TERRELL OWENS TO RELEASE CHILDREN’S BOOKS: First title, ‘Little T Learns to Share,’ due next month.
*In perhaps an even bigger shock than erroneous reports of a suicide attempt, Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens has announced he will release his first children’s book in mid-November.
Titled "Little T Learns to Share," the book follows the main character’s refusal to share his football, until he realizes that he can’t enjoy his prized possession without the participation of friends.
"I tried to play outside alone and throw it by myself, but football
isn't football unless you play with someone else," Little T says in the
book.
"It's a life lesson for discipline," co-author Courtney Parker said
Friday on The Dallas Morning News' Web site. "It's ironic because he's
considered one of the more undisciplined players in the NFL."
The book is the first to be released from T.O.'s Timeout Series,
reports the Morning News. The second book, "Little T Learns What Not to
Say," is due in spring 2007, and the third, "Little T Learns To Say I'm
Sorry," is scheduled for release the following fall.
PINK WOVEN INTO INDIA.ARIE’S ‘HAIR’: New mix to be featured in Lifetime
film; version to hit iTunes on Oct. 23.
*Add another alternate version of India.Arie’s “I Am Not My Hair” to
the several remixes already in existence of the singer’s inner-beauty
anthem.
Pop-rocker Pink joins Arie for this previously unreleased take,
which will be heard in a new Lifetime Television movie, "Why I Wore Lipstick
to My Mastectomy," premiering Oct. 23 with stars Sarah Chalke ("Scrubs")
and, in a cameo role, Patti LaBelle.
The duet with Pink, in which she sings of her decision to get rid of
the pink hair she sported at the beginning of her career, is actually the
original version of the song, Arie tells Billboard.
"We both had something to say with this song, and we wanted to work
together," Arie explains. "This duet should have been the original version
on my album ['Testimony: Vol. I, Life & Relationship'], but it fell through
the cracks."
When Lifetime inquired about using the song for the film, Arie said,
"Well, I have this other version that you might like to use."
Arie said she wrote the last verse in “I Am Not My Hair” after
watching Melissa Etheridge's triumphant performance on the Grammy Awards,
where she appeared bald from chemotherapy to treat breast cancer.
"Her performance brought tears to my eyes," Arie says. "At that moment
in time, her performance was a juxtaposition of pain and beauty. It
symbolized the beauty of strength."
JADAKISS ARRESTED ON GUN CHARGE: Rapper nabbed over the weekend after a
traffic stop.
*Rapper Jadakiss was one of four people arrested on criminal
possession of a weapon after cops pulled over a car he was riding in and
discovered a loaded handgun inside.
This is the second gun-charge for the Yonkers native since July of
2004, when the artist was nabbed in Fayetteville, North Carolina after
police found less than an ounce of marijuana and two loaded .45-caliber
pistols in an SUV he was traveling in.
He was charged with various misdemeanor offenses and in March 2005
reached a plea agreement and paid a $900 fine. He was also ordered to submit
to searches and random drug tests.
In both cases, the vehicles were initially pulled over for traffic
violations.
BET MAY TAP HBO’S ‘WIRE’: Networks are finalizing deal to find home for
show’s syndication run.
*Soon, BET viewers might be able to catch all five seasons of HBO’s
“The Wire” in a new syndication deal reportedly on the table between the two
cable channels.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, both sides are keeping quiet
about the negotiations, but sources say that BET wants to start airing one
episode of “The Wire” per week in primetime as early as the first quarter of
next year, with multiple runs for each installment.
The deal’s price tag could not be determined, but "The Wire" would
likely draw a sum in the range of $100,000 per episode, according to the
trade.
The critically acclaimed series, about undercover police work in
urban Baltimore and the local politics surrounding it, is currently in its
fourth season, with HBO having recently ordered a fifth and final season.
The reported syndication deal would allow BET to land all five seasons,
which amounts to 62 episodes.
The series would have to undergo major edits to make it
broadcast-ready, as HBO’s “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City” have
undergone for A&E and TBS respectively. “The Wire” would mark BET’s second
acquisition from HBO, following its re-broadcast of “The Corner.”
J.LO SUED BY PRIVATE JET COMPANY: Entertainer skipped out on the bill, said
to be more than $34,000.
*Jennifer Lopez reportedly owes a private jet company more than
$34,000 in unpaid trips, prompting a lawsuit against the entertainer in Los
Angeles Superior Court.
Burbank-based Avjet Corp. says that Lopez and her husband Marc
Anthony (listed by their legal names of Jennifer and Marc Muniz) chartered a
jet Jan. 26 to fly them and four friends from Farmingdale, New York, to
Puerto Rico, and then used the company again May 25 to go from Farmingdale
to Burbank, reports E! Online.
The trips came with a price tag of $16,000 each, but were never
paid, according to Avjet’s lawsuit. The company is now seeking a total of
$34,000.
A rep for the couple says a third-party billing service was supposed
to handle the invoice, and that the stars were targeted in the lawsuit
because of their celebrity status and bank account.
In other Lopez news, the signer is scheduled to premiere her latest
J.Lo and Sweetface collections Oct. 12 and 14 during Miami Beach Fashion
Week.
WE REMEMBER BASEBALL PIONEER BUCK O’NEIL: Negro League legend died Friday in
Kansas City. He was 94.
*The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Saturday allowed friends and
fans of the late John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil to gather and mourn his passing
Friday night in Kansas City at the age of 94.
O'Neil died from complications of congestive heart failure and
recently diagnosed bone marrow cancer at Research Medical Center.
"I'm going to miss him, because he was always very positive with me
and was always rooting for me," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "As a
matter of fact, when I got the job, he left a voice mail congratulating me.
It goes, ‘Hi, Skippah. Nice goin’.’ I still have that on my phone, and once
in a while, I just play it back with the other messages I get. It means a
lot to me. He's someone I'll always remember."
Born November 13, 1911 in Carrabelle, Florida, O’Neil played first
base and was a manager in the Negro Leagues, most notably in the Negro
American League with the Kansas City Monarchs. After retiring from the
diamond, he also became a coach and scout in Major League Baseball.
He was named the first black coach by the Cubs in 1962 and in 1990,
led the push to establish the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He received an
honorary doctorate in education from Missouri Western State University on
May 13, 2006, and also delivered the commencement speech during the
graduation ceremony.
O'Neil was a member of the 18-member Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans
Committee from 1981 to 2000 and was instrumental in the induction of eight
Negro League players during that time. He was nominated to a special Hall
ballot for Negro League players, managers, and executives in 2006, but he
failed to receive the necessary 75% to gain admission.
Upon hearing that he didn’t make the cut, O’Neil addressed a crowd of
about 200 fans who had originally gathered to celebrate before being told
that he hadn’t received enough votes to make it into the Hall. O’Neil told
the crowd: “God's been good to me. They didn't think Buck was good enough to
be in the Hall of Fame. That's the way they thought about it and that's the
way it is, so we're going to live with that. Now, if I'm a Hall of Famer for
you, that's all right with me. Just keep loving old Buck. Don't weep for
Buck. No, man, be happy, be thankful.”
O’Neil will lie in state on the Coors Field of Legends gallery at the
NLBM, America's Home of Negro Leagues Baseball in the historic 18th & Vine
District of Kansas City on Friday, Oct. 13, from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Buck and the
late Horace Peterson III co-founded the NLBM, and Buck had served as
chairman from its inception in 1990.
A private funeral and burial service are scheduled for next Saturday
at a place and time to be determined, and a separate memorial service open
to the public will follow.
A celebration of O'Neil's 95th birthday will go on as scheduled Nov.
11 at Kansas City's Starlight Theatre. The guest list of about 750 includes
many baseball greats as well as other celebrities and political leaders.
DEF JAM UPSET OVER JAY-Z LEAK: Label may consider legal action against
guilty party.
*Jay-Z’s new single “Show Me What You Got” was all over urban radio
last weekend, but it wasn’t supposed to be.
Def Jam is said to be furious at the party responsible for leaking
the track from its President/CEO and may go after the individual in court,
reportsAllhiphop.com. Sources tell the Web site that the label has launched
an internal investigation to keep other tracks from Jay-Z’s Nov. 21st
release “Kingdom Come” from possibly being leaked.
"The FBI may do an investigation into this," an anonymous source
told AllHipHop.com. "Everything has been under lock and key, so we have no
idea how the single was leaked."
Over the weekend, radio stations around the country got hold of the
track and promptly shoved it into regular rotation. The song was produced
by Just Blaze and samples Public Enemy’s 1988 track “It Takes A Nation of
Millions to Hold Us Back.”
Atlanta DJ Greg Street told AllHipHop that he played it six times in a
row and the feedback has been tremendous.
Jay-Z was informed of the leak during a performance at the Accra
International Conference Center in Ghana, Africa.
BACK2SCHOOL JAM APOLOGIZES FOR TECH PROBLEMS: Organizers blame themselves
for glitches that caused DMX to go off.
*The promoters of the Sept. 30th Back2School Jam concert at New
York’s Nassau Coliseum have issued an apology to fans for the technical
problems that cut the show short and prompted performer DMX to go after a
sound technician.
Presented by Hot 97 and Big League Entertainment, the event was to
also feature Yung Joc, T.I., Foxy Brown, Lloyd Banks, G-Unit and Jim Jones.
But the melee sparked by DMX’s crew ended the evening early after
performances from only Joc, Banks and the DMX, whose set was stopped midway
through due to technical problems that began long before the artist took the
stage, reports Allhiphop.com.
"I would like to send my sincere apology to all those who might have
had an unfavorable communication, interaction or experience at this event,"
said Big League CEO Michael Green. "I would especially like to apologize to
the artists that were unable to perform due to the abrupt close of the
show."
According to the concert's organizers, Hot 97 DJ Funkmaster Flex, Foxy
Brown, and Jim Jones were unable to get past security in order to make their
scheduled appearances. After Yung Joc’s performance, fans were forced to
wait almost two hours for the next set from Banks, whose time was truncated
to just 30 minutes, reports allhiphop. The mike was reportedly cut several
times during 50 Cent’s appearance with G-Unit.
Independent production manager Divine, who was working with Lloyd
Banks and G-Unit, said the backstage area was a complete mess.
"The Coliseum had one person dealing with over 200 people's access to
backstage," Divine claimed. "There was an unusual amount of police present
and they were also disrespectful. The police on horses allowed their horses
to defecate right in front of the back stage ramp. I had to personally walk
my artists around the feces."
KELIS DENIES REALITY SHOW RUMORS: Plus, husband Nas considers launching
Champagne brand with Diddy.
*Singer Kelis is denying recent reports that she is planning to star
in a new reality show with her husband, rapper Nas.
The New York Post’s Page Six reported that the couple had video
cameras on them constantly while dining at NYC restaurant Buddakan. But, it
wasn’t for a television project, Kelis told AOL Music. It was part of an
ongoing effort to document aspects of her life.
"With all the events we do, I like to see my life," Kelis said. "I
drive Nas crazy 'cause it's usually me with the camera, which he is totally
over. So, I just got this guy to help us document our life. Whether we
choose to do something with it or not is still up in the air. Right now, I
really just wanna show my kids how fly Mommy was when she was in her
twenties."
Meanwhile, Nas says he’s continuing to support the Jay-Z-sparked
boycott against Cristal champagne in response to the company’s anti-hip-hop
remarks in a magazine…but only if some other high-end brand of the bubbly
would emerge to take its place.
"I support a boycott if we could come up--like if we put up
something, our own champagne. There's tons of vineyards we could get into
and buy," Nas told AllHipHop.com. "There's tons of ways to get inside of
that, so that we can have 'Diddy/Nas champagne' and put them out, and drink
our own thing."
Nas continued: "It's funny like, I said to Diddy, 'You know...do you
understand that's the most illest, flossiest video of rap ["Hate Me Now"].
Do you know we were the first to disrespect the Cristal bottle? I was like,
'we spit the s**t up, you [Diddy] spit on the camera and saying we
disrespected them.' We been disrespecting they bottle--treat it like 40
ounce. It's like any other brand of hypocrites and it's not surprising. It's
not surprising. It's a joke.
"The bottom line is all these dudes is jealous of black men. Look, we
look incredible. So stop making fly s**t, if you don't want us to buy it,
hell, how in the f**k we gonna not drink the most [expensive] s**t," said
Nas."[It's the] same with jewelry, man," he continued. "Understand I'm gonna
wear this motherf**king jewelry. I always buy some fly s**t, so they got a
problem with a Black man, I know they jealous of me. I'm gonna make 'em more
mad. I'm gonna drink more of their s**t [to upset them] and boycott em. F**k
'em."
UGLY BETTY OFF TO PRETTY START: New ABC show taps into overlooked markets.
-- by Kenya M. Yarbrough
*Ugly is apparently the new pretty. ABC is counting on it with its new
fall show "Ugly Betty" starring America Ferrera, whose breakout performance
in "Real Women Have Curves" garnered her a Sundance Jury Award and an
Independent Spirit Award nomination.
The show also gets help from the star power of Salma Hayek who
executive produces the series. Vanessa Williams also co-stars. The show is
based on a Colombian telenova - that's the Spanish-language TV term for a
melodramatic series. The show follows an ordinary girl - a slightly plump
plain-Jane from Queens - named Betty Suarez who begins her career in the
world of high fashion as an executive assistant at a magazine.
Hayek calls the show groundbreaking, as it comes from a very less
melodramatic telenova than the genre standard, and because of its audience
reach.
"This one was dramatic but had an amazing sense of humor. And then, it
became an incredible success in all of the Latin countries and then in many
places around the world," she said about the original series. "I think it's
because it's about the fish out of water, probably the person that is not
conventional in the way they look or, you know, the way they talk, but that
they are incredibly smart and hard workers and, of course, that they get
ahead in life using that. Everybody wants to see these kinds of stories, but
at the same time, she's not a victim."
Speaking of being victimized, the show's title - labeling the lead
character as "ugly" - has come as a concern to some, both viewers and
network executives, but Hayek explained that the title doesn't poke fun at
Betty as ugly, but rather makes fun of those that would consider Betty ugly.
"The title has a lot to do with the tone of the show," she explained.
"When I said having a sense of humor about herself, I think it's sarcastic.
don't think Betty is really ugly, but what do we call ugly now? I mean
anybody that is not super skinny and really tall, some people think --some
people, not everybody --think they're ugly. I personally have seen a lot of
really skinny tall models that maybe I think they're ugly - and they need to
eat a little to look healthy. So it's actually sarcastic. We're making fun
of it. We're not really calling her ugly. We're making fun of the people
that would think that's ugly."
And how does Ferrera feel about being cast as the "ugly" girl?
Well, she said that she's actually never felt more confident and pretty as
when she's in character for this show.
"When I'm in character and I'm wearing Betty's costume, I never feel
more confident, more beautiful, and more pretty on the inside than when I'm
myself. I wish that I one day as America can feel the way that I feel when
I'm Betty.it's so wonderful to be her. And it takes away the pressure on me
as an actress," she added. "I'm not a model. I never wanted to be a model. I
never wanted to do ads for Neutrogena. That's not what I set out in my life
to do. I set out to tell stories. I set out to represent real people. And to
me, Betty is the most beautiful opportunity that's ever come across my path
to represent a whole generation of young women who don't recognize
themselves in anything they're watching."
In that regard, the show definitely has perfect timing with buzz of the
fashion industry. In recent weeks, stories and comments have been flying
about "skinny models" being banned from the runway. And the topic has
certainly run the gamut of talk television, too. And in addition to
attracting that generation of young women who relate to Betty, the show is
also drawing the Spanish-language audience back to English-language TV.
Hayek said: "I think the potential that's out there has not been tapped
into. And because this is a product that they're very familiar with, it's
already very endearing to them. It's been done a couple of times, and every
version, they embrace. I think, for the Latin community, the fact that these
companies are taking a look into something that is theirs and embracing it
and acknowledging it and doing it again with a little bit of a different
tone."
The actress/producer continued that she jumped onto this project mostly
because of its connection to the Latin community as it is about a
first-generation American's struggle.
"It was --for me, it was about finding that way in and about making
sure that the Latino aspect was maintained," she said.
"Ugly Betty," which also co-stars Ana Ortiz, and Eric Mabius airs
Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC. See a sample of the show HERE:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/uglybetty/
WU ENTOURAGE VS. SECURITY AT ‘HIP HOP HONORS’: Brief scrap follows an
otherwise respectful tribute to rap royalty.
*Members of the Wu Tang Clan’s entourage got into a little altercation
with security staff near the end of VH1’s third annual “Hip Hop Honors,”
which was taped Saturday night at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom.
The violence erupted after one of the group's posse was spotted
without a proper backstage pass, reports the New York Daily News. During the
exchange, one person was slapped, and several others were tossed from the
premises, but no serious injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, the Wu Tang Clan received musical tributes from some of
today’s hottest artist during the ceremony, as did fellow honorees the
Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, Rakim, MC Lyte, Eazy-E and Def Jam Records
co-founder Russell Simmons.
"These are the guys that I listened to as a kid," said rapper Fat Joe,
according to the Daily News. "Today is the most fun time out of the whole
year."
Marking her first performance since being released from prison, Lil’
Kim handled the musical salute to MC Lyte, whom many consider hip hop’s
first noteworthy female rapper.
Another highlight of the evening was the Beastie Boys jumping on stage
to perform their classic hit, “So What’cha Want.”
VH1 will air “Hip Hop Honors” on Oct. 17.
EUR FILM REVIEW: The Departed
Hong Kong Crime Caper Adapted into Quintessential Scorcese
Saga
by Kam Williams
*Massachusetts State Trooper Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is
masquerading as an ex-con in order to infiltrate a ruthless, South Boston
crime family run by mercurial mobster named Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson).
Meanwhile, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a Costello mole, has penetrated the
Police Department, quietly climbing the ranks till he became privy to the
plans of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), thus enabling his boss to
keep a step ahead of the law.
Initially unaware of each other's existence, Costigan and Sullivan, both
native sons of Southie, operate inside some of the same circles, frequently
coming close to, if not literally crossing paths. The tension mounts as the
police and the crooks gradually become aware that their every movement is
being telegraphed to the other side by a saboteur. Thus, with discovery
meaning almost certain death, Costigan and Sullivan find themselves caught
in a high-stakes race to expose and eliminate the other first.
They even unknowingly share a romantic interest in Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), a
shrink who specializes in counseling cops. She's dating Colin, ignorant of
his allegiance to the Irish Mafia, and originally seeing Billy as a patient,
keeping his confidences as he vents about the rigors of leading a double
life among such unsavory characters.
This raw-edged game of cops and mobsters is the raison d'etre for The
Departed, a pressure-cooked crime caper directed by Martin Scorcese.
Over-plotted and touching on every classic theme imaginable, the grisly
gangster flick is actually a remake of Infernal Affairs (2002), the first in
a graphic trilogy created by Hong Kong's Siu Fai Mak.
Interpreted here as a quintessential Scorcese saga of Shakespearean
proportions, this multi-layered mystery features a plethora of peripheral
characters lurking in the shadows. For instance, there's Captain Queenan
(Martin Sheen) and Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg), Costigan's only contacts
in the Department; and then there's Chief Ellerby (Alec Baldwin), Sullivan's
suspicious boss at SIU, and his doubting colleague, Officer Brown (Anthony
Anderson). Over in the mob milieu, we find a motley mix of disposable mugs,
most notably, Mr. French (Ray Winstone), Costello's loyal henchman.
Relying on an intricate, absorbing script which cleverly conceals its
increasingly lurid twists, The Departed unfolds at a breakaway pace which
never pauses to take a breath once it builds up a head of steam.
Tautly-edited to maximize tension and thereby keep an audience on edge, this
movie might be considered a cinematic masterpiece, were it not for the
emotionally-numbing bloodbath it unfortunately spirals into.
Despite the Damon-DiCaprio cat-and-mouse maneuvers, it is Jack Nicholson's
jaunty Costello who steals the show, humoring the room one minute, exacting
retribution the next. DiCaprio fares second best, delivering the most
spellbinding performance of his career as a terribly tormented soul who has
all but lost his sense of self.
A masterpiece marred unnecessarily by gratuitous gore.
Very good (3 stars)
Rated R for pervasive profanity, ethnic slurs, drug use, frank sexuality,
and gruesome, gratuitous violence.
Running time: 149 minutes
Studi Warner Brothers
FILM/TV BITS: Johnson ousted; Smokey for ‘Days’; Lathan in Essence; Mr. T
offended; ‘Kidnapped’ moves; ‘24’ in Jan.; Hughes pregnant; Eva injured.
*The Hollywood division of the Screen Actors Guild has ousted actress
Anne-Marie Johnson as its vice president and voted longtime SAG activist
Kent McCord as her replacement, reports the Los Angeles Times. The 17-16
vote late Tuesday signals dissention among the SAG ranks and a slap in the
face to SAG President Alan Rosenberg, as Johnson became his close confidant
after his election last year, notes the Times. Johnson's credits include TV
shows "In the Heat of the Night" and "In Living Color."
*Smokey Robinson will guest star on the NBC soap "Days of Our Lives"
on Nov. 14 and 15, where he’ll perform "I Love Your Face" from his recent
album “Timeless Love.” In the two-episode arc, Marlena Black (Deidre Hall)
is lost in the snowy wilderness and is startled by a mysterious man carrying
an axe. She learns it's none other than Smokey who just so happens to be
vacationing at a secluded cabin nearby. He rescues her from the cold and
brings her back to his place to recover in front of a warm fire and calls
the authorities. Later, John (Drake Hogestyn) tracks Marlena down at the
cabin and Smokey gives an impromptu performance for the reunited couple
singing "I Love Your Face."
*Sanaa Lathan is the cover story for the November issue of Essence
magazine. The actress is currently generating steam on the FX drama
“Nip/Tuck” in yet another interracial romance following her starring role in
“Something New.” In the interview, Lathan says she prefers to date brothers
in real life. “I don’t discriminate, but I tend to gravitate toward black
men. Maybe it’s something that they have, like their weight and rhythm, but
being with a brother just feels like home to me.” The November “Essence,”
which also includes interviews with Chaka Khan and the feature “AIDS in
Black America,” hits stands on Oct. 12.
*Mr T has turned down offers to film cameos in the upcoming “Rocky
Balboa” film as well as a feature film version of his 80s TV hit “The A
Team.” Sylvester Stallone offered the mohawked personality a chance to
reprise his role as Clubber Lang from “Rocky III,” but he was unable to sign
on due to a “scheduling” problem, reports Contact Music. As for the “A Team”
film, which has since been shelved, T said he was insulted by the producers’
offer. “There was supposed to be an ‘A-Team’ movie, but none of us guys
would have been in it,” he said of his original “A Team” co-stars. “The
producers told me, ‘We'd like you to be in a cameo,' and I said, 'You talk
like a fool. Either I'm BA Baracus or nobody.’”
*NBC is moving its doomed drama “Kidnapped” from Wednesdays to
Saturdays at 9 p.m. beginning Oct. 21. As previously reported, the network
halted production on the series, which features Delroy Lindo and Mykelti
Williamson in the story of a kidnapped teenaged son of a wealthy Upper East
Side family. The show’s original Wednesday 10 p.m. time slot will be
replaced with a new edition of “Dateline NBC” beginning this week.
*The Emmy-winning Fox drama “24” will kick off its sixth season with a
four-hour, two-night television event Sunday, Jan. 14 (8:00-10:00 p.m.
ET/PT) and Monday, Jan. 15 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT). In addition to star
Keifer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, the new season will feature Wayne Palmer
(DB Woodside), the strong-minded brother of the late President David Palmer
(Dennis Haysbert); Regina King and Harry Lennix. After the two-day launch,
the show will settle into its regular Monday, 10 p.m. time slot beginning
Jan. 22 and continue without interruptions until the season finale in May.
*Keisha Castle-Hughes, the 16-year-old Australian actress who received
a best-actress Oscar nomination for her role in 2002's "Whale Rider," is
expecting a baby in the spring, her reps confirmed Friday. The father is her
19-year-old boyfriend of three years, Bradley Hull. Castle-Hughes played the
Queen of Naboo in last year's "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the
Sith." She will be seen next as Mary in "The Nativity Story," set for
release Dec. 1.
*Eva Longoria has gone and injured herself again on the set of
“Desperate Housewives.” This time, the accident prone actress was rushed to
the hospital after slipping down the stairs while trying to exit her
trailer. "Nothing is broken, but her ribs are very bruised," her publicist,
Liza Anderson, said Thursday. In August 2005, the 31-year-old was hit in the
head by a piece of equipment on set and needed emergency attention.
MUSIC BITS: Ty’s ‘Ego’; Case returns; Hennessy books Kanye; NEA’s new 7;
Dre’s bio; donation to Simmons; Armstrong boxed set.
*Tyrese is set to drop his new album “Alter Ego” on Dec. 5 via J
Records. As previously reported, the much-hyped (and leaked) set is a double
CD – with one disc featuring his R&B fare and the other containing rap tunes
under his hip hop persona “Black Ty.” The first single will be the R&B track
“One” produced by The Underdogs. Other producers on the project
include Mannie Fresh, Scott Storch, All Star and members of Tyrese’s
Headquarter Entertainment in-house production team The Frontline BoyZ.
“Alter Ego” also features guest appearances by The Game, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt,
Too Short, David Banner, Method Man and Lil Scrappy. Tyrese will promote the
album with the “Alter Ego Black Tour,” scheduled to kick off later this
month. Tour dates will be announced shortly.
*R&B singer Case has gone the independent route and signed with
Skeleton Key Entertainment to drop his new as-yet-untitled album in early
2007. Case and his manager Blue Williams negotiated the artist’s release
from Def Jam’s Def Soul label, where he produced three albums. His biggest
singles were “Touch Me Tease Me,” from the “Nutty Professor” soundtrack and
“Missing You,” from “Nutty Professor II.”
*Kanye West is among the talent lined up for Hennessy Artistry, a
concert sponsored by the cognac makers to take place Oct. 17 in New York.
During the evening, which also includes performances by The Strokes,
Goldfrapp and DJ Carl Cox, Hennessy will unveil its Artistry World
Experience bars with the debut of four global Hennessy cocktails. Each bar
and signature cocktail will be an introduction to how people mix Hennessy
around the world. The general public will be given an opportunity to attend
the event through a sweepstakes offered by Hennessy. For more information or
how to get listed for the event visit http://www.hennessyartistry.com.
*The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has named pianist Ramsey
Lewis and vocalist Jimmy Scott among its seven newest Jazz Masters, a
distinction signifying the nation's highest jazz honor. "The jazz world has
come to regard the NEA Jazz Masters Award as its equivalent of the Pulitzer
Prize," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia, who revealed the names of the seven
Jazz Masters for 2007 on Friday night at a concert of the Duke Ellington
Festival. The other five include big-band leader Toshiko Akiyoshi, hard-bop
trombonist Curtis Fuller; tenor saxophonist Frank Wess, alto saxophonist
Phil Woods and jazz writer and educator Dan Morgenstern, director of the
Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University. The seven new Jazz Masters
will officially receive their awards, which include a $25,000 fellowship, at
a ceremony and concert on Jan. 12 in New York during the annual conference
of the International Association for Jazz Education.
*Dr. Dre’s life story will be offered in “Dr. Dre: The Biography,” a
new book due in early 2007 by hip hop journalist Ronin Ro, reports
Allhiphop.com. Chapters about the producer’s personal life were culled from
interviews, reporting and research. "The Biography" also explains the issues
between Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, and Compton rapper The Game,
who was influenced by Dre, yet dropped the producer from his upcoming album,
“The Doctor’s Advocate.”
*Russell Simmons' Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation is $100,000
richer thanks to a donation from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. "This
gift couldn't have come at a better time in our expansion," said Tangie
Murray, executive director of Rush Philanthropic. "We are currently in a
fundraising campaign for our 11,000 square-foot arts and resource center in
East New York, Brooklyn, which we plan to open in the coming months. The
Carnegie Corporation's donation will hopefully be the first of many similar
grants that will help us bring the arts, and other needed resources, to this
important area of our city." The money will help the foundation introduce
disadvantaged urban youth to the arts.
*On Nov. 7, Time Life will release “The Wonderful World of Louis
Armstrong,” a CD/DVD boxed set culled under its Legends of American Music
Series. The three-disc collection features two CDs and a DVD and includes
songs recorded between 1931 and 1967, as well as rare television and live
performances that capture Armstrong at his very best. The DVD includes rare
performance footage, separated into four decades, excerpts from a concert in
Copenhagen in 1933, as well as television appearances and film clips from
later years.
EVENT CALENDAR: Ruben at Apollo; Karenga in L.A.; Domino Assn. in Inglewood;
NABFEME in NYC; Ralph in D.C.; Tupac center hosts mixer.
*“American Idol” champ Ruben Studdard will perform at the world famous
Apollo Theater on Saturday, November 4th at 8 p.m. The concert will
celebrate the Oct. 17 release of his sophomore R&B/soul album, “The Return,”
on J Records. Tickets are $45 and are available through the Apollo Theater
Box Office, 125th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, 212/531-5305 and
Ticketmaster, (212) 307-7171, www.ticketmaster.com. For further information,
visit www.apollotheater.com.
*Kwanzaa Founder Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and Chair of the
Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, will
be the guest speaker at the 12th annual Kwanzaa celebration, to be held on
Thursday, Dec. 28th from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Herb Young Community
Center, 404 North Academy Street. Activities, aimed at the entire family,
include a children’s village, ethnic foods, and a global marketplace. Dr.
Karenga will address the celebrants at 1 p.m. This year’s celebration
features The Healing Force, Djembe Fire and Collage offering African
traditional dance, Freddy Green Jazz Ensemble, Fruits of Labor Singing
Group, a special tribute to Ms Margaret Rose Murray and her late Husband
Kenneth Murray Muhammad.
*The 2007 Professional Domino Association (PDA) Ranking Tournament is
scheduled to take place Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Hollywood Park Casino’s
“Club Hall of Fame” in Inglewood, Calif. Hosted by promoter Lonzo Williams,
the event will set a precedent as domino players from around the nation will
compete for cash prizes and ranking position for the upcoming 2007
Professional Domino Association Official Tournament, founded by Jay King and
scheduled to begin Feb.10, 2007 at Kimball’s Carnivale in Oakland Calif. The
Hollywood Park Casino is located at 3883 W. Century Blvd. in Inglewood, Ca.
Registration begins is from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with the Tournament
beginning at 12 p.m. Cash prizes start at $5000.00. To get on board, go to
www.ProDominoAssociation.com or call the PDA Hotline at (818) 674-2964 to
register.
*The National Association of Black Female Executives in Music &
Entertainment (NABFEME) will present its esteemed Shero award to Dionne
Warwick in a special ceremony during her Nov. 19th performance at New York’s
Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall. The NABFEME Shero is a professional woman
whose career achievements have opened doors, set new standards and built the
foundation for the careers that women in music and entertainment enjoy
today. Previous honorees include Suzanne de Passe, Patti LaBelle, Valerie
Simpson, Sylvia Rhone and Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole. For more information, call
NABFEME at 212-424-9568. To purchase tickets,
visit www.whiteweldconcerts.org.
*Actress and AIDS advocate Sheryl Lee Ralph will perform her dramatic
piece “Sometimes I Cry,” on Oct. 21 in Washington D.C. The work includes
stories of women affected by HIV/AIDS and will take place at the newly
opened Atlas Performing Arts Center Theater at 1333 H Street, N.E. The
limited run will feature two shows at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Proceeds from the
performance will benefit Washington-based charities Us Helping Us and Damien
Ministries. Ticket prices are $35, for the 3 p.m. matinee and $55 for the
evening production. Tickets are available online at www.atlasarts.org, by
phone: 202-399-7993, or at The Atlas box office.
*A special Consecration Service and Post-Reception for “Inspired
By…The Bible Experience,” an audio dramatization of the entire text of the
New Testament, is scheduled to be held Sunday, Oct. 15 in Inglewood, CA at
Faithful Central Bible Church (The Forum) - 3900 West Manchester Blvd.
“Inspired By…” features a cast of more than 200 celebrities, renowned and
ordained clergy, and notable personalities – among them Yolanda Adams,
Angela Bassett, Eric Benet, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Samuel L.
Jackson and Bishop T.D. Jakes. Log onto http://www.inspiredby.com/ for more
info.
*The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation will host a Sports & Entertainment
Foundation's Coalition (SEFC) mixer on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at the
Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, GA (5616 Memorial
Drive). The Foundations of platinum selling recording artists like Usher,
Big Boi, Lisa Lopes, and Ludacris have confirmed their involvement, along
with sports stars DeAngelo Hall, Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn, Dikembe
Motumbo, and TJ Dukett. Other participants include the Mablean Ephriam
Foundation, WVEE's Frank Ski Foundation, Falcon's Owner & Home Depot
Founder's Arthur Blank Foundation, Lisa Cremin of the Atlanta Coalition of
Foundations, and God's Child Foundation. The mixer is free and open to the
public. Teens are encouraged to attend with their families.
BLOGS & ‘BLOIDS: Latest Internet and tabloid gossip on Bobby & Mike and
Oprah Winfrey.
*Gossip columnist Janet Charlton claims to have uncovered the reason
why Bobby Brown and Mike Tyson are suddenly so chummy. The pair has been
frequenting clubs on the Las Vegas strip lately because they’re reportedly
filming a new season of “Being Bobby Brown,” which may or may not return to
Bravo – as a BET rep has suggested that the show may land there in the
coming months.
*The National Enquirer is reporting that Oprah Winfrey fell out from
heat exhaustion during a recent stop in her hometown of Kosciusko,
Mississippi. The 52-year-old talk show queen was in town for the opening
ceremony of her Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Club, which took place amidst
heat near 100 degrees, according to the paper. "Just as Oprah was about to
cut the ribbon, she collapsed,” a source told the tab. "She was getting
dizzier and dizzier, she started sweating profusely and her vision became
blurred. Her knees were buckling under her and she nearly blacked out.
…Oprah quickly stepped back and found a seat. She tried to revive herself by
putting cool compresses on her head and drinking liquids. [She] made light
of the situation, telling everyone it was due to the heat."
SPORTS BITS: Titans coach may not want Haynesworth back; Pacers’ Jackson is
trigger happy; Iverson wraps Dap shoot.
*Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher suggested to a national radio
show Thursday that Albert Haynesworth — the defensive tackle suspended five
games by the NFL for stomping on Dallas center Andre Gurode's face — may
eventually be asked to leave the team for good, reports the Associated
Press. Team spokesman Robbie Bohren also said the Titans are investigating
their options. "We've moved on," Fisher said after practice Friday. "I have
no intention of addressing the Haynesworth issue now or at anytime between
now and the time he comes back. I'm done with Albert, and this team is
moving on. As far as specifics on his future, I'm not going to comment any
further on that."
*Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson fired five shots into the air
from a 9mm pistol outside of an Indianapolis strip club. The shooting took
place after a fight in which he was hit in the mouth and struck by a car
that sent him tumbling onto the hood. Jackson was with teammates Jamaal
Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie Hunter at Club Rio when, according to
police, an argument started between patrons and players. The players said
they left the club, but the patrons followed them and engaged . Then things
turned physical, prompting Jackson to fire his weapon into the air. Carlisle
said Jackson needed stitches in his lip and face but had no broken bones or
other damage. His status for Wednesday's preseason opener against New Jersey
was unclear.
*Allen Iverson will debut his commercial for Dap Body Spray during
the last week of October. The Philadelphia 76ers guard shot the ad in
Atlanta two weeks ago after signing with the company Barelle to endorse the
product. "Allen is typically depicted as a warrior-like figure, which he
most certainly is on the court," said Barone. "But we wanted to show another
side to him, one that many have not had the opportunity to see. Allen is a
very engaging, intelligent, and personable gentleman,” said Barelle CEO,
Frank Barone. “His professionalism and cooperation during the shoot was
second to none and really allowed us to portray him in this alternate
light." A full-scale retail roll out is planned for 2007, but currently Dap
Body Spray is only available on the Internet at www.dapcircle.com.
ACTIVIST NAJEE ALI VS. REP. MAXINE WATERS: Bad blood between pair reportedly
erupted outside L.A. church.
*Things have rarely if ever been civil between Los Angeles-based
activist Najee Ali and Rep. Maxine Waters, ever since he was fired from his
post as community affairs columnist for local paper L.A. Focus after
publicly criticizing the congresswoman on a local radio show for supporting
James’ Hahn’s mayoral campaign.
Ali won a lawsuit against L.A. Focus, but the matter seems to remain
a sore spot for him, as it was brought up in an altercation between the two
last week in the parking lot of a Los Angeles church.
According to local publication Soulvine, the Baptist Ministers
Conference of Los Angeles and Southern California was having its monthly
meeting at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, where Calif. Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger had been scheduled to speak. Rev. Al Sharpton invited Ali to
attend, and Rep. Waters was on hand because she had reportedly organized a
protest march in the parking lot.
Upon Ali’s arrival, Waters reportedly approached Ali and began
yelling at him to avoid the media. Najee said she told him that if he spoke
to the press, "She'd make things rough for me," Soulvine reported.
The screaming match was reportedly accented with fingers wagging in
faces on both sides before the dust-up ended and Ali was pulled away.
Waters, meanwhile, has been named among the “20 Most Corrupt Members
in Congress,” according to the latest poll from Washington D.C.-based
watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW).
“Rep. Waters’ family members have used her name and connections to
make lucrative commercial deals from which they have reaped personal
financial gain in violation of House rules,” CREW said of the eight-term
Democrat representing South Los Angeles.
Waters' daughter, Karen Waters, allegedly received hundreds of
thousands of dollars by charging for spots on slate mailers issued by a
nonprofit organization that sends sample ballots to voters, according to
CREW. Waters’ husband, Sidney Williams, reportedly earned hundreds of
thousands of dollars by working as a consultant for a bond underwriting firm
that seeks government investment, CREW said. Waters' son, Edward, also
benefited from her political connections involving a county lease to run a
golf course in South Los Angeles, according to CREW.