When we first met Nick Carter, we were under the assumption that he spent most of his free time on a bed of money playing with precious metals. Contrary to our initial thoughts, we were quick to discover that even though he was a part of one of the largest-grossing groups of our generation, he’s just a regular guy. How do we know this? He plays World of Warcraft. Not only that, he’s the head of his guild, demonstrating that it IS possible to juggle being a hardcore gamer with being a top-selling recording artist. Just remember that the next time you blame your lack of a social life on your devotion to your guild.

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If Liz Lee skipped class more often, she might not have landed her own TV show.

The teenage star of reality show “My Life as Liz” was just another high school student when MTV’s camera crew walked her into her broadcast media class.  The crew was set to film a second season of journalism-based reality show “The Paper” in Liz’s hometown of Burleson, Texas.

That is, until they met Liz.

The spunky, red-haired, indie-loving high school senior immediately caught the attention of the show’s producers with her witty humour and stand-out style.

“They sort of changed directions after that,” said Lee to andPOP over the phone.

From that point, Liz Lee’s climb to reality TV fame was just a matter of time. “My Life as Liz” follows the off-beat ingénue as she elbows her way through the cliques, clones, and calamity of Burleson High School. Alongside her loyal band of boy friends (note the space), Lee attempts to “make a difference” in her small, Conservative hometown.

“I guess I found I had a lot more in common with guys. They didn’t gossip and I didn’t have to wear a lot of makeup around them.”

On the show, Lee embraces the fact that she isn’t like the other girls at Burleson High. In her dark-wash skinny jeans and oversized graphic tees, Lee is comfortable feeling like a black sheep as she shares the halls with what she calls “the blonde bitch squad.”

Even though she’s confident in her own skin, Lee often discusses her unrelenting desire to move far, far away from the pompoms and churches of Burleson.

“When you’re growing up, you want to spread your wings and get out of there and my town seems kind of monotonous.”

As the season progresses, viewers get to see behind the archetypal cliques that, when sewn together, are blueprints of North American high schools. Specifically, Lee wants “My Life as Liz” to shed new light on the struggles of the common high school geek.

“I think we’re showing that being a nerd is cool and we want to praise that it’s cool to be different … we don’t deserve to be pushed into lockers.”

Even though the message of the show is positive, speculation has been tossed around that “My Life as Liz” is scripted. The L.A. Times dubbed the show a “quasi-reality” that “flirts with documentary but intersperses scenes of high-school hallway conversations with stylized, clearly acted bits.”

Lee responds to these allegations with a bit of personal hurt.

“It just sucks and makes me really sad that people don’t think I’m real.”

Whether or not the show is scripted, Lee will be on-screen for nine episodes that take a fresh look at high school through the eyes of an inimitable outsider.“My Life as Liz” premiered on MTV on March 15, 2010 and will air every Monday at 10 p.m. EST.

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I met this boy when I was 12 years old. What I loved most is he had so much soul. He was old school. And I was just a shorty. Never knew throughout my life he would be there for me.

These lines are pretty iconic. I’ve changed a few words for my personal purposes, to explain my inexplicable adoration for the rapper formerly known as Common Sense.

I was 12 when I first heard a Common song and I’ve been hooked ever since.

But now, quoting my very favourite song by the Chi City rapper, I must say this:

I USED to love him.

Past tense. Sadly, Common and I have ended our torrid 9-year love affair.

Am I being too dramatic? Just wait.

If you love music as much as I do or if you, like me, get emotionally intertwined with the artists who make the music you love; you’ll understand the agony and sheer jealousy I felt while watching my Common, my first love, pull my BEST FRIEND on stage at his concert at Kool Haus on Monday night. Then, I think just to spite me, Common proceeded to sing Come Close to Me (my 2nd favourite song) to her. Looking into her eyes. Singing into her ear.

Hey, I know what you’re thinking: this girl is crazy.

I’m not. Well, not entirely. My symbolic breakup with Common is not solely because he looked into the audience and pointed to my friend standing DIRECTLY beside me and chose to bring her on stage INSTEAD of me. Nope. It’s not that.

It’s that I have this sneaking suspicion that Common is about to sell out. I have this suspicion that he’s about to let the mainstream success of his last two albums go to his head. And here are some reasons why I feel this way:

1. He’s on tour with N.E.R.D. A group who, while I am a HUGE fan, are pretty damn mainstream and lacking of substance.
2. He recently declared he wants to make a dance record. A DANCE RECORD. Enough said.
3. He’s dating Serena Williams. He was so much more legit when he was with Erykah Badu.
4. He’s decided to take his acting career more serious. Can you say LL Cool J? Two syllables: SELL OUT.
5. I still can’t get over those GAP ads from a few years back.

Yes, his concert was still hype as hell. He still killed all of his old songs (Testify, The Light, Corners) but I couldn’t shake this feeling.

It was the same feeling I had when I first heard Black Eyed Peas’ Elephunk. They hadn’t fully graduated to stripping Fergie down and making her shake around to “My Humps” to sell records but they were on the verge. Will-I-Am was in final negotiations, taking bids for his soul.

Common may not be there yet.

His soul is still his. He can still freestyle like a Def Poet. He can still banter about politics and social change. But that shit doesn’t sell. Common wants a number one record. I think he’s sick of being in the background of hip-hop and rightly so. But as soon as he does a duet with T-Pain, it will be too late. It’s coming. And out of respect to my conscious-hip hop-loving 12 year-old self, I thought I’d get out with my dignity intact.

Goodbye Common. I used to love you.

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Just three of the 54 albums nominated for this year’s Shortlist Music Prize are by Canadian artists, reports ChartAttack.com.

The award is handed out for the best album released in the U.S. between January and November of last year that sold less than 500,000 copies domestically. Albums from 48 different labels and nine countries were nominated by Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, Ronnie Vannucci of The Killers and four radio personalities.

Lucky Canucks Feist, Arcade Fire and Stars will duke it out against the likes of Bjork, Justice, M.I.A., The Hives and Wilco. Previous winners include Sufjan Stevens, Damien Rice and N*E*R*D.

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