Tag Archives: artist

MTV Has Not Banned Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ Video

CNN reported that video had been banned by channel; it actually began airing on MTV early Friday. By Gil Kaufman Lady Gaga in her “Telephone” video Photo: Interscope In the wake of reports that surfaced over the weekend claiming that MTV had banned Lady Gaga’s nearly 10-minute-long video for “Telephone,” a spokesperson for the channel clarified the situation on Monday (March 15). “MTV did not ban Lady Gaga and Beyonc

Lord of the Onion Rings

Artist Dave McDowell makes wild, pun-filled paintings often based on movies. His gallery is pretty fantastic. And don't miss his Deer Hunter either. View

Lady Gaga Says She Gave Up Drugs For Her Fans

Pop star discusses her past, fame and fashion with the New York Times. By Joel Hanek Lady Gaga Photo: Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images As she melds her pop music with performance pieces, Lady Gaga has managed to cultivate a sense of authority in art and fashion that goes beyond her enigmatic nebula of glamour and wigs. She did her best to maintain that authority, while also getting very personal, in an interview with the New York Times, fulfilling her new promotional duties for the M.A.C. AIDS fund and Viva Glam . “It’s hard knowing who to trust with your personal life,” Lady Gaga revealed to fashion reporter Horacio Silva in a piece that will run in this weekend’s T magazine. “When you cry in your room at night, you don’t always know who to call. So I am very close to my family.” The singer also touched on betrayal and the need to move on from elements of her past life, including drug use. “I left [my past] behind because I had to,” she said. “For many reasons, like drugs. It’s no secret that I have had problems with drugs in the past. And some places represent to me things in terms of my mental and physical health, so you learn to move on, to preserve what your mission in life is, and my greater mission is my fans.” Lady Gaga has consistently used the concept of fame as a motif in her art and music. “I believe in the glamorous life and I live one,” she said. However, the artist also expressed her distaste in “celebrities” and explained how she tries to challenge the paradigm of fame with her fans. “I think I have changed the way they look at and devour fame. It’s something that tastes a little too sweet but is not so difficult to swallow.” After discussing her “spiritual guide,” the interview highlighted another unique thing about Gaga: She refers to herself in the third person. “I talk about myself in the third person all the time. I don’t live my life in the way someone like you does,” Lady Gaga explained. “I live my life completely serving only my work and my fans. And that way, I have to think about not what is best for my vagina but what is best for my fans and for me artistically.” Related Photos The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga Related Artists Lady Gaga

Original post:
Lady Gaga Says She Gave Up Drugs For Her Fans

Kanye West Protege Mikkey Halstead Working On First Album

‘It’s really going to be done the way I want,’ he tells Mixtape Daily. By Steven Roberts Mikkey Halsted Photo: MTV News Fire Starter: Mikkey Halsted You would think that if Kanye West produced your demo with beats he hand-selected for you, you would be good to go. Now if that demo somehow found its way into the hands of Cash Money Records CEO Birdman, you’d definitely be topping the charts in no time. As a teenager, Mikkey Halsted was lucky enough to experience both of those scenarios, although things ended up not working out as planned. Hailing from Chicago, Halsted was introduced to Kanye by his sister, Miss Criss, another artist West had been working with in 2001. Criss raved to the producer about her brother’s lyrical skills but it wasn’t until ‘Ye overheard Halsted freestyling that he began to really pay attention. “Just going over to Kanye’s mama’s house, I used to be just kicking it, freestyling,” Halsted explained. “I really wasn’t taking hip-hop seriously at that point. I was into trying to make it to the NBA — I was a ballplayer. We got over there freestyling one time and he was like, ‘Damn, man, you’re really raw for real. Your sister wasn’t lying.’ He was like, ‘Man, take these beats, man, and see what you can do.’ ” Halsted came back the next day with three records finished, and the duo worked on a 15-song demo that made it to the executive offices of Cash Money Records. “This is before Kanye went to the Roc and all that … got to Cash Money, they heard it. They went crazy. They actually tried to get Kanye and me to sign.” Mikkey and his sister both signed and actually went on tour with the label, and although things did not ultimately work out with Cash Money, he built great relationships — Lil Wayne is still one of his good friends. Weezy shouted out Halsted in the October 2008 issue of XXL saying, “If anybody had me really get on my sh–, [it was] Mikkey.” Halsted also learned from the Cash Money work ethic. “I learned the independent game from them and I saw how they grinded. I took the Cash Money grind and applied it to my own situation and with my work ethic. I saw Wayne [work], and me and Wayne kind of came up together in a way,” he said. “All of those things and all of those different people kind of made me who I am today.” After a short stint signed to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def imprint, Halsted found himself independent again — and relishing it. He hooked back up with Kanye’s onetime mentor and Grammy-winning producer, No ID, and the two have steadily been putting out mixtapes and releasing songs to the hip-hop blogosphere. They are currently working on an independent album called The Darkroom. “It’s really going to be my first album and it’s really going to be done the way I want — the way No ID and I wanted to do it if we didn’t have any label interference,” Halsted said. “But it’s just a good thing. I’ve been through so many different things in a short period of time, so thank God I started as a teenager so, you know, you feel like you matured now, you ready for everything that’s coming.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Videos Mixtape Daily: Mikkey Halsted, Young Jeezy, Lloyd Banks Related Artists Lil Wayne Kanye West

Read more here:
Kanye West Protege Mikkey Halstead Working On First Album

Lil Wayne, Kanye West Protege Mikkey Halstead Working On First Album

‘It’s really going to be done the way I want,’ he tells Mixtape Daily. By Steven Roberts Mikkey Halsted Photo: MTV News Fire Starter: Mikkey Halsted You would think that if Kanye West produced your demo with beats he hand-selected for you, you would be good to go. Now if that demo somehow found its way into the hands of Cash Money Records CEO Birdman, you’d definitely be topping the charts in no time. As a teenager, Mikkey Halsted was lucky enough to experience both of those scenarios, although things ended up not working out as planned. Hailing from Chicago, Halsted was introduced to Kanye by his sister, Miss Criss, another artist West had been working with in 2001. Criss raved to the producer about her brother’s lyrical skills but it wasn’t until ‘Ye overheard Halsted freestyling that he began to really pay attention. “Just going over to Kanye’s mama’s house, I used to be just kicking it, freestyling,” Halsted explained. “I really wasn’t taking hip-hop seriously at that point. I was into trying to make it to the NBA — I was a ballplayer. We got over there freestyling one time and he was like, ‘Damn, man, you’re really raw for real. Your sister wasn’t lying.’ He was like, ‘Man, take these beats, man, and see what you can do.’ ” Halsted came back the next day with three records finished, and the duo worked on a 15-song demo that made it to the executive offices of Cash Money Records. “This is before Kanye went to the Roc and all that … got to Cash Money, they heard it. They went crazy. They actually tried to get Kanye and me to sign.” Mikkey and his sister both signed and actually went on tour with the label, and although things did not ultimately work out with Cash Money, he built great relationships — Lil Wayne is still one of his good friends. Weezy shouted out Halsted in the October 2008 issue of XXL saying, “If anybody had me really get on my sh–, [it was] Mikkey.” Halsted also learned from the Cash Money work ethic. “I learned the independent game from them and I saw how they grinded. I took the Cash Money grind and applied it to my own situation and with my work ethic. I saw Wayne [work], and me and Wayne kind of came up together in a way,” he said. “All of those things and all of those different people kind of made me who I am today.” After a short stint signed to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def imprint, Halsted found himself independent again — and relishing it. He hooked back up with Kanye’s onetime mentor and Grammy-winning producer, No ID, and the two have steadily been putting out mixtapes and releasing songs to the hip-hop blogosphere. They are currently working on an independent album called The Darkroom. “It’s really going to be my first album and it’s really going to be done the way I want — the way No ID and I wanted to do it if we didn’t have any label interference,” Halsted said. “But it’s just a good thing. I’ve been through so many different things in a short period of time, so thank God I started as a teenager so, you know, you feel like you matured now, you ready for everything that’s coming.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Videos Mixtape Daily: Young Jeezy, Lloyd Banks

See the article here:
Lil Wayne, Kanye West Protege Mikkey Halstead Working On First Album

The Real Mr. Grasshead

Face landscapes by artist Levi van Veluw (as seen on behance.net .) [ Ed Note : Check out the artist's website for a few (somewhat creepier) takes on the same concept.] View

Julia Allison’s Birthday Party, Starring Everyone But Julia Allison [Deep Thoughts]

