Tag Archives: artists

Lil Boosie Indicted For First-Degree Murder

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Rapper is already in jail for violating probation. By Jayson Rodriguez Lil Boosie (file) Photo: Getty Images Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rapper Lil Boosie was indicted on a first-degree murder charge by a grand jury Thursday (June 17), stemming from an incident in October that left one man dead. Two other men, Michael Louding and Adrian Pittman, were also indicted on similar charges, according to a Louisiana CBS News affiliate WAFB . The Trill Entertainment rapper and his associations were indicted for multiple drug-possession charges as well. Police records say Boosie and the two men fired shots into the home of Terry Boyd, then 35. The rapper allegedly was in possession of ecstasy, codeine and marijuana. All three men were charged with conspiracy for their part in the act, police say. A district attorney said the death penalty was not out of the question. Currently, Boosie is in jail after a judge ordered him to prison for violating his probation. In November, the rapper was immediately taken into custody after authorities discovered Boosie was leaving his house during home confinement. Prior to his imprisonment, the rapper was facing jail time after he reached a plea deal on a previous drug rap. Boosie was sentenced to two years in jail in September; his agreement helped him avoid facing upward of 10 years behind bars after his original sentence was suspended. “I’m ready to get this behind me,” Boosie told the judge at the time, just a week before he was scheduled to go to trial. Boosie was in the midst of releasing his latest album, Superbad: The Return of Boosie Bad Azz, during his last set of legal troubles. At the time, he thought he would only be going away for a few months. “I gotta go away for, like, 10 months to a year,” Boosie told MTV News in October last year. “It’s just a minor setback for a major comeback. I was gonna take ’em to trial, but I’m not gonna take them to trial. They offered me a deal. In Louisiana, you can’t really win, bruh. So I’m gonna do my year, come back home, step it up even more. I leave on November 9.” Related Artists Lil Boosie

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Drake’s Family Tree Extends From Childhood Pals To Kanye West

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Bun B and many others are also influential in Drizzy’s hip-hop journey. By MTV News staff Hip-hop phenom Drake might only be 23 years old, but his roots in the rap world run quite deep. His debut album, Thank Me Later (which dropped this week) is the result of years of studying with a handful of masters, toiling in the mixtape circuit and traveling across North America in an effort to synthesize his unique style and build his credibility. But who is connected to the man born Aubrey Graham? As you can see in his hip-hop family tree , there are quite a few branches in Drake’s musical story. October’s Very Own (Drake’s personal crew) Noah “40” Shebib : Drake’s musical partner produced the bulk of Thank Me Later , and in the past, he served as the rapper’s road manager, engineer and lifeline as he ran up thousands of dollars on his credit card for the two to follow Lil Wayne on tour while they worked on So Far Gone. Oliver El-Khatib : Oliver functions as Drizzy’s creative director, weighing in on the majority of decisions in the lyricist’s career outside the recording booth. He posts to the OVO blog frequently, highlighting the tastes of the collective, from fashion to music. Oliver introduced Drake to the music of now tourmate Francis and the Lights. Niko : One of Drake’s longtime friends from Toronto, Niko introduced the rapper to his own barber when the former “Degrassi” star needed a fresh look. The two are often together, and in his Thank Me Later album credits, Drizzy tells his friend he thought he was an only child until he met Niko, whom he calls “my closest confidant.” Instrumental Allies (Kick-started Drake’s career) Jas Prince : The son of legendary Houston hip-hop pioneer J. Prince, the younger Jas found Drake on MySpace and urged Lil Wayne to listen to the upstart artist. Lil Wayne : The Cash Money Records superstar took Drake under his wing and offered the then-unknown rapper recording advice, telling his prot

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Drake, Muse, Ozzy Osbourne Headline 2010 Voodoo Experience Fest

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Weezer, MGMT, Deadmau5 also among the performers at Halloween music fest in New Orleans. By Josh Wigler Drake Photo: Getty Images It’s not just ghosts, ghouls and goblins haunting New Orleans on Halloween weekend this year. The Big Easy’s music lovers can also look forward to seeing many of their favorite rappers, rock stars and more at the Voodoo Experience Festival 2010, set to take place at City Park in New Orleans from October 29-31 this year. On Thursday (June 17) the festival announced that its lineup will include musicians such as Drake, Muse and Ozzy Osbourne among the high-profile performers. When the announcement was made at midnight, the fest’s official website crashed for several hours, according to Hit Fix , possibly indicating an unprecedented interest in this year’s show. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Halloween than with a performance in New Orleans,” Osbourne said in a press release. This year marks the Prince of Darkness’ first appearance at the Voodoo Experience Festival, now coming up on its 12th year. Other Voodoo performers include Weezer, MGMT, Metric, Hot Chip, Interpol, Florence and the Machine, Paul Van Dyk and Deadmau5. Several local New Orleans acts will also be on hand, including Leo Jackson and the Melody Clouds, the Rebirth Brass Band, Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Tickets are already on sale, with weekend passes available for $150 and VIP packages for $500. Which music festival are you most looking forward to this year? Share your excitement in the comments below. Don’t miss the “Drake: Better Than Good Enough” documentary , airing Wednesday, June 23, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV! Related Artists Drake Muse Ozzy Osbourne Weezer MGMT deadmau5

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Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’ Video: Check Out Exclusive Sketches!

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Director Mathew Cullen reveals eye-popping artwork used to create Katy Perry’s Candyfornia. By James Montgomery Concept art for Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” Photo: Matthew Cullen In the past, Mathew Cullen has run into some problems when it came to directing big-budget videos … namely, too many voices, too many people trying to tell him what he could (or couldn’t) do. Suffice to say, he didn’t have that problem on the set of Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.” “I definitely can say that was not the case with this one,” Cullen laughed. “It was very collaborative, no one said no to anything. And Katy, well, she was great. I’ve never met anyone who worked harder or was more committed to making a great video.” But make no mistake about it: Cullen was prepared to push Perry. As these exclusive concept sketches prove — Cullen emailed a batch to MTV News on Wednesday — he was bursting with ideas for the “Gurls” video, from wild costumes to eye-popping candy-colored sets. Not only was KP game to try them all, but the entire “Gurls” team was too. “Her main stylist coordinated a huge team of people to help make the costumes. Diesel was a part of it, designers in New York too. Every single piece of clothing was custom,” the director said. “And then we had [the painter] Will Cotton, whose work was a big inspiration on the look of the video, working as the artistic director. Everyone came together and worked very hard, because we all wanted to create something that captured her voice as an artist and celebrated her personality.” Perry was so committed to the project that she threw some ideas of her own into the mix — the whole “chest-mounted frosting cannons” thing was all her. And she put in overtime to ensure the clip would be impressive. In fact, the entire thing worked so well that Cullen only wishes the video could’ve been longer. After all, some of his clever ideas didn’t even make the final cut. “[Perry] worked 19 to 20 hour days, and only slept four to five hours in between. So, over 48 hours, she was awake for nearly 40. And it was amazing, really,” Cullen said. “She was ready to work, and wanted the video to be great. It’s too bad we had to edit it down though. We had a lot of ideas, and what’s in the video is only a fraction of them.” What’s your favorite part of the “California Gurls” video? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’: Frame By Frame MTV News Extended Play: Katy Perry Related Photos Concept Art For Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’ The Evolution Of: Katy Perry Related Artists Katy Perry

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Rihanna Is Working On ‘Positive, Explosive’ Tracks With Sean Garrett

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘Her album is definitely gonna be way more exciting, happy,’ songwriter says. By Jayson Rodriguez Rihanna Photo: Fotonoticias/ WireImage Rihanna channeled her personal life into her last album, Rated R, a dark collection of songs that touched on her experience with former flame Chris Brown, who assaulted her just before the 2009 Grammys. For her follow-up, she and her collaborators are promising something more energetic . Rihanna recently told Elle that she’s much happier these days, and gushed about how her new beau, baseball player Matt Kemp, keeps her “sane.” And according to songwriter Sean Garrett , who has been in the studio with Rihanna recently, her new music reflects this state of mind. “I can definitely say that her album is definitely gonna be way more exciting, happy,” Garrett told MTV News. “I hope she doesn’t mind me saying this. I love Rihanna. She’s fun, she’s like a sister, and I tend to think she doesn’t really take herself too seriously. And I think that’s what this album is gonna be about. “Remember when Rihanna was just the little girl from the island and she was just having fun with ‘Pon de Replay’ and enjoying life?” Garrett continued. “It always seemed like, ‘Dag, she has that thing. ‘ And it wasn’t so serious until the incident happened. And everything became so serious. That’s just life. But I’m just happy to see her back. And I can definitely say the records that we’ve been working on are very positive and very explosive. Heavy in the club.” In addition to Garrett, producer David Guetta said he wants to work with Rihanna and help her revisit her “Umbrella” days. “Well, you know, I’m a DJ, so I make beats that make you want to dance,” Guetta told MTV News. “And I think she was one of the first to do that in that urban world, so you know, I think it would be good for her to do it again.” What musical direction would you like to see Rihanna go on her next album? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Rihanna Sean Garrett

