MTV News |
| Is Lil Wayne The New Axl Rose? Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:03 AM PST We think the New Orleans MC is cut out to be a bona fide rock star, in Bigger Than the Sound.
The best thing about "Prom Queen," Lil Wayne's much-discussed foray into the world of rock, is probably the intro: 20 seconds of chugging minor chords and exploding guitar frippery that manages to sound a bit like an M1 Abrams crashing into a fireworks factory (it also sounds a little bit like Hum). It is a strangely accomplished and somewhat beguiling opening — you start to believe that perhaps Wayne can actually pull this off — but then he starts singing about underwear, and it's all downhill from there. Actually, that's not entirely true (the bit about the intro being the best part, not the bit about it all being downhill from there). The best thing about "Prom Queen" is that it actually exists. Because, while the song is kinda lousy, there's no denying the fact that Wayne made it — and fully intended on promoting it as the first single off his "rock" album, Rebirth before it leaked earlier this week. This is real. This is actually happening. And by its very existence, "Prom Queen" is so much more than most "rock" songs, because it reveals universal truths. It is proof positive of several things. First and foremost, Lil Wayne is crazy. For months, he claimed that he was going to record an honest-to-goodness rock album, that he was seriously considering ditching rapping altogether. Nobody seemed to believe him when he said this, perhaps because nobody believed that anyone could deliberately derail such a successful career (or perhaps because they'd seen him "play" guitar). After all, Wayne had just come off a year in which he became (arguably) the biggest rap star on the planet. He sold a million albums in a week, landed eight Grammy nominations and shilled Nike and Gatorade. To throw this all away would be beyond crazy ... and yet, Wayne decided to do just that. "Prom Queen" is proof. Secondly, Lil Wayne gets terrible career advice. Or he gets sound career advice, but chooses to ignore it. (The latter is probably the case.) I cannot imagine anyone telling Wayne that recording a rock album would be a good idea, and yet, he did it anyway. And this also could be explained by another truth: Wayne surrounds himself with people who don't tell him "no." And, judging by "Prom Queen," perhaps "no" is the most powerful word in the English language. In a recent interview with Billboard, the two producers who worked on the song admitted that they too were thrown by just how rock "Prom Queen" is. And when they offered to add some organs to the track — which would, admittedly, probably make the thing about 50 percent better — he told them that he didn't want them on there. For whatever reason — it's Wayne's song, after all — "Prom Queen" is what it is. Third, that Wayne does not let a perceived lack of talent stand in the way of realizing his dreams. It's not clear how much of "Prom Queen" he played himself, though judging by the skill he's shown on the guitar to this point, I'd say it's probably somewhere in between "none" and "one bar, but only because the producers accidentally hit record while Wayne was wooshing his fingers up and down the fretboard like a hyperactive 3-year-old, and everyone was too baked to delete it later." I don't think any of that actually matters, though — Wayne the Rock Star is basically the same as Wayne the Rap Star: deceptively gifted, yet dangerously determined. And finally — after considering all these things — Wayne is the most interesting rock star in the world. By a mile. In fact, here's an even better one: He is Axl Rose. It's not that great of a leap. Both could kindly be described as "eccentric" (or full-blown batsh--). Both promised (threatened?) to release ill-advised vanity projects, neither listening to the doubters who sniggered that it would never happen and the advisers who said it would be a terrible idea. To extend the comparison, Wayne's Rebirth is basically Rose's Chinese Democracy, minus 15 years and millions of dollars. ("Prom Queen" actually sounds like one of the more industrial tracks on Democracy.) It will probably garner the same reception, both critically and commercially. Like Wayne, it's fairly obvious — given Democracy's epic time in the oven and its uneven marketing scheme — that no one ever told Rose "no," either. Or if they did, he certainly didn't listen (or he fired them). The only difference between the two seems to be talent. I will begrudgingly admit that, when it comes to singing, Weezy F. Baby is no W. Axl Rose. But it's 2009. Auto-Tune is everywhere. Since when does singing matter, anyway? All of this might be complete nonsense. Rebirth might never see the light of day (actually, given Wayne's track record with release dates, this seems very possible). But "Prom Queen" exists. This cannot be denied. And that existence is meaningful. Take a look at this week's Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The top five features songs by Shinedown, Disturbed, Nickelback, Mudvayne and Seether. It is probably the most depressing list in history. None of these songs make you feel anything ... they reveal no truths (except Nickelback's "Something In Your Mouth," which affirms that, yes, you would look better with something in your mouth). And that's why Wayne's song is better than each of them. Not, you know, musically; universal truth-ily. And that's important. Axl would be proud. Or jealous. Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com. Related Artists |
| Tokio Hotel Working On 'Dark' Anthems For Next Album Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:03 AM PST Producers the Matrix discuss their work on upcoming LP, tentatively due in the spring.
