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If Max Weinberg Splits, Who Should Be Conan O'Brien's Band Leader?

Posted 4/29/10 10:30 am EST by in Music


Conan O'Brien's Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television tour continues to deliver big laughs and tons of surprises as it makes its way across the country. The gang is all there, from O'Brien sideman Andy Richter and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog to trombonist Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg and the Masturbating Bear (though he had to change his name to "Self-Pleasuring Panda," just in case the lawyers were watching).

But there is one notable name absent from the festivities: Longtime bandleader Max Weinberg, who lead the Max Weinberg Seven (and later the Tonight Show Band) for 17 years. While it made sense that Weinberg would sit out the tour (it's a big commitment), it looks like the relationship between O'Brien and the only band leader he has ever known is coming to a close. Rumor has it that Weinberg will not be joining O'Brien when the host's new show premieres on TBS in November. It would be a great blow to the show, as Weinberg is not only a stellar, versatile musician but also acted as an incredible foil for O'Brien, often playing the deadpan straight man to Conan's manic jokester.

While it's not certain that O'Brien's new show will even have a band, it's reasonable to suggest that it probably will. Conan has a profound commitment to music, which has come out on his song-heavy tour. (And remember that his final night on "The Tonight Show" featured an all-star jam on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird.") So who should take Weinberg's place as the czar of music on O'Brien's new show?

Travis Barker
Since it's not certain when this Blink-182 album will ever be finished, perhaps their skinsman would do well to hop on board the O'Brien laugh train. Barker is a versatile drummer who has teamed-up with all types of musicians, from DJs to punk rockers to rappers. Plus, he already lives in Los Angeles (making it an easy commute) and has a lively personality that would allow him to goof around with O'Brien when the show called for that.

Janet Weiss
If he really wants to put his show on the map, O'Brien should hire the first female bandleader on a late night show, and the former Sleater-Kinney drummer fits the bill. She's a versatile musician and would bring some much-needed estrogen to the after-hours comedy scene. And hey, maybe it would lead to a Sleater-Kinney reunion.

Wale
He did such an excellent job leading the band at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards that the Washington, D.C. MC should relocate to Los Angeles for O'Brien's nightly party. Read More...

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Wale And K'Naan Will Be Live Tonight!

Posted 3/31/10 6:00 pm EST by in Music


Sure, the elimination episode of "American Idol" may be on tonight, but if watching Didi Benami get sent home isn't your bag, then luckily MTV.com has you covered. Tonight at 9:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 p.m. Pacific), Wale and K'Naan will kick off their new tour live from the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza in Manhattan, and it will be streaming right here. Tune in to see the duo to run through all their hottest hits, like "Pretty Girls," "Chillin'" and "Wavin' Flag" live in front of a pack of rabid New York fans.

Click here to RSVP for the MTV.com livestream with Wale and K'Naan, and stay tuned to MTV.com and this space for all the big hits and surprise live moments.

What do you think of Wale and K'Naan's performance? Let us know in the comments!

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Wale And K'Naan Will Be Performing Live On MTV.com!

Posted 3/30/10 6:00 pm EST by in Music


On Wednesday night (March 31), hip-hop stars Wale and K'Naan will throw down together at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza in Manhattan. But the pair's performance will also be streaming live on MTV.com. Tune in at 9:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 p.m. Pacific) for the duo to run through all their hottest hits, like "Pretty Girls," "Chillin'" and "Wavin' Flag." It will represent the first date of a two week tour that will see the pair hitting cities like Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Chicago.

Both K'Naan and Wale have had breakthrough years. Since the release of his hit album Troubadour last year, Somali rapper K'Naan has been collaborating with everyone from Mos Def to Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett to Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. He'll get his biggest exposure this summer when the 2010 World Cup launches, as "Wavin' Flag" has been chosen as the official song of the worldwide soccer tournament.

After years of being a mixtape legend, Wale dropped his debut album Attention Deficit in November of 2009. That topped off a run that saw him collaborate with Lady Gaga and serve as the frontman of the house band at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. His live presence is legendary, making this a can't-miss trek.

Check out the preview of the concert below, and stay tuned here and to MTV.com for more details.

Click here to RSVP for the MTV.com livestream with Wale and K'Naan.

What do you hope to see on the livestream with Wale and K'Naan? Let us know in the comments!

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Wale Raises Money For Haiti At Howard University Concert

Posted 1/22/10 11:55 am EST by in Music


By Sandra Segura

On Thursday night (January 21), Washington, D.C. rapper Wale rocked the party in the name of charity and good will at last night's Hands for Haiti Benefit Concert at Howard University. 1,500 people crammed into Crampton Auditorium for the MC's extra-boisterous blend of hip-hop that, for at least one night, was delivered in the spirit of charity. Because of the desperate need for resources and aid in Haiti, 100 percent of the proceeds from the concert — a grand total of over $15,000 — will go toward the Haiti Relief Fund.

