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| Chris Brown And Rihanna Did Not Record A Duet Last Month Posted: 13 Mar 2009 05:46 AM PDT Producer Polow Da Don's rep says reports stemmed from a demo the couple recorded last year.
People magazine published a report Friday (March 13) denying that Rihanna and Chris Brown recorded a duet together last month. Just Thursday, CNN reported that producer Polow Da Don had overseen the pair's recording sessions after Brown was charged with two felonies in the alleged altercation. "The reports are inaccurate," Polow's publicist, Laura Wright, told UsMagazine.com on Friday, calling the CNN report misinformed. "The duet was recorded long before the incident." "Contrary to published reports, Chris Brown and Rihanna did not record a duet after the incident," echoed the People report, quoting a "label source" with knowledge of the recording. The confusion seems to be the result of a demo recorded by Brown and Rihanna in 2008, which Polow Da Don spoke with MTV News about after it leaked onto the Internet in January. According to the People source, their "reference vocals" were meant to instruct the eventual singers on how to do the song. The track, titled "Bad Girl," was intended to be on the soundtrack for the recent film "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and was eventually recorded by the Pussycat Dolls. "Nothing has been recorded by Chris and Rihanna together since February," insisted the People source. Although various outlets have feverishly reported on Brown/Rihanna reconciliations and breakups daily, only this much is clear: The L.A. district attorney filed two felony counts against Brown last week, following a February 8 incident in which police said he assaulted Rihanna. Brown is expected to be back in court on April 6 for his formal arraignment and faces nearly five years in prison if convicted. Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Lil Wayne Says Watch Out For 'Sleepers' In NCAA Tournament Posted: 13 Mar 2009 12:48 AM PDT 'Let me get in my mode,' Weezy says when we ask him to talk college hoops during mtvU Spring Break.
When someone is really passionate about something, it's pretty easy to tell. Take Lil Wayne, for instance. He takes his career so seriously that he records and tours nonstop and even has an "I Am Music" tattoo ... on his face. So when we had a chance to catch up with him at mtvU Spring Break in Panama City Beach, Florida, a quick question about ESPN's Championship Week and the upcoming NCAA Tournament turned him from multiplatinum rapper to studio analyst in an instant.
"First of all, let me get in my mode," he said as he pulled his glasses down from his head onto his face. "Hold on, 'cause this is what I do." For those who don't know, Weezy has been getting his "talking head" on lately with ESPN, and he also has a sports blog on ESPN the Magazine's Web site. (How is Lil Wayne so knowledgeable about sports? We wonder the same thing, in the Newsroom blog.) Here's Wayne's take on a topsy-turvy week of college basketball: "Shout-out to all the tournaments, because you got to pay attention [to all the teams]," he said. "Everybody who came out [as winners in] the tournaments was sleepers. You got teams like Radford, you got teams like Virginia Commonwealth came out there -- shout-out to Larry Sanders. But the only conference that held up is the Big East Conference [Editor's note: The Syracuse and UConn six-overtime thriller was on at the time of the interview] and conferences like the ACC and the SEC -- shout-out LSU. You got to watch those teams like that in the Big Dance. Those teams aren't there for nothing. You got to watch Virginia Commonwealth. You got to watch those teams. "I really wanted DePaul to get somewhere," Wayne continued. "That's my perfect example: They got a 10-20-something record this year. But in that conference [Big East] they went to the semifinal. [Editor's note: They were bounced in the second round after a huge upset win over Cincinnati.] They didn't get the automatic bid. But if a team like that makes it, they're playing with a different motivation." Related Artists |
| Lil Mama Says She'd 'Definitely' Work With Chris Brown Again Posted: 13 Mar 2009 09:23 AM PDT MC, who worked with Brown on 'Shawty Get Loose,' says despite Rihanna incident, 'I would definitely work with [him] at this very moment.'
New York rapper/ "America's Best Dance Crew" judge Lil Mama, who collaborated with Chris Brown on her song "Shawty Get Loose," spoke with MTV News this week about the singer's alleged altercation with Rihanna.
"I haven't spoken to Chris Brown in a while," she said. "Was I surprised [about what happened]? [I was] very surprised to hear how people went about speaking on what happened." She said she was most confounded by the way people were commenting on the incident before details — which still have not been fully revealed — had emerged. "[I was] very surprised because there were allegations of Chris Brown and Rihanna having a fight and everyone just went crazy — the media, his fans, her fans. I mean, everybody just lost their minds," she said. "Nobody knows what happens still to this day, but everybody's talking. I don't understand that." Despite Brown's ongoing legal troubles and the backlash against him in the wake of the incident, Lil Mama said she would work with him again. "I would definitely record a song or work with Chris Brown at this very moment, I would. That's me." She added that she still "respects [him] as an artist and I do not know what he's done in his personal life. I've heard allegations. I've seen pictures that might be false, that might be true. "I have not heard from Rihanna," she continued. "I see her in the media, taking pictures, going to events and living her life as she does normally, so I'm still confused. I don't know what's going on." Lil Mama did have a message for the pair. "I wish them both the best of luck. I wish them both all of the success in the world, which they deserve," she said. "As far as the way I feel about it, it's very confusing." Related Artists |
| Gwyneth Paltrow Isn't Buying Joaquin Phoenix's Hip-Hop Act Posted: 13 Mar 2009 12:42 AM PDT 'It seems odd,' actress says of her 'Two Lovers' co-star's decision to swap acting for rapping.
Gwyneth Paltrow isn't buying all this Joaquin Phoenix hip-hop hype. Yes, even despite Phoenix's rather thuggish behavior at a Miami concert on Thursday — when he leapt into the crowd and wailed on a heckler — Paltrow, who stars with Phoenix in the film "Two Lovers," isn't convinced that he's given up his acting career to focus on rapping.
"I'm not a hundred percent sure that that's really going to be the case," she told MTV UK during a promotional junket for the film. "I think that there might be some other explanation or something going on. I'm not quite sure what, but I can't believe that he's really going to quit forever to become a rapper. It seems odd." And that puts Paltrow squarely in the ever-growing camp of people who suspect that Phoenix's hip-hop career is actually just an elaborate hoax, despite his publicist's assertions to the contrary. But even if she has her doubts, that doesn't mean Paltrow's not paying attention to Phoenix's every move. And she might even be taking a few notes. "I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that I'm quitting acting to become a rapper," she laughed. "So, I'm going to write 'good-bye' across my knuckles and everything. Do you have a pen?" While our colleague didn't have a pen handy, he did manage to ask Paltrow — who has sung both onscreen and onstage, and who, along with husband Chris Martin of Coldplay, is close friends with rapper Jay-Z — if she had any advice for Phoenix on his burgeoning hip-hop career. Turns out she did, and it's actually pretty sound: Start building street cred. "What advice would I give to Joaquin?" she laughed. "Hmm ... maybe to go live in the projects for a few years to get some authenticity, maybe." Check out everything we've got on "Two Lovers." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| 'American Idol' Spotlight On Christian Singers Reels In Religious Viewers Posted: 12 Mar 2009 11:16 PM PDT '[This year's 'Idol'] shows that a Christian singer can have artistic integrity,' says 'Gospel Soundcheck' columnist.
Every week, tens of millions of Americans tune in religiously to "American Idol" to watch the trials and tribulations of their favorite singers. This season, though, a large number of those faithful viewers have more than a casual pop-culture interest in the show: They're Christians who are also watching because more than half of this year's crop of finalists — including Danny Gokey, Michael Sarver, Kris Allen, Scott MacIntyre, Matt Giraud and Lil Rounds — either have a strong affiliation with the church or are worship leaders in their communities. "I think that Christians probably watch the show all the time but maybe don't admit it. But this gives them someone to root for in this cast who is not just talented but also follows their faith, and people want to get behind contestants who align with their views," said Joanne Brokaw, who writes the Gospel Soundcheck" column for the spirituality Web site BeliefNet.com. "Christian music has always had this cheesy label attached to it, and this shows that a Christian singer can have artistic integrity and they are people who can really sing."
