‘We should take every day and praise what King did for us,’ Khaled says of civil-rights fighter. By By Mawuse Ziegbe, with additional reporting by Hillary Crosley DJ Khaled Photo: Ben Rose/ Getty Images Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s tireless crusade for civil rights is synonymous with the social upheaval and progressive change of the 1960s. He’s since become a global icon and figurehead of a revolutionary movement, and even though he is no longer with us, his game-changing legacy is still strongly felt — especially in the hip-hop community. In celebration of Martin Luther King Day, MTV News reached out to a few rap names who reflected on Dr. King’s lasting impact on today’s stars, both personally and professionally. “Martin Luther King is definitely one of my heroes,” Brooklyn MC Saigon said. “He was a black leader and he took the road and responsibility to step up and do what a lot of us other men didn’t have the courage to do. It took a lot of courage to do what he did at a time when racism was very relevant. As he did lose his life, he knew there was a good chance he would lose his life taking the stand he took. He epitomizes standing for something — he’s the epitome of that.” Saigon, who name-drops MLK in his recently released single “Clap,” added that Dr. King’s efforts continue to inspire him as a rapper and, as he maintained, a de facto role model for today’s youth due to his public profile as a hip-hop artist. “That record is just an uplifting record. It’s trying to carry on what he left off, because he died untimely but he left enough for us to carry the torch,” he explained. “I think that’s what a lot of those leaders did. Rappers are the new leaders, so I think we should come in that same vein and still be about the growth and the development of our people and our community.” UGK O.G. Bun B noted that he may feel closer to Dr. King’s struggle since he’s “probably a couple years older than the average MC.” He maintained that much of America’s race-relations progress is intrinsically linked to the late leader’s fight. “I remember in my generation and the generation before me, the dream being that one day, being a black man, that no doors would be closed to you in this country and in this world. I’ve been around long enough to see that almost every door in this world has actually opened up, all the way up to the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States,” he said of the country’s first African-American commander in chief, Barack Obama. “There are many achievements that Martin Luther King really would be very happy to see … but at the same time I still think we have ground to cover in this country.” Bun added that Dr. King’s work has also helped to foster an inclusive society, which prompts MCs to create music that anyone can relate to. “We do shows nowadays in not just the inner-city community but in every community, and we see people of every color and all walks of life at our concerts now. That’s due to the fact that we try to make music that invites everybody to be a part of the movement,” he explained. “You don’t have to be black to be ‘trill.’ ” Miami’s DJ Khaled also said that he strives to reflect the harmonious spirit Dr. King’s work engendered — especially in his star-studded posse cuts that can corral everyone from Usher to Plies on one track. “I celebrate [MLK Day] by giving respect and just reminding people [about] the word ‘peace’ and the word ‘love’ and unity ’cause, you know, that’s what I represent,” he said. “I love bringing people together with my records. That’s why you get sometimes these collaborations that you’ve never seen before come together on a Khaled record ’cause they just got ultimate respect for what I do. Martin Luther King is a person that I respect, that we respect, everybody respects.” Khaled added that upholding Dr. King’s legacy shouldn’t be a one-day event, but rather an effort that people should incorporate into their everyday lives. “I think we should take every day and praise and look at what Martin Luther King did for us, for us to be on this Skype right now and kick it, multicultures and just vibe,” he said. “It’s beautiful, so shout-out to MLK, everybody that support Martin Luther King, and R.I.P. to Martin Luther King and respect to Martin Luther King.” Share your thoughts on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the comments! Related Artists DJ Khaled Bun B Saigon
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Martin Luther King’s Legacy Recalled By DJ Khaled, Bun B, Saigon
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Events in Tunisia are changing by the minute, but one thing is clear: This is the first popular uprising to bring down a leader in the Arab world in recent history. Who — or what — is responsible for it? More
