Rapper is expected to turn himself in after sentencing and immediately begin his prison term.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Lil Wayne
Photo: Andy Kropa/ Getty Images

Lil Wayne, easily the hardest-working MC in hip-hop, will have his career come to a screeching halt when a Manhattan judge formally sentences the rapper to a one-year prison term Tuesday (February 9).

The move is the final process in the case, which dates back to July 2007, when Lil Wayne was arrested for gun possession in New York following his first headlining concert in the Big Apple. In October, the Cash Money superstar struck a deal with prosecutors that saw him plead guilty to a reduced charge of attempted gun possession. He's now expected to serve up to 10 months in prison with the possibility of an early release after eight months for good behavior. The rapper was originally facing as much as 15 years behind bars; New York is among the toughest states in the country when it comes to gun laws for individuals not affiliated with law enforcement.

Lil Wayne will appear before Judge Charles H. Solomon on Tuesday morning, where he will formally enter his plea and likely turn himself in to immediately begin his sentence.

The firearm in question was registered to Wayne's manager, Cortez Bryant (and not found on Wayne by police), and the rapper's attorney attempted to have the case dropped through DNA challenges. Wayne's defense also sought to have the case dismissed after authorities handling the case misprinted information on the arrest report.

The rapper eventually decided to reach a plea deal with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. In New York, stringent gun laws were enacted during former Governor George Pataki's administration. In a different state, the rapper could have been levied a fine and probation for the same offense.

Wayne pleaded guilty in the case because attempted possession carries almost the same threat of punishment as full possession. "Possession is defined as actual possession or dominion or control. ... We said it was dominion and control," Joan Illuzzi-Orbon explained to MTV News after the deal was announced.

The distinction is that the weapon was potentially something available for immediate use. In other words, the threat of controlling the weapon is just as much of a crime as actually controlling one in New York. "Basically, the old law [prior to Pataki's tenure] required someone to have a loaded weapon and intend to use it [before] the mandatory minimum would kick in," said Scott Leemon, a defense attorney in New York who has represented G-Unit's Tony Yayo in the past. "And basically, what they did is they took that out of the law. So the mere possession of a loaded weapon in New York State is a felony."

Lil Wayne has been busy in the weeks leading up to his sentencing. In December, he performed his final hometown show before his jail time. The rapper has also furiously been at work on the forthcoming Tha Carter IV, which will likely see a release by the end of 2010. He also is still facing charges in Arizona, and his trial is set to begin March 30.

Despite the challenges the rapper is facing, experts expect Lil Wayne to quietly serve his jail time and continue leading one of the biggest careers in music afterward. "Wayne is from the streets, from the Magnolia Houses in New Orleans, so I'm sure those guys have been in jail or locked up at some point," retired NYPD Detective Derrick Parker told MTV News. "So being in prison is no big deal to them."

• Lil Wayne Goes To Jail

'The song me and Ashanti did ... it's crazy,' the MC tells Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid

Game
Photo: Interscope

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

Just a few years ago, the Game was throwing straight lava at Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, Ashanti and the rest of Murder Inc. during the G-Unit wars with "the world's most talented record label." Since leaving the Unit, Game has become friends with Ja and Irv and even recently collaborated with Ashanti on a track for his upcoming The R.E.D. Album. Dr. Dre, who produced the track, suggested the pairing.

"Hey, man, it's 'No beef 2010.' That's the trending topic on this interview, man," Game laughed. "Dre called me and he was like, 'You got any current-day problems with Ashanti?' I was like, 'Nah. I ain't got no problems with Ashanti.' She can sing like mutha----a and you put her on a hook, it's automatically radio. So he was like, 'I'mma have her come down.' "

Within an hour, Game, Dre and Ashanti where in the studio working on music.

"Dre was going through beats and I picked one. I was like, 'Let's try her on this hook.' Me and Ashanti wrote the hook, I went in on the verses and that was it," he explained. "The song me and Ashanti did, it don't even have a name for it yet. It's crazy. We just did that a week ago and I ain't even name it."

Ashanti seemed excited about the record as well, posting a photo from the session on her Twitter page.

"Awwwwwww sh-- it's a problem!!!!!" she wrote. "Me DRE & GAME in the lab ohhhhhhh booooooy this is a SMMMMIZAAASHHH!!!!!"

Game's R.E.D. LP, which also features production by Pharrell Williams and a collaboration with Justin Timberlake, has a tentative release date of March 23.

"I got so many amazing records, I don't know if I should go hard to the streets or go radio," he said about the first single. But before the album there will be a mixtape with DJ Drama, Red Everything.

"Red Everything mixtape — it's a bunch of tracks I did specifically for Drama," Game explained. "They're full songs mixed with a few freestyles. I'm trying to finish up '400 Bars' and get it on there. Ain't nobody piss me off that much. But even if that ain't on there, the mixtape is still gonna be crazy."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: Ludacris

What should 'Idol' fans expect from the talk-show host's judging debut?
By Gil Kaufman

Ellen DeGeneres
Photo: FOX

On Tuesday night (February 9), we find out what kind of chemistry — if any — talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres has with the rest of the "American Idol" judging panel as the comedian makes her debut as the fourth judge during the start of Hollywood Week.

In the early going, DeGeneres reportedly clashed at times with lead judge Simon Cowell, who is departing at the end of the current season, a move that has set off rampant speculation about who might fill his opinionated shoes next season.

DeGeneres has some pretty big sneakers to fill herself, as she steps in following the departure of beloved loopy ex-judge Paula Abdul, who quit the show last year after failing to reach a new contract settlement. The ninth season of "Idol" will be the first without Abdul's lovably loony and predictably supportive commentary. Fox is hoping the cuddly and quick-witted DeGeneres can make fans forget about Abdul's exit and boost slowly eroding ratings on what is still the #1 show in prime time.

"Ellen brings a huge fanbase and people will be curious to see how she does. But if she performs poorly, that is bad for the show's long-term health," Entertainment Weekly senior writer Michael Slezak told Reuters.

MTV's resident "Idol" expert Jim Cantiello couldn't agree more. "I am super excited to see it for several reasons," he said. "One, it's a new element to a show that's been on the air for nine seasons, and we heard rumors there might have been tension on the first day because Simon showed up late, so it's fun to watch that episode with that filter. Also, she's one of the most famous people out there, so anything she does warrants attention."

Like a lot of "Idol" followers, Cantiello said he was a bit nervous about the addition of DeGeneres to the expert panel following her poorly received guest stint on "So You Think You Can Dance" last summer, where detractors faulted her for making jokes, but not really commenting on the dancing. "That was really bad, and if she does that on 'Idol,' the show will die a horrible death this year," Cantiello said. "When the news first came out about her, people freaked out, but that's subsided, and once I saw the promos Fox cut, they did a really good job teasing it."

In particular, Cantiello pointed to the most recent teaser, which appeared to show the amiable DeGeneres putting her foot down and giving some tough love to a Hollywood contestant. "I'm really excited and I was anti-Ellen at first," he said. "So if I'm excited, I think other people should be too."

"Idol" has ruled the ratings for the past six years, easily besting every other show in prime time during its winter run, while churning out superstars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and solid pop singers like Fantasia and Jordin Sparks. Part of the reason was the fire-and-ice repartee between Cowell and Abdul, which typically consisted of harsh words from the Brit and soothing platitudes from the former pop star/ choreographer. With the addition of professional songwriter Kara DioGuardi last year, who sits alongside longtime producer/musician Randy Jackson and music-industry veteran Cowell, the panel has plenty of cred.

And though DeGeneres doesn't have experience in the industry, former finalist Kimberly Caldwell thinks she could add that "it" factor Abdul brought to the show.

"I'm a massive Ellen fan," said Caldwell, who finished in seventh place in season two. "One of my dreams is to just be on 'The Ellen Show.' ... I think that she's gonna be really great, especially with Paula gone. There's not gonna be ... a little sensitive side. I think she's gonna give constructive criticism, which we don't see from other people."

Caldwell defended the show's resident crank, explaining that her experience in the music industry has taught her that Cowell is just keeping it real. "If you think he's mean, then you haven't been in the music industry, because he really is like a little cupcake compared to people I've dealt with, what most people deal with," she said.

With Cowell bowing out after the finale in May to focus on his other talent show, "The X Factor," the pressure is on for DeGeneres to pull her weight on the panel and perhaps emerge as the new go-to voice the audience loves to hate — or, as might be the case for her, loves to love.

"If Ellen works, it puts [producers] in a much better position when they replace Simon. The dynamic is the thing I am curious to watch. I think some people will miss Paula's 'camp mom' spirit," Brian Mansfield, who runs the USA Today Idol Chatter Blog, told Reuters.

And, if all else fails, there's always the possibility that shock jock Howard Stern could step into the Cowell seat next year and really shake things up.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

After hitting stores Tuesday, it's already being heralded as a top album of the year.
By James Montgomery

Yeasayer
Photo: MTV News

Those in the know have been buzzing about Yeasayer's Odd Blood for months now, ever since the Brooklyn avant-pop aesthetes released the first single, a delightfully loopy slab of weirdness called "Ambling Alp."

Since then, both the band and the album have slowly started picking up accolades (we highlighted them last month during MTV News' Rock Week), and now, it's not inconceivable to think that Blood might be this year's version of Merriweather Post Pavilion, the Animal Collective effort that was already being hailed "The Best Album of 2009" from the day it was released in January.

Blood hit stores Tuesday (February 9), and so, to highlight an album that we really think you ought to hear, we sat down with the three men behind Yeasayer — Anand Wilder, Chris Keating and Ira Wolf Tuton — and had them tell us the stories behind the 10 wonderfully weird tracks that make up the record. From in-flight make-out sessions and ridiculous riddims of Haddaway to Moroccan dance music, here's their take on what very well may be the best album of 2010.

"The Children"
Chris Keating: We were pretty determined to have it first on the record. I like the idea of starting the record like that, as a departure point from the last record [2007's All Hour Cymbals], especially the last song on the last record, which was very choral, and then all of a sudden, you're transported to further into the future, and you're on some off-world colony that has crazy percussion and slowed-down vocals. We sang harmonies through a fan, sang into the pitch thing and tried to sing it live.

Ira Wolf Tuton: I couldn't get through the mixes. It kept making my CD player skip because of the low end. I loved that.

Keating: Yeah, we definitely buried some sub beneath the sub.

"Ambling Alp"
Tuton: That song probably existed between the three of us longer than any other song on the album, so just psychologically, it made sense for us to release it first and try to get it out of the way.

Keating: I think the hardest thing about writing a song is getting that initial idea: "What's an interesting thing to write about?" And once you get that, you roll with it. You get excited ... so I kind of came up with this idea to write about boxing, and that's where the title came from; it was [the name of] a 1930s Italian boxer. I was reading about Joe Louis at the time, and my grandfather was a professional boxer in the late '30s, early '40s, so all these things kind of started tying together.

"Madder Red"
Anand Wilder: It was a kind of quiet, folky, acoustic lullaby that I worked on. I think I stole a lyric out of, like, a Celtic book of verse for the first line and kind of went from there. I kind of wanted to write a song in the vein of "Jealous Guy" by John Lennon, a song about being a weak man, a gambler or something like that. So we had that basic structure for the opening, and then Chris had the idea to drop this really heavy beat on top of it. And it completely changed the feel of the song.

"I Remember"
Keating: It was a demo recording, made in the basement — the same setup we had when we were making the All Hour Cymbals record. And I just had my busted-up Nord [keyboard], and I just kind of worked out these weird sounds that I thought were interesting together. And a lot of stuff I do like that, I'm trying to achieve a sound I like. And you get that tone, then it's cool. You lock it in, you write down all the numbers and all the dials, and from there, I know I can write something on top of it. And I had just met my wife, and I started writing a love song, so I kind of just ran with it. I'm afraid of flying, but the first time I met my wife, we made out on a plane.

Wilder: My only input was to try and steer us away from adding too much to it, because I think Chris did a really good job of getting these tones that really sat well in the mix. And it was just this demo that really sounded almost finished. And slowly we began adding on to it, and we did a live version and made it twice as long, and then we made compromises, and eventually it became the four-and-a-half-minute-long mixtape love ballad of 2010.

"O.N.E."
Wilder: I was trying to explore the idea of a song that didn't just have one chord in it. Because a lot of songs on the first album had maybe just one chord in it, or maybe just two chords. Maybe we'd go to three in the chorus. So I created this really long riff that went on for about 16 bars and had chords that were changing along with the riff. And then I had this idea about writing a song about addiction — alcoholism — but kind of relating it to a way you'd get rid of a girlfriend or something. So we worked on that song for many months Upstate, in Woodstock, and threw a big beat over it. It became kind of like a early-'90s era Beck song, with a break beat over it. And then when we brought it to the live setting, with our new bandmates, Chris kind of said, "It's not a dance song," and we were talking about how, on this album, we wanted to commit to certain styles for an entire song and not jump around. So, finally, I caved in. I only caved in after the Bonnaroo audience was so excited by our live version, and I was like, "OK, I guess I lost that argument."

Keating: That was a cool experience, because we hadn't finished the record. ... We were able to play some songs at different festivals. And the ones we'd be really excited about, it was like, "Why does no one care about this song?" ... And that one, the way we were doing it live, with a funkier vibe to it, we were all psyched on, everyone was really, really into it. ... They were singing the words to an MGMT song over it. [Laughs.]

"Love Me Girl"
Wilder: I wanted to do this loopy thing that would go over and over again, kind of like that final scene in "Trainspotting," and then it would just drop into this R&B, Justin Timberlake-y kind of thing, which I made the melody by just creating MIDI notes on GarageBand with just a flute. That had some acoustic guitar on it ... but then when we brought it Upstate, we added more synthetic elements, and we kind of decided the beat was going to be a dancehall thing, because we were listening to a lot [of it] and just kind of straight ripped off those songs.

Tuton: It was exciting to do, another new thing to rip off.

Wilder: We added some Real McCoy elements and some Haddaway elements.

"Rome"
Keating: That's the song with the Coldplay reference [in the lyrics]. That's not a Coldplay reference. But that's cool, because we're trying to start a little beef with Coldplay.

Wilder: We're trying to rip off Coldplay so they would sue us, so they would have someone to sue.

Keating: That song sort of rips off certain Moroccan dance music, Syrian dance music, that my wife had on her iPod, and when she hears the song now, she sort of shakes her head like, "It's such a rip-off." She feels like she's responsible for that one.

"Strange Reunions"
Keating: That song gets sh-- on in the press, and I don't know why, because I think that song is awesome. It's so crazy. Like "And the throwaway track ... " and it's like, that song is so weird and crazy.

Wilder: We got really stoned and listened to the album once it was pretty much fully mixed, and that was the one song where I was like, "This is awesome!" ... That was based on the idea of a really short song that had many different parts in it ... and it would all be done in under three minutes and would also explore these weird time-signature shifts that bands like the Dirty Projectors do so effortlessly. And we're so unskilled that we still haven't figured out how to play it live. And we probably never will.

"Mondegreen"
Keating: That's a song that I had been working on for a while. ... It's really old. I set up a bunch of samplers and plugged them all into the TV for a whole Sunday, and I got, like, four channels, didn't have cable or anything, so it was all, like, daytime Sunday weirdness, bad commercials, infomercials, soap operas, I don't know what. And I recorded four banks of sound and started to structure a song out of it. And I sang on top of it. I thought it was cool to make this real paranoid. ... I liked the late-'70s era of David Bowie that's very paranoid, where he's, like, so coke-addled and crazy, and I like that kind of feel, and mixing it with the sort of 24-hour news cycle, and Glenn Beck and Hannity, the sort of absurd, psychotic rants that those guys go on. I sort of think it's amazing, because it just seems like something out of the movie "Network." I don't know; the world is going to end in a year.

"Grizelda"
Tuton: I kind of think of "Grizelda" in the same way that I really like "Children" being the first track. I thought of it for a long time as being a real nice benediction for the whole album. It just seemed a nice way to close an album. It lulls you into sitting back in your chair, puts you in a trance a bit, although the subject matter might be a bit dark.

Wilder: The subject matter is this woman Griselda Blanco. We had watched the movie "Cocaine Cowboys," and it was kind of all about the cocaine industry in Miami and how it was relatively violence-free, until this woman Griselda Blanco came around and just started ordering murders. And she's responsible for hundreds of murders. ... So the main interview of the whole movie is this guy who was a hit man for her, so I thought it would be nice to write a song from his perspective. Maybe he's in jail, and he's writing a letter to her, just as she's been extradited to Colombia, and all these people are coming to kill her. He's kind of afraid of her, but he's also kind of in love with her.

Keating: She's like the Colombian connection to America's cocaine industry in the '80s, just ruthless. So it's like this female mass murderer and had all these guys working for her who were kind of in love with her.

• Yeasayer's Odd Blood Track By Track

'Dudes are way more annoying,' says Ke$ha, explaining her bratty song's message.
By Jocelyn Vena

Ke$ha on the set of her video "Blah Blah Blah"
Photo: RCA

Ke$ha makes no apologies for her brash personality, which she's managed to channel into catchy, raucous party songs. And with her first single "Tik Tok" still pumping loudly from stereos, it's time for Ke$ha to assault radio airwaves with her new single, "Blah Blah Blah," off her chart-topping debut album, Animal.

The up-and-comer recently shot a video for the song along with the boys of 3Oh!3, who appear on the bratty club anthem. "The whole concept of the video was a bunch of douche-y guys macking on me as usual, and me making them eat their toupees or other various items," she told MTV News at the shoot. "At one point, I get to be strapped to this harness and bouncing around everywhere, and it was really cool."

In the song, Ke$ha ridicules a would-be suitor for "ta-ta-talking that bla-bla-bla" when all she really wants is to have sex with him.

Ke$ha explained that the dance tune originated from a discussion she had in the studio on the politics of female-male relationships. "The song came about when the people that wrote it — me, Benny Blanco, Neon Hitch and [3Oh!3's] Sean Foreman — all got in a room, and they were talking about how chicks talk too much," she said.

"And me and Neon were like, 'No, no, no, guys talk too much,' " she continued. "So, we had this war of who were more obnoxious, chicks or dudes. And the song kind of came around from that conversation. I think I make a pretty fair point both in this video and in the song, that dudes are way more annoying."

• Ke$ha

'There's not a better job on the planet than judging a karaoke contest,' Stern says on his Sirius radio show.
By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Gil Kaufman

Howard Stern
Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage

On Monday (February 8), Howard Stern not only confirmed reports that Fox is interested in hiring him to replace departing "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, but that the interest is mutual.

"There's not a better job on the planet than judging a f-----g karaoke contest," Stern told his satellite radio listeners. "It might be possible, we'll see."

Stern, who frequently dissects "Idol" on his radio program, joked that the deciding factor in the negotiations might be the size of the paycheck show producers are willing to shell out for his services.

"They'd have to pay me a ton of dough, because I already make a ton of dough," he said.

Stern's five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius XM is set to expire in January of next year. And according to some reports, "Idol" producers are prepared to match that deal.

"A $100 million to judge a karaoke contest? Yeah, I think I would do that show for $100 million," Stern said. "It would be the best thing that happened to me. What a cush job: $100 million for four months. Who wouldn't take that?"

Stern added that he wouldn't do a radio show if he landed the "Idol" job, and said that, while the show is "nothing" without Cowell, he had read reports that it was the acerbic Brit himself who suggested the longtime shock jock take his place at the end of this season.

"I'm not going to comment about any discussions I might or might not have had," he said. "I watch 'American Idol.' ... people seem to think that if I was on it, because I'm such a foul-mouthed, miserable f---, that I would get them thrown off the air. I know how to judge."

And to that end, he said that, really, he's the best man for the job, since he'd be able to replace the acerbic wit the show would be missing without Cowell.

"If I do say so myself, I can't imagine anyone else but me replacing [Cowell]," Stern said. "I mean, how else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who's not afraid to speak their mind?"

And what else would Stern bring to the table? Well, judging by the jokes he made about current "Idol" judges Randy Jackson and Ellen DeGeneres, he wouldn't be opposed to sparring with his fellow judges. And when asked about the kinds of critiques he'd offer up to auditioners, he replied with this hypothetical nugget.

" 'Hey Fantasia, you're not getting little boys hard. You look like you stepped out of a cartoon. ... They want a Britney Spears or a Rihanna," Stern said. "Little boys are scared that you are going to sit on them. You're out. ... You've got to go clean up your act. Get a haircut like Rihanna if you want little boys [to get excited about] you."

Should make for an interesting show! A spokesperson for 19 Entertainment, which produces "American Idol," told MTV News there was no comment on the Stern situation.

Would Howard Stern make a good replacement for Simon Cowell on "American Idol"? What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!

• Simon Cowell Leaves 'American Idol'

• Who Should Replace Simon Cowell On 'American Idol'?
• Simon Cowell On "American Idol"

'He's definitely going to be treated differently,' retired NYPD detective Derrick Parker says of Wayne's prison stint.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Lil Wayne
Photo: Newscom

Lil Wayne's life revolves around a daily regime of "SportsCenter," studio time and sweets. But on Tuesday (February 9), the Cash Money lyricist will be formally sentenced to prison after he struck a plea deal with Manhattan prosecutors stemming from a 2007 arrest in New York on gun charges. After he officially enters his plea, the rapper is expected to then turn himself in immediately to begin a one-year jail sentence.

Not since Tupac has such an accomplished and relevant MC faced an impending prison term. But will the lithe New Orleans rapper survive the daunting conditions at the notorious Rikers Island facility?

"Lil Wayne is gonna be OK," retired NYPD detective and noted "hip-hop cop" Derrick Parker told MTV News. "While he's in jail, it's a matter of fact they may not put him with the general population because of who he is and his popularity. They might lock him down and let him come out with a supervisor and stuff like that [when he's] in the main area — but he's definitely going to be treated differently."

According to Parker, the way Wayne will be handled will depend on safety concerns for the rapper as well as an effort to maintain as much normalcy at the facility as possible — it won't resemble pampered treatment by any means. Parker said despite Wayne's small physical stature and his propensity to signal a particular gang affiliation in his rhymes, the rapper won't have much to fear in terms of extortion, bullying or worse.

Parker compared Wayne to former New York Giants football player Plaxico Burress, another celebrity who was convicted on gun charges in New York. However, Wayne could be better prepared for life behind bars — Burress hired a jail coach to assist him with acclimating to prison, something Wayne wouldn't even consider.

"Wayne is from the streets, from the Magnolia Houses in New Orleans, so I'm sure those guys have been in jail or locked up at some point," Parker said. "So being in prison is no big deal to them. Plaxico isn't built for that — he's the type of guy that's never been locked up like that before. He's gonna need a coach or someone to tell him what to expect, since he's not used to that."

But what exactly can Wayne expect? Fortunately, he won't have to cut his trademark tresses.

"The days of doing that are over," retired corrections officer Charles Reid told MTV News. "They can't make inmates do that anymore — it's within their rights to maintain any kind of hairstyle."

Wayne will have a few comforts of home while he's away. He will be able to watch network television — not cable, however. And he'll be able to watch DVD movies. He told Rolling Stone recently he plans to take an iPod in with him to assist with writing music, but a source close to the prison facility told MTV News that would not be allowed.

Reid, who worked at Rikers Island for 21 years as an officer and an investigator, said Wayne's days would continue to be regimented, but in a much different way. He suggested the rapper may have to succumb to some work conditions, whether in sanitation or the mess hall, for example. Reid also noted that different wings of the prison carry different types of criminals, but guessed that Wayne would be housed in a dormitory area and not even be confined to a cell.

"Like a hospital, where there's maybe 20 to 25 beds in an open ward, or it maybe bunk beds," Reid said of Wayne's possible lodgings. "Where he has a nightstand to keep his personal belongings."

Due to the short nature of Wayne's sentence — one year, which could mean 10 months, including the possibly of early release after serving 80 percent of good time, possibly putting him back onstage in a little as eight months — the rapper could very well spend his entire term at Rikers Island.

It won't be known for sure if Wayne will be transferred upstate until he enters the New York corrections system and is processed. (A representative for the Corrections Department did not return several inquiries made by MTV as of press time.)

"I think he's gonna go in there and do his time and do it quietly," Parker said. "If he does it with good behavior, that will be a plus for him — then he'll be out and putting out a new album."

How do you think Lil Wayne will fare with his upcoming jail time? Let us know in the comments below, or upload a video to Your.MTV.com!

• Lil Wayne Goes To Jail

• Lil Wayne

The pop divas launch their own lipsticks in the line that raises money for HIV/AIDS.
By Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga
Photo: Kristian Dowling/ Getty Images

It seems like a match made in pop-music heaven: Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper. The two flashy blondes aren't collaborating musically, however: They're appearing together in MAC's new Viva Glam campaign and lending their names to new lipsticks that benefit the MAC AIDS fund.

The Viva Glam Cyndi and Viva Glam Gaga lipsticks will be available on March 18 and will retail for $14. This Wednesday both Gaga and Lauper will appear on "Good Morning America" and the "Today" show to promote the lipstick and the cause, according to MusicFascination.com.

The ladies also look appropriately glamorous in "From Our Lips" ads, which were shot by Ellen Von Unwerth and are set to appear in magazines later this month, Idolator.com reported. As Gaga and Lauper pose like adorable retro pinup girls, one ad reads, "You know you've got a sexy voice. Use it! Let's talk about how to keep your love life safer, seductive and satisfying. Just between us girls!"

Gaga and Lauper join a list of famous singers who have worked on the Viva Glam campaign. Fergie, Christina Aguilera, Eve, Mary J. Blige and Lil' Kim have all helped sell the lipstick line, which MAC started in 1994, donating every dollar of its sales to help men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

• The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga

• Lady Gaga
• Cyndi Lauper

The son of another famous drummer, Starkey has actually been working with the band since 1996.
By Gil Kaufman

Zak Starkey performs during the Super Bowl XLIV halftime show
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic

Every classic-rock fan knows the titanic twosome that fronts the Who: singer Roger Daltrey and windmilling guitarist Pete Townshend. But as the only two original members left of the iconic British rock band, the duo front a group of backup players who are decidedly more anonymous than late madman drummer Keith Moon and steady-on bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002 on the eve of one of the band's seemingly endless final tours.

One of the sidemen that stood out for many football fans watching the Super Bowl halftime extravaganza on Sunday was splashy drummer Zak Starkey, who kept the beat on a medley of the band's most beloved hits: "Pinball Wizard," "Baba O'Riley," "Who Are You?," "See Me, Feel Me" and "Won't Get Fooled Again."

Though at 44 a relative youngster compared to Townshend (64) and Daltrey (65), Starkey is actually a nearly 15-year veteran of the touring version of the Who and a well-regarded rock sideman. He's played with Oasis, the Waterboys, the Icicle Works, Paul Weller and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. The son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and his first wife, Maureen Cox, Starkey has been a touring member of the Who since 1996.

The gig is a fitting one, considering that Moon was Starkey's godfather and one of dad Ringo's best pals before the Who drummer's death in 1978. In fact, Starkey received his first drum kit and lessons as a child from Moon, despite Ringo's desire that his son not follow in his rock-and-roll footsteps.

Starkey began performing professional gigs in British pubs at age 12 with his band the Next and hooked up in 1985 with the reunited Spencer Davis Group, lead by Steve Winwood, when he was still a teenager. In addition to touring with his dad's All Starr Band, Starkey performed with Daltrey in 1994 on the singer's Daltrey Sings Townshend tour, as well as performing on Entwistle's solo albums.

Starkey was formally asked to play with the Who in 1996, during the band's string of special dates performing their iconic album Quadrophenia. He has performed with the group ever since, alongside other longtime sidemen bassist Pino Palladino, rhythm guitarist Simon Townshend and keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick.

• The Who

Nicole Richie, Hugh Jackman, other stars also contributed items to Cyrus' eBay auction.
By Jocelyn Vena

Miley Cyrus
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

Miley Cyrus hasn't let an opportunity pass to make sure she's doing her part to help raise money for Haiti. She participated in both the "We Are the World" remake as well as the "Everybody Hurts" cover organized by Simon Cowell. Now, Cyrus has rounded up a number of items from fellow celebrities, including Britney Spears, for a Haiti benefit auction beginning on Monday (February 2).

"Ever since the earthquake, I've been trying to do my part to help the people of Haiti — and I wanted to do more," Cyrus told People about the eBay auction, in which fans can bid on the Herve Leger dress she wore to the Grammy Awards last month, as well as two tickets to the Hollywood premiere of her upcoming film, "The Last Song." "I want to get people involved and show that even the little things you can do can make a difference."

A message on eBay.com/Miley says that the auction will include tickets to Hugh Jackman's next movie premiere, Whoopi Goldberg's tennis shoes and Demi Lovato's tour wardrobe. Proceeds will go to the American Red Cross. According to People, Nicole Richie has donated jewelry from her House of Harlow line and Spears has donated the silver Versace dress she wore to the 2008 MTV VMAs (having just gained permission to do so in a court hearing last month).

"I texted Nicole and right away she sent over some amazing jewelry and Joel [Madden] sent some of his clothes," Cyrus told the magazine. "Everyone has been so generous. My mom and I started calling and texting all of our friends to see if they'd like to be a part of the auction. Demi [Lovato] was one of the first to respond. Hugh Jackman was also excited to donate something."

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

• Miley Cyrus