Freddie Gibbs Is Tough Candidate For Hottest Breakthrough MC

Gangsta Gibbs' mixtapes earned him a deal with Young Jeezy and a spot on MTV News' 2011 Hottest Breakthrough list — vote now!
By Nadeska Alexis


Freddie Gibbs
Photo: Getty Images/ MTV News

When Freddie Gibbs joined Sway on "RapFix Live" in September, the Gary, Indiana, native was firm in insisting that he would never stray from the deeply lyrical gangster rap that fans now expect from him. His recent deal with Young Jeezy's CTE label bolstered his efforts and kept the spotlight on his releases this year, earning him a nomination for MTV News' Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2011.

Despite a fizzled deal with Interscope Records in 2007, Gibbs (born Frederick Tipton) continued his rise to lyrical prominence by dropping popular mixtapes, including 2009's The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs and Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik. The success of those two mixtapes landed him a spot on XXL's 2010 Freshman cover, but that was only the beginning for Gangsta Gibbs.

The 29-year-old rapper continued his manic music run, releasing the independent EP Str8 Killa No Filla via Decon Records in 2010, and in April he made his biggest career move thus far, inking a new deal with Young Jeezy's CTE (Corporate Thugz Entertainment).

Besides teaming up with the Snowman on singles like "Run DMC" and "Do It for You," Gibbs put in some extra time in the lab, turning out his mixtape Cold Day in Hell in October. The project showcased his growth, with standout cuts including "Anything to Survive" and "Menace II Society" and a slew of guest features from Freeway, Jeezy, Juicy J and 2 Chainz.

Major label or not, don't expect Gibbs to soften the content of his material anytime soon. "I wanna be taboo. I want your parents to not want my music in your iPod," Gibbs told MTV News. "I want your mom to be scared of what I'm talking about because it's so real." His fellow contenders for Hottest Breakthrough MC should probably be scared too.

Hottest Breakthrough MCs was established by MTV News in 2010 as a fan-driven initiative that spotlights, celebrates and cultivates new talent. MTV News chose a pool of young rappers and urged fans to vote for their favorite. When it was all said and done, Wiz Khalifa emerged as the Hottest Breakthrough of last year. The competition was tough, but the Taylor Gang General beat out runner-up Nicki Minaj, ATL group Travis Porter, Diggy Simmons and J. Cole. This year, you can vote for Machine Gun Kelly (or your favorite up-and-comer) over at RapFix.MTV.com, and be sure to check back for daily updates and poll results.

Each day, we'll spotlight a new Hottest Breakthrough MC before we conclude on December 13 when the polls close at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2011 Hottest Breakthrough MC will be revealed during December 14's "RapFix Live," during which the winner will appear as our in-studio guest. There will also be a special announcement about MTV News' upcoming Hottest MCs in the Game list and debate.

To be considered a Hottest Breakthrough MC, an artist cannot have released a major-label full-length album. Finalists from 2010's Hottest Breakthrough MCs poll will not be eligible for 2011 consideration, so unfortunately, Diggy Simmons and Travis Porter won't be part of this conversation.

Who do you think should be 2011 Hottest Breakthrough MC? Share your picks in the comments!

Stick with MTV News as we profile the 2011 Hottest Breakthrough MCs before announcing the winner December 13 on "RapFix Live" — vote now!

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Zac Efron, Jessica Biel, More Hit 'New Year's Eve' Debut

'You're hungry, you're like, 'My back's sore,' ' Biel jokes to MTV News of symptoms of wearing a baby bump in Gary Marshall flick.
By Christina Garibaldi


Zac Efron
Photo: MTV News

On Wednesday, the cast of "New Year's Eve," Gary Marshall's latest ensemble flick, gathered at New York City's Ziegfeld Theatre for a Tribeca Film Institute benefit in celebration of the star-studded film's release. The follow-up to the director's box-office hit "Valentine's Day" has a similar theme: multiple plotlines told in a series of vignettes.

MTV News hit the black carpet, where we caught up with castmembers, including Zac Efron, who revealed to us that veteran actress Michelle Pfeiffer had a lot to do with convincing him to take on the part.

"It was great," Efron told MTV News of working with Pfeiffer. "I remember the first time I met her was on 'Hairspray,' and she's Michelle Pfeiffer — she had that aura, star aura — so I was always very nervous around her; [she's] very beautiful.

"We never really got the chance to connect on that movie," he explained of the 2007 musical. "So on this film, I remember I got a voicemail from her, and she said, 'Look, I would love to do this if you want to do it, and I want to take it to the next level.' And I'm like, 'I'm in 1,000 percent, and I love you so much, thank you so much for that voicemail. I can't wait, let's do it!' And here we are. It was a dream come true."

And Marshall seems to have made another dream come true for young actor Jake T. Austin, who has his first big-screen kiss in the flick with co-star Abigail Breslin. "We met each other hours before," Austin told us. "It was more like, 'Hi, nice to meet you, you ready?' But it was not that awkward, it was cool."

"It wasn't that awkward because we kinda didn't treat it like a big deal," Breslin added. "He was very sweet, he was a gentleman. It all went well. We just kinda treated it like it was no big deal."

Jessica Biel also hit the black carpet in a stunning, shimmery Valentino gown, a far different look than what she sports in the movie.

"I actually kind of enjoyed it," Biel said of wearing a baby bump for her pregnant character. "It was a strange thing. I didn't think I was going to feel as comfortable as I did with it. When you put that thing on, you start to rock with it: You're rubbing it. You're like, 'Wow this is not so bad after all.' You're hungry, you're like, 'My back's sore' — no, its not, you're faking it — but you still feel that these symptoms are happening to you, it just felt really natural."

Will you see "New Year's Eve"? Let us know in the comments.

Check out everything we've got on "New Year's Eve."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Rebecca Taylor Store Opening Draws Hollywood's Hotties

Celebrities and fashion go hand-in-hand, and last night (December 7) the Rebecca Taylor Robertson Store Opening party was rife with famous faces.

The owner/designer herself was spotted rubbing elbows with folks like Emmy Rossum, Rashida Jones, and Emma Roberts.

And Hollywood hotties like Kristin Cavallari, Carmen Electra, Kristen Bell, and Kaley Cuoco all made appearances to see what all the fuss was about.

For the occasion, Ms. Taylor enlisted Kristen Bell, Jessica Alba, Rashida Jones, and Selena Gomez to design their own canvas totes with the slogan, “RT Hearts LA.”

Miss Jones explained, “I wanted to keep the bag simple so that it’s easy to wear, but I also wanted it to be consistent with Rebecca’s aesthetic, so I added small patched details and rope trim to give it that RT touch.”

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LMFAO and Nicki Minaj Added to Dick Clark’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Line-up

You may not know where you want to celebrate New Year’s Eve yet, but whether you get stuck indoors, plan to stay home, or just like to party with the tv on in the background, you probably turn the channel to Dick Clark’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’, which recently added Nicki Minaj and LMFAO to [...]

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Ali Larter & Theodore: Mommy & Me Mavens

Obsessed actress Ali Larter was snapped toting her son nearly 1-year-old son Theodore as they made their way to a mommy and me class in Los Angeles, Calif. on Wedneday (December 7, 2011).

The mommy/son duo looked like they were ready for a day of playing together! Ali looked beautiful in a pair of jeans, ivory turtle neck and an interesting necklace while baby Teddy went shoeless for the event.

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