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| Posted: 06 Apr 2009 04:47 AM PDT Singer is due back in court April 29 to face two felony charges; Rihanna didn't attend the hearing.
An expressionless Chris Brown arrived to an L.A. County criminal courthouse Monday afternoon (April 6) and pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of assault and making criminal threats stemming from his alleged altercation with girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of this year's Grammy Awards. The singer arrived 25 minutes late for his scheduled 3 p.m. PT court appointment. Brown was wearing all black and showed no emotion as he entered the courthouse to a mix of fans cheering and protesters demonstrating against domestic abuse. A police escort ushered Brown into the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Center promptly after he exited his black SUV. Brown, 19, was also accompanied by four bodyguards and his mother, Joyce Hawkins. Hawkins was seated in the front row during her son's hearing and her eyes appeared to be red, perhaps from crying.
Brown was in court for less than 15 minutes as he quickly entered his plea and left the courtroom. The singer and his lawyer didn't answer any questions afterward. The only words the singer uttered was a hushed "not guilty, your honor," after Judge Patricia Schnegg read the charges against him. Mark Geragos, who is representing Brown in the case, said in court that more discovery is needed. The lawyer is seeking a plea deal and the negotiations have been characterized as "serious," according to a report this past weekend from TMZ. A number of unrelated reports have stated that the parties might be close to reaching a deal. An attorney representing Rihanna, Donald Etra, spoke with reporters immediately afterward, only offering limited answers regarding his client. Etra confirmed that Rihanna is in her native Barbados and was not present at the courthouse because she was not required to attend the hearing. Rihanna, 21, is doing fine and is willing to testify in the case if subpoenaed, Etra said. The legal counsel also said Rihanna is interested in the case being processed as soon as possible. Etra would not say whether Rihanna had been in contact with Brown leading up to his court appearance. Etra would only say the Def Jam singer is leaving the proceedings up to the court. When asked directly if Rihanna thinks Brown is innocent or guilty, Etra said, "Her position on the case is to leave the matters of guilt or innocence to the judge and or defense counsel." Brown is set to return to court April 29 in Los Angeles. [This story was originally published at 7:13 pm E.T. on 4.06.09] Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| T.I., Ludacris And Young Jeezy Hit The Stage Together In Atlanta Posted: 06 Apr 2009 03:33 AM PDT Southern heavyweights join forces with Rick Ross and Shawty Lo for the No1 in the South Got Swagga Like Us show.
The current kings of Atlanta, T.I., Young Jeezy and Ludacris, all gathered together on stage for the first time on Sunday at Philips Arena. Young Jeezy headlined the No1 in the South Got Swagga Like Us concert and surprised the house when he brought out his onetime rivals to join him. Tip and Luda have long put their feud behind them and collaborated on each other's most recent albums. But beyond one club performance in the past, the rappers haven't appeared much onstage together — but the Snowman changed all of that. Luda tipped off fans to the momentous occasion beforehand through his Twitter feed, teasing, "Big show in Atlanta today at Philips Arena! If you don't have your tix you're about to miss out! Surprises galore." Later, he joined T.I. onstage for "On Top of the World," their song from Tip's album. Though the pair's previous feelings for each other were well documented, Luda downplayed talk of an actual beef. "It was never what you would consider 'beef,' " Luda told MTV News in September after the pair buried the hatchet. "Beef to me is when you talking about somebody's family and they wanna punch the sh-- out of your ass. Between me and him, it's the original root of hip-hop. Little lines on wax. He and my manager had a disagreement that led to some stuff, but that was between two grown men, of course. Even that ... that sh-- lasted all of 30 seconds. It wasn't what people made it out to be. ... We would see each other all the time in Atlanta. It was really our lives, your entertainment." Shortly after Tip and Luda's first record hit the streets last summer, the Disturbing Tha Peace boss joked there was no bigger moment in hip-hop than the former foes spitting on the same track. Prior to them swapping records for their latest albums, the only other time they appeared on a song together was the street version of Young Buck's "Stomp," where they took lyrical swipes at each other. But those times are long gone and A-town cheered on the unity in the building. The trio of Jeezy, Luda and Tip basked in the crowd adoration and Luda then introduced the audience to the newest member of his DTP crew, former BME affiliate Lil Scrappy. "Just got off stage at Philips Arena in ATL," Luda Tweeted after the show. "If you missed it, myself, T.I., and Jeezy all on stage together for the first time. Lil Scrappy is DTP!" Also billed as part of the show were Rick Ross and Shawty Lo. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Zac Efron Talks Controversial Photo Shoot: 'We Just Went With It' Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:53 AM PDT 'We didn't go in there with the intention of shaking things up,' actor says of scandalous Interview spread.
BEVERLY HILLS, California — He's one of the latest products to come off the Disney assembly line, a squeaky-clean teen heartthrob loved for his charming smile, knee-buckling wink and non-threatening good looks. His "High School Musical" movies and soundtracks have made more than a billion dollars, and his upcoming movie "17 Again" could make him Hollywood's newest leading man. Now Hollywood is wondering: Why is Zac Efron rolling around in the mud with a nude supermodel?
"We didn't go in there with the intention of shaking things up," the 21-year-old actor told us over the weekend about the controversial, steamy photos of himself and Lithuanian beauty Edita Vilkeviciute in the newest issue of Interview magazine. "At least, I didn't." The black-and-white photos depict a wet, muscular Efron lying in the sand and embracing Vilkeviciute on the beach. Although the actor — who has dated his "High School Musical" co-star Vanessa Hudgens for more than three years — bares only his arms, the model shows no such discretion. The smoldering photos leave little doubt that Efron is eager to get beyond his teen-star status, with one shot even putting Vilkeviciute's bare breast in front of his face. Nevertheless, Zac insisted that he wasn't trying to be provocative. "I had no idea what was going to happen," Efron said of the shoot, remembering his game plan with a renowned Swedish photographer. "Mikael Jansson was shooting some really cool photos, and we were having a lot of fun." As Efron admitted, that fun was taken to a whole different level when Jansson put him and Vilkeviciute into a giant sandbox in the middle of the studio, and over the course of several hours, the photos got even more scandalous. "It felt more artistic than anything I had done before," Efron remembered. "So we just went with it." Along with the magazine's interview by acclaimed "Milk" director Gus Van Sant, Efron's photos are consistent with his newfound desire to leave musicals behind and launch an edgier career path. But, although Hudgens has voiced her approval of the photos, many in Efron's longtime audience were shocked. "It was very laid-back and relaxed," Efron said of the controversial photos, flashing a grin. "So far, I am not really sure of everyone's reactions. But no one has tried to kill me yet." Related Artists |
| Kanye West's New Nike Air Yeezys Hit The Streets Posted: 06 Apr 2009 12:06 AM PDT 'It's really interesting to see an entertainment artist such as Kanye West get his own sneaker design,' fan Stephen Gage says.
NEW YORK — Saturday marked the release of the Nike Air Yeezys, Kanye West's much talked about collaboration with the sneaker giant. Sneaker releases, especially ones as hyped as the Yeezy, can often be chaotic, with lines of buyers — many of whom have camped out for days — stretched down and around the block. This release was no different, as lines began to form early outside of the Nike Sportswear store on 21 Mercer Street in New York. With other stores claiming to be sold out of the shoes already and a few others charging far more than the suggested $215 retail price, consumers decided to try their luck at Sportswear.
The store set up a raffle where perspective buyers could enter a lottery, give their size and, if they were lucky, the store would call them back to let them know they had a pair of the popular shoes reserved. "Sneaker releases are normally crazy. You got people everywhere. People arguing over who is where in line," said Stephen Gage, who was the first person to purchase the sneakers when the store opened at 11 a.m. "Mostly sports stars have had collaborations with Nike before, such as Michael Jordan with the Air Jordan and Kobe Bryant and many other stars," Gage said, "but it's really interesting to see an entertainment artist such as Kanye West get his own sneaker design." Many artists — including Pharrell, Eminem and even Dinosaur Jr. — have collaborated with Nike to customize their own version of a shoe, but West was able to design his own model completely. Photos of prototypes of the shoe began surfacing last year, just before West's Glow in the Dark Tour. As more and more information was posted on sites like Hypebeast and Nike Talk, buzz began building among West fans, sneaker-heads and resellers alike. "This just seemed like Kanye actually had his whole footprint in the design, from the tongue to the glow-in-the-dark [sole]," said Jason Ayers, another customer. "The way he's very flamboyant with his style, it's a very flamboyant shoe." Related Photos Related Artists |
| Day26 Want <i>Forever In A Day</i> To 'Tear The Club Walls Down' Posted: 06 Apr 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'This album is stank — and I mean that in a good way,' Mike McCluney says of LP, due April 14.
