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Justin Timberlake's Myspace Buy-In Just Latest Curious Celeb Investment Deal

Posted 7/1/11 8:00 am EST by in Blink-182, Celebrity, Dr.-Dre, Fashion, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake


Justin Timberlake

Nobody wants to be just a singer or actor anymore. You're nobody in this world until you have your own product line, whether it be swim suits, cologne, nightclubs, top-shelf liquor brands or energy drinks.

And while it makes perfect sense for a wildman rocker like Sammy Hagar to launch a line of high-end tequila, or for beatmeister Dr. Dre to launch a line of booming headphones and laptops, sometimes those celebrity/brand marriages are a bit murkier.

Case in point: the announcement this week that Justin Timberlake has bought a minority stake in once-hot social networking site Myspace and that he'll be taking on the role of creative visionary at the relaunched company, which was bought at a fire sale by a West Coast tech firm. Yes, Timberlake has proven to be a triple threat as actor, singer and label boss, not to mention a fashion maven with his William Rast clothing line.

That got us thinking about other male music stars who've made bold deals with companies that might have seemed bizarre at first, but turned out to be among the best moves they've ever made.

50 Cent and Vitaminwater: Laugh all you want, but 50 has been savvy all along about his non-music ventures. From his G-Unit sneakers and clothing line to various PlayStation games, book imprints and RGX Body Spray, 50 has always looked for new opportunities. None has paid off like his deal with Glaceau, which hooked up with the rapper for the Formula 50 supplement drink. When Coca-Cola purchased Glaceau for more than $4 billion in 2007, 50 was estimated to have earned more than $100 million on the deal.
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Duran Duran, Will.i.am Lead Ultra Music Festival Lineup

Posted 2/2/11 9:30 am EST by in Music


By Adam Stewart

Just one day after Swedish House Mafia announced the lineup for their massive "One Night Stand" party, Ultra Music Festival unleashed the second phase of their roster, highlighted by the additions of Duran Duran, will.i.am and scores of other top-notch international acts. Many feared that the addition of a third day would dilute the talent pool and spread the A-listers too thin, but with this latest announcement, it has become quite obvious this won't be the case.

With exclusive performances by Tiësto, deadmau5, Armin Van Buuren, Afrojack, Wolfgang Gartner, Kaskade, Avicii and many others, Ultra has again positioned itself to be the only chance for fans to catch many of their favorite artists. However, these exclusivity deals have caused a rift with club promoters unable to book the big names due to "Ultra Only" contracts. WMC cites this as one of the many reasons why the two entities have gone their separate ways.

In any case, Miami Music Week will have no shortage of massive shows. In addition to the UMF lineup, there's Swedish House Mafia's "One Night Stand," David Guetta's "F--- Me I'm Famous" party at Mansion and Beatport's four day beach party at the Gansevoort (the latter of which includes the first ever live Beatport Music Awards, hosted by Tommy Lee).

Check out the full lineup at the official UMF site and start loosening up your dance muscles now, because March is just around the corner.

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Spotted: Black Eyed Peas Warm Up For The Super Bowl In France

Posted 1/24/11 12:30 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wander 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 Super Bowl match-up is set for Sunday night, February 6. Those of you tuning in (and considering the ratings for the big game as well as the audience for the NFL, it could be a record-breaker) will not only see an entertaining game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers but will also get all of the high profile commercials (what will top last year's Betty White ad?) and what promises to be a memorable halftime show starring the Black Eyed Peas. The group's live shows are always dynamic and eye-catching, and they have no shortage of gigantic singles to roll out over the course of the show. Over the weekend, BEP members will.i.am and apl.de.ap hit the red carpet at the 2011 NRJ Awards at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres in Cannes, France. Usher and Shakira also joined the international crowd celebrating France's favorite music.

They weren't the only stars joining the jet set, as hundreds of stars (including 50 Cent) floated around the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah and Avril Lavigne landed in Tokyo, Japan to start the promotional tour for her upcoming album Goodbye Lullaby and the soon-to-be-released video for the first single "What the Hell." Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, Madonna, Eminem, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers and Kanye West!

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Nicki Minaj, will.i.am Urge Letterman To 'Check It Out'

Posted 10/5/10 12:52 pm EST by in Television


By James Dinh

On Monday night's "Late Show With David Letterman," Nicki Minaj left the Jetson-inspired bodysuit that she rocked during the VMA pre-show at home, but will.i.am remembered to bring his. As the duo began "Check It Out," Nicki — this time in some flashy harem pants — flared her arms and struck some Barbie poses with her backup dancers at the famous Ed Sullivan Theater.

will.i.am decided to forgo the "blackface" this time, though he was wearing a brand-new plastic hairpiece, this time with hot-pink highlights.

Though the Black Eyed Peas frontman did his part on the catchy tune, it was Nicki who commanded the stage. If there's anything we've already learned about Harujuku Barbie's routines it's that they require as much facial expression as rap flow and footwork. Our only complaint is Minaj's odd hype man, who looked like a third dancer, just couldn't get in sync with the others. And do these two really even need a hype man?

The pair has already shot the clip for "Check It Out" which Minaj has described as "ode almost to Japanese anime." In an interview with MTV News, the rapper revealed that Will was the only guy she knew would be able to pull the theme off.

"I'm obviously a big fan, and I've joined forces with the only boy that I know that's able to capture that culture," she said.

What did you think Nicki and will.i.am's performance?

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Britney Spears, Here's Some Pop Inspiration Before You Hit 'Record'

Posted 10/4/10 11:49 am EST by in Music


In recent weeks, there has been a lot of murmuring about Britney Spears being in the studio, recording her next album. There's talk that it might come out next spring (which in our opinion is not soon enough), and that it could include production by a number of people including '90s pop god Max Martin and current hitmaker Dr. Luke.

In any case, as Britney works on her follow-up to 2008's Circus, we thought she might be able to use some inspiration from current pop songs to help her along and diversify her style. Here's a suggested playlist:

If Brit Brit needs to get her synapses sparked for that perfect little midtempo love ditty, she should look no further than Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream." It seamlessly combines sappy lyrics about her boyfriend and yet makes us want to bounce around and dance.

She'll probably want a club banger in there too. So, we recommend Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)" and another from mini-Ri-Ri herself, Willow Smith, the equally catchy and funky, "Whip My Hair."

Like Britney before her, Ke$ha loves singing about sexy things to a killer beat. And now, maybe K's "Take It Off" could serve as a perfect jumping off point for Spears' next album.

Hey, Britney, "Check It Out." We mean it: will.i.am and Nicki Minaj. Just listen to it, wig out, and show us what you got.

And if Spears wants to grab her pop-princess crown back from Lady Gaga, we suggest she listen to her homage to Madonna's "La Isla Bonita," "Alejandro." After all, Britney was making out with — we mean, paying homage to Madge before Gaga was out of high school. It's the circle of pop!

What do you think Britney should listen to before recording new songs? Share your list in the comments.

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'American Idol,' Lady Gaga And Katy Perry's Muppet Fiasco: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 9/24/10 5:30 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


It has been quite a week here in the MTV Newsroom. We watched Lindsay and Paris in court, sat down with Tony Yayo for a heart-to-heart, argued about the new judges on "American Idol," watched a ton of television and watched a classic indie rock band in the middle of a crazy-ass lightning storm. All that activity has left us sort of run down, which is why it's time to hop into the hot tub and enjoy a little leisure time. You should do the same, but not before you take a stroll through the links below to catch up with anything you might have missed this week.

» "American Idol" has two new judges in Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, who join Randy Jackson as the show's new adjudication trio.

» While people do seem enthusiastic about the new judges, it appears nobody will ever top the show's original three-way of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Jackson.

» Justin Bieber isn't joining the cast of "American Idol," but he was on TV this week. He made his television acting debut in the season premiere of "CSI."

» You know where else Bieber was this week? Hooters!

» "Dancing With the Stars" kicked off this week, though "Jersey Shore" star the Situation stumbled a bit with his cha cha.
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Will.I.Am Learns A New Dance From 'Sesame Street' Star Grover

Posted 9/20/10 11:30 am EST by in Music


Over the course of his career, rapper, producer and Black Eyed Peas mastermind will.i.am has collaborated with some of the biggest stars in music, including Mary J. Blige, Carlos Santana, Justin Timberlake, Diddy, Usher, U2 and even Michael Jackson. Next week, one of his biggest productions will finally hit the street after nearly a year of preparation. Next Monday (September 27), the 41st season of "Sesame Street" will kick off with a performance of "What I Am," a song by will.i.am featuring a cavalcade of Muppet superstars (including Elmo, Big Bird, Bert and the Count). MTV News was there to observe the shooting of the segment, and when Tim Kash sat down to talk to the rapper and collaborator Grover, the bluest Muppet gave will.i.am a lesson in getting funky.

"Grover taught me how to count when I was a little pea," will.i.am told Kash. "And Michael Jackson taught me how to dance."

"I can dance too," Grover said. "I can teach you a couple of moves."

After warming up a bit and encouraging the rapper to take notes, Grover busted into a series of moves that were ... interesting, to say the least.

"You can have that," Grover told will.i.am. "You do not even have to credit me."

Always thinking musically, will.i.am took the ball and ran with it. "That's hot. That would be a dope song," he told Grover, immediately busting out some beatboxing and laying down a beat for Grover's manic "wuppa wuppa" dance (and wouldn't you know, it sort of sounded like a hit in the making). Further proof that there are few things that will.i.am can't spin into hip-hop hybrid gold.

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Will.I.Am Joins Nicki Minaj At VMAs, Adds To His List Of Classic Collaborations

Posted 9/11/10 5:00 pm EST by in VMAs


Even though the show is only a day away, the lineup for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards keeps getting bigger by the hour. We already knew that Nicki Minaj would be making performing the pre-show (which airs live this Sunday, September 12 at 8 p.m. Eastern on MTV), but now comes word that Black Eyed Peas member and super-producer will.i.am will be on board for the proceedings.

A remarkable musical mind, will.i.am not only has he churned out a number of hits with his primary outlet the Black Eyed Peas, but he has also gone off the reservation to collaborate with some huge stars for some massive hits. What are his five best? We're glad you asked.

Estelle, "American Boy"
Not only did will.i.am produce this track, which featured a guest spot from Kanye West and charted in 18 different countries, but he also dropped in a sample "Impatient," a tune from his 2007 solo album Songs About Girls. He laid down an absolutely killer groove, and Estelle and Kanye worked their magic on top of it.

Usher, "OMG"
One of the biggest smashes of the summer of 2010, "OMG" has will.i.am's fingerprints all over it: You can easily dance to it and you can't get it out of your head (no matter how hard you try). He pulls double duty, as he also drops a guest vocal on the track.

U2, "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
Though he has never strayed very far from the hip-hop or pop worlds, will.i.am's foray into the rock universe happens to be exceptional. Read More...

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Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am Is A Globetrotter: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 12/3/09 5:15 pm EST by in Music


"When the record industry's falling apart — and it is — and there's no place to see videos — there's not — you have to find new ways and you have to do what's actually going on. And the DJ world, in the clubs, is where music actually lives. It's not just in America, or New York or LA, it's everywhere in the world. So, Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta was a perfect combination, because his music plays all over the world, and we travel around the world, and our music is played all over the world. And I think that's the reason 'I Gotta Feeling' and 'Boom Boom Pow' are successful — because we made music for the time. We didn't rely on what was the machine yesterday, we made it for what actually is."

-Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am, on why his group's Grammy-nominated album The E.N.D. switches up their sound and pushed so many boundaries. The electro-fueled album that delivered huge hits like "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" was heavily influenced by French DJ David Guetta (who scored a nomination himself for his album One Love), which was a departure from the group's backpack hip-hop roots. At Wednesday night's Grammy nominations show, they were grateful for their six nominations. "This is a blessing. We're very blessed," Fergie said. "The thing is, we're still hungry, we're still working hard ... and all of the work we've put into it just makes us appreciate it more." How did the group celebrate? By bowling (they already had plans, as it was group member Apl's birthday as well).

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Spotted: Black Eyed Peas Get Good Reception

Posted 10/2/09 12:35 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 staff members. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

The Black Eyed Peas are not strangers to corporate synergy, as their current album The E.N.D. has been attached to both Target and Pepsi. You can add BlackBerry to the list, as frontman Will.i.am was on hand in Australia yesterday to help launch their newest smartphone, the Curve 8520. The rapper/producer is a self-confessed BlackBerry addict, and he says he doesn't like the iPhone because its touchscreen prohibits him from texting.

Will wasn't just on hand for the BlackBerry launch, as his group is moving through Australia on a tour that will keep them down under for another few weeks. All the promotion for The E.N.D. has certainly paid off, as the album's two singles — "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" — have spent 26 consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, which is more continuous time than any other artist in history.

Will wasn't the only famous person hitting the streets yesterday. New couple Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom sported their new rings in public, while Khloe's sister Kim dropped in on "The Late Show with David Letterman." Click here for these photos plus the entire "Spotted!" archive, which includes candid shots of Madonna, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Mariah Carey, the Jonas Brothers and the casts of "Gossip Girl" and "New Moon"!

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