Usher's Next Album 'Soulful, Catchy,' Taio Cruz Teases1675448

'He always wants there to be the soul in there,' Cruz tells MTV News about his 'Without You' collaborator.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Usher
Photo: Todd Williamson/ WireImage

Usher is hard at work on his next album. Set to work with fellow hitmaker Taio Cruz, the two already cooked up some magic with their David Guetta anthem "Without You," and it seems they are hoping to recapture that spirit for Usher's follow-up to 2010's Raymond v. Raymond.

"I saw Usher a few times, but I spoke to him at length at David [Guetta]'s house when we were in Ibiza [Spain]," he told MTV News in L.A. after his Jingle Ball set. "He has very specific ideas of where he wants to go musically and sound-wise." Given that Usher has never shied away from exposing a bit of himself in his music, while also keeping the party going, Cruz wants to make sure they can connect the mind, body and soul for this next release. "He always wants there to be the soul in there," he explained. "I'm kind of, not the opposite, but I'm always like, 'Let's get straight to the point and be really clear with the message and be simple.' "So we try to match those two worlds together: being soulful and, at the same time, catchy," he added. Cruz can't yet discuss what they're working on: Besides "Without You," he said, "Everything else is secret." Usher said he was drawn to the Guetta hit because he connected to it emotionally, explaining to MTV News recently what an important part that plays in his musical philosophy. "I think the world wanted a record like that. That [song] really spoke to the journey that I've actually been on in the last three years," he said. "Traveling all around the world, music sounds different. There's many different genres, and when you see R&B and pop and house, as well as electronic, come together, that's the reality of what music is."

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Beyonce And Jay-Z: From 'Crazy In Love' To Mom And Dad1676914

MTV News looks back on the power couple's decade of love leading up to their new baby, Blue Ivy.
By Jocelyn Vena


Beyonce and Jay-Z
Photo: James Devaney/ WireImage

Hip-hop and R&B's very own Bonnie and Clyde welcomed a baby girl into the world in the early hours of Sunday morning (January 8). Jay-Z and Beyoncé's daughter, Blue Ivy, is the couple's first child after being together for a decade. Chatter about their romantic relationship began back in 2002 when they hooked up on his The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse track " '03 Bonnie & Clyde." The following year, they joined forces once again on Beyoncé's breakthrough solo track, "Crazy in Love," from Dangerously in Love.

From there, while they chose to not talk about one another in public, they happily appeared side by side at sporting events, awards shows and red carpets. And they continued to collaborate on a number of songs and videos. Over the course of their decade-long love affair, the pair has appeared together on "Upgrade U," "Déjà Vu," "That's How I Like It," "Hollywood," "Pray" and, most recently, "Lift Off" from Watch the Throne. The couple finally wed in April 2008 in a rooftop New York ceremony. Never really sharing too much about what went down that day, the singer did show off her wedding dress in 2011 in a concert DVD. In the time since they said "I do," the couple dodged pregnancy rumors for years. Beyoncé even laughed them off to MTV News in November 2010. "I was pregnant with this DVD, yes!" she laughed about her concert-special DVD "I Am ... World Tour." Not only does love tie these two together, but so does Beyoncé's own superstition about the number four. In 2011, when she dropped her album 4, she explained just how deep her love of that number runs. "We all have special numbers in our lives, and four is that for me," Bey said. "It's the day I was born. My mother's birthday and a lot of my friends' birthdays are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date." (Jay-Z's birthday is December 4.) The typically private couple very publicly announced their baby news on the VMA stage in August. When the singer took the stage to sing her song, "Love on Top," she told the room (and the world) about "the love growing" inside of her and also proudly displayed her baby bump. Jay celebrated the announcement from the audience with pal Kanye West by his side. In the months since the news broke, fans have wondered when the baby would be born. And, on Sunday, that question was answered. The two have remained characteristically low-key since the news broke. Months prior, in an interview with Piers Morgan in mid-2011, Beyoncé explained their philosophy behind staying quiet about their personal lives. "Jay and I have kind of made a decision that we want to be known for our music and not our relationships or scandals. But he is amazing," she said. "I definitely had a very natural friendship and connection with him. We've been together for a very long time and I'm very happy. Love is the foundation of everything, everything I do. My music is inspired by love — from my family, my husband, my sister." Share your congratulations for Beyoncé and Jay-Z on our Facebook page!

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Where Will Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga Party On New Year's?1676540

From New York to L.A., celebs have plans to ring in 2012 with a bang.
By Jocelyn Vena


Kim Kardashian celebrate New Years Eve at TAO Nightclub at the Venetian on December 31, 2010 in Las Vegas
Photo: Denise Truscello

New Year's Eve is the last chance you'll have to party in 2011. And as the days to plan out your big night begin to dwindle, MTV News is rounding up some of the biggest parties on the planet. From Los Angeles to New York, there's something for everyone. The Kardashians will be hosting several parties all over Las Vegas. Kim will be at Tao (for a fee of reportedly $600,000), Kourtney, along with the Madden Brothers, will party it up at Chateau Nightclub & Gardens at Paris while Rob has it on lock at Tryst.

