T.I. moves past street life on CD 'Paper Trail'

Before his prison sentence starts next year, T.I. wants to knock down his image as a rapper who glorifies the street life.

Perhaps nowhere is that illustrated better than on his new album "Paper Trail," which comes out on Tuesday. Fans won't find any boasts about his days as a hustler or portrayals of himself as a dangerous gangster. Instead, the 28-year-old father of five offers songs about taking responsibility for his mistakes and learning from his criminal past. And tracks that do mention crime do so in a cautionary tone.

"To specifically talk about guns and drugs in that fashion, I won't be able to do that because it's not a part of my life anymore," says the best-selling rapper, who is known for hits such as "Rubberband Man" and "U Don't Know Me."

The melancholy "Dead and Gone" featuring Justin Timberlake may be the album's best example of that, as T.I. makes it clear that he is ready to start a new and positive chapter in his life.

"It's about leaving behind certain ways that aren't conducive to progression," said T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris. "It's also in relation to certain friends that aren't here right now."

T.I., rap's self-proclaimed "King of the South," was sentenced to one year in prison on federal weapons charges after he was arrested last October before the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta for allegedly trying to buy automatic weapons. T.I., who has a prior drug conviction and spent time behind bars for a probation violation a few years ago, is scheduled to start his prison sentence in March 2009 after completing 1,000 of community service. He has spent the last several months speaking to kids and churches, warning about the pitfalls of living a hustler's life.

"Paper Trail" is the follow-up to last year's platinum-selling CD "T.I. vs T.I.P." While that CD was a commercial success it wasn't a critical one, as some labeled it as one of his weakest projects. The album was released during a particularly challenging time in T.I.'s life, as he mourned the death of his daughter shortly after his girlfriend gave birth, and the recent shooting death of a close friend.

Much of "Paper Trail" was recorded while T.I. was on house arrest last winter. For the first time since his 2001 CD "I'm Serious," T.I. wrote songs on paper instead of memorizing his verses. He wanted to make sure he carefully expressed his thoughts about past mistakes while being involved in the street life.

"He'll normally just go into the booth and rap off the top of his head, very brilliant," says DJ Toomp, a longtime producer of T.I. who reunited with the rapper on "Paper Trail."

"He took it to another level by writing songs. I was skeptical at first because I didn't know what to expect. But when I actually saw him do it, then I was convinced."

Other producers on the CD include Kanye West, Nate "Danja" Hills and Just Blaze, while Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Usher and Rihanna are among the collaborators. The album has already notched No. 1 hit with the female-friendly song "Whatever You Like," which features the rapper singing sweet nothings to a lover instead of spitting out tough raps.

It's yet another example of T.I. sustained mainstream appeal, despite his arrest. The Grammy-winner was a headliner at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, made a cameo appearance on the new season HBO's "Entourage" and is currently filming for his upcoming movie "Bone Deep."

But that doesn't mean that T.I. has lost his intensity. His cocky swagger is evident on "What's Up, What's Haapnin'," a diss song aimed toward fellow Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo, who charged that T.I. was pretending to be from one of the Atlanta's most violent housing projects. In response to Lo's claims, T.I. filmed a video there.

"There are people who want him to be defeated," said fellow rapper and friend Yung Joc said. "There are a lot of people who love for his downfall. But when he comes back strong, it hurts them ... at the end of the day, the guy can't be denied.

"Tip is known by many as one of those guys who overcome his obstacles," he added. "He's a grinder."

West won't face felony charge in airport incident

Los Angeles County prosecutors say they have declined to file felony charges against Kanye West for an incident in which a paparazzo's camera was broken.

Los Angeles County District Attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons says prosecutors referred the case to city attorneys, who will decide whether to charge West with a misdemeanor.

West was arrested Sept. 11 at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of felony vandalism after he was captured on video struggling with a paparazzo and breaking a flash on the floor.

City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan says a decision on a lesser charge isn't expected until next week.

West's road manager was also arrested on suspicion he broke the photographer's camera and one belonging to a TMZ videographer.

