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Drake Keeps Lil Wayne’s Name Alive At BMI Unsigned Urban Showcase

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

Birdman, Lloyd, Big Boi, Sean Garrett, DJ Drama and others take the stage at 13th annual Atlanta show. By Jayson Rodriguez Drake performs at BMI’s 13th Annual Unsigned Urban Showcase on Tuesday Photo: Jayson Rodriguez/ MTV News ATLANTA — Drake’s a man of his word. On his latest single, “Over,” the young spitter promises that “the Young Money ship is never sinking.” And with Lil Wayne away, the So Far Gone lyricist has continued to soldier on for the camp as evident on his Away From Home tour . On Tuesday night, Drake headlined BMI’s 13th Annual Unsigned Urban Showcase and gave a shout to his incarcerated YM boss, along with fellow jailed MCs Lil Boosie and Gucci Mane. “Free Tunechi and Boosie and free Gucci,” Drake rapped during a freestyle, before telling the crowd that “they make some great music.” The event, held at the Havana Club, was hosted by crooner Lloyd and featured opening act Travis Porter and OutKast’s Big Boi, who was honored with the Legends of ATL Award. Lloyd pulled double duty during the festivities, joining Drake and his band onstage for a series of R&B-tinged hits, like “Successful” and “A Night Off.” Drake then picked things up with rowdier fare like “Uptown” and “Over.” “I know way too many people here right now that I didn’t know last year, who the f— are y’all?” he sang on the hook. Those in attendance for the packed performance included Jermaine Dupri, songwriter Sean Garrett, producer Jazze Pha, Bobby V., and DJ Drama, who co-hosted the proceedings. Drake later pulled Birdman onstage with him for their collaboration “Money to Blow.” The Cash Money boss and Drizzy did their best to keep Wayne’s name active while the rapper completes his jail sentence. “When I say ‘free,’ you say ‘Weezy,’ ” Drake directed the crowd. “I’m gonna do everything I told him I would do, what I said in the song: keep us afloat till he gets back,” Drake told MTV News last month, shortly after Lil Wayne turned himself in to police. “You won’t even notice he’s gone. Promise.” Have you seen Drake on tour? Share your own concert reviews in the comments! Related Artists Drake Lil Wayne

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Michael Jackson Reality Show Might Help Find Cirque Du Soleil Choreographer

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| 1 Comment

‘There is a huge appetite for people that want to participate in this Michael Jackson tribute,’ Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre says. By Larry Carroll Michael Jackson Photo: Al Messerschmidt Archive / Getty Images BEVERLY HILLS, California — By now, you may have heard that Cirque du Soleil has unveiled an ambitious plan to bring Michael Jackson back for a series of high-profile stage shows in Las Vegas and beyond. But what you might not know is that these plans will also take the King of Pop off the stage and into everything from nightclubs to restaurants to … a reality show? “There’s not a lack of creativity around the table,” grinned Cirque President and CEO Daniel Lamarre when we sat down with him on Tuesday (April 20). “Between [Michael Jackson Estate Co-Executors] John McClain and John Branca and all the creative team at Cirque Du Soleil, we’re already bouncing a lot of new ideas around. “This joint venture is not only for those two shows, but for all of the other initiatives that we can develop together,” he added. “We are already working on the concept of nightclubs, restaurants and other experiences and other types of content that we can develop on the brand of Michael Jackson.” One of the leading concepts is a reality TV show that Lamarre hopes to launch by the end of this year. He describes it as a chance to combine television’s two hottest shows, “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars,” with the distinctive style of the King of Pop. “John McClain came to us with the idea,” he said of the as-yet-untitled program, which would have a national audience assisting as they built the Cirque stage shows. “We would pick the best choreographer that there is in the world to work on [our stage] show, but also use them in a reality show in order to find a new, cutting-edge choreographer that could join the team.” The reality show would also audition dancers for the MJ shows, with a certain number of the top contestants landing a Cirque gig. “That could be an exciting moment,” Lamarre said of the show. “Right now there is a huge appetite for people that want to participate in this Michael Jackson tribute.” The Michael Jackson estate and Cirque du Soleil are spearheading the Michael Jackson projects with MGM Mirage, the gaming company that own such Vegas hotels as Excalibur, Luxor, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo and more. Lamarre said that one of the MGM Mirage hotels will host the Las Vegas Michael Jackson/Cirque show, and the venture’s press release mentions that “special lifestyle projects including a nightclub” will be developed. “We are exploring all of those opportunities right now,” Lamarre offered. “We’re at the early stages of those ideas. But we want to make sure that all the fans around the world that want to celebrate Michael Jackson have an opportunity to do it through the experiences we will bring to them.” But if those Michael Jackson-themed restaurants become a reality, Lamarre did make us one key promise: They won’t include moonwalking waiters attempting to balance food trays. “I don’t think anybody can do it the way Michael Jackson was doing it,” he laughed. What Michael Jackson-themed attraction would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists Michael Jackson

