‘It can be done,’ Face tells ‘RapFix Live’ of getting old pal Jay-Z to guest on collaboration album. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Scarface on “RapFix Live” Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News It all started in 1999 when Beanie Sigel enlisted Scarface to rap on “Mac & Brad,” an album cut off of his fiery debut, The Truth. Thirteen years later, rap fans are still eagerly awaiting a Sigel/Face collaboration. So the longtime friends have decided to give the people an entire album’s worth. The Houston rap legend estimates that the album will be out sometime next year, but when he swung through “RapFix Live” this week, he gave an update on the LP and then fumbled around for his iPhone to let the Broad Street Bully tell it himself. “We doin’ songs, I got six, he got six,” Scarface said. “It’s a process that we go through to do this album.” Face Mob finally found Sigel’s number in his address book and called his rap buddy, who picked up on the first ring. “It’s a reality now; you know our word is our bond. We said we gonna do somethin’, we gonna do it,” Beanie said about the Mac & Brad LP. As a duo, Beans and Scarface displayed a tremendous amount of lyrical chemistry, but there were also times that they would throw Jay-Z in the mix. And as a trio, the well-regarded MCs created memorable cuts such as the introspective Hov track “This Can’t Be Life” and the Kanye West-produced “Guess Who’s Back” from Face’s 2002 masterpiece, The Fix. These days, getting Jay-Z and Kanye on a track today might be bit difficult, especially seeing as how Jigga and Sigel had a falling-out some years ago. But Scarface is hopeful that there’s always a chance for old friends to reconcile. “I hope so. I look forward to it,” he said. “It’s hard to tell, but it’s a reality, though. It’s real, it can be done, we all alive.” Uncle Face admits that he himself isn’t in contact with Jay-Z and Kanye like he once was — not that there’s any beef, they just kind of lost touch. “I used to have everybody’s number on speed dial like that,” Face explained. “I hit Jay-Z, and Jay-Z pick up on the first ring. Now I might hit Jay-Z and I might not hear from him for two years,” he said laughing hysterically at his own joke. “I used to call Kanye, Kanye pick up on the first ring, now Kanye don’t even got no phone, that’s how much times have changed. Do you think Jay or Kanye would hop on a Scarface/Beanie album? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Travis Porter And Scarface Mix It Up On ‘RapFix Live’ Related Artists Scarface Beanie Sigel
Phillip Phillips joins her in the bottom two for the first time, while David Cook and Jennifer Lopez hit the stage. By Adam Graham Hollie Cavanagh on “American Idol” Photo: Fox Phillip Phillips was given his first taste of the bottom two, but it was Hollie Cavanagh who was eliminated from “American Idol” on Thursday (May 10). Cavanagh, the 18-year-old from McKinney, Texas, received the lowest number of votes from the nearly 70 million votes cast, according to host Ryan Seacrest. Cavanagh received harsh marks for her performance of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” on Wednesday’s performance episode; Randy Jackson called it “the wrong choice at the wrong time.” Cavanagh just missed a trip back to Texas as part of the top three “Hometown Heroes” visits, which happen on next week’s show. The Liverpudlian kept it together while singing Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” at the close of the show, though her close friend Joshua Ledet was shown tearing up nearby onstage. Mentor Jimmy Iovine had all but written off Cavanagh after “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” “I assumed she understood the core of the song. Evidently, she did not,” Iovine said in his weekly roundup of the week’s performances. “She did not have the personal experience or the professional experience to take on this song. When the chorus came in, she hit the opera button. And at that moment, I felt she crashed and burned and lost out to those other three singers.” He had high praise for the others. He said Phillip Phillips “finally delivered on the promise that we’ve been looking for all year” with his version of Damien Rice’s “Volcano”; Jessica Sanchez “murdered” her performance of the “Dreamgirls” hit “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going, “referring to it as “shock and awe”; and Ledet “created a piece of magic that is very rarely seen on the “American Idol” stage” with his take on James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” “I’ve seen Prince, I’ve seen Bruce Springsteen do that, but I’ve never seen that on ‘American Idol,’ ” Iovine said. “It was so, so captivating. I want to see it again and again and again.” Iovine added that he thinks the competition is up for grabs. “Last year, I knew Scotty was gonna win the whole thing. This year, I haven’t got a clue who’s going to get into the final,” he said. “Any one of them, with the right song and the right note, can steal the show. It’s up to them and, eventually, America’s vote.” When the results were read, Sanchez was the first one told she made the top three, followed by Ledet. Also on the show, seventh-season “Idol” winner David Cook dropped by to perform “The Last Song I’ll Write for You,” and Jennifer Lopez turned in a performance of her song “Dance Again.” What did you think of “Idol” on Thursday? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances Most Shocking ‘American Idol’ Exits Related Artists Jennifer Lopez
