TMZ'S NICKI FERTILE: Speidi Divorce Set For Valentine's Day 2011

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TMZ's Nicki Ferilte insists that the divorce between Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag is real, citing a number of different occurances as to why.

Catch Nicki on TMZ TV, local listings here.

RT America: Weighing In On 'Snooki-Mania'

I was happy to accept an invitation from Alyona Minkovski to appear on her show, "The Alyona Show", which streams live at 6 p.m. world wide on RT.com/USA and airs in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.

Alyona and I spoke about the emergence of MTV's "Jersey Shore", specifically "Snooki", as a symbol for America, and what it might say about our country and its culture to those who don't live here.

Big thanks as well to Patrice Innocenti for helping to book the segment!

EXCLUSIVE: Angelina Regrets Leaving Jersey Shore; Dates Seaside Heights Police Officer

When you watch the beginning of Season 2 on MTV’s hit reality show “Jersey Shore”, expect to catch Angelina Pivarnick in Miami well, “doing her thing” as a single lady. But that was taped then, and this is happening now: the self-proclaimed “Kim Kardashian of Staten Island” is once again love-struck in New Jersey.

“He’s a police officer from actually Seaside Heights where we filmed first season,” revealed Pivarnick of her boyfriend. She called in to “The Ralphie Radio Show” to promote the next installment of the fist-pumping series, set to air Thursday July 29 at 10 p.m. on MTV. “So that should make it a little more interesting for you.”

Will we see this cop, whose name is Paul, enforce the law on the show? Pivarnick didn’t divulge, however she did chat about what we may see of her when the next season begins.

“I hooked up with my share of guys in Miami,” she admitted. “I’m a classy girl but when I’m single and I’m partying… you know… I didn’t have a boyfriend so I did my thing.”
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Pivarnick noted that her boyfriend and his family, who she is on good terms with, will not be watching the beginning of Season 2 “out of respect” for her. Filming is complete; however Angelina said that neither her nor any of the cast members have seen any footage other than what’s available on-line. She expects MTV will screen the episodes for the “guidos” and “guidettes” before the air date. While Pivarnick is curious to see the new season, she is already thinking about the third installment, and the rumors that this time around – she may be gone for good.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s gotta be like that. I feel like we are the original eight,” Angelina said. “I’m back on the second season, I think that we should all be going back to the Jersey Shore.”

Going back for Season 3… does that mean Angelina is back in good graces with the crew after Season 2? Stay tuned.

Cool New Music Videos

Katy Perry f. Snoop Dogg - California Gurls (Candy Land meets Girls Gone Wild?)

3OH!3 f. Ke$ha - My First Kiss (Really with the gold lips Ke$ha?)

Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me (Based on a true story of some of those ladies at Duke University

EXCLUSIVE: Meet H*Wood & The Fist-Pump Friendly 'Could It Be You'

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Brandyn Bordeaux moved to Hollywood from Denver, adpoted the stage name, "H*Wood", and landed a deal with super-producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Now he's gaining momentum across the blogosphere with his single, "Could It Be You (Punk Rock Chick)" and living out his dream.

H*Wood made some time for "The RRS" to talk about the track and his music that will be featured in upcoming episodes of "The Hills" and "Jersey Shore."

TMZ'S NICKI FERTILE: Drama Between Spencer/Heidi And Mama

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TMZ's Nicki Fertile explained what happened when police were called to the Pratt household after Heidi's mother showed up unannounced.

Catch Nicki on TMZ TV, local listings here.

EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Cabrera Prepares Major Label Return, Still Dating Audrina

In an exclusive interview on "The Ralphie Radio Show" after his performance Sunday evening at Marywood University, Ryan Cabrera revealed that he is still dating "The Hills" cast member Audrina Patridge.

"You know how the media is, they'll take whatever they want and have a hay-day with it," replied Cabrera after I brought up stories that emerged from the couple's trip to Las Vegas over the past week. Various sources cited the two headed to "Splitsville" after both were seen in public without the other. "I think people use that stuff as entertainment, but they should also know that it's just a bunch of crap."

Cabrera chuckled when I mentioned that watching this upcoming season of the MTV reality show would have been awkward if the two were in fact broken up. The singer is featured in the trailer for the final run of episodes, set to premiere Tuesday, April 27. After mentioning that he likes to keep his personal life just that, I asked him if he was not single, to which he answered, "Me? No, I'm not."
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Listen to the full interview below:


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The couple created quite a stir on the campus of Marywood, a small Catholic school in Scranton, Pa. with an enrollment just over 3,000. Cabrera is in the midst of about 15 hand-selected dates, as he prepares for his return to a major record label. After selling over two million copies of Take It All Away, and about a half million with You Stand Watching, Cabrera left his trademark spiky hair and deal with Atlantic Records behind. In 2008 he released The Moon Under Water, an independent project that only moved 15,000 units. Now after a couple years of touring and writing, the singer seems poised to jump back on the radio airwaves and sales charts. He even brought back the spikes, ditching his long hair and mustache.

