‘I got into a fight with glass window yesterday and in result I can’t move my eyebrow,’ he says in a new video message from Paris. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images Justin Bieber told fans Thursday that despite bumping into a glass wall and getting a concussion , he felt “fine.” Well, one day after the incident in Paris, the singer posted a video message noting that he has encountered one minor setback on his road to recovery. “I got into a fight with glass window yesterday and in result I can’t move my eyebrow. There’s no wrinkles on this side. How weird is that? It’s the weirdest thing. Some weird stuff going on there,” he said, laughing as the video ended. On Friday afternoon (June 1), Bieber must have been feeling better despite the eyebrow injury as he took to a balcony in Paris to put on an impromptu concert. According to Reuters, he used a megaphone as he serenaded fans who gathered near the Pantheon monument in the Latin Quarter. In the lead-up to the performance, Bieber tweeted the address and wrote that he was “moving a little slower today and running a little late. PARIS I will see u soon on that balcony #WithDanKanter,” Bieber’s musical director and lead guitarist. So did he think the show went well? “Loved singing with all of you #WithDanKanter – just like old times.” In addition to performing in Paris, Bieber also planned to check out Jay-Z and Kanye West ‘s show on Friday night. “#BiebasInParis #WATCHTHETHRONE #PARIS #LEGGO.” Also, Bieber had this reminder for fans who may have forgotten he’s dropping an album this month : “#June19th #18Days #BELIEVE.” When MTV News caught up with Bieber before Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards , he threw all his support behind multi-nominee “Bridesmaids.” “I just think it was funny. It’s kind of like the female version of ‘The Hangover,’ ” he said. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos Behind The Scenes At The 2012 MTV Movie Awards MTV First: Justin Bieber Related Artists Justin Bieber
‘I will see u again Glass,’ Bieber tweets after hitting his head on a glass wall during a secret show. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Island/Def Jam When Justin Bieber was in Paris on Thursday (May 31) to perform a secret show for his fans in the lead-up to the release of his Believe album, he got a surprise of his own when he walked into a glass wall, injuring himself mid-set. According to an interview with TMZ , he bumped into the wall but was able to finish out the performance. “I was performing, and I was going offstage and, basically, I’m in Paris and performing on the tallest building in Paris, and there’s a glass wall behind me, but there’s a railing behind the glass. And so I went to reach for the railing and I hit my head on the glass,” he explained. “And I guess me and glass windows don’t really go together.” He is referring to a viral video of himself going through a glass revolving door where he hit his head from back in 2010. However, this incident was a bit more serious and he added that he “felt lightheaded,” but “my adrenaline pushed me through it and I performed the last song.” After he walked off the stage, he passed out for 15 seconds and later learned he suffered a concussion. “I feel good. I feel good,” he assured his fans. “I have a little bit of a headache, but I feel fine.” On top of clearing the air with TMZ about the incident, he was able to laugh it off on Twitter : “Thanks for the love but there are alot of people out there who need prayers. im fine. just smacked my head and needed some water. all good. im Canadian. we are tough. lol. its all good. just gotta take it easy the rest of the night. back at it again for u guys tomorrow. Thanks. thanks for the love but there are alot of people out there who need prayers. im fine. just smacked my head and needed some water. all good — Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) May 31, 2012 “The fact you all knew what happened before my mom even did is impressive. lol. I have amazing fans. very grateful for your love,” he continued. “Gonna eat, rest, get some sleep and tomorrow Im back at it. The show must go on! Love yall. We got this.” Bieber had this message for the glass wall. “I will see u again Glass. I will have my revenge. BIEBER vs GLASS. MGM LAS VEGAS 2013. lol. #GottaLaughAtYourself,” he joked. While chatting with TMZ, Bieber also commented on the pandemonium he stirred up when he performed a secret show in Oslo, Norway, earlier this week , during which several young fans were injured. “Oh my goodness that was crazy. The fans were insane. I even had to go to this secret location or else they were going to cancel my show, it was crazy,” he said. “Norway’s been waiting for me to come, and I’ve never been to Norway. It was nuts.” Despite several minor setbacks on his secret-show tour, Bieber plans to continue his final 10 around the world in the lead-up to the June 19 album release. When MTV News caught up with Bieber before Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards , he threw all his support behind multi-nominee “Bridesmaids.” “I just think it was funny. It’s kind of like the female version of ‘The Hangover,’ ” he said. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos MTV First: Justin Bieber Related Artists Justin Bieber
If you could distill essence de chat into a few well-chosen pen strokes, you’d end up with something like Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol’s superb animated adventure A Cat in Paris , a picture whose modest demeanor only underscores how expressive and imaginative it is. This isn’t the kind of big-budget animation we get from the major studios: It’s richness of another sort, a feat of hand-drawn animation that relies on spare but succinct character design and a dazzling sense of perspective — rather than a volley of cultural in-jokes — to tell its story. The picture sparkles, but in the nighttime way — its charms have a noirish gleam. Most of the picture does, in fact, take place at night, beginning and ending with the nocturnal Parisian perambulations of a wily striped cat named Dino. Dino “belongs” to a little girl named Zoe. He pledges his devotion by bringing her little gifts from his nighttime hunting jaunts. Actually, he keeps bringing her the same gift: One dangly, limp dead lizard after another, but Zoe is delighted by them and saves them all in a little box, much to the annoyance of her new nanny. What almost no one knows is that Dino doesn’t go out at night just for fun, or simply out of a feline sense of duty. He’s also a cat burglar, assisting a sneaky but noble local jewel thief, Nico, on his midnight rounds. The plot becomes more complicated — to the extent that it’s complicated at all — by the fact that Zoe’s mother, Jeanne, is a detective with the Paris police. She’s consumed with concern for Zoe, who hasn’t spoken since her father was killed by a square-shouldered, square-headed thug named Victor Costa. She’s also riven with grief, and she’s determined to avenge her husband’s death by catching Costa, who, it turns out, has a new scheme: He plans to steal a precious, valuable and huge antiquity, the Colossus of Nairobi, a hulking totem that’s being brought to the city for an exhibit. Meanwhile, though, Jeanne has peskier problems: Jewels keep disappearing from various households in the city, thanks to Nico and an accomplice with four silent, velvet paws. A Cat in Paris is being released in the states in two versions, an English-language one (in which Marcia Gay Harden, Anjelica Huston and Matthew Modine provide some of the key voices) and a subtitled French one (which features, in the role of the nanny, the voice of actress Bernadette Lafont, who, for those who keep track of such things, played Marie in The Mother and the Whore ). If you’re bringing children and are lucky enough to have bilingual ones, I recommend the French version, since it is simply more French; to hear the English language pouring forth from these characters’ mouths feels just a little wrong. But the visuals of A Cat in Paris resonate in any language, and it doesn’t hurt that the picture features a stunning, stealthy Bernard Hermann-style orchestral score by Serge Bessett. (The music in A Cat in Paris is finer and more resonant than that of any live-action picture I’ve seen this year.) This is Felicioli and Gagnol’s first full-length feature — it was a 2012 Academy Award nominee — and it clocks in at a very trim but visually rich 70 minutes. The filmmakers’ drawings are both meticulous and highly stylized: They render the rooftops of Paris (what is it about city rooftops in general, and Paris rooftops in particular?) as a dusky, velvety patchwork, an invitation to adventure — they take great delight in the city’s highs and lows, in the contrast between tall and short. Their palette features an array of oranges, from muted citrus tones to deep sienna, and lots of deep, nighttime turquoise. And they dot the picture with small but inventive visual touches: When a character dons night goggles, the figures around him are rendered as stark white lines on a flat black surface. And the gargoyles of Notre Dame feature in the climactic chase sequence, a bit of travelogue whimsy that’s nonetheless dramatically gripping, perhaps even a little dizzying for those who are hinky about heights — it doesn’t matter that you can’t really fall off a cartoon building. And then there’s Dino, an utterly bewitching arrangement of orange and chocolate triangles (with a pink one for a nose). Dino isn’t a cute cartoon cat — there’s an element of mystery and devilishness about him, suggesting that Felicioli and Gagnol understand true feline spirit. They also understand feline loyalty, which is a contradiction in terms only to those who don’t understand (to the extent that understanding is possible) these elusive, magnetic creatures. Dino comforts the distressed Zoe by visiting her in bed, sliding under her arms as if he could pretend she’d never notice. And in a way, she doesn’t notice — somehow, suddenly, Dino is simply there , a presence who changes, only ever so slightly, the nature of the room around him. That’s the quiet province of cats everywhere — not just those who are lucky enough to live in the animated city of Paris. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
