MTV News |
- Game Defends G-Unit Jabs, Details Epic '400 Bars' Recording
- 'Hills' Buzz Moment #6: Heidi And Spencer's Many Weddings
- 'American Idol' Experts Say Tim Urban Tried Too Hard
- Lady Gaga Working On 'Crazy' New Tracks, Akon Says
- Solar Details Guru's Health Decline
- Gorillaz Might Have Gone Pop, But They're Not Lady Gaga
- Ludacris And Plies To Play Atlanta's Birthday Bash
- Jim Jones To Teach 'Music Business 101' To High-Schoolers
- Death Cab For Cutie Strive 'To Make Music We Enjoy' On New Album
- 'Hills' Buzz Moment #7: Holly Gets Tipsy At Speidi's Rehearsal Dinner
| Game Defends G-Unit Jabs, Details Epic '400 Bars' Recording Posted: 23 Apr 2010 03:56 AM PDT He also addresses supposed Jay Rock dis, in Mixtape Daily.
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive Game said his "400 Bars" 20-minute freestyle was probably his single most epic undertaking ever. "To even think about doing '400 Bars,' you need a lot of patient people in the studio with you," Game said earlier this week in L.A. "I had my whole team in, my whole crew. We was in the studio, the same studio. We were here for a day, 24 hours. Nobody went home, nobody ate, nobody brushed their teeth — we just grinded it out. It came together. I stayed in the booth for a little bit over eight hours, on my feet. At the end, I felt paralyzed. It just took that much out of me. It felt like I got jumped by 30 people. That's how much it took to do '400 Bars.' I don't advise anybody to try to do it or top me. Not that I think they could. It's a long process. Then, you have to keep people entertained for 20 minutes. You can't just spit something and it not make sense. Piecing it together was crazy. But I did it, and the response was pretty cool.
"The next day, I dropped it on the Internet, and I slept until maybe like 9 p.m.," he said. "I went to the blogs, everybody was going crazy for it. So I went back to sleep." You know there's no way Game could have unleashed "400 Bars" without some sort of controversy. Jay Rock wrote on Twitter that people felt like Game was throwing subliminal jabs at him. "I get on Twitter n everybody hitting me sayn @ihategame getting @ me in his freestyle," Rock wrote. "Same as Cube, n---as need to have ba--s to say names." "I'm not scared to go against nobody all n---a have to do is say my name and it's on with who ever. I don't feel I need to apologize to no1," he later wrote. Game didn't say if he was in fact getting at Jay Rock, but he did say he's always ready to battle. "I'll just say it like this: If you feel like it was a jab and respond to it, then play with your career if you want to," Game warned. "I know what to do with anybody and their career. Unless you really know, you should keep your mouth closed." We do know for sure that Game spat at the G-Unit once again. "Screaming out f--- 50, wouldn't snitch for half his cash/ ... Butter-soft Banks, you a bi---, man/ Me and you, we was cool until 50 unscrewed your kickstand/ And Yayo, turn in your senior-citizen wristband." The Compton native insists it was no big deal. "You've gotta understand the difference between G-Unit [jabs] and a beef," Game explained. "It was a beef [years ago]. I see 50, nobody is gonna do nothing to him. He sees me, nobody is gonna do nothing to me. It's over with. The beef is over, but I can still throw a few jabs here and there and poke a little fun. Ain't nothing wrong with being a comedian of some sorts. That's all it was. I say maybe eight or 10 bars out of 400. 390 bars about other sh--, and 10 bars worth of jabs ain't gonna hurt nobody." Producer the Alchemist was one person who didn't applaud Game's efforts. Al took to Twitter to give his "400 Bars" review. "400 bars=snooze. Less is more," Al wrote. Game responded on his Twitter page by writing, "@AlanTheChemist you already know me ALAN, don't get ya teeth knocked out !!! then you can Snooze 4 real!" Al continued the back-and-forth with a sarcastic response: "I just got jumped by 75 bloods at the 7-11. thanx alot @ihategame. Twitter is powerful!" "He responded like he was supposed to, because he's a G-Unit affiliate," Game told us. "I responded like I was supposed to: the first thing that came to my head. I was serious about mine. He can take it lightly if he wants, but stay outta my way." Game is finishing up his R.E.D. Room mixtape with DJ Skee. Lil Wayne, Hurricane Chris, Jim Jones and the Birdman all appear on the project. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc. Related Videos |
| 'Hills' Buzz Moment #6: Heidi And Spencer's Many Weddings Posted: 23 Apr 2010 03:56 AM PDT Speidi made it official last year after a few proposals and one not-quite-legal ceremony.
It was the moment — well, moments — that kept "Hills" fans guessing. Over the show's five seasons, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have gone through two proposals, three weddings and a whole lot of drama — which all adds up to the #6 spot on our list of the most buzzed-about moments on "The Hills."
Over the course of their relationship, not everyone has been rooting for Speidi to stick it out, and Spencer hasn't always been the best influence on Heidi. He broke up her friendship with Lauren Conrad, caused problems with her family and didn't always give her sage career advice. Yet, despite the animosity toward him, it seemed like maybe Spencer had changed when he decided back in 2007 to take his relationship with Heidi to a whole new level and proposed to her for the first time. But the two couldn't agree on all the details. Heidi wanted a lavish wedding, while he wanted to elope, and of course, in the end, Spencer got his way. So, on a trip to Mexico fueled by some tequila, Heidi and Spencer eloped. But a Mexican wedding doesn't mean you're really married in the United States, and upon their return, Heidi and Spencer wanted to make it legal in a courtroom wedding in Los Angeles. The news was not well-received, but thanks to some advice from sister Stephanie, Spencer showed us all he actually has a heart. "I just want to give you the wedding of your dreams, and I will deal with it," Spencer told Heidi, forgoing the courtroom ceremony. "It's worth it, and we'll do it the way you want." Eventually, Spencer proposed again, and Heidi finally got the wedding she always dreamed of — plus a nice rock. On April 25, 2009, friends and family gathered to see Speidi make it official in a fairy-tale wedding. With Lauren Conrad in attendance and Kristin Cavallari making an appearance, it was a day to remember. Stephanie later told MTV News, "This is with the family. There was a legal priest, and the ceremony had prayers. It was completely different." What are some of your favorite "Hills" moments? Let us know in the comments below! "The Hills: Final Season" premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT followed by "The City" at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Videos Related Photos |
| 'American Idol' Experts Say Tim Urban Tried Too Hard Posted: 22 Apr 2010 09:41 AM PDT 'He made an ambitious song choice this week and it did him in,' one expert says.
There are worse ways to fail than being too ambitious or too nice. But for booted "American Idol" finalist "Teflon" Tim Urban, it was a combination of his sunny persona and decision to stretch outside his comfort zone that contributed to his undoing on the show.
After Urban was eliminated during Wednesday night's "Idol Gives Back" special, some "Idol" experts said they weren't shocked — and might have been a bit relieved. "Tim Urban was the little engine that could ... not stop smiling," said MTV News' "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello. "He went from being one of the worst semifinalists to being one of the most well-liked contestants in a matter of weeks thanks to his 'kill 'em with kindness' attitude toward the especially nasty judges." Even though Simon Cowell was annoyed by Urban's grin-and-bear-it persona and often denigrated the Texas singer's iffy chops, Cantiello said the mop-topper's undoing was deviating from his proven formula: singing songs with limited range that he could mostly nail. "That Goo Goo Dolls tune ['Better Days'] was way too big, too obscure and not romantic enough for him to make memorable," said Cantiello, who actually thought it was Casey James' time to go on Wednesday night. "Previously, his failures were AWESOME ones. Remember when he turned the Rolling Stones' 'Under My Thumb' into a campfire reggae sing-along? Or when he decided to croon 'Sweet Love' while limping toward the front of the stage like a horror villain?" Like another finalist with limited skills (to whom he was often compared), Sanjaya, Cantiello said once Urban delivered a performance that lacked in water-cooler buzz, America dropped him like a cold bowl of soup. That said, Cantiello wouldn't be surprised if Urban could still carve out a decent music career. "The guy's got the looks and the personality and enough of a voice to cut a marketable album," he said. "Or maybe I was just brainwashed by his gaze." Another "Idol" expert, MJ Santilli of , also didn't predict Urban's ouster this week — she went with Aaron Kelly — but said it was clearly Tim's time to go. "Tim did well as long as he chose songs within his very limited vocal range," she said. "He made an ambitious song choice this week and it did him in. His pitchy, uneven vocals overruled his sincerity. Having said that, Tim didn't really have much left in his tank anyway. He had a good, solid run for a contestant with so few vocal gifts." MJ sees modeling and acting in Urban's future, or possibly a shot at another reality gig. "If Jason Gaston moves out of the 'If I Can Dream' house, Tim could take his place as the resident hottie." Do you think Tim Urban should have been sent home this week, or did America get it wrong? 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. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Lady Gaga Working On 'Crazy' New Tracks, Akon Says Posted: 22 Apr 2010 08:50 AM PDT 'Kon says he's joining his artist in Europe to record songs for her next album.
While Lady Gaga has been touring across the globe and gearing up to shoot a video for her single "Alejandro," she's also found time to record tracks for her next album. Her label boss, Akon, has already heard some of the Fame Monster follow-up, and he says it is out of this world.
"She records while she's on the road," Akon told Vibe.com. "I'm flying out to Europe to work on some new records with her. Gaga's just like me. She has a tour bus with a studio in it. Some of the songs I've heard are going to be crazy. She's getting bigger and better." Although a release date, title and other details have yet to be revealed, Akon knows that she's working hard and doesn't need much advice from him. "All I'm doing at the end of the day is listening to the tracks Gaga has written and approving them for her album. She has producers that she works with outside of myself and they are coming up with some incredible records," he explained. "But the beauty of it is she knows exactly what she wants. So it just makes it easier for me." Frequent Gaga collaborator RedOne told MTV News that he and the singer still have a lot of tricks up their sleeves but wouldn't be specific. "That I don't want to say, because you always want to shock people," he said. "And you don't want to let people know, so that when they hear it, [they go], 'Oh my God.' " And after winning a pair of Grammys with Gaga this year, RedOne promised more successes to come. "We're just gonna rock again," he said. "When me and Gaga get together, it's crazy. It's unbelievable." What do you hope Gaga will do on her next album? Tell us in the comments! Related Photos Related Artists |
| Solar Details Guru's Health Decline Posted: 22 Apr 2010 02:03 AM PDT Gang Starr MC's collaborator says he helped his friend 'preserve his dignity' during his last days.
As questions about the sincerity of his relationship with Guru continue to circulate throughout the hip-hop community and on the Internet, the Gang Starr MC's longtime collaborator Solar has opened up about the bond between the two men.
"The friendship got close fairly rapidly," Solar told MTV's Sway of their meeting in 2002 through a mutual friend. When the trailblazing legend fell ill in early 2009, it was Solar who was appointed medical proxy. Guru died Monday at age 43, after succumbing to a cancer-related illness. Solar said Guru's health started to drastically deteriorate beginning last summer. In May 2009, the rapper was diagnosed with a myeloma (a tumor), and by that July, he had undergone an unsuccessful operation to stop its spread from his back to other parts of his body. "There were times where I'd help him out," Solar said. "Get his bathing together, get his self together. Help him with his clothes. Help him out with his food. I would help him get in and out [of the bathtub]. With the myeloma, it's very delicate. So I would help him get in and out, make sure he could stabilize himself so he could do what he had to do. It's one of the hardest things I had to do. But I loved him as a brother, and I believe he would have done the same for me. I did that to preserve his dignity, that's what it was even in those times. "It was getting bad," Solar said of the months that followed the failed surgery. "His mobility was starting to worsen. I was staying in his home with him to help him with his day-to-day. ... We did have people from outside come in as well to help out. Doctors and specialists that were treating him recommended he admit himself [to] the hospital for treatment. ... He checked himself in the hospital ... signed the appropriate documents that we would be his health proxy. He proceeded to undergo treatment, got to the point of chemotherapy. He was responding. At that point, we didn't think he wouldn't come out. We thought he would come back out the hospital and be actually able to get back to some independent life again. The doctors were fairly optimistic that the chemo would work and some other drugs they were giving would work. That's when the unfortunate event of the cardiac arrest happened. The lungs couldn't take it." Guru agreed to go to the hospital last February and, tragically, never came out. In the days since his death, many journalists, fans, MCs and even family members have questioned the sincerity of Guru's relationship with Solar. However, Solar has maintained that he always has done what was in Guru's best interest. Share your memories of Guru and Gang Starr in the comments below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Gorillaz Might Have Gone Pop, But They're Not Lady Gaga Posted: 22 Apr 2010 03:18 AM PDT 'Lady Gaga works very, very hard, and so does Beyoncé, to be very, very popular,' Damon Albarn tells MTV News.
In a 2005 interview with Wired magazine, Jamie Hewlett, one-half of the brain trust behind Gorillaz, said he and Damon Albarn decided to start the band after watching MTV, as a reaction to the cartoonish parade of pop stars the channel was showing at the time. It made sense, and, truth be told, it was sort of brilliant.
But five years and millions of albums later, things would appear to be slightly different for Hewlett and Albarn. Their first two albums went multiplatinum, and the third — the just-released Plastic Beach — debuted at #2 on the U.S. albums chart. Gorillaz have certainly become a much bigger project than either man had ever intended. So has all the success softened their stance any? Not in the slightest. "I remember Music Television really close to its infancy, when it really was video after video after video, bit of news, few adverts, video, video, video," Albarn smiled. "And, I don't know, it has changed to a point. It has grown, obviously, and the music isn't as important anymore. It's a carnival of the over-privileged in America, isn't it? It's brilliant for advertising, though." "Now there's, like, 'Celebrity's Dogs' Cribs,' " Hewlett laughed. "Things have definitely gotten sillier." One would imagine that puts the pair in a rather uncomfortable spot. Gorillaz are most certainly a popular act, one that — while not in the same stratosphere as the Beyoncés and Lady Gagas of the globe — is certainly "world famous." Both men freely admit to this, and, to be honest, they don't seem to have a problem with it. By his own admission, Albarn said he set out to make Plastic Beach the group's most "pop" album to date. "Oh, absolutely. I love pop music. ... I just love a certain kind of it — the kind that may not look nice, but still reminds me of the stuff I used to listen to growing up," he said. "Lady Gaga works very, very hard, and so does Beyoncé, to be very, very popular. That seems to be all they care about in life, and that's fine, you know? It won't last forever, and if it does, you'll turn into Madonna, and if you want to turn into Madonna, that's great — for you. Not for me." So while Albarn and Hewlett are comfortable with Gorillaz's status, they're not about to let it go to their heads. Quite the opposite, in fact. There are still plenty of cartoonish pop stars left for them to rail against, and they're just getting started. "There's so much, really. I can't really engage with the stuff that comes out of Simon Cowell's imagination. I really don't want to share his imagination, because it's ... his imagination is sort of, by a pool, where he's endlessly looking at a rubber duck, just floating from one side to the other, pulling his trousers up a little more," Albarn laughed. "[And] someone brings him a drink, then he goes back again [to watching the duck]. That's his kind of imagination, and I feel I deserve a little more than that. So all the music that comes out of that entire culture, that's what I think of it. ... I want no part of it, really." What do you think of Plastic Beach? Do you think Gorillaz have gone pop? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| Ludacris And Plies To Play Atlanta's Birthday Bash Posted: 22 Apr 2010 02:24 AM PDT More performers will be announced for the Hot 107.9 concert in the coming weeks.
Atlanta's Hot 107.9 has an extra-special birthday in 2010. This year, the radio station celebrates its 15th anniversary, and you already know what the celebration will be: the annual summer Birthday Bash concert.
On Thursday evening (April 22), 107.9 announced its first two performers for the June 19 concert at the Philips Arena. First up on the roster will be the always combustible Ludacris. Before Luda embarked on the road to superstardom, he was a personality on the station in the late '90s. The other name 107.9 announced today should come as no surprise, but fans will love the news nonetheless: Plies. The Florida native is becoming a staple of the concert. He's had two highly touted performances the last couple of years. A testament to Plies' potency as an MC is when his album cuts are sung word for word at the Birthday Bash, just like his singles. "The game is a tricky situation," Plies said about the success of his non-singles. "From what we really stand for and what we're trying to get across, from a company standpoint, we don't stand a chance on radio with those records. A lot of times, people don't understand the impact of the structure of radio. If I could put 'Old Lady' on the radio, I'd love to have it on the radio. A lot of times, it's about trying to balance your situation but understanding your situation at the same time." Last year, the Birthday Bash show-stealer was Young Jeezy, who brought out Lil Wayne and Mary J. Blige. Rick Ross, Fabolous, Gucci Mane, Trey Songz, Keri Hilson, Soulja Boy Tell'em and the Grand Hustle family also hit the stage. In 2008, Jeezy also had the most talked-about set, bringing out Kanye West, The-Dream and Usher. Stay tuned to MTVNews.com in the coming weeks for more performers who will appear at this year's Bash. Who would you like to see perform at this year's Birthday Bash? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Related Artists |
| Jim Jones To Teach 'Music Business 101' To High-Schoolers Posted: 22 Apr 2010 03:33 AM PDT 'Hopefully, the kids will come on out and get up and close with the music business,' he tells MTV News.
Come to this guy's class late — we dare ya. Jim Jones will be giving some of his pearls of wisdom to 25 students for the next several weeks as he teaches a high school class.
Last month, Jones revealed to RapRadar.com that he was planning to teach a music-based high school course. On Thursday (April 22), it was announced that he will indeed be lecturing New York City high school students starting Tuesday. "I was just talking in general," Jones told MTV News in March. "I always like to talk and inform people on what I'm trying to do. It went from telling a couple of bloggers to that being on Twitter to it being in the newspaper. I was like, 'Damn, I was trying to mention what I'm trying to do.' "I'll be teaching ... once a week for eight weeks," Jones added. "Hopefully, the kids will come on out and get up and close with the music business from an executive point of view, from an artist point of view, from a label-owner point of view, from a marketing-genius point of view, from a video director's point of view, from a manger's point of view. Me, I'mma tell you all of that. You heard." Jones' class will be called "Music Business 101" and will run, in fact, for six weeks. The class is in conjunction with an organization the Diplomat Capo helped found, the Entertainers 4 Education Alliance. Which hip-hop superstar would you like to take a class from? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| Death Cab For Cutie Strive 'To Make Music We Enjoy' On New Album Posted: 21 Apr 2010 10:48 PM PDT Frontman Ben Gibbard says band's only motivation these days is to have fun.
The last time MTV News spoke to Death Cab for Cutie about the status of their new album, guitarist/producer Chris Walla said things were still in the "scratchy, unfinished demos" stage but that the music was already looking to split the difference between the live-and-loose Narrow Stairs and the more polished Plans.
So, when we got DCFC frontman Ben Gibbard on the phone last week — to discuss his love of all things Seattle Mariner-y — we asked him for an update on the project. From the sound of things, the focus has sharpened considerably. "We're going in the studio in June to start working on the record," Gibbard told MTV News. "We're going to be recording through the summer and into the fall, and all things being equal, we're probably looking for a spring 2011 release." Echoing Walla's earlier sentiments, Gibbard said that the new Death Cab tunes do seem to be gleaned from a live setting or just a jam session in a roomful of friends. "We all live in different cities now, but I strangely feel closer to my bandmates than I ever have before, and I think that as we move forward as a band, our only motivation is to make music that we enjoy, and to make music because it's fun," Gibbard said. "All of the accolades that we once hoped for — that we were striving for that were directly outside of the creative process — we've met almost all of those goals. So now, for us, it's more of, 'Oh, you know, I love hanging out with Chris and Nick and Jason, and talking about music and playing guitar.' It's just fun. We're only doing it because we enjoy it." And in keeping with that vibe, some of Gibbard's early favorites for the album came from an informal e-mail he got from Walla that contained a couple of demos the guitarist had been working on purely on a whim. "We've had a couple of songs where Chris has sent me music, and I've done some arrangements and lyrics and melodies on them, and in the batch of material we've got sitting in the coffer ready to go on the record, that to me is the most exciting stuff," he said. "They were a couple of tunes that he sent me that I've kind of finished, I'm really excited about." More than a decade into their career, with both a platinum-selling album (Plans) and a #1 debut (Narrow Stairs) under their belts, Death Cab finally feel like they've reached a place where they can make the kind of music they want to, without worrying about impressing anyone other than themselves. And that appears to be the driving force behind the new album: complete, hard-won artistic freedom. "I'd like to think a lot of inspiration comes from that being the motivation, rather than, 'Oh, this is our major-label record, we've got to do it great, or else people are going to say this,' " Gibbard said. "All those things you never talk about, but they're all in your mind. So for us now, going into this next record, we'll assess our accomplishments after we're done making them, and ... I feel like we have a lot more records to make. "We've all kind of landed in a place in our lives, personally and professionally, where we can all get together and enjoy each other's company and enjoy making music," he reiterated. "I certainly feel a lot more confident as a songwriter and a musician, and confident in the ability of my bandmates to make things that we'd want to listen to ourselves." What is your favorite Death Cab for Cutie song? Share your thoughts about the band in the comments below. Related Artists |
| 'Hills' Buzz Moment #7: Holly Gets Tipsy At Speidi's Rehearsal Dinner Posted: 22 Apr 2010 12:44 AM PDT Holly Montag delivers a slurred speech after one too many cocktails and nearly comes to blows with Spencer.
It didn't take long before Heidi Montag's sister, Holly, and then-boyfriend Spencer Pratt were butting heads. Soon after Holly moved to "The Hills," the future in-laws were bickering. Although, to be fair, there have been very few people in the history of the show who haven't butted heads with Spencer. And as the final season gears up for its Tuesday night premiere, Holly lands our #7 most buzzed-about "Hills" moment.
Holly's hostility toward Spencer and her jealousy of Heidi really emerged at the couple's wedding rehearsal dinner last April. Sure, the maid of honor was willing to give Spencer some backhanded props in her speech, as she said of him, "Since day one, Spencer treated me like I was his sister. You need somebody that's going to call you out on your crap, and I'm so thankful to have our families unite." But it was what happened next that had everyone chatting the next day. As it turns out, Holly wasn't actually feeling grateful. After throwing food and accidentally staining Heidi's very expensive handbag, Holly and Spencer came to verbal blows, with each one accusing the other of being rude. Holly's true feelings were revealed when she turned to her mom and proclaimed (well, slurred), "I didn't know we were dining with the king and queen!" Most viewers suspected Holly could blame it on the alcohol, and ultimately, they weren't wrong. Months after the wedding, Montag spoke to MTV News about the now-infamous incident and had a laugh at her own expense. "I did not get tipsy. ... All right, I was completely blacked out," she joked. "I was on a seven-day bender. I don't know what you want from me." What are some of your favorite "Hills" moments? Let us know in the comments below! "The Hills: Final Season" premieres April 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT followed by "The City" at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Videos Related Photos |
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