‘I can be the first hip-hop artist to do Vegas every night,’ Wayne tells MTV News. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Lil Wayne Photo: MTV News Lil Wayne may have extended his I Am Still Music Tour through the summer, but he isn’t going to stop there. “I actually plan on being one of those artists that can go on a tour when they’re like 40, like U2, Michael Jackson,” Lil Wayne told Sway during an interview after the taping of his “MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged.” With his upcoming Tha Carter IV set to drop August 24, Weezy added 40 more dates, creating a second leg of his I Am Still Music run. As it stands now, the tour will conclude on September 11 in Woodlands, Texas. This past weekend, the Young Money CEO played the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, and has no plans of slowing down. “I actually plan on being one of those artists, with all the music and all the work I’m putting out, I believe that later on down the line, I can do Vegas. I can be the first hip-hop artist to do Vegas every night. That’s the plan.” Fans got a televised taste of Weezy’s live show when Birdman Jr. performed for the cameras during his “Unplugged” special, which aired on MTV 2 on Sunday. Wayne rocked with a full band and ran through proven hits like “Fireman,” “A Milli” and “Lollipop,” as well as new favorites like “Nightmares of the Bottom” and “6 Foot, 7 Foot.” It isn’t all rap either. During his live shows, Wayne dips into his rock catalog, doing songs from his gold-selling Rebirth album as well. It’s his deep and diversified well of tunes that will ensure that Wayne never goes home, unless he chooses to do so. “I plan on touring forever, actually,” he said. “Probably when I’m like 50, I might be like, ‘Let’s go, gimme some dates.’ ” Related Videos MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne MTV News Extended Play: Lil Wayne Related Photos MTV2 Presents Unplugged Lil Wayne Related Artists Lil Wayne
Appearing over the weekend at the Los Angeles Times ‘ Hero Complex Film Festival , Jon Favreau and surprise guest Robert Downey Jr. talked up a storm regarding their two Iron Man flicks, the Avengers movie, Favreau’s work on the upcoming Magic Kingdom , and Iron Man 3 , –which is being directed by Downey’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang helmer Shane Black . Favreau revealed how, despite having vacated the director’s chair on the threequel, he’s still helping out in front of and behind the camera.
Following performances from Lil Wayne, Big Boi, and Wiz Khalifa, Eminem capped off a hip-hop-heavy lineup at Bonnaroo with his debut appearance at the festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Although Eminem may have gave a false impression when he started of with a chant leading people to believe Lil Wayne may of joined him on stage… Read More At HipHopWired.com
After wowing Bonnaroo crowd on Saturday, Wiz shut down gossip, telling MTV News, ‘Me and Waka and are cool.’ By James Montgomery Wiz Khalifa at Bonnaroo 2011 Photo: Rob Loud/ Getty Images MANCHESTER, Tennessee – Wiz Khalifa’s Saturday evening set at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was, by his own admission, probably the biggest show he’s played since bursting onto the scene last year. And feeding upon the vibes of the crowd, he delivered a set that was as loose and lively as it was hit-packed and hungry. “I was feeling the energy the whole time, and I’ve been doing a lot of shows and growing as a performer and an artist, so I just wanted to build on all that,” he told MTV News following the performance. “Being a top act on such a huge stage in front of so many people, it’s a great starting point for my career, because a lot of people work their whole careers and then get here.” Of course, though he was still basking in the afterglow of his Bonnaroo set, Wiz also felt the need to address an issue that (supposedly) occurred at another of his big-stage shows: rumors of a backstage altercation with Waka Flocka Flame at Hot 97’s Summer Jam in New York earlier this month. “Yeah, nothing happened backstage,” Khalifa said. “It’s always something; making up some rumor about something happening with me backstage during somebody’s set, but nothing happened. Me and Waka and are cool. That’s just people trying to promote negativity.” And to hear Wiz tell it, there’s been a whole lot of that negativity going on in recent months. But, as he continues on the upswing of his young career, he’s not going to let any of it get him down. After all, there will be plenty more shows like Bonnaroo on the horizon, and he prefers to focus on that. “There’s just so much fake sh– going on. Like, people will buy into what’s fake. According to people, this isn’t my Rolex, you know?” he said. “But that’s just what mugs like to think and what they like to talk about, but the reality of the situation is everything’s under control. And this is my Rolex. That I bought.” Did you catch Wiz’s set at Bonnaroo? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Videos Bonnaroo 2011 Behind The Scenes Related Photos Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2011 Related Artists Waka Flocka Flame Wiz Khalifa
Fans tell MTV News they’re drinking water, slathering on sunscreen and frequenting the air-conditioned comedy tent. By James Montgomery A general view of the atmosphere during Bonnaroo 2011 Photo: FilmMagic/FilmMagic MANCHESTER, Tennessee – Temperatures nearly touched triple digits at Bonnaroo on Friday (June 10), scorching the grounds of the 700-acre farm the fest calls home and forcing the 80,000 in attendance to get creative when it came to beating the heat. Concertgoers hung portable fans around their necks, clutched squirt-guns and paper fans, hid beneath umbrellas and guzzled water from tubes in their CamelBaks. And when all else failed, they stripped down and showered in Bonnaroo’s famed Centeroo fountain. Anything to keep cool. “Pretty much we’ve been going back and forth to the fountain all day, trying to cool off that way,” concertgoer Ryan Smith told MTV News. “Everyone’s pretty chill and really nice about sharing space in there.” By midday, the water flowing from the fountain had started to turn brown (an annual occurrence at the fest, regardless of the temperature), but that didn’t stop fans from frolicking in it. And as the crowd in and around the fountain continued to swell, some were forced to abandon hope of a quick bath in favor of other cooling methods. “It’s like a-hundred-and-something degrees at Bonnaroo right now. It’s epically hot,” said Stephanie Hammel, who came down from Long Island for Bonnaroo 2011. “We’re staying cool by drinking lots and lots of water. Using a lot of sunscreen. Putting ice cubes down our shirts.” “We keep a couple bottles of misters on us, so that helps. But the secret is the comedy tent,” Aaron Devens revealed. “It’s air-conditioned, so you can go in there and just stay there. I think I saw, like, a dozen comedians already.” Then again, brutal temperatures are nothing new at Bonnaroo, and with a Friday night schedule that included high-profile sets by Arcade Fire and Lil Wayne (to name just a few), most had no other choice but to take off their shirts, slather on the sunscreen and just deal with the sweltering heat. “I mean, it’s really hot. It’s hot as — excuse my French — balls. There’s not a lot of shade,” Anna Vega laughed. “But, I mean, that’s how it is. Someone’s going to have to drag me to go see Lil Wayne tonight.” What are your keeping-cool tips at summer festivals? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos Bonnaroo 2011 Behind The Scenes Related Photos Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2011 Related Artists My Morning Jacket Florence + the Machine Lil Wayne
Weezy’s Friday-night headlining set was fierce, fiery and even saw the end of a long-running feud. By James Montgomery Lil Wayne performs during the 2011 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Photo: Erika Goldring/WireImage MANCHESTER, Tennessee — Over its 10-year history, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has played host to all sorts of acts, but few of them — if any — ever took the stage to a prerecorded message from the New York State Department of Corrections (not even Phish). Lil Wayne did just that on Friday night (or, more correctly, early Saturday morning), bounding onstage while the last strains of a DOC phone message — recorded after he was released from prison last November — faded from the rather formidable stacks of speakers that flanked him. And it was just one of the history-making moments during his headlining set. Bonnaroo has had hip-hop acts headline previously ( Kanye West took a rather disastrous turn in 2008, and Jay-Z mainstaged without much incident last year), but they weren’t Wayne. He’s not a household name on par with ‘Ye or Jigga, and there existed the very real question of whether his set would translate to the Bonnaroo crowd . But when Wayne wrapped his set just before 3 a.m., that question had been answered. Not only did he go over like gangbusters, but he did it in gritty, sweat-drenched glory. He worked it hard, hanging from his microphone stand, descending into the crowd below and rolling around on the stage floor. He tore off his yellow tank-top mid set and stalked the stage in only a low-slung pair of shorts, aqua-colored socks and checkered Vans. And he spit verses at a staggering rate. You could call it a star-making turn, but Wayne’s already a star … though, perhaps, on this night, he truly became one in the eyes of the Bonnaroo elite. Song-wise, his performance didn’t stray too far from the set he’s been working on his I Am Still Music tour — he opened with “I’m Goin’ In” and segued into “Bill Gates,” thundered through “A Milli,” deftly moved through “Swag Surfin’ ” and “Hustle Hard,” worked in swatches of “Green and Yellow,” slowed things down for the ladies on “I’m Single” — and he brought out members of his Young Money family (Mack Maine, Lil Twist, Shannelle, Jae Millz) to give them some shine too. And in that regard, his Bonnaroo set was pretty historic too. He was one of the first headliners to put on a genuine revue, a musical, multiple-act bill that just so happened to double as his set. As can be expected, his performance tended to lose some steam when Weezy was sharing the stage with his associates (or when he’d disappear and let them perform on their own), but he more than made up for it in the sheer tenacity of songs like “Welcome to My Hood” or “Drop the World” (which didn’t suffer from the lack of Eminem). Backed by a lock-step live band, songs like “Forever” and Lollipop” pulsed and surged with icy precision. Songs from his upcoming Tha Carter IV album, “How to Love” and “6 Foot 7 Foot,” expanded and contracted with elasticity, particularly the latter, which brought his set to a close — eternally buoyed by his rasping voice and staccato cadence. Perhaps to mark the momentous nature of his headlining performance (which, if it wasn’t his biggest show to date, has got to be in the top three), or, maybe just to make actual history, Wayne even brought out his former in-house producer — and, by all accounts, former friend — Mannie Fresh, who parted ways with Cash Money in 2005 under less that harmonious circumstances. The two embraced onstage, while those in the audience who were wise to the backstory cheered wildly, and though the moment was brief, it served notice that whatever disagreements the two may have had, they were all but forgotten by now. After all, no one — not even Lil Wayne — would let a petty feud stand in the way of history. Stick with MTV News for show reports and interviews from Bonnaroo 2011 all weekend long. Related Photos Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2011 Related Artists Lil Wayne
Florence Welch talks fame and ghostly visits before her Bonnaroo set on Friday. By James Montgomery Florence Welch of Florence and the Machines performs during the 2011 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Photo: Erika Goldring/WireImage MANCHESTER, Tennessee — When Florence Welch began writing the songs that would become her breakout Lungs album, she was just 18 years old and had no idea of what lay ahead of her. Now, as she begins putting the finishing touches on the follow up to that album — working in the iconic Abbey Road studios — she finds herself a few years older, but oddly enough, in much the same position. “It’s nearly finished, but, of course, that’s the hardest part for me, because once it’s finished, you have to share it with others,” she told MTV News on Thursday before her sundown set at Bonnaroo . “So, I’ve found myself obsessing over the way I’ve sung one little word, and wanting to go back and do it over again. I’m going to try and hold onto it as long as possible.” While Welch admits the album is in its final stages, she still has a difficult time describing exactly what it sounds like. But from what she does say, it seems like the still-untitled effort won’t sound like Lungs. “I wrote so much of my first album at different times and places — some songs when I was 18, some when I was 21 — so there are so many pieces and styles on it,” she said. “And that’s one of the things I love about it, but for my new record, I wanted to do things differently. It’s why I worked with one producer in one studio. I want to tie all those things together … in one piece, if possible.” The new album also reflects everything that’s happened to her on her rather rapid ascent to fame. But she’s also taking inspiration from far different, far more ethereal places, too. “There’s a song on it that’s inspired by a visit [from] my dead grandmother — like, I had really, really vivid dream about her and, um, she was giving me advice in this dream,” she said. “And it was really emotional, and I woke up crying. And there’s one song that’s inspired by that experience.” Stick with MTV News for show reports and interviews from Bonnaroo 2011 all weekend long. Related Videos Bonnaroo 2011: Florence And The Machine, Lil Wayne, My Morning Jacket And More Related Photos Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2011 Related Artists Florence + the Machine
Tomorrow will see the nationwide release of one of this summer’s most anticipated movies – J.J. Abrams’ alleged homage to Steven Spielberg of old, Super 8 . The film centers on a group of white kids in a small Ohio town in the 1970s whose adventures into film-making with their Super 8mm camera are interrupted by a train crash carrying an alien life form. Naturally, chaos reigns in the aftermath. But there’s another “alien attacks” movie also centered on a group of kids coming soon to a theater near you (hopefully) that you may not yet be aware of, but really should be. And this one is of special importance because its story features that rare onscreen occurrence in which the alien, or aliens in this case, invade a predominantly urban (read: black) neighborhood. The film’s tag line, which you can read on the poster above, says it all: “ INNER CITY VS OUTER SPACE. ” Or, as I like to refer to it: the “ Aliens attack da hood ” project. For once, right? They almost never do! And the often vilified, bureaucratically-victimized young black boys and girls who live in “da hood” actually save the day for a change! It all sounds quite revolutionary, doesn’t it? Sarcasm aside, the film I’m talking about is a British-produced horror movie titled Attack The Block , brought to you by the producers of the hilarious zombie spoof Shaun Of The Dead , and the not-so hilarious graphic novel adaption of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World . The movie, in brief, pits a group of mostly black kids against an invasion of alien monsters, turning a an inner city London tower block into a fortress under siege, and a ragtag group of armed teenagers into heroes. Since its North American debut at the South by Southwest Film Festival this past March in Austin, Texas the critical and commercial buzz around the movie has been near-deafening. It was released in the UK last month and although it has a North American distributor, an official release date for those of us on this side of the Atlantic has yet to be announced. Given all that I’ve heard and read about the movie (from film critics and general audiences) it sounds like perfect summer fare – an exceptional combination of spectacle and story. You’ll get the thrills and chills, but also plenty of heart. Here’s a small sample: From Variety : “… enormously appealing debut feature, “Attack the Block”… Pitched as “inner city vs. outer space,” pic sees a quintet of teen street hoodlums defend their tower-block home in the projects from an invasion of shaggy-haired aliens with Day-Glo teeth. Set over one wild night in South London, this zero-to-hero tale will play gangbusters in its native Blighty before a rich ancillary career.” From Cinemablend : “Attack The Block Could Be The Best Action Movie Of The Year… finds a balance in scope to keep the action moving while showcasing the brilliant, hilarious and realistic teen actors. There’s a surprising amount of smaller-scale, alien attack action in Attack the Block and Cornish’s crack team of make-up and visual effects artists pull out all the stops. The film is quickly paced and never lets up… The result: an alien invasion where you actually give a damn about the folks being invaded.” And from IndieWire : “The violence is frenetic and visceral, but Cornish shoots these sequences with clarity and intensity, suggesting he’s an action director ready to bloom. And if you live by the adage that 90% of directing is casting, then Cornish’s job was fairly easy, as a group of total unknowns completely carry this picture. Credit must be given to the young John Boyega, a possible future star, who plays Moses, the de-facto leader of the pack. Boyega has a face that reveals both anger and strength in regular doses, the type of attitude that just cannot be taught in acting classes. As such, our designated hero, Boyega, with an expressive upper brow that reflects the character’s intelligence beyond these circumstances, is believable as both a defiant tough guy and as a teen who theorizes that the aliens are a government program meant to eliminate lower-class citizens. He’s compellingly watchable.” As the last snippet notes, the cast of Attack The Block comprises of mostly unknown actors who bring a realism to the film, ensuring that, despite its fantastical tale, remains fairly grounded. And the last line about the aliens being government inventions meant to wipe out the working class, indicates some political and allegorical subtext, speaking to a universal and warranted paranoia amongst black people that’s rooted in a mistrust of government, and people in positions of power in general. History is littered with incidents that instruct those fears. Taking all of the above into consideration, Attack The Block is a film we should all be watching for down the road. There has even been excited talk of an American studio purchasing the film’s remake rights and producing a Hollywood version of it! Let’s hope Sony Pictures does release the original first, and soon, rather than shelve it in favor of an Americanized version of the movie. So, after you’re done devouring popcorn and smoothies at the theater this weekend, watching a group of white kids take on a nasty extraterrestrial in Super 8 , get ready to “Attack The Block” sometime later this year… we hope. The film’s trailer follows below for those who’ve yet to see it: Tambay Obenson is editor of Shadow And Act on the indieWIRE Network , which can be found at http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact . FACT OF THE DAY: Ashanti Was Once A Bad Girl Remember Snoop’s Perm & Curls? THEN & NOW: 1990s Music Icons CLASS OF 2001: Was G-Dep The Last Bad “Boy” Standing?
You’ll note that the new trailer for The Help calls Kathryn Stockett’s source material a “sensational bestseller.” That may be, but not much else is screaming “sensation” here: Viola Davis’s one-note dignity, Bryce Dallas Howard’s adversarial prissiness, and Emma Stone’s smiley do-gooder shtick aren’t providing much in the way of originiality. But maybe I’m just cynical; check out the new international trailer and let’s hash this out.
This is one where it’s probably just to do a quick intro and get out of the way: To commemorate the 20th anniversary of their post-feminist partners-in-crime road trip Thelma and Louise , co-stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis dropped by Toronto’s shimmering Bell Lightbox for a special screening and discussion with Toronto International Film Festival honcho Noah Cowan. The fest’s YouTube page put just about 100 seconds of the Oscar winners’ chat online; here’s hoping for there is more where that came from. Check it out:
