MTV News |
- How Did Ellen DeGeneres Do During Her 'American Idol' Debut?
- Yo Gotti, Young Jeezy And Gucci Mane Here To 'Save' Street Music
- 'American Idol' Without Simon Cowell? Sarah Silverman Is Worried
- Bonnaroo 2010: The Agony And The Ecstasy
- 'American Idol' Hollywood Week Kicks Off With Ellen DeGeneres' Debut
- Lil Wayne Sentencing Delayed Due To Dental Surgery
- Full Bonnaroo 2010 Lineup Includes Jay-Z, Kings Of Leon, More
- Lil Wayne Shot <i>Nine</i> Music Videos Last Weekend
- 'The Jay Leno Show' Comes To An End
- 'American Idol' Season Nine: The Year Of The Parents
| How Did Ellen DeGeneres Do During Her 'American Idol' Debut? Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:16 AM PST DeGeneres quickly made her mark as a judge during first Hollywood Week episode.
"So this is it," Ellen DeGeneres said, staring into fellow judge Simon Cowell's eyes as they sat down for the first day of Hollywood singing on Tuesday night's (February 9) "American Idol." "I come on, you leave." And with that, that newest member of the "Idol" panel quickly made her mark on day one of work, immediately putting to rest weeks of chatter about Cowell's imminent leave-taking at the end of this season and establishing what seems like a good-natured, jokey tension between the two new co-workers.
DeGeneres tried to put the nervous singers at ease from the moment she first stepped onstage at Los Angeles' Kodak Theater, telling the 181 wannabes, "I don't know how you feel right now. ... When people say, 'What do you know about music?' I'll tell you what I do know: I do know what it's like to stand on a stage and try to please an entire roomful of people. ... That is a hard thing to do." Though she got to sit down while the singers took the stage, DeGeneres made her presence felt, tossing off funny asides and coherent, helpful advice while flashing just enough of her signature wit to bring a fresh feeling to the judges' panel. "You frighten me," she told shticky singer Antonio "SkiiBoSki" Wheeler after his so-so run through "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" in one of the night's funnier moments. "You were stalking us. You were like a leopard behind a cage. ... I was watching you looking at us like, 'I'm gonna getcha.' " As the only judge to make comments, DeGeneres was firm and direct with her humorous suggestion to not frighten the audience and to remember the fine line between sexy and scary. Seemingly eager to put her "So You Think You Can Dance" guest-judging debacle behind her, DeGeneres spoke early and often, at points seemingly doing the impossible: shutting Cowell up. She also proved that she can match the acerbic Brit with her clever put-downs, riffing in one montage, "I'm tired as it is; that almost put me right out," "It was crazy, I think, in a bad way" and reminding one contestant from Florida to wear shoes because "it's filthy here. Hollywood is a disgusting town." At one point, after Kara DioGuardi praised Andrew Garcia's radical acoustic revamp of former judge Paula Abdul's "Straight Up," saying the onetime pop star would have loved it, DeGeneres threw her hands in the air and did a loving imitation of Abdul's signature straight-armed hand clap — erasing any doubt about whether she feels awkward taking the former judge's seat. And when Tennessee bridge-jumper Vanessa Wolfe was clearly overtaken by nerves, DeGeneres gave her Abdul-esque, caring advice: "You're unique. I think you have a unique quality that you should embrace and just really accept who you are. You're hiding inside and just scared to death. You gotta let go of that, because those nerves are gonna kill ya." While she might have channeled Abdul for that critique, Ellen's comments were mostly an antidote to the sometimes rambling, bizarre statements Paula made during her eight seasons on the show. It wasn't all Ellen, however, as Cowell still got in plenty of harsh digs, eviscerating a number of performers who hid behind poorly played instruments and ill-conceived song choices. DeGeneres provided exactly what the panel lacked in the past: a strong, confident voice of reason with the right combination of humor and useful advice that could prove to be the first-ever challenge to Cowell's domination of the critiques. "You have an amazing voice and you were very in that song," she told mom rocker Mary Powers after a rough-and-tumble cover of Pink's "Sober." With tensions running high at one point, she played around with one group, telling them to step up, back, to the side and then up again before putting them all through to the next round to loud applause and laughs. Speaking to host Ryan Seacrest backstage at the top of the show, DeGeneres set the tone for what her likely contribution to the show will be: arch but broad humor. "There's been a lot said about what kind of judge you will be on the show," Seacrest said. "Kind, generous, honest, but at the same time pretty direct. And one of the few people I think that can be honest with Simon about how he takes on the contestants. Is that your plan?" Without missing a beat, DeGeneres shot back, "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening." Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. |
| Yo Gotti, Young Jeezy And Gucci Mane Here To 'Save' Street Music Posted: 10 Feb 2010 03:50 AM PST 'I feel that's who the streets look at as far as trap music,' Gotti tells Mixtape Daily.
