LundLive Entertainment News

Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum Still Dwell in Chart Penthouses

LundLive — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:19:14 GMT

Miranda Lambert is spending her fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard country song chart with "The House That Built Me," while Lady Antebellum's Need You Now luxuriates in its 21st week as the top-selling country album.

Selfish? Exhibiting a disinclination to share? You make the call.

Now That's What I Call the USA: The Patriotic Country Collection -- a various artists package -- is the week's highest-charting debut album, checking in at No. 12.

The only other new album also has a flag-waving tint. It's Ray Stevens' We the People at No. 58.

Re-entering the album chart are Jason Boland & the Stragglers' High in the Rockies: A Live Album (No. 71), Colt Ford's Live From the Suwannee River Jam (No. 73) and Alan Jackson's Songs of Love and Heartache (No. 75).

The Randy Rogers Band's "Too Late for Goodbye," arriving at No. 55, is the highest-debuting of four new songs. The others are Bomshel's "Just Fine" (No. 56), Steel Magnolia's "Just by Being You (Halo and Wings)" (No. 57) and George Strait's "The Breath You Take" (No. 58).

Rounding out the week's Top 5 albums are the Zac Brown Band's The Foundation, Dierks Bentley's Up on the Ridge, Lambert's Revolution and Carrie Underwood's Play On, in that order.

The No. 2 through No. 5 songs are Jason Aldean's "Crazy Town," Brad Paisley's "Water," Luke Bryan's "Rain Is a Good Thing" and Clay Walker's "She Won't Be Lonely Long."

Country Stars and Other Celebrities Ready for 2010 CMT Music Awards

LundLive — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:59:28 GMT

With the dress rehearsal now completed, the clock is ticking down to the opening of the 2010 CMT Music Awards. Kid Rock hosts the show that airs live Wednesday (June 9) at 8 p.m. ET/PT from the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville.

The night will be highlighted by performances from Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and the Zac Brown Band. Keith Urban and John Mayer, who will be featured together on an upcoming episode of CMT Crossroads, will perform "Hit the Ground Runnin'," a track from Urban's Defying Gravity album.

Laura Bell Bundy, Sheryl Crow, Gloriana, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Kellie Pickler, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood and the Zac Brown Band will be presenting awards.

As always, the CMT Music Awards will also feature a wide array of non-country celebrities as presenters. This year's list includes TV personality Paula Deen, American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi, NFL great Terrell Owens, actress Hayden Panettiere, NASCAR legend Richard Petty, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, comic-actor David Spade and Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson. Also presenting awards are Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino from MTV's Jersey Shore and Dancing With the Stars finalists Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

During the awards show, Bundy, Easton Corbin, Justin Moore, Steel Magnolia, Trailer Choir and Chris Young are set to perform from the Nationwide Insurance stage. Leading up to the main show, CMT Music Awards Red Carpet 2010 will feature all the excitement of the red carpet arrivals. Hosted by The Singing Bee's Melissa Peterman and CMT's Evan Farmer, the red carpet festivities begin at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Kenny Chesney Completes Work on High School Football Documentary

LundLive — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:50:20 GMT

Kenny Chesney has completed work on a film documentary, The Boys of Fall, dealing with the power and passion of high school football. To create the project, Chesney drew upon his friendships with NFL greats Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Troy Aikman and John Madden and several NFL, college and high school coaches. "I have the ability to have some pretty amazing conversations with some pretty big coaches ... some pretty amazing players," he said. Chesney, who was wide receiver for the Gibbs High School football team in Corryton, Tenn., has been working on the documentary for approximately a year. "Everyone I approached, when they understood we were looking for the soul of the game as it's played in high school, not only were they willing to talk to us, they'd pick up the phone and send us to people they thought we needed to talk to."

Toby Keith's Undercover Club Gig in New York City

LundLive — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:48:30 GMT

It wasn't exactly a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. When cryptic online ads for an Irving Plaza show featuring Incognito Bandito began appearing about a week ahead of time -- alongside Toby Keith's photo and statements like "the best $25 you'll ever spend" -- there wasn't much detective work required to deduce that the venerable, 1,000-capacity New York City club would be hosting a low-profile concert featuring the country star.

Even so, on the eve of the performance, fans who shelled out for tickets in good faith still couldn't be 100 percent sure they'd see their hero onstage once they got inside.

After a series of hopeful chants of "To-by!" all uncertainties were allayed when Keith finally took the stage. Bearing a battered acoustic guitar and his trademark trucker-on-a-lunch-break look with faded jeans and ball cap, he was flanked by a six-piece band of two guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and a jack-of-all-trades on saxophone, harmonica and pedal steel.

They tore into a tough, tight version of Johnny Paycheck's bluesy 1976 hit "11 Months and 29 Days," followed by Roger Miller's good-time "Chug-a-Lug," before Keith paused to tell the enthusiastic but still slightly bemused audience, "This ain't about Toby Keith shit. This is about some of the greatest session players in the world."

He went on to explain that the men and woman backing him have played on his albums time after time, and they decided to book a barely-publicized club date just for fun, figuring, "If they [audience members] show up, they show up. If they don't, f---- 'em!" With a full-scale, summer-long tour set to kick off Saturday (June 19) in nearby Holmdel, N.J., Keith was apparently embracing the opportunity to play whatever tickled his fancy before spending the next three months plowing through his hefty catalog of hits.

After a faithful take on Waylon Jennings' "High Time (You Quit Your Lowdown Ways)," Keith went on to play the only two original tunes of the evening, but even these turned out to be deep cuts. "If You're Tryin', You Ain't" and "Missing Me Some You," from last year's American Ride and 2008's That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy albums, respectively, were never even singles, let alone radio hits. Afterwards, Keith revealed the band had only one rehearsal for the show, adding admiringly "That's how good these f---ers are."

From there on, it was a wild, unpredictable ride through nearly every branch of American music's family tree. Jack Greene's 1969 country hit "Statue of a Fool" gave way to Three Dog Night's "Shambala" before the band settled into the slow, blues-baked feel of R&B hero Johnnie Taylor's "Last Two Dollars." As they moved into the greasy two-step of Jennings' "Waymore Blues," Keith declared "Most of this roots music ain't got a lot of changes in it, you just gotta get the groove really f----ng good."

