EA Games gives MTV News an exclusive preview of German house duo’s remix for 2012 reboot of classic video game. By Akshay Bhansali EA Games’ “Syndicate” Photo: EA Games EA Games is gearing up to reboot its super successful video game franchise “Syndicate,” and this time it’ll be set to a pumped-up electronic dance music soundtrack. Skrillex ‘s remix of the “Syndicate” theme song has already surfaced on the game’s Facebook page, and on Tuesday, German electro-house outfit Digitalism ‘s take on the track is set to drop as well. For the non-gamers, next year’s “Syndicate” release is a return to the classic video game series that first emerged in 1993, which allowed players to engage in assassinations and other diabolical adventures — all in an effort to advance their syndicate to the #1 spot. The upcoming 2012 version, due on February 21, will shift the point of view from fixed isometric style to first-person shooter. And given Digitalism’s origins, it seems only fitting the duo would be involved in the project: Jens “Jence” Moelle and Ismail “Isi” T
Singer posts a picture of herself dressed up for Halloween with the caption ‘It’s true — I’m going to be a mummy!’ By Jocelyn Vena Jessica Simpson (file) Photo: Peterson/BuzzFoto/FilmMagic Jessica Simpson had remained mum on the pregnancy rumors for as long as possible, but on Halloween, decked out in a , the singer confirmed the news. “It’s true — I’m going to be a mummy!” the pun-loving singer posted on her website , displaying for the world her baby bump while all wrapped up in mummy bandages. The link was posted in a tweet that read in all-caps: “!!!ANNOUNCEMENT!!!” The confirmation comes after weeks of speculation about the singer, who had been seen in several paparazzi shots with what appeared to be an ever-expanding baby bump. Simpson’s body has always been a matter of media speculation, but this time it seems she’s ending all the rumors by confirming the news and getting in the Halloween spirit. Photos: Jessica Simpson’s budding baby bump. This is the first child for Simpson and fianc
Maybach Music rapper will join Sway on Wednesday at 4 p.m. on MTV.com to talk about his sophomore album. By Nadeska Alexis Wale Photo: Getty Images In February, Wale joined Rick Ross ‘ Maybach Music roster . Since then, the D.C. rapper has been counting down until the release of his sophomore album, Ambition , which drops Tuesday. This Wednesday at 4 p.m. on MTV.com, Wale will sit down with Sway on “RapFix Live” to give fans some insight into his state of mind, 24 hours after the project’s official release. In anticipation of the album’s debut, Wale has already rolled out the singles “Slight Work” featuring Big Sean and the title track “Ambition,” which features his MMG cohorts Rick Ross and Meek Mill . One of the most buzzed-about collaborations, however, is the Kid Cudi-featured “Focused,” which caused a splash thanks to a very public falling-out between the two rappers last year and an equally public reconciliation earlier this year. “When they kept talking about me and Cudi in every magazine, this is the record I felt like they needed to hear,” Wale told MTV News . “The one that everybody was going to get behind, and it was going to go top 40 and not be corny.” During his recent “Road to Release” series on MTV2’s “Sucker Free,” Wale revealed that he was much more selective about features this time around, including about half the amount of guests who appeared on his debut, Attention: Deficit. “We kept the features to a minimum because I wanted to give you more of me than I did on the previous project,” Wale explained. Attention: Deficit debuted in November 2009 — with features from artists such as Lady Gaga , Bun B and Gucci Mane — to a lukewarm reception. Some of the album’s lackluster performance on the charts was attributed to under shipment from Wale’s former label Interscope Records. Not one to be deterred, Wale followed up with the August 2010 mixtape More About Nothing , which became a trending topic on Twitter. This year, he scored a major hit with the single “600 Benz” from Maybach Music’s Self-Made Vol. 1 album, and he dropped another popular mixtape The Eleven One Eleven Theory in August. Tune into “RapFix Live” this week to hear what Wale has to say about his journey to Ambition. Tweet your questions for Wale @MTVNews with the hashtag #RapFixLive. Related Videos Sucker Free Road To Release: Wale Related Artists Wale
Regal rap titans bounced through Watch the Throne cuts and solo smashes in a set marked by a gaudy display of hits. By Rob Markman Jay-Z and Kanye West (file) Photo: Getty Images ATLANTA, Georgia — Not even a stormy night could stop the regal reign of the Throne. On Friday, Jay-Z and Kanye West opened up their Watch the Throne Tour in Atlanta. While the WTT album has been noted for its opulent displays of wealth, Hov and Yeezy’s show will be marked by the duo’s overabundance of hit records. The doors to the Philips Arena opened at 7:30 p.m. ET and, with no scheduled show opener, the house DJ played old slow jams like the Isley Brothers’ “Between the Sheets,” Little Beaver’s “Get into the Party Life” and Hank Crawford’s “Wildflower” — all songs that have been sampled by Kanye and Jay at one time or another. Still, the subtle measure wasn’t nearly enough to keep fans satisfied. By 9 p.m. ET, the crunked-up crowd was restless and salivating for the night’s stars. With the house lights low and fans pumped, the multilayered instrumental from “H.A.M.” came blaring through the sound system. The initial WTT track has been criticized by some as too over-the-top and too much unlike anything in Jay and ‘Ye’s respective catalogs, but the helter-skelter mix of crashing symbals, bleeps, beeps and bombastic bass was clearly built specifically for sports stadiums and grand auditoriums. The build was perfect, even if the execution wasn’t. Kanye commandeered a rising platform at the front of the stage, while Jay simultaneously occupied a similar lift that was situated on the floor in the middle of the crowd. Within moments, the duo were elevated in unison towering above the audience, volleying verses from one side of the arena to the other. Jay stumbled vocally, though: His ear piece short-circuited and failed failed to properly feed him the music and his timing was clearly affected. For a time, Hov’s raps were badly off-beat. But there were no fits, and no cursing at the sound man. Instead, Jay fought through the malfunction, which lasted through the next song. While mid-verse on the dubstep-laced “Who Gon Stop Me,” Jigga cued to have the music cut, then finished his bars a capella, buying time until the technical mistake was corrected. From there, perfection ensued. “Otis” came early in the set. With a Givenchy-designed American flag flashing on the stage’s main screens, the Throne bounced through their fan-fave with a youthful glee. Surprisingly, the Roc Boys performed a number of hyped-up Watch the Throne cuts in the first quarter of the show. With the Throne tone set, Kanye disappeared from the stage while Jay got his rocks off spitting his 1997 street banger “Where I’m From.” Throughout the night, Hov and Yeezy would trade off, rocking a few solo songs a piece, before coming together for something collaborative. ‘Ye tore through “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “Jesus Walks” all by himself, before Jigga reappeared for Yeezy’s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix).” Jay’s “Public Service Announcement” and “You Don’t Know” were played against Kanye’s “Good Life” and “Power” in a sound clash of sorts. By the time the Louis Vuitton Don launched into the gut-wrenching “Runaway,” he had hit his stride. He even remixed “Runaway,” pleading with the crowd to hold on to their loved ones as he sang, “If you love somebody tonight, hold on real tight.” It was effective as couples in the crowd, hugged, danced and two lovebirds even made out. In a comical section of the set, Jay-Z and the College Dropout weaved a funny story line where their hits “Big Pimpin’,” “Gold Digger” and “99 Problems” became a narrative for Jay to school his “little brother” on the opposite sex. Kanye owned the outfit of the night. After one particular wardrobe change, he marched out to “Touch the Sky” sporting a tribal-type jacket, leather kilt, leather pants underneath and his glow-in-the-dark Air Yeezys. Hov’s black Yankee snapback and matching hoodie were no match. Every time the crowd thought the two-hour-plus show was over, it wasn’t. First there was “N—as in Paris.” The track’s Will Farrell intro (“We’re gonna skate to one song and one song only”) brought on the moment that everyone was waiting for. As the Atlanta crowd bounced feverishly to the Hit Boy-produced single, Jay halted the proceedings midway: “Start that sh– over,” he barked and the Throne’s most-energetic selection of the night brought the crowd to an apex. Next was Jay’s “Encore,” followed by an inspirational rendition of “Made in America,” complete with images of Martin Luther King Jr. and “sweet brother” Malcolm X flashing on the big screen. Finally, the Throne closed with the rocked-out “Why I Love You,” saluting the crowd as they moseyed offstage. “Peace ATL, thanks for all the love. Goodnight,” Jay-Z said. On a night where the two kings put their wealth on full display, lucky for Atlanta, Jay and Kanye West were willing to share. Share your thoughts on the Throne’s Atlanta tour kickoff in the comments below! Related Videos Welcome To Jay-Z And Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne’ Week Related Artists Kanye West Jay-Z
