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Ke$ha Plays Secret London Show

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Fans showed up dressed as animals for the ‘Tik Tok’ singer’s short club set. By Jocelyn Vena Ke$ha leaves London’s Bathhouse Bar on Monday Photo: Splash News Online Ke$ha donned her best zebra-print catsuit and hit the stage in London for a “secret” MySpace show on Monday night. The singer played a six-song set that included glitter cannons and dancing transvestites, according to reports. Ke$ha At Bathhouse Bar The blog WeArePopSlags.com reported that many fans dressed in their best animal-print garb, an homage to Ke$ha’s debut album, Animal, as they partied at the Bathhouse, where the pop princess performed “Backstabber, “Party at a Rich Dude’s House,” “Dinosaur,” ” F— Him (He’s a DJ)” and her singles, “Blah Blah Blah” and “Tik Tok.” In the days leading up to the show, a message was posted on her MySpace page about the show and its wild dress code: “To really set off the party, Ke$ha would like you to release your inner beast. Come as an animal. Ke$ha will be looking for her favourite outfit of the night, so go wild.” Before she took the stage, Ke$ha tweeted about her excitement for the show. “I love London,” she wrote. “All. The. Animals. Ready. To. Dance?” Apparently, many fans were turned away from the show, and Ke$ha later apologized, “I’m so sorry 4 any of my fans that tried to come to the show and didn’t get in last night. I begged the fire marshal to let me play 2 shows but they wouldn’t. Thank u for coming, and I will make it up to you I swear I love u guys and would never ever want u to have to stand in the cold.” With her MySpace show behind her, fans can look forward to a new video from the singer. Ke$ha recently shot a video for “Blah Blah Blah” with her pals and song collaborators 3Oh!3. “The whole concept of the video was a bunch of douche-y guys macking on me as usual, and me making them eat their toupees or other various items,” she told MTV News at the shoot. “At one point, I get to be strapped to this harness and bouncing around everywhere, and it was really cool.” Related Photos Ke$ha Leaves Bathhouse Bar In London Related Artists Ke$ha

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Justin Bieber Fans Cause Police To Shut Down Paris In-Store Appearance

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘Paris is crazy!’ Canadian pop star tweets after meet-and-greet. By Jocelyn Vena Fans in Paris gather to meet Justin Bieber Photo: Francois G. Durand/ WireImage Justin Bieber is apparently huge in France. The 15-year-old pop star on Monday (February 22) that his in-store appearance in Paris that afternoon was cut short after a large crowd of fans swarmed his meet-and-greet. The police were forced to shut down the event at the Citadium store after a large number of fans showed up to meet the singer. “Paris is crazy!” Bieber wrote following the experience. “Had some interviews this morning with mags and radio. Got to practice my French a little. But then the in-store … There were thousands of kids at the in-store and the police were not expecting it. They reorganized the crowd and we got it going, but after a little while the police stopped it and came in and said it was over and I had to leave.” Bieber apologized to the fans he missed. “Sorry to any of the kids I didn’t get to meet. I love all of you for your support. To start my trip in Paris like this already, the love and the energy is amazing. Thank you so much.” This isn’t the first time Bieber fans have caused pandemonium . Last November, an appearance he was scheduled to make at Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, New York, was canceled after fans started a stampede. According to reports at the time, someone in the mall falsely screamed that Bieber was inside their store and kids rushed toward his mistaken location. One young girl was reportedly hospitalized and several fights allegedly occurred. Related Artists Justin Bieber

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Jennifer Lopez Parts Ways With Sony Records

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

With the release of her new album up in the air, the singer/actress is set to host ‘Saturday Night Live’ this weekend. By Gil Kaufman Jennifer Lopez Photo: MTV News Jennifer Lopez is scheduled to be the host and musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, but unlike most host/guests, at the moment Jenny from the Block doesn’t seem to have much to promote during her appearance. That’s because, according to Entertainment Weekly , the singer has split with longtime record label Sony Music’s Epic Records, which was slated to release her delayed seventh album, Love? , in April. After taking time off to become a mother of twins with husband Marc Anthony, Lopez was working on her comeback album, releasing the shoe fetish song “Louboutins” last year. She famously wiped out while lip-synching that tune at November’s American Music Awards , but when the song fizzled on the charts, failing to crack the top 10 on the singles tally, the heat on the project apparently cooled off. “Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist. She is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together,” the singer’s manager, Benny Medina, said in a statement Monday. Her rep told EW that Lopez is already negotiating with another record label. A Sony spokesperson could not be reached for comment at press time. The story broke on Monday on the Deadline Hollywood blog, where it was reported that Lopez’s contract had ended and that she’d fulfilled it with “Louboutins” and another recent single, “Fresh Out the Oven,” which leaked online in October. The report also stated that it’s unclear if Lopez was finished with the album, which reportedly features the Neptunes, Danja, Jim Jonsin and Rodney Jerkins. Unnamed Lopez “insiders” said the album was “by no means done” and that she had only finished a few songs for it. Lopez is slated to return to the big screen in late April in the romantic comedy “The Back-Up Plan.” Related Artists Jennifer Lopez

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Soulja Boy Tell’em On ‘All The Way Turnt Up’ Video With Roscoe Dash

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

‘That sounds like a ‘Turn My Swag On’ times 10. Man, I gotta get on that,’ rapper said of the collaboration. By Hillary Crosley Soulja Boy Tell’em Photo: MTV News Soulja Boy Tell’em recently broke from recording his forthcoming album, The DeAndre Way, to team up with up-and-coming rapper Roscoe Dash for a remix of the hit “All the Way Turnt Up.” The clip debuted on Monday (February 22) and is currently the Jam of the Week on “MTV Jams.” “When I first heard the ‘All the Way Turnt Up’ song by Roscoe Dash, it reminded me of myself,” Soulja Boy told MTV News. “I was like, ‘That sounds like a “Turn My Swag On” times 10. Man, I gotta get on that.’ ” The pair filmed the clip in an Atlanta warehouse, but Soulja Boy is clear that the video shoot was only a short break from his dedication to his producing craft. “My album is complete but I record every day just to do it,” said Soulja Boy. “I been had my single, I just leaked a lot of songs that people liked just as much as [a single. This] time, I’m going to do it right so this time when I drop the song, there’s going to be a visual and it’s going to be money.” The teen said he’s learned a lot from positive people around him, including Kanye West. “Kanye’s always been supportive of my music and he wanted me to do a remix for ‘Robocop’ on his 808s and Heartbreak album,” said Soulja Boy. “He gave me a lot of advice in the studio. He’s real cool.” The young star says that he’s grown up since the world’s first introduction to “Crank Dat.” “What’s different about this album is just me as an artist, period,” said Soulja Boy. “My lyrics and word play, my punch lines, my metaphors is on another level, my beats, my production skills … I just like to go to the studio and zone out. I learned how to take constructive criticism a lot better, so I just sit back and watch the game, seeing what everybody’s doing, who’s hot, who’s selling, what’s going on. My intentions are good for this third album, just ready to do it.” In preparation for The DeAndre Way, Soulja Boy recently released three mixtapes : Cortez by DJ Whoo Kid and Neptune, Paranormal Activity with DJ Scream and DatPiff with DJ Holiday. The official album is slated to hit shelves sometime this year. Related Artists Soulja Boy Tell’em

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Rihanna Says Next Album Will Be ‘More Energetic’

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

Singer wants to combine the ‘grime’ of Rated R with more up-tempo pop for her next effort. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by MTV Korea Rihanna Photo: MTV News Rihanna has had a difficult past 12 months in the aftermath of her assault by Chris Brown . But the “Hard” superstar has endured, by being both outspoken about her experience in hopes of helping others and by channeling her experience into Rated R, her most rounded effort to date. She told MTV News last year that she “vented” on the project . Don’t expect her next album to be as dark as Rated R, though. Rihanna said the follow-up, which has no timetable set yet, will be less intense. ” Rated R, I love the sound of it, in terms of the bass,” Rihanna explained. “I really like the bottom, the grime of it. But if I were to combine that with more energetic, up-tempo pop records, then I think that will be a happy marriage. And that’s where we’ll probably go next.” Rated R was inspired mostly by Rihanna’s ordeal in the wake of her and Brown’s breakup. The singer was the subject of media headlines worldwide. She kept away from the spotlight after a brief reunion with Brown following their altercation. But when Rihanna returned, she had an album that chronicled her months away from the glare. “This album is an expression of all those feelings that I went through in the last eight months, just different emotions,” she said shortly after Rated R ‘s release. “All of it isn’t angry, all of it isn’t dark and sad, ’cause I didn’t go through that the whole time. That was part of it. It was really a roller coaster, and you get that when you’re listening to the album.” Related Artists Rihanna

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Alicia Keys Explains Why Love Is Theme Of The Element of Freedom

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

‘It’s the one thing we can all understand,’ singer told Gotham magazine. By Hillary Crosley Alicia Keys on the cover of the March issue of Gotham magazine Photo: Niche Media LLC In addition to announcing her North American tour dates on Friday, Alicia Keys recently posed for the cover of Gotham magazine’s spring issue, which hits stands March 1. Keys donned two looks in the photo shoot, one a green drop-neck gown accented with a gold collar necklace, the other a light blue one-shoulder dress complimented with a head wrap. The New York native talked with the publication about the changes in her old neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, as well as love as the theme for her new album, The Element of Freedom. “When I was growing up, [Hell’s Kitchen] was way darker, more dismal and more like the place where all the outcasts lived,” recalls Keys. “So now, to see it more like a tourist destination is really interesting. Even though Eighth Avenue was supergrungy with drug needles, Broadway always had those bright lights and it did always have endless possibilities.” As compared with the subject matter of her previous three albums, Songs in A Minor, The Diary of Alicia Keys and As I Am, Element focuses quite a bit on love, relationships and sustaining courtship’s spark against all odds. “Love does play a prominent role in the album because I believe love is the most important thing in the world,” Keys said. “It’s the one thing we can all understand.” Keys recently filmed a clip for her duet with fellow R&B powerhouse Beyonc

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Drake Says Thank Me Later Influenced By Nas, Andre 3000

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

‘I went back and really studied Nas and Andre 3000 and then came back with this album,’ rapper said about his debut album. By Jayson Rodriguez Drake Photo: Tyrone Kerr/ FilmMagic Drake has plenty of people onboard to give him advice on the process of recording his major-label debut album, Thank Me Later. There’s Lil Wayne, of course, his lyrical mentor. And Kanye West, who the Toronto MC said has been his biggest musical influence . Jay-Z, in interviews, has even gone on record relaying some tips to the upstart rapper. According to Drake, though, the former “Degrassi” actor sought out the audio work of Nas and OutKast’s Andre 3000 to help inspire the work on his project. “I went back and I really studied Nas,” Drake explained in a video recorded over the weekend and posted online on Monday (February 22) . “Nas was somebody that I used to listen to his raps and never understood how he did it. I always wanted to understand how he painted those pictures and his [rhyming] bar structure. I went back and really studied Nas and Andre 3000 and then came back with this album.” Thank Me Later is due later this year on Young Money/Universal Records. In the spring, the rapper will kick off a headlining, eco-friendly tour to promote the album. The album will be Drake’s first solo project since 2009’s So Far Gone, the dark mixtape that featured the breakout hit “Best I Ever Had.” While the Young Money cohort has been mum about his plans for the follow-up, he did reveal his debut would be more upbeat in comparison to his mixtape. “It’s gonna be bigger, it’s gonna sound happier,” he said. “More victorious, ’cause that’s where I’m at in my life.” Related Artists Drake Nas

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Kanye West’s New ‘Coldest Winter’ Video Is ‘Haunting,’ Director Says

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

Nabil Elderkin calls clip, premiering this week, ‘minimalistic, slow and very visual.’ By Jayson Rodriguez Kanye West Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images Kanye West continues to release videos for 2008’s 808s & Heartbreak album as the rapper is set to debut the latest, “Coldest Winter,” this week. The clip was helmed by frequent collaborator Nabil Elderkin who also directed West’s “Paranoid” (featuring a cameo by Rihanna) and “Welcome to Heartbreak.” Elderkin said for “Coldest Winter,” one of the most personal records on the emotional project, based on West’s past relationship with his former fiance and the lost of his mother, the video isn’t as intense as their previous work together. “It’s pretty minimalistic,” he said. “It’s slow and very visual. I just wanted to catch the vibe of the song and not get too literal. Because the lyrics are very close to Kanye and go much deeper than the video goes, obviously hearing the song you know it’s very emotional.” In the track, West, replete with an ominous AutoTune-tinged quality to his voice, express his dismay over a lost loved one. “Goodbye my friend, will I ever love again?” he croons repeatedly throughout the track. The director wrote the treatment for the project and described the final product as a boundary-pushing effort compared to their past work. According to Elderkin, the pair experimented in the visual medium in a way they haven’t ever done before. He said the process was more challenging for him, particularly since West wasn’t a part of the editing process and only saw the final version. The MC, however, approved the finished product. The final version even includes a revamped version of the track, according to Elderkin. “This is definitely more of a haunting one,” he said of the number. ” ‘Cause this is sort of a remix. I don’t think anyone has heard this version of the song. He did some really amazing sound work to this one. This one he got into his production a little bit more.” At press time, the debut date for the “Coldest Winter” video had not been announced. Related Artists Kanye West

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Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta Return To ‘American Idol’ Stage Thursday

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

Iraheta will perform ‘Scars’ on the show; Allen will perform and show footage from trip to Haiti. By Gil Kaufman Kris Allen Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images “American Idol” has a long tradition of inviting former finalists back to grace its stage, and on Thursday two of last season’s top finishers will join that club. According to a spokesperson for the show, last season’s fourth-place finisher, flame-haired rocker Allison Iraheta, will perform her latest single, “Scars,” on the one-hour broadcast. She’ll likely be a ray of sunshine on an otherwise tense 60 minutes during which four of the top 24 finishers will see their dreams of stardom dashed as the first two men and women semifinalists will be sent packing. The performance will make Iraheta’s first trip back to the “Idol” stage since she was eliminated last spring. It could also provide a boost for the sales of Iraheta’s modestly selling debut, Just Like You, which debuted at #31 in December before sliding out of the top 200 just five weeks later, with sales to date totaling less than 100,000. Thursday’s elimination episode — which will follow Tuesday night’s performances from the top 12 female finishers and Wednesday night’s turn by the top 12 males — will also see the return of 2009 champ Kris Allen. The Arkansas singer will perform and also share some of the footage he shot on a recent trip to Haiti in an effort to raise awareness of the United Nation Foundation’s work in the Caribbean nation in the wake of last month’s devastating earthquake. The Foundation is one of the organizations that will benefit from this year’s “Idol Gives Back” special (April 21) and viewers will be asked to make donations online or by text during the episode. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos The ‘American Idol’ Season 9 Top 24 Related Artists Kris Allen Allison Iraheta

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Justin Bieber To Appear On ‘Saturday Night Live’

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

The pop star has been booked to perform on the comedy show’s April 10 episode. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Getty Images The demands of Justin Bieber’s fanbase have been answered by the producers of “Saturday Night Live.” Fans of the Canadian heartthrob launched a Twitter campaign, @BieberOnSNL , to get the teen phenomenon on the show, and it quickly amassed 2,600 followers. It also saw its mission realized; the pop star will be the late-night comedy show’s musical guest on April 10. Bieber has already stated that he wants to appear in one of the show’s digital shorts, which have featured the likes of Rihanna and Justin Timberlake. He sent out his request via Twitter , saying, “Shoutout to @BieberOnSNL and all the other fans who support me. It’s happening! SNL in APRIL!! Digital Short Music Vid??” The pop phenomenon didn’t mention which songs he might perform on the show, but he did mention that he already had a special guest in mind for his big debut: “Me and Chuck Norris should do SNL together,” he wrote. “That would be good. Very good.” Bieber’s “SNL” appearance comes shortly after the March 23 release of My World 2.0 , the follow-up to his 2009 album My World . Bieber recently sang the opening line in the Haiti-benefiting remake of “We Are The World,” and he just released the video for My World 2.0 ‘s first single, “Baby.” MTV News was on set with Bieber when he shot the clip, which features cameos by Drake and Ludacris. “It starts off, I really like this girl, but we didn’t [get] along; we couldn’t be together,” he said. “Basically I want her back and [I’m] kind of going through the whole thing. I’m chasing her around, trying to get her, and she’s kind of playing hard to get, but I’m persistent. I keep going.” Related Photos Justin Bieber Breaks Hearts In Canada Related Artists Justin Bieber

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