Monday, February 28, 2011

'Cast in Metal: Final MTV Interview with Ronnie James Dio

In spring 2009, just as Heaven & Hell (Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio) were getting ready to put out their debut full-length, 'The Devil You Know,' Dio and bassist Geezer Butler sat down in an apartment in New York's East Village to talk about the making of the disc, the sorry state of the [...]

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Jennifer Hudson Talks Grammy Aretha Franklin Tribute

'I'm like on cloud nine,' Hudson says of rehearsing for the Franklin medley with Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride and other stars.
By Matt Elias


Jennifer Hudson and Florence Welch rehearse for the Grammys
Photo: John Shearer/ WireImage

Thursday night in Los Angeles saw the convergence of some of the biggest voices in music at the Staples Center, as Grammy rehearsals kicked off for the Aretha Franklin tribute. The genre-spanning group included Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, country star Martina McBride and gospel great Yolanda Adams.

The fivesome powered through a medley of Franklin's hits that will open the 53rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night.

The Staples Center rafters rattled as the group belted out "Natural Woman," before each diva took on their own Franklin tune. Aguilera went first with "Ain't No Way," McBride was up next with "Until You Come Back to Me," Welch followed with "Think," Jennifer Hudson tackled the iconic "Respect" and Adams rounded things out with "Spirit in the Dark." The ladies all closed with the empowering "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves."

"Dreamgirl" Hudson and Brit songstress Welch were clearly having a good time onstage, bumping hips and improvising their own two-steps.

Minutes after the rehearsal, Hudson spoke to MTV News about the tribute.

"Rehearsals are going, and went, very well," Hudson said. "It's a lot of fun, and just being amongst the other ladies and being around some of my favorite artists, and then tributing Aretha Franklin, it's just like surreal. And it's a moment you just have to take in and enjoy it, and I'm like on cloud nine just in that moment."

As far as the monumental task of deciding which song to select from the Queen of Soul, the decision, it turns out, wasn't Hudson's problem.

"They were chosen for us," she admitted. "I know that had to be the hardest job because Aretha has like catalogues of music. And I remember when they asked me to submit a list and I'm like, 'Oh my God! Where do I start?' "

You'll have to tune in Sunday night to see how the divas pull it off. And don't forget to catch our special Grammy correspondent Snooki, who will join Sway on the red carpet for our two-hour live stream on MTV.com, starting at 6 p.m. ET.

Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!

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iPhone locked for early 2011 on Verizon, says Fortune

Though Verizon famously turned down the original iPhone before Apple ultimately signed a deal with AT&T, the company's outspoken CEO -- Ivan Seidenberg -- has been very careful over the past couple years to note that he'd love to eventually have an iPhone in his lineup. With Verizon Wireless boss Lowell McAdam tapped to take over the top job next year, what'd be a better swan song for Seidenberg than to finally pull it off? Fortune's new profile of the longstanding chief exec and elder statesman is reporting in very matter-of-fact terms that a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 will be a reality on Verizon in "early 2011," lining up with most of the rumors the interwebs has been generating over the past few months.

The piece details the phone as the culmination of literally years of careful discussions between Seidenberg, McAdams, and Steve Jobs; Verizon's guys claim that Jobs acknowledged in late 2007 that the two companies had "missed something" by failing to partner up. The first visible fruit of those talks is the MiFi-bundled iPad that just launched, but that's clearly a minor stepping stone on the way to an actual handset. Fortune reports that Jobs has voiced his concerns over CDMA in the past and the fact that it doesn't work in nearly as many countries as GSM does, but the story goes on to say that the first model on Verizon's shelves "probably" won't be dual-mode and presumably won't have compatibility with the company's shiny new LTE network, either. If true, that'll make for an interesting battle for the spotlight in the first few months of 2011 as an EV-DO iPhone wages war with a number of LTE phones -- some of which look downright gorgeous -- and might put Verizon in the awkward position of having to heavily push two almost diametrically opposed handset and platform initiatives. Furthermore, it's hard to deny that a Verizon iPhone would stress the carrier's network in ways it's never been stressed before; they may be prepared for it, but there's no way of knowing until it all goes down and they get a sense for uptake and conquests from AT&T. Translation: McAdam looks to have a busy 2011 ahead of him as he transitions into the new office.

iPhone locked for early 2011 on Verizon, says Fortune originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week's Top Web Comedy Video: Residential Foursquare [Video]

Think Fourquare's counts as oversharing? Try Residential Foursquare, where the checking-in's not nearly as important as the comments. The horrible, personal, hilarious comments that people leave about your mom. More »


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Martin Sheen Wants Charlie Sheen To Go Back To Rehab

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Adriana Lima: Victoria?s Secret Super Sexy

Showing off the new Victoria?s Secret collection, Adriana Lima looks ravishing in a brand new photo shoot.

Ms. Lima dons a variety of different getups in a spread that?s sure to sell plenty of bras and panties this spring.

In related news, Adriana is also making an appearance on the cover of the March issue of Vogue Brazil magazine.

Lima is drawing mixed reviews for the cover shot, given that she?s styled a bit differently than usual.

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Oscars Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know!

Join us at 6 p.m. tonight live from the Academy Awards red carpet on MTVNews.com.
By Eric Ditzian


Photo: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

All across La La Land in the hectic hours before the 83rd Academy Awards, nominees are putting the finishing touches on the scraps of paper containing their -- fingers crossed! -- acceptance speeches. Limo drivers are gassing up their rides. And somewhere inside the bowels of the Kodak Theatre, co-host James Franco (or, more likely, James Franco's assistant) is shining his shoes.

Meanwhile, you're putting the finishing touches on your Oscar ballot or making sure your Oscar party doesn't run out of Jesse Eisenburgers and King's Peach Pie. Stressful!

Soon, though, the action on Hollywood's biggest night will be under way. What can you expect when the show goes live? MTV News has got you covered. Read on for everything you need to know about this year's Academy Awards:

The Live Coverage
The first thing you need to know is that MTV News will be everywhere on Oscar night. To begin the evening, we'll be launching a red-carpet live stream at MTVNews.com from 6 to 8 p.m. ET tonight, where we'll be chatting up everyone from Natalie Portman to Christian Bale. We'll also be taking your questions via Twitter, so tweet your questions to @MTVNews using the hashtag #oscars for a chance to see your favorite celebrities fielding your own inquiries.

We'll also be running a red-carpet fashion blog on Hollywood Crush. Once the show begins, shift over to Movies Blog for a live blog about the show itself. And, of course, we'll be churning out loads of video, analyses and breakout stories across all our Web properties, so keep it locked to MTV News for the very latest updates about the show.

The Races
All week long, we've been previewing the major Oscar categories. Best Supporting Actress might be the tightest of all the top races, with Melissa Leo ("The Fighter") grappling with Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit") and Helena Bonham Carter ("The King's Speech"). Best Supporting Actor couldn't present more of a contrast: Christian Bale ("The Fighter") long ago locked up this win. Colin Firth ("The King's Speech"), too, is a sure bet to win Best Actor, while Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") should coast to Best Actress victory (though Annette Bening ["The Kids Are All Right"] could play the spoiler). When it comes to Best Director, Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech") is a slight favorite over David Fincher ("The Social Network"), but either of these gentlemen could walk away the victor. The same likely cannot be said about Best Picture: "King's Speech" appears to have pulled away from "Social Network" and should end up the night's big winner.

The Rundown
Deadline Hollywood has published the broad outline of the telecast, giving us a general idea of how things are going to go down. Franco and co-host Anne Hathaway will begin the evening with a pre-taped video in which they appear in scenes from the Best Picture nominees.

Tom Hanks will be the first presenter, announcing both Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. Other presenters include Russell Brand, Sandra Bullock, Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Jackman, Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey. Hilary Swank and Kathryn Bigelow will present Best Director and then, just before the clock strikes 11:30 p.m. on the East Coast, Steven Spielberg will hand out Best Picture.

So you think you have a good picture about what the Oscars are going to look like? Hopefully, but check out this TwitPic from Franco for what he simply calls "my view."

Will it be a regal evening for "The King's Speech"? Can "The Social Network" dial up Oscar gold? Don't miss MTV News' "2011 Oscars Live" at 6 p.m. tonight when we'll be chatting with your favorite Hollywood stars live from the red carpet on MTVNews.com, and stick with us all Oscar night for winners, interviews, photos and more!

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Kanye West Was Just Kidding Y?all!

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Rhymefest Explains How Hip-Hop Career Helps Him In Politics

Kanye West prot�g� made it to an April runoff election for Chicago City Council.
By Brian Jacks


Che "Rhymefest" Smith
Photo: Bruno Vincent/ Getty

Move over, Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel, there's a new face in Chicago politics. And it's probably not who you'd expect.

Rapper Che "Rhymefest" Smith, the Kanye West prot�g� whose collaboration on "Jesus Walks" earned the pair a Grammy in 2004, is knee-deep in a hotly contested race for the Chicago City Council. The artist received 20 percent of Tuesday's vote against incumbent Willie Cochran, forcing a runoff election for the alderman seat representing the city's 20th Ward.

A lifelong Chicago resident who grew up with West on the city's troubled South Side, 'Fest seems an unlikely political candidate, but the artist contends his musical career outside the political system makes him an ideal choice to be a councilman.

"We could talk on a hip-hop level and we can talk on a community level," Smith told MTV News. "On a hip-hop level, we rappers are always talking about 'hood credibility; we're more 'hood than the next artist is, but what are we really doing to make our community safer, to make people be able to have employment in our communities? We're living under tyrannical conditions. So as an artist, what can I do more than a song-and-dance for the community that has bought my records?"

The artist pointed to such factors as high unemployment and prison recidivism as key issues in his campaign, stating that his experience in the music industry has given him the skills necessary not only to help legislate, but to directly improve the lives of the citizens in his community.

"I think the great thing about the position I'm running for in city council is, unlike a president or a senator, we're on the ground," he said. "We're in the community. We get to [be] hands-on with the people every day. And I think that's where it starts. ... So what would I do as an advocate and legislator for the community? I'd begin with entrepreneur programs. As a brand -- Rhymefest -- and being in the industry, I can teach people how to market and promote and start their own businesses."

Like politicians who bring in celebrity donors to get out the vote, Smith has been able to rely on his own stable of high-profile names to help with his campaign. And he's issuing a call for other hip-hop notables to join his cause.

"[Kanye] helped with his generous donation," Smith said. "He helped to fund my whole field operation on Election Day. Lupe Fiasco helped to pay for hundreds of turkeys where we went door-to-door for Thanksgiving Day. Brother Ali stepped up. [But] Talib Kweli, Common: I need you. I'm asking for the so-called conscious, positive rappers to join me, to help us resurrect all our communities, starting with the 20th Ward in Chicago. I put down the mic to help save a community, and I need the positive rappers to come out too."

Rhymefest's burgeoning political career will face its strongest test when the runoff election is held April 5. But whatever happens, the artist will continue to push for change within his community. "One of the problems that's plaguing America is the individualism attitude," he said. "We really have to step up and be a village again."

What do you think of Rhymefest's political career? Let us know in the comments!

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Guess What Nicole Richie Is Doing?

If you guessed going to the gym, then you would be RIGHT! Nicole Richie?s dedication to exercise is inspiring, isn?t it? Especially since most of us have long since stopped with out New Year?s resolution to work out more . ? Continue reading ?

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How Thomas Edison Pranked the 1920s With His "Dead People" Phone [Phones]

You can't blame the people of 1920 for falling for Edison's practical joke. After all, this was the man who invented the light bulb! When he told a magazine he'd invented a phone that communicates with spirits, hysteria understandably ensued. More »


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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Hollywood Rumor Mill

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Lady Gaga Tweets Lyric To Next Single, 'Judas'

Second Born This Way single is a 'very, very dark song,' Gaga says.
By Kyle Anderson


Lady Gaga
Photo: Kristian Dowling/ Getty Images

The title track (and first single) from Lady Gaga's upcoming album Born This Way is still laying waste to sales records, but the singer is already contemplating the album's second showpiece. On Monday, just before she took the stage at New York's Madison Square Garden, where she was taping an HBO concert special, Gaga tweeted a lyric from "Judas," which she already confirmed will be the second single from Born This Way.

"I'm just a Holy Fool, oh baby he's so cruel, but I'm still in love with Judas, baby," Gaga wrote on Twitter.

During a conversation with Carson Daly on his radio show last week, Gaga described the song as a much darker entry than "Born This Way."

"It's about always falling in love with the wrong man over and over again," she explained to Daly. " 'Judas' is a very, very dark song. It's rad."

Rolling Stone recently got to hear six tracks from Born This Way, including "Judas." " 'Judas' is a classic Lady Gaga pop banger with three huge hooks, a thumping house music breakdown and a vocal part that borrows a bit of Rihanna's distinctive cadence," wrote Rolling Stone's Matthew Perpetua.

