Diddy-Dirty Money Stage New York Takeover On Coming Home Tour

Ja Rule, Ashanti also surprise fans before Diddy pays homage to B.I.G. with Bad Boy alums Faith Evans, Black Rob and more at Hammerstein Ballroom.
By Rebecca Thomas


Diddy performs at the Diddy-Dirty Money Coming Home Tour in New York City Friday
Photo: Getty Images

NEW YORK -- It was the homecoming leg on his Coming Home Tour, so it was only fitting that Harlem-born Diddy threw a Ciroc-soaked "white party" on Friday as Diddy-Dirty Money hit New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The trio worked the dance hits from their Last Train to Paris, but this was a show in three acts, with the mogul/MC reaching back to the dawn of Bad Boy to pay an expansive tribute to "Brooklyn's Finest" MC, the Notorious B.I.G., and bringing concertgoers along on a visual/sonic journey that spanned his unstoppable career.

Diddy-Dirty Money divas Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper preceded Diddy to the stage in looks that seemed to channel Grace Jones: Dawn in a thigh-baring cutout dress and Kalenna in a glittery romper, both sharing the creamy palette with Diddy, who was dressed in a sporty, all-white ensemble. The ladies kicked things off with "Yeah, Yeah You Would" (which features Jones), before an energetic Diddy emerged for the dance-floor banger "Ass on the Floor," with Swizz Beatz delivering the hook via a pre-taped clip that was mounted on enormous projectors -- an artfully executed stand-in used throughout the night for other LTP features like Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.

"Ain't no place like home!" Sean Combs told the excited crowd, touching on his Mt. Vernon, New York, upbringing and breaking down why no other city can match New York's swag.

An emotional undercurrent coursed through the entire show, and the series of delays that plagued Last Train to Paris, 41-year-old Combs' risk-taking concept album, seemed to be a particularly poignant theme on Friday night. Mr. "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" danced with abandon, his son Justin briefly joining him onstage with some sharp moves of his own. But Justin was only the first of a string of cameos, many from artists who'd once batted on Bad Boy's chart-busting lineup.

After performing "Loving You No More," "Yesterday" and a moody Sade medley from Dawn and K that seemed to slow things down too much for the club-like atmosphere they'd created, a B.I.G. video montage set the tone for the show's second act. Memorable images of the young Bedford Stuyvesant MC and budding mogul Puff Daddy flashed across the screen, following a linear "This Is Your Life"- style narrative.

Dawn and Kalenna ceded the stage to Diddy entirely as he launched into Bad Boy Records' shiny-suit era smashes, from "All About the Benjamins" to "Mo Money, Mo Problems." The New York audience lost it for the familiar classics, but went 'ham for the familiar faces. Formerly incarcerated Black Rob, in requisite black hoodie, turned up for "Whoa"; newly raven-haired Faith Evans sang a silky version of her "Love Like This"; and Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Lil' Cease made a cameo.

"I was looking for inspiration before Last Train to Paris, and I was walking in Central Park one day and I heard this song," Diddy recalled, introducing A Tribe Called Quest MC and longtime Diddy pal Q-Tip. The duo treated fans to a spirited dance-off as they ticked off Tribe standards like "Check the Rhime" and Tip's "Vivrant Thing."

But the presence of the late Christopher Wallace hovered over the proceedings. Diddy, now rocking a vintage Versace shirt, profusely thanked his fallen brother as more B.I.G. videos played on an overhead screen to cheers and shouts. The standing-room crowd, waving hands and phones in the air, was fired up for the nostalgic trip. Things drew to an end with the other two thirds of DDM taking their places onstage again for the triumphant, introspective "Coming Home," followed by closer "Hello, Good Morning."

