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THE FILM STRIP: Halle Berry

on 'X-Men 3'; gives The Film Strip

high fives

*Back with a bang, Halle Berry

takes a stand as a strong, black woman
in “X-Men: The Last Stand.” There was

some fear that she might not return
because of her dissatisfaction with

Storm’s limited role in the previous

two “X-Men” films, but Berry says

that was all a hoax.
“I was threatening that, but it

wasn’t for real,” she laughs. “My
complaining wasn't about me wanting

to be onscreen more. It was just that
these movies take a big chunk out of

our work year, seven or eight or nine
months sometimes, and I thought that

if I was going to put in the time that
I just wanted a little more to do than

hang around for nine months and do
little to nothing.”
This third film in the Fox

franchise centers on a “cure” for the
mutancy present among the X-Men,

rendering each with special powers. For

the first time, mutants have a choice

to either keep their uniqueness, though

it isolates and alienates them, or give up

their powers and become human. The
opposing viewpoints of mutant leaders

Charles Xavier, who preaches
tolerance, and Magneto, who believes

in the survival of the fittest, leads
to an all-out war. Storm, whose

power can change the weather

at will.
In the comic books, Storm served

as co-leader of the X-Men and was
one of the more powerful mutants.

But in the first two films, she did little
more than just change the weather.
“I didn’t want more hours, I

wanted to have a point of view,” she
says of reservations for joining “Last

Stand.” “If [Storm] talked for five
minutes, then let it be five minutes

about something. Let her fight more and
be involved. I was happy when I read the

new script and when Brett [Ratner]
came on. He appreciated Storm even

more, which I appreciated.”
More specifically, Berry felt

Storm should grow a pair and

become “outspoken.”
“I thought that it was time for her

to really stand up to Wolverine,
that she somehow asserts her power

and that you realize she is as powerful
as Wolverine, as Professor X, as anyone,”

she says. “In the comic book she
is [powerful]. She was an African

princess and she was revered in her
country and I thought, 'Why does she

get to America and get weak?' She's a
strong persona with a strong personality,

and I really wanted that to be a
part of this and have Storm come out

of her shell.”
Berry, herself, came out of her

shell to perform all of her own stunts,

a practice she first tackled in

one of her previous films.
“I’ve done wire work in

‘Catwoman,’” she said, uttering

“Catwoman” in a very low murmer.
“I loved ‘Catwoman,’” I interjected.

A spirited Berry jumped up and
gave me a high five, saying, “Yes!”

Had the film hired another director and
overhauled some of the bizarre scenes,

the criticisms would’ve been at a
minimum. For the most part, “Catwoman”

showed a strong black woman who took
control of her life.
The character trait is also present

in Storm, who is asked in the film to

replace the leader of the “X-Men.”
“That wasn't even in the script.

That sort of evolved as we were
shooting,” Berry admits.
Director Brett Ratner’s addition

to the film to replace Bryan Singer
brought with it some tweaking that

gives the film resonance beyond its
mutant issues. At one point, Rebecca

Romijn’s Mystique is called upon to
testify. She retorts: “I don’t answer to

my slave name.” That subject was
often the topic of conversation during

Malcolm X’s era. Also in the movie,
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, snaps at

someone: “Did you just call me boy?”

All of these allusions, and many others,

are no doubt the brainstorms of Ratner.
The director, who has dated tennis

star Serena Williams and Naomi
Campbell, had his career jump started

when long time friend Russell Simmons
gave him his first substantial job,

shooting a Public Enemy video. Ratner
went on to direct over 100 videos for

artists including Jay Z, Wu Tang Clan,
Mary J. Blige, P Diddy, Heavy D, Foxy

Brown, D’Angelo, Mariah Carey and
Madonna before helming the two

“Rush Hour” films.
Needless to say, it was not

surprising that Ratner’s answer to our
question about infusing his ideas into

the script was an affirmative one.
“I mean it was necessary because

I had to execute the movie and it's
important that you kind of make sense

of it all,” he says. “But still I didn't

change the structure of the film.”
Away from the set, Ratner

spends much of his time involved

in philanthropic projects.
“I do give back a lot. I spend

a lot of time just contributing to
things that I believe in,” he says.

“I'm very involved in a thing called
Chrysalis, which is a homeless

organization that gives homeless people
training, and teaches them how to get

a job. In Los Angeles, there are more
hungry people than there are in New

York City but they're all in a
five-block radius.
“It’s housed in downtown Los

Angeles but this is a place that doesn't
hand out food or money or clothes. It's

just literally people walking in, 2,000

a year walk in here and 92% of

them get a job and reunite with

theirfamilies. It's a fantastic cause.”
X-Man Hugh Jackman is a shining

example of what the film preaches,
tolerance. The father of an interracial

child in real life, Jackman’s
Woleverine is a mutant with father-

figure tendencies. Oftentimes in “X-Men:
The Last Stand,” Wolverine is caught

between Xavier and Magneto, whom he
compares to Malcolm X and Martin

Luther King.
The Film Strip wanted to know

if Jackman ever expected “X-Men” to
blow up as it did. Growing extremely

animated, he responded: “No one did!
I'll be honest with you, I finished the

film and my agent said, 'Well, you
have to hangout in Hollywood and do

a few meetings and auditions.' I did
that and I got into auditions, but there

was no sense of, 'Oh, this guy is
really coming up with something. This

is the guy to watch.' Trust me, there
was none of that. I never even thought

that. They asked what I'd been doing
and I said that I'd just finished a film

called 'X-Men' where I played
Wolverine. They were like, 'What?'

The phone would ring and they would

be like, 'I have to get that.'
“So when the movie opened it

shocked everyone and trust me, they

were drunk at Fox for about a week. No

one was expecting the success that they
had. I think that they underestimated

the fan base for it and how happy the
fans were for the movie. So that Monday,

my phone never stopped ringing.
That weekend I was in New York

about to start filming 'Someone Like

You.'That Monday morning I got out of my

trailer to walk to the set and there
were about eight paparazzi guys running

across the road taking photos, and
I'm not exaggerating. I was like, 'Oh,

who is here?' I was looking around
and then I thought, 'Oh, they're taking

photos of me.' So it kind of changed
over night. Then all of a sudden my

agent was getting calls rather than
calling people.”

PRINCE HINTED AT ‘IDOL’

SURPRISE IN BIBLICAL E-MAIL:

Artist sent out an e-mail early Wednesday

with the words, “First Corinthians 10:14.”

*No one knew what to make of

an e-mail from Prince that was
addressed to various news outlets

Wednesday morning containing only his
picture and the words “First Corinthians

10:14.” But as soon as the curtain
rose on his surprise “American Idol”

appearance Wednesday night, it all

made perfect sense.
The biblical passage in First

Corinthians 10:14. says: “Wherefore ,
my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”
Prince made headlines earlier in

the season after tabloids reported
he was in talks to appear on “American

Idol” as a singing coach and to
possibly perform. The show’s executive

producer, Nigel Lythgoe, outright
denied that meetings even took place

between the two parties, as rumors

had suggested.
Turns out, the tabloids were

right. Prince was the last surprise
guest after earlier appearances from

Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Al
Jarreau, Meatloaf, Live, Dionne Warwick

and Burt Bacharach joined the “Idol”
finalists during the two-hour telecast.
As previously reported, Prince

has two Las Vegas shows lined up

for tomorrow and Sunday (May 27 and

May 28). Billed as an evening with Prince
and special guest Tamar Davis, The

Empire Ballroom in Las Vegas has
temporarily re-named the intimate hall

The 3121 Club (1,500 seats) in honor
of the Minneapolis star.
Tamar, his latest protégé,

appears with Prince in the song
"Beautiful, Loved, & Blessed," which

can be found on both Prince’s album
“3121,” and her Aug. 29 Universal

Republic debut CD, “Milk & Honey.”

LUDACRIS SAYS HE’S NO BITER:

Rapper takes the stand to defend

‘Stand Up’ at copyright infringement trial.

*Chris “Ludacris” Bridges took

the stand Thursday at a copyright
infringement trial in Manhattan and

affirmed that he did not steal lyrics
for his 2003 hit “Stand Up,” as his

accusers are claiming.
The rapper-actor, who is being

sued along with the song’s producer
Kanye West and EMI April Music Inc.,

said he never received copies of a disc
containing the song "Straight Like That"

by the East Orange, N.J., group
I.O.F. The rappers claims Luda heard

one of their distributed promotional
discs before writing “Stand Up,” which

contains the similar line, “just like that.”
When the plaintiff’s lawyer Mel

Sachs asked the rapper if he was
really telling the jury he had never

received copies of the song at three
shows in 2002 and 2003, Ludacris

replied, "I'm definitely saying that, sir."
Earlier in the week, Sachs spent

two days trying to prove that
members of I.O.F. made sure to get

Ludacris copies of their song before he
wrote “Stand Up.”
While on the stand Thursday, Sachs

asked Ludacris: "Sir, before you wrote the

song, 'Stand Up,' did you ever hear the

term, 'straight like that?'"
"No sir," answered Luda. "I never

heard anyone use the term." Later,
he added, "I do not know what the

term 'straight like that' means, sir."
Kanye West was also in court

Thursday and expected to testify before
the one-week trial ends.

BEANIE RESTING AT HOME AFTER

ROBBERY ATTEMPT: Philly rapper

was shot in the upper arm, leaves

hospital in a wheelchair.

*Rapper Beanie Sigel was treated

and released from a Pennsylvania
hospital Thursday after he was shot

in the upper arm during a robbery
attempt in Pennsylvania.
Police said five males traveling

in two cars attempted to rob Sigel
around 7 a.m. Thursday before firing

shots at the rapper, whose real name is
Dwight Grant. He was struck once or

twice in the upper right arm.
The shooting was described by

Sigel's attorney Fortunato Perri Jr.
as "a random act of violence."
Sigel, 32, was patched up

at the Hospital of the University of
Pennsylvania before being discharged

at around 11:40 a.m. Thursday in a
wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown,

blue jeans and a blanket over his head.
A towel draped over his right shoulder

was stained with blood.
After getting into a black Mercedes,

Sigel lowered the car window and
told reporters: "I got shot. I'm cool."

He followed that up by moving his
hospital gown to expose a bandage

on his left shoulder. His left arm was

in a sling and his left hand was bloody,

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on
its Web site.
The shooting is the latest in

a series of misfortunes experienced by
the Philly-born MC. He was released

from federal prison in August after
serving a year on a gun charge and

was acquitted of attempted murder the
following month. He was also briefly

jailed in November for failure to pay
child support.
His latest album, "The B. Coming,"

peaked in the top five on the
Billboard album chart.

ESPN TO CUT BACK ON BARRY

BONDS COVERAGE: Reporter covering

slugger full time will scale back once Bonds

hits No. 715.

*ESPN has decided to cut back

on both its reality series starring
Barry Bonds, and coverage of the

San Francisco Giants slugger’s attempt

to surpass Babe Ruth on the career

home run chart.
Bonds is currently tied with the

Yankee legend, having hit his 714th
homer last Saturday in Oakland.
ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz

said Tuesday that the network plans to
pull reporter Pedro Gomez from his full-

time job covering Bonds and move the
journalist to other beats.
"After 715, Pedro won't follow him

every day. That's not to say he'll
never cover another Bonds game,"

Krulewitz said.
The network is also planning to

temporarily shelve the weekly
documentary series, “Bonds on Bonds.”

The show has pulled a weekly rating of
only 0.5 (percentage of homes with TV)

since its debut last month. ESPN will
remove it from the schedule after the

Memorial Day episode.

JEWELERS SQUEAMISH OVER

‘BLOOD DIAMOND’: Bling industry

bracing for backlash over Hounsou film.

*The U.S. jewelry industry is

reportedly nervous and looking over its
shoulder for the arrival of the upcoming

film "The Blood Diamond," which
tells how diamond smuggling in Sierra

Leone was at the center of brutal
civil wars.
Peggy Jo Donahue, public affairs

director of trade group Jewelers of
America, explains to Reuters: "The

danger is that people will think the
situation in the film is continuing today.

We're going to educate our jewelers

about the issue. There's lots

that's not understood."
“The Blood Diamond” stars Djimon

Hounsou as a farmer in Sierra Leone,
and Leonardo DiCaprio as a South

African mercenary jailed for smuggling.

The term “blood diamond,” or “conflict

diamond,” refers to a diamond mined in

a war zone and sold on the black

market in order to fund a rebel or
clandestine army.
Rebel groups in countries including

Angola, the Democratic Republic
of Congo, and Liberia have used

billions of dollars from the sale of
diamonds to fund wars. And some non-

governmental organizations have even
alleged that blood diamonds were used

to finance the Sept. 11th attacks.
A new web site on diamonds

is being set up to answer queries from
consumers. Meanwhile, the Kimberley

Process, an international certification
program set up in 2000, says the vast

majority of the world's rough diamond
trade is now under its strict controls.
Its chairman, Kago Mashashane of

Botswana, wrote earlier this year to the
producers of "The Blood Diamond"

asking that it include an epilogue
explaining the measures taken

to stem the illicit trade.
He said Botswana, the world's

biggest producer of diamonds, was
worried that a consumer boycott could

damage its efforts to boost education
and healthcare since the diamond

sector accounted for around half of
government revenue.
The Council for Responsible

Jewelry Practices hopes to set up

a certification program for gold and

diamonds within a couple of years

from the mine to the consumer.
In the diamond sector, the U.S.

jewelry industry has a voluntary
system of warranties that try to ensure

that only gems from the Kimberley
Process are used in products, Donahue

added.

WHITNEY’S DISHEVELED LOOK ‘A

DISGUISE?’: Cherelle claims her homie

dresses like a bag lady to avoid fans.

*Singer Cherelle is telling folks

that her close friend, Whitney
Houston, is looking a mess these

days as a strategic move to avoid

being recognized.
Recent pictures have shown the

42-year-old singer disheveled and in
layers of dirty clothing to hide from

fans and the paparazzi.
"That's her look. It is a disguise.

She always goes like a bag lady,"
Cherelle was quoted as saying by

SF Gate’s Daily Dish.
Cherelle says she was with Houston

when the singer was photographed
in her “disguise” while outside of her

mansion near Atlanta: "I said, 'This
is the picture from when she got up

that morning to take out the trash

with the kids.'"
Whitney’s latest look has been

blamed on the abuse of drugs and
alcohol. Her sister-in-law, Tina Brown,

provided details of her alleged drug
use to the National Enquier.

CHAMILLIONAIRE RIDES DIRTY

UP THE SINGLES CHART: Rapper

unseats Rihanna’s ‘SOS’; Furtado/

Timbo combo jumps in the Top 10.

*Houston rapper Chamillionaire

scores his first Billboard No. 1, while

a “Saturday Night Live” performance

last weekend helped Nelly Furtado
and Timbaland jump 21 places into

the top 10 on this week’s Hot 100

singles chart.
Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’” featuring

Krayzie Bone ends the three-week
run of Rihanna's "SOS," which fell to

No. 3. behind Daniel Powter's "Bad
Day" at No. 2.
Songs 4 through 7 remain in tact:

Sean Paul's "Temperature," Fort
Minor's "Where'd You Go" featuring

Holly Brook, Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Dani
California" and Lil Jon's "Snap Yo Fingers"

featuring E-40 & Sean Paul Of
The YoungBloodZ, respectively.
Rounding out the Top 10, the

Fray's "Over My Head (Cable Car)"

rose two to No. 8, while Nelly Furtado's

"Promiscuous" featuring Timbaland flew
21 places to No. 9. and Rapper T.I.'s

"What You Know" fell two to No. 10.
Elsewhere in the Hot 100, India.Arie's

"I Am Not My Hair" enters at No. 97.
Bubba Sparxxx' "Ms. New Booty"

featuring Ying Yang Twins and Mr.
ColliPark led the Hot Ringtones chart

for an eighth week, while Shakira's
"Hips Don't Lie" featuring Wyclef Jean

led the Hot Latin Songs chart for

a second.

BRYANT GUMBEL RETURNING TO

MORNING TV?: Former ‘Today’ host

rumored to be on shortlist for ‘GMA.’

*Within hours of ABC’s announcement

that “Good Morning America” anchor Charlie

Gibson would be replacing the pregnant

Elizabeth Vargas on "World News Tonight,"

Bryant Gumbel’s name was mentioned

as one of several being considered

to fill the “GMA” void.
While ABC News has yet to make

an official announcement, the New York
Post is reporting that “Dancing with the

Stars” host Tom Bergeron is the
frontrunner to replace Gibson, but

Gumbel is high on the list as well.
Other names being considered,

according to the Post, are New York
newsman Bill Ritter, who co-anchored

"GMA Sunday” from 1993 to 1999; and
"GMA Weekend Edition" co-anchor

Bill Weir.
ABC News may opt to keep “GMA’s”

current morning team as is: with the
two remaining anchors, Diane Sawyer

and Robin Roberts.
"For right now they are our

dynamic duo -- there's no immediate
decision on a replacement," a "GMA"

spokeswoman told the Post.

MIJAC’S DIVORCE MESS ALL

IN THE STREETS: Plus, singer is

house hunting in UK; will make “first

official public appearance” in Japan.

*A flurry of activity is spilling

out of the Michael Jackson camp.
A California judge ruled

Wednesday to allow papers from his
divorce/custody case to be made

public, the singer tells a British paper
that he plans to move to the U.K.,

and his publicist Raymone Bain says he
will travel to Japan Saturday in his

“first official public appearance”
since being acquitted of child

molestation charges last June.
Jackson is to receive MTV Japan’s

“Legend Award” Saturday for his
career achievements as part of the

MTV Japan Video Music Awards ceremony.
During his stay in the country, Jackson

will also visit orphanages, take a
tour of Tokyo and meet with members

of the Asian business community –
spearheaded by Broderick D. Morris,

CEO, Positive Productions Yokohama,

an entertainment promotions company.
"I look forward to my visit to

Japan because I have so many fond
memories of my visits there,” Jackson

said in a statement released by Bain.
“I thank MTV Japan for this honor, and

Mr. Morris for spearheading this
visit. I look forward to seeing old

friends, and saying hello to my huge
fan base in Japan, who, like my other

fans around the world, have for so
many years consistently shown their

love and support to me and my family."
Speaking of his family, all the

dirt regarding his custody and
divorce battle with ex-wife Debbie

Rowe will be exposed to the public,
thanks to a judge’s ruling Wednesday

that all papers be unsealed.
According to Fox411 columnist

Roger Friedman, the filings “may also
reveal the true parentage of Prince and

Paris.” He adds: “I also told you a
year ago that even though Rowe is their

biological mother, Jackson is not
their biological father. Toward the end

of the child molestation case last
year, Jackson attorney Robert Sanger

suggested as much to Judge Rodney
Melville when he argued that a Jackson

TV interview not be offered to the
court because of its truthfulness on

certain matters.”
Friedman also says that the

papers contain Rowe’s complaint
regarding the shuttling of her children

to Bahrain, where Jackson has been
living since his acquittal.
He writes: “Jackson had faked

passports for them because he couldn’t
get her permission to take the kids

abroad and no longer had the original
documents. The original passports had

been filed with the court. Rowe tried
to get the FBI and other government

organizations involved to stop Jackson,
but to no avail. Rowe has had one visit

with her kids since 2001 — late last
summer, when Jackson’s nanny, Grace

Rwarmba, brought them to Los Angeles.
Rowe was not allowed to tell the kids

she was their mother, however. Jackson
has told them they have no mother.”
Meanwhile, Jackson is now

expressing interest in moving from Bahrain
to a permanent residence in the U.K.
"I'm here in London on business

for a couple of days. I love it
here,” he told Daily Mirror reporter

Fiona Cummins. "I'm looking for a place
to live. I've always liked the U.K. and

I just love the fans here."
As for the “business” he’s conducting

in London, at least part of it
is a legal matter regarding a $4 million

lawsuit filed against him by former
partner Marc Schaffel. According to

Friedman, he “‘giggled’ and responded
to few answers during a daylong deposition

in London on Monday.
Speaking to the Mirror reporter at

Harrods, owned by his friend
Mohamed Al Fayed, Jackson also said

he’s looking to build a new Neverland in
either Scotland or Ireland. Giving props

to the Harrods owner, Jackson
added: "I'm also visiting my good friend

Mohamed – ‘cause he's the man."
Asked about his health, Jacko

insisted: "I'm fine - very well thanks.
I'm feeling good."

FORMER VIBE EXEC LAUNCHES

NEW MAGAZINE: ‘21st Century Hustle’

is a business lifestyle brand aimed at

‘young urbanites.’

*Former Vibe magazine executive,

Ali Muhammad, launches his new
business lifestyle magazine, 21st Century

Hustle, on Monday (May 29).
The publication began as a

newsletter designed to fill the void in
traditional magazines, “who just aren’t

covering the kind of issues and
types of people that I deem

influential,” Ali says.
“21st Century Hustle plans to

profile people in the urban community
that serve as role models for today’s

youth – from celebrities to teachers.
The magazine intends to feature

empowering stories, such as the transition
from hard working intern to business mogul.
Muhammad, the founder and

editorial director for 21st Century Hustle,
is a journalism grad from Florida A&M

University and spent seven years with
Vibe in the sales and marketing dept.

FILM/TV BITS: Phifer, LL in ‘Slow

Burn’; Diddy dances to MTV; Singleton
backs Brewer’s ‘Maggie’; Freeman

gets ‘Gone.’

*Mekhi Phifer, LL Cool J, Taye

Diggs and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in the
upcoming suspense thriller “Slow Burn.”

The film's multicultural perspective
on modern-day urban politics centers

on an ambitious district attorney (Ray
Liotta) who finds himself in a bad

situation when his assistant district
attorney (Jolene Blalock) confesses

to killing a man in self-defense. Her
story is contradicted by a stranger

named Luther Pinks (LL Cool J) and
becomes further complicated by record

store clerk (Phifer) and a gang lord.
Lionsgate has picked up North American

and U.K. distribution rights to the
project, written and directed by

Wayne Beach.

*Sean “Diddy” Combs is executive

producing a new reality series for
MTV set in the world of competitive

street-dancing. The as-yet-untitled
show, Diddy says in a statement, “will

showcase the drive, determination and
expression of this dance generation --

picture 'Rocky' but with dance
troupes." The news comes days after

MTV announced it was airing the
dance-themed series “Moves” from

Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Her
show, premiering in the fourth quarter,

follows six dancers as they work to
achieve their dreams of making it in

the business.

*Executive producers John Singleton

and Stephanie Allain will re-team
with their "Hustle & Flow" director

Craig Brewer for Paramount’s “Maggie
Lynn,” a country-music drama that

Brewer will write and direct, reports
Variety. The film follows a woman who

gets her heart broken and achieves a
sense of self-worth by returning home to

Tennessee, where she teams with her
older brother to play country music in

honkytonks. After addressing rap in
“Hustle & Flow” and the blues in his

upcoming "Black Snake Moan," Brewer

was interested in tackling blue-collar

country & western and wanted to make a
film in the spirit of "Coal Miner's Daughter"

and "Urban Cowboy."

*Morgan Freeman has taken a

starring role in “Gone, Baby, Gone,”
which director Ben Affleck began

shooting in his hometown of Boston this
week. Freeman, an Oscar winner for

“Million Dollar Baby,” joins Ben's
brother Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan

and Ed Harris in the Miramax film
about two Boston private eyes who

investigate the case of a missing child in
a neighborhood of broken families, bitter

cops and crazy ex-cons, reports
the Boston Herald. The feature is based

on the Dennis Lehane novel of the
same name and was adapted by Affleck.

MUSIC BITS: Cop wins judgment against

Turk; B.G. preps new album; everyday
Corey Clark’s hustlin’; Peebles honored

by Black Star News.

*A Memphis area police officer

has won a $10 million dollar judgment
against rapper Tab "Turk" Virgil

stemming from a shoot-out during an
apartment raid in January 2004. Deputy

Chris Harris was shot in the jaw, hip
arm and calf as SWAT team members

stormed the apartment looking for hidden
drugs. Turk was convicted of the

shooting in a jury trial after ballistics
found gunfire residue on his shorts.

Last August, the former Hot Boys member
was sentenced to 10 years in prison

for being a felon with a handgun, a
fugitive with a handgun and a drug

addict with a handgun. He was also
sentenced to 12 years in prison for

attempted second-degree murder.

*Another former Hot Boy, rapper

B.G., is preparing to drop his new
album “B.G. Presents Life With Chopper

City” via his Chopper City Records
label under Atlantic. The group Chopper

City includes B.G.'s brother
Hakizzle, VL Mike, Gar and Sniper.

Rapper T.I. will produce the disc, and
will also make a guest appearance

alongside Mannie Fresh and Juvenile. The
album comes on the heels of his newly-

released “The Heart Of Tha Streetz:
Vol. 2 (I Am What I Am).”

*Corey Clark is once again

using his “American Idol” ties to help
hustle his own product. According to

TMZ.com, the former contestant on the
Fox show was spotted Tuesday trying

to hock his own self-titled CD outside a
Coffee Bean on Sunset Blvd., just a

few blocks from the Kodak Theater on
Hollywood Blvd. where Taylor Hicks

and Katharine McPhee were battling it

out for the crown. Clark, who was kicked

off the show in the second season, has
also been seen trying to hustle his CDs

in crosswalks and sidewalks as his
friends play the disc on a boombox.

*Filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles

has been added to the list of honorees
at this year's Black Star News Annual

Awards Dinner, to be held tonight in
Manhattan at the Puck Building (295

Lafayette St., near Houston St). "We're
honored to have this great fearless

legend at our awards dinner," says Black
Star News publisher and CEO, Milton

Allimadi. "You can't talk about American
cinema without mentioning Melvin."

Tickets can still be purchased at the
door for $100. Those with student ID's

can purchase tickets for $50. The
evening kicks off with a cocktail hour

at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, awards
and entertainment until 10 p.m. For

tickets call (212) 352-3101 or visit
www.melvinvanpeebles.com/aint

VANDERBILT RECRUITS BLACK

LITERARY SCHOLARS: School

hopes new professors will put literary

studios program on the map.

*In an effort to transform its

literary studies program, Vanderbilt
University has hired five leading black

literary scholars for its English
department, including Drs. Houston A.

Baker and Hortense Spillers, reports
DiverseEducation.com.

The Nashville, Tenn. school

currently offers graduate degrees in
English with a concentration in

African-American literature, but hopes

to include doctorate programs in

African-American literature in the

future.
“This has been a really

extraordinary opportunity for us,”

says Dr. Jay Clayton, chair of the

department. “We have had the unexpected

chance to add five people to our already

strong group of African-Americans. We

now have senior leadership for this group.
Baker, author of “Modernism

and the Harlem Renaissance” and “Black
Studies, Rap and the Academy,” is

leaving an endowed chair at Duke
University; while Spillers, author of

“Black, White, and in Color: Essays on
American Literature and Culture,”

is leaving Cornell University.
Joining Baker and Spillers will be

Dr. Ifeoma Nwankwo, an expert in
African-American and Caribbean

literature, and Alice Randall, who is best
known for “The Wind Done Gone,” a

satire of Gone With the Wind. Randall will
be teaching creative writing and an

innovative course on race and country
music. Dr. Charlotte Pierce-Baker, author

of “Surviving the Silence: Black
Women’s Stories of Rape” (and Houston

Baker’s wife), will also leave Duke to
join the women’s studies department,

which falls under the English
department at Vanderbilt.
This is the English department’s

second wave of hires, with more to
come, according to DiverseEducation.com.

The first group, who came from such
schools as the University of Pennsylvania

and Yale University, helped
Vanderbilt focus on an interdisciplinary

approach to literature studies.

=======================

EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE

I am not the athletic physical type.

The thought of exercising is not something

I get excited about. However, I don't like

gaining weight, breathing with difficulty

and getting depressed when I shop

for new clothes either.

Subsequently, I have to motivate myself

to go the gym, put down the cookies and

walk away from the chips, candy and cake.

I have to psyche myself up to go to the gym.

But let me tell you something --- after I go for

a workout, I feel so good about myself. I feel

like I'm doing the smart adult thing by taking

care of myself. My self-esteem goes up a notch.

I find myself meditating and even releasing stored

up stress, depression and anger while on the

treadmill. I feel younger as I attend the dance

and kickboxing class. I may not be able to

keep up but at least I'm not sitting on the

couch eating ice cream because I depressed.

I notice when I exercise I sleep better at night

and I know my body is rejoicing because

it is getting stronger.

I created this acronym for myself to keep

me motivated. Maybe it will inspire you too.

E - exercise and strengthen your body

X - get rid of the fat

E - experience more energy

R - release anger and stress

C - calories will burn up

I - image will be enhanced

S - self-esteem will improve

E - eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains

If you struggle with weight issues --- you

are not alone. If you can't get to a gym, start

exercising in your home. Begin to clean out

your refrigerator of all the soda, sugar, junk

food and fatty dairy products.

When you order any products from my web

site, I will send you my e-booklet "Tips on

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(limited time offer).

Let's win the battle of the bulge

together. ~ Jewel Diamond Taylor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

web: http://www.DoNotGiveUp.net

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

May 26: Actor Philip Michael Thomas

("Miami Vice") is 57. Actress Pam Grier is 57.

Singer Lenny Kravitz is 42. Singer Joey Kibble

of Take 6 is 35.

May 27: Musician Ramsey Lewis is 71.

Actor Louis Gossett Junior is 70. Actor Todd

Bridges ("Diff'rent Strokes") is 41. Rapper

Andre 3000 of Outkast is 31. Rapper

Jadakiss is 31.

May 28: Singer Gladys Knight is 62. Singer

Roland Gift (Fine Young Cannibals) is 44. Rapper

Chubb Rock is 38.

May 29: Singer Rebbie Jackson is 56.

Singer LaToya Jackson is 50. Singer Jayski

McGowan of Quad City DJ's is 39. Cartoonist

Aaron McGruder ("Boondocks") is 32. Singer

Melanie Brown ("Scary Spice") of the Spice

Girls is 31. Rapper Playa Poncho is 31.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

PROOF Magazine is an online literary journal

that caters to "authentic" blacks. It is created

and edited by the novelist-poet Kola

Boof: http://proofmagazine.i8.com

Submit your favorite Web site to us

along with a 15-20 word (or less)

description to info@eurweb.com.

BLACK HISTORY

May 26, 1943: President Edwin

Barclay of Liberia, first African president to

pay an official visit to an American president,

arrived at White House.

May 27, 1958: Ernest Green graduated

from Little Rock's Central High School with

six hundred white classmates.

May 28, 1940: Betty Shabazz, activist

and widow of Malcolm X was born in Detroit,

Michigan.

May 29, 1851: Sojourner Truth delivers

her infamous "Ain't I A Woman?" speech to

the Ohio Women's Rights Convention.

(Source: www.BlackFacts.com)

===========================

EUR FEEDBACK (MYfeedback@eurweb.com)

*Tracie B. Dickson, Washington, DC:

"Whoa! I support you, Mr. Darryl James

(05-25-06 EUR Feedback). Thanks for your

balanced discussions on gender issues."

*C Fain (no city given):

"Darryl, I just want to know, do you

experience an orgasm every time you type

the word 'feminazi?' You say it with such

passion; I just want to know if I should use

it too? Is that term supposed to be insulting?

Some woman must have really broke your

heart. LOL."

*Michael Woodard, Yonkers, NY:

"Brother James, where is your article

about how we black men demoralize

ourselves? Where is your article to voice

disdain for black men such as Bishop Don

Juan and the other visible brothers that have

provided an international stage for his buffoonery

and degradation of the black male image. Where

is your article about the apparent embrace

of thug life and pimpdom lifestyles by

our young men?

Now that we've finally figured the white

man could give two cents about our crying

game of blame. Some of us have decided to

direct their angst towards the only group of

people who have ever supported us unconditionally:

black women. I'm pretty sure there are quite a few

of us who know of a mother or grandmother who

mortgaged their home to bail their derelict

sons and grandsons out of jail.

For MORE of this letter, go to EURweb.com:

http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur26591.cfm

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