VIA: The first time Mac Miller appeared at the Forbes building in New York, he was a teenaged newbie with a handful of mixtapes and a buzzworthy debut album. He returned this past week with accomplishments befitting a veteran. Now 21, Miller has appeared two years in a row on the FORBES 30 Under 30 list, picked up 2 million more Twitter followers and earned $6.5 million last year. On the heels of his first album, Blue Slide Park–which sold 144,000 copies in its opening week and became the first independently-released album to top the charts since 1995–Miller is set to launch his follow-up, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, on June 18th. Despite plenty of interest from major labels, Miller has stayed with indie Rostrum Records, a decision he says was vital to the creation of his new album. In addition to getting a better royalty rate, he’s had the freedom to change his approach for Watching Movies. His last album was more like the mother of all mixtapes–it didn’t have a major radio single or a slew of guest appearances–whereas his newest one features verses from the likes of Schoolboy Q, Jay Electronica and Tyler, The Creator. “I think if I was with a major, I wouldn’t be able to put out this album, I’m pretty sure,” he says. “Actually, I’m pretty positive … I had a formula that was working beautifully, and then I just kind of ditched it. And so if I was on a major, they’d be like, ‘What are you doing?’” Miller may not debut at No. 1 this time around, given that he’ll be going up against Kanye West‘s long-awaited album Yeezus, and he thinks he might not even make the Cash Kings list in 2013. But don’t bet against him–with a summer of solo shows on the docket and a fall tour abroad with Lil Wayne, Miller figures to be much closer to grabbing a cash crown the next time he walks through our doors.
James Gandolfini, the New Jersey-bred actor who delighted audiences as mob boss Tony Soprano in “The Sopranos” has died following a massive heart attack in Italy, a source told the Daily News. “Everyone is in tears,” the source close to the 51-year-old TV tough guy said. A press-shy celeb who got his start as a character actor and became famous relatively late in his career — thanks to his breakout role on “The Sopranos,” Gandolfini has largely avoided the spotlight since the last season of the beloved show aired in 2007. The burly Westwood, N.J. native has appeared in several supporting roles since then, playing the director of the CIA in “Zero Dark Thirty” and the gruff blue-collar father of a wannabe rock star in “Not Fade Away” last year. Gandolfini hit Broadway in 2009 with the Tony Award-winning comedy “God of Carnage.” “I seek out good stories, basically — that’s it,” he told The Star-Ledger last December. “The older I get, the funnier-looking I get, the more comedies I’m offered. I’m starting to look like a toad, so I’ll probably be getting even more soon.” Gandolfini’s wife, former model Deborah Lin, gave birth to a baby girl last October. The couple married in Hawaii in 2008. Gandolfini — who spent part of his early career supporting himself as a bartender and nightclub manager — also has a son with his ex-wife, Marcy Wudarski. His first break came in 1992 when he landed a role in a Broadway version of “A Streetcar Named Desire” that starred Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange. Smallish parts in major films followed — Gandolfini played a submarine crew member in “Crimson Tide” in 1995 and a gangland bodyguard in “Get Shorty” the same year. Fame came for the Italian-American actor after 1999, as “The Sopranos” garnered critical acclaim and cult popularity on its way to becoming a TV classic. Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards for his sparkling depiction of protagonist Tony Soprano, a mobster trying to balance the mundane stresses of family life and his unusual occupation: organized crime.
Notoriously press shy and not at all fond of talking about himself, Gandolfini appeared on Inside the Actors Studio in 2004, granting James Lipton perhaps the most detailed peek into his life and career. Near the end of the interview, Lipton poses questions from the questionnaire he reads to all of his guests, the final one being, “If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?” Gandolfini’s answer: “Take over for a while. I’ll be right back.” That interview is embedded below.
After dropping four impressive freestyles, Asher Roth took to Twitter to put a date on his next project. And thankfully it’s not too far off… The Greenhouse Effect Vol. 2 — with DJ Drama and Don Cannon — drops June 25th.
Hernandez is involved in some serious crimes. The police won’t rule him out as a suspect in a murder and now a man is coming forward saying Hernandez shot him after an argument during a strip club visit. According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Hernandez and Alexander S. Bradley went to Tootsie’s Cabaret in Miami on February 13, 2013 … and during the outing, the two men got into an argument. Bradley claims … After the dispute, both men left the club — and got into the same car which was heading to Palm Beach. During the ride, Aaron allegedly aimed his weapon at Bradley … and the gun discharged, striking Bradley in the face. Bradley claims he suffered major injuries from the gunshot … including the loss of his right eye. Bradley also claimed he required major surgery to reconstruct his face … which required plates and screws. Bradley also claims he suffered damage to his right hand and arm, which also required surgery. Why didn’t Bradley go to the police? Why are we just hearing about this today even though it was filed months ago? The original lawsuit was dismissed, but they are refiling immediately and want $100k from Hernandez. Lot of unanswered questions. You can read the entire lawsuit below.
