Beanie Sigel's cover art for "I Go Off" featuring 50 Cent
Photo: Thisis50.com

Ever since 50 Cent and Beanie Sigel's joint appearance on Philadelphia radio station Power 99 last week, everyone has been buzzing about the new Sigel/ G-Unit affiliation. Fif says there is no recording contract for Sigel as of yet, but recent Internet buzz is hyping a song between the two called "I Go Off." According to 50's official Web site, the release date is Friday the 13th.

MTV News obtained a 30-second portion of the song, in which Fif raps, "I give you something to talk about/ Come 'round me frontin' I'll air you out/ I go off" on the hook.

While the streets have speculated that the track would be a dis record aimed at Jay-Z, that doesn't necessarily seem to be the case — at least during the 30 seconds we've heard. Sigel's lyrics are ruthless, but don't seem to be referencing anyone in particular.

"I don't shoot sh-- off, I gun it down," Beanie raps. "Walk up on n---as and run 'em down/ Won't stop till your box goeth underground/ Put you in an urn, your bones will burn/ The rap gorilla, the wack rap ringtone killa/ I'm here to find n---a eating who's realer is rare/ You could meet me the square if you dare to come near."

As far as the G-Unit affiliation, 50 Cent said that he and Sigel had met but talk about a signing was premature.

"I had a meeting with him today," 50 said Thursday (November 5). "First we gotta start with the music — where's the music? Then we have to get into what it would take to bring him over to G-Unit as a record company. You can't sign a deal in a conversation — it's a process. We'll see what happens."

• 50 Cent
• Beanie Sigel

Travis Barker
Photo: Kristian Dowling/ Getty Images

Apparently, Travis Barker doesn't sleep. At all. Which is how he's able to keep cranking out remixes while simultaneously working on a new Blink-182 record, his own solo album, and rehearsing for an upcoming show with none other than Slash (a November 22 benefit for the Los Angeles Youth Network). And that's not even getting into his business ventures, or his role as a rock-and-roll dad.

"Yeah, I wake up at 6," he laughed. "I'm a busy man, I guess."

Seriously, the guy never rests. And as if you need further proof of this, check out his brand-new remix of Drake's "Forever" (with video of Travis drumming), which Barker emailed to MTV News Wednesday (November 11) morning. It's just the latest in a long line of hip hop tracks he's remixed (earlier this year, he took a stab at Eminem's gory "3 A.M." and his take on Soulja Boy's "Crank That" has already established itself as a YouTube staple), and it just proves that he can't leave a good beat alone.

"This song gets played so much — whether it be on TV or on the radio or XM — and I think songs like this that you can't escape, you start to get ideas in your head about how you'd want to flip it," Barker said. "And this song is awesome; every verse is crazy. Who could ask for a better lineup as far as rappers? And everyone's going in on their verse. So I was excited about it, I didn't have to think twice about getting on it."

Working strictly off an a cappella track, Barker crafted his "Forever" mix from the ground up, spending a week tinkering in the studio with his production partner, Sweatshop. The main goal, he said, was to build a drum line that matched the constantly shifting mood and tempo of the song, which famously features verses from Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem, even if that meant showing a bit of restraint on the remix — something he's not used to doing.

"Remixes are hard, because some of my critics will be like, 'Trav, you shoulda gone bananas on it,' but going bananas on it will sometimes take away from how cool a song is — it's a happy medium," he laughed. "With this one, I see a gradual crescendo — it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger, all the way up until the last chorus, where I crash out and there's a big Phil Collins moment, with a drum-fill solo underneath Drake's chorus. It was a tough one, man."

So is Drake happy with the end result? Barker has no idea — seems Drizzy hasn't even heard the remix yet. No one has. Until now, that is.

"No one's heard this!" Barker said. "Actually, Marshall [Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem] heard it, and he loved it — but no one else has."

• Travis Barker
• Drake

Rihanna
Photo: MTV News

Celebrity Favorites

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" When somebody is as consistent as Young Jeezy, it's tough to say he's in a zone. That's just him. The Snowman brings it repeatedly. ("Bag Music" is kinda sick too, by the way.) Singer Rihanna praised his work on her new record "Hard."

"When I first heard the song, I was in Paris," Rihanna said earlier this week of the track, which was written by The-Dream and produced by Tricky Stewart. "Dream and Tricky, they flew out and played me the record. They played me a few [songs], but this one stuck out to me. It had such an arrogance to it, which is so far from who I am ... which is part of why I wanted to do it. It was fun. It was bragging. A lot of attitude. Young Jeezy was the perfect person for the topic of the song. Just the vibe of the song. I love, love, love his verse. He added so much more to the record."

Streets Is Talking: News And Notes From The Underground

"If the good die young, then the greats go to jail," Pusha T raps on the Clipse's new single, "Doorman."

The duo have been reflecting on the incarceration of their manager and friend, Anthony "Geezy" Gonzalez. Last month, Geezy struck a plea deal for one federal drug conspiracy charge as well as one firearm charge. As much as it hurts to not have their friend with them, the Clipse said they have to go on with their lives and careers.

"The show don't stop, we know what we gotta do," Malice, who tweeted, "We luv u GZ!" in the wake of Geezy's court outcome, said. "So we're out here doing it. The situation has been hard as well as heartbreaking. But I got the faith everything is gonna work out for the best. I believe everything happens for a reason. We still take care of our fam. We never leave our fam behind."

"Geezy's good," Pusha insisted.

"Yeah, he's alright," Malice concurred.

"Everybody is good. It's Geezy, it's a few more too," Pusha detailed. "Y'all just know Geezy, but everybody is our brother."

"Every time we talk to them, nobody is hanging their head. Ain't no crybabies. We got real soldiers in the family. Everything is gonna work out alright."

According to The Virginian-Pilot, Geezy is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11.

The Clipse release their next LP, Till the Casket Drops, on December 8. Guests include Yo Gotti — not Drake — on "Showin' Out." Fabolous also appears on a remix of "Kinda Like a Big Deal." (Kanye West appeared on the original.)

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

• Mixtape Daily: Clipse, Gucci Mane And OJ Da Juiceman

• Rihanna
• Young Jeezy

Shakira
Photo: Akshay Bhansali/ MTV News

Shakira is about to release her latest English-language effort, the sexy, quirky She Wolf, on November 23. The first single, the title track, caught fans' attention with coos and howls about a woman finding and acting on her animal instincts.

Shakira realized that putting out the unique tune was a bit of a risk, but one she knew she had to take. "I had to do it. It was an impulse and I usually like to listen to my instincts," She explained to MTV News. "So 'She Wolf' was a surprise."

The song wasn't even planned, really — it just came about after a lousy day in the studio. "I was in the studio working on another track. I was in a terrible mood one day and we started working on this idea of a track that we had," she said, explaining that "She Wolf" soon arrived. "I knew it was a little bit risqué, but I was howling and we had the song."

Having the song come to her in such a "visceral way" meant that she couldn't just discard it. "I didn't take that for granted. I think every woman has a she wolf inside. I think every person in the world has an instinctive and primal aspect," she said. "We belong to the animal kingdom, don't we? The reality there is this irrational part within that always exists and can drive us to places."

So what takes Shakira to that animal place? "Music, wine — red wine. It does make me sleepy at first and then I'm like, 'Whoa. I'm good.' By the second glass, I'm drunk."

• MTV News Extended Play: Shakira

• The Evolution Of: Shakira

• Shakira

30 Seconds to Mars' Jared Leto
Photo: Matt Harper/MTV News

By their own admission, 30 Seconds to Mars went to hell and back to make their new album, This Is War, so you can't blame them for being a little hesitant to talk about the process. Sometimes, words aren't enough.

"I don't know what to say. We spent two years of our lives working on that record, and it was us against the world. We didn't have outside influence or help, we didn't have a label, we had us, betting the farm, and pushing ourselves," frontman Jared Leto sighed. "There were times that it was overwhelming. Everything that was going on was brutal, but there were beautiful moments as well. There was so many outside influences that were in conflict that working on the record was actually quite peaceful. It was a case of survival, to tell the truth."

The two-year battle that surrounded War has been as well-documented as the album itself, and now, with the December 8 release date quickly approaching, 30 Seconds to Mars are ready to put the past behind them and start talking about the future.

