Why was Britney Spears hurrying into the California wild fires? Why will Rihanna fans have to wait until Tuesday to see her at the Barclays Center? All this, plus which song has Thirty Seconds To Mars released another dramatic lyric video for?
Last Lap: Why Was Tyler, the Creator’s Controversial Ad Pulled?
The Beastie Boys’ MCA gets some love from Brooklyn, Tom Morello keeps fighting for the workers, and Katy Perry keeps us guessing about her upcoming album.
Michael Jackson’s Thriller Turns 30: How The Video To “Thriller” Changed The Game
There will never be another musical genius like Michael Jackson. Now that that’s out of the way, today marks the 30th anniversary of MJ’s classic sixth studio album, Thriller. One album produced greats like “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Thriller,” “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).” As usual he outdid himself with a project draped in smooth vocals, feel-good lyrics and melodic instrumentation. But aside from the album’s greatness, Thriller is etched in history books for one reason: the video to “Thriller.” Read more…
Last Lap: Kelly Clarkson Wants To Be A Dallas Cowboy In Her New NFL Anthem
KELLY CLARKSON WANTS TO BE A COWBOY
Kelly Clarkson took a break from all her touring and cover song singing to rep her team, the Dallas Cowboys, with a new anthem called “Get Up.” Silver, blue, white, away or home — you don’t have to be a Cowboys fan or even a football fan to get into this one. [Mix965Houston]
CROCS CO-FOUNDER CRASHES HIS PORSCHE, BLAMES HIS “GIRLFRIEND” TAYLOR SWIFT
Despite his drunk rantings, we are confident that this foam clog king is definitely not the guy Taylor wrote “Never Ever Get Back Together.” [NYDN]
Adam “MCA” Yauch’s Will Prohibits Advertising From Using His Image Or Music
We still can’t believe Beastie Boys‘ Adam “MCA” Yauch is gone. He kept his word on never selling out to corporate, though, and even in death he’s honoring that promise. DNA Info reports that MCA’s last will and testament specifically instructed that his image, music and any art he’s created be prohibited from use in advertisement. Considering the number of ads where deceased stars like John Lennon, Kurt Cobain and Louis Armstrong have appeared well past their death, this ban is completely understandable. The rhymes from “Triple Trouble” take on a whole new meaning now. “Cause I’m a specializer, rhyme reviser/Ain’t selling out to advertisers/What you get is what you see/And you won’t see me out there advertising.” Read more…
Shearer’s Spotlight: An Open Letter To The VMAs Regarding Whitney Houston And Adam Yauch
Each week here on VH1 Tuner, our VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown host Jim Shearer (@jimshearer on Twitter) will be sharing his Shearer’s Spotlight with us. Be sure to tune into the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown tomorrow morning when it airs on VH1 at 9 a.m. ET/PT.
Dear VMAs,
In the past four months, music has lost the following legends: Whitney Houston, Jim Marshall (Marshall amps), Levon Helm (The Band), Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys), Dick Dunn (Booker T. and The MG’s), Donna Summer, and Robin Gibb (Bee Gees).
Of the aforementioned, Houston and Yauch’s work directly impacted MTV.
Houston brought vocal talent to pop music and Yauch —although his uncle Nathanial Hornblower may take credit— directed and starred in some of the most memorable videos ever seen on MTV. Just last year he won a Moonman for “Best Director.”
Since Houston and Yauch helped put MTV on the map —or at least in millions of cable systems throughout the world— their tributes at the upcoming VMA’s (Sept. 6) best befit their groundbreaking accomplishments. Read more…
Beastie Boys Adam Horovitz Says Adam “MCA” Yauch Was Not Afraid
Earlier this month the world loss a pioneer in hip-hop when Adam “MCA” Yauch died from cancer at 47. While we mourned the death of a great musician, Beastie Boys group member Adam Horovitz lost a lifelong friend. For the first time since MCA’s death on May 4, Horovitz opened up to RollingStone.com about the group’s vetoing system, MCA’s talent and fearlessness. When asked how he’s handling the pain Horovitz replied, “I’m totally numb.” He went on to reveal a time he was walking his dog and began to cry on the street. But through the grief he shares fond memories of Yauch. Read more…
Cutest Kids Ever Kids Honor Adam “MCA” Yauch In “Sabotage” Tribute
We’re still bummed about the untimely death of Adam “MCA” Yauch of the Beastie Boys. Luckily we found this adorable video of three kids paying tribute to MCA through a reenactment of the group’s popular 1994 video to “Sabotage.” Posted on Vimeo by James Winter, he added the with brief description, “Worked on this with the wife, kids and our nephew over the past week to pay tribute to Adam “MCA” Yauch,” we’re assuming the parents were the masterminds behind this idea as the kids aren’t quite old enough to be die hard fans of the hip-hop group. Not only are the kids cute as a button in wigs and fake mustaches, they pull off the kiddie version of “Sabotage” like pros. Read more…
Coldplay Pays Tribute To The Late Adam “MCA” Yauch By Covering “Fight For Your Right”
The music world was stunned by the sudden loss of Adam “MCA” Yauch, who died on Friday after a three-year long fight with cancer. The tributes quickly came rolling in on Twitter, but during a show at the legendary Hollywood Bowl on Friday night, Coldplay showed their respect for the Beastie Boys in song.
Lead singer Chris Martin, not exactly known as being a party rocker, came up with an arrangement of “Fight For Your Right” that expertly played to Coldplay’s strengths. The big, boozy classic rock riffs of the Rick Rubin produced original were replaced by a plaintive, almost spiritual piano melody. Martin sang the lyrics in a wholly different manner than the brash Beastie style, trading snotty obnoxiousness for a vibe that’s more respectful in nature. It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea —we saw just as many snarky reactions to it on Twitter this weekend as we saw celebratory ones— but we definitely salute the gents for paying tribute to a music legend in a way that felt both thoughtful and unique.
Fans, New Yorkers React To Adam “MCA” Yauch’s Death
As news broke this morning of Adam Yauch‘s death, countless fans and celebs shared memories of MCA on Twitter — sparking trending topics like “Paul’s Boutique” and “No Sleep Til Brooklyn.” But VH1 also wanted to take to the streets of New York City, where the Beastie Boys were born and bred, to talk to people face to face. We can’t say we were surprised to hear how sad New Yorkers are to lose someone so “legendary” and “iconic.”
“Everybody from New York can identify with the Beastie Boys,” said one passerby. “They represented New York so well.” Many mentioned how “shocked” they were to hear the news of Adam’s passing, also unsurprising as there were rumors last year that he had beaten the salivary gland cancer that he was diagnosed with in 2009. One man pleaded, “I hope all his fans will keep him alive.” We definitely will.
VH1 Classic will air two Beastie Boys video blocks on Saturday, May 5 from 7 – 8PM*, and on Sunday, May 6 from 11 AM – 12PM*. Additionally, VH1.com will post special interviews, features and memories over the weekend and is currently calling on fans to tweet their memories of Yauch with the hashtag #MCAmemories.
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