MTV News |
- Ghostface Killah Wants To Record Duet Album With Mary J. Blige
- Chris Brown Sentencing Delayed
- Lil Wayne And Young Jeezy's America's Most Wanted Tour Adds 10 Dates
- Rick James' Daughter Ty Keeps Dad's Legacy Alive Five Years Later
- 'American Idol' Alums Are 'Shocked' By Paula Abdul's Departure
- Wyclef Jean Welcomes Pressure To Top 'Hips Don't Lie' With Shakira
- Nelly Furtado Went On 'Musical Journey' For <i>Mi Plan</i> Album
- Trey Songz On Drake's Toronto Performance: 'The Energy Was So Crazy'
- Fall Out Boy's 'What A Catch, Donnie' Clip A 'Cliffhanger,' Not Goodbye
- Why Did Paula Abdul Leave 'American Idol'?
| Ghostface Killah Wants To Record Duet Album With Mary J. Blige Posted: 06 Aug 2009 03:50 AM PDT Plus: Ghost sets Trife Diesel loose, in Mixtape Daily.
Fire Starter: Trife Diesel Better known by fans of Ghostface Killah's Theodore Unit as Trife Da God, Trife Diesel is finally getting his own thing off with the just-released Better Late Than Never. "My brother Ghost is on there, my brother [Shawn] Wigz is on there," Trife told us earlier this week. "It's a nice classical album. It's not a mainstream album, but it's more me, Trife Da God."
"My brother put me on to Trife," Ghost said of how the two crossed paths. "This little dude, he had an ill swag, he was clean-cut. He was ahead of his time, up to date, and his darts were clean. His darts were illmatic. I sent him down to Florida with me when we was doing Bulletproof Wallets. Ever since Wallets, he's been on tour with me." Trife said his experience with Ghost has been indispensable. "I'm not ashamed to say, he's like a father figure," Trife said. "He taught me in rap. I'm very appreciative, and that's why when I go out there and do what I do, I gotta make great music. I can't let him down or my fans down." The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground If the great Ghostdini got his wish, he'd do a duets LP with one of his most popular collaborators: Mary J. Blige. "We got the ill chemistry together," said Ghost, on the set of his "Baby" video in Harlem. "I love Mary. I hope one day we could ... get together and just make an ill classic. Some Peaches & Herb. [Hip-hop editor's note: Google that group!] We just hop in real quick. Just one go-round, a one-off. That's just fly." Sitting in his tour bus, parked across the street from Rucker Park, Ghost was also thinking about collaborating with some other R&B greats. His past R&B collaborations are highlighted on the new J-Love mixtape The Wizard Is Coming. "That was when we was in Cali at that time," Ghost thought back to his guest appearance on Mary's "Your Child" remix. "I remember Mary wanted me to do that for her real quick. I did two of them [verses]. The other verse wasn't all right. I think [the verse that made the song] might have been eight bars. Those were the days. I was stuck a little bit." Tony Starks' eyes were as bright as Iron Man's suit with a fresh coat of candy-red paint when he talked about the "Freek'n You" remix he did with Jodeci. "We smashed that out in two or three hours," he said of the song. "They was drinking that red shot, some red liquor. [Jodeci] was in there singing, doing their own parts. Me and [Raekwon] was in there sitting down writing our part. Then Rae went in and did his part. I laid mine after Rae. That's when our pens were going off fast and did what it did. Connected the dots. [Jodeci] were some good brothers. They was drunk, but they were doing it like it was nothing." Ghost is putting out his Wizard of Poetry later this fall, featuring duets with John Legend, Estelle, possibly Blige and definitely Raheem DeVaughn on the first single "Baby." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos |
| Chris Brown Sentencing Delayed Posted: 05 Aug 2009 03:33 AM PDT Judge is seeking additional information from Brown's native Virginia to make sure plea deal is upheld.
