MTV News |
- Taylor Swift's 'The Story Of Us': Watch A Sneak Peek Here!
- Haley Reinhart Says 'American Idol' Judges 'Just Wanted To Push My Buttons'
- 'Hunger Games' Star Jennifer Lawrence Talks 'Twilight,' Kristen Stewart
- M-Bone's Funeral Will Be Open To Cali Swag District Fans
- 'X-Men' Star Jennifer Lawrence Was Intimidated By 'Gorgeous' Rebecca Romijn
- Foo Fighters To Perform At 2011 MTV Movie Awards
- Swizz Beatz Says Dr. Dre's <i>Detox</i> Will Be 'Worth The Wait'
- 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Stunts, Effects And Other Secrets Revealed!
- 'Dark Knight Rises' Production Kicks Off With First Official Photo
- 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides': The Reviews Are In!
- Eminem Says He Has Acting Gigs 'In The Works'
- Drake Leaks First Song From <i>Take Care</i>
- YC's 'Racks' Producer Sonny Digital Talks Collabo
- Haley Reinhart's Hometown Supporters Thought She'd Make 'American Idol' Finale
- Taylor Swift's 'The Story Of Us' Video To Debut Tuesday On MTV
- 'American Idol' Fans Divided Over Haley Reinhart's Elimination
- Bad Meets Evil Photographer Talks 'Atomic' EP Cover Inspiration
- 'American Idol' In 60 Seconds: Scotty And Lauren Sing To The End
- Ernie Halter Talks 'Ridiculously Awesome' Justin Bieber Surprise
| Taylor Swift's 'The Story Of Us': Watch A Sneak Peek Here! Posted: 20 May 2011 01:11 AM PDT Taylor herself will debut the full-length video on Tuesday on MTV and MTV.com.
On Tuesday, Taylor Swift will sit down with MTV News' Sway Calloway to premiere her music video for "The Story of Us" during "MTV First: Taylor Swift." If you can't wait until then to see what Swift has in store for the Noble Jones-directed video, MTV News has a treat for you in the form of a 43-second tease for the video.
In the new video, Swift is in college, reminiscing about her relationship with a fellow coed. The tease kicks off with a flurry of shots: the exterior of a school library, a shelf of books (one is called "The Story of Us"), Swift looking forlorn, her band playing the tune in the institution of higher learning's halls. Then Swift tells us what went down in "Chapter One." She and her newest video beau are laughing, flirting and kissing among the library stacks. What happens next? Well, fans will have to wait until Tuesday to find out. It all kicks off on May 24 at 7:53 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. Fans can tune in to see Swift introduce the video's official premiere and speak with Sway live on-air. Sway and Taylor will then continue their chat for a 30-minute live stream on MTV.com. The singer will answer a few questions from fans too. Beginning on Friday (May 20), you can submit your pressing queries on MTV.com or via Twitter using @MTVNews, hashtag #AskTaylor. At 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the music video will debut online on MTV.com, VH1.com and MTV's International Sites in 150+ territories, followed by a premiere on TeenNick at 10:56 p.m. ET. For those who can't wait for the video premiere, a 30-second sneak peek of "The Story of Us" will air during VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live" on Tuesday, May 24 at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT. The full video will also appear on "VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown" on Saturday, May 28 at 9 a.m. ET/PT. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Haley Reinhart Says 'American Idol' Judges 'Just Wanted To Push My Buttons' Posted: 20 May 2011 01:23 AM PDT Third-place finisher also denies romance with Casey Abrams in call with reporters.
Though she had to endure the slings and arrows of the judges' criticism from week to week, ousted "American Idol" third-place finisher Haley Reinhart said she tried not to get online and read what "Idol" blogs were saying about her to save herself from too much negativity.
Speaking to reporters on Friday (May 20), she did, however, say that she appreciated the online support she got from former "Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert, who she dubbed one of the most "spectacular" contestants in the show's history. A number of questions focused on her sometimes difficult relationship with the judges, which Reinhart said she tried not to sweat too much. "It could go both ways," she said of the flack she got versus the nearly universal plaudits for finalists Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina. "I believe their intention for it through this whole process was to push me along further. It was apparent that they liked to get me to where I could be at the top of my game and get me a little fired up inside so that I come out with something that they really, really did not expect." As confused as she was about why the judges seemed to pick on her, Reinhart said even fellow finalists like Alaina would come up to her and express bewilderment over the sometimes cutting remarks. "The only thing I can try to get out of that is that they really just wanted to push my buttons, push me as far as I could possibly [go to] get whatever they wanted to get out of me," she said. "And that was most of the time fire that they wanted so that I would get all 'arghhhh,' aggravated, and try to take it out on the stage." Reinhart was proud of having taken risks early on in the season, at a time when many of her peers were playing it a bit safer. Yes, it might have hurt her initially — sending her to the bottom three four times — but eventually it seemed that America caught up and appreciated her sultry, bluesy vibe. And while hitting the bottom as many times as she did might have eroded another singer's confidence, Reinhart said it somehow gave her a sense of invincibility. "I don't like to sell myself short and I believe in taking that all in stride. 