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08-02-06 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
FOXX, YUNG JOC, BUSTA NOMINATED FOR MTV AWARDS: Beyonce, T.I., Timberlake announce list Monday atop NY’s Rockefeller Center.
*After nearly missing a hit from Hurricane Katrina last year, the
2006 MTV Video Music Awards is moving the ceremony from Miami to New York’s
Radio City Music Hall this month to honor the year’s best and brightest in
music videos.
To announce the Aug. 31 ceremony, MTV brought forth Beyonce, T.I. and
Justin Timberlake – three of the six artists confirmed so far to perform
during the 23rd annual telecast. They were paraded before the press Monday
during a press event atop New York’s Rockefeller Center.
"The VMA's is the first place you'll see Justin Timberlake perform,
an all new show stopping performance from Beyonce, the much anticipated
return of The Killers, T.I., hip hop's newest mega star and the breakout
band, Panic! At The Disco," said MTV President, Christina Norman. "This is
the beginning of what will no doubt be the most star-studded event and the
hottest ticket of the year."
Ludacris, sporting a fresh new haircut, is also scheduled to perform
his latest single “Money Maker” during the ceremony.
While Shakira and The Red Hot Chili Peppers topped the list with
seven nods each for "Hips Don't Lie" and "Dani California" respectively,
other nominees included Jamie Foxx, T.I., Common, Kanye West,
Chamillionaire, and Chris Brown.
Here are some of the nominees for the "2006 MTV Video Music Awards":
BEST MALE VIDEO
Busta Rhymes featuring Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks,
Papoose & DMX "Touch It (Remix)"
Director: Benny Boom and Busta Rhymes
T.I. "What You Know"
Director: Chris Robinson
Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"
Director: Hype Williams
Nick Lachey "What's Left Of Me"
Director: Ray Kay
James Blunt "You're Beautiful"
Director: Sam Brown
BEST GROUP VIDEO
Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"
Director: Robert Hales
All-American Rejects (The) "Move Along"
Director: Marc Webb
Panic! At The Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Director: Shane C. Drake
Fall Out Boy "Dance, Dance"
Director: Alan Ferguson
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California"
Director: Tony Kaye
BEST RAP VIDEO
50 Cent "Window Shopper"
Director: Benny Boom
T.I. "What You Know"
Director: Chris Robinson
Busta Rhymes featuring Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd
Banks, Papoose & DMX "Touch It (Remix)"
Director: Benny Boom and Busta Rhymes
Yung Joc featuring Nitty "It's Goin' Down"
Director: Lenny Bass
Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone "Ridin'"
Director: Life Garland
BEST R&B VIDEO
Beyonce featuring Slim Thug & Bun B "Check On It (Pink Panther)"
Director: Hype Williams
Mariah Carey "Shake It Off"
Director: Jake Nava
Chris Brown "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)"
Director: E. White/Chris Brown
Mary J. Blige "Be Without You"
Director: Matthew Rolston
Jamie Foxx featuring Ludacris "Unpredictable"
Director: Hype Williams
BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
Black Eyed Peas "My Humps"
Director: Fatima Robinson and Malik Sayeed
Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"
Director: Hype Williams
Common "Testify"
Director: Anthony Mandler
Three 6 Mafia "Stay Fly"
Director: Bernard Gourley
Daddy Yankee "Rompe"
Director: Jessy Terrero and Carlos Perez
BEST DANCE VIDEO
Sean Paul "Temperature"
Director: X
Madonna "Hung Up"
Director: Johan Renck
Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland "Promiscuous"
Producer: Ron Mohrhoff
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
Director: Sophie Muller
Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg "Buttons"
Director: Francis Lawrence
BEST NEW ARTIST IN A VIDEO
Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana "Run It"
Director: E. White
Rihanna "S.O.S."
Director: Chris Applebaum
Angels And Airwaves "The Adventure"
Director: The Malloys
James Blunt "You're Beautiful"
Director: Sam Brown
Avenged Sevenfold "Bat Country"
Director: Marc Klasfeld
Panic! At The Disco "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Director: Shane C. Drake
VIEWER'S CHOICE
Chris Brown featuring Juelz Santana "Run It"
Director: E. White
Rihanna "S.O.S."
Director: Chris Applebaum
Fall Out Boy "Dance, Dance"
Director: Alan Ferguson
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
Director: Sophie Muller
Kelly Clarkson "Because of You"
Director: Vadim Perelman
DESTINY’S CHILDREN DENYING RUMORS: Kelly says she’s not pregnant; Beyonce says she’s not trying to sabotage LeToya.
*Two former members of Destiny’s Child are denying recent rumors
that have surfaced and spread like wildfire over the Internet. Kelly
Rowland wants the world to know that she is not pregnant, while Beyonce says
she would never try to sabotage the album sales of former member LeToya
Luckett.
