Tag Archives: Career

Jay-Z Says He Plans To Age Gracefully In The Rap Game

At the ripe age of 40, Hov tells Rolling Stone he enjoys the challenge of competing with younger artists. By Jayson Rodriguez Jay-Z on the cover of “Rolling Stone” Photo: Wenner Media Is Jay-Z taking a page out of Diddy’s playbook? The Bad Boy Records mogul has long told fans and detractors alike that he wouldn’t stop. Now, is seems like the legendary Brooklyn wordsmith is also keen on keeping his run going as long as he can. After threatening to retire several times, Jay recently told Rolling Stone that he’s bent on aging gracefully as a rapper while still maintaining his spot on top of the rankings. The problem other rappers have had as they get older, Jay told the magazine, is that they haven’t adjusted to younger audiences in a believable way. “One of the reasons I wanted to make Blueprint 3 was because of the challenge,” Jay told the magazine in a cover story out this week. “We’ve seen people like LL [Cool J] have longevity, and we respect the heritage of what he’s done, but it’s not like, right now, he’s competing on the same level as Lil Wayne. So for me to still be able to compete at that level at my age, that’s rarefied air. It’s never been done. I think the problem with people, as they start to mature, they say, ‘Rap is a young man’s game,’ and they keep trying to make young songs. But you don’t know the slang — it changes every day. You can visit the topic, but these young kids live it every day, and you’re just visiting. So you’re trying to be something you’re not, and the audience doesn’t buy into that. And people wonder why. ‘I made a great Southern bounce song!’ You’re from New York, and you’re 70! Why are you bouncing?” After scoring 11 #1 albums, the rapper admitted that he’s only told about 10 stories in his career. He’s been retelling the same narratives with varying details and elements. But on his next project, Jay-Z told MTV News last year, he plans to experiment more and revealed the collection may veer off so much it won’t debut at the top of the charts. In the interview, Hov also talked about how he and Beyonc

Sting and Soros Hook Up For A Duet Of Pro-drug Stupidity

Editor’s Note : The following was originally posted at Andrew Breitbart’s Big Hollywood . Seeing that George Soros and Sting  are working together to “end the drug war” puts me in mind of a story an Army buddy who works in the DEA told me about busting in the door of a drug house only to find three occupants – the oldest four years old, having been left in charge while his “parents” went out to score meth.  Yeah, drug use is a victimless crime – if you ignore the victims. Apparently not content to subsidize the whining of the nonentities at Media Matters, Soros is taking a break from his adventures in currency manipulation and general scuzziness to enlist entertainment celebrities like Sting in his newest quest.  The Drug Policy Alliance  is the result, a group whose members, as its founder puts it, “come from across the drug use spectrum.”  Yes, the junkies, stoners, hopheads, dope fiends, pill-poppers, and Lindsay Lohan are unanimous:  Drug laws are bad, and it’s probably BusHitler’s fault. The threshold problem with comments by Sting such as, “The war on drugs represents an extraordinary violation of human rights,” is that Sting presumably not only believes this piffle, but further believes that he can put down his bass and offer meaningful input into the discussion.  This assumption of competence is a common delusion among celebrities, and here it has more potential for damage than most mindless celebribabble. Now, Sting is not alone – no one in that clip says anything worthwhile.  One woman, who is bald for no apparent reason, states that “The War on Drugs is a war on people of color,” as if Americans decided they would outlaw crack because they fear that black people might enjoy themselves.  Montel Williams shows up to explain that drug laws prevent him from making choices about his own body, but the awful tie and ridiculous earring he chose to wear make a powerful argument against allowing him to make any kind of choices at all. Tony Papa also appears.  He went to jail for 12 years for being part of a drug deal – oh, I mean committing “a nonviolent drug offense” – and became an artist on the taxpayer’s dime.  While most of us will likely ask “Why only 12?,” naturally Papa is worshipped by trendy leftist celebrities .  Some Hollywood half-wit even scooped up the rights to his inspiring story.  So, to repeat, Tony Papa joined a drug conspiracy, got arrested, went to jail, leveraged that into becoming a hip artist and the subject of a movie, and yet he is somehow the real victim. Of course, there’s also the perennial “America imprisons more people than anywhere else in the world!” meme.  In fact, the only drug incarceration problem in America is that too few drug dealers are incarcerated.  Sting suffers from the same delusion that afflicts many of his celebrity pals.  He seems to think that if the kind of people who deal drugs didn’t have drugs to deal, they would naturally flock to the world of hard work and responsibility.  Oh, if only drugs weren’t illegal, the drug dealing scumbags who infest our ghettos, barrios and college sociology departments would morph into clean-shaved, untatted workerbees eagerly embracing the world of 9-5 employment.  Yeah, it was outlawing meth and crack that turned the scumbags into scumbags.  At one point, the clip promises “new solutions” to the drug problem.  Then Sting pops back up, smug and self-satisfied, to announce that drug laws violate his individual sovereignty.  Uh, typically, when you say you are going to provide new solutions you might consider, you know, providing some new solutions instead of some new cliché. I certainly enjoy Sting and his pals’ new-found appreciation of my personal autonomy and “sovereignty over my body.”  I assume they’ll be standing by me when I reject the government’s interference in my health care decisions.  Unlikely.  If you think consistency is one of their strong points, perhaps you’ve been smoking the same stuff as them. Now, Sting was always annoying but here he is reaching new heights of crappiness and pomposity in direct proportion to his declining relevance.  It’s always a pleasure to hear some Brit mega-millionaire who glides around his English manor practicing tantric sex sound off on American domestic policy.  Please Sting, save us!  Unleash the full intellectual firepower you’ve amassed writing forgettable smooth jazz/rock fusion tunes for people who buy their music at Starbucks.  Just because you’ve been waited on hand and foot for three decades by a coterie of professional sycophants telling you you’re wiser than Buddha and smarter than Einstein doesn’t mean it’s true.  There may be a case for looking at our drug laws, but these nimrods don’t make it.  The most compelling points are made by the conservatives at National Review and the libertarians at Reason .  Sure, pot smokers steal your snacks, listen to Phish and sound-off with long, disjointed monologues about the miracle of hemp, but I have a hard time getting too bent out of shape by them.  Many celebrities are among them , but Sting and Soros aren’t just talking about causal stoners.  They think we ought to go open season on meth, crack and whatever else these degenerate half-wits today are ingesting.  No thanks – I’d prefer not to live with the mess you’re rich enough to ignore. The fact is that His Stingness knows nothing – or cares nothing – about the unspeakable devastation drugs cause, particularly within the inner cities.  Instead of standing behind the one truly effective response to urban drug terror – throwing the bastards in a cell and dropping the key down the Guatemalan sinkhole – His Majesty Sting decrees that drug dealing scumbags should run free, then retreats back behind his gates and armed guards to further hone his delayed orgasm skills. Well, Sting, let’s discuss your really keen points about why poison ought to be legal.  But let’s expand the scope of our discussion to include some other celebrities who might be able to provide us with some valuable insights.  Let’s invite Michael Jackson , Heath Ledger , Brad Renfro , DJ AM , and Brittany Murphy to weigh in with their points of view.  Oh wait, they’re all dead.  So are just a few others . Like a Sean Penn who can’t help but fly into some hellhole, figuratively fellate the local anti-American strongman then jet back to Santa Monica in time for dinner at Pizzeria Mozza, Sting wanders out of his fairy-tale life for a few minutes to tell the benighted peons in the real world how they need to live their lives before retiring back inside his palace behind three layers of security.  The violence, the abuse, the wasted potential brought on by drugs mean nothing to him; what is important is his own act of scolding his lessers for failing to conform to his personal vision. That’s Sting’s high – lording over others as if he was something more than a glorified cruise ship bassist who got lucky and didn’t have to spend his career cranking out covers of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” for Corona-swilling passengers during runs between San Diego and Puerto Vallarta on the S.S. Living Hell .  And like so many in the entertainment world, he’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of possession of stupid ideas – with intent to distribute.

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Sting and Soros Hook Up For A Duet Of Pro-drug Stupidity

Diddy Regrets Not Sending Notorious B.I.G. To London The Day He Died

Bad Boy mogul says letting Biggie stay in L.A. is ‘the only regret that does haunt me.’ By Mawuse Ziegbe Notorious B.I.G. and Diddy in 1995 Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images As one of the most money-earning, game-changing, party-starting moguls in entertainment, Diddy has had a lot to celebrate throughout his career. However, the star has also spent a lot of his storied career lamenting the loss of his slain friend and Bad Boy artist, Notorious B.I.G. Diddy recently revealed that one his biggest regrets is not insisting that the late star handle some business overseas; a move that could have saved Biggie’s life. “Probably the only regret that does haunt me was the night that Biggie got killed. … He was supposed to go to London for a promo tour, and he had talked me into letting him stay in L.A.,” the entertainer revealed in a press conference video posted online by US Rap News . “That’s, like, a regret that I have, just not forcing him to get on the plane.” Diddy expressed similar regrets about the day Biggie died in a video blog released last year before the release of the biopic “Notorious.” Biggie was murdered on March 9, 1997, in Los Angeles after attending an after-party for The Soul Train Awards. The case remains unsolved. The situation is eerily similar to the challenge faced by the protagonist in Diddy’s latest movie, Get Him to the Greek. The flick revolves around an ambitious record label rep (played by Jonah Hill) tasked with delivering a rowdy rock star (portrayed by Russell Brand) from London to Los Angeles for a comeback concert. Brand’s character spends most of the movie trying to finagle his way out of his professional commitments. Diddy plays an over-amped music exec whose insane demands and bizarre behavior make things even more difficult for Hill’s character. Diddy-Dirty Money held a press conference in Paris to promote the group’s upcoming album Last Train to Paris. The project includes the steely single “Angels,” which features a verse from B.I.G. Related Artists Diddy Notorious B.I.G.

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Diddy Regrets Not Sending Notorious B.I.G. To London The Day He Died

Jeff Beck Soars At Intimate Les Paul Tribute Concert, By Kurt Loder

Legendary guitarist gets small at New York’s Iridium club. By Kurt Loder Jeff Beck performs in New York on Wednesday Photo: Larry Busacca/ Getty Images NEW YORK — How rare an event was the small-club show Jeff Beck played here on Wednesday night? Well, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett flew in from his home in Hawaii to catch it. And he wasn’t the only weighty player in attendance. Also crowding into the packed-out Iridium, a Broadway jazz club, were E Street Band (and “Sopranos”) veteran Steven Van Zandt; onetime Stray Cat Brian Setzer; psychedelic-blues virtuoso Warren Haynes, of Gov’t Mule; and such notable Beck buddies as Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer. They were all on hand to catch the great guitarist in an uncommon context. Beck’s fiery, soaring style — which has been unendingly influential ever since he emerged as Eric Clapton’s replacement in the Yardbirds in 1965 — makes glorious use of maximum volume. However, his two Iridium dates (the first one, the night before, had drawn such admirers as David Bowie) were a birthday tribute to Beck’s late friend, the innovative guitarist Les Paul, whose own style was clean, sharp and jazzy. In saluting Paul — who maintained a weekly Iridium gig virtually up to the time of his death last year , at the age of 94 — Beck would necessarily be turning down the volume a bit; and since Paul had a strong country side, too, his English acolyte would also be showcasing his rockabilly chops. Beck was joined for these dates by Irish singer Imelda May and her tight three-piece band. May is a belter with range — she’s up for taking on early Elvis and even Howlin’ Wolf, and she held her own as Beck called forth the ghosts of such rockabilly guitar masters as Cliff Gallup and Paul Burlison (on a stomping rendition of “Train Kept A-Rollin’,” a tune Beck covered with the Yardbirds). But May also shifted down to a smoky purr for Julie London’s late-night lounge standard, “Cry Me a River” (with Beck flawlessly replicating Barney Kessel’s original plaintive chord patterns); and her takes on such vintage Les Paul recordings as “How High the Moon” and “Bye Bye Blues,” whipped along by Beck’s heavily echoed riffing, were pure, jumping ’50s pop. Paul invented the solid-body Gibson guitar that bears his name, and Beck has played one at various times throughout his career. But he’s most closely associated with the Fender Stratocaster, which has a throatier, more sinuous tone. So when he strapped one on midway through the show (possibly to the dismay of Gibson Guitar execs in the audience), the music grew noticeably more muscular. Bringing on a four-piece horn section, he unleashed the deathless crunch of “The Peter Gunn Theme,” and then — out of nowhere — launched into a rendition of the Shangri-Las’ girl-group classic, “Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand),” that might have actually raised the roof if the club weren’t located in a basement. The show peaked when Beck invited Brian Setzer out onstage (“the only guy in the room who could give him competition,” Van Zandt whispered) with his trademark Gretsch guitar. Their extended, dueling-riffs run-through of Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” was the sort of thing guitar fans might expect to hear only in heaven. The crowd was still buzzing at an upstairs party following the show. Most people have a favorite Beck phase: the Yardbirds stuff, of course, or maybe the mid-’70s jazz-fusion period of Blow by Blow and Wired. For Kirk Hammett, the Jeff Beck Group’s 1968 blues-rock touchstone, Truth, was a major album. “One of the very first guitar solos I ever heard was the one on ‘Let Me Love You,’ ” Hammett said. “I flew in from Hawaii, but he flew in from some other universe.” Related Artists Jeff Beck Les Paul

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Jeff Beck Soars At Intimate Les Paul Tribute Concert, By Kurt Loder

‘Glee’ Yearbook Superlatives: We Name The Best Of The Season

The best Rachel solos to the most ridiculous story lines, we’re honoring the show’s breakout moments and stars. The cast of “Glee” Photo: FOX New Directions may not have won regionals on the season finale of “Glee,” but the misfits of McKinley High certainly gave their rivals a run for their money. And since they didn’t actually take the trophy, we’ve come up with our own way of honoring the hard-working Gleeks: Some yearbook-style superlatives that we feel perfectly sum up the first season. Best Music We’ve known Rachel could sing from the first note of “Les Miz,” but with so many numbers to choose from, it’s hard to decide which was her best. Mercedes also got a lot of solo time, but her greatest moment wasn’t the show-stopping “Dreamgirls” number you’d expect.

Green Day Want To ‘Keep Adding’ Earlier Songs To ‘Rock Band’

‘It would be great to see songs from 39/Smooth and Kerplunk,’ frontman Billie Joe Armstrong says of new game’s track list. By James Montgomery Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Photo: MTV News When you’ve got a discography that stretches all the way back to 1989, cramming all of it into one video game is sort of tough. That was exactly the problem facing Green Day when they partnered with the publishers of the “Rock Band” franchise — there was just too much music. So while the just-released “Green Day: Rock Band” features 47 tracks spanning the band’s entire career, it opens to their breakout 1994 album, Dookie, which any astute GD fan can tell you was actually their third studio record. But some omissions might prove to be temporary, according to the guys in the band. “That’s what’s cool about the ‘Rock Band’ thing, is if we want to add more songs, we can do it online, in the future,” drummer Tre Cool explained. “If we want to do some surprises and stuff, we can always keep adding to it.” “Yeah, it would be great to see songs that are from, you know, [Green Day’s 1990 debut] 39/Smooth and [’92’s] Kerplunk, to come out on it,” frontman Billie Joe Armstrong added. “You know, that’s what’s exciting … to visit some of the older songs too.” But until those older songs are made available, Green Day fans are going to have to make due with the 47 tracks that did make the cut, a list that includes all of Dookie, American Idiot and most of 21st Century Breakdown, not to mention songs from their Insomniac, Nimrod and Warning albums too. And that’s part of the fun for the guys in Green Day: looking back on older tunes, and even rehearing them as “stems,” remixed for the game by Chris Lord-Alge. “It’s exciting for me to hear the song ‘She,’ and you know, that was fun to watch and play,” Armstrong smiled. “And hearing the stems that they had to do with Chris Lord-Alge, who ended up doing all the different mixes for it to bring out the drums and the guitars and bass and vocals. That was really exciting too, for people to see or, to play or to hear again.” MTV News is celebrating the release of “Green Day: Rock Band” with a week of special coverage. For more on the game, check out our Multiplayer blog. For a chance to win a “Rock Band” guitar signed by the guys in Green Day, head over to the MTV Newsroom blog. Related Videos Green Day: Rock Band Video Mods Related Photos The Evolution Of: Green Day

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Green Day Want To ‘Keep Adding’ Earlier Songs To ‘Rock Band’

Lady Gaga’s ‘Alejandro’ Video Might Not Top ‘Telephone,’ But Why Should It?

Gaga may have reached a point in her career where not even she can top herself, in Bigger Than the Sound. By James Montgomery Lady Gaga in “Alejandro” Photo: Interscope Records Sometimes, being Lady Gaga must be a bummer. Take the Tuesday premiere of her much-anticipated “Alejandro” video : Though it features more odes to Brecht than a six penny opera and singlehandedly broke Twitter when it debuted, it’s being called a Madonna knockoff by some (check the comments on this Entertainment Weekly story ), “pretentious” by others (see the comments on this CNN.com piece ) and even a “disappointment” by some fans. While I don’t think those reactions are particularly warranted (or particularly fair), they prove what Gaga is up against these days. After a meteoric, improbable rise to the top of the pop universe, she may have finally reached the point in her career where not even she can top herself. It happens to all the greats — it’s just never happened this quickly. Case in point, people’s biggest qualm with “Alejandro” seems to be that it’s not “Telephone.” They complain that it’s long, redundant and self-indulgent — and all these things are funny to me, because they’re the same problems people had with “Telephone” when it was first released. Only now (in the span of just three short months), it’s viewed as her classic, the one against which all other Gaga clips shall be judged. Shoot, “Alejandro” doesn’t even have the product placement “Telephone” did (remember how much people raged about that ?), and yet folks are already rushing to bury it. Of course, the “Telephone” comparisons aren’t fair. After all, the videos have nothing in common aside from the fact that they were released consecutively. But they do carry some weight, because it’s entirely possible that that video represented Gaga at the absolute peak of her powers and abilities. After months of hype, it premiered live on E!. It stretched past the nine-minute mark. It was violent. Gratuitous. Insane. Not to mention awesome. Certainly the most memorable video in recent memory. People talked about it for weeks. Analyzed every frame. Debated its content. It was sensational. And a sensation. “Alejandro,” although a fine, arty and expensive-looking thing, drew the unenviable task of having to follow all that. Which is not to say that it’s not a great video, because it certainly is. And to that end, if any other artist released it, they would have been lauded as brilliant for breathing life back into music videos. But since it’s Gaga’s name at the top, “Alejandro” was greeted with muted applause, perhaps even a stifled yawn or two. This is what happens when you’re (arguably) the biggest pop star on the planet, and you’ve made a career out of titillating, tweaking and breaking boundaries. People are always going to be wondering what’s next. And eventually, well, you reach a point where nothing you do can top your last stunt. And, yes, I realize that the majority of Gaga’s “little monsters” positively loved “Alejandro.” But then again, they love everything she does. They don’t really count in the grand scheme of things. Take a look at the bigger picture. It really seems that, for the first time I can certainly remember, a fair amount of critics and fans — be they casual or die-hard — are willing to step forward and say that they were less-than-impressed. This is a key moment in Lady Gaga’s career. Short of setting herself on fire in her next video — probably something she’s considered — I don’t know what she can do for an encore. And even then, people will probably say she’s just doing the same thing she did in the “Bad Romance” video. It’s not really fair, nor is it justified, but one day after its premiere, for all its gloss and glamour, “Alejandro” is already looking like it could be Lady Gaga’s first shark-jumping, fridge-nuking moment. Perhaps even her first misfire. This is the downside to continually churning out jaw-dropping work. Eventually, the jaws just don’t drop as far as they used to. Gaga has spent the past two years becoming an international icon, the first truly massive star of the 21st century. Now, she might have to deal with the reality that she just can’t impress forever. Then again, let’s just wait three months for the premiere of her next music video — I can’t wait to hear what people will be saying about “Alejandro” then. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Or steampunk-inspired harness. Whatever. Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com . Related Photos The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga’s ‘Alejandro’ Video Might Not Top ‘Telephone,’ But Why Should It?

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Chrisitna Aguilera says she has a hard time juggling her career with motherhood… But she doesn’t let that affect her style. Check out the mom at work…and at play…looking absolutely fabulous!

Lady Gaga "Alejandro" Music Video: Released!

After a brief tease the other day, Lady Gaga has released the full video for her newest hit, “Alejandro,” and it’s as epic and brazenly self-indulgent as you think. At this point, did you expect anything less from Lady Gaga? Filmed by acclaimed photographer Steven Klein, Gaga calls the nine-minute video pure “celebration of [her] love and appreciation for the gay community.” That might explain the shirtless men with bowl cuts dancing in high heels, plus Gaga stripping for them in a giant orgy, plus the obligatory Catholic imagery. It’s as if she wants it to be controversial or something. She’s set the bar high (musically, and with Lady Gaga hermaphrodite rumors), so she’s got a lot to live up to. Does “Alejeandro” do it? Watch and vote … Lady Gaga: Alejandro What do you think of Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” video?

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Lady Gaga "Alejandro" Music Video: Released!

Miley Cyrus: A Colossal Disappointment

Over the past couple weeks, THG has been harsher than usual when it comes to Miley Cyrus. We’ve referred to her scantily-clad European performances as pathetic and desperate . To their credit, Miley fans have stuck up for their gal. They’ve argued that she isn’t acting any differently than past artists who have wanted to reach an older audience by shedding their clothing or grinding with girls. So, why has THG singled out Cyrus in such a manner? Simply put: because she’s wasted an opportunity to be a different kind of role model to young women around the world . The second we met Britney Spears as a professional singer, she was wearing a Catholic schoolgirl’s outfit and singing about sex. She made it clear from day one that she was a provocative artist, one whose lack of true singing ability meant she’d be relying on raunchy acts to remain relevant. It’s similar for Lady GaGa. She’s openly admitted that she was a floundering artist until she came up with a unique name and look. But Miley is different. Thanks to Hannah Montana , she already has an established fan base of millions. Unlike Britney and GaGa, there’s no need for Cyrus to shock and scintillate in order to make headlines and sell albums. That’s what makes this transformation so disappointing. This is a Nashville resident that says she hates pop music . She had an opportunity to sing the kind of songs she actually likes, taking her extremely loyal followers along for the ride. In Billboard , Miley says she’s ” grown up a lot ,” but wouldn’t that have been the grown-up thing to do? To have branched out and actually been her own woman, tackling the kind of singles she claims to believe in? Instead, Miley Cyrus has become just another generic, booty-shaking, scantily-clad, same-sex kissing act. Miley’s fans defend her by saying to “leave her alone” because she’s “only 17.” But do these people even listen to the artist herself? Cyrus has gone to great lengths to talk about her maturity and how profound her music is. She even refers to it as art . Putting aside how incredibly pompous she often sounds when she makes these statements, Miley clearly has a message when giving interviews and (especially) when wearing certain outfits: I’m not only 17! It’s obvious that Miley would be more offended than anyone when compared to an average teenager. She sees herself as A LOT more than that. In the interest of full disclosure, I have a little sister and I was hoping to see Miley as a lot more than that, too. My sister grew up worshiping Hannah Montana . Her room is still adorned with Miley posters. So, what exactly am I supposed to tell her when she asks why Cyrus “got to first base” with another dancer last week? Should I sit my sister down and explain it was all just a marketing ploy, and, see, Miley didn’t actually kiss the girl because that technicality gave her the chance to jump online and thumb her nose at those that dared to accuse her of such an act? It’s depressing that I need to even consider this question. When making her career transformation, Miley had a choice: Be like Taylor Swift or be like Britney. She chose the latter and that’s where my disappointment stems from. I have a feeling many Miley defenders may even join me in the near future. After all, look where Britney is now. If that’s Miley in a few years, I’ll try my hardest not to say “I told you so.”

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Miley Cyrus: A Colossal Disappointment