Another night of standing O’s for Ledet, more catcalls for Hollie Cavanagh and high praise for Phillip Phillips. By Gil Kaufman Joshua Ledet performs on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Wednesday night’s episode of “American Idol” offered definitive proof of what happens when you give the kids the keys to the Lambo: they crash and burn. On an evening when the themes were as vague as any we can recall (California Dreamin? Songs You Wish You’d Written?), the top four either went obscure or doubled-down on the most obvious choices possible, which made for an uneven night. A few things became crystal clear, though: based on the girl squeals, Phillip Phillips could win this thing in a walk-off without singing another note as long as he loses his razor, smiles and keeps clothes shopping at J.C. Penny. Similarly, Joshua Ledet pretty much has it in the bag, while Hollie Cavanagh has run out of luck and Jessica Sanchez should perfect her third-place finisher pageant smile and wave. It’s also pretty clear at this point that the dream is over for some and just about to come true for others. But who will be packing up their clear heels and headed home and who should prep their awkward bro hug posture? Read on to find out! Joshua Ledet : Of the thousands, maybe tens of thousands of “California Dreamin'” songs Josh could have picked, he picked a song that is the musical equivalent of a cardboard and mayonnaise sandwich: Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.” It felt overwrought, over serious, overcooked and just no fun. The kid can sing, but by the end I was just over it. He more than made up for it with James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Yeah, it’s another dusty, nearly 50-year-old oldie, but it’s dead-center in his lane and his voice was made for this kind of gritty, throwback soul. We asked last week if that’s what people really want to hear in 2012 , but at the very least Ledet put on a showcase for his powerhouse soul simmer and shout. He sang it and he sold it. Sorry girls, it’s gonna be Josh and Phil facing off in two weeks. A- Phillip Phillips : It’s always dicey when Phil puts down the guitar. Just like he doesn’t know how to dress like anything other than the guy fixing your HVAC system, the pawn shop kid can’t figure out what to do with his hands. His surf bum take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” was … fine. It felt kind of like something you’d see in a San Diego beach bar on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The judges, as usual, were charmed, which makes me think he has incriminating photos or something. Hey, Randy, smiling isn’t singing. I’ve been writing about music longer than Jessica Sanchez has been alive and I can honestly say I’ve never heard of “Volcano” by Damien Rice. That’s the song you wish you’d written, Phil? Frankly, it sounded like everything Phillips sings to me, which is to say that it came off like a pretty decent Dave Matthews cover. The grit and passion were there, but the song never achieved lift-off. Can you really imagine being mesmerized by scruff and a smile for 90 minutes? B- Jessica Sanchez : Talk about overcorrecting. Sanchez was like a long-haul trucker snapping up out of deep sleep after hitting a guardrail and almost jackknifing the rig. She went from too sexy and grown up last week to just … too old. Her cover of Etta James’ “Steal Away” was, as the late, lamented Simon Cowell would say, “cabaret.” The Cirque du Soleil-worthy two-tone pants suit was weird and the song just made her seem like she was singing to her extended family in the living room while trying to make granny proud. The old soul and bluesy heart were there, but it felt more like an off-Broadway musical revue than a concert. And, c’mon, Jessica. The “‘Idol’ slayer?” We should have added Jennifer Holliday’s “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” to our list of songs that must be retired from the “Idol” repertoire. Jennifer Hudson crushed it in “Dreamgirls,” Tamyra Gray and LaKisha Jones also made it their you-know what on the show. Despite all that, BeBe Chez gave it her all and did a good, but not great, job of it. She hit the notes, served up the emotion and got all angry with it, but it just felt a bit, well, obvious. B- Hollie Cavanagh : The kid knows how to suck up to the judges, that’s for sure. Picking Journey’s “Faithfully” was a guarantee that Randy would be on board. Too bad HCav face-planted on the melody, losing the spark she showed last week and looking as bored and lost as we felt. The big notes at the end almost saved her. Almost. Jennifer called the performance “laid back,” but to me it just felt like she was laid out. The bottom line is you can make someone look like a star, but you can’t make them act like one. You know what can make Hollie seem like a cool, contemporary star? A 22-year-old song by Bonnie Raitt! Between the baggy black Chicos pantsuit and the violins, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” was another off-the-Vegas-Strip snoozer that most surely punched her ticket home. And the crocodile tears near the end were whatever the opposite of a nice touch is. Pip pip, little one! D Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
