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'This is my favorite place in the mother----in' world!' Drizzy declares.
By Maurice Bobb

Drake
Photo: MTV News

HOUSTON — Drake's ties to Houston run deep. It was the city made famous by Rap-a-Lot Records, the Geto Boys, UGK, DJ Screw and a litany of chopped-and-screwed odes to purple syrup that sired, cultivated and ultimately catapulted the Toronto native into the stratosphere of chart-topping, award-winning artists, so it was only fitting that the MC born Aubrey Graham would pour more of his heart and soul into Thursday night's Toyota Center performance, an earmarked leg on his mammoth Club Paradise Tour.

Before Drizzy took the stage for his nearly two-hour set, he was preceded by a coterie of hip-hop radio fixtures: French Montana, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Waka Flocka Flame and J. Cole. Each artist was allotted an average of 30 minutes to run through their budding catalog of hits as the crowd — an amalgamation of ages, races and backgrounds — filed into the expansive arena to see the YMCMB MC.

Dressed in a simple black T-shirt and jeans — sans garish bejeweled pendant, necklace or watch — and backed by a five-piece band, the Canadian spitter took the stage just before 10 p.m., bursting with nostalgia and reverence for H-Town.

"I love Toronto, but this (Houston) is my favorite place in the mother----in' world!" he declared.

Drake jumpstarted the throng with last year's undisputed summer anthem, "I'm on One," before igniting the crowd with the Weeknd-assisted "Crew Love" from his critically and commercially successful sophomore opus, Take Care.

In between sips of mystery drank from a grande-sized Styrofoam cup, Drake bounced across the stage like a whirling dervish, looking as if he were unchained from the restrictions and restraints of the criticism he's faced since solidifying his brand of moody, self-reflective braggadocio in the hardened, self-policing pantheon of hip-hop.

Songs like "She Will" and "Up All Night" flowed from the multiplatinum MC's happy place like an unrelenting wave crashing on a sandy beach. Drake was having so much fun onstage he felt compelled to share it with his co-stars.

"Every n---a you wanna hear is right f---ing here!" Drake said before bringing out 2 Chainz for the newly released banger "No Lie." The record has yet to gain the kind of traction it deserves, but one thing is clear: You haven't heard "No Lie" until you've heard it in a live arena setting.

Next up was Waka Flocka, whose high-energy flow on "Round of Applause" was punctuated by pyrotechnics on the "Baby make that ass clap" refrain.

Drizzy briefly put his parade of guest stars on hold to offer up his current crossover hit "Take Care" before Meek Mill stepped into the cypher for "House Party" and "I'm a Boss." The biggest surprise — literally and figuratively — of the night emerged from stage right to thunderous applause: Rick Ross. The Teflon Don and French Montana joined Drake and Meek Mill for the first-ever all-hands-on-deck live performance of "Stay Schemin" from Rozay's groundbreaking mixtape Rich Forever.

Drake's growth as a live performer was evident as he took time to single out fans for various compliments, comments and jokes, making 15,000 fans feel as though they were in a small, intimate venue meant for 1,500. Drizzy crooned and pandered to the shrieking females in the audience as a prelude to "Make Me Proud," but the exuberant pirouettes and middle-fingered Mazel tovs were back with "HYFR" and "The Motto."

The only blemish on the evening came when a young fan managed to hop onstage ala Lil Mama before being promptly removed by herculean security guards. "Shout out to that f--- ass n---a that ran onstage," Drake said. "He probably getting his ass beat right now."

To close out his set, Drizzy thanked the fans for their unyielding support and offered up the defiantly brazen "Headlines," lest there were any haters left in the building — or in the industry, for that matter — "overdosed on confidence" enough to think they can keep Drake from being Drizzy. Because, as he so eloquently put it on this night, Drake doesn't care about what the naysayers have to say: He only cares about making music for his fans.

Have you seen the Club Paradise Tour? Share your review below!

• Drake Kicks Off His Tour In Houston

• Drake

'By the time 'Avengers' is done kicking box-office butt, it will easily be the #3 film of all time,' one box-office expert tells MTV News.
By Fallon Prinzivalli

Mark Ruffalo as The Incredible Hulk in "The Avengers"
Photo: Marvel

"The Avengers" sure did assemble! Marvel's superhero film is still the reigning champion of movie theaters after it smashed box-office records in its first two weeks. Now, it's rising to the top of the worldwide charts, recently staking claim to the ninth spot, passing George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace." It's currently the highest earning film of 2012 domestically, stealing the title from "The Hunger Games," which opened in March.

