Archive for the ‘Article’ Category

Justin at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (Myspace) in Las Vegas-1/9/12

The social TV service, which Myspace co-owner Justin Timberlake calls “the evolution of one of our greatest inventions, the television,” will launch in the first half of the year and allow users to chat about programs while they are watching them.

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Scogin Mayo for Golf Mag

Justin Timberlake joined his first club when he was 12, embracing its prim customs and tidy dress codes. But enough about his time as a Mouseketeer.

He’s a grown man now, not a child-performer; a 30-year-old pop and movie star and avid golfer who has traded his mouse ears for a logoed cap and a collared shirt. “There aren’t many places I can go where I don’t feel like I’m being watched,” Timberlake says. “But the golf course is one of them. It’s my refuge. It’s where I get a chance to be alone in the world.”

His 6-handicap and celebrity status make him something of a modern-day Bing Crosby: a serious stick with mega drawing power. His name appears on a PGA Tour event (the Justin Timberlake Shriners Open) and atop private lockers (he’s a member at Liberty National in New Jersey and Lakeside Golf Club in Los Angeles). It’s even on the deed of a Memphis-area course, which he purchased, with his stepdad, in 2007.

Bankrupt when he bought it, Big Creek Golf Course came with a personal connection: It was the course on which he had learned to play. With Timberlake’s backing, it has been reborn as Mirimichi (a Native American word for “place of happy retreat”), an eco-friendly layout that has racked up honors for environmental stewardship as quickly as its owner collects Grammy Awards.

During a recent swing through his hometown, Timberlake dropped by Mirimichi for a casual round and a wide-ranging conversation about the game he loves.

“I could talk golf all day,” he said.

Join the club.

My first advice to anyone who is thinking about buying a golf course is: Don’t do it.

But if you’re going to do it, don’t do it because you think you’re going to make money. Do it for the love. Do it because you want to give people a memorable experience. Mirimichi is close to my heart for obvious reasons. This is where I grew up playing. When it fell into financial trouble, I saw an opportunity to create something special and give back to the community at the same time. The idea of this course going under and becoming a housing development, I just couldn’t live with that.

Ever since Tiger started slumping it seems like attendance on Tour has shot down. People came out to see Tiger because they wanted to see greatness, and he delivered it reliably. It was the same effect Michael Jordan had on basketball. Guys like them don’t come along every day, but it seems like golf is waiting for that player to arrive. At the same time, with each generation, a little more rock and roll gets infused into golf, and that’s a good thing, especially when you look at guys like Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson, who are bringing a different vibe to the course. Golf with a bit of swagger. That’s a draw for the younger generation and a reminder that from a spectator standpoint, the more fun we can make it, the better.

My favorite post-round drink is usually a beer. And if it’s going to be a beer, it’s probably going to be a Stella. Depending on my mood, it might also be a cocktail. In that case, a gin and tonic. With a lemon, not a lime.

Golfers always think they have great ideas about course design. I know I did when we bought Mirimichi. But I had my first four or five ideas shot down right away. I wanted an island green par 3. And they were like, “Uh, sorry. You can’t. We’re in a flood zone. Do you know what it would take to get that area drained in a flood zone?” There’s so much more to it than you think. If you have a hole that doglegs left, you have to change the slope on the right side of the fairway. As an average golfer out there, you don’t think about those kinds of things.

When I started taking up golf seriously, in my early 20s, I remember being out on the course and seeing the sprinkler heads pop and I thought, “Where is that water coming from and where is it going? Is it from a natural source? Is it being reused? Is there a way to do that?” All those questions occurred to me. So when this opportunity [Mirimichi] came up, I asked, “Is there a way to make golf truly environmentally friendly?” The more we delved into it, the more it seemed like the answer was yes. It was just going to take time, commitment and a lot of help.

Butch Harmon is so popular it’s hard to get a lesson with him. But he was the guy who taught me how to hit a draw. Mostly what we focused on was keeping my hands farther away from my head and making my swing more compact. When I first saw him, he told me I was the only amateur who’d ever come to him who was as flexible as Tiger Woods or Adam Scott. It must come from being onstage. Anyway, Butch worked on toning that down: teaching me the art of the shorter swing.

Here’s how to behave in a pro-am: Relax. Lighten up. Have fun. And don’t take yourself too seriously. Joking around is always a good way to go, especially if you’re in my group.

