'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

'I think you'll miss everything about Wayne,' Drake says.
By Shaheem Reid

Drake and Lil Wayne in Miami
Photo: Julia Beverly

The Cash Money/ Young Money family is coping with the reality of having its leader, Lil Wayne, in jail for the next eight to 12 months, as part of his plea bargain stemming from his July 2007 arrest on gun-possession charges. As part of the deal, Wayne is expected to serve a maximum of 12 months, and with good behavior could serve as little as eight. After he officially enters his plea on Tuesday, the rapper is expected to turn himself in immediately to begin his sentence.

On Sunday night in Miami, Drake, Birdman, Nicki Minaj, Gudda Gudda, Mack Maine, Short Dawg, Jae Millz and several other members of the Cash Money/ Young Money family joined Wayne at club Dolce for a farewell party. Another MC who Wayne started his career with, B.G., was in attendance, as were Wale, Sean Garrett and Houston MC Trae Tha Truth.

But whether Wayne is gone for eight months or eight days, it's still a difficult prospect to bear for the crew that takes its "family" billing quite seriously.

Cash Money CEO Birdman raps about Weezy going to jail in a new Rick Ross song called "Veterans Day," which leaked last weekend and also features Wayne. The Cash Money CEO raps: "Junior doing time/ Kicking up his feet/ A million on the books/ I'm stunning with a fleet." (Wayne's verse on the song doesn't address his upcoming jail time.)

In the new issue of Rolling Stone, Birdman tells the magazine of his inner turmoil.

"Wayne is my son," Birdman told the magazine, with his eyes reportedly welling up. "I've been with him forever. It will be the first time in my life I'll not be reachable to him. We work together, we're on the road together. We're always together. I try not to even think about it. I'm losing something in my soul, in my heart, in my life."

Wayne's absence is felt throughout his crew. Talking to Rolling Stone, Drake described Wayne as a strong individual.

"He's a strong-willed guy. I can imagine it would take a toll on anybody. I just hope that he comes out for the better.

"I think you'll miss everything about Wayne," he continued. "I don't think there will be anybody like Lil Wayne ever again in hip-hop. He paralyzes a room when he walks into it — his wordplay, the excitement that he brings to his music. I think that for eight months, a lot of us will have to work a lot harder to keep hip-hop as exciting as it's been for the last two years."

• Lil Wayne's Weekend In Miami
• Lil Wayne's Battle With His Gun Possession Case

• Drake
• Birdman
• Lil Wayne

'Everyone loves Michael Jackson, so it will be tough to find a jury without bias,' lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley tells MTV News.
By Gil Kaufman

Dr. Conrad Murray arrives for his arraignment on Monday
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, faces a steep uphill battle in fighting off the involuntary-manslaughter charges lodged against him Monday (February 8) in Los Angeles. That's according to L.A.-based attorney Shawn Chapman Holley, who told MTV News that the combination of the doctor's discussions with police following Jackson's death in June and the reported admission that he supplied the singer with the surgical anesthetic that the coroner's office has said caused his demise make for a very difficult defense.

"I'm not surprised by the charge, no," said Chapman Holley, who worked as part of the defense team for O.J. Simpson, as well as representing Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, the Kardashian sisters, Reggie Bush and Tupac Shakur. (Chapman Holley is also currently representing the Jackson estate but said she's been cleared by the estate to discuss the Murray case, which she is not involved in). "It's really the only thing it could have been. It's the only charge under the heading of homicide that does not require an intent element."

The district attorney's office charged Murray on Monday, saying that the Houston-based cardiologist "did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson." An arraignment was taking place at press time, where Murray was expected to turn himself in and enter a not-guilty plea. If convicted, Murray faces a possible four-year state prison term.

"There's no question in my mind that he didn't intend for Jackson to die or be hurt," Chapman Holley said. "A murder charge would require that intent, but it becomes involuntary manslaughter when a defendant did something that posed a high possibility of death or grave injury. The issue will be whether or not administering the drugs he administered in the manner he did was likely to cause death or serious injury."

Chapman Holley predicted that Murray's legal team will mount a spirited defense based on a lot of expert medical testimony, which will include physicians who will say that what Murray did should not have caused injury or death and that his actions were not unreasonable. They will also likely bring up allegations that Murray was not the first physician or medical worker to provide Jackson with propofol or other sedatives. Murray has reportedly told investigators that he provided Jackson with the powerful anesthetic propofol several times in the hours leading up to the 50-year-old singer's death in June as part of a nightly regimen of anesthetics and sedatives that the singer allegedly used to combat chronic insomnia.

One of the hardest factors for Murray's defense team is the fact that the doctor spoke to investigators several times in the days after Jackson's death, a move Chapman Holley said might have been ill-conceived. "You usually don't want your client to talk to the police in order to not be locked into a timeline," she said, suggesting that by giving investigators a minute-by-minute account of what he was doing prior to Jackson's death, Murray might have committed himself to an account of events that he will not be able to deviate from. "People who feel like they didn't do anything wrong naturally want to talk to the police, but it's almost always not a good idea from a criminal-law standpoint. You lock yourself into that timeline, and the police are trying to build a case against you, so they act real nice, but really they just want to hear what happened as they're gathering evidence against you."

Another complicating factor will be finding a jury to try the case, which Chapman Holley said might actually be the most time-consuming part of the trial, which she predicted would likely last a month. "I'm not a doctor, but based on what I've heard, [what Murray did] sounds crazy. A jury won't know either, so you'll have these doctors coming in to testify of the risks of doing this, and while his experts will say there was not a tremendous risk, the DA's experts will say there was," she said. "Obviously, it did cause his death, but that's not the question here. You have to look at what the person did and what they knew at the time. It's almost like the outcome [of Murray's actions] are not irrelevant, but not really important to the case. Plus, everyone loves Michael Jackson, so it will be tough to find a jury without bias."

The sight on Monday of a large portion of the Jackson clan going into the courtroom to watch the charging, coupled with the much-derided trip Murray took last week to mourn near Jackson's grave in what was seen as a blatant plea for sympathy, will also likely make things hard on a defense team looking to change the tarnished image of the doctor.

Facing a possible two to four years in prison, Murray will probably be sentenced to the lesser term, Chapman Holley said, but she doubted he would emerge from the trial without serving some time. "He could get probation, but it doesn't sound like there will be a plea in this case," she said, noting the intense pressure on the Los Angeles District Attorney's office to put together a very strong case in light of such difficult celebrity cases as the O.J. Simpson trial and the two Robert Blake murder trials.

"As I understand it, part of the reason the DA's office took so long was because they really, really wanted to be sure the evidence was there to get a conviction," she said, citing discussions with members of the DA's office.

As for whether she would put Murray on the stand, Chapman Holley said if the defense's medical experts did a good enough job, it wouldn't be necessary. "But he seems like the kind of guy who wants to take the stand," she said. A spokesperson for Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, said he would release a statement following Monday's arraignment. Before the charge was filed, Chernoff said, according to The Associated Press, "We'll make bail, we'll plead not guilty and we'll fight like hell."

• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

• Michael Jackson

'Conan did a lot for NBC,' she says of the former 'Tonight Show' host.
By Eric Ditzian

Sarah Silverman
Photo: MTV News

Some folks in the comedy world have moved on from the 2010 late-night wars. David Letterman and Jay Leno even shot a Super Bowl commercial together last Tuesday in which the hosts appeared to bring their latest feud to a close. Others are still angered. On Thursday, before the Super Bowl spot aired, comedian Sarah Silverman came to the defense of Conan O'Brien, whom she maintained was treated poorly by his network bosses.

"I just thought it was a real scumbag move of NBC," Silverman told MTV News. "They should not be allowed to call themselves the NBC family. That should be their punishment."

At issue is the network's decision to replace Conan on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno just seven months after the younger host took over. Silverman argued that Conan's long history with NBC — he began hosting "Late Night" in 1993 — and the sacrifice of moving from the East Coast to the West Coast should have been enough to give O'Brien some ratings wiggle room.

