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Rihanna Russian Roulette Producer Doing Damage Control

Hollywood Grind — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:04:32 +0000

Chuck Harmony, who produced Russian Roulette from the new Rihanna Album called Rated R, is doing his best to explain how great the song and album are after a poor rating by fans. Harmony says the album will prove Rihanna is the Madonna of her generation.

"I sat through mix sessions and I heard some of the songs on the record. It fits in well," he said of "Russian Roulette."

Just saying it doesn’t make it true. In fact making such comparisons raises expectations, and makes a failure seem that much more like a career killer. There really is no comparison between Rihanna and Madonna, since Madonna created much of her own material, whereas someone else created Rihanna’s material. There is also nothing original about Rihanna. It’s all been done before.

Harmony then tried to explain how the darkness in Russian Roulette doesn’t reflect the entire album, because there are better songs than this one:

"I think Rihanna has captured what her old fans are used to, as well as the growth of an artist. Russian Roulette, to me, is a shining example of her growth and her artistic expression. Russian Roulette is definitely taking her to another level. I think she’s a pop icon, so her music should reflect that."

Here we go again. "Taking her to another level" is another statement that isn’t supported by the lack of spark in Russian Roulette.

Harmony then went on to explain how the half-dressed Rihanna on the cover of the album is "genius."

"It fits in with the song. The way it’s unfolding is so genius. Like, ’The wait is ova’ [message on her site]. I was waiting too. I wanted to see the cover, I wanted to hear the song. It’s one of those records where you just don’t know. It’s not a faith record. It’s one of those thought-provoking records."

We think the idea with the cover art was the old s*x sells. Maybe for the impulse buy, but there are better pictures of Rihanna wearing nothing at all on the Internet.

If you have "explain" how great a performer is, and how great the album is, you’ve already failed.

Rihanna Russian Roulette Single Released

Hollywood Grind — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:09:02 +0000

Rihanna has released her new single Russian Roulette, which was written and produced by Ne-Yo, whose long track record with Rihanna includes the #1 hit “Unfaithful”, their Top 10 duet “Hate That I Love You”, and #1 pop/ #1 R&B “Take A Bow”. In addition to Ne-Yo, other producers and writers on Rihanna’s new album include the team of The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, Chase & Status, Stargate, Justin Timberlake and more.

Nothing Rihanna does, it seems, is written by her. She just performs what everyone tells her to do.

Click here to listen.

The lyrics to Russian Roulette are below:

Take a breath
Take it deep
Calm Yourself
He says to me
If you play
You play for keeps
Take a gun
And count to 3

I’m sweating it out
Moving slow
No time to think
My turn to go

And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
Said I’m terrified, but I’m not leaving
I know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger

Say a prayer
To yourself
He says close your eyes
Sometimes it helps
And then I get
A scary thought
That he’s here
Means he’s never lost

And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
Said I’m terrified, but I’m not leaving
I know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger

As my life flashes before my eyes
I’m wondering will I
Ever see another sun rise
So many won’t get the chance to say goodbye
But it’s too late to think of the value of my life

And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
Said I’m terrified, but I’m not leaving
I know that I must pass this test

And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
Said I’m terrified, but I’m not leaving
I know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger

Ne-Yo Crying Onstage

Hollywood Grind — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:58:38 +0000

Ne-Yo broke into tears onstage on Wednesday in Manchester, and cried so hard the show had to be stopped. An announcer said the show was not cancelled, but rather postponed.

There have been a lot of rumors that Ne-Yo is gay, despite pictures we obtained showing Ne-Yo getting hetero with a female, so may he’s bi.

Ne-Yo blamed his sudden and uncontrollable crying on a sinus infection that he says made his voice fade so much he couldn’t continue his performance. In the statement Ne-Yo released due to criticism from bloggers he is vague about the reason he stopped the show, and gets all emotional and philisophical about it. At 29 years-old, and having been in the music business for years now, one might think Ne-Yo would act like a big boy now, but his feminine side is showing, which stokes those gay rumors even further. Ne-Yo said in his statement:

I’m currently on tour in the UK. This tour began right after a 4 month stint in Prague shooting a world war 2 movie. We’re in a different city in a different part of the UK every night, moving non stop. Since my first album, roughly 5 years ago, I’ve taken 1 vacation, and even that was about 2 years ago.

Basically, I have an issue with not knowing when to say enough is enough, so last night in Manchester, my body said it for me.

I got on stage energized and ready to go, even tho for the last 5 days I’ve been dealing with a sinus infection. I paid it no real mind, and kept on going, like I always do. My voice couldn’t take it. From the first song I knew something was wrong. I shoulda stopped there, but I come from a school where no matter what, the show must go on. It wasn’t until about 4 songs in that I came to the painful realization that my voice was done, literally nothing left, and that I would have to stop the show.

Now let me explain something to you:

When I say this music, that stage, my fans, THIS is my life, I’m not saying it cause it sounds good in a sound bite. THIS IS MY LIFE!! Not much else matters to me, honestly.

My music, my family and the people that appreciate my music…..the fans. THAT’S ABOUT IT!!

I’ve never had to stop a show, never dreamed I’d ever have to. So when I had to walk out on that stage and tell 12,000 of the people responsible for making me who I am that I could not perform for them, it literally broke my heart.

I cried harder than I have in a very long time with no shame whatsoever.

To anyone out there that would like to question my manhood because of this I’ll say this to you:

If the one thing you cared about more than anything else in the world was threatened or even taken from you, if you knew that the people you cared for the most you had to disappoint and it was your fault… and this didn’t spark some kind of emotional outbreak within you…then with no shame I’ll say you are truly a stronger man than I.

To the people of Manchester, know that I love you and I thank you for being so understanding and supportive. And I promise you that you will receive the show deserved.

Thanks to the fans for the love and concern.

And to the bloggers….go to hell.

Sincerely, Ne*Yo!!

Ne-Yo shouldn’t feel so bad about crying his eyes out in front of thousands of people because he felt sorry for himself, Perez Hilton did the same thing weeks ago. We would think Ne-Yo was more manly if he were crying because he felt sorry for someone else, but crying because he feels sorry for himself makes him look self absorbed and childish to us. Grow up, and grow a pair, Ne-Yo. Isn’t being rich and successful enough to make you feel like a real man?

Ne-Yo Fails to Show for New Years Eve Show

Hollywood Grind — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:41:33 +0000

Ne-Yo, and promoters, allegedly stiffed New Year’s Eve fans who paid up to $1,200 to see him perform in Bellevue, Washington. King 5 news reports:

It was billed as the biggest New Year’s Eve bash, featuring pop and R&B superstar Ne-Yo at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington.

The only problem is, Ne-Yo was a no-show. And that has some customers steamed.

"Everything from the tickets to the Web site indicated that Ne-Yo would be there," party-goer Michael Brandt said.

Ticket prices started at $75 and ran up to $1,200 for a VIP table. Brandt spent $700 for 14 tickets.

But, gathered at Meydenbauer on New Year’s Eve, just before midnight, the no-show announcement came.

"At 11:30 they had a pre-recorded message from Ne-Yo," Brandt said. "He was on a plane from Nigeria and not able to come. They probably knew a day in advance. They could have cancelled or given a refund."

On New Year’s Eve, Ne-Yo performed on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve TV show. The segment may have been pre-recorded.

The Meydenbauer concert was promoted for weeks on KUBE 93. The program director says the station thought the event was legit.

"We were told by the record label and the promoter that it was a done deal, so we were taken aback just like our listeners," KUBE program director Eric Powers said.

Nearly 300 tickets were sold through the sponsor Wet Entertainment, whose owner tells KING 5 he’ll consult his legal team.

If you want your party money back, join the party. The sponsor Wet Entertainment can’t be found on the web. And the local marketing manager’s phone no longer works.

The best thing is to call the state attorney general’s office and file a complaint.

Shady.

Ne-Yo was Arrested

Hollywood Grind — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 22:14:32 +0000

R&B singer Ne-Yo, aka Shaffer Smith, was arrested on February 19 while driving through Cobb County, Georgia.

Cops pulled Ne-Yo after they observed him driving well over 100 mph in his 2006 Range Rover. He was arrested for reckless driving, and for not having a valid license.

The arrest report did not mention a rumor of a male passenger in the car, who may have been getting busy with Ne-Yo’s stick shift, which could have caused him to drive at excessive speeds.

Ne-Yo Sues R. Kelly

Hollywood Grind — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:40:34 +0000

Ne-Yo has filed a lawsuit against R. Kelly for firing him because he was more popular. In the lawsuit, filed in L.A. Superior Court against Rowe Entertainment of Atlanta, Ne-Yo (real name: Shaffer Smith) alleges that an "unknown representative of R. Kelly urged Rowe to terminate" him because of the "audience’s and critics’ more favorable reaction to Smith than the reaction to R. Kelly."

When Ne-Yo was dropped from the tour just before Thanksgiving, "contractual differences" were cited. Ne-Yo, who was set to make $785,000 for 25 dates, says he’s only been paid $50K of that, and he’s suing for that and for other compensatory damages.

Jay-Z had the same problem with R. Kelly.

Happy Birthday Vanessa Hudgens

Hollywood Grind — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:40:32 +0000

Katharine McPhee, Ne-Yo, and Vanessa Hudgens opened the Christmas in Washington Special 2007 playing for President Bush. Which of the three did you like the best? My favorite was Vanessa.

Vanessa Hudgens is 19 years old today. Happy Birthday Vanessa.

Hayden Panettiere in Vogue

Hollywood Grind — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:19:52 +0000

Hayden Panettiere has overexposed herself. She’s everywhere, even the Ronald McDonald house, and posing with Ne-Yo. At this point she’s all played out. Then I find out she’s stripped down to her undies again, and posed for Vogue. One mistake a lot of young stars make is to give an interview they have to live up to, like the one Hayden gave to Vogue below:

Hayden on when she intends on becoming the latest screwed-up girl in Hollywood:
â€œNever, never. Cross our fingers. You can’t schedule rehab for me. And I don’t think you can schedule any DUI’s. I think I’m going to be one of those boring girls.â€

Hayden on Britney Spears:
â€œThat girl was the epitome of beauty when I was younger. And we built her up and just ripped her down, put every aspect of her life under a microscope. Probably made 90 percent of the stuff up along the way. I can’t even imagine if I had it like she does. She’s someone that I’m rooting for, and I hope she can make that comeback.â€

Hayden on the craziest rumor she has ever heard about herself:
â€œWell, now that I’m single, it’s like I’m dating every male I’m standing next to, and possibly every female.â€

Hayden on rumors she is dating her Heroes castmate, Milo Ventimiglia:
â€œNo, I’m not. I love my castmates, and I adore Milo. He’s awesome, but we’re easy targets. We’re both young, and he’s one of the only people on the show not married with children.â€

Hayden on celebs she wouldn’t mind being romantically linked to:
â€œGod, it could be anyone from Leo DiCaprio to Justin Timberlake, or any girl. You want to make me a lesbian? That’s totally fine with me. Um, let’s see. We could do a love affair with Angelina. We could doâ€¦ Oh gosh, I love, there are so many beautiful girls. Charlize Theron. Oh, my God. Kate Beckinsale is gorgeous. Jessica Alba.â€

I thought Hayden was smarter than this interview. She loves the attention. Look how she keeps trying to get someone, anyone, to start a rumor she’s a lesbian. She reminds me of Lindsay. If Hayden really wants attention she should just pose for Playboy. Do it now before gravity takes its toll. Actually, I changed my mind, maybe she should just go to a nude beach with another girl and make-out with her while the paparazzi snap a few pictures.

R. Kelly Fired Ne-Yo from his Tour

Hollywood Grind — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:23:41 +0000

R. Kelly suddenly removed Ne-Yo from his tour stating the contract wasn’t signed. Ne-Yo is upset and wanted to finish the tour. Why would anyone want to tour with someone charged with being a pedophile? NeYo’s publicist has released the following cryptic statement:

â€œYesterday, Shaffer Smith aka Ne-Yo was informed that he was being dropped from the rest of the R Kelly tour after delivering two sensational performances. Entertainment reporters, music critics, bloggers, fans, and concert goers all agreed that Ne-Yo’s performances brought the heat; but maybe it brought too much heat.

He’s written hit songs for Beyonce â€œIrreplaceableâ€ and Rihanna â€œUnfaithfulâ€ (spending a combined 19 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100), said Tango, Ne-Yo’s business partner and manager. He’s written songs slated to be on Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, and Enrique Iglesias’ new albums. In a recent article in Ebony Magazine, the king of pop, Michael Jackson, referred to him as one of the artists that impresses him most. The fans were really feeling his performances. He’s good; maybe he’s too good – that’s the problem.â€

It seems like dÃ©jÃ vu – didn’t R Kelly have drama on his last tour. R Kelly’s camp sited the lack of a signed contract as the reason for removing Ne-Yo from the line up.

â€œI don’t understand their actions because I was rehearsing, doing media, promoting the tour, and performing,â€ said Ne-Yo. â€œIn my opinion, I was doing everything possible to make the tour a success. I love being on stage in front of fans because of the immediate feedback you get. You know right away if they are feeling you; and they were really feeling our show.â€

Ne-Yo expressed genuine concern regarding not having the opportunity to complete the tour. He wanted all of his fans and supporters to be able to see him live. â€œTo my fans and ticket holders – I apologize if you are disappointed.â€

In 2004, R. Kelly and Jay-Z’s conjoined tour came to a halt after Kelly was blasted with pepper spray by a member of Jay-Z’s entourage. Jay-Z later said that R. Kelly was a weepy, emotional wreck, prone to crying fits during the duration of their tour. Just the other day R. Kelly’s publicist quit saying "lines being crossed."

Ne-Yo Comes Out and Says He’s Gay

Hollywood Grind — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 22:08:17 +0000

On August 25, 2006 Hollywood Grind brought you pictures that showed someone who looked like Ne-Yo getting some oral action by a female who was identified as a Ne-Yo dancer. It is being reported now that Ne-Yo did an interview for Essance Magazine, and tells them he is, and always has been, Gay. I am hoping he will also comment on the pictures that surfaced to find out if he really means bi-sexual. For the ladies that thought those songs were talking about a girl, he says he was really talking about a guy. Read more:

The newly famed singer/songwriter has come out of the closet and announced that he is gay. The multi-platinum recording artist sat down for the October issue of Essence Magazine last week and announced the shocking news stating, “Yes, I am in fact gay, and I have always been.” After several internet rumors have been circulating around the internet. He also said, “You know this world we live in is full of judgement, resulting in one of the reasons why it took me so long to come out.” Earlier this month, a man by the name of Derrick Johnson claimed that he had an intimate relationship with the singer during there teen years in high school. He also said that for months the singer and Def Jam has been trying to pay him to keep quiet over the ordeal. Ne-yo responds saying, that the relationship did occur and he is no longer ashamed of saying that he was deeply in love. Reciting “That situation was what inspired me to write the song “Unfaithful”. But no one knew it was actually about myself, and our relationship.” He told Essence that he doesn’t care anymore, he was tired of living a lie and is ready to come clean. Quoting, “the music industry can either except me for who I am, or desert me.” The full interview with the magazine is expected to hit stands mid-October.

Barbra Stradoff,
Essence Magazine

Related article:

Ne-Yo Caught with His Pants Down?

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