Gaga just kicked off the latest leg of the Monster Ball Tour, which saw her open in Atlantic City before tearing into the first of two Madison Square Garden shows (the second, which will also be taped for the HBO special, is Tuesday night, February 22). There is no release date set for "Judas" yet, but Born This Way is scheduled to be dropped on May 23 and the video for "Born This Way" should be appearing soon ? at least according to another Gaga tweet.

"Just finished editing Born This Way video!" she wrote shortly after tweeting the "Judas" lyric. "Announcement Soon!"

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Adam Sandler Takes A Walk On The Sunny Side

Adam Sandler and his adorable daughter Sunny, 2, did some walking and shopping in Santa Monica, Calif. on Friday (February 25).

Looks like the father-daughter duo managed to get out before the rain that fell on most of Southern California later in the day.

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Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Leads New Era Of Outcast Anthems

Taking cues from Frank Zappa, the Ramones and Nirvana, Gaga carries the torch for the outsider in pop music.
By James Montgomery


Lady Gaga
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

In the 1970s, when disco was in full swing and rock and roll was posturing its way into arenas, four goony, glue-sniffing kids in Forest Hills, Queens, threw on leather jackets and began bashing out two-minute tunes with titles like "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Beat on the Brat." They called themselves the Ramones, and not only were they probably the first punk band on planet Earth, but they were most definitely outcasts, in every sense of the world.

Of course, the Ramones certainly weren't the first musical outcasts. Theirs is a legacy that reaches all the way back to the dawn of recorded music, from the likes of the Hoosier Hot Shots and Slim Galliard, scatting madman Cab Calloway and the "shocking" Screamin' Jay Hawkins, to midcentury curios like bizarro bandleader Spike Jones, deep-fried '60s oddballs like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart and even contemporaries like the Cramps and the Talking Heads. But unlike any who came before them, the Ramones helped usher in an era — and a genre — in which being odd was championed. It would continue through the 1980s, thanks to the Heads, West Coast punk acts like Black Flag and the Minutemen, and college-radio darlings like R.E.M. — and, of course, the eternally outcast world of heavy metal — then truly break through in the '90s, with the chart-topping success of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins, and the rise of hip-hop outfits like the Wu-Tang Clan, the Pharcyde and the incomparable Kool Keith.

Of course, in the 2000s, things sort of petered out. Rock and hip hop became increasingly lunkheaded and lumbering, and the meek were shoved from the spotlight. And it bears mention that, even during the outcast heyday, for the most part, established acts — i.e., anyone who had plenty to lose — stayed as far removed from the fringe as possible, or if they dared stray outside their lane, they suffered the consequences (the classic example being, of course, Madonna, who nearly submarined her entire career with the simultaneous release of the Erotica album and its accompaniment, the coffee-table book "Sex"). There's a reason it's called "popular" music, after all.

These days, however, things appear to be changing. For the first time, established pop megastars are embracing those on the fringes of society — and finding success in the process. It all started, appropriately enough, with the rise of Lady Gaga, who made no bones about the fact that her earliest support came from the gay community, and over the past year, through videos like "Alejandro" and her campaign against "don't ask, don't tell," she has become the outcast icon of our time. Others followed suit — like Pink, who scored hits with underdog anthems like "Raise Your Glass" and "F***** Perfect"; Ke$ha, whose "We R Who We R" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100; and even Katy Perry, who dedicated her "Firework" video to the "It Gets Better" campaign — and it truly seems that, for the first time since the 1990s, being an outcast was not only acceptable, it was downright mainstream.

Now, Gaga is poised to return with "Born This Way," the first single from her album of the same name. On Thursday, she released the song's lyrics, and if it's not already the biggest outcast anthem of all time, well, then it probably will be very soon. In fact, there's nary an outsider group Gaga doesn't mention in the song — gays, bisexuals, transgenders, ethnic minorities, the disabled, the bullied, the poor — which makes it, and its near-inevitable chart success, incredibly noteworthy. After all, here is Lady Gaga, currently the biggest artist on the planet, releasing a song that not only calls for acceptance of all people, but drags those who aim to oppress directly into the center of the ring. It is not only fierce, it's downright fearless. Gaga has plenty to lose, but she couldn't care less.

And perhaps "Born This Way" is just the byproduct of the era in which we live, a time when social mores are constantly debated, when boundaries are being expanded and contracted, almost daily, and when it truly seems possible that maybe — just maybe — the outcasts could inherit the earth. After all, Bill Gates was an outcast, Barack Obama was too — and look how things worked out for them. And while this may put the fear of God in some folks, it seems that change is inevitable, and, as it is wont to do, pop music is there to provide the soundtrack to all of that change. Just like in the 1960s, when the biggest rock and folk acts of the day led the charge for social rebellion, so too may Lady Gaga. And she'll do it on the biggest stage imaginable. Of course, that might just be speculation, but it's certainly been a long time coming.

What is your favorite outcast anthem? Let us know in the comments!

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Is Jeremy Renner The New Tom Cruise?

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Prince William And Kate Middleton Get A Lifetime Movie, We Suggest Plot Points

Prince William and Kate Middleton photo

Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting the Lifetime movie treatment. Yup, sometime in April before their April 29th wedding, Lifetime will air a movie about their courtship. According to Entertainment Weekly, Nico Evers-Swindell of "Law & Order" and "NCIS: Los Angeles" will play Prince William, Ben Cross of "Chariots of Fire" will play Prince Charles, and the actress to play Kate Middleton has not yet been cast. No matter, this movie is totally going to be better than "The Craigslist Killer"!

Now, we all know that in Lifetime movies, someone dies a horrific and untimely death.  I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen in this movie.  (Except for the Princess Di part.) But we can imagine what kind of ridiculous Lifetime-esque plots, full of passion, intrigue, and even more passion, that they could come up with ...

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Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Lyrics Revealed

Perez Hilton posts lyrics from singer's upcoming single and says album of the same name will 'change culture.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

For fans looking for details on Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" single, out in two weeks, pal Perez Hilton gave the world a sneak peek of the tune's opening lyrics on Thursday (January 27).

Hilton posted these lyrics on his website: "Don't be a drag/ Just be a queen."

"I just posted a big surprise on my website!!!! " the gossip blogger tweeted after posting the line. "Oh, and if you're a @ladygaga fan, you REALLY wanna go to [my website] RIGHT NOW! #Leaking"

Later in the day, in another post, Hilton revealed more lyrics: "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life/ I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive."

His post comes hours after Gaga herself teased that she was planning to gift her fans with some of the single's lyrics, tweeting, "#thankgod4gaga is trending!? More like #thankgod4monsters! Maybe I should leak the lyrics to Born This Way today, whatdya say #leakitgaga?"

She belted out a bit of the song at the VMAs back in September. Donning her now-infamous meat dress, she sang, "I'm beautiful in my way/ 'Cause God makes no mistakes/ I'm on the right track/ Baby, I was born this way."

In his post, Hilton also revealed that he's heard the song and the album and that all of Gaga's Little Monsters won't be disappointed. "Get ready world!!!! Here she comes!!!! We've heard the song and - it MORE than lives up to the hype!!!" he wrote. "We've been holding a big secret from you all, which is we've heard the whole album. We've been there every step of the way and.... This album is going to change culture! When we can say more, we will! For now.... Don't be a drag, just be a queen!!!"

Gaga got fans hyped for the May album release of the same name on Wednesday, when she thanked them for making the song title "Edge of Glory" a Twitter trend. "Ok. Firstly, yes I love Nutella (with Banana+Wonderbread) who doesn't?" she wrote. "Secondly, I can't believe Edge of Glory was trending, sneakymonsters! Thirdly, I need a beer with my name on it cause the last 72hrs gave me a creative hangover."

Are you excited for "Born This Way"? Let us know in the comments!

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Sienna Miller & Jude Law Call It Quits... Again

Unable to make their rekindled romance pan out, reports tell that Sienna Miller and Jude Law have pulled the plug on their relationship.,, again.

The on/off couple first dated for two years before splitting in 2006 after the "Alfie" actor confessed to having cheated with a nanny.

Getting back together towards the end of 2009, Sienna and Jude were inseparable as they shared romantic vacations around the globe with one another.

With the breakup being confirmed by a rep, the decision to part ways comes as Law is currently engulfed in working on the "Sherlock Holmes" sequel along with a new project called "Contagion".

Meanwhile, Miss Miller is a busy lady herself, as she's also in the midst of two new movies titled "Two Jacks" and "New Year's Eve".

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