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30 Seconds To Mars Plot ‘Crazy’ Entrance For 2010 VMAs

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Jared Leto likens it to ‘open-heart surgery on the dance floor.’ By James Montgomery 30 Seconds To Mars Photo: MTV News You would probably think — based on, well, practically everything — that Jared Leto is not the kind of guy who likes to play things close to the vest (or studded leather jacket, or whatever). And in most instances, you’d be right. But not when it comes to 30 Seconds To Mars’ arrival at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards . Because while he’s certainly got big plans, he’s not about to reveal them just yet. “We have an entrance plan that has never, ever been done before in the history of the VMAs,” Leto told MTV News on Tuesday. “Basically, it’s like ‘Seinfeld’ but not … it’s like open-heart surgery on the dance floor, it’s like taking your eyeballs out and putting them in the opposite sockets. It’s going to be crazy.” That sounds, uh, interesting. And while we suspect he’s kidding, Leto and his 30 Seconds to Mars mates definitely have something in the works for the big show, which airs Sunday, September 12, live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. After all, 30 Seconds to Mars are nominated for four awards, including Best Rock Video and Video of the Year for their epic “Kings and Queens” clip . And so, somewhat appropriately, their grand entrance will probably be inspired by that video. Though, again, Leto isn’t about to give away any secrets. “It could, quite possibly, pay homage to the ‘Kings and Queens’ video,” he said. “We may be arriving in a way that encourages treating your planet in a better way. … We will hopefully be arriving in style, and [be doing] something different and fun and something I believe is appropriate.” So, bikes? Maybe. Though nothing is set in stone just yet … there are still backroom deals to be made and palms to be greased. Both of which, as luck would have it, are 30STM specialties. “We are plotting and planning the arrival of 30 Seconds to Mars, and hopefully, we will be appearing in a very special way, but we haven’t got the final approval [yet],” Leto smiled. “We only do behind-the-scenes campaigning. We’re into bribery and things like that.” The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 12, at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for the winners in general categories, including Best New Artist, from now through September 12. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: 30 Seconds To Mars Frame By Frame: 30 Seconds To Mars’ ‘Kings And Queens’ Related Artists 30 Seconds To Mars

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A Look Back At Live Aid, By The Numbers

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

We celebrate the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking charity concert by breaking out the calculators. By James Montgomery Bono performs at Live Aid on July 13, 1985 Photo: Peter Still/ Redferns Twenty-five years ago Tuesday (July 13), Bob Geldof and Midge Ure moved mountains, arranged satellites and assuaged rock-star egos to pull off one of the most monumental concerts in history. Live Aid, the transatlantic charity bash , brought together the biggest names in music — all of whom played for free — on two massive stages in London and Philadelphia, beamed their performances out to the entire world (including here in the U.S. on a fledgling cable network called MTV) and managed to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for famine relief in Ethiopia. It was, shall we say, a pretty incredible event — one Geldof rather shockingly booked in roughly three weeks, mostly on a whim (he was knighted for his efforts). And it’s not exactly hyperbole to say that it changed the world and defined an entire generation. So in celebration of Live Aid’s 25th anniversary, we decided to break out the calculators and crunch the numbers a bit. Here are some of the figures that helped make history. 1.5 billion : The estimated number of viewers who tuned in to watch the concerts, in 100 different countries. 150 million pounds : The amount that Live Aid raised for famine relief in Ethiopia. It works out to some $245 million U.S. 162,000 : The number of people who attended the two main Live Aid concerts — 72,000 in London’s Wembley Stadium and 90,000 in Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium. There were, of course, other concerts held in conjunction with Live Aid, in Sydney (OZ for Africa) and Cologne, Germany, to name a few. Bands also taped performances from Moscow, Japan, Austria, Norway and Yugoslavia. 70 : As best as we can count (using detailed Live Aid sites like this one ), this was the total number of acts/artists that performed on the stages in London and Philadelphia. It’s a list that includes Madonna, U2, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Elton John, Queen, Black Sabbath, Run-DMC, Santana, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Neil Young, the remaining three members of Led Zeppelin, Duran Duran, Bob Dylan and Tina Turner. Of course, we’re not counting the prince and princess of Wales (who appeared at Wembley), any of the celebs who introduced all the acts, everyone who joined in for the group finales at either concert or the artists who appeared in taped performances from around the globe. If you really want to get technical, here’s a list of everyone — musician, actor, comedian, royalty — who participated. 16 hours : The continuous length of the entire Live Aid concert. The show in London started at noon and ended at 11 p.m. In Philadelphia, things got under way at 8:51 a.m. and ended at 11:05 p.m. (4:05 a.m. in London), meaning that the entire thing ran for 16 hours. Though, as you can see, between London and Philly, there were actually more than 27 hours of total performances. 1 : The total number of artists who appeared at both the London and Philadelphia concerts. It was Phil Collins, who, after performing at Wembley, took a helicopter to Heathrow Airport, hopped on the Concorde and made it to JFK Stadium to do a second set — and play drums for Eric Clapton and the reunion of the former members of Led Zeppelin. He also reportedly convinced Cher — whom he met on the Concorde — to take the stage in Philly. What can we say? The man was dedicated. What are your memories of Live Aid? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos A Look Back At The Live Aid Concert, July 13, 1985

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Robert Pattinson Says Life Without Music Is ‘Driving Me Crazy’

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I’ve just bought a couple new guitars, and I’ve started trying to write things again,’ he tells MTV News. By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Robert Pattinson Photo: MTV News Back in July 2008, “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke told MTV News that Robert Pattinson had plans to compose three songs for the vampire film’s soundtrack. As it turned out, only one RPattz track popped up on the album, but Twilighters were on notice: The Brit actor harbored some serious musical ambitions. “I was doing music before I started acting, so I still have bits and pieces, and I’ve been playing in Portland [during the shoot],” Pattinson told us on the “Twilight” set . “I’ve been trying to write an album for years and years.” Two years later, with the third installment of the franchise about to hit theaters, Pattinson has found himself frustratingly disconnected from that passion and without the time to listen to much music or write his own material. “I haven’t been [paying attention to music] for a while,” he told MTV News. “I don’t know why. I’ve just sort of not been listening to it. It’s so odd when that happens. You’re just like, ‘I’ve forgotten what everything is.’ ” Yet Pattinson refuses to let his musical talents go to waste, as he’s trying to dive back into songwriting mode. Stymieing those efforts are his jam-packed schedule of shooting and publicity; he’s in the midst of shooting “Water for Elephants” with Reese Witherspoon at the same time that he’s promoting “Eclipse.” “I’ve just bought a couple new guitars, and I’ve started trying to write things again,” he said. “But I never have any time, ever.” You can tell how perturbed Pattinson is by his inability to carve out time to play music. And you’ve got to hope he figures out a way to make music work within the confines of his hectic professional career, because right now, he’s bummed without music in his life. “It’s kind of driving me crazy,” he said. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Robert Pattinson Related Photos A Glimpse Into Robert Pattinson’s Future The Many Faces Of Robert Pattinson The Evolution Of: Robert Pattinson

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Drake Recalls Visiting Lil Wayne In Prison

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘There’s a whole world moving out there that he hasn’t seen for so long,’ Drizzy tells MTV News. By Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Sway Calloway Drake Photo: MTV News When Drake visited Lil Wayne last week in Rikers Island, it was an experience like no other. “It was just not the country club,” Drake told MTV News on Tuesday, the day his debut album, Thank Me Later, was released. “It wasn’t his Miami condo. It wasn’t Atlanta. It wasn’t Tree Sound Studios, all the places I’m used to seeing him. It wasn’t Club Liv in Miami. It wasn’t any of them.” Drake has tried to wrap his head around Wayne’s situation in prison. It’s been difficult, but he did grasp some jewels from their visit. “He kept looking to the window,” Drizzy described. “He’d look up at the window almost like he’s looking right through it. It’s frosted, so you can’t see out. I was like, ‘Why does he keep staring through the window? There’s nothing out there.’ To him, there’s a whole world moving out there that he hasn’t seen for so long. He was just like, he told me something I never thought I’d hear him say, which was, ‘You’re the ultimate artist. You’re better than me. You don’t have the tattoos, you don’t cause any trouble. People like you.’ He was like, basically, ‘Look at me and look at you.’ “He was like, ‘Man, listen. You know what I think you’re about to do? You’re about to do 2 million,’ ” Drake recalled, echoing Wayne’s sentiments from last week’s “Nino Brown Story, Pt. 3″ preview . ” ‘You’re about to do 2 million the first week.’ ” Drake thought back to a conversation they previously had, when the Toronto native wanted to get a tattoo; Weezy advised against it. ” ‘Whatever, man, whatever you do, do not get no tattoos never in your life,’ ” Drake recalled Wayne telling him. ” ‘They gonna think you got it because you came around me.’ He said the same thing to me [during the Rikers visit]: ‘Don’t change yourself, please. You got it. I’ve never met a young dude that has it figured out, but you got it. Don’t mess it up. Just be you. Sing! Rap! Be you. Don’t stop smiling.’ That’s what he said.” What do you think about Drake and Wayne’s relationship? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Drake Drake’s MTV Special “Better Than Good Enough”

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Nikki Reed Talks ‘Breaking Dawn’ Negotiations, MTV Movie Awards

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I still won’t be nominated for Best Kiss, because I never kiss anyone!’ she laughs about her ‘Twilight’ character. By Ryan J. Downey Photo: MTV News When it comes to believing rumors about the “Twilight” cast, Nikki Reed has some simple advice straight out of the ’80s hip-hop playbook: Don’t believe the hype. “I think it’s kind of an obvious thing that we would all come back to do [‘Breaking Dawn’],” the 22-year-old actress told MTV News on Tuesday, addressing a rumor to the contrary that said salary disputes threatened to sideline one or more of her castmates. “The media gets involved. I mean, I didn’t really read anything that was printed,” she said, adding with a laugh: “At least the things that were printed about me.” While Reed isn’t reading the blogs, trades or tabloids, sometimes her parents are. “I get the occasional phone call from my mom or my dad going, like, ‘Hey, is this true? I heard that.’ And I’m like, ‘No! No, I’m not having a baby. No, I’m not! And yes I’m doing “Breaking Dawn”!’ [ Laughs. ] It’s always random.” A collective sigh of relief came from Twilighters worldwide when it was confirmed that Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and the rest of the cast would, in fact, reunite for director Bill Condon’s take on the fourth and final “Twilight Saga” book, “Breaking Dawn.” “Of course we’re all going to do the fourth movie. We did the first, second and third, and it makes sense, because we love the books and we want to make these movies,” she said. Perhaps wary of contributing to complicated reports herself, Reed quickly added: “I mean, I’m speaking for myself, I guess.” Reed first caught the attention of moviegoers in “Thirteen,” the 2003 teen drama she co-wrote when she was just that age herself. Reed’s “Thirteen” co-writer and director, Catherine Hardwicke, went on to cast her in the first “Twilight” movie, which launched the franchise just two years ago. Last year’s “New Moon” is nominated in multiple categories at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards , including Best Movie, but Reed insisted, “We should all win,” noting, “I’m very diplomatic.” While it seems assured that all the “Twilight” movies will end up nominated at future Movie Awards, there’s one category currently featuring two of her co-stars she’s confident she’ll never appear in. “I still won’t be nominated for Best Kiss , because I never kiss anyone!” she laughed. Are you rooting for “New Moon” at the Movie Awards? Let us know in the comments! Don’t miss the live red-carpet coverage, exclusive movie clips and fist-pumping action on MTV News’ “Jersey Shore Blow-Out at the MTV Movie Awards,” airing live from Los Angeles this Sunday, June 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Then stay tuned for the 2010 MTV Movie Awards at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Related Videos Get Ready For The 2010 MTV Movie Awards!

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Crystal Bowersox ‘Predicted’ Lee DeWyze Would Win ‘American Idol’

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It was just a feeling I had, and, uh, I was right,’ she tells MTV News. By James Montgomery Crystal Bowersox Photo: MTV News There was a rather common misconception that, during her time on “American Idol,” dreadlocked dynamo Crystal Bowersox didn’t actually care about winning the show at all. So it seemed oddly fitting to many that she ended up finishing second, behind champ Lee DeWyze . But while Bowersox is fine with her runner-up status, she wants to make one thing abundantly clear: She always wanted to come out on top. “I wouldn’t have tried out if I didn’t think I had a shot at winning,” she told MTV News on Tuesday (June 1). “But it’s a weird confliction, because, to me, music shouldn’t be about competition; it’s about expression, it’s emotive, it’s all those things. But at the same time, the industry is a big competition and who can sell the most records. So it was a little strange for me, but I really tried to give it my best and sing songs I could relate to and that I thought other people could relate to. … I had a strategy.” And thanks to that strategy — and, you know, her prodigious voice — she kept advancing in the competition. But on the morning of the “Idol” finale, she had an epiphany: No matter how hard she had worked, DeWyze was going to win. “I tried not to think about it too much, but Wednesday morning, I woke up, and I had a strange, calm feeling. In my mind, I predicted Lee to win. … And whatever reason that’s based on, it was just a feeling I had, and, uh, I was right,” she smiled. “And I was prepared for that. I was OK with whatever happened, and I gave the whole thing my best shot, and I’m cool with number two, you know? We’re both going to be really successful, and I’m really proud of Lee.” One week later, Bowersox is still happy DeWyze won — “he’s worked really hard … I think he’s great and he deserved it,” she said — and she wouldn’t have traded one second of her time on “Idol” for anything in the world, no matter what you may have read about her during her time on the show. It was, she said, one of the most fateful decisions of her life, and she’s incredibly grateful for the opportunities it’s already provided for her — especially since there was a time, not too long ago, when she never would’ve auditioned. “I mean, I’m surprised I even got in! I figured that when they saw me at the stadium auditions, they’d be like, ‘Who’s this girl? She looks like she came off the street!’ ” she said. “I’m blessed that I’ve made it as far as I have. … Before the show, a lot of people had been like, ‘Oh, try out for “Idol”!’ and I said, ‘No, it’s not my thing.’ But since the show allowed instruments — thank goodness they did that, or else I wouldn’t be here — I decided to give it a shot. And, yeah, I’m grateful I did.” Were you surprised Crystal didn’t come out on top? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos Crystal Bowersox’s ‘American Idol’ Experience

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Chris Brown Explains Story Behind ‘Famous Girl’ … Sort Of

Posted on December 10, 2009 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Singer is evasive: Song explains ‘how I felt and how I feel about certain situations.’ By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway Chris Brown Photo: MTV News While Chris Brown has been reluctant to talk in detail about what triggered his assault against Rihanna, a song from his recently released Graffiti album called “Famous Girl,” has many wondering if he’s saying more about their relationship and its problems in the song than he’s said in recent interviews . “Since I thought I found my woman/ There were other guys who thought the same thing about it/ Like damn, you let me down, down, down/ ‘Cause you’re famous, girl, for breaking hearts,” he sings on the track. So who, exactly, is this famous girl Brown is referring to?

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Lil Wayne And Nivea Welcome A Baby Boy, Rep Confirms

Posted on December 1, 2009 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Baby’s name is Neal, according to Mack Maine. By Jayson Rodriguez Lil Wayne Photo: Samir Hussein/ Getty Images The Carter household is getting crowded. Lil Wayne welcomed another child into his brood — his second this year and fourth overall — when singer Nivea delivered a baby boy on Monday

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Exclusive: Jason Derulo To Tour With Lady Gaga

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Up-and-coming singer will join Gaga, Kid Cudi for second half of tour. By Jocelyn Vena Jason Derulo Photo: Chelsea Lauren/ Getty Images Lady Gaga will have another face joining her on the road for her upcoming Monster Ball Tour. In addition to Kid Cudi , Gaga will have “Whatcha Say” singer Jason Derulo on the bill for a select portion of the dates.

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Lil Mama’s ‘Adrenaline Rush’ Took Over During Jay-Z’s VMA Performance

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I was just rooting him on as a champion,’ she tells MTV News of her unplanned appearance onstage. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Tim Kash Lil Mama Photo: MTV News Lil Mama wants people to know she’s a proud New Yorker, and when the “Lip Gloss” rapper saw two of the Big Apple’s brightest stars onstage during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards , her hometown pride momentarily got the best of her. Mama walked onstage uninvited during Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ performance of “Empire State of Mind.” Her intent was to root Jay-Z on, not disrupt the production, the Brooklyn native said

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