AllHipHop ChartWatch:Sade Gets Knocked Off, Gucci Mane Returns

"Your reign on the top was short like leprechauns

As I crush so-called willes, thugs, and rapper dons."

                  -Christopher “The Notorious Big” Wallace 

      Since yesterday was the anniversary of his untimely death I think I’ll open ChartWatch this week with one of my favorite Biggie versus.  Actually I have a better one but after I edit it out for profanity it’s not really worth mentioning.  I think this verse is fitting for the charts because lately there have be a lot of rappers who manage to sell for a week or two and then fall off.  I’m not saying any names (this is not that kind of week) but just thought the verse was fitting. 

      We open up the week with Sade who gets knocked out of the top spot by Lady Antebellum.  Her latest album Soldier of Love moves another 76,000 copies and places the songstress in the number two spot.

      Next up is a group that is real familiar with the top ten.  If there is ever some type of mass nuclear incident the only things that will survive are roaches…and the Black Eyed Peas latest album.  This thing refuses to stop selling.  This week the group is at the number eight spot with The E.N.D selling another 46,000 copies.

      I know we’re AllHipHop but usually when an R&B/Soul artist enters the top ten I’ll give the album a mention (i.e. Sade).  This next artist doesn’t make the top ten but comes extremely close.  (Plus I’m biased because we share some name similarities. I have to support).  Raheem DeVaughn enters the charts at number eleven this week with his third studio album, Love & War MasterPeace, selling 42,000 copies.

      Directly behind him is Lil Wayne with his “rock themed” album Rebirth.  The newly incarcerated MC drops from the 6^th to the 12^th spot and sells 30,000 copies this week.  Wayne’s record label, Young Money, also charts this week.  We Are Young Money grabs the 32^nd position and moves 15,000 copies. 

      DJ Kaheld’s, Victory, enters the charts this week at number 13. The star packed album moves 29,000 copies which should make Florida artist pretty happy.

      Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 takes a dip and lands at the 43^rd spot sellig 12,000 copies, and rounding out the top 50 is Gucci Mane with his latest, The State vs. Radric Davis.  The Atlanta MC was not on our charts last week but has managed to push his way up to number 49.

      Now for the albums dropping this week. 

Dropping This Week 

"Yeah, this album is dedicated to all the teachers that told me  
I'd never amount to nothin', to all the people that lived above the  
buildings that I was hustlin' in front of that called the police on  
me when I was just tryin' to make some money to feed my daughters"

      - Christopher “The Notorious Big” Wallace

      Shame on all those people calling the police and trying to keep the neighborhood safe.  All jokes aside Biggie’s “Juicy” off of Ready to Die captures the feelings of a young rapper getting his first taste of success.  Hopefully some of the newcomers (and established artists) in dropping can get some of that success with these latest albums.

      First up is Ludacris with his seventh studio album Battle of the Sexes.  The album was originally rumored to be split between him a Shawnna but who knows what’s going on with the DTP camp right now.  There doesn’t seem to be any bad blood because Shawnna is definitely on the album along with Nicki Minaj, Lil Scrappy, Trey Songz, Flo Rida, Lil Kim, Lil Fate, Gucci Mane, I-20, Monica, Ne-Yo, Diamond, Trina, and Eve.  Ludacris usually gives a pretty solid album so fans shouldn’t be disappointed with this one.

      Next up is Los Angeles duo U-N-I with their latest offering A Love Supreme 2.0.  The album is said by the group to tackle the lust, love, and hate of relationships.  The group takes their name from one of The Roots songs (guess which one?) so you can tell where their heads are at.  The album comes with a DVD that tells how the duo along with their producer Ro Blvd created the album.

      Finally we have Kidz In The Hall and their third album Land of Make Believe.  The group has moved from Rawkus to Duck Down Records and have been pretty noteworthy as underground Hip Hop representatives.  Hopefully this album can start to push them more towards some mainstream sales.

Matt Giraud And Scott MacIntyre Lighten Up A Shocking 'American Idol'

Season-eight finalists perform a dueling-pianos version of Billy Joel's 'Tell Her About It.'
By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Gil Kaufman

Matt Giraud on "American Idol" on Thursday
Photo: Fox

Amid the carnage and genuinely confusing results on Thursday night's (March 11) "American Idol" (Aaron Kelly? Katie Stevens? Paige Miles?!?), two of last year's hopefuls took the stage to lighten the mood with a sunny, dueling-pianos duet.

Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre — who just released a brand-new album called Heartstrings — joined forces on an upbeat version of Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It," trading verses and runs up and down the keys. Backed by the "Idol" house band, the duo muscled their way through the song, with Giraud hitting a few falsetto spots, each ripping off rocking , fleet-fingered solos.

The performance earned a standing ovation from the "Idol" crowd, and as Ryan Seacrest approached the two grand pianos, the host gave MacIntyre a chance to plug Heartstrings and asked Giraud about the status of his new EP, which he said is well under way.

When MTV News spoke to Giraud last month, he told us about the EP, which he's working on in Nashville with songwriters like Marcus Hummon (Rascal Flatts, the Dixie Chicks) and Monty Powell (Keith Urban). But he made sure to let us know that — unlike fellow season-eight hopeful Danny Gokey — he wasn't about to get fitted for his 10-gallon hat.

"I'm not really going country," he said. "But they appreciate soul down there, and I've been playing with them and making great music. ... Really, I'm just learning the craft of songwriting."

And while Giraud and MacIntyre's version of "Tell Her About It" may have seemed slightly out of place on such a grim night, perhaps the newly departed contestants can take some solace in where each man is today. Giraud especially knows a thing or two about the heart-stopping "Idol" moments. After all, last season, he was voted off the show, only to be rescued by the judges when they used their controversial "save" to keep him around.

Were you happy to see Matt and Scott back on the "Idol" stage? Will you check out their new music? Let us know below!

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

• 'American Idol' Season Nine Performances
• The 'American Idol' Season 9 Top 24

'American Idol' Shocker: Lilly Scott, Alex Lambert, Katelyn Epperly, Todrick Hall Exit

Shaky singers Aaron Kelly and Paige Miles survive to make it to the season-nine top 12.
By Gil Kaufman

Lilly Scott on 'American Idol' Thursday
Photo: Fox

After months of auditions, nail-biting Hollywood drama and three sometimes-painful live-performance weeks, America finally got its top 12 on "American Idol" Thursday night (March 11) on a show that provided some of the first true surprises — and shocking exits — of season nine.

The handful of singers who appeared certain to end their runs on the show after crash-and-burn performances got miracle reprieves as Katelyn Epperly, Lilly Scott, Todrick Hall and Alex Lambert were voted off.

In the first elimination group, host Ryan Seacrest waved through potential singer/songwriter Didi Benami and quirky dark horse Siobhan Magnus. That left Katelyn Epperly and Paige Miles standing center stage, with one facing elimination.

It seemed certain that Miles, whom the judges have repeatedly said had the strongest voice in the competition, would be the one to go after her poorly received cover of "Smile," a song made famous by Michael Jackson. But in a surprise, it was Epperly, who went home after an equally slammed cover of Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move."

Miles looked shocked and not quite as elated as one would suspect, while the somewhat emotional Epperly began to well up when she said she'd learned a ton on the show and her elimination was "just a push for me to go do more stuff." The second go-round for "Earth" was a bit more energetic and had the personality the judges had been missing, though the vocals were still not great.

Then it was the guys' turn, as Tim Urban, Todrick Hall, Lee Dewyze and Casey James lined up on the stage. First to go through was sensitive pinup James, who played it safe with Keith Urban's "You'll Think of Me," followed by this year's true wild card, Urban, who seemed destined to go home after two horrendous weeks but somehow pulled out a strong vocal on Wednesday night with his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

Not surprisingly, the much-praised Dewyze was safe, thanks to his serviceable cover of Owl City's "Fireflies," while dancer Hall was sent packing even after his big gamble with a gospel version of Queen's "Somebody to Love" that drew praise but didn't seem to endear him to voters.

Hall seemed to sense his number was up, staring blank-faced into the camera with a resigned look. He said he was just happy that fans came up to him over the weekend and said they'd voted for him. "This has been an awesome experience," he said. "I came here to prove that I'm not just a dancer, I can also sing. I think I've done that." The reprise of the bombastic glam-rock tune indeed proved that Hall has a powerful voice and strong performance chops that will likely keep the former Broadway star — who performed with onetime "Idol" Fantasia in "The Color Purple" — gainfully employed.

Seacrest mixed it up as he built the second half of the top 12, starting out with leading female contender Crystal Bowersox, who looked more nervous than she should have been as she got the good news, followed by Michael Lynche, who was a shoo-in following his searing, tear-jerking cover of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work."

During her second go-round on the show, Lacey Brown made it further than last year, when she washed out just before the live rounds. This year will be different, as she took a seat, along with jittery teen Aaron Kelly, who managed to make it to the top 12 despite a so-so performance of Lonestar's "I'm Already There."

That left Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia standing with their arms around each other's shoulders awaiting the news. It was another shocking exit, as Lambert, who was beginning to overcome his paralyzing case of stage fright, got the bad news.

The men gave each other several deep hugs, and Lambert lamented how nervous he was during his run. "There's a lot of things America hasn't seen me do yet," he said. "And a lot of things I know I'm capable of. ... I wish I could have just broken out of my shell." Magnus was brought to tears, and Bowersox mouthed along as Lambert tried his best to keep his emotions in check during one more run through Ray LaMontagne's "Trouble," earning a group hug from the male top six at song's end.

The final pairing featured teen Katie Stevens and Lilly Scott awaiting their fate. Stevens, who was tagged as a potential winner of the whole thing early on, stumbled in the live rounds, unable to find a performance personality and repeatedly getting feedback from the judges that she came off as much older than 17 and needed to get more experience under her belt.

But, despite another poorly received performance on Tuesday, this time of Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway," America gave her the nod over Scott, a unique performer who won the judges over with her offbeat style, musical chops and a solid cover of Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces."

Scott looked dumbfounded at the news and genuinely bummed. "I thought I did really well, I thought I was appealing to a lot of people," she said, shaking her head while Stevens wiped away tears of joy. "I put my heart into every performance. I really gave it my all every time. ... I don't know what America wants to hear."

Without her mandolin, Scott sang another solid rendition of the 50-year-old country classic, singing it even more powerfully than she did earlier in the week, perhaps leaving the audience with a sense of an opportunity missed.

The show opened with one of the blandest group lip-synch numbers in recent memory, a vanilla waltz through Michael Bublé's bubbly "Haven't Met You Yet." Later in the program, returning to the stage were a pair of finalists from last year, dueling piano players Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre, who played a boogie-woogie version of Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It."

Next week, the top 12 contestants will be singing songs from iconic rock band the Rolling Stones.

What did you think of Thursday night's eliminations? Did the right people go home? Did America make a mistake? Leave your comments below!

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

• 'American Idol' Season Nine Performances
• The 'American Idol' Season 9 Top 24

Justin Timberlake To Introduce 'Summit On The Summit: Kilimanjaro'

Documentary airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on MTV.
By Eric Ditzian

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

Earlier this year, Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, Lupe Fiasco, Santigold and others banded together to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the global clean-water crisis. Now Justin Timberlake has pitched in to support the effort.

The singer is set to provide a personal introduction to "Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro," the 90-minute documentary about the celebrities' climb that will air on MTV on March 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Masterminded by Grammy-nominated musician Kenna, the team took a six-day, 50-mile trek to the peak of the tallest mountain in Africa.

"It was a combination of the mental and the psychological aspects of the mountain, of the slow-but-steady pace that you had to go up it, and that sometimes made your brain just want to explode, because you just wanted to get there so badly," Biel told MTV News Wednesday. "But then you'd get this rush of inspiration of 'I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing this for something bigger than me, for people who don't have a voice, for people that need water around the world,' and then you'd power through."

In addition to raising awareness about the clean-water crisis, the "Summit on the Summit" raises funds for P&G's Children's Safe Drinking Water Program, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Water for People's PlayPumps Technology. During the MTV broadcast, viewers will be able to text SEND to 90999 to donate $10 to the U.N. Foundation on behalf of "Summit on the Summit." Each donation will send 1,000 liters of clean water to people in need.

