Tag Archives: artist

Nicki Minaj Talks Hottest MCs At NBA All-Star Game

After performing ‘Super Bass,’ MC walked offstage and celebrated her Hottest MCs placement with MTV News. By Rob Markman Nicki Minaj performs at the 2012 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday Photo: Ronald Martinez/ Getty Images ORLANDO, Florida — All the stars are out for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, but before basketball’s biggest names took the court at Orlando’s Amway Center, Ms. Nicki Minaj set the party off right. The reigning queen of rap rocked her smash single “Super Bass” in the jam-packed b-ball arena. Wearing a skintight white jumpsuit and a blond and pink hairdo, the Young Money MC spit her bars and hit her dance steps in front of the thousands of fans in Amway and the millions watching at home. After the short set, Nicki strutted back to her dressing room and spotted MTV News on the way. The topic of conversation? MTVs Hottest MCs in the Game VII , of course. Nicki placed #4 on the list and proceeded to talk her ish as a true MC should. “Hottest MCs #4, let’s get it,” she boasted with a Queens swagger. “That’s big, though. I deserve it. I put in work.” On Thursday night Nicki released her new single “Roman Reloaded” with Lil Wayne, and on the new single from her upcoming sophomore album she made sure to brag and boast. Only Rick Ross, Drake and Kanye West placed higher, giving Minaj the highest Hottest ranking for a female MC in the history of the debate. Nicki was initially slotted at #5 with Young Money boss Wayne clocking in at #4, but several members of the MTV Hottest Brain Trust felt strongly enough about Nicki’s accomplishments mixed with her lyrical impact and ability to more than hold her own when playing with the boys warranted a second look at her ranking. Hottest MCs moderator Sway Calloway called for a vote and in the end, six of the nine experts elected to move Nicki up to the #4 spot, sending Weezy down to #5. What did you think of Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” performance at the start of 2012 NBA All-Star Game? Tell us in the comments! Related Photos NBA All-Star Game | Nicki Minaj Performance Related Artists Nicki Minaj

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Nicki Minaj Talks Hottest MCs At NBA All-Star Game

Justin Bieber Crashes Oscars Opening Skit

‘I’m here to get you the 18-24 demographic,’ Biebs jokes to Billy Crystal during the Academy Awards opener. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber appears in a “Midnight in Paris” parody at the 2012 Oscars Photo: ABC Billy Crystal knows how to get the kids to watch the Academy Awards. When he wasn’t appearing in parody scenes from Oscar-nominated films at the opening of Sunday’s (February 26) show, he was taking a second to lock in the tween viewership, with a good dose of Holocaust-related humor for added measure. For his parody of the Woody Allen flick “Midnight in Paris,” a tux-wearing Justin Bieber rolled up to the Academy Awards host, who was sitting on a stoop. “Come here, come here,” he shouted to Crystal. “What’s up? I’m here to get you the 18-24 demographic. So how long do you want me to sit here for?” “A couple seconds, I think, will do it,” Crystal said. The two then exchanged some awkward, lingering glances waiting out the appropriate amount of time before they could move on to the next part of their gag, which, of course, focused on Hitler and the Holocaust. “So what are you going to do now?” Crystal inquired. Bieber replied, “We’re gonna go hang out with Hemingway and Fitzgerald.” That “we’re” he was referring to was Bieber and Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. Crystal, done up as Davis Jr., added, “And then we’re gonna go kill Hitler. Billy, is Biebs the young Sinatra, or am I nuts?” “Oh Sammy, stop it!” Bieber laughed, before pulling off. The opening sketch also included homages to “The Artist,” “The Help,” “Moneyball” and “The Descendants,” to name a few, with appearances by nominees including George Clooney and Jonah Hill. After the sketch closed out, Crystal hit the stage for a musical number. The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com all night and beyond for updates on the night’s big winners and the best red-carpet fashion . Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Oscars 2012: Red Carpet Highlights Oscars 2012: Show Highlights Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Oscars Red Carpet Photos Related Artists Justin Bieber

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Justin Bieber Crashes Oscars Opening Skit

Academy Awards Live Blog: Coming Soon!

Will The Artist defeat The Descendants ? Will Billy Crystal make us laugh? Will George Clooney outhunk Brad Pitt? Will anyone be able to pronounce the last name of director Michel Hazanavicius? The 84th annual Academy Awards get underway in just a few hours and THG will be live blogging the ceremony. Bookmark this page now and return as soon as the opening credits roll to join in a discussion of the winners, the fashion, the jokes and the horrible music numbers. We’ll see you then! WHICH NOMINEE WILL WIN BEST PICTURE?

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Academy Awards Live Blog: Coming Soon!

Oscar Winners: 20 Years Of Best Picture Box-Office Rankings

We take a look at what taking home Sunday’s big prize could do for this year’s Best Picture winner. By MTV News staff Jean Dujardin and Missi Pyle in “The Artist” Photo: The Weinstein Co. If the 2012 Oscars unfold as expected Sunday night, “The Artist” will walk away with a Best Picture win at the close of the ceremony. With that triumph, the silent, black-and-white film will become the second lowest-growing Best Picture winner in modern history. A populist fave, this movie is not. And that’s often the case. While box-office record-breaker “Titanic” took home the Academy’s top honor in 1998, the Best Picture ranks are littered with ho-hum performers. Some, like “Schindler’s List” and “Million Dollar Baby,” received huge bumps from their wins. “The Silence of the Lambs,” which hit theaters in February 1991, received no bump at all, as it was already out of theaters. Yet others received small re-releases and added a few million to their totals. To put the likely “Artist” win in historical context, MTV News took a look back at the past 20 years of Best Picture winners, ranking them from lowest to highest grossing (all figures come from Box Office Mojo and are not adjusted for inflation or ticket price). 20. “The Hurt Locker” Pre-show box office : $14.7 million Date of show : 3/7/2010 Date of release : 6/26/2009 Total box-office haul : $17 million 19. “Crash” Pre-show box office : $53.3 million Date of show : 3/5/2006 Date of release : 5/6/2005 Total box-office haul : $54.6 million 18. “Schindler’s List” Pre-show box office : $59.8 million Date of show : 3/21/1994 Date of release : 12/15/1993 Total box-office haul : $96.1 million 17. “The English Patient” Pre-show box office : $63.2 million Date of show : 3/24/1997 Date of release : 11/15/1996 Total box-office haul : $78.7 million 16. “No Country for Old Men” Pre-show box office : $64.3 million Date of show : 2/24/2008 Date of release : 11/9/2007 Total box-office haul : $74.3 million 15. “Million Dollar Baby” Pre-show box office : $64.9 million Date of show : 2/27/2005 Date of release : 12/15/2004 Total box-office haul : $100.5 million 14. “Shakespeare in Love” Pre-show box office : $73.2 million Date of show : 3/21/1999 Date of release : 12/11/1998 Total box-office haul : $100.3 million 13. “Braveheart” Pre-show box office : $73.3 million Date of show : 3/25/1996 Date of release : 5/24/1995 Total box-office haul : $75.6 million 12. “Unforgiven” Pre-show box office : $78.9 million Date of show : 3/29/1993 Date of release : 8/7/1992 Total box-office haul : $101.2 million 11. “Slumdog Millionaire” Pre-show box office : $98.4 million Date of show : 2/22/2009 Date of release : 11/12/2008 Total box-office haul : $141.3 million 10. “American Beauty” Pre-show box office : $108.5 million Date of show : 3/26/2000 Date of release : 9/15/1999 Total box-office haul : $130.1 9. “The King’s Speech” Pre-show box office : $114.2 million Date of show : 2/27/2011 Date of release : 11/26/2010 Total box-office haul : $135.5 million 8. “The Silence of the Lambs” Pre-show box office : $130.7 million Date of show : 3/30/1992 Date of release : 2/14/1991 Total box-office haul : $130.7 million 7. “The Departed” Pre-show box office : $131.4 million Date of show : 2/25/2007 Date of release : 10/6/2006 Total box-office haul : $132.4 million 6. “Chicago” Pre-show box office : $134.0 million Date of show : 3/23/2003 Date of release : 12/27/2002 Total box-office haul : $170.7 million 5. “A Beautiful Mind” Pre-show box office : $154.7 million Date of show : 3/24/2002 Date of release : 12/21/2001 Total box-office haul : $170.7 million 4. “Gladiator” Pre-show box office : $186.9 million Date of show : 3/25/2001 Date of release : 5/5/2000 Total box-office haul : $187.7 million 3. “Forrest Gump” Pre-show box office : $317.1 million Date of show : 3/27/1995 Date of release : 7/6/1994 Total box-office haul : $329.7 million 2. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ” Pre-show box office : $364.1 million Date of show : 2/29/2004 Date of release : 12/17/2003 Total box-office haul : $377.0 million 20. “Titanic” Pre-show box office : $494.5 million Date of show : 3/23/1998 Date of release : 12/19/1997 Total box-office haul : $600.8 million The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and head to Next Movie for a printable Oscar ballot. On Sunday, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos 2012 Oscar Nominees Related Photos 2012 Oscar Nominees

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Oscar Winners: 20 Years Of Best Picture Box-Office Rankings

Oscars 2012 Predictions: Best Picture

While we appreciated the risk-taking ‘Tree of Life,’ safe bet is ‘The Artist.’ By Kevin P. Sullivan B

Could Jay-Z Be Replacing Rihanna With His New Protege?

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Jay-Z introduced his new protege Rita Ora to the world in a recent radio interview.  Ora is from London and is now signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. Now the buzz is that Jay-Z was so angry with Rihanna for getting back with Chris Brown, against his wishes, that he is cutting  all ties with her and dethroning the pop star, replacing her with Ora. “I have Miss Rita Ora,” Jay said as he raised a toast to her future success. “This is all very un-spontaneous for us,” he added. “We just came to see, you know, some great friends over here and play some music and you know. They liked what they heard and said, ‘Let’s just throw it on the air,’ which is great. I love that. That’s what radio is all about. It’s about a feeling, an emotion. It’s not about scheduling and planning. Let’s do it right now.”~Jay-Z People are saying Rihanna may be a little nervous, hence all of her pub stunts (being seen w/ Chris Brown, the Birthday Cake remix, etc). This girl Ora is very cute and she does resemble Rihanna. Could the rumors be true? Is Jay-Z gearing Ora to be bigger than Rihanna? Watch the highlights Below.

Could Jay-Z Be Replacing Rihanna With His New Protege?

Ashanti and Limp Bizkit Next To Sign With Lil Wayne and Birdman?

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YMCMB ain’t playing NO GAMES! They are definitely going for the gusto by adding stars to their artist roster. They recently signed Busta Rhymes along with Christina Milian, now they maybe adding Ashanti and rock group Limp Bizkit. Peep the BUZZ! “Birdman has made some unique signings in the past, but this one might take the cake. Cash Money Records has added the veteran rock-rap group Limp Bizkit to their star-studded label. Young Money CEO Lil Wayne spilled the beans when he called into New York’s 98.7 Kiss FM on Thursday. “As far as Cash Money, they’re always listening and looking at acts, so honestly, it’s like every other day I hear about somebody new just signed to Cash Money, LB frontman Fred Durst confirmed the signing Friday morning on his Twitter page: “The game is missing danger, electricity, and rock n roll!!!!” Cash Money Limp Bizkit.” Then he followed it with, “Rock sh** doesn’t rock anymore! They say the whole game done went pop so I’m back in this h*! #CMLB.” In addition, R&B songbird Ashanti might join the YMCMB family, as well. “I don’t wanna step across any boundaries, but I think we’re working with Ashanti right now,” Wayne revealed. Ironically, ‘Shanti’s single ‘The Woman You Love’ features recent Cash Money signee Busta Rhymes”. www.popcrush.com

Ashanti and Limp Bizkit Next To Sign With Lil Wayne and Birdman?

