Jumat, 09 April 2010

MTV News

MTV News


Drake Explains Why No Other Young Money Artists Are On His Tour

Posted: 09 Apr 2010 03:52 AM PDT

Artists like Nicki Minaj and Gudda Gudda 'are doing their own thing,' he says.
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway


Drake
Photo: MTV News

After Monday night's kickoff in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, Drake's Away From Home Tour is under way. The outing lasts until the end of May, so fans of the 23 year-old performer have ample time to catch and opening acts Francis and the Lights and K-OS on the road. But what about his family from Young Money?

"A lot of the Young Money artists are doing their own thing," Drake explained to MTV News on his opening night. "I know Nicki [Minaj] is recording her album. Gudda is on a run right now.

"It was never brought to me that anybody had the time permitting to be on this tour for two months," Drizzy continued. "Everybody is working on their albums and stuff like that. I love what a lot of people in Young Money have going on right now. But at the same time, I did say to myself I didn't want other rappers on this tour opening up."

Drake also said that he didn't feel comfortable placing his fellow Young Money artists on an "opening" level below him.

"I didn't want to stick anybody in my opening slot," he added. "Nicki Minaj is a superstar, so to ask her to be on [the tour], unless we split the tour and both had equal time ... Gudda, same thing. Gudda has his own things going on. They're my friends, my family, I just don't feel comfortable being like, 'You wanna come open for me?' It's a weird thing. But I love 'em all. They're all doing great things."

Who would you want to see opening up for Drake? Share your ideas in the comments.

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Jay Electronica's 'Exhibit C' Video Still Coming, Directors Promise

Posted: 09 Apr 2010 03:52 AM PDT

'We're moving on it, man,' Coodie of Creative Control tells Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid and Steven Roberts, with additional reporting by Yemi Bamiro


Jay Electronica
Photo: MTV News

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

Jay Electronica is a hard man to pin down. The enigmatic MC has been in demand with media outlets and artists alike, whether it's to pick his brain during interviews or for collaborations.

Jay, however, has remained elusive. Earlier this year, when his song "Exhibit C" hit the Web, it shook the underground and even made its way onto popular radio stations like Hot 97 in New York. Various MCs freestyled over the beat and many fans anointed him the future of hip-hop, although some people had no idea what the New Orleans MC even looked like.

The record has marinated for months, but there hasn't been a video. A clip for "Exhibit A" was teased earlier this year but has yet to materialize.

Well, there's still hope for an "Exhibit C" video. No one is exactly sure when to expect it, but we had a nice talk with the cinematographers behind Erykah Badu's controversial "Window Seat" video, Coodie and Chike of Creative Control, and they said the video is in the works.

"We're in discussion. We've been building on it, so hopefully soon," Coodie said. "We're moving on it, man. We're in pre-production actually preparing to do it, so we'll see."

"Yeah, but Jay is quite the magician, so he's visible one minute and disappears the next," Chike chimed in.

Electronica admits that he takes his time with projects — especially his anticipated album.

"For the past few years, I've been working at my own pace," Jay said. "Not necessarily out of stubbornness; it's just that I've been doing it for so long and trying to accomplish the thing for so long that I finally found being my own self and working in my own time and being the most natural is the things that yields the best results for me.

"When questions like that come," Electronica said about answering when his album will drop, "I would like to tell you, 'Yo, it's coming next week, two weeks from now.' Because we have projects, me and Just Blaze, we got gangs of songs. I speak to Nas on a regular basis. We're working on music together. There are a lot of things going on. But I don't necessarily have a calendar mark of when a thing is coming, because I just kind of want to keep going the way it has been going, which has got me to this point. When I have been on a calendar, when I have been trying to do it that way, it hasn't been successful for me. It hasn't yielded any results."

A 36-second snippet of the video for Jay's "Exhibit A" appeared on his YouTube page in January, but there's been little news of what's next. The video is directed by Jason Goldwatch and features Jay in Nepal among the people, meditating and talking to monks. While the directors were coy about what they had in mind for "Exhibit C," Chike said they would pool together budgets and take a very creative approach.

"Without giving it away, it's definitely something that's going to be very interesting, and it's going to take a lot of artists," Chike said. "Not just rappers, but a lot of artists as far as putting this together. Cats that are true with their craft. It's going to be dope."