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Eminem, Alicia Keys, Usher Join BET Awards Lineup

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

A Michael Jackson tribute is also confirmed for the awards show, airing live June 27. By Mawuse Ziegbe Eminem Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Eminem , Usher , Alicia Keys and T-Pain have been added to the performance lineup of the BET Awards ’10 , going down on June 27 in Los Angeles. The hitmakers will join a star-studded bill that includes previously announced performers Kanye West, Drake, T.I., Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and Ludacris. A BET rep also confirmed that a Michael Jackson tribute is slated for this year’s show, hosted by rapper/actor Queen Latifah. The 2009 event became an impromptu MJ homage after the icon died just days before the awards show aired. Host Jamie Foxx memorably Moonwalked and spoofed Jackson’s “Beat It,” and stars like Ne-Yo, Ciara and Keri Hilson paid homage to the icon during their performances. Rolling Stone reported on Thursday (June 17) that BET insiders confirmed viewers can expect a performance of the monster collaboration “All I Do Is Win,” featuring DJ Khaled, T-Pain, Ludacris and Rick Ross. The magazine also teased that the “All I Do Is Win” collabo is set to feature a special guest. Jay-Z leads this year’s BET Awards nominations with five nods, including Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and Video of the Year for both “Empire State of Mind” and “Run this Town” off his hit The Blueprint 3. Beyonc

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Megan Fox Doesn’t Think She’s ‘Provocative’

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The ‘Jonah Hex’ star thinks she and Lady Gaga are frequently misinterpreted. By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Megan Fox Photo: Bill Sloyer/ MTV News Let’s play one of our favorite pop-culture games, “Is This Megan Fox Quote Provocative or Just Misinterpreted?” “I’m insane,” the 24-year-old “Jonah Hex” star told MTV News last summer. “Sometimes I’m great, and other times I’m a complete lunatic.” How about this one: “I don’t want to elaborate. I would never call myself a cutter,” Fox once told Rolling Stone. Or this: “[Michael Bay is] like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation,” Fox declared of the “Transformers” director last year. “He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is.” So, provocative or misinterpreted? Ask Fox herself, and she’ll answer “misinterpreted” every time. “I don’t feel like I’ve ever necessarily said anything that was provocative,” she told MTV News. “I think that people take relatively innocent statements and turn them into provocative things. … People have no idea how to react. It’s not that the statement itself is outrageous.” Fox has a feeling that other celebs who are dubbed “provocative” for the things they say or do in public are similarly misunderstood. Take Lady Gaga, who seemingly can’t take a breath without making news for the manner in which she expelled the air. While Fox scrupulously avoids the Web, she’s quite sure Gaga is not so much outrageous as she is misconstrued. “I don’t go on the Internet, so I don’t know what she’s been saying lately. I assume that’s probably what’s happening with her as well,” Fox said of Gaga being misinterpreted in the press. Yet, the actress is thankful for one thing about Gaga’s public persona: If the pop star has replaced her as the outrageous celeb-du-jour, that’s a good thing. “[I]f that has happened, I’m really excited about that,” she said with a smile. Check out everything we’ve got on “Jonah Hex.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Megan Fox In ‘Jonah Hex’ Exclusive ‘Jonah Hex’ Clip

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Eminem Says He Supports Gay Marriage

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I think that everyone should have the chance to be equally miserable,’ rapper told The New York Times Magazine. By James Montgomery Eminem Photo: Chris Weeks/ Getty Images In a new interview with The New York Times Magazine , Eminem declares that his “overall look on things is a lot more mature than it used to be,” a statement that apparently extends to his views on gay marriage. At one point during the piece — which will appear in the Sunday, June 20, issue of the mag — Em is asked by the Times’ Deborah Solomon if he’d support a gay marriage bill in his home state of Michigan. Somewhat surprisingly, he said yes … in his own, uniquely acerbic way, of course. “I think if two people love each other, then what the hell?” Em answered. “I think that everyone should have the chance to be equally miserable, if they want.” Throughout his career, Eminem has drawn the ire of gay rights groups, who called lyrics on his Marshall Mathers LP “homophobic and hateful” and protested his performance — and nominations — at the Grammy Awards in 2001 . And late last year, he made headlines when a leaked song called “Elevator” (supposedly set for his since-scrapped Relapse: Refill album) had him calling Clay Aiken and Adam Lambert something that sounded very much like the gay-slur “f—-ts.” Elsewhere in the Times interview, Eminem says that his newfound maturity had a lot to do with getting sober and, for the first time in his career, putting his maniacal Slim Shady persona on the shelf for his upcoming Recovery album. “Shady still exists. But I don’t think the subjects on this record call for, you know, bringing the chainsaws and axes out and murder[ing] everyone,” he says. “There was so much stuff like that off the last record that I felt like I was starting to run it into the ground. I think consciously I went in a different direction with this record.” Related Photos The Evolution Of: Eminem Related Artists Eminem