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Events in Tunisia are changing by the minute, but one thing is clear: This is the first popular uprising to bring down a leader in the Arab world in recent history. Who — or what — is responsible for it? More
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Tagged arab, bring-down, celeb news, events, Gawker, media, middle-east, president, social-media, the-minute, tunisia, twitter celeb
‘Everything is totally fine,’ breakout ‘True Grit’ actress assures MTV News at Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. By Aly Semigran, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Hailee Steinfeld Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Before Hailee Steinfeld took the stage at the 16th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards on Friday evening (January 14) to collect her prize in the Best Young Actor/Actress category , she chatted with MTV News about a story aside from her breakout performance in “True Grit.” A few weeks ago, Steinfeld told J-14 magazine that “Glee” star Lea Michele had snubbed her during an encounter, going so far as to make her cry. When we caught up with her, we had to get to the bottom of the story. “When I auditioned for ‘True Grit,’ I was on the Paramount lot, and that’s where they film ‘Glee,’ and I saw her after my audition and I was wearing, like, 1800 [period clothing],” Steinfeld recalled, adding, “It was so embarrassing.” The 14-year-old breakout actress went on to say, “I saw her, and I went up to ask her for an autograph, and it was just really bad timing, and I was so embarrassed because of what I was wearing. The only thoughts that were going through my head were, ‘Oh my God, Lea Michele thinks I’m a total freak.’ ” Still, Steinfeld is keeping a positive attitude about the whole thing, assuring fans, “Everything is totally fine.” Since then, the story has been reported as a “misunderstanding” and that it was actually a PA, not Michele (who had another snub story go viral, when it was reported that she was openly rude to photographer Patrick McMullen at 2010’s Time 100 event), who had turned Steinfeld away. Nevertheless, the “Glee” star (who ultimately apologized to McMullen via Twitter) released a statement to GossipCop that read, “I heard Hailee was upset and feel terrible. The Glee schedule is so jam-packed that the PA probably pulled me so that I wouldn’t be late to set. I never meant to hurt her feelings. She’s an extraordinary talent and I look forward to meeting her one day.” Related Videos Critics’ Choice Movie Awards Red Carpet Interviews Related Photos 2011 Critics’ Choice Awards Celebrity Candids 2011 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards Show Critics’ Choice Movie Awards Red Carpet 2011
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Hailee Steinfeld Blames ‘Bad Timing’ For Lea Michele Encounter
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Tagged celeb news, Celebrity, choice, news article, news-at-critics, president, steinfeld, story, Videos
Natalie Portman shouts out her ‘Black Swan’ director for bringing her and her fianc
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We still don’t know what was wrong with her, but the Queen of Soul herself says it definitely wasn’t pancreatic cancer. Today was clearly “do interviews day” for Ms. Franklin. And what she told Access Hollywood about her illness might be more interesting than the fact that she thinks Halle Berry looks like her . “Well, there was just so many wild things out there and just so many things being said that weren’t true,” Aretha told Shaun in a phone interview on Thursday. “I just felt I needed to address it a little.” Aretha, 68, admits there was indeed a health scare, but she isn’t ready to divulge specifics just yet. “I went through a number of procedures before I knew what was wrong,” Aretha told Shaun. “I know that you revealed to Jet magazine that you initially sought treatment because of a pain in your side,” Shaun replied. “Did the pain get so severe that you said, ‘Hey, there’s got to be something wrong here?’” “Yeah, the pain was so hard it almost brought me to my knees,” Aretha revealed. “I was in Birmingham and then Boston and after that concert the same pain hit me again. “I really just began to not feel good and I said, ‘Oh, no this is it, I can’t do any more concerts till I know what the problem is,’” she added. The “Freedom” chanteuse shot down rampart reports that she had been stricken with pancreatic cancer, saying, “I don’t know where ‘pancreatic cancer’ came from. “I was sitting there reading the