Tag Archives: Steven Tyler

Aziz Ansari (Sorta) Went Back To School To Prep For ‘Epic’ Role

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The new 3-D computer animated film “Epic” tells the story of a battle between the (very small) forces of good and evil in nature, where the very life of a forest hangs in the balance. It features the voices of Amanda Seyfried, Jason Sudeikis, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Chris O’Dowd, Beyonce Knowles, Steven Tyler and Pitbull.

In the movie, Ansari plays a cocky slug named Mub; O’Dowd is his brave snail sidekick, Grub. Together they form a comedy team in the grand tradition of animated duos like Timon and Pumbaa, Buzz and Woody, and Shrek and Donkey.

Though he brings a lot of funny to “Epic,” Ansari described his serious (and very made-up) preparation for the role. “Pitbull and I took a few classes at a nearby university to learn as much as we could about the insect world,” he told MTV News. “We learned quite a bit.”

O’Dowd was slightly less academic with his own “research” —”I just watched telly,” he said.

“Epic” is in theaters now.

Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian Party With Elton John For Oscars Weekend

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Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian Party With Elton John For Oscars Weekend

By Heidi Huerta

While Jennifer Hudson and Adele were performing at the Oscars, other starlets were enjoying the evening at Sir Elton John’s West Hollywood shindig. He hosted his 21st annual AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party where Nicki Minaj and soon-to-be mother Kim Kardashian snuggled up close and snapped some shots as they celebrated the night.

(Via Rap-Up) Minaj, spokesperson for the 2012 MAC Viva Glam campaign, sported her new lavender lipstick to the party, tweeting about the event, “Hanging w/ my @MACcosmetics crew @ejaforg. If you support #VIVAGLAM then you support amazing causes like this one. Time to pick up #NICKI2”. Just as in the Viva Glam campaign, this lipstick’s proceeds will also be going towards the MAC Aids fund.

While Minaj was promoting her lipstick, Kim Kardashian, who wore a white gown accenting her baby bump, stood close to her sisters throughout the evening, but took some time to snap pictures with Nicki. There was no sign of, Kanye, however as he was busy in London mouthing off about Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and corporations.

Elton John‘s guestlist also included Chris Brown, Randy Jackson, Heidi Klum, Emeli Sandé, Steven Tyler, Jim Carey, Naomi Campbell and much more.

Nicki Minaj Gets Apology From Steven Tyler After Bob Dylan Jab

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By Henna Kathiya

After taking a shot at Nicki Minaj’s judging skills, Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler has apologized for his insensitive remarks. A few days ago Tyler told MTV News that Nicki would’ve sent Bob Dylan to the “cornfield” if he auditioned for “Idol,” to which the Pink Friday rapper took great offense. While he apologized for his comments, he claimed that he is most definitely not racist.

In an interview with Canadian entertainment talk show eTalk on Tuesday (November 27), Tyler addressed his comments towards Nicki. “I apologize if it was taken wrong, Nicki. But I am the farthest thing from [being a racist] … I am the last thing on this planet as far as being a racist. I don’t know where she got that out of me saying I’m not sure how she would have judged Bob Dylan.

No celeb dispute is complete without some angry tweets. The YMCMB rapper took to Twitter to voice exactly what she thought about Steven’s remarks. “You assume that I wouldn’t have liked Bob Dylan? Why? Black? Rapper? What? Go f— yourself and worry about yourself babe,” she wrote. “I understand you really wanted to keep your job but take that up with the producers. I haven’t done anything to you. That’s a racist comment.”

In the eTalk interview, Tyler denied that the Dylan comment was racist and clarified that he meant, “if Bob Dylan came on the show, he would have been thrown off.” “Maybe I spoke out of turn. But a racist I’m not, Nicki,” Tyler said.

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Nicki Minaj Calls Steven Tyler’s ‘Cornfield’ Dis ‘Racist’

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Earlier Monday (November 26), when we first published Steven Tyler‘s rather, uh, unfiltered take on the new “American Idol” judges — Nicki Minaj in particular — we wrote that “It doesn’t take much” to get him excited.

Well, now we can say the same thing about Minaj. Because she’s just responded to Tyler’s claims that, if an artist like Bob Dylan were to audition for the new season of “Idol,” Nicki “would have sent him to the cornfield,” and, well, she got plenty excited whilst doing so.

In a series of tweets, Minaj ripped Tyler for making a “racist comment,” and pointed out that when he first appeared as a judge on the show, folks were none too kind to him, either.

“You assume that I wouldn’t have liked Bob Dylan? Why? Black? Rapper? What? Go f— yourself and worry about yourself babe,” Minaj wrote in one message, then added in another: “I understand you really wanted to keep your job but take that up with the producers. I haven’t done anything to you. That’s a racist comment.”

Minaj didn’t let up there, writing “Let’s make him a shirt that says ‘No Coloreds Allowed,’ then escort him down [to] Barbara Walters so he can tell how he was threatened [with] guns.”

She then threw one more jab at the Aerosmith frontman, saying “When Steven [first] went on ‘Idol’ he was ridiculed by his peers fans alike. Called a sell out. So what does he do? Ridicule the next judge.”

A rep for Tyler could not be reached for comment on Minaj’s tweets by press time. In an interview with MTV News last week, he responded to a question about reports of a feud between “Idol” judges Minaj and Mariah Carey, saying that it was doing a disservice to singers hoping to become stars on the show.

“I know that they’ve got something going on on the judges’ panel, [and] it shouldn’t be that, it should be just the opposite: They should have something going on, which is called ‘camaraderie,’ ” Tyler said. “They should have something going on so thick and beautiful that they can lay it over the new talent that’s trying to birth itself. It needs to be birthed, not judged by ‘entertainment’ factors, it needs to be judged by people that [are] honest, true, that have the ‘it’ factor. Not the ‘it’ factor because they can fight. The f— is that all about?”

Did Steven Tyler go too far? Let us know in the comments below.

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

Steven Tyler Slams New ‘American Idol’ Judges

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As if the 40-plus years he’s spent fronting Aerosmith — or the two he logged behind the judges’ table on “American Idol” — weren’t already evidence of this point, please allow us to clue you in: It doesn’t take much to get Steven Tyler excited.

So last week, when MTV News spoke with Tyler about Aerosmith’s new anthem for the New England Patriots, we figured we should also ask him about the upcoming season of “Idol,” which, as you’ve probably heard by now, is shaping up to be a contentious one, with new judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey reportedly at each other’s throats, during auditions. (Minaj has downplayed those reports, telling MTV News earlier this month that she and Carey are “fine.”)

And, well, let’s just say Tyler didn’t hold back.

“I know that they’ve got something going on on the judges’ panel, [and] it shouldn’t be that, it should be just the opposite: They should have something going on, which is called ‘camaraderie,’ ” he said. “They should have something going on so thick and beautiful that they can lay it over the new talent that’s trying to birth itself. It needs to be birthed, not judged by ‘entertainment’ factors, it needs to be judged by people that [are] honest, true, that have the ‘it’ factor. Not the ‘it’ factor because they can fight. The f— is that all about?”

Tyler then used last year’s “Idol” champ, Phillip Phillips, as an example of the type of artist that “camaraderie” is capable of creating, and said that he hopes Minaj and Carey can put aside their differences in order to continue cultivating new talent. Though, to be honest, he’s not sure if they’ll be able to do so.

“You just have to give your opinion. It wasn’t hard for me, but I would imagine it’s hard for some people, and they need a manager to say ‘Shut the f— up, and just give them your opinion,’ ” Tyler said. “These kids, they just got out of a car from the Midwest somewhere and they’re in New York City, they’re scared to death; you’re not going to get the best [out of them]. … If it was Bob Dylan, Nicki Minaj would have had him sent to the cornfield! Whereas, if it was Bob Dylan with us, we would have brought the best of him out, as we did with Phillip Phillips. Just saying.”

Do you agree with Tyler’s take on the new “Idol” judges? Let us know in the comments below!

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

Hurricane Sandy Telethon Gets Help From Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige

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In an effort to alleviate some of the suffering caused by Hurricane Sandy‘s devastation earlier this week, NBC Universal hosted a live benefit concert, “Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together,” on Friday (November 2). Proceeds from the hour-long telethon, which featured a slew of charitably-minded A-list celebrities who donated their time and voices to the cause, will go to the American Red Cross.

Hosted by “Today” show’s Matt Lauer, the commercial-free affair included heartfelt performances from East Coast natives Christina Aguilera, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Mary J Blige and Jon Bon Jovi (who rushed home from London to be there).

Aguilera opened the telethon with a moving rendition of her hit “Beautiful,” which was followed by the first of several packages of news footage that summarized the brunt of Sandy’s wrath.

One of New Jersey‘s most famous sons, Bon Jovi was shown paying a visit to a flooded neighborhood in his home state, where he offered words of support and hugs to the residents. The footage provided an intro to his live performance, an acoustic mash-up of his hits “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and “Living on a Prayer.” Billy Joel then took the stage with his almost chillingly relevant song from 1976, “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway).”

The performances were interspersed with appearances by a slew of New York’s most famous faces, including Tina Fey, Danny DeVito, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Bacon and Jimmy Fallon, who provided a charming moment of levity with an all-star rendition of “Under the Boardwalk” with Steven Tyler, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.

“Jimmy Fallon is a bold man to take lead vocals from Steven Tyler, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen,” funnyman Stewart joked following the sing-along, before providing his own sincere request for people to come together and help those in need.

Tyler was later joined by his Aerosmith bandmates Joe Perry and Brad Whitford for “Dream On,” followed by an acoustic version of “Message in a Bottle” by Sting.

Bronx-born Mary J. Blige offered a few heartfelt words of encouragement to the hurricane victims in addition to her moving performance of “The Living Proof.” “My prayers go out to everyone affected by the hurricane,” she said. “Hang in there, be strong and have faith.”

The evening was brought to a fitting conclusion with a few back-and-forth quips from self-proclaimed “Jersey boys” Brian Williams and Stewart, who reminisced about traveling on specific areas of the Jersey turnpike before turning things over to New Jersey‘s most famous and celebrated song man, Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band, who brought it all home with “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

To make a donation, visit RedCross.org, call (800) RED-CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 contribution to the cause.

‘X Factor’ Goes Live, And Britney, Demi Get (Barely) Passing Grades

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It was the moment that “X Factor” fans were waiting for. Wednesday night’s first live show promised proof of whether new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato were ready for prime time, or if the latest bold-name reality singing show panelists only give great TV in the editing room.

And the early verdict after the two-hour performance show was … yes and no.

MTV News spoke to a pair of “Factor” experts to judge Britney and Demi and the reviews were mixed, though both agreed that Spears was taking home a pretty hefty paycheck compared to the Dr. Seuss-level amount of words she expended on the show.

“Demi impressed me and I thought she was really sassy in a relatable way,” said Shirley Halperin, music editor for the Hollywood Reporter. “It was so nice to hear an honest-to-goodness opinion after two seasons of J.Lo and Steven Tyler [on 'American Idol'], who didn’t say much. It was weirdly refreshing and she seemed like a real person, which I could not say of Britney, who seemed a little bit like a robot.”

Though she didn’t offer the kind of detailed, impassioned comments that Lovato did, Halperin said Spears held her own and didn’t go off the rails (as some had feared the highly sheltered singer might) in her first live TV gig. “It wasn’t a big train wreck by any means, but she didn’t really say much. You could easily count the total number of words she said, which was around 50 and she’s getting paid $15 million!”

If anything, Spears’ live debut was a bit anticlimactic for Halperin, who thought that some of the low energy on Spears’ part may have come from the show being moved up one day due to the World Series finishing early and the singer being not quite ready for the live shows.

“Factor” blogger MJ Santilli said both women distinguished themselves by making bad song choices for their charges, but that Spears’ miscues seemed to point out her lack of musical wisdom. “When Britney went outside of her genre you could tell she didn’t have a lot of musical knowledge and her picks were mostly terrible,” she said of choices that included a Train song for soul sister Diamond White and a sleepy Jason Mraz number for Adele-like singer Beatrice Miller.

“Britney pretty much said something was amazing, or that it was boring, which was not very illuminating,” said Santilli. “She was just kind of wooden and making faces … and not very engaged.”

She thought Lovato, who gamely mixed it up with Simon Cowell and wasn’t afraid to offer some unpopular opinions, was better, but might have also suffered from some first-night jitters. “She was not as thoughtful as she was when I saw her live [during auditions] in Providence,” she said.

Neither thought Spears (or Lovato) were going to give the show the kind of ratings boost some at Fox may have been hoping for. Though “Factor” scored 7.4 million viewers on the traditionally slow Halloween night, the 2.7 rating with adults 18-49 was up from last week’s special telecast, but a 22 percent drop for the previous Wednesday episode on October 11, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

She may not boost the ratings in the way Cowell intended, but, if nothing else, Halperin said the move to “Factor” is a personal boost for Spears. “I think the show is good for her career, but she’s not necessarily all that great for the show,” she said. “It’s normalized her and makes her a bit more accessible than she’s been the last six years and does a lot for her PR, but does it help the ‘X Factor’ become a more watchable or talked about show? I don’t think so.”

It’s obviously very early in the game to paint either judge as a success or failure, but based on Wednesday’s show, Santilli put it even more succinctly: “If Britney is not awesome or a train wreck, forget it,” she said.

What did you think of Britney and Demi on “X Factor” Wednesday night? Did they kill it, or did they bomb? Let us know in comments below.

Justin Bieber Brings Oprah Backstage For ‘Next Chapter’

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Beliebers, get ready: Oprah just wrapped up an interview with Justin Bieber, set to air November 25 on OWN’s “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” The talk-show host announced the exciting news by uploading a picture to her Facebook page of herself with the bright-eyed Biebs.

Have you ever wondered how that lucky girl Bieber invites onstage for his “One Less Lonely Girl” performance gets chosen? Oprah’s got the scoop. On Tuesday night, Winfrey got a backstage pass to Bieber’s sold-out Believe concert at the All-State Arena in Rosemount, Illinois, and an exclusive look at the process. And on Wednesday (October 24), Bieber and Oprah sat down at Chicago’s RL Restaurant for “one of the most in-depth interviews the singer has ever agreed to do,” according to a press release from the show.

Is Justin Bieber teaming up with The Wanted for some new music?

This isn’t Bieber’s first encounter with Oprah: The teen heartthrob stopped by “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2010 as he was beginning to adjust to fame and grappling with the hordes of screaming girls. Still rocking that signature shaggy ‘do that helped catapult him to fame, he told Oprah, “It’s been pretty crazy coming from a little town in Canada and now being able to travel the world and do what I love.”

“Oprah’s Next Chapter” has featured interviews with the Kardashians, Steven Tyler, Whitney Houston‘s family and 50 Cent, among others. The Bieber episode — which premieres Sunday, November 25, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and will then air on TLC, Home Health and Real Time the next day — will be broadcast in more than 100 countries.

Nicki Minaj — And Alter Egos — Join ‘American Idol’

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Maybe they just couldn’t get Roman to sign on the dotted line. After weeks of speculation that Nicki Minaj would join the “American Idol” judges’ panel, on Sunday (September 16), it was confirmed that the flamboyant MC had inked a deal with the Fox show, in the wake of departures by Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez after season 11.

While Minaj will bring the hip-hop flavor, superstar Keith Urban will bring much-needed country music bona fides to a show that has in recent years seen its fair share of country contenders, from megastar Carrie Underwood to respective season 10 winner and runner-up, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina.

The search for a new panel was months in the making, with a number of established and upcoming stars rumored to be in talks or named on the “Idol” wish-list, including Nick Jonas, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus. Others openly lobbied for the gig, like alum Adam Lambert, who earlier this summer told reporters in the U.K. that he would “jump at the chance” if asked.

With the addition of Nicki and Urban, the panel would seem to have filled every available seat: Back in July, Mariah Carey announced that she would indeed be sitting behind the table on “American Idol” for season 12, and her longtime pal and “AI” veteran Randy Jackson appears to have agreed to stay on as a judge after buzz that he might be ushered into a mentoring role.

Salary reports for the two newest additions have yet to hit the Net, but Carey, 42, will reportedly earn $17 million for one season, which puts her just above the reported $15 million Britney Spears is taking in for her role on ex-”Idol” judge Simon Cowell’s “X Factor.”

What do you think of Nicki joining “Idol”? Tell us in the comments!

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

Kanye West Could Be Next ‘American Idol’ Judge

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21c54 kanye1 Kanye West Could Be Next American Idol Judge

By Carter Maness

After rumors earlier this week that Young Money icon Nicki Minaj is finalizing a contract to judge “American Idol,” Kanye West is now joining the list of potential judges for next season.

Given the departures of both Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, as well as the recent confirmation of a new $18 million contract for Mariah Carey, it makes sense that the show’s executive producers are reaching out to a long list of musicians with significant star power for the remaining open seats.

TMZ originally reported the rumor, claiming that the show’s executives approached West and offered him at least the same amount of money that Carey is about to receive. West reportedly expressed interest but, like Minaj, has yet to publicly comment on the rumors.

Other potential judges that have been tied to the show during its tumultuous summer break have included Pharrell Williams, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Nick Jonas and Alanis Morissette.

In addition to Carey, the new judges will presumably join holdover original judge Randy Jackson. Jackson is still rumored to move into a “mentor” role on the show’s upcoming season but will still be deeply involved in the broadcasts.

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