It's been awhile since the production trio known as the Matrix worked on such a highly anticipated album. But that will change this spring when Tokio Hotel release the follow-up to their English language breakthrough album, Scream. The yet-untitled album is being co-produced by the pop songwriters/producers best known for their work with Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Korn. "We're in the middle of working on the Tokio Hotel record right now," Matrix member Lauren Christy said Tuesday, the same day the collective's long-lost album featuring a then-unknown singer by the name of Katy Perry dropped on iTunes. "We've done eight songs for that record ... and I love the singer's voice and the fact that they play their own instruments. They're a real band, and they're very dark. They're this almost-perfect, gorgeous-looking band but with music that's very dark." So far, Christy said the German group has laid down tracks at two different Los Angeles studios with the Matrix and with their own in-house production team over the past few months, with a mix that includes very "strong, anthem-y" songs with a dark edge and "lots of guitars." Fellow Matrix producer Scott Spock said the sessions have been one of the most exciting and enjoyable of his career. "We've worked with so many different people, and when you get into a room where magic just starts happening ... it makes everything really fun," he said, comparing the spark to the one he felt working with Lavigne and Korn. "It's the same experience with Tokio Hotel. ... They are all really talented and can write and play, and they're the real deal." Spock said he can't recall the last time he worked with a singer who had as much star quality as TH leader Bill Kaulitz. "The music business really needs Tokio Hotel right now," Spock said. "They're reviving that image of what a rock star is. ... Their writing has developed massively, and we're experimenting a bit with some Depeche Mode influence. ... It doesn't sound like anything else out there right now. People don't want to hear a bunch of 808s and Auto-Tuned vocals. They want the real stuff." Christy added that one of the other things she's grown to love about the rockers is their strong sense of identity, one that seems impervious to the Matrix's tendency toward a big, bright pop sound. "The band is so aware of what they are, and when you have an artist that's that strong, you can't pull them and homogenize them and make them sound like they're not. They're very opinionated about what they want." That strong sense of self has made it easier to work with the guys as they try to introduce some more American rock styles to their sound, Spock said, while working hard not to lose that unique essence that has made them worldwide stars already. "The push and pull between the camps has been great," he said. "And I think the album will be great because of that. I'm going to look back on this in 10 years and say, 'Wow, I worked with Tokio Hotel!' " Christy said TH came to the Matrix because they really liked the ballad they'd co-written with Avril Lavigne, "I'm With You," as well as their production on Korn's See You on the Other Side album. "They like the sadness of that song and were really touched by it," she said of the Lavigne tune. "They like the Korn records too, but they said, 'We wouldn't do that, but it's really good. But it's not truthful to us as a band.' " So far, the Matrix have been co-writing all the songs they've worked on with TH for the album, and at press time, Scott said they had completed work on six of those tunes. The album is tentatively due in late spring, according to Christy; a spokesperson for TH's label could not be reached for comment at press time. "Their confidence in knowing exactly who they are and what they're doing, given how youthful they are, is amazing," Spock said. "They definitely bring the dark side of the pop song, not like a Lamb of God record but with rock influences that will cross over to so many different kids ... and even some adults." In addition to the TH album, Christy said the Matrix have been grinding away on Korn singer Jonathan Davis' solo debut, an album by "iCarly" star Miranda Cosgrove, the next Ashley Tisdale CD and the soundtrack to the rebooted "Fame." Related Artists |
| Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta Talks Haters, Being Called A 'Joke Band' Posted: 28 Jan 2009 05:03 AM PST 'When something is funny, people think it's a joke,' frontman says in part two of our interview.
Gabe Saporta is not a jerk. He's not a celebrity, either. But he plays both of those roles to perfection, as evidenced in part one of our interview with him, which we posted on Monday and was quickly greeted throughout the blogosphere with comments that ranged from "Wow, what a jerk" and "That dude totally thinks he's a celebrity" to "What a jerk wannabe celebrity" and "You're not a celebrity, jerk." It was a tidal wave of negativity that, quite frankly, caught us off guard. But then when we thought about it — and aside from being rather hilarious — the hatred also proved a point: Saporta is truly on top of his game. He's the "Rowdy" Roddy Piper of pop music — the man you love to hate. And in part two of our chat, Saporta talks about his public persona and about how it affects the music he makes with Cobra Starship. He talks about watching his band become huge and how he plans to keep it that way. And, for the first time, he discusses Cobra's new album — the songs, the producers and picking that all-important title. But a word of warning: If you're dying to know just when you'll be hearing that new album, well, Saporta's got some bad news for you. On Himself, His Band and Their (Many) Detractors: "I feel grateful for everything now, because I've been making music since I was 16, and I've always had bad luck — of course, I've been the cause of a lot of it. I just got a bit older and realized I can't control all of it. I can't control what people think about me or my band, so I don't try to, like, hyper-manage that sh--. I think the thing is, when something is funny, people think it's a joke — but that doesn't mean it also can't be a real thing. [Cobra Starship] is not serious, like, we're writing poetry, but I want it to be real. Instead of trying to, like, focus on one part of my emotions, I want to give people a window to the whole thing. I want people to hear all of it. And it's obviously always easier to get someone's attention with a good joke, because if they like it, they'll want to hear more. And that's what happened with Cobra ... the people who got it, they got it, and we've always been really f---ing appreciative of them. "A long time ago we made a decision that we're going to have fun and do throwbacks to really funny things, and if people got that, cool. And, like, it's weird, because when you make music, most artists will say they don't want it to be big, but everyone wants their music to be heard by as many people as possible. I could've taken the money and run after I did [the theme song for] 'Snakes on a Plane,' but I kind of bet on myself. I made a decision that this band was going to be a real thing. I know that it's jokey and some people may not get it, but I think that I can do it, and so far, we have. At the same time, I realize that this is my second shot, and no one gets a second shot — except somehow I've been able to. And I'd like to think we've established this little niche in pop culture, so that's awesome." On Writing Cobra's New Album: "We have a clear idea what the sequence of the album is like, you know? We have an idea of the whole record. We wrote nine songs before we went on tour, and we liked 'em, but we kept saying, 'These don't have the variety that the songs on Viva la Cobra did.' So we got off tour, and we headed to this cabin in Pennsylvania to begin working on some new ones. And, seriously, it was the most productive thing ever. To go there, we had to convince a lot of people, that it would be a good idea, you know? Because usually, when a band goes out by themselves, they end up tripping on acid and coming back with a bunch of sh-- that makes no sense. But as an artist, the challenge is to do something interesting to you, but comprehensible to the average music listener. And that's a fine line to walk. Cobra is all about walking the fine line — 'Are we a joke band, or a serious band?' — so I know where that line is. I can't articulate it, but I can feel it. So, thinking about all that, we went to the cabin, and we sat there for two weeks, just working. We didn't watch TV, we didn't f--- around — we sat around a big table with computers out and just worked and worked and worked. I mean, at night we'd party a bit, but we worked. And we came up with a bunch of new stuff, something like 11 songs, and then we've been jamming out. So we took the songs from writing to making it come to life. And now we're going into the studio ... we've got those songs, plus stuff we did with producers ... we did stuff with Benny Blanco [Katy Perry, Britney Spears], we worked with [Fall Out Boy frontman] Patrick [Stump] on a few new songs. You know, we'll try anything and everything." On Picking That Perfect Title (and Release Date): "I don't know when the record's going to come out, and I don't worry about that. I don't worry about that sh-- at all. At the end of the day, I'll put the whole thing on the Internet if I have to. We're going to record it, and I'm gonna sit down and listen to it, and then pick which songs make the cut, and slap a title on it and get it out somehow. And I have a title picked out already but it might be too out-there, so I don't know just yet. It was weird, because we just decided to call the last one Viva la Cobra as a joke, and then kids, like, latched onto it, and now you see people on MySpace or Facebook and their names are, like, 'Viva la Katie!' F---, seriously though, I just hope the kids who like us will continue to like us. It's going to be a big record for us, one way or the other. I mean, I usually get bored of a band after their third album, so we'll see." Related Artists |
| New Jay-Z Track, 'When The Money Goes,' Leaks Posted: 27 Jan 2009 03:15 AM PST No word yet whether song is due to appear on the MC's long-awaited The Blueprint 3.
For someone taking his time putting together his next album, Jay-Z sure is keeping busy. A new song by the rapper surfaced online Tuesday afternoon (January 27) called "When the Money Goes." The breezy track features Hov posing a number of questions to his mate about her commitment to him, should he face a turn for the worse. "When the money goes/ Will the honey stay/ When the gray skies replace the sunny days/ Heeeey," he repeats on the song's chorus. Throughout the track he asks if he were locked up, would "she accept the collect call?" Or would she still ride for him if there weren't any more trips to the Gucci store? The concept is similar to 50 Cent's "21 Questions." "I ain't asking you to do a life bid with me/ I don't want you to die for me, baby, live with me/ I'm just saying when the going gets rough, don't forget all the shine at the time when I was showing up/ Show me the same love you showed me when I was blowing up/ You told me it was Roc for life, throw it up," Jay raps during the last verse. The Roc-A-Fella rapper recently revealed to MTV News that he's taking his time recording his next album, The Blueprint 3. In the past, Jay's made a habit of releasing an album every year. But American Gangster, his last project, was released in 2007 — he didn't follow up with an album in 2008, saying there wasn't any pressure to produce a project. "For me, the process of making an album is difficult with so many things going on," Jay said backstage at his Eve of Change show. "And me, I wanna make it beyond and above. I'm gonna take my time with it. I don't have any quotas, and that's a good thing. It may be too freeing. It's a good thing and a bad thing. You know, I think I need some restrictions. 'Cause if I had restrictions, I would have done it in three weeks. I would have made what I believe to be a great piece of art." As of press time, there's no word whether "When the Money Goes" will appear on The Blueprint 3 or if it's slated for another project. A representative for Def Jam, Jay-Z's recording home, had no comment on the track when contacted by MTV News. Related Artists |
| Relive The 'American Idol' Jacksonville Auditions In Our Live Blog Posted: 27 Jan 2009 05:05 AM PST Check out 'Idol' expert Jim Cantiello's minute-by-minute recap of the show.
|
| Lil Wayne's Producers Talk 'Prom Queen' Single: 'We Thought He Was Joking' Posted: 27 Jan 2009 01:18 AM PST First single from Rebirth surprised producers Infamous and Drew Correa, as well as fans.
It's safe to say that Lil Wayne fans have been a bit surprised by the rapper's new single, the rocking "Prom Queen." Wayne has been saying that his next LP, Rebirth, would be a rock album for a while now, but until "Prom Queen" leaked over the weekend, people may not have realized just how serious he was. Fans aren't the only ones who are surprised: The song's producers, Infamous and Drew Correa, remembered getting the call to make the rapper some tracks for Rebirth, which is slated for release on April 7. "There were rumors Wayne was working on a rock album, but I assumed it was just [electronic] 808 drums with guitars on it," Infamous told Billboard.com. "But that night when we worked on the track, [Wayne] said he wanted lots of drums, bass and guitars. Drew started to add organs, and [Wayne] said no. That's when I realized it was actually going to be a real rock album." The duo worked on the Grammy-nominated Tha Carter III (Wayne will be performing on the show February 8), but they still felt uncertain about "Prom Queen." "When the track came together the next morning everyone thought it was the sh-- and [Wayne] told us it would be a single," said Correa. "We thought he was joking. We thought he was just saying that to be nice. But a couple of days later we were signing paperwork and it was actually happening." Despite their initial skepticism of the project, the duo ended up producing three tracks on Rebirth. Infamous told Billboard that Wayne should be applauded for trying something new. "He's done everything he can with hip-hop and has proven himself," Infamous said. "Now he's about to prove himself as a rocker and we're excited to be a part of it." Correa is currently working with Birdman and Lupe Fiasco, while Infamous is in the studio with Kid Cudi, Leona Lewis and Rihanna, among others, according to Billboard.com. Together, they are scheduled to work with Kid Sister and Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes. Related Artists |
| Young Jeezy Will Not Appear On 'The O'Reilly Factor,' Rep Confirms Posted: 27 Jan 2009 02:36 AM PST Rep says rapper's vague comments about appearing on show were taken out of context.
Young Jeezy was on the receiving end of barbs from Bill O'Reilly and guest Dennis Miller on "The O'Reilly Factor" last week: The pair took the Snowman and Jay-Z to task for their lyrics on "My President," characterizing their rhymes as hateful toward America. On the show, O'Reilly casually challenged Jeezy to appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" to respond. Comedian Dennis Miller, O'Reilly's guest during the segment, also threw in some barbs at the Atlanta rapper, calling him "Young Emphysema." Earlier this week, various Web sites reported Jeezy would join the fray by accepting O'Reilly's challenge. But on Tuesday (January 27), a publicist for the rapper told MTV News that Jeezy's vague comments about possibly appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor" were taken out of context by media outlets, and he has not formally accepted an invitation to appear on the show. "O'Reilly Factor" producer Ron Mitchell told MTV News on Tuesday that the offer to Young Jeezy still stands. Jeezy explained to MTV News during inauguration week that he felt it was necessary for him to write "My President." "Music is how you feel," the MC said about the song. "But if I can say one word, I'll say 'necessary.' I felt it was necessary. I never ever paid attention to any election. [I'm] not really [into] politics or anything like that. It never benefited us. This time around, it's not a black-or-white thing — you got somebody in there for us that's well-spoken and gonna handle their business. I just wanted to do my part and let them know we need change, we need help, it's rough out there." Also during the inaugural festivities, Jay-Z premiered his verse for the song, which has been added to the remix of "My President." Related Artists |
| Busta Rhymes Calls Collaborators Young Jeezy, Jadakiss 'Stellar MCs' Posted: 27 Jan 2009 05:12 AM PST Bus says 'Conglomerate,' co-produced by Dr. Dre, 'had to sound like everybody's spit game was thorough.'
NEW YORK — Busta Rhymes is collaborating with Young Jeezy and Jadakiss — and there better not be anybody coming wack on the track. When Busta was putting together the lineup for the song "Conglomerate," co-produced by Dr. Dre, he had one very important rule: "The bare minimum, the song had to sound like everybody's spit game was thorough," Bus told MTV News. "When I got the beat from Focus — Focus [originally] produced the joint — I just heard real classic, conventional MCing because of the boom bap that the beat had," he added. "I felt like, 'Who's a credible combination of MCs that could bring the best out of the beat?' "
The 20-year rap vet looked to Jeezy and Jada. "A lot of times when I make a song and think of the artists I wanna do it with, I don't really do it for the novelty of the name or affiliation," Rhymes explained. "I do it for the bringing out the better of the record. 'Who is gonna do the record justice sonically based on the feeling of the song when it's a finished product?' When I called Jeezy to do it, I didn't know what Jeezy was gonna do on the record. But I knew Jeezy could rhyme. I knew the feeling I've gotten from Jeezy on a lot of his own records. I know sometimes I've gotten the feeling in clubs or in the studio or in the car when one of his songs came on, I felt I wished some of them songs were mine. "Jadakiss did the same thing [for me]," Bus continued. "Those artists are stellar to me. Stellar MCs. I'm about rhymes first. That's the cloth I'm cut from." Busta releases his next LP, Back on My B.S., on March 24. So far, he's released "Hustler's Anthem 2009," "Conglomerate" and, of course, "Arab Money" to radio. A record called "Decision" with Mary J. Blige, Common, John Legend and Jamie Foxx has also leaked. Related Artists |
| Danity Kane's Shannon Bex Dishes On Group's Future, 'Making The Band' Posted: 27 Jan 2009 12:44 AM PST 'They're still my girls,' Bex says of dismissed DK members Aubrey O'Day and D. Woods.
