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- Game Declares <i>R.E.D. Album</i> The 'Most Lyrical' LP In Rap
- Mariah Carey Raves About Working With Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri
- Young Jeezy Calls America's Most Wanted Tour 'A Bigger Plateau'
- Man Who Struck 'American Idol' Contestant Alexis Cohen Charged With Manslaughter
- Jordin Sparks Says Writing Songs For <i>Battlefield</i> Was 'Therapeutic'
- Whitney Houston Talks Hooking Up With Akon, Alicia Keys
- Drake Won't Let Injury Keep Him Off America's Most Wanted Stage
- Michael Jackson's Doctor Gave Him Propofol Before Death, Source Says
- Think Kelly Clarkson's 'Already Gone' Sounds Like Beyonce's 'Halo?' So Does Kelly ...
- Blink-182 'Humbled' By Tour Kickoff, Promise More Obscenities
| Game Declares <i>R.E.D. Album</i> The 'Most Lyrical' LP In Rap Posted: 28 Jul 2009 03:50 AM PDT Rapper explains why 'soulful' fourth LP could be his best yet, in Mixtape Daily.
Lab Work Yet another new Mixtape Daily section? Yessir. We put "Don't Sleep" to sleep this week to bring you inside the realm if Jayceon Taylor. One of the most lethal MCs in hip-hop is piecing together what he calls another masterpiece. "If you going by current status of the artist's music, then, I mean, I gotta exceed," Game said. "This album is the most lyrical of them all, this album is the most lyrical album, period, point blank. I can say that about The R.E.D. Album."
Everybody is talking about Game and his disses toward Jay-Z, but what about the music? What about the actual songs where he talks about different topics and shows his reach as an MC à la "Letter to the King," "Hate It or Love It" or even "How We Do"? The Compton rap fanatic said he's got it all covered in his new LP, due later this year. "The R.E.D. Album is a little soulful," he said, sitting in an L.A. studio recently. "But I think that The R.E.D. Album takes you. ... It's crazy because it could be pre-Documentary, and it could be post-R.E.D. Album, like it's early and late. It's early and late, so it's just on time. If you could understand that. It's like I'm raw. Like [on] some of the songs my flow is as raw as before I got with Dre." As raw as they are, Game said the records are coming out very musical. "Then the songs are so big and melodic and so music-filled that you could tell that I've been around for a while," he said. "So, you know, that's the vibe and it's soulful, but it's still right where you need it to be. It's not too sample-heavy and not just that soulful where it takes away from what I do, and it isn't gonna bore you or tire you out. This album is going to be incredible, man, and I would say it's going to be my best album." Game did acknowledge that he's said every album is going to be his "best." "I just don't want to do that anymore," he said. "I'm just going to say it's going to be a great album, man. ... The whole theme behind it is just 'rededicated.' That's what the 'red' stands for. Some people think it stands for blood or red, but that's not the case. This album is rededicated to where I'm from, rededicated to my fans, rededicated to music, to my people, rededicated to you guys, rededicated to just the game in general, man. The things I've been recording as of late, man, have just been so catastrophic, man. I can't even begin to tell you that it's going to be dope." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Mariah Carey Raves About Working With Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri Posted: 28 Jul 2009 03:50 AM PDT Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel marks first time Carey collaborated with Tim.
For Mariah Carey's forthcoming album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, she tried to mix up her collaborators, working not only with some familiar faces, but also one superproducer she hadn't had the opportunity to work with in the past. "I worked with Timbaland for the first time," Carey told MTV News recently. "I'm a fan of Timbaland's, so I enjoyed it. [The song] hasn't even been mixed yet but I think it's really cool."
For the album, due in September, Carey also worked with artist/producer The-Dream on her controversial single, "Obsessed," as well as longtime collaborator Big Jim Wright. "I worked with Big Jim Wright, who works with Sounds of Blackness a lot, and so there's live-feeling songs on the album," she explained. "A lot of my fans, since I've been twittering, a lot of the fans are like, 'We want some live-sounding stuff,' so you have to find that middle ground." But unsurprisingly, working with Jermaine Dupri seems to hold a special place in Carey's heart. The pair have created many hits together, including "We Belong Together" and "Sweetheart." "I worked with JD again," she said. "I always love working with Jermaine. Every time it's just ... it reminds me of the first time we worked together, which was 'Always Be My Baby.' Once you do a song like that and you have it forever, you wanna just continue to try and re-create that magic, so that's what we do." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Young Jeezy Calls America's Most Wanted Tour 'A Bigger Plateau' Posted: 27 Jul 2009 04:10 AM PDT Atlanta MC is bringing a nine-piece band to the Lil Wayne-headlined tour.
SCRANTON, Pennsylvania — No sleep till ... Scranton? Young Jeezy spent all night recording his Thug Motivation 103 LP, then flew out early Monday morning (July 27) to Pennsylvania for the opening of Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival. Young went straight from the plane to the Toyota Pavilion stage to practice for Monday night's kickoff. The bill features Jeremih, the just-added Pleasure P, Drake, Jeezy and headliner Lil Wayne.
"It's definitely a bigger plateau," the Snowman said, just a few hours before the show, comparing it to previous stage treks like the Georgia Power and Street Dreams tours. "Me and Wayne went on my Street Dreams Tour. That's two and half, three years ago. This is our third time being out. But this is amphitheaters — it's outside, so you have a whole different feel." Jeezy said that while his crowds have grown more diverse over the years, he still raps for his environment when he gets on the mic. "Yeah, I still do it for where I came from, I do it for the 'hood every time," Young said. "But it's good to see [a new audience]. It's broadening, every year, every time. To be doing it here — we in PA, man. This looks different. I'm just ready to see what the crowd is gonna be like. How they gonna feel. It looks like energy already." Jeezy was impressed with the size of the stage as well as the intricate sets that will take place on it. Young also said his game is being stepped up for this five-week festival run. "For the most part, you gotta really be creative at this point," he said. "I been doing this five, six years strong. You gotta switch the show up a little bit. I brought the band out. I got a eight-, nine-piece band. I'mma go in." A few years ago, even Jeezy couldn't imagine himself backed by live instrumentation onstage. "It sounds crazy, but I got a lot of musical music," he said. "Despite all the ghetto classics I got, I got music. I wanted to present it as music. Especially since I'm working on a new album, and that's kinda where I'm going with [the sound]. I wanted to get them started early. But this feels right. This is the plateau to put that on and you give it to them." Related Photos Related Artists |
| Man Who Struck 'American Idol' Contestant Alexis Cohen Charged With Manslaughter Posted: 27 Jul 2009 03:46 AM PDT New Jersey driver also charged with death by vehicular homicide and eluding an officer.
The New Jersey man accused in the hit-and-run death of former "American Idol" contestant Alexis Cohen was charged Monday (July 27) with aggravated manslaughter, a first-degree offense, the Ocean County, New Jersey, Prosecutor's Office told MTV News. Daniel Bark, the 23-year-old who allegedly struck and killed Cohen early Saturday morning in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, and then fled, had already been charged with leaving the scene of the accident. At Monday's arraignment hearing, Bark was charged with aggravated manslaughter, death by vehicular homicide and eluding a law-enforcement officer, in addition to the original charge of leaving the scene of an accident, said Michael Mohel, the deputy chief of detectives for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. Bail had originally been set at $35,000 but was raised to $150,000. A date for another hearing has not yet been set, Mohel said. Cohen, 25, was a contestant on the seventh and eighth seasons of "Idol," becoming an unlikely fan favorite for her brash attitude toward judge Simon Cowell. She was struck by the car early Saturday morning and was pronounced dead two hours later. Autopsy results showed that she suffered chest, head and abdominal injuries. According to a report from New Jersey's Star-Ledger newspaper, Superior Court Judge Wendell E. Daniels asked Bark during the arraignment if he understood his rights. Bark, who had his hands shackled to his waist, was said to answer only, "Yes, sir." The Star-Ledger report also stated that Bark's attorney, David Glassman, spoke to reporters outside of court, labeling the accident a "tragedy" and saying that Bark is currently on suicide watch at Ocean County Jail. "He's having an extremely difficult time mentally coming to terms with the fact there's an allegation that he caused a death," Glassman said. "His family wants the victim's family to know their heartfelt condolences go out to the victim." The Star-Ledger reports that Cohen's mother, Mindy Dallow, said Alexis auditioned in June for the upcoming season of "Idol" and was getting set for a callback audition. |
| Jordin Sparks Says Writing Songs For <i>Battlefield</i> Was 'Therapeutic' Posted: 28 Jul 2009 03:50 AM PDT 'American Idol' vet says she was happy to have more time to work on LP.
For her just-released new album, Battlefield, Jordin Sparks didn't want to rest on her "American Idol"-winning laurels. Much like on her debut album, Sparks contributed to the songwriting on the album, collaborating with writers like Toby Gad and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. "I had so much fun doing it. Writing is really therapeutic, I am finding out," Sparks told MTV News. "I've always loved to write. Ever since I was in the fourth grade I've written poetry and I've loved words and language arts. Everybody else in my family thinks I'm crazy, but it was my favorite thing to do."
She admits that initially she didn't think she could combine her passions for words and music until much later on in her life. "And it wasn't until I was a little bit older that I realized you put music to [words] and switch things around a little bit and you have a song," she said. "And I didn't have very much time to write on the first album. I wrote on three songs on that album and then I just hit the ground running, recording at the beginning of this year. It was so fun!" Needless to say, doing the rounds as an "American Idol" didn't leave a lot of time for work on her first album, and Sparks was happy to contribute more this time around. "Being on 'American Idol,' you win and then you go on the tour," she said. "And it's a little low-key and the fans who voted for you want your music ... and you're trying to record and keep your voice safe on tour. But I'm really proud of the first album." She's equally proud this time around thanks to her hands-on approach. "I do [have a favorite song and] of course all the ones I wrote had a special place in my heart," she said. "And obviously I love all the songs or they wouldn't be on the record!" Related Videos Related Artists |
| Whitney Houston Talks Hooking Up With Akon, Alicia Keys Posted: 28 Jul 2009 03:50 AM PDT The singer chooses an interesting mix of partners for I Look to You.
Whitney Houson wasn't too sure about working with rapper/singer/producer Akon for her new album, I Look to You, when her label president, Clive Davis, suggested him as a suitable collaborator. "When Clive told me I would be working with Akon, I thought, 'Hmm, interesting, um, all right,' " she told MTV News of her initial reaction to the producer of her song "Like I Never Left." Houston realized she wanted to recapture what she had done with Wyclef Jean in 1999. "I wanted the record like 'My Love Is Your Love' with an island feel," she explained. "I wanted an island record because 'My Love Is Your Love' is so huge ... it has its own fashion with Wyclef. ... I wanted that feeling, but I didn't know who [could do that]. And Clive came and said, 'Akon is the guy that we're going to work with.' And I was like, 'OK, Akon. OK, I can deal with that.' "
But when Houston and Akon first met in the studio, her fears weren't exactly completely squelched after she heard how he came up with his moniker. "I was asking him, 'Did your mother name you Akon?' " Houston recalled. "And he said, 'No, it means a convict.' And I thought, 'Oh, God. OK, all right, I can handle that.' He's a gentleman. He did his work very well. We did it very quickly, very diligently, and I'm very proud of that record. It's a great record." By contrast, Houston had no reservations about working with Alicia Keys. She knew as soon as she saw Keys perform that she wanted to get in the studio with the Grammy winner. "When she performed at one of [Clive's] parties the year before last, I kind of looked at her, and it was when she had [the 'No One'] record out, and it was the only record that came on the radio that inspired me," Houston said. "It made me feel good and happy, and I thought, 'God, she's on the label with Daddy [Clive Davis] here.' "I thought, 'I got to get to know her. I got to have a camaraderie with some of the people that were on the label where I came back home to,' " she continued. Keys, of course, said yes. "I walked over to her, and off the cuff said, 'Hey, do you think you could produce me?' She said, 'Yeah, I think I can,' " Houston recounted. "Then I performed a year after, and she came up with the song 'Million Dollar Bill,' and I said, 'Wow, incredible.' " Related Videos Related Artists |
| Drake Won't Let Injury Keep Him Off America's Most Wanted Stage Posted: 27 Jul 2009 09:35 AM PDT Torn ACL is preventing Drake from doing a full set, but he'll join Lil Wayne onstage.
SCRANTON, Pennsylvania — No matter what his doctor says, Drake is not missing the Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival. Despite a torn ACL, the fast-rising Canadian artist said he just couldn't miss the outing, which also stars Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy and Jeremih. "I didn't really get any approval from my doctor, but I made a personal decision 48 hours ago that I'd be letting a lot of people down if I didn't show up and at least show them I'm there for them," Drake told MTV News on Sunday night at the Toyota Pavilion, where the tour opens on Monday (July 27). Drake took part in Lil Wayne's rehearsal. "For the last two weeks, I've been really going hard, getting all types of acupuncture, trying to bring the swelling [in my knee] down. I'm walking around — no cane. I'll put a brace on it tomorrow night. No one will probably even know I'm injured."
Drake was much more mobile on Sunday than he was at the BET Awards last month, when he performed while leaning against a stool. And although his rehab is going well, Drake is still not strong enough to perform his own solo set, so he'll come out during Lil Wayne's set, when Weezy takes a break to let the Young Money music family perform their solo records. "I'm not doing my own set," Drizzy said. "That's one thing I have to apologize to my fans about. It's too much of a risk, if I hit that wrong turn [doing] 30 minutes every night. If I tear my ACL again, the doctors say I might not be able to walk again. I have to be cautious." Despite being a bit inhibited onstage, Drake did insist that "we're gonna have fun." He was especially excited about having a tour that plays a lot of outdoor venues. "That's the most exciting part, is that it's a festival tour," he said. "Every night it's weather. I wanna see what happens when it rains, see what happens when it's hot, when it's cold. It's a rush because it's unpredictable. The music means more when you're outside. You get that vibe. You got the people on the lawn. The natural air, the natural light, it's a beautiful thing to be a part of. "The set's crazy," Drake promised. "When I get onstage, I'mma turn it into Drake's set. I think each artist on Young Money is gonna get a chance to shine." Young Money Presents: America's Most Wanted Music Festival kicks off Monday night in Scranton and wraps on September 1 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Michael Jackson's Doctor Gave Him Propofol Before Death, Source Says Posted: 27 Jul 2009 04:56 AM PDT Dr. Conrad Murray was revealed last week as the subject of a manslaughter investigation.
Michael Jackson's personal doctor administered the drug that authorities believe killed the pop star, a law-enforcement source told The Associated Press on Monday (July 27). The law-enforcement official, close to the investigation, said Dr. Conrad Murray gave the anesthetic Propofol to Jackson the night before his death. The singer had reportedly been receiving the powerful drug to help him sleep. Propofol is a short-acting, intravenous, nonbarbituate sedative typically used for the induction of anesthesia and sedation in medical contexts. Typically used in a hospital or clinic, it is rarely allowed outside such medical locations; sources are speculating that Murray administered Jackson's possibly lethal dose in the singer's home. Although approved for use in all 50 states, the potency of Propofol is considered dangerous if not used correctly. Murray was with Michael Jackson when he died June 25 and was recently identified as the subject of a manslaughter investigation. The pop singer's personal physician has endured intense scrutiny since Jackson's death, although his lawyer has insisted that the doctor didn't prescribe or administer anything that killed Jackson. Last week, federal Drug Enforcement Agents — working with the Houston police and Los Angeles detectives — arrived in a 15-car caravan at Murray's Armstrong Medical Clinic, acting on a search warrant. The focus of that search was Propofol, TMZ reported, and the agents were reportedly looking for "all medical records relating to Michael Jackson." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Think Kelly Clarkson's 'Already Gone' Sounds Like Beyonce's 'Halo?' So Does Kelly ... Posted: 26 Jul 2009 11:27 PM PDT Clarkson slams co-writer, OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, over similarities.