At present, the Joss Whedon-directed summer flick has raked in more than $1 billion across the globe, and the numbers keep rising. The popularity of the movie is overwhelming, but a few questions still remain. For starters, how high will the film go?

Gitesh Pandya, the editor of Box Office Guru, told MTV News, "I see Avengers climbing up to #4 on the all-time worldwide blockbusters list by the end of this weekend. That would put it at roughly $1.2 billion, which is astounding. It should pass the final 'Harry Potter' to finish its run as #3 all time, which alone is just incredible."

Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations agrees: "By the time 'Avengers' is done kicking box-office butt, it will easily be the #3 film of all time. Only 'Avatar' and 'Titanic' will be left untouched, as James Cameron is a superhero unto himself. Both [films] made history by debuting over the holiday season, where popcorn flicks are few and far between. [And] unfortunately for 'Avengers,' summer blockbusters invade every weekend, and theaters will soon be flooded with competition."

The competition Bock is referring to is obviously Christopher Nolan's final Batman installment. "You know what happens when you leave Batman for dead? He gets angry, rises from the dead and pops you right in the kisser," he said. " 'The Avengers' versus 'The Dark Knight Rises' has all the trappings of a big-time Hollywood drama. Let's face it, 'TDKR' is probably the most anticipated threequel since 'Return of the Jedi.' All bets are off!"

Boxoffice.com's Phil Contrino agrees that Nolan's film could beat out "The Avengers" in the battle for overall domestic earnings, but ultimately won't top the opening weekend or worldwide sales for two reasons. It just doesn't have the widespread family appeal that Captain America and Iron Man brought with them, or the 3-D prices to give it a boost.

With "Battleship" sailing into theaters this weekend, Pandya expects "Avengers" to drop by around 40 percent. "[That will put it in] the neighborhood of $60 million," he said. "That's a great hold for a movie this big."

But as far as Earth's mightiest heroes becoming the highest — or even second-highest — film of all time globally, Contrino doesn't believe it will happen. "When you burn so bright for one weekend, the only place to go is down," he said.

Check out everything we've got on "Marvel's The Avengers."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

• MTV Rough Cut: 'The Avengers'

• 'Avengers' Assemble At Los Angeles Premiere
• 'Avengers'

Critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed Peter Berg's film, giving credit to its entertainment factor.
By Fallon Prinzivalli

Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna in "Battleship"
Photo: Universal Pictures

Many movie fans have been wary as to whether director Peter Berg could successfully pull of "Battleship." Inspired by a Hasbro board game giving no hint of any type of plot, the sci-fi epic follows the adventures of an international Navy fleet when aliens begin to invade earth. As the two forces go to battle, each must rely on a crafty, cunning strategy in order to conquer their enemy. The all-star, insanely attractive cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson and Rihanna, in her movie debut.

While some have written off "Battleship" as a lesser version of "Transformers," critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed the film. They praise the movie for not taking itself too seriously and give credit to its entertainment factor.

The Story
"The surprise, for this veteran of board games, is that Battleship is also the rousing, engaging, and emotionally complex action war picture the silly 2001 action war picture 'Pearl Harbor' only wished it could be. It's 'Pearl Harbor' with greater intelligence, less hokum, and more aliens. For every line of howler dialogue that should have been sunk, there's a nice little scene in which humans have to make a difficult decision. For every stretch of generic sci-fi-via-CGI moviemaking, there's a welcome bit of wit. Under the direction of Peter Berg — the talented, ever-maturing filmmaker behind 'Friday Night Lights' and 'The Kingdom' — 'Battleship' is a sound vessel floating in Hollywood's oil-slick sea of 'Transformers' sequels and vampire riffs." — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

The Cast
"The attractive cast does no more than Berg and the script require, which is very little indeed. After 'John Carter,' Kitsch is still waiting for a film vehicle to make good on the easy, authentic charm he exhibits in TV's 'Friday Night Lights,' though he's physically up to the task here. Fans of pop megastar Rihanna, making her film debut, will be disappointed to find that the role of Raikes may as well be renamed Young Female Demographic for all the pertinence it has to the narrative, but she's a sparky enough presence." — Guy Lodge, Variety

"Kitsch, coming off the super-flop 'John Carter,' soft-pedals the charm, exuding just enough charisma to get by. The striking-looking Skarsgård ('True Blood') is ramrod-straight and impossibly grave throughout, while Decker's expression toggles between blank and very blank." — Megan Lehmann, The Hollywood Reporter

The Special Effects
"Tech credits are all polished, if not as metallically sleek as they would be with a Michael Bay-style craftsman at the helm. Tobias Schliesser's lensing covers the teal-and-orange palette seemingly mandatory for such adventures these days, while Steve Jablonsky's score thumps and drones away with nary a pause, little betraying the presence of rock super-producer Rick Rubin and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello on the music team. The bulk of the attention in this evidently expensive production has been lavished on Industrial Light & Magic's typically immaculate effects, which are firmly in the "Transformers" mold stylistically, with the added challenge of water simulation. That such state-of-the-art creations have been used to realize a story whose climax hinges on a true-life WWII battleship, USS Missouri, outlasting its newer, shinier rivals is an irony probably lost on all involved." — Lodge

The Final Word
"The creative team behind this ocean-bound thriller decided to fill the narrative black hole with a few ingredients all but absent from today's summer tent poles — namely mystery, nostalgia and a healthy dose of humility. Just as blockbusters have made the hard turn towards fantasy heroes who solemnly go about their business in high-def-but-low-impact 3D cage matches, Battleship is an unapologetically goofy, surprisingly enigmatic, refreshingly self-deprecating deviation from the norm. I hesitate to confess that I had more fun here than I did at 'The Avengers,' because low expectations surely had a lot to do with it, but it's the truth. Heck, I'd pay to see the thing again." — Steven James Snyder, TIME Magazine

Are you planning on seeing "Battleship"? Let us know in the comments!

Check out everything we've got on "Battleship."

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

• MTV Rough Cut: 'Battleship'
• MTV First: Battleship

• 'Battleship'

U2 singer has more than two-percent stake in Facebook, worth $1.5 billion.
By Gil Kaufman

Bono
Photo: ShowBizIreland/ Getty Images

Talk about a "Beautiful Day." Once the smoke clears from Friday's (May 18) Facebook IPO
, U2 singer Bono could be the richest musician on the planet.

According to England's NME, the already flush, tech-savvy
 Irish rock icon owns 2.3 percent of the shares of Facebook through his investment group, Elevation Partners. Well before Facebook filed papers to go public, Elevation paid $90 million for the shares in 2009 and after what is expected to be the second-biggest IPO in history, Bono's share could be worth more than $1.5 billion.

With a gang of records
 already in pocket, the one-day take could give the singer bragging rights of a different sort as well. If the calculations are correct (a spokesperson for the band could not be reached by MTV News at press time for confirmation) then Bono would surpass former Beatle Paul McCartney as the world's richest rock star. McCartney's vast fortune is estimated to be around $1.05 billion.

NME also reported that U2 are said to be working the songwriters behind British boy band One Direction, including Swedish pop writer Carl Falk, who wrote the group's breakthrough hit, "What Makes You Beautiful."

An unnamed source told the magazine, "The band are back in the studio getting a feel for new material after the last album 'No Line On The Horizon'. Will.i.am had a credit on that and they are looking to explore that direction further. They have been working with Danger Mouse
 and RedOne. They are excited about getting to work with Carl Falk."

U2 have also logged studio time with EDM star David Guetta
 on songs for one of three new albums
 they've been talking about releasing.

• The Diary Of Facebook

• Bono

Famously battling band has put hold on all dates after June 26.
By Gil Kaufman

Van Halen
Photo: Getty Images

Longtime Van Halen fans know that buying a ticket to one of their tours is like playing Powerball: sometimes you hit the jackpot and see one of the greatest rock bands on Earth tear it up and rip your face off with classic tunes. But, other times you come up empty-handed.

That's probably how a number of die-hards were feeling on Thursday when a number of the band's summer tour dates
 were unexpectedly postponed. According to VH's website there are currently no active tour dates past a June 26 gig in New Orleans. No explanation was given for why dozens of additional dates after the June gig were postponed and MTV News could not reach a spokesperson for the band at press time.

According to CNN, the postponements affect 31 dates on the tour in support of the band's first album of new material with original singer David Lee Roth
 in 1983, A Different Kind of Truth
. The postponed shows were to take place from July 7 through September 25. Among the cities affected are Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Memphis, Cincinnati, Portland, Salt Lake City, Austin and Milwaukee.

The reunion tour with Roth kicked off on February 18 and has played in 31 arenas since that date. No information about whether refunds will be provided for the postponed dates or if they will be rescheduled was available at press time.

The disappearance of the dates immediately prompted speculation that the famously battling members of VH were fighting again. Citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the tour, Rolling Stone reported that the group's members "hate each other" and that, "the band is arguing like mad. They are fighting."

• Van Halen