‘All that is in the works, man,’ Prodigy tells MTV News’ ‘RapFix Live.’ By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Sway Calloway Rick Ross Photo: Spiff TV As Mobb Deep prepare to roll out their Black Cocaine EP in November, followed by their ninth, self-titled album at the top of 2012, Prodigy and Havoc are looking to expand their horizons with a series of new collaborations . One artist the Queensbridge duo are particularly keen to work with is Rick Ross . During Wednesday’s episode of “RapFix Live,” Prodigy told MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway that he has already reached out to Ross for a feature. “All that is in the works, man. We like Rick Ross,” Prodigy said. “I’mma be honest: We come from an era where longevity and consistency is key, and in the beginning, I ain’t really see that in him. Then while I was locked up, he was dropping more and more music. I was like, ‘Damn, I’m starting to like this dude.’ That’s when I was like, ‘We need to holla at son and do some music with him.’ ” After wrapping up a three-year prison stint for weapons possession in March, Prodigy said he headed directly to G-Unit’s NYC offices, where he met with 50 Cent — who signed the group to G-Unit in 2005 — to discuss the collaboration. 50 Cent and Rick Ross have a notorious beef , which hit fever pitch in 2009 when Fif launched a full-scale attack against Rozay on his blog ThisIs50.com. “The first day I came home, I went to the G-Unit office and told [50 Cent], ‘Listen, Mobb Deep needs to start doing songs with everybody. We need to start reaching out to people even if we got little conflicts — people like Rick Ross, people like Lil Wayne , everybody that we respect and we like their music — and start doing songs with them.’ ” 50 Cent’s answer? “He was like, ‘Yeah, you right.’ ” Prodigy didn’t talk specifics about his intended Rick Ross collaborations, but during an earlier episode of “RapFix Live,” the Bawse himself confirmed that fans could expect a Mobb Deep collaboration soon. “I respect him most definitely, as being a Boss,” Ross said of Prodigy. “When he was released, he gave me a call a few days after that. We spoke on the phone maybe once or twice, and it was a genuine conversation, us just touching bases. We most definitely put a record or two on the table, and just to be frank, I was always a fan of the homie, HNIC.” Are you looking forward to a Mobb Deep and Rick Ross collaboration? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Mobb Deep On ‘RapFix Live’ Related Artists Rick Ross Mobb Deep
Band’s November 21 album kicks off with two wildly different singles, ‘When We Stand Together’ and ‘Bottoms Up.’ By James Montgomery Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger Photo: MTV News Late last month, ahead of the release of their (sure to be colossal no matter what you think ) Here and Now album, Nickelback premiered a pair of singles — the pro-social “When We Stand Together” and the pro-party “Bottoms Up” — which seem to have only one thing in common: Nickelback wrote both of them. After all, one’s a positively massive power ballad with lyrics like “Hand in hand forever/ That’s when we all win,” and the other is, well, basically about drinking every substance under the sun, a list that includes, but is not limited to: Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s, Black-Tooth Grins — Dimebag certainly would’ve approved — and, of course, “straight gasoline.” You can probably guess which is which. But if you think “Stand Together” and “Bottoms Up” represent a Nickelback veering in two wildly dissimilar directions, well, just wait until you hear the rest of Here and Now, as the band told MTV News earlier this week. “I mean, it’s not Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall or something; it doesn’t have this theme. It’s more all over the map than those two [songs], for sure,” frontman Chad Kroeger explained. “Because, when you play a Nickelback show, I mean, there is every range of person that you could possibly imagine on the face of the earth [in the audience], and you couldn’t peg one on the street to save your life. I think we can all pick out a Slipknot fan, but it’s tough to pick out a Nickelback fan, because they’re all so different.” And that was the challenge presented to the band on Now, which contains a whole lot of party-ready chuggers, plus a couple more, uh, conscious tunes, too. But though you’d think penning songs about global suffering would be tough for Kroeger and Co., well, you’d be wrong. Because, quite frankly, it’s writing the hard-charging, harder-drinking numbers that keeps the band up at night. After all, partying is something they take pretty seriously over at Nickelback H.Q. “It’s a drinking anthem. I mean, it’s harder to write those songs than it is to write those social-awareness type songs, it really is,” Kroeger admitted. “Because for us, they’ve got to be good. Some of the stuff’s got to be a little tongue-in-cheek, there’s got to be some clever stuff there, you know, and you’ve got to be descriptive. But when you get done listening to it, you need to have the feeling of just wanting to grab a bottle of Jack. And I think we got there, because we’d bring friends over all the time and it was just like, ‘You are now a test subject! Hit play; turn it up nice and loud.’ And the song’s over and they’d be like, ‘I want to drink. I want to drink something right now. ‘ And we were like ‘Yes!’ ” Are you a Nickelback fan? Share your thoughts on the band in the comments! Related Artists Nickelback
We ask Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and more how they avoid wasting time at the DMV, on a plane and more. By Kara Warner Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried in “In Time” Photo: 20th Century Fox Hey, Justin Timberlake fans: You can now celebrate your favorite triple threat’s return to the big screen via the new sci-fi thriller “In Time.” The film is set in the not-so-distant future in a society that lives and dies according to how much time you have and can acquire. In this world, time is literally money, and when your time runs out, you die. In the spirit of making the most of time, although in not quite as serious a manner as is portrayed in the film, when MTV News caught up with the cast of “In Time,” we asked a series of rapid-fire questions pegged to getting the most out of everyday scenarios: “How do you make the most of your time, when … ” 1. On a plane? “Oh, I like to read or do crossword puzzles,” said Vincent Kartheiser, whom “Mad Men” fans will recognize as bad guy Pete Campbell. “I sleep, normally,” Amanda Seyfried said, “but [I like to listen to] audio books or knit.” 2. On hold with customer service? “When the [customer service rep] comes back, I like to completely change voices,” Timberlake revealed, changing his voice into a deep, serious baritone. ” ‘Hey, I’d like to speak to your supervisor,’ and then [ changing his voice into a high-pitched, younger voice ], ‘Hey, man, listen, I had a problem,’ ” he play-acted for us. “I put [the phone] on speaker and get some work done,” Matt Bomer said. 3. God forbid, when the Internet goes down? “You should read a book,” Bomer advised of this worst-case scenario. “Maybe the newspaper, get caught up on current events.” Seyfried told us she’s trying to cut down her internet use. “It gets to be time consuming, so when it goes down, you just have to read the newspaper,” she said. 4. When waiting at the DMV? “Power through,” Bomer advised of the always long lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles. “Whatever you can get done. Maybe Sudoku?” “I like to look for the one person who’s like, ‘I hate this place! I’m never coming back!’ ” Kartheiser said. “Google whatever the state legal limit is for blood alcohol concentration, because that’s usually why I’m there,” Timberlake added with a laugh. Check out everything we’ve got on “In Time.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Artists Justin Timberlake
‘It’s a miracle that we’re still here,’ he says on latest episode, airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV. By Lauren Kearney Mark Hoppus appears on “When I Was 17” Photo: MTV On the next episode of “When I Was 17,” Mark Hoppus, bassist for blink-182 and host of Fuse’s “Hoppus on Music,” sheds light on what his life was like before he was asking “What’s my age again?” Surprisingly (except not at all), he was as out of control back then as he is now, as he reveals on the episode, airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT. “We were really smart as high-schoolers. We had a friend, his name was Dave, he had a two-story house, and in the backyard of his house was a pool. And his parents would leave for days at a time, so of course, Dave’s a responsible guy, he wouldn’t let anything bad happen. So we would jump off a second-story roof into the pool,” admitted Hoppus, who just finished up on the Honda Civic Tour alongside My Chemical Romance . “We called it Acapulco cliff diving.” “It was definitely high enough so that if you jumped in, you had to turn your body as soon as possible so that you didn’t eat your knees,” he added. While at first it started off safe — well, sort of — Acapulco cliff diving soon became more and more competitive as time went on. “At first I think it was cannonballs and feet first, and then we’d one-up each other and by the end, people were doing flips. I definitely dove headfirst into this pool. It’s a miracle that we’re still here.” And a miracle it is, Mark. Because we can’t imagine what life would have been like without some Blink-182. Don’t miss this week’s episode of “When I Was 17,” featuring Mark Hoppus, Sean Kingston and Tiffani Thiessen, at 11 a.m. Saturday on MTV. Related Videos Preview ‘When I Was 17’ Featuring Sean Kingston Related Artists blink-182
Super Swede will headline the O Music Awards 2, on Halloween at 11:30 on MTV, MTV.com and VH1.com. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Vanessa White Wolf Robyn Photo: MTV News She’s opened for Katy Perry , shared the VMA stage with deadmau5 and absolutely killed it at club shows, but Swedish pop-queen Robyn has never headlined an awards show (mostly because, who has?). That will all change on Monday night, when she takes the stage at the O Music Awards 2 in Los Angeles to close out the show. And just how is she preparing? Well, much in the same way she prepares for all of her gigs: with a maximum focus on making people move. “I’m planning to play with my band as usual, no tricks, just like what we always do, which is usually just try to make people dance and have a good time,” Robyn told MTV News. “I think it’s gonna work this time. I’m gonna perform as many songs as I can. We’ll see what we’ll be able to fit in, but I’ve been told I get to do as many songs as I want to, so I’m gonna try and fit as much as I can. Maybe not a full show, but a little more than you usually get at an awards show.” Fans can catch Robyn’s set — and a special tribute to late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs , courtesy of the Flaming Lips — beginning at 11:30 on Monday night, when the O Music Awards 2 are broadcast on MTV. The rest of the event will unfold across a number of the Viacom Music Group’s websites, including MTV.com , VH1.com , CMT.com , LogoTV.com and MTVHive.com . Additional presenters and performers include Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato, Alabama Shakes, Odd Future’s Tyler, the Creator, Travie McCoy, Midi Mafia and DJ Diamond Kuts. Oh, and just in case you weren’t aware, Monday also happens to be Halloween, so, in addition to blowing folks away with her headlining set, Robyn is also toying with the idea of getting in the spooky spirit. Which means that there’s a very good chance you might get to see her rock not only the stage, but a costume, too. “Maybe I should,” she smiled. “I dressed up as Robin, you know, ‘Batman and Robin’ at this costume festival once in Texas, I think it was in Texas. [No,] Comic-Con. At San Diego’s Comic-Con, so I may have to do something like that. I’ll think about it.” The O Music Awards 2 will unfold on Halloween on OMusicAwards.com , as well as MTV.com , VH1.com , CMT.com , LogoTV.com and MTVHive.com . Fans can vote for their favorites and get updates at OMusicAwards.com. Related Artists Robyn
Explosion, which injured a second stuntman, occurred while sequel was filming in Bulgaria. By Kevin P. Sullivan Sylvester Stallone in “The Expendables” Photo: Lionsgate Tragedy has struck the Bulgarian set of the star-studded action sequel “The Expendables 2.” A stuntman was killed when an accident occurred involving a rubber boat and an explosion. Two stuntmen were involved in the scene, which was filming around 7 p.m. local time on Thursday night. The second man suffered serious injuries, but he is now said to be in stable condition. No information has been released yet as to the identities of the men involved in the incident. A representative from the production company behind the Sylvester Stallone -produced film, Nu Image/Millennium Films, released a statement, saying, “It is with great regret that we confirm this unfortunate accident. Our hearts go out to the families and those on the production affected by this tragedy. The filmmakers are working closely with the authorities in responding to and investigating this accident.” The accident occurred while the second unit filmed at the Ognyanovo dam in Bulgaria. None of the film’s stars were present during the incident, as the first unit was filming at a resort more than two hours away. “Expendables 2” is scheduled to hit theaters next August and stars Stallone, Jason Statham , Bruce Willis , Arnold Schwarzenegger , Chuck Norris and Jean-Claud e Van Damme . It is the sequel to the hit 2010 action film written and directed by Stallone. The sequel reunites most of the cast, while adding Simon West as director and adding Norris and Van Damme to the lineup. Stay with MTV News for the latest on “Expendables 2” and all your movie news. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Expendables 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
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