Brokaw, a freelance writer who contributes to a number of Christian media outlets, began live-blogging "Idol" this year for BeliefNet, and she said the show's inclusion of such worship leaders as front-runner Gokey and Texas roughneck Sarver piqued her interest early on. "I think someone like Danny Gokey allows mainstream audiences to see that Christian music is not scary," she said. "He's not preachy. And the story of how he lost his wife is so heartbreaking, but you can see there is a joy in his performance that speaks to people. He doesn't have to talk about God for people to see that he's a Christian and see past the stereotype." According to Brokaw's research, at least six of the remaining top 11 contenders have ties to the church. Among them are Gokey, who she said ran two services in two different cities every Sunday for Faith Builders International until his wife's death; worship leaders Sarver and Allen; gospel-quartet member and churchgoer MacIntrye; Giraud, who has released two Christian CDs; and Rounds, who has said she "grew up in church." At press time, a spokesperson for "Idol" had not responded to requests for comment for this story. When Jordin Sparks won the competition two years ago, Brokaw said Christians took notice because of her strong faith and her background in gospel and Christian music. She followed in the footsteps of other avowed Christians Chris Daughtry, who has gained a strong following thanks to his spiritually inclined lyrics, and first-season singer RJ Helton, who represented early on in the show's run but reportedly quit singing inspirational music after coming out as a gay man. The show also built what Brokaw thought was an overt bridge to its Christian audience last season when the top eight sang the evangelical Christian tune "Shout to the Lord" during the charity fundraiser "Idol Gives Back"; the song was covered by season-two winner Ruben Studdard on his 2004 gospel album, I Need an Angel. "Even if contestants don't come out and say it, we can all spot someone [who is Christian]. The more that there are contestants that we can connect with — who we can say, 'That person is like me' — the more it will probably help drive viewership this year," Brokaw said, pointing to a moment on Tuesday's performance show when the judges praised Allen for helping other contestants work on their songs, which Brokaw said brought a knowing nod from Christians who know of his church background. "We see what kind of person he is, and if you talk to people in his church they'll say they're not surprised." Brokaw said. "But people who don't know that he's a worship leader or actively involved in a Christian church might say, 'Why is he doing that? This is a competition!' Those are the values people want. We love it as much as anyone when Simon gets snarky, but watching a contestant perform with integrity and treating fellow contestants with grace and dignity speaks to us." Just as this season kicked off, freelance writer CJ Casciotta penned an essay for faith site ConversantLife.com titled "American Idol — Good for TV. Bad for Church," in which he questioned whether the show's shunning of the "awkward, the socially inept, the ugly, the difficult" during the often cruel early rounds shouldn't be a call to action for the rest of us to embrace those whose lives are a struggle. Casciotta's interest was piqued when he heard "Shout to the Lord" on "Idol" last season, and he suspects that the inclusion was an overt attempt to court Christian viewers. "The people at 'American Idol' are not idiots. They realize that there's this huge percentage of America that watches TV as a family, and a lot of families go to church. ... [The viewers] know worship leaders and musicians in church, and why not bring that aspect to the show?" he said. He suspected that the inclusion of so many people of faith on "Idol" this year is part of a trend Christian music has been undergoing over the past decade, growing out of its cloistered corner and going more mainstream without losing its core values. "People who are Christians have a platform through 'American Idol' to write their songs and share their stories, and it doesn't have to fit in with the traditional Christian or worship genre," he said. In fact, Casciotta said, he thinks Christian voters could end up being the deciding factor in this year's finals. "I would hope for people of faith that they would judge solely by talent," he said. "But if it came down to it, and the two [finalists] were equally talented and one was Christian, people would vote for that person who shares our faith." Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos |
| Jessica Simpson Tells Women In Abusive Relationships: 'Run So Far Away' Posted: 13 Mar 2009 12:06 AM PDT Singer includes a song with lyrics that address domestic violence in her Phoenix show set.
Jessica Simpson up about abusive relationships during her concert Thursday night (March 12) in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion, US Weekly reports. Before launching into "Remember That" — a song that contains the lyrics, "It doesn't matter how he hurts you/ With his hands or with his words/ You don't deserve it" — she told her fans to "run so far away" from any abusive situations. The singer — who has previously talked about being in an abusive relationship — added, "In love, we all go through a lot of things, and a lot of things unfortunately make us stay there [in the relationship]. No matter what you go through in life, no matter what abuse you go through, take your heart and run so far away." During the show, she also confessed to more relationship woes before singing "Still Don't Stop Me." "After I wrote that song, I was mad at myself for being so weak and I got over that guy!" she said, after explaining it was written for "a guy that I couldn't get over." In 2008, Simpson spoke to Elle magazine about her abusive relationship, but didn't specify if she had been physically or emotionally abused. "I don't want to talk about it, but I have definitely experienced abuse in a way that I would tell people to take their heart and run." Related Artists |
| Michael Jackson Sells Out 50 London Concerts Posted: 13 Mar 2009 03:40 AM PDT Singer's This Is It shows kick off at the O2 Arena in July and end in February.
Tickets to Michael Jackson's 50 London concerts sold out within hours of going on sale, concert organizers told The Associated Press. The residency, called This Is It, will begin in July and continue through February. Jackson has said these are the last shows he'll play in London. Last week, he billed the concerts as his "final curtain call."
