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09-01-06 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
KARRINE’S ‘TRICKY SITUATION’ WITH BOBBY BROWN: ‘Video Vixen’ explains what’s really going on.
*Karrine Steffans, the former self-described “coke whore” who got clean and wrote a book detailing her sexual exploits with rappers and famous athletes, is responding to claims that she is dating one of those previous sex partners, Bobby Brown.
"It's a really tricky situation," Steffans told the New York Daily News of her relationship with Brown, the husband of singer Whitney Houston. “He is my dearest friend. But I'm not saying it's romantic. We won't know what it is till we're ready.
Steffans, author of “Confessions of a Video Vixen,” does acknowledge
Bobby’s marriage to Houston, stating: "There's a wife and children involved.
I don't want to wreck any marriages. But if a marriage is already wrecked,
that's not my fault."
When asked if she and Bobby have been intimate lately, she responded:
"It's none of your business. I'm still celibate. And if you believe that,
I'll tell you another one."
"Look, there are way bigger things in the works than a romance,” she
continued. “I'm a businesswoman. Bobby and I are working together on some
things."
As previously reported, online gossip columnist Janet Charleton
reported that Steffans is "using Bobby because she wants her own reality
show."
"Please," she said of the notion. "You think I need Bobby Brown to
get a reality show? I've turned down four reality shows."
As for Bill Maher, the man she referred to in April as the "love of
my life," Steffans said: "We still talk," she says. "I'm going to have
dinner with Bill next week" to celebrate her 28th birthday.
Regarding Whitney Houston and her personal issues, Steffans commented:
"I've never met her, but I'm a big fan. I want her to come back and sing her
heart out."
MARIAH, KANYE WIN BIG AT BMI’S URBAN AWARDS: L.A. and Babyface honored as “Icons.”
*BMI held their 6th Annual Urban Awards show in New York Wednesday
night, with top honors going to Mariah Carey, Kanye West and producer Jazze
Pha.
Carey, currently on tour across the country, took home Song of the
Year for her smash “We Belong Together” and Songwriter of the Year, which
she shared with Miami-based producers Bigg D and Jim Jonsin.
West earned the Producer of the Year title for the second consecutive
year, and Jazze Pha nabbed the BMI Urban Ringtone Award for his production
of Ciara’s “1, 2 Step.” Also, Warner/Chappell Music Group was named Urban
Publisher of the Year.
The songwriting/production duo Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and
Antonio “L.A.” Reid were crowned BMI Icons for their “enduring influence on
generations of music makers.”
Executives from music trade magazine Billboard were also on hand to
give out No. 1 Awards to the BMI songs that reached the top spot on its
urban music charts. For a complete list of winners, please visit
bmi.com/urban.
C MURDER BACK UNDER FULL HOUSE ARREST: Rapper ignores rules and attends Spike’s documentary premiere in New Orleans.
*Corey Miller, formerly known as rapper C Murder, was ordered back
into full home confinement Tuesday after a judge in his murder case caught
him at the premiere of Spike Lee’s Hurricane Katrina documentary.
State District Judge Martha Sassone said Tuesday she had planned to
put Miller on partial house arrest until his second trial for second-degree
murder begins, but those plans were scrapped when she saw the rapper being
interviewed at the Aug. 16 premiere of Lee’s HBO documentary, "When the
Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts."
"You're on home incarceration to prepare for a defense, not to have a
social life," Sassone told Miller, according to AP.
.
The 35-year-old New Orleans native is awaiting a retrial in the 2002
shooting of a 16-year-old boy outside a nightclub in Harvey. His original
conviction was overturned after a judge ruled that prosecutors had withheld
the criminal backgrounds of key state witnesses from the defense.
When he was released from prison in March, the brother of No Limit
founder Master P was first placed on 24-hour house arrest. On July 13,
Sassone gave him a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and ordered him to remain within
Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.
His house arrest was reinstated in August by a state appeals court,
which said that Sassone needed to have a hearing on state objections to
Miller's release from house arrest. The judge allowed Miller to attend
Sunday church services, but rejected a request to let him exercise in a
park.
MORE TALES FROM MARIAH’S ‘MIMI’ TOUR: Connecticut fans wanted more than 75 minutes; Montreal concertgoers see wardrobe malfunction?
*Mariah Carey fans at her concert in Montreal, Canada swear they saw
one of her breasts pop out of her black gown during a number, reports the
Globe.
