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| Black Eyed Peas' Album <i>The E.N.D.</i> Not Actually The End Posted: 27 Feb 2009 04:50 AM PST 'It's not a retirement,' Taboo says of the LP's ominous title.
When the members of the Black Eyed Peas aren't busy making movies, recording solo albums or writing songs dedicated to Barack Obama, they are getting together to work on anything and everything BEP-related. The band have once again reconvened for the much-anticipated album The E.N.D., due out in June. Taboo, who most recently spent his time off from the band shooting "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li," told MTV News now that he's done with the film, he's "getting back into Black Eyed Pea mode." "The [beats per minute] are a lot faster," he said about the new album, citing the electro-club music Will.I.Am heard while shooting "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" in Australia as an inspiration for the album's sound. "He would always go to those clubs and get influenced by electronic music," he said. "All four of us are back, for the people that are wondering if Fergie is coming back. Of course Will.I.Am is back, Apl.de.Ap and myself, so it's gonna be much more uplifting. It's a dance album. It's for people around the world." The title of the album may have fans wondering if this is the group's last offering, but Taboo assures us it's an acronym and not to be taken literally. However, he isn't sure the timing is right to share what the "E.N.D." stands for. "Not right now, I think you guys [should] wait. It's a big surprise," he explained. "No, no, no, it's not a retirement." Taboo also isn't ready to retire from the world of acting, either, and has goals he wants to accomplish in the field. "I want to continue with action," he said. "I want to be the first Mexican-American martial artist action star on film, on the big screen. We don't have that." Related Artists |
| T.I., Akon Reveal How They Ended Up 'Day Dreaming' With DJ Drama Posted: 26 Feb 2009 01:28 AM PST 'Three international superstars, so we definitely had to make it major,' Drama says of song, which also features Snoop Dogg.
HOLLYWOOD — While T.I. loves DJ Drama, that doesn't mean Dram gets any preferential treatment. "Drama is Grand Hustle," Tip said on the set of Drama's "Day Dreaming" video. "Grand Hustle is me all day. I don't do Drama's records for him more than I do any of my other artists' records for them. If it's a record they have an idea for me being on, I wait for them to do all their [other] records. The record they approach me and say, 'Hey, this the one I think I need you on,' I listen. At the end of the day, I defer to their comment. 'Is this the one? OK.' And we do it." Tip joins Akon and Snoop Dogg on the record with vocal performances.
"Drama called me up and was like, 'Yo, 'Kon, what's the deal?' " Akon recalled of how he got on the song. "I said, 'What's up, bro?' He said, 'I ain't talking to you no more. Can I get my record?' I stopped everything I was doing to make sure he got it." Akon was on tour in Canada at the time, so he took awhile laying his part for "Day Dreaming," but Drama got it right on time. "It's a big song," Drama boasted during lunchtime on the set. "Three international superstars, so we definitely had to make it major. It's about when you might see a young lady and you get some thoughts in your head or some visions or some dreams." "It's pretty much about being enticed by a go-go dancer," Akon elaborated. "There's always that one [you see in the club] that makes you be like, 'Why is she in here? I wanna take care of that one.' So it's that vision of what that is right there. "This is nothing like what [Drama] is normally pushing [on Gangsta Grillz mixtapes]," Akon continued. "I think he's at the stage now where he realizes that as a DJ, he has to grow and take himself to the next level." Drama is feeling very presidential these days. In the video, he sports his new "Barack O'Drama" iced-out piece. "I've been calling myself that since about February '07," Drama said. "It's a beautiful thing that I can rock the name proudly, and Barack Obama is president of the United States right now. "I'm the mixtape president," he added. "I've been the king. There have been other kings, but after what I went through with the raid situation and what I accomplished in the mixtape game and what I've done since then, I feel I need to be the president. I may not be the last. Right now, I'm in office and I'm standing in front of you moving the mixtape game forward." Drama's official LP, Gangsta Grillz 2: The Album (The Mixtape President), is in stores May 19. In addition to Snoop, T.I. and Akon, it features guest spots from Lil Jon and Dram's Aphilliates Music Group family, such as La the Darkman and Willie the Kid. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Lily Allen Contemplates Quitting Music, Getting Married Posted: 27 Feb 2009 04:50 AM PST 'I couldn't tell you if I'm going to make another record,' British singer says.