A talented Tampa Bay Rays fan lunging over a railing for a foul ball turned an epic fail into a highlight worthy of SportsCenter the other night. After FALLING OVER THE RAILING onto the field, flinging his beer and flipping his entire body upside down … he managed to land on his feet. Appreciative of this unintentionally amazing feat, the crowd roared, the fan bowed and the judges gave him a perfect 10 on the dismount: Rays Fan Flips Over Railing
Note to American Idol : Who the heck is picking the weekly themes this season?!? With the assignments growing more and more random, last night the final four finalists – Phillip Phillips, Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez – were tasked with singing on track by a California native band or artist; and one they wish they had written themselves. Ummm… okay. Let’s rundown the first set of performances and then let’s vote on our favorite, shall we? Phillip Phillips took on CCR and asked viewers one simply question: “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” Well, have you?!? Phillip Phillips – “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” Hollie Cavanagh went on a Journey via one of this group’s all-time classics. Did she do justice to “Faithfully?” Hollie Cavanagh – “Faithfully” We only have the audio for Joshua Ledet and his take on “You Raise Me Up,” but it’s easy enough to hear this man’s talent, isn’t it? Joshua Ledet – “You Raise Me Up” (Audio) Jessica Sanchez wrapped up this portion of the evening with Etta James “Steal Away.” What do you think of the cover? Jessica Sanchez – “Steal Away” WHICH PERFORMANCE DID YOU LIKE BEST?
Judge Randy Jackson says Cavanagh ‘made the wrong choice at the wrong time’ on Wednesday’s episode. By Adam Graham Hollie Cavanagh on “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox It’s Joshua Ledet’s Ledet’s Ledet’s World. The “American Idol” frontrunner soared higher than ever while Hollie Cavanagh may have sealed her fate on Wednesday’s (May 9) performance episode, which saw the contestants battling for the hometown visits that await the top three finalists. The evening saw the final four taking on two songs apiece — one with ties to the state of California and one song the contestants wished they’d written themselves. (The categories were some of the loosest in “Idol” history, but hey, they can’t all be winners.) Joshua Ledet stepped out with Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” (his California song — Grobes hails from L.A.) and James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” the latter of which earned Ledet his latest in a long line of standing ovations and had the judges singing his praises, saying Ledet was second coming of the Godfather of Soul himself. “Neither a man nor a woman has ever sang that good with that much compassion on this show ever!” Steven Tyler said following the performance. “I can go home right now. I never heard anything like that in my life!” Jennifer Lopez said, “I think people at home maybe thought, like I did, that they had seen everything you had to give and how you can interpret a song. We hadn’t.” She then started speaking in Spanish. “You’re making me speak different languages now!” she said, calling his song “sickening.” Randy Jackson put the cherry on top, calling it “one of the best performances in the history of any singing show, including ours, any show, any show, yo!” Yo indeed, Randy. Jessica Sanchez was no slouch herself, turning in a “crazy, crazy, crazy” (per J. Lo) rendition of Etta James’ “Steal Away,” washing it down with a stunning “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” the “Dreamgirls” staple that she delivered with the fierceness of Jennifer Hudson. The performance earned her the night’s other standing O from the judges. “It was a real moment,” Lopez told her, while Jackson complimented her by telling her, “Dude, you are phenomenal.” (It’s always extra special when Jackson refers to females as “dudes.”) Phillip Phillips, who’s been living in his own personal version of “Contagion” all season long, managed to fight his sickness enough to deliver a strong version of John Fogerty’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” (making two Fogerty songs in two weeks for “Idol”) and a splendid version of Damien Rice’s “Volcano.” Continuing with the hyperbole that has been tossed