MTV News |
- Will The Notorious B.I.G.'s Murder Ever Be Solved?
- Lil Wayne's Jail Time Is An 'Eye-Opener,' Young Jeezy Says
- Gorillaz <i>Plastic Beach</i> Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know
- Semi Precious Weapons: 'We Owe Our Lives To Lady Gaga'
- T.I. Talks New Single, 'I'm Back,' Announces New Album
- Lil Wayne Going To Jail Is Like Elvis Being Drafted, Bun B Says
- Lady Gaga Planning Ambitious 3-D Concert, DVD
- 'Will & Grace' Actor Sean Hayes Opens Up About His Sexuality
- Betty White Says 'Yes' To 'Saturday Night Live'
- Lil Wayne Will Be Missed By Diddy, LeBron James
| Will The Notorious B.I.G.'s Murder Ever Be Solved? Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:52 AM PST Thirteen years after his death, we check in on the ongoing investigation.
Thirteen years ago Tuesday (March 9), hip-hop lost one of its most beloved, charismatic and talented MCs to ever put rhymes to a beat. The Notorious B.I.G. was senselessly gunned down in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, as he left a Soul Train Music Awards afterparty. To date, the assailants remain at large. Investigations into the murder of the Brooklyn rapper are ongoing, and a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, and others against the city of Los Angeles and other defendants is also pending.
The ongoing quest to punish the people behind Biggie's death, however, continues to leave those involved frustrated. Ms. Wallace declined to comment on the status of her lawsuit but issued a brief statement to MTV News: "I thank you for the opportunity to touch [my son's] fans and for the network's continued support of me and the family, but it's been 13 years, I miss my son, his children miss their father, and the murderer is still at large." Theories abound about the murder of the iconic rapper, which occurred only a short distance from the Petersen Automotive Museum where Biggie, Diddy and their entourage were celebrating just moments before. According to author Randall Sullivan's book "LAbyrinth," associates of Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight, who was embroiled in a feud with Diddy's Bad Boy Records, conspired to kill Biggie. The book, based on extensive research conducted by Sullivan and interviews the writer held with former Los Angeles Police Department detective Russell Poole, an investigator into Biggie's murder, those involved in the hit on Biggie were dirty cops. "They say some cops become gangbangers; well, these guys were essentially gangbangers who became cops," Poole told MTV News. Rafael Perez and David Mack, Poole alleged, were just two of the many LAPD officers who were on the payroll of Death Row Records. According to Poole, the officers' primary sense of duty and allegiance to the police force was tainted by their involvement with Death Row. The two eventually went to prison but on charges unrelated to the investigation into the Notorious B.I.G. murder. Poole maintains there were clues that pointed to each man that should have been looked into further. "I've put away guys for life with less evidence [than I had on Perez and Mack]," Poole said. Through a complex web of deceit intended to shield the LAPD from a controversial scandal, Poole said, members of the force, including the chief at the time, suppressed efforts to look into policemen who were connected to Suge Knight and Death Row. Poole eventually resigned in protest, amid his frustrations that the investigation was being sabotaged. A representative for the LAPD declined to comment when contacted by MTV News about the status of the rapper's murder investigation. At one point, the FBI picked up the investigation but later announced it had stopped its pursuit. A representative for the FBI also declined to comment when contacted by MTV News. Ms. Wallace's wrongful-death lawsuit remains open. The case was brought to trial at one point, but days later it was declared a mistrial after it was discovered the detective who took over as lead investigator in Biggie's murder hid evidence. The mistrial was announced July 7, 2005, however, no further advancements have been made since in pushing the case to trial again. Poole alleged that police initially sought to slow down the investigation into Biggie's murder in order to keep the lid on possible LAPD involvement in the crime. Now, he said, the new administration and Los Angeles' power players are striving to keep the truth buried for fear that civil-lawsuit payouts could bankrupt the economically challenged city. In any event, the former detective said he's ready to be a witness in Ms. Wallace's case and will testify whenever he is called upon. For now, Poole waits, haunted by a puzzling case in which he seems to have too many pieces gathered to not complete the full picture. "I want this thing solved before I die," he said. "Every detective has a case that they think about each and every day, and this is the case right there. This is the case I think about every single day before I go to bed. It never goes away. It'll haunt me for the rest of my life. The day it's solved, I'll be able to relax." Related Photos |
| Lil Wayne's Jail Time Is An 'Eye-Opener,' Young Jeezy Says Posted: 08 Mar 2010 03:27 AM PST 'It's evident that nobody's safe,' Lloyd Banks says about rappers not being above the law.