"Conan did a lot for NBC," she said. "He was there a long time. They gave him a break. They gave him what he deserved. [Then he] uproots his family. The whole crew and cast and everyone that works on the show uproots from New York City and moves to L.A. That's not an easy thing to do. They enroll their kids in school."

Silverman is more than a little familiar with the late-night landscape. In addition to being a longtime presence on various late-night shows, she dated ABC host Jimmy Kimmel for much of the last decade. While she acknowledges that NBC made a business decision — not a personal one — she also made it clear that new talk shows need time to develop a loyal audience in any given time slot. When asked if she'd return as a guest to "Tonight" — she appeared five times with Leno in the past — Silverman confessed she was unsure.

"I don't know," she said.

Prosecutors file complaint stating physician acted 'unlawfully and without malice.'
By Eric Ditzian

Dr. Conrad Murray (file)
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images

Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was charged on Monday (February 8) with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the pop star's death on June 25, The Associated Press reports.

Murray, who was with the singer during his final hours, is alleged to have acted "unlawfully, and without malice [to] kill Michael Joseph Jackson," according to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors. Murray is expected to surrender to authorities later today. If convicted, Murray faces a maximum of four years in prison.

"We'll make bail, we'll plead not guilty and we'll fight like hell," Ed Chernoff, Murray's lawyer, told reporters before the charge was filed.

Following a lengthy investigation into Jackson's death by Los Angeles police officials and the findings of the county coroner's office, the involuntary manslaughter charge was long predicted. The charge was expected to be filed last week, but negotiations between Murray's lawyers and prosecutors broke down over the issue of Murray's plans to surrender. An announcement that charges would be filed on Monday was made last Friday (February 5).

Murray, who was treating Jackson as the singer geared up to launch a series of comeback concerts in London, told investigators that he administered the surgical anesthetic propofol, as well as other tranquilizers, to Jackson several times in the hours leading up to his death. The coroner has ruled that the singer died of lethal levels of the drug. Murray obtained propofol legally, according to the AP, but is accused of negligence in the administration of the drug, a stance prosecutors came to after speaking with more than 10 medical experts.

The complaint says that Murray told investigators he gave Jackson propofol at 11 a.m. on the day of his death and then left the room to use the bathroom. The chain of events that followed are disputed. While Murray told officials he returned from the bathroom to find Jackson no longer breathing and that he tried to revive the singer, a call to 911 was not made until 12:21 p.m. During that time, Murray made many non-emergency calls. Murray's lawyer, however, says that Murray misspoke during his interview with prosecutors and that the doctor did not discover Jackson until about 12 p.m.

Murray is expected to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. PT. According to TMZ, bail will be set at $25,000. Murray is expected to arrive before the arraignment with lawyers and a bail bondsman.

• Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos

• Michael Jackson

Sunday's game draws more than 106 million fans to tackle the 'M*A*S*H' finale's record.
By Larry Carroll

Photo: NFL

For three decades, the final episode of "M*A*S*H" has stood as the unreachable height of television broadcasting, combining the end of a cultural phenomenon with the end of a three-network era to garner 106 million viewers. Now, the seemingly impossible has occurred, as Sunday's Super Bowl has beaten the drama to become the most-watched program in television history.

On Monday (February 8), the Nielsen Company released ratings numbers from the weekend's big game between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. The result? The Super Bowl garnered 106.5 million pairs of eyeballs, just enough to beat the final "M*A*S*H" episode's 105.97 million viewers.

As theories about the massive ratings emerged, credit went to a compelling story line that had New Orleans hoping for triumph following Hurricane Katrina, Peyton Manning's desire for a second Super Bowl ring and a game that was close for much of its run despite a 31-17 Saints final score. The previous record viewership for a Super Bowl was last year's game between Arizona and Pittsburgh, which netted 98.7 million viewers.

On the flip side, some are pointing out that there were far fewer TV sets in 1983 when "M*A*S*H" went off the air. Finishing its immensely popular 11-season run, the series about a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4,077th Hospital in South Korea signed off February 28, 1983, with "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," which ended with Hawkeye Pierce famously riding off in a helicopter and reading the word "goodbye" spelled out in stones on the ground.

Incidentally, the record for highest percentage of television sets to watch a TV series is still held by "The Fugitive," whose final episode had an astounding 72 percent of all American homes tuned in in 1967. With the average home now containing multiple TVs, and the splintering of entertainment into so many options, that record seems unlikely to ever be broken.

• Super Bowl XLIV Highlights

• Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, Black Eyed Peas Rock For Super Bowl XLIV

We give you a breakdown of how the donations will help those suffering in Haiti.
By Gil Kaufman

Earthquake survivors pray in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, on Sunday
Photo: John Moore/ Getty Images

MTV's "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon has already broken fundraising records by gathering more than $66 million in public donations to aid the people of the devastated Caribbean nation, and the the accompanying soundtrack, Hope for Haiti Now, became the first-ever all-digital album in the 54-year history of the Billboard 200 to debut at #1 on the albums chart. And now, the money raised by the event is on its way to Haiti.

The first $35 million in funds raised at the telethon has been distributed to the beneficiaries of the all-star event. The six groups — Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the American Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme and Yele Haiti Foundation, submitted proposals for what they intend to do with the funds last week.

The first installment was just over half of the $66 million that has been pledged so far in the effort to raise money following the January 12 earthquake in Haiti that leveled much of the Caribbean island nation's capital of Port-au-Prince.

According to an announcement of the $35 million in funding, the money was released following an intensive review process and guidance from the Hope for Haiti Now Advisory Committee and Bridgespan, a management consulting group that advises nonprofits. The funds are earmarked for immediate disaster relief and reconstruction and recovery efforts in Haiti. The next allocation of funds is planned for May after all donations have been received.

Funds will still be collected for the next 60-90 days, so if you haven't made a donation yet or would like to, please go to the Hope for Haiti Now Web site.

"In less than two weeks since the telethon, the first $35 million raised is en route to address dire needs in Haiti — to provide food, water, shelter, medical care and other vital resources. The counsel of our advisory committee members was critical in rapidly getting us to this point. We are extremely grateful to them for their time and expert guidance, and to everyone who donated so generously," said George Clooney, who was one of the event's leaders.

Among the allocations:

Oxfam America: $8 million to build systems for clean water and safe sanitation, deliver shelter and relief supplies and work on lasting solutions for food security, housing and land issues.

Partners in Health: $8 million to provide emergency medical assistance and supplies, strengthen the public health system, and provide rehabilitation, social support and economic assistance to survivors.

American Red Cross: $6 million to supply emergency shelter and non-food relief items to vulnerable families, specifically targeting female-headed households, the disabled, elderly and the disadvantaged.

UNICEF: $6 million to coordinate the immediate protection of children; prevent and respond to family separations; support the psycho-social needs of families and children; and prevent child exploitation for trafficking.

United Nations World Food Programme: $6 million to ensure the distribution of meals and other life-saving food assistance to the most vulnerable earthquake victims in urban and rural areas over the next six months.

Yele Haiti Foundation: $1 million to promote community mobilization in major underserved neighborhoods to coordinate aid delivery and support recovery efforts.

"There is still a massive and urgent need for food, water and other vital resources to reach the countless people suffering on the ground in Haiti — children, families ... millions who are displaced and homeless. These funds will help to save lives now as Haiti begins to rebuild for the long-term," said Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti Director Brian Concannon, one of the advisory committee members with Haitian relief-work expertise.

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.

• 'Hope For Haiti Now' Backstage Interviews
• MTV News Extended Play: The Story Behind "Hope For Haiti Now"

• Hope For Haiti Now | Performers
• Hope For Haiti Now | Backstage

'I didn't believe until I was physically in the studio that I was doing with something with Mariah,' Minaj gushes.
By Shaheem Reid

Nicki Minaj
Photo: MTV News

Nicki Minaj says she was so surprised that she got a call to work with Mariah Carey on the remix of "Up Out My Face" that she kept the collaboration very hush-hush.