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N.O.R.E.’s ‘R.I.P. Guru’ Pays ‘Respect’ To Late Gang Starr MC

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I’m not big on funerals, so this is my way of going to the funeral,’ Nore tells MTV News of tribute track. By Shaheem Reid N.O.R.E. Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images N.O.R.E. released a tribute freestyle Tuesday (April 20) with Iman Thug called “R.I.P. Guru.” Nore said he was scheduled to go in the studio and wanted to pay homage to the Gang Starr MC after hearing about his death . “I didn’t even think about being the first one,” Nore told MTV News about putting out a Guru tribute record. “I had to do a freestyle for [producer] Clark Kent, and I said, ‘What’s more appropriate?’ Handle two birds with one stone … and send a rest-in-peace shout-out to Guru at the same time. “I just came back from Vegas,” he added. “I wasn’t by a phone or a computer. I wasn’t using it. When I finally got back in and got the news, I was stunned. Guru was a great guy. I got drunk with him a lot. He always showed love, respect. I wanted to pay my respect. I’m not big on funerals, so this is my way of going to the funeral.” In the freestyle, Nore raps about sharing great times with the trailblazing MC, who succumbed to cancer on Monday. N.O. told us they shared a mutual respect. “I just remember eating at a diner somewhere and him reciting the vocals to ‘T.O.N.Y.,’ ” N.O.R.E. recalled. “How ironic is it that I just went to the studio to finish the touches on ‘T.O.N.Y. Part 2’? That was always his favorite record. It’s ironic that the day I finish ‘T.O.N.Y. Part 2,’ I finish a tribute freestyle to his legacy. One of the wildest memories is us being in the diner and him running up to me saying [my lines]: ‘N—as tried to sh– on me, make history.’ It was always mind-blowing to me. He was a general, he was a person I always looked up to, whose music I grew up on. For him to know my sh– was a blessing.” Nore cited “Just to Get a Rep” as one of his favorite Gang Starr records . “When I heard ‘Stickup kids is out to tax,’ that’s exactly what was going on,” he explained. “Being a stickup kid was even doper than being a drug dealer. Everybody goes out there to get their bread, and the stickup kids get ’em. The ‘Dwyck’ joint with Nice and Smooth — he just was a general. We rhymed over ‘Mass Appeal’ [on the tribute freestyle], so that was one of my favorites. He meant a lot. We lost another legend.” Share your memories of Guru and Gang Starr in the comments below. Related Artists Gang Starr N.O.R.E.

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Hitler reacts to… copyright infringement

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

A mainstay on the viral video meme scene has been the 'Hitler Reacts to…' videos. A clip is used from the 2004 film 'Downfall' where Hitler learns he cannot win the war. He is very angry. These scenes are then dubbed with other things Hitler might be mad at. This is my favorite: Hitler reacts to failed Burning Man plans Today we've learned that production company Constantin Films is claiming copyright infringement. Martin Moszkowicz, an executive at Constantin told the BBC. “We as a corporation have a bit of an ambivalent view of it. On the one hand, we are proud the picture has such a huge fan base and that people are using it for parody. On the other hand, we are trying to protect the artists.” This is a sad day for the internets. If you have any 'Hitler Reacts to…'s that are still online, add them as comments below. added by: joshuaheller

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B.o.B Tops iTunes Singles Chart, MGMT Rule Album List

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Ke$ha, Coheed and Cambria and more knock last week’s champ Jack Johnson out of the top 10. By Gil Kaufman B.o.B Photo: Frank Mullen The critical response to MGMT ‘s sophomore album Congratulations has been mixed so far , but their fans had no qualms downloading the psychedelic warriors’ album from iTunes. According to figures provided by iTunes, the trippy disc shot right to #1 on the iTunes albums chart this week, bumping mellow strummer Jack Johnson out of the #1 position . (In fact, after one week at the top, Johnson was out of the top 10 entirely for the sales week that ended Monday). MGMT were followed by Ke$ha’s Animal, which likely stormed back up thanks to her appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” and Coheed And Cambria’s Year of the Black Rainbow, which we like to think was goosed by their win in the MTV Musical March Madness competition. Holding steady at #4 were multiple Academy of Country Music Award-winners Lady Antebellum with Need You Now, followed by Usher’s Raymond v. Raymond, Justin Bieber’s My World 2.0, the self-titled debut from former “American Idol” finalist Jason Castro, the latest “Glee” cast recording, Glee — The Music, the Power of Madonna, former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant’s Leave Your Sleep and Lady Gaga’s The Fame. (Precise sales figures are not available because iTunes does not provide sales data for the iTunes store.) Spiked from the top 10 was former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash’s self-titled debut, which was #2 last week, and albums by the John Butler Trio, Sigur R

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Green Day Hope To ‘Force Change’ By Sponsoring Prom For Gay Teen

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Lance Bass will also pitch in after a Mississippi high school barred Constance McMillen from her prom. By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Kelly Marino Green Day Photo: MTV News Constance McMillen, a student at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi, made headlines earlier this year when she was barred from attending senior prom with her longtime girlfriend. When McMillen persisted, the school board announced it was canceling prom entirely. McMillen &#8212 assisted by the American Civil Liberties Union &#8212 sued the school district. In a preliminary ruling, a federal court found that the Itawamba County District had violated her First Amendment right to freedom of expression, though the judge stopped short of ordering the school to reinstate the prom. And while the case is still pending, McMillen has found herself some rather unlikely allies, including Green Day, who, along with stars like Lance Bass and “Iron Chef” star Cat Cora, have agreed to sponsor (with the American Humanist Association) a “second-chance” prom, to be held May 8 in Tupelo, Mississippi. It was the kind of thing that the guys in Green Day knew they wanted to get involved in the second they heard McMillen’s story &#8212 even if they didn’t exactly have a ton of experience when it came to proms. “Well, I remember when the news broke about how … they canceled the prom because she wanted to bring her partner to the prom,” Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong said. “And we were talking about it, we were at the theater [for rehearsals of the ‘American Idiot’ musical ] and I remember [bassist] Mike [Dirnt] said, ‘Why don’t we just put on the prom?’ and I was like, ‘That’s a great idea. Why not?’ The weird thing is, I never even went to my prom.” “My high school was a little more open-minded,” Dirnt said. “There were a lot of girls dressed in tuxedoes showing up for the prom. I didn’t live in Mississippi, though. Sometimes you’ve got to force change.” And when MTV News caught up with McMillen on the red carpet for the GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday in Los Angeles, she was grateful for all the attention she’s received. But the teen says she’s just another girl trying to do what’s right. “I think you should stand up for what you believe in, and that’s all I did,” McMillen said. “I couldn’t control what the school board did or what other people do. … All I did was stand up for what I thought was right, and I think other people should do that too.” What do you think of Constance fighting to attend prom with the date of her choice? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Related Artists Green Day

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Guru’s Best: The Top 10 Essential Gang Starr Tracks

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

MTV News’ hip-hop team shares their faves, plus five of Guru’s Jazzmatazz greats. By Sway Calloway, Rahman Dukes, Shaheem Reid, Steven Roberts and Jayson Rodriguez Gangstarr Photo: Capitol No one questioned Guru’s claim that he was “one of the best yet.” The Boston native had one of the most distinctive voices in hip-hop history. You didn’t even need a whole bar to know that Gifted Universal Rhymes Unlimited was on the mic. Backed by beats from the almighty DJ Premier, Guru supplied glorious vocals on battle raps, intricate life stories and candid street commentary. The 43-year-old MC passed away on Monday due to complications from cancer. And despite the fact that the Gang Starr duo were estranged for the last several years, their legacy is concrete — one of the richest in hip-hop history. Here at MTV News, the hip-hop team listed our choices for 10 essential Gang Starr songs. 1. “Dwyck,” featuring Nice and Smooth : The party record from 1994’s Hard to Earn is timeless. We love the simplistic rhymes from the trio, like, “Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is,” and Primo’s beat is a signature hip-hop treats. 2. “Take It Personal” : The phone rings on the beat; the song (from 1992’s Daily Operation ) is off the hook. With imposing precision, Guru pulls the curtain back and sees a backstabber for the scoundrel he is. “I can see through you, ’cause I’m the Guru/ What you gonna do when I start to step to you.” 3. “Mass Appeal” : No crossover. Gang Starr always kept artistic integrity, and on this Hard to Earn track, Guru admonishes the posers with lines like, “You’re a son like Elroy/ And you’d be happy as hell to get a record deal/ Maybe your soul you sell for the mass appeal.” 4. “Just to Get a Rep” : “Stick up kids just out to tax.” In this song on 1991’s Step in the Arena, Guru’s words take us to the frontlines, where misguided youths think that the way of the gun is the road to respect. 5. “Suckas Need Bodyguard” : The aggression is turned up as Guru puts the heat on chumps in this Hard to Earn song. “My rhymes are a cargo, and yours are just a quarter ounce.” The chorus pretty much gets the group’s point across: “Fake MCs, they always act hard, but won’t walk the streets without their bodyguards.” 6. “Ex-Girl to the Next Girl” : One of Guru’s greatest gifts on the mic was his clarity in thought and articulation. His stories would unfold almost right in front of your eyes. Here, he shows some vulnerability as he navigates the relationship waters but finds triumph in the end. The track (from Daily Operation ) gave an early indication of where he would later go with his heralded Jazzmatazz series. 7. “Royalty,” featuring K-Ci and JoJo: After a four-year break between albums, the two underground Kings returned with two-thirds of the legendary R&B group Jodeci for this inspirational track (on 1998’s Moment of Truth ) about striving for greatness. Guru even shouts out our very own Sway and his partner King Tech. 8. “Words I Manifest” : Vintage, early Gang Starr. The duo came out of the gate promoting knowledge of self and establishing their roles in hip-hop. “I got tenacity, because I have to be/ The brother who must live and give with much insight/ Foresight to ignite, excite and delight.” 9. “You Know My Steez” : Gang Starr talk about their lauded musical modus operandi, an authentic representation of the essence of hip-hop. 10. “The ? Remainz” : “This is a battle rhyme in case you haven’t noticed/ You get replaced, you get demoted.” The belligerence is beautiful in this 1994 track, as Guru and Primo once again answer the bell and silence any questions as to whether they’ve earned the title of hip-hop Ownerz. Five Essential Records From the Jazzmatazz Series : “Loungin’ ” with Donald Byrd “Trust Me” with N’Dea Davenport “Keep Ur Worries” with Angie Stone “Le Bien, le Mal” with MC Solaar “Plenty,” featuring Erykah Badu What are your favorite Gang Starr and Guru songs? Share them in the comments below. Related Videos Gang Starr’s Guru Passes Away Related Artists Guru (Rap) Gangstarr

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‘Glee’ Stars Say There’s ‘Secret Stuff’ In Madonna Episode

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It’s a piece of television history,’ Kevin McHale says. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Audrey Kim Photo: FOX In Tuesday night’s (April 20) “Power of Madonna” episode of “Glee,” fans will finally get the chance to see how the Glee club puts their own stamp on the queen of pop’s classic tunes. The cast promised that they’ve done the Material Girl justice. “It’s a piece of television history,” Kevin McHale gushed to MTV News. ” Jane Lynch doing the ‘Vogue’ video … it’s frame-by-frame perfect to the original. Throughout the entire episode it’s just Madonna all the time — like, there’s secret stuff in the background.” And while Lynch covered “Vogue”-era Madonna, McHale said there’s not a version of Madge not accounted for in the episode. “It’s amazing how they fit all that into one hour,” he added. “It’s kind of exhausting.” Fellow Gleek Chris Colfer said that if you enoyed “Vogue,” just wait for their take on “Like a Prayer.” “I had no idea [a choir was] even going to be there until the day of rehearsals and it was like, ‘Oh, there’s a big choir behind us, look at that!’ ” Colfer laughed about the number, adding, “That [moment] was kind of special for all of us.” Madonna herself approves of the episode, which is all about female empowerment , and evem said her daughter Lourdes loved it as well. “I thought the Madonna episode of ‘Glee’ was brilliant on every level. The dialogue and the entire script was genius,” she said in a statement to UsWeekly.com . “I completely appreciated the layers of irony, especially when all those macho boys sang ‘What It Feels Like For a Girl.’ I also loved the fantastic performances of ‘Vogue,’ ‘Express Yourself’ and all the messages about the boys being respectful to girls. “The entire cast was amazing. They’re all so talented. I especially loved Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and Kurt Hummel’s (Chris Colfer) characters. [Show creator] Ryan Murphy did a great job bringing all these elements together. [Daughter] Lola loved the show too. I wish I went to a high school like that. … If only.” What Madonna song are you most looking forward to seeing in the episode? Tell us in the comments below! Related Artists Madonna

