Sir Mix-a-Lot: iPhone App Is 'Value-Based,' Skrillex Is 'Cool'

Sir Mix-a-Lot was king of the callipygian lyrical references well before Lil Wayne and Drake were telling women to pop their rotund derrieres. In 1992, he created 'Baby Got Back,' a double platinum-selling single off his third album, 'Mack Daddy,' and put mainstream America onto a slang term for backsides that deserved some special attention. Almost 12 years after the song's release, the Grammy Award-winning Seattle native is still reaping the benefits off rhyming about female anatomy with the debut of his 'Baby Got Back' iPhone app.

From a Mix Makeover photo lab -- users can manipulate aspects of a picture by blowing up and stretching assets -- to the Ba Dunka Dunk club game -- the object is to maneuver well-endowed women around obstacles and into the right pair of hot pants -- Sir Mix-a-Lot's app boosts his original song into a technological experience. There's a slew of other features and the 48-year-old hip-hop veteran had a hand in creating them all.

Read on as the wide brim hat-wearing MC spits knowledge about his app, reveals why he has a fondness for dubstep and 2012 Grammy-nominated Best New Artist Skrillex and explains the true story of how 'Baby Got Back' was born.




What was the inspiration for 'Baby Got Back'?

We were watching the Super Bowl, I think it was Buffalo Bills -- one of those super bowls where they got slaughtered. We were watching the super bowl -- we being me and a girl I was dating back then named Amy. She was Puerto Rican and black, nice big ol' juicy booty with a little, tiny waist. I mean she had a body. We were watching a Budweiser commercial with the Spuds MacKenzie girls that was real hot back then. And they had all these real little skinny chicks. And there's nothing wrong with skinny chicks, but I'm like, "How come they're not really showing what men really like?" If you think I'm lying, you take a bunch of skinny chicks, put 'em in a room, take Dolly Parton's titties and put them on the other side of the room and watch where all the men's eyes go. So I said, "You know what? Let's do something kinda poking fun, tongue-in-cheek, at this stereotype that all women should look like heroin addicts."

It started with [Amy] doing the "Oh my god Becky' thing on a DAT recorder -- a little portable DAT machine I had just bought in New York, which was like new s--- back then. I started writing the lyrics and initially the song was slow. It was supposed to be somewhat offensive. I was trying to be as political as I could then it turned into a bunch of funny s---. And the rest is history.

What was the thought process behind the 'Baby Got Back' iPhone app?

We were working on this app two years ago. Dealing with the powers that be at Apple, we had to kinda water some things down to make 'em work. Initially it was something where you could get your instant gratification -- you can come in and play a quick game -- but it was also gonna be something you would constantly come back to 'cause we'd have various models that would rotate in and out every month. That was kinda the initial idea, like the instant gratification of doing something as silly as slapping clothes onto a girl and slap clothes off a girl. But that didn't work out too well.

Two years ago you started creating it. Was that when the idea first came to mind?

I thought of the idea before it was even doable, when apps were real simple. Then I started talking to Sony, and Sony got involved. Then I made sure I put up half of the money 'cause I wanted to maintain some control. That's how we did it.

Do you feel like this app will make more people aware of the song, for instance, kids who never heard it?

I have yet to meet a kid who never heard the song. You know why? Because kids love talking about booty, butt, farting. They don't listen to it the way we [adults] listen to it. They think it's funny, but when they turn 14, 15 they go, "Oh, yeah you mean butt like ass." I got lucky with that song that it really panned out into something a lot bigger than I ever imagined.

Overall, what do you want the user experience to be?

I want them to know you didn't just buy an app that was just something basic to do for 15 minutes and I took your dollar. I want you to really look at it and go, "God damn, look at all the s--- I get for 99 cents." There's a lot of stuff in this app. I want people to really enjoy it. I want people to understand that anything you get from Mix-a-Lot is gonna be value-based. You're gonna get a lot of bang for your buck. From this point forward, there will be more apps. This is just the first in a list of many.

Besides this app, what other music projects do you have in the works?

I'm gonna do one record next year. I say it's the last album, but it may not be. Basically it's to celebrate 'Baby Got Back,' but that does not mean I'm gonna have 100 remixes of 'Baby Got Back.' That would really suck.

I have a couple new acts I'm working with. I have a young lady named Tomeka Williams. Instead of doing a music video, we're gonna do a mini movie, like a 15-minute movie, in which three of her videos will be within the movie and interwoven as a story. Her music is a cross between R&B, soul and alternative. The album's called 'The Black Hood.'