Taylor Swift Gets Prom Invitation From New Jersey Teen

Kevin McGuire is in treatment for leukemia, and his sister is trying to score him a date with Swift. By Gil Kaufman Taylor Swift Photo: Getty Images Taylor Swift has a closet full of sparkly, flowing dresses that would be the envy of any girl searching for just the right look for prom. But the singer who spent her prime prom years touring the world has mostly had to assuage her high school dance jones with a headlining gig on MTV’s 2008 show “Once Upon a Prom.” But now, instead of sharing her big night with 40 dates and the cameras, Swift has gotten an invitation from a Somerdale, New Jersey, high school senior who is hoping she’ll make his dreams come true. According to ABC News affiliate WPVI , 18-year-old Sterling High School football player Kevin McGuire’s sister has started an Internet petition on his behalf asking the country-pop superstar to stand by her brother’s side. McGuire, who is receiving treatment for a relapse of the leukemia he was diagnosed with five years ago, is getting dating assistance from his big sister, Tori, who decided to try to lift his spirits after he fretted that he might not be able to get a date once his hair fell out from chemotherapy treatments. “I said, ‘What if I got Taylor Swift to go to the prom with you?’ ” she said she asked her brother. “His eyes lit up for the first time since he was diagnosed.” As a bonus, the prom falls on Kevin’s birthday. So Tori set up the “Taylor Swift Take Kevin McGuire to Prom!” Facebook site , which as of Friday (February 24) morning had more than 77,000 followers. “All throughout Kevin’s treatment he kept his character intact, remained playing basketball, and even started varsity football as a freshman,” she wrote on the Facebook page. “Kevin is known throughout the community as the High school’s ‘real life SUPER MAN!’ Tragically, Kevin had a relapse, and is now fighting cancer for the second time. Kevin is the kindest, most noble 18 year old a person could even fathom meeting, and throughout his ups and downs Kevin never even questioned ‘why me?’ Nothing, and I mean NOTHING brightens Kevin’s day more than Taylor Swift. Kevin DESERVES more than anyone a special event in his life. And the one thing he wants is to GO TO PROM WITH TAYLOR SWIFT! Let’s make this happen people! TAYLOR PLEASE GO TO PROM WITH KEVIN!!!!!! NO ONE DESERVES IT MORE!” A Twitter hashtag, #teamkevin , has also become a trending topic, with a number of celebrities hopping on the bandwagon, including Perez Hilton, Travie McCoy, reality star Teresa Giudice and sports giants including Michael Vick, Alex Rodriguez, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. Swift’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment at press time and the singer had not yet reacted to the invite on her Twitter feed. But many Facebook friends have weighed in on the latest public request for a celeb to accompany a civilian to a public event, including Bernadette Scullin, who wrote, “May your dreams come true!” and Cecelia Denny, who joked, “C’mon Taylor, don’t be ‘MEAN!’ ” Do you think Taylor Swift will take Kevin McGuire to prom? Leave your comment below! Related Videos MTV First: Taylor Swift Related Artists Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift Gets Prom Invitation From New Jersey Teen

Oscars Red Carpet: Who Should Show Up In Character?

Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Dictator’ stunt has us wishing we could see Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Johnny Depp in costume. By Gil Kaufman Johnny Depp in “Dark Shadows” Photo: Warner Bros “The Dictator” has spoken. After a flap erupted over Sacha Baron Cohen ‘s plans to walk the red carpet at Sunday’s Oscars in the character of Admiral Gen. Shabazz Aladeen , the leader of the fictional Republic of Wadiya, the comedian responded by issuing a stern warning to the “Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Zionists.” And while the fake war of words is all in good fun (and publicity), it got us thinking: What if some of Hollywood’s other biggest stars decided to ride Cohen’s medal-bedecked coattails and use movie’s biggest night to drum up a bit of hype for their projects? And so, we give you our wish list of other characters we hope to see come to life once the flashbulbs start popping on Sunday afternoon. Brad Pitt : We haven’t seen any glimpses of what the “Moneyball” star looks like in his potentially franchise-spawning zombie flick “World War Z,” but how refreshing would it be to see Hollywood’s prettiest face (sorry Angelina, we meant second prettiest) take a stroll with his best gal with flesh dripping off his mug? Jonah Hill : Speaking of Pitt, his “Moneyball” co-star Hill could leave the tux at home and totally break convention by donning a white T-shirt, fake braces, bleach-blond wig, backpack and baggy jeans to promote his upcoming upcoming turn in “21 Jump Street.” Or he could just wear that short-shorts cop getup. Hot! Angelina Jolie : As long as Brad’s doing it, Angie might as well get her evil princess “Maleficent” on. Or better yet, get the buzz machine going again for that by donning full regalia and being carried in by a procession of armor-wearing footmen. Johnny Depp : We’re not saying the cowboy suit and mask from “The Lone Ranger” wouldn’t be amazing, but can you imagine the long fingernails, pasty makeup and badass green trench coat/ purple fedora look from “Dark Shadows” ? Lindsay Lohan : She turns heads either way, but Lohan emerging from a limo dressed as Oscar royalty Elizabeth Taylor would slay. Owen Wilson : Nothing could get the buzz going for the long-rumored “Zoolander 2” reboot than “Midnight in Paris” star Wilson slipping into the Hansel duds and Ben Stiller pulling out some Blue Steel as his date. And it’s not just upcoming movies that these actors could use as hooks to play dress-up. Since many of them get back-end and maybe even DVD cash, why not toss in one more plug for the current movies as well? That might result in famed motion-capture star Andy Serkis putting on the mo-cap suit from “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” Rooney Mara spiking up her hair and slipping into something bondage-y to reprise her “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” character Lisbeth Salander or the cast of “Bridesmaids” taking one more trip down the aisle in those awful pink dresses. Hell, George Clooney is notorious for pranks, so if he appeared in flip-flops, baggy chinos and a Hawaiian shirt to give a plug to “The Descendants,” nobody would bat an eyelash. And can you imagine the cast of “The Artist” painting themselves up in all monochromatic black and white to throw off the HD cameras? Classic. The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos Oscars 2012: And The Nominees Are…

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Oscars Red Carpet: Who Should Show Up In Character?

Oscar Predictions: S.T. VanAirsdale On the Usual — and Not-So-Usual — Suspects Favored This Weekend

Forty-eight hours to Oscar. Gut-check time — or maybe make that “gut-instinct check” time, a moment to break away from the meticulous zeitgeist-combing science of Movieline’s Institute For the Advanced Study of Kudos Forensics and make a few choices for myself. Not that they’ll be so different, but if you can’t go with a hunch where 5,765 fickle, insular industry minds are concerned, then what can you go with? We can’t all be be Otis the Oscar Cat , you know. Anyway, let’s make this quick: BEST PICTURE A certain voluble sliver of the Oscar punditocracy likes to whine about The Artist ‘s awards-season supremacy — as if it signaled some searing compromise of the Academy’s historic tradition of recognizing only the finest, most artistically challenging and rigidly contemporary work. These people sound like some bitter old man bitching about how the Super Bowl halftime show never features anyone good anymore, or some mouth-breathing fanboy complaining about the vanquished integrity of Star Wars . You guys, they were never good to begin with . In their own way — as meritocratic tastemakers — neither were the Academy Awards. This year’s foregone Artist win has less to do with regressive, reductive cultural tastes than it does with Harvey Weinstein being a good marketer, no different than 15 years ago. If these whinging bozos won’t learn, then can’t they at least shut up? Will win : The Artist Should win : Melancholia . Wait, what? Oh. Fuck it. That’s the best picture of 2011. Period. BEST DIRECTOR Have you seen Midnight in Paris recently? Man, that one does not hold up. The Descendants never did in the first place. Hugo is fine, but I think the groundswell of voters who got Terrence Malick into the competition in the first place could be formidable enough to actually sweep him right past Martin Scorsese into very close competition with Michel Hazanavicius. In fact, you know what? I’ll call it for Malick, why the hell not. Will win : Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life Should win : Lars von Trier, Melancholia . Yes, I heard you the first time. Make your own predictions. BEST ACTOR Here’s where I’m a lot more confident in the upset factor: Demi