EURweb |
06-23-06 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
IS ‘WAIST DEEP’ CHIN DEEP IN STEREOTYPES?: Stars Tyrese, Larenz Tate, Meagan Good and director Curtis-Hall respond.
*Early reviews for the film “Waist Deep” have been mixed. The Hollywood Reporter praised director Vondie Curtis-Hall’s emphasis on non-stop action and star Tyrese Gibson for “carrying the movie on his broad shoulders.” The Associated Press, however, saw little more than pretty actors rehashing tired hood movie clichés.
Opening nationwide today, the film stars Tyrese as O2, a brother
just released from jail and trying to do right by his young son. When the
boy is kidnapped by Meat, a gang lord played by rapper The Game, the
two-time felon jeopardizes catching a third strike by going back to the
streets to retrieve his son. Along the way, he hooks up with a hustler named
Coco, played by Meagan Good. Together, they hatch a plan to pit Meat’s crew
against rival gangs in an effort to outsmart him.
While the film contains all the makings of a typical hood flick –
gangs, guns and hot-headed young African American males – the actors say
the story contains multiple elements that place the project on another
level.
“I really wanted to make a movie that first of all had a black father
and his son, showing father/son love, because you don’t really see that in
our movies,” says Curtis-Hall. “The father’s always missing, or he’s a
crackhead and shows up every now and then at the door scratching. The
problem often times is you don’t see the humanity in any of these people. So
I wanted the humanity of a two-time felon, the humanity of a woman who’s a
hustler and then ultimately the journey of people who want to change their
lives.”
“I know if I had a son, which I don’t, I would definitely be that
guy,” Tyrese says of his ex-con character. “It’s one of them roles I felt
was necessary to save the image and reputation of the black man, because
some guys I know would’ve had their kids snatched up and been like, ‘What
club we going to, dog?’”
Tyrese said the role made him feel like a grownup for the first time
in his film career, which includes well-received leading performances in
“Four Brothers” and “Baby Boy.”
“I felt like a man in this movie, not THE man. I felt like A man,
even in the way I dealt with Meagan and her character,” he says. “I was
motivated to go get my son. I felt like a man, and I ain’t seen that image
in a film for a while.”
After roles as teenagers in last year’s “Roll Bounce” and 2004’s “You
Got Served,” 24-year-old Meagan Good says she’s happy to finally play a
character closer to her actual age for the first time.
“For me, it’s an open door to say, ‘Hey, I can play this, I can play
my age,’” she says. “But I definitely wouldn’t mind going backwards at the
same token because in the next five, six years, I’m gonna look older and I’m
going to be playing those [older] parts anyway. So while I can still milk
the teenager [roles], why not? I have the rest of my life to be an adult.”
The actress – who has quietly amassed over 20 feature films,
including the upcoming “Steppin’” opposite Ne-Yo – says Coco is more than
just the stereotypical sexpot dropped into an urban film for eye candy.
“That wasn’t the focus of what that character was about,” she says.
“It was more about everything else that was going on in her life and she
used that [sexiness] to her advantage.”
Larenz Tate is also in the film as O2’s cousin Lucky, a somewhat
shady brother whose loyalty is divided between his gang and his family. The
30-year-old actor, whose memorable role as sociopath O-Dog in 1992’s “Menace
II Society” helped launch the hood film genre, says “Waist Deep” offered him
a chance to do something a little deeper.
“A lot of people want to see me do more edgier stuff,” he says. “They
were big fans of ‘Menace to Society’ and ‘Dead Presidents’ and so, this was
an opportunity for me to be able to do an edgier role. It’s not your
stereotypical hood movie. This movie elevates it. It’s an action film, it
has suspense to it.”
Given the suspense, the tight action sequences and father/son love
present in “Waist Deep,” does America really need another film that shows
young black males robbing and shooting and carjacking – all to the tune of a
hip hop soundtrack? The same question was asked of 50 Cent during interviews
for “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” and will likely be asked again when the next
gun-heavy urban drama comes out.
“It’s a circle, these movies will come back around,” explains Tate.
“People like them. And Hollywood is a business at the end the day. [It’s
like] what can we sell? I’ve been on the other side of it. I know what it’s
like to produce, and you wanna make money.”
“There are not a lot of opportunities all the time for us to do
movies, unfortunately,” Tate adds. “You have your certain tier of African
American actors, the Martins, the Wills and the Denzels. They’re being
recycled, which is good. I love those guys, I look up to them, but when
you’re not doing 150, 200 million dollars at the box office, movies are very
difficult to do. So, I’m just happy to be able to be a part of this. And
this is not some kind of ‘Oh I’m doing it because this was the only thing
available.’ I responded to the script. I liked the movie. I like these
movies as well. I like ‘Menace,’ I like ‘Boyz N the Hood,’ I like ‘Baby
Boy.’ We can make a lot of happy movies all the time, if they make money,
great. You can look at my body of work. I try to avoid being pigeon-holed in
any kind of way. But I do understand the importance of these movies. And if
we can say something while entertaining, then great.”
In getting his grown man on as O2, Tyrese points to his character’s
undying devotion to his son as proof that “Waist Deep” is not your typical
urban flick.
“The good fathers that are out there don’t ever get the kind of
press that the bad fathers get, as far as black men in particular,” he says.
“So I felt like it was every bit of necessary to switch that image up and
show that there are some good men out there who are 150 percent men and want
their kids, and love their kids, will die for their kids and put it all on
the line. That’s who I would be if I had kids.”
FOXX HIT WITH $75 MILLION COPYRIGHT LAWSUIT: Detroit man claims singer bit “Heaven” from his Dec. 2003 song; plus, Foxx added to Essence Fest.
*A Detroit man is claiming that Jamie Foxx’s song “Heaven,” which
the Oscar winner debuted on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in December, is nothing
but a reworked version of his song "One of God's Angels Is AWOL," which he
wrote and copyrighted in 2003.
Michael A. Johnson is suing Foxx in Eastern Michigan's U.S. District
Court for $75 million – that’s $15 million apiece from defendants Foxx, J
Records, Sony Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Face Production to
cover damages, royalties that he has missed out on and the "mass exposure"
he would have received if that song had been attributed to him.
Johnson first came across the tune when the rest of the world did –
while watching “Oprah” – and soon recognized the lyrics from his own tune.
Johnson also says he did a mass mailing of his song lyrics to record
companies, including Sony, whose J Records label released Foxx's album,
“Unpredictable.”
"The songs are so similar that, if my song was released today, people
would think I copied Jamie's song," Johnson wrote in his complaint. "My
songs were sent out in hopes of a contract, not to be changed and disguised
as someone else's creation."
Explaining “Heaven” to Oprah’s audience last year, Foxx said: "The
song is basically saying that there was an angel up in heaven who was this
little girl angel and it was God's favorite angel. She would always look at
the plight of this couple who weren't able to have a kid, so, one day when
God was having a role call, she didn't answer. She had snuck off and blessed
them with a child."
Johnson countered in his complaint: "Even if Mr. Foxx's song was
inspired by his daughter, they are still my lyrics. Maybe Mr. Foxx thought
or assumed, because my songs were sent out hand-written, that I was not
professional enough to have had my songs copyrighted and took advantage of
that."
*Meanwhile, Foxx has been added to the all-star lineup of the 2006
Essence Music Festival. He’ll take the stage on Sunday, July 2nd with such
acts as Chris Brown, Jaheim, New Edition and Bobby Brown, Steve Harvey and
Doug E. Fresh and the Pioneers of Hip-Hop including Slick Rick, Sugar Hill
Gang, MC Lyte, Biz Markie, Whodini and Dana Dane.
ROOTS’ ?UESTLOVE WORRIED ABOUT JAY-Z GIG: Drummer/musical director concerned with Hov’s memory and Foxy Brown’s hearing.
*As musical director for Jay-Z’s Radio City Music Hall performance
of his “Reasonable Doubt” album Sunday, Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of the
Roots has concerns that the retired rapper may need to brush up on some of
his lyrics, considering the words are all 10 years old.
"Unless you do [the songs] night after night, there's a chance you
could forget," Thompson told MTV. "In [Jay's] case, I'm suggesting — I've
seen Springsteen do it, R.E.M. do it, Bowie do it — I'm suggesting that
[there] be a teleprompter. There are too many words in '22 Two's' [and]
'Regrets.' Right now he's playing the album over and over again, learning
words. He says he's gonna know everything.”
?uest says even the best artists forget their most classic lyrics. He
adds: "Nas forgot 'The World Is Yours' [during our recent show at Radio
City]. …I've been in jam sessions with Prince and we've started songs of his
that were our life staples and he was like, 'I forgot those lyrics.' Me and
D'Angelo played 'The Ballad of Dorothy Parker' and [Prince] forgot the
bridge. That's one of the greatest bridges in modern black music. How do you
forget the bridge to 'Ballad of Dorothy Parker'? We did 'Liquid Swords' with
GZA last week in L.A. and he was like, 'I only know the first verse.'"
Another concern is the song, “Ain’t No Ni**a,” a duet with Foxy Brown
who is now suffering from severe hearing loss. Also, the song "Bring It On"
features Jay-Z's estranged friends Jaz-O and Sauce Money. Who will cover
their verses?
"'Bring It On' [has] my favorite [DJ] Premier loop," Thompson told
MTV, adding it’s the record he’s most looking forward to performing. "The
problem is it's a posse cut. [Who knows what's going on with] Jaz-O and
Sauce Money. I don't want to cut one verse of that song. That is my favorite
song on ‘Reasonable Doubt.’ I gotta figure out a way to prolong it. Make
[Jay] bust a second verse or something.”
For the Notorious B.I.G. duet "Brooklyn's Finest," Thompson says
they'll have a "slight trick."
"This show, I will say that this is gonna be a challenge," he
continued. "It's sort of like doing a magic trick when you have to destroy a
building and [then] that building is demolished. You've got one shot. We're
gonna do a very different approach. Yes, we're gonna do ‘Reasonable Doubt.’
But the question is, how are we gonna do it? I got my work cut out [for
me]."
DMX DAILY CRIME LOG: Rapper caught with concealed handgun Friday night; also tears flow during interview with ‘The Source.’
*Another day, another cop encounter for DMX. His third infraction in
three weeks took place Friday night near a nightclub in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The rapper, born Earl Simmons, was caught by police placing a
handgun under the front seat of his 1964 Chevrolet convertible outside of a
club called Buzz. The artist was not arrested, but officers gave him a
misdemeanor citation for not having a permit to conceal the weapon.
"He had the top down, the cops were right in the area, and they saw
him take out the gun and put it under the front seat," Detective Sam Bailey
tells AllHipHop.com.
One week ago (June 16), police pulled over DMX for driving on the
shoulder of the road and bumping another vehicle while attempting to merge
back into traffic in Harrison, New York. Two weeks before that, the rapper
was pulled over for speeding and cutting off another motorist in White
Plains, New York. He was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a
motor vehicle.
*In non-crime related DMX news, the rapper reportedly broke down in
tears during an interview with The Source when recounting the physical abuse
he suffered at the hands of his mother.
"My mother would beat me so bad, I wouldn't be able to sit down. And
I would never snitch," he tells The Source's Adam Matthews in the latest
issue. “I understand that parents are just people with children. If you look
at people, you got…stupid people and you got ignorant people. I looked at it
in that light. I just ended up with one of those people. …I kinda still do
feel sorry for her, 'cause she really doesn't get it. She still doesn't get
it."
At that point, DMX reportedly became choked up and was comforted by
his wife, Tashera, before being able to continue.
SEAL LOSES LEGAL BATTLE WITH EX-MANAGER: Singer/songwriter ordered to pay about $1.8 million in unpaid commission.
*Four days after announcing the impending arrival of a new baby with
wife Heidi Klum, Seal was ordered by a judge to pay about $1.8 million to
his former manager, who claimed he was owed commissions from the artist's
first two albums.
Justice Charles Gray on Thursday ruled in favor of John Wadlow, who
proved he was entitled to unpaid commissions due under an agreement in 1995.
Both of the albums in question were recorded before that date.
Born Henry Olusegun Olumide Adelo Samuel, Seal argued that he owed
nothing in the case. However, Judge Gray saw things differently, ruling the
singer owed much of his initial success to Wadlow’s efforts, including the
shepherding of his first two albums in 1991 and 1994, both titled “Seal.”
"I am in no doubt that [Seal's] accounts of events was an honest
attempt on his part to recollect events, most of which took place long ago,"
Gray said. "He has had little formal education but he is clearly an
intelligent man. His answers in cross-examination were thoughtful, modest
and fluently expressed."
But, the judge continued: "It appeared to me that, at least in the
early years of his career as an artist, he had little interest in its
financial aspects and preferred to concentrate on his music."
Regarding Wadlow's testimony, Gray said: "There is no doubt that in
the early days he did a great deal to help Seal to build a career. Once
Seal's career took off, he felt himself entitled to share in that success."
Seal has been ordered to pay an initial installment of about $922,000
due by July 21, as well as Wadlow’s court costs, estimated at about
$900,000.
MLK III: ‘MIX-UP' KEPT BELAFONTE FROM MOM’S FUNERAL: Martin Luther King III says invite was rescinded by mistake.
*Harry Belafonte has expressed being extremely hurt by the perceived
politics that kept him from the funeral of his friend, Coretta Scott King.
The Chicago Defender is now reporting that her son, Martin Luther King III,
says Belafonte’s omission from the program was the result of a “big mix-up,”
and not because of a request from deep within the Oval Office as Belafonte
was told.
The singer/activist, a longtime critic of President George W. Bush,
said that he was invited to speak at the service, but that the invitation
was rescinded at the insistence of the White House. Bush was among the four
U.S. presidents who attended the Feb. 7 service near Atlanta.
"There was a big mix-up," King explained of Belafonte’s rescinded
invite. "It certainly didn't have anything to do with President Bush being
there."
King says the confusion surrounding Belafonte’s invite stems from it
being sent by a person helping to plan the service, not directly from the
family, King said.
A month before the funeral, Belafonte had called Bush "the greatest
terrorist in the world" during a trip to Venezuela. He has also criticized
the war in Iraq and the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
In other King family news, the siblings are hoping to raise at least
$30 million in the auction of sermons, books, notes and speeches by their
father, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The items went on public display
Wednesday at Sotheby’s in New York in preparation for the June 30 sale.
MOM OF MIJAC ACCUSER HEADED TO TRIAL: Woman will address welfare fraud charges in a courtroom beginning Aug. 7.
*The mother of the boy who accused Michael Jackson of child
molestation will stand trial for welfare fraud on Aug. 7. But, the date
could be postponed, according to the judge.
Superior Court Judge Barbara Johnson said the trial date would be
"one of 30," meaning it could start within 30 days.
The 37-year-old woman, whose name by marriage is Janet Jackson, is
accused of accepting $8,000 in fraudulently obtained assistance and
committing perjury four times on welfare applications. She invoked her Fifth
Amendment right not to answer questions about those issues during Jackson’s
child molestation trial last year.
She is also accused of hiding the fact that she received a huge
financial settlement in a civil suit against J.C. Penney before she filed for
welfare.
"We're scheduled to go to trial unless she makes restitution," said
district attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison.
The woman’s lawyer, Patricia Hattersley, said outside court she hopes the case can be settled without a trial.
"We are open to discussions," Hattersley said. "Her position is she
never misrepresented anything intentionally."
EMINEM QUIETLY GETS DIVORCED: Rapper continued proceedings with wife Kim in private on Thursday.
*Behind closed doors, Eminem and his wife, Kimberley, continued
their divorce proceedings Thursday without much fanfare.
Kimberley, who remarried the rapper on Jan. 14 shortly after their
reconciliation, is seeking financial support, attorney fees and joint
custody of the couple's 10-year-old daughter, Hailie Jade Scott.
Kimberley was spotted Thursday being escorted out of the building by
a sheriff’s deputy. Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III,
was not seen by reporters at the courthouse, but was present for the
hour-long meeting before Court Referee David Elias, court officer Mark
Mileski said.
Eminem filed for divorce on April 5 – 82 days after the couple
remarried. Their first marriage lasted from 1999 to 2001.
Macomb County Circuit Judge Antonio Viviano, who originally was
scheduled to preside over Thursday's hearing, had set a deadline of Aug. 25
for completion of depositions, interrogatories, pension evaluations and
other matters. A settlement conference is scheduled for Sept. 19.
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
For movies opening June 23, 2006
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Click (PG-13 for sex, expletives, crude humor and drug references) Adam
Sandler stars in this sci-fi fantasy about a workaholic architect who
discovers that he can fast-forwards in rewind his life with the help of his
universal remote control. Cast includes Christopher Walken, Kate Beckinsale,
Sean Astin, Jennifer Coolidge, David Hasselhoff, Henry Winkler, Julie (the
voice of Marge Simpson) Kavner, and John (brother of Chris) Farley.
Waist Deep (R for pervasive profanity and graphic violence) Meagan Good and
Tyrese co-star as a 21st Century version of Bonnie and Clyde as joyriding
lawbreakers and lovers who leave no stone unturned in search of his
carjacked kid. Cast includes Larenz Tate, gangsta' rapper The Game and
Arnold Vosloo.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Changing Times (Unrated) Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu star in this
bittersweet romantic drama about an engineer who accepts an assignment in
Tangiers hoping to rekindle a romance with the first and only woman he ever
loved, even though she's married to someone else. (In French and Arabic with
subtitles)
The Great New Wonderful (R for sex and expletives) Character-driven drama
revolves around a quintet of slice-of-life stories interwoven against the
backdrop of post 9/11 New York City. Ensemble cast includes Stephen Colbert,
Tony Shalhoub, Edie Falco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Olympia Dukakis and Anita
Gillette.
The Hidden Blade (R for graphic violence) Historical costume drama, set in
mid-19th Century Japan, about a disgraced samurai warrior (Masatoshi Nagase)
who rescues the former maid (Takako Matsu) he once had a childhood crush on
from an abusive marriage. (In Japanese with subtitles)
The Road to Guantanamo (R for profanity and disturbing scenes of violence)
War on Terror docudrama recounts the nightmarish ordeal of a trio of British
Muslims in Afghanistan for a wedding who were unfairly accused of being in
cahoots with Osama bin Laden and shipped off to Guantanamo Bay prison where
they were held incommunicado for two years. (In Arabic and English with
subtites)
Two Drifters (Unrated) Brazil-based drama chronicles the ill-fated romance
of a man (Nuno Gil) mourning the death of his boyfriend (Joao Carreira) in a
car crash and his attractive next-door neighbor (Ana Cristina de Oliveira)
who's desperate to have a baby. (In Portuguese with subtitles)
Wassup Rockers (R for teen sexuality, underage alcohol consumption, violence
and pervasive profanity) Cross-cultural L.A. teensploit about a crew of
Latino skateboarders straight outta South Central who venture to Beverly
Hills, Hollywood and Santa Monica in search of rich white girls but find
more than they bargained for in racist cops, concerned parents, and jealous
boyfriends.
FILM/TV/MUSIC BITS: Blige, Rihanna do soaps; ‘Prison Break’in Aug.; BET
postpones ‘Hotwyred’ call; Madonna vs. Mariah; Mijac’s tigers.
*Mary J. Blige will appear on an episode of ABC’s “One Life to Live”
on July 28, while 18-year-old “S.O.S.” singer Rihanna will wow the residents
of Pine Valley three days earlier on ABC’s “All My Children.” Blige, 35,
will perform two hits from her latest album, “The Breakthrough,” at club
Capricorn in the fictional town of Llanview. Rihanna will also sing at a
club; her performance will mark the spot’s grand opening on an episode to
air July 25th.
*The new season of Fox’s “Prison Break” will begin Aug. 21, the
network announced. The drama, starring Wentworth Miller, kicks off Fox’s
fall programming weeks ahead of the traditional September start of the other
networks. As previously reported, the new season will focus on Miller’s
character Michael Scofield’s attempt to stay on the run after escaping
during last season’s finale. William Fichtner has joined the cast and will
play a federal agent hired to track down Scofield and the other escaped
convicts.
*BET cancelled Thursday’s open call auditions for female co-hosts of
its contemporary interactive series “Hotwyred.” Auditions will be
rescheduled for later in the summer at BET's New York studios, with the
actual date and times to be announced soon. Those interested in submitting
resumes, headshots or videos in advance may send packets t Hotwyred, c/o
BET Studios; 555 West 57th Street; New York, New York; 10019. The weekly
show will surf the Internet, give viewers a glimpse of the latest gaming and
electronic gadgets and showcase music videos.
*Madonna reportedly fell out laughing at rumors of sluggish ticket
sales for Mariah Carey’s upcoming “Mimi” tour. Earlier this week, News of
the World reported that just one of her shows has sold out, while three
scheduled dates have already been cancelled: Sept. 3 in Hershey,
Pennsylvania, Sept. 18 in Denver and Sept. 25 in Seattle. A source told the
New York Daily News: "Madonna laughed hysterically. She has been asking her
tour promoters to email her Mariah's sales." Madonna, 47, is reportedly
upset with Mariah, 36, because she once stated she “grew up” listening to
her music. At last year’s Live 8 concert in London, Madonna reportedly gave
organizers instructions to keep Mariah’s dressing room and entourage at a
distance.
*Michael Jackson has found a new home for his two tigers, both left
behind with the rest of the animals at his Neverland Ranch when he relocated
to Bahrain last year. The tigers, named Sabu and Thriller, have a new mommy
in actress Tippi Hedren (“The Birds.”), who runs the Shambala feline
sanctuary. Her fiance, Dr. Martin Dinnes, is Jackson's long-time
veterinarian. Other Neverland animals have found new homes as well. An
African bull elephant, a female elephant, and the ranch's horses have all
been adopted. However, four giraffes, two orangutans and various parrots,
reptiles and deer remain at Neverland, according to reports. Meanwhile,
Jackson is being sued in Los Angeles for $3.8 million in unpaid loans and
expenses by former associate F. Marc Schaffel. In the singer’s videotaped
deposition, he told Schaffel's lawyer his disposable income comes from the
cows grazing at Neverland. No word if they were among the animals sent to
new homes.
EVENT CALENDAR: Simmons/Ratner ‘Play Harder’; Urbanworld’s ringtones; Ne-Yo event; Bad Boy South’s ‘Block Parties’; Berklee honors hip hop pioneers.
*Entertainment mogul Russell Simmons and director Brett Ratner will
hold their 3rd Annual Work Hard, Play Harder Lounge at the W Hotel in Los
Angeles. Sponsored by Simmons’ Phat Farm, the event will be held from 6 p.m.
to 9 p.m. at the hotel’s Whisky Blue Bar and has a guest list that includes
Eve, Kelis, Missy Elliott, Mimi Rogers, Eric Millegan, Nia Long, Heather
Headley, Mario, Mari Marrow, Rebecca Gayheart, Robin Givens, Samantha Mumba,
Tangi Miller, Chingy, Natalie Cole, Holly Robinson Peete, Eric Benet and
Brandy. The Work Hard Play Harder Lounge is described as “an intimate VIP
setting for some of today¹s hottest celebrities and trendsetters from the
worlds of music, modeling, television and film.”
*Urbanworld Wireless and T-Mobile are hosting a Ringtone Release
Party, which takes revelers behind the scenes of “the making of a ringtone.”
The event, to be held June 25 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Loft in Los
Angeles (located inside The Highlands at the Hollywood & Highland complex),
will feature a state-of-the-art mobile studio so folks can watch the
creation of a new ringtone from beginning to end. Rappers E-40, Obie Trice
and Remy Ma will be on hand to unveil their new ringtones. “Waist Deep”
stars Tyrese Gibson and Meagan Good are also scheduled to attend. Tickets
are $20.
*Singer Ne-Yo will celebrate his BET Awards ’06 nominations at a June
25 event in Hollywood thrown by the Never Blend In Brand. The “So Sick”
crooner was nominated for Best Male R&B, Best New Artist, and Viewer’s
Choice Awards. “I am quite honored to be nominated for such prestigious
awards,” Ne-Yo said in a statement. “As a new comer, all I can say is I am
humbled, honored and blessed to be nominated in the same category as artists
I admire.” Confirmed guests at the event, to be held from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
at The Day After (6757 Hollywood Blvd.), include the Def Jam family and the
President of Def Jam, Jay-Z.
*Bad Boy South and Atlanta’s V-103 radio station are throwing a
series of “Block” parties spearheaded by the label’s president, Russell
"Block" Spencer. The first of four scheduled events took place June 21 in
Herndon Homes. Block oversees music from the label’s roster of talent,
including Boyz N Da Hood, Yung Joc, Big Gee, Jody Breeze and Jill Rock
Jones.
*Berklee College Of Music and audio equipment manufacturers Numark,
Alesis and Akai Professional are teaming up to honor hip hop pioneers Grand
Wizard Theodore, the inventor of scratching; GrandMixer DXT, the first to
blend hip hop with jazz; Jazzy Jay, the first to air hip hop on radio;
Run-DMC founder Jam Master Jay; producers Marley Marl and DJ Premier, and DJ
Jazzy Joyce. The event, titled Milestones, will take place at the Berklee
Performance Center on Sept. 22.
THEATER BITS: Signature stages August Wilson’s ‘Seven Guitars’; Morrison’s
‘Bluest Eye’ to open in Chicago and Manhattan.
*A complete cast has been announced for the Signature Theatre
Company’s mounting of August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars,” directed by Ruben
Santiago-Hudson (“Lackawanna Blues”) and scheduled to run from July 31
through September 23.
The off-Broadway production will feature Kevin Carroll as Canewell,
Cassandra Freeman as Ruby, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Red Carter, Brenda
Pressley as Louise, Lance Reddick as Floyd Barton, Roslyn Ruff as Vera and
Charles Weldon as Hedley.
The play, set in Pittsburgh's Hill District in 1948, follows seven
people through journeys of frustration, joy and loss. Among them are Floyd
"Schoolboy" Barton, an aspiring blues musician who returns home to seek his
fortune and reclaim his woman; a sick old man who longs for an heir to carry
on his name; and three single women who cope with betrayal and lost dreams.
Carroll is currently appearing off-Broadway in “Satellites,” while
Freeman was most recently seen in Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” opposite Denzel
Washington. Henderson has appeared on Broadway in Wilson's “King Hedley II”
and “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.” Reddick starred on HBO’s “The Wire” as Lt.
Cedric Daniels, and Ruff's off-Broadway credits include “The Taming of the
Shrew” and “Pudd'nhead Wilson.”
*Manhattan’s New Victory Theatre will feature Lydia Diamond's
adaptation of Toni Morrison's “The Bluest Eye,” from Nov. 3-19.
The story centers on 11-year-old African American Pecola Breedlove,
who believes her dark skin is at the root of vicious taunts by her
classmates. She in turn prays for blonde hair and blue eyes.
The play, which will also run at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Oct.
3-28, is directed by Hallie Gordon.
SPORTS BITS: LeBron invests in housing development; Strahan denies he’s gay;
Venus receives Wimbledon seed; Big Ten channel in 2007.
*Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has invested in a $4.7
million housing development in one of the city's roughest neighborhoods. The
NBA star and three of his high school friends, under the name LRMR
Development LLC, are putting money into the 18-unit project that will
feature two- and three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot townhouses expected to
sell for $265,000 to $325,000 each. "We're very excited about refurbishing
and bringing great things to what we call the 'hood. Everybody else may call
it the city but we call it the 'hood," said the 21-year-old athlete at a
symbolic groundbreaking for the project. "That's where we grew up at and we
never ever had an opportunity like this." The homes will overlook
Rockefeller Park near the Glenville neighborhood east of downtown.
*In the latest blitz to hit New York Giants star Michael Strahan
during his divorce battle, his estranged wife Jean suggested he was
bisexual, stating he and his “friend,” Dr. Ian Smith of “Celebrity Fit Club”
fame, pursued an "alternative lifestyle" after moving in together when the
Strahans broke up last year. Jean backtracked, however, during an interview
with the New York Daily News. "I didn't just blurt out Michael is gay with
Ian," said the 41-year-old. "I really meant that it was a lifestyle change.
... Alternative to being with me was hanging out with this guy, chasing
anything that moves." Meanwhile, Strahan is flat out denying allegations
that he is gay. Strahan and Smith, the best-selling author of "The Fat Smash
Diet," have been friends for years, and the football star was a groomsman at
the doctor's wedding last year. "I have no qualms whatsoever on my husband's
sexuality," said Smith’s wife Triste Lieteau, a Chicago lawyer. “It's so
ridiculous. What can you say?"
*Defending Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has been announced as
the seventh seed for this year’s tournament, which gets underway Monday in
England. Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo, U.S. Open winner Kim
Clijsters and French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne are seeded 1-2-3,
followed by Maria Sharapova as the fourth seed. Missing from the women's
draw will be 2002-03 champion Serena Williams (knee injury), 1999 winner
Lindsay Davenport (back injury) and Mary Pierce (foot tendinitis). On the
men’s side, James Blake is seeded eighth behind Federer at No. 1, French
Open champ Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, David Nalbandian, Ivan Ljubicic,
Lleyton Hewitt and Mario Ancic.
*The Big Ten conference is getting its own television channel in
Aug. 2007. The Big Ten Channel, developed with the help of Fox Cable
Networks, has already secured DirecTV as a major distributor. The satellite
provider will offer the channel on its Total Choice package. The Big Ten
also announced a new 10-year agreement that will expand its relationship
with ABC and ESPN in football as well as men's and women's basketball.
However, games aired on the Big Ten Channel will be independent of the
telecasts aired on ABC and ESPN's networks. The Big Ten includes Michigan,
Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue, Wisconsin, Indiana, Penn State, Ohio
State, Iowa and Northwestern.
MELANOMA DETECTED LATER AMONG BLACKS: Most of the prevention/detection efforts steered toward whites where disease is more common.
*There is a myth that melanin in the skin of black folks and
darker-skinned peoples of the world are a natural sun block for skin cancer.
This notion couldn’t be further from the truth.
Not only can blacks and Hispanics develop melanoma, the potentially
deadly skin cancer, but researchers at the University of Miami have shown
the disease is diagnosed at much later stages in those ethnic groups than in
whites.
“More likely, there is less awareness among patients and health-care
providers that melanoma can occur in ethnic populations and patients with
darker pigmentation," said lead researcher Dr. Robert Kirsner, professor and
vice chairman of dermatology and cutaneous surgery at the University of
Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
His team studied 1,690 melanoma cases reported in Miami-Dade County
between 1997 and 2002. Among these, 1,176 occurred in white patients, 485 in
Hispanic patients and 29 in non-Hispanic black patients. The population of
whites and blacks in Miami-Dade County is approximately the same.
Compared with whites, the Hispanic and black patients were more
likely to have advanced-stage melanomas. Sixteen percent of Hispanics and 31
percent of blacks had cancer that had metastasized -- spread to other organs
or tissues -- compared with 9 percent of whites. Moreover, 52 percent of
black patients had regional or distant-stage melanoma, the most severe
stages, compared with 26 percent of Hispanic and 16 percent of white
patients.
Kirsner said it's possible that blacks and Hispanics have a more
aggressive type of melanoma, but the disparity most likely comes from lack
of awareness in minority populations. As a consequence, those patients
aren't screened as often and lesions are not detected as early as in whites.
Kirsner said: "So a diagnosis is delayed until a late stage and that
correlates with worse survival. Patients' diagnoses with thin melanomas have
nearly a 100 percent survival. However, if it has spread, then survival goes
down to 16 percent. So survival is worse in Hispanics and blacks."
Their findings appear in the June issue of the Archives of
Dermatology. To learn more about melanoma, visit the U.S. National Cancer
Institute.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
How are you today? The other morning I woke up with some pressing issues on
my mind and then... I read some of your e-mails. So many were full of love
and gratitude. My heart was stirred and tears of joy and sadness flowed.
Some of you are really going through some tough times and some of you are
sharing your praise reports of taking action, walking by faith and
persevering in spite of your obstacles and disappointments.
As I read your inspiring stories of strength, endurance and inspiration, I
am reminded that I won't complain and that I am too blessed to be stressed.
It is a choice to rejoice and it's a choice to hold my head up high or hold
it down.
I believe the enemy does not want our home, car, money, degree, status or
diamonds. The destroyer of life really desires our faith, joy, peace, praise
and worship, gratitude, perseverance and our destiny.
Every moment...every day...you and I can choose what we will allow to steal
our peace of mind. Every day "stuff" is happening all around us in our
homes, job, community, church and in the world news. The bitter and sweet,
the good and bad are happening all at the same time. It's just that some
days the bad stuff makes more noise.
We are challenged on every side to stay in the light. We are challenged to
stay in peace instead of falling to pieces. We are challenged to get up and
be proactive instead of being procrastinators, worriers and hopeless
victims. We are reminded to count our blessings and not our burdens. We are
reminded to be compassionate of others. We should know that if we
worry...don't even pray. If we pray and take action...don't worry. One
cancels out the other.
Whatever you are going and growing through...don't give up. Something great
is about to happen. What a mighty God we serve!
Read more motivational messages at...
http://www.donotgiveup.net/motivationalmessageslist.htm
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
June 23: "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson is 50. Singer Chico
DeBarge is 36.
June 24: Actor-director Georg Stanford Brown is 63. Reggae singer
Derrick Simpson of Black Uhuru is 56. Actress Danielle Spencer ("What's
Happening") is 41. Singer Solange Knowles is 20. Full Force frontman
Bowlegged Lou tells EUR he “will be 26” with “a new 27 year old girlfriend
named Tiffany who is a beautiful person inside and out.” (IMDB states his
age as 45.)
June 25: Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 59. Rapper Candyman is 38.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Here's a resource of black and African-American lists, including
black radio, newspapers, magazines, colleges, and financial resources. Find
out more: www.blackfinancialsavvy.com
Submit your favorite website to us along with a 15-20 word (or less)
description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
June 23, 1970: Charles Rangel defeated Adam Clayton Powell in a
Democratic primary in Harlem, ending the political career of one of the
major political symbols of the post-World War II period.
June 24, 1936: Mary McLeod Bethune, founder-president of
Bethune-Cookman College, was named director of Negro Affairs of the National
Youth Administration. She was the first black woman to receive a major
appointment from the federal government. The educator held the post until
January 1, 1944.
June 25, 1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive
Order No. 8802 banning racial and religious discrimination in all
war-related industries and government programs.(source: www.BlackFacts.com)
Share and Bookmark |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