Chris Brown's sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday (August 5), has been delayed until August 27. The judge in the case is seeking additional information from the singer's home state of Virginia on whether it can accommodate mandates included in Brown's proposed plea deal. Under the guidelines of the plea reached last month, Brown will be under probation for five years, attend weekly counseling and perform community labor service. According to The Associated Press, Judge Patricia Schnegg has yet to hear back from officials in Virginia, where Brown is expected to serve out his sentence. Schnegg apparently wants to make sure Brown endures community labor work and not just community service. She made the announcement in court following a brief meeting with a prosecutor and Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, according to the AP. Previous reports suggested Schnegg wanted Brown to participate in activities such as graffiti removal and roadside cleanup for his community labor service. Community labor service — or community service work, as its known in other states — varies from state to state. According to a rep from a probation office in Brown's native Virginia, community service work in the county could include labor activity like washing school buses or fire trucks daily or working out of a local library. Ann Barker, the chief officer at Probation & Parole District 33 office, told MTV News early Wednesday that she was unsure which office Brown would be assigned to for his probation, but if it were her office or any office throughout Virginia, officials would do their best to "try to enforce the order of another state." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Lil Wayne And Young Jeezy's America's Most Wanted Tour Adds 10 Dates Posted: 05 Aug 2009 04:27 AM PDT Tour, which also features Soulja Boy Tell'em and Jeremih, will now continue through September.
Good news for all the rap fans clamoring to see one of the hottest hip-hop tours of the summer: The Lil Wayne-powered Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival has been extended, it was announced Wednesday (August 5), with 10 additional shows added to the bill. The tour will now continue through September, ending with a stop in Sunrise, Florida, on September 6. Young Jeezy and Soulja Boy Tell'em are co-headlining the tour alongside Weezy, with support from Pleasure P, Jeremih and the Young Money crew, which includes Nicki Minaj. The extension could be bittersweet news for Drake. The lyricist might be tempted to hop onstage for the extra dates despite his recent leg injury. The breakout star was one of the original headliners on the bill, but after suffering a knee injury, he was dropped down to a special-guest spot during Lil Wayne's set. The Toronto MC joined his boss and company at the first two stops in Pennsylvania, but reinjured himself in Philadelphia. Video of his fall, which showed Drake writhing in pain, circulated online. At the next stop, in New York, Lil Wayne announced to the crowd that his protégé further injured ligaments in his knee and would require surgery. Drake missed the New York date and the following stop in Virginia, but on Tuesday, the upstart surprised his hometown when he popped up during Wayne's set in Toronto. The singer was joined by Trey Songz for Drake's underground hit "Successful." Drake spoke to MTV News prior to the tour's kickoff and admitted he was taking a gamble by performing, but he said he didn't want to let his fans down. "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 explained. "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." Upcoming America's Most Wanted tour dates: » 8/6 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center Additional dates: » 8/24 - Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre |
| Rick James' Daughter Ty Keeps Dad's Legacy Alive Five Years Later Posted: 06 Aug 2009 03:50 AM PDT Ty James, who is working on a musical and film, says, 'The exact person that needs to play him has pretty much agreed to do it.'
Five years ago, one of the greatest and most controversial entertainers in a generation died. Rick James, who helped bring R&B and funk to the masses and inspired an early wave of hip-hop with songs like "Super Freak" and "Give It to Me Baby," died of heart failure August 6, 2004. Following his struggle with drugs and a stint in jail, James received a second wave of popularity when he appeared on an episode of "Chappelle's Show" and Chappelle turned the phrase "I'm Rick James, bitch!" into a household phrase. But his real legacy is being carried on by daughter Ty. In the five years since her father's passing, she has been working on a number of projects that will pay tribute to her dad's life and career, including a feature film and a stage musical. Though she remains tight-lipped about many of the projects, she admits that "the exact person that needs to play him has pretty much agreed to do it." She wouldn't say who that actor is, but she did bring up the fact that Eddie Murphy is a good friend of the family. She is also launching a musical career of her own, though for a long time that went against Rick's wishes. "For a number of years, he wasn't even aware of me going into the studio, because he was trying to keep me sheltered," she said. "He always told me, 'I don't want you going into the industry! It's dangerous!' But I'm his only daughter, so he was just trying to protect me from the lifestyle that he led." Her dad's lessons didn't fall on deaf ears. "As far as drugs are concerned, I don't do anything white because of him," she said. "I've never had the urge to do cocaine. For him, it was the lifestyle. He was somewhat miserable, and that's why he resorted to those types of things." Time has given her perspective on her father's drug abuse. "I've been able to deal with it, because he accomplished so much in his life. If that's the outlet that he chose to escape the world, what can I say about that? He gave so much of himself." Growing up with her father, Ty got to see a side of him that the public never saw. "My dad was an excellent father, but he taught me by example," she recalled. "He taught me by his actions. 'Do this or don't do this, because I'm doing it' — that was how he worked. My dad was a character who knew how to command a room. But there were a lot of things that saddened me as well. But those were the ups and downs in the life of a drug addict. We had a studio in the house, so I would sneak in with my producers, and we would be recording during moments where he was not with us. I don't know if you know anything about a true drug abuser, but he would just not be with us for days at a time." Ty knows that her father's work hasn't been forgotten, as she sees his influence every day. "All of my peers have so much respect for my dad," she explained. "Busta Rhymes is a really good friend of mine, and he did a tribute record for him. Everybody from Snoop to Kanye — they are totally aware of the effect that he had on the game. That gives me chills, the fact that all these guys know and respect my father." |
| 'American Idol' Alums Are 'Shocked' By Paula Abdul's Departure Posted: 05 Aug 2009 03:04 AM PDT Kris Allen, Brooke White, Danny Gokey and others express their fondness for the empathetic judge.
If "American Idol" fans were surprised to hear that Paula Abdul wasn't returning to the show next season, the show's former contestants were possibly even more shocked to find out that she would no longer be sitting at the judges' table.
"I was shocked. I definitely think the show will be different without Paula," season-seven finalist Brooke White told MTV News. "The truth is, we don't spend a lot of time with the judges. However, Paula was the one every elimination show that came backstage to visit with us." She added that Paula "was truly concerned about our well-being. I think because, on that panel of judges, she was the performer, she was the one who experienced what it was like to be on the front lines, she had the empathy for us. She provided a little softness to the table." On his radio show Wednesday morning (August 5), "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest said he was "bummed" about Abdul's departure, and fellow judge Randy Jackson told EW.com that the news shocked him too. "I am shocked. Paula is a dear friend and will be missed," he said. Season-eight winner Kris Allen took to his Twitter when he heard the news. "We love you!" he wrote. "Glad I was able to be a part of your last season on the show. You showed us so much love." Fellow season-eight contestant Danny Gokey also reacted on Twitter. "I'm really sad [to] see Paula Abdul not coming back [to] Idol," he wrote. "She was the judge with the biggest heart! She really will be missed." And the reaction from Blake Lewis, season six's runner-up, is so melancholy, it seems as if Abdul had died, not passed up a contract renewal. "Paula leaving 'American Idol' is like a honeycomb without the honey," he told Entertainment Weekly. "She brought a sweetness to 'AI' that no one can replace. She will be forever our girl." 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 Related Artists |
| Wyclef Jean Welcomes Pressure To Top 'Hips Don't Lie' With Shakira Posted: 06 Aug 2009 03:50 AM PDT The producer thinks their 'natural chemistry' will come through on She Wolf tracks.
With one of the more successful collaborations in radio history under her belt, it's only natural that Latin crossover queen Shakira, would return to working with her old friend Wyclef Jean for her forthcoming album, She Wolf, due out this fall. When MTV News caught up with Wyclef in his New York recording studio recently, he conceded that yes, the pressure was on for their new material. After all, their 2006 hit "Hips Don't Lie" landed the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, spent 25 weeks on the chart, has over 2 million digital downloads and received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
"I mean, you know, unfortunately my life is based around pressure," Jean said. "But you gotta treat it like Kobe Bryant, you know? Just go in and play the best game you can. And if you don't make it to the championship this year, you'll be back next year." Of course, the chemistry between the two artists certainly makes it easier to cook up a monster hit. The pair forged a friendship over the course of the "Hips" recording sessions. They shared experiences of their childhood in the developing world, as well as of becoming two of the most commercially successful champions of global music. "I have a natural chemistry with Shakira," Wyclef explained. "I love the Latin vibe. The Lebanese vibe. I love the multicultural aspect of the CD. These days it's hard for you to pick up a CD and love it from beginning to end. Shakira represents that 360 degrees of: You put it in, and the whole CD rocks." The exact number and titles of the tracks Wyclef produced for She Wolf have yet to be confirmed. Pharrell Williams, John Hill and RedOne have also been named as producers on the album. Hill produced the album's first single, "She Wolf," which was co-written by the Bravery's Sam Endicott. Related Videos |
| Nelly Furtado Went On 'Musical Journey' For <i>Mi Plan</i> Album Posted: 06 Aug 2009 03:50 AM PDT 'On this fourth album, I got a lot more skills,' singer says of Spanish-language LP.
Nelly Furtado may have found commercial success with her last album, Loose, thanks to hits like "Maneater" and "Promiscuous," but the Canadian songstress found that while working on her follow-up, Mi Plan, she preferred writing songs in Spanish over English. "I think that sometimes I'm limited when I write in English, but I found a real freedom writing in Spanish," she told MTV News. "It felt really different. It made me excited about pop again."
She added that she wanted to abandon the dance-pop vibe of her last record and try a different sound. "I think after Loose I was kind of bored of writing English pop songs. I'd go to the studio and try and write in English, but the inspiration wasn't really coming. My creative well felt really dry." Instead of abandoning the idea of making another album altogether, she decided to just abandon the English language. "So I went to the Spanish stuff and I don't know ... it just kept coming," she explained. "Every day we'd write a new song and it led me to this river and basically an ocean." According to Furtado, Mi Plan has been a real "musical journey." "I got to work with all these exciting artists from the Latin world ... I try to learn something with each album, like anybody that has a job. And for me as a musician, my job is to get better as a musician — so on this fourth album, I got a lot more skills." Related Videos |
| Trey Songz On Drake's Toronto Performance: 'The Energy Was So Crazy' Posted: 05 Aug 2009 04:41 AM PDT Trey also revealed that he'll be shooting a 'Successful' video with Drizzy soon.
According to Trey Songz, even as Drake was en route to the hospital after his onstage fall, the Young Money artist was planning his grand return home to Toronto. On Tuesday night, an injured Drake took to the stage to perform with his friend during Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival stop in his hometown. "I spoke to Drake the night that he actually fell, and you know what I mean — he was just pullin' up to the hospital and we rapped for a second," Songz told MTV News. "I been talking to him ever since then. He already had it made up in his mind that he was not gonna miss performing for Toronto."
Songz was already in Toronto for a club event, and Drake convinced him to stay an extra two days so they could rock onstage together. "He came out to that 'Successful' — it was like an out-of-body experience," Trey gushed. "They went so crazy for the kid, man." Since Drake had fallen and missed a couple of shows on the tour, his appearance on Tuesday surprised fans. "He came out with his cane," Trey said. "He wanted to walk out. He wanted to take his time and he rocked on a stool. But the energy he was giving was like he was standing. With me and Wayne up there it was like an extension of him — [we were on] both sides of the stage. It was stupid ... the energy was so crazy. "When we stepped off the stage, we gave each other hugs — it was love," he added. "All his peoples came, just givin' us love. It was crazy and we was taking pictures, and then we just sat and rapped about it for a second. He came back out for 'Every Girl.' But the energy was stupid when we got offstage. Everyone was just telling us how amazing it looked ... because none of it was really planned. Like when Wayne came back out — Wayne didn't know I was there — and when he came back out he stayed onstage. It was just the energy, man — it was unexplainable." Although the night turned out to be successful, Trey said that people were having second thoughts about Drake taking the stage so soon after his injury. "Everybody's nervous at every second," he said. "You know, making sure he got his cane, making sure he ain't putting too much pressure [on his leg]. I gotta tell him to sit down every now and then when I was up there — he's still a regular person. You want to be able to move. But he stayed on that stool ... there was a couple of times I seen he wanted to come up off that stool, but he stayed down. They went so crazy. Damn, I'm telling you — it was crazy." Songz recorded a verse for a remix to "Successful," and will join Drake in front of the cameras for the video soon. There is no word if Lil Wayne will appear in the video. Related Artists |
| Fall Out Boy's 'What A Catch, Donnie' Clip A 'Cliffhanger,' Not Goodbye Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:41 AM PDT 'If this ended up having to be it — by chance — it would be a good send-off,' Patrick Stump says of video.
For more than a month now — despite Pete Wentz's constant assertions to the contrary — Fall Out Boy have been dogged by rumors that they are calling it quits. It hasn't helped things that their brand-new video, for the song "What a Catch, Donnie," seems very much like a swan song for the group, full of nostalgic nods to the band's previous videos and featuring cameos from a host of their Decaydance Records family.
Of course, no one outside the band has actually seen the "Donnie" video — it premieres Thursday on MTV.com — so all that "fond farewell" talk might be a tad premature. Which is why, on the eve of the clip's premiere, MTV News cornered the guys in FOB and asked them if fans should be prepared to say goodbye to their beloved band. "I don't think people fully know what to expect. I think it's going to leave people with a bit of a cliffhanger, which is kind of cool," Wentz laughed. "But, as a member of the band, I can tell you it's not [our final video], because there is another video that will explain some of the cliffhanger that's going to premiere on the Internet a bit later." So there you go — straight from Wentz's mouth: "What a Catch, Donnie" won't be Fall Out Boy's final music video. Of course, that doesn't explain why the guys are still talking about the future in such carefully measured, incredibly general terms either. "You never know with anything. This could be our last interview ever," FOB frontman Patrick Stump said. "You never know, but if this ended up having to be it — by chance — it would be a good send-off. It's definitely very tidy. But that's not the intention right now." So if it's not the last we'll hear from FOB, what's next for the band? Well, by all accounts, a very long, very deserved break. After that, who knows? But as long as they're still having fun, fans can rest assured that Fall Out Boy will continue making music together. We think. "When we first started, we weren't thinking a year ahead," Stump explained. "So I don't really want to start thinking a year ahead now. It's a bad idea." "We'll stop doing this when it stops being fun," Wentz added. "You're traveling on planes all the time, you're doing press all the time, if you don't have fun doing the rest of the stuff, then you should stop being in a band. So, like, when this band stops being fun, then that will be it." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Why Did Paula Abdul Leave 'American Idol'? Posted: 05 Aug 2009 12:34 AM PDT Former judge reportedly balked at contract-extension offer.
Why would Paula Abdul leave the top-rated show in television, one that gave her a sustained, worldwide fanbase she hasn't had since the days when she sold nearly 50 million albums two decades ago? Was it the constant needling from fellow "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell? The parade of jokes and online spoofs of her on-air loopiness? No, according to The New York Times, in light of host Ryan Seacrest's recent $45 million deal, Abdul has been lobbying for a major pay bump in contract negotiations that have been going on since the spring.
Those negotiations appear to have fallen apart Tuesday, when Abdul took to her Twitter account to announce that she was leaving the show after eight seasons. It also came just a day after producers were effusive in their praise when announcing that songwriter Kara DioGuardi would be returning for a second season. The Times reported that Abdul made around $2 million last season and was seeking a big raise, ultimately rejecting a 30 percent salary increase and multiyear deal worth more than $10 million. According to TMZ, the show's producers made an initial offer that Abdul didn't like, then they rejected a counter-offer from the judge and made yet another offer to her. But, rather than responding, Abdul reportedly shocked everyone involved by tweeting her goodbye to the show on Tuesday night. The New York Daily News pegged her asking price at $12 million per season. The singer/choreographer's new manager, David Sonenberg, warned last month that Abdul might not return to the show, and unnamed sources close to the former judge told the Times that she had said in recent months that she felt under-appreciated by the show's producers. A spokesperson for the show declined to comment beyond a statement released by Fox confirming Abdul's departure. Many in the industry saw Sonenberg's recent statements as a negotiating tactic, one that appears to have backfired; Sonenberg could not be reached for comment Wednesday (August 5). Cowell, DioGuardi, Seacrest and Randy Jackson will be in Denver for season-nine auditions later this week, marking the first time Abdul will not be by their side since the show launched in 2002. While Seacrest went on the record on his radio show on Wednesday to say that he doesn't think Abdul's departure is a publicity stunt and that he's stunned, representatives for Cowell and Jackson could not be reached for comments from her former colleagues 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 Related Artists |
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