Opening act Lloyd had a few special guests of his own, bringing out his onetime Murder Inc. labelmates Ashanti and Ja Rule, who's several weeks away from a two-year jail sentence on gun charges. The gruff-voiced Ja showed little signs of rust on his Ashanti-featuring "Always on Time," the infectious chart-topping single that ruled the summer a decade ago. Lloyd's Young Money brethren and fellow opener Tyga hopped back onstage to drop his "BedRock" verse. And a go-go breakdown of "Lay Your Head" accompanied Wale's appearance with the crooner.

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Tyler Perry On Madea: Fans 'Won't Let It Go'

'Madea's Big Happy Family' director/star laughs to MTV News, 'That old broad is going to jump' once moviegoers tire of her.
By Kara Warner


Tyler Perry
Photo: MTV News

It's no question that Tyler Perry's Madea character is beloved by fans. So much so, that with the release of "Madea's Big Happy Family" this week, the outspoken, no-nonsense matriarch hits the big screen for the sixth time.

And as much as Perry loves the fan fervor for Madea, he's hinted multiple times over the years that he would love to kill the character off some way, somehow. But there's just one thing: The fans won't let him!

"The people, they won't let it go," Perry told MTV News at the premiere of "Madea's Big Happy Family" on Tuesday night. "They won't let it go. I got about a million messages on my message board of people saying how much they love it, so as long as people want to see it, I'll keep doing it," he promised.

"The minute they stop coming [to see Madea in movies], that old broad is going to jump, and she'll be gone, I'm telling you."

So with all that love/hate built up for his own creation, does Madea haunt Tyler Perry?

"No, not at all," he said with a laugh. "God forbid, that would be scary." Perry went on to say that hes very capable of separating the craziness of Madea from his own persona, despite what people may think.

"Sometimes I'll get excited and my voice will raise a little bit and people will think that's me going into [Madea]," he said. "But no." In "Big Happy Family," which opens this Friday,April 22, Madea is tasked with helping a few of her troubled family members get their lives back on track, via her M.O. of tough love and witty one-liners. The film also stars Shad "Bow Wow" Moss, David Mann, Cassi Davis, Tamela Mann, Lauren London, Isaiah Mustafa and Teyana Taylor.

Check out everything we've got on "Madea's Big Happy Family."

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

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662368/tyler-perry-madeas-big-happy-family.jhtml

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Taylor Momsen, Tony Hawk, More Define Innovation Before O Music Awards

Most Innovative Music Video award will be handed out live Monday at 4 p.m. ET during online roundtable.
By MTV News staff


Taylor Momsen
Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images

The O Music Awards are almost upon us, and while the actual awards show doesn't premiere until next Thursday, the first O Music Award for Most Innovative Music Video will be presented Monday at 4 p.m. ET after some spirited debate from acclaimed video director Wayne Isham, Mashable's Brenna Ehrlich and MTV News' James Montgomery.

As part of MTV News' countdown to the interactive event — fans can still vote for their favorite boundary-pushing, genre-expanding clip over at the O Music Awards site — we've been asking celebs to describe what innovation means to them.

"It's something that definitely is unique, that utilizes either new media or new technologies," said pro skater Tony Hawk.

"It's something that keeps you interested, all the way through," "Gossip Girl" actress and Pretty Reckless singer Taylor Momsen added.

Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone said "innovative" doesn't mean expensive or flashy. "It's not the budget, it's not the effects; it's the pizzazz the star is actually bring to the camera," he said.

Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege of Chiddy Bang said innovation is about being different. "Just trying to be unconventional," he said. "You say, 'What's unconventional?' It's just doing something that isn't really done."

On Monday morning, the original list of 10 nominees will be whittled down to the top five vote-getters, and then, during the debate, our roundtable and the Internet audience will cut that list down to the final three. At the very end, we'll announce the winner of the very first O Music Award for Most Innovative Video. The O Music Awards debate for the Most Innovative Music Video, presented by Fuze, will stream live on OMusicAwards.com and MTV.com at 4 p.m. ET on Monday.

The inaugural O Music Awards will stream live from Las Vegas at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on OMusicAwards.com. Tune in to see who will reign supreme in categories like Most Viral Dance, Funniest Music Short and NSFW Music Video!

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Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says

'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.
By Chris Harris


Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images

There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.

Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.

On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.

"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."

Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.

"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."

DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.

"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."

As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.

"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."

While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?

"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1586020/stone-temple-pilots-reunited-tour-with-zeppelin.jhtml

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'Hunger Games' Eyeing Elizabeth Banks For Effie Trinket

The '30 Rock' actress reportedly is in talks to play the escort who helps Katniss and Peeta on their dangerous journey.
By Eric Ditzian


Elizabeth Banks
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images

The "Hunger Games" gang is multiplying every day, so it seems. Following the news that Hollywood newcomers Dayo Okeniyi and Amandla Stenberg have been cast as District 11 tributes Thresh and Rue, Variety brings word that a more familiar face is close to joining the production.

Elizabeth Banks is in talks to star as Effie Trinket in the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling young-adult novel, the trade magazine reports. A pink-haired escort to District 12's Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, Effie accompanies the kids on their fight-to-the-death journey.

A rep for Lionsgate declined to confirm the report, but said the studio hoped to have official news soon. A representative for Banks could not be reached as of press time.

The 37-year-old Banks last appeared onscreen opposite Russell Crowe in the blink-and-you-missed-it thriller "The Next Three Days," and has a recurring role on NBC's "30 Rock." She'll next be seen alongside Paul Rudd in the comedy "Our Idiot Brother."

While we await official word of the Banks casting, we already know that much of the cast is in place. Katniss and Peeta have already been nailed down, with Jennifer Lawrence stepping in to play lead female Katniss and Josh Hutcherson portraying her Hunger Games partner, respectively. Liam Hemsworth is set to become Gale Hawthorne, Peeta's best friend.

Directed by Gary Ross and scripted by Billy Ray, "The Hunger Games," the first movie in a planned trilogy based on Collins' books, is expected to shift into production later this year. The film is slated to be released on March 23, 2012.

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Rebecca Black's 'Friday' Beats Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga On YouTube

'Friday' has had 100 million views to date, with Black currently working on her second single, 'LOL.'
By Gil Kaufman


Rebecca Black in her video for "Friday"
Photo: Ark Music Factory

There was a minute there when Rebecca Black's "Friday" video was, almost literally, inescapable. Whether the success of the viral hit was being covered on such unlikely outlets as CNN or NPR, getting parodied on late-night television, or just bouncing around from Twitter accounts to e-mail in-boxes and music blogs, the tune by the previously unknown 13-year-old had the kind of white-hot media buzz usually reserved for a Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber.

Well, guess what? The little $2,000 pay-to-play ditty-that-could can now claim to have surpassed such major label juggernauts as Bieber and Gaga. According to a Reuters report, the no-budget clip for Black's song has been viewed more than 100 million times on YouTube since it was released on February 10, surpassing the totals for Gaga's "Born This Way" and Bieber's "Pray" videos, based on numbers provided by Visible Measures, a company that tracks the performance of Web videos.

Scratch that. If you count spoofs, other versions and home-brewed takes on the song, it's actually been seen more than 200 million times. Crunching the same numbers for "Born This Way," it has generated 180 million online views, while "Pray" has racked up 65 million.

It doesn't seem as though Gaga minds the competition from the Ark Music Factory product, as she reportedly referred to "Friday" as "genius" recently. Black told us she "freaked out" when she heard the compliment from Mother Monster. "I'm 13 and I never thought Lady Gaga would even know my name. I'm the kind of girl that dances to Lady Gaga with a hairbrush in her room at night," Black told MTV News in late March before she notched her YouTube record.

Black is reportedly at work on her second single, "LOL," though a release date for that song has not yet been announced.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661773/rebecca-black-friday-youtube-views.jhtml

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