‘My decision to leave Ween …. was absolutely not made in haste,’ Aaron Freeman tells Rolling Stone. By James Montgomery Aaron Freeman Photo: Last month, much to the consternation of those who worship at the altar of the Boognish, Ween’s Aaron Freeman announced — rather matter-of-factly — that he was ending Ween, telling Rolling Stone “It was a good run.” That was apparently a surprise to Freeman’s longtime musical partner, Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo, who wrote on his Facebook page that the breakup “is news to me, all I can say for now I guess.” But now, in a new statement to Rolling Stone, Freeman addressed the split — and Ween’s fans — letting it be known that his decision was not a rash one. “I want to thank each and every one of you all for your kind words and support. It means a lot. My decision to leave Ween, however interpreted, was absolutely not made in haste,” Freeman’s statement reads. “It’s evolved over a decade’s worth of internal and external struggle.” Freeman didn’t elaborate on those struggles, but did add that he has no bad blood with Melchiondo, whom he founded Ween with more than 25 years ago. And he closed by saying that he’ll continue to make music … minus the Gene Ween moniker. “Know that I am extremely proud of all that is Ween. And while Mickey and I are going our separate ways, I wish him only the best. I will always have nothing but love and respect for what we created together,” the statement reads. “I need to now move on for myself and for my family. I still, as always, look forward to a future filled with music as Aaron Freeman.” Related Artists Ween
‘It’s one of those things that worked out beautifully for Drake with YMCMB. He’s got a good camp,’ Kardi tells ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Drake Photo: Akon sure has an ear for top-notch talent; just ask T-Pain and Lady Gaga . Still, even the best music execs miss out from time to time, and on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live,” Kon’s buddy Kardinal Offishall revealed the “Locked Up” singer’s most notable miss. “The biggest one that he passed on, I told him about Drake early,” Kardi revealed. “I said, ‘Kon, this kid is a T.V. star… and this kid is crazy.’ ” Kardinal, like Drizzy, hails from Toronto, but was able to establish himself as a notable rap talent years before Drake broke out with 2009’s So Far Gone. “I had met him years before he started with his first mixtape,” Offishall said. “The thing that’s dope about Drake is that I remember, like he was just hungry because he wanted to make that transition from the acting to the rapping.” Kardi recalled a specific meeting where the OVO spitter played him an early mixtape, which he was instantly impressed with. The two even collaborated on “The Last Hope,” a song off of Drake’s 2007 mixtape Comeback Season. It would take a number of years, but by the time Drake officially arrived with So Far Gone, there was little doubt that he was going to be huge. “After he blew, I went back and said, ‘See Kon, I told you,’ ” Kardinal said. “But it’s one of those things that worked out beautifully for Drake with YMCMB. He’s got a good camp.” Where do you think Drake’s career would be today if he had signed with Akon? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Drake Akon
Band postpones shows in Italy, Germany and Switzerland after a stage collapse killed its drum tech and destroyed some of its light show and equipment. By Gil Kaufman Radiohead’s Thom Yorke Photo: Radiohead have been forced to postpone a string of seven European tour dates in the continuing fallout from a June 17 stage collapse at Toronto’s Downsview Park that took the life of their drum tech, Scott Johnson. “As you will probably have heard the roof over the stage collapsed at our show in Toronto killing crew member Scott Johnson and injuring three other crew members,” read a statement from the band released on Thursday (June 21). “The collapse also destroyed the light show – this show was unique and will take many weeks to replace. The collapse also caused serious damage to our backline, some elements of which are decades old and therefore hard to replace.” In addition to grieving for their friend and those injured in the accident, the band has been forced to deal with “many practical considerations” that have caused them to postpone a series of shows. Among those affected is a June 30 date at the Hippodrome Capanelle in Rome, as well as six other European dates in Italy, Germany and Switzerland that run through July 9. The band said they are going to try to reschedule the show, with the goal of naming new dates for them on June 27. The current plan is to start playing live again on July 10 at Les Arenes in Nimes, France. Inspectors from Ontario’s Ministry of Labour have been inspecting the wreckage to determine the cause of the collapse but have yet to release their findings. Related Artists Radiohead
New clip, directed by Anthony Mandler, sees the pair portraying the Kennedys. By James Montgomery Lana Del Rey and A$AP Rocky already made minor waves when a song they recorded together, “Ridin’,” was yanked from production duo Kickdrums’ mixtape at the last minute — reportedly because Rocky liked the track so much, he decided to keep it for his own upcoming full-length, LongLiveA$AP. But from the sound of things, their next collaboration could make major headlines: The duo will play John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy in the video for LDR’s “National Anthem.” Rocky broke the news in an interview with a German reporter, saying the “Anthem” video is sure to get people’s attention, even if they probably won’t understand what they’re seeing. “We did a video together … [it’s] some swag sh–,” he said. “I play JFK, she plays Jackie O, you know, some cool, trippy sh–, some really 2015 sh–. People gonna get it in like three years, and that’s the whole purpose of it.” Totally. Of course, in another interview with BBC Radio 1 , Del Rey revealed that, in addition to its rather unique take on the Camelot couple, the “National Anthem” video would also be 10 minutes long and directed by Anthony Mandler (who recently helmed Fun.’s epic “Some Nights” clip). “Every so often, I top what I’ve done, and this video is definitely the most beautiful thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “I wrote a treatment for me and A$AP Rocky, because i just thought he’d be really perfect to star in it. … I love it.” Sadly, Mandler is about the only person who isn’t talking about the video. In an email to MTV News, he said he couldn’t speak about the video “until I know when the release is.” But rest assured, it’s coming soon — and you’re probably going to be talking about it for a long time after. Related Artists A$AP Rocky Lana Del Rey
‘My wife has been my rock,’ Against Me! frontwoman says, but adds her new life ‘has completely ended’ her relationship with her father. By James Montgomery Laura Jane Grace Photo: Last month, Laura Jane Grace very publically came out as transgender in a Rolling Stone feature, bringing to close 31 years of living with a carefully guarded secret and effectively beginning a brand-new life. Of course, things weren’t quite as simple as that: Laura’s revelation only came after an intense year-long period of self-evaluation and open, often painful honesty. And when she and her Against Me! mates sat down with MTV News for their first on-camera interview since the Rolling Stone story broke, they spoke at length about just how she came out to the band . But that’s only part of the story. Because before Laura shared the news with her friends, she had to come out to her family, including her wife, Heather. And, as is often the case with life-altering events like this, there’s been some collateral damage along the way — including the unwanted attention Laura’s transgender life has brought on Heather and their daughter, Evelyn. “I mean, my daughter is my biggest worry of it all. Heather, my wife, has been my rock; she’s shown me support and love beyond my wildest expectations. On this tour in particular, it’s our first family tour, and she has, from the get-go, made sure people realize it’s Laura, to use the correct pronouns, and has been my biggest advocate and supporter. And whenever I’m feeling like I need any kind of strength, I look to her for that,” Laura told MTV News. “For my daughter, I’m hoping it doesn’t affect her in any negative way, as far as kids can be cruel to each other, once she starts school. It’s already weird enough when your dad is in a band, explaining that to other kids, but when your dad is transsexual as well … I just hope people are kind to my daughter.” In the Rolling Stone piece, Laura also expressed doubts over just how Heather’s parents would handle the news — they’re described as “somewhat conservative” — though, as she revealed, she’s been overjoyed by the support they’ve shown her. “I saw them actually, for the first time [since the RS story published] when we played in Chicago,” she said. “I woke up on the bus and they were all in the front lounge, and I came out wearing last night’s makeup, my hair was all disheveled, and it was like, ‘OK, here’s everybody! Good morning!’ But they all couldn’t have been more supportive and couldn’t be cooler about the whole thing.” Sadly, the same can’t be said for Laura’s father, a retired Army major with whom she’s never truly been close. At the conclusion of the RS story, Laura said she still hadn’t told her father she was transgender — though obviously, since the news came out, he’s aware, and he’s had a difficult time coming to terms with her new life. Though, tellingly, Laura isn’t letting that stop her on her new path. If anything, it’s inspired her to continue — if not for her sake, then for her daughter’s. “It has completely ended my relationship with my father. It is what it is,” she said. “For me, there were so many things leading up to this decision to come out to this publicly. Having my daughter, like, I had never had that close of a relationship with my father, and when I had my daughter, my father tried to become more a part of my life, because he obviously wanted to have a relationship with his granddaughter. And as I saw that develop, and as we became closer, because of that it was something that started to tear me up inside. “It was like, ‘OK, here we are, I’m building this relationship and setting this example for my daughter, and what are the ramifications of that if this person doesn’t even accept their son? And then they’re going to develop a relationship with my daughter; what kind of example is that setting to them?’ ” she continued. “I wanted this in so many ways to be a line in the sand with people, as far as ‘This is me. If you have a problem with this, then get out of my life.’ And if that’s the way it is. It’s unfortunate, but what can I do about it?” Related Artists Against Me!
Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake have more in common than a first name, but how do their solo careers stack up? By Gil Kaufman Justin Bieber vs. Justin Timberlake Photo: It’s hard to remember now, but there was a time a decade ago when Justin Timberlake elicited the same kind of screaming mobs of young girls that Justin Bieber does now. But these two pop icons have way more in common than just the same first name and the undying devotion of the ladies. Both have conquered the pop music universe in a massive way, sold millions of albums and helped fundamentally change what is considered appropriate material for young male singers. “I think .. the comparison is a huge honor,” Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, told MTV News about the numerous reviews comparing Bieber’s evolution and sound to Timberlake’s. “That is an iconic artist and someone who, when I was growing up, really set the tone for stars the same way Justin Bieber is for his generation … A compliment of that nature is something that we embrace, but at the same time I think it’s the easy comparison. I like to say things no one else will say: They’re both white and both their names are Justin. That’s the thing that everyone thinks but they won’t say out loud. And I think the two of them feel that way.” To celebrate the release this week of Bieber’s second full-length album, Believe, we thought we’d take a look at how the Justins’ careers stack up against each other. Sales : Though he’s only released two solo albums in his 10-year career outside of ‘NSYNC, Timberlake has hit it big both times, moving more than 10 million units of 2002’s Grammy-winning Justified and an equal number for 2006’s FutureSex/LoveSounds . Bieber busted out of the box in 2009 with the EP My World , which sold 3.2 million copies in the U.S. He followed with another EP, My World 2.0, which sold another 3.1 million copies in the U.S. His Christmas disc, Under the Mistletoe moved around 1.5 million and total world sales have put him in the 15 million range. But, given that Timberlake is semi-retired from music and Believe is expected to be one of the year’s best sellers, it won’t be long before the student should overtake the master. Advantage : Timberlake (for now) Social Media : Timberlake may have Bieber on sales at the moment, but nobody has leveraged social media more than the kid who got discovered on YouTube. Bieber’s social media numbers are gawdy: 23.6 million Twitter followers, 44.5 million Facebook likes, more than 2.9 billion YouTube views, including nearly 750 million for the video for his breakthrough single, “Baby” and another 321 million for “Never Say Never.” By contrast, Timberlake has staked out a smaller social media presence, amassing 12 million followers on Twitter, 16.1 million likes on Facebook and nearly 240 million YouTube views of his videos. Advantage : Bieber Big-Screen Success : Bieber’s concert movie, “Never Say Never,” has taken its place as the highest-grossing concert movie of all-time with more than $73 million to date. While Bieber is expanding his movie palette with an upcoming debut dramatic role in a Mark Wahlberg basketball movie, Timberlake has already blazed a formidable trail in acting, which has become his primary focus. Counting animated films featuring his voice and such hits as “The Social Network” ($96 million), “Bad Teacher” ($100 million) and “Yogi Bear” ($100 million), Timberlake’s films have grossed nearly $450 million to date. Advantage : Timberlake Expanding the Brand : While neither Justin has gone all-in on merchandising their name like some other pop stars (50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez), both have extended their brands in interesting ways. Bieber has released two perfumes (Girlfriend and Someday), a line of nail polish, a doll and a book. Timberland has a successful clothing line (William Rast), scents for men and women (Play for Him and Play for Her) a record label (Tennman Records), a golf course in his hometown of Memphis (Mirimichi), restaurant (Southern Hospitality) and a line of tequila (901). Advantage : Timberlake Precociousness : Sure, Timberlake got there first thanks to his time on the Mickey Mouse Club and in ‘NSYNC, but he was an ancient 21 years old when he released his solo debut. Bieber is just 18 and is already on his fourth release, with a movie, books, several sold-out world tours under his belt and, like, Timberlake (Britney Spears), a very public romance with a fellow pop star (Selena Gomez). The comparisons will keep coming, but at the torrid pace he’s moving, Bieber is well on his way to eclipsing Timberlake by the time he’s old enough to drink. Your move, T. Advantage : Bieber How do you think the careers of Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber compare? Leave your comments below! Related Videos ‘Bieber Live’ Related Photos The Evolution Of: Justin Bieber The Evolution Of: Justin Timberlake Acting, Log-Rolling, Quilting: Justin Timberlake Can Do It All Justin Bieber Takes Over The Bodies Of Other Teen Idols Related Artists Justin Bieber Justin Timberlake
‘I ain’t never had my little heart broken before, but now that it happened, I don’t think it would happen for a long time,’ Lil Scrappy tells ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting from Sway Calloway Lil Scrappy on “RapFix Live” Photo: It takes a real man to open up about his feelings; just ask Lil Scrappy . The ATL spitter not only puts his life in his music, he is now the star of VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” and the intimate details of his love life are being broadcast on television. Among the juiciest tidbits is Scrappy’s breakup with female rapper Diamond. Last year, after it was revealed that the hip-hop beauty was dating Soulja Boy, Scrappy’s love life was placed under a very public microscope. Scrap says he has no beef with Soulja but does admit that he suffered a serious heartbreak. “When that Diamond situation happened, it just taught me a real valuable lesson, ’cause I know, as I can see, I’m not a good judge of character,” he said when he appeared on Wednesday’s (June 20) “RapFix Live.” Scrappy — who put out his first album, Bred 2 Win Born 2 Live, in 2004 with Lil Jon’s BME and 50 Cent’s G-Unit labels — was helping his then-girlfriend get her career on track. After the couple broke up, he realized he needed to re-examine his life. “I ain’t never had my little heart broken before, but now that it happened, I don’t think it would happen for a long time,” he said. “But the good side about that is, you don’t put nobody before God, don’t ever put nobody before God, and I think I did a little bit of that trying to help her.” Now, on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” — which airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on VH1 — Scrappy is trying to rekindle the flame with his child’s mom, Erica Dixon. Scrappy says being on the show has not only brought him and Erica closer, it also forces him to confront his problems head on. “I just want to be real with life,” he told Sway. “Now that’s all I like to do. I like to be truthful. What do you think of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta”? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ Gets Scrappy Related Artists Lil Scrappy
Singer will appear alongside Jim Parsons in ‘Happy Smekday!’ based on a novel by Adam Rex. By Jocelyn Vena Rihanna Photo: Rihanna battled some bad aliens in “Battleship,” but now it seems she’ll be tackling a much friendlier extraterrestrial life form in her animated flick, “Happy Smekday!” She’s set to play the lead alongside “Big Bang Theory” Emmy-winner Jim Parsons. The flick, based on Adam Rex’s book “The True Meaning of Smekday,” follows an alien race who come to Earth to hide away from their enemies. When one of the aliens accidentally spills the beans about their hideout to the bad guys, he must go on the run with a teenage girl. The twosome then goes on a road trip through a dystopian America, learning about humanity along the way. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is slated for a 2014 release. “Antz” and “Over the Hedge” director Tim Johnson will helm the DreamWorks Animation project, with “Get Smart” screenwriters Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember penning the script. It’s just another film credit for Ri, who has begun her transition from singer to singer/actress. Ever since her appearance in “Battleship,” roles have been steadily coming her way. “I got a few scripts, actually, a lot of incredible roles,” she told MTV News recently. “Some of which I felt were a little too big for me, being that I never did a movie. So I wanted to really get my feet wet, try it, see what it was like and know how I wanted to move from there. I’m really glad ‘Battleship’ turned out to be the first one.” She was recently spotted on the set of “End of the World,” confirming her long-rumored cameo in the Seth Rogen comedy. She shot down chatter that she would play Whitney Houston in a biopic of her life, and her rep recently denied rumors that she would be in the next “Fast and The Furious.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Battleship’ Related Artists Rihanna
‘I love working with him,’ Luda tells MTV News of Justin’s ‘All Around the World.’ By Christina Garibaldi Justin Bieber Photo: Justin Bieber is determined to make believers out of everyone with his third studio album, Believe. In honor of the LP’s release on Tuesday, Justin took over MTV’s Times Square studios and invited 100 of his biggest fans to join him for our 30-minute special, “Bieber Live.” But that was just the start: Bieber is going to stop celebrating anytime soon as critics are praising his latest effort, which shows the 18-year-old pop star taking musical risks. Working with producers like Diplo, Rodney Jerkins, Hit-Boy and, of course, his mentor Usher , Bieber samples many different genres on Believe. He also showed his hip-hop love by reaching out to Big Sean, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Ludacris . As most fans know, Luda and Bieber first teamed up for the 2010 hit “Baby.” And when MTV News caught up with Ludacris recently at Bonnaroo earlier this month, he predicted that their new collabo, “All Around the World,” will repeat of the success of “Baby.” “That’s gonna be another smash, trust me,” Ludacris said, adding that they have plans to shoot a video. “He’s grown up, he’s an extremely focused artist. I love working with him, and when you see an artist from where he’s started to where he’s at now and where he wants to go, you just really see his vision and his dream. As soon as they brought me the record, I instantly fell in love with it. During Tuesday’s “Bieber Live,” Justin expressed his excitement about working again with Ludacris on what he called a “melodic” and “perfect” track. “To reunite with him was awesome,” the singer said. “All my fans now love Luda because of ‘Baby,’ so … having him back on this song was great. I’m taller than him now,” he added with a smile. Share your reviews of Justin’s new album in the comments below! Related Videos ‘Bieber Live’ Related Artists Justin Bieber Ludacris
