'I don't think RZA or the estates would trust anyone else to do this,' says Rock the Bells founder Chang Weisberg.
By Gil Kaufman
Source:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1712482/rock-the-bells-eazy-e-ol-dirty-bastard-holograms.jhtml
Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/IcaBYJ3cANQ/
MTV News takes a look at the pros and cons of bringing Spears onboard as a judge for the reality singing competition.
By John Mitchell
<P>The news that <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/artist.jhtml">Britney Spears</a> is reportedly in final negotiations to <a href="/news/articles/1680782/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-offer.jhtml">join "The X Factor"</a> has set the <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com">MTV Newsroom</a> on fire. Opinion on whether the pop star is a good fit for the reality singing competition has been sharply divided, so we decided to take on the topic the way we're sure Simon Cowell did before making Spears a reported $10 million offer: a good, old-fashioned pros and cons list. </P><P> </P><P><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:698603/cp~vid%3D698603%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A698603" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed> </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Pro: She'll attract viewers</b></big><br> </P><P>The <a href="/news/articles/1671220/x-factor-simon-cowell-ratings.jhtml">debut season of "The X Factor"</a> performed well below expectations. Its heavily hyped premiere pulled in 12.1 million total viewers and a meager 4.4/12 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18 to 49 demographic. That's about half of what the 2011 season of "American Idol" averaged ("Idol" is having its own ratings woes this season), and it didn't even win the night: Emmy-winning sitcom "Modern Family" drew 14.3 million viewers and a 6.0/15 for its season premiere. </P><P> </P><P>The poor ratings precipitated the overhaul that saw judges <a href="/news/articles/1678191/paula-abdul-exits-x-factor.jhtml">Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger</a> and host Steve Jones fired from the show. </P><P> </P><P>There's no question that Spears would bring viewers to "The X Factor." She enjoys a large and devout fanbase who will basically follow her just about anywhere. And beyond her own fans, Spears' celebrity would also likely draw attention from the general public, who will tune in simply to see how she does. </P><P> </P><P><big><b> Con: She's become nervous on camera </b></big><br> </P><P> </P><P>Though she can still wow a crowd live in concert, as evidenced by last year's successful tour behind her hit album <i>Femme Fatale,</i> Spears has become increasingly tentative during interviews. She rarely grants on-camera sit-downs, and when she does, she seems nervous and uncomfortable. </P><P> </P><P>To be a strong judge or mentor on a reality show, you have to be <i>very</i> comfortable on camera. Part of what made Jennifer Lopez click last season on "Idol" was that she came across as confident, direct and often empathetic. She even broke down in tears after <a href="/news/articles/1658584/americaon-idol-top-24.jhtml">sending home contestant Chris Medina</a>, whose fiancée suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident. The key word here is <i>after.</i> It's hard to imagine Spears being able to keep it together and deliver such difficult news in similar circumstances. </P><P>It's worth noting that a high-drama situation arose on the first season of "The X Factor" -- one that left <a href="/news/articles/1675936/x-factor-rachel-crow-elimination-reaction.jhtml">contestant Rachel Crow sobbing</a> onstage and Scherzinger a wreck ... a wreck who received <a href="http://www.thefablife.com/2011-12-05/paula-abdul-and-nicole-scherzinger-receive-death-threats-after-the-x-factor-elimination/" target="_blank">death threats</a>. Producers should also consider whether it's wise to send Spears, who has dealt with emotional issues in the past, into a genre that thrives when the emotional stakes are high. </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Pro: she is a contemporary artist</b></big><br> </P><P>One of the things we like most about <a href="/news/articles/1680496/the-voice-battle-rounds.jhtml">"The Voice"</a> is that its judges — Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton — are all active artists. They are all still hitting the studio to make hit records, and that lends a great deal of credibility to their opinions when they critique a contestant's performance. We don't mean to slight Abdul or Scherzinger, but you could argue that a legacy singer who hasn't released an album in over 17 years and a performer who has had a difficult time getting her own solo singing career off the ground aren't the best judges of who does and does not have "The X Factor." </P><P> </P><P>On the other hand, Spears may be. <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/03/29/britney-spears-femme-fatale-reviews/">Last year's <i>Femme Fatale</i></a> gave Spears three top-10 singles — the most of any of her seven albums — and earned some of the best reviews of her career. While it's true that she did not write or produce much of the record, she was most certainly involved in picking her collaborators, which actually could speak well of her ability to know talent when she sees it. Spears also smartly chose red-hot rapper Nicki Minaj to open on the North American leg of her tour. </P><P> </P><P>When it comes to the contemporary pop music scene, Spears knows what works. </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Con: She's not known for her singing</b></big><br> </P><P>Unlike Aguilera, whose talent as a vocalist is indisputable, Spears is not known for her singing. By signing her to judge and mentor a singing competition, "X Factor" producers are setting themselves up for inevitable criticism. "Who is Britney Spears to judge a singing competition?" critics will scream (and they won't be wrong). </P><P> </P><P>When Aguilera critiques a performer's vocals, she speaks with authority — and her ear for singing proved to make her the most discerning judge on the "Voice" panel during the <a href="/news/articles/1679565/the-voice-christina-aguilera-jonathas-usher.jhtml">blind auditions</a>. Spears' judging style will likely be based on liking what's already there, but she's not going to have much insight on missed notes or pitch, which will cripple her ability to further mentor her team. How can she help them improve as vocalists when it's a truth universally acknowledged that she's not really a vocalist herself? </P><P> </P><P><i>Do you think Britney Spears is a good choice for "The X Factor"? Let us know in the comments below.</i></p>
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'You sort of find out where she comes from and who she was,' actress tells MTV News of her warrior demigod.
By Amy Wilkinson
Source:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1712076/alexandra-daddario-percy-jackson-sea-of-monsters.jhtml
Just Dance (Gaga Live Sydney Monster Hall)
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Experts weigh in on when the new mom will make her next appearance, and when we might get to see Blue Ivy.
By Jocelyn Vena
<P><a href="/news/articles/1678726/beyonce-post-baby-appearance-blue-ivy.jhtml">Beyoncé has already stepped out</a> not once but twice support of Jay-Z as he held two <a href="/news/articles/1678669/jay-z-carnegie-hall.jhtml">shows at Carnegie Hall</a> this week in New York City, and now her fans are wondering when and where the next great B sighting might be. </P><P> </P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Former Destiny's Child Members Say Beyonce Looks 'Amazing' Post-Baby" id="vid:732758" width="240" height="211"></div><p> </P><P> </P><P>Will it be at the <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/grammys/">Grammy Awards</a> on Sunday? Or is she going to save it for when she reveals her <a href="/news/articles/1677033/blue-ivy-beyonce-jay-z-leaves-hospital.jhtml">daughter, Blue Ivy</a>, for the first time? </P><P> </P><P>"This option was typical Beyoncé. She isn't interested in getting paid to pose on a tabloid cover. It was a non-event," Huffington Post celebrity columnist Rob Shuter told MTV News about the first two <a href="http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/02/08/beyonce-photos-carnegie-hall-night-two/">Queen B sightings</a>. "She isn't one of those reality-type celebrities that turn up at everything just to be seen. Her next big moment will be when she walks a red carpet for a project she is involved in." </P><P> </P><P>With Beyoncé choosing to go a more low-key route this week, celebrity editor <a href="http://gossipdavid.com" target="_blank">David Caplan</a> notes that there's a good chance that she may walk the carpet this Sunday. She's up for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for her Andre 3000-assisted <i>4</i> track, "Party," as well as Best Long Form Music Video for her "I Am ... World Tour" special. Jay-Z is also up for some prizes, including Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Album for the work he did with Kanye West on "Otis" and <i>Watch the Throne.</i> </P><P> </P><P>"Going forward, I expect her next big reveal to be at a show like the Grammys, where she can really jazz it up with a gown, which people want to see," he noted. "I think we'll see Beyoncé gradually appear in more photos at events with Jay-Z as she seeks to get back into the groove. And once those baby photos are out, I wouldn't be surprised to see her out and about occasionally with Blue doing mommy-related tasks." </P><P> </P><P>So, how should we expect to see those first photos? "Since Beyoncé chose to make the reveal by simply stepping out, and letting the throngs of photographers waiting for her to have a field day by taking tons of photos, her reveal allowed every media outlet to run the photos and make the reveal themselves, as opposed to if Beyoncé made an exclusive first post-baby picture deal with a magazine like <i>People</i> or <i>Us</i> or a monthly magazine like <i>Vogue</i> or <i>Vanity Fair</i>," he said. </P><P> </P><P>"Stylistically, had she done a proper shoot with a magazine, the photos would have a much more top-notch quality to them, but when celebs do such photo shoots, they open themselves up to scrutiny since the public sometimes shuns on celebs who get paid for such photos, which happens, especially with the celebrity weeklies," he continued. "But the photos are great, and it's obvious she worked with at least one photo agency, since she posted very clear photos of herself on her website." </P><P> </P><P>And, since B has already been out and about, that ultimately affects the value of future pictures of her. "Now that the first pics of her post-baby have been revealed, the monetary value of subsequent photos of her — without her baby, of course — will be of course pricey," Caplan said. "But ultimately less in value since there's already a set out." </P><P>Well, whenever B decides to make her big red-carpet statement or introduce the world to Blue Ivy, she's certainly already floored her friends with her dazzling post-baby looks. "She looks fantastic. She looks fantastic. I told her she looks so hot!" <a href="/news/articles/1678927/beyonce-blue-ivy-appearance.jhtml">Kelly Rowland</a> exclaimed to MTV News this week. "She looks so hot; just even sexy. Love her!" </P><P> </P><P><i>Do you think Beyoncé will show up at the Grammys? Leave your comment below.</i> </P><P> </P><P><b>Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don't miss Sway and James Montgomery live from the <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/grammys/">Grammys</a> red carpet this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn't end Sunday: MTV News has you covered until the Grammy hangover wears off!</b></p>
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