Ledger-Directed Rap Video Debuts

He's back in studio, comparing himself to legends

(NEWSER) - Famously egotistical rapper Kanye West is back in the studio—and comparing himself to Kobe Bryant and Maya Angelou in a typical-for-him, all-caps blog post . Unlike many rappers, he promises he won’t get worse with age, because “true poets get better,” he writes. There’s just one problem: “First of all Kanye, you’re a rapper. You’re not a poet,” writes Joe Anello on College News . More»

Rap Genius breaks down Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah, and more

(NEWSER) - Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ song “Empire State of Mind” is everywhere, even at the World Series. But do you know what the lyrics mean? If not, Rap Genius (formerly Rap Exegesis) can clue you in the way it educated Nick Antosca of the Huffington Post. Some of the explanations the site offers:

• Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”: “Catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whipping pastry” refers first to cooking up crack, second to fellow rapper Rev. Run’s daughters and their clothing line.

Rapper will keep his language PG while performing for Yanks

(AP) - The lyrics to Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" are sometimes as raw as New York, but it looks like the rapper will clean things up when he performs his city anthem at the World Series. A source close to the rapper says Jay-Z won't utter curses or other raunchy stuff in his hit when he and fellow New Yorker Alicia Keys sing at Yankee Stadium tomorrow night. More»

And, surprisingly, some would benefit from listening to her

(NEWSER) - Karrine Steffans has had drama-riddled relationships with famous rappers and celebs such as Mike Tyson and Bill Maher. Her “relationships have been major public train wrecks,” writes Jo Piazza for DoubleX, from allegations of abuse at the hands of Tyson to her suicide attempt following her breakup with Maher. And yet she's now a best-selling author on relationship advice. "Why are scads of readers paying to get advice on romance from this woman?” Her shift toward Betty Crocker-land is part of the explanation. More»

Takes a stand against illegal whale hunts

(NEWSER) - Modest Mouse has debuted Heath Ledger’s whimsical-yet-dark video for the song “King Rat," the AP reports. In the video, which takes aim at illegal whale hunts, Dr Seuss-like animated whales and dolphins go on a bloody hunt for humans, notes Vanity Fair. Watching it might require a little Dramamine, it adds. The video concludes with the message, “This began with our friend, a great defender of life, and was completed in his spirit.” More»