MTV Buzzworthy Blog › Ryan Leslie

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We recently saw a little preview of the video for Kanye West's "Monster," featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z, and Nicki Minaj, and we were all like "OMGWTF." Today, Rihanna tweeted a picture of herself on the set of Kanye's "All Of The Lights" video with director Hype Williams and it has us all "OMFG!!!" Cannot. Wait. For. This. Video.

If you'll recall, Kanye West's "All Of The Lights," from his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, features pretty much every person on the planet --Rihanna, Alicia Keys, John Legend, The-Dream, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Elton John (on piano), Ryan Leslie, Charlie Wilson, Tony Williams and La Roux singer Elly Jackson. And seeing as though the video is being directed by Hype Williams, who's directed pretty much every hip-hop video on the planet, the expectations for this video are set really high. Like, Christmas-morning-when-you're-six-years-old high.

Rihanna tweeted with the picture, "Turn up the lights in here baby, EXTRA BRIGHT b----es!!!" Is that a little secret letting us in on what the video might entail? We can't really get a good look at the set or, more importantly, Rihanna's outfit for the video, but we're going to guess it might have something to do with...lights!! I know, we're smart like that.

Tags Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, Hype Williams, Jay-Z, John Legend, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, La Roux, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Rihanna, Ryan Leslie, The-Dream

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Most of the songs we've heard from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy have been collaborative tracks. The scary posse cut, "Monster," features Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross; the lean "So Appalled" features super producers RZA and Swizz Beatz; and most of the other tracks feature appearances from Charlie Wilson and The Clipse's Pusha T.

In terms of collaborations, the newly leaked "All Of The Lights" is a supersize one. According to MTV News, the track features--deep breath--Rihanna, Alicia Keys, John Legend, The-Dream, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Elton John (on piano), Ryan Leslie, Charlie Wilson, Tony Williams and La Roux singer Elly Jackson.

It's kind of a dizzying situation: Rihanna handles the hook, much in the fashion of "Live Your Life." The song features some piano tinkling in the middle courtesy of Elton, a ragga-rap part by Fergie and a sort of second chorus by Alicia Keys.

For what it's worth, "All Of The Lights" is not an official G.O.O.D. Friday release from Kanye, but it's definitely worth your attention. It's is sort of like "Through The Wire," on steroids. It's beefed up, with swirling keyboards, horns and a military beat, while Kanye raps about Michael Jackson's death and going toward that light that meets you at the end. Stirring stuff!

Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is out Nov. 22.

+ Listen to Kanye West's "All Of The Lights," here WARNING: NSFW

Tags Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, Jay-Z, John Legend, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, La Roux, Nicki Minaj, Pusha T, Rick Ross, Rihanna, Ryan Leslie, Song You Need To Know, The-Dream

(Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Kanye West, as you already no doubt have gathered from his lyrics, his tweets and his threads -- and as you can see from the above photo of with No Doubt singer and, for our purposes here, L.A.M.B. designer Gwen Stefani -- is nothing if not a dedicated follower of fashion. So it's no surprise that his latest G.O.O.D. Friday release (the producer/MC/provocateur's running free music series, released via Twitter every Friday) is named "Christian Dior Denim Flow" and features lyrical references to half a dozen supermodels.

Name-checking catwalk queens such as Esti Ginzburg, Selita Ebanks and Doutzen Kroes, Kanye takes us behind the velvet rope, into a V.I.P. world most will never experience--hanging out with Leo (one safely assumes this is Leo DiCaprio) and working out a "master plan."

Kanye's clearly using these songs as a kind of public workshop, trying out new sounds and new flows. "Christian Dior Denim Flow" is a rather dark track, with distorted vocals and a creeping beat, the exact opposite vibe that you'd expect on a song that espouses the glory of hanging with models.

'Yeezy is also using these tracks as a chance to collaborate with a variety of artists he respects, from Bon Iver to R&B legend Charlie Murphy. "Christian Dior Denim Flow" is no different, with guest appearances from R&B crooners John Legend and Ryan Leslie and verses from Pusha T of The Clipse (who has become a staple of Kanye's recent tracks), Lloyd Banks and Kid Cudi.

+ Listen to Kanye West's "Christian Dior Denim Flow."

Tags Bon Iver, Esti Ginzburg, Gwen Stefani, John Legend, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Leo DiCaprio, Lloyd Banks, No Doubt, Pusha T, Ryan Leslie, Selita Ebanks, Song You Need To Know, The Clipse

Rocking a rather distressed jean jacket, Ryan Leslie arrives this morning to make you a relative expert on his new album Transition, with this episode of "The 5."

Leslie came up through the Bad Boy camp, writing songs for Cassie, Cherie Denis and Danity Kane. But this  year he's made a name for himself as a solo artist, and a prolific one at that. Transition, released last month, is his second full-length of 2009, following up his self-titled debut.

In this edition of "The 5," Leslie talks about the globetrotting recording sessions that produced Transition, the role his love-life played in the writing process, the how and the why of all the music videos he shot for the album, and much more.

Check out the in-depth chat with Ryan Leslie below.

Tags Cassie, Danity Kane, Ryan Leslie, The 5, video

Fabolous has a new video out. It's called "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere," it's from his much-Tweeted-about new album Loso's Way, and it features Keri Hilson and Ryan Leslie. Oh yeah: and it's boring. I mean, NOTHING HAPPENS.  The most excited I got was during the line "Somebody better tell 'em that we in this b+tch like an unborn baby" and at the gratuitous shot of Rick Ross' beard, but shots of Rick Ross' beard are like a dime a dozen.

The video takes place in a club. A club where NOTHING HAPPENS. No one even spills a drink. The opening quote about paparazzi at the beginning of the video suggests there might be some kind of high-speed chase or at least a theme or story arc. But no. Nothing. Happens. At all. If you want a continuous story arc, watch Fabolous' "Throw It In The Bag." No story here though. In fact, it kinda looks like it was shot on someone's cell phone. I'm sorry. I'm just being reasonable and honest with you. Like my last relationship, "Everything, Everday, Everywhere" goes nowhere and leaves me confused. Plus I'm annoyed with Fabolous because it should be "Every Day," not "Everyday."

Oh yeah, that is NOT Chris Brown in the video, okay? Chris Brown is BASKING in the unintentional success of the "Forever" wedding dance, okay? That is Trey Songz.

Okay. If you strictly only have like FOUR MINUTES to watch ONE video today, I'd say watch the "Young'n" video. Or Shakira's "She Wolf" video. Or watch "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere," and tell me if I'm missing the point. (Is there a point?)

Tags Chris Brown, Fabolous, Keri Hilson, Ryan Leslie, Trey Songz, video

Fabolous just released his latest video, "Throw It In The Bag," off his soon-to-be-released comeback album, Loso's Way. The "Throw It In The Bag" video features Fabolous and a foxy female with a flair for the five-fingered discount. Here are five fast facts you need to know about "Throw It In The Bag." (And shoplifting.)

1.) The lawbreaking female lead in "Throw It In The Bag" is model/ actress Claudia Jordan from Deal or No Deal -- she usually holds briefcase 1 -- and Celebrity Apprentice season 2.

2.) The-Dream sings the hook. Clearly. And he also appears in the video. (Side note: Is The-Dream to 2009 was T-Pain was to 2008?)

3.) The-Dream's girlfriend, Christian Milian, was on the set of the "Throw It In The Bag" shoot, as was Ryan Leslie.

4.) "Throw It In The Bag" was directed by Erik White, who also directed Keri Hilson's "Turnin' Me On" video and a handful of Chris Brown videos. But we won't hold that against him.

5.) "Throw It In The Bag" was shot in the Meatpacking District of New York City. In New York, if you get busted for shoplifting, you can get nailed with Petite Larceny and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree, which are both class "A" misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year in jail. (In the video, Fabolous' girl only appears to spend a few hours in jail and still leaves looking hot.) If the stolen goods retail for more than $1000 (and they probably were well over $1000 in the Meatpacking District), the charges can be Grand Larceny and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property In the Fourth Degree -- felonies punishable by up to four years in prison. Know that.

Tags Christina Milian, Erik White, Fabolous, Ryan Leslie, The-Dream

Whoa. Ryan Leslie is a genius. And not in the usual toss-off nonsense way I usually say it. Like in the legit, has-a-giant-brain kind of way.

For instance: Suppose you got it bad for a Russian model. What do you do? Send her a bouquet of chamomiles? Develop a taste for vodka (Don't drink! It's racist!) and caviar? Google image search Russia and tape up a few print-outs on your refrigerator?

All great ideas. But what does Ryan Leslie do? Dude learns Russian. Like overnight. WHAT?!?! Why not? He already knows French, Japanese, German, English and exactly what every chick wants. Homeboy graduated from Harvard at 19.

When he's not busy out-thinking and out-macking everybody ever, Ryan Leslie is also an ace-ass record producer, actor, artist and entrepreneur. Oh, and he sings, too. He's already released three singles -- "Diamond Girl," "Addiction" and "How It Was Supposed To Be" -- from his self-titled, self-produced, self-written second album. Honestly, not many records are as worthy of their names as this one. It's called Ryan Leslie because it's all him, start to finish.

MTV's super lucky to have this Renaissance man all to ourselves for a few minutes on "The 5." Watch the video below. If you look close you can sorrrta see his brain pulsing through his forehead.

Tags Ryan Leslie

Ryan Leslie graduated from Harvard at age 19 and gave the prestigious oration speech at that university's commencement ceremony in 1998. He almost went the premed route, but you won't find him in a lab coat behind a microscope. These days, he's a YouTube star, has L.A. Reid and Diddy in his corner, and he's written and produced tracks for Beyonce ("Keep Giving Your Love To Me"), Britney Spears ("The Answer") and Danity Kane ("Ooh Ahh" and "Touching My Body"). He's also behind a handful of Cassie's hits, and he's at the helm of his own label/ lifestyle brand, NextSelection.

Recently, Ryan Leslie stopped by MTV to kick off a brand-new series called Track Stars, which takes you inside the studio to show you how a track gets born.

Watch Ryan Leslie share some of the production secrets of his sparkling new single, "Diamond Girl," off his new album, which drops this August.

Tags Cassie, Celebrity, Music, Ryan Leslie, Track Stars, video, Videos

You've probably never heard of serial overachiever Ryan Leslie unless you have Diddy's number in your Blackberry or you've obsessively read the liner notes of some of the biggest R&B and pop hits of the past few years.

The in-demand producer has also recently lent his hot Harlem touch to records by Beyonce, Britney Spears, Cassie, and Snoop. Oh, and in case you're wondering, we call him an overachiever because dude got a perfect score on his SATs (nerd alert!) and graduated Harvard at age 19. So, yeah, he's kind of a smart guy.

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Tags Celebrity, Music, Ryan Leslie, video, Videos