'I've been in [the bottom three] so many times and I'm still around. ... I have to step my game up even more week to week.' And it [paid] off." In addition to picking her Elton John cover of "Bennie and the Jets" as her favorite performance on the show, Reinhart reminisced about her first big gig, where she sang LeAnn Rimes' "Blue" on her ninth birthday alongside her folks at a tattoo festival. Talking about how much fun it was to hang with the two teenage contestants headed to next week's finale, Reinhart described herself as a "goofball," which prompted a question about why so much of the negative sentiment online in the wake of her ouster seemed to peg her as an aloof, haughty princess. "Definitely," she said when asked if America got the wrong impression of her on the show. "It's easy to get depicted in different ways on the show. ... The footage that was taken ... usually I'm messing around with the camera guys, we're all cracking up together. I like to have a good time. I'm usually always bubbly. It's different to see what comes out." As for whether she was angry when host Ryan Seacrest announced the results on Thursday, Reinhart denied being mad, despite what appeared to be an annoyed, incredulous look on her face. "Not at all, not angry. Of course everybody's going to be surprised with the verdict," she said. "But all in all I accepted it very quickly and I took it all with a grain of salt. ... This is a good thing. This happened for a reason. And it only means that I'm going to start my career as a solo artist even sooner." Like pal Casey Abrams, Reinhart denied a romance between the two and said the rumors probably stemmed from the fact that they were musical confidants and got very close on the show. She said they had a "different kind of connection" than the rest of the cast and when the whispers about their alleged liaison started they just kind of went with it and laughed at the tabloid attention. "We have a really, really strong relationship, not dating," she said. "But the musicality between us has been wonderful." Now that she can relax and think about her debut album, Reinhart said she'd love to do something that has a "sultry blues rock" feel, and then maybe circle back at some point to record her first love, jazz. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' , where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. |
| 'Hunger Games' Star Jennifer Lawrence Talks 'Twilight,' Kristen Stewart Posted: 20 May 2011 02:59 AM PDT Actress tells MTV News she imagines an awkward introduction with fellow book-to-movie heroine would begin with, 'Books! Who knew?'
For those who keep tabs on the world of best-selling young adult fiction and the big-screen adaptations that accompany them as we do, the most exciting story to come out of that world recently is the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian mega-hit, "The Hunger Games."
Naturally the biggest news was the announcement that Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence had won the highly coveted role of Katniss Everdeen, followed by casting news of key characters Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), then Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinkett and later, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy. MTV News was lucky enough to score a few minutes with Lawrence recently to talk all about her exciting upcoming projects, including "The Hunger Games" and "X-Men: First Class." While discussing the huge fan-following behind the "Games" trilogy, the topic of comparisons to another popular book series-turned-box-office dominator, "Twilight," and its leading lady, Kristen Stewart, came up. Given that "The Hunger Games" and "Twilight" have a few similarities, we asked Lawrence if she's spoken to Stewart about the experience, or if she'd want to commiserate in any way about starring in hugely popular book-to-movie franchises. "No, I haven't spoken to her," Lawrence said, and then playfully acted out a little pantomime scene of what might happen if and when the two ever do meet. To do so, Lawrence used a series of incomprehensible grunts and gestures that could be loosely translated as, "Hi, how are you? You're in those movies. You are, too. Cool." "I don't really know what we'd say," Lawrence admitted. "[We'd] just be like [gestures to an invisible book in her hand], 'Books! Who knew?' " Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| M-Bone's Funeral Will Be Open To Cali Swag District Fans Posted: 20 May 2011 04:40 AM PDT Mante 'M-Bone' Talbert's family has invited public to pay respects at May 27 service.
The death of Cali Swag District member M-Bone has not only affected the dancer's family and friends, but the hip-hop community as well. In light of the overwhelming response to his untimely death, the family of the CSD artist (born Mante Talbert) has decided to open up his funeral to the public. "There has been a tremendous outreach of concern and the family would like to have the funeral open to the public and fans that would like to support," Cali Swag's publicist said in a statement released on Friday (May 20).
For fans wanting to attend, services will take place on Friday, May 27, at 11 a.m. PT at Faithful Central on 333 W. Florence Avenue in Inglewood, California. On May 15, at approximately 10:30 p.m. PT, 22-year old M-Bone was shot twice in the head while sitting in his car on La Brea Avenue in Inglewood. Despite reports that Talbert was killed by a neighbor who was jealous of his success, police still have no clear-cut motive and no arrest has been made, according to an Inglewood homicide detective who spoke to MTV News on Friday. Bone was one of four Cali Swag District members, and the group rose to fame with their 2010 platinum single "Teach Me How to Dougie." CSD collaborators Jermaine Dupri, Red Café and B.o.B have all expressed their condolences, as have fellow L.A. group New Boyz. In a video posted on TMZ.com, Cali Swag members C-Smoove and JayAre told fans that M-Bone's death was not related to gang violence and expressed love for their fallen bandmate. The Inglewood Police Department is asking anyone with information to come forward and call its homicide division at (310) 412-5246 or its 24-hour anonymous hotline number, (888) 41 CRIME, or (888) 412-7463. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'X-Men' Star Jennifer Lawrence Was Intimidated By 'Gorgeous' Rebecca Romijn Posted: 20 May 2011 04:55 AM PDT Actress talks to MTV News about taking over Mystique role in 'First Class' prequel.
Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and actress Rebecca Romijn pioneered the big-screen portrayal of Mystique, the blue-skinned, shape-shifting baddie, in three "X-Men" films. For 20-year-old Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence, who was tasked with taking on a young version of the mutant for the upcoming prequel, "X-Men: First Class," Romijn's performances might have proved helpful — if it weren't for one small thing.
