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Heavy D Was ‘In Great Shape,’ His Brother Says

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘He constantly made sure that his health was in check,’ Floyd Myers tells MTV News after public memorial. By Rob Markman Heavy D Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images Heavy D will be missed, and fans aren’t the only ones searching for answers about his sudden death . On Thursday (November 17), MTV News visited the Mount Vernon, New York, home of Heavy D’s family, who are still grieving over the passing of their beloved Dwight Myers. “Heavy was in great shape,” Floyd Myers, the fallen rapper’s brother and business partner, told MTV News. “You guys seen him at the BET Awards, and he just did the tribute to Michael Jackson; they flew him out to London to do that. Heav was in good shape, healthy, no heart problems. He constantly made sure that his health was in check.” The initial autopsy report came back inconclusive, but Myers said he spoke to his hitmaking brother the day before he died, and as far as he could tell, there were no signs that he was ill. On records and onscreen, Heavy D promoted love and positivity. Myers assured that his brother was the same way even when the cameras weren’t on him. “He loved family, and that’s who he was, but it wasn’t too much different from how he treated his friends and his fans,” he said. “He showed everybody love and affection, and we’re gonna miss that.” On Thursday, fans gathered at Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon for a public viewing and a chance to say goodbye to the Overweight Lover before his private funeral on Friday. The public support has been remarkable, and Myers admitted that he didn’t know Heavy had impacted so many people. “I didn’t realize how he built his legacy and how it stands today because of the things that he has done and has not done over the years,” Myers said of his brother’s dedication to only partake in the positive business ventures. “There was just certain things that Heav just wouldn’t do, and we used to riff at him. We used to be like, ‘Yo, that’s a lot of money you turning down,’ but it wasn’t the right thing to do. Maybe if he would’ve did those things, his legacy would have not been sealed the way it is today.” Despite their current grief, the tremendous amount of support from fans and friends like Sean “Diddy” Combs, Andre Harrell, Russell Simmons and producer Eddie F. have helped alleviate some of the Myers family’s pain. “Besides the famous guys, it’s the regular dudes on the street that’s just throwing out love to my family. It’s taken the sting out a little bit,” Myers said. In support of Heavy D’s daughter Xia Myers, the family has set up the Heavy D and Xia Myers Fund. To learn more, fans can visit RememberHeavyD.com . Related Videos Remembering Heavy D Related Artists Heavy D

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Ashton Kutcher And Demi Moore Announce Divorce

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton,’ Moore says in a statement. By Jocelyn Vena Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore Photo: Getty Images After dodging separation and affair rumors for months now, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher officially announced plans to divorce Thursday (November 17). “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton,” Moore said in a statement to The Associated Press. “As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life. This is a trying time for me and my family, and so I would ask for the same compassion and privacy that you would give to anyone going through a similar situation.” “Two and a Half Men” star Kutcher took to Twitter to confirm the split. “Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail. Love and Light, AK,” he wrote on the social networking site. As of press time, Moore’s Twitter handle was still @mrskutcher. The two had no children together but did start the DNA Foundation last year to raise awareness about the sexual exploitation of young women around the world. People magazine reports that in the wake of Kutcher’s affair scandal earlier this fall, the two had been working on their relationship. “Demi loves Ashton as much as she hates public humiliation,” a source told the website around the time the affair rumors broke. “The marriage isn’t good right now.”

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Heavy D Fans Pay Final Respects At Public Memorial

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Wayans brothers were among mourners; a private funeral service for the late rapper will be held Friday. By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Rob Markman Heavy D in 1991 Photo: Ron Galella / Getty Images A private funeral for late rapper Heavy D (born Dwight Errington Meyers) will take place Friday, but on Thursday (November 17), his family held an open memorial service from noon to 6p.m. at the Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, New York. Fans were given a chance to say goodbye to the Overweight Lover, as he was affectionately known. The weather in New York had dipped into the 40s, but that didn’t prevent fans and friends — including the Wayans brothers — from showing up to pay their final respects. Outside the Grace Baptist Church, police officials set up barricades that stretched as far as three city blocks. A steady stream of visitors, heavy with high school students, made their way inside for a last glimpse of the local hero. Once inside, ushers guided fans to the front of the church, where Heavy D lay in an open casket, dressed in a gray suit, with his arms folded. Just above his casket, a video monitor played footage of the Jamaican-born performer from his early days. After fans paid their respects, Heavy’s family did their best to thank each and every visitor as they exited the church. On Friday, guests at Heavy D’s invite-only funeral services will include Mary J. Blige, Diddy (who both worked with Heavy at Uptown Records) and DJ Eddie F and G-Wiz, his group members in the popular ’90s outfit Heavy D & the Boyz. Heavy D was rushed to the hospital last week after collapsing in his Beverly Hills home. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward, at the age of 44. The Los Angeles coroner’s office has not yet announced an official cause of death. Related Videos Remembering Heavy D Related Photos Heavy D: Life, Music And Friends Related Artists Heavy D & The Boyz

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Beyonce Debuts New Videos — And Her Wedding Dress!

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I Was Here’ and ‘End of Time’ will be featured on upcoming ‘Live at Roseland’ DVD. By Gil Kaufman Beyonce in her “I Was Here” music video Photo: Columbia Just because Beyonc

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‘Hunger Games’ Sequel Might Be Penned By ‘Slumdog’ Writer

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Lionsgate is reportedly courting screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, who won an Oscar for ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’ By Kevin P. Sullivan Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate Ordering a script for the sequel to a film that hasn’t come out yet seems to be a quickly growing trend in Hollywood. On Wednesday, we heard rumors that Warner Bros. already has a shortlist of potential writers for the “Man of Steel” sequel, and Thursday (November 17), Deadline reported that Lionsgate has already begun courting a writer for the next “Hunger Games” film, “Catching Fire.” According to the report, Lionsgate wants Simon Beaufoy, the Academy Award-winning writer behind the “Slumdog Millionaire” screenplay, to pen the next adaptation of the Suzanne Collins series. Collins and “Hunger Games” director Gary Ross contributed a lot of the writing for the first film’s script, and the pair had planned to collaborate again on “Catching Fire.” But post-production on “Hunger Games,” which opens in theaters on March 23, has kept Ross too busy to begin work on the next script, necessitating the hiring of a new writer. Ross is, however, expected to return as director. Negotiations between Beaufoy and Lionsgate have not officially begun, but the studio has apparently made its intentions clear. Lionsgate had previously announced that the three “Hunger Games” books would eventually become four separate movies. How those movies will be broken up remains to be seen. Recent film series to have done that, “Harry Potter” and “Twilight,” split the final book entry into two films, but there have been no specific plans announced for “Mockingjay,” the third book in this series. In addition to “Slumdog,” Beaufoy’s other writing credits include another Danny Boyle-directed film, “127 Hours,” and “The Full Monty.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Reactions To The First ‘Hunger Games’ Trailer Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ Character Posters ‘Hunger Games’ District Seals The Hunger Games

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Drake, Rick Ross Project Is ‘Official’

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once) mixtape is ‘most definitely’ happening, Ross tells ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman Rick Ross Photo: MTV News It’s deeper than rap with Rick Ross and Drake . While the two have collaborated on a number of hit records like Rozay’s “Aston Martin Music” and DJ Khaled’s “I’m on One,” the two MCs share a bond that extends way beyond the studio. So when Drake announced that he and the Bawse would be collaborating on a new mixtape, Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once), it made sense in theory, but how real is the actual project? Very real, says Rozay. “You know, it’s official, the music is most definitely official,” Ross said when he appeared on “RapFix Live” on Wednesday. “But you know, me being a boss, I’m trying to find a way that we could put that on the shelves for the world, baby. But it’s most definitely official.” Retailing a collaboration project is tricky, especially considering that Drizzy and Rozay are signed to two different labels. Ross is currently inked up with Def Jam as a soloist, and Drake just released his sophomore album, Take Care, on Cash Money. Still, the Maybach Music CEO is hopeful. “You know, Drake, I consider him a part of the fam. It’s not just music,” he said. “We stay in the studio, we stay on Skype.” According to Ross, the two mostly talk about the music they’ve been recording, and so far their collaborations have been well received. On the day that Drake’s Take Care was leaked onto the Internet, “Lord Knows,” featuring Rozay , began trending on Twitter. Back in August, the Toronto MC had some high praise for his buddy. Drizzy was one of the few able to hear Ross’ God Forgives, I Don’t as a work in progress, and his early review was glowing. “This guy right here,” Drake said, motioning to Ross as the two sat at Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV release party , “that God Forgives, I Don’t ; the only way I can describe it is like Doggystyle or Ready to Die or Clipse Lord Willin’ or any of the albums that I collected and held on to as a kid — whether it was cassette or CD.” In a recent interview with XXL magazine, Drake spoke about the status of the upcoming mixtape, revealing that the two seizures that the Bawse suffered in October may slow the process up just a bit. “I’ve been working on that for the last couple of weeks. We haven’t really connected because he’s been going through this thing with his health. I’ve been stashing my little beats and verses,” he said. There is no telling when fans will get to hear Y.O.L.O. or how it will even be released, but when it drops it should be a special one. “It’s just love all the way around the board,” Ross remarked. “So Y.O.L.O. You Only Live Once, let’s go hard, let’s go get it.” Related Videos Rick Ross, Meek Mill, N.O.R.E. And More On ‘RapFix Live’ Related Artists Drake Rick Ross

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Google Music Launches, Plans To Take On iTunes

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Users can store up to 20,000 songs on the Google cloud. By Gil Kaufman Photo: Google/ MTV News After a summer of beta testing and months of rumors, Google officially launched its long-rumored Google Music service on Wednesday in an attempt to compete with the undisputed champion of digital downloading, Apple’s iTunes. The initial reaction from Silicon Valley tech writers was that the service was, well, pretty similar to iTunes, but, you know, not as great. Google’s bid to break Apple’s decade-long supremacy in the digital music realm allows users to store up to 20,000 songs in their personal locker on the Google cloud service. That is similar to what Apple’s Match cloud server offers its users, except, according to one Google exec, his company won’t be charging an annual fee to allow users to listen to their own music on the cloud. (Apple’s Match charges a $25 annual fee for storage.) So far, Google has signed up three of the four major record labels — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI — but has not yet reached a deal with the Warner Music Group, which has a 20-percent share of the U.S. market. Among the Warner acts you won’t find on Google Music are Wiz Khalifa, Nickelback, Frank Sinatra, Green Day, Gucci Mane and Mastodon. Google has signed up a number of independent labels as well and there was the vague promise of a potential Warner deal in the future. For now, though, the search giant is differentiating itself from the competition by allowing artists who self-release their music to directly upload their songs for purchase on Google Music and set their own pricing schemes. Google Music also lets users share the music they’ve bought with friends via the Google+ social networking platform. Once you’ve purchased a song or album from the Android Market, you can then send a stream to a pal using Google+ and they can listen to the tune once for free. The service, with prices similar to those on iTunes, will also be offering a free song of the day and is currently touting exclusive tracks from a number of artists, including Coldplay, the Rolling Stones and Busta Rhymes. Will you check out the Google Music service?

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Taylor Lautner On Honeymoon Scene: ‘It’s About Time’

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I’ve seen Edward and Bella go through a lot so far, so I feel like I was kind of ready to see this,’ Lautner tells MTV News. By Tiffany Miles, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner in “Breaking Dawn, Part 1” Photo: Summit Entertainment Of all the buzz surrounding this week’s hugely anticipated release of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” the vast majority of fan rumblings and excitement have been about and for one scene and one scene only: the “honeymoon scene,” a.k.a. Bella and Edward’s sex scene. It’s a different story for the actors involved, specifically for Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart , who have talked at length about how awkward filming the scene was. Their co-stars seem to be onboard with their enthusiasm for the “action,” however. When MTV News caught up with Taylor Lautner recently, he said he was ready for it. “I’ve seen Edward and Bella go through a lot so far, so I feel like I was kind of ready to see this,” Lautner said. “I think everybody will feel the same way. We’ve seen Edward and Bella in their relationship grow so much that it’s about time.” “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer told us at the “Breaking Dawn” premiere that the scene in the movie gives fans a lot more to see and think about than she did in the book. “I think it’s romantic, and it does give you more than the book does,” Meyer said. “I know some of the sites call it, instead of ‘fade to black,’ ‘fade to sad.’ They’d love to see more. I think this gives them that,” she said. “It gives them a romantic peek into the honeymoon. We don’t want to see too much.” Although everyone seems to be excited to see the honeymoon scene, Lautner still isn’t sure that Bella made the right decision when she chose Edward over his character, Jacob Black. When asked if he thought Bella made the wrong call, he jokingly said, “You know, I go back and forth with that one [question] still.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Live From The ‘Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Red Carpet MTV Rough Cut: Taylor Lautner Related Photos ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Premiere

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Mac Miller Ignored Label Offers On Road To #1 Debut