Celebrity Favorites Yo Gotti just wants to preserve the environment. The Memphis, Tennessee, MC wants to uphold the integrity of the streets in hip-hop. He has talked about the responsibility on the shoulders of himself, Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane as three of the 'hood's ambassadors. "Keep getting it, I respect you and salute you, my n---a," Gotti says on the record "Save Da Trap," talking directly to Jeezy. "I knew you for this rap sh--/ We used to speak on trap sh--/ You represent the streets and you know I do the same/ From one gangsta to another, dawg, I hope you never change."
The last verse of the song addresses Gucci Mane. "I don't really f--- with rappers but you/ You like my brother," Gotti says to Gucci. "We was in the spot/ We looked out for one another/ The first time I met, three songs in one night." Gotti explained his musical letters to us. "I feel like it's our job, between me and Jeezy and Gucci — I feel that's who the streets look at as far as trap music," Gotti explained. "So if it's gonna be saved, we have to save it. That [song is] me telling myself and them, 'Don't do it.' We gotta save the trap — the streets want us here. We still can do what we wanna do, make any kinda music we want to do — but we gotta keep representing the trap for the trap, 'cause that's what's made us." Yo Gotti's next album, Live From the Kitchen, comes out later this year. He recently filmed a video for "Women Lie, Men Lie" in Los Angeles. "It's a mystery video," Gotti said. "Women lie, men lie — it's kind of a mystery video. You'll see what's going on and what's not going on. I'm rapping about numbers. It's self-explanatory, a lot of things I'm talking about — figures ... what jewelry cost, what my deal is worth. It's just different things where I come from in the streets — a lot of numbers." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos |
| 'American Idol' Without Simon Cowell? Sarah Silverman Is Worried Posted: 10 Feb 2010 03:50 AM PST 'I watch it for the singers and for Simon,' the comedian tells MTV News.
Tuesday night marked the beginning of the Ellen DeGeneres era on "American Idol." The evening also moved us one episode closer to the end of the Simon Cowell reign of caustic truth-telling. Some worry about this passing of the reality judge's torch, while others embrace it. You can count Sarah Silverman, another caustic truth-teller in her stand-up comedy, in the "Uh-oh, there goes 'Idol' " camp.
"I watch it for the singers and for Simon," she told MTV News. "I'm not really interested in laughs or other things or when they do funny videos around the Ford Focus. I just want to see the singers and then I want to see what Simon says." Silverman has also gotten to know one prominent "Idol" alumnus. At the Critics' Choice Movie Awards in January, the comedian joined Adam Lambert onstage to present the award for Best Comedy. The duo's appearance became one of the most talked-about moments of the evening after a funny exchange in which Silverman complained about people obsessing over her sexuality. "I love Adam Lambert," she told us. "I think he's spectacular." But she doesn't think she'd do so well behind the judges' table. Asked if she had any interest in replacing Cowell, Silverman vigorously shook her head and said, "Nah." In fact, she's not even sure she'll continue to watch the show during future, Simon-less seasons. "When he's gone, I don't know," she said. "I love Ellen, I'm a huge fan. In terms of that show, I like him. He's in music professionally." Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos |
| Bonnaroo 2010: The Agony And The Ecstasy Posted: 10 Feb 2010 03:50 AM PST Festival's piecemeal lineup announcement slowly drives our writer crazy, in Bigger Than the Sound.
I am living my life in six-minute intervals. I am listening to a ticking cuckoo clock and watching animated punks attempt to smash androids with mallets. I am listening to snippets of polka music. Over and over again. And there doesn't appear to be an end in sight. At the time of this writing, I have spent exactly 343 minutes on Bonnaroo's MySpace page, which, by the time you read this, will hopefully have returned to normal. Or at least have gotten rid of the anthropomorphic light bulb (hot-air balloon?) that has been hovering around the site all afternoon and will certainly haunt my dreams tonight, its spindly arms outstretched, as if posing the eternal, unanswerable question: Why?
Why indeed? On Tuesday, for reasons as twisted as they are inexplicable, the folks behind Bonnaroo decided to spice up the usually staid process of unveiling the fest's 2010 lineup (which, in years past, involved little more than a press release and an embargo) by turning the event into something far more sinister: a nine-hour endurance test, a harrowing psychological experiment more at home in the Swan hatch or a "Saw" flick. Or, in decidedly less-threatening terms, they revealed the name of every single artist on the Bonnaroo bill — some 60 acts as I write this, but, according to a source at the fest, a list that will swell to around 90 — over the course of nine grueling hours. If you do the math, that means one new name every six minutes. Oh, and they decided to do this on MySpace, which officially made today the single longest period I've spent on the site since 2003, when I routinely used it to stalk my ex-girlfriend (wait, delete!). It was diabolical. Brutal. Because my job mandated it, I was forced to keep 'Roo's MySpace page open all day long, watching the animated cloud slowly bob up and down and that cursed light bulb/ balloon mocking me. The ghostly cuckoo clock would count down the seconds to the next big reveal, and every six minutes, I'd hear those chimes, click over to the site to see some animated character unveiling the latest name. Sometimes, the wait was worth it — the Kings of Leon! Jay-Z! Jimmy-freaking-Cliff! Most of the time, it wasn't — hey ... it's ... Baaba Maal. Still, I kept watching. I grew this beard. The list got longer. My eyeballs began to bleed. I wanted to die. And here's the thing. I love Bonnaroo. I really do. I think it's probably the best festival in the U.S., a genuinely great event that routinely books the best bands on the planet. And the folks behind the fest — Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment — have always been really great to me. One time they even let me fly in a helicopter there. But dudes, you're killing me here. I fully understand why you chose to reveal the Bonnaroo lineup this way, and I will begrudgingly admit that no matter how evil a strategy it may be, it's also a pretty brilliant one. Not only did you get the jump on any lineup leaks (an annual tradition right up there with the press release and media embargo), but you created genuine buzz while doing it (as I write this, six of the top 10 Google Trends are Bonnaroo acts). If I could still see, I'd look in your general direction and give you a heartfelt nod, a well-earned "good job" from a weary newsman. That said, I am slightly terrified that, thanks to the success of the Bonnaroo unveil, competing festivals will soon adopt similar gimmicks. I fear that the days of the press release are gone forever and that I will be spending the next several years of my life on MySpace, eternally watching some cuckoo clock tick down to zero, revealing the name of some Afrobeat band I've never heard of. And with each sweep of the dial, a little piece of my life will disappear, too, until all of a sudden it's 2040, and I'm hunched over at my holodeck watching a 3-D light bulb mock me. And then the name of Jay-Z's grandchild will appear, and everything will be worth it. Or maybe not. Now, if you'll excuse me, the cuckoo is singing again, the polka band is tuning up, and an animated speakerbox is wrestling with a bear and shouting the name of the Disco Biscuits. Tell me this is all worth it. Tell me the end is nigh. Tell me I have led a good life. Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com. Related Photos |
| 'American Idol' Hollywood Week Kicks Off With Ellen DeGeneres' Debut Posted: 09 Feb 2010 07:16 AM PST Judges send 95 singers through to Wednesday's group round.
Finally! After what felt like an eternity, "American Idol" served up the first dose of Hollywood Week on Tuesday night (February 9). In addition to the 181 potential superstars filing into the Kodak Theater, the show marked the debut of newest judge, talk-show host/ comedian Ellen DeGeneres, who quickly proved that she not only has plenty to say, but says it in an entertaining, thoughtful manner. "So this is it," DeGeneres said, staring into fellow judge Simon Cowell's eyes as they sat down for the first day of Hollywood singing. "I come on, you leave."
