Earlier this summer, Oprah joined Jay-Z as he returned to his childhood home in Brooklyn’s tough Marcy Housing Projects. The Queen of Talk got the hip-hop head honcho to open up about his days as a 13-year-old crack dealer, his use of the N-word, and life as Beyonce’s permanent armpiece.

Check out some highlights of their chat in the new October issue of O Magazine, on newsstands Sept. 15.

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Hip-hop fans can check out Jay-Z’s new video “Run This Town” when it premieres on MTV this afternoon. The video, which was directed by Anthony Mandler, features Jay’s former producer Kanye West and his singing protege Rihanna.

The trio is scheduled to perform the single on the first episode of NBC’s The Jay Leno Show next month.

The video was shot at the historic Fort Trotten Park in Queens, New York — which was selected because Mandler wanted a European feel without leaving American soil.

Rock It or Drop It?

Police had to be called after one of Jay-Z and Beyonce’s burly bruisers went bananas on Croatian paps, who were eagerly trying to snap photographs of the couple’s romantic evening out in Dubrovnik on Wednesday.

The bodyguard allegedly punched and kicked 57-year-old Dragon Banovic after warning him not to film the couple.

Brooke Hogan is currently on promo tour for her sophomore album, The Redemption — which sold approximately 12 copies when it debuted last month. The beach-weathered blonde’s latest stop brought her to Radio Planet TV, where she shot the breeze with DJ Whoo Kid — and fired shots at hip-hop heavyweight Jay-Z, as well as pop rivals Heidi Montag and Cassie.

Brooke Hogan on Cassie’s Nude Vag Shots: “Don’t Show It If It’s Not Right. It’s All Stretched Out”

Meow!

“D.O.A.” rapper Jay-Z and nine-time VMA nominee Lady Gaga will join Green Day, Pink, Taylor Swift, and Muse as performers at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, airing live Sunday, Sept. 12 @ 9PM, the network revealed in a statement Wednesday.

Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno will roll out the red carpet for hip-hop royality on his new comedy show. Jay-Z will perform with Rihanna and Kanye West on the inaugural night of Jay’s new primetime series The Jay Leno, premiering September 14, Access Hollywood has learned.

The group will perform “Run This Town,” featured on Jay-Z’s long-awaited album The Blueprint 3, dropping September 11

Some of the most eagerly-awaited albums of the summer have been delayed, including Mariah Carey’s Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Last Train to Paris, and Lil Wayne’s debut rock and roll album, Rebirth.

Memoirs, which was first slated for an August 25 release via Island Def Jam, will now be available September 15. According to the Universal Music Group website, Carey’s new single, “Obsessed,” is at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week.

A new date has not yet been scheduled for Rebirth. In an interview with MTV News last week, Diddy confessed that he was pushing back his album’s release to avoid competition with hip-hop heavyweights Jay-Z and Drake.

If you want Jay-Z to play at your event, you’d better have some good peanut butter and jelly! The Smoking Gun has obtained a copy of Jay’s rider for a University of Arizona show last April, and the legendary lyricist had a boatload of interesting demands.

Jay pocketed a cool $750,000 for the gig, but he also wanted a late-model black Maybach, a 72 degree dressing room stocked with beer, vodka, tequila, two bottles of $300 champagne, and “Good Quality” PB&J.

Spencer Pratt’s taking this “rap” thing a bit too far.

As if it wasn’t bad enough when Heidi and Spencer were murdering pop hits, now the terrible twosome officially known as Mr. & Mrs. Pratt have set their sights on becoming the ‘”09 Hov & B.” In fact, Spencer is convinced that his new wife has the vocal chops to out belt Sasha Fierce in a singing contest.

Complex: You also said, “I’m like the white Jay-Z.” Would you consider Heidi the white Beyoncé?

Spencer Pratt: A little bit more than the white Beyoncé. Beyoncé had to be built by a group like Destiny’s Child, but Heidi shines solo. I’ll actually give you an exclusive: I could guarantee you Speidi’s [Spencer and Heidi's] “Bonnie & Clyde” version is going to stunt on Jay and B’s version.

Is he talking about the same Heidi Montag that is responsible for the calamity known as “Blackout?”

It’s really too bad that these two didn’t come down with a mild case of the swine flu when they were honeymooning in Mexico last month– at least that would have kept them indoors for a while.

“I think I’m the future of hip-hop. You know, I feel bad for saying that,” Spencer added. “That’s unfortunate, but that’s a fact. You can’t compare my model of hip-hop with what I’m about to come out with versus anything in the game. You know I’ll take the Diddy route. I’m not a lyrical MC, I’m just like Diddy. Look what it did for him? He is still balling…”

For More Side-Splitting Quotes On Spencer’s New Rap Career, Visit Complex.com

Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z avoids any mention of his bride Beyonce in a newly-released cover story for the April issue of Best Life Magazine.

“I’m hungry for knowledge. The whole thing is to learn every day, to get brighter and brighter. That’s what this world is about.”