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| Eminem Says He And Dr. Dre Are 'Back In The Lab Like The Old Days' For <i>Relapse</i> Posted: 12 Dec 2008 07:43 AM PST In e-mail to Billboard, Slim Shady denies claims that he's making 'Stan Part 2.'
Eminem has been dropping crumbs about his upcoming Relapse album, his first studio effort since 2004's Encore, for so long, he might consider changing the title to Slow Leak. Slim Shady recently told Billboard that the album, due in the spring, will be a throwback to his early collaborations with mentor Dr. Dre. "Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man," Eminem reportedly said in an e-mail to Billboard. "Just him banging away on tracks and me getting that little spark that makes me write to it. I don't have chemistry like that with anyone else as far as producers go — not even close. Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on Relapse. We are up to our old mischievous ways. ... Let's just leave it at that." While there's still no release date for the LP, Em confirmed that Dre put his own long-awaited album, Detox, on the backburner to help his protégé. New tracks from Relapse have been popping up here and there for months. A freestyle, "I'm Having a Relapse" dropped in October, and last week a song called "Crack a Bottle," which is believed to have been produced by Dre, was being advertised on DJs Big Mike and Neptune's 4th Quarter Pressure Part 2 mixtape. It's unclear if either song is destined for the album, but the Detroit MC said he was disappointed by the "Bottle" leak. "It wasn't close to finished, and it even has me doing guide vocals for Dre as a suggestion of how he could lay his verses down," he told Billboard. "It's like someone catches you peeping in your window before you got the Spider Man costume all zipped up! Nobody is supposed to see that. We are gonna finish it up, though, and get it out there how it's supposed to be." And, despite what Swizz Beatz told MTV a few weeks ago about a song he was referring to as "Stan Part 2," Em said that no such song is in the offing. "I haven't worked with Swizz on this album," he said. "There isn't a 'Stan 2,' and there won't be. ... Stan drove his car off a bridge and I'm not writing a song as Stan's ghost. That would just be really corny." Em also said that working on his recently released best-selling autobiography, "The Way I Am" — written with journalist Sacha Jenkins — while recording the album has required intense focus. "For me, writing an album is an entirely different process from making this book," he said. "The album requires a certain focus of mine that I can't really explain — let's just say it's all I can really do while I'm doing it. With the book, the process was much more spread out, like, 'Let's get you together with Sacha for a few hours next week. Let's go through these photos and artwork, etc.' The book was a lot more of a focus here-and-there thing as opposed to music, which totally consumes me every second." In addition to the delayed Dre album, another record that has been pushed back, 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct, is getting back on track, according to Em, and is now slated for a February 4 release. "He's still working on it and getting back together with me and Dre next week to finish up," Shady said of 50, who recently referred to his benefactor as being like "my grandmother" due to his sage advice and support. "I have a couple of tracks on there with him. It's sick." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Exclusive: Travis Barker Talks About His 'Jockin' Jay-Z' Remix Posted: 12 Dec 2008 06:32 AM PST Drummer says track was recorded before September plane crash.
Travis Barker is back at work. On Thursday night, he was in the studio banging away on the drums but took a little time out to talk "Jockin' Jay-Z." Barker just released his remix of the song which he produced and played on before September's tragic plane crash, which critically injured him and DJ AM, and killed four others. The remix debuted on Los Angeles DJ Skee's radio show earlier this week and has since been blasted out all over the Internet. "I was attracted to the simplicity of the track," Barker told MTV News exclusively Thursday night. "It left so much for me to do to it. The original was already jamming, so I felt blessed they let me flip it. I remix whatever catches my ear and lends itself to getting a makeover." Barker's favorite lyric from the song? That's obvious. "Haters be like, 'Hov while you still talking money sh--?' / 'Cause I like money, bi---!" On the remix, Barker replaces song-producer Kanye West's initial synth backdrop with rock-and-roll drums and guitars. DJ AM went on tour with Jay-Z in October, and the former Blink-182 member said he hopes he can work with Jigga on new material too. "I'd love to have him on my record or get in a studio together and let our brains mesh on some crazy sh--," he explained with excitement. "I love Hov." Barker's going to have to clear some space on his schedule for that to happen, however, since his production dance card is currently filled with commitments to other rap kings. "I've been in a studio working with other musicians/producers on tracks for T.I., Cee-Lo, and Flo Rida. All live music, really exciting and different." Barker has also been cooking up a solo album. No release date for that project has been set. Related Videos Related Artists |
| We've Had Our Say, Here Are <i>Your</i> Top Songs Of 2008: Britney Spears, Lil Wayne And More! Posted: 11 Dec 2008 10:57 PM PST Here's a list of the top 25 music videos of 2008, as determined by streams on MTV.com.