Day26's debut album opened at #1 last year, and they hope to repeat that success with Forever in a Day, due April 14. The "Making the Band" stars worked with The-Dream, Cassie, Jermaine Dupri and Mario Winans for the album, and for first single "I'mma Put It on Her," the guys managed to get their boss Diddy on the track, as well as Yung Joc. When Day26 hit the studio back in February, they told MTV News they hoped to have a more club-friendly album this time around. "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." Even though there are a few collaborations on the album, the guys promise that unlike their debut, they had more of a hand in making this album. "We do a lot of stuff ourselves. ... Last time, we didn't get nothing, zero," Mike McCluney said. "But this album, we got a couple songs. ... This album is stank — and I mean that in a good way." "We're more involved as far as actually picking songs and the direction Day26 is going in," Robert Curry added. "We feel like we've grown tremendously. This project is going to be ridiculous." Related Artists |
| Whitney Port Picks Her Favorite Moments From 'The Hills' Posted: 06 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Port says it's difficult to imagine show without Lauren Conrad.
Whitney Port is now the star of her own show, "The City," but she looked back fondly on her former show, "The Hills," to pick out some of her favorite moments. "I love the Paris episodes," she told MTV News. In addition to the scenes that took place in the City of Lights, Port revealed that the best moments are almost always ones that involve Heidi and Spencer. "Anything that has to do with them," she said, adding, "One of my fave moments is Heidi taking a pregnancy test. One of my other ones is Spencer almost getting into a fight with that guy ... or the Nana episode where they go to meet Nana."
And although Speidi are always entertaining, Audrina Patridge's on-and-off-again paramour Justin Bobby also keeps Port watching. "Justin Bobby's always fun," she said. "Anything he does, like the burping little things. I like the funny parts ... dramatic parts give me the chills." Much like Port did after season four, Lauren Conrad is also leaving the comforts of "The Hills" behind. Although she has yet to reveal what life post-"Hills" will be like, her pal isn't sure just how the show will go on without her. "I don't know! I can't imagine that 'The Hills' would go on without her," she said. "Lauren is the central character." None the less, Port wasn't surprised to hear that her fellow former Teen Vogue intern wants to move on from life in front of the cameras. "We talked about that a lot. I know she was having a lot of difficulty with it as the season was wrapping," she said. "I think she needs to do what she wants to do. It's hard. She's had her life on tape since she was 16 years old." Related Videos |
| T.I. And Atlanta DJs Make Their Fantasy Tip Playlist: <i>Mixtape Monday</i> Posted: 06 Apr 2009 04:53 AM PDT We put together our ideal track list to tide us over while Tip serves his sentence.
T.I.'s latest effort, Paper Trail — arguably his best album to date — has reserved a page for the King of the South in the hip-hop history books. And, despite being recently sentenced to a year and a day of jail time, fans and critics have no doubts that Tip will be back on top of the game soon — he already has a couple of albums' worth of material in the can. We here at Mixtape Monday have been up on T.I.'s skills since I'm Serious, and we even had one of his P.S.C mixtapes as our main picks years ago.
Anyway, as we did for Notorious B.I.G. a few months ago, we've devised our own fantasy track list for an ideal T.I. mixtape — if we made our own Tip street CD, these are the records we would have to include. Not only did we get some of the top-name DJs from Atlanta to weigh in, but the head of Grand Hustle himself gave us some behind-the-scenes info about making the songs. Keep in mind that Tip has a catalog as deep as any of the hottest MCs in the game right now, so we couldn't list all of our favorites — this is just part one. "Still Ain't Forgave Myself" "I'm Illy" "What's Your Name" "I think that was Pharrell [who] came up with that. I just told them that that record was meant for me. And he was like, 'Let's see what you've got. Let's do it.' And then we both loved it. Pharrell has always been one of the people I can go in the studio with and come up with something that I would have never gotten from anyone else. There's a few people along my career that I had the pleasure of working with, that give me something I couldn't have gotten nowhere else and Pharrell is one of them." - T.I. "Life of the Party" "I Still Luv You" "Respect This Hustle" "Be Easy" "What You Know About That" "Freak Though" "Look What I Got" "Help Is Coming" For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines. Related Artists |
| Eminem Video Throwback: 'Forgot About Dre,' 2000 Posted: 06 Apr 2009 01:12 AM PDT In anticipation of Em's 'We Made You' clip, we're looking back at his most memorable videos.
As we lead up to the long-awaited Tuesday premiere of Eminem's first video in five years, "We Made You," we're taking a look back at Eminem's extensive video legacy. Not every rapper gets plucked from obscurity to find themselves working side-by-side with Dr. Dre. But that's exactly what happened to Eminem, an unheralded but talented lyricist who got paired with the famed West Coast rap architect after Interscope honcho Jimmy Iovine passed the young rapper's demo to the N.W.A veteran.
The two hit it off immediately. Eminem was in awe of the producer's history, and Dre became recharged by the Detroit MC's skills. By the time they shot the video for the 2000 single "Forgot About Dre," from Dre's 2001 album, the bond was set from the success of Em's debut, The Slim Shady LP. "It's an honor to work with Dre, but now we developed [from] more than business," Em explained during a "Making the Video" episode for the clip. "It's a friendship, and now me and Dre know what we got to do to make music." They know how to make a pretty funny video too. The Philip Atwell-directed clip is best remembered for Em and Dre tormenting a suburban town. First, Em crashes his muscle car through the white picket fence of a home and throws up on the lawn. His and Dre's partying wakes up an old granny, then a quick cut leads to L.A. reporter Jane Yamamoto live on the scene at the granny's burning house. Eminem tells the journalist: "All I know is I was upstairs, I'm listening to my Will Smith CD, then I see all these flames going everywhere." Dre, Em, and Atwell all shared a hearty laugh while filming the car-crash scene. The rapper got behind the wheel a few times before they got it just right. The moment captured the spirit of the clip. "That has got to be used," Em said, laughing, as he looked at the playback. Eminem's "We Made You" video premieres on MTV Tuesday at 6 a.m. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Chris Brown Scheduled For Arraignment Today Posted: 06 Apr 2009 03:51 AM PDT Singer could face more than four years in prison over alleged altercation with Rihanna.
Two months after an alleged altercation with girlfriend Rihanna that resulted in his arrest, singer Chris Brown, 19, is due in court Monday (April 6) to be arraigned on felony charges of assault and making criminal threats. Brown, who has kept a relatively low profile since his February 8 arrest, is also expected to enter a plea at today's arraignment, which is a formal reading of the criminal complaint against the singer.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office reached prior to the appearance said that the court did not know if Brown's attorneys would enter a plea on Monday or ask for another extension. Sandi Gibbons, the spokesperson for the DA's office, said that it is up to the court to decide what sentence Brown will face, but that sentencing guidelines call for anything from probation to probation with jail time, up to a maximum of four years and eight months in federal prison. Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, did not return calls for comment at press time. Quoting an anonymous source, TMZ reported Sunday that Brown's lawyer and the prosecutor in the case have been engaged in "serious" plea-bargain negotiations and are close to reaching a deal. The site also claimed that Brown will plead not guilty in the case, though the plea could be just a formality. Other unidentified sources reportedly told the site that Rihanna has said very clearly that she does not want to testify against Brown and wants him to cop a plea. The sources said she traveled to her home island of Barbados over the weekend to get as far away from the case as possible. Though she's not required to be present at the arraignment and is not expected to attend, Rihanna's attorney has said that she is planning on being a cooperating witness in the case and, if subpoenaed, will testify against Brown. After reportedly reconciling last month, the couple have not been seen together in public for several weeks. Brown did not enter a plea at his arraignment on March 5, where his lawyer asked for a continuance in the case. If Rihanna refuses to testify, experts have said it could jeopardize the case because her statements to police can only be used against Brown if she agrees to provide testimony. Gibbons said that if Brown enters a plea at the arraignment, the next step in the process would be a preliminary hearing, at which time the prosecutor will present the state's evidence and Brown's attorneys would have a chance to examine the evidence and make motions and cross-examine the witnesses. At the end of that hearing, the judge typically determines if there is sufficient evidence to move the case to trial. Among the evidence prosecutors will likely introduce is a copy of a disturbing police report detailing the timeline of the alleged altercation, which was reportedly set off when Rihanna found a text message on Brown's phone from a woman with whom the singer had a previous sexual relationship. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Jennifer Hudson Talks Tour, Films Posted: 06 Apr 2009 01:27 AM PDT 'I'm fine, I'm happy," she says, but still won't discuss family murders.
