Timberlake to record with Al Green?
(9/9/07) RTE

It has been reported that Justin Timberlake could collaborate with Al Green on the soul legend's next album.

Speaking to MTV News, The Roots drummer Ahmir '?uestlove' Thompson, who is producing Green's next album, said: "I know Justin wants to be a part of this project."

He continued: "Anthony Hamilton did some honorary background vocals. Corinne Bailey Rae wrote two songs. She's a monster songwriter. We also have been talking to Justin's people now. Both he and Al are from Memphis. D'Angelo will be a part of this record as well."
Thompson said he wanted to take Green "back to 1974", with the album having a "very dry, very dirty, very grassroots sound".

"I want this album to sound very cheap, very dirty... the vibe the Amy Winehouse album gave you. More than just the song, the creative aspect," he added.

Green's new album is due out next spring.

Racy Timberlake 'Box' Video Wins Emmy
(9/9/07) Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Emmys got edgy as an off-color "Saturday Night Live" video featuring Justin Timberlake and strategically placed gift boxes was honored at the creative arts ceremony.

"(Blank) in a Box," last December's fake music video performed by Timberlake and "SNL" cast member Andy Samberg, is about wrapping a certain part of the male anatomy and presenting it to a loved one as a holiday present.

"I think it's safe to say that when we first set out to make this song, we were all thinking `Emmy!'" Samberg said in accepting the award Saturday for best original music and lyrics.

"The other thing we were thinking was, `Hey! Here's this young up and comer, Justin Timberlake, who is clearly very talented and could clearly use a break,'" Samberg said. "So, Justin, if you're out there, congrats to you, kid.'"

The video, which beat out competition that included two songs from a musical edition of "Scrubs," became an Internet sensation. It garnered millions of views on YouTube and NBC's Web site, which posted an un-bleeped version.

The Creative Arts Emmys, which recognize technical and other achievements for the 2006-07 season, will air Sept. 15 on E!, the night before the Primetime Emmy Awards on Fox.

Timberlake was elsewhere Saturday: He had a concert scheduled in Tacoma, Wash. But his tour takes him to Los Angeles on Primetime Emmys night, raising the possibility he could perform "Box" at the ceremony.

As Samberg arrived at the creative arts awards, he told The Associated Press that he had yet to be asked by the TV academy to perform the song with Timberlake on the Fox broadcast — but he was willing, he said.

Other winners Saturday included the four actors who received awards for series guest roles: Elaine Stritch for "30 Rock," Leslie Caron for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," John Goodman for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and Stanley Tucci for "Monk."

"I think I was nominated in 1951 for the most promising newcomer. I'm glad I finally realized my potential," Caron said.

Spike Lee's New Orleans documentary, "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts," received three awards, including a directing trophy.

"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" won a leading five awards. The film, which chronicles events leading up to the assassination of Sitting Bull and the Sioux massacre at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890, is up for more Emmy honors, including best TV movie, next weekend.

"This project has been a labor of love and a labor of conscience for everyone who worked on it," said executive producer Dick Wolf.

Entertainment industry executive Rich Frank, former president of Television Academy, received the Syd Cassyd Founders Award.

HBO collected the most trophies, 15, followed by NBC with 12, CBS with nine and Cartoon Network with eight. Fox earned seven awards, PBS six and ABC four.


AP Television Writer Lynn Elber contributed to this report.

50 Cent and Timberlake to duet at MOBO's
(9/2/07) Digital Spy

Rapper 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake have made plans to perform a duet at the MOBO awards, even though they will be in different countries at the time of the event.

The 'Candy Shop' star will perfrom the pair's latest single 'Ayo Technology' live at London's 02 Arena, but because Timberlake won't be able to attend due to work commitments, he will be projected on to a big screen from the US.

A source told the Daily Mirror: "It promises to be the performance of the night. They're two of the biggest stars on the planet and are set to take the awards by storm."

The MOBO Awards will take place on September 19.

Justin sees Kid Rock in Vegas
(9/2/07) People

...While in Vegas, Spears wasn't far from her ex Justin Timberlake, who attended a Kid Rock concert at the Pearl Concert Hall at the Palms, a mile from LAX...