CBS is reporting that Rowland’s pregnancy rumor began with a posting
on several Internet forums more than a week ago by someone known as “Keith
Slogan — AMG (amgmusic.com)." The posts said Rowland told AMG about the
pregnancy, stating: "It's kind of a bittersweet feeling because I was
planning to release an album next year."
The London Daily Mirror picked up the story and ran an article about
it a few days later in its 3 AM gossip column using that Rowland quote.
Once it hit the Daily Mirror, media sites and blogs picked up the story and
ran with it.
A press release issued Monday from Rowland’s label Sony BMG said
"statements attributed to Kelly regarding her alleged pregnancy were never
made by the artist and a purported interview with the AMG never took place."
Sony says Rowland is busy working on her second solo album, "My Story
— Kelly Rowland," due early next year after it was pushed back from its
original June 2006 release. Rowland’s manager, Mathew Knowles, says the
project was pushed back for marketing reasons.
"We want to make sure our marketing strategy is a multi-tiered
approach that capitalizes on the synergies afforded by her other projects,"
Knowles told Billboard in May.
Meanwhile, Beyonce has been the subject of rumors claiming that
pre-orders for her upcoming solo album, “B-Day,” strategically began last
week to take the focus away from the release of a debut solo album from her
former Destiny’s Child bandmate LeToya Luckett.
Even though LeToya and former member LaTavia left the group over
personal and financial issues with their manager, Mathew Knowles, and both
ended up filing a lawsuit against him that was later settled, Mathew’s
daughter Beyonce claims she would never try to undercut sales of Luckett’s
album.
"I have enormous respect and admiration for LeToya as an artist and
as a businesswoman and I wish her incredible success," Beyoncé said in a
statement to the New York Daily News, which ran a story on the alleged
sabotage. "LeToya and I have known each other since childhood and, because
of all we've been through, I know that we both really care — and want what's
best — for each other. ... It makes me sad that people are trying to stir up
a controversy where there is none."
Mathew Knowles called it "standard practice" for albums to go on
pre-sale well in advance of an in-store date, and said he was "shocked and
amazed that this is even an issue."
LIL’ KIM PREPS ‘LOCKDOWN 2’: Also, rapper sets up temporary business
headquarters and gets serious about her future.
*Lil’ Kim has a lot in common with Michael Scofield of the Fox
series “Prison Break.” Both left jail before their sentence was up, and both
are dealing with second seasons of hit television shows that make their
respective titles misleading.
“Prison Break” begins later this month with Scofield and company on
the lam, thus rendering the title passé. Lil’ Kim, fresh out of jail on
perjury charges, is busy editing footage for a second season of her BET
reality series “Countdown to Lockdown,” even though both the “countdown” and
“lockdown” parts are over.
According to her attorney, Londell McMillan, Kim has been busy
overseeing footage of the second season, which apparently will show her
homecoming and the weeks immediately following her release last month.
Born Kimberly Jones, the Brooklyn rapper has set up headquarters at
McMillan’s midtown offices, where she is “getting her personal, spiritual
and business life together” and “developing her business interests,”
McMillan tells the New York Daily News. It includes the 32-year-old going
through a "Harvard Business School-like training" so she can take charge of
her future, as well as the search for a new record deal and the
establishment of the Lil’ Kim Cares initiative to assist convicts with life
after prison.
"She wants to help them get re-acclimated because they will need
jobs, shelter and the basics," McMillan said.
Kim’s 30-day house arrest following a 10-month stay at the
Philadelphia Federal Detention Center comes to an end tomorrow (8/3).
DENZEL’S ‘AMERICAN GANGSTER’ FINALLY ROLLS CAMERAS: Film begins production in NY after two years of drama; T.I. added to the cast.
*Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe finally began production on
Imagine Entertainment’s “American Gangster” Monday in Queens, NY as news of
rapper T.I.’s addition to the cast was made public.
“Gangster’s” long and winding road began in late 2004, when director
Antoine Fuqua was attached to direct Washington and Benicio Del Toro in the
lead roles. But a month before production, Universal Pictures chairman
Stacey Snider canceled the film over fear the budget would surpass $100
million.
Imagine's Brian Grazer, who developed the drama from a New York
magazine article by Mark Jacobson, brought in “Hotel Rwanda” writer-director
Terry George to punch up Steve Zaillian's script and trim the budget. But
Scott eventually dropped out after Universal still couldn’t get its budget
issues together.
With the money situation finally worked out, enter Ridley Scott, who
will now direct Washington and Crowe in the 1970s-set film about a police
detective (Crowe) on the heels of a drug lord (Washington) who smuggled
heroin into Harlem inside the coffins of soldiers returning from Vietnam.
T.I. will play Washington’s nephew, a character he tells Billboard.com is
“somewhat of a stretch.”
"Right now I'm learning everything I can about my character. I'm
just there to soak things up," T.I. says. "There's a bunch of Academy
Award-winners on this cast and I'm just there to learn. I'm in school."
WESLEY SNIPES SUED BY FORMER AGENCY: UTA claims actor owes them millions in back commissions.
*United Talent Agency has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit
against former client Wesley Snipes claiming the actor is holding out on
their commissions for several of his films.
Filed Monday in California Superior Court in Los Angeles, the suit
says Snipes was paid at least $13 million for his work on 2004’s “Blade:
Trinity” and, in turn, paid commissions to UTA totaling about $717,000. But
UTA claims that Snipes still owes them about $584,000 for the film sequel.
UTA is also seeking commissions for three additional Snipes movies
totaling more than $2 million based on its 10% representation fee.
The actor, who just turned 44 on Monday, has been keeping busy
landing parts in at least five films: “The Shooter,” “Gallowwalker,”
“Toussaint,” “Snakeskin” and “Chasing the Dragon.”
JOCKS TRY TO AMBUSH WHOOPI’S FIRST RADIO SHOW: Opie & Anthony asked their listeners to pester the actress, but she fought back.
*Whoopi Goldberg spoke candidly about menopause, her "new teeth" and
the importance of kindness during Monday’s first broadcast of her radio
program “Whoopi in the Morning” from New York’s WKTU (103.5 FM). Then,
things turned ugly.
The actress, who kept her subject matter positive and uplifting with
such segments as “Manners Monday,” was eventually bombarded with prank calls
from listeners of rival syndicated morning team Opie and Anthony, who
broadcast every morning from New York’s WFNY (92.3 FM). According to the New York Daily News, Whoopi’s co-host, Cubby Bryant, screened most of the calls
before they got on the air, but Whoopi was still annoyed.
“Howard [Stern] is my friend. These others are not worth the dust he
walks on,” Whoopi told her audience. Opie and Anthony reportedly responded
to the Oscar winner on their show with: "Go back to Hollywood, you b****."
Despite the irritation, Goldberg’s first day went smoothly, according
to the Daily News. She reportedly sounded comfortable on the mic and played
about five songs an hour that fit in with WKTU’s format, including "Ladies
Night," Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together," Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie,"
"Lady Marmalade" and Cher's "When You Walk Away."
According to the Daily News, several running themes for the show were
cemented Monday, including Goldberg's fondness for the Yankees, fixing
Bryant up with a date, and a general sense of accentuating the positive.
Whoopi praised callers who touted experiences that ranged from
creating jewelry for adoptive parents to playing music at senior centers.
Under the “Manners Monday” theme, she took calls about thank-you notes and
listeners’ pet peeves about the erosion of civility.
The show will air two weeks in New York before its national launch
via Premiere Radio Networks.
KANYE, OPRAH, LEEZY AMONG VANITY FAIR’S ‘BEST-DRESSED’: Trio joins Stefani, Selma Blair, Sofia Coppola and Renee Zellweger.
*Vanity Fair magazine’s 67th annual Best Dressed list, appearing in
the September issue (on newsstands Aug. 8), includes first timer Kanye West,
as well as TV mogul Oprah Winfrey and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
West was chosen for his "fresh," "poetic" and "cutting-edge" style,
and for being “outspoken, not only in his beliefs, but also in his style,”
noted Amy Fine Collins, social correspondent for Vanity Fair. "I love what
he does with color. He loves pale pastels and nice sugary colors. He has a
beautiful way with language, but also with appearance.
“There's no one else that's doing what he's doing,” she continued.
“He goes far in new directions and is very watched, imitated and admired. He
feels good about himself and it shows. Kanye is a college boy. [Obviously,
she hasn’t seen the title of his first album.] He knows about the Lacoste
preppy collegiate look, but he's not going to leave it at that. Instead, he
takes elements of that and almost makes inside jokes on it. He never looks
like a slob, even if he's in jeans."
Rice, meanwhile, was chosen "for her immaculately groomed and
formidably dignified but with an audacious renegade streak fashion sense,
not to mention her black knee-high dominatrix boots."
Others making Vanity Fair’s best-dressed list this year include Gwen
Stefani, Selma Blair, Sofia Coppola, Renee Zellweger, David Beckham, George
Clooney, Anderson Cooper, gossip columnist Richard Johnson, Count Manfredi
Della Gherardesca, Charlotte Casiraghi (daughter of Monaco's Princess
Caroline) and Prince Ernst August of Hanover (Princess Caroline's husband).
The magazine also inducted Queen Rania of Jordan and model Kate Moss
into its fashion hall of fame, reserved for those who have graced the
best-dressed list at least four times. They join hall of fame members
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Tina Turner, Bianca Jagger, Iman, Sophia Lauren
and Queen Noor of Jordan, along with Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts,
David Bowie, Fred Astaire and Bryan Ferry.
FLAVOR FLAAAAV!: ‘Flavor of Love 2’ premieres Sunday; ‘Flavorette’ spinoff
to feature a season-one star searching for love.
*Don’t front, you know you’ve already set the TiVo to Season Pass
“Flavor Of Love 2,” which kicks off its second season on Sunday (8/6) at 10
p.m. on VH1. But we have just learned that the profound ghettoness does not
stop there.
VH1 is reportedly casting for a spinoff that will feature a harem of
20 young men competing for the hand of a former “Flavor of Love” contestant,
which could be New York, Hottie, Hoops, Goldie, or any of the other young
ladies of season one.
According to the Web site Reality Wanted, VH1 is looking for single
men between the ages of 21 and 35 for “The Flavorette,” which will hold
auditions in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis,
Baltimore and Washington D.C.
In the meantime, “Flavor of Love 2” begins Sunday with a 90-minute
episode in which viewers are introduced to a fresh crew of 20 ladies, as
well as their new nicknames personally selected by Flav.
“Even more outrageous and sexy, these girls are brassy, bold and
determined to get their man -- at any cost,” reads a statement from VH1.
“From the first five minutes to the final thirty seconds, this is a series
premiere that cannot be missed.”
If you can’t wait until Sunday to see the madness, VH1’s broadband
Internet service VSPOT (http://vspot.vh1.com) will sneak peek the entire
episode beginning today. Additionally, each week’s show will be available on
VSPOT in its entirety for 48 hours every Wednesday following its Sunday
night broadcast.
Also, VSPOT and VH1 Mobile will also host "extras" each week
including, never-before-seen footage from the show and aftershow segments
hosted by "Goldie" from season one.
Last season’s 90-minute "Flavor of Love" finale made VH1 history by
becoming the network's top rated telecast of all time.
LUDACRIS DECIDES TO THROW THEM ‘ROWS: Rapper cuts hair into a lil’ fro;
debuts look at KUBE 93’s Summer Jam in Seattle.
*Ludacris showed up at a concert in Seattle with a shorn head. His
trademark cornrows – or Ben Wallace afro when they’ve been taken out – was
completely gone and replaced by a closely-cropped fro that faded
ever-so-subtly on the sides.
The rapper says his decision to get rid of the extra hair is rooted
in an overall shift in direction marked by his upcoming album.
“‘Release Therapy’ marks a new phase in my life," the Atlanta rapper
said in a statement. "I'm very excited to move forward and try new things.
Life is all about change and this album will hopefully reflect some of my
growth as an artist and a person. With that said, it only makes sense that I
'shake things up' and try something different. Who knows what I'll come up
with next?"
Luda and his new hair will also appear in the music video for “Money
Maker,” which will premiere this fall on MTV as the first single from
“Release Therapy,” due Sept. 26.
FEMA HEAD MAY WATCH HBO’S ‘LEVEES’: R. David Paulison says he will see any report that will school him on what went wrong.
*When Spike Lee’s two-part documentary “When the Levees Broke: A
Requiem in Four Acts” premieres on HBO Aug. 21 and 22, one particular viewer
may tune in for tips on what not to do should another Category 5 storm pound
America’s shores.
R. David Paulison, the man who replaced Michael Brown as director of
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, tells the Associated Press that he
may watch the film if he’s not too busy dealing with the current hurricane
season.
“Levees” harshly criticizes FEMA’s response to Katrina in the days
immediately following its battering of the Gulf Coast. The organization’s
then-head, Michael Brown, ended up quitting the post in disgrace amidst
overwhelming disapproval of his leadership.
Paulison says he would like to see Spike’s documentary in hopes of
understanding how his agency went wrong.
"I'm taking this very seriously, and I'm not taking it personally,"
Paulison told reporters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, where he
joined President Bush on his briefing of the nation’s preparedness for the
current hurricane season. "I want to make this country proud of FEMA again.
I think we could do that."
Bush spokesman Tony Snow said the president is having regular
meetings to make sure the government is ready should another disaster
strike. "Whether that includes movie viewing, I don't know," Snow said.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA USE RACIST TERMS FOR CONDI RICE: Newspapers refer to her as ‘colored dark skinned black lady,’ ‘raven’ and ‘black spinster.’
*The Palestinians’ overall hatred of the United States has been taken
out on our Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
During her travels to the Middle East last week to help foster an end
to the current fighting, the Fatah party of Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas has been using racist terms in their reports of Rice’s
activities, referring to her as the "black woman," "raven," "colored dark
skinned black lady" and "black spinster."
An article in the PA daily Al Hayat, according to a translation by
Palestinian Media Watch, described Rice as a "raven" who "brings only
destruction."
Al Hayat also featured pictures of anti-American protesters toting
anti-Rice signs, some reading, "Murderer Rice go to Hell" and "Get out." One
placard, according to World Net Daily, had Rice drinking the blood of dead
babies and stating, "I need more blood."
A cartoon that ran last week in the PA controlled Al Quds newspaper
depicted Rice pregnant with a monkey. A caption read, "Rice speaks about
birth of new Middle East."
In a previous article by Al Hayat, Rice is described on three
separate occassions as the "black woman," while her father, who was an
ordained Presbyterian minister, was called the "black clergyman (who filled
Rice's head with Bible stories)." The article warned, "Beware of this 'black
spinster,' we don't want to say 'the black widow' out of respect for her
femininity and her intelligence."
Palestinian Media Watch reported this week: "In addition to the
offending news articles, the PA society is orchestrating demonstrations,
children's activities, and hateful visual displays all personally attacking
Condoleezza Rice."
Also Zyad Abu Ein, a senior Fatah official and general manager of the
PA's Ministry of Prisoners, encouraged a "day of rage" in which prisoners
were urged to protest a meeting between Rice and Abbas by refusing to
cooperate with prison wardens.
EUR BOOK REVIEW: The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy and the End of the Republic
by Kam Williams
*"Since 9/11, our country has undergone a transformation from republic to
empire that may well prove irreversible. It suddenly became un-American to
question the Bush administration's War on Terrorism, let alone a war on
Iraq, or on the whole Axis of Evil.
Most Americans do not recognize- or do not want to recognize- that the
United States dominates the world through its military power. Due to
government secrecy, they are often ignorant of the fact that their
government garrisons the globe. They do not realize that a vast network of
American military bases on every continent except Antarctica actually
constitutes a new form of empire.
This book is a guide to the American empire as it begins openly to spread
its imperial wings. As of September 2001, the Department of Defense
acknowledged at least 725 American military bases existed outside the United
States. Actually, there are many more.
As militarism, the arrogance of power, and the euphemisms required to
justify imperialism inevitably conflict with America's democratic structure
of government and distort its culture and basic values, I fear that we will
lose our country. Nowhere is it written that the U.S., in its guise as an
empire dominating the world, must go on forever." - Excerpted from the
Prologue
After the fall of the Soviet Union, America was left as the world's sole
superpower. According to Chalmers Johnson, rather than reacting to this
development as an opportunity to de-emphasize militarism, the U.S. has
instead escalated its efforts to expand its influence around the planet. In
his thought-provoking opus, The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy and
the End of the Republic, Johnson, Professor Emeritus at the University of
California at San Diego, issues some dire warnings about the likely
consequences, if this policy continues unchallenged and unabated.
For according to the author, something went seriously wrong with the country
in the wake of 9/11, when it suddenly was deemed unpatriotic to question the
President's unilateralist agenda of aggression. Virtually everyone in
positions to challenge the administration in this regard failed to do so,
capitulating to a compromise of American values in deference to the dictates
of the Military- Industrial Complex.
Johnson states that, "Our newspapers began to read like official gazettes,
television news simply gave up and followed the orders of its corporate
owners, and the two political parties competed with each other in being
obsequious to the White House." If allowed to continue to unchecked, he
predicts that the U.S. will ultimately collapse, due to a combination of
imperial overstretch, economic impracticalities and an inability to reform
itself.
Though The Sorrows of Empire has just been published in paperback, this
timely edition proves Chalmers Johnson to be even more prophetic, as more
and more of the fears he first expressed a couple of years ago have come to
be realized. A most informative and revealing read, and a surefire antidote
to the social sedative that seems to have lulled the masses into a
lemming-like acceptance of a fatal philosophy accelerating the tragic demise
of Western Civilization.
By Chalmers Johnson
Owl Books
Paperback, $16.00
400 pages
ISBN: 0-8050-7797-9
FILM/TV BITS: Griffin on NBC; Wilson, Coolio on TGC; ‘Betty’ delayed; new
DMX fit; Star’s job search.
*Eddie Griffin has signed on to executive produce and star in an NBC
comedy project loosely based on his life story. According to the Hollywood
Reporter, the network has given a script commitment to a proposed half-hour
series that will mirror Griffin’s life as a comedian and father. The show
will mark the actor’s first return to series television since the UPN sitcom
“Malcolm & Eddie,” which co-starred Malcolm Jamal Warner and ran from 1996
to 2000.
*“Grey’s Anatomy” actress Chandra Wilson and rapper Coolio will
appear in TV Guide Channel’s one-hour special, “Stars’ First Jobs,” to
premiere Monday Aug. 28 at 9 p.m. Host Melissa Rivers will join Wilson to
see if she still has what it takes to scoop ice cream at Baskin Robbins,
while Coolio revs up his old chainsaw and goes back to the forest as part of
the California Conversation Corps.
*Touchtone Television has halted production on ABC’s most buzzed
about new dramedy “Ugly Betty,” which is executive produced by Salma Hayek
and based on a Spanish soap about a plump young woman (America Ferrera)
working her dream job at a fashion magazine. According to Variety, execs
want to tweak upcoming scripts and address production issues to ensure that
the show lives up to the pilot, which wowed the majority of critics at last
month’s Television Critics Association press tour. Two years ago, Touchstone
decided to shut down production on a midseason drama to tinker with its
storylines and large ensemble cast. That show was called "Grey's Anatomy."
*DMX reportedly stormed out of BET’s New York studios Monday and held
an impromptu prayer circle in the middle of 57th Ave after being bumped from
his scheduled appearance on “106 & Park” for Janet Jackson. The blog
OhNoTheyDidn't reports that BET staffers had to run after him and calm him
down with promises that he would be booked for the following day. The blog
also reports that Star Jones’ husband Al Reynolds randomly appeared at BET
in order to see him some Janet.
Star, meanwhile, is reportedly still on the hunt for a new job after
being fired from “The View.” According to the New York Post, the former
prosecutor’s agent had lunch recently with CNN news chief Jonathan Klein in
a possible pitch to snag a CNN Headline News gig.
MUSIC BITS: Janet’s LP title; Trice album; Rhymefest joins Tribe; Sizzla LP;
Turner’s anniversary; Peas for Kyi; Three 6 inks with Warner; Lloyd on
Sho'Nuff.
*Janet Jackson has decided to change the title of her upcoming album
from "20 Years Old" to "20 Y.O." at the suggestion of fans participating in
an album cover design contest the singer is holding on Yahoo! Music. When
several fans submitted designs with covers that read "20 Y.O." instead of
"20 Years Old," Janet got the hint and decided to officially change the
title. The CD hits stores on Sept. 26.
*Obie Trice’s sophomore album, “Second Round’s on Me,” has a new
release date of Aug. 15 via Eminem's Shady Records imprint. The set’s
arrival, which was pushed back from May 30, will feature tracks with 50
Cent, Trey Songz, Trick Trick and Nate Dogg. Producers for the album include
Eminem, Jonathan "JR" Rotem and Akon, who laced the first single, “Snitch.”
The cut "Wanna Know," featuring a Van Halen sample, has already been
featured on HBO's "Entourage."
*Rapper Rhymefest will join A Tribe Called Quest on the bill for the
second annual 2K Sports Bounce tour, which begins Sept. 1 in Detroit and
will run through Oct. 1 in Sayreville, N.J. At venues, fans will have the
opportunity to sample various 2K videogames. For the full tour itinerary,
visit www.2KSports.com.
*Dancehall star Sizzla will drop his new album "The Overstanding" on
Oct. 3 via Damon Dash Music Group. Sizzla emerged during the latter half of
the '90s, and quickly became one of the leaders of the modern dancehall
movement. Along with Buju Banton and Capleton, he helped lead dancehall back
to the musical and spiritual influence of roots reggae, favoring organic
productions and heavily Rastafarian subject matter.
*The New York Post is reporting that Tina Turner and her boyfriend,
German record exec Erwin Bach, were scheduled to celebrate their 20-year
anniversary with a party Tuesday night in Zurich, Switzerland. Dress code
was reportedly "black-and-white chic casual."
*The Black Eyed Peas have launched a freedom campaign for jailed
Nobel Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's vibrant
democracy and human rights movement. With large images of Aung San Suu Kyi
(pronounced: Aung Sawn Sue Chee) posted on stage, The Peas dedicated their
song "Where is the Love" to the imprisoned Burmese leader during a concert
Monday in Bangkok, Thailand. The performance will also be simulcast into
Burma where she is under house arrest and the government forbids democratic
messages to its populous. With the aid of uncensored satellite technology,
this will be only the second time the Burmese people will be able to watch
part of an international music concert in which musicians speak about Aung
San Suu Kyi.
*Three 6 Mafia's Hypnotize Minds Productions (HMP) has signed a
distribution deal with Warner Bros. for a reported $30 million, reports
Allhiphop.com. The pact calls for Warner Bros. to market, promote and
distribute new HMP artists as well as collaborate on movies and video games.
In turn, Hypnotize Minds will produce for Warner Bros. artists.
*Atlantic Records has signed Atlanta-based R&B vocalist and
songwriter Lloyd to a long-term, exclusive worldwide recording contract
through a pact with Jazze Pha’s Sho'Nuff Records. Lloyd is currently at work
on his Sho'Nuff/Atlantic debut, while his new single, "You," is building
airplay momentum at radio. "When surrounded by greatness, you're destined
for it," said Lloyd in a statement. "Not only am I now in the company of my
peers at Atlantic Records -- with the likes of T.I., Gnarls Barkley,
Juvenile, Lupe Fiasco, Trey Songz and so many others -- but through Henry
'Noonie' Lee and Jazze Pha's Sho'Nuff, I'm also presented with the
opportunity to create my own legacy with my company, Young Goldie
Productions. We will make history.”
SPORTS BITS: Jeter’s scent; Blake drinks Evian; Tiger confirms Deutsche;
Smush camp; ‘Contender 2’ ratings.
*New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter has come out with a new
signature fragrance through Avon Products. The scent, titled Driven, is
designed to “capture ambition, courage, passion and confidence” through a
blend of crushed leaves, black pepper, chilled grapefruit, rhubarb,
lavender, spearmint, bamboo, driftwood and oak moss, the company said. "I
knew what I wanted. I didn't want it to overtake a room," Jeter, 32, told
The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. "I wanted it to be clean and
sophisticated." Jeter said he was involved in the development process and
will appear in the cologne’s print ads. Available in November for $25 per
bottle, Driven is the first in a series of men's grooming products from Avon
that will bear Jeter's name.
*Not to be outdone, tennis star James Blake, ranked fifth in the
world, has signed a multiyear, mid-six-figure endorsement deal with bottled
water company Evian. The pact marks his first non-tennis sponsorship deal
since he made his debut in the top 10 earlier this year. "He has clearly
turned the corner, establishing himself as a top-10 player. In the marketing
world, it's given him a new level of credibility as a corporate
spokesperson," said Blake's agent, Carlos Fleming. Blake is also Evian’s
first athlete endorser.
*Tiger Woods said he will compete at the 2006 Deutsche Bank
Championship, to be held Aug. 29-Sept. 4 at the Tournament Players Club of
Boston. Woods is coming off an emotional defense of his British Open
championship title on July 23. "It's a thrill to come back to the Deutsche
Bank Championship, a tournament I have always enjoyed playing in a region
where there is a deep appreciation for golf," Woods said. "I feel very
positive about the shape of my game right now and I hope I can reward the
fans in New England with a little extra something to cheer about." The $5.5
million Deutsche Bank Championship, which has become one of New England's
Labor Day sports traditions is entering its fourth year and showcases a
156-player field vying for a winner's check of $990,000. Tickets can be
purchased by visiting the official Championship Web site at
www.dbchampionship.com or by calling (877) TIX-4DBC or 877-849-4322.
*The Smush Parker Summer Basketball Camp, hosted by the Los Angeles
Lakers standout, is being held in West Hills, Calif. from Aug. 15 through 18
for boys and girls ages 8-14 years old. The program will help raise the
confidence of children and teens, as well as offer specialized basketball
instruction with an emphasis on team play and the fundamentals of
basketball. There will be special speakers, gifts for the children and
special award ceremonies. Tuition is $300, which includes Quality training,
Nike Camp T-Shirt, Nike Bag, Smush Parker Autograph Session, special guest
speakers and a skill contest. The camp is located at The Bernard Milken
Jewish Community Campus (22622 Vanowen St, West Hills). Call 562 458-6700
for details.
*ESPN is loving its new reality show “The Contender 2,” which
features Sugar Ray Leonard guiding boxing hopefuls in elimination bouts
toward a grand title. The show’s first two episodes pulled in a collective
20 million viewers through airings on both ESPN and ESPN2. Key demographic
groups are also showing ratings increases from its 2005 run on NBC: males
12-17 - up 106%; males 18-34 - up 87%; males 18-49 - up 71%; males 25-54 -
up 62%; females 18-34 - up 265%; females 18-49 - up 153%; females 25-54 - up
105%. “The Contender” airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. PST / 10 p.m. EST on ESPN.
EVENT/CONTEST CALENDAR: Quincy honored; ISC songwriting competition; Field Mob contest; “Love, Power & Pride” promotes AIDS testing; SERAFEMME
correction.
*Impresario Quincy Jones has been named the 2007 DaimlerChrysler
"Behind the Lens" honoree, and will be feted at an event to be held at the
Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on October 24. Jones -- whose career
spans over 50 years and has encompassed such roles as composer, record
producer, artist, conductor, record company executive, entrepreneur and
movie and television producer -- will be recognized for his contributions in
the world of film and television. "It is an honor to receive this award,
particularly as DaimlerChrysler marks the fifth anniversary of recognizing
those of us who work so tirelessly 'Behind the Lens,'" said Jones. "I am
proud to be in the esteemed company of this award's predecessors." He joins
pioneers such as directors John Singleton ("Boyz N the Hood"), Gordon Parks
("Shaft") and Melvin Van Peebles ("Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song") and
Hollywood casting veteran and director Reuben Cannon ("Madea's Family
Reunion") as past recipients of this prestigious award.
*International Songwriting Competition (ISC), one of the largest
songwriting competitions in the world, is now accepting entries for 2006.
Entrants are offered a chance to share in over $150,000 in cash and prizes,
including an Overall Grand Prize package of $25,000 in cash and over $20,000
in merchandise. Winners benefit from extensive press and publicity, gaining
exposure and recognition from an international music market of industry
professionals and fans. Among ISC’s 2006 judging panel are Mona Scott-Young
(President, Violator Records); Cassandra Wilson; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC)
and Steve Lillywhite (Senior VP A&R/Producer, Columbia Records - credits
include U2, Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel, etc.). Entries are accepted
online or by mail. For more information or to enter ISC 2006, please visit
www.songwritingcompetition.com. The deadline for submission is Oct. 16.
*In the tradition of Bubba Sparxxx’s controversial nationwide contest
to find a Ms. New Booty, Georgia rap group Field Mob has decided to go the
same route to promote their track, “Baby Bend Over,” the second single from
their Disturbing Tha Peace/Geffen Records release “Light Poles and Pine
Trees.” Group member Smoke tells ladies: “Me and Shawn need to see who got
the biggest donkey on the net. Get ya web cam out and make ya own "Baby Bend
Over" video and send ‘em in and we’ll post the best video on our page. Only
apple bottoms over the age of 18 need apply.” More info can be found on
Smoke’s Myspace blog:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=23402490&blo
gID=144022814&MyToken=6b2c6af7-97ca-4406-9e82-c92c0ef56053
*In an effort to encourage AIDS testing, Pride In The City (PITC),
New York City's official Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT)
community celebration hosted by People of Color in Crisis, Inc. (POCC),
presents their annual weekend festival, "Love, Power & Pride," to be held
Aug. 3 through 6. The event includes live performances from Chante Moore,
SWV, Nina Sky and others. Also, Karamo from MTV’s “Real World” will be on
hand. In 2005, Pride In The City was recognized as New York City's official
Black Pride event by the International Federation of Black Pride (IFBP).
*CORRECTION: Meshell Ndegeocello and KRS-One will not be performing
at SERAFEMME as previously reported. The event, a lesbian women-of-color
music festival to take place in Los Angeles this month, will feature acts
who have opened for the pair - DJ Nova Jade and Skim, respectively.
SERAFEMME is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 20 from noon until 6
p.m. in West Hollywood Park (647 North San Vicente Blvd.). Among this
year’s 27 performers will be DJ Nova Jade, Skim, Nadirah Shakoor
(former lead singer of Arrested Development) and dance chart topper Lori
Jenaire. In addition to live music and spoken word, SERAFEMME will also
feature a variety of arts, craft, and food vendors. “SERAFEMME was created
to fill a void for queer female artists of color,” said festival coordinator
Marquita Thomas. “The response to last year’s festival was incredible and
people from all over the nation have asked if we could bring SERAFEMME to
their city.” Admission is $10. For more information, including vendor
applications and volunteer opportunities, please call (323) 656-8895 or
email events@beoutandabout.com.
GEORGIA TECH HAS MOST ENGINEERING MASTER DEGREE GRADS: School also ranks high in bachelor and doctoral degrees awarded to blacks.
*Georgia Tech is the top producer of African-American engineers at
the master’s degree level, according to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
magazine’s annual college rankings report.
During the 2004-2005 academic year, Georgia Tech was ranked No. 1 in
master’s degrees in engineering granted to African-American students,
with 29 degrees, up from 26 last year when Tech also held the top spot.
Other top five degree producers at the master’s level include North Carolina
A&T State University and the University of Michigan, each with 26 degrees,
and Old Dominion University and Southern Methodist University, each with 20
degrees.
"These rankings illustrate Tech’s commitment to graduating top
minority students in engineering,” said President Wayne Clough. “We are
proud of Georgia Tech’s national leadership role in this area and even more
proud of the success of our minority graduates.”
Tech was ranked No. 2 in bachelor’s degrees awarded to
African-American engineering students with 117 degrees. North Carolina A&T
University, a historically black university, held the top spot this year.
Tech shared the No. 3 slot for doctoral degrees with Vanderbilt
University, George Mason University and the University of Florida. Each
school granted four doctoral degrees to African-American engineering
students during the 2004-2005 academic year. The No. 1 spot was held by the
University of Maryland, followed by the University of Michigan.
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, a publication that covers
minorities in American higher education, used statistics collected by the
U.S. Department of Education to compile the rankings edition. The special
report identifies the top 100 minority degree producers among institutions
of higher education and is the only national report of U.S. colleges and
universities awarding degrees to African-American, Latino, Asian-American
and Native-American students.
The report was released as a two-part series spotlighting
undergraduate and graduate statistics. Graduate and professional degree
statistics appear in the July 13 edition of Diverse. Undergraduate
statistics were released in the magazine’s June 1 edition.
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