‘We’re happy with what we wrote,’ Winter tells MTV News, confirming that he and Keanu Reeves reprised their characters while developing the script. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Alex Winter Photo: MTV News God gave rock and roll to you, and if you’re lucky, he’ll give you a brand new “Bill and Ted” adventure as well! That’s the plan, at least, according to one half of the dimwitted duo: Alex Winter, who starred as Bill Preston Esq. in both “Excellent Adventure” and “Bogus Journey,” isn’t just hoping for a “Bill and Ted” reunion, he’s getting close to making it actually happen. “I think the reality is that there probably will be another one,” Winter told MTV News during a recent interview. Indeed, Winter and co-star Keanu Reeves both recently confirmed that a third “Bill and Ted” script is finished (and totally excellent). Of course, given how long it’s taken to get the third movie off the ground — “Bogus Journey,” their last appearance, hit theaters in 1991 — arriving at a universally agreed-upon idea wasn’t an exact science. “We just kicked ideas around [over the years] and eventually, we kicked one idea around that clicked,” Winter said. “It felt timely. Funnily enough, it felt better because so much time had gone by. What would it be like to revisit those guys now? From a comedy standpoint, it felt kind of cool to revisit two galvanized comic characters a chunk of time later, [exploring] what you can do with that from a comedy perspective.” Though much time has passed between the last “Bill and Ted” and now, Winter admitted that it’s “very possible” that Bill and Ted themselves, despite their age, haven’t grown up with the times — though he would neither confirm nor deny their current maturity level. What he would say, however, is that the next “Bill and Ted” adventure would focus heavily on the rock and roll spirit that’s always been present in the franchise. “What’s happened to rock and roll in the last 20 years? The movie’s going to get in and play with some of that stuff,” he said. “Where is rock? Where are we? What’s happened to the whole idea of saving the world — or what hasn’t happened? There’s a lot to play with there.” There’s so much to play with, in fact, that Winter and Reeves both slipped into character on more than one occasion while developing the new “Bill and Ted” script. “Yes, we did. It’s really sad how easy it was [to get back into character],” he laughed. “You go away and do all this other stuff and go, ‘I’m not Bill, that’s absurd!’ … And then me and Reeves got together, and suddenly we’re the characters again. We didn’t even mean to. We just started riffing on it. When we were doing notes and me and Reeves started riffing on the dialogue, it’s just, oh my god. Yeah, it’s in there. God knows.” “Bill and Ted 3,” which has a title that Winter won’t reveal just yet (“But it’ll say it all,” he promised), still has obstacles in the way. No, there are no Evil Us’s to consider, but the script does not yet have a green-light. According to Winter, though, he’s more than happy with the project as it stands, even if it never makes it to the big screen. “It’s something we think is a very fun thing. We had a lot of fun developing it, and the guys are amazing writers,” Winter said of working with longtime “Bill and Ted” writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. “We had a lot of fun with the script. We’re happy with where it’s at now. If it goes forward, great. If it doesn’t, we’re happy with what they wrote and what we came up with.” Tell us what you think of the most excellent “Bill and Ted” news in the comments section!
