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‘We Are The World: 25 For Haiti’ Video Premieres During Olympics Opening Ceremony

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Extended version of song and video are available now on iTunes. By Jem Aswad Wyclef Jean, Kanye West and Jennifer Hudson perform at the “We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti” recording session Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage The video of “We Are the World: 25 for Haiti” premiered Friday night (February 12) during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The new incarnation of the 1985 song sticks closely to the arrangement of the original, but the cast is much larger and, of course, much more contemporary. On television, the song was introduced by a message from original “We Are the World” principals Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, who urged viewers to contribute via www.World25.org , iTunes or by texting “World” to 50555. A tightly edited version of the song was aired on Friday night, but the long version is available now on iTunes. That version is introduced by Jamie Foxx, who sets the scene, talking about the original recording and then the new version, the video of which was directed by “Crash” director Paul Haggis. “Do more than just watch,” Foxx says. “Whatever you have, no matter how big or how small, it all counts.” The video features footage from the song’s recording session intercut with scenes of rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Justin Bieber opens , singing Lionel Richie’s verse from the original, and is quickly followed by Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Hudson singing together, then Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles, Josh Groban, and then a footage of Michael Jackson from the original recording superimposed with sister Janet duetting on the first verse of the chorus. Barbra Streisand, Fergie, a wailing Celine Dion and others follow. Miley Cyrus, Enrique Iglesias, Foxx, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Pink, Mary J. Blige, Akon, T-Pain and others take verses later in the song; a second verse from a recording of Michael Jackson is immediately followed by Usher. Carlos Santana and Orianthi are seen playing guitars; Richie and Jones are often visible, smiling on the sidelines. The most remarkable moments come from the rappers : an Auto-Tuned Lil Wayne sings Bob Dylan’s verse , Wyclef adds some Haitian flavor , and Will.I.Am and Kanye West both rap verses. “Like Katrina, Africa and Indonesia/ Haiti needs us,” Will.I.Am raps. LL Cool J, Will.I.Am, Swizz Beatz, Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes team up for a rapped section; Bizzy Bone, Kid Cudi, Drake and Nipsey Hussle were also at the session. The music drops out toward the end to let the chorus sing alone. Amid the studio footage we see Haitian children dancing amid the destruction in their homeland. Tellingly, the Haiti footage focuses on rebuilding efforts. Haggis talked with MTV News about the session earlier this week. “You hear these stories about people checking their egos at the door, and it really is true,” he said. “They came and stood forever and were glorified extras a lot of the time. They just stood in the corner and waved.” Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti , and for more information, see Think MTV . Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now. Related Videos Behind The Scenes Of ‘We Are The World’ Related Photos ‘We Are The World 25 For Haiti’ Recording Session

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‘We Are The World: 25 For Haiti’ Video Premieres During Olympic Opening Ceremonies

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Extended version of song and video are available now on iTunes. By Jem Aswad Wyclef Jean, Kanye West and Jennifer Hudson perform at the “We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti” recording session Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage The video of “We Are the World: 25 for Haiti” premiered Friday night (February 12) during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The new incarnation of the 1985 song sticks closely to the arrangement of the original, but the cast is much larger and, of course, much more contemporary. On television, the song was introduced by a message from original “We Are the World” principals Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, who urged viewers to contribute via www.World25.org , iTunes or by texting “World” to 50555. A tightly edited version of the song was aired on Friday night, but the long version is available now on iTunes. That version is introduced by Jamie Foxx, who sets the scene, talking about the original recording and then the new version, the video of which was directed by “Crash” director Paul Haggis. “Do more than just watch,” Foxx says. “Whatever you have, no matter how big or how small, it all counts.” The video features footage from the song’s recording session intercut with scenes of rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Justin Bieber opens , singing Lionel Richie’s verse from the original, and is quickly followed by Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Hudson singing together, then Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles, Josh Groban, and then a footage of Michael Jackson from the original recording superimposed with sister Janet duetting on the first verse of the chorus. Barbra Streisand, Fergie, a wailing Celine Dion and others follow. Miley Cyrus, Enrique Iglesias, Foxx, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Pink, Mary J. Blige, Akon, T-Pain and others take verses later in the song; a second verse from a recording of Michael Jackson is immediately followed by Usher. Carlos Santana and Orianthi are seen playing guitars; Richie and Jones are often visible, smiling on the sidelines. The most remarkable moments come from the rappers : an Auto-Tuned Lil Wayne sings Bob Dylan’s verse , Wyclef adds some Haitian flavor , and Will.I.Am and Kanye West both rap verses. “Like Katrina, Africa and Indonesia/ Haiti needs us,” Will.I.Am raps. LL Cool J, Will.I.Am, Swizz Beatz, Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes team up for a rapped section; Bizzy Bone, Kid Cudi, Drake and Nipsey Hussle were also at the session. The music drops out toward the end to let the chorus sing alone. Amid the studio footage we see Haitian children dancing amid the destruction in their homeland. Tellingly, the Haiti footage focuses on rebuilding efforts. Haggis talked with MTV News about the session earlier this week. “You hear these stories about people checking their egos at the door, and it really is true,” he said. “They came and stood forever and were glorified extras a lot of the time. They just stood in the corner and waved.” Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti , and for more information, see Think MTV . Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now. Related Videos Behind The Scenes Of ‘We Are The World’ Related Photos ‘We Are The World 25 For Haiti’ Recording Session

