The legendary producer relives the pop diva’s 1983 television debut on ‘Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words.’ By Kara Warner Whitney Houston Photo: MTV News There were several noteworthy aspects of MTV News’ special tribute “Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words” Wednesday, such as the rarely seen interview clips of Houston from her network debut in 1986 through her final interview, as well as her unforgettable impact on music as a whole straight from the man responsible for her discovery at age 19, Clive Davis. “The week after I signed her I had an open opportunity from Merv Griffin. He said, ‘Whenever you run across a talent that blows you away, I want you to bring her on my show,’ ” Davis told MTV News of arranging Houston’s memorable 1983 television debut. “Either you’ve got or you don’t have it,” Davis is shown telling Griffin in a clip from that specific show. “She’s got it, wait ’til you hear her,” Griffin said. “Here’s Whitney Houston.” “My introduction of Whitney was that if there’s going to be one performer for the next generation who combined the beauty and lyric phrasing of a Lena Horne with those Gospel fiery roots of an Aretha Franklin, it would be Whitney Houston,” Davis said. The legendary record producer attributed Houston’s genius to her ability to fully interpret and embody a song. “You see the genius that Whitney Houston has as an interpreter of material and you realize why genius can be applied to only a few interpretive performers,” Davis said. “She finds meaning and depth and soulfulness in a song that often the writer and composer never really knew was there. Whitney approached that with her phrasing; she studied hard. She would go into the studio, sometimes she would do it on one take. Once she agrees that the song is special for her, she really does in every matter make it her own.” Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page. Related Videos Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words
Can humor be quantified? Not a chance, but that didn’t stop Google from trying. The tech giant actually created an algorithm which ranks the funniest YouTube videos. It takes into account certain elements of the clip(s), the uploader’s interpretation of it (based on title, description and tags) and of course user comments and votes. The video below – actually a collection of three practical jokes – won. While it’s definitely up there, ranking it THE best might be a bit of a stretch. Watch and see: Funniest Video of All Time? Google engineer Sanketh Shetty explained the methodology and its challenges: “Viewers emphasize reaction to videos in several ways: e.g. capitalization (LOL), elongation (loooooool), repetition (lololol), exclamation (lolllll!!!!), and combinations thereof. If a user uses an “loooooool” vs an “loool”, does it mean they were more amused?” The results of the experiment can be seen on Google’s Comedy Slam leaderboard. According to the same method, the funniest video of just this week is this one, featuring some dude trying to reach a tomato through ceiling fan blades. Spoiler alert: It ends badly for him. Enjoy: Dude’s Face Meets Ceiling Fan
Kobe Bryant and wife Vanessa Bryant just split, but are already working on a reconciliation, according to reports… and photos of them kissing (on TMZ). Vanessa showed up for the Lakers’ win over the Atlanta Hawks last night, and the couple shared a kiss in the tunnel on the way into the locker room. Love was apparently in the air for the ex-spouses on Valentine’s Day! Vanessa filed for divorce in December, and they already sealed a property settlement deal in which she got all three of their homes and $75 million . The pair married over a decade ago and have two little girls (above). However, Kobe has been trying to win her back ever since the split, and the divorce is not final, so there’s more than a glimmer of hope for the pair. While Kobe and Vanessa Bryant submitted all the necessary papers to divorce, it doesn’t become finalized until mid-June – six months under California law. There’s plenty of time to withdraw the papers, and it looks like things are trending that way, though Kobe and Vanessa are NOT living together … yet. [Photo: WENN.com]
Playboy Playmate of the Year Claire Sinclair finds it necessary to be candid and open up about her recent alleged attack from boyfriend Marston Hefner … a lot. Sinclair opened up about the whole dispute to E! News today, having already spoken to the network about it at length regarding Sunday night’s altercation. She says she’s just trying raise awareness of domestic abuse and to help others, but you get the sense she’s also trying to raise awareness of … Claire Sinclair. In any case, they broke up apparently. In any case, she describes Marston Hefner’s assault on her as such: “We had just freshly moved into the apartment, and I know Marston was a little stressed out about it, and Marston has been unstable throughout the whole course of our relationship… and we got into an argument about something really silly.” “It escalated and it became violent. Initially, he kicked me and I went backwards, I fell. Then he punched me and grabbed me up, and I scratched him to defend myself.” “It was very shocking,” Sinclair said, showing off a bruise on her arm. As for Marston’s dad, Hugh Hefner, and Playboy Enterprises, the 2011 Playmate of the Year claims neither have reached out to her after all this occurred. “Nobody, no support at all. Nobody’s empathetic or concerned. It’s more like, cover it up and protect the image, you know what I’m saying?” “In one aspect, I’m ridiculously offended by the way things are being handled, on the other aspect, I understand. It’s family.” “And they’re looking out for their name, and I understand that but they need to at least, recognize what has happened and apologize for what has happened.” The 20-year-old Claire Sinclair also shared that this isn’t the first domestic dispute in their two-year relationship and is currently no longer with Marston. Marston Hefner has not responded to requests for for comment.
Live 30-minute special will feature interview clips with Houston dating back to her network debut in 1986. By Gil Kaufman Whitney Houston in 1995 Photo: 20th Century Fox/Getty Images MTV will pay respects to Whitney Houston on Wednesday (February 15) with a live 30-minute tribute entitled “Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words.” The MTV News special, airing at 7:30 p.m. ET and hosted by Sway Calloway, will feature interview clips of Houston from her network debut in 1986 through her final interview. Houston died at age 48 on Saturday in her Los Angeles hotel room of as-yet-undetermined causes. The singer had a long history with the network, dating back to her 1985 self-titled debut album. The third single from that multiplatinum smash was “How Will I Know,” which helped introduce the singer to a wider audience when it became one of the first videos by a black female singer to go into heavy rotation on MTV, blasting open the doors for a whole generation of R&B and pop divas to follow. Along the way, Houston smashed a number of records , including the best-selling single of all time by a female artist, her iconic cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” The Grammy-winning album that song came from, the soundtrack to her big-screen debut, “The Bodyguard,” also set the all-time record for soundtrack albums, with more than 44 million copies sold worldwide. During the MTV special, Sway will share personal stories from music celebrities on Houston’s impact and her peerless voice. The show will stream simultaneously on MTV.com and be available on demand immediately after it airs. In addition, MTV News will continue its coverage of the tragic death of the singer, covering everything from breaking developments to Houston’s funeral . Houston will be laid to rest in her native Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday at an invitation-only private funeral at her childhood house of worship, the New Baptist Church. The cause of Houston’s death is still unknown. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office continues to quell any speculation. “I know there are reports that she maybe was drowned or did she overdose, but we won’t make a final determination until all the tests are in,” he told CNN . Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page. Related Videos Remembering An Icon: Whitney’s Top MTV Moments Related Photos Whitney Houston: A Life In Photos Related Artists Whitney Houston
Duo shot much-anticipated clip in Los Angeles, director Yohann Lemoine confirms. By Tomika L. Anderson Drake Photo: John Shearer/ Getty Images Be on the lookout for that long-awaited video from Rihanna and Drake . While there’s still no official release date for the clip for the emotionally revealing “Take Care,” the title track off Drake’s sophomore album , video director Yoann Lemoine assures fans it has been shot … and it’s on the way. “I just shot Drake & Rihanna’s ‘Take Care,’ video,” he tweeted early Friday (February 10). “Beautiful track, amazing artists. EDITING NOW!” As further proof that a vid for the dreamy track was under way, the director tweeted a picture of the three of them on the Los Angeles set. Rih and the Young Money star apparently shot the video while in town for the 2012 Grammys on Sunday. The result will be Rihanna and Drake’s first video collaboration since “What’s My Name.” Lemoine’s previous credits include Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” Taylor Swift’s “Back to December” and Lana Del Ray’s tiger-featuring “Born to Die” clip . Drizzy — who’s gearing up to present at Sunday’s awards show — is up for Best Rap Performance for “Moment 4 Life,” with Nicki Minaj, while Rihanna is up for Album of the Year for Loud. Meanwhile, Rih is slated to perform with Coldplay on the big night. Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don’t miss Sway and James Montgomery live from the Grammys red carpet this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn’t end Sunday: MTV News has you covered until the Grammy hangover wears off! Related Videos Drake’s ‘Take Care’: Behind The Scenes Related Artists Drake Rihanna
LL Cool J will become the second hip-hop artist to host the Grammy Awards on Sunday. By Rob Markman LL Cool J in the mid-1980s Photo: Paul Natkin/ WireImage Box. All it took was a simple three-letter word to jumpstart the illustrious career of a hip-hop legend. LL Cool J was unknown when he made a cameo in the 1985 film “Krush Groove” but it wouldn’t be long before the rap world began buzzing about the 16-year old boy in the baby-blue Kangol. In the flick, which was based off the formative years of seminal hip-hop record label Def Jam, LL walked into an office to showcase his talents for label brass and top talent Run-DMC. After he was denied an audition, the Hollis, Queens MC simply said, “Box,” signaling his entourage to cue the oversized boombox and start the music. It was then that LL began rapping his debut single “I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” an ode to the ghetto blasters that ruled the 1980s. Fast forward 27 years and that cocky kid in the baby-blue bucket hat has conquered every avenue in music, set new benchmarks in Hollywood and is now hosting the 54th Annual Grammy Awards . But LL Cool J (born James Todd Smith) isn’t the first hip-hop artist to host the Grammys. Queen Latifah had the honor before him, but the Grammys didn’t officially start recognizing hip-hop as a legitimate genre until 1989, when DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” won for the untelevised Best Rap Performance. Hip-hop has certainly come a long way. “When we first started the music, they didn’t even play it on the radio in the daytime,” LL told MTV News in October when he walked the carpet at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards , acknowledging the network for dedicating an entire show to rap music. “Hip-hop was two hours at night or an hour at night on the weekends, and that was it. So to go from an hour or two hours at night to entire award shows and whole generations of people whose lives have been changed just because they’re involved with the music, that’s a big thing.” Just as hip-hop has grown, so has Smith. Back in the 1980s, when he first started his career, many considered rap to only be a passing fad. (MCs who clocked more than three albums in their discographies were thought to be anomalies.) LL has put out 14 albums if you include his two greatest hits LPs, 1996’s All World and 2009’s All World 2. There was his classic 1985 debut Radio and his critically acclaimed 1990 album Mama Said Knock You Out, which spawned the Grammy Award-winning single of the same name. In the mid-1990s, he once again proved his dominance with Mr. Smith and took his hit-making skills into the new millennium with his 2002 single “Luv U Better” off of his 10 album. Check out photos of LL throughout his career! If Uncle L’s music accolades aren’t enough, his strides in Hollywood have surely made him not just a hip-hop icon, but a permanent fixture in American pop culture. He started in “Krush Groove” with a brief cameo playing himself, but quickly followed up with an appearance in Goldie Hawn’s “Wildcats” the next year. Since then, he has starred in major motion pictures like “Deep Blue Sea” with Samuel L. Jackson, “Any Given Sunday” alongside Al Pacino and “S.W.A.T.” with Colin Farrell. LL also held it down in his own television series, “In the House,” and now stars as Special Agent Sam Hanna in the police drama “NCIS: Los Angeles.” It’s been quite a ride for LL Cool J, and when music fans watch him Sunday night at the Grammys, they will surely see a well-accomplished musician, actor and business man, while those who have followed since day one will see that 16-year-old kid in the baby-blue Kangol and say, “Wow, he’s come a long way.” Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don’t miss our Grammy red-carpet live stream this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn’t end Sunday: MTV News has you covered for all the Grammy red-carpet fashion , Grammy winners and Grammy news until the hangover wears off! Related Videos A Guide To The Grammys 2012 Related Photos LL Cool J: From Hollis To Hollywood Related Artists LL Cool J
Greek artist Petros Vrellis created this beautiful interactive animated version of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” (video). The interactive work is powered by openFrameworks, an open source coding toolkit for creatives. via Colossal & Creative Applications Network Broadcasting platform : Vimeo Source : Laughing Squid Discovery Date : 10/02/2012 19:32 Number of articles : 3
Despite Lil Wayne’s claims, Jay-Z is widely considered the best rapper living. His talent has afforded the former Marcy Projects resident trips to St. Tropez and luxury apartments in New York City. As nice as the money is for Jigga, he gives charitable donations to different organizations. Or does he? According to reports, hip-hop’s biggest figure only gave his own charity, The Shawn Carter Foundation , $6,431 in 2010. Jay-Z walked home with $67 million that year. In the same year, Beyonce made $87 million, after taxes, and contributed nary a copper penny to her husband’s scholarship foundation. Carter did just perform two sold out shows at Carnegie Hall where the proceeds were split between The Shawn Carter Foundation and the United Way of New York . Tickets ranged in price from $150 – $15,000. We know the total amount of ticket sales raised a nice sum of money for the charities, but exactly how much is actually going to the charities? Head over to Bossip to find out. RELATED POSTS: Jay-Z & Beyonce Choose Godparents For Blue Ivy Carter? Jay-Z Is Not A Spokesperson For Black Fathers [OPINION]
Running your OWN Network isn’t as easy as it looks. (pun intended). Ever since end her talk show, Oprah has been faced with challenges to get build interest (and an audience) on her OWN Network. According to recent reports, her “O Magazine” has been suffering as well… From Ad Week Since Oprah’s namesake show went off the air last September, her magazine’s newsstand sales have also faded from sight. Brass at Hearst, which publishes the 2.4 million circulation O with Winfrey, had downplayed the impact of the show’s ending on the magazine, saying they expected fans to turn to it to get their Oprah fix. Yet, O, The Oprah Magazine’s newsstand sales plunged 32 percent to 413,363 in the second half of last year (after an 8 percent falloff in the first half), according to just-released Audit Bureau of Circulations figures. By comparison, all measured consumer magazines’ single-copy sales dropped 10 percent.
