‘It’s the story of someone growing up, trying to figure out who he is,’ MC tells Mixtape Daily of his new mixtape. By Rob Markman Photo: MTV News Main Pick Headliner : Mac Miller Representing : Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Mixtape : Macadelic Real Spit : How do you follow up a #1 independent album and a sold-out tour? If you’re Mac Miller , you treat your fans to a free mixtape. On Friday (March 23) the Pittsburgh spitter dropped Macadelic, a trippy ride through the psyche of a fun-loving MC who is adept at expressing his innermost feelings. “It’s like the story of someone who is growing up, trying to figure out who he is and trying to figure out what he’s supposed to do in the world and how he’s gonna change it,” Mac told Mixtape Daily. “I think it’s a great piece because it’s a great part of my career, it’s a great time right now and I feel like I been making mixtapes for five years, so this one is very special to me.” Over the thudding, bass-rattling sound bed of “Amnesia,” Mac cautiously drowns his crumbling love life in a cloudy codeine cup. “This is real girl, don’t be scared, it’s only fair/ I warn you love’s a drug that can kill you,” he hazily raps. The love-as-a-drug theme continues on “Vitamins.” Over a dreamy Big Jerm beat, Mac poetically recalls an addictive lovemaking session that leaves him all out of sorts in the aftermath. Then with foggy vocals, Miller seeks comfort for his growing pains on “Clarity.” “It’s a lot different from anything I’ve ever done,” Mac told MTV News backstage at the mtvU Woodies earlier this month. “In my past projects, I always thought about them a lot, like, ‘Where are the party jams? Where are the jams that are fun?’ ” Apparently Mac’s days aren’t always soundtracked by “Donald Trump” and “Party on Fifth Ave.” Throughout the tape the Blue Slide Park rapper continually contemplates his life’s purpose in the face of his growing fame. “Sometimes I wonder who the f— I am,” Mac rhymes at the start of “The Question.” The self-reflecting tune gets quite the boost from Young Money boss Lil Wayne, who makes a surprise appearance at the end of the track. Weezy spits a free-associative verse in which he affectionately shouts out his new machine gun, which he strangely compares to a newborn baby. Macadelic isn’t completely pensive, though; there is the Cam’ron-assisted “Ignorant,” which has Miller rapping about his gold Rolex and weed habits alongside the Dipset captain. “Lucky Ass Bitch” is another winner, thanks to producer Lex Luger’s kinetic bounce and Juicy J’s classic vocal contribution. On “Desperado,” Mac flexes his MC muscle, with the 20-year-old rhyme-slinger spitting some of his best rhymes over ID Labs’ Wild West-inspired production. In short, Macadelic has something for everyone. “I was trying to make a complete project, but on this project, all I wanted to do is just say what was on my mind,” he said. “I just worried about saying what I wanted to say, and I felt like there were a lot of things that I wanted to get off my chest, and this mixtape was the way to do it.” Joints to Check For: “Vitamins”: “The concept is that this drug is actually love. It’s a drug that I’m taking, so all the emotions and the feelings that are coming from this said drug are actually coming from love.” “Ignorant”: “I was in Harlem because I’m a huge Big L fan. And Cam hit me, he saw me Instagramming pictures, he said, ‘What are you doin’ in Harlem?’ I said, ‘Chillin’.’ And he said ‘Alright, I’m about to have someone come get you.’ So I went over to his crib, we got in the studio.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines .
The amazing Reese Witherspoon is 36 years young today. In a career spanning a decade and a half, she’s been atop the box office, won an Oscar, gotten married, had two kids, gotten divorced, gotten remarried … and just this week, announced that she’s pregnant with her third child ! That’s a lot in just 36 years. And the best is yet to come! Reese’s own birthday probably isn’t at the forefront of her mind right now, given that she and agent hubby Jim Toth are expecting their first child together. Neither is looking amazing, because she’s totally the type to whom it comes so naturally, but man, does she ever. Can you believe she’s 36? Honestly. Click to enlarge some of our favorite Reese Witherspoon pics below!
Why the hell would you want to roll up some fraudulent funk??? It’s legal. It’s as easy to buy as aspirin. And a teenager you know has probably tried it. It’s “synthetic pot,” sold in corner stores as herbal incense or potpourri, and doctors and politicians say it’s becoming a dangerous scourge in the city. Dozens of people looking for a quick high are winding up in emergency rooms with alarming symptoms ranging from hallucinations and seizures to panic attacks and violent behavior. The problem is growing so fast that a major medical journal issued a warning last week about about the substance, often referred to as K2 or Spice. And Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is pushing for a nationwide ban that would make it illegal to hawk the condom-sized packets, which sell for $15 to $75 at stores and online. “People have the mind-set that this is ‘just pot,’ but it’s not,” said Dr. Lewis Nelson, a medical toxicologist at NYU Langone and Bellevue hospitals and director of training at the city’s poison control center. “Synthetic marijuana is really a misnomer. It’s really quite different, and the effects are much more unpredictable. “It’s dangerous, and there is no quality control in what you are getting.” There have been several reports of people acting irrationally and violently after a few tokes of the kounterfeit kush. Several teen deaths have been blamed on the Mary Jane substitute: Last week, a 17-year-old who was reportedly high on it fatally stabbed a sleeping schoolmate, Jasmyn Tully, 17, in Washington State because he felt “an urge to hurt someone,” authorities said. Last June, Max Dober, 19, was killed after he bought Aroma at an Illinois mall and crashed his car into a house at 100 mph. In June 2010, Iowa teen David Mitchell Rozga, 18, committed suicide in a frenzy of anxiety that his parents believe was triggered by K2. There’s nothin’ like the real thing baaaaybay! Source More On Bossip! The Swirl: Meet Dwight Howard’s Colorful Assortment Of Baby Mamas [Pics] Played PT. 2: The Most Embarrassing Ways These Celebrities Got FIRED! You’re Outta Here! Shaq Dumps Hoopz And Calls Security On Her To Get Her Things! Twitter Files: Breezy Takes Karrueche To Cancun For Some Fun In The Sun Loving
‘If I feel it, I can get on it,’ Nas tells MTV News about his collabo on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Nadeska Alexis Nicki Minaj Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage When Roman gets reloaded on April 3, it looks like Nicki Minaj ‘s alter ego will have some backup. On Friday (March 16), the Harajuku Barbie unveiled the track list of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Of course, Young Money counterparts Lil Wayne and Drake make appearances, but so do Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Cam’ron, Young Jeezy and 2 Chainz, not to mention Nas on a song called “Champion.” “Nicki hit us up, I got love, so it was nothin’ — I did the record,” Nas told MTV News on Saturday night before his show at South by Southwest. “Champion” also features Drake and Young Jeezy, and based off the features, one can assume that fans will see Nicki in full-on MC mode, as opposed to the pop presence on her current single “Starships.” It’s a duality Nicki embraces. “I guess I am pop culture just because what I’m doing seems to be popular. When people want to do what you’re doing, it’s kinda popular,” she told MTV News after her NBA All-Star Game performance in February. While fans wait to see how Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded holds up sonically, Nas gives his own assurance for “Champion.” For the Queensbridge, New York, MC, it all boils down to a simple feeling: “It’s hip-hop music; music is music. If I feel it, I can get on it. I heard the track, I felt it, I loved it.” What are you expecting from Nas, Drake and Young Jeezy’s Nicki Minaj collaboration? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Nas Nicki Minaj
‘I’m not gonna act like I’m a superhero,’ Mac tells MTV News of his persona on upcoming mixtape. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sam Hendrick Mac Miller Photo: David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns Mac Miller sure knows how to have a good time. On his 2010 breakout mixtape K.I.D.S., the then-teenage MC promoted party and B.S., and has continued to do so on hyped-up follow-up singles like “Donald Trump” and “Party on Fifth Ave.” With his mixtape Macadelic, due Friday, the Woodie of the Year winner is looking to switch things up. “It’s a lot different from anything I’ve ever done,” he told MTV News of the mixtape backstage at the mtvU Woodies . “In my past projects, I always thought about them a lot, like, ‘Where are the party jams? Where are the jams that are fun?’ ” This time out, Mac took a different creative approach with Macadelic. “I was trying to make a complete project, but on this project, all I wanted to do is just say what was on my mind,” he said. “I just worried about saying what I wanted to say, and I felt like there were a lot of things that I wanted to get off my chest, and this mixtape was the way to do it.” One thing Miller wanted to address were the critics who painted him as a frat-boy rapper only concerned about partying, doing drugs and bedding women. “I didn’t have the best reviews on a lot of things, and I speak on that,” he said. “I talk about that. I’m not gonna act like I’m a superhero and sh– doesn’t bother me — of course it bothers me, so I spoke on it.” Cam’ron and Sir Michael Rocks appear on the tape, as well as a big-time feature Miller chose to keep secret for now. “I can’t say who it is,” he teased. “But it’s just wild, wild.” Who do you think is Mac’s surprise Macadelic feature? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Back To The ‘Burgh With Mac Miller And Wiz Khalifa Related Artists Mac Miller
MTV News wraps up the highlights of the Austin, Texas, festival including our favorite celebrity interviews. By Kara Warner Matthew McConaughey in “Killer Joe” Photo: Voltage Pictures AUSTIN, Texas — Although the South by Southwest Music Festival is just getting started, the film portion of the annual music, arts and interactive gathering in Austin, Texas, is coming to an end. It was too short a trip for our tastes, but we were able to cram in an awful lot of film coverage during our time within the city limits. Before we get to the highlights from SXSW Film Fest ’12, here’s a compilation of our interviewees’ humorous commentary regarding the best and worst things about SXSW. “The great thing about SXSW is the proliferation of beautiful young men all over the city,” deadpanned Nick Offerman. “Now that the sun’s out we’re going to be seeing some shirts come off. This is a modern film we’ve made,” he said of his film, “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” trying to tie it to his answer. “Nature is beautiful.” “#1: It’s in Austin, that’s the best,” said Johnny Knoxville. “The Fest feels like it’s picking up steam every year.” “There was one day where from around 11 a.m. ’til whenever I went to bed I think I had — I counted — 28 beers,” “21 Jump Street” star Jonah Hill recalled of his first boozy experience at the festival a few years back. “I was never drunk, it was such a long period of time, there was a good old buzz thing going on for 20 hours.” “My favorite thing so far is waiting in line with other people,” admitted “Jump Street” co-director Chris Miller. “At first it was driving me crazy, but … you’re there for an hour with people who all like the same stuff and have a much cooler conversation there than you would in a bar.” “The cons of SXSW are all the beautiful young women getting in the way of looking at all the beautiful young men,” Offerman continued. “Prancing about, tossing their hair like they’re all that. They’re not.” With those pros and cons in mind, let’s get back to our film-focused journey in Austin, which we began with the Joss Whedon-scripted, Drew Goddard-directed festival opener, “The Cabin in the Woods.” Although it is a traditional horror film with “thrilling deaths,” it’s a crowd-pleaser nonetheless. Then came the twisted thriller “Killer Joe,” which features many an opportunity for awkward laughter and smooth-talkin’ Matthew McConaughey as a killer-for-hire , followed by a surprise appearance from Mark Wahlberg during Seth MacFarlane’s “A Conversation With” panel, which led to a very casual interview about Wahlberg’s acting skills and falling in love with a teddy bear. After that, we walked down a dark childhood memory lane with “Nature Calls” director Todd Rohal and stars Johnny Knoxville and Rob Riggle. We spent time with skateboarding legend Danny Way during his surprise visit to a local skate park, and tried not to laugh ourselves to tears during chats with “Small Apartments” scene-stealer Matt Lucas and deadpan comedy ace Nick Offerman when he told us the best thing about his buzzworthy film, “Somebody Up There Likes Me” is the fact that he gets naked onscreen. We’re still not sure he was telling the truth, but it was hilarious nonetheless. Our final day of film-related action involved a visit to “21 Jump Street” with stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum , who revealed the project’s special ties to SXSW, as well as their reactions to finally seeing the finished film with an audience. We chatted up Fabianne Therese, the star of the recently picked-up home invasion thriller “The Aggression Scale,” who accidentally put her hand through a glass window during filming and resulted in the filmmakers writing it into the script. And then we caught up with the men of “Extracted,” an intriguing film about a man who invents a way to watch people’s memories from inside their minds and then gets trapped within a criminal’s mind. “I think [the movie] means something to everybody,” director Nir Paniry said. “To me, it’s a film about regret and how one memory means something to somebody else and one memory means something to another person. Memories are not finite records, they’re organic, they can be manipulated, but they’re specific to the person. Your memory of something is not my memory of something.” “It’s life. All these things that are universal and timeless,” added star Sasha Roiz. “Trying to confront your past or changing your course of life, redemption. These two men are basically sitting in their own purgatory, one is stuck in a cell, one is stuck in the mind of another man. There all these wonderful themes that bubble to the surface. And although it’s not technically film-related, we spent some time with Lena Dunham, the star/creator/executive producer of HBO’s heavily hyped new series “Girls,” which she promises is grounded in reality and deals with the drama of modern romantic relationships. All in all, our experience was fun-filled, if a tad bit exhausting. For those of you hankering to see the films in our lineup, the good news is that several of them are headed to theaters or small screens near you. “21 Jump Street” opened everywhere Friday (March 16); “Cabin in the Woods” hits theaters April 13; “Girls” premieres on HBO April 15, followed by the DVD/Blu-Ray release of “The Aggression Scale” on May 29. Seth MacFarlane’s live-action debut “Ted” hits theaters July 13. Stick with MTV News for news about the fest’s other buzzworthy entries, “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” “Killer Joe” and “Extracted.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos South by Southwest 2012
Susan Sarandon is a woman at her wit’s end in Jay and Mark Duplass ’ comedy Jeff, Who Lives at Home ; stuck in mind-numbing office job and still dealing with the problems of her two grown but immature sons – Jeff ( Jason Segal ), an unemployed pothead, and Pat ( Ed Helms ), a douchey sales rep – her Sharon spends her days daydreaming about the life she once wanted for herself. As Sarandon confessed in a chat with Movieline, there was plenty in Jeff she related to as a single working mother in an often unforgiving industry – but, as she’s discovered, there’s always “a new dawn, a new day.” In the new Duplass brothers’ comedy, stoner-slacker Jeff receives what he believes to be a sign from the universe that sends him on a day-long odyssey for answers, sweeping his brother Pat along in the intrigue in the process. Meanwhile, their mother Sharon (Sarandon) is dealing with an office mystery of her own: Who is the secret admirer sending her messages, promising the kind of adventure she’s longed for her whole life? Movieline spoke with Sarandon about the film and how many of its themes hit close to home, including the universal desire to find happiness in life, the often counterintuitive realities of being a parent, even the earth-shattering revelation that our parents are just as fallible and human as we are. As the mother of three grown children and a successful industry veteran, Sarandon’s found her way to a philosophy on life that embraces change, making mistakes, and positive thinking she’s embraced so much she tattooed her motto on her wrist. If there’s wisdom to be found in the teachings of the stoner-slacker hero of Jeff, why not also take inspiration from a Hollywood actress like Sarandon? Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a quirky Duplass brothers movie about a stoner but it’s also quite moving, isn’t it? I was crying when I read the script! That’s one of the reasons, I have to be moved by something when I read it, and not necessarily my character but just the idea of the film. I was surprised, didn’t see certain things coming when I started reading it, and I think family is so important and so easy to be estranged from your siblings, from your parents. And it’s so easy as a parent to lose your kids because as they become people they’re not who you expected them to be, and they’re not who you wanted them to be in order to feel safe. You lose track of them, and I think kids really don’t think of their parents as people unless they’re forced to. Sometimes it is strange to think of your parents as having had the same kind of problems or struggles as you, especially as you become an adult. As sexual, for instance? That’s a horrifying idea! Or making mistakes. You think, ‘They’re my parents, they should know what’s going on and be able to do anything,’ and you forget that they’re messed up just like you are. Maybe their parents were terrible, or whatever the circumstance. I think it’s a very big turning point when you forgive your parents for their frailties and just kind of feel bad for them and don’t resent them. I always think when I hear somebody in their thirties going on about their parents, I think ‘Move on! Let go of it!’ I mean, seriously. You do the best you can, you love your kids, and you make so many mistakes. It’s just impossible not to make mistakes, even when you are doing the best you can. Sharon is a single woman whose sons are grown but immature; she’s still dealing with their problems, and it all stems from the void in their lives, the father and husband they lost. Why do you think this family has ended up this way? I related to her quandary: How could she get to the point where she doesn’t even like the people that her kids are anymore? Even though she loves them, she doesn’t like them. And I’m sure she’s been a drag, because being Wendy all the time when everyone else is Peter Pan is a drag. And it’s almost always the woman who says, ‘Seriously, stop playing – it’s time to come in. You’ve got school in the morning. Did you do your homework? You can’t play Nintendo until you finish with your homework.’ It’s not the father, who comes in late. He’s like the dessert, he’s hardly ever around. You really want the dad and you’re desperate for his time because the mom’s always there. So when the dad in this story is gone, that’s such a big deal, to lose a parent. Depending on when you lose your parent in your life, it’s really an important factor. Did you connect personally to Sharon’s story, then, when you read the script? I hope everybody can relate personally to some aspect of it. But you’re also a mother with three kids who are now getting old enough to be on their own… Almost – the 19-year-old is still in school. The 22-year-old has graduated and is trying to find a job, trying to figure out what he’s doing. I think that the idea of real life taking away your dreams, though, is applicable to so many people. Very few people are in jobs that they really love, and life is hard. The economic times are really difficult. Doing something that you really care about seems so frivolous, seems so hard to find a way to do that. I think now that so many people sacrificed the present thinking that they would retire well and got laid off right before, that must be the worst-ever feeling because you played it safe and it still didn’t work. I guess one of the thoughts in watching this film is that you will be successful if you find something you really love to do. It’s certainly easier if you don’t have children and if you can live at home, because financially unless you live with a bunch of people these days it’s so hard in an urban setting to find an apartment you can afford, if you’re starting out at anything. Even with one or two degrees, it’s hard. This is all true, and some of these kinds of concerns pop up in the film – and yet the film is also very optimistic. It is very optimistic, and I love that about it too. Because every day is a miracle, and when you wake up, that is a miracle. You have another shot – a new dawn, a new day. That’s what your tattoo says, right? [Pointing to her wrist] Yeah, that’s my tat. Figuring out a positive framing in life, not that bad things don’t happen and not that you can’t be upset, but finding a way to see every good and bad thing that happens as contributing to a possible new paradigm is really helpful. Hearing you speak over the years, you’ve always seemed very zen in your approach to life. Would you say that’s true? What’s your own perspective on parenting and making mistakes? I guess you could say that. And the universe has dealt me up some really amazing choices, and luckily I threw out the logical one and did follow a path sometimes that I didn’t know where it was going. That is a strength of mine. I encourage my kids to make mistakes – to feel that making mistakes is a really positive thing, because that’s where you figure out where you’re going. As a parent I’m more cautious with their future and I have to fight against that and just make it clear to them that I have faith in them, because again, you’re bringing your conditioning to their lives. And you know, times aren’t even the same as when I was their age. Things are different. And we’re different parents, and they’re up against a whole other set of prejudices that I wasn’t. Pressures of having famous parents, you know. So you can’t say, ‘When I was a child I did that, and that worked’ because it doesn’t necessarily. When a parent disapproves of somebody that their child falls in love with, or a choice that they make in terms of their job, or not to work and to be taking small jobs that don’t seem like they’re worthy of them – I think you have to let your kids know that you trust their judgment and that they’ll find their way, and then be there for them if it doesn’t work out. Say, okay – the next one will. I think a lot of times, for instances, parents of someone who comes out, it can even be parents who aren’t homophobic who think they’re not homophobic but they think suddenly, that lifestyle, oh my god – this is going to be harder. And will I have grandchildren? And will they be accepted? All those things. It’s not so much that in some instances the parents of gays are homophobic, but you just think. ‘Oh my god, you want to be an artist? That’s not going to pay.’ And yet, you turn around and try to be practical. Those people don’t have jobs, either! It’s ironic that I should end up earning a good living and I’ve just been flying by the seat of my pants the whole time. Every time I took off a year to have a kid I thought, I’ll never work again. And you just never know. But that was important to me and I did it and I thought, well, I’ll find some way. Did you think the industry wouldn’t welcome you back after having kids? Well, I had my first child at 39, and I had my third at 45, so I was already over the hill in terms of the industry. [Laughs] And then you just disappear for a year, plus when I started having kids it was still thought in a way that you couldn’t be desirable once you started having children. And that’s clearly not the case anymore. Well, and I think it’s really great because gals your age or my daughter’s just assume they can have a family life and a career, it’s not one or the other! I mean, it doesn’t even occur. She doesn’t even like the word “feminist,” it sounds so strident, and I totally understand that. You don’t need the word “feminist” anymore, and you don’t have to apologize if you do want a family and you don’t want to work outside the home. A lot has changed since 1970, when I did my first movie. It’s interesting to hear such universal parental stories from a “famous” parent like yourself. Well, I have cool very interesting kids, where I’m now in that phase of my life where they’re teaching me. They’re bringing me up to speed on everything – all the music, all the writing… Not to mention the fact that your dog is on Twitter , isn’t she? My dog’s Tweeting! [Laughs] But my son, who has switched to contemplative studies, has been handing me books that I wouldn’t have found, and we’re discussing things that are really interesting. They’ve punched some holes in my mind — and working on this film was kind of like that, too because it was a different way of working. Not that I’d never done improve before, but [the Duplass brothers’] attitude was very fresh and loving. I felt safe with them. Really interesting things happen when you’re put with a lively group of people in an atmosphere where you’re not afraid to make mistakes 100% and look like a fool. I read a quote somewhere that said, ‘Genius is the ability to stay in an uncomfortable situation the longest,’ and I think that’s true. Something happens and instead of observing it or dealing with it you either get angry or you split, but when you can stay in that situation is when something amazing happens. Jeff, Who Lives at Home opens today in limited release. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
‘She had been tweeted by her fans en masse, saying you’re in this video,’ Jedidiah Jenkins of Invisible Children organization tells MTV News. By Jacob Soboroff Rihanna Photo: Getty Images At noon Pacific time last Monday, Jedidiah Jenkins, a member of the nonprofit organization Invisible Children’s inner circle , saw the group’s 278th YouTube video uploaded and wasn’t sure what to expect. Jenkins had written the script to the film, the 30-minute documentary “Kony 2012,” about the Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, and it had been a grind. “It was really the hardest movie we’ve ever made” in the nearly decade-long history of the group, he told MTV News in a phone interview from Los Angeles. The film is now the most viral video ever, with more than 70 million views on YouTube alone in the video’s first six days thanks in no small part to an army of young supporters who flexed their power by using social media to drive celebrities and friends to watch and share the video. Creating online content and distributing it with social media was nothing new for Invisible Children — the group already had 450,000 Facebook friends the night before the video