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| Chris Brown And Rihanna's Reported Reunion Gets Mixed Reaction From Fans
March 2, 2009 at 12:29 pm
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| Some fans are outraged by photos of Brown jet-skiing; others hope for the best.
By Gil Kaufman 
Chris Brown
Photo: Marc Susset-Lacroix/WireImage When news broke over the weekend that Rihanna and Chris Brown had reportedly reunited and were staying at a home owned by Diddy near Miami, it was a shock. The alleged reunion came less than three weeks after the couple's alleged altercation on the eve of the February 8 Grammy Awards, which resulted in Brown being arrested and booked on suspicion of making criminal threats. Though spokespeople for the singers did not return MTV News' requests for comment on the reported reunion, readers who got wind of the news over the weekend had plenty to say, with more than 200 comments flooding the site, expressing a wide range of emotions. Quite a few were outraged. "Abuse is abuse," Duaanne wrote on the site. "What are you telling the young kids of the world??? It don't matter what their names are. He's a beater. ... Pictures don't lie." Some, like Brown14suga, were so outraged they suggested the entire affair was a publicity stunt, calling Rihanna a "fool" for going back to Brown. KishaA said we should all back off and the let the couple figure this out on their own, but added, "We should not be surprised if it happens again ... or worse." MzNique214 again questioned whether this was the right thing to do. "It's too soon for her to get back with him," she wrote. "She should just give him and herself enough space to know exactly what went wrong, how to fix it and more time for her to get to know herself." Hpfan8795 put it more bluntly: "If she goes back with him, she is an idiot." Many questioned Rihanna's reported decision to give Brown another chance and warned that the cycle of domestic violence is bound to repeat itself. Gr8Mind4U, however, firmly backed Rihanna's decision to spend time with Brown again, writing, "If she is being mature enough to work through this with Chris, it is something everyone should support if you are a true fan. They know what has transpired between them, and they have made their choice." Others tried to support both singers during a difficult time. "True fans will support and understand her decision," Luckydiamonds said. "True fans will support and understand his situation." A fan named Spmuscle agreed, adding, "Go Rihanna and Chris!! They need to do what is right for them, not for us, 'cause we don't know. Still people over here are judgmental. We still don't know what happened, so we can't say anything." Taymorel hoped that the couple could work things out and that Brown, who has spoken in the past about the domestic abuse he allegedly witnessed as a child, will get some counseling and learn how to handle his alleged anger issues. "Couples survive this every day and work things out," Taymorel wrote. "She can still be a strong woman and be with Chris. She just needs to be sure he is getting help." Brown came under some harsh criticism from Highroller33138, who said that after the singer's press statement about how "sorry and saddened" he was about the alleged incident, "how come he's riding his jet ski around, having a good time, laughing and flexing his arms like nothing never happened?" referring to pictures that surfaced of Brown cavorting in the waves in Miami over the weekend. Some called for boycotts of Brown, and others said they thought the Miami get-together was a cynical PR plot on Brown's behalf. "Chris Brown, you may con your way back into Rihanna's heart but your career will NOT con your way back into our wallets," YesWeCan warned. "YOUR CAREER IS FINISHED!" Go here for domestic violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Paramore's Hayley Williams Dispels Engagement Rumor
March 2, 2009 at 11:38 am
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| Gossip site falsely reports that she and New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert were engaged.
