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2008 In Photos: The Most Memorable Snapshots Of Britney Spears, 'Twilight' And More

Posted 12/30/08 12:07 pm EST by in Ashlee Simpson, Axl-Rose, Barack-Obama, Beyonce, Britney Spears, election 2008, Heath-Ledger, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, pete-wentz


By Rachel Josue

It was a very exciting 2008 here in the MTV Newsroom. It was a year of triumph and tragedy, a year of secret weddings and pregnancies, a year of overcoming adversity and a year of inspiration and change.

2008 brought us everything from the shocking death of Heath Ledger and the tragedy that befell Jennifer Hudson and her family, to the reinvention of Britney Spears and the successes of "The Dark Knight" and Tha Carter III. Your favorite artists and celebrities eloped (is it legal yet, Speidi?), married overseas (nice tats, Mariah and Nick) and got hitched in secret (thanks for finally admitting to that, Jay and B). They had babies and — in true Hollywood style — named them strange things (I am available to babysit when Bronx befriends Brooklyn and they have a play-date in Manhattan. Just saying.). And, Chinese Democracy actually materialized, to the delight of Dr. Pepper fans.

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Chinese Democracy's Sluggish Sales: What Happened To Guns N' Roses' Long-Awaited Release?

Posted 12/3/08 11:19 am EST by in Axl-Rose, guns-n-roses


The sales figures are finally in, and after a nearly 17-year wait, Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy scanned just 261,200 copies, earning the album the #3 position on Billboard's weekly albums sales chart — right behind Taylor Swift's Fearless at #2 (with 267,400 sold) and Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak, which opens at #1 with sales of 450,000 and change.

Two weeks ago, GN'R's latest was considered a strong contender for the chart's peak position, with some predicting the album would outperform West's 808s in a close race for #1. Instead, history may show Chinese Democracy's first-week sales as an epic failure. Read More...

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Guns N' Roses Blast Dr Pepper Over Flubbed Chinese Democracy Promotion

Posted 12/1/08 10:18 am EST by in Axl-Rose, guns-n-roses


Axl RoseLet me get this straight. Dr Pepper lays down the gauntlet for Axl Rose and dares him to release Chinese Democracy this year by promising to give everyone in America a free soda if the reclusive rocker can finally pull the trigger on the mythological unicorn of an album. So Axl delivers and ... Dr Pepper doesn't? Nice work, soda jerk.

Rose's lawyer took a swipe at Dr Pepper last week, saying the drink maker didn't deliver on its pledge to give out the free sodas. Keep in mind, GN'R had nothing to do with the stunt. (Though wouldn't it be great if somehow this were all some bizarre viral campaign and you could hear Dr Pep jingles when you played the CD backwards, if that's even possible?)

Los Angeles-based lawyer Alan Gutman penned a poison letter to Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. President and CEO Larry Young, calling the company's online coupon-redemption scheme an "unmitigated disaster, which defrauded customers." Gutman also insisted that the beverage maker extend its offer and place full-page apologies in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal.

Again, GN'R was not involved in the original campaign, but now that it has allegedly tanked, the attorney says he originally saw it as an "exploitation of my clients' legendary reputation and their eagerly awaited album," adding that the promotion "brazenly violated our clients' rights." Read More...

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Kanye West Vs. Guns N' Roses: What Do YOU Think?

Posted 11/26/08 9:00 am EST by in guns-n-roses, Kanye West


By Dan "Monty" Montalto

Long before either album leaked in its final retail form, many of us here in the newsroom were asking the same question: Who will win this week's epic showdown between Kanye West and Guns N' Roses (a.k.a. Axl Rose and a bunch of new guys)?

In this corner, we have Kanye West with 808s & Heartbreak, which comes just 14 months after Graduation bested 50 Cent's Curtis on the charts. He managed to put together 808s in a year marked by lots of touring and lots and lots of appearances at awards shows (seriously, does this guy ever NOT get invited?). Not only has 808s been on repeat in the newsroom all week, but we've been recounting some of our early Kanye memories right here on the blog.

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Free Chinese Democracy Dr Pepper Deadline Extended: You Still Have Time!

Posted 11/24/08 11:59 am EST by in guns-n-roses


In late October, MTV News brought you details of Dr Pepper's offer to provide every American with a free can of the pop should Guns N' Roses release their eagerly awaited album Chinese Democracy in 2008. Now, here's an update on the soda maker's vow.

Yesterday — the day the GN'R record hit stores — Dr Pepper's site was flooded with visitors looking to cash in on the deal. Due to overwhelming demand and several site issues, Dr Pepper has extended the offer until 6 p.m. today; the deal was originally set to expire last night at midnight. Participants have until February 28 to redeem their coupon for a 20-ounce can of the drink.
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Chinese Democracy Arrives At The MTV Newsroom

Posted 11/20/08 8:14 pm EST by in Axl-Rose


I've got something you don't have, I've got something you don't have — a physical copy of Guns N' Roses' long-awaited LP Chinese Democracy. While you've all been downloading the leaked version of the album, illegally, I've got a copy of the actual record, which I, too, didn't pay a penny for.

People, I wouldn't believe it if I weren't actually thumbing through the liner notes, but Chinese Democracy is real. It arrived via messenger from Geffen's offices about an hour ago, and so far, I'm not even halfway through the music — the music I've already heard over the years, thanks to the myriad of leaks that have occurred. I'm more interested in the artwork and what's inside the CD booklet.

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Eagles Of Death Metal's Jesse 'The Devil' Hughes Loves The Ladies

Posted 11/18/08 1:29 pm EST by in Eagles Of Death Metal, guns-n-roses


Eagles Of Death MetalIf you've ever had the chance to spend more than five minutes in the company of Jesse "The Devil" Hughes, the gloriously mustached Eagles of Death Metal frontman, then you know he's a ladies man. The mistake I made yesterday — when four of us MTV Newsers met up with Hughes to discuss his thoughts on Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy — was not bringing along a crew full of burly men to shoot the interview.

You see, whenever we do in-person interviews, we send a gang of people to get the footage we need. Usually, this includes a person from production management, a segment producer, a shooter to work the camera and the person who conducts the interview (me). For Hughes' interview, I was accompanied by three of the lovely ladies I work with, and as expected, Hughes couldn't contain himself.

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Guns N' Roses Bring A Free Dr Pepper To All Americans: Here's How To Get Yours!

Posted 10/22/08 6:00 pm EST by in guns-n-roses


Axl RoseNow that the November 23 release date for Guns N' Roses' oft-delayed, more-than-a-decade-in-the-making album, Chinese Democracy, seems to be a reality, Dr Pepper owes every American a can of soda.

Back in March, the beverage company said that it would give every man, woman, and a child in the U.S. a free can of Dr. Pepper should Guns N' Roses release Chinese Democracy before the close of 2008. And now, the event no one — certainly not the folks at Dr Pepper — thought would happen is rapidly approaching.

"We never thought this day would come," Tony Jacobs, vice president of marketing for Dr Pepper, said in a statement issued Wednesday. "But now that it's here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us." Read More...

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Alleged Chinese Democracy Leaker Pleads Innocent

Posted 10/21/08 11:39 am EST by in guns-n-roses


Nick Hogan
Kevin Cogill says he didn't do it. The 27-year-old Los Angeles resident pleaded innocent on Monday in federal court to posting nine songs from Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy online earlier this year. According to Reuters, Cogill, who is charged with violating federal copyright law, will face trial at a yet-unspecified date. The blogger was arrested in August after the FBI claimed he posted nine songs from the long-awaited album on his site, AntiQuiet.com.
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With Release Date Seemingly Set, We Look Back At 17 Years Of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy

Posted 10/9/08 2:08 pm EST by in guns-n-roses, Reunions


Guns N RosesIt's been 17 years since Guns N' Roses released a studio album full of fresh material — the one-two punch that was 1991's Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II — and in that long stretch, fans have learned one thing: Axl Rose refuses to rush the creative process. OK, they've also learned that a lot of lies can be told over 17 years and that a band can still tour successfully, even if that band looks nothing like anyone remembers.

Now that Hits Daily Double is reporting a firm November 23 release date for Chinese Democracy, the wait for some fresh GN'R — at least in the way Rose meant for it to be heard — looks like it may soon be over. It also got us to thinking about what's transpired since Guns N' Roses' last studio LPs dropped. And the short answer is "a lot." Read More...

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