Keith and company honored another Outlaw legend by sliding into Willie Nelson's nocturnal standard "Night Life" and then geared up for some get-down on a gutbucket-funk version of "Harper Valley PTA." As they worked the crowd up into a roiling, R&B frenzy, it began to seem like a door had opened into an alternate universe where Keith was the leader of the greatest bar band in the world, and he seemed to echo the idea. "How about that for one rehearsal?" he shouted after the song's explosive ending.

The last portion of the almost two-hour show continued to jump from one end of the roots music spectrum to another, with a simmering serving of Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown," a sleazy, slide-guitar-soaked drive through ZZ Top's "Mexican Blackbird" and detours into a hard-country standard, "Truck Driving Man," and a Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." After closing out the set with a sweat-soaked run through the Chuck Berry stomp "Memphis, Tennessee," Keith left the stage sporting a broad smile.

Brought back by a still-hardy crowd, Keith explained, "These are the songs we love and grew up playing," encouraging expectations for repeat performances by adding simply, "We're gonna do this sometimes."

Following a poignant version of Hoyt Axton's Mexican-flavored ballad "Evangelina," the band kicked into funk mode one last time for a burning "Polk Salad Annie," giving the old Tony Joe White tune every ounce of country soul it deserved. A blistering bass solo suddenly slammed things into James Brown territory until the song eventually erupted into a volcanic climax.

Come Saturday, that alternative-universe portal will snap closed -- at least for a while -- and Toby Keith will be an arena-filling superstar again. But the fortunate few on hand at Irving Plaza surely won't soon forget their glimpse into his secret sonic identity as a bar-band bandito.

Soulja Boy Shuts Down Rumors: Last Time Someone Tried To Snatch His Chain It Was A Shoot Out

LundLive — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:44:55 GMT

Remember I posted that video yesterday from WorldStarHipHop.com where these lames allegedly robbed Soulja Boy for his SODMG chain. Well Soulja came back with a video in response to it. First of all he rolls up in his black Lambo, stuntin heavy. Then he shows the replica SODMG chain that "It" (VH1) and his goons purchased from Ebay that they used in their video. And just in case Soulja wasnt killing 'em enough, he whips out his Louis Vuitton briefcase and shows the SODMG chain which is way bigger and has actual onyx diamonds in it versus the Ebay replica. (((Clapping))) Well done Soulja, you showed them. Nice try, I guess "It" and his group of morons are back to the drawing board looking for a better way to gain publicity. Check out the video at the bottom.

Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw + More Talk Dad's Day

LundLive — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:38:27 GMT

Brad Paisley, the proud papa of three-year-old Huck and one-year-old Jasper, says he may soon forget what it was like not being a father. "You feel like what you've done up until now is to prepare yourself for this, and that starts to be a memory that you associate with your kids. So, I can see how eventually, I won't be able to remember who I was before, because it does change you. It's already changed me a little bit, and it'll change me more with every heart attack [they] give me!"

Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus says his father told him "to be the lead singer because they got all the attention and all the women. And I wished I would've listened to my father now." The Flatts real lead singer Gary LeVox says his dad's advice was: "Never eat yellow snow." Jay adds, "Liquor before beer, never fear. Beer before liquor, never sicker. That's what my dad taught me, and I've followed that to a T." That was pretty normal advice with the way the guys grew up. "All our dads have always played honky-tonks, so we've always gotten [that] kind of guidance in our life," explains Gary.

Carrie Underwood knows her dad is proud of her, even if he doesn't tell her himself. "My dad's the kind of person that most likely he'll never look at me or my sisters and say, 'Hey! I'm proud of you,' or 'You're doing a great job,' or anything like that. But I catch him watching things that he's taped of me on TV. That means a lot. I'd meet co-workers of his that used to work with him, and they'd say, 'Your dad has pictures of you all over his desk.' Proud to the world [laughs] ... not so much to me, but proud to the world."

Martina McBride says, "The basic advice that [my father] gave me and all of us kids was just to work hard. I was raised with a really strong work ethic that if you worked hard enough you could have just as good a chance to be successful as anybody else, but it wasn't going to be handed to you. He still asks me if I'm still happy. I love that. He'll say, 'Are you still having fun? Are you happy?' And I think the message in that is do what you love and love what you do and work hard at it."

Keith Urban cites his father as the reason he made it to Nashville and is doing what he loves to do. "His record collection was what got me pointed towards Nashville," says the multi-talented musician. "He drove me to the music store to buy my first guitar. He was always extremely supportive of my music, and I have a lot to to be grateful to him for. Years later, he's still married to my mum, and he's got two sons that love him. So, I think that counts for a good job." Keith actually wrote a tribute to his father, aptly titled 'Song for Dad,' which appears on his 'Golden Road' album.

Being a father himself now, Keith says he loves everything about being a dad to Sunday Rose, who will turn two in a couple of weeks. But he and wife Nicole Kidman do want to instill some core values into their daughter as she grows up. "The biggest thing for us to instill a work ethic, that's the thing that's most problematic for me -- this unwillingness to have a work ethic. The ability to access information so quickly makes people think that their ability to achieve something is also meant to be expedited, but it doesn't work that way. It's never going to work that way, and if we're going to build something solid, it's going to be built slowly, step-by-step-by-step ... and there's nothing sweeter than having to work for something. It's a tremendous feeling."

Alan Jackson hopes his three daughters would say that he was fun and had a sense of humor. "I'm not just some serious dad, and I talk to them. If they're dating some boy, and I want to know what's going on, I'll ask them. I tell them, 'Me and your mom were dating when we were 17, and I know what's going on!'" When Alan was a boy, he says his father never really talked to him, but rather showed him by example. "My daddy never said much, and he never really gave much advice. He just kind of lived it for you, and I've always said that if my parents did anything good for us, it was unintentional, but they left you alone to make your own way but guide you in the right way ... instead of a parent that's pushing you one way or another. They allowed you to do what you wanted to do and supported you."

Dierks Bentley is very grateful to his own father for turning him on to country music as a kid. "My dad is my biggest influence in country music because my dad loved country radio," states the proud father of Evie, who's nearly two years old. "We always drove around listening to country radio -- George Strait, Hank Williams and Randy Travis and all these guys. So, without him, I wouldn't be doing this, that's for sure."

Tim McGraw says family comes before his career. "You don't balance them," he says emphatically. "If you try to balance it, you're fighting a losing battle. I mean, it really isn't a balance. You've got to put your family first and try to do everything you can that way. Whatever's left over can go to your career or whatever else. Your priority list gets a whole lot smaller when you have a family."

Blake Shelton is another who learned by example from his father. "My dad was real good just teaching me patience. He's always been a very patient guy whether it's in business or with women or whatever. He picks the right battles, and I've always admired that about him. My dad has been a rock for my family, since my beginning. He still is that rock, even though my parents aren't married anymore. He's still the person that holds the entire circle together."

Joe Nichols is preparing his nearly teenage daughter, Ashelynn, for the future by teaching her respect now. "Respect for men and respect from men -- I think that's probably going to be the most important influence I can have on her as she grows up. If I show her respect and love, she will look for that in a man later on, rather than the opposite. And that's my job to show her that a man figure in your life can be loving and trusted, and I think that's important. One day, she's going to marry a good man."

Jack Ingram feels he is a father and being a musician is what he does. "Having three kids and being involved with their life on as much of a day-to-day basis as I can be, it creates much more of an atmosphere in my life -- this music business is what I do, and my family is who I am, and that's really what it's done for me. It's created a grand divide and given me levity. This is fun, and I love doing it and it's important because it provides for my family. That's my life -- those kids and my wife, that's who I am!"

Blaine Larsen is the father of Zoe, his two-year-old daughter who is the spitting image of the young singer-songwriter. He says the best thing about being a dad is the love you receive from your child. "The best thing is when I get home and she runs over and gives me a hug and says, 'Daddy,' and she says, 'I love you, Daddy,' and she gives me a kiss -- that's the highlight right now."

Lil Wayne’s Advice To Drake

LundLive — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:33:38 GMT

We all know that while Drake has plenty of mentors in the rap game (such as Jay-Z and Kanye West), his most important hip-hop role model by far is Lil Wayne.

In light of Weezy’s current incarceration, Drake has been seen rocking “Free Wayne” t-shirts and constantly expressing his support for his mentor, frequent collaborator and friend. Drizzy even gave his opinion of Wayne’s arrest and imprisonment on CNN of all places:

“To him, there’s a whole world moving out there that he hasn’t seen for so long. He was just like, he told me something I never thought I’d hear him say, which was, ‘You’re the ultimate artist. You’re better than me. You don’t have the tattoos, you don’t cause any trouble. People like you.’ He was like, basically, ‘Look at me and look at you.’ He was like, ‘Man, listen. You know what I think you’re about to do? You’re about to do two million.You’re about to do two million the first week. Whatever, man, whatever you do, do not get no tattoos never in your life. They gonna think you got it because you came around me.’ He said the same thing to me [during the Rikers visit]: ‘Don’t change yourself, please. You got it. I’ve never met a young dude that has it figured out, but you got it. Don’t mess it up. Just be you. Sing! Rap! Be you. Don’t stop smiling.’ That’s what he said.” (MTV)

While Wayne spoke specifically about smiles and tattoos, I think his advice has more significance than the exterior. He’s telling Drake not to become influenced by his surroundings and circumstances to the point that he changes who he is and conforms to the norm in the game and the urban community.

This points to a greater issue in the urban community. All too often, we tend to celebrate and glorify our culture’s less than glorious features. We need to realize that even if we have had to learn to endure the worst of our culture, this merely makes that endurance a necessity, not an aspiration. Also, by branding ourselves with the image and attitude that are often associated with our worst, we diminish our self-worth and give those we meet the unfair opportunity to limit and narrow their view of who we are (not that some wouldn’t do it anyway).

Certain words from the man born Dwayne Michael Carter jump out at me. “You don’t cause trouble. People like you.” Those words are in direct conflict with the gangsta image so popular within the culture of hip-hop and that so many attempt to emulate in their daily lives.

What Drake has ‘figured out,’ and what more of us need to learn, is that who he is is quite good enough. It appears Wayne has had a lot of time to think and possibly reconsider his lifestyle while locked up, and almost sounds somewhat regretful of some of his decisions. Because he’s so influential, it will be important to see if he makes corresponding changes upon his release.

Until then, he will certainly remain in the thoughts and prayers of fans worldwide.

Rapper Drake sounds cocky at sold-out TLA show

LundLive — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:30:13 GMT

Some guys are built for stardom. Knowing such can give them a swagger that radiates throughout everything they do.

Take Aubrey Drake Graham.

Now 23, the clean-cut Canadian-born actor and rapper known as Drake was a sensation on television's teen hit Degrassi: The Next Generation as soon as he hit the small screen in 2001.

By 2006, when Drake took on the mix-tape circuit, he was a smash with his monotone flow and a vocal style touched by old-school soul.

By the time he got to his third mix in 2009, its title song - the syrupy "Best I Ever Had," based on a corny Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds sample - got him nominated for Grammys, put him atop Billboard's charts and placed him in bidding wars with every major label.

No wonder Drake sounded cocky during Wednesday's sold-out show at the Theatre of Living Arts - the day after his long-anticipated debut full-length, Thank Me Later. Everything he touches turns to gold.

On stage, Drake looked older than his years as he swiveled his neck and stared into the crowd. He teased his audience, mostly longtime fans who knew every song from each of his old tapes, beginning with "9 AM in Dallas." His nasal singsong rap was weirdly warm and inviting.

With a blues organ's swirl behind him, Drake's chatty croon made the robotic AutoTune of "Uptown" sound human. When he got to the dreamy slow jam "Lust for Life," with its spare thumping drums and blipping sequencers, Drake became a postmodern Barry White with that cool lover-man chatter. Then "Fireworks" from his new album began with a crackle, and Drake's voice got sharper and more energetically corrosive, even though the arrangements were sweet.

Drake was truly cocksure now. Joined by his self-proclaimed mentor/MC Birdman on "Money to Blow," he seemed empowered to an Incredible Hulk-like degree - a heft that carried him through the hard-edged "I'm Goin' In" and the slippery "Best I Ever Had."

In the unlikely event you weren't a Drake believer before, you were by the time you left the TLA.

50 Cent Says His Black Magic Album Has 'A Totally Different Vibe'

LundLive — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:22:57 GMT

50 Cent is back in music mode. He's been touring overseas with the G-Unit for about a month, and over the weekend, 50 revealed to a Norwegian news outlet that he had been back in the lab making songs for a new LP called Black Magic. Fif said he was inspired by listening to music in Bergen, Norway.

"I went to a nightclub afterparty," 50 told reporter Jonas Pettersen. "It's a little different music going on before I got there. They play your music when you come. But the music they played before they started playing a lot of what I created was more uptempo, more dance. I wanted to make a song like that. So I went into the studio. Because I'm traveling with my live band, I took my band with me and sequenced it and recorded the actual record while I was out there. I did two other songs I had production for. I had been writing those songs for a while. So I finished them and recorded them while I was out."

Fif said his new album will not sound like his previous work. "New Black Magic project, I'm excited about it," he said. "It has a totally different vibe. I won't allow myself to be placed in a box when I can only do one style or one kind of music. They should expect the unexpected on this project. It's good. If they can understand how I enjoy different genres of music and different styles; for the people who have various tastes in music, they'll really like it."

While there isn't a release date for Fif's new work, G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo say they'll drop independently as early as June.

"I'm aiming towards summer," Banks recently told Mixtape Daily. "Mid-summer, late summer. I won't drop an album until I feel the buzz — you know, as an artist, when you feel it. I'm working independent. Everything they've heard the past year has come out my basement, including 'Beamer, Benz or Bentley.' When you first come on as a new artist and you hot and you got a buzz, you could sell doo-doo on a stick. The label makes you feel like they did it, when they just called their boy and dropped the record off.

"Now it boost my confidence when I know I can make a record in my crib, send it out and receive finances from it," he added. "Whenever it's through iTunes or whatever other outlet you have, I'm happy with it. I'm not gonna rush it, though. If it came out after this year, it wouldn't matter to me, as long as it's the product people expect."

"We gonna drop it independently," Yayo told Mixtape Daily. "We not on Interscope anymore. I feel the stuff I went through on a major was nonsense. You make more money on an independent label."

Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, Estelle, More Take Stage At 'Rip The Runway'

LundLive — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:16:11 GMT

Nicki Minaj is hip-hop's leading lady at the moment and the Young Money rapper proved she's adept at handling that spotlight during her turn as co-host of BET's "Rip the Runway."

The femcee was joined by "The Game" actor Pooch Hall, and delivered her trademark sass both in rhyme and in jokes.

"Pooch, you haven't even complimented me on my shoes yet," Nicki said during the opening minutes, teasing the actor as the pair introduced the show, set to air Monday (March 15) on BET and Centric.

The Queens lyricist doubled as a performer also, joining Ludacris onstage for his hit "My Chick Bad."

"My chick bad, tell me if you seen her," Luda rapped. "She always bring the racket like Venus and Serena." Minaj stormed onstage for the third verse, much to the delight of her fans — there were plenty of Barbiez onboard — in a snakeskin bodysuit and pink wig.

"Trash talk to them then I put them in a Hefty," she rhymed. "Running down the court, I'm dunking on them Lisa Leslie."

Along with the "Rip the Runway" performances, new designers' spring and summer lines were presented and showcased throughout the broadcast.

BET's "106 & Park" co-host Rocsi Diaz, Sean John model Miguel Perdomo and artist Amanda Diva were among those strutting down the catwalk.

Upstart MC B.o.B. a.k.a. Bobby Ray performed his first single, "Nothin' on You," as the Tennille White Chicago line was showcased.

Trina was partnered with Haute Couture during her performance and newcomer Roscoe Dash and Soulja Boy Tell'em had the rowdiest performance of the night, hands down, with "All the Way Turnt Up." The song was paired with sporty clothing line Protégé and featured a model in high heels frantically dribbling a basketball to the beat.

A solo turn by Minaj and performances by Janelle Monáe and Estelle featuring Kardinal Offishall ("Freak") rounded out the festivities.

Drake Introduces 'Drake The Artist' In 'Over' Video

LundLive — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:12:10 GMT

While filming a video for his song "Over" on Friday in Los Angeles, Drake stood in front of an all-white backdrop wearing a white tee and white sneakers. What does he do in the clip? He does him.

"This is my first video," the Young Money franchise player said, sitting in his trailer. "I've shot a lot of videos before, but this is my first attempt to establish myself as Drake the artist. Shooting the other videos I've done has been great. I really don't care what other people think about them, they were great experiences for me. I've learned a lot from them. Today, I'm shooting with somebody I really look up to and respect. I'm shooting with Anthony Mandler."

Mandler, who has also made videos with Jay-Z and Rihanna, worked with Drake before on Mary J. Blige's "The One."

"We talked colors, we talked epic, emotion-evoking visuals," the 23-year-old Toronto native said of the collaborative "Over" video. "The story is actually interesting. The song is so aggressive, and it's sort of a love story in the video. It has a lot to do with the album [Thank Me Later]. The album is about finding love, feeling 'Have I sold my soul' as far as 'Will I ever be able to gain the trust of a woman? Will I only be able to be around the dark, evil women? Will I ever find that pure love?' Those elements are in the video. I look strong, I feel great, my knee's feeling great. I'm jumping around, doing all kinds of stuff."

The song "Over" touches on Drake reaction to fame and stardom. " 'Over' was definitely a choice of mine," he said of releasing it as a single. "I've got a lot of great songs on the album. A lot of songs that sound familiar but are brand-new. I still got the same emotions of the songs you love, whether it be 'Say Something' or 'Best I Ever Had' or 'Bedrock.' For people who enjoy what I've done in the past, I've got a lot of songs to cater to them. But 'Over' was a song I did for myself.

"We took a trip to Jamaica, where I did a lot of work for my album," he elaborated. "There was this calm before the storm, and 'Over' represented the storm to me. It's the moment. I wanted to emerge at first from this album and just let people know 'This is how I'm coming out in the public eye. I'm ready for anything.' Then when you get the album, it's like, 'Oh, he's still human. He's still thinking the same way.' I wanted people to understand I could have lost it. 'Over' could have been my entire album. Just 'cause that's what this industry and game will do to you if you lose yourself."

New Lady Gaga Telephone Video with Beyonce

LundLive — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:42:35 GMT

Check out the new AWESOME Telephone video by Lady Gaga and Beyonce...

Nas & Damian Marley Snag Lil Wayne for Collabo LP, New Tracklisting Revealed

LundLive — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:11:40 GMT

Last night (March 10), XXLMag.com previewed the collaborative project from Nas and Damian Marley, Distant Relatives, and it seems as if is the long awaited album is almost ready to see the light of day.

The disc, set to come out through Universal Republic in either May or June, features cameos from Lil Wayne, Joss Stone, K’NAAN and Jamaican music legend Dennis Brown, as well as a bonus track with Junior Reid. All 14-songs, which were dedicated to the hoods in America and Africa, were produced by Marley, who seamlessly merges the worlds of hip-hop and reggae.

Distant Relatives singles, “Strong Will Continue” and “As We Enter,” have already made their way online.

Nas and Damian previously worked together on “Road to Zion” for Marley’s 2005 solo effort, Welcome to Jamrock —Brooklyne Gipson

Peep the official track listing below:

1. As We Enter
2. Tribal War (feat. K’NAAN)
3. Strong Will Continue
4. Leaders
5. Wisdom (Sabali)
6. Count Your Blessings
7. Disappear
8. The Promised Land (feat. Dennis Brown)
9. Nah Mean
10. Angola (Friends)
11. My Generation (feat. Lil Wayne and Joss Stone)
12. Africa Must Wake Up (Feat. K’NAAN)
13. BONUS TRACK Ancient People (feat. Junior Reid)

James Otto Releases New Single, "Groovy Little Summer Song"

LundLive — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:06:22 GMT

James Otto released a new single, "Groovy Little Summer Song," to radio this week, with a full-length album expected later this year. Otto wrote the song with Al Anderson and Carson Chamberlain and co-produced the track with Paul Worley. "It's got that spring break vibe, a groove and a feel that just says summertime to me," Otto said. "It's a feel-good song that lends itself to partying and nights on the beach or time out on the lake." Otto's hits include "Just Got Started Lovin' You" and "For You."

Rosanne Cash's Memoir, Composed, Will Be Published in August

LundLive — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:04:12 GMT

Rosanne Cash's memoir, Composed, will be published by the Viking Press on Aug. 10. According to press materials, Cash "writes candidly about her upbringing, her development as an artist and her current life." She will also perform and sit for an interview with NPR's Michele Norris of All Things Considered in Seattle on May 1. As part of the interview, she will perform several songs accompanied by her husband and producer, John Leventhal. Cash earned 11 No. 1 country hits in the '80s, including "Seven Year Ache," "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" and "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me." Her 2009 album, The List, was inspired by a list of influential songs given to her as a teenager by her father, Johnny Cash.

Zac Brown Band Will Release Live DVD, Pass the Jar, on May 4

LundLive — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:05:17 GMT

Zac Brown Band will release a live DVD/2-CD set, Pass the Jar, on May 4 on Southern Ground/Atlantic. The ensemble recorded the concert at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta in October. The DVD features 18 performances with guest appearances by Kid Rock, Little Big Town, Joey & Rory, Shawn Mullins, Angie Aparo and Aslyn. The CDs will include audio from the DVD, as well as six additional songs. Zac Brown Band will return for an Atlanta concert on May 8 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

Music Row Celebrates Jason Aldean's Latest No. 1, "The Truth"

LundLive — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:01:04 GMT

BMI, the performance rights agency, applauded songwriter Ashley Monroe for co-writing Jason Aldean's latest No. 1 single, "The Truth," with a Monday (March 8) afternoon party at the organization's Nashville headquarters. It was her first chart-topper.

Brett James, Monroe's co-writer, was on tour and could not attend the celebration. He is affiliated with BMI's competitor, ASCAP.

Spotted among the roomful of merrymakers were singer-songwriter Sherrié Austin and Drake Dixon, the guitar-thumping toddler featured in Randy Houser's "Boots On" music video.

Aldean strolled in just before the official proceedings started, wearing his trademark distressed jeans and checked shirt and sporting a baseball cap with sunglasses parked above the visor.

BMI's Clay Bradley recounted Monroe's tear-stained trajectory toward Music City and musical prominence, beginning with her singing five nights a week at the Dollywood theme park when she was just 11.

Monroe's father, Bradley said, died when she was 13, prompting the youngster and her mother to move to Nashville. After paying dues at various honky-tonks on Nashville's Lower Broadway, Monroe earned herself a major record deal and even recorded an album. But because of changes at the label, the album was never released.

Finally, Monroe began focusing on songwriting. "She wrote some of the saddest songs I ever heard," Bradley marveled. One of these was the tune being celebrated, in which a rejected lover begs his friends not to reveal the truth about his emotional devastation.

Noting that "The Truth" is one of Aldean's most popular concert pieces, Bradley said, "It has surpassed the recording and taken on a life of its own."

Ree Guyer Buchanan, Monroe's publisher, recalled she first encountered the budding songwriter when she was just 15 and begging her for tickets to the Grand Ole Opry "practically every other weekend." (Buchanan is married to Gaylord entertainment senior vice president of media and entertainment Steve Buchanan, who oversees the Opry.)

Monroe has been signed to Buchanan's publishing company since she was 17.

Carson James, who heads promotion for Aldean's label, Broken Bow Records, took to the podium to congratulate the singer for scoring his third No. 1 hit within the past 10 months. He predicted there would be another No. 1 celebration for Aldean's current single, "Crazy Town," sometime in August.

A representative from Country Radio Broadcasters presented Aldean a certificate of achievement and announced that, so far, "The Truth" has been played more than 80,000 times on country radio stations, a total that translates into "nearly 600 million" audience impressions.

Aldean told the crowd his producer, Michael Knox, brought him a demo of "The Truth" and that, as has become common practice, they first listened to it in his car. He said he decided instantly he wanted to record it.

"From day one," Aldean said, "it was my favorite song on the record."

Monroe spoke briefly to thank the people who had helped bring her to this point, including, "my mother, standing right there -- the real pretty one." She was enthusiastic about Aldean's treatment of her song. "Jason, it still gives me a chill. Sometimes I forget I wrote it, and I just sing along."

David Ball Schedules New Album, Sparkle City, for April 20

LundLive — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:58:45 GMT

David Ball will release a new album, Sparkle City, on April 20 on Red Dirt E1 Records. It will be his first new album of original material in six years. He co-produced the album with his band, the Pioneer Playboys, after refining the songs over a year-and-a-half by playing clubs, theaters and festivals.

He will celebrate the release of the new album with a free show at Nashville's 12th & Porter on April 20. His hits include "Thinkin' Problem," "When the Thought of You Catches Up With Me" and "Riding With Private Malone." Lyle Lovett also recorded one of Ball's early compositions, "Don't You Think I Feel It Too," for his Natural Forces album released last year.

Gary Allan, Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton Roped In by Texas Rodeos

LundLive — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:58:10 GMT

You can't have a career in country music without playing a few rodeos along the way. That's especially in true in Texas, where live music and bull riding are inseparable.

Gary Allan compares the rodeo concert experience to a street fair because the whole family comes the show.

"There are so many people, it's like stepping into a different world," he says. "I just played Cowboys Stadium (in Dallas) for the PBR. I'm always shocked by how big the sport is. You probably play to 50,000 to 60,000 people. And I'm doing the Houston Livestock Show [on March 17], which is probably another 65,000 people. I'm telling you, it's like a time warp when you go into these places. They're real cowboys, hard core."

After the roping and riding, the performers often ride in a pickup truck toward the middle of the track to a small rotating stage, which is nearly engulfed by the gigantic venue.

"You definitely feel like you're playing to cameras and lights because you're 50 or 60 yards from everybody," Allan says. "It's a very strange deal. At the Cowboys Stadium, they put up ramps so we could get to the audience, but still, the scale of it is so big."

When Blake Shelton played the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo in February, he decided to skip the pickup truck and just stroll to the stage.

"There's something about just walking in there," he says. "You feel like a professional wrestler walking across that dirt. People are shouting, and you can wave and raise hell that way, versus hopping in the truck and driving a hundred feet. It seems way more fun to me. It was more of an ego trip than anything."

He calls the San Antonio event "one of the last true rodeos, as far as the entertainment goes." Noting that rodeos usually have two shows with two different artists each day, Shelton says, "They put them in the round out there and the stage turns in the middle so that everyone can see you. It's a true Texas experience. It's probably not anything like what you'd expect. It's just ... Texas. If you haven't been to the Houston rodeo or the San Antonio rodeo or even the Austin rodeo, in my opinion, those are three of the five last good rodeos to go to."

Alan Jackson says he "grew up riding things that had motors," yet he's a perennial favorite on the circuit. He kicked off this year's entertainment lineup at RodeoHouston on March 2. Over three weeks, the roster offers Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban, as well as several rock and pop acts.

"I've played that Houston rodeo just about every year that I've qualified to play it," Jackson says. "That's a big show, a lot of fun. That used to be at the Astrodome -- that's the worst sound you'll ever have -- but now it's at the new place [Reliant Stadium], which is a little better. There are 40,000 or 50,000 people in there, and you're out there in the middle of the dirt, going around in a circle."

Asked about the appeal of rodeos, Jackson says, "I think it's like NASCAR. They want to see them crash. I think the favorite rodeo thing is the chuck wagon race, when they race those wagons around. They're crazy, man, those things come apart and people get hurt. They're wild. That's a tough job, being with those bulls and horses. You've got to be tough to do that. They deserve a lot of respect."

Lee Ann Womack, who grew up in Jacksonville, Texas, sang at the Houston event four times between 2001 and 2006.

"They have a full staff all year round, so these people work on that constantly, and they have the best entertainment in the world," she says. "I've always had a great time playing the Houston rodeo."

Asked about her perspective from the stage, she replies, "It's a huge, huge building. You're way far away from the crowd but the energy is wonderful. The dressings are set up with cowhide everywhere. ... A lot of times in venues, you could be in any city because they all look the same. So when you go play the Houston rodeo, it's ... Houston. It's Texas -- from the catering and the dressing rooms, all the way to the show."

The Eli Young Band were the last act on the San Antonio rodeo calendar last month. Coincidentally, they're also booked to open the Austin rodeo on Saturday (March 13). But the real eye-opener will come from their first-ever headlining performance at RodeoHouston on March 19. Although they've only recently had a few country hits on the national chart ("When It Rains," "Always the Love Songs"), the ensemble has gradually emerged as one of the most popular live bands in Texas.

"When I was a kid, I lived in the Houston area and those were my first concert experiences," says Mike Eli. "I saw the Judds and George Strait there. The fact that we have our own headlining show on a Saturday night at the Houston rodeo ... we have those few moments, like playing The Tonight Show, playing the Grand Ole Opry for the first time and headlining the Houston rodeo. These are pivotal moments that we will never forget. People ask about those moments: 'When did you know you made it?' I don't know if you ever feel that way necessarily, but if I was to take any moments, those would be the three."

John Rich, Heidi Newfield Will Perform After Country Music Marathon

LundLive — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:46:26 GMT

John Rich and Heidi Newfield will perform a post-race concert after the Country Music Marathon and Half-Marathon on April 24 in Nashville. Cowboy Troy and new artist Jarrod Neimann ("Lover, Lover") will also perform at the concert taking place at the Bridgestone Arena, formerly the Sommet Center. Tickets are $35. Rich performed at the finish line of the race in 2001, the second year of the event, when he was pursuing a solo career following his exit from Lonestar and prior to launching Big & Rich.

Miranda Lambert Chooses Male Artists to Open Her First Headlining Tour

LundLive — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:43:58 GMT

Miranda Lambert has chosen nine male country artists to open various shows on her Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars tour, her first tour as a headliner. The tour begins March 18 in Beckley, W.V., with special guest James Otto ("Just Got Started Lovin' You"). New additions for select shows include Eric Church ("Love Your Love the Most"), Jake Owen ("Don't Think I Can't Love You") and Chris Young ("Gettin' You Home"), as well as Texas country artists Wade Bowen and Cross Canadian Ragweed. As previously announced, other concerts will feature Luke Bryan ("Do I"), Randy Houser ("Boots On") and David Nail ("Red Light"). "I like pink guitars and puppies so how scary can I be?" Lambert said. "Seriously, it's going to be a lot of fun. I've been on tour with some great male headliners, so I thought it's only natural that I invite some talented guys on my first official headlining tour."

Lady Antebellum Make Their Mark at Ryman Auditorium

LundLive — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:41:31 GMT

Something extraordinary happened between the time tickets went on sale in January and when Lady Antebellum walked onstage Wednesday night (March 10) at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium: In a matter of weeks, they became major stars.

When the concert was first announced, it appeared to be a typical promotional device to boost the trio's standing in the Nashville music industry by having them headline a show at country music's most famous concert venue. As it turned out, they'd already grabbed the music industry's attention in a much bigger way by winning a Grammy and releasing a new album that has already sold almost 1.3 million copies.

When Wednesday's concert, the first of two sold-out shows at the Ryman, rolled around, the trio's new album, Need You Now, had just returned to the top slot on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart some six weeks after its release. The title track, which spent five consecutive weeks atop the Billboard country chart late last year, has now crossed over to other radio formats and is currently No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. And, of course, they were awarded a Grammy in February for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for "I Run to You."

Opening with "Stars Tonight," a track from the new album, the trio got the audience's attention immediately and kept the fans enraptured for the next hour and 20 minutes.

Lady Antebellum's music is filled with hummable melodic hooks and strong harmonies, and their appeal becomes even more obvious in concert. The trio -- Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood -- have no problems recreating those vocals in a concert setting and appear to take great pleasure in working together onstage. These days, you can't necessarily take those two factors for granted.

With just two albums to their credit, they don't have a vast catalog of material to draw from, but even the album tracks stand up favorably to radio hits such as "Love Don't Live Here," "Lookin' for a Good Time," "I Run to You" and the current single, "American Honey."

It was refreshing to hear the vocal harmonies backed by a truly great four-piece band. With just guitar, bass, drums and keyboards, the music was allowed to breathe as the musical dynamics became more pronounced without a bandleader trying to direct a dozen or more musicians and background singers. In addition to the four band members, Haywood repeatedly demonstrated his considerable talent as a rhythm guitarist -- a skill that's all too often overlooked aside the flash of fleet-fingered lead guitarists.

Lady Antebellum seem most comfortable performing the sort of music they've recorded for their albums, but there was a nice moment when they invited the band to the front of the stage for an acoustic version of Hank Williams' "Lost Highway."

Singer-songwriters Randy Montana and Josh Kelley -- both signed to solo deals with the Universal Music Group Nashville -- opened the show with brief sets. In the informal setting, Scott talked about her lengthy friendship with Montana and later sang harmonies on one of his songs. Charles Kelley praised the talents of his older brother, Josh.

During Lady A's set, the trio invited the opening acts back to the stage to help sing a rousing version of Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance." It would have been a perfect end to the evening, but Lady Antebellum performed several other songs afterwards before closing with "I Run to You" and returning with a string section for the encore song, "Hello World." While it's easy to quibble with the order of the set list, there's something to be said for any young country act that covers Hank Williams and Tom Petty during a concert.

As for Lady A's headlining status at the Ryman, it will be good practice for them. With the sort of success they're having, it's hard to imagine that they'll be opening shows for other artists next year.

Eminem, Blink-182, Katy Perry Top The Most-Anticipated Albums Of 2010

LundLive — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:35:28 GMT

If you thought 2009 was a big year for music, just wait until you see what 2010 has in store. While the past 12 months were all about Lady Gaga (booking agent), Taylor Swift (booking agent), Susan Boyle and Adam Lambert (booking agent), 2010 is shaping up to be the year of the comeback, the sequel and the new look, with anticipated discs on tap from a reunited Blink-182 (booking agent), Katy Perry (booking agent), Christina Aguilera (booking agent), Diddy, Kanye West (booking agent), Vampire Weekend, Usher (booking agent), MGMT (booking agent) and the soundtrack to the third "Twilight" film, "Eclipse."

Pop
Perry has been "spilling out material" for the follow-up to her breakthrough, One of the Boys, citing such über-pop acts as Ace of Base and the Cardigans (booking agent) as inspiration. She's worked with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo and Rihanna (booking agent) collaborator Tricky Stewart so far, but hasn't really nailed down a release date.

While we know Britney Spears (booking agent) has also been in the studio, working on the sequel to Circus, its unknown if the back-on-track pop diva will finish up the disc in time for a 2010 release. Former rival Christina Aguilera (booking agent), though, has reportedly started her electro-influenced follow-up to 2006's Back to Basics with an eclectic group of women, including M.I.A., Sia, Santigold (booking agent) and Ladytron, but has seemingly put it on hold until she finishes filming her bit for the movie "Burlesque."

Also potentially on tap for 2010: a new album from Madonna (booking agent), troubled British soul singer Amy Winehouse (booking agent)'s long-awaited follow-up to her Grammy-winning Back to Black breakthrough, and the second album from She & Him, featuring actress Zooey Deschanel and singer/songwriter M. Ward.

Rock
Unlike Green Day (booking agent), My Chemical Romance (booking agent) are not planning to do back-to-back concept albums. The band is prepping a more aggressive return after the high-concept The Black Parade, with superstar producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen) helping them stay on track.

Seven years after their last effort, reunited pop punks Blink-182 (booking agent) are expected to release their first album since 2003's self-titled affair. Drummer Travis Barker is also wrapping work on his solo debut but said the plan is to write and record the Blink disc in the first part of the year.

Other releases on tap include: the much-anticipated second album from former buzz band Vampire Weekend, a new disc from Canadian collective the Arcade Fire, a potential release from Radiohead, a second album from Jack White's Dead Weather, a possible get-back from the Strokes, a new Fleet Foxes effort, Kid Rock (booking agent)'s latest, the sophomore disc from Grammy nominees MGMT (booking agent), and a new Gorillaz album featuring vocals from Lou Reed, Mos Def (booking agent) and the Bee Gees' Barry Gibb. Though no information is available yet, we can only assume that the soundtrack to the third "Twilight" movie, "Eclipse," will be a monster.

Hip-Hop/R&B
He broke his long silence with Relapse and Refill in 2009, but Eminem has more in store for 2010, as he's promised to drop the second half of his recent fruitful spurt of creativity, Relapse 2. While we're not holding our breath for the epically delayed finale from Em's mentor, Dr. Dre, there's a possibility that Detox will also finally hit shelves this year.

One album we know is coming out is Lil Wayne (booking agent)'s rock-tinged Rebirth. After moving around more than a half-dozen times in 2009, the disc is now due February 1, just a week before Wayne is slated to go to prison for a year on gun charges. Of course, due to that Amazon.com slip-up, 500 lucky fans already have the disc, which quickly became readily available online, so it's possible the official release will change the track list up a bit.

It's also possible T.I. could drop his next album very soon after being released to a halfway house following his 366-day sentence on federal weapons charges, and imprisoned rapper Gucci Mane recently said he already has his next album, The State vs. Radric Davis: The Appeal, ready to roll.

Another CD everyone is holding their breath for is Drake's debut, Thank Me Later, which is expected to deliver on the hype created by his mixtapes and EP. After a few delays, Usher's Raymond vs. Raymond is now slated for a March release, with hype already built thanks to the hit single "Papers."

Nas' former wife, Kelis, is promising a "futuristic disco" sound on her upcoming disc, Flesh Tone. N.E.R.D. will have a new, "very 3-D" sound, thanks to the recent addition of female vocalist Rhea, and Erykah Badu will finally drop New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) in February, promising a less politically driven effort this time around.

We could finally get a listen to Missy Elliott (booking agent)'s first album in five years, Block Party, as well as solo discs from Big Boi — his long-delayed Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty — and Andre 3000, as well as a possible new Outkast (booking agent) collabo.

Though he's been laying low since his VMA stage rush on Taylor Swift (booking agent), it's possible Kanye West (booking agent) will have some new music for us this year. We know Diddy is on tap to unleash his concept dance album Last Train to Paris, and Travis McCoy is prepping his solo debut as well as a new album from Gym Class Heroes.

After promising a swan-song, three-disc set called LupE.N.D. last year, and then having second thoughts, Lupe Fiasco has reportedly been working on a CD called Lasers that could see light in 2010. Also bumped to the new year is the ninth studio album from hip-hop iron men and Jimmy Fallon house band the Roots, with How I Got Over, as well as Ludacris' Battle of the Sexes, a reported duet album with DTP home girl Shawnna.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg, because with all this action, we might also get a new one from Lady Gaga (booking agent), which could really be a monster.

Missy Elliott's 'All 4 U,' Featuring Lil Wayne, Leaks To The Web

LundLive — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:20:35 GMT

The invitation to Missy Elliott's long-delayed Block Party might be coming soon.

"All 4 U," a collaboration between Missy Elliott (booking agent) and Lil Wayne (booking agent), leaked to the Internet over the holiday weekend. The song is among a number of tracks in consideration for Elliott's upcoming album, Block Party, her first solo project since 2005's The Cookbook.

The syncopated track features Missy's trademark blend of rapping and singing, while Weezy (booking agent) delivers an X-rated verse.

"Baby, what's up with you tonight/ You wanna get busy, I can read your mind," Missy purrs seductively on the song. Elliott only contributes one verse to "All 4 U" and more than half the song features just the instrumental. A representative for the Virginia native told MTV News on Tuesday (December 29) that the song is unfinished and "still really rough."

Elliott has kept a low profile since her last album, which featured the Ciara (booking agent)-boosted hit "Lose Control," was released. She's appeared sparingly as a guest, including on a track by Keyshia Cole, and contributed to the soundtrack of the "Step Up 2: The Streets." As far as her own work, however, Block Party — her seventh album — has had a number of delays, most recently being pushed back from a summer 2009 release to the top of 2010.

Behind the scenes, though, the Grammy-winning producer and songwriter has kept busy. Last year, Elliott worked with the Pussycat Dolls (booking agent) for their single "Whatcha Think About That." The all-female collective beamed on the set of their video when they discussed working in the studio with Elliott.

"We threw down with Missy Elliott last night, and it was incredible," PCD member Kimberly Wyatt told MTV News. "For the first time in my life, I was weak in the knees. I was completely starstruck. I had butterflies."

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Lil Wayne Performs Final Hometown Show Before Jail Sentence

LundLive — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:17:11 GMT

Lil Wayne (booking agent) performed his last hometown show Monday in New Orleans before he's scheduled to be sentenced to prison in New York on February 9.

Wayne, clad in a crimson-red fitted hat and matching winter coat, arrived onstage at the New Orleans Arena to thunderous applause.

"I'm nothing without you," he told the crowd in response to his ovation, according to The Associated Press.

The rapper has been on a promotional tour with Young Money since earlier this month in support of the recently released We Are Young Money compilation.

The outing kicked off December 17 in Texas but hit a few speed bumps along the way. Earlier this month, the rapper and his entourage were detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Lone Star State. Officials found marijuana on Lil Wayne's tour bus, but after being held for hours, he was later released and was never charged in the incident.

The New Orleans show went off without a hitch. During Young Money's performance of "Every Girl," the crowd cheered with approval. Stripped down to a tank top, Wayne was joined by Mack Maine, Jae Millz and Gudda Gudda for the number. Weezy (booking agent) pulled double-duty subbing for a missing Drake (booking agent).

Wayne has a number of dates left on his tour, including appearances in Arizona and Mississippi. Next, Wayne and company are set to perform New Year's Eve at the San Diego Arena in California.

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