MTV News looks back at singer's extensive history with body art.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna's "Thug Life" tattoo
Photo: Rihanna/Twitter

Rihanna had everyone buzzing this week when she debuted a tattoo with the words "Thug Life" scrolled across her famous fingers. The flesh-colored ink was done up by Los Angeles tat artist Mark Mahoney at the Shamrock Social Club parlor in Hollywood. While the body art pays tribute to late rapper Tupac, it is certainly not the first time that Rihanna has gotten a tattoo.

In fact, the singer is no novice. She's already covered in ink, ranging from the sugary sweet to the more hard-core.

She made headlines back in 2009 when she debuted a gun tattoo on her rib cage. Rihanna's tattoo was scandalous as it came only months after her Grammy-night altercation with her ex, Chris Brown. "People are going to react all different ways," tat artist BangBang explained to MTV News at the time, noting that it had been in the works long before the incident. "She's great. She's perfect. We had a blast, and we had a lot of fun."

BangBang and Rihanna have quite the history together when it comes to the many tats on her body. He is also responsible for the star tattoos on her back, the Roman numerals on her shoulder and the word "Shhh ... " on her finger.

But Rihanna hasn't stopped there. She has also been branded with a musical note on her ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear, the word "love" on her middle finger and a tribal tattoo on her hand. She reportedly has the birthday of her manager Melissa Forde written in Roman numerals on her shoulder: XI-IV-LXXXVI. As an homage to her perfume line she also has the French words for rebellious flower, "rebelle fleur," on her neck.

The singer also has a Sanatana Dharma Sanskrit prayer on her right hip.

Reportedly misspelled, the phrase was supposed to mean "forgiveness, honesty, suppression and control," but actually ends up meaning "long suffering, truthfulness, self-restraint, inward calm, fear and fearlessness."

On her rib cage, she also has the Arabic phrase "Al Hurria fi Al Maseeh," which means "Freedom in God." Proving to be some sort of billboard for sage advice, she also has the motto "Never a Failure, Always a Lesson" scrolled across her collarbone. Other Ri tats include a star in her ear and a skull and cross bone on her ankle.

In fact, Rihanna loves tattoos so much that in July 2009, she was spotted giving BangBang a tattoo at New York's East Side Ink, where he works. Owner Yadira said at the time, "We had a blast. It was so funny and cute."

When BangBang spoke to MTV News in 2009, he added this philosophy when it comes to tatting the singer: "You don't want to be staring at tats. You want to be staring at her face."

• Hip-Hop Celebrity Tribute Tattoos

• Rihanna

MTV News exclusive: The British boy band will play themselves on an episode of Miranda Cosgrove's hit Nick show.
By Jocelyn Vena

Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik of One Direction
Photo: Redferns

"iCarly" is about to feel the effects of a British Invasion. The show has just booked British boy band One Direction to appear on the fifth season of the Miranda Cosgrove-starring show.

The guys will be on set Monday to tape their appearance on the episode, during which they will play themselves and perform "What Makes You Beautiful."

According to a synopsis of the episode, "Carly returns home sick after a trip and discovers that One Direction has accepted an invitation to perform on their web show. Not long after arriving, bandmate Harry becomes sick and we see Carly doting over him. Realizing Harry is playing sick for the attention, they hatch a plan to get him back in the group by telling him Gibby has become their newest bandmember. Meanwhile, Spencer becomes a personal trainer and gives a bratty girl a makeover."

The guys of One Direction, who got their start after appearing on "The X Factor" in 2010, are already superstars in their native U.K., and now it seems they are poised to break Stateside. Their debut album, Up All Night, is set for U.S. release on March 20, and they will be touring with Big Time Rush starting next month.

Cosgrove stopped by the MTV News offices recently and teased that there were some big plans in store for season five. "We're just getting started to start the next season, so I'm not really sure what's going to come, because it's sort of a surprise for all of us even," she said. "But I've heard Carly's getting a boyfriend, so that's exciting, and we're gonna have some more musical guests, some big, different musical artists," she said, noting that she'd love to get Katy Perry on the show. "There are a lot of different musical acts that I love, so it's fun whenever we get to have music in an episode."

Michelle Obama made an "iCarly" appearance earlier this month on a special episode that honored military families.

Are you excited for the fifth season of "iCarly"? Leave your comments below!

• One Direction
• Miranda Cosgrove

Actor who plays Ron Swanson tells MTV News that 'the evil Tammy Two' returns in the fall.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Nick Offerman in "Parks and Recreation"
Photo: NBC

As the latest season of "Parks and Recreation" rolls along, fans of the quirky NBC comedy have been rooting for the show's leading lady, Leslie Knope, as she tries to win the hearts of the folks in Pawnee, Indiana, by running for a spot on the city council.

But Leslie isn't having all the fun. Pawnee's resident curmudgeon, Ron Swanson (played by Nick Offerman), is finding himself caught up in an unexpected friendship with the always-optimistic government star Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe). As always, Swanson is working to make sure government doesn't run smoothly, and of course he faces the possibility that one of his ex-wives could show up and bring their own brand of trouble to his life.

"If we can help it," Offerman told MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival when asked if there would be a chance to bring back one of his character's former wives, both named Tammy (one played by his real-life wife, Megan Mullally, and the other by Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson). "I know that there's one juicy story coming up in the fall for Tammy Two, the evil Tammy Two [Mullally]."

But until then, Offerman, offscreen, will be wearing another hat. He recently wrote one of the show's upcoming episodes, and in addition to some more Knope-related election excitement there will also be a shakeup in his character's romantic life.

"Oh gosh. It was so fun and exciting and crazy. The episode is called 'Lucky.' Leslie Knope gets this really lucky interview with sort of the Anderson Cooper of Indianapolis. But then the interview is canceled and it comes back on, and some hilarity ensues," he explained. "Meanwhile, Ron Swanson and Chris Traeger are vying for the attentions of Andy Dwyer's women's studies college professor. It's very funny."

Atlanta rapper commends Short Dog on his beef-free career and way with the ladies.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Too $hort
Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News

No doubt 2 Chainz is the hottest underground rapper in the streets right now, so when he threw a nod to rap legend Too $hort on Rick Ross' "F--- Em," it proved that the ATL spitter's hip-hop ties were deep-rooted. "Dad wasn't around; my father figure was Too $hort," 2 Chainz spit when he appeared on Rozay's Rich Forever mixtape.

So when Chainz and Short Dog appeared on Wednesday's "RapFix Live," they shared quite a moment. It was $hort's 1988 album Life Is ... Too $hort that provided 2 Chainz with his earliest musical memories after he sent someone much older than him to the store to buy the explicit CD LP for him. "I remember being in the neighborhood and all the other kids' parents thought I was bad because I was tryin' to get them to get on that," 2 Chainz said.

2 Chainz went on to praise $hort for his beef-free career as well as his way with the ladies. "I can only imagine why $hort has never had beef with nobody," 2 Chainz told "RapFix" host Sway Calloway. "He's a straight-up businessman. He got a savvy and it is about the women. And at the end of the day, it's about getting your money."

Getting money is something 2 Chainz knows plenty about. His current single, "Spend It," is a lyrical celebration of life's excesses. Industry insiders expect Chainz to go on to cash even bigger checks once he signs with one of the major labels that have been pursuing him. "I'm coming up to New York to have a few finalized meetings," 2 Chainz said about his plans for next week.

Chainz is also headlining his first major NYC show at SOB's on Monday and will stop by "RapFix Live" next Wednesday.

• 'RapFix Live' With Bow Wow And Too $hort

In other Demi news, Madonna reportedly reaches out to actress after her hospitalization.
By Jocelyn Vena

Demi Moore
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/ WireImage

Editor's note: While Us Weekly originally reported that "Weeds" star Mary-Louise Parker would replace Demi Moore as Gloria Steinem in "Lovelace," the filmmakers have confirmed to MTV News that Moore's actual replacement is Sarah Jessica Parker.

Amid her personal woes, Demi Moore, who had been set to play Gloria Steinem in the Linda Lovelace biopic, has been replaced by "Weeds" star Mary-Louise Parker.

Sources confirm to UsMagazine.com that the TV star will fill in for Moore, who had to drop out of the film earlier this week after she was hospitalized for "exhaustion." On Thursday, there was speculation that Chloë Sevigny would play the feminist icon when she was cast as a feminist journalist, but now it seems that those are two different roles.

"Lovelace" is currently shooting in Los Angeles with Amanda Seyfried playing the film's central character, '70s porn actress Linda Lovelace.

As the Demi drama rolls on, there are reports that Madonna reached out to the actress shortly after she was hospitalized. Moore has since been released from the L.A.-area hospital.

Sources tells E! News that the singer called her actress pal. "Madonna told Demi she was there if she needs anything," the E! source says, adding, "They're pretty tight."

The ladies last hung out during Golden Globes weekend, and they reportedly were going to see one another again over Super Bowl weekend; Madge is slated to perform during the halftime show. The status of their annual post-Oscars bash is currently up in the air.

While speculation runs rampant about why Moore was hospitalized, sources say that her ex, Ashton Kutcher, is "deeply concerned" for her. Moore is rumored to have been doing nitrous oxide before landing in the hospital. "He still cares about her and wants the best for her," the source added. "But their marriage is ending and they are both moving on with their lives."

• Demi Moore Through The Years

'Pants Back' cast throws a party in Brooklyn to celebrate the show's much-anticipated premiere on February 2.
By Jocelyn Vena

Peter Vack and Kim Shaw
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — On Thursday night, the cast of MTV's latest scripted comedy, "I Just Want My Pants Back," gathered at the Public Assembly in Brooklyn, where they not only celebrated the show's imminent arrival, but also got to hang out with their Thursday night cohorts, the cast of the "Jersey Shore."

The pilot for the series originally got some love when it made its debut after the VMAs in August, and now it will officially kick off its run next Thursday. The cast, it seems, can't wait to finally have it on air.

"At last! I know everyone's been asking," Jordan Carlos joked to MTV News about the long-simmering delay. "My parents can finally get off my back; it's real. It'll be on on Groundhog Day, which happens to be my birthday as well."

"We've been seeing the commercials for the show for years now," Sunkrish Bala teased. "Slow burn, but it's all coming to a beautiful conclusion right now."

"It feels so crazy to be here right now," co-star Kim Shaw said. "We wanted people to see it at the VMAs to give people a taste of what we were filming, and now that we're finished with the series, we're so excited that everyone gets to see the whole thing."

Having already had one very high-profile premiere, it seems that next week it will get one more thanks to the "Jersey Shore" as its lead-in. "It's awesome," Elisabeth Hower said. "The fact that the network has so much confidence around us really means a lot, and I think that says a lot about the show. Please watch the show. We're nice people."

"It's an amazing lead-in," said Peter Vack, leading man of "Pants Back." " 'Jersey Shore' is a great show."

While "Jersey Shore" and "Pants Back" may seem like different shows on the surface — one's scripted, one's a reality show; one's about hipsters, one's about guidos — they both deal with a group of friends navigating their love lives. "Pants Back" follows a group of twentysomethings in New York City as they pilot love, friendship and the job market with a good dose of dirty humor and some heart thrown in for good measure.

"The show just goes so many fun places," Vack teased. "It's just a crazy ride, and I'm excited for people to take the ride with us."

"Pants Back" premieres on February 2 at 11 P.M. ET/PT right after "Jersey Shore."

Are you excited for "I Just Want My Pants Back"? Let us know in the comments section!

For more on "I Just Want My Pants Back," be sure to check in with MTV's Remote Control blog.

• I Just Want My Pants Back | Sneak Peeks

Plus, the Situation is hungover and the girls wear bunny suits in this week's episode.
By Jim Cantiello

Mike "The Situation" on Thursday's Episode of "Jersey Shore"
Photo: MTV

The Situation's back and he got a Hugh Hefner-themed surprise party, what with the strippers and the wheelchairs. Here now, my five favorite moments from this week's "Jersey Shore."

5. Hungover Situation
You can't get any more DTF than a stripper, right? Wrong. Just ask the Situation, who brought home one of his party favors.

"I don't even remember her name. It might as well be A-nita because all night she was saying 'I need a cigarette. I need French toast.' Well I need you to get the hell out of my house!"

I think Hungover Situation is my favorite Situation. On the other hand, dude, she's a stripper who never actually took her clothes off. That's like being mad at your anorexic friend for giving you a crappy restaurant recommendation.

4. Old Man
With Vinny gone, Danny the T-shirt guy is looking to find a new employee/housemate and made J-Woww write up a "Help Wanted" sign after she tore down the first one.

J-Woww says, "What should the sign say, because Danny's being a douche ..."

"You should write, 'See old man inside for details!' " the Situation laughs.

The Situation - 1, Danny - 0.

The Situation walks away, and J-Woww says under her breath, "But then people would think they should talk to you."

The Situation - 1, J-Woww - 1,000,000!!

3. Operation Rescue Vinny!
What better way to help a guy with anxiety than to crowd him, shout loud things in his ear and bum-rush him in the comfort of his own home?!

Um ... get better Vinny!

2. Crack Is Wack!
In all seriousness, Vinny was happy to jump in the car and return to Seaside with his roomies. Too bad they nearly died on the way back ...

[They moon each other. Snooki sees "a ball." They all scream.]

Don't drink and drive. Don't text and drive. Don't try to blind people with your ugly-ass ass and drive.

1. Funny Bunnies
Gotta hand it to MTV. Always looking to lure in new audiences for their programming. This week they dedicated a segment entirely to furries!

Snooki and Deena hump each other in giant bunny costumes. Later, Snooki uses her new bunny costume for evil when she scares J-Woww.

Amazing. Let's just hope she doesn't pull that on Vinny for a few days.

For continuing "Jersey Shore" coverage, be sure to check in with MTV's Remote Control blog.

• Jersey Shore High 5 Recaps!
• Jersey Shore (Season 5) | Ep. 4 | Free Vinny

Effects work 'frighteningly well' but 'premise is so devoutly ridiculous,' critics say.
By Kara Warner

Sam Worthington in "Man on a Ledge"
Photo: Summit

If your impressions about the new action thriller "Man on a Ledge" are based on the film's very-literal title, you're very likely correct in assuming to know a decent amount about the film before entering the theater. "Ledge" is the story of ex-cop and fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), whose seemingly obvious suicidal plan to jump off a building is slowly revealed to be something much more.

Thus far, the critical reception for the film is very different from initial audience reactions. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer has "Ledge" at a 22 percent fresh rating from critics, versus a 65 percent fresh audience rating.

Read on to see what has the two viewing bodies so divided as we sift through the "Man on a Ledge" reviews:

The Premise
"It's an arresting image, Sam Worthington out on that 40th-story ledge. He's a fairly tough-looking guy, after all, and we know him best as the tooth-gritting blockbuster hero of 'Avatar' and 'Clash of the Titans,' so it's head-spinning to see the man's beefy figure as a speck hovering so precariously close to New York's infinite sky. The camera swirls around Worthington's disgraced former cop Nick Cassidy, inching out past that thin strip of architecture, then back in. What if he trips, or jumps? For a while, anything seems possible, and it's both exhilarating and terrifying. Then the wool comes off, and it's clear that director Asger Leth and screenwriter Pablo Fenjves have ambitions considerably less grand than their protagonist's perch. Cassidy's ledge game — with all the studio-unfriendly moral ambiguities it entails — is just a con, a photo op for the crowds, and Nick's apparent desire to exit the material world is a front. What he truly, passionately wants to do is steal some jewelry." — Andrew Lapin, NPR

The Impact of Practical Effect
"I, on the other hand, was gripping anything in reach, palms dripping, thinking I might not have survived the effects had they been 3-D. Though there were other production sites, serious time was spent actually shooting on that 14-inch ledge wrapping the 21st floor of the Roosevelt Hotel to create the vicarious sensation of being there. Which worked frighteningly well, at least for the vertiginous among us. Oh, that the actual human dynamics of the unfolding story could have been as dramatic, as on the edge as that ledge." — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

The Direction
"Mr. Leth, the son of renowned Danish documentarian Jorgen Leth, has directed only one other film, 'Ghosts of Cité Soleil,' a highly stylized doc that revealed a soul yearning to breathe free of nonfiction. He has an instinct for weaving sturdy narrative fabric out of intersecting plot lines. ... Amid the hoopla, Mr. Leth takes sobering assessment of media-circuses and mob mentalities: The people down below taking cellphone pictures, the ones yelling 'Jump!'; the callous nature of cops for whom it's all routine. There's the occasional goofy grace note: Kyra Sedgwick, playing a voracious and obviously Anglo television reporter named Suzie Morales, rolls the 'R' in her surname as she signs off, just in case someone missed the point (we've all heard it). In another scene, Mr. Leth takes such pains to strip the shapely Ms. Rodriguez down to her underwear that audiences, who may well be leering, will also be laughing at how obvious it is." — John Anderson, Wall Street Journal

The Final Word, Pro/Con Style
"Director Asger Leth, making his U.S. feature-film debut with 'Man on a Ledge,' keeps the pace brisk and never allows the tone to stray into self-seriousness, which is crucial for a movie whose premise is so devoutly ridiculous. The script, from Pablo F. Fenjves, provides enough feints and twists to keep us engaged. Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez aren't the most believable of couples, but there's a screwball charm to their comic routine as amateur thieves charged with aiding Nick's scheme. (Leth can't resist inserting an entirely superfluous — but nonetheless greatly appreciated — scene of the criminally gorgeous Rodriguez stripping down to a thong in the middle of a heist.) Worthington makes for a likable populist protagonist, even if his Australian accent betrays him on copious occasions, and Harris' disturbingly emaciated frame lends an added menace to his devious plutocrat villain." — Thomas Leupp, Hollywood.com

"Like last year's action comedy 'Tower Heist,' 'Man on a Ledge' becomes something of a parable of the 99 percent, with Cassidy initially an object of prurient interest for the massed crowds below, then becoming a blue-collar folk hero. That gives the movie at least a frisson of contemporary relevance, but the filmmakers blow that advantage with plot and characterization that require not just a suspension of disbelief but a suspension of eye-rolling reflexes and the nagging impulse to burst into derisive laughter." — Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Check out everything we've got on "Man on a Ledge."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Obama's singing of 'Let's Stay Together' at Apollo Theater last week upped sales of iconic 1972 hit.
By Gil Kaufman

Al Green performs at President Obama's Victory Fund 2012 Concert
Photo: WireImage

Sure, clean energy, the return of manufacturing, a boost in education spending and saving the domestic car industry are awesome ways to revive the American economy. But another tactic President Obama might consider is more singing.

Because a week after the falsetto singer-in-chief unleashed his version of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at an Apollo Theater fundraiser, sales of the good Rev.'s most iconic hit have taken off.

According to Billboard magazine, the viral video of the president singing the first line of the #1 hit from 1972 boosted sales of the song by 490 percent. In fact, the tune had its best week since SoundScan began tracking digital sales in 2003, with 16,000 downloads. The YouTube video of the impromptu recital has been viewed more than 4 million times.

It was likely the second surprise this week for Green, who was present at the Apollo event where Obama acknowledged the soul singer's presence in the room from the stage.

"Those guys didn't think I would do it," Obama laughed while pointing to his staffers at the side of the stage. "I told you I was going to do it. The Sandman did not come out."

Fans also rushed out this week to snatch up music by Etta James, the soul legend who passed on January 20. According to The Hollywood Reporter, James' sales were up 378 percent over the past week. One compilation, The Best of Etta James -- 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection, shot up from #162 to #46 on sales of 8,000, giving James her highest chart position ever. For the week ending January 22, James' overall catalog sold 30,000 copies, a significant jump from the previous week, when her collected album sold just over 6,000.

• Al Green

While the FBI went after the file-sharing site for copyright infringement, many users want to recover their non-pirated data.
By Kara Warner

The FBI take-down notice posted at Megaupload.com
Photo: United States Department of Justice

The drama surrounding file-sharing site Megaupload continued Friday (January 27) as users announced a plan to sue the FBI over files lost during the site's shutdown last week.

Last week, the federal government took action against Megaupload.com, arresting several members of the company on racketeering and copyright-infringement charges. A federal indictment alleged that the site, which allows users to transfer large files, has generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and costs copyright-holders more than $500 million in lost revenue from pirated movies, albums and other materials.

According to TorrentFreak.com, Pirate Parties around the world are banding together to file an official complaint against U.S. authorities in an effort to recover the large amounts of non-pirated data, research documents and personal videos that are shared among users on the site.

"The widespread damage caused by the sudden closure of Megaupload is unjustified and completely disproportionate to the aim intended," they announced in a statement obtained by TorrentFreak. "For this reason Pirates of Catalonia, in collaboration with Pirate Parties International and other Pirate Parties, have begun investigating these potential breaches of law and will facilitate submission of complaints against the US authorities in as many countries as possible, to ensure a positive and just result.

"This initiative is a starting point for legitimate internet users to help defend themselves from the legal abuses promoted by those wishing to aggressively lock away cultural materials for their own financial gain."

The Department of Justice said the case against Megaupload is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States. The news broke just a day after major websites like Wikipedia and Google protested against the U.S. House of Representatives' controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, and the Senate's similar Protect IP Act.

Queen of Pop tells MTV News most of her upcoming album is more 'high-energy' than award-winning 'Masterpiece.'
By Jocelyn Vena

Madonna
Photo: MTV News

Madonna has teased fans not only inadvertently with a leaked demo of her first single for "Gimme All Your Luvin," but also with "Masterpiece" (which also appears on the soundtrack for her film, "W.E."). So far it seems that the two very different tracks show the two very different sides that the Queen of Pop is pursuing on her next studio release, M.D.N.A.

While "Gimme" plays up Madge's playful, upbeat persona, "Masterpiece," as she explained to MTV News, is a different story. " 'Masterpiece' is one of the few kind of more down-tempo songs, more reflective," she told MTV News at the New York City premiere of "W.E."

"I think the majority of the record is more action-packed," she teased. "More high-energy." It seems, then, that what fans have heard of "Gimme" is more of what they will hear on the album.

The album will reportedly get a March release date. It features production from Martin Solveig on its lead single, which gets some presumably sassy assists from two fierce female MCs, Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. Both ladies will reportedly take the stage with the pop icon to perform the track at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Madonna also worked with longtime collaborator and Ray Of Light producer William Orbit, who produced the Golden Globe-winning "Masterpiece." "We've worked on stuff for so many years that we kind of finish each other's sentences. He knows my taste and what I like," she explained at the premiere. "Magic happens when we get into a recording studio together."

At the Globes, Madonna recalled how "Masterpiece" came together. "[My manager Guy Oseary] harangued me for the entire time I was filming and editing my movie to write a song," she said during her acceptance speech for Best Original Song. "And I said, 'Please, Guy, I'm trying to focus on being a director and I want people to pay attention to the film and I don't have time.' So then I finished the film and I started making my record and somehow magically and miraculously the song emerged, 'Masterpiece,' so thank you, Guy Oseary, for being so irritating."

What are you looking forward to on Madonna's next album? Let us know in the comments!

• Madonna