Initially, 10 dates were announced, but the number has since ballooned to 50. On Friday (March 13), hundreds of people waited outside O2 Arena in London, where the shows will be taking place, to try to score tickets. "He is a legend and I love his message to the world," Obi, a 19-year-old student, told the AP. "I've been hoping that he would perform live again." Tickets for the shows cost between $70 and $105. "I have come 150 miles just for this," Lee Middleton said. "We have made some very interesting friends waiting in line. ... People were singing his songs and dancing." There is speculation that Jackson will eventually go on a world tour. "This is it! I just want to say these will be my final shows, performances in London. ... When I say this is it, it really means this is it," he said at a press conference announcing the shows last week. Jackson promised to perform "the songs my fans want to hear." Related Artists |
| Lady Gaga's Pop Revolution Continues With 'LoveGame' Posted: 12 Mar 2009 10:53 PM PDT Singer calls clip for next single 'a genuine New York lifestyle video.'
Lady Gaga kicked off her Fame Ball tour (which we're not supposed to call a "tour," remember?) on Thursday night in San Diego. And by all accounts, she more than lived up to her promise of giving fans a "life-changing experience." And she's not stopping there. Building on the success of singles like "Just Dance" and "Poker Face," Gaga recently unveiled her new clip, for the song "LoveGame," which, to hear her tell it, is just the next step in her plan to conquer the world with pop music. "This is all part of a movement. My artistry is much deeper than fashion or anything like that: I love pop music, and I want to bring it back," she told MTV News. "People are truly hungry for this. They generally miss the '90s and the superfans flooding Times Square, crying and wailing and doing anything to see the fingernail of a star. I want that back, and [the 'LoveGame' video] is just another move towards that. " 'LoveGame' is a genuine New York lifestyle video. It's got that feeling of 'gay, black New York,' of inclusion and glamour," she continued. "I wanted to really bring forth the girl that I was four years ago, and I wanted to put it in the setting of the underground subway. I worked with [video director] Joseph Kahn, and he did an amazing job. He didn't just capture the fashion; he captured the artist." And at the moment, that artist can do no wrong. Earlier this week, "LoveGame" leapt into the Billboard Hot 100, giving Gaga three singles on the chart ("Poker Face" and "Just Dance" are in the top 10). And when you consider the string of sold-out dates on the Fame Ball, it appears that Gaga's vision of a pop-powered future might actually become a reality. "We all used to believe in that very artistic lie that pop music tells. And we want to believe in that again," she said. "And it is back. I promise you. It's happening right now. My work is honest and strong, and I couldn't be more happy to see it reach so many people. There's really nothing else I can say." Related Artists |
| Kid Cudi Tells His Side Of All-Star Weekend Altercation Posted: 12 Mar 2009 10:38 PM PDT 'I let my pride get in the way,' MC says of Reebok-party scuffle.
During NBA All-Star Weekend, rumors came out of Phoenix that Kid Cudi had been arrested. Cudi was supposed to perform at a Reebok event, but he reportedly got into an argument with the staff, which escalated into a physical altercation and ended with him being Tasered and arrested. Even more peculiar was the fact that the entire thing was alleged to have started because Cudi refused to switch his Jordans for a pair of Reeboks. Cudi posted on his blog about the ordeal, and he recently explained his side to MTV News. "I actually went to the event in the sneakers that they wanted me to wear, and that was just to eliminate drama," he said — but then, he was given an ultimatum: "You wear these shoes, or you can't perform." Normally, he would have just walked away, he said, but his manager explained that the situation was bigger than him. People were coming to see him, and he didn't want to disappoint anybody over a pair of sneakers. But there were still organizational problems, Cudi said.
"I've done college shows where things have been to a T. It's less money, but they take care of you," he said. "These college kids with very little money take care of me like I'm this prince. Now I do an event for a billion-dollar company, and there's no professionalism." According to Cudi, an employee approached him aggressively, and he didn't back down. "I'm definitely going to say I let my pride get in the way," he admitted. "It was a battle I chose to engage in. I felt disrespected." The men were separated before things could escalate further. Cudi said he felt the security guards were a bit excessive with their force. He alluded to being Tasered in our interview and admitted it on his blog, but he said he wasn't arrested and no charges were filed. A Reebok spokesperson was quoted in the Phoenix New Times, saying Cudi's actions spoiled an otherwise-great All-Star event. "It's unfortunate that the action of one person ... has taken over ink space that should have been reserved for how wonderful the event was," the rep said. "It's unfortunate that it's gotten a ton of play on the blogosphere." Reebok did not return MTV News' calls for comment by press time. Related Videos Related Artists |
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