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DJ Khaled’s ‘Take It To The Head’ Video Is A Blockbuster
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For video, premiering Sunday on MTV Jams, 'We got nothin' but megastars,' Khaled tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway


DJ Khaled, Rick Ross and Drake in the video for "Take It To The Head"
Photo: MTV News

Blockbuster songs deserve blockbuster video treatments, and DJ Khaled made sure his new single, "Take It to the Head," had a big visual to match. When your track features Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross, there isn't much choice.

"I told [director] Colin [Tilley] when I called him, 'We gotta video, we gotta do the best video, we gotta win awards, and you gotta really take it there because we got nothin' but megastars on one record," DJ Khaled told MTV News' Sway Calloway from the Universal Studios set where he shot the video at the end of April.

Last summer, Khaled hosted "I'm on One," an inescapable rap jam that partnered Lil Wayne, Drake and Rick Ross for the first time. It seemed that the #1 Billboard rap single would be hard to top, but with Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown on "Take it to the Head," the Cash Money DJ is making a serious run for hip-hop's 2012 summer anthem. The stakes are high, and the video, which premieres Sunday on MTV Jams, is equally as huge.

The video set is reminiscent of the 1974 disaster film "Earthquake," where most of Los Angeles is destroyed by a quake that registers 9.9 on the Richter scale. "Colin Tilley is an amazing director, so he had this amazing idea where he wanted fire behind us, trains broken, ground shaking," Khaled described. "We're giving you new stuff."

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May 18th

12:38
MUSIC NEWS

‘American Idol’ Top Two: Did Joshua Ledet Deserve To Be Eliminated?
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'He was definitely the best,' writes one MTV News commenter of the soulful third-place finisher.
By Gil Kaufman


Joshua Ledet
Photo: FOX

It happens every year. By the time you drill down to the top three on "American Idol," tears are shed and teeth are gnashed when host Ryan Seacrest announces the third-place finisher.

After coming so far, climbing so high and landing within one episode of the show's finale, whatever beloved singer makes it to the precipice of potential fame is sent to the sidelines to watch the final showdown and his/her fans are left dejected.

That's the general mood of Joshua Ledet's followers after the soul-stirring 20-year-old Westlake, Louisiana throwback singer was sent packing on Thursday night's elimination show
, paving the way for pocket diva Jessica Sanchez and (be)low key pawn shop worker Phillip Phillips to battle it out next week.

"They sabotaged Joshua and Jessica," raged reader Rienell John Llevado in a comment on an MTV New story in which Ledet called his elimination
 a "relief."

"Jessica got lucky she has the support she needed to go on. They will do the same thing again this Tuesday. They are giving their golden boy the best to bring him on top. After all, isn't 'American Idol' loves white guys with guitar only? Don't worry Josh, you're right when you said you could still have a successful career even if you don't win 'Idol.'"

Another reader, Keish, claimed that the voting was rigged because after always getting a message that their vote was counted before, there was no such message Thursday night. "I voted so many times & still got nothing! Josh you are the winner!!!"

Khan lamented that Ledet — who was touted by the judges as one of the best singers
 to ever grace the "Idol" stage — should not have been eliminated, because, "someone with that kind of voice should never be voted off a singing competition." A number agreed and added that Joshua is probably better in the long run because his singing style has a timeless quality and, besides, the recent track record
 of WGWG (white guys with guitars) has been pretty dismal anyway.

"American did not vote based on the talent," opined Lamran2010. "How come Joshua was voted off ... it is not fair." Interestingly, given the shrieks of joy Phillips often elicits on the show, a number of the comments derided his meat-and-potatoes singing style and predicted that voters would turn out in force for Sanchez next week.

"Wow , how can America get it so hopelessly wrong year after year" wondered Muzz W. "Go Jessica, Phil Phillips should have gone weeks ago." Then again, Koo was not having it, bidding "good riddents [sic] Joshua" and proclaiming the singer a "drama mama."

Amid the sometimes nasty back-and-forth, writer Barry made a plea for peace, saying, "All three have sooo much talent!!! America has voted and unfortunately Joshua goes home. But don't take anything away from Jessica and Phil now!! The finale is all about the songs they sing and how they sing them. It's also about stage presence!!" His pick: Sanchez.

