MTV News |
- Lady Gaga 'Telephone' Video Director Takes It Frame By Frame
- Nipsey Hussle, J. Cole, More Call <i>XXL</i> Freshmen 10 'A Good Look'
- Jessica Simpson Is 'Stronger' After Shooting 'The Price of Beauty'
- Drake Introduces 'Drake The Artist' In 'Over' Video
- MTV Has Not Banned Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' Video
- Miley Cyrus Dishes On 'Really Fun' 'Sex And The City' Cameo
- Kenna On 'Summit On The Summit': 'The Climb Had A Life Of Its Own'
- Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' Video Director Talks About Unfilmed Scenes
- 50 Cent Says His <i>Black Magic</i> Album Has 'A Totally Different Vibe'
- Jessica Simpson 'Found An Inner Peace' Filming 'The Price Of Beauty'
| Lady Gaga 'Telephone' Video Director Takes It Frame By Frame Posted: 16 Mar 2010 03:51 AM PDT Jonas Åkerlund gives us some insight into his latest collaboration with the singer.
On Thursday, Lady Gaga premiered her epic clip for "Telephone." In the nearly 10-minute-long video, Gaga is bailed out of jail by Beyoncé and the ladies go on a killing spree. Director Jonas Åkerlund sat down with MTV News to give fans the inside scoop on the video, frame by frame. "We usually don't do opening credits for videos, but it kind of goes with the story and the length of the video," he explained. "This is actually a real jail, or it used to be, but they closed it in L.A. We looked at a couple. There's, like, two or three jails in L.A. that you can shoot in. ... [I] always try and stick in my female bodybuilders in my videos. We like that."
The crew had to shoot as much as they could in a very, very limited time. "The idea was always to have a very stylish, a very cool jail filled with women. The whole video was shot in only two days, which is a lot of setups for what we need. So you average up to 150 setups a day," he said. "We go from all these lip-synch parts and dance parts back to story. It goes back and forth all through." Gaga first shows off her moves in the jail as she makes her way to and from her cell. "This is the first of three big dance numbers," Åkerlund explained. "It's actually supposed to be attached to the other video we did last year for 'Paparazzi' and that one was, like, six-and-a-half minutes and I guess this one is close to 10, so you can put them together and it's slowly growing into a little film." Finally, Gaga gets bailed out of prison. "The idea was always to not know until we see her, but we did add her name into the speaker at the beginning," he said of Beyoncé's first appearance. "But the reveal of Beyoncé is kind of cool when she lifts her hat. Beyoncé's time was so limited, so [we] really had prepared [and] rehearsed so much for her, but she had so much experience that we figured it out." Although the video is full of pop-culture references both obvious and obscure, the most apparent is the truck the ladies drive through the desert. "And that car is actually the real car from the 'Kill Bill' movie and we had a different car," he said. "We were gonna have a convertible hearse, but then Gaga had some sort of meeting with Quentin [Tarantino] and he offered to lend his car. We thought that was fun too." The "Kill Bill" truck wasn't the only cameo. Gaga's pals Semi Precious Weapons showed up, as well as Tyrese Gibson. "He was kind enough to help us out. Luckily he was in L.A. and he was up for it," he explained. "It's hard to get actors to be in videos. It's not always as challenging and rewarding as they're used to." While the video closes with the ladies driving off into the sunset, Åkerlund explained just how the big dance sequences came together. "It's just like the big dance number with Beyoncé in it. This is how professional she is — she actually rehearsed on the day Gaga and her dancers had rehearsed a little bit before and pretty much nailed it," he said. "We had a stylist working with all the designers, but he's basically the genius behind the wardrobe and Gaga — she's filled with ideas." Related Videos |
| Nipsey Hussle, J. Cole, More Call <i>XXL</i> Freshmen 10 'A Good Look' Posted: 16 Mar 2010 03:51 AM PDT Mixtape Daily takes you behind the scenes of this year's Freshmen 10 photo shoot.
Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables Headliners: Nipsey Hussle, Jay Rock, Freddie Gibbs, Fashawn, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, OJ Da Juiceman, Pill, Donnis and J. Cole Co-Starring: DJ Whoo Kid Songs We Can't Stop Playing: Pill's "Angels" freestyle, Nipsey Hussle's "When They Talk About Me" and OJ Da Juiceman's "Bread in the Kitchen"
Essential Info:. Now that the cat is out of the bag and XXL magazine has announced this year's Freshmen 10 issue, the publication is all the way turnt up with promotion. There's a concert in NYC next week with a lot of the gang, and last week, the mag dropped a tape featuring all the Freshmen 10 picks. DJ Whoo Kid hosts, and the fellas tagged as being the leaders of the new school all contributed songs. "I feel like we've been working real hard — not just in 2009, but for the years before it," Nipsey told us at the cover shoot for the issue about him and his homie Jay Rock. "But to see XXL recognize what we're doing, especially being from the [West] Coast. ... I'm not saying I expected us to be here, but at the same time, I feel like we deserve it." "This is a real good look," Rock added about the photo shoot. "We've been vibing with each other, and we all getting to know each other too. We're all getting with this music thing. And the music is what brought us together, straight up. We're all young, we're all fresh. We got a story to tell, and it means a lot to me to be around all these talented cats." "For those people who haven't heard my name, I guess they are going to be on the lookout," J. Cole said of the XXL honor. "I've always felt the responsibility to push the craft forward. ... Cover or no cover. I always felt some type of responsibility to make a difference in the music somehow." All 10 artists had a different journey to make it to the Freshmen 10. Indiana native Freddie Gibbs definitely has had one of the biggest leaps in the past year. "I mean, it's a blessing, man," Gibbs said. "This time last year, I was on my way to the jailhouse. To be here is a blessing. I've been looking at these covers, XXL period, since it's been in existence. For me to make it on the cover, you know, is a blessing. To be here and not be locked down or dead is a blessing. Man, I still can't believe it. I'm speechless." Other Heat This Week » Consequence - Movie on Demand For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos |
| Jessica Simpson Is 'Stronger' After Shooting 'The Price of Beauty' Posted: 16 Mar 2010 03:51 AM PDT 'I know there's nothing that anybody can say about me that will take me to a very low place,' Simpson tells MTV News.
She's been criticized by people for her appearance. She's had John Mayer talk about her private life to Playboy magazine. And while these things might have gotten under Jessica Simpson's skin in the past, the singer, who premiered her new VH1 docu-series "The Price of Beauty" on Monday night, said these days, she's up for any challenge. "I definitely faced a lot of fears in every country that we went to, but that's what it was about," she told MTV News. "It was about going out there and seeing how far I can push myself and seeing what I can discover. Like, 'Who am I?' "
She added that given her new, fresh perspective on things, she doesn't care what anyone has to say these days. "I view the world very differently," she said. "Everything's not as big of a deal as people make it out to be, and that's a really great place to be in. I know there's nothing that anybody can say about me that will take me to a very low place, because I am stronger." It was her experiences traveling all over the globe that gave Simpson strength. "The extremes [people] go to to feel beautiful, I think our society puts way, way too much pressure on a woman to feel beautiful," she said. "But the extremes that we saw in all these different countries were amazing. It was, like, outrageous. "We went to Uganda. We were in fattening huts [where] the fatter you are, the more beautiful you are in this certain village we were in," she continued. "And so the men want their women to look like cows, because the cows are their prize possession. So the bride-to-be has to gain 90 pounds before she gets married. It does push its limits to what's healthy, what's not healthy. I've done all kinds of stuff on this trip." Did you watch Jessica's new show? What do you think about the lengths people will go to for beauty? Weigh in below! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Drake Introduces 'Drake The Artist' In 'Over' Video Posted: 15 Mar 2010 04:39 AM PDT 'I've shot a lot of videos before, but this is my first attempt to establish myself as Drake the artist,' he tells MTV News on the clip's set.
While filming a video for his song "Over" on Friday in Los Angeles, Drake stood in front of an all-white backdrop wearing a white tee and white sneakers. What does he do in the clip? He does him. "This is my first video," the Young Money franchise player said, sitting in his trailer. "I've shot a lot of videos before, but this is my first attempt to establish myself as Drake the artist. Shooting the other videos I've done has been great. I really don't care what other people think about them, they were great experiences for me. I've learned a lot from them. Today, I'm shooting with somebody I really look up to and respect. I'm shooting with Anthony Mandler."
Mandler, who has also made videos with Jay-Z and Rihanna, worked with Drake before on Mary J. Blige's "The One." "We talked colors, we talked epic, emotion-evoking visuals," the 23-year-old Toronto native said of the collaborative "Over" video. "The story is actually interesting. The song is so aggressive, and it's sort of a love story in the video. It has a lot to do with the album [Thank Me Later]. The album is about finding love, feeling 'Have I sold my soul' as far as 'Will I ever be able to gain the trust of a woman? Will I only be able to be around the dark, evil women? Will I ever find that pure love?' Those elements are in the video. I look strong, I feel great, my knee's feeling great. I'm jumping around, doing all kinds of stuff." The song "Over" touches on Drake reaction to fame and stardom. " 'Over' was definitely a choice of mine," he said of releasing it as a single. "I've got a lot of great songs on the album. A lot of songs that sound familiar but are brand-new. I still got the same emotions of the songs you love, whether it be 'Say Something' or 'Best I Ever Had' or 'Bedrock.' For people who enjoy what I've done in the past, I've got a lot of songs to cater to them. But 'Over' was a song I did for myself. "We took a trip to Jamaica, where I did a lot of work for my album," he elaborated. "There was this calm before the storm, and 'Over' represented the storm to me. It's the moment. I wanted to emerge at first from this album and just let people know 'This is how I'm coming out in the public eye. I'm ready for anything.' Then when you get the album, it's like, 'Oh, he's still human. He's still thinking the same way.' I wanted people to understand I could have lost it. 'Over' could have been my entire album. Just 'cause that's what this industry and game will do to you if you lose yourself." Are you excited for Drake's "Over" video? Let us know! Related Artists |
| MTV Has Not Banned Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' Video Posted: 15 Mar 2010 08:57 AM PDT CNN reported that video had been banned by channel; it actually began airing on MTV early Friday.
In the wake of reports that surfaced over the weekend claiming that MTV had banned Lady Gaga's nearly 10-minute-long video for "Telephone," a spokesperson for the channel clarified the situation on Monday (March 15).
"MTV did not ban Lady Gaga and Beyoncé's 'Telephone' video — in fact, we premiered it on Friday, March 12, on-air and online at MTV.com, two days before this story was falsely reported," said MTV Executive Vice President of Music and Talent Amy Doyle. "Fans can continue to catch the video as we repeat it on-air and online." Music videos generally air on MTV weekdays between 3 a.m. and 10 a.m. The rumor appears to have begun with a segment that aired on CNN on Sunday in which reporters Fredricka Whitfield and Jacqui Jeras discuss the video — which at press time has been viewed more than 14 million times on YouTube since its release late Thursday — and say that MTV had banned the clip. The CNN segment has circulated widely on the Internet, but does not currently appear to be on the CNN site; it can be viewed on MediaIte.com. "It's so strong, so suggestive, so sexual, so violent as well, that MTV has said, 'We're not even going to air this, so it has banned the airing of this video,' " Whitfield said, without citing a source. At press time, a spokesperson for CNN had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment. The "Telephone" video went live on MTV.com at 12:30 a.m. on Friday, an hour after it premiered on E!, and began airing on MTV that morning at 9:30 a.m. as part of the "Lady Gaga Artist Collection," which ended with a full-length airing of the video, a spokesperson for the channel said. The epic, Jonas Εkerlund-directed "Telephone" clip, already a fan favorite, stars Gaga and Beyoncé and includes a head-spinning array of pop-culture references, ranging from the obvious ("Thelma and Louise," Tarantino films) to the not-as-obvious ("Dune"). Jai Rodriguez, who plays a reporter in the video, said Gaga and Beyoncé were both "epic" and focused during the shoot. Of the clip, Gaga has said she's "always trying to convolute everyone's idea of what a pop music video should be." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Miley Cyrus Dishes On 'Really Fun' 'Sex And The City' Cameo Posted: 15 Mar 2010 07:29 AM PDT 'It was a big moment for me,' she says of appearing in the sequel to the hit film.
Die-hard Miley Cyrus fans know that when it came time to shoot "Hannah Montana: The Movie," she eagerly stuffed the feature film with cameos by the likes of Tyra Banks, Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts. Recently, the tables were turned on the superstar singer/actor, and when we caught up with her we had to ask about her scene in the upcoming "Sex and the City" sequel. "I've always been a huge fan of the show, I think they are so amazing," Miley said of the "Sex and the City" actresses, who stunned Hollywood in 2008 by making the difficult transfer from small screen to big while taking in nearly $60 million on its opening weekend. "It has such a great cast, and you can see the chemistry with all the girls."
Although Miley had to be a bit tight-lipped about the details of her cameo, on-set photos seem to reveal that she and outspoken sexpot Samantha Jones (played by Kim Cattrall) show up at the red-carpet premiere of a movie wearing the same dress. "I was surprised [that they asked me]," Cyrus said of the scene. "It was a very glamorous day for me, to be on the carpet with the girls and share a really cool scene with Kim Cattrall — who I love. I think she's so great. "It was really, really fun and it was a big moment for me," Miley said of reaching that level of fame where people start asking you to make high-profile appearances as yourself. "It's one of those perks. You do so many things that aren't as much fun and are really the hard parts — but that was just one of those things where it was the day you got to play." Speaking of hard parts, Miley takes on what might be the toughest of her career with "The Last Song," her first non-"Hannah" starring role on the big screen, and an emotional drama to boot. The film is due in theaters March 31, roughly two months before Carrie Bradshaw and the "SATC" gang return to theaters. "I've always really been into the show, and they added a couple different cameos with all different types of people," Miley said of a cast of cameos that reportedly also includes Penélope Cruz, Liza Minnelli and Tim Gunn. "And they asked me to do one, which was a super big honor. "It was really easy and really fun," the 17-year-old star said of the cameo — but unfortunately, all she knows about the film is limited to her own scene. "I haven't seen any of it. All I did was my one tiny little part, where I just have to stand there. So I don't know [what the plot is]. "I'm excited, trust me," insisted the longtime "SATC" fan, saying that she's already making plans for a May 27 girls' night out with her friends. "I'll be waiting in front of the theater to go see it." Check out everything we've got on "Sex and the City 2." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Artists |
| Kenna On 'Summit On The Summit': 'The Climb Had A Life Of Its Own' Posted: 15 Mar 2010 01:31 AM PDT Watch the full show right here, and learn more about what you can do to help with the global clean-water crisis.
In early January, Kenna began his ascent up Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, in an effort to raise awareness about the global clean-water crisis, which affects more than 1 billion people on the planet and kills nearly 4 million every year. The journey was documented on "Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro," which premiered on MTV Sunday night. It was a pretty massive undertaking — both the mountain and the mission — so it's a good thing he didn't go it alone. Joining Kenna on the trek was a team of of nearly 300 men and women, including fellow musicians Lupe Fiasco and Santigold, actors Jessica Biel and Emile Hirsch, plus scientists, United Nations representatives and experienced mountain guides. (Justin Timberlake had intended to accompany them but was unable due to scheduling conflicts; he filmed an introduction for the show.) Luckily, everyone made it to the peak. But now that he's climbed back down the mountain, Kenna and his team continue the fight for clean water, lobbying Congress for additional funds to battle water-borne diseases, and urging concerned citizens of the world to educate themselves to the growing crisis. In his own words, Kenna shares his memories and feelings about climbing Kilimanjaro, and about continuing the fight down here on the ground.
NOTHING IS GREATER OR LESS THAN US: TOGETHER There is a moment when you realize that it isn't you doing it anymore — that something bigger and more powerful than you has interceded and given wings to what you were hoping for and catapulted it into the stratosphere. I have been blessed in my life to have two living, passionate and together parents who have explained that there are no limits to the power of conscious moves to elevate oneself. To find out that I had missed the plot on something as massive as was the problem my father had as a child with water-borne diseases, and to further find out that he had lost his brother to those diseases was insane to me. How could this be? Where was I? And how did I miss such an important thing? After that disappointment settled for me, I began to do research on the global clean-water crisis. It is a crisis. A billion people live without clean water and a child dies every 15 seconds. It is the equivalent to a 747 jet full of children crashing into the ground every two hours of every day, 365 days a year. It is unacceptable. The climb of Kilimanjaro was hard. It was arduous. It was nerve-racking because I worried for my friends. My friends and team went so well beyond themselves to be there for me, and found the issue touching them even more powerfully than when they signed on. All that to say, but Jessica Biel said it best on Larry King [when she said it was one of the best experiences of her life] ... All of that, but it is nothing in comparison to the girl who has to walk six kilometers a day with 80 pounds of water strapped on her back to get it to her family. We are very lucky and should count our blessings. But better yet, we can give water to those in need by learning about the issue and donating as you see fit, to the organization of your choosing. If you are so inclined, I have partnered with the UN Foundation on a text-to-donate number: Just text "SEND" to 90999 and $10 will come out of your account. That will provide 1,000 liters of water to a family in need and a year's worth of water for a child. Conserve, learn, and send water. Find out what you can do to help solve the global water crisis now at the "Summit on the Summit" Web site. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' Video Director Talks About Unfilmed Scenes Posted: 15 Mar 2010 02:47 AM PDT 'There were fantastic scenes that we just couldn't do,' Jonas Åkerlund laments.
In the nearly 10-minute-long video for Lady Gaga's "Telephone," there was a lot to take in. She escaped from prison, with some help from Beyoncé, and then went on one fashionable and feisty killing spree. So could there possibly be anything more that director Jonas Åkerlund had planned for the epic clip? As it turns out, the answer is yes. "On my very ambitious shooting schedule, there was actually a few scenes we never got to," he revealed to MTV News. " ... I'm very time optimistic, and I always try to squeeze in as much as I can."
Åkerlund had some big plans that he didn't get the chance to execute. "There were fantastic scenes that we just couldn't do," he said. "We already shot, like, pretty much an eight-day shoot in two days. We could have done a couple more days." What else did the director have in store for Gaga and Beyoncé? "Story-wise, when we were in the edit, I didn't look back and feel like we were missing anything," he said. "I'm kind of cool with what we got, but there was a few things. ... We had a little scene when they got to the diner and they have a little dialogue before they go in. And also after they kill all the people in the diner, we had another scene where they're running to the car taking off. It was just a bunch of scenes that we never got to." Do you think the "Telephone" video could have handled any more action? Let us know! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| 50 Cent Says His <i>Black Magic</i> Album Has 'A Totally Different Vibe' Posted: 15 Mar 2010 12:16 AM PDT 'I won't allow myself to be placed in a box,' he says about 'uptempo' next project.
50 Cent is back in music mode. He's been touring overseas with the G-Unit for about a month, and over the weekend, 50 revealed to a Norwegian news outlet that he had been back in the lab making songs for a new LP called Black Magic. Fif said he was inspired by listening to music in Bergen, Norway. "I went to a nightclub afterparty," 50 told reporter Jonas Pettersen. "It's a little different music going on before I got there. They play your music when you come. But the music they played before they started playing a lot of what I created was more uptempo, more dance. I wanted to make a song like that. So I went into the studio. Because I'm traveling with my live band, I took my band with me and sequenced it and recorded the actual record while I was out there. I did two other songs I had production for. I had been writing those songs for a while. So I finished them and recorded them while I was out." Fif said his new album will not sound like his previous work. "New Black Magic project, I'm excited about it," he said. "It has a totally different vibe. I won't allow myself to be placed in a box when I can only do one style or one kind of music. They should expect the unexpected on this project. It's good. If they can understand how I enjoy different genres of music and different styles; for the people who have various tastes in music, they'll really like it." While there isn't a release date for Fif's new work, G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo say they'll drop independently as early as June. "I'm aiming towards summer," Banks recently told Mixtape Daily. "Mid-summer, late summer. I won't drop an album until I feel the buzz — you know, as an artist, when you feel it. I'm working independent. Everything they've heard the past year has come out my basement, including 'Beamer, Benz or Bentley.' When you first come on as a new artist and you hot and you got a buzz, you could sell doo-doo on a stick. The label makes you feel like they did it, when they just called their boy and dropped the record off. "Now it boost my confidence when I know I can make a record in my crib, send it out and receive finances from it," he added. "Whenever it's through iTunes or whatever other outlet you have, I'm happy with it. I'm not gonna rush it, though. If it came out after this year, it wouldn't matter to me, as long as it's the product people expect." "We gonna drop it independently," Yayo told Mixtape Daily. "We not on Interscope anymore. I feel the stuff I went through on a major was nonsense. You make more money on an independent label." Are you excited to hear new music from the G-Unit? Let us know below! Related Artists |
| Jessica Simpson 'Found An Inner Peace' Filming 'The Price Of Beauty' Posted: 15 Mar 2010 02:44 AM PDT 'I think it's going to be such an incredible show for women of all ages to watch,' she says.
Jessica Simpson hit the road last year to film her new VH1 show, "The Price of Beauty." At the time, the pop star had been inundated with negative press about her appearance and reported weight gain. And after an eye-opening journey around the world, Simpson said she learned what was truly beautiful about herself. "I think that [the show] is such a great concept and I think it's going to be such an incredible show for women of all ages to watch. You definitely learn a lot about all these different cultures," she told MTV News about her show, premiering Monday (March 15) on VH1, adding that the filming was very personal for her.
"The reason why I wanted to go on this journey was to discover that, for myself, what was beautiful inside me and just to listen to these women talk and hear their stories," she explained. "And I had gone through a really hard time in the past year with people, just, they keep harping and me gaining weight, it made me so insecure that I really actually forgot who I was and I wanted to go on this journey to find myself again." Now that she's back in the States, she said she can easily face any criticism or even be able to handle any line of questioning, even if it's about touchy subjects like John Mayer. "I definitely learned that I allow too many judgments of other people to seep in," she said. "Even when you think you kind of got it together and you think you can ignore it, you do still fall asleep with those voices in your head. There's no way to stop that. I think that going on this trip, all these places, I really just found an inner peace. I found something within myself that I didn't know was there." Related Videos Related Artists |
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