MTV News |
- Nicki Minaj 'Raises The Bar' On Britney Spears Tour
- Kings Of Leon Doc Director Unfazed By Band's Drama
- 'Glee' Stars Nominate Castmates 'Most Likely To' Date Fans, More
- Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame Shy Away From Throne Comparison
- Jay-Z And Kanye West's 'Otis' Video To Premiere Thursday!
- 'Glee' Stars Tease 'The 3D Concert Movie' - In Song!
- 'The Help': The Reviews Are In!
- Steve Aoki Promises 'Epic' Identity Festival Set
- Evanescence 'Screaming' To Get On 'Breaking Dawn' Soundtrack
- Jay-Z, Kanye West, Diddy Top <i>Forbes</i> Hip-Hop List
- Beanie Sigel Pleads Guilty To Tax Charges
- Jennifer Lopez Returning To 'American Idol'
- Bruce Willis In Talks To Join 'G.I. Joe 2' Cast
- O Music Awards To Return This Year!
- Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez Nude Statue: What Does It Mean?
- 'Twilight' Actor Kiowa Gordon Arrested
- Chris Brown Announces <i>F.A.M.E.</i> Tour Dates
- Adele's <i>21</i> Hits <i>Billboard</i> #1 For 12th Time
- What's Britney Spears Like? Nicki Minaj, Joe Jonas Weigh In!
| Nicki Minaj 'Raises The Bar' On Britney Spears Tour Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:53 AM PDT 'I wanted my set to be more than an opening act, 'cause, you know, I did that already,' she tells MTV News of Femme Fatale Tour.
Nicki Minaj is known for her brightly colored persona, music and wardrobe, so it's no surprise that the New York rapper has managed to win over pop audiences night after night on the Femme Fatale Tour, during which she fiercely graces the stage before Britney Spears.
Minaj's high-octane energy and ability to put a pop spin on her hip-hop tracks shines through in her warm-up show. Her theater-kid side also comes out in the multi-media set, complete with dance routines, videos and Minaj's many alter egos. The ability for a pop audience to identify with Minaj's sometimes NSFW themes is even a shock to the head Barbie herself. "Yeah, I'm always surprised," she told MTV News. "I don't really expect them to know all the records, but I guess it just kind of transcends all genres of music at this point." Minaj set out to give her fans, both old and new, a spectacle. "I wanted my set to be more than an opening act, 'cause, you know, I did that already," she said, referring to her opening gig alongside mentor Lil Wayne on the I Am Still Music Tour. "I always like to raise the bar for myself, and that's what I did. I think it's important to give people what they paid for." In addition to a set full of fan favorites that are earning her more and more Barbies each and every night, Minaj also has multiple costume changes that are sexy, cool and tough all at the same time. "I didn't want to do a lot of color. I sort of wanted to tone it down and sort of bring the color back from my own tour, so I wanted it to be very sophisticated and sort of, you know, futuristic and all over the place," she said. "But sort of cagey and sort of epic." Have you seen Nicki Minaj's opening set for Britney? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Videos |
| Kings Of Leon Doc Director Unfazed By Band's Drama Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:53 AM PDT 'They're family,' 'Talihina Sky' helmer Stephen Mitchell says, confident that Kings will regroup after canceling U.S. tour.
For all the unedited, un-sober moments in the Kings of Leon's "Talihina Sky" documentary (and there are a lot of them), none stands out quite like frontman Caleb Followill's bleary-eyed, whiskey-and-marijuana-soaked confessional, which unspools toward the end of the film and is a jaw-dropper, to say the very least.
When the film premiered back in April, the scene stuck in most folks' memories because it was so unfiltered — Followill makes no attempt to hide the fact that he's rifling through inebriants, which is noteworthy since he and his bandmates executive-produced the film and surely had final say over what made the cut and what didn't. But given the events of the past few weeks, as the Kings canceled their U.S. tour after Followill's bizarre (and, many seem to think, drunken) onstage behavior at a show in Dallas, the footage takes on a decidedly darker tone ... and hints that perhaps the frontman's problems go much deeper than "exhaustion," as the band claimed in their cancellation statement. So, with "Talihina" set to premiere August 21 on Showtime, MTV Radio spoke to its director, Stephen Mitchell, about that notorious scene and whether he now regrets keeping it in the film. "No, and for the record, I might have been more drunk and stoned than Caleb during that interview," Mitchell laughed. "That was a night he and I sat down, actually it was during the Only By the Night sessions, and after working in the studio all day, he said, 'I want you to come over to the house and let's sit down.' ... I think it was an amazing conversation, and I think there's a lot of the film that, looking back, [I] have regrets about showing this or doing that. We made our decisions a while ago and we're sticking to them and living with them. "But sure, they're my friends, and I care about them, and a lot of this is hard for me to watch and I'm sure it's very hard for them to watch too," he added. "So, I guess the only thing I can say is we put the honesty out there and hopefully people at least respect the boys for not bullsh---ing them." Mitchell — who has known the Followills since the early 2000s, when they were first working toward a record contract in Nashville — said that while he hasn't spoken to the band since they scrapped their tour, he's not worried about their future. Nor did he find the reaction of Caleb's brother Jared (who took his brother to task on Twitter following the Dallas show) to be anything out of the ordinary. After all, this is a band of brothers — and a cousin — first and foremost. "That's the way they always were. Listen, I wasn't down there, I haven't even had a chance to talk to the guys yet ... about what the heck happened. But I think some of the draw to these guys is that they are brothers and cousins; there's a magnetism to that," he said. "They say anything and everything to each other, and it is how they sort of work things out internally; they're very vocal. And I had to learn a long time ago that they're not yelling at each other, they're just communicating, and it's loud. And sometimes the stuff they say to each other ... you've got to have some thick skin to be walking around with those guys." Mitchell said that it's that familial bond that has helped them through tough times in the past ... and will undoubtedly help them navigate through their current drama too. "It's a fabric of the band, the roots of the band, they're family, and I think that's a reason that they've been able to find a common ground to stick together and make five albums over, what, eight-plus years?" he said. "That's really hard to do. There's not many bands making two albums, let alone five, during that time ... and I'm not a band spokesperson, I can't speak for them, they make the great music, but I believe in them and I think the family side of it will be the same reason we end up seeing more great shows and hearing more great albums from them in the future." |
| 'Glee' Stars Nominate Castmates 'Most Likely To' Date Fans, More Posted: 11 Aug 2011 03:53 AM PDT Before 'Glee: The 3D Concert Movie' opens, McKinley High's finest tell MTV News how they'd dole out our superlatives.
