In case you forgot, Miley Cyrus is currently twerking around the world for her Bangerz tour , which is how we got treated to these great shots of her hanging out at the pool in a bikini in Spain. It’s also one of the reasons I’m convinced that Miley will keep going strong while other pop stars come and go, because she understands that the secret to success is giving the fans variety. And no, I’m not talking about her music, which all sounds the same. I mean her pictures. Because between the bootylicious tour shots , topless selfies , sexy photoshoots and red carpets , you never know what you’re going to get with Miley, you just know it’s going to be something good. So enjoy. Photos: PacificCoastNews
Fresh off her X Factor elimination , Jennel Garcia faced the press last night and looked forward to what she hopes will be a very bright future. “It’s time for me to show the world who I am,” Garcia told reporters backstage. “Coming into this competition I lost myself. But I was looking for a place to grow and someone to guide me. And I feel like [ Demi Lovato ] guided me.” Garcia, of course, was stuck in the bottom two last night along with Paige Thomas . She fought back tears after the bad news was announced. But Garcia isn’t focusing on the negative. She’s dreaming big and hoping to combine rock with pop. “I’m so sick of hearing the same music on the radio,” she said of this goal. “Everything you hear on the radio sounds the same. And I know a lot of people can agree with that, people who don’t even like the music I like can agree with that. We’re sick of hearing the same thing.” What do you think, readers? Did you Garcia deserve to be given the boot? Yes, it was Jennel’s time! No way, should have been Paige! View Poll »
Fresh off her X Factor elimination , Jennel Garcia faced the press last night and looked forward to what she hopes will be a very bright future. “It’s time for me to show the world who I am,” Garcia told reporters backstage. “Coming into this competition I lost myself. But I was looking for a place to grow and someone to guide me. And I feel like [ Demi Lovato ] guided me.” Garcia, of course, was stuck in the bottom two last night along with Paige Thomas . She fought back tears after the bad news was announced. But Garcia isn’t focusing on the negative. She’s dreaming big and hoping to combine rock with pop. “I’m so sick of hearing the same music on the radio,” she said of this goal. “Everything you hear on the radio sounds the same. And I know a lot of people can agree with that, people who don’t even like the music I like can agree with that. We’re sick of hearing the same thing.” What do you think, readers? Did you Garcia deserve to be given the boot? Yes, it was Jennel’s time! No way, should have been Paige! View Poll »
‘Anything that goes left, and is new and is creative, I love it,’ Fresh tells MTV News at Bonnaroo. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Ade Mangum Mannie Fresh Photo: MTV News Back when Lil Wayne was a baby-faced teen, it was producer Mannie Fresh who was the driving force behind Cash Money’s sound. It may be hard to imagine these days, but Fresh’s booming 808s and bouncy bass lines laid the foundation for Cash Money’s early catalog. After meeting CM CEO Bryan “Birdman” Williams in the mid-1990s, Mannie jumped onboard as the label’s in-house producer. In 2005, Mannie split from the label, and Cash Money has marched on, dominating the rap charts with artists like Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj. So what does Mannie Fresh think of the new Cash Money sound? MTV News caught up with Fresh at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee to find out. “Some things I love, some things I hate,” the platinum producer said matter-of-factly before switching the conversation to the South’s overall hip-hop landscape. “I think there’s a lot of stuff in the South right now that sounds the same.” In his heyday, Fresh was known for his distinct country sound and ad-libbing on songs he produced just to hype it up. Hit records like Juvenile’s “Ha,” B.G.’s “Bling, Bling” and Lil Wayne’s “Go DJ” exemplified Fresh’s sonic style and helped set the standard for other producers below the Mason-Dixon in the early 2000s. Now, Mannie says it’s time for a change. “Even if it’s the way my music sounds, I think it’s overdone, it’s time for something new to happen,” he said. “Now anything that goes left, and is new and is creative, I love it. But if you mimicking somebody and you’re overdoing it, I don’t know. I don’t get it. That’s what I’m saying.” What do you think of Cash Money’s evolution? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Mannie Fresh
MC is poised to make his major-label debut on the re-launched Roc-A-Fella. By Jayson Rodriguez Curren$y Photo: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam “Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010” Candidate: Curren$y The Hot Spitta’s been pursuing happiness longer than most on the “Hottest Breakthrough” list. A few years ago, Lil Wayne introduced Curren$y to the world with their rumbling collaboration “Where Tha Cash At,” also featuring Remy Ma. But the New Orleans native hasn’t truly had a moment until recently. His deal with Young Money was severed due to creative differences, and he released two indie projects in the meantime. Now, though, Curren$y is aligned with Damon Dash’s DD172 studio and the hip-hop mogul’s partnership with Creative Control, a cutting-edge visual content company. The result is his forthcoming Pilot Talk. It’s not only his major-label debut but also the first effort from the re-launched Roc-A-Fella Records under Dash and Def Jam. “I call it opposite world,” Curren$y told MTV News about his deferred dreams. “That’s what I’ve named it. I’ve been doing this for a minute, and I’ve grown accustomed to things just not really panning out. But I still have a good time, so it don’t really matter. But this time, I keep waiting. “To know that [Dash] wasn’t trying to be involved in music — he reached out to do the Black Roc project to do a verse and both got so cool and knew that was it,” he continued. “I been to a million meetings, and that really wasn’t a meeting. We just kicked it. Might as well get money at the same time.” Since joining forces with Dash, Curren$y has helped recruit Mos Def and Jay Electronica into the fold, as the three plan have been collaborate on a project together. And as the de facto leader of the DD172 movement, the warbly-voiced MC has helped Wiz Khalifa and Big K.R.I.T. raise their profile by trading woozy verses with them on their mixtape projects. They all share a similar vibe, featuring laid-back production and music that’s perfect to listen to in candy-painted rides. According to Curren$y, their sound is the foundation for their current rise. “The music is progressive, and people are receptive to it, because [most other] music sounds the same,” he said. “Everything sounds the same. Really, they’re doing us a favor by staying like that. People want to be relevant so bad that once they see somebody win, they do exactly what that person did and they stop doing what they do. Except for us. So continue to do that. We think it’s awesome.” Curren$y and 19 other up-and-coming MCs are in the running to become MTV News’ “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” — and the winner will be decided by you! Cast your vote for the “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” right here . The top five will be revealed beginning July 19, and the winner will be announced on the “Sucker Free Summit” July 25! Related Videos Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010 Related Artists Curren$y
And then there were two. Yes, we know there are actually seven finalists remaining on American Idol – but can anyone envision a scenario in which Crystal Bowersox or Lee DeWyze does NOT take home the title? We certainly hope not, as this pair is clearly the cream of the season nine crop. Each proved why during last night’s edition of the show, based around inspirational singles, putting on performances that brought many in the audience to tears. We’ve ranked the top seven in order below. Just imagine a large space between number-two and all the others… Bowersox : Who needs a guitar?!? With a perfect rendition of “People Get Ready,” and with her father in the crowd, Crystal herself couldn’t stop from crying. But here’s encouraging news for the singer: she’s the one to beat. DeWyze : He took on “The Boxer,” a Paul Simon classic. It was a tender performance, one that lived up to the expectations of such a well-known, respected song. Awesome job. Casey James : Taken on its own, a solid take on “Don’t Stop.” But this singer sounds the same each week. Nothing stands out at this point, which might actually put Casey in danger of elimination this week. Siobhan Magnus : She took heat for her ballad of “When You Believe.” But who would you rank above her? Still has a great voice and great potential. Aaron Kelly : It’s difficult to get past the cheesy single he chose (“I Believe I Can Fly”), or even the shady persona of the dude who originally sang it (R. Kelly). But this Kelly connected with the audience in an impressive manner. Tim Urban : We’ve seen better recent performances from this cutie than his cover of “Better Days.” His time might finally be up. Michael Lynche : Another cheesy ballad, as Big Mike took a big chance with “Hero.” His voice just couldn’t carry such a tough song choice. Who was your favorite performer of the night?