Now that Lil Wayne has been sentenced to one year in prison following several delays, the reality is setting in for his fans and friends. No one in the hip-hop community wants to see Weezy leave, and rappers also realize they need to run tighter ships in Wayne's absence. Young Jeezy said he'll not only miss Wayne's work ethic and music, but also his friend's rebellious attitude.
"Wayne, like I like to call myself, is a trap-aholic," Young Jeezy told MTV News last week in New York, hours before he brought Weezy onstage at Madison Square Garden as a surprise guest during Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 Tour. That performance — which also included Nicki Minaj and Drake — would be Wayne's last before he went to jail. "He stays in the studio, he stays working," the Snowman added. "We'll definitely miss that. At the same time, we'll definitely miss what he brings to the game as far as him just being Wayne and doing what the f--- he wanna do. We definitely gonna miss that. But it's just an eye-opener to all of us. Instead of targeting the hustlers and the people trying to make it in the streets, now that the streets is dried up, now [the police] are targeting the entertainers and the athletes, what have you. Real talk, not trying to preach to the choir, we gotta be careful out here. What I mean to my culture is more than me proving a point." Diddy echoed Jeezy's sentiment that police are keeping a very close eye on the hip-hop community. "I think we gonna miss a certain energy that Wayne has," Diddy said. "The beauty about it is, he'll be back, and hopefully he'll come back a better person. Whenever we get in trouble, we're in the public spotlight. So hopefully there's a lot of kids out there who could learn from any mistakes that we may have put ourselves in, even if we're not guilty of the crime sometimes. We are human. People have to learn: 'Make sure you know where you're going, who you riding with, what the situation is.' We're targets. I'm just happy he doesn't have to do a lot of time and that he'll be out, and hopefully he'll use the time wisely and use it in a positive way." "It's evident that nobody's safe. That's reality," Lloyd Banks added about rappers not being above the law, with Lil Wayne going to jail on the heels of T.I. and Gucci Mane. Banks himself has an assault case pending in Canada. "People make mistakes, have poor judgments sometimes, and things happen. Hopefully, all those artists can bounce back from it stronger and use that time [in jail] to be more creative. Come back home and get right back to where they was at. It's something that's always been around. We been talking about [rappers going to jail] since Tupac." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Gorillaz <i>Plastic Beach</i> Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:52 AM PST Here's a little of what you can expect from the latest offering from Damon Albarn and crew.
Much like Lazarus, Superman and, uh, Sayid from "Lost," Gorillaz are back from the dead with their first new album in nearly five years, a post-apocalyptic parable called Plastic Beach. Of course, not everyone in the band bit the bullet at the end of the promotional cycle for their last album, 2005's massive Demon Days — just guitarist Noodle, who perished at the conclusion of the band's "El Mañana" video (she's since returned in cyborg form), but there was a definite sense that things were winding down in 'Rillaz land, with co-creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett even telling MTV News that the group was "retiring ... we're going to do it hip-hop style, like Jay-Z." But, much like Jigga, that retirement didn't stick, and the proof is Beach which hits stores on Tuesday (March 9). Much like everything the Gorillaz do, it's a sprawling, kitchen-sink affair, with an orchestra's worth of musicians and an army of guest vocalists taking part in things. There's a whole lot to keep track of, which is why we've prepared this cheat sheet — a list of the who's, what's and where's that make the album tick. Humble Beginnings A Cast Of Hundreds Return To The Road |
| Semi Precious Weapons: 'We Owe Our Lives To Lady Gaga' Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:52 AM PST 'We've been playing shows with Gaga since 2006,' frontman Justin Tranter says.