Sexy's back: Timberlake steps out in HBO concert special
(9/2/07) Jamaica-Gleaner via JFEorg

Sexy's Back:

What's gone around is coming around, thanks to Justin Timberlake. To close out Labour Day weekend, one of today's top music stars gives HBO his FutureSex/LoveShow concert Monday, September 3. Taped in August during the tour's New York stop at Madison Square Garden, the heavily visual performance showcases such recent Timberlake hits as My Love, SexyBack and What Goes Around, plus earlier material from a career the four-time Grammy winner launched in the boy bandNSYNC.

"You look at all the artistes who have done this before, like U2 and the (Rolling) Stones," Timberlake reflects of televised single-act concerts. "Also, everyone at HBO has been very supportive of me in all I've done. When they came to me with the idea for this, I figured, 'Why not?'

"The beautiful thing about something like this," he adds, "is that they format everything to fit you. You don't have to change anything to meet some sort of standard. It's not regular TV, and it's funny that's their slogan. They hired a director, Marty Callner, who's done this sort of thing plenty of times." In fact, Callner directed anNSYNC special, along with other HBO showcases for stars ranging from Bette Midler to Robin Williams.

Timberlake's hometown

With that end covered, Timberlake could stay focused on the music rather than have to worry about the technical aspects as well. He says Callner attended "probably 10 different shows" on the FutureSex/ LoveShow tour, which was in Europe for part of its first phase; it resumed in Timberlake's hometown, Memphis, Tennessee, in early August.

Timberlake reports Callner "watched it from every different angle and figured out every camera move he needed. I think this show plays well for television anyway. We have some technological elements that have never been done before onstage. The lighting, specifically, is pretty theatrical. It's one of those things where you just need to capture it the right way."

The tour has gone "great" overall, Timberlake claims. "The crowds have been even more diverse than I thought they'd be, and they come ready to have a good time. That's as much as you can ask for. It's a pretty well-oiled machine at this point, but when you know you're taping a special, you want to raise the bar even more. After you've done it so many times, you have to stop and step outside and say, 'OK, how can we clean this up? How can we make this sound even better, or make the video projection look better?' It's constantly being refined.

"I love touring," Timberlake notes, "but at a certain point, it does begin to run your life. I'm completely thankful - I can't believe we started this in January, and we keep going until probably the end of November - but that doesn't go without a lot of hard work. You just get weary when you're constantly living out of a bag. You get to a place where almost every hotel room looks the same. It's fun, but it is work."

Live concert

Early consideration of doing the HBO concert live didn't last long, Timberlake explains. "It was really (Callner) who spoke up and said, 'I think we're going to get more out of this if I have two days to shoot it. I'm going to need to watch the show from one side one night and the other side the next night.' The (view from the) seats on the floor are completely different from the seats one riser up, and so forth. I would be excited to do it either way, but so that we didn't miss anything, I agreed with him."

Timberlake is starting September nicely. With seven bids including male artiste of the year, he's the leading nominee (along with Beyoncé) in this year's MTV Video Music Awards, to be presented September 9. He's pleased with his current place in music, reasoning that "to step outside the box sometimes is fun, and if that starts something new, that's great. I think people like Kanye West and Timbaland do things like that; someone like Madonna, who I was lucky enough to just work with, also continues to.

"There are all these new sounds out there, from Amy Winehouse to Linkin Park on their new album. I don't mean to dissect music as much as (process) the way that I hear it. We do what we do and put on a show and try all these different things, but at the end of the day, I'm really just a fan."

An Emmy Award also may be in Timberlake's immediate future, since he's nominated for 'D--- in a Box', a Saturday Night Live rap parody that's had a separate life on YouTube. Also encompassing the controversial 2004 Super Bowl half-time performance with Janet Jackson, his link to television dates back to his days alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Keri Russell on an updated Mickey Mouse Club.