So is she an artist signed to you?

Yes. Rhyme Cartel Records is my label. I've been working with her for like three years. We've been trying to hone in on a good sound and I think she has it. When I met her, she was 18 years old, singing in the Baptist church. She had power for days and she only weighed 110 pounds soaking wet. She sounded like a 300-pound fat chick with all that power. Now she's 29 and fine as hell.

You're a veteran in the game and have watched artists come and go. Are there any hip-hop artists' careers that you respect?

Definitely. Obviously my ability to stay around has something to do with the music but it has more to do with the things I do outside of music. So I'm able to take my brand and leverage it against something else, which usually parlays into more money. And it eliminates me having to scramble to try to monetize bulls--- content and allows me to do other things to make money. And when it comes to that kind of stuff, that's what I respect. And obviously I have to look at Jay-Z; he gets it. He's like Russell Simmons with a microphone. Diddy gets it. You can see other guys making moves -- 50 Cent, Eminem. Cats that are doing things outside of music.

What about on the music tip? Who do you listen to these days?

I really like Killer Mike. I love everything he does. He kinda has a weird style. I listen to a little bit of Slim Thug. You know who I'm really into now and not even hip-hop? Skrillex. Dubstep to me is the future of music, period. Every time I listen to him I want to kick someone's ass. The first time I heard ['Kill Everybody'] I was like, "This is cool." But the first time I head 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' I was like , "Oh s---!" The sounds are so aggressive. When I saw people do mosh pits to dubstep, now, I'm like, "That's the music I wanna produce," 'cause I love challenges. What I like about it is it's the first type of music that truly uses synthesizers the way they were intended to be used.

Who is still on your dream collaboration list?

Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, James Brown, rest in peace. Prince, who I'd be totally intimidated by. Gary Numan. Devo. And oddly enough John Mayer. That song he has called 'Gravity,' that sounds like some blues my mama used to listen to. And he brings back that swanky kind of a southern crusaders jazz feel that I really miss in music today.

Guessing the 2012 Grammys

Predictions on who will be honored on “music’s biggest night”, based on a mixture of rumors, critical acclaim, and the academy’s voters.

Last week, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the upcoming 2012 Grammy Awards on both a lavish concert special (that was slightly better than last year’s event) and their official website. Many of this year’s nominees are new artists, and some of the categories have been changed, but one thing hasn’t changed: people are already making predictions. Here’s a look at some early guesses on who will win in the biggest categories on February 12th, 2012.

Album of the Year

Adele’s 21 vs. Bruno Mars’ Doo-Wops And Hooligans, Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, and Rihanna’s Loud

Adele is one of those rare artists that both critics and music fans adore. You don’t have to be psychic to foresee her leaving the ceremony with an armful of trophies, which will include this nod to the most-lauded album of the year.

Record of the Year

Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” vs. Bon Iver’s “Holocene”, Mumford & Sons’ “The Cave”, Katy Perry’s “Firework”, and Bruno Mars’ “Grenade”

“Rolling in the Deep” was THE song of 2011. You heard it in commercials, on multiple radio stations every five minutes, and repeatedly covered on TV talent shows.

Song of the Year

Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” vs. Mumford & Sons’ “The Cave”, Bon Iver’s “Holocene”, Kanye West feat. Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and Fergie’s “All of the Lights”, and Bruno Mars’ “Grenade”

Being that this is a songwriter’s award, the voters love to see it go to a song performed by its main songwriter. Not to mention, it would be a shame to see it not go to Adele’s modern classic.

Best Pop Solo Performance

Lady Gaga’s “You and I” vs. Adele’s “Someone Like You”, Katy Perry’s “Firework”, Pink’s “F***in’ Perfect”, and Bruno Mars’ “Grenade”

A combination of the former “Best Male Pop Vocal” and “Best Female Pop Vocal” categories, look for the best track off of Gaga’s latest album to take the prize. (Especially after this performance aired on the 2011 Grammy Nominations Concert special.)

New Artist

Niki Minaj vs. the Band Perry, Bon Iver, Skrillex, and J. Cole

This year’s Grammy’s will be another “ladies’ night”, with Minaj being another big winner. Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if the voters chose the up-and-coming country group instead.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse’s “Body & Soul” vs. Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”, Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera’s “Moves Like Jagger”, the Black Keys’ “Dearest”, and Coldplay’s “Paradise”

A few years ago, Amy Winehouse brought a lot of excitement to the awards, which helped introduce her talent to a nationwide audience. Though her promising career was put to an end by her tragic death, voters still have the chance to honor her one more time, with this duet with a Grammy favorite. 

Best R&B Album

Kelly Price’s Kelly vs. Ledisi’s Pieces of Me, R Kelly’s Love Letter, Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E, and El DeBarge’s Second Chance

The academy’s new rules made controversial changes in the R&B categories, merging “traditional” R&B with the more well-known acts. So look for one of those lesser-known, critically acclaimed artists to be honored instead.

Best Rap Album

Niki Minaj’s Pink Friday vs. Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne, Kanye West’s My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy, Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter IV, and Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers

Niki Minaj was one of last year’s biggest success stories. Voters love to see a woman take charge in a typically male-dominated field, and given that this album was the introduction to her career, they will easily choose to honor it.

Best Country Album

Lady Antebellum’s Own the Night vs. Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, George Strait’s Here for a Good Time, Blake Shelton’s Red River Blue, Eric Church’s Chief, and Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party

Lady Antebellum are the country darlings of the awards, and since they haven’t had a “Need You Now”-sized hit recently, this is their category.

Best Country Song

Taylor Swift’s “Mean” vs. Thompson Square’s “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”, Vince Gill’s “Threaten Me With Heaven”, Dave Barnes’ “God Gave Me You”, Kenny Chesney & Grace Potter’s “You and Tequila”, and Trace Adkins’ “Just Fishin’”

Due to lack of other nominations, the Academy seems to be feeling a little Swift fatigue, but chances are that they will like this self-written ode to critics.

Best Rock Album

Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ I’m With You, Kings of Leon’s Come Around Sundown, Wilco’s The Whole Love, and Jeff Beck’s Rock N Roll Party Honoring Les Paul

The Foos are Grammy favorites, but haven’t had the chance to be honored in several years. Look for their first #1 album to also please the voters.

Best Rock Performance

Mumford & Sons’ “The Cave” vs. Foo Fighters’ “Walk”, Radiohead’s “Lotus Flower”, the Decemberists “Down by the Water”, and Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall

Mumford & Sons are obviously loved by the academy, as proved with their many nominations this year. While they won’t take home any of the big categories, they will certainly pick something up.

Best Alternative Music Album

Bon Iver’s Bon Iver vs. Foster the People’s Torches, Radiohead’s The King of Limbs, Death Cab for Cutie’s Codes and Keys, and My Morning Jacket’s Circuital

A favorite of many “best of the year” lists, this award clearly belongs to Bon Iver’s sophomore breakthrough. 

Best Dance Recording

Duck Sauce’s “Barbra Streisand” vs. Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend”, Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters and Nice Spirits”, Deadmau5 & Greta Svabo Bech’s “Raise Your Weapon”, Swedish House Mafia’s “Save the World”, and David Guetta & Avicii’s “Sunshine”

Call me crazy, but isn’t it likely that the vast majority of the Academy’s older voters will vote for “Barbra Streisand” based on its name (and lyrics) alone?

Rihanna's 'We Found Love' Most-Listened To Song Of 2011 On Facebook

Katy Perry and LMFAO also proved popular with users on the social-networking website.


Rihanna's 'We Found Love' was the most-listened to song on Facebook this year, it's been announced.

The track, which was only released in September, came ahead of songs by the likes of Katy Perry and LMFAO on the social network's most popular social trends of 2011.

Katy's 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)' was at number two in the poll, while LMFAO's 'Sexy And I Know It' was at three. Producer Skrillex had two songs – 'First Of the Year' and 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' – inside the top six.

“2011 was also the rise of music producer Skrillex,” Facebook said.



“Although Skrillex has been around for years, his 2011 tour, a collaboration with Korn, and record label launch prompted a 76-fold increase in the number of people mentioning him in their status updates on Facebook.”

The top ten most-listened to songs on Facebook are:

1. 'We Found Love' by Rihanna and Calvin Harris
2. 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)' by Katy Perry
3. 'Sexy And I Know It' by LMFAO
4. 'Titanium' by David Guetta and Sia
5. 'First of the Year' by Skrillex
6. 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' by Skrillex
7. 'Without You' by David Guetta and Usher
8. 'Stereo Hearts' by Gym Class Heroes and Adam Levine
9. 'Pumped Up Kicks' by Foster the People
10. 'Someone Like You' by Adele

LMS, Layton, Sheen, Skrillex among top Canadian Facebook status updates in 2011

TORONTO - An obscure online acronym, an indie horror film, and a producer some music fans love to hate are among the more surprising topics popular with Canadian Facebook users in 2011.