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Justin Bieber ‘Remarkable’ On ‘We Are The World,’ Director Says

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘The quality of that voice is remarkable for a kid his age,’ Paul Haggis says. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Eric Ditzian Justin Bieber at the “We Are The World 25 For Haiti” recording session in Hollywood on February 1 Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage While the “We Are the World” shoot may have had some “chaos” here and there, the video’s director, Paul Haggis, says that he was surprised less by the hectic nature of the shoot than by the incredible talent brought to the table by none other than Justin Bieber . “I thought he was … fascinating because he has a really good voice,” Haggis told MTV News on Thursday when asked about having the pop superstar join the celebrity-filled ranks for the 25th anniversary recording of the classic charity tune. He jokingly added, “I gave him some advice that I thought he should start doing this professionally. The kid has a career, don’t you think?” All joking aside, Haggis explains that he was taken aback by how truly talented Bieber is. “No, he was remarkable. This kid comes in that I don’t really know. … I knew the name, and he opened his mouth, and my god the quality of that voice is remarkable for a kid his age,” the “Crash” director said. “And the presence he has and the confidence.” Haggis adds that it wasn’t just Bieber whose vocal chops left an impression on him. “That was the great thing of working with these people,” he said. “These are artists of the highest quality and caliber. When they’re all coming together to sing this kind of song, you don’t expect Lil Wayne to be singing like that or even Tony Bennett to be singing like that. So it was wonderful how people morphed together.” Related Videos Behind The Scenes Of ‘We Are The World’ Related Photos ‘We Are The World 25 For Haiti’ Recording Session Related Artists Justin Bieber

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Lil Wayne Put His ‘Stamp’ On ‘We Are The World,’ Director Paul Haggis Says

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘You don’t expect Lil Wayne to be singing like this,’ he says of Weezy tackling Bob Dylan’s verse from the original. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Eric Ditzian Lil Wayne at the “We Are The World 25 For Haiti” recording session in Hollywood on February 1 Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Lil Wayne might be a multiplatinum hip-hop superstar, but the MC had some big shoes to fill when he was chosen to take on Bob Dylan ‘s verse for the “We Are the World” remake . Their styles might be different, but Paul Haggis, the charity single’s video director , said the Cash Money rapper held his own. “They each put their own distinctive stamp on it,” Haggis, who wrote and directed the Oscar-winning film “Crash,” told MTV News. “So say he did the Bob Dylan part — well, those are lines Bob Dylan did, and no one can ever sing them like him again. But when Lil Wayne sings them, you’ll never imagine someone else singing them [either].” Lil Wayne was initially perplexed to be given Dylan’s verse. “I was like, ‘You guys are real good comedians,’ ” he laughed at the recording session. “After I did Bob Dylan’s part, it kind of hit me that I guess this is way more important than I could ever imagine.” Wayne said the opportunity to be involved in such a major undertaking is something his children can hold on to forever. As for his mother, he chuckled when he said that all she asked was that he get Gladys Knight’s photo for her. “I’m still overwhelmed,” Weezy said, looking around the room at the galaxy of stars that ranged from Pink and Carlos Santana to Usher and Barbra Streisand. “I was like, ‘Where do I fit in?’ I thought my name got mixed up.” The new twist on the 25-year-old anthem has a decidedly different slant, with a number of rappers participating on the track . Haggis at first joked that Wayne sang his verse just like Dylan. “Very much like Bob,” he quipped. But the director said the sum of the parts on the remake will be just as inspiring as the original. “The great thing about working with so many people, ” Haggis said, “these artists of this caliber, where you know them from this type of music or that, but when they really come together to sing this type of song, you don’t expect Lil Wayne to be singing like this or Pink to be singing like that, or even Tony Bennett to be singing like that or Barbara [Streisand]. It was wonderful how they all morphed together.” Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti , and for more information, see Think MTV . Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now. Related Videos Behind The Scenes Of ‘We Are The World’ Related Photos ‘We Are The World 25 For Haiti’ Recording Session Related Artists Lil Wayne Bob Dylan

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Lil Wayne Put His ‘Stamp’ On ‘We Are The World,’ Director Paul Haggis Says

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Bill Clinton Released From Hospital After Surgery

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Bill Clinton was released this morning from a New York hospital after having two stents into a clogged coronary artery Thursday after complaining of chest pains. The one-hour procedure went smoothly, according to the former President’s cardiologist, and the 63-year-old was discharged this morning “in excellent health.” Clinton will soon return to his work on Haiti’s relief and long-term recovery, his office said, and will both recover fully and resume his “very active lifestyle.” Bill, who could have suffered a heart attack had this gone untreated, had the heart surgery at the same place where he had quadruple bypass surgery in 2004. “This was not a result of either his lifestyle or his diet, which have been excellent,” Clinton’s cardiologist, Alan Schwartz, told reporters from the hospital steps. A few stents won’t slow a good former president down. Schwartz said putting in stents were just another step in an ongoing process: “Just as illnesses have natural histories, treatments have natural histories.” Clinton has been working at a grueling pace since the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, but says his demanding schedule did not contribute to heart problems. Clinton, the U.N. special envoy to Haiti, is overseeing the U.S. response with former president George W. Bush and has been there twice in recent weeks. Clinton was working on issues related to Haiti when he felt chest pains. As he was being wheeled into the operating room, he was still on a conference call. Pretty standard for this guy. Bill’s daughter, Chelsea , joined him at the hospital, an aide said, as did wife and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. President Barack Obama called Clinton yesterday evening and wished him “a speedy recovery,” a White House aide said. THG wishes Big Daddy the same.

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Lauren Conrad Tops New York Times Best Seller List Again

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| 1 Comment

Former ‘Hills’ star’s second young-adult novel, Sweet Little Lies, makes it to #1 on Children’s Chapter Books list. By Jocelyn Vena Lauren Conrad Photo: Getty Images It seems in Lauren Conrad’s world it’s not just the lies that are sweet. Her second young-adult novel, Sweet Little Lies, released less than a year after her first, L.A. Candy, is the former “Hills” star’s latest book to hit the top of the best seller list. Conrad has topped the New York Times list for Children’s Chapter Books for the week of February 21 for Lies, which was published earlier this month. In a statement to People, Conrad said that it feels good that her book is a success. “It’s so gratifying for my second book to be so successful and it was so fun to write! The characters were already developed so I really enjoyed the process so much more this time around,” she said. “All the characters have become like my friends now. “I just sat in bed writing and it was the best process,” she continued. “Who gets to work from home in their PJs? I’m just so thankful to my fans. Everyone is coming out to see me in the snow. I just can’t believe it.” MTV News checked in with Conrad while she was in New York promoting the book, and she said that this time around her heroine, Jane, finds that her life is about to get a lot more complicated thanks to the pitfalls of fame. “I think that if fans take anything away from the book, [they should realize] there’s a back side to every story,” she explained. “And when you’re reading tabloids and seeing these people’s lives exposed, it does affect them and it is hard to go through as a young girl.”

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‘We Are The World’ Remake Premieres Tonight During Olympics Opening Ceremonies