"The last record was just kind of like a darker period, where I was just trying to rebel against my record label," admitted Cabrera. "I think (the new release) will be a lot more like the Take It All Away record."

Don't worry, if you're wondering what Cabrera's latest project will sound like, you won't have to wait too long: Ryan revealed that the first single from his forthcoming LP could hit radio as soon as this summer, with a 2011 release planned for the entire album.

Cabrera did say this album would not be released independently, although declined to say which record label he would land with, only noting that he is still in talks "different labels."

EXCLUSIVE: MTV To Angelina - No More Interviews!

She may have only appeared on three episodes of the MTV hit show, “Jersey Shore”, but it seems the network is protecting Angelina Pivarnick as if she is one of the station’s biggest assets. Pivarnick, like her former housemates, is currently making the rounds on the nightclub circuit, hosting parties for thousands of dollars.

“The Ralphie Radio Show” requested to speak with Angelina before her appearance Friday night at the Scranton Hardware Bar in downtown Scranton, PA. The agency booking Angelina denied the request, citing an MTV mandate that she is not allowed to do any type of interviews while on the road.

If anything, it is a keen marketing decision on MTV’s part. By Angelina not speaking with media, it only fuels the rumors and speculation as to whether she will return for season two of the show. Although, by going as far as to specifically state she cannot do media, you would think she’s returning, right?

EXCLUSIVE: Snooki Snags $5K For About 15 Minutes

The self-proclaimed “Princess of Poughkeepsie” extended her reign upstate over the weekend. Nicole Polizzi, better known as “Snooki” from MTV’s “Jersey Shore”, snagged just under $10,000 for two club appearances on Thursday and Friday in Western New York.

According to three different sources, speaking to “The Ralphie Radio Show” on the condition of anonymity, Snooki appeared early Friday morning at Whiskey River, a night club in Niagara Falls, NY. Patrons were charged up to $25 at the door for admission. The reality show star didn’t arrive until approximately 1:30 a.m., only showing face to the crowd for around 15 minutes. The appearance made her $5,000 richer.

Bars close in Niagara Falls at 2 a.m. on Thursday. Earlier in the evening, Snooki made a guest appearance at a teen night in nearby Rochester. The promoter, who was in charge of making sure Polizzi made the hour and a half commute, blamed the tardiness on inclimate weather.

The following night, Snooki hosted a party at Pure Nightclub, located in downtown Buffalo. Polizzi danced with friends and hosted a “best abs” contest. Although her appearance lasted about two hours, Snooki stayed at the nightclub until 4 a.m., which is last call in Buffalo, dancing and drinking with friends in a V.I.P. area.

Snooki flew cross country later that morning, arriving in Los Angeles to co-host MTV’s red carpet coverage of The Grammy's on Sunday.

TMZ'S DAX: 'Jersey Shore' Cast Starting to Fold

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TMZ's Dax tells The RRS that at least two cast members from season one of MTV's "Jersey Shore" will return.

Read more here.
Catch Dax on TMZ TV, local listings here.

EXCLUSIVE: Omarion Says He'll Be The Simon Of MTV's ABDC; Admits He Was Originally Slated For "Bedrock" Hook

During a check-in to “The Ralphie Radio Show” – Omarion revealed that he was originally on the hook of Young Money’s “Bedrock” – until he chose to leave YM.

“I actually wrote a hook, that’s true,” said Omarion, whose third solo LP, Ollusion, is in stores now. “I would’ve enjoyed to be on a record that is, you know, as successful as that record right now, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

Omarion does not have any regrets regarding his time with Young Money, and says there is no bad blood between him and the crew.

“When things are meant to be, they happen,” he said. “They don’t stutter-step, they don’t almost happen, they happen.”
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Part 1: Mentors, Ollusion and illusions about his life

Part 2: Pharrell, "Speedin'", Young Money

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Much has happened for the R&B crooner since the beginning of 2010. Ollusion dropped a few weeks ago, and now MTV tapped Omarion to replace Shane Sparks as a judge on “America’s Best Dance Crew”.

“I would call myself, something like, a ‘Simon’,” said the singer, comparing his style to of course that of “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell. “It’s gonna go down.”

