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| Will M.I.A., Leona Lewis, Katy Perry Turn Grammys Into Ladies' Night? Posted: 04 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jazmine Sullivan, Jennifer Hudson also up for awards.
A year after Amy Winehouse swept awards in five major Grammy categories, 2009 could be another big year for female artists. A handful of emerging women could receive a major boost — as Winehouse, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill have experienced in years past — if they take home gold on Sunday. One of the categories with the strongest female representation is Record of the Year, which pits Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" against Adele's "Chasing Pavements," Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love," M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes," and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' "Please Read the Letter." Krauss is the only woman to represent in the Album of the Year category, but Song of the Year includes nods for Sara Bareilles ("Love Song"), Adele ("Chasing Pavements") and Estelle ("American Boy"). And while the not-so-new Jonas Brothers seem to have the inside line on the Best New Artist award, they're up against some serious competition from British crooners Adele and Duffy, reggae-loving Philly native Jazmine Sullivan and country trio Lady Antebellum, which, despite the name, features only one female member. Entertainment Weekly critic Leah Greenblatt said Adele and Duffy might cancel each other out and split the vote, paving the way for the JoBros to win, even though the brotherly group has been around for a while. "Grammy voters kind of need to be smacked over the head to notice an artist," she said. "They have a history of sort of nominating 'new artists' [who are] not actual new artists and giving the prize to people who have actually been around for a few albums. And they just couldn't ignore the Jonas Brothers this year, probably." Regardless, Greenblatt said Adele and Duffy could have good nights, though she thought Duffy might suffer from the incessant Amy Winehouse comparisons. "She really didn't have the impact, and she doesn't have the problems that make her so compelling, and she's not in the tabloids," Greenblatt said. "She's just a girl with a great voice who does retro soul. A lot of people love her, but I don't think anyone is, like, so passionate about her." Adele, on the other hand, who is nominated for four Grammys, has a better chance, Greenblatt said, because she's also nominated in the Song of the Year category as well and a number of the female-only categories, in which her chances are strong. As for the Pop Collaboration With Vocals race, no matter how you slice it, a woman's going to come out on top, with nominations for Alicia Keys with John Mayer ("Lesson Learned"), Madonna with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland ("4 Minutes"), Krauss and Plant ("Rich Woman"), Rihanna and Maroon 5 ("If I Never See Your Face Again") and Jordin Sparks with Chris Brown ("No Air"). Though a trio of women are up for Best Pop Vocal Album — Sheryl Crow, Duffy and Leona Lewis — with Grammy-catnip acts like the Eagles and James Taylor alongside them, that might be a tough one to pull out. The odds are better for a win in Best Dance Recording, as super-buzzed Lady Gaga ("Just Dance") as well as Madonna ("Give It 2 Me") and Rihanna ("Disturbia") face more-obscure-to-the-Academy acts like Sam Sparro, Hot Chip and a live track from Daft Punk. With Lil Wayne, Coldplay and Ne-Yo leading the nominations race, Greenblatt said it's clearly a "man's year," but she's pulling for Leona Lewis to win a couple. "Because [she's] someone [who] went from zero, total unknown to basically a mega-star in a year, and she had two ginormous hits and two more singles coming off the album, and people like her, she's got an incredible voice and she's never naughty," she said. She's the lone female nominee in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals category, but it's possible Jennifer Hudson (with Fantasia) could pull off an upset against such veterans as Boyz II Men, Al Green, Raphael Saadiq and Anthony David with her song "I'm His Only Woman." The nomination comes in a year in which Hudson released a well-received debut album and suffered a personal tragedy with the murders of her mother, brother and nephew in Chicago. Hudson also has another chance in the Best R&B album category with her self-titled debut. Newcomer Jazmine Sullivan has a number of chances to arrive on the Grammy stage, but she's facing a wily female veteran in Mary J. Blige in the Best Contemporary R&B Album category (not to mention Ne-Yo), and Hudson, Ne-Yo and Keyshia Cole in the Best R&B Song race. "Someone has to pinch me, because I don't believe it," Sullivan told MTV News shortly after she heard about her five nominations. "I wanted to make the best project that I could. That's why I wrote it. All the songs are very personal to me, and for people to appreciate it, it feels good." Though she knows she faces stiff competition from the JoBros, Sullivan said Best New Artist is the one she'd like to win. One artist Greenblatt said she doesn't expect to see onstage — other than for her performance — is Katy Perry, who is nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. "She seems like Grammy catnip. ... She's a big pop star, she's really fun to look at, she always wears a great outfit," Greenblatt said, adding that Leona Lewis could win the category but might have to overcome the same TV-talent-show stigma that painted "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson after her first album. On vocals alone, she predicted Lewis would still win, though, but warned to look for Adele as a possible dark horse if she doesn't capture any other major awards. Will Lil Wayne grab all the gramophones? Is Katy Perry going to tell her girl rivals to kiss off? Can Coldplay march off with a win? MTV News is all over the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, so stay tuned for interviews, analysis and more before, during and after the big night, Sunday, February 8. Related Videos Related Artists |
| The Grammy Winners Predicted — Probably Posted: 04 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST We try to guess which curmudgeonly rockers the Recording Academy will bestow honors upon this year, in Bigger Than the Sound.
Making fun of the Grammys is sort of like making fun of U2 or Walmart or the Catholic Church — it's almost too simple, because they're easy targets: gigantic, slow-to-turn battleships of mass appeal, just floating there, awaiting a well-placed torpedo. Have you heard the one about Bono and the Pope walking into a Walmart in Sheboygan? Once again it's Grammy time, which means my job is easy this week. This is because the Grammys are like a joke that continually writes its own punch line — awards given out by Luddites for Luddites. (I used this exact same sentence in last year's Grammy column. I'd like to thank the Academy.) That said, this year's awards could be different. It appears that members of the Recording Academy have discovered the Internet (or let their 12-year-old daughters cast all the ballots), which means that we have Lil Wayne, Coldplay and Radiohead duking it out for Album of the Year, M.I.A. nominated for Record of the Year and Estelle up against Adele in the Song of the Year category. No Age got a Grammy nomination. So did Robyn. And the freaking Kings of Leon got two of them. Things appear to be looking up. Of course, none of these people will probably win a Grammy (or at least not any of the big ones), which sort of goes to my point: The 2009 awards are the tipping point. They are the make-or-break Grammys. If Wayne or Radiohead somehow walk away with a boatload or awards, or a very pregnant M.I.A. waddles up onstage dressed like Winnie Mandela to accept Record of the Year, well, then the awards are cool again. They live and breathe and have a pulse. But, if the story of this year's awards is more like, "Plant and Krauss Clean Up!" (which is the more likely scenario), it'll be the Grammys keeping on being the Grammys. So clearly, this is a make-or-break year — which means, that while I could just joke my way through another Grammy-predictions piece, I'm simply not going to do it. The stakes are too high and I care about the future of the Grammys too much to do another hack job. So ... in all seriousness and with a completely straight face, I'm pulling on my prognostication cap (it looks like this), and making my totally serious and 100 percent scientific 2009 Grammy Predictions. Hopefully, for all of our sakes, we won't screw this up. Album of the Year » Coldplay, Viva la Vida, or Death and All His Friends In All Seriousness: I don't even remember Ne-Yo's album coming out last year, so check it off the list. Wayne had a great '08, but him winning here could possibly cause the Earth to explode, and no one at the Academy wants that (also, something like 45 percent of voters probably think he's the valet from out front of the Staples Center). So that means that there are three legitimate contenders here: Radiohead, Coldplay and Plant/Krauss. Conventional wisdom says give it to the old dude and the bluegrass girl. Still ... The Winner Is: Coldplay. They had the best-selling rock album of 2008. They are nice, clean-cut guys. They are not Radiohead (too weird), or Plant/Krauss (too ancient), which means the Academy gets to at least appear sort of hip by giving them the night's biggest award. Congrats on being semi-coherent, voters! Record of the Year » Adele, "Chasing Pavements" In All Seriousness: Thanks for playing, Leona, we'll see you next time (or maybe not). You too, Adele. M.I.A.? We at the Academy generally frown on acceptance speeches that involve shout-outs to the "fourth-world democracy" and the Tamil Tigers, so, you're out too (also, we don't want you to have your baby onstage). Coldplay, old people? Hmmmm. The Winner Is: Krauss and Plant, despite the fact that "Viva" sold a lot of iPods. "Letter" sold a lot of Hoverounds. (This ends the "Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are old" portion of my column). I don't see them getting completely shut-out in the big categories and I suspect Coldplay wins elsewhere. Like ... Song of the Year » Adele, "Chasing Pavements" In All Seriousness: I have never heard the Sara Bareilles song. I think I heard the Jason Mraz tune on "American Idol." I sometimes get Adele and Estelle confused. I am not unlike the majority of Recording Academy voters. The Winner Is: Coldplay's "Viva la Vida." It's difficult thinking up a third joke to make about Coldplay, so let's move on. Best New Artist » Adele In All Seriousness: This is Katy Perry's category to lose. Oh, wait, she's not even nominated. Good call, Academy! I am sort of certain Adele and Duffy are the same person, so they'll probably cancel each other out. Lady Antebellum (who, it should be pointed out, is not an antiquated Southern belle, but rather a tanned-and-toned country duo) already won the equivalent at both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the CMAs, which should logically give them the edge, except we're talking about the Grammys and logic doesn't apply here. Jazmine Sullivan is a powerhouse, but I'm not sure anyone knows who she is outside the R&B world. Which leaves us with ... The Winner Is: The Jonas Brothers! Seriously! Stop screaming! Please! You're scaring Kevin! Actually, there's no way they win either. So let's just give this to Duffdele or whoever. Some Quick Picks Best Rap Song: Lil Wayne, "Lollipop" Questions? Grammy predictions of your own? 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| Did Nas' <i>Untitled</i> Get A Grammy Nod For Music Or Message? Posted: 04 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Best Hip-Hop Album nominee stirred up a lot of controversy because of its original title.
