MTV News |
- Why Is Lil Wayne's Sentence So Severe?
- Ne-Yo Says It Was 'Refreshing' Working With Rihanna On New LP
- Tokio Hotel On Their Celebrity Status: 'Our Dogs Are Famous'
- Jackson Rathbone Mum On Robert Pattinson/ Kristen Stewart Rumors
- Lil Wayne Drops Two New Songs On Day Of His Guilty Plea
- Rihanna 'Took A Chance' With Ne-Yo For 'Russian Roulette'
- Ashlee Simpson Off Of 'Melrose Place'
- Tokio Hotel Rate Their Styles Over The Years
- Can Lil Wayne's Career Thrive Despite Prison Sentence? Experts Weigh In
| Why Is Lil Wayne's Sentence So Severe? Posted: 22 Oct 2009 06:08 AM PDT New York's tough gun laws are more stringent than those of other states.
Lil Wayne couldn't have picked a tougher state to face a gun charge than New York. The rapper entered a guilty plea in a Manhattan court on Thursday (October 22) as part of a deal that will see him be formally sentenced to one year in prison (although it seems likely he'll serve eight to 10 months). Wayne pleaded guilty to a class "D" violent felony of attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree; the charges stem from a July 2007 arrest. Had the rapper not struck a deal with prosecutors, he could have been looking at a mandatory minimum of three and a half years in prison if he was found guilty by trial.
It's worth noting that the minimum sentence was raised in 2006 after the New York Legislature passed a bill that increased the mark at the behest of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. New York's then-Governor George Pataki signed the changes into law. As a result, according to New York-based attorney Scott Leemon, hardline sentencing laws were now in place for offenders like Lil Wayne whether they actually planned to use the gun or not. "Basically, the old law required someone to have a loaded weapon and intend to use it [before] the mandatory minimum would kick in," Leemon told MTV News. "And basically, what they did is they took that out of the law. So the mere possession of a loaded weapon in New York State is a felony." In essence, if you're unlawfully holding a weapon or if you plan to shoot someone, the starting point for punishment is the same. "That's why you should not have a gun in New York," Leemon advised. The lawyer — who in the past has represented 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and Remy Ma — called the current laws "draconian." "If this happened in one of the other states, maybe down South or out West, where gun possession is normal and custom, it would be treated a lot differently. In some states this would be a simple probation-type case." In rural areas, for instance, where hunting is more prominent, permits aren't necessarily needed to purchase some types of firearms. But in more urban-leaning locales such as New York, the requirements are much more stringent. Gun laws vary from state-to-state; in New York illegal gun possession is classified as a felony; in Oregon the same offense could result in a misdemeanor charge, according to their state legislature statutes. Former NFL star Plaxico Burress is another celebrity who learned firsthand how strict New York gun laws are. The New York Giants player was sentenced to two years in prison following his own plea deal last month and was taken into custody immediately. His case, however, was different than Lil Wayne's in that Burress' weapon discharged, and Mayor Bloomberg publicly called for the onetime All-Pro to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The attorney representing Wayne, Stacey Richman, spoke to MTV News following her client's court appearance and explained that the rapper was able to receive a lesser sentence because he did not own up to gun possession, but to attempted gun possession, a lesser rap. The difference has to do with Wayne not having the firearm within his "dominion," or essentially his direct possession. Instead, as he entered his plea in court, Wayne emphasized that the gun was near him and Richman commended the rapper for taking responsibility. "After ongoing negotiations, he opted to take the deal to take responsibility for the situation and I think it speaks of him, that he's an individual with a strong constitution, that he took that responsibility," she said. Both Richman and Leemon strongly advised non-New York residents against carrying guns while visiting the Empire State. Leemon noted that it is virtually impossible for residents to obtain a permit to carry a gun legally unless one is a retired police officer or one of the few security firms who are insured to carry licensed firearms. Richman said many people don't know about New York's harsher laws. Still, she said being uneducated should not be an excuse, and in light of Wayne's upcoming sentencing it should now no longer be an overlooked error. "I don't think that people outside of our state are aware of our gun laws," she said. "Ignorance of these laws is no defense." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Ne-Yo Says It Was 'Refreshing' Working With Rihanna On New LP Posted: 23 Oct 2009 03:52 AM PDT 'She's more comfortable in her skin now,' singer says of Rihanna's more mature work on Rated R.
While they did work together on her forthcoming album, Rated R, Ne-Yo said fans shouldn't expect a repeat of his and Rihanna's 2007 duet "Hate That I Love You" — the pair couldn't find the time to lay down a track together. "No, unfortunately," he told MTV News. "Just scheduling and whatnot didn't allow us to do that. Everything that I did, I did with her specifically in mind — we just never got the chance to really get into that."
The pair, who worked together on her single, "Russian Roulette," did find time to work on other songs for the album. And although he hasn't received the list of tracks that made the final cut of the November release, he does love what the pair worked on this time around. "We cut a few — I don't know exactly what was kept. I didn't know that ... she was going to drop 'Russian Roulette' until she hit me and told me," Ne-Yo said. "Normally we cut a song, we cut a bunch of songs and then her and her team will sit down and pick the ones they feel will make the most sense. I don't know what was kept, but we cut a bunch." As for what fans can expect from tracks the duo recorded together, he says that the girl he went into the studio with this time isn't the same as the one he worked with a few years back. And he likes the artist she's becoming. "I'll say this — I'll say that Rihanna is not in the same place mentally," he said. "She's more comfortable in her skin now. She's just realized some things about herself that she can explain better than I can. I'll say this: It's refreshing to watch." Although he wouldn't get into specifics about the lyrical content of the songs, he did say that the singer has a lot of experience to draw from on this album. "I'm not gonna put words in her mouth or speak for her," he explained. "She's going through some stuff in the past year and she's got something to say and I think if you want to know what that is, you can go get the album or talk to her directly." One of those experiences was her breakup with fellow pop star, Chris Brown, and he understands why people might think some of the songs are about him. "I don't know. I mean, just going by the natural mind-state of people, yes, most likely [they'll think she's singing about him]," he said, coyly adding, "But I mean, that's part of the fun, isn't it?" Related Videos |
| Tokio Hotel On Their Celebrity Status: 'Our Dogs Are Famous' Posted: 23 Oct 2009 03:52 AM PDT 'You have to plan every single step,' frontman Bill Kaulitz says of the band's life in Europe.
The last time Tokio Hotel's Bill and Tom Kaulitz were able to live like normal kids was five years ago, just before the release of their debut album, Schrei, which sold nearly 2 million copies in Europe and turned them into instant celebrities. Of course, given that it's the Kaulitz brothers, their definition of "normal" might vary slightly from yours.
"Tom and me rented a theme park," Bill sighed. "It wasn't normal, but ... it was just our friends and family for our birthday and that was very nice." And ever since then, they've existed almost exclusively under the microscope, eternally followed by screaming fans and pushy paparazzi. It's a life spent under near-constant surveillance — the life of a celebrity and, despite what you might think, it's about the loneliest existence imaginable. And though the guys in the band swear they're looking for even more fame with their new album, the just-released Humanoid, they'll freely admit that it comes with a price: their freedom. "I think I miss just being able to go out on the street and have fun ... [to be] spontaneous. You have to plan every single step," Bill said. "When I want to go in a shop or somewhere, I have to call the people [and say], 'OK, I want to go into the shop,' and then maybe I can do it next week. I miss being able to just hang out with people and friends and grab ice cream or go to the cinema ... the normal stuff." It seems the more famous they get, the more Tokio Hotel crave the trappings of normality — the daily, seemingly insignificant stuff that you or I take for granted. There's word they keep using to describe it: "spontaneity." They miss that more than anything, it would seem, because on the heels of Humanoid, nothing in their lives is spur-of-the-moment. It's all planned and carefully mapped, because it has to be: after all, even the most minute details of their lives have become public record, right down to their dogs. "I miss just being able to go out with my dog, in nature and being spontaneous," Bill's brother Tom said. "Our dogs are famous now." Related Videos Related Photos |
| Jackson Rathbone Mum On Robert Pattinson/ Kristen Stewart Rumors Posted: 23 Oct 2009 03:52 AM PDT 'It's none of my business. I stay out of it,' 'Twilight' actor says.
BOSTON — When we got the chance to talk to "Twilight" star Jackson Rathbone on the set of his new movie "Girlfriend," we couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask someone deeply involved the biggest question surrounding the franchise: What is the deal with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson? After a brief pause Rathbone carefully replied, "What's the deal with them? Oh, they're not actually vampires." Despite our faux disbelief that Pattinson wasn't actually Edward Cullen, Rathbone insisted, "No, he's actually a really nice human. It's crazy, I know. I know. But yeah, the guy's a great guy." Before "Twilight" had even debuted last November, there were rumors circling Stewart and Pattinson, with tabloids trying to figure out whether the two were romantically involved like their characters. And the fact that director Catherine Hardwicke said the reason she cast the pair was because of their potent sexual chemistry while doing a kissing scene on her bed — not to mention that Pattinson has admittedly proposed to his co-star four times — doesn't help. "Everybody always asks me those questions about that, and it's one of those things — it's none of my business. I stay out of it," Rathbone said. But despite the relative silence from the cast on the subject, tabloids — like OK! magazine this week — continue to cover supermarket checkout aisles with conflicting testimonies regarding the actors' relationship status. "Whenever we're passing through the tabloid articles, we're always like, 'Hey! There's our friends!' " Jackson said with a laugh. "I've been able to stay out of them as much as possible." Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Photos |
| Lil Wayne Drops Two New Songs On Day Of His Guilty Plea Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:17 AM PDT Two untitled tracks, apparently from No Ceiling mixtape, hit the net.
Even on the day he pleaded guilty to a gun-possession charge in New York, it seems nothing can stop Lil Wayne from putting out music. With hundreds of unreleased songs in his catalog, two untitled new songs, purportedly from Wayne's forthcoming No Ceilings mixtape, leaked. In one, he raps over the beat for F.L.Y.'s "Swag Surfin'." "I said, 'T.I. hold ya head, and Mack hold your head,' " he raps. "I wish I could, but I can't say some other names/ I can't because of the feds," Weezy declares amid raps that include references having his own island and his family. "I'm a New Orleans n---a, I don't take no sh--/ Took the brain off the whip, now it doesn't make no sense ... I love my baby mamas, they get my highest honors/ Gotta take care of them kids, man, I know you heard Obama." He shouts out "no ceilings!" at the end. During the next record, the Fireman freestyles over Gucci Mane's "Wasted," touching on global warming, his status at the top of the rap game, and wiping out the competition. "It's Young Money, we the f---in' greatest," he boasts. "We done put them other n---as on hiatus." Wayne asks "Where did the ceilings go?" at the end of his bars. Earlier this month, Young Money crew member and Wayne's close friend Mack Maine told Mixtape Daily that No Ceilings was deep in production. "On his birthday, he was saying, 'Everyone else is putting out mixtapes, so I gotta show them that I still got it,' " Mack said. "And he also said that a lot of beats are coming out that he likes, so, you know, once that happens, he's gotta put out his own versions to the beats he likes. It's not fair. It's not necessary, to me. Like, what are you trying to prove? Let these little dudes have their lane for a few, man. He's about to come and smash people's albums." Mack has since tweeted that the mixtape was completed, although there has been no word from Lil Wayne's camp as to when the mixtape is coming out. In the hours after Wayne's plea was announced, Rick Ross, Juelz Santana and DJ Drama weighed in with their reactions. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Rihanna 'Took A Chance' With Ne-Yo For 'Russian Roulette' Posted: 21 Oct 2009 11:48 PM PDT 'It was just an interesting topic over a crazy beat, and who better to pull that off than Rihanna?' Ne-Yo says.
Ne-Yo and Rihanna certainly have a special working relationship. After collaborating on some of Rihanna's most memorable hits, they came together, with the help of co-producer Chuck Harmony, for her latest single, "Russian Roulette." But the new track, off her upcoming Rated R album, sounds very little like "Hate That I Love You" or "Take a Bow." Ne-Yo said Rihanna requested the song's somber vibe. "She wanted to be dark, but not just dark for the sake of being dark," he told MTV News. "Dark with kind of a meaning, dark with some kind of thing to it."
Ne-Yo called the track "my first ventures off into the fictitious," as he explained how he came up with the haunting Russian roulette theme. "I'm listening to the track, and all I can see is Rihanna and some random person sitting across from each other at the table with a gun sitting in the middle of the table and playing Russian roulette," he explained. "And I just started thinking, 'What would go through your mind if you was in that situation?' It just all started coming together, and Rihanna has never been one to be afraid to take a chance, especially with me. She's always game to do something a little different. I played it for her, and she loved it — went in and knocked it out. The rest is history." The eerie ballad shows the world how both Ne-Yo and Rihanna have grown as artists, he said. And that growth stemmed from their "absolute trust." "I trust Rihanna to be Rihanna, and she trusts me to be me," he said. "That's the coolest thing about our relationship. I don't expect anything more from her. I must say this song is a step in somewhat of a different direction for both of us. We kind of both took a chance." And to the fans who think the track is too dark for a club favorite like Rihanna, Ne-Yo suggests they look back into music history. "It's definitely dark, but if you think about it, [Michael Jackson's] 'Thriller' was dark, but it's one of the biggest-selling records of all time," he argued. "Nobody's really going out to play Russian roulette or thinking about killing themselves or nothing like that. It was just an interesting topic over a crazy beat, and who better to pull that off than somebody like Rihanna?" Related Photos Related Artists |
| Ashlee Simpson Off Of 'Melrose Place' Posted: 22 Oct 2009 04:18 AM PDT Colin Egglesfield leaving show as well.
Her casting made headlines, and the show's launch prompted countless articles, billboards and commercials setting her up as the show's star — but now, producers of the "Melrose Place" remake have announced that Ashlee Simpson-Wentz will be leaving the series, and claim that it was their plan all along. "We always knew that this murder mystery would end in episode 12," executive producer Todd Slavkin told Entertainment Weekly, explaining the exit of Ashlee and co-star Colin Egglesfield while referring to a plotline that has connected their characters during the ongoing first season. "And we always knew that [Ashlee's] character of Violet would be instrumental in that as a suspect, and [Colin's character of] Augie as well. And once that murder mystery was solved, she would go on her way. That was the original plan going into the development of the show." As a result, Wentz and Egglesfield are off "Melrose" barely six weeks after the first episode of the series aired. But as the producers make plans to tie up their "Who Killed Sydney?" plotline with episodes that will air through January, skeptical fans are already suspecting that the firings are an attempt to shake up the program, which launched to low ratings that have continued to erode. "Well, I understand that perspective," Slavkin told told EW. "None of us foresaw the ratings; there's nothing we can do about that. All we can do is write and produce the best show we know how. It's fine to speculate, but in the end there was always a plan." Simpson said in a statement, "Having the chance to play Violet on 'Melrose Place' has been a thrill. Although I always knew her story would come to a final, insanely unpredictable end, playing a creepy, unstable character was something I always wanted to do, so I jumped at the chance. Thanks to the CW and the entire cast and crew of 'Melrose Place' for allowing me this opportunity!" Although Ashlee apparently knew she was on the show for only 12 episodes, she didn't mention it in any of of the numerous interviews she'd given since her casting last March as Violet Foster. "They're total professionals and they took it like professionals," Slavkin said of how Wentz and her co-star took the news. "When you go into a show you never know what's going to evolve and what the possibilities are. But because they knew ahead of time [that leaving was a possibility], it wasn't a complete shock." Related Artists |
| Tokio Hotel Rate Their Styles Over The Years Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:36 AM PDT 'It's the most important thing, that you're happy with your music and your style,' frontman Bill Kaulitz says.
Since blasting onto the international scene with their debut album, Schrei, Tokio Hotel have become just as famous for their style as they have for their songs ... perhaps even more so. Which is why, when they recently sat down with MTV News for an extended interview, we decided to take a trip with them, back through time and space and, of course, hairstyles. Because while some things have remained the same throughout the years (namely drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing), Tokio Hotel's two biggest fashion plates — frontman Bill Kaulitz and his brother, guitarist Tom — have undergone some rather drastic transformations.
Which is why we had them take a look at old photographs, taken at key moments in their band's career, and discuss their fashion decisions (and perhaps even figure out just what they were thinking too). And to do this, we went back to their infancy as a band: 2003, when they were all so, so young. The Year: 2003 Bill Kaulitz: I was really proud of this shirt [I'm wearing] because I made it. It was, like, a cheap shirt from a supermarket, and I cut the sleeves off. Tom Kaultiz: And here you can see that Georg always had great style. [Laughs.] ... He was always beautiful and always great hair. BK: It was a tiny room [we rehearsed in]. It was great. We wanted to be successful, we wanted to shoot a video. We just wrote a song and we were like, "OK, let's go onstage! Let's shoot a video for it!" That was always our dream. ... We just wanted to have fans and a crowd who would listen. TK: We played every weekend in small clubs. I think at this time we had, like, 10 fans. The Year: 2005 BK: That was at a really, really huge award show in Germany, and we got our first award. We were so nervous — I think you can see it in my eyes. I think [my hair's] a bit too short, but at the time, I liked it. ... You always think you are there. I was always happy with my look and with my hair, and so when I look at the old pictures, I don't like the hair now, but I was happy for that moment, and that's great. The Year: 2006 BK: I think we look tired in this one. You can see that we worked a lot from this time to this time. This was also at an awards show. I think my hair kind of looks most normal here. But it's starting. Everything's starting.
Georg Listing: You can see me getting fatter. The Year: 2007 TK: We look a bit happier. You can see [the confidence]. BK: The record company [wanted me to have a stylist.] I remember the first meeting, and they said, "OK, Bill, you need a stylist," and I was like, "Huh? I wanted to wear my own stuff, and that's what I told you." It's the most important thing, that you're happy with your music and your style. You can't create success and you can't create a successful band. The Year: 2008 BK: I'm doing the point here, because it's really easy for photographers. At first they take some pictures, and then they're like, "Do something crazy!" and then you just do that [points], and everyone's like, "Oh my gosh!" and everyone's freaking out. The Year: 2009 BK: This day was a really great day, I really liked those pictures. That was in Spain. TK: And look, Georg is skinny now and Gustav isn't. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Can Lil Wayne's Career Thrive Despite Prison Sentence? Experts Weigh In Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:23 AM PDT Experts point to T.I.'s careful strategy of good works and steady single releases.
The parallels are eerie: Two young rappers at or near the peak of their powers are taken down by gun charges that result in plea deals sending them away for a year. While T.I. is currently serving a yearlong sentence for his attempts to buy machine guns illegally, Lil Wayne copped a plea on Thursday (October 22) to attempted criminal possession of a weapon that will send him to prison for a year. With multiplatinum sales of Tha Carter III, a smash summer tour with his Young Money crew and anticipation still high for his long-awaited Rebirth album, Wayne is one of the biggest names in hip-hop right now. The sentence has the potential to be a career momentum killer for the rapper. Or does it?
"It depends on the artist," said Marc Byers, former manager for rapper Beanie Sigel, who faced his own career stoppage when he was found guilty in 2004 of federal weapons charges and spent a year in prison. "Wayne is probably the hardest worker in the business. He's made the strongest impact, so it will probably be easier for him to make a comeback." Given the possibility that Wayne could serve as little as eight months, Byers thinks that if the rapper's team built up enough music and shot a couple of videos — similar what Sigel and T.I. did before their incarcerations — Weezy could easily come back just as strong. "It's never a good time to go away, but if you are an artist who can withstand it, like T.I. or Wayne ... Look at T.I., he's away and he's picking up MTV awards, BET awards," Byers said. "Wayne's the top guy now. He can definitely make it." Former Island Def Jam publicist Shante Bacon, who has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Ludacris, Method Man and Ghostface Killah before starting her own 135th Street Agency, agreed that the combination of the relatively short sentence and Wayne's legendary studio stamina should mean he'll walk out just as, if not more, popular than he was before. "If he were the average artist with an average drive, this could be a momentum killer," she said. "But one thing Wayne has proven over the past six to eight years is that he's hungrier than 98 percent of the people out there. It might slow him down temporarily, but he's proven to everyone that he's not gonna stop, and maybe he'll just work harder and be smart about it." Bacon said that if she were advising Wayne, she'd suggest he do what T.I. did: stockpile as much music as possible to remain visible while he's away. "The strategy implemented before T.I. went away was genius. ... They got five, six singles off the album and kept him visible for a year while they were awaiting the sentence, and it was his hottest year ever. By no sense of the imagination has he gone away, and that won't happen to Wayne." Even without Rebirth, Bacon pointed to the eagerly anticipated album by Young Money protégé Drake that is coming soon, which she predicted would help keep Wayne in the spotlight as well. The T.I. parallel is important for another reason, according to veteran publicist Jody Miller: "It's a tremendous opportunity for him," said Miller, who worked with Tip last year on a voter initiative called Respect My Vote. "Look at T.I., he went away a hero because he took a bad situation in his life and turned it around and made it work for his career and fans, and he touched people with a positive message." Miller said that Wayne has a similar opportunity to make a positive change by talking about what happened to him and telling fans that he's learned from it and is going to do his best to avoid similar situations in the future. "He's scheduled to release a new album in December, so that's actually good timing in terms of when he's supposed to go away," she said. "It's up to [Cash Money founders] Slim and Baby to utilize whatever they can to keep the momentum going and for Wayne to do as much as he can before he starts serving his sentence." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
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