Lily Allen's It's Not Me, It's You debuted in the top five of the Billboard albums chart last week, and she also found her way to the top of the British singles, album and radio-play charts too. She's got a U.S. headlining tour scheduled for April, and she totally owned Perez Hilton in a recent Twitter battle. Needless to say, things are pretty good in Lily land at the moment. So why is she thinking about quitting the business entirely?
"I'm a 'live the day' person. I have no idea what I'm doing tomorrow. I certainly don't think about a week from now or a month from now," she laughed. "As far as the future goes, there's only a vague plan of getting married and having kids. I couldn't tell you if I'm going to make another record, because I don't know if I'm going to enjoy this in six months' time." So, Lily fans, enjoy her while you can. Because she might be trading in her platinum plaques for 2.5 kids and a minivan. And while her attitude toward her career is certainly a refreshing change of pace, it also begs the question: If making music doesn't make her happy, why release another album in the first place? "Because I was given a big advance, and I've spent it. It's gone," she deadpanned. "No, this is what I'm doing right now, and there have been times when it hasn't made me happy, mainly when people are being really mean to me or when I'm getting followed down the street. When I took a break between one album and the other, still getting all that attention, you start weighing it all up, and it's like, 'I don't like this. This is my time off. I've been on tour for two years. This isn't my job to walk out of the house and be followed by 30 guys with cameras all day.' That's when you start going, 'F--- this sh--.' " Still, she's enjoying the ride these days (even going so far as to claim she's "pretty damn happy" right now), which means retirement probably isn't in the cards anytime soon. But if she had her way, would she really be out on the road touring and promoting her new album? Probably not. "Isn't the point of life to find a partner, to settle down? That's the idea, isn't it?" she said. "I don't know if I want to get married. I know I want to be falling in love, that's the good sh-- there. And I know people have been reading that about me a lot, lately, so I just want to say that I am not actively hunting for a husband. Much." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Bow Wow Says Chris Brown Is Only Human: 'We're Not Perfect' Posted: 26 Feb 2009 01:09 AM PST 'We put our pants on the same way everybody else puts their pants on,' MC says of his fellow celebrities.
A number of questions have been raised in the wake of the alleged altercation between Chris Brown and Rihanna on February 8. One of the biggest questions has been how Brown's arrest will affect his image and, ultimately, his career. Bow Wow told MTV News on Wednesday that Brown's career shouldn't be of any concern: "I just want people to know that as entertainers, our job is to entertain."
He said it's difficult to judge how this will affect Brown's career, but fans should understand that he's no different than anybody else. As artists, they have a responsibility to make records, tour and please fans, but they are still human. "We're not perfect," Bow said. "We put our pants on the same way everybody else puts their pants on." Bow Wow said he's good friends with Brown, but he decided not to reach out to him. "I always like to put myself in people's shoes," he said. "I understand probably what he's going through by the whole world knowing what happened. I don't want to be another [person] calling him and wanting to talk to him." Brown enjoyed a squeaky-clean image and seemed to never be without a smile, and e was a triple threat as a singer, dancer and actor. But the allegations have already affected him professionally. Brown has had to cancel shows and appearances and has lost ads with Wrigley's Doublemint Gum and the "Got Milk?" campaign. Bow Wow said the best thing for Brown and Rihanna is privacy and for fans to pray. "The only thing you could really do is just pray for him and pray for her and hope that they can get back on their two feet and do what we love them for doing," he said. 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 Morse Code Mystery Revealed By Mark Hoppus Posted: 25 Feb 2009 10:12 PM PST Is Hoppus' blog message meaningful, or just messing with fans?
If you're an obsessive Blink-182 fan (like some of us around here are), then you probably check out Mark Hoppus' blog on a daily basis. And if you're a Blink-182 fan who's obsessed with all things viral and mysterious (like some of us here), well, then you probably lost your mind on Tuesday. That's when Hoppus posted a series of dots and dashes on his blog, Hi My Name Is Mark, setting off an online stampede that had fans pulling out their hair (and their pocket translators). Were the marks actually some form of MIDI notes? Did they contain hidden information about Blink's much-anticipated new album? Was this some sort of throwback to Coldplay's X&Y Baudot code thingamajig? Just what was Hoppus trying to tell us?!?! Well, as it turns out, he was mostly just messing with us. See, the dots and dashes were Morse code, and when fans plugged them into online translators, they got some form of the following message: "TREADTEINUNEEDTUNDERTANDRECDETLINKTAETII" Clever fans began picking the string of letters apart, and what they discovered had them slapping their foreheads. Hoppus publishes on Wordpress, which converted some of his dots and/or dashes into characters and/or hyphens, therefore mucking the whole thing up a bit, but roughly translated, the message seemed to say, "To Read This, You Need To Understand Morse Code. Blink-182." Now, not only is that brilliant, it's also hilarious. But, was Hoppus's Morse Mystery all just an elaborate prank? To find out, we shot him an e-mail, saying we were confounded and slightly amazed by the whole thing. And he replied with the following: "Awesome. It says something like, 'To read this you need to understand Morse code. Blink-182.' " So, there you have it, Blink obsessives. Straight from the man himself. Feel free to return to your normal lives. Or, you know, your semi-normal ones. Related Artists |
| Why Normund Gentle Is The Greatest 'American Idol' Contestant Ever Posted: 25 Feb 2009 11:13 PM PST But can the polarizing singer/comedian make it to the top 12?
A few weeks ago, after Normund Gentle (or, if you prefer, Nick Mitchell) inexplicably slipped into the "American Idol" top 36, we published a piece in which we called him "either the most annoying contestant in the show's illustrious eight-year history, or the most brilliant." At the time, we weren't really sure which was appropriate. Now, after Wednesday night's vampy, campy performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," we've made up our minds: Gentle is the greatest contestant in "American Idol" history.
Here's why: For starters, he's infinitely more interesting than anyone else in the "Idol" annals, despite the fact that he isn't even real — or, more specifically, because he isn't real. In Normund Gentle (who has been identified on the show as "Norman Gentle" but, according to his Web site, is actually "Normund"), Mitchell has created a cabaret caricature that pokes fun at everything the show is about: the over-the-top emoting, the cheesy numbers, the fact that this is basically a beauty contest. Gentle is definitely not beautiful: He's gawky, his short shorts ride uncomfortably high, he wears a headband, and yet, he survives. He is cheesiness personified, his performances so overly emotional that they border on being terrible (like, during last night's performance, when he literally got on his knees and begged the audience — and the judges — to let him stay on the show). He is, if one is being generous, an incredible slab of performance art ... either you get him or you don't. He is multifaceted. Complex. Having said all that, you cannot merely write Gentle off as a "joke," despite all evidence to the contrary. This is because Gentle — or Mitchell — can actually sing. For proof of this, check out his version of "Amazing Grace" during the "Idol" auditions, or the extended, lung-sapping "Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" he capped his performance with last night. Sure, he did this after chucking his glasses into the audience, pawing at the "American Idol" sign and wading into the studio audience like a lost puppy, but still, you cannot deny that he has pipes (and at least he doesn't use them to shatter eardrums like theater-trained emo kid Adam Lambert). He is not merely a one-trick pony. Finally, as if everything he's done up to this point is not proof enough, Wednesday night's performance only proved that Gentle (and, by default, Mitchell) has absolutely no pretenses about actually winning "Idol." In fact, he seems hell-bent on single-handedly destroying it. His routine brought last night's show to a screeching halt, it left the judges agape, and it had the audience in complete hysterics. It's as if, in one moment, everyone watching, judging or producing "Idol" realized, "Wow, this thing really is ridiculous." He blew holes through the show's entire premise. As opposed to going out there and singing for his very life (which everyone else did, with underwhelming results), Gentle took the stage in a white tuxedo jacket and decided to screw around. It was either the work of a madman, a mastermind or both. And here's the thing: Gentle's act could continue. Despite Simon Cowell's urging that he be voted off (or, probably, because of it), Gentle may survive. He's already being championed by the Vote for the Worst folks, and he seems like a shoo-in to receive the votes of every single person in this country who hates "American Idol" and wants to see it brought to its knees. And Gentle could be the person who does just that. Or he may just be sent packing Thursday night (February 26) — who knows? Either way, he's already attained greatness. It just depends on your definition of the word. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos |
| Danity Kane's Dawn Richard On Chris Brown And Rihanna: 'It's Their Business' Posted: 26 Feb 2009 09:38 AM PST Singer says she hasn't spoken with either artist but she's 'praying for them.'
Dawn Richard has been living her life in the public eye since she made her reality-TV debut on "Making the Band" as one of the five ladies of Danity Kane. After the group's very public split over the last few months, Richard knows what it's like to be in the media spotlight. While she said she hasn't spoken to either Chris Brown or Rihanna since their alleged altercation before the Grammy Awards — "I've seen them a couple times before all this stuff, but I don't know them like that," she said — she is "praying for both of them. "I think they're both great artists," she said. "It's a shame and I think it's their business and it sucks that it has to be out there. [The media attention is] like a microscope — everybody's in your stuff. It's their business and whatever they choose to do with it, I wish them luck. It's not my business."
Ne-Yo, who said he's spoken with Rihanna, and Bow Wow recently spoke with MTV News about the situation. Even with all of Richard's experience of being scrutinized by the public, she says she can't offer Brown and Rihanna much advice. "I can't give them anything 'cause I went through my thing and it went all wrong," she said. "You just pray. I do wish them luck. I wish that everybody would back off and let them deal with it the way they deal with it. I can't give advice. I can say positivity is the best thing you can do right now. Just stay positive and just surround yourself with people who are positive." 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 |
| 'American Idol' Recap: Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert, Megan Joy Corkrey Heat Up Competition Posted: 26 Feb 2009 07:22 AM PST Nick 'Norman Gentle' Mitchell continues to ham it up and annoy Simon.
If "American Idol" wannabes don't know by now that song selection is more important than finding just the right sparkly shirt to wear on TV, then there's nothing the judges can do to help them.
But, apparently, most of the second group of 12 who performed on Wednesday night in still haven't gotten the memo, because Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara called them out for picking songs that did nothing to help their chances of advancing. With contestants again picking from the Billboard Hot 100, it was a night with just a few highlights, and several judges' favorites crashed and burned. (Check out last night's live "Idol" blog for a full recap!) But first the good news. Under-the-radar 16-year-old Allison Iraheta, in the words of Randy Jackson, "just blew it out the box." The spunky, flame-haired wonder exploded on Heart's "Alone," tearing into the classic rock nugget with her husky, powerful Kelly Clarkson-esque voice. "You don't even know how good you are," Kara DioGuardi told Iraheta. Paula Abdul said the teen could "sing the telephone book," and though Simon Cowell told her to work on her personality, he added, "It's like the competition just started right now." Also killing it was show-closer Adam Lambert, 27, the musical-theater junkie who surprised everyone by bringing some Billy Idol/Axl Rose/ Elvis lip-curling swagger to the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction." Shaking his hips and sporting an all black ensemble pimped out with a fingerless glove and a neck full of chains, Lambert worked the stage like a pro, gave the camera a longing stare and ended his performance with a lens-shattering falsetto scream that got Cowell's attention. Paula busted out a standing ovation and said she felt like she wasn't watching "Idol," but an "Adam Lambert concert." Simon said parts were "excruciatingly bad," but others were "brilliant." And Randy just loved it, calling Lambert the most current artist ever on "Idol." He compared Lambert to a mash-up of Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Fall Out Boy, "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson and My Chemical Romance. And then, there was jokester Nick "Norman Gentle" Mitchell. The most improbable "Idol" top 36-er ever delivered on his promise, once again busting out "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," dressed in his signature silvery shirt, cargo pants, running shoes, brown socks and red headband, accessorized with a white tuxedo jacket with tails and two red wristbands. "And I am telling you, I hope I'm not going. ... I'm staying. ... I'm not waking up tomorrow and finding out there's no 'Idol," Mitchell warbled as he writhed on the stage, tossed his glasses, touched hands with screaming girls in the crowd, nuzzled the "Idol" logo and ended by holding a long, off-key "Youuuuuuuuuuu!" and staring into the camera in all his baggy-eyed glory. Cowell couldn't help but laugh. "I hope I'm speaking on behalf of America when I pray you don't go through to the next round," he said, calling Mitchell's comedic throwdown "arguably one of the most atrocious performances we've ever had at this stage of the competition." Mitchell stared back and snapped, "Takes one to know one, sassy pants!" as he unleashed a high karate kick. Randy called it one of the most entertaining performances ever on the show. Kara said Mitchell will always be remembered, and Paula called it an Olivia-Newton-John-meets-Jerry-Lewis mash-up that was a lot of fun. But perhaps the night's biggest breakout was tattooed 23-year-old mom Megan Joy Corkrey. Wearing a sassy, white high-waisted dress, with her long hair done in waves, the runway-ready Corkrey showed