Ne-Yo
Gossip

Set to premiere September 13, the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards are coming up. Before you know it, Russell Brand will be on stage ripping the Jonas Brothers.

It's not an event you want to miss.

Below, a number of today's top music stars, which the event theoretically honors, preview the enormous, albeit arbitrary awards with nice promotional photos.

From left, Katy Perry (up for best video for her hit "Hot N Cold"), Cobra Starship (up for best pop video), Taylor Swift (nominated for best video for "You Belong with Me") and Ne-Yo (presenter and best male video nominee for "Miss Independent").

Click to enlarge the photos below ...

Someone as famous - and insane - as Britney Spears can land a guest starring role on a hit sitcom such as How I Met Your Mother.

Other celebrities, however, have to start smaller. Or at least earlier in the day.

Hip hop sensation Ne-Yo, for example, will be appearing on All My Children on May 21 and May 22, performing a couple hits from his latest album on the soap opera. Here's a look at him on set:

Follow the jump on this article, meanwhile, to read about another rising star that will be appearing on a daytime drama...

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This is shaping up to be a record year for celebrity mug shots!

The latest addition to the gallery? Drum roll please... Ne-Yo!

According to TMZ, the R&B singer (real name Shaffer Smith) was popped on February 19 while driving recklessly in Cobb County, Georgia.

He was not under the influence at the time, but Ne-Yo was arrested for reckless driving and for not having a valid license. Off the chain, dog.

He may or many not have been on the run from the Baldness Police ...

Maybe this Ne-Yo mug shot will get him an endorsement deal with Rogaine.

We can only hope this recent arrest doesn't hold Ne-Yo back from more stirring collaborations like his recent duet with Rihanna. My, how that voice moves us.

Britney Spears may not be focused on pants or personal hygiene these days, but she has supposedly been working hard on her new album.

Of huge importance to her comeback is a collaboration with Criss Angel on the opening act for MTV's Video Music Awards, which she previewed to network reps.

That day, Spears was seen entering L.A.'s Alley Kat dance studio with new manager Jeff Kwatinetz, who is working with Brit on a trial basis.

"She's planning it to be a big comeback performance," says a source close to Britney, who adds that the goal is to make it "shocking."

You can pretty much assume she'll be wearing no pants in that case.

One idea that was nixed, however, was Brit performing "My Prerogative" while images of Justin Timberlake, K-Fed and others flashed on a screen behind her.

Meanwhile, R&B singer Ne-Yo has been working on Britney's comeback album... or at least was. He was a big part of it and was asked to write a half a dozen songs for her. But Ne-Yo told Ryan Seacreast on his KIIS-FM radio show that things (stunningly) went awry.

"I have no idea what's going on with Britney Spears," Ne-Yo said. "The last thing I heard is that Britney is mad over some songs that wound up going to Nicole Scherzinger."

"I was working with Britney Spears' people. I wrote 6-8 songs for Britney Spears. Then Britney goes ahead and shaves her head, goes into rehab and when that happened I lost all contact with her A&R people, with her label. I was calling them, they weren't answering my calls. So in the process of all that going on, that's when I met Nicole Scherzinger. I played her two songs, she loved them, they cut the check and she recorded the songs. So when that happened that's when Britney's people called and said 'why are you giving away Britney's songs' and I say 'uhh, hold on... y'all didn't cut me a check!'"

Ne-Yo says he saved two "special" songs for Britney. When asked if it's possible for her to make a comeback, he sighed, then said he seemed to think it was. Compelling.

Wow, nice going Britney. Letting possible hit songs go to a damn Pussycat Dolls product. Even Jayden James Federline has to be shaking his head over this one.

Rapper Ne-Yo thinks Britney Spears can do better than current deadbeat husband Kevin Federline, and is encouraging the pregnant popster to drop it like it's hot! It being Federline.

The 23-year old Ne-Yo, who is helping Spears work on some new material, doesn't like what he hears about her wannabe rapper spouse, and considers K-Fed to be a worthless, gold-digging mooch.

"I don't know the guy, but I know people that know him and he seems to be a guy who caught a break," Ne-Yo said. "He's a bit of a freeloader."

The rapper confirms that he's working with Spears, but is staying tight-lipped about the collaborations... for now.

"I've done one session for her, but now she's pregnant it may be put on hold for a while. I'm not allowed to talk about her sound though, her people want it kept under wraps," he said.

We have to agree with Ne-Yo on this one. Federline should get his ass in gear or get out of Brit's life. But he won't. The chances of K-Fed getting a job are only slightly greater than someone busting a cap in Heather Mills. Busting something else in Heather Mills? That's another story. Did we mention the Britney Spears nude pics we came across earlier today? Don't get your hopes up, guys, but there is something alluring about them...