'Hunger Games' Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson Look Forward To 'Catching Fire'

If you haven't read "The Hunger Games" yet, this interview with Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson about the next few films in the series might contain a SPOILER or two...and that's your own darn fault for being slow and recalcitrant. Because now that the two stars are happily chatting about the moments they're most looking forward to filming from books number two and three, we kinda can't keep pretending that it's a big mystery whether or not Peeta survives the first book, and whether or not Josh will be returning for "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay." Because he does, and he is. Okay? Okay. Sorry we're not sorry. (Don't worry, there are still plenty of big reveals to come when the full trilogy hits the big screen.)

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Meanwhile, Jennifer Lawrence didn't hesitate when asked which part of "Catching Fire" she was most excited to shoot:

"We get married!" she grinned—right before she and Josh exchanged meaningful looks, made an inexplicable squawking noise and pointed to their respective ring fingers. Mystery solved: Jen went on to explain that she's been teasing Josh with the eventuality of their cinematic nuptials ever since they first started shooting "The Hunger Games."

All in all, it sounds like both the stars of "The Hunger Games" are psyched to reprise their roles all the way through to the series stunner of a conclusion—and Jennifer, who's a fan of the books, threw in a good word for the probability of "Mockingjay" being split into two separate films.

"It's always hard, every time you convert a novel into movies, because you have to cut so much out," she explained. "[So] in a weird way it's kind of a relief, because you get to keep everything in there."

And speaking of "Hunger Games" fandom, an inquisitive Twitterer finally asked—via Josh Horowitz—the actress playing Katniss the most important of all important questions: Team Peeta or Team Gale?

According to Jennifer, it's a tough choice: "I'm a big flip-flopper, I'm a very fickle person," she admitted. Or at least, she is when she's on her own. BUT: "When Josh is sitting next to me, I'm all the way Team Peeta!"

Jay-Z Will Executive Produce 'NBA 2K13': How Does He Compare With Other Rappers And Their Videogame Careers?

 

 

 

 

Jay-Z Partners With 2K Sports As Executive Producer for 'NBA 2K13' [PHOTOS]

When Jay-Z stepped down as president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings in 2007, he explained to reporters, "It's time for me to take on new challenges."

He may have meant he was hoping to start a family, which he eventually did this year when his wife Beyonce gave birth to their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Or maybe it was to search for a new musical direction, like the supergroup album he finally made last year with Kanye West, "Watch The Throne." But now Jay-Z has added another line to his resume — on top of owning clothing lines, record labels and sports teams, the 42-year-old rapper and media mogul is officially entering the videogame industry as an executive producer for "NBA 2K13," the game's publisher announced in a press release this week.

"This has been a unique opportunity to collaborate with 2K Sports and be a part of one of the best sports video games in history," Jay-Z said in 2K Sports' official statement. "'NBA 2K13 will be the next evolution in sports and basketball culture, and I'm ready to usher in the new era of the franchise."

Jason Argent, vice president of marketing, said 2K Sports aims to make sports videogames far more culturally and artistically relevant. As an enormously successful musician and part-owner of the Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z seemed like a natural fit for the company's expanding brand identity.

"We aren't content with just being the best, and we will continue to grow the NBA 2K franchise into one of today's premier entertainment experiences," Argent added. "Jay-Z's role in NBA 2K13 represents a unique fusion of basketball, music, art, and entertainment, and illustrates the evolution of NBA 2K into something much bigger than simply the best basketball video game series ever made."

The press release promises that Jay-Z's presence "will permeate the experience" of the game, "from the overall look and feel ... to the hand-picked soundtrack, interactive in-game menus and more." But while Jay-Z has been credited with curating the game's soundtrack and contributing some of his own music to it, what exactly "executive producer" means is otherwise unclear.

Speaking to the videogame website Kotaku, Argent assured readers that Jay-Z was not simply placed atop a finished product as a figurehead. "I don't want to get too into detail right now, because we've got a lot of stuff coming down the road," he said. "But when we got into this, we really wanted everyone's expertise to lead us, so the things Jay-Z is an expert at are what we weighed the most."

"We're looking on it as NBA 2K, but through the eyes of Jay-Z," Argent added. Sadly, that doesn't mean that gamers will be able to play as Hov himself in "NBA 2K13"; Argent explained that "didn't feel authentic to the game of basketball." Nor is the rapper involved with the design of the actual gameplay. Rather, Argent stated, "We chose each other as partners on this to add to the presentation side of things."

While Jay-Z joining the production of an AAA videogame title is indeed novel, rappers partnering with game development is not entirely unprecedented. Oftentimes, the musicians lend their image to what is essentially a rebranding of traditional gameplay mechanics. Def Jam itself partnered with EA Sports in 2003 to produce "Def Jam Vendetta," for example, which was essentially a wrestling game that starred the music label's stars (though not Jay-Z himself, curiously) instead of WWE stars. Two sequels," Def Jam Vendetta: Fight for NY" and "Def Jam: Icon," were released during Jay-Z's tenure as president of the titular music group.