Lady Gaga may be busy prepping the release of her eagerly anticipated new video "Telephone," but it seems she still has time to help out a band of fellow New Yorkers — the fashionista superstar has been quietly working to introduce the world to Semi Precious Weapons.
However, these dirty rockers are not new to the game — Semi Precious Weapons have been a staple of the New York party scene for a few years now, bringing their unique formula of rock music, high fashion and "good old-fashioned filth." Now the guys find themselves playing to different sort of crowd. "The last four months for us have been insane," lead singer Justin Tranter told MTV News recently. "We've gone from a band that plays in bars, driving ourselves to every show, selling our own merch ... to opening for [Lady Gaga] all over the world." It doesn't stop at opening for Lady Gaga — the current first lady of pop also helped the boys get signed to a major label and is providing an assist on their upcoming album as an executive producer. So why all the goodwill from Gaga? Well, not too long ago the roles were reversed. "We've been playing shows with Gaga since 2006," Justin recalled. "Her first couple of shows as Lady Gaga in NYC were opening for us." Although the tables have now clearly turned, the boys from Semi Precious Weapons couldn't be more appreciative of the opportunity that they've been given. "We pretty much owe our lives to Lady Gaga!" But just because SPW are opening for Gaga and now have a major label deal, don't expect their raw rock sound to be tempered — they promise to keep their edge plenty sharp. "People don't really know what rock and roll is anymore," the band stated plainly. "You can't call it rock and roll unless it's dangerous, unless it's offensive." |
| T.I. Talks New Single, 'I'm Back,' Announces New Album Posted: 08 Mar 2010 03:39 AM PST MC, finishing up prison sentence, also suggests that he might tour this summer.
On the day the hip-hop nation lost one of its beloved and prolific megastars, another one has returned. Just hours after Lil Wayne was sentenced to one year in prison on weapons charges, T.I. gave the world notice that he's returning with a vengeance. The King of the South announced to a select group of DJs in a conference call that his new album is coming out on August 24 — and, as expected, he released his new single, "I'm Back."
"I ain't never let you down, I'mma shine on sight," Tip raps on the song. "Keep your mind on your grind and off of mine's, all right?/ Hard, I'mma ball on those squares, I flow/ A quarter million dollar cars everywhere I go ... No matter what they doin' they don't do it like me ... recognize I'm back." Later in the first verse, Tip lays the fiery, brash delivery he's beloved for. "You ain't got a pimp bone in your body," Tip chastises, throwing thunder at fraudulent MCs. "I can tell you ain't never bought a key or caught a body/ N---a probably just seen Wayne, Gucci Mane, me and Boosie all go to prison/ Now he flip his whole image/ N---a trippin'/ Listen, dude, for you that ain't in the cards." The song was helmed by new Grand Hustle producers the Trackslayerz, and is available for download at T.I.'s Web site. An hour before the song hit the Internet, Tip held the conference call, for which he did not take questions but reflected on the song and announced his album's release date, according to audio of the call posted on DJ Judge Mental's Web site. There is a title for the LP, but he declined to reveal it. "I appreciate the support and how hard I was going in during the brief hiatus," Tip said. "The support don't go unnoticed and I don't take it lightly. This marks a special day for us, because we putting out the first song off the album — not an official first single, just something to keep the streets warm. It's properly entitled 'I'm Back.' It's a lot of things that needed to be spoken on. In my absence, it was a lot of things that went down, a lot of matters that needed to be addressed. This was the greatest platform for me to do it. It was the first song I did when I came home. You get me fresh out the box going in. I'm sure you guys will enjoy it." Tip spoke for a little over three minutes. He said that he should be traveling from city to city this summer. "It ain't gonna be long before all this is behind me," he promised, referring to his prison sentence on weapons charges, which is expected to end within the next few weeks; he was released to a halfway house in December and last month made his first public appearance since heading to prison. "Middle of April, beginning of May. Y'all gonna start seeing me. Y'all already know, once again it's on. Like we always do this time." The call ended with a final pledge of excellence from Tip. "As long as there is air in my esophagus, champ, I'mma keep going," he said. "Nothing is gonna stop that. Nothing short of a 12 gauge is gonna stop me from doing what I do, champ. I just wanna say thank y'all and we gonna keep movin' on." Related Artists |
| Lil Wayne Going To Jail Is Like Elvis Being Drafted, Bun B Says Posted: 08 Mar 2010 04:30 AM PST 'I don't think anything like this has happened in music since Elvis got drafted into the Army,' he says.
Bun B has been friends with Lil Wayne since he was a teenager. The Houston legend said having Wayne out of the music game for a year will be a greater loss than people are realizing. "I feel bad, because I don't think anything like this has happened in music since Elvis got drafted into the Army," Bun B said. " ... Let's just keep it real: Lil' Wayne is not just the biggest rapper, Lil Wayne is the biggest pop star right now. Maybe Susan Boyle is on his level. But when you talk about music, nine times out of 10, Lil Wayne's name is gonna come into the conversation. I feel bad for any brother or any sister that's gotta go to jail. I feel especially bad for a person like Lil Wayne who's really riding the wave right now. But he don't have a lot of time. He's doing it on the Island. As wild and as ill as the Island is, I think at the same time, he'll be all right. When you in that state jail and you dealing with those lifers, you got a lot of other issues at hand."
While in jail, Wayne should just focus on serving his time productively and not worry about fellow inmates, Bun said. , Wayne should just focus on serving his time productively and not worry about fellow inmates, Bun said. "I don't think it will be smart for him to go to general population," he said. "A person like Lil Wayne doesn't have to prove anything to anybody in general population exposing themselves to that yard. It's not about being real. It's too many people who have way too much to gain, and [there is] so much he could lose by trying to prove something. ... That's nota good look. ... It's a little bit different when a person like Lil Wayne goes to jail. All we can do is pray for him. Pray for his spirit." Bun, who championed his late musical brother Pimp C years ago when Pimp was in prison, said he admires the attitude Wayne's musical family has in this tough time. "I just left Miami. People [were] trying to keep their heads up and sprits up while the young man was around, but they are hurting," Bun said. "One thing I noticed from the Young Money camp is that they're not being down because of their careers and they're worried about a co-sign. They are worried about a friend. That's what I see from Drake, Nicki, Stunna. ... These people are concerned about a friend going to prison." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Lady Gaga Planning Ambitious 3-D Concert, DVD Posted: 08 Mar 2010 02:02 AM PST 'There are talks about a 3-D concert and DVD in the near future,' rep for Gaga tells MTV News.
Lady Gaga is currently in the midst of the Australian leg of her massive Monster Ball tour — with scheduled stops in Japan and Europe — and, as you probably know by now, she's also putting the finishing touches on the much-anticipated "Telephone" video, too. But neither of those things are standing in the way of yet another ambitious endeavor, a planned 3-D concert and subsequent DVD.
On Monday (March 8), MTV News spoke to a rep for her label, Interscope Records, who told us that "there are talks about a 3-D concert and DVD in the near future." No other information — including just how a 3-D concert would manifest — was available at press time. Late last week, Gaga fan sites began speculating about plans for a 3-D DVD, but this is the first time a concert has been mentioned. In December, Gaga released a deluxe edition of her Fame Monster album, which included a pair of 3-D glasses that she mysteriously explained would come in handy "for things happening soon." In the meantime, her Little Monsters are gearing up for the debut of the "Telephone" video — the follow-up to her striking "Bad Romance" clip — which, after weeks of teasing from Gaga herself and some last-minute editing, is scheduled to premiere Thursday at 11:30 p.m. ET on E! News. Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Will & Grace' Actor Sean Hayes Opens Up About His Sexuality Posted: 08 Mar 2010 06:39 AM PST 'I was never in, as they say,' he tells The Advocate.
