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Lady Gaga’s ‘Alejandro’ Director Explains Video’s Painful Meaning

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Steven Klein says the clip is about ‘the pain of living without your true love.’ By James Montgomery Lady Gaga in her “Alejandro” video Photo: Interscope Records Before working with Lady Gaga on the just-released “Alejandro,” famed fashion photographer Steven Klein had never directed a proper music video. But after seeing Gaga perform live, he knew it was time to take the plunge. “I went to see her show in NYC, and it felt like performance art in the ’90s. And I had not seen anything like that in a while,” Klein told MTV News in an e-mail. “Lady Gaga approached me about doing this particular song, and in the past, I have passed on such offers, but this time I felt [a] narrative drive you could make interesting, and we both aligned on the vision for the film.” Working closely with Gaga, the two created an eight-minute-plus, darkly surreal epic that draws equally from Madonna and Marlene Dietrich (to name just a few). Of course, given that Gaga and Klein are among the hottest names in their respective fields, getting together to plan “Alejandro” was difficult — and actually shooting it was nearly impossible. “I had a vision and story for the film, she reacted to it, then we both collaborated … We shot in Los Angeles on April 30, 2010,” Klein wrote. “My schedule and hers are both complicated, so it took a lot to get the days that we both could work together.” Now that the “Alejandro” video has been unleashed on the world, we figured we’d ask Klein to reveal what inspired the clip … or, at least explain what the heck it’s all about. “I was not thinking in terms [of influences.] I saw it more as a combination of cinema and theater,” Klein wrote.

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Eminem’s Recovery Leaks Two Weeks Early

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Rapper’s latest is officially due out on June 22. By Gil Kaufman Eminem’s Recovery Photo: Interscope It doesn’t matter if you’re a new kid on the block like Drake or a veteran like Eminem , chances are your new album is bound to leak early at some point. Marshall Mathers is the latest to fall to the leak plague, as his upcoming Recovery hit the Internet on Monday, two weeks before its June 22 official release date, and spread like wildfire. Fan forums immediately blew up with quick-take reviews on the rapper’s second album in as many years, raving about the many different sounds Slim Shady tries on over the course of the disc. The opening track, “Cold Wind Blows,” finds Em taking aim at some of his favorite targets, viciously daring haters to take him on while dropping references to Elton John, Michael Vick, Aquaman, Michael J. Fox and Mariah Carey before dipping into a sing-songy chorus, “I’m as cold as the cold wind … blows, bla bla bla blows.” He gets contemplative on the expansive acoustic ballad “Space Bound” and praises his second chances on the gospel stomper “Cinderella Man.” He also weaves his way around a gorgeous Rihanna chorus on the troubled-love ballad “Love the Way You Lie.” The leak comes less than a week after the online debut of the second song from the album, an unexpected collaboration with Pink called “Won’t Back Down.” The DJ Khalil-produced track finds Em dropping his usual verbal bombs, taking on all comers in his inimitable style. “Listen, garden tool/ Don’t make me introduce you to my power tool,” Em raps over Khalil’s droning organ chords. “You know the f—ing drill/ How you douche bags feel?/ Knowing you’re disposable, Summer’s Eve, Massengill.” Eminem spoke about his Recovery collaborations while in France on a promotional tour. Pink, Rihanna and Lil Wayne are all featured, a departure from Em’s previous projects, where the guest lists were usually limited to Shady or Aftermath artists. For “Won’t Back Down,” he explained, Pink was added to the track after it was completed. “When I did the song that I did with Pink, I laid my parts first and kind of heard her on the record and felt that she would smash this record,” Em said. Pink does her part with a fiery warning in the chorus: “You can sound the alarm, you can call out your guards/ You can fence in your yard, you can pull all the cards/ But I won’t back down, I won’t back down,” she sings. The video for “Not Afraid,” the album’s first single that’s been storming the charts, premiered on Sunday. In the dark clip directed by Richard Lee, the rapper stands on the ledge of a roof, slowly edging closer to the edge as he raps about coming out of a perilous time in his life. He’s able to pull back from the abyss and takes a walk through the streets of Newark ending up in a hall of mirrors where’s he’s forced to confront his reflection. Do you think Eminem’s Recovery will be hurt by an early leak? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related Artists Eminem

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Eminem Reveals He’s ‘Rebuilding’ Shady Records

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘There’s a new group we’re looking to sign, Slaughterhouse,’ Em says of hip-hop group. By Jayson Rodriguez Eminem Photo: Universal With the release last year of his album Relapse, Eminem announced to the world that he was looking after himself and his music after a five-year hiatus. Now, as he puts the finishing touches on his follow-up, Recovery, the Detroit MC says he plans to focus on his record label, Shady Records. In an interview with BBC’s Radio 1 on Friday (June 4), Eminem was asked about mentoring up-and-coming rappers, and Em admitted he’d been eying a few acts. “We’re kinda trying to start the process of rebuilding our label, Shady Records,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be looking for younger talent, coming up. There’s a new group we’re looking to sign, Slaughterhouse,” he said referring to the rap supergroup made up of Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, and Royce da 5’9″. “But I don’t want to give anything away. We’re looking at a few [artists] now.” Slaughterhouse has been linked to Em for some time, beginning last year when the foursome appeared with Eminem in Drake’s “Forever” video. Their cameo led to speculation that the heralded underground lyricists would soon be connecting with the Slim Shady camp. Royce da 5’9″ spoke to MTV News in September and didn’t deny the rumors. “It’s very much what it looks like,” Royce said of Slaughterhouse joining the Shady roster. “That’s always a possibility. It’s conversations being had, very good conversations. I just did an interview recently and they asked me to address the rumors. I said, ‘Rumors are what they are, people see things and they jump to a conclusion.’ I never said it wasn’t going to happen — I left it right there in the middle. I think it would be a great thing if it could happen.” Earlier this year, Ortiz said negotiations were in the “ninth inning,” but more important, the Brooklyn wordsmith revealed Slaughterhouse and Emimem have already begun collaborating on music while they wait for the ink to dry on the paperwork. “We got in the studio with Em already,” he said. “We traded bars and stuff with all of us.” Which MCs would you like to see Eminem sign to Shady Records? Share your thoughts comments. Related Photos The Evolution Of: Eminem Related Artists Eminem

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Eminem’s ‘Won’t Back Down,’ Featuring Pink, Hits The Web

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

On the Recovery track, Em fires off a slew of lyrical punch lines over DJ Khalil’s spiked organs. By Jayson Rodriguez Eminem’s Recovery Photo: Interscope The second single from Eminem’s forthcoming Recovery album, “Won’t Back Down,” was released online Thursday (June 3) via RapRadar.com . The track, produced by DJ Khalil, features Pink and finds Eminem firing off a slew of lyrical punch lines. “Listen, garden tool/ Don’t make me introduce you to my power tool,” the Detroit native raps over Khalil’s spiked organs. “You know the f—ing drill/ How you douche bags feel?/ Knowing you’re disposable, Summer’s Eve, Massengill.” Eminem spoke about his Recovery collaborations while in France on a promotional tour. Pink, Rihanna and Lil Wayne are all featured, a departure from Em’s previous projects, where the guest lists were usually limited to Shady or Aftermath artists. For “Won’t Back Down,” he explained, Pink was added to the track after it was completed. “When I did the song that I did with Pink, I laid my parts first and kind of heard her on the record and felt that she would smash this record,” Em said. Pink certainly delivers a fiery warning on the chorus. “You can sound the alarm, you can call out your guards/ You can fence in your yard, you can pull all the cards/ But I won’t back down, I won’t back down,” she sings. The song follows “Not Afraid,” the first offering from Recovery, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. What do you think about Eminem and Pink’s collaboration? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related Artists Eminem Pink

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‘Jersey Shore’ Season Two Has ‘1,000 Times More Drama,’ JWoww Says

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

‘I’m definitely a Jersey Shore kind of girl,’ she tells MTV News after the cast’s Miami vacation. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Rachael Rush JWoww Photo: MTV News The time has almost come to return to the Shore! With the season-two premiere of “Jersey Shore” quickly approaching, fans are clamoring for details — and they’re sure to get plenty when the show’s entire cast appears on the red carpet the MTV Movie Awards pre-show, airing live at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. During MTV News’ “Jersey Shore Blow-Out at the MTV Movie Awards,” the gang will also present the first 10 minutes of the show’s second season. On Tuesday, MTV News caught up with Jenni “JWoww” Farley to get some inside info on what viewers can expect from the second season, which debuts July 29, as well as her thoughts on the cast’s field trip to Miami, where they filmed the first part of the new season. “Everything was amazing,” she said, mentioning the beautiful beaches, clear water and the people of Miami as highlights. “We were [welcomed with] open arms. There was no drama, they loved us, so it was easy on us.” Farley said the cast enjoyed their trip, but by the time filming wrapped in the Sunshine State, they were ready to go back to their house in Seaside Heights. “I’m definitely a Jersey Shore kind of girl,” she said. “I loved Miami. The clubs stay open later when it’s all said and done. But Jersey Shore … you have to be on the Shore.” Regarding the big changes from season one to season two, Farley said she and her co-stars’ newfound celebrity hasn’t affected them too much. “We’re still the same people,” she said, but season two is going to pack a major punch. “There’s 1,000 times more drama, 1,000 times more fights, makeups, breakups,” Farley promised. “We’ve become a bigger family, more close. It’s overall 1,000 times better than the first season.” Season two of “Jersey Shore” premieres Thursday, July 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Be there! Related Photos ‘Jersey Shore’ Season 2 Shooting In Miami: GTL!

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T.I. Says Critical Georgia Parents Ignored His ‘Message’

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

‘I think the message is more important than who’s giving it,’ Tip says of his middle school visit, on ‘The Wendy Williams Show.’ By Jayson Rodriguez T.I. Photo: Moses Robinson/ Getty Images T.I. won over fans and court officials alike last year when he starred in the MTV show “Road to Redemption.” In the series, viewers followed the Atlanta MC as he counseled troubled kids about avoiding the mistakes he’d made. Filmed before he went to prison on weapons charges in June 2009, “Redemption” also helped satisfy the requirements of Tip’s reduced sentencing deal , which included 1,000 hours of community service. But not everyone was moved by the rapper’s progression. In April, some parents of students at a Georgia middle school were upset after learning that T.I. visited as a featured speaker. Parents were not notified before the rapper’s appearance. T.I. responded to the criticism in an interview with talk show host Wendy Williams. He told Williams that before lashing out against him — parents should ask their kids what they’d learned. “Well, to be perfectly honest, speaking freely if I may, I honestly believe that they should more concerned with the message than the guy giving the message,” the rapper said during Friday’s episode. “I think they should have asked their children, ‘What did you hear? What did he say?’ The complaints came after the fact. I think they should have asked, ‘What did this guy tell you?’ I think the message is more important than who’s giving it. Because if it had been an accountant, a dentist, someone else coming in giving the same message, the message wouldn’t have been received.” Last year, in an interview with MTV News, Tip opened up about the heart-to-heart conversations he was having with children, and said he would continue to give the talks ever after his release from prison. He addressed specifically the kids he had mentored on “Road to Redemption.” “[I know] they desire to,” Tip said of his impression that the at-risk youth wanted to do good. “Of course, they don’t ride around with T.I. every moment of every day of their life — when they’re not with me, they’re back in their environment that they were in before they met me,” he explained. “The people they spend most of their time around can have a negative influence on their decision-making sometimes. A lot of times they can overcome that negative influence, sometimes it’s half and half. They still go to school, get good grades, do the right thing. When they come home, sometimes they’re kicking it here and kicking it there, doing things — they might not do it as much as they used to.” What do you think about T.I.’s comments? Share your thoughts comments. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: T.I. Related Artists T.I.

