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| Exclusive: Aubrey O'Day Talks About Her 'Classy, Iconic' <i>Playboy</i> Spread Posted: 11 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Ex-Danity Kane singer says nude shoot was 'empowering.'
It's hardly news that Aubrey O'Day — former member of Danity Kane and reigning bad girl of the pop universe — posed for Playboy back in November. O'Day shot the spread with photographer Markus Klinko, and the issue hits stands this Friday. But so far, O'Day hasn't spoken in-depth about the shoot, or revealed why she decided to pose for the magazine. Until now, that is. "You could never imagine how empowering it is to be nude in front of cameras and have people looking at you in that way and seeing you as beautiful," she told MTV News. "You're seeing yourself as beautiful. I mean, a lot of the times I think I'm seen as a bad girl, and I think that's because I'm so open." O'Day said that she agreed to the pictorial only after the magazine made Klinko available. He's snapped portraits of everyone from Mariah Carey to Pamela Anderson, in addition to the cover of Beyoncé's 2003 album Dangerously In Love, and O'Day knew he'd make her Playboy spread something to remember. "I only agreed to do it because [Markus] was shooting it," she said. "He is unbelievably amazing. He agreed with me that we needed to do something classy, iconic and truly beautiful. I mean, I think a lot of the type of way I'm portrayed in the media isn't always the way I am in my heart. And I think that we were able to capture that with [this shoot]. "It's going to be very elegant, very iconic," she emphasized. "We wanted to do something very beautiful and classic. And I'm very excited about, just in general, how liberating the shoot was and how great it's going to be to express myself and be comfortable with my sexuality. I think in society we tend to put ourselves in boxes and corners and restrict ourselves, and we constantly feel the need to not say this or not wear this ... and taking it all off and being nude is the most natural state that you can be in." And what does she think her detractors will say about the Playboy spread? Well, to be honest, she doesn't really care. Because she's not listening. "I'm always gonna be true, whether people like it or not. I'm just gonna be me. I'm gonna be real. I'm not gonna do anything because people want me to. I'm not gonna hide something about me," she laughed. "I think people are scared to be who they are, and if anybody's gonna go out there and let everybody know, 'Be who you are ... no judgment here,' it's gonna be me." Stay tuned for more from Aubrey O'Day — including photos and video from her Playboy shoot — coming soon! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Rihanna Is 'Fine,' According To Her Grandmother Posted: 10 Feb 2009 02:16 AM PST 'I don't want people to worry,' singer's grandmother says.
While rumors swirl surrounding Rihanna's condition following an alleged altercation with Chris Brown over the weekend, the singer's grandmother is speaking out saying she's "fine." Clara Brathwaite reportedly told Barbadian newspaper Daily Nation Monday that fans shouldn't worry about her granddaughter's health. "I don't want people to worry," Brathwaite explained. "Rihanna is fine and she is doing well." The Barbados-born singer's grandmother also shot down speculation that Rihanna endured a broken nose during the spat. A number of reports, most notably from TMZ, are claiming that Rihanna suffered severe injuries as a result of an argument with Brown, her boyfriend of over a year — though their relationship was in the midst of a rough patch, according to sources. TMZ reported that Rihanna's injuries are "horrific," and include multiple contusions on her face resulting in swelling and bruising, along with alleged bite-marks on her body. The tabloid Web site also indicated the "Umbrella" star suffered a bloody nose and split lip. Reports of an incident between the singers first broke Sunday night during red-carpet arrivals at the Grammy Awards. Brown and Rihanna got into an argument following a Clive Davis pre-Grammy party on Saturday. The confrontation escalated and the pair were spotted exiting Brown's Lamborghini before a witness called 911. Brown later turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department where he was charged with making criminal threats and then freed on a $50,000 bond. Representatives for both artists notified Grammy organizers each singer wouldn't be attending the ceremony. In the aftermath of the altercation, Brown's endorsement deal with Wrigley's has been suspended, and he cancelled an appearance scheduled for this weekend at the NBA All-Star Weekend. Rihanna also pulled out her concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The singer is cooperating with authorities who are investigating the incident. E! reported that a birthday bash set for the Def Jam artist later this month has been canceled by the label. As of press time, reps for Brown or Rihanna have not commented any further on the matter. Get resources and information about domestic violence, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Will The Blink-182 Reunion Change The World? Posted: 11 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Revisiting the trio makes our rock writer feel like a fan again, in Bigger Than the Sound.
