top this year.

So, this Kanye West fella, you might have heard of him. He basically Swift-boated his career at the 2009 VMAs, went into a self-imposed exile and then triumphantly returned nearly a year later with what many have called the best album of 2010. Huh?

In just over 12 months, West baffled critics by going from zero to hero, while still lashing out at the media and, with stunts like his #kanyeshrug hashtag, essentially proving he's the same guy he always was.
"I think the thing with Kanye, he really just stuck to the same script, which is basically, Iove me or hate me but the music is gonna be so great you have to deal with me," Complex editor-in-chief Noah Callahan-Bever told MTV News. "And that's been the story of his career since the beginning. I think this year, he happened to be loved or hated in such extremes at the end of 2009, going on a self-imposed exile in Hawaii, he really created a currency in the intrigue with what he was doing."
What he was doing was assembling a barrage of hip-hop's best producers — including Q-Tip, the RZA, Pete Rock and more — and a diverse range of collaborators to help put together his artistic denouement: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The collection was bombastic musically and browbeating lyrically.
The first shot, "Power," was a sonic middle finger to his detractors. 'Ye looked at his life and career and took stock of his place in the pop-culture ranks. It was a manifesto, of sorts, in which West declared that he was aware of his flaws and mistakes but everyone else can take them or leave them.
"He really figured that great music will change things," RapRadar and RESPECT. magazine's Elliot Wilson explained.
It wasn't just the music, though, that helped Kanye come back into people's good graces once again. He took to Twitter to voice this thoughts, sometimes in amusing non sequiturs, sometimes in revealing bunches of dispatches came in bunches, like when he addressed, once and for all, the Taylor Swift incident.
In words that he couldn't seem to put to melody or properly convey to a talk-show host, West simply took responsibility, apologized and moved on to the next track. And then he proceeded to change the subject with his string of G.O.O.D. Friday releases online.
"He did select press but he made a lot of noise online," New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "I think he understood quickly how to make the best use of that medium."
But what the critics and everyone who catches themselves constantly humming songs from Fantasy agree on is that "he really brought it all back to the music," as Callahan-Bever put it. "At the end of the day no Taylor Swift incident or 'Today' show appearance can take away from [that]."

Chris Brown Apologizes For Homophobic Raz-B Twitter Rant 'Words cannot begin to express how sorry and frustrated I am over what transpired publicly on Twitter,' singer tells TMZ.

A day after launching a series of N-bombs and homophobic tweets in the direction of former B2K singer Raz-B, Chris Brown was feeling contrite Thursday (December 30). The singer, who recently boasted about his completion of a court-ordered, yearlong domestic-violence course as part of his sentencing for assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna, told gossip site TMZ that he regretted making crude sexual comments that were considered homophobic.
"Yesterday was an unfortunate lack in judgment sparked by public Twitter attacks from Raz-B, who was bent on getting attention," Brown said of the virtual feud. "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and frustrated I am over what transpired publicly on Twitter. I have learned over the past few years to not condone or represent acts of violence against anyone."
On Wednesday, the "Deuces" singer got charged up when Raz-B tweeted a comment critical of Brown in the midst of a flurry of tweets in praise of Rihanna. "I'm just sittin here thinking how can n---as like [Eric Benet] & [Chris Brown] disrespect women as intelligent as Halle Berry, Rihanna," Raz wrote.
Brown quickly shot back, tweeting, "N---a you want attention! Grow up n---a!!! Di-- in da booty ass lil boy."
The harsh comments were an apparent allusion to allegations Raz-B made (and later retracted) that B2K manager Brian Stokes had molested him. Several other homophobia-tinged responses followed, but, unlike in the past when Brown went into Internet silence after making heated statements, he vowed that this time, he would not delete his Twitter account.
"I was minding my damn business and Peter pan decides to pop off!!!" Brown wrote. "I'm not mad though!!! I'm just not silent nor am i one of these scary R&B cats!!" In light of the harsh statements, Brown followed up by writing, "I'm not homophobic! He's just disrespectful!!!"
Since the Rihanna assault, Brown has made a series of outrageous or confounding statements that he quickly followed with apologies or retractions. He followed that pattern on Thursday, when he told TMZ, "Molestation and victims of such acts are not to be taken lightly; and for my comments I apologize -- from the bottom of my heart." An unnamed source connected to Brown pointed out that Raz's allegations against Stokes were suspect, adding that regardless of their veracity, Brown's comments were not acceptable.
"I love all of my fans, gay and straight," Brown went on to say. "I have friends from all walks of life and I am committed, with God's help, to continue becoming a better person."
Though Brown was extending an olive branch, TMZ also noted that Raz's brother, the singer known as Ricky Romance, posted a video threatening that if he saw Brown in Los Angeles, he would "put my mother----ing pistol in your mouth." A spokesperson for Raz noted that Ricky's comments do not represent Raz's feelings but are the result of a protective instinct among siblings. "Raz-B has already spoken to his brother and told him to chill out," the spokesperson said.

