What do you get when you combine Jay-Z, Kanye West, pyrotechnics and an Otis Redding sample? Apparently, the new Spike Jonze-directed music video for “Otis,” a track off of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaborative album Watch the Throne inspired by Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness.” Click through to take a look at the explosive fun and keep an eye out for a cameo by 30 Minutes or Less star Aziz Ansari .
Slow groove features crafty verses by Weezy and a memorable Drake refrain. By Alvin Blanco Lil Wayne recording “She Will” Photo: MTV News Jay-Z and Kanye West are not the only rap duo with clout. Lil Wayne and Drake have their own collaboration in the works, and fans just got a bit of a preview with “She Will,” the latest single from Weezy’s forthcoming Tha Carter IV. Earlier this week, Tunechi released a video, shot by DJ Scoob Doo, that showed behind-the-scenes footage of him recording “She Will” with Drake providing feedback over the phone. The final product, released on Friday (August 12), features a bass-heavy, reverb-bloated slow groove provided by producer T-Minus. The song’s title makes it seem like it’s an ode to a, er, willing woman, and indeed portions of it are. But the “How to Love” rapper/singer also drops savvy bars that don’t necessarily match the theme. “What goes around comes around like a hula hoop/ Karma is a bitch, but just make sure that bitch is beautiful/ Life on the edge, I’m dangling my feet/ I tried to pay attention but attention paid me,” raps Wayne on the first verse. Drake doesn’t drop a verse on the song but performs its chorus, part singing and part rapping, “Do it for the realest n—as in the f—ing game right now she will/ Maybe for the money and the power right now she will,” on a portion of the memorable refrain. Birdman recently told XXLMag.com that Lil Wayne and Drake’s collaboration is definitely a go, though it will have to wait until after their upcoming solo efforts. Drake’s sophomore set, Take Care, is due in stores October 24, while Weezy’s much delayed Tha Carter IV will finally be available on August 29 . The latter’s track list was also recently released, revealing featured performers including T-Pain (“How to Hate”), John Legend (“So Special”) and Bun B, Nas, Shyne and Busta Rhymes on “Outro.” Drake, along with Jadakiss, appears on another song on Tha Carter IV titled “It’s Good.” Related Artists Lil Wayne Drake
DJ explains to Mixtape Daily how he re-created the sample for Jadakiss and Styles P. By Rob Markman Kanye West and Jay-Z Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Behind the Beats: Statik Selektah When the Throne’s “Otis” premiered on New York radio in late July, rap fans weren’t the only ones who took notice. MCs like the LOX’s Jadakiss and Styles P wanted in on a piece of the action as well, so they sought out the Otis Redding-sampling instrumental. Only problem is, with all the secrecy that surrounded the recording and subsequent release of Watch the Throne and its singles, most knew that ‘Ye was keeping the beat he produced very close. Luckily for the Yonkers, New York wordsmiths, their friend DJ Statik Selektah is a wizard on the beat machine. “I was literally on the way to my Shade 45 show, and I saw Styles and Jada on Twitter going back and forth like, ‘I’m trying to get the instrumental, I’m trying to get the instrumental,’ ” Statik told Mixtape Daily . “Everybody knows how crazy it would be if they got it.” Statik, who has produced for Bun B, Nas and fellow Bostonian Termanology, was leaving his Showoff Bassment studio space on his way to his radio gig but decided to take a few minutes to lend a helping hand to Kiss and Styles. Read how Jadakiss and Styles P came up with their version of “Otis.” The first order of business was locating Redding’s 1966 version of “Try a Little Tenderness,” the sample which Hov and Yeezy’s “Otis” is built upon. “I’m not gonna front, I didn’t know what Otis Redding song it was, but I went on Google and just typed it in and it came up,” Statik admitted. “I looked up the song, brought it up and just through the song, found that part of the song that they used and just put it in [software program] Serato and then looped it.” After chopping up and recording the sample, he added an extra note to mirror Kanye’s original production, and five minutes later, he had his own version of “Otis.” While the beat was close to Yeezy’s musical concoction, there was one thing missing, Statik admits. “He added an ill 808 under there,” Stat said of the main difference between his and the Throne’s version of the beat. “That’s how you know there are a lot of fake Otis instrumentals because there is no 808 on any of them.” He then emailed the beat to Styles and Jadakiss. “He sent it over nice and looped up, so then once we got it, [it took] maybe like 24 hours [to record],” ‘Kiss said. Related Videos Welcome To Jay-Z And Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne’ Week Related Artists Kanye West Jay-Z Statik Selektah
MTV News gathers a group of tastemakers to break down the clip, which features a mutilated Maybach, fireworks and a huge American flag. By Rob Markman Jay-Z and Kanye West (file) Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage Who knew destroying a Maybach could be so fun? In Jay-Z and Kanye West ‘s new Spike Jonze-directed video for “Otis,” the Throne give the luxury vehicle the chop-shop treatment and then do doughnuts with reckless abandon. “Have you ever seen Jay-Z look that young or that happy?” Jeff Rosenthal from the sketch-comedy group It’s the Real said when MTV News gathered a group of tastemakers to preview the “Otis” video, which premiered Thursday on MTV. “I like that it definitely has that Spike Jonze look. I like that they totally make a Batmobile out of a Maybach,” his brother and comedy partner Eric added. “They do have a lot of fun, which is awesome.” Read what some hip-hop DJs had to say about “Otis” as an unconventional single. Model Tahiry Jos
‘I hope we can bring something unique and original to help change the naysayers’ minds about the film,’ Kenny Ortega tells ‘The Insider.’ By Terri Schwartz Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the 1987 classic “Dirty Dancing” Photo: Getty Images Kenny Ortega has been tasked with remaking the 1987 classic “Dirty Dancing,” and he knows you aren’t happy about it. The announcement earlier this week was met with seemingly universal backlash, especially in MTV News’ comment section. Commenter lisha.16 lashed out against Hollywood’s continued dependence on remakes, while Valerie Anne Devine pointed out that “Dirty Dancing” is “not broken therefore does not require a makeover.” In an interview with “The Insider,” Ortega said he was initially in the same boat. “Saying yes to this project was a really tough decision for me, and one that I wrestled with for a long time,” said the “This Is It” director, who was a choreographer on the original “Dirty Dancing.” “I had to be won over too.” So far, there’s no script or casting ideas set, just the idea to remake the movie first made famous by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. But “Dirty Dancing” is no stranger to reinvention. The movie inspired a successful Broadway musical as well as the 2004 box-office flop “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.” Ortega said his first step in creating this remake is to not try to top anything the original movie did. “We have a big challenge and a long road ahead of us,” Ortega said. “All I can say is that I hope we can bring something unique and original to help change the naysayers’ minds about the film.” That starts with not trying to find a way to replace Swayze and Grey. “They’re one of a kind, and they deserve to be called that,” he said. Ortega said he has been impressed with “So You Think You Can Dance” finalist Melanie Moore’s skills and told her live on the air that she has a role waiting for her in the film if she wants it. He also said that he would love to find a role for Grey in the remake if she’d want to be part of it. As for who should play male lead Johnny Castle, MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog suggested Ryan Gosling could be a pretty good choice. Ortega is no stranger to fans rebelling against remakes of ’80s dance flicks. He was originally attached to direct the upcoming “Footloose” remake before dropping out because he didn’t like the tone Paramount wanted for their modernized take. It will be interesting to see whether Ortega’s “Dirty Dancing” also gets updated to the present day with current popular dancing or if it maintains the 1960s setting and styles that the original had. For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaboration is getting some big first-week estimates from the experts. By Rob Markman Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images There is little doubt that when Watch the Throne debuts on the Billboard albums chart next week, Jay-Z and Kanye West will snag the #1 spot. The real question is: How much will the superstar duo actually sell when the smoke clears and the first-week retail registers are tallied? “I’m gonna say, ladies and gentlemen: 450,000,” Shade 45’s DJ Wonder said on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live.” Statik Selektah and Hot 97’s DJ Kast One predicted similar numbers. Kast guessed the duo would sell anywhere from 350,000 to 400,000 thousand copies of their new LP, while Statik, who spins on Shade 45’s “Showoff Radio” show on Thursday nights, thought the Throne would hit the 500,000 sales mark and earn themselves a gold plaque in the first week. Get a sneak peek of the Throne’s “Otis” video, and tune in to MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com or BET at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT to watch the world premiere. On Monday, the day of Watch the Throne ‘s exclusive iTunes release, Billboard.biz predicted that the mega-collaboration would sell anywhere between 400,000 and 500,000 units. But the very next day, the site reported that based on the first day of sales, WTT was projected to go upwards of 500,000 in week one. Estimates may be adjusted again once the physical copy of the album is released to retailers on Friday, but as of now, Vibe editorial director Datwon Thomas’ guess is on pace with current projections. “I’m going just north of half-a-mil, only because of the fact that they’re coming out so unorthodox,” he said of Watch the Throne ‘s rollout , which as of now has produced no crossover single, just the boom-bap affair, “Otis.” “I don’t know if Middle America has latched onto the concept of just throwing out a hot record that can just carry through urban areas and not lift off with the traditional hook that they’re used to from a Jay or Kanye.” Some wondered if superstars like Hov and Yeezy were actually capable of selling a million copies in one week. Rap Radar founder and Respect magazine editor in chief Elliot Wilson didn’t rule out the romanticized sales figure, though he feels it may be unobtainable at this point. “I think they’d love to sell a million records in the first week and show that you could still do something like that,” he said. “I think it’s possible. Is it probable? Probably not, but I think it will do big-boy numbers first week. I think it will do at least 400k or something like that.” What do the critics think of Watch the Throne ? No one has ever entertained the thought that Watch the Throne could tank. Even though fans had only heard two songs leading up to the album’s drop (“H.A.M.” and “Otis”), Jay-Z and Kanye’s respective legacies were enough to ensure the Throne’s sales success. The real question was whether it would meet critical expectations. “I don’t think [Kanye and Jay] really care what the sales look like,” Wilson said. “I think it’s more about people saying the album’s dope and the peer group props that come with it, and the influence and the impact and the fact that, ‘Damn we really did do it. We really did get it out there. Now we’re gonna go on tour, and it’s a celebration.’ ” What are you expecting from the “Otis” video? Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #MTVOtis. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame And Royce Da 5’9″ Related Photos Exclusive Photos Of The ‘Watch The Throne’ Recording Sessions Related Artists Jay-Z Kanye West
Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaboration is getting some big first-week estimates from the experts. By Rob Markman Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images There is little doubt that when Watch the Throne debuts on the Billboard albums chart next week, Jay-Z and Kanye West will snag the #1 spot. The real question is: How much will the superstar duo actually sell when the smoke clears and the first-week retail registers are tallied? “I’m gonna say, ladies and gentlemen: 450,000,” Shade 45’s DJ Wonder said on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live.” Statik Selektah and Hot 97’s DJ Kast One predicted similar numbers. Kast guessed the duo would sell anywhere from 350,000 to 400,000 thousand copies of their new LP, while Statik, who spins on Shade 45’s “Showoff Radio” show on Thursday nights, thought the Throne would hit the 500,000 sales mark and earn themselves a gold plaque in the first week. Get a sneak peek of the Throne’s “Otis” video, and tune in to MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com or BET at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT to watch the world premiere. On Monday, the day of Watch the Throne ‘s exclusive iTunes release, Billboard.biz predicted that the mega-collaboration would sell anywhere between 400,000 and 500,000 units. But the very next day, the site reported that based on the first day of sales, WTT was projected to go upwards of 500,000 in week one. Estimates may be adjusted again once the physical copy of the album is released to retailers on Friday, but as of now, Vibe editorial director Datwon Thomas’ guess is on pace with current projections. “I’m going just north of half-a-mil, only because of the fact that they’re coming out so unorthodox,” he said of Watch the Throne ‘s rollout , which as of now has produced no crossover single, just the boom-bap affair, “Otis.” “I don’t know if Middle America has latched onto the concept of just throwing out a hot record that can just carry through urban areas and not lift off with the traditional hook that they’re used to from a Jay or Kanye.” Some wondered if superstars like Hov and Yeezy were actually capable of selling a million copies in one week. Rap Radar founder and Respect magazine editor in chief Elliot Wilson didn’t rule out the romanticized sales figure, though he feels it may be unobtainable at this point. “I think they’d love to sell a million records in the first week and show that you could still do something like that,” he said. “I think it’s possible. Is it probable? Probably not, but I think it will do big-boy numbers first week. I think it will do at least 400k or something like that.” What do the critics think of Watch the Throne ? No one has ever entertained the thought that Watch the Throne could tank. Even though fans had only heard two songs leading up to the album’s drop (“H.A.M.” and “Otis”), Jay-Z and Kanye’s respective legacies were enough to ensure the Throne’s sales success. The real question was whether it would meet critical expectations. “I don’t think [Kanye and Jay] really care what the sales look like,” Wilson said. “I think it’s more about people saying the album’s dope and the peer group props that come with it, and the influence and the impact and the fact that, ‘Damn we really did do it. We really did get it out there. Now we’re gonna go on tour, and it’s a celebration.’ ” What are you expecting from the “Otis” video? Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #MTVOtis. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame And Royce Da 5’9″ Related Photos Exclusive Photos Of The ‘Watch The Throne’ Recording Sessions Related Artists Jay-Z Kanye West
Eminem collaborator tells ‘RapFix Live’ Jay-Z and Kanye West’s joint album shows that ‘it’s cool to be lyrical.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Royce Da 5’9″ Photo: MTV News Hip-hop tandems are nothing new. In 2009, KRS-One and Buckshot collaborated on Survival Skills, and that same year Canibus and Keith Murray got together and put out their Undergods album. But in 2011, the idea of two solo MCs getting together seems to be more popular than ever. In June, Royce da 5’9″ and Eminem dropped their collaborative EP, Hell: The Sequel, as Bad Meets Evil, then on Monday, Jay-Z and Kanye West released their get-together, Watch the Throne . On the very next day, Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame emerged with their Ferrari Boyz album. “It’s a trend,” Royce da 5’9″ said when he visited “RapFix Live” on Wednesday. “I don’t know who did it first, but it’s definitely a trend. I think my group — without tooting our own horns — I think my group Slaughterhouse started that four-man trend, that group trend. As far as the tandem thing, me and Em were working on the EP for a long time.” Royce doesn’t take full credit for setting things off with Bad Meets Evil; he said he believes great minds think alike. “I think it’s a good thing that people are teaming up doing that because it’s something new in hip-hop and something that will continue the art form growing. If it stays the same for long periods of time, it starts to feel like it could fade away — which it can.” The Detroit rapper, who dropped his fifth solo album, Success is Certain, earlier this week, admits that he’s only heard WTT in its entirety once — but so far, so good. “I think it’s good,” Nickel Nine commented. “It sounds like they went in and did what they wanted to do, which I can respect. That’s exactly what me and Marshall did: We went in and did the type of music that we wanted to do. “They wanted to go in and make an album; that’s what they did. We wanted to go in and just be lyrical and box, go back and forth, and we not thinking about making an album.” The success of both Watch the Throne and Hell: The Sequel leaves Royce optimistic about hip-hop’s future. “I think the fact that both of those projects are out and they are doing well, it’s great for hip-hop because both of them are lyrical projects, and it was one time in hip-hop when it wasn’t really cool to be lyrical,” he said. “So you got these big guns going in and showing these kids of today that it’s cool to be lyrical.” Share your thoughts about the joint album trend in the comments section below! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame And Royce Da 5’9″ Related Photos Exclusive Photos Of The ‘Watch The Throne’ Recording Sessions Related Artists Royce Da 5’9″ Eminem Jay-Z Kanye West Gucci Mane Waka Flocka Flame
Watch the Throne clip will hit MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT. By Rob Markman Jay-Z and Kanye West in their “Otis” video Photo: Roc-A-Fella Jay-Z and Kanye West will continue to keep fans watching. Three days after the monumental release of their collaborative album Watch the Throne, Hov and Yeezy will premiere the LP’s first video, for “Otis,” on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET on Thursday at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT. Immediately following the premiere, the Spike Jonze-directed music video will air on MTV Jams and MTV Hits, with an encore airing on MTV2 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Read all about how Jay and Kanye are breaking the mold with Watch the Throne. “Otis” captivated music fans when it premiered last month on DJ Funkmaster Flex’s Hot 97 radio show in New York. The song, which samples Otis Redding’s 1966 rendition of “Try a Little Tenderness,” finds Jay and ‘Ye rapping eight bars apiece before passing the mic back and forth several times during the track’s two-minute-and-58-second run. There is no catchy chorus or melodic refrain, just the dusty record loop and hard-hitting rhymes, which made the song an instant fan favorite. Days after the song’s release, two pictures from the video’s set were leaked online. One photo showed a large American flag draped over a blue wall, correlating with Givenchy designer Ricardo Tisci’s cover art for the single. The second pic was of Jonze and West on set, but it ultimately revealed nothing about the clip’s theme or overall feel. What are the critics saying about Watch the Throne ? So far, the “Otis” video has been shrouded in mystery, much like the Watch the Throne album itself. Because the LP didn’t leak early like most albums these days do, fans didn’t get their first listen to the album until it was officially released Monday. Now they get to see WTT ‘s first visual when the “Otis” video premieres Thursday. In addition to the premiere, fans can check out MTV News’ “RapFix Live” on Wednesday (August 10) at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com and watch as industry experts weigh in on Watch the Throne and what to expect from the joint album’s first video. What are you expecting from the “Otis” video? Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #MTVOtis. Related Videos Get Ready To ‘Watch The Throne’ Related Photos Exclusive Photos Of The ‘Watch The Throne’ Recording Sessions Related Artists Jay-Z Kanye West
Second song from band’s upcoming Neighborhoods album is equally indebted to both classic Blink and iconic West Coast punk. By James Montgomery Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus Photo: Jason Kempin/ Getty Images It’s easy to compare Blink-182 ‘s brand-new “Heart’s All Gone” with ” Up All Night ,” the first song they released off their upcoming Neighborhoods album, mostly because the similarities begin and end right there. They are both songs by the band, and they are both on the new record. Perhaps, then, it’s best to contrast the two songs, because they’re different in just about every conceivable way. “Up All Night” premiered with much fanfare — on the band’s site and L.A. radio station KROQ — and was greeted with much the same. “Heart’s All Gone,” on the other hand, bowed without much notice: just a quick link on Mark Hoppus’ Google Plus page that took you to a new website and a simple instruction to “Command the ‘A’ ” (or, if you’re on a PC, “CTRL + A”). Doing so on the new site, of course, revealed not only lyrics but the song itself. And that’s when the differences between the two tracks really become apparent. Because while “Up All Night” synthesized all of the band’s previous endeavors (Plus-44, Angels & Airwaves, Box Car Racer) into something entirely new, “Heart’s All Gone” does the complete opposite: It is very much a blast from the past — both Blink’s and the West Coast punk scene that birthed them. With its breakneck guitars, yelped vocals and cascading drums, it sounds like something taken from Blink’s 1997 Dude Ranch album (or ’01’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket ), but at the same time, it also recalls classic West Coast churn and burn,