Other Heat This Week

» DJ Scoob Doo - Fetti Holmes

» Trae Tha Truth - Traebute

» DJ Keyz and Jadakiss - Al Qaeda Jada 3

» 8Ball & MJG - Ten Toes Down

» The Roots - Dilla Joints

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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'America's Best Dance Crew' Crowns Poreotix Season-Five Champs

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 08:27 AM PDT

Season finale is marked by high-energy routines and unity among the competing crews.
By Kelley L. Carter


Poreotix
Photo: MTV

For a few moments, the competition was placed to the side. Dance crews from both coasts, the South and Canada all set aside their game faces, joined forces and did what they do best: They danced.

Thursday night's (April 8) finale of the fifth season of "America's Best Dance Crew" was said to be the tightest ever, and when the boys from California, Poreotix, were announced in the final moments, there was a period of excitement and celebration.

To be sure, that moment was special, but it didn't undercut the earlier periods of unity that took place before the finalists of what became an international showdown-- the winning crew from California and a crew from Canada -- were announced. Together, the crews joined forces, put their competitive spirits aside and delighted the audience with what made this show so fierce all season long.

Up first were the dancers from the West Coast, dancing to Ke$ha's "Blah, Blah, Blah." Following them were the East Coast contenders, who incorporated some impressive jump-roping and tumbling skills into their routine. Not to be outdone, the dancers from the South entertained to T-Pain's "Take Your Shirt Off" and, mid-performance, ripped off their shirts in unison, generating cheers and foot stomping from the crowd.

Montages showing clips of the season's finalists -- the Blueprint Cru and Poreotix -- aired, while crew members gave final thoughts in pre-taped interviews.

"We've shown people something that they've never seen before: We showed them that they could have fun onstage," one of the members from California's Poreotix said.

The Blueprint Cru said they wanted to show the caliber of talent coming out of Canada. "We went in to the competition wanting to win America over," a member said.

Both crews came together to perform a high energy step routine together, surprising the audience with a live marching band -- representing both by wearing each team's colors -- before taking a final word from judges.

Poreotix were presented with the trophy by executive producer Randy Jackson, who officially crowned them the winning team, with the dropdown of the championship banner and a series of pyrotechnics.

Were you happy with the "America's Best Dance Crew" outcome? Sound off in the comments below!

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'Jersey Shore' Is Heading Back To New Jersey!

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 01:21 AM PDT

Season two premieres Thursday, July 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.
By Eric Ditzian


The cast of "Jersey Shore" season one
Photo: Scott Gries/Picture Group

MTV's "Jersey Shore" kids were dropped into Seaside Heights as a bunch of dance-crazed, sun-craving unknowns, and before you could shout "GTL," they were reality superstars. Now, Snooki, the Situation and the rest of their tanned and toned crew have escaped the cool Northeast spring and headed down to Miami for season two — but that's just the beginning.

After starting the season in the sizzling Sunshine State, the cast will head back to their original Seaside Heights house for more party-hopping, bass-thumping, emotion-filled escapades.

"It's official, the 'Jersey Shore' cast began filming Season 2 in Miami," said an MTV spokesperson. "Once the boardwalk heats back up, the series will return to the Jersey Shore to complete the season."

The new season is set to premiere Thursday, July 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.

We can also confirm that all your favorite "Shore" personalities — the ones who beat the beat seven nights a week and have added "Gym, Tan, Laundry" into the pop-culture lexicon — will be returning for the upcoming season: Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Vinny Guadagnino and Angelina Pivarnick.

"It's like a big family reunion after all this time," said Tony DiSanto, MTV's president of programming. "We couldn't be more excited that the whole group is back together in Miami and that they'll be going back to Jersey when the sun heats up."

The casting Web site that recently went online is in place in case the show decides to explore the option of adding new castmembers to the second season.

Are you excited that "Jersey Shore" is returning to New Jersey? What do you think the crew will get into down in Miami? What could happen in the second season? Let us know in the comments below!

Season two of "Jersey Shore" premieres Thursday, July 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Be there!

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'Jersey Shore' Cast Will Have 'Best Time Ever' In Miami, Locals Say

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 03:49 AM PDT

'I can't wait to party with them,' one fan says.
By MTV News staff


Cast of "Jersey Shore"
Photo: MTV

It's official! The "Jersey Shore" crew will be making their way back to the, uh, Jersey Shore for season two of the reality hit. However, the cast will kick off the new season in Miami before heading back up North. Although they may be out of their element in Florida, fans in the Sunshine State have been very welcoming to Snooki, the Situation and the rest of the crew.

"Miami's where it's at — but Jersey's like a miniature Miami, so if you bring them down here they'll just be twice as big," Andrew Hyatt said. "I can't wait to party with them, hit up all the clubs with them ... they couldn't come anywhere better than Miami," Iliana added.

Laura Fontana is also looking forward to clubbing with the Jersey natives. "Oh my God! We're gonna party and they're gonna love it and they're gonna party with us," she gushed. "They're just gonna have the best time ever."

"I think it's going to be really funny," Nadia Contractor said, noting that residents of the Miami shore are a bit different from their Jersey shore counterparts. "People are different than Jersey and I think we're going to expect a different vibe."

"Yesterday we saw Ronnie coming out and he was fist-pumping," Neil Kadlec said.

"Ronnie's just doing the fist pump," Brenda Oramas added. "It's gonna be amazing."

Fan Noel summed it up for the fellas, adding, "It's going to be amazing. It's one of the most greatest shows that has been on MTV in my opinion. I love to watch it and it's always entertaining ... Snooki and all those other attractive women."

Are you excited for season two of "Jersey Shore"? What do you think the crew will get into down in Miami? Let us know in the comments below!

Season two of "Jersey Shore" premieres Thursday, July 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Be there!

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Michael Lynche's Save: 'American Idol' Experts, Fans Weigh In

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 11:29 PM PDT

'Bad decision with this many weeks left!' one MTV reader writes.
By Gil Kaufman


Michael Lynche
Photo: Ray Mickshaw / FOX

For once, "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest wasn't exaggerating when he promised that Wednesday night's results show would be a shocker. On a night when many predicted that Aaron Kelly's "Idol" journey would be coming to a halt, instead it was burly personal trainer and new dad Michael Lynche facing the sing of shame.

Lynche, who has emerged as one of the strongest contenders in an otherwise lackluster season nine, pulled out his big guns in an attempt to stay in the mix, reprising his lauded cover of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" and earning the season's only save. He was on the chopping block despite a mostly praised R&B spin on "Eleanor Rigby" on Tuesday night.

"I was absolutely shocked," Rickey Yaneza, webmaster of the "Idol" fan site Rickey.org, said about Lynche landing in the bottom three alongside Kelly and Andrew Garcia. "I didn't think he'd end up getting the least amount of votes, but I think they made the right call." Yaneza said Lynche's "Woman's Work" was one of the best performances of the season so far, and the reprise was more than enough to earn his spot back.

As for what happened to put Lynche in the crosshairs, Yaneza speculated that the brawny singer's fans may have gotten complacent, while supporters of Kelly and Garcia pulled it together and rallied enough votes to keep them in the competition. "Aaron and Andrew's fans worked their butts off overnight knowing their guys were in trouble," he said, noting that Lynche's fanbase has never been as strong as those for other on-the-bubble contestants such as Kelly, Garcia and "Teflon" Tim Urban.

MTV's own "Idol" disciple, Jim Cantiello, was surprised that the judges used their one-and-only save for Lynche, assuming they'd save it for one of the other front-runners. "Given the way this season is going, I assumed they'd only use it on Crystal Bowersox or perhaps Lee Dewyze," he said. "Michael was a likable guy, but he's been railed for giving overdramatic performances. Tuesday night, he went way over the top and Simon was quite vocal in his disapproval. So for 24 hours later to have passed and now the judges are unanimous in giving this guy another shot? It was unexpected."

Cantiello disagreed with the move, saying Lynche had reverted back to his "over-emotive" habits. "After his results-show interview where he told Seacrest that people should just download his studio recordings if they're not feeling his onstage antics?" Cantiello said. "That right there proves he has no intention of pulling back. America wasn't feeling his dinner-theater performance style, voted him off, and then the judges gave him a free pass to keep doing what he's doing. If he doesn't tone it down next week, he'll be the lowest vote-getter all over again."

MTV readers reacted strongly to the drama, with Kevin writing, "Now what do they do if someone that is talented and could have a future in the business like Crystal doesn't get enough votes one week? Bad decision with this many weeks left!" Rick took a more academic approach, arguing that the judges shouldn't have saved Lynche because "when your vote total is that low, then your fanbase is highly unlikely to carry you through and you're going home within the next few weeks anyway. I don't think you break out the save until there is seven or even six left. In that case you could potentially save the winner."

MJ Santilli, who runs the "Idol" fan site MJsBigBlog.com, isn't a fan of the save in general, feeling that the "Idol" chips should fall where they may with no interference from the judges. "Surprise boots are part of the 'Idol' experience. Everyone gets over it and moves on," she said. "So I'm happy to have it out of the way for the season."

That said, if the save has to be deployed, she was fine with Lynche being the beneficiary. "There are at least four contestants who should be heading out the door before Mike Lynche: Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban have all had spotty track records, at best, on the 'Idol' stage," she said. "Plus, Mike is one of the few contestants left with decent performance skills, and now that Paige Miles is gone, he's the only R&B singer in the group."

Santilli was also surprised at Lynche's elimination because she figured his fanbase wasn't being split with any of the other contestants. But the problem now, she said, was that if one of the other front-runners — such as Bowersox, Dewyze or Siobhan Magnus — is eliminated in the next few weeks, the judges can't do a thing about it. "And there goes that feel-good save they could have used during 'Idol Gives Back,' " she lamented.

What did you think of the judges saving Big Mike? Let us know in the comments!

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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'Jersey Shore': Top Moments At The House

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 04:57 AM PDT

From hot-tub hookups to girl fights, we run down the best moments from last season at the shore.
By Eric Ditzian


Mike "The Situation" hooks up during season one of "Jersey Shore"

This week, Snooki, the Situation and the rest of the "Jersey Shore" crew started shooting the second season of their hit MTV reality show in Miami. But after this vacation in the Florida sun, the series will be heading back to its Jersey roots to finish off season two.

Which means we'll be seeing more of Seaside Heights' boardwalk, bars and beaches. The cast will also be sleeping off their late nights in the very same house from season one. With a return to the familiar digs in mind, let's take a look back at some of our favorite house moments from the inaugural season of the "Shore."

The Blocked Hot-Tub Hook-Up
The season got off to a heated start when Pauly D, Vinny and the Situation brought some ladies back to the house's rooftop hot tub. Beers were swilled, clothes were removed and housemate Angelina declared with disgust, "I didn't think they were going to be those typical Jersey whore guys."

As the panties went flying, tempers flared. JWoww yelled at the hot tub-hoppers, "Close the door — with you behind it!"

Not cool, argued the guys. "Let us do our thing," Pauly pleaded. "We're trying to party. You girls don't want to party with us, so we're going to bring girls to party. This is the summer!"

Vinny's Family Feast
In the midst of all the cast's trips to the gym, the tanning salon and the Laundromat, we did get a peek into the culturally rich family life of some of the housemates. No one's relatives were more memorable than Vinny's clan, led by his instantly loveable Italian mother.

"My son looks skinny," she said, as everyone unpacked four trays of ziti, plus tomato sauce, veggies, salad, breadsticks, cold cuts and cheese.

"That's like a true Italian woman," Snooki said. "You want to please everyone else at the table and then when everyone's done, you clean up and you eat by yourself."

Pauly's Stalker
Here's the setup: Pauly met a girl at bar who he liked — until she kept showing up while he was hanging on the boardwalk with some other girls. Cue the greatest phone conversation of the entire season. Let's pick up the action halfway through ...

"It's my turn to talk. It's my turn to talk," Pauly told her. "You stalked my whole entire life, right, and I don't like that. I do nothing wrong and you — I'm talking now! — you know how I felt about you. You just have no trust whatsoever. So you thought I was creeping with those chicks, which I wasn't. I went on one ride — God bless me, it's f---ing summer! Yes, I was upstairs on the balcony with three chicks — and three dudes. Did I do anything? No! All we did is have a conversation. That's it. All those girls have boyfriends. If you weren't such a f---ing stalker, I would have called you when I got home. Instead — yes you are, it's crazy, I can't deal with that. You don't want to look stupid? Don't you think that makes you look stupid? You're like, 'I'm not calling you.' You called, like, a hundred times. How many times did you call? We took the phone off the hook last night. All I wanted to do is call you when I got home so we could hang out. You wouldn't let that happen. You were so worried about how you're gonna look because people see me walking with three girls that, 'Oh my god, blah blah, I don't want to look stupid.' Well, now look how stupid you look."

Snooki and the Duck Phone
Speaking of telephones, the quacking wooden duck phone gave everyone in the house a hard time. But Snooki seemed to be particularly perplexed by it, starting with her very first encounter with the ceaselessly ringing thing.

"What the f--- is that thing quacking? That's really weird," she wondered aloud, struggling to dial, hang up, deal with call waiting and otherwise communicate with the outside world.

In the end, all she wanted to know was, "What the f--- kind of person gets a duck phone to talk on?"

One of life's enduring mysteries, Snickers.

The Girl Fight
Of all the cast's scuffles, the Snooki-vs.-three-other-girls throwdown was easily the wildest. It all went down when the Situation decide to invite one girl back to the house. The entire cast got a little bit more than they expected when three girls showed up. Snooki was sent in to turn the unwanted ladies away, then insults were exchanged and suddenly the girls were in the midst of a hair-pulling, punch-throwing scrum.

The takeaway? Leave it to Pauly D to lay down some knowledge. "I learned a long time ago, being a wingman for the Situation is not a good idea," he said.

What were your favorite moments from "Jersey Shore"? Let us know in the comments below!

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Erykah Badu 'Didn't Expect To Be Demonized' Over Nude 'Window Seat' Video

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 03:49 AM PDT

'I expected it to provoke dialogue, and it's an important statement to make,' she tells MTV News.
By Shaheem Reid


Erykah Badu
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

"I thought it was a move for women and men and children who feel they weren't good enough," Erykah Badu said Thursday (April 8) about her controversial video for "Window Seat." " 'This is just me, I'm good enough.' I felt it was important enough to do. More pros than cons."

By now, you have probably heard about or seen "Window Seat" for yourself. In the video, which was released on Badu's Web site a couple of Saturdays ago at 3:33 a.m., she goes nude to promote individuality and is shot in the head once all of her clothes are off. She falls to the ground near the same grassy knoll where President Kennedy was shot in downtown Dallas in 1963. Instead of blood, animated words that spell out "groupthink" leak from her head on the sidewalk.

The singer said she received support from women such as Jill Scott, Mo'Nique, Angela Davis and Kim from Matt and Kim (the duo's clip for "Lessons Learned" inspired "Window Seat") as well as other celebrity fans. Badu knew the clip would cause a stir.

"I know it was a shocking thing I did," she said. "I expected it to provoke dialogue, and it's an important statement to make. It's about freeing oneself of the layers and layers of things that we have learned as Americans in this country. At the point of becoming naked and individual and free, either you're assassinated spiritually or mentally by the group or worse. The words coming out of my head after I was figuratively and literally assassinated was 'groupthink.' Groupthink is a term coined by Irving Janis, 1972. It pretty much states what happens when a character or person is ostracized for thinking out of what the consensus is. He or she is pretty much thinking [more] with a heart than with loyalty. It's an important thing. It's art. It's performance art."

As much support as she got from friends, family and fans, Badu said certain media outlets lambasted her.

"Art is supposed to spark dialogue and ring an awakening of some sort," she maintained, "especially if it is impactful and powerful. I didn't expect to be demonized, but I did expect to spark that sort of dialogue.

"I put it out on my site at 3:33 a.m. What are the odds that it would spread like that?" she added. "It's something much bigger than me. And it's not over yet. There are many layers to that. You can peel back one or peel back many."

The Grammy winner said she first thought of the idea to go nude in "Window Seat" while in the studio. She started researching nudity in art and came across the Matt and Kim video for "Lessons Learned." She came up with the treatment for "Window Seat" and chose directors Coodie and Chike from Creative Control. The singer said she directed the video and loved the way Coodie and Chike shot it. She hopes to work with them again on many projects.

"It was real," she said about shooting on St. Patrick's Day in Dealey Plaza in Dallas. "We only had one take to do it. It was done in one minute and 22 seconds. We sped the music up really fast in order to give it the slow-motion feel. I was walking really fast. Like a brisk jog/walk. I was nude for about 15 seconds of that. It was a brave thing to do. I had a chance to confront a lot of fears in that moment."

Even while shooting and knowing they had only one chance to get things right, Badu had second thoughts. In a segment of the video, she moves to unzip her hoodie and stops before taking a few more steps and finally unzipping it.

"The first unzip was 'OK.' The backup was 'Should I do this?' " she explained. "Afterwards, after it was all over, we ran."

Although she made a getaway, Badu was charged with disorderly conduct last week and fined $500. The singer said she has not received the paperwork from police yet.

What do you think of Badu's take on the video? Do you think she should have been charged for her nudity? Let us know in the comments below.

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Will Young Says Having The 'American Idol' Exit Song Is 'Brilliant'

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 04:45 AM PDT

'I'm really happy, because my song is now on the biggest show in America,' the 'Pop Idol' champ says of 'Leave Right Now.'
By Kelley L. Carter


Will Young
Photo: Mike Marsland/ WireImage

As the first winner of Britain's "Pop Idol," Will Young was never voted off and, therefore, was never played off the stage with a goodbye song. Now, however, he's up close and person with the "American Idol" season-nine exit song: It's his track "Leave Right Now."

"It's brilliant," chuckled Young, who has sold more than 8 million records. "I haven't released in America before, so I'm really happy, because my song is now on the biggest show in America. And it's played every week. I've watched it over here a couple of times when I can, and I think it sounds great on the show."

Back in 2002, the 31-year-old Brit won "Pop Idol," the show that launched the mega-popular "Idol" franchise, which has brought us budding superstars like Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks and Jennifer Hudson.

He's hoping to build on the momentum of his "Idol" exit song, releasing a digital album in May and following that up with his first real working visit Stateside. So far on the docket are a few live shows, a few taped TV performances and, he's hoping, a chance to head over to the "American Idol" stage.

Still, he's just grateful for his "Idol" opportunity and hopes to make as big a splash in the U.S. as he's made worldwide. As for his tune, he couldn't have picked a better calling card for American ears.

"Funny enough, the song is more about taking yourself out of a situation, so in a way, I'm telling myself to leave, which is almost the harder thing to do," he explained. "I think that's what it is about, that song. So many people have experienced that. You're coming back, and you think, 'I really shouldn't be in the situation, but here I am again.' You know, that awful feeling where your heart has been broken once and you don't know if you can do it again. That's what that song is about. And that's why I always love performing it."

Would you like to see Will break through Stateside? Do you like his "Idol" goodbye song? Let us know in the comments below!

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Former 'Survivor' Producer Arrested In Connection With Wife's Death

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 05:47 AM PDT

Bruce Beresford-Redman was a supervising producer on CBS' 'Survivor' for four seasons.
By Josh Wigler


"Survivor: Marquesas"
Photo: CBS

A former "Survivor" producer was detained Thursday (April 8) in Cancun, Mexico, as a suspect in his wife's death, a Mexican police spokesman said.

Bruce Beresford-Redman, an American reality-television producer whose credits include "Survivor," "The Contender" and "The Restaurant," was arrested after his wife Monica Beresford-Redman's body was discovered in a sewer on the grounds of the Moon Palace Golf and Spa Resort in Cancun at 9 a.m. Initial reports suggest that the woman "died of strangulation because of the bruising," according to regional police spokesman Adrian Cardena.

According to CNN, Beresford-Redman reported his wife missing on Tuesday of this week. A friend of the family's told CNN that the couple was in Cancun to reconcile marital difficulties after Beresford-Redman's wife discovered that he was having an affair. Last week, Monica reportedly "cleaned out the couple's bank account and traveled to Hawaii with her children," after which Beresford-Redman allegedly persuaded his wife to meet in Cancun to discuss their differences. Authorities have not yet been able to confirm these details.

Hotel officials have stated that Moon Palace employees have been very cooperative in the investigation and that "safety is always a top concern ... and our guests continue to be safe at this time."

Beresford-Redman is credited on IMDb as a supervising producer on CBS' "Survivor," a role he first fulfilled during the show's fourth incarnation, "Survivor: Marquesas," in February 2002. His last credit with the series is as a supervising producer on "Survivor: All-Stars" in May 2004.

In addition to "Survivor," Beresford-Redman is listed as a producer on "The Restaurant," a field producer on "Profiles From the Front Line," a co-executive producer on "The Contender" and an executive producer on "Pimp My Ride" and "Crash Course."