The quip immediately put to rest the weeks of chatter about Cowell's imminent leave-taking at the end of this season and established what seems like a jovial tension between the two new co-workers. The singers came out in groups of eight, given the option to sing a cappella or with an instrument. The first bunch included 17-year-old Katie Stevens, who charmed the first time with a husky voice and a backstory that included her caretaking role for her aging grandmother. Cowell still liked her and Randy praised her natural talent, while the verging-on-annoying Antonio "SkiiBoSki" Wheeler might have worn out his welcome with a herky-jerky "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." "You frighten me," DeGeneres said over loud laughter. "You were stalking us. You were like a leopard behind a cage. ... I was watching you looking at us like, 'I'm gonna getcha.' " But seriously, she said, don't frighten your audience, don't be so intense. "Sexy and scary, it's a fine line." He appeared to cross that line, as he didn't make the cut, while Stevens did. The second group featured young dad Andrew Garcia, strumming former judge Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" as a Jason Mraz-like acoustic jam that showed some serious soul and arranging chops. "That was genius," Kara DioGuardi said. "Paula would be screaming and yelling and dancing," she added, praising him for radically interpreting a song the way last season's runner-up Adam Lambert did. Tennessee bridge-jumper Vanessa Wolfe was shaken by a serious case of nerves, warbling her way through Blind Melon's "No Rain." Ellen praised her "unique quality," encouraging her to embrace that special something. Garcia, not surprisingly, made the cut, while Wolfe's first trip out of her small hometown came to a swift end. Also flaming out were jump-splitter Cornelius Edwards; Maegan Wright, the cosmetologist whose supportive little brother made a memorable appearance on the show; and Italian stallion Amedeo DiRocco, who begged for another chance to no avail after a shouty performance that didn't live up to his initial promise. Tampa, Florida's Janell Wheeler made another great impression with an acoustic-guitar ramble through Estelle's "American Boy" that Ellen called "amazing." They were also still feeling the love for another strummer, wannabe country star Haeley Vaughn,16, who did a charming sandpaper take on Taylor Swift's "Change," as well as 28-year-old rocker mom Mary Powers, who eerily channeled Pink on "Sober." Both made it through to the next round, along with Fantasia co-star Todrick Hall, Chicago's Charity Vance and Boston's Ashley Rodriguez, one of 46 to make it through on day one. Day two dawned rough with annoying beatboxing from Miami's Jay Stone, while Michael Lynche stepped to the mic as his wife was about to give birth to their first child, warning he had to make it or else he'd be in big trouble. The massive bodybuilder — who reportedly has been dropped from the show because his father is alleged to have blabbed about his son's Hollywood trip — killed it with a gospel-y take on John Mayer's "Waiting for the World to Change." Sandwich maker Lilly Scott went quirky with an acoustic-guitar version of Ella Fitzgerald's "Lullaby of Birdland," which DioGuardi loved. "Everything about you is refreshing," she gushed, just before putting Scott through. Also making it to the group round was Texas' Tim Urban, who redeemed his initial weak audition with a strong take on David Cook's "Come Back to Me," while Utah cancer survivor Justin Williams was sent packing after an overly dramatic performance. Whip-cracking former "Barney" girl Erica Rhodes didn't make it, and neither did tanned and teased Orlando, Florida, sisters Bernadette and Amanda Disimone. Maddy Curtis, the 16-year-old Virginia native who pulled heartstrings with the story of her four brothers with Down Syndrome, also blew it with an uneven cover of Fitzgerald's "The Nearness of You," while shirtless wonder Casey James ripped it up and made it through with his gritty acoustic-blues cover of Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor." In the last group, weepy Knoxville, Tennessee, waitress Didi Benami sang a touching take on DioGuardi's "Terrified" that sounded like it was radio-ready. "I hate to admit it, but I really like that song," Cowell said, adding that he also liked the idea of a just-folks waitress making it big. "It's what it's all about," he told her. Dreadlocked Chicago single mom Crystal Bowersox brought some gritty rock/soul to Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman," getting the audience so hyped they threw in some impromptu backing vocals and a standing ovation, with both women making it through round two. In all, 95 advanced to Wednesday's group round. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. |
| Lil Wayne Sentencing Delayed Due To Dental Surgery Posted: 08 Feb 2010 11:44 PM PST Rapper will undergo surgery before serving his prison term; sentencing pushed back to March 2.
NEW YORK — Lil Wayne's sentencing has been delayed until March 2 due to dental surgery, his attorney announced in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday (February 9). The rapper was scheduled to be formally sentenced by a judge and begin serving his one-year term stemming from a 2007 arrest that resulted in a guilty plea in October for attempted weapons possession.
The Cash Money MC arrived shortly after 2 p.m. with his label heads Birdman and Slim. He quietly entered the courtroom as photographers snapped pictures from the hallway. Wayne wore a navy coat and black-framed glasses, and he sat still while his lawyer Stacey Richman spoke. She informed the judge that she sent a notification to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office that the rapper is suffering from a cracked tooth and would need to postpone his sentence. The judge agreed and ruled to reschedule for March 2. The postponement wasn't guaranteed. The rapper has typically arrived to his previous court appearances with a small crew that included a bodyguard and his road manager, in addition to Baby and Slim. On Tuesday, however, he was accompanied by that group as well as Lil Twist, Mack Maine and several others from the Cash Money/ Young Money camps. The proceedings were swift and austere as the prosecution agreed that the rapper would receive better care with his own dentist versus treatment at the Rikers Island facilities. The rapper is set to undergo surgery February 12 in Miami, according to Richman. He will need a week to 10 days to recover. His defense offered prosecutors February 25 as a date for Wayne to turn himself him in after surgery, but Judge Charles H. Solomon instead selected March 2. The judge then warned Wayne that he must return to Miami on Tuesday. Solomon insisted if he leaves tomorrow, there would be a chance his surgery would be delayed due to hazardous weather conditions leaving New York, where a snowstorm is expected. "I don't want this to get pushed back anymore," Solomon said. "This is the last adjournment." While not entirely unexpected, the delay has surprised many, considering that Wayne has been hard at work in recent weeks recording music and videos to be released during his time in jail, and even said goodbye to fans in a live streaming video early Tuesday morning. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Full Bonnaroo 2010 Lineup Includes Jay-Z, Kings Of Leon, More Posted: 09 Feb 2010 06:04 AM PST Festival roster includes more than 90 acts spanning many genres.
Well, it took all day, but finally, on Tuesday night (February 9), organizers revealed the full lineup for the 2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, scheduled for June 10-13 in Manchester, Tennessee. Jay-Z, Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Weezer and Flaming Lips top the bill for this year's 'Roo, a list of more than 90 acts spanning genres and eras. There are genuine legends (Jimmy Cliff, John Fogerty), established rock acts (the Dead Weather), hip-hop talent (Wale, Nas, Kid Cudi), electro heavyweights (LCD Soundsystem, Thievery Corporation) and bands that hearken back to the festival's earlier, decidedly jammy routes (Medeski, Martin and Wood, the Disco Biscuits), not to mention the annual WTFs (Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Darryl Hall with Chromeo). All in all, it's a rather jam-packed four days of music.
Rather than announce the full lineup, organizers broke from tradition and revealed each performer individually on the Bonnaroo MySpace page, a decision that was as time-consuming as it was brilliant. According to a spokesperson for the festival, the full lineup will swell to some 125 acts and over 20 comedians, performing on 13 different stages. Tickets for the 2010 edition of Bonnaroo are already on sale at the fest's Web site, with a four-day pass costing $234.50. There are also RV passes available, and a super-deluxe "Total Access" package, which offers 24-concierge service, onstage viewing for all performances and complimentary food. As in previous years, organizers are also giving attendees the option to purchase tickets on an installment plan. The full list of confirmed artists for the 2010 Bonnaroo festival: » Dave Matthews Band |
| Lil Wayne Shot <i>Nine</i> Music Videos Last Weekend Posted: 09 Feb 2010 02:18 AM PST Preparing for Wayne's (delayed) stint in jail, MC shot footage for songs from Tha Carter IV, Rebirth and Young Money LPs.
Video director David Rousseau said he and the Cash Money team might need to check the "Guinness Book of World Records": He and his company Creativeseen may be the new record-holders for most music videos shot in 48 hours. Lil Wayne was expected to begin serving his one-year sentence on a weapons-possession charge on Tuesday (February 9), and while that sentencing was postponed until March 2, the MC has spent recent weeks manically recording music and videos — and over the past weekend, he hit the latter with a vengeance. Cash Money chiefs Ronald "Slim" Williams and his brother Brian (a.k.a. Baby, a.k.a. the Birdman) enlisted Rousseau to shoot nine videos for Lil Wayne during Friday, Saturday and parts of Sunday. The director said he and his crew started setting up for the production around 9 a.m. Friday and the last camera stopped rolling at around 8 a.m. on Super Bowl Sunday. "We shot some sh-- from the [We Are Young Money compilation] album, we shot something from [Wayne's forthcoming] Tha Carter IV. Some stuff from [Wayne's recent LP] Rebirth," the director told MTV News on Tuesday, before Wayne's sentencing was postponed. "We knew what our deadline was. We're trying to get maximum coverage for Wayne. Most of the time we only shot Wayne's verses — we'll finish the rest of the videos off in the next couple of weeks. Rousseau, who had previously directed the soon-to-be-released Young Money video "Roger That" and the recently released Kevin Rudolf/ Wayne/ Birdman/ Jay Sean collaboration "I Made It (Cash Money Heroes)," said the Williams brothers contacted him two weeks ago about his huge task. "We were put on hold," Rousseau said. "Cash Money said, 'This is our deadline. This is a hard deadline.' It was basically a 'Mission: Impossible' [scenario]: This is your mission if you choose to accept it. Everybody is onboard because everybody knows what's at stake. Unlike T.I. and some of these other guys that's disappeared while they were in, the point is to keep Wayne [visible] on TV and everything for whatever time he's in. There was a plan in action. Slim and Baby really could foresee that. He's at the height of his career, you can't let that momentum slip." Some of the videos that were shot over the weekend were "Da Da Da," "Knockout" and "Get a Life" from Rebirth and a brand-new Weezy song from the highly anticipated Carter IV. "Da Da Da" features the rock band !Mayday! — which performed at Wayne's "farewell" party on Sunday night — and was shot on location at the Marlin Hotel in Miami. The rest of the clips were filmed at the New Art studio in North Miami in front of a green screen and white background, so footage can be added later. "There isn't a title for it," Rousseau said of the Carter IV song. "Honestly, I can't tell you too much about it. That was a complete secret. We had to kick everyone off the set for it. No photography, even their official photographer had to leave. That's under wraps. The album is still under production. It's a crazy song." Rousseau did divulge that the video from Tha Carter IV record would have parts of performance as well as a story line, as does the video for "Knockout." "We got some concepts," the director said about what we can expect from the videos. "Cash Money came to the table with certain rough concepts. We went off that. In the next couple of weeks, we'll figure out what we got; 'Let's take this over here, let's take this over there.' At the end of the day, what it comes down to is making sure you got Wayne in the can. There's rough ideas for everything. They may not be completely sculpted out, but there is a plan. Nothing is done, just to do it. Everything was pre-thought, whether it be by Baby or Slim or Wayne himself. They're in the loop. As a label they were prepped." Along with the Cash Money/ Young Money family, Juelz Santana, Yo Gotti and boxer Sugar Shane Mosley came out for the shoots. "We tried to keep it wide, medium, close-up, just him vibing. Then we let him go change clothes," Rousseau said about the different shots in the videos. "Then other people would come in for 30 minutes. Wayne would come back out, same thing; wide, medium, close-up. Then we bring out somebody else who is on the song, Nicki Minaj, Sean Garrett, Baby, Tyga. Then again, 35 minutes [later] Wayne would come out. The only way to keep him fresh is [doing it] like a basketball team. You know, you can't give your starter too many minutes: You got him for 35 minutes on the court, outfit change. It was a tight schedule. We shot 16, 18 hours [a day]. He was there the whole time. He was a trooper. "He was in a zone," Rousseau continued. "He was ready. It was a work mentality. He's getting prepared for everything that's about to happen to him. He knows it's the fourth quarter. He was completely cooperative, and completely professional." Asked how he maintains such a rigorous schedule, Wayne told BBC Radio 1's Tim Westwood last weekend, "Determination. You set a goal. I'm one of those people that don't stop until the goal is done." Besides the aforementioned videos, Weezy told Westwood that he recently shot four in Los Angeles, one in Dallas and has "been shooting" in Atlanta as well. Those videos include Rebirth's "Drop the World" (with Eminem) as well as "Roger That" and "Girl I Got You" from the Young Money LP. He also filmed "WTF" with Shawty Lo in Atlanta. Of course, Wayne now has a bit more time to work on these videos — and probably a lot more. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'The Jay Leno Show' Comes To An End Posted: 09 Feb 2010 08:44 AM PST Surprise guests Donald Trump and Kurt Warner join Ashton Kutcher and others to close out Leno's prime-time experiment.
