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| The 'Travis Barker Remix' Of Lil Wayne's 'Got Money' -- Check Out A Clip Here! Posted: 24 Sep 2008 11:22 PM PDT The Play N Skillz-helmed remix of the song, which features Barker on drums, was recorded day before plane crash.
When production duo Play N Skillz started putting out feelers for people to appear on the remix of Lil Wayne's "Got Money" — a track they produced — Travis Barker was one of the first people to respond and record his part for it. One day before the recent plane crash that killed four people and seriously injured Barker and DJ AM, the drummer was in the studio, giving "Got Money" a beautiful beat-down with brand-new thunderous beats.
"We talked to Lil Chris [Baker], his assistant who died in the crash," Play told MTV News on Sunday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the brothers were performing as part of the third annual New Mexico Takeover. "[Chris] was lining up the remix thing with Travis. I'd never met Travis, but we spoke two days before this happened. He went in the studio, did the 'Got Money' remix. We were really excited about that. Then you wake up one morning, and it's like, 'F---!' " "It shows how fast something can happen," Skillz added. "The day before his crash, he had just did the drums to the 'Got Money' remix." Play N Skillz said they took it upon themselves to try to spearhead a remix to the smash single. On Sunday, they had not yet spoken to Wayne personally about the new song but had talked to members of his camp. (Go to the Newsroom blog to watch Barker and DJ AM rehearse for the VMAs and check out their full VMA performances.) The duo said Sunday that there could be multiple remixes for the song, suggesting that one remix could feature just Barker on the drums, another might have Travis and various other MCs (they mentioned Slim Thug, Bun B and Game), or Weezy might decide to lay down some new vocals. At press time the MC details had not been finalized, but Barker's contribution was complete. "We took it upon ourselves," Play said of the remix. "So many people are doing remixes anyways. We spoke to [Wayne's artist] Mack Maine, who's on the record. We told him what was going on. This whole process with Wayne has never been a very personal relationship. It's been so third-party, but it works. He probably doesn't want to be bothered with that type of thing. I guess he's like, 'Let me get in my space and do what I do.' If Wayne gets involved, even better. I didn't think he's not gonna wanna be a part of it. We're just trying to be innovative, and if anything, it can go to the Internet and to the fans." Besides the Wayne remix, Barker was also working on several songs for Paul Wall's upcoming LP, The Fast Life, before the crash. Barker and DJ AM remain hospitalized in Georgia following Friday night's crash. They are in serious but stable condition. The two entertainers were the only two survivors of six passengers. In addition to Baker, Barker's bodyguard, Charles "Che" Still, and the plane's pilots died in the crash. Barker and AM suffered serious burns but are expected to make full recoveries. If you'd like more information on the memorial funds set up to benefit Chris Baker's and Charles Still's families, visit the Famous Stars and Straps Web site. Related Videos Related Artists | |
| Britney Spears Reportedly Plays Vampy Waitress In 'Womanizer' Video Posted: 25 Sep 2008 03:22 AM PDT Singer teams up with director Joseph Khan for the clip, said to include lots of 'erotic' choreography.
Britney Spears is reportedly working on the new video for "Womanizer," the first single from her new album Circus, which hits stores on December 2. According to People, shooting began Wednesday and continued Thursday (September 25) in Los Angeles. In the clip, Britney — who won three Moonmen at the VMAs earlier this month — sports a vampy look, clad in a short black wig and red lipstick, and again plays a waitress. (Remember the video for "(You Drive Me) Crazy"?) She's also once again working with director Joseph Khan, who previously directed her clips for "Stronger" and "Toxic." Dancers reportedly arrived on set dressed in waiters' uniforms comprised of white dress shirts and skinny ties, with black pants for the gentlemen and leggings for the ladies. Unidentified sources told UsMagazine.com that the video features "erotic" choreography — Spears, wearing black leather pants and sporting fake tattoos, lies on a kitchen counter and then proceeds to make out with a man dressed in a suit. On Friday, gossip blogs lit up when a 37-second, static-filled snippet of "Womanizer" was posted on the Web site of Nashville radio station 107.5-FM The River before promptly being removed. According to Spears' label, the station obtained the snippet by recording a phone call in which a radio rep played a rough mix of the song for people at the station — which seems likely, judging by the horrendous sound quality. Fans will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on a pristine audio copy of the song, as the release has been delayed until next week at the earliest. Related Artists | |
| Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump Discusses His Cover Of Kanye West's 'Love Lockdown' Posted: 24 Sep 2008 10:29 PM PDT 'I hope Kanye doesn't mind that I did it,' singer tells MTV News.