Talib Kweli voiced the protagonist of the 2006 adventure game "Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure." And fellow New York rapper 50 Cent has starred in two shooters — "50 Cent: Bullet Proof" and "50 Cent: Blood on the Sand" — that cast the musician as the star of his own Rambo-esque exploits throughout New York City and later Iraq. Critics, when playing the games, were generally confused.

Other popular artists such as Beck and Trent Reznor have begun lending their music and image to various videogame projects as well. If musicians of this stature are so openly interested in games, more involved collaborations such as Jay-Z's may well become the standard in the coming years. Tweet

2 Chainz Brings His T.R.U. Story To The 40/40 Club

Last night at the 40/40 Club, during the listening session for 2 Chainz's debut Based On A T.R.U. Story (Def Jam), it became apparent that the Atlanta MC grew up watching What's Happening?—he kept insisting that he could feel someone recording his album in the crowd a la Rerun's run-in with the Doobie Brothers. As a result he said he wouldn't play the entire album for the assembled; he played enough of it to give the fiends in the crowd a breeze, but not enough to catch a real vibe.

Chainz packed the house with "a lot of black card holders," as he put it. DJ Enuff, Ebro and Angie Martinez repped for Hot 97. Def Jam was heavy with their fairly newly appointed president Joie Manda, as well as Universal Republic/ Island Def Jam chairman Barry Weiss. Even Memphis Bleek (!!!), sporting his trademark white tee and Yankee fitted, stepped off the back of a milk carton to be there.

All the screens in the glamorized sports bar played 2 Chainz videos with the sound off while staff handed out 2 Chainz fans with a graphic of his album cover. Behind the bar, the bartenders doled out free Ciroc while cocktail waitresses carried trays of 40/40 Club patron Jay-Z's new cognac, D'Ussé.

After two hours of DJ SNS spinning MMG, YMCMB and G.O.O.D. (a lot initials in today's rap) a waft of weed filled the sports bar; Tity Boi and his entourage had arrived. Chainz, wearing some tie-dyed spandexish shirt with splashes of animal print that everyone immediately commented on, wasted no time getting on the mic to introduce the songs to NYC. "I know the songs aren't familiar... yet," he explained. "But you might as well start getting used to them." Here's what was played.


"Yuck!" (feat. Lil Wayne)
This one might be better after a few listens. It's definitely not wack; it just should pack a bigger punch as an intro. Also, up until this point 2 Chainz has been a "feature rapper"—it may have been wiser to start the album off on a solo note to show he can stand on his own.

"Crack"
Crack! Self-explanatory. Good beat for head-bussing and drink spilling.

"Dope Peddler"
2 Chainz pays homage to his journey from selling dope to making dope music. This song's hook wins, and the beat is slick. Chainz said he holds "Dope Peddler" in high regard because he was trapping since high school, and at times he felt he'd never leave that life. That explanation made the celebratory vibe of the song all the more tangible.

"Birthday Song" (feat. Kanye West)
Chainz said that he and Yeezy had just shot a video for this Sonny Digital-produced ode to birthday wishes and the thick, voluptuous girls who make them come true. Tity Boi more than holds his own with Yeezy, which is a lot more than a lot of more "lyrical" rappers can do.

"I'm Different"
Southern shit-talking at it's finest, with braggadocio-stuffed wordplay that may have seemed far-fetched last summer, but that's all too true in 2012. When he raps "100K for a feature," you actually kinda sorta believe that that's what he's receiving for guest verses now. Just for good measure, he outlines a few other minor reasons why he's different, including his car, the caliber of women he attracts now and his thought patterns that help him think outside the trap.

"Extremely Blessed" (feat. The-Dream)
This journey through 2 Chainz's great life is a smooth R&B joint with The-Dream offering up laid-back, effortless vocals. It could've come off as sappy, but you get a feeling Chainz is genuinely grateful to be where he is. (Plus, Southern humility is always refreshing in New York.)

"I Luv Dem Strippers"
Pretty straightforward ode to fast girls who shake body parts for money. Being from ATL I'm sure he felt he had to speak on such a big part of his city's culture. Nicky Minaj has a guest verse on the song, conjuring the Bonnie-and-Clyde chemistry they tapped into for "Beez In The Trap." Tweet

Busta Rhymes Says "Year Of The Dragon" Will Be Free, Reveals Guest Features

Busta Rhymes stopped by BET’s 106 & Park to talk about his upcoming album Year Of The Dragon. Contrary to popular belief that this project is his YMCMB debut, Busta said that the LP would be released for free via Google Play in August.

"The Year of the Dragon album, just so everybody know, is not my Cash Money debut, my YMCMB debut. This is my Google album and this is going to be given to everybody for free. And the reason why we decided to give it to everybody for free is because number one, Google Play is where the album is going to be available. So when it drops, we drop it in the second week of August, you’re going to get a date in the next couple of days, it’s important that you go there to get it because that’s the only place where it’s going to be for free."

