Got Your Back

• Artist: T.I.
• Label: Atlantic Records, Grand Hustle

In the new clip, featuring Keri Hilson, recently incarcerated Tip shows love to the women who stand by their man despite legal woes.
By Jayson Rodriguez

T.I. and Keri Hilson in "Got Your Back"
Photo: Atlantic Records

Art imitates life in T.I.'s latest clip, "Got Your Back," in which the Atlanta rapper rhymes about a lover holding him down during arduous times.

The clip begins with a couple sitting in a sterile courtroom, the man seated before the judge and his love, tearful, sitting in the row behind him. The video then segues to another couple, showing the female love interest having lunch with her man at his loading-dock job. The visual transitions again to the pair making the best of what legal troubles have done to their lives: She shares a laugh with her incarcerated love during a visit to him in jail.

Whether it's the easy bliss of one romance or the strain of another, the clip represents how both women get his back.

"This is for the women who man caught in a sentence," Tip raps to the sing-songy beat. "Who gonna be there for a minute/ But they didn't keep their distance/ They stayed home, waiting on the phone/ And on visit day, they show up looking good/ Smelling better, playing kissy-face/ Just wanna let you know we appreciate/ Everything that you do for us on the day to day."

In the very last frame, as Tip is rapping, the recently freed MC's fiancée, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, makes a surprise cameo, walking out from behind the Atlanta superstar.

"Got Your Back" is the latest offering from T.I.'s forthcoming King Uncaged album, due next month. The number follows "I'm Back" and "Yeah Ya Know (Takers)." Currently, the rapper is locked in the studio with a couple of A-list producers, trying to eke out a few more tracks before he drops his new project.

"We got a few big, big, big sessions coming up next week: Timbaland, Swizz Beatz," T.I. told MTV News recently. "I'm trying to show up and show out every time."

What do you think about T.I.'s new video? Let us know in the comments below!

• T.I.

'Being in that environment and having those daily surroundings, it's going to affect you,' Tip tells Complex magazine.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

T.I.
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Almost immediately after he finished a jail bid for gun charges in March, T.I. set out to reclaim his status as a hip-hop king — hitting the mixtape circuit and huddling in the studio with Lady Gaga and Swizz Beatz. But that doesn't mean jail wasn't a serious setback.

"It did make me worse in a sense. ... Putting me in prison took me off [a positive] path a little bit, and now I'm working to get back on that path — or at least back on the path to the extent that I was before I went in," T.I. told Complex magazine. Before heading to jail, T.I. was serving part of his sentence by counseling at-risk kids and notched over 200 speaking engagements warning young people about violence on the MTV show "Road to Redemption."

T.I., who is on the cover of the magazine's August/September issue, says that the jail atmosphere definitely took its toll. "I lost a little bit of my positive focus during that period of incarceration. Being in that environment and having those daily surroundings, it's going to affect you."

One result was that he actually tuned out when it came to music. "I didn't listen much to records when I was in there. Music is what I do every day. That made me more homesick than anything," he said. Instead, T.I. logged lots of TV hours to pass the time. "I watched series like 'Sons of Anarchy.' I'm a fan. It's another form of 'The Sopranos' to me. I watched football and ESPN." But, the most popular show on the cellblock — "True Blood" — held no appeal for him.

"I couldn't really [watch it]. They got into that sh-- heavy," T.I. said. "The whole prison damn near shut down. Everybody left off the yard, like, ' "True Blood" coming on!' They went crazy for it — there's a bunch of sex in it, so they were tuning in for that."

T.I.'s King Uncaged drops in September.

Which collaboration are you looking forward to hearing on T.I.'s next album? Let us know in the comments below!

• MTV News Extended Play: T.I.

• T.I.

With director Anthony Mandler behind the lens, Drizzy shoots his second half of the two-day shoot.

Photo: MTV News

• Drake
• Swizz Beatz
• T.I.

'It's a dedication to the ladies who take pride in being the flyest and finest,' Tip tells MTV News of the clip.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by James "FLX" Smith

Drake
Photo: MTV News

Drake's upcoming "Fancy" video features a couple of stars known for cranking out hard-hitting hip-hop, but this time, the Toronto MC enlisted T.I. and Swizz Beatz to craft a sexy ode to the ladies.

"It's a dedication to the ladies who take pride in being the flyest and finest that there are out there to be noticed," T.I. told MTV News on the set of the sleek clip, which reflects the song's sultry vibe. The video features Drizzy, Tip and Swizz in all-black everything, spitting suave lyrics and flanked by leggy dancers in formfitting bodysuits.

In his cool Atlanta drawl, T.I. chatted about participating in the collabo and sang the praises of Drake and Swizzy. "I was offered the opportunity and given the pleasure to be a part of this monstrosity of a record by young Drizzy and my big homie O.G., player, partner Swizz Bizzy," Tip said. "I'm honored, privileged and absolutely pleased to be a part of this extravaganza that you are witnessing before you here today."

Anthony Mandler, who has helmed all the clips from Drizzy's Thank Me Later, said the singer/MC's approach to his work influences how the director develops the accompanying visuals. "For me, there's a lot of pressure, because I feel like he's creating music from a place that's so pure and so unique and so original that it pushes me to try to create imagery that stands in the same zone," Mandler said.

Drake also lavished Mandler with respect and said his work with the director has changed his perspective when it comes to making videos. "As far as me evolving as a visual artist, I started in a place where visuals weren't my strongest aspect. Me and Anthony shot 'Over' together, and for the first time, I really felt like, 'This is how I'm supposed to look,' " Drake said. "From there, it's sorta been like an inseparable bond."

Are you looking forward to the "Fancy" video? Let us know in the comments!

• Drake, T.I., And Swizz Beatz Get 'Fancy'

• Drake
• Swizz Beatz
• T.I.

Weezy cranked out videos, Hilton attended the MTV Movie Awards, and T.I. filmed a reality show.
By Gil Kaufman

Lil Wayne in court on March 8, 2010 in New York City
Photo: Louis Lanzano/ AP Images

There's a reckoning that needs to happen before you surrender to authorities for a jail term. Whether you're a celebrity or an average Joe, affairs have to be put in order, plans need to be made, and goodbyes have to be said.

But if you are a celebrity, there may also be a lot of business you have to complete before surrendering your freedom. And with Lindsay Lohan less than 24 hours away from reporting to a Los Angeles jail to serve a 90-day sentence for probation violations, it's worth noting how other celebrity inmates spent their final hours before going in.

Lohan is expected to serve only 23 days of her sentence, due to chronic overcrowding at jail facilities in Los Angeles, to be followed by a 90-day term in an inpatient rehab facility, meaning she is likely to be out of the star machinery full time until the fall. With only one major project on her docket at press time — the Linda Lovelace biopic "Inferno" — unlike other celebs, Lohan isn't leaving behind a lot of unfinished business.

In contrast, before he began serving a one-year term in March on a gun charge, rapper Lil Wayne was a dervish of activity, filming seven music videos in one day, hitting the studio to lay down tracks that might show up on an upcoming EP, hopping onstage with Young Jeezy, Nicki Minaj and Drake at Madison Square Garden and attending various parties.

Before going in for his one-year bid on gun charges, T.I. spent his time filming the MTV show "Road to Redemption," on which he attempted to put some wayward souls on the straight-and-narrow, and logging time at more than 260 public appearances talking to youth groups, churches and schoolkids. He also joined Young Jeezy and Ludacris onstage at a peacemaking show in Atlanta and spoke out against gun violence.

Gucci Mane also spent time in the lab just before he went away for a year on probation-violation charges, finishing up work on The State vs. Radric Davis.

Then there was Paris Hilton, who did what she always does the night before she was locked up as a result of a parole violation for DUI arrest: She partied. The golden-haired heiress walked the red carpet at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards, bucking those who expected her to shamefully slink to jail by spending her last hours of freedom basking in the limelight. "I decided to do something nice before I went off," she told MTV News of her 23-day jail sentence at the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, California, the same jail that will hold Lohan. While Hilton was released after five days for medical reasons, the judge summoned her to reappear in court and ordered that she be sent back to jail to serve her full sentence.

It was mostly business as usual for Khloé Kardashian, who was sentenced to 30 days in jail for a DUI. The youngest of the reality-TV sisters spent the weekend before her incarceration at a beach-house party in Malibu with her mother and sister Kourtney, where she got a massage.

Lohan, typically seen at several Hollywood hot spots a week, has kept an unusually low profile in the days leading up to her jailing, which will be considerably longer than the 84 minutes she spent in lockup in 2007 on a drunk-driving offense. Last Thursday, she was spotted checking into a sober-living facility, which she appeared to be staying in until she reports Tuesday.

• Lil Wayne's 'Road To Rikers'
• Lindsay Lohan: Crime And Punishment

• Lindsay Lohan Goes To Court
• The Highs And Lows Of Lindsay Lohan

• Lil Wayne
• Paris Hilton
• T.I.
• Lindsay Lohan

T.I. and Swizz Beatz also make appearances in Drizzy's latest clip.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by James "FLX" Smith

Drake
Photo: MTV News

Hip-hop heartthrob Drake is keeping it all about the ladies in the video for his Swizz Beatz-produced single "Fancy." The Young Money MC enlisted Swizzy and T.I. for the Thank Me Later joint's clip, but even with all that hip-hop testosterone on set, Drizzy insisted that his latest clip is for his female fans.

"It's just made to make women feel special," Drizzy told MTV News on the set of the video. "It's a great performance video." Drake teamed up with director Anthony Mandler, whom Drizzy dubs a "phenomenal cat" and who has, so far, helmed all the clips for Thank Me Later.

Mandler, Tip and Swizz all put in work on the "Fancy" video, but Drizzy was also geeked out about an artist who was grinding behind the scenes. Drake entrusted the clip's footwork to renowned choreographer Fatima Robinson and gushed that working with the dance diva was "an honor in itself."

With a rap king and a game-changing producer stuntin' in the video and a visual master and dance legend making magic behind the lens, "Fancy" is stacked with stars and packed with top-shelf talent. Star power aside, Drizzy chalked up the appeal of the upcoming video to a few simple things.

"A lot of nice shoes, a lot of nice faces," Drake smiled. "A lot of fun."

Drake might be gearing up to unleash "Fancy" as a single, but the joint almost didn't make his album. It was originally slated to land on projects by both Mary J. Blige and Swizzy before the Toronto rapper lobbied for the track.

"He was like, 'That's the record I need,' " Swizz told MTV News about Drake's reaction when he first heard "Fancy." Swizzy initially offered to re-create the vibe of the song on another joint: "I said, 'OK, I'll make you that.' " Apparently, Drizzy wasn't having it and insisted on the actual "Fancy" song, not a replacement. "No. That's the record I need," Drake said.

"I'm a producer first," Swizz said. "So he can have the record. I'm still on it, it's still love."

What are you looking forward to seeing in Drake's "Fancy" video? Sound off in the comments below!

• Drake
• T.I.
• Swizz Beatz

'We're growing as artists,' Swizzy says of collaborating with Tip.
By Shaheem Reid

Swizz Beatz
Photo: MTV News

When Swizz Beatz and T.I. link up in the lab, the result will probably be epic. First, they landed Tip a smash single with "Bring Em Out," then they trumped themselves with "Swing Ya Rag" from Paper Trail.

The pair recently collaborated on the King of the South's upcoming King Uncaged.

"What we just did is bigger than those," Swizz said about the two new records he produced for Tip. "It's bigger than 'Swing Ya Rag,' it's bigger than all of those. We're growing as artists. That's one of the things I wanted to focus on with Tip, was: 'We did that already. We don't need to compete with nobody. You up there.' Everything we gotta do, we gotta stay leaders. That's how we got to where we at now. He gave me his OK on that. Gave me the clear lane. And we're gone. Trust me on that. The first joint, it's nice. Crazy! The second joint is taking the world over. It's a positive message, and I'll let him explain the rest of the story, because he would be glad to. [It's] very musical, but still with that swag in it."