When "Making the Band 4" ended its third season last October, Danity Kane was down two members. Diddy kicked out D. Woods and the spotlight-loving Aubrey O'Day. So when the fourth season debuts next month, it begs the question: Will O'Day and Woods make appearances on the show? "Well, I can't spill anything," Shannon Bex told PIX 11 News in New York City. "You guys got to watch the season." Bex did say that just because O'Day and Woods are out of the group doesn't mean they're forgotten. "I just talked to D. Woods yesterday, actually," she said. And Bex still hasn't recovered from the shock of loosing the girls last October. "Honestly, that day when we came for that meeting, that's how it happened. It was right there," she said. "I mean, I've always said I was a little shell-shocked. I love my girls, and I want people to know there's a camaraderie there. I hope people are fans. ... Those good times were good times, and they're still my girls." Now that O'Day and Woods are out of the group, they've each confirmed working on solo projects. But does Bex have any plans to go solo? "Our whole Danity Kane career, people have been asking us that," she said. "We always say, 'Whatever's meant to be will be.' We want to be the Rat Pack — doing everything." But there is one unusual passion that Bex would like to pursue when she finds the time. "Something I would love to be a part of is 'Extreme Home Makeover,' " she said. "I just bought a house [in Oregon], and I'm, like, doing the remodeling." Related Artists |
| Demi Lovato Looking To Have 'John Mayer-ish' Songs On New Album Posted: 27 Jan 2009 06:13 AM PST 'Hopefully I can write with people like him,' the Disney star says of singer/songwriter.
Demi Lovato may be a metalhead, but when she heads back into the studio she'll actually be harnessing a sound more on par with adult contemporary radio. She recently shared with us that her follow-up to last fall's "Don't Forget" will be much softer. "I'm actually recording ... well, writing the album right now. It's going to take a different sound, so hopefully it goes over well," she told MTV News. "I sing a lot of rock, but this time I want to do more John Mayer-ish type of songs. Hopefully I can write with people like him. I love their music — it would be amazing." The teen also admits that although she may have penned a few songs, she hasn't really done enough of the work to know when fans should expect to hear the album. "I'm guessing August," she said. "We don't have any of the songs ready yet, but I'm guessing August." On top of putting out new music, Lovato will also be hitting the road and touring. "I'll be headlining an arena tour and that will be throughout the summer," she said. "Maybe May to August, [or] September-ish." Of course, Lovato isn't just busy with her music career — she also is poised to debut her new Disney series, "Sonny With a Chance," on February 28. "The show is actually a sitcom. It's the Disney version of '30 Rock,' " she said of the show's premise. "On that show, we have a rivalry with another show, and there's so many, like, crazy plotlines. I play this girl who comes to L.A., or Hollywood, and is kind of thrown into all this madness." Plus, later this year, Lovato will begin shooting the sequel to "Camp Rock," along with the Jonas Brothers. "We're going to be shooting it at the end of the next year," she said. "Actually this year, woo! So, we'll be shooting it late 2009 and hopefully I'll be shooting it after I do a tour." Related Videos Related Artists |
| You are subscribed to email updates from MTV News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
Inbox too full?  Subscribe to the feed version of MTV News in a feed reader. | |
| If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: MTV News, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar