
30 Rock star and staunch Democrat Alec Baldwin has long talked about running for political office -- and soon he may be putting his money where his mouth is. In the wake of Congressman Anthony Weiner's Twitter/texting/sexting scandal, speculation is rampant that Baldwin is considering running for Mayor of New York City, a job now held by Michael Bloomberg. A friend of the actor tells The Daily that when the Weiner scandal broke, "Alec said, 'Hey, maybe this changes the race. The dynamics have shifted.'"
Indeed they have. Having reached his term limit, Mayor Bloomberg will not run again in 2013. And Congressman Weiner, who had always had his eye on the mayorship of New York, is now all but out of the running. Says The Daily's source: "The Democrats need a high-profile candidate, and Alec can fill that bill."
Indeed he can. The Emmy-winning Baldwin, 53, publicly supported Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential bid, has been an outspoken advocate for liberal causes, and has not been afraid to criticize national policies, in print and on Twitter. He has also made it known that when his 30 Rock contract expires next year, he wants to retire from acting, perhaps clearing the way for a political career.
As far back as 1997, Baldwin was musing about politics as an alternate career, saying in a New York magazine cover story, "Is this something that I want to do? Yes."
In an interview on Parker Spitzer in December 2010, Baldwin, who grew up in Long Island, N.Y., suggested that perhaps the wrong kind of people have been monopolizing positions of government power. "I don't want to say this in an anti-elitist way, but we've had men who are Ivy League groomed running this country since 1988," he said. "We've had 22 years of Yale and Harvard running this country right now, and the problems aren't getting solved."
So would an actor and celebrity potentially be the right kind of person to get those problems solved? Well, when asked this morning whether Baldwin might runn for New York City Mayor, Alec's rep told The Hollywood Reporter: "I wouldn't rule it out."
'She's still a mail lady,' Em jokes on the song, off his upcoming Bad Meets Evil team up with Royce Da 5'9.
By James Montgomery
Eminem seems intent on hitting every lyrical target on the planet, eventually. His latest is Lady Gaga, whom he takes a shot at in a leaked track from his upcoming Bad Meets Evil team-up with Royce Da 5' 9."
On the song "A Kiss," which began making the rounds over the weekend, Em pokes fun at the debunked 2009 rumor that she was a hermaphrodite, and then lets it be known that she's not exactly his type.
'Tell Lady Gaga she can quit her job at the post office/ She's still a mail lady," he raps about the pop star, who was the recipient of the 2009 Best New Artist VMA he presented. "Wouldn't f--- her with her d---/ You heard it/ The verdict's in."
Get it, "mail lady"? Male lady? On the track — one of nine featured on the duo's Hell: The Sequel EP, which drops June 14 — Eminem also makes mention of Katy Perry (he's "on her tail") and Justin Bieber (he "don't give a damn" about JB's daily schedule, apparently). Of course, this is nothing particularly new for Em, who has made a career out of this sort of thing, having lobbed lyrical bombs at everyone from Britney Spears to Kim Kardashian over the years. In late 2009, he raised more than a few eyebrows when he included what some read as a homophobic slur in a line about former "American Idol" faves Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken on the song "Elevator."
A spokesperson for Eminem and Lady Gaga's label, Interscope, did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on "A Kiss."
Last month, both Em and Royce sat down with MTV News to discuss the upcoming Hell: The Sequel EP, and the lyrics they penned after nearly a decade apart, telling Sway:
"Me and Royce ... ever since back in the day, when we did records together, we always had kind of a chemistry. It was fairly easy to play off what each other was doing, and I think we think a lot alike," Emi said. "And this record, it wasn't really anything we planned to do; we didn't get together and say 'Hey, let's make a Bad Meets Evil record. It was more along the lines of us making amends and repairing the issues we had."
What do you think of Eminem's lyrics? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Justin Timberlake also wanted to sign Bieber, 'Never Say Never' star said in 2009.
By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber
Photo: Brian Phares/MTV News
Just as the world was learning who Justin Bieber was, MTV News caught up with the shaggy-haired singer in September 2009. He was gearing up to release his debut album, My World, and plotting his pop-world domination. In the year and a half since that interview, Bieber has done the nearly impossible, launching himself into the pop mega-sphere.
In the chat, Bieber recalled how he and his manager, Scooter Braun, met and eventually got big names interested in signing the teen.
"My manager found me on YouTube. He flew me out to Atlanta for the first time — I'd never actually been on a plane before. He flew me to Atlanta where i was going to the studio to meet some people," he recalled.
"And Usher happened to roll up in his Range Rover. I ran up to him, and I was like, 'Usher, I love your songs. Want me to sing you one?' The politest possible way he could say no, he did. ... I took the hint. I didn't get to sing for him: He had to run into a studio session."
But later, Usher was beckoning the teen back to the ATL. "He actually watched my videos — after my manager got to talking to him — and was like, 'I should have let this kid sing,' and flew me back to Atlanta where I got to sing for him in a proper setting. A week later, I had a meeting with Justin Timberlake, who also wanted to sign me, so they both kind of wanted me."
As the story goes, Bieber went with Usher, and the two never looked back.
"As far as Usher being my mentor, he's definitely given me words of wisdom. I hear it from everybody, but definitely to hear it from Usher is great, just to stay humble and grounded is very important," he explained.
"There's a lot of people, especially young stars, that have gone down the wrong path, and I definitely plan to stay humble and stay grounded and keep my family first, because that stuff really is important in life."
On Friday, Justin Bieber's 3-D documentary, "Never Say Never," opens. The film takes a look at how the teen star worked to hit it big. MTV News has been chatting with him along the way, from the time he first burst on the scene in 2009 until now, as he embarks on a huge 2011 that will include a tour and more new music.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsGlam rocker tackled the legendary 1970 Led Zeppelin song for 'American Idol' rock night.
By Gil Kaufman
Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: R. Mickshaw/Getty Images/ Fox
Imagine a freight train speeding toward you at midnight. Or a rockslide barreling down a hill as you try to outrace it. That's the feeling of the ominous, chugging Jimmy Page riff that kicks off Led Zeppelin's 1970 Stonehenge of rock, "Whole Lotta Love." And that's before singer Robert Plant leans into one of the nastiest, ecstatic rock screams this side of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."
That's the song Adam Lambert chose to sing on "American Idol" rock night Tuesday (May 5), and, needless to say, it was a challenge that the eyeliner-loving Los Angeles stage veteran was more than up for, hitting a series of high notes and rock screams that would have made Plant proud. It was a risky maneuver that paid off for Lambert, who chose a tune that came in at #75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004.
The legendary British rock act recorded the tribute to Chicago blues icon Willie Dixon during their second U.S. tour after working it out in their live show, including it on their 1969 classic album Led Zeppelin II. Like many of the songs Zeppelin performed early in their career, "Love" was a blues standard turned on its head with a heavy dose of crunching psychedelic guitar and thundering drums, courtesy of late drummer John Bonham. The song was based on a 1962 tune by another blues forefather, Muddy Waters, called "You Need Love," which was penned by Dixon.
For Zeppelin's version, Plant customized the lyrics by adding some lyrical quotes from a few other songs Dixon wrote for Howlin' Wolf, "Back Door Man" and "Shake For Me," nailing the tricky vocal in a single take. It was also inspired by 1966's "You Need Loving" from the British rock group the Small Faces, for whom Zeppelin had great affection, but they also did not credit Dixon for his part in writing the original lyrics. The song became Zeppelin's first U.S. single and their only U.S. top 10 hit. Though their manager would not let them release singles in the U.K. because he thought it cannibalized album sales, the song was finally released as the band's only British single in 1997.
Dixon sued Zeppelin over the song in 1985, claiming it borrowed too heavily from his "You Need Love," and Zeppelin reached an agreement with him, with Dixon using the money he received to set up a program that provided musical instruments for schools. A cornerstone of heavy rock, the tune -- which was the theme song for the long-running British countdown show "Top of the Pops" in the 1970s and '80s -- has been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Tina Turner and Ben Harper to Prince, Slash, Leona Lewis, Train's Pat Monahan, the London Symphony Orchestra and Jane's Addiction.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Stepping out for another swanky awards show, Kristen Stewart was spotted arriving at Glamour Women Of The Year Awards on Tuesday (June 7).
The ?Twilight? hottie looked picture perfect in a strapless, mini-dress and heels as she posed for photos on the red carpet before heading inside Berkeley Square Gardens.
Even though her superstar beau, Robert Pattinson, was not in attendance, a body language expert recently revealed that the ?Twilight? couple is at the ?peak of their love.?
Dr Lillian Glass told observed them at Sunday?s MTV Movie Awards and later revealed that Rob and Kristen are "completely in sync...with each other...a total unit."
Teen sensation made a surprise appearance to accept Best Jaw Dropping Moment prize.
By Aly Semigran, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Justin Bieber backstage at the 2011 Movie Awards
Photo: MTV News
Talk about a jaw-dropping moment. Justin Bieber, who was not scheduled to appear at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards, dropped in unexpectedly to claim his Golden Popcorn in the Best Jaw Dropping Moment category for his 3-D concert spectacular "Never Say Never."
"It feels great. I'm so blessed," Bieber told MTV News backstage. "I'm so glad to be back here and to have so many great fans. It's a great night."
"Never Say Never" was a career-defining moment for Bieber and he's fully aware of that fact. "It was great. It was my first time performing at Madison Square Garden and just being there and having that experience, I'm glad that I got to just have that experience. It was great."
After opening the envelope to reveal Bieber had bested his fellow nominees (which included did-that-just-happen scenes from "127 Hours," "Black Swan," "Inception" and "Jackass 3D"), "30 Minutes or Less" co-stars Danny McBride, Nick Swardson and Aziz Ansari were about to be in for an even bigger surprise than the upset victory itself.
Ansari -- who dressed up as Jaden Smith from "The Karate Kid," only to discover Will Smith's son wouldn't be attending -- cried after revealing Bieber's name, "He's not here! He's not here!" The "Parks and Recreation" star then joked that the singing sensation wouldn't be able to accept his first MTV Movie Award because, "He's too busy burning a huge pile of cash in a private jet while he's Skyping with Jaden Smith and Selena Gomez!"
But apparently Bieber wasn't too busy, as the 17-year-old (whose girlfriend, Selena Gomez, was in the audience) suddenly appeared from offstage wearing a "Miami Vice"-like outfit that included a blue blazer, white pants and sunglasses, causing the audience to erupt in the kind of screams that seem to follow him everywhere. After greeting the presenters, Bieber, who stood in the swirling stage fog, took to the microphone and told the crowd, "Thank you so much," explaining that he showed up to the MTV Movie Awards because, "I couldn't let down my fans."
Bieber went on to thank "Never Say Never" director Jon Chu, as well as his manager Scooter Braun, his family and, once again, his ever-supportive fans. "I love you!" he yelled before making a peace sign, which he signed off with a kiss.
MTV News has all of the highlights from the 2011 MTV Movie Awards. Relive the best moments, watch red-carpet interviews with your favorite stars and read all about what went on behind the scenes on the big night.