When presented the excellent opportunity to interact with a cast of characters as fun and free-spirited as the cast of "Glee" and, more specifically, "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie," it is not to be wasted by asking generic interview questions like "Why do you love this role?" or "Why should people see this movie?"
Instead, MTV News first had the "Glee" cast give us a musical preview of the film's story line. Following those melodic results, we put together a list of rapid-fire superlative-style questions, which required stars Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron, Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, Ashley Fink, Darren Criss, Heather Morris, Kevin McHale and Harry Shum Jr. to decide which of their castmates deserved a series of "Most Likely To ..." titles. If you've ever wondered which actor is most likely to mess up choreography or date a fan, we've got your answers! Read on (and click the embedded video) for the cast's candid responses, as well as adorable moments featuring the cast cracking one another up with lightning-quick answers. Most Likely to Screw Up Choreography Winner: Chord Overstreet takes this category with seven Most Likely to Slip Up nods from his fellow castmembers. Most Likely to Date a Fan "Me? Oh, hell no." Mostly Likely to Join "Jersey Shore" Cast Runner-up: Lea Michele Winner: Naya Rivera "Naya," Michele said. "But she's not Italian, and I'm Italian," she added with a smile and hint of the familiar accent. "She'd bring some serious 'tude [to the show]," Criss said. Biggest Flirt "Yeah," Criss agreed, "He flirts with me all the time." "Matt is the flirtiest human I've ever met," Fink assured us. Winner: Cory Monteith "Yay!" Monteith said when he heard he was the front-runner in the category. "I guess? Hey, how you doing?" he said with a naughty smile. Best Game Winner: "Darren Criss," Michele said with authority. "Darren Criss. Let me tell you something, he'll be like, 'See that girl over there?' And he will go over, and then a couple minutes later, you'll see her from afar and she'll be like, [demonstrates a shy smile that grows into a wide, enamored grin]." "Me?" Criss said, appearing shocked, when he heard he'd been praised for his lady-killing skills. "I don't know about that," he said. "[But] I'll take it." Check out everything we've got on "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Videos |
| Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame Shy Away From Throne Comparison Posted: 10 Aug 2011 08:38 AM PDT Comparing Ferrari Boyz to Kanye and Jay 'is like comparing Dirk Nowitzki to Larry Bird,' Waka tells 'RapFix Live.'
Though their albums drop on the same week, comparing Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame's Ferrari Boyz collaboration to Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne is like apples to oranges.
Actually, Waka's got a better analogy: "Trying to compare us to Jay-Z [and Kanye] is like comparing Dirk Nowitzki to Larry Bird — that's disrespectful," the rapper said, referring to the Mavericks star and Celtics legend, when he appeared on "RapFix Live" on Wednesday. "That's like two different classes." It isn't that Waka and Gucci lack accomplishments. Since releasing his 2005 single "Icy," Gucci has slowly risen up the rap ranks and experienced a breakout year in 2009, when he dropped his Warner Bros. Record debut, The State vs. Radric Davis. The album produced a number of notable singles like the Usher-assisted "Spotlight," "Wasted" with Plies and the street favorite "Lemonade." Though he's been stalled by legal trouble and just finished up a three-month prison sentence in July, Gucci now stands as one of the South's premier rappers. Not far behind him is protégé Waka, who has amassed quite a few hits himself. Since last year, Flocka has commanded rap's attention in a big way with his singles "O Let's Do It," "Hard in Da Paint" and "No Hands." Still, he is a relative newcomer and just happy to be considered among the greats. "I been rappin' for three years, those folks got 15 years," Flocka said of the difference between him and the Throne. "I'm happy that my name comes in the conversation — even behind Gucc. At the end of the day it's all respect; I'm a fan of music." The Ferrari Boyz team hopes their joint LP will serve as a springboard for solo projects later this year. Gucci already seems to have made concrete plans. "I'm definitely gonna drop an album this year, at the end of the year," he said. "I think this is just gonna show people that I'm still goin' hard, and the way we picked these beats on this project here is gonna get people excited about what's next to come from both of us." The "Freaky Gurl" rapper points to the beats on Ferrari Boyz specifically. "The production on this is A class," he said. "We got some young producers that went hard on this album." The album boasts beats from Southern mainstays like Drumma Boy and Shawty Redd. It also showcases the talents of Lex Luger and newcomer Southside, who both got their starts on Waka's mixtapes and his Flockaveli LP last year but have since branched out. "Southside, he's goin' hard. You know how it is; we want that new sound," Waka said before being reminded of his producer's other notable placement. "Matter of fact, Southside is on Jay-Z and Kanye album." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Jay-Z And Kanye West's 'Otis' Video To Premiere Thursday! Posted: 10 Aug 2011 07:00 AM PDT Watch the Throne clip will hit MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT.
Jay-Z and Kanye West will continue to keep fans watching. Three days after the monumental release of their collaborative album Watch the Throne, Hov and Yeezy will premiere the LP's first video, for "Otis," on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET on Thursday at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT.
Immediately following the premiere, the Spike Jonze-directed music video will air on MTV Jams and MTV Hits, with an encore airing on MTV2 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Read all about how Jay and Kanye are breaking the mold with Watch the Throne. "Otis" captivated music fans when it premiered last month on DJ Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show in New York. The song, which samples Otis Redding's 1966 rendition of "Try a Little Tenderness," finds Jay and 'Ye rapping eight bars apiece before passing the mic back and forth several times during the track's two-minute-and-58-second run. There is no catchy chorus or melodic refrain, just the dusty record loop and hard-hitting rhymes, which made the song an instant fan favorite. Days after the song's release, two pictures from the video's set were leaked online. One photo showed a large American flag draped over a blue wall, correlating with Givenchy designer Ricardo Tisci's cover art for the single. The second pic was of Jonze and West on set, but it ultimately revealed nothing about the clip's theme or overall feel. What are the critics saying about Watch the Throne? So far, the "Otis" video has been shrouded in mystery, much like the Watch the Throne album itself. Because the LP didn't leak early like most albums these days do, fans didn't get their first listen to the album until it was officially released Monday. Now they get to see WTT's first visual when the "Otis" video premieres Thursday. In addition to the premiere, fans can check out MTV News' "RapFix Live" on Wednesday (August 10) at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com and watch as industry experts weigh in on Watch the Throne and what to expect from the joint album's first video. What are you expecting from the "Otis" video? Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #MTVOtis. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Glee' Stars Tease 'The 3D Concert Movie' - In Song! Posted: 10 Aug 2011 03:37 AM PDT Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Cory Monteith and more give MTV News their very own musical preview of what to expect at the theater.
Before we get to the nuts and bolts of "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie," it's worth noting that the cast of "Glee" may be the most hardworking group of actors in the business right now. They work almost year-round, filming and promoting the hit TV show and taking three months to go on tour. Now, a movie based on those live concerts is hitting theaters, just before the cast heads back to set to film the third season.
For the Gleeks out there counting down the days until the movie opens on Friday, MTV News recently caught up with the cast to get the lowdown on the concert film. In the spirit of the musical nature of the show, the movie, and even our own "Glee-caps," we had the very talented and energetic actors give us a quick recap — in song — of what "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie" is all about. (Click the embedded video for the sonic version!) Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron, Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, Ashley Fink, Darren Criss, Heather Morris, Kevin McHale and Harry Shum, Jr. were all game. (Hint: It's a movie version of the "Glee" castmates' live concerts, with a few fan testimonials thrown in for warm, fuzzy good measure.) Simultaneously, Shum Jr., Morris and McHale each sang a snippet of a different song featured in the movie, which made for a curiously melodic moment. Meanwhile, Agron, Monteith and Rivera offered a spot-on re-creation of an a capella interlude heard throughout the Fox show and the film. And Colfer, Riley, Michele and Ushkowitz served up a speedy verbal summary of the "story line." "Mr. Schue! Jane Lynch!" said Ushkowitz, using very short descriptors to highlight all of the elements rolled into the 88-minute flick. She was then joined by Colfer, Riley and Michele in an entertaining, verbally bulleted hit list of the film's showstopping numbers. " 'Don't Stop Believin'! 'Dog Days Are Over'! 'Sing'! Solos, duets, choir room, more group numbers," Michele summarized. "Amber, waaaah!" she continued, mimicking Riley's powerful vocals. " 'Encore! 'Single Ladies'." "Embarrassment, embarrassment," Colfer added, half-performing a few of the moves from his popular version of Beyoncé's hit. " 'Safety Dance!' 'Somebody to Love' for the ten-thousandth time," the ladies continued. "And ... bow!" Finally, Criss, Fink and Salling finished things up with a musical summary of their own. "We went on this tour, we sang all these songs, we met all these fans and it was awesome," recited Fink, as she sat between Criss and Salling. "It's gonna be in 3-D," Criss added in the same sing-speak tone. "You might see me and a lot of these guys." Will you catch the "Glee" concert movie this weekend? Tell us in the comments! Check out everything we've got on "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Videos |
| 'The Help': The Reviews Are In! Posted: 10 Aug 2011 04:31 AM PDT While some hail the film as the finest drama of the summer, other critics aren't as kind.
"It feels kind of scary saying this because that means it's only downhill, but it's been the best year of my life," Emma Stone told MTV News late last year as we honored her as the actress we were most thankful for in 2010. The past eight months, however, have hardly been downhill, and Stone might soon have to rework her conception of a superlative year. The year 2011 has seen Stone, among other things, nominated for her first Golden Globe, film her lead role in "The Amazing Spider-Man" and win advance plaudits for a dramatic, yet at times comedic, turn in "The Help," which hit theaters Wednesday (August 10).
In a summer filled with wizards and robots and all manner of nasty alien invaders, some critics are pointing to "The Help" as perhaps the finest drama of the season, highlighting not only Stone's performance, but that of Viola Davis, who could well be part of the upcoming awards-season hubbub. Other reviewers, though, haven't been as kind, citing a jumbled story structure and an overall maudlin tone that distracts from the weighty themes of the film. Read on for those critiques and more: The Story The Performances The Adaptation The Comparisons The Final Word Check out everything we've got on "The Help." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| Steve Aoki Promises 'Epic' Identity Festival Set Posted: 10 Aug 2011 05:08 AM PDT 'It's given me a lot of opportunities to try new things and travel the U.S.,' producer tells MTV News of inaugural dance music fest.
With the Identity Festival — America's first touring electronic dance music fest — starting Thursday, producer Steve Aoki has his studio (and nearly all the Dim Mak Records team) packed and ready for a road trip.
Kaskade, Avicii, Nervo, Skrillex, Afrojack, Steve Lawler and Aoki are among the performers who will hit more than 20 cities on the inaugural festival. Aoki will be the featured performer on the Dim Mak Stage, and he's planning to debut a new stage show on the tour. "I don't want to give away anything that we've been developing the past eight months, but it's pretty epic," Aoki told MTV News recently. "It's the only way I could do it, the only way I could really bring it out is with a bus. So this tour allows me to do that. "I always do these crazy festivals, hopping tours in Australia or even Europe. But in America, this is the first of its kind, the first dance touring festival with all these different DJs," Aoki added. "And I'm gonna be on a bus — it's my first bus tour as well." Aoki's bus will be hauling a retail store loaded with merchandise designed by Tokidoki specially made for Dim Mak Records, including T-shirts, flash drives, iPhone cases and more. The Dim Mak tour bus includes a production studio that will mirror Aoki's normal setup, and the producer hopes it will help him find more time in the studio while on the road. "Being on the road, when you're flying and your downtime is in hotel rooms and transports to the airport or back to the shows and stuff like that, you have zero time to produce, zero time to make any music," he said. "And on the bus, I'm outfitting it with my own studio. I'm rigging my monitors. So it's gonna be a productive month for me." This week, Aoki released "No Beef," his latest collaboration with good buddy and Identity tourmate Afrojack, featuring Miss Palmer. Aoki and Afrojack have a few new songs in the can — and there's a chance they might try them out during the Identity Festival. "Nick [van de Wall, a.k.a. Afrojack], I regard him as one of my best friends," Aoki said. "So when we get in the studio, we're just having fun, man. It doesn't feel like work. We're going in there, we're just being creative and doodling, and all of a sudden we come up with these tracks, and we're like, 'Holy sh--, this actually sounds really good.' So we have a couple different ideas in the vault, and we have to let them out properly." The monthlong Identity Festival begins Thursday in Indianapolis suburb Noblesville, Indiana — an ideal setting for Aoki to debut his new show and try to reach fans who have never had the chance to see him before. "It's given me a lot of opportunities to try new things and travel the U.S., hit these smaller cities like Indiana, Indianapolis, and bring this kind of show. It's gonna be a lot of fun, all these DJs roaming around the country." You can find a complete list of tour dates at IDFestival.com. Related Artists |
| Evanescence 'Screaming' To Get On 'Breaking Dawn' Soundtrack Posted: 09 Aug 2011 11:37 PM PDT 'I think that would be awesome,' frontwoman Amy Lee tells MTV News.
Evanescence have sold millions of albums, toured the world and won a pair of Grammys, but there's still one accomplishment that has, to this point, managed to elude them: a coveted spot on a "Twilight" soundtrack.
It's sort of hard to believe, given everything they've achieved, and the fact that their music seems tailor-made for Stephenie Meyer's series. And perhaps you could chalk it all up to the band's lack of activity in recent years, but now, with a new album waiting in the wings and a brand-new single just let off the leash, there's really no excuse. And, as they told MTV News after the premiere of "What You Want," scoring a slot on the upcoming "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack is definitely a goal this time out. "I've been screaming for [new song] 'My Heart Is Broken' to land in that, because I think it would fit the story so well," drummer Will Hunt said. "I got sucked into the 'Twilight' vortex by the girls at home, so by default, I've got to watch it." "I think that would be awesome, actually," frontwoman Amy Lee added. It's not like Evanescence haven't tried to get on a "Twilight" soundtrack in the past, but for whatever reason, it never panned out. And it was because of those early attempts that they'd love to be included in the next film. ... Simply put, Lee has become invested in the story, and she's not afraid to admit it. "Fine, I read the books; everybody hates me now," Lee laughed. "I didn't watch the first movie — I was like, 'Yeah, whatever. I got over vampires in high school' — then they were like, 'Maybe you should write a song for the movie,' so I read the book and I wrote some songs, and it didn't work out because they have all these cool hipster people that are doing the 'Twilight' stuff. But then I was kind of into it, so I read the next books." And after reading the books, Lee actually found herself at odds with her bandmates, most of whom are avowed members of Team Edward. Seems she's got a soft spot for the frequently shirtless werewolf, though not for reasons you'd probably expect. "Jacob [is my favorite], for sure," she said. "He's the good guy, he's the sweetheart." Would you like to see Evanescence land a spot on the "Breaking Dawn" soundtrack? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Jay-Z, Kanye West, Diddy Top <i>Forbes</i> Hip-Hop List Posted: 10 Aug 2011 02:35 AM PDT Jay tops the list because he 'makes brilliant business moves but keeps putting out relevant music,' Forbes writer tells MTV News.
