The Bawse says a failed contract was the result of him pulling out of the Austraiian gig. Rick Ross Photo: Roger Kisby/ Getty Images Related Artists Rick Ross
Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry were booted from ‘Idol’ earlier than anyone expected. By Gil Kaufman Jessica Sanchez with Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Seacrest on “American Idol” Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images America, you only have yourself to blame. In a pattern repeated for the past few seasons, “American Idol” viewers seem to get a little lazy this time of year and suddenly forget to vote for their favorites, putting one of the potential winners in jeopardy. Case in point: preternaturally talented teen diva Jessica Sanchez. Even after killing it on Wednesday night (again) , Bebe Chez very nearly got sent home in seventh place Thursday night in one of the most shocking near-eliminations in recent history. The judges didn’t even have to hear her sing before they jumped up to save the singer , but she came thisclose to becoming the latest super-talent to wash out of “Idol” way before her time. The “Idol” save has a checkered history. Sometimes it’s been pulled out for singers whose talents (and commercial prospects) were decent at best (Michael Lynche) or annoying at worst (Casey Abrams). In fact, of the four saves in “Idol” history, the only one that truly made sense was season eight’s piano-playing Matt Giraud, who only made it one more week before being sent home. With only two weeks left before their save would have timed out, Randy, Jennifer and Steven pulled out the lifeline for the one remaining contestant who truly deserves it, if only for the fact that Sanchez could break the string of wins by bland white male singers who’ve met with solid to dismal chart success over the past four seasons. If Sanchez had gotten the boot, she would have joined a fairly illustrious group of singers who were gone too soon. Among them: Jennifer Hudson : Success is the best revenge, and when Hudson was inexplicably sent home in seventh place during season three who knew she’d go on to be the first Oscar winner in “Idol” history and a musical powerhouse? Um, we did. Chris Daughtry : The second-most shocking elimination in “Idol” history has to be bald-headed steak-and-potatoes rocker Chris Daughtry. He went out in fourth place in season five, which was won by … Taylor Hicks. Yeah, that guy. After declining to take the lead singer gig in Fuel, Daughtry went on to multiplatinum success and a spot as the third best-selling “Idol” alum of all time. Melinda Doolittle: If you watched season six of “Idol” then you likely remember the powerhouse vocalist that ex-lead judge Simon Cowell dubbed “incredible.” But, somehow, Melinda got the hook in the week before the finale , beat out by Blake Lewis. You know, the beatboxing faux-hawk wearing dude who lost to Jordin Sparks? Exactly. Do you think the judges made the right call by saving Jessica? Let us know in comments below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos Most Shocking ‘American Idol’ Exits ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
Critics praise HBO show while questioning whether it will connect beyond urban audiences. By John Mitchell Lena Dunham in “Girls” Photo: HBO HBO’s new comedy “Girls” is easily the most buzzed-about series debut so far this year. From the almost uncomfortably realistic sex scenes and sharp dialogue to series creator/producer/writer/star Lena Dunham’s Louis C.K.-style multitasking — not to mention the show’s similarities to and differences from that other landmark show about four single females in New York — people cannot stop talking about “Girls.” Luckily for everyone involved, most of the things being said range from good to rave. “Girls,” which premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO, has critics using words like “groundbreaking” and “revolutionary” to describe the series, about four friends (Dunham and co-stars Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke and Zosia Mamet) in their early 20s trying to get their lives off the ground in NYC. Here in the MTV Newsroom , we’re as enraptured with the show as everyone else seems to be, but in her otherwise rave review in Salon , Willa Paskin makes an observation about “Girls” that has come up often during chatter about the new series: that its specificity, minus the fantasy element that made middle America fall in love with “Sex and the City,” may make the show unrelatable to those outside East Coast urban centers. “My concern was that ‘Girls’ speaks so specifically and accurately to the experience of me and my census buddies — and to be clear, that’s urban white girls with safety nets; have at us in the comments — that people would either write it off as navel-gazing, snark at the innate privilege undergirding the whole thing, or find it unrelatable,” Paskin writes. That concern doesn’t diminish the show’s quality, though, and the site goes on to call the show “smart, bracing, funny, accurately absurd, confessional yet self-aware.” “Few series come out of the box as brilliant as ‘Girls’ does,” Tim Goodman rhapsodizes in The Hollywood Reporter. “The new HBO series from Lena Dunham (‘Tiny Furniture’) is one of the most