Monday, August 29, 2011

Eminem, Royce Da 5'9" 'Lighters' Video Coming 'Very Soon'

Bruno Mars calls clip for Bad Meets Evil single 'very beautiful.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Bruno Mars
Photo: MTV News

Bruno Mars was enlisted by Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" for their Bad Meets Evil Hell: The Sequel track "Lighters". The sweeping, inspirational track mixes Em's penchant for spitting fire, Royce's keen pop-culture eye and Bruno's smooth pop sensibility.

The trio was spotted shooting the song's video at the tail-end of July. When MTV News caught up with VMA nominee Mars this week, he shared that the Rich Lee-directed clip will certainly leave fans as inspired as the song does. "We shot the video ... that should be coming out very, very soon," he said. "But that's their baby, so I'm not going to blow the lid."

Instead of revealing any actual video details, Mars decided to show off his comedic side about what he is doing in the video. "I'm doing handstands, and I'm juggling naked," he joked, laughing. "No, I'm not doing all that, but I am naked."

Fans will have to wait to see if that promise is true (we're guessing it's not), and it seems that Mars will too, since he has yet to see the video. "It's a very beautiful [video]. I haven't even seen it yet, but I think it's going to be beautiful," he said.

Bruno certainly has racked up quite the pedigree over the past two years to appear on such a high-profile track, and he joked about how the project came his way: "It was a freestyle battle. I said, 'Yo Em, if I beat you, you're gonna have to do a song with me.' I shut him down right then and there."

The song has Bruno wondering who he wants to work with next, including a man who famously declared "F--- You." "I would love to get back into the studio with Cee Lo [Green]. I'd love to work with Lil Wayne. There's so many people out there," he said. "I'm so proud of this Eminem song with Royce Da 5'9". I'm happy with the way that's going, but this is just the very beginning. There's a lot more to come."

Who would you like to hear Bruno Mars work with next? Share your ideas below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668523/eminem-royce-da-5-9-bruno-mars-lighters-video.jhtml

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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Jay-Z, Kanye West Warned By Los: Crown Ain't Safe

DMV Music rapper tells Mixtape Daily about Worth the Wait, inspired by Lil Wayne.
By Rob Markman


Los
Photo: MTV News

Fire Starter: Los

Baltimore rapper Los sure is confident in his ability. Then again, why wouldn't he be? The DMV representative got his start locally, then signed with Diddy's Bad Boy label around 2005. The deal didn't pan out, but now Los, who has been a free agent since 2008, is aiming for rap's top spot: He thinks he has a shot at one day surpassing the likes of rap kings Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne.

Los' upcoming mixtape, The Crown Ain't Safe, is a proclamation of his self-perceived greatness. "When I say The Crown Ain't Safe, I just mean whoever is viewed as #1," Los told Mixtape Daily before referencing basketball great Michael Jordan and his onetime sidekick. "I just feel like it's for the taking. Why wouldn't you want to be #1? I'm not Scottie Pippen: I want to be #1."

He almost had his shot: After an audition for Diddy during which Los performed a 10-minute freestyle for the hip-hop mogul, the young spitter earned himself a deal. But after Los' street-affiliated independent label Block Incorporated disbanded, Diddy backed out. Los was released from the label in 2008 without ever dropping an album. He then began to freestyle over popular rap tracks like "A Milli" and post them on YouTube, building his buzz virally.

In total, Los estimates he's recorded 10 mixtapes since 2008, including his latest, Worth the Wait, a tape inspired by Lil Wayne. "The competitive nature of this art form drives me," he explained. "Wayne dropped Sorry 4 the Wait, and it just gave me this idea: 'Man, I got a project coming out, and people are kinda waiting for it too. I'll drop Worth the Wait.' "

Worth the Wait is merely an appetizer for what Los hopes will be his biggest tape, the ambitiously titled The Crown Ain't Safe. He makes no reservations about wanting to eventually be the game's top rapper, but Los insists he isn't launching any personal attacks.

"Jay-Z, I would never disrespect him. I have an immense amount of respect, principles and morals. I'm not just some cannon coming at people," he said. "I just feel like there are ways to be better than Jay-Z, there are ways to be better than Kanye West. When you talk about success and artistry and doing amazing works, these guys are on a whole nother planet. You won't surpass that because that's a legacy that they left. It's because of that you get to do what you do. But I just think the future is always incredible."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Maroon 5 Say Mick Endorses 'Moves Like Jagger' Video

Jonas Åkerlund directs clip, which pays tribute to Rolling Stones frontman's many eras.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kara Warner


Adam Levine
Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Maroon 5's Adam Levine has already made a compelling argument for why his band's new single, "Moves Like Jagger," deserves to be your pick for the Summer Jam of 2011: Basically, unless you want to have the worst beach trip ever, you will add the song to your playlist.

But now, with the new "Jagger" video, Levine's making an equally compelling argument for why the Rolling Stones frontman deserves to be a part of your summer, too — mainly because he's pretty much the coolest guy ever.

"We were lucky enough to get Mick's endorsement [for the video], as far as him giving us access to a bunch of different footage that's so cool," Levine explained. "Not many people have seen [it], especially a newer generation of people that don't know so much about how incredible he was."

Maroon 5 teamed with director Jonas Åkerlund — who's helmed clips for everyone from Lady Gaga and Britney Spears to the Prodigy and Blink-182 — for the "Jagger" video, which allowed the band to focus its attention on replicating the icon's moves.

"It's kind of a hodgepodge of many different ideas that we wanted to do, and Jonas Åkerlund is at the helm of this whole thing, and he's so talented and we love working with him, and this is going to be another great video, I think," Levine said. "We trust him so much that we can kind of take ourselves out of it a little more and just be like, 'He's Jonas, so he'll do his thing.' "

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Opening Act: Artists To Look Out For

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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Lady Gaga And Bette Midler: A Real Mermaid Weighs In!

MTV News goes straight to the source to discuss recent pop-culture mermaid trends and beefs.
By Jocelyn Vena


Lady Gaga
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Beyoncé declared her love for mermaids during her MTV special "The Year of 4," while Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Bette Midler have all dressed up like the mythical sea creatures onstage or in videos. Madonna has surrounded herself with mermen during a past tour, and mermaids also show up in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and in several new novels, including a forthcoming book by "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer.

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida is famous for its mermaid shows, so MTV News decided to go right to the source and get a real-deal mermaid on the phone. It's no surprise that "mermaid" Carli Goodworth told us it's officially the Year of the Mermaid.

"It used to be really popular, like, 60 years ago and everybody was all about mermaids, and now today, it's coming back again," Goodworth told MTV News. "The stars are starting to use it, and the people from outside are loving it, and hopefully it'll draw more people to our attraction as well."

So why are pop stars taking on mermaid alter egos? Goodworth said the public persona of mermaids has shifted from the cute and cuddly Disney version to the more accurate version of mermaids who are mysterious, dangerous and sexy.

And the mermaid trend hasn't been free from controversy: There has already been beef between fans of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, accusing the pop stars of lifting the idea, and then between Lady Gaga and Bette Midler, who did the mermaid-in-a-wheelchair routine decades before Gaga did.

"It's becoming so popular," Goodworth laughed about the mermaid beefs. "I think it's awesome. We're used to the few people around here, because we are known as the mermaid country, and it's neat to see all these other people battling it out to be the only mermaid. It's just different."

Being that Goodworth has performed as a mermaid for quite some time now, she's happy to see other people getting excited about it. "We love mermaids, so it's fun to see other people doing stuff with mermaids besides us," she said, adding her advice: "Be creative, do your own thing, really do your research."

What do you think about the pop-culture mermaid trend? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667575/lady-gaga-bette-midler-mermaids.jhtml

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Justin Bieber Joins Selena Gomez Onstage

'Had a #greatnight and surprised the people,' Bieber tweeted after California show.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Selena Gomez played a show on Sunday night at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California. And mid-concert, her fans got a big surprise as Gomez's beau, Justin Bieber, took the stage.

Video posted on Celebuzz.com shows Bieber giving his lady love a big hug before launching into an acoustic version of Justin Timberlake's classic breakup ode, "Cry Me a River." He also reportedly sang "Favorite Girl."

Bieber even took to Twitter to tell Gomez that he thought she did a great job onstage. "Had a #greatnight and surprised the people. felt good to be on stage. nothing is changing that. #REAL," he wrote. "@selenagomez u did great tonight. proud of u."

Bieber, who recently revealed that he was taking a bit of a summer break, also added that as nice as it was to be onstage again, he is even more enthusiastic about the new album he's working on. "More excited than ever to get back in the studio and make this #newalbum," he wrote. "Miss the tour and want to give u all new music. #BELIEVE I do this because i love music. #REAL."

Earlier in the weekend, and offered a big "thank you" to her fans on Twitter. "HappyBirthdaySelena is a trending topic," she wrote. "Thank you all so much for a great birthday. Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes, I love you all."

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Justin Bieber Says Sean Kingston's 'Spirits Are High'

On tonight's 'MTV First: Sean Kingston,' Bieber talks about his 'Eenie Meenie' collaborator's accident recovery.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Over Memorial Day weekend, Sean Kingston was seriously injured in a headline-making jet-ski accident. In the months since the crash, the "Beautiful Girls" singer has been recovering in Miami, where he lives and where the accident took place. He's been getting help from pals like "Eenie Meenie" collaborator Justin Bieber, who said the recovering singer is doing much better.

"His spirits are a lot higher," Bieber explained to MTV News in an interview that will air tonight (August 2) on "MTV First: Sean Kingston." "He still has to have people around him to make sure he's doing alright, but his spirits are high, and he's doing well."

Bieber also talked about his recent visit to Kingston's home in Miami. "I was just down in Miami," he said. "We were just hanging out at his house, kicking it, driving around Miami and whatnot. It was a lot of fun. I got to relax and take time off."

During "MTV First: Sean Kingston," the chart-topping artist will talk about his recovery from the near-fatal accident and his plans to get back in the recording studio. The special is set to air tonight (August 2) at 7:57 p.m. ET on MTV, then continue for 30 minutes on MTV.com. Fans can submit questions for Sean through MTV.com or via Twitter (using @MTVNews/ hashtag #AskSean).

Sean will open up to host Sway Calloway about the cause of the Memorial Day accident and go into detail about the various medical procedures he underwent to treat his injuries. The singer will also speak candidly about how the accident helped him to focus on living a healthier lifestyle, and, of course, we'll find out what's up next for the star in his music career.

Share your questions for Sean Kingston in the comments section below or tweet us @MTVNews using the hashtag #AskSean.

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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Eminem Surprised Jim Jonsin By Making 'Space Bound' A Single

Producer tells MTV News of sending track to Em, in Mixtape Daily.
By Rob Markman


Eminem on the set of his "Space Bound" music video
Photo: Eric Ford / On Location News

Behind the Beats: Jim Jonsin

Before Eminem could make the heart-wrenching "Space Bound" a hit single, the song's producer, Jim Jonsin, had to rework the track, which he had previously recorded with British songwriter Steve McEwan.

"It was actually a full song with verses, b-section, chorus," Jonsin told MTV News of the original Eminem-less version.

"Me and Steve McEwan actually wrote the song, we actually did it here in New York on guitar — it was just a guitar vocal on an iPhone," the multiplatinum producer said. "We took the idea later in Miami, like three months after, and produced the track, and we sent it out to Eminem to see what he thought about it. He loved it. So he interpreted it his own way."

The initial concept remained mostly intact, and the song's chorus acted as a guide for the Detroit MC to add his own twist. "The chorus was based off of a chase, a guy who's chasing after a woman that he's crazy about," Jonsin said of the theme. "He loves her; she's everything to him. I'm a rocket ship aiming at her heart, her heart's the moon — I'm going full-on."

It was Jonsin's manager who suggested that he send the track to Slim Shady, which he did, even though he didn't believe anything would come of it. "He had me strip down the verses, take them out, and make the track a little more hip-hop, and he sent it out," he said. "I didn't really believe that it would end up on Eminem's album, let alone be a single."

The video for "Space Bound," now the fourth single off of Em's multiplatinum 2010 Recovery album, was released last week on iTunes. The clip, which stars ex-porn actress Sasha Grey, depicts a rocky romance that eventually leads the rapper to kill himself with a single shot to the head.

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666749/jim-jonsin-eminem-space-bound.jhtml

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Photos | Kristen Stewart, Taylor Swift And More At Costume Institute Gala

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Evanescence's 'What You Want' Video: Go Behind The Scenes Now!

MTV News visited the Brooklyn set of the clip, which Amy Lee says shows 'the real us.'
By James Montgomery


Evanescence on the set of their "What You Want" music video
Photo: MTV News

BROOKLYN, New York — Last Saturday, on a makeshift stage inside a cavernous (and slightly decrepit) Brooklyn warehouse, Evanescence took another step down the comeback trail: shooting the video for "What You Want," the first single off their upcoming self-titled album.

Teaming with director Meiert Avis — who's made iconic clips for the likes of U2, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan (to name just a few) — the band and an army of their die-hard fans braved the sweltering temperatures and worked long into the night. They filmed a video that, like much of the forthcoming Evanescence album, is biographical, following them from their early days to their rise to fame and their recently concluded hiatus. ... And beyond, as frontwoman Amy Lee explained.

"This video is sort of, like, the history of the band," she told MTV News. "This club [set] is emulating old shows we used to play in the beginning — we used to play this club called Vino's in Little Rock [Arkansas] — it's sort of like back then, the gritty, dirty club, sweaty. And basically, it's also [about] New York, where I've been, [and] where [bassist] Tim [McCord] lived in the past few years since we've been gone. And it's sort of about escaping New York and ... coming back out into the world."

Like the song, the "Want" clip is a bit of a departure for Evanescence, eschewing the dark fantasy worlds they've created in previous videos in favor of good old-fashioned realism: the blood, sweat and tears that not only took them to the top, but have fueled their current comeback, too. Which is why, no matter how hot it got, or how many takes Avis shot, the band kept answering the bell, thrashing and wailing onstage, with Lee throwing herself into the outstretched hands of their fans, some of whom had waited nearly 10 hours just to be included in the video. It seems that, for pretty much everyone involved, "What You Want" was more than just another music video. It was a labor of love.

"This is more a personal video. We've done a lot in the past that [were] very 'fantasy,' and this is sort of the real us," Lee said. "I just wanted to do something that really felt personal for a change. Obviously, I'm wearing crazy makeup, and that's not my everyday, but, you know, I want ... to connect with the fans again. We all do. We miss them. A lot of this record is about them, and that's why they're going to be here and be in it, too."

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Monday, August 1, 2011

Relive Mob Wives' Most Mobtastic Season 1 Moments!

Relive Mob Wives' Most Mobtastic Season 1 Moments!

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Experts Break Down The First 'Battleship' Trailer

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Justin Bieber, Lil Twist Song 'Is Going To Really Do It'

Young Money MC tells MTV News the pair are working on a clip for single 'Wherever You Are.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Vanessa WhiteWolf


Lil Twist
Photo: MTV News

Late last year, Justin Bieber and his "homey" Lil Twist revealed they were working on a mixtape. Well, fans may soon get to hear a song and see a video from that mixtape.

When MTV News spoke to rapper Twist at 106 & Park's Closer to My Dreams tour stop in Los Angeles on Thursday, he told us that once his new single with Bieber reaches the masses, it would have a good chance at making a play in our race for Summer Jam of 2011.

"My third single, 'Wherever You Are,' " Twist said of his summer jam pick. "It features my little brother Justin Bieber and I believe that that record is going to really do it."

Twist went on to dish about the duo's plans to step up their game for the song's forthcoming video."We're gonna get some treatments [written]," he said. "We're not just gonna pick any treatment because that video could just be out of here. We got a few different ones; I don't mean to name any [directors], but a few different ones. It's going to turn out great."

The collaboration between the two young stars has been long-simmering, with Bieber and Twist teasing a full mixtape. For now, though, fans will have to settle for one track. Last November, Twist explained that Bieber had come up with the idea to work on some music together.

"Me and Justin, we actually met through a mutual friend and after that we got real cool actually," he recalled. "[We] started working in the studio, sending stuff through the MacBook and everything. And then he was like, 'Yo, bro, we should do a mixtape. Let's go.' We just started then."

Are you looking forward to the Bieber/Twist collabo? Tell us in the comments!

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