I will be the first to admit that I am irrationally excited about the possibilities of a Blink-182 reunion. There are many reasons for this, almost all of which fly directly in the face of why I became a rock writer in the first place. So, naturally, in addition to being irrationally excited by the prospects of a reunited Blink, I am also irrationally terrified by them. This is a complicated matter. These kinds of things usually are. See, I grew up a Blink fan. I had Cheshire Cat before they added the "-182" to the cover. I used to blare "Wasting Time" in my 1988 Caprice Classic and put it on a mixtape for my high school girlfriend. When Dude Ranch came out in '97, I had split up with said girlfriend under less-than-ideal circumstances and enrolled at a sh--ty community college, so I was really into "Dammit," as this was clearly the nadir of my life. By the time Enema of the State came out, I had moved on to a new girl and a new college, and I wasn't as into Blink anymore (I was into more important stuff, like the Party of Helicopters), but I still appreciated the singles and the videos. The same thing repeated itself — to a lesser degree — with each subsequent release. I distanced myself from them, because Blink-182 were a stupid pop-punk act. I was an indie-rock guy. I was a budding rock critic, which means I was growing old and jaded. Clearly there was no room in my life for the blissed-out stupidity of something like "First Date" (though the video was amazing.) As the years went by, I forgot about Blink. I built up my hatreds, little by little (just like Daniel Plainview!). I bought Velvet Underground records. I became cynical and mean and started smoking clove cigarettes and using expressions like "seminal" and "post-rock." I became a rock journalist. And I forgot what it was like to be a fan. Over the past few years, as I got older and more established (snicker), those negative qualities only grew. Partially because, as a rock journalist, I felt it was my duty to point out why I thought Britney Spears was made of adamantium or why Soulja Boy Tell'em was the greatest performance artist of our generation. I believed that everything had to mean something ... or else it was meaningless. Garbage. Not art. When I reported that Blink were going on "indefinite hiatus" in 2005, I did so as a journalist, not a fan. When I began e-mailing with Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus, I treated them as sources, not as the creators of some of the most important songs of my really dumb years. This is sort of a shame, in retrospect. Because when Blink announced they were reuniting, with plans for a new album and a tour, something snapped inside me. I was overcome with a wave of positivity, of unbridled excitement. It was sort of frightening, to be honest. After thinking about it for a few days, I came to the realization that there is absolutely nothing negative I can say about a reunited Blink-182. And coming from a guy who trades almost exclusively in the negative, that means something. I've relistened to all my old Blink records. The early stuff is still great, and I've found a new appreciation for Enema and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Their self-(un?)-titled fifth album — the much-discussed "mature" one — is really great. Even the +44 album was better this time around; it sort of sounds like their fifth album, only without DeLonge's singing, which is to say that it's pretty great in its own right. I even made it through both Angels & Airwaves records, and while I found ... actually, screw it, they're OK with me too. It's a new era: one of positivity, one of unbridled fandom. Perhaps the reunited Blink will serve as a beacon of light, cutting through the dark fog of negativity that envelops me and pretty much this entire industry. Or maybe they'll just call their new album Boner Jams. Either way, it's fine with me. Because the Blink reunion is a good thing. It will be liberating. It will remind me of what it's like to be a fan again, of why I got into the business of writing about music in the first place. It will give me something to talk to my 16-year-old nephew about. Perhaps I will no longer be a curmudgeonly rock journo. I will ditch "seminal" from my vocabulary ("chops" and "twee" too). I will be positive. I will be excited. Who knows? Clearly, though, the stakes are high. So Mr. Hoppus, Mr. DeLonge, Mr. Barker, I urge you to tread lightly. Let's be careful ... let's remember that you're playing with my emotions. Let's make this last forever (and ever). Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Valentine's Day Playlist: Top 10 Breakup Songs Posted: 11 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Kelly Clarkson, Alanis Morrissette and more hold your hand through the roughest of splits.
Valentine's Day — you either love it or hate it. It makes sweethearts swoon and others want to stab fat cherubs with a bow and arrow. Between the chocolate hearts, the red roses and the teddy bears shoved in our faces, the holiday stirs up a cocktail of emotions: happiness, despair, jealousy, grief, sadness, desire ...
MTV News has all your mood swings covered. In honor of this beloved and dreaded holiday, we're rolling out the Best Love Songs, Best Breakup Songs, Best Makeout Songs and Worst Love Songs in recent memory. It's our Valentine's Day gift to you, minus the dinner-and-a-movie part. So slip into something comfortable, and stay for a while. Can we just be friends? After all the late-night phone calls, the love notes, the long talks, the weeks spent making promises, that's all you get. Thanks a lot! There's no gentle way around it — breakups blow. When your heart (and ego) has been ripped to shreds, these artists offer some solace. Walk away from the Ben & Jerry's and rock out to our "screw you" breakup ballads. 10. No Doubt - "Ex-Girlfriend" 9. Jennifer Lopez - "Ain't It Funny" 8. The Ting Tings - "Shut Up and Let Me Go" 7. Kanye West - "Heartless" 6. Carrie Underwood - "Before He Cheats" 5. Pink - "So What" 4. Justin Timberlake - "Cry Me a River" 3. Destiny's Child - "Survivor" 2. Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know" 1. Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone" |
| 'American Idol' Hollywood Week Rolls On -- Check Out Our Live Blog! Posted: 10 Feb 2009 05:08 AM PST Check out 'Idol' expert Jim Cantiello's minute-by-minute recap of the show.
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| Chris Brown's Former Stepfather Isn't 'Surprised' To Hear Of Altercation With Rihanna Posted: 10 Feb 2009 03:50 AM PST Donnelle Hawkins also denies abusing Brown's mother.
Chris Brown's former stepfather, Donnelle Hawkins, reportedly spoke with "Access Hollywood" on Tuesday (February 10) about Brown's alleged altercation with Rihanna. "[Brown] has to take responsibility for his own actions," Hawkins said. When asked if he believed reports about the alleged altercation were true, Hawkins said, "I wouldn't be surprised."
After Brown's parents divorced, his mother remarried and Hawkins became his stepfather. Brown has spoken about a history of abuse in his family involving Hawkins, telling Giant magazine last year: "He used to hit my mom. ... He made me terrified all the time. I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, 'I'm just gonna go crazy on him one day.' ... I hate him to this day." "There was a lot of arguing between his mom and I," Hawkins said. "I never raised a hand at his mom. [Brown's mother and I] argued frequently. ... As far as physical abuse, there was no physical abuse," adding, "I spanked Chris one time." "I became the bad guy," he continued. "Chris was really mad at his mom for leaving his dad, so I became the scapegoat. No matter how much I tried to be a father figure, nothing worked." At press time, reps for Brown and Rihanna have not commented on the matter. Get resources and information about domestic violence, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Rick Ross To Release <i>Before I Self Destruct</i> Before 50 Cent Posted: 10 Feb 2009 04:20 AM PST Miami MC plans mixtape with same name as Fif's upcoming LP; L.A. Reid and Russell Simmons comment on beef.
Rick Ross said he's going to drop Before I Self Destruct before 50 Cent does. The Miami rhyme lord has just finished production on a mixtape that has the same title as 50 Cent's upcoming album. This follows 50 Cent announcing he's helping the mother of Ross' son put out a book called "Tia's Diary: Deeper Than Rap," which mirrors the title of Ross' March 24 album, Deeper Than Rap. Meanwhile, the "Biggest Boss" is absolutely not censored in his war of words with 50 Cent, according to the head of Ross' label. Island Def Jam Chairman L.A. Reid told MTV News on Saturday night that there is no truth to the rumor that the exec is keeping Ross from talking to the press about the beef. "I never had that kind of conversation with anybody. I don't even know what that is," Reid said. Although Reid condones Ross' freedom of speech, he doesn't endorse the beef with 50. "I love Rick Ross," he said. "I consider 50 a friend. I don't encourage anything that represents ignorance and nonsense. I just hope these two guys are smart enough, mature enough and rich enough that this shouldn't last. I haven't been following it, honestly, but Rick Ross is my artist. I support him. I support his artistic beliefs and dreams. 50 is my friend and a fellow superstar in our business. I respect him and his legacy. I hope they work it out." Russell Simmons echoed Reid's sentiments on the red carpet of Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party. "If it's like pro wrestling, if that's how they view themselves, then it's part of the entertainment," Simmons said. "It's not something I would advise still. I always like to play high notes. I've gotten older. I see that is usually where I've had the longest, most stable impression — doing something that's higher and more inspired. There's a lot of talks about the beefs that's going on, particularly the 50 Cent [vs. Rick Ross feud]. They're both very talented. Neither one of them needs that to be hot. ... It's always a little edgy. I worry about them. I haven't gotten involved. I hope they settle it, and it goes away." It doesn't look like Simmons and Reid's dreams will be fulfilled anytime soon. Tuesday morning (February 10), Ross' camp released a cartoon depicting the G-Unit as homosexuals and 50 Cent as a steroid user. This is a response to an ongoing online series 50 has dissing Ross and DJ Khaled. On Monday, TheSmokingGun.com released court documents from a case in which Ross' criminal record, or lack thereof, was called into question. While Ross has often claimed affiliation with a Miami street gang, his lawyer challenged a police officer to prove the rapper's gang connections during a recent gun-charge deposition; he could not. There's music too. The G-Unit recently released a song called "I'll Be the Shooter (Officer Ricky's Done)," while Ross put out a snippet to a song called "Valley of Death." And on Tuesday evening, Ross released another G-Unit dis track, titled "Push 'Em Over the Edge." On the song, Ross raps over Eric B. and Rakim's "Know the Ledge" beat. "Damn, you ratted on Preme, damn near ratted on Queens," Ross raps. "You're not half of Jay-Z, not Nas, a fake Saigon, maybe." Related Artists |
| Kanye West, T.I. React To Chris Brown's Arrest Posted: 10 Feb 2009 02:16 AM PST Ashanti and Lionel Richie also weigh in on Brown, Rihanna's alleged altercation.
Chris Brown and Rihanna's families, friends and fans aren't the only ones upset by the alleged altercation between the two. The information has rocked the music industry. As details have begun to emerge about the incident, their peers have reacted.
"I was completely devastated by the concept of what I heard," Kanye West told Ryan Seacrest Tuesday morning (February 10) during a radio interview. West said he was so upset by the news that even affected him during his performance of "American Boy" at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. "I was completey devastated during the performance," he said. "All I will say is it's so devastating. I feel like, just as a person, I don't care how famous she is, or even if she worked at McDonald's, that should have never happened. It should have never come to that place." West said he saw both performers at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party on Saturday night, and that he is on closer terms with Rihanna. "I know Rihanna a bit better because I went on tour with her and we vibed out on a lot of creative ideas with the touring," he said. "I gave her all these references of Grace Jones and [photographer] Jean-Paul Goude, back in the '80s when pop stars took it to a whole 'nother level. I felt and feel like Rihanna is so important to our culture, to pop music. I feel that she is the most important artist in music and has the most potential. For her taste level at her age and the songs she does and her style. She has the potential to be the greatest artist of all time. In that sense, I feel like she's my baby sis, and I would do any and everything to help her in any situation." Monday night on "Last Call With Carson Daly," T.I. said he has spoken with Brown since the incident happened. "I spoke to him today," Tip said. "He's cool, you know. He's a little concerned about the situation, but he's still the same Chris." Tip said despite conversing with Brown, he still didn't know what had happened, but he offered advice to the singer. "I told him, 'This too shall pass.' We're celebrities, we're entertainers, but we're still human — all of us," he said. "Don't expect us not to make mistakes, because we will." Following his appearance on "Last Call," T.I. released a statement to MTV News expressing regret for his comments on the incident. "After careful consideration, I realized I made the mistake of commenting before understanding the situation," the statement read. "I myself am no stranger to media scrutiny. My only intention was to support both Rihanna and Chris during these times. My heart goes out to both of them. Someone who is all too familiar with having a domestic dispute plastered across the headlines is Lionel Richie, whose ugly confrontations with his now-ex-wife Brenda ultimately resulted in her arrest in 1988. Richie advised both Brown and Rihanna to not run away from what happened. "You'll go through adversity," he offered. "You're gonna have it. You're gonna have difficulty. Stand up, face it. Look right in the camera, say, 'Yes, I did it,' then back out of it. Keep going. That's all you can do. Because now, there's no more secrets. You can't hide anything anymore. "You can't get away now," he continued, analyzing how much the media has changed over the past two decades. "It took a minute ... when you could practice your integrity thing, you could practice your mistakes, before the world even heard about it. Now, whatever mistake you make, it's out there. It's a different kind of vibe. I wouldn't want to deal with it right now, not learning the business and life at the same time with that thing [camera] pointing at you every five minutes. All I can say is it's here, it's now, deal with it." Ashanti, whose critically acclaimed song "Rain on Me" dealt with domestic violence, said "I definitely wish them the best. There's a lot of things that's alleged. Nobody knows what going on. They're young. I hope everything's all right for the both of them." Get resources and information about domestic violence, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Chris Brown Haunted By Family's History Of Domestic Violence Posted: 09 Feb 2009 11:41 PM PST R&B singer told MTV News in 2006 that mother's abuse was 'an influence in me about how to treat a woman.'
Chris Brown has spoken openly about the devastating impact domestic violence has had on his life. The 19-year-old singer — who was arrested Sunday after allegedly getting into a physical confrontation with a woman who has been identified as girlfriend Rihanna — spoke many times early in his career about the effects of seeing his mother allegedly being beaten by his stepfather. Early on in his career, in February 2006, less than a year after making his debut at age 16 with the hit "Run It!," Brown told MTV News' Sway that watching his mother endure that abuse was "an influence in me about how to treat a woman." He talked about his hatred for his stepfather and said, "I used to always feel the hate for anybody that disrespected a lady. Or called a lady the B-word ... or just disrespected her."
Based on the information she has read about the case and her 25 years of experience dealing with domestic-violence issues, Sheryl Cates, CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, said the intergenerational abusive behavior that Brown could be a part of is not unusual. "It's a learned behavior," she said. "It can be unlearned, and I hope that he will seek some help to do that. But it's about a belief system where you think, 'I have the right to hurt someone I love.' I've seen him say a lot that he would treat women differently, but the [alleged] injuries in this case are the same tactics — emotional or physical — meant to control [Rihanna]. One of the things we can convey to people is [that] violence is not the answer and there is an ability to change if you want that." Though police have not specifically charged Brown with domestic violence in the case, which allegedly resulted in Rihanna suffering contusions to her face and bite injuries on her arms, Cates said she would love to help Brown. She said he's at an age that if he decides he wants to have healthy relationships going forward, he can do that. Noting that any violent act in a relationship is a terrible thing, and that currently one in five teens experience dating violence, Cates said the fact that this alleged incident happened in public might actually help. "Maybe his arrest will move him to action around standing up [about this issue]," she said. "He's in a perfect position to stand up and say, 'I'm sorry for letting America's youth down. This is a part of my past, and I want people to know this is not the answer, and I want to get some help.' " In December 2007, just months before he was first seen with Rihanna by his side, Brown appeared on Tyra Banks' talk show and spoke of his mother's abuse. "It affected me ... especially toward women," he said. "I treat them differently. Because I don't want to go through the same thing or put a woman through the same thing that that person put my mom through." Brown told Banks that he dealt with watching the domestic abuse from ages 7 to 13. "It changed me," he said, explaining that his outgoing stage persona is an attempt to overcome the shyness and timidity he felt as a child, which sometimes led to him wetting his bed because he was afraid to get up at night and witness the violence. Brown told Banks that he would talk to his mother about the abuse "all the time," but that "when a woman's in love ... you don't look at it like that." Asked what advice he might give to a woman or family in that situation, Brown bit his lip and said, "That's hard. ... Try to overcome it. Pray. ... I had the Bible under the pillow. ... Talk it out." In 2007, Brown also spoke about his family's past with Giant magazine. "He used to hit my mom," the singer told the magazine. "He made me terrified all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself. I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, 'I'm just gonna go crazy on him one day.' ... I hate him to this day." In that interview, Brown described how, at age 11, he vowed to his mother that he would be in jail by age 15 for killing his abusive stepfather. "I'm gonna take a baseball bat one day while you at work, and I'm gonna kill him," he said. Emil Wilbekin, editor in chief of Giant, told MTV News on Monday that he was saddened by the news. "In the 2007 article, he talks about his abusive stepfather beating on his mother, and unfortunately, that type of behavior often becomes a pattern within families," Wilbekin said. "It's a little sad, because he is a role model for so many young men and has so many young female fans. It does send a really bad message." Get resources and information about domestic violence, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Artists |
| Blink-182's Travis Barker Explains Arm Sling Posted: 10 Feb 2009 08:32 AM PST Before appearing on the Grammys, drummer had surgery for injury related to plane crash.
Once the initial shock of seeing a reunited Blink-182 take the stage at Sunday's Grammy Awards had subsided, fired-up fans were left to analyze the brief moment, Zapruder-film style. And from that analysis, two questions immediately sprung to the forefront: What was the deal with Tom DeLonge's rather standoffish posturing, and why was Travis Barker's left arm in a sling? Well, we might not have the answer to the first one, but Barker himself cleared up the mystery of the sling ... to Mario Lopez of all people. In a post-Grammy interview, Barker told the "Extra" host that he'd just undergone surgery related to his plane crash last September. "I kind of rushed out of the hospital and my hand was numb, but I didn't tell anybody," Barker told the erstwhile A.C. Slater. "It was in four or five of my fingers. I really wanted to fix it as soon as possible. "I had bad nerve damage, so I just got surgery," he added. "I have eight to 10 weeks to recover." Barker has undergone several surgeries since surviving the South Carolina plane crash that killed four others, including his assistant, Chris Baker, and his security guard, Charles "Che" Still. Barker and partner DJ AM escaped the fiery crash with second-and-third degree burns. Back in 2004, Barker broke his right foot after a Blink gig in Australia, leading to the cancelation of dates on that continent and in Japan. In 2006, Barker injured his right forearm while playing drums with Mark Hoppus in +44. He was fitted with a cast, and soldiered on, playing drums with his left hand. It's not known whether Barker's surgery will affect the status of Blink-182's plans to release a new album and tour this summer, as they have stated in a message on their official Web site. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
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