More than six months after Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew were killed in her family home in Chicago, Oscar-winning singer Jennifer Hudson is still reluctant to discuss the murders or their effect on her. But the singer, who hit the road last week with Robin Thicke for her first string of dates in support of her self-titled debut album, did sit down with USA Today recently for one of her first interviews since the tragic events of October 24, and she told the paper she was keeping busy to maintain a positive mindset. "I'm fine, I'm happy, I'm glad to be here," Hudson, 27, told the paper, without specifically addressing the murders. "My family and friends have always called me a woman of faith," said the singer, who was raised Baptist, on how her religious convictions have helped her deal with the tragedy. "For my whole life, that has helped me get through everything." For now, Hudson said she's focused on the theater tour, which she hopes will give fans a sense of "the evolution of Jennifer, where I'm from, how I became who I am." To that end, she performs a medley of songs from her 2007 Oscar-winning big-screen breakthrough, "Dreamgirls," plus songs from her debut and a medley of songs from other divas such as Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan. Teaming with Thicke for the tour was a "no brainer," she said, since the two developed a chemistry when Thicke contributed some songwriting to Jennifer Hudson. In the current issue of Entertainment Weekly, Hudson talks about how, despite the difficulty of being back in public, in some ways, performing is her only option. ''This is what I love to do, and I hate to sit still,'' she told the magazine. ''I have been active for the past four or five years, and to be working like that and then to just stop and all you hear is the clock ticking. ... That will drive you crazy.'' The singer has slowly started stepping out in recent months, performing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in February, taping a performance for an upcoming episode of "American Idol" and singing "You Pulled Me Through" at the Grammys in February. Asked why she chose that song about being saved from despair and darkness for one of her first performances since the murders, EW reportedly went blank and got quiet. ''I don't know what to tell you,'' she said. Hudson reportedly does not even discuss the murders with her closest friends and confidants. Her's estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion in the crime. ''I try not to say anything about it,'' said childhood friend and longtime assistant, Walter Williams III, of the murders. ''She's OK as long as people don't bring it up. She's trying to put all of that behind her.'' Williams, though, has no doubt why Hudson performed ''You Pulled Me Through'' at the Grammys, or for whom it was intended. ''She was singing to God,'' he said. ''God pulled her through.'' The article also mentions that though she bought a condo on Chicago's Magnificent Mile soon after "Dreamgirls" in order to be near her family, she's since put it on the market and said, "I don't live in Chicago anymore." Hudson already has her sights set on hitting the studio soon to begin work on her second album, and while she is proud of the "versatility" she displayed on her debut, she suspects the next effort will be more personal. "I want to be even more true to what I love and what inspired me as a musician," she told USA Today. "And that will require more writing. I want people to learn more about Jennifer." She also said she plans to line up more acting gigs, but is taking her time finding the follow-up to her most recent gig, "The Secret Life of Bees." "I get a lot of scripts, but it's not about how many films I can do; it's about the quality," she said. "I would love to do a comedy — that would be cool and different." Another possibility is a Broadway musical, though she says that might be "in the next three or four years." Related Artists |
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