If you've noticed similarities between Kelly Clarkson's new single "Already Gone" and Beyoncé's hit "Halo," well, you're not the only one. Turns out Clarkson has also noticed, and she's not too happy about it. In an interview with Canada's CBC radio network, the former "American Idol" champ said she was unaware of any similarities between her song and Beyoncé's "Halo" until she heard the two songs side by side (according to Clarkson, her All I Ever Wanted album was finished before Beyoncé's I Am ... Sasha Fierce was released). And she's not mincing words about who she blames for the similarities: OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, who co-wrote both songs. "Ryan and I met each other at the record label, before he was working with anyone else. He's from Oklahoma, I'm from Texas; we got along really well and had some of the same influences," Clarkson said. "We wrote about six songs together, four or five of them made the album. It was all fine and dandy. I'd never heard of a song called 'Halo' ... [Beyoncé's] album came out when my album was already being printed. "No one's gonna be sittin' at home, thinkin' 'Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to,' " she continued. "No, they're just gonna be sayin' I ripped someone off. I called Ryan and said, 'I don't understand. Why would you do that?' " "Gone" and "Halo" do share some striking similarities, most notably in the backing track, which features somber piano, crashing drums and hand-claps. Clarkson — who clashed with her label in the past — said that she's upset that "Already Gone" was released as a single without her blessing, but that, at this point, there's really nothing to do about the situation. "It sucks, but it's one of those things I have no control over," she told the CBC. "I already made my album. At this point, the record company can do whatever they want with it. It's kind of a sh---y situation, but ... you know, you learn." At press time, a spokesperson for Tedder had not responded to MTV News' request for comment on the situation. Related Artists |
| Blink-182 'Humbled' By Tour Kickoff, Promise More Obscenities Posted: 27 Jul 2009 01:43 AM PDT 'To come back and have our tour sell like this, I think it's strange for all of us,' bassist Mark Hoppus says.
LAS VEGAS — On Thursday night, Blink-182 returned to the stage with a thoroughly raucous, incredibly profane, genuinely thrilling performance at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Kids cried, older dudes moshed, and Blink guitarist Tom DeLonge weaved an incredible tapestry of onstage boner jokes. In other words, it was just like old times. On Friday — some 18 hours removed from the show — DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker were still slightly hoarse and somewhat bleary-eyed from it all ("We battled our nerves the only way we know how," DeLonge laughed. "We got drunk.") They were officially one sold-out show into their massive reunion tour, and, to be honest, it was going to take a couple more gigs before they realized that this was all really happening.
"It's really strange, because somehow breaking up for five years and going through all this heartache and animosity and everything else — somehow that was the best thing that ever happened to our band," Hoppus laughed. "And I don't know how that is, but ... it's really gratifying and strange and humbling to think that right now, it's really cool to like Blink-182. We've always existed outside that reality, and loved that, but now to come back and have our tour sell like this, I think it's strange for all of us. I'll speak for all of us here, OK?" DeLonge and Barker nodded in agreement. To them, the sold-out first night of their tour (which continues Tuesday night in Vancouver) was some sort of bizarre dream come true. They said they didn't know how fans would react when they announced they were reforming back in February and that they organized a tour not knowing if people would care. After all, there was no new album to promote, no new single to work into the set (much-discussed new tune "Up All Night" isn't ready yet). The success of their tour rested firmly on Blink's formidable back catalogue. "It's so humbling to think that, going away for five years, then coming back, that the shows are selling as well as they are and so many people are excited," Hoppus laughed. "We didn't know what was going to happen when we reformed, we just wanted to play music some more. And to have all these shows sell out and have the response be what it is, it's just crazy to us." And while the tour was only one show old when MTV News sat down to chat with Blink (a second, Friday-night show at the Hard Rock also sold out), you could tell that, though the early success was surreal, it was also emboldening. Which means that, if Blink haven't rolled through your city yet, consider yourself warned. "We're only going to play a couple of places with other bands ... like festivals and stuff. I think that, um, I wouldn't want to be in any of those other bands at this point," DeLonge said. "I think we're willing to do or say anything onstage. It's one of those things where I'm almost nervous about what we're going to say or do on this tour as we progress, because what we've always done is we push each other further and further to see what kind of obscenities [we can say]." "Raising the bar," Hoppus interjected, smiling. "We're raising the bar." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
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