Speaking of Idols though – Omarion talked about artists that he looks up to. With Ollusion a play-on-words from the illusion that some people have with his life, O credits his family, friends, and past experiences in being able to keep his own personal life on the "DL".

“I really look up to Pharrell (Williams),” said Omarion – citing the artist/producer as not just a “genius”, but a friend. “He gives me really, really super advice.”

EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: The Ring A.J. McLean Gave To His Fiance

As you may or may not know by now, Backstreet Boys singer A.J. McLean proposed to his girlfriend, Rochelle Karidis, on stage at a Las Vegas night club earlier this month. The Ralphie Radio Show obtained this photo of the engagement ring given to Karidis:

McLean previously described the ring to MTV News:

"It is a square head with princess-cut diamonds surrounding and a one-carat diamond in the center and there's also about 20 or 25 princess-cut diamonds on the actual band," he said.

No date has been set for the wedding.

MTV NEWS' SHAHEEM REID: Lil Wayne Working On Tha Carter VI

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MTV News reporter Shaheem Reid called in to "The Ralphie Radio Show" last week to chat about footage posted on mtvnews.com of Lil Wayne from a new DVD entitled, “The Nino Brown Story, Pt. 2.” The footage is unprecedented – showing the rapper as his fans have never seen him… laughing in the vocal booth, chatting in the mixing room, hanging out in his New Orleans home.
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Check out MTV News here.
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After chopping it up about the DVD, which hits stores January 22, I asked Reid what new music we could expect from Wayne before he heads to prison next month. I also inquired about a possible release date for Tha Carter IV.

“I talked to Wayne, and he’s already on Carter VI,” revealed Reid. “It just depends on what music he wants to release.”

The reporter – who visited Scranton to cover the kickoff of Weezy’s summer tour at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain – says Wayne will be in prison for 8 to 12 months, and that there’s a chance the we could begin hearing material from the album while he’s away.

Lil Wayne Doin' His Thang

Loving this candid footage of Weezy F. Baby recording in-studio... read more about it here.

EXCLUSIVE: We The Kings Release "Smile Kid", Live Like Rock Stars

We The Kings found out first hand that there are many benefits to rock stardom. Apparently one of those is that if you’re in the band, you’re never stuck with the bill… even if you ruin bed sheets in a New York hotel for three consecutive nights.

“It was crazy, we kept waking up and there were smiley faces everywhere,” explained front man Travis Clark – who referred to the new tattoos that each band member got – the smiley face that graces the cover of WTK’s latest LP, Smile Kid. The ink was fresh, and the boys from Bradenton, Florida found themselves in the Big Apple promoting the new album. Even Clark became a little skeptical of how the situation would play out with the hotel.
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“I was just like, ‘Dude, they’re not gonna give us any more sheets,’ because we’ve literally ruined every one of them,” admitted the lead singer. “We probably ruined four beds (worth of sheets)… three nights in a row.”

But according to Clark – the mishap didn’t cost the band a dime. He admitted that usually a check or tab is the one thing WTK does not have to worry about.

We The Kings chatted with The Ralphie Radio Show before year’s end – the band’s fourth appearance on The RRS this year, leading all other artists. Chris Daughtry placed second with three guest spots.

Lady GaGa Relates To Yankees Closer Mariano Rivera

As if I didn't need another reason to play her music more on the show...

MTV Shows

TMZ'S LESLIE HARRIS: Jersey Shore's Advertising Woes

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The advertisers of Jersey Shore are jumping aboard and off ship faster than you can say, "hair gel." TMZ's Leslie Harris elaborated.

Catch Leslie on TMZ TV - Local listings here.

EXCLUSIVE: Sean Paul on Kanye's Hennessy, Marijuana Legalization

Most celebrities might not take working the red carpet of events as serious as others – walking through quickly, avoiding the media, briefly posing for photographers, and heading inside to the event. For Jamaican dance hall king Sean Paul, this is far from the case.

“Everybody always asks me, ‘What do you like about these events (while I’m on the red carpet)?’ I’m like, ‘The networking!’” Paul said last week – calling in to The Ralphie Radio Show from Jamaica.

In Paul’s case, he’s converted two different red carpet meet-ups in to big studio collaborations. Over the summer, he met Keri Hilson on the red carpet of the BET Awards. The two would duet for a track called “Hold My Hand” – which can be found on the iTunes version of Imperial Blaze. Now the singers will meet again – in Wilkes-Barre on November 13. 97 BHT and E&R Entertainment present Sean Paul, Keri Hilson, and Colby O’Donis at the Wachovia Arena.

