Drummer's ex said he received romantic e-mails while she helped him recover from plane crash. By Cara Alwill
Shanna Moakler Photo: Jill Ann Spaulding/FilmMagic
The drama continues with Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler. MTV News reported Wednesday that the divorced couple had split, yet again, after reconciling last year during Barker's recovery from the plane crash that left him in intensive care. According to a source, the recent split came after the Blink-182 drummer confronted Shanna about an alleged affair with actor Gerard Butler.
In a rant on her MySpace blog posted Thursday (April 2), Moakler lashed out against Barker for claiming she had the affair, and even turned the tables, claiming he received e-mails from other women while she was helping him recover.
"I came across numerous romantic e-mails with MANY other woman — some famous, some I personally knew — all heartbreaking," wrote the former Playboy playmate, who has two children with Barker.
Moakler went on to document the details of the time when Barker was hospitalized and pointed fingers at not only Barker, but the women who corresponded with him. "The woman involved, you know who you are and should be ashamed of yourself," she wrote. But what hurts the most, Moakler said, are the "e-mails where employees of my ex were writing comments on gossip networks like TMZ and Perez Hilton, attacking me as a woman and a mother. I think those were more painful than the infidelities."
After a very public relationship and multiple breakups and makeups, Moakler wrote that she can't just leave this one alone. " 'No Comment' just wasn't sufficient this time when people continue to lie and distort the truth. The sad part is, the truth really isn't that juicy or newsworthy; it's sad, and I wish it had been left behind closed doors."
The flamboyant pop star dazzles with her alien-disco performance art. By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday Photo: F Micelotta/American Idol 2009/Getty Images
"American Idol" has never seen anything like Lady Gaga. The show has had plenty of musical guests over the years, and yes, there was that frantic, flame-haired, foot-stomping visit from past winner Fantasia that made Simon's jaw drop last year, but that was nothing compared to the alien-disco vibe Gaga brought on Wednesday night's elimination show.
The "Just Dance" singer, known for her disdain for pants and a unique fashion sense that's been described as "alien drag queen" in some quarters, left the audience a bit stunned with an over-the-top performance of her latest #1 hit single, "Poker Face," on the typically middle-of-the-road singing competition.
As the contestants awaited their fate, Gaga opened the song seated at a Plexiglas piano filled with bubbles and bathed in pink light, playfully hamming up the lyrics in a Bette Midler style to the accompaniment of a dreadlocked violin player. Wearing a bleach-blond wig and a pair of shiny aluminum shoulder pads, Gaga seemed like she was going to play it straight and tone down her flamboyant style (relatively speaking) while belting the lines, "Russian roulette is not the same without a gun/ And baby when it's love, if it's not rough, it isn't fun."
Then the pace picked up, the violin got cooking, and Gaga looked as if she'd take off — only to slow things down again for the chorus, which she crooned in an exaggerated Broadway style.
You knew that couldn't last, though, and two minutes in, the song's signature bouncy hook pumped out of the speakers. A male dancer in a suit removed Gaga's shoulder pads, and she danced to the center of the stage in a puff of white smoke. Wearing a silver glittery leotard with a giant star on one shoulder and tassels dangling from her hips, Gaga aerobicized her way across the stage, along with her gang of pirouetting man dancers.
As the song progressed to a frenzied close, the violinist busted into a country hoedown solo and Gaga stomped around in a neck-snapping, one-woman mosh pit, ending the trip the far side of pop with a stare into the camera that revealed a bizarre makeup job that included an open zipper patched over her left eye.
"Idol" may never be the same again. While Gaga has made a reputation with her outrageous stage show and sartorial sense, perhaps this performance was a celebration of the milestone she notched this week, when she became the first artist in nearly a decade to hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with her first two singles. She joins a distinguished list that includes Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Sam Lutfi's sister says Brit's afraid of her father during restraining-order hearing. By Gil Kaufman
Britney Spears Photo: Soul Brother/ FilmMagic
By almost all accounts, after several years of bizarre, outrageous behavior, Britney Spears has been under strict control since her father was named the conservator of her estate last February, taking over the management of her personal and financial affairs.
But according to testimony on Wednesday from Christina Lutfi, the sister of Spears' purported former manager, Sam Lutfi, the singer has chafed under the strict guidelines imposed by Jamie Spears and has said in recent months that she was afraid of her father and wanted help hiring her own lawyer. The Associated Press reported that the testimony came during a hearing in which Spears' attorneys and conservatorship asked a judge to impose a restraining order against Lutfi, preventing him from contacting the singer.
The lawyers for Spears reportedly reiterated on Wednesday that in December and January, Lutfi allegedly violated an agreement he had reached last summer with Jamie Spears. Under the agreement, Jamie Spears would not ask a judge to extend a temporary restraining order issued against Lutfi if the manager consented not to contact Britney.
Christina Lutfi testified that Britney told her she was afraid of her father and needed Sam's help to hire her own outside attorney. Christina said that Sam gave Britney a prepaid cell phone, which she secretly slipped to Spears in a sauna at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles in January, so that Britney and Sam could be in touch. Christina also said she repeatedly called the number to check up on Britney and make sure she was safe, but under questioning from Jamie Spears' attorneys, Christina could not recall the phone number of one of her brother's cell phones or the number of the phone she allegedly gave Spears.
Lawyers for Lutfi had introduced Christina as a surprise witness moments after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb rejected a motion to dismiss the restraining order currently in place. Bobb ruled that the temporary order will stay in place until she hears closing arguments on April 21.
At a February hearing, Jamie Spears testified that he had found and confiscated the phone, which appeared to have evidence of communication between Britney and Lutfi, as well as Britney's ex-boyfriend, paparazzo Adnan Ghalib. The discovery of the phone and evidence of late-night and early-morning calls from Lutfi set off the application for the current restraining order.
According to the AP, Lutfi's attorney, Bryan Freedman, argued Wednesday that Jamie Spears' attorneys hadn't shown enough evidence that the pop singer had suffered "substantial emotional distress" as a result of the alleged calls and text messages from his client. But Bobb rejected that argument when Freedman asked her to dismiss the case, saying testimony from Britney Spears' hairdresser and a security guard indicated that the singer was troubled by Lutfi's calls and texts.
According to UsMagazine.com, Jamie Spears' lawyer, Blair Berk, also discussed a widely distributed voicemail that recently surfaced online in which someone claiming to be Britney asks for help getting out from under her father's control. Berk claimed that the tape sounded as if it had been edited and that she doesn't believe it is Britney speaking.
While promoting her album and Circus tour, Spears has been almost entirely silent about her conservatorship. But she did seem to complain about it in MTV's "Britney: For the Record."
"There's no excitement, no passion," she said on the show. "It's just like 'Groundhog Day' every day. ... It's really boring."
Tattooed mom makes bizarre bird noises, snaps at Simon Cowell before her swan song. By Gil Kaufman
Megan Joy and Ryan Seacrest on "American Idol" on Wednesday Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images/ Fox
Some singers fight to the last to stay on "American Idol." But sometimes, you can just tell they're ready to go home. Like last year's dreadlocked strummer Jason Castro — the winner of our recent poll about whom you'd like to see return to the show — it was pretty clear during the elimination show on Wednesday night that Megan Joy (drop the Corkrey) was eager to exit the stage.
With her strangely giddy laughter, bizarre, bird-like flapping gestures and a snap at judge Simon Cowell that she didn't care about his criticism, Joy's uneven performance of Bob Marley's "Turn Your Lights Down" on Tuesday was almost beside the point. Given her bordering-on-passive-aggressive behavior, Joy, who had been a judge's favorite for her quirky, Adele-like, quavering vocals early on, didn't leave quietly. And Cowell returned the favor, telling the bubbly 22-year-old that there was no way the judges were going to save her and they didn't care about her either. Ouch!
Before we could get to the good stuff, this week's Ford music video cranked up the creepy factor, playing mix-and-match with the contestants' faces and bodies, for a couple of gender-bending looks the audience won't soon forget. But the group lip-synch-along did prove one thing: If Journey ever want to get rid of their new lead singer, Allison Iraheta and Danny Gokey would both be great replacements.
On to the important stuff. Looking for novel ways to torture the contestants, instead of having them stand up individually, host Ryan Seacrest asked Megan Joy, Kris Allen and Matt Giraud to walk across the stage and stand in a group of three. He then had Lil Rounds, Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert do the same at center stage. Scott MacIntrye, Danny Gokey and Anoop Desai followed suit, with a tease from Ryan that one group represented the bottom three.
They stayed there while last year's "Idol," David Cook, performed his new single, the slow-burn rocker "Come Back to Me." Cook had his signature AC emblazoned on his electric guitar, an homage to older brother Adam Cook, who has been suffering from brain cancer. The performance was pretaped before Cook was forced to cancel shows on Monday and Tuesday to go home to deal with an unspecified family emergency.
The show also featured a wonderfully WTF performance from the always unpredictable Lady Gaga, which found her starting "Poker Face" at a Plexiglas piano filled with bubbles while wearing a silver suit of shiny disco armor. She crooned at the keys, accompanied by a dreadlocked violin player, then bounced up, exploding into the familiar club beat. She worked the stage amid a throng of male dancers. Near the end of the song, Gaga broke out into a bizarre techno hoedown during a violin solo as the camera zoomed in on her face to reveal that her left eye was covered by a zipper.
And finally, on to the eliminations. First swept into safety was Kris Allen, who got high marks for his touching rendition of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," followed by Matt Giraud, who was sent to safety after mistakenly thinking he was in the bottom three again following his judge-dissed too-close cover of the Fray. The news wasn't so good for Joy, who got lambasted for her Marley cover, and who responded to her second trip to the bottom by letting out a bird sound and flapping her wings in a strange pteranodon dance.
Lil Rounds made it through again, despite drawing yawns from Simon for her Celine Dion cover. Iraheta was not so lucky, though, done in either by her controversial Valley Girl outfit, or a not-great take on No Doubt's "Don't Speak." Not surprisingly, Adam Lambert made it through again, thanks to his rockin' version of Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music."
Gokey also made it to safety again. As did MacIntyre, whose "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel saved him. But Desai was back at the bottom, after a tepid take on Usher's "Caught Up."
Before the results were read, Ryan asked which of the bottom three was worth saving/ "One," Simon said, and moments later, Iraheta was sent to safety. Judging by her goofy faces and manic behavior, it was clear Joy was ready to go home. Asked if the judges might use their save on the tattooed single mom, Simon said dryly, "Megan, with the greatest respect, when you said that you don't care, nor do we, so I'm not going to pretend that we're even going to contemplate saving you. ... That's it."
Showing more pizzazz than she had in weeks, Joy bounced across the stage and sang directly to the judges' table during her farewell, pumping her hips and smiling as she shouted, "Yeah!" at the end.
"Thank you, everybody that works on 'Idol'! The contestants, you guys are the best! Judges, I love you. America, I love you, and baby, I'm coming home!" she said to her 2-year-old son, Ryder. Though she seemed like she was over it, Joy still broke into tears as she watched her montage and buried her head as she got a long group hug from her fellow contestants, as well as Paula and Kara DioGuardi.
Next week, the remaining eight contestants will sing songs from the year they were born.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
'I bought a few things for my kids, but most of this is for myself,' one dad admits at Brit's Pittsburgh show. By Ashley Mastronardi
Britney Spears fans with merchandise Photo: MTV News
PITTSBURGH — A few minutes before showtime, it was nearly impossible to squeeze through the main hallway of Mellon Arena. Britney Spears' fans were lined up 10 deep, staring at a wall of T-shirts and shelves of hats, posters and crystal lollipop holders, all hoping they would be the next up to get a piece of their idol.
It's a scene merchandise salesman Steve Salazar knows all too well. While traveling across the country with Britney is fun, he said, he also compared the experience to "Groundhog Day." "It's the same in every city," he said, referring to the loads of excited fans who rush his stand each night.
Fellow T-shirt salesman Garry Benish agreed: "I'm numb to all of these girls, but I can't complain. We're taking a lot of money in."
According to the guys, the items that make the most cash are the Britney baby-doll T-shirts and the Circus posters, which depict a smiling Spears in a white dress and black top hat. We saw fans buy a lot of other swag too.
Ohio dad John Mitchell spent $60 on a Britney picture, poster, keychain, iron-on jacket patch and program. "I bought a few things for my kids, but most of this is for myself," he admitted. "The feather mask [which comes with the program] is not for me, though. I'll probably give it to my kids."
Natalie Medic, who was there celebrating her 16th birthday, bought a program and a Circus poster. "I bought the program to remember this night and the poster to hang it in my room to prove I actually went to the concert," she said.
Here are some other items that got fans excited:
Undergarments: Britney's camp got cheeky when they thought up the "If U Seek Amy" boy shorts and " ... Baby One More Time" thong. Either is perfect for Britney's more mature female fans.
Lollipop Holder: This item was inspired by the famous "Womanizer" line "Lollipop, must mistake me, you're a sucker." For 25 bucks, you get a multicolor crystal lollipop holder and lollipop. Refill lollipops can be ordered from SugarFactory.com.
Dog Tags: This was the favorite item of a very beefy-looking Spears merch salesman — which proves that this is the perfect item for female fans to buy for their honeys!
Top Hat: Britney wannabes will like the black hat, which is almost identical to the one Spears has been wearing in "Circus" promotional photos and special performances.
Concert Program and Mask: Fans get a complimentary feather mask when they purchase a Circus program, which is chock-full of circus-themed photos of Spears.
Singer e-mailed MTV News with little-known-facts about his classic album. By Usher Raymond
Usher Photo: Stephen Shugerman/ Getty Images
Last week, during our series focusing on the music and the scene in Atlanta, MTV News' Shaheem Reid wrote a blog observing the fifth anniversary of the release of Usher's landmark, multimillion-selling Confessions album, about which he said: "Listening to the music, on which Ush sang about everything in his relationship, I knew I would hear — hell, the world would hear — something different this time. He was already a star, but with this joint, you had the feeling it was going to be different. Usher would be talking about realer things that older cats could also relate to."
Five years on, Usher himself had five things to say about Confessions, which he e-mailed to us yesterday. Take it away, Ush ...
1. Confessions stands today to be one of my greatest pieces of work ever. It was a product of my environment and one of the most conflicted times in my life. However, pressure makes diamonds!
2. No one knows that "Yeah!" almost didn't make the album. Lil Jon produced "Yeah!," and once we finished the record we did a little research on the record only to find out that "Freek-A-Leek" by Petey Pablo had the same beat. At times I wonder if it would have made a difference if the beat was never changed. Nobody knew it was going to be that huge of a record.
3. I didn't have a baby with another woman [a situation depicted in the album's title track], although a lot of people thought that was the case when they listened to the album for the first time. That song was not personally about me.
4. As a matter of fact, I'm still looking for the woman that I supposedly got pregnant. LOL!!! It's funny because that really caused so much controversy ... It was just a song!
5. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything about Confessions. The anniversary comes just in time for the new album. I got a new story to tell. A new dawn, a new day, and I'm feeling good. Be ready!
Bonus fact: Not many people know that Stevie Wonder played keys on Confessions.
'It's a little bit annoying,' actress says of comparisons to the singer. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Zooey Deschanel Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images
There are many benefits to being Zooey Deschanel. Getting mistaken for Katy Perry is not one of them.
"It's a little bit annoying, to be totally blunt. The only similarity that we have is that we look a little bit alike," she laughed. "I have met her before. She seems like a nice person. I'm happy that she's famous enough now that she's not going out and being mistaken for me."
At first, we thought that Deschanel was joking. But she continued, saying that for months now, pretty much everyone has been confusing her with Perry. And, to be honest, it's starting to get a bit bizarre.
"I used to get, 'I heard you were out at such-and-such club drinking whiskey!' [when] I was at home watching TV," Deschanel said. "I think we lead very different lives. At some point I feel like this will stop being a thing. I like the way my life goes. It's sort of strange to be associated with someone that's doing such different stuff than me. It's weird."
Such is the way things tend to operate for Deschanel these days. In addition to having a new film (the indie "Gigantic," where she stars opposite Paul Dano) and a new album in the works (the follow-up to She & Him's 2008 effort Volume One), she's also been having to deal with the media attention surrounding her engagement to Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard. None of this is particularly appealing to her, which is why she's been trying very hard to avoid the spotlight lately.
"I took a little bit of a break ... It's a good direction to go as I approach 30. I've been writing a lot and we've been doing some recording. I'm in an input phase," she explained. "I did so many movies in a row, and then my record came out and I went on tour. I needed a rest so I could fill up the vase with water. The vase is at a healthy level."
And she's aiming to keep things at that level — which means unplugging from pretty much everything. So, you know, if you happen to see a Zooey Deschanel Twitter account pop up one of these days, rest assured that it's not actually her.
"I know a lot of people that have had fake Twitters ... actors and musicians that I know. It's sort of a problem. There are all these people that sign up thinking that they're getting somebody's real thoughts when it's just some guy," she sighed. "There was a fake Twitterer of Ben. It was so silly because it was like all stuff like, 'I can't sleep!' I was like, 'Really? You can't think of anything better to do than to pretend to be someone else on Twitter and say you can't sleep? Come on, guy!' Ben doesn't do social networking things. Someone e-mailed him and asked him, 'Is this you?' It's one thing if they're harmless saying, 'I can't sleep,' but it's another if they're like, 'Hey, ladies! Who's around?' "
Cash Money Records lawyer provides details. By Jayson Rodriguez, with additional reporting by Shaheem Reid
Lil Wayne Photo: Alexander Tamargo/ Getty Images
An e-mail blast sent to members of the media and music-industry insiders on Thursday (April 2) by Makin Moves Entertainment revealed court documents were filed in New York District Court summoning the company, as well as DJ Drama, to answer to charges of selling Lil Wayne's music illegally. According to the documents, the lawsuit was filed February 18 of this year.
The information was surprising to many, considering Wayne and Drama collaborated recently on Dedication 3, the third installment of their popular mixtape series that helped catapult the rapper to superstar status.
Candace Carponter, an attorney representing Cash Money Records, confirmed to MTV News the authenticity of the documents. Carponter clarified that the lawsuit — stemming from an ongoing case against BCD Music Group, an independent distribution company based in Texas — has not been pushed by Lil Wayne directly, but by his recording home. Lil Wayne created a rift with many mixtape DJs last year when he lashed out at them during the release of his most recent album, Tha Carter III. The rapper levied claims against a number of DJs who he felt were profiting illegally off of his work. He later cleared up his remarks on DJ Drama's radio show, of all places, singling out the Empire, the DJ who had released a number of Da Drought Is Over mixtapes featuring Wayne.
During the initial legal proceedings, Carponter explained BCD provided the court with documents that allege the company signed contracts with Drama and Makin Moves Entertaintment for rights to sell projects that included DJ Drama's Wayne collaboration Dedication 2.
Carponter acknowledged the initial collaboration of putting together the mixtapes was done with consent, however, selling the projects in retail outlets with Lil Wayne's image and likeness was an illegal act. The parties, she also noted, did not have rights to strike deals with Wayne's music.
In an e-mail message to MTV News, Drama stated, "The accusations against me are misplaced."
"This is not a case of Lil Wayne vs. DJ Drama. Me and Wayne are good," the DJ wrote. "I am confident that this matter will be resolved quickly without harming the relationships between myself, Wayne and Cash Money Records. However, due to the ongoing nature of this litigation I do not wish to make any further comments."
According to Carponter, the summons were sent within the past two weeks to the parties, which court documents list as BDC Music Group, Inc; Deep Distribution World Wide, Inc; Tyree C. Simmons; Cinque Productions, Inc; Apphilliates Music Group; Makin Moves Entertainment; and Frank Nino.
"BCD claimed the right to sell the music," Carponter said, noting the contracts the company said it signed with the parties, including Drama. "So we named them in complaints and they have 30 days to answer the charges, based on when they receive the papers."
A request for comment from Lil Wayne has not been answered as of press time.
'He sings, he raps — he does everything,' the 'Hills' star says of Pratt. By Jocelyn Vena
Heidi Montag Photo: Jeff Lipsky
Heidi Montag is busy splitting her days between filming the latest season of "The Hills," which starts Monday, and hitting the studio to work on her yet-untitled album.
"I just pretty much live and breathe in the studio," she told MTV News about her upcoming LP, which she hopes to have out by the end of summer. "I've never had an an album. This is my first album. I've wanted to do music since I could talk. I used to do plays and singing and voice lessons and practice Britney routines when I was, like, 12. This is the biggest dream of my life."
One of the songs, "Your Love Found Me," is inspired by her controversial relationship with Spencer Pratt. "This is a song that is so fun to play," she said. "It is so heartwarming, and every time I hear it, I get so excited. For me, it was a really fun song. It's very much about me and my relationship. Before I found Spencer, I had so much chaos, and when I found him, I became lost in him in a good way."
Recently, Heidi worked with songwriter Cathy Dennis (Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl"), whom she describes as a "genius." The two recorded the track "Look How I'm Doin'." Much like "Your Love Found Me," it has a dancey vibe, but Heidi isn't planning to make an all-dance album.
"I just love making fun music, like Lil Wayne," she said. "He'll do a rock song, and then he'll do a rap song. I get to choose my own songs. It's something I love doing. I'm having so much fun doing it, and it's not too much pressure. It's more on my own."
Speaking of Weezy, she'd love to get him on her album, but there's another she'd love to have onboard. "Spencer Pratt is amazing," she said. "I'd love to get him on my album. He sings, he raps — he does everything."
Fleetwood Mac singer admits Prince co-wrote 'Stand Back.' By Rya Backer and Kim Stolz
Stevie Nicks Photo: MTV News
For a person who's proud to own neither a computer nor a cell phone, one doesn't expect to hear the name "Timbaland" at the top of Stevie Nicks' list of potential collaborators. When we asked legendary Fleetwood Mac frontwoman about rumors that she was interested in working with Timbaland, she exclaimed, "Oh, I would love to!" But as far as what their work together might sound like, she replied, "Well, I don't really know, so that's why it's exciting."
While this might be news to some of her fans, Nicks — who is currently on tour with Fleetwood Mac — said she's long been a fan of R&B, "I learned to sing to R&B artists, not rock and roll or country artists," she said. "That was my first love, strangely enough. I am really very, very R&B, for my own music. When I'm listening just for my own fun, when I'm dancing around my apartment, I'm pretty much listening to R&B," she continued, noting that she's a fan of both contemporary and classic artists in the genre.
That love came into play more than two decades ago, when she collaborated with Prince. The story began on the first night of her honeymoon with Kim Anderson, to whom she was briefly married. "I'm driving to my honeymoon night in Santa Barbara from L.A., and 'Little Red Corvette' comes on," she recalled. "We're like oh my God, it's Prince! So I start singing all these words, and I'm like, 'Pull over, we have to get a cassette player! And we have to record this!' I'm writing in the car — here we are, newlyweds, and we get to our hotel and we're setting up the tape recorder and I've made up my whole new melody to [the song]. So I haven't really ripped off the song, because I'm admitting that I have done this. So we go into a studio in Los Angeles a couple weeks later and I track down Prince's phone number — and because I'm Stevie Nicks, I can get it.
"I call him, and I never thought he was going to answer, or that it would be him, or that I would ever find him — and he answers. I said, 'Prince, this is Stevie Nicks, and I wrote a song to your song 'Little Red Corvette,' and we're at Sunset Sound right now, and I was wondering — first of all, I wanted to tell you that I'm giving you 50 percent of [the royalties] it if it ever goes anywhere, but are you in town? If you are, how would you feel about coming down and playing on it?' Never in a million years did I think this man would be like, 'I'll be right there.' He was there in 20 minutes and he played [she mimes instrumental parts of the song] on 'Stand Back,' and he was there an hour and a half, and then he left."
But that was far from the end of their musical relationship. "Prince and I became really good friends," she said, "and he actually gave me a cassette, and said, 'There's a song on it, and I would like you to write.' I take it home and put it on, and I'm listening to this like amazing song ... and it's 'Purple Rain'! And I'm like, I can't write a song to this! It [wasn't] 'Purple Rain' yet, but it [was] the track that became 'Purple Rain.' "
Times have changed since in the past 25 years, but Nicks is still writing new music, and thinking of new collaborators, like Timbaland. When asked what he might think of her interest in working with him, Nicks laughed and said, "Of course, he'll hear about this and go 'Oh my God, why in the world?' "
In anticipation of Em's 'We Made You' clip, we're looking back at his most memorable videos. By Jayson Rodriguez
Eminem in the "Lose Yourself" video Photo: Interscope
As much of an impact as Eminem has made in his career — from bringing authenticity to melanin-deprived MCs to selling tons of records to introducing 50 Cent to a mainstream audience — one indisputable contribution the Shady one has provided is his zeal for crafting music videos.
Now, as Em polishes up his forthcoming clip for "We Made You," set to debut Tuesday, MTV News is talking a look back — one by one — at the Detroit rapper's most memorable videos.
In 2002, he released "Lose Yourself." The video is closely associated with the movie "8 Mile," both of which were filmed in Eminem's old Detroit neighborhood. The video is largely a performance clip interspersed with scenes from the film and some original scripted moments with daughter Hailie Jade and his crew, D-12.
In an interview with MTV News in 2002 on the "Lose Yourself" set, Em explained his desire to make the movie and video an accurate portrayal of his hometown.
"There's some things that were taken out of my real life story," he said of the production. "Some things that I didn't even discuss on record. I've had a lot of stuff happen in my life that not everyone knows about. I can't tell everything in my music. So there are some instances that are taken out of my life and there are some that are completely fictional and just made up. 'Cause I'm not playing me in the movie, but I'm playing someone like me. He's gotta be like me. He comes from this area, he grew up on 8 Mile. Both sides of the fences. He's seen everything, he's lived everything.
Heading into the release of the film, there was some buzz that the rapper might be nominated for an Oscar for his performance. But he downplayed the hype and repeated his desire to be true to his roots — although he couldn't help but take a dig at Steely Dan, the group that beat him out for an Album of the Year Grammy.
"I'm not looking for Oscar buzz," Em said with a smile. "It could or couldn't. Steely Dan beat me out one year for a Grammy. So, you know? Anyway. Whatever comes with it, I'll take. But I'm not looking for that. I was looking to make an authentic movie about the place I grew up. Not necessarily about me, but the authenticity and significance. I think every city has its own 8 Mile Road or places like it."
The blue-collar clip matched Detroit's gritty appeal. The song won a 2003 VMA for Best Video From a Film and has been likened to the hip-hop version of the "Rocky" song "Eye of the Tiger." In the same way the Sylvester Stallone film became a symbol for Philadelphia, "Lose Yourself" has come to define the spirit of the D.
Eminem certainly accomplished his goal.
"I wanted to blow up Detroit, that's what I wanted to do," he said. "If I ain't done it by now, goddamnit, let me leave."
The Queens rapper — who, as one-third of legendary group Run-DMC, is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this weekend by Eminem — said he applauded the Cash Money lyricist's genre experimentation. In fact, as DMC preps the final touches on his second solo album, the rock-tinged The Origins of Block Music, due out in June, he has an idea he wants to propose to Wayne.
"When he drops that album and goes on tour, I would love to open for him," DMC told MTV News. "I would open for Lil Wayne. I'm only DMC, I'm not Run-DMC. It'd be a privilege. I take joy in the creation of new music — I did what I did with Run-DMC, but now I'm starting from the bottom."
DMC's first solo outing, 2006's Checks Thugs and Rock N Roll, featured collaborations with rockers like Kid Rock and Sarah McLachlan on the somber "Just Like Me." The album was put together during a dark moment in the rapper's life, while he was reeling from the murder of Jam Master Jay, the death of his father and the discovery that he had been adopted. He turned to alcohol and described his music as being suicidal, saying he felt "all alone" at the time.
For The Origins of Block Music, DMC has a number of rap producers onboard to give the project a "fun" feel. Underground legend Freddie Foxx, DJ Premier and Public Enemy's Chuck D are set to contribute to the album. The first single, "She Gets Me High," is produced by newcomer Sonix, and D said he hopes to release the song on May 31 — his birthday.
Having had a hand in writing songs like "King of Rock" and performing at infamous punk venues like Manhattan's CBGB's, D said he understands Wayne's move to rock right now.
"There's a whole 'nother excitement," he explained. "For me, hip-hop and rock and roll are brother and sister. I like the instruments, the sound of the guitars, the harmonica ... I love Neil Young, he makes b-boy records [to me], 'cause the drummer will hit the breakdown and he'll start breaking down on his harmonica like he's Doug E. Fresh.
"Rick Rubin told me, 'Just find the musical sounds that fit who you are and tell your stories to that,' " D added. "So I don't separate the two."
'She can throw down,' the Pussycat Dolls frontwoman says of her tourmate. By Jocelyn Vena
Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger Photo: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Since March, the Pussycat Dolls have been busy supporting Britney Spears on her Circus tour. Before that, the Dolls had been traveling the world on their own tour, and the ladies wouldn't want it any other way.
"It's been nonstop," Nicole Scherzinger told MTV News. "We were on our Doll Domination Tour all throughout Europe, and now we're on Britney's tour, and after this, we're going to go back on our Doll Domination Tour."
So how do they handle the group's never-ending tour schedule? "It's the PCD gods and angels around us," Scherzinger said.
Nicole could only use one word to describe the hectic atmosphere of touring with someone like Britney: "It's really a circus. It's crazy. I think the tour's been really good for us doing what we do best: singing and dancing. A lot of people have told us the fans' ultimate wish is to have Britney Spears and PCD on tour."
The hectic schedule also means that the Dolls haven't been able to get any time to chill out with Britney. "This is her tour, and I'm sure she's busy, and I'm always doing press right before we get onstage," she said. "We haven't had too much interaction, but we're always planning stuff."
Perhaps the girls will all be able to meet up onstage at some point during the tour. "That would be super fun," she said. "We did that when we were [on tour] with Christina [Aguilera]."
Nicole also hopes that touring with a pop staple like Britney will attract a new fanbase to the Dolls. "Britney's been around so much longer and been around people who might not know us," she said.
For Brit's Circus, the girls decided to do a mini-version of their Doll Domination show. "We kept our same original look. We kept it PCD-style," she said. "We were on tour already, and we picked one outfit from the costume changes. We wanted it to be colorful and fun and sparkly and things that the kids could relate to."
If the ladies ever find time in their schedules, maybe they could squeeze in a Britney-vs.-Dolls dance-off. "I would be afraid. She can throw down. She's got some moves," Nicole said. "If we had a dance-off, maybe it would be more of a collaboration dance or maybe one of the other girls can do it; I'll just stand and watch. She's a great dancer and a great performer."
'As sad as I am that I'm leaving ... there is a very big part of me that cannot wait to see my son,' she says. By Katie Byrne
Megan Joy performs on "Idol" on Wednesday Photo: F Micelotta/American Idol 2009/Getty Images
There's something about Megan Joy. Her voice, dance moves and bird noises definitely set her apart from the "American Idol" pack — or flock.
But Simon Cowell, her onetime number-one fan, lost interest in the wild-card contestant along the way, refusing to even consider saving her Wednesday night when she was voted off after her performance of Bob Marley's "Turn Your Lights Down Low."
We caught up with the 22-year-old from Sandy, Utah, to discuss talking back to Simon, whether she'll get an "Idol" tattoo and more.
Q: Since it was the deciding factor in whether the judges saved you, do you regret telling Simon that you didn't care about his critique?
A: No regrets ever. I wouldn't take anything back. I was happy to go the way I did. ... I just was honest. I cared about the competition. I didn't want people to misunderstand me not caring — I just didn't care that Simon didn't like my song. I couldn't help but be honest.
Q: Simon was one of your biggest cheerleaders early on, but then he became your harshest critic. Do you think he turned on you a bit?
A: I think his opinion of me changed a little bit, and he was pretty hard on me. I think that he likes me, maybe just as much as he did but maybe just not for the competition. I got no beef with Simon, and I don't think he has any with me.
Q: Were you at all relieved to be voted off?
A: As sad as I am that I'm leaving and I'm done with this show, there is a very big part of me that cannot wait to see my son. It's been too long. I'm ready to hold him in my arms again. Part of me is ready.
Q: What was behind your wing flapping and cawing during the results show?
A: I love birds and bird noises, and I just decided that if I'm going out, I'm going out with a bang, and I'm just going to be myself. I flew the whole time!
Q: What did you learn from your "Idol" experience?
A: There's always gonna be negative people or haters, if you will, trying to bring you down, but you just gotta forget about 'em and move past it, always.
Q: During your initial audition, you seemed surprised that they put you through, and then you made it all the way to the finals. Did you ever think, "Maybe I could win this thing"?
A: I have always just kept the mentality of "Whatever's supposed to happen will happen." I never put any expectations on myself. I wanted to make the tour, but that was my only goal. I was just excited and wanted to enjoy the ride. Whatever happened, happened. No expectations.
A: The second the show came out, I fell in love with it. It is just pure genius. If I could be on it, I would do anything. I'd do "Cool Tricks" or "The Super Music Friend Show." I'd do anything. I'd do the "Dancey Dance." Anything they want me to do, I would do it. I think they're brilliant.
Q: Are you planning to get a tattoo to commemorate your time on "Idol"?
A: I definitely am. I've had a lucky ring that I've worn the entire time, and I'm going to have that tattooed on my ribs.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
'We were on the track to getting married, and then he threw me for a loop,' she tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena
Heidi Montag Photo: Jason LaVeris/ Getty Images
Last season, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt eloped in Mexico. When they came back to "The Hills," there was a lot of drama about the nuptials from Heidi and Spencer's family and friends. Eventually, Spencer wanted to make it official in the U.S., but Heidi wanted a real wedding and not a courtroom wedding with just the two of them.
That means that right now, Heidi and Spencer are still just engaged. And, judging from the promos for the new season of "The Hills," which starts Monday, it doesn't look like it's going to be an easy path for these two, which begs the question: Will they finally make it legit?
"You'll have to watch this upcoming season. We were on the track to getting married, and then he threw me for a loop," Heidi told MTV News about any upcoming wedding plans. "I'm not sure where we stand on all that, to be honest. That's a really big problem for us. We have to figure where we're going."
In the promos, we see Spencer flirting with a bartender, and Heidi insists that the only person verging on being unfaithful in their relationship is Spencer. "Heidi is not a sl-- like that," she joked. "He's the ho, not me."
Heidi is also not the one who wants all the drama in the relationship. She describes herself as "very normal." "I am relaxed; he is just something else completely," she said. "I don't even have time for drama. I'm so busy in the studio that I can't really do that in a relationship. He's the drama queen."
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