newspaper and it was saying someone in my family said that,” Aretha continued. “No one in my family ever said that to anybody.” The beloved artist received an overwhelming outpouring of “Respect” from high-profile well-wishers during her recovery – including the Commander In Chief. “I got a wonderful and beautiful letter from the President,” Aretha told Shaun. “And nobody does it like him!” Access is thrilled to report that Aretha is expected to continuing blessing us with her phenomenal voice and fashion-forward hats for the foreseeable future. “So, it’s safe to say to your fans that we will be seeing Aretha Franklin for many years to come, right?” Shaun asked Aretha. “That’s what my doctor said,” Aretha replied. “He said, ‘The surgery that you just had is going to add 15 to 20 more years to your life.’” And y’all said we were mean when we tweeted that she probably had gastric bypass or a breast reduction. Source
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Aretha Franklin’s Mystery Illness Was Not Pancreatic Cancer
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According to recent reports, pop sensation Justin Bieber is romantically linked to Selena Gomez. In reaction to this news, Molly Matthews (age 13) has written the following letter: Dear Justin Bieber, This is – make that was – like your number one fan and future common law wife, Molly Matthews. I heard somewhere that “bieber” is like German for “love.” That is so amazing. So amazing! I recently carved the word “bieber” on my bass clarinet to like express my love for my two favorite things: my bass clarinet and you. But somebody like decided to get like all “bieber” with Selena Gomez! My mom like told me that Selena Gomez is some sort of illegal alien. I don’t even know what that means, but I do know that she probably does not play the bass clarinet. Yesterday I like resigned as the President and Public Relations Specialist of the “Future Common Law Wives of Justin Bieber Club.” I started that club with like my best friend, Jenny Welch. Jenny thinks she’s like God’s gift to the Bieb. And she doesn’t like the name of the club because you can have only like one common law wife. And she’s allergic to peanuts. And she smells like sour milk. Well, you wanna know what I did? You wanna know?? I like made a shiv out of my Justin Bieber barrette (that I got at Wal-Mart, along with your nail polish, which is like totally amazing) and literally cut Jenny. Would Selena Gomez like do that for you? But Justin, I still like love that cute hair helmet of yours. It’s like you’re like a captain in the love military. And I am – make that was – like your prisoner of love. Wow, that last sentence was like awesome. And like every time someone says anything bad about you on the Facebook, I like totally stick up for you. Like that time when you beat up that boy at his laser tag birthday party. Or when you got all gangsta on that kitten. Or when you demanded that like all the monkeys in your zoo be given Bieber haircuts. Or when you were given hormone injections to like delay puberty. And when people were calling you a modern-day eunuch, which I don’t even know what that means but it sounds pretty gangsta. I was like there for you! Justin, you’re like such a good singer, especially when the mall has such good acoustics. And you’re like amazing, and so cute, and you don’t wear braces or have acne, and I’m pretty sure you play the bass clarinet, and your nail polish line is like totally dope (I’m picturing you right now in a gangsta lab coat as you stir chemicals into a beaker and you’re singing “Baby”), and you’re really gangsta, and you’re gonna win like two Oscars and a Grammy, and I like totally made you a bracelet out of my baby teeth, which my mom kept. So, why did you like divorce me? When I hear the phone ring, I think it’s you. But it’s usually the guidance counselor or Jenny. Or the police. You know what my wish is for like 2011? Have you ever like seen “Misery” starring the like ever versatile Kathy Bates? Did you know Kathy Bates like played the bass clarinet in junior high? Anyway, I will like rescue you from some crazy snow storm and feed you like some amazing soup and force you to write a love ballad about me. I don’t know if you can actually write, but it will be awesome. And you will also be my common law husband. Justin, just remember that you are like Samson and I am like your Delilah. But I won’t make you cut your hair helmet because it’s like totally amazing. Wait, I hate you… Whatev, Justin! I will like totally forgive you when you dump that illegal alien Selena Gomez. With Much Bieber, Molly Matthews 🙂 PS – like totally text me! PSS – I can like totally play “Baby” on my bass clarinet!
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Tagged bass, celeb news, Facebook, german, kathy-bates, like-totally, Love, News, police, president, public-relations, Selena Gomez, TMZ, wives
For press events, President Obama has the Rose Garden. Cory Booker has the Oprah machine — and Twitter. On a good day, Booker wins. Though mayor of a rather troubled city, Booker is as talented as Obama at cranking national headlines. Both he and the President are old hands at fielding questions from the national press corps. Both huddle with CEOs. Both have been called leaders of the “Oprah Winfrey wing of the Democratic Party.” But only Booker, the young and indefatigable mayor of Newark, New Jersey, has wielded a shovel to dig constituents out after a snowstorm, tackled a fleeing crime suspect as though he were on an opposing Super Bowl team, or appeared beside Oprah to break news about the charitable whims of a 26-year-old billionaire. And only Booker has been known to pump 15 Tweets per hour for a million followers of his 140-character messages, some of which include Bruce Springsteen lyrics, showing a keen aptitude for attracting fans of the Boss. In fact, Booker succeeds where every past Newark mayor failed. “You could say that he had very tiny shoes to fill,” said James Hughes, dean of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Booker’s predecessors acted more like candidates for prison than for higher office. Five of Newark’s last seven mayors have been indicted on criminal charges, including the last three — Hugh Addonizio, Kenneth Gibson and Sharpe James. “Booker,” Hughes added, “is one of Newark’s greatest resources.” But as talented, and telegenic, as Booker is, the fate of Newark is iffy. The Great Recession has rocked Newark. Poverty rules in its wards, along with piles of rubble and drug-infestation, and the city, now 54% black, is still licking wounds inflicted a generation ago during the race riots of 1967, which persuaded middle class residents to head for the hills. Combating crime was Booker’s first priority, and the city has made significant progress. Booker named a second-generation New York City cop, Garry McCarthy, as Newark police director, a move for which Booker took heat. (Long-time resident Amiri Baraka was so incensed by the appointment of a white police director in a predominantly black city that he reportedly gave the Mayor a book titled “How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy.”) Read More At AtlantaPost.com
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Cory Booker: Can The Nation’s Most Energetic, Twitter-prolific Mayor Resuscitate New Jersey’s Largest City?
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Tagged booker, Celebrity News, democratic, great-recession, Hollywood, mayor, newark, Obama, oprah-winfrey, president, the atlanta post, white
For press events, President Obama has the Rose Garden. Cory Booker has the Oprah machine — and Twitter. On a good day, Booker wins. Though mayor of a rather troubled city, Booker is as talented as Obama at cranking national headlines. Both he and the President are old hands at fielding questions from the national press corps. Both huddle with CEOs. Both have been called leaders of the “Oprah Winfrey wing of the Democratic Party.” But only Booker, the young and indefatigable mayor of Newark, New Jersey, has wielded a shovel to dig constituents out after a snowstorm, tackled a fleeing crime suspect as though he were on an opposing Super Bowl team, or appeared beside Oprah to break news about the charitable whims of a 26-year-old billionaire. And only Booker has been known to pump 15 Tweets per hour for a million followers of his 140-character messages, some of which include Bruce Springsteen lyrics, showing a keen aptitude for attracting fans of the Boss. In fact, Booker succeeds where every past Newark mayor failed. “You could say that he had very tiny shoes to fill,” said James Hughes, dean of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Booker’s predecessors acted more like candidates for prison than for higher office. Five of Newark’s last seven mayors have been indicted on criminal charges, including the last three — Hugh Addonizio, Kenneth Gibson and Sharpe James. “Booker,” Hughes added, “is one of Newark’s greatest resources.” But as talented, and telegenic, as Booker is, the fate of Newark is iffy. The Great Recession has rocked Newark. Poverty rules in its wards, along with piles of rubble and drug-infestation, and the city, now 54% black, is still licking wounds inflicted a generation ago during the race riots of 1967, which persuaded middle class residents to head for the hills. Combating crime was Booker’s first priority, and the city has made significant progress. Booker named a second-generation New York City cop, Garry McCarthy, as Newark police director, a move for which Booker took heat. (Long-time resident Amiri Baraka was so incensed by the appointment of a white police director in a predominantly black city that he reportedly gave the Mayor a book titled “How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy.”) Read More At AtlantaPost.com
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Cory Booker: Can The Nation’s Most Energetic, Twitter-prolific Mayor Resuscitate New Jersey’s Largest City?
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Tagged addiction, bloustein, democratic, newark, newark mayor, News, office, president, the atlanta post
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