President’s re-election campaign also reportedly wants will.i.am, Adam Levine and other celebs on his team. By Gil Kaufman Barack Obama Photo: FilmMagic The first time Barack Obama ran for president , he had help from a wide range of celebrities that included Ben Affleck, Jamie Foxx, 50 Cent, Oprah Winfrey and director Michael Moore. This time, according to a “wish list” of celebrity endorsers circulated to a group of campaign donors that was reportedly obtained by The Tennessean newspaper, a lot of the same names are in the mix (Jay-Z, John Legend, Alicia Keys), along with other big-name acts such as Vampire Weekend, Janelle Mon
Song is featured in ‘W.E.,’ which Madge wrote and directed. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage Madonna has a huge year ahead of her, and she’s already getting some shine. At the Golden Globes on Sunday night (January 15), the pop star-turned-film director nabbed the Best Original Song prize for “Masterpiece,” which was featured in “W.E.,” which she wrote and directed . Taking the stage in her glittering Reem Acra-designed dress, Madge thanked the many collaborators who helped her write the song featured in her first feature film, which opens in wide release next month. “This is a surprise,” she told the room, clutching her prize. “Thank you so much to the Hollywood Foreign Press for this acknowledgement. I need to thank my co-writers, Jimmy Harry and Julie Frost, my co-producer William Orbit, who’s not here, whom I adore.” As her speech went on, she opened up a bit about the creation of the award-winning track, ignoring her exit music altogether. “I would also like to thank my manager, Guy Oseary, who I spend most of my time beating up on,” she said. “But seriously, he harangued me for the entire time I was filming and editing my movie to write a song. And I said, ‘Please, Guy, I’m trying to focus on being a director and I want people to pay attention to the film and I don’t have time.’ So then I finished the film and I started making my record and somehow magically and miraculously the song emerged, ‘Masterpiece,’ so thank you, Guy Oseary, for being so irritating.” As her speech wrapped up, she thanked her leading lady in the film, Andrea Riseborough, and producer Harvey Weinstein, whom she called the Punisher. This is hardly Madonna’s first Golden Globe. She previously won Best Actress in Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for playing Eva Peron in “Evita.” “Masterpiece” is expected to appear on Madonna’s forthcoming new record, M.D.N.A. Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 Golden Globes winners, and don’t miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet ! Related Videos 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room Related Artists Madonna
Funnyman shows no signs of sadness post-breakup when asked about how he’s holding up. By MTV News staff Russell Brand Photo: Getty Images If Russell Brand is feeling down about his split from pop star Katy Perry , he wasn’t showing it to reporters this weekend. Brand was out promoting his upcoming FX TV series, “Strangely Uplifting,” when he was asked how he was holding up after filing for divorce in December. According to People, Brand told them, “Quite well, thank you. Are you asking because of recent events? You are making the mistake of seeing time as linear. The brilliant American author Kurt Vonnegut, he’ll tell you that if you imagine reality as experienced simultaneously, events become redundant.” Brand went even further, replying, “Yes, I am,” when asked if he was happy. “Strangely Uplifting,” which premieres this spring, will be a personal project for Brand, centering on him discussing current events in front of an intimate audience. Promoting projects is sure to keep Brand in the public eye through a solid chunk of 2012. In addition to “Uplifting,” Brand will also throw his support behind “Rock of Ages,” the big-screen version of the Broadway musical, which co-stars Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough and opens June 1. Perry also seemed to be getting on with things, making her first public appearance since the split this week while filming a new Adidas commercial just days after she canceled a scheduled appearance at the People’s Choice Awards. The reasons behind the couple’s split are still only speculative, but sources told TMZ that there was tension due to Perry’s strict religious beliefs while the Daily Mail reported that recovering drug addict Brand was not fond of some of Perry’s friends. Related Artists Katy Perry
‘Gone Till November’ will come out two years after Weezy’s release from Rikers Island. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne Photo: MTV News Lil Wayne has a story to tell. Well, Lil Wayne probably has a bunch of stories to tell, but this fall the multiplatinum rap superstar will release “Gone Till November,” his memoir based on the diaries he kept while he was locked up for eight months on Rikers Island in New York. The book, which will come out in November, two years after Weezy’s release from prison, is being described as an internal monologue, according to the Associated Press . It will be released through Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Weezy was freed from Rikers Island on November 4, 2010, after he served eight months of a year-long sentence for an attempted gun possession charge. Police had arrested the rapper in 2007 following his headlining performance at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Wayne eventually pleaded guilty to the charge and turned himself in to authorities in March of 2010. MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway caught up with Wayne in Miami at a welcome-home party just days after his prison release. When asked how his transition from prison was going, Weezy simply responded with a grin. “I forgot about yesterday,” he said after thanking his fans and family for their support. He hasn’t completely forgotten, however, now that Wayne, who has since toured the world and released his double-platinum Tha Carter IV, plans to reminisce a little. Will you be picking up Lil Wayne’s “Gone Till November”? Tell us in the comments Related Videos Welcome Home, Weezy! Related Artists Lil Wayne
Queen of Pop opens up about the Mother Monster on ‘The Graham Norton Show.’ By Jocelyn Vena Madonna Photo: Jon Furniss/ WireImage Here in the States, Madonna sat down with ABC News and had some interesting comments about Lady Gaga. In another interview , on Friday’s (January 13) “The Graham Norton Show,” the singer seemed to take the high road and likened her early days of hustling in New York City to Gaga ‘s beginnings. “When I first saw her, I saw her performing at a very small club in Manhattan a couple of years ago, maybe it was like three years ago,” she said. “I was actually really impressed by her. I thought she was really cool and she did remind me of me back in the day. I liked her rawness and there was something fresh about there and ballsy, and when she spoke to the audience, she sounded like she had a similar sense of humor to me, quite ironic, and I liked her. So I do think she is very talented.” That was really the end of the subject during their chat, other than when Madonna teased the British talk-show host about naming his dog after her. However, when he said his other dog was named Bailey, she quipped, “Not Gaga?” Some of that sentiment was mirrored in Madge’s ABC interview, the rest of which airs on Friday’s night’s 20/20 . While she did call Gaga’s “Born This Way” song “reductive” when asked about comparisons to her own “Express Yourself,” she went on to say that she sees a lot of her own work in Gaga’s. “I certainly think she references me a lot in her work. And sometimes I think it’s amusing and flattering and well-done,” she said, later adding that she thinks Gaga is “a very talented artist” and that she’s making a “statement about taking something that was in the zeitgeist, you know, 20 years ago and turning it inside out and reinterpreting it.” Madonna is currently making the rounds promoting her next album, M.D.N.A., as well as her film “W.E.” What do you think of Madonna’s Gaga thoughts? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Madonna Lady Gaga
‘I certainly think she references me a lot in her work,’ Queen of Pop tells ABC News. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images There was a hot debate raging about 12 months ago when Lady Gaga dropped her song “Born This Way,” with people questioning whether the song sounds too much like Madonna’s 1980s hit “Express Yourself.” As the discussion went viral, fans, critics and even Lady Gaga herself weighed in on it. Now, as Madge preps the release of her next album, M.D.N.A. , and her film “W.E.,” she’s finally weighing in on the controversy. Madonna, known for her curt, pithy responses when asked about anyone who might take a cue or two from her playbook, sat down with ABC News recently and had some choice words for pop’s latest princess. “I certainly think she references me a lot in her work. And sometimes I think it’s amusing and flattering and well-done,” she explained of her onetime “Saturday Night Live” co-star . “When I heard [‘Born This Way’] on the radio … I said, ‘that sounds very familiar’ … It felt reductive.” When asked if “reductive” was good or bad, Madonna replied, “Look it up.” The Queen of Pop did call Gaga “a very talented artist” and explained that she thinks that she’s making a “statement about taking something that was in the Zeitgeist, you know, 20 years ago and turning it inside out and reinterpreting it.” Madonna also addressed her apparent penchant for kissing female pop stars. She recently made headlines when her “Gimme All Your Luvin” cohort Nicki Minaj tweeted that Madge had kissed her on the set of her video. In true Madonna fashion, she brushed it off, saying, “It was her birthday. I gave her a birthday kiss. No tongue!” Of course, Nicki is not the first pop star Madonna has locked lips with. Back in 2003, Madge shared kisses on the VMA stage with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. “Nice moment, good kisser. Cool,” she remarked of Spears. When asked if she would kiss Spears again, she replied, “No, I already did it. I don’t like to repeat myself.” For those who may have missed the “Nightline” interview on Thursday, it will air on Friday night (January 13) on “20/20.” Related Videos MTV First: Lady Gaga Related Artists Lady Gaga Madonna
Bieber tweets that he hit the studio with the Black Eyed Peas rapper for his 2012 album. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: WireImage He’s already teased that Drake and Kanye West may make appearances on his next album, and on Thursday, Justin Bieber confirmed that another music industry heavyweight will be assisting him on Believe . Letting his fans know on Twitter that he’s “gonna make that,” the Black Eyed Peas frontman hyped up the collaboration further when he added, “let’s make a hit tomorrow!! #collab. ‘I gotta feeling this song is ganne be bigger than huge’ #willpower.” The news comes as Bieber is deep in the studio working on his highly anticipated 2012 release. The team-up should make for an interesting track for the teen star. With Bieber hoping to recapture some of that Justin Timberlake/Timbaland magic from Timberlake’s Future Sex/Love Sounds , will could bring some of that frenetic pop energy to Bieber’s own work. Last year, will made headlines when he worked with Britney Spears on her Femme Fatale song, “Big Fat Bass.” Earlier this week, Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, teased that what he’s heard of Believe has been “ridiculous.” Bieber will turn 18 in March, and his team is hoping to bridge the gap between the boy we met on “Baby” and the man he’s growing up to be. “The only conversation we’ve had about Justin’s album that we’re about to do is it’s really important that it’s the proper transition, because we’ve seen him [with] ‘Baby,’ now we’re watching him grow up,” Bieber’s longtime vocal producer, Kuk Harrell , told MTV News in November. “And we can’t just throw him into the adult game right away. It has to be the proper transition. There’s a record in between.” Are you excited for Justin Bieber’s collabo with will.i.am? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV First: Justin Bieber Related Artists Justin Bieber Will.I.Am
‘I cook him breakfast every morning. I rub his feet, I give him kisses,’ Amber Rose says on ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Amber Rose on “RapFix Live” Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News Amber Rose went through a range of emotions when she appeared on Wednesday’s episode of “RapFix Live.” The radiant model spoke excitedly about her new single, “Fame,” and also broke down in tears when she described how she is bullied on the streets. But when the subject of her boyfriend, Wiz Khalifa , came up, Rose turned gleeful. “He’s so freaking cute, that’s my baby right there,” Amber gushed. “He’s beautiful, he’s perfection to me. I don’t see any flaws when I look at him.” Wiz and Amber aren’t married , though a rumor that they tied the knot did swirl in September. They do, however, live in the same building — practically next door to each other, Amber explained. “When we met, we fell in love and then he moved to L.A. and he wound up moving in my building and we just started our life like that together,” she said. “It’s good, we’re not married yet, and it’s good that we still have our separate places. I have a lot of clothes, so my clothes are not going to fit in his condo at all.” Rose is all about her man. The model went into great detail on the lengths that she goes to for Khalifa. She is quite the cook, and Wiz is particularly fond of her spaghetti. “I get up in the morning, I cook him breakfast every morning. I rub his feet, I give him kisses, feed him breakfast in bed,” she listed. “I clean the house, I run the shower for him; I iron his clothes and whatever he wants. “I love him; I would do anything for him. He is a spoiled brat when it comes to me. I don’t let him lift a finger; I do everything for him,” Rose continued. “I am the wife, I take care of all that. He doesn’t have to do anything.” The couple’s love is a two-way street, and Amber assures us that the rapper reciprocates her feelings. “He respects me, he loves me, he gives me all that in return,” she said. “We kinda do that to each other.” Do Amber and Wiz seem like the perfect couple? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Amber Rose And Yo Gotti Related Artists Wiz Khalifa
‘I always feel uncomfortable spending anyone’s money, but I really did want the tigers,’ Del Rey says of video for title track. By James Montgomery Lana Del Ray Photo: MTV News Chances are, if you’ve ventured anywhere near a blog in the past six months, you not only know who Lana Del Rey is, but you’ve probably already formed your opinion about her. Based mainly on a pair of majestic, maudlin singles — “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans” — not to mention some rather rampant speculation on her background, Del Rey has been nothing if not a lightning rod, and now she’s rode that, uh, attention to a major-label deal with Interscope, who will release her Born To Die album at the end of the month. But for an artist who has been the subject of so much discussion, Del Rey remains strangely silent when it comes to her critics, the folks who like to bring up points like “authenticity” and “paying your dues.” Though you get the feeling she’s growing tired of keeping her mouth shut. “I don’t agree [with it] … it’s a f—ing personal thing, in terms of whether people like me or not, it has to do with my personality getting in the way of the music,” she told MTV News. “I personally don’t like drama of any sort … I just think it’s reflective of the times we live in, and have been living in since the dawn of humanity. People love terrible news, they love when things go wrong, and they like to see people going off the tracks and people fighting, because it’s exciting, and life is f—ing boring.” And that’s an odd thing to say, especially considering that, in recent months, Del Rey’s life has been anything but boring. She’s been whisked around the world to promote Born To Die, she’s been the subject of countless magazine spreads, and this weekend, she’ll perform on her biggest stage to date: “Saturday Night Live.” And through it all, she’s tried very hard to keep the focus squarely on her music, a task that grows increasingly difficult by the day. “The goal is definitely just to sort of try to re-create myself in song form, that was really my only ambition in this whole thing. I mean, I’ve been making music for a long time, but it was really only ever to please myself,” she said. “I really write because I love to write and I sing because I love to sing … and I think the way I make music is different from the way some people make music, in the way that I write for myself. “I started working [on Born To Die ] with this kid from London, Justin Parker; he sort of wrote a lot of the chords on the record. And then I was looking for a producer to tie everything together, sonically, and Emile [Haynie, who’s worked with the likes of Kanye West and Eminem] was perfect, because, musically, we’re on the same path,” she continued. “We love mixing the light and the dark together, and I was in love with his beats … he understood what I meant when I was talking about wanting a mix of a sound similar to Thomas Newman’s ‘American Beauty’ score, mixed with a Springsteen, summertime sadness feel. And everything came together … Sonically, I always knew exactly what I wanted.” And that focus extended to the big-budget video for the album’s title track, a gorgeous, gigantic thing Del Rey shot in Paris with director Yoann Lemoine. It sprung from a treatment she penned, and doesn’t skimp when it comes to scenery, sex appeal and, of course, seriously hormonal tigers … all courtesy of the good folks at Interscope, of course. “I always feel uncomfortable spending anyone’s money, but I really did want the tigers, just because of what they symbolize to me, and just visually, they’re so striking,” she laughed. “I always like the vision of a girl in a white nightgown with two majestic tigers. [In one scene], I was sitting on the throne first, and then I had to leave the room and then the tiger was filmed right by the throne, and then spliced in … Tigers and women can’t be in the same room, even if the tiger is a female, because of the pheromones.” And so, Del Rey is quickly learning that acrimony sort of comes with the territory these days. And as she moves forward as a major artist, she’s willing to trade a few nasty comments for the opportunity to create videos (and albums) that are uniquely her . It’s been a rollercoaster ride just to get to this point, and Del Rey is determined to enjoy her lofty new perch … no matter what her detractors have to say. “I’m a very happy person. I feel really at peace with my life and where it’s been for the last long time, really,” she said. “I’m grateful for my life, I’m grateful for being able to make music, and for everyone around me. So, yeah, overall, I feel happy.” Are you excited for Born to Die ? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Lana Del Ray Related Artists Lana Del Rey
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