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WHITNEY’S LABEL DENIES SHE WAS HIGH LAST WEEKEND: Columnist reported she appeared ‘red-eyed and stoned’ at Stevie’s b-day bash.
*A rep from Whitney Houston’s label has responded to a paragraph written Monday by Fox.com’s Roger, which cited a source that claimed the singer had bloodshot eyes and appeared to be “stoned” while attending Stevie Wonder’s surprise birthday party in the Bahamas.
Houston is “straight as an arrow, not doing drugs and working hard in the studio,” Friedman quoted the label as stating in his Tuesday column.
He added: “Let's take Whitney and her reps at their word. Why not? The goal here is to see Houston back in business, healthy and restored to her former vibrancy pre-Bobby Brown. If it's happening, and her appearance and attitude belie it, well, what the heck.”
The record company also noted that Whitney has been working in the studio for more than a month now, showing up at 3 p.m. and staying “as long as she’s needed” before returning home to practice her vocals.
Freidman adds: “As I reported in February, among the producer/writers working with her are Diane Warren, R. Kelly, Jermaine Dupri and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds. Warren's song is titled "I Didn't Know How Much Strength I Had." Dupri cut his track last week.”
XM SUSPENDS OPIE & ANTHONY: Shock jocks must ride the pine for 30 days after crude sex jokes about Condoleezza Rice and others.
*Apparently an apology wasn’t enough for shock jocks Opie and Anthony to remain on the air uninterrupted.
XM Satellite Radio suspended the pair for 30 days Tuesday, one week after they joked with a guest about forcing violent sex upon Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and one day after making light of their previous apology for the offensive comments.
As previously reported, Opie and Anthony offered an apology on Friday’s broadcast, stating: "We take very seriously the responsibility that comes with our creative freedom and regret any offense that this segment has caused."
However, the radio hosts made light of the apology during Monday’s broadcast, while lamenting the state of radio and griping about the post-Don Imus crackdown on radio disc jockeys.
"We're under the same scrutiny as (National Public Radio) — it doesn't make sense," they said on Monday's show. The pair also expressed sympathy for Imus, saying his career is now "gone, just because he was trying to entertain people."
Their remarks on Monday prompted XM, a satellite radio company free of FCC restrictions, to deliver the 30-day suspension.
"Comments made by Opie and Anthony on yesterday's broadcast put into question whether they appreciate the seriousness of the matter,"
Washington-based XM said in a statement Tuesday. "The management of XM Radio decided to suspend Opie and Anthony to make clear that our on-air talent must take seriously the responsibility that creative freedom requires of them."
On May 9, Opie and Anthony, whose full names are Greg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia, aired a segment with a man they call Homeless Charlie. As the names of Rice, First Lady Laura Bush and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth were mentioned, Charlie said in vulgar terms that he would like to have sex with each of them.
Opie and Anthony then laughed as they imagined Rice's "horror" while describing a violent sexual encounter in which Rice is punched in the face.
MALCOLM JAMAL WARNER: Actor/musician joins 'Dad' Cosby at 2007 Playboy Jazz Fest.
By Kenya M Yarbrough
*Malcolm Jamal Warner has gone from ‘Cosby’ kid to the new kid on the block of the Playboy Jazz Festival. The actor/director is a jazz fan with a new breed of jazz funk all his own, and though many recognize him as Theo Huxtable from the very popular ‘80s sitcom “The Cosby Show,” Warner has split his career in entertainment to include being an up-and-coming musician. Next month he reaches a milestone in his music career, reuniting with fest emcee Bill Cosby, as an opening act at the Playboy Jazz Fest at the Hollywood Bowl.
Warner has been working on his music with band Miles Long for approximately eight years; with no musical training, with the exception of short-lived piano lessons as a child.
“I started playing bass in ’97, during the first season of ‘Malcolm & Eddie.’ The show was stressing me out so badly that I decided I needed a hobby,” he told EUR’s Lee Bailey. “So I started playing music just as a hobby. I figured, directing started as a hobby and then became a career. When I picked up an instrument I thought it would just be a hobby; it would never become a career; I would never start a band; I would never record a CD or any of that stuff. And through the year’s it has developed into what it is now.”
Well, that’s exactly what happened. Warner’s second release, and first full disc “Love and Other Social Issues” will be available May 25. He dropped an EP in 2003 called “Miles Long.” He also has a one-man show of the same name as the new disc that showcases his poetry.
“I’ve been working on this CD for several years, but some of the pieces overlap with some of the pieces in the show,” he said. “My one-man show, I started doing at the National Black Theater Festival in 2003. I’m really excited to bring it to L.A. It’s a full on theatrical production. It’s an interpretation of my poetry, but instead of me staring at a mic for an hour and a half, I have a lighting director and everything.”
Newbie Warner makes no claims of being a true jazz head. Since he’s only been dabbling in the genre for about ten years, he’s created his own style of jazz he calls jazz funk.
“Because I’m not yet a jazz ‘straight-ahead’ cat, ‘Miles Long’
is a jazz-funk-spoken word band because I’m also a poet. There’s a lot of poetry in our set,” he said. “A lot of the pieces are played with very much a jazz approach to the kind of music we play in terms of improv-ing inside the confines of a set variable.”
But why not R&B or hip-hop?
“I’m not a singer, and I’m not a rapper,” Warner said plainly. “Because I have grown up as part of the hip-hop community, there is definitely a hip-hop edge to the music, but because I’ve been raised on jazz and a lot of the guys I play with are jazz cats, I was very clear that I wanted something that was outside of that box. And I didn’t want to be in that neo-soul vibe. So, when I started creating the music, because it was just my own thing, I wanted to create something new that didn’t have to fit into a category because I was doing it for fun. It developed into something that I’m so proud of and something that’s very viable and necessary in music today.”
Furthermore, Warner described his style as a genre for Generation X, somewhere between real hip-hop and heavy jazz.
“For those of us who have grown up on hip-hop, yet hip-hop no longer speaks to us,” he said of his target audience, “but we’re not necessarily into straight jazz just yet – I think we’re a good medium. There are a lot of people in my age range for whom jazz is still a little too heady. Our music is a little more acceptable for those who want to mature from hip-hop, but still want to bob their heads.”
Warner and his Miles Long band will do a 30-minute set to open Sunday’s show at the Playboy Jazz Fest. The 2007 installment takes place June 16 and 17 at the Hollywood Bowl. The fest also features Buddy Guy, Chris Botti, and others on Saturday and Etta James, Dianne Reeves, Arturo Sandoval, and Marcus Miller on Sunday.
“I’m excited about it,” he said. “Because of the vibe that we have, I think we are good band to set the show off. It’s exciting to tell people we’re actually playing this year. I think we can set the show off with some hot grooves.”
For more on Malcolm Jamal Warner, his new disc, his one man show and his role in the upcoming film “Fool’s Gold,” go to his site at www.malcolmjamalwarner.com. For more the festival, check www.playboyjazz.com.
‘ALL OF US’ CANCELLED BY CW: But ‘Chris,’ ‘Girlfriends’ and ‘The Game’
survive the cut at Tuesday’s announcement of fall lineup.
*It’s a wrap for the Will Smith-produced sitcom “All of Us,” one of four black comedies in the CW’s Monday night lineup and the only casualty of the quartet.
The series, starring Duane Martin, LisaRaye, Terri J. Vaughn, Tony Rock and Elise Neal, survived the transition from UPN to the CW, but was unable to live past its current third season. Its Monday night neighbors, “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Girlfriends” and “The Game” were all picked up for another year.
“Chris” was renewed for a third season earlier this spring.
“Girlfriends,” which aired its season finale last week, will begin an eighth season in the fall. Its spinoff, “The Game,” completed its first season on Monday.
As for CW’s other fare, the “Gilmore Girls” ended its seven-season run last night, “Veronica Mars” is still awaiting word on its fate, and returning for another year are the dramas "Smallville," "Supernatural" and "One Tree Hill."
Three new dramas and two unscripted magazine shows have been added to the CW’s fall lineup. The dramas include "Gossip Girl," "Reaper" and "Wild at Heart."
On the unscripted side, “Online Nation” is described by Daily Variety as sort of "America's Funniest Home Videos" for the YouTube generation, while “CW Now” is the net's "ET"-style look at pop culture.
RAY J TELLS ALL IN SISTER 2 SISTER: Brandy’s brother discusses the sex tape, Whitney Houston, Karrine Steffans and more.
*The June issue of Sister 2 Sister features a candid article on Ray J, the 26-year-old brother of signer Brandy whose private life has generated much more attention than anything he has done in a recording studio.
Regarding his sex tape with ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian, Ray J tells Sister 2 Sister’s Jamie Foster Brown: “A lot of the times when I have sex, and after I’m done, I think to myself, man, I hope my performance was something that she’ll always remember…it’s important to me.”
The singer, who claims he has a sponsorship deal with Trojan condoms, also talks about his post-tape relationship with Kardashian, as well as his romances with notorious “video vixen” Karrine Steffans and superstar Whitney Houston. The following are excerpts from the interview:
• “Everybody makes tapes. I’ve spoken with her briefly,” he said of his ex-girlfriend and sex tape co-star Kardashian. “I’m going to try to reach out to her more and more because I want to continue to be friends with her and she’s always been a positive influence in my life.”
• “I walked down the red carpet and they’re snapping, and guess who’s standing by me? Superhead, trying to get closer and closer,” Ray J recalls of an incident at an event he attended, which was also attended by Karrine “Superhead” Steffans. I’m like, wait a minute. This ain’t no good look.”
• “I love Whitney,” he admits, adding that he and his mother consider the superstar singer “family.”
EVE DISCUSSES DUI AND SEAN PENN CONNECTION: Rapper says the arrest shouldn’t overshadow her positive deeds.
*Rapper-actress Eve, whose new album “Here I Am” is due in the coming months from Geffen Records, is calling her recent drunk-driving arrest just "one of those things."
She told MTV that the incident a few weeks ago, when she crashed her Maserati into a center divider on Hollywood Blvd., was magnified by the media and has drawn attention away from the good she’s done throughout the years.
She explained: "Things happen and this is the nature of the business I'm in. I just feel blessed and happy that all the good things completely outweigh anything negative in my life."
Eve, whose real name is Eve Jeffers, is due back in court tomorrow to face the DUI charge.
Meanwhile, in an interview with SOHH.com, Eve addresses the romance rumors sparked by the infamous jailhouse visit by actor Sean Penn.
"There's no craziness going on. I've known him for years," Eve said, dismissing talk of any hanky panky. "We got mutual friends. He saw what was happening and he just wanted to make sure I was cool."
MIKE TYSON DOCUMENTARY IN THE WORKS: James Toback to chronicle fighter’s rise and fall on the big screen.
*Filmmaker James Toback first met Mike Tyson in 1985, when the boxer from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, NY was just 19 and on the verge of winning his first heavyweight title.
The director’s fascination with the former champ would increase throughout the years; Tyson was even granted bit parts in two of Toback’s films: "Black and White" (1999) and "When Will I Be Loved" (2004). Iron Mike will appear in yet another Toback project this year, but for the first time he’ll serve as the film’s main attraction.
“Tyson,” Toback’s forthcoming documentary about the ex-fighter, will use more than 30 hours of recently completed interviews with the former boxer and is expected to be completed in the fall, reports Daily Variety.
The film will chronicle every aspect of his rise and fall – including his marriage to actress Robin Givens, being knocked out by Buster Douglas, his prison stint for rape and biting off Evander Holyfield's ear in the ring. After Tyson emerged clean and sober following a recent rehab stint, he and Toback decided it was time to tell his story in full detail.
"The point is not to polish his image or make a cinematic apology, but rather to get a firsthand look at a very complex and epic story," Toback told Variety. "He was honest about all the things that have highlighted his life, from the bitter divorce, the ear-biting, prison, to his becoming a sex addict. He is self-aware, smart and a totally fractured personality, and he made himself completely vulnerable."
Tyson said he was "humbled and appreciate that Mr. Toback gave me an opportunity to be involved in this project. I will, to the best of my abilities, give a truthful account of myself."
MARY J. BLIGE GETS CANDID IN NEW ESSENCE: Plus, ASCAP to honor Grammy darling at Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.
*Mary J. Blige, who appears with her husband Kendu Isaacs on one of two covers offered in Essence magazine’s June issue, will be honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) during its 20th Anniversary Rhythm & Soul Music Awards on June 25 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
Blige will be presented with the ASCAP Voice of Music Award during the invitation-only event, which will also honor ASCAP's top songwriters and publishers of 2006. The ASCAP Voice of Music Award recognizes artists and songwriters whose music illuminates people's lives through song.
"To many, Mary J. Blige is not only the 'Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,' but also a guiding light," said Marilyn Bergman, ASCAP President and Chairman. "Through all of her struggles, she was determined to find and maintain her own musical voice, and by doing so, she has become one of the most successful R&B/hip-hop writer/performers in the country and has paved the way for many others who have followed her path. The ASCAP Voice of Music Award is an honor that she richly deserves."
Essence, meanwhile, is paying tribute to Mary in its own way. The publication features her on two different covers of the June “collector’s edition” issue: one with both Blige and Isaacs, the other with just Blige.
The couple’s 10-page article includes comments about their courtship, and how breaking through Mary’s pain brought them to love. Click here to read the entire article:
http://www.essence.com/essence/themix/entertainment/0,16109,1619698,00.html.
