Macy Gray

Mya, Kelly Osbourne, Others Join 'Dancing With The Stars'

17 Aug 2009 11:56:00 EDT

Macy Gray, Aaron Carter and former Republican Congressman Tom DeLay also scheduled to compete.
By Jocelyn Vena

Although it was rumored that LaToya Jackson and Paula Abdul were possible contenders for the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars," neither will actually be vying for the title of dancing king or queen when the new season begins on September 21 on ABC.

Singers Mya, Macy Gray Aaron Carter and Donny Osmond and MTV reality star Kelly Osbourne, however, are scheduled to compete on the show. Former Republican Congressman Tom DeLay, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" star Melissa Joan Hart, actress Debi Mazar, George Hamilton's son Ashley Hamilton, model Joanna Krupa, model/actress Kathy Ireland, mixed-martial-artist Chuck Liddell, professional snowboarder Louie Vito, Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin will also be battling for the mirror-ball trophy.




	'Dancing With The Stars' Cast Announced

The announcement was made on "Good Morning America" Monday (August 17) by the show's host Tom Bergeron, who announced that the show will work a little differently for its ninth season.

"In the middle of our season, over three weeks, we're going to have double eliminations," Bergeron said. "We'll lose about half of our cast within that period. It will be a ballroom bloodbath."

Last week, the show's executive producer, Conrad Green, talked about the rumors of Abdul joining the cast, saying that it was a "possibility." "She has never been trained in ballroom and Latin," he told ETonline. "So that is a possibility as well. It is for Paula to work out. At the moment, the world is her oyster. Everyone wants her. At our show, we are great fans of Paula."

Last season, gymnast Shawn Johnson beat out the likes of Lil' Kim, Steve-O and Belinda Carlisle to win the dancing competition.

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'Dancing With The Stars' Cast Announced

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New Releases: Good Charlotte, J. Lo, Young Buck, Lil' Flip, Now 24 & More

27 Mar 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: Tha Dogg Pound, Macy Gray, Kaiser Chiefs, TV on the Radio, MIMS, Clutch, Redman, Mobb Deep's Prodigy.
By Kurt Orzeck

This year's Billboard albums charts have been shocker after shocker, with Daughtry, Lloyd and even potential "Where Ya Been?" candidate Musiq Soulchild claiming the crown in recent months. This week's slate of new releases is full of powerhouses, which might make next week's chart even tougher to predict.

Here are 10 top-tier candidates and why each one has a shot at making a dent on this week's chart.

Good Charlotte's Good Morning Revival: For their fourth album, the Madden brothers took their posse back to where it started by enlisting producer Don Gilmore, who worked on their self-titled debut in 2000. But unlike before, the band collaborated with another artist for the first time ever on one of their albums: Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows and Synyster Gates, who appear on the first single, "The River."

Advantage: The band's 2004 effort, The Chronicles of Life and Death, reached #3 on the chart and went platinum.

Jennifer Lopez's Como Ama Una Mujer: ¡Por fin! Fans of the pop singer have been waiting forever for a Spanish-language album, and she delivers with an assist from producer/hubby Marc Anthony. Estefano and Julio Reyes also sit behind the boards, trying to figure out just exactly how a woman loves. Songs include: "Me Haces Falta," "Qué Hiciste" and "Te Voy a Querer."

Advantage: Like Good Charlotte, the singer's most recent album — 2005's Rebirth — landed in the top three (#2, in fact) and sold more than a million copies.

Various artists' Now That's What I Call Music! 24: The hit series of hit collections encompasses 20 pipin'-hot singles this time around, including "Irreplaceable" (Beyoncé), "My Love" (Justin Timberlake), "Promise" (Ciara), "Fergalicious" (Fergie), Daughtry ("It's Not Over") and the All-American Rejects ("It Ends Tonight").

Advantage: This series is all about the numbers, and the numbers tell it all: last year's 23 was the 10th Now installment to hit #1 and was the second-fastest album to go double-platinum last year.

Young Buck's Buck the World: Could a guest list get much more seismic than this? For the rapper's second effort, Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent produce; Young Jeezy, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Snoop, T.I., 8Ball and MJG, Jazze Pha, Pimp C, Bun B and 50 guest. Talk about universal appeal.

Advantage: The G-Unit member has been unintentionally in the limelight after becoming tangentially involved in the 50 Cent/ Cam'ron feud, which could wind up helping sales. Buck's debut, Straight Outta Cashville, opened at #3 and has sold a million and a half copies.

Lil' Flip's I Need Mine: The freestyle king piles a staggering 35 tracks onto his new two-disc set. His guest lineup doesn't quite measure up to Buck's, but it's not one to brush off, either: Chamillionaire, Lyfe Jennings, Three 6 Mafia, Mannie Fresh, Nate Dogg and Bun B pay visits.

Advantage: This Houston duder moved more than 100,000 copies of his Leprechaun debut before even getting signed to a major — with this Warner Bros. release, he'll certainly eclipse that number.

Macy Gray's Big: Macy who? The singer may have slid down the ladder in recent years, but a bevy of her friends haven't lost faith in her: The Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am is delivering this LP through his Will.I.Am Music Group partnership with Geffen, and Justin Timberlake, Nas, Fergie, Natalie Cole and Will himself hopped onboard.

Advantage: Big numbers probably aren't on the horizon for the singer — her last studio LP, 2003's The Trouble With Being Myself, opened at a flimsy #44. Now that she's signed to Will's label, she might see some slightly stronger numbers this time around.

