Lil Freak
Artist: Usher
Label: LaFace Records, JLG
Director: Anthony Mandler
Album: Raymond V. Raymond
Monday, January 31, 2011
The 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Are Handed Out
Last night the Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out at The Shrine Auditorium here in Los Angeles, CA in the midst of awards season and, as you might expect, the same sort of folks who have been winning awards at previous award shows continued their streak last night. But, while it seemed like The [...]
Exclusive: NEW Details Leak From The Set Of Britney Spears?s New Music Video
Earlier this week we learned of a few new deets about Britney Spears‘s new music video for her single Hold It Against Me … but today, I have some new information that, to my knowledge, has not been reported anywhere else. According to a trusted source with direct knowledge from the Hold It Against Me [...]
Catherine Bell Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore
Photos | Ke$ha On The Set Of Her Video For 'Take It Off'
Ke$ha On The Set Of Her Video For 'Take It Off'
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Ke$ha
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Michael Jackson - Beat It
Beat It
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: Bob Giraldi
Album: Thriller [Bonus Tracks]
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: Bob Giraldi
Album: Thriller [Bonus Tracks]
Usher - OMG
OMG
Artist: Usher
Label: LaFace Records, JLG
Director: Anthony Mandler
Album: Raymond V. Raymond
Artist: Usher
Label: LaFace Records, JLG
Director: Anthony Mandler
Album: Raymond V. Raymond
Thandie Newton The Avatars of Second Life The Pussycat Dolls Thora Birch
Britney Spears - Piece of Me
Piece of Me
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Wayne Isham
Album: Blackout
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Wayne Isham
Album: Blackout
Beyonce Says She Takes Pregnancy Rumors In Stride
'I just hope that one day, when I decide to be pregnant that people are happy for me,' superstar jokes about year-round bump-watch.By Jocelyn Vena
Beyoncé
Photo: MTV News
In 2010 alone, Beyoncé was pregnant at least twice, if you believe the rumors.
While the singer shot down the talk both times, she says that at this point she's pretty much to used to people speculating about potential baby bumps. "I mean, it's a part of it. At this point they said I've been pregnant like eight times, so I'm kind of used to it," Beyoncé told MTV News at a screening for her concert DVD, "I Am ... World Tour," in New York City.
"I just hope that one day, when I decide to be pregnant that people are happy for me, 'cause I'm like gosh, like, everyone's like, 'Oh god, please! She's been pregnant 100 times.' One day, hopefully, I will be. So whatever; it's a part of being a celebrity, I guess."
Her mom, Tina Knowles, was also at the screening and when asked if she thought that 2011 might be the year we give up gossiping about Bey's pregnancy status, she played it cool. "You have to ask her those personal things," she said. "I don't know!"
But Tina was also the lady to shoot down the baby-bump rumors last month when she sat down with talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres.
"I heard that, but I'm here to clear the rumors up. The truth is it's not Beyoncé that's pregnant, it's me," she joked. "No, it's not true. Not right now. I'm looking forward to it. With all the rumors, by now I should have about five or six grandchildren."
What do you think of the constant speculation about Bey and a baby bump? Tell us in the comments!
Related Artists
Beyoncé
Beyoncé
Photo: MTV News
In 2010 alone, Beyoncé was pregnant at least twice, if you believe the rumors.
While the singer shot down the talk both times, she says that at this point she's pretty much to used to people speculating about potential baby bumps. "I mean, it's a part of it. At this point they said I've been pregnant like eight times, so I'm kind of used to it," Beyoncé told MTV News at a screening for her concert DVD, "I Am ... World Tour," in New York City.
"I just hope that one day, when I decide to be pregnant that people are happy for me, 'cause I'm like gosh, like, everyone's like, 'Oh god, please! She's been pregnant 100 times.' One day, hopefully, I will be. So whatever; it's a part of being a celebrity, I guess."
Her mom, Tina Knowles, was also at the screening and when asked if she thought that 2011 might be the year we give up gossiping about Bey's pregnancy status, she played it cool. "You have to ask her those personal things," she said. "I don't know!"
But Tina was also the lady to shoot down the baby-bump rumors last month when she sat down with talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres.
"I heard that, but I'm here to clear the rumors up. The truth is it's not Beyoncé that's pregnant, it's me," she joked. "No, it's not true. Not right now. I'm looking forward to it. With all the rumors, by now I should have about five or six grandchildren."
What do you think of the constant speculation about Bey and a baby bump? Tell us in the comments!
Related Artists
Beyoncé
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne Team Up For Super Bowl Commercial
Space-age Best Buy ad also features Ozzy's wife, Sharon.By Gil Kaufman
Justin Bieber on the set of his Best Buy ad
Photo: Christopher Polk / Getty Images
What happens when the Blizzard of Oz meets the Bieber? You'll find out on Super Bowl Sunday when Best Buy unveils a commercial co-starring Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and Justin Bieber.
Best Buy confirmed on Wednesday that Grammy-nominated pop superstar Bieber will take his place alongside the metal legend and his equally famous chat hostess wife for the retail chain's first-ever ad during the big game, according to
Justin Bieber on the set of his Best Buy ad
Photo: Christopher Polk / Getty Images
What happens when the Blizzard of Oz meets the Bieber? You'll find out on Super Bowl Sunday when Best Buy unveils a commercial co-starring Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and Justin Bieber.
Best Buy confirmed on Wednesday that Grammy-nominated pop superstar Bieber will take his place alongside the metal legend and his equally famous chat hostess wife for the retail chain's first-ever ad during the big game, according to
Thalía Thandie Newton The Avatars of Second Life The Pussycat Dolls
Lady Gaga Or Britney Spears? RuPaul's Drag Queens Weigh In
'RuPaul's Drag Race' season three premieres Monday (January 24) on Logo.By Damian Vaca
Lady Gaga and Britney Spears
Photo: Getty Images
WEST HOLLYWOOD, California — Reluctantly crouched behind the red carpet line, drag queens primping and taking their time, the flashbulbs go off and the cameras go up, all of them yearning for their chance at the cup!
On Tuesday night, we caught up with the stars of "RuPaul's Drag Race" as they head into battle to see who will be the top drag queen of season three. Amid the glam and sequins in the air, competition was definitely on everyone's mind, so what better time to find out who RuPaul's drag queens predict will rule 2011: Lady Gaga or Britney Spears?
"With Britney and Gaga coming out with new [albums] this year — it's going to be Gaga," Shangela, of season two, predicted. "Gaga runs the world, so Britney better take a seat and enjoy."
Tough words about a woman who has reached the #1 iTunes spot in 19 countries since her new single, "Hold it Against Me," was released a little over a week ago.
Season three's Venus D Lite, who could give Madonna a run for her money, stated, "I would probably say Britney — only because Gaga has had her spotlight moment."
However, Raja, also from season three, disagreed: "I'm going to say Gaga. ... She challenges everyone and really puts out new ideas, and I certainly appreciate that."
With both artists set to premiere highly anticipated videos in the next couple of months, fans are waiting to see what new creative visions the stars will bring to the world of pop culture.
"I would love to see [Gaga] just be an artist and not just a character," said Sonique of season two. "With Lady Gaga, you can't really expect anything other than something that is going to be controversial."
season three castmember Mimi Imfurst, who arrived on the red carpet in an epic "worldly" outfit, is definitely on Team Gaga: "Lady Gaga has all the creativity that Britney doesn't have, plus all the talent she doesn't have, so Lady Gaga all the way."
When all is said and done, one thing's for sure: RuPaul's drag queens definitely aren't shy about expressing their opinions. Season three of "RuPaul's Drag Race" premieres Monday (January 24) at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. Central on Logo.
Who do you think will conquer 2011: Britney or Gaga? Sound off below!
Related Artists
Britney Spears
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga and Britney Spears
Photo: Getty Images
WEST HOLLYWOOD, California — Reluctantly crouched behind the red carpet line, drag queens primping and taking their time, the flashbulbs go off and the cameras go up, all of them yearning for their chance at the cup!
On Tuesday night, we caught up with the stars of "RuPaul's Drag Race" as they head into battle to see who will be the top drag queen of season three. Amid the glam and sequins in the air, competition was definitely on everyone's mind, so what better time to find out who RuPaul's drag queens predict will rule 2011: Lady Gaga or Britney Spears?
"With Britney and Gaga coming out with new [albums] this year — it's going to be Gaga," Shangela, of season two, predicted. "Gaga runs the world, so Britney better take a seat and enjoy."
Tough words about a woman who has reached the #1 iTunes spot in 19 countries since her new single, "Hold it Against Me," was released a little over a week ago.
Season three's Venus D Lite, who could give Madonna a run for her money, stated, "I would probably say Britney — only because Gaga has had her spotlight moment."
However, Raja, also from season three, disagreed: "I'm going to say Gaga. ... She challenges everyone and really puts out new ideas, and I certainly appreciate that."
With both artists set to premiere highly anticipated videos in the next couple of months, fans are waiting to see what new creative visions the stars will bring to the world of pop culture.
"I would love to see [Gaga] just be an artist and not just a character," said Sonique of season two. "With Lady Gaga, you can't really expect anything other than something that is going to be controversial."
season three castmember Mimi Imfurst, who arrived on the red carpet in an epic "worldly" outfit, is definitely on Team Gaga: "Lady Gaga has all the creativity that Britney doesn't have, plus all the talent she doesn't have, so Lady Gaga all the way."
When all is said and done, one thing's for sure: RuPaul's drag queens definitely aren't shy about expressing their opinions. Season three of "RuPaul's Drag Race" premieres Monday (January 24) at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. Central on Logo.
Who do you think will conquer 2011: Britney or Gaga? Sound off below!
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Britney Spears
Lady Gaga
Nicole Kidman, Jon Hamm And More Added As SAG Awards Presenters
Jason Bateman, Jeremy Renner, Sofia Vergara and Robin Wright were also added for Sunday's awards show.By Kara Warner
Nicole Kidman
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
In addition to the star power of the nominees, the Screen Actors Guild Awards have enlisted an equally high-caliber roster of presenters for Sunday night's show — many of whom are also SAG nominees.
On Thursday (January 27), Jason Bateman, Jon Hamm, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Renner, Sofia Vergara and Robin Wright were announced as presenters, joining the previously announced Scott Bakula, Alec Baldwin, Jeff Bridges, Tim Conway, Rosario Dawson, Josh Duhamel, Angie Harmon, Eva Longoria, Cory Monteith, Amy Poehler, Hilary Swank, Betty White and SAG President Ken Howard.
For those still reeling from the Golden Globe ceremony and Oscar nominations, prepare yourselves for another star-studded awards show. The 17th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles. The SAG Awards are the only televised awards shows to exclusively honor performers, presenting 13 awards for acting in film and television.
