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Bonnaroo Gets Party Started With Alabama Shakes, Kendrick Lamar

Bonnaroo Gets Party Started With Alabama Shakes, Kendrick Lamar

Bonnaroo Gets Party Started With Alabama Shakes, Kendrick Lamar

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 04:53 AM PDT

Variety is the rule at Tennessee festival's Thursday kickoff.
By Mary J. DiMeglio


Kendrick Lamar performs at Bonnaroo 2012
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images

MANCHESTER, Tennessee — The 11th annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival kicked off Thursday with a characteristically diverse mix of artists representing funk, blues, hip-hop, reggae, electronic, indie rock and even mariachi.

The rootsy Alabama Shakes, who broke earlier this year, nabbed a closing spot on opening night, grooving through "Hang Loose" and their first single, "Hold On." Frontwoman Brittany Howard had the crowd feeling her pain as she wailed "Rise to the Sun."

For photos from Bonnaroo, click here.

Kendrick Lamar brought his West Coast gangsta rap to the dirty South. And while he clearly had many fans in the crowd — spitting along to "P & P" and "A.D.H.D." — he took time to address a vocal hater in the front row. "He's telling us that I'm not the best rapper alive today," Lamar announced. "Can I prove it to him?" He responded with the frantic "Look Out for Detox." Earlier in the night, the stage was handled by rappers Danny Brown and Shady Records signee Yelawolf.

Soja's devotees were treated to "Here I Am," "Everything Changes" and a bit of advice from singer Jacob Hemphill, who urged his audience of reggae lovers to check out Bad Brains, hardcore punk pioneers who also delved into reggae. Bad Brains is scheduled for their first Bonnaroo appearance on Saturday afternoon.

Just after sunset, Moon Taxi lit up That Tent with jazzy keyboard and bass solos. Also Thursday, Big Gigantic managed to seamlessly blend Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," Aloe Blacc's "I Need a Dollar," electro and high-speed drum and bass — all while featuring live saxophone. Mimosa gave a shout-out to fellow Bonnaroo performer Ludacris, mixing the rapper's "What's Your Fantasy" into a set that also included DJ Darude's decade-old trance classic "Sandstorm."

Over four days, nights and early mornings, Bonnaroo will bring fans more than 150 bands and nearly two dozen comedians. Friday (June 8) features Radiohead, Foster the People, Feist, and Mos Def and Talib Kweli as Black Star. The 2012 lineup also includes Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beach Boys, Phish, Skrillex, Alice Cooper, Fun. and Bon Iver.

Are you at Bonnaroo? Share your review in the comments below!

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'Prometheus': The Reviews Are In!

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 03:53 AM PDT

'The performances are excellent, especially from Michael Fassbender,' writes the AP's Christy Lemire.
By Kevin P. Sullivan


Michael Fassbender as David 8 in "Prometheus"
Photo: Twentieth Century Fox

After 30 years away from the genre, director Ridley Scott returns to science-fiction with "Prometheus," a film with tenuous connections to the "Alien" universe.

Reactions to "Prometheus" have been decidedly split, but parties on both sides can't help but praise Scott's stunning visuals and the ambition of the screenplay.

Here is our roundup of critic reactions to "Prometheus."

The Story
Since most reviews can't seem to explain the story without giving away significant plot details, let this suffice: A group of scientists go into space. Bad things happen.

The Look
"Nearly all the bits and pieces in director Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus' come from other movies — either one of Scott's or someone else's. More and more, though, I appreciate Scott's fundamental squareness as a filmmaker. 'Prometheus' may be the 'Gladiator' director's first picture shot digitally and in 3-D, but there's an old-school assurance in the pacing and the design. 'Elegant' and 'stately' are two adjectives that won't mean a thing to the potential teen audience for 'Prometheus,' but they're the most apt." — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The "Alien" Connection
"Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus' is a magnificent science-fiction film, all the more intriguing because it raises questions about the origin of human life and doesn't have the answers. It's in the classic tradition of golden age sci-fi, echoing Scott's 'Alien' (1979), but creating a world of its own. I'm a pushover for material like this; it's a seamless blend of story, special effects and pitch-perfect casting, filmed in sane, effective 3-D that doesn't distract." — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Michael Fassbender
"The performances are excellent, especially from Michael Fassbender as a robot with the looks and impeccable manners of an adult but the innocence and troublemaking instincts of a child. His character, the genteel, fair-haired David, serves as an homage to Scott's own work as he calls to mind Ian Holm's android Ash from the original 'Alien.' His eerily calm, precise demeanor also is reminiscent of the HAL 9000 computer program in '2001: A Space Odyssey,' and the pop-culture influences that shape David's habits and speech are a clever celebration of the power of classic cinema in general. ('Prometheus' probably will not go on to be considered one of Scott's classics in the same category as 'Alien' and 'Blade Runner,' but you've got to admire its ambition.)" — Christy Lemire, The Associated Press

The Final Word
"You might also call [elements of the film] science-fiction clichés, but the amazing thing is that, at least for a while, they don't feel that way. The visual scheme is sufficiently captivating, and most of the performances are subtle enough that whatever skepticism you may arrive with quickly turns into happy disorientation. The 3-D is unusually graceful — your gaze is absorbed rather than assaulted — and you are pulled into a world of lovely and disconcerting strangeness with plenty of time to puzzle over the behavior of its inhabitants." — A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Check out everything we've got on "Prometheus."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.


G.O.O.D. Music's Hit-Boy Drops First Single, 'Jay-Z Interview'

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:40 AM PDT

Kanye West protégé follows in his mentor's footsteps with first rap single.
By Rob Markman


Hit-Boy
Photo: MTV News

How fitting is it that Hit-Boy is signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music? As a producer, the Grammy-winning beatsmith has already built quite the discography, and now he wants to try his hand at rap. Sound familiar?

On Thursday (June 7), the California track dealer debuted the song and video for his first rap single, "Jay-Z Interview," and boy is it good. The Jelani Fresh-directed clip starts with Hov introducing Hit-Boy to the crowd at a Watch the Throne concert. "This young man is an incredible producer, a lot of passion. He made one of the most incredible records of all time," Jigga said, referencing Hit-Boy's board work on the Throne's "N---as in Pairs."

"Can y'all invite him to the circle? You ready for that Hit-Boy?" Jay asks.

With that, Hit-Boy the rapper is born. "All these n---as really know my at-bat average/ Ridiculous rap patterns/ And f--- who you know, this youngin got the coldest beats/ All my old hoes layin' in the coldest sheets/ Even if they married, they still ain't over me," he confidently raps over a soulful Bink beat.

The music video is comprised of a bunch of homemade videos Hit has accumulated through his travels. Kanye West, Big Sean, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean and Fabolous all appear in the archival studio footage. The visual is strikingly familiar to Kanye's breakout rap video "Through the Wire," and just like Yeezy did in 2004, Hit-Boy proves he is much more than a producer.

Back in April, Hit revealed to MTV News that he planned to start a rap career but was pretty tight-lipped, only teasing his first single, which is now here. With G.O.O.D. Music's collaborative LP Cruel Summer due out later this year, it's plausible the label's in-house hitmaker will be spitting bars on the project as well as making beats, but he wouldn't confirm that either. "We'll see," Hit-Boy said sheepishly.

Kanye also made his bones behind the boards, crafting a big chunk of Jay-Z's The Blueprint album before anyone took him seriously as a rapper, so it's only right that he help the young man get out his dreams. The parallel isn't lost on Hit-Boy either. "This is Freshman Adjustment meets Late Registration," he raps on "Jay-Z Interview," referencing Yeezy's 2005 underground LP and sophomore album.

So why is the song named after Hov? Well, how else was he supposed to get your attention? Hit-Boy explains it all in the track's closing line: "Yeah, the sh-- I spit like, 'What the f--- has gotten into you?'/ I got 'em tuned in like a Jay-Z interview."

What do you think of Hit-Boy's rapping skills? Let us know in the comments!


Taylor Swift And John Mayer's Awkward L.A. Run-In

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:22 AM PDT

Sources say the former pair tried to avoid each other out at a West Hollywood bar after his Rolling Stone confession.
By Jocelyn Vena


Taylor Swift and John Mayer
Photo: FilmMagic/WireImage

John Mayer and Taylor Swift had the misfortune of being the same place at the same time on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Making things all the more awkward was the fact that earlier that day, Rolling Stone published an interview with Mayer in which he admitted that Swift left him "really humiliated" when she released her track, "Dear John."

Swift and Mayer had their run-in at West Hollywood hotspot Tower Bar. According to the New York Post, Swift walked into the hangout and noticed Mayer, who was there with a friend. "Taylor very visibly — in front of the entire restaurant — demanded to be moved to the other side," the eyewitness said. "The bar's usually an oasis of calm and privacy for celebrities and power players, but this was drama central." But according to a Swift source who spoke with Gossip Cop, there was no nasty confrontation and while the singer was at the bar, it's not even confirmed whether they saw each other.

Meanwhile sources tell UsMagazine.com that she's still reeling from his interview. "I can't believe he is trying to play the victim!" the source said of Mayer, who reportedly dated Swift in 2009, while they were working on music together. "John was a player and treated her like s--t," another insider says. "He looked at her as a conquest. Taylor is going to think even less of him now!"

While he may feel that using their relationship as fodder for her Speak Now ballad was "cheap songwriting," when MTV News spoke to Mayer in 2009, he was singing a different, more pleasant, tune about the pop star.

"I woke up with the song in my head called 'Half of My Heart,' " he explained, noting that the Battle Studies duet came about via Twitter messages they shared. "And the idea is that it's this real sort of updated — not that it needs to be updated — sort of Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks thing.

"I thought, 'Well, if this is going to be my love letter to that style of music, who's going to be the Stevie Nicks in this equation?' " he recalled. "And I thought, 'This Taylor Swift girl is going to be around for a long time.'"

So, what is making Mayer so angry these days? Well, on her song, she sings, "Dear John/ I see it all now that you're gone/ Don't you think I was too young/ To be messed with/ The girl in the dress/ Cried the whole way home/ I should've known."

"I never got an email. I never got a phone call," he said in the new interview, out this week. "I was really caught off-guard, and it really humiliated me at a time when I'd already been dressed down. I mean, how would you feel if, at the lowest you've ever been, someone kicked you even lower?"

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Japandroids Unassumingly Aim For Greatness On <i>Celebration Rock</i>

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 03:32 AM PDT

'It all sounds ridiculous to me,' drummer David Prowse says of the critical acclaim heaped on their second album.
By James Montgomery


Japandroids' Brian King
Photo: MTV News

The best rock record of 2012 is not some overwrought, double-disc affair, nor was it presided over by a studio pro like Rick Rubin or Butch Vig, and it doesn't contain a single instance of dubstep. Rather, it is an eight-song, 35-minute fist-pumper called Celebration Rock, the second (barely) full-length from Japandroids, a pair of unassuming everydudes from Vancouver.

And what Celebration Rock lacks in general grandiosity, it more than makes up for in sheer sonic wallop, featuring thundering drums, rousing riffs and more top-volume "Woah-oh-ohs!" than any record in recent memory. Much like the duo that made it, the record is a brazenly blue-collar, proudly scruffy thing, a revelatory, celebratory disc that seems tailor-made for beery, cheery sing-alongs and all manner of drunken debauchery. It is meant to be played very loud, very often and very late at night. It doesn't quit, and it never really slows down to catch its breath either.

And it has, in the weeks leading up to its release, earned all manner of critical acclaim, including a Best New Music designation from Pitchfork and a recent review on Grantland that compared it to the Who's Who's Next, Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, the Replacements' Let It Be, Nirvana's Nevermind and the White Stripes' White Blood Cells ... all in the space of a single paragraph.

And if that last bit of praise seems a bit, well, unbelievable to you, you're not alone. Not surprisingly, the guys who actually made the album are having a pretty hard time wrapping their heads around all the adoration Celebration Rock has received.

"It all sounds ridiculous to me," drummer David Prowse laughed. "I mean, come on."

"We love all those records, and I don't think it would be out of the realm of reality to say you could hear those influences on our record, but to compare them in a quality sense is pretty ridiculous," guitarist/singer Brian King added. "Especially given the fact that a lot of those records weren't hailed as masterpieces, like, the day after they came out. They had to earn their place in rock history ... obviously, we're nowhere near that yet."

Yet, they're definitely appreciative of all the attention. After all, making Celebration Rock was a true task in every sense of the word. Burned out after two years of touring behind their debut (2009's Post-Nothing), Prowse and King returned home to begin work on the album, only to find, well, they had nothing left in the tank. And the situation certainly didn't improve over the next few months. So, riddled with doubt and no record on the horizon, they decided to leave the city and head all the way across the continent, to Nashville, where they isolated themselves and decided to make an album that would give them an excuse to head back out on the road.

"I think, in general, the first record was about being stationary and not wanting to be stationary, and this record is actually about being on the move and liking being on the move," King explained. "When we wrote the first one, we were just a local band. We had never been on tour, we had no fans, so you're just kind of writing the songs for yourselves, for fun. But having played a couple hundred shows in between writing this one, you now have a brand-new thing to take into account when you sit down to write a song. You have an audience, you play shows every night, you know when you play songs what works and what doesn't. And you can apply that to the songwriting process.

"And having played all those shows, we've known what songs garnered the kind of reaction that we wanted," he continued. "And it was sort of like, 'Let's just write a whole album of those kind of songs, so when we play a set, instead of it being kind of like peaks and valleys of energy and excitement, it's just one big peak the whole time we play.' "

So far, Japandroids have basically done nothing but play the songs on Celebration Rock, and the end result has been shows that match the album's exhilarating scope — "On a good night, it's just a big, sweaty mess," Prowse laughed — and they'll remain on the road until the end of the summer. And then, perhaps, they'll actually take a minute to bask in their accomplishments, and prepare themselves for the album's inevitable conclusion on year-end "best of" lists. But then again, maybe they won't.

"Maybe when all the touring is done, we'll enjoy it. Everything has been happening so fast, and when we're on tour, the focus is on the shows, and everything else goes right through you," King said. "It's only when you get an extended break, you get a chance to breathe ... and you can kind of take a load off and let it sink in. But even then, you know, we probably still won't believe it."

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N.O.R.E. Breaks Down Partnership With Busta Rhymes For <i>S.U.P.E.R.T.H.U.G.</i>

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:00 AM PDT

'He's been the person ... who would call me and say, 'Yo I don't hear no records on the streets, son,' ' N.O.R.E. tells 'RapFix Live.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway


N.O.R.E. on "RapFix Live"
Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News

N.O.R.E. is ready for the next chapter in his career. As half of the Queens, New York, rap duo Capone-N-Noreaga, N.O.R.E. dropped an underground rap classic with pair's 1997 debut The War Report. As a solo artist on a major label, he's made his mark with unforgettable street singles like "Superthug" and "Grimey." Now N.O.R.E. is looking forward to going independent and releasing his S.U.P.E.R.T.H.U.G. album and movie.

For the album, N.O.R.E. hooked up with his buddy Busta Rhymes, who will partner with Noreaga on the business end of things. "He's been the person, when I was away and wasn't around, who would call me and say, 'Yo I don't hear no records on the streets, son,' " N.O.R.E. said when he appeared on "RapFix Live" on Wednesday, using his best Busta impression. "He's my peer and he's also a fan, but he wants to see me win. So why do anything separate?"

N.O.R.E. hasn't signed to Busta's Conglomerate record label, but they have joined forces. "I've been down too long to be anybody's artist. So it's a partnership, Militainment and Conglomerate as partners for the S.U.P.E.R.T.H.U.G. album."

The accompanying film will blend long-form music videos with some acting, similar to what Jay-Z did with his 1998 cult favorite "Streets Is Watching." The flick will star N.O.R.E., Ice T, Lil Wayne, Slaughterhouse's Joell Ortiz and Fred the Godson, just to name a few.

As far as whether or not he will make another record with C-N-N partner Capone, N.O.R.E. isn't sure. "We're straight, we're brothers," he confirmed about their personal relationship. "As far as recording, I don't know yet."

Before he commits to another album, he needs to see Capone exhibit a passion for the music. "He has to love his job just as much as me, and I'm not judging him, but the thing is I actually love this," N.O.R.E. said.

What is your favorite N.O.R.E. single? Let us know in the comments!

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Bob Welch, Ex-Fleetwood Mac Guitarist, Commits Suicide

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 03:47 AM PDT

Late musician also found success as a solo artist after leaving the band in 1974.
By Kara Warner


Fleetwood Mac's Bob Welch
Photo: Fin Costello/Redferns

Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac, was found dead in his home in Nashville on Thursday (June 7) from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to the Nashville police, Welch shot himself in the chest, and his body was discovered by his wife around noon. The police told WKRN-TV, Nashville's local ABC station, that Welch had been suffering from health issues recently and that he left a suicide note.

The Los Angeles-born guitarist joined Fleetwood Mac in 1971, when the band was beginning to evolve from its initial setup as a hard-edged British blues combo into a polished pop/rock act. Welch played guitar and contributed vocals on five Fleetwood Mac albums, Future Games, Bare Trees, Penguin, Mystery to Me and Heroes Are Hard to Find, the band's first to crack the U.S. top 40. He was also responsible for penning two of the band's early hits, "Sentimental Lady" and "Hypnotized."

Welch left the band after Heroes, an opening that paved the way for Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham to join, which re-energized the group and launched the band toward their long-desired commercial success and future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1998.

After leaving the band in 1974, Welch later formed the British rock group Paris in 1976 and found success as a solo artist. His 1977 album, French Kiss, reached platinum status and spawned three hit singles: "Ebony Eyes," "Hot Love, Cold World" and a re-recording of "Sentimental Lady," on which Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham provided backing vocals.

Welch was 66.

Share your condolences for Welch's family and friends in the comments.

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Miley Cyrus Jets Off To Visit Fiance Liam Hemsworth

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:15 AM PDT

Singer is photographed at LAX heading to Louisiana to see her beau on the set of 'Empire State.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Miley Cyrus shows off her 3.5-carat diamond ring as she arrives at LAX airport Thursday
Photo: Bruja/Juan Sharma/PacificCoastNews.com

Twenty hours after news broke that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are getting married, the singer was spotted leaving Los Angeles on Thursday to reportedly jet off to visit her fiancé on the Louisiana set of his new movie, "Empire State."

It's not the first public outing for Miley since she announced she and her boyfriend of three years plan to marry. On Wednesday, she was spotted in Malibu wearing her new bling at a photo shoot and walking around the beachside town with her mom, Tish, according to the Mirror.

Sources told Radar Online that her parents are hoping she and Liam will wait a bit to get married, but other sources tell UsMagazine.com that despite her young age, she's ready to make some very adult moves in her life.

"She's very mature! She's 19 going on 40, so she is ready for [marriage]. Liam likes her wild side, but Miley's also mature and supportive. They're both ready for this," the source said, adding that as for wedding plans, "Nothing yet [is planned], but she's starting to work on it!"

Meanwhile, insiders tell People.com that "she's pretty independent already." The source added, "They're just so happy she's found someone who makes her so happy. Billy Ray loves Liam. He's happy his daughter has found the right guy. The whole family loves Liam."

Hemsworth popped the question on May 31 after three years of dating. He asked with a 3.5-carat Neil Lane sparkler.

Miley is taking some time out of recording her next album to visit Hemsworth. According to sources, that album will reflect her more mature state of mind. Recording with the likes of Pharrell and Hit-Boy, the insider shared, "We are watching a young girl turn into a young woman."

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James Franco Crowns Kristen Stewart 'Warrior Queen'

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:38 AM PDT

Oscar-nominated actor compares 'Twilight' star to her 'Snow White' character in a Huffington Post article.
By Fallon Prinzivalli, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Kristen Stewart in ?Snow White and the Huntsman?
Photo: Universal

If you looked up "jack of all trades" in the dictionary, we're pretty sure you'd find a picture of James Franco. His credits include actor, author, producer, director, artist, student, teacher — we'd go on, but we think you get the picture.

He's recently become a contributor to The Huffington Post, and his latest article is a review of "Snow White and the Huntsman" that successfully compares Kristen Stewart to her edgy character.

"['Snow White'] could also be said to parallel Stewart's rise to stardom," Franco writes. "Some might argue that Stewart — or any young upstart buoyed by the surge of a successful franchise, album, or Internet meme — is just as unjustly charmed. Some could say she had a lucky break when she was cast in 'Twilight' and then rose to international stardom based less on her own skills than on the success of the project. But, whereas 'Snow White' would more than likely be inarticulate, diseased and frail after being confined in a tower for 10 years, Kristen Stewart landed 'Twilight' after years of working with some of the best directors in the business (David Fincher, Sean Penn). She actually does deserve the crown."

Franco's critique recognizes the challenge filmmakers face when turning a fairy tale into a live-action film instead of simply animating it. He notes that Peter Jackson revolutionized the film industry with "Lord of the Rings," greatly enhancing the technology aspect of fantasy stories. But whereas "Puss in Boots" can skim emotional development by falling in love in seconds, Stewart must prove to an audience that her romantic entanglements are real.

Franco then relates Snow White's epic battle against Charlize Theron's Evil Queen as Stewart's fight for recognition among Hollywood's honored elite, believing Stewart deserves more credit than she's given.

"The images of Snow White as a leader of immense strength, charging on horseback across the beach at the head of an army, has less to do with her character and more to do with the actress who plays her," Franco pens. "Stewart has braved more scrutiny of her private life than most presidents. She has taken big career risks by doing films like 'Welcome to the Rileys,' 'The Runaways' and 'On the Road' (nudity, I hear). She has worked her ass off. Whatever Snow White may be, Kristen is a warrior queen. Give her the crown."

This isn't the first time Franco divulged his thoughts on one of Stewart's projects. He frequently mentioned wanting to be involved in "Twilight" on late-night talk shows and even told Jimmy Kimmel he wanted to sing a song with Robert Pattinson or helm a skit with the cast for his Academy Award hosting debut. When MTV News caught up with the actor at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, he had read the first three books and saw the first three films, prompting us to ask him about his thoughts on the series he deemed "fascinating."

"[Along with the books, the] movies are interesting also because they've really become part of the whole 'Twilight' phenomenon, and it's really hard to extricate those actors from the reading experience or just the phenomenon of 'Twilight' now," he said. "They've become a part of it to the point that the movies are almost commenting on themselves. There will be a scene where the go-to guys, Taylor and Rob, are in the tent, it's almost like a 'Brokeback Mountain' scene, where the two guys are talking in a tent and the girl is asleep, and they're having, like, this romantic moment almost through her, in a way. One of them says, 'Well, I'm hotter than you,' and it's almost like they're winking at the fans, like to the Team Jacob or the Team Edwards."

Check out everything we've got on "Snow White and the Huntsman."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Usher Earned Channing Tatum His Best Stripper Money

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:54 PM PDT

'I did 'You Make Me Wanna' when I was dancing,' the 'Magic Mike' star admits to MTV News.
By Kara Warner, with additional reporting by Josh Horowitz


Channing Tatum
Photo: MTV News

If you're a Channing Tatum fan or have been following the very entertaining news surrounding his upcoming movie "Magic Mike," you know that before his days as a Hollywood heartthrob, the "21 Jump Street" star was a stripper in Florida.

When MTV News caught up with Tatum during our special pre-Movie Awards treat, our "Sneak Peak Week event with "Magic Mike," we enlisted Tatum's co-star and "True Blood" hunk Joe Manganiello to ask Tatum a question about his scantily clad days in Florida.

"Back in your Tampa stripping days, what was your most money-making routine, and can you take the crowd through a little walk-through of it?" Manganiello asked via a pre-taped video interview.

"Yeah, what made you the most money?" Matthew McConaughey chimed in. "I know it wasn't the backflip."

"It was Usher," Tatum admitted, albeit bashfully. "I did 'You Make Me Wanna' when I was dancing."

The actor finished his answer not by demonstrating a portion of that particular money-making routine, but by dashing into the crowd to hug a few lucky screaming female fans.

And although there has been much ado over Tatum's stripper past, particularly with "Magic Mike" being loosely based on his experiences, the "Haywire" star said he will not be talking about or doing any stripping anymore after the film opens.

"This will be my swan song, I will never do or talk anything about stripping after this ever, ever again," Tatum promised, adding that he still can't believe "Magic Mike" made it to the big screen.

"It was just crazy, the whole time we were going through it, we just started laughing," Tatum said of the movie, which hits theaters June 29. "What I think people don't realize we financed this ourselves, we wrote and produced it all ourselves, it's not a studio movie. I'm interested to see what people's reactions are, it's a fun movie, the first half and a serious movie the second."

Check out everything we've got on "Magic Mike."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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'Django Unchained': Five Secrets From The Trailer

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:59 AM PDT

We're just as obsessed with the sneak peek of Quentin Tarantino's latest as you are.
By Kevin P. Sullivan


Jamie Foxx in "Django Unchained"
Photo: Columbia Pictures

The trailer for "Django Unchained" is finally here, and if you're here, you've paused the trailer long enough to read this, so thank you.

We here at MTV News are just as obsessed with the trailer for Quentin Tarantino's long-awaited Southern, so we've put together the trailer commentary below, and if you're looking for an even deeper dive, here are the five secrets of the "Django Unchained" trailer:

What's In A Name?
Tarantino has always filled his movies with some subtle (and not so subtle) references to the movies he admires. The title character in "Django Unchained" owes his name to the rich legacy of other Djangos in film. The original Django appeared in an Italian-made Western from 1966 by director Sergio Corbucci. In the original "Django," the character is a mysterious drifter who drags a coffin around with him wherever he goes. Naturally, the coffin contains a machine gun. Dozens of other films ripped off the film, trying to repeat the original by featuring a character with the same name, but Corbucci and star Franco Nero only made one other Django movie, a 1987 sequel called "Django 2: il grande ritorno."

The Hidden Gun
This tricky little pistol shows up twice during the trailer, but expect to see a lot more of it in the actual film. A contraption used by Dr. King Schultz, the hidden gun retracts up into the wearer's sleeve and pops out when needed for a surprising blast. The device shows up pretty regularly in Westerns, and it even makes an appearance in one of Tarantino's favorite movies of all time, Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver."

The Leo Zoom-In
The first time we see Leonardo DiCaprio, Tarantino does a jarring zoom-in on his smug, smiling face. The move comes straight out of the spaghetti Westerns that the style of "Django Unchained" pulls inspiration from. The most notable director of the genre, Sergio Leone, directed four of its most famous films: "Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More," "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," and "Once Upon a Time in the West." Tarantino has borrowed from Leone and the spaghetti Western aesthetic on other occasions, including nods in "Kill Bill" and "Inglourious Basterds."

Don Johnson
The lucky journalists at Cannes who got a sneak preview of "Django Unchained" left the theater raving about the performance of '80s TV star Don Johnson. He actually appears in the trailer, right around the two-minute mark, as the Colonel Sanders-esque gentleman on a horse. Johnson has found himself in a series of intriguing roles in recent years, appearing in "Machete" and "Eastbound and Down." It's safe to say that "Django Unchained" will continue that trajectory.

Franco Nero
Right at the end of the trailer, Tarantino throws in one last Easter egg for hard-core film fans. That man next to Jamie Foxx when he speaks the "D is silent" line? That's Franco Nero, the original Django.

Check out everything we've got on "Django Unchained."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.


Josh Hutcherson Wants 'Some Sort Of Friendship' With Kristen Stewart

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:02 AM PDT

'Hunger Games' star reconnects with his 'Zathura' co-star at the MTV Movie Awards for the first time in five years.
By Fallon Prinzivalli, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Josh Hutcherson backstage at the MTV Movie Awards
Photo: MTV News

"The Hunger Games" and "Twilight" collided over the weekend at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards when Josh Hutcherson ran into his "Zathura" co-star backstage.

"I actually got to talk to Kristen Stewart tonight for the first time in five years, at least," Hutcherson revealed to MTV News. "That was awesome to connect with her again, especially after everything that's happened to the both of us [with 'Twilight' and 'The Hunger Games']. It's nice to just kind of be able to talk again and hopefully have some sort of friendship. She's fantastic."

"Breaking Dawn - Part 1" slayed the dystopian thriller out of the Best Kiss and Movie of the Year awards, but the actor promised there are no hard feelings between the two franchises.

"Honestly, you know what? I've never really felt it to be a competition. And I wish I could pretend like it was 'cause it'd be fun, [but] it's so not. Their cast is fantastic, our cast is fantastic and there's never been any bloodshed. ... Not yet," he teased.

Hutcherson certainly didn't go home empty handed. Thanks to his adoring fans, he took home the Golden Popcorn for Best Fight along with the honor of Best Male Performance.

"Just to be here is always fun, and then to be nominated on top of that is amazing, but to actually win something is surreal," he said. "Best Male means so much to me. The people I was in that category with, like Ryan Gosling, I've said publicly how much I want to be him. The fact that I'm considered on the somewhat same level, it's just mind-blowing."

The excitement for the actor didn't stop there. He caught one of the most iconic performances of Movie Awards history when Johnny Depp took the stage with the Black Keys to perform "Gold on the Ceiling."

"I missed Fun., which I was disappointed in 'cause I wasn't there — as one does when they miss something," he laughed. "But Depp and Black Keys, one of my favorite actors and one of my favorite bands combined, I was just like, my mind was exploding. It was incredible.

"I was like, 'How are there not more people losing their minds?' " he added. "It was pretty insane. I didn't know he played the guitar, let alone could be a rock guy rockin' out and do all these things. It was pretty awesome." And like everyone else with a semblance of interest in this summer's box office, Hutcherson was thrilled to take in some never-before-seen footage of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises."

"I'm a huge Batman fan. Growing up I actually thought I was Batman," he said. "I wore a Batman mask and cape around until I was like 14 years old. For me, that movie is going to be the most epic thing of the summer, for sure."

Once he helps Katniss save the citizens of Panem, maybe he can take over Christian Bale's role and rid Gotham of its evil? "No. No way," he said with a laugh. "Bruce Wayne, I have to stay away from that. It's too much."


'Hunger Games': Five Things We Learned At Movie Awards

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:11 AM PDT

From filming locations to Finnick contenders, here are the facts we reaped from the stars on the big night.
By Amy Wilkinson


Alexander Ludwig and Josh Hutcherson at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

"The Hunger Games" made its MTV Movie Awards debut this past weekend, and the odds were clearly in the series' favor as it walked away from the star-studded arena as victor, clutching four Golden Popcorns triumphantly. We, in turn, picked up a few party favors as well, namely five things about the cinematic series and its stars. Check them out:

The Games Have Only Begun
If there was any question whether "The Hunger Games" could carry "Twilight"'s banner once the vampire romance makes its final Movie Awards appearance in 2013, the dystopian flick's four wins set that debate to rest. With statuettes for Best Female Performance (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Male Performance (Josh Hutcherson), Best Fight (Lawrence, Hutcherson and Alexander Ludwig) and Best On-Screen Transformation (Elizabeth Banks), we expect "The Hunger Games" series to set the ceremony on fire for years to come.

Jennifer Lawrence and Elizabeth Banks Are Good Sports
We knew co-stars Lawrence and Banks had well-honed senses of humor, but they continued to prove their gameness with two much-talked about moments during the show. In one of the night's spoofs, Lawrence starred as herself — the unwitting victim of hapless archery expert Lester Boonshaft (played with aplomb by "The Soup" host Joel McHale). Let's just say we don't know a lot of actresses willing to wear an arrow through their head.

Then, in a lovely unscripted moment during her acceptance speech for Best On-Screen Transformation, Banks was surrounded by presenters and "Magic Mike" stars Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello (clad in half a fireman's uniform), Banks (clearly enjoying the gyrating) mused, "I just want to thank MTV for this moment right here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, MTV. This is just the best moment of my life."

Buy Your Plane Ticket For Georgia ... Maybe
Thanks to the Quarter Quell's jungle-like arena, the stars of "Catching Fire" have been anticipating a tropical shoot locale for some time now, but Hutcherson revealed the cast could be heading down south, as well. "I haven't heard anything confirmed yet, but Atlanta is definitely a big possibility," he said. "And I know they're looking at Hawaii too for some of the tropical stuff when we're in the games. It's gonna be somewhere nice!" We're packing our sunscreen already, Josh.

Finnick Has Yet To Be Found...
Not so fast, Internet. Despite rumors that Finnick casting was down to actors Armie Hammer, Garrett Hedlund and Taylor Kitsch, producer Nina Jacobson told the L.A. Times that the studio is far from finding front-runners.

"That's the thing that's crazy — people are like way ahead of where we are," she said. "We've not narrowed things down by any means. It's funny to see how things can take on a life of their own." So all you young, handsome, incredibly well-chiseled Hollywood actor types, you still have time to order a trident off eBay for auditions!

...Which Gives Cast Mates Time To Brainstorm
Despite the ardent fan and online speculation, many "Hunger Games" stars have yet to make their casting picks for the District 4 tribute. "I don't [know], honestly," Banks said. "Everybody that's ever been mentioned seems fantastic. I'm sure they'll find the right fit. I think the cast has come together in such an amazing way so far, and I know that their goal is to keep adding the best people and the people that it's gonna be great." Hutcherson added that he needs to brush up on the source material before weighing in. "I mean, honestly, I have no idea. I definitely need to re-read the second book," he said. "I haven't read it since I first read them, before the first one. So I think I kind of need to read it again to get a better grasp."

What was your favorite "Hunger Games" moment at the MTV Movie Awards? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns!

Earlier "Hunger Games" columns: » How 'Catching Fire' Could Set Taylor Kitsch's Career Ablaze
» 'Hunger Games' At The Movie Awards: Dos And Don'ts
» "Catching Fire" Countdown: What to Watch While You Wait
» Francis Lawrence's "Catching Fire" To-Do List
» "Fifty Shades Of Grey": What's In It For "Hunger Games" Fans?

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Phillip Phillips Has Kidney Surgery

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:26 PM PDT

'Surgery went well,' a rep for the 'American Idol' winner said of the kidney procedure.
By Gil Kaufman


Phillip Phillips
Photo: Getty Images

Just days after a source said "American Idol" champ Phillip Phillips
 was going to skip
 a much-needed kidney surgery, a spokesperson for the 21-year-old singer said he underwent a procedure on Wednesday and is now resting comfortably.

"Surgery went well," a spokesperson told MTV News about the reportedly six-plus hour surgery in Los Angeles to remove kidney stones so large Entertainment Weekly reported that there was "no chance" he could have passed them on his own. "He's resting and will be ready for the 'Idol' tour kickoff in July!" the rep added about the 45-day summer outing slated to launch on July 6 in Detroit.

When you think about it, it's pretty incredible that Phillip Phillips was able to not only hang in, but win "American Idol" season 11 given the pain he was in from chronic kidney problems. The singer struggled with kidney stones during his entire run on "Idol," and had a stent implanted in one of his kidneys in March to prevent blockage, and allow him to keep competing on the show.

Phillips reportedly went through eight surgeries from the time "Idol" began in January until the May 23 finale, but this week's procedure could help alleviate a lot of the pain he's been suffering, according to a leading nephrologist.

"Kidney stones are fairly common ... occurring in more than 10 percent of men and 5 of women and once they've formed one, they're likely to form another," said Dr. Gary C. Curhan, a professor of medicine and editor-in-chief of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Typically made up of calcium, stones can be formed for a number of reasons, said Curhan, who is not treating Phillips and has no firsthand knowledge of his case. Those reasons include low fluid intake (which leads to concentrated urine), dietary factors, certain medications and, in some cases, an anatomical predisposition to forming them.

He also noted that the stent is a temporary measure and is typically very painful, but allows urine to continue flowing until the swelling in the ureter (the tubes that move urine from the kidneys to the bladder) goes down. Phillips was slated to have reconstructive kidney surgery right after his "Idol" win, but, according to TMZ the procedure was postponed because of a bad sinus infection that triggered a high fever. TMZ also reported earlier that Phillips suffers from a serious congenital kidney condition that produces stones so large they cannot pass and which has seriously damaged his right kidney.

Curhan, who spoke to MTV News before Phillips had the surgery, said most stones will pass on their own, but in doing so will cause a huge amount of pain. Others are too big and require removal by a urologist, either by breaking them up with shockwaves or using a surgical tools to break them up internally or pull them out. He noted that it's rare for stones to form quickly, as they normally take months, or years and multiple surgeries in a short period of time is also unusual.

Cases where stones continually form and are hard to pass are typically caused by an anatomical difference that causes the kidney to drain urine improperly, which predisposes the patient to stones. "If aggressive therapy is not working, you have to have surgery to change the anatomy to help it drain better," he said. "There is risk involved in the procedure [surgery], but not treating it can also cause risk," he said.

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Big K.R.I.T. Makes 'Important' Music With B.B. King

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:36 PM PDT

'He heard the record, he loved it and he also played the guitar on it,' K.R.I.T. tells 'RapFix Live' about 'Praying Man.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway


Sway Calloway, Big K.R.I.T. and Ed Lover on "RapFix Live"
Photo: MTV News

Big K.R.I.T. may be a new artist, but the standout Mississippi MC has an old musical soul. On Tuesday, K.R.I.T. released his debut album, Live From the Underground, and while he features quite a few artists on his LP, the one that stands out the most is blues legend B.B. King.

"I think doing a record with B.B. King allowed me the opportunity to blend two different generations across the board and make a song that I hope is extremely impactful," the King Remembered in Time told MTV News correspondent Sway, Ed Lover and Doctor Dre when he appeared on "RapFix Live" on Wednesday.

The record is "Praying Man," a poignant story-driven rap on which K.R.I.T. rhymes from the perspective of three slaves who are facing death. During the first verse he rhymes as a slave hanging from a tree in a noose and in the second he tells the story of a slave jumps off his captive ship into the Atlantic Ocean. On the final verse, K.R.I.T. spits about a man running from a lynch mob. It's all pretty deep and a far cry from most of today's rap fare.

"All three of these people are dead, but they're rappin' to you as if they didn't know and the praying man that they're talking about is death coming to take them from their situation," the producer/MC explained of the track's concept. "When I was working on the record I was like, 'Yo, this would be crazy if I got B.B. King on the song.' "

Krizzle's wishful thinking eventually turned into a reality. "I was actually able to make it happen. He heard the record, he loved it and he also played the guitar on it. He gave it his own feel as well," K.R.I.T. said before he confirmed that he will also shoot a video for the song. "I'm excited for people to hear it and when we do shoot a visual, because I know we got to, it gotta be cinematic."

Coming from the South, K.R.I.T., who built his buzz by releasing a trilogy of free mixtapes, felt it was his duty to tell these types of stories on his album after hearing stories about the civil rights movement from his grandmother. "It's important that I talk about all that. It's a lot of people that died for me to have the opportunity that I have now, just the freedom," he said. "It shouldn't be forgotten as far as the past is concerned."

What is your favorite song off Big K.R.I.T.'s Live From the Underground? Let us know in the comments!

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Kanye West's Beat For Azealia Banks Actually 'A Hoax'

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 10:47 PM PDT

'He sent me some links for stuff he thought I should sample and the email title just said 'beats,' ' Banks tells MTV News.
By Nadeska Alexis


Azealia Banks
Photo: MTV News

During a New Year's Eve DJ set, Kanye West drew attention to pint-size Harlem rapper Azealia Banks when he played her catchy "212" single and dubbed her "the future of music."

Since then, Banks has performed at 'Ye's Paris fashion show and exchanged a few emails with him, but she admits that her recent tweet, which announced that she got a beat from the super-producer, was "a hoax."

Banks' tweet ("just got a Kanye West beat") quickly made headlines on the music blogs, but this week, the 21-year-old told MTV News that her excitement got the best of her in the situation.

"That was actually a hoax, I actually didn't get a beat from Kanye West," she said, explaining that she reacted too quickly to one of his emails. "I was actually very gassed and tweeted it. He sent me some links for stuff he thought I should sample and the email title just said 'beats' and I was like: 'I got beats from Kanye West!' Then [the email said], 'Hey, I think you should sample these,' and I was like, 'Come on, f---ing Kanye, give me a goddamn beat! Let me get a beat!' "

The outspoken rapper dropped her 1991 EP last week, which includes "212" and new tracks like "Van Vogue." She plans to roll out her Fantasea mixtape in July, followed by her debut album this fall. So, although she hasn't gotten that Kanye beat just yet, it might still happen.

"We're not tight," she said, detailing her casual relationship with Kanye. "We're kind of just like, 'Yo, what up? How you doing?' I see him around a lot, like [at the] Met Ball and all that stuff. When I speak to him, he'll just be like, 'Yo, what you up to? Want to come to Paris? Want to come to a show?' Sure!"

The lead single from her upcoming Fantasea mixtape is the tropical-tinged track "Jumanji."

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Fiona Apple's 'Every Single Night' Video To Premiere Sunday

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:02 PM PDT

Singer unveils a teaser for the video — her first in more than six years — ahead of its premiere on the Sundance Channel.
By James Montgomery


Fiona Apple in her video teaser for "Every Single Night"
Photo: Epic

Fiona Apple is making her triumphant return to the world of music videos with "Every Single Night," a brand-new clip set to premiere Sunday (June 10) at 8 p.m. ET on the Sundance Channel.

But before the big debut, Apple is giving her fans a sneak peek at the clip, unveiling a teaser trailer that's just 15 seconds long ... but definitely whets the appetite.

In the clip — directed by Joseph Cahill, a filmmaker who has made a series of eye-popping, whimsical videos for the likes of Raul Paz and Emily Loizeau — we see Apple lying in a field, while an electric-blue sky floats above her, swimming above water and walking through the streets of Paris while a giant squid attacks the Eiffel Tower. So, yeah, it'll definitely be interesting.

"Every Single Night" is, of course, the proper single off Apple's upcoming The Idler Wheel, her first album in nearly seven years. And the video is the first she's done in more than six years ... her last was the 2006 clip for "Not About Love," which starred a pre-"Hangover" Zach Galifianakis and his magical dance moves.

The Idler Wheel is in stores June 19, and that same day, Apple will launch a full-scale North American tour in support of the disc. Her trek kicks off at the State Theatre in Ithaca, New York, and runs until July 29, with a gig at the Hollywood Palladium.

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Justin Bieber Waiting On Basketball Film Script, Mark Wahlberg Says

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:04 AM PDT

'I want to send it to them once it's perfect,' Wahlberg tells MTV News about long-in-the-works project.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Justin Bieber
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

Justin Bieber might be ready to start "hooping" for his long-in-the-works basketball film with Mark Wahlberg, but the movie star explains that no one will get on set until the script is just right.

"The Bieber movie? I saw 115 pages," Wahlberg explained to MTV News last weekend. "Just waiting — I want to send it to them once it's perfect."

It seems that Bieber's team is also waiting for the script to be finalized. "I sent [Bieber's manager] Scooter [Braun] a text ... The last time I talked to him, I said, 'Hey, I need Justin to do me a favor.' He goes, 'Not without the script.' So, it's a process. Cutting those albums and doing those videos is easy, building a movie career is a difficult thing."

Wahlberg previously told us the film would be in the vein of the Martin Scorsese-directed "The Color of Money," starring Tom Cruise and Paul Newman, with Bieber playing the rookie to Wahlberg's mentor character. And pool, in this case, has been replaced with basketball. Little else is known about the plot.

"I'm still working on this movie with Mark Wahlberg," Bieber told us in May. "I don't know what the deal is. Turns out they're rewriting the script or something, trying to make it fit better and stuff.

"It's really cool," he added. "Hopefully, I'll be able to do that as well soon. So, I'll be hooping, I got to get back in the gym. I haven't played basketball in a while. I did a little charity basketball game at Shaq's house for Pencils of Promise. We did a little charity basketball game, and I won."

Before Bieber begins his acting career, he has lots of music-related business to handle. He will release his highly anticipated new album, Believe, on June 19 and will embark on a sold-out tour this fall.

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Erykah Badu Tells Flaming Lips: 'Kiss My Glittery Ass'

Posted: 06 Jun 2012 10:37 PM PDT

Badu rips frontman Wayne Coyne after nudity-filled 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' video leaks without her approval.
By James Montgomery


Erykah Badu
Photo: Kitra Cahana/ Getty Images

Last week, the Flaming Lips raised eyebrows with their wholly NSFW video for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," which featured collaborator Erykah Badu and, more prominently (or nakedly), her sister Nayrok, who spends the majority of the clip nude, slathered in glitter, blood and all other manner of fluids.

Of course, soon after the video's premiere, it was yanked from the web, and the Flaming Lips issued a statement that read, in part, "The video ... is unedited and unapproved. We, the Flaming Lips, accept full responsibility ... it has outraged and upset a segment of fans and we apologize if we offended any viewers."

Well, if you were offended by the clip, you weren't the only one: On Wednesday, Badu lashed out at Lips' mastermind Wayne Coyne (via one epically long tweet), calling him "self-serving" and the video itself "tasteless, meaningless [and] shock motivated."

"Perhaps next time u get an occasion to work with an artist who respects your mind/art, you should send at least a rough version of the video u plan to release b4 u manipulate or compromise the artist's brand by desperately releasing a poor excuse for shock and nudity that sends a convoluted message that passes as art (to some)," Badu wrote. "By the way, you are an ass."

Badu then goes on to rip Coyne for his behavior leading up to the "Face" shoot, saying he had originally shown her a concept for the clip that was full of "beautiful, tasteful imagery," but, once on set, he had changed his mind, and "begged" Badu to sit naked in a tub filled with various fluids (blood, fake semen, etc). She refused, but "out of respect," Badu had her sister Nayrok — whom, she points out "is much more liberal" — to film the scenes in the tub. Badu said she had Coyne's assurance that he would edit the video in a way that made it clear that the nude woman was her sister, and not her, but that never happened ... and Badu didn't realize it until the video premiered online.

"I told you from jump that I believed your concept to be disturbing, but would give your edit a chance ... U disrespected me by releasing pics and rough vid on the internet without my approval," she wrote. "That is equivalent to putting out a security camera's images of me changing in the fitting room. Our art is a reflection of who we are ... I have no connection to those images shot in their raw version.

"As a human, I am disgusted with your what appears to be desperation and poor execution," she continues. "As a director, I am unimpressed. As a sociologist I understand your type. As your fellow artist I am uninspired. As a woman I feel violated and underestimated."

Badu — who is no stranger to nudity in videos — (eventually) concluded her rant with a whole-hearted "You can kiss my glittery ass," and adds "O and Nayrok told me to tell you to kiss her ass too."

Of course, hours later, an unrepentant Coyne responded — with an image of his glitter-covered lips and a message to Badu: "I kissed it! Thanks!"

As of now, that's as far as things have gone, and a spokesperson for the Lips did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the matter.

Have you seen the "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" video? Share your reaction in the comments below!

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Jason Sudeikis Ponders Life After 'Saturday Night Live'

Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:50 AM PDT

'SNL' star tells Rolling Stone that when he leaves, he'll miss 'the potential. Every week, they're relaunching the show.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Jason Sudeikis
Photo: D. Dipasupil/ Getty Images

"Saturday Night Live" has bid fond farewells to both Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg. Both had been long-rumored to be leaving the show at the end of this past season, along with fellow fan favorite Jason Sudeikis. Sudeikis, however, has yet to make his intentions clear.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, posted on the magazine's website Wednesday, Sudeikis doesn't ever suggest he is leaving the show, but he shares that he's imagined his life without it.

"I don't know what it would be like to live here without 'SNL,' " he explained about life in New York City. "My relationships have changed. My locations have changed. Oddly, the job has been the only consistent thing in my life."

After years on the late-night staple, he does know what he will miss — should he decide to leave. "The potential," he explained. "Every week, they're relaunching the show. That's what I love about sketch comedy: A sketch is five minutes, then it goes dark, and there's the potential for something else. And I'll miss the people. The people, the process, the parties — those are the three P's I'll miss the most."

Those sentiments were mirrored by Samberg, who recently spoke to MTV News about his decision to say goodbye to "SNL." (Samberg announced his departure last week, just one day after sharing he wasn't sure what his next move would be.)

"I'm going to miss all of my friends and the people I work with and for there. I love them all so much, and I'm hoping to stay in touch with them," Samberg said.

"Over seven years, that show is like — and [Sandler] knows — it's like going to war or being on a sports team," he continued. "It's just everyone working towards this common goal at full speed. When you lift your head up from that and go out into the world, you kind of realize, you'll always be nicely shell-shocked in that way that only the people that did it with you can understand. I'll definitely miss having such an amazing outlet and being able to do comedy on such a storied show that everyone pays attention to, but ... now it's straight to YouTube," he joked.

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