In wishing people a Happy White People’s Day July 4, Chris Rock stirred up debate and sparked controversy as many accused the outspoken comedian of racism. On Independence Day, the star fired off the following tweet: “Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren’t free but I’m sure they enjoyed fireworks.” Predictably, some people went absolutely ballistic. Rock is, of course, 100 percent correct in noting that black people in America were kept as slaves and treated horribly – for nearly a century after 1776, no less. This is accepted as fact and with shame by almost everyone, but the Tweet struck a nerve with many who seem to really hate black people mentioning slavery. Nearly 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, so-called “reverse racism” achieves little and widens our divisions, or so the common argument goes. Wrote one non-fan: “Chris Rock says ‘happy
By now, you must have heard the rumors: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez have been frequently fighting and were broken up as recently as one week ago. Simply put, the adorable couple is on the rocks and could split again at any time. But Splash News has snapped a photo of what appears to be a very happy Justin and Selena, holding hands on their way back from a date at Los Angeles restaurant the Pink Pepper. Look at Jelena go , people! The latest report of trouble in teen paradise states that Gomez was visibly upset and “crying about Justin” during Ashley Tisdale’s birthday party on Monday. While we have no confirmation on that story, we do have the above link/picture to prove that everything about to be A-OK between the pair. For the moment at least.
Rihanna has sued her former accountants for mismanaging the singer’s finances, claiming they earned huge commissions yet cost her millions of dollars. In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court, the 24-year-old singer and her tour company, Tourihanna, is seeking an unspecified amount of damages. The pop superstar’s dealings with accountancy firm Berdon LLP and former employees Michael Mitnick and Peter Gounis are the subject of the lawsuit. The suit, first filed late in Tuesday ahead of the July 4 U.S. holiday, claims the accounting firm caused “significant financial losses” between 2005 and 2010. She accuses the firm of charging “exorbitant” commissions from Rihanna ‘s 2010 “Last Girl on Earth Tour” and mishandling Rihanna’s foreign and domestic taxes. “Between 2005 and 2010, Tourihanna suffered significant losses due to defendants’ financial mismanagement and other acts and omissions,” the lawsuit said. Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Fenty, is referred to in the suit as a financial novice who found fame at a young age and relied heavily on her accountants. In 2005, the Barbados native was 16 years old and “a minor with a booming music career and no knowledge or understanding of financial matters whatsoever.” The lawsuit said the accountants concealed facts regarding her finances and earned commissions on Rihanna’s revenue that was “exorbitant and expensive.” In addition, the firm assumed control over the singer’s affairs beyond the industry standard and failed to maximize her personal net worth and long term wealth. The lawsuit said Rihanna lost millions during “The Last Girl On Earth” tour after the firm failed to reconcile costs versus revenues while still paying itself millions. It estimated that between 2007 and 2010, the accountants earned commissions equaling 23 percent of total tour income, compared with 6 percent for Rihanna. The firm did not do monthly planning reports and performed little record-keeping of Rihanna’s personal and business expenses, including those for Tourihanna. For example, during 2008 and 2009, the accountants kept only 2 percent to 4 percent of all receipts for expenses charged on the singer’s personal credit card. It also failed to uncover millions in unpaid royalties and problems with the way in which Universal Music Group (UMG) was tracking Rihanna’s song royalties.
This song is one of my favourite’s from Justin Bieber’s new album Believe! www.twitter.com www.beauuty-of-life.tumblr.com Capo 1 GD Em C Oooh woahh… Across the ocean, across the sea Startin’ to forget the way you look at me now Over the mountains, across the sky Need to see your face… http://www.youtube.com/v/RBjgJoso8pU?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Read the original here: “Be Alright” by Justin Bieber (Cover)- Chords and Lyrics in Description!
Though between legs of their tour, band is still making headlines, with copyright infringment suits and shots at the reunited Van Halen. By James Montgomery Black Keys Photo: The Black Keys have been keeping busy lately, though very little of that activity has to do with actual music. Instead, the Keys — who wrapped one leg of their El Camino world tour last month — are using their downtime to fire up the legal machine, filing a pair of copyright infringement lawsuits against Pizza Hut and the Home Depot. The suits, filed late last week, allege that two recent commercials — one touting Pizza Hut’s Cheesy Bites Pizza, the other promoting Ryobi power tools — feature music that sound a bit too much like the Keys’ hits “Gold on the Ceiling” and “Lonely Boy,” respectively. The Keys are seeking damages and an order preventing the continued use of the songs in the spots. The suits claim that both companies received written notices that the ads misused the Black Keys’ music, and according to The Associated Press, the band is looking to make them pay, to the tune of “unspecified damages of more than $75,000 apiece.” “The experts confirmed that this was copyright infringement,” a band spokesperson told the AP. A spokesperson for Pizza Hut told the AP that the company had yet to actually review the suit, and a rep for Home Depot added that “respect for intellectual property rights is a matter we take very seriously.” Of course, that’s not the only bit of Black Keys news out there. On Friday, oft-quoted drummer Patrick Carney — who in the past has taken shots at Spotify’s Sean Parker, Nickelback and Lady Gaga — was at it again, sounding off to Rolling Stone on a variety of topics, including dance music and the fact that the recently reunited Van Halen (which features Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, on bass, in place of founding member Michael Anthony) is “f—ing retarded.” “I have no interest in seeing bands with partial lineups. I just saw Van Halen without Michael Anthony … it was such a f—ing bummer. Like, what the f— is the point?” Carney said. “I mean, sure, Eddie Van Halen’s son is a pretty good bass player and he’s a 20-year-old kid and that’s cool, but like, what the f— is that? … If someone is able to be in a band for 30 years and then people are okay with replacing him with a 17-year-old, they’re obviously motherf—ing a–holes, right?” He also added that on a majority of recent festival dates, the Keys have witnessed first-hand the ascent of electronic dance music, and it mystifies him, to say the least. “I don’t understand it. I think when you’re trying to sell a hundred thousand tickets, you have to have a diverse crowd,” he said. “I think you have to kind of hedge your bets and make sure there’s stuff for people who listen to that music. I don’t know who listens to that kind of music, instrumental versions of LMFAO or whatever.” Oh, and Carney added that the Keys will return to the studio in July to begin work on the follow-up to El Camino, with the hopes of having the album out next year. So, yeah, there’s a lot going on right now — even if there really isn’t. Related Videos MTV First: The Black Keys’ ‘Gold On The Ceiling’ Related Artists The Black Keys
In ‘All Around the World’ NBC special, Bieber shares, ‘It’s important I never forget where I came from.’ By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber on his “All Around The World” special Photo: Last time on Justin Bieber ‘s primetime special, “All Around the World,” the singer’s camp worried about him after he fell down some stairs following a concussion he suffered running into a glass wall during his performance in Paris. Well, on part two of the NBC special, fans get to see just what happened next. “He’s got a nice little bump. Doctors said he should be OK,” his manager, Scooter Braun, shares. “It just scared me in general when he was nonresponsive. … In that moment, when he was not waking up, that was scary.” While Braun was concerned about the star’s wellbeing, later on, Bieber is shown being mostly concerned about whether you can see the bump he got in the process. After wrapping up his time in Paris, Bieber embarks on more dates in Italy and Spain, where he meets more screaming, crying fans. “The team is definitely like a family. There’s never a dull moment,” Bieber says of his tour crew. “Seeing fans is always the most important to me,” he later says of his devotees. “I wouldn’t be in this position without them. Sometimes it can get really chaotic … but I go out of my way.” In addition to traveling the globe with his tightknit road family, in Spain, Bieber is joined by his little sister and dad. “Just being able to come back at the end of the night and see my little sister, it’s amazing,” he shares. While he has folks like his crew and family to keep him grounded, the pandemonium he causes everywhere he goes never lets up. Mexico City is next on the schedule. “I miss home … but it’s all worth it. I get to do so many other things that I wouldn’t get to experience. It’s been really a blessing,” he says. “I have definitely changed over the last few years, and I think it’s for the good. I think that I’m getting more mature. But as far me as a person, I think I’ll always be the same person.” Later on, Bieber visits his hometown in Canada. While there, he performs on the same street corner where he used to play before he was famous, noting how “weird” it is to do his own song there rather than a cover. “For me, it’s important I never forget where I came from,” he says. His trip around the globe ends in the Big Apple, where he prepares for a number of appearances and shows, including his now-infamous performance at the Apollo Theater , which he finished unplugged after losing power. “I want to go someplace Michael [Jackson] performed,” he says in the lead-up to the performance. Instead of shutting it down, Bieber continued the show with a sing-along and a dance battle, much to the delight of his fans. “My fans, to me, mean the world. I’m very blessed, and I have all my Beliebers to thank for that,” he notes. “I never thought that I would be in the position that I am now. I think that it’s so important that if you have a dream to just believe.” While in New York City, he also appeared on his very own MTV special, “Bieber Live,” where he opened up about his just-released new album, Believe . Did you watch “All Around the World”? Share your favorite moments in the comments below! Related Videos ‘Bieber Live’ Related Artists Justin Bieber
‘It’s going to be a big learning experience,’ says ‘Idol’ champ Phillip Phillips of the 45-city tour. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Kelly Marino Phillip Phillips at the ‘Idols Live’ Rehearsals Photo: It’s hard enough for bands with one singer to get their musical heads together for a major summer tour. Just imagine coordinating a band with 10 lead singers and you can begin to see how much work goes into getting ready for this summer’s American Idols Live! Tour featuring the top singers from season 11. The top 10 have begun getting things together for the tour, which kicks off on July 6 in Detroit. They gathered in a studio in Los Angeles on Wednesday to continue getting their act together. During an a cappella run through One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” a smiling Phillip Phillips stood in the back of the pack as fellow finalist Colton Dixon mussed up his pal’s hair. “I’m really excited, you know it’s all of our first time being on a real tour … it’s going to be a big learning experience,” said Phillips, just a few weeks removed from surgery to repair a chronic kidney problem . “I’m feeling good,” he assured MTV News of the surgery, which followed eight surgeries during the run of the show to deal with recurring stones. For a period it was unclear if Phillips would be healed in time for the tour, but he’s clearly healed quickly enough make the trek. Phillips recently told the Associated Press that he’s “getting better each day, so that’s a good thing. I’m just walking around, getting my strength back together. It was tough, you know, those first few days, but I’m getting to where I can pick the guitar back up and write a little bit.” Runner-up Jessica Sanchez was reveling in getting the old crew together again. “It’s so much fun … it’s just like the old days when we were first auditioning and everyone was just a big family and just jamming out.” Her pal, country gal Skylar Laine, added, “Every day we come in here and rehearse and just sing our songs and do our group songs and it’s a blast.” Dixon promised that the live show is “completely different” from what viewers saw on TV. The experience will also be new for the singers, since instead of a few thousand in a studio audience, they will be looking at more than 10,000 screaming fans in arenas. “We’re gonna be like, ‘what do we do with that?’,” he said. Rocker chick Elise Testone promised that you will see the contestants singing backup for one another, performing duets and group songs and putting more of their personalities into the songs. “It’s a perfect mix between favorite moments form the show …. And a whole mix of new stuff too,” Erika Van Pelt said. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
‘My wife has been my rock,’ Against Me! frontwoman says, but adds her new life ‘has completely ended’ her relationship with her father. By James Montgomery Laura Jane Grace Photo: Last month, Laura Jane Grace very publically came out as transgender in a Rolling Stone feature, bringing to close 31 years of living with a carefully guarded secret and effectively beginning a brand-new life. Of course, things weren’t quite as simple as that: Laura’s revelation only came after an intense year-long period of self-evaluation and open, often painful honesty. And when she and her Against Me! mates sat down with MTV News for their first on-camera interview since the Rolling Stone story broke, they spoke at length about just how she came out to the band . But that’s only part of the story. Because before Laura shared the news with her friends, she had to come out to her family, including her wife, Heather. And, as is often the case with life-altering events like this, there’s been some collateral damage along the way — including the unwanted attention Laura’s transgender life has brought on Heather and their daughter, Evelyn. “I mean, my daughter is my biggest worry of it all. Heather, my wife, has been my rock; she’s shown me support and love beyond my wildest expectations. On this tour in particular, it’s our first family tour, and she has, from the get-go, made sure people realize it’s Laura, to use the correct pronouns, and has been my biggest advocate and supporter. And whenever I’m feeling like I need any kind of strength, I look to her for that,” Laura told MTV News. “For my daughter, I’m hoping it doesn’t affect her in any negative way, as far as kids can be cruel to each other, once she starts school. It’s already weird enough when your dad is in a band, explaining that to other kids, but when your dad is transsexual as well … I just hope people are kind to my daughter.” In the Rolling Stone piece, Laura also expressed doubts over just how Heather’s parents would handle the news — they’re described as “somewhat conservative” — though, as she revealed, she’s been overjoyed by the support they’ve shown her. “I saw them actually, for the first time [since the RS story published] when we played in Chicago,” she said. “I woke up on the bus and they were all in the front lounge, and I came out wearing last night’s makeup, my hair was all disheveled, and it was like, ‘OK, here’s everybody! Good morning!’ But they all couldn’t have been more supportive and couldn’t be cooler about the whole thing.” Sadly, the same can’t be said for Laura’s father, a retired Army major with whom she’s never truly been close. At the conclusion of the RS story, Laura said she still hadn’t told her father she was transgender — though obviously, since the news came out, he’s aware, and he’s had a difficult time coming to terms with her new life. Though, tellingly, Laura isn’t letting that stop her on her new path. If anything, it’s inspired her to continue — if not for her sake, then for her daughter’s. “It has completely ended my relationship with my father. It is what it is,” she said. “For me, there were so many things leading up to this decision to come out to this publicly. Having my daughter, like, I had never had that close of a relationship with my father, and when I had my daughter, my father tried to become more a part of my life, because he obviously wanted to have a relationship with his granddaughter. And as I saw that develop, and as we became closer, because of that it was something that started to tear me up inside. “It was like, ‘OK, here we are, I’m building this relationship and setting this example for my daughter, and what are the ramifications of that if this person doesn’t even accept their son? And then they’re going to develop a relationship with my daughter; what kind of example is that setting to them?’ ” she continued. “I wanted this in so many ways to be a line in the sand with people, as far as ‘This is me. If you have a problem with this, then get out of my life.’ And if that’s the way it is. It’s unfortunate, but what can I do about it?” Related Artists Against Me!
Mother Monster takes to Twitter to let her dad know she is doing fine after a concert head injury. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: A little more than week after Lady Gaga suffered a concussion and some bruises from an onstage collision with a metal set piece on her Born This Way Ball, the singer got some good news: She’s doing just fine. “Went for an MRI,” she tweeted on Wednesday (June 20). “No harm from the concussion but it appears my brain is just water and a large floating jellyfish.” She then shared just who she got the check-up for, adding a little note to her dad. “@germanottajoe i had them check my noodle,” she wrote. “that was your father’s day present Il mio babbo!! I thought they were taking me to the zoo. TRICKS.” The injury took place on June 10 while the Mother Monster was in New Zealand when a dancer accidentally hit her with a set piece mid-song. She walked off during “Judas” only to return to the stage after a short break to perform 16 more songs. “I want to apologize,” she later told the crowd. “I did hit my head and I think I may have a concussion. But don’t you worry, I will finish this show.” Gaga will play several shows in Sydney, including a gig on Wednesday night. She’ll play Australia through the remainder of this month before hitting up Europe in July. She has dates slated right through December abroad. She has yet to announce North American dates for her elaborate Born This Way Ball, with a gothic castle serving as the tour’s main visual. In addition to touring through the rest of 2012, Gaga will also release her first fragrance, Fame , in September, which also happens to be the month she will announce the title of her next album, the follow-up to 2011’s Born This Way . Related Artists Lady Gaga
Mother Monster takes to Twitter to let her dad know she is doing fine after a concert head injury. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: A little more than week after Lady Gaga suffered a concussion and some bruises from an onstage collision with a metal set piece on her Born This Way Ball, the singer got some good news: She’s doing just fine. “Went for an MRI,” she tweeted on Wednesday (June 20). “No harm from the concussion but it appears my brain is just water and a large floating jellyfish.” She then shared just who she got the check-up for, adding a little note to her dad. “@germanottajoe i had them check my noodle,” she wrote. “that was your father’s day present Il mio babbo!! I thought they were taking me to the zoo. TRICKS.” The injury took place on June 10 while the Mother Monster was in New Zealand when a dancer accidentally hit her with a set piece mid-song. She walked off during “Judas” only to return to the stage after a short break to perform 16 more songs. “I want to apologize,” she later told the crowd. “I did hit my head and I think I may have a concussion. But don’t you worry, I will finish this show.” Gaga will play several shows in Sydney, including a gig on Wednesday night. She’ll play Australia through the remainder of this month before hitting up Europe in July. She has dates slated right through December abroad. She has yet to announce North American dates for her elaborate Born This Way Ball, with a gothic castle serving as the tour’s main visual. In addition to touring through the rest of 2012, Gaga will also release her first fragrance, Fame , in September, which also happens to be the month she will announce the title of her next album, the follow-up to 2011’s Born This Way . Related Artists Lady Gaga
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