off her 1,000-watt smile and wowed the panel with Corinne Bailey Ray's "Put Your Records On," while doing a cutesy hip-swiveling dance she called "the Corkrey." "You picked the right song. ... The camera is in love with you," Paula enthused, calling Corkrey "interesting, relevant, hip, cool, beautiful." Simon agreed, and Randy compared her to Grammy-winning British singers Adele, Duffy and Amy Winehouse. Kara said Corkrey could easily be a "breakout hit artist on radio" with the right song. For the most part, the rest of the contestants struggled. Jasmine Murray, 17, bombed with her Alicia Keys-ified soul version of Sara Bareilles' "Love Song," which the judges said was not the right choice. Dueling-piano player and Justin Timberlake wannabe Matt Giraud, 23, struggled through a feathery, Blake Lewis-esque run through Coldplay's difficult "Viva la Vida" that Simon said was "horrible." And bartender Jeanine Vailes, 28, got mad props for her mile-long legs, but that's about all the judges had to say about her messy take on Maroon 5's "This Love." Kris Allen, 23, forgot the cardinal "never cover Michael Jackson" rule, earning the judge's ire for his gospel-meets-Jack Johnson cover of "Man in the Mirror," which Simon praised for showing some personality, but which Kara said was "completely" the wrong song. Judge favorite and 28-year-old welding dad Matt Breitzke likely punched out his time card with an awkward soft-rock tumble through Tonic's "If You Could Only See" that Cowell called "boring" and "quite uncomfortable." The judges were split on the remaining contenders, including single mom Jesse Langseth, who did a jazzy version of Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes," which Randy called "OK," Kara and Paula really liked and Simon said suffered from the singer's "forgettable" personality. Nice-guy Kai Kalama sang a tame take on Jimmy Ruffin's nugget, "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," which most agreed was too old-fashioned and safe, though they praised his likability. Former child actress and season-seven Hollywood washout Mishavonna Henson confused everyone with an Adele-style soul trip through Train's "Drops of Jupiter." Paula thought it was the wrong song. Simon liked it but said Henson was too serious and acted "like a 50-year-old," and Kara urged her to loosen up. The top male and female vote-getters — plus the next-highest vote-getter, regardless of gender — will advance into the top 12 on Thursday (February 26) night's results show. The final group of 12 will perform next Tuesday, followed by a results show on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, March 5, is the still-confusing wild-card round. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos |
| Britney Spears Case: Restraining Orders Extended Posted: 26 Feb 2009 09:44 AM PST Order came on same day paparazzo ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib pleaded not guilty in assault case.
A judge ruled on Wednesday to extend the restraining orders against Britney Spears' former self-proclaimed manager, boyfriend and lawyer.
According to a Reuters report, after hearing claims from Spears' father and the singer's hairdresser that the three men tried to undermine father Jamie Spears' control over the pop star's affairs, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb extended a temporary restraining order against former manager Sam Lutfi and paparazzo ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib. The order is now in place until March 18, while another restraining order, against lawyer Jon Eardley, who also once claimed to represent Spears, was extended until April 1. Earlier in the week, Jamie Spears had testified that Lutfi and Ghalib allegedly conspired to sneak a cell phone to Britney in violation of the court order to stay away and not interfere with the conservatorship that gives him control over Britney's affairs. In testimony in the restraining-order case, E! News reported that hairstylist Roberta Romero, who reportedly found and turned over the surreptitious cell phone, claimed that she received several "harassing" text messages from Lutfi in December in which he sought to get back in touch with Spears. One of those texts allegedly said, "So please just relay to [Britney] the truth so she can free herself," while another read, "I'm very close to getting her free now ... her family sent her to the hospital." Romero testified that Britney eventually asked her to stop contact with Lutfi. One of the singer's bodyguards said that Romero and Spears informed him of the texts, which had reportedly frightened Spears and which led to a beefing up of the singer's security team. Bobb will rule on March 18 and April 1 whether to extend the restraining orders. Spears, who is gearing up for the launch of her Circus tour, was not present for the rulings. The rulings came on the same day that Ghalib turned himself in to face felony charges for allegedly hitting a process server with his car; the server was reportedly trying to present the tabloid photographer with a restraining order from Spears' family. Ghalib, 36, pleaded not guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon, battery and hit-and-run in the alleged February 11 incident. He was booked and released without posting bail. If convicted he faces up to seven years in jail. Related Artists |
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