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We Love You, But Don't Quit Your Day Job: 5 Celebs Who Shouldn't Pursue Rap Careers

Posted 8/18/11 9:13 am EST by in Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, rap, Television


Anne Hathaway

By Kara Warner

Inspired in large part by actress Anne Hathaway's Lil Wayne-style rant rap that she performed for Conan O'Brien, we got to thinking about all the other famous faces we've heard rap in public and/or via YouTube whose vocal talents "shine better elsewhere," so to speak.

In no particular order, here are five individuals whose lyrical stylings, while at times courageous, unique and sometimes really cute, shouldn't be repeated. With ONE surprise exception.

Joaquin Phoenix
Who can forget the actor-turned-rapper-turned-trickster's hoax during which he had some folks convinced he was giving up acting in order to become a legit rap artist? It was all very confusing, even when he announced that his year of extraordinary eccentric behavior was part of filming the mockumentary, "I'm Still Here." Of all those on this list, Phoenix's attempts at rapping were the most unsettling.

Britney Spears
When you think of Ms. Spears, there are visions of squeaky-clean, bubble-gum humble beginnings on Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club." Or the still-innocent-but-semi-scandalous Catholic school girl outfit she sported in the video for "Baby One More Time." Both interesting and excellent moments for a pop star - not a rapper. The evidence: Spears' impromptu ill-suited attempt filmed during an early episode of MTV's "Punk'd" with Ashton Kutcher (Hint: it's at the 4-minute mark). Read More...

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Before Natalie Portman Was Pregnant And Engaged, She Was The Star Of Devendra Banhart's 'Carmensita'

Posted 12/28/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


There was a lot of baby-related news that spread across the Internet yesterday, as not only did the entertainment world celebrate the birth of Alanis Morissette's son but also congratulated Natalie Portman on her pregnancy. The actress is a few months along with her first child with fiancé Benjamin Millepied, who she met while working on "Black Swan" (Millepied choreographed the dances and also played Portman's dance partner).

Ever since the star first established herself as a player with her performance in "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" (the one bright spot in that film), she has made a habit out of mixing business with pleasure. She dated "Star Wars" co-star Hayden Christensen for a while, and has been romantically linked with Jude Law (with whom she starred in the 2004 film "Closer") and Jake Gyllenhaal (the two worked together on 2009's "Brothers").

But before Millepied, the most notable collaboration to come out of her love life was with ex-boyfriend Devendra Banhart. The freak-folk gypsy dated Portman over several months in 2008, and the pair could often be seen in various spots around Manhattan. The two even got together on screen for Banhart's video for "Carmensita" (from his critically-acclaimed 2007 album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon). In the clip (which you can watch below in all its stoned technicolor glory), Portman dresses up in fully Bollywood regalia and does quite a bit of dancing while Banhart attempts to woo her. It's a pretty trippy video, and another in chain of evidence that cultural historians can use to track Portman's personal life.

What do you think of "Carmensita"? Let us know in the comments!

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On The Red Carpet With Jude Law And The Cast Of 'Hamlet'

Posted 10/7/09 10:32 am EST by in Behind The Scenes


I was probably the nerdiest person on the press line at the "Hamlet" red carpet last night in New York City. After seeing the play on Sunday, I was able to spot all of the play's actors just hanging around outside before the curtain went up. I was all like, "Hey, there's Laertes! That's Rosencrantz. And Guildenstern. Hey, there's Horatio."

As it turns out, I didn't have the chance to point out the delightful Jude Law. He was probably too busy getting into character. Hamlet is a strenuous role, so I can forgive him for that.

And although we got some great updates from "Daily Show" correspondent and "The Last Airbender" star Aasif Mandvi and "True Blood" star Rutina Wesley, other notables like Barbara Walters, "Gossip Girl" star Ed Westwick and former Jude Law co-star Natalie Portman didn’t have the time to chat with reporters. Just who do they think they are?

But that's fine by me. I was actually most excited to see the actors just hanging out on the street, out of character. I would have absolutely killed for the chance to see Jenny Funnell, who played Sandy on one of my favorite British sitcoms, "As Time Goes By," and who stars in the play as the Player Queen. I absolutely died of excitement a little when I realized she was in it.

And a note to future "Hamlet" theatergoers: Jude Law is not the only talented babe in the cast. Matt Ryan (who plays Horatio) and Gwilym Lee (Laertes) are also talented babes. In fact, the whole whole cast is quite good, so I suggest you check it out before it closes shop in December.

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Oscar Red-Carpet Fashion: Best And Worst

Posted 2/23/09 7:40 am EST by in oscars


Everyone wanted to look amazing at this year's Oscars, and it was definitely a night for actresses to grace the red carpet in red or some shade of white. Some people did it right, while others left a lot to be desired.

Here are our picks for best and worst of Oscar fashion:

Best

Sarah Jessica Parker: The "Sex and the City" star loves to look like a ballerina, but she knows how to do it right and make sure she looks sexy.

Natalie Portman: Breaking the night's trend of red and white, she showed up in shocking pink. Portman looked sophisticated and fresh. Read More...

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Devendra Banhart and Natalie Portman In Super-Secret Video

Posted 3/26/08 1:50 pm EST by in New Music Update


devendra

Eccentric Venezuelan/Los Angelino merry folkster, Devendra Banhart, shot a new music video last weekend that stars one of our favorite people ever, Natalie Portman (seriously, she's like the nicest person in the world). Oh but here's the funny part. While both Portman's folks and Devendra's folks confirm this shoot took place over the weekend, at Banhart's crazy canyon home in LA, neither camp WILL SAY WHAT SONG THE VIDEO IS FOR. They're keeping it very secret and stuff.

We think that's just silly.

Is it a song off of his recently released Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, or perhaps it's that exclusive Devendra song that appeared on the compilation Portman put out to benefit FINCA, the microfinance charity she's a big supporter of.

Anyone know? We're working on pictures in the meantime.

[UPDATE: It's for the song, "Carmensita," off of Smokey - confirmed by the label. Awesome, we love that song!]

Also, for those who only read this for Idol and Fall Out Boy coverage, here's a primer on Devendra - TOTALLY WORTH CHECKING OUT.


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