Wale's set was the centerpiece, but there was also dancing, singing, rapping, and spoken-word pieces performed by students, alumni and local D.C. artists, highlighted by the solemn, moving performance by spoken-word artist and Howard alum Messiah. With every break in the program, students danced in the aisles and waved Haitian flags in support of earthquake victims on the island.

When Wale took the stage in the headlining spot and did not disappoint. His stage presence alone brought everyone up to their feet and rushing to the front of the theater. He clearly thrives in intimate venues like this, as he hopped off the stage to perform top tracks like "Nike Boots," "90210" and "Beautiful Bliss" amidst a sea of singing, arm-waving fans. Everybody walked out happy, not only because they saw an excellent night of music and song but also because they did their bit to reach out to disaster victims in Port-au-Prince.

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Wale Will Be Rooting For Brett Favre This Weekend

Posted 1/15/10 4:21 pm EST by in Music


This weekend is the finest two days of the NFL season. You can keep the over-hyped spectacle of Super Bowl weekend or the crapshoot that is the conference championships, because Saturday and feature four games that are guaranteed to be full of drama, passion and killer performances.

There are a handful of intriguing stories bubbling underneath the games this weekend. Can flashy San Diego passer Philip Rivers overcome the stout New York Jets defense? Can the surging Cardinals continue their roll against the Saints, who have a better record but who stumbled into the playoffs? Will the Ravens' defense be enough to shut down NFL MVP Peyton Manning?

But the weekend's biggest game is definitely the Sunday afternoon tilt between the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys. It's a killer quarterback match-up, with young Dallas upstart Tony Romo squaring off against veteran gunslinger Brett Favre. The Favre fiasco has been a headline-grabber all season, as he exited his stint with the New York Jets on a sour note, then teased that he might un-retire to sign with the Vikings.

No matter what you think of Favre, it's hard to argue with his results, and Wale certainly agrees. When we caught up with him on the set of his new music video, the Washington, D.C. rapper admitted that he's been rooting for Favre in these playoffs, and that he has big plans should he win the Super Bowl. "I can't hate on him. If he wins that Super Bowl, it might bring a little tear to my eyes," he told MTV News. "They need to do a Disney movie after that. His wife got sick, he couldn't get it done in New York. I might have to write that script for him, and have Tom Cruise playing Brett Favre."

So to Mr. Cruise: Should the Vikings prevail against the Cowboys this weekend, you and Wale may have to take a meeting pretty soon.

What do you think? Who are you rooting for in the NFL playoffs? And who should play Brett Favre in the movie about his life?

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Wale Beats The Odds To Drop Attention Deficit

Posted 11/13/09 4:51 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


With Attention Deficit finally hitting stores, I'm officially naming Tuesday, November 17 as the Day of Wale. It's been a long time coming for the D.C rapper's debut album, and it has certainly been worth the wait. People underestimate how difficult it is to actually get to the stage where you can put out a debut album, but Wale is making it work.

There's no question whether Wale is a skilled MC. He's one of the brightest young stars in music today and some would argue the best lyricist in hip-hop's new school. The question is: Can Wale survive in a harsh music climate?

Wale's debut single "Chillin" (featuring the hottest woman in pop, Lady Gaga) set him on the right track, and with an album filled with great collaborations (including Pharrell Williams, J. Cole and Gucci Mane to name but a few) and hits like "Pretty Girls," "Let it Loose" and a personal favourite "Contemplate" (featuring a great Rihanna sample), I'm gonna bet yes.

When he stopped by the MTV News studio on the day of release, one thing was pretty clear: Wale had a late one. The night before, his label mate Daniel Merriweather had performed a great set here in the city, and after the show everyone moved to celebrate Wale's official album launch party at the Marquee nightclub.

Dressed casually, Wale spoke on how he feels this album means more to him than any album has ever met to any other artist in history, the breakdown of his favourite songs on the album, the meaning of the album cover, the music, how the album musically lives up to its name Attention Deficit, his relationship with Jay-Z, what separates him from the likes of Drake and Cudi, the experience of working with the likes of Pharrell, Gucci Mane and the other collaborators on the album and a lot of other stuff. Look out for the interviews on MTV News.

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Jay-Z Brings New York To The University Of Illinois

Posted 11/13/09 3:24 pm EST by in Music


On Thursday night (November 12), Jay-Z unleashed his Blueprint tour on the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. With the help of Wale and N.E.R.D., Jigga invaded Assembly Hall (home of the University of Illinois basketball team) and tore through hits both new ("Run This Town," "Empire State of Mind") and old ("99 Problems," "Big Pimpin'").

"Rising from below the stage, Jay-Z performed 'Run This Town' to open the show," wrote April Dahlquist in the Daily Illini. "In black pants, an Abraham Lincoln graphic tee, ice, a Yankees hat and 'sunnies,' 39-year-old Jay-Z was dressed to impress.

"And the Jay-Z song was on," she continued. "Whether the fans knew every word to the rap song, or just nodded their heads to the beat, from the constant screams and camera flashes, it was apparent the audience was enjoying themselves."

Jigga's comprehensive crawl across some of the country's biggest college campuses tonight at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The acclaimed Blueprint tour has brought out the road warrior in Jay-Z, who will keep arena-hopping until Thanksgiving. He'll then head back out on the road in February of next year for another 14 dates, culminating in what will likely be a triumphant tour closer at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

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Wale Tweets Secrets About Attention Deficit

Posted 11/11/09 5:48 pm EST by in Music


Yesterday marked the release of Wale's long-awaited Attention Deficit, one of the most hotly-anticipated releases from one of the best young MCs in the hip-hop game. Wale first made a big splash on the mixtape scene and dropped instant classics like 100 Miles & Running and The Mixtape About Nothing (which was based mainly around samples from "Seinfeld"). Though Wale's blood runs thick with the spirit of go-go, the local street music of his Washington, D.C. hometown, Attention Deficit is a live and eclectic album full of crisp, lively beats, ear-popping guest appearances and Wale's nimble rhymes.

Last night on his oft-updated Twitter feed, Wale shared a few stories about some of the best tracks on Attention Deficit. "On the train, bumpin' my album," he wrote. "I feel like telling y'all facts about Attention Deficit. Why not? There's a story behind every song." The first track he called out was the splashy "Mama Told Me." "On 'Mama Told Me,' I had something stuck in my teeth. At the beginning you can hear me making this weird noise tryin' to get it out." (Warning: Once you know that fact, that's the only think you can hear.)

A few minutes later, he added that producer Mark Ronson actually encouraged Wale to tone down the lyrics of "90210," where he skewers Paris Hilton (among others). "I admit i was too mean on that," he wrote.

Finally, he said that the album's best track almost fell by the wayside. "'Contemplate' almost didn't make the album. Jay-Z was a writer on the song sampled and we couldn't reach him until the last minute."

When MTV News talked to Wale about the album, he also shared some thoughts about the content of "Mirrors" (his collaboration with Bun B), a song he says is really fun to perform.

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Spotted: Rihanna Runs This Town

Posted 11/11/09 3:09 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.

The press push continues for Rihanna, who is coming off her big interview with Diane Sawyer last week and currently making the rounds in New York. She stopped by "It's On with Alexa Chung" on Monday (with the entire half-hour show devoted to her) and she also sat down with Sway to talk about her big collaborations, how she feels about Chris Brown and some stories behind her upcoming album Rated R (which stands for "Rihanna," not "Restricted"). Yesterday, she was spotted on the street outside the Gramercy Park Hotel, looking cool and fashion-forward as always (that is an excellent hat). She has managed to keep her name in the news, as she's got a racy new single cover and a video for "Russian Roulette" that is set to premiere this Friday.

Rihanna wasn't the only star on the move yesterday, as Shakira was caught leaving the MTV building (shortly after her conversation with MTV News' Jim Cantiello, which will be rolling out soon) and Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were seen getting off a plane holding hands, further fueling speculation about their relationship. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted!" archive, which features over 350 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Adam Lambert, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jay-Z and Mariah Carey!

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Adam Lambert, Taylor Swift And Eight Others Who Could Replace Steven Tyler In Aerosmith

Posted 11/10/09 5:31 pm EST by in Music


In the history of rock and roll, few bands have had worse luck than Aerosmith. Throughout their nearly four decade career, they've battled drug issues, marketplace apathy, illness and in-fighting. They were forced to cancel a tour this year because of an injury to frontman Steven Tyler, who recently decided that he would leave the band behind for a while to pursue a solo career. Guitarist and longtime Tyler collaborator Joe Perry (who has a solo album of his own) took to his Twitter to announce that while the band isn't breaking up, they are searching for a new singer while Tyler is off on his own. "Aerosmith is positively looking for a new singer to work with. You just can't take 40 years of experience and throw it in the bin," Perry tweeted. "[The] band is playing hotter than ever and our songs need to be played live. Don't despair: Aerosmith is not splitting up. Promise that's the last you'll hear from me on the subject 'till we gear up again."

Perry didn't drop any hints about who might temporarily dance in Tyler's bellbottoms, but luckily, MTV News has come up with a handful of suggestions that the Aerosmith boys might want to consider. It all depends on what they're looking for. Do they want to tap into a younger market? Maybe they should try to court junior R&B star Justin Bieber. Would they prefer somebody they've worked with before? Send offers to Katy Perry or Kid Rock. But honestly, do they have any better option than to dangle the job in front of Adam Lambert?

Click here for the rest of the suggestions for Steven Tyler's replacement in Aerosmith, including Taylor Swift, Eminem and Pink!

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