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Lil Jon, Snoop, Xzibit, David Banner Star
In New Korn Video
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Rappers stand in for rockers in 'Twisted Transistor.'
HOLLYWOOD — The banner above the stage Wednesday at the
Knitting Factory read "Korn," and there were certainly
enough guitars and heads of long black hair swirling around
to look like a Korn show, but there was something different
about
the four stars in
front of the cameras.
"It's basically a video with hip-hop stars playing us," Korn
singer Jonathan Davis explained of the clip for "Twisted
Transistor." "And they're doing a really good job. They've
done their homework. Such a good job, in fact, that it takes
a few seconds before realizing, 'Hey, that's Lil Jon
singing, not Jonathan Davis.' 'And that's Snoop Dogg in the
dreads and bodysuit, not Munky.' 'And that's Xzibit wearing
Fieldy's signature headband and David Banner banging on
David Silveria's drums.' "
"He's got the Dickies and the chain on, it's hilarious,"
Fieldy said of X to the Z. "Just watching Xzibit holding my
bass straight up and down and jumping around, he's really
into character. They're eating it up, man. It's gonna be the
best video ever."
Davis said the concept comes from being frustrated that rock
videos don't get as much airtime as they used to. Director
Dave Meyers (best known for Missy Elliott's masterpieces)
refused to give up too much about what happens in the clip,
but he said the rappers took a complete plunge into the rock
world, "so it's a really surreal kind of mind-twisting
video."
"It's like an alternate world," David Banner added. "It's a
day in the life of the actual group, so they took little
quirks about everybody's personality and amplified it a
whole lot. David the drummer is the pretty boy in the group,
so he keeps a mirror around, he has to make sure that he's
tight before he goes onstage."
Meyers originally wanted to mock Silveria's stint as a
Calvin Klein model in 1999, dressing Banner up in underwear.
"I said, 'Hell no! No way!' " Silveria said. "And it wasn't
an underwear ad, it was jeans."
When it came time to cast the video, Korn went with those
who knew them best. Lil Jon produced a Public Enemy cover
the band recorded last year, Snoop has toured with Korn a
few times and shares their management, and Xzibit shares an
accountant with some of the guys. As for Banner: "He plays
the drums great," Davis said.
The rappers all knew each other as well, which created a
surprising chemistry when they took the stage to pretend to
play "Twisted Transistor."
"It might be a band coming towards you," Banner joked about
actually forming an all-star group. "So y'all can bring us
out on tour, hint, hint. Give us some of that Korn money."
Banner felt somewhat prepared for the role, having grown up
watching rock videos on MTV, but he still went to the other
David for advice. "David said, 'Whatever you do, do it with
style, 'cause the ladies love me, so the ladies have to love
you too,' " Banner recalled. "And I told him, 'Dave, you
don't have to [worry].' "
Xzibit has witnessed a few Korn shows over the years, but he
also met with Fieldy. "It's a funny video, but in order to
make it work you have to play the part, you gotta do it all
the way," he said.
"I was showing him how I slap on [the bass] a little bit,"
Fieldy said, motioning his signature move. "And he just
picked it up pretty natural and started banging on it and
just going off. And after the first take he was like, 'How
long you guys do this for live?' And I'm like, 'About an
hour and a half.' He's like, 'Man!' "
Snoop claims Munky is his "brother from another mother" and
that he could play Korn in his sleep. (Now a seasoned actor,
Snoop stayed in character on the set, approaching crew
members and saying, "What's up dude?")
"I'm a fan, man ... so I sit on the sidelines sometimes and
watch 'em perform," Snoop said. "I even got that [Munky]
jump down, too."
And what did the real Munky think? "I almost fell over
'cause it was so funny!"
"Twisted Transistor," which was produced by the Matrix (Avril
Lavigne, Hilary Duff), is the first single from Korn's
seventh studio album, See You on the Other Side, due
December 6 on Virgin Records.
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