Nas caused quite a stir at the 2008 Grammy Awards when he walked the red carpet in a T-shirt emblazoned with what was then scheduled to be his album title: N---er. According to several music experts, though, the title controversy will probably be remembered more at this year's Grammys than his project, which was ultimately released as an untitled LP. The critically acclaimed LP was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Album, along with projects by Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and Lupe Fiasco. Many seem to agree, however, that the chances of such a controversial album being awarded are highly unlikely. "I have the sick thrill of thinking maybe Nas will win with his unmentionable album name," Hot 97 News Director Miss Info jokingly told MTV News last week. Nas shocked audiences in late 2007 when he announced at a concert that the name of his next album would be called N---a. The album name created a frenzy, and a source close to the rapper's label, Def Jam, allegedly told Fox News the project would never see the light of day with that title. Nas responded to the controversy by changing the name to the much more offensive N---er. Civil-rights leader the Reverend Jesse Jackson was infuriated by Nas' decision. "The title using the N-word is morally offensive and socially distasteful," Jackson said in a statement to Fox News at the time. "Nas has the right to degrade and denigrate in the name of free speech, but there is no honor in it." In an interview with MTV News in October 2007, Nas revealed just why he chose to title his album after a racial epithet. The rapper scoffed at the idea that critics would assert opinions without taking his past body of work into consideration. He particularly took umbrage with Jackson's comments and compared his artistic judgment to noted cultural professor Cornel West. "I'm a street disciple," Nas explained. "I'm talking to the streets. Stay out of our business. You ain't got no business worrying about what the word 'n---er' is or acting like you know what my album is about without talking to me. Whether you in the NAACP or you Jesse Jackson. I respect all of them ... I just want them to know: Never fall victim to Fox. Never fall victim to the sh-- they do. What they do is try to hurry up and get you on the phone and try to get you to talk about something you might not know about yet. "If Cornel West was making an album called N---er, they would know he's got something intellectual to say," Nas said. "To think I'm gonna say something that's not intellectual is calling me a n---er, and to be called a n---er by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP is counterproductive, counter-revolutionary." Several of Nas' peers, including LL Cool J, Alicia Keys and Jay-Z, who was president of the label at the time, supported the poetic MC's decision. By the time the rapper finally released the album, the project was unnamed, though a visceral image of Nas appearing on the cover with whip markings on his back forming the letter "N" more than relayed the intended content. Songs like the emotionally charged "N.*.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)" found the lyrically gifted star turning racism on its head as he drew comparisons between those with different faiths and backgrounds. Ultimately, several tracks Nas previewed — like "The Fear," which was about physical stereotypes of black men — failed to make the project. The artists' bewildering history of leaving critical favorites off the final track list made some question whether Untitled is worthy of its Grammy recognition. "I think Nas' album was nominated 'cause of the message," XXL magazine's Bonsu Thompson told MTV News. "It was more of a political or social stance from an MC rather than the body of his work. Nas may [actually] have the least chance of winning [Best Hip-Hop Album]. "I love what he attempted to do, but I think he fell a little short, content-wise," Thompson added. "The message was stronger than the music." Will Lil Wayne grab all the gramophones? Is Katy Perry going to tell her girl rivals to kiss off? Can Coldplay march off with a win? MTV News is all over the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, so stay tuned for interviews, analysis and more before, during and after the big night, Sunday, February 8. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Day26 Share Dream Guest List For New LP: 'Kanye West, Lil Wayne, T.I. ... ' Posted: 04 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST 'We made friends with a few famous people now, so we can get a couple,' Robert Curry says of collaborators.
