Long before Occupy Wall Street, Italian rappers Zero Plastica gave voice to the plight of the 99% -- the messed up economy, political chicanery, organized crime, lack of opportunity and overwhelming odds stacked against regular people. DJ Nio, Lure, and G.O.Man are activists and moral consciences

In the world of music, the word “cover” invokes thoughts of bad singing and a fuzzy webcam. Yuna, a folk popper from Malaysia, changed our minds with her smooth,...

It could be called reggae time -- a slow unfurling of temporal reality as time as a metronomic concept loses meaning and becomes something more elastic and less measurable.

Calm, collected, and yes, cute. That’s Emicida, the Sao Paulo freestyle king who swept the Brazilian MTV Music Video Awards this year. On a recent trip to NYC, the MC killer and his crew visited East Village Radio for an afternoon, and MTV Iggy was there to capture it all. In an exclusive

They call their sound “psychedelic cumbia,” and we called them a “freight train at full speed” at SXSW...and it’s all...

The debonaire J-rock megastar spent a recent afternoon with MTV Iggy, performing an exclusive acoustic set in New York's elegant Hudson Hotel. Whether bathed in the glow of sunlight or neon light, he never breaks a sweat. He told us he likes seeing people faint at his concerts, which is probably

Aṣa (pronounced “Asha”) was born Bukola Elemide in Paris but grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. When she was fully grown, the...

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Kyoto might not be known for its ghettos and public housing, but the tattooed, bandana-donning MC Anarchy is a product of a lesser known Japanese subculture. Growing up amidst poverty, abandonment by his mother, and alcoholism in his community, Anarchy uses his lyrics as therapy. Through three

Big Bang‘s upcoming Japanese tour, Love & Pain, was supposed to be their long awaited return to the J-Pop scene but it’s now facing opposition from fans. The seven-concert tour is currently scheduled to begin …

KJ, Walter a.k.a. Nyambane, and Tony are three friends who met at Kenyatta Univerity - Nairobi- and have been effectively influencing Kenyan politics via their comedy group Redykyulass. The group focuses on parody acts which aim to criticize past and present politicians in Kenya (Kenyatta, Moi and

We can’t help but sway to Erland & the Carnival’s exclusive performance of the breezy “Nightingale.” As the United Kingdom folk band performs under the string lights of an empty Austin, TX storefront, we want to "fly into the night" too....

Paris-based Nigerian singer-songwriter Asa fascinates us with her quiet, mysterious charisma and deep, colorful voice. We reviewed her concert at The Rockwood and took photos for a slideshow, were simply wowed as she cast a spell over the audience with hits like "Be My Man" from her sophomore album

Anamaria Merino's political activist parents fled the Pinochet regime in Chile, and she grew up a refugee in France. There, she told MTV Iggy in an interview, she discovered hip hop, and the rest was history. When she came back to Chile, she became Ana Tijoux: an MC who is ushering in...

We spent an elegant evening with Paris-based Nigerian singer Asa as she shared her jazz-inflected and uplifting songs in an intimate music venue on Manhattan's Lower East Side. She wowed us and the rest of the audience, who sang along with her hits. The concert was one of only two dates the

The Yellow Dogs may seem right at home at a middle American burger joint, but it took them four long, arduous just years to get a greasy taste. The post-punk foursome risked arrest to rehearse in their home city, Tehran, where rock music is strictly banned. Still, they pressed on, eking out a

USA guitarist Trevor Hall says that reggae rhythm is “so easy to paint over" with other genres. Watch him prove his artistry with a sunny, reggae-infused pop sound during these performances and interview....

Indie rockers Surfer Blood sure love to reference fun-in-the-sun themes...for a bunch of non-surfers from West Palm Beach, Florida! The quintet released their first album Astro Coast and has quickly earned popular acclaim around the globe. Their sound has been compared to Weezer, Pavement and Built

Recent clashes between military forces and protesters can only remind us that the civil unrest in this highly militarized region of South Asia is still a very

Recent clashes between military forces and protesters can only remind us that the civil unrest in this highly militarized region of South Asia is still a very

MTV Act blog celebrates and tell stories of young people, celebrities and organizations taking action to make things better.

Watch free trailers, read the latest news and plot synopsis, and see photos of the cast and crew of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 on MTV.com.

45 million 18-29 year olds will be eligible to vote in the 2012 elections, representing the largest potential voting bloc in the country. Learn more about the issues, register to vote and get involved with MTV's Power of 12. Today, we've got another "Jargon Buster" for you.