Tha Dogg Pound's Dogg Ch--: The group just issued a comeback LP in July, but they're back with more doggie treats this week. This set features the Game ("Anybody Killa"), Snoop (first single, "Vibe With a Pimp"), Too Short ("Can't Get Enuff") and more top West Coast talent.

Advantage: This is the Pound's first self-produced album since their 1995 debut, Dogg Food. That effort went double-platinum ... could this one too?

Prodigy's Return of the Mac: Not to be confused with the rock band of the same name, one-half of Mobb Deep steps up this week with a new effort. The Alchemist-produced release is littered with samples of '70s soul songs, and is being classified as a mixtape for that reason — even though 50 Cent was reportedly so enthusiastic about the set that he wanted to issue it as a proper release. The Circuit City edition has three extra slices: "My Priorities," "That's That" (featuring Havoc) and "Last Words" (featuring Kokane).

Advantage: People seem to buy CDs that involve this guy "50 Cent."

Redman's Red Gone Wild: Thee Album: It's one thing for an album to bump, but for it to be postponed for nearly two years? Leave that to Red, who'll probably blame his partying ways. This is yet another LP heavy with guest spots — incorrigible cohort Method Man, plus Snoop, Erick Sermon, Keith Murray, Nate Dogg and Biz Markie all pay 'em. Scott Storch, Timbaland and Rockwilder produce to boot.

Advantage: The "H.R. Pufnstuf"-esque album cover is one of the more colorful illustrations to grace a rap release in recent memory. Maybe it'll distract consumers from the zillion other rap releases this week.

Kaiser Chiefs' Yours Truly, Angry Mob: Make room for the rock! Two years ago, the new wavers' Employment debut opened in the top 100 — not bad for a Brit-pop band in the U.S. Songs include "Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)," "Learnt My Lesson Well" and "Everything Is Average Nowadays."

Advantage: The beefy deluxe edition is hard to say no to: It features a bonus DVD featuring six songs performed in Berlin last year and a 10-minute documentary, 24-page booklet and comes in digipak form.

Song Title of the Week:

"When Vegans Attack" from Clutch's From Beale Street to Oblivion

Other Notables:

TV on the Radio's Live at Amoeba: TV on the Radio not in the top 10, even though their Return to Cookie Mountain debuted at #41 and made it to virtually every best-of list last year? Well, that's because even hard-core fans might have a little trouble getting their hands on this limited-edition concert EP, which is only available at Amoeba Music stores. It features four Cookie cuts recorded at Amoeba's Hollywood location in September: "Blues From Down Here," "Wolf Like Me," "Province" and "Wash the Day." Hurry up — the CD is only available for 30 days but comes with a rare poster (and it only costs six bucks).

Various artists' Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire: With Musiq Soulchild all the rage all over again right now, his cover of EW&F's "Reasons" should give the tribute compendium an extra boost. The long-in-the-works salute — part of the Stax label's 50th anniversary festivities — also features Angie Stone ("Be Ever Wonderful"), Chaka Khan ("Shining Star") and more.

The Fall's Reformation Post-T.L.C.: After tireless frontman Mark E. Smith's guitarists and drummer bailed on him and keyboardist/wife Eleni Poulou mid-tour in the summer, he enlisted a new backing band to take over. After the stint, the new configuration then recorded this 14-track opus, which comes with enhanced video capturing concert clips, extended songs and more.

New Releases:

· Alabama - Songs of Inspiration II (RCA)
· Antelope - Reflector (Dischord)
· Che Arthur - Iron (Sickroom)
· The Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound - Ekranoplan (Tee Pee)
· David Ball - Heartaches by the Number (Shanachie)
· The John Butler Trio - Grand National (Atlantic) [Buy Now]
· Todd Carey - Watching Waiting (High Wire)
· Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion (DRT)
· Daphne Loves Derby - Good Night, Witness Light (Outlook)
· The Fall - Reformation Post-T.L.C. (enhanced; Narnack)
· Filthy Thieving Bastards - I'm a Son of a Gun (digipak; BYO)
· Good Charlotte - Good Morning Revival (Epic) [Buy Now]
Read: "Good Charlotte Don Their Dance Shoes For Feel-Good Revival"
· Macy Gray - Big (Geffen) [Buy Now]
Read: "Justin, Will.I.Am, Outkast Give Big Love To Macy Gray"
· Kate Havnevik - Melankton (Republic)
· Hot Rod Circuit - The Underground Is a Dying Breed (Immortal)
· Jack Ingram - This Is It (Big Machine)
· Kaiser Chiefs - Yours Truly, Angry Mob (deluxe edition comes with DVD;

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For The Record: Quick News On Katharine McPhee, Lindsay Lohan, Avenged Sevenfold, Scarlett Johansson & More

26 Jul 2006 16:33:00 EDT

'Idol' runner-up co-producing death-row drama; Lohan collapses on movie set; metal band announces post-Ozzfest dates.
By MTV News staff report

"American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee is looking to take a behind-the-scenes role on a different type of stage. The singer is co-producing "Red Herring," a drama focusing on death-row prison inmates that will be presented as part of the 10th annual New York International Fringe Festival. "As soon as I read this play, I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of," McPhee said in a statement. "Audiences know me best from 'American Idol,' but my passion has always been theater." "Red Herring" runs at the Connelly Theatre from August 12-26. ...