"It would have made my job a lot easier if she wasn't the most gorgeous person in the world," Lawrence laughed in a recent MTV News interview. "I was like, 'Really?' " "It was good because you can take physical traits, but it's an origin story so it's before she became who she is," she added. Romijn's statuesque example wasn't the only thing that initially kept Lawrence, who won critical plaudits and Oscar and Golden Globe nods for her turn in "Winter's Bone" last year, from taking on the comic book adaptation. As she put, "It was a brainer." But she gradually came around to the idea after going back and watching the first three "X-Men" films before her audition, diving into the script and hearing which other actors had been cast. "It is huge, but the movies are fantastic and I watched them and became a huge fan," she explained. "After reading the script, I really loved the script and I loved the character and I was already a fan of the director, [Matthew Vaughn], and I was already a fan of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, so then it became a little bit more of a no-brainer." Do you think Jennifer Lawrence will make a good Mystique? Tell us in the comments! Check out everything we've got on "X-Men: First Class." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Foo Fighters To Perform At 2011 MTV Movie Awards Posted: 20 May 2011 09:11 AM PDT The Foo Fighters will perform new single "Walk" at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET.
The Foo Fighters are often known for crafting entertaining videos that feel like mini movies. But when they take the stage on June 5 at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards the Foos will leave the movie-making to the pros while they focus strictly on rocking as their new single, "Walk." It's the first appearance at the Movie Awards by the Foos since 2005, and they join an already star-studded line up that includes fellow performers Lupe Fiasco and Trey Songz hooking up for the first TV performance of their song "Out of My Head," followed by Lupe solo on "The Show Goes On." The 2011 MTV Movie Awards will be hosted by actor/comedian Jason Sudeikis and will be broadcast live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, on Sunday, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. The list of presenters on the show keeps growing too, currently including Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Steve Carell, Emma Stone, Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Patrick Dempsey, Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy, with more appearances and performers to be announced soon. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" leads the Golden Popcorn nominations this year with eight nods — including Best Movie, Best Fight and Best Kiss — narrowly besting the dream thieves of "Inception" (seven noms) and the wizards of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (six noms). All three films have been nominated for Best Movie and will compete with "Black Swan" (four nods) and "The Social Network" (five nods) for the night's top prize. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 20th annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Swizz Beatz Says Dr. Dre's <i>Detox</i> Will Be 'Worth The Wait' Posted: 20 May 2011 04:01 AM PDT 'Everybody just gotta chill out and let that man do his thing,' Swizz tells MTV News.
Good things come to those who wait. So while rap fans continue to clamor over Dr. Dre's long-awaited but hopefully forthcoming Detox, producer Swizz Beatz says to "chill out." The "On to the Next One" producer told MTV News that he has been in the lab with Dre and together the pair has created about four songs. As of now, Swizz isn't sure which, if any, of their co-creations will end up on Detox, but he has secured one record called "VIP Chillin' " for his upcoming Haute Living LP.
"It's just been a great experience for me, whether they go on the album, whether they don't go on the album," Swizz said of his time spent in the studio with Dre and the songs they've recorded. " 'V.I.P. Chillin',' I took that one for myself, but I would gladly give it back to him anytime he wants it back." Swizzy is particularly fond of Dre's performance on the aforementioned song. "He's energetic. He's vibing in a way that you've never heard him before," he said. "So even if he don't put that one particular track out, I'm blessed to have the blessing from him to have it for my album." He does have his favorite, but Beatz says that he is confident with any of his and Dre's songs surfacing. In addition to the work that they did together, Swizz, who has heard at least some of Detox, is supportive of the Doctor and the album's delay. "Dre has amazing songs and I think everything is worth the wait. He's a genius, he's a legend and it's just no getting around that," he said. "Everybody just gotta chill out and let that man do his thing. He's a master at what he does, hands down." The Bronx, New York, producer has a message for fans that let their impatience grow into doubt of Dr. Dre's capabilities to produce another rap classic. "Don't ever count a master out. I'm never counting a person like Dre out." What do you think about Dre's long delay in releasing Detox? Tell us in the comments. Related Artists |
| 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Stunts, Effects And Other Secrets Revealed! Posted: 20 May 2011 02:47 AM PDT From Johnny Depp's escape from a burning lighthouse to the creation of mermaids for the movie, visual-effects master Charlie Gibson gives us the lowdown.
It's one thing to watch an eye-popping scene in a CG-laden blockbuster and go, "How the heck did they do that?" It's quite another to have the filmmakers behind those scenes pull back the cinematic curtain and explain what it took to put the footage up onscreen.
That's exactly what we've been doing for some of the biggest movies in Hollywood, from a cinematographer breaking down that epic hallway fight scene in "Inception," to a visual-effects supervisor detailing the digital creation of a young Jeff Bridges in "Tron," to a director walking us through how to build a scream-inducing sequence in "Paranormal Activity 2." Now we turn our attention to "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and visual-effects supervisor Charlie Gibson to find out the secrets behind some of the new film's most stunning scenes, from Johnny Depp's perilous dive from a flaming lighthouse to an action sequence in which beautiful but dangerous mermaids go on the attack. The Fiery Lighthouse "We had these guys come in with a full-body scanner and we grabbed Johnny after dinner and put him on a turntable and scanned him in so his likeness is in the computer," Gibson explained. "Then in the computer, we match his clothing and his hair and all the details from the scene, blending his actions and matching what he does before and after the scene. We'll have different pieces that we've shot all over the world. Some at Universal in [Los Angeles], some shot in a water tank at Pinewood Studios in London, and then the animated performance." It's a bit like a virtual patchwork blanket — a labor-intensive process with so many different elements that, in the end, stitches together to create a unified, impressive whole. A veteran in dealing with this sort of thing, Depp was happy to go along for the ride. "He's good with it. We try to be quick with the scan," Gibson said. "But he's a good sport." One of the film's most visually impressive scenes comes when Sparrow and his pirate pals find their way into a cove filled with mermaids. Lovely to look at, with their half-fish, half-human forms, the mermaids will attack when threatened. Creating them was no easy task. "We didn't want to bother with any kind of makeup or animatronic approach," Gibson explained. "And we had this rule where the waterline defined where the mermaid stopped and started. So we knew we'd be showing a hybrid, and we had to come up with a very flexible solution." "On the other movies, we were able to use these [motion-capture] tracking pajamas for certain characters," he added. "But when you have a naked mermaid, there are not a lot of tracking pajamas you can use. For the models playing the mermaids, we used these transfer tattoos where we put tracking marks on their skin and [Industrial Light & Magic] developed these skimpy bathing suits. We basically glued the [CGI] mermaid onto their bodies. When the mermaids were being played by the stunt performers or synchronized swimmers for acrobatic stuff, we used thicker wetsuits." As you might remember from various trailers, "Pirates" features a ship that essentially comes alive, as the villain Blackbeard (Ian McShane) controls the sails and riggings. He's able to garner control of the vessel simply by moving his sword, as ropes fly about and toss sailors to and fro. The scene gets even more impressive when you realize it was done almost entirely through practical stunt work. "That scene was 80 percent stunt performing," Gibson told us. "Those guys were really flying through the air. We threw some flying ropes in there and erased their stunt rigs. It's exciting to watch even before we go in and sweeten it." "When the boat breathes fire, that's a collaboration between us and the practical effects guys," he added. "We add in more fire, bring it closer to the performer. When the fire is really there, you see it reflected in the water and the people's faces and it looks 100 times more real." The driving story of the film is the quest for the Fountain of Youth. When Jack and his cohorts first arrive at what they believe to be the fountain's location, they don't see much. But further investigation shows them it's been hiding there all along — the setting magically floods with water and the fountain is revealed. It's a dazzling bit of visual-effects work, with gravity playing all sorts of tricks and the water seeming to have an intelligence all its own. To get the scene right, Gibson and his team turned to Scanline VFX, an effects house nominated at this year's Oscars. "I wanted to find a way to have the entrance to the fountain be in plain sight but somehow not be there. People have been looking for it for years but somehow haven't found it. Why did they find it and why now?" Gibson said. "We were lucky enough to hook up with these great water people, the same guys who did the huge tsunami for 'Hereafter.' What they came up with was amazing." Check out everything we've got on "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| 'Dark Knight Rises' Production Kicks Off With First Official Photo Posted: 19 May 2011 11:11 PM PDT Photo released by Warner Bros. features heavily muscled villain Bane, played by 'Inception' vet Tom Hardy.
Better late than never, right? We had hoped and assumed Christopher Nolan's third "Batman" flick was going to kick off production not too long after "The Dark Knight" wrapped up its record-breaking run in 2008. Instead, the filmmaker pushed forward with "Inception," and as even the most diehard Bat-fan must surely admit, Nolan's twisty dream-world thriller was quite a fine cinematic diversion.
Now though, principal photography on Nolan's third and reportedly final Caped Crusader flick — "The Dark Knight Rises" — has officially begun, with the production expected to span three continents, from India, Scotland and England to Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles. And to celebrate this highly anticipated beginning, Warner Bros. has released the film's first official photo and fired up a viral marketing campaign. The photo features Bane, the heavily muscled villain played by "Inception" vet Tom Hardy. With Bane bathed in shadows, his back to the camera and a freaky mask on his head, the pic offers an excellent introduction to a character not very well known to the masses but one who is cherished by comic-book fans. The Bane photo was the payoff of a brand-new viral effort that began with a muffled audio file on the film's official website. Savvy technophiles were able to analyze the audio and discover a Twitter hashtag (#thefirerises) and account, which in turn led to the discovery of a hidden image at Thedarkknightrises.com. Expect the marketing campaign to continue for quite a while — the film doesn't hit theaters until July 20, 2012. "We're very much excited about really finishing a trilogy and giving a conclusion to our story," Nolan told us in February. "And that's what we're doing." Check out everything we've got on "The Dark Knight Rises." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Related Photos |
| 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides': The Reviews Are In! Posted: 19 May 2011 10:25 PM PDT Some critics complain it's 'overstuffed' and 'dismal,' while others call it 'bracingly exhilarating.'
To truly understand the global success of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise — because who, honestly, can wrap his head around a figure as large as $2.7 billion, the series' worldwide box-office haul? — one might do well to pay attention to the slightly smaller figure of Johnny Depp's paycheck for playing Captain Jack Sparrow.