Amazing experience

"It was the first professional job I ever had," he recalls, "but at the root of it, I was just a 10-year-old. I look back and wonder how I actually performed the work they asked me to, because all I really cared about was going to the (Walt Disney World) theme park and riding the Tower of Terror. It really was an amazing experience, though. It's funny how much it prepared me for the work I do as an adult."

Whether being tracked with reported current girlfriend Jessica Biel or spotted occasionally with ex-flame Cameron Diaz, Timberlake seems under 24/7 watch by the media. He says he's got used to it: "You just have to live your life. I've gone through all types of emotions about how to deal with it, and I've made my mistakes being too stern or being too accommodating. What's worked for me and what's made me happy, at least this past year, is just to say what you are and are not comfortable with.

"I don't want to sound like some sort of guru about it, but you have to get to a place in your mind where it's not something that exists for you. I grew up in a middle-class household where you worked, then you were off, and I still apply that now. If there are certain things I'm going to that are considered work, you know the attention is going to be there."

No Surprises as Timberlake, Jolie + Pitt Top Sexy Poll
(9/2/07) Contact Music

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, ANGELINA JOLIE, BRAD PITT, ORLANDO BLOOM and EVA LONGORIA have all made it to the top of a sexy new magazine poll. More than 50,000 readers of U.S. glossy InStyle took part in the magazine's annual Sexy Poll, choosing the stars to top categories like Sexiest Troubadour, Sexiest Girl Found On iTunes and Sexiest TV Cast. Timberlake claimed the Troubadour prize, while Jolie and Pitt claimed 42 per cent of the vote for Sexiest Too-Hot Twosome. Pitt also tied with pal George Clooney in the Sexiest Reasons To Spend $10 On A Movie category and Jolie was a clear winner in the Sexiest Movie Star Whose Va-va-va-voom You'd Like To Borrow For A Night stakes. Other winners include Daniel Craig (Tuxedo Trumps Skin), Longoria (Sexiest High-Fox-Factor TV Comedienne), Bloom (Sexiest Movie Hero) and Entourage star Adrien Grenier (Sexiest TV Funnyman). Shakira, Beyonce Knowles and Carrie Underwood tied for the Sexiest Girl Found On iTunes prize, while the Sexiest Hottie Who Makes Your Sides Hurt From Laughing honour went to Ashton Kutcher and Vince Vaughn. The cast of Grey's Anatomy claimed the Sexiest TV Cast award, while show stars Patrick Dempsey and Katherine Heigl claimed Sexiest High-Drama TV Hunk and Sexiest Siren On A Serious TV Show honours respectively.

The New King Of Pop
(9/2/07) Canada.com Thanks to Fighter_z for JFEorg!

EDMONTON - Who knew one of America's cheesiest boy bands would produce one of the most respected, sought-after pop stars of our times?

In five short years, Justin Timberlake has segued from 'N Sync puppet -- Bye Bye Bye, Lou Pearlman! -- to pop visionary, with a little help from producer Timbaland.

His second album of 21st-century pop, funk, dance and hip-hop, FutureSex/LoveSounds, was one of the top-selling discs of 2006. Released last September, it racked up U.S. sales of 2.4 million copies in less than four months. Timberlake went on to win two Grammys -- including best rap/sung collaboration for his squelchy sci-fi ballad, My Love, with rapper T.I. -- and the honours keep pouring in. He's nominated for seven MTV Video Music Awards and he could also add an Emmy to his collection in the coming weeks.

Remember his touching little Christmas tune, Dick in a Box? The Saturday Night Live music video -- a raunchy R&B satire complete with gold chains, Color Me Badd suits and slimy facial hair -- is up for the Emmy for outstanding original music and lyrics. Awards are fine and all, but the true sign of JT's power is the number of artists lining up to work with him -- from '80s popsters to country stars such as Reba McEntire.

Some of his "customers" include Nelly Furtado, Black Eyed Peas, rapper Lil Wayne and Canadian comedian Mike Myers, who will star with JT in a new comedy, The Love Guru. Even the most egotistical man in hip-hop, Kanye West, is in awe of the former Mouseketeer. "He's the only other person that gets an across-the-board response and respect level -- black radio, white radio," West tells XXL magazine. "If Justin hadn't come out and killed the game, I can't say that my album, singles and videos would be on the same level that they're on. We push each other. I look at me and Justin like Prince and Michael Jackson in their day."

About the only artists who don't want the Timberlake touch are Janet Jackson -- think Super Bowl 2004 -- and his former girlfriend, Britney Spears. He wrote a song for the out-of-control singer, but Spears reportedly ditched plans to record the tune, according to the New York Post's Page Six gossip column. Wow, Spears really does need help. Here's a list of some of the artists who weren't afraid of enlisting JT's talents over the last few months:

MADONNA

- Timberlake and Timbaland recently co-wrote and co-produced 10 tunes with the '80s pop icon. She remains mum on the subject, but Timbaland spilled the beans to MTV.com. "She's great ..." he said. "She's got a hot album. Her album is up there with Justin's album."

50 CENT

- Timberlake guests on the gangsta rapper's swirly funk-hop single, Ayo Technology. Not only did 50 Cent speed up his rapping style to suit Timberlake's chorus, he also flew across the U.S. -- three times! -- to work with Mr. SexyBack. "We started this record in Miami," Fiddy told MTV.com. "I flew to Miami from Los Angeles, (where) I was working with Dr. Dre and Eminem in the studio. We failed to complete it the first night 'cause Justin and Timbaland were both on tour. We recorded the first version, the intro to the song, and then I flew back to L.A., caught up with them in Houston. So when I got to Houston we got back to the studio and it was like 1-2-3. Justin had it clear in his head. There was no paper: He just went and delivered his vocals and changed octaves all over the place. It came out great ¡ª you can't ask for better." Ayo Technology, and the rest of 50 Cent's new album, Curtis, drops Sept. 11.

Talib Kweli

- The New York rapper enlisted Timberlake to co-write and guest on The Nature. It's the last track on his new album, Ear Drum, now in stores. "I had been recording at Record Plant in Los Angeles, and kept running into Justin Timberlake," Kweli told SOHH.com. "I learned a lot watching him preparing his record. ¡­ Justin works hard at beefing up his sound so it hits your ear right, and that's what I was focused on for my record."

Macy Gray

- JT co-wrote and produced Okay, from the loopy singer's latest album, Big. "He's very focused, very determined, very much a master of his craft," she told the Orlando Sentinel. "Justin knows how to put a song together. I liked him, and we definitely clicked."

Duran Duran

- JT and Timbaland co-wrote Nite Runner (or Night Runner, depending on the website) for the aging wild boys. The track, which will appear on DD's Red Carpet Massacre, is now streaming on Entertainment Weekly's website. There's still no confirmed release date for the disc.

Reba McEntire

- Timberlake and the country legend sing The Only Promise That Remains on her forthcoming album, Reba Duets. He also co-wrote and co-produced the Celtic-flavoured song. "I told Justin I was very nervous about hearing the song," McEntire revealed on her website. "I didn't know if it was going to be Sexy Back II or what! ¡­ It was really a lot of fun getting to know him. We went to supper after recording, and just hung out. He's very down-to-earth."

Report: Britney Spears Backed Out of Justin Timberlake Duet
(9/2/07) FOX News

Britney Spears backed out at the last minute last month from recording a duet with her superstar ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake — and the decision has executives at her record label, Jive, very worried, reports the New York Post's Page Six gossip column.

The duet, which was to be produced by hit-maker Timbaland, could have started a big comeback for the troubled star, whose strange behavior this year has seriously damaged her reputation.

A music industry source told Page Six that Timberlake wrote the duet specifically for Spears. While they wouldn't have been together in the studio, his voice would have been mixed with hers later.

"Timbaland set aside a week out of his crazy schedule to do this — and then, just before she was supposed to fly out, Britney abruptly canceled the session and refused to do the song.

"It's crazy," the insider added. "She's looking for a comeback, and this would have not only been a huge hit, but something she could have opened the MTV Video Awards with and really blown everyone away."

