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Andy Samberg Signs On For 'Shark Week,' Gives Us Programming Ideas

Posted 4/21/11 4:07 pm EST by in Music, Television


By Jett Wells

Andy Samberg has signed on to host the channel’s hugely successful "Shark Week" franchise (and even earned a snazzy new title, "Chief Shark Officer," for his troubles), a move which either sets us up for a bunch of disappointingly mild Samberg jokes, or a horrific tragedy, "Crocodile Hunter" style. Either way, it’s a bizarre route for the Discovery Channel, and who knew Samberg was that into Great Whites? And though it's probably not going to be funny or include any Justin Timberlake cameos (sigh), we're still going to tune in (what can we say, we love sharks) ... and, hopefully, we'll see the following Samberg bits, re-imagined just for "Shark Week."

Shark Bait in a Box
Okay, he doesn't have to wear a mustache or douchey Italian suits (although they'd both work), but Samberg should bring his 'D--- in a Box' bit to the deep waters. Instead of boxing his male parts, he could jump in the water and start swimming for his life as a Hammerhead tries to get his lunch out of box attached to his crotch. We might hedge on this idea, only because we want baby Sambergs to laugh at someday.

Shy Ronnie in a Shark Cage
Every now and then, when Samberg wants to get up close and personal with a new shark species, he should go down in the cage as Shy Ronnie and cry underwater. After all, human tears attract sharks (we think). Also, maybe he could get Rihanna to cameo.

I'm on a Boat (feat. T-Pain)
Every episode should have a short bit where T-Pain comes to visit Samberg for a quick hangout somewhere around the world’s oceans, where they'd do various Auto-Tuned things and feed the sharks blinged-out Tuna. Maybe, at one point, T falls in and is devoured too. That would only be fair to the viewers.

"Creep" Snorkeling
For special occasions, Samberg should wear a wetsuit with a painted-on bow tie, and "Creep it" by scoping out beach babes swimming near the coast with a dorsal fin on his head. We’re just going to assume Nicki Minaj wouldn’t be down with the whole hanging-out-with-sharks idea anyway, so she can sit this one out.

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Bun B And T-Pain's 'Trillionaire' Ups The Ante On Money-Based Boasts

Posted 7/21/10 5:30 pm EST by in Music


Houston hip-hop mastermind Bun B has a new album coming out on August 3 called Trill O.G., and like his best work (both as a solo artist and as one half of UGK), it's full of rugged rhymes, glossy production (courtesy of the likes of Boi-1da, DJ Khalil, the Neptunes and others) and some razor-sharp guest appearances by Young Jeezy, Drake, Raekwon and T-Pain. The latter provides the hook on the just-released single "Trillionaire," on which Bun brags about being "a self-made trillionaire."

In bragging about such incredible wealth, Bun B has left the middling economy in the dust and kicked the inflation level way, way up. To our knowledge, nobody has ever touted being worth one trillion dollars, which is the sort of money that even Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey have to dream about. So until somebody comes along and brands himself a quadrillionaire or a quintillionaire, Bun currently sits at the top of the pile as far as bragged-about riches go.

But how did we get to "Trillionaire"? It took a bit of time and a natural progression of increasingly large numbers.

Bing Crosby, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"
Though riches were scarce during the Great Depression, great music flourished under challenging circumstances. "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" became a huge hit, and was so massive that both Crosby's version and a version by Rudy Vallee became chart-topping hits.

Marilyn Monroe, "One Silver Dollar"
Monroe was worth significantly more, but you have to start somewhere. Ironically, there were no silver dollars minted in 1959 when Monroe performed the song in the film "Some Like It Hot."

Dr. Dre, "The $20 Sack Pyramid"
In The Chronic's most memorable skit, two players compete on a game show where the modest prizes include a bag of marijuana and a gift certificate to the Compton Swap Meet. Hardly the riches that Dre would become used to, but for some, that's a massive prize.

The Twilight Singers, "Forty Dollars"
Hardly a fortune, but certainly enough for former Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers frontman Greg Dulli to have a hot night out on the town. Read More...

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T-Pain Invites You To 'Freaknik': The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 3/4/10 5:00 pm EST by in Music


"Freaknik, the party ghost — which is [who I play] — is holding a battle of the trillest. It's a rap battle. If you win the rap battle, the first prize is a lifetime supply of money, ho's and clothes. It's three dudes in the rap group and their weed man trying to make it to Freaknik. It's their trials and tribulations coming from Sweet Tea, Florida, all the way to Georgia. I play the Spirit of Freaknik. Everywhere I go, it's on and poppin'."

-Rapper/producer T-Pain, describing the plot of "Freaknik: The Musical," a TV special he helped write and produce for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. The animated film, which also features the voice talents of Andy Samberg, Snoop Dogg, Cee-Lo and Rick Ross, is loosely based around Freaknik, an annual party that bridged the Atlanta hip-hop community and spring breakers from area colleges. (You can't go to Freaknik any more, as protests from the city shut it down permanently following the last event in 1999.)

Pain told MTV News that even though it wasn't his original idea, he threw himself into it headlong once the idea was presented to him. "They came to me with the premise. I started scratching stuff off and getting new stuff," he said. "You can say I wrote it, but I didn't. It was my homeboy Carl [Jones], the same guy that does 'The Boondocks.' We had to get a lot of his help, direction and stuff like that. We all wrote it together. It was a good team of people that has no boundaries. We took it so far that the watered-down version is awesome."

"Freaknik: The Musical" airs on Sunday (March 7) at 11:30 p.m., and Pain's new album Revolver will be out later this year.

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T-Pain Talks 'Reverse Cowgirl' In The MTV Newsroom

Posted 3/2/10 2:00 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


Few stars know how to make an entrance like T-Pain. Remember his incredible approach via elephant at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards? When T-Pain shows up, you know the dude is in the room.

Even though his walk into the MTV Newsroom was far more understated than it was at the VMAs, he still made his presence known. Pain walked in complaining a bit about New York (probably longing for the more temperate climate and laid back atmosphere of his native Florida). But once he hit the couch to chat with MTV News hip-hop editor Shaheem Reid, it was all business. Pain discussed his new album Revolver, the new single "Reverse Cowgirl" and the fantastically odd-sounding musical involving himself and fellow Sunshine State native Rick Ross.

He also weighed in on Lil Wayne's impending jail sentence, noting that the planned "T-Wayne" collaboration project will have to wait until Weezy wraps up his time in the clink. He was down, but in typical Pain fashion, he was able to find the silver lining. "At least he's not gone for 10 years!"

There was one thing that Pain didn't talk about, though. He rolled into the Newsroom with a giant chain (though a smaller one than usual) and his signature sunglasses, but he was not wearing a top hat. Pain has certainly been seen sans chapeau before, but I always thought it was great that he didn't just wear it as a dress-up gimmick — he actually wore those things around. When I worked at music magazine, I thought it was amazing that Pain showed up to a listening session fully hatted. The dude owned it!

At the same time, he's got killer dreads, so it's hard to argue with him showing off his hair. Whatever his choice of headgear, you can bet that we'll be banging Revolver at top volume for most of the summer.

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Spotted: Joe Jonas And T-Pain Give Back At 'We Are The World' Recording

Posted 2/2/10 1:48 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Monday (February 1) was a watershed day in the history of both pop music and charity work, as dozens of artists got over their Grammy hangovers to get together to record a new version of "We Are The World," the classic charity anthem that was originally written to aid the famine problem in Africa and had been resurrected by Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones in order to provide help for earthquake relief in Haiti. The long list of participants represents some of the biggest names in music, including Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Pink, Wyclef Jean, Akon, Justin Bieber, Will.I.Am, Usher, Jordin Sparks, Maroon 5's Adam Levine and Celine Dion. It allowed for a number of meet-ups that made everybody want to be a fly on the wall. (Did Kanye compare notes with the Beach Boys? What did Bieber and Snoop Dogg talk about?) In fact, one of the more intriguing photos snapped during the proceedings was the one that featured Joe Jonas and T-Pain, who were caught outside the studio, perhaps talking about glasses. Now that Nick has busted out with the Administration, Joe should tag-team with Pain for an all Auto-Tune R&B album. This should happen.

Click here for that photo as well as the entire "Spotted!" archive, which includes over 300 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Fergie, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Adam Lambert!

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Happy Birthday, T-Pain

Posted 9/30/09 2:02 pm EST by in Music


It sometimes seems like singer, producer and Auto-Tune aficionado T-Pain has been around a lot longer than he actually has. But his first music only came out back in 2005, and the guy is only 26 years old. He'll almost certainly be spending his birthday — which is today — in style, as it seems like every time we see him he's either hanging out in a strip club, buying ladies dranks or rolling up to awards shows on elephants. But what do you get a guy who has everything, including a "big ass chain," his own Auto-Tune-centric iPhone app and a fine collection of top hats?

Regardless, Pain hasn't slowed his output, as he's constantly appearing in videos, guesting on songs and working on his own album Revolver, which is expected late this year or early next. But if there's any one collaborator who should buy Pain a cupcake on his birthday today, it's Busta Rhymes. Pain guested on Busta's track "Hustler's Anthem '09," and it's one of the strongest songs from Rhymes' latest album Back on My B.S., which came out earlier this year. The track is hot, but the video is even hotter: A super-saturated Hype Williams joint that taps into Busta's classic court jester vibe. So blow out your candles, T-Pain, and be proud that if nothing else, you've brought Busta back to his technicolor greatness.

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Colbie Caillat: Future Hip-Hop Diva?

Posted 8/25/09 1:58 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By Nicole Guanlao

If someone was to ask me how I would describe Colbie Caillat's music, I'd have to say her tunes ooze happiness. I love to be happy, so it's no wonder that I'm a huge fan of this blonde beauty's work. Admit it! You had "Bubbly" on repeat! Imagine my elation when I got to interview her and I realized that Colbie is actually just as sweet and nice as her music.

We talked about skydiving (she just recently jumped out of a plane) and the story about her tattoo (which looks like it was drawn on with crayons). The tiny flower symbolizes Coco, her debut album, while the larger one represents her follow-up record, Breakthrough (which drops today).

The highlight of the interview came when we talked about future collaborations. Colbie's team-up with the hat-wearing, guitar-strumming Jason Mraz on the single "Lucky" wasn't much of a surprise considering they share a laid-back, California-centric sound, but I was surprised to hear that the songstress' musical taste is more diverse than I originally thought. Fans would be surprised to know that she hopes to pull a Taylor Swift (a former collaborator on Swift's "Breathe") and work with a rapper next!

"The next collaboration I want to do is with a hip hop artist like Common or Pharrell Williams," she told me. "I love [Bone Thugs-N-Harmony] and Notorious B.I.G., so something like that where I can do the pretty melody — kind of like the Fugees and Black Eyed Peas."

It’s hard for me to see Colbie waving her hands in air like she's a true playa, but I have to admit that she's talented enough to pull it off.

Her new video for "Fallin' for You" has her frolicking on the beach with "Saturday Night Live" funnyman Bobby Moynihan, but upon hearing of her desire to work with a hip-hop artist, I couldn't help but swap Bobby out for T-Pain and visualize the rapper rolling around on the beach and surfing. Now that's a sight to see!

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Taylor Swift Raps "Thug Story" With T-Pain On CMT Awards

Posted 6/17/09 6:22 am EST by in Music, Television


We got excited over the photos and made a wishlist, but the result was even better than we thought. On last night's CMT Music Awards, Taylor Swift and T-Pain opened the show with a pre-taped video for "Thug Story," a rap very reminiscent of the Natalie Portman rap from a few years ago. Swift identifies herself as "T-Swizzle" and makes boasts like "You can find me making cookies at night/You out clubbing? I just made caramel delights" and "You don't wanna fight me/In my extra-small white tees." Swift's mom even makes a cameo when she raps "I still live with my parents." Pain Auto-Tunes along with Swift, and even when the track breaks down at the end, he's still talking with pitch correction.

The T-Pain video appeared as part of the show's cold open, where Swift and host Bill Engvall talked about her dreams (which also included being in the new "Star Trek" movie and playing for the Tennessee Titans). She closed well, too: "Love Story" won both Female Video of the Year and Video of the Year.

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Taylor Swift And T-Pain's CMT Performance Should Go Something Like This

Posted 6/16/09 2:45 pm EST by in Music, Television


Since the photos of her and T-Pain surfaced last week, Taylor Swift has stayed completely mum about what exactly she'll be doing on tonight's CMT Music Awards. We do know she'll take the stage with Def Leppard for one of their collaborations (possibly "Photograph," for which they are nominated for a video award) and that there will be some sort of reference to her playing football, but the T-Pain collaboration remains a mystery. We'll be tuning in tonight, but in the meantime, here are a few things we hope will happen.

(Click here for more photos of Taylor Swift, T-Pain, Kellie Pickler and others getting ready for the CMT Music Awards)

» Swift begins singing "Love Story," then gets interrupted by T-Pain, who storms the stage and remixes the song so he sings the chorus using Auto-Tune.

» T-Pain opens with an attempt at country music, perhaps trying his hand at a Toby Keith song. Swift interrupts him and tells him it's not nearly 'hood enough. She insists they break into Busta Rhymes' Hustlers Anthem '09, with Pain singing the chorus and Swift spitting Busta's verses.

» Def Leppard performs "Photograph" with Swift. Everything is the same sonically, but all the bandmembers are wearing big top hats and grills.

» T-Pain and Taylor Swift drive around in an Escalade, bumping the new 50 Cent mixtape. Neither of them perform, though they do cruise through a Sonic for a cherry limeade.

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T-Pain's Managers Say The Best Place To Do Business Deals In Miami Is ... A Strip Club!

Posted 6/10/09 5:54 pm EST by in Music


T-Pain's managers, Rocco Valdes and Mike Blumstein of Chase Entertainment, obviously know how to get that mullah. They got their start working in the studio at Slip-N-Slide Records with producer Jim Johnson. One day, the duo were in a parking lot and heard T-Pain's demo through record promoter T.J. Chapman and sought out the singer. Now, in addition to Pain, they help guide the careers of new artists A.B., Sophia Fresh, Young Cash and Sophia Del Carmen, as well as producers Catalyst, All-Star and Detail (who wrote and produced Ray J's "Sexy Can I"). One of their favorite places to break bread? Miami, of course. The pair tell us the spots in Miami that you can get some great business done.

Best Places in Miami to Cut a Deal
» Tootsie's: "Everyone knows Tootsie's," says Valdes. "I've been everywhere, and it's the best strip club in the United States. You take a client to Tootsie's and get a table and throw beautiful women over them all night, and the deal is done."

» Philippe at the Gansevoort South Hotel: "Good food and drinks and beautiful women," Blumstein advises. "It gives people a feel of Miami and is a great place to get someone drunk and negotiate better terms. This is for the more reserved clients."

» Nobu: "Can't go wrong with this spot because this is a lot of people's favorite restaurant," Valdes adds. "Easy deal closer."
Read More...

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