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Kadir Nelson leads MTV News through his tribute to the King of Pop.
By James Montgomery
It is a testament to the legendary life of Michael Jackson that no matter how big a canvas artist Kadir Nelson used to tell MJ's story — and at 9 feet wide and 4.5 feet tall, he used a pretty big one — he kept running out of room. It seems that Jackson's reign as the King of Pop was just too lengthy, his list of achievements too large and his life too all-encompassing to be summed up in even the most massive of murals.
"Michael's life was so huge I couldn't get it all into the painting," Nelson told MTV News. "So I would take images from throughout his life that were milestones ... images that would resonate with his fans. And even doing that was a challenge."
Still, Nelson gave it his best effort, and the result was "The King of Pop," his epic tribute to Jackson's life, which struck such a chord with the late icon's estate (and his label, Sony Music) that it was chosen as the cover for the just-released Michael album. But what fans see on that album is just a fraction of Nelson's original work.
" 'The King of Pop' is the life story of Michael Jackson, so what you see on the album cover is the centerpiece of the mural; Michael is wearing his famous bejeweled glove, and he's wearing a golden suit of armor, and he has this collar around his neck, like what you would see in a French painting of King Philip," Nelson explained. "The theme for this painting is 'royalty' and 'pop,' because Michael was the King of Pop. So you have Michael being crowned by two Cupids, he has his birthstones in his crown. He's wearing a soft, velvet drapery over his armor, because Michael had a very soft heart. Also, his hand is placed over his heart, because he had a big heart, and he put that big heart into everything he did."
And radiating from that royal image is Jackson's life story, which begins with images of his childhood in Gary, Indiana, extends upward to a gallery of his musical influences (Barry Gordy, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye, to name just a few), and then explodes with the launch of his solo career, starting with his star-making turn at the "Motown 25" television special (where he unveiled his "moonwalk" dance) and rolling right along to his Thriller heyday. There are also portions of the painting dedicated to his Bad, Dangerous and HIStory albums, and images of his children, the omnipresent media that followed him everywhere, and the women with whom he shared close relationships (Liz Taylor, Lisa Marie Presley and Madonna).
There are also, as Nelson explained, coded images hidden throughout the painting, everything from bubbles (blown by his pet chimpanzee, of course), an apple (because, as the painter explained, "kids would call [Jackson] 'Applehead' on his Neverland Ranch"), Peter Pan soaring off into the Northern Lights (meant to symbolize Jackson's ascension after his death) and, perhaps the most striking image of all, a golden throne atop a mountain: Jackson's throne, never to be occupied again.
"It's empty," Nelson explained, "because no one will ever sit in it now that he's gone."
What do you think of the Michael cover? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654225/20101214/jackson_michael.jhtml
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Happy Holidays from the Kardashian clan!
The famous family posed for their annual holiday card and all 11 members were dressed to the nines, including their youngest reality star, Kourtney and Scott Disick's little boy, Mason Dash Disick, who just turned 1 on Tuesday.
"Christmas cards have always been a REALLY big deal in my family," Khloé Kardashian, 26, wrote on her blog. "For as long as I can remember, my mom has made it a point to go all out. Whether it was a ninja turtles themed card, or bringing a Santa into the mix, each year she always managed to top the year before."
It was pretty easy for the fam to make this year's greeting more special than the previous years', as Mason's gorgeous little face brought a new level of beauty to the Kardashian-Jenner group.
"I'd have to say though that our card this year might be my favorite," the proud aunt wrote. "It turned out beautifully – just SO glam! Plus, Mason is in it, which makes it even more special. Look at him standing there in his pinstripe suit."
The reality star family may look glam now, but they've definitely come a long way. Khloe also posted some of the gang's old-school cards from the '80s and '90s, and they're pretty hilarious. Check them out here -- the motorcycle-themed photo is especially entertaining!
What do you think of the Kardashian's holiday card? Chime in below!
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/photo-see-kardashians-holiday-card/1-a-307001
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'There's so much anticipation for this song when he comes out,' Miguel says of MTV News' Song of the Year.
By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker
Usher
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
MTV News just named Usher's "OMG" the #1 song of 2010, and clearly we're not alone in our admiration. But what is it like to watch it performed night after night? Miguel, who is currently opening for Usher's OMG Tour gave us a little insight.
"There's so much anticipation for this song when he comes out, and he really gives the fans what they want," Miguel laughs. "He kills it every night."
Before his latest string of hits, Usher was out of the spotlight for a period of time in 2009, when he was dealing with personal issues including a divorce. Miguel finds his 2010 comeback inspiring.
"There was a period of time, when a lot of people didn't believe in Usher and thought he was finished ... just kind of going to ride off into the sunset and disappear," the up-and-coming singer noted.
With the release of Raymond vs. Raymond and its extended, companion EP, Versus, in 2010, Usher proved the skeptics wrong with chart-toppers including "OMG" and "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love."
"He's such a tremendous example of perseverance and determination," Miguel beamed. "I was there throughout this album, so I've seen the adversity that he's had to overcome perception-wise."
MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010 have all been counted down. But the fun isn't over yet: We still want to see your picks in the comments below!
Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654059/20101210/usher.jhtml
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