Jay-Z and Kanye West are already poised to seize the top of the charts with Watch the Throne. But before the final sales figures are even tabulated, the superstar hip-hop duo are already rap's top cops, thanks to their #1 and #3 ranking on the Forbes Hip-Hop's Top Earners list.
Entrepreneur Jigga earned the first spot with more than $37 million in earnings, just outpacing another serious multi-hyphenate, Diddy, who was no joke just behind at $35 million. It's the fourth time Jay has worn the Cash Kings crown in the past five years. Kanye was a bit further behind at #3 with a not-too-shabby $16 million. How did Jay do it? Partly from the earnings for his Blueprint 3 Tour, a major 10-year, $150 million deal with Live Nation, as well as his ownership stakes in the NBA's New Jersey Nets, his 40/40 club chain and the ad firm Translation. Interestingly, this also marks the first time he's outearned wife Beyoncé since they married in 2008. Zack O'Malley Greenburg, Forbes staff writer and author of the Jay-Z biography "Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office," said Jay has become the "gold standard" to which hip-hop artists aspire when it comes to mixing business and music. "I'd put Diddy and Birdman up there too, but Jay is always at the top of the Cash Kings list because he makes brilliant business moves but keeps putting out relevant music," he told MTV News. "Others [on the list] are more one or the other, but he keeps doing both." Diddy's cash came mostly from his stakes in the clothing lines Sean John and Enyce, his Bad Boy record label and marketing firm Blue Flame. In fact, only 20 percent of his earnings were from music, with the vast majority coming from his lucrative partnership with Ciroc vodka. West, whose video with Jay for "Otis" is slated to premiere Thursday on MTV, is back in the top three for the first time since 2009, and considering that Watch The Throne hit #1 in 23 countries, it's likely he'll be in the running again next year. Even after spending much of last year in prison, Lil Wayne was tied at #4 with $15 million thanks to his relentless touring and strong album sales. He was locked up with mentor/ Cash Money boss Birdman at the #4 spot, who made major dough thanks to a roster that includes Weezy, Drake and Nicki Minaj. Eminem was also tied at #6 with $14 million, mostly thanks to the smash 5.7 million in sales of Recovery, deals with Lipton and Chrysler, and his handful of shows with Jay in New York and Detroit, sharing the spot with his mentor, Dr. Dre, who made his scratch from producer fees and his Beats by Dre audio line. Another Dre protégé, Snoop Dogg, also came in at $14 million, thanks to sales of his Doggumentary album, endorsement deals with Metro PCS and Pepsi Max, and his guest verse on Katy Perry's "California Gurls." Others who made the list: Akon (#9, $13 million), Ludacris, (#19, $12 million), chart newcomer Wiz Khalifa, (#11, $11 million), Drake (#11, $11 million), Pharrell (#13, $10 million), Timbaland, (#14, $7 million), Swizz Beatz (#15, $6.5 million), the first female rapper to ever make the list, Minaj (#15, $6.5 million), Rick Ross (#17, $6 million), 50 Cent (#17, $6 million), chart newbie Pitbull (#17, $6 million), T-Pain (#20, $5 million) and yet another rookie, B.o.B (#20, $5 million). As for the rookies (with the exception of Birdman, who has long been a big earner but was reclassified from just an executive to a multi-hyphenate this year), O'Malley Greenburg said they all had unique paths to the list. While touring is typically a way for major rock and pop acts to make various Forbes earners lists, he said for hip-hop artists, it's often their non-musical side ventures that get them in the running. Pitbull put out two albums, had a number of hit singles and toured a bit during the reporting period the list covered, but he made the bulk of his money on endorsements, including a seven-figure deal with Kodak that earned him even more endorsement gigs. Wiz, on the other hand, hit the road hard, making half of his $11 million from playing 133 shows, where he also racked up huge merchandise sales. "He toured far more than anyone else on the list, and as his star rose during the year, you could tell he was getting more and more per gig," O'Malley Greenburg said. "But he also sells a ton of merch and has managed to sell himself as a 420 lifestyle, which you think someone else would have taken advantage of." That toking lifestyle includes Wiz-branded rolling papers and weed grinders, hoodies with zippered pockets the size of dime bags and other pot-related knickknacks that have made him Hot Topic's #1 seller. Minaj, however, did it the old-fashioned way by becoming one of the top-selling artists in terms of album sales on the list, while B.o.B is a combination of both, with solid money from touring, a hot album and guest-appearance fees, as well as a lucrative Adidas endorsement deal. "They're all savvy artists," he said. "The beauty of hip-hop is that you look at this list and there are no two people on there for the exact same reason. Each has a slightly different template." The figures were tabulated with estimates made from income earned from May 2010 to May 2011 from record sales, touring, digital downloads, films, merchandise sales, endorsements, books and other entertainment ventures. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Beanie Sigel Pleads Guilty To Tax Charges Posted: 10 Aug 2011 01:36 AM PDT Jay-Z's former protégé is facing up to three years in prison.
