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| Kris Allen Covers Kanye, Simon Feuds With Kara On 'American Idol' Posted: 12 May 2009 06:46 AM PDT Danny Gokey gets his groove on; Adam Lambert gets Bono's blessing to sing U2's 'One.'
Let the speculation begin. And no, we're not talking about who's going to win "American Idol," but rather, is Simon Cowell totally kissing the show goodbye? For weeks, there have been whispers that the cantankerous "Idol" judge might not be returning for the show's ninth season, and on Tuesday night's (May 12) show, Cowell didn't seem like he was in the mood to stick around, spending most of the night sparring with fellow judges Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson.
The battling began during Kris Allen's first performance of the night, a swooning take on OneRepublic's "Apologize" chosen for him by DioGuardi and Jackson, when DioGuardi took issue with Allen's straightforward interpretation of the song. (Who's going home this week? "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello offers his predictions, in the Newsroom blog.) "It's a copout. ... You can't choose a song for him then blame him for doing the song," Cowell said. "You didn't hold up to your responsibility." "You're gonna tell me about interpreting songs?" DioGuardi shot back. "Have you ever interpreted a song in your life?" In a lot of ways, the fireworks at the judges' table outshone those on the stage. The "Idol" top three — Allen, Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey — each performed a pair of songs, one selected by the judges and a pick of their own. And perhaps not wanting to make a misstep one week before the finals, everyone played it pretty safe. Mostly. Allen followed up his straightforward take on "Apologize" with the night's biggest risk, a strummy take on Kanye West's "Heartless" that drew squeals of approval from the ladies in the audience and earned him high praise from the judges, with Jackson calling it "better than the original" (we anxiously await West's blogged response) and Cowell saying that Allen had sung himself back into the hunt for the "Idol" crown. "I had written you out of the competition," he said. "That all changed with that performance." Gokey started things off with a song chosen for him by Paula Abdul, Terence Trent D'Arby's "Dance Little Sister," which saw him weaving vocal scats with saxophone licks and, like the title of the song suggested, dancing ... for better or worse. Then he slowed things down, getting somber and sentimental on a version of Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful," augmented with an acoustic guitar and a string quartet. "It was stunning," DioGuardi opined. "A vocal master class," Cowell added. Lambert took on U2's "One," as chosen for him by Cowell (he called Bono personally, BTW), slowing it down to an understated ballad. Then, he let his freak flag fly with a version of Aerosmith's "Cryin'," which showed off his powerful pipes and had the judges -- Cowell in particular — openly campaigning for him to land a spot in the finals. "Vote. Don't take anything for granted," Cowell told viewers. As if, after tonight, we'd ever do that. 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 |
| Game Collaborates With Rick Ross For 'Hip-Hop,' Not 50 Cent Disses Posted: 13 May 2009 03:51 AM PDT Plus: Philly hoops star Andre Iguodala gets pumped for games with Jay-Z and Joe Budden, in Mixtape Daily.
We couldn't go too many more Mixtape Daily installments without the Game checking in. We had a chance to chop it up with the Hurricane, after a record with him and Rick Ross hit the Net. He told us all about his and Ross' affiliation and this new album he's putting together. Also, millionaire hooper Andre Iguodala is a big fan of our "Hottest MCs" show and said we better mention a certain New Jersey lyricist on there. We'll, see A.I. Celebrity Favorites
Andre Iguodala, damn. We thought you would be rocking in the NBA Playoffs a little longer than this, but you always do your thing, son. The Philadelphia 76ers All-Star keeps hip-hop blasting in the locker room. Joe Budden's Mood Muzik II and III are two of his all-time favorites. "I wasn't always a big fan of his," A.I. said of Joey Jumpoff. "But my man put me on to him. [Joe] is on his current events. It's like he watches CNN and hoops all day. He puts his metaphors and all that into his raps. It's crazy. Other than that, I'm a Jay-Z fan. So during the season, I'm rocking Hov, the latest Jay-Z, or I'm just rocking that Blueprint whenever I'm trying to get into that mode — when I feel like I'm in a slump and I feel like I need to get out of it." The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground Don't you just love going daily? That's us being rhetorical. We already know. We know there are some questions you want answered that you don't feel like waiting a whole week for. The 1515 Boys got y'all. So earlier this week, a track leaked to the Net featuring the Game and Rick Ross. It was labeled "Cigar Music 2" by the blogs and was said to include a Nas verse in the future. One-third of the would-be collaboration, the Game, talked to Mixtape Daily about the leak earlier this week. " 'Cigar Music 2?' " a surprised Game asked. He hadn't heard that the unfinished song had leaked and definitely was unaware of the reported title. "That's crazy. Nah. I don't even know. ... That joint was for something else. I don't even think Nas is on it. I think we was trying to get Nas on it. But it leaked?" Game did confirm that he and Ross have been collaborating \and even have a friendship. "Hey, man, me and Ross [working together], it ain't got nothing to do with me and 50," he said. "I ain't even on 50's head like that no more. You notice when [50] put his little dis song out, he left me out. You notice when 50 talks, he leaves me out of that sh--. I didn't pick no sides in the 50/ Rick Ross beef. I'm about hip-hop these days. Rick Ross is my n---a. 50 used to be my n---a." Once again, the Compton native said he would be down to sit down and have a conversation with 50, but we all know that probably won't happen. Game is working on his new LP, The R.E.D. Album, out in L.A., and he's already gotten down with Timbaland and Drumma Boy. The title of the LP signifies his re-dedication to rap (RE-Dedication) and is not trumpeting his Blood affiliation. A few days ago, Game released an underground track called "Bang Along." "N---as like that, man," he boasted. "I threw that out as a little Frisbee." There will be a whole slew of Game mixtapes this summer dropping before the official CD later this year. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Green Day Find A Reason To Rage, Even In Obama's America Posted: 13 May 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'I think we're actually in a worse situation,' Billie Joe Armstrong says.
It's widely accepted that Green Day's American Idiot was "the George W. Bush album." So what, then, would you call 21st Century Breakdown, an album written during the final years of Bush's second term, recorded during the dog days of the 2008 election, and released into a world flush with hope, change and all manners of Obama-mania?
If you're Green Day, you call it an opportunity — to open eyes and minds, to question authority, and to make people realize that there's still plenty out there to be outraged about. "I think, like, if you compare where we're at now to, like, five years ago, I think we're actually in a worse situation. We're fighting two wars. ... It kind of goes from one crisis to the next," frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said. "From, you know, the swine flu to financial meltdowns and people losing their homes. ... There are a lot of desperate people in the world right now, and it can make you feel paranoid and desperate and out of control. "But at the same time, there is this new person that's hopeful. But you have to go beyond hope when it comes to anyone in office; you have to have expectations," he continued. "Because you can sit there and hope for something, but chances are it's not going to happen. But when you expect something to happen, it's more of a call to arms and you're taking action." So even though most of Breakdown was written before the election — Armstrong said the fiery "Murder City" was the only song he penned post-Obama — the themes that run through the songs are just as important today as they were, say, during the Idiot heyday. For better or worse. And Green Day are more than up to the task at hand. They'll be taking their show on the road starting in early July, and even though they're all in their late 30s, they're ready to bring the fight to the masses. "We've always been the band that's worked harder than anyone, so we're ready," Armstrong smiled. "We don't really have time to sit around and count our gray hairs and wrinkles." "Yeah," drummer Tré Cool added. "We're too busy being awesome." Related Videos |
| Jay-Z, Ciara To Tour Together This Summer Posted: 12 May 2009 07:10 AM PDT Live Nation confirms five dates on the jaunt.
Jay-Z and Ciara are planning to tour together this summer, with five dates announced so far, Live Nation confirmed Tuesday (May 12). The special performances will kick off July 3 with a two-night stint at the Pearl at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The jaunt also includes stops in Chicago and Atlanta. Ciara let the cat out of the bag Monday night on her Twitter: "I will say it because the information has been leaked. Me and Jay-Z will be doing a 10-city tour run together! More details coming soon!" However, a rep for Jay-Z told MTV News that the tour would not include 10 cities. In June, Ciara will support Britney Spears on the European leg of the Circus tour in June. Ciara, whose latest album Fantasy Ride was released last week, appeared on "Saturday Night Live" (with Justin Timberlake on keyboards) and David Letterman's show in the past few days. Last week, she told MTV News about filming the steamy video for her collaboration with Timberlake, "Love Sex Magic." "Let me tell you -- it's so funny, I have to say this," she said. "I had to lick his ear and do all that fun stuff and bite it. And he had a moment where he was kind of licking on my neck. We were both going back and forth. We were really just freestyling. And Miss Diane [Martel, the director] wanted something edgy, and we all wanted to find a cool way to do it. And that just felt right. "It was really funny because you would have moments where she would go, 'What we're gonna do now is the licking and the kissing on the neck and we're gonna do this take, then cut. OK, we need one more take of that,' " Ciara continued. "And so it's licking on the neck, again, then his biting on my neck, again. It was really funny." Jay-Z and Ciara's five confirmed dates: » 7/3 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl at the Palms Casino [This story was originally published at 4:10 p.m. ET on 05.12.2009] Related Artists |
| Eminem's 'Beautiful' Hits iTunes Posted: 11 May 2009 11:32 PM PDT 'It's the best song out of that batch that I did when I wasn't sober,' Em tells Vibe of the melancholy track.
Eminem has gone on record about his battle with drug addiction in interviews with Vibe and XXL magazines recently. Now, the rapper's song "Beautiful," which premiered on iTunes on Tuesday (May 12), paints a vivid picture of the struggle he went through during his hiatus from hip-hop. It's one of the most heartfelt recordings in Eminem's career. The song appears on his upcoming album, Relapse, due May 19. In his first-person narrative in Vibe, Em said the song is the only one he kept from the recordings he made during that dark period in his life. He's been sober for a year now, he said.
"There's only one song on the record that I produced. It's a track called 'Beautiful,' " he said in the magazine's June issue. "And one of the only reasons that I put that track on there is that I feel like it's the best song out of that batch that I did when I wasn't sober. At the time I felt like, 'This is it for me.' I wrote the first verse and a half in rehab, and when I came out, I finished it. It was the only song that marks that period without bringing me back to that place. Every other track not only didn't fit with the album, but when I listened to it, it would bring up bad memories." The melancholy song samples Rock Therapy's "Reaching Out" and features Em revisiting his decisions over the past few years and how his life spiraled out of control. "I'm just so f---ing depressed, I just can't seem to get out of this slump/ If I could just get over this hump/ But I need something to pull me out this dump," he raps on the track. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Eminem's Road To <i>Relapse,</i> Part 2: Stardom Posted: 13 May 2009 03:51 AM PDT Em's superstardom brought protests and problems in the Marshall Mathers era.
As the May 19 release of Eminem's long-awaited Relapse album approaches, MTV News is taking a deep dive into our extensive Eminem archives and examining each phase of the MC's storied career. Here we take a look at the second phase, the Marshall Mathers LP era. To say Eminem's life was turned upside down after the release of The Slim Shady LP would be a gargantuan understatement. Suddenly, the "Angry Blonde" — as he was called in one biography — was the subject of much debate, including his rank in the pantheon of the hip-hop greats, but mostly about his potential harmful affect on the decency of young America. Em often included himself in his own crude jokes, but as he grew into the spotlight of fame, he found at times that the glare was shining back a bit too brightly on him. And it revealed that not everyone shared his sense of humor.
As the first white rapper to successfully garner both critical acclaim and commercial viability, Eminem faced unique challenges and pressure. He was a pop star now, mentioned among the likes of 'NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys, and Blink-182. Eminem — the rap-battle tested MC that scraped tooth and nail to gain respect — became "chopped liver" compared to Slim Shady, the zany, cartoonish character with a knack for attacking celebrities. Somehow Eminem had to find a way to balance the two factions of his musical identity. Along came his sophomore album, 2000's The Marshall Mathers LP, often heralded as the best work of his career.
The two defining singles from project were singles "The Real Slim Shady" and "Stan," the latter a tale of a fan-gone-wrong that directly touched on activists' fear of Eminem. Both records turned into iconic pop culture moments during live performances. At the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Eminem cemented himself as a moving force in entertainment, when he entered New York's Radio City Music Hall with an endless array of Slim Shadys following him like soldiers. The flood of blonde heads and white T-shirts mimicked the video for "The Real Slim Shady," but the gesture on live TV with the country tuning in upped the Shady quotient. It's as if he drew a line in the sand and dared anyone against him to cross it and face the wrath of his ardent followers. Later that year, however, activists got wind of some of Eminem's lyrics on The Marshall Mathers LP, particularly the graphic nature of "Kill You" and "Kim," and a protest was ordered against him. And not just any demonstration, but the National Organzation of Women (NOW) and the Gay & Lesbian Alliace Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced they would picket the Grammy Awards. Em's biting words against women and gays, though meant as creative riffs to the rapper, had crossed the line for many.
Eminem was finally backed into a corner, Slim Shady army or no. Would NOW and GLAAD force the superstar's hand? Would he dial back the style that made him the top selling rapper out? Would he even show up to the Grammys? All these questions were resoundingly answered. Elton John, an openly gay musician, surprised everyone as he came to Eminem's defense. The flamboyant entertainer defended his fellow entertainer's use of words as artistic license. Many were shocked by John's pledge of support. Their jaws dropped even further when John joined Eminem onstage for "Stan," substituting for the song's original guest, Dido. "Stan" was a tragic tale of an overzealous Eminem fan who took Slim Shady at his every word. The final stanza featured Eminem in Marshall Mathers mode, explaining his lyrics are just jokes and encouraging Stan to take responsibility for his life before he ends up like a lost soul who recently made headlines for taking the life of his pregnant wife. As we all know by now, as Eminem utters the song's final words he realizes the weight of his influence with a single word, "Damn." John's bluesy vocals during the Grammy performance pierced the audience's emotion. Em joined hands with the singer after the song ended, with John raising their arms in triumph. Em, not satisfied with just the final word, offered a middle finger to the crowd as well. He was officially on top of the world. He beat back his antagonizers. Next up for Em: Hollywood. Related Videos Related Photos |
| What Do People Have Against Danny Gokey? Posted: 13 May 2009 03:51 AM PDT Polarizing 'American Idol' contestant might be able to teach us something, in Bigger Than the Sound.
