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| Smashing Pumpkins To Hold Open Auditions For New Drummer
March 31, 2009 at 10:32 am
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| Interested parties should be in Los Angeles on April 10.
By Gil Kaufman 
The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan
Photo: Jason Merritt/ FilmMagic How do you go about replacing one of the most distinctive drummers in alt rock? With an open audition, of course. Just a week after original Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin quit the group, the Pumpkins (a.k.a. lone remaining original member Billy Corgan) announced on on their official site on Monday that an open audition will be held in Los Angeles on April 10 to fill the vacant position. "The Smashing Pumpkins are continuing to make music after the departure of original member Jimmy Chamberlin, " read the announcement on the official Pumpkins site. "When Jimmy originally auditioned for the Smashing Pumpkins, he was playing in a locally touring jazz band that was playing weddings and street fairs. It just goes to show that you never know where the next big talent will come from." Before Chamberlin joined the band in 1988, Corgan and former guitarist James Iha performed with a drum machine. Throwing the door open to all interested parties with "exceptional drumming ability and a desire to be part of a massive creative and progressive musical project with a rich 20-year history," the post also explained that the auditions are for recording and touring drummers, noting that there may be "multiple positions" open. Applicants are asked to send a headshot, music, video links and a résumé listing their bands, live-performance experience, awards and any music education in their background to a Gmail address. Not waiting to fill the drummer's seat, Corgan announced last week that he's been working on demos for new Pumpkins songs, which could end up on the band's next album, only their second to not feature Chamberlin. The drummer explained somewhat cryptically last week that he was leaving the band with no bad blood, but that he simply could no longer "pretend I'm into something I'm not. ... I can't just, 'Cash the check.' " Though the two had a longtime friendship and Corgan excitedly invited Chamberlin back into the fold after the drummer was sent into a three-year exile due to his drug issues, Corgan said he's psyched about moving forward. "It's going well and I'm very happy and in a great mood. I'm not sad (about what has happened), actually excited to be working on new SP!" Corgan said on Thursday of the five tunes he's working on, with an eye toward hitting the studio in May. "The songs sound like spring!" he added. In one of the strangest bits of news to come out of the sessions, the official Pumpkins site recently reported that among those joining Corgan in the studio is friend Mark Tulin, bassist for the late-1960s psychedelic band the Electric Prunes, best known for their tune "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night." Related Artists |
| Soulja Boy Says Chris Brown Should Focus On 'Fixing Himself'
March 31, 2009 at 9:00 am
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| Rapper offers support for former tour-mate and Rihanna.
By Gil Kaufman 
Soulja Boy Tell'em at the 2009 Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images Soulja Boy Tell'em is the latest artist to speak out about the alleged altercation between Chris Brown and Rihanna. While walking the red carpet at Saturday's Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles, the "Kiss Me Through the Phone" rapper told Entertainment Weekly that he's there for both former tour-mate Brown and Rihanna and that he was surprised by incident. "[Chris] needs to be focused on fixing himself right now and fixing the relationship," Soulja Boy reportedly said. "I don't know what went wrong or what happened exactly, but I couldn't be more shocked. Both of them are my friends, and I wish both of them the best of luck. They were really good together, and it is sad that it happened. It came out of nowhere. I would have never seen that coming. It is not like him at all. Not his nature." The rapper, who showed off his $100,000 necklace while talking to the magazine, said he hoped that Brown, 19, and Rihanna, 21, get through the situation in a "positive light," but said it will likely be tough because of the intense media glare. "Remember that only God can judge, though," Soulja Boy said. "None of us know exactly what went down that weekend. Only they know the whole truth, and it will be up to them to decide if they can get straight with it and whether they will want to continue as a couple. I can just be there if either of them need me." And, Soulja being Soulja, he took the opportunity to brag that his next big venture is a headlining summer tour, "and I am going to put my swagga into it. Move over, Chris Brown." Despite a recent Fox News report to the contrary, Rihanna is reportedly fully cooperating in the investigation and prosecution of Brown, who is being charged with two felonies, assault and making criminal threats, and is slated to be arraigned on April 6. Related Videos Related Photos |
| 'American Idol' Is Down To The Top Nine -- And We're Live-Blogging!
March 31, 2009 at 8:00 am
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| 'Idol' expert Jim Cantiello brings you a minute-by-minute update so you don't miss a thing. 
Photo: MTV News |
| Jordin Sparks Can't Decide On Her 'American Idol' Favorite
March 31, 2009 at 7:50 am
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| 'I actually vote for seven people each night, which is really sad, but I can't help myself,' season-six champ says.
By Jocelyn Vena, additional reporting by Matt Elias 
Jordin Sparks
Photo: MTV News "American Idol" alum Jordin Sparks hasn't forgotten where she comes from. In fact, the season-six champ is so dedicated to the show that she still tunes in and votes to her favorite contestants. But she swears she isn't voting for anyone in particular, because it's just too hard to pick. "It's really hard to say, 'cause there's a lot of really good people," she told MTV News. "I am voting — you guy should too! I am voting for 'Idol.' I actually vote for seven people each night, which is really sad, but I can't help myself." And Sparks has good reason for dedicating so much phone time, "They're all so good," she said, adding that once she thinks she has it all figured out, the show goes and throws her a curveball and she has a new favorite contestant. "You think the guys are really strong, and then Allison [Iraheta] comes out, and it's like, 'OK, maybe not,' " she said about the singer's performance of the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" during Motown week. "She was amazing." So far this season, past "Idol" winners Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Ruben Studdard have come back to the show to perform. Sparks is hoping she, too, can return to the stage where she became a star. "I hope so!" she said about trying to fit an "Idol" appearance into her pre-JoBros tour schedule. "We're hoping maybe sometime in April, but we're not sure yet." Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Artists |
| Keyshia Cole's Mother, Frankie Lons, Is Alive And Well
March 31, 2009 at 7:46 am
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| Despite Internet rumors, singer's biological mother was not in a car accident.
By Jayson Rodriguez 
Keyshia Cole
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/ Getty Images Representatives for Keyshia Cole have released a statement to refute rumors that first surfaced on Monday suggesting the singer's mother had passed away in a fatal car accident. Perez Hilton was one of the many to post messages on Twitter about the matter. The gossip blogger asked, "Some awful rumor about Keyshia Cole is floating around. Anyone heard if this is true or not????" Cole's label, Interscope Records, has put out a statement saying there is "no truth to it." "Imani Entertainment has received a huge amount of inquiries in regard to the rumor about Keyshia Cole's biological mom, Frankie Lons, having recently passed in an automobile accident," the statement read. "The rumor has absolutely NO truth to it — Frankie has not been in any accident of any kind and is doing well at home in Atlanta." Cole's manager, Manny Halley, confirmed the information to MTV News. In an e-mail, Halley said Frankie is "100% alive" and added that he recently hung out with Frankie, Cole and the singer's sister Neffe, and all are well. The three women star in Cole's BET reality series, "The Way It Is." The show chronicles the singer's professional life, but it is perhaps best known for capturing intimate family moments as Cole rebuilds her family with her biological mother, Frankie. Cole was adopted as a youngster and Frankie spent time in prison and dealt with a drug addiction. The family reunion was broadcast on air and led to turbulent confrontations. This season, the show's third, has dealt with Frankie's new boyfriend and the clashes with her family — most notably Neffe — over her relationship. Cole and her mother, Frankie, were recently featured on the March cover of VIBE magazine. Related Artists |
| Is America Ready For Utada, The 'Japanese Britney Spears'?
March 31, 2009 at 7:14 am
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| 'I feel like I stepped out into fresh air,' singer says of making her new album, This Is the One.
By Kathleen Newman-Bremang 
Utada
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images Utada isn't your typical American pop star — she's actually a Japanese pop sensation that has been labeled the "Asian Britney Spears" since her 1999 debut LP, First Love, became Japan's biggest-selling album ever. She's conquered the international market and sold over 52 million records. Now, Utada's hoping to add her name to the elusive list of divas that dominate America. The New York-born singer described herself to MTV recently as "culturally bilingual." See, the 26-year-old is somewhat of a Japanese musical prodigy. Utada's father was an accomplished musician and producer and her mother was a successful Japanese singer. Her parents had her splitting her time between Manhattan and Tokyo while she went to high school and college. Back then, Utada was living a "Hannah Montana"-esque double life: ordinary American college student by day, world-renowned Japanese pop star by night. Utada's story hasn't been a fairytale, though. Despite being the first Japanese artist to break the Top 20 Albums list on iTunes, she's yet to make it big on American radio airwaves or the Billboard charts. Her last U.S. album, Exodus, released in 2004, failed to resonate with audiences. Utada describes the album as "introverted" and "weird." "It was interesting and unique [but] how are you supposed to promote that?" she said. Utada isn't trying to appeal to angst-ridden emo kids — she's Japan's Britney, remember? So when it came to her new record, This Is the One, she decided to let loose, go the traditional pop route and make it accessible to the masses. "This time, I wanted to make a really mainstream album. Making an album like this new one [was] fun. I feel like I stepped out into fresh air," she said. "[We laid] out a plan to make a really good pop record, like good old pop like TLC." Fittingly, her first single, "Come Back to Me," is reminiscent of the smooth, late-'90s pop era. "I think it's a good reflection as the essence of the album," Utada said of the single. With this album, Utada enlisted the help of hitmakers Stargate and Tricky, producers who have worked with Spears, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé and Rihanna. If Utada gets even half the recognition of the aforementioned divas, she'll have to get used to more public attention. "[It's] a bit scary to think that if the album does take off, I [will] become very famous here," she says. But Utada swears if she does blow up in the American pop industry, she won't let the success go to her head. "I can become this queen on the throne, with my nails being done, [but] I have consciously avoided going down that path. Watching others and learning — whether it's Britney or a homeless guy on the street ... or a record company CEO; I watch and learn." Watch out Britney — Utada's coming for your crown. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Flo Rida Calls R.O.O.T.S. LP 'A Gumbo Of Flo Rida'
March 31, 2009 at 7:00 am
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| 'I wanted to put out a message about how I've made it to where I am now,' MC says of sophomore album.
By Akshay Bhansali, with reporting by Shaheem Reid 
Flo Rida
Photo: MTV News Last year, with his first hit "Low," Flo Rida set digital-sales records. He's doing it all over again with "Right Round," the Dead or Alive-sampling first single from his sophomore album R.O.O.T.S., which hit stores Tuesday (March 31) "Right Round" has maintained its #1 status for 12 weeks now with more than 2 million downloads, leaving the previous digital records set by Soulja Boy Tell'em, 50 Cent and Eminem in its wake. "You feel like you're lucky the first time you do something like that, but a second time makes you feel like you're blessed," Flo told MTV News. "I am humbled by those guys. I'm fans of those guys. I'm inspired by those guys." Since Flo's debut Mail on Sunday dropped last March, the Florida MC has toured abroad, recording with international artists and increasing his global scope. He was featured on 2006 "Australian Idol" runner-up Jessica Mauboy's single "Running Back," which hit the top of the Australian singles chart last year. The R.O.O.T.S. track "Sugar," with newcomer Wynter, samples Eiffel 65's "I'm Blu (Da Ba Dee)." The sample might leave some in the hip-hop game scratching their heads, but a similar move worked wonders for T.I. with "Live Your Life." Nelly Furtado, Akon, Wyclef Jean, Rick Ross, Ace Hood, Brisco and Pitbull are also featured on R.O.O.T.S., which stands for "route of overcoming the struggle." "I'm definitely letting the people know I haven't forgotten where I've come from," he said. "On this album, I wanted to put out a message about how I've made it to where I am now — the trials and tribulations I've been through — as well as the party joints. It's going to be a gumbo of Flo Rida." Related Artists |
| 3OH!3 Get Soaked, 'Stupid' On 'Starstrukk' Video Shoot
March 31, 2009 at 6:36 am
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| Colorado electro-punk act attempts to recreate the party feel of their live shows.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias 
3OH!3
Photo: MTV News 3OH!3 are a party-ready duo from Colorado (home of the 303 area code) who make blippy electro/rap/punk (the kids call it "crunkcore") about girls and parties, and making out with girls at parties. Or, as beatmaker and defacto hypeman Nate Motte puts it: "We're in this a throwback Backstreet-Boy-'NSYNC-esque-hot-dude band called 3OH!3!" That sounds about right. But with an album that's sold more than 150,000 copies, a slot on the Alternative Press tour, a space on last summer's and this summer's Warped Tour and upcoming gigs opening for Katy Perry, it's getting harder and harder to write off 3OH!3 as jokey, crunked-up hornballs. Luckily, when MTV News caught up with them on the set of their new video — for the song "Starstrukk" — they did a pretty good job of doing it for us. "There's a mat on the floor and there's liquid spilled all over the place," frontman Sean Foreman explained. "The concept of the video is one that we brainstormed up. It has to do with a dog pile and crazy body parts and hot legs and boobs and football players." "There are all sorts of body fluids involved. Different types. Blood, spit, a couple we can't mention," Motte added. "You're going to see people flying off a doggy pile, like, flying up into the atmosphere, and at the end, it's revealed it's in reverse motion, so it's just people dog-piling on us. It's movie magic, because we're actually not even in the video. They're CGI-ing taller, better looking people in our places. It works out well." Whether they're actually in the "Starstrukk" video or not, there's no denying the sweaty, fluid-drenched clip keeps in line with the duo's rather frantic (and equally lubricous) live gigs. Which was sort of the plan. "We're shooting a real stupid-fun video," Motte said. "Our live shows are barely controlled chaos, for 30 minutes to an hour. Sweat, blood, tears of joy and sadness." "We've had shows where we've had swordfights with all the opening bands we've played with, and we killed them off," Foreman added. "We had gallons of fake blood made. It's basically just us gyrating and sweating on people in the front rows. There's a fan here, who's going to be in the video, and I was talking to her and I accidentally spit on her and I apologized. But she said, 'Well, that's like every one of your shows, you just spit all over me.' " That's gross. But also awesome. And while the clip certainly looks to be lively, we can only hope "Starstukk" doesn't turn out like the pair's first-ever gig. "Our first show was a house party, and I remember [Sean] had an adult beverage in your squirtgun," Motte laughed. "And he was squirting people in the eyes with the adult beverage." "People were pouring adult beverages on me," Foreman interjected. "And I think there was a naked guy running around. So, you know, it was fairly typical." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Is Britney Spears' Circus Tour Too Sexy For Kids? Parents Weigh In
March 31, 2009 at 5:43 am
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| Parents' opinions are split, but most agree that raunchier material can easily be found on TV.
By Ashley Mastronardi 
Britney Spears (file)
Photo: Jeremy Cowart/ WireImage PITTSBURGH — About five minutes into Britney Spears' Circus concert on Friday, things got hot. After opening the show in a conservative ringmaster's coat during "Circus," Spears took it off to reveal a crystal-encrusted bustier, boy shorts and a removable corset, for her cage dance during "Piece of Me." And that was only the beginning of a parade of sexy outfits that delighted the crowd but had some mothers attending the show with their young kids raising their eyebrows. Amy Dunn, mother of four, was visibly uncomfortable during the "Freakshow" portion of the concert, in which Britney bumps and grinds with her male dancers to songs like "Get Naked" and "Touch of My Hand," clad in pasties and barely there sparkly bodysuits. "Two of the numbers, where Britney had twirly things and tassels, weren't very flattering and too much for the kids," Dunn said after the show. "It was a little R-rated for this venue." However, Michael O'Day — whose 7-year-old daughter wasn't at the concert — said he thinks most of the show's racier moments would have gone over his daughter's head. "I don't think a 7, 8, or 9-year-old would get a lot of the subtleties," O'Day said, referring Britney being blindfolded by S&M-clad dancers and similar scenarios. O'Day's wife, however, was quick to say that she wouldn't have brought their daughter to the show. "No way!" she said. "This is too adult for her." Leslie Mossesso, who was chaperoning a group of kids in their early teens, said, "I think it was decent for the age we brought, but I wouldn't go under sixth grade. It was a little risqué, but good. I've seen worse." Actually, a majority of the moms we spoke to agreed that there is far raunchier material to be found on the Internet and on televison. "It's purely entertainment," Amy Fields said. "It's nothing [my daughter] hasn't seen on MTV." Related Videos Related Artists |
| 'American Idol' Alum Kellie Pickler Wishes Her Season Had The 'Save'
March 31, 2009 at 3:58 am
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| 'Maybe I could have got saved,' singer jokes.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Kellie Pickler
Photo: Stephen Shugerman/ Getty Images Although Kellie Pickler hasn't had much time to catch up on the latest season of "American Idol," there is one thing she's heard about that she wishes would have existed back in season five when she was on the show. "I know they've changed a lot. I'm not really sure exactly what all the changes have been," she said. "I wish they'd have had [the judges' 'save'] when I was there. Maybe I could have got saved!" Pickler may not be able to watch as frequently as she wants, but she is hoping that others are watching because she is proud to have been on the show. "I have not been able to watch it religiously, 'cause I'm on the road a lot," she said. "So I don't really get to follow any television show but I do love the show." The former "Idol" contestant also has a little advice for the current hopefuls: Don't let the competition stress you out. "I think it's all about having a good time, and as long as you're enjoying yourself, success is defined by happiness," she said. "So just have fun and enjoy it, and pick songs that you love and just have a good time." When asked if, like many former "Idol" contestants before her, she'll be coming back this season to make an appearance, Pickler remained coy. (See which "Idol" alum you hope will return to the show, in our Newsroom poll.) "You'll have to watch, so that's all I'm saying," she teased, hinting to the fact that she might sing her new single "Best Days of Your Life." "That's a possibility — we'll see." 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 |
| 'Gossip Girl' Star Chace Crawford Auditions For 'Footloose'
March 31, 2009 at 3:00 am
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| TV star might pick up where Zac Efron left off.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Chace Crawford
Photo: Jon Shearer/WireImage Just a week after Zac Efron dropped out of the "Footloose" remake, we've gotten word that another pretty face has been linked to the project. According to reports, "Gossip Girl" star Chace Crawford has auditioned for the role. "He did really well," a source told E! News. Crawford's name originally came up after gossip blogs and Web sites began suggesting him as a replacement for Efron. After Efron dropped out of the film to pursue other types of roles, Paramount released a statement saying they remain committed to the Kenny Ortega-helmed film. Ortega also did the "High School Musical" movies with Efron. "Footloose is a project we've longed to see rebooted for a new generation. While Zac is no longer attached, we remain excited and committed to the collective brain trust of [director] Kenny Ortega, [producers] Neil Meron and Craig Zaden, who will reinvigorate the franchise," a Paramount Pictures rep told UsMagazine.com. "Their fresh take on the film will undoubtedly be filled with the same kind of breakout performances that we've come to expect from them." Just days after Efron dropped out of "Footloose," it was announced he'd be in the more serious film, "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud," which will be directed by his "17 Again" director Burr Steers. The film is about "a caretaker at a cemetery who manages to have weekly meetings with a younger brother whose accidental death he feels was his fault." Reps for Crawford and "Footloose" did not respond to comment from MTV News. Check out everything we've got on "Footloose." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Artists |
| Asher Roth's Asleep In The Bread Aisle, Track By Track
March 31, 2009 at 2:54 am
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| We give you a preview of the MC's debut album before it hits stores on April 20.
By Steven Roberts 
Asher Roth
Photo: MTV News Judging by the reception he enjoyed at MTV's Spring Break and South By Southwest, it's safe to say that anticipation for Asher Roth's debut album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, is steadily building. Not only has Roth been pegged as one of the next generation of great MCs, but some have placed the future of hip-hop in his hands. MTV News sat down recently with Roth at his old college of West Chester University, where he previewed eight of the album's 12 tracks, which he hopes span genres other than hip-hop. "It was very important to showcase the fact that over the last 23 years of my life that I have not just listened to hip-hop," Roth explained. "People need to understand that people have iPod Shuffles nowadays. When you go through people's iPods, it's not just hip-hop, it's not just jazz, it's not just rock — there are all types of music." The bulk of the album was produced by Oren Yoel, who was also focused on that genre-jumping philosophy. And while the phrase "there's something for everybody on this album" has become a cliché at this point, he said the best part about the listening sessions was the fact that everyone had a different favorite song. "Lark On My Go-Kart"
Asher recently released an animated video for this song, which is the album's intro. Most people thought Roth was a novelty act and questioned whether he could really rap after "I Love College," but "Lark" changed things. "With Lark coming out, it was a cornucopia of just vivid lyrics ... different images, no real concept, nothing really to draw from except for these references from my life," he explained. "People were like, 'I don't even know what to expect anymore,' and I think that's the beauty of that record." "Blunt Cruisin' "
Roth's album will be released on 4/20 — a date he said is appropriate for anyone who knows him — and the song's title speaks for itself. "You drive around a familiar area, listening to your favorite CD and enjoy the nice weather. It just gets things in the right mood," he said. "Every song is very visual. I don't want to waste my listeners' time." "I Love College"
Roth was surprised that this was the record that basically launched his career. "I wrote that song for me, because I'm sitting on the couch like, 'I love college. I miss college. I want to go to college for the rest of my life.' I wrote that song for me. The next thing you know, you had a bunch of people who were like, 'I feel that same exact way.' " Although people will probably associate his name with "I Love College" for a while, he insists he's no one-hit wonder. "People need to trust me when I say this — there's going to be a lot more benchmarks along that way." "Be By Myself"
Slated to be the second single off the album, this song features Cee-Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley and Goodie Mobb fame. "We had a good problem to have in the sense of, 'Which way do we go next?' " Roth said of choosing the follow-up to "I Love College." "That's what's cool about the album." "Lion's Roar"
This track features Busta Rhymes, as well as Oren Yoel's band, New Kingdom. Roth is a Leo, hence the title of this song, and on this cut he wanted to let the beat do its thing, instead of trying to outshine it. "Sometimes the best way to handle a record is sort of getting out of the way." "She Don't Want A Man"
This track, influenced by Roth's two older sisters and a distaste for disrespecting women, features Keri Hilson. "As much as I want to be sleazy and go out have a bunch of random sex, it's tough for me," he joked. "It's an ode to my girls that just want to go out and have a good time and don't want some sleazy dude all over them." "As I Em"
Whether it's because they are both white or because they do sound alike, Roth has been compared to Eminem — a lot — and he addresses the comparisons on this song, which features D.A. Wallach of Chester French. "Sour Patch Kids"
Roth has said that he wants to start a revolution with his music — to organize kids so that they can be more proactive in their world. "Our problems are not going to stop with Barack Obama. Money and Fortune 500 companies really dictate what goes on in this world, and people need to start asking questions," he said. "Everything is not lovely. The economy is not the only thing wrong with our country. There's a lot going on, and people should not just go home and zone out to the TV. People want change, and kids need to start getting off their butts and become active." Related Artists |
| Green Day Director Reveals Details Of 'Know Your Enemy' Video
March 31, 2009 at 2:40 am
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| 'It's still Green Day, but it's just bigger,' Mathew Cullen says of the clip, which debuts April 24 on MTV.
By James Montgomery 
Mathew Cullen
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images Director Mathew Cullen has helmed his fair share of videos. Last year, he garnered tons of praise for his work on Weezer's YouTube-riffic "Pork and Beans" clip, even winning a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. But when he was tapped to direct the video for Green Day's "Know Your Enemy," the first single from their much-anticipated 21st Century Breakdown album, he was understandably nervous, because it's a pretty far cry from "Pork and Beans." "Oh, this was definitely the biggest video I've ever done. It has a lot of really big visuals, because I was trying to match the song, which is huge," said Cullen, who, as the co-founder of production house Motion Theory, has worked on clips for Modest Mouse and Beck. "Not to mention Green Day are an incredible group; one of the biggest in the world, and definitely one of the most significant. So I just went in there and tried to bring all of that to life." The pressure was definitely on last week in Los Angeles. Not only was this a huge production (he rolled eight cameras on most takes), but Cullen only had Green Day for one night — or, as he puts it, "one really long night." When MTV News spoke to him, he was just beginning to edit the "Enemy" clip, which debuts April 24 on more than 250 MTV on-air and online outlets worldwide. While he was definitely in the mood to talk, he kept most of the details about the video close to the vest. Still, we managed to pry a few bits of information from him. "We shot in downtown Los Angeles — in a real urban center — and the video is Green Day performing. There isn't another single person in it," Cullen said. "It's based very much on my interpretation of the lyrics, but it connects to the title of the song, and it plays to the environment of fear that we've created for ourselves. "There's a lot of symbolism that I tried to mirror [in the shoot]. I took a lot of influence from Green Day's lyrics and the imagery of [street artist] Banksy," he continued. "It may not sound like a lot, but it's huge visually. It's gonna be a new experience for a lot of their fans. I mean, it's still Green Day, but it's just bigger." That's about as much as Cullen was willing to divulge. But he did add that he spent one additional day shooting "story elements and pieces" for the video and said the guys "look great," dressing in "a timeless quality" that mirrors some of Breakdown's classic-rock feel (think the Who, the Kinks, etc.). Now that he's shot the clip, he just has to edit it down into something worthy of Green Day. No pressure or anything. "My number-one thing is making sure that Green Day's performance is showcased. Because it's big," Cullen said. "The song is exceptional, the album is exceptional, and Green Day are one of the world's great bands. I'm very much looking forward to bringing it all to life." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Bow Wow Says His Saga With Jermaine Dupri Mirrors 'New Jack City'
March 31, 2009 at 2:28 am
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| He named his album New Jack City II because the friendship in the movie is 'similar to me and JD's situation.'
By Steven Roberts 
Bow Wow
Photo: MTV News When Bow Wow decided to name his new album New Jack City II, the title was met with a few raised eyebrows. While he's dropped the "Lil' " from his name, some people weren't ready to hear Bow Wow rapping about the 1991 movie's subject matter: the influence of crack cocaine in inner-city communities. But Bow Wow insists he's not going there. "It has nothing to do with the action they were doing in the movie," Bow said. "It has nothing to do with drugs or me trying to be hard or get that certification. ... The reason why I named the album that is just based on the brotherhood and the friendship of ['New Jack City' characters] G-Money and Nino Brown — the friendship and how it's similar to me and JD's situation." Bow compared his and Jermaine Dupri's success at So So Def to that of "the Carter" in the movie. The Carter was an apartment complex in the movie that Brown, played by Wesley Snipes, and his gang transformed into a crack house. He said the two were able to feed their friends and family, just like him and Dupri. Brown eventually kills his best friend G-Money, played by Allen Payne, and Bow said that he and Dupri let business come between them as well. "We had our ups and downs, we had our arguments, our disagreements, but it's normal, it's pretty much normal," said Bow. The MC compared it to when a teenager thinks he's ready to make his own decisions and ends up bumping his head and coming back home, humbled. "It just came to that point," Bow explained. "I went out there and bumped my head, and my third album [Unleashed] didn't do as good as the other ones." New Jack City II, which dropped Tuesday (March 31), is a continuation of the film, Bow said. If Nino Brown hadn't killed G-Money, the two would have continued to make money. "[Unleashed] sold 800,000 records, but it wasn't a million. It wasn't 3 million like my first one, and it wasn't 2 million like my second. So I learned from that. Got back with JD, and the next two albums sold over a million records, so you know, it shows." Bow also said he wasn't worried about the fact that this is his first album with a Parental Advisory label. "When I first came out, my fans were my age," Bow said. "My fans now are probably 21, 22 years old." Lil Wayne, T.I. and Swizz Beatz are all featured on the album, which was another reason for the Parental Advisory. "I really did that for them, 'cause I didn't want to hold them back from being the artists that they are and for what y'all like them for and respect them for," he said. "So I let them get on my album and do what it is that they do." Related Artists |
| T.I. Says He Turned To Crime As A Teen For 'Independence'
March 31, 2009 at 2:24 am
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| T.I.'s 'Road to Redemption: The Reckoning' airs Tuesday at 9 p.m.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway 
T.I.
Photo: MTV News ATLANTA — T.I. 's 2007 arrest for attempting to buy illegal firearms led many observers to believe the rapper's career was finished and he'd be spending a long stretch in prison. The rapper had previously done jail stints for drug-related offenses. So how did an exemplary student, as Tip said he was, turn to a fast life of crime? "I think for me, it was independence. It was about independence. It was about being a provider. It was me and my mom at that point, and from what I saw of my uncles and what I saw of my pops, they were providers," T.I. told MTV News on Saturday during his interview that will air Tuesday night (March 31) on MTV's "Road to Redemption: The Reckoning." "They provided for their family and other people's families. They were the ones that other people came to when they didn't know what they were going to do and how they were going to do it. Where there was no way, my uncles and my pops made a way, and that's what I saw." For Tip, he said those figures became his examples. By the time he hit his teens, he moved to place himself in that provider position. He'd receive final-notice bills from his mother, and he said it was then his responsibility to make sure their lives remained steady. So he turned to selling crack. The rapper said he masked his illegal activity with a more modest, innocent front: selling candy. "My mom never knew how I was getting it done, she just knew I was getting it done," Tip recalled. "I had a few fronts too, man. I used to sell candy. I used to go to the warehouse and buy a bunch of candy, get a book bag full of candy, and off it. I pretended to my mom for a long time that that's how I was getting the money." All was well, according to Tip — until his mother found "a quarter ounce of crack in my sock." Then, as T.I. put it, "She kind of put two and two together." Now, Tip said, he recognizes there's a lot more legal money to be made than any funds from illegal activities. Tip cited a theory of his that if you track two 15-year-old kids for 10 years, one who starts out working at a fast-food restaurant and one that begins selling drugs on the street, eventually the restaurant worker — while getting an education — will out-earn the drug dealer. T.I. said if you factor in arrests, jail time and possible death, there's no question that the drug dealer will lose the battle, even if he starts off making more money. "You got to realize that this is a marathon," he said. "It ain't about who get it first, it about who has it last. I ain't never seen nobody retire from selling crack. Never." He paused for a second, laughed, then finished: "I've never seen no 401K from no cocaine dealing." Don't miss "T.I.'s Road to Redemption: The Reckoning," airing tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Gossip Girl' Star Ed Westwick Promises 'Happy' Season Finale
March 31, 2009 at 1:39 am
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| Plus, Chuck Bass' smooth portrayer talks about his intriguing tattoo.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Ed Westwick
Photo: MTV News Ed Westwick is almost as crafty as the sly cad he plays on "Gossip Girl." So, getting any kind of scoop from the British actor about the fictional life he leads as Chuck Bass on the CW drama is a nearly impossible task. "Well, you know, we like to keep our audience on their toes," he told MTV News about the current bed-hopping ways of the show's New York City teens. "We just shot the finale for the season, and there's an interesting conclusion. A happy one, I hope everyone will think." Westwick, who is currently dating co-star Jessica Szohr (Vanessa) in real life, also wouldn't say whether Chuck and Blair (Leighton Meester) will eventually rekindle their flame. "I can't reveal these kinds of things," he said, advising fans, "Watch! Watch. You have to watch!" Although he knows how his own character will finish out the season, Westwick is apparently still in the dark about the soapy details of with Lily and Rufus' presumed-dead secret lovechild. "I don't know what's going on," he said, before warning us, "I'm not revealing anything, you know. You're not gonna get me." Westwick was more open to talking about his ink, especially the "Heartbreak Hotel" tattoo that has captivated fans' interest after he showed it off in the latest issue of Rolling Stone. "Elvis Presley," he said of the inspiration for it. "That's one of my old ones. Would have thought you would have mentioned one of the new ones. You'll have to wait and see [them] when my shirt comes off in a photo shoot." Related Photos | | | 
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