On Sunday, Fall Out Boy fans who are still actively following the rather Byzantine viral campaign for the band's new album, Folie à Deux — a campaign that has grown from a simple hijacked Web site to include Pete Wentz giving away sneakers and delivering doughnuts while wearing a wig and a fake mustache — were rewarded with a rather unique gift: A cover of Kanye West's "Love Lockdown," purportedly recorded by FOB frontman Patrick Stump.
And while the track certainly sounds like Stump's handiwork, many FOB fans (and MTV News) were wondering if it really was him or if the whole thing was just another layer to the ever-expanding Folie campaign. In order to get to the bottom of things, we decided to reach out to Stump himself. Surely, he'd be able to set the record straight. "Yeah, [the cover] is just me in GarageBand. Nothing too serious," he wrote to MTV News in an e-mail. "I recorded it in the morning before work into my laptop speaker. It was in my head while I was trying to sleep, so I just went ahead and recorded it. I'd pretty much just woken up, and I laid it down in, like, five minutes." Online reaction to the track has been overwhelmingly positive, though Stump is just taking it all in stride. After all, he's been dabbling in hip-hop for a while now. Earlier this year, he collaborated with the Roots on a song called "Birthday Girl," which ultimately didn't make the final cut of the band's Rising Down, and back in June, he worked with T.I. on "Out in the Cold," a song that didn't end up on Tip's Paper Trail. So he insists that he didn't cover "Love Lockdown" with any higher aspirations ... he was just a fan of the track, and he figured he'd take a shot at it. "Kanye's version is obviously better. I hope Kanye doesn't mind that I did it. It sounds like a personal song. I'm just a fan of it," he wrote. "It reminds me of 'Heard It Through the Grapevine,' in the way that you're addressing an ex-lover, but I like the angle of 'It's not you, it's me,' 'cause there aren't enough breakup songs that are honest about that." Related Videos Related Artists | |
| Bipartisan Meeting To Address Bailout Proposal Ends In Disarray: Report Posted: 25 Sep 2008 04:27 AM PDT 'We've got to move rapidly,' Barack Obama tells CNN after White House summit.
A bipartisan emergency meeting between President Bush, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama and several other key congressional leaders ended at the White House on Thursday afternoon (September 25) in disarray and without any clear agreement on an economic-bailout plan, according to CNN.com. The meeting was convened to discuss the current economic crisis and, more specifically, a proposed $700 billion economic-recovery plan, which would, in effect, "bail out" Wall Street investors. "The president appreciates the bipartisan members of the congressional leadership and the two presidential candidates coming to the White House today to discuss how to finalize the financial-rescue package," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. "There is a clear sense of urgency and agreement on the need to stabilize the financial markets and prevent a massive financial crisis from affecting everybody in America." The enormous price tag for the bailout has experts on both sides of the political aisle balking, with many Republicans, in particular, calling the plan representative of the sort of big-government intervention that the party has historically frowned upon. Speaking with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Obama outlined his own hopes for any ultimately agreed-upon plan. "We've got to move rapidly," he said, insisting that the three most important things moving forward were "that we have oversight, that we make sure taxpayers are treated as investors [and] that we're not using this to bail out CEOs." As of press time, McCain has not yet released a statement or spoken to reporters. The Arizona senator announced Wednesday that he was suspending his presidential campaign until all sides agreed on a plan. Another political casualty could be Friday's scheduled debate against Obama. According to CNN, the University of Mississippi, where the first debate is to be held, was told by the Presidential Debate Commission to continue preparing for the event. McCain's and Obama's teams were reportedly seen performing sound checks on their candidate's respective podiums. According to Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd, who also attended the meeting, McCain was inactive and contentious during the session: "I'm not quite sure what John McCain said at the meeting. He said something. ... He had no indication he was for any particular plans. I don't know where he is on all of this." For his part, Obama refused to confirm or elaborate when asked about McCain's disposition by Blitzer. "Senator McCain spoke briefly," Obama said. "The concern that I have is when you start injecting presidential politics into delicate situations. It's amazing how much you can get done when the cameras aren't on. What we should be doing [instead] is talking about what we expect to do [if elected]."
Get informed! Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election, including everything from the latest news on the candidates to on-the-ground multimedia reports from our 51 citizen journalists, MTV and MySpace's Presidential Dialogues, and much more. | |
| Busta Rhymes Allowed Into U.K. For Concert After Being Detained At Airport Posted: 25 Sep 2008 01:14 AM PDT Rapper had been held for 'unresolved convictions in the USA.'
After Busta Rhymes was detained for several hours at London City Airport for "unresolved convictions in the USA," a court issued an order Thursday (September 24) granting him entry into the country, according to TMZ. Before the issue was ordered, immigration officials attempted to put the rapper on a flight to Amsterdam, but his lawyer sought an injunction to stop it in order to apply for judicial review. The rapper traveled to London to perform at the RockCorps concert at Royal Albert Hall on Friday. "We're shocked at this sequence of events and this treatment of Busta," Stephen Greene, co-founder of RockCorps, told Reuters on Thursday. RockCorps is a volunteer project that rewards teens with free concert tickets in return for doing charity work. "He has the necessary work-permit and has been in the country twice already this year, so we're a little puzzled that a question mark is now being placed over his ability to enter the country to perform to volunteers," he added. Earlier this year, Rhymes was sentenced to three years probation after he pleaded guilty to four charges, including two assault charges and a DUI, according to his lawyer, Scott Leemon. Before the issues were resolved, Busta had asked RockCorps to get Ludacris to replace him on the bill, and Luda was reportedly added to the show's lineup, according to AFP. Related Artists | |
| MySpace Music Launches With Music From All Major Labels, Unlimited Streams Posted: 25 Sep 2008 01:14 AM PDT 'The goal is to make it as easy and compelling as stealing,' site's Steve Pearman says of service.
After months of hype, the MySpace Music site launched Thursday morning (September 25), offering users the chance to stream millions of songs for free, share their playlists with friends and get access to those lists from anywhere in the world. The service — which features songs from all four of the major labels as well as indie aggregator the Orchard (whose catalog features songs from 50 Cent, Blink-182, Bob Marley, Daddy Yankee and the Hold Steady) — also allows users for the first time to search for music by artist name, song title or album title and instantly listen to, buy and add that song to their playlists. "Music has been a big part of what MySpace is about since our early days," said Steve Pearman, senior vice president of product strategy. "Our question was, 'Where do we go that's beyond what's previously been done?' " The idea of MySpace Music, he said, was to let users do what they want to do with the music they love by making legal access to digital tracks as easy as illegal means. But this service also has the added bonus of providing ways for artists and labels to profit by selling tracks, albums and merchandise. "The goal is to make it as easy and compelling as stealing," he said. "If you give people something that's as easy as stealing and just as fun, that's the biggest defense against piracy." Before, MySpace users could only have one song in their profile; now, they can have up to 10 in their My Top Songs list and, in their MyProfile list, they can have up to 100 of their favorite songs at a time. In addition, rather than 90-second samples, all tracks on the site will be full streams, with an unlimited amount available per month. Pearman said it was not clear yet what the total amount of songs available would be, though he suggested it should easily creep into the millions. Whenever you play a song on the site, an artist update box pops up to the right that features information on what the band is doing now, including posts on new photos, songs and tour dates. The MySpace Music front page will also feature a rotating spotlight on playlists created by artists — currently, they include the Jonas Brothers and Lil Wayne — but Pearman said MySpace employees will also be trawling the site to identify tastemaker users with interesting mixes whose playlists will also be featured in those spotlights. Part of the funding for the site is provided by four title sponsors — McDonald's, Sony Pictures, State Farm and Toyota — so when the MySpace Music player pops up, it currently features a "Brought to you by" banner for the burger giant as well as an additional ad for McDonald's at the bottom. Sony will also advertise on the player — at this time for its music-focused movie "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" — and McDonald's and Toyota will also participate in free download promotions. Users can also now browse their friends' playlists and, if they like a song on one of them, instantly click on it and add it to their list or click the "buy" option and be taken to the Amazon MP3 store, which will automatically shuttle the track to whatever music-management service the user employs. The site also offers ringtones for sale. Pearman said plans call for adding additional items for purchase in the