Sean Hayes, who famously played the over-the-top sidekick on NBC's "Will & Grace," told — well, strongly hinted to, at least — The Advocate that he's gay. He joked throughout the interview, saying, "That song! So romantic for our interview!" when a Frank Sinatra tune came on. He later said — after the interviewer ordered the same dish he did — "It must be a gay thing: the pasta with chicken. It's all the craze!" He was a little more straightforward when he said, "I am who I am. I was never in, as they say. Never." Hayes also took the gay media to task for criticizing actors who aren't 100 percent open about their sexuality. "I feel like I've contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America, and if anyone wants to argue that, I'm open to it," he said. "What more do you want me to do? Do you want me to stand on a float? And then what? It's never enough." It's been nearly four years since the sitcom ended, and now the 39-year-old is preparing to make his Broadway debut in the first revival of the 1968 musical "Promises, Promises." For years, Hayes was mum about his sexual orientation, despite co-starring in the gay romantic comedy "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" and, later, "Will & Grace." In interviews, he would deliver stock answers like "When I play a gay character, I want to be as believable as possible. And when I'm playing a straight character, I also want to be as believable as possible. So the less that people know about my personal life, the more believable I can be as a character." |
| Betty White Says 'Yes' To 'Saturday Night Live' Posted: 08 Mar 2010 06:10 AM PST 'I don't know why or how, but it's been wonderful,' actress says of Internet campaign to get her on the show.
Social media does work. A Facebook fan page implored NBC to hire White as a host of the show, saying that the comedic actress is universally known and admired. Apparently, the dreams of nearly half a million fans are coming true. Former Golden Girl Betty White, confirmed to People magazine at Elton John's Oscar viewing party Sunday, that she will in fact appear on "Saturday Night Live" in the near future. The drive for the 88-year-old actress to host began shortly after her hilarious take in a Super Bowl Snickers ad, and fans joined up on a Facebook page, devoted to getting her on the NBC show. Just weeks earlier, she'd scoffed at the idea, calling it "ridiculous." "I don't even know where that came from," she said at the time. "That just came out of left field. It's ridiculous. I don't think ['SNL' creator and producer] Lorne Michaels even knows about it, so we won't worry about it." But on Sunday, when asked by the magazine, "Are you doing 'Saturday Night Live'?" she answered, "Yes," even if she remains perplexed by the groundswell of support. "I don't know why or how," she said, "but it's been wonderful." White didn't say anything about the details of the "SNL" stint, not even when she might be appearing on the show. A publicist for NBC told MTV News they couldn't confirm the news. White recently starred with newly minted Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in the romantic comedy "The Proposal," and she was recognized with a lifetime-achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild earlier this year. |
| Lil Wayne Will Be Missed By Diddy, LeBron James Posted: 08 Mar 2010 02:47 AM PST 'We'll be waiting for him when he gets back,' James says.
Now that Lil Wayne has been sentenced to one year in prison, hip-hop's biggest rock star has left a huge void for his fans, friends and family to fill. Weezy has lined up a bunch of music and videos to tide everyone over in his absence, but it won't be the same as having the man himself out and about to create something fresh on the drop of a dime during a live performance or appearance.
"I think we gonna miss a certain energy that Wayne has," Diddy said recently. "The beauty about it is, he'll be back and hopefully he'll come back a better person. Whenever we get in trouble, we're in the public spotlight. So hopefully there's a lot of kids out there who could learn from any mistakes that we may have put ourselves in, even if we're not guilty of the crime sometimes. We are human. People have to learn: 'Make sure you know where you're going, who you riding with, what the situation is.' We're targets. I'm just happy he doesn't have to do a lot of time and that he'll be out, and hopefully he'll use the time wisely and use it in a positive way." But Wayne's appeal translates to all forms of entertainment, including the world of sports. One of the NBA's most renowned athletes, LeBron James, says he cannot wait for Weezy to make his return. "[The game] is definitely gonna miss him," James said. Wayne appeared on the soundtrack to James' "More Than a Game" documentary last year, contributing to the song "Forever." "I think we all love his inspiration behind his music, how much time he puts into his music. The game will miss him, but we'll be waiting for him when he gets back." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| You are subscribed to email updates from MTV News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar