REV. SHARPTON LEADS YAYO PROTEST IN MANHATTAN: Activist calls for all warring sides to meet and resolve issues.
*A protest against celebrity-involved street violence sparked by G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo’s alleged assault of a 14-year-old boy took place Monday in Manhattan as planned, with Rev. Al Sharpton and others calling for all sides to come together and hash out differences peacefully.
"I'm not here to take sides, I'm here to say that all sides are letting us down and need to come down to the table again and create a level of decency and respect for the communities that has been the basis of your wealth," Sharpton said, according to Allhiphop.com. "We put the 'ing' in your bling bling [and] have no choice but than to try and [take] 'the' ing out your bling bling by withdrawing our support commercially of your records and your use of airwaves.”
Yayo, whose real name is Marvin Bernard, was charged with one count of misdemeanor assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a minor after allegedly smacking the son of industry rival Jimmy “Henchmen” Rosemond on Mar. 25. Yayo’s actions were reportedly in response to the boy’s t-shirt, which bore the name of his father’s company, Czar Entertainment.
Czar executive Bryce Wilson was on hand at Monday’s protest, as were the boy’s mother Cynthia Reed, and New York City Councilman Charles Barron. Also in attendance were the ex-girlfriend and son of Israel Ramirez, who was gunned down while serving as a bodyguard for Busta Rhymes during a video shoot last year in Brooklyn.
Yayo, ironically, was wanted for questioning in that case, but has refused to cooperate with NYPD. Police believe the gunman who murdered Ramirez was with Yayo and that the G-Unit artist may have fled in the same vehicle as the suspect.
“We shouldn’t have to be here today, but unfortunately due to an act of senseless violence we are," Ramirez’s ex-girlfriend Stephanie Hires told the crowd. "This young man [son] Stiles Ramirez is why I am here. You may have forgotten, but I can’t and he won’t, that his father was senselessly murdered at a video shoot on Feb. 6, 2006. Young men today face many obstacles already. As a community we have to take responsibility and protect them from harm."
City Councilman Charles Barron commented on the disturbing increase of violence within the rap community.
"It is out of control," Barron said, according to the Web site. "We gotta deal with the police who are out of control. Then we gotta deal with some of our own people who are out of control. I’m on the side of black youth who should be able to walk this community without being abused because of some foolishness that adults who are making bling, money, whatever you’re making, you shouldn’t even be involved in dealing with beefs that will lead to more death and destruction of our people. Let’s use hip-hop for liberation and revolution, and not foolishness.”
Reed challenged various business partners of 50’s G-Unit like Marc Ecko, Vitamin Water, adidas/Reebok, to speak out against Yayo's actions or be faced with a boycott, reports allhiphop.com. Amidst picket signs outside of Universal Music Group that read “Ban 50 Cent” and “Save Your Children,” Reed called on the company’s Chairman and CEO Doug Morris and Interscope Records' founder and CEO Jimmy Iovine to also denounce Yayo's actions, asking 50 at one point: “Are you a business man or are you running a mob?”
50, meanwhile, has released a statement denying reports that he was with Yayo when the alleged assault took place. [See ’50 Cent Comments On Yayo’s Assault Charge’]
BLOG SITE SAYS USHER’S FIANCEE IS PREGNANT: Tameka Foster and singer reportedly broke news to his mom and her ex-husband.
*Blog site SandraRose.com is reporting that Usher and his newly-announced fiancée Tameka Foster will welcome a baby before the end of this year.
“I got the word this morning from an upper level music industry source who has provided rock solid information to Sandrarose.com in the past,” Rose writes on her Web site. “My inside source informed me that Usher and Tameka broke the news to Usher's mom and to Tameka's ex-husband, clothier Ryan Glover.”
Ryan and Tameka share joint custody of their three children, according to Rose. Their divorce was reportedly amicable and became finalized earlier this year.
Rose also reports that Usher is throwing an elaborate birthday party for his mother/manager Jonetta Patton in Atlanta this weekend, complete with invitations that were designed to resemble Roman scrolls.
50 CENT COMMENTS ON YAYO’S ASSAULT CHARGE: Rapper says he’s ‘authorized an independent investigation’ to determine G-Unit involvement.
*G-Unit leader 50 Cent says he was not present when his artist Tony Yayo allegedly beat up the 14-year-old son of his rival Jimmy “Henchmen” Rosemond, and will not hesitate to file a lawsuit against anyone who says otherwise.
50’s comment was part of an overall statement he gave to AllHipHop.com regarding the March 20th incident, which sparked Monday’s planned public grievance and rally in Manhattan.
"As CEO of G-Unit Records, I take allegations swirling in the media regarding the alleged altercation against a teenage boy on Tuesday Mar. 20 in Manhattan very seriously,” 50 said. “I have authorized an independent investigation of the incident to determine whether anyone associated with G-Unit Records was involved in the confrontation. I must state for the record, that I was at my home in Farmington, Connecticut the entire day completing songs for my new album.”
50 continued: “A word of caution to anyone attempting to link me personally to this unfortunate incident for their own selfish motivations, I will vigorously pursue all legal remedies available to me to protect my professional reputation.”
SPIKE LEE WANTS TO FILM ‘LEVEES’ UPDATE: Second doc would cover Gulf Coast region outside of New Orleans.
*One of the few complaints regarding Spike Lee’s Hurricane Katrina documentary “When the Levees Broke” was that it focused solely on the plight of residents in New Orleans while leaving out the devastated citizens of Mississippi.
Lee plans to remedy the situation with a sequel to the acclaimed HBO film that will spotlight those outside of the Big Easy who were affected by the storm, reports Richard Prince in his Journal-isms column.
"Next month, we're going back to HBO and discuss how we can continue this," the filmmaker said Friday during the closing luncheon of the American Society of Newspaper Editors convention in Washington.
"The Gulf Coast will be a much bigger part. We didn't forget about you," he continued, addressing an editor of the Biloxi Sun-Herald, whose paper has attempted to keep America cognizant of Mississippi’s rebuilding effort since Katrina. "It was my choice to focus on New Orleans. New Orleans is the Mecca."
Lee’s address at the luncheon included three Katrina victims who were featured in the film: Fred J. Johnson, Phyliss Montana LeBlanc and Gralen B. Banks.
Read their comments and the entire column here:
http://www.maynardije.org/columns/dickprince/070330_prince/
REV RUN AND FAMILY DISCUSS LOSS OF BABY: People magazine article follows appearance on Monday’s ‘Oprah.’
*Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons and his entire clan graced Monday’s broadcast of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” to promote the April 9th premiere of their hit MTV reality series, “Run’s House.”
Among the clips shown of the new season were the moments following the death of their newborn daughter. Their sons Jojo, 17; Daniel "Diggy," 12; and Russell, 10 were brought into the hospital room first and informed of the sad news by their mother, Justine. Next, 23-year-old Vanessa and 19-year-old Angela were told that the baby had passed away. Run emphasized how thankful he was to still have his wife and each of his children. A pastor from their church was on hand and led the group in prayer.
Winfrey asked Rev. Run why he decided to allow MTV cameras to record such a private moment.
“We showed you fun, we showed you the happiness,” Run explained of the show’s first two seasons. “We told you in the cliff-hanger of the second season that we’re having a baby. People are emotionally involved. We were going through something. You had fun with us, [now] pray with us, mourn with us, laugh with us, it’s a reality show. I’m not gonna stop the reality.”
Halfway through Justine’s pregnancy, doctors discovered that the fetus had an omphalocele, a birth defect that caused her organs to grow outside her body, according to People magazine. The religious couple decided to go ahead with the pregnancy, and on Sept. 26, Justine gave birth via C-section to a 4-lb., 5-oz. girl whom the couple named Victoria Anne. The baby died less than two hours after her birth at a hospital near the family's Saddle River, N.J., home.
Here is an excerpt from People’s interview with Rev. Run and
Justine:
Justine: For me to get pregnant that late in my life was a miracle. The pregnancy was not easy. I didn't eat at all. I didn't even gain a lot of weight. For a long time the doctors couldn't even tell [the baby's sex], and we said we know it's a girl. I bought everything in pink for the nursery. Everything is pink; it still is. The nursery is still upstairs.
Rev. Run: We found out that there could be a problem mid-pregnancy. The doctors told us that the baby's organs were growing outside of the body. I'm a preacher; I'm not going to get an abortion. Our strength came from, 'God can create miracles. This baby can be fine.' We stopped looking at the sonogram and walked in faith.
Justine: Just me, my husband, our bishop and our pastor knew. We didn't tell anybody else because we didn’t know how it would turn out.
Rev. Run: God, in my mind, gave us something to go through in front of America, so we documented it on-camera – not so much to show you sadness, but to show you how we, as ministers, would handle this tragedy. [The kids] found out on-camera. Diggy was waiting to see, 'How's Mommy?' And the first words we said were, 'The baby didn't make it.' "
Justine: [After Victoria Anne's death] my bishop recommended that I have a minute with the baby in the hospital. I looked at her and saw how pretty and peaceful she was. It didn't feel like a goodbye to me. [Today] I can talk about it, but if I stop to literally revisit, I start crying so fast because I can go right there. Women need to know you only need to mourn quickly. Don't try to think of [the baby's] eyes. It doesn't sound nice, but it will help them in the long run. I wouldn’t have been able to help my kids get to school in the morning if my husband didn't say, 'We have to keep moving.' I did a lot of journaling – writing to God telling him to give me strength.
NIA LONG: The Are We Done Yet Interview with Kam Williams
Nia's Knocked-Up Again
*Who ever heard of an actress being typecast as pregnant? That's exactly what appears to be happening to Nia Long lately. In 2004, the talented thespian of Trinidadian extraction appeared in Alfie, where she played the playboy's knocked-up ex-girlfriend, Lonnette.
Then, last year, we found her expecting again in her very next movie, Big Momma's House 2, where she was reprising the role of Sherri opposite Martin Lawrence.
Nia seems to be stuck on the mommy track, because, now, as Suzanne in Are We Done Yet, she's about to give birth to twins. Here, the fetching beauty, who was named one of the World's 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2000, talks about this latest outing opposite Ice Cube.
Kam Willams: How would summarize the storyline of this sequel to Are We There Yet?
Nia Long: What happens is: Nick decides to sell the sports bar to start his magazine. And when the family finds out I'm having twins, we're like, "Oh my God! We're gonna need more space." So, we move outside of the city to get more for your money, and we find this beautiful, old home that needs a little work. But then, once we move in, we realize that it's falling apart at the seams.
KW: Besides being pregnant, how is your character different?
NL: In the last film, you saw her, she was troubled. She was going through a divorce. her ex-husband was playing games. It was "Where are my kids? Where are my kids? Where are my kids?" In this one, you see her as sort of this resolved woman who's like, "Okay, I'm pregnant, I'm married, I'm not working, I'm a stay-at-home mom, and this is my new life." And so, with that, you see a lighter part of her personality. She's much more optimistic about things. She wants everything to be great, but she'll still tell you like it is. She's not a fool.
KW: So now, we have Chuck [John C. McGinley] playing the heavy.
NL: I didn't really know what to expect in terms of how he was going to play the character. I love that he's just completely over the top. But the thing is he's so consistent with it, that it works. 'Cause there just are people like him in the world. So, it's good.
KW: This means your character has a lot less drama this time around.
NL: See, that's the thing. Suzanne, she's always conveniently gone, because she's pregnant. I'm not getting out on a ledge with a raccoon. "Honey, be careful, and let me know where you left the money. So, if anything happens to you, I know where to go." [Laughs]
ANGIE STONE READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL: Singer moves forward with ‘Love and War.’