“She gon’ be on the show, so I dunno what’s gonna happen there,” Paul teased, hinting to a possible on-stage performance of the track from the both of them. “Yo, I’m looking forward to it. I’m really, really looking forward to that.”

Sean Paul also converted another awards show meet-up in to a possible hit record – he first met Jay Sean at the MTV VMA’s this past September. Shortly after, the two headed in to the studio to record, “Do You Remember” – the follow-up single to Jay Sean’s “Down”, which features Lil Wayne.

“(Jay Sean) was like, ‘Yo, I like your music!’ and was like, ‘Yo, I ain’t heard all of yours, but I liked the first single that I heard and listen, let’s do something.’”

Lil Jon also cameos on the track – which features two British artists. Jay Sean is from England – and Sean Paul’s grandmother is from overseas as well.
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Part 1: Wachovia Arena/Nov. 13, Keri Hilson, Jay Sean, Red Carpets, KanYe West

Part 2: Legalization of Marijuana

More on the big show here.
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While Sean Paul recorded a potential hit record thanks to a VMA encounter, he also avoided a potential disaster – as he ran in to his friend KanYe West on the red carpet as well.

“(West) gave me some of that Hennessey,” revealed Paul. “I’m just glad I didn’t take more of that.”

Immediately after West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech, Paul knew the alcohol played a role.

“I’ve been there before,” said Paul. “I know that feeling.”

Perhaps this is just more fuel to Sean Paul’s fire (no pun intended, here) in his argument that marijuana should be legalized. The singer of such tracks as “Gimme Di Light” and “We Be Burnin’ (Legalize It)” – Paul thinks that alcohol does much more hard to society than the illegal substance.

“Last time I drank, was one month ago dude. I was on the ground for like, a half hour,” Paul recounted. “You can take it for your own judgment. I’ve been doing what (President) Obama is not against for longest time, and I ain’t been on no carpet’s on the ground for a half hour.”

Paul also cited the overpopulation in America’s prisons as a reason he’d like to see marijuana legalized by the President, who has already said that the drug isn’t a priority for the administration at the moment.

EXCLUSIVE: Justin Bieber, Your Typical 15 Year Old... Almost

From the outset, Justin Bieber seems like your typical 15 year-old. He doodles on his own photos, cracks jokes with band mates, and will at times refuse to listen to anyone older than him. Getting ready to walk on stage at The Mall at Steamtown, he hops on his record label rep’s back, only to crash his head in to a door sill. Leaving the mall, in an attempt to retrieve his fallen hat, his ankle is stepped on by a fan, but of course, he tries not to let on to his staff, which laughs at him as he hobbles around, that its bothering him.

But a quick look at what the Canadian-born heart throb accomplished this past year, and “typical” will quickly become the furthest adjective from your mind.

Bieber performed last Thursday exclusively for 97 BHT listeners inside The Mall at Steamtown. Usher signed the teenage crooner to a deal after watching some of his YouTube videos – the most famous being Bieber’s cover of Chris Brown’s “With You”. But Usher wasn’t the only A-lister trying to court the 15 year-old.

“Well, what happened was, it was in Las Vegas. And it was Justin Timberlake in the red corner, it was Usher in the blue corner, and I’m pretty sure it was a technical knockout,” joked Bieber before he performed for almost 1,200 people inside the mall. I asked if Usher offered that much more than Timberlake, to which Bieber replied, “No, uhm… it was a technical knockout.”
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Now with the upcoming release of his debut LP, My World, Bieber sports an enthusiastic fan base throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as two hits charted in the Top 30. Just a few weeks ago he popped up on NBC’s “The Today Show”, and who could forget his cameo at the MTV Video Music Awards? Yes, the 15 year-old had the daunting task of introducing Taylor Swift’s performance, immediately after KanYe West interrupted the starlet’s acceptance speech on stage. Bieber witnessed the fiasco from the stage, and then went on to offer impromptu kudos to Swift on-air, before introducing her.

“I don’t think as a new artist, or anybody, really goes off topic of like, what they’re supposed to say on the teleprompter,” Bieber noted. “I kinda took a risk… having to introduce Taylor Swift on top of that was kinda scary, but I mean, she’s amazing. She’s a really nice girl so, I was honored to be able to introduce her.”

Bieber was also honored to take part in Kidd Kraddick In The Morning’s “Band Camp.” For a week straight, the singer joined the morning show to help a group of kids form a band. Bieber notes that he enjoyed the experience, but in typical 15 year-old fashion, did have one complaint.