As many eagle-eyed "Idol" watchers are aware, it's not always the winners who end up winning, which is why LaNell was just fine with Ledet going home early. "Joshua became a winner the moment he stepped on the stage," she wrote. "He got the exposure he needed to get his career started ... he will go far because of his talent," adding that she figured a younger generation might not totally get his "good ole Motown sound."

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May 18th

12:13
MUSIC NEWS

Mac Miller, Foo Fighters, A$AP Rocky Set To Rock Bamboozle
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My Chemical Romance, Bon Jovi, All-American Rejects are also on lineup at three-day fest in Asbury Park, New Jersey, this weekend.
By Rob Markman


Skrillex
Photo: Getty Images

The Bamboozle is back, and music fans are gearing up to hit Asbury Park on the world-famous Jersey Shore to see their favorite acts take the stage during the three-day-long festival.

It all kicks off Friday (May 18) evening, when , Incubus, Mike Posner and Kreayshawn all rock the crowd on a night headlined by electro party-starter Skrillex.

Expect Mac to perform choice cuts from his recently released Macadelic mixtape and for Skrillex to spin dance joints from his Grammy-winning discography.

On Saturday (May 19), Pauly D returns to the Jersey Shore that made him famous to DJ for the crowd. Too bad Deadmau5 isn't scheduled to appear — the two are currently involved in a back-and-forth beef over Twitter. The Foo Fighters and My Chemical Romance will surely rock the house, and the All-American Rejects will also rip through tracks off their newly released Kids in the Street LP. The great part about Bamboozle is that it brings dozen of acts from multiple musical genres, so if rock isn't your thing, you can check out rap rookies A$AP Rocky, Iggy Azalea, Action Bronson and Mr. MFN Exquire as they continue to get their first tastes of festival life.

Sunday (May 20) promises to be the homecoming of all homecomings as Jersey boys Bon Jovi headline the evening. Soulja Boy's buddy Riff Raff, who recently signed a deal with Diplo, is set to entertain the crowd with his off-the-cuff cuts like "Larry Bird" and "Time." T.

Mills is also scheduled to kick-start his stage show with his new single "Vans On," and funnyman Andrew Dice Clay will bring a bit of comedy and controversy to the stage. There will be something for everyone.

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May 18th

12:10
MUSIC NEWS

Usher Kicks Off ‘Today’ Summer Concert Series
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R&B superstar serenades a lively crowd with tracks from his upcoming album Looking 4 Myself.
By Miranda Johnson


Usher performs on "Today"
Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images

Usher kicked off the "Today" show's summer concert series Friday morning (May 18) in front of a lively crowd. Fans filled midtown Manhattan's Rockefeller Plaza to watch the ATL singer serenade them with singles off of his upcoming album Looking 4 Myself..

Even though Usher performed bright and early, there was no shortage of energy as the singer rocked the crowd with his new hits "Take You There," "Climax," "OMG," and "Without U." The audience stayed on their feet as Usher soulfully connected to fans (especially when he removed his jacket).

On Wednesday's "American Idol" winner and runner-up.

The concerts will occur every Friday morning for the remainder of the summer. The next performer scheduled to grace the NBC stage is Latin megastar Pitbull on May 25.

Did you catch Usher's "Today" show performance? What did you think? Leave your comment below!

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May 18th

12:07
MUSIC NEWS

Daniel Radcliffe And Jon Hamm Join British Miniseries
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Actors will play younger and older version of Russian doctor in four-part dramedy 'A Young Doctor's Notebook.'
By Fallon Prinzivalli


Daniel Radcliffe
Photo: Getty Images

What do Don Draper and Harry Potter have in common? They're both about to become doctors.

The Internet was buzzing earlier this month when rumors popped up that actors Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe were set to play the older and younger version of a Russian doctor in a four-part British miniseries set during the end of World War I. On Friday (May 18), Sky Arts, the network set to air the series in 2013, confirmed that we'll indeed get to see Dr. HammRad in action. "A Young Doctor's Notebook" is a dramedy based on a short-story collection by Mikhail Bulgakov, a Russian writer and playwright.

"I have been an obsessive Bulgakov reader for a couple of years now," Radcliffe said in a statement about the television program. "So when the opportunity to become involved in this project came up, I could barely contain my excitement. The book is funny, grotesque and heartfelt in equal measure and I look forward to working with a great group of people to help bring it to life."

Hamm agreed with his new co-star's enthusiasm, saying, "I am thrilled to get the opportunity to work on such rich source material with such fantastically talented people whose work I greatly respect."

The actors will play the same character in different time periods, occasionally interacting with each other. The original rumors were reported by The Sun, which said the show "will incorporate dark humour as the doctor attempts to overcome self-doubts about his competence."

When MTV News spoke to Radcliffe last summer, he explained he's attracted to darker tales because he finds them much more interesting.

"I don't want to make a boring love story about two people who meet and then are happy. That's boring, and that doesn't exist," Radcliffe said. "I also do like playing slightly disenfranchised characters like Arthur is in 'The Woman in Black.' He's someone who's grieving and whose grief has put him to the edge of madness and also has sort of made him ostracize himself from society. I guess I like the dark stuff. I find it more interesting."

Hamm said producer Clelia Mountford and production company Big Talk have been "unabashedly" advocating for the series. "I share their great enthusiasm for bringing something original, dark, funny and moving to light," the actor said. "Also, I have been watching 'Bridget Jones's Diary' on infinite loop, and I think I've finally got this accent thing sorted..."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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May 18th

11:19
MUSIC NEWS

Kanye West To Debut ‘Cruel Summer’ Short Film At Cannes
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Mini-movie is inspired by the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music album of the same name.
By Gil Kaufman


Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images

Kanye West doesn't know how to do small, so whenever the rapper unveils a new project it's almost always on the biggest platform possible. That explains why his new "short art film, "Cruel Summer," will debut on the fabulous Palm Beach in Cannes, France during the Cannes Film Festival.

The hush-hush movie, inspired by the upcoming all-star G.O.O.D. Music album
 of the same name, will world premier on May 23 and remain open to the public for two days afterwards. It is being screened out of competition in Cannes amid the world-famous film fest.

And, this being Kanye, the project is described as, "a fusion of short film and art installation ... an immersive '7 screen experience' for the eyes and ears unlike anything West has attempted before." Among those listed as starring in the film are comedian Aziz Ansari, Kid Cudi, Lebanese actress Razane Jammal ("Djinn") and Palestinian actor Ali Suliman ("The Kingdom"). Yeezy is listed as the producer, writer and director of the effort, based on a screenplay by Elon Rutberg, who was the associate director of The Throne's "N----s in Paris" video. The co-director is Alexandre Moors, who worked with West on "Runaway" as well as the "Paris" clip.

Kanye and Cudi were spotted filming scenes for the movie
 earlier this year in the middle eastern nation of Qatar, but little or no information has emerged about the subject matter or plot of the project. Expectations are high given the over-the-top look and feel of 'Ye's last mini-flick, 2010's "Runaway." Click here for Ticket information for the screenings.

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May 18th

11:13
MUSIC NEWS

Cameron Diaz, Chace Crawford Know ‘What To Expect When You’re Expecting’
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Stars share the strangest pregnancy facts they learned during filming.
By Kara Warner


Anna Kendrick and Chace Crawford in "What to Expect When You're Expecting"
Photo: Melissa Moseley/ Lionsgate

As if the film's title weren't explanation enough, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" is all about what couples experience during pregnancy, based on the best-selling nonfiction book of the same name.

Because the subject is a complex, loaded and almost universal one, when MTV News sat down with the castmembers from the film, we asked them to enlighten us with the most unique facts they learned about pregnancy during production.

"I think the weirdest thing I've seen — I've actually seen it — is a woman getting on her hands and knees giving birth," Matthew Morrison said. "It's interesting, because you think about a woman [lying on her back] and pushing, but honestly, if you let gravity do the work, it makes it a little easier."

"The squat position, there is a purpose for it — not just to lift the butt and tone the quads," added Diaz, who plays Morrison's girlfriend and baby mama in the movie. "But to open the hips and pelvis and let gravity do the work. The only reason a woman is on her back in our culture is so the doctor can see what's going on. I say get a platform, squat over it, let the doctor be underneath it."

"If you want the baby to come right now, eat spicy food," Ben Falcone ("Bridesmaids") said of one tip he'd heard mentioned that might speed up delivery.

"Have sex," said his onscreen wife, Elizabeth Banks.

"Sprint," Falcone joked. "Sprint uphill."

"A lot of running is encouraged," Banks continued with a smile. "Slam doors. Get surprised. Surprise her, scare her."

Chace Crawford and Anna Kendrick provided the most to-the-point advice, but because their characters have to deal with an unplanned pregnancy, their words of wisdom were how not to get pregnant in the first place.

"Wrap it up. That's what we learned on this shoot," Crawford said of practicing safe sex with the use of condoms. "Right?" he asked Kendrick, who collapsed into a brief fit of giggles. "Never mind."

"Sorry. You completely lost me," Kendrick laughed, before regaining composure. "Yeah, wrap it up to avoid pregnancy. And stay away from Chace Crawford; he's irresistible."

Check out everything we've got on "What to Expect When You're Expecting."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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May 18th

11:08
MUSIC NEWS

DeadMau5 Ignites Twitter Feud, Calls Pauly D’s New Video ‘Garbage’
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'Night of My Life' video 'typical bottlepopping playpressing garbage im sure everyones sick of,' Deadmau5 tweets.
By Jocelyn Vena


Pauly D
Photo: WireImage

After putting to bed his feud with Madonna, it seems EDM star Deadmau5 is embroiled in a new Twitter beef, this time with MTV's own DJ Pauly D.

It all began when Pauly posted a link to his new music video for the track "Night of My Life." He asked his fans, followers and Twitter in general, "So how do you like the video?" Mau5 apparently checked it out and didn't like what he saw.

"Well since you asked," Deadmau5 tweeted, "I didn't really enjoy it. it looked like it cost about $150 to make, and nothing really creative about it."

For those wondering what made Mau5 so mad, the video's concept is pretty simple and by all standards, pretty innocuous. It plays out almost like a mini-episode of Pauly's MTV show, "The Pauly D Project," following him from gig to gig, confetti and champagne flying everywhere. It also features some behind-the-scenes moments, including the "Jersey Shore" star hanging with his pals and meeting fans.

Pauly didn't let the jab go, but did offer up a little quip to answer his fellow DJ's dig. He tweeted, "T-Shirt $40 Jeans $120 Hair Gel $12 Being Hated On By Deadmau5#Priceless."

Like any good feud, it didn't end there. Dead's response? "hating? the f---? you clearly don't know me enough if you thought that was 'hating'. was just some friendly-ish advice."

Things continued to escalate on Dead's side, with him tweeting responses including, "i'll just leave it at: 'Don't blame your failure on haters. If everyone thinks you suck, they're not haters, they're right.' - Daniel Tosh," and in response to a fan, he added, "nah, i just thought it was a piece of sh--, in short. typical bottlepopping playpressing garbage im sure everyones sick of."

"Well, now that Jersey (and quite possibly the rest of the eastern seaboard) 'came at me bro' i guess its time for bed soon," Deadmau5 added before asking where Snooki is and then resigning, "im kidding. that was a joke. sorry."

With Deadmau5 seemingly over the whole thing, Pauly pondered, "Wonder If I Could Get @Deadmau5 To DJ My Birthday ?? Now That Would Be The #NightOfMyLife."

As the whole beef came to an end, Pauly had a few final words before ending the battle on his end. "Maybe He Just Needs Some Cheese To Go With His Whine ... #WheresMyMau5Trap," he said, then tweeted, "Well @DeadMau5 Today Was A Pleasure , Hope U Had Fun Too , But I Got Show To Watch Tonight #PaulyDProject U Should Tune In@MTV."

Sound off on the Twitter feud in the comments below!

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May 18th

11:08
MUSIC NEWS

Katy Perry Releases ‘Part Of Me’ Movie Poster
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'From a hairbrush to a headliner,' singer tweets of image, which shows her singing into a hairbrush in her bedroom.
By Jocelyn Vena


Katy Perry in her 'Part of Me' concert poster
Photo: Katy Perry/Twitter/Capitol Records

Katy Perry's "Part of Me" movie poster is super-colorful and a little kitschy. After teasing fans with pieces of the poster, she officially debuted the image on her Twitter.