near future, including merchandise and concert tickets. Aside from the Orchard, MySpace — which has more than 76 million unique visitors a month in the U.S., boasts more than 5 million artist pages and a reported 6 billion tunes streamed a month — does not currently have any other indie labels involved in the MySpace Music site. "It is incredibly disappointing that MySpace will launch their new service without having finalized a deal with the world's most important independent labels and artists," said Charles Caldas, CEO of Merlin, an independent label rights agency in a statement about the site, which has long been a boon for indie artists who don't have the resources of a big label behind them to push their music. "It certainly makes [MySpace CEO] Chris DeWolfe's public statements that the 'indie bands are really the heart of MySpace' ring extremely hollow." A spokesperson for Merlin said the group is in negotiations to license its members' works to MySpace Music. Reacting to a British report that suggested the new service might face antitrust issues in Europe due to the alleged freezing out of indie labels, MySpace responded in a statement issued before the launch: "We are not aware of any antitrust complaint or inquiry pending against either MySpace or MySpace Music. MySpace Music welcomes indie artists and is not blocking content from them or other labels. Our goal is to provide the indie community with powerful tools and monetization channels to enable them to access revenue streams previously unavailable." MySpace attributes the lack of indie labels at launch time to a technological rights issue related to copyright-infringement software that currently has difficulty distinguishing between international and domestic rights on certain content. For complete digital music coverage, check out the Digital Music Reports. | |
| Congress Attempts To Rescue Economy With Bipartisan Bailout Proposal Posted: 25 Sep 2008 01:56 AM PDT Counterproposal to Bush's $700 billion plan calls for Treasury to buy bad mortgages.
Less than 24 hours after President Bush made a prime-time speech explaining the seeds of the current financial crisis and making a plea to pass legislation to help turn the economy around, congressional leaders hammered out a bipartisan counterproposal to his $700 billion bailout proposition. According to CNN, the deal reached by Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate on Thursday afternoon (September 25) would include provisions that help homeowners who are facing foreclosure and rein in the pay packages of executives at the firms that are being bailed out, while providing oversight for the Treasury Department's efforts to buy back bad mortgage securities from banks. Details of the plan were not available at press time. "We've reached a fundamental agreement on a set of principles, one, for taxpayers, which is tremendously important," said Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd, one of the key leaders of the effort. "We're very confident we can act expeditiously." Not everyone was sold on the plan, however. Ohio Representative John Boehner said that House Republicans have not yet agreed to any plan, according to CNN. A number of Republicans have balked at the enormous price tag for the bailout, saying that it smacks of the kind of big-government intervention into the private sector that is historically anathema to the party. The Wall Street Journal reported that instead of the Treasury Department receiving the lump sum at one time, the money will be doled out in increments: $250 billion initially and another $100 billion without further approval necessary. Congress will have the option to block the last installment of $350 billion if it is unhappy with the bailout program. The new proposal also asks that the Treasury be "reimbursed for their expenditures" when the market gets back on an even keel. The breakthrough happened a few hours before a scheduled meeting at the White House on Thursday afternoon between congressional leaders, the president and presidential candidates Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, who were summoned to Washington from the campaign trail to help lead the talks. In a surprise announcement on Wednesday, McCain said he was suspending all campaign activity in order to get back to Washington to help sort out the financial mess. Before releasing a joint statement with Obama stressing the importance of Congress working together to pass legislation, McCain also asked that Friday night's scheduled presidential debate be postponed until the bailout bill is passed. Obama and the Commission on Presidential Debates have so far declined to honor that request. As of Thursday morning, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said he was looking forward to the debate, which is scheduled to take place at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. "This is going to be a great debate tomorrow night, and we're excited about it," the Republican governor said. Related Videos | |
| President Bush Urges Congress To Pass Bailout Plan, Warns That 'Entire Economy Is In Danger' Posted: 25 Sep 2008 06:31 AM PDT In his address to the nation, the president said 'financial panic' would ensue without $700 billion plan.