If you could distill essence de chat into a few well-chosen pen strokes, you’d end up with something like Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol’s superb animated adventure A Cat in Paris , a picture whose modest demeanor only underscores how expressive and imaginative it is. This isn’t the kind of big-budget animation we get from the major studios: It’s richness of another sort, a feat of hand-drawn animation that relies on spare but succinct character design and a dazzling sense of perspective — rather than a volley of cultural in-jokes — to tell its story. The picture sparkles, but in the nighttime way — its charms have a noirish gleam. Most of the picture does, in fact, take place at night, beginning and ending with the nocturnal Parisian perambulations of a wily striped cat named Dino. Dino “belongs” to a little girl named Zoe. He pledges his devotion by bringing her little gifts from his nighttime hunting jaunts. Actually, he keeps bringing her the same gift: One dangly, limp dead lizard after another, but Zoe is delighted by them and saves them all in a little box, much to the annoyance of her new nanny. What almost no one knows is that Dino doesn’t go out at night just for fun, or simply out of a feline sense of duty. He’s also a cat burglar, assisting a sneaky but noble local jewel thief, Nico, on his midnight rounds. The plot becomes more complicated — to the extent that it’s complicated at all — by the fact that Zoe’s mother, Jeanne, is a detective with the Paris police. She’s consumed with concern for Zoe, who hasn’t spoken since her father was killed by a square-shouldered, square-headed thug named Victor Costa. She’s also riven with grief, and she’s determined to avenge her husband’s death by catching Costa, who, it turns out, has a new scheme: He plans to steal a precious, valuable and huge antiquity, the Colossus of Nairobi, a hulking totem that’s being brought to the city for an exhibit. Meanwhile, though, Jeanne has peskier problems: Jewels keep disappearing from various households in the city, thanks to Nico and an accomplice with four silent, velvet paws. A Cat in Paris is being released in the states in two versions, an English-language one (in which Marcia Gay Harden, Anjelica Huston and Matthew Modine provide some of the key voices) and a subtitled French one (which features, in the role of the nanny, the voice of actress Bernadette Lafont, who, for those who keep track of such things, played Marie in The Mother and the Whore ). If you’re bringing children and are lucky enough to have bilingual ones, I recommend the French version, since it is simply more French; to hear the English language pouring forth from these characters’ mouths feels just a little wrong. But the visuals of A Cat in Paris resonate in any language, and it doesn’t hurt that the picture features a stunning, stealthy Bernard Hermann-style orchestral score by Serge Bessett. (The music in A Cat in Paris is finer and more resonant than that of any live-action picture I’ve seen this year.) This is Felicioli and Gagnol’s first full-length feature — it was a 2012 Academy Award nominee — and it clocks in at a very trim but visually rich 70 minutes. The filmmakers’ drawings are both meticulous and highly stylized: They render the rooftops of Paris (what is it about city rooftops in general, and Paris rooftops in particular?) as a dusky, velvety patchwork, an invitation to adventure — they take great delight in the city’s highs and lows, in the contrast between tall and short. Their palette features an array of oranges, from muted citrus tones to deep sienna, and lots of deep, nighttime turquoise. And they dot the picture with small but inventive visual touches: When a character dons night goggles, the figures around him are rendered as stark white lines on a flat black surface. And the gargoyles of Notre Dame feature in the climactic chase sequence, a bit of travelogue whimsy that’s nonetheless dramatically gripping, perhaps even a little dizzying for those who are hinky about heights — it doesn’t matter that you can’t really fall off a cartoon building. And then there’s Dino, an utterly bewitching arrangement of orange and chocolate triangles (with a pink one for a nose). Dino isn’t a cute cartoon cat — there’s an element of mystery and devilishness about him, suggesting that Felicioli and Gagnol understand true feline spirit. They also understand feline loyalty, which is a contradiction in terms only to those who don’t understand (to the extent that understanding is possible) these elusive, magnetic creatures. Dino comforts the distressed Zoe by visiting her in bed, sliding under her arms as if he could pretend she’d never notice. And in a way, she doesn’t notice — somehow, suddenly, Dino is simply there , a presence who changes, only ever so slightly, the nature of the room around him. That’s the quiet province of cats everywhere — not just those who are lucky enough to live in the animated city of Paris. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Paris Hilton and DJ Afrojack have broken up after dating for six months … In other news, Paris Hilton and Afrojack were apparently dating for like six months. Says a source close to the random, now-former couple: “Afrojack had moved into Paris’ Beverly Hills mansion earlier this year, and they got serious, very fast … Paris was really into him and admires his work.” “Afrojack did a lot of the work on Paris’ new album
Poor Paris . Paris Hilton Dumped By Boyfriend DJ Afrojack Things are really looking down for Paris Hilton right now. Her career is on the downswing, the Kardashians rule the world and her half-black boo thang just wants to be free — from her. According to RadarOnline reports : Paris Hilton and DJ AfroJack have called it quits after dating for around six months, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting. “Afrojack had moved into Paris’ Beverly Hills mansion earlier this year, and the two got very serious, very fast,” a source close to the former couple tells RadarOnline.com. “Paris was really into him and admires the work he has done. Afrojack did a lot of the work on Paris’ new album which will be released later this year. He took a lot of criticism for working with her, but he truly does believe that she has talent. Paris was smitten with him, but Afrojack just wanted to have fun and not be exclusive with anyone. He is on the road practically every day performing in clubs all over the world, and he just isn’t ready to settle down, whereas Paris is.” As RadarOnline.com previously reported, 31, is working on completing a second follow up album six years after the release of her first one which sold only 197,000 copes. Paris has been focusing “all of her creative energy into her second album,” a source close to the former reality star says. “Paris has been working with Flo Rida, LMFAO and David Guetta, and the album should be released this summer,” a source previously told RadarOnline.com. “Paris hopes to embark on a European concert tour to promote the album, which will consist of house music. She knows she has a lot riding on this project because her last reality show was canceled and she needs to do something to re-invent herself. Paris is hoping to appeal to a broader fan base and would love to use the album as a platform for a possible project with MTV. Yes, Paris is a very successful businesswoman, and she is about to release her fifteenth fragrance, but that isn’t enough for her. Paris craves the attention from the media and her fans and she is truly feeling the pressure to deliver on this, because she doesn’t have any other television or movie projects lined up.” Meanwhile, Paris is likely to take her recent breakup hard, as friends of the socialite tell us, “Paris is having a hard time adjusting to the fact that she just doesn’t have the popularity or cache that she did five years ago. Paris has tons of money, but that isn’t enough for her. Look, she is still going to clubs on a very frequent basis and she is 31 years old. You don’t see a lot of people over 30 going to clubs, it’s almost sad to see. Paris would love to be married with kids, it’s all she ever talks about, but she hasn’t found her Prince Charming yet and she isn’t getting any younger.” Poor Paris. All that money can’t buy her love from fans or a nice boo. Oh well, she can always shop at Chanel. W ENN/PacificCoastNews
‘The numbers were eye-popping. You’d think Iron Man was in the film,’ one box-office expert tells MTV News of new Wes Anderson film. By Fallon Prinzivalli Ed Norton in “Moonrise Kingdom” Photo: Focus Features As “Men in Black 3” knocked “Marvel’s The Avengers” off its record-breaking throne and nabbed the title of #1 film in America over Memorial Day weekend, Focus Features’ “Moonrise Kingdom” broke its own box-office records. The Wes Anderson -directed film, which opened in two theaters in New York and two in Los Angeles, grossed more than $669,000 this weekend. It raked in an average of $130,752 per location, setting a new record previously held by 2006’s “Dreamgirls.” “Wes Anderson films always open in limited release with very high averages as his fanbase is very loyal,” says Box Office Guru editor Gitesh Pandya , “but the ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ numbers were eye-popping. You’d think Iron Man was in the film.” Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations also attributes the success to Anderson’s “ardent” fanbase. “[His fans] have seen him produce just a handful of films over the course of his entire career, which began with 1996’s ‘Bottle Rocket.’ Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ is Anderson’s first live-action film in five years, so there was no doubt a burning desire to see his latest whimsical dramedy,” he says. “Filmmakers with unique and authentic voices are far and few between, and Anderson is something of a national treasure for the hipster collective.” “Moonrise Kingdom” takes place in the summer of 1965 and follows the search for two 12-year-olds who flee their hometown in New England for a wilderness adventure. The film’s success follows its debut in Cannes, France , where it opened the city’s famous film festival. Bock believes its premiere at such a large venue contributed to the buzz, keeping it in the mind of audiences — despite an influx of blockbusters hitting cinemas around the globe. “There is always room for a small, original tale amongst the blockbuster giants of summer, and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ may just be this summer’s ‘Midnight in Paris,’ ” he said, referencing the Woody Allen film that won him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. “The big test for [‘Moonrise’] will be when it debuts in moderate wide release (400-plus theaters), reaching smaller markets that probably haven’t seen a film of his since his biggest hit, 2001’s ‘The Royal Tenenbaums,’ which grossed $52 million. While Anderson’s films are revered by critics and cinephiles, wide audiences haven’t exactly embraced the kooky sensibilities and eccentric outlook he emotes in his films.” But Phil Contrino of BoxOffice.com believes an A-list cast including Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton will help bring the film to a broader audience — though he does think widespread popularity may be limited. “If you don’t like Wes by now, this movie won’t change your mind,” Contrino said. “He’s burrowed very deep into his own style eccentricities.” “Moonrise Kingdom” was too late to earn any Movie Awards nominations at this year’s show, but tune in this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET to celebrate your other favorite films, including “Hunger Games,” “Bridesmaids” and the final “Harry Potter” film. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET.
Paris Hilton might not want to quit her day job … whatever that is. Even with THG plugging it, her Oxygen reality show was canceled for abysmal ratings. You know it’s bad when that happens. Now the former reality TV star decided to focus all her “career comeback” efforts on releasing a second album. Breath? Probably shouldn’t be held. As we previously reported, Paris and Kim Kardashian are “cool” with each other … on the surface. But she still can’t believe her one-time BFF’s level of fame. After all, Paris wrote the book on getting railed on tape and turning it into nonstop celebrity gossip attention and millions of dollars. Kim just did her one better. Or five, or 10 better. In any case, Kim is all the rage these days, while Paris’ first album sold only 197,000 copies at the PEAK of her popularity in 2006. Think the second one’s going to do better? “Paris has been working with Flo Rida, LMFAO, and David Guetta, and the album should be released this summer,” says a source, anonymously of course. “She has a lot riding on this project because her last reality show was canceled, and she needs to do something to re-invent herself. Paris is hoping to appeal to a broader fan base and would love to use the album as a platform for a possible project with MTV.” Whatever the odds of that are, bet against it. [Photo: WENN.com]
Also in this week-capping edition of Biz Break: Frank Langella to be honored at Nantucket, Harvey Weinstein scores laurels from UCLA, Ken Loach’s latest lands Stateside, another Tribeca premiere finds a distributor, and more… Frank Langella, Alexander Payne Among 2012 Nantucket Film Fest Draws Frank Langella will receive the Nantucket Film Festival’s 2012 Compass Rose Acting Award, described by fest organizers as “a unique honor that recognizes an outstanding performer whose contribution to the world of acting has been profound.” Screenwriting duo Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne ( Election, About Schmidt, Sideways ) will also be showcased with a reading of their newest script The Lost Cause ; the festival plans to announce the reading cast in the coming weeks. Payne, Harvey Weinstein Honored at UCLA Fest The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT) Film Festival has announced Alexander Payne as its Filmmaker of the Year Award honoree, while Harvey Weinstein is set to pick up TFT’s prestigious Champion Spirit Award. Both will receive their prizes at the Directors Guild on Thursday, June 14 during the Directors Showcase. The festival runs Friday, June 8 through Thursday, June 14. Revenge For Jolly! Scores With SWAG Sony Worldwide Acquisitions Group has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to Revenge for Jolly! , director Chadd Harbold’s dark comedy “that examines the moral ambiguity of revenge.” The film recently premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival; the acquisition marks the first for the newly-formed affiliate company of Charles Roven’s Atlas Entertainment. Luc Besson Pacts With Relativity For a Pair Relativity Media has struck a co-production and co-financing deal with Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp on the upcoming films Malavita and Three Days to Kill. Besson will direct Malavita , a “darkly comedic actioner” starring Robert De Niro and adapted by Besson from the book Badfellas by author Tonino Benacquista. Filming is set for August at La Cité du Cinéma, where the brand new Studios de Paris are located. Sundance Selects Nabs Angels’ Share Sundance Selects has acquired all US rights to The Angels’ Share, director Ken Loach’s recent Cannes competition premiere. The film stars Paul Brannigan, Siobhan Reilly, John Henshaw, Gary Maitland, William Ruane, Jasmin Riggins and Roger Allam; read more about its Cannes coming-out party here . Hong Sang-soo’s English Debut Lands With Kino Lorber The South Korean auteur’s current Cannes competition entry In Another Country will come to America via Kino Lorber. The film features Isabelle Huppert playing “three different characters in three different story segments – all of them spanning from the imagination of a young film student called Wonju (Jung Yumi).”
