Christopher Sabec Music: August 2015

Monday, August 31, 2015

Meet the Republican Who Launched the 'Kanye for President' PAC

Following Kanye West's VMAs declaration that he wants to run for president in 2020, 24-year-old Baltimore-native Eugene Craig on Monday registered ReadyForKanye.net and filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to register the Ready for Kanye political action committee.

How President Kanye Saved the Video Music Awards

Craig, whose favorite Kanye album is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, spoke to Rolling Stone about his reasons for starting the PAC and how he's preparing the world for President West.

Why did you file the FEC paperwork? Do you feel like you're making a statement?
I think it is a statement. It's a couple of things going on. First, it's an opportunity to reach voters who ordinarily would not be in tune to the process, who are apathetic to the process. The second part of this is that a party that can openly accept Donald Trump has room for Kanye West. Donald Trump is shrinking the party — I'm a member of the Republican Party — and Kanye West brought us an opportunity to actually grow it. Thirdly, we have a gentleman in Mr. West who 1) stands for small business and entrepreneurship, has spoke out against corporatism; 2) is a school choicer, and has spoken about the racial disparities in regards to public school systems; and 3) has openly spoken out against the war on drugs and the pipeline that the war on drugs provides to the private prison systems. I think if you were to put those issues on a piece of paper and say, "What kind of candidate is that?" that sounds like a Republican candidate to me. And barring — and this is very important, I hope you quote this — barring a sitting Republican president — because that's the only way I will support this, is if there's no sitting Republican president — if Kanye is going to run in 2020, I would love to see him run in a Republican primary. He brings a lot to the discussion that's missing.

How much money do you plan to raise for West's campaign?
Right now, we haven't discussed it. We're not necessarily looking to raise money for Kanye, but I do think that if there's no sitting Republican president and he decides to run, it would be nice to have some data mined and voters reached.

Why did you decide to do this now, when the 2016 election is still over a year away?
If we're going to grab people who are interested, it's best to strike when the iron is hot.

What do you think Kanye West can bring to the United States?
He brings an interesting foreign policy. He's not for occupying every country in the Middle East. That's a discussion that needs to take place right now.

Would you say that's the platform West should run on?
I think it would be a great platform for him to run on.

Who should be his running mate?
I have no idea.

That's fine. Do you have any dream candidates?
I am a very, very adamant Rand Paul supporter. I am supporting Rand Paul in 2016, but I wouldn't throw Rand into that mix. I don't know. I honestly don't know.

How serious are you about this campaign?
This started out as an operation to engage voters who probably would not have been reached otherwise, but over the course of the day, I think… I'll say this. In the age where Donald Trump is the leading contender for Republican nomination, anything is possible.

What's your political background? Have you run for office before?
I have run for office before. I'm active in Maryland politics, but more importantly, I'm the current chairman of the Young Minority Republican Fund.

What do you think West needs to do in order to prepare for 2020 election?
Stay in tune to the issues of the day. I would say start reaching out to both sides of the aisle. I know he came up in the Chicago Democrat machine, but I think Kanye is somebody who is cross-cultural, and I think he is somebody who can be cross-political.

How do you think Kanye West's run for presidency could affect the Kardashian reality show series empire? Any concerns about possible security breaches because of the Kardashian connection?
No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure they already have pretty tight security.

Do you think that the White House would be open to having a reality series in its midst if he was to win?
I'm pretty sure he'll put an end to the series. One thing about Kanye is that he takes the things he works on very seriously. When he's working, he's working. So I think he would take this just as seriously.

If West decides not to go through with this campaign or tell us it was all a joke, will you have regretted filed the FEC paperwork?
No, not at all. If you live a life where you mean to do what you do, and you mean what you say, you can learn from everything. If he doesn't do it, he doesn't do it. If he does it, he does it. I just hope that if he does do it, he does it as a Republican.

from RollingStone.com: Music http://ift.tt/1ExovMD
via Christopher Sabec Music

David Bowie, Aerosmith, Flaming Lips Pen Songs for 'SpongeBob Musical'

A surprising collection of musicians will write songs for an upcoming theatrical production of SpongeBob SquarePants, dubbed The SpongeBob Musical. David Bowie, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Cyndi Lauper, Flaming Lips, John Legend and T.I. will all contribute original songs to the show. Bowie's tune will feature additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton, who is also contributing his own song.

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Other artists who will be contributing songs to the production include Lady Antebellum, Dirty Projectors, Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T's and They Might Be Giants. The SpongeBob Musical is set to open on July 3rd, 2016 in the Windy City at Broadway in Chicago's Oriental Theatre. Preview performances will begin on June 7th. It will then open on Broadway in the 2016 – 2017 season.

The show's producers describe the musical as a "rousing tale of a simple sea sponge, who faces the unfathomable," and they go on to describe the show as "a celebration of unbridled hope, unexpected heroes and pure theatrical invention."

Director Tina Landau (Superior Donuts) will lead the show, which features a book by Kyle Jarrow (A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant) and music supervision by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal). Casting for the show has yet to be announced. Tickets will go on sale in October via the theater's website.

"We're taking our leads from the TV show, but this is an original story with an original design approach and original songs written just for the occasion by an amazing array of songwriters," Landau said in a statement. "We will present the world of [SpongeBob's habitat] Bikini Bottom and its characters in a whole new way that can only be achieved in the live medium of the theater."

Earlier this year, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water was a commercial success, becoming the Number One hit its opening weekend. The series premiered on Nickelodeon in July 1999 and has since become Viacom's most widely distributed property ever, with translations into more than 50 languages.

The production's most surprising contributor, David Bowie, previously lent his voice to the show in 2007, according to Pitchfork. He is also in the process of developing the characters from his movie The Man Who Fell to Earth into its own musical, Lazarus. He's writing new music for that production, which will star Dexter actor Michael C. Hall.

from RollingStone.com: Music http://ift.tt/1JHJLzk
via Christopher Sabec Music

What T-Pain, Ja Rule and More Really Think of Donald Trump

All across these United States, the same unlikely word echoes from one town to the next: Trump! Could the MTV Music Video Awards in Los Angeles be so different? Did the billionaire presidential candidate's name come up again and again on the red carpet this weekend?

Donald Trump Just Stopped Being Funny

No. But we conducted a short survey anyway about the man from artists on their way into the VMA's, asking one simple question: "Trump 2016. What do you think?"

Ja Rule: "Trump is very entertaining. He speaks very openly and candidly about what he feels. I think it's a breath of fresh air for everybody to hear it. It's not always the politically correct thing, but I think that's what people are enjoying about Trump being in the running.... Trump is crazy. He has always been an outspoken person. I'm not shocked by anything that comes out of his mouth at all. He's like a rapper."

T-Pain: "He's got a hell of a PR person. He's got money — allegedly — and he's got PR. I think it's great. Do your thing, man. If he can win, who can stop him? It will be a huge deal. I will probably move to Australia, but good luck you guys."

Grandmaster Melle Mel: "I just hope we don't have a moron for a president. He's being a bully basically. The president of the United States doesn't need to be a bully."

Kat Graham: "I like when there are candidates who are such a contrast to what would normally be the appropriate decision, because it forces issues to come up.... I don't really have an opinion on him. I treat it as a bit of sensationalism — like Fox News. I don't watch Fox News. But I'd invite him to dinner. I'm absolutely not taking it seriously, but you know what, the guy has a brilliant mind."

Grandmaster Caz: "Any other president would never talk like that. The average person in New York doesn't support that mentality."

Charlie Puth: "I know Donald Trump says 'China' a lot. He's always been like a celebrity. It's probably better to never, ever talk about political things because people hate you. They'll beat me up if I say something wrong."

from RollingStone.com: Music http://ift.tt/1JHq1HG
via Christopher Sabec Music

Watch the Tragic Trailer for Kristian Bush's New Documentary

It's been four years since the stage at the Indiana State Fair crashed to the ground minutes before a Sugarland show, killing seven people who'd shown up early for front-row seats. More than 100 others were injured. Bandmate Kristian Bush is still reeling from the disaster, which kicked off a string of tragedies that unfolded over the following 12 months, including a divorce from his wife, a lengthy lawsuit with families affected by the stage collapse and an ongoing break from one of the most successful country duos of the 21st century.

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Those challenges — and the new songs they helped spawn — take center stage on Walk Tall: The Journey of Sugarland's Kristian Bush, an upcoming documentary that makes its television debut next week. Broadcast in 80 different markets across the country, the hour-long project finds Bush talking candidly about the hardest period of his life, mixing interviews and concert footage with shocking clips from the Indiana concert.

