Justin Timberlake Hits Back at Kanye on 'SNL'

Justin Timberlake Hits Back at Kanye on 'SNL'Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Alec Baldwin welcome host into the Five Timers Club $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Well damn if Justin Timberlake doesn’t put on a show.

Timberlake, who did double duty as host and musical guest on last night’s Saturday Night Live, put on a show that Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop would be jealous of. With amazing timing both comically and musically, Timberlake – formerly of N'Sync, Nipplegate, Britney Spears and Cameron Diaz – returned to the SNL stage, apparently in an effort to burn it down. But the most interesting moment of the night wasn’t due to Timberlake starting a fire, but rather, returning it.

Almost two weeks after Kanye West mentioned in London that while "I got love for Hov . . . I ain’t fucking with" Timberlake’s new single with Jay-Z, "Suit & Tie," Timberlake struck back. Subliminally. Melodically. On national television. His first musical performance of the night was in fact "Suit & Tie" (his second was "Mirrors"), which featured his dynamic backing band, the Tennessee Kids grooving in the pocket, some perfect moves in conjunction with his fellow dancers and Jay-Z ready to join him on stage. Justin, with no acknowledgment before or after, smoothly took his line in the second verse, "And aw, shit so sick, got a hit and picked up a habit," and switched it to "My hit’s so sick, got rappers acting dramatic."

Point: Mr. Timberlake.

Last night was a night of big points for JT. Justin is clearly very comfortable at Saturday Night Live – at least at ease enough to poke Kanye in front of Jay-Z – which, as we’ve seen in his four prior hosting gigs, has resulted in classic sketches like Dick in a Box, Omeletteville, and Single Ladies. And America loves them some JT on SNL. So how could Timberlake out-Timberlake himself this time?

Justin Timberlake Through the Years

For starters, how about welcoming Justin as the newest member of the Five Timers Club – a tremendous callback to the 1990 sketch that patted then-new Five Timer Tom Hanks on the back. This time, Justin mingled around the all-star fraternity in his special smoking jacket amongst luminaries like Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Chevy Chase, Alec Baldwin, Candace Bergen, and of course Hanks himself, watching current cast members fight each other to the death. Dan Akroyd and Martin Short even made appearances, though as One Timers, both were relegated to food service industry jobs.

Another homerun was "It’s a Date," a seemingly bland dating game show, in the mold of Love Connection, where the bachelorette must blindly pick a beau strictly through a series of questions, never once seeing any of the contestants. Her contestants, revealed to the audience one by one, turn out to be a normal Bobby Moynihan, followed by Timberlake and Andy Samberg as the Dick in the Box dudes, followed by Akroyd and Martin as the Wild and Crazy Guys. The idea was stellar and the writing was terrific, creating a wonderful tie between young and old.

Crowd-pleaser Veganville was the fifth in a decade-long series of Justin doing personalized singing and dancing street advertisements (Omeletteville, Homelessville, Plasticville, Liquorville), which is always a tour-de-force, calling on spot-on parodies of songs. This time, JT-as-tofu covered Rihanna’s "We Found Love" (". . . In A Meatless Place"), Vanilla Ice’s "Ice Ice Baby" ("Brown Rice Baby") and even Trinidad James’ "All Gold Everything," singing the praises of veggies. And as if it wasn’t obvious, Justin still got a chuckle and cheer out of the audience when he turned Baauer’s super-viral "Harlem Shake" into "Vegan Shake."

Other non-Justin highlights from last night included the return of Stefon (Bill Hader) to the Weekend Update desk, where his late night hot spots recommendations were mixed with an outstanding Donald Duck-suffering-from-Vietnam flashbacks impression; Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong teaming up once again as ex-porn stars hocking product on a flawed infomercial; and the women of SNL doing a commercial for NuvaBling, the stylish, yet horrifying birth control that can double as jewelry. "Where did you get those earrings? Tiffany’s?" "No, I got them from my vagina!"

Justin Timberlake is amazing and one of a kind, and as if he had to, he proved it again last night. While he may have looked like Emperor Caligula, sung like Elton John, had the comedic stylings of a Maine-by-way-of-Louisiana court officer and danced like a piece of tofu, the reason his episodes work is because he still looks like Justin Timberlake, sings like Justin Timberlake, has comedic chops like Justin Timberlake and dances like Justin Timberlake.

The one thing Justin may not have is that Kanye co-sign, but that’s all right; the Five Timers Club is soundproof. Only thing you can hear in there is applause. 

Last Week's Recap: Kevin Hart Plays Quvenzhane Wallis as the New Pope on 'SNL'

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Kanye West Disses Justin Timberlake in Onstage Rant

Kanye West Disses Justin Timberlake in Onstage RantDismisses 'Suit & Tie,' rails against corporate sponsorship $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Kanye West took a moment at his London show on Saturday night to deliver another searing rant, largely focused on the relationship between art and commerce. Over a spare instrumental from the G.O.O.D. Music track "Clique," Kanye referred to Jay-Z and dismissed the recent Justin Timberlake single that his friend collaborated on: "And I got love for Hov but I ain't fucking with that 'Suit & Tie,'" he said.

After airing his hatred for "business people" and the Grammys, he went on to discuss corporate sponsorships, apparently joking about his infamous Beyonce-related VMA awards faux-pas, but also perhaps taking a swipe at the pop queen's recent Pepsi endorsement:

"Can I sell a drink for you please? So you can help me put on a better show. Please corporations. Can you please support me, Kanye West? I swear I'm a nice n***a now. I swear I'll put the pink polo back on. I swear to you. Please? Just for three million dollars. I need it so bad. I need a new pool in my back yard. So I'll tell all my fans your shit is cool. And if they believe in me they should also believe in you. . . . What's my public rating now? Are people liking me again? Enough to get some money for some corporations? They forgot about the whole Beyonce thing right? Okay cool."

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Jay-Z Gets Assist From Kanye at Made in America

Jay-Z and Kanye West perform during the Made In America Festival.

"You've been so good to me, Philadelphia," Jay-Z said moments after wrapping a monumental hour-long headlining performance at his own Budweiser Made in America Festival. "Now I'm gonna be good to you." The rapper’s gift? A seven-song encore from his frequent partner-in-crime, Kanye West, and members of the Chicago emcee’s G.O.O.D. Music crew, which on Saturday included Big Sean, Pusha T, Common and 2 Chainz. The unexpected concert-within-a-concert, which included West hits "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and the crew's latest collaborations, “Mercy," "Way Too Cold" and "New God Flow," was capped off with Jay returning onstage to perform Watch The Throne’s "N***as in Paris" with West as fireworks lit up the Philly sky.

The night, however, was all Jay's. It’s debatable how much curatorial influence the rapper had over the two-day affair, but from the moment he sauntered onstage, bobbing up and down à la Rocky Balboa, and donning a black fitted t-shirt emblazoned with an Egyptian portrait, matching jeans and red-and-black Jordans, Jigga appeared ecstatic to be playing host. In fact, it was often hard for him to contain his elation: at one point in the show he stopped a song mid-verse to admire the throngs of people spread across Fairmount Park. He also made sure to pay his respects to the host city several times throughout the night. ("I have a long love affair with Philadelphia,” he said.)

Fans expecting a setlist heavy on deep cuts may have left feeling slighted: Jay, backed by a seven-piece crack band, stuck to a career-spanning greatest-hits set, dropping turn-of-the-century cuts like "Big Pimpin'" and "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," as well as contemporary smashes such as "99 Problems" "Empire State of Mind" and "On To The Next One," featuring assistance from Swizz Beats. He did slip in rarities: Memphis Bleek emerged for the Philly-honoring anthem "Murder Marcyville (South Philly N***az)" and Ruff Ryders-compilation classic "Jigga My N***a" also popped up. 

Skrillex, who boarded his now-well-known stage starship and launched off into a practically unabating, hour-long frenzy of his typically wub-centric fare, preceded Jay-Z on a side stage. The show’s captivating 3D projectors and bizarre visuals – think crazed Bollywood dancers and screaming Santas – made for a performance that took the phrase "Festival of Lights" and gave it an epileptic, 21st century update. The set’s only analog moment came near the end, when the DJ waved a lighter during his remix of Benny Benassi’s "Cinema." The crowd, naturally, mimicked him with their cell phones.

Unlike the relentlessly-touring Skrillex, D’Angelo’s set was a rare treat. Aside from a July appearance at Essence Music Festival and a surprise jam session at Bonnaroo with Questlove, the reclusive R&B master hadn’t played a show in the US in over a decade. "It feels so good, Philadelphia," the neo-soul singer said midway through his amped-up set, which he topped off with an extended take on his new funk number "Sugar Daddy." Backed by a 10-piece band, the singer let his frighteningly-fierce falsetto fly and fluttered about the stage armed with a monogrammed, silver-lined flying-V guitar. The highlight came mid-set when he took the stage alone, sitting down at the keyboard for a tender take on his signature hit "Untitled (How Does It Feel)."

With the festival's very first set, Gary Clark Jr. brought his distortion-heavy, up-tempo Southern rock to the parkway, soloing early and often. Festivalgoers who braved peak sunlight were duly rewarded as the Austin-bred songwriter played a new song, "Ain't Messing Around," off an album due out this fall. Clark closed his high-energy and technically sound set with an extended version of his hit song "Bright Lights" that lasted nearly eight minutes. 

The day’s first true spectacle came courtesy of Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group. The recent Rolling Stone cover star, who unleashed his trademark bark nearly two dozen times over 45 minutes, was joined by his labelmates – Wale, Meek Mill, Rockie Fresh, Stalley – for a mass display of wealth and excess. Each shared the spotlight: Ross charged through cuts new ("Hold Me Back") and old ("Hustlin’"); Philly native Mill cut loose on "House Party"; and Wale got things underway with "Chain Music." 

The dance tent came alive when fans took shelter from the sun for an early-evening performance from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. A festival fixture, Harris has his 90-minute set down pat: the EDM star let pop-infused kicks, whooshes and thuds rain down on spazzed-out fans, more than one of them wearing a hat that read: "I don't get drunk. I get awesome."

Once Janelle Monae shed the cloak she was wearing when she came onstage mid-afternoon, everyone – the crowd, Monae, and her 13-person, black-and-white-clad backing band – went more than a little nuts. Monae flew through an impeccably-choreographed set that included an inspired cover of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." At set's end, she played "Electric Lady," a bouncy, bongo-infused groove off of her forthcoming second album.

Additional reporting by Joe Pinsker

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Jay-Z Gets Assist From Kanye at Made in America

Jay-Z and Kanye West perform during the Made In America Festival.

"You've been so good to me, Philadelphia," Jay-Z said moments after wrapping a monumental hour-long headlining performance at his own Budweiser Made in America Festival. "Now I'm gonna be good to you." The rapper’s gift? A seven-song encore from his frequent partner-in-crime, Kanye West, and members of the Chicago emcee’s G.O.O.D. Music crew, which on Saturday included Big Sean, Pusha T, Common and 2 Chainz. The unexpected concert-within-a-concert, which included West hits "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and the crew's latest collaborations, “Mercy," "Way Too Cold" and "New God Flow," was capped off with Jay returning onstage to perform Watch The Throne’s "N***as in Paris" with West as fireworks lit up the Philly sky.

The night, however, was all Jay's. It’s debatable how much curatorial influence the rapper had over the two-day affair, but from the moment he sauntered onstage, bobbing up and down à la Rocky Balboa, and donning a black fitted t-shirt emblazoned with an Egyptian portrait, matching jeans and red-and-black Jordans, Jigga appeared ecstatic to be playing host. In fact, it was often hard for him to contain his elation: at one point in the show he stopped a song mid-verse to admire the throngs of people spread across Fairmount Park. He also made sure to pay his respects to the host city several times throughout the night. ("I have a long love affair with Philadelphia,” he said.)

Fans expecting a setlist heavy on deep cuts may have left feeling slighted: Jay, backed by a seven-piece crack band, stuck to a career-spanning greatest-hits set, dropping turn-of-the-century cuts like "Big Pimpin'" and "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," as well as contemporary smashes such as "99 Problems" "Empire State of Mind" and "On To The Next One," featuring assistance from Swizz Beats. He did slip in rarities: Memphis Bleek emerged for the Philly-honoring anthem "Murder Marcyville (South Philly N***az)" and Ruff Ryders-compilation classic "Jigga My N***a" also popped up. 

Skrillex, who boarded his now-well-known stage starship and launched off into a practically unabating, hour-long frenzy of his typically wub-centric fare, preceded Jay-Z on a side stage. The show’s captivating 3D projectors and bizarre visuals – think crazed Bollywood dancers and screaming Santas – made for a performance that took the phrase "Festival of Lights" and gave it an epileptic, 21st century update. The set’s only analog moment came near the end, when the DJ waved a lighter during his remix of Benny Benassi’s "Cinema." The crowd, naturally, mimicked him with their cell phones.

Unlike the relentlessly-touring Skrillex, D’Angelo’s set was a rare treat. Aside from a July appearance at Essence Music Festival and a surprise jam session at Bonnaroo with Questlove, the reclusive R&B master hadn’t played a show in the US in over a decade. "It feels so good, Philadelphia," the neo-soul singer said midway through his amped-up set, which he topped off with an extended take on his new funk number "Sugar Daddy." Backed by a 10-piece band, the singer let his frighteningly-fierce falsetto fly and fluttered about the stage armed with a monogrammed, silver-lined flying-V guitar. The highlight came mid-set when he took the stage alone, sitting down at the keyboard for a tender take on his signature hit "Untitled (How Does It Feel)."

With the festival's very first set, Gary Clark Jr. brought his distortion-heavy, up-tempo Southern rock to the parkway, soloing early and often. Festivalgoers who braved peak sunlight were duly rewarded as the Austin-bred songwriter played a new song, "Ain't Messing Around," off an album due out this fall. Clark closed his high-energy and technically sound set with an extended version of his hit song "Bright Lights" that lasted nearly eight minutes. 

The day’s first true spectacle came courtesy of Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group. The recent Rolling Stone cover star, who unleashed his trademark bark nearly two dozen times over 45 minutes, was joined by his labelmates – Wale, Meek Mill, Rockie Fresh, Stalley – for a mass display of wealth and excess. Each shared the spotlight: Ross charged through cuts new ("Hold Me Back") and old ("Hustlin’"); Philly native Mill cut loose on "House Party"; and Wale got things underway with "Chain Music." 

The dance tent came alive when fans took shelter from the sun for an early-evening performance from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. A festival fixture, Harris has his 90-minute set down pat: the EDM star let pop-infused kicks, whooshes and thuds rain down on spazzed-out fans, more than one of them wearing a hat that read: "I don't get drunk. I get awesome."

Once Janelle Monae shed the cloak she was wearing when she came onstage mid-afternoon, everyone – the crowd, Monae, and her 13-person, black-and-white-clad backing band – went more than a little nuts. Monae flew through an impeccably-choreographed set that included an inspired cover of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." At set's end, she played "Electric Lady," a bouncy, bongo-infused groove off of her forthcoming second album.

Additional reporting by Joe Pinsker

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Skrillex: 'I Did Some Music With Kanye' for West's Next Album

Chelsea Lauren/WireImage; Michael Buckner/Getty Images For BET

Well here's a tantalizing hint: Skrillex has collaborated with Kanye West on material for the follow-up to West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Skrillex mentions almost as an aside in a lengthy interview with The Daily Beast. "I did some music with Kanye and from what I know, it's actually going to be the first song on his new album," the dubstep star said.

It's not clear whether that means Track 1 or the first single, or whether anything they did will actually make the album at all: West has also reportedly worked with the producers No I.D. and S1, and it's not hard to find long, speculative lists of guests rumored to be on the album, for which neither title nor release date has been announced. West also recently unveiled the song "Perfect Bitch," which he said he wrote for girlfriend Kim Kardashian.

Skrillex also addressed criticism that Deadmau5 leveled at him earlier this summer in Rolling Stone when the DJ said that Skrillex "isn't doing anything too technical. He has a laptop and a MIDI recorder, and he's just playing his shit."

Responded Skrillex, "Listen, I’m proud of what I do and this is not directed toward Deadmau5 personally, but if you’re going to denounce something you’re a part of . . . the thing about DJing is it’s a platform to create a vibe," he said. "It’s all about creating an effect. The Ramones played fuckin' four chords. It's about the emotion, the movement, the music you create. The 'pushing buttons' criticism is just missing the point. You could invalidate anything if you wanted to."

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Skrillex: 'I Did Some Music With Kanye' for West's Next Album

Chelsea Lauren/WireImage; Michael Buckner/Getty Images For BET

Well here's a tantalizing hint: Skrillex has collaborated with Kanye West on material for the follow-up to West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Skrillex mentions almost as an aside in a lengthy interview with The Daily Beast. "I did some music with Kanye and from what I know, it's actually going to be the first song on his new album," the dubstep star said.

It's not clear whether that means Track 1 or the first single, or whether anything they did will actually make the album at all: West has also reportedly worked with the producers No I.D. and S1, and it's not hard to find long, speculative lists of guests rumored to be on the album, for which neither title nor release date has been announced. West also recently unveiled the song "Perfect Bitch," which he said he wrote for girlfriend Kim Kardashian.

Skrillex also addressed criticism that Deadmau5 leveled at him earlier this summer in Rolling Stone when the DJ said that Skrillex "isn't doing anything too technical. He has a laptop and a MIDI recorder, and he's just playing his shit."

Responded Skrillex, "Listen, I’m proud of what I do and this is not directed toward Deadmau5 personally, but if you’re going to denounce something you’re a part of . . . the thing about DJing is it’s a platform to create a vibe," he said. "It’s all about creating an effect. The Ramones played fuckin' four chords. It's about the emotion, the movement, the music you create. The 'pushing buttons' criticism is just missing the point. You could invalidate anything if you wanted to."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Obama Goes on Record to Call Kanye West a 'Jackass'

Nick Harvey/WireImage; Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

President Barack Obama has once again called Kanye West "a jackass," the Atlantic Monthly reports. In the magazine's new issue, reporter David Samuels calls on President Obama to answer the age-old question: "Kanye or Jay-Z?"

"Jay-Z," Obama tells Samuels. "Although I like Kanye. He's a Chicago guy. Smart. He's very talented." The reporter then asks, "Even though you called him a jackass?" referring to Obama's off-the-record comments about West that were leaked from a 2009 interview with CNBC. Obama's response: "He is a jackass. But he's talented."

The president first lobbed the epithet at West behind the scenes, while taping the CNBC interview. Video of the comment subsequently leaked and went viral on YouTube. At the time, the president was commenting on West's behavior at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when the performer stormed the stage to interrupt Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for her Best Female Video win.

West responded gracefully to the President's earlier comments in an interview with XXL, saying, "Obama has way more important stuff to worry about than my public perception." Time will tell how West deals with the repeat offense from the Oval Office.

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Obama Goes on Record to Call Kanye West a 'Jackass'

Nick Harvey/WireImage; Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

President Barack Obama has once again called Kanye West "a jackass," the Atlantic Monthly reports. In the magazine's new issue, reporter David Samuels calls on President Obama to answer the age-old question: "Kanye or Jay-Z?"

"Jay-Z," Obama tells Samuels. "Although I like Kanye. He's a Chicago guy. Smart. He's very talented." The reporter then asks, "Even though you called him a jackass?" referring to Obama's off-the-record comments about West that were leaked from a 2009 interview with CNBC. Obama's response: "He is a jackass. But he's talented."

The president first lobbed the epithet at West behind the scenes, while taping the CNBC interview. Video of the comment subsequently leaked and went viral on YouTube. At the time, the president was commenting on West's behavior at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when the performer stormed the stage to interrupt Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for her Best Female Video win.

West responded gracefully to the President's earlier comments in an interview with XXL, saying, "Obama has way more important stuff to worry about than my public perception." Time will tell how West deals with the repeat offense from the Oval Office.

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Kanye West Releases 'Mercy' on G.O.O.D. Friday

Kanye West performs at the Big Day Out at Sydney Showground in Sydney, Australia.

Kanye West has released another new song hot on the heels of "Theraflu," his track for the new DJ Khaled record. "Mercy," the first song from the forthcoming G.O.O.D. Music album featuring artists from West's label, hit the Internet last night after premiering on radio programs including Funkmaster Flex's influential show on New York's Hot 97.

