Tag Archives: artists

Demi Lovato Rocks Out With We The Kings In New Video

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Demi Lovato and We the Kings throw a party in ‘We’ll Be a Dream’ music video. By Jocelyn Vena Demi Lovato in We the Kings’ “We’ll Be a Dream” music video Photo: S-Curve Records To follow up her recent duet with boyfriend Joe Jonas, “Make a Wave,” for the eco-conscious film “Oceans,” Demi Lovato is edging it up a bit for her pop-rock song with We the Kings called “We’ll Be a Dream.” In the video for the mid-tempo ballad, which premiered on MTV Thursday (April 22), Lovato and the band play a gig for a group of teenagers at a party in the woods. The track, from We the Kings’ album Smile Kid, is about young love and two people sharing their dreams of making it big someday, depicted in the video as a dreamy escape into a world of pillow, water balloon and food fights. The video was shot in Elysian Park in Los Angeles earlier this year. Lovato first appears in the clip walking through the forest with feathers flying as the teens laugh their way through a pillow fight. She then hits the stage for a performance of the song, while lustful glances are exchanged between two teens in the audience in the midst of the craziness going on around them. The partygoers settle down and simply start enjoying the song. Lovato appears to settle into her role as rocker , while she and the band’s lead singer, Travis Clark, smile and have a good time onstage. On the We the Kings Twitter , the band wrote, “@travisrclark: FINALLY!!!! @WeTheKings – We’ll Be A Dream ft. @ddlovato is premiering on MTV on Thursday!!” Lovato mirrored that excitement on her page, re- tweeting the message and reminding fans to check out the clip. What did you think of the Demi Lovato and We the Kings’ video? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV Video Premieres Related Artists Demi Lovato We The Kings

Original post:
Demi Lovato Rocks Out With We The Kings In New Video

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Joss Stone And Jeff Beck Get Steamy On ‘Idol Gives Back’

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| 1 Comment

British duo put a bluesy twist on ‘I Put a Spell on You’ for the fundraising effort. By James Montgomery Joss Stone (file) Photo: Ian Gavan/ Getty Images Wednesday night’s (April 21) “Idol Gives Back” event featured performances by everyone from the Black Eyed Peas to Annie Lennox, but it was a pair of Brits — and a swampy, often-overlooked American tune that pre-dates most rock and roll — that ended up being one of the night’s most memorable moments. Singer Joss Stone and legendary guitarist Jeff Beck turned in a simmering, smoky take on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ 1956 stomper “I Put a Spell on You” — a song that has been covered by a lengthy list of artists, including Nina Simone and Shane McGowan — which managed to take the soulful, primal urges of the original (and most of the covers) and infuse them with both blues and R&B. Backed by the Jubilation Choir, and aided by a four-piece band, Stone and Beck let the song build to a boil, with the 23-year-old Stone starting out sparse, then gradually adding more gravel and gut to her voice, while Beck added flecks of bluesy guitar that eventually erupted into a fret-bending, note-melding solo. The tune grew and grew, with Stone — dressed in a silver, floor-length gown — vamping across the stage, bending low to draw the notes out of her lungs, while the choir added ominous backup, and Beck, the old pro playing it cool, guiding the song with his reserved, almost flirtatious playing. Eventually, when things got too hot, Beck, the band and the choir all fell away, leaving only Stone to take the song home. And with one great, breathy bellow, she did just that, going low once again, letting the grit come to the forefront. And as she wailed, Beck brought the band back in to wrap it all up. And as the audience cheered, the duo embraced in the middle of the stage. What did you think of Joss and Jeff’s duet? Let us know in the comments below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos Gang Starr’s Guru Passes Away Related Photos A Look Back At Tim Urban’s ‘Idol’ Journey ‘Idol Gives Back’: Season Nine ‘American Idol’ Season Nine Performances Related Artists Joss Stone Jeff Beck

Link:
Joss Stone And Jeff Beck Get Steamy On ‘Idol Gives Back’

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Solar Defends Guru’s Final Letter: ‘Those Are His Words’

