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For video, premiering Sunday on MTV Jams, 'We got nothin' but megastars,' Khaled tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway
DJ Khaled, Rick Ross and Drake in the video for "Take It To The Head"
Photo: MTV News
Blockbuster songs deserve blockbuster video treatments, and DJ Khaled made sure his new single, "Take It to the Head," had a big visual to match. When your track features Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross, there isn't much choice.
"I told [director] Colin [Tilley] when I called him, 'We gotta video, we gotta do the best video, we gotta win awards, and you gotta really take it there because we got nothin' but megastars on one record," DJ Khaled told MTV News' Sway Calloway from the Universal Studios set where he shot the video at the end of April.
Last summer, Khaled hosted "I'm on One," an inescapable rap jam that partnered Lil Wayne, Drake and Rick Ross for the first time. It seemed that the #1 Billboard rap single would be hard to top, but with Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown on "Take it to the Head," the Cash Money DJ is making a serious run for hip-hop's 2012 summer anthem. The stakes are high, and the video, which premieres Sunday on MTV Jams, is equally as huge.
The video set is reminiscent of the 1974 disaster film "Earthquake," where most of Los Angeles is destroyed by a quake that registers 9.9 on the Richter scale. "Colin Tilley is an amazing director, so he had this amazing idea where he wanted fire behind us, trains broken, ground shaking," Khaled described. "We're giving you new stuff."
Related Artists'He was definitely the best,' one fan says of the soulful third-place finisher.
By Gil Kaufman
Joshua Ledet
Photo: FOX
It happens every year. By the time you drill down to the top three on "American Idol," tears are shed and teeth are gnashed when host Ryan Seacrest announces the third-place finisher.
After coming so far, climbing so high and landing within one episode of the show's finale, whatever beloved singer makes it to the precipice of potential fame is sent to the sidelines to watch the final showdown and his/her fans are left dejected.
That's the general mood of Joshua Ledet's followers after the soul-stirring 20-year-old Westlake, Louisiana throwback singer was sent packing on Thursday night's elimination show , paving the way for pocket diva Jessica Sanchez and (be)low key pawn shop worker Phillip Phillips to battle it out next week.
"They sabotaged Joshua and Jessica," raged reader Rienell John Llevado in a comment on an MTV News story in which Ledet called his elimination a "relief."
"Jessica got lucky she has the support she needed to go on. They will do the same thing again this Tuesday. They are giving their golden boy the best to bring him on top. After all, isn't 'American Idol' loves white guys with guitar only? Don't worry Josh, you're right when you said you could still have a successful career even if you don't win 'Idol.'"
Another reader, Keish, claimed that the voting was rigged because after always getting a message that their vote was counted before, there was no such message Thursday night. "I voted so many times & still got nothing! Josh you are the winner!!!"
Khan lamented that Ledet — who was touted by the judges as one of the best singers to ever grace the "Idol" stage — should not have been eliminated, because, "someone with that kind of voice should never be voted off a singing competition." A number agreed and added that Joshua is probably better in the long run because his singing style has a timeless quality and, besides, the recent track record of WGWG (white guys with guitars) has been pretty dismal anyway.
"American did not vote based on the talent," opined Lamran2010. "How come Joshua was voted off ... it is not fair." Interestingly, given the shrieks of joy Phillips often elicits on the show, a number of the comments derided his meat-and-potatoes singing style and predicted that voters would turn out in force for Sanchez next week.
"Wow , how can America get it so hopelessly wrong year after year" wondered Muzz W. "Go Jessica, Phil Phillips should have gone weeks ago." Then again, Koo was not having it, bidding "good riddents [sic] Joshua" and proclaiming the singer a "drama mama."
Amid the sometimes nasty back-and-forth, writer Barry made a plea for peace, saying, "All three have sooo much talent!!! America has voted and unfortunately Joshua goes home. But don't take anything away from Jessica and Phil now!! The finale is all about the songs they sing and how they sing them. It's also about stage presence!!" His pick: Sanchez.
As many eagle-eyed "Idol" watchers are aware, it's not always the winners who end up winning, which is why LaNell was just fine with Ledet going home early. "Joshua became a winner the moment he stepped on the stage," she wrote. "He got the exposure he needed to get his career started ... he will go far because of his talent," adding that she figured a younger generation might not totally get his "good ole Motown sound."
Do you think Joshua Ledet deserved a spot in the "American Idol" finale? Leave your comment below!
Related PhotosMy Chemical Romance, Bon Jovi, All-American Rejects are also on lineup at three-day fest in Asbury Park, New Jersey, this weekend.
By Rob Markman
Mac Miller
Photo: FilmMagic
The Bamboozle is back, and music fans are gearing up to hit Asbury Park on the world-famous Jersey Shore to see their favorite acts take the stage during the three-day-long festival.
It all kicks off Friday (May 18) evening, when , Incubus, Mike Posner and Kreayshawn all rock the crowd on a night headlined by electro party-starter Skrillex.
Expect Mac to perform choice cuts from his recently released Macadelic mixtape and for Skrillex to spin dance joints from his Grammy-winning discography.
On Saturday (May 19), Pauly D returns to the Jersey Shore that made him famous to DJ for the crowd. Too bad Deadmau5 isn't scheduled to appear — the two are currently involved in a back-and-forth beef over Twitter. The Foo Fighters and My Chemical Romance will surely rock the house, and the All-American Rejects will also rip through tracks off their newly released Kids in the Street LP. The great part about Bamboozle is that it brings dozen of acts from multiple musical genres, so if rock isn't your thing, you can check out rap rookies A$AP Rocky, Iggy Azalea, Action Bronson and Mr. MFN Exquire as they continue to get their first tastes of festival life.
Sunday (May 20) promises to be the homecoming of all homecomings as Jersey boys Bon Jovi headline the evening. Soulja Boy's buddy Riff Raff, who recently signed a deal with Diplo, is set to entertain the crowd with his off-the-cuff cuts like "Larry Bird" and "Time."
T. Mills is also scheduled to kick-start his stage show with his new single "Vans On," and funnyman Andrew Dice Clay will bring a bit of comedy and controversy to the stage. For tickets and additional information, head to the Bamboozle website.
Related ArtistsR&B superstar serenades a lively crowd with tracks from his upcoming album Looking 4 Myself.
By Miranda Johnson
Usher performs on "Today"
Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images
Usher kicked off the "Today" show's summer concert series Friday morning (May 18) in front of a lively crowd. Fans filled midtown Manhattan's Rockefeller Plaza to watch the ATL singer serenade them with singles off of his upcoming album Looking 4 Myself.
Even though Usher performed bright and early, there was no shortage of energy as the singer rocked the crowd with his new hits "OMG," "Without U" and new hits "Climax" and "Scream." The audience stayed on their feet as Usher soulfully connected to fans (especially when he removed his jacket).
On Wednesday's "American Idol" winner and runner-up.
The concerts will occur every Friday morning for the remainder of the summer. The next performer scheduled to grace the NBC stage is Latin megastar Pitbull on May 25.
Did you catch Usher's "Today" show performance? What did you think? Leave your comment below!
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