Tag Archives: encyclopedic

WATCH: Stephen Colbert Says He ‘Smoked’ Peter Jackson’s Tolkien Expert Philippa Boyens In Geek-Off

Stephen Colbert is the Lord of the Lord of the Rings . The Colbert Report anchor appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live with his friend and Comedy Central colleague, Jon Stewart , to talk about how their cultural interests define them and to further fuel speculation that Colbert will be making a cameo in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Kimmel, who is broadcasting from Brooklyn this week, had both Colbert and Stewart on the show Thursday night, where he asked the former if he is going to be making an appearance in the first Hobbit film , as media reports have suggested. Colbert said he could ‘neither confirm nor deny” such a report — virtually the same thing that Peter Jackson said when EW asked the same question — but he didn’t exactly quell speculation when he recounted his experiences on the New Zealand set of  The Hobbit  over the summer. There, during “a party with all of the dwarves,” Colbert said he went hairy toe-to-toe with Jackson’s resident Tolkien expert Philippa Boyens in a 50-question quiz. “I smoked her,” said Colbert. “Peter Jackson officially said I’m the biggest Tolkien geek he has ever met.” Jackson also told EW that Colbert won the geek off, noting that “his encyclopedic knowledge of Tolkien is spectacular, and points to a deprived childhood in some respects.” Stewart had an even better line. Referring to Colbert’s knowledge of all things Tolkien, he told Kimmel: “Bilbo Baggins turned to him on the set and said, “Enough already…And he said it in Elvish.” The Daily Show anchor also pointed out that while Colbert is the only person he knows “fluent in the Bible and Lord of the Rings,” he is “more of a pop-culture nerd.” “You’re a Star Wars guy,” Colbert replied. ” Star Wars , The X-Men,” Stewart replied. That explains everything!  Watch the boys shtick it up in the clip below. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

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WATCH: Stephen Colbert Says He ‘Smoked’ Peter Jackson’s Tolkien Expert Philippa Boyens In Geek-Off

John Legend, The Roots Talk Levi’s Pioneer Recording Sessions

Collaborators covered soul song ‘Our Generation,’ after hearing it sampled on classic ’90s Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth track. By Steven Roberts John Legend Photo: MTV News Ernie Hines probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you think of soul singers. But the Mississippi singer/guitarist’s “Our Generation” was John Legend and the Roots’ choice when it was their turn to cover a song for the Levi’s Pioneer Sessions project. Legend and the Roots, who were already working on an album of covers, Wake Up!, were quick to come onboard when Levi’s called. Legend acknowledged the song was relatively obscure, but said he thought fans would recognize it from a famous hip-hop sample. ” ‘Straighten It Out’ [by] Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth was an important hip-hop record and it sampled ‘Our Generation,’ ” Legend said. The R&B crooner went on to explain that as he and the Philly band were putting his album together, they wanted a sound that was both hip-hop and soul. “A lot of what we did was try to bring songs that have been sampled or should be sampled or sample-able to make the album,” Legend continued. “It just makes sense to do the song [for Levi’s].” Covering a song previously sampled on a ’90s rap song — in this case, one off the hip-hop duo’s classic 1992 LP, Mecca and the Soul Brother — makes sense for two acts known for playing to more mature audiences, Roots drummer ?uestlove said. “People might not know ‘Our Generation,’ but there’s definitely people in their mid-30s that know Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth ‘Straighten It Out.’ And it will also hit people that knew the original ‘Our Generation,’ that are now 50 years old,” ?uest added. The Levi’s 2010 Revival Recordings series asks musicians to choose songs that were not only influential in their careers but also proved to be part of music history. Legend and the Roots decided to bring MC C.L. Smooth into the booth with them, and they all agree it was worth the effort. The singer said he was excited to collaborate with Smooth, but also the Roots drummer; some interesting, unexpected sounds emerged. “One of the coolest things about working with Ahmir [‘?uestlove’ Thompson] is his encyclopedic knowledge of music,” Legend said. “He just knows a lot of great records. When you’re thinking about putting an album together of songs that were performed [more than] 40 to 50 years ago, he’s one of the best people to talk about that with.” The album Wake Up! is due for a September release, and the Ernie Hines cover is available for free download at the Levi’s Pioneer Sessions website. Does hearing the Roots and John Legend’s Levi’s track make you excited for their upcoming album? Tell us in the comments!

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John Legend, The Roots Talk Levi’s Pioneer Recording Sessions