I couldn’t abandon ship without saying goodbye to Julia Allison . Her birthday party was last night! And I know, I know: you’re so over Julia Allison, Why do you keep posting about her? I’m tired of hearing about her! Etc. Well, you bitches wouldn’t have clicked on the post if you didn’t want to read something about her, would you? Here’s what I think of Julia Allison: she’s like fuckin’ Bloody Mary, or Tao Lin. Every time her name pops up on the site, so does she. Emails! Comments! And so on. But people who completely freak out about Julia Allison and are her creepy internet stalkerazzi? I say, everything in moderation . And I don’t view her so much as a thing or this thing or a sociological experiment or whatever. Julia Allison is a business, and the business of Julia Allison is successful, and that business of being Julia Allison is predicated upon being a walking, talking publicity agency, fighting on all fronts, where the only client is Julia Allison. And people who want to be this well-known this badly probably will be—for better or, well, otherwise —but they also inherently accept everything that comes with it. Stalkerazzi and all! That said, I don’t really understand the out-and-out hatred of Julia Allison either. As far as breathing capitalist enterprises go, her business only comes at the cost of her own relationships and your airspace—which you can manipulate to your liking at any moment—and, well, Isn’t there someone better to rage against? Like Kim Jong-Il? At least with him, raging doesn’t necessarily help his cause . And let’s say Julia Allison does something nefarious, like lies about her media freebie disclosures, or cheats on her taxes, or stiffs a cab driver. You actually give a shit? You actually have time to give a shit? Especially if you aren’t paid to do so? Hopefully not. I just found her fascinating. A lot of Gawker readers did too, because they kept clicking until she landed the cover of Wired and was hanging out at Davos and shit. Isn’t that a goddamn gas? This person was so hated, she ended up at Davos. Ha. I guess I just wouldn’t be able to trust Julia Allison, because the everyday details of her personal life and relationships are—pretty much more than anyone I can think of off-hand—inextricably linked to her financial success. That must be tough. Ha. Here’s a gallery of pictures from her birthday party. She’s not in any of them. Obviously if you were there or know who her boyfriend is, I’d love to talk to you . This all makes me feel uncomfortable. I wouldn’t advocate huffing anything, but these might be more interesting on a glue high. You know? That’s her boyfriend on the left. If you know who it is, that’d be a fun story to go out with. She’s keeping him anonymous. Here they are at a party. Party! Here’s Julia Allison acolyte Jordan Reid. I actually bet Jordan’s a decent type! Did you know she was almost on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia ? True story . Also, her husband, standing next to her, isn’t really anonymous. I think she just put the smiley face there to impersonate Julia? This entire thing is like reading hieroglyphics and I just don’t get it. Really, truly. I don’t understand much of this. If anything. Anyway, her boyfriend is this guy Kendrick Strauch who used to be in Harlem Shakes , who was a band everyone in New York had heard of, seen, or listened to, but also a band nobody could name a song by. Anyway, they broke up. Julia Allison’s Birthday Party, or Indie Rock Obscurity? Ehhhh….*Makes Scales With Hands* We’re gonna get a little place. Okay, yeah, we’re gonna get a little place and w’re gonna… We gonna…gonna have a cow, and some pigs, and we’re gonna have, maybe-maybe, a chicken. Post-op castration patients are often rehabbed with pictures of their spouses’ friends photo albums to ease them into their new roles in the world. . Dorrian’s, A Portrait . Mixed Media., 2010. Art courtesy the artist. If one of these women were to appear above my bed demanding alimony payments, I’d shit myself. And then consult the closest Dickens novel for advice. When the Mighty Morphin Sephora Rangers combine powers, it’s like Voltron , except nothing cool happens. They just drunkenly tumble to the ground and scrape their knees. Bronimal Collective. The Brosten Celtics. BroYPD: Bro York’s Finest. The Bro Team! Florence + The Brochine. Grizzly Bro. The Bro Steady. LCD Brosystem. The Bro-End Theory. Of Bros and Men. Brosserie. Brontausaurs. Keep it on the down-bro. Etc.

Read the original:
Julia Allison’s Birthday Party, Starring Everyone But Julia Allison [Deep Thoughts]

Casey James and Andrew Garcia Lead Semifinal Parade of Men

We’re glad we’re not an American Idol contestant this season. Partly because we have an atrocious voice and would be laughed out of the competition. But also because the judges seem more scatter-brained and confusing than ever: be original, they tell contestants, but not so original that you butcher a song. Be true to who you are, they add, but also mix it up and stand out. For example: If you didn’t like Tyler Grady’s 70s schtick, panel, why did you select him for the semifinals? With that complaint out of the way, we’ve ranked last night’s set of live performances from best to worst: Casey James : Yes, we’re suckers for the Bryan Adams single “Heaven.” But aside from his voice, we admired James for the classy way he handled the show’s focus on Kara’s fawning over him. Andrew Garcia : Stop bringing up his great rendition of “Straight Up” from an earlier round, judges, and focus on each performance. We loved his arrangement on “Sugar We’re Going Down.” Todrick Hall : We’re probably alone with this pick, but the guy took a major risk by re-working a Kelly Clarkson classic and he gets props for that. Lee DeWyze : We had no idea he had this in him. Solid work on “Chasing Cars” and the official male dark horse. John Park : Did he try to do much with a difficult song? Yes, but he wants to marry Shania Twain and the show could use someone with a sense of humor. Alex Lambert : The judges actually did call this one perfectly. He has potential, but just needs to get more comfortable on stage. Aaron Kelly : If he had waited a year or two to try out, could have been a front-runner. Decent performance of “Here Comes Goodbye.” Joe Munoz : We’re just glad he didn’t choose the popular Jason Mraz song everyone sings. Actually not bad, but a lack of stage presence and star power. Jermaine Sellers : Over-singing alert! The guy just tries too hard on stage and it doesn’t look natural. Michael Lynche : We’re huge fans of “Big Mike” as a person. Nice, sweet guy. But he simply lacks the vocal talent. Tyler Grady : We never liked his 1970s look. Way too much of a gimmick. Tim Urban : Actually worse than Lacey Brown the night before. Browse through performance photo of the competitors from last night and let us know: Who was your favorite?

Read more from the original source:
Casey James and Andrew Garcia Lead Semifinal Parade of Men

iTunes Sells 10 Billion Songs

Downloader who bought 10 billionth track wins a $10,000 iTunes gift card. By Ryan J. Downey iTunes hits ten billion sold Photo: Apple Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry helped drive sales of tracks on Apple’s iTunes store past the 10 billion mark Wednesday (February 24). And the person who bought the 10 billionth track gets a $10,000 iTunes gift card. The Black Eye Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” is the most-downloaded song on the store , with “Boom Boom Pow” landing at #3. Lady Gaga is the artist with the most songs toward the top, with “Poker Face” at #2, “Just Dance” at #6 and “Bad Romance” at #22. Other acts with tracks in the top 25 include Coldplay, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Kings of Leon, the Fray and Owl City. All of the top 25 tracks were released in the past five years (Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok” is the newest at #10) except for one: “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Classic rockers Journey undoubtedly have “The Sopranos” and “Glee” to thank for renewed interest in the unstoppable song, first recorded in 1981, which landed at #21. In 2006, Apple gave a gift card, 20-inch iMac, 10 60GB iPods and a music-school scholarship set up in the winner’s name to the person who purchased the 1 billionth download. Apple’s iTunes store was known as the iTunes Music Store when it launched less than seven years ago, prior to the addition of videos, movies and TV shows. Onetime MTV News correspondent Iann Robinson helped introduce iTunes in an infomercial that ran in Apple stores and online back in the day. In it, Robinson explained what are now well-known concepts like single-track downloads, full-album purchases, free 30-second previews of songs, burning CDs and transferring to iPods. “These are the people that changed my life with the simple invention of the iPod,” he said in the six-minute-plus video. “Buy a song or a whole album. Either way, you get album art! Awesome!” Related Videos Highlights From iTunes’ Most-Downloaded Songs Of All Time Related Artists Black Eyed Peas Katy Perry Lady Gaga

Read more:
iTunes Sells 10 Billion Songs

Justin Bieber Pictures: Too Cute To Be True?

Let us answer the question posed above immediately: No, Justin Bieber pictures are not coo cute to be true. These actually exist! The 15-year old singer put on a show for fans in Paris this week that grew so out of control, police almost got involved. Such is the life of a teen heartthrob. Below, fans can click on a slew of Bieber photos from the event. Be warned, however: these pics make puppies look like Heidi Montag, post-plastic surgery!

Here is the original post:
Justin Bieber Pictures: Too Cute To Be True?