MTV News |
- Lil Wayne's 'Unplugged': Old Hits And A Soon-To-Be Smash
- Emma Watson Hopes Her American Accent Isn't 'Terrible'
- 'Super 8': Five Secrets Revealed!
- Juelz Santana To Appear On 'RapFix Live' Wednesday
- Skyzoo Wants A Shot At Rap's Great Lyrical Debate
- Eminem Sets Off Musical Fireworks At Bonnaroo
- Wiz Khalifa Squashes Waka Flocka Flame Beef Rumors
- Exclusive: Mannie Fresh Explains Lil Wayne Reunion At Bonnaroo
| Lil Wayne's 'Unplugged': Old Hits And A Soon-To-Be Smash Posted: 12 Jun 2011 07:31 AM PDT Weezy debuts Tha Carter IV track 'Nightmares of the Bottom' during Sunday's special.
LL Cool J, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill and now Lil Wayne. On Sunday (June 12), Weezy joined MTV's "Unplugged" hip-hop ranks with a most energetic performance. Birdman Jr. took the stage wearing a black sweatshirt, black sunglasses and a red fitted baseball cap with a white button attached that read "Tunechi." Backed by a full band, Wayne launched into his 2008 album cut "3 Peat" and then stopped to address the full-throated crowd. "If you got your Carter III album, make some noise," Wayne said of his highly regarded record.
From there, the New Orleans rapper jumped into spirited renditions of "Mr. Carter" from TCIII and then "Shoot Me Down." Wayne, who was released from his eight-month prison bid last November, segued into his portion of Drake's "Miss Me" with a heartfelt speech. "A few months ago, I was locked up and stuff," Wayne began. "And it was people like y'all that made me feel like I wasn't even there, so I really appreciate it." After warming up, Weezy F. took off his sweatshirt, leaving on a white tee, then turned the heat up with an animated "A Milli" performance. With the energy steadily building, the Young Money CEO went into "Fireman" from Tha Carter II and then treated fans to something special: a cover of Tupac's "Hail Mary." Wayne focused particularly on 'Pac's second verse: "Penitentiaries is packed with promise makers, never realize the precious time that bitch n---as is wastin'," he rapped to the crowd's delight. Aside from the rap hits he is known for, Lil Tunechi visited his rocked-out Rebirth album and performed a spirited version of "Drop the World." As Wayne delivered the song's opening line, "I got ice in my veins, blood in my eyes," he removed his shades to reveal his eyes and his emotion. From rock to pop, the self-proclaimed Best Rapper Alive mashed up his latest single, "How to Love," with his 2009 #1 smash record "Lollipop." The MC took the crowd to musical heights as he ran through his catalog of hits. One highlight in particular is when Wayne debuted "Nightmares of the Bottom," a new track from his highly anticipated and oft-delayed Tha Carter IV album. The song, which details Wayne's rise to the top and unwillingness to fail, was an immediate fan favorite as he rapped lines like "Don't call me sir, call me survivor" and "Weezy F. Baby, and the 'F' ain't for fear." As the performance drew to a close, Wayne took off his shirt and let his hair loose before his band drummed up the beat to his Harry Belafonte-sampling cut "6 Foot, 7 Foot." A loosened-up Weezy rapped each lyric with conviction before he brought out his Young Money signee Cory Gunz to deliver the track's rapid-fire third and final verse. Cory quickly exited the stage, and in the end, Lil Wayne stood triumphant while the crowd applauded ferociously. Young Moola, baby! What was your favorite part of "MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged"? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos |
| Emma Watson Hopes Her American Accent Isn't 'Terrible' Posted: 13 Jun 2011 03:53 AM PDT 'Harry Potter' star is 'hopeful' she can pull off the accent for 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower.'
What does Emma Watson sound like when she says "Olive Garden" as if she lives just down the road from one in Charlotte, North Carolina? That's one of the questions we set out to answer with "American Talk," a little video we shot with the cast of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" last December that had the stars attempting to pop off phrases like they were born and raised in the good ol' U.S. of A.