"It must be kind of nice for him to know that he can revisit this every two or three years and be paid more than the national debt of most countries," new co-star Ian McShane joked to the Los Angeles Times during an interview in Cannes last week. OK, so McShane is exaggerating just a tad, but the point is that over the course of three films (even though the last two had decidedly mixed reviews), the "Pirates" films have managed to stay remarkably popular — especially considering they're based on a hokey, '60s-era amusement-park attraction. The newest installment, "On Stranger Tides," shows little sign of a dent in that "Pirates" popularity, despite once again facing a mixed critical assessment. Its two-day international gross stands at almost $44 million, and domestically, it's expected to reel in around $100 million over opening weekend. The movie-going public, it appears, doesn't always heed the critics. Not that the pros seem to care, as many of them have taken issue with a bursting-at-the-seams plot, disappointing 3-D, and a long running time. But other reviewers have called "Stranger Tides" the finest film in the series since the original, celebrating the new characters and the carefree energy to which every summer blockbuster should aspire. Read on for a deep dive into the flick's reviews. The Story The Franchise Comparison The Performances The Visuals The Final Word Check out everything we've got on "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| Eminem Says He Has Acting Gigs 'In The Works' Posted: 19 May 2011 11:41 PM PDT Film projects have to be 'dope enough' to make him want to put down the mic, rapper tells MTV's 'RapFix Live.'
If Eminem is going to leave the studio for an acting gig, it better be a winner. When Eminem appeared on MTV's "RapFix Live", the elusive Detroit rapper revealed that there are film roles he is currently considering. In the "Pass the Mic" portion of the show, Havoc of Mobb Deep asked the Shady Records founder, "When's your next movie?"
"There are some things in the [works], a couple of scripts," Eminem answered. "I guess it's more so of just waiting now to see how they come together. Obviously it's gotta be something that I feel is dope enough to make me want to say, 'OK, let me put the mic down for a second and go do this movie.' There are some things that are in the works. I guess we'll just see how they come together." According to Em, rapping and acting have some things in common. "I think Ice Cube said this one time, that if you can rap and you can perform to the camera for singing and things like that in videos, it should be a fairly natural transition," Em said. "I know that everybody can't do it, it's not for everybody. But I did hear him say a lot of times it should be easy because they kind of coincide. You're used to doing that." Since getting raves for his portrayal of Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith in "8 Mile," a movie loosely based on his own life, Em's acting résumé has been rather limited. He's only made cameos in HBO's "Entourage" and the film "Funny People" since. It appears that besides the fact that he's been focusing on his music, Em's respect for the acting craft is part of the reason he hasn't completely jumped into Hollywood. "Making that transition I felt like, 'Oh, this might be fairly easy,' and it wasn't," Em said. "It's a whole different thing because you may be used to performing to the camera and you may be used to doing certain things in videos and things like that, but it's a whole different ballgame when the music is off and you have lines that you need to say. Remembering the lines and trying to be natural and what am I going to do when I say this line, it's different. It takes a minute to get used to." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Drake Leaks First Song From <i>Take Care</i> Posted: 20 May 2011 09:47 AM PDT 'Dreams Money Can Buy' is reportedly intro track to rapper's forthcoming sophomore album.
Young Money's Drake set the hip-hop world afire Friday (May 20) morning when he officially leaked "Dreams Money Can Buy" from his forthcoming sophomore album, Take Care. The song was made available via a post on Drizzy's October's Very Own blog and quickly began making the file-sharing rounds. Besides an MP3 download link, the post contained this message: "A song that I felt the need to share. Not my single. Just a piece of my story. Hear me out though..." Reportedly, "Dreams Money Can Buy" is Take Care's intro track. Drake's blog post was accompanied by an image with text that reads, "This is a story of dreams mixed with reality." True to its title, the song is filled with quotables clearly taken from the pages of Drake's charmed rap life. In the first verse he muses on juggling different women and on how his success (Thank Me Later has been certified platinum) hasn't necessarily made his life any less stressful. "And comfortable I sit, in manual Ferrari Italian, some fly sh--/ But it's sitting at the house like I bought it in '96, 'cause honestly I'm too busy to drive stick," he raps. In the second verse Drake addresses rival MCs and past rumors that he was on the outs with Lil Wayne and the YMCMB crew. "Can't tell ya how much I love when n---as think they got it/ And I love the fact that line made them think about it," Drake slickly spits at the beginning of the verse, followed by, "I am CMB, these n---as make it so hard to be friendly when I know part of it's envy." Rap conspiracy theorists are going to have a field day speculating on whom Drake is possibly referring to with a "top five" line in the same verse. "I feel like lately it went from top five to remaining five, my favorite rappers either lost it or they ain't alive/ And they trying to bring us down, me Weezy and Stunna, we stayed up, Christmas lights in the middle of summer." One rapper Drake himself claims he is not referring to is Jay-Z. "Hov diss? Hov of all people has not lost it ... that's god body flow," Drake tweeted. Drake's longtime collaborator Noah "40" Shebib produced the song's hauntingly ambient track, which features a prominent sample of British singer/songwriter Jai Paul's "BTSTU." A vocal swipe of "Don't f--- with me, don't f--- with me" from Paul's song is used as the hook for Drake's record. The "Best I Ever Had" rapper had fallen back on recording after dropping his debut, Thank Me Later. But with talk of collaborating with the Weeknd, guesting on DJ Khaled's "I'm on One" with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross — essentially a Drake record — and now "Dreams Money Can Buy," the Toronto rapper's brief sabbatical is officially over. What do you think of Drake's newest track? We want to hear from you in the comments! Related Artists |
| YC's 'Racks' Producer Sonny Digital Talks Collabo Posted: 20 May 2011 01:07 AM PDT 'He just knew that it was gonna be a hit,' Sonny D tells Mixtape Daily about Atlanta MC's ear for audio gold.
Behind the Beats: Sonny Digital With its pounding kick, kinetic drum roll, melodic synths and catchy hooks, it's easy to see why ATL rapper YC's "Racks" is a hit. Though the recording is slowly climbing up the Billboard chart, according to the track's producer, Sonny Digital, a few well-known rappers passed up on the beat.
"I know I sent it to a couple of people because I remember I'd go back and tell 'em after the song got hot, 'You dudes go re-check your email and you gonna see that I sent that beat to him,' " Sonny relayed to Mixtape Daily. "Now they mad at it like, 'I done looked over that beat; it could've been my hit.' " Atlanta producer Sonny D didn't want to name too many names, but he did finger rapper Gorilla Zoe, with whom he has close ties, as one of the culprits. "Zoe probably heard [the beat] before anybody though." Eventually, it would be Yung Chris, a.k.a. YC, who would take Sonny's beat and turn it to audio gold. Chris ended up with the track, though initially, SD didn't remember sending it to him. "The way I found out about the record, YC had brought it to me one day at the studio," he recalled. "It wasn't finished at the time, but he had played it for me and he was like, 'This is gonna be a hit.' He was real confident in the song. He didn't even have his parts laid down yet, but he just knew that it was gonna be a hit. So I was just behind him." Lucky for SD. "Racks," which is slang for a $1,000 stack of money, now has tons of rappers calling the producer. As of now, Sonny Digital is slated to work with Gorilla Zoe, Soulja Boy, Roscoe Dash, Rick Ross, Plies and newcomer Future. We bet they're checking their emails now. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Haley Reinhart's Hometown Supporters Thought She'd Make 'American Idol' Finale Posted: 20 May 2011 09:38 AM PDT 'She's done more in a matter of months than most people do in their lives,' said one friend of the ousted 'Idol' contestant.
It's rare, but sometimes you meet someone and can tell within the first few minutes of hanging out that they have something special. That's how people described Wheeling, Illinois, native Haley Reinhart in her run-up to Thursday night's final "American Idol" season 10 elimination show. The scrappy blues mama crawled back from the bottom four times to make it to the top three on "Idol," only to be ousted just before the finale. Nonetheless, her supporters say she's one of those rare talents who shine through without being showy, and are confident she'll make the most of her time in the spotlight.
"She's done Wheeling proud and she's done more in a matter of months than most people do in their lives," said JT Teichert, who played alongside Haley in the Wheeling High School jazz band. Brian Logan, the director of bands at that institution, said he had never even heard of Reinhart until the singer turned in a CD for the school's annual music competition during her sophomore year. On Friday morning (May 20), he described a similar reaction to Reinhart's own shell-shocked look when host Ryan Seacrest announced the results. "Like Haley, for about three seconds we were, like, 'Wow, really?' " he said. "But we're just thrilled for her because she got some incredible exposure and people around the world know something we've known for some time — that we've got an incredible talent from Wheeling." Earlier in the week, Logan recalled the first time he heard Haley sing, and how he was as blown away then as he was with her performances on the show. "Her tape came across my desk and it was her dad playing guitar and she was singing," he said of the father-daughter duo, who had already been performing together for years along with Haley's mom in the elder Reinharts' group, Midnight, and who reprised their onstage chemistry on Wednesday night's "Idol" performance show. "It was a jazz standard and I was impressed with the guitar playing, but then she started singing and she had this sultry voice that said, 'I've been doing this a long time.' I thought, 'I'm listening to a veteran, not some kid. Who is this?' " Logan tracked Reinhart down a few days later and he invited her to sing with the school's well-regarded jazz band, which, he noted, doesn't always have a singer unless there happens to be a very decent one in the school who can handle the gig. But when she came back after a few days with the sheet music all crumpled up into a ball, he was wary, and before handing her the microphone he asked Haley to stand next to him and sing a bit with the band without amplifying her voice. "She sang for about eight seconds and I stopped the band, told her to grab the microphone and said, 'Let's do this for real,' " he explained. "She didn't have any music in front of her and she sang as well the first time as she did the last time." And so Reinhart became an integral part of the band, playing at a big Midwestern competition and accompanying the group to the venerable Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 2009. Logan wasn't surprised that Reinhart held it together when the bad news of her "Idol" elimination hit. "If she had broken down and started crying I would have been surprised," he said. "Because that's not who she is. She just loves to sing ... I think her fan base is huge right now and I would be surprised if she doesn't have a very successful career." That humble, music-focused nature is the same one Reinhart brought with her to university in the fall of 2009, when she enrolled at Harper College in nearby Palatine, Illinois, to study jazz. She hooked up with the jazz ensemble and jazz band and, Ken Spurr, director of jazz studies at the school said in the three semesters Haley was with his program (before she made it to "Idol" on her second try and dropped out), he was really impressed with her chops. Whether it was in the jazz history or jazz piano class, Spurr said he immediately sensed an ability in Haley to "move her voice around wherever she wants and to absorb anything you tell her." She proved those chops on Wednesday night, segueing from a rocking Led Zeppelin tune to a sedate Fleetwood Mac classic to Alanis Morissette's angst-filled "You Oughta Know." Though he was a bit surprised that Reinhart tried out for "Idol," Spurr said he'd already gotten an early preview of what she was capable of when she sang the standard "Moanin' " in jazz lab — a tune she reprised on "Idol" with fellow ousted finalist Casey Abrams. "That was a great moment as a teacher," he said. "She did it a bit faster than we did, but she did a good job." Like Logan, Spurr was a bit taken aback at Thursday's result after assuming that Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina would cancel each other out and leave a spot for Haley. "I think she's well on her way after the dust settles," he added. "I'm looking forward to watching what she does in the future ... It's rare to have that tremendous desire and that gift. But I also know that if she can sing and play with good musicians, she would be just as happy playing in a coffee shop as in a stadium." Do you expect to see a lot more of Haley now that her "Idol" run has ended? Let us know in the comments. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Taylor Swift's 'The Story Of Us' Video To Debut Tuesday On MTV Posted: 20 May 2011 08:51 AM PDT On-air debut at 7:53 p.m. ET will be followed by live 'MTV First' interview with Swift on MTV.com!
Taylor Swift has always had fun in her music videos. Whether she's a geeky schoolgirl-turned-glamour queen in her VMA-winning video for "You Belong With Me" or a forlorn lover in a snow-covered farmhouse in her "Back to December" clip, Swift has always tried to show off different sides of herself. Now she's teaming up with MTV News for "MTV First: Taylor Swift," where she'll not only have an exclusive sit-down with our very own Sway, but also premiere the video for her Speak Now single "The Story of Us."
It all kicks off on Tuesday, May 24, at 7:53 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. Fans can tune in to see Swift introduce the video's official premiere and speak with Sway live on-air. Sway and Taylor will then continue their chat for a 30-minute live stream on MTV.com. The singer will answer a few questions from fans too. Beginning on Friday (May 20), you can submit your pressing queries on MTV.com or via Twitter using @MTVNews (hashtag #AskTaylor). This Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, the music video will debut online on MTV.com, VH1.com and MTV's International Sites in 150+ territories, followed by a premiere on TeenNick at 10:56 p.m. ET. For those who can't wait for the video premiere, a 30-second sneak peek of "The Story of Us" will air during VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live" on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT. The full video will also appear on "VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown" on Saturday, May 28, at 9 a.m. ET/PT. "The Story of Us" is the fourth single from Swift's chart-topping album. It follows "Mine," "Back to December" and her country-tinged track "Mean." As for this song, well, she explains that it was inspired by one awkward awards show encounter. "That actually happened during what ended up inspiring the last song I wrote for this record called 'Story of Us,' "Swift explained to MTV News last year about the song. "And I was at an awards show, and there was a guy there, obviously — it all starts there, doesn't it? It was a guy I had been in a relationship with, falling out, then we end up at the same awards show," she continued. "Both trying to act like we don't care ... both like, you know, chatting up the people next to us." After the incident, she knew there was enough emotion there to write a song. "Afterward, I just felt so empty, like we were both fighting this silent war of pretending we didn't care that the other was there," she said. "And I went home, and I wrote this song about it. And at that point, I had this gut feeling, and I knew the album was finished." Don't miss the premiere of Taylor Swift's "The Story of Us" video, on Tuesday, May 24, at 7:53 p.m. ET on MTV, followed by our live "MTV First" interview with Taylor Swift on MTV.com! Related Videos Related Artists |
| 'American Idol' Fans Divided Over Haley Reinhart's Elimination Posted: 19 May 2011 10:46 PM PDT 'Haley has talent, but I think there is a limited audience for a blues singer,' 'Idol' watcher Vicky writes.
It was clear that Haley Reinhart was disappointed by Thursday night's result on "American Idol," which sent her home after one of the strongest runs in the show's 10-season history. But just as her seesaw journey on the show went from visiting the bottom three four times to coming within spitting distance of next week's finale, her exit elicited very mixed, often opposing reactions from the dozens of readers who posted comments on the MTV News website.
"Haley has talent, but I think there is a limited audience for a blues singer," wrote Vicky, who was looking forward to next week's showdown between the two country teens, Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery. But Camara was just not having it, keyboard howling, "nnnnnnnnnnooooooooo," even as Angel lamented that the second spot should have been reserved for Reinhart, because "Lauren is good but she doesn't have the range Haley has." Some complained about the "popularity contest" aspect of the show or thought Reinhart shouldn't have gotten as far as she did, saying she was never as good as she thought or as talented as the other finalists, while Lorri vehemently disagreed, saying the finale should have pitted Haley against James Durbin. "Haley and James are the most talented and original singers in the competition," she opined. "What a shame that the most talented and original singers were eliminated." Dee took issue with what some saw as Reinhart's not-so-gracious reaction to the bad news on Thursday, calling the singer's obvious disappointment at elimination "rude, inconsiderate and verrrry ugly." Many just said they were done with the show, angry that a talent like Reinhart didn't make the cut, incensed that people were dissing Reinhart for what they perceived as her haughty attitude (instead of focusing on her singing), adamant that the voting system needs an overhaul and, like Michele, even madder at America for getting it "so so wrong." Alex agreed and lamented that "as usual" the most talented singer was sent home. "She was not boring like the other two and she was just such a better performer," he said. "Now I will not watch the finale because it will be sooooooooo boring with the two country singers because that's all they can sing. Haley could sing anything and sing it well. She will become more famous then the other two anyways." What do you think of Haley's ouster from 'Idol'? Let us know in the comments. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Bad Meets Evil Photographer Talks 'Atomic' EP Cover Inspiration Posted: 19 May 2011 11:41 PM PDT 'When they played me those 10, 11 tracks, I felt like it's a wrap for everybody,' Danny Hastings tells MTV News about Eminem and Royce Da 5'9".