Other big Sin City parties include Chris Brown's shindig at Pure, Mary J. Blige's bash at RPM Nightclub, Bruno Mars at The Bank and B.o.B at LAX (the club, not the airport). Fergie and will.i.am will both be in Vegas to ring in 2012. The Black Eyed Peas' leading lady will be at 1OAK, while will.i.am be DJing at Surrender. Professional party rockers LMFAO will be shufflin' all night long at Haze Nightclub at Aria. Newly engaged John Legend will perform at the Palms with T-Pain and Paul Oakenfold. As celeb-filled as it may seem, not all the stars will be in Vegas. In Los Angeles, Mario Lopez is hosting a party at Hollywood & Highland that boasts performances by Lupe Fiasco and Cobra Starship. And in Chicago, "American Idol" alum Lee DeWyze will be at the Hard Rock Hotel with DJ Chris Kennedy (Chris Masterson) spinning tunes. Kanye West's plans have yet to be determined, but he recently tweeted he's looking for a place to DJ right into 2012. We're sure someone will find a place for him at their party.

New York is the home of all things New Year's. Lady Gaga has been booked to perform on two NYE specials: the 40th annual "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" and the Japanese program "Kohaku Uta Gassen." For those who want to snuggle up on their couch and avoid all the partying madness, MTV has your back. This year Demi Lovato, Mac Miller, Selena Gomez, J. Cole, Jason Derulo and more will be on hand for "NYE in NYC 2012," which will air live at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday (December 31) from Times Square, where the famous ball drops on, you guessed it, MTV. What are your New Year's Eve plans? Let us know in the comments!

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Das Racist: A 'First Date' Without The Awkward Silence

MTV News' Rya Backer sits down with the 'very funny' trio.
By Rya Backer


Das Racist and MTV News' Rya Backer
Photo: MTV News

Just admit it, the first time you caught wind of Das Racist, you thought they were a joke. It was hard not to, what with their first single, 2009's "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell," being about ... well, the title pretty much says it all. But in the time since they first earned such renown and critical love (our very own James Montgomery was a fan), MCs Himanshu "Heems" Suri and Victor "Kool A.D." Vazquez and hype man Ashok "Dapwell" Kondabolu have proved to possess more than just a few stoney quips.

In 2010, the trio's amazingly titled mixtapes "Sit Down, Man" and "Shut Up, Dude" earned them even more critical and industry clout (the former featured production from the likes of Boi-1da and Diplo). Their playful, jokey rhymes delivered messages and references beyond the likes of their breakout and more along the lines of their well-educated pedigree (the MCs met at Wesleyan) and range of heritages (Heems and Dapwell are Indian, Kool A.D. is of Afro-Cuban — and a little bit of Jewish — descent). Their latest effort, 2011's Relax, made its way onto many a music writer's top 10. Its single "Michael Jackson" features a hook so infectious that you'll get it out of your head about as soon as the image of the Michael Jackson impersonator featured in the video leaves your memory (read: not soon).

And with all that said, acknowledging how much they've successfully proved to be far more than just a trio of funny guys, Das Racist, at their core, are a trio of very, very, very funny guys. It's safe to assume that the only serious answer given on this First Date was where they were all born. From there the conversation snowballed to the whereabouts of D'Angelo, Patrick Swayze, that time an underground rapper gave them free weed at their show, the odd "Sex and the City" plotline and their main hobby — as Kool A.D. put it, "making controversial anti-rap music," to which Dapwell replied "that isn't a hobby, that's just our job. And that's not even my job, I don't even know what I do."

Of course, that all ended up on the cutting room floor (for now), but what made it in hopefully illustrates that these guys are above all very good friends and that the best is yet to come from Das Racist, even if their five-year plans aren't at all alike.

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Anne Hathaway Grabs A Flight At LAX

‘One Day‘ actress Anne Hathaway caught a flight leaving LAX this afternoon.  Anne has been enjoying a bit of a break with her boyfriend back in Hollywood, but it looks like she’s headed back to work now. I wonder if … Continue reading

Source: http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2011/10/25/anne-hathaway-grabs-a-flight-at-lax/

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Celebrity Couples: Matthew McConaughey & Camila Alves, Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore

These two couples had very different styles of dress last night, didn’t they? Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves dressed up for the AFI event honoring Morgan Freeman. Camila lookes gorgeous in gold, doesn’t she? Meanwhile, new ‘Two and a Half … Continue reading

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Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year1604582

Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery with MTV News staff



Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday." He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.

You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history. Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released. And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain. And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified. To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album. "At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."

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?Scream 4? Premiere Brings Courteney Cox, David Arquette & Neve Campbell Together

So nice to see everyone together again! The beautiful Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox walked the red carpet yesterday at the premiere of their new movie ‘Scream 4′. I have to say they look absolutely amazing! Estranged couple David Arquette … Continue reading

Source: http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2011/04/12/scream-4-premiere-brings-courteney-cox-david-arquette-neve-campbell-together/

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Naomi Watts & Her NYC Cuties

Actres Naomi Watts, 43, was spotted taking her two blonde-haired beauties Sasha, 4, and Kai, 3, for a stroll in the double-wide on Saturday (January 7) in New York City.

The trio - who were missing papa Liev Schreiber - were bundled up to face the brisk weather in warm jackets and beanies. Sweet Kai took a snooze with his blue puppy along the way.

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Usher - Lil Freak