By James Montgomery 
Paramore's Hayley Williams
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images Step back from the ledge, Hayley Williams obsessives: The Paramore frontwoman is not getting married. Yes, despite what you may have read over the weekend, the 20-year-old Williams and her boyfriend, New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, 27, did not get engaged. The rumors started on Sunday, when Canadian "celebrity blogger" Zack Taylor posted an entry on his site claiming Gilbert popped the question over the weekend in Nashville. According to a "source," the site said, "Hayley was telling her friends that she and Chad were hoping to have a huge wedding in [Paramore's hometown] Franklin [Tennessee], sometime in 2011 when they can both take a break from touring." This was apparently news to Williams, who took to Paramore's LiveJournal page to dispel the engagement talk (and to allude to "The Princess' Bride" while she was at it). "Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dream," she wrote, quoting the movie. "I had no idea I was engaged! I'm so happy for myself! "In case you guys have seen the post floating around the interweb, I just wanted to state for the record that Chad and I are not engaged," the post continued. "I feel so ridiculous posting about this ... but hopefully I'm posting enough in advance that most of you haven't even heard all this, yet ... so, now you've heard it here... the rumors are not true." Meanwhile, when she's not setting the record straight on her personal life, Williams and her Paramore-mates are in Nashville, demo-ing songs for the follow-up to their Riot! album and gearing up for their summer tour with No Doubt. According to their labels, Fueled By Ramen and Atlantic, Paramore's new album is due after that tour wraps in August. Related Artists |
| 50 Cent Says Rick Ross Will 'Work At A Pizza Shop' When Battle Is Done: Mixtape Monday
March 2, 2009 at 7:50 am
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| Plus, Bow Wow wants to be the best rapper of '09.
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes 
50 Cent
Photo: MTV News Artist: Bow Wow Representing: Ohio Mixtape: Half Man Half Dog Vol. 2 411: Bow Wow says he's going to be the best rapper of 2009. All eyes are on him. "I just used my YouTube for the full potential," he said about releasing a myriad of freestyles virally last year before he released his first mixtape Half Man Half Dog. "Every time I do freestyle, and put 'em up, I get over 300,000 views just by being in my house. If my fans want it, I'mma give it to them. I do it as a hobby. I'm a mixtape fanatic." With his album New Jack City II due at the end of March, Bow just dropped a single called "You Can Get It All," a radio-friendly joint aimed at the ladies. We all know the young homie can do that — it's a hallmark of his career. But we will be surprised to hear him on the next mixtape Half Man Half Dog 2, as the almost 22-year-old makes a full-blown declaration of adulthood — and he's potent with the lines. "Bow is keeping it hip-hop," DJ Infamous said about some of Bow's beat selection to freestyle over, such as the LOX's "Money, Power & Respect" and Jay-Z's "22 Two's." "Besides just being on the hottest records in the South right now, he's keeping it hip-hop. That's what we're bringing to the table. He's a veteran in the game but we're the young cats keeping it alive for the streets." Bow says that making a mixtape is just an outlet to show his other skill set. "For me, it was something that had just really been embedded in me," Bow explained. "A lot of people don't know that I was discovered by Snoop and [Dr.] Dre. Snoop was such an influence on me. It's always been in my blood to rap. When I got with [Jermaine Dupri], JD cleaned me up a little bit and did the right thing. That's the reason why I'm here right now. But it's always been in me to rap. "I use the mixtape thing for fun," he added. "I hit Infamous up and said, 'Let's do something special for the people, a show-and-prove, show-and-tell type of thing that I can really do this.' It's no different from an NBA dude — when you see an NBA player go to [New York's] Rucker [Park street-ball court]. They bring a different game to the park. They don't bring the regular NBA game. It's two games I can play. I can hit you with the radio songs to sell records or I can do something else." Joints To Check For » "Underrated." "It was just me speaking the honest-to-God's truth," he said, referring to a line where he scoffs about people doubting he pens his own lyrics: "He don't write his sh-- that's what they all say/ But they don't say nothing when Eminem writes for Dre." "I do feel like I'm underrated. People put the rappers that don't sell records on the same pedestal as somebody who might have sold 30 million records. You can't do that; it don't add up. "A lot of people kinda overlook my accomplishments. I'm the youngest artist to ever go #1. I headlined seven arena tours. People overlook that. How can you not give me that credit? But you'll look at somebody who has one album, might have come out and sold 30,000 records, but he has the #1 rap single. But you think he's better than me? No way. The stats don't lie. You can't compare that. It's not equivalent. I get criticized so much. 