We take a look at both the ‘actual’ and ‘bizarro’ Grammys (and try to pick some winners) in Bigger Than The Sound. By James Montgomery Adele Photo: Getty Images Last year, when the Arcade Fire shocked everybody (especially Dog the Bounty Hunter ) by winning Album of the Year at the Grammys, it set in motion a chain of events that culminated in one rather troubling realization: Perhaps everything has changed. I say troubling because, really, the Grammys have never been cool (and there is something like five decades of empirical evidence to back up that claim), and voters bestowing the night’s top award on an indie act — instead of Eminem, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, each of whom were also nominated — was a hip, hip move. So it stood to reason that, if one of the stuffiest of award shows could get with the times, then perhaps everyone could. Perhaps the Arcade Fire’s AOTY win fractured the space-time continuum itself, sort of like on “Lost,” when Benjamin Linus turned that wheel and the island started skipping through time and there were actually two islands, one existing in current time and one that was stuck in the 1970s, and that old woman had a pendulum and Jack ended up detonating a hydrogen bomb with a rock or something (“Lost” definitely got confusing for a while there). What I am trying to say is that it is not entirely inconceivable that, post Arcade Fire, there now exist two Grammy Awards: the one where Led Zeppelin has zero wins (but Sheryl Crow has nine ) and the one where cool bands take home the biggest awards. You know, the actual Grammys versus the bizarro Grammys. It’s an insane theory, yes, and yet, it is also (sort of) backed up by this year’s Grammy nominations. In actuality — given she had one of the best-selling albums of the past decade and almost single-handedly saved the industry in 2011 — Adele is not only one of the night’s most-nominated artists, but she’ll probably end up walking away with the most golden gramophones, too. In fantasy, Bon Iver stuns the Dog the Bounty Hunters of the world and takes home three-quarters of the “Big Four” awards. In the grand cosmic scheme of things, I suppose either is probable. Shoot, at the very least, the theory makes the Grammys a lot more interesting … and impossible to predict. Still, I’m going to try my best. So here are my theoretical picks for the 54th Grammy Awards, where I’ve weighed the actual against the bizarro in a misguided attempt to predict just who will triumph in the night’s biggest categories. Hey, it’s better than just saying “Adele is gonna win everything.” Even though she probably will. It is just a theory, after all. Album of the Year
Jimmy Fallon impersonations can brighten up any day, and last night brought out a whole pop-heavy assortment of them. During his post-Super Bowl special, Jimmy auditioned for the halftime show while dressed up as Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Eminem, Josh Groban, LMFAO’s RedFoo and Shufflebot, of course, his own hybrid creation, Tebowie. Even … More » Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Idolator Discovery Date : 06/02/2012 16:26 Number of articles : 2
It says something about how far Ice-T has come since his gangsta rap days that his directorial debut, the hip-hop documentary Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap , premiered at Sundance to a house packed with hip-hop heads and white older moviegoers who likely know Ice better from Law & Order: SVU than “New Jack Hustler.” And it says something about the film itself, which explores the historical landscape of hip-hop in intimate detail with over 40 of Ice-T’s fellow rappers, that even the L&O -watching grandmas in the audience were bopping their heads the whole way through. Taking a fresh approach to the music documentary, The Art of Rap sees Ice-T as a tour guide of sorts, navigating the viewer through home and studio visits with fellow MCs on both coasts as he has wide-ranging discussions about the roots of rap, what hip-hop means, and the skills and talent required of a truly great MC. (Among the hip-hop titans appearing in the film: Chuck D, Grandmaster Caz, Afrika Bambaataa, KRS-One, Melle Mel, B-Real, Mos Def, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, MC Lyte, Q-Tip, Redman, Immortal Technique, Nas, Common, and Kanye West.) As he travels from New York City to Los Angeles — with a detour to Detroit to see Eminem, described as one of the greatest rappers of all time — Ice asks his subjects to spit “something no one’s ever heard before,” resulting in a tapestry of astounding, off the dome freestyles and rare rhymes from some of the best rappers alive. With the intention of keeping the film feeling fresh and present, Ice-T forgoes include archival or concert footage as he revisits hip-hop’s colorful past, a choice that turns The Art of Rap into something of a communal, if dense, oral history of the genre. The doc could be a bit brisker with further edits and more complete in its comprehensiveness (he began with a three hour film before shaving off an hour for Sundance, but has dozens of hours of footage left; an Art of Rap series has been suggested, though Ice-T declined to discuss the possibilities), but with legends like these on hand speaking comfortably to one of their own – spilling their vulnerabilities as artists, exposed beyond the typically hard façade of the genre – it’s all utterly fascinating. Following the film’s premiere Movieline caught up with Ice-T as he and wife/reality TV co-star Coco breakfasted in Park City, where the rapper-turned-actor-turned-filmmaker explained what motivated him to grab his Rolodex and a tiny crew in the first place, why rap needed an Ice-T film more than another album, why the genre doesn’t get the respect it deserves, and how the film’s success or failure will determine his future directorial aspirations. How do you think things went at your premiere? I wasn’t breathing the whole night before, I was so nervous. I put a lot of time and work into it, but you never know. Sundance was our goal when we made the movie — I only wanted to make it to Sundance. This was it for me. And if I could make it here, I was in the right company of good movies. Why Sundance? It was interesting to see it play well here for a crowd of predominantly white, older viewers, and last year Beats, Rhymes, and Life also did quite well. Well, I didn’t know what films would be here when we submitted the film and got accepted. When you think about it, I’m an indie artist; I started out making hardcore records, so I wanted to make something that was raw. I said, I know Sundance is artsy but if I can get accepted there, then I’m on the right track. White people, black people, it really doesn’t matter. It’s just a matter of is it good? So when the movie came on and people started cheering and laughing and bobbing their heads, it was like oh my god – we got it! It’s kind of like not a normal documentary, it’s like a performance experience, an intimate concerts with a lot of the artists that people love. I was just happy. You’ve said that once you decided a documentary on rap should be made it was easy to just call your friends to be in the film, but in terms of the actual filmmaking what was your approach? Did you study documentary form to develop the style you eventually used? Not really. I mean, I’ve been watching movies and I’ve been in the film business for 20 years so I know what’s good. I wanted to shoot it, but I wanted to blur the lines of the filmmaking and behind the scenes. If the mic was exposed, that was good. A lot of the stuff, you see me talking to people; I wanted you to get the idea of what it was like to make it, not just watch it. People are into reality right now so this was like real reality; you’re with me, you’re on the set, I’m going to walk up to this guy and ask him a few questions. So as I edited, I just wanted the camera to feel like it might be anywhere at any moment. There are times people are talking and you’re showing the wall, or his hands, or his shoes. And then we shot with a Super 8 to kind of break up the cleanness of high definition. And we shot the big cinematic shots because I felt that if you just shoot the talking heads the movie becomes claustrophobic, so it’s just like, listen, listen, listen, breathe. Listen, listen, listen, breathe. Those sweeping overhead cinematic shots, of the cityscapes over New York City and Los Angeles and the places you visit in between, also do well to connect visually to a sense of place and geography… even though that also makes it conspicuous when you don’t visit, say, the Bay Area or the South. That’s what Mos Def said in the movie — the music is dictated by the geography, and that’s why New York sounds different than Detroit, different than L.A. And you know, I couldn’t go to the South; the biggest problem I ran into with the movie was once we started, just the lack of time and the amount of film we shot. When I got the nod for Sundance I had a three-hour film and they said the longest they’d run them here is two. We had interviewed 54 [musicians]; even to make a three-hour cut we had 47, and I had 25 people waiting to be filmed when we had to wrap shooting! So like Chuck D said [at asked why this person wasn’t in it and why that person wasn’t, and you know what? The movie’s not about that, it’s not about ‘Come see your favorite rapper.’ I feel every form of rap, every style, was represented. Are you currently considering extending this two-hour film somehow into something else, perhaps a series? I won’t speak on that, only because we don’t want to lower the integrity of this as a film. We want it to be a film, and once it does its dance as a film, whether it’s a theatrical release which looks like it’s about to happen… I’ll put it like this: We’ve got two hours on each artist. Wow. That’s pretty incredible considering that many of the rappers we only see for a minute or two at most. [Laughs] I have two hours! So you look at KRS-One; KRS-One talked about so much stuff, but my job is, let’s show the part where KRS talks about being vulnerable, like the moment where he got dissed. I want you to see the different dynamics of these artists. See, when you take young artists, right, young artists have their guards up. They never want to show any weakness, they’re scared. They’re worried about their persona. When you talk to people once they’ve been down the lane, they’ll tell you the story. They’ll say, ‘Wow, man — I’m Public Enemy and Mel was dissing us!’ Now they’re comfortable with themselves. Even the stories, WC was talking about how I would use kids as teleprompters. Early in my career I wouldn’t have said that, but now I’m like, let’s laugh about it! I think that’s part of this film’s charm, too. There’s a segment where you’re talking with Ice Cube and 50 Cent is referenced; Cube jokes that you don’t want to get rich and die trying. Was that a jab at Fiddy, or just an offhand remark? No, that’s not a diss -– it’s more like saying, this is my play on what you said. I don’t want to get rich and die trying. 50 Cent said ‘Get rich or die trying,’ but you can get rich and die trying. So once you made it now, let’s not fuck it off. That would be part two of Fifty. The next one is Get Rich AND Die Tryin … I just think that the way that rappers speak about each other in the movie is very endearing, how they speak about how they were inspired by this one, and also I think really showing Grandmaster Caz as one of the unsung heroes. Grandmaster Caz wrote “Rapper’s Delight!” It’s important shit. That’s a nice quality to the movie; it engenders appreciation not only between the artists that you interview, but having MCs spit live, directly into the camera without music really highlights rap as a performance and an art form. And you’ve got to remember this: Nobody knew they were going to rap. That’s part of being a rapper. Nobody knew they were going to rap. It’s like at the [Sundance premiere Q&A] the guy said, ‘Ice, can you quote a rhyme?’ Yeah, I’m a rapper – I’d better know how to fucking quote a rhyme! I pulled Rakim outta my ass, and that’s it. But during the interviews I said, ‘You want to spit something – you got anything in the head, want to say something no one’s ever heard?’ And bam! They just, bam! I didn’t tell anyone, ‘You’re going to rap.’ I didn’t tell Kanye he was coming over to rap. But you knew they could, because that’s what they do . Exactly! That’s what they do. You can’t interview a basketball player on a basketball court, with a basketball within his reach, and he won’t take a shot. It’s just what they do. He’s going to want to dribble the ball – he’s at home! So when you get a rapper in a comfortable situation with one of their friends and say, ‘Spit something,’ they might go, ‘Aww, come on Ice!’ Then they might go, ‘Hold on…’ bam! And another thing I did in the movie, if you really watch — some of the rappers in their rhymes kind of fuck up. They kind of slur words, because they’re connecting two rhymes together. That’s the art. You know, what you hear on records is something different. But when you hear it live, that’s all good. I mean, hopefully none of the rappers are so vain that they’re like, ‘Ice, you saw me fucking up.’ But that’s just what they did. That’s real shit. Which of your interviews was the most challenging to pull off, or to break through to? None. None of them. Every interview was just as easy to do, the only hard part was getting Ice-T, them, and a camera crew from London in the same place at the same time. How did you find your crew? When I came up with the idea, my manager said ‘I’ve got somebody who might be interested in doing it.’ We hooked up with a guy named Paul Toogood, he does a TV show called Songbook where they interview singers and they break down a song. It’s right up his alley. He said, not only do I want to do it, I’ll get the money to do it. I had to find somebody who was as passionate about it as me, and thank god – these guys are incredible cinematographers… the thing about this film is there were only five people that made it. There’s Paul, the cinematographer, myself, my guys that helped me wrangle the artists, Coco, Little Ice, and the sound crew. It’s apparent how small your crew is in the film when you have trouble fending off onlookers and fans while interviewing Q-Tip in New York… We just grabbed Q-Tip on the corner and we started shooting, I’ve got one of the homies out there blocking, I’ve got a camera guy and a boom, and we just go. So it’s very guerrilla, but I think that’s part of what makes the movie good. That comfortable distance of time and age that you mentioned that allows you to be more open with your experiences – do you feel like the impetus for making this film came from a desire to revisit where you’ve been in your career, to reconnect with your roots after transitioning into acting and television and beyond? I think it’s trying to do something for hip-hop, but do something that I am the only one who’s really capable of doing it. It’s kind of like, Ice-T could make another record, but we all know that. Now Ice is in another lane, he’s moved up, he’s got different credentials. So now it’s my job; I’ve got to make a movie. I’ve got to give hip-hop something they didn’t even know they wanted. Right now you make records and people don’t listen to them. You write a book and some people read. But people go to movies! And I wanted to direct; I have a lot of films that are in my sights, but I always learned in business that if you’re going to start a new business, go for the lowest hanging fruit. Start with something you know the best, first. And this is what I know the best. So I said, let me do something that’s important, that’s my way of giving back to hip-hop, and if it’s successful I’ll move on with my filmmaking career. If it’s not, I’ll re-assess my mistakes, maybe try again, or I’ll stop. But what is your barometer for success with this film? When will you be happy or satisfied with the results? It’s really just the response of the people. I never go by the critics, because critics’ jobs are to criticize. So a critic will look at you and how well you’re dressed but they’re looking for something they don’t like. Film journalists, I respect. But anyone who uses the word ‘critic’ in their description, I don’t fuck with them. But I can tell from the fans. Now, the internet and all the ways people can get back at you… you’ll know if you did something good or not. My first barometer is the hip-hop community. If they love it, and they’re like, ‘Man, you did something great. Thank you, Ice…’ That’s the first thing. Secondly will be the people and how they respond to it. So far, I went home last night and went through 30 reviews and didn’t get one bad, not one. I’m speechless! In the movie, we ask the question ‘Why don’t you think hip-hop is respected?’ Well, to have this film respected kind of says it is respected. It’s maybe not vocal, but it is, because people loved the movie. So it is respected. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter . Get more of Movieline’s Sundance 2012 coverage here .
Jonathan Nolan promises Tom Hardy is ‘spectacular’ in the wake of controversy over villain’s muffled vocals in ‘DKR’ prologue. By James Montgomery Tom Hardy in “The Dark Knight Rises” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures Fans and critics may have had a difficult time understanding Bane’s dialogue in “The Dark Knight Rises” prologue, but they’ll have no problem comprehending what screenwriter Jonathan Nolan has to say about the matter. In an interview at a Television Critics Association event in Los Angeles, director Christopher Nolan’s brother was asked about the reaction some folks had to Bane’s muffled lines. And while he admitted he’d rather discuss his CBS drama “Person of Interest,” he didn’t exactly duck the question, either. “I’ve gotta tell you, I think what Tom Hardy is doing with the role is spectacular,” Nolan said. “I’ve had the benefit of seeing a little bit more than the audience has seen, at this point, and it’s pretty spectacular.” The writer doled out praise for Hardy — who plays the veiny, verbose villain in the upcoming film — and assured fans that, really, the prologue shows just one small part of a very multifaceted character. Nolan was rather tight-lipped about additional “Dark Knight” details, saying only, “We’re still in lock-down mode, in terms of talking about that project.” Though he did speak about the inspiration behind the eye-popping, mid-air snatch-and-grab that’s prominently featured in the prologue. “It’s an amazing team with my brother [Christopher Nolan], [producer] David Goyer and myself. Those are two great guys to work with and brainstorm with,” Nolan said. “I think Chris [has] long wanted to do the aerial spectacular. It’s such a good fit for the IMAX cameras that he likes to shoot with, and so that was a long time in the making.” What do you think of Bane’s voice in the prologue? Sound off! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Dark Knight Rises.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos Talk Nerdy To Me Related Photos On The Set Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
‘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
Model, who just released ‘Fame’ single, says on ‘RapFix Live,’ ‘To be bullied through music … it’s not fair to me.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Amber Rose on “RapFix Live” Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News Amber Rose is done with the drama! On Tuesday On Tuesday the stately model crossed over into artist mode when she released her new pop single “Fame” online, then she showed off some acting chops when she dropped the trailer for her upcoming film “Gang of Roses 2” just a few hours later. Unfortunately for Amber, her new endeavors aren’t the only things that have people talking. Her relationship with Kanye West still comes under much scrutiny even though the pair has been broken up for a number of years. On Wednesday’s (January 11) episode of “RapFix Live,” Rose took to the red couch to address all of the rumors regarding her and Kanye for the last time. Things got so emotional that she eventually broke into tears. “Today on your show, I just want to let it be known that I am so done with the Kanye questions,” she told Sway. “That’s my past, I’m done with it. “I’m done, I’m moving on with a new career. I’m in love with Wiz. I’m happy. I just want to move on with my life, and we can get everything out right now and then I’m done.” Amber is currently in a relationship with Wiz Khalifa , but her past romance with West still comes up in headlines. Whether it was on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , where many of the songs seemed to be directed at Rose, or the Throne’s November Philadelphia concert where Yeezy thanked Amber’s native city for making her, the two former lovers are still constantly linked. Rose made it clear that she is happily in love with Wiz. “I’m so happy now that I actually have a gentleman, a great guy that I love so much,” she said of Khalifa . “Wiz knows that I never loved a man the way that I love him. He knows that, he’s very secure with that.” Still, after her very public breakup with West, there is lingering pain when Rose is mistreated by people in public. “I have people throwing things at me in the street because they’re fans of Kanye,” Amber said before she started to cry on set. “I’m just crying because I don’t deserve to be bullied like that. I’m a nice girl, I don’t bother anybody. I keep my mouth shut because I don’t want any trouble.” Putting all of the drama behind her was step one. Now, Amber looks to focus on her music career and acting career. She is currently working on her debut album and the film “Gang of Roses 2,” which will be released on February 14. “To be bullied through music and stuff like that, it’s not fair to me,” Rose continued while sobbing. “I don’t deserve that, and I’m sick of being bullied.” What do you think of Amber Rose’s tearful revelation? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Kanye West Wiz Khalifa
Katy Perry, ‘Harry Potter’ and Emma Stone nab multiple awards. By Jocelyn Vena Emma Stone at the 2012 People’s Choice Awards Photo: Getty Images On Wednesday night (January 11), the 2012 People’s Choice Awards was dominated by Katy Perry, “Harry Potter,” Johnny Depp and Emma Stone. With show-stopping performances by Favorite Pop Artist winner Demi Lovato and Faith Hill, the show handed out prizes voted on by more than 230 million people. “The Big Bang Theory” actress Kaley Cuoco hosted the show, and in between costume changes and witty banter, she managed to emcee a night that combined pop culture’s love for TV, movies and music. Airing live from Los Angeles, the show was chock-full of funny moments, as well as frequent references to funny folks like Neil Patrick Harris and Betty White, who even got a kiss from Don Cheadle. Check out the full winner’s list below: Favorite Movie “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Favorite Movie Actor Johnny Depp Favorite Movie Actress Emma Stone Favorite Movie Icon Morgan Freeman Favorite Action Movie “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Favorite Action Movie Star Hugh Jackman Favorite Drama Movie “Water for Elephants” Favorite Comedy Movie “Bridesmaids” Favorite Comedic Movie Actor Adam Sandler Favorite Comedic Movie Actress Emma Stone Favorite Movie Star Under 25 Chlo
R3hab, Nicky Romero, Hardwell and Alesso are a few of the electronic dance music upstarts blazing into the New Year. By Adam Stewart and Akshay Bhansali Alesso Photo: Drew Ressley After a mesmerizing year for electronic dance music , it almost goes without saying that the genre will continue to blaze a trail Stateside in 2012. Acts from Skrillex to Kaskade enjoyed crossover success in 2011, and now fans are hungry for more new releases, killer albums and massive festivals. But while it may be clear who’s leading the charge, there are more than a few EDM upstarts who’ve been making noise, and if one thing is for certain, it’s that they’ll be shaping the musical landscape in the months to come. In MTV News’ Rookie Roll Call, we break down exactly which acts (some greener than others) we’ve got our eye on as the dance scene gets locked and loaded for another killer year. Alesso Groomed by Sebastian Ingrosso, Alesso was without a doubt one of 2011’s hottest new names. Now, with no less than six hit releases and remixes under his belt, the young Swede has all of the necessary weapons to crush it in 2012. Arty Expect big things from U.K. label Anjunabeats’ young Russian phenom. Arty burst onto the scene with hits “Around the World” and “Kate,” as well as killer collabs with Mat Zo and Matisse & Sadko. 2012 promises to be a marquee year. Deniz Koyu A blazing new talent, Deniz Koyu shocked the scene last year with numbers like “Tung!” and a collabo with Johan Wedel on a remix of James Blunt’s “Dangerous.” Koyu kicks off 2012 with a “tri-laboration” that roped in Fedde le Grand and Wedel on the track “New Day,” and he’s set to keep heating things up. Hardwell The 23-year-old DJ/producer has been tickling the decks since the age of 13, and 2011 proved to be his breakout year. Hardwell smashed it early on in ’11 with Ti
‘I look up to that guy like crazy,’ Noah ’40’ Shebib says of Kanye. By Steven Roberts Kanye West Photo: Getty Images It’s common knowledge that Common and Drake aren’t exactly best of friends right now. But their camps haven’t been seeing eye to eye for quite some time. Pusha T appears to be taking shots at Drake on his recent “Sweet” and “Don’t F— with Me” freestyles, all over the beats of Common ‘s “Sweet” and Drake’s “Dreams Money Can Buy.” Lil Wayne and Jay-Z have been exchanging competitive subliminal shots for a while now, but those shots delivered last year on The Throne’s “H.A.M” and Wayne’s “It’s Good” were probably the most talked about. Kanye West and Drake even seem to be taking jabs at each other, first on DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One,” (I’m just feelin’ like The Throne is for the takin’/ Watch me take it) and then The Throne’s “Otis” (I adopted these n—as/ Philip Drummond them/ Now, I’m about to make them tuck they whole summer in). Despite all of this, when MTV News caught up Drake’s producer, Noah “40” Shebib, in Toronto early last month, he said that there was no competition with Kanye. In the August/September 2010 issue of Vibe , 40 said that ‘Ye cursed him out for “borrowing” his sound. But even then, the producer maintained that there was no competition and said that West was a huge influence on him. “I look up to that guy like crazy. I always have and I always will,” 40 said. “That’s someone who’s carved out a sound for rap music a couple of times, who has really influenced and changed the game as an individual. It would be crazy to say there’s competition.” He added that people should understand the difference between stealing another artist’s style and being influenced by him. “You’re supposed to be a hybrid. When you got T.I. and Nas and Jay-Z and Wayne and Kanye and Eminem, all these different types of rappers from different places and so on and so forth, I would expect a couple of years after that a new rapper would comes out who incorporates all of those people. Because that’s the evolution of it and that’s what will always happen, so I don’t even look at it as like biting or stealing or this or that,” 40 said. “I’m grateful to any and everybody that’s ever influenced me, including Mr. West.” All week, we’ll bring you highlights from our candid interview with Drake producer Noah “40” Shebib . Be sure to keep it locked here as 40 talks Take Care and his thoughts on everything from working with Lil Wayne to Drizzy’s next single with Rihanna. For more on 40, check out today’s “RapFix Live” at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com! Related Videos Drake’s ‘Take Care’: Behind The Scenes Related Photos ’40’ Making ‘Take Care’
She’s just one of several pop stars bridging the gap between hip-hop and rap. By Jocelyn Vena Demi Lovato Photo: MTV News Demi Lovato and Eminem are not two names often tied together. But the pop singer recently shared that she’d like to change that, saying she’d love to hit the studio with the legendary rapper. “Hopefully, I can work with Eminem,” the singer told E! News about her dream collaboration. “He’s my favorite rapper, so anything with him would be amazing.” Hip-hop fans might be surprised to hear about Lovato’s love for the genre, but Lovatics are more familiar with it. She made headlines last fall with her gut-busting cover of “How To Love” by Lil Wayne. When she spoke to MTV News about the deeply personal track, she fessed up about her love for the rapper and his song. “I just loved the way that Lil Wayne took a risk doing the song ‘How to Love,’ and when I really listened to it, it’s such a great song,” she said. “It has such a deep meaning to it and I wanted to perform that, and I put a little spin on it and tried to make it a little more empowering. And I think it fit with the platform and the message that I have with my fans.” Lovato’s one of many artists crossing over between pop and hip-hop . Taylor Swift was at the forefront of the trend in 2011, hitting the stage with the likes of T.I. and Nicki Minaj. And Justin Bieber said he’ll likely work with Drake and Kanye West on his 2012 release, Believe . So, it seems, this trend isn’t going anywhere. What hip-hop/rap duo would you like to see in 2012? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Demi Lovato Related Artists Demi Lovato Eminem
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