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We just really wanted to stick with our home team,’ Mac Miller tells ‘RapFix Live’ of Blue Slide Park. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Mac Miller Photo: Getty Images What’s the first thing an artist does when he snags the #1 spot on the Billboard albums chart? Well, if he’s Mac Miller , he plays James Brown’s “I Feel Good” — and why wouldn’t he? On Wednesday (November 16), the 19-year-old Pittsburgh MC landed the #1 album with his independent debut, Blue Slide Park. It’s the first time an indie artist has obtained the top spot with a debut since Tha Dogg Pound did it in 1995. To mark the occasion, Mac — who is currently out on tour — appeared on “RapFix Live” via Skype. “It’s crazy. I’ve been trying to take it all in,” Miller told Sway. “I’ve just been in constant motion, so I haven’t gotten a chance to really stop and realize how crazy this is that we got the first #1 in 16 years. It’s nuts, man.” Mac broke out in 2010 when he signed to Rostrum Records and then dropped his K.I.D.S. mixtape. Rostrum, which is most noted for signing Wiz Khalifa, is an independent label. Even though Wiz is distributed through Atlantic Records, Mac has no major-label affiliation — not that the majors haven’t been interested. But Team Miller wanted to do things on their own. “I never really got far enough to see an offer for real,” Mac said. “I got no hatred towards major labels or anything. I never got a chance to hear what they had to say. We just really wanted to stick with our home team and keep it in the family.” Miller’s manager and Rostrum Records founder Benjy Grinberg has been fending off offers for Mac. “They called Benjy and wanted to talk, but Benjy was just on some ‘We’re not trying to talk right now, we’re doin’ this independently.’ And we just left it at that.” The move paid off. Since Blue Slide Park was released November 8, fans have been snatching up copies both digitally and physically. “The numbers are cool — 144,000, that’s crazy. But whatever it is, the fact that I got a #1 album on my first try independently is just something that no one could ever take away from me,” Mac said. “I had fans tweeting me with pictures of nine albums that they bought.” Did you snatch up Mac’s album? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Rick Ross, Meek Mill, N.O.R.E. And More On ‘RapFix Live’ Related Artists Mac Miller

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Robert Pattinson ‘Like A Dad’ To Mackenzie Foy

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I don’t see him as cute,’ 11-year-old actress who plays vampire/human daughter Renesmee Cullen tells MTV News. By Kara Warner Robert Pattinson Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images With the official release of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” just a few days away, it’s hard to focus on anything else “Twilight”-related. But here at MTV News we can and do, particularly since we managed to snag an interview with Mackenzie Foy on Monday night at the Los Angeles premiere, where the adorable young actress said she was only allowed to see “bits and pieces,” given a few intense and steamy scenes , Never mind the fact that there’s still another year to go before we see Foy onscreen when “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” opens, we were just excited to talk to her about playing Renesmee, the half-vampire/ half-human daughter of Edward and Bella. “To be honest, I’m really excited about this part too,” Foy gushed. “I knew that [playing] Renesmee Cullen was going to be a big, amazing experience. I knew that she was going to be an amazing big part to do and I’m ready for it and I did it.” The blue-eyed, brown-haired 11-year-old admitted that she might look “just a little bit like” her onscreen parents, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, and had nothing but praise for how nice everyone was to her during filming — except, of course, when it came to using naughty language. We heard Foy made out like a bandit by charging her co-stars money every time they swore, so we asked her to confirm. “Yes, it is true! They would say bad words, and I put it all in this little bucket called the ‘Swear Jar.’ I don’t really know [how much I made], I know it was a lot but I donated it all to St. Jude’s,” she revealed, adding that no one in particular was more foul-mouthed than any other castmember. “They all swear pretty evenly,” she said. We moved on to another important question: Like millions of other Twilighters, does Foy think co-star Pattinson is cute? “I don’t see him as cute,” she said matter-of-factly. “He’s really nice and all, but he’s more of a friend or a brother or a dad to me. … Kristen is an amazing, sweet, wonderful actress and I’m so lucky to be working with her,” she added. “She’s an amazing person.” And what does she think about Taylor Lautner, her would-be future onscreen love interest? “He is nice, he’s funny, he just loves to be with people,” Foy said. “I loved working with all of them; they’re really sweet.” Finally, regarding her favorite scene to shoot, Foy hinted that it’s one toward the end of the movie (and likely the franchise) between Renesmee and Jacob. “My favorite scene to shoot was one of the very last scenes with Taylor. It’s one where I’m on him and it’s just really cool,” she teased. “I’m not going to give out details, but it’s a really amazing scene.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Live From The ‘Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Red Carpet Related Photos ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Premiere

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