‘I know when I say things … people may take it out of context,’ Fab says on ‘RapFix Live.’
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Sway Calloway

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/r/rap_fix_live/rapfix_091610/281x211_6.jpg"/>



Fabolous


Photo: MTV News

Fabolous’ Twitter followers know that the sharp-tongued MC is not afraid to hit hard with his tweets. Fab is known for typing much-re-tweeted missives and sparking popular trending topics that go in on everything from pop-culture starlets to the foibles of everyday life. And as a lyricist known for his witty punch lines, the trials of his fellow hip-hop stars are rarely exempt from the e-teasing.

Recently, Fab and Soulja Boy got into some e-beef on the social-networking site after the Brooklyn rapper sent up the “Pretty Boy Swag” hitmaker’s alleged dalliance with hip-hop groupie Kat Stacks. After Stacks released a video suggesting Soulja Boy had a coke problem, Fab referenced the drama in a freestyle, Soulja shot back on Twitter, and the two were embroiled in a social-media flap that played out in front of their millions of followers.

The rappers have since worked out their issues, and during his MTV News “RapFix Live” interview Thursday (September 16), Fab explained that he wanted to address Soulja’s supposed threats before the barbs got out of hand.

“The only reason I really wanted to speak to him [was] because of the threats that was involved,” Fab said. “If you threaten me or someone threaten you, when you see them, you’re reacting off of the threat, probably. Then that could escalate into something else, which I really didn’t want, because Soulja Boy is 19, 20 years old and I’m grown. It’s nothing cool about that to me.”

Fab, who said he “just was making light of [the Soulja Boy video] in a comedic way,” didn’t initially believe the young rapper was actually behind the viral vitriol.

“I never threatened him, and for him to make threats, I wanted to see if this was [really him],” Fab said. “I wasn’t even sure if it was him at that point. I thought maybe somebody hacked his account. I just didn’t know of that Soulja Boy.”

Fab said he eventually explained to Soulja that the comments weren’t personal; the Atlanta rapper was just a victim of pop-culture circumstance.

“He was saying that he had heard certain things and people were telling [him], ‘Yo, Fab’s going at you.’ He had heard things before that I said and he thought … maybe for some reason that I didn’t like him,” Fab said. “When I spoke to him I [was like], ‘Personally, I don’t have nothin’ against you. It was more something of me just cracking jokes. If it happened to anybody, I would have been cracking jokes on them. It just happened to happen to you.’ ”

Although Fab maintained he didn’t set out to personally upset anybody, he’s aware of the effect his high-profile jabs may have. “I know when I say things … as a grown man, people may take it out of context, and I have to deal with that accordingly.”

What do you think of Fab’s comments about Soulja Boy? Let us know in the comments below!

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Susan Boyle dreamed a dream — and it came true. She sang for the pope Thursday, according to People.

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Warning: This story includes spoilers from the series finale of Lost. Read at your own risk.

Sunday’s Lost series finale has garnered mixed reviews. Some fans felt satisfied with the character-driven send-off; others nitpicked over unanswered questions.

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‘Prison ain’t change me, it made me worse,’ an aggressive T.I. raps on ‘Yeah Ya Know (Takers).’
By Jayson Rodriguez

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T.I.


Photo: Shareif Ziyadat/ FilmMagic

T.I. debuted the second song from his upcoming King Uncaged album on Monday evening (May 24), via his personal website, TrapMuzik.com.

Produced by longtime collaborator DJ Toomp, “Yeah Ya Know (Takers)” appears to double as a number from the forthcoming film “Takers,” in which T.I. stars alongside Chris Brown and Matt Dillon. A representative from the rapper’s label, Atlantic, was unable to confirm this as of press time.

A more aggressive T.I. can be heard on “Yeah Ya Know (Takers)” — a harder posture than the one he takes on his previous King Uncaged effort, “I’m Back,” which marked the Atlanta MC’s first output since his federal imprisonment ended earlier this year.

T.I. shouts during the song’s spoken outro, “Prison ain’t change me, it made me worse. Right, ‘Pac? If I want it, I’mma come get it. I ain’t asking for it — I’mma take it. We takers.”

On the chorus, he references his drug-dealing past and the transition to becoming a superstar lyricist. “I went from rolling with the rocks on the block,” T.I. raps. “To controlling my position at the top of every chart, and I will not stop/ Then we ride, then we roll, then you stop, and we go, yeah ya know.”

The charismatic MC has kept a low profile since he finished serving out his sentence in a halfway house. He released “I’m Back” and later appeared with CNN’s Larry King for his first interview, telling the host “depression and paranoia” led to his arrest.

“It came from an attempt that was made on my life,” Tip explained. “My best friend [Philant Johnson] had died in my arms. It caused a state of depression and paranoia. My judgment was jaded, and I felt my life was in danger. … At the time, when I felt the need to have these [weapons], I never took into consideration the legalities; I only took into consideration the protection of my life and family.”

On Monday, T.I. also posted an interview on his website conducted by Jamie Foxx. His album is due August 17.

Are you excited to hear new T.I. music? Let us know in the comments!

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Recapping the last episode of Law & Order is bittersweet, particularly since Monday’s episode, “Rubber Room,” was never intended to be the series’ swan song. It was, however, to be S. Epatha Merkerson’s last episode on the series, and as such, it celebrates the show’s unsung hero, Lt. Anita van Buren.

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SF singer Brian Fair recalls Gray as ‘a truly warm soul underneath the evil mask he rocked onstage.’
By Ryan J. Downey

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/s/slipknot/paul_gray_3/281x211.jpg"/>



Paul Gray


Photo: Getty Images

Heavy-metal musicians were quick to react to the death of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, as news spread online in a manner all too familiar to a community still reeling from the recent deaths of legendary singer Ronnie James Dio and Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele.

“I’m so crushed to hear about the passing of Paul Gray,” Shadows Fall singer Brian Fair told MTV News. “I had the pleasure of first getting to know him on a press trip to New York City before our tour with Slipknot and Lamb of God in 2005 and then sharing stages and good times with him and the boys around the world.

“He was a great musician, an underrated songwriter and a truly warm soul underneath the evil mask he rocked onstage,” he continued. “This is a huge loss to the metal world. He will be missed deeply.”

The boys in Nonpoint were on Ozzfest with Slipknot back in 2001, watching the Iowa band blow up as they relentlessly toured behind their 1999 eponymous debut.

“I am deeply saddened to hear and read about the death of Paul Gray,” Nonpoint drummer Rob Rivera told MTV News. “Nonpoint had the pleasure of touring with Slipknot during the 2001 Ozzfest, and what we saw from Paul and the rest of Slipknot was a band that gave their all live and put their bodies on the line. To all in Slipknot and Paul’s family, Nonpoint send all our love, condolences and prayers out to you. You will be missed by all your friends and fans around the world. Rest In Peace my metal brother.”

Gray was found dead Monday (May 24) in a suburban Iowa hotel room. The cause of death has not been reported as of press time. The band’s most recent studio album, All Hope Is Gone, was released in 2008. The album was mixed by legendary English metal producer Colin Richardson (Machine Head, Fear Factory), whose representative had this to say in a statement: “[Colin] is a true fan to the core and sends his love and condolences to everyone in Slipknot and their camp.”

Another band Richardson has worked with, legendary thrashers Sepultura, took to the Internet. “RIP Paul Gray, we’re shocked and very sad,” current members Paulo Pinto Jr., Andreas Kisser, Derrick Green and Jean Dolabella said in a joint statement.

“This is another tragic loss for our metal community.”

Share your memories of Paul Gray and Slipknot in the comments below.

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The final three face off on Day 1 of the Dancing with the Stars final as they perform a redemption dance and the much-anticipated freestyle numbers. Who nailed both? Who underwhelmed? Find out below!

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Jack Bender, Lost‘s primary director, has signed on to helm Syfy’s new pilot Alphas, the network announced on Monday.

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Bassist’s body was found in an Urbandale, Iowa, hotel room Monday morning.
By James Montgomery

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/s/slipknot/paul_gray/281x211.jpg"/>



Slipknot’s Paul Gray


Photo: Barry Brecheisen/WireImage

Slipknot bassist Paul Gray — one of the group’s founding members — was found dead in an Iowa hotel room early Monday morning (May 24), according to reports. He was 38.

The Des Moines Register reported that police were called to the TownePlace Suites hotel in Urbandale, Iowa, shortly before 11 a.m. after an employee discovered Gray’s body in a room. There was no evidence of foul play, police told the newspaper, but the investigation is ongoing and an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. A toxicology test will also be done to determine any contributing factors to his death.

A spokesperson for Slipknot’s label, Roadrunner Records, confirmed the report to MTV News.

Gray, better known as #2 or “The Pig” because of the mask he wore while performing with Slipknot, helped form the group in 1995, along with current members Shawn “Clown” Crahan and Joey Jordison. Though the band’s lineup shifted over the years — with members departing or switching instruments — Gray’s position within the group remained constant: He was the only bass player Slipknot ever had.

The group would release four albums, the last of which — 2008′s All Hope Is Gone — debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart. They spent most of the next year touring the world before taking an extended break at the end of 2009. Earlier this year, Gray announced that he would be using the time off to play with hard-riffing supergroup Hail!, featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens, Megadeth’s David Ellefson and Sepultura’s Andreas Kisser.

In 2003, Gray was arrested on drug-possession charges after police discovered small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and two syringes in his vehicle following a traffic accident in Des Moines. Those charges were eventually dropped; Gray admitted he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident.

Share your memories of Paul Gray and Slipknot in the comments below.

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Shrek was a little less green at the box office this weekend: Although Shrek Forever After took the top spot, its opening weekend numbers were well below previous installments.

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