After this announcement, he gave some details on the guest appearances for Year Of The Dragon. Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Trey Songz, Robin Thicke, Gucci Mane, Reek Da Villian, J-Doe, Anthony Hamilton and Maino are all set to appear. Tweet

YMCMB Rapper Tyga and his Stripper Girlfriend Blac Chyna Expecting a New Baby

It looks like Tyga may be a daddy in the next couple of months, as photos showcasing a clearly pregnant Blac Chyna hit the web.

It’s hard to say we didn’t see this one coming. Earlier in the year rumors began to fly that Tyg’as stripper girlfriend Blac Chyna was pregnant with the rapper’s child, and with new photos hitting the web over the weekend showing Blac Chyna with a baby bump, it looks as though the rumors may be true after all.

Chyna was known quite well for working at what many consider to be the hottest strip club in Miami, King Of Diamonds. Of course with a baby on the way, and a rising star baby daddy, we can’t imagine she will be getting back to the strip club any time soon.

Tyga is 22 years old, and just released his Young Money Cash Money debut album earlier this year dubbed, “Careless World: Rise of the Last King.” The rapper is set to release his “Well Done 3″ mixtape and “Fan of a Fan 2″ collaboration album with Chris Brown.

 

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Nicki Minaj And Tyga Gear Up For International Tour

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We may not see a YMCMB Tour for a while, but Nicki Minaj is moving one step closer to unifying her Young Money brethren on the road. Though each member of the crew has their own obligations, Nicki is going to partner with her YM running mate Tyga on the road and it’s something that she’s very proud of.


"We're finishing up the summer tour with 2 Chainz in America and then we're doin' the overseas tour with Tyga," Nicki told MTV News when we visited the set of Waka Flocka Flame's "Let's Go" video in Atlanta. "I'm very, very excited about that. This is the first time I get to tour with somebody from Young Money, since I branched out on my own."

Nicki has earned a ton of accolades since her days on the road with Weezy. Not only has she earned platinum plaques for her debut album, Pink Friday, and its follow-up, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Nicki has impacted the culture with her fashion and business moves as well. When MTV News' Hip-Hop Brain Trust debated the list for Hottest MCs in the Game VII, Minaj came in at #4, besting her mentor Wayne who clocked in at #5. "I deserve it though, I put in work," Nicki told us in February after the list was revealed.

With all that she has accomplished, Nicki takes pride in how far she has come. "We all were rappin' with Wayne and doin' our little one-minute and two-minute freestyles, so we're real proud of what we got so far," she said.

No Lie? Drake Confronts Young Money Unpaid Royalty Reports

Young Money rapper Drake is letting the world know he has no plans of hanging up his YMCMB jacket and apparently dismissed reports of him still being owed unpaid royalties.

Drizzy hopped onto his Twitter to seemingly shut down the gossip and declare his loyalty to Young Money.

"Despite what your daily dose of bullsh*t may lead you to believe. I am forever about this Young Money team.," he tweeted August 2nd. (Drake's Twitter)

Last month, reports landed online of music executive James "Jas" Prince taking legal action against Drake's management.

The music exec who discovered Drake says that the rap star's management company has been cheating him out of big bucks -- and that Drake is being ripped off to the tune of millions as well. In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, James "Jas" Prince says that he discovered Drake on MySpace back in 2007 and introduced him to Lil Wayne and the bad-boy rapper's managers -- only to get cut out of the deal. They later agreed to give Prince a share of Drake's earnings, but he has yet to see a penny of that money, the suit says. More shocking, though, the suit claims the managers also have failed to pay Drake any of his royalties from his hit records. "He hasn't been paid, and we haven't been paid," said Prince's lawyer, James McMillan. A rep for the managers, Aspire Music Group, Laurant Management and Three Kings, did not return a call for comment. A rep for Drake did not return a call for comment. (New York Post)

Earlier this year, Cash Money Records got sued over unpaid royalties.

Music giant EMI says Cash Money Records, the label that is home to rappers like Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj, owes nearly half a million dollars in royalty payments from a settlement agreement. In November 2009, EMI filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Cash Money in federal court in Manhattan. The licensing dispute resulted in a settlement agreement where Cash Money said it would pay royalties for the EMI songs Cash Money's artists sampled on their own albums. But EMI says it had to sue again because Cash Money stopped making its quarterly royalty payments. (Courthouse News Service)

Prior to Drizzy dismissing the rumor, reports claimed he had royalty issues and got removed from Young Money last year.

Now, this is a good one. There are rumors that Drake was unceremoniously kicked out of Young Money after he had a major argument with both Baby and Lil Wayne. Apparently, Drake was owed money for past royalties and felt the need to get more credit for his contributions to YM. From what I understand, there is no truth to this rumor. Actually, somebody hit me up to tell me it wasn't true. That's not to say there aren't similar rumors. That's to say this one isn't on the money. (All Hip Hop)

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