original, spot-on, no-missed-steps series in recent memory. For her part, Dunham, who writes, directs, stars in, created and executive produces the series, is a talent as unique and refreshing to the medium as Louis C.K. — high praise indeed, as FX’s ‘Louie’ is one of the most critically acclaimed series on television.” Sex factors heavily in “Girls,” but unlike the glamorized romps we saw on its HBO foremother “SATC,” the sex acts depicted here are graphic, button-pushing and realistic but not gratuitous. According to Verne Gay in Newsday, the sex serves as a visual manifestation of the characters’ internal issues. In a four-star review, Gay writes, “Hannah [Dunham’s character] and the show are all about internal conflict and so is the humor, while sex — and fair warning, it’s pretty graphic here, which may be the handiwork of Apatow — is the metaphor for all that conflict. It’s grotesque, malignant, unpleasurable and a particularly devious torture chamber, at least for the women, who still submit to it.” The Los Angeles Times isn’t as unconditional in its praise, calling the show “nothing short of revolutionary” but “hard to love.” “There is a cool cleverness to the show that is both attractive and off-putting,” Mary McNamara writes. “The characters are flawed and hyper-aware of their flaws, the stories so bent on covering every angle of self-examination that there is no real role for the viewer to play. Which makes watching it an intellectual rather than emotional experience.” The show positions itself as being a far more realistic version of the girls in the big city trope that “SATC” glamorized, which the Atlantic Wire ‘s Richard Lawson sees as a reflection of the times the two shows premiered in. ” ‘SATC’ was fantasy and fable, with a few bits of relatable relationship stuff thrown to the commoners like chum. ‘Girls’ is something else; it’s a very particular, very of the moment dissection of mundanely funny minutiae, of boredom and anxiety in these brownly grim times,” Lawson writes. “Though I guess it’s possible the difference really is merely generational — the rich late ’90s gave us Sex, while the wobbly ’10s give us Girls, a witty and occasionally touching glimpse into our immediate neighbors’ lives. They’ve got something here, it just remains to be seen how big a thing it is.” That “Girls” could be the next big things seems like the consensus opinion of critics, but will this story of a group of friends struggling to discover themselves and succeed in the big city connect with audiences in Peoria, Illinois? Lawson seems to think it may. “Who knows, it could be that soon enough young women the nation over will be saying they’re ‘such a Hannah’ or ‘totally a Marnie,’ ” he writes. “Maybe fabulous is officially out. Maybe the new aspiration in these punishing times is, simply, to aspire.” Are you excited for the series premiere of “Girls” Sunday on HBO? Let us know if you’ll be watching in the comments below!
‘He’s just a good human being, and so funny,’ actress tells Australia’s Marie Claire about her BF and ‘Wanderlust’ co-star. By Christina Garibaldi Jennifer Aniston Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage Looks like Jennifer Aniston is lucky in love again. Since her highly publicized 2005 divorce from one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Brad Pitt , the celebrity gossip magazines have speculated about Aniston’s love life troubles. But after filming the flick “Wanderlust” with co-star Justin Theroux , Aniston and the actor struck up a romance. In the May issue of Australia’s Marie Claire, the 43-year-old actress gushes to the magazine about why her boyfriend of nearly a year is a keeper. “He’s a protector, for sure,” Aniston, who graces the cover, says. “He’s just a good human being, and so funny.” The couple filmed “Wanderlust” last fall in Georgia, and the story line centers around a stressed-out couple who travel to a hippie-ish community and learn the meaning of “free love.” And that laid-back, secluded atmosphere may have helped Theroux and Aniston’s relationship to develop. “All of a sudden, I began decompressing. It’s weird, but it felt like living a normal life; almost like having your anonymity back,” Aniston says about the shooting location. “Nobody bothered us and we were protected as a group. There were no paparazzi and no secret, tricky little cell phone pictures being taken,” she continues. “I realized how paranoid and guarded and not trusting — walled-in — I had become. Not consciously so, but just this armor that I kind of have, protective armor. It’s not for my friends or family, but for being outside in the world, always on guard.” Aniston had to let her guard down for “Wanderlust,” however, especially when filming her much-talked-about topless scene. “There are always nerves when you shoot a scene like that. But the adrenaline takes you through it and then you have the girls come in and cover you up immediately,” Aniston admitted. “I got very comfortable with seeing nude people, pretty much immediately. It was bizarre to know that these were actually nudists — because there’s a nudist colony in Clarkesville — and how comfortable they are being nude.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Wanderlust.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV First: Paul Rudd & Jennifer Aniston
‘I want some money if we do a Black Hippy album,’ L.A. rapper says jokingly about recording a group project. By Sowmya Krishnamurthy Schoolboy Q Photo: MTV News Over the past few months, Black Hippy, the Los Angeles-based group featuring Kendrick Lamar , Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q, has gained massive momentum as a collective to watch in hip-hop. When rapper Schoolboy Q stopped by “RapFix Live” this week, he explained what it will to take to facilitate a Black Hippy group album. Q recounts that initially music wasn’t his focus, but once he caught the performing bug, the group quickly bonded. “Once I gained the passion for music, we all clicked,” he explains. He’s been generating a name for himself as a solo artist and even sold out his own New York City show this week, and the Habits & Contradictions rapper is more than open to recording a collective Black Hippy album, but only if the price is right. “I want some money if we do Black Hippy,” he said, laughing. “We all here for one goal and that’s to prevail in this music, live comfortably and stay happy.” Earlier this year, Schoolboy Q told MTV News that he was considering a joint project with Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky. (The duo joined forces on the standout single “Hands on the Wheel” and on Rocky’s own mixtape Live.Love.A$AP. ) “We’re definitely talkin’ right now. We may give y’all a project, but it all has to be right,” Q said. “A$AP is the homie, man. We kinda live the same lifestyle. I’m a little more gangsta than him, and he’s a little more swagger than me, but we kinda the same sh–, just different places.” What would you want to hear on a Black Hippy album? Leave your comment below! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ Gets A New Point Of View Related Artists ScHoolboy Q
‘I came into the game with Cash Money, and I’m gonna ride it out with my team,’ Wayne says on ‘Hip Hop POV.’ By Nadeska Alexis Lil Wayne Photo: C. Flanigan/ FilmMagic Cash Money Records plans to drop approximately 16 albums this year, and at least one of them will come from , who is currently working on two new LPs. But if there was any worry that Weezy would take his future projects elsewhere, the New Orleans rapper confirms that he recently signed another four-album deal with Cash Money. During an interview on the debut episode of MTV’s “Hip Hop POV,” Lil Wayne confirmed that he’s sticking with his team. “Everybody knows I came into the game at 11 years old with Cash Money Records, before we even had a major deal,” Wayne said. “We signed a deal in I don’t remember when, and I been with Cash Money ever since. So if you’re looking for integrity, I am the definition. If you’re looking for a person that’s gonna stay down, I am the definition. If you’re looking for loyalty, I am just that.” Despite a few tumultuous years, Wayne maintains that all is right in the world of YMCMB. “Trust me, there’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of downs — all the down way down if you wanna know,” he said. “But I rode it out with my team and I’m gonna ride it out with my team.” I Am Not a Human Being 2, the sequel to Wayne’s 2010 release, is the next project on the horizon, and he’s also at work on an album called Devol, which he wrote during his time in prison. According to Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being 2 will give him the most creative freedom. “Contract-wise, I only get paid for 12 songs. Maybe on a Carter album, you probably only gonna get 12 songs, maybe a bonus 13,” he explained “But on this I Am Not a Human Being thing, I really don’t care. … You’re probably gonna get 16 on there. “The I Am Not a Human Being 2 is more me just being creatively free,” he added. Lil Wayne dropped his most recent album, Tha Carter IV, last summer. By February the album had sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ Gets A New Point Of View Related Artists Lil Wayne
‘I knew he was up there supporting me, period,’ 2 Chainz says of Kanye’s silent appearance on ‘106 and Park.’ By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Rob Markman Kanye West and 2 Chainz at BET’s “106 and Park” Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage During a February visit to “RapFix Live,” 2 Chainz broke the news to host Sway Calloway that he had been working with Kanye West for months, but now the cat is surely out of the bag. In addition to appearing on the new G.O.O.D. Music single “Mercy,” West popped up at 2 Chainz’s SXSW set , and this week he made a silent appearance alongside the Atlanta rapper on BET’s “106 and Park.” “That’s my dog and he doesn’t do press — he didn’t wanna do it period — and they kind of forced his hand,” 2 Chainz told MTV News of West’s “106 and Park” appearance, from the set of MTV’s “Hip Hop Squares . “I was like, ‘You don’t have to say nothing, bro,’ because at the end of the day I knew he was up there supporting me, period.” “I do a lot of things behind the scenes that people don’t know [about], and they only see [what happens] on ‘106 and Park,’ ” 2 Chainz continued. “So that would’ve been another event where they wouldn’t have known Kanye was back there, I wouldn’t have name-dropped, that would’ve been part of my process of just working hard and grinding it out.” Although ‘Ye’s appearance was clearly not planned, it seems like everything worked out for the best. “When he came out, it spilled the beans out the bag, but it was cool,” Chainz says. “It was good for hip-hop that he came out and showed support. He wasn’t trying to take the shine, but he’s just a megastar, anywhere he goes it’s gonna happen.” When he joined Sway on “RapFix Live,” 2 Chainz, formerly known as Tity Boi, explained the dynamic of his relationship with ‘Ye. “For the most part, when we started building our relationship, we found out we had more things in common than different from a musical standpoint,” he said. “It’s no secret that I came from the hustle background, from that trap, and it’s no secret that he’s maybe more of a hipster swag, backpack kinda guy. So I think it’ll be interesting when you just drop that in the pot, in the blender, and see the outcome and results of some of that.” 2 Chainz’s upcoming album Based on a T.R.U. Story is set for an August 14 release, with the first official single slated to drop on May 1. What did you think of Kanye’s silent appearance on ‘106 and Park’? Leave your comment below! Related Artists 2 Chainz Kanye West
In the wake of Jessica Sanchez’s near-exit, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler say season 11 is anyone’s to win. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kelly Marino Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler Photo: MTV News After “American Idol” voters tried their hardest to send presumptive front-runner Jessica Sanchez packing on Thursday night’s shocking results show — only to have their plan foiled by the judges, who promptly used their save to keep her in the competition — the deck has been re-shuffled, and it appears that this season really is anyone’s to win. Following Sanchez’s near-exit, two of those “Idol” judges spoke to MTV News, and they weren’t shy about letting their opinions be known. Simply put, they were as surprised as everyone to hear Sanchez’s name called. “I think [America] thought she was safe,” Randy Jackson said of Sanchez. “I think they thought she was safe … and I think they thought [fellow bottom-three dweller] Joshua [Ledet] was safe, because those two alone … have been the most consistent. So, you know, yeah, I think they just forgot.” “There’s just so many different singers out there. That’s why it’s hard for me now,” Steven Tyler added. “I like to let America judge. Tonight they were wrong.” More than likely, they were. But the inclusion of Sanchez in the bottom three raises a larger question about the show: Is it possible for anyone other than a guy to actually win anymore? The previous four champions — David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery — have all been proud possessors of the Y chromosome, and a male contestant has won in five of the previous six seasons. (Jordin Sparks was the last female to be crowned champion, way back in 2007.) And now, with Thursday night’s shake-up — and the rise of Colton Dixon and Phillip Phillips — it appears that history may repeat itself once again. Not surprisingly, though, neither Jackson nor Tyler seems to see it that way. “I don’t know, it’s a toss-up right now,” Jackson said. “I think it’ll be a person. ” “You gotta wait and see,” Tyler added. Of course, Jackson was also quick to admit that both Dixon and Phillips are strong contenders for the season 11 crown (which is probably why “Idol” mentor Jimmy Iovine spent so much time this week trying to pit them against each other ), and he saved a particular bit of praise for Phillips and his, uh, unique approach to the competition. “He’s his own guy, that’s what I love about him. He’s an individual, Steven’s an individual; that’s what a real artist is made of,” Jackson said. “An artist is not usually a follower; you want to be your own person. So I love that about him. I don’t know if it’s going to hurt him, but somebody’s gotta go every week now. It’s gonna be rough.” 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
‘If they think of you first as a filmmaker, then all of the exploration stuff must be so that you can be a better filmmaker,’ he tells MTV News. By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz James Cameron Photo: MTV News When James Cameron returned from this record-breaking deep-sea dive to the Mariana Trench, many people assumed the expedition must have been for a movie, most likely ” Avatar 2 ,” which is said to involve the oceans of Pandora. But Cameron, when he spoke with MTV News, insisted that is simply not the case. “Completely spurious rumor. People try to connect the dots, right? If they think of you first as a filmmaker, then all of the exploration stuff must be so that you can be a better filmmaker. Wrong conclusion,” he said. “That’s like [saying] ‘A frog with no legs is deaf.’ ” The director said the two aspects of his life are connected, but not in a way the rumors suspected. “The correct conclusion is I do the movies to pay for the expeditions, so every once in a while, I have to come back to make a movie,” Cameron said. “It’s pretty much that simple.” Even with films planned for the immediate future, Cameron doesn’t seem that worried about his explorations getting in the way. “I think the studio execs that want another ‘Avatar’ film are probably more concerned than I am,” he said. Cameron’s trips to the bottom of the ocean are admittedly dangerous, and he spoke openly about the potential risks involved with that kind of exploration. “I would say watch out for implosion. When a pressure vessel implodes at that kind of pressure, it does so at supersonic speed,” he said. “There are things worse, though, like coming up outside of the search area, because you’re bolted into the sub. You’re going down pretty far. It’s possible to come partway up, get moved 25 miles in a current before you come all the way up. That would be bad.” According to Cameron, that kind of morbid thinking is what prevents actual tragedies from occurring. “You could freeze to death at the bottom, you could have a fire inside the sphere and asphyxiate — all kinds of bad stuff. The reason you get morbid is by going through all the scenarios ahead of time, you’re doing the engineering to prevent them and you create all the procedures to prevent them,” Cameron said. “It’s basically what NASA does. You list every single thing that could go wrong, and then you do everything you can to have that not happen.” As for where Cameron hopes to explore next, he said the ocean will keep him busy for the foreseeable future. “We have a vehicle now that can go, by definition, to anywhere in any ocean in the world. If it can go to the deepest place in the Challenger Deep, 65,000 feet down, it can go anywhere else,” he said. “There’s so much yet to be explored. That’s an unknown continent on our planet. Think about Google. You can basically call up a satellite photograph of some hill in the Congo in seconds, but you can’t do that underwater. I could be exploring down there for the next whatever.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Avatar 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: James Cameron
‘It was important to collaborate with people that share the same passion in music that I have,’ EDM veteran tells MTV News. By Akshay Bhansali Paul Van Dyk Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/ Getty Images MTV News took great pride in heading down to Florida for Miami Music Week , the annual dance-music get-together. We particularly cherished the opportunity to catch up with Paul Van Dyk, fresh off a smashing set at Ice Palace; the highly decorated Grammy-winning German electronic-music producer is among EDM’s first true legends. “Stuff like ‘Home,’ ‘Time of Our Lives,’ also ‘For an Angel’ — people always request me to play them,” Van Dyk said of his past catalog of hits played for fans. “But I’m really excited because people already knew the new stuff from the album. They went really wild, so that was good!” The album Van Dyk speaks of is the veteran producer’s latest studio effort, his sixth, titled Evolution. It is not only a reflection of the renaissance he seeks to deliver with every new project, but also a sign of the times we live in today. “Look at electronic music,” Van Dyk said. “[It’s gone] from a small subculture 20 years ago to the biggest music culture in the world these days. Also, the way we communicate these days with each other: We didn’t have Facebook five years ago. “Or the way we actually listen to music: iPads, iPhone,” he continued. “How we buy it: iTunes and all that. We didn’t have that 10 years ago. So there’s a massive evolution in how we live together, how we basically enjoy each other. And this is what I tried to bring across with the album, in a way.” Van Dyk is quick to point out that Evolution is not a concept album, with tracks directly connected, but rather that the underlying cohesion comes from a main source of inspiration. “My inspiration is life in general: everything I see, everything I experience,” he said. “So when I go to the studio, every single track is based on that work ethic. And in terms of working on the album, for me it was very important to collaborate with people that share the same passion in music that I have.” Indeed, the project features a fine group of collaborators: The exceptional Austin Leeds appears on album opener “Symmetries” and “Verano.” One of the stand-out collabs comes from ‘s Adam Young on “Eternity,” born of their meeting three years ago. “It was long before ‘Fireflies,’ ” Van Dyk explained. “So there was this guy that was insanely creative. And we just decided, ‘Yeah, let’s do some music together.’ A few weeks later ‘Fireflies’ blew up. And I was like, ‘Holy crap! That’s Adam!’ ” Versatile EDM rising star Arty , championed early in his career by Van Dyk, is featured twice on the project, the second time in a compelling, untraditional way. “There’s a song on the album called ‘The Sun After Heartbreak,’ ” Van Dyk said of a track that also features vocals from Sue McLaren. “[It] is a pure example of what I always say: It’s not about ‘This is dubstep. This is house. This is electro. This is trance.’ It’s about electronic music, because otherwise how would you explain two people coming from the trancey world of things doing a track that is clearly influenced and driven by drum and bass? It’s purely because the creative process was leading us that way.” Related Artists Paul Van Dyk Adam Young Austin Leeds
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