Things aren't looking too good for Beanie Sigel. The MC's lawyer Fortunato Perri Jr. confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (August 10) that the former Jay-Z rap protégé is now facing up to three years in prison after he admitted in federal court on Tuesday that he didn't file or pay taxes between 2003 and 2005. U.S. prosecutors estimate that the rapper owes approximately $350,000 on $1 million of unreported income; Beans subsequently pleaded guilty to three counts of failure to file his federal income tax returns. Beans will be sentenced on November 18, when he could get as much as three years' prison time. His attorney, however, doesn't believe that the government's calculations are entirely accurate. "We intend to raise issues at the sentencing hearing which we believe will change those loss figures," Perri Jr. told MTV News. "We're going to ask the court to review our issues that we raised and our calculations, and it's our hope that those numbers will be successfully challenged at the time of the sentencing hearing."
If the court does recognize the defense's new calculations, it could impact the judge's decision during sentencing for Sigel. There's even a likelihood that he wouldn't have to do the statutory three-year maximum on the charges. Sigel, who broke out with his 1999 album, The Truth, saw moderate success while signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, but his career eventually dipped after he was sentenced to a year and a day in prison in October 2004 on weapons charges. Sigel would go on to release a total of four solo albums and become the head of State Property, a rap group and record label that he launched himself and that also spawned a clothing line and two films. The Broad Street Bully appeared on "RapFix Live" last month and told MTV's Sway that though he seemed to have amassed a lot of wealth during his Roc-A-Fella days, he didn't get everything he felt he was owed. "From the outside looking in, it's like, 'Yo he's getting it,' " Sigel said before breaking down the financial splits between him and his business partners at Roc-A-Fella. "The clothing line, it was my idea — the State Property line, I only owned 20 percent of that. It was my idea, I brought that to the table. I brought the movie scripts which led up to all those movies, [with] us that played in it — people don't know we only got SAG wages. We ain't get no money from that." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Jennifer Lopez Returning To 'American Idol' Posted: 09 Aug 2011 11:20 PM PDT Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler will also be back for season 11.
After months of speculation and not a peep from one of the breakout stars of this season's "American Idol," executive producer Nigel Lythgoe confirmed that Jennifer Lopez will return for a second go-round next year. The low-key nature of the news caught many in the media by surprise, bucking expectations that a more robust public-relations push would accompany the re-signing of the singer whose music career was revived by her first turn on "Idol" and who became a fan and contestant favorite during the show's 10th season. "I am delighted to say that all three judges, along with the brilliant host of 'American Idol' [Ryan Seacrest], is back for the next season," Lythgoe said Wednesday morning on Seacrest's radio show, "On Air With Ryan Seacrest." Lythgoe said all three will be back on the road soon to participate in season 11 auditions in Denver; Houston; St. Louis; Portland, Oregon; San Diego; Pittsburgh; and Charleston, South Carolina. At press time, Lopez had not made a statement about her return to the show. While it was confirmed earlier this summer that Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler would be back for another season alongside sole remaining original judge Randy Jackson, it was unclear if Lopez — who recently announced her split from husband Marc Anthony — would be willing to sit behind the table for another season. Spokespeople for Lopez could not be reached for further comment at press time, and a Fox spokesperson said the network had no comment on the news at this time. Lopez could show up on TV before then, as part of the Latin American reality talent show "Q'Viva," which she will co-host with estranged husband Anthony. Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Bruce Willis In Talks To Join 'G.I. Joe 2' Cast Posted: 10 Aug 2011 12:39 AM PDT Veteran action hero would play leader General Joe Colton in 'Retaliation.'
Bruce Willis is in talks to put the "Joe" back in "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation," if the latest casting rumors are to be believed. The veteran action hero is just the latest actor to circle the upcoming "G.I. Joe" sequel, which is set to begin filming in New Orleans later this month. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Willis may join the cast of the recently retitled "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" (formerly "G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes"), playing General Joe Colton, the man responsible for starting the G.I. Joe strike team in the 1980s comic books.
The sequel already has some big names attached to it, including leading man Channing Tatum and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as heavy machine-gunner Roadblock (the character sidelined as a cook in the "Joe" comics). When MTV News caught up with Tatum at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, he said he had yet to meet Johnson but was looking forward to it. "I'm so excited to meet him. I hear he's literally one of the nicest people on the entire planet. I'm just excited to hear that he's that huge and that nice," Tatum said with a laugh. "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" will also feature many new faces: RZA, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson, Joe Mazzello, D.J. Cotrona and Elodie Yung are all new to the sequel. They'll join previous "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" castmembers Tatum, Ray Park and Lee Byung-hun. In addition, "Retaliation" replaces "Rise of Cobra" director Stephen Sommers with "Step Up 3D" director Jon M. Chu. "It's all going to be new," Tatum told us, "New director, new writers, new actors, so it's going to be fun." It's also going to feature plenty of ninjas, so "G.I. Joe" fans can look forward to seeing their favorite American heroes facing off against some pretty nasty villains. "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" will hit theaters on July 29, 2012. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| O Music Awards To Return This Year! Posted: 09 Aug 2011 10:04 PM PDT This time, fans can submit category ideas and suggest nominees for the digital music awards show.
Most awards shows wait 12 months to crank the machine up again, but MTV's pioneering O Music Awards doesn't have time for all that, so it will be back on the block before year's end.
