Tuesday, December 5, 2000

Backstreet Boy requests Eminem duet
Source: Worldpop

Backstreet Boy AJ McLean is tracking down US rapper Eminem to suggest that they team up to record a Limp Bizkit-influenced track, with McLean performing in the role of his English alter ego Johnny No-Name. He also hopes to stage a Rat Pack-style show with the flamboyant Robbie Williams in the near future.

Talking first about his planned duet with Eminem, McLean, who is surfing the top of worldpop's official global charts with BSB's latest single Shape Of My Heart, explains why the hoped for collaboration could only take place if he wore his upper-crust English toff persona.

'Johnny could pull it off. I couldn't but Johnny could. Johnny has anger built up inside him as well. AJ? Nah. I'd be like, 'Hell no!''

The 22-year-old singer admits that he talks as if Johnny No Name is a completely separate individual and reiterates the difference between his own character and that of the make-believe Brit: 'A duet with Busta Rhymes, I could do, but Johnny couldn't pull that one off.'

The self-confessed wild man of pop has even considered the style of music he and Eminem will produce, hinting that the track will be 'funny, witty and controversial' and that it will ideally help both artists shift more record sales. However, hesitant about tempting fate over his dream duet, McLean is careful to point out that the collaboration will only go ahead if Eminem, who this week releases his new track Stan featuring female vocalist Dido, is willing to cooperate.

'I think it could work, if he would let it work. I could say 'til I'm blue in the face 'Yo man, I wanna do a duet with you but not as a Backstreet Boy. I wanna do it with a Limp Bizkit kind of vibe.' He'd probably say yes... probably... maybe not... but you know what? Next time I see him I'm gonna ask him.'

Despite his wishes to work with Eminem, McLean is suspicious about the bitter and twisted image portrayed by the troubled rapper. 'I think he's doing it for image purposes,' states the tattooed Backstreet Boy. 'Nobody can be that cynical and that stupid-minded and that angry. Nobody can be that mad at life and if they are why the hell tell the whole world about your own personal problems?'

He adds that Eminem, although highly creative, is a bad role model for young fans, a reason behind his decision not to suggest doing the duet under his Backstreet Boys' name. 'He's not a good role model cos he's talking about killing his wife and chopping her up and putting her in the trunk of his car That'd be like us talking about chopping up one of our fans and putting her in the back of our tour bus. It's not cool.'

Backstreet Boys released their fourth studio album Black & Blue last month amid a whirlwind of publicity including a 100-hour promotional trip across six continents - accompanied by worldpop. They embark on their world tour on 22 January in Fort Lauderdale and have already begun adding extra dates to their 23-city tour of North America after some venues were sold out within an hour of tickets going on sale on Saturday morning.

However all five members of the successful group have claimed that they will concentrate on solo projects in 2002 during a break from Backstreet Boy duties and McLean has several other ideas up his sleeve including acting ambitions and a cabaret style show with UK entertainer and ex-Take That star Robbie Williams.

'Me and Robbie doing stand up comedy with our Jack Daniels in our hands making fun of other acts and then doing a duet together like Rock DJ or something,' says McLean, outlining the programme for his planned show. Likening the pairing with that of Rat Pack entertainers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin he compares himself and Williams to, 'The two rebels from one previous boy band to a vocal harmony group.'

McLean has yet to approach Robbie Williams with his idea but is adamant that Johnny No Name, who has already staged solo gigs in the States, will launch his dry wit on the world as soon as Backstreet Boys world tour comes to a close.