With his return as the host of "The Tonight Show" just a few short weeks away, Jay Leno's final outing on "The Jay Leno Show" was something of a subdued affair. The tone was lighthearted and guests were agreeable, but Leno's final prime-time hosting gig lacked the same emotional punch that outgoing "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien enjoyed in his closing moments on the air. "This show was supposed to last two years, but my sentence was reduced to five months for good behavior," Leno quipped during the show's opening monologue.
The remainder of Leno's opening bit contained jabs at President Barack Obama, the recent sex scandal involving former senator John Edwards and Sarah Palin's recently revealed habit of reading notes off her hand during speaking engagements. Leno also took the time to discuss the many commercials aired during Sunday's Super Bowl, though he curiously failed to acknowledge the much-buzzed advertisement featuring himself, David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey. Following his monologue, Leno took a few moments to reflect on the five-month run of "The Jay Leno Show," showing a series of doctored clips that altered the show's more notorious moments -- for example, Leno's famous mention of Kanye West's mother following the musician's misconduct at the MTV Video Music Awards featured an alternate ending where West furiously smacked Leno in the face. At the end of the retrospective, special guest Donald Trump appeared via satellite to offer Leno his signature line: "You're fired!" Leno's two announced guests of the evening were "Valentine's Day" actor Ashton Kutcher and Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe, who reflected on her recent brushes with celebrity. Kutcher was the subject of the show's more humorous moments, including a bit where he fielded passes from recently retired Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner through harsh weather conditions. But Kutcher also took a turn for the serious when he revealed his and wife Demi Moore's plans to launch the DNA Foundation, an organization dedicated to ending human trafficking. Acclaimed sports journalist and personality Bob Costas was the final guest of the evening and also the last subject of Leno's final 10@10 segment, during which the host asks a series of 10 predetermined questions. Over the course of the rapid-fire interview, Costas revealed that he lied in college to get a job as a hockey sportscaster, he has been confused for other sports personalities including Marv Albert in the past, and he carries a lucky Topps baseball card of Mickey Mantle circa 1958. He also mentioned that the settlement of a longtime feud between himself and former running back Marshall Faulk gave him hope that one day, Jay Leno and David Letterman could repair their own strained relationship. In the show's closing moments, Leno thanked Costas for his participation as the last ever 10@10 interviewee. But before the talk-show host could give any closing comments to the gathered audience, the feed ended abruptly and transitioned directly into NBC's scheduled news program. The show's unceremonious sendoff offered a stark reminder that Leno's departure from the airwaves is only temporary. |
| 'American Idol' Season Nine: The Year Of The Parents Posted: 09 Feb 2010 12:08 AM PST Alums Megan Joy and Nikki McKibbin note the many benefits 'Idol' stardom offers young moms and dads.
