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| Allison Iraheta Booted From 'American Idol' Boys' Club Posted: 06 May 2009 08:02 AM PDT No Doubt, Paula Abdul and Daughtry perform during results show, which left three men standing.
For the second year in a row, it's down to just the boys on "American Idol." After 64 million votes were cast following Tuesday's rock night, 17-year-old, flame-haired blues belter Allison Iraheta drew the short straw Wednesday night (May 6) and was sent home. That means that "Idol" will be visiting the hometowns of Danny Gokey (Milwaukee), Adam Lambert (San Diego) and Kris Allen (Conway, Arkansas) later this week as season eight steams to its May 20 conclusion.
Iraheta, whose gutsy, weathered, blues-mama voice belied her years, went out with a bang, beginning with the night's group sing-along to Alice Cooper's "School's Out." This week's mentor, Slash, helped out on guitar on the raucous track, and the microphones were definitely live, as they fed back during what was surely the edgiest, most L.A. Sunset Strip-esque number in the show's history. There was black leather and Marshall stacks as far as the eye could see, and Iraheta and Lambert even got to briefly reprise their winning harmonies from Tuesday night's show, which featured the series' first-ever duets among finalists. But well before she found out her fate, the first of the night's three guest performers took the stage: none other than judge Paula Abdul. The former Laker Girl and renowned 1980s pop star and choreographer performed on the show for the first time, debuting her new single, "I'm Just Here for the Music." Showing off some of her signature dance moves, a heavily Auto-Tuned Abdul worked her way down the steps, while a half-dozen male dancers in suits lifted and spun her around the smoke-filled stage as she appeared to lip-synch the slinky, Britney-like dance tune. Next up were reunited ska-rockers No Doubt, who dusted off one of their biggest hits, "Just a Girl." Gwen Stefani changed gears from the club pop of her solo career back into a more rocking mode and traded couture for black boots, black pants, a white tank top and a studded leather belt. By song's end, the mother of two appeared out of breath after bounding off the stage, doing pushups near the judge's table and pushing her way back through the crowd. The night's final performance was from season-five fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry, who debuted the first single from his band's second album, the melodic, midtempo rocker "No Surprise." Finally, a half-hour in, Ryan Seacrest began to give some results, promising to reveal the top three finalists in random order. Despite being on the wrong end of a cryptic insult from Simon Cowell that his take on the Beatles' "Come Together" was like eating ice for lunch, Allen was the first one to make it to safety. The ecstatic singer hugged his cohorts and appeared stunned as he stood alone amid the top three finishers' stools. With fewer than six minutes left in the show, Seacrest waved Lambert to the top three. The flamboyant rocker got all thumbs-up for his bombastic take on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" the night before. The final stool was filled by Gokey, who made it to the top three even after his cover of Aerosmith's "Dream On" got mostly poor comments, including Simon's quip that the final, off-key note was like "watching a horror movie." That left Iraheta as the odd girl out, even after Cowell said her duet with Lambert on Foghat's "Slow Ride" might just have saved her. She took the news like a pro, though, laughing a bit, shedding a few tears, pumping her fist and soaking in her final few moments on the "Idol" stage. She left with another gritty, soulful run through Janis Joplin's "Cry Baby," stopping to give Abdul a hug and work the crowd one more time as she stood defiantly with her back to the judges and poured her heart into the final, thundering notes. Next week, each finalist will sing two songs, one a judge's pick and the other their personal choice. The musical guests for Wednesday night's show had not been announced at press time. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Lady Gaga On Success: 'The Turning Point For Me Was The Gay Community' Posted: 07 May 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'They'll always stand by me and I'll always stand by them,' Gaga says of her gay fans.
Despite a string of hit singles like "Just Dance" and "Poker Face," and being embraced by everyone from Kanye West to Madonna, initially a lot of people wouldn't give Lady Gaga the time of day. "Some people didn't get it. Some people still don't get it," she told MTV News on the set of Wale's video for "Chillin." "I read reviews sometimes and I'm like, 'Wow, that guy really doesn't f---ing like me.' Like, they really don't get it, but that's cool. You've got to create some kind of stir. You've got to say something that's got to upset some people, and that's the risk-taking that makes music so fun."
She added that before her songs became radio staples, she was hard-pressed to convince anyone to play them on the radio. "The real struggle is that they didn't want to play my music on the radio," she explained. "We fought and we fought and I played every club. I had chicken dinner with every program director I could get my hands on." Those days may be behind Gaga, but while she was trying to schmooze people to love her, there was a group of fans out there who didn't need any chicken to be convinced. "The turning point for me was the gay community," she said. "I've got so many gay fans and they're so loyal to me and they really lifted me up. They'll always stand by me and I'll always stand by them. It's not an easy thing to create a fanbase. ... Being invited to play [the San Francisco Pride rally], that was a real turning point for me as an artist." While her star has been rising in recent months — particularly thanks to her remarkable appearance on "American Idol" — Gaga says she feels her audience is an army of outsiders. "It's funny because some friends of mine from New York, they all came out to see [last weekend's] show in New York. And they all said to me, 'Gaga your fans are all of the misfits. They are all of the kids in school that everybody makes fun of,' " she explained. "All of the weird kids, the artistic kids, all the bad ones. And I love that, because that's who I was. We're all together and they get it. It's our own little world. "Whether I've got a #1 record or nobody knows who the hell I am, I'm going to still make music," she concluded. "It's always fun for me." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Trick Daddy Says Rick Ross Is A 'Kid' Who Needs Discipline Posted: 06 May 2009 01:05 AM PDT Latest salvo in war of words was delivered Wednesday on satellite radio.
"I got new rules. I'm going back to the old ass-whoopin' days," Trick Daddy proclaimed Wednesday (May 6). "I'm gonna start beating my kid's ass." The Miami legend, who by "kid" meant Rick Ross, said Ross' disrespect has gone far enough. He addressed his ongoing problems with his once-close labelmate on Angela Yee's Shade 45 satellite-radio show. "I'd like to apologize for my kid's misbehaving in class. ... I let Ross start eating table food too fast," Trick joked. "When you don't raise your kids, they will throw their hands up at you." T-Double-D said he supported Ross, so he was taken aback by Ross' recent comments about him on the now-infamous "Valley of Death" from Deeper Than Rap. And Trick didn't exactly show a gold-tooth smile when Ross basically admitted he didn't trust Trick's word during the recent Deeper Than Rap BET special. "I was a big Ross fan," Trick told Yee. "If you check all my interviews, the Web, radio, I never dissed him ... I supported him." He went on to say the Bawse assassinated his character and that during a phone conversation with Rick about a month ago, Ross warned him he would be "taking shots" at him. "I said, 'What? Taking shots? While you're taking shots, what the f--- you think I'm gonna do?' " Trick has the lead cut on the "Next Day Air" soundtrack, "Count My Money," and he has a summer release date for his next LP, Finally Famous. A single from the LP should be coming soon. From there, Trick is planning to release an autobiography called "Magic City: Trials of a Native Son" in August. Related Artists |
| Rihanna, Katy Perry Party In New York On Chris Brown's Birthday Posted: 06 May 2009 09:17 AM PDT The new friends were spotted celebrating at Tillman's on Tuesday.
NEW YORK — While Chris Brown reportedly celebrated his 20th birthday with a low-key family affair in Virginia on Wednesday, Rihanna was in Manhattan hitting the town with her new bestie Katy Perry. The "Umbrella" singer was spotted partying at Tillman's Bar and Lounge with Perry and a circle of friends. Sporting a bright-yellow leather blazer adorned with rhinestones on the lapels, Rihanna appeared upbeat and in good spirits throughout the night. She even told one patron born on the same day as Brown, "Happy Birthday, bi---!" Nearly three months after boyfriend Brown allegedly assaulted her, Rihanna is apparently ready to be back in the public eye. She made her return to the red carpet on Monday night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala. Though the couple briefly reunited after the altercation, it remains unclear whether Rihanna and Brown, who pleaded not guilty to assault charges last month, have called it quits for good. Rihanna and Perry, however, have been glued together as of late. The two buddies recently took a vacation together in Rihanna's native Barbados. In April, Perry told MTV News about her burgeoning friendship with Rihanna, which she said happened as a result of their shared experiences in the music business. "We're friends and we're both kind of on this crazy roller-coaster, and ... it's nice to have good girlfriends," Perry explained. "I pride myself on having cool chicks in my life, and she's a cool chick. We've hung out a couple times. ... Of course I consider her a friend, but it's not like 'I'm there,' making a big deal of it, because I feel weird about that type of stuff. I'm trying to always be there for my friends. She's a really cool chick. I love her style. ... She's one of those unaffected people." Related Artists |
| Kiefer Sutherland To Be Charged With Assault Posted: 06 May 2009 05:39 AM PDT '24' star reportedly head-butted a designer for knocking down Brooke Shields at a party.