Not even Lindsay Lohan can escape the heat. The singer/actress collapsed on the Encinitas, California, set of her new movie "Georgia Rule" on Tuesday, and was then rushed to a nearby hospital, according to a witness. Her spokesperson chalked up the collapse to the actress being overheated and dehydrated. "She is OK, she is fine," Leslie Sloane Zelnik told MTV News. ...

Avenged Sevenfold have booked nine North American dates for September — which will be the band's first post-Ozzfest gigs. Just three of the shows will be happening in the U.S., with the remainder scheduled for Canada. Those States dates are September 7 in Anchorage, Alaska; September 13 in Fargo, North Dakota; and September 15 in Des Moines, Iowa. ...

Scarlett Johansson is getting quite a kick out of her new fashion promotion. The actress has teamed with Reebok to craft her own women's shoe, Scarlett "Hearts" Rbk, which the company's press release describes as "a fashion-forward, athletic-inspired footwear." The kicks debut in the spring, when Johansson will be featured in a new Reebok ad campaign. ...

The Rolling Stones, already in the midst of the highest-grossing tour of 2006, will kick off the second North American leg of their A Bigger Bang world tour at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on September 20, according to an announcement on the group's Web site. A yet-unannounced group of "young, contemporary opening acts" will be on the bill for the shows, which will primarily hit stadiums and some arenas in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The band is also playing some smaller markets on the 17-date jaunt, such as Wichita, Kansas; Missoula, Montana; El Paso, Texas; and Boise, Idaho. The shows are scheduled to wrap up with a November 18 date at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. ...Oasis will release a two-CD greatest-hits album on November 21 titled Stop the Clocks. The 18-song compilation will feature B-sides chosen by the bandmembers, such as "Acquiesce" and "Half the World Away," as well as such well-known hits as "Supersonic" and "Wonderwall." ...

Time Inc. announced Tuesday that it is killing the eight-year-old Teen People magazine in the wake of a glut of other titles offering celebrity news and a hard downturn in ad sales. The final issue, with "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood on the cover, will hit newsstands on August 4, according to The New York Times. The magazine's Web site will continue to be updated with new stories. ... A 40-year-old, never-before-released song by Jimi Hendrix, "Station Break," will be offered for sale at an October 26 intellectual-property auction in New York. The sale includes the copyright and original reel-to-reel recording of the song, laid down in a 1966 session early in the guitar god's career. ...

Ballroom dancers and professional ice skaters have done their part to find new talents in celebrities, and now singers are stepping up to the challenge. Patti LaBelle, Cyndi Lauper, Chaka Khan, Macy Gray, Brian McKnight and Smokey Robinson are among the singers who will team up with famous people not known for their singing skills — for "Celebrity Duets," a Fox series that debuts August 29. ... Donnie Wahlberg will play an undercover CIA agent in the miniseries "The Path to 9/11," a dramatization of events detailed in the 9/11 Commission Report. The movie stars Harvey Keitel and airs September 10 and 11 on ABC.

R.E.M. have compiled their 1980s I.R.S. Records output in CD and DVD anthologies due September 12. And I Feel Fine ... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 will come out in two versions: a 21-track single-disc collection and a two-CD edition with an extra disc of rarities, including previously unreleased mixes and live recordings. The DVD, titled "When the Light Is Mine ... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987," features 11 music videos — including clips for "Radio Free Europe" and "The One I Love" — along with TV and film performances and interviews. ... Kylie Minogue is launching a new fragrance, but if you want to smell like the dance diva, you may have to make use of your passport. Coty Inc. signed the singer to develop a line of fragrances set to launch this fall in Australia, the U.K. and Ireland, with distribution throughout Europe and Asia to follow. The company describes the scent as "multi-faceted," to reflect Kylie's personality. ...

R&B legend Stevie Wonder was named as one of the recipients of the National Civil Rights Museum's 2006 Freedom Awards on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Wonder was honored alongside the founder of Doctors Without Borders and civil-rights leader Joseph Lowery. ... Now that you've got Jay-Z and Jessica Simpson on your cell phone, how about a ringtone or two by Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock? Jazz label Blue Note has released two dozen jazz classics through its Best of Blue Tones series, and is planning more in the future. ... Dick Clark, creator and host of the long-running music TV program "American Bandstand," will be honored as part of the 58th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Barry Manilow, who performed and co-wrote the "Bandstand" theme song, will perform a special musical tribute to Clark. The Emmys, hosted by Conan O'Brien, air August 27 on NBC.

07.25.2006

Nelly Furtado and Timbaland will team up to perform "Promiscuous" at Teen Choice 2006. The song is nominated for Choice R&B/ Hip Hop Track at the awards show, which presents surfboard trophies to honorees chosen by the public. Jessica Alba, Snoop Dogg, Hilary Duff and the cast of "High School Musical" will also appear at the August 20 ceremony, co-hosted by Jessica Simpson and Dane Cook. You can vote for your favorites at TeenPeople.com through August 11. ...

DMX keeps getting in trouble with the law over traffic violations, but the Dog is refusing to cop a plea for his latest charge. On Monday in New York, he rejected a plea bargain for a misdemeanor charge he caught for aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle in White Plains in June. The case has been adjourned until August 25. ...

