Jumat, 14 Januari 2011

MTV News

MTV News

Deena Brings 'A Whole Bunch Of Vocabulary' To 'Jersey Shore'

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 03:52 AM PST

Rookie explains her additions to the 'Shore' lexicon, including 'backpack' and 'stepstool.'
By By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker, with reporting by Jim Cantiello


"Jersey Shore" star Deena Nicole Cortese
Photo: MTV News

In its first two seasons, MTV's "Jersey Shore" introduced America to countless new words and expressions that have made a lasting impression on pop culture, including "GTL," "grenades" and "T-shirt time."

Now, with the addition of castmember Deena Nicole Cortese, fans of the show can expect a brand-new round of crazy terminology and phrases. The 23-year-old recently sat down with MTV News and promised to bring "a whole bunch of vocabulary" to the show this season.

In Thursday night's episode, Deena called Sammi Sweetheart a "backpack" because of how she always clings to Ronnie. She told MTV News "backpack" can also be used to describe "one of the ... guys that follow me around the club and stuff."

As she was a bit slap-happy on her first night with the cast, Deena used herself as an example of a "slaptard," which she defined as a "slappy" girl. "I was a complete slaptard the first night," she said. "I was, like, the biggest slaptard ever."

Deena also dished on one of the harsher terms she has added to the extensive "Jersey Shore" lexicon. "This is horrible," she admitted, "but you know when you, like, meet a girl but her friend's hotter? You wanna get in with the hotter girl, so you kind of befriend the not-so-pretty girl?" Deena would consider the not-so-pretty girl in this scenario to be a "stepstool."

"It's horrible," she giggled. "But, I mean, it's real life. It happens in real life."

What's your favorite "Jersey Shore" phrase? Let us know in the comments!

Don't miss "Jersey Shore," airing Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

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'Green Hornet' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know

Posted: 14 Jan 2011 03:52 AM PST

Superhero film took a winding path to the big screen, and we've been there the whole way.
By Eric Ditzian


"Green Hornet"
Photo: Sony Pictures

When did the story of the Seth Rogen-starring, Michel Gondry-directed "Green Hornet" begin? Does it go all the way back to the superhero's adventures on 1930s-era radio, or does it begin with the 1966 TV series that made Bruce Lee a star?

Perhaps instead we should begin in the early '90s with Hollywood's attempt to revive the dormant franchise. There are enough twists and turns there to form the basis of an entire master class in major-studio development hell. The title role, in its various incarnations, was reportedly at one time or another offered to everyone from George Clooney to Greg Kinnear. Directors (including Gondry in the late '90s) and screenwriters came and went. Studios traded rights to the property.

Then, in stepped Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg with an outline for the movie in fall 2007. More than three bump-and-bruise-filled years later, "The Green Hornet" finally hit theaters Friday (January 14). How did it get there? What do you need to know before checking out the action/comedy about a rich kid named Britt Reid who turns himself into a superhero with the help of sidekick/genius Kato? All your questions will be answered with MTV News' "Green Hornet" cheat sheet.

The Green Hornet Meets Red-Faced Fans
Initial fan reaction to the pairing of Rogen with the superhero material was not kind, and the vitriol seemed never to let up. "People just love bitching," he laughed during a July '08 interview with MTV News. "Hopefully, people will see it and say, 'Oh, yeah, they can kind of do that, maybe we'll give them an easier time.' "

Seeking to attract some action-flick cred, Rogen recruited Stephen Chow ("Kung Fu Hustle") both to direct and to star as Kato. Seeking as well to establish himself as a believable superhero, Rogen hit the gym and began to shed a lot of weight.

Then, just like that, Chow was gone as director. And Rogen was screwed. But he and Sony Pictures regrouped, signed Gondry and pushed forward with the project.

You're Perfect, Now Change
Nothing, it seemed, would come easy for "Green Hornet." In summer '09, the film's release date was pushed back from June 25 to July 9, 2010. Then Chow skipped out on playing Kato. And then Nicolas Cage, who was set to play the film's main villain, ditched the production too. The release was once again pushed back, this time to winter 2010. "Every possible obstacle came in our way at one point or another, to the point that it really just got ridiculous," Rogen told us later.

The crew again regrouped, signing Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz to play the villain, alongside Jay Chou as Kato and Cameron Diaz as Reid's assistant. Production began in fall '09.

"I tried to be very precise," Gondry told MTV News during the South by Southwest Film Festival last March. "I tried to redefine fights in my own style."

Seriously, Though, Change Again!
By spring of last year, things were getting ridiculous. Sony had decided to convert the film to 3-D and yet again pushed back the release date: January 14, 2011, it would be.

No matter! The first official image popped up online in June, followed by the trailer. The footage was funny, eye-popping stuff. Hey, maybe this thing wasn't going to be so bad after all? The second trailer, which dropped in November, backed up that initial impression. And when audiences started to check out early screenings of the film, it turned out they actually liked the movie, that it neatly balanced comedy and action, that it wasn't, as so many Web-based bloviators suggested, the worst movie in the history of the world.

"It is nice that people actually have to base their assumptions on the movie now and not just what they think the movie is going to be like," Rogen laughed.

Check out everything we've got on "The Green Hornet."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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'Jersey Shore' High Five: Snooki Hides In A Bush

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 06:58 AM PST

Also, Vinny demonstrates why he's our 'MVP' of the week.
By Jim Cantiello


Snooki on Thursday's episode of "Jersey Shore"
Photo: MTV

Ronnie and Sammi went to church this week on "Jersey Shore" "to relieve their sins." I didn't know being boring and ruining a reality TV show was a sin. But if it is, sweetheart, you're going to hell. Still, it wasn't all boring by any stretch. Here are my five favorite moments from Thursday's episode, below and in the embedded video:

5. Who the Hell Is That?!
This episode picked right up where we left off in the premiere: in a tornado of fingernails and hair extensions. As Sammi and JWoww clawed at each other, we met two new housemates. (Funny, they didn't look very Italian to me!) The burly security guards didn't stay long but they did help break up that catfight.

4. Spray It
And then it was time to go clubbing, yo! As the guys reached for the T-shirts, the girls grabbed the hairspray. "It's a good thing none of us have asthma," JWoww pointed out.

Or an ozone layer. F--- the environment!

3. MVP
While trying to fashion a giant hose in order to save a kickball for Snooki and Deena — don't ask — Vinny revealed some intimate details about his failed hookup with Snooki.

OK, seriously, between that scene, his stalker at the club, his executing a "robbery" against the Situation, and his playful conversation with JWoww about Deena's breasts, Vinny, you're our MVP of the week.

2. 'Can You Believe This Mother----er?'
So Ron cheated on girlfriend Sammi in Miami and lied about it. JWoww and Snooki tell their pal about Ron's cheating ways (in an admittedly stupid way), but she stays with him anyway. He turns Sam against all her female friends, and then when she's depressed about not having any friends because he helped destroy all those relationships, he gets angry at her for being depressed and not wanting to hang out with her estranged friends who are now her mortal enemies? Oh, NO. Can you believe this mother----er?

1. Snooki Bush
At the club, Snooki snuck off to be one with nature ... literally. "Who goes and hides in a bush?" she asked rhetorically. "Only me. I don't care. I'll pee in a bush, I'll poop in a bush, I'll hide in a bush."

Wait. Did she just take a dump in that bush?!!

Don't miss "Jersey Shore," airing Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Tyga Says He Has 'Recipe' For Success Now

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 07:59 AM PST

'I had to sit back and see what the people really wanted from me,' one of MTV News' 11 for '11 says.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Shaheem Reid


Tyga
Photo: MTV News

Not only does Tyga have to leapfrog other upstarts to get his voice heard, but the Los Angeles lyricist has also had to wait in line for his own crew members — Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj — to put out their albums.

Patience, however, has never been a problem for the Young Money MC. The 21-year-old rapper first rose to prominence in 2008 with "Coconut Juice," his single that featured cousin Travie McCoy.

Now, two years later, his records "I'm On It" and "Really Raw" are setting the table for his sophomore set, the forthcoming Careless World. The tracks are proof that his time on the bench was well-served, and also the reason he's been tapped as one of MTV News' 11 for '11.

"It took some time. I had to re-evaluate myself," Tyga told MTV News. "How I wanted to portray my image, how I wanted my music to be sent out and the message I was trying to say. I had to really sit back. I had a chance in the beginning when I first started, but I had to sit back and see what the people really wanted from me. And now I have that recipe, and I'm just perfecting it."

Part of that progress took place in 2009, he said, when he released nine mixtapes during the span of 12 months. Tyga said he listened to the material and realized he was beginning to mature; the results were evident on his verses for Young Money's "BedRock" and "Roger That."

Watching Lil Wayne work on Tha Carter III didn't hurt either.

"It's always the same approach," Tyga said of his creative process. "But once you exercise that skill once, you do it so much, it comes to you way faster. That's how I can see how Wayne can go in there and do a verse and a song in 15 minutes. Certain beats speak to you faster. I think my album is gonna have some of the biggest records you heard from me. It's definitely my best work to date. It's inside my life and the person that I am. It's showing everybody else that I'm just like them and connecting with them."

Check out MTV News' 11 for '11 — actors, musicians and TV stars who are about to have a huge year — all week long.

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'Jersey Shore' Star Sammi: 'Nobody's Hard To Fight With In That House'

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 07:59 AM PST

'Winning isn't everything, but I'm proud of standing up,' Sammi says of coming to blows with housemates like JWoww.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Jim Cantiello


Sammi
Photo: MTV News

Last week's "Jersey Shore" premiere ended with a mid-punch cliffhanger as Sammi and JWoww went at each other, grabbing fistfuls of hair extensions and clawing at each other's faces. Who would win?

The scrum picked up again Thursday night (January 13) and, as we should have suspected, nobody really wins when it comes to intra-cast brawling on the hit reality show, do they? That's not to say the girls seem to regret brawling or that another fight couldn't happen in the future. Because according to Sammi, she's not scared of any of her castmates.

"Nobody's hard to fight with in that house," she told MTV News recently.

Sammi doesn't mean that as some sort of hear-me-roar intimidation tactic. In fact, she professes to hate fighting and confessed, "I never fought anybody in my entire life until Miami." But since the cast's trip to Florida — fight she has. And each time, she hasn't backed down from going at JWoww, who Sammi says is a much more experienced fighter.

"I'm very stern in my opinions and I speak my mind," she said. "Winning isn't everything, but I'm proud of standing up [for myself], for never fighting before. For somebody who fights all the time to somebody who doesn't fight, I'm a little bit proud of myself for just sticking up.

"That's just who I am — I stick up for myself," she added. "I don't care if I win, I don't care if I lose, I'm just stern in my beliefs and my opinions."

Don't miss "Jersey Shore," airing Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

Drake's Next Act, Lil Wayne's Return, More Hip-Hop Stories To Watch

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:34 AM PST

Mixtape Daily gears up for post-prison music from T.I. and Mobb Deep's Prodigy, along with more from Young Money/ Cash Money.
By Jayson Rodriguez


Lil Wayne
Photo: Skip Bolen/ Getty Images

Arrests and court cases dominated the hip-hop headlines last year, but with Lil Wayne free and a host of new stars ready to take the next step, 2011 should bring some better days.

Drake is expected to drop Take Care, the follow-up to his debut, and the entire Young Money/ Cash Money crew has their sights set on world domination (can we also get a world tour?). There are still some MCs behind bars, but T.I. and Mobb Deep's Prodigy will be out soon, and hopefully acts like Young Jeezy, 50 Cent and Nas can rebound from rap purgatory with projects worthy of their talents. Here, Mixtape Daily presents part two in our preview of stories to follow in the new year.

Drake's Second Date
The breakout star of 2010 is working on the follow-up to his debut, Thank Me Later,: the gentlemanly titled Take Care. He's promised bigger records for his sophomore set, and so far, he's been in the studio with Justin Timberlake and the Neptunes, among others, to prove his point. His much-hyped R&B mixtape, It's Never Enough, is on hold at the moment as Drizzy takes his act international during his current jaunt across the Atlantic with J. Cole. When the pair of projects arrive, however, expect Drake-mania to ratchet up all over again.

Freed MCs
The past 12 months weren't kind to T.I. After being released from a halfway house in March, the beloved Atlanta MC returned to work, but the reception to his solo material was tepid. He scored knockouts with his guest verses on Drake's and Rick Ross' albums, but by the time he released his retooled (and rushed) No Mercy LP, he was back behind bars after a parole violation. We're hoping Tip rebounds like Blake Griffin when he completes his 11-month prison term. Mobb Deep's Prodigy, meanwhile, is scheduled to finish his jail sentence this year as well. The New York MC was embarking on a rejuvenated solo career when he was arrested on gun-possession charges. We'll be saluting him when he touches back down.

Rebounding Rappers
Without a doubt, Young Jeezy is one of the best out, but the trap star has had a harder time than usual getting his latest album, the long-delayed Thug Motivation 103, out the gate due to the slow response to his single choices. Likewise, a motivated 50 Cent, who has been busy milking millions of dollars out of Hollywood lately, is set to come back with a new album, the follow-up to Before I Self-Destruct, the superstar's first LP to fall short of the platinum-selling mark. Fellow Queens native Nas may have expanded his fanbase with his collaborative effort with Damian Marley, but fans are looking for the Distant Relatives MC to return to Nasty Nas form on his forthcoming effort, due later this year.

Weezy's World
There's Lil Wayne's next album, and then there's everybody else's projects. Apologies to Jay-Z and Kanye West, but even their royal collaborative LP, Watch the Throne, has to bow down to Tha Carter IV as the most-anticipated hip-hop album of the year. The frenetic MC was behind bars for 10 months in 2010 and has kept a low profile since he was released in November. Weezy's rollicking "6 Foot 7 Foot" is a sign of things to come. Excuse his charisma, but we're rocking with the Cash Money King in 2011.

Young Money/ Cash Money Takeover
Nicki Minaj is still in full promotional mode for Pink Friday, with videos on the way for her Drake-assisted "Moment 4 Life" and "Fly" featuring Rihanna. Then there's Drizzy's pair of projects, his R&B mixtape and Take Care. Lil Wayne is back (!!!) and putting the final touches on Tha Carter IV. The next generation of YM heavy hitters are on deck: Tyga, Lil Twist and Cory Gunz are all expected to drop their debut albums. New Cash Money acquisition DJ Khaled is also readying his first project for the house that Baby and Slim built. Then there's the rumored YMCMB tour that would place the revamped crew alongside Bad Boy, Death Row, No Limit, Ruff Ryders and Roc-A-Fella as one of the premiere collectives in hip-hop history.

Mixtape Daily will be back on the daily grind beginning Tuesday, January 18, with our first Main Pick of the new year, Rick Ross' Ashes to Ashes.

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

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Justin Bieber Hospitalized After Filming 'CSI' Cameo

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 06:26 AM PST

'He had a mild allergic reaction while they were wrapping up last night on the set of 'CSI,' ' Bieber's rep tells E!
By Kara Warner


Justin Bieber on the set of "CSI"
Photo: CBS

Justin Bieber is really committing to his acting — so much so that it landed him in the hospital Wednesday.

According to E! Online, the 16-year-old superstar developed breathing trouble while filming scenes for his upcoming appearance on "CSI."

But never fear, Beliebers: The Best New Artist Grammy nominee is just fine. His breathing trouble was apparently caused by an allergic reaction, for which Bieber received insta-treatment at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on Wednesday evening.

"He is fine," Bieber's rep told E! on Thursday (January 13). "He had a mild allergic reaction while they were wrapping up last night on the set of 'CSI.' His doctor met him at the hospital to make sure everything was OK. He was released within the hour after his doctor declared him fine. He is back on set working today. All is well."

Judging by Bieber's tweets last night — in which he made no mention of a hospital visit and instead posed a series of random questions to fans — he wasn't too bothered by his earlier troubles.

"If you could meet anyone in the world who would it be?" he tweeted. Followed by: "Ok ok...if you could be the greatest athlete or the greatest entertainer which would u be? tough one." Then: "And the toughest question of the night....fresh sheets or fresh socks??? #epicquestion."

On Thursday, he tweeted this confident missive about being back on "CSI": "Ok last day on the set as a #badass. Gonna get deadly today."

Apparently all is indeed well with the Biebs. Phew.

What are you expecting from Bieber's return to "CSI"? Let us know in the comments!

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Lil Wayne Surfaces On DJ Khaled's 'Welcome To My Hood'

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 06:40 AM PST

Rick Ross, Plies and T-Pain also appear on the Miami DJ's latest posse cut.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Lil Wayne
Photo: Getty Images

Lil Wayne is getting back to one of the things he does best: tricking out collabos with his trademark lyricism.

On Thursday (January 13), DJ Khaled's latest star-studded posse cut and first Cash Money offering, "Welcome to My Hood" hit the Net, featuring bars from Weezy, fellow Florida rappers Rick Ross and Plies and rumored Young Money signee T-Pain.

The track, crafted by the Renegades, Khaled and the Nasty Beatmakers, features the victorious, speaker-shattering, hometown-pumping energy typical of the DJ's all-star collabos, with Pain belting lines like, "Everybody know everybody/ And if I got it, everybody got it," over the steely, bass-heavy beat.

Ross leads things off, balancing glossy images of Audemars Piguet-laced wrists and mortgage-payment-sized bar tabs with grimy street operations, wrapping up with, "The Ferrari just a front/ Got the Lambo in the back/ Told you we the best forever/ DJ Khaled handle that."

Plies follows with a souped-up, eardrum-busting flow, detailing the exploits of his city's hardened thugs. "I know some n---as from my 'hood that would've rocked Noriega/ I'm taking Noriega, n---a, the real Noriega," the Fort Myers rapper spits about hometown hooligans capable of ripping apart the infamous Panamanian politician and drug kingpin — not the Queens rapper Noreaga.

Wayne closes the track with lyrics that reference his return to the game — and Khaled-helmed collabos — after his 2010 prison stay. "Back from hell, cell 23/ Tell the warden kiss my ass, pockets are Mo'Nique," Weezy rhymes, shrugging off the drama of the jail bid. He also briefly touches on the 2007 weapons arrest that landed him in the pen, spitting, "Sh-- happens, and since I'm the sh--, I'm who it happened to." The I Am Not a Human Being rapper finishes with lines about his single-minded focus on re-conquering the game, rhyming, "All that bullsh-- is for the birds/ Throw some bread out/ Got it sewed up/ Check the thread count."

Khaled hinted to MTV News last year that the first single for the forthcoming We The Best Forever would get the Wayne treatment.

"When I work with Wayne, I always get the most classic verses, like 'We Taking Over,' " Khaled said. "And this verse with my new one, it's ... I'm not even gonna lie: It's amazing.

"It's one of them anthems that I do," he added. "The streets are gonna embrace it on another level. When you hear it you're gonna be like, 'This is what I'm talking about.' It's that anthem, I got them."

What do you think of DJ Khaled's "Welcome to My Hood" record? Let us know in the comments!

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'Jersey Shore' Rookie Deena Cortese: 'I'm Not Going Anywhere'

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 03:20 AM PST

Spitfire Jersey girl makes a big impression on the reality-TV show, landing on MTV News' 11 for '11.
By Jocelyn Vena


Deena Nicole Cortese
Photo: Josh Kessler

Deena Cortese came into the "Jersey Shore" house like a self-proclaimed "Energizer Bunny." She's left an impression after only one episode, so it looks like we'll be seeing a lot of Deena in 2011 — but hopefully not quite as much as the Situation saw on the Jersey girl's first day in the house.

"You never know what you're going to get. It's great," Deena told MTV News about her addition to the house. "I'm very kindhearted, and I'm like a kid at heart. That's just me. I love life, and I show how much I love life. I'm just being myself."

Deena seemed like a welcome addition to the house after the many ups and downs the cast had with former housemate Angelina. "Me and Angelina have no similarities at all," Cortese explained. "We're very different. We're completely opposite, like oil and vinegar. I'm very positive. There are ups and downs in the house, but I don't provoke things. I just like everything to be a good time. Positive energy is a blast."

Then again, she did have that run-in with Sammi right off the bat that proves that Deena is the kind of reality-TV spitfire that 2011 needs. "I felt like, 'You know, what? I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving early. I'm here to stay — get out of here!' " Deena recalled of the Sammi confrontation. "So that's what I did. I just put my foot down and was like, 'Don't laugh at me. Get real!' "

At the end of the day, the "walking holiday," as she likes to call herself, just wants everyone to get along. "We're like brothers and sisters. You fight and then the next day you're like, 'Wait, what happened?' " she said. "We're really like family."

Check out MTV News' 11 for '11 — actors, musicians and TV stars who are about to have a huge year — all week long.

Don't miss "Jersey Shore," airing Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Taylor Swift's 'Back To December' Video Extends Her Apology

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 08:33 AM PST

Though she hasn't said who the song is about, Swift did admit to being 'careless' in the relationship.
By Jocelyn Vena


Taylor Swift in the "Back to December" music video
Photo: Big Machine Records

Long before Taylor Swift released the video for "Back to December," everyone was clamoring for clues about who she was singing to in the breakup ballad. And still, the dark-haired character in the video could represent any one of her recent exes. Swift has always made it clear that though she sings about her life, she never names names, but she did talk to MTV News about writing an apology song, which she explained was a first for her.

"I've never felt the need to apologize in a song before, but in the last two years I've experienced a lot, [including] a lot of different kinds of learning lessons," Taylor told us last year, just before the release of Speak Now. "And sometimes you learn a lesson too late and at that point you need to apologize because you were careless."

In the chorus, she sings, "So this is me swallowing my pride/ Standing in front of you saying I'm sorry for that night And I'd go back to December all the time/ It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you/ Wishing that I'd realized what I had when you were mine."

Many have guessed that the tune is about her breakup with "Twilight" star Taylor Lautner. Whoever it is, Swift felt her former paramour deserved a musical mea culpa.

"Well, I've always sort of written songs about situations in life, things that needed to be said," she told E! back in October. "I write songs about people who deserve to have songs written about them, and whatever they need to hear, whatever is the right thing to say to that person, ends up being said."

While Swift may have been careless toward the guy she's writing about on the song, she's admitted he was nothing but a gentleman. "This is about a person who was incredible to me, just perfect to me in a relationship," she said. "And I was really careless with him."

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A.J. McLean Promises Rehab Won't Affect NKOTBSB Tour

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:03 AM PST

'None of this will affect our current tour plans,' Backstreet Boy says of hitting the road in June.
By Jocelyn Vena


A.J. McLean
Photo: Getty Images

After confirming on Thursday (January 13) that he was entering rehab, reportedly for substance abuse issues, Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean assured fans that his treatment will not affect the band's upcoming summer tour with the New Kids on the Block.

McLean said in a statement, "For personal reasons, I've checked myself into a rehab clinic. With 2011 being a busy year for Backstreet, I want to be healthy and perform and sing for people at my very best and happiest. None of this will affect our current tour plans and I look forward to seeing everyone really soon!" He added, "Thank you for all of your support and respecting my family and friends privacy during this time."

NKOTBSB are set to hit the road beginning June 2 for a show at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. And the tour, as of now, is slated to run through July 30 in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

McLean first hinted about his health issues this past Sunday in a few tweets. "Thank u all for my bday wishes and tweets:)! Its gonna be a great year! I love u all and wish me luck! I start my sober journey tomm! Ttfn!" he wrote on his Twitter page. A day later, he added, "Hey all wish me luck! This is gonna be an amazing year for me and all around me! I love u all and appreciate all the love and support"

TMZ reported that sources close to the pop star say he has been "out of control" lately. According to those sources, McLean was under the influence during much of the Backstreet Boys' cruise last month. He entered rehab, his third time in a decade, reportedly because his issues were affecting the planning stages of the NKOTBSB tour.

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Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Tops iTunes In 16 Countries

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 03:09 AM PST

'This is absolutely incredible!' singer's manager tweets.
By Jocelyn Vena


Cover art for Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me"
Photo: Jive

Forget any arguments that Britney Spears is some kind of underdog; with the release of her latest tune, "Hold It Against Me," earlier this week, the singer is certainly proving that she's still at the top of the pop heap.

Her manager, Adam Leber, tweeted that the singer was (as of press time) at the top of the iTunes charts in 16 countries: the U.S., Sweden, Australia, Greece, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and Spain.

"This is absolutely incredible!" Leber wrote. "Brit's fans never cease to amaze me." In addition to thanking the fans, Leber also shared that Brit is hard at work on the video for the track. "Went 2 dance rehearsals yesterday with @BritneySpears & @brianfriedman. HIAM video is going to be incredible to say the least. More to come," he tweeted Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, Britney Spears thanked fans for all the support they've been showing the lead single from Brit's March album. "Couldn't of asked for a better 1/11/11..thanks to all my fans and all of the radio stations for playing HIAM!" she wrote. "I am truly blessed..."

On Tuesday, the same day the song was up for purchase on iTunes, it launched straight to #1 on the site and quickly broke all previous radio records for the most spins in the first day of release. "Top 40 outlets across the country immediately put 'Hold It Against Me' in rotation and received instant-reaction airplay at America's most-influential stations, including Z100 and WXRK in New York and KIIS and KAMP in Los Angeles," radio-industry analyst Kevin McCabe said in a statement.

Are you feeling the new Britney single like the rest of the world seems to be? Let us know in the comments!

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'Dilemma' Stars Vince Vaughn And Kevin James Share Some Man-Love

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 04:09 AM PST

'I could get hit by a car tomorrow and know Kevin James knows the love I have for him,' Vaughn tells MTV News.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Vince Vaughn and Kevin James
Photo: MTV News

"The Dilemma" overflows with relationship drama: between Vince Vaughn's fast-talking Ronny and his girlfriend, Beth; Kevin James' kind-hearted Nick and his wife, Geneva; and Geneva and her extramarital boy toy, Zip. But perhaps the most tension-filled relationship is the one between Ronny and Nick.

Best buds since their days at Ball State, the two are in business together, attempting to construct an electrical car engine that captures the bone-shaking energy of old-school muscle cars. But as the title of the film suggests, an unwelcome intrusion in the form of Nick's philandering wife enters the picture, causing some bromance-compromising secrecy between the friends.

When it comes to their own working relationship, though, Vaughn and James insist on full honesty and the healthy expression of their affection for each other. "I've taken every opportunity to be direct and tell this guy I love him," Vaughn laughed in an interview with MTV News. "I could get hit by a car tomorrow and know Kevin James knows the love I have for him."

James, however, worried that perhaps he hasn't gone far enough, that perhaps a full-court, flowers-and-candy effusion of man-love is in order. "I don't think I've expressed enough of my love for Vince Vaughn," he said. "I don't know if that's being an honest thing or you let it leak in slowly — you don't want to overdo it too much, because you don't want to frighten the person you love so much."

What, may we ask, has given birth to such dude-on-dude worship? Both men seem cut from the same comedic cloth and found themselves working together to hit new jokes and routines that weren't originally on the page.

"Right away, we collaborated with the script," Vaughn said. "Kevin is so funny. He's such a good writer. Such good ideas that we were making each other laugh and having fun coming up with stuff. It always makes it easier."

Check out everything we've got on "The Dilemma."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Aretha Franklin Says Halle Berry Is Her 'Pick' For Biopic

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 04:51 AM PST

Queen of Soul tells Wendy Williams she wants Oscar winner to bring her life to the big screen.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Halle Berry
Photo: Theo Wargo/WireImage

Aretha Franklin has been vocal about which leading lady she would like to portray her on the big screen, and it appears that the Queen of Soul got what she wanted.

Last year, the legendary singer sent out a press release to The Associated Press stating she wanted Oscar-winning superstar Halle Berry to tackle the lead role in an upcoming biopic about the powerhouse songstress. During a recent phone interview on "The Wendy Williams Show," Franklin said Berry is set to star in the project.

"Halle Berry is my pick," Franklin said to a swell of cheers from the daytime-TV audience. The soul veteran said Berry has been tapped to play an adult version of Franklin but added that the rest of the cast has not been firmed up. "There's a young Aretha that has yet to be named."

A rep for Berry did not respond to MTV News' request for comment at press time.

Franklin — who is recovering from an undisclosed illness reported to be cancer — also said the film has been in the works for years but hinted that a flick could be in production soon now that all the necessary elements are coming together.

"For the last four years, we've been talking about [the film], and I have had a number of offers. Unfortunately, they were not good offers," she explained. "Now, we have something on the table. They have all of the financing on one project and the second project, and he's in the process of writing things for me to approve on the tele-film."

In September, Franklin said that, in addition to Berry, she wanted Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington and Oscar nominee Terrence Howard to appear in the film. The "Respect" diva had apparently already been in touch with the stars, saying that the trio were "enthusiastic about the project and have agreed to take on these roles, subject to further negotiation." The script will be based on her 1999 autobiography "Aretha: From These Roots."

How do you think Halle Berry would do in an Aretha Franklin biopic? Let us know in the comments!

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Mannie Fresh Seasoning Mystikal LP With New Orleans Flavor

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 04:09 AM PST

Ex-Cash Money producer tells MTV News the NOLA natives 'want to bring it back to where it started from.'
By Jayson Rodriguez


Mystikal and Mannie Fresh
Photo: MTV News

When Mystikal began working on his comeback album last year, the New Orleans rapper recruited his fellow hometown lyricist Lil Wayne. Along the way, the former No Limit star also joined forces with Cash Money expatriate Mannie Fresh. And according to Fresh, he's hoping to inject some Bayou flavor into Mystikal's project.

"We finishing up his album and the thing of it is, I just want it to be a traditional New Orleans album," the producer told MTV News. "I just want to reach back and get New Orleans artists, the way we used to put it down. There's no disrespect to no other artist, but I don't feel like we have to go outside the circle. We got so much talent in our city. I would like to get some of that Neville [family] stuff on there and [Trombone Shorty]. But that's what it is. I want to bring it back to where it started from."

The project currently has no release date or major-label home, but fans should expect the collection to feature Mystikal's dance-floor flare as well as a more reflective side. Last year at this time, the rapper was being released from prison after serving six years on a sexual battery and extortion charge.

"Finally. Six years, that ain't no walk in the park," Mystikal told us a few months after his release. "I had a lot of time to do a lot of growing, reflecting and thinking and stuff like that."

Are you looking forward to new music from Mystikal? Tell us in the comments!

Swizz Beatz Says No Monster Mondays Tracks Will Make <i>Haute Living</i>

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 03:17 AM PST

'That's really just a forum for people to promote great music,' producer says of weekly free-music series.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Swizz Beatz
Photo: Sohyung Kang/ MTV News

Swizz Beatz is leaving his free music on the Web.

The Grammy-nominated producer's weekly Monster Mondays series of gratis ear goodies follows in the footsteps of fellow MC and songsmith Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Fridays campaign, but unlike 'Ye, Swizzy maintained that his upcoming Haute Living album will be largely free of Monster records.

"Monster Mondays is its own entity for right now. But will I put my first single on Monster Mondays? 100 percent. Monster Mondays, Swizzworld,100 percent. I'm gonna promote my stuff when it's time," Swizz recently told MTV News. "That's really just a forum for people to promote great music, which is now turning into them shooting videos for it, labels putting up budgets for it. It's just a great forum."

True to the spirit of the initiative, some of the music has already turned up on other projects, like the Diddy-Dirty Money track "Ass on the Floor," which first hit the Web via Monster Mondays but ultimately ended up on the trio's debut LP. So far, everyone from Ace Hood to Busta Rhymes has participated in the campaign — which kicked off in October — but Swizzy singled out his team-up with lyrical legend Rakim as his personal highlight of the series.

"My favorite song on there is 'King Tut.' Getting a chance to work with Rakim and let people to just hear him, like, in 2010 when he did it. Like, that's Rakim right there. Just to be able to say that I did that was super fun and [there's] no politics involved. We don't gotta deal with nobody. It's no politics — I'm not talking to no labels, no management. It's like, 'Yo, you either wanna do it or not,' " Swizz explained of the project's energy.

Swizz has also switched up Kanye's original music-centric blueprint by putting out a brief documentary of the creation of "Speechless," a track that features his superstar wife Alicia Keys and longtime Ruff Ryder crony Eve riffing over Yeezy's "Devil in a New Dress" beat. As the hitmaker is apparently in full-on collaborative mode — outside music, Swizz has also struck up partnerships with Reebok and luxury car company Aston Martin — he also got the production pupils from his New York University class in on the Monster Monday action.

"Then taking it to what I did with my wife with the documentary with her and Eve, taking a whole other side and adding a documentary vibe to it. The biggest thing out of the documentary, other than them seeing the process, was it was done by some of my students from NYU," he said. "Just taking that and adding talent with talent, it's just fun. It's all fun."

What Monster Mondays track do you like best so far? Let us know in the comments!

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'Spider-Man' Star Andrew Garfield's First Photo As Spidey

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:21 AM PST

Actor appears as young web-slinger in a new image, looking slightly bloodied and toting a backpack.
By Eric Ditzian


Andrew Garfield in "Spider-Man"
Photo: Columbia Pictures

Six months after Andrew Garfield was cast as Spider-Man in Sony's reboot of the storied comic book franchise, the first official image of the 27-year-old as the web-slinging boy wonder has appeared online.

In the photo, Spider-Man — a.k.a. Peter Parker — strides forward in his red-and-blue suit. His hair seems wet from perspiration and a bloody scratch is etched across one cheek. He's also carrying a backpack, underscoring Parker's dueling ambitions of trying to be a normal kid with a normal life while at the same time assuming the great power and responsibility that comes with being a superhero.

The choice of this image as the first from the rebooted franchise is an intriguing one: This is a darker, grittier Spider-Man than we're used to seeing. His suit is filthy and a bloody cheek appears to be just one of his wounds as this Spidey has got a lot weighing on his mind.

It is, then, a very human portrait of a boy who's been transformed into a hero simply because of one fateful bite from a radioactive spider. In that way, it jibes with how Garfield has been talking about the character in the months since he won the role.

"I realized that even Peter Parker is trying to live up to that symbol of Spider-Man he's created," Garfield explained to MTV News in November, making a comparison between his apprehension about the role and his character's superhero ambitions. "That's what makes him so special: He's undeniably human and going through the same struggles as everyone else. So you try to live up to that symbol and then you have to be OK not living up to it, because not even Peter Parker can do it."

Directed by Marc Webb and co-starring Emma Stone as Parker's love interest Gwen Stacy, "Spider-Man" hits theaters on July 3, 2012.

What do you think of Andrew in his Spidey suit? Sound off in the comments!

Check out everything we've got on "Spider-Man."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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'Game Of Thrones' Actress Says Filming Sex Scenes Was 'Really Scary'

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 02:42 AM PST

Emilia Clarke talks about HBO's adaptation of 'A Song of Ice and Fire' novels, which premieres in April.
By Kara Warner


Emilia Clarke in "Game of Thrones"
Photo: Helen Sloan/ HBO

If you haven't yet heard of HBO's soon-to-be epic "Game of Thrones," get thee to a bookstore stat! Or, for those intimidated by 800-page books, check out the network's "Making Game of Thrones" site or one of the most comprehensive fan pages online, Westeros.

The new TV series, which premieres in April, looks primed to be the next great show everyone talks about. Think "Lord of the Rings"-meets-"The Tudors" or a medieval "Sopranos." Based on the "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy novels, it's all about power and lust. The cast is full of high-caliber actors, many whom will be familiar faces, including Sean Bean, Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage.

But before we get too carried away with hyperbole, MTV News had the privilege to chat with a few members of the cast, as well as the man behind the magic himself, George R.R. Martin, at the TCA press tour.

First up was adorable and enthusiastic young actress Emilia Clarke, who plays one of the most dynamic and unknowingly dangerous characters in the series, Daenerys Targaryen (pronounced Dan-AIR-ee-us Tar-GAR-ee-en). Without giving away too much, Dany (as she is commonly called) is one of many characters who are involved in a few racy scenes, and given the fact that her character is still a teenager when she engages in those racy activities, we asked Clarke if she had any reservations about portraying those aspects of her character.

"Obviously, knowing it was HBO and knowing it was going to be 100 percent tasteful, totally legit, everything is all wonderful," Clarke explained. "And knowing the character, getting to grips with the character, knowing what needs to happen and what needs to be shown, as a young girl it's obviously a huge thing and obviously really scary," she revealed.

Clarke added that she quickly got over her brief moments of insecurity.

"You just overcome it, because as soon as I'm in the character that's it: You're her, you're not yourself," she said. "And they did it beautifully, they did it tastefully. I'll watch it first before my dad watches it," she joked.

Does her dad know how much of his daughter will be shown onscreen? Or what the character goes through?

"It was a dialogue with my mom, and my mom would tell my dad," Clarke said. "And my brother doesn't know at all," she added, laughing.

Will you check out the "Game of Thrones" series? Let us know in the comments!

Nicki Minaj Bats Away Rumors She's Living With Rihanna

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 01:42 AM PST

'We're not getting cozy. I mean, we're not getting cozy yet,' MC quips on Ryan Seacrest's radio show.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Nicki Minaj and Rihanna
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ Getty Images

Nicki Minaj and Rihanna won't be throwing any slumber parties soon.

Despite rumors that the Caribbean beauties have been bunking together, Minaj recently called into Ryan Seacrest's radio show and cleared up whispers that she's Rihanna's roomie. The Young Money Barbie also copped to mischievously playing up the rumors on Twitter while they filmed a visual for their Pink Friday collabo.

"I don't know where people got this really insane, hilarious, random rumor that she and I were living together. We just shot the video for a song I have on the album I have called 'Fly,' and when I saw her, the first thing I said was, 'So, did you hear we're living together?' and we just started cracking up laughing. She was like, 'Yo, I can't believe that people are, like, this ridiculous. So we Twit-Pic'd ourselves, and she put it on Twitter and said 'Me and Nicki at our new pad' or something," she recalled.

However, her followers didn't immediately pick up on the platinum-selling divas' humor.

"The funny thing is, people didn't realize we were joking. People still were hitting me like, 'Oh my God, you're so lucky. You and Rihanna living together?' " she said. Minaj took the miscommunication in stride. "It was like, 'What?' It's like, you can't even be sarcastic anymore. It was hilarious, though."

The "Right Thru Me" MC didn't rule out living with Rihanna in the future, quipping that she and her "Fly" collaborator could one day be roommates: "No, we're not getting cozy. I mean, we're not getting cozy yet. I mean, there is a possibility 'cause she's just like a bad bitch. So you just never know!"

The "Check It Out" star did admit that if she and Rihanna did decide to take their friendship to another level, it would be a hookup of epic pop-culture proportions.

"That would be like a freakin' crazy power couple right now in the world of females," Minaj said.

Would you like to hang out at Nicki and Rihanna's place if they decided to room together? Let us know in the comments!

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Slaughterhouse's Crooked I Says Eminem Brings 'A Bigger Stage'

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:24 AM PST

Cali MC thinks underground supergroup signing to Em's Shady Records can only be 'good for hip-hop.'
By Paul Cantor


Slaughterhouse's Crooked I and Royce Da 5'9"
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Eminem had made two new signings to his Shady Records. The expanded lineup would help reposition the company as it enters what Em described as "phase two of Shady."

Along with Alabama upstart Yelawolf, the Shady label boss inked Slaughterhouse — comprised of industry journeymen Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden, Royce Da 5'9" and Crooked I — after rumors circulated for well over a year that the rap supergroup would be joining Em. Now officially a done deal, the rap collective is set to drop a self-titled EP on Shady/E1 on February 8.

Cali MC Crooked I called in to DJ Supa James' 104.3 NOW radio show in Las Vegas the same day the news was made public and spoke about what it means for a storied underground group to sign with a mainstream powerhouse like Eminem.

"I look at it like, for hip-hop on a whole, to have four dudes come together and represent different regions and represent hip-hop to the fullest, and get a deal to where we could travel into the mainstream and take our music to a bigger stage, I think it's good for hip-hop," he said.

Thirty-two-year-old Crooked hails from Long Beach, California, and has been sloughing it through hip-hop's trenches since the late '90s. He was once signed to Suge Knight's Death Row Records, but it was long after the label's heyday, and by 2003, Crooked's contract had expired without him ever releasing an album. After dropping a handful of mixtapes, he hit the Net with a series of weekly freestyles in 2007 that garnered him a sizable following.

"A lot of people out East, sometimes they sleep on West Coast artists and it might take a little longer for a West Coast artist to get respect over there," he told Supa James. "[On the West Coast], I feel like it's a lot of dudes that's grinding, a lot of dudes that deserve a lot of shine and for some reason just ain't getting the shine. I think the door is cracked open for us now and I'mma kick it all the way open so other people can just rush right in."

In 2008, Budden (another MC with a big online following) recruited Crooked I, Royce and Joell Ortiz for a song titled "Slaughterhouse," which landed on Budden's Halfway House album. The track birthed the group and they went on to release their self-titled, no-frills debut LP the next year. According to Crooked I, Shady Records is the perfect home for Slaughterhouse's style of rap, which emphasizes clever wordplay over neck-snapping production.

"Eminem is the kind of dude that makes classic albums as a whole," he said. "And then when it comes to his radio presence, he's the kind of dude that don't have to make a certain type of song. Like, 'Oh, I gotta make a club banger.' He could do 'I'm Not Afraid' and talk about his life and still make a smash hit out of it. So he's very respected; I plan on fully utilizing that."

"We just gonna come with the same thing," Crooked continued, insisting Slaughterhouse won't go pop. "We gon' stick with what got us here. It's like when you're in the Super Bowl. If your running game got you to the Super Bowl, don't start passing. We're just gonna stick to our guns."

What do you think of Em officially signing Slaughterhouse? Tell us in the comments!

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