Facebook's list of the year's most popular status updates was topped by LMS, which is short for "like my status."

The acronym was followed by the late Jack Layton, the video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3," the death of Osama bin Laden and Charlie Sheen.

Coming in a number 6 was the independent horror film "Insidious," which was a surprise hit after being released in April.

The political turmoil in Libya, the death of Amy Winehouse, Jersday — a reference to the reality show "Jersey Shore" — and Skrillex, who this year collaborated with metal band Korn, rounded out the top 10 list.



Facebook says it has 18 million active Canadian users per month, making Canada one of the biggest countries on the site on a per capita basis.

Skrillex on How He Got 5 Grammy Noms: 'We Don't Reach R.E.M. Sleep'

Sonny Moore made history last night. As Skrillex, he became the first-ever dance artist to be nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy. To boot, he raked in four additional awards at the nominations show: Best Dance Recording; Best Dance/Electronica Album; Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical; and Best Short-Form Music Video.

But the controversial electronic/dubstep DJ couldn't be more calm about it. At the end of what must have been one of his longest days of interviews ever, Moore chatted nonchalantly with Billboard.biz about the value of a loyal team, collaborating with members of the Doors, and why he doesn't give two thoughts to his myriad haters.

Billboard: You must be feeling pretty great about what happened last night.

Skrillex: I'm happy. I worked really hard with my team. I'm proud of them.

It's a huge deal. You've had a hell of a year. How did you celebrate?

I was already sleeping! My tour manager, this crazy-looking guy with a beard, started screaming at me in my bunk. I just went back to sleep and woke up today. I'm in Manchester with a lot of my team and roadies; celebrating together has been cool. It means a lot to the whole community [out here, as well].

This year has gone by so fast! You must be exhausted.

We don't reach R.E.M. [sleep]… (laughs) If we slept that long we'd probably be more tired than we are… It's when you get the eight hours few and far and far between--that's when you wake up groggy. I can't sleep; I'm trying to do 322 shows this year.

That's a monster touring schedule. Would you attribute the touring to a lot of your success? For the nominations?

Perhaps, I'm not as far as mainstream music goes. I don't have all those mainstream outlets like daytime radio and constant TV, Billboard things. We didn't have any marketing campaigns for any of my records. There's definitely something to be said about how we've done what we've done; that is, me and other [artists] doing what I'm doing. We've built this organically, by word of mouth, with people coming to shows and experiencing it live and having a good time.

 You've been doing the dance thing for a little while now, but you originally started out in a completely different genre. How has that part of your career, with From First to Last, affected how you operate now, as Skrillex?

I don't think about it. I just think about now and making the next song that I'll be able to be really proud of.

The nominees list this year is full of artists that have come about in that organic fashion. For you, in particular, this is the first time you've been on such a scale where people have really been taking notice. You were on the cover of SPIN magazine earlier this year, for instance. Can you talk about how that scene is growing and receiving more recognition?

I don't really think about recognition; I'm not really involved. The people who I grew up making music with, we've all grown up and become successful in different ways. My manager supported me since I was 16 and believed in me as a musician. He's been there since Day 1, and there's so much to be said about doing something with people that you love. To come this far, that's the coolest part about it.

So what are your plans leading up to the awards on Feb. 12?

I'm on tour till the end of 2012, but I'm gonna be making music, playing shows and trying to become a better artist.

In a couple weeks I'll probably release another EP. It's all about what I feel and whether it's right…I want to put that EP out on the Internet in a couple weeks. I'm going to do a track that's a collaboration with members of the Doors.  It's gonna be pretty cool; we're excited about it.

That should be an unbelievable experience for you.

It's awesome. I can't complain about working hard and releasing music that I like.

Coming back to this supportive scene you spoke of, these dance and dubstep communities. A lot of people like to hate on you and say you're not a dubstep artist. You've said in interviews that you don't want to be boxed into a genre, specifically that of dubstep.

I'm not really trying to be anything, I understand that people not in a negative way…. What dubstep is and what I do. I wouldn't call myself a dubstep artist.

That must get frustrating, when that people lambast you for being that dubstep poster child when you don't identify as such.