According to reports, she was in the midst of her show at Centre Bell
arena on August 15 when the accident took place, forcing her to skedaddle
off stage and make the appropriate adjustments.
"The twins didn't want to stay where they were supposed to," she
reportedly said.
Meanwhile, fans attending Mariah Carey's show in Uncasville, Conn.
Friday night are extremely disappointed at the short amount of time the
Grammy winner actually spent on stage.
After paying up to $160 for tickets, fans say they felt
shortchanged when the show ended abruptly after only 75 minutes, 15 of which
she spent off stage changing in and out of costumes. After performing "We
Belong Together,” she reportedly told the crowd goodnight and bounced. Folks
thought for sure she would return for an encore, but that never happened.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, one concertgoer at the
Mohegan Sun Arena griped: "Mariah barely played for an hour. We are
demanding a refund! Everyone in the audience was so mad. She cut songs out
of the show and was just not into it at all."
Another disgruntled fan added: "I don't even think she was on for
more than 45 minutes. I've never seen anyone suck as bad in concert and just
not care."
It was also reported that Carey pulled a “Kyra Phillips” (the CNN
anchor whose live mike carried her ladies room banter over their televised
Bush speech Tuesday). Mariah reportedly snapped at one of the crew members
during her set saying, "Get that light off me you dummy" before realizing
her microphone was on. She quickly tried to cover by adding, "Oops, just
kidding!"
‘LOST’ STAR PERRINEAU FINDS MUCH WORK: Actor books three film gigs to fill time during absence from ABC hit drama.
*Harold Perrineau has seen his stock in Hollywood fly through the
roof since entering the homes of millions each week on the ABC drama “Lost.”
His stranded character Michael Dawson was last seen betraying
fellow castaways in order to retrieve his kidnapped son from “The Others.”
The 43-year-old Brooklyn native will not be a part of the show’s upcoming
third season, but may return the following year to resume the role full
time. During his time away, Perrineau will remain busy shooting three
upcoming films.
“28 Weeks Later,” a sequel to the sci-fi hit “28 Days Later,” will
star the actor as an upbeat American Special Forces pilot who documents and
leads to safety the families returning to London after the viral outbreak.
Perrineau will also star in "Your Name Here," described as a Charlie
Kaufman-esque story set in the last days of the life of sci-fi author Philip
K. Dick, the man behind such films as "Blade Runner" and "A Scanner Darkly."
Matthew Wilder wrote and is directing the film, in which Perrineau will play
Richard Roundtree, a star in the fictional '70s thriller "Earthquake,"
obsessed with Dick.
Perrineau has also joined the cast of "Gardens of the Night,"
starring John Malkovich and Jeremy Sisto in the story of kids who were
abducted as children into a prostitution ring. They run away years later,
and now live as teenage street kids.
KANYE WEST UPSET OVER VMA NOMINATION: Singer thought clip for ‘Touch the Sky’ was better than nominee ‘Gold Digger.’
*It wasn’t enough that Kanye West was nominated for three MTV Video
Music Awards. The rapper/producer says he has issues with the particular
video the network opted to recognize.
His video for “Gold Digger,” featuring Jamie Foxx, was nominated for
best pop video, best male video and best hip-hop video at Thursday's MTV
Video Music Awards in New York, but West feels that his Evel
Knievel-inspired clip for “Touch the Sky” would’ve been a far better choice.
"It didn't get any nominations, but it's one of the most memorable
videos of the year for me," he told The Associated Press Tuesday, speaking
backstage before performing at an exclusive concert for American Express
cardholders.
West, who recently popped the question to his girlfriend Alexis,
admits that the “Touch the Sky” single itself wasn’t a huge hit, but felt
the video – featuring Pamela Anderson, Nia Long and Tracee Ellis Ross –
deserved to be nominated among the year’s best.
"I'm not trying to be No. 1; I'm trying to make something that lasts
forever, something that's really memorable," he said.
Meanwhile, one of the folks in the audience of West’s American
Express show was Rosie O’Donnell, who will make her debut next week as a new
co-host on “The View.” The TV personality told the New York Daily News that
meeting West "might be freaky, like he might think I'm a stalker or
something - and I would be if I didn't have my own show."
THE FILM STRIP: Anthony Mackie, Wayne Brady & Eva Pigford on 'Crossover.'
By Marie Moore
In “Crossover” it’s all about the moves on the pavement but this
streetball drama is no “Above the Rim,” Anthony Mackie says.
“This is a story of two kids coming of age and trying to make their
hustle work. From the first day that we arrived, there was no necessary
hierarchy on the set and a lot of that had to do with the producing team. It
was really easy to do because there was no pressure in trying to emulate
Tupac or anybody in ‘Above the Rim.’"
The film makes some powerful statements about education and Mackie
definitely wants that message to impact on audiences.
“There is not a lot of emphasis on school and I catch a lot of flack
because of the fact that I went to school. One thing I wanted people to come
away from this movie with is that basketball is a means to an end. You
realize that when more than half of the veterans of the NBA, in some way,
shape or form, are struggling once they retire. Everybody doesn't have the
financial riches and stability of Magic Johnson as we see. Everybody doesn't
have those resources. My dad always told me to ‘Use your best foot to get
your education,’ and 'use your education to take you to the next level’ and
that's what the film is basically saying.
“What Vince Carter did was monumental when he went back to school to
graduate after he had left school early and came back the day of the playoff
game because he didn't want to miss his graduation in North Carolina. I felt
that was so overlooked and so underplayed in the world of hatred towards NBA
players and I felt that there should have been a huge confetti parade for
him for doing that. I just want this movie to highlight that. I want people
to recognize that just because you don't make it to the NBA doesn't mean
that you are a failure.”
Also meeting with a group of writers to discuss “Crossover” was Wayne
Brady. The Emmy Award-winning former TV host wanted to make clear the role
he played.
"A couple of folks have tried to say, 'Oh, so you're the bad guy in
the movie, but he isn't the bad guy,” Brady says. “He's selfish. That
doesn't make someone a bad guy. He has his own agenda and his agenda was to
get out of Detroit by using the star player. That was his agenda and he just
happened to set into motion a chain of events. It had nothing to do with
being evil. I mean that's a very human thing."
At one point, The Film Strip mentioned how articulate he was, which
opened a can of worms.
"My answer is, and I hope this doesn't sound corny, but a lot of it
stems from my mother,” he explained. “My family is from the Virgin Islands,
so one lesson I learned as a two-year-old was to speak properly so that
folks can understand you. It doesn't mean that maybe when I'm with my
friends I'm not a little more lax, or whatever. But I do understand that in
a society that is communication based, if you wanna work—and you as a writer
know—the last thing you want to do is to be misunderstood. That's just the
way she brought me up and sometimes I ran into trouble with that as a kid.
"Not only did I speak the way that I speak, but I also had an accent.
So the kids in my neighborhood beat me morning, noon and night. On the bus,
off the bus and it didn't help that I was bussed from my neighborhood to
another school for the gifted program a few days a week. When I got off that
bus, they were there waiting for me. So it kind of taught you to A) defend
yourself and B), be able to stick to your guns.
“At first I was a little resentful of my mom and kind of went left
because I wanted to prove to the other kids in my neighborhood that I was
down, or I was like them. But too many of those kids--and now it's a story
that is very much clichéd--I grew up with are dead. On my block there's a
kid named Eddie that I used to get beaten up by him and he would make me
hang around with him. He's now in a wheel chair and his brother is dead.
"Girls I used to think were so hot and wouldn't talk to me [aren't all
that hot now]. This one girl that lived right across the street from me—and
I hope she does read this—because she has like 14 babies; and that's not a
hyperbole. I drove by one day and she's like, 'Hey, Wayne Brady, remember
me?'
“In my yard one day this girl named Tisha said something to me I’ll
never forget. I'm 34 years old and this happened when I was about 12 or 13.
I said something like, 'Tisha, I think you're so pretty. 'Wayne,' she said,
'You are a real ugly black muthaf**cker.' Ok, yeah, how do you process that?
Yeah, that's a grudge that I kept. But God bless her, because stuff like
that kind of pushed me.'
Well, Wayne, they say success is the best revenge.
Eva Pigford says let there no doubt in anyone’s mind, “I’m definitely
the villain in ‘Crossover.’” Although she says that was not her reality,
she grew up around girls like that. A reflection of the film itself, Pigford
is a college grad.
“I figured I could either go into law, which is a stage, or theater
which is a stage. So American Top Model gave me visibility and was my ticket
into the [film] industry.”
Considering the choices she made in the film, subject of real life men
entered the conversation.
“I want a well-groomed man. Nice guys. If you see my ex-boyfriends,
you’ll [see what I’m taking about].”
"Crossover" opens today in theaters throughout North America. For MORE
info visit: www.sonypictures.com/movies/crossover/.
COMMON FALLS INTO THE GAP: Chicago rapper part of clothing chain’s new
celebrity ad campaign.
*Chicago MC Common is among the celebrities that will appear in the
latest ad campaign for Gap’s new line of t-shirts.
Under the title “long live individuality,” black-and-white photos
taken by acclaimed photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin
will feature celebrities wearing their favorite Gap t-shirt in a way that
expresses their individual style, personality and energy.
Other stars participating in the campaign include Jeremy Piven, Mia
Farrow, Aaron Eckhart, Natasha Bedingfield, Fall Out Boy member Pete Wentz,
Eva Herzigova, Lou Doillon, Paula Patton, Kristen Stewart, Brice Marden and
Yvonne Force.
The "T-shirt Shop" print campaign will run in the September issues of
magazines, including Vanity Fair, Elle, InStyle, Vogue and GQ.
Common and Piven attended recent promotional events for the campaign
at the Gap's Hollywood and Highland store in Los Angeles and the Lexington
Street store in New York City.
MYA READY FOR ‘LIBERATION’ DAY: Singer’s new album features input from The Game, DJ Kool and Scott Storch.
*R&B singer Mya said she had to leave the superficiality of Los
Angeles behind and return to her native Washington D.C. to get her head
right for the recording of her new album, “Liberation,” due Nov. 14 from
Universal Motown.
"I just knew that I had to get back to my roots and rediscover what
had made me excited in the first place," she tells Billboard. "I have all
this creative energy and all these ideas but LA it was too impersonal of a
place to develop a real creative family."
“In addition to first single "Ayo" featuring DJ Kool, “Liberation”
includes "I Got That" featuring the Game, "Lock U Down," produced by Scott
Storch and "I Am," produced by Kwame.
Mya also makes a guest appearance on Marques Houston's upcoming
album, "Tug," and will be seen in the Bill Duke-directed drama "Cover," due
in theaters this fall.
MIKE TYSON IS NOW A VEGAS ACT: Former boxing champ makes money by charging tourists to watch him spar.
*And so it has come to this. The once mighty Mike Tyson, who amassed
more than $300 million throughout his boxing career before losing it all, is
now earning a living these days as a side show on the Las Vegas strip.
According to the Associated Press, the former heavyweight champion
works in a makeshift boxing ring inside of the Aladdin hotel. His job is to
throw a few punches into the mitts of his “trainer” Jeff Fenech as tourists
take pictures.
"I'm looking to make a buck like anyone else," Tyson explained to an
AP columnist.
Tyson says he's uncomfortable going out in front of people
masquerading as the fighter he once was when he knows it's all really a
charade. But with creditors breathing down his muscled back, he feels he has
no choice.
"I truly hate fighting," he said. "I've got a bad taste in my mouth."
There's talk of a series of three-round exhibition fights to earn
the former boxer some extra cash. It's a time-honored tradition in boxing,
where no one gets hurt and the former champ who is down on his luck gets a
small taste of the money he used to make.
Tyson still manages to drive a BMW, but is quick to add that he used
to roll in Bentleys and Ferraris. He says he doesn’t want anyone’s sympathy,
and isn't quite sure why many fans are still concerned about his well being.
"I had a great life. I had 20 lives. No way should they be
sympathetic to me," Tyson said. "People truly believe and support me. I
realized that over time. I don't know if it's for sympathetic reasons or
just something that they can relate to me in life."
BEYONCE GATOR DRAMA LOAD OF CROC: Sources say real gators were never handled by Beyonce in photo shoot for ‘Ring the Alarm.’
*Turns out the story involving Beyonce and the gators that prompted
an irate biologist to send her a defensive letter is “completely bogus”
according to sources close to her label Sony.
According to TMZ.com, a “well known reptile biologist” wrote a
letter to Beyonce protesting a recent photo shoot in which the singer was
said to have posed with two alligators. The Web site cited quotes from
British men’s magazine Arena, which features Beyonce on the cover of its
September 2006 issue.
Beyonce was quoted as saying: "There was a shot where I held an
alligator. [He] had [his] mouth taped--that was my bright idea. … He was
really cute, but since his mouth was taped, he didn't have any way to defend
himself. He was upset, so he peed on me. That was an experience!"
But a source for Beyonce’s label Sony tells EUR, “Those alligators
weren't even on the set with her. They were super-imposed for the shoot.”
Meanwhile, no one has told Dr. Clifford Warwick, the world renowned
reptile biologist who TMZ says was contacted by PETA to write the protest
letter to Beyonce. The website obtained a copy of the letter, which
admonishes the singer for “reports” that she had the alligators mouths taped
shut.
“You noted that he was so frightened and defenseless that he relieved
himself all over the set,” wrote Warwick. “By taping his mouth closed, this
alligator was very exposed to his captor (you) and other surrounding threats
with no way of evading the predicament. …I should hope that, on reflection
and consideration of these wild animals’ natural needs, you would opt from
now on to leave wild animals in the wild."
The letter was also posted on PETA'S website.
FORMER N.W.A. MANAGER WRITES MEMOIR: Jerry Heller pens book detailing formation of groundbreaking rap group.
*Long gone are the days when one by one, members of N.W.A. left the
fold with bitter feelings for their manager, Jerry Heller.
The music industry veteran, who had represented artists from Elton
John to Van Morrison to Marvin Gaye, ran the affairs of the gangsta rap
group fronted by Ruthless Records founder Eric “Eazy E” Wright. But after
several albums, group member Cube began accusing Heller of being funny with
the money. The rapper’s concerns caused dissension in the group, and
ultimately led to Cube’s departure.
In Cube’s solo hit “No Vaseline” Heller was referred to as “the Jew”
allowed by Eazy E to “break up my crew,” Soon group member Dr. Dre would
follow Cube’s exit citing similar allegations toward Heller. In the video
for Dre’s solo classic “F*** Wit Dre Day,” Heller was lampooned as a
money-hungry executive, with Eazy depicted as his clueless lackey.
The past comes up again in a new memoir written by Heller that
chronicles the formation of N.W.A., which also featured rapper MC Ren and DJ
Yella. Eleven years following Eazy’s death from AIDS, the 65-year-old
reflects on his time with N.W.A. in the book, “Ruthless.”
He spoke by phone with The Associated Press from his Los Angeles
office about "the most important music since the beginning of rock 'n'
roll."
AP: What kind of person was Eazy-E?
Heller: Eazy was an exceptional human being. He was a visionary. He was very
Machiavellian, he understood power and how to use it. He was a good-hearted
guy, a good father, just an exemplary human being. I couldn't be any prouder
of him than if he had been my blood son. It's amazing that we could have
this relationship because we're so different. He told me I was the first
white person he ever met not in a police uniform or collecting rent. I miss
him very much.
AP: With all the bad stuff Eazy boasted about in his music, how can you say
he was a good person?
Heller: I have no proof that he was ever a drug dealer. I'm not sure if he
was or he wasn't. I know that it was good for the Ruthless image, the
Ruthless persona, so maybe that's why he adopted that.
AP: C'mon, man ...
Heller: He certainly never (dealt drugs) at Ruthless. It wasn't a part of
our lives. Now, if you want to talk about how somebody who espoused this
kind of brutal misogynistic music could be a good person, well, this was the
voice of our inner cities that most white people had never come across. To
the guys in Ruthless, this was the reality of their way of life. This is the
way they grew up, the way things were.
AP: You have a lot to say in your book about Ice Cube, who talked real bad
about you after he left N.W.A.
Heller: He insulted me as a man, as a person, as a Jewish person. ... (yet)
he is probably the most important African-American indie filmmaker in the
business today. His movies are incredible. Certainly "Friday" and
"Barbershop" are important movies, he's an important guy, yet until
recently, this year, I never saw an interview where he didn't talk bad about
me.
AP: How did Suge Knight enter the picture?
Heller: Suge was a part-time security guard at Ruthless. He can be a very
charming guy, and my initial instincts were to help him. Eazy was more
perceptive, he always thought he was going to be problem. I remember walking
into my office one day, and Suge was standing there staring at my chair. He
didn't see me. I said to him, "What you doing, man, you think that's gonna
be your chair?" I never thought anyone could come between Dre and Eazy, they
were childhood friends and as close as brothers. I didn't take Suge as
seriously as I should have.
AP: How do you feel today, looking at what gangsta rap has become?
Heller: Imagine me walking into Joe Smith's office, he's chairman of Capitol
Records, I play him the record. ... He said, "You're trying to tell me
somebody's gonna listen to this, or play it, or buy it? The day that happens
I'll retire." Joe Smith remains one of the giants of the music business and
I love him dearly. I said, "Joe, I remember when radio wouldn't play the
Rolling Stones singing `Let's Spend the Night Together.' Times change. This
is the music of the future." He says, "I love the name Ruthless. I'll give
you a million dollars for the name. But as far as this other stuff, you
better stop getting high."
AP: What did you think that day you first met Eazy and he played you his
song "Boyz-n-the-Hood"?
Heller: It just totally blew me away. It was a combination of The Last
Poets, Black Panthers, Gil Scott Heron and the Rolling Stones. If I wasn't
so old I wouldn't have been able to relate to it. I thought: This is the
most important music I've heard since the beginning of rock 'n' roll.
AP: You were right, although some people would still argue with you.
Heller: This was the first time that the voices of our inner city were
heard. The only question in my mind was how could we water it down so white
people would buy it.
AP: It turns out white folks took it straight up.
Heller: We did one thing. Who were the biggest acts in the world in 1987?
Guns N' Roses and Metallica. Everybody who buys Guns N' Roses and Metallica.
I shamelessly pandered to surfers and skateboarders, and in pictures from
then you'll see Slash and those guys wearing N.W.A. stuff. If they thought
it was cool, people in Kansas and Wyoming would buy it. That's how we
broached the subject. Because no question this was the most important music
of the second half of the 20th century.
AP: What's next for you?
Heller: We're putting together the movie version of the book. To play Eazy,
I hope we get Larenz Tate. When I look in his eyes, I see Eazy inside there.
I have talked to Game about playing Suge Knight. And these are just talks
right now, but I've talked to Bruce Willis about playing me.
FILM/TV BITS: ‘Model,’ ‘Chris’ premieres; Jones wraps ‘Redrum’; Boatman,
Morris in ‘Frangela’; Hurd works completed; abolitionist film in U.S.
*The CW network is partnering with MSN to premiere episodes from
"America's Next Top Model" and "Everybody Hates Chris" before their
broadcast debuts. The two shows, as well as premiere episodes from
"Supernatural" and the new drama from "Sex and the City" creator Darren
Star, "Runaway," will be offered free and without commercial interruption on
msn.com for one week before their on-air broadcasts.
The first hour of "Model" will be available beginning Sept. 13 until its
official launch September 20, and "Everybody Hates Chris" premieres on the
site Sept. 24.
*Former “Girlfriends” star Jill Marie Jones just wrapped production
on her feature film debut “Redrum,” where she plays a serial killer named
Tanya Diggs. As previously reported, the Griot Filmworks production is
directed by Kenny Young, who also stars in the film as Diggs’ husband.
Co-stars include Joe Torry, Snoop Dogg and Bishop Magic Don Juan. The film
will be released next year.
*Michael Boatman, Garrett Morris and Mo Collins have joined the cast
of Fox's female buddy comedy pilot "Frangela," starring Frances Callier and
Angela Shelton as best friends. Morris will play the superintendent of the
apartment building where the two women live. Collins will play Callier's
boss, while Boatman will play her husband.
*Veteran actor-turned-playwright/filmmaker, James E. Hurd, Jr., has
completed the short film “Poet of the Swingin' Blade” and stage play
“Turpentine Jake,” both stories about the hardships and debt peonage
servitude that blacks faced in the early 1900’s through the 1960’s. History
books go into great detail about slaves working in the cotton fields, and
now James E. Hurd sheds light on the plight of workers who got caught up in
a system that produced ultimately zero income for hard laborers in
turpentine camps in South Florida.
*Michael Apted's slave-trade drama "Amazing Grace" picked up U.S.
distribution on the eve of the Toronto International Film Festival, where it
will make its world premiere in the closing-night slot. The film, which is
still being completed, stars Ioan Gruffudd as William Wilberforce, who led
the British Empire to end slavery at the turn of the 19th century with the
help of slave trader-turned-abolitionist Rev. John Newton (Albert Finney)
and his wife (Romola Garai). The cast also includes Rufus Sewell, Benedict
Cumberbatch, Youssou N'Dour, Ciaran Hinds and Michael Gambon.
MUSIC BITS: Ludacris’ ‘Therapy’; Patti forgets her clothes; Randolph’s
‘Colorblind’; Elton and 50?; Legend’s ‘Again.’
*“Release Therapy,” the upcoming album from Ludacris, is scheduled to
drop on Sept. 26 led by the Pharrell-produced current single “Money Maker.”
Describing the album title, Luda said in a statement: "Music is therapeutic.
When I say 'Release Therapy,' I just mean in what I do and speaking out. It
is my release therapy, music, period. Every album I get more and more
personal, start talking about issues that people would be surprised about or
maybe didn't think I would say. I'm about to release."
*Patti LaBelle forgot to bring a change of clothes to her latest
performance, a private fundraiser at the Hamptons home of Jill and Cliff
Viner for the Diabetes Research Institute. After getting off stage, she
realized she had nothing to wear on her trip back to Manhattan. "So she
borrowed a terry-cloth bathrobe from her hostess and was driven back to her
hotel in nothing but the bathrobe and stiletto heels," an amused guest told
the New York Post.
*The release date for "Colorblind," the second studio album from
Robert Randolph & The Family Band led by pedal steel guitarist Robert
Randolph, has been moved to October 10th. The group’s follow-up to 2003’s
Grammy-nominated debut, "Unclassified," is a potent mix of rock, R&B,
country, blues, and gospel that Randolph says was inspired by repeated
listenings of albums by Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Stevie
Wonder. The band is currently on tour in the U.S. with Dave Matthews Band
for several shows, and is also confirmed to perform at the Aspen Jazz
Festival with Kanye West on Sept. 2.
*It’s only been a few days since news of Elton John’s yearning to
make a hip hop album became public, and already 50 Cent is putting in his
bid for a collaboration. "Elton John has incredible talent,” he said,
according to Contact Music. "Actually he was meant to come out and record
some stuff with me, but it didn't happen. Maybe in the future." Meanwhile,
the rapper has taken to calling himself the “George W. Bush of hip hop.”
“Nobody likes me, but I'm still gonna run it for the next four years," he
explains.
*John Legend says his upcoming album, “Once Again,” won’t stray too
far from the silky magic of his Grammy-winning 2004 debut, “Get Lifted.”
"It's not dramatically different but I think people will see it as a growth
and an extension for me,” the 27-year-old told AP. “It's a richer sound. The
production is more developed. ... I just tried to do it with the highest
standards of quality." Due Oct. 24, “Once Again” includes the current single
“Save Room,” and a track featuring Mary J. Blige. "She's really sweet and
she's very easy to work with ... very humble," he said. "It was kind of
refreshing."
SPORTS BITS: Williams, Blake advance at U.S. Open; Cullen Jones goes swoosh.
*Two-time US Open Champion Serena Williams fought her way back from a
5-2 hole in the first set to beat 17th seeded Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-3
Thursday at the U.S. Open in New York. The unseeded Williams, who earned a
wild card for this year's event, said of her performance: "My progress is
definitely a little better, which is awesome. Just keeps getting better and
better. Physically, I'm feeling solid. Very solid." Williams won the U.S.
Open in 2002. Her next opponent will be the winner of the match between Ana
Ivanovic and Aiko Nakamura. This morning at 11 a.m. (Sept. 1), James Blake
faces Russia’s Teimuraz Gabashvili in a second round match.
*Three-time All-American swimmer Cullen Jones out of North Carolina
State University is the newest face of Nike, having signed a multi-year
contract with the athletic company through 2012. Currently ranked number one
in the world in the 50-meter freestyle, Jones also has proven himself to be
the fastest African American swimmer in the world beating his own 50-meter
freestyle time in the Pan Pacific games this past weekend in Victoria,
British Columbia. “Nike has provided me the opportunity to develop as an
athlete and a person,” Jones said. “When I evaluated who could help me both
in chasing my dream of representing the U.S. in the Olympics and being able
to speak out to the African-American and Hispanic communities about the
importance of water safety, drowning prevention and learning to swim, I felt
that Nike had the best access to a platform where I can reach millions of
kids and deliver this message. The thought of joining Tiger Woods, Michael
Jordan and Lance Armstrong in the Nike family is awe inspiring.”
EVENT CALENDAR: Lillias White a ‘Black-Eyed Pea’; Essence hosts ‘Leadership
Summit’; Pussycat Dolls continue search.
*Tony Award winner Lillias White, currently starring as Matron "Mama"
Morton opposite Usher in Broadway’s Chicago, will make her debut at the
Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL, in September. White will star in
three free musical theatre workshop performances of The Princess and the
Black-Eyed Pea in the Ravinia's Bennett-Gordon Hall on Sept. 15 at 8 p.m.
and Sept. 16 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. The musical, according to press notes, "is a
soulful resetting of the Hans Christian Anderson tale as an African-American
fable." For ticket information call (847) 266-5100 or visit www.ravinia.org.
*Essence magazine will host its third annual Women Who Are Shaping
the World Leadership Summit on Friday, Oct. 13, at the New York Marriott
Marquis. The event explores issues that most profoundly affect black women
in the workplace and in their own businesses. Participants this year include
Tony winner LaChanze (“The Color Purple”) and Jacque Reid (The Steve Harvey
Morning Show). As part of the Summit’s community initiative, Essence will
have an on-site silent auction to benefit Dress for Success, a
not-for-profit organization that helps disadvantaged women make a transition
into the workplace. The Leadership Summit fee includes lunch, all seminars
and conference materials. The price for the all-day session is $295. For
more information, visit www.essence.com or call 866-903-9242.
*The CW Network continues its nationwide casting call for the
upcoming reality series “The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll” (working
title) in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 9 at CBS Studio Center (4024
Radford Avenue in Studio City) from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. A newly added casting
call in Las Vegas will take place on Sept. 4 at the MGM Grand from 4 to 9
p.m. Producers are looking for diverse young women (ages 18 and over) from
all walks of life to showcase female empowerment, self-discovery, personal
transformation and their inner Pussycat Doll. One lucky woman will become
the newest member. For additional information, including audition
requirements, applications and how to submit audition videos, please visit
www.cwtv.com. Slated to air during the 2006-07 broadcast season, the
nationwide talent hunt continues in Houston (Sept. 15), Atlanta (Sept. 20),
Chicago (Sept. 23) and Miami (Sept. 30). Locations and times for each city
will be announced soon.
EUR VIDEO SPOTLIGHT: Check out Diddy's latest 'release', Latrine Logic...
*Get your laugh on -- or scratch your head in curiosity -- by checking out videos we come across that we think are worth sharing.
If YOU'D like to submit a video that you think is worthy, please send the link or file to videosubmit@eurweb.com and we'll check it out.
Today's vide Diddy offers up 'latrine logic'. Check out this video of him, IN THE BATHROOM, philosophizing the joy of the 'release': http://eurweb.com/story/eur28398.cfm
ALPHA PHI ALPHA TO ADDRESS PLIGHT OF BLACK MALES: Fraternity to develop national plan to combat education and health issues.
*Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc., the nation's largest black fraternity, has
set as its immediate goal the challenge of addressing pressing issues among
African American males.
Anthony Anamelechi of Black College Wire writes of the fraternity’s
national strategic plan, which aims to address such problems as the low
numbers of black males majoring in education and black men's
disproportionate health issues.
"We want to make discussions on healthcare as common as dapping
someone up," said Mitchelle Artis, alumnus of the Alpha Phi Alpha chapter at
Hampton University.
During the Alpha’s national conference in Washington this summer,
more than 10,000 members were on hand for a symposium and "town meeting"
designed to define goals for black male advancement in health, wealth and
innovation, and to develop black men personally, emotionally and
spiritually.
"As Alphas, we have to contextualize this making black men and boys
our worst enemy," said Bobby Austin, vice president for university relations
and communications at the University of the District of Columbia, and the
convention's operational chair.
Austin explained that the deficits of African American men were
already known. But instead of dwelling on them, he feels its important to
work toward solutions and positive endeavors for black men.
"As college men, we should increase our activity with young black
males," said Everett Ward, vice president of the fraternity’s Southern
region. He said Alphas need to urge these children to pursue a college
education.
Conference members also searched for ways to address the
following sobering statistics regarding black males and college education.
• An analysis of data from the National Center for Education Statistics
shows one black male teacher for every 63 black male students in public
schools, compared with one white male teacher for every 21 white male
students.
• Young black males are less likely to have completed college degrees than
other 25- to 29-year-olds.
• In 2004, 16 percent of black males had completed an associate's degree or
higher, compared with 37 percent for all 25- to 29-year olds.
• Thirty percent of black males, compared with 20 percent of all 25- to
29-year-olds, had attended some college but had not completed a degree,
according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
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