OK, so I've heard your shouting and read your missives. You want — nay, demand — that Britney Spears and Danity Kane end up on some sort of year-end list (you also want me fired, it would appear). Well, it looks like you might be in luck ... about the list, not the firing, sadly. Because while no amount of nasty comments is going to get me to budge when it comes to my list of the Best Songs of 2008, the brain trust here at MTV News has figured out a way to appease you — all of you.
See, while my list of songs was, well, mine (novel concept for a column, I know), it wasn't exactly representative of — how do I put this? — reality. Sure, things like "radio play" and "video streams" were taken into consideration, but they were weighed against things like "is this song terrible?" or "can I live with myself if I include 'Womanizer' on my list?" So, we've dug deep in our techno-vaults and come up with a list of songs that is 100 percent based on reality. Actually, it's based entirely on you. We've compiled the Top 25 Music Videos of 2008, as determined by streams on MTV.com. No opinions, no rock criticisms, no bands you've never heard of (God forbid!). Just pure numbers — eDemocacy in action, as it were — because each click, in a sense, was a vote. And so, without further ado, here's your list of the best videos of the year. Looks like we've got two songs in common ... there's no accounting for taste, I guess. 25. Soulja Boy Tell'em - "Yahhh!" |
| Mike Jones Remakes Bobby Brown's 'Roni' With T.I. And Bobby Himself Posted: 12 Dec 2008 03:28 AM PST Houston MC says he called his next album The Voice 'because it speaks for itself.'
HOUSTON — "The truth about a 'roni, she's a sweet little girl/ You can treat her right, real nice, and hold her tight." In the '80s, Bobby Brown's "Roni" taught us that only tenderonies can give a special kind of love that makes you feel good inside. In 2009, Mike Jones will reiterate that lesson with some help from T.I. and Bobby himself.
"It was Tip's concept," Jones said a couple of weeks ago in his hometown about a new single he has in the stash box. Jones and company remade "Roni" to follow up his current song, "Cuddy Buddy," down the line. " 'Cuddy Buddy' is off the Keith Sweat sample," Jones explained. "A lot of people know Keith Sweat's 'How Deep Is Your Love,' so we just brought a new version in. You got the old, new and future. I was in Atlanta, me and Tip. He came to my room, and he already had the track 'Roni.' " Jones said the song he heard was Bobby Brown and T.I. He liked it so much, he asked to jump on it. "I was like, 'That's dope,' " Jones said. "I fell in love with it. I laid it. I think Tip was already turning in King. It was supposed to go on the King album. I was like, 'You not using that song?' He was like, 'Nah. Use it.' I took it and told everybody I was gonna take care of it like it was his. I wasn't just going to throw it out. I was gonna make sure it was mixed, mastered and everything right. Like 'Cuddy Buddy,' [it] came out smooth, grown-man. "The difference between 'Roni' and 'Cuddy Buddy' is that 'Cuddy Buddy' it's an alert to let people that's not treating their relationship right: 'Watch out. She's gonna call on her cuddy buddy, and the cuddy buddy is gonna make her feel real good.' Tenderoni — 'She was there when nobody else was on me/ She never left me lonely.' " Although Jones didn't get a chance to record with the legendary Brown, the two did talk. "Wow. I couldn't believe just being on the phone with Bobby," Mike remembered. "I was on the phone with Bobby like I was on the phone with one of my partners. 'What's up, Bobby?' He was like, 'What's up, Miiiiiike Jonnnnes? What up, baby?' Wow. Coming from these streets in H-Town, nobody knowing me from the next block to being internationally known, it still throws me off." Like "Cuddy Buddy," Jones' version of "Roni" was recorded almost three years ago but has been on the shelf as Jones and his label butted heads over creative and marketing differences. "I did these records in '06," he said. "I continue to keep working and working, but a lot of these records people hear now, I had." Jones added that once his label, Asylum, saw "Cuddy Buddy" — which features Lil Wayne, Twista and T-Pain — gain momentum Down South, they decided to start the wheels turning on the follow-up to his platinum debut record Who Is Mike Jones? The rapper's next album is due sometime in 2009 and will be titled The Voice — "because it speaks for itself." While plans for the rollout of the new-millennium version of "Roni" are still being solidified, Jones just put out a new single called "Next to You." Related Artists |
| Jesse McCartney Follows Justin Timberlake's Example As His Music Matures Posted: 12 Dec 2008 03:00 AM PST 'Like Justin, as I'm getting older, I'm learning ... where I fit as far as style,' former boy-bander says.
Jesse McCartney broke onto the scene in the boy band Dream Street. He then paved his way as a solo artist with songs like "She's No You" and "Beautiful Soul," and as an actor on "All My Children" and his WB show "Summerland." Now, at 21, McCartney is out to show everyone that he's versatile, and his career shift is going just as he planned. It's reminiscent of the transition Justin Timberlake made after leaving Justin Timberlake.
"The comparison alone is pretty cool," he told MTV News. "Like Justin, as I'm getting older, I'm learning more and more about music and learning where I fit as far as style. ... Growing up, I listened to R&B music. I listened to a lot of Michael [Jackson] and Aretha [Franklin] and [Ray] Charles. As you get older, it does come across in your music." And with this shift in musical style on his album Departure, released earlier this year, came some criticism from fans, who weren't used to McCartney putting out more mature music. "My fans were very surprised. There was a lot of shock value, especially with ... how different it is vocally," he said. "The last thing they saw before that was 'Beautiful Soul,' and my hair was down to my a--. ... I think it took awhile for them to jump onboard. "There were definitely some mixed reviews, to put it nicely," he added. "I think the one thing that came across was the honesty. As soon as you're dishonest, [the fans are] the first people to tell you. It was an organic transition for me, given that this is what I was comfortable singing." He said he has seen his audience grow from predominantly female to including some guys. "I see a lot of my audience is mainly girls, but I see a lot of their boyfriends now coming. That never would have happened four years ago. They're curious." But McCartney isn't just busy making music for himself. He co-wrote Leona Lewis' smash debut single, "Bleeding Love," and he's currently in the studio with Toni Braxton and hopes to work with T-Pain, whose song "Buy You a Drank" he recently covered. "We always had this sort of idea of what it would sound like slow," he said. "It just sort of worked. It felt cool. I ran into T-Pain at the AMAs. I don't think he expected me to cover a T-Pain song." He also said he'd love to get in the studio with artists like Rihanna, Chris Brown and Michael Jackson in the near future. "Whenever I have time, I try to get in the studio and write, whether it's for me or other artists or my catalog of music. It's definitely one of my favorite parts of the music industry. I know a lot of people who are writing and producing Michael Jackson's new album. That would be a dream come true. ... There's talk of maybe working with Ludacris. We'll see." On top of lining up some work in the music industry, McCartney also hopes to line up more acting jobs as well. He recently made a cameo on "Law & Order: SVU" and will also appear on "Greek." "I would love to work with [Martin] Scorsese. He's one of my favorite directors of all time. He's definitely got his thing that I'd love to be a part of." He even has an idea of how he'd like to be cast. "Maybe some Irish Catholic drug addict," he suggested. "Scorsese is known for his weird, offbeat, dramatic films." Regardless of what his next project is, McCartney has one goal: to keep people guessing. "I want to keep everyone curious," he said. "I'm always going to throw curveballs out there." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Demi Lovato Does Not Self-Mutilate, Reps Say, Blaming Wrist Wounds On Gummy Bracelets Posted: 12 Dec 2008 09:39 AM PST Actress' publicists respond to speculation based on photos from Miley Cyrus' birthday party.