You can hear the new track, a spooky banger featuring verses by Big Sean, Pusha-T and 2 Chainz, below. The song, along with "Theraflu," is also up on West's site today, which happens to be Good Friday. See what Kanye did there? G.O.O.D. Friday? He's a clever man.

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Kanye West Releases 'Mercy' on G.O.O.D. Friday

Kanye West performs at the Big Day Out at Sydney Showground in Sydney, Australia.

Kanye West has released another new song hot on the heels of "Theraflu," his track for the new DJ Khaled record. "Mercy," the first song from the forthcoming G.O.O.D. Music album featuring artists from West's label, hit the Internet last night after premiering on radio programs including Funkmaster Flex's influential show on New York's Hot 97.

You can hear the new track, a spooky banger featuring verses by Big Sean, Pusha-T and 2 Chainz, below. The song, along with "Theraflu," is also up on West's site today, which happens to be Good Friday. See what Kanye did there? G.O.O.D. Friday? He's a clever man.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Kanye West Upsets Theraflu, PETA With New Track

Kanye West performs as part of Big Day Out Festival at the Gold Coast Parklands in Gold Coast, Australia.

Kanye West, who dropped the anti-haters anthem "Theraflu" yesterday, is getting flack from the cold and flu relief company of the same name. The song is an occasion for major braggadocio, mentioning the rapper's love for Kim Kardashian and clout with Roc Nation. However, the title suggests that West is so cold to his nemeses, they need Theraflu to cope.

"We in no way endorse or approve of the references or use of the image and likeness of Theraflu in this manner," a company representative told TMZ.

Theraflu isn't the only non-fan of the new cut. In the song's chorus, West taunts People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals with the line, "Someone tell PETA my mink is dragging on the floor." The organization tells the Wall Street Journal " . . . what's dragging on the floor is Kanye's reputation as a man with no empathy for animals or human beings. He's a great musician but doesn't seem to have the fashion sense to design anything more than caveman costumes." Burn.

The Hit Boy-produced beat behind the controversial "Theraflu" wasn't originally intended for West. "It was supposed to be for [DJ] Khaled's album," Hit Boy tells MTV. "'Ye was just like, 'This needs to be out now; this is an urgent record.'"

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Kanye West Upsets Theraflu, PETA With New Track

Kanye West performs as part of Big Day Out Festival at the Gold Coast Parklands in Gold Coast, Australia.

Kanye West, who dropped the anti-haters anthem "Theraflu" yesterday, is getting flack from the cold and flu relief company of the same name. The song is an occasion for major braggadocio, mentioning the rapper's love for Kim Kardashian and clout with Roc Nation. However, the title suggests that West is so cold to his nemeses, they need Theraflu to cope.

"We in no way endorse or approve of the references or use of the image and likeness of Theraflu in this manner," a company representative told TMZ.

Theraflu isn't the only non-fan of the new cut. In the song's chorus, West taunts People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals with the line, "Someone tell PETA my mink is dragging on the floor." The organization tells the Wall Street Journal " . . . what's dragging on the floor is Kanye's reputation as a man with no empathy for animals or human beings. He's a great musician but doesn't seem to have the fashion sense to design anything more than caveman costumes." Burn.

The Hit Boy-produced beat behind the controversial "Theraflu" wasn't originally intended for West. "It was supposed to be for [DJ] Khaled's album," Hit Boy tells MTV. "'Ye was just like, 'This needs to be out now; this is an urgent record.'"

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Kanye West Sued Over Another Sample

Kanye West performs in Kansas City.

Just weeks after settling a lawsuit with singer Syl Johnson, Kanye West faces another claim of illegal sampling, AllHipHop.com reports.

Robert Poindexter, singer with the soul band the Persuaders, claims that West used an uncleared sample of the 1972 hit "Trying Girls Out" on his remix of "Girls Girls Girls" featured on the mixtape Freshman Adjustment 2. Poindexter filed the suit in the U.S. District Court in Southern New York on March 27. He is seeking $500,000 in damages. 

Poindexter argues in the suit that West would have known that the sample wasn't cleared for the track, since he used a cleared version of the same sample for the version of "Girls Girls Girls" on Jay-Z's 2001 album The Blueprint.

Poindexter says in the suit that although the mixtape came out in 2006, he did not become aware of the sample until years later.

"By chance, I happened to discover the usage of the illegal version on the internet in 2011," the claim notes. 

Since the mixtape was not commercially released, it is unclear whether Poindexter has much of a case. However, Poindexter argues that West "willfully infringed the copyright for private and financial gain by selling and distributing an untold amount of physical and digital copies of the illegal version (mixed tapes/street albums) to the general public on internet downloads and through the mail." 

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Kanye West Sued Over Another Sample

Kanye West performs in Kansas City.

Just weeks after settling a lawsuit with singer Syl Johnson, Kanye West faces another claim of illegal sampling, AllHipHop.com reports.

Robert Poindexter, singer with the soul band the Persuaders, claims that West used an uncleared sample of the 1972 hit "Trying Girls Out" on his remix of "Girls Girls Girls" featured on the mixtape Freshman Adjustment 2. Poindexter filed the suit in the U.S. District Court in Southern New York on March 27. He is seeking $500,000 in damages. 

Poindexter argues in the suit that West would have known that the sample wasn't cleared for the track, since he used a cleared version of the same sample for the version of "Girls Girls Girls" on Jay-Z's 2001 album The Blueprint.

Poindexter says in the suit that although the mixtape came out in 2006, he did not become aware of the sample until years later.

"By chance, I happened to discover the usage of the illegal version on the internet in 2011," the claim notes. 

Since the mixtape was not commercially released, it is unclear whether Poindexter has much of a case. However, Poindexter argues that West "willfully infringed the copyright for private and financial gain by selling and distributing an untold amount of physical and digital copies of the illegal version (mixed tapes/street albums) to the general public on internet downloads and through the mail." 

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Kanye West and Jay-Z Settle Syl Johnson Lawsuit

Kanye West and Jay-Z perform together in New York City.

Jay-Z and Kanye West have settled a federal lawsuit by soul singer Syl Johnson, who claimed that the duo used an unauthorized sample of his song "Different Strokes" on "The Joy," a track on the deluxe version of their album Watch the Throne.

According to Johnson, West had attempted to clear the sample for his 2010 record My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but could not get the deal ready in time for its release and ended up putting the track on Throne without his permission, proper credit or payment. The details of West and Jay-Z's settlement with Johnson have not been made public, though legal papers filed in Illinois last week indicate that the suit has been dismissed.

Johnson has pursued previous legal action against rappers. His $29 million lawsuit against Cypress Hill was dismissed in 2008 on the technicality that sound recordings made before February 15, 1972 are not subject to copyright protection under the Copyright Act. The singer later sued his legal team for malpractice after the ruling was upheld by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

In other Jay-Z and Kanye West news, the 2004 Maybach 57 used in the video for their hit "Otis" sold for $60,000 at an auction at the New York Contemporary Art Evening, with a large chunk of the proceeds going to the Save the Children charity. The dismembered vehicle sold significantly below the estimated $100,000-$150,000 expected by the house, but in fairness, it is not a working automobile.

You can watch the rappers and the car in question in the video below, which was directed by music video auteur Spike Jonze.

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Kanye West and Jay-Z Settle Syl Johnson Lawsuit

Kanye West and Jay-Z perform together in New York City.

Jay-Z and Kanye West have settled a federal lawsuit by soul singer Syl Johnson, who claimed that the duo used an unauthorized sample of his song "Different Strokes" on "The Joy," a track on the deluxe version of their album Watch the Throne.

According to Johnson, West had attempted to clear the sample for his 2010 record My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but could not get the deal ready in time for its release and ended up putting the track on Throne without his permission, proper credit or payment. The details of West and Jay-Z's settlement with Johnson have not been made public, though legal papers filed in Illinois last week indicate that the suit has been dismissed.

