Jumat, 15 April 2011

MTV News

MTV News

Taylor Lautner Talks Fame, Free Time Post-'Twilight'

Posted: 15 Apr 2011 03:52 AM PDT

'Abduction' star says loss of privacy 'comes with the territory.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Taylor Lautner
Photo: MTV News

Taylor Lautner is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. The 19-year-old rose to international fame playing the sexy (and often shirtless) werewolf Jacob Black in "Twilight."

Now, he's ready to expand his résumé with the action flick "Abduction." When MTV News spoke to the rising action star during Wednesday's "MTV First: Taylor Lautner," he admitted that while sometimes all the press attention is exhausting, it's worth having his private life be public in exchange for his A-list movie-star status.

"Obviously there's the loss of privacy and the paparazzi and the media. It comes with the territory, and I know that, and I wouldn't trade it. It just comes with it. But I'm so thankful for everything, I'll take that stuff," he explained.

With filming about to wrap up on "Breaking Dawn," the last flicks in the "Twilight" franchise, Lautner knows he's going to have some free time on his hands and said the thought of it is a bit daunting.

"To be honest, I'm pretty scared because whenever I finish filming a movie and I go home and just have time to relax, I wake up and I'm like, 'What am I going to do today?' " he explained. "It's so weird not having to wake up at 5 a.m., go to work, come back. It's a weird feeling, so I'm excited but also a little nervous. I might go a little crazy. Got to start getting into that art and stamp collecting," he joked.

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'Scream 4' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know

Posted: 15 Apr 2011 03:52 AM PDT

Wes Craven and stars, including Hayden Panettiere, on what to expect.
By Eric Ditzian


Neve Campbell in "Scream 4"
Photo: Weinstein Co.

Eleven years has passed since the previous installment in the "Scream" franchise. The teens that the Weinstein Company is hoping to entice to see the new sequel were probably more keen back in 2000 on watching SpongeBob SquarePants chillax in an underwater pineapple than Ghostface bloodily terrorize Woodsboro.

Yet the challenge facing "Scream 4" is hardly unique in Hollywood. Nineteen years passed between "Indiana Jones" flicks, and "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" still raked in nearly $800 million worldwide in 2008. Will audiences still care about the ongoing tale of Sidney Prescott and a knife-wielding psycho? We have a feeling they will. MTV News certainly does, which is why we've been closely watching the production since word of the project first surfaced in 2008 and can now present our "Scream 4" cheat sheet: everything you need to know about the new horror flick.

Sharpening the Knife
News of the fourth film broke in July of '08, and shortly after, MTV News revealed that Wes Craven, who helmed the previous trilogy, was in talks to return to the director's chair. But guess what? Not just one new "Scream" was in the works, but an entire trilogy — again masterminded by Kevin Williamson. David Arquette and Courteney Cox were reportedly in talks to re-join the franchise, though early word suggested Neve Campbell had dropped out. Cox, it turned out, would eventually sign on.

"The fourth one is an ensemble," Williamson told us in November '09. "It'll take place right now, 10 years later, and it's going to take place in Woodsboro. We'll have our three main characters, and we'll be introducing several more."

Craven officially signed on to direct in March 2010 and production kicked off early that spring. Joining the familiar faces were Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin and others.

Returning to Woodsboro
Eleven years after "Scream 3," would the next installment have enough in store to both satisfy and surprise theatergoers? "For an audience that is so well-versed in 'Scream' [films] and in what happens and who becomes the killer, blah, blah, blah, it's trickier to throw them a curveball," Panettiere admitted. "I think they've done a really cool job with the script. We've had a blast on it."

The first footage for the film popped up in September, thanks to "Entertainment Tonight" — not that it revealed much of anything about the plot. But story details had already been emerging over the previous months. As Craven explained, the film would play off the idea of "sequelitis," referring not only to the many "Scream" films but the fictional "Stab" flicks within the "Scream" mythology.

"[Sidney] has been off by herself and living her own life, and she's even written a book that has gotten a lot of critical acclaim," he added. "She's kind of put her life back together in the course of these 10 years. But, certainly, there would be no 'Scream' without Ghostface, so she has to confront him again, but now as a woman who has really come out the darkness of her past."

The trailer debuted in October. Culkin's character stepped in to explain the new rules: the kill has to be more extreme (cue woman plummeting to her demise atop news truck), virgins aren't safe (cut to Ghostface chasing scantily clad virgin around bedroom), and the killer should be filming his handiwork (see Cox discovering camcorder prior to run-in with Ghostface). A second trailer arrived in January, giving us more screams and more near-kills. The question, of course, remains ...

Who's the Killer?
No one in the cast will cop to the murders just yet. "My character is not the killer, because she knows horror movies too well," Panettiere argued when we caught up with her recently. "She knows how they work, and she's too terrified in that scene in the preview."

"My character is not the killer because she's Sidney Prescott," Campbell added.

Said Aimee Teegarden, "Why am I not the killer? I'm not the killer because I have great hair in the movie. And if you have great hair, you don't die — bottom line."

Whoever the killer ends up being, we have not seen the last of Ghostface. "Scream 4" is only the first flick in the new planned trilogy. So where does the franchise go from here?

"It's a process that I think all of us go through, trying to stay fresh and not repeating our last acts," Craven told us. "What is next? What thoughts are in my mind that are original, thoughts that even surprise me, as opposed to looking up and going, 'Oh, I guess I can do one of those. I guess I can make a zombie movie!' We just need to keep it fresh and, in a sense, inspired. The thought that you can't even intellectually sit down necessarily and come up with something, but then a thought comes and hits you in the middle of the shower — that's your deepest subconscious creativity talking to you."

Check out everything we've got on "Scream 4."

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

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Nirvana Exhibit Leads Fans Through Band's Humble Start, Meteoric Rise

Posted: 15 Apr 2011 03:52 AM PDT

'Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses' opens Saturday in Seattle.
By Gil Kaufman


Nirvana's Kurt Cobain in the early '90s
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

SEATTLE — It's fitting that on Monday morning, the inside of the "Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses" exhibit at the Experience Music Project in this Northwestern music mecca looked much like the band's music sounded: messy, splintered into 1,000 pieces, all over the place, yet somehow meticulously together and beautifully chaotic.

Museum workers inside this gleaming temple to the enduring influence of the city and region's musical heritage were in a mad scramble to get the first-of-its-kind exhibition of Nirvana artifacts into shape for Saturday's opening. Glass display cases with spots destined to feature one-of-a-kind treasures stood empty, while others were already fitted with touchstone effects. Among them were the iconic green sweater worn by late singer Kurt Cobain in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, the hastily drawn-up recording contract with Sub Pop Records promising the group $600 for their first album and a then-princely $12,000 for their second and a variety of smashed guitars from pivotal points in the band's career.