“The only crappy part was I had to wake up at like 5 in the morning, every single day,” Bieber said. He uses his iPhone as an alarm – and also as a way to connect with his fans. The same day he performed at the mall, uStream, a web site that allows for live web video chatting, sent Bieber an iPhone application that allows him to stream live video to the web site.

“I just got it today,” Bieber said, still kinda taken aback that uStream would send him the app before it makes it available to the general public. “But like, it’s cool that I can uStream from my phone.”

Bieber will then send the uStream link out to his Twitter followers, all 300,000 plus.

“I don’t know why (I have that many followers),” he joked. “I’m not that cool.”

EXCLUSIVE: Meet Tamar Kaprelian

You know the premise by now – budding, raw talent builds following through social networking site, catches the eye of someone important, lands a record deal. Sean Kingston reached out to J.R. Rotem on MySpace, and then found the Island singer I-Yaz. MySpace is the same site that helped the career of Colbie Caillat. Priscilla Renea and Esmee Denters were both YouTube sensations before catching the eyes and ears of Capitol Records and Justin Timberlake, respectively.

Thing is, the story is becoming more and more common. While all the aforementioned artists have or are receiving airplay on mainstream radio – there are still others, waiting in the wings, with much more than a webcam to promote their talent.

Enter Tamar Kaprelian.

The 23 year-old wrote, played, and sang for six years. She eventually decided YouTube might be the best outlet to perform, connect, and network until she could get discovered. Then in March of 2008, Kaprelian won an online contest for her cover of OneRepublic’s “Apologize.” Soon after, the band’s record label, Interscope, signed Tamar to a deal.
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Almost two years later, Kaprelian will release her first LP, slated for February 2010. Tamar has split her time in the past 18 months between touring, writing, and charity work: the singer is just finishing a 30-day, 30-city tour for Feeding America. Kaprelian joined forces with the likes of David Arquette and The Cheesecake Factory for “Drive Out Hunger”, raising soup donations for the needy. After performing Saturday night in New York City, Kaprelian woke up at her usual 4 a.m. for the next stop – Edison, NJ. This is where I met up with her – to chat about the soup drive and the music projects – amidst the Menlo Park Mall – which echoed with the chants and cheers of caffeine-fueled workers accepting donations.

“I worked for Cheesecake Factory before I signed with Interscope,” revealed Kaprelian. “They’ve been so supportive of my music, and of my career, and so they asked me to get involved with this charity, and I said of course.”
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Part 1: Feeding America/Cheesecake Factory, OneRepublic Contest, YouTube


Part 2: "The Hills", Armenian Heritage, Forthcoming LP

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The tour provides Kaprelian with quite the change of perspective. As we sat in an almost empty restaurant, people who worked a job she once held scurried about around us, setting tables and preparing for open.

“It is very surreal, but I feel very blessed,” Kaprelian said. At two different points during the interview, a server mistook us for two customers. Each time, Kaprelian stopped and thanked the person for attempting to wait on us, before informing them that we were just in the restaurant to take refuge from the noisy chambers of the mall.

Kaprelian wraps up the food drive on October 1, and then heads back to Los Angeles. She’s already worked on two tracks for the LP with OneRepublic front man Ryan Tedder – one of which Tamar reveals is a duet with label mate and All-American Rejects lead singer Tyson Ritter.

“It’s gonna be a cool record… he’s so talented,” Kaprelian said of her time working with Ritter. The collaboration wasn’t her first encounter with AAR – she sang backup for the group on “Ellen”, “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, and “The Tonight Show.”

Butch Walker also contributes to the project, which is yet to be titled. Kaprelian seems to be mulling over three options – Delicate Soul, It Is What It Is, or Sinner Or Saint.

The title may not be chosen, but the first single is: Kaprelian confirmed that “New Day” will be the lead song from the album. The track gained notoriety when MTV featured it in the last scene of Season 5 on “The Hills” – the track served as Lauren Conrad’s swan song. Kaprelian told me that she knew it’d be in the finale, but had no clue as to how and when it would be heard.

“You hope (the song is) at the end,” said Kaprelian. “I was over the moon. We were in the sitting room, and my entire family and I were watching it, and it was just such a great moment.”

Tamar was born in Arizona and also raised in Georgia. Like me, she is proudly of Armenian descent. I even learned something during the interview: apparently Gwen Stefani is also Armenian.

“Family is important to us,” Kaprelian said. “(My family has been) beyond supportive. They’re really happy for me. I think they’re just proud that I get to do what I love to do every day.”

With the recent addition of a third song to iTunes, a radio promo tour set for January, and an LP to follow – the Kaprelian’s will have much to be supportive for, as Tamar will be doing what she loves on a daily basis for the foreseeable future.