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Eminem's Dis, Madonna's Arms And William Shatner's Poetry: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 7/31/09 6:27 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


The week is over (as is the month of July), so it's time to close the books here in the Newsroom. It was another wild one, with plenty of beef, a handful of rumors, a little hilarity and at least one incredibly amazing video care of Shakira. But what lessons did we learn? You can feel confident walking into the weekend knowing that you can take the following revelations as absolute truth.

» It's unlikely that Eminem will be buying Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon an anniversary gift.

» William Shatner has a knack for nonsensical poetry. Got a Twitter account? He'll kill that too.

» Madonna may have been hitting the gym too hard. (Though she's still not as jacked as Trent Reznor.)
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Taylor Swift Wants To Work With Jack White, Everybody Else

Posted 7/31/09 5:45 pm EST by in Music


She has performed with Def Leppard, T-Pain, Miley Cyrus, Kellie Pickler and yes, even the Jonas Brothers. While hard at work on her new album, Taylor Swift shared with MTV News how much she'd like to work with White Stripes/ Raconteurs/ Dead Weather frontman Jack White.

Given the diverse kinds of talent she's worked with over the last year, it doesn't seem that far-fetched that Taylor and White might hit up the studio sometime soon and work on some tracks. It got us searching our archives to see who else Taylor has talked about who she wants to work with (or vice versa) and we picked our favorites!

5) John Mayer: "He Twittered the other day that he wrote a song, and he wants to make it a duet with me," she said. "I freaked out when I heard, because I've been such a big fan of John for such a long time."

4) Selena Gomez: "We have talked about a duet," Selena said. "I think it would be really neat to have the country vibe."

3) T.I. and 2) Kanye West: "I'd like to do a completely off-the-wall collaboration," she said. "I would like one of my songs to be the hook to a rap song. That would be so much fun! You know, I love Kanye West and I love T.I. — he's amazing."

1) Tim McGraw: "But you know the dream for me would be Tim McGraw singing background vocals on one of my songs," she once told MTV News.

So, who would you like to see Taylor work with next? Let us know in the comments or head over to Your.MTV.com to make your voice heard!

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Kanye West Isn't The King Of Anything: The MTV Quote Of The Day

Posted 7/31/09 5:14 pm EST by in Music


"Any random person can type something on the Internet and then the world believes it. I don't talk to press or do TV or do promotions of any sort. I've stopped chasing and buying into fame. Fame is like cigarettes with no surgeon general warning. It destroys most people as it did to the true and only King of Pop. We exploit ourselves and eat our own egos 'till there is nothing left. I have a feeling that this won't be the last false statement with my name on it, but this will be the last time I defend myself. I'm done."

-Kanye West, responding to rumors that he had declared himself "The New King of Pop" following the death of Michael Jackson. West heard the topic being discussed on Wendy Williams' radio show and fired up his blog to dispute the quote. ""Not only did I not say that, I haven't said anything," West wrote (in all caps, of course). "It makes me feel bad that obviously I made people feel that I would be corny enough to say something so whack after the passing of an idol, a legend and, more than that, a human being with feelings and family." West also used his blog in the wake of Jackson's death, leaving the message "Thanks for everything, Mike" on the day that the singer died. And of course West's own "Good Life" samples Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)."

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Does Eminem's 'The Warning' Go Too Far? The Oh Snap! Poll

Posted 7/31/09 4:16 pm EST by in Music, Poll


This morning, the latest shot was fired in the beef between Eminem and Mariah Carey. Their war of words started a few years ago when rumors circulated that the two had been involved in a romantic relationship and escalated with the release of Em's "Bagpipes From Baghdad" from this year's Relapse. From there, Carey released the single "Obsessed," which also came with an accompanying video that appears to be aimed at Eminem (though Carey and husband Nick Cannon — who was also attacked in "Bagpipes From Baghdad" — have repeatedly denied that the song or video are directed at any one person). Then came this morning's dis track "The Warning," a bile-filled Em rant wherein he talks about recordings they made, recounts their supposed sexual encounter and makes several threats against her life. It's the sort of anger Slim Shady usually reserves for the likes of Ja Rule or Benzino.

It's a pretty stunning and aggressive track, though it made us wonder: Has he gone too far? We hit the streets this afternoon to poll some people to see if they thought Em had gone over the line.

The (extremely unscientific) results are in, and 61 percent of those polled thought that even though the song was extreme, it still doesn't go too far. Those respondents were very willing to let Shady off the hook — not an unreasonable stance, especially considering he has spent most of his career taking down celebrities and attacking other musicians with his lyrics. The 39 percent who thought "The Warning" was too much were mostly uncomfortable with the threats of violence. One thing that everybody could agree on, though: This feud is far from over.

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'Funny People' Opens Today, Returns Adam Sandler To Rock Star Glory

Posted 7/31/09 3:03 pm EST by in Movies, Music, Television


"Funny People," the latest film from "Knocked Up" director and all-around Hollywood comedy tastemaker Judd Apatow, opens today nationwide (and is getting excellent reviews). It stars a bunch of Apatow regulars like Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill but marks the first collaboration between the director and star Adam Sandler. The accompanying movie soundtrack features a whole bunch of classic rock tunes (including a never-before-heard demo of John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels") and also contains a recording of Sandler playing the Lennon song "Real Love." Though he has long-established himself as a legitimate film star, Sandler got his start playing funny songs on "Saturday Night Live" and on several hit albums (including They're All Gonna Laugh at You and What the Hell Happened to Me?). Sandler even scored a radio hit with "The Hanukkah Song," something that finds its way onto rock radio every December.

But Sandler hasn't totally hung up his musical spurs. He performed on last year's "VH1 Rock Honors: The Who" (he shredded on "Magic Bus") and lent his axe skills to an all-star jam of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" (along with Conan O'Brien, Jack Black and Jimmy Fallon). And at last year's MTV Movie Awards, he penned this ode to the winner of the MTV Generation Award — himself.

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Kelly Clarkson Heats Up 'Good Morning America'

Posted 7/31/09 1:24 pm EST by in Music, Television


By Selina Kaye

While Kings of Leon were breaking records a few blocks south, Kelly Clarkson was attracting her own horde of die-hards to New York City's Central Park for a performance on "Good Morning America." The wet morning didn't prevent fans in "I Luv Kelly Clarkson" T-shirts from forming the biggest crowd for any artist in the show's Summer Concert Series this year.

Clarkson chased the rain away and brought in the humidity to Central Park. She told everyone that she needed a fan because she had "a little perspiration" and performed barefoot while she belted out tunes from her latest album All I Ever Wanted. Her performances were electrifying, and it was easy to see how much the very first "American Idol" has transformed into a complete rock star, jumping around — and inspiring the crowd to do that same — during her hit "If I Can’t Have You."

Clarkson also performed her controversial hit "Already Gone," which has come under fire for sounding a bit too much like Beyoncé's "Halo" (both of which were written by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder). Although the two songs sound alike when played back to back, Clarkson still owns the song, and it sounded like she may have actually tweaked the arrangement a bit. Clarkson became a star when the country voted for her on a television show, but she's stayed a star because killer instincts and strong performances like this one.

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Kings Of Leon Outdraw, Outrock The Jonas Brothers On 'Today'

Posted 7/31/09 12:41 pm EST by in Concerts, Music, Television


By Haley Murphy

As thousands of fans stood outside of NBC studios this morning for "Today," it felt like a flashback to the JoBros' appearance on the show earlier this month, but this time, "Today" hosted another set of brothers to their summer stage: crossover indie rock darlings Kings of Leon. It was the sixth early-morning concert I've attended this summer, and just like the others, the Kings of Leon performance was well worth the early wake-up call.

The Tennessee natives — three brothers and their cousin — attracted hordes of followers who stood in the pouring rain waiting for the show to start. Despite the wet surroundings and the family-friendly environment, guitarist Matthew Followill still made a rock star's entrace, lazily smoking a cigarette while tuning his guitar as the brothers talked amongst themselves.

The rain finally let up right after a quick soundcheck, just in time for a dry performance. As the umbrellas came down and the tents were put up, the band ripped into their majestic hit "Use Somebody." The band, who first gained a following in Europe and have spent a lot of time there recently, commented about how nice it was to be home and how much they were looking forward to their upcoming U.S. tour.

Following a few minutes of addressing the comparison to U2 ("Those are pretty big shoes to fill," said singer Caleb), the band finished up the set with "Notion" and "Sex on Fire," both from their fourth album Only By the Night (which just attained platinum status). Despite their huge success, they seemed humbled by the huge crowd and took time to thank the crowd for stopping by. That took a while, especially considering they attracted the largest crowd in the concert series' history, with over 20,000 ticket requests. The Followills may not be as big as the Jonas Brothers, but they've got that leg up.

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An Afternoon With Tim Burton: Darkness And Depp

Posted 7/31/09 12:13 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Movies


By Sandra Segura

When I got the opportunity to spend an afternoon with director Tim Burton while he was interviewed by MTV News' Josh Horowitz, I had certain expectations. After all, this ridiculously innovative filmmaker made a name for himself diving deep into the dark recesses of the imagination with eerie flicks like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Beetlejuice" along with the upcoming "Alice in Wonderland" and his latest project as a producer, "9." So I assumed that he would be a little dark, sort of mysterious and perhaps even a bit cantankerous.

I was only partially right. Even though he's not the most recognizable guy, he walked in wearing dark sunglasses and black clothing and I immediately could tell this is the guy behind "Corpse Bride" and "Sweeney Todd." I grew up watching his movies, which kickstarted my own interest in film. He's a little dark, sure, but he's also a warm guy who talks passionately about his own work and the people who contribute to that work.

Naturally, that means Johnny Depp. Tim spoke to MTV News about his relationship with Johnny, and in the most basic of terms, they just get each other. There's no other real explanation necessary, and I think it's a blessing to have an artistic collaborator to whom you never need to explain anything because he or she always knows where you're coming from.

I can guarantee that we all will be waiting patiently for the release of both "Alice In Wonderland" and "9." The expectations for Burton are always high, but he always manages to top himself, and I'm always ready to stand in line at midnight screenings to see what's next.

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'So You Think You Can Dance' Results: Melissa Down!

Posted 7/31/09 11:32 am EST by in Television


Thursday night's "So You Think You Can Dance" results show opened with the top six dancing to "Send In The Clowns," but the song proved to be most meaningful to 29-year-old ballerina Melissa Sandvig and contemporary dancer Ade Obayomi, who the ones eliminated from the competition by the end of the tense hour.

Here's where I rant.

As adorable and likeable as the guy is, Broadway-loving Evan does not deserve to advance to the finals. Sorry, Evan fans! He has failed to live up to his promise week to week, even when dancing in his genre. The fact that the judges have started to inexplicably pimp him (after bashing him throughout the first half of the season) makes me resent his presence even more. Evan's got a massive number of fans who think he can do no wrong (how else to explain his staying power?), which scares me. To think that he could beat out a well-rounded, spectacular dancer like Brandon or Kayla? Hell to the no!

As far as the ladies go, I'm still not over Janette's elimination from last week. (I know, I need therapy.) I was almost as sad to see Melissa go this week. She was this season's real underdog, and her arc on the show proved that you can teach an old dog new tricks. (She also has a sparkling personality and drop-dead gorgeous looks, which didn't hurt.)

When I look at the two eliminated contestants, I think about all the memorable routines they've danced this season: "Romeo and Juliet," "The Age of Aquarius," "Breast Cancer" and Ade's gravity-defying flips. Now compare that track record with Evan, whose highlights can be whittled down to maybe one or two solos and a killer story about his brother from the audition episodes. Gah!

Okay, enough ranting. Let's dish about the rest of the hour...

Aside from the results, Thursday night's "So You Think You Can Dance" brought back last season's dancers to perform the four Emmy-nominated routines. What a treat to see last year's faves return! Will now has dreads, Joshua shaved his head, Katee is smokin' hot and Jessica was better than I remembered. For me, the biggest disappointment was watching Chelsea and Mark reprise one of my fave SYTYCD routines, "Bleeding Love." Having committed the dance to memory by watching it online about 5,000 times since last summer, I was distracted by any and every miniscule alteration. To me, the two dancers just weren't "down in the floor" enough. When they performed in competition last year, they glided from move to move. Thursday night, it looked more like they were bopping around.

The highlight of the show, however, was from "America's Best Dance Crew" superstars the Jabbawockeez! Their razor-sharp "Freak A Zoid" routine was a stellar example of why "So You Think You Can Dance" needs to do a better job casting hip-hop dancers next season.

What did you think? Did the correct two go home? And do you think Ade's leaked nude photos (which were not mentioned during the broadcast) were a factor in his elimination this week? And who do you think is the one to beat going into next week's finals?

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Eminem's 'The Warning' Gets Shady Back Into The Business Of Beef

Posted 7/31/09 11:09 am EST by in Music


Eminem's beef with Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon escalated earlier today when his latest dis track "The Warning" was unleashed on the masses. The bile-filled rant was recorded in response to Carey's "Obsessed," which most people believed was about the rapper even though both her and husband Cannon have categorically denied that that song and video are aimed at the man born Marshall Mathers. "The Warning" represents a return to beef for Eminem, which was a cornerstone of his early career. In spite of (or perhaps because of) his staggering success, the early part of his career always saw him involved in some public feud or another, be it with the Insane Clow Posse, Christina Aguilera, Ja Rule, Benzino or Everlast.

But in 2004, Eminem very publicly decided that he was going to put beef to rest for good. In an interview with MTV News' Sway, Em discussed the nature of his feuds and how easily they escalated. "We started inheriting each other's beef," he told Sway. "50 inherited mine, so now he can't be on the cover of The Source magazine 'cause I got this beef over here. He's being attacked by Ja. Ja is saying things about me, then all of a sudden comes out and says a line about my daughter — and when it got to that level, that's when it got crazy to me. That's when it got crazy. But 'Toy Soldiers' is a song saying how serious the beef can get, and people can die over this sh--." Indeed, the track and video "Like Toy Soldiers" (from 2004's Encore) attempts to put everything to rest and allow for all parties to walk away with dignity.

But now Eminem is back on the offensive, taking down Carey and Cannon on the Relapse track "Bagpipes From Baghdad" and now with "The Warning." It seems as though he's reversed his stance from a few years back. "You know, we're not really looking to start no beef," he told Sway. "We're usually not the beef-starters, despite the little stabs taken at pop singers and all that stuff. That's not real beef; that's ha-ha-ha funny." It seemed like this particular feud started out in the "ha-ha-ha" mode, and considering the savagery of "The Warning," let's hope it remains that way.

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