Kiefer Sutherland is once again finding himself on the wrong side of the law in real life — and his newest troubles are likely to last far longer than 24 hours. TMZ is reporting that the "24" star will be charged with misdemeanor assault this week, in connection with a head-butting incident that occurred Monday. Sutherland's bizarre encounter might have started as a somewhat noble gesture, the type that would make Jack Bauer proud. Attending a Costume Institute Gala afterparty in New York's SubMercer bar on Monday evening, Sutherland reportedly witnessed a designer named Jack McCullough knocking over Brooke Shields. When the actor asked the Proenza Schouler designer to apologize and was pushed in return, Sutherland allegedly responded with a head-butt that broke McCullough's nose. Mary-Kate Olsen and Kirsten Dunst were among the many stars said to be looking on when the confrontation took place — and Shields' reps deny that McCollough did anything inappropriate, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail. Regardless of the circumstances behind it, Sutherland is now being charged with assault. The veteran actor is expected to turn himself in to the NYPD soon, in exchange for a desk-appearance ticket and an arraignment date. The actor is currently on probation in Los Angeles for a DUI, and a rep for the city attorney's office is planning to contact the NYPD to see if he has violated the conditions of his sentence. The troubled actor, who has starred in such films as "The Lost Boys" and "Phone Booth," served 48 days in jail in 2007 for those drunk-driving charges, an incident exacerbated by the fact that he had also failed a field sobriety test in 2004. |
| Lady Gaga 'Grateful' For 'American Idol' Appearance Posted: 06 May 2009 08:40 AM PDT 'Poker Face' singer credits her success to being 'a real New York hustler.'
In April, Lady Gaga graced the "American Idol" stage, bringing her alien-disco vibe to the masses. Rocking one of her more out-there looks (a zippered eye patch and a starry, silver leotard), the "Poker Face" singer took a major step toward mainstream takeover.
The performance was definitely different from any that had taken place on the "Idol" stage over the years. Moments like that are what the New York disco queen appreciates most now that she's a certified pop star with hit records and an ever-growing fanbase, which includes Madonna and Kanye West. "I'm really very grateful more than anything," she told MTV News about being asked to perform on "American Idol." "I mean, I've been working hard, and I've never given up." For Gaga, taking the "Idol" stage was merely one of the most recent triumphs in a long string of accomplishments that she's worked so hard to achieve. And she credits growing up in New York as one of the reasons she's found so much success. "I'm a real New York hustler, and now that I'm here, I want to do better things, more inspirational for my fans," she said. "It's all about them." At the end of the day, it's all about giving back to the fans who've helped her become a star. "I have quite an ego but not when it comes to giving. I really want to give as much as I can to them," she said. "And give back the way that they've given to me. And just do great music and great shows. And sign every autograph that anyone ever wants me to sign and that's it." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Ciara Says Working With The-Dream And Tricky Was 'Long Overdue' Posted: 07 May 2009 04:51 AM PDT 'They helped me create the core of my record,' she says of the just-released Fantasy Ride.
NEW YORK — Jazze Pha helped Ciara shape her sound when she was a burgeoning star. Now that the fleet-footed singer is all grown up, she's turned to another Atlanta producer to helm her recently released Fantasy Ride: Christopher "Tricky" Stewart.
The Grammy winner is best known for his work with The-Dream (the pair wrote and produced Rihanna's "Umbrella," Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" and many other hits), but he has a long history in not only the music industry, but with Ciara, as well. She met him when she was just 15 and calls him a big brother. "I learned a lot from him, but one thing I never did was work with him," Ciara told MTV News over the weekend in Manhattan. "So now, on this record, before I started the process, I said, 'I always wanted to work with him but never got around to him.' And it was gonna happen this time. Right away, I set up a meeting. I sat down with Tricky and his manager, and we all talked about working, and I was so excited about it. It's been something I had been really, really wanting to do." Tricky helmed four of the album's 13 tracks, in addition to serving as one of the executive producers on the project. The-Dream had a hand in writing several numbers from Fantasy Ride, and he duets with Ciara on "Lover's Thing." Ci said she started out as a songwriter, just like The-Dream, and is a supporter of his talent as a performer and collaborator. "There's a cool history with Dream," she explained. "Dream was also, back when I was trying to get everything going, he was also trying to get everything going with his career. And he would always way, 'Watch [out for me].' And it's been awesome to see him doing his thing too. It's more so long overdue [working with Dream and Tricky together]. And I really enjoyed it. They helped me create the core of my record." Related Videos |
| Drake Takes 'Pride' In Writing Down His Lyrics Posted: 07 May 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'It's just about quality,' Lil Wayne protégé tells Mixtape Daily.
It's official, people. Mixtape Daily is here. That's right, daily. Mixtape Monday had a phenomenal run. For over six years, the weekly segment became an institution. Every week, it was your one-stop shop for everything related to the streets. But we promised you bigger and better things in 2009, and we're men of our word. We're going to keep bringing you all the exclusives and insight you've come to expect. We're just expanding and refocusing. Fire Starter: Bound To Blow Damn right it's Drake. We had to have Drizzy relaunch Fire Starter — the Canadian is bakin'. He's a walking craze, and his acclaim is only getting bigger.
You gotta love how it's happening organically too. No label is force-feeding him down our throats — he's not even signed to a major yet (although that could change at any moment). The Young Money soldier is paving his own way with great music and word of mouth. He just might have leap-frogged most of his peers who have been hyped longer and stronger than he has. Drake had a good buzz going for himself after he dropped the mixtape So Far Gone back in February. But then the "Degrassi: The Next Generation" star-turned-Young Money MC took it up a notch (or three) by taking New York by storm last month. He popped up seemingly everywhere, from radio interviews with all the big-dog DJs to live shows throughout the city. A recent video of the Canadian rapper on Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 program shows Drake reading rhymes from his BlackBerry during a live freestyle. Commenters on Cipha Sounds' YouTube page, where the video first popped up, cried foul, calling Drizzy a fraud for spitting verses from his phone. But the lyricist told Mixtape Daily he's a proud writer and that more rappers should think about putting their words together more carefully. "It shouldn't be your tagline: 'I don't even write.' Well, if it's not quality product, who cares? We can tell," Drake said. "Maybe if you took the time to write, your sh-- would be a little better. ... Sometimes I feel like people almost pride themselves on [not writing] and kind of look at me funny when I pull my phone out and start writing, like, 'You write? What?' But to each their own. You gotta do what works for you. It's a creative process. ... I'll pull my phone out in front of anybody and start writing. And say, 'Yo, I gotta go and check this Web site [for research],' because I know when I come with that verse, you're gonna be like, 'Oh, OK, that's why it took two hours and you needed the wireless Internet hooked up.' It's just about quality and taking pride in yourself and having an ear. A lot of artists don't even know when they sound wrong or off. They're like, 'Yeah, that sounds the same as that hit I have on the radio.' If you don't know when something is wrong, you're not gonna be one of the greats. Might be cool for a minute, but ... " Drake is still basking in the snowballing success of So Far Gone, touring and getting calls from people such as Queen Latifah and Cool & Dre for collaborations. His debut, Thank Me Later, is still in the cooker, but before any official singles drop, Drizzy has a few treats in store for his growing fanbase. Expect some big-name collabos to hit the Net soon. "Me and [Kid] Cudi were talking at the [mtvU] Spring Break, just about so many people asking me 'When's that Cudi record coming? You and Cudi?' Me and Cudi gonna make it work," Drake promised. "Other than that, I got a song with 'Ye and Wayne. I got a song: me, Wayne and Jeezy. I got some stuff coming to just keep the people entertained until that album hits the shelves, and hopefully my work on So Far Gone will allow me to at least break into the industry in an impressive way." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Maino Explains Onstage Breakdown, Says His Friend Was Shot By Police Posted: 05 May 2009 11:54 PM PDT MC says his best friend '80' was shot by police and is paralyzed.
A lot of different emotions come across in the video footage from Maino's concert on Saturday in Long Island, New York: Pain, strength, depression ... It's Maino the man, onstage at his most human. While performing his current single "All of the Above," the Brooklyn MC gets overcome with emotion and tells the crowd of the turmoil he's facing outside of music: His best friend, "80" — whose real name he declined to reveal — was recently shot in the back by police and is paralyzed. He might never walk again. "I just had a lot on my mind," Maino told MTV News about the onstage moment, which Miss Info posted on her site Sunday. "I had a lot of stuff I was holding in and wasn't letting out. When I got there, it was overwhelming. The part that was overwhelming was that it was so much love. I started thinking about where I've been in my life and how hard it was for me to get here — it's like a miracle. I started getting a little emotional, about not just that, but my homie, my brother, who is a very important part in my life not just in my career."
All Maino will say at this time about his friend's ordeal is that he feels the shooting was excessive and unjust. "I can't really say too much about the situation because it's dealing with an ongoing investigation," he explained. "I've been advised that I really couldn't get into the specifics of the case, you feel me? But the fact of the matter is: The police shot him and it's definitely unjustified, but that will all come out later on." Maino also agreed that the police relations in the black community are at a low point, looking at incidents such as tragedies with Sean Bell in New York; Oscar Grant in Oakland, California; and of course "80." "[The police] do this all the time to people that don't have the means and power to fight them, but we do," Maino said. "A lot of these [officers] have issues of their own mentally. And are not in the best mind state to be out there working in the environment we come from. ... These are the people that have jurisdiction over our lives. It's definitely unjust and unfair. Like I said, the people it happens to, don't have the resources to combat [police shootings] like specialists and lawyers and investigators. A lot of times it goes unnoticed. Next thing you know, it's something that goes away." Maino also notes that his friend's shooting could have happened to almost anyone in the community. "Your life can be altered just that easily," he reflected. Related Artists |
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