I listen to all kinds of music, but almost never on the course. I played one time with an iPod and earphones with a cord running down my back. I was playing everything, old and new. The Beatles. Kings of Leon. You name it. But I find I can’t play well with buds in my ears. I start swinging to the beat and not my natural rhythm and then suddenly I’m all over the place.

I think the reason people came down so hard on Tiger is that the image of him that emerged was the opposite of what had been portrayed. There was a disconnect. If I had any advice for him, it would boil down to acceptance. Accept the fact that you are now the underdog, and embrace that role. Getting into that mindset might remind of him of his early years, when he was in fact the underdog, when he was fighting for a place at the top of the heap. The other kind of struggle—the fight to protect your image or your privacy, that’s not a fight you can win. I know. It’s a battle I used to fight myself. Until you get to a level of acceptance with the press and your public image, you’re always going to be fighting, and that’s exhausting.

Definitely the two coolest guys I’ve played with were Fred Couples and Arnold Palmer, so they’d be in my dream foursome. And I’d have to have my step-dad [Paul Harless] in there to round it out.

When people go to an event, there are so many orders they are supposed to follow. It’s shhh! Don’t walk there! Be quiet! I understand that there are rules and traditions and that they need to be respected. But I also wish that there were more ways to make events entertaining, especially during the pro-ams. I’ve even considered approaching the PGA Tour about adding music to the pro-am at my event so it’s even more loose. That’s something they’re doing well in Arizona [at the Waste Management Open] with that 16th hole where all the fans are going crazy. That kind of thing is great for the game.

A round at Augusta National is about the entire experience, so you want to make sure you take it all in. Show up early. Eat the breakfast, go hit some balls on the range, and have fun with whatever member takes you. Oh, and soft hands around the greens. They are absolutely lightning.

Michael Jordan was always my idol, so playing Bethpage with him before the [2009] U.S. Open was really cool. It wasn’t competitive between us. We were rooting each other on. Michael and I both really wanted to break 90. I know Michael had a bet with Tiger on that. Tiger said he couldn’t do it. I was happy for Michael when he won that bet.

Not to say anything bad about Muirfield [in Scotland], but when I went out there, I thought I’d stepped back into the 1800s. It’s not that there weren’t a lot of Justin Timberlake fans out there. There weren’t a lot of fans of anything out there. It just seemed like a lot of ornery old men. Everyone looked like Hobson from the original Arthur movie. I like to dress nicely, but that sort of look isn’t exactly my style. At Mirimichi, we have a very loose dress code. I’ve played in a collarless shirt. You can wear shorts of any type. I don’t even think we have a rule against denim. We don’t want to discourage people from coming out to the golf course because they feel like they’re going to have to wear perfectly pressed slacks.

When I think of golf, my first thoughts always go back to my stepdad. He was the one who introduced me to the game. We still play together a lot today, and we usually end up riding in the same cart and challenging the other cart to a match. But if I’m playing against him, it’s no holds barred. There’s no let up. We’re both grown men. I can accept losing and I know that he can take an ass-whupping. He takes enough of them from my mother at home.

This article first appeared in the February 2012 issue of Golf Magazine. The February issue is on newsstands and the tablet version is available for free for magazine subscribers on iPad, Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, Nook Color and Samsung Galaxy Tab

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By Lauren Bans

Photographs by
Peggy Sirota

There’s a lot to be depressed about right now. Chronic unemployment has men  with Master’s degrees scrubbing bathrooms at KFC. There’s a bunch of orange-y  Republicans who look like the cast of The Expendables railing against  government—one of whom might very well, and very soon, be in  charge of our government. Here’s a real statistic: Forty percent of the  country believes the end times are nigh. This might have something to do with  the fact that, somehow, against all odds, despite the spectacular implosion of  its leading man, Two and a Half Men continues its laugh track-supported  war against American brain cells.

Yet even as the world turns to shit,  Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake—Jimmy and Justin, actually, since that sounds  more like the boyish playmates that they are—are determined to give audiences  something unabashedly joyful. And both of them have had good years making us  laugh, with Justin headlining three movies, and Jimmy transforming late night  (and the next morning) into a 21st century variety show. So GQ convened  the two most thrilled-to-be-alive, irony-free, super-duper shamelessly happy men  on the planet for a state of the union. And you know what? By the end of this  conversation, we felt pretty warm inside.

GQ: How well do you know each other?
Justin Timberlake: We  just met the other day.

Jimmy Fallon: We met at the photo shoot for this article. No, wait! We  met during your N’Sync days. Like some MTV thing.