Here’s an excerpt, regarding the first time they met each other:
"I was doing a Queen Latifah record in 2000," he starts. "And for a song with her, me and another guy we were like, 'We should put Mary on this.' " Latifah reached out to Blige's people. But Blige was on tour; the only chance for the two women to record was during some downtime at her Detroit stop. "Dana (Latifah) and I flew to Detroit, and Mary came into the studio around three in the afternoon," says Isaacs, proving that his knack for details is real. "That was the first time we laid eyes on each other."
"It wasn't a fairy tale," Blige notes. "It was like...," but Isaacs cuts her off. "In my mind it was," he says sweetly. "Well, in my mind," Blige continues, "I said, Damn, he's cute, and then I left it alone because I thought he and Latifah were a couple. I didn't know for sure what was going on, so I went to work. We all hung out later that night, and we got to know each other better." That was June. Isaacs was itching to see Blige again. "I begged Latifah to reach out to her," he admits. "I need to talk to her, I said."
Blige says that even more than their first meeting, it was their first phone conversation that clued her in to Isaacs's charm. "I'll let him tell you what he said," she offers. She pauses, looks in his eyes, and locks in. "But I'm just going to say, it was the first conversation I had with a guy that let me know somebody cared about me other than wanting to just, you know, sleep with me."
WAYANS BROS. TO PUT ‘DYNOMITE’ IN THEATERS: Antihero from their comic book to be adapted for big screen.
*"Super Bad James Dynomite," the inner-city comic book antihero created and written by brothers Marlon, Shawn and Keenen Ivory Wayans, will be turned into a live-action comedy that will star Marlon as the title character.
"When we created the comic book, I always envisioned playing the title character on the bigscreen," said Marlon in Daily Variety.
In the blaxploitation tradition of Shaft, Dolemite and Black Belt Jones, James Dynomite is a hood hero who was framed by a rival and sent away for a long prison stretch. Once freed, he returns to the streets and discovers he is hopelessly out of step. He must regain his cool and try to take down the man who framed him.
Rogue Pictures purchased the script that Marlon and Shawn wrote with Xavier Cook and Mitchell Marchand. Production is expected to get underway later this year.
RANDY JACKSON TO HOST NBC DANCE COMPETITION: Unscripted “World Moves”
searches for best hip hop dancers.
*“American Idol” judge Randy Jackson will serve as an executive producer and host of “World Moves,” a new television series for NBC that will follow dance teams from around the world competing in Los Angeles for an international touring contract.
Also behind the series is Hip Hop International, a Los Angeles-based live event and television production company who created the annual World Hip Hop Championships, an annual three-day event featuring panel workshops with famous hip hop dancers, an urban moves dance workshop, a popping and locking contest and more.
Jackson will assist in the auditions of dance crews from around the world, who will vie for a chance to come to Los Angeles and compete for the global championship and an international touring contract.
The live episodes of “World Moves” will feature five to seven members demonstrating their creativity, athleticism and ability to dance, while capturing the personal drama that unfolds within each of the teams.
The show was announced Monday as part of NBC's new 2007-08 primetime line up.
WILL.I.AM’S NEXT PROJECT – JEANS: Black Eyed Pea signs deal to design new denim-wear line, due in August.
*Producer extraordinaire will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas has struck a deal to introduce his own line of high-end fashion jeans and denim wear.
Through his partnership with Blue Holdings – a designer, manufacturer and distributor of jeans, apparel and accessories – the musician will create "i.am Antik," an International Premium lifestyle denim brand complementing the already successful Antik Denim Collection.
Due in stores this August, i.am Antik will initially consist of a Premium Denim collection and will be distributed in high-end specialty stores and better department stores, according to Blue Holdings.
"I produce and write my own music, and the same creativity, energy and imagination I put into making music is the same creativity, energy and imagination I put into designing clothes,” says will.i.am. “I am excited to collaborate with Antik to create a fresh remix of denim."
will.i.am has designed clothing for and styled his group, the Black Eyed Peas, since their inception. He attended Fashion Institute of Design in Los Angeles prior to forming the group, and will incorporate his innovative designs and forward style sensibilities into the i.am Antik brand.
"I fuse genres of music and I will fuse eras and styles of fashion,” he explains. “I want to launch and market the clothes in a way that has never been done, combining music and fashion. I want to design the line and score it the way a composer scores a film and tour the collection like a band will tour an album. I want to make a fresh stylistic collection that everyone wants but limited and special to keep them looking for more."
AUDRA MCDONALD, ‘RADIO GOLF’ NOMINATED FOR TONYS: 2007 hopefuls announced in New York Tuesday morning.