But curator Jacob McMurray cautioned that "Taking Punk to the Masses" is much more than a deification of already grunge-sainted late singer Cobain. "One of the things that was really important to me is that it isn't a novel that I'm writing," he said. "It isn't about me or EMP, so I wanted to make sure through the oral-history quotes and the video that it's all being told as much as possible through the primary sources."

Check out photos of Kurt Cobain's art, broken guitars and more on exhibit.

Like so many projects at the EMP, the 225-piece Nirvana show leans heavily on videotaped interviews with the musicians, producers, artists and scene-makers who contributed to and influenced the music that would, in turn, influence Nirvana. Giant iPod-like touch-pad video kiosks feature dozens of vintage posters, fanzines and artwork chronicling punk scenes from Minneapolis, Los Angeles and New York that helped set the groundwork for Nirvana, as well as more than 100 oral histories of little-known local, regional and national bands like Ze Whiz Kidz, the Tupperwares, the Lewd and U Men who stirred dozens of local future notables to take up instruments.

The exhibition — which will run two years and then may tour the country — opens with a trio of images of Nirvana in their prime and spotlights one of drummer Dave Grohl's Tama drum kits from 1993-'94, with a note about how he hit the skins so hard that he went through several kits during his tenure in the band. And though it was not yet hung, the opening space will also feature Cobain's treasured Mosrite Gospel guitar, which he was playing at the OK Hotel show in Seattle on April 17, 1991, when he debuted "Teen Spirit" live.

Bassist Krist Novoselic lives on a farm south of Seattle and is the head of his local grange hall, and the rough-hewn wooden cases for some of the displays are from a 100-year-old elm tree that fell on the grange property. McMurray bought the wood from Novoselic for use housing the items, many of which came from the private collections of Novoselic, Grohl and former drummer Chad Channing. "From grunge to grange," McMurray laughed.

There are also a series of iPod listening stations loaded with a selection of influential bands such as R.E.M., Hüsker Dü, Fugazi and Sonic Youth, with introductions for newbies on the landmark acts. Among the early curios is the "Fecal Matter" demo recorded by Kurt before he formed Nirvana, as well as the "Organized Confusion" demo he cut in 1982, along with the four-track machine he recorded the songs on and the bass he played on the tape.

One of McMurray's favorite pieces is a letter from Buzz Osborne (leader of the Melvins, one of Cobain's early musical icons) to Novoselic in April 1986 about a demo Kurt and the Melvins' drummer Dale Crover recorded at Cobain's aunt's house that Osborne dubbed "killer." He signs off by writing, "I think he could have some kind of future in music if he keeps at it."

In addition to one of the first bass guitars Novoselic played in the band — which is listed on some early fliers variously as Skid Row, Ted Ed Fred, Bliss and Pen Cap Chew — there is also a handwritten set list from 1987 that features songs McMurray had never heard of such as "Dope Hippie" and other rarities like "Vendetagainst," a cover of a song by the Cream-like obscure band Thunder and Roses as well as soon-to-be-familiar anthems "Love Buzz" and "Downer."

All along, visitors will hear an eerie 60-minute soundtrack created by Washington-based engineer/producer Steve Fisk. But rather than focus solely on Nirvana's music, the piece is an undulating tapestry of ambient sound meant to embody the spirit of the region, evoking images of misty forests, rain-heavy clouds and a spooky calm-before-the-storm vibe. The sound collage gives the space an eerie feel, but McMurray said even with the specter of Cobain's suicide, he was careful not to make the mood of the show too morose or somber.

You can find a sense of Cobain's droll, smart humor throughout on objects like the poster he illustrated for the band's first official show as Nirvana, on March 19, 1988, at the Community World Theatre. The striking image of a Virgin Mary-like figure with black hair and blacked-out eyes wearing a white robe and bleeding from her left hand features the legend, "Hey Kids! Don't buy a gram this week-end, come see a Revelation in Progress. It will be a gosh darn ... HEALING EXPLOSION."

You'll also find the first Nirvana demo tape recorded by famed grunge producer Jack Endino in January 1988 for $152.44, featuring nine-and-a-half songs including later Bleach tracks such as "Floyd the Barber" and "Paper Cuts." Why nine and a half? Because the tape ran out in the middle of the session for "Pen Cap Chew," and the guys were so broke they couldn't afford to buy another reel.

"These are a couple of road boxes from a Nirvana tour that people can get a little magic from and one of the In Utero angels will be standing up here," McMurray said, pointing to a pair of black road cases that are among the rare objects in the collection that fans will be able to lay their hands on. But it isn't just a visual and audio treat; there is also a booth in the back where visitors can record their own memories or tributes to the band, which will then be integrated into a moving wall of voices projected outside the booth.

One of McMurray's favorite pieces is the first guitar Cobain ever broke at a show, an instrument splintered at the end of a Halloween gig at Evergreen Community College in October 1988. "They played in the living room, and there's basically 50 people there," McMurray said. "The Sub Pop single had just come out the month before, but somebody is so psyched about this band that no one knows that they kept the guitar and sold it to us a decade later."

The same case will contain a sliver of the same guitar loaned by another fan and a letter from a fan who wrote excitedly to his sister at 3:30 a.m. that night to tell her, "Dana, if you thought that they played great on Friday night [at Union Station with the Butthole Surfers] you should have seen them tonight ... Kurt smashed his guitar as a grand finale!" Included is an illustration from the fan of the room where the band played. "To me that is really important, to have that connection between the band and the fans. ... The band is only as good as that connection to the fans," McMurray said, noting that Novoselic also recorded an audio guide for the entire show.

The chronological depiction of the band's slow and then meteoric rise takes pit stops at some of the other humorous moments in their story, including a classic note from the art director at the band's major-label home, DGC, wondering if Cobain wanted him to airbrush out the penis on the child who was photographed for the cover of Nevermind. "If anyone has a problem with his di-- we can remove it," scrawled DGC art director Robert Fisher, which sits next to a photo-booth image of the band just before they got kicked out of their own record-release party for starting a food fight.

The trip ends with a copy of a ticket from their final show in Munich, Germany, on March 1, 1994, and the set list from the "MTV Unplugged" shoot in November 1993, which aired just four months before Cobain's suicide in April 1994.

"I think people are really excited that we're doing this serious exhibition that really is focusing on the band ... because I feel like most things have been about Kurt and the myth," McMurray said. "Which is a whole different story."

Check out our series of blog posts on objects from the Nirvana exhibit.

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Shay Mitchell Recalls Getting Caught Clubbing, On 'When I Was 17'

Posted: 15 Apr 2011 03:52 AM PDT

Episode, also featuring Jeremih and Ashley Fink, airs Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.
By Sterling Wong


Shay Mitchell on "When I Was 17"
Photo: MTV News

It's almost a quintessential American high school rite of passage: Get a fake ID, and sneak into clubs with your girlfriends for the night of your lives. That was certainly the plan for Shay Mitchell, but it all went horribly wrong, as the "Pretty Little Liars" star shares on this week's "When I Was 17."

"I would say I was a pretty good girl, but there happened to be this one night when a group of my friends decided to go out to this club. Of course, we weren't of age, so we snuck out, and I think each of us told our parents that we were staying at the other person's house," Shay recalls.

With their alibis settled, Shay and her girlfriends headed downtown and successfully entered a club with their fake IDs.

"We were dancing and having the best time ever. All of a sudden, I'm dancing with some really cute guy, and I feel a tap on my shoulder," Shay continues. "I turned around, and this person says, 'Can I have this dance?' "

And who was this mystery man asking her for a dance? Turns out, it was her father.

"I was in complete shock. Never in a million years would I have thought he would've come and find us," she says.

Her friend, Jody, explains how Mr. Mitchell managed to sleuth out their location: "[He] found out because my mum had called their house because she thought we were there. No one answered, and I guess all the parents put the pieces of the puzzle together."

Shay describes the hilariously pathetic way she and her friends made their exit. "We walked out the club like sad little ducklings with our heads down," she remembers.

Of course, there were serious consequences for Shay after that night. She was grounded for two weeks, and also had her car keys taken away. But she learned her lesson for sure.

"I definitely didn't ever do that again," she says.

"When I Was 17" — this week featuring Jeremih, Shay Mitchell and Ashley Fink — airs Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.

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Paul McDonald Eliminated From 'American Idol'

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 06:35 AM PDT

Haley Reinhart and Stefano Langone join him in the bottom three.
By Gil Kaufman


Paul McDonald
Photo: FOX

Movie night was not kind to many of the final eight on "American Idol." Despite raves from the judges, the general consensus outside the IdolDome was that there wasn't a whole lot to cheer for and that Randy, Steven and Jennifer hadn't learned the harsh lessons of ToscanoGate, i.e., they were still treating all the contestants like they were already superstars and giving each one a gold star for effort.

One of their favorites among a group of favorites, picker-and-grinner Paul McDonald, went down on Thursday night's (April 14) elimination show, marking the first time this season that a man has left the program and the exit of yet another apparent front-runner whose commercial prospects seem brighter than a number of the remaining contestants. McDonald, who seemed a bit off his game and looked as if he might be ready to leave while performing Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" on Wednesday night, took the news in stride, saying "it's OK, it's OK" when host Ryan Seacrest said he was bummed to see the Nashville native go.

The show opened with Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina singing a duet on Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum's "American Honey," once again making sweet, down-home music together. Also sounding nice together were Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart, who gave one of their best efforts to date on the jazz standard "Moanin'," with both of them working out their best scatting and growling action.

After an impressive 53 million votes — clearly viewers got the message that they needed to show up for their favorites — all four came center stage to hear the results. Sudden front-runner McCreery was waved to safety, as were Alaina and Abrams, while Reinhart made another trip to the bottom three, continuing the march of female contestants to the danger zone. Reinhart was done in by a shouty cover of Blondie's "Call Me" that earned some of the only negative remarks on Wednesday night.

The remaining four boys — Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone, Paul McDonald and James Durbin — played a medley of Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" and a chipper "Mrs. Robinson," (in)secure in the knowledge that two of them would be in the bottom three.

Even with his wild-and-crazy cover of "Heavy Metal," Durbin was safe once again, while Langone was sent back to the bottom three after yet another sappy performance, this time of Boyz II Men's "End of the Road." After landing in the bottom three last week, Lusk was ushered to safety, while McDonald's spirited "Old Time Rock and Roll" just didn't connect with voters.

Breaking the cycle of four female eliminations in a row, Reinhart was sent to safety, while McDonald got the short straw. The cool dude in a loose mood kept smiling and was more than happy to sing a request, as J.Lo asked for one more run through Rod Stewart's "Maggie Mae." In his inimitable style, McDonald worked the stage and gave America one more taste of his raspy voice and unique rag-doll dance moves, slapping hands with the remaining seven as the curtain came down on his "Idol" run.

The show also featured a performance from original "Idol" Kelly Clarkson and country singer Jason Aldean, singing their platinum-selling duet, "Don't You Want to Stay" as well as Rihanna, who sang a dramatic rendition of her ballad "California King Bed."

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, 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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Taylor Lautner Talks Kissing Lily Collins In 'Abduction'

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 11:06 PM PDT

'If you're in the moment and you are literally living these characters, you forget about everything else,' he tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Taylor Lautner
Photo: MTV News

Taylor Lautner joked with MTV News during Wednesday's "MTV First: Taylor Lautner" interview that kissing his "Abduction" co-star Lily Collins was "so unfortunate."

After laughing off his kissing scenes with the rising star, he admitted that he actually felt quite comfortable getting romantic with her.

"I mean, I think it depends. It depends on the person and your vibe together, 'cause sometimes it can totally be awkward," he explained. "But if you're in the moment and you are literally living these characters, you forget about everything else, then it's fine. It was totally fine."

Recently, Collins spoke to MTV News about her "Twilight"-hunk co-star and had nothing but praise for the 19-year-old actor. She even teased that, while he's not as shirtless in this film as he is in "The Twilight Saga," there are definitely "some steamy moments in the movie."

She added: "There is romance, but it's also partners-in-crime, we're going through everything together."

Lautner said that while the two were relative strangers when they began shooting the action film, Collins became his rock onscreen. "I didn't know her very well. I had met her a couples times, but she blew me away. She was awesome," he explained. "She's extremely talented. Whenever [my character] Nathan crumbles, she has to always be there to support him. And she was."

So what was it like to play someone other than Jacob Black? "It's a great story, it's a great character, there are a lot of great characters, there's a lot of action, it's fun," Lautner said after debuting the "Abduction" trailer on MTV. "Also, I knew it was going to be challenging, so I was looking forward to that."

Check out everything we've got on "Abduction."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Ke$ha Says Her Own Britney-Style All-Girl Tour Will Be All Guys

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 08:54 AM PDT

'Blow' singer is psyched for the summer leg of her Get $leazy Tour with Spank Rock, LMFAO.
By Gil Kaufman


Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

There's certainly something to be said for girl power. Ke$ha felt it when she hit the road with Rihanna last year, when the two apparently engaged in a variety of high jinks, including some alleged backstage pillow fights.

But when MTV News caught up with the glitter-soaked party girl on Wednesday just hours before her show at New York's Roseland Ballroom and asked her who she might bring along if she were able to put together a Britney Spears-style all-girl tour, Ke$ha didn't hesitate to name her posse.

Sitting cross-legged on a couch in black tights, black cowboy boots, black leather gloves and sleeveless black rocker T-shirt, Ke$ha told us that her all-girl lineup would actually be, well, all guys. "All-girl fantasy tour?" she said, staring up at the ceiling for a moment and contemplating the idea. "I mean, I play nice with chicks. I actually put together my personal fantasy tour and I just announced the second leg of my Get $leazy Tour and that's gonna be: me and LMFAO and Spank Rock."

And while the upcoming outing will be light on the estrogen — much like the first leg of her $leazy tour, on which she is sharing the stage with party-rap dude Beardo — Ke$ha insisted that it still will offer what her fans have come to expect from her shows. "It's not an all-girls tour, but it's gonna be f---ing sleazy," she maintained.

That macho vibe has been on display during to the winding-down first leg of the $leazy fest, which Ke$ha has nicknamed the "I Can Do Whatever We Want Tour." So, what kind of perks come with being a first-time headliner? "Blasting glitter violently at people, even if they don't want it," said Ke$ha. "It's like they don't even have a choice. It is a little volatile, but I do it anyways. I feel like people know me for my glitter and I don't want to disappoint."

Are you planning to see Ke$ha on the next leg of her Get Sleazy tour? Tell us in the comments.

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Rihanna Brings Her 'California King Bed' To 'American Idol'

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 06:39 AM PDT

Pop star reveals that lucky fans can sit onstage at her upcoming tour.
By Kara Warner


Rihanna performs on "American Idol"
Photo: FOX

"American Idol" results nights have become quite the eclectic affairs. While the purpose of the broadcast is always to announce the next contestant to be sent home, host Ryan Seacrest and the rest of the "Idol" crew manage to drag out the inevitable with a combination of witty banter, group performances from the contestants and a few guest stars here and there.

Thursday night's (April 14) results episode featured visits from first-ever "Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson, who performed her hit single "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Jason Aldean; the debut of the latest "Cowboys & Aliens" movie trailer; music legends Chaka Khan and Anita Baker chilling in the audience; and a killer performance from Rihanna.

With her bright-red hair worn in loose waves and dressed in a floor-length, heavily textured rose-colored gown, the 23-year-old rocked the house with an ethereal performance of her ballad "California King Bed" (which she also recently performed as a duet with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles at the Academy of Country Music Awards).

Rihanna began her song in the midst of several long white curtains, surrounded by a group of female dancers in the background. She started the ballad softly, almost hiding in the curtains but eventually emerged to take center stage and rock out with the guitarist during the most powerful part of the song.

After the performance, which brought the audience to its feet, Seacrest pressed Rihanna for details about her upcoming tour and the rumor that she was planning something special in order to fully incorporate her fans into the experience.

"You always know the inside scoop!" Rihanna protested, before opening up a bit about the plan. "Right now, we just designed the stage. I'm really not supposed to say this, but I want to get you excited," she told the crowd. "We're building two sections on the stage [for the fans. They'll be] closer than they've ever been. It's real VIP."

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, 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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Ice Cube Says The New West Isn't 'Just One Flavor'

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 03:26 AM PDT

'It ain't just a whole city of gang-banging,' the gangsta rap pioneer tells MTV News of burgeoning L.A. hip-hop scene.
By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Ade Mangum


Ice Cube
Photo: MTV News

Ice Cube is an accomplished actor and director who regularly brings cash to the box office via family-friendly fare like "Are We There Yet?" and comedies like the "Friday" series.

The Hollywood-savvy Cube may be years removed from his ascent as a gangsta rap pioneer with N.W.A and as a soloist with albums like AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, but he's still a menace on the mic, releasing his ninth solo album, I Am the West, last year. But when we asked about the chances of a new generation of L.A. rappers breaking through like he did in the late 1980s and early '90s as we gear up for MTV News' New West Week, Cube said he thought a lack of airplay was a potential obstacle — but one that is being overcome.

"I'm not really happy with radio out in L.A.," Ice Cube told MTV News recently. "I think they turned their back on the hip-hop scene out there. Not stations like KDAY, they still play the hits. But some stations that got a little more wattage, they're not bumping the hip-hop like they're supposed to.

"I think if you really focus too much on radio, you'll be lost as an artist anyway," he continued. "I think radio is very deceptive. It's kind of fool's gold 'cause you always chasing your last radio hit instead of just going and doing hip-hop like you supposed to, you worrying about spins, stuff like that. To me, radio has messed up a lot of artists."

While some of the MCs set to be featured during our New West Week — Nipsey Hussle, Pac Div, Odd Future — have turned to the Internet when radio and other traditional outlets weren't as welcoming, Cube called it a double-edged sword since file-sharing has affected the music business' bottom line. And although Cube admitted he isn't up on too many of the up-and-comers primed to re-establish L.A. as a hip-hop superpower (apart from his sons OMG and Doughboy), he's proud of the movement's variety.

"I think people just got caught in a trick bag. L.A. has always been full of all kind of different talent, different styles," Cube said. "It ain't just a whole city of gang-banging. The Black Eyed Peas is a great example of how creative that region is, so I'm happy that it ain't all just one flavor now. That a lot of different flavors are getting out there. Leave the gangsta sh-- to me and everybody else can do whatever they do."

The multitalented rapper has been cast in the upcoming "21 Jump Street" film adaptation. And although executive-producing his TBS sitcom "Are We There Yet?" keeps him busy, Cube currently has his sights set on bringing the N.W.A story to theaters.

"We're in the process of writing the script," Cube said. "Hopefully, everything will come out perfect. To me, it's an interesting story because the neighborhood we came from created N.W.A. And N.W.A also impacted the neighborhood we came from. It's an interesting movie that needs to be told."

Starting Monday, stick with us as MTV News turns the spotlight on the New West, the next wave of hip-hop acts helping to restore faith in the L.A. rap scene. From groups like Odd Future to rising MCs like Dom Kennedy, we'll bring you up close and personal to these artists as they carve their own lanes in the post-gangsta rap era. Keep it locked here for the next week for more on the West Coast up-and-comers!-

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Demi Lovato Tells Teens That 'Love Is Louder' Than Pressure

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 02:07 AM PDT

Star opens up about eating disorder while teaming up with Seventeen to help others.
By James Dinh


Demi Lovato
Photo: Hearst Communications/The Jed Foundation

After her sudden exit from her tour with the Jonas Brothers and a three-month stay at a treatment center, Demi Lovato is looking to use her own personal struggles to help other troubled teens. Earlier this week, she announced she was teaming up with Jed Foundation's Love Is Louder Than the Pressure to Be Perfect campaign and Seventeen magazine, and in a PSA for the campaign released Thursday (April 14), the 18-year-old singer/actress opens up about the movement and advises others where they should turn to when feeling burdened.

"There's a ton of pressure out there to meet impossible standards," Lovato says sitting before a white backdrop. "To look right, be smart, be thin, talented and popular. And many of us feel like we have to be everything to everyone, but it doesn't have to be that way. When the pressure to be perfect is overwhelming, find an outlet. I love to paint, but there are also other ways to relieve that pressure. You can sing, dance, act, draw, shoot photos, write or run."

Lovato, who admitted in the upcoming issue of Seventeen that she does in fact struggle with an eating disorder, explains in the video that there are many people who deal with the same issues and advises fans to spread the Love Is Louder message. "If you're going through a dark period, remember that you're not alone," she continues. "You can get help and you can feel better, so join me in spreading this message by snapping a photo of yourself with the message love is louder than the pressure to be perfect."

Courtney Knowles, executive director of the Jed Foundation, spoke to MTV News about why he believed the teen star was the perfect candidate to represent the Love Is Louder movement. (MTV teamed up with the Jed Foundation and actress Brittany Snow last fall to launch Love Is Louder in response to teen suicides connected to bullying.)

"I think her story really resonates with a lot of girls. I think it already did," Knowles said. "There had been a lot of speculation about what she had been through and ... the fact that she's so brave, that she's willing to talk about these sensitive issues openly is really important, because part of the problem is so many teenagers don't want to seem like they're failing at anything, so they don't talk about this. And without addressing the problem, you can never feel better."

As for whether Lovato will participate in any future Love Is Louder campaigning, Knowles revealed that he and her team are still working out the details. "We don't have a specific schedule yet, but she certainly is onboard to spread the message and for it to reach more teenage girls and young women," he said.

Lovato is also serving as a contributing editor for Seventeen, where she's expected to write bi-monthly posts on Seventeen.com and contribute to the magazine's coverage of issues facing teen girls.

Knowles told MTV News that Lovato and Seventeen approached the organization about teaming up to create "something bigger than just the story."

In the May issue of the mag, which hits newsstands April 19, the Disney starlet opened up about her battle with an eating disorder and what she's learned since her days leaving treatment.

Asked whether she ever felt pressure to pick up old habits, the star admitted "there have been times" when she was tempted to get rid of her dinner. "But I will deal with it for the rest of my life because it's a life-long disease," said the teen star. "I don't think there's going to be a day when I don't think about food or my body, but I'm living with it, and I wish I could tell young girls to find their safe place and stay with it."

Since leaving treatment for "emotional and physical issues" in late January, Lovato confessed that she has given herself "a lot of freedom."

"I have come to realize that just making yourself happy is most important," she continued. "Never be ashamed of what you feel. You have the right to feel any emotion that you want, and to do what makes you happy. That's my life motto."

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Casey Abrams Is 'So Innovative' On 'American Idol,' Melinda Doolittle Says

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 05:58 AM PDT

'He has a lock on that jazz thing,' she tells Jim Cantiello on 'Idol Party Live.'
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Jim Cantiello


Melinda Doolittle on "Idol Party Live' via Skype
Photo: MTV News

If you haven't been watching MTV News' "Idol Party Live" with "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello, you are missing out. Every Thursday at noon ET, tune in to MTV.com for a fun-filled post-"Idol" chat show full of fresh, lively and interactive analysis of Wednesday night's performance episode and predictions for Thursday night's results show.

On Thursday's (April 14) installment of "Idol Party Live," Cantiello and guest co-host Eric Ditzian were joined via Skype by season-six standout Melinda Doolittle. When Cantiello asked Doolittle to name a few favorites from the current season, she surprised her host by calling out jazz enthusiast Casey Abrams.

"I hear that Casey is a little bit polarizing right now," Doolittle said. "I love him. I absolutely adore him. I think he's so innovative. The end of that song made me get up off my couch and throw my blanket at him."

Cantiello, who has expressed far less enthusiasm for Abrams, then brought up the fact that Doolittle was the first one to introduce jazz on the show, not Abrams, and asked the soulful singer if she felt affronted by the judges making such a fuss over Abrams' jazz "introduction."

"No not in the least," she said. "I want to make sure that when the show is over we can go on tour together. I need to work with Casey. I think he's fabulous and he is bringing something new to the show."

Doolittle said she didn't come into "Idol" as a jazz singer as Abrams has. "I love jazz music and love to do it, but I came in as a soul singer. He has a lock on that jazz thing," she said of Abrams. "I love it. Maybe [season-six contestant] Paris Bennett before then, but he's really doing his thing."

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, 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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Jeremih Recalls His Dorm-Room Escape, On 'When I Was 17'

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 03:02 AM PDT

Singer learned a valuable lesson when he 'borrowed' a friend's video game.
By Sterling Wong


Jeremih on "When I Was 17"
Photo: MTV News

College, as we all know, is a time of crazy experiences, and R&B singer Jeremih definitely had his share of zany antics. On this week's "When I Was 17," Jeremih shares his obsession with "Grand Theft Auto" and the trouble it caused him.

"When I was 17, 'Grand Theft Auto' was one of the biggest games out, and I didn't have it," the singer recalls on the latest episode, premiering Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV.

However, one of the guys on the floor of his dorm did have the game, but he refused to lend it to Jeremih. Desperate, he hatched a plan. "This one night, I actually went to his room. I knocked and he was asleep. I saw the game and I opened his PlayStation, and bang, I got the game and tried to tiptoe out."

Jeremih then spent the next hour and a half happily playing his beloved game, but the fun was short-lived: The guy's roommate showed up at his door asking for the game back.

"He was like, 'Man, I know you're in there! Give me my game!' " Jeremih recalls. "I didn't say anything. I acted like I wasn't in there."

Perhaps Jeremih thought his troubles would go away in the morning, but he thought wrong. When he woke up and tried to get out of his dorm room, he realized he couldn't. His door had been glued shut.

"I'm like, 'Yo, what's going on?' So this whole time I'm beating on my door for hours, and I literally heard people walking past laughing, like, 'Why is this dude knocking to get out of his dorm?' " Jeremih shares.

And this is where the story gets crazier: "I didn't have another choice, so I looked at the window. I was on the third floor, and luckily there was nothing but bushes, so I put on four coats, and that's it. If I'm going, I'm going. I jumped out and landed right on the bushes."

"When I Was 17" — this week featuring Jeremih, Shay Mitchell and Ashley Fink — airs on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.

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Joachim Garraud Set To Bring <i>Invasion 2011</i> To Coachella

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 02:44 AM PDT

David Guetta's ex-producer also talks to MTV News about teaming up with Perry Farrell for Lollapalooza.
By Adam Stewart


Joachim Garraud
Photo: Getty Images

If you're familiar with David Guetta, then you're probably already familiar with Frenchman Joachim Garraud — even if you didn't know it. In fact, Garraud's largely responsible for what is widely considered a house music primer for today's aficionados: Guetta's 2002 mega-smash album, Just a Little More Love.

Guetta fans also may be unaware that Garraud co-produced and wrote many of the album's marquee tracks, including the title cut and "Love Don't Let Me Go." But Garraud's hits don't stop there. Joachim is also responsible for the '04 club smash "The World Is Mine" and, perhaps most notably, one of the first and biggest club-friendly tracks to hit mainstream U.S. radio, 2007's "Love Is Gone."

Now, after spending nearly a decade as a key player on Guetta's production team, Garraud has stepped out on his own, putting out his second studio album, Invasion 2011, and heading out on a world tour.

"We made tracks on production for three of David Guetta's albums, and that was a pretty long and very cool story," Garraud told MTV News recently in Miami. "[But] we stopped working together a few months ago, as [Guetta's] choice was to focus more on the U.S. market by working with a lot of vocal artists. I was not very excited about this choice as a DJ. I was thinking that it's maybe moving a little too far away from [that] area. But his choice was good. I mean, look at how successful the David Guetta project is!"

That's not to say Garraud has left behind his original style and influence. When listening to Invasion 2011, one can distinctly hear what his contributions to the various Guetta projects have been. His edgy, stab synths, the bone-crushing low ends, his superb timing and use of a wide range of effects and filters, all with the surgical precision we would expect from a producer of his ilk, bring all of the elements together for a thumping, underground, infectious set of grooves meant to take the listener back into the club.

"I'm very excited about this new album, Invasion 2011, because it's very focused on the DJ thing; it's really for the DJ," he said. "It's not really [meant] to be played on the radio, because all the tracks are meant to be massive on the dance floor."

Steering clear of the mainstream-radio crossover vibe, Garraud hand-selected vocalists and collaborators who would fit his signature sound. "I worked with Roland Clark on a track called 'Stop' and another, 'Bang Bang,' [and] a girl named Ze from Kuala Lumpur [on 'I'm Invaded']." (Clark is known for his vocals with acts like Fatboy Slim and Prodigy.)

Garraud also paired up with Black Eyed Peas super producer and touring DJ, Poet Name Life, on "Everybody Is in the Place," which was most recently remixed by AutoErotique. The quality of Garraud's collaborators and remixers garnishes the album with an array of future sounds. However, his reach and ability extend beyond the studio and the DJ booth. Partnering with Jane's Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell, the duo are bringing electro to the big stage.

"When Perry saw [my set] at Lollapalooza Chicago last summer, he was shocked. So [he] came to me and was like, 'OK, I want exactly the same. You have to produce tracks for me and produce video and produce the show,' " he recalled.

Garraud was humbled by the ask, and the wheels were soon set in motion. "We've produced 12 tracks together, and all the tracks are very cool, because the lyrics are so cool. He sings all of the tracks with his heart, so they're very beautiful tracks, and on the dance floor, it's very, very powerful."

Garraud and Farrell recently took the stage at Chile's inaugural version of Lollapalooza, where the DJ/producer helmed Perry's stage show, putting together the music, tracks, video and what he refers to as the overall "stage attitude."

Garraud said fans will get to see their set on the Chicago leg of his tour and, possibly, on a future iteration of the Lollapalooza festival in Europe. In the meantime, he can be seen next on Saturday at the increasingly electro-friendly Coachella music festival, alongside a flurry of other big name DJs, including Axwell, Steve Angello, Laidback Luke, Skrillex and many others.

What do you think of Joachim's Invasion 2011 album? Let us know in the comments below!

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Lady Gaga To Perform At MTV Video Music Aid Japan Show

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:04 PM PDT

Singer is the first performer announced for the June 25 event, which will help victims of Japan's recent earthquakes and tsunamis.
By James Dinh


Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

Just a few weeks after the May 23 release of her highly anticipated new album, Born This Way, Lady Gaga will take the stage to perform at the MTV Video Music Aid Japan on June 25.

According to a press release, Gaga is the first performer to be announced for the 10th annual MTV Video Music Awards Japan, which is being dubbed the Video Music Aid Japan this year in order to raise awareness about the recent natural disasters that hit the country and benefit the Japanese Red Cross. The international event will be hosted by Japanese pop sensation AKB48 and feature a string of performances from international, regional and Japanese artists.

The broadcast will be a highlight of MTV Japan's Music of Hope campaign, which is the channel's multiplatform response to the tragic March 11 earthquake and tsunami. In addition to the usual award-show traditions, the program is expected to feature news about the artists and youths who have been impacted by the country's natural disasters.

MTV Video Music Aid Japan will broadcast live from the Makuhari Messe convention center near Tokyo on MTV Japan, MTV Korea, MTV China and MTV Southeast Asia. In addition, a special one-hour version of the event will air on MTV channels worldwide as an installment of the network's weekly live music series.

Mother Monster's performance at the VMAJ is just another attempt for the pop superstar to assist in the Japan relief efforts. On the very same day that the earthquake hit, Lady Gaga announced that she had designed a special prayer wristband with all of the proceeds from sales going to benefit those affected by the disaster.

After two days of sales, Gaga revealed that her fans had raised $250,000 for the victims, tweeting, "Monsters: in just 48 hrs you've raised a quarter of a million dollars for Japan Relief."

Are you looking forward to Lady Gaga's Video Music Aid Japan performance? Tell us in the comments!

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'American Idol' Report Card: Who Starred On Movie Night?

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 08:52 AM PDT

Watch 'Idol Party Live' for more on why we're giving Lauren Alaina high marks this week.
By Eric Ditzian


Lauren Alaina
Photo: FOX

The question heading into Wednesday's "American Idol" was no longer why Pia Toscano was booted off so prematurely, but whether the judges would learn a much-needed lesson from her departure. Would Randy, Jennifer and Steven realize their jobs are to dole out expert critiques and sagacious notes, shaping public opinion and letting contestants know what's working and what needs overhauling?

Any hope the judges had recalibrated their critical approach was pretty much lost when J.Lo announced, after a competent but hardly revelatory tune from Scotty McCreery, "Everybody wants us to be tough with you guys, but the truth is y'all are so damn good. All I really want to say is wow." And our last bit of optimism was flushed away as Lopez, during her review of Haley Reinhart, essentially exposed herself as a judge who will place sentiment (in this case, mealy-mouthed girl-power favoritism) ahead of objective reality. In past seasons, even when Simon Cowell would confess to personally liking an "Idol" hopeful, he'd still have no problem laying down some hard truths.

No wonder, as Ryan Seacrest put it last night, this season is clouded by an "insane level of uncertainty." But there's nothing ambiguous about our "Idol" report card. The fact is, Wednesday's night show — theme: songs of the cinema — wasn't much to behold. No one bombed, but no one blew us away either. If the judges won't lay down some truth, we will.

Excellent

Lauren Alaina: We're not sure what Miley Cyrus did to earn Jimmy Iovine's enmity, but the guy seemed almost as concerned with ripping the Disney starlet as he was with anointing Lauren as a superstar. In any event, saying Lauren is better than Miley is kind of a backhanded compliment, no? During "The Climb," she struggled with some pitch problems but showed off an emotive voice and been-doing-this-all-my-life comfort level onstage. One question though: What happened to the country-infused Lauren we've come to know? We dig the ballads, but we want that light Southern twang back in the mix. In the end, Lauren lands a top grade, not because her performance was astonishing but because a) she was a pleasure to listen to, and b) there's no way James Durbin gets an "excellent" just because he shared the stage with shred-master Zakk Wylde.

Good

Scotty McCreery: Let's put aside the laughable thesis that Scotty was returning to his country roots on Wednesday, because he's showed next to no genre growth all season. That's not meant as a knock. In fact, he presents quite an interesting "Idol" model: the fully formed artist who does one thing so well, there's little reason to test uncharted artistic waters. And hey, during his George Strait tune, Scotty let his vocals stretch further than they have on the show, even holding one note long enough for us to think, "Geez, he's actually holding a note."

James Durbin: We knew this was coming. James couldn't be expected to go all sensitive-rocker for a second consecutive week, even though we continue to argue that's when he's at his best. Alas, his heavy metal take on Sammy Hagar left us feeling much as we did during his cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" a few weeks ago: tons of fun to watch, but useless as an example of vocal expertise — something he has hardly established he possesses. Haley getting beat up for not giving her vocals an opportunity to sparkle while James didn't is a deep injustice, a sign that some singers continue to get free passes while others can't catch a break.

Satisfactory

Paul McDonald: We knew we should worry as soon as Paul showed up onstage without a guitar and was free to wobble around like that spinning top from "Inception." It never works out well, does it? Paul's energy was high and his ability to pump up a crowd remained intact, but we just didn't get a very good chance to assess Paul the singer, rather than Paul the showman. We fear he'll end up in the bottom three this week; we hope he doesn't get sent home.

Haley Reinhart: Haley! Haley! Why? Why Blondie's "Call Me" and why that arrangement? Listen, we actually enjoyed it. Or maybe we just enjoy her. But the judges were correct that the song didn't allow Haley to showcase her vocals — those great soulful growls. Any momentum she had accrued over the last few weeks likely fizzled away, perhaps not because her performance was worse than anyone else's (it wasn't, not by a long shot), but because she doesn't seem to have worked her way into a permanent, do-no-wrong place in the judges' hearts. How can she possibly be the only contestant to get slammed, when no one else gets so much as an unkind word tossed his or her way? We can only hope voters see through the judges' transparent cheerleading for everyone and bullying of Haley and give her enough support to rediscover her artistic sweet spot.

Stefano Langone: This one's tricky. Was Stefano's take on Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" his finest performance of the season — a notch above his surprising showstopper last month of Simply Red's "If You Don't Know Me By Now"? That's up for debate. What is clear is Stefano showed more vocal and emotional abandon on Wednesday night than he has since coming on the show. Yet it's also clear he generally doesn't possess a particularly powerful instrument. The judges did their best to make Haley this week's fall gal, but there's no doubting who is the more compelling artist between the two. Hint: It ain't Stefano.

Casey Abrams: Did we fall asleep and miss five weeks of this competition? Since when did Casey remake his artistic identity into some pop-jazz fusion of Adele and Michael Bublé? Because according to the judges, that's who he is, and as far as we can tell, up until Wednesday night he's shown himself to be a gospel, blues and soul cat. Remember Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Joe Cocker and Marvin Gaye? It's almost as if the judges have no idea what they're talking about! (LOL!) Anyway, Casey's cover of "Nature Boy" started off slow and creepy (what's new?) and then graduated into something free flowing, but instead of giving in to the growls, he tried out some skatting (points for creativity?). It was perfectly pleasant, yet we remain confused. How does a song like that not receive a lick of criticism and — out of nowhere — remake Casey into the lovechild of two multi-platinum artists?

Unsatisfactory

Jacob Lusk: You could say Jacob showed up a changed man, humbled by Jimmy Iovine's comments that preaching to America is deeply uncool. Or you could say Jacob entered this week a pouty little kid whose toys have been taken away from him. During his pre-performance package, Jacob couldn't muster up much enthusiasm for anything. And his cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" began so uncertainly, we feared he'd forgotten the lyrics. He recovered, eventually, finding the melody and finishing with a doozy of a sustain. That big finish, though, can't change the fact that the first five-sixths of the tune was a mess.

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, 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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Snoop Dogg Salutes The New West For 'Taking Chances'

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 07:57 AM PDT

'I keep my ear glued to the street when it comes to these new acts from the West,' veteran Cali rapper tells MTV News.
By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Rahman Dukes


Snoop Dogg
Photo: MTV News

MTV News' New West Week might be shining a spotlight on L.A. newcomers, but the rapper any rising Cali MC must pay homage to is Snopp Dogg.

Since his debut on "Deep Cover" with Dr. Dre, Snoop has achieved multiplatinum success and status as a hip-hop icon, utilizing his talents off the mic as an actor and executive too. The man born Calvin Broadus has always lent a helping hand to MCs making their way in the rap game, especially those hailing from his home coast.

"As far as the New West or the young MCs out here on the West Coast, I'm very familiar with them because they call me Uncle Snoop," Snoop told MTV News. "So more than likely, they come get my blessings on a record, or through mutual friends we connect with each other, because I always keep my ear to the streets and I always love being a part of what's new and fly representing the West Coast. I've always been one to try to put that on the forefront, so I keep my ear glued to the street when it comes to these new acts from the West. I try to be a part of their projects and a part of blowing them up."

Not all the L.A. or Cali rap legends have been as welcoming to new talent as Snoop Dogg. Nevertheless, this new crop of MCs take cues from their rap elders but still manage to carve out unique lanes for themselves. Getting a featured verse from Snoop may give relatively unknown rappers a dose of visibility, but they don't come cheap, easily running into six figures. The West Coast rap legend is willing to give new jacks with minimal recording budgets a deep discount, if he respects their music and hustle.

"When you doing those types of situations, you building relationships and you building trust in a community that doesn't have no trust right now," said Snoop, who in some cases has waived his fee for a hot 16 bars entirely. "To me, that means more to me to be able to go back and give these artists a shot and not overcharge them and try to rob the bank and say, 'Give me what I'm worth.' Nah, let me give you a shot, because if we playing team ball and I'm from the West, you guys are a part of my team."

Snoop's dedication to maintaining strong relationships with his peers — veterans and rookies — has paid off, since he has managed to remain relevant in a fickle hip-hop industry throughout a career that spans almost 20 years. While the last major MC to break through from Los Angeles is the Game, Snoop has also appeared on songs from local up-and-comers like Glasses Malone, Nipsey Hussle and YG, to name a few.

"The artists are more courageous and more death-defying. They like taking chances," Snoop said of the recent surge in Cali-repping artists, who MTV will be featuring throughout the next week. "In the past, we would wait for radio and wait for other labels to get behind us and support us. But now you got artists being individually strong on they own and going straight to the Internet, creating songs and dealing with the fans one on one, cutting the middleman out. When you get those views on the Internet, sometimes to me that means way more than a record sale. Because you got people stopping they day to pay attention to you and see you do their thing in a real way."

Starting next Monday, MTV News will turn the spotlight on the New West, the next wave of hip-hop acts acts ushering in a new era of L.A. rap. From groups like Odd Future to rising MCs like Dom Kennedy, we'll bring you up close and personal to these artists as they carve their own lanes in the post-gansgta rap era. Keep it locked here for the next week for more on the West Coast up-and-comers!

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Armin Van Buuren To Wrap Up 'A State of Trance 500' Celebrations In Australia

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 12:20 AM PDT

Dutch trance music star also releasing 'ASOT 500' limited edition apparel line to commemorate 10 years of his popular radio broadcast.
By Akshay Bhansali


Armin Van Buuren
Photo: MTV News

After rocking Johannesburg in South Africa, Miami, Buenos Aires and his native Netherlands at Den Bosch, trance music superstar Armin van Buuren will round out his all-star-DJ-five-events-over-five-weeks-on-five-continents celebration of the 500th episode of his popular weekly radio show "A State of Trance" in Sydney, Australia. The commemorating series, known to 15 million show listeners in 26 countries around the world as ASOT500, warps up this Saturday at Sydney's Acer Arena.

Van Buuren, one of dance music's most iconic DJ/producers, is certainly pleased at the scope of the globe-spanning endeavor. But what has the world's #1 DJ, as voted by fans four years in a row in DJ Mag's highly coveted annual Top 100 DJ poll, particularly proud is the sense of community he's found with the high-caliber DJs that participated in his ASOT500 celebration.

"I asked the listeners back in September of last year which DJs they wanted to see," van Buuren told MTV News. "So I had a poll on my website and we got over 25,000 reactions, and I basically approached the DJs from the top of that list. It's the cream of the crop, and I'm really proud because it shows you this community wants to work together, which for me is the biggest thing. This scene can only grow if we work together. That's the idea behind 'A State of Trance 500.' "

Indeed, the long list of contributing DJs for ASOT 500's festivities is star studded: Lange, Markus Schulz, Gareth Emery, ATB, Ferry Corsten, Sander van Doorn, Above and Beyond and Cosmic Gate are but a small few of the supporting acts. At Den Bosch alone, ASOT 500 boasted five rooms, each with more than seven performances over sometimes more than nine hours.

It makes sense then that the video for the festivities' theme song, a van Buuren-produced (under the name Gaia) tune titled "Status Excessu D" (Latin for "A State of Trance 500"), features five outer-space mascots planting flags in five countries, uniting the world in one giant trance music groove. So when it came time for van Buuren to release his first apparel line — the DJ/producer recently signed a multiyear clothing and footwear deal with Quick Sports International — naturally his affable space cadets presented themselves front and center.

"The first batch of clothing that we will release are for A State of Trance episode 500," van Buuren said. "[With five events on five continents] we have the five puppets, they are the mascots of the five events. Like the space cadets. And in the video [for 'Excessu D'], you see the five puppets coming from outer space and connecting the world globally. The world has become one big dance floor."

"All DJs unite for a state of trance," he continued, "and it's not about the brand, A State of Trance. It's so much more about the trance family feeling. Celebrate trance, and share it with the community out there."

For now, van Buuren's putting out this limited-edition ASOT500 "Q by Armin van Buuren" offering of white, black and gray shirts and footwear, a collection he designed based on what the superstar DJ normally wears to "club." But he intends to release subsequent collections of clothing, for men and women (his wife has also taken on designer duties), with "On the Beach" and "In the Club," the names of the two discs that make up his latest release, A State of Trance 2011, in mind.

"When you go on holiday, you have to go to all of these stores to get your swimming shorts, to get your sunglasses, to get your T-shirts. It takes a lot of time, so I told the guys from Quick, I'm thinking about the people that like trance. I'm thinking about my fans. What they would like would be to have a one-stop shop for women and for men."

A State of Trance 500 broadcasts live this Saturday from Sydney, featuring van Buuren, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Aly & Fila, Menno de Jong, Shogun and tyDi. For more on this event and "Q by Armin van Buuren" gear, visit AStateOfTrance.com.

'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' Teaser Trailer: Five Key Scenes

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 10:15 PM PDT

James Franco's ambitious scientist appears to have doomed mankind.
By Terri Schwartz


James Franco in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
Photo: 20th Century Fox

There's still another four months until the apes take over humanity, but the first real glimpse at "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" provides a chilling look at the suspenseful flick to come. This teaser of the prequel to the "Planet of the Apes" films certainly makes us feel like our days are numbered, thanks to James Franco and his team of scientists. Here's a look at the trailer's five key moments as we count down the days until August 5.

Caesar Is Chosen
Franco plays central character Will Rodman, who thinks he has found the cure to Alzheimer's and is looking to test it on one of his lab's many apes. He ends up settling on Caesar, an ape who shows the ability for functional thought more than the others he has at his disposal. But things don't go according to plan.

Watch Out, Tom Felton
Caesar's mental processes start developing quickly, and soon he escapes after he learns to build a tool to unlock his cage. With these advanced apes set loose on the world, no one is safe, especially not "Harry Potter" star Tom Felton! In our first and only glimpse of him in the trailer, Felton stands outside as an ape sneaks by on the roof behind him.

Freida Pinto and James Franco Need to Boost Security
An ape (maybe Caesar) stands over the bed doctor power couple Franco and Pinto Pinto are sleeping in. They should probably padlock their doors, because when simian creatures taking over the world, it's doubtful that they feel charitable toward the people who were experimenting on them.

The Apes Are Loose!
As we teased earlier, the main focus on the trailer for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is the sense of foreboding as the mutated apes take over Earth. Our favorite of these shots shows David Oyelowo standing in an office building with hundreds of apes looking down from the upper floors. They might not be humans, as the trailer warns, but they sure do look threatening.

Visual Effects On Display
The final shot in this first trailer is the same as the one in Wednesday's teaser, and for good reason. The apes look fantastic, thanks in large part to "Avatar" special-effects company Weta Digital. Caesar looks more realistic than any CGI simian we have seen in the past, and that's the clincher for making "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" rise above its series predecessors.

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

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