Not only that, but in a first, the second edition will crowd-source the nomination categories and nominees, giving fans an even bigger hand in deciding which artists will be up for awards. Submit category ideas and suggest nominees for the next O Music Awards now! April's inaugural edition scored MTV's second-biggest live-stream audience ever, rocking Las Vegas' Fremont Street with performances by Mumford & Sons and VMA nominees Foster the People, Lupe Fiasco and Lil B, as well as a world record for the longest freestyle rap by Chiddy Bang's Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege. Beginning today (August 10), fans will be able to submit category ideas and suggest nominees, with five user-submitted categories slated to make it into the show. The show's first-time winners included Lady Gaga (Most Innovative Artist and Must Follow Artist on Twitter), Kanye West (Best Tweet), Tokio Hotel's Aliens (Fan Army FTW), Thirty Seconds to Mars (NSFW Music Video), Aquarium Drunkard (Best Independent Music Blog) and MJJ Fan Community (Best Fan Forum). Instead of just honoring the singers, songwriters, directors and producers who make our favorite digital-music products, the O Music Awards dug deeper with such unusual categories as Innovative Music Video, Funniest Music Short, Most Viral Dance, Best Animal Performance and Best Performance Series. More than 3 million votes were cast for the first show in less than a month via social media and mobile voting, and fans clearly couldn't get enough of it, since the archived video of the show generated nearly 1 million streams in three days. The O Music Awards are back, and this time you get to select the categories! Head to OMusicAwards.com now to submit category ideas and suggest nominees. Related Videos |
| Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez Nude Statue: What Does It Mean? Posted: 09 Aug 2011 10:25 PM PDT 'Teenage celebrities [are] exploited early, earlier than what is legal, and the media fuels that,' artist Daniel Edwards tells MTV News.
The Internet was abuzz this week when controversial artist Daniel Edwards released his latest piece of art: a nude statue of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez with the words "Justin & Selena Forever" inscribed at the base of the statue. The bronze statue, called "Justin and Selena as One," plays on the idea of Adam and Eve, with Bieber wearing a strategically placed maple leaf and Gomez wearing a strategically placed Texas Lone Star — references to Justin's native Canada and Selena's home state. But Edwards told MTV News the images aren't meant to be provocative for the sake of being provocative. "Really, can you think of any teenage couple that's bigger or been bigger than them? Also, for my point of view, when I look at it, there's a lot of interesting components to it," he said of the piece, which will be on display at Dallas' New Fine Arts. "That was pretty much the obvious point of entry. She is 19, so that takes away a little bit of the edge, I think, but the fact that he's 17, that was totally the point of it. "I tried to find my entry into making a comment on that very thing that happens time and again to teenage celebrities, where they're kind of exploited early, earlier than what is legal, and the media fuels that as best they can," he continued. "I guess I'm making my commentary about that particular thing that happens." The statue also comments on the "double standard" for males and females in the industry. "It only seems to hit the young ladies a lot worse than the men. It's still there. You see all those beach photos of the two of them. My children are young, but I think I would be freaked out if I saw images of them like that on the Internet," he said, noting that being a father definitely informs his work. "If I hadn't had kids, I think the work would be a lot more provocative, visually," he said. "But with kids, I always have to make sure it's something I'm comfortable with them seeing. There's a certain line I'm not willing to cross with my kids in the house." Of all the ways to portray the two teen superstars, Edwards felt that the biblical reference was the perfect way to make his commentary work. "It's not for the sake of presenting religion. ... I think it's mostly because, from an art-history standpoint, a young couple is always Adam and Eve," he said. "And so I always try to position my work in historical reference. ... It's a way of giving it a bit of a historical context." What do you think of the statue? Let us know in the comments below. Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Twilight' Actor Kiowa Gordon Arrested Posted: 09 Aug 2011 10:25 PM PDT Wolf pack actor taken into custody in Arizona because of two outstanding warrants.
"Twilight Saga" actor Kiowa Gordon was arrested in Arizona earlier this week. The 21-year-old was taken into custody by Mesa-area police on the morning of August 8 because of two outstanding warrants, MTV News has confirmed. Gordon was a passenger in a car registered to him when was apprehended by the Tempe Police Department. Upon discovery of the outstanding misdemeanor warrants, the actor was taken into custody to to the Mesa City holding facility. Contrary to original reports, no new DUI charges were filed against him. According to TMZ, one warrant issued for the actor was for not appearing in court in connection to 2010 arrest, when he was charged with possession and use of drug paraphernalia and underage possession of alcohol. He is slated to appear at Mesa City Court, Maricopa County Jail on August 18. The Native American actor, who grew up in Arizona, is a member of the Hualapai tribe of Northern Arizona. He is also Mormon and is part of the same ward as "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer, who suggested that Gordon joins the cast as a member of the wolf pack alongside Taylor Lautner. Gordon began playing Embry Call, a pal of Lautner's Jacob and a fellow werewolf, in "New Moon." When MTV News first caught up with him back in 2009, he explained his character in the franchise: "I am Embry Call; he's a Native American. He lives on his res, and he goes into a transformation, which freaks him out completely. He turns into a wolf. So he gets some extra baggage going there — and then he saves humans from vampires, basically." |
| Chris Brown Announces <i>F.A.M.E.</i> Tour Dates Posted: 09 Aug 2011 10:13 PM PDT Kelly Rowland, Tyga and T-Pain will join Brown on the road when tour kicks off next month.