Johnson has pursued previous legal action against rappers. His $29 million lawsuit against Cypress Hill was dismissed in 2008 on the technicality that sound recordings made before February 15, 1972 are not subject to copyright protection under the Copyright Act. The singer later sued his legal team for malpractice after the ruling was upheld by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

In other Jay-Z and Kanye West news, the 2004 Maybach 57 used in the video for their hit "Otis" sold for $60,000 at an auction at the New York Contemporary Art Evening, with a large chunk of the proceeds going to the Save the Children charity. The dismembered vehicle sold significantly below the estimated $100,000-$150,000 expected by the house, but in fairness, it is not a working automobile.

You can watch the rappers and the car in question in the video below, which was directed by music video auteur Spike Jonze.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Kanye West Bans Critics from His Paris Fashion Show

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend Kanye West's fashion show in Paris.

Kanye West reportedly banned all fashion critics from the preview of his second collection of DW Kanye West women's clothing in Paris. The rapper's previous line was widely panned by critics when it debuted on Paris catwalks last season, which apparently left the rapper-turned-designer feeling defensive.

"He canceled last minute, saying, 'I don't know about this. I got treated unfairly by the press last time. Why would I want to do this?'" New York Times fashion writer Eric Wilson told the New York Daily News.

Regardless of the ban, critics were kinder to West's designs this time around, though some took him to task for his use of fur and for borrowing perhaps too much inspiration from Givenchy. Rolling Stone's Colleen Nika approved, noting that the new designs were a "marked improvement" and praising his improved tailoring.

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Kanye West Bans Critics from His Paris Fashion Show

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend Kanye West's fashion show in Paris.

Kanye West reportedly banned all fashion critics from the preview of his second collection of DW Kanye West women's clothing in Paris. The rapper's previous line was widely panned by critics when it debuted on Paris catwalks last season, which apparently left the rapper-turned-designer feeling defensive.

"He canceled last minute, saying, 'I don't know about this. I got treated unfairly by the press last time. Why would I want to do this?'" New York Times fashion writer Eric Wilson told the New York Daily News.

Regardless of the ban, critics were kinder to West's designs this time around, though some took him to task for his use of fur and for borrowing perhaps too much inspiration from Givenchy. Rolling Stone's Colleen Nika approved, noting that the new designs were a "marked improvement" and praising his improved tailoring.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Kanye West to Make Film in Middle East

Kanye West performs during the Watch The Throne tour.

Kanye West has reportedly sent emissaries to the Persian Gulf region of the Middle East to scout locations for a short film. According to The Observer, the rapper's new project will be a hybrid art film/music video, much like his 30-minute clip for "Runaway" back in 2010.

The Observer's sources say that West's representatives are meeting with film companies and government officials in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha Qatar to figure out the logistics of their production. "In Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha all of the film initiatives are government controlled," says one source close to the talks. "A bidding war is going on between various government entities and private investors to fund the film. There’s pretty intense rivalry here between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar. They all want to claim the film as their own and take credit for generating the publicity."

According to reports, West conceived the project after falling in love with the region after performing in Abu Dhabi last year, and he hopes to offer an authentic depiction of the culture. "His reps seemed genuinely enthusiastic about creating a piece which highlights the culture accurately," the source explained. "There’s a lot of preconceived notions and stereotypes about Emiratis and Qataris, which Westerners often play up."

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Kanye West to Make Film in Middle East

Kanye West performs during the Watch The Throne tour.

Kanye West has reportedly sent emissaries to the Persian Gulf region of the Middle East to scout locations for a short film. According to The Observer, the rapper's new project will be a hybrid art film/music video, much like his 30-minute clip for "Runaway" back in 2010.

The Observer's sources say that West's representatives are meeting with film companies and government officials in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha Qatar to figure out the logistics of their production. "In Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha all of the film initiatives are government controlled," says one source close to the talks. "A bidding war is going on between various government entities and private investors to fund the film. There’s pretty intense rivalry here between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar. They all want to claim the film as their own and take credit for generating the publicity."

According to reports, West conceived the project after falling in love with the region after performing in Abu Dhabi last year, and he hopes to offer an authentic depiction of the culture. "His reps seemed genuinely enthusiastic about creating a piece which highlights the culture accurately," the source explained. "There’s a lot of preconceived notions and stereotypes about Emiratis and Qataris, which Westerners often play up."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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