‘You’ve got every artist you wait to hear in the club on one bill,’ Drake says of run that will also include Meek Mill, 2 Chainz. By Rob Markman Drake Photo: MTV News Drake has been cooped up inside for far too long, and now the Young Money standout is ready to breathe some fresh air into his Club Paradise Tour . On Thursday morning (March 22), Drizzy announced a 27-city amphitheater run that will begin on May 7 at the Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord, California. “I feel like this tour is coming at the perfect time,” Drake said in a press release issued to MTV News. “It’s taking place in the season that we all wait for, we’re outdoors and you’ve got every single artist you wait to hear in the club on one bill … that’s Club Paradise.” will ride out with Drake as an opening act, and Waka Flocka Flame, Meek Mill, 2 Chainz and French Montana will all support unspecified dates. On the first leg of his tour, Mr. OVO sold out a string of U.S. college dates with Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky before taking the show across the pond to a number of European venues like London’s O2 Arena and the Oslo Spektrum in Norway. This time out, the “Take Care” rapper will hit a number of outdoor venues like the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Aaron’s Amphitheatre in Atlanta and the Jones Beach Theater in Long Island, New York. Drake will also rock the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, and the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, before wrapping up the run at Boston’s Comcast Center. Tickets for the Club Paradise amphitheatre run will go on sale March 23 on Live Nation’s website . These are the dates for the Club Paradise Tour:
‘Unfortunately, she’s the closest to breaking my record for the last 10 years,’ singer says of Adele catching up with his chart record. By Jocelyn Vena Usher and Adele Photo: Getty Images Usher has a confession to make. He really loves Adele , even if she’s threatening his position as an album sales record holder. “If I have to confess, I have to confess that I have told a few people not to go and buy Adele’s album because I don’t want her to go and break my record,” he joked to Capital FM in the U.K. The 21 singer’s record-setting album has come close to beating the record held by his own album Confessions for most albums sold in one year . “No, actually, I love her. Unfortunately, she’s the closest to breaking my record for the last 10 years. So now, guys, don’t go and buy that album right now.” But if he can’t beat her, he’ll join her. He hinted in the same interview that he would love the chance to collaborate with the broken-hearted songstress. “I think the world deserves an Usher and Adele record ,” he said. “That’s what I think.” Well, Usher will get his chance to prove his chart dominance once again when he drops his new album later this year. He’s currently out promoting its lead single, the sexy, sultry, Diplo-produced “Climax.” The singer released a video for the track earlier this month. The sexy clip follows two lovers engaged in a hot, steamy love affair. Usher wrestles with the ramifications of their relationship, pondering it all in his car, with a gun not far away. Leading to the video’s climax, Usher watches his lady with her other man, then runs in the house, fires off his gun and runs away. Viewers are left wondering if it was nothing more than a daydream as the video ends with the singer once again sitting in his car, still reflecting, as he pulls away from the supposed crime scene. Related Artists Adele Usher
Movie focuses on ancient evil unearthed from a glacier. By Gil Kaufman Dr. Dre Photo: Getty Images Rick Ross recently told MTV News that he had joined the likes of Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Nas as a contributor to the top secret project. “We making some things happen, man — we just gonna see where the pieces fall,” Ross said. “But we most definitely putting in major work. Related Artists Dr. Dre
Film captures bands’ 2011 Railroad Revival Tour of the Southwest. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Chris Kim Marcus Mumford Photo: Gus Stewart/ Getty Images Last year, Mumford & Sons , Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show joined forces for the Railroad Revival Tour, a trek that took them through the American Southwest on a journey that was nearly as long as the names of the band names involved. Director Emmett Malloy rode along with them, capturing each show and every magical moment aboard the rails … and now, he’s brought it all together in a brand-new documentary, “Big Easy Express,” which premiered during the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. And at the premiere, MTV News caught up with three of the stars — Mumford’s Ben Lovett, Edward Sharpe’s Alex Ebert and Old Crow’s Gill Landry — to talk about making the film, which, from the sound of things, wasn’t really much work at all. “We weren’t trying to make some ‘great film’ or anything. It didn’t feel like that, we were just enjoying this experience that was laid out, and doing gigs and traveling in a bizarre way between the two,” Landry said. “And the great thing about Emmett, and this documentary, was that it didn’t invade any of that, it didn’t feel forced or staged. So, no, we weren’t scrubbing up on our documentary history beforehand.” “It was like the biggest party you’ve ever been to,” Landry laughed. “It lasted for a week, and you just couldn’t afford to throw another one afterwards.” Though you get the feeling everyone involved would’ve liked to try, because just hearing the three reminisce on the tour, you can tell that it was one they’ll remember for a long time. Not just for the musical moments, but for everything that happened between the shows too. “It was about the joy of music, the joy of camaraderie,” Landry said. “We’re each, individually, quite different bands, we don’t play the same music, we come from different places — England, Los Angeles, Nashville — but we all came together and just played … played our hearts out. It was really amazing.” “It came at quite an interesting time. We’ve all gone on to making records pretty soon after the tour,” Ebert said. “So, I think it’s impossible to deny the influence both of the spirit and the music that we had on that trip … something happened.” And to that end, even though there’s still no theatrical premiere for “Big Easy Express” (a publicist told MTV News it’ll hit theaters nationally later this year), all three bands are beginning to make plans for a sequel … to the tour, at least. “I think twinkling in the back of everyone’s mind is maybe doing something again,” Sharpe said. “We’ve talked about weird ways to top that or have a different experience … a zeppelin or a riverboat … I think a zeppelin’s more realistic.” Related Artists Mumford & Sons
‘I still wanted to keep it street and relatable, but I wanted to do something fun and creative,’ Tyga tells MTV News on video set in Miami. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Ricky Louis Tyga on the set of his “Faded” music video Photo: MTV News Don’t expect Tyga to slow down anytime soon. Though the Young Money stand-out is still riding high off of his hit single “Rack City,” Tyga Tyga is fast at work, and this week he released the video for his Lil Wayne-assisted single “Faded.” Though the song bangs in the street, the Cali spitter didn’t want to limit his visuals to the block and flexed a bit of artistic muscle for the clip. “It’s crazy. The idea I had for it, I still wanted to keep it street and relatable, but I wanted to do something fun and creative,” Tyga told MTV News in February while on the video set in Miami. Who better to call than director Colin Tilley, who has used quite a bit of impressive visual effects in videos for Chris Brown and Lil Wayne. “As you can see, the setups that we got here is crazy. From the gold setup, to the spinning tunnel, just a bunch of trippy type stuff,” Tyga said. In one scene from the current MTV Jams Jam of the Week, Wayne and Tyga are animated with big heads, similar to the effect popularized by the 1993 arcade game “NBA Jam.” On his album Careless World: Rise of the Last King, Tyga sends poignant messages on songs like “King and Queens,” but “Faded” was really just about a vibe between Wayne and his prot
Katy goes to boot camp in just-premiered clip. By James Montgomery Katy Perry in her “Part of Me” music video Photo: Capitol There are probably about a dozen different ways to view Katy Perry’s “Part of Me” video , which premiered Wednesday night (March 21) on MTV, and all of them are certainly valid: a deft recruiting tool, a feminist super-fantasy, a pop video on steroids, a v
‘That was definitely dope to hear,’ Digg says of rap legend dad’s approval of his brand-new debut album. By Rob Markman Diggy Simmons Photo: Andrew H. Walker/ Getty Images Diggy Simmons is not the second coming of Run-DMC , but still there has to be some pressure being the rapping son of one of hip-hop’s most revered MCs, right? Not really, says Diggy, who released his debut album Unexpected Arrival on Tuesday. “A couple of weeks before the release, he heard the complete album and he was really impressed,” Diggy told MTV News of Reverend Run’s reaction on Tuesday. “He was like, ‘You know, this is an album that I can turn on and I can leave on and I’d be happy listening to it.’ ” That’s quite a compliment coming from Run, who at first modeled himself after 1980s rap icon Kurtis Blow, but then went on to have one of hip-hop’s most iconic careers as a part of the larger-than-life group Run-DMC . In fact, the group’s career was so heralded they became the second rap group ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. “That was definitely dope to hear,” Diggy, who turned 17 on Wednesday (March 21), said. “That was something that I was definitely focused on making a cohesive album that sounded incredible together and you can just rock it and feel every sorta type of way.” The elder Simmons is no stranger to cohesive albums. The group’s 1984 self-titled debut effectively changed the way rappers recorded music with tracks like “Sucker M.C.’s” and “It’s Like That.” On Diggy’s Unexpected Arrival, however, there are no nods to his dad’s catalog, instead the teenage spitter simply does what comes natural to him. On the single “Do It Like You” Diggy pursues a crush, and on “4 Letter Word” things get a tad more serious when he dives deeper into love. The album isn’t all hugs and kisses though; on “88” Digg teams with Jadakiss for a rap free-for-all, and on “Unforgivable Blackness,” he raps of Martin and Malcolm’s legacy while calling for unity among his brothers. Unexpected Arrival is a complete work and distinctly Diggy’s. In fact, the emerging MC reveals that his pop was pretty hands-off. “He heard the tracks piece by piece. I’d have them sent to him sometimes when I was on the road for long amounts of time just so he can hear stuff,” he said. “That excites him, he’s not a person who pushes up.” Share your birthday wishes for Diggy in the comments! Related Artists Diggy Simmons
Bieber tells his love interest, ‘If I was your boyfriend, I’d never let you go,’ on his single, out March 26. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber’s Boyfriend cover art Photo: Walmart/ Island Swag! That’s the line that Justin Bieber is using to woo his love interest in his single, “Boyfriend.” The Believe song drops Monday, but he gave his fans an early treat when he released the lyrics on his website on Wednesday (March 21). The song, produced by Mike Posner, appears to be all about trying to convince a girl that he should be her boyfriend. Now, while it’s hard to imagine any teen girl fighting with his logic, Bieber makes his plea on the track by promising her fondue dates by the fire and trips around the world. Bieber teased part of the song in his Complex cover story , but now he is providing it to his fans in full. Believe will drop
From ‘Vogue’ to ‘Human Nature,’ MTV News points out the many nods to the Queen of Pop’s legendary music videos. By John Mitchell Madonna in her “Girl Gone Wild” video Photo: Interscope The video for video for “Give Me All Your Luvin,” “GGW” is not plot-driven, but rather an assemblage of striking images that recall the dark, sexed-up era she ushered in with her “Vogue” video and which reached its apex with the release of her “Sex” book and Erotica album. Madonna makes references to her iconic past throughout the video, meshing vintage M with her current self seamlessly. Below are the five key references we noticed in the “Girl Gone Wild” clip: “Erotica” From Madonna’s big, diva-like bleach-blond hair to those chains and leather-brief-wearing men, the dark, sexy vibe here is pure “Erotica”-era Madge. The clip for “Erotica” was markedly grittier, employing camera filters and sleazy locations (and, you know, bridles and whips) to give off an S&M vibe. If “Girl” isn’t as gritty in its approach to sex, it’s also far less off-putting. The sex stuff in the “Erotica” video is more of an artful expression of fetishism than it a series of “wow, that’s hot” moments, like those featured in “GGW.” But as usual, M delivers plenty of edgy eye candy. “Vogue” Those moves! Those angular, cutting arm, leg and body movements. Check. A bunch of scantily clad male dancers posing in formation. Check. In addition to being shot entirely in black-and-white, the dancing in “Girl Gone Wild” is a direct callback to the sharp moves from “Vogue.” A few times in the video (check 1:10), Madonna and her dancers are definitely “vogueing” — or at least as close to it as she’s gotten since she struck her most famous pose in 1990. There’s also something to be said for the gay culture references in both videos. Madonna made vogueing mainstream in 1990 with her hit, but the highly stylized form of dance was actually born in the late-’80s Harlem gay ballroom scene (see the amazing documentary “Paris Is Burning” if you want to know where vogueing really came from). She embraced the connection then and appears to be doing the same here. In “GGW,” we have two male models gnawing on the same apple, dancers in heels (and little else) and many, many suggestive close-ups celebrating the male form. “Human Nature” The “Human Nature” video is most remembered for Madonna’s black latex bodysuit, and she resurrects the look for “GGW .” Beyond the suit itself, the “Nature” video also cast Madonna and her dancers in all black and set them against an all-white background, a style choice she uses frequently throughout “Girl.” Like the “GGW” clip, the vid for “Nature” was directed by a well-known fashion photographer, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, who also helmed Madonna’s controversial video for “Justify My Love.” “Justify My Love” Speaking of which, Her Madgesty is getting awful handsy with her sexy dancers here, and late in the video, we find Madonna and her dancers really going for it, writhing in a pile and feeling each other up. The “Love” video was, of course, banned from MTV in 1990 for its depictions of sex acts. Set in a voyeuristic hotel, the “Love” clip includes what we can only refer to as an orgy sequence, and she recalls that a bit here, albeit in a tamer fashion. The scene in “GGW” is less explicit because it’s not as direct about its subject matter — being sexy is part of the “GGW” narrative, while making a grand observation about full-on sex was at least part of the point of “Justify My Love.” “Like a Prayer” Madonna wouldn’t be Madonna without a direct reference to religious iconography. Here, we get a dancer wearing a crown of thorns. Her video for “Like a Prayer” famously featured Catholic symbols, including stigmata and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint on an alter. Madonna herself has even donned a crown of thorns onstage. During her performance of “Live to Tell” on her Confessions Tour, Madonna sang from a massive mirrored cross while sporting the crown. What did we miss? Share the old-school Madonna references you noticed in the “Girl Gone Wild” video! Related Artists Madonna
Maroon 5 singer in negotiations to make his TV acting debut. By Gil Kaufman Adam Levine Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic Astro from the “X Factor” has made the leap to scripted TV, so what’s good for them must be good for
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