When the American Idols Live Tour hits Washington, D.C., on Friday, the talent competition's top finalists have a stop to make before they take the stage. Winner Taylor Hicks and his onstage partners have been invited to the White House, where they will take a tour and meet with President Bush. It isn't clear whether runner-up Katharine McPhee, who has missed all stops on the tour, will attend. ... Meanwhile, "American Idol" hopefuls who plan to show off their pipes during the very first tryouts for next season's contest will be giving their all in a new location. Opening day of the audition process, set for August 8 in Southern California, has been moved from Inglewood's Forum to Pasadena's Rose Bowl Stadium. ...

James Blunt has mapped out a 35-city North American tour, which is set to launch in Montreal on October 1. Dates are booked through November 18 in Las Vegas, and tickets will go on sale Wednesday. Stops are scheduled in Pittsburgh; Providence, Rhode Island; New York; Cleveland; Detroit; Chicago; San Diego; and Phoenix. ... MTV News reported in January that the White Stripes would be lending their voices to an episode of "The Simpsons," and now Fox has announced that the Jack and Meg White guest spots will air September 17. Other celebrity guests hitting Springfield for the series' 18th season include Natalie Portman, Kiefer Sutherland, Dr. Phil McGraw and Metallica, who will be featured in the September 10 season premiere. ...

Arvel Jett Reeves, one of two men accused of conspiring to secretly videotape Michael Jackson on a plane, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and six months in a halfway house with drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities on Monday, The Associated Press reports. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Reeves and co-defendant Jeffrey Borer — who owned the Xtra Jet service Jackson hired to fly him to Santa Barbara, California, in November 2003 to surrender in a child-molestation investigation — admitted in a plea agreement last year that they installed two digital video cameras on the plane to record a "professional entertainer." Borer asked Reeves — whose company serviced the jets — to install the cameras with the intention of selling the recordings. Borer will be sentenced in September. Jackson was acquitted of the child-molestation charges in 2005. ...

After an August tour opening up for Death Cab for Cutie, indie-pop husband-and-wife act Mates of State will embark on their own road trip this fall. Starting September 3 at Seattle's Bumbershoot festival, the 17-date trek will hit Canada and parts of the Midwest before finishing up September 30 in New York. Barsuk labelmates Starlight Mints will be the tour openers. ... Clutch will play 14 gigs in September with the Bellrays and Year Long Disaster. The trek kicks off September 9 in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Justin, Will.I.Am, Outkast Give Big Love To Macy Gray

22 Mar 2006 06:00:00 EST

Album also features Natalie Cole.
By Brandee J. Tecson

WEST HOLLYWOOD, California — When Macy Gray said her new album would be big, she wasn't kidding.

Not only has the raspy-voiced songstress raked in the dynamic production duo of Justin Timberlake and the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am — collectively known as the Jawbreakers — to helm the new LP, which is called Big and due later this year, she also locked down a collaboration with one of R&B's most celebrated vocalists.

"Natalie Cole is on the album," revealed Gray, who also laid down songs with Outkast and Sleepy Brown. Despite the A-list guests, Gray said she wanted to keep the outside influences fairly small. "We didn't need [a lot of guests]," she said. "The music is so hot that it speaks for itself." Gray also collaborated with Whiteleaf, a team of beatmakers who recently contributed to Floetry's latest, Flo'Ology.

Gray, who is currently in the process of mixing the album, said Big is "definitely the best album I've ever made," adding that it's a blend of classic Macy and new sounds. "It's [going to have] everything: hip-hop, R&B, rock and roll ... even, like, old folk music," she said. "We managed to come up with some new beats, so it's real hot."

Gray doesn't just have music on her mind. She has a small role as a madam in the Outkast film Idlewild, alongside Terrence Howard, Ving Rhames and Faizon Love (see "Outkast's Manager Swears Idlewild Is Almost Done; Group Plans Rosa Parks Tribute").

Gray will also be launching her new clothing line, Natalie Hines, this fall (see "Macy Gray Tries On Clothing Line, Rapper/Stripper/Burglar Role").

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Macy Gray: From The Red Carpet To The Stage

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Pussycat Dolls Fetch Fashion Freebies From Gwen, Good Charlotte

06 Feb 2006 15:31:00 EST

A-list celebs, designers converge at Grammy Style Studio.
By Corey Moss

HOLLYWOOD — Kanye West isn't the only one with goals going into Wednesday's Grammys. He wants the Album of the Year while the Pussycat Dolls want, well, to avoid the worst-dressed lists.

"We want to be in the front pages of Us Weekly, not the back," Pussycat Melody Thornton deadpanned.

So where's a Doll to go when she needs to get dolled up? Enter the Grammy Style Studio, the third annual Recording Academy-sponsored gifting suite where A-list celebrities and designers converge for what is best described as a smorgasbord of free stuff.

(Check out photos from the Grammy Style Studio.)

"Music and fashion go hand in hand for sure," Thornton said, inadvertently summing up the event, which kicked off Saturday and extends through Tuesday. And this year's Style Studio blends the two worlds more than ever, with Gwen Stefani, Beyoncé and even the Doors pushing their own products.

"We just got hooked up by Gwen," Thornton said as she juggled various L.A.M.B. tank tops, scarves and shoes in her tiny arms (see "Gwen Previews New Songs, Clothing Line For Diddy, Kravitz, Others"). "I love everything Gwen. She's very fashion-forward. Everything she does is a step ahead."

While networking with designers and stylists is top priority, the Grammy Style Studio is also an opportunity for musicians to meet each other. Saturday was no exception: Thornton, for one, bumped into Tyrese, and within a few minutes was lobbying for a guest spot on his new double album.




	Pussycat Dolls, Good Charlotte, Macy Gray At The Grammy Style Studio

	The 48th Annual Grammy Nominees

"You know, with all of these cameras taking pictures of us talking, we're all of a sudden a couple," the singer told her as dozens of photographers clicked away. "They're gonna say we were shopping together and — what's that word? — noodling."

"Canoodling," she replied, like a true Us Weekly aficionado.

Meanwhile fellow Doll Kimberly Wyatt tracked down Good Charlotte at the Ben Sherman booth to discuss a different sort of collaboration.

"Sure, we'd love to dress you," Benji Madden told her, referring to GC's Made Clothing. "As leaders of whatever fashion there is in our genre, we need to step it up and tell other bands what they should be wearing."

It's all about representing, of course, and there's nothing designers want more than the right celebrities repping for them.

"There's no better stamp of approval than an artist wearing your shirt or jacket at a concert for 30,000 people," Ben Sherman's entertainment marketing manager, Dana Dynamite, said. "I couldn't ask for anything more. Product placement is so key."

"It's all about how they feel in the product, so if they like it they're going to keep coming back," added Sara Murray of Stitch's Jeans. "I have clients who buy 12 pairs of jeans because they love the fit."

Loyalty comes later, though. At the Style Studio, it's all about maximizing your time. As Linkin Park's Joe Hahn, No Doubt's Adrian Young and Macy Gray worked their way from Pony shoes to Mia & Kompany jewelry to Elini watches, the Pussycat Dolls had their managers bringing bags out to their cars as they continued "shopping."

"It's all forms of self-expression," Wyatt said of her fashion. "And that's what the Pussycat Dolls are about: just putting your best foot forward and having fun and just being a girl."

The show's over, but there's still plenty of Grammy goodness right here on MTVNews.com. Check out photos of the hottest green-carpet and onstage moments, find out what went down at the celeb-packed parties, and share your thoughts on the performers, winners and losers.

Plus watch videos of all the nominees on MTV.com and check out exclusive video footage from the big night on Overdrive.

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Will.I.Am Wants To Pull A Rick Rubin With Sergio Mendes, Macy Gray

05 Dec 2005 21:31:00 EST

Mendes' Timeless to guest star Stevie Wonder; Outkast will appear on Gray's next LP.
By Corey Moss

DENVER — What Jack White did for Loretta Lynn, Rick Rubin did for Johnny Cash (and now Neil Diamond) and Clive Davis did for Santana, Will.I.Am wants to do for Sergio Mendes.

Sergio's name most likely means nothing to music fans born in the past 25 years, but the Black Eyed Peas founder wants to change that.

"For those who don't know, he's like the ambassador of Brazilian samba, bossa nova music," Will said backstage at a recent Peas show.

Will is producing Mendes' upcoming album, a star-studded affair similar to Santana's Supernatural smash and his two follow-ups.

Guests on Mendes' Timeless — which is due February 14 on Concord/Starbucks' Hear Music — include Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, India.Arie, the Roots, Chali 2na from Jurassic 5, dancehall star Mr. Vegas and more.

"I have Sergio Mendes, Pharoahe Monch and Justin Timberlake on a track," Will said. "Who would of ever thought of that combination? I mean this record is beautiful. It ain't like a club record where it's like, 'Oh, oh this muffin,' and next year it's like whatever, you wait for the next club record. This is like classic beautiful melodies. ... It's relaxing ... it's the make-love-slow record."

The Brazilian star is just one of a large variety of artists Will.I.Am has spent studio time with over the past year, a list that also includes the Rolling Stones, Timberlake (see "Timberlake Feeling Will.I.Am's Love All Over Again On New LP") and another artist on I.Am.Music, Macy Gray.

"Macy Gray's been part of our family since before she put out her first record," Will said. "She was on our first record that came out in 1998 [Behind the Front], and I remember hanging out at the studio watching [her record], being inspired like, 'Wow ... I try to say goodbye and I choke.' I was there while she recorded that and I remember what it felt like."

Now Will's trying to bring that magic back to a career that has flattened out.

"She had the same musicians, the mics didn't move on the drum kit, the mics didn't move off the organ, it was the same thing [every day]," he explained. "So I told her this is how I want it done: same musicians, same mics, same room, and I want it to sound like an album. I don't wanna have to search for hits, 'cause if we just have fun in the studio or make songs, then those hits will come. Nowadays, what's a hit anyways?"

So far Will, Outkast and Sleepy Brown have recorded guest appearances, and talks are ongoing with Nas, but besides that, Will wants the album to have few guests.

"It's like, 'Macy, you been gone for a long time, people think you're crazy, that's the kind of record you gotta make,' " Will said. "You gotta answer a lot of these people's questions on what they think about you and that's what the record should be about. She was like, 'I get it, I love it.' "

Gray's album is due sometime in 2006.

Along with Mendes and Gray, I.Am.Music will also release the solo debut by Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie, which Will is also producing.

"Me and Fergie, our conversations are like, 'Look, they seen you with three dudes, hyper as all hyper can be, so when you come out solo people are gonna be expecting a lot from you,' " Will said. "So we gotta really hit my 'beeps' [censoring himself] across the head with 'I wish I did that.' Like hip-hop people gotta say, 'I wish I had that beat.' All these R&B chick singers should be like, 'Dang, I wish I would've came off like that.' That's a hard thing to try to achieve, but I think we have it in our bag with this Fergie project, 'cause this 'My Humps' thing really shocked people. They didn't think that Fergie was gonna come like that. So that's the same kinda surprises that we're gonna give on this Fergie record."

Like Gray's, Fergie's album will be light with guests.

"There'll be collaborations, but collaborations that really add to the song, not just like, 'Hey, I worked with such and such just for the sake of working with them, just 'cause you need like some type of publicity angle to go to radio,' " Will said. "That's not what these records are about."

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Black Eyed Peas Put Two In A Pod With Simultaneous Singles

13 Jul 2005 06:00:00 EDT

In the meantime, rapper Will.I.Am keeping busy with new Sergio Mendes, Macy Gray albums.
By Brandee J. Tecson, with reporting by Corey Moss

HOLLYWOOD — Why release one single when you can release two? That seems to be the Black Eyed Peas' new philosophy as they gear up to release a pair of tracks off their latest LP, Monkey Business.

"[The second single] is a song called 'Don't Lie,' but at the same time we release that, we're gonna come with another lifestyle kind of song called 'Like That' with Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, John Legend and Cee-Lo," Will.I.Am revealed backstage at the 2005 BET Awards (see "Destiny's Child Give Lap Dances, Fugees End Feud At BET Awards").

" 'Don't Lie' is a summer feel-good song about messed up relationships," he said. "It's a song about owning up and apologizing and realizing your faults. It's about being a man, or a woman — an adult — and confronting situations honestly."

The Peas have already filmed a video for the song in Brazil, a country whose culture inspired Monkey Business. While the rapper divulged that there will be a slew of "Brazilian things" in the video, he remained mum on the plot. "There's dancing, clubs, stuff like that," Will said.

"Like That," a mellower tune with a quick delivery, "is more underground hip-hop, where our roots came from," he said.

Apart from the Peas, Will has been hard at work on Brazilian legend Sergio Mendes' forthcoming LP, which will also feature Stevie Wonder, Q-Tip and Jill Scott. "It's like hip-hop samba," Will said.

The rapper is also crafting beats for Macy Gray's new album, tentatively titled Big (see "Macy Gray Tries On Clothing Line, Rapper/Stripper/Burglar Role"). The raspy-voiced R&B singer recently signed to Will's record label and plans to drop her LP this fall.

"That record's, like, stupid," the rapper exclaimed. "It's classic Macy Gray joints."

Finally, Will and the rest of the Peas kick off the Harajuku Lovers 2005 Tour, a 16-date summer trek with labelmate Gwen Stefani, October 16 in Phoenix (see "Gwen Stefani To Launch Tour In October, With Black Eyed Peas In Tow").

For a full-length feature on the Black Eyed Peas, check out "The Black Eyed Peas: Mad All Over The Place."

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Macy Gray Tries On Clothing Line, Rapper/Stripper/Burglar Role

24 May 2005 21:58:00 EDT

Singer's future holds a fashion label, a fourth LP and several new movies.
By Brandee J. Tecson, with additional reporting by Yasmine Richard

BEVERLY HILLS, California — "It's gonna be big!" Macy Gray exclaimed recently at an event to unveil her new fashion line, but she could very well have been talking about the rest of her year, with a slew of film roles and a new LP ahead. The raspy-voiced R&B singer, who has shied away from the music industry's limelight since her last album, 2003's The Trouble With Being Myself, is ready to come back stronger than ever.

Music and movies are familiar ground for Gray, but she is really putting on a new hat with her Natalie Hinds line. Bearing the singer/style trailblazer's real name, Gray's label will feature fashions reminiscent of old-school Diana Ross, according to designer Nonja McKenzie — who has also worked with R&B singer Jill Scott and the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie. Look for the duds, which Gray proudly calls "ghetto chic," to hit upscale stores this fall.

Gray has also been busy putting the finishing touches on her next album, tentatively titled Big, which will evoke the sounds of classic Macy: a fusion of funk, pop, soul and rock. Justin Timberlake, Fergie and her fellow Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am, Sleepy Brown and Slash (yes, that Slash) have all recorded tracks with the soulful songstress. The LP, set for release by the Will.I.Am Music Group this fall, will be produced by the Peas' MC. The disc will also feature a track co-produced by Timberlake called "Get Out," making Gray's album one of the first projects from Will's new production group with Justin Timberlake, the JAW Breakers (Justin and Will, get it?).

The singer has also been hard at work trying to establish herself as a bona fide Hollywood actress. After a small stint alongside Denzel Washington in 2001's "Training Day," Gray appeared in a handful of film and television projects, including "Scary Movie 3," "Around the World in 80 Days" and "Lackawanna Blues" (see "Macy Gray Keeps The Music Coming While Tackling Film And TV").

This fall, Gray will be featured with another Oscar-winning actor — Cuba Gooding Jr. — in the Lee Daniels thriller "Shadowboxer," which tracks the lives of a mother-and-stepson team of contract killers who fall in love with one another. She will also appear in "Domino," starring Keira Knightley as a rapper/stripper/burglar; she will also contribute music to the movie's soundtrack. And keep an eye out for the singer/actress in the Outkast musical, originally titled "Speakerboxxx", where she will play a madam (see "What's Up With The Outkast Movie? The Director Spills It All").

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Macy Gray

Bow Hunters, Noise Rockers, Joey Pants To Descend On DC For Inauguration Parties

04 Jan 2005 16:40:00 EST

3 Doors Down, Macy Gray, ZZ Top among the artists set to entertain the revelers.
By Alyssa Rashbaum

With the presidential inauguration just a few weeks away, Washington, D.C., is preparing to shift its focus from politics to parties.

On January 19 and 20, the nation's capital will host dozens of concerts, galas and protest events observing the second inauguration of President George W. Bush. With the city's hotels, clubs, concert venues and sidewalks being taken over for the more than 100 sanctioned and unsanctioned parties for and by both Republicans and Democrats, finding the most raging party is tough. So we're weeding out the duds and giving you a guide to the best parties the city has to offer, whether you lean left, right or tend to slouch somewhere in the middle.

The Black Tie & Boots Ball, Featuring Ted Nugent and Lyle Lovett
The Texas Society of Washington, D.C., has held its annual unofficial inauguration ball since 1981, and this year, it's being touted as the best party in town — and the hardest to score a ticket for. Tickets are sold out (with a 10,000 person capacity) but can be found on Web sites for upwards of $1,000.

Artists slated to perform on the seven stages include Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, Lyle Lovett, Dexter Freebish, Gary P. Nunn and Robert Earl Keen. The president and his wife are expected to attend.

The ball will take place on January 19 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel and is officially nonpartisan. Men attending are asked to wear tuxedos and cowboy boots while the women should arrive in ball gowns (cowboy boots optional).

The Creative Coalition's 2005 Inaugural Gala: The Ball After the Ball, Featuring Macy Gray
The Creative Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan social and political advocacy organization, will host a late-night event on January 20.

While Macy Gray is the only performer who has been announced, other attendees will include Dennis Hopper (an event chair), Joe Pantoliano, Susan Lucci, Tucker Carlson, Matthew Modine, and a smattering of senators and congressional representatives.

The cost of a night with the quirky R&B songstress, a daytime TV diva and a bow-tie clad politico? One ticket will run you $1,000, while "platinum" sponsorship is a mere $50,000.

The Recording Industry Association of America's Bash, Featuring 3 Doors Down
The RIAA gets into the political partying spirit on January 20 at the D.C. waterfront club H2O, with its own inaugural event that will feature Mississippi rockers 3 Doors Down. The event will be sponsored by Washington's DC 101 radio station, which will be giving tickets away to the event as part of an on-air promotion. The night kicks off at 10 p.m.

Noise Against Fascism, Featuring Thurston Moore and Andrew W.K.
If you're looking for a slightly more avant-garde (and anti-Bush) rock event, check out Washington's Black Cat nightclub. On January 20, the venue will host "Noise Against Fascism," featuring performances by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, To Live and Shave in L.A. (with Andrew W.K.), Metalux and more. Twelve bucks will get you in the door and in on the action, which begins at 8 p.m.

Billionaires for Bush: Re-Coronation Inaugural Ball
Billed as "Bigger, Larger, More Unchecked! All the Excess, Twice the Greed!," this left-leaning event is sure to take the anti-Bush reveler's mind off the inauguration.

The January 20 party will feature performances by afro-funk big band Chopteeth and the Billionaires' own cabaret act (see "Isn't It Ironic? Left-Leaning Protest Groups Get Behind Bush") and will run from 8:30 p.m. until "very, very late," according to the Billionaires' Web site. Tickets will run you $10 for the cheap deal to $250 for the VIP catered reception.

Inaugural/Anti-Inaugural Unity Bash
Not sure where you stand? No problem. At Washington's 1223 Nightclub on January 20, for $20 you can lean left, right, back or any other way you choose in one of their four politically oriented sections. Those celebrating the inauguration will gather for games of "pin the tail on the elephant" and a celebratory cake, while lamenters will play pin the tail on the donkey, and chow down on a Kerry "should've won" cake. The "unity corner" will offer Democrat vs. Republican thumb-wrestling, while the "apathetic corner" will provide the opportunity to stand around and express indifference.

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New Releases: Kurupt, Kylie Minogue, Macy Gray, Matthew Sweet & More

07 Sep 2004 16:06:00 EDT

Arriving in stores this week are new releases from Kurupt, Kylie Minogue, Macy Gray, Matthew Sweet and more.
By Alyssa Rashbaum

A Death Row rapper, a tiny Aussie pop star and a wild-maned songstress lead the pack of new releases this week.

Kurupt made his rap debut on Dr. Dre's 1992 album, The Chronic, and guested on a smattering of Death Row releases, including Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, which led to his collaboration with Snoop in Tha Dogg Pound. While his three solo albums have met with middling success, the persistent rapper is going for the gold again this week with Against the Grain.

Locomotion-ing into stores is "Body Language Live," a concert DVD from pint-sized Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. The show was filmed at London's Hammersmith Apollo in November 2003 and features the singer performing hits like "Love at First Sight" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head."

Helium-voiced R&B singer Macy Gray releases her first greatest-hits album, The Very Best of Macy Gray, which includes tracks from her three studio albums as well as her most recent single, a cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way."

Silkk the Shocker, brother of Master P and C-Murder, released his debut, The Shocker, in 1996 and has appeared on numerous albums by No Limit artists. Based on a True Story, the rapper's fourth solo record, hits stores this week.

Power-pop revivalist Matthew Sweet releases his ninth album, Living Things, this week, while Jill Sobule, best known for her 1995 hit "I Kissed a Girl," unleashes Underdog Victorious. Smooth-voiced R&B singer Anita Baker, who hasn't released an album since 1994's Rhythm of Love gets back into the game with My Everything.

Two-man rock band the Black Keys release their third effort, Rubber Factory, while indie-rockers Radio 4 deliver their third as well, Stealing of a Nation.

Also out this week are albums by veteran metal outfit Dio (Master of the Moon), DJ Paul van Dyk (Perfect Remixes Vol. 2), jamming jazzers Medeski Martin & Wood (End of the World Party [Just in Case]), former Replacements leader Paul Westerberg (Folker), and rockers Senses Fail, who release their debut full-length, Let It Enfold You.

Out Tuesday, September 7:

Amon Amath - Fate of Norns (Metal Blade)
Anita Baker - My Everything (Blue Note)
Patricia Barber - Live: A Fortnight in France (Blue Note)
The Black Keys - Rubber Factory (Fat Possum/ Epitaph)
The Break - Handbook for the Hopeless (Ferret)
Greg Brown - In the Hills of California (Red House)
John Cale - HoboSapiens (Or Music)
Bob Carpenter - The Sun, the Moon & the Stars (Favored Nations)
Roger Creager - Live Across Texas (DualTone)
D.O.A. - Live Free or Die (Sudden Death)
Krishna Das - Greatest Hits of the Kali Yuga (Karuna)
Ram Dass - Meditations on the Gita (Karuna)
Daz - I Got Love in These Streetz (Red Urban)
Dio - Master of the Moon (Sanctuary)
DJ Krush - Jaku (Red Ink)
Julie Doiron - Goodnight Nobody (Jagjaguwar)
Big Joe Duskin - Big Joe Jumps Again! (Yellow Dog)
The Exit - Home for an Island (Some)
Ustad Faiyaz/ Kahn Sahib - Golden Shadows (Dunya)
Fear Before the March of Flames - Art Damage (Equal Vision)
Gabriel & Dresden - Bloom (Nettwerk)
Bade Ghulan/ Ali Khan - Regal Resonance (Dunya)
Girlyman - Remember Who I Am (Daemon)
Macy Gray - The Very Best of Macy Gray (Epic)
Hanalei - We're All Natural Disasters (Thick)
Hi-5 - Jump & Jive with Hi-5 (Koch)
Seth Horan - Conduit (Benchmark)
Jack Irons - Attention Dimension (Breaching Whale)
Alan Jackson - What I Do (Arista Nashville)
David Jacobs-Strain - Ocean or a Teardrop (Northern Blues)
Will Johnson - Vultures Await (Misra)
Vic Juris - Blue Horizon (Zoho)
Mike Keneally and Metropole Orkest - The Universe Will Provide (Favored Nations)
Kill Radio - Raised on Whipped Cream (Columbia)
Kurupt - Against the Grain (Death Row)
Tim Lee - No Discretion (Paisley Pop)
Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Secretly Canadian)
Janiva Magness - Bury Him at the Crossroads (Northern Blues)
Christine McVie - In the Meantime (Koch)
Medeski Martin & Wood - End of the World Party (Just in Case) (Blue Note)
Jane Monheit - Taking a Chance on Love (Sony Classical)
Jean-Michel Pilc - Follow Me (Dreyfus)
Chuck Prophet - The Age of Miracles (New West)
Radio 4 - Stealing of a Nation (Astralwerks)
Jason Ringenberg - Empire Builders (Yep Roc)
Riptyde - Sonic Undertow (Alternity)
Senses Fail - Let It Enfold You (Vagrant)
Kierra Kiki Sheard - I Owe You (Chordant)
Silkk the Shocker - Based on a True Story (Koch)
Jill Sobule - Underdog Victorious (Artemis)
Bill Staines - Journey Home (Red House)
Matthew Sweet - Living Things (Racm)
This Day & Age - Always Leave the Ground (One Eleven)
Artie Traum - Acoustic Jazz Guitar (Roaring Stream)
Trio Mundo - Rides Again (Zoho)
Truth Enola - 6 O'Clock Straight (Solid)
Underminded - Hail Unamerican! (Kung Fu)
Paul van Dyk - Perfect Remixes Vol. 2 (Warlock)
Dr. Allean Verando - I'm a Whosoever (Gar)
Claudia Villela and Kenny Werner - Dreamtales (Adventure)
Vollmar - 13 or So People Who Need Chances (Bluesanct)
Paul Westerberg - Folker (Vagrant)
Jesse Colin Young - Living in Paradise (Artemis)
Various artists - Code of the Streets, Vol. 1 (Koch)
Various artists - Judgement Day: Songs of Robert Johnson (Warlock)
Various artists - Vancouver Complication (Sudden Death)
Various artists - Who's America (System)
DVD: Kylie Minogue - "Body Language Live" (Capitol)
DVD: Various artists - "Peepshow III" (Fat Wreck)

September 14:

Nelly - Sweat (Fo' Reel/ Universal)
Nelly - Suit (Fo' Reel/ Universal)
Read: "Nelly's Double Dose Features Mase, X-tina And ... Tim McGraw?"
Tears for Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (Hip-O)
Prodigy - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (Maverick)
Read: "Twista, Kool Keith, Juliette Lewis Smack Up New Prodigy LP"

September 21:

Green Day - American Idiot (Warner)
Read: "Green Day Make Bold Statement About Their Homeland On American Idiot"
Ben Harper & the Blind Boys of Alabama - There Will Be a Light (Virgin)
Shadows Fall - War Within (Century Media)
Keb' Mo' - Peace ... Back by Popular Demand (Sony)

September 28: