Tag Archives: artists

Madonna/deadmau5 Feud: MDNA Producer Weighs In

‘She has this dry sense of humor, which sometimes makes her say or do things that are a little bit shocking,’ Martin Solveig tells MTV News of Madge. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna and deadmau5 Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Jason Merritt/ Getty Images Earlier this week, Madonna and EDM star deadmau5 were in a war of words after a comment the Queen of Pop made at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival . For those who haven’t been following along at home, when Madonna took the stage to introduce Avicii, she asked the room, “How many people in this crowd have seen Molly?” Molly is another term for the illegal drug MDMA (ecstasy). That reference angered ‘mau5, who took to his Facebook to call out Madonna for seemingly linking dance music and drug use, a persistent stereotype. Eventually, the two settled the argument when Madonna took to Twitter , explaining that she was actually referring to the song “Have You Seen Molly” by Cedric Gervais, not the drug. deadmau5 seemed fine with her clarification, and all was cool between the once-beefing twosome. When MTV News caught up with one of Madge’s MDNA producers, fellow EDM DJ Martin Solveig, he weighed in on the short-lived, yet headline-making, tiff. “She’s a lot more ironical than a lot of people think, and … she has this dry sense of humor, which sometimes makes her say or do things that are a little bit shocking, which is also the reason why everyone loves her,” he said of Madge. Solveig also showed support to ‘mau5 (real name Joel Zimmerman). “Joel probably read the whole thing a bit more first-degree and was a little bit angry, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” he continued. “And about him saying the things that he wants to say, I mean, I’m totally with him on that. No one here is promoting drug use, and maybe it was important to say this. I know Madonna enough to know that she is, like, completely at the opposite of supporting drug use, but it’s a little bit of a chitchat.” What did you make of the Madonna/’mau5 feud? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Madonna deadmau5

Visit link:
Madonna/deadmau5 Feud: MDNA Producer Weighs In

‘American Idol’ Veteran Haley Reinhart’s New Single ‘Defines’ Her

‘Free,’ which the singer describes as a ‘playful, fresh’ break-up track, is the first single off her debut album, Listen Up! By Christina Garibaldi Haley Reinhart Photo: MTV News She may not have been crowned the winner of last season’s “American Idol,” but that hasn’t seemed to have any effect on the career of third-place finisher Haley Reinhart . The singer captivated viewers week after week on “Idol” by bringing her own soulful flare to songs like Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Lady Gaga’s “You and I.” And now, nearly a year later, the jazzy singer is finally ready to show fans who she really is with “Free,” the first single off her debut album, Listen Up! “It’s amazing,” Reinhart told MTV News Wednesday (March 28) of the release of her single. “I know I took some time after the tour just to make things work and really worth it for me and the fans. It feels amazing to actually put it out there, my own material. I just wanted to make sure it had substance to it, and really could define me and show the artistry.” Reinhart, who returned to the “Idol” stage last week to perform “Free,” says it’s the perfect song to define the artist she’s striving to be. “I picked it out while I was touring with the ‘Idols’ and I was getting all these songs shipped into me,” she said of “Free.” “This one I just had to stop and say ‘Hey this has my name written on it.’ It’s something that I can look in the future and see it being able to define me. It’s got elements of the sultry, even hints of jazz in there.” On Tuesday, Reinhart made her acting debut when she played herself on “90210,” and we will see her stretch her acting ability even more when she debuts the video for “Free” on Thursday. She said the filming the video was “a dream come true.” “I had this vision and the director, Christopher Sims, really brought it to life for me,” she said. “There’s a guy involved, it is kind of a motivational break-up song, so I wanted to keep it mature, yet have the playful scenery behind us. We put it out in a ’50s-style diner and just kept it playful, fresh.” And she’s bringing that playful, fresh vibe to Listen Up! which features collaborations with rapper B.o.B and Reinhart’s own father (whom she performed with on “Idol” ). “You’re going to be surprised to hear a lot of different flavors, but at the same time it all meshes well together,” she said of the album, which hits stores May 22. “I show a lot of different sides. I have my roots I come from a lot of different genres, so you’ll hear definitely sultriness throughout the entire thing, very retro yet modern take, and there’s pop undertones in it with some funk jazz rock, it’s got a lot going on.” What do you think of Haley’s single “Free”? Let us know in the comments. Related Artists Haley Reinhart

Read more from the original source:
‘American Idol’ Veteran Haley Reinhart’s New Single ‘Defines’ Her

50 Cent Says ‘Pauly D Project’ Is For ‘Every College Student’

MTV star’s label boss says Pauly D fans will ‘get a chance to go into his world’ on his ‘Jersey Shore’ spin-off. By Jocelyn Vena 50 Cent Photo: MTV News Pauly D is ready to launch the next phase of his career with his MTV spin-off, the “Pauly D Project.” It follows the “Jersey Shore” star outside of Seaside Heights as he travels the world with his tight-knit crew as an in-demand DJ, getting into fun-loving shenanigans and, yes, some fights here and there. The whirlwind lifestyle is captured and fans will get the chance to hit party hotspots throughout the world with the star. And they’ll get to see him hang out with his celebrity pals like former tourmate Britney Spears and G-Note record label boss, 50 Cent. When MTV News caught up with 50 while promoting his Street King energy drink with Pauly D in New York City, the MC dished a bit about what fans should expect from his pal on the highly anticipated show. “Well, Pauly D’s show is gonna be as — I don’t want to say more exciting than ‘Jersey Shore’ — I’ll say as exciting as ‘Jersey Shore’ to maintain the audience that ‘Jersey Shore’ had by itself,” he said. “He has a lot going on right now, and they’ll get a chance to go into his world, as far as his DJing and a lot of things he’s actually doing.” “It’s a lot of the lifestyle,” the rapper added. “Every college student in the world’s gonna love this television show.” The “Pauly D Project” kicks off Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. It follows the new season of “Punk’d,” which will include appearances from celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato. Are you excited for the “Pauly D Project”? Leave your comment below! Related Artists 50 Cent

See the article here:
50 Cent Says ‘Pauly D Project’ Is For ‘Every College Student’

Usher And Diplo Found ‘Chemistry’ On ‘Climax’

In-demand producer/DJ also talks to MTV News about upcoming projects with No Doubt, Snoop Dogg, more. By Zachary Swickey Diplo performs in Madison, Wisconsin, on Tuesday Photo: Evan Scott/MTV News MADISON, Wisconsin — It was just four years ago that Diplo put his production prowess on full display with M.I.A.’s mega-hit “Paper Planes.” Since then, the DJ/producer has become a go-to producer for major acts like Usher, whose latest single, R&B jam “Climax,” features work from the Philadelphia native. On Tuesday, MTV News hit up the first stop on the campus-themed AXE One Night Only Tour in Wisconsin, and we caught up with the headlining DJ to talk about his upcoming projects. “We got really luck on that one,” he said of the track from Usher’s upcoming album. “We just had great chemistry. I was super-nervous working with him the first two days. … The way we did it, it was just a super-open format. He was down to do whatever we were excited about. “I love Usher,” Diplo gushed. “I’m an Usher fan. I love him for records like ‘Confessions Pt. II’ and ‘Burn,’ those are some of the first R&B records from my generation that are still lasting forever. And we did some uptempo stuff too. I don’t know what’ll make the album, but I think there are definitely three songs that’ll make it.” Diplo is currently involved with a number of projects and luckily he was willing to dish. After working last summer with No Doubt on their upcoming record , the producer revealed he had good news to share. “We just finished. I was actually in Jamaica last month and I went in and did some extra stuff on that record,” he told us. “I’m super-excited. It’s probably going to be a single for their album. They’ve been [tweeting] about the song, so they’re excited about it. I think it’s going to be a ‘No Doubt featuring Major Lazer’ record, because we were producers, and there’s another artist on it, too, that we recorded in Jamaica. “But you’ll have to wait,” Diplo warned, “I don’t know how far off that record is, but every song I’ve heard is a bona-fide hit. ‘ The superstar DJ also recently took to his Facebook page and casually mentioned that he’s already started production on 18 tracks for a record with Snoop Dogg . “Snoop Dogg is an icon, man; he’s bigger than the music,” Diplo said. “What we’re doing is a reggae record. It’s like Snoop Dogg and Major Lazer together. It’s all reggae and he’s singing and he’s doing a f—ing awesome job and I never knew it, but he had his heart in every song. … We’re going to get back into the production of it next month, and I’m really proud of that record. It’s the first record I’ve ever executive-produced and his crew is amazing. Related Artists Diplo Usher

See more here:
Usher And Diplo Found ‘Chemistry’ On ‘Climax’

Curren$y Nabs Pharrell, 2 Chainz For The Stoned Immaculate

Wale, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Daz will also appear on forthcoming album, Spitta tells MTV News By Rob Markman Curren$y Photo: MTV News Throughout his career, Curren$y has kept his collaborations organic, bypassing flavor-of-the-month rap features. And on his upcoming Warner Bros. album The Stoned Immaculate, he will continue to do so, even if the names in the LP’s credits get a little bigger. When the NOLA MC drops his next album later this year, fans can look forward to beats from Pharrell , J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, DJ Toomp and Virginia producer Bink, who famously crafted a number of tracks for Jay-Z’s 2001 classic The Blueprint. “This is a different look than anything I’ve usually done,” Curren$y told MTV News. “Usually I work with one person, or try to keep it to just, like, two producers on a project.” On 2010’s Pilot Talk and Pilot Talk 2, Curren$y worked mostly with Ski Beatz, and on his 2011 Weekend at Burnie’s, he tapped Monsta Beatz to take the production helm. Now Curren$y is ready to branch out. “Bink produced ‘What It Look Like,’ ” Curren$y said in reference to The Stoned Immaculate ‘s first single, featuring Wale. “Pharrell produced a joint for me. Daz did two joints and rapped on one of them for me. “It’s a mutual thing. I only work with people who I have a real conversation with and nothing is forced,” he continued. Curren$y’s not only recruiting big-name producers for his next LP, he also hooked up with some pretty notable MCs. “I got 2 Chainz on my album,” he revealed, noting that he was friends with the Atlanta star back when he used to go by his original rap name in the early 2000s. “Me and 2 Chainz been cool since it was me and Tity Boi was cool.” Now that Curren$y is the head of his own record company, Jet Life Recordings, he feels he has to use his relationships to his advantage. “It’s not that I did different and reached out, I kinda cashed in on my friendships,” he said. “I’m trying to get more attention towards my crew … I have to draw more eyes and play ball to make it easier for everybody else.” Which collaborations do you anticipate most on Curren$y’s The Stoned Immaculate ? Tell us in the comments Related Artists Curren$y Pharrell Williams 2 Chainz

Follow this link:
Curren$y Nabs Pharrell, 2 Chainz For The Stoned Immaculate

‘Hammer Dance’ Video A ‘Day In The Life’ Of Slaughterhouse

‘When it’s done, you’ll see how authentic it is,’ Crooked I tells MTV News on the video set. By Nadeska Alexis Slaughterhouse on the set of “Hammer Dance” Photo: MTV News Slaughterhouse passed through Austin, Texas, to perform at the Shady 2.0 Showcase during South by Southwest earlier this month, and while they were in town, the boys — Joe Budden, Royce Da 5’9”, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz — slotted some time to film the video for their latest single, “Hammer Dance.” MTV News caught up with the four rappers on set, where they explained the video’s concept and give an update on their upcoming album, Welcome to: Our House. “I think it’s just a day in the life of Slaughterhouse, a lot of energy,” Crooked I told MTV News. “We’re gonna give fans a chance to shine, and I think when it’s done, you’ll see how authentic it is. When we roll into town, we jell with people, no matter where they are, who they are, what part of the world they’re from. We’re just average dudes trying to do extraordinary things.” “Hammer Dance” is the latest single from the group’s sophomore album, which is expected to debut this summer. Slaughterhouse wouldn’t give a specific release date just yet, but they did reveal that their Shady Records boss, Eminem, is in the final stages of mixing. “[We’re] still working out minor tweaks, [but] it’s way more done than people know,” Royce said. “Marshall is actually mixing right now. He’s actually mixed the entire album, and that wasn’t even the original plan, so we’re super excited about that. He’s just taking songs to another level.” Eminem is known for his hands-off approach with artists, but the Detroit native was very much involved in the creation of Welcome to: Our House, as the group explained. “Real talk: A lot of people don’t give Eminem enough credit for his production and his arrangement and his mixing,” Crooked I said. “What he’s doing to add to the album is phenomenal, and I think he deserves props and a salute for that.” “He’s turning it into a movie,” Royce concluded. “It’s becoming way more visual, when he comes and puts his stamp on it, if you will.” What are you expecting from new Slaughterhouse music? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Slaughterhouse

More here:
‘Hammer Dance’ Video A ‘Day In The Life’ Of Slaughterhouse

Exclusive: Linkin Park Ready To ‘Burn’ With New Single, Album

‘We worked our butts off to create this record,’ Chester Bennington tells MTV News of fast-evolving follow-up to A Thousand Suns. By James Montgomery, with reporting by James Lacsina Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington Photo: MTV News Last year, when Linkin Park told MTV News they were already beginning work on the follow-up to A Thousand Suns, it was noteworthy for several reasons — chief among them being that this is a band that likes to take their time with things. But it looks like all that is changing. On Tuesday, MTV News was on the set of the video for “Burn It Down,” the first single from their (still-untitled) new album. So, yes, this is really happening, and yes, it’s happening soon, as LP’s Chester Bennington explained. “Well, we promised our fans that we’d put out records faster, and that’s what we’re doing. We figured out a way to condense our cycle, so to speak, by … continuing to write, trying to keep the creative ball rolling as often as possible,” he said. “We wrote some of the stuff on the road during the last tour, and instead of … touring for two years, we toured for about a year, we came home, jumped right back into the studio and just worked our butts off to create this record. “And this album is a really great representation of where we’re at right now as a band,” Bennington continued. “We’re kind of really comfortable with our early n

Exclusive: Linkin Park Ready To ‘Burn’ With New Single, Album

‘We worked our butts off to create this record,’ Chester Bennington tells MTV News of fast-evolving follow-up to A Thousand Suns. By James Montgomery, with reporting by James Lacsina Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington Photo: MTV News Last year, when Linkin Park told MTV News they were already beginning work on the follow-up to A Thousand Suns, it was noteworthy for several reasons — chief among them being that this is a band that likes to take their time with things. But it looks like all that is changing. On Tuesday, MTV News was on the set of the video for “Burn It Down,” the first single from their (still-untitled) new album. So, yes, this is really happening, and yes, it’s happening soon, as LP’s Chester Bennington explained. “Well, we promised our fans that we’d put out records faster, and that’s what we’re doing. We figured out a way to condense our cycle, so to speak, by … continuing to write, trying to keep the creative ball rolling as often as possible,” he said. “We wrote some of the stuff on the road during the last tour, and instead of … touring for two years, we toured for about a year, we came home, jumped right back into the studio and just worked our butts off to create this record. “And this album is a really great representation of where we’re at right now as a band,” Bennington continued. “We’re kind of really comfortable with our early n

Nas Tells His Side Of Concert Promoter’s Kidnapping

Rapper opens up about Angola incident for the first time on today’s ‘RapFix Live’ at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Nas on “RapFix Live” Photo: MTV News Musically, Nas has given so much of himself during the course of his 18-year rap career. But in the media, the Queensbridge MC is usually reserved and soft-spoken. Still, it was hard for God’s Son to hold back when he was accused of skipping out on a New Year’s show in Africa, which led an American concert promoter and his son to be kidnapped. On today’s (March 28) “RapFix Live,” Nas finally gives his side of the story. “I didn’t want to touch on it because it seemed like he was in grave danger out there,” Nas said Tuesday during the interview, which will stream on MTV.com today at 4 p.m. ET. The promoter returned home safely to New Jersey on February 19. TMZ broke the story January 3 and reported that Patrick Allocco and his son, whom he works with, were kidnapped by local Africa promoter Henrique “Riquhino” Miguel after Nas and an opening act failed to perform at a New Year’s Eve concert in Angola. Allocco’s reps told TMZ that Nas and opening act Jemiah Jai were paid to perform two shows but failed to board their flights. Once Miguel realized that Nas wasn’t going to perform, he sent his people to take Allocco and his son into custody at gunpoint. Nas eventually returned the $300,000 that was paid to him, and Allocco was released and allowed to return back to the U.S. Now, Esco is ready to open up. “Basically he was a promoter that I never worked with, and he wanted me to come to Africa for New Year’s, which, for me, I thought, would be the best way to spend New Year’s. The business wasn’t handled. There was nothing sent to me, and there were no flights,” he said. “By the time he did send money — he did eventually send money to me — but it was too late to go. I didn’t even have a visa to get in the country. So that’s canceled, the show’s canceled.” Allocco, who is now contemplating litigation, has a differing account, contending that everything was in place for Nas to travel to Africa. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Allocco told MTV News of Nas’ version of the story. “Nas put us in harm’s way by not showing up and put my son and I at physical harm and at risk by his inaction to fly to Angola.” “That was just all wrong. Any time I’m supposed to go to Africa, it happens,” Nas said on “RapFix Live.” “When people take care of business, it happens. … You booked the flight but no return flight. I didn’t have a visa, and you didn’t send money till after I was supposed to jump on the plane to another country, and that’s just the way it went down.” Catch Nas, Killer Mike, Bun B and Prodigy on a special episode of “RapFix Live” today at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, when all four esteemed lyricists will address the tragic shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin and more. Send your comments and thoughts on the unfortunate situation via Twitter using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Related Artists Nas

The rest is here:
Nas Tells His Side Of Concert Promoter’s Kidnapping

Madonna Banned From Both Of Piers Morgan’s Shows

‘Welcome to Twitter. You’re still banned from my show,’ Morgan writes to Madonna. By Gil Kaufman Madonna and Piers Morgan Photo: Getty Images CNN talk-show host Piers Morgan has not been shy about his feelings about Madonna . The former “America’s Got Talent” judge has been going in on the singer for months, calling her everything from a “con artist” to “gruesome,” and making fun of her super-toned physique and Super Bowl halftime show. But on Monday, Morgan escalated the feud, sending a snippy message to Madonna in which he welcomed her to Twitter while smacking her down once again. The “Girl Gone Wild” singer had set up a special Twitter account on Monday in order to chat with her fans and Morgan wrote , “Welcome to Twitter @MadonnaMDNAday -you’re still banned from my show. Love Piers.” That crossed the line for Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary, who responded with his own snap-tastic tweet , posting a letter from October 21, 2011, that says Morgan is “delighted to invite Madonna to be a special guest for his L.A. recording of his U.K. chat show — where she would be welcome to promote her new film and forthcoming album release (and perform two numbers).” Like a demented game of Hollywood power-broker tennis, Morgan fired the ball back, tweeting , “Madonna’s only been banned from my #CNN show @guyoseary – not my UK show, which sent that invite. But I’m now banning her from that too.” And he still wasn’t done! Morgan then banned Oseary from all his shows too, due to what he called “guilt by association.” Morgan has apparently felt slighted over the years by Madonna, especially during his days as an editor at England’s Daily Mirror newspaper, where he claims he was lied to by the singer’s publicist in order to ensure that a rival paper got Madge’s pregnancy announcement. Morgan caught Madonna on the same day she was finally extinguishing another feud, this one with EDM superstar deadmau5 , who had taken the 53-year-old pop icon to task for seemingly making a drug reference during her appearance last weekend at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. What do you think of Morgan’s Madonna ban? Tell us in the comments. Related Artists Madonna

Go here to read the rest:
Madonna Banned From Both Of Piers Morgan’s Shows