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05-17-07 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
BEYONCE LEADS BET AWARDS WITH 6 NODS: J-Hud, Ciara, Akon, Gnarls Barkley receive three apiece.
*It was another good day for Beyonce Wednesday. The entertainer picked up a leading six nominations for the 2007 BET Awards, including nods for top female R&B artist, video for "Irreplaceable" and duets with boyfriend Jay-Z on "Deja Vu" and "Upgrade U."
Receiving three nominations each were Jennifer Hudson, Ciara, Akon and the Cee-Lo/Danger Mouse outfit Gnarls Barkley.
The seventh annual presentation of the BET Awards will take place on June 26 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Mo’Nique will host the ceremony, which has the tag line “The Main Event” and will feature performances by 50 Cent and T.I.
Diana Ross will be honored with BET's Lifetime Achievement Award and Don Cheadle will be given the Humanitarian Award for his efforts at ending genocide in Darfur.
Here are the BET ’07 Award nominees:
Male Hip Hop: Diddy, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, T.I.
Collaboration: Akon featuring Snoop Dogg, "I Wanna Love You"; Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, "Deja Vu"; Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, "Upgrade U"; Diddy featuring Keyshia Cole, "Last Night"; Ludacris featuring Mary J. Blige, "Runaway Love."
Female R&B: Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Ciara, Jennifer Hudson, Corinne Bailey Rae.
Male R&B: Akon, John Legend, Gerald Levert, Ne-Yo, Robin Thicke.
Group: Gnarls Barkley, Mary Mary, Outkast, Pretty Ricky, Three Six Mafia.
New Artist: Lupe Fiasco, Gnarls Barkley, Jennifer Hudson, MIMS, Corinne Bailey Rae.
Gospel Artist: Shirley Caesar, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Dave Hollister, Mary Mary.
Video of the Year: Akon featuring Snoop Dogg, "I Wanna Love You"; Beyonce, "Irreplaceable"; Beyonce & Shakira, "Beautiful Liar"; Ciara, "Like a Boy"; Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy."
Actress: Tichina Arnold, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Kerry Washington, Chandra Wilson.
Actor: Idris Elba, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Forest Whitaker.
Female Athlete: Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Gail Devers, Lisa Leslie, Serena Williams.
Male Athlete: Reggie Bush, LeBron James, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Dwyane Wade, Tiger Woods.
BET J Cool Like That award: Gerald Levert, Brian McKnight, Eric Roberson, Musiq Soulchild, Elisabeth Withers.
BET Choice award: Beyonce, "Irreplaceable"; Birdman & Lil Wayne, "Stuntin' Like My Daddy"; Bow Wow featuring Chris Brown, "Shortie Like Mine"; Ciara, "Because of You"; Robin Thicke, "Lost Without You"; UNK "Walk It Out."
50 CENT DEFENDS RAP LYRICS TO EUR’S LEE BAILEY: Rapper breaks it down during BET Awards 07 press conference.
*During a press conference in Hollywood to announce details of the BET Awards ’07, one of the scheduled performers, 50 Cent, was grilled about the post-Don Imus backlash against negative hip hop lyrics.
As a rapper who regularly uses the b-word, n-word and h-word in his lyrics, EUR’s Lee Bailey asked 50 if he would “get with the program” and voluntarily remove offensive lyrics from his music. The rapper took offense at the phrasing of the question and said the following to Bailey:
“Are you familiar with politics? Are you familiar with the President’s No. 2 man? You’re familiar with him resigning based on him using, maybe what we’d call a dating service? Maybe he’s hanging out with hoes that we mention in the music. If that doesn’t make you aware of a situation that exists….
“Music is a mirror, and hip hop is a reflection of the environment that we grew up in. It’s the harsh realities that end up in the music. If I ask you to paint a picture of the American flag and not use the color red, you’re gonna have a difficult time. To capture what we try to capture in the art form, I’m sure some conservative Americans can’t [identify] with it because of their lifestyle and the way they’ve actually been brought up, and they haven’t been exposed to those realities.”
Bailey used Master P as an example of a rapper who made the decision to sign positive rappers from now on who do not use the three aforementioned words in their lyrics.
“Well Master P doesn’t sell CDs anymore,” 50 said calmly, which caused the room full of reporters to burst out laughing. “You can tell him I said it. Cameras is rollin’ right? …‘Curtis,’ June 26.”
Hear the entire response from 50 Cent as well as T.I.’s angry reaction to Bailey’s question in the upcoming EURcast next week.
NELLY DREAMS OF MARIAH AND JANET THREESOME: Rapper wants both singers to join him…on the same track.
*Rapper Nelly has a plan. The St. Louis artist is currently sowing the seeds for a track on his upcoming album that would feature singing superstars Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey.
Jermaine Dupri recently explained the logistics to MTV: “He wants Janet to rap a 16-bar verse, he wants Mariah to sing the hook and he's gonna do two verses. He has it all planned out. You ask him about it. This is what he wants; he's 100 percent deadlocked into it."
According to JD, who would produce the track, Nelly is refusing to take no for an answer.
“That's what he wants. If he could convince them to do it, it would be crazy,” said Dupri.
AFENI SHAKUR MOVES TO EXPAND SON’S MUSIC: 2Pac mom pacts with publishing/marketing company.
*Afeni Shakur, mother of slain rapper Tupac Shakur, has partnered with independent global music publishing and marketing company EverGreen Copyrights to develop new opportunities for his songs, including future releases of Tupac albums that have never been heard.
"I believe that after 10 years I have done as much as I can on my own to further the creative aspect of Tupac's music, says Afeni Shakur. “I'm looking forward to working with EverGreen's publishing and creative marketing teams to reach a more global market and to expand the opportunities for my son's music."
EverGreen co-CEO David Schulhof said that several projects are in the works to promote the music. Preston Holmes ("Hustle & Flow," "Marvin: The Life Story of Marvin Gaye") and Karolyn Ali ("Tupac: Resurrection") are producing a feature film, "Live 2 Tell," from a script written by Shakur while in prison, and there also is an unscripted biopic on Tupac's life. Mosaic Media Group is developing a Broadway musical featuring Shakur's music, he adds.
"Tupac was one of the most prolific songwriters that ever lived,”
Schulhof added. “He had a tremendous impact both as a songwriter and social activist, and left behind a body of work that will forever attract generations of fans. We are honored to be working with Afeni Shakur and helping to realize the full potential of this catalog."
Schulhof’s company also publishes and promotes songs written or recorded by MC Hammer ("You Can't Touch This"), Teddy Riley ("My Prerogative"), Michael Jackson ("Remember The Time"), Joe Cocker ("You Are So Beautiful"), Todd Rundgren ("Hello It's Me"), Nick Drake ("Pink Moon"), Bill Monroe ("Blue Moon of Kentucky"), and Eric Clapton ("Cocaine").
GEORGE LOPEZ IS A TAD BIT UPSET WITH ABC: Comic calls cancellation of his sitcom unfair and unceremonious.
*The dreaded phone call came last weekend from Steve McPherson himself, the president of prime-time entertainment for ABC who was ringing George Lopez with news that his self-titled sitcom had been axed from the fall lineup.
Lopez told the Los Angeles Times that his cancellation, he believes, is partly because the show is produced by Warner Bros. Television, and not ABC Television Studios. Adding insult to injury was the list of new shows acquired by ABC for the fall season, particularly one sitcom based on a series of commercials for Geico auto insurance.
"I get kicked out for a...caveman and shows that I out-performed because I’m not owned by [ABC Television Studios]...So a...Chicano can't be on TV but a...caveman can?" Lopez told the paper. "And a Chicano with an audience already? You know when you get in this that shows do not last forever, but this was an important show and to go unceremoniously like this hurts. One hundred seventy people lost their jobs."
"Cavemen," based on the Geico commercials, follows sophisticated prehistoric-era men – two brothers and one best friend – who live in modern-day Atlanta and continually find themselves at odds with contemporary society.
McPherson explained to Lopez that his show wasn’t working out "financially" and would lose money if the network picked it up again. Lopez believes it was the instability of his time slots – four different ones in five years – and putting it up against “American Idol” that led to the low ratings.
Even still, his sitcom out-performed two freshman comedies that ABC decided to renew anyway: "Notes from the Underbelly" and "Knights of Prosperity."
"I’ll take the good and the bad," Lopez said. "I took the five years of good and I did a lot with the good. My popularity, I was involved in charities, I overcame my illness, all on TV. I shared all of that with America—every secret I had. Every personal feeling. Every emotion. Everything was open to the show. And what happens?"
What will happen for Lopez is an upcoming HBO special, a movie due in the summer, and a deal with Warner Bros. to produce television movies.
"They dealt with us from the bottom of the deck," Lopez said. "Which is hard to take after what was a good run."
WHITAKER LINES UP NEW FILM PROJECT: Oscar winner to play former man-of-the-cloth opposite Jessica Biel.
*Forest Whitaker will play a suicidal ex-priest in the inspirational drama "Powder Blue," which begins shooting on location in Los Angeles this July with co-star Jessica Biel.
Whitaker’s ex-priest is one of four main characters in the film. Biel plays a stripper with a terminally ill son. Other roles include an elderly ex-con seeking to reunite with his daughter and a lovelorn mortician. The lives of all four intersect on Christmas Eve.
The film’s writer/director, Timothy Linh, also directed Whitaker and Patrick Swayze in the 2001 Vietnamese refugee drama "