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Michael Jackson Phone Recording: ‘I Had No Childhood’

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Among other testimony, a much-hyped slurred phone recording is played in full. By Gil Kaufman and Kara Warner Dr. Conrad Murray looks on during trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 5 Photo: Getty Images After bringing a succession of Dr. Conrad Murray’s girlfriends to the witness stand, on Wednesday (October 5), prosecutors in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson ‘s personal physician focused on the kinds and amounts of drugs Murray ordered in the months leading up to the pop star’s death at age 50 on June 25, 2009. The most anticipated moment of the day was the promise of the full recording of a slurred-sounding Jackson recorded on Murray’s phone in the weeks before the “Thriller” singer’s death. Bits of the tape were played during the prosecution’s opening statements. Among the testimony Wednesday:

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Willow Smith, Nicki Minaj Ignite ‘Fireball’

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Young ‘Whip My Hair’ singer’s new single premieres on Hot 97. By James Dinh Willow Smith Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/ Getty Images It’s been over a year since Willow Smith ‘s “Whip My Hair” takeover, and since then, the 10-year-old rising pop darling has released follow-up single “21st Century Girl” and has been steadily working on her Roc Nation debut album. On Wednesday (October 5), Smith dropped a Nicki Minaj-assisted party single, “Fireball,” to appease her growing fanbase. Offering world-premiere duties to New York Hot 97 DJ Angie Martinez’s afternoon radio show, “Fireball” is a drum-heavy party tune, where the young starlet gets feisty, shows her swagger and proclaims herself the center of attention. “See, I never been the one to toot my own horn/ Beep beep, now watch me put it on/ I set fire everywhere I play/ Make them all go insane, L.A. to U.K.,” Smith sings with confidence. She keeps the energy going by delivering a simple hook when she repeatedly boasts, “I’m the fireball of the party/ I’m the fire” atop a layer of chants. Minaj chimes in about two minutes into the song, sharing bragging rights with Smith, offering her usual rapping eccentrics and even name-dropping the singer’s famous parents. “Put you under my wing, I’m the top boss/ Ain’t from Louisiana, but I’m hot sauce/ Cop the mountain, just to go and build a house off so I ain’t never got to worry what the house cost,” the MC spits. Artwork for the song, which has been posted on the singer’s Facebook page, depicts the singer’s signature nameplate inside an orange-lit fireball. On Monday, Smith teased fans about the single’s debut via Twitter , writing, “My new single is coming soon, really soon, like maybe tomorrow soon:) #FIREBALL:)” MTV News recently chatted with “Whip My Hair” producer Ronald “Jukebox” Jackson , who revealed that the pop starlet is close to finishing her full-length debut album. “I did like eight, nine songs on Willow, so right now, we’re in the process of just trying to close out the album,” he said. “It’s just the whole process. You got to think about it: She’s a 10-year-old girl. She’s gotta have a life; she’s gotta be a kid.” Share your review of “Fireball” in the comments below! Related Artists Willow Smith Nicki Minaj

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Willow Smith, Nicki Minaj Ignite ‘Fireball’

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Scarlett Johansson Speaks Out About Nude Photo Leak

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

For the first time since private photos of her hit the Net, Johansson tells CNN, ‘It just feels wrong.’ By James Montgomery Scarlett Johansson Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/ Getty Images Scarlett Johansson has broken her silence about the nude photos of her that hit several websites earlier this month, saying that she feels like a target because of her fame. In an interview with CNN , the actress insisted that celebrities are no different than anyone else when it comes to the right of privacy, but added that, more often than not — as the scandal surrounding her photos proves — that just isn’t the case. “Just because you’re an actor or make films or whatever doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to your own personal privacy,” she said. “If that is sieged in some way, it feels unjust. It feels wrong.” The actress was interviewed in Nairobi, Kenya, where she was traveling to see firsthand the effect drought and famine have had in the area. In the hours after photos of the actress first hit the Net, Johansson’s lawyer sent cease-and-desist orders to websites that ran the pics, alleging they were hacked from her phone and therefore represented “stolen copyright-protected private photographs.” The lawyer’s statement continued, “The highly personal and private photographs at issue capture our client self-posing in her own home in a state of undress and/or topless. If you fail to comply, you will be acting at your own peril. Please govern yourselves accordingly.” Johansson reportedly also was working with the FBI to investigate who hacked her phone and leaked her photos. Fox News reported that the actress was actually interviewed by the FBI months ago in connection with an investigation into a hacking ring that also hit several other “high-profile individuals.” And to that end, Johansson told CNN that, though she struggles with life in the spotlight, she’s determined to maintain her privacy. “It’s an adjustment, but I think there are certain instances where you give a lot of yourself and finally you have to kind of put your foot down and say ‘Oh wait, I’m taking it back,’ ” she said .

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Will Smith Considering ‘Annie’ Reboot Starring Willow

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Jay-Z reportedly is in talks to work on the music for the film. By Gil Kaufman Willow Smith Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/ Getty Images Wearing his producer hat, Will Smith has already successfully rebooted one movie franchise, “The Karate Kid,” with son Jaden in the lead role, and now the veteran star reportedly has his eye on reviving another iconic film for daughter Willow. According to Variety , Smith is in discussions with Sony about potentially remaking the 1982 movie musical “Annie” with Willow starring as the adorable singing orphan. Few details are available about the project, which is in the early development stages, but the magazine reports that Jay-Z — who signed the preteen “Whip My Hair” singer to his Roc Nation label last year — is in talks to work on music for the film. It was unclear at press time if the movie would be a contemporary update of the story, which originated in 1924 as the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” then morphed into a hit Broadway musical in 1977 before being taken to the big screen by director John Huston. The original film starred Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan, Bernadette Peters as Lily St. Regis and newcomer Aileen Quinn as Annie. The movie takes place during the Great Depression and finds redheaded cutie pie Annie living in an orphanage run by the cruel drunk Miss Hannigan. She is later adopted by billionaire “Daddy” Warbucks and treated to the lush life after a childhood filled with struggle. In addition to being Willow’s musical mentor, Jay has a long history with the “Annie” franchise. He sampled the iconic song “Hard Knock Life” from the musical for his Grammy-nominated 1998 single, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” from the Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life album. The hip-hop mogul has spoken about how he connected with the rags-to-riches story of the musical’s grade-school star, telling NPR last year that he wrote a personal letter to the tune’s composers describing how much “Annie” meant to him growing up while asking for permission to sample it. Variety hinted that, considering Sony banked more than $350 million on “The Karate Kid” last summer, it seems likely the studio will seriously consider the “Annie” re-do. Do you think an updated “Annie” movie starring Willow Smith is a good idea? Share your opinions in the comments. Related Artists Willow Smith

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