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Director Paul Haggis and producer RedOne give a preview of the Haiti benefit single and video. By Jocelyn Vena Wyclef Jean, Kanye West and Jennifer Hudson perform at the “We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti” Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage “We Are the World — 25 for Haiti” is set to premiere on Friday night (February 12) at 7:30 p.m. ET, during the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Vancouver. The song features appearances by a number of artists including Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Jordin Sparks, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Pink — along with some newly added artists who won’t be revealed until the remake airs. But while we wait for the debut of the Haiti benefit, organized by Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, we have a preview from the people behind the song. “I just keep the class of the original one,” producer Wyclef Jean also said he added a “Haitian influence” to the song. The video’s director, Paul Haggis , also spoke to MTV News about his involvement in the project and admitted he “embraced the chaos” of shooting everyone from Celine Dion to Kanye West, most of whom recorded the track on February 1 in Los Angeles. “You hear these stories about people checking their egos at the door, and it really is true,” the “Crash” director explained. “They came and stood forever and were glorified extras a lot of the time. They just stood in the corner and waved.” Even in a room full of stars, the participants put the cause, helping raise money for Haiti’s earthquake recovery, above all else. “It was hot and it was crowded,” Haggis said, but as a director, he was almost disappointed by how well everyone got along. “When there’s chaos, there’s friction. Where there’s fiction, there’s drama, and I knew I’d have fun things to shoot. Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much drama as I expected. People really got along very well.” The video was shot in 3-D , and green-screen technology will eventually allow viewers at home to place themselves in the chorus. “You would think we have a full-blown motion picture going in there,” Richie marveled at a press conference earlier this month. “We have 3-D cameras, we have Technicolor cameras, we have every imaginable form of technology. You can put yourself into the ‘We Are the World’ family from the computer.” The other “We Are the World” artists include Miley Cyrus, Wyclef Jean, Jamie Foxx, Josh Groban, Keri Hilson, Zac Brown Band, Akon, Brandy, Melanie Fiona, Mya, Musiq Soulchild, Katharine McPhee, Trey Songz, Faith Evans, Joel and Benji Madden, members of Sugarland, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Mraz, India.Arie, Mary Mary, Tyrese Gibson, Raphael Saadiq, Rob Thomas, Usher, the Fray’s Isaac Slade, pianist Ethan Bortnick, Enrique Iglesias, Robin Thicke, Jamie Foxx, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, the Jonas Brothers, Nicole Scherzinger, Julianne Hough, Barbra Streisand, Carlos Santana, Natalie Cole, BeBe Winans, Orianthi, Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, Freda Payne, Harry Connick Jr., Earth, Wind & Fire, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, Tony Bennett, composer A.R. Rahman, “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, Patti Austin and Gladys Knight. Actors Jeff Bridges, Vince Vaughn and Jimmy Jean-Louis were there, as well as some “WATW” offspring: Nicole Richie (Lionel’s daughter), “Parks and Recreation” star Rashida Jones (Quincy’s daughter) and the members of 3T (the sons of Tito Jackson), Taj, Taryll and TJ Jackson. All proceeds from “We Are the World” singles and video sales will go to the newly formed charity We Are the World Foundation LLC and will then be distributed to Haiti relief efforts. Related Videos Behind The Scenes Of ‘We Are The World’ Related Artists Wyclef Jean Kanye West Jennifer Hudson

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Snow GaGa!

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Who cares if it's the snowmagedon.. Roma Rah-ah-ah-ah-ah! View

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Coco For Haiti

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Coco is showing her support for Haiti with her butt. And also her other butt. All her butts “go hard” for Haiti. View

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‘We Are The World’ Director Paul Haggis Recalls Video-Shoot ‘Chaos’

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘You hear these stories about people checking their egos at the door, and it really is true,’ he says of all-star recording session. By Eric Ditzian ‘We Are The World’ Director Paul Haggis Photo: MTV News NEW YORK — Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis had just days to prepare to shoot the music video for the 25th-anniversary recording session of “We Are the World,” the revamped version of the classic tune meant to raise funds for post-earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. In this, he was exactly like producers Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones and the 85-odd participating artists: No one had any time to prepare and you just had to go with it. Or, as Haggis put it in an interview with MTV News, “I embraced the chaos.” That’s pretty much what he was still doing when we caught up with the “Crash” director in a Manhattan editing suite on Thursday afternoon (February 11). He and his team were working on essentially no sleep as they scrambled to put the finishing touches on not one but two versions of the video: a three-and-a-half-minute version for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics and a seven-and-a-half-minute version that encompasses the uncut song. When we spoke, Haggis was just minutes away from streaming the finished footage to iTunes, where it will be available Friday. Despite the lack of sleep, Haggis talked excitedly about the process of shooting the video in Los Angeles earlier this month, as artists from various genres and generations came together in support of a common cause. “It was interesting seeing Pink and Tony Bennett working it out,” he said. “They were jamming. They had a lot of fun. “You hear these stories about people checking their egos at the door, and it really is true,” Haggis continued. “They came and stood forever and were glorified extras a lot of the time. They just stood in the corner and waved. It was hot and it was crowded. When there’s chaos, there’s friction. Where there’s fiction, there’s drama, and I knew I’d have fun things to shoot. Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much drama as I expected. People really got along very well.” Haggis said the finished song and video will include artists not present during the initial shoot that still wanted to take part in the charity effort. But he declined to name names, wanting the full revelation to take place during the opening ceremony. Participants that Haggis did want to make mention of were the Haitian film students he flew in from the island to participate in the shoot, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary. “The most important thing to me was that we include the people of Haiti in this and it just not be a bunch of well-meaning, wealthy folks from Santa Monica and Brentwood and Bel Air,” he said. Related Videos Behind The Scenes Of ‘We Are The World’ Related Photos ‘We Are The World 25 For Haiti’ Recording Session

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