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Friday, April 1, 2011

Exclusive: Ne-Yo Discusses The Reasons Why He Decided Not To Cancel His Recent Concerts In Japan

UPDATE (5:37 p.m.): Follow along for not one but two videos of Janell’s exclusive chat with Ne-Yo earlier today.
In the wake of the disaster that struck Japan some twelve days ago, some musicians made the difficult decision to postpone previously planned tours to the island nation until the situation over there became more stable. Not Ne-Yo, though! He’s been over in Japan for well over a week now, performing in front of thousands of thrilled fans and helping to restore a sense of normalcy to the tragedy-ridden country. Well, our own VH1 News correspondent Janell Snowden was able to speak with Ne-Yo exclusively earlier today via Skype. We’ll be bringing you select clips from that interview very soon, but for now, here’s a quick summary of what they discussed:

While the fact that Ne-Yo has a four month-old daughter initially gave him pause about going to Japan during such a tumultuous time, he ultimately felt like he had her blessing. As he explained to us, if she could talk, she would’ve told him to solider on.

When he first arrived on Japanese soil, he and his team had to be coached on safety-related precautions just in case another aftershock struck.
He encourage other artists to follow his lead and play for the people of Japan.
He mentioned the recent rumors that he was on “suicide watch” and dismissed them as a total fabrication, noting that he very much wants to be there for his baby daughter as she grows up.

Most importantly, though, Ne-Yo has graciously decided to donate $100,000 in merchandise sales to the relief efforts, plus a percentage of the proceeds from the ticket sales during this leg of his world tour. Remember, if you want to contribute to the relief efforts, you can always construct “Paper Cranes for Japan” or donate to the Red Cross.
UPDATE:
As promised, here are two excerpts from our exclusive interview with Ne-Yo earlier today.
In the first clip, Janell asks Ne-Yo what kinds of special precautions he needed to take in order to perform in front of his fans in Japan:

Vh1.com Video
And in this one, Ne-Yo talks about why he made the decision to donate over $100,000 to relief efforts. As he explains, “With everything that’s going on [in Japan], these people needed a reason to smile, a reason to stand up and cheer, if only for a few hours.”

Vh1.com Video

Source: http://blog.vh1.com/2011-03-23/exclusive-ne-yo-discusses-the-reasons-why-he-decided-not-to-cancel-his-recent-concerts-in-japan/

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Lupe Fiasco Recalls Being Paid In Food, On 'When I Was 17'

'I ate the rest of my salary,' rapper recalls of subsidizing his income with free fast food.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Lupe Fiasco on "When I Was 17"
Photo: MTV News

Lupe Fiasco may be a man about the world now — check his past single "Paris, Tokyo" — but back when the Chicago MC was a teenager, he was only a local explorer.

"When I was 17, I worked at this restaurant that was behind my house," Lupe says during the latest episode of "When I Was 17," airing at 11 a.m. Saturday on MTV. "It was literally my house, the alley, work. I used to jump over my back fence, and I was in the parking lot of my job. I was the short-order cook. It was fast food. It was really crappy. I would work 40 hours a week, and it was 60 bucks. I remember trying to get my homeys jobs there, and they would be like, 'Are you stupid? I'm not working for 60.' "

"We had better things to do than work at a restaurant," Fiasco's friend Doughboy said. "Especially when we knew how much he got paid and how long he had to be there."

The Lasers MC maintained he had a plan that his friends couldn't quit comprehend. He knew he was underpaid, but he decided he would get his due by way of his stomach, if not his wallet.

"They didn't see my vision: I didn't have to pay for any food," he said. "I ate the rest of my salary that I thought I deserved."

His plan, however, wasn't approved by management, and Lupe wasn't afraid to voice his displeasure.

" 'Well, you should pay me some more and I'll stop!' " he recalled telling his boss.

"When I Was 17" — this week featuring Jessie J, Tyrese and Lupe Fiasco — airs Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661177/lupe-fiasco-when-i-was-17.jhtml

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Britney Spears Opens Up On Home Life In MTV Special

'Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale' airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on MTV.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Britney Spears
Photo: MTV News & Docs

Sure, Britney Spears is a chart-topping pop star, but when she's not oozing sex as a Femme Fatale, she loves to sit around and chat about shoes like any other girl.

"I love those," she says about her assistant's studded platform heels in a clip from her MTV special, "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale," airing this Sunday. "Mine don't have that many studs? They do? I love them!"

Spears opens up to MTV News' Sway Calloway about her home life, which includes cooking and being a mom to her two sons, Jayden and Sean. "I help cook dinner sometimes. I'm not that much of a cook, but I help," she shares. "I try a little bit of everything, but I don't have a special dish."

Spears gets candid during the show's sit-down interview, in which she talks about her upcoming 30th birthday this December. "I think I hoped I would be [doing this]," she said about still being a performer. "I genuinely love what I do. This is what I love to do."

The special is a mixture of behind-the-scenes footage of the singer as she wraps up production on her album, which dropped this week, as well as an inside look at her life and fans. In addition, those who couldn't make Spears' recent nightclub show in Las Vegas will get to see her as she takes the stage in her latest pop incarnation.

Don't miss "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale," airing Sunday (April 3) at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661132/britney-spears-family.jhtml

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EXCLUSIVE: Hanson Teaming Up With SXSW For Massive Benefit Concert For Japan

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip
We ran into two-thirds of Hanson at Rachael Ray’s SXSW party this afternoon, and brothers Isaac and Taylor were making a serious effort to get the word out about teaming up with the music fest for a last-minut, massive benefit concert for Japan. Details are scarce at the moment — there’s not even a press release out yet. But the concert will start tomorrow (Saturday, March 18) at noon and will run a whopping 12 hours. It will also stream live for the entire show. Isaac says an album of the concert will also be available for download from iTunes. There are more than 2,000 acts at SXSW this year, so it’s the perfect opportunity to pull off a “We Are the World”-style benefit.
Update: Hanson.net is reporting that Widespread Panic, the Boxer Rebellion, Ben Folds and the Courtyard Hounds were the first to sign on. The stream will include live and pre-recorded performances as well as messages from musicians. Watch and donate at SXSW4Japan.
Thanks to Chrysler and Samsung for sponsoring our SXSW coverage.

Source: http://blog.vh1.com/2011-03-18/hanson-teaming-up-with-sxsw-for-massive-benefit-concert-for-japan/

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Shakira donates $400,000 to rebuild Haiti school (AFP)

AFP - Colombian pop star Shakira has donated $400,000 to rebuild a school that was severely damaged in the January 2010 quake that leveled much of the Haitian capital.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110401/ennew_afp/haitiquakeentertainmentmusicpeopleeducation

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Katy Perry's 'E.T.' Video Premieres -- Watch It Now!

New clip with Kanye West is a big-budget spectacle that takes Perry to the next level.
By James Montgomery

Katy Perry in her "E.T." video
Photo: Capitol

We've seen Katy Perry camp it up in "California Gurls" and go glam in "Thinking of You" and "Teenage Dream," but we've never seen her get extraterrestrial — until now, of course.

Because in her new video for "E.T." — which premiered Thursday (March 31) on MTV.com — Perry plays the titular alien: a swirling, shifting, otherworldly being who crashes to earth to resurrect a long-dormant love and, in the process, perhaps reboot the human race (since, as is often the case with sci-fi exploits, planet Earth has undergone some sort of cataclysmic apocalypse and is now bereft of life). At least, I think that's the plot of the thing, though, really, it's not all that important if I'm wrong. Find out the full story tonight on "MTV First: Katy Perry's 'E.T.'," which bows on air at 7:53 p.m. ET before tossing to an MTV.com live stream, featuring MTV News correspondent Sway's exclusive chat with Perry, an interview with director Floria Sigismondi and reaction from Perry's fans.

"E.T." is a huge-looking, quick-moving blockbuster of a clip, overflowing with eye-catching special effects, opulent costumes and artfully applied makeup (and Kanye cameos), the kind of production where a plot is basically an afterthought. In other words, it's a Hollywood-level spectacle, a summer smash that just so happened to come out in the early days of spring. It's an event.

And really, with each #1 single she notches, it's the kind of clip Katy Perry has earned, one that puts her on par with other pop megastars like Britney and Gaga in the sheer scope of the production.

Working with acclaimed director Floria Sigismondi, Perry has created a video that certainly ranks among her very best and is unquestionably the biggest thing she's ever done, a production preceded by glossy teaser clips and online "abductions." The mind boggles at the cost of the wardrobe and hair extensions alone.

But, much like the plot, none of that really matters. "E.T." is less about the insignificant details and more about the larger picture — a video that not only moves Perry to the upper echelon, but looks and sounds great. It's a widescreen, THX-ian type of thing, meant to be marveled at. Whether or not you do, you can't deny that KP has earned the right to make it. She's finally arrived: fallen from the heavens to take her rightful place among the elite. Welcome our new alien overlord.

What did you think of Katy's new video? Let us know in the comments!

Don't miss the on-air premiere of Katy Perry's "E.T." video, featuring Kanye West, at 7:53 p.m. ET tonight on MTV, followed by our live "MTV First" interview with Katy Perry on MTV.com!

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Jamie Foxx And will.i.am Bring 'Hot Wings' To 'American Idol'

Drum line and colorfully dressed dancers bring 'Rio' song to life on 'Idol' stage.
By Adam Graham

Jamie Foxx and will.i.am on "American Idol"
Photo: FOX

Jamie Foxx and will.i.am brought their "Hot Wings" to "American Idol" on Thursday (March 31).

The pair teamed up to perform their new single from the soundtrack to "Rio," the computer-animated flight tale in which they both voice characters. And they didn't come alone: They performed with a 12-member drum line and a full team of colorfully dressed dancers, while footage from "Rio" played on the video screens behind them.

Neither Foxx nor will.i.am are strangers to "Idol." Foxx was a mentor to the contestants in seasons eight and nine and also performed on the show during season eight, while will did "Just Can't Get Enough" with the Black Eyed Peas on the show just two weeks ago and also performed on the "Idol" stage with the Peas in seasons eight and nine. They both clearly know their way around the place by now and were comfortable shouting out the judges ("I see you, Randy!") mid-song.

The song is built around the repeated refrain "I wanna party, I wanna samba" and finds Foxx and will.i.am trading verses, in character as their "Rio" likenesses (Foxx plays Nico, a canary, while will.i.am plays a cardinal named Pedro). They entered the stage together via the "Idol" staircase, and Foxx — dressed in a black suit and dark shades — opened the song. Mr. i.am — dressed in a white jacket, red shirt and porkpie hat — chimed in during the second verse, rapping about ghetto blasters and speedy dance moves. The album version of the song also features the pair's "Rio" co-star Anne Hathaway, though the Oscar host was not in the Idoldome for the taping.

The performance featured elaborate choreography among the dancers (captured by the "Idol" crew via overhead cameras) and staged fighting on the side stage. At the performance's close, Foxx plugged "Rio" as "fun for the whole family."

The film hits theaters April 15, and the soundtrack — which is already available for download on iTunes — is due in stores Tuesday.

What did you think of the "Hot Wings" performance? Let us know in the comments!

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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