When bad meets evil, there's sure to be a catastrophe, at least that's what photographer/filmmaker Danny Hastings envisioned when he was tapped to shoot the album cover for Eminem and Royce Da 5'9"'s new collabo EP, Hell: The Sequel.
"I interpreted hell not being a satanic place, I interpreted hell as, 'OK, this is what I've been through — you're coming in next.' In the sense like, 'Prepare for the sequel,' " said Hastings, who famously shot the cover for Wu-Tang Clan's debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), as well as albums for Big Pun, Gang Starr and Nas. Hastings also lent his lens to the inside art for Em's 1998 debut, The Slim Shady LP. During a meeting with Shady Records, the photog was able to listen to the new Bad Meets Evil material and was "blown away." "The [Bad Meets Evil] project is really special because I was a part of [Eminem's] first album. I shot the entire inside of The Slim Shady LP, which was the first record that put him where he is at today," Hastings told MTV News. "So everything came full circle. Em, with this record, was in a very special time in his life when he said, 'I'm gonna go back and I'm gonna work with Royce.' " Hastings was most inspired by the duo's lyrical superiority and used the EP's rhymes as inspiration for the shoot, which took place in Detroit in April. "The album is phenomenal lyrically. When I was done, when they played me those 10, 11 tracks, I felt like it's a wrap for everybody. It's over, nuclear explosion; it's over," Hastings said. "But I didn't want to do the obvious nuclear explosion. I wanted to do the after-effect of these two brothers meeting, and creatively bring that atomic energy." Sounds like a hell of a look. What do you think of Eminem and Royce's album cover? Tell us in the comments! |
| 'American Idol' In 60 Seconds: Scotty And Lauren Sing To The End Posted: 20 May 2011 07:51 AM PDT Watch our second-to-last recap of the season, or, if you prefer, our last before the world ends.
There's only one week left of "American Idol" season 10 (or one day before the end of the world), so if you have some last-minute cramming to do before the end, we suggest looking back at our previous "Idol" in 60 Seconds recaps. For now, here's the script rounding up everything you need to know about how America said goodbye to Haley and voted two country singers into the finale:
This week the top three got to sing three songs each, but in three rounds, two hours and nine songs, only two minutes mattered. [Clip: Beyoncé's "Who Rule the World (Girls)" video.] No, not Beyoncé's video, although ... [Jim grabs a personal recording device, speaks into it] Note to self: Memorize Beyoncé's dance moves before the world ends this Saturday. Where was I? Oh, right! Haley Reinhart, whose Led Zeppelin cover was a groundbreaking collaboration with her dad AND with gravity! But then things went from great to good to god awful, while Scotty and Lauren kept things country strong. Well, country able. Hey, judges! Care to make this night all about you? [Montage of judges: Randy: "I produced the version of it with Boyz II Men." J. Lo: "I was just performing to 20,000 people." Steven: "Lee Ann's a good friend of mine, too."] You guys are in it to w... waste time. On Thursday night's results show ... that's not Rihanna [showing Nicole Scherzinger's performance]. That's not Il Divo [showing Il Volo's performance]. I dare you to make this more unpleasant. [Clip of Elle Fanning squealing during her interview with Seacrest.] And hometown visits, where Haley fought the rain, Lauren's mom fought for screen time and Scotty fought the waterworks. But wait, did that bitch just steal a girl's donut?!! [Clip: Lauren Alaina makes it to the finale with Scotty.] Oh, America. You have no taste. OK, that's not fair. You do have taste ... for baby food! Ding! 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. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Ernie Halter Talks 'Ridiculously Awesome' Justin Bieber Surprise Posted: 20 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT 'I still can't wrap my brain around it,' singer/songwriter tells MTV News about being joined onstage by the Biebs.
Justin Bieber joined Ernie Halter onstage to perform Halter's "Come Home to Me" (off his album Franklin & Vermont) on Thursday night in Costa Mesa, California. When Halter got on the phone with MTV News bright and early Friday (May 20) morning, he was still reeling from the experience. "I still can't wrap my brain around it. It's bizarre," he told us. "I was really impressed with how humble and very sweet him and Selena [Gomez] were to me. They're both incredibly nice people. It's pretty crazy." He then described how Bieber ended up taking the stage with him. "Well, I mean, him coming to the show, I don't know why I didn't see that coming. I just didn't. I guess I'm slow, but I had no idea until I actually saw him and Selena. I went probably mentally not there for a minute or two. "I was at the gig last night, which is not close to L.A. at all. He really wanted to go and then I'm talking to someone and out of the corner of my eye I look over and that really looks a lot like Selena Gomez," he continued. "I looked to see who she was with and I went speechless for a couple minutes. I asked him [to perform with me] and he said yes. It was a little bit of a surprise because I didn't think he would do it." With Bieber's blessing hitting Twitter, the Internet is quickly following and Halter's Internet stock is rising. "I have a tweet deck on my computer and it flashes every second [now] and there's no way I would have been able to envision that," he said. "It's ridiculous. It's ridiculously awesome." While Bieber has made it clear he's a fan of Halter, is Halter a fan of Bieber? "Entirely [I get it]. I've been a fan and I really believe he's extremely talented," he said, explaining that his 3-year-old son got him into the Biebs. "The type of reach that he has worldwide is really iconic, on a level that we haven't really seen. I think he's very, very talented." Related Artists |
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