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Mac Miller Returns To Pittsburgh’s Blue Slide Park

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Miller gives MTV News a tour of the ‘illest city in the world,’ including the park he made famous. By Rob Markman Mac Miller Photo: David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns PITTSBURGH — Some call it Steel City, others call it the City of Bridges, but Mac Miller simply calls his hometown “the illest city in the world.” After releasing his 2010 mixtape K.I.D.S., Miller set out and toured the world, spending more and more time away from home. It was that time away that inspired the name for Mac’s debut album , Blue Slide Park. Named after his favorite childhood hangout, Mac aimed to shine the spotlight on his city. After months of touring in 2011, the “Knock, Knock” MC invited MTV News to come out to a pair of homecoming shows back in December and gave us a tour of the ‘Burgh, starting, of course, with Blue Slide Park, a playground tucked inside the much-larger Frick Park. “Welcome to the world-famous Blue Slide Park,” Mac told MTV News, acting as our tour guide. If you aren’t from the ‘Burgh, chances are you didn’t quite catch the significance of BSP ‘s opening track, “English Lane,” but after a trip to the real-life playground, it all starts to make sense. “I was literally walking to Blue Slide Park and the album was almost done and I was walking to get some last-minute inspiration,” Mac said, explaining how the park’s adjacent street became the title for the #1 LP’s first song. “I walked by and was like, ‘English Lane would be an ill title for a song, that’s how I wanna open the album ,with a song called ‘English Lane,’ ‘ because that’s how you walk up to Blue Slide Park.” Granted, some of the scenery has changed, for instance, the slide isn’t quite as blue these days. “When I announced that I was coming out with an album called Blue Slide Park, some vandalizing kids dumped a bucket of red paint down the slide,” the 20-year old rapper said with some disappointment. Still, while walking through the famed playground and its surrounding area, the memories began to mount for Mac. There were his baseball days at Stan Lederman Field and the make-out sessions that followed his little league victories. “I was into girls in the fifth grade,” Mac said while showing off a low-key cove where he’d take his junior high school honeys. Now, when the breakout rap star returns to his old stomping grounds, word spreads quickly as fans flock to the neighborhood hangout in hopes for an autograph or a picture with Miller. Still, it all provides a certain comfort. Back in July, after Mac first announced the album’s title , he explained what it all meant to MTV News. “No matter what happens in life, no matter where you go, where you’re off to, what happens with the park, that slide will always be blue. That will always be Blue Slide Park no matter what,” he said. “You can go to New York and live for 10 years and become a huge business mogul and then come back to the ‘Burgh and no matter how much money you got, that slide is still blue.” Barring any vandals, of course. Check in with MTV News everyday this week as Mac Miller takes us back to the ‘Burgh and spotlights Pittsburgh vibrant hip-hop scene. Also tune into to ‘RapFix Live’ on Wednesday to see exclusive behind the scenes footage from Mac’s pair of December homecoming shows. Related Videos Back To The ‘Burgh With Mac Miller Related Artists Mac Miller

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Lady Gaga Opens Italian Restaurant With Her Dad

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Joanne Trattoria named in honor of her late aunt. By Gil Kaufman Lady Gaga Photo: Alo Ceballos/FilmMagic Lady Gaga is known for being ostentatious, outrageous and making the biggest entrance possible. But for a star that has made her name for shocking our senses, Mother Monster’s newest venture is decidedly low-key. After dropping several mentions in interviews over the past few months about a new restaurant she planned to launch with her father, Joseph Germanotta, Joanne Trattoria will finally open its doors on Wednesday. The modest Italian neighborhood eatery on West 68th Street in New York was described by The New York Times as having a “well-stocked bar, a cozy back patio and seating for about 70 people.” The walls are covered with scenes of the Tuscan countryside, and near a fireplace at the entrance, diners will see some Germanotta family photos hanging by a front booth. The restaurant will be run by Joseph and Gaga’s mother, Cynthia, and her proud pop admitted that his daughter “just generates a lot of sizzle,” helping to get the word out about the venture. The chef and partner in the business is Art Smith, who met Gaga at a taping for the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” Smith was Winfrey’s personal chef for several years. The name was inspired by Joseph’s late sister, Joanne, who died of lupus at age 19. Not only is “Joanne” Gaga’s middle name, but in a number of interviews the singer has opened up about her strong connection with her late aunt. “I thought I was gonna die,” she said last year. “I wanted to be the artists I loved, like Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol — and I thought the only way to do it was to live the lifestyle. But then I realized my father’s sister Joanne, who’d died at 19, had instilled her spirit in me. She was a painter and a poet — and I had a spiritual vision I had to finish her business.” The Times noted that Gaga is not officially a part-owner of the restaurant, which Joseph said the family could have afforded to open even if his daughter had not risen to global fame. It has long been his dream to open the eatery, he said, and visitors at Joanne will dine on “Southern Italian,” given that Smith is from the South and the Germanottas are Italian. That means they will chow down on dishes such as “Papa G’s chicken,” traditional offerings like osso buco inspired by Joanne and “Cynthia’s salad,” named for Gaga’s mother. Hoping to temper fans’ expectations, Joseph said he wasn’t sure if he’d post current pics of Gaga among the family photos. Maybe, he said, just an old one in which she’s not as recognizable. And though he’s happy to have his eldest get the word out about the family business, if fans make the trek expecting to see a trophy case with VMAs and Grammys, “It’s not going to happen,” he warned. Related Videos MTV First: Lady Gaga Lady Gaga: Inside The Outside Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Adam Lambert’s ‘Better Than I Know Myself’ About ‘Duality’

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

First Trespassing single is ‘about the relationship you have with yourself, between your dark and light side.’ By John Mitchell, with reporting by Kelly Marino Adam Lambert Photo: MTV News Adam Lambert has come a long way since “American Idol” and is taking a reflective look back with his new single, “Better Than I Know Myself.” The pop star, who turns 30 on Sunday, tells MTV News that the first release from his forthcoming sophomore album, Trespassing, is “about the relationship you have with yourself, between your dark and light side. It’s about duality; it’s about that balance and finding it and struggling to maintain it and what it means.” It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for the singer, who was arrested in Finland in late December after a verbal argument with his boyfriend, Sauli Koskinen, outside of a Helsinki bar turned physical. Lambert later admitted to Ellen DeGeneres during an appearance on her show last week that alcohol was the main catalyst for the altercation, telling the host, “When you add alcohol to a situation, things can get out of control. … What happened was, we had too much to drink. We screwed up. There was no injuries, no violence. It was more just childish, foolish messiness.” With the March 20 release of Trespassing nearing, Lambert’s focus has returned to his music and his new single. “It’s so universal,” Lambert tells MTV News. “It’s … in the middle of a bunch of different genres, and I think that no matter who you are, if you’ve been in a relationship, you know what that is.” Lambert collaborated on the track with Dr. Luke (Britney Spears, Katy Perry) and songwriter Claude Kelly, who co-wrote his debut single, “For Your Entertainment.” He admitted “Better” has a lot in common with his Pink-written top 10 smash “Whataya Want From Me,” saying, “There is something similar to “Whataya Want From Me,” and I think that’s the reason I’m really glad it’s the first single.” He also revealed that the upcoming video for the track is “like a cousin” to the “Whataya Want” clip. Lambert said the song deals with the insecurities that come with being in a relationship. “[It’s about] that moment where you’re like, ‘I need you, I love you,’ where you have to reassure your partner,” adding, “No matter what kind of relationship, everybody can relate to that moment.” Related Artists Adam Lambert

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Beyonce Gets A College Course, Possible Houston Monument

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images Related Artists Beyonc

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Win A Trip To The 2012 Grammys!