What started off as a funny bit quickly turned into a viral sensation, nabbing more than 2.2 million views. Watson and her cohorts might have felt a bit insecure about their accents — which they had exactly zero time to practice — but the public loved the whole thing. Since then, however, Watson has gone to work on her American accent for a role in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," an adaptation of the controversial novel about teenage life and sexuality. When we caught up with Watson at the MTV Movie Awards recently, where she was taking a break from the "Wallflower" production, we reminded the Brit actress about her time shooting "American Talk" and asked if the accent was causing her any trouble on set. "I was really nervous!" she said of the MTV bit. "I think it sounded terrible." Hardly. But she's since gained a facility for an American accent while shooting in western Pennsylvania. "It's good. Having been out in Pittsburgh for four weeks — it's OK," she said. "It's good. I'm hopeful about it." Not that she was interested in giving us a sample while hanging at the Movie Awards afterparty outside the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. "No, please don't do that! No! No, no, no, no — that's so unfair!" she cried. "Wait and see the movie." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Photos |
| 'Super 8': Five Secrets Revealed! Posted: 13 Jun 2011 03:53 AM PDT Now that you've seen the movie, the cast and crew lead you through some behind-the-scenes mysteries.
Now that "Super 8" has been in theaters for the weekend, we can finally talk about some of the magic and the mystery of the film. If you haven't seen the movie yet, please tread carefully in reading the rest of this story, because MTV News is about to reveal five juicy "Super 8" secrets! How the heck did they film the epic train crash?
"The sequence itself is probably two to three minutes long, and it's all done with computer graphics," Muren said. "We made a point of making it look as organic as we could. It's more realistic in a lot of ways and very frightening, but a lot of fire and all that stuff, it's all computer-generated," he revealed, adding that it took the VFX team three to four months to complete. Elle Fanning wasn't allowed to drive "It was illegal, so I couldn't drive," Fanning said. "There was actually someone that was in the car underneath my feet driving for me." The movie-within-a-movie was written by the young stars "We actually wrote 'The Case,' " Fanning said. "J.J. [Abrams told us] it had to be a zombie movie and that was the only thing we had, so during breaks, we would sit down and collaborate and make up the lines and everything," she explained. "And then we actually shot it with a Super 8 camera." What's in that tintinnabular tune? "[There is] a celesta, which is kind of a bell piano, a very short piano with bells," Giacchino revealed at the film's premiere last week. "You play it like you would a piano, but with bells. A Hammond organ was a big part of the score as well, which is interesting because you normally only hear those in church or in blues songs," he added. "We used it with the [103-piece] orchestra, which was really fun. There was guitar actually, but done in a very ethereal way, you would never know it was a guitar." About that alien ... "Whenever we were on set and acting with it, we were imagining what it could look like," Ryan Lee said. "When we actually saw it, it was 10 times more scary than what I had imagined." "The artist for 'Avatar' actually made the alien," Gabriel Basso revealed. "It was really cool, because I was talking to him and he showed it to me on his laptop. I was like, 'That's what we're running from?' [The scary factor] went from zero to 150." Check out everything we've got on "Super 8." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Juelz Santana To Appear On 'RapFix Live' Wednesday Posted: 13 Jun 2011 03:53 AM PDT After missing the Diplomats' 'RapFix' visit due to legal drama, Juelz will sit down with Sway on Wednesday at 4 p.m. on MTV.com.
Harlem is coming to MTV News this Wednesday, when Juelz Santana visits "RapFix Live." The flashy member of the reunited Diplomats was AWOL when Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Frekey Zekey sat down with Sway Calloway back in January, but Juelz will get a chance to discuss what he and the Dipset have cooking on the "RapFix" couch.
Juelz has been laying relatively low lately but will have plenty to discuss. In February, the "Mic Check" rapper was arrested on marijuana and weapons charges stemming from a raid of his New Jersey studios by authorities. Dealing with the ramifications of those legal entanglements — rapper Hynief, a member of Juelz's Skull Gang crew, was also arrested — is one of the reasons Juelz wasn't present when the Diplomats were on "RapFix Live." With his legal troubles in the rearview, Juelz will also be discussing his forthcoming new album, Born to Lose, Built to Win. The Diplomats also have a new project on the way, which will be released via Interscope Records, according to various members. MTV News will be sure to ask for updates on the status of I Can't Feel My Face, Juelz's long-in-the-works collaborative album with Lil Wayne, and his status with Def Jam Records. You can also expect Juelz, who last weekend hit Hot 97's Summer Jam stage with Lloyd Banks and with the Diplomats, to a spit a hot 16 before concluding his visit. There is no telling what is going to go down on this week's episode of "RapFix Live"! Visit MTV.com on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET to watch Juelz Santana on "RapFix Live"! |
| Skyzoo Wants A Shot At Rap's Great Lyrical Debate Posted: 13 Jun 2011 03:53 AM PDT 'The tape itself is something that people are gonna talk about,' Skyzoo tells Mixtape Daily about The Great Debater.