Justin Timberlake: You’re right. It was when you hosted the MTV awards  in 2002.

Jimmy Fallon: Weirdly enough that was Justin’s debut as a solo artist,  and the first time I hosted the VMAs. It was a huge deal for him. A lot of  pressure. People were saying, is he going to do it? Can he do it? There’s no way  he can keep the groove! And then he came out of a GIANT BOOMBOX. Do you remember  this?

Justin Timberlake: Yep, I remember.

Jimmy Fallon: By the way, thank you. I appreciated that gift. And if  anyone reading this has like 150,000 D batteries, please call me. I’d love to  borrow them. It’s real hard to keep that thing juiced.

Justin Timberlake: That was your joke that night, right?

Jimmy Fallon: Yeah.

GQ: Wait, you’re giving me jokes you used at the MTV VMAs in  2002?
Jimmy Fallon: [laughing] Yeah. That’s what we do.

GQ: And then you became buddies?
Justin Timberlake:   Yes.

Jimmy Fallon: Ehhh…

Justin Timberlake: Absolutely.

Jimmy Fallon: Of course. We’re super friends! I remember talking  backstage during those VMAs. I was totally nervous and you were nervous and we  both ended up having good nights. We’re good luck to each other—like each  other’s rabbit foots.

GQ: And Justin was the first guest when you got your late night show,  Jimmy,  right?
Justin Timberlake: I’d never seen him more  nervous.

GQ: Let’s talk about how you guys came up with “History of Rap,” the most  viral video in network late night history.
Jimmy Fallon: We were  in your dressing room backstage on SNL.

Justin Timberlake: We were just shooting the shit, right?

Jimmy Fallon: You were coming on my show later that week, and I asked,  “What do you want to do?” We both thought, well we could sing something. I  wanted to do Toto’s “Africa.“We could sing that song really well  together.

Justin Timberlake: We should still do it! We should do Toto’s “Africa”  but we should do it as characters.

Jimmy Fallon: I was thinking we’d do “Africa” as me and you at the age  of thirteen. We’d be best friends and have a tape of us having a sleepover and  singing “Africa.” We can wear wigs and braces .

Justin Timberlake: We were sitting there, and I said, “Do you remember  that guy who did the history of dance?” He did every song that had a dance or  was named after a dance. It was a viral sensation. Then we just started kicking  around medley ideas. Jimmy was like, “What if we did the whole history of all  hip-hop and fit in as many songs as we can?

Jimmy Fallon: We started improvising right there. We went from Jay-Z  to “The Humpty Dance” to “How about this one?”

Justin Timberlake: Jimmy’s a great impressionist and that’s what makes  it funny—Jimmy Fallon impersonating greats like Snoop and Notorious B.I.G. And,  of course, the Roots. If I had the Roots on my show I’d be doing songs every  day. Can you imagine if you had a total karaoke session with the Roots? By the  way, you should have audience participation karaoke.

Jimmy Fallon: That’s a good idea. I’m writing it down.

Justin Timberlake: You should try to stump the Roots! Have random  audience members come up and make requests. Is there a song they can’t play?  They can play anything.

Jimmy Fallon: I think why those videos have gone so viral is partly  because everyone knows and loves those songs. That alone is pretty cool. But  when you have Justin Timberlake doing it, it makes it insanely cool. After we  did the first “History of Rap,” we were on the phone and you were like “I’m in  France now and it’s on the front page!” Le History of le Hip Hop. I was  so excited, like “Dude. They know who I am in France?” And Justin just goes,  “No.”  Oh, of course. You’re Justin Timberlake. That’s why this is a huge  hit.

GQ: But it also had to do with you web presence, Jimmy. You have  more Twitter followers than TV viewers.
Jimmy Fallon: Why not,  you know? It’s fun. They’re college kids, I was a college kid. You’ve got enough  money for ramen noodle soup and Spaghetti-Os. I would have loved it if I got to  talk to someone I loved on TV. If I got to tweet Letterman and he tweeted me  back. That’s the world we live in now. It’s possible, anything’s possible. It’s  so great.