They say you are the company you keep. And if that's the case, I hang out with total jerks. That's because everyone I know positively hates Danny Gokey. On the surface, it's easy to see why so many people loathe the "American Idol" semifinalist: His glasses. The heart symbol he makes with his hands. The fact that he dresses like a cross between a figure skater and Charlie Sheen on "Two and a Half Men." His demeanor — which seems to flit between humility and cockiness — doesn't do him many favors, either. When he's being humble, people call him a phony. When he's being cocky, they call him a jerk. Danny Gokey, it seems, cannot win. Of course, this is all superficial, speculative stuff. It says nothing about his vocal ability (which is — even I will begrudgingly admit — pretty great, so long as he's not singing Aerosmith) or the fact that he's one of the final three contestants left on the show (so, you know, he must be doing something right). I don't know anyone who's actually hung out with Danny Gokey, or served him coffee, or interacted with him on any level in between. I have no first-hand accounts of him being a jerk. Yet, I — and pretty much everyone I know — seem to believe that he is. This probably isn't fair. But it is kind of true. Because I have written plenty of nasty stuff about Gokey (check the last line of this column about Adam Lambert for proof) without ever meeting him and have been congratulated by my friends and co-workers for doing so. And this probably says more about me — and people like me — than any of us would care to admit. Do we dislike Gokey for any tangible reason? Is he a bad tipper? Mean to the elderly? No, we hate him because he sometimes appears to be a jerk on a televised singing competition. And that apparently gives us license to say all sorts of nasty things about him, to accuse him of wearing his wedding ring or using the death of his wife to curry the favor of "Idol" voters. And that's crazy. And pretty mean. Perhaps Danny Gokey is proof that we hate without reason. That we are given to jealousy. That we dislike those who are naturally gifted (and dare to acknowledge that fact). That we are all, on some level, elitists, and within us all lies a superiority complex, a bias against those in the so-called "red states" who somehow find Gokey's story, struggle, faith — and even his voice — inspiring and uplifting. But maybe I'm just writing about myself now. After all, last year, I penned a column, in which I called David Cook "the reason we are obese and ignorant ... the reason the rest of the world hates us." (It was not, shall we say, one of my finer moments.) And I kind of feel the same way about Danny Gokey — only this time, I'm not going to allow myself to go down that path. Do I want Gokey to win "American Idol"? No. Would I ever buy one of his albums? Probably not. But do I think he's a terrible person? Someone worthy of scorn or ridicule? Everything that's wrong with America? Most definitely not. Because he's taught me a little something about myself. He's exposed an ugly part of my subconscious that I really don't like. And so I'm working on it. I'm not going to hate on Danny Gokey anymore. It will make me a better person. Because Danny Gokey is what's great about "American Idol." He is the opportunity to learn about ourselves, to grow and to come together as one. To cast aside age-old divides and forge a better tomorrow. He is unity and hope, in spectacles. He's already taught me a new way — and he can do the same thing for you. Embrace him, even if you don't want to. And even if he might be kind of a jerk. Or because he is. Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com. Related Photos |
| Adam Lambert Shows Both His Sides On 'American Idol' Posted: 12 May 2009 05:19 AM PDT Check out 'Idol' expert Jim Cantiello's minute-by-minute recap of the show.
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| 'Star Trek' Writers Answer Five Burning Questions Posted: 12 May 2009 05:45 AM PDT We go straight to the sources to get details on five key plot points.
SANTA MONICA, California — No doubt about it: "Star Trek" was rebooted this past weekend with a hugely successful hit that has made the five-decade-old franchise hip again. But, in keeping with the brainy nature of the sci-fi series, the film's plot machinations can sometimes get a bit fuzzy. Did you leave the theater wondering how Spock and Kirk just happened to end up on the same moon with Scotty? Why one character wouldn't warn another about his death? With such matters in mind, we got "Trek" writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to stop brainstorming on the sequel for a moment and address five spoiler-heavy, burning questions for fans who've seen the flick:
MTV: In the movie, the Romulans place a bug into the mouth of Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), saying it will force him to tell the truth. Is it the same sort of bug Khan placed in the ears of Chekov and Captain Terrell in "The Wrath of Khan"? Orci: It's a cousin of the bug. Kurtzman: It's a distant, distant cousin twice removed by marriage. We definitely thought when we were kids, and we watched Khan put the Ceti eel in Chekov's ear, it was about the scariest thing we'd ever seen. We thought, "We've gotta do something like that, at least to pay homage to that." Because it was such a cool moment — and then we had a plot reason to do it in this movie, because he's trying to get Captain Pike to tell the truth. MTV: According to long-held "Star Trek" lore, Captain Kirk was born in Iowa — a whole town even uses it as their claim to fame. So why do we see Kirk being born in space? Orci: Well, he would have been born on Earth — except for Nero, played by Eric Bana, coming back in time and interfering before he can get back to Earth so he can get born. Part of our mandate in our minds was to try and do as much of the canon as we thought we could do — but in a way, harmonize with the canon. So whereas in the original universe Kirk is born on Earth and dreams of being in space, here he is born in space — literally in a battle. MTV: Out of the entire universe, how do Elder Spock and Kirk happen to get stranded on the same planet? Are we expected to believe it's just a coincidence? Orci: Why was Spock put on that planet by Nero? Because of its proximity to Vulcan. And where was the Enterprise leaving when they decided to kick Kirk off the ship? Then it's not a coincidence, is it? Their proximity to that moon is very much by the plot. Kurtzman: One of the things we're playing to is the theme of destiny ... the idea that it wasn't actually random chance. It seems like random chance if you run into Spock in that cave, but it wasn't. And in some way, the time stream is trying to mend itself. MTV: And how about Scotty? Is it a coincidence that he happens to be on that moon as well? Kurtzman: It goes back to the idea that the time stream is trying to mend itself. These characters are essentially destined to find each other in one way or another — and that fate is literally bringing them together. Orci: If you read about quantum mechanics, you would have a further understanding of how there's a mathematical basis for destiny. MTV: Doesn't Elder Spock know how Captain Kirk dies in the "Generations" movie? Shouldn't he warn young Kirk to stay away from Dr. Tolian Soran? Kurtzman: No, because remember — it's an alternate timeline now. So this future is totally different. There's no need to mention it; there's no boulder [fall] to warn him about. Will the vampires grab more trophies than the slumdog? What was the year's ultimate onscreen WTF moment? It's up to you to decide the winners of the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. Vote now, and tune in on May 31 at 9 p.m. ET, when the big show airs live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Check out everything we've got on "Star Trek." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more - updated around the clock - visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Simon Cowell Doesn't Think Kris Allen Can Win 'American Idol' Posted: 12 May 2009 04:15 AM PDT 'Kris is a nice guy, but he's not a good enough singer to compete with Adam,' the judge says.
There are still three "American Idol" contestants remaining, but to hear judge Simon Cowell tell it, only one has a shot at winning. A day after telling Oprah Winfrey that Adam Lambert would be the last man standing because he's "got swagger," Cowell announced that Kris Allen doesn't have the vocal chops to win "Idol." On the Fox News morning show "Fox and Friends," Cowell told co-host Brian Kilmeade that Allen shouldn't even make the top two. "I'd love [Adam] in the final, really with Danny [Gokey], because Kris is a nice guy, but he's not a good enough singer to compete with Adam. The only one who can compete with Adam on vocals is Danny."
There are no doubt millions of die-hard Allen-ites who would beg to differ, as well as many who may not love the 23-year-old singer but still believe he's poised to win the competition. Allen's combination of bro-next-door appeal and radio-friendly style, MTV News' James Montgomery argued, make him a much surer bet than the vocally dexterous but perhaps not commercially viable Lambert. "Kris Allen is about as likeable and relatable as they come," Montgomery wrote. "He's a good-looking, sorta-sensitive, guitar-strumming, God-fearing everydude from Arkansas ... [He] has a voice that's tailor-made for radio. Listen to any top-40 station (or even any album-oriented rock station), and you could hear his voice in most of the songs. Shoot, his takes on 'Falling Slowly' or 'Ain't No Sunshine' could be on radio stations today." Of course, there are legions of Lambert and Gokey devotees who believe their guy is a lock to triumph in this eighth "Idol" season. One of those believers is Senior Writer Gil Kaufman. "Lambert will win because he's consistently brought his 'A' game, has strived to be original, has not let the whisper campaign about his sexuality interfere with his victory march and because he's inspired a truly rabid cult of 'glambert' fans who hang on his every glittery-eyelid flutter," wrote Kaufman. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos |
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