T.I. completed a yearlong prison sentence in March for weapons charges. Swizz said one of their collaborations delves into that experience.

"The other one is more heartfelt," the producer said. "Story to tell. Think about the real things that's going on in the world. He just finished dealing with a real situation. Besides his situation, there's a million of other real situations going on in the world. So the feel is more worldly. African congas, symphony violins, what I told I was gonna do. I told y'all I was gonna switch the sound thing up."

King Uncaged is due in September.

Are you looking forward to hearing more T.I./Swizzy collabos? Let us know in the comments!

• Swizz Beatz
• T.I.

T.I., the Jonas Brothers, Snoop Dogg helped legendary host maintain his pop culture credentials.
By Kyle Anderson

Chris Brown on "Larry King Live"
Photo: CNN

After 25 years on one of the most venerable and popular talk shows on television, Larry King is stepping down as the host of "Larry King Live." The 76-year-old King announced on Tuesday that his run as cable's premiere prime-time interrogator will come to a close sometime this fall. "I'm incredibly proud that we recently made the 'Guinness Book of World Records' for having the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot," King wrote on his blog. "With this chapter closing I'm looking forward to the future and what my next chapter will bring, but for now it's time to hang up my nightly suspenders."

Though his advanced age has made him the butt of more than a few jokes in recent years, King's pop culture credentials have actually been pretty strong lately. Though his show is typically devoted to politicians, newsmakers, activists and victims of heinous crimes, he has spent more and more time chatting with a new generation of pop stars and artists. In the process, he has turned "Larry King Live" into its own headline-grabbing broadcast, bringing a handful of artists out of their respective shells.

Take a look at the five most notable exchanges that King has had with the current generation of pop stars for proof.

Chris Brown
In a history-making piece of television, Chris Brown sat down for an interview on "Larry King Live" back in September 2009. It represented his first public comments since his arrest for assaulting then girlfriend Rihanna the previous February. Flanked by his mother and his lawyer and dressed in a blue bow tie, Brown was quiet and somewhat evasive but remorseful during the hour-long sit-down. "I made a mistake and that's just something I have to live up to and own up to," Brown told King. "And change and become a better person."

Lady Gaga
King's most recent brush with the pop world was an interview he conducted via satellite with Lady Gaga, who not only talked about her upcoming music, her role in the gay community and her struggles with lupus, but who also unveiled a preview of her new video for "Alejandro."

T.I.
Fresh out of jail, Clifford "T.I." Harris sat across the desk from King back in May for a surprisingly hard-hitting conversation about his year behind bars and the crime that put him there. Tip was candid about everything. "In having time to sit and reflect, if you take the time and use it to your advantage, you see [that] even though all those rounds were fired that night, you didn't have a firearm and you're still here," he told King.

The Jonas Brothers
While they weren't discussing their time in prison, their role in the gay community or domestic disputes, the Jonas Brothers' appearance on King's show in June 2009 was no less noteworthy. When King pressed the boys to discuss their love lives, Joe mentioned that his then flame (actress Camilla Belle) was not as public as Nick's girlfriend. "I don't think anybody is as famous as Miley Cyrus," he said, confirming rumors that had been flying around for a while.

Snoop Dogg
While Snoop Dogg's appearance on King's show didn't reveal any hard-hitting facts, it did give King the opportunity to roll with the Dogg. Back in March, the pair hopped into Snoop's 1967 Pontiac Parisienne, for a ride during which Snoop showed off the GPS that featured his own voice and taught King all about low ridin'.

What's your favorite pop culture moment on "Larry King Live"? Let us know in the comments!

• Chris Brown
• Lady Gaga
• Snoop Dogg
• Jonas Brothers
• T.I.

'She's a phenomenal talent,' Tip tells MTV News of his collaborator.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Kelly Marino

T.I.
Photo: MTV News

Lady Gaga is continuing her tradition of cross-genre collaborations, jumping in the studio with T.I. The pop spectacle has worked with rappers Wale and Kid Cudi, as well as R&B and pop supernova Beyoncé, and now Gaga has been in the lab with the King of the South.

While the ATL hip-hop titan and theatrical pop phenom might make an unlikely pair, T.I. said Gaga's ability to team up with a range of artists comes down to her undeniable skills.

"She's a phenomenal talent, and I think that talent transcends through all genres, all races, all religions, all countries," T.I. told MTV News.

Tip also added that fans of all genres are united on the dance floor and that Gaga's club-friendly hits are central to her appeal.

"I believe that that's one thing that everybody can agree on. If you like a song and I like a song, then we going to both dance and all that here together," Tip said. "I think that that's what she's the best example of."

While Tip gushed about Gaga, he remained tight-lipped about whether the pop star would make an appearance on his upcoming album, King Uncaged. "I'm not gonna let no cats out of no bags," T.I. said. "I think I probably told y'all too much already."

Back in May, T.I. told MTV News that Gaga brought out a different side of him in the studio. "See, this is the thing: We gonna go back in and record some more songs," T.I. said. "But the one we have right now is titled 'Lick It.' I think we both have a tendency to shock the world in a lot of different ways. I just tuned in to another side of T.I."

Are you excited to hear T.I. and Lady Gaga's collaboration? Let us know in the comments!

• The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga

• T.I.
• Lady Gaga

'We got a few big, big, big sessions coming up next week,' Tip tells MTV News.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Kelly Marino

T.I.
Photo: MTV News

T.I. is set to unleash his new album King Uncaged later this summer, and the big homie is making sure that he brings the heat with his latest effort. He's already revealed that he's been in the studio with Lady Gaga, Kid Rock and Eminem, but the King of the South recently told MTV News that he's crafting additional tunes with some hitmakers.

"We got a few big, big, big sessions coming up next week: Timbaland, Swizz Beatz," T.I. told MTV News on Saturday. "I'm trying to show up and show out every time."

Tip also gave a progress update on the album. While he's got dozens of tracks already in the can, he's looking to make his new songs better than ever. "The album is coming along nicely. I've recorded about 85, 90 songs, and I'm still trying to top those records."

Earlier this year Swizz told MTV News that he was looking forward to working with T.I., but that he had to check out Tip's post-jail mindset before getting started on new music for him.

"His mind and his thought pattern before he went [to jail] is gonna be different from when he gets out," Swizzy said. "That man has been in the penitentiary at a time that was the height of his career — he might come out and not wanna use curses no more. He might come out and use more curses. I don't know. I can't create the sound for Tip that's based on 'Swing Ya Rag' and 'Bring Em Out' and all these things we've done unless it's his plan. He's gotta come out, [I] sit down with him, chill how we chill."

Who would you love to see collaborate with T.I.? Share your ideas in the comments.

• T.I.

2010 BET Awards Red Carpet

• Diddy
• T.I.
• N.E.R.D.
• Ciara
• Ashanti

I'm Back

• Artist: T.I.
• Label: Atlantic Records, Grand Hustle
• Director: Kai Regan

2009 American Music Award Nominees

• Michael Jackson
• Lady Gaga
• Jay-Z
• Taylor Swift
• Beyoncé

Hell of a Life

• Artist: T.I.
• Label: Grand Hustle
• Director: Erik White

Who Are The Landmarks Of The VMAs?

• Britney Spears
• Lady Gaga
• Jay-Z
• Lil Wayne
• Beyoncé

2009 VMA Nominees

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Green Day
• Kings Of Leon
• Paramore
• Fall Out Boy

Remember Me

• Artist: T.I.
• Label: Grand Hustle
• Director: Jessy Terrero

T.I. Performs At His Final Countdown Concert In Atlanta, GA

• T.I.
• Rich Kids
• 8Ball and MJG

T.I.'s "Hell Of A Life" Video Shoot

• T.I.