"By the time I got to the Indiana State Fair," Bush says during the film's trailer, "I was already going through a divorce that was so private that even some of my closest friends didn't even know about it. And then that day, the stage fell. . . Music's not supposed to do that. Nothing about music is ever supposed to hurt anybody."

For years, ongoing legal issues kept Bush from addressing the stage collapse in public. Looking for an outlet, he turned to music, whipping up a batch of songs that eventually formed the foundation of his solo debut, Southern Gravity. That album hit stores this spring, one year after Jennifer Nettles released her own solo record, That Girl.

"The amount of sad it took to get to the happy was gigantic. But I don't want to make a sad record. All I could really do is write music, even if I couldn't talk about what's going on in my life. In collecting these [songs], I realize you kind of leave them for yourself along the way," Bush told Rolling Stone Country in April. "Putting together a record of joy has been really hard, but I'm so proud of it. And if it's helping me, maybe it'll help someone else.

Taken as a whole, Southern Gravity and the documentary go hand-in-hand, with the film an inside look into the life of a musician who, for years, was often seen as the sideman, letting his big-voiced partner take most of the lead vocals. As it turns out, the guy has a lot to say.

from RollingStone.com: Music http://ift.tt/1X6IoQv
via Christopher Sabec Music

Carrie Brownstein Lines Up Questlove, Amy Poehler for Book Tour

Sleater-Kinney guitarist/Portlandia star Carrie Brownstein will release a memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, on October 27th via Penguin. That same day, the versatile performer will kick off a book tour at Brooklyn bar Saint Vitus, joined in conversation by Roots drummer-producer Questlove. The 11-date jaunt, which runs until November 17th, will feature notable guests throughout – including Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant and writer Dave Eggers, Pitchfork reports.

Carrie Brownstein: The Music That Made Me

Brownstein will appear October 28th at New York's Barnes & Noble location at Union Square. The trek will continue through Philadelphia on the 29th (with Bryant), Chicago on the 30th (with Pitchfork editor Jessica Hopper, as part of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago's "MCA Talk" series), Austin on November 1st, Los Angeles on the 3rd (with Poehler), San Francisco on November 4th (with Eggers), Portland on the 5th (with an unspecified "special guest"), Seattle on the 6th (with screenwriter Maria Semple), Montreal on the 16th and Toronto on the 17th. A full list of dates is available online.

Penguin describes Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl as an "intimate and revealing narrative of her escape from a turbulent family life into a world where music was the means toward self-invention, community, and rescue. Along the way, Brownstein chronicles the excitement and contradictions within the era’s flourishing and fiercely independent music subculture, including experiences that sowed the seeds for the observational satire of the popular television series Portlandia years later."

"It pretty much ends with Sleater-Kinney going on hiatus, and a little bit of leading on from that," Brownstein told NME of the memoir. "But it doesn't even really go onto Portlandia."

Brownstein is no stranger to literary conversations. In March, she interviewed former Sonic Youth co-founder Kim Gordon, in a sprawling, charmingly awkward talk to discuss Gordon's memoir Girl in a Band: A Memoir.

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via Christopher Sabec Music

Inside the 2015 VMAs: 8 Questions We Asked From Our Seats

"I don't understand award shows!" Kanye West declared last night with real agony in his voice during a long, emotional speech at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. He was there to pick up the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, but had other worries on his mind. So if Yeezy himself is at a loss at the meaning of these ceremonies after winning 21 Grammys, multiple Moonmen, American Music Awards and other amazing prizes, how are the rest of us to cope?

MTV VMAs 2015's 20 Best and Worst Moments

By the end of two and a half hours inside the Microsoft Theatre, we had our own questions about this year's VMAs show.

1. Did host Miley Cyrus think offering mild criticism to Nicki Minaj in a New York Times interview wouldn't mean facing some wrath on show night?
Taylor Swift already learned not to argue with Minaj over her complaints about why "Anaconda" wasn't nominated for the top prize, and the two made up enough to perform last night in matching red. When Minaj picked up Best Hip-Hop Video soon after, she threw the show back to Cyrus with a sneer and a smile, savoring the moment: "And now, back to this bitch who had a lot to say about me the other day in the press: Miley, what's good?" The host was caught off-guard but didn't crumble. She offered a refreshing perspective that might even help Kayne, recalling her loss two years before for Best New Artist: "Whatever. Because it's no big deal! It's just an award!"

2. Where was the rock?
Pop and hip-hop now clearly dominate the VMAs. Proof enough of MTV's dim view of guitars in 2015 was that the once-prominent Best Rock Video award was handed out quietly in the pre-show (to Fall Out Boy for "Uma Thurman"). Later in the telecast, newcomer Tori Kelly did deliver a fiery "Should've Been Us," wailing and slashing at a guitar. And Cyrus brought out Oklahoma avant-gardists Flaming Lips and some RuPaul's Drag Race dancers for her new song "Dooo It." But the days when Axl Rose and Kurt Cobain were engaged in metal vs. grunge stare-downs at the MTV gathering are a long, long time ago.

3. Should so many of the best moments be somewhere else?
Inside the Microsoft Theatre, ticket-holders were watching some of the most memorable performances on TV like the rest of you. Blocks away beneath the marquee of the old Orpheum Theatre, things got ramped up early as cameras followed Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performing their new single "Downtown" with hip-hop originators Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee and Melle Mel. Later, Pharrell took the outdoor stage for a soaring "Freedom." Meanwhile in the main room, guests sipped champagne and ate popcorn and M&Ms while watching the jumbotrons like they were at an oversized Super Bowl party.

4. If Kanye is really running for president in 2020, and presumably running against President Trump, can he be his own running mate?

5. Just why was Justin Bieber crying?
Bieber's comeback performance of "Where Are U Now" at the VMAs began with the singer in a tango with a two-man camera crew, capturing his every dance step up close and blocking everyone's view inside, until they were chased off the stage by his dancers. The song ended with Bieber soaring abruptly into the air on wires, twirling high above the stage, then landing and pausing to shed a few real tears. Was he caught up in the emotion of his comeback, or just afraid of heights?

6. Can we throw out the script?
Along with the musical performances, the most memorable moments at the 2015 VMAs were of the spontaneous and unscripted variety: Minaj vs. Cyrus, Kanye vs. the world, Miley flashing the camera, etc. Compare those with the bit when actor O'Shea Jackson Jr. and his dad Ice Cube prepared to present Video of the Year, and Jackson read a manufactured father-son moment on the teleprompter: "Thanks, Dad," he recited awkwardly, "I gotta say it was an honor to play you in Straight Outta Compton." Any old-school rapper could have told the producers: Freestyle is best.

7. How about more crowd, less control?
The audience inside the VMAs were split between young fans up front lucky enough to score tickets and the rest of the big room soberly watching from further back, and their reactions throughout the night couldn't have been greater. As Kanye made his speech, the cheers TV viewers heard were mostly from the kids in front, while much of the rest stood, watched and cringed, mouths open. Most screams for Bieber's appearance also came from the kids. One exception was when comic Rebel Wilson's routine using police brutality bombed — it bombed equally around the room.

8. Can Miley come back next year?
The host signed off with a warm "Thank you for tuning into the fucking VMAs! I'll see you next year!" Not every joke, pre-recorded skit and costume change landed, but there was a welcome spontaneous energy in the room this year. Leading into one commercial break, the announcer said, "And later, what will Miley wear next?" Turned out, not much. After Cyrus accidently flashed a nipple from backstage, she said, "Oh, sorry," as the camera nervously veered away. But what viewers at home didn't see (and the theater audience witnessed on the big screens) was that Cyrus then stepped out completely topless, arms raised, unapologetic and proudly careless — qualities that have always led to the best moments on the VMAs.

from RollingStone.com: Music http://ift.tt/1KnEuz2
via Christopher Sabec Music

Hear Slayer's Crushing New War Cry, 'Cast the First Stone'

Plodding, doomy guitars open one of the heavier tracks on Slayer's upcoming album Repentless, "Cast the First Stone," which is now streaming online and available for free download via Adult Swim Singles. The tune soon transitions into a bulldozing, mid-paced thrasher, as frontman Tom Araya sings about vengeance, echoing war cries and devils spitting fire. The LP will be available in full on September 11th.

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Earlier this year, Slayer guitarist Kerry King told Rolling Stone that he got the idea for the song while walking around Athens, thinking about all of the clashes that took place there over the centuries. "It's just about battle, not a particular battle," he said. "You cast the first stone, I'm gonna win."

In other Slayer news, the group recently filmed a video for Repentless' title track at a women's prison in East Los Angeles. In the clip, "prisoners" – played by Machete star Danny Trejo alongside people who've starred in Halloween, Friday the 13th, Predators and other films – stage what the band has teased as a brutal riot. The clip was helmed by filmmaker BJ McDonnell, who directed Hatchet III, and is slated to come out around the release of the album.