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Christina Aguilera To Sing At NBA Finals Tonight

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Singer will perform the national anthem for the second time during the NBA basketball championship series. By Mawuse Ziegbe Christina Aguilera performs the national anthem before game six of the NBA finals on Tuesday Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images Christina Aguilera is once again using her formidable pipes to grace the NBA finals: The singer will belt out a rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at tonight’s seventh and final game of the series. The singer, whose latest album Bionic recently debuted at #3 , on the Billboard albums chart, sang at Game 6 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Tuesday (June 15) before the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics and tied the series. The Lakers — who have lost their last four game-seven matchups to the Celtics — are apparently hoping Aguilera will bring them similar good luck tonight. The singer may be hoping that the Lakers are a good luck charm for her, as she’s had a some rough luck over the past few weeks . Bionic ‘s first-week sales were softer than expected, she recently postponed her tour until next year, and the response to her sexed-up video for the album’s first single, “Not Myself Tonight,” has been mixed. “I don’t know if it’s because she went away for a while, or because she tried to do something different with this project, but it feels a little crass and calculated,” Entertainment Weekly ‘s Leah Greenblatt told MTV News. “From her choice of collaborators [The-Dream, Polow Da Don, Le Tigre] to her first single, it doesn’t feel fully organic. What’s missing so much with her this time out is that, while she can still sing the crap out of her songs, you don’t get a sense of vulnerability, or even really know who she is.” Related Photos The Evolution Of: Christina Aguilera Related Artists Christina Aguilera

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Dr. Dre Says Leaked ‘Under Pressure’ Was ‘An Incomplete Song’

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Dre issues statement about the collaboration with Jay-Z that hit the Internet this week. By Shaheem Reid Dr. Dre Photo: Interscope Records Not this way, says Dr. Dre . He doesn’t want people to hear any of his music before it is done. On Wednesday, an incomplete version of the much-hyped Dre and Jay-Z duet “Under Pressure” leaked to the Internet, and the Doc responded on Thursday (June 17) on the Interscope website. Simply titled “Message from Dre,” the statement reads: “I want to set the record straight for everybody who’s been waiting to hear my music. The song that’s out on the Internet is an incomplete song that I’m still working on. When it’s ready, you’ll be hearing it from me.” “Under Pressure” is a song from Dre’s much-hyped Detox album . Neither the song nor the LP has a release date. In the meantime, Interscope and Dre are focused on releasing the potentially blockbuster project from Eminem, Recovery, which lands officially on Monday (June 22). The bootleg of “Under Pressure” has no chorus, at least not the version that was leaked. Keep in mind, Dre has been known to do a few different versions of his songs before he feels they are ready for public consumption. The leaked version featured the Compton icon batting leadoff. “The long-awaited Detox, bitch,” Dre said to commence the song. “But maybe I don’t wanna stop/ Maybe I don’t wanna quit/ Maybe I like ho’s/ Maybe I don’t want a wife/ Maybe I’m psycho/ … Maybe we need to breathe some life in this sh–/ Maybe we are the life of this sh–.” After a space with no vocals, where the chorus would presumably go, Jay-Z arrives on the song. “Dre, I think I need my sponsor,” he says. “Trying to grow, but I just can’t seem ta/ Having trouble cleaning up, I’m like FEMA/ All these little haters got me back with the nina/ Got me bringing guns to work, Gilbert Arenas,” the Jiggaman adds later in his bars. “I’m in this party/ I’m up to no good/ And I should be ducking these clubs, Tiger Woods.” Besides Jay-Z, the collaborators that Dre has had in the lab with him for Detox have been pretty impressive — as expected. Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, the Game, Nas, R. Kelly, Scott Storch, T.I., Nas, 50 Cent and Eminem have all recorded with Dre over the past few years for the album. What do you think of the leaked version of “Under Pressure”? Is it possible for Detox to live up to the hype? Share your opinions in the comments. Related Artists Dr. Dre Jay-Z

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