Main Pick Street King: Skyzoo Holding It Down For: Brooklyn, NY Mixtape: The Great Debater Real Spit: Back when Hov posed the question in his 1997 song "Where I'm From," people would argue about who was the best MC. Biggie, Jay-Z and Nas were popular G.O.A.T candidates, but after the '90s era of New York lyricism began to fade, the debate turned to: "Who sells the most records or has the most money?" With his latest mixtape, The Great Debater, Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo looks to re-shift the focus.
"The concept, the theme for the whole project is really just taking the idea of what people already think about me as far as being a lyricist, a rapper's rapper. And The Great Debater just carries on that tradition," Sky told Mixtape Daily. "The tape itself is something that people are gonna talk about, go back and forth about, as far as where it puts me in the echelon of MCs and lyricists and where people already place me and where I'm already at with it." For Sky to assume that his tape will put him in the conversation with some of rap's elite may come off as pretentious to those who aren't familiar with his catalog, but one listen to The Great Debater should curb doubts. The tightly packed bars of "Complicated Rhythm" exemplify S-K's mission as he parallels his rise to the likes of NBA great LeBron James and Jay-Z. He starts off, "They give me the same flack they gave Gloria's son/ Either or: James or Carter, but both of them won." On "The Definitive Prayer," he continues to weave intricate rhyme schemes as he brags that his "serenades warrant hearing aids." The tape's production is key, too, focusing more on boom-bap than club-driven tracks thanks to beats from 9th Wonder, Illmind and Best Kept Secret. Overall, the Brooklyn rapper's offering challenges the listener, who will no doubt have to listen several times in order to breakdown the MC's lyrical layers. But no matter which side of the Skyzoo great debate you end up on, it's an interesting conversation. Joints to Check For » "Test Drive" " 'Test Drive' is produced by my man Illmind. For those watching and listening, you already know the chemistry that Illmind and myself have. When we get together, you never know what you're gonna get. You might get 'Kitchen Table,' you might get 'Krylon,' you might get 'Speakers on Blast.' So with this, we got 'Test Drive,' which is unlike anything we've ever done before. If I had to pick one record that embodies what the tape represents ... this record embodies all of that. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos |
| Eminem Sets Off Musical Fireworks At Bonnaroo Posted: 11 Jun 2011 10:39 PM PDT The rapper thrilled fans with a hard-hitting, hit-packed headlining set on Saturday.
MANCHESTER, Tennessee - By the time Eminem strode onstage Saturday night at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, 80,000 sun-stroked fans had already witnessed workmanlike sets by everyone from Mumford & Sons and the Black Keys to Bootsy Collins and Buffalo Springfield. So it was no surprise that, when it came time for Em to do his thing, he decided to follow in that same model, eschewing flash and dash in favor of good old-fashioned sweat.
And sure, his headlining set did feature booming pyro, a massive (and frequently skull-filled) video screen, and some actual fireworks, but, in keeping with Bonnaroo tradition, what stood out the most about Em's performance was the sheer tenacity with which he attacked it. This wasn't so much a performance as it was an exercise in determination; a focused, fierce 90-odd minutes of grit and guile. It's the same renewed vigor Eminem has displayed on his most-recent efforts, not only his massive Recovery album, but also the upcoming, back-to-basics Bad Meets Evil team-up with Royce Da 5'9." Much like Friday night's headliner, Lil Wayne, the man simply knows how to work. And that was evident from the get-go on Saturday night. Dressed in a black hoodie, Bad Meets Evil T-shirt and camo shorts, Em wasted no time ripping into his catalog, kicking off with "Won't Back Down" and following it up with "3 a.m.," both of which hit hard thanks to his machine-gun cadence and the addition of a positively whomping live band. The impact wasn't lessened when his mic cut out during the next song, "White Trash Party," as Em powered through the mishap and earned the cheers of the tens of thousands who packed in to see him. Flanked by D12 member (and hype man) Mr. Porter (a.k.a. Kon Artis), Eminem stalked the stage and didn't come up for air, tearing through songs like "Kill You," "So Bad" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet" before finally disappearing backstage for a moment while Porter introduced the masses to "the newest member of Shady Records," the aforementioned Royce Da 5'9." Em was back before the crowd could stop cheering, and the pair gave them a taste of what they can expect on the upcoming Hell: The Sequel EP: the muscular "Fast Lane" and the Bruno-Mars assisted "Lighters," which, not surprisingly, had everyone thrusting theirs skyward. Then Em shifted the focus back to his solo hits ("Stan," "Toy Soldiers") and some of his high-profile guest spots ("Airplanes, Part II" and, thankfully, "Forever"), crouching low and delivering his verses with ferocity. He got deep on "Love the Way You Lie" and downright celebratory on "Crack a Bottle." Then, in a nod to his past, shot through three of his earliest hits ("My Name Is," "The Real Slim Shady" and "Without Me") in rapid-fire succession. The crowd, which, for the majority of his set, had been firmly poised on the brink, positively lost their collective minds at the inclusion of those classics, and seizing the momentum, Eminem closed his set with a rattling version of "Not Afraid." After a brief rest (and several minutes of the crowd chanting his name), Em reappeared to cap the night off with "Lose Yourself," which seemed even more anthemic given the magnitude of his set. And then, as the crowd screamed their approval, he thanked them and thrust his hand in the air, looking understandably exhausted but also unbelievably happy. And, in apparent appreciation to his efforts, the Bonnaroo folks kicked off a massive fireworks display, one that boomed in the distance and was a pretty fitting tribute to what we had all just witnessed. Only Eminem's musical fireworks were better. Were you at Bonnaroo? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Wiz Khalifa Squashes Waka Flocka Flame Beef Rumors Posted: 12 Jun 2011 02:05 AM PDT After wowing Bonnaroo crowd on Saturday, Wiz shut down gossip, telling MTV News, 'Me and Waka and are cool.'
MANCHESTER, Tennessee - Wiz Khalifa's Saturday evening set at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was, by his own admission, probably the biggest show he's played since bursting onto the scene last year. And feeding upon the vibes of the crowd, he delivered a set that was as loose and lively as it was hit-packed and hungry.
"I was feeling the energy the whole time, and I've been doing a lot of shows and growing as a performer and an artist, so I just wanted to build on all that," he told MTV News following the performance. "Being a top act on such a huge stage in front of so many people, it's a great starting point for my career, because a lot of people work their whole careers and then get here." Of course, though he was still basking in the afterglow of his Bonnaroo set, Wiz also felt the need to address an issue that (supposedly) occurred at another of his big-stage shows: rumors of a backstage altercation with Waka Flocka Flame at Hot 97's Summer Jam in New York earlier this month. "Yeah, nothing happened backstage," Khalifa said. "It's always something; making up some rumor about something happening with me backstage during somebody's set, but nothing happened. Me and Waka and are cool. That's just people trying to promote negativity." And to hear Wiz tell it, there's been a whole lot of that negativity going on in recent months. But, as he continues on the upswing of his young career, he's not going to let any of it get him down. After all, there will be plenty more shows like Bonnaroo on the horizon, and he prefers to focus on that. "There's just so much fake sh-- going on. Like, people will buy into what's fake. According to people, this isn't my Rolex, you know?" he said. "But that's just what mugs like to think and what they like to talk about, but the reality of the situation is everything's under control. And this is my Rolex. That I bought." Did you catch Wiz's set at Bonnaroo? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Exclusive: Mannie Fresh Explains Lil Wayne Reunion At Bonnaroo Posted: 11 Jun 2011 10:39 PM PDT Wayne embraced his former Cash Money mate onstage during his Friday night set.
MANCHESTER, Tennessee - One of the highlights of Lil Wayne's headlining set at Bonnaroo on Friday - at least to the folks in attendance who've followed Weezy's career since his Hot Boys days - was the moment when he brought Cash Money founding father Mannie Fresh onstage, ending a longtime separation that had existed since 2005, when Fresh parted ways with Birdman and the label under decidedly acrimonious conditions.
When the two embraced onstage, it was symbolic in more ways than one: Not only did it show that Mannie and Wayne had never really been at odds, but it was a rather important passing of the torch too. And Fresh told MTV News as much, earlier in the day on Friday, when he said that the two had no beef ... and hinted at bigger things to come later in the evening. "It's a possibility. Like I said, there's no beef. No animosity," Fresh said. "I got a great deal of respect for Wayne. You know, from where he started to where he at right now. He's on top of his game. So it's a possibility [we could reunite]. You never know." And as anyone who was in attendance for Wayne's set could attest, that possibility definitely became a reality. For his part, Fresh wouldn't speak about just how the pair settled their differences, but now that they've gone public with their reunion, could the duo could get back to their collaborative ways? It's something Fresh isn't about to write off. "That would be hot," he said. "But, you know, my half, I'm there. We're going to leave the rest of it on him, you know what I'm saying?" Would you like to see Wayne reconnect with Mannie Fresh in the studio? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| You are subscribed to email updates from MTV News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar