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Grammys 2012: Twitter Accounts You Must Follow

@coltondaniel — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:17:07 +0000

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The 54th Grammys are on tomorrow night and is hosted by none-other than hip-hop legend LL Cool J – and if you can’t be there, might as well stalk those who are via Twitter.

We pulled together a little list of musicians, music critics, comedians and other accounts that are essential to give an inside look at music’s biggest night. Check them out below:

THE MUSICIANS:
@AdamLevine: Maroon 5′s frontman and The Voice judge is performing with the freakin’ Beach Boys and Foster The People.
@BlobTower: Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon – a Twitterholic and up for two major awards.
@BrunoMars: He’d catch a grenade for you and he snagged a few nods.
@CoryMonteith: That Canadian dude from Glee tweets as much as sings.
@Deadmau5: Toronto’s DJ with a nod and a performance this weekend.
@Drake: Stay tuned for lonely thoughts at the after parties.
@JustinBieber: An up-and-coming tween sensation that has some potential.
@KanyeWest: He’s up for seven awards and he likes to talk. A lot.
@KatyPerry: She’s performing, up for a few awards – and she’s Katy Perry.
@LadyGaga: Mother Monster is performing, up for a few awards.
@LLCoolJ: Host for the evening; stay tuned for a snapshot or two from behind the scenes.
@TheLonelyIsland: Everyone’s favourite SNL-group headed by Andy Samberg.
@LupeFiasco: Nominated for Best Rap Performance.
@MileyCyrus: She will be in attendance.
@NickiMinaj: She’ll be performing, nods for her collab with Drake and Best New Artist.
@Questlove: The Roots’ drummer that is “your favourite twitterer’s music critic.”
@Rihanna: She likes to Tweet That Tweet – let’s see what she has to say about Chris Brown’s performance.
@Skrillex: 24-year-old producer is up for Best New Artist.
@TaylorSwift13: No doubt this nominee will be Instagraming all night long.
@WizardCud: Kid Cudi might not be as philosophical since quitting weed, but remains vocal.
@ZooeyDeschenel: Fresh from her SNL-hosting gig Saturday, she’ll be all adorkable at the award show.

THE MUSIC CRITICS:
@AlanCross: Canadian music-history icon will keep us confirmed.
@GerrickKennedy: Music writer for the Los Angeles Times likes to tweeter.
@JianGhomeshi: Canadian radio personality loves his music.
@RobSheff: Rolling Stone’s resident music critic – knows a thing or two about the industry.
@RyanSeacrest: This guy is so addicted to hosting things that he’ll likely tweet as if he is hosting the damn show.

THE COMEDIANS:
@JimmyFallon: The Late Night host that’s a fan of everything – especially music.
@NealBrennan: New York comedian that is worth following year-round.
@RobDelaney: He tweets like breathing – why aren’t you following him already?

THE OTHERS:
@TheGrammys: Pretty self-explanatory
@Fave: One of the official Grammy bloggers.
@KickKickSnare: An official blogger for the Grammys – been snapping a lot of candid pics of the parties thus far.
@RedCarpet: E! Channel’s official red carpet twitter account with photos and commentary for every major red carpet event.

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Shia LaBeouf Directs Kid Cudi in “Maniac”

Natalia Buia — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:09:22 +0000

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Shia LaBeouf lets Optimus Prime and Bumblebee sit this one out while he directs Kid Cudi in a short film called “Maniac”. This isn’ the first time the 25-year-old Transformers star collaborated with the rapper. Last year he directed Cudi’s music video for “Marijuana” which featured the avid rhymer partying and smoking weed in Amsterdam – a typical Kid Cudi scenerio.

This time around, “Maniac” is like a disturbed episode of Criminal Minds that didn’t make it past the cutting room floor. Inspired by one of his songs off Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, Cudi is seen with fellow rapper Cage as they go on a murderous rampage throughout town. It’s mega-creepy and graphic for just a 10 minute shortie. Expect to be soiling your pants by the half-way mark.

Kid Cudi Busted for Smoking at VMAs

andPOP Staff — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:02:16 +0000

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Kid Cudi was busted for smoking in the venue at the MTV VMAs last night. Cudi could be seen live on TV lighting up as Lady Gaga went on stage to accept the award for Best Female Video.

Reps at the Nokia Theater quickly approached Cudi and asked him to put out the cigarette. He complied as a rep told TMZ, ”He was asked to put it out and he complied.”

Cudi didn’t get the memo that you can’t smoke in public and enclosed spaces. Nevertheless, it’s still badass….

Kanye West’s ‘All of the Lights’ Music Video Ft. Rihanna; Kid CuDi

@coltondaniel — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 19:26:43 +0000

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Before Arcade Fire and Radiohead snag the spotlight, Kanye doesn’t hesitate to remind everyone that he’s still around with his new neon-infested music video for “All of the Lights” that includes appearances by Rihanna and Kid CuDi.

The Hype Williams directed video starts with a solemn black-and-white shot of a young black girl strolling through the snow-covered streets in the projects, while Elton John’s ivory tickles provide the instrumental. As the blaring, triumphant fanfare of horns welcome the chorus of Alicia Keys, Rihanna and friends… the acid light show begins.

Michael Jackson tributes continue with CuDi’s red-leather jacker (hello, Thriller) and Ye’s tribal dancing on top of a cop car (Black or White).

And yes, there is the blatant nod to Gasper Noe’s Into the Void intro, which is done in respect.

And on top of that, we get Rihanna in what appear to be a boob harness. Yes. A boob harness.

But, of course, would anyone expect anything less than classy from the man? It won’t disappoint with the cinematic presentation, as it isn’t over done or too spectacular… just a few cop lights, flash lights, spot lights and strobe lights to kick one into seizure after one dose.

Kid Cudi Arrested for Possessing Controlled Substance

andPOP Staff — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:50:12 +0000

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Kid Cudi was arrested in New York City Friday for felony mischief and possessing a controlled substance.

TMZ reports the rapper took a woman’s phone and smashed it, and also broke the woman’s apartment door.

When police arrived to assist in the disturbance, they found a glass bottle of a controlled substance

Interview: A Four Beat-Count With Jason Derulo For MTV’s ‘Turn The Beat Around’

Jeremy Singer — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:18:21 +0000

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Jason Derulo is like one of those multi-purpose Swiss Army knives that presents a new feature every-time you use it.

At any moment he can be a well-rounded singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor, and would technically boast a quadruple threat, but you can’t be too sure with a guy like this.

You never know when he’s going to show you another part of his versatility.

His most recent example of those surprise features, was his role in MTV’s made-for-TV-movie Turn The Beat Around which premiered on February 26. Derulo shows off his skills by playing a recording star, and also delivers a high-energy dance performance.

But his role on the TV screen is just a small ripple effect of the Miami-born’s overall talent- which people have begun to take note of.

It’s the reason why he’s been the opening act for Lady Gaga during her Monster Ball tour since November 2009. And it’s the reason why his two singles so far -Whatcha Say and In My Head- have both ranked in the top ten on a bunch of music charts across the globe. Whatcha Say has made the most headlines, grabbing the no. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and gaining double-platinum status in the U.S.

Oh yea, and this is all been accomplished before the release of his self-titled debut album, which drops on March 2.

Considering that GQ Magazine’s December 2009 issue dubbed Drake, Kid Cudi and Wale as Hip Hop’s next torch-bearers, it can definitely be argued that Derulo is part of the next chosen ones to fill the shoes of Pop.

andPOP managed to speak to Derulo about his love for acting and his secret method for songwriting. Also make sure to check out our original interview with Jason Derulo!

andPOP: You seem to be a jack-of-all-trades. How did you get into acting?

JD: I actually grew up acting. I was in a few theatre productions at AMDA in New York, so I don’t think I’m one of those actors who has a career just based from a previous music career. I actually got offered something from Broadway a while ago, but it just wasn’t a good fit because I was focused on music, so I had to turn it down. But I do really love this craft. Right now, all I can be is thankful that my music and acting careers are slowly taking off at the same time.

andPOP: Tell me about the audition process for this MTV movie?

JD: Well, I went into the auditions totally normally. It was way before Whatcha Say gained hype. I just went into MTV without any ties to anybody, and just read the lines like it was a regular gig. It made landing the role that much more of a personal success. In the beginning, I was just drawn to the whole vibe how the movie had the same idea of the dance movie Step It Up. And I’m really thankful to MTV for letting me have the opportunity to do this.

andPOP: Any ideal guys you’d like to work with?

JD: Definitely Steven Spielberg. Quentin Tarantino. They’re just amazing. I’ve always wanted to do the superhero film thing too, just got work up to it!

andPOP: When you’re thinking about your music career, what’s your routine to get the creative juices flowing before writing a song?

JD: Honestly just put me in the sound-booth. Once I’m in there I’ll just be messing with everything. The light turns on in my mind, and I’ll turn the music really, really loud in my headphones. If you were to listen you’d think I was trying to make you deaf, but for me, I begin to pen lyrics on the spot, develop rhythm and sound. I dance to the music, mumbling words. That’s how I start the song, I don’t use pen or paper at all.

Kid Cudi to Star in HBO’s New Show

Angelina Irinici — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:51:55 +0000

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It is not doubt that Kid Cudi has reached much success in the music industry in a short period of time. He has had three Grammy nominations and is featured on tracks with the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Shakira. Now, Cudi is ready to take his success to a new level, as he is ready to hit the big screen.

According to MTVnews.com, Cudi, whose given name is Scott Mescudi, is making his acting debut in HBO’s new show “How to Make It in America”.

“The fact that everybody is finally getting to see me act and stuff is part of my dream coming true. It’s just really dope, and people could see me be silly. My album was so deep and serious, and that was just me showing my dark side,” Cudi said. “Acting is therapeutic — just being able to pretend to be somebody else for a little bit, it’s dope.”

The series is executively produced by the same team behind HBO’s hit show, “Entourage” which includes big names like: Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Rob Weiss and Julian Farino. However, don’t expect A-list celebrities and luxurious lifestyles. The show is centered on two characters, Ben Epstein and Cam Calderson, played by Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk, as they attempt to start their own fashion line. Cudi plays their friend Domingo Dean, a name he chose after his two older brothers. It follows their story and trials and tribulations facing normal guys in New York City.

“I’m talking about these guys work a 9-to-5 — actually, one of them doesn’t even have a job. As the story goes along you see all of the hardships that they’ve had to go through in order to achieve their dreams,” Cudi said.

Cudi has always thought about acting, but the show came as somewhat of a surprise. The show’s creator, Ian Edleman, approached Cudi one night and asked if he ever considered acting.

“Of course I was like, ‘Yeah,’ but it was in the club and I was trashed. I didn’t necessarily take him seriously. Two days later he had his assistant send me a script and I was like, ‘Wow, this is dope. I would love to be a part of this.’ ”

Cudi still had to audition for the part, and did so while he was working with Kanye West on West’s “808s & Heartbreak” record.

“I would dip away from sessions with Kanye and go rehearse my lines when nobody was around because I was very self-conscious and I didn’t want them to see me and make fun of me,” said Cudi.

The cast gets the opportunity to see all sides of New York as they film everywhere from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. They said that was a major plus in the filming of the show.

“What was great about shooting the show was, sometimes me as a native New Yorker, I’ll find spots and we’ll start shooting and I’ll say, ‘I’ve never even seen this place before. I never even heard of this place’,” Lords of Dogtown star, Victor Rasuk said.

Bryan Greenberg, from One Tree Hill, also had positive things to say about filming in NYC.

“The cool thing about this show is, like, we’re shooting in the best locations in NYC — the best restaurants, the best clubs,” Greenberg said. “This is definitely one of the sets where all of my friends want to come visit.”

Catch the premier of “How to Make It in America” Sunday on HBO.

Kid Cudi Leaves Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Early

Sara Harowitz — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:48:48 +0000

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Kid Cudi has left Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball early, according to rollingstone.com.

He vacates his opening-act slot on Lady Gaga’s current tour just five days after punching a fan during a solo performance in Vancouver. According to an official statement, the Grammy-nominated rapper took “an early leave of absence from Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour, in order to balance his schedule surrounding the recording of his next album and acting commitments.” Cudi will also now embark on his own solo tour, which kicked off in Reno, Nevada last night.

In addition to opening for Gaga, Cudi was performing his own shows during the Monster Ball’s off-days and after-hours. Cudi’s punching incident at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on Dec. 12 was his fifth show in three days in the city. Video of the incident shows Cudi catching a wallet that was thrown at him during his performance and then throwing it back into the crowd. The audience member who caught the wallet was not the owner, so he threw it back at Cudi, who then lashed out with punches at the fan.

This is not the first time a rapper has dropped out of a tour with Gaga: her planned Fame Kills tour with Kanye West was called off at the last minute just days after the rapper interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards.

There is no word yet on who will replace Cudi on the Monster Ball Tour, which continues tonight in Las Vegas.

Kid Cudi’s solo tour will take him here:

Dec. 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
Dec. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
Dec. 27 – North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
Dec. 31 – Miami Beach, FL @ Wet at the W Hotel
Jan. 5 – Covington, KY @ Madison Theater
Jan. 6 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Jan. 11 – Ann Arbor, MI @ University of Michigan
Jan. 15 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater
Jan. 22 – New York, NY @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza

Soulja Boy in Studio with Kanye After Arrest

Stephen Baldwin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:48:23 +0000

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After a party at an abandoned Atlanta suburb house had Soulja Boy running from the police, the rapper told fans on Monday that he was in studio under the production of Kanye West, MTV.com reports.

The unusual pairing was enhanced by a previous rumour that West had fled to India after missing the BET hip-hop awards last weekend.

Soulja Boy was reportedly booked during the filming of the music video for his new track “Gangsta Muzik.” After spending a night in prison he was released on $550 bond.

The incident was characteristic of Soulja Boy’s immaturity. Creating music that hasn’t yet surpassed catchiness, the young rapper’s development and artistic respect lies in the hands of Kanye West. West has contributed to the careers of respected young artist like Drake, Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco.

Jay-Z Wraps Up Hottest MC list

Stephen Baldwin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:53:50 +0000

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Last night MTV’s expert panel capped off their top ten “Hottest MC’s” with long-time heavyweight Jay-Z coming out on top. The controversial list was compiled by Hip Hop critics and enthusiasts, and for the first time included the opinion of fans across North America. The criteria: lyrics, flow, impact, buzz, sales and intangibles.

The final list: 1. Jay-Z, 2. Lil Wayne, 3. Drake, 4. Kanye West, 5. Rick Ross, 6. Gucci Mane, 7. Young Jeezy, 8. Fabolous, 9. 50 cent, 10. Raekwon

A few names are mysteriously absent from the list, most notably, Eminem. The rapper should not only have appeared on the list, he should have been in the top five. His recent album wasn’t his best of all time but its popularity continues to grow, and his verse on Drake’s new ‘Forever’ remix was the best on the track.

Kid Cudi’s name has spread like wildfire in the music industry, and TI continues to maintain his popularity; yet neither of them appear on the list.

Canadians may be excited, though, to see young Toronto native Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham crack the top three. The MC has been one of the busiest in the music industry this year, quickly building relationships with the most powerful names in Hip Hop. Names like Lil Wayne, Kanye West and most notably Jay-Z.

While his new album, The Blueprint III, isn’t considered by Jay-Z fans as his strongest album, his ranking at the top of Hip Hop is long overdue. He was even given a stamp of approval from New York Governor David Paterson: “I can personally attest to his commitment to New York and the impact he has on New Yorkers of all ages,” he said.

If the list surprises – or angers – you, you’re not alone. Comments on the MTV website aren’t very supportive of the compiled list, and a few fans were especially vocal on omission of Eminem. While the MCs that made the list are deserving of recognition at this point, expect the list to be drastically different next year.

Matt & Kim Get Soul, and Other Collabs This Week

Emma Renda — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:30:08 +0000

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The line between electro-rock and hip-hop was never exactly straight in the first place, but this year has more or less witnessed its disappearance. The most recent installments in the collabo hall of fame popped up on Pitchfork this week.

First, there was Matt & Kim’s reworked “Daylight (Troublemaker Remix).” Now, this song is perfect just the way it is but with rap legends De La Soul on the remixed track, there is a whole other dimension of mind-boggling pop mastery.

The signature chorus (“Cause in the daylight I don’t pick up my phone”) is looped atop an amplified version of the song’s backbeat, with a spaced out synth riff to boot. In between, De La Soul spit their classic rhymes (“Leave your message after the tone/while I lay around actin’ like I’m too old for this shit”), transforming the song from hair-shaking hipster dance party to a groovy soul redub.

The song will be featured on the NBA Live 2010 soundtrack when the game is released on Oct. 6. It will also appear in every playlist I make for the next month.

Kid Cudi is another notorious collaborator, and so far he hasn’t gone wrong. He has already remixed the third single from his new album, “Pursuit of Happiness” with two Brooklyn mainstays, MGMT and Ratatat. The song, already a totally blazed tune in true Cudi form, is even more hazy with the addition of MGMT’s spacey harmonies on the chorus.

Cudi’s long-awaited debut, Man on the Moon: The End of the Day is set for release Sept. 15 and he will hit The Late Show with David Letterman to promote it on Sept. 11, with Ratatat as his backing band.

In a more obscure pairing, WHY? and Themselves have joined forces for an extremely chill toe-tapper “Canada”. Why?’s mastermind Yoni Wolf brings his critical eye and genre-bending to the soundscape, while the duo of Themselves add the minimalist hip-hop undertones. “Canada” is the product of a match made in heaven, and considering the two have been known to travel in the same circles, it’s no surprise they finally got together. About time, too.

Under The Rock: The Long Way ‘Round To Lady GaGa

Emma Renda — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:56:02 +0000

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They say if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I don’t know who “they” are but I’m going to assume they were talking about Lady GaGa. After all, it seems the entire musical universe is clamouring for a piece of her instant stardom.

It started with Kanye, Common and Kid Cudi, or at least that’s where I first caught on. They roughed up her acoustic version of “Poker Face” to the point of making it tolerable, even enjoyable. (I’m not even going to touch the fact that she has gone acoustic, except to say that watching the video is possibly more painful than the hangover of the drugs she has to be on.)

Despite the very obvious gibes at GaGa’s not-so-double entendres, “I Poke Her Face” is actually an incredible step up from anything the songstress has released on her own.

“Just Dance” was nearly my demise last summer as it somehow circulated more frequently than Sarah McLachlan on the soft rock radio station I listened to at my 9-5 desk job. So I made it my mission to publicly rally against her budding career for the rest of 2008, hoping she would have drifted off the airwaves come December. But now it’s June, and she has three more singles revving up for a summer of heavy rotation.

I could feel my protest deteriorating as 2009 wore on. I found myself joylessly bashing the ridiculous rhyming in “Disco Stick” while flinging my hair around to its beat at the club. Just the other day, someone asked me if I’d heard “Paparazzi”.

“Never!!!” I nearly shouted. Little do they know, I had listened to it on MySpace earlier that day. And now here I was, humming the chorus to a song called “I Poke Her Face.”

It was about this time I officially gave up the ghost. Perhaps not all angles of Lady GaGa are quite as horrible as originally perceived, and there commenced the hunt for more gems. And more. And more. Because my god, it seems that everyone and their dog has taken it upon themselves to spin their own take on GaGa. There are mash-ups and electro-house remixes and syncs with just about every Britney Spears song in recent memory.

It was one day when I wasn’t hunting, though, rather glibly perusing the Interweb for some new gym music, that I came across my old pal Skratch Bastid. I caught him opening for Buck 65 last year and was impressed to the point of paying $10 for his burned CD of remixes. It served me well for a month or so before Mstrkrft and Girl Talk caught my eye. (Sorry, Bastid.)

But the man is back, and guess who he’s back with? GaGa. Yep, right there on his brand new website at the top of the page he has posted a remix of “Chillin” by Wale ft. Lady GaGa. I should have known, but I guess I was in denial that such a stand-up Canadian would stoop to the low of our Southern neighbor’s tasteless ways.

In the name of research, I played the song. And in the name of all things holy, I loved it. This was my first brush with Wale, who also seems to have spread like wildfire. (“Chillin” popped up as a suggested listen when I was YouTubing Eminem’s “3 A.M.”) At this point, though, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Wale has received rave reviews from every hip-hop lover I know, and my relationship with Lady GaGa was now so complicated even Jerry Springer couldn’t sort it out. By default, then, I ended up listening with an open mind.

And to be honest, if I hadn’t seen her heavily-banged blonde head bobbing in the background, I wouldn’t have know it was Lady GaGa. She is all non-chalance, waiting patiently behind Wale - instead of air-humping the camera like usual - allowing him to spit a sick verse about his shoes, his cars, and, somehow, McLovin’.

I could say Lady GaGa has grown on me, after all these months in denial, but I would rather say this was my first crack at her. Either way, I’m officially hooked.

My name is Emma Renda and I listen to Lady GaGa. Whew, that felt good. Thanks for listening.