Another insider said, "Listen, everyone is worried. In her mind, her album is done and she's done enough work ... She's an easy target right now, because she's ... sick. People like her are sick. It's like an anorexic who's sick in the head and needs help. She needs help. It's sad because what she's got — and we've heard it's like bipolar disorder — can easily be treated with medication, but she won't do it."

Without a great song to perform, there's concern that Spears will bomb at next month's VMAs, Page Six reports.

As for whether or not Jive is through with Spears, the insider said, "People at Jive have been with Britney since album one, and have an investment in her. They have faith that once the material is there, she will become focused and step it up. She's very competitive, but at the end of the day, it's hard. She has to do the work — no one can do it for her."

Spears and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, are currently embroiled in a nasty custody battle for their young sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James.

Timberlake in Cowell movie?
(9/2/07) Metro.co.uk Thanks to lien.

Pop mogul and TV star Simon Cowell wants Justin Timberlake to star in his new movie.

Cowell is to produce a film called Star Struck, which is a fictional account of one person's journey to X Factor stardom.

According to reports, Cowell is keen to sign a megastar in the lead role and is a massive fan of the SexyBack singer. He believes signing Timberlake would make the movie a huge hit.

An insider was reported to have said: "Justin is a megastar, girls fancy him and boys want to be him so to have him star in a movie is instantly going to make it a hit."

The script for the movie, inspired by the 1980s film Fame, is being penned by TV writer Jonathan Harvey, whose credits include a stint writing for Coronation Street.

The film is due for release next summer and multimillionaire Cowell, thought to be worth around £60 million, plans to star in the movie himself, judging the fictional characters just as he does in real life.

In a recent interview, Cowell said: "We always believed that a TV show like Idol would be successful. I have the same feeling about doing this movie."

Even a fifth grader would have got Timberlake's Superbad joke
(9/2/07) Winnipeg Sun Thanks to lien.

So, the auditions for Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader? have come and gone. And perhaps, that's got you wondering how you stack up intellectually next to a 10-year-old.

Well, we can clear that with one question: What do you think Justin Timberlake was doing when he jokingly called Winnipeg "the most superbadass city in the world" in a taped segment on last weekend's Teen Choice Awards?

If you think he was maliciously slagging us, you are not only dumber than a fifth grader; you might want to get yourself fitted for a shiny new helmet. But before you do, please allow us to make a few observations about this earth-shattering controversy. Don't worry, we'll try to keep it simple.

1) Justin's segment was introduced by the stars of the movie Superbad. So he would have made the same lame "superbad" gag if he had been in Toronto, Vancouver or Cleveland. It really had nothing to do with us.

2) Justin may have pre-taped his segment long before he got here. We know, it's a shock to think the recipient of the 2007 Ultimate Choice Award might have known in advance, but try to deal. Check out the video on YouTube: He's in rain gear and holding an umbrella -- even though he's indoors. He's not trying to keep dry -- he may be trying to conceal the fact he actually is in Cleveland.


3) Perhaps you remember the '80s. Oh, those crazy, ironic times. People said 'bad' when they really meant 'good.' Michael Jackson even had a song called Bad -- though in his case, it sorta turned out to be true. Anyway, it's still the way kids talk sometimes. If you get offended or confused, you are officially old and uncool. And by 'old and uncool,' we mean: Old and uncool.

4) After he called us "superbadass," Justin said the award made him feel "superbadass." So if he was insulting us, he was also insulting the whole Teen Choice show. Does anyone really believe that Timberlake -- one of the most media-savvy entertainers around, with a legion of handlers devoted to maintaining his carefully groomed image -- goes around blatantly abusing fans? If you do, loosen that helmet. It's on too tight.

5) It's the freakin' Teen Choice Awards, for crying out loud. It's not a war crimes tribunal. Calm down and lighten up.

Which brings us to our main point: Can we all please stop going into paroxysms whenever an actor or singer says the word Winnipeg on TV? Frankly, it makes us look like insecure yokels who need somebody else's validation to feel good about ourselves. We don't. We're a big city. People come here to make movies. Bands come here to play. A few famous people were even born here. Some of them are going to mention us on TV and in print -- for better and for worse. Either way, for us the smart move is to play it cool.

Even a fifth grader knows that.