"So happy to share with you the official #KP3D movie poster ... from a hairbrush to a headliner," she tweeted. "Get ready, JULY 5TH!"

That "love who you are" message is represented on the poster itself, which features Perry in her PJs singing into a hairbrush in her bedroom. In the mirror next to her, she's dolled up in a sparkling red costume and bright blue hair, singing into a candy-cane microphone. "Be yourself and you can be anything," the poster reads.

The big reveal came with a bit of a contest. The first 20 people who were able to put the full poster together out of the puzzle pieces she'd released and tweet a photo to @KatyPerry using #KP3D will be picked to have a chance to see their Twitter handles featured in the closing credits of the colorful 3-D flick.

The July 5 release was directed by Magical Elves' Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, who also served as producers on Justin Bieber's successful "Never Say Never" concert movie. In a trailer released in early April, fans got a taste of what they would see and hear in the flick, including Perry's candid confessions about her religious childhood and her split from Russell Brand.

MTV News spoke to Perry in March about the film, and she explained just what fans will see in it. "It's closing the chapter on [my album] Teenage Dream, but it's giving you such an inside perspective," Perry said. "This film, you're going to see it from my best friend/buddy perspective, you're going to see exactly what I mean and feel and think about everything."

The movie was filmed during her California Dreams trek. "That tour was so life-changing to me. I learned so much, I went through so much along the way," Perry said. "I'm not necessarily trying to prove anything to anyone, but not only will people really hands-down know me after they see this film, but you'll see me as the Dorothy wearing the red ruby slipper and at the end of it all I'm the [Wizard of] Oz as well."

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May 18th

10:50
MUSIC NEWS

‘American Idol’ Elimination Brings ‘Relief,’ Joshua Ledet Says
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'It sucks having a lot of pressure on you, knowing that you have to do this and that,' 'Idol' castoff tells MTV News.
By Kelly Marino


Joshua Ledet
Photo: MTV News

"American Idol" finalist Joshua Ledet won't be taking anyone to church during this season's finale next week, leaving bluesy rocker Phillip Phillips and budding diva Jessica Sanchez to compete for the title.

The 20-year-old powerhouse received a record number of standing ovations from the panel and has been proclaimed as one of the best contestants in the history of the show. So, coming in third place with the lowest total of the 90 million votes cast this week might come as a shock to some, but Ledet says it was more like a relief.

"I just felt relief," the soulful singer told MTV News backstage after the show. "As soon as they said Phillip was going on, I felt a lot of pressure came off of me and I was — I'm not going to say I was happy — but it sucks having a lot of pressure on you, knowing that you have to do this and that and this and that. But when they said I wasn't going on, I was just like, 'OK. Now I can get this song out of the way and then go home and go to sleep or do something fun.' "

But make no mistake: It wasn't just about getting his farewell song out of the way. After belting out "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown, the Louisiana native claims he was so overwhelmed, he couldn't fully recall what the judges were saying to him when they came to console him after the show.

"I honestly don't remember what they were saying because I think I was so emotional," the preacher's son explained. "I just remember Jennifer [Lopez] telling me never to give up and that my career is going to go higher from here on out and to just keep believing in myself.

"Definitely, it gives me a lot of hope seeing Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert and Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry. All of these people that didn't win have had a lot of huge careers, so hopefully that can happen for me."

That being said, Ledet's career probably could take off if Jimmy Iovine has anything to do with it. For weeks, the show's music mentor has continuously hinted at signing the singer, even claiming to know the exact type of album he should make — a bit ironic, considering the Interscope head admitted wrongdoing by picking Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama" for the gospel sensation to perform before being voted off. Thankfully, though, Ledet has no regrets.

"I don't regret any performance that I've done on the show," Ledet said. "People can say one thing, but it's what I feel in my heart and how I feel about something. So, I don't think I'll let people tell me what to do as a person if it's not true to me in my heart.

"I definitely did like the 'No More Drama' song," he added. "It's not a lot of melody, but I don't think it's a competition song. It's just one of those great songs that you can perform at the Grammys or something."

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

Do you agree with Joshua Ledet's elimination? Sound off below!

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May 18th

10:00
MUSIC NEWS
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