GQ: Though Letterman still doesn’t tweet…
Jimmy Fallon: I  think it’d be weird if he did. It wouldn’t be him. He is who he is, he knows  what he’s doing. It would be odd if he tweeted like crazy. [laughs] Oh man, can  you imagine that? But this is what I do. I’ve always done this. This is just who  I am. I like video games, I like tech, I like being positive. I like doing  energetic things. I like being absurd. Being silly. It wouldn’t fit if it was  somebody else trying to do these bits, or if I tried to do somebody else’s, you  know? Like if I tried to talk politics all week. It’d be weird. Like Jon Stewart  already does that every day, and he does it great. He’s great at that. Let him  do that.

GQ: You both seem ridiculously happy and excited…all the time.
Justin Timberlake: There’s a percentage of entertainers who are  working so hard—and honestly it looks so exhausting—to act like they don’t care  that much, that they’re not as excitable. But everybody is that excitable. This  is a really exciting, fun job.

Jimmy Fallon: There’s something so fun about taking that risk and  doing live stuff.  I think we both have that in our DNA. So we’re like  “Let’s go, man. Is this going to be good? I don’t know. But we’re about to go  live in like ten seconds. Let’s perform the hell out of this.”

Justin Timberlake: And I’m not a comedian so I’ll probably get  crucified for saying this, but I think with a lot of comedy the impetus behind  it is: I’ve been rejected so many times and I’m bitter and now I’m going to talk  about it. It’s almost as if The Social Network was a comedy. For me,  being earnest and genuine is way easier than acting like you just don’t care,  like you don’t want to be here, like this is a drag. There are just so many  things in the world that are a drag. For me it’s like, This is a fucking wicked  cool job!

GQ: In our comedy issue last year, Tracy Morgan said that cool is the  enemy of funny. But you guys are both. How’d you circumvent that  rule?
Jimmy Fallon: Tracy says a lot of things.

Justin Timberlake: Tracy also told me I’m five years late to be making  babies. He was like [imitating Tracy Morgan]: “HEY, YOU SHOULD BE MAKING  BABIES, JUSTIN.”

Jimmy Fallon: [laughing] Yeah, I got the making babies spiel, too.

Justin Timberlake: I JUST GO WHEREEVER I WANT AND I SPREAD MY  SEEDS.

GQ: Justin, were you this funny when you were in N’Sync?
Justin  Timberlake: What? What are you talking about? I think N’Sync is  funny.

Jimmy Fallon: [laughing] Yeah, I’ll send you some video.

Justin Timberlake: The first job I ever had when I was ten was on a  television show, and that show was the same format as SNL, it’s just that the  writers were writing for kids.

GQ: The Mickey Mouse Club, right?
Justin Timberlake:  Yes. That’s what it was called.

Jimmy Fallon: Dude, I was just talking to [Ryan] Gosling about  that. Did Gosling really live on your couch when he was a kid?

Justin Timberlake: So he tried to make it seem like he was bohemian  even back then?

Jimmy Fallon: Definitely, man. He said he was struggling and you  helped him out.

Justin Timberlake: Ryan’s mom had to stay back in Canada and my mom  was his guardian for a year so he could come down and be on the show. But  Gosling got his own bed. He didn’t sleep on the couch. He said that?

Click here to read the rest of the interview

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Rick Ross.      Rihanna.      Lil Wayne.      Stevie Wonder!  It’s a     crowded guest list on “Take Care,”      Drake‘s sophomore album due     out tomorrow (Nov. 15), but in an exclusive interview in early     October, the rapper told Billboard that there was one guest  appearance that he wasn’t able to make happen.

“I mean I really wanted to work with  Justin Timberlake   on this project,” says Drake, “and we came so close man, so  close. He’s just super busy, and not in the music mindset right  now as far as creating.”

Indeed, aside from promoting the rap-rock group FreeSol on   his Tennman Records label, Timberlake has used 2011 to focus on     acting opportunities, including starring roles in “In Time” and     “Bad Teacher.” But Drake believes that, once Timberlake does     return to the studio, a collaboration will happen, and that     producer Noah “40″ Shebib would add an interesting layer to the   pop star’s sound.

“The song was gonna be dope,” says Drake. “It was solid – a  solid little look. But he’s so immersed in the acting thing,     and I don’t blame him, he’s doing great at it. He was just like, ‘I really want to work, I just can’t do it right now. But  we’ll work as soon as I’m back in the studio.’    

“So he gave me his word on that, so I’m looking forward to   looking with him,” Drake continues. “Even just giving him some   ideas, writing, him working with [producer Noah "40" Shebib], I   think that would just sound crazy, Justin Timberlake and 40.     Half the time, I just want artists to work on 40′s beats, I  don’t even really want to intrude. I just want to hear them. 40  has so many ideas, and I’d love to hear an artist like Justin Timberlake to see what he and 40 could come up with, but that  was the one person that I was sorta like, ‘Damn!’ But we’ll get it though.”  

