THE FILM STRIP: Halle Berry
on 'X-Men 3'; gives The Film Strip
high fives
*Back with a bang, Halle Berry
takes a stand as a strong, black woman
in “X-Men: The Last Stand.” There was
some fear that she might not return
because of her dissatisfaction with
Storm’s limited role in the previous
two “X-Men” films, but Berry says
that was all a hoax.
“I was threatening that, but it
wasn’t for real,” she laughs. “My
complaining wasn't about me wanting
to be onscreen more. It was just that
these movies take a big chunk out of
our work year, seven or eight or nine
months sometimes, and I thought that
if I was going to put in the time that
I just wanted a little more to do than
hang around for nine months and do
little to nothing.”
This third film in the Fox
franchise centers on a “cure” for the
mutancy present among the X-Men,
rendering each with special powers. For
the first time, mutants have a choice
to either keep their uniqueness, though
it isolates and alienates them, or give up
their powers and become human. The
opposing viewpoints of mutant leaders
Charles Xavier, who preaches
tolerance, and Magneto, who believes
in the survival of the fittest, leads
to an all-out war. Storm, whose
power can change the weather
at will.
In the comic books, Storm served
as co-leader of the X-Men and was
one of the more powerful mutants.
But in the first two films, she did little
more than just change the weather.
“I didn’t want more hours, I
wanted to have a point of view,” she
says of reservations for joining “Last
Stand.” “If [Storm] talked for five
minutes, then let it be five minutes
about something. Let her fight more and
be involved. I was happy when I read the
new script and when Brett [Ratner]
came on. He appreciated Storm even
more, which I appreciated.”
More specifically, Berry felt
Storm should grow a pair and
become “outspoken.”
“I thought that it was time for her
to really stand up to Wolverine,
that she somehow asserts her power
and that you realize she is as powerful
as Wolverine, as Professor X, as anyone,”
she says. “In the comic book she
is [powerful]. She was an African
princess and she was revered in her
country and I thought, 'Why does she
get to America and get weak?' She's a
strong persona with a strong personality,
and I really wanted that to be a
part of this and have Storm come out
of her shell.”
Berry, herself, came out of her
shell to perform all of her own stunts,
a practice she first tackled in
one of her previous films.
“I’ve done wire work in
‘Catwoman,’” she said, uttering
“Catwoman” in a very low murmer.
“I loved ‘Catwoman,’” I interjected.
A spirited Berry jumped up and
gave me a high five, saying, “Yes!”
Had the film hired another director and
overhauled some of the bizarre scenes,
the criticisms would’ve been at a
minimum. For the most part, “Catwoman”
showed a strong black woman who took
control of her life.
The character trait is also present
in Storm, who is asked in the film to
replace the leader of the “X-Men.”
“That wasn't even in the script.
That sort of evolved as we were
shooting,” Berry admits.
Director Brett Ratner’s addition
to the film to replace Bryan Singer
brought with it some tweaking that
gives the film resonance beyond its
mutant issues. At one point, Rebecca
Romijn’s Mystique is called upon to
testify. She retorts: “I don’t answer to
my slave name.” That subject was
often the topic of conversation during
Malcolm X’s era. Also in the movie,
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, snaps at
someone: “Did you just call me boy?”
All of these allusions, and many others,
are no doubt the brainstorms of Ratner.
The director, who has dated tennis
star Serena Williams and Naomi
Campbell, had his career jump started
when long time friend Russell Simmons
gave him his first substantial job,
shooting a Public Enemy video. Ratner
went on to direct over 100 videos for
artists including Jay Z, Wu Tang Clan,
Mary J. Blige, P Diddy, Heavy D, Foxy
Brown, D’Angelo, Mariah Carey and
Madonna before helming the two
“Rush Hour” films.
Needless to say, it was not
surprising that Ratner’s answer to our
question about infusing his ideas into
the script was an affirmative one.
“I mean it was necessary because
I had to execute the movie and it's
important that you kind of make sense
of it all,” he says. “But still I didn't
change the structure of the film.”
Away from the set, Ratner
spends much of his time involved
in philanthropic projects.
“I do give back a lot. I spend
a lot of time just contributing to
things that I believe in,” he says.
“I'm very involved in a thing called
Chrysalis, which is a homeless
organization that gives homeless people
training, and teaches them how to get
a job. In Los Angeles, there are more
hungry people than there are in New
York City but they're all in a
five-block radius.
“It’s housed in downtown Los
Angeles but this is a place that doesn't
hand out food or money or clothes. It's
just literally people walking in, 2,000
a year walk in here and 92% of
them get a job and reunite with
theirfamilies. It's a fantastic cause.”
X-Man Hugh Jackman is a shining
example of what the film preaches,
tolerance. The father of an interracial
child in real life, Jackman’s
Woleverine is a mutant with father-
figure tendencies. Oftentimes in “X-Men:
The Last Stand,” Wolverine is caught
between Xavier and Magneto, whom he
compares to Malcolm X and Martin
Luther King.
The Film Strip wanted to know
if Jackman ever expected “X-Men” to
blow up as it did. Growing extremely
animated, he responded: “No one did!
I'll be honest with you, I finished the
film and my agent said, 'Well, you
have to hangout in Hollywood and do
a few meetings and auditions.' I did
that and I got into auditions, but there
was no sense of, 'Oh, this guy is
really coming up with something. This
is the guy to watch.' Trust me, there
was none of that. I never even thought
that. They asked what I'd been doing
and I said that I'd just finished a film
called 'X-Men' where I played
Wolverine. They were like, 'What?'
The phone would ring and they would
be like, 'I have to get that.'
“So when the movie opened it
shocked everyone and trust me, they
were drunk at Fox for about a week. No
one was expecting the success that they
had. I think that they underestimated
the fan base for it and how happy the
fans were for the movie. So that Monday,
my phone never stopped ringing.
That weekend I was in New York
about to start filming 'Someone Like
You.'That Monday morning I got out of my
trailer to walk to the set and there
were about eight paparazzi guys running
across the road taking photos, and
I'm not exaggerating. I was like, 'Oh,
who is here?' I was looking around
and then I thought, 'Oh, they're taking
photos of me.' So it kind of changed
over night. Then all of a sudden my
agent was getting calls rather than
calling people.”
PRINCE HINTED AT ‘IDOL’
SURPRISE IN BIBLICAL E-MAIL:
Artist sent out an e-mail early Wednesday
with the words, “First Corinthians 10:14.”
*No one knew what to make of
an e-mail from Prince that was
addressed to various news outlets
Wednesday morning containing only his
picture and the words “First Corinthians
10:14.” But as soon as the curtain
rose on his surprise “American Idol”
appearance Wednesday night, it all
made perfect sense.
The biblical passage in First
Corinthians 10:14. says: “Wherefore ,
my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”
Prince made headlines earlier in
the season after tabloids reported
he was in talks to appear on “American
Idol” as a singing coach and to
possibly perform. The show’s executive
producer, Nigel Lythgoe, outright
denied that meetings even took place
between the two parties, as rumors
had suggested.
Turns out, the tabloids were
right. Prince was the last surprise
guest after earlier appearances from
Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Al
Jarreau, Meatloaf, Live, Dionne Warwick
and Burt Bacharach joined the “Idol”
finalists during the two-hour telecast.
As previously reported, Prince
has two Las Vegas shows lined up
for tomorrow and Sunday (May 27 and
May 28). Billed as an evening with Prince
and special guest Tamar Davis, The
Empire Ballroom in Las Vegas has
temporarily re-named the intimate hall
The 3121 Club (1,500 seats) in honor
of the Minneapolis star.
Tamar, his latest protégé,
appears with Prince in the song
"Beautiful, Loved, & Blessed," which
can be found on both Prince’s album
“3121,” and her Aug. 29 Universal
Republic debut CD, “Milk & Honey.”
LUDACRIS SAYS HE’S NO BITER:
Rapper takes the stand to defend
‘Stand Up’ at copyright infringement trial.
*Chris “Ludacris” Bridges took
the stand Thursday at a copyright
infringement trial in Manhattan and
affirmed that he did not steal lyrics
for his 2003 hit “Stand Up,” as his
accusers are claiming.
The rapper-actor, who is being
sued along with the song’s producer
Kanye West and EMI April Music Inc.,
said he never received copies of a disc
containing the song "Straight Like That"
by the East Orange, N.J., group
I.O.F. The rappers claims Luda heard
one of their distributed promotional
discs before writing “Stand Up,” which
contains the similar line, “just like that.”
When the plaintiff’s lawyer Mel
Sachs asked the rapper if he was
really telling the jury he had never
received copies of the song at three
shows in 2002 and 2003, Ludacris
replied, "I'm definitely saying that, sir."
Earlier in the week, Sachs spent
two days trying to prove that
members of I.O.F. made sure to get
Ludacris copies of their song before he
wrote “Stand Up.”
While on the stand Thursday, Sachs
asked Ludacris: "Sir, before you wrote the
song, 'Stand Up,' did you ever hear the
term, 'straight like that?'"
"No sir," answered Luda. "I never
heard anyone use the term." Later,
he added, "I do not know what the
term 'straight like that' means, sir."
Kanye West was also in court
Thursday and expected to testify before
the one-week trial ends.
BEANIE RESTING AT HOME AFTER
ROBBERY ATTEMPT: Philly rapper
was shot in the upper arm, leaves
hospital in a wheelchair.
*Rapper Beanie Sigel was treated
and released from a Pennsylvania
hospital Thursday after he was shot
in the upper arm during a robbery
attempt in Pennsylvania.
Police said five males traveling
in two cars attempted to rob Sigel
around 7 a.m. Thursday before firing
shots at the rapper, whose real name is
Dwight Grant. He was struck once or
twice in the upper right arm.
The shooting was described by
Sigel's attorney Fortunato Perri Jr.
as "a random act of violence."
Sigel, 32, was patched up
at the Hospital of the University of
Pennsylvania before being discharged
at around 11:40 a.m. Thursday in a
wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown,
blue jeans and a blanket over his head.
A towel draped over his right shoulder
was stained with blood.
After getting into a black Mercedes,
Sigel lowered the car window and
told reporters: "I got shot. I'm cool."
He followed that up by moving his
hospital gown to expose a bandage
on his left shoulder. His left arm was
in a sling and his left hand was bloody,
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on
its Web site.
The shooting is the latest in
a series of misfortunes experienced by
the Philly-born MC. He was released
from federal prison in August after
serving a year on a gun charge and
was acquitted of attempted murder the
following month. He was also briefly
jailed in November for failure to pay
child support.
His latest album, "The B. Coming,"
peaked in the top five on the
Billboard album chart.
ESPN TO CUT BACK ON BARRY
BONDS COVERAGE: Reporter covering
slugger full time will scale back once Bonds
hits No. 715.
*ESPN has decided to cut back
on both its reality series starring
Barry Bonds, and coverage of the
San Francisco Giants slugger’s attempt
to surpass Babe Ruth on the career
home run chart.
Bonds is currently tied with the
Yankee legend, having hit his 714th
homer last Saturday in Oakland.
ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz
said Tuesday that the network plans to
pull reporter Pedro Gomez from his full-
time job covering Bonds and move the
journalist to other beats.
"After 715, Pedro won't follow him
every day. That's not to say he'll
never cover another Bonds game,"
Krulewitz said.
The network is also planning to
temporarily shelve the weekly
documentary series, “Bonds on Bonds.”
The show has pulled a weekly rating of
only 0.5 (percentage of homes with TV)
since its debut last month. ESPN will
remove it from the schedule after the
Memorial Day episode.
JEWELERS SQUEAMISH OVER
‘BLOOD DIAMOND’: Bling industry
bracing for backlash over Hounsou film.
*The U.S. jewelry industry is
reportedly nervous and looking over its
shoulder for the arrival of the upcoming
film "The Blood Diamond," which
tells how diamond smuggling in Sierra
Leone was at the center of brutal
civil wars.
Peggy Jo Donahue, public affairs
director of trade group Jewelers of
America, explains to Reuters: "The
danger is that people will think the
situation in the film is continuing today.
We're going to educate our jewelers
about the issue. There's lots
that's not understood."
“The Blood Diamond” stars Djimon
Hounsou as a farmer in Sierra Leone,
and Leonardo DiCaprio as a South
African mercenary jailed for smuggling.
The term “blood diamond,” or “conflict
diamond,” refers to a diamond mined in
a war zone and sold on the black
market in order to fund a rebel or
clandestine army.
Rebel groups in countries including
Angola, the Democratic Republic
of Congo, and Liberia have used
billions of dollars from the sale of
diamonds to fund wars. And some non-
governmental organizations have even
alleged that blood diamonds were used
to finance the Sept. 11th attacks.
A new web site on diamonds
is being set up to answer queries from
consumers. Meanwhile, the Kimberley
Process, an international certification
program set up in 2000, says the vast
majority of the world's rough diamond
trade is now under its strict controls.
Its chairman, Kago Mashashane of
Botswana, wrote earlier this year to the
producers of "The Blood Diamond"
asking that it include an epilogue
explaining the measures taken
to stem the illicit trade.
He said Botswana, the world's
biggest producer of diamonds, was
worried that a consumer boycott could
damage its efforts to boost education
and healthcare since the diamond
sector accounted for around half of
government revenue.
The Council for Responsible
Jewelry Practices hopes to set up
a certification program for gold and
diamonds within a couple of years
from the mine to the consumer.
In the diamond sector, the U.S.
jewelry industry has a voluntary
system of warranties that try to ensure
that only gems from the Kimberley
Process are used in products, Donahue
added.
WHITNEY’S DISHEVELED LOOK ‘A
DISGUISE?’: Cherelle claims her homie
dresses like a bag lady to avoid fans.
*Singer Cherelle is telling folks
that her close friend, Whitney
Houston, is looking a mess these
days as a strategic move to avoid
being recognized.
Recent pictures have shown the
42-year-old singer disheveled and in
layers of dirty clothing to hide from
fans and the paparazzi.
"That's her look. It is a disguise.
She always goes like a bag lady,"
Cherelle was quoted as saying by
SF Gate’s Daily Dish.
Cherelle says she was with Houston
when the singer was photographed
in her “disguise” while outside of her
mansion near Atlanta: "I said, 'This
is the picture from when she got up
that morning to take out the trash
with the kids.'"
Whitney’s latest look has been
blamed on the abuse of drugs and
alcohol. Her sister-in-law, Tina Brown,
provided details of her alleged drug
use to the National Enquier.
CHAMILLIONAIRE RIDES DIRTY
UP THE SINGLES CHART: Rapper
unseats Rihanna’s ‘SOS’; Furtado/
Timbo combo jumps in the Top 10.
*Houston rapper Chamillionaire
scores his first Billboard No. 1, while
a “Saturday Night Live” performance
last weekend helped Nelly Furtado
and Timbaland jump 21 places into
the top 10 on this week’s Hot 100
singles chart.
Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’” featuring
Krayzie Bone ends the three-week
run of Rihanna's "SOS," which fell to
No. 3. behind Daniel Powter's "Bad
Day" at No. 2.
Songs 4 through 7 remain in tact:
Sean Paul's "Temperature," Fort
Minor's "Where'd You Go" featuring
Holly Brook, Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Dani
California" and Lil Jon's "Snap Yo Fingers"
featuring E-40 & Sean Paul Of
The YoungBloodZ, respectively.
Rounding out the Top 10, the
Fray's "Over My Head (Cable Car)"
rose two to No. 8, while Nelly Furtado's
"Promiscuous" featuring Timbaland flew
21 places to No. 9. and Rapper T.I.'s
"What You Know" fell two to No. 10.
Elsewhere in the Hot 100, India.Arie's
"I Am Not My Hair" enters at No. 97.
Bubba Sparxxx' "Ms. New Booty"
featuring Ying Yang Twins and Mr.
ColliPark led the Hot Ringtones chart
for an eighth week, while Shakira's
"Hips Don't Lie" featuring Wyclef Jean
led the Hot Latin Songs chart for
a second.
BRYANT GUMBEL RETURNING TO
MORNING TV?: Former ‘Today’ host
rumored to be on shortlist for ‘GMA.’
*Within hours of ABC’s announcement
that “Good Morning America” anchor Charlie
Gibson would be replacing the pregnant
Elizabeth Vargas on "World News Tonight,"
Bryant Gumbel’s name was mentioned
as one of several being considered
to fill the “GMA” void.
While ABC News has yet to make
an official announcement, the New York
Post is reporting that “Dancing with the
Stars” host Tom Bergeron is the
frontrunner to replace Gibson, but
Gumbel is high on the list as well.
Other names being considered,
according to the Post, are New York
newsman Bill Ritter, who co-anchored
"GMA Sunday” from 1993 to 1999; and
"GMA Weekend Edition" co-anchor
Bill Weir.
ABC News may opt to keep “GMA’s”
current morning team as is: with the
two remaining anchors, Diane Sawyer
and Robin Roberts.
"For right now they are our
dynamic duo -- there's no immediate
decision on a replacement," a "GMA"
spokeswoman told the Post.
MIJAC’S DIVORCE MESS ALL
IN THE STREETS: Plus, singer is
house hunting in UK; will make “first
official public appearance” in Japan.
*A flurry of activity is spilling
out of the Michael Jackson camp.
A California judge ruled
Wednesday to allow papers from his
divorce/custody case to be made
public, the singer tells a British paper
that he plans to move to the U.K.,
and his publicist Raymone Bain says he
will travel to Japan Saturday in his
“first official public appearance”
since being acquitted of child
molestation charges last June.
Jackson is to receive MTV Japan’s
“Legend Award” Saturday for his
career achievements as part of the
MTV Japan Video Music Awards ceremony.
During his stay in the country, Jackson
will also visit orphanages, take a
tour of Tokyo and meet with members
of the Asian business community –
spearheaded by Broderick D. Morris,
CEO, Positive Productions Yokohama,
an entertainment promotions company.
"I look forward to my visit to
Japan because I have so many fond
memories of my visits there,” Jackson
said in a statement released by Bain.
“I thank MTV Japan for this honor, and
Mr. Morris for spearheading this
visit. I look forward to seeing old
friends, and saying hello to my huge
fan base in Japan, who, like my other
fans around the world, have for so
many years consistently shown their
love and support to me and my family."
Speaking of his family, all the
dirt regarding his custody and
divorce battle with ex-wife Debbie
Rowe will be exposed to the public,
thanks to a judge’s ruling Wednesday
that all papers be unsealed.
According to Fox411 columnist
Roger Friedman, the filings “may also
reveal the true parentage of Prince and
Paris.” He adds: “I also told you a
year ago that even though Rowe is their
biological mother, Jackson is not
their biological father. Toward the end
of the child molestation case last
year, Jackson attorney Robert Sanger
suggested as much to Judge Rodney
Melville when he argued that a Jackson
TV interview not be offered to the
court because of its truthfulness on
certain matters.”
Friedman also says that the
papers contain Rowe’s complaint
regarding the shuttling of her children
to Bahrain, where Jackson has been
living since his acquittal.
He writes: “Jackson had faked
passports for them because he couldn’t
get her permission to take the kids
abroad and no longer had the original
documents. The original passports had
been filed with the court. Rowe tried
to get the FBI and other government
organizations involved to stop Jackson,
but to no avail. Rowe has had one visit
with her kids since 2001 — late last
summer, when Jackson’s nanny, Grace
Rwarmba, brought them to Los Angeles.
Rowe was not allowed to tell the kids
she was their mother, however. Jackson
has told them they have no mother.”
Meanwhile, Jackson is now
expressing interest in moving from Bahrain
to a permanent residence in the U.K.
"I'm here in London on business
for a couple of days. I love it
here,” he told Daily Mirror reporter
Fiona Cummins. "I'm looking for a place
to live. I've always liked the U.K. and
I just love the fans here."
As for the “business” he’s conducting
in London, at least part of it
is a legal matter regarding a $4 million
lawsuit filed against him by former
partner Marc Schaffel. According to
Friedman, he “‘giggled’ and responded
to few answers during a daylong deposition
in London on Monday.
Speaking to the Mirror reporter at
Harrods, owned by his friend
Mohamed Al Fayed, Jackson also said
he’s looking to build a new Neverland in
either Scotland or Ireland. Giving props
to the Harrods owner, Jackson
added: "I'm also visiting my good friend
Mohamed – ‘cause he's the man."
Asked about his health, Jacko
insisted: "I'm fine - very well thanks.
I'm feeling good."
FORMER VIBE EXEC LAUNCHES
NEW MAGAZINE: ‘21st Century Hustle’
is a business lifestyle brand aimed at
‘young urbanites.’
*Former Vibe magazine executive,
Ali Muhammad, launches his new
business lifestyle magazine, 21st Century
Hustle, on Monday (May 29).
The publication began as a
newsletter designed to fill the void in
traditional magazines, “who just aren’t
covering the kind of issues and
types of people that I deem
influential,” Ali says.
“21st Century Hustle plans to
profile people in the urban community
that serve as role models for today’s
youth – from celebrities to teachers.
The magazine intends to feature
empowering stories, such as the transition
from hard working intern to business mogul.
Muhammad, the founder and
editorial director for 21st Century Hustle,
is a journalism grad from Florida A&M
University and spent seven years with
Vibe in the sales and marketing dept.
FILM/TV BITS: Phifer, LL in ‘Slow
Burn’; Diddy dances to MTV; Singleton
backs Brewer’s ‘Maggie’; Freeman
gets ‘Gone.’
*Mekhi Phifer, LL Cool J, Taye
Diggs and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in the
upcoming suspense thriller “Slow Burn.”
The film's multicultural perspective
on modern-day urban politics centers
on an ambitious district attorney (Ray
Liotta) who finds himself in a bad
situation when his assistant district
attorney (Jolene Blalock) confesses
to killing a man in self-defense. Her
story is contradicted by a stranger
named Luther Pinks (LL Cool J) and
becomes further complicated by record
store clerk (Phifer) and a gang lord.
Lionsgate has picked up North American
and U.K. distribution rights to the
project, written and directed by
Wayne Beach.
*Sean “Diddy” Combs is executive
producing a new reality series for
MTV set in the world of competitive
street-dancing. The as-yet-untitled
show, Diddy says in a statement, “will
showcase the drive, determination and
expression of this dance generation --
picture 'Rocky' but with dance
troupes." The news comes days after
MTV announced it was airing the
dance-themed series “Moves” from
Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Her
show, premiering in the fourth quarter,
follows six dancers as they work to
achieve their dreams of making it in
the business.
*Executive producers John Singleton
and Stephanie Allain will re-team
with their "Hustle & Flow" director
Craig Brewer for Paramount’s “Maggie
Lynn,” a country-music drama that
Brewer will write and direct, reports
Variety. The film follows a woman who
gets her heart broken and achieves a
sense of self-worth by returning home to
Tennessee, where she teams with her
older brother to play country music in
honkytonks. After addressing rap in
“Hustle & Flow” and the blues in his
upcoming "Black Snake Moan," Brewer
was interested in tackling blue-collar
country & western and wanted to make a
film in the spirit of "Coal Miner's Daughter"
and "Urban Cowboy."
*Morgan Freeman has taken a
starring role in “Gone, Baby, Gone,”
which director Ben Affleck began
shooting in his hometown of Boston this
week. Freeman, an Oscar winner for
“Million Dollar Baby,” joins Ben's
brother Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan
and Ed Harris in the Miramax film
about two Boston private eyes who
investigate the case of a missing child in
a neighborhood of broken families, bitter
cops and crazy ex-cons, reports
the Boston Herald. The feature is based
on the Dennis Lehane novel of the
same name and was adapted by Affleck.
MUSIC BITS: Cop wins judgment against
Turk; B.G. preps new album; everyday
Corey Clark’s hustlin’; Peebles honored
by Black Star News.
*A Memphis area police officer
has won a $10 million dollar judgment
against rapper Tab "Turk" Virgil
stemming from a shoot-out during an
apartment raid in January 2004. Deputy
Chris Harris was shot in the jaw, hip
arm and calf as SWAT team members
stormed the apartment looking for hidden
drugs. Turk was convicted of the
shooting in a jury trial after ballistics
found gunfire residue on his shorts.
Last August, the former Hot Boys member
was sentenced to 10 years in prison
for being a felon with a handgun, a
fugitive with a handgun and a drug
addict with a handgun. He was also
sentenced to 12 years in prison for
attempted second-degree murder.
*Another former Hot Boy, rapper
B.G., is preparing to drop his new
album “B.G. Presents Life With Chopper
City” via his Chopper City Records
label under Atlantic. The group Chopper
City includes B.G.'s brother
Hakizzle, VL Mike, Gar and Sniper.
Rapper T.I. will produce the disc, and
will also make a guest appearance
alongside Mannie Fresh and Juvenile. The
album comes on the heels of his newly-
released “The Heart Of Tha Streetz:
Vol. 2 (I Am What I Am).”
*Corey Clark is once again
using his “American Idol” ties to help
hustle his own product. According to
TMZ.com, the former contestant on the
Fox show was spotted Tuesday trying
to hock his own self-titled CD outside a
Coffee Bean on Sunset Blvd., just a
few blocks from the Kodak Theater on
Hollywood Blvd. where Taylor Hicks
and Katharine McPhee were battling it
out for the crown. Clark, who was kicked
off the show in the second season, has
also been seen trying to hustle his CDs
in crosswalks and sidewalks as his
friends play the disc on a boombox.
*Filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles
has been added to the list of honorees
at this year's Black Star News Annual
Awards Dinner, to be held tonight in
Manhattan at the Puck Building (295
Lafayette St., near Houston St). "We're
honored to have this great fearless
legend at our awards dinner," says Black
Star News publisher and CEO, Milton
Allimadi. "You can't talk about American
cinema without mentioning Melvin."
Tickets can still be purchased at the
door for $100. Those with student ID's
can purchase tickets for $50. The
evening kicks off with a cocktail hour
at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, awards
and entertainment until 10 p.m. For
VANDERBILT RECRUITS BLACK
LITERARY SCHOLARS: School
hopes new professors will put literary
studios program on the map.
*In an effort to transform its
literary studies program, Vanderbilt
University has hired five leading black
literary scholars for its English
department, including Drs. Houston A.
Baker and Hortense Spillers, reports
DiverseEducation.com.
The Nashville, Tenn. school
currently offers graduate degrees in
English with a concentration in
African-American literature, but hopes
to include doctorate programs in
African-American literature in the
future.
“This has been a really
extraordinary opportunity for us,”
says Dr. Jay Clayton, chair of the
department. “We have had the unexpected
chance to add five people to our already
strong group of African-Americans. We
now have senior leadership for this group.
Baker, author of “Modernism
and the Harlem Renaissance” and “Black
Studies, Rap and the Academy,” is
leaving an endowed chair at Duke
University; while Spillers, author of
“Black, White, and in Color: Essays on
American Literature and Culture,”
is leaving Cornell University.
Joining Baker and Spillers will be
Dr. Ifeoma Nwankwo, an expert in
African-American and Caribbean
literature, and Alice Randall, who is best
known for “The Wind Done Gone,” a
satire of Gone With the Wind. Randall will
be teaching creative writing and an
innovative course on race and country
music. Dr. Charlotte Pierce-Baker, author
of “Surviving the Silence: Black
Women’s Stories of Rape” (and Houston
Baker’s wife), will also leave Duke to
join the women’s studies department,
which falls under the English
department at Vanderbilt.
This is the English department’s
second wave of hires, with more to
come, according to DiverseEducation.com.
The first group, who came from such
schools as the University of Pennsylvania
and Yale University, helped
Vanderbilt focus on an interdisciplinary
approach to literature studies.
I am not the athletic physical type.
I get excited about. However, I don't like
for new clothes either.
walk away from the chips, candy and cake.
I have to psyche myself up to go to the gym.
a workout, I feel so good about myself. I feel
care of myself. My self-esteem goes up a notch.
treadmill. I feel younger as I attend the dance
and kickboxing class. I may not be able to
couch eating ice cream because I depressed.
it is getting stronger.
me motivated. Maybe it will inspire you too.
are not alone. If you can't get to a gym, start
exercising in your home. Begin to clean out
food and fatty dairy products.
(limited time offer).
together. ~ Jewel Diamond Taylor
("Miami Vice") is 57. Actress Pam Grier is 57.
Singer Lenny Kravitz is 42. Singer Joey Kibble
of Take 6 is 35.
Actor Louis Gossett Junior is 70. Actor Todd
Bridges ("Diff'rent Strokes") is 41. Rapper
Andre 3000 of Outkast is 31. Rapper
Jadakiss is 31.
Roland Gift (Fine Young Cannibals) is 44. Rapper
Chubb Rock is 38.
Singer LaToya Jackson is 50. Singer Jayski
McGowan of Quad City DJ's is 39. Cartoonist
Aaron McGruder ("Boondocks") is 32. Singer
Girls is 31. Rapper Playa Poncho is 31.
that caters to "authentic" blacks. It is created
description to info@eurweb.com.
arrived at White House.
six hundred white classmates.
Michigan.
the Ohio Women's Rights Convention.
*Tracie B. Dickson, Washington, DC:
(05-25-06 EUR Feedback). Thanks for your
heart. LOL."
and degradation of the black male image. Where
game of blame. Some of us have decided to
black women. I'm pretty sure there are quite a few
sons and grandsons out of jail.