was posted and they’ve used YouTube to share videos about their cause since 2006 — but the way this video spread was something the group could never have planned. Jenkins said the group posted the video at noon on Monday and that evening hosted a screening at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles with celebrities Kristen Bell and Jason Bateman, who took to Twitter at 9:42 p.m., immediately after watching the film. “We had a strategy to screen it at CAA with the few celebrities we know, get them in the room, make them watch it,” Jenkins said. Within the 24 hours that followed, celebrities including comedian Kelly Oxford, Ryan Seacrest, Diddy, Justin Bieber, Oprah and Steve Carrell had tweeted about the video after being notified about it by their fans thanks to a call-to-action in the documentary. Soon enough, Jenkins’ phone was ringing off the hook, including a call from Rihanna . “She had been tweeted by her fans en masse, saying you’re in this video,” Jenkins recalled. “She just kind of responded and clicked on the link that one of her fans followed. It blew her mind. She tweeted it immediately. One of her music video directors, Anthony Mandler, actually went to Uganda with me to see our programs on the ground in November. Anthony texted her. They conference called me at 11 at night and I missed the call twice, because I was at a late dinner. Three calls in a row means it’s an emergency,” so Jenkins picked up. “Anthony said, ‘Jed, I have Rihanna on the line. She wants to talk to you.’ ” Jenkins continued. He recalled the 24-year-old singer saying, “I’ve never been moved like this, I’ve never been involved. I want to go big. I want to get involved. I want this to be my thing and I want to blow this up. I want to get kids involved. I’m just responding to my fans. They’re so moved by this.” Wherever you land in the debate over the organization’s tactics and the film’s accuracy, “Kony 2012” is undeniably a social media phenomenon made possible by support from celebrities encouraged to get involved by their young fans. Even CNN’s Piers Morgan admitted he first heard about the movement from his 14-year-old son. As of press time, Invisible Children has nearly 3 million likes on Facebook, and the question remains: What’s next for this enormous group of engaged and active young people when so many of their peers are apathetic? Jenkins said the group is considering participating in a voter-registration drive as the 2012 election approaches. But he admitted that first he and his colleagues have to get caught up. “We couldn’t have ever, ever imagined that this would be the fastest viral movement in history,” he said. “We are dealing with an unprecedented amount of attention. It’s a huge amount of responsibility. It’s exhausting. We’re excited for the challenge, but it’s intimidating too.” Related Artists Rihanna
MTV News takes a look at why Madge’s upcoming album is a drug worth taking. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna’s MDNA Photo: Interscope Madonna wants us to dance the heartbreak away on MDNA. The record, set to drop on March 26, has some of the finest musical moments we’ve heard from the pop legend in the last few years, recalling the finer songs and themes she explored on Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dance Floor. It’s clear that Madge had her heart broken, most likely by her former hubby and British auteur, Guy Ritchie. She explores the pain of life post-divorce on many of the songs on the album, and most of the time, it works perfectly. Madonna really understands heartbreak and she understands even better how it can empower someone to be a better person. While all the buzz seems to be about “I Don’t Give A” and the bit too on-the-nose confessions she makes about her divorce (where she even sings about falling off a horse), her anger is even darker on the William Orbit-produced “Gang Bang.” Sparse at times and always punctuated by a pulsing beat, it’s incredibly hard. It’s the type of record you’d expect to hear at some after-hours club that your really edgy friend knows about. It’s about falling completely in love and falling more deeply into hate when it’s over. Serving as a pop-song revenge fantasy, Madonna sings, “And I’m going straight to hell/ And I’ve got a lot of friends there/ And if I see that b—- in Hell/ I’m gonna shoot him in the head again/ Cause I wanna see him die/ Over and over and over.” On the disco-tinged “Love Spent,” Madge sings about feeling like nothing more than a bank to a former lover (she did have one very costly breakup from Ritchie), and on the remorseful, melodic “Best Friend,” she admits, “Your picture’s off the wall, but I’m still waiting for your call/ And every man that walks through the door/ Will be compared to you.” “Superstar” is light and airy, recalling some of the singer’s highlights from the ’80s. The mid-tempo’s production, which comes courtesy of Hardy “Indiigo” Muanza, certainly helps distract from some of the sillier lyrics that have Madonna comparing her boy toy to famed dudes like Al Capone and James Dean. If anyone was wondering why she called the album MDNA, all they need to do is look to “I’m Addicted,” the super club-thumping track full of bleeping noises, spare moments and then big chugging ones, which are filled out with loopy instances. It’s about letting go and loving someone completely: “Now that your name/ Pumps like blood in my veins/ Pulsing through my body, lighting my mind/ It’s like MDNA and that’s OK.” MDNA, of course, is also known as ecstasy, giving the track the perfect metaphor for love on the dance floor. While most of the album addresses the highs and lows of falling in love, “Some Girls” is all about Madonna proclaiming her awesomeness. Another Orbit jam, it’s a crunchy, robotic, thumping anthem that puts Madonna right in the center of female empowerment. “I’m not like the rest,” she proclaims, as if anyone would ever question that. “Some girls are second best.” On the chorus, she declares, “Some girls are not like me/ I’m everything you’ve ever dreamed of/ I got you begging please.” One of the highlights is “Turn Up the Radio,” which sounds like it was born to be this summer’s feel-good anthem. It’s bright, happy and fun, all about letting go of the past. Over Martin Solveig’s sunny production, Madge sings, “It was time I opened my eyes/ I’m leaving the past behind/ Nothing’s ever what it seems/ Including this time and this crazy dream.” She’s not wrong to be that confident on this album. She’s certainly in the groove. And the album is full of strength, but it’s also her vulnerability that rounds it out. If fans thought link type=”content” id=”1678478″> “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” and “Girl Gone Wild” are what this era is all about, they are only seeing pieces of the MDNA puzzle, that’s only completed when listening to the album from front to back. In the end, this album is a drug worth taking. Are you counting down the days to the release of MDNA ? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Madonna
‘I felt like I deserved it two years ago,’ Bad Boy rapper tells ‘RapFix Live.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway The cover of XXL ‘s Freshman issue Photo: MTV News French Montana has been grinding for years, but to many the XXL Freshman is still a relative newcomer. Though he has more than a dozen mixtapes, Montana has yet to release his debut album — it’s scheduled to drop July 17. Still, French initially felt he had surpassed the current crop of rap rookies and almost turned down the cover opportunity, until he thought about it a little more. “I kinda like wasn’t gonna do it, because I felt like I deserved it two years ago, last year. You know how that goes,” French told Sway on Wednesday’s episode of “RapFix Live.” After a meeting with the magazine’s staff, French changed his mind and agreed to shoot the cover with rappers like his Bad Boy labelmate Machine Gun Kelly, Iggy Azalea and Future. “They were like, ‘This is based upon if you don’t have an album out.’ But to me I looked at it as another stepping stone because I respect everything they do,” French told Sway. “I said, ‘I really don’t have no album out and I’m still like a rookie to the mainstream world.’ ” It’s been a long road for the Morocco-born, Bronx, New York-raised rapper. Wanting to make a name for himself, French started a series of street-flavored DVD documentaries that he branded “Cocaine City” in 2003. He covered the hottest rap talent but created a platform where he could show off his own music as well. The tactic worked, but it did have some setbacks. “My vision for that was a platform for me to showcase my talent,” he said. “When we were doin’ the ‘Cocaine City’ DVDs, we kinda like attacked a lot of rappers, because, you know, negativity spreads faster. So you did what you had to do. So it backfired on me when I was trying to rap.” Frenchie feels that his negative coverage of other MCs caused him to be blackballed in the industry, but he continued to put out music. Now his “Shot Caller” single is climbing up the Billboard rap charts and the release of his debut album, Excuse My French, will be overseen by Diddy and Rick Ross. And, of course, French Montana appears on the XXL Freshman cover. Things are looking up. What do you think of French Montana’s inclusion on the 2012 XXL Freshman cover? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists French Montana