"MTV has a long history of educating its audience to raise awareness on issues that are important to them," said Dave Sirulnick, Executive Vice President, News and Docs. "More than 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. By airing this documentary, MTV hopes to mobilize a new generation of young people who may not be aware of this global cause and take action to get involved in helping find solutions to the water crisis."

Don't miss "Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro," airing Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. And find out what you can do to help solve the global water crisis now at the "Summit on the Summit" Web site.

• Check Out A Preview Of 'Summit On The Summit: Kilimanjaro'

• Justin Timberlake
• Kenna

Corey Haim Was 'All Over The Place' On Last Film, Producer Says

'I tried my best not to enable, but I should have tried to do more to help,' says 'DaZe' producer Miller Uwanawich.
By Larry Carroll

Corey Haim
Photo: Jason Kempin/ FilmMagic

Since the news broke of Corey Haim's death, many fans and curious onlookers have been interested inthe status of the nearly dozen films he had in some stage of development around Hollywood. But in some ways, the most interesting of them may be a movie he was dismissed from — and the reasons why.

"We cast Corey for the movie 'DaZe,' " producer Miller Uwanawich remembered of the time he was planning to work with Haim in early 2008. "He was all great and wonderful ... [then] he started having all of these wild requests — pills, to keep it bluntly," the producer said.

In case you're wondering, yes — "DaZe" is indeed the same film that fellow recently deceased former child star Andrew Koenig would mark as his last film, and the same one that starred "Twilight" actor Jackson Rathbone.

Recent interviews have had Haim's agent Mark Heaslip insisting that the '80s star had overcome his well-documented drug problems. But when Uwanawich was working with Haim shortly after he had filmed the second and final season of "The Two Coreys," the producer said that he was struggling — and that struggle cost him his job.

"He was always wanting us to come up with different meds," Uwanawich explained. "This was pretty hard-core ... Xanax, and there was some other stuff." According to the producer, Haim would call him late at night and request that he procure the pills for him. "And I said, 'Well, Corey, you shouldn't be doing that.' But his mother was always like, 'No, he needs it because of his back,' and I said, 'But in two days, he took 40 of them.' He was all over the place. He was wild and he was all over the place," Uwanawich said of Haim's mental state in those days. "I was trying to help him."

To make matters worse, Uwanawich said he had just vouched for the actor's sobriety to the makers of a "Lost Boys" sequel. "I'm actually the one that helped him get that role; I talked to the people. He had the role, but they wanted to remove him from it," he recalled. "He was fairly good at that time. Something in between happened, and he became what he became.

"I started getting late-night phone calls from him and his mom looking for meds. And I was like, 'No, this is not something I will do,' " he explained. "I will not get involved in this." Soon afterward, Uwanawich notified Haim of his desire for a "mutual separation" for the project, a discussion that angered the star. "Let's put it this way: I'm not surprised [to hear he died]. I'm not happy. I'm sad. For the little bickering we had, Corey was a nice guy," the producer said, explaining that Haim's casting set off a domino effect that led to Rathbone's casting — and the finished film will be in theaters at the end of 2010. "I tried my best not to enable, but I should have tried to do more to help ... I really felt this guy was not going to be around for much longer."

• Remembering Corey Haim
• MTV Rough Cut: Corey Haim

• Corey Haim: A Life In Photos

T.I. Name-Checks Tiger Woods On Leaked Usher Song

Atlanta MC mentions the scandal-weary golfer on singer's 'Guilty.'
By Shaheem Reid

T.I.
Photo: aylor Hill/ FilmMagic

The hook of the first songs T.I. guests on since being sentenced to a year and a day in prison says, "Don't take me to jail." Isn't it ironic? Tip collaborates with Usher on a new leaked record from Raymond v. Raymond called "Guilty," where the singer is charged with breaking his girl's heart.