"That one, I didn't believe until I was physically in the studio that I was doing with something with Mariah," the New York native told MTV News last week. "I didn't even tell anyone I shot a video with Mariah, because I didn't even believe. In the back of my mind, I felt like, 'This video is not gonna come out. There's no way I'm gonna do a video with Mariah Carey before I even put out my album.' Then, when it came out, I think it was the #1 video on YouTube in one day, something crazy like that. She's an icon, I've loved her since I was little, like 'Vision of Love,' 'Someday.' I was one of those little girls in the mirror singing her songs with my mother."

Much like her fellow Mariah Carey collaborator and good friend Gucci Mane, Minaj said the real Mariah was nothing like she imagined.

"When I met her, she was so funny and silly," Nicki recalled. "I thought when I was gonna work with Mariah, [she] was gonna be like this diva. But we were cracking jokes the whole day. She's a sweet, down-to-earth person."

Nicki and Mimi had their names written on two giant baby doll boxes in the video. In the Nick Cannon-directed clip, the two bust out and have a good time changing outfits and playing with men. The doll angle plays perfectly with Nicki's "black Barbie" persona.

"I think it was dope," Minaj said about the video. "A lot of times, more famous artists or more confident artists take from a younger artist but they'll never include you in that. I feel like she liked the whole doll thing and she wanted to do it with me. But she said that: She said, 'Everybody's gonna say "she's doing Nicki." But I told her, she's always had a doll persona, like all that 'doll baby' [stuff]. So it goes perfect with Barbie and we had fun. That's all that matters."

The remix will appear on Mariah's Angels Advocate remix LP, due on March 30.

Nicki has been making the rounds with guest appearances recently, from Mariah to Robin Thicke's "Shakin' It 4 Daddy," and of course Lil Wayne's Rebirth, and she recently shot the video for "My Chick Bad" from Ludacris' forthcoming Battle of the Sexes LP, which is slated for release early next month.

"He sent me the beat. He didn't have verses on it yet," Minaj said about working beside Cris. "I told him, 'You could take what I did to the next level because you're animated and crazy. People know you for that. I kinda went animated and crazy on that. Luda is definitely one of those people — I love when people don't take themselves too seriously."

• Mixtape Daily: Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, More

• Nicki Minaj
• Mariah Carey

'When you get a call from Quincy Jones to pick up a pen, you pick it up,' LL says of writing lyrics for benefit single.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Jayson Rodriguez

LL Cool J
Photo: MTV News

In case anyone was wondering if Barbra Streisand and Kanye West could make sweet music together, they'll find out when the star-filled remake of "We Are the World" premieres Friday during the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Thanks to some lyrics from hip-hop legend LL Cool J, the hip-hop community appears to be well represented on the track, which will benefit earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

"Mr. [Quincy] Jones just called me and asked me if I would take a shot at writing the hip-hop section or the rap section of the song," LL Cool J told MTV News at BET's "SOS Save Ourselves: Help for Haiti" telethon Friday night at Miami's American Airlines Arena. "And I took a shot at it and recorded it."

With the OK from Jones and Lionel Richie, LL then sought the approval of his hip-hop contemporaries. "It seemed like the other artists that were there liked it," he said. "Will.I.Am, Wyclef, Kanye — a lot of people were there, and they all seemed to be onboard with it. So we went on and recorded it."

LL was glad that his peers liked the lyrics, but he was even more pleased to see that stars like Celine Dion and Streisand were down with adding some hip-hop flavor to the charity single.

"I'm just honored that I'm able to make a contribution and blessed," he said. "When you get a call from Quincy Jones to pick up a pen, you pick it up. So if they would have not used it, it would have been all right. The point is to have the opportunity to do it and to know that the money is going to go to Haiti and help some people. From a hip-hop standpoint, yeah, it's great to be a part of it [and that the other artists] didn't say, 'Keep hip-hop out of it,' but embraced it."

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.

• Behind The Scenes Of 'We Are The World'

• 'We Are The World 25 For Haiti' Recording Session

• LL Cool J