D’Angelo Talks About The Frustrations Of Fame And Why He Hates The Term Neo-Soul We recently shared parts of D’Angelo’s first interview in 12 years, and loved it so much that we were thrilled to find out GQ had published more outtakes from the interview online that didn’t make the print issue. Here are a few excerpts below: On fighting fame after Brown Sugar and hating the term ‘neo soul’: D’Angelo looks back on that time with some discomfort. A perfectionist, he wishes he’d had more of an active interplay with the audience. But it all took off so fast, he says. He was confused, he says, by his sudden notoriety, even as he, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and others were credited with launching the “neo-soul” movement (a label he hates). “It counteracts the very fawking idea of what it was in the first place,” he says. “It’s black music thinking — it’s black music manifested outside of the box. And when you label it neo soul, you’re putting it right back in the box. How about you just call me soul music?” That argument was just one of many D was having in his own head. “I tried to fight, I guess, what typically fame quote-unquote does to people,” he says. “I didn’t want to stop being, you know, the rambunctious mug that I was, because that’s what made my music what it was. It happens to the best of them, you know: At some point in everyone’s career, it was like the music lost its bite. I’m like, ‘Well, how do you avoid that?’” On what it was like for D to perform in Stockholm in January, his first concert in more than a decade: “It was scary,” D will tell me later, reflecting on playing the guitar in public for the first time. “I would feel comfortable when I was by myself, but actually getting onstage and playing was a different thing. My friend Raphael Saadiq was like, ‘Yo, man, you’ve just got to jump in. Start swimming. Just jump in the pool, you know?’ It was good advice. I was nervous up until the point where we started playing and singing, and then it just felt—it felt cool.” On D’s upcoming third album: Despite assurances that it’s 97-percent done, D hasn’t locked his third. Not yet. In Europe, he unveiled several songs he thinks will be on it. In addition to “Ain’t That Easy” and the irresistible dance number, “Sugar Daddy,” there is a song Questlove compares to Herbie Hancock called “The Charade.” “Crawling through a systematic maze to demise,” it begins, and D sings the line with a seething fury. When I catch a reference to “the deceiver,” I can’t help but think: this song—twisted, almost atonal, multi-layered—is about that forked-tongued devil, Fame. D says I’m wrong. “It’s about the disenfranchised,” he says. “It’s telling the powers that be, ‘This is why we are justified in our stance.’ There’s another song on the album called ‘A Thousand Deaths’ that is the flip side of the coin. ‘A Thousand Deaths’ is just a fucking war cry. You know what I mean? The beheadings have commenced.” It occurs to me that the Nat Turner Rebellion of 1831, in which slaves rose up and killed more than 50 white people, the only sustained slave rebellion in the South’s history, took place in D’s home state of Virginia. “Ain’t no justice/It’s just us/Ash to ashes/Dust to dust,” D sang so insistently on Voodoo. I am beginning to get what he means. I ask someone who has a closely-guarded copy to let me hear “1000 Deaths.” It is dark, dense and mysterious and makes the most of D’s newfound prowess on the guitar. The lead vocal is so distorted—like the moans and groans of a Negro spiritual—that D could almost be speaking in tongues. The song is compelling, maybe even profound, but it is the opposite of catchy. That’s just fine with D. He tells me art, not commerce, is his fuel. This sounds so dope. We can’t wait to hear D’s new album! Photo credit: Gregory Harris/GQ