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘This is what Guru wanted, not what Solar wanted,’ the Gang Starr MC’s friend tells MTV News about controversial statement. By Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Sway Calloway Solar and Sway Photo: MTV News The controversy over Guru’s last statement to the public continues. On Tuesday, after the Gang Starr MC’s death , his friend Solar put out a letter that he said Guru wrote in his final days. The letter had Guru distancing himself from his Gang Starr partner, DJ Premier. Fans, fellow MCs and even Guru’s family questioned whether the letter was authentic. Solar maintained the same stance he had on Tuesday afternoon when he talked with MTV News: The letter is real, and he had not doctored the words. “This is what Guru wanted, not what Solar wanted,” Solar told Sway on Wednesday (April 21). “Only thing I can say is, when he wrote his statements and we recorded his life story [Solar said that he and Guru also wrote the MC’s life story months ago], he recorded it the way he saw it. He didn’t record it to fit somebody else’s desires. He didn’t write his story or his records to fit what Gang Starr fans wanted or what Jazzmatazz fans wanted. He did his music and lived his life according to what Guru wanted. Guru is a man. He lived his own life. He was in no way, shape or form not living his life according to his own plans. He wasn’t being dictated to. He wasn’t being told what to do. He made his own decisions. He ate what he wanted to eat, lived where he wanted to live, dated who he wanted to date.” Solar said he and Guru put the letter together in January, one month prior to him being admitted in the hospital, where he would stay until he died Monday of myeloma cancer. When asked if the words were 100 percent Guru’s, Solar said: “To the most part. When it’s written, you put it in the proper framework. But yes, these are his words. “Guru wrote some of it himself,” Solar added. “The myeloma affected his hands, his coordination. So he sat down and talked to me. I made physical notes, and I made mental notes of his life, strategic events, songs, concepts. We realized over the last year these things had to be documented. His particular document had to be edited down from a larger statement, which was two statements combined. It was [originally] one statement: ‘If I’m in the hospital and things get to a certain point, what do I want to release to the fans?’ He had a statement that was released earlier, and people said, ‘Oh, it’s not Guru.’ Every major star, every major athlete who passes and releases a statement through their loved ones, this is standard. There’s nothing odd about this.” On Wednesday, Guru’s family released a statement refuting points in the letter Solar released, including mention of a charity organization. DJ Premier released his own statement expressing his love for his former music partner. Share your memories of Guru and Gang Starr in the comments below. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Solar Gang Starr’s Guru Passes Away Related Photos Gang Starr’s Guru: A Life In Photos Related Artists Gangstarr

See the rest here:
Solar Defends Guru’s Final Letter: ‘Those Are His Words’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solar Opens Up About His Relationship With Guru

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I looked at him as a brother,’ Solar says; denies rumors of romantic relationship. By Shaheem Reid with additional reporting by Sway Calloway Solar Photo: MTV News Simply known as Solar, the music-industry veteran knows when it comes to the hip-hop community, he’s probably the most hated man on the Internet. It seems that everyone is questioning his relationship with Keith Elam — better known to millions of fans as Guru — who passed away on Monday (April 19). On Wednesday, RapRadar.com had Solar as the focus of their infamous “You Played Yourself” section and one of the blog’s writers, Brian “B. Dot” Miller, referred to him as a “lying sack of sh–.” “This is one solar that needs to be eclipsed,” B. Dot goes on to write. And that may be one of the kindest things said about Solar, friend and confidant of the rap legend since 2002. Twitter’s list of trending topics includes #F—SOLAR and longtime Gang Starr musical family member Bumpy Knuckles has been posting tweets directed at Solar that we cannot reprint here. Journalists such as “The Media Assassin” Harry Allen and Miss Info have openly questioned the authenticity of issued a statement about his passing on Wednesday. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Solar Gang Starr’s Guru Passes Away Related Photos Gang Starr’s Guru: A Life In Photos Related Artists Gangstarr

Read the original:
Solar Opens Up About His Relationship With Guru

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Guru And Gang Starr ‘Represent The True Essence Of Hip-Hop,’ Fat Joe Says

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘He was a nice, cool, humble dude,’ Joe says of recently passed MC. By Shaheem Reid Guru Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage Fat Joe says he lost more than a friend when Guru passed away on Monday (April 19). He says hip-hop lost an incredible performer and ambassador of purity in the art form. A very young Joe appears in the video for Gang Starr’s “Suckas Need Bodyguards” and the Bronx MC said he knew the duo at the very start of their careers. “I knew them before rap,” Joe told MTV News about Guru and DJ Premier. “Showbiz brought them through the ‘hood. When I was running the streets of the Bronx crazy, they was already rappin’. First day I met [Guru], I showed him a tech I had in my waistline. He was like, ‘Ah sh–! Joey Crack?’ I was like, ‘Yeah n—a, I got you.’ He was the coolest n—a. Guru, man — real hip-hop. They the purest. Gang Starr is the purest group in hip-hop ever. Pure hip-hop — uncompromised, pure hip-hop. I had many days with these n—as. That’s my family. I remember being on tour with them and spending all night, until, like, 9 in the morning talking sh– to Guru. In his hotel room, just talking sh– till the sun came up. “Even though his music was hardcore gangsta music, he was a nice, cool humble dude,” Joe added. The leader of the Terror Squad also talked to us about the impact and influence of Gang Starr. “They was the dynamic duo,” Joe said. “They the n—as shooting videos in the beach in the winter when the beach is ice. F—in’ ‘Mass Appeal,’ one of the greatest records ever created in hip-hop. I drove down from New York to Miami the day that sh– came out. That’s when hip-hop was hip-hop. Every single station on the way down to Miami, ‘Brand-new Guru, brand-new Gang Starr.’ Every single radio station. It’s incredible that they wasn’t from the city, but they represent the sound of New York. When everybody says, ‘Bring New York back,’ they mean bring it back to Gang Starr n—a. They talking about Gang Starr, similar to the South talking about Andre 3000 and them. They represent the true essence of hip-hop.” Related Videos Gang Starr’s Guru Passes Away Related Photos Gang Starr’s Guru: A Life In Photos Related Artists Guru Fat Joe Gang Starr

Follow this link:
Guru And Gang Starr ‘Represent The True Essence Of Hip-Hop,’ Fat Joe Says

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Rihanna Hospitalized In Switzerland

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

She injured her rib during a show Monday and was back on the stage Tuesday night. By Eric Ditzian Rihanna (file) Photo: Jason Kempin/ Getty Images In the midst of her 27-date European tour, Rihanna suffered an injured rib that required a brief trip to an emergency room in Switzerland. The injury took place during Monday’s show in Zurich, according to People. Following the performance, Rihanna was taken to a private clinic. “[She] had an injured rib and went to have it looked at to be sure it was nothing serious, and it wasn’t,” the 22-year-old singer’s rep said. Rihanna continued on with the tour, performing Tuesday night in Lyon, France, and then heading to Marseille for Wednesday’s (April 21) concert. From there, her Last Girl on Earth Tour will weave through Western Europe, hitting countries like Germany and Luxembourg, before jumping over to the U.K. for 13 dates. The European leg of the tour will wrap up June 5 in Madrid. “All is OK and the tour is going great,” her rep said. The Last Girl on Earth Tour will pick back up in the U.S. on July 2 when Rihanna performs in Seattle. That show will kick off a 27-date North American run, which heads north to Canada and then down through Western states like California and Arizona. The Eastern dates will hit cities such as Miami, Boston and New York. The tour finishes up in Chicago on August 25. Ke$ha will join Rihanna on the tour; Nicki Minaj was set to tour with the two women as well, but pulled out earlier this month . “I’m just so excited to be on the same stage as Rihanna,” Ke$ha told us recently. “She’s obviously an incredible performer, singer, woman. So that tour’s going to be so much fun.” Are you excited to see the Last Girl on Earth Tour? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists Rihanna

See the original post:
Rihanna Hospitalized In Switzerland

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Justin Bieber Rules Billboard Charts For Third Week

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

New MGMT, Coheed and Cambria albums see strong debuts. By Gil Kaufman There’s just no holding down Justin Bieber . The pint-size Canadian pop sensation will hold onto the #1 slot on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week, thanks to another 92,000 in sales for his My World 2.0 album, which has sold more than 760,000 copies in its first month. The competition wasn’t even really close, though hipster duo MGMT had a relatively strong showing for their difficult second album, Congratulations, which debuts at #2 (66,000), according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. The other debut in the top 10 comes from complicated rockers Coheed and Cambria , who notch a #5 showing for Year of the Black Rainbow (51,000). It’s the concept-album-loving MTV Musical March Madness champs’ highest-ever chart debut. The rest of the top 10 found ACM darlings Lady Antebellum moving up a notch with Need You Now (65,000), the year’s best-selling album so far, with more than 1.7 million copies moved. That’s followed by Usher with Raymond v. Raymond (#4, 64,000), Now 33 (45,000) and Lady Gaga ‘s The Fame (32,000). Ke$ha ‘s Animal returns to the top 10 (up eight spots to #8, 31,000), with Monica’s Still Standing (#9, 30,000) and Bieber’s debut, My World (#10, 30,000) close at its heels. Just outside the top 10, guitar legend Jeff Beck hits #11 with Emotion & Commotion (26,000). Former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant lands at #17 with her latest solo album, Leave Your Sleep. Former “American Idol” finalist Jason Castro is right behind at #18 with his self-titled full-length debut (#18, 20,000), and Gucci Mane ‘s Burrrprint 2 mixtape hit #19 (19,000). Further down the line, “Legally Blonde — The Musical” star Laura Bell Bundy hits #28 with her Achin’ & Shakin’ country album (15,000). The self-titled debut from former Guns ‘N Roses guitarist Slash had a short stay in the top 10, dropping 13 slots to #16 in week two (22,000), while Erykah Badu ‘s New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh falls 11 to #20 in week three (19,000). Fans were seemingly not feeling Madonna ‘s Sticky & Sweet Tour CD/DVD pack, as the live collection plummets 47 spots in week two to #57 (8,000) as sales dropped by more than 70 percent. Adam Lambert ‘s return to “American Idol” as a mentor did wonders for his five-month-old debut, For Your Entertainment, which rockets up 41 spots to #35 (13,000, up 121 percent). Next week’s contenders include the comeback album from Cypress Hill , the “Glee” Madonna soundtrack and AC/DC ‘s “Iron Man 2” compilation. Related Videos MTV News’ Chart Watch Related Artists Coheed and Cambria MGMT Justin Bieber

The rest is here:
Justin Bieber Rules Billboard Charts For Third Week

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Game Calls Gang Starr MC Guru ‘A Legend’

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I felt the same way I felt when Jam Master Jay got murdered,’ MC says. By Steven Roberts Photo: Cary Hammond/ Redferns The hip-hop world is still reeling from the passing of legendary Gang Starr MC Guru (real name: Keith Elam), who died Monday at the age of 43 from cancer. Fans have reacted to his death with found memories of Guru’s work with DJ Premiere for Gang Starr and his Jazzmatazz series, and artists like Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj and Fabolous reached out via Twitter to share their condolences. When MTV News caught up with Game in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, he said he was caught off-guard by the news. “It happens so fast sometimes. I felt the same way I felt when I woke up and they said that Jam Master Jay got murdered, and then I woke up this morning to a text [saying], ‘Guru is dead.’ ” Game said he got the text from a DJ in New York, and things like that can serve as a wake-up call, especially when people pass in an untimely fashion. He even compared the late, legendary MC’s impact on East Coast hip-hop to Ice Cube’s influence on the West. “That’s like waking up tomorrow — and knock on wood — and somebody like Cube died,” Game said. “So my condolences to his family and to hip-hop for losing a legend.” Share your memories of Guru and Gang Starr in the comments below. Related Videos Gang Starr’s Guru Passes Away Gang Starr’s Guru: Music Videos Related Photos Gang Starr’s Guru: A Life In Photos Related Artists Guru The Game Gang Starr

Read more:
Game Calls Gang Starr MC Guru ‘A Legend’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Christina Aguilera Says Motherhood Hasn’t Stopped Her ‘Naked Sundays’

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I think I’m even a more sexual Christina’ since having a son, singer said. By Jocelyn Vena Christina Aguilera Photo: Isaac Brekken/ Getty Images Christina Aguilera is preparing for the June release of her latest album, Bionic. And the mother of two-year-old Max says she’s geared up and ready to go. “That’s part of the change of having a child for me — seeing your body do these things you never thought possible,” Aguilera told the Q100 Bert Show in Atlanta Tuesday morning. “When you have a baby, you go through a period where your body is not your own. It becomes for your child and that’s it. Once you bounce back from that and kind of get your body back … I feel better than ever. It’s a great feeling.” And if you think she’s more modest now that she’s a mom, you’d better think again. She and hubby Jordan Bratman still have what she calls “naked Sundays.” “I think it’s important that [Max] sees mommy not be ashamed for her sexuality. … We’re art collectors, there are a lot of female nudes around the house. Max will be growing up in a house where it’s just the norm. … It’s only weird when you shame it,” she said, adding, “I’m more confident and comfortable in my own skin. I think I’m even a more sexual Christina.” Now that she’s been able to find that balance between being a mom and being a sexual creature, does she see herself having another child? “I would love that one day, but not right now,” she said. “Eventually, I would like to give Max a brother or a sister.” Related Videos MTV News’ Three To See Related Artists Christina Aguilera

Read the original post:
Christina Aguilera Says Motherhood Hasn’t Stopped Her ‘Naked Sundays’

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Guru’s Family Releases Statement About His Death

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We are proud of all his many legendary musical contributions,’ family says of legendary Gang Starr MC. By Gil Kaufman Guru Photo: Getty Images The family of late Gang Starr founder Guru (born Keith Elam) released a statement on Wednesday morning in reaction to the legendary rapper’s death from cancer-related causes on Monday at the age of 43. “The Elam family wishes to thank the fans of our son/brother/father uncle/nephew/cousin Keith, a.k.a. Guru, for the outpouring of love, concern and support,” the statement reads. “Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much. Guru was devoted to his young son, who will most keenly feel his absence.” According to the family, the MC had suffered from the aggressive cancer multiple myeloma for over a year and mounting complications from that illness led him to suffer respiratory failure and cardiac arrest last month. “As a result, Guru was in a coma from mid-February until his death and never regained consciousness,” the statement continues. “Early on the morning of April 19th, he became hypertensive due to low blood pressure. He again went into cardiac arrest and slipped away from us. “Guru died far too young but he was, and we are, proud of all his many legendary musical contributions.” The family said it is not aware of any foundation established by Guru to which fans can send donations, but they are working out a memorial at which admirers can pay their respects. “We know and understand that countless fans want to express their condolences and love and, to that end, we are planning a memorial event in the near future that will be all-inclusive,” the statement read. “Please look for further details from the family as they become available.” Guru’s death has not been without controversy. Some fans questioned the rapper’s “farewell” letter , provided by partner Solar, which contained some harsh comments directed at former Gang Starr DJ Premier. On Tuesday, Solar responded to the criticism, saying, “Guru knew this time would come. The great artist he is, us being intelligent people, we knew there was going to have to be a statement relating to this,” Solar explained of the letter, which also said that the music Guru made with Solar was among the best of his career. “Unfortunately, there are those who have the wicked agenda, and just can’t accept that Guru and I have handled this thing as men and not children, and this is how men of honor handle their business. He arranged his press release. I’m the repository of Guru’s life story. I recorded his life story for book and for movies. We’re not foolish. He was diagnosed with cancer well over a year ago. It’s been operations and so forth. It would be ridiculous for him to not be prepared.” Share your memories of Guru and Gang Starr in the comments below. Related Videos Gang Starr’s Guru Passes Away Related Photos Gang Starr’s Guru: A Life In Photos Related Artists Gang Starr

See the article here:
Guru’s Family Releases Statement About His Death

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Celebrities, Gossip, Hollywood, Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,