This year's "American Idol" audition rounds presented a veritable baby boom of young parents aiming for their shot at stardom, often with a newborn or adorable moppet on their hip or clutching too-cute-for-words crayon pictures for the judges. From the hyper-focused Andrew Garcia, himself the son of former Los Angeles gangbangers, who is in search of a better life for his own young boy, to hulking personal trainer and expectant father Michael Lynche, who might have already washed out because his father allegedly blabbed about his Hollywood experience to a local Florida paper, moms and dads were featured in nearly every audition episode for season nine. There was scratchy-voiced rocker girl Danelle Hayes, who wanted to make it on "Idol" so she wouldn't have to sing crummy corporate gigs to support her 3-year-old son (but who reportedly didn't continue on in Hollywood, for unexplained reasons). And Kimberly Kerbow, a 24-year-old college student who brought along her 5-year-old daughter, appeared to be wearing a wig as she made Rogaine jokes to Simon. What's up with the avalanche of "Idol" wannabes in a family way? While a spokesperson for "Idol" declined to comment for this story, MTV News went to one of season eight's most visible parents to find out what the deal is. Last year's show had its fair share of family singers, with four parents — Megan Joy, Alexis Grace, Lil Rounds and Michael Sarver — making it into the top 13. For Joy, the single mother of a now 3-year-old son, having other moms and dads around helped ease the pressure of the show. "For us, it was incredible to have that bond," she told MTV News on Monday. "I encourage any family to audition for 'Idol,' because it can change your lives." Joy said the show has given her the financial freedom to quit her stay-at-home computer-based gig, so she can travel to Los Angeles four days a week to work on her debut album. "Besides the financial part, which is huge and life changing, the show changed how I feel about myself," said the quirky tattooed songbird. "I got my confidence back, I learned so many things and built so much strength, and now I can teach my son so much more. I can show him that whatever you want to do, you can do it. It's a beautiful dream in a hard time." Though she felt like she was in the minority as a young parent out of the tens of thousands of people who tried out last year, Joy said she can totally see why tough economic times appear to have led to an "Idol" baby boom. "When I come back from L.A., I can do nothing but raise my son and love him and still have enough money to travel and make music too," she said, thanks to the money she banked by making the top 10 on the show and touring with "Idol" last summer. Media critic Robert Thompson — a fervent "Idol" watcher and director of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University — said he thinks it might also have something to do with the maturation of a generation that has been watching "Idol" since they were kids. On the other hand, it could also be partly due to clever editing. "They have 100,000 people try out every year, and there are all kinds of demographics, so we only see a small number of them, and they've chosen to show us a lot of parents with their kids coming into the room and drawing pictures for the judges," he said. "My guess is that since 2002, there have probably been a pretty high number of people who have kids, but for some reason they're emphasizing it this year." Parents have been on "Idol" for years, from single-mom Fantasia to stepdad Chris Daughtry. But, as Thompson suggested, we could be seeing parents like Seth Rollins and Jack Black lookalike Mark Labriola take a shot this season because producers might have decided that their stories keep the show relevant during tough economic times. Everyone can relate to or sympathize with young parents looking for a potential way out of hardship. "There was that young woman who said 10 times or more that being the Idol would allow her to raise her child and support him," he said. "There have probably always been people like that, but the show is emphasizing it more in these times because it makes for a good story." Plus, while "Idol" always looks for the young and attractive contestants to appeal to teens, the show also happens to have one of the widest demographic spans on TV, so stories about struggling parents (single or otherwise) can appeal to a broad range of fans. The first "Idol" mom, Nikki McKibbin, who finished third in the show's inaugural season, said that unlike this season's baby brigade, it was a lonely world for her back in 2002. "I was the only [parent] that year, and I kind of felt like the mom of the group because I was the oldest and only one who was a parent," said McKibbin, who was 23 at the time and left then-4-year-old son Tristan at home in Dallas. "It was really difficult for me, because I've always been around my son and always been there for him, but the thing that kept me going was the thought, 'Wow, if I win this, it will be a great opportunity for my son. I'll have enough money to set up a college fund and take care of things for him.' " And sure enough, like Joy, McKibbin — who has just released a new single, "It Matters to Me," on iTunes and is working on an album with Dallas hard-rock band Wicked Attraction — said her run on "Idol" allowed her to rent her first home and buy a new car. "I was living in an efficiency [apartment], and I moved into a four-bedroom house, so I had a bedroom and my son had a room, and I got a car and was able to give him the things he wanted that I wasn't able to give him before, like video games and a TV in his room," she said. While parents understand they will be away from their kids for a long time if they make it beyond Hollywood, McKibbin said the payoff if you make it to the top tier is totally worth it. "When you look at it, you think, 'This is going to be amazing at the end of it, when I have all this money, and I can actually provide for my family and not just give them what they need in life, but also the things they want.' " Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. |
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