Part Econ 101 lecture and part dire warning, President Bush took to the airwaves during prime time on Wednesday night to issue the grim assessment that if Congress doesn't act soon to fix the financial crisis, "our entire economy is in danger." The unusually blunt words from the president — who as recently as July was saying that the U.S. economy was "basically sound" — came as Congress struggles to agree on the proposed $700 billion bailout plan to help the financial markets. The plan has drawn widespread criticism from Republican lawmakers and, according to reports, a majority of Americans. "This is an extraordinary period for America's economy," Bush said. "Over the past few weeks, many Americans have felt anxiety about their finances and their future. I understand their worry and their frustration. ... We're in the midst of a serious financial crisis, and the federal government is responding with decisive action." Bush then went on to spend a good portion of the 12-minute address explaining how the economy got so bad and cautioning lawmakers that if they don't act soon they risk a domino effect of economic catastrophe that could wipe out retirement savings, cause a spike in home foreclosures and lead to lost jobs and failed businesses. "Without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic and a distressing scenario would unfold," said Bush. "Ultimately, our country could experience a long and painful recession. ... We must not let this happen." On the same day that Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain said he was suspending his campaign, as well as asking for the postponement of Friday night's first presidential debate, Bush said he was summoning McCain and Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama to Washington to sit down with him and Congressional leaders on Thursday (September 25) to work on a compromise bill. While most in Congress have agreed that some decisive action must be taken to help boost the sagging economy — which some economist have predicted is on the verge of a potentially devastating collapse — many have balked at the enormous price of Bush's plan and expressed dismay at the aggressive intervention by the government into a private-sector problem. Some have even likened the measure to socialism. By some assessments the bailout could cost every American man, woman and child $2,000. Bush attempted to assure skeptical lawmakers that while he's not enthusiastic about putting taxpayer money up to help bail out businesses that made poor investments, he stressed that the plan aims to prop up the entire financial system. "This rescue effort is not aimed at preserving any individual company or industry," he said. "It is aimed at preserving America's overall economy. It will help American consumers and businesses get credit to meet their daily needs and create jobs. And it will help send a signal to markets around the world that America's financial system is back on track." While private-sector intervention is a highly unusual move for Bush, even more unusual was the joint statement issued by Obama and McCain Wednesday evening, in which they too urged Americans to support a bailout bill. "The American people are facing a moment of economic crisis," read the statement. "No matter how this began, we all have a responsibility to work through it and restore confidence in our economy. The jobs, savings and prosperity of the American people are at stake. Now is a time to come together — Democrats and Republicans — in a spirit of cooperation for the sake of the American people." Bush asserted that he still believes in the free-market system — in which the market is allowed to regulate itself based on supply and demand — and that his "natural instinct" is to oppose this kind of government intervention. "I believe companies that make bad decisions should be allowed to go out of business," he said. "Under normal circumstances, I would have followed this course. But these are not normal circumstances. The market is not functioning properly. There has been a widespread loss of confidence, and major sectors of America's financial system are at risk of shutting down. The government's top economic experts warn that, without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic and a distressing scenario would unfold." Bush was adamant that any rescue plan would be designed to protect taxpayers by making sure failed executives do not receive large compensation packages, giving taxpayers an equity stake in some of the firms so that the government can profit if the companies bounce back in the future and setting up a bipartisan board to oversee the plan's implementation. "In the long run, Americans have good reason to be confident in our economic strength," Bush concluded. "Despite corrections in the marketplace and instances of abuse, democratic capitalism is the best system ever devised. ... Our economy is facing a moment of great challenge, but we've overcome tough challenges before, and we will overcome this one. I know that Americans sometimes get discouraged by the tone in Washington and the seemingly endless partisan struggles, yet history has shown that, in times of real trial, elected officials rise to the occasion." |
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