Totally. It doesn't bother me when I play my shows; I'm playing the music I want and all these fans are excited about it. That's cool, and I don't really think about anything else. People can call me anything they want. The truth is, it's all talk. If you took the ratio of what people say and compare that to 100,000 people at [Electric Daisy Carnival] dancing to every song that you play…that's what matters. No one worries about genre when they're dancing. They're not asking themselves, "Is this song a dubstep song?'

The dance scene has really seen a revival since rave culture was big in the 1990s, and your fanbase is pretty zealous. Now you've been nominated for 5 Grammys! How do you see your career evolving from this point? What do you want to be when you grow up?

That's a good question. If something gets too easy…I want to do something else. But every album is going to be me, no matter what. I'm getting into film scores next year and we're mixing dance music…and collaborations like the one I mentioned…I have my record label [OWSLA] as well. I can't stay idle for more than a couple seconds; then everything gets too easy!



Is that part of the whole no R.E.M. thing?

Exactly, no R.E.M.!

One final question…What are you going to wear to the show?

I don't know what I'm going to wear! I've never dressed up in my life. (Laughs) I was forced to ride in a limo to a wedding once, and I hated it. But I'm actually really excited for it this time. Maybe a tux!

The Grammys Go ‘Indie’ With Bon Iver and ‘Dubstep’ With Skrillex

Arcade Fire stunned everyone when they won the Album of the Year Grammy Award for “The Suburbs” in 2011. Beating out big names like Eminem and Lady Antebellum, the indie rock group from Montreal tweeted: ”OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD. Thank you EVERYONE.” Needless to say, even they were shocked by the win. The indie victory spurned internet backlash from viewers who genuinely had no idea who Arcade Fire was and welcomed a new demographic of fans (dads!) that could relate to the album’s overall message.



Last week, a new wave of nominees were announced for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, held in Los Angeles on February 12. While top-40 artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry dominated the categories, there are many notable indie nods. In the Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories, Justin Vernon a.k.a. Bon Iver is representing the indie folk genre. In the Best Alternative Album, Mr. Vernon is joined by Foster the People, My Morning Jacket, Radiohead, and Death Cab for Cutie. Although true indie music fans will probably scoff at this list of borderline mainstream independent music, the nominations point to a larger awareness of bands that are often left behind in a business that is dominated by formulaic pop songs.

While it is unlikely that Bon Iver will pull an upset with the self-titled album like Arcade Fire did last year (Adele is expected to take the award for “21″), the nomination is alarming many popular music publications like Pitchfork and Spin Magazine that work primarily in independent music news and reviews. Pitchfork gave “Bon Iver” an impressive 9.5 out of 10 on their notoriously critical rating scale. Reviewer Mark Richardson said of the album, “It’s a rare thing for an album to have such a strong sense of what it wants to be.”



But did the album want to be nominated for four Grammy Awards? Apparently not. Months before the nomination, Vernon told The New York Times, “I kinda felt like going up there and being like: ‘Everyone should go home, this is ridiculous. You should not be doing this. We should not be gathering in a big room and looking at each other and pretending this is important’.” Responding recently to this controversial statement, Vernon tweeted: “Everyone now knows how I felt back last February about the grammies [sic]. Room to grow, but I agree mostly.” This not-so-remorseful tweet may not fair well for the Grammy Awards, but it is safe to assume Vernon doesn’t care. He wrote his 2007 album “For Emma, Forever Ago” in the woods- the red carpet is likely the last place he wants to be.

Other surprising nominations are in the Best Dance/Electronica category, proving that certain electronic music has transcended its underground roots in 2011. Popular “dubstep” artist Skrillex was nominated for “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” along with Australian foursome Cut Copy, Deadmau5, “#1 DJ in the World“ David Guetta, and Robyn. Skrillex, the 23-year-old producer from Los Angeles, is up for five nominations, including the coveted Best New Artist nomination. ”I just hope it opens more doors for next year, not only Grammy nominations, but just everything in general,” he said. (Aside: follow the hilarious @Skrilleyshair on twitter, a meme account inspired by Skrillex’s unusual hairdo.)



In a world where music is becoming increasingly accessible, it is not surprising that these seemingly underground artists have infiltrated mainstream outlets and have ended up on several Grammy nominee lists. Artists like Skrillex blew up overnight through Facebook posts and internet buzz. Bon Iver played sold-out shows in huge venues around the U.S. on his 2011 tour. “Sharing” music is spreading music, and with social plug-ins on every music platform, spreading music is now easier than ever.

Count Skrillex Top Longshot for 2012 Grammys

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 12/4/11 — Count Skrillex is the underdog to watch at the Grammys on February12, 2012. The newcomer took in a astounding five nominations, behind only Adele, the Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars who scored six each and Kanye West who leads with seven.

He may be a new name for many in the public, he is not for those in the industry – who after all are the Grammy voters.



While Skrillex isn’t a a chart sensation, he is a producer big enough to helm the next Korn album, out next week.

Nonetheless he will be facing serious completion for Best New Artist from Band Perry and Minaj, who have been winning other award shows and critical faves Bon Iver, and Jay-a critical darling, and J. Cole, who had a No.1 album and is the protégé of Jay-Z J. Cole, who had a No 1. album.

Skrillex is nominated for best dance recording for “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” and also nominated for best dance/electronica album for his EP.

“It just hasn’t really hit me yet,” he told AP in a phone interview from Manchester, England, on Thursday. “I wouldn’t have thought I would come this far in so many ways.”

“I feel very proud of where I come from,” Skrillex said of being in the electronic music scene, a genre that has exploded on Top 40 radio in recent years. “I do feel like I represent something and I’m a part of something and it’s an honor to be there.”

Music Power Rankings: Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Skrillex and Pauly D make the list

1) Michael Buble: Its only a few days into December, but he’s already looking like the winner of the Holiday sales derby. “Christmas” tops the Billboard 200 by the slimmest margin over Nickelback and it looks like it is there to stay until after Santa returns to the North Pole. Susan Boyle has just scratched him off her Christmas present list.

2) Skrillex: People are still saying “Who?” But at least now it’s following by “Who is that dude who got five Grammy nominations?” #thatsmrskrillextoyou

#thatsmrskrillextoyou

3) Bon Iver: Justin Vernon-led outfit surprisingly grabs song, record and best new artist nominations from the Grammys. I still have no idea what “Holocene” means.

4) Kanye West: He tops all Grammy nominees with seven nods, though we still believe he was robbed when it comes to no album of the year nomination and we’re pretty sure he does too.

5) Britney Spears: She turned 30 Dec. 2. Given that there were some plenty dark days there over the last few years where reaching that milestone was in no way guaranteed, we tip our hat to the pop princess.

6) Nicki Minaj: As if she weren’t plastic enough, the “Super Bass” artist gets her own Barbie Doll from Mattel. Of course, she refers to her fans as her Barbz and/or Barbies, but have the fine folks at Mattel actually listened her lyrics? They’re enough to make Ken blush. Then again, it’s all for charity, so no complaints here.

7) Tim McGraw: A judge rules in the country superstar’s effort to finally free himself from his contract with Curb Records. Curb’s response? They immediately issue a new single from McGraw....How soon before we see an eighth compilation of McGraw’s music from the label?

8) Tricky Stewart: Rumor has it that Epic Records is getting ready to name the uber-producer head of A&R. Will that take him off the market for any non-Epic act like Dr. Luke’s deal with Sony.

9) Elvis Costello: We don’t actually agree with his recommending that fans “steal” his forthcoming boxed set, but we love the fact that he’s steering them toward buying the new Louis Armstrong box set. Satchmo’s heirs say thanks.

10) Pauly D: The “Jersey Shore” dude signs a deal with 50 Cent’s G-Note and has toured with Britney Spears.  There may be a luckier SOB on the face of the earth, but I don’t know who it is...

Hollywood Undead Want To Join Forces With Skrillex

Hollywood Undead recently dropped their remix disc "American Tragedy Redux" based off of their successful second studio album "American Tragedy". The band collaborated with numerous artists such as Jonathan Davis of Korn, KMFDM, Andrew W.K., labelmates Borgore and many others.

Loudwire.com recently published an interview with Hollywood Undead singer-guitarist Charlie Scene, in which he talked about the remix CD and more. Loudwire also asked him what artist would he want to work with that he hasn’t gotten a chance to yet and he told us, "We’re friends with Skrillex, who we grew up with, he was one of our first choices to do a remix."

Scene goes on to say, "We were gonna have him remix some of our songs but his computer got stolen at the end of one of the shows so he wasn’t able to do it, it would be cool to have him."



The group might just be a tad jealous of pal Jonathan Davis who got the chance to work with Skrillex for Korn’s new album "The Path Of Totality". The members of Hollywood Undead are currently on "The Buried Alive" tour with with their West Coast buddies Avenged Sevenfold with support from Asking Alexandria and Black Veil Brides. For a full list of dates, go here.

Thanks for the report to Loudwire.com.

Grammy surprise: Who's that? His name is Skrillex

Many people were surprised when the name Skrillex was announced in the best new artist category, along with the likes of Nicki Minaj and The Band Perry, during this week's televised Grammy nominations special. Count Skrillex as one of them.

A day after earning a whopping five nominations in total, the 23-year-old dance and dub-step producer is still taking it all in.

"It just hasn't really hit me yet," he said in a phone interview from Manchester, United Kingdom on Thursday. "I wouldn't have thought I would come this far in so many ways."

Skrillex scored the third-most nominations, matching Lil Wayne. Kanye West leads with seven nods; Adele, the Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars scored six each.

The Los Angeles-based Skrillex, born Sonny Moore, may be best known for "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" (he's also a producer on Korn's new album, "The Path of Totality," out next week).

Skrillex hasn't had much success on the Billboard charts -- he's more of an underground artist. He'll have some tough competition in the best new artist category: Besides facing The Band Perry and Minaj, who were both nominated for Grammys earlier this year and have dominated their respective fields and at other awards shows, he'll compete with Bon Iver, a critical darling, and J. Cole, who had a No.1 album and is the protege of Jay-Z.

Skrillex is nominated for best dance recording for "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," and also nominated for best dance/electronica album for his EP, which shares the same name. In 2010, Lady Gaga earned those trophies, and Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)" was the winner of best dance recording earlier this year.

Skrillex will have to battle Robyn, Deadmau5 and David Guetta, acts who come from a similar background to his.

"I feel very proud of where I come from," Skrillex said of being in the electronic music scene, a genre that has exploded on Top 40 radio in recent years. "I do feel like I represent something and I'm a part of something and it's an honor to be there."

 

Skrillex, who is also nominated for best remixed recording (non-classical) and best short form music video, says he hopes his Grammy love will give more attention to the dance music genre.

"I just hope it opens more doors for next year, not only Grammy nominations, but just everything in general," he said.

The Grammys will be held Feb. 12 in Los Angeles.

Skrillex to perform at Ultimate Music Experience in March at SPI

Electronic artist Skrillex, who was recently nominated for five Grammy awards, will be performing at the Ultimate Music Experience next year Saturday, March 17, at Schlitterbahn Water Park in South Padre Island.

Skrillex (Sonny Moore) began his career as the lead singer for the post-hardcore band From First to Last. After three years, he left the band to pursue a solo career.

He has been remixing songs by artists like Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, bringing dubstep, drum and bass, and house to the mainstream.

Ticket information is not yet available.

Skrillex Just Keeps Getting Rewarded For Being Skrillex, Doesn’t He?

Eventually, it's going to stop being surprising to see dubstep artist Skrillex turn up on magazine covers and lists of nominations like the freaking Grammys. That time apparently hasn’t come yet, because it's still kinda surprising that Skrillex has turned up on the longlist of artists chosen for the BBC Sound of 2012.

For those of you not familiar with the BBC award, it's meant to highlight up-and-coming artists and has done so for Adele, Florence and the Machine and, last year, Jessie J. "Up-and-coming" is kind of a loose term–the criteria include not having a U.K. top 20 hit, not being a spinoff from an already-successful band and not winning The X Factor–which means that it can apply to rising hip hop artists like A$AP Rocky (although he's "risen" to the point of a $3 million record deal, which is quote a lot of rising) and the pretty-much-risen Frank Ocean; people with connections, like Bon Iver-touted singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas, and dubstep again (Flux Pavilion). And Skrillex. Yay for him?

Not sure who to check out first? We'll suggest two: Azealia Banks, whose ultra-badass single "212" (NSFW) was praised by just about everyone who heard it, and Stooshe, because any girl group that combines throwback R&B with lyrics like "Is Betty wearing a bodybag? Yeah, man!" will always get this writer's endorsement.

Full list:

A$AP Rocky
Azealia Banks
Dot Rotten
Dry The River
Flux Pavilion
Frank Ocean
Friends
Jamie N Commons
Lianne La Havas
Michael Kiwanuka
Niki & The Dove
Ren Harvieu
Skrillex
Spector
Stooshe