On Thursday, pictures of Demi Lovato circulated the Web showing the actress/singer at Miley Cyrus' Sweet 16 party in October with strange marks on her wrists. The marks led Perez Hilton to make serious accusations that perhaps the 16-year-old "Camp Rock" star had inflicted the wounds on herself, implying that she is prone to self-mutilation. In a statement to E! News, the singer's rep denied Hilton's claim. "Demi was wearing gummy bracelets just prior to her appearance on the red carpet and, because of how tight they were, they left indentations on her wrist," publicist Allison Leslie said. "These allegations are completely false," her other rep, Lillian Matulic, told the New York Daily News. Perez Hilton later posted the reps' statements on his Web site. The busy teen star — who has admitted to being a closet metalhead — burst on the scene earlier this year when she starred in the Disney Channel movie "Camp Rock," alongside the Jonas Brothers. Her first album, Don't Forget, which the Jonas Brothers helped write, debuted at #2 earlier this fall. Lovato is currently working on her new Disney TV series "Sonny With a Chance," slated to premiere early next year. "I play Sonny, who's a girl from Wisconsin, and she kinda sticks out like a sore thumb, 'cause she's very quirky and very over the top," Lovato cheerily told MTV News in October. "She comes to L.A. to be on her favorite TV show. It's like '30 Rock,' but for the Disney Channel." Related Artists |
| Pinup Bettie Page -- Who Inspired Katy Perry, Madonna And Many More -- Dies At Age 85 Posted: 11 Dec 2008 10:22 PM PST Dita Von Teese, the Pussycat Dolls and Rihanna also took fashion cues from legendary centerfold.
Katy Perry's rocker bangs and throwback skimpy jumpers. Madonna's "Sex" book and fascination with bondage gear. Rihanna's obsession with all things leather, lace and second-skin binding. Uma Thurman in "Pulp Fiction." The Suicide Girls' Web site. The Pussycat Dolls. The entire career of Marilyn Manson's ex-wife Dita Von Teese. Without Bettie Page, it's likely none of these women would look the way they do. The legendary 1950s pinup girl, whose titillating pictures bridged the gap between burlesque and hard-core fetish porn, died in Los Angeles on Thursday at age 85. An inspiration for generations of movie and musical performers, as well as naughty-but-nice average ladies who emulated her sexy poses, Page helped spark the sexual revolution of the 1960s. A virtual recluse for the past 20 years, Page had been in the hospital for three weeks with pneumonia and was slated to be released December 2 when a spokesperson said she suffered a heart attack. Born on April 22, 1923, in Nashville, Bettie Mae Page was the second of six children born to an auto-mechanic father, who Page claimed in interviews molested all three of his daughters. With her now-legendary nearly nude and nude poses in magazines such as Wink, Eyeful, Titter and Beauty Parade, the former teacher and secretary began her career in 1950, thanks to a chance meeting with police officer and amateur photographer Jerry Tibbs, who helped her get her first pinup portfolio together. By the next year, the once-aspiring actress was appearing in cheesecake spreads wearing barely-there jungle prints and in more hard-core sadomasochistic images, in which she wielded whips, wore spiked heels and corsets and posed in bondage gear. Soon enough, Page was a staple in 16mm "stag" films screened in smoke-filled living rooms, lodge halls and garages across the country, with her big break coming in 1955, when she appeared as a centerfold for a Christmas-themed Playboy spread, in which she wore only a Santa hat and a smile. Over the course of her career, Page was seen in more than 20,000 photos, but by age 35 she walked away from it all. After being summoned to testify in 1955 anti-pornography hearings held by a Senate committee, the woman known as "The Queen of Curves" and "The Dark Angel" was spooked out of modeling and moved to Florida, where she suffered through a pair of failed marriages and became a born-again Christian. After moving to Southern California in 1979 she suffered a mental collapse and was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and sent to a mental hospital for nearly two years following a fight with her landlady. As she receded from view, her legend continued to grow through a series of picture books featuring her most famous poses, as well as the comic book homage in Dale Stevens' 1982 "The Rocketeer" series, in which the love interest was based on Page. A 1991 movie based on the series also helped spark the career resurgence Page found out about only after being released from a mental hospital in 1992. Though Page refused to have her picture taken over the past two decades of her life, because she wished to preserve the classic image in most people's minds, her influence could be seen all over the cultural map: in Christina Aguilera's fetishistic Stripped phase, as well as her current liquid-leather look; in 2005's "The Notorious Bettie Page" movie starring Gretchen Mol; in the early look of DC Comics villain Poison Ivy; in the explosion of burlesque revues and live shows across the country; and in products ranging from Zippo lighters to shot glasses, action figures and dress-up magnet sets. Page has also been the inspiration for a number of photographers, clothing designers, models and actresses over the years, from Todd Oldham, Betsey Johnson and Dolce & Gabbana to Eva Herzigova, Shalom Harlow and actress Debi Mazar. |
| Charles Hamilton Says He Wants Beef With Soulja Boy Tell'em To Go Away Posted: 11 Dec 2008 10:57 PM PST 'This is NOT beef,' Hamilton insists in blog post.
As the dispute between Charles Hamilton and Soulja Boy Tell'em appears to be gaining more and more attention, Hamilton wants to put the whole thing to rest. He commented about the situation in two posts on his blog, IAmNotCharlesHamilton.com, on Thursday. "My whole fanbase are saying to murder the kid on a track," he wrote. "The Hamilton Administration says play it to my favor. The 'hood says leave him alone, he's just a kid. The haters are starting campaigns against me, I guess to vote me out the industry." The two were at odds over a video on ThisIs50.com and a previous Shade 45 radio interview where Hamilton said he didn't want to be compared to Soulja Boy. He said he felt Soulja Boy has damaged younger artists' credibility. Soulja Boy then replied with a video of his own, saying Hamilton shouldn't blame any failure to be taken seriously on him, but on Hamilton's infatuation with the video game "Sonic the Hedgehog." While Hamilton's posts were in response to Soulja Boy's video, he said that bloggers had run with the story. "To the thirsty-ass bloggers, this is NOT beef. He would even tell you that. He ain't built to have BEEF." He jokingly said that Soulja Boy's video response was a publicity stunt. "Soulja Boy is gonna be on the cover of XXL supposedly in the next month. Has an album dropping 12/16. This has got to be a dream come true for someone whose lyrical capabilities are that of a Blackberry without a battery, SIM card or buttons to push. And I TOTALLY respect his money-makin' hustle." He added that the paragraph was to be read in Sarah Silverman's voice. He said in the second post that he was mistaken, because he learned that Soulja Boy will not be on the cover of the next XXL. He ended the post asking his fans and friends to not mention Soulja Boy's name on the blog again. "If anything, two totally different artists, with two hilariously different viewpoints, are in the same position." Related Artists |
| Jay-Z Celebrates The Holidays, And His Birthday, With His Rocawear Pals Posted: 12 Dec 2008 09:24 AM PST Hova parties at NYC's 1 Oak, while Beyoncé works in Paris.
Ho, ho, Hova Merry Christmas! And happy birthday! Jay-Z was partying Thursday night at one of his favorite New York nightspots, 1 Oak, where he and friends like Diddy and Busta Rhymes have been known to frequent. Last night, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn's rap icon hosted a Christmas party for his Rocawear staff and a few friends. The bash wasn't a huge celebrity blowout. In fact, the Jiggaman was the only star in the building. Well, Jay and a few gorgeous Rocawear models who acted as hostesses. (Wife Beyoncé was in Paris, promoting her album.) Guests, including socialite Sari Baez and Capricorn — whom you may know from "I Want to Work for Diddy" — were treated to an open bar and delectable treats such as chicken and Kobe beef empanadas. Trailblazing DJ Brucie B was also on hand, spinning records and keeping the party flowing. The attendees were not only celebrating the holidays, but Jay's birthday as well. He just turned 39 on December 4. Jay has been working on The Blueprint 3 for the past several months, though he's been releasing songs from the recording sessions — "History" and "Jockin' Jay-Z" — to radio. Travis Barker just did a remix of the latter and told MTV News he'd like to record new material with Jay as well. Hov's track "Brooklyn Go Hard" and "BK Anthem" also just hit the Net. "Brooklyn Go Hard" has been confirmed to appear on the soundtrack to the movie "Notorious." Related Artists |
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