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Gang Starr’s Guru Remembered By Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, More

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Q-Tip, ?uestlove, Tony Yayo also pay tribute to late MC. By Shaheem Reid Guru Photo: Gregg Delman One of the all-time greatest wordsmiths in hip-hop history, Gang Starr’s Keith Elam — a.k.a. Guru, for “Gifted Universal Rhymes Unlimited” — passed away Monday . And while Guru and his partner in Gang Starr, DJ Premier, never enjoyed huge pop success, their impact in hip-hop both collectively and individually is immeasurable. When word spread on Tuesday about Guru’s death, his peers and fans took to the Internet to pay tribute. “420 gonna be in honor of the big homie Guru … respect the foundation … Light one up for the legend,” Snoop Dogg tweeted . The Roots’ ?uestlove tweeted , “In my 10 greatest voices in hip hop, Guru was easily top 5 … Smooth. velvet. will be missed. RIP Guru … Back when we first took getting into the industry seriously, Gang Starr’s Daily Operation LP got us thru 1992.” “1 of our hip-hop soldiers was lost 2day,” Fabolous tweeted . “Tho he in the physical has passed, his spirit & music will live forever #RIPGuru #ForeverYoung.” “R.I.P. Guru,” DJ Kay Slay wrote . “Real dude and lyricist. My condolences to the family and friends.” “A hip-hop legend. RIP”) Nicki Minaj wrote . The Young Money MC’s sentiments were echoed by two other rap stars from Queens, New York: G-Unit’s Tony Yayo and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip. “Damn just woke up and heard Guru passed away. R.I.P. to a ‘Legend,’ ” Yayo tweeted . Perhaps most heartfelt of all, Q-Tip wrote : “From Allah we come to Allah we return. R.I.P. Keith GURU. A great man, poet, and I’m proud to say friend … 23 yrs. Damn!” 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

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My Chemical Romance’s New Album Is Not Called The Midnight Curfew

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Unauthorized biographical DVD about MCR was mistakenly labeled as band’s new LP. By James Montgomery My Chemical Romance Photo: Reprise Over the weekend, My Chemical Romance fans got a bit of a shock when a page on MTV.com appeared, listing both a title and release date for the band’s long-in-the-works new album. According to the page, MCR would return on June 29 with The Midnight Curfew, a new album on a new label: Pride Music. This seemed odd for a number of reasons, chiefly the fact that frontman Gerard Way had recently been tweeting about the title of the album, hinting that he would be announcing it “in a special way this time … maybe some sort of event.” Info about the new album’s title and release date quickly began spreading, until bassist Mikey Way took to his Twitter to defuse the whole thing, writing that “the new album is not titled Midnight Curfew. That is an unauthorized biography DVD that we have nothing to do with. Buyer beware.” And so, it is. The “Curfew” DVD can actually be pre-ordered on Amazon.com right now. So how did “Curfew” end up on MTV.com? Well, data for upcoming releases is automatically pulled from AllMusic.com , which does, in fact, have a page listing for the DVD. MTV News’ e-mails to AllMusic seeking comment were not returned by press time. Digging a little further — using the product code for the DVD listed on AllMusic — it turns out that “Curfew” is being actually being released through Chrome Dreams , a U.K.-based media company that sells biographical books, DVDs and CDs of everyone from Lady Gaga to 50 Cent. Under their “Pride Music” label, they’ve recently released a two-disc “unauthorized” look at the making of Guns ‘N Roses Chinese Democracy album and a retrospective DVD about Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love. By press time, the company has not responded to an e-mail seeking clarification and/or comment about “The Midnight Curfew.” And through all this, we still don’t know the actual title (or release) date for My Chem’s new album. E-mails to MCR’s actual label, Reprise Records, were not returned. Related Artists My Chemical Romance

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