This year, the big nominees in film are also Oscar nominees, including "The King's Speech" and "The Fighter." In television, "Modern Family," "Glee" and "30 Rock" lead the comedy categories, while "Mad Men" and "Boardwalk Empire" lead in drama.
Ernest Borgnine will receive this year's lifetime-achievement award, which was given to Betty White at last year's ceremony following a comical speech by her "Proposal" co-star and eventual SAG Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock. "Seventy-one years ago when I signed on to an experimental thing called television," White said of her career, "I never would have expected it to culminate in an evening like this."
Stick with MTV News for SAG Awards coverage throughout the weekend and from the red carpet on Sunday night!
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Photos
17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Presenters
Nicole Kidman
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
In addition to the star power of the nominees, the Screen Actors Guild Awards have enlisted an equally high-caliber roster of presenters for Sunday night's show — many of whom are also SAG nominees.
On Thursday (January 27), Jason Bateman, Jon Hamm, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Renner, Sofia Vergara and Robin Wright were announced as presenters, joining the previously announced Scott Bakula, Alec Baldwin, Jeff Bridges, Tim Conway, Rosario Dawson, Josh Duhamel, Angie Harmon, Eva Longoria, Cory Monteith, Amy Poehler, Hilary Swank, Betty White and SAG President Ken Howard.
For those still reeling from the Golden Globe ceremony and Oscar nominations, prepare yourselves for another star-studded awards show. The 17th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles. The SAG Awards are the only televised awards shows to exclusively honor performers, presenting 13 awards for acting in film and television.
This year, the big nominees in film are also Oscar nominees, including "The King's Speech" and "The Fighter." In television, "Modern Family," "Glee" and "30 Rock" lead the comedy categories, while "Mad Men" and "Boardwalk Empire" lead in drama.
Ernest Borgnine will receive this year's lifetime-achievement award, which was given to Betty White at last year's ceremony following a comical speech by her "Proposal" co-star and eventual SAG Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock. "Seventy-one years ago when I signed on to an experimental thing called television," White said of her career, "I never would have expected it to culminate in an evening like this."
Stick with MTV News for SAG Awards coverage throughout the weekend and from the red carpet on Sunday night!
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Photos
17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Presenters
Katy Perry Praises Lady Gaga, Ke$ha In Maxim
The 'Firework' singer reveals, 'I've known Ke$ha forever. She's actually in the 'I Kissed a Girl' video.'By Jocelyn Vena
Katy Perry on the December 2010 cover of <i>Maxim</i>
Photo: Maxim
Everyone knows that Katy Perry is besties with Rihanna, so it might not be too surprising that Perry has only the kindest words for fellow female pop contemporaries Ke$ha and Lady Gaga, even if she has been critical of one of those women's artistic choices in the past.
"I love what Gaga is doing, and I love what Ke$ha is doing," Perry says in Maxim's new issue, for which she also serves as the cover girl. "I've known Ke$ha forever. She's actually in the 'I Kissed a Girl' video."
But, Perry isn't just dishing on her fellow lady celebrities, she's also showing some love for the fellas, one of whom she married in the fall. "I've said Justin Bieber [was my celebrity crush] quite a few times, but I think I'm over it now. I think it's probably safe to say I married my celebrity crush," the singer shares about husband Russell Brand. "Don't barf on this magazine."
Earlier this year, Perry was chosen to top Maxim's 2010 Hot 100 list, and she admits that the honor has really given her cred all over the place.
"It's a worldwide thing — the rest of the world makes it their standard," she says. "It's one of the questions they ask me in all interviews now, even in places where Maxim doesn't exist. I'll go to Timbuktu, and they'll be like, 'You're the #1 hottest,' and I'm like, 'Maxim said so, but thank you so much for saying so in Timbuktu.' "
So, what does Perry think makes ladies sexy? A fun-loving attitude, obviously.
"The way she presents herself and the air she has about her. You can feel her power and her confidence," Perry explains. "Also, the way she uses her ability to communicate, her brain and personality. I think that's really sexy because you all know the hottest woman can be the biggest bitch, and that's not cool."
Still riding high on the success of her Teenage Dream album, Perry shows no signs of slowing down, with a 2011 tour and a role in the "Smurfs" film on the way.
"You know, I wasn't allowed to watch 'Smurfs' growing up, ever. I grew up in a sheltered household, and my parents would keep us from certain things they thought were too much for us and our eyes," she recently told MTV News regarding her role as Smurfette. " 'Smurfs' had what my parents said was a lot of sorcery and magic."
Related Artists
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Lady Gaga
Ke$ha
Katy Perry on the December 2010 cover of <i>Maxim</i>
Photo: Maxim
Everyone knows that Katy Perry is besties with Rihanna, so it might not be too surprising that Perry has only the kindest words for fellow female pop contemporaries Ke$ha and Lady Gaga, even if she has been critical of one of those women's artistic choices in the past.
"I love what Gaga is doing, and I love what Ke$ha is doing," Perry says in Maxim's new issue, for which she also serves as the cover girl. "I've known Ke$ha forever. She's actually in the 'I Kissed a Girl' video."
But, Perry isn't just dishing on her fellow lady celebrities, she's also showing some love for the fellas, one of whom she married in the fall. "I've said Justin Bieber [was my celebrity crush] quite a few times, but I think I'm over it now. I think it's probably safe to say I married my celebrity crush," the singer shares about husband Russell Brand. "Don't barf on this magazine."
Earlier this year, Perry was chosen to top Maxim's 2010 Hot 100 list, and she admits that the honor has really given her cred all over the place.
"It's a worldwide thing — the rest of the world makes it their standard," she says. "It's one of the questions they ask me in all interviews now, even in places where Maxim doesn't exist. I'll go to Timbuktu, and they'll be like, 'You're the #1 hottest,' and I'm like, 'Maxim said so, but thank you so much for saying so in Timbuktu.' "
So, what does Perry think makes ladies sexy? A fun-loving attitude, obviously.
"The way she presents herself and the air she has about her. You can feel her power and her confidence," Perry explains. "Also, the way she uses her ability to communicate, her brain and personality. I think that's really sexy because you all know the hottest woman can be the biggest bitch, and that's not cool."
Still riding high on the success of her Teenage Dream album, Perry shows no signs of slowing down, with a 2011 tour and a role in the "Smurfs" film on the way.
"You know, I wasn't allowed to watch 'Smurfs' growing up, ever. I grew up in a sheltered household, and my parents would keep us from certain things they thought were too much for us and our eyes," she recently told MTV News regarding her role as Smurfette. " 'Smurfs' had what my parents said was a lot of sorcery and magic."
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Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Ke$ha
Vanilla Ice Gets Injured While Ice Dancing On ?Dancing On Ice?
Here in the US, washed up has-been celebs try to attain fame and fortune again by competing on Dancing with the Stars. The “celebs” who are even wore off than the DWTS folks end up competing on Skating with Celebrities. In the UK, those folks compete on a show called Dancing on Ice … and [...]
SAG Awards Backstage: Nominees And Presenters Get Pampered In The Green Room
By Kelly Marino
With this year's SAG Awards just around the corner, it's only appropriate that the committee makes sure everyone is comfortable during the ceremony right? Which in most cases would mean making sure everyone is provided with snacks and water and are aware of where the exits are, should they need to escape for [...]
With this year's SAG Awards just around the corner, it's only appropriate that the committee makes sure everyone is comfortable during the ceremony right? Which in most cases would mean making sure everyone is provided with snacks and water and are aware of where the exits are, should they need to escape for [...]
AnnaLynne McCord Anne Marie Kortright April Scott Arielle Kebbel
Photos | 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres Around The World
'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres Around The World
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Ronald Isley, Anita Baker Honored At Soul Train Awards
Rihanna, Eminem, Usher, B.o.B, Alicia Keys among winners at event celebrating 40th anniversary of classic music show.By Joel Hanek and Gil Kaufman
Anita Baker at the 2010 Soul Train Awards
Photo: Moses Robinson/ Getty Images
Only at the Soul Train Awards could you have a tribute to R&B icons such as Anita Baker and Ronald Isley alongside a segment in which rap legend Doug E. Fresh attempts to teach CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer how to do the Dougie.
It was that kind of night at the 2010 Soul Train Awards, as rookies, veterans and legends came together in Atlanta for the second annual event — which was taped November 10 and aired Sunday night on BET. The show, hosted once again by Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, featured a night of performances from some of the biggest names in soul and R&B.
Host Howard told MTV News that the show is meant to be an extension of the long-running and legendary '70s TV series that brought soul, disco, R&B and rap stars into viewers' living rooms. "It reminds me of the advancement black people have made over the years because 'Soul Train' really was the beginning of that Black Power movement when we could actually see ourselves — and to have an awards show based upon that 'Soul Train' — it's headed somewhere," Howard said. "We have a black president now. The country seems to be more tolerant towards the diversity inside of it so it seems like the train is moving well down the tracks."
The awards show marked the 40th anniversary of the classic music showcase hosted by Don Cornelius, and celebrated the careers of Baker and Isley, while handing out trophies to such contemporary stars as B.o.B (Song of the Year for "Nothing on You"), Melanie Fiona (Best New Artist), Eminem and Rihanna (Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year for "Love the Way You Lie"), Usher (Album of the Year for Raymond vs. Raymond) and Alicia Keys (Record of the Year for "Unthinkable [I'm Ready]" and Best Female R&B Soul Artist).
Though top winners such as Trey Songz, Usher, Ciara, Eminem and Rihanna were not in the house, Blitzer graciously agreed to accept Slim Shady's award for him, joking, "Who better to accept this award on behalf of Eminem ... I know he's thrilled."
Weaving through a series of skits involving magic tricks and jovial bickering by the hosts, the performance-heavy program delivered on talent. R. Kelly opened by teasing the crowd with his classic "Bump n' Grind," then diving into his new single "When a Woman Loves" — transforming the song from a slow jam into an all-out '50s rock-and-roll epic. Ne-Yo kept the show moving with a showcase of his singles from this year, including "Champagne Life" and "One in a Million."
The tribute to Baker featured an all-star cast, with artists like Chrisette Michele, Goapele, Lalah Hathaway, Dionne Farris, Kem, Tamia, Faith Evans and El DeBarge covering a medley of the singer's greatest hits. Baker told the crowd that the biggest honor of the night for her was that real musicians were performing live with an actual band. "It's amazing because you've got children behind you singing 'Rapture' — it's lovely," she said, adding, "Let's do it again!"
Ronald Isley, co-founder and lead singer of the Isley Brothers, also received a special homage that featured Jeffrey Osborne, Freddy Jackson, DeBarge, Tank, Eric Benet, Bilal and Peabo Bryson. Isley also came out to perform his own medley of hits and was joined onstage by Chanté Moore and R. Kelly for a rendition of "Contagious," their 2002 single that featured the Isleys. In addition, Cee Lo Green closed the show with a duet on the Isleys' classic 1959 hit, "Shout."
Among the event's other highlights was Cee Lo's performance of his smash "Forget You," which took place on a golden stage that resembled a cross between Kanye's Egyptian fusion and an OK Go video, and found the singer gliding down conveyor belts while belting his number.
Erykah Badu delivered a stripped-down version of her 2010 breakout "Window Seat" that featured the singer perched on the floor over a web of lights while appearing to orchestrate the vibrations of light flickers with her hands.
Soul singer Eric Benet performed "Sometimes a Cry" — a song that Lil Wayne cited as one of his favorites while in prison — bringing down the house with a soaring falsetto that bested his studio rendition of the track.
The evening's other performers included Bruno Mars, who sang his new hit "Grenade," and Jazmine Sullivan, who did a medley of "10 Seconds" and "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)."
Did you watch the 2010 Soul Train Awards? Tell us about your favorite highlights in the comments.
Related Artists
Rihanna
B.o.B
Alicia Keys
Usher
Eminem
Anita Baker at the 2010 Soul Train Awards
Photo: Moses Robinson/ Getty Images
Only at the Soul Train Awards could you have a tribute to R&B icons such as Anita Baker and Ronald Isley alongside a segment in which rap legend Doug E. Fresh attempts to teach CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer how to do the Dougie.
It was that kind of night at the 2010 Soul Train Awards, as rookies, veterans and legends came together in Atlanta for the second annual event — which was taped November 10 and aired Sunday night on BET. The show, hosted once again by Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, featured a night of performances from some of the biggest names in soul and R&B.
Host Howard told MTV News that the show is meant to be an extension of the long-running and legendary '70s TV series that brought soul, disco, R&B and rap stars into viewers' living rooms. "It reminds me of the advancement black people have made over the years because 'Soul Train' really was the beginning of that Black Power movement when we could actually see ourselves — and to have an awards show based upon that 'Soul Train' — it's headed somewhere," Howard said. "We have a black president now. The country seems to be more tolerant towards the diversity inside of it so it seems like the train is moving well down the tracks."
The awards show marked the 40th anniversary of the classic music showcase hosted by Don Cornelius, and celebrated the careers of Baker and Isley, while handing out trophies to such contemporary stars as B.o.B (Song of the Year for "Nothing on You"), Melanie Fiona (Best New Artist), Eminem and Rihanna (Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year for "Love the Way You Lie"), Usher (Album of the Year for Raymond vs. Raymond) and Alicia Keys (Record of the Year for "Unthinkable [I'm Ready]" and Best Female R&B Soul Artist).
Though top winners such as Trey Songz, Usher, Ciara, Eminem and Rihanna were not in the house, Blitzer graciously agreed to accept Slim Shady's award for him, joking, "Who better to accept this award on behalf of Eminem ... I know he's thrilled."
Weaving through a series of skits involving magic tricks and jovial bickering by the hosts, the performance-heavy program delivered on talent. R. Kelly opened by teasing the crowd with his classic "Bump n' Grind," then diving into his new single "When a Woman Loves" — transforming the song from a slow jam into an all-out '50s rock-and-roll epic. Ne-Yo kept the show moving with a showcase of his singles from this year, including "Champagne Life" and "One in a Million."
The tribute to Baker featured an all-star cast, with artists like Chrisette Michele, Goapele, Lalah Hathaway, Dionne Farris, Kem, Tamia, Faith Evans and El DeBarge covering a medley of the singer's greatest hits. Baker told the crowd that the biggest honor of the night for her was that real musicians were performing live with an actual band. "It's amazing because you've got children behind you singing 'Rapture' — it's lovely," she said, adding, "Let's do it again!"
Ronald Isley, co-founder and lead singer of the Isley Brothers, also received a special homage that featured Jeffrey Osborne, Freddy Jackson, DeBarge, Tank, Eric Benet, Bilal and Peabo Bryson. Isley also came out to perform his own medley of hits and was joined onstage by Chanté Moore and R. Kelly for a rendition of "Contagious," their 2002 single that featured the Isleys. In addition, Cee Lo Green closed the show with a duet on the Isleys' classic 1959 hit, "Shout."
Among the event's other highlights was Cee Lo's performance of his smash "Forget You," which took place on a golden stage that resembled a cross between Kanye's Egyptian fusion and an OK Go video, and found the singer gliding down conveyor belts while belting his number.
Erykah Badu delivered a stripped-down version of her 2010 breakout "Window Seat" that featured the singer perched on the floor over a web of lights while appearing to orchestrate the vibrations of light flickers with her hands.
Soul singer Eric Benet performed "Sometimes a Cry" — a song that Lil Wayne cited as one of his favorites while in prison — bringing down the house with a soaring falsetto that bested his studio rendition of the track.
The evening's other performers included Bruno Mars, who sang his new hit "Grenade," and Jazmine Sullivan, who did a medley of "10 Seconds" and "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)."
Did you watch the 2010 Soul Train Awards? Tell us about your favorite highlights in the comments.
Related Artists
Rihanna
B.o.B
Alicia Keys
Usher
Eminem
Melissa Joan Hart Melissa Rycroft Melissa Sagemiller Mena Suvari
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror
Man In The Mirror
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: n/a
Album: Moonwalker
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: n/a
Album: Moonwalker
Sarah Wynter Scarlett Chorvat Scarlett Johansson Selita Ebanks
Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies
Testimony has Conrad Murray removing IV stand and two bags of medication.By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner
Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson's bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5
Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images
The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop's bodyguards about Murray's actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive.
After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly, security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star's bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson's bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method.
"I said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' " Alvarez told the court. " 'He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,' that's all he said." Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson's daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed.
He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson's penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not.
Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of bottles, which he instructed the security guard to put in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray's instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson's bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a "milk-like substance" in the bottom of the IV bag.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as "milk of amnesia" thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911.
"After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray's instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray's instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?" Walgren asked. "Yes, sir," Alvarez responded.
TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story.
Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson's body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan).
Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson's son, Prince.
The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks.
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Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson's bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5
Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images
The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop's bodyguards about Murray's actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive.
After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly, security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star's bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson's bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method.
"I said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' " Alvarez told the court. " 'He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,' that's all he said." Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson's daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed.
He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson's penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not.
Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of bottles, which he instructed the security guard to put in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray's instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson's bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a "milk-like substance" in the bottom of the IV bag.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as "milk of amnesia" thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911.
"After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray's instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray's instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?" Walgren asked. "Yes, sir," Alvarez responded.
TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story.
Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson's body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan).
Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson's son, Prince.
The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks.
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Transgender Flight Attendands Take Flight!
Inspired!
A newly formed Thai airline carrier, PC Air, announced that they have hired their first round of stewardesses - or as they're calling them, "Ladyboys."
Yes, in an effort to showcase their commitment to equal employment opportunities, three transexuals, or peoples of the "third sex" as they say in Thailand, were the first to be [...]
A newly formed Thai airline carrier, PC Air, announced that they have hired their first round of stewardesses - or as they're calling them, "Ladyboys."
Yes, in an effort to showcase their commitment to equal employment opportunities, three transexuals, or peoples of the "third sex" as they say in Thailand, were the first to be [...]
Chris Brown's Order To 'Stay Away' From Rihanna May Be Reduced
Rihanna's lawyer has to OK judge's decision at status hearing to scale the mandate back to a 'do not annoy' order.By Jayson Rodriguez
Chris Brown at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Nov. 18, 2010
Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
The "stay away" order issued against Chris Brown following his assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna is expected to be reduced to a "do not annoy" order, it was revealed Friday (January 28) during a status hearing for Brown.
Judge Patricia Schnegg mandated the protective order back in August 2009 after Brown pleaded guilty to assault. The restriction called for the former couple to not communicate and keep their distance should they attend the same industry event.
Last month, Brown completed a yearlong domestic-violence course. Judge Schnegg once again praised Brown for his progress and congratulated him on his course completion.
The singer's attorney requested that Brown be permitted to skip future status hearings as a result of his completed course work, which the judge granted. Brown still must complete a number of community labor hours.
The "stay away" order being reduced to a "do not annoy" order first needs to be approved by Rihanna's attorney. When Brown reached his plea deal, Rihanna's lawyer notified the court that the pop star did not wish to seek a restraining order against her ex.
During a short recess granted by the judge, Brown's attorney phoned Rihanna's legal rep to OK the motion, but the party was unavailable.
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Chris Brown at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Nov. 18, 2010
Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
The "stay away" order issued against Chris Brown following his assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna is expected to be reduced to a "do not annoy" order, it was revealed Friday (January 28) during a status hearing for Brown.
Judge Patricia Schnegg mandated the protective order back in August 2009 after Brown pleaded guilty to assault. The restriction called for the former couple to not communicate and keep their distance should they attend the same industry event.
Last month, Brown completed a yearlong domestic-violence course. Judge Schnegg once again praised Brown for his progress and congratulated him on his course completion.
The singer's attorney requested that Brown be permitted to skip future status hearings as a result of his completed course work, which the judge granted. Brown still must complete a number of community labor hours.
The "stay away" order being reduced to a "do not annoy" order first needs to be approved by Rihanna's attorney. When Brown reached his plea deal, Rihanna's lawyer notified the court that the pop star did not wish to seek a restraining order against her ex.
During a short recess granted by the judge, Brown's attorney phoned Rihanna's legal rep to OK the motion, but the party was unavailable.
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Melissa George Melissa Howard Melissa Joan Hart Melissa Rycroft
Ke$ha - Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah Blah
Artist: Ke$ha
Label: RCA
Director: Brendan Malloy
Album: Animal [Clean]
Artist: Ke$ha
Label: RCA
Director: Brendan Malloy
Album: Animal [Clean]
SAG Awards Seating Chart: Where 'Glee' Sits Next To 'True Grit'
For Sunday's awards show, producer explains science behind celebrity seating.By Kelly Marino
SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell
Photo: MTV News
LOS ANGELES — The Screen Actors Guild Awards are coming up on Sunday, and preparations are already well under way at the Shrine Auditorium. The stage is coming together, the list of presenters is close to being finalized and, most importantly, the seating arrangements are being mapped out.
"It depends on the size of the cast," SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell explained when MTV News asked how the seating chart is determined. "It also depends on if they were here the year before. If the TV cast was down front, we are probably going to put them further back this year. We also try to be democratic between film and TV."
The ceremony will take place in an intimate dinner setting where both film and TV actors will be seated next to their peers. Throughout the show, the celebrities can nosh on food provided by Lucques Catering and sip on Dry Creek wine and Taittinger Champagne while they celebrate one another's work.
The Guild seats the film casts next to the TV casts in order to allow everyone to visit and mingle in between acts. For example, the first few tables located in the front of the venue have place cards for the cast of "True Grit" seated next to the cast of "Glee." Moving more toward the center of the room reveals the actors of "The Kids Are All Right" seated next to the guys from "30 Rock." And a quick look around the rest of the room shows the ensemble from "The Closer" seated next to "Modern Family," who are across from the cast of "The Fighter" and "Hot in Cleveland."
"Actors are actors. They don't care that they are on TV. In fact, you know, film actors are very, very fond of watching actors on TV and vice versa," Connell said.
The 17th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS this Sunday at 8p.m. ET from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Presenters
SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell
Photo: MTV News
LOS ANGELES — The Screen Actors Guild Awards are coming up on Sunday, and preparations are already well under way at the Shrine Auditorium. The stage is coming together, the list of presenters is close to being finalized and, most importantly, the seating arrangements are being mapped out.
"It depends on the size of the cast," SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell explained when MTV News asked how the seating chart is determined. "It also depends on if they were here the year before. If the TV cast was down front, we are probably going to put them further back this year. We also try to be democratic between film and TV."
The ceremony will take place in an intimate dinner setting where both film and TV actors will be seated next to their peers. Throughout the show, the celebrities can nosh on food provided by Lucques Catering and sip on Dry Creek wine and Taittinger Champagne while they celebrate one another's work.
The Guild seats the film casts next to the TV casts in order to allow everyone to visit and mingle in between acts. For example, the first few tables located in the front of the venue have place cards for the cast of "True Grit" seated next to the cast of "Glee." Moving more toward the center of the room reveals the actors of "The Kids Are All Right" seated next to the guys from "30 Rock." And a quick look around the rest of the room shows the ensemble from "The Closer" seated next to "Modern Family," who are across from the cast of "The Fighter" and "Hot in Cleveland."
"Actors are actors. They don't care that they are on TV. In fact, you know, film actors are very, very fond of watching actors on TV and vice versa," Connell said.
The 17th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS this Sunday at 8p.m. ET from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Presenters
Justin Bieber Graces Cover Of Love's 'Androgyny Issue'
Singer offers serious stare on magazine cover, shot by Terry Richardson.By James Dinh
Justin Bieber on the cover of Love
Photo: Love
As the release of his first full-length feature film, "Never Say Never," draws closer, the Justin Bieber takeover is shifting into high gear with yet another high-profile magazine shoot. This time around, however, there's no grin or slight smirk as the teen sensation gives a fixed stare on the cover of Love magazine's "androgyny issue."
Shot by famed photographer Terry Richardson, the Biebster takes a note from Tyra Banks as he smiles with his big brown eyes on the head-shot cover with a subtitle that reads "The Beautiful One." According to Fashionologie.com, the 16-year-old singer was shot by the famed photographer during a 90-minute break between gigs in Philadelphia. The biannual fashion mag, which also features an alternate cover with Kate Moss kissing transsexual model Lea T, is expected to hit stands on February 7.
While the accompanying interview has yet to surface, a tweet from the magazine reveals that journalist Paul Flynn spoke to the star about his legion of female fans: " 'The girls have always been screaming for me.' @justinbieber, LOVE Magazine Issue 5, out 7th Feb 2011."
In addition to Love, Bieber also appears on the cover of the February issue of Vanity Fair. In the cover story, the pop superstar opens up about the trials of teenage fame. "It's hard to really balance myself. A regular kid, if he catches the flu, he just gets to go home," Bieber said. "But I can't do that ... Everything is important. But, you know, my sanity is important, too. Even if I'm angry, I'll just put a smile on my face and fake it. I don't often fake it — what's me is me ... I know I have to give up a lot of myself, or a lot of a private life."
What do you think of Bieber's Love magazine cover?
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Justin Bieber on the cover of Love
Photo: Love
As the release of his first full-length feature film, "Never Say Never," draws closer, the Justin Bieber takeover is shifting into high gear with yet another high-profile magazine shoot. This time around, however, there's no grin or slight smirk as the teen sensation gives a fixed stare on the cover of Love magazine's "androgyny issue."
Shot by famed photographer Terry Richardson, the Biebster takes a note from Tyra Banks as he smiles with his big brown eyes on the head-shot cover with a subtitle that reads "The Beautiful One." According to Fashionologie.com, the 16-year-old singer was shot by the famed photographer during a 90-minute break between gigs in Philadelphia. The biannual fashion mag, which also features an alternate cover with Kate Moss kissing transsexual model Lea T, is expected to hit stands on February 7.
While the accompanying interview has yet to surface, a tweet from the magazine reveals that journalist Paul Flynn spoke to the star about his legion of female fans: " 'The girls have always been screaming for me.' @justinbieber, LOVE Magazine Issue 5, out 7th Feb 2011."
In addition to Love, Bieber also appears on the cover of the February issue of Vanity Fair. In the cover story, the pop superstar opens up about the trials of teenage fame. "It's hard to really balance myself. A regular kid, if he catches the flu, he just gets to go home," Bieber said. "But I can't do that ... Everything is important. But, you know, my sanity is important, too. Even if I'm angry, I'll just put a smile on my face and fake it. I don't often fake it — what's me is me ... I know I have to give up a lot of myself, or a lot of a private life."
What do you think of Bieber's Love magazine cover?
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Justin Bieber 'Never Say Never' Ad To Air During 'Glee' Super Bowl Ep
Bieber's 30-second spot will debut one week before his 3-D movie's Valentine's Day weekend opening.By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber in "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Who says that young girls don't care about Super Bowl Sunday? This year there's a big reason for tweens, teens and non-football fans to get in on the action. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new spot for Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" 3-D flick will run during the super special post-Super Bowl episode of "Glee."
The 30-second commercial is set to air during the February 6 episode of the hit Fox comedy. The film opens one week later, on Valentine's Day weekend. THR further reports that the ad will be shown during "Glee" and not the Super Bowl proper since the film's target demographic is more likely to tune in to the musical TV show than the big game.
This is not the first time Bieber has teamed up with a major sporting event to support a release. During Game 3 of last year's World Series, the teen pop star debuted a mini-music video for the unplugged version of his song "Never Say Never" to promote his acoustic album, My Worlds Acoustic.
Bieber's flick isn't the only movie taking advantage of the Super Bowl's massive viewership. Several blockbusters will air commercials on Fox sometime during the evening, whether it's preshow, during the game or, in Bieber's case, postshow. It reportedly costs about $3 million for 30 seconds of airtime on the big night.
Variety reports that the movies
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon," "Super 8," "Thor," "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "Cowboys and Aliens," "Priest," "Kung Fu Panda 2," "Just Go With It," "Battle: Los Angeles," "Limitless," "Rango" and "The Eagle" all will have commercials broadcast during Super Bowl Sunday.
Do you plan to tune in to "Glee" after the Super Bowl to watch Justin's "Never Say Never" spot? Tell us in the comments.
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Justin Bieber in "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Who says that young girls don't care about Super Bowl Sunday? This year there's a big reason for tweens, teens and non-football fans to get in on the action. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new spot for Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" 3-D flick will run during the super special post-Super Bowl episode of "Glee."
The 30-second commercial is set to air during the February 6 episode of the hit Fox comedy. The film opens one week later, on Valentine's Day weekend. THR further reports that the ad will be shown during "Glee" and not the Super Bowl proper since the film's target demographic is more likely to tune in to the musical TV show than the big game.
This is not the first time Bieber has teamed up with a major sporting event to support a release. During Game 3 of last year's World Series, the teen pop star debuted a mini-music video for the unplugged version of his song "Never Say Never" to promote his acoustic album, My Worlds Acoustic.
Bieber's flick isn't the only movie taking advantage of the Super Bowl's massive viewership. Several blockbusters will air commercials on Fox sometime during the evening, whether it's preshow, during the game or, in Bieber's case, postshow. It reportedly costs about $3 million for 30 seconds of airtime on the big night.
Variety reports that the movies
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon," "Super 8," "Thor," "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "Cowboys and Aliens," "Priest," "Kung Fu Panda 2," "Just Go With It," "Battle: Los Angeles," "Limitless," "Rango" and "The Eagle" all will have commercials broadcast during Super Bowl Sunday.
Do you plan to tune in to "Glee" after the Super Bowl to watch Justin's "Never Say Never" spot? Tell us in the comments.
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Friday, January 28, 2011
Britney Spears - Radar
Radar
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: RCA, Jive, Zomba Label Group
Director: Dave Meyers
Album: Circus
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: RCA, Jive, Zomba Label Group
Director: Dave Meyers
Album: Circus
Zac Efron Lunches With The Ladies
A couple of weeks ago we saw photos of Zac Efron partying the night away with his friend Brittany Snow and since then we’ve spotted the lad out and about here in SoCal all by his lonesome. This week, tho, Zac met up with a group of friends for a fun lunch in West Hollywood, [...]
Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Didn't Seem To Know CPR, Bodyguard Testifies
Jackson's two oldest children were in bedroom witnessing drama, bodyguard Faheem Muhammed said.By Gil Kaufman
Conrad Murray (file)
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images
One of the most shocking revelations to emerge from the first day of testimony in the pretrial hearing of former Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray is that as the pop icon lay dying in his rented Los Angeles mansion, cardiologist Murray asked in a panic, "Does anyone know CPR?"
According to CNN, that's what bodyguard Faheem Muhammed said on the stand. Tuesday was the first day of testimony in hearings aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop.
The hearing is slated to last around two weeks and feature 20 to 30 witnesses, most of whom will be medical professionals. But it was the shocking testimony of Muhammed on Tuesday that grabbed headlines. He said that he and fellow guard Alberto Alvarez walked in on a scene in which Murray was crouched next to the motionless body of Jackson and it appeared that the heart surgeon did not know how to give CPR.
As they waited for paramedics to arrive, Muhammed said Murray stood next to Jackson's bed and asked in a panicked voice if anyone else in the room knew how to administer the life-saving technique.
"I looked at Alberto because we knew Dr. Murray was a heart surgeon, so we were shocked," Muhammed said. When defense attorney Ed Chernoff asked whether Murray was asking for help because he was exhausted after staying up all night administering sleep aids to the chronically insomniac Jackson, Muhammed replied, "The way that he asked it is as if he didn't know CPR." He also said that he never witnessed Murray performing CPR on Jackson before paramedics arrived and that the singer's two oldest children, Prince Michael and Paris, were in their father's bedroom as the drama was unfolding. Among the Jackson family members in court on Tuesday to watch the proceedings were family matriarch Katherine, sister LaToya and brothers Randy and Jackie.
Prosecutor David Walgren referred to Murray's use of "ineffectual" CPR, which included using one hand while Jackson was on a soft bed, which is counter to recommended techniques. Walgren also told the judge in the case that medical experts would testify that Murray took "a number of actions" that "showed an extreme deviation from the standard of care," after being hired to serve as Jackson's personal physician in the lead-up to a series of comeback shows in England.
The prosecutor also claimed that Murray waited at least 21 minutes to call an ambulance after he found Jackson unresponsive. "By all accounts, Michael Jackson was dead in the bedroom at 100 North Carolwood prior to the paramedics' arrival," Walgren said. The Los Angeles County coroner later determined that the singer died of "acute propofol intoxication," saying the overdose of the surgical anesthetic and the combined effects of other sedatives caused his death.
Chernoff has said that Murray administered propofol and other sedatives to Jackson in the hours before the pop star's death, but not in quantities that "should have" caused his death. CNN reported that Murray's defense team hinted that it would argue that Jackson was facing intense pressure over his upcoming 50-date This Is It comeback series of shows at London's O2 Arena and that led to his demands for treatment to help his chronic insomnia.
Also testifying on Tuesday was the director of the shows, Kenny Ortega, who described Jackson as "involved, active, participating" at his final rehearsal, which ended 12 hours before his death. That was very different from the out-of-it singer who could barely make it through rehearsals on June 19, six nights before his death. At a meeting called after Ortega sent Jackson home that night for some rest, the director described a scene in which Murray scolded him for cutting the rehearsal short.
"Dr. Murray told me that this was not my responsibility, and he asked me not to act like a doctor or psychologist," Ortega said. Murray has pleaded not guilty in the case, and according to a recent report, Walgren believes that the doctor's lawyers may claim that Jackson self-administered the final, fatal dose of propofol and essentially killed himself after waking up in a panic from a fitful night of sleep.
Testimony in the case will continue on Wednesday (January 5).
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Conrad Murray (file)
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images
One of the most shocking revelations to emerge from the first day of testimony in the pretrial hearing of former Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray is that as the pop icon lay dying in his rented Los Angeles mansion, cardiologist Murray asked in a panic, "Does anyone know CPR?"
According to CNN, that's what bodyguard Faheem Muhammed said on the stand. Tuesday was the first day of testimony in hearings aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop.
The hearing is slated to last around two weeks and feature 20 to 30 witnesses, most of whom will be medical professionals. But it was the shocking testimony of Muhammed on Tuesday that grabbed headlines. He said that he and fellow guard Alberto Alvarez walked in on a scene in which Murray was crouched next to the motionless body of Jackson and it appeared that the heart surgeon did not know how to give CPR.
As they waited for paramedics to arrive, Muhammed said Murray stood next to Jackson's bed and asked in a panicked voice if anyone else in the room knew how to administer the life-saving technique.
"I looked at Alberto because we knew Dr. Murray was a heart surgeon, so we were shocked," Muhammed said. When defense attorney Ed Chernoff asked whether Murray was asking for help because he was exhausted after staying up all night administering sleep aids to the chronically insomniac Jackson, Muhammed replied, "The way that he asked it is as if he didn't know CPR." He also said that he never witnessed Murray performing CPR on Jackson before paramedics arrived and that the singer's two oldest children, Prince Michael and Paris, were in their father's bedroom as the drama was unfolding. Among the Jackson family members in court on Tuesday to watch the proceedings were family matriarch Katherine, sister LaToya and brothers Randy and Jackie.
Prosecutor David Walgren referred to Murray's use of "ineffectual" CPR, which included using one hand while Jackson was on a soft bed, which is counter to recommended techniques. Walgren also told the judge in the case that medical experts would testify that Murray took "a number of actions" that "showed an extreme deviation from the standard of care," after being hired to serve as Jackson's personal physician in the lead-up to a series of comeback shows in England.
The prosecutor also claimed that Murray waited at least 21 minutes to call an ambulance after he found Jackson unresponsive. "By all accounts, Michael Jackson was dead in the bedroom at 100 North Carolwood prior to the paramedics' arrival," Walgren said. The Los Angeles County coroner later determined that the singer died of "acute propofol intoxication," saying the overdose of the surgical anesthetic and the combined effects of other sedatives caused his death.
Chernoff has said that Murray administered propofol and other sedatives to Jackson in the hours before the pop star's death, but not in quantities that "should have" caused his death. CNN reported that Murray's defense team hinted that it would argue that Jackson was facing intense pressure over his upcoming 50-date This Is It comeback series of shows at London's O2 Arena and that led to his demands for treatment to help his chronic insomnia.
Also testifying on Tuesday was the director of the shows, Kenny Ortega, who described Jackson as "involved, active, participating" at his final rehearsal, which ended 12 hours before his death. That was very different from the out-of-it singer who could barely make it through rehearsals on June 19, six nights before his death. At a meeting called after Ortega sent Jackson home that night for some rest, the director described a scene in which Murray scolded him for cutting the rehearsal short.
"Dr. Murray told me that this was not my responsibility, and he asked me not to act like a doctor or psychologist," Ortega said. Murray has pleaded not guilty in the case, and according to a recent report, Walgren believes that the doctor's lawyers may claim that Jackson self-administered the final, fatal dose of propofol and essentially killed himself after waking up in a panic from a fitful night of sleep.
Testimony in the case will continue on Wednesday (January 5).
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Ronald Isley, Anita Baker Honored At Soul Train Awards
Rihanna, Eminem, Usher, B.o.B, Alicia Keys among winners at event celebrating 40th anniversary of classic music show.By Joel Hanek and Gil Kaufman
Anita Baker at the 2010 Soul Train Awards
Photo: Moses Robinson/ Getty Images
Only at the Soul Train Awards could you have a tribute to R&B icons such as Anita Baker and Ronald Isley alongside a segment in which rap legend Doug E. Fresh attempts to teach CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer how to do the Dougie.
It was that kind of night at the 2010 Soul Train Awards, as rookies, veterans and legends came together in Atlanta for the second annual event — which was taped November 10 and aired Sunday night on BET. The show, hosted once again by Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, featured a night of performances from some of the biggest names in soul and R&B.
Host Howard told MTV News that the show is meant to be an extension of the long-running and legendary '70s TV series that brought soul, disco, R&B and rap stars into viewers' living rooms. "It reminds me of the advancement black people have made over the years because 'Soul Train' really was the beginning of that Black Power movement when we could actually see ourselves — and to have an awards show based upon that 'Soul Train' — it's headed somewhere," Howard said. "We have a black president now. The country seems to be more tolerant towards the diversity inside of it so it seems like the train is moving well down the tracks."
The awards show marked the 40th anniversary of the classic music showcase hosted by Don Cornelius, and celebrated the careers of Baker and Isley, while handing out trophies to such contemporary stars as B.o.B (Song of the Year for "Nothing on You"), Melanie Fiona (Best New Artist), Eminem and Rihanna (Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year for "Love the Way You Lie"), Usher (Album of the Year for Raymond vs. Raymond) and Alicia Keys (Record of the Year for "Unthinkable [I'm Ready]" and Best Female R&B Soul Artist).
Though top winners such as Trey Songz, Usher, Ciara, Eminem and Rihanna were not in the house, Blitzer graciously agreed to accept Slim Shady's award for him, joking, "Who better to accept this award on behalf of Eminem ... I know he's thrilled."
Weaving through a series of skits involving magic tricks and jovial bickering by the hosts, the performance-heavy program delivered on talent. R. Kelly opened by teasing the crowd with his classic "Bump n' Grind," then diving into his new single "When a Woman Loves" — transforming the song from a slow jam into an all-out '50s rock-and-roll epic. Ne-Yo kept the show moving with a showcase of his singles from this year, including "Champagne Life" and "One in a Million."
The tribute to Baker featured an all-star cast, with artists like Chrisette Michele, Goapele, Lalah Hathaway, Dionne Farris, Kem, Tamia, Faith Evans and El DeBarge covering a medley of the singer's greatest hits. Baker told the crowd that the biggest honor of the night for her was that real musicians were performing live with an actual band. "It's amazing because you've got children behind you singing 'Rapture' — it's lovely," she said, adding, "Let's do it again!"
Ronald Isley, co-founder and lead singer of the Isley Brothers, also received a special homage that featured Jeffrey Osborne, Freddy Jackson, DeBarge, Tank, Eric Benet, Bilal and Peabo Bryson. Isley also came out to perform his own medley of hits and was joined onstage by Chanté Moore and R. Kelly for a rendition of "Contagious," their 2002 single that featured the Isleys. In addition, Cee Lo Green closed the show with a duet on the Isleys' classic 1959 hit, "Shout."
Among the event's other highlights was Cee Lo's performance of his smash "Forget You," which took place on a golden stage that resembled a cross between Kanye's Egyptian fusion and an OK Go video, and found the singer gliding down conveyor belts while belting his number.
Erykah Badu delivered a stripped-down version of her 2010 breakout "Window Seat" that featured the singer perched on the floor over a web of lights while appearing to orchestrate the vibrations of light flickers with her hands.
Soul singer Eric Benet performed "Sometimes a Cry" — a song that Lil Wayne cited as one of his favorites while in prison — bringing down the house with a soaring falsetto that bested his studio rendition of the track.
The evening's other performers included Bruno Mars, who sang his new hit "Grenade," and Jazmine Sullivan, who did a medley of "10 Seconds" and "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)."
Did you watch the 2010 Soul Train Awards? Tell us about your favorite highlights in the comments.
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Anita Baker at the 2010 Soul Train Awards
Photo: Moses Robinson/ Getty Images
Only at the Soul Train Awards could you have a tribute to R&B icons such as Anita Baker and Ronald Isley alongside a segment in which rap legend Doug E. Fresh attempts to teach CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer how to do the Dougie.
It was that kind of night at the 2010 Soul Train Awards, as rookies, veterans and legends came together in Atlanta for the second annual event — which was taped November 10 and aired Sunday night on BET. The show, hosted once again by Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, featured a night of performances from some of the biggest names in soul and R&B.
Host Howard told MTV News that the show is meant to be an extension of the long-running and legendary '70s TV series that brought soul, disco, R&B and rap stars into viewers' living rooms. "It reminds me of the advancement black people have made over the years because 'Soul Train' really was the beginning of that Black Power movement when we could actually see ourselves — and to have an awards show based upon that 'Soul Train' — it's headed somewhere," Howard said. "We have a black president now. The country seems to be more tolerant towards the diversity inside of it so it seems like the train is moving well down the tracks."
The awards show marked the 40th anniversary of the classic music showcase hosted by Don Cornelius, and celebrated the careers of Baker and Isley, while handing out trophies to such contemporary stars as B.o.B (Song of the Year for "Nothing on You"), Melanie Fiona (Best New Artist), Eminem and Rihanna (Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year for "Love the Way You Lie"), Usher (Album of the Year for Raymond vs. Raymond) and Alicia Keys (Record of the Year for "Unthinkable [I'm Ready]" and Best Female R&B Soul Artist).
Though top winners such as Trey Songz, Usher, Ciara, Eminem and Rihanna were not in the house, Blitzer graciously agreed to accept Slim Shady's award for him, joking, "Who better to accept this award on behalf of Eminem ... I know he's thrilled."
Weaving through a series of skits involving magic tricks and jovial bickering by the hosts, the performance-heavy program delivered on talent. R. Kelly opened by teasing the crowd with his classic "Bump n' Grind," then diving into his new single "When a Woman Loves" — transforming the song from a slow jam into an all-out '50s rock-and-roll epic. Ne-Yo kept the show moving with a showcase of his singles from this year, including "Champagne Life" and "One in a Million."
The tribute to Baker featured an all-star cast, with artists like Chrisette Michele, Goapele, Lalah Hathaway, Dionne Farris, Kem, Tamia, Faith Evans and El DeBarge covering a medley of the singer's greatest hits. Baker told the crowd that the biggest honor of the night for her was that real musicians were performing live with an actual band. "It's amazing because you've got children behind you singing 'Rapture' — it's lovely," she said, adding, "Let's do it again!"
Ronald Isley, co-founder and lead singer of the Isley Brothers, also received a special homage that featured Jeffrey Osborne, Freddy Jackson, DeBarge, Tank, Eric Benet, Bilal and Peabo Bryson. Isley also came out to perform his own medley of hits and was joined onstage by Chanté Moore and R. Kelly for a rendition of "Contagious," their 2002 single that featured the Isleys. In addition, Cee Lo Green closed the show with a duet on the Isleys' classic 1959 hit, "Shout."
Among the event's other highlights was Cee Lo's performance of his smash "Forget You," which took place on a golden stage that resembled a cross between Kanye's Egyptian fusion and an OK Go video, and found the singer gliding down conveyor belts while belting his number.
Erykah Badu delivered a stripped-down version of her 2010 breakout "Window Seat" that featured the singer perched on the floor over a web of lights while appearing to orchestrate the vibrations of light flickers with her hands.
Soul singer Eric Benet performed "Sometimes a Cry" — a song that Lil Wayne cited as one of his favorites while in prison — bringing down the house with a soaring falsetto that bested his studio rendition of the track.
The evening's other performers included Bruno Mars, who sang his new hit "Grenade," and Jazmine Sullivan, who did a medley of "10 Seconds" and "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)."
Did you watch the 2010 Soul Train Awards? Tell us about your favorite highlights in the comments.
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B.o.B
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Photos | The 2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
The 2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
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Katy Perry Praises Lady Gaga, Ke$ha In Maxim
The 'Firework' singer reveals, 'I've known Ke$ha forever. She's actually in the 'I Kissed a Girl' video.'By Jocelyn Vena
Katy Perry on the December 2010 cover of <i>Maxim</i>
Photo: Maxim
Everyone knows that Katy Perry is besties with Rihanna, so it might not be too surprising that Perry has only the kindest words for fellow female pop contemporaries Ke$ha and Lady Gaga, even if she has been critical of one of those women's artistic choices in the past.
"I love what Gaga is doing, and I love what Ke$ha is doing," Perry says in Maxim's new issue, for which she also serves as the cover girl. "I've known Ke$ha forever. She's actually in the 'I Kissed a Girl' video."
But, Perry isn't just dishing on her fellow lady celebrities, she's also showing some love for the fellas, one of whom she married in the fall. "I've said Justin Bieber [was my celebrity crush] quite a few times, but I think I'm over it now. I think it's probably safe to say I married my celebrity crush," the singer shares about husband Russell Brand. "Don't barf on this magazine."
Earlier this year, Perry was chosen to top Maxim's 2010 Hot 100 list, and she admits that the honor has really given her cred all over the place.
"It's a worldwide thing — the rest of the world makes it their standard," she says. "It's one of the questions they ask me in all interviews now, even in places where Maxim doesn't exist. I'll go to Timbuktu, and they'll be like, 'You're the #1 hottest,' and I'm like, 'Maxim said so, but thank you so much for saying so in Timbuktu.' "
So, what does Perry think makes ladies sexy? A fun-loving attitude, obviously.
"The way she presents herself and the air she has about her. You can feel her power and her confidence," Perry explains. "Also, the way she uses her ability to communicate, her brain and personality. I think that's really sexy because you all know the hottest woman can be the biggest bitch, and that's not cool."
Still riding high on the success of her Teenage Dream album, Perry shows no signs of slowing down, with a 2011 tour and a role in the "Smurfs" film on the way.
"You know, I wasn't allowed to watch 'Smurfs' growing up, ever. I grew up in a sheltered household, and my parents would keep us from certain things they thought were too much for us and our eyes," she recently told MTV News regarding her role as Smurfette. " 'Smurfs' had what my parents said was a lot of sorcery and magic."
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Katy Perry on the December 2010 cover of <i>Maxim</i>
Photo: Maxim
Everyone knows that Katy Perry is besties with Rihanna, so it might not be too surprising that Perry has only the kindest words for fellow female pop contemporaries Ke$ha and Lady Gaga, even if she has been critical of one of those women's artistic choices in the past.
"I love what Gaga is doing, and I love what Ke$ha is doing," Perry says in Maxim's new issue, for which she also serves as the cover girl. "I've known Ke$ha forever. She's actually in the 'I Kissed a Girl' video."
But, Perry isn't just dishing on her fellow lady celebrities, she's also showing some love for the fellas, one of whom she married in the fall. "I've said Justin Bieber [was my celebrity crush] quite a few times, but I think I'm over it now. I think it's probably safe to say I married my celebrity crush," the singer shares about husband Russell Brand. "Don't barf on this magazine."
Earlier this year, Perry was chosen to top Maxim's 2010 Hot 100 list, and she admits that the honor has really given her cred all over the place.
"It's a worldwide thing — the rest of the world makes it their standard," she says. "It's one of the questions they ask me in all interviews now, even in places where Maxim doesn't exist. I'll go to Timbuktu, and they'll be like, 'You're the #1 hottest,' and I'm like, 'Maxim said so, but thank you so much for saying so in Timbuktu.' "
So, what does Perry think makes ladies sexy? A fun-loving attitude, obviously.
"The way she presents herself and the air she has about her. You can feel her power and her confidence," Perry explains. "Also, the way she uses her ability to communicate, her brain and personality. I think that's really sexy because you all know the hottest woman can be the biggest bitch, and that's not cool."
Still riding high on the success of her Teenage Dream album, Perry shows no signs of slowing down, with a 2011 tour and a role in the "Smurfs" film on the way.
"You know, I wasn't allowed to watch 'Smurfs' growing up, ever. I grew up in a sheltered household, and my parents would keep us from certain things they thought were too much for us and our eyes," she recently told MTV News regarding her role as Smurfette. " 'Smurfs' had what my parents said was a lot of sorcery and magic."
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Lady Gaga
Ke$ha
Britney Spears - If U Seek Amy
If U Seek Amy
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive, Zomba Label Group
Director: Jake Nava
Album: Circus
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive, Zomba Label Group
Director: Jake Nava
Album: Circus
Dimmu Borgir Release Live DVD; Plus Led Zeppelin, Brujeria, & More News That Rules, In Metal File
'It shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums,' guitarist says.By Chris Harris
Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...
The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ...
Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...
Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...
According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
Related Artists
Dimmu Borgir
Led Zeppelin
Brujeria
Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...
The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ...
Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...
Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...
According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
Related Artists
Dimmu Borgir
Led Zeppelin
Brujeria
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Beyonce To Star In Clint Eastwood's 'A Star Is Born' Remake
Movie will be directed and produced by the Oscar winner.By Kara Warner
Beyoncé
Photo: Paul Warner/ WireImage
Beyoncé Knowles is headed back to the big screen and into the familiar territory of playing an aspiring singer-turned-superstar. According to Deadline, Knowles will star in a remake of "A Star Is Born," to be directed and produced by Oscar winner Clint Eastwood for Warner Bros.
The remake will be the fourth telling of the "A Star Is Born" tale, the most memorable in recent years being the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson as star-crossed lovers of sorts. It is also worth mentioning that the producers of that film, Billy Gerber and Jon Peters, are also attached to this new project. It is said to be a full-on musical with production set to begin sometime in the fall.
Naturally, the plot details are under wraps, but the original story revolves around an aspiring singer who meets and falls in love with a troubled, failing former star who helps get the young ingénue her big break in the business.
No announcements have been made with regard to the male lead, but the report mentioned that major names like Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Hamm have been floated around.
It's definitely an interesting step for Knowles but not necessarily a surprise, given the fact that the majority of her film roles have been as singers ("Cadillac Records," "Dreamgirls," "The Fighting Temptations"). While many thought "Dreamgirls" would bring awards recognition for Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson's supporting role ended up garnering the most attention. With Oscar fave Eastwood at the helm of this new project, Knowles could be in line for some hardware yet.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Artists
Beyoncé
Beyoncé
Photo: Paul Warner/ WireImage
Beyoncé Knowles is headed back to the big screen and into the familiar territory of playing an aspiring singer-turned-superstar. According to Deadline, Knowles will star in a remake of "A Star Is Born," to be directed and produced by Oscar winner Clint Eastwood for Warner Bros.
The remake will be the fourth telling of the "A Star Is Born" tale, the most memorable in recent years being the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson as star-crossed lovers of sorts. It is also worth mentioning that the producers of that film, Billy Gerber and Jon Peters, are also attached to this new project. It is said to be a full-on musical with production set to begin sometime in the fall.
Naturally, the plot details are under wraps, but the original story revolves around an aspiring singer who meets and falls in love with a troubled, failing former star who helps get the young ingénue her big break in the business.
No announcements have been made with regard to the male lead, but the report mentioned that major names like Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Hamm have been floated around.
It's definitely an interesting step for Knowles but not necessarily a surprise, given the fact that the majority of her film roles have been as singers ("Cadillac Records," "Dreamgirls," "The Fighting Temptations"). While many thought "Dreamgirls" would bring awards recognition for Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson's supporting role ended up garnering the most attention. With Oscar fave Eastwood at the helm of this new project, Knowles could be in line for some hardware yet.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Beyoncé - Sweet Dreams
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Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Adria Petty
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
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Kanye West Defends His Britney Spears Tweet
'I was giving [Britney] props for being #1 not dissing her at all!' the rapper wrote, responding to media reaction to his Twitter tease.By Gil Kaufman
Britney Spears and Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images
Even when Kanye West is trying to be nice, some people assume he's being mean. The rapper went onto Twitter over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to defend himself after he said some comments he made about Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" single were misconstrued by the press.
On Friday, West posted a message — which has since been removed — that read, "Yo Britney, I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you be #1, but me and Jay-Z's single is one of the best songs of all time! LOL." He was referring to the fact that Spears' smash new single has topped the download charts in 19 countries and pushed his collabo with Jigga, "H.A.M.," down to #2 on the iTunes tally, while also lampooning his own legendary bum-rush of Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV VMAs.
Britney's manager, Adam Leber, was quick to respond with his own sarcastic quip, tweeting, "@kanyewest Thanks for 'letting' us be #1. Much appreciated."
West clarified his earlier comment a short time later, explaining, "On a serious note I'm truly happy for @AvrilLavigne and @BritneySpears...... No hate in 2011!" Which should have been the end of all that, right?
Wrong.
After watching his beloved Chicago Bears advance to within one win of the Super Bowl over the weekend, West was upset to discover that sites such as MSNBC had reposted an Us Weekly story that claimed the rap star was trying to instigate a Twitter war with Britney. Clearly stung by the insinuation that he was starting another Swift-like beef, West fought back with a string of tweets in which he scolded the media.
"I thought LOL signified a joke... I didn't get the 2011 LOL doesn't signify a joke anymore memo... LOL or something else I guess," he wrote, explaining that his original post was clearly meant in good fun. "Just saw that MSNBC said I tried to start a twitter war with Brittany [sic]. This sh-- takes the air out my lungs sometimes from blogs to news reports ... enough already!!! All I do is focus on my work ... There's a new lie everyday... a new media spin... I never got a watch with my face on it!!! A company tried to give that to me 9 yrs ago! ... I'm one of the most considerate people in real life. Maybe over considerate. Over caring. Overly real."
In one of Kanye's most colorful metaphors for the difficulty of navigating the superstar universe (one that he perhaps should have saved for a verse in a song), he noted, "There is no astronaut training for celebrity... even though this whole life is so outer space! ... I was actually surprised that a record as raw as 'H.A.M.' could make it to #2 on iTunes ... How can u 'let' someone be number one??!! That was the whole joke!!! I know intelligent people know this so bear with me ... When I said the comment about Brittney [sic] I was giving her props for being #1 not dissing her at all! ... But stop making it seem that my aim is to hurt or down people! That's just not my style!"
He continued, "As pop stars we're all in this sh-- together! We on the inside of the TV! If the media wants to make a story ... just say I have atrocious spelling and terrible grammar ... If you don't give em a story they just make one up. I'm just trying to focus & stay creative! Keep bringing dope sh-- to the world!"
West then thanked his fans again for helping to make his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, a platinum seller and praised them for giving him the power to realize his dreams, something he vowed never to take for granted. "I am an extension of my listeners," he wrote. "I won't always say the right thing but my heart is always in the right place."
What do you think of Kanye's tweets about Britney and the media reaction to the message? Share your opinion in the comments.
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Britney Spears and Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images
Even when Kanye West is trying to be nice, some people assume he's being mean. The rapper went onto Twitter over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to defend himself after he said some comments he made about Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" single were misconstrued by the press.
On Friday, West posted a message — which has since been removed — that read, "Yo Britney, I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you be #1, but me and Jay-Z's single is one of the best songs of all time! LOL." He was referring to the fact that Spears' smash new single has topped the download charts in 19 countries and pushed his collabo with Jigga, "H.A.M.," down to #2 on the iTunes tally, while also lampooning his own legendary bum-rush of Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV VMAs.
Britney's manager, Adam Leber, was quick to respond with his own sarcastic quip, tweeting, "@kanyewest Thanks for 'letting' us be #1. Much appreciated."
West clarified his earlier comment a short time later, explaining, "On a serious note I'm truly happy for @AvrilLavigne and @BritneySpears...... No hate in 2011!" Which should have been the end of all that, right?
Wrong.
After watching his beloved Chicago Bears advance to within one win of the Super Bowl over the weekend, West was upset to discover that sites such as MSNBC had reposted an Us Weekly story that claimed the rap star was trying to instigate a Twitter war with Britney. Clearly stung by the insinuation that he was starting another Swift-like beef, West fought back with a string of tweets in which he scolded the media.
"I thought LOL signified a joke... I didn't get the 2011 LOL doesn't signify a joke anymore memo... LOL or something else I guess," he wrote, explaining that his original post was clearly meant in good fun. "Just saw that MSNBC said I tried to start a twitter war with Brittany [sic]. This sh-- takes the air out my lungs sometimes from blogs to news reports ... enough already!!! All I do is focus on my work ... There's a new lie everyday... a new media spin... I never got a watch with my face on it!!! A company tried to give that to me 9 yrs ago! ... I'm one of the most considerate people in real life. Maybe over considerate. Over caring. Overly real."
In one of Kanye's most colorful metaphors for the difficulty of navigating the superstar universe (one that he perhaps should have saved for a verse in a song), he noted, "There is no astronaut training for celebrity... even though this whole life is so outer space! ... I was actually surprised that a record as raw as 'H.A.M.' could make it to #2 on iTunes ... How can u 'let' someone be number one??!! That was the whole joke!!! I know intelligent people know this so bear with me ... When I said the comment about Brittney [sic] I was giving her props for being #1 not dissing her at all! ... But stop making it seem that my aim is to hurt or down people! That's just not my style!"
He continued, "As pop stars we're all in this sh-- together! We on the inside of the TV! If the media wants to make a story ... just say I have atrocious spelling and terrible grammar ... If you don't give em a story they just make one up. I'm just trying to focus & stay creative! Keep bringing dope sh-- to the world!"
West then thanked his fans again for helping to make his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, a platinum seller and praised them for giving him the power to realize his dreams, something he vowed never to take for granted. "I am an extension of my listeners," he wrote. "I won't always say the right thing but my heart is always in the right place."
What do you think of Kanye's tweets about Britney and the media reaction to the message? Share your opinion in the comments.
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Nicki Minaj's 'Moment 4 Life' Video To Premiere Thursday On MTV
Clip, which debuts at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV, plays up femcee's relationship with Young Money labelmate Drake.By Hillary Crosley, with reporting by Sway Calloway
Nicki Minaj
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
On Thursday, Nicki Minaj will reveal her long-awaited "Moment 4 Life" video on MTV. The clip, which was shot in December in Los Angeles, features Young Money labelmate Drake and is rumored to show the pair playing up their "are they or aren't they?" relationship with a kiss.
The "Moment 4 Life" clip will premiere at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV.
When MTV News' Sway spoke to Drake on the set of "Moment 4 Life," the MC compared the success of his and Minaj's debut albums to Weezy's opening-week sales of Tha Carter III, saying each subsequent project further cemented the collective's status.
"I think it's crazy that somehow, some higher power brought all these individuals together," Drake said. "I remember being on the [tour] bus when Wayne played me Tha Carter III, which went on to sell a million copies in one week. Then it was Thank Me Later. It was this big pressure, and that went on to sell what it did.
"And now," he continued, "to think of the girl that I used to ride the bus with — and that's what she was to me: this girl that I rode the bus with. I was like, 'Female rap?' And I'm being dead honest with you. [I thought,] 'Man, it's been a while since there's been a female rapper, and I'm curious to see how this works.' It's not that I didn't believe. And she was probably looking at me like, 'This Jew from Canada: I don't know.' "
And now, after the successful debut of Pink Friday, the Toronto lyricist said he couldn't be happier for Minaj.
"It's amazing now to see her come into her own, build this brand and persona," he said. "It's incredible."
Don't miss the premiere of Nicki Minaj's "Moment 4 Life" video, featuring Drake, Thursday at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV, followed by a live interview with the Young Money femcee that will continue on MTV.com. If you have questions for Minaj, tweet them with the hashtag #asknicki or upload a video question to Your.MTV.com.
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Nicki Minaj
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
On Thursday, Nicki Minaj will reveal her long-awaited "Moment 4 Life" video on MTV. The clip, which was shot in December in Los Angeles, features Young Money labelmate Drake and is rumored to show the pair playing up their "are they or aren't they?" relationship with a kiss.
The "Moment 4 Life" clip will premiere at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV.
When MTV News' Sway spoke to Drake on the set of "Moment 4 Life," the MC compared the success of his and Minaj's debut albums to Weezy's opening-week sales of Tha Carter III, saying each subsequent project further cemented the collective's status.
"I think it's crazy that somehow, some higher power brought all these individuals together," Drake said. "I remember being on the [tour] bus when Wayne played me Tha Carter III, which went on to sell a million copies in one week. Then it was Thank Me Later. It was this big pressure, and that went on to sell what it did.
"And now," he continued, "to think of the girl that I used to ride the bus with — and that's what she was to me: this girl that I rode the bus with. I was like, 'Female rap?' And I'm being dead honest with you. [I thought,] 'Man, it's been a while since there's been a female rapper, and I'm curious to see how this works.' It's not that I didn't believe. And she was probably looking at me like, 'This Jew from Canada: I don't know.' "
And now, after the successful debut of Pink Friday, the Toronto lyricist said he couldn't be happier for Minaj.
"It's amazing now to see her come into her own, build this brand and persona," he said. "It's incredible."
Don't miss the premiere of Nicki Minaj's "Moment 4 Life" video, featuring Drake, Thursday at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV, followed by a live interview with the Young Money femcee that will continue on MTV.com. If you have questions for Minaj, tweet them with the hashtag #asknicki or upload a video question to Your.MTV.com.
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Celebrate Wendy O. Williams' Birthday With Bobblehead Doll
What better way to celebrate Wendy O. Williams' 61st birthday on May 28 (if she hadn't blown her head off at age 48) than with a cute, scantily clad bobblehead doll.
Yes, Aggronautix, the company that, in 2009, presented a bobblehead of GG Allin -- the lovable now-deceased counter culture character who beat up audience members, [...]
Yes, Aggronautix, the company that, in 2009, presented a bobblehead of GG Allin -- the lovable now-deceased counter culture character who beat up audience members, [...]
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Drake In Talks To Star With Al Pacino In 'Arbitrage'
Movie would mark rapper's first starring film role.By Gil Kaufman
Drake
Photo: John Parra/ WireImage
Drake has already conquered the charts and the road, but now the former "Degrassi: The Next Generation" star is in talks to headline his first movie.
A spokesperson for producer Johnny Lin's Filmula company confirmed Monday that Drake is in negotiations to join the financial thriller "Arbitrage." The Wrap reported that the Young Money rapper is considering joining the cast of the indie film, which will be written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki ("The Outsider").
According to the site, the movie follows the path of a hedge-fund magnate who is in over his head and desperate to complete the sale of his shady trading empire to a major bank before his fraud is revealed. But then an "unexpected, bloody error" forces him to turn to an unlikely source for protection.
Susan Sarandon and "Casino Royale" star Eva Green have already signed on to play the wife and art-dealer mistress, respectively. The movie is slated to begin filming in March in New York and will feature a reunion of Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino and Sarandon, who co-starred in HBO's Jack Kevorkian biopic "You Don't Know Jack." Pacino will play the lead role; it was not known at press time what Drake's part would be.
It wouldn't be the first time Drake (born Aubrey Graham), 24, has made the jump from TV to films, following up on his small role in 2007's "Charlie Bartlett."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Drake
Photo: John Parra/ WireImage
Drake has already conquered the charts and the road, but now the former "Degrassi: The Next Generation" star is in talks to headline his first movie.
A spokesperson for producer Johnny Lin's Filmula company confirmed Monday that Drake is in negotiations to join the financial thriller "Arbitrage." The Wrap reported that the Young Money rapper is considering joining the cast of the indie film, which will be written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki ("The Outsider").
According to the site, the movie follows the path of a hedge-fund magnate who is in over his head and desperate to complete the sale of his shady trading empire to a major bank before his fraud is revealed. But then an "unexpected, bloody error" forces him to turn to an unlikely source for protection.
Susan Sarandon and "Casino Royale" star Eva Green have already signed on to play the wife and art-dealer mistress, respectively. The movie is slated to begin filming in March in New York and will feature a reunion of Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino and Sarandon, who co-starred in HBO's Jack Kevorkian biopic "You Don't Know Jack." Pacino will play the lead role; it was not known at press time what Drake's part would be.
It wouldn't be the first time Drake (born Aubrey Graham), 24, has made the jump from TV to films, following up on his small role in 2007's "Charlie Bartlett."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Michael Jackson - Gone Too Soon
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Artist: Michael Jackson
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Director: Bill Dicicco
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Album: Dangerous
MSNBC Commentator Rachael Maddow Gives Props to Florida Death Metal
When political commentators mention extreme metal on the air it's usually in reference to something tragic like a school shooting, church burning or suicide pact. But when MSNBC liberal correspondent Rachael Maddow invoked the names of Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Obituary, Death and Deicide it was mostly to take a stab at Republicans, not [...]
Beyoncé - Halo
Halo
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Philip Andelman
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Philip Andelman
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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies
Testimony has Conrad Murray removing IV stand and two bags of medication.By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner
Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson's bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5
Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images
The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop's bodyguards about Murray's actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive.
After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly, security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star's bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson's bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method.
"I said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' " Alvarez told the court. " 'He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,' that's all he said." Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson's daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed.
He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson's penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not.
Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of bottles, which he instructed the security guard to put in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray's instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson's bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a "milk-like substance" in the bottom of the IV bag.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as "milk of amnesia" thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911.
"After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray's instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray's instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?" Walgren asked. "Yes, sir," Alvarez responded.
TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story.
Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson's body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan).
Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson's son, Prince.
The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks.
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Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson's bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5
Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images
The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop's bodyguards about Murray's actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive.
After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly, security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star's bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson's bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method.
"I said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' " Alvarez told the court. " 'He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,' that's all he said." Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson's daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed.
He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson's penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not.
Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of bottles, which he instructed the security guard to put in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray's instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson's bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a "milk-like substance" in the bottom of the IV bag.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as "milk of amnesia" thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911.
"After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray's instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray's instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?" Walgren asked. "Yes, sir," Alvarez responded.
TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story.
Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson's body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan).
Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson's son, Prince.
The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks.
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Britney Spears - Circus
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Label: Jive
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Sarah Wynter Scarlett Chorvat Scarlett Johansson Selita Ebanks
Justin Bieber's Next Album To Capture Justin Timberlake's Magic
Songwriter Sean Garrett says former 'NSYNC star's success inspires Bieber's new project and also dishes on Beyoncé's album.By Mawuse Ziegbe
Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images
Justin Bieber may have declined the chance to join Justin Timberlake's label, but according to a songwriter in the know, the former 'NSYNC crooner is the inspiration for the teen sensation's upcoming album.
Songwriter Sean "The Pen "Garrett, who has been working with Bieber on the follow-up to the chart-ruling My World 2.0., spoke with Billboard about the direction for the teen superstar's forthcoming album, saying the project will feature more grown-up fare.
"What we're trying to do with Justin is to segue him into young adulthood," Garrett said of the project, which is also slated to feature production from hitmaker Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. "The one great thing about Justin Bieber is the fact that his fans are going to grow with him. So we want all the fans that started out with him to still be intrigued and excited about him, but we want to also stretch out a little bit and make the fans that are 22-23 years old love Justin as well. When Justin Timberlake went from the last album of *N Sync to his first solo album -- I want to say [we're aiming for] that level. That's the bar for the type of song, that level of 'Cry Me a River,' big records."
Garrett, who has crafted records for stars like Chris Brown and Bieber's mentor Usher, also said he's hard at work on Beyoncé's next project. However, the songwriter didn't divulge too much information, only revealing that he's "been working with her extremely hard ... she's my favorite."
While Garrett said the plan for his next outing is to angle Bieber toward a swiftly maturing audience, Bieber himself has refused to categorize his music, insisting to MTV News in December that he's just focused on creating quality records.
"Whatever comes out of my mouth is just what you guys are going to hear," Bieber explained of his hits. "I don't know, it's not a specific type of music. Whatever music I write, I wouldn't say I'm pop or R&B or country or anything: I would just say it's just good music,"
What do you think Justin Bieber's new music is going to sound like? Let us know in the comments!
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Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images
Justin Bieber may have declined the chance to join Justin Timberlake's label, but according to a songwriter in the know, the former 'NSYNC crooner is the inspiration for the teen sensation's upcoming album.
Songwriter Sean "The Pen "Garrett, who has been working with Bieber on the follow-up to the chart-ruling My World 2.0., spoke with Billboard about the direction for the teen superstar's forthcoming album, saying the project will feature more grown-up fare.
"What we're trying to do with Justin is to segue him into young adulthood," Garrett said of the project, which is also slated to feature production from hitmaker Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. "The one great thing about Justin Bieber is the fact that his fans are going to grow with him. So we want all the fans that started out with him to still be intrigued and excited about him, but we want to also stretch out a little bit and make the fans that are 22-23 years old love Justin as well. When Justin Timberlake went from the last album of *N Sync to his first solo album -- I want to say [we're aiming for] that level. That's the bar for the type of song, that level of 'Cry Me a River,' big records."
Garrett, who has crafted records for stars like Chris Brown and Bieber's mentor Usher, also said he's hard at work on Beyoncé's next project. However, the songwriter didn't divulge too much information, only revealing that he's "been working with her extremely hard ... she's my favorite."
While Garrett said the plan for his next outing is to angle Bieber toward a swiftly maturing audience, Bieber himself has refused to categorize his music, insisting to MTV News in December that he's just focused on creating quality records.
"Whatever comes out of my mouth is just what you guys are going to hear," Bieber explained of his hits. "I don't know, it's not a specific type of music. Whatever music I write, I wouldn't say I'm pop or R&B or country or anything: I would just say it's just good music,"
What do you think Justin Bieber's new music is going to sound like? Let us know in the comments!
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Dimmu Borgir Release Live DVD; Plus Led Zeppelin, Brujeria, & More News That Rules, In Metal File
'It shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums,' guitarist says.By Chris Harris
Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...
The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ...
Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...
Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...
According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
Related Artists
Dimmu Borgir
Led Zeppelin
Brujeria
Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...
The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ...
Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...
Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...
According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
Related Artists
Dimmu Borgir
Led Zeppelin
Brujeria
Photos | Britney Spears' "3" Video Shoot
Britney Spears' "3" Video Shoot
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Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel
The Way You Make Me Feel
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic
Photos | 2011 Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet
2011 Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet
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Justin Bieber
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Justin Bieber
Macaulay Culkin Denies Dating Spanish Porn Star
Looks like Spanish porn star Irene Lopez may be a big fat liar.
On Friday, she made claims that she was "hanging out" with Macaulay Culkin and the two had met at a Barcelona sex club.
However, Mac not only denies their relationship, but he denies even meeting her before the two posed in a photo together [...]
On Friday, she made claims that she was "hanging out" with Macaulay Culkin and the two had met at a Barcelona sex club.
However, Mac not only denies their relationship, but he denies even meeting her before the two posed in a photo together [...]
Justin Bieber Poses For PETA
Bieber and a furry co-star encourage adoption from animal shelters in new campaign.By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber's PETA ad
Photo: PETA
With tag lines like "My World Includes Passion for Animals, Yours Should Too" and "Animals Can Make U Smile, Adopt From Your Local Shelter," Justin Bieber has joined forces with PETA as the latest celebrity spokesperson for the animal-rights organization.
The pop singer and a papillon pup named Bijou posed for the ads, asking fans to adopt animals from a shelter. Bieber also shot a video for the campaign that has been posted online. In the clip, he says, "A lot of animals are getting abused in different homes ... and I think it's really important we just stay aware about these different situations."
Bieber goes on to recalls his own experiences with animal shelters. "I have a dog, his name is Sam. He's actually a papillon," the teen star explained. "We moved to a city where we didn't really know anybody, so I wanted a friend and Sam was kind of like that friend.
"My dad and I used to just go visit the different animals and stuff," he continued, while suggesting that people get involved with the campaign. "It's really important that people adopt. I really encourage going out to an animal shelter or a place where you can get a dog that has been abandoned or doesn't have a home."
In his punny photo ads for the organization, the pop sensation sports his signature bangs and hoodie. The pics were shot by Cliff Watts, who has photographed other stars such as Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Angelina Jolie in the past.
Bieber joins a long line of celebrities who have posed, many often nude, for PETA campaigns. Khloé Kardashian, Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney, Eva Mendes, Pink and Mark Ronson, to name a few, have been featured in previous PETA ads.
Do you like Justin's PETA ads? Tell us in the comments.
Related Artists
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber's PETA ad
Photo: PETA
With tag lines like "My World Includes Passion for Animals, Yours Should Too" and "Animals Can Make U Smile, Adopt From Your Local Shelter," Justin Bieber has joined forces with PETA as the latest celebrity spokesperson for the animal-rights organization.
The pop singer and a papillon pup named Bijou posed for the ads, asking fans to adopt animals from a shelter. Bieber also shot a video for the campaign that has been posted online. In the clip, he says, "A lot of animals are getting abused in different homes ... and I think it's really important we just stay aware about these different situations."
Bieber goes on to recalls his own experiences with animal shelters. "I have a dog, his name is Sam. He's actually a papillon," the teen star explained. "We moved to a city where we didn't really know anybody, so I wanted a friend and Sam was kind of like that friend.
"My dad and I used to just go visit the different animals and stuff," he continued, while suggesting that people get involved with the campaign. "It's really important that people adopt. I really encourage going out to an animal shelter or a place where you can get a dog that has been abandoned or doesn't have a home."
In his punny photo ads for the organization, the pop sensation sports his signature bangs and hoodie. The pics were shot by Cliff Watts, who has photographed other stars such as Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Angelina Jolie in the past.
Bieber joins a long line of celebrities who have posed, many often nude, for PETA campaigns. Khloé Kardashian, Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney, Eva Mendes, Pink and Mark Ronson, to name a few, have been featured in previous PETA ads.
Do you like Justin's PETA ads? Tell us in the comments.
Related Artists
Justin Bieber
Matthew McConaughey Goes On A Shirtless Jog
Once upon a time, the sight of Matthew McConaughey wearing very little clothing was a semi-daily occurrence. Then, he started having babies with Camila Alves … the clothes got put on … and stayed on. But every once in a while, Matthew strips down again to remind us all of the bounty we used to [...]
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