Day26 are putting the finishing touches on their new album, and they promise that this time around, they'll give their fans more tunes to dance to. "While recording our first album and putting it out, we realized we didn't cater to the club as much as we needed to," Will Taylor said. "So this album, we're just dedicated to tearing the club walls down. The album is going to be ridiculous. We're going to show you the true Day26." "This album is stank, and I mean that in a good way," Mike McCluney said. Bandmate Robert Curry added: "It's about to be hot in the club. The roof's about to be on fire."
But fans of the group shouldn't be too worried that the guys are straying from the sound that made them famous. Qwanell "Que" Mosley assured us that the new sound is just branching out from the original Day26 vibe. "Basically, were trying to stick to our element — R&B music — but we're trying to take it to a whole 'nother level," he said. "We're going to stick to Day26 — that old Jodeci, 112 vibe — and take that to the next level." The band will take the reins a bit more on this album, due in April, but will still get some help from old friends like Mario Winans. "We do a lot of stuff ourselves. ... Last time, we didn't get nothing, zero," McCluney said. "But this album, we got a couple songs." "We're more involved as far as actually picking songs and the direction Day26 is going in," Curry added. "We feel like we've grown tremendously. This project is going to be ridiculous." One of those "ridiculous" tracks is "Remix," which MTV News got a taste of when we visited the guys in the studio. It was written and produced by Curry. "It's a metaphor song. ... It's our version of [Beyoncé's] 'Upgrade U,' " Robert said. "We can remix her, and we're telling our fans, 'This is a remix of the first album.' " But the group wasn't just focused on "club bangers." The themes on the new album run the gamut, and Day26 aren't afraid to share what they're thinking with their fans. "We're singing about a lot of different things. We're singing about breakups directly to our fans, singing to the potential loves of our lives," Taylor said. "Everything that we feel deep down in the heart, we're putting it out there. We got a lot of records on here that are going to cater to a whole lot of different situations in life, period. It is sexy." The only thing missing from the new album are collaborations, which were still up in the air when we spoke with them. "We're working that out now. We don't know about any collaborations as of yet," Taylor said. "However, we didn't give you much first album, so this album, you're definitely going to get some collaborations just to let you all know we do get along." Curry added: "We made friends with a few famous people now, so we can get a couple." Meanwhile, Mosley had a few ideas of who he'd like to see get on the album: "We would love to work with Kanye West, Lil Wayne, T.I., Jeezy, Luda, T-Pain. Everybody — wink, wink — we want to work with you." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Robert Plant And Alison Krauss' <i>Raising Sand</i> Was Made For The Grammys Posted: 04 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Album of the Year nominee has everything the Academy loves ... but will it win?