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

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The Grammy Awards are a music lover’s Superbowl. Plenty hope and dream about attending the biggest night in music. If you are such a music fiend, here is your chance to go to the Grammys. Entering the contest is easier than you think. All one must do is tune into Fuse on Monday January 30th which is the start of Grammy Nominee Takeover Week . Keep an eye oen for the special code at the bottom of the screen and head over to Insider.fuse.tv to enter. The winner and a guest will receive tickets to the Grammy ceremony with the opportunity to walk the red carpet! After the ceremony, you and your guest will be whisked off to the official Grammy after-party. How cool is that. Check out the video below for more details. Good luck! RELATED POSTS: I’m A Boss: Artists Turned Executives [PHOTOS] Kid Capri: “Eminem Is The Greatest Of All Time!” [EXCLUSIVE] 11 Best Debut Albums Of The Past 11 Years [ORIGINAL]

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President Obama Boosts Al Green’s Sales Almost 500 Percent

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Obama’s ‘Let’s Stay Together’ upped Al Green’s sales. By Gil Kaufman Al Green performs at President Obama’s Victory Fund 2012 Concert Photo: WireImage Sure, clean energy, the return of manufacturing, a boost in education spending 
 and saving the domestic car industry are awesome ways to revive the American economy. But another tactic President Obama might consider is more singing. Because a week after the falsetto singer-in-chief unleashed his version of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” at an Apollo Theater fundraiser, sales of the good Rev.’s most iconic hit have taken off. According to Billboard magazine , the viral video of the President singing the first line of the #1 hit from 1972 boosted sales of the song by 490 percent. In fact, the tune had its best week since SoundScan began tracking digital sales in 2003, with 16,000 downloads. The YouTube video of the impromptu recital has been viewed more than 4 million times. It was likely the second surprise this week for Green, who was present at the Apollo event where Obama acknowledged the soul singer’s presence in the room from the stage. “Those guys didn’t think I would do it,” Obama laughed while pointing to his staffers at the side of the stage. “I told you I was going to do it. The Sandman did not come out.” Fans also rushed out this week to snatch up music by Etta James, the soul legend who passed on January 20. According to The Hollywood Reporter , James’ sales were up 378 percent over the past week. One compilation, The Best of Etta James — 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection shot up from #162 to #46 on sales of 8,000, giving James her highest chart position ever. For the week ending January 22, James’ overall catalog sold 30,000 copies, a jump of nearly 378 percent over the previous week when her collected album sold just over 6,000. Related Artists Al Green

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Bow Wow Calls Fatherhood ‘The Illest Feeling’

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I’m not Bow; I’m daddy,’ MC tells ‘RapFix Live’ about spending time with his daughter, Shai. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Bow Wow Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News Becoming a dad changes things. After a lot of rumors and speculation, Bow Wow admitted last year on his website that he had fathered his first child, a baby girl named Shai. At first, the 24-year-old rapper hid the truth because he was “nervous” about how his fans, who have been following him since he first debuted at 13 years old, would look at him. On Wednesday’s “RapFix Live,” Bow (real name: Shad Gregory Moss) had no reservations about opening up about fatherhood. “For me, it’s just the quality time I get. I’m Bow Wow all the time. To the world, I’m Bow Wow. When I leave here and I go to L.A. and I go to my daughter’s house and I sit with her, I feel like Shad. I’m not Bow; I’m daddy,” he told MTV News correspondent Sway. “It’s, like, the illest feeling in the world. I feel like I’m away from everything.” The feeling has even spilled over into the studio. On his upcoming album, Underrated, Bow said he will include “Boy or Girl,” a previously released mixtape track on which he rhymes about being a dad. “The record just hit home, because it was just honest. Right then, I was like, ‘Yo, I have to make honest records. I gotta be more personal, I gotta be more honest,’ ” Bow said. “That’s what music is about.” On January 8, Jay-Z joined the ranks of famous rapper dads when he and wife Beyonc

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‘Red Tails’ Proves All-Black Cast Can Soar At Box Office

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I feel like this was a matter of just proving them wrong,’ Ne-Yo tells MTV News of the George Lucas-produced flick. By Rob Markman Ne-Yo in “Red Tails” Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd. It wasn’t easy getting “Red Tails” into theaters, but singer/actor Ne-Yo believes that after opening at #2 at the box office , it was well worth the fight. “I feel like we definitely did what we set out to do, which was make sure these incredible men, the Tuskegee Airmen, got the recognition that they deserved for the incredible things that they did for this country,” Ne-Yo told MTV News of the George Lucas-produced film on Wednesday. “And [we] proved to Hollywood that an ensemble cast of black faces can put asses in the seats, basically,” he laughed. “So I feel like we served our purpose.” “Red Tails” tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American fighter pilots who battled deep-rooted racism, while fighting in World War II. Both Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. star in the flick, while Ne-Yo, Method Man and Tristan Wilds have supporting roles. The historical piece hit theaters January 20, the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day and opened second behind “Underworld: Awakening.” Not bad for the singer/songwriter, who was also named senior vice president of A&R at Motown Records . Considering the movie wasn’t especially well-received by critics, “Red Tails” did well in its first weekend, surpassing initial expectations. Lucas appeared on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” earlier this month and claimed that major studios showed no interest in the film when he went to pitch it. “It’s because it’s an all-black movie,” he said. “There’s no major white roles in it at all. It’s one of the first all-black action pictures ever made.” “We’ve come a long way from when Martin was marching in the streets and getting rocks thrown at him. We’ve come a very, very long way,” Ne-Yo said. “However, even with that being said, we got a long way to go. As a black person, period, we’re kinda constantly in a state of proving, which is something that I came to wraps with a long time ago.” Despite the studios’ lack of interest in the film, Ne-Yo decided to let the success of “Red Tails” speak for itself. “At the end of the day, you complain about it, or you prove them wrong,” he said. “I feel like this was a matter of just proving them wrong.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Red Tails.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Red Tails Related Artists Ne-Yo

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Will Beyonce Join The Ranks Of Celebrity Mommy Moguls?

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Mommy Mogul Kimora Lee Simmons and experts discuss the balance between motherhood and business. By Jocelyn Vena Beyonc

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Too $hort, Lil’ Kim Tried To Make ‘Musical Sex’ On ‘Call Me’

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We tried to, like, have sex on the song,’ Too $hort tells ‘RapFix Live’ of he and Lil Kim’s 1997 collabo. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Too $hort Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News Too $hort has built quite the reputation with the ladies in his 30-plus years in rap. Songs like “Freaky Tales” and “I’m a Player” expertly showcase Short Dog’s ability to swoon women with his raps, so when his record label requested that he work with Lil’ Kim on the 1997 single “Call Me,” Kim’s then on-and-off boyfriend the Notorious B.I.G. was more than a little concerned. “I paid for the tickets for Kim and her manager to come to Atlanta and I went to pick them up to take them to the studio and who gets off the plane? No Lil’ Kim, it was Biggie,” Too $hort recalled with a laugh when he appeared on Wednesday’s episode of “RapFix Live.” Though $hort and B.I.G. had built a good rapport before the Brooklyn great was slain in 1997, prior to recording with Kim, they didn’t really know each other. Too $hort remembers B.I.G. coming off the plane on a pair of crutches that he was forced to use after he was involved in a car accident. The two sat down to talk, and according to $hort, the Notorious one inquired about the Oakland rapper’s intentions with his artist and sometime love interest. “So what’s goin’ on with you and Kim? What’s happenin’?” Too $hort remembered Biggie asking. After $hort explained to Big that he only was interested in recording with Kim for his single, the “Juicy” rapper approved the collaboration. “He wanted to know what was goin’ on with his little thang before he let it happen,” $hort said. “So I explained it to him… and sure enough she showed up on the next flight. We got in the lab and we worked it out.” Kim, who titled her 1996 debut album Hardcore, had become known for her sexually explicit lyrics, just like Too $hort, but the first version of “Call Me” didn’t quite meet expectations, $hort revealed. “Believe it or not, we did the song and everybody said, ‘Man, it’s not dirty enough’,” $hort laughed. Eventually they re-recorded the dirty version that fans have come to know. “We tried to, like, have sex on the song,” he said. “It wasn’t physical sex, but we tried to make musical sex. I think we achieved it.” Did you catch Too $hort on Wednesday’s ‘RapFix Live’? Share your thoughts on the interview in the comments! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Bow Wow And Too $hort Related Artists Lil’ Kim

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