'Who wrote this? He can't be writing this. That was too nice.' Y'all get on me so much but there are so many other rappers who don't write their raps but y'all like 'em. I write all my stuff. I'm just speaking for myself on how I feel." » "On Fire." "That's one of Infamous' favorites," LB Dub said. "Drumma Boy did the beat. It was weird how I approached the record. The beat was so hard, I said, 'I'm gonna find somebody talking about fire or how not to put out a fire.' That's why you hear it on the hook. I'm just talking, but I got samples talking about fire. It's about just attacking it. A real gritty, grimy record, doing what it is I do." » "Ambition" "I redid the 'Ambitionz As a Ridah' joint," Lamborghini Moss declared. "I did it first just as video over my YouTube [channel]. When I did it, I said, 'I'm gonna put it on the mixtape.' It's a straight verse, me writing and having fun with it. It's one of the hardest beats ever made. Shout out to Daz, who made it. And the rest is history." Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week » Joe Budden - Padded Room
» Superstar Jay - I Am Mixtapes Part 16 (hosted by Tony Yayo)
» Masspike Mile - The Pursuit of Happiness
» Gucci Mane - King
» DJ Benzi and Dope Couture - The Jetsetters
» Memphis Bleek - Feed the Streets 'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar » Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - "The Game Ain't Ready"
» Gucci Mane - "Stoopid"
» The LOX - "I Get it In" freestyle
» Capone-N-Norega (featuring Mobb Deep) - "Wobble Wobble"
» Chamillionaire (featuring the Game and Ludacris) - "Creepin' Solo" remix
» Omarion (featuring Lil Wayne) - "Comfort" The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground We give equal time here at Mixtape Monday. Last week, Rick Ross confidently said he should sell more records than 50 Cent. This week, we let the creator of Pimpin' Curly respond. "I thought that was the funniest thing he could come up with," 50 said, laughing off Ross' prediction of 12 million records sold for Deeper Than Rap. "Why is there a Rick Ross and 50 Cent [beef]?" he asked. "It was just bad timing. It was publicity for his part why he jumped out there, but bad timing and no plan. He's gonna get mauled. People are gonna look at it like, 'Wow, that was like a Mike Tyson one-minute-and-thirty-second knockout. You didn't make it past your second week's sales.' " The G-Unit ringleader insisted that their battle is going to damage Ross' career. "When people get more publicity than they usually get — from an artist's standpoint — and it has nothing to do with their music, what usually happens is you make the public totally aware of you," the Queens native explained. "Which is good until the release date, and you see no one has bought your record. The public is totally aware you're trash and your material's not generating any interest. That's when you do the damage to yourself, because you don't want more publicity than your actual music is commanding." Fif also had jokes about a Ross vlog where the Boss said he was way more fashionable than the G-Unit. "He says things like he's really stylish," 50 scoffed. "Gucci, they have a European cut that even I can't get into a lot of times — so I'm sure there isn't anything in the whole store he can fit in outside of a scarf or maybe a hat. "It never gets worse than this," 50 added. "You get a guy that was a correctional officer come out and base his entire career on writing material from a drug dealer's perspective. When he loses this [battle], he can't even go back to his day job because the correctional officers are upset that you wanted to portray that message. He's gonna work at the pizza shop when I'm done with him." For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Silversun Pickups Say Swoon Is The Band's 'Time Capsule'
March 2, 2009 at 7:50 am
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| 'As long as we're proud of it, that's all that matters,' frontman Brian Aubert says of Carnavas follow-up.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias 
Silversun Pickups
Photo: Wyatt Troll When the Silversun Pickups were writing Swoon, the follow-up to their breakout Carnavas album, they were given access to parts of the universe where mere mortals dare not tread. And they soaked in them. "We were on jets that landed on hovercrafts that rolled us onto Jacuzzi-shaped planes," frontman Brian Aubert laughed. "And on one Jacuzzi plane, there was a submarine, and that was the VIP, and that was going crazy. And that's where we wrote the album. We wrote Swoon on the backs of hookers. In crayon." He's kidding. (We think.) But there's no denying that the past few years have been fairly eventful for the Pickups, who rose from favorite sons (and daughters) of Los Angeles' Silver Lake district to the show-stealing gigs at Coachella and Lollapalooza (not to mention opening slots on European tours for the Foo Fighters and the Kaiser Chiefs), based largely on the buzz generated by Carnavas, a blurry blast of My Bloody Valentine shoegaze, filtered through the Smashing Pumpkins hit machine. Two singles from the album hit the Billboard Modern Rock chart, and before they knew it, the band had adopted a rather robust (and decidedly non-indie) fanbase. Of course, they weren't aware of this, as they spent the majority of the time touring in a tiny white van. But their friends back home certainly let them know that suddenly, the Silversun Pickups were a big deal. "The best analogy for it is getting fat. Like, all of a sudden, your pants are a little tighter. It sort of gradually happened," Aubert said. "We weren't home for two years. Your friends sort of let you know that you're getting big — they'll call you and go, like, 'We just saw you on TV. That was so strange, and you looked weird,' but we didn't really notice. We knew we got to tour, and we were going to all these places, and that was, deep down, pretty stunning to us. Like, there's something inside us going, 'What the hell is going on?!?' " So when it came time to get to work on Swoon, (due April 14), there were certainly a lot more people paying attention — which is why they holed up in Hollywood's Sound Factory studios and tried very hard to forget about the outside world. That could either be a good or bad thing. "There are people who either really hate this record or really like it. I mean, it's nice that people will hear it. How they feel about it is up to them," Aubert smiled. "An album is sort of a time capsule of who you are and who you were when you're writing it. And after two years goes by, you're not in the same place, and this is a different sort of universe that you're in. So, really, our goal was just to make sure that at the end of the day, if it completely fails, it's not our fault. As long as we're proud of it, that's all that matters." We're willing to bet that Silversun Pickups fans are going to like it. A lot. When MTV News spoke to the indie rockers, they were in the finishing stages of mixing Swoon, an album that sounds an awful lot like the title implies. We'll have more on the songs of Swoon on Wednesday — including snippets of a few tracks — but until then, we figured we'd leave you with the album's track list ... and one final thought from Aubert about the making of the record. We think it sums the entire project up nicely. "When people come up to us and ask, 'How'd you do that?,' we just sort of scratch our heads and be like, 'Pfft? I don't know.' We just got lucky," he said. "And all you can do is try your hardest to make the best album you can, and then, if that happens, that's nice. Like, you have to be ready when the luck hits, and I think we did that here. There, I think I just blew your minds." The track list for the Silversun Pickups' Swoon: "There's No Secrets This Year"
"The Royal We"
"Growing Old Is Getting Old"
"It's Nice To Know You Work Alone"
"Panic Switch"
"Draining"
"Sort Of"
"Substitution"
"Catch And Release"
"Surrounded" Related Videos Related Artists |
| Big Chief Raps About Harsh Reality Of Dallas' Streets
March 2, 2009 at 7:41 am
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| 'My Swag,' featuring Jim Jones, shows the 'hood side of D-Town.
By Shaheem Reid 
Big Chief
Photo: Make Millions DALLAS — It's not all about dancing in Dallas. Though regional D-Town Boogie hits such as the "The Stanky Legg" and the "Ricky Bobby" are blowing up slowly but surely, the city has a whole other side: the streets. They don't dance or boogie, but artists such as Big Tuck and Tum Tum have stories from the 'hood that show a harsher reality. The hottest dude in the streets of the D, though, comes from West Dallas. Fittingly, his name is Big Chief. "I got the swagga like no other man. Real talk, man," the slick-talking, confident Texan said, sitting on his custom, candy-painted Bentley coupe in the parking lot of Big T Bazaar. Like New York has flea markets and Cali has swap meets, Dallas has their bazaars — places to shop and stunt with your hot whips. "Versace. Double L. Louis [Vuitton]," he bragged. "Customize everything, baby. Eat greedy or don't eat at all. I'm a 'hood cat, so that's where you find me at." Although Chief isn't signed to a label yet, he's been able to create his own core following by releasing over a dozen mixtapes and constantly performing at local shows. "I mean, that's how I was raised, man," Chief said. "You gotta see it, man. It's some real gutta things going down here in the dynamite D. I'm gonna show you, man. It's real talk, man." While Chief is in talks to secure a recording contract, he continues to make records independently. Now he has a humdinger on his hands called "My Swag," which features Jim Jones. Just a few weeks old, the record is looking like it will bubble over nationally if given the proper push. "Yeah, man, I got Jimmy on the thing," said Chief, who is also planning to work with fellow Dallas natives, two-time Grammy-winning team Play N Skillz. "We doing our thing. I felt like [Jones] was the only other cat to complement my swag coming out of the South, so I reached up top and I grabbed him." Even though his music is much different from young locals such as the GS Boyz, B-Hamp and Lil' Will, the Chief says he's elated to see everyone from his hometown coming up together, no matter the subgenre of rap music they do. "We're the number four, number five market in America," Chief said. "Man, we consume everything, so it's only right that we give them something to buy." Related Videos |
| Britney Spears Reveals Circus Tour Set List
March 2, 2009 at 6:25 am
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| Pop star will perform a mix of old and new songs during jaunt, which kicks off Tuesday.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Britney Spears
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images With only a day until Britney Spears takes the stage as the ringleader of her Circus tour, the singer is giving fans a sneak peak of what they can expect from the stage show. (MTV News will be there for the tour's opening in New Orleans — check back for a full report!) On Britney's Web site, the singer posted a set list of songs she'll be singing, which includes a mix of tracks from throughout her career — check it out here! The concert will take place in a three-ring-circus set design. In the first act, titled "Circus," the show will kick off with the previously reported Perez Hilton video, followed by the songs "Circus" and "Piece of Me." In the "House of Fun (Anything Goes)" segment of the show, Britney will perform "Boys," new single "If U Seek Amy" and more. Next up, Britney takes her fans to the "Freakshow/Peepshow," followed by the "Electro Circ." For those sections, Britney has a slew of fan favorites lined up, including "Slave," "Toxic," a " ... Baby One More Time" remix — and, intriguingly, what is apparently a Bollywood take on her collaboration with Madonna, "Me Against the Music." It's already been revealed that Spears will hit the road with the Pussycat Dolls, as well as illusionist and former "Saved by the Bell" actor Ed Alonzo. In a clip on Britney's site, fans can get a sneak peek of Britney's rehearsals for the tour. Britney seems to be back to her old form: dancing in cages, scantily clad and wearing sparkles. Also, Britney has been named the new model for Candie's. Dressed in a bra and panties, a leopard-print crop top and a plaid dress, Britney mugs for the camera for Candie's. "We're so glad to be doing this with you," a Candie's spokeswoman says in the video. The tour kicks off Tuesday in New Orleans, near where Britney grew up in Louisiana. "I am so excited for her, and I wish I could be there," Britney's aunt, Linda Ann Brandon-Kjos, told People. "All the family is there and supporting her. I'm sure that she is going to be just fine. I think it is going to be something really special." Related Artists |
| Aubrey O'Day Reportedly Close To Signing Solo Deal
March 2, 2009 at 4:52 am
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| Former Danity Kane member would work with Akon on her solo debut, according to report.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Aubrey O'Day
Photo: MTV News According to online reports, Aubrey O'Day is close to putting Danity Kane behind her and is about to sign a solo deal with Steve Rifkind at SRC/Universal. The KBSRadio.ca report adds that O'Day might be working with Akon on the album when the deal is signed. When reached for comment, a rep for O'Day told MTV News, "We have no comment as of now." The news comes just weeks after MTV News caught up with O'Day during New York Fashion Week, where she didn't seem to have any details to share about her post-Danity Kane career. She did say that once she "finished off all my obligations with Danity Kane and Puff and 'Making the Band,' and once that is taken care of, I will be moving forward with a new label and releasing music." Regardless of her situation with Diddy, she was working on new music at the time. "I'm in the studio being creative. It's been a long time since I've been able to express myself in writing and trying different ways of performing on tracks and different styles of music," she said. "And a lot of the music I've been recording has a rock edge to it, and I love it." While the report has her teaming up with Akon, she has another big name she'd like to get in the studio with, if given the chance. "I've always said this, even when I was with Danity Kane: I would love to get Snoop on a track," she said. "I'm so in love with Snoop, and we are both West Coast people." While fellow ousted Danity Kane member D.Woods has had some solo music hit the Web, new music from O'Day hasn't seen the light of day. "I don't need to leak music. When it's ready to be out there and be heard, [it will be]," she said. "I'm not putting pressure on myself. There was a lot of pressure to release music in the last situation, and I don't want to [release music] because there is pressure [or] because I need to make a move right now. I want to do it when I feel like it's at its best." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Have Sublime Reunited?
March 2, 2009 at 4:21 am
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| Band's remaining members performed with a new singer on Saturday.
By James Montgomery 
Sublime's Eric Wilson
Photo: John Shearer/ WireImage Nearly four months ago, rumors began swirling that Sublime — the celebrated Long Beach ska/punk misfits who achieved fame after the death of lead singer Bradley Nowell in 1996 — were contemplating a full-fledged reunion with a mysterious "unknown singer and guitarist" filling Nowell's spot. Well, over the weekend, at a Mexican restaurant in Sparks, Nevada, that reunion officially happened. Of course, that sort of depends on your definition of "reunion." Here's what we do know: On Saturday, Del Mar, a punk act featuring former Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh, took the stage at the Cantina Los Tres Hombres, a Sparks restaurant/bar (try the Burritos Grandes). After finishing the set, Gaugh then took the stage again, joined by Sublime bassist Eric Wilson and a Southern California singer by the name of Rome and began playing Sublime songs (check out a photo of the set list here), even reportedly testing out at least one new song. The audience went crazy (here's a YouTube clip). After all, since calling it quits in '96, Sublime have had a string of hits (most notably "What I Got" and "Santeria"), sold more than 17 million albums worldwide and inspired a cottage industry of tribute acts, including Providence, Rhode Island's Badfish. But does the Cantina gig mean that Sublime are back in business? Well, according to Del Mar, the answer is "yes." "So, Del Mar played the gig at Cantina last night ... it was packed and amazing. What really f---ing killed it was SUBLIME reuniting and playing with new singer, Rome," the band wrote on its MySpace page. "We're f---ing stoked for Bud, Eric and Rome ... Bud's still playing with Del Mar, and Sublime doesn't have any firm tour plans or anything YET, but we'll keep you posted on their progress." That post set off a flurry of message-board activity, most of it centered on the question of whether a Sublime without Nowell actually counts as Sublime at all. "Sorry, but it's not Sublime without Brad Nowell," one PunkDisasters.com poster wrote. "That's like saying Nirvana reunited last night." Fans also wonder if this so-called reunion is just another incarnation of the Long Beach Dub Allstars, the group Gaugh and Wilson formed following Nowell's death of a heroin overdose in 1996. And while the debate may rage, according to one person who was at the Cantina show, what he saw was very much the reincarnation of Sublime. "They sure sounded like Sublime. It was incredible," Thad Peterson, the booker for the Cantina, told MTV News on Monday (March 2). "It was an all-around incredible show. The band was tight, and they sounded great." Related Artists |
| Kanye West Calls Out 50 Cent During 'Storytellers' Show
March 2, 2009 at 3:33 am
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| 'Ye points to his pink shirt during 'Heartless,' says to 50: 'Does this look gay to you?'
By Shaheem Reid 
Kanye West performs on "Storytellers"
Photo: VH1 Kanye West offered a mix of jokes, boasting and poignancy during his first "VH1 Storytellers" special, which aired Saturday. In one segment, West directly addressed 50 Cent's recent comments. It was understood by the media and fans that 50 was dropping the other F-word on West in the underground song "Play This on the Radio." Fif has since told MTV News that he wasn't referring to Kanye on the song and he knows West isn't a homosexual. However, in true 50 fashion, he did make fun of what is now known as the infamous Paris picture. "I seen the picture. It was so crazy," 50 said recently in Venezuela. "It was him and four or five other people. They had on some spandex, cheetah, leopard. That wasn't gay; that was interesting. Where I come from, you only see [those clothes on] gay people. Once he says gay people are his inspiration, it's understandable. I don't have anything against gay people, I just say what I think I'm seeing." During the "Storytellers" show, West called out 50 while addressing people who question his sexuality. "50, look at me now, singing on the ground with my pink shirt on, " Kanye said during a longer version of "Heartless" that included some improvisational crooning. "Does this look gay to you?" he asked, wearing a gray suit with a pink shirt. Kanye also mentioned the disdain he had for some authors who are trying to capitalize from his mother's death. He did lighten the mood with references to himself, though, saying that one of his great disappointments is that he'll never be able to watch himself perform live as a fan would. Besides "Heartless," Kanye rolled out a plethora of hits from his back catalog as well as album cuts from 808s & Heartbreak, such as "Robocop" and "Amazing." Related Artists |
| Will Chris Brown Jet-Ski Pictures Hurt His Image?
