MTV Buzzworthy Blog › 2009 VMAs

Wale is on top of his game.

He's also on top of me, pretty much literally, as I'm sitting underneath the metal scaffolding built out of the radio city stage, designed to look like a tiny downtown NYC venue (think Mercury Lounge, if you've been).

Above Wale, who's rhyming over a Coldplay mash-up and "Make Her Say" with Kanye, Kid Cudi, and the nine-times-nominated Lady Gaga, are about two dozen flashing LCD screens built into steel latticework. Even better? Solange is rehearsing with him.

Ever seen Rent? It feels like alphabet city before American Apparel and schmancy hotels moved in. On the other side of the house, construction's still under way on the VMA stage, and in the house, 3OH3, Pitbull, and Sway look on from the velvet seats as Wale's live band pushes through a lengthy rehearsal.  Check out more shots of Wale backstage.

Related Content Check Out More Behind-The-Scenes VMA Photos!

Tags 2009 VMAs, 30H3, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Solange, Solange Knowles, Wale

Unless you've been living in a cave without cable, you'll know that MTV's been featuring your favorite artists in promotional TV spots for this year's VMAs. After seeing Cobra Starship and Taylor Swift do their rendition of West Side Story's "Tonight," sultry songstress Katy Perry is up next.

Her VMA promo debuts next week, but until then, we've got a behind-the-scenes interview of Katy on the set of her "Tonight" shoot. She tells us about how she can relate to playing the character of Anita (because "Anita is hotter, cooler and sluttier") and how she purposefully peeled the banana on her outfit from last year's VMA performance in a "seductive" way.

Watch the full interview clip below, and check out photos from the shoot. (And don't forget to tune in on Sunday, September 13 at 9pm to see if Katy wins Best Female Video against Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga and Pink.)

Tags 2009 VMAs, Katy Perry

Fire up that can of Aqua-Net and sharpen your blackest eyeliner pencils! Russell Brand is returning to host the 2009 MTV VMAs in New York City. And if the Jonas Brothers can handle it, then so can you. Oh, I know, I know. The actor/ author/ comedian/ hair artist was so controversial and said such shocking things when he hosted the 2008 VMAs last year. And you know what? THEY RULED. That's why they're called the MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS and not the BORING AWARDS. If you wanna watch Billy Crystal tap dance, then change the channel... BUT DON'T! Because you'd miss live performances by Taylor Swift, who'll be doing a brand-new version of "You Belong With Me," and British rockers Muse, (ahem, Twilight fans), who will perform "Uprising."

Get out your cell phones, advent calendars, or whatever you use to mark the passage of time, and SAVE THE DATE for the 2009 MTV VMAs: Sunday, September 13 at 9PM ET.

Plus: Watch Britney open last year's VMAs.

Related Content Jonas Brothers To Russell Brand: We Ain't Mad!, Britney At The 2008 VMAs: It's Britney, Bitches!, Russell Brand Is Amazed By The Jonas Brothers' Mom, Russell Brand On Michael Jackson, Russell Brand On Heroin Versus Not Doing Heroin

Tags 2009 VMAs, Britney Spears, Jonas Brothers, Russell Brand, Taylor Swift, Twilight