around like a Frisbee on the judge’s panel the last several weeks, Lopez said after “Volcano,” “After watching the show for many, many years and now being here for two years, it was one of the most beautiful, poignant moments a contestant has ever had.” Jackson followed by saying, “So yo, that’s wassup right there!” and calling it one of the best performances of the season. Poor Hollie Cavanagh, who has barely avoided elimination the last few weeks, may have met her end following her versions of Journey’s “Faithfully” and Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Her first song received good marks — both J. Lo and Steven Tyler called it “beautiful” (but when don’t they say that?) — but her Raitt song was slammed for being distant. “I thought it fell a little short,” said Tyler, and Lopez said the emotions of the song — or the emotions she thought she had to deliver with the song — got the better of her. Jackson was even harsher. “It gave you nowhere to go,” he said. “There were no moments for me. For me, it was the wrong choice at the wrong time.” The two-hour episode was padded with bonus performances, including duets between Phillips and Ledet (Maroon 5’s “This Love”), Cavanagh and Sanchez (the Bangles’ “Eternal Flame”) and a performance of Foreigner’s “Waiting for a Girl Like You” tied to the upcoming “Rock of Ages,” which gobbled up a healthy amount of promotional time during the show. One of the four singers will be eliminated on Thursday’s episode, which is also set to feature performances by David Cook and — hey, would you look at that? — Jennifer Lopez. How’d she manage that gig? Who do you think is getting eliminated from “Idol” on Thursday? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
MTV News travels to New Orleans, where four stars of the upcoming YA adaptation talk about the supernatural romance. By Amy Wilkinson Alice Englert and Alden Ehrenreich on the set of “Beautiful Creatures” NEW ORLEANS — This is a story of boy meets girl. Or, more accurately, boy meets caster. What is a caster, you may be asking? In the southern gothic world imagined by “Beautiful Creatures” authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, casters have magical powers much like witches. Some can seduce men with one lick of a lollipop. Others can mutate their arm into a slithering snake. And still others can channel Mother Nature, bending weather to their will. This is the supernatural realm MTV News stepped into recently during our exclusive visit to the New Orleans set of “Beautiful Creatures.” While there we got the scoop on the adaptation straight from the film’s four young stars. “Lena is a young girl who also happens to be a caster, and she’s moved around — she’s moved to a lot of small towns and problems follow her,” Alice Englert told us of her character. “She’s just come to Gatlin, which is so insignificant it doesn’t have a Starbucks, etc., and [the theater] gets the titles of movie names wrong, and everyone thinks I’m a Satanist.” Just the usual adolescent angst, right? Englert conceded that underneath her supernatural surface, Lena struggles with issues any typical teen would: “I think Lena is like most girls when you feel massively insecure.” Few things can make one feel more insecure than being bullied by classmates, which just so happened to be the theme of the scene being shot during our visit. “We’re shooting a scene where there sort of begins this class persecution of Lena, and it’s very blatant,” Englert explained. “The girls in class are sort of this awful clique of girls, who are always being mean to her, and they start tormenting her,” chimed in co-star Alden Ehrenreich , who plays Lena’s love interest, Ethan. “It’s getting out of control, and she gets of control,” Englert concluded. This particular scene was just one of many effects-laden moments scheduled during production — one in which the windows of the classroom shatter in magnificent fashion. “I forgot that we were shooting, and I just stood there, like, [ drops jaw ], my eyes crossed. It’s going to look so ridiculous,” enthused Zoey Deutch, who plays mean girl Emily. “It’s really fun. It was insane. It was so loud. I really thought there was an earthquake.” Special effects aside, Deutch was also impressed with the film’s source material, counting herself among the many fans of “Beautiful Creatures.” “I loved the books, I thought they were incredible,” she said. “I thought they were smart and like nothing I’d ever read before. I’m an avid ‘Harry Potter’ fan, and [‘Beautiful Creatures’] was kind of my favorite series I’ve read since then.” But for those wanting to draw parallels between protagonist Ethan Wate and the Boy Who Lived (or even a certain sparkly vampire), Thomas Mann, who plays Link, said not so fast. “I think it’s definitely going to be unique from those stories,” he assured. “Beautiful Creatures” hits theaters February 15, 2013. For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
‘It’s a well-known song … I kind of messed with it a little bit, but not too much with the melody … trying to get the lyrics down,’ Phillip Phillips said of his Cali song. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Kelly Marino “American Idol” top four Photo: FOX One of the joys of “American Idol” is that you never really know what the finalists are going to sing until the music starts. Even though we know that this week’s themes are Songs by Californians and Songs They Wish They’d Written, it’s anyone’s guess what the top four will sing. MTV News “Idol” experts Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery will take a shot at predicting which way Joshua Ledet, Hollie Cavanagh, Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez will go tonight, but in the meantime we caught up with them earlier this week to get a sneak peek at their California dreams. “This week’s theme is ‘California Dreamin’ and it’s been a difficult one because people have been telling me, ‘more current songs and this and that’ and this was a week where I could sing a current song,” said Sanchez, who has been dinged by judges and mentor Jimmy Iovine for sometimes dressing and singing a bit beyond her 16 years. “But really I’m trying to stay with my gut feeling and I’m trying to pull out the really big guns, so I’m singing a big song for both of my choices. Don’t expect a Katy Perry song.” Cavanagh has been on an upswing lately after several weeks of living on the edge, but that doesn’t mean tune selection was any easier. “This week it’s tough because I picked really two emotional songs, so these two songs I have to really just kind of let loose and I have to make people feel what I’m feeling when I sing and make them understand the words because I’m singing two popular songs that people love,” teased Cavanagh. “If I don’t the right message across then people aren’t going to love it.” Phillip Phillips played his cards a bit close to the vest, saying only that his “Dreamin'” choice is “kind of a challenge” lyrically considering the multiple other tunes the contestants have to learn for their group and duet numbers. “Trying to get the lyrics down pat is my biggest thing,” he said. “It’s a well-known song … I kind of messed with it a little bit, but not too much with the melody … trying to get the lyrics down.” And once again, Joshua Ledet said he had a hard time narrowing down his choice because he was unfamiliar with many of the options on the list. “The song that I chose, it’s very, very, very different for me. Very different for me,” the soul-shouting singer said. “It’s just a different side of me. It’s just subtle, it’s not too much of the huge ballad. It was tough, but I think I kind of pulled through it and hopefully America likes it.” Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ : “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
When Bryce Harper stole home against the Phillies this week – following a beaning Philadelphia pitcher Cole Hamels later admitted was intentional – it was merely the culmination of an impressive set of opening games for the 19-year old phenom. He’s batting over .300. He’s rifled multiple darts to home plate. He’s crashed into walls, stretched singles into doubles and done it all with a reckless, hustling style not seen since Pete Rose. The rising star is an inspiration to baseball fans everywhere, so much so that even Chuck Norris – actor, martial arts god and creator of countless mythical feats of lore – ought to be frightened of the outfielder. After all, did you know… … Bryce Harper is tough enough to make all the other guys named “Bryce” tough; he just chooses not to. … Some say Bryce Harper is not old enough to drink alcohol. Turns out, all of the current alcohol is not properly aged enough to be worthy of his thirst. … Bryce Harper doesn’t actually steal home; home is presented to him at the batter’s box in front of an audience of thousands. … Bryce Harper once threw himself out at home just to see what it was like. … Warning tracks around the Majors are in place to warn the wall that Bryce Harper is coming. … Bryce Harper is soon to become the only player in MLB history to be intentionally walked from the on deck circle. … Bryce Harper’s eye black is actually designed to protect the eyes of mortals from adverse effects of his blinding speed.
Was she fired? Did she quit? It’s unclear, but the result is the same: Sheree Whitfield will not appear next season on The Real Housewives of Atlanta . But has Bravo already found her replacement? Sources tell E! News that Kenya Moore – who was crowned Miss USA in 1993 – is in negotiations to join the cast . Does she actually reside in Atlanta? No. But few of these women are Real Housewives, either. Moore would reportedly move to the city if hired. “Nothing official yet,” a rep for Bravo says about this casting rumor. Moore, 41, Moore has played small roles in such films as Waiting to Exhale , Deliver Us From Eva and I Know Who Killed Me . The Real Housewives of Atlanta , meanwhile, wrapped up its latest season in April with another raucous, totally unscripted reunion show . [Photo: WENN.com]
