Showing posts with label Kanye West. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kanye West. Show all posts
Friday, August 12, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
@JayZ & @KanyeWest 'OTIS' #Video Premiere #TONIGHT 8:56 p.m. ET/PT on @MTV, @MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com, @BET
Now that fans have fully digested Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne, they can look forward to the duo's video for "Otis," which premieres Thursday at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET.
On Wednesday's "RapFix Live," Sway Calloway sat down with New York's Power 105.1 radio host Angela Yee and MTV News' Rob Markman to discuss the just-released teaser for the Spike Jonze-directed video.
"You can see Jay-Z looks excited, doing things I never seen him do before in that one second — and Kanye as well," Yee said of the brief clip. "Well, Kanye is always a little excited, but I think it's good to see the two of them together too."
Don't miss the premiere of Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Otis" video Thursday at 8:56 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET!
The 15-second clip shows Jay-Z and Kanye West on set with pyrotechnics and not much else. Viewers see Jay gripping his red snapback cap low and then Kanye screaming with excitement while grabbing the camera with a huge American flag draped in the background. The flag is similar to the "Otis" single art by Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci.
On Wednesday morning, fans were already tweeting about looking forward to the "Otis" premiere. "Just read that Spike Jonze is directing the video for Kanye West and Jay Z's new single 'Otis.' That should be something special," tweeted fan @ChrisBevan89. "The teaser to @kanyewest and Hov 'Otis' video looks crazy," added @Above_Par.
"They got Riccardo Tisci from Givenchy to do the [album] cover art, you have the American flag on the 'Otis' cover art, and you see a little bit of that in the video," Markman said. "They're giving you clues along the way, but we're seeing 1/20th of the picture that we're probably going to get tomorrow."
Read how Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Otis" defied radio rules.
The release of WTT has been very exciting for the hip-hop world, and Yee recalled where she was Sunday evening in the hours leading up to the album's drop. "I was in my bed at, like, 11 o'clock on Twitter, and I think at 11:30 it was available on iTunes on Sunday night, and everybody just went crazy," Yee said. "Like the whole entire night, people were just staying up downloading the whole entire album."
Markman said Thursday night's "Otis" premiere will cause similar excitement. "It's going to be an event," he said. "The way everybody gathered around iTunes to get the album, everybody is going to gather around their TV or MTV.com and sit in for this event and watch the video."
Yee has already made her plans: "I will be in front of the TV to watch the premiere of 'Otis' on MTV."
What are you expecting from the "Otis" video? Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #MTVOtis.
MTV News
Kanye West and Jay-Z in their "Otis" video
Photo: Roc-A-Fella
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
@JayZ, @KanyeWest's Throne Defies Radio Rules While lacking conventional single: Watch the Throne tracks 'Lift Off,' 'No Church in the Wild' and 'N---as in Paris' trend on Twitter.
Kanye West
Nothing Jay-Z and Kanye West have done leading up to Monday's release of Watch the Throne has been conventional. While most rap artists look to impact radio with a big crossover single before they drop their album, the Throne handled things a bit differently.
Photo: Flanigan/ FilmMagic
Yes, there was the release of the Lex Luger-produced "H.A.M.," which now stands as a bonus track on the deluxe version of WTT. Then there was "Otis" of course, but with no catchy chorus, the Redding-sampled track hardly screams crossover. Shade 45 DJ Statik Selektah said he doesn't think Jay and Kanye still need to conform to radio — he actually believes the opposite: "I think Jay and Kanye could put out an a cappella song and it'll get played," the DJ told MTV News.
Check out our photos of Jay and Kanye recording Watch the Throne.
Sucker Free and Power 105.1's DJ Envy agrees. While "Otis" doesn't fit the exact formula for a hit, Envy said radio has picked it up for one simple reason: It's a good record. "The first single, 'Otis,' if you wanna call it a single, it's not a radio record but it's been added on so many different radio stations, which I think is dope," he said. "You still play it in the club, and it's a hot record."
Shade 45's DJ Wonder echoed that sentiment: "With Jay-Z and Kanye, they're so iconic that it's not going to make a difference what they decided to do; people are gonna want it."
It's not that Watch the Throne has a shortage of likeable records. Since its release Monday, songs like "Lift Off," "No Church in the Wild" and "N---as in Paris" have all become trending topics on Twitter.
Conventional wisdom says that Watch the Throne will eventually produce a number of records for radio, but it doesn't seem that Hov and Yeezy necessarily planned for that while recording the album. DJ Khaled argues that when artists go in with the aim of recording for radio, they end up losing authenticity. "I think people that go in the studio saying, 'I'm making a radio record' is when they start goin' in the wrong direction. It's called, make a great record," he said. "When you start thinking, 'Oh, I should put a little sprinkle and make it radio,' sometimes that hurts you because it's not authentic."
Share your review of Watch the Throne in the comments below.
By Rob Markman
MTV.com
Kanye West thinks people look at him 'like Hitler': Rapper takes the stage to rap and rant, drawing boos and cheers
Whoops, he did it again — Kanye West may have done a little rapping, but for much of his Big Chill concert in Ledbury, England set he seemed to be using the stage as a soapbox, and fans weren't liking it.
By MESFIN FEKADU 
EASTNOR CASTLE DEER PARK, England — Kanye West says he feels like people look at him like Hitler.
The 34-year-old rapper known for his outbursts was the headline act at the Big Chill music festival Saturday night, where he ranted in the middle of his set about being misunderstood and underappreciated.
Slideshow: Kanye West
"I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street, and people look at me like I'm (expletive) insane, like I'm Hitler," he said. "One day the light will shine through and one day people will understand everything I ever did."
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The performer also defended the music video for his song "Monster," which features cannibalism and girls hanging from their necks.
"Who saw the video before it got banned, before they took it down and before women's groups starting saying that a person that lost the most important woman in his life is now against women in some way?" asked West, referring to the 2007 death of his mother Donda West.
The performer also defended the music video for his song "Monster," which features cannibalism and girls hanging from their necks.
"Who saw the video before it got banned, before they took it down and before women's groups starting saying that a person that lost the most important woman in his life is now against women in some way?" asked West, referring to the 2007 death of his mother Donda West.
Story: Why Jay-Z And Kanye West's Sudden Feud Could Cost Best Buy And Live Nation Millions
West, who started his set roughly 30 minutes late, apologized to the crowd for his tardiness, saying he needed to make sure his performance was great.
"Michael Jordan changed so much in basketball, he took his power to make a difference. It's so much (expletive) going on in music right now and somebody has to make a (expletive) difference," he said.
West, who started his set roughly 30 minutes late, apologized to the crowd for his tardiness, saying he needed to make sure his performance was great.
"Michael Jordan changed so much in basketball, he took his power to make a difference. It's so much (expletive) going on in music right now and somebody has to make a (expletive) difference," he said.
Story: Kanye West Says He's Still Giving Us the Silent Treatment
The multiplatinum-seller is known for his outspokenness, most notably his diss toward Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where he grabbed the microphone from her as she accepted the award for best female video and said Beyonce should have won it. In 2005 he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people" during a Hurricane Katrina telethon.
At the music festival, West talked about some of his awards show drama, saying some of his sponsorships were canceled as a result.
But West closed his show on a positive note by paying tribute to Amy Winehouse.
West, who said he met the late singer a few years ago during Paris fashion week, played snippets of Winehouse's "Tears Dry On Their Own" and "Back to Black." He said it was "beautiful" to meet the performer and that she was "amazing."
Then, in Kanye fashion, he began to rant.
"Thank you for protecting your artists that are still here," he said to the crowd. "This is for McQueen, for Amy, for Michael and for all the media, can you lighten up on all your artists that are still here?" he asked, receiving a roaring cheer from the crowd and leaving the stage with his 3-man band and 20-something backup dancers.
TODAY Celebrities
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
The multiplatinum-seller is known for his outspokenness, most notably his diss toward Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where he grabbed the microphone from her as she accepted the award for best female video and said Beyonce should have won it. In 2005 he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people" during a Hurricane Katrina telethon.
At the music festival, West talked about some of his awards show drama, saying some of his sponsorships were canceled as a result.
But West closed his show on a positive note by paying tribute to Amy Winehouse.
West, who said he met the late singer a few years ago during Paris fashion week, played snippets of Winehouse's "Tears Dry On Their Own" and "Back to Black." He said it was "beautiful" to meet the performer and that she was "amazing."
Then, in Kanye fashion, he began to rant.
"Thank you for protecting your artists that are still here," he said to the crowd. "This is for McQueen, for Amy, for Michael and for all the media, can you lighten up on all your artists that are still here?" he asked, receiving a roaring cheer from the crowd and leaving the stage with his 3-man band and 20-something backup dancers.
TODAY Celebrities
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
Friday, July 29, 2011
@JayZ & @KanyeWest #album deal irks #Indie retailers
Watch the Throne is due for release on iTunes on 8 August
Scores of independent US music stores have written an open letter to Jay-Z and Kanye West over exclusive release deals for their upcoming album.
Watch The Throne will be released first on iTunes before the Best Buy chain's exclusive deal to sell the album nearly two weeks ahead of other music retailers.
The letter says the deal will do "great damage" to more than 1,700 record stores and calls for equal access.
Jay-Z's spokesman had no comment.
Posted by the organisers of Record Store Day, the letter has been signed by shops across the US and calls the release plan a "short-sighted strategy".
"We know that you are busy, and that you put most of your energies into creating great music, but we are writing to you in the hope that you will hear us and take the time to rectify this matter," the letter states.
"As representatives of the independent record store music community, we are asking you to allow record stores and music fans equal access to your new album."
'Disastrous'
Some of the letter's signatories have also threatened to pull current and previous releases by the two artists from their shelves.
Others in the music retail industry have also criticised the move.
"A two-week window will be disastrous for music retailers," said Eric Levin, owner of Criminal Records and the head of the Alliance of Independent Media Stores.
According to Billboard, between the two exclusive iTunes and Best Buy release windows, 75% of the demand for the album is expected to be satisfied within 10 days.
Exclusive release deals are now common for top acts.
Recent examples include AC/DC's Black Ice given to Wal-Mart, while Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy
and the Rolling Stones Biggest Bang DVD package, were also sold through Best Buy.
Record Store Day was created in 2007 to celebrate independently owned record stores in response to counter media coverage about the demise of record shops.
However, independent stores have suffered a decline over the last decade due to digital music sales.
BBC News - Entertainment & Art
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