"It's terrifying that the album is so close. There's so much going on in my head," Leto laughed. "One thing that I know is that this record is really the best that we can do. It's everything that we have inside of us. It's our complete commitment, it's our complete abandonment, our blood and our bones and our heart and our soul, and everything. Everything we have is in this record, so that's what we have to say. ... Regardless of what anyone thinks of the record, we made the record we set out to make. ... Who knows if anyone in the world will like it or not? That's to be determined."

And while there's plenty of time to talk about the somber, icy songs on War, the important thing to mention right now is that the record is done, there's a video due to premiere and 30 Seconds to Mars made it out alive. It's time to celebrate, really.

"We were literally having to kill ourselves at times. I had it written on the wall: 'Kill yourself to finish.' There were no other options," Leto said. "So we did that. It was a time to redefine, rediscover, reinvent, reinvest in each other. We thought about this record in a very deep way, and it means a lot to us. ... Music can just be fun, but it can also do more, mean more, and that's just what it is for us, I suppose."

• 30 Seconds To Mars

Juvenile
Photo: MTV News

Juvenile hasn't released an LP in three years. He's gone through some label reshuffling (his new LP, Cocky and Confident, will be released as a joint venture between Atlantic Records and E1 Music), continued to persevere through the lasting effects of Hurricane Katrina in his hometown of New Orleans, and worst of all, cope with the horrific murder of his 4-year-old daughter Jelani in early 2008.

The child was slain along with her mother Joy Deleston, 39; and Deleston's daughter Micaiah, 11, in their home in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Deleston's 17-year-old son, Anthony Tyrone Terrell, was arrested for all three murders and charged with aggravated assault as well.

Juvenile says it's impossible to fully heal from a tragedy of that scale.

"Time, man," he explained about how he has coped. "You don't get over things like that. That's something that goes with you for the rest of your life. I don't know, man, just time to yourself. I'm not even comfortable talking about it. I stayed away from the press, everybody had a million questions. I'm not even comfortable talking about it."

Juve said he's relied on his family as a support system.

"I got a great wife, good brother, great momma. My family is good," he described.

When he refocused on his musical career, Juve chose to get back to some of the material that brought him to prominence in the late '90s: the streets and partying.

"I'm moving around a little bit," he said modestly. "I got one record with Pleasure P called 'Hands on You,' it's a ladies' record. I got another one called 'Gotta Get It.' It's doing real good on radio. It's one of your regular Juve records, follows in the trend of 'Ha.' One of those rough, rugged, first records I always come with."

• Juvenile

Wale
Photo: MTV News

After a series of critically acclaimed mixtapes and well-received awards-show performances, Wale finally dropped his long-awaited debut album Attention Deficit this week. The Washington, D.C.-based MC told MTV News that although his roots like in his hometown's go-go scene, the album is meant to express the energy of the title and the cover artwork (which depicts a kid wearing headphones staring at dozens of television monitors).

"It's supposed to be all over the place," Wale — who performed with his group as the house band at the 2009 Video Music Awards — explained. "It's just like channel surfing: There's no one sound. I couldn't go with one sound."

Of the 14 tracks on Attention Deficit, Wale calls out "Mirrors" — a funky, jazzy, old-school jam with a guest verse from Bun B — as one of his favorites.

" 'Mirrors' is cool to perform," he told MTV News' Tim Kash. "It's about the climate. I'm analyzing the psyche of a lot of people in this business. There's a belief that in order to have success you have to sound a certain way or look a certain way. But a lot of these things aren't real. In the end, you can only perform for the person in the mirror."

Though the release of Attention Deficit has been an uphill struggle at times, Wale is proud of his debut and hopes that his enthusiasm comes through the speakers.

"I think when you put your blood, sweat and tears behind something and keep it honest, I think it always comes out," he says. "It's like a child to me. This album is closer to me than any artist has felt about their debut album. It's so symbolic. We never thought this day was gonna come. It's got a bar code and artwork!"

• Wale

Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

The video was posted Friday, but Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta didn't see it until Monday. And even though he's watched it about six dozen times since, Saporta still doesn't believe that it's real.

We're talking about an interview clip with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, posted on MTV.com last week, in which he says that, if he could tour with any band ever, he'd pick Cobra Starship.

Seriously.

"You might be thinking that's crazy, but I really dig [them]," Cuomo says in the video. "I dig their attitude. ... They've got a very 21st-century outlook. They don't take themselves too seriously. They're there to have a party, put on a good show. That, to me, is the kind of band you want to tour with."

Obviously, Saporta was blown away by the comments.

"Honestly, when I first saw it, I was looking at it on a small screen, and I honestly thought that someone made an app. Like, 'Get Rivers to say whatever you want!' or something," Saporta laughed. "I thought it was just a flash app or something. And then I realized it was real, and I was like, 'Holy sh--.' We're all huge Weezer fans. We can't believe it."

Like most, Saporta fell in love with Weezer after buying their 1994 debut, The Blue Album, and the infatuation only grew from there. He's even a huge fan of their just-released Raditude, mostly because he thinks it shares the same kind of party-hard sentiments that his band expounds.

"There's definitely a lot more electronic beats on the new Weezer record, and that's flattering, because he's saying 'I like how they mix up genres,' and I can tell by listening to the new record that he's thinking about that ... it's new and fresh," he said. "You can tell he gets how music is made these days, and he's trying his hand at it. And obviously, we like to party too, so there's that."

But will Cobra Starship actually be able to tour with Weezer? Well, schedule-wise, it's looking good. And even if it wasn't, well, Saporta would make it work for Cuomo and company, no matter what.

"Dude, I would love to make it happen. There are a bunch of holes [in our schedule]. We're trying to figure out what we're doing," he said. "We come back from Australia in March, and then we're going to see. ... We basically have the spring and summer to tour, so if Rivers wants to go out, we're there. No matter what it takes. I'll even do his laundry."

• Cobra Starship
• Weezer

Carrie Underwood
Photo: MTV News

Nashville used to be quite the boys club, but these days, ladies like Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift are ruling country music and the mainstream. Underwood, whose Play On debuts at #1 on the Billboard albums chart next week, knows that there are still a few glass ceilings that need to be broken.

"I definitely do see more women in country music and more women doing well," she told CMT. "I think it will be awhile before we get what's coming to us. But it does feel like women have to work a lot harder to keep up with the boys, and I see the tides changing. ... We're going to kick the boys out."

Underwood's brand of sassy country/pop paved the way for other women like Swift and Kellie Pickler to find success on the charts. But Underwood doesn't feel comfortable taking credit for that explosion. She simply thinks that "blondes gotta stick together."

"I really haven't thought about it that much," she said. "I think that's something you might look back on at the end of your career and it might be easier to point out things that you've done. We all have our place. I think everybody in country music right now brings some new element, even if it is another blond girl with a big voice. Whoever it is would bring her stuff to the table, and that's what it's all about. I feel like we're growing an empire."

Underwood is hosting the CMA Awards with fellow country superstar Brad Paisley on Wednesday (November 11).

• Carrie Underwood

Fergie
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Avon

Until the demise of the Fame Kills Tour, Kanye West had been planning to hit the road with Lady Gaga, one of the gay-friendliest pop stars out there today. So it doesn't really come out of left field to have Fergie credit him, along with her cohorts in the Black Eyed Peas, for helping make the world of hip-hop a little more open to alternative lifestyles.

"They're completely gay-friendly. Are you kidding me? Look at how they dress!" she joked to The Advocate about the guys in her band. "Kanye West really did a great thing for hip-hop and made it very mixed and open."

As for her own sexuality, the singer says that although she's now married to actor Josh Duhamel, she has experimented with girls in the past. So when the time came for her to get flirty with a girl or two in the "I Gotta Feeling" video, she didn't flinch for a second. "Yes, it was [my idea to flirt with the girls]," she said. "That was fun because it was so naughty. It was a big tease, but it felt very natural."

Long before she was a pop star, Fergie got her start on a beloved children's show, "Kids Incorporated." She admits now that she made a few gay friends back then. "Oh, there were plenty on that show," she said. "But I don't want to out anyone, just in case."

Although Fergie seemed open to talking about most subjects, including her upcoming role in "Nine," the singer chose not to discuss an altercation between Peas manager Liborio "Polo" Molina and Perez Hilton in Toronto in June. She noted, though, that she was upset that night because Perez had been criticizing her music on his blog and that it had bothered her.

"When I see somebody I thought was my friend or starting to be my friend," she said, sighing, "when someone talks out of both sides of their mouth, it just makes me question their integrity."

• Fergie
• Kanye West
• Black Eyed Peas