‘The high altitude in Utah shook up this kid from Brooklyn.’ By Gil Kaufman Tracy Morgan at Sundance Film Festival Photo: Getty Images “30 Rock” star Tracy Morgan left Utah’s Park City Medical Center on Monday afternoon after he fell ill following an awards event at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday. As rumors swirled about what caused his health issues, the star took to Twitter to explain the incident and assure fans that he is back on his feet and ready to work. “Superman ran into a little kryptonite,” he wrote. “The high altitude in Utah shook up this kid from Brooklyn.” Morgan thanked the staff at the hospital and said he was planning to return to work on the “30 Rock” set today. “Gotta thank the AMAZING medical staff and all my supporters! Love you,” he added, throwing in a shout out to the New York Giants for their ticket to the Super Bowl. TMZ posted a photo of Morgan walking through the airport with a breathing tube under his nose attached to an oxygen tank. Morgan was receiving an award at the Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards in Park City, Utah on Sunday when he seemed disoriented during his speech and was escorted out of the building a short time later, where he fell unconscious. He was rushed by ambulance to the Park City Medical Center and a spokesperson for the hospital said that no drugs or alcohol were found in his system. A rep for the actor released a statement explaining, “from a combination of exhaustion and altitude, Tracy is seeking medical attention … He is with his fianc
‘It’s album-quality music, it’s not just a bunch of throwaways,’ Green Lantern tells Mixtape Daily of Maino’s I Am Who I Am . By Rob Markman Maino Photo: MTV News Main Pick Headliners : Maino and DJ Green Lantern Representing : Brooklyn, New York Mixtape : I Am Who I Am: The Album Before the Album Real Spit : While Maino is known to keep close ties with the streets, the Brooklyn MC has a knack for making rap hits that transcend his ‘hood. From 2008’s “Hi Hater” to his T-Pain-assisted “All the Above” and his current Lil Wayne-featured banger “Cream,” Main has managed to keep a stash of radio gems but has never compromised his underground appeal. Now, as he gets set to finally release his sophomore album, The Day After Tomorrow, Maino leads first with a mixtape prelude, I Am Who I Am: The Album Before the Album . “It’s the album before the album, it’s album-quality music, it’s not just a bunch of throwaways,” the tape’s disc jock Green Lantern told Mixtape Daily. “With mixtapes, a lot of times, a lot of people do something where they’re rhyming over other people’s beats, they freestyling and stuff like that. I wanted to do something that was a little bit more different and something that I was used to doing,” Maino said. “I feel like one of my strong points is making hot records, making songs. So I wanted to do that right before my album was gonna drop.” I Am Who I Am features a handful of street odes. “Cream,” with Lil Wayne, is included, and why wouldn’t it be? The repetitive Rick Ross sample on the hook makes it memorable, while Main and Weezy’s focused vocals make it bang. “Yes Yes Ya’ll” featuring Lloyd Banks is another winner. The Hustle Hard boss trades bars with Banks over a bouncy beat that draws inspiration from Peedi Crakk’s 2003 single “One for Peedi Crakk.” Then there is “Last of the Mohicans” with Push! Montana. Over the pounding drum track, Maino and Montana rhyme about their struggles coming up. They draw a clear distinction on the song between themselves and the rappers who only portray a gangster’s lifestyle. Maino truly embodies everything that he raps about on I Am Who I Am and that’s what makes his tape so compelling. And just to think, this is only The Album Before the Album . Next up: The Day After Tomorrow. Joints to Check For
Actor remains hospitalized following collapse. By Gil Kaufman Tracy Morgan at Sundance Film Festival Photo: Getty Images “30 Rock” star Tracy Morgan was rushed to a Utah hospital on Sunday after falling unconscious at an awards ceremony during the Sundance Film Festival. Morgan was honored with an award at the Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards in Park City, Utah when he seemed disoriented during his speech and was escorted out of the building a short time later, where he fell unconscious, according to TMZ . The comedian was rushed by ambulance to the Park City Medical Center and a spokesperson for the hospital said that no drugs or alcohol were found in his system. A rep for the actor released a statement explaining, “from a combination of exhaustion and altitude, Tracy is seeking medical attention … He is with his fianc
Among the many stream of consciousness topics Kanye West brain-dumped in his epic Twitter session Wednesday night — his professional frustrations, his fashion aspirations, his new design company aimed at picking up where Steve Jobs left off — was a brief mention of one curious film project in particular. “I was just discussing becoming the creative director for the Jetson [sic] movie and…” Wait, WHAT? The Jetsons , as in the long-gestating live-action Jetsons movie? And Kanye would have a hand in making this happen? Mr. West, you’ve got my attention now. If Kanye’s Jetsons project is the one I think he’s talking about, it’s the live-action reboot that’s been kicking around for years, once scripted by Adam Goldberg ( Fanboys ) with Robert Rodriguez attached to direct. Rodriguez went on to make Spy Kids 4 instead and the project hasn’t surfaced much since, so West’s Tweet is the first indication in a while that the thing’s actually back on track. Unfortunately, details on what exactly this “creative director” position would be were lost in West’s Tweet-crazy haze of thoughts on the creative process and the limits celebrity have imposed on his artistic freedom, or whatever. “Being a celebrity has afforded me many opportunities but has also boxed me in creatively,” he wrote, also noting that he hasn’t bought new jewelry in two whole years. See? You don’t know Yeezy! But anyway, those Jetsons plans: I was just discussing becoming the creative director for the Jetson movie and someone on the call yelled out.. you should do a Jetsons tour! This just happened a few hours ago. I was very insulted of course becuase for anyone that’s seen the Watch the Throne Tour… Or Coachella or Glow in the Dark or Runaway.. you know I have real ideas… Not that West seems to be interested in anything but forward momentum, but a Jetsons movie along the aesthetic lines of his space-toony Takashi Murakami-designed Graduation album would be kind of awesome. In the least, it would make the very idea of a Jetsons reboot vaguely palatable. But while that idea would be cool and all, how can West possibly fit that in with the huge world-changing plans he Tweeted out last night, which include:
Last night Kanye West visited the home-front, when the Watch The Throne Tour hit Chicago’s United Center. Good for his eventful diversions, ‘Ye took a moment during the show to speak on the Grammy snub for Album of the Year, which overlooked his 2010 masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. West places the blame on himself, using it only to fuel his creative fire. Head over to HipHopWired.com to see exactly what he had to say.
‘It is my personal way of seeing things. I am the artist of my own life,’ Gaga says of her self-directed video. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga in her “Marry the Night” music video Photo: Interscope/ VEVO Lady Gaga exorcises her demons in her nearly 14-minute-long clip for “Marry the Night,” which premiered Thursday night. Depicting Gaga’s journey from an early career trauma to her reinvention as a successful pop star, she intended for art to imitate life in the clip. For those wondering what left Gaga so traumatized, she explained it all to E! News preceding the video’s premiere. The video is a metaphor for how she felt when she was dropped from her first record label, Island Def Jam, before landing at her current home at Interscope. “It was one of the worst days of my life and it happened quite quickly. But in my mind, when I think back on that period of my life, it all happened very slow,” she explained. “It is my personal way of seeing things. I am the artist of my own life. I choose to tell you what happened,” she continued. “If you give up after something like that, you were never destined to be an entertainer.” In the video , after hearing from her ballet director that she should quit, she restructures her goal and plots her rise to pop stardom. “In order to be great writing music or at fishing or at being a mechanic or designing buildings, you have to acknowledge what is wrong with your work, or what is dishonest about it,” she said. “What have I not been really great at?” Those obstacles, she says, are a big part of what makes her who she is now. “I love the obstacles,” she said. “To marry your obstacles means I, the artist, wholeheartedly accept everything you throw at me. I am destined to struggle, I am destined to write music about the struggle and I accept it willingly.” There are several scenes where Gaga is naked and experiencing a mental breakdown in her apartment. “Well, I was naked in real life when it happened,” she said, referring to the moment she found out she’d been dropped. “That’s probably the most honest moment in that video of everything I’ve ever done. My directorial decision was for them to just f—ing roll the cameras, because I couldn’t go in and out of the moment. I wonder if I will actually release that scene in its entirety — it’s about 30 minutes long.” “It was intensely important to me that it was not too beautiful,” she added. “It was an incredible experience. It was amazing. It was absolutely amazing.” This marks the first time that Gaga has directed a video all on her own. She recently split from her longtime creative director Laurieann Gibson , however, she clarified how the Haus works during the interview. “I have always been the creative director, and the Haus of Gaga has always been the creative force behind what we’ve done. There really aren’t many tremendous changes. “I know it’s my directorial debut, but I’ve really created everything I’ve ever done in my career,” she continued. “I really didn’t do anything differently on this video that I didn’t do on the ‘Telephone’ video or the ‘Paparazzi’ video or the ‘Bad Romance’ video. I hope my fans will take from this the progression that you have to trust yourself to make mistakes.” While the subject matter of the video is dark, there are also some tongue-in-cheek moments. “I always believe that you walk the line of humor if you’re being so incredibly serious,” she explained. “There’s something quite comical about the opening of the video, even though it’s quite sinister and dark,” she said. “It’s meant to be comical.” So, how would Gaga sum it all up? “In essence, it’s insight into my entire creative process and the way that I view things,” she said. Related Artists Lady Gaga
‘In stepping away I wish her all the best,’ singer’s former creative director tells Hollywood Reporter. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: Getty Images It was the breakup heard around the world. No, we’re not talking about Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries . When news broke that Lady Gaga and her creative director, Laurieann Gibson , had split, everyone immediately wondered what had happened between Gaga and her right-hand woman . Gibson has remained relatively quiet about the split, but in a new statement to The Hollywood Reporter, she opens up a bit more about the breakup, clarifying that she was not fired from the Haus but left on her own. She added that Gaga wanted to take the reins when it came to her career. “I am fulfilled with the work I have done with choreographing all of the iconic moves, creative directing the artist, appearances, shows, directing the tour, music videos, and the HBO Monster Ball [special], which was a culmination of my work as its creator and director,” Gibson said about the five years she spent working with Gaga . “Recently, Lady Gaga was motivated to take the helm of the creative direction of her career and as such I decided to step away.” Gibson, who currently serves as the in-house creative director at Interscope Records (where Gaga is signed) and has starred in two of her own reality shows (the BET dance-competition show “Born to Dance” and another dance reality series, E!’s “The Dance Scene”), is now focused on expanding her brand with other artists and in new ways. “I am extremely proud of her, and in stepping away I wish her all the best,” she said of the pop star. “I look forward to continuing my work with notable artists, as well as new artists that are part of my Interscope Records deal, and the upcoming seasons of my TV shows.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Lady Gaga Creative Director Laurieann Gibson Related Artists Lady Gaga
‘Not only would I record it with 40, but I might take the beat apart with 40,’ Drake tells MTV News of Noah ’40’ Shebib. By Rob Markman Drake Photo: MTV News When you’ve made an impact with your music the way Drake has, you earn the right to do things your way. For the Toronto MC, that meant recording his sophomore album, Take Care, in his native city. Not only that, he insisted on only recording with his producer/engineer and longtime friend Noah “40” Shebib . So even when working with producers like Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, for example, the veteran hitmakers would have to give Drake the creative freedom to rework a track with his hometown guy. “The majority of producers, not only would I record it with 40, but I might take the beat apart with 40 and add elements that weren’t there before that just because I need a consistent thread,” Drake told MTV News of his Take Care recording process. Drake looks to add to Take Care what he felt Thank Me Later lacked: continuity. ” Thank Me Later was just song, song, song, song, song, whereas So Far Gone was a consistent thread,” the Young Money MC said of his debut album in relation to his breakout mixtape. “It was a story to me. And Thank Me Later, I sort of didn’t have enough time mentally to piece together a story. It’s very tedious.” Call it a case of being his own worst critic, as last year’s Thank Me Later was met with favorable reviews and was commercially successful as well. Still, Drake aimed to tweak his creative process with his next album, due November 15. “With that being said, I also need sonic consistency, so I need that presence in a Timbaland beat or someone’s beat,” he said. “There’s times when I really can’t even use someone else’s production because as much as I know that joint can be crazy, I want a consistent sound.” 40, who has amassed quite an impressive discography himself (DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One,” Lil Wayne’s “I’m Single” and Alicia Keys’ “Un-Thinkable”) provides Drake with the sonic continuity that he seeks, whether he is producing a record, engineering the session or mixing down the final product. This is a formula that has worked most recently on Drizzy’s latest Take Care single, “Make Me Proud,” with Nicki Minaj. The song was produced by Canadian producer T-Minus but tweaked by Shebib and Drake. “He knows if I like a beat, he’ll send it over to us and allow us to maybe creatively beef it up or strip it down or add one thing,” Drake said. What are you expecting from Drake’s sophomore LP? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake Related Artists Drake
Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer wow awards show audience with medley. By Kara Warner Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone of “The Lonely Island” Photo: WireImage Just when you thought the 2011 Emmy Awards were a bit lackluster — with the “Modern Family” dominance, host Jane Lynch keeping things clean and safe, and even Charlie Sheen coming out classy — the guys from the Lonely Island rolled in to liven things up with a lively, star-studded performance of their hits “Jack Sparrow,” “3-Way (The Golden Rule)” and “I Just Had Sex,” which all were nominated for Original Song Emmy this year. The trio (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer) — who sadly lost the Creative Arts Emmy to Justin Timberlake for his “SNL” musical monologue — kicked off their medley with a bang, beginning with “Jack Sparrow” and crooner Michael Bolton. Much like the original “SNL” Digital Short, Bolton sported a pirate costume and climbed aboard a makeshift pirate ship surrounded by gyrating dancers dressed like waves. The next song, “3-Way (The Golden Rule),” was performed by special guest stars Ed Helms, Maya Rudolph and John Stamos. Helms and Stamos rocked the familiar shiny, sleazy guy suits worn by original performers Samberg and Timberlake, while Rudolph took over the Lady Gaga-originated role (and colorful costume). The medley’s final, censor-testing number was “I Just Had Sex,” performed by Akon, who also sang the original. John Stewart later gave the Lonely Island guys a shout-out for the explicit lyrics in the song, saying he will have to explain them to his young kids. After the performance brought down the house, follow-up presenters Lea Michele and Ian Somerhalder said, “Nothing we say is going to be funny now,” as they approached the podium to present the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series. Related Videos 2011 Emmys Highlights Stars Light Up The Red Carpet At The 2011 Emmy Awards Related Photos Stars Light Up The Emmy Awards Red Carpet Related Artists The Lonely Island
Creative director Laurieann Gibson takes MTV News behind Gaga’s ‘performance art.’ By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga performs at the 2011 VMAs Photo: Getty Images When Lady Gaga showed up at the 2011 Video Music Awards , she wasn’t Lady Gaga anymore; she was Jo Calderone. Gaga’s creative director, Laurieann Gibson, spoke to MTV News days before the show went live, and she explained why Gaga wanted to stay in character all night long. “The idea of her being a performance artist — and it’s starting the performance on the red carpet and the idea that the performance never ends for her — is the first time I’ve experienced this with an artist,” she said. “I love it. That’s something that is specific to her, and the whole night was the performance, and it was important that Jo was a part of the whole night.” Gaga — or, rather, Calderone — opened the show with a lengthy monologue before launching into Gaga’s “Yo
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