If it were possible to create the perfect Grammy album, there's a good chance Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand could be it. Take two well-worn, respected veterans. Add one critically lauded producer. Throw in some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards. Mix with some artful black-and-white photography. Shake well. Serve on ice. Reap rewards. The only difference is, unlike some Grammy albums, Raising Sand is actually good. You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). But chances are, you don't know who Alison Krauss is, despite the fact that she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots Music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released. And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" (which is nominated for Record of the Year at Sunday's Grammys) and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain. And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified. To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. And it's nominated for five awards at this year's ceremony, too. So when you combine the album's backstory with its success, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better favorite to take home tons of trophies on Sunday, something odds-makers are well aware of. "At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards. It's probably the sleeper pick for Album of the Year." Will Lil Wayne grab all the gramophones? Is Katy Perry going to tell her girl rivals to kiss off? Can Coldplay march off with a win? MTV News is all over the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, so stay tuned for interviews, analysis and more before, during and after the big night, Sunday, February 8. Related Videos Related Artists |
| 'American Idol' Hollywood Week Has Begun -- Check Out Our Live Blog! Posted: 03 Feb 2009 05:17 AM PST Check out 'Idol' expert Jim Cantiello's minute-by-minute recap of the show.
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| 50 Cent, Rick Ross Beef It Up On New York Radio Posted: 03 Feb 2009 12:14 AM PST Ross calls 50 'Curly'; 50 predicts 'total havoc' to come.
50 Cent and Rick Ross continued their war of words on Monday night, as the rappers took to the airwaves of New York radio station Hot 97 to toss increasingly ugly barbs at each other. The G-Unit star appeared on Funkmaster Flex's show and boasted that Ross won't be able to recover "from what I've already done." Over the weekend, 50 launched a full-on assault on the Miami star through his Web site, ThisIs50.com. Fif mocked Ross' alleged previous employment as a correction officer calling the rapper "Officer Ricky," and flew the mother of one of Ross' children to New York. In a video clip on the site, 50 is seen interviewing the mother, Tia Kemp, and later taking her shopping for a fur coat and Gucci shoes. The rapper appeared to be energized by the conflict with Ross, especially since his attempts to bait Lil Wayne have been met with little response. After hearing "Officer Ricky," Ross warned 50 that he had 48 hours to come up with a new dis response. 50 then prepped multiple video clips that aired on his site before he headed off to South America for a G-Unit show. Meanwhile, Rick Ross relaxed in Tampa at a House of Hennessy Event during Super Bowl weekend. Flex admonished Fif for stepping over the line when he insulted Ross' mother, but the rapper responded that Ross crossed the threshold first with comments about his child's mother. Throughout their brief conflict, the rappers' mothers, children and former girlfriends have all been in the line of verbal fire. "How do you set those parameters?" 50 asked Flex. He went on to issue a vague threat in the guise of information he may have about Ross and female rapper Jackie-O, but promised to save that allegation for later. 50 claimed that Ross' label home, Def Jam, is already asking the Miami rapper to cease his beef with 50, as he'd predicted earlier. 50, for his part, when asked what was next, predicted "total havoc." During the Celebrity Drama updates on Flex's show Monday night, gossip maven >Miss Info reported that she talked to Ross over the weekend and he apparently was well aware Kemp was travelling to New York to see 50 Cent. "Would I stand between her making money with him?" Ross asked. "No." Miss Info also reported that Kemp will be publishing a book, with assistance from 50, called "Tia's Diary: Deeper than Rap," which is scheduled to be released the same day as Ross' upcoming album, also titled Deeper Than Rap. "There have been plenty of lines being stretched and crossed in hip-hop beef history," Miss Info told MTV News on Tuesday about the 50/Ross feud, which follows on the heels of an ugly battle been Joe Budden and Saigon. "Women long ago stopped being sacred, kids are the lowest blow, and the point of no return." Throughout Ross' conversion with Miss Info, the rapper sounded more expressive than he is during most discussions. He called 50 "a parody of hip-hop" and said the Queens artist doesn't count in the South, where he said they call him "Curly," in reference to his antics. " 'Mafia Music' ended his career," Ross finished, adding that the G-Unit rapper hasn't appeared on the Billboard charts "in so long." Related Artists |
| Can Lil Wayne Win Album Of The Year Grammy? Posted: 03 Feb 2009 08:01 AM PST Can the Best Rap Album favorite beat Coldplay for the top prize?
The front-runner for Best Rap Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards is also an outside contender to win Album of the Year at the same ceremony. Lil Wayne has eight Grammy nominations, and the world will be watching to see if his magnum opus, Tha Carter III, can take home the academy's highest honor.
The self-proclaimed Martian sent his album down to Earth like the alien invasion in the film "Independence Day." By the time Tha Carter III was released in early June, "A Milli" had already become nothing short of a national phenomenon (artists from Jay-Z to Chris Brown to Ne-Yo had released underground freestyles over the record's track, giving the song legs) and the young and sexy "Lollipop" was a certified hit, becoming the #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Wayne sold more than 1 million copies of his album in its first week of release and made it too easy for DJs on the radio and in the clubs during their sets. Just play Wayne! Records like "Got Money," "Comfortable," "Mrs. Officer," "You Ain't Got Nuthin," "Mr. Carter" and "La La" went into rotation on the radio and the clubs, while tracks such as "Dr. Carter," "Misunderstood" and "Tie My Hands" satisfied even the biggest Weezy skeptics. The boy could spit, and he had concepts and hit records. No wonder he was MTV News' Man of the Year for 2008. All the dots were connected perfectly after almost two years of anticipation. High critical praise, fan jubilation and accolades like the Diddy blog labeling the LP as "classic" matched the sales. His reach was, and still is, wide — as wide as the doors of the vaults holding all the Cash Money he raked in. The Fireman got love from both sexes and all races, and he even appealed to some other people in addition to his youthful fanbase. Obviously, getting eight Grammy nods was another highlight for him. With the odds overwhelmingly in his favor for Best Rap Album, do his competitors — T.I., Jay-Z and Nas — have a prayer at the Grammys? "When you talk about the rap category, it's a landslide," XXL magazine's Bonsu Thompson said. "There's no competition for Wayne. He had pretty much no competition. He outrapped and outperformed every other rap artist out there this year. "With Wayne you have alternatives," Thompson added. "You have cerebral rapping. On a skill level, supreme skills." But can that magnetic arsenal be enough to put him over Radiohead, Ne-Yo, Coldplay and Robert Plant & Allison Krauss? Thompson says probably not. "I don't think the academy gets Wayne," the journalist said. "I think that's what they are intrigued by. Lil Wayne is not a typical rapper to them. He was really a rock star this year, from his attire to calling himself an alien. He's just out there. I think it will be very difficult for Wayne to take album of the year. "Anybody who's familiar with entertainment, you know that Coldplay is the favorite," he continued. "When you take Wayne out of the rap category and put him in the pop category, it will be difficult." If history is any guide to what will happen in 2009, his chances look to be between extremely difficult and impossible. There's a short list of MCs, including Nelly, MC Hammer and Eminem (twice), who have been nominated in that category. The only rap acts to win a Grammy for Album of the Year have been Outkast for Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below and Lauryn Hill for her Miseducation LP. We all know those projects weren't traditional rap releases. They had as much to do with singing as they did with spewing rhymes. "Can Lil Wayne win album of the year? I think that when you have eight nominations in one sitting, it's obvious that you have to win something," said radio personality Miss Info, whose MissInfo.tv has become one of the top hip-hop blogs. "But the big cheese generally goes to people who don't have a face tattoo, so I'm kinda leaning towards no, even though he definitely deserves it. But last year, it went to Herbie Hancock. So Herbie Hancock and Lil Wayne? I'm not sure we've gotten cool in the [span] of a year." Info cites Coldplay as a possible top choice as well. "Wayne's chances against Coldplay are slim to none," she said. "But I'm a pessimist. As a hip-hop fan, I've experienced years where Will Smith was the resident rap nominee. So clearly, just the fact that Wayne is nominated is hard for me to believe. Coldplay had a really solid album that turned into an album and a half, and I think, overall, they are less scary. "I'm gonna take a chance and say that while there are a couple of people in the music industry who are obviously savvy about hip-hop that are voting, there are probably a lot more bluehairs who have no clue and are just going along with it because they don't want someone to point them out and say, 'You don't even belong here anymore,' " she added. "So people are nominating Lil Wayne because he's huge, he's everywhere. And at this point, the Grammys have to compete as an entity as well. So, if they aren't relevant, no one is going to watch." Come February 8, we'll be tuned in to see if Wayne can do what Kanye West couldn't do last year: take home Best Rap Album and Album of the Year. Many of his peers are rooting for him. "Why not?" Pitbull said. "He's super-talented. He deserves it." Will Lil Wayne grab all the gramophones? Is Katy Perry going to tell her girl rivals to kiss off? Can Coldplay march off with a win? MTV News is all over the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, so stay tuned for interviews, analysis and more before, during and after the big night, Sunday, February 8. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Britney Spears, Parents Sued By Sam Lutfi Posted: 03 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Former manager sues after family obtains restraining order against him, former boyfriend Adnan Ghalib.
Britney Spears' former manager Sam Lutfi is suing the singer and her parents, Jamie and Lynne Spears, for defamation and breach of contract, according to court documents cited by People.com and TMZ.com. In the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday (February 3), Lutfi reportedly is also claiming libel, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. "Jamie and Lynne launched a campaign of lies and intimidation designed to destroy Lutfi and drive him out of Britney's life," the papers read, according to People.com. "This campaign also provided Jamie with the opportunity he needed to obtain an appointment as Britney's conservator." The lawsuit also reportedly alleges that, "Despite seemingly accomplishing their objectives, Jamie and Lynne have nevertheless continued their smear campaign against Lutfi. Thus, having no other alternative, Lutfi brings this action to defend himself against Jamie's and Lynne's persistent attacks." On Friday, Spears obtained restraining orders against Lutfi and ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib. Quoting a source close to Spears, The Associated Press reported that the duo had been trying to gain control of the singer's affairs. A year ago, Lutfi was Spears' manager, until a restraining order alleged that he had drugged Britney in an attempt to control her. "[He] essentially moved into Britney's home and has purported to take control of her life, home and finances," Britney's father, Jamie — who still retains temporary conservator powers over the singer's person and estate — wrote in the complaint at the time. "Mr. Lutfi has drugged Britney. ... He has cut Britney's home phone line and removed her cell phone chargers. He yells at her. He claims to control everything — Britney's business manager, her attorneys and the security guards at the gate." Related Artists |
| 50 Cent To Play Bamboozle Left Fest -- Could Lil Wayne Be Next? Posted: 03 Feb 2009 08:39 AM PST 50 is unusual choice for rock fest, which also features Fall Out Boy and Thrice; promoter extends invite to Weezy.
Ever since it started in 2006, the Bamboozle Left festival has generally been reserved for bands of the "tight pants and swooping bangs" variety. But this year, it looks like they're doing things a little differently. That's because none other than 50 Cent — the reigning king of bling, biceps and beef — has been confirmed to headline the second night of the fest, which will take place April 4-5 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California. Other artists on the bill include Fall Out Boy, Thrice, Cobra Starship and the Used. While 50 doesn't usually run with that crowd, to Bamboozle organizer John D'Esposito, this kind of thing isn't exactly new. In previous years, he's booked everyone from Method Man and Hammer to "Weird" Al Yankovic for the fest, and this year — with No Doubt and Fall Out Boy headlining the East Coast Bamboozle — he decided to swing for the fences. "We plan to cross over and do the unexpected every year; it's now become our philosophy," D'Esposito told MTV News in an e-mail. "Rock, pop, jazz, hip-hop, it's all the same. It's music. So we reached out to 50's agent with this crazy idea, [and] she was so supportive that we knew it was worth the motion. They asked us who was on the bill, and really didn't recognize some of the names like All Time Low, Suicide Silence and All the Day Holiday, but [they] did like the opportunity to get in front 20,000 kids singing along to every one of his hits." Neither 50's management nor his label rep had commented on the show at press time. D'Esposito added that there are still a few relatively huge names yet to be added to the Bamboozle Left lineup — so does that include 50's frequent sparring partner, rapper-turned-rocker Lil Wayne? Seems like Bamboozle would be a great place for Weezy to promote his forthcoming rock LP. D'Esposito said he hasn't reached out to Wayne just yet, but now that we've mentioned it, he'd like to take this opportunity to do just that. "If Lil Wayne wants to play a rock festival, there's an invitation for him to do so," he said. Related Artists |
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