Jay-z

Kanye West & Jay-Z
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Jay-Z and Kanye West are about to get the people going again — this time overseas. International Hov and Martin Louis the King Jr. are taking their fan-favorite and critically acclaimed tour to Europe, where they recorded significant portions of their groundbreaking Watch the Throne LP.

The 12-show run kicks off May 20 at the O2 Arena in London and runs through Switzerland, Norway, Germany and Belgium, ending on June 13. As far as when Jay and ‘Ye will be bringing their ubiquitous hit “N—as in Paris” to its point of inspiration, the duo will be holding down two shows on June 1 and June 2 at Paris Bercy. Jay and Kanye kicked off their WTT tour in October in Atlanta at the Phillips Arena. Noted for its unique set design with two rising pillars, the North American run of the tour found Hov and Yeezy bouncing off of each other perfectly, performing songs from both the Throne album and their individual catalogs. It was a gaudy display of hits that usually ended with the infectious “N—as in Paris” being performed multiple times — a record-breaking 11 times during their Vancouver stop. The Throne 2012 European tour dates:
»5/20 London @ O2 Arena
»5/24 Switzerland @ Zurich Hallenstadion
»5/26 Denmark @ Herning Arena
»5/28 Norway @ Oslo Telenor Arena
»5/29 Sweden @ Stockholm Globe Arena
»6/1 France @ Paris Bercy
»6/2 France @ Paris Bercy
»6/3 Belgium @ Sportpaleis Antwerpen
»6/5 Germany @ Frankfurt Festhalle
»6/8 Ireland @ Dublin O2 Arena
»6/11 Manchester, UK @ MEN Arena
»6/13 Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena

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All it takes is a hint of a new Jay-Z album to get hip-hop fans into a frenzy.

In December, Hovito said we might get a solo LP from him and a second Throne album in 2012. There hasn’t been any talk since, but when MTV News caught up with Pharrell earlier this month, we had to ask if that’s still the plan. “We’re working on something, it’s crazy,” Skateboard P said after a long pause. The Neptunes producer contributed “Gotta Have It” to last year’s Watch the Throne album and also laid the beat for Jay’s Blue Ivy dedication, “Glory.” Through the years, Jigga has logged a ton of time with the Neptunes captain, starting with 2000′s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me).” Since then, Hov and P have hooked up on a number of notable tracks, including “Excuse Me Miss” from 2002′s The Blueprint 2 LP and the Neptunes’ 2003 hit “Frontin’.” “We — I say ‘we’ because I’m in Throne mode — we’re in a great place creatively,” Jay said of his and Kanye West’s chemistry. “You might see a Jay, then Kanye and a Throne album next year. You know, we’re really in a great place creatively. We really found our zone.” With things still in the works, Pharrell is reluctant to let go of any info. Instead, he’d rather just let Jay speak on things when he is ready. “Well, you know, he’s very discreet about details and stuff,” P said. “I’m just a filmmaker, musically. I let everybody else play the roles.” What do you think of Jay-Z and Pharrell’s chemistry in the studio? Tell us in the comments!

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Jay-Z and Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images

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Lil Wayne
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Here we go again. Hours before Lil Wayne and the Throne face off in the Grammy battle for Best Rap Album at Sunday night’s (February 12) awards show, Weezy threw shots during YMCMB’s pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

After receiving some new sales plaques for his wall, announcing that he had signed R&B singer Christina Milian and paying homage to the late Whitney Houston, Wayne dropped an a cappella freestyle directed at Jay-Z and Kanye West. “I met a bad red bone, I took the bi— home/ I asked her what she want to watch, she said, ‘Surely not the Throne,’ ” Weezy spit before he dropped the mic and moseyed offstage, according to Rap Radar. Things began to sour after a 2009 interview in which Cash Money CEO Bryan “Birdman” Williams objected to Jay-Z taking the crown for MTV News’ “Hottest MCs in the Game” list for that year. “I don’t think he the #1 MC, in no kinda way,” Baby said, casting the first stone. “Wayne is the best, he do the most and he make the most money. I don’t think no n—a in the business make more money than us.” Jay returned fire at the top of 2011. On the Throne’s “H.A.M.,” Jigga made it clear that not only was Birdman, a.k.a. Baby, and Wayne not holding any Hov-caliber bucks, but that financially they couldn’t even compare to his wife, Beyoncé. “I’m like, ‘Really, half-a-billi?’ N—a, really, you got Baby money/ Keep it real with n—as, n—as ain’t got my lady money,” Jay rhymed. Not to be outdone, Weezy waited a few months, but responded in August of last year on “It’s Good,” a track from his Tha Carter IV LP, which also featured Jadakiss and Drake. “Talkin’ ’bout Baby money? I got your Baby money/ Kidnap yo’ bitch, get that how-much-you-love-your-lady money,” Wayne rapped in direct response to Jay’s “H.A.M.” line. Hova didn’t seem too bothered by the line. In an October interview with MTV News, Jay brushed off Weezy’s shot on “It’s Good.” “That’s sport, that’s rap music,” Jay said. “Nothing is going to change but the participants.” On Christmas Day, Tunechi and Jay’s Throne partner, Kanye West, were spotted together at an L.A. Lakers basketball game, so the rap tit-for-tat can’t be too serious. However, it will be interesting to see if either Jay or Yeezy respond to Wayne’s latest jab. Whatever the case, if either the Throne or Weezy win the Best Rap Album award at the Grammys, you can bet the hip-hop world will be paying extra special attention to the acceptance speech.

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Beyonce and Blue Ivy Carter
Photo: Courtesy of the Carter family

And now we’ve seen her. On Friday (February 10), Jay-Z posted the first photos of his and Beyoncé‘s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, on his Life + Times website.

The rapper and his superstar wife are seen in the photos holding the newborn in a series of five photos. In the first large photo, we see the baby swathed in a polka-dot wrap sleeping. In the remaining images, she has her eyes wide open and is being held by her beaming mother, and in another, her back is to us while she’s being held by her smiling father. Photos: Blue Ivy Carter revealed. There’s a note that reads: “We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives. The Carter family.” The baby-picture reveal is just the latest Blue Ivy news. On Thursday, it was confirmed that the high-profile couple filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark Blue Ivy’s name. The patent is intended to prevent the use of their daughter’s name by non-related parties. The application was filed by Beyoncé’s company, BGK Trademark Holdings, and is currently pending. The Washington Post reported that it will likely get approved, considering that parents are legally authorized to trademark the names of minor children. Earlier this week, Beyoncé revealed her post-pregnancy body, and she’s back in fighting shape only a month after the birth of her baby girl. B was photographed twice this week, including at the first night of Jay-Z’s two-night charity stint at Carnegie Hall. What do you think of the first Blue Ivy photos? Let us know in the comments!

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