Chris Brown is set to kick off his F.A.M.E. Tour next month. The VMA-nominated singer will begin the jaunt September 12 in Toronto. The tour will run through October 30, when it ends it Hartford, Connecticut, after stops in cities all over the U.S. So what should fans expect from Brown on the road? "This tour will allow me to paint a picture musically," Brown said in a statement. "I want to bring a lot of energy and excitement to all the fans. It's going to be a great show." Kelly Rowland shared last month that she would be going on tour with the singer, and the pair will also be joined by Tyga and T-Pain. "I'm so excited about that," Rowland said of the star-studded trek. "Getting ready for that show — literally getting ready. I'm sitting up here emailing and all that kind of stuff, finding people now." Previously, Brown has said on Twitter that the show will go big. "This tour is about to be crazzzyyy!" he tweeted. Brown just released the rap mixtape Boy In Detention, which features a number of cameos, including one from Justin Bieber's rapping alter ego, Shawty Mane. Before Brown goes on tour, he's set to film the rom-com "Think Like a Man" in L.A., and he'll be performing at the VMAs when the show goes live August 28 from the Nokia Theatre in L.A. The singer is also up for a number of VMAs, including Best Hip-Hop Video and Best Collaboration for his eye-popping "Look at Me Now" video. F.A.M.E. Tour dates, according to a press release: » 9/12 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre Will you check out Chris Brown in concert? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists |
| Adele's <i>21</i> Hits <i>Billboard</i> #1 For 12th Time Posted: 09 Aug 2011 10:05 PM PDT 'Victorious' cast album comes in at #5 on next week's chart.
Adele is making it look like the good-old days when people actually bought music. In an era where #1 albums often suffer big drop-offs in their second and third weeks, hanging around but rarely returning to the top, the British songbird will be back in the #1 slot for the 12th time after selling another 76,000 copies of 21.
The "Rolling in the Deep" star is on the precipice of crossing the 3 million sold mark, easily regaining her familiar position by flip-flopping with last week's top dog, country singer Eric Church's Chief, which lost 63 percent of its business as sales slid down to 53,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. Fellow country singer Trace Adkins is just behind, debuting at #3 with Proud to Be Here (47,000), with singer/songwriter Mat Kearney's Young Love in at #4 (44,000) and the soundtrack to Nickelodeon's "Victorious" sliding in at #5 (41,000). The only other new entry in the top 10 was Slow Grind, a compilation of baby-making music featuring Jennifer Hudson, Mario, Ciara, R. Kelly and Pretty Ricky (at #9 with 32,000). The rest of the top 10:Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party (#6, 41,000), Kidz Bop 20 (#7, 37,000), Beyoncé's 4 (#8, 34,000) and Blake Shelton's Red River Blue (#10, 26,000). Jam band O.A.R. are just outside the top 10 at #12 with King (25,000), while former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland's Here I Am takes a 67 percent dip in its second week, falling 10 spots to #13 (25,000). Sales for late British R&B singer Amy Winehouse's 2006 breakthrough, Back to Black, remained strong, but tailed off a bit, falling nine spots to #16. It was a soft first week for former Internet sensation Greyson Chance, whose first LP, Hold on 'Til the Night, debuts at #29 on sales of 14,000. Indie favorites Fountains of Wayne's Sky Full of Holes pops in at #37 (12,000), while techno jammers Bassnectar's Divergent Spectrum lands at #42 (10,000). The Kanye West/Jay-Z collabo album, Watch the Throne easily takes the top spot on iTunes after its digital premiere on Monday (reaching #1 in 23 countries). Kearney was just behind, followed by Adele, Church, O.A.R., the "Victorious" soundtrack, VMA-nominated Foster the People's Torches, Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More, Eminem's Hell: The Sequel from his Bad Meets Evil side project and Bassnectar. On the singles chart, the summer jam of this year, LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" holds the top spot, beating out the Bad Meets Evil tune "Lighters," with Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera's "Moves Like Jagger" at #3 and Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" just behind. The rest of the chart is: Foster the People's "Pumped up Kicks," Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)," Hot Chelle Rae's "Tonight Tonight," Lil Wayne's "How to Love," Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go" and Pitbull's "Give Me Everything." Throne will hit stores next week, along with the "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie" album, an albums by Luke Bryan, Ace Hood and the Ferrari Boyz hook-up of Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame. Related Artists |
| What's Britney Spears Like? Nicki Minaj, Joe Jonas Weigh In! Posted: 10 Aug 2011 08:23 AM PDT 'She reminds me of my best friend,' Minaj says of her Femme Fatale tourmate.
Britney Spears is certainly at a level of fame and success that if she wanted to pull diva antics she easily could. According to the artists accompanying Brit on her Femme Fatale Tour, however, that's not really her thing.
Spears has managed to take some time out of her busy schedule to get her rotating group of opening acts, which has included DJs (Nervo, DJ Pauly D) pop acts (Jessie and the Toy Boys, Joe Jonas) and a pretty big hip-hop star (Nicki Minaj). And MTV News got the inside scoop of what it's like to hang with Brit on the road. "She reminds me of my best friend, which is really, really weird," Minaj said. "So, whenever I see her, I feel at peace for some strange reason." Joe Jonas joined the tour for one show in New Jersey last week, a little teaser of his multi-city jaunt with Spears in Europe for the next leg of the tour. The JoBro hadn't seen Britney backstage but his memory of his encounter with her at the 2008 VMAs was still fresh in his mind. "I haven't had words with her recently, but I'm looking forward to this tour," he said. "When I did meet her, she was a really sweet, really kind person. It's kind of surreal to meet somebody like her. When you meet her you're like, 'Wow that's amazing, she's great.' " Related Photos Related Artists |
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