As with "Cast the First Stone," a few of the other songs off Repentless, including the title track, are already available to stream. The others include "When the Stillness Comes" and "Implode."

The release of "Cast the First Stone" comes from Adult Swim, which has been putting out tracks by a number of artists who span various genres this summer. Run The Jewels, Skrillex, Chromatics, Myrkur and Flying Lotus will all be premiering new songs into October.

from RollingStone.com: Music http://ift.tt/1Q4592G
via Christopher Sabec Music

Hear Siouxsie Sioux's Haunting ‘Hannibal’ Finale Song, 'Love Crime'

Siouxsie Sioux ended an eight-year songwriting hiatus Saturday night when she contributed a new track titled "Love Crime" to the series finale of Hannibal. The Siouxsie and the Banshees singer's haunting, strings-laden track was spearheaded by the serial killer show's music supervisor Brian Reitzell, who spoke to Entertainment Weekly (via Pitchfork) about how he coaxed Sioux to record the track despite the singer stating she hadn't written a song or entered the studio in nearly a decade.

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Reitzell, who previously worked with Sioux on the 2006 film Marie Antoinette, discovered that she was an admirer of Hannibal. The feeling was mutual, as showrunner Bryan Fuller was an enormous Siouxsie and the Banshees fan. "Siouxsie asked [Fuller] for something. What she said is, 'What is this season about? If you could put it into a sentence, what is this season about?' And he said that it was a love story," Reitzell told EW. "She wrote those lyrics without seeing any picture, just because she was a fan of the show. Luckily, it worked absolutely perfectly."

Sioux's first – and to this point, only – solo LP Mantaray arrived in 2007. Since then, the singer said she hasn't felt the urge to work on new music. "Siouxsie hasn't even stepped foot in a studio for eight years, and she said that this piece was the first thing that she heard that inspired her to do anything," Reitzell said. "And the good news is that I'm going to do a few more tracks with her. I've written a few more, and we’re not sure how we're going to release the track, and that's kind of unfortunate, but it will be out."

Reitzell has an impressive track record of shaking long-hibernating artists out of their slumber: He previously convinced My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields to provide music for Lost in Translation before that band returned with their 2013 LP mbv. Even more surprising, Reitzell somehow persuaded Talk Talk's Mark Hollis, who all but retired from the music industry following the release of his 1998 self-titled solo album, to lay down some instrumental tracks for the TV show Boss.

In an interview with TV Guide, Fuller reveals that Hannibal's broadcasters – NBC in the U.S., Sky in the U.K. – split the bill to record the Sioux track, even though they already announced that the gory drama would not be renewed. "'I know the show is canceled... and it's absolutely unheard of for a showrunner to come back to you and ask for more money for a show that has no further revenue potential for you,'" Fuller told the networks. "'But it's Siouxsie Sioux and it's an honor and it's her first single in eight years.' They both said, 'Yes, absolutely, we'll split it right down the middle, and we're doing this because we love you, we love the show, and we love Siouxsie.'"

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via Christopher Sabec Music

Katy Perry Preps 'Prismatic World Tour Live' Concert Film

Katy Perry's colorful, sprawling Prism trek will come to the small screen this October with the release of The Prismatic World Tour Live. The concert film will focus on Perry's December 2014 visit to Sydney, Australia, where she performed six shows at the Allphones Arena. The Prismatic World Tour Live will arrive on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on October 30th, or 12 days after Perry's lengthy tour concludes October 18th in San Jose, Costa Rica after 151 gigs, a Super Bowl halftime show and nearly 18 months on the road.

Go Behind the Scenes of Katy Perry's Mammoth Prismatic Tour

Russell Thomas of Done + Dusted directed the concert film, which will be presented, like the Prismatic concerts themselves, in seven thematic acts. Each format of The Prismatic World Tour Live will be accompanied by 30 minutes of bonus footage and exclusive extras. The Prismatic film comes three years after the "Dark Horse" singer theatrically released her 3D documentary Katy Perry: Part of Me.

"Perry's show is not so much a visual feast, but more like the visual equivalent of binge-eating. Divided into seven separate set-pieces, featuring every production gimmick in the book and cramming in almost as many costume changes as songs, it's like one of those blockbuster movies that you really need to see more than once in order to take everything in," Rolling Stone wrote in a May 2014 review of Perry's London stop. "Loud, garish, camp and never less than uproariously entertaining, it's a show designed to conquer the planet."

The Prismatic World Tour Live Track List

1. "Roar"
2. "Part of Me"
3. "Wide Awake"
4. "This Moment" / "Love Me"
5. "Dark Horse"
6. "E.T."
7. "Legendary Lovers"
8. "I Kissed a Girl"
9. "Hot N Cold"
10. "International Smile"
11. "By the Grace of God"
12. "The One That Got Away" / "Thinking of You"
13. "Unconditionally"
14. "Walking on Air"
15. "It Takes Two"
16. "This Is How We Do" / "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
17. "Teenage Dream"
18. "California Gurls"
19. "Birthday"
20. "Firework"

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via Christopher Sabec Music

Watch Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, More Perform at VMAs

Given Miley Cyrus' gig as the Video Music Awards' host, the MTV award show was filled with surprises and special guests. The show relied heavily on referencing the most controversial moments from its recent history, flashing clips of Cyrus dancing on Robin Thicke as well as Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift. Given the spectacle, it's only natural that the performers would attempt to live up to the precedent made by many stars sitting in the audience, and most delivered both in the venue and on the outdoor stage.

Beef, Bombast and Kanye West Reign at Wild MTV VMAs

Nicki Minaj kicked off the event with a Carnival-inspired performance of "Trini Dem Girls" before launching into "The Night Is Still Young." As she did — Taylor Swift, a performer who had sparred with Minaj on Twitter over Minaj's snub for Video of the Year — appeared onstage, singing along with the rapper. The two then performed the chorus of Swift's "Bad Blood."

The Weeknd commanded the stage during a spirited, pyro-enhanced performance of "Can't Feel My Face." His impassioned display had the audience on their feet, with the camera even panning to Kanye West dancing wildly to the R&B singer's massive hit.

Outside the Orpheum, Demi Lovato provided a colorful performance of her new single "Cool for the Summer." The singer invited Iggy Azalea to the stage and created a fake pool party as she danced in a kiddie pool.

Justin Bieber's VMA comeback was explosive as he performed Jack Ü's "Where Are Ü Now" and his own new single "What Do You Mean?" After the heavily choreographed, energetic performances, a brief, reflective narration served as an interlude before Bieber was hoisted in the air in a colorful tunnel of light.

Outside the Orpheum, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis reenacted the video for their new single "Downtown," complete with appearances from the song's guests Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz. During the commercial breaks, it was shown that Macklemore continued giving the outdoor audience a full concert.

Newcomer Tori Kelly gave the night's only guitar-driven performance as she performed her pop-rock single "Should've Been Us." Her solo rock show onstage was more subdued than the rest of the night's more action-packed pop and hip-hop moments.

Back outside, Pharrell had the tough responsibility of following up Kanye West's lengthy Video Vanguard Award acceptance speech. The singer-producer performed a red, white and blue take on his new single "Freedom," appearing to channel Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock.

In one of the night's oddest pairings, A$AP Rocky and alternative hip-hop duo Twenty One Pilots performed a medley of their respective tracks, including the duo's "HeavyDirtySoul" and "Lane Boy" and Rocky's "M'$" and "L$D."

Host Miley Cyrus wrapped up the night with a few big surprises. She played a new song on a glitter-covered stage with the help of a few RuPaul's Drag Race friends before announcing a new album that would be available online to fans.

from RollingStone.com: Music http://ift.tt/1Vs8bRm
via Christopher Sabec Music

How President Kanye Saved the Video Music Awards: MTV, What's Good?

Hail to the chief — our future President Kanye West stole the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, announcing his beautiful dark twisted candidacy for Commander-in-Cheezus. "Yes, as you probably could have guessed by this moment, I have decided to run for President in 2020," he said, after a brilliantly rambling 10-minute-plus speech that had more music in it than any of the night's performances. Kanye's stoned Video Vanguard soliloquy ("we the Millennials, bro!") was this year's VMA highlight, as everybody knew it would be. The whole point of the bash every year is to show off the dizzy pageant of pop ridiculousness — and tonight, there was no way Kanye wouldn't out-ridiculous everybody else in the room. America, what's good? Let's have a vote for the douchebags!

MTV VMAs 2015's 20 Best and Worst Moments

The Electoral College Dropout brought some badly needed insanity to the VMAs, because sad to say, host Miley Cyrus was off her game crazy-wise, despite all her excellent Cher outfits. The big loser of the night was probably your local weed dealer, since Miley's cutesy one-toke-over-the-line humor was enough to make Cheech and Chong go straight-edge. Her funniest moment came when she gave a simple shout-out to her dad in the audience: Billy Ray Cyrus, one of the show's few reminders that the Nineties ever happened. Listen to the kids, bro!

The festivities kicked off with Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj, in a duet that surprised everybody who'd never seen an awards show before. The big Taylor/Nicki snuggle-and-make-up moment was a foregone conclusion ever since Minaj's July Twitter rant about her hurt feelings at not getting more VMA nominations. So it was a shrewd move for MTV to get it over with fast, instead of stretching it out into a big faux-surprise finale. The only disappointment was that Madonna didn't show up to make out with them to "Like a Virgin."

Nicki had bad blood in her eyes for Miley. After thanking her pastor (but of course), Nicki cut a wrestling promo: "And now back to this bitch that had a lot to say about me in the press. Miley, what's good?" Miley reacted the lamest way possible — claiming she didn't really say what she said. The whiff of violence hasn't been so thick at the VMAs since Tommy Lee and Kid Rock put the smack down at the 2007 ceremony in Vegas. (Or since Eminem tried to beat up Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in 2002.)

Taylor debuted her "Wildest Dreams" video, going brunette for a swank Forties-vamp look that evoked Ava Gardner circa The Killers, or at least Sherilyn Fenn circa Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel. (The video is basically Britney's "Lucky" except with giraffes — brilliant!) Taylor lounged in the front row with her usual armful of glam girlfriends. When she won Video of the Year for "Bad Blood" (not "Blank Space" — what's up with that?), she brought the whole Tay-tourage onstage, saying, "I'm just happy that in 2015, we live in a world where boys can play princesses and girls can play soldiers."

Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift's Surprise VMA Medley

Demi Lovato did a "Cool for the Summer" twerk-fest that was essentially "Katy Perry, what's good?" Plus a sad Iggy Azalea cameo — Demi actually had to remind the crowd what Iggy's name was. It already seems strange to remember Iggy happened — where have all the Azalias gone? The Weeknd did "Can't Feel My Face," introduced by a distinctly non-face-feeling Jared Leto, slicked up in white hair and shades like Lou Reed in the Sally Can't Dance days. Macklemore brought out old-school rap gods Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel and Grandmaster Caz. (And the dude from Foxy Shazam, who looked like Dave Grohl after accidentally ingesting some of Miley's stash.)

Needless to say, there weren't any rock bands. The only guitar sighting: somebody named "Tori Kelly," who tried to bring back the fond memories your mom doesn't have of Melissa Etheridge. A$AP Rocky imagined his dragons with Twenty One Pilots, who crashed at least 17 musical planes into stone temples. Snoop Dogg got stuck in a miserably unfunny weed skit with Miley, although at least this year he didn't call Gwen Stefani "the true queen of L.A. punk rock."

A welcome surprise: Britney Herself showed up, dusted with gold sequins from her eyelids to her stilettos. Our girl hasn't had such a big VMA moment in years — not since her own Video Vanguard award in 2010, which got tragically sabotaged by Beyoncé throwing herself a baby shower. Now more than ever, it's Britney, bitch!

Pharrell had the unenviable task of following Kanye with a dippy song about freedom that goes "Your first name is free, your last name is dumb" — Julia Louis-Dreyfus already did that one on Veep. John Legend tried to keep a straight face while comparing Pharrell to Nina Simone and Bob Dylan, but some things not even John Legend can suave his way through. Speaking of Things That Are Important and Inspirational in #thesetroubledtimes, MTV now gives an award for Best Video with a Social Message. It went to noted philosopher Big Sean, though he really should have won that shit for "I Don't Fuck With You." Bieber wept.

The red-carpet show was a hilarious disaster starring Kelly Osbourne, who kept looking at the camera with sad eyes that said, "Look, I don't get it either. Why am I on TV? What do I have to do to convince people I suck at this? Yeah, I already tried talking about Mexicans cleaning toilets — even that didn't work." It was pretty funny when Miguel mused, "Tonight is really about the music — it's something I always tune in to MTV for." You tuned in lately, Miguel? Poor Nick Jonas had to do his new hit (a synth-pop rip of Alanis' "You Oughta Know") as a dirty-dancing duet with Kelly Osbourne, who proved there are things she's worse at than talking.

Miley Cyrus' Craziest Outfits at the 2015 MTV VMAs

MTV demonstrated its love and support for music by hyping the VMAs all weekend. Well, not exactly — MTV spent the weekend showing reruns of The New Girl, along with a Catfish marathon and flicks like Little Nicky and Friday After Next. That's right — not just any Friday movie, a Friday Christmas movie, in August, just to prove MTV will play literally anything except music.

Maybe Kanye can do something about that when he's President. Because he lived up to his big moment, after a gracious tribute from Taylor. (So can this please be the last time we have to hear about what a dick he was at the 2009 VMAs? It's not one of the 500 most interesting things about him.) At first, Kanye just stood there silently — which would have been cool enough if he'd left it at that — until he started to go off about the kids, because Yeezy is for the children, though sounding more Gen X than millennial. "It's not about me," he proclaimed. "It's about ideas, new ideas, people with ideas, people who believe in truth." When Kanye becomes President, he will make sure grocery stores have fresh juice. He will protect kids from brands. And most importantly, he will guarantee nobody ever makes Justin Timberlake cry again. ("Justin, I ain't trying to put you on blast, but I saw the man in tears, bro!" Cry me a river.) Kanye 2020? Uh huh, honey.

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Kanye West, Travis Scott Team for Psychedelic 'Piss on Your Grave'

Kanye West and Travis Scott have united for a druggy, experimental track called "Piss on Your Grave," a track off Scott's upcoming debut LP, Rodeo, due out September 4th, Noisey reports. The newly leaked song finds the G.O.O.D. Music rappers threatening their foes with urination over lumbering drums and psychedelic blues-rock guitar riffs.

Watch Kanye West Get Booed by 60,000 Dodgers Fans

With its nonlinear structure, random lyrics (including a list of all the places the duo would like to "piss") and abrupt ending, "Grave" recalls the abrasive style of West's most recent LP, 2013's Yeezus.

The song's origins are hazy, but intriguing. Last year, rumors swirled about a West-Paul McCartney collaboration called "Piss on My Grave" or "Piss in Your Grave," reportedly slated for West's upcoming solo LP, tentatively titled Swish. Despite the grammatical switch-up, the rumored McCartney collab is assumedly connected to the Scott track, though it's unclear if the former Beatle performed on the leaked cut. A representative for McCartney declined to comment.

West and McCartney did collaborate on the rapper's emotional ballad "Only One" and the folky, Rihanna-fronted sing-along "FourFiveSeconds." "Oh, it was great, man! It was really exciting," McCartney told Rolling Stone about working with West. "I didn't know what was going to happen from one minute to the next. But then he'd send me these hits! Suddenly I'm working with Kanye – and then suddenly I've got a hit with Rihanna! But it's cool!"

Earlier this month, West brought up Scott during a performance at Los Angeles' FYF Fest, with the latter performing a mini-set of singles "Upper Echelon" and "Antidote." Scott also features on West's gritty track "All Day," which leaked online last year in a rough quality version without the Houston rapper.

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Miley Cyrus Talks ‘Dead Petz,’ 'Really Trippy' Wayne Coyne Friendship

Miley Cyrus staged the biggest surprise in a VMAs full of unexpected moments when the singer announced at the end of the show that her new album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz was available to stream for free. Speaking to the New York Times, Cyrus discussed her unexpected new album – made for $50,000 without the assistance of her record label – as well as her artistic relationship with Flaming Lips mastermind Wayne Coyne.

"[Coyne is] everything in the world — you can't even define us," Cyrus said. "I am 100 percent in love with Wayne, and Wayne is in love with me, but it's nothing sexual in any way. That would be the grossest."

Miley Cyrus' Craziest Outfits at the 2015 MTV VMAs

The pair's first collaboration came when Cyrus provided vocals to "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," a track off the Lips' Sgt. Pepper's tribute album With a Little Help From My Fwends. After that, their story becomes "really trippy": Cyrus' beloved dog Floyd was killed by coyotes while the singer was on her Bangerz world tour in April 2014. That incident sent Cyrus in an emotional tailspin that eventually resulted in her being hospitalized in Kansas City for a week due to an allergic reaction to antibiotics. Coyne visited Cyrus in the hospital, cementing their friendship.

When Cyrus returned home from the tour, she visited a Chinese healer who "sent me into a state where my dog was lifted out of my lungs and placed on my shoulder," at which point she petted Floyd for three hours until finally telling his spirit to "let go and put his energy out." "I really think, in a way, his energy went into Wayne's energy. What he was to me, Wayne has become," Cyrus told the Times.

As for Cyrus' not-exactly-radio-friendly Dead Petz, it was made outside of her current record contract with RCA Records, giving her complete artistic freedom over the project. "They had never heard the record until it was done," she said, adding that Dead Petz wouldn't count toward her multi-album contract.

In a statement, RCA Records said of Cyrus' pet project, "Miley Cyrus continues to be a groundbreaking artist. She has a strong point of view regarding her art and expressed her desire to share this body of work with her fans directly. RCA Records is pleased to support Miley’s unique musical vision."

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Hear a Rare 1990 Glen Campbell Recording in England

Although he's since retired from touring and making music following his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2011, Glen Campbell remained a top concert draw up until his final show in 2012. Now, a new live recording — the first in a series of U.K. concerts by artists from Rick Wakeman to Belinda Carlisle — helps preserve Campbell's onstage prowess.

Glen Campbell's Daughter Details Dad's Declining Health

Titled the British Live Performance Series, the recordings capture artists on tour in England between 1979 and 1991. Campbell's, set for release on September 18th via Rainman Records, is a chronicle of a 1990 engagement at the Dome in Doncaster, England. Part of Campbell's 21st anniversary tour, the singer-guitarist plays some of his biggest hits. Listen to "Rhinestone Cowboy," "Galveston" and "Gentle on My Mind" below.

But the set list doesn't only feature Campbell cuts. There are solo acoustic readings of Ralph McTell's "Streets of London" and Jimmy Webb's "Highwayman," which the Rhinestone Cowboy once performed alongside Willie Nelson at the inaugural Farm Aid in 1985. Glen Campbell: British Live Performance Series also includes a version of Paul McCartney's "Mull of Kintyre," with Campbell playing bagpipes.

The new U.K. album marks Campbell's first live LP since In Concert With the South Dakota Symphony. That record, however, was recorded and released in 2001. Campbell's only other live recording from the Nineties was 1994's His Greatest Hits, recorded at Campbell's Goodtime Theatre in Branson, Missouri.

Rick Wakeman: British Live Performance Series will also be released on September 18th. Glen Campbell…I'll Be Me, the Academy Award-nominated documentary about his final tour, will arrive on DVD and Video On Demand on September 1st.

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Sunday, August 30, 2015

Read Kanye West's Blunt, Poignant VMA Video Vanguard Award Speech

The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards produced more talked-about moments in one night than the show has garnered in years. Nicki Minaj blasting Miley Cyrus. Cyrus' surprise new album. The return of (a high-flying) Justin Bieber. But in terms of poignancy, thoughtfulness and spontaneity, nothing beat Kanye West's evocative, heartfelt and brutally candid speech for his Video Vanguard Award. Who cares that he never mentioned any of his videos? The rapper-producer bit the MTV hand that fed him, showed true feelings and ended his 10-minute speech with a presidential bid. Read West's full speech:

Beef, Bombast and Kanye West Reign at Wild MTV VMAs

Bro. Bro. Listen to the kids.

First of all, thank you Taylor for being so gracious and giving me this award this evening. I often think back to the first day I met you, also. I think about when I'm in the grocery store with my daughter and I have a really great conversation about fresh juice and at the end, they say, "Oh, you're not that bad after all." It crosses my mind a little bit when I go to a baseball game and 60,000 people boo me; crosses my mind a little bit. If I had to do it all again, what would I have done? Would I have worn a leather shirt? Would I have drank a half a bottle of Hennessey and gave the rest of it to the audience? Y'all know you drank that bottle too. If I had a daughter at that time, would I have went onstage and grabbed the mic from someone else?

This arena, tomorrow, is going to be a completely different setup. This stage will be gone. After that night, the stage was gone, but the effect that it had on people remained. The problem was the contradiction; I do fight for artists, but in that fight, I somehow was disrespectful to artists. I didn't know how to say the right, perfect thing.

I sat at the Grammys and saw Justin Timberlake and Cee Lo lose; Gnarls Barkley and the FutureSex/LoveSounds album. I ain't trying to put you on blast, but I saw that man in tears. He deserved to win Album of the Year. And this small box that we are as the entertainers of the evening, how could you explain that? All this shit they run about beef and all that, sometimes I feel like that I died for artists to be able to have an opinion after they were successful.

I'm not no politician, bruh. And look at that [points to screen]. You know how many times MTV ran that footage again? Because it got them more ratings. You know how many times they announced Taylor was going to give me the award. Because it got them more ratings. Listen to the kids, bruh!

The Complete VMA Winners List

I still don't understand award shows. I don't understand how they get five people who work their entire life, won, sell records, sell concert tickets, to come, stand on a carpet and for the first time in their life, be judged on the chopping block and have the opportunity to be considered a loser. I don't understand it, bro! I've been conflicted. I just wanted people to like me more. But fuck that, bro! 2015. I will die for the art — for what I believe in — and the art ain't always gonna be polite.

Y'all might be thinking, "I wonder. Did he smoke something before he came out here?" The answer is, "Yes, I rolled up a little something. I knocked the edge off." I don't know what's going to happen tonight; I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. But all I can say to my fellow artists: just worry about how you feel at the time, man.

I'm confident. I believe in myself. We the millenials, bruh. This is a new mentality. We not going to control our kids with brands. We not going to teach low self-esteem and hate to our kids. We going to teach our kids that they can be something. We can teach our kids that they can stand up for themselves. We going to teach our kids to believe in themselves. If my grandfather was here right now, he would not let me back down.

I don't know what I finna lose after this. It don't matter, though; It's not about me. It's about ideas. New ideas. People with ideas. People who believe in truth. And yes, as you probably could've guessed by this moment, I have decided in 2020 to run for president.

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Beef, Bombast and Kanye West Reign at Wild MTV Video Music Awards

The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards dished out a buffet of bombast and beef, a barrage of memorable performances and ridiculous outfits, and ultimately served as a pristine example of the transitive properties of pop: Host Miley Cyrus got into it with Nicki Minaj, who made nice with Taylor Swift, who presented the Video Vanguard Award to Kanye West, who ended his emotionally charged speech with the promise of a presidential run in 2020.

The Complete VMA Winners List

Following the premiere of Swift's "Wildest Dreams" video — an event unto itself — Minaj opened the VMAs with a breezy, beatific medley of "Trini Girls" and "The Night Is Still Young." Halfway through the latter, Swift emerged from below the stage singing the hook. The pair proceeded to officially quash their pre-VMA beef with a quick duet of Swift's "Bad Blood" (which later took home Video of the Year).

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis kept the opening festivities going with a live recreation of their new "Downtown" clip. The Seattle rapper was joined by hip-hop veterans Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee and Melle Mel, as well as Foxy Shazam vocalist Eric Nally and a cadre of slick-moving b-boys, who cut loose across the stage outside Los Angeles' Orpheum Theatre.

Cyrus then took the stage in the first of many absurd outfits, cracking about how her past VMA appearances proved she was clearly unqualified for the hosting gig (her infamous performance with Robin Thicke was routinely referenced throughout the night).

Cyrus, however, didn't harp on the past for too long. Instead the pop star offered a silly sketch about the creative team — featuring Andy Samberg and Ike Barinholtz — behind her Instagram account. The bit concluded with an elaborate selfie featuring Smurf knockoffs, Frankenstein, spaghetti and Rita Ora: "Ellen, you ain't got nothing on this," Cyrus joked.

While the spectacle was suitably outlandish, the action only got more over the top as the VMA gods bestowed upon viewers a heaping serving of unscripted manna: Minaj, accepting the award for Best Hip Hop video for "Anaconda," thanked her pastor then cussed out Cyrus.

"And now, back to this bitch who had a lot to say about me the other day in the press: Miley, what's good?" Minaj spat, referring to comments Cyrus made about how the rapper handled being snubbed for Video of the Year.

Later, Justin Bieber made his long-awaited return to the VMA stage with a high-flying performance of his Jack Ü collaboration "Where Are Ü Now" and new single "What Do You Mean?" The pop star was backed by a dazzling light display and a dozen of spirited dancers, but he notably delved into a spoken word breakdown followed by an aerial act that sent him flying through the theater. When he finally touched back down, Bieber knelt and visibly wept.

The night also featured performances from the Weeknd, Tori Kelly, Pharrell and a unique collaboration between Twenty One Pilots and A$AP Rocky. Cyrus closed out the show with a gaudy, glittery performance of her own that boasted several gif-worthy moments and a cameo from the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne. The whole thing concluded with the announcement of her new album, Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz, available to download now for free.

Still, the VMAs perhaps unsurprisingly belonged to Kanye West. The rapper shared the Best Video With a Social Message award with Big Sean and John Legend for "One Man Can Change the World," and also unleashed an epic monolog after accepting the Video Vanguard Award — fittingly presented by Taylor Swift.

After a lengthy standing ovation, West launched into his seemingly off-the-cuff speech, expressing remorse for his infamous "I'mma let you finish" moment, admitting his need to be liked but also his desire to fight for the artists he loves. Ultimately, though, West honed in on awards shows themselves and the unnecessary tensions they create between likeminded creatives.

"I still don't understand award shows," West said. "I don't understand how they get five people who work their entire life, who sold records, sold concert tickets, to come, stand on a carpet and for the first time in their life, be judged on a chopping block and had the opportunity to be considered a loser. I don't understand it, bro!"

Still, West ended his speech with hopes for a brighter tomorrow. Identifying himself as part of the millennial generation, the rapper spoke about a future without brands and hate, but with self-worth, new ideas and truth. Though he didn't offer a specific gameplan, West will have some time to work out the specifics of his policy: "And yes, as you probably could have guessed by this moment," he said in closing, "I have decided in 2020, to run for president."

Be sure to check out the full list of winners from this year's Video Music Awards, as well as Rolling Stone's other highlights from the show.

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Miley Cyrus Surprise-Releases New Album Following VMA Performance

Miley Cyrus capped off the show with a glittery, wild performance of a new song titled "Dooo It" before announcing her new album, titled Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, was available to stream for free at her website. After a slow, solo entrance, past contestants from RuPaul's Drag Race joined the singer to vogue alongside her.

Watch Nicki Minaj Blast Miley Cyrus During VMA Speech

Towards the end of the performance, Cyrus' good friend and Flaming Lips singer Wayne Coyne joined her onstage to place a long, phallic, confetti cannon between her legs. As soon as she wrapped up, she announced the free LP and flashed the site's URL on-screen before more confetti and glitter shrouded the stage.

The 23-track LP – recorded with Coyne and the Flaming Lips – also features guests Big Sean, Ariel Pink and Phantogram's Sarah Barthel. Five of the tracks feature production from Cyrus' Bangerz cohort Mike Will Made It. A pair of tracks, "Twinkle Song" and "Pablow the Blowfish," were written and produced by Cyrus by herself, while "Miley Tibetan Bowlzzz" notes that Miley's father Billy Ray Cyrus recorded the track.

In May, Coyne revealed that Cyrus and the Flaming Lips had teamed for a collaborative LP that they had recorded over the past year. "She does the pop thing so great, so it still feels pop, but a slightly wiser, sadder, more true version," Coyne said, adding that he and fellow Flaming Lip Stephen Drozd were mixing the then-untitled album. "Some of it reminds me of Pink Floyd and Portishead." Later that month, Cyrus and Flaming Lips debuted their track "Tiger Dreams" at an Adult Swim upfront; "Tiger Dreams" would reappear on Dead Petz with guest Ariel Pink.

Cyrus also played a significant role on the Flaming Lips' 2014 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band covers album With a Little Help From My Fwends. On that tribute disc, Cyrus contributed vocals to the Beatles classics "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life."

"I've been listening to [the Flaming Lips] for the past three months, to the exclusion of all other music – literally, I've erased everything else on my phone," Cyrus told Rolling Stone in May 2014. "My entire world is wrapped up in this collaboration and magical friendship."

Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz Track List

1. "Dooo It"
2. "Karen Don't Be Sad"
3. "The Floyd Song (Sunrise)"
4. "Something About Space Dude"
5. "Space Boots"
6. "Fuckin Fucked Up"
7. "BB Talk"
8. "Fweaky"
9. "Bang Me Box"
10. "Milky Milky Milk"
11. "Cyrus Skies"
12. "Slab of Butter (Scorpion)" (Featuring Sarah Barthel of Phantogram)
13. "I'm So Drunk"
14. "I Forgive Yiew"
15. " I Get So Scared" 16. "Lighter"
17. "Tangerine" (featuring Big Sean)
18. "Tiger Dreams" (featuring Ariel Pink)
19. Evil Is But a Shadow"
20. "1 Sun"
21. "Pablow the Blowfish"
22. "Miley Tibetan Bowlzzz"
23. "Twinkle Song"

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Kanye West Jabs MTV, Award Process in VMA Vanguard Award Speech

Kanye West received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, with Taylor Swift — the artist West infamously interrupted six years ago at the VMAs — presenting the award.

31 Most Outrageous VMAs Moments Ever

Swift referenced the moment when West first met as she spoke highly of the rapper, noting that College Dropout was the first album her and her brother bought on iTunes when she was 12. She then noted that the pair have become friends since that moment.

After a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd, West finally began his speech reflecting on the moment. "If I had a daughter at that time, would I have went onstage and grabbed the mic from someone else?" he asked.

Later in his speech, West noted how MTV profited off that moment and continued to promote the tension. "I still don't understand award shows," he noted as he wondered aloud how the process for winning Grammy Awards and VMAs work. "I'm not no politician, bruh. You know how many times MTV ran that footage [of West interrupting Swift] again? Because it got them more ratings."

His stream of consciousness speech ended with West not only revealing to the audience that he had "smoked a little" before the show, but that he would be running for president in 2020.

West joins a well-rounded list of Video Vanguard Award winners, including Jackson himself, Madonna, Peter Gabriel, Guns N' Roses, Beastie Boys, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé. In just over a decade, West has been nominated for 30 Moonmen, though he's only taken home two (Best Male Video for "Jesus Walks" in 2005 and Best Special Effects for "Good Life" in 2008).

His low number of VMA wins hardly reflects the dynamic and stunning visuals he's produced over the years. His early clips are highlighted by the powerful "Jesus Walks" and the first-person "All Falls Down," and his career has progressed, so have his cinematic, lush clips. Most recently, he split audiences with the ornate and romantic "Bound 2," which starred his wife Kim Kardashian and a motorcycle.

His filmography ahs expanded to the 40-minute Runaway, which promoted his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, the Cruel Summer short he premiered at Cannes in 2012 and a collaboration with director Steve McQueen.

West is currently preparing a highly-anticipated follow-up to Yeezus. He debuted several singles earlier in the year as well as the title Swish, though he has yet to reveal a release date.

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Justin Bieber Marks VMA Comeback With High-Flying Performance

Fresh off being pulled over for unsafe driving in Los Angeles less than 24 hours before the MTV Video Music Awards, Justin Bieber made his long-awaited return to the VMA stage Sunday night with a high-flying-performance of his Jack Ü collaboration "Where Are Ü Now" alongside his latest single "What Do You Mean?"

31 Most Outrageous VMAs Moments Ever

Dressed in all black – boots, pants, T-shirt and trucker hat – Bieber delivered his first VMA performance in five years backed by a stunning light display, a dozen dancers and some well-oiled choreography. However, things took off – literally – following a spoken word interlude as Bieber soon hovered over the audience as part of an aerial act that was unfortunately obscured by darkness. Perhaps appreciative to be back on the VMA stage after a half-decade away, Bieber knelt and visibly wept as "What Do You Mean?" ended.

Bieber hadn't appeared on the Video Music Awards stage since his debut VMA performance in 2010. At that show, Bieber delivered a medley of "U Smile," "Baby" and "Somebody to Love," three tracks off his My World 2.0 LP. Bieber also won Best New Artist at the VMAs, becoming, at age 16, the youngest artist ever to scoop up that Moonman. Bieber would also win Best Male Video for "U Smile" at the 2011 VMAs, but the singer wouldn't appear onstage to perform or accept another award until this year's ceremony.

Following the release of 2012's Believe, Bieber made more headlines for his bad boy behavior than his music, including a January 2014 arrest for DUI and drag racing. After staying musically inactive for the better part of three years, Bieber stepped back into the spotlight as the target of his own Comedy Central roast. In March, Bieber revealed that he was working on new music with Kanye West and Rick Rubin.

While Bieber hadn't lodged a Top 10 single since 2012's Nicki Minaj-featuring "Beauty and the Beast," he scored a surprise comeback with "Where Are Ü Now," a Song of the Summer candidate that paired Bieber with unlikely collaborators Jack Ü's Diplo and Skrillex. The track was later nominated for four 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. In the week preceding the 2015 VMAs, Bieber dropped his laid-back new track "What Do You Mean?," rumored to be the first single off his upcoming fourth studio album.

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Watch Nicki Minaj Blast Miley Cyrus During VMA Acceptance Speech

Nicki Minaj ended her acceptance speech for Best Hip-Hop Video at the Video Music Awards by thanking her pastor, then cursing out Miley Cyrus, passing it back to the host with the curt: "And now, back to this bitch who had a lot to say about me the other day in the press: Miley, What's good?"

Watch Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift's Surprise VMA Medley

Minaj was referring to Cyrus' remarks about how the rapper handled being snubbed for Video of the Year. After learning that "Anaconda" had been shut out of the category, the rapper wrote on Twitter, "If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year. I'm not always confident. Just tired. Black women influence pop culture so much, but are rarely rewarded for it."

Cyrus suggested to The New York Times that Minaj had not effectively used the snub to talk about race and gender in the music industry, but rather made the moment about herself. "If you do things with an open heart and you come at things with love, you would be heard and I would respect your statement. But I don't respect your statement because of the anger that came with it," Cyrus said. "And it's not anger like, 'Guys, I'm frustrated about some things that are a bigger issue.' You made it about you. Not to sound like a bitch, but that's like, 'Eh, I didn't get my VMA.'"

After Minaj's taunt, Cyrus, stunned, replied, "We're all in this industry. We all do interviews and we all know how they manipulate shit. Nicki, congratu-fuckin-lations." The camera then cut back to Minaj who seemed to mouth back, "Bitch."

After Minaj's remarks at the VMAs, Cyrus resumed the show by noting that voting was still open for the Artist to Watch Award. "I lost this award back in 2008," Cyrus said, frustrated, and turning towards Minaj. "Whatever. Because it's no big deal! It's just an award, and I persevered!"

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Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift Open VMAs With Surprise Medley

Nicki Minaj provided an unexpected opening for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards as she teamed with Taylor Swift, who the rapper briefly beefed with in the months prior to the VMAs, onstage for a surprise duet. Minaj and a cadre of dancers started things off with a thumping rendition of "Trini Dem Girls" before Swift emerged to join in on Minaj's "The Night Is Still Young."

31 Most Outrageous VMAs Moments Ever

After trading verses on the The Pinkprint track, Swift sang a few bars of her hit single "Bad Blood," a song that caused actual bad blood between the singer and Minaj after the 1989 cut scored a Video of the Year nomination over "Anaconda." After making peace on the VMAs stage to a rousing ovation, Minaj threw it over to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who performed "Downtown" outside the Orpheum in Los Angeles.

Thankfully for the rapper, she wasn't hit with any wardrobe malfunctions at this year's ceremony. At the 2014 VMAs, Minaj first delivered an incident-free "Anaconda" – no backup dancers were bitten by snakes, unlike at rehearsals – before swapping outfits to join Ariana Grande and Jessie J on "Bang Bang." However, while quick-changing her silver bikini into a black décolleté dress, Minaj failed to properly latch the dress, resulting in an awkward, garment-clutching performance.

Minaj's 2015 VMAs appearance wasn't without controversy, though. After "Anaconda" was snubbed of a Video of the Year nomination, the rapper tweeted, "If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year. I'm not always confident. Just tired. Black women influence pop culture so much, but are rarely rewarded for it."

Considering that the Video of the Year nominees included three men (Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and Mark Ronson) and one African-American female (Beyoncé), Minaj's tweet was seemingly aimed at Taylor Swift, whose nominated "Bad Blood" video was filled with a celebrity assortment of "women with very slim bodies."

Swift, who also interpreted Minaj's comments as a knock on "Bad Blood," tweeted at Minaj, "I've done nothing but love & support you. It's unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot." Minaj snapped back at Swift, "U must not be reading my tweets. Didn't say a word about u." The brief beef was squashed when Swift apologized to Minaj, "I thought I was being called out. I missed the point, I misunderstood, then misspoke. I'm sorry, Nicki."

In the days leading up the VMAs, however, host Miley Cyrus criticized Nicki Minaj for her behavior after "Anaconda" was shut out. "If you want to make it about race, there's a way you could do that. But don't make it just about yourself," Cyrus said. "If you do things with an open heart and you come at things with love, you would be heard and I would respect your statement. But I don't respect your statement because of the anger that came with it. And it's not anger like, 'Guys, I'm frustrated about some things that are a bigger issue.' You made it about you. Not to sound like a bitch, but that's like, 'Eh, I didn't get my VMA.'"

"Anaconda" did earn two VMA nominations for Best Hip-Hop Video and Best Female Video. Minaj later revealed that, despite the residual bad blood from the "Anaconda" snub, she would open this year's VMAs. Minaj made the announcement by posting a sonogram showing a Moonman instead of a fetus, a nod to rumors in recent months that she was pregnant with boyfriend Meek Mill's child.

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MTV Video Music Awards 2015: The Complete VMA Winners List

With Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" video and Nicki Minaj's opening performance dominating the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards early on, it's easy to forget that the show actually hands out awards throughout the night. Swift, Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé led all nominees going into the evening, but who walked away with the coveted Moonman statue? Here's the full rundown of the evening's winners.

Best Rock Video: Fall Out Boy, "Uma Thurman"

Best Pop Video: Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"

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Charts: Disturbed Capture Fifth Straight Number One

Disturbed kept their impressive Billboard 200 streak alive as Immortalized, the heavy metal band's first studio album in five years, grabbed the top spot in its debut week, giving Disturbed five consecutive Number One albums. The Chicago rockers join Metallica and Dave Matthews Band as the only other bands in the Nielsen SoundScan era to rack up five consecutive Number One albums, Billboard reports.

Album Sales Hit Historic Low

Immortalized sold 98,000 total copies on its way to the top spot. While five straight Number One albums is a remarkable feat, that sub-100,000 total magnifies the significant drop in overall album sales since Disturbed grabbed their first Number One in 2002. In that year, Disturbed's second LP Believe sold 284,000 copies in its debut week. 2005's Ten Thousand Fists (239,000 copies) and 2008's Indestructible (253,000) also enjoyed big opening weeks. 2010's Asylum debuted at 179,000 copies.

In total, four new releases managed to infiltrate the Top 10 in their debut week. After Disturbed, country singer Kip Moore was the highest placing rookie as his second LP Wild Ones landed at Number Four with 40,000 units. Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas slotted at Number Six with his third solo album The Great Unknown and mysterious Swedish metal act Ghost secured their first ever Top 10 album as Meliora finished the week at Number Eight with 29,000 copies.

Luke Bryan's Kill the Lights slid to Number Two after two weeks at the top spot. Dr. Dre's grand finale Compton remained at Number Three but saw a 20 percent sales increase thanks to the CD release of the album after two weeks of iTunes exclusivity. Ed Sheeran's X fell to Number Five while the Straight Outta Compton soundtrack dropped from Number Four last week to Number Nine.

Next week's Top 10 should see some heavy activity thanks to the arrival of new LPs like the Weeknd's Beauty Behind the Madness. Some charts mainstays – like Taylor Swift's 1989, which clung to Number Seven this week – should also see a nice boost thanks to the post-MTV Video Music Awards sales.

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Jay Z Joins, Quits Instagram After Michael Jackson Tribute

While Beyoncé ranks second on Instagram with 44.4 million followers, her husband Jay Z doesn't even have an account on the photo-sharing network. That is, until Saturday, when the rapper joined Instagram to post a photo remembering Michael Jackson on what would have been the King of Pop's 57th birthday. "Happy Birthday to the King!" the rapper wrote. "This may be my first and last post." That turned out to be prophetic: After quickly climbing to 100,000 followers, the @Hovsince96 account was deactivated Sunday morning, the New York Daily News reports.

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Jay Z posted a split photo of himself and Michael Jackson at the 2001 Hot 97 Summer Jam, where the rapper brought out the Thriller singer as his surprise guest. Music executive Michael Kyser, a close friend of Jay Z, then posted a photo of the rapper on his phone crafting his Instagram debut. "Follow my brother @Hovsince96 ASAP," Kyser wrote, corroborating that the account belonged to Jay Z. Beyoncé also shared her own tribute to Jackson on her account. (After years atop Instagram's Most Followed list, the singer was finally bypassed by Kim Kardashian West in August.)

However, 12 hours and 100,000 followers later, @Hovsince96 was gone. Jay Z didn't just stop using the account; he deactivated completely. The quick Instagram cameo continues Jay Z's sporadic use of social media. Despite having a verified Twitter account, the rapper rarely used the service, although his tweet activity did spike in the months following the arrival of Tidal. Jay Z even went on a Twitter tirade defending his all-star music streaming service.

Follow my brother @Hovsince96 ASAP!

A photo posted by G (@littleburger) on Aug 29, 2015 at 5:41pm PDT

Jay Z's brief Instagram tenure is reminiscent of fellow Tidal co-owner Prince's love/hate relationship with social media. In November 2014, after launching an official Facebook and Twitter, the Purple Rain rocker unceremoniously deleted both accounts.

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Kanye West Sets '808s & Heartbreak' Concert in Los Angeles

Kanye West will revisit his 808s & Heartbreak next month when the rapper takes to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to perform his groundbreaking 2008 album. While West hasn't formally announced the surprise concert, a listing for the September 25th show popped up on Ticketmaster (via Complex). A ticket pre-sale for the concert will take place on August 31st, with the general on-sale to follow on September 4th.

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Details of the gig remain scarce, and the Hollywood Bowl's calendar page has not yet been updated to reflect the one-off 808s & Heartbreak performance. Recorded soon after both the death of West's mother Donda and the rapper's broken engagement to his then-longtime girlfriend, the album relied heavily on Auto-Tune, cold synths and soul-bearing lyrics, a complete stylistic shift from West's arena-rap LP Graduation the previous year.

Although 808s & Heartbreak didn't receive the near-universal acclaim that usually greets each new West release, the album has grown in stature in ensuing years as artists like Drake, Future and the Weeknd continue to mine the LP's innovative mix of hip-hop and chilly R&B.

While some 808s & Heartbreak tracks remain staples at West's concerts seven years after its release – "Heartless," "Say You Will," "Coldest Winter" and, to a less frequent degree, "Love Lockdown" – most of the album's cuts have vanished from West's live repertoire. Opener "Welcome to Heartbreak" and "RoboCop" both haven't been performed since 2009, while "Street Lights," "Paranoid" and "Amazing" were each played live less than 10 times before getting axed. According to setlist.fm, 808s' "Bad News" has never even been performed live by West.

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Saturday, August 29, 2015

Drake Cameo at Lil Wayne Fest Creates Friction Between Apple, Tidal

The cold war between music streaming services heated up Friday night as a surprise collaboration between Drake and Lil Wayne – two rappers scooped up during the artist exclusive arms race – caused friction between Tidal and Apple Music. The situation occurred at Lil Wayne's Lil Weezyana Festival in New Orleans, where Drake stopped by to deliver a brief three-song cameo. One problem: Jay Z's Tidal, which named Lil Wayne as a co-owner in July, was live-streaming the festival, creating a conflict of interest since Drake is Apple Music's marquee signee.

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As a result of Drake's appearance, the Tidal live-stream had to briefly pause while the Toronto rapper was onstage. "Apple is interfering with artistry and will not allow this artist to stream. Sorry for Big Brother’s inconvenience," the Tidal Twitter notified listeners as Drake took the stage. "We'll be back after the performance." Drake performed "HYFR" with Wayne, his remix of Fetty Wap's "My Way" and "Back to Back" during his unannounced Lil Weezyana appearance.

According to the New York Post, as soon as it was confirmed that Drake would stop by the New Orleans festival, which reportedly donated some proceeds to New Orleans-area afterschool programs, Apple Music threatened Tidal with a $20 million lawsuit if Drake showed up on the live-stream. "Legal letters have been sent to Tidal warning that Drake cannot appear on the Tidal stream of the festival, either solo or part of a group, and if the warning was ignored, the liabilities could be up to $20 million," an unnamed source told the newspaper.

Representatives from Tidal and Apple Music did not respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment.

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After months of sparring with his longtime label Cash Money Records, Lil Wayne aligned with Tidal to release his Free Weezy Album on July 4th. The LP's arrival prompted Cash Money to file a $50 million lawsuit against Jay Z's high-quality streaming service, claiming they still had exclusive rights to Wayne's output. Cash Money added that Lil Wayne's Tidal partnership was "a desperate and illegal attempt to save their struggling streaming service."

Drake, meanwhile, signed an exclusive deal with Apple Music reportedly with $19 million. As part of the agreement, Drake hosts his own Beats 1 radio show as well as provides the service unique content, like the "Energy" music video. Drake was also on hand to speak about the new music service when Apple announced their new streaming endeavor in early June.

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Skrillex, Deadmau5 Headline Hard Day of the Dead Fest

Skrillex, Deadmau5, Flying Lotus, Future, A$AP Ferg, Hot Chip and Glass Animals are among the artists that will perform at this year's Hard Day of the Dead festival, which returns to Pomona, California's Fairplex on October 31st and November 1st. Method Man & Redman, Gesaffelstein, Armand Van Helden, Juicy J, Ryan Hemsworth and many more will head to the Halloween weekend fest that also celebrates the annual Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos.

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Deadmau5, Future, Hot Chip, Nero and Flying Lotus will headline the Saturday, October 31st festivities while Skrillex, a Gesaffelstein DJ set, Glass Animals, A$AP Ferg and a still-unannounced headliner will topline Sunday's performances. Other acts at the EDM-leaning Day of the Dead festival include Vic Mensa, Felix da Housecat, Bonobo, Alison Wonderland, Groove Armada, Tommy Trash and Kill the Noise.

Early bird tickets for the fest are available now through Ticketmaster, but anyone under drinking age, be warned: According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, this year's Hard Day of the Dead fest has imposed a strict 21+ age limit and an 11 p.m. curfew in order to avoid Los Angeles County's crackdown on electronic dance music festivals.

The countywide ban on EDM festivals comes after two teenage girls died from suspected overdoses at another HARD event in early August. The incident led to the cancellation of the one-day A Night of a Fairplex EDM fest in September, but Live Nation, which run the Hard fests, agreed to place age limitations and cap attendance at 40,000 festivalgoers for the Day of the Dead event as a compromise with county officials. Live Nation also agreed to provide increased security, medical services and access to free water as well as produce and distribute drug education at Hard Day of the Dead.

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Friday, August 28, 2015

Roger Waters' 'Wall' Pig, Inflatable Freddie Mercury Headed to Auction

The giant pig head that adorned the stage of Roger Waters' 1990 Berlin performance of The Wall, as well as other large-scale inflatable props and models used by the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Queen are headed to auction, the BBC reports.

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The items come from the Halesworth, England workshop of Air Artists and its creator, Rob Harries, who dug them out after changing his creative direction from inflatables to clay.

"I'm sad to see them go but they very rarely see the light of day and so I would be quite happy for someone else to take them for a walk," Harries said. "The clearout has been quite cathartic and brought back a lot of memories, but I do feel I've been there and done that now, and it's time to move on."

The auction initially drew attention for a different pig: the inclusion of Algie, the famed pig seen floating above Battersea Power Station on the cover of Pink Floyd's Animals. The lot, however, was withdrawn from the auction at the request of Pink Floyd's management, according to Dominic Parravani of Durrants Auction House.

"Mr. Harries had been unsuccessful in gaining a response from Pink Floyd's management about Algie's future," Parravani tells Rolling Stone in an e-mail. "And after decades of looking after him, thought with his other items in his large collection they should have the chance to have someone else 'take them for a walk,' as he put it. Due to the amazing amount of publicity and interest that has been shown, Pink Floyd's management now wish to re-home Algie."

Speaking with the Belfast Telegraph, Harries said, "The auctioneers rather jumped the gun with the list I provided them and publicized the fact that the Pink Floyd pig might be one of the lots. But in fact I thought I should offer it back to Pink Floyd, and they do want to welcome it home again."

A rep for Pink Floyd could not make the band available for comment regarding the auction or Algie's future. Harries, however, added he'd heard "lots of talk" about a Pink Floyd exhibition, and said he hoped acquiring Algie "will spur them on to get on with that."

Nevertheless, the auction features another inflatable pig Harries made for Pink Floyd after Waters left the band, as well as "The Teacher" used in Waters' Wall concert. Among the other music-related lots are inflatable Freddie Mercury and Brian May from Queen's 1986 The Magic tour; two life-size polystyrene and fiberglass casts used to make the inflatable Babylonian woman used on the Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon Tour; and the fiberglass train model used for AC/DC's Runaway Train concert. Durrants is also auctioning off a number of Harries' music posters, photos, clothing and other tour memorabilia.

There are also a handful of non-music related inflatables up for sale, for those in the market for, say, two 15-foot beer cans or a giant space chicken. Harries' collection also boasts an inflatable dragon, Sonic the Hedgehog, King Triton, bowtie, Oscar statues, peach (used in the TV version of James and the Giant Peach) and Grommit, used to promote Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

The entire catalog can be perused on I-bidder and The Salesroom, where bidding has also begun. The auction wraps on September 15th.

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Monday, August 31, 2015

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