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Slash Promises New Velvet Revolver Will Be ‘A Lot Heavier’

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

‘When we started working with Scott, we started to lighten things up,’ the guitarist says of former frontman Scott Weiland. By Kyle Anderson Slash Photo: MTV News Other than taking a short break to play some riffs for Rihanna , top-hatted guitarist Slash spent the better part of last year working on his solo album, which many fans took as further proof that Velvet Revolver was no more. The supergroup — made up of Slash, fellow Guns N’ Roses alums Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner and Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland — produced a pair of well-received albums. Then Weiland went back to STP, leaving Velvet Revolver without a frontman. Still, despite the group having been mostly quiet for the last two years, Slash says they fully intend to push forward — and the group even has some songs ready to go. “As soon as we got off the road from the last tour and parted ways with Scott, we got together and wrote half a dozen really great, sort of heavy metal pieces of music,” Slash told MTV News. “It’s a lot heavier than what Velvet Revolver has put out, so I’m dying to put out the quintessential Velvet Revolver record.” Slash said the new material better matches the group’s original intentions. “When Duff and Matt and I first got together, we wrote a ton of material that never saw the light of day, and that was all very heavy,” Slash explained. “It’s definitely our natural way of doing things. But when we started working with Scott, we started to lighten things up a lot, and we progressively got lighter. As much as I love the two records we did do, one of the things that was progressively more and more frustrating was the direction the band took.” Slash’s self-titled solo effort, released in April, features an eclectic mix of guest appearances, from Fergie to Iggy Pop to Kid Rock to former Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy , who’s currently fronting the guitarist’s touring band. And according to Slash, he wasn’t the only Velvet Revolver bandmember with more than one iron in the fire. “I’ve been doing this record, and there’s a tour and Duff’s been playing with Jane’s Addiction, so everybody has been pretty busy,” Slash said. “But at some point early next year, we’re going to reconvene and take a good serious look at everything that we’ve got.” In the meantime, Velvet Revolver remain a band without a singer — but not for lack of trying. “This next record will be us doing what we want to do without making any concessions to anybody,” Slash declared. “Which is why it’s taking so long to find a singer, because we want to find the guy who can front that band and not something we have to conform to.” Who should be the new Velvet Revolver singer? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Artists Velvet Revolver Slash

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Kristen Stewart Leads Best Female Performance Nominees At MTV Movie Awards

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

Sandra Bullock, Zoe Saldana, Amanda Seyfried and Emma Watson face off against the ‘New Moon’ star on Sunday, June 6. By Kara Warner Kristen Stewart in “Twilight: New Moon” Photo: Kimberley French/Summit Entertainment A far cry from the old “Sugar and spice and everything nice” adage, there’s something to be said for strong women, and this year’s Best Female Performance category at the MTV Movie Awards is packed with them. Despite their diverse backgrounds — from otherworldly Pandora and Hogwarts to the small town of Forks, Washington — the one thing all five nominees have in common is their strength. Here’s a look at the five contenders in the Best Female Performance category who will face off Sunday, June 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV: Amanda Seyfried, “Dear John” In this have-tissues-handy tearjerker, Seyfried is Savannah, an idealistic college student on spring break, who meets and quickly falls in love with John Tyree (Channing Tatum), a soldier on leave from the Army Special Forces. Their romance and eventual long-distance courtship through correspondence is the stuff from fairy tales. And Seyfried plays the perfect princess. Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Moviegoers and “Potter” fans alike have watched the college freshman grow up onscreen. In the sixth installment of the hugely popular franchise, Watson is as bewitching as ever. In “Half-Blood Prince,” Hermione must confront the death of a dear friend and unrequited love. Watson’s transition from bossy schoolgirl to brazen young woman is a seamless one. Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” Kristen Stewart doesn’t have legions of obsessive, die-hard fans for nothing. Her endearingly clumsy-yet-steadfast portrayal of Bella is so spot-on, fans have convinced themselves that Stewart is her character and that she and her onscreen star-crossed love interest, Robert Pattinson (Edward), are a couple in real life. Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side” If it were any other awards show, an argument could be made that competing against an Academy Award winner isn’t quite fair — especially one who was perfectly cast as the fiery Leigh Anne Tuohy, a character based on the inspirational real-life mom who takes in a teenager, Michael, from foster care and raises him to be a part of her family. Zoe Saldana, “Avatar” When images and trailers started surfacing before the momentous release of “Avatar,” there were grumblings about “those blue people” and the actors who played them. Not so after the movie opened. Moviegoers were blown away and completely transported to a new world of filmmaking. Zoe Saldana’s performance as Neytiri, a woman who stands by her people, planet and man, embodies every letter of the phrase “strong woman” and is absolutely deserving of the Best Female title. Who is your pick for Best Female Performance? Sound off in the comments! Don’t miss the 2010 MTV Movie Awards , airing live from Los Angeles on Sunday, June 6, at 9 p.m. Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Kristen Stewart

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‘New Moon,’ The Taylors Pucker Up For MTV Movie Awards’ Best Kiss

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

Five smooches battle it out for Best Kiss on Sunday, June 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. By Jocelyn Vena Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in “New Moon” Photo: Summit Anything goes in the Best Kiss category at the MTV Movie Awards. Sometimes a heartfelt kiss comes out on top (see 2005 winners Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling for “The Notebook”) and sometimes a silly kiss wins (see 2002 champs Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott for “American Pie 2”). So that means at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards , any of our five nominees has a chance at the Golden Popcorn. First up are Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning in “The Runaways.” Girl-on-girl kisses aren’t anything new at the Movie Awards, but something feels particularly rock-and-roll about this one. And we’re pretty sure Jane and Bella won’t be making out anytime soon, outside of some “Twilight” fan fiction. Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner in “Valentine’s Day” are the next nominees. For the onetime real-life couple, their chemistry offscreen definitely translated into an adorable onscreen connection, which means they might have a good chance at this year’s show. We’d love to see them hit the stage together and accept that award — awkward! Of course “New Moon” is represented, and fan favorites Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson will have Twilighters saying, “Dakota who?” Stewart and Pattinson won Best Kiss last year for “Twilight,” and with “Eclipse” right around the bend, we imagine fans are clamoring for a repeat performance at this year’s show. Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington made interspecies love sexy in “Avatar,” earning them a Best Kiss nod. While they made their relationship work in the film, it’s only a matter of time until we know if lightning will strike twice at the big show. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds are nominated for their kiss in “The Proposal.” Will it be steamy enough to beat out their competition? Will the special powers of the “baby-maker blanket” be strong enough to get these two the victory? The fans must decide! Who gets your vote for Best Kiss at the MTV Movie Awards? Share your thoughts below! Don’t miss the 2010 MTV Movie Awards , airing live from Los Angeles on Sunday, June 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

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The Original Green By Steve Mouzon: A Must-Read If You Care About Sustainable Design

Posted on May 31, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Steve Mouzon has been a fixture on TreeHugger since I first read his thoughts on the original green, on how people designed before the the Thermostat age, and how buildings kept people warm in an era before oil, or cool before air conditioning was invented. I have come to base much of my thoughts on the sustainability of heritage buildings (I am a volunteer at a heritage preservation org ) on what I have learned from Steve, much of which is summarized in the points made above in the illustration; that good buildings (old or new) are lovable, durable, flexible and frugal. I looked forward to his new book, the… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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