*For her next album “The Art of Love and War,” due sometime this summer, Angie Stone believes she has incorporated all of the ingredients needed to cross over and out of the midlevel R&B niche she has commanded since her career began.
For example, she’s hoping to get John Mayer on guitar and Stevie Wonder on harmonica for the track, “Happy Being Me.” The song is described by Billboard as “the most eloquent track [of the album] that drives home Stone's renewed spirit.
"When you get close to losing your life, you see it flash before you," Stone tells the trade of her bout last year with congestive heart failure. "This song is a true testament to who I am and where I am."
The album is being recorded in a studio on Sunset Blvd. once used by the late Marvin Gaye to record his 1976 album, “I Want You.” In fact, Stone hopes his spirit will bless her recording experience. The time period has already bled into such tracks as the ballad "Sometimes," inspired by the soundtrack to the 1974 urban film "Claudine," Stone says.
Stone says she celebrated her “Patrice Rushen days" on the funky "Play With It." She referred to another track, the uptempo "These Are the Reasons," as her "drama queen comeback." She duets with Chyno -- the Charlotte, N.C., singer/songwriter who appeared on UPN's "The Player" -- on the torchy "Half a Chance." Stone says with a laugh, "Men don't beg no more, but I've got him begging on here."
Mary J. Blige also used the studio to record some songs from her Grammy-winning album "The Breakthrough.” While absorbing that, Stone credits another force on her side.
"This business is hard," she says. "I've been waiting all these years, and I've survived." Pointing to her heart for emphasis, she adds, "But I can't be touched right now, because God has me right here."
ARETHA STILL LOOKING FOR LEADING LADIES: Auditions for play ‘The Queen of Soul’ begin next month in Michigan.
*Aretha Franklin is serious about the upcoming stage production that will chronicle her life, and the possibility that it will one day be adapted onto the big screen.
As previously reported, the singing legend is already considering such talents as Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson to play her on film, but she’s still hoping to get three very different actresses to represent her at different stages in her career; “one as a child age 10, followed by ages 25 to 40, and then a third person a little beyond 40," she says.
But in the meantime, auditions must be held for the stage production, which is scheduled to bow in March of 2008 in her hometown of Detroit. Franklin said she will be involved in the casting process, choosing the performers that will play "key members" from her family as well as Sam Cooke, Dinah Washington and renowned genius pianist, Art Tatum.
Auditions for the musical, based on Aretha's autobiography “From These Roots,” will take place May 1 through May 3, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, 25100 Northwestern Highway (at Evergreen) in Southfield, Michigan.
SUPREME COURT REJECTS APPEAL AGAINST JAMES BROWN: Woman said late singer raped her 20 years ago.
*A woman who accused James Brown of raping her nearly 20 years ago has had her appeal of sexual harassment claims rejected by the Supreme Court.
Jacque Hollander was seeking $106 million in damages amidst allegations that Brown raped her at gunpoint in 1988 while she was working as his publicist.
A federal judge first dismissed the lawsuit in 2005, saying Hollander waited too long to file her claim. An appeals court upheld the judge's order last year. On Monday, the case suffered a final blow with its dismissal by the nation’s highest court.
The justices did not comment on their order, reports AP. Brown died Dec. 25 at age 73.
MERKERSON HAS JUNGLE FEVER IN ‘SHEBA’ PLAY: California’s Center Theater Group makes history with unique staging of popular production.
*The upcoming production of "Come Back, Little Sheba" by Culver City, California’s Center Theater Group features Law & Order” veteran S. Epatha Merkerson and Bruce Davison as the infamous couple trapped in a hapless, 25-year marriage in Culver City, Calif..
If the twist isn’t already apparent, director Michael Pressman believes this staging is the first in which a white man and black woman have been cast in the lead roles. Davison will play alcoholic chiropractor Doc, whose long marriage to Merkerson's Lola is shaken when the childless couple takes in a sexy, young female boarder.
Pressman said race had nothing to do with his decision to cast Davison and Merkerson. Feeling the rarely revived '50s Midwest drama is not about color but about characters, Pressman said the interracial "casting doesn't change the play; in fact, it makes it more universal, more timely.”
"I believe the play is about courage and love and overcoming addiction, the need of two people to survive together," he said.
After a successful Broadway run in 1950, "Come Back, Little Sheba" was adapted into a 1952 film starring Burt Lancaster, Shirley Booth (who won an Oscar for her performance) and Terry Moore.
"Sheba" is the final production of the Kirk Douglas Theater's 2006-07 season. Previews begin June 17; the show runs June 24 through July 15. Visit Center Theatre Group’s Web site for ticket information.
http://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=
4170
HSAN’S FINANCIAL TOUR HEADED TO DETROIT: Two Bone-Thugs, Mike Jones and Remy Ma among artists scheduled to attend.
*On Saturday, April 14, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network hits Detroit’s Max M. Fisher Music Center for its national "Get Your Money Right" tour on financial empowerment.
Joining Co-Chairmen Russell Simmons and Dr. Benjamin Chavis in Detroit will be Layzie Bone and Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n- Harmony, Mike Jones, Remy Ma, Raz-B, Belly, Trick Trick and Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick (D- MI). TV personality, Free, will co-moderate the Summit with Dr. Chavis.
The Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment is a grassroots effort to help engage young people in discussions about the importance of personal finance. The "Get Your Money Right" agenda features an interactive panel discussion on financial literacy, including such topics as the basics of banking, repairing and understanding credit scores, asset and wealth management, vehicle financing and home ownership.
The Max M. Fisher Music Center is located at 3711 Woodward Ave. The program takes place from 1:30-4 p.m. Doors open at Noon. Tickets are free and available at www.hsan.org.
The 2007 "Get Your Money Right" tour will make five more stops including Toronto, Ontario in August 18; Greensboro, N.C., September 8; Washington, D.C., September 29; Miami, Fla., October 20; and Atlanta, Ga., November 3.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Death of a President
DVD Features Realistic Assassination of President Bush
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Most of the discussion surrounding this controversial docudrama has revolved around the question of whether it's okay to depict the assassination of a sitting president.
Your leanings are likely to determine you're answer and ability to enjoy it, as was the case with other polarizing pictures as Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Passion of the Christ.
That being said, Death of a President is an intelligent political potboiler, which opens in Chicago with Bush set to deliver a speech at a Republican fundraiser. Outside, however, the cops are trying to keep an unruly crowd of picketers irate over the administration's policies at bay.
Then, as the Secret Service escorts the President out of the hotel, he is felled by an assassin's bullet. The agents help him into his limousine and the motorcade rushes to the hospital where the mortally-wounded Bush soon expires.
In the proverbial rush to judgment, the FBI fingers a Middle Eastern man (Zahra Abi Zikri), based on shaky circumstantial evidence alone, even though there had been plenty of other suspects in the windy City that night with a motive to murder the President. Besides Arab terrorists, it could have been the work of any number of fed up and frustrated activists from the lunatic fringe. But the government conveniently opted to ignore the possibility that the murderer might have been homegrown, and unraveling that mystery is the prevailing plotline in Death of a President.
With an innocent Muslim sitting on Death Row, the movie makes some very powerful statements about the Patriot Act, the erosion of our Constitutional rights, and the abuse of power. The picture is also a technical masterpiece, as it seamlessly weaves reams of real footage in with staged events to create a plausible, if ethically debatable scenario, which could encourage a copycat killer.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for brief violent images.
Running time: 97 minutes
Studi Lions Gate Home Entertainment
TIMBALAND VS. SCOTT STORCH: Producers in the midst of another senseless hip hop feud.
*The producer beef between beat-makers Timbaland and Scott Storch was kicked up a notch several nights ago when Timbaland took the stage at New York’s club Marquee and shouted to the crowd: "Scott Storch is a b*tch!"
The rivalry first became apparent with Timbaland’s recent track “Give It to Me,” from his forthcoming album “Timbaland Presents: Shock Value.” The track features Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, as well as lyrics that take direct aim at Storch.
Timbaland raps: "I get a half a mil for my beats/You get a couple grand. Never gonna see the day that I ain't got the upper hand. I'm respected from Californ-i-a way down to Japan. I'm a real producer and you just a piano man."
In February, Storch struck back with the track “Built Like Dat.” Among the lyrics: “You tryin’ to lose weight, tryin’ to get some respect, Still ain’t lose that pack of franks out the back of your neck.” Storch also has lyrics accusing Timbaland of stealing producing credits on Timberlake's song "Cry Me a River," a song on which Storch worked but was given no credit.
Storch’s track also mentions Timbaland’s pal Nate "Danja" Hills.
Storch raps: "Your boy Danja got to hate you with a passion, man/He makes the hits while you taking all the credit, damn! I know the feeling, I'm with ya/Won't you tell them how I made that sh*t 'Cry Me a River.'"
That brings us to last week at club Marquee. Witnesses tell New York Post’s Page Six that Timbaland was given a microphone and started reciting the “Give It to Me” line: "Scott Storch, I'm a real producer and you just a piano man." He then, according to spies, yelled "Scott Storch is a b*tch!"
BET TURNS ATTENTION TOWARD DANCERS: New special ranks the top 25 movers of all time.
*BET has enlisted its “Rip the Runway” co-host Chris Brown to emcee yet another special on the network.
The R&B crooner joins choreographer Fatima Robinson to host “Top 25 Dancers,” a count down of the best entertainers to ever cut a rug – past and present – as ranked by the folks at BET.
Among the contenders are The Temptations, Cab Calloway, Tina Turner, Alvin Ailey, Chris Brown, Savion Glover, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, and of course Janet’s big brother, the King of Pop.
Comical insight is added from R&B singer, Omarion; actresses, Debbie Allen, Megan Goode, Melyssa Ford, Tasha Smith; celebrity publicist Marvet Britto; pop culture critics Nekesa Moody, Margeaux Watson, Michaela Angela Davis, Beverly Smith; comedians, Charlie Murphy, Nikki Carr, Capone, Godfrey, Sam I Am, and many others.
BET's “Top 25 Dancers” will premiere April 6 at 10 p.m.
EUR FILM REVIEW: The Lookout
Brain-Damaged Bank Janitor Enlisted as Gang's Accomplice
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) was once on top of the world. The son of a tycoon in his hometown of Kansas City, this boy-most-likely was a star on his high school hockey team, drove a cool convertible, and was adored by his devoted girlfriend, Kelly (Laura Vandervoort).
Unfortunately, Chris also suffered from that uniquely teen delusion of invincibility, which led him to tempt fate one night by speeding down a country road with his headlights turned off. That impulsive decision to show off behind the wheel changed his life in an instant when his car plowed into a stalled farm combine.
Two of his close friends died in the crash. Kelly survived, but lost a leg and never spoke to him again. And Chris suffered a severe head trauma which left him with crippling brain damage.
It is now four years since the accident and he is still in rehabilitation trying to relearn the ability to master simple motor tasks everybody takes for granted. Because he suffers from short-term memory loss, he must write copious notes to himself as reminders of what needs to be done.
With his career prospects severely limited by this mental incapacity, Chris considers himself lucky to be employed as a night janitor at the Noel State Bank & Trust. He shares a modest apartment on the seedy side of the city with Lewis (Jeff Daniels) a blind optimist with a pipe dream of opening a diner named, "Lew's Your Lunch."
This tragic tableau sets the table for The Lookout, a crime caper ostensibly-inspired by Memento (2000), another whodunit revolving around a hero afflicted with amnesia. The movie was written and directed by Oscar-nominee Scott Frank (for the script of Out of Sight), who might have borrowed heavily from Memento but successfully overhauled it into a psychological thriller capable of standing on its own.
The plot thickens the day Chris is befriended by Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode), a shady character claiming to be an acquaintance of his sister, Alison (Janaya Stephens). The truth is that the stranger is a member of a ruthless gang out to enlist his assistance to rob the bank where he works. Because of his brain disorder, Chris is gullible and easy pickings for a crafty crook like Gary.
Just as in Memento, the protagonist proves to be quite confused about his new pal's motivations, especially since the guy's got girls, including the irresistible and lovely Luvlee (Isla Fisher). Fortunately, despite his deficiencies, Chris never lost his moral core, a trait which usually enables any underdog to trump pure evil, at least at the movies.
Not nearly as much of a mind-bender as Memento, yet The Lookout is, nonetheless, a praiseworthy homage to that inscrutable brain teaser.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for sex, expletives and violence.
Running time: 99 minutes
Studi Miramax Films
ITTY BITTY BITS: Berry’s pot; J.Lo hates J.Lo; Naomi’s intimates; Field Mob rapper arrested; Monk Institute moves to N.O.
*During press interviews for her upcoming film “Perfect Stranger,” Halle Berry gets candid about her experience with weed when she was a teenager. "People in this business use cocaine and crack, but I never wanted to put that in my body. Why would I?” she said, according to Contact Music. "I tried pot when I was 18 or 19. But it just made me scared to leave the house."
*Jennifer Lopez says she has put her “J.Lo” persona behind her and would rather be called by her birth name from now on. She told Britain's The Guardian newspaper: "I'm not J.Lo any more. That's all gone with all the ridiculous stories about tantrums and Egyptian sheets. That's all my past. I'm Jennifer Lopez. I think, as a woman, I've finally grown more sure of who I am. It does seem ironic that it has taken me more than a decade to basically get back to who I am. I am incredibly proud of my culture and I think I am a woman who is totally defined by my culture. My temperament, my body shape, the way I am is all very much Puerto Rican."
*Fresh from her completion of community service in New York, supermodel Naomi Campbell is reportedly set to launch her own signature lingerie line. According to reports cited by World Entertainment News Network, the British runway queen will team with budding fashion designer Christopher Kane to create the collection. "Naomi makes regular visits to his Dalston studio and they meet up in London on a monthly basis to discuss the project,” a source told Britain’s The Mail on Sunday. "Christopher is just working out his schedule to see if he can do it."
*SOHH.com is reporting that Shawn J, one half of the Georgia rap group Field Mob, was arrested on March 27th in Jacksonville, Florida for carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest. The Disturbing the Peace artist is reportedly being held without bond and is due back in court on April 9. Field Mob’s most recent album “Light Poles and Pine Trees” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, led in large part by first single “So What,” featuring Ciara.
*The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is relocating its performance program from Los Angeles to New Orleans' Loyola University, reports AP. Only a handful of students are chosen for the graduate-level college program, previously based at the University of Southern California. The selection process lasts for several months and includes several national and regional auditions. To celebrate the move, jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter and trumpeter Terence Blanchard — a New Orleans native — planned to join the program's incoming class for a performance at Loyola on Monday.
THE MO'KELLY REPORT: Mo'Kelly is NOT a Halle Berry 'Fan'
Fan – n. “an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.”
Favorite – n. “A person or thing regarded with special favor or preference.”
*Mo’Kelly is not a “fan” of Halle Berry. Now before you run that up the nearest flag pole, there’s more to the story. Halle Berry on the other hand is definitely a favorite of Mo’Kelly. There’s a distinction to be made and one deeper than pure semantics.
Mo’Kelly is a “fan” of Stevie Wonder. Mo’Kelly is by definition an enthusiastic devotee, follower and admirer of Stevland Morris. If Stevie is to release a CD, Mo’Kelly eagerly awaits in anticipation and immediately purchases it upon availability. That’s what “fans” do. They blindly support the wealth building of those whose skills they admire and turn a blind eye (sorry, no pun intended Stevie) to everything else.
Again, that’s what “fans” do. Mo’Kelly is not a “fan” of Halle Berry.
But…Halle Berry is one of Mo’Kelly’s favorites.
Yes, she is beautiful but make no mistake; beauty isn’t the weighty variable one might assume in this equation. Unequivocally, Halle Berry is one of the best people that Mo’Kelly has ever had the opportunity to meet with and develop a rapport. She is by far one of the most genuine and sincere individuals one could ever hope to meet. There’s not an unkind word Mo’Kelly can speak in earnest about her. It simply would be untrue.
She ‘happens’ to be Halle Berry, the “Academy Award-winning actress” but the title doesn’t include a scintilla of what defines her. It’s unfortunate that most people never get any true sense of the depth of her character and personality. It’s a shame that most people will never get the opportunity to know just how “cool” and regular she is and wrongly conclude her success emanates only from her physical appearance.
This isn’t about appraising her work as an actress or assessing her career trajectory before and after garnering her Academy Award. If she never graces the screen again, it doesn’t matter to Mo’Kelly. The failings of Catwoman or the future prospects of Perfect Stranger are neither here nor there in this discussion. Halle deserves far more credit than she’s given and none of this has to do with her beauty or level of talent.
With the recent acknowledgment by Berry that at one time she contemplated suicide after her marriage to former baseball star David Justice failed, again swirled the negative press regarding Berry and the future of her career and the romantic past that has continued to haunt her.
Whatever…
There was seemingly even a marked increase in the speculation as to whether Berry has or has not had any “work” done over the years to enhance or maintain her beauty.
Whatever…
Each time Mo’Kelly hears the typical Berry jeers and decidedly misguided commentary from the “fan” perspective, he cringes. Brandy Norwood doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt in The Mo’Kelly Report. She’s “earned” that privilege. Ryan Seacrest won’t get the benefit of the doubt here either and Mo’Kelly’s got something special planned for him too when the time is right. My direct experiences with the aforementioned serve as the foundation for “favoritism.” That said; Halle will never be mistreated by Mo’Kelly’s words.
Mo’Kelly plays favorites and is proud of it.
Some years ago while working for Warner Bros. Records Mo’Kelly became friends with one of the artists, Eric Benét…and we’re still friends to this day. It was during this time that he and Halle began dating.
If Eric was on the road performing, Halle was either backstage or in the audience. She traveled extensively in support of Eric and his career, regardless of location or venue. It wasn’t about anything else except supporting her man. Halle maintained a very low profile during this period and made it a point to avoid redirecting any spotlight from Eric to her. Their relationship was one that developed over a long, long platonic period of time and space; truly atypical in the world of entertainment. If there was a celebrity couple that Mo’Kelly wished would’ve succeeded, it was this one. Both sides put in work to help the relationship work out. It’s a truth not often discussed in their aftermath.
It was also during this time that Halle also welcomed in and befriended Eric’s extended professional family and it wasn’t rare for us to visit her house for various and sundry occasions.
Surprisingly enough, there were instances when Halle would engage Mo’Kelly in conversations about the weight of celebrity or how the burden of “beauty” was not one she cared to carry if the truth be told. In fact there was a time in which Mo’Kelly talked at length and in earnest with Halle and her mother Judith about their collective estrangement from Halle’s father and the reasons why. Halle was just “open” in that way, with no false pretenses.
In short, there was nothing “celebrity-like” about the Halle Berry Mo’Kelly came to know…but plenty about her to celebrate. There was an openness, a freeness and yearning to just be “regular.” She’s a regular woman with all of the regular problems that everyone else has. The difference between Halle and most celebrities is that she desires to be accepted as she is…not adulated for the beauty, or the films.
Mo’Kelly suspects that Halle would trade her Academy Award in a heartbeat for a healthy romantic relationship, motherhood with plenty of friends and family to surround her.
Halle had all “celebrity” had to offer before her marriage to David Justice and that was of zero consolation in the wake of its dissolution given the suicide attempt. Our base desires as people have to do with whom we entrust with our hearts and hopefully their acceptance of us for who we are. Fame doesn’t change, enhance or obfuscate any of these truths.
Of course, Halle probably has issues, as do we all. “Regular” folk, have “regular” issues. That’s how it works.
And it’s not anything she’s run from or hidden from public scrutiny. The only reason why Berry’s detractors have found fodder in her recent suicide attempt disclosure is because Berry was brave enough to even share it in the first place.
She’s not in and out of rehab, not shaving her head on a whim or getting inebriated and marrying a random man at a chapel in Las Vegas. That’s not “regular” behavior. She’s not breaking up other people’s marriages and adopting random kids from around the world. That’s not “regular” either. Let’s keep Halle’s “history” in its proper perspective.
Halle has gotten a raw deal from some African-Americans for being “too accepted” by Whites and for winning an Academy Award for the “type” of role she had in Monster’s Ball.
It’s laughable really.
A few years before that, Black folk were picketing the Oscars for non-representation and when Halle wins she’s not “Black enough” but also “too Black” to have sexually provocative scenes with a White man? Oh please…
Which is it…is she “too Black” or not Black enough? Make up your minds.
At the same time, Denzel Washington wasn’t criticized for his Oscar-winning role in Training Day. The “Academy” was criticized for recognizing him for this particular “stereotype-ridden” role but Denzel himself went unscathed.
Halle has gotten a raw deal from Black folk and it needs mentioning. Although Halle’s leading-lady projects haven’t necessarily garnered blockbuster revenues in the wake of the Oscar, neither have Washington’s…nor Jamie Foxx’s for that matter.
Domestic Gross
Catwoman $40,200,000
Gothika $59,600,000
Out of Time $41,089,000 (Denzel 2005)
Déjà vu $64,036,000 (Denzel 2005)
Man on Fire $77,900,000 (Denzel 2005)
Stealth $32,116,000 (Jamie - 2005)
Miami Vice $63,450,000 (Jamie – 2006)
Although Halle has risen to levels of acceptance that no actress of color has ever achieved, while also remaining firm in her embrace of her African-American heritage…far too many African-Americans have opted instead to “argue” whether she’s slimmed her nose or is “Black enough” given her bi-racial parentage.
Speaking of “work,” has anyone looked at Diana Ross lately? But nobody questions her “Blackness.”
Halle’s the exact same Black girl from Cleveland who’s still unsure about herself, her looks (yes, her looks) and not quite comfortable with fame in the way many of us suppose her to be; yet always clear and proud of her African-American heritage. She’s sure of her Blackness, even if the rest of these fools aren’t.
Mo’Kelly has never written about Halle and that has been for two reasons. One, because he’s not a “fan”…and secondly, she’ll always be a favorite of his.
But if y’all want to support her as “fans”…that’s ok with Mo’Kelly too. Nothing wrong with supporting good, “regular” people; who in this case just happens to be an Academy Award-winning actress.
Perfect Stranger, starring Black woman Halle and White man Bruce Willis opens nationwide April 13th.
The Mo'Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse...as well as entertain. The Mo’Kelly Report is syndicated by Newstex. For more Mo’Kelly, http://www.mokellyreport.com. Morris W. O'Kelly can be reached at mokellyreport@sbcglobal.net and he welcomes all commentary.
THE BRIDGE: The Black Anglo Saxon, Part 2
By Darryl James
*A key characteristic of The Black Anglo Saxon is his comparison to a group of people he defines as “Niggers,” who are all things wretched and all things horrible about the Black race. The Black Anglo Saxon defines “Niggerish” behavior and then assigns that behavior to some lower economic portion of the Black race.
However, the Black Anglo Saxon has a relationship with Niggers that is inextricably interdependent. In other words, the Black Anglo Saxon must have Niggers beneath him in order to define his exaltation above the Nigger experience.
The Black Anglo Saxon is to Nigger as poor people in collective are to Capitalists.
We who understand capitalism know that capitalism only works when there are poor people. People with great means can only feel value to their wealth when measured by their distance from people in abject poverty. They then have the power and the permission (of everyone on their financial level and everyone who aspires to their financial level, including some of the impoverished) to despise, pity and blame the poor collective.
And, we who understand the Black Anglo Saxon know that this state of being only makes sense when there are Niggers. Black Anglo Saxons can only feel pride and value to their social status as alleged Non-Niggers when measured by their distance from Niggers. They then have the power and the permission (of everyone on their social status and everyone who aspires to their social status, including some of the Niggers) to despise, pity and blame the Niggers.
The sad part is that with capitalism, there is a real measurement—money. Either you have it and you are then participating in the system as a capitalist if you so choose, or you don’t have it and you have no say so.
However, with the Black Anglo Saxon, there is no clear demarcation between his status and the status he assigns to Niggers. No matter what segment of the population the Black Anglo Saxon rises to, there are still people who will point to him and call him a Nigger. No matter what behavior the Black Anglo Saxon assigns to Niggers, some of that same behavior is found within people even he proclaims are Non-Niggers, including himself.
Two weeks ago when I wrote “Ghettos of Our Minds,” The Black Anglo Saxons quickly and vehemently declared that there really were Black people who behaved in a “ghetto” fashion and who should accordingly, be labeled “ghetto.” Yet, some of these same rotten-brained, self-hating and confused bags of crap accused me of creating labels for division when I wrote “The Black Anglo Saxon, Part 1.”
And, as I pointed out in Black “The Black Anglo Saxon, Part 1.” the Black Anglo Saxon feels compelled to speak for impoverished Blacks, frequently without asking them for their voice.
For example, Oprah Winfrey went to South Africa to build a Leadership Academy for girls, which in essence, is a very beautiful thing. But she couldn’t just build it and shut up. She had to speak for Black youth in America, claiming that they just don’t want more than iPods and sneakers.
Now, I know I just committed blasphemy to disparage the great Black Anglo Saxon goddess Oprah, but really, has she done a real survey of these children to be able to make such a blanket statement? I ask because I’ve seen a number of surveys, but never any survey where Black children are actually saying that they don’t want anything out of life but iPods and sneakers. They want those things and they want more. Just like the rest of us.
I hear all the time that people have lost faith in the education system, but in addition to Black youth, that sentiment comes from Black adults, white youth, white adults, Hispanic…well, you get my drift. A number of people across a wide cross-section of society have lost faith in this nation’s education system, yet the Black Anglo Saxon accuses Black youth of uniquely giving up hope and “deciding” to do poorly or to do nothing at all and focus on material things.
In “The Black Anglo Saxon, Part 1.”I mused that the Black Anglo Saxon knows nothing of Africa. The responses demonstrated this clearly. In emails and postings to websites, Black Anglo Saxons had no idea what Necklacing was, nor its importance to the freedom of South Africa. And, they insisted that all of the nations in Africa really are afflicted with AIDS, civil war and extreme poverty brought on by the wretched Africans who do not want to do better.
By making such a declaration on behalf of Africans, the Black Anglo Saxon is tacitly praising the European for his interference in African nations and secretly desires more, believing that Western Civilization is best for all parties involved.
These are the same rotten minds that give birth to backward concepts including the one that dictates that slavery was actually started by Africans who sold their own people to the pirates who took them to the new world.
You see, the sad thing about the Black Anglo Saxon is that he knows little about the history of the Anglo Saxons he worships, and even less about the history of Black people. He is shamed into silence when his white friends speak of African art or any other portion of the African cultural existence, which is a mystery to the Black Anglo Saxon.
In fact, the Black Anglo Saxon no longer compares his or herself to Africa, African descendants in America or even Africans from days gone by. Instead, comparisons are always made to or with European standards.
For example, in an age of permissiveness that has given way to out of control children, the Black Anglo Saxon now views physical discipline as tantamount to slavery, where the parent attempts to own the child and recreate slavery conditions. The Black Anglo Saxon can not see how ludicrous this is, when such a mindset would have the person attempting to recreate slavery, seeking to do so with spouses, friends, employees, etc. However, I would personally like to enslave a Black Anglo Saxon or two on my plantation.
It is important to note that some of our people in Africa are as deluded about us as some of us are about them. But when you look at the way that they view us and the way that they view race (Blacks vs. Coloreds), you realize that they have the same racist European influences.
It is also important to note that Black Americans are essentially a new cultural being. We have a unique experience in being Black in America, which is neither solely Black nor solely American, yet some of us want to shed the African ties and embrace solely the American ties. Even if we do so in our minds, we can never escape the burden of our skin color and our past. This is the tragedy of the Black Anglo Saxon, for whom escapism is a primary goal never to be achieved.
Not all of us are Black Anglo Saxons. Many of us seek self-awareness, knowledge of self and mental freedom as we struggle to define ourselves and our position in today’s society.
In summary, the Black Anglo Saxon is really yesterday’s deluded and sad House Nigger, all dressed up and pretending to be a part of some nebulous group that even he can not really define. And, for all of his genuflecting to Europeans the world over and attempts to distance himself from Niggers, the Black Anglo Saxon finds himself identified as a Nigger by members of the very group he attempts to emulate and join.
Darryl James is an award-winning author who is now a filmmaker. His first mini-movie, "Crack," was released in March of 2006. He is currently filming a full length documentary. James’ latest book, "Bridging The Black Gender Gap," is the basis of his lectures and seminars. Previous installments of this column can now be viewed at www.bridgecolumn.com. James can be reached at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Standing Room Only
*I'm sure you've heard the saying "It's not the number of people in the church, but the amount of church in the people that matters." So when I see the attendance overflow for Passover and Easter Sundays it makes me question the motives of some parishioners and pastors.
The Law of Averages says the more people who attend church service the more money in the collection plates. Could that be the real reason behind a seven, eight, nine, ten and 11 am Sunday service? Something tells me the sermon about homosexuals not being welcomed in some congregations won't be heard in April. But I digress.
The pews are so overcrowded during this time of year that I gave up attending the two aforementioned Sundays and my seat at the fashion show years ago. And if I decide to attend, I'll wear my favorite two-piece lavender skirt set I took from my grandmother's closet after she passed (Thanks, Momma)!
Once I visited a church during Sunday morning service with plans to leave for work immediately afterwards. From the pulpit, the pastor warned, "If you plan to leave early today, you'd better leave now."
Not fully understanding the seriousness of her statement, I stayed. When the time came for me to leave for work - which was a respectable amount of time after the sermon was preached, yet before the benediction (when people tip toe out with eyes lowered and index finger in the air) - the ushers refused to let me or anyone else leave. That included initial requests from an obviously pregnant woman who had to pee.
An hour after I intended to leave we were allowed to exit. I arrived late for work, as I don't like to cause a scene. Had it happened any time other than my 20's the story most certainly would have ended differently.
The only other time I stepped foot back in that place was to attend the wedding of the person I was visiting that particular Sunday.
Just as one doesn't stop eating after contracting food poison I didn't let that experience keep me from finding and attending a good church home. I just have to remember that he that is in me is greater than he that is in the world or in some churches full of people trying to show off their new clothes on Easter Sunday.
Happy Easter and don't forget to stay away from chocolate.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in the Washington, DC metro area. Send your questions or comments to her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com
College Zone: Beware of Senioritis
By Regina Thomas
*There is a saying that goes a little like this “The race is not given to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to those that endure until the end.”
Spring fever has set in for many of seniors in high school. Do you find yourself daydreaming in class, thinking about life in college or better yet, the summer after high school? Even many of my clients find themselves frustrated with the trivial matters of underclassmen, including juniors. Most high school students already know where they are going to college, and armed with that bit of knowledge, they have self-elevated themselves to demi-god status. I can just hear the hum of MC Hammer in their heads, “Can’t Touch This”. Well maybe that song is a little too old school for you. In any case, my advice is simple. Beware seniors; you still have to get through these last few months of school before you sail off into the sunset. I realize that it is easy to just slide through the rest of the year. However, here are some reasons why you should beware of senioritis.
Reason #1: Even though you have been accepted into college, it doesn’t mean you can kiss the rest of the year goodbye. Most colleges and universities will want to see your final transcripts e.g. grades. Keep your stellar academic performance on par. If your 3.5 grade point average from 1st semester, suddenly drops to 2.5 without any apparent reason, you may have your admission rescinded. Colleges want to see that you can stay focused throughout the year. Besides, your admission to the college was partly based on your academic record, so don’t spoil it.
Reason #2: Unless you are fortunate enough to have a full-ride through college, you will need some money. Remember that you can still continue to apply for scholarships during your senior year and beyond. If you are taking a lighter class load, take advantage of any free time by visiting the library, surfing the web, and local community organizations to search for scholarships. Any extra money you find will be a plus and ultimately decrease your out-of-pocket expenses.
Reason #3: Use your last few months in high school as an opportunity to solidify your network. So many of us lose contact with friends after high school. While in college, lots of us move around from one apartment or dorm to another; changing addresses and phone numbers along the way. If you haven’t already, create a lifetime email address. This email address should not change, especially for women who may marry and subsequently change their name. A lifetime email means that regardless of where you are physically, people will always have a way of reaching you. Some of these people that you are in high school with right now will eventually go on to do extraordinary things in life. So keep in contact with each other. Who knows, you could be sitting next to the future Bill Gates?
Utilizing the tips mentioned above will hopefully enable you to not only enjoy your last year of high school, but savor every precious moment.
Each week I’ll write about college-centric topics that are informative, witty, inspirational and above all intended to give you “The Edge”. Until then…Carpe Diem!
Regina Thomas is the founder of College Admissions Counselors; a private, one-on-one admissions coaching service that assists high school students and working professionals with the college application process. She has a Master of Education Degree from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from the University of California, Berkeley. Regina is happy to answer your college related questions. Send your inquiries to regina@yourcollegeworld.com.
BETWEEN THE LINES: Finishing King's Fight: Re-igniting 'The Poor People's Campaign' and the War On Poverty
Anthony Asadullah Samad
*Last week I wrote a commentary on the problems Black's can't escape. The problems were largely socio-political in scope, some self-perpetuating while others were perpetuated by the historical disparities.
The inference that the problems of Black America were incalculable and inescapable was not lost on many of you (who responded in-kind through a bombardment of e-mails) that we can't give up hope. While I appreciate the response (good to know folk are readin') you missed the point of the commentary.
The point of the commentary was to contextualize the dilemmas facing Black America and the multiplier effect that compounded social problems have created. Hope without action is, like faith without works, dead. We have to do more than HOPE things change. It's time for us all to act.
I purposely excluded economics in last week's social critique. The poverty discussion needs it own forum. Racism in America has always been economic. Race, economics and circumstance, for Black America, are intertwined.
No matter the income class, education or occupational lot in life. The interconnectedness of the so-called "blessed of us" to the "least of us" is such that none of us can afford to continue to ignore the problems our people face. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized that we were "inextricably connected" to our brothers smothering in the air-tight vault of poverty.
King also recognized that there was no rational justification for such deep seeded poverty in America. King criticized America as wanting to fund foreign wars more than it wanted to fund domestic dignity. He planned to have a "Poor People's Campaign" to raise America's conscience on the question of poverty. He went to Memphis' to show solidarity for striking sanitation workers-more to put a face on poverty and