March 2, 2009 at 3:19 am
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| Singer was photographed playing in ocean three weeks after alleged altercation with girlfriend Rihanna.
By Gil Kaufman 
Chris Brown in Miami on Sunday
Photo: Miguel Garcia/Getty Images Pictures of Chris Brown flexing his biceps and playing in the waves off Miami on a jet ski wouldn't normally raise eyebrows. But coming amid reports of Brown and girlfriend Rihanna's reunion following an alleged domestic incident three weeks ago, the images struck some as a bit odd. "That might not have been the first image I would want out there of him," said public-relations guru and crisis-management expert Howard Bragman, author of "Where's My Fifteen Minutes?"; Bragman has handled delicate situations for everyone from embattled former "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington to onetime "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon. "But I also don't believe that he should be running around in sack cloth and ashes. He's a young man, and he has to go on with his life." The problem, Bragman said, is that — apart from some grainy photos that reportedly show him and Rihanna arriving at an airport in Los Angeles, which were posted by TMZ.com on Monday (March 2) — the jet-skiing images are the only ones out there right now of Brown, whose career has already suffered some damage as a result of reports that he allegedly struck and bit Rihanna during a domestic dispute in Los Angeles on February 8. Because the jet-skiing pictures are the only ones currently making the rounds, Bragman said, they become the "defining image" of the alleged reunion and "that's not how you want to be defined at this time." Bragman said he would have preferred to see the 19-year-old singer "taking his mother to a Tyler Perry movie or out to dinner ... anything with family. You want to be really cautious at these moments. And if his people set this up [as has been reported], I don't know why, because it seems to project an attitude of, 'This is behind me, and I'm going to have fun, because I'm Chris Brown.' " While no photos of the couple together have surfaced since the alleged incident, hundreds of readers wrote into MTV News to express their shock, disappointment, hope and confusion over the alleged weekend reunion at a home owned by Diddy in Miami, with some singling out the jet-ski pictures as particularly galling. Us Weekly reported that Brown was photographed arriving via private jet in Los Angeles on Monday (March 2), with Rihanna not visibly by his side; spokespeople for the singers had not return calls for comment at press time. As to how the reported reconciliation happened, People Senior Editor Julie Dam told the "Early Show" on Monday morning that Brown reached out to Rihanna on her birthday last week "and since then, they've sort of been mutually talking." While Dam didn't know if Brown sent gifts to his girlfriend of more than a year as part of that attempt to reconcile, she said Brown has definitely been "saying that he's really sad and reflective about what happened, but he's really happy to be with the woman he loves." Asked if the singers' relative youth — Rihanna just turned 21 — has to do with their alleged quick reconciliation, clinical psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere told the program, "I don't think it's just about the youth here, because we see that older folks in their 30s, 40s and so on who are involved in domestic violence, they break up and they come back together." But, he warned, if they stay together and there was, in fact, an abusive incident, there is a "very high probability it will happen again, because we find out that some of the female victims of domestic violence quite often end up choosing other people who are abusers, because they don't work out the emotional issues that may draw them to those people who perpetrate violence against them." As to how the pictures of Brown might further impact his career, Bragman said until the facts in the case emerge, no one except Rihanna and Brown know why they are doing what they're doing. "The image is not the final nail in the coffin by any stretch — that would have been if he was with another woman — but at a time like this, you always want to go back to family," he said. "The real question is, 'What does the DA in Los Angeles think of this image?' " Bragman said. "How does this affect how they feel about it, and does it make him [seem] more capricious, or does Brown know something about the resolution of the case that we don't, and does he have a reason to feel good?" The district attorney has not yet filed charges in the case but is reportedly planning to do so next week. Get resources and information about domestic violence, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Beyonce Opens Up About Life At Home With Jay-Z
March 2, 2009 at 2:51 am
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| The singer admits that her messiness 'is the most difficult thing' for her neat hubby.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Beyoncé
Photo: Gareth Cattermole/ Getty Images Beyoncé may seem like she has it all together, and if you want to keep that image of her then the singer suggests you don't stop by her house anytime soon. "I'm a little messy. Whenever I'm out in public, I have to be put together. When I get home, I rebel against it and I don't want to take care of anything. I drop it," she said in the new issue of Ebony, according to Examiner.com. "I'm relaxed. I don't have any shoes on. No makeup. My purse is in the kitchen." She also shared that her messiness is the one quirk that really drives hubby Jay-Z crazy. "I think that is [the] most difficult thing for him. He's very, very organized," she said. "I'm extremely organized when I'm working, and I work so much that when I get home, I don't want to think about anything." Although the two may have very different philosophies on the art of being tidy, they manage to agree on the fact that they should keep their business out of their personal lives. "He was very successful before I met him, and I was very successful before I met him. So we have so much respect for each other, and respect for each other artistically," Beyoncé said. "We are very close friends, and I believe he is the ultimate artist and he has the same feelings for me." In addition to getting B to open up about her marriage to Jay-Z, Ebony also got first lady Michelle Obama to weigh in on the singer, who sang "At Last" for the first dance at President Obama's inauguration in January. "Beyoncé is an incredible young woman," she told the magazine, according to Celebuzz.com. "Barack and I have met her on a few occasions, and it was a great honor to hear her sing 'At Last' so beautifully at the inauguration. She is so talented and so real, and we just love her." Related Photos Related Artists |
| Britney Spears' Long And Winding Road Since Last Tour
March 2, 2009 at 2:39 am
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| A lot has changed between 2004's Onyx Hotel Tour and Brit's Circus jaunt, which kicks off Tuesday.
By James Montgomery 
Britney Spears
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images Britney Spears kicks off her much-discussed Circus tour Tuesday in New Orleans, and MTV News will be there to cover every top-hat-toting moment. But before we land in the Big Easy, we decided to take a look back at the last time Brit hit the road in a massive style ... way back in 2004, on the Onyx Hotel Tour. Of course, Brit wasn't able to finish the Onyx jaunt; she had arthroscopic surgery on her knee, which forced her to cancel the third leg of the tour. She did tour again in 2006 (albeit briefly) on the M+M's tour, a scaled-down, six-date run of shows that featured her lip-synching her way through quick sets (just five songs). Needless to say, it wasn't the arena-packing Spears of old — which is why we're not counting it. What we're focusing on here is the big-venue, big-production Britney we all grew up with, and the one that, thanks to the success of her Circus album, is most definitely back. And her Circus tour is definitely going to be a big deal. Featuring the Pussycat Dolls as the opening act, a super snazzy stage with "lots of moving parts," a magic act featuring a dude who used to be on "Saved By the Bell" and a cameo by none other than Perez Hilton, Brit's pulling out all the stops. Because, well, it's been awhile. A long while. In fact, here's a look back at the way things were all the way back on June 6, 2004, the last date Brit completed on Onyx, and the last time she toured for real. Needless to say, it was a much simpler time back then. The last time Britney toured ... » She hadn't even gotten engaged to Kevin Federline (this was still just six months after her 55-hour Las Vegas wedding to Jason Alexander) and was still more than a year away from giving birth to her first child, Sean Preston. » Miley Cyrus was 12, Taylor Swift was 14, and only one-third of the Jonas Brothers was old enough to drive (Kevin, who was 16). Christina Aguilera had yet to get engaged to (now husband) Jordan Bratman, and Madonna was still married to Guy Ritchie. Jessica Simpson was still married to Nick Lachey, while sister Ashlee was still dating Ryan Cabrera (and was still months away from her infamous "Saturday Night Live" meltdown). » Facebook was just four months old (and was still called "The Facebook"), MySpace was less than a year old, and people still used Friendster. There were no iPhones, and iPods still featured monochrome screens (you could purchase songs off the newly created iTunes Music Store, though). » Perez Hilton had yet to launch his infamous Web site (or even its first incarnation, PageSixSixSix.com), Saddam Hussein was awaiting trial by the Iraqi Special Tribunal and George W. Bush was just one year removed from his "Mission Accomplished" speech. John Kerry was the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. Barack Obama had yet to be elected to the U.S. Senate and was still one month away from delivering his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. | | |  |
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