Rhymes asking Britain's High Court for rap rights

Rapper Busta Rhymes says he will ask Britain's High Court to rescind a government order that would prevent him from playing a charity concert.

Immigration officials stopped the rapper on Thursday at a London airport and said he was not allowed into the country because of previous legal difficulties in the United States.

Concert promoters say a judge ordered his release. But he still cannot perform.

The concert is a charity gig. People who had completed four hours of volunteer work were rewarded with a concert ticket.

Rhymes says in a statement that he was in Britain to put on a show for the volunteers and that he hopes to be on stage Friday as scheduled.

Notorious 2009 HD Teaser Trailer

Teaser trailer for "Notorious" starring Derek Luke.

Busta Rhymes refused entry into Britain

The promoter of a Busta Rhymes charity concert in Britain says the rapper was refused entry into the country.

Stephen Greene of RockCorps said Thursday that Rhymes was detained at London City Airport by immigration officers, who said their refusal was based on unresolved legal issues in the United States.

The promoter said Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor George Smith Jr., had been allowed into Britain twice before this year. He was due to appear at a concert at London's mammoth Albert Hall on Friday.

McGangsta: Ed McMahon to rap in viral videos

Ed McMahon has an unexpected new job title: rapper.

The 85-year-old former "Tonight Show" sidekick will star in two viral rap videos for FreeCreditReport.com, a financial Web site owned by credit bureau Experian. The videos feature McMahon wearing a tracksuit, being chauffeured around Los Angeles in a Cadillac Escalade golf cart and waxing lyrical about his very public financial troubles.

"I knew I could sing the blues, but I didn't know I could rap," McMahon said Wednesday.

The videos will appear online in October.

Charles Harris, FreeCreditReport.com's vice president of strategic marketing, said the company sought out McMahon to star in the humorous spots after seeing him openly discuss his finances on "Larry King Live." Harris said McMahon represents "a man who is taking charge."

In the first video, McMahon — who once pitched the American Family Publishing sweepstakes — and a bodyguard are cruising through a neighborhood looking for sweepstakes winners to ask for some money back, but McMahon doesn't actually go through with it. In the second spot, McMahon dons a new suit after undergoing a financial and emotional makeover.

"When I retired, I was famous," McMahon raps in the video. "I had money and glory/I bought a house for 6 mill/I thought nothing could touch me/Until my credit went south, and debt started to crunch me/Next thing I know, instead of playing gin rummy, I was scrambling just to make ends meet/It wasn't funny."

After being joined by two scantily clad women, McMahon continues: "Got a bump from the media chumps, but that was temporary/Wife with bad credit was scary, so I got wise/I may have fallen, but I got back up/Now I'm back on the attack, like a ninja swinging nunchucks/I told the haters, 'Go on, take a hike'/It's my show now, and I can do what I like."

McMahon said he spent one day in the studio recording the rap. He said he hopes his participation will inspire viewers to learn from his mistakes and become more aware about their finances.

When asked if he would consider releasing a full-length rap album, McMahon said: "Not immediately."

In June, the former "Star Search" host revealed he was fighting foreclosure after falling $644,000 behind on mortgage payments on his Beverly Hills home. Last month, he agreed to a deal with a private buyer. McMahon said Wednesday the deal has not been completed, and he's not sure what he and his wife, Patricia, will do after the sale.

"We're in this together," said McMahon. "We're a team. We're going to solve it together. We're going to work this out. I'm very optimistic. I'm an old Marine. I've been in two wars and have 85 combat missions under my belt. I've got a background of looking for the good stuff, going for the best way. My wife is with me 100 percent."

It's not the first job for McMahon following his money problems. In July, the former "Tonight Show" sidekick reprised his role as pitchman with commercial segments alongside talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." One of the spots featured McMahon teaching Kimmel how to sell a product. Another had the duo preparing for a road trip to Mexico.

Last week, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that McMahon's lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and two physicians he claims failed to properly diagnose and repair his broken neck laid out adequate legal ground to pursue claims that include negligence, elder abuse, battery, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

VH1 crowns 'Fight the Power' as best hip-hop song

Let the debates begin: VH1 has compiled its list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs, and Public Enemy's black power anthem "Fight the Power" tops the list.

The cable channel will count down its list in series of shows starting Monday. At No. 2 is the Sugar Hill Gang's groundbreaking song, "Rapper's Delight," followed by Dr. Dre's "Nuthin but a 'G' Thang" at No. 3. Run-D.M.C.'s "Walk This Way" with Aerosmith and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message" round out the top five.

Salt 'N Pepa was the only female act in the top 10, with their early hit "Push It." Two of rap's biggest names — Jay-Z and Eminem — didn't make the top 10, though they are in the top 20.

Other acts on the list include the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Biz Markie, Black Sheep and J.J. Fad.

The list comes as VH1 prepares to honor the pioneers in rap once again as part of its annual Hip-Hop Honors show, which this year celebrates Slick Rick, De La Soul, Cypress Hill, Naughty by Nature and Too Short. That show airs Oct. 6.

Ludacris - What Them Girls Like

Music video by Ludacris performing What Them Girls Like

New CD featuring Kanye and more to benefit Obama

Barack Obama's presidential campaign, which has inspired a multitude of songs by stars and amateurs alike, is now getting an official soundtrack.

"Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement," which takes its title from an Obama campaign slogan, features Kanye West, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and others. It will be available for sale exclusively through Obama's campaign starting Friday.

Proceeds from the CD ($24.99 for a digital download, $30 for a physical product) will help fund Obama's campaign until Nov. 4, Election Day, according Hidden Beach Recordings, which created the CD.

Steve McKeever, CEO and founder of Hidden Beach, a longtime Obama supporter, said he had been talking to people within the Obama campaign about a project like "Yes We Can" for a while.

"We had conversations quite some time ago about how to harness what was happening really organically and naturally with so many artists," he said. "The whole concept (was) how do we translate that to inspire and invigorate and also give people a keepsake that they can own while at the same time providing some important capital needed for this campaign."

While most of the songs on the disc have been previously released — such as John Mayer's "Waiting On the World to Change" and Stevie Wonder's classic "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" — a few of the songs are new, including Legend's "Pride in the Name of Love" and "Promised Land," a song by Malik Yusef featuring Kanye West and Adam Levine of Maroon 5.

McKeever said he had more than 150 submissions for the CD.

The "Yes We Can" CD is only the latest musical project inspired by Obama. Earlier this year, an all-star music video featuring Legend, Scarlet Johansson, Kate Walsh, Common, and others, led by the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am and titled "Yes We Can," became a viral sensation, garnering millions of views on the Internet. Will.i.am followed that up with another celebrity-filled video, "We Are The Ones."

There also have been songs by amateurs posted regularly on YouTube.com, while other celebrities — including Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister — have sung Obama-inspired songs. Recently, Dave Stewart debuted his own all-star video, "American Prayer," which featured Whoopi Goldberg, Barry Manilow, Forest Whitaker and Cyndi Lauper.

While Republican presidential candidate John McCain has had songs penned for him, such as "Lead the Way" by a lawyer named Judd Kessler, he has not inspired the same groundswell of musical support.

To make sure the CD project met federal campaign standards, McKeever said it went through a rigorous vetting process. The Obama campaign purchased the rights to the CD, he said, declining to name the price. The artists on the CD "are all being compensated as fair market value for their services," he added.

After the election, the CD is due to be released through other outlets and Hidden Beach will reap the profits.

The McCain camp said it had no plans to release a CD of its own and greeted news of Obama's with a dig. "It's ironic that on a day when the economy is in turmoil, Barack Obama fails to release an economic plan, but instead chooses a celebrity rock album," said spokesman Tucker Bounds.

Obama said Friday he was holding off on detailing his plans for the nation's credit crisis because he did not want to risk roiling the markets at such a sensitive time.

Though the CD is to benefit Obama, McKeever said the music on it is not geared specifically toward Democrats.

"I don't think that there's anything on it that's a real partisan message," he said. "The messages I think are quite universal."

No video, no problem for artists on YouTube

When Ludacris' manager wanted to create buzz for his client's upcoming CD, he went directly to YouTube.com. But instead of releasing a flashy video for Ludacris' song "Let's Stay Together," Chaka Zulu just uploaded the track directly to the site with a just picture of the rapper as accompaniment.

"You actually get to visualize the music," said Zulu, who is also co-founder of Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label. "Even if it's not a real video, music is emotion. Music has a concept and theme."

Though YouTube is known as the Internet's greatest video warehouse, it's becoming known as the place to find new music, no video needed. Put in the name of your favorite artist and there's chance that besides an assortment of their videos, you'll find a song with perhaps just a picture or a montage of photos to accompany it — and it still gets thousands of views.

If anyone wants to hear Akon's remake of Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Starting Something," it's there. Someone yearning for the new Guns N' Roses track "Shackler's Revenge" or T.I.'s new release "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna, all it takes is a quick search of their name and song title. No problem. While some of the songs are posted directly by an artist's camp, others are uploaded by fans eager to share and discuss new music by their favorite act.

DJ Sickamore, who was director of A&R at Atlantic Records for two years and now has his own entertainment management company, says YouTube is a simpler way to listen to music on the Internet.

"Other file hosting sites have too many steps," said DJ Sickamore. "If I like a song, I can hear it instantly without any problems. You definitely have to take advantage of this tool."

Zulu first noticed the power of YouTube sans video two years ago when he posted Ludacris' song "War with God" with just the rapper's picture as a visual on the site. Soon after, Zulu's BlackBerry was bombarded with text messages.

"It had the Internet going crazy," recalled Zulu. "I was getting tons of messages about how they loved it. I didn't know that many people heard it.

"It's a viable marketing tool for us now," he added.

Country star Taylor Swift has also caught on. For the upcoming November release of her sophomore CD "Fearless," Swift, along with her label, hopes to create a picture or video montage for each of the CD's tracks for YouTube. So far, she's enjoyed checking out the fan-created postings of her songs on YouTube.

"It's like having another video," said Swift, 18. "For me, it's a chance to see someone else's take on my music. I embrace that and think it's cool."

It's easy to see the benefits YouTube offers: It gets millions of views per day, according to the site. In addition, by posting a song on YouTube, it creates excitement in a low-cost way, compared to other promotional methods, such as sending out crop of street team members to various local nightclubs or other events.

"You can do mass advertising for every song through one click," gospel artist Tye Tribbett said. He and his choir Greater Anointing, who have had their songs posted on YouTube, had strong success on the Billboard gospel charts with the album "Stand Out" this year.

Still, there are downsides, such as having an unreleased track floating on the Web before a label approves of its release.

"It's a double-edge sword for us," said David Bell, director of digital marketing at the Zomba Label Group, which includes Jive Records, home to Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Ciara and Britney Spears, among others. Despite the potential of releasing songs first on YouTube, he said advertising on the radio is still a preferred method.

"It's another channel for leaked music," Bell added. "It's not just peer-to-peer sites anymore. All they're trying to do is show their love for the artist, but at the end of the day, they're taking a leaked track and (it's) just sort of a multiplication of our music."

Tribbett wasn't initially keen on his songs being posted without his knowledge either. But now he believes YouTube had a major influence in helping the group's album become successful one.

"I said to myself, 'Whoa, hold on. Who put my stuff out before the album even came out?" he recalled. "But I realized that's the promotion that whet people's appetites to the point where sales were better because that happened. So, I was like, 'Well, never mind. Whoever it was, do it again.'"

Kelly says he's not interested in 'anyone illegal'

In his first interview since being acquitted of child pornography charges, R. Kelly dismissed allegations that he ever preyed on young girls, telling BET News: "I don't like anyone illegal."

Kelly also said he was relieved when the trial was over, and that his upcoming album would feature less of the sexually charged material that has come to define his multiplatinum career.

"I'm really trying to make this album ... a little bit different," he said in an interview that aired on the network on Tuesday. "Take a little bit of the edge off, you know? And you know, clean up a few lyrics if I can, you know?"

Kelly, 40, was acquitted in Chicago in June of multiple child pornography charges. The verdict ended a six-year saga that began when a videotape surfaced of a man looking like Kelly having sex with a girl believed to be as young as 13. Kelly denied he was the man in the videotape, and the girl in the video never testified.

Kelly spoke to BET's Toure for about a half-hour last week. Though the interview did not specifically address the child pornography charges, Kelly was asked about the perception that he is attracted to young girls (Kelly was married to the late singer Aaliyah when she was 15, but the marriage was quickly annulled).

When asked if he liked teenage girls, Kelly replied: "When you say teenage, how — how old are we talkin' ... 19?"

"I have some 19-year-old friends," he added. "But I don't like anybody illegal, if that's what we're talking about, underage."

Kelly said he was worried that he might be convicted.

"But at the same time I was very prayerful," he said. "Verdict day ... I couldn't describe it and I wouldn't wish it on — if I had a worst enemy, which I don't."

When the innocent verdicts were announced, Kelly said he felt relieved that he would be able to see his three children — two daughters and a son — once again.

"I couldn't wait to get home to hug them and hold them," he said.

Despite the charges Kelly faced, he still managed to maintain one of the most successful careers of any artist, notching several platinum albums and hits during that period. His new album, "12 Play 4th Quarter," is scheduled for the fall.

Lil Wayne 2008 MTV VMAs Performance HD

Lil Wayne 2008 MTV VMAs Performance in HD.

The Game - My Life (Ft. Lil Wayne) HD music video

Jermaine Dupri party helps kick of MTV VMA bashes

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Don't let the celebrities at a Jermaine Dupri party distract you from partying, or you might get an admonishment from the host himself.

"At Jermaine Dupri parties, (people) don't stand around taking pictures," he said, in more colorful language, as some at his MTV Video Music Awards kickoff party focused their cameras on stars in the crowd Friday night. "It's star-studded all around this (place)."

The superproducer and sometime rapper threw the party, along with his Tag Records, to kick off the weekend of parties being held for Sunday's MTV VMAs and to promote the label's new artist, rapper Q, who performed.

Dupri might have been generous by describing the crowd as "star-studded": The biggest celebrity sighting was that of actor Taye Diggs and rapper Fabolous. Angela and Vanessa Simmons of MTV's reality show "Run's House" also attended.

Still, the celebrity quotient didn't seem to influence how much fun the crowd had. The dance floor was packed into the early morning as old-school rapper D-Nice worked the turntables, providing a steady stream of hip-hop hits to keep the party jumping.

Dupri's party was just one of the pre-VMA events being held on Friday that lured celebrities. Earlier, the Gibson guitar company hosted a gifting suite that drew stars including reality TV villain Omorosa and "Grey's Anatomy's" Justin Chambers, his wife and their children.

Chambers wasn't sure if he would attend Sunday's VMAs, but said there was one celebrity he was looking forward to seeing on the broadcast.

"I hear Britney Spears is opening up. I don't know if I'm excited but I would like to see her make a comeback from last year," referring to the pop queen's disastrous kickoff performance at the 2007 VMAs.

Judge enters $700,000 judgment for Ne-Yo

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ordered a concert promoter to pay R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo $700,000 stemming from A lawsuit filed earlier this year.

Ne-Yo was dropped from R. Kelly's tour last year after two shows. He claimed he was dropped because he had upstaged Kelly, an allegation the singer vehemently denied.

Kelly was not a party to the lawsuit. Ne-Yo (real name: Shaffer Smith) instead sued the tour's promoter, Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment Inc.

Rowe Entertainment never answered the lawsuit, and last week Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey ordered the company to pay Ne-Yo and his touring company $700,320.

Rowe Entertainment said in a statement posted on its Web site after the lawsuit's filing that it couldn't obtain a "final, fully executed contract" from Ne-Yo's agent.

Ne-Yo's CDs "In My Own Words" and "Because of You" both had sales of more than 1 million.