Kanye West's Unfinished 'Monster' Video Leaks Online Gory video features Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and images of decapitated women and zombies feasting on flesh.

The lyrics to Kanye West's all-star track "Monster" are full of dark images of bloodsuckers, dead hands, the devil, sarcophagi, ghouls, goblins, murder, fangs and Chucky from "Child's Play."
And though he's not often one to take such a literal path in the imagery that accompanies his songs, a leaked version of the unfinished video for West's "Monster" lives up to the gruesome, blood-drenched lyrical barbs served up in the song by Yeezy, Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj. The fuller version is in keeping with the gory glimpses seen in late November when a preview leaked online.

At press time, West had not commented on the leak, but online hip-hop communities were abuzz about the transgressive nature of the images in the five-minute clip. It opens with the disturbing sight of several woman in lingerie and high heels hanging from nooses around Ross as he sits on a throne and smokes a cigar, then switches to a scene of West being groped by the hands of unseen women reaching through a metal gate.
As he raps about "the best living or dead, hands down, huh?" West pops up shirtless on a bed with electric-blue sheets next to two hollow-eyed women in lingerie. They appear to be dead as he positions their limp arms around each other. What follows are scenes in which a woman in a designer dress drags a lifeless man's body across the floor and then draws blood as she steps on his chest with her spiked heels.
The clip, which borrows heavily from monster and horror movie tropes seen in such films as "Saw," "Night of the Living Dead" and "American Psycho," depicts Kanye in a mansion trying to hold back a horde of zombie attackers, dead women splayed out on dinner tables, a zombie couple feasting on a bloody corpse, glowing-eyed ghoulies crawling down halls, Jay-Z rapping in a crisp suit in front of a dead naked woman draped face-down on a leather couch, and West standing in cowboy gear while holding a woman's severed head.
Amidst all these graphic images of decapitated and dismembered female forms comes a scene in which Nicki, wearing black leather bondage gear and wielding a leather riding crop, engages in a psychological showdown with herself. She's seen riding herd over a hooded figure in a white wedding dress strapped to an executioner's chair, wielding a long, sharp sword. Once the hood is removed, it's clear that Minaj is confronting her pink-wigged Barbie alter ego as the two sides of her personality engage in a death match that swings from a lap dance to seeming threats of murder.
The flesh feast ends with glimpses of a female werewolf in black teddy and rocking bushy grey muttonchops dancing in front of a fire, West cuddling in bed with his deceased female companions and pale hands reaching out from behind a door.

Chris Brown, Raz-B In Bitter Twitter Feud Over Rihanna Former B2K member and Brown trade angry comments about homophobia and domestic violence.

Chris Brown recently posted proof that he had completed a year-long domestic violence course as part of his sentence for assaulting Rihanna. But despite getting glowing reviews from the judge in his case, Brown proved this week that he can still get a bit hot under the collar when it comes to certain subjects.
According to reports, on Wednesday, the "Deuces" singer got charged up when former B2K singer Raz-B tweeted a comment critical of Brown. After posting a dozen messages declaring his admiration of Rihanna, he wrote of her ex, "I'm just sittin here thinking how can n---as like [Eric Benet] and [Chris Brown] disrespect women as intelligent as Halle Berry, Rihanna."
Brown quickly shot back, tweeting, "N---a you want attention! Grow up n---a!!! Di-- in da booty ass lil boy."
The harsh comments were an apparent allusion to allegations Raz-B made — and later retracted — that B2K manager Brian Stokes had molested him. Several other homophobia-tinged responses followed, but, unlike in the past when Brown went into Internet silence after making heated statements, he vowed that this time he would not delete his Twitter account.
"I was minding my damn business and Peter pan decides to pop off!!!" Brown wrote. "I'm not mad though!!! I'm just not silent nor am i one of these scary R&B cats!!" In light of the harsh statements, Brown followed up by writing, "I'm not homophobic! He's just disrespectful!!!"
Raz didn't hold his fire, either, responding, "When I need tips on how to demolish my career I'll call ya!!!!" He then following up with several more jabs at Brown's career, which took a hit in the wake of the Rihanna assault. "I love how u resort 2 disrespectful low brow tactics when u clearly sabotaged ur own career by beating women."
The ugly back-and-forth continued, with Brown assuring his gay fans that he loves them, saying that "this immature act is not targeted at you!!!!" Brown continued to try and change the tenor of the talk, posting early Thursday morning, "LOVE ALL MY SUPPORTERS and people who know my heart. HOMOPHOBE? c'mon, find a better tactic. that's pure ignorance and stupidity. i love everyone."
Brown was sentenced to a domestic violence course in August 2009 after he reached a plea deal with Beverly Hills prosecutors in the wake of his felony conviction on charges of assault against then girlfriend Rihanna. The singer was required to take the once-a-week class for one year, sentenced to 180 days of community labor, placed on five years of probation and issued a stay-away order from Rihanna.
"I have enough self-respect and decency to be proud of accomplishing this DV class," Brown tweeted last week about the end of his domestic violence classes. "Boyz run from their mistakes. Men learn from them!!! thx."

Nicki Minaj, Trey Songz, More Share Their New Year's Resolutions Avril Lavigne wants to 'be healthy' and 'focus hard.'

With all the 2010 wrap-up stories and year-end lists dominating these last few days, it's time to start thinking beyond New Year's Eve and into the new year. And you know what that means: New Year's resolutions. The most popular vows generally revolve around health (weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking) and finance (spend less).
However when MTV News caught up with a few of our favorite stars recently to find out what they resolve to do in 2011, their commitments were a bit more unique.

"My New Year's resolution is to stay true to myself," "Bottoms Up" singer Trey Songz revealed. "Regardless of what anybody says, I'll never let anybody else's thoughts dictate that of my own."
"Probably just progress more as an actor," said 12-year-old "Modern Family" scene-stealer Rico Rodriguez.
Avril Lavigne had three broad goals in mind: "Be healthy, focus hard, make sure to see [my] family."
MTV's own "Jersey Shore" standout Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino said his plans involve moving from the small screen to the big one. "[I might be] doing maybe a movie or something," he teased.
Chart-topping pink princess Nicki Minaj offered the most colorful response: "[I'll be] touring around the world. It's looking like the biggest, baddest, I don't know ... I should've had something better to say," she began, and then invented a few words on the spot, for emphasis on just how big 2011 will be for the "Your Love" singer. "[I'm going to be the] biggest, baddest, boldest, booming-est, fearless-ocity-est, Pink Friday-est, girl," she promised.

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez Kissing Photo Is Fake, Rep Says A rep for Bieber says the picture isn't of the rumored couple.

OK, so Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez aren't kissing and telling when it comes to the status of their relationship, and they're also not kissing and snapping photos. When a picture leaked online of what appeared to be the teen stars caught in a lip-lock, fans began to wonder if perhaps the rumors of their romance were true.
But a rep for Bieber told Celebuzz that the photo, which originally appeared on Bieber fan site Bieber Heiress, is a fake. The rep added that they hope "no one is actually paying money for that photo" since the couple in the photo are not actually Bieber and Gomez.

But those aren't the only rumors circulating about Justin and Selena. E! News reports that the pair were seen hanging out in Miami ordering room service at the Gansevoort Hotel, where Bieber was staying under the alias Chandler Bing, Matthew Perry's character from "Friends." They reportedly ordered some late-night food from STK on December 18 at around 1 a.m. The two were spotted in the hallway of the hotel. What did they drink with their meal? Pepsi and ginger ale.
Bieber recently tweeted about rumors, writing, "Chillin and happy. Its been a fun year with a lot of blessings. Some crazy rumors but so much love and memories. We r just gettin started!! So enjoy the holidays. Get crazy and have some laughs. Life is too short. At least that is what they tell me. #newyearsIsComin."