MTV News takes a look at why Madge’s upcoming album is a drug worth taking. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna’s MDNA Photo: Interscope Madonna wants us to dance the heartbreak away on MDNA. The record, set to drop on March 26, has some of the finest musical moments we’ve heard from the pop legend in the last few years, recalling the finer songs and themes she explored on Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dance Floor. It’s clear that Madge had her heart broken, most likely by her former hubby and British auteur, Guy Ritchie. She explores the pain of life post-divorce on many of the songs on the album, and most of the time, it works perfectly. Madonna really understands heartbreak and she understands even better how it can empower someone to be a better person. While all the buzz seems to be about “I Don’t Give A” and the bit too on-the-nose confessions she makes about her divorce (where she even sings about falling off a horse), her anger is even darker on the William Orbit-produced “Gang Bang.” Sparse at times and always punctuated by a pulsing beat, it’s incredibly hard. It’s the type of record you’d expect to hear at some after-hours club that your really edgy friend knows about. It’s about falling completely in love and falling more deeply into hate when it’s over. Serving as a pop-song revenge fantasy, Madonna sings, “And I’m going straight to hell/ And I’ve got a lot of friends there/ And if I see that b—- in Hell/ I’m gonna shoot him in the head again/ Cause I wanna see him die/ Over and over and over.” On the disco-tinged “Love Spent,” Madge sings about feeling like nothing more than a bank to a former lover (she did have one very costly breakup from Ritchie), and on the remorseful, melodic “Best Friend,” she admits, “Your picture’s off the wall, but I’m still waiting for your call/ And every man that walks through the door/ Will be compared to you.” “Superstar” is light and airy, recalling some of the singer’s highlights from the ’80s. The mid-tempo’s production, which comes courtesy of Hardy “Indiigo” Muanza, certainly helps distract from some of the sillier lyrics that have Madonna comparing her boy toy to famed dudes like Al Capone and James Dean. If anyone was wondering why she called the album MDNA, all they need to do is look to “I’m Addicted,” the super club-thumping track full of bleeping noises, spare moments and then big chugging ones, which are filled out with loopy instances. It’s about letting go and loving someone completely: “Now that your name/ Pumps like blood in my veins/ Pulsing through my body, lighting my mind/ It’s like MDNA and that’s OK.” MDNA, of course, is also known as ecstasy, giving the track the perfect metaphor for love on the dance floor. While most of the album addresses the highs and lows of falling in love, “Some Girls” is all about Madonna proclaiming her awesomeness. Another Orbit jam, it’s a crunchy, robotic, thumping anthem that puts Madonna right in the center of female empowerment. “I’m not like the rest,” she proclaims, as if anyone would ever question that. “Some girls are second best.” On the chorus, she declares, “Some girls are not like me/ I’m everything you’ve ever dreamed of/ I got you begging please.” One of the highlights is “Turn Up the Radio,” which sounds like it was born to be this summer’s feel-good anthem. It’s bright, happy and fun, all about letting go of the past. Over Martin Solveig’s sunny production, Madge sings, “It was time I opened my eyes/ I’m leaving the past behind/ Nothing’s ever what it seems/ Including this time and this crazy dream.” She’s not wrong to be that confident on this album. She’s certainly in the groove. And the album is full of strength, but it’s also her vulnerability that rounds it out. If fans thought link type=”content” id=”1678478″> “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” and “Girl Gone Wild” are what this era is all about, they are only seeing pieces of the MDNA puzzle, that’s only completed when listening to the album from front to back. In the end, this album is a drug worth taking. Are you counting down the days to the release of MDNA ? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Madonna
‘I just want to introduce my world to their world,’ Wayne says in exclusive video from set with pro skateboarders in California. By Nadeska Alexis Lil Wayne Photo: MTV News Over the past year, Lil Wayne ‘s growing passion for skateboarding has been more than apparent. His favorite new accessory accompanied him to Australia on tour in December, and the New Orleans native even sustained a recent shoulder injury from an ollie gone wrong. Now all of those sessions on his board have paid off, because Wayne will land on the May cover of popular skateboard magazine CCS. Wayne shot his cover story for CCS in Canoga Park, California, on Saturday, and his videographer DJ Scoob Doo captured intimate moments on the set as he bonded with skateboard stars Paul Rodriguez , Shane O’Neill , Torey Pudwill , Theotis Beasley and Chance Eldridge . In the rare footage, Wayne gives his fans a closer look at the new environment that he’s become very comfortable in. “I just want to introduce my world to their world,” Wayne says as he individually acquaints us with each of the skateboarders mentioned above. “I’m trying to bring you into their world so you can see why I wanna do this and I why I love this so much.” DJ Scoob Doo hopes that the clip will help Wayne’s fans understand how deeply his passion for skateboarding runs. “Wayne is on the cover of this magazine with professional skateboarders because he’s taken it so seriously,” Scoob said. “They were so happy to have him associated with it because he’s bringing light to the skateboard world and because he’s genuinely taken a liking to skateboarding. “These professional skateboarders are not looking at him as an ‘artist’ — they’re looking at him as one of their own. They see the dedication that he’s given to it, and they see that he’s not taking it lightly,” he added In addition to Lil Wayne’s cover story in the May issue of CCS, the magazine will also feature an extended spread of his new Trukfit skateboard clothing line , which debuted in January with a full line of apparel and accessories. Trukfit is available for purchase on the CCS website . Consider this your official introduction to Wayne’s world of skateboarding. “The same way the skateboarders are introducing Lil Wayne to their world, he found an opportunity to introduce his world to them,” Scoob said. Related Artists Lil Wayne
‘He would’ve liked his determination,’ Kim tells Sway on ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Notorious B.I.G. Photo: Getty Images Few people knew the Notorious B.I.G. like . The two shared a friendship, a working relationship and a romance, but when the Queen Bee sat down with Sway on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live,” she simply described herself as Biggie’s “biggest fan.” “I was his biggest fan, rockin’ with him. And I was shorty, I was his pride and joy. Sometimes he would say to me, ‘I feel like you’re my baby, like I birthed you,’ ” Kim said, laughing. With a bond that intimate, there are few people more qualified than Kim to speculate on whom the Brooklyn Don might have collaborated with had he not died on that fateful March night . It’s a question that fans have pondered for the past 15 years . “I think Kayne — I think he would’ve liked his determination because one thing I know about Kanye is when he wants something he will get on your nerves,” Kim speculated. Though Frank White enlisted Mobb Deep’s Havoc to produce “Last Day,” he never had a proper collaboration with the Queens duo. Kim thinks he would have liked that. “I know he was a big Mobb Deep fan. He liked Wu-Tang’s music, I’ll tell you, he liked their music despite all the craziness,” she said, alluding to the feud that existed between Big and members of the Clan. Still, Kim maintains that Biggie’s favorite was Hov. “He and Jay-Z just had this adorable friendship — it was the cutest,” she said. “They were so competitive with each other, but it was such a friendly competitiveness, and I loved it because that’s how it’s supposed to be when you like somebody.” Lil’ Kim says that she feels blessed to be connected to the late rap great. “Sometimes I still don’t believe I was part of that era,” she admitted. As their interview drew to a close, Sway posed a poignant final question: If there were anything you could say to Big right now, what would it be? “I would say he did a good job, he did a good job. He should be proud of himself. He should be very proud,” Kim replied. “He did some good things when he was here, I hope he looks at me and he’s proud. He should be proud of the kids he made and how they turned out. He should just be proud of his work … that he left here on earth.” Join MTV News as we celebrate the Notorious B.I.G’s life on the 15th anniversary of his death. From March 9 through March 25, we will be rolling out exclusive and commemorative content from Biggie’s closest friends, collaborators and his biggest fans. To join the conversation on Twitter, hit @MTVRapFix using the hashtag #biggie15. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ Welcomes Back Lil’ Kim Related Artists Notorious B.I.G.
Singer, who suffers from kidney stones, was rushed to the ER on Thursday morning. By Gil Kaufman Phillip Phillips on American Idol Photo: FOX There’s no doubt that the atmosphere on “American Idol” is pressure cooker. But when you add pre-existing health problems into the mix it can get even more difficult for the finalists to make it to the stage twice a week. According to TMZ, one of the leading contenders on this year’s show, acoustic strummer Phillip Phillips, was rushed to a medical facility on Thursday morning for emergency treatment. Sources said Phillips, who suffers from kidney stones, was complaining of intense pain in his abdomen, but it is unclear what ailed him. TMZ claimed that someone close to Phillips suspected it could be gallstones. Phillips’s dad later reportedly told TMZ that his son has had 5 different procedures to remove kidney stones — including one in January — and that his boy is determined to stay in the competition, putting off any procedure for now. The Dave Matthews-esque footstomper was safely put through on Thursday night, when amiable Jeremy Rosado was sent home. If Phillips does stick it out, he wouldn’t be the first “Idol” favorite to battle illness on the show. Back in 2010, eventual runner-up Crystal Bowersox rebounded from a hospital stay and thoughts of throwing in the towel, with one of that season’s highlights. Bowersox, a diabetic, was told that she would be eliminated from the show if she didn’t not make it to that week’s performance. A spokesperson for “Idol” could not be reached for comment at press time on Phillips’ condition. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Top 13 Contestants
Contract could be signed as early as next week. By Gil Kaufman Britney Spears Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images Simon Cowell has hinted that he wants to reload the judges panel on “X Factor” with two new women and according to reports, he’s close to landing a superstar who might help the second season of his talent contest much more interesting. While names including Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey have been bandied about as possible replacements for Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, the buzz has continued to focus on Britney Spears. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spears’ fianc
Campaign aims to bring African militia leader Joseph Kony to justice for war crimes and for enlisting children as soldiers. By Gil Kaufman Justin Bieber Photo: MTV News A campaign to stop the nearly 30-year, brutal rule of African militia leader Joseph Kony became a viral sensation this week. “Kony 2012,” started by the group Invisible Children, aims to make Kony’s face so famous that authorities will finally be able to arrest him and try him for his crimes. A 30-minute documentary released on Monday is one of the keys to the campaign, and as of Thursday it had gotten more than 26 million views. The video details the atrocities carried out by Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army. The campaign appears to be working, as at one point on Wednesday, Invisible Children and #stopkony were trending higher on Twitter than Peyton Manning or the new iPad. Since 1987, human rights officials say Kony has forcefully abducted more than 60,000 children to be soldiers in his army and reportedly raped, mutilated and killed civilians in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan and displaced more than 2 million people. The leader is wanted for committing atrocities by the International Criminal Court and is being hunted down by 100 U.S. Special Forces advisers and local troops in four Central African nations, according to the Associated Press. Kony 2012 is an effort to capture Kony and disarm the LRA before a reported window of opportunity closes. One way it plans to do that is by encouraging users to directly message a variety of stars to make use of their Twitter ubiquity to get the word out. Among those listed on the site are: Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Jay-Z, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Ryan Seacrest and Ellen DeGeneres, along with a number of major policymakers. When users click on the celebs’ photos, a tweet pops up that reads: Help us end #LRA violence. Visit kony2012.com to find out why and how. @timtebow Join us for #KONY2012. Get More on Invisible Children at ACT.MTV.com. Related Artists Justin Bieber Lady Gaga
‘It was such an idiotic thing to have happen,’ Rob Cesternino tells MTV News of the men giving up immunity for a trip to tribal council. By Josh Wigler Bill Posley, of the Manono Tribe in “Survivor: One World” Photo: CBS And just like that, the whole Manono tribe has officially joined the “Survivor” Hall of Shame. After winning immunity in a blowout challenge against Salani and recapturing momentum in the process, the men of Manono flushed their good fortune down the toilet by volunteering to go to tribal council in place of the women. Their reason: to vote out one of their own, Leif, who “betrayed” the tribe’s core alliance by telling stand-up comedian Bill, the unwitting nemesis of newly anointed Manono mastermind Colton, that he was next on the chopping block. After a racially tense tribal council, however, it was Colton who had the last laugh, and Bill — not Leif — was sent packing. Manono’s unanimous decision to exchange immunity for an early trip to tribal council goes down as one of the single-most confounding, moronic moves in “Survivor” history. At least, that’s my take. Good thing we have the smartest player to never win the game, two-time contestant Rob Cesternino , to weigh in with his thoughts on this week’s unprecedented episode of “Survivor.” Keep reading for his take on Manono’s controversial move, Colton’s sudden rise to power and more. MTV : OK, Rob. My head has not stopped spinning since the last 10 minutes of that episode. What was your reaction on seeing Manono’s “plan” go into action? Rob Cesternino : It really was such an idiotic thing to have happen on this show. I’ve seen a lot of dumb things happen in the history of this show, but usually the dumbness is confined to one person making a dumb move. Usually, the groupthink doesn’t invade a whole team of people, which is what happened here. It’s pretty remarkable. It’s a remarkable event that eight people went along with an idea that was so insane. MTV : So, just to clarify: This was not some brilliant outside-the-box thinking that I can’t wrap my head around. This could very well be the single stupidest move in “Survivor” history. Cesternino : Well, I don’t think it’s the single dumbest thing that’s ever happened. I still think that belongs to ice-cream scooper Erik [from “Survivor: Fans versus Favorites,” who was voted out after surrendering his idol to a chief competitor], with Brandon Hantz [from “Survivor: South Pacific,” voted out in similar fashion] being second. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around this, though. Is there any sort of strategic advantage to the men’s decision? I really can’t come up with anything. The best I can come up with is that maybe for Colton, he feels that he has the girls in his pocket and he has a bunch of guys he’s working with. “As long as I’m getting rid of somebody who isn’t working with me, better than sending the girls to vote out someone who I have a good relationship with.” But just from the beating that Colton took at tribal council from both Bill and Jeff Probst, it’s not a good thing for his reputation to continue taking a pummeling like that. MTV : Colton has been and continues to be an absurd character. He’s like the homesick camper who cries and cries nonstop the first week, then comes back strong and rules the bunk as a dictator the rest of the summer. How did that happen? What do you think? Are the men following him out of fear? Loyalty? Is it the idol in his pocket? Cesternino : I think there’s some fear there. I think also some of these men are just along for the ride, and that’s not necessarily a bad strategy. Jay, Jonas, Leif, these guys are just sort of more followers. Troyzan and Tarzan feel like more in cahoots with what Colton is doing. Then there are a few who are just outnumbered and are going along with it, not trying to upset the apple cart. Colton does have a very dominating personality. I’m sure there’s some charisma there. Most of the offensive things he’s saying are just to us, the audience. So I’m sure he can be charming. But I’m not sure exactly if it plays out this way every season, but right now, there’s a combustible enough combination out there for Colton to be successful right now. MTV : Everyone on Manono had to agree to make this choice to go to tribal council. If you’re out there, how do you say no? Can you say no? There has to be a way you can say no to that without looking like a jerk, right? It’s such a blatantly boneheaded move — would it really alienate you that much to go against the majority on this one? Cesternino : This is the part that was really insane. “We’re all going to tribal council, but it has to be unanimous!” First of all, they said they’re going to vote Leif off — I don’t know how much that’s a smokescreen to get Bill to vote yes, but that even seems more idiotic. Why do you need a unanimous vote to vote somebody off? Why Bill agreed with it, I’ll never know. But why did Leif agree to this plan? I’ll never know! How much of this was misdirection? Because he only got Bill’s vote at tribal council. If Bill went, “You know, not good. I’m going to vote no on tribal council.” What do they say? “Well, you’re outvoted, and now we’re voting you out.” I don’t know. It didn’t make much sense to me. MTV : I guess part of that might be that Leif seemed to feel genuinely terrible about spilling the beans to Bill, and Bill just seems like a bit of a dummy in the game of “Survivor,” and was once again way too excited to dodge a bullet that was headed directly to his face. If the two people who really needed to object were a) too guilty to say no and b) completely unaware of how much trouble they’re really in, I guess they’d vote yes? Cesternino : I don’t know. Why would Bill want to get rid of that padding? If there’s a person between you going home and someone else going home, that’s an airbag for you. That’s keeping you alive in the game. Why you would want to accelerate getting rid of that person by going to tribal council [voluntarily] — all of this could have played out further into the game. There’s always the chance that politics could change, there could be a switch, a merge. Time is your friend in this game when you’re in that position. MTV : There was some amazingly absurd foreshadowing when you see Leif in the box at the very beginning of the episode, which was just such a ridiculous visual. It portended some doom for this guy. But honestly, I don’t think Leif did anything so egregious to warrant such a turnaround from his tribemates. Clearly he slipped up and that wasn’t smart, but does anything he did warrant the reaction he got last night? Cesternino : No, I thought everything was overblown with Leif. Who cares if Bill knows he’s next to go? It’s not like he has an immunity idol or anything like that. I didn’t think that was such a big deal. I thought Colton’s reaction was over-the-top, but Tarzan’s too. Didn’t it seem like Tarzan was talking to Leif like he was a Chihuahua? “That was bad, Leif! Get in your box, Leif!” [Laughs] I thought that was so over-the-top. And honestly, this was the most we’ve seen of Leif so far, and I really liked Leif. He seems like a nice guy. MTV : Well, there’s more to talk about in this episode, but Manono’s decision is such a lightning rod that it’s hard to focus on anything else. But what do you think: Who, if anyone, is playing the game well right now? Cesternino : I think one of the guys who still looks good is Jonas. Even though he’s going along with bad ideas, he’s not rocking the boat that much. I didn’t like how he negotiated with the women; he came off bad there, negotiating about using their fishing net. He looks easygoing enough to follow along in the aftermath of Colton and continue to advance in the game, though. MTV : And who doesn’t look good? Everybody ? Cesternino : Well, for the women, Alicia continues to get into arguments with people where she doesn’t really have a conflict. She’s continuing to create tension wherever she goes in the game, and that’s not usually a good formula for success. MTV : She was also instrumental in Salani losing immunity. Hypothetically, if things had played out as they should have played out and the women were sent packing to tribal, would Alicia have gone home? Cesternino : Hmm. [ Pauses ] Her name was coming up, but I think Christina would still have been the one to go. Much like Cat versus Nina , the person inside of the alliance, even if they’re deserving of going home, probably stays over the person not in the alliance. Get more of Rob’s thoughts on “Survivor” at his website . What did you think of last night’s episode? Sound off in the comments section or hit me up on Twitter @roundhoward !
Sanchez’s take on Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ brings down the house as the guys tackle Stevie Wonder. By James Montgomery Jessica Sanchez on “American Idol” Photo: FOX “American Idol” swung for the fences on Wednesday night — and we’re not just talking about Steven Tyler’s decision to wear his Roy Lichtenstein pants. The girls tackled Whitney Houston songs (borderline blasphemy?) and the guys did Stevie Wonder, and, after two hours of performances that ran the gamut from “startlingly great” to “shockingly unhinged” — with the majority falling somewhere in the middling middle — well, perhaps it’s best if producers reined it in a tad. Still, there were some highlights (Jessica Sanchez!), and with eliminations coming Thursday night (March 8) — though, in classic late-era “Idol,” they’ve added some unnecessary wrinkles to the proceedings — here’s our grades for the Top 13. Who passed with flying colors? Who flunked out in flaming fashion? Read on to find out! Jessica Sanchez: Showed some major stones taking on the Whitney song to end all Whitney songs, “I Will Always Love You.” Was maybe a touch too melismatic, didn’t quite get there at the end, but still … dang, girl. Tears and standing ovations both richly deserved. Grade: A Hollie Cavanagh: Pint-sized powerhouse delivered the goods on “All the Man That I Need,” including hitting that big, big note at the end. Showcased range, control and power — all that’s missing is some personality. J.Lo sees her going all the way to the finals, and if Cavanagh keeps singing like this — and loses the nerves — she might be right. Grade: B+ Joshua Ledet: Ventured outside his comfort zone with a strutting, cutting take on Stevie’s “I Wish,” and took us all to church in the process. It was a bit screechy in parts, but he made up for it with amazing hand gestures and newfound confidence. Quoth Randy: “You wore it out!” We’d have to agree with that assessment. Grade: B+ Skylar Laine: The fact that she’d never sung Whitney is not nearly as shocking as her newfound dark-horse status. She took on “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” and though it started out a bit nasally (and sleepy), she picked up speed and ended up more or less killing it. “Biggest moment of the night,” J.Lo said — of course, that was before Jessica Sanchez. Grade: B Heejun Han: He proved to be equally adept at both humorous tweets and gross misspellings of celebrity names (seriously dude, it’s “I-O-V-I-N-E”). His stripped-down take of “All in Love is Fair” was shaping up to be a slow-mo disaster, but he turned it around, and ended up putting his own silky smoove touch on the tune. We could do with less of his shtick, but the dude keeps delivering … and flirting with J.Lo. Grade: B Colton Dixon: Of course, was more than willing to take Jimmy and MJB’s advice to perform one of his own songs, and, of course, it was super wussy. He ended up doing “Lately,” which somehow managed to be both a tad flat and pitchy. Of course, only Randy seemed to notice. Girls seem to like his smoldering looks, which means he’ll stick around. Grade: B- Erika Van Pelt: Mary J called her tone “steak and potatoes,” though her take on “I Believe In You and Me” was more Lean Cuisine. Spotty at the beginning, she pressed on, and ended up with a fairly legit — if slightly bland — performance. It gave J.Lo goosies, which makes you wonder if they had the air conditioner cranked up too high. She earned a nickname from Seacrest (“EVP”), so she seems safe. Grade: B- Jeremy Rosado: Jer Bear put a sultry, supple spin on Stevie’s “Ribbon in the Sky,” and, in the process, made the most of his second chance. Sadly, Randy though it was lacking in “swag.” Can we retire that phrase yet? Middling reviews from the judges didn’t do him any favors. Grade: B- Phillip Phillips: His night-closing “Pimp Spot” turned out to be not so pimp, since he had to follow Jessica Sanchez. From the minute they announced the guys were doing Stevie, I knew he was doing “Superstition,” and lo and behold, he did just that. It was swampy, sorta scatty, and also sorta anti-climactic (and scary). Steven said he had a lot of “forget about it” in his voice … don’t worry, we already have. Grade: C Deandre Brackensick: Skanked his way through “Master Blaster” and showed off his ill falsetto. It was sort of forgettable, yet also kind of fresh at the same time. We’re glad Steven made the Naima comparison, since we didn’t think we were allowed to go there. Irie! Grade: C Jermaine Jones: The Gentle Giant’s baritone was on full display with “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” It started sort of bland, picked up steam toward the end, yet never truly seemed to connect. Quoth Steven: “That song fits you like an Armani suit” — that’d be a gigantic suit. Jones described his performance thusly: “I think I did a pretty good job.” OK, dude. Grade: C- Elise Testone: Ooof. Early attempts at “The Greatest Love of All” earned her the stank face from MJB, so (seemingly against her will) she ended up doing “I’m Your Baby Tonight.” The end result was a near catatonic, downright uncomfortable performance. Randy said she was “Boxing with the song,” and, well, she got knocked out. She seemed to come unglued during Seacrest’s post-performance interview, and for someone who claimed “there’s no excuse” for her spotty stint, she sure made a lot of excuses. Grade: D- Shannon Magrane: Seacrest introduced her as “The pride of Tampa,” though, after this debacle, he probably wants to reconsider that assessment. She did “I Have Nothing,” which was a pretty apt metaphor for her entire performance. Sure, she’s got a big voice, but she was swallowed up by the size and emotional wallop of the song itself — you know, because she’s 16 or whatever. She tried to power her way through, but ended up just sort of shouting. If Erika Van Pelt is “EVP,” she’s “NVG” — not very good. Grade: F 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 Top 13 Contestants
‘I felt like I deserved it two years ago,’ Bad Boy rapper tells ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway The cover of XXL ‘s Freshman issue Photo: MTV News French Montana has been grinding for years, but to many the XXL Freshman is still a relative newcomer. Though he has more than a dozen mixtapes, Montana has yet to release his debut album — it’s scheduled to drop July 17. Still, French initially felt he had surpassed the current crop of rap rookies and almost turned down the cover opportunity, until he thought about it a little more. “I kinda like wasn’t gonna do it, because I felt like I deserved it two years ago, last year. You know how that goes,” French told Sway on Wednesday’s episode of “RapFix Live.” After a meeting with the magazine’s staff, French changed his mind and agreed to shoot the cover with rappers like his Bad Boy labelmate Machine Gun Kelly, Iggy Azalea and Future. “They were like, ‘This is based upon if you don’t have an album out.’ But to me I looked at it as another stepping stone because I respect everything they do,” French told Sway. “I said, ‘I really don’t have no album out and I’m still like a rookie to the mainstream world.’ ” It’s been a long road for the Morocco-born, Bronx, New York-raised rapper. Wanting to make a name for himself, French started a series of street-flavored DVD documentaries that he branded “Cocaine City” in 2003. He covered the hottest rap talent but created a platform where he could show off his own music as well. The tactic worked, but it did have some setbacks. “My vision for that was a platform for me to showcase my talent,” he said. “When we were doin’ the ‘Cocaine City’ DVDs, we kinda like attacked a lot of rappers, because, you know, negativity spreads faster. So you did what you had to do. So it backfired on me when I was trying to rap.” Frenchie feels that his negative coverage of other MCs caused him to be blackballed in the industry, but he continued to put out music. Now his “Shot Caller” single is climbing up the Billboard rap charts and the release of his debut album, Excuse My French, will be overseen by Diddy and Rick Ross. And, of course, French Montana appears on the XXL Freshman cover. Things are looking up. What do you think of French Montana’s inclusion on the 2012 XXL Freshman cover? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists French Montana