*Radio Golf, the last play by the late August Wilson, and Broadway veteran Audra McDonald were among the announced nominees for the 2007 Tony Awards, which will be broadcast live on CBS Sunday, June 10.
McDonald will compete in the Leading Actress in a Musical category for her role in the musical “110 in the Shade.” Radio Golf will vie for the top prize of Best Play.
Heading the list with 11 nominations, including best musical, is Spring Awakening, an adaptation of Frank Wedekind's 1891 play about teenage sexuality. It was closely followed by the 10 nods earned by Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia, about a contingent of Russian intellectuals.
Radio Golf, the final chapter in Wilson's decade-by-decade chronicle of 20th century African-American life, arrived on Broadway after productions at a number of regional theaters. Anthony Chisholm of Radio Golf was also nominated for Featured Actor in a Play.
110 in the Shade, also nominated in the Best Revival of a Musical category, stars McDonald as Lizzie Curry, a spinster who lives on a ranch in the southwest and interacts with the local sheriff and a charismatic con man.
The 2006-2007 nominees were announced Tuesday morning by Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski and former Rent star Taye Diggs at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Also among the nominees was Bill T. Jones, who will compete in the Choreography category for his work on "Spring Awakening."
Nominations for the 2007 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards:
QUINCY BEHIND BENEFIT CONCERT FOR MLK MEMORIAL: Money from Sept. 18 show will help build structure on the National Mall.
*Quincy Jones, Russell Simmons and Tommy Hilfiger are helping to stage a concert that will raise money for the construction of a memorial to The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall in Washington.
The Dream Concert, to be held Sept. 18 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, will feature producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as the event’s artistic directors. Also lending support as members of the show’s host committee are Muhammad Ali, Angela Bassett, Jamie Foxx, Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Jordan, among others.
"I'm honored that such a diverse and committed group of leaders have come together for a concert to help raise the remaining funds," said Harry Johnson, president and chief executive of the memorial fund.
The memorial, scheduled to be completed in 2008, is slated for a space on the Tidal Basin between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. It will include a sculpture of King and 14 quotations from the slain civil rights leader. So far, $79 million has been raised of the $100 million needed to complete and maintain the memorial.
Performers for the Dream Concert will be announced in the coming weeks.
TUCKER’S GANGSTA RAP LAWSUIT RECONSIDERED: Judge says jury should decide whether countersuit against C. Delores was malicious prosecution
*A Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge in Los Angeles Friday suggested a revival of a malicious prosecution suit targeting lawyers who sued C. DeLores Tucker over her attacks on rap music lyrics, reports Metropolitan News.
Judge John T. Noonan, a member of the panel hearing an appeal by C. DeLores Tucker’s widower, said a jury should decide whether Charles Ortner, David Kenner, and Geoffrey Thomas, and their clients, Interscope Records and Death Row Records, acted with malice in making “wild criminal charges” against Tucker.
Tucker, who died in 2005, in between the filing of the appellants’ and appellees’ briefs, once served as Pennsylvania’s secretary of state and founded the National Political Congress of Black Women (NPCBW), whose agenda included a campaign against the misogynistic lyrics in gangsta rap.
The record companies sued Tucker in 1995, claiming she had engaged in racketeering, extortion, unfair business practices, and other torts designed to undermine their business. She was accused of trying to induce Death Row to breach a contract with Interscope and help set up a black-controlled distribution company through the NPCBW.
The plaintiffs eventually dismissed those actions, and Tucker filed two malicious prosecution suits, in 1998 and 1999, against the record companies and a number of lawyers. Tucker and her husband accused the defendants of retaliating against her for her constitutionally protected efforts to clean up the lyrics of music sold to minors.
She said she was described as a “charlatan;” subjected to oppressive discovery, including having to sit for 11 days in deposition; and subjected to extra-judicial attacks while the litigation was ongoing, illustrative of malice on the part of the defendants.
She cited an ad in a rap magazine that she said was a death threat. She singled out Death Row/Interscope artist Tupac Shakur, who disparaged her in his hit “How Do You Want It” with the line, “Delores Tucker you’s a mother f***er.”
The suits were assigned to Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Takasugi of the Central District of California, who granted the defendants summary judgment on the ground that the Tuckers could show no damages. The Ninth Circuit reversed and remanded for consideration of the summary judgment motion on other grounds.
Takasugi then granted summary judgment again, ruling that some of the claims in the underlying suit were clearly supported by probable cause and that as to the rest, the Tuckers failed to present sufficient evidence of malice.