Eminem, Jay-Z Track 'Syllables' Leaks Online The dated tune, titled 'Syllables,' also features Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Stat Quo and Cashis

Leave it to the last two Hottest MCs winner, Eminem and Jay-Z, to lament the lost art of lyricism in hip-hop.
The two top-notch rappers — along with Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Stat Quo and Cashis — spit about catchy choruses and gimmicks taking over the game on "Syllables." The track is a buried studio gem from old recording sessions that made its way online on Tuesday night.
"If we got to dumb down our style and A-B-C it, then so be it," Em raps over slow piano stabs. "'Cause nowadays, these kids, geez/ Don't give a sh-- about lyrics, all they want to hear is a beat and that's it/ Long as they can go to the club and get blitz, pick up some chicks and get some digits.
"We don't know a word to the verse, we only know the chorus," he adds later. "'Cause the chorus repeats the same four words for us."
It's unclear when the song was recorded, although Cashis confirmed that the number was dated via a Twitter post.
"I recorded it a while ago but it just came out today," wrote the rapper. "Timing is everything." The tune likely dates back to when Cashis was a newcomer on Shady Records (Stat Quo, an upstart Aftermath signee at the time, has since left the label).
Meanwhile, a track called "Topless" featuring Eminem and Nas also hit the Net on Tuesday night. A previous version of the song with Nas and T.I. has been circulating online for some time.
Em and Tip both rap in cadences similar to Dr. Dre, a sign that their vocals are references for the producer.

Usher, Ke$ha And More Help Dance Music Go Pop In 2010 But is it here to stay? Our music-industry experts weigh in.

In 2010, pop princesses, R&B icons and chart-dominating newcomers all danced to the same beat. Not only did dance music go pop, but pop music caught the club-music bug.

Between Katy Perry's "Firework," Ke$ha's "We R Who We R," Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)," Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "OMG" and countless other singles, established artists definitely looked to dance beats for surefire hits. And two of this year's biggest success stories in music were Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz; could there be a soul left in this country who hasn't heard "Dynamite" or "In My Head"?
The love went both ways, with dance music's biggest stars finding mainstream success this year. Dance-music maestro deadmau5 took up house-artist duties at this year's VMAs, and Swedish House Mafia and Usher teamed up for a medley of their gems at the American Music Awards.
So how did this happen? We caught up with some music-industry experts to get their takes.
"You definitely saw tempos go up this year," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times told MTV News. "And I think what you had are a lot of producers who are really familiar with nightclub stuff. They are familiar with Europe. Things are happening on a more global scale now."
"I think everything from Europe, and sometimes even Asia, it comes to America, and we just adopt things a little bit slower," said Jared Eng of JustJared.com. "I think it was just a change. People like different types of music at different times. And dance was of this moment."
Noah Callahan of Complex magazine added: "I think 2010 saw the merging of the pop and dance genres. Pop artists realized that there were best practices that could be borrowed from dance music. And, ultimately, [all] pop music that has been made in the past 20 years had ended up being remixed for the club by dance artists. I think they basically just cut out the middleman and went straight there."
Dance music being introduced into the hip-hop and R&B realms was particularly notable this year.
"I think David Guetta kind of at the end of last year and the beginning of this year spearheaded it," said freelance writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. "He produced a lot of tracks. I think as trends go, people revile 'unst-unst.' But it's just coming back around. Big-room techno was a way for people to get decadent in a year that no one could get decadent."
"You have someone like will.i.am, who's like, 'Well, I spent all this time in Ibiza, and this is what they are doing,' and he wants to find a way to bring that into his music," Caramanica said of the Black Eyed Peas mastermind. "R&B especially became dance music. And especially with your Jason Derülos, Taio Cruzes. Guys like that would have literally been blocked at the border two years ago. That would not have made it through customs. And now all of a sudden they have #1 songs. I think will.i.am had a lot to do with that last year."
Elliott Wilson of RapRadar.com added: "It's actually even affected hip-hop. I was talking to Q-Tip, and his next record, I feel like that's gonna kind of go in that vein. I know that was also Jay-Z's thought process with Blueprint 3 at first, that he wanted to make a little bit more of a world music [vibe], a little more dancey. I think the kids today want to go to the clubs. They wanna have a good time. They wanna dance. So I think the artists of today are trying to kind of feed that audience."
"I think it's caught on this year because the people who've done it have been successful," offered Clover Hope of Vibe magazine. "Like 'OMG,' with usher, he didn't have success until he made a dance record. He had 'There Goes My Baby' and these really, like, adult-contemporary records that didn't really catch on. And then once you see that everybody is doing it and that people are liking it, they are like, 'OK, let me just try this out.' It's like Auto-Tune. Like, 'Let me see what I sound like on a record by David Guetta.' They end up liking it and doing more of it."
So does the club-music trend have staying power. According to our tastemakers, not so much.
"I do think it's a blip," Caramanica said. "I don't think that's gonna be something that lasts in America. I think this is gonna be a moment we'll all look back on and go, 'Wasn't that weird when Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz had #1 records?"
"At some point, these R&B artists will get kind of sick of it and be like, 'Let me go back to my soul background,' " Hope said. "When you actually have to say something, dance doesn't really lend itself to substance. And I think that R&B artists, they really want to talk about love and in a deep way, and to do that, you need to do, like, a soul or a traditional R&B record. I want to say that it's kind of a fad."
"I think music is very cyclical," Eng offered. "So I think dance music might be here for a little bit, but I'm sure it will phase out at some point."
Wilson called dance music "the sound of today. I think that people want more aggressive, faster beats, and I think that that probably has legs until at least next summer."

Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Spotted In The Studio 'Feels so good to overcome a fear,' reality starlet tweets after musical meet-up.

Kim Kardashian might not be having Kanye West's baby, but the two certainly seem to be up to something. The duo were spotted at the same Culver City recording studio on Tuesday. Kim was accompanied by momager Kris Jenner as well as TV cameras, while Kanye showed up all on his own.
In photos posted on TooFab.com, Kim is seen walking into the studio wearing boots, a baggy T-shirt and cargo jeans. Kanye, who is set to make an appearance on Kim's new show airing this January, is seen wearing leather pants, a white T-shirt and a leather jacket.
"OMG u guys have no idea what I'm doing today! You are gonna DIE!!!! OMGGGG I'm nervous!!!!!!" she tweeted the same day the duo were spotted at the studio.
"Its going down in here!!! Will twitpic soon! I'm turning it ooooonnnn!!!!" she later added. "What should my alter ego name be? What an amazing day!!! I'm finished for today...but we have a few more to go! Can't twitpic just yet but will soon! Feels so good to overcome a fear!"
Whatever she's up to, with or without Kanye, Kim was still busy on Wednesday (December 29). She tweeted, "Day #2 let's go!"
For his part, Kanye has been pretty quiet on Twitter. His last tweet was on December 27, when he shared, "New dreams... New problems... New solutions."
In November, when rumors first surfaced that they were up to something musically, Kim danced around the topic. "He's a musical genius, so I would be honored to work with Kanye," she told MTV News. "It's all in fun. We're just trying to have a good time."

New Song: Alicia Keys, Featuring Eve, 'Speechless'

We haven't heard a lot of new music from Alicia Keys recently, and with good reason. The lady only just gave birth to her first child--a little boy by the name of Egypt--weeks ago. And she's been busy... dying (digitally) and raising $1 million for her Keep A Child Alive African AIDS relief organization. So she's probably been mad busy feeding her baby organic baby food and dressing him up in adorable outfits and posting the pictures on Facebook. We wouldn't know. Alicia Keys didn't accept our Facebook friend request. Sniff.
That being said! We were pretty excited to get this audio post-Christmas present: It's "Speechless," a new Alicia track featuring Eve. Released as part of Swizz Beatz's (husband of Alicia Keys and father to baby Egypt) Monster Mondays series (sort of a take on Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Fridays.)
It should come as little surprise that Alicia Keys' first post-baby single is all about her new baby. And it should come as little surprise that "Speechless" is a lush, piano and electric guitar led vamp, with Alicia extolling the virtues of motherhood and Eve rapping about finding love when you least expect it.

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