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Events > 2011 > At The Marine Corps Ball in VA 11/12/11

Justin Timberlake keeps his promises.

The singer escorted Cpl. Kelsey de Santis to Saturday night’s Marine Corps Ball in Richmond, Virginia.

JT was dapper in his tuxedo. Cpl. de Santis, wearing her Marine Corps dress uniform, met the singer at his hotel. Once at the ball, she changed into a sexy low cut silver mini.

Timberlake didn’t just make the event a photo op. He stayed through the evening with de Santis, who famously invited Justin to be her date via a YouTube posting. Way to go!

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New photo shoot!

Esquire UK Photo Shoot/Benni Valsson

‘I’m a big fan of Pippa!’ Now Justin Timberlake reveals his crush on Miss Middleton

She won fans all over the world when she stepped out in her form-fitting Alexander McQueen’s bridesmaid’s dress for the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding back in April.

And now Justin Timberlake he was one of the people who was blown away by Pippa Middleton’s appearance at the royal wedding.

In a new interview with Esquire magazine, Justin has revealed he is harbouring a crush on the pretty brunette.

He said: ‘Us American males are big fans of Pippa. We like the Middletons very much. I’m going to sound like a sleazeball. I’m going to stop right there!’

Justin also spoke about his acting dreams,after having starred in movies including Bad Teacher and Friends With Benefits, and he never realised he could be taken seriously in the industry.

He said: ‘People have made me feel I’m trying
to be a serious actor, which is hilarious. I’m not trying to be a serious actor.
I just want to do a good job.

‘I feel there was a lot of ‘is this going to be good or not?’ I could see how a persona of what you do musically becomes embedded in people’s minds. But I feel like all I ever did on stage was act, in a way. I don’t feel like that’s exactly who I am. I don’t wear waistcoats when I’m at home.’

But while Justin is establishing himself as an actor, with movies such as the upcoming In Time, he said he will always continue with his musical dreams.

He said: ‘Music is a part of my blood cells, my cellular being, but I don’t put music out just to do it.’

And now he has turned 30, Justin added he has started to become very proud of what he has achieved throughout his life.

He added to the publication: ‘There were times I was motivated but the fact I wanted to be the biggest music star in the world.

‘Maybe it wasn’t a conscious thought, but it was an underlying theme. I’ve spent a lot of time feeling like I needed to validate so much of who I was by what I did.

‘After I turned 30 I started asking myself questions why.

‘The only validation I crave now is to be inspired in the same way I’ve always been.

‘That’s all I really owe myself at this point. If I stopped now, I could look at everything I’ve done and be so proud.’

Talking about what he plans to do in the near future, Justin said: ‘I think you can work and work and work and never really live. The plan is to have no plan.

‘I’ll probably travel, but I’d rather be spontaneous.

‘I feel like I’ve earned at least a little bit of time to do that.’

The full interview with Justin appears in the December issue of Esquire magazine, out on
November 2nd.

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There are some creative casting choices that end up working nicely. Olivia Wilde plays a 50 year old who is J.T.’s mother, but looks exactly like Olivia Wilde, for example.

The film raises questions of the value we place on material goods vs. actual minutes and seconds. It spotlights the intense lifestyle differences of the upper and lower classes in America. The action and chase scenes are engaging, but not as over the top as you might expect so as not to take you out of believing in the world depicted onscreen.

It’s not a perfect movie, I thought it dragged here and there and forced some metaphors and messages down our throats instead of encouraging us to make our own conclusions and comparisons, but overall I think you’ll dig it and lose
yourself in Timberlake’s adventure. Logan’s Run with a young Michael York comes to mind while watching In Time.

Timberlake has solid chemistry with Amanda Seyfried, who plays a wealthy banker’s (Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser) daughter. Cillian Murphy (Inception) plays a determined “Timekeeper” in close pursuit of Timberlake’s character who he thinks has robbed someone of their years.

Overall I’m a fan of In Time and think you will have a fun night at the movies if you go and see it.

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According to the predictions here at Gold Derby, Justin Timberlake and Gwyneth Paltrow will be among the winners when the Creative Arts Emmys are doled out on Saturday. While the top acting and series prizes will be awarded to the year’s best shows at next Sunday’s Primetime Emmys, the lion’s share of prizes honoring art directors, cinematographers, editors, casting directors, and so on will be presented at the Creative Arts as will the four Emmys for guest acting in comedy and drama.

Singer-turned-actor Timberlake is already a two-time winner for guest hosting “Saturday Night Live” and for co-writing “D*ck in a Box” with Andy Samberg. This year he has two more chances to win. He’s nominated twice in the songwriting race – for “3-Way (The Golden Rule)” and his opening musical monologue on “SNL” – and is expected to win a second Guest Comedy Actor trophy for his hosting duties on the NBC sketch comedy. He last won in 2009 and is considered the overwhelming favorite to repeat according to our Gold Derby predictions center. Editors are unanimous, and a majority of experts and users agree, giving him decisive 2/5 odds. “Modern Family” guest star Nathan Lane is a distant second at 15/2, followed by “The Big C‘s” Idris Elba (14/1) and “30 Rock‘s” Matt Damon (25/1).

 Tina Fey is also a guest-acting nominee for “Saturday Night Live.” Like Timberlake, she won in 2009, but her outlook this year is less rosy, with 16/1 odds. Instead, Guest Comedy Actress appears to be a close race between Oscar-winners Paltrow (“Glee“) and Cloris Leachman (“Raising Hope“). Experts favor Leachman, and for good reason; she has won nine acting Emmys, more than anyone in the award’s history, two of which came in this category (2002 and 2006, both for “Malcolm in the Middle”). But most editors and users expect Paltrow to prevail, following the lead of Gold Derby’s Rob Licuria and Chris Beachum, who weren’t impressed by Leachman’s submitted episode. As a result, Paltrow has a slight edge with even odds, with Leachman close behind at 8/5.

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Hip-hop fusion act FreeSol entertained a enthusiastic, tightly packed crowd of over 1,000 people when they played a set at New York’s Irving Plaza last Thursday night (Sept. 1). While the crowd swayed and sang along to tunes from the group’s forthcoming debut album, “No Rules,” the loudest squeals were reserved for their keyboardist, a fedora-clad Justin Timberlake, who performed a string of his hits midway through the set.

Since signing to Timberlake’s Tennman Records imprint in 2006, the Memphis-based quintet has become used to the pop superstar drawing attention their way: last week’s Irving Plaza showcase, and a surprise performance by the group and Timberlake at New York’s Southern Hospitality the previous night, marked their highest-profile performances yet, partly because Timberlake performed at each event. However, the group doesn’t mind letting Timberlake help them pack their shows.

“Who wouldn’t want to be where we are right now? What act trying to get in the game wouldn’t want Justin opening up a show in front of a thousand people?” says Free, the group’s frontman. “Would it become a shadow that we would want to get out of eventually? Ask us in a few years. Right now, we’re flattered.”

After forming in 2003 and spending time on the road, FreeSol met Timberlake through a mutual friend in 2005 and played a showcase for him. According to Free, the group was about to take a label deal one year later, but Timberlake swooped in and signed the group to his Interscope-affiliated Tennman label.

“Justin wanted to have a hands-on project — he saw something commercial, something the public would see in us,” says Free. Timberlake signed on to executive-produce the band’s first album, but the singer’s schedule prevented FreeSol from quickly producing a debut. The group spent five years honing their sound and amassing a large collection of tracks, but Free says that, when they were done their “journey,” Timberlake was full on board.

“He was a coach. He didn’t really get involved until we presented songs we liked,” says the MC. Guitarist Elliott Ives adds, “We had 118 songs. He listened to 56 of them, and he graded them A, B or C. At the end of it, we had 17 A’s, and we just went for two weeks and [recorded].”

Timberlake has already co-directed a music video for “Hoodies On, Hats Low,” the first single from the group’s debut. Before FreeSol releases “No Rules” on Tennman Records this fall, the group says they’re happy working with Timberlake in a role that the pop star and former *NSYNC member has never held.

“For him, it’s a new experience to be a band member, and with the exception of a couple songs, almost a utility guy,” says Ives. “It’s crazy — I have to remind myself. I look around and it’s freaking JT right there playing keys!”

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Gallery Link- 901 Silver Tequila Sponsors FreeSol Concert-9/1/11

In just two nights in New York City, a new band called FreeSol has made quite a name for themselves.

The five-some, who are signed to Justin Timberlake‘s upstart label, Tennman Records performed in a surprise concert this week at Manhattan’s Southern Hospitality, and again at Irving Plaza to celebrate 901 Silver Tequila. 

The group, which first formed their band in 2003 in Memphis, consists of lyricist Free, keyboardist and bassist Premo D’Anger, guitarist and lyricist Elliot Ives, drummer Kickman Teddy, and DJ Charlie White.

A friend of Free’s later hooked them up with Timberlake, who joined them for a few jam sessions. From there, it was a case of perfect timing.

“We were about to take a deal in Atlanta,” Free tells PEOPLE. “[Justin] called us up while we were on the way to look at a condo in Atlanta. He said, ‘I don’t want to lose y’all, please stay in Memphis.’ So, we turned the car around and went back!”

With an album out this fall, and a new video for their song “Hoodies on, Hats Low” directed by and costarring Timberlake, FreeSol is hitting the music scene fast.

1. They nicknamed JT!
“With Justin, he’s the boss, you gotta be a little careful with that one,” says Free. But the band went ahead and assigned him a moniker anyway: “J. Boogie.”

2. They love their Southern food
Though guitarist Ives admits to missing his dogs back home in Memphis, what the guys seem to miss most while traveling is Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. ”It really is world renowned chicken, by the way,” says Ives. Adds Free with a laugh: ”I’m in love with Gus.”

3. They’re hip hop artists, but they’re fans of…
“I love Adele,” said DJ Charlie White. Free is a fan of Lady Gaga, Tweeting after her VMA performance, “Ga ga is the TRUTH!”  

4. They get star struck
“I met Alicia Keys last night, so I’m on a high right now,” says Free, who was surprised when the singer turned up at their listening party last week. “I talked to her for about five minutes … I haven’t told my niece yet, she’s in love with her.” And drummer Kickman Teddy was thrilled to meet rapper B.o.B. at Memphis Music Fest. “He actually came to check out our music and gave us a shout out in a video we did in Memphis,” he says.

5. Justin helped them adjust to their fame by… going out for Chinese?
Timberlake, along with rapper/producer Timberland went to dinner with Free at P.F. Chang’s – and fans went wild. ”It was like a feeding frenzy!” Free Tweeted. ”When we finally escaped the frenzy, JT turned to me & said, “are u sure that’s what u want?’ ” But Premo D’Anger says their super-famous mentor has boosted their confidence. ”He always made us feel like, ‘You guys got it. Do what you do.’ He played coach.”  

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Justin Timberlake has been on a very, very long hiatus from the concert stage. Heck, a lot of people seem to think he’s completely thrown in the towel by now, despite a few sporadic charity gigs. So it took a very special group of young men -– namely, FreeSol, the hip-hop/rock/soul quintet he signed to his Tennman Records label — to get him onstage at a surprise show at NYC’s Southern Hospitality last Thursday. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, Kim’s sis Kourtney, Amanda Seyfried, Emma Roberts and more turned up for one of the free gigs (which JT Tweeted an invite to for the world just hours before). The pop star took the stage to perform hits like “What Goes Around….Comes Around” to the spilling-into-the-streets crowd.

So who are these guys anyway? Us‘ Charles Thorp caught up with lead singer Free before the Memphis-based group’s Steve Madden Concert Series show at NYC’s Standard Hotel two nights earlier to let him explain.

US: So what can we expect from your upcoming album?

F: The name of the record is “No Rules” and I think that says it all. When we were doing our thing before we signed with Justin five years ago, one night we might play a wedding, the next night we might play a frat house, then we might have our own show in Memphis on Bill Street somewhere doing our own music. So we’re able to do covers, then to do rock songs where I’m straight up singing Metallica. And then we could do straight Public Enemy or Slick Rick. There was nothing on stage that we weren’t able to do to depending on whatever the crowd was into.

US: How’d he sign you?

F: We were just about to sign another deal when we heard from Justin. We ended up doing three showcases for Justin -– but he took to long to decide. When he finally called, we were actually on our way to move Atlanta. So what we decided to do was to turn back around in Memphis and see what was up with him. We actually pulled over to the side of the road, had a conversation and then as a group we decided to give this an opportunity.

US: What is it like working with Justin in the studio?

F: He brings a lot. And it depends on his mood, depends on the day, and it depends on the song. He even let us produce a song ourselves! There there was actually a night in LA when we turned in about 20 songs, and on 17 of them he was like “Yo, this is crazy. You cracked it!” In the studio, he showed us a few things,, but it was up to us to really turn this into is who we are. He let us lead the way, then he stepped in and then he put spices on everything. He brought a lot to the table. I feel honored to have learned so many tricks!

US: How was it filming the “Hoodies” video with Justin directing?

F: Laid back. We bring the silliness even more out of Justin. We’re always laughing and cracking jokes with each other, so it was very playful. Justin being in charge, being the director, sometimes he had to take the smile off his face and he had to be serious every now and then, but mostly it was real cool. 

US: I hear you guys do mean impressions. Do you impersonate him?

F: Oh yeah, definitely in the studio the way he moves, that’s hilarious. I remember one time he came in the studio, it was kind of hot outside and he had a scarf on his neck, and he threw it behind his neck and we all started laughing. He’s so quick to tease back, that’s the cool thing about Justin. I do things like, call him little white dude from *NSYNC, but he can check your ass and he will roast you back quick.

US: So what’s going on with his own music?

F: I know that I’ve heard some things that he’s done, and all I can say is that he’s amazing. Hopefully he will decide to put something out soon. I hope. I’ve heard ideas, I’ve heard concepts, I’ve heard pieces of things. I don’t really think that’s his interest at this very moment. I would like to think that FreeSol has something to do with him getting back in the studio and working on music again. I would like to take a little credit for some of that. 

US: At the moment I think he’s living vicariously though you guys.

F: I wouldn’t count him out, though. He’s just led by something else and I don’t think that voice has just spoken to him yet. He really has nothing to prove to anyone so I think that for him to make an album again it would just have to be because he just wants to and feels led to it. Anything other than that, I mean no one’s gonna be able to persuade him or push him to do it. He just doesn’t have to do that. But he has so much in him that I would be willing to put everything on the table that one day… there will be another record. 

US: When you guys are back home in Memphis where do you chill?

F: I have a daughter now, gonna be 11 months, so for me man I’ve been chillin’ with her. I go to the park, take her to get some ice cream, hang with my family. During these successes I’ve just been wanting to get closer to my family to be honest with you, and when I’m not working I miss it, and I end up back in the studio. I enjoy a little golf.

US: Have played with Justin? He’s good!

F: I have not played with him yet. I’m trying to get my game together first! I hit a ball almost 250 feet at the range, and that was one of my best games.

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FreeSol on Justin Timberlake: ‘He’s a Guru’

ustin Timberlake shocked the world by actually singing in public last week. This raised at least two questions: Was he relaunching his seemingly abandoned music career? And just who was this band FreeSol he was performing with? We spoke with the group (whose new album No Rules is produced by Timberlake and Timbaland, among others) at their Irving Plaza show last Thursday, where JT performed songs including “Cry Me a River”and said from the stage, “For the record, I’m not trying to be a serious actor, you fuckers.”

Turns out, FreeSol was just another rock/hip-hop hybrid playing the Memphis party circuit before Timberlake first saw them in 2003. “We weren’t the type of band that was about recording,” said lead singer Chris “Free” Anderson. “We were about the live shows, the parties, weddings, whatever. Whatever paid. That’s what we were.”

Timberlake discovered FreeSol at a jazz club, and three years later, in 2006, signed them to his own label, Tennman Records. “He was like, ‘We got to turn what you do onstage into a kind of sound,’ Free remembers. “But it took us a long time to do that. And he was touring, becoming the legend that he is now.” Then, last year, Justin focused his attention on FreeSol once again. He pulled the band off the road and put them to work with an array of producers that included Mike Elizondo, Cool and Dre, Dave Tozer, Jim Jonsin, and Justin’s old hit-making pal Timbaland. The resulting album has Justin’s fingerprints all over it. He executive produced it, and he also sings on four tracks, among them “Hoodies On, Hats Low,” “Role Model,” and “Fast Car.”

“In the first session we ever had, Justin was like, ‘I’ll put a hook on that,’ and he did the hook to ‘Fast Car’ in three minutes, no other takes,” guitarist Elliott Ives told us. “He knows what he wants, and he’s very attentive. He taught me how to produce and layer and orchestrate guitar tracks, so you could make eight different tracks, and they’re all part of this one big guitar. He did the same with vocals. He’s a guru, man.”

“It’s flattering that someone like himself wants to play with us, wants to see us shine, wants to give us the opportunity, wants to put us out there, wants to stand behind us,” added Free. “It took a lot of time. I think it’s been a beautiful thing.”

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