But Noonan, last Friday, noted that under California law, a summary judgment on the issue of malice will only be granted in “rare” cases. The suits against Tucker, he said, appeared “to be an attempt to destroy” her political organization rather than to collect damages or obtain the injunctive relief that the companies prayed for in the complaint but never moved for.
FILM/TV BITS: Pettiford on HBO; BET Awards ’07; ‘Survivor’ finale ratings; Top 10 shows overall vs. black households.
*Valerie Pettiford, formerly of UPN’s “Half & Half,” will play a terminally ill cancer patient in HBO’s new medical drama pilot, “The Anatomy of Hope,” which explores cancer battles from the patients' perspective. Actor Daryl Edwards, last seen as Mr. Jefferson in the film “Rent,” will play a patient with advanced cancer. The project is from J.J. Abrams, the executive producer of such dramas as “Alias,” “Lost,” “What About Brian,” “Six Degrees” and “Felicity.”
*BET Awards ’07 will be broadcast live in the Eastern and Central time zones from LA’s Shrine Auditorium on June 26 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. (Pacific and Mountain Time Zone telecasts will be tape delayed.) The 3-hour telecast will salute winners across 14 categories, including the special Humanitarian and Lifetime Achievement honors. The event is invitation only. However, viewers can win tickets via the BET.com Ultimate Fan Sweepstakes sponsored by State Farm as well as radio contests in major markets.
*The 14th season finale of “Survivor,” which saw the crowning of African American ad exec Earl Cole in the show’s first-ever unanimous vote, didn’t do so well in the ratings. According to Nielsen Media Research, the Fiji episode drew 13.6 million viewers on Sunday, which is off 17 percent from the 16.4 million people who watched the end of the previous edition in December. Last spring's finale had 17.1 million viewers, Nielsen said. The very first season in the summer of 2000 drew 51.6 million people to its conclusion.
*For the week of May 7-13, here are the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 28.2 million; "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 25.47 million; "House," Fox, 21.36 million; "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 19.58 million; "Dancing With the Stars" (Monday), ABC, 19.44 million; "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 18.75 million; "CSI: Miami," CBS, 17.18 million; "Dancing With the Stars Results" (Tuesday), ABC, 16.87 million; "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 16.13 million; "Without a Trace," CBS,
14.31 million.
By comparison, here are the top 10 shows for the first week of May sweeps in black households: “NBA Playoffs,” TNT, 16.4 million; “Charm School,” VH1, 12.8 million; “College Hill,” BET, 11.9 million; “NBA Playoffs,” TNT, 13.3 million; “NBA Playoffs,” TNT, 13.2 million; “NBA Playoffs,” TNT, 13.2 million; “NBA Playoffs,” TNT, 10.6 million; “NBA Playoffs,” TNT, 9.8 million; “NBA Playoffs,” TNT, 9.5 million; Run’s House, BET, 8.3 million.
MUSIC BITS: 50 video not banned; Beyonce in Maxim’s Hot 100; Mike Jones’ ‘Dream’; Damizza’s ‘West-Coast Motown.’
*Reports of MTV banning the video for 50 Cent’s new single “Amusement Park” are bogus, his label says. The clip did go through the standard editing process of any incoming video destined for MTV’s airwaves, according to sources. The video for "Straight to the Bank,” the first release from his upcoming album “Curtis S.S.K. (Soundscan Killa),” will premiere May 17 on MTV’s TRL. The clip for “Amusement Park," is scheduled to debut on Monday, May 21.
*Beyonce Knowles, Rihanna, Eva Mendes and Eva Longoria are among the women gracing the top 10 of Maxim’s annual Hot 100 list. Lindsay Lohan ranked No. 1, followed, in order, by Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Biel, Ali Larter, Mendes, Rihanna, Longoria, Fergie, Sienna Miller, Angelina Jolie, Beyonce and Katherine Heigl.
*The release date for Mike Jones' sophomore album "The American Dream" has been pushed back from May 8 to July 10. The project has set up an “Ask Mike Jones" email address for fans at AskMikeJones@gmail.com. Jones will also drop a set of skits on a new CD called "The American Hater," where comedian Alex Thomas plays a rapper called Money $tack$ who has nothing but hate to spew on Jones.
*Multi-Platinum producer/artist Damion "Damizza" Young (Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Korn), the 32-year-old CEO of Baby Ree Records, has a landmark independent distribution deal through Universal/Fontana and is evolving his label into what he describes as the "West-Coast Motown." "The bottom line is we're striving to put out great music," Young says. "And that means great hip-hop ... great blues ... great rock and, obviously, a quality mix of any music that's innovative and fun. From all my years in the business, I've learned that hype can drive a song only so far -- if the quality's not there it's fool's gold; Baby Ree Records is real gold." For info, see www.myspace.com/damizza1.
*The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) will honor Grammy Award winning producer Jermaine “JD” Dupri as Songwriter of the Year at their 20th Annual Rhythm & Soul Awards, to be held Monday, June 25 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The honor follows Dupri’s sixth Songwriter of the Year distinction at ASCAP’s annual Pop Music Awards in April. He was recognized as Songwriter of the Year, along with singer/songwriter, Johnta Austin, for the hit songs, “Grillz” (Nelly), “Like You” (Bow Wow featuring Ciara), “Pullin’ Me Back” (Chingy featuring Tyrese) and “Don’t Forget About Us,” “Shake it Off” and “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey.
SPORTS BITS: Taylor’s close call; T.O. prefers Phillips.
*Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor emerged in one piece after the door on a single-propeller, 15-seat plane he was in flew open at around 6,000 feet over Africa, causing panic and prayer before the pilot landed at a nearby runway. "I thought that was it," Taylor said Monday following the final day of Jacksonville's three-day minicamp. "I put my head down and started praying. The runway was about two miles away, but it seemed like it took 10 or 15 minutes to get there." Taylor joked that it was the first time he felt like he was near death "since I was playing for (coach Tom) Coughlin."
*Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens has said good riddance to his old coach Bill Parcells, and has fully embraced new coach Wade Phillips. "Everybody knows he's a laid-back coach, obviously a little different than Bill. ... I don't think you have to be a disciplinarian to get your point across," Owens said Monday, the last day of the Dallas Cowboys' first minicamp since Parcells retired. "I think having a new head coach is good for everybody. It's a little bit more relaxed. I think you can tell that by the atmosphere in the locker room. I don't think I just have to really spell it out for you, but I think it's very evident." T.O. took part in the minicamp despite two operations this offseason to repair a torn tendon in his right ring finger.
EVENT CALENDAR: T-Music Hip Hop Jam Festival; Mary Wilson in NY; Oprah honored by Wiesel Foundation; Detroit Black Expo’s Buy Black Weekend.
*Rappers David Banner and The Game will participate in T-Mobile's "T-Music Hip Hop Jam Festival" in North Bohemia, Czech Republic on Aug. 3 and 4. The event, which takes place at the Mimo airport, will also feature 20 of the most respected urban DJ's, including the Black Star DJ's, Platinum Soul DJ's, Farmhood Fellaz, War Trak Possee, Blind Deaf DJ's and others. For more information, visit www.t-music.cz.
*Former Supreme, Mary Wilson, will perform June 9-30 at New York City supper club Feinstein's at the Regency. Please call 212-339-4095 for reservations or further information.
*Oprah Winfrey will be honored Sunday by the Elie Wiesel Foundation during a ceremony at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. Barbara Walters will emcee the event, while Katie Couric, Itzhak Perlman and Jessye Norman are scheduled to attend.
*The International Detroit Black Expo, Inc. (IDBE) will present the first Buy Black Weekend, a four-day marketplace full of business resources, networking, educational panels, media personalities, literary arts and health information for people of all ages, Friday, May 25 through Monday, May 28; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at COBO Hall in Detroit. Author George Fraser will moderate a Town Hall Meeting Friday evening from 7-10 p.m. Actor and social activist Dick Gregory as Keynote Speaker will address the audience on Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4:30 p.m. All panels and discussions are free and open to the public. For more information or to register for classes log on t www.buyblackweekend.com.
*The fifth annual Southeast Urban Music Conference is scheduled to be held June 27-30 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Atlanta. The theme this year will be urban music branding and marketing. In addition to the networking, attendees can enjoy a variety of events which range from an opening reception and showcase to panel discussions and luncheons to the annual SUMC awards dinner and showcase, which honors music industry trailblazers with the Jack the Rapper radio award. Registration is $150 and $300 for VIPs. Rooms at the Sheraton are $129 per night until May 30. For more information, visit www.sumc-lod.com or www.myspace.com/sumclod2007.
JESSE JACKSON JR. CALLS FOR BLACK SUPPORT OF OBAMA: Civil rights activist appeals to Alabama Democratic Conference
*The Alabama Democratic Conference heard U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s appeal for their endorsement of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in the state’s presidential primary, reports the Associated Press.
The ADC, the state’s oldest and most influential black political organization, will not formally endorse a candidate in the state’s Feb. 5 presidential primary until October.
“You can believe in Iraq — and that’s a whole lot to believe in,”
Jackson, D-Ill., told some 400 ADC members Saturday. “But my friends, you can believe that Barack Obama is the next president of the United States.”
Some ADC members informally surveyed Saturday favor U.S. Sen.
Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., over Obama of Illinois.
“I like them both. And if I was a betting man I’d say that Clinton will probably win the primary, but it’s going to be close,” said ADC member Willie Brown. “I haven’t made up my mind between those two, but it’s a choice that really divides your head and your heart. My head says Clinton but my heart says Obama.”
Jackson said instead of questioning whether a candidate is “black enough,” some people need to let go and move on, which means some folks will have to stop holding onto the past and start looking to the future, he said.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are black, white, rich or poor,”
Jackson said. “We need to build a more perfect union for everybody.”
EUR FILM REVIEW: Into Great Silence (Die Grosze Stille)
DVD Offers Rare Peak at Monastic Life
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Who would ever think that you could make a movie about an order of self-effacing monks who've taken not only a vow of celibacy, but also of silence? Philip Groning, the director of Into Great Silence would, that's who.
It was over 20 years ago when he first approached the Carthusians, an ascetic sect about shooting a documentary at the Grande Charteuse, a modest monastery nestled in amidst the majestic French Alps.
Finally, some 16 years later, Groning got his answer, a "Yes," though he would have to work without a crew, and could only film by natural light.
He agreed, and moved into the monks' quarters, capturing every aspect of their lives for a year, from prayer and meditation and other religious rituals, to spiritual study, to the drudgery of everyday tasks, to cooking and gardening, to weekly walks around the picturesque grounds of the hermitage.
The upshot of the gifted director's efforts is Into Great Silence, an exquisite, mesmerizing mood piece which immerses the viewer in the humbling hush of monastic life. Deliberately-paced and clocking in at almost three hours, it features neither a soundtrack nor a voiceover. Thus, this simple, if super-realistic, film offers its audience the ultimate experience in cinema verite'.
The primitive setting and the quietness of the inhabitants enable ordinary natural sounds to take center stage, from the creaking of floorboards to the chopping of vegetables to the babble of a brook.
If the point of the picture is to challenge each viewer to steep oneself in the stillness while reflecting upon one's relation to God versus the trappings of technology and the rampant materialism of modern society, it must be considered an unqualified success.
One couldn't hope to find a more potentially transformative meditation on the meaning of life.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In French and Latin with subtitles.
Running time: 162 minutes
Studi Metropole Canada
EUR DVD REVIEW: Stomp the Yard
Black Greek Goes Gaga Over Curvy Coed in Dance-Driven DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*After his brother's murdered in a street fight, DJ (Columbus Short), is fortunate that his Aunt (Valerie Pettiford) and Uncle (Harry J. Lennix) are willing to rescue him from the ghetto. So, he relocates to Atlanta from LA to matriculate at Truth University.
The only hitch is that he had to lie on his application to be admitted, because he has a criminal record. After he arrives, everywhere he goes, he starts noticing the same irresistibly-rounded rump of April (Meagan Good).
What this butt-obsessed brother doesn't know is that the curvy coed so obligingly shaking her tail feathers has a cute face to match her pretty posterior, and that she unfortunately already has a boyfriend.
So, standing between DJ and pneumatic bliss is Grant, (Darrin Dewitt Henson) an upperclassman, who just happens to be the best dancer on campus. This is of considerable significance because Truth U. is a place where a man is not judged by the color of his skin but by the content of his choreography.
This means that in order to steal April from Grant, DJ will have to join a frat and strut his stuff in the National Step Championship. So unfolds, Stomp the Yard, one of those cinematic disasters that is godawful, yet enjoyable, in a perverse sort of way.
The picture is so full of implausible nonsense that one could delight in dissecting its flaws ad infinitum. For instance, the students at this institution of higher learning speak with the worst grammar imaginable, such as "You fine, but you ain't all that." Less a feature film, than a two-hour United Negro College Fund public service announcement for anyone interested in obtaining a Ph.D. in bling and booty calls.
A mind is a terrible thing to lose.
Poor (0 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, ethnic slurs and violence.
Running time: 114 minutes
Studi Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, gag reel, director's commentary, two extended dance sequences, and "The Story of Stomp the Yard" featurette.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"If you see yourself as prosperous, you will be. If you see yourself as continually destitute, that is exactly what you will be." — Robert Collier
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
May 16: Singer Janet Jackson is 41. Singer Ralph Tresvant is 39.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Brothas Well Read Book Club is for like-minded African American men to come together to discuss a variety of fiction and non-fiction books. Check it out here: www.brothaswellread.com.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
May 16, 1966: Stokely Carmichael named chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. National Welfare Rights Organization
organized. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
