Archive: December 2010 (41-50 of 79)

Dec 14 2010 03:13 PM ET

Lil Wayne's first single from Tha Carter IV leaks online

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Filed under: Music, News and tagged: , ,

Lil-WayneImage Credit: RD/Erik Kabik/Retna DigitalWhen Lil Wayne got out of Rikers Island last month, many expected the prolific rhymer to hit the studio and release a single as soon as humanly possible. He didn’t. Though he did get back to work, it wasn’t until just minutes ago that “6’7,” the lead single to his forthcoming Tha Carter IV album hit the Intenet. It’s a frenetic, bass-heavy banger made by the same producer who set the tone for Weezy’s last Carter, Bangladesh. He’s the beatsmith behind 2008′s surprise monster “A Milli.” And this one aims to trump its success. Meeting the challenge on the hookless song, Wayne’s rhymes are as slick as ever.

Addressing his competition, he raps “I do it like a king do./ If these n—– animals, I’mma have a mink soon.” And referring to his recent jail stint, Wayne says the hard time wasn’t that rough at all. “I got through that sentence like a subject and a predicate,” he spits. His skills haven’t diminished a bit.

Have you heard “6’7″ yet? What do you think of it? Sound off in the comments section.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from from EW.com:
Lil Wayne released from prison
Lil Wayne headed ‘straight to the studio’ after leaving prison, says label head

Dec 14 2010 01:38 PM ET

Usher brings explosive OMG tour to NYC's Madison Square Garden

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Filed under: Music and tagged: , , , , ,

usherImage Credit: Lyle A. Waisman/Getty ImagesLast night, R&B’s present and future pulled into New York City for the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden for Usher’s OMG tour. Upstart vocalist Miguel, riding high off the success of his “All I Want is You” single, warmed up the audience. But Trey Songz, with his recent surge of aggressive yet smooth sex-pop hits, made things sizzle.

After breezing through recent jams like “Say Aah” and even covering Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” Songz took some time to appreciate the signs out in the audience. “Can I have your t-shirt, tie, or towel?” one girl’s poster asked. Trey did her one better. He peeled off his sweaty tank top and lowered it into her eager arms. Her night was made. Then it was time for Usher to please everyone else.

While most stared at the stage watching his stick-wielding dancers flash lights, Usher opened the show hovering over the audience before eventually floating down front and center. In a black leather jacket with matching sunglasses and pants, Usher wasted no time getting to his smashes. He has plenty. “Yeah” was the first he leaped into. His dancing, crisp and precise as usual, mirrored the 2004 video. Next was “U Remind Me,” which was followed by a brief skit with his four lovely dancers. “You know I have a past,” he said to his irritated “girlfriend” as he pointed to three jealous women behind him. “But you’re my future.” Nice try, but the line didn’t work—his exes strutted off. As did his new girl. “That’s not how we rehearsed the s— earlier,” he joked. Such was the evening’s loosely tied storyline: a thriving playboy trying to walk the straight and narrow path of monogamy.

Alone again, Usher looked to the crowd to find his next girl to the tune of his steamy, role-reversing “Trading Places.” He pulled an absolutely giddy woman out of the crowd to join him onstage. Excited but poised, she had no problem grinding against the superstar on a chair in front of the sold out arena. Though as the song wound down she got a little too loose, attempting to swing her leg across Usher’s chest. Whap! Instead, she kicked the side of Usher’s face. Embarrassed and profusely apologetic, she quickly rose to see if her clumsy stunt left a mark on his dimpled cheek. Luckily there wasn’t one, and ever the gentleman, he was all smiles. “We play rough in the bed,” he quipped. “We kick each other in the face and all kind of good stuff.”

READ FULL STORY »

Dec 14 2010 01:19 PM ET

Funk legend George Clinton sues the Black Eyed Peas for alleged copyright infringement

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Filed under: Black Eyed Peas, News and tagged: , ,

black-eyed-peasImage Credit: Tony Lowe/PR PhotosParliament Funkadelic leader George Clinton has filed a copyright lawsuit against each member of the Black Eyed Peas, UMG Recordings, and Cherry Lane Music, accusing them of wrongfully sampling his “(Not Just) Knee Deep” from 1979 album Uncle Jam Wants You on two remixes of the will.i.am-produced “Shut Up”: “Shut the Phunk Up Remix” and “Shut Up Remix” from their 2003 Grammy-nominated  Elephunk album. The case was filed Dec. 10 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Clinton, whose retro funk has always been a favorite among hip-hop purists, has a heavily sampled catalog. Iconic producer Dr. Dre leaned heavily on Clinton’s classics during his early ’90s G-Funk era when he crafted tracks for Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. “(Not Just) Knee Deep” has been sampled by De La Soul and several other acts in years past. But he denied the Peas’ request to legally clear the sample when a producer for the band allegedly asked.

To date, Clinton says he has not received any royalties from the remixes. Now he is seeking maximum statutory damages of $150,000 per infringement and requests that sales of the infringing songs stop immediately. It’s obvious that they used the sample. How they went about acquiring it is the question here. The Peas’ rep was not available for comment.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

Dec 14 2010 11:37 AM ET

Coldplay working on first concept album, reteaming with Brian Eno

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Filed under: News and tagged: , ,

all-points-west-coldplayImage Credit: Roger Kisby/WireImage.comViva la concept! Coldplay will follow 2008′s Grammy-winning Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends with another album helmed by their own special friend, Roxy Music alum/ambient icon/MGMT inspo Brian Eno—this one, according to frontman Chris Martin, “from the point of view of two people who are a bit lost. Two like-minded outsiders who meet in a very difficult environment and therefore have a journey together.”

“It’s a concept album but it’s supposed to be very personal within a big framework,” Martin told BBC News. “Does that make sense?”

“Brian is the sower of seeds and ideas and experimenting, which is very liberating. Then Markus’s job is to come in after all that’s been done and try and sculpt it into some kind of releasable format,” says Martin. “They’re like a tag team.” (Markus being Vida collaborator Markus Dravs, who also co-produced the recent Arcade Fire and Mumford and Sons records.)

Martin conceded that there had been some false starts: “We spent a year making a lot of noise. You know those things in a fairground where you have bran in a tub and in there are some hidden prizes? That’s sort of where we are at.”

Still, he says, as the songwriting process goes on, his bandmates are his best critics: “I’m so lucky that we have [this] group, in as much as there are a lot of people who don’t like us in the world, but there would be a lot more without this filtering system. Think of the rubbish that doesn’t get out, if you don’t like the stuff that does.”

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from from EW.com:
Coldplay sparks hope with new ‘Christmas Lights’ video: Watch here
Coldplay puts many Brits to sleep. What’s your entertainment sleep aid?

Dec 14 2010 10:16 AM ET

Mariah Carey's 'Merry Christmas' special last night: Three highlights worth watching

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Filed under: Music, News and tagged: , , , , ,

mariah-carey-xmasImage Credit: Danny Feld/ABCYou know who’s super-fun around Christmastime? The grand dame of “All I Want for Christmas is You,” Mariah Carey, duh! Last night, the very pregnant pop diva premiered her ABC holiday special, Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To You, and it did not disappoint in the anti-Scrooge category. It very successfully put me in the holiday spirit! The highlights were many—you can watch the full 45-minute special after the jump—but here’s a guide to the three most important moments from the Carey Christmasfest, including corresponding time codes:

00:00: The diva’s special-opening rendition of sleigh-bell and school yard-chant happy new single “Oh, Santa!” was the perfect kick-off for the evening. This thumpy, joyful tune proves: Mariah just wants to have fun!

35:00: The launch of Mariah Carey’s duet of “O Come All Ye Faithful” with her opera-singer mother Patricia Carey. It becomes a diva-off, with both reaching the rafters for the highest note in history. Who wins? You can be the judge of that.

39:45: Mariah closes out the night with her Christmas standard, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” If that doesn’t put you in the spirit, then nothing will. There’s simply few things out there that are this joyful.

Now watch the whole special here (or just skip to my suggested highlight portions):

READ FULL STORY »

Dec 14 2010 10:00 AM ET

Paul McCartney plays NYC's Apollo Theater for Sirius XM: 'I dreamed of playing here for many a year'

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Filed under: Music, News and tagged: , , ,

Paul-McCartneyImage Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.comPaul McCartney loves to perform. This was evident in every minute of the concert he played last night at Harlem’s storied Apollo Theater to celebrate Sirius XM satellite radio reaching 20 million subscribers. And while he seems to enjoy performing most anywhere and everywhere lately, he was even happier than usual to be at this particular venue. “It’s the Holy Grail,” he told the crowd, which was made up mostly of lucky Sirius XM subscribers. “I dreamed of playing here for many a year.”

Thus began a two-hour tour of McCartney’s incredible back catalog (Beatles and solo years both included). He was in much stronger voice throughout than he was on Saturday Night Live last weekend, and his backing band was in better form, too. Lighthearted quips abounded in between numbers. “Here’s a newer song,” Macca joked before 1963′s “All My Loving.” After that he played “One After 909,” one of the first songs he and John Lennon ever wrote together. As has become usual for McCartney’s live show, this was a nostalgia trip, and a very fine one.

Highlights from the evening included the passage when McCartney switched from electric bass to acoustic guitar for 1965′s “I’m Looking Through You” and 1964′s “And I Love Her,” two personal favorites of mine. Or maybe the best part was when he paid tribute to the Apollo’s history by covering Marvin Gaye’s “Hitch Hike,” complete with shimmying backup dancers — taking it from the top with even more vim after a burst of unintended feedback mussed up his first take. Or was it when he led the audience in a chorus of “Hey Jude” na-na-na-nas? With a full set plus two encores, there were too many stand-outs to list.

Did you tune in to Sirius XM to hear the concert’s live broadcast over satellite radio? Or were you one of the fans in attendance? Let us know what your favorite parts of the show were if so.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix)

More from EW.com:

Dec 13 2010 09:10 PM ET

'American Idol': Major music producers Alex da Kid, Tricky Stewart, Darkchild working with auditioning contestants in Las Vegas

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Filed under: Music, News and tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

American-Idol-producersImage Credit: Todd Duffey/PR Photos; Janet Mayer/PR Photos; John Shearer/WireImage.com; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.comThe big changes on American Idol in its 10th season just keep on coming. This week, about 60 auditioning contestants (whittled down from 325 who made it to the Hollywood week round) have been rehearsing at the Las Vegas Mirage hotel to perform Beatles songs on the stage that Cirque du Soleil performs its Beatles-themed show LOVE. EW has learned that music executive and Idol‘s new in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine — whose mega-label Universal Music Group will release the Idol winner’s first album — has been in Las Vegas mentoring the potential contestants for those performances, and has assembled an impressive roster of major music producers to help: Alex da Kid (who produced Eminem’s megahit “Love the Way You Lie” featuring Rihanna, and B.o.B’s “Airplanes” featuring Hayley Williams), Christopher “Tricky” Stewart (Justin Bieber’s “Baby” featuring Ludacris, Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies”, Rihanna’s “Umbrella”), Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins (Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” featuring Beyoncé, the Pussycat Doll’s “When I Grow Up”), Polow da Don (several Keri Hilson tracks, including “Turnin’ Me On” featuring Lil Wayne), and Jim Jonsin (Nelly’s “Just a Dream”, T.I.’s “Whatever You Like”). The contestants will only perform for Idol judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, and not a live audience.

An Idol insider explains to EW that this is part of the season-long effort to get audiences to know the kids better as people and artists, and to get them out of their comfort zones and more accustomed to what life as a major music star would be like — i.e. putting down the guitar, and getting used to the big stage.

“Been shootin’ for American Idol all day,” Alex da Kid tweeted yesterday. “There were some kool kids [sic].”

Dec 13 2010 06:22 PM ET

OK Go do it again: Watch their epic 'Back from Kathmandu" video

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Filed under: Music, YouTube Delights and tagged: , ,

DIY video vanguards OK Go—coordinators of canines, Rubers of elaborate Goldbergs, artistes of old bread—have now taken their high-low concept the streets, literally, in a sort of massive, GPS-assisted human Etch-a-Sketch.

Watch as the band, with the assistance of Crayola-colored, instrument-outfitted friends, traces its own name in an 8.4-mile parade route through Los Angeles. OK? Go: READ FULL STORY »

Dec 13 2010 11:53 AM ET

Ja Rule headed to prison in plea deal

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Filed under: Music, News and tagged:

ja-ruleImage Credit: Bobby Bank/WireImage.comJa Rule has pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in a deal that will likely send him to prison for two years, MTV News reports. The rapper was arrested in New York City on the same July 2007 night as Lil Wayne, just hours after they shared a stage at a Beacon Theatre concert. Police allegedly found a loaded semiautomatic gun in his car.

Ja Rule will be formally sentenced next February. If convicted without the plea deal, he could have faced up to seven years.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix)

More from EW.com:
Concert review: Lil Wayne plus Ja Rule and many more at the Beacon Theatre
On the scene: Ja Rule and Lil Wayne’s video shoot

Dec 13 2010 11:33 AM ET

Paul McCartney's divisive 'Saturday Night Live' performance: Why you should cut him some slack

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Filed under: Music, SNL, TV and tagged: , ,

Paul-McCartneyImage Credit: Dana Edelson/NBCPaul McCartney got way more screen time on this weekend’s Saturday Night Live than your average musical guest. In addition to very funny turns on “Weekend Update” and a digital short, the former Beatle performed “Jet” and “Band on the Run” (from the recently reissued Band on the Run album), “A Day in the Life” leading into John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance,” and “Get Back” to close the show. So how did he do?

Opinions are divided here at EW headquarters. Most everyone agrees that the sound mix was up (or down) to SNL‘s usual muddy standard, making it difficult at times to hear Macca’s voice over his backing band. Even when he was fully audible, though, some are complaining that he seemed a little hoarse.

To which I say, so what? The man turns 70 the summer after next. Of course his vocal cords aren’t quite as limber as they were in 1966. It’s still a pleasure to see him rocking out as enthusiastically as he did on Saturday night. He was having fun up there running through some all-time classic tunes, which made it a fun show to watch from home. And the “A Day in the Life”/”Give Peace a Chance” medley was just right, a tribute to a late friend that was touching without being heavy-handed.

Over to you now. What did you think of McCartney’s SNL performance? Sound off in the comments.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix)

More from EW.com:
Ken Tucker’s Saturday Night Live recap
Ringo Starr’s 70th birthday concert: Guests galore, and Paul McCartney, too

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