Tip did record another song with Usher last year before going to prison, but it sounds like the rhymes on "Guilty" were recorded recently — he name-checks a certain scandal-plagued athlete. "Right hand to the sky/ Strike me down if I a lie," the King of the South proclaims. "If she sayin' she's the victim in this case then what am I/ She got proof, well I got alibis too/ I never been on bullsh-- ... she ain't caught me on no Tiger Woods sh--/ Do what I expected when she met me/ Ballin' against the law/ Shawty arrest me then." Usher then pleads guilty.

"I guess I'm guilty of always being in the club," he sings. "I guess I'm guilty 'cause girls always wanna show me love/ I guess I'm guilty for living and having all of the fun/ Girl, I'm guilty for that/ Girl, I'm guilty."

Other recently leaked songs include "She Don't Know" featuring Ludacris and "OMG" featuring Will.I.Am.

Raymond v. Raymond is due in stores March 30.

• T.I.
• Usher

Corey Haim Died Due To An Enlarged Heart, Manager Says

Late actor's mom was told that an early autopsy points to pulmonary congestion as the cause of death, manager tells CNN.
By Kelley L. Carter

Corey Haim
Photo: Michael Bezjian/ Wireimage

Preliminary reports reveal that 1980s heartthrob Corey Haim died of an enlarged heart with water-filled lungs, the actor's manager told CNN.

The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that the culprit was pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Haim was found dead Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim.

Heaslip went on to say that this was proof that the actor didn't die from a drug overdose, contrary to early media reports shortly after the news of his death broke. However, Brian Elias, who is with the coroner's office, said that they are waiting for toxicology tests to return before making the official call on what ultimately killed the actor.

The initial buzz of what might have actually killed Haim came from the 1980s teen icon's decades-long struggle with drug addiction. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim.

Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said.

"We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," said Ed Winter, the Los Angeles County deputy coroner, adding that he does not know what those drugs were.

Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said Wednesday on CNN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell."

The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on "Larry King Live" on Wednesday.

• 'The Runaways' Movie Clips
• Remembering Corey Haim
• MTV Rough Cut: Corey Haim

• Corey Haim: A Life In Photos

Jay-Z and The Nets Break Ground In Brooklyn

Governor Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg join Hov at groundbreaking of NBA team's new arena.
By Shaheem Reid

Jay-Z attends the ceremonial groundbreaking for Barclays Center Thursday
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ Getty Images

BROOKLYN, New York — It's been seven years since Jay-Z announced he was bringing the New Jersey Nets back home to New York during his 2003 "Fade To Black Concert" at Madison Square Garden. On Thursday (March 11), Nets co-owner Hov, an assortment of New York politicians and executives from the Nets came to Brooklyn for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the team's future home, the Barclays Center.

The Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band led the way into the press conference, which took place at Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards. Jay walked in with Beyoncé, standing out in a crowd that included the Reverend Al Sharpton, New York Governor David Paterson and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Plenty of jokes flew as each person came to the podium. Governor Paterson got serious when talking about people opposed to the arena being built in Brooklyn because of the disruption it would cause in the community. Paterson promised more than 16,000 union jobs and more than 5,500 "permanent jobs" for the people in Brooklyn. He also said he expected the new stadium to yield more than $1.5 billion for the city over the next few years. The embattled governor, a Brooklyn native, expressed his love for the Nets and said when they left New York for New Jersey it was "one of the worst days of my life — other than becoming governor."

During the conference, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz also hinted he wanted Jay-Z to convince LeBron James to play for the Nets when he goes into free agency this summer. The Jiggaman innocently shook his head no as if he didn't know what he was talking about and put his hands up.

Sharpton said he came to the press conference for one reason only: "Jay-Z promised me if I came I would have the opportunity to sit next to Beyoncé," he joked.

"And you see where they are sitting me," he continued, noting that B was sitting in the crowd, not with the people such as himself who were speaking.

Sharpton, also a Brooklyn native, noted that the first black major league baseball player, Jackie Robinson, took the field in Brooklyn, and now the borough's team has a black co-owner.

"We've gone from Jackie to Jay-Z," Sharpton said. "Where we cannot only play the game but own the game."

Finally, Hov himself came to the podium.

"What I stand here and represent is hope for Brooklyn, New York City. I'm a son of Brooklyn, I'm from Marcy projects." Jay said. "I think about growing up in Brooklyn in the Marcy projects and shooting jump shots, thinking I can make it to the NBA. Now I stand here as an owner of team that's coming back to Brooklyn. The pride in that, and bringing that dream so much closer for people, brings me so much pride I get a little nervous about it. But I'm very happy, very excited about this day. And we did it again Brooklyn — shout out to [Notorious] B.I.G."

After the conference, Jay-Z and company officially broke ground, breaking out the hard hats and lightly shoveling dirt. The confetti rained down.

"It was a long process," Jay said after the ceremony, with his "Empire State of Mind" playing in the background. "It's a sensitive one. I'm from the people. I'm for the people. I could never be opposed to the side of the people. But this project, when you look at the numbers at the end of the day, was so overwhelmingly in favor of the people: the job creation, the housing that's being built. It was difficult; you had to tread through that process lightly. But we're here, it's a fantastic day and it's a celebration. It's a beautiful day in Brooklyn and the hope that's represented — on a small scale — is the same I felt when I saw Obama run for president: That we can be a part of something so grand."

• Jay-Z

Travis Barker And DJ A-Trak Call Their Shows 'A Spectacle'

'Every moment is like a slap in the face,' Trak says of their onstage collabos.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kelly Marino

Travis Barker and DJ A-Trak
Photo: MTV News

Fans who packed Hollywood's Roxy Theatre on Wednesday night to catch Travis Barker and DJ A-Trak's second-ever performance no doubt left the place feeling like the dynamic duo had rehearsed their airtight set to within an inch of its life. But, in actuality, nothing could be further from the truth.

"We pretty much came up with everything in the past couple of days," A-Trak told MTV News. "Like, we came in with nothing."

This is nothing new for Barker and Trak, who decided to perform together after a lengthy jam session last fall. So it was somewhat fitting that their "rehearsals" for the Roxy gigs flowed in much the same way.

"[It was like] the earlier times when we had gotten together. It was jamming. It was just ... seeing, like, what song he would throw at me and what I would do. Just seeing what the chemistry was like," Barker explained. "And now it was like, you know, piecing it together. And we found that we used a bunch of my remixes and his remixes, [plus] some of his original songs, so it's really cool."

And while the duo were cuttingly precise Wednesday night, there was also a liberating looseness to their set. And that's what really got the crowd — which included Kanye West and girlfriend Amber Rose, Tim Armstrong and Rob Anton from the Transplants, Samantha Ronson and onstage guests Kid Cudi and Lil Jon — moving. Because despite the fact they were watching just a drummer and a DJ, the Roxy gig seemed more like a genuine, honest-to-goodness show, be it rock, hip hop or something in between.

"I think the show is really, like, a concert performance. It's a spectacle," A-Trak said. "It's, like, really condensed and in your face, and I think that every minute, every moment is like a slap in the face. That's how I described it."

"There's something for all music fans. If you're a fan of music, you'll dig it," Barker added. "And then if you're a fan of A-Trak and all his music or you're a fan of me and you wanna see us just mash, then I think you'll be stoked to see it."

• Travis Barker, DJ A-Trak Play Hollywood

• Travis Barker
• DJ A-Trak

MTV News Visits Haiti To Track 'Hope For Haiti Now' Donations

MTV crew meets with Partners in Health to see how telethon donations are being used.
By Gil Kaufman

Victims of the Haiti earthquake
Photo: MTV News

Nearly two months after a massive earthquake leveled thousands of buildings and killed more than 200,000 people in Haiti, MTV News returned to the island in late February to follow the trail of some of the more than $65 million raised during January's "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon.

MTV News' Sway traveled to Haiti to follow a mission from Partners in Health, which is providing crucially needed food, water and medical supplies to the millions of Haitians displaced by the 7.0 earthquake thanks to an $8 million grant from "Hope for Haiti Now." From a collection point in Miami to the airport in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, Sway and company tracked the shipment of a pallet of goods tagged with a "Hope for Haiti Now" sticker as it made its way to the Caribbean island.

"[This shipment contains] surgical supplies, and especially urgent, we have wound VACs [which clean open wounds to avoid infection], which go to help keep wounds clean, protects against infection, and we need it really urgently up in Cange, which is our main site," Jonathan Lascher of Partners in Health said on the tarmac in Port-au-Prince as the shipment was unloaded from a cargo plane.

The crew then piled into vehicles for the three-hour ride up into the mountains to deliver the kits to Cange, driving past the miles of temporary tent cities and piles of rubble left in the wake of the quake. "The epicenter of the earthquake was just outside of Port-au-Prince, and most of the major destruction was in Port-au-Prince, but as a result of that destruction, hundreds of thousands of people have been fleeing Port-au-Prince out into the other regions of Haiti," Lascher explained. As a result, the patient load in more remote cities has greatly increased, as has the need for funding to care for the displaced wounded.

Upon arrival in Cange, the vital nature of the shipment became immediately clear as doctors in the town said they were needed urgently for surgeries scheduled for that very day. "We only have enough dressings left to finish one or two cases today," Partners in Health's Sarah Marsh said. "And we have many, many more children particularly who are in need of VACs and new dressings."

The kits are crucial to saving limbs in danger of being lost, one of the most common medical issues in the wake of the disaster and a mission that Dr. Aaron Glynn said was akin to saving lives in the troubled nation where tens of thousands face amputation due to infection and lack of adequate medical care. Sway then watched as one of the wound VACs was used during a surgery to save the leg of a 13-year-old quake victim.

"No VAC, no leg," he said from the surgical theater. "This is a prime example of positive action here on the ground on the frontlines in Haiti, right now."

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.

Lil Wayne Told His Family To Be 'Strong' During His Incarceration, Ex-Wife Says

'At this point it is what it is, and we just gotta make the best of it,' Antonia 'Toya' Johnson told Vibe magazine.
By Hillary Crosley

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

After several postponements due to dental surgery, a courthouse fire and court-date rescheduling, Lil Wayne finally turned himself in on Monday to begin his one-year jail sentence at Rikers Island. However, he wasn't the only one feeling the strain. The rapper's ex-wife Antonia "Toya" Johnson and daughter Reginae shuttled back and forth to the New York City courthouse from Atlanta in anticipation of his incarceration.

"It was up and down, you know. One minute we thought he was going and she'd be sad, and then he don't go," Johnson told Vibe magazine recently. "We [were] in New York like two times and we ended up turning right back around because he didn't go."

Despite all of the back-and-forth, Reginae missed seeing her father on Monday when he began his sentence stemming from a July 2007 gun-possession charge.

"The last day he finally went in, we didn't go, so my daughter was like, 'I wish I would've went.' It was just too much. I just didn't want to let her see that again 'cause both times she took it real hard," said Johnson. "So I was like, I'm not gon' let her go this last time. I'm just gon' make sure he talk to her 'cause I didn't know if he was really gonna go. They kept pushing back."

Wayne might be the biggest rapper on the planet, but he's just "Dad" to Reginae, so Johnson said the time apart will be hard on the 11 year-old.

"He just told me to be strong and don't really trip. Don't let her see me down," said Johnson. "At first my daughter would see me a little sad and you know kids they react off of your feelings sometimes, so he was just like, 'Be strong, make sure you take care of her. Make sure she straight and keep her phone on all the time so I can call her. The time is gonna fly by.'

"The whole point of him being in jail is just not good for her — to say her dad's in jail," Johnson continued. "But at this point it is what it is, and we just gotta make the best of it. I'ma take her to visit him and talk to him and she'll get through this eight months. It'll fly by. I tell her all the time, 'Just call daddy and tell him you love him,' and he'll be home soon."

Lil Wayne and Johnson married in 2004 and divorced in 2006. In 2009, Johnson and her friend, T.I.'s fiancée Tiny, debuted their BET reality series "Tiny & Toya." The second season premieres on April 13.

• Lil Wayne Goes To Jail: Celebs React
• Lil Wayne's 'Road To Rikers'
• Lil Wayne Goes To Jail

• Lil Wayne Heads To Rikers Island

• Lil Wayne

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