Funkmaster Flex is bringing his love of cars back to television for the second season of ‘Funk Flex’s Full Throttle,’ airing on MTV 2.
The Hot 97 radio personality and avid car enthusiast, will utilize his hip-hop rolodex for the upcoming season, interviewing the likes of 50 Cent, Jim Jones, Rick Ross, Fabolous and Nicki Minaj about their luxury rides. In addition to rappers’ car talk, fans will also see Flex’s complete interview with New York Knicks baller Amare Stoudemire about his “off-the-court passion for upgraded rides.”
Flex and the ‘Full Throttle’ team will give viewers a bird-eye view of the latest in muscle cars by way of the New York International Autoshow, and showcase the completion of their own customization projects. This season, Flex and his team has been asked to customize a 2011 Ford Mustang, which will be featured in a car racing video game.
Until June 26, fans can sign on to fullthrottle.mtv2.com to enter in the 2011 Funk Flex Full Throttle Give Away for a chance to win a 2011 Ford Mustang.
‘Funk Flex’s Full Throttle’ premieres May 8 at 1:30PM EST.
Nicki Minaj has been keeping busy since the release of her platinum debut Pink Friday, but she’s managed to find some time in her hectic schedule to listen to other artists’ music. The Young Money diva, who is currently on the “I Am Music II” tour with Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Travis Barker, shared who’s buzzing in her ear.
“I listen to Beyoncé, I listen to Rihanna, I listen to Kanye, and of course Lil Wayne,” she said on set of her Elle magazine photo shoot. “Of course Drake. I listen to a lot of gospel music. I listen to Cyndi Lauper, Avril Lavigne… I just bought a whole bunch of reggae like Mavado and Lady Saw and Beenie Man.”
The Harajuku Barbie also explained that with her recent success, there’s some bad that comes with the good. “To know that I’m ‘making waves,’ it feels good but it gives me a little more pressure. Because before, I would do things without thinking,” she said. “I would do an interview without thinking or wear something without thinking, but it makes me put a lot more thought because now, I know people are going to pick it apart. Whether they love or hate it, people are going to pick it apart.”
As much as fans and the media scrutinize her every move, she knows it’s all part of the job. “It comes with the territory. You want to be one of those females in the business that people want to see what you’re going to wear and what you’re going to do and what you’re going to say,” she continued. “I just take the good with the bad. I cannot complain. I’ve been living my dream, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
After conquering the charts, Nicki Minaj’s next frontier may be television. The Young Money raptress is reportedly in talks with Simon Cowell to be a judge on the U.S. edition of his talent competition “The X Factor.”
The Harajuku Barbie met with Cowell in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, according to Page Six. “Simon thinks Nicki is fantastic. She’s sassy, she looks great, and she has bags of personality,” says a source.
The hip-hop diva’s casting as a judge would help the show appeal to a younger and more diverse audience. “Nicki has a large following and she fits well with the ethos of the show, which plans to usher in a new generation of musical talent,” adds the source. “‘X Factor’ is aiming for a younger audience. Those aged 12 and over can audition, and [the English version has] launched successful artists from other genres of music than pop.”
She is currently touring the country with Lil Wayne and nothing has been finalized. “This isn’t a done deal yet, but Nicki would be great for the show. She fits the ideal that ‘X Factor’ will be exciting, vibrant, and different. And the show would also be great for her career.”
Former Island Def Jam CEO and Chairman L.A. Reid was officially announced as one of the judges for the singing competition, set to premiere this fall on Fox.
Nicki Minaj’s time is now. After turning heads (specifically Lil Wayne’s) with a series of explosive underground mix-tapes, the Queens-bred rapper’s freshman album Pink Friday — which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 — has made her a player to watch in the rap game. From a song-stealing verse on Kanye West’s posse tack “Monster” to a co-headlining gig with Katy Perry on VH1’s Divas, the newly crowned “Queen of Hip-Hop” is everywhere these days. Having already guested on songs for nearly every major act in pop and rap music, Minaj is finally getting her turn in the spotlight. She’s won three BET Hip Hop Awards this year alone and is nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2011 Grammy Awards for her song “My Chick Bad” (with Ludacris). With her signature Barbie-meets-bad-bitch bravado and a clever cocktail of raw sexuality and street cred, Minaj’s appeal is gender blind, a tough feat that few female rappers have been able to achieve. And despite occasional distractions (speculations about her sexuality, a beef with Lil’ Kim), Nicki Minaj is on the verge of establishing herself as one of the greatest (and sexiest) emcees ever.
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Getting a verse from Nicki Minaj is not easy these days, but Jessie J is up to the task. The British singer-songwriter has set her sights on recruiting the in-demand rapper and she’s not stopping until she gets what she wants.
The 22-year-old BRIT Award honoree tried reaching out to the Harajuku Barbie for a remix, but was unsuccessful at first. “I tried to, but I think she’s a busy lady,” she tells Rap-Up.com. “I’d love to have her on my ‘Do It Like a Dude’ [remix] for the U.S., but I like to let things happen organically. I think if she likes it, it’ll happen.”
Now that she’s making a name for herself, Jessie hopes to reignite talks in-person at next month’s Grammy Awards. “I’m a huge fan of hers. I’m just gonna maybe bug her at the Grammys like, ‘Hi, we have the same hair.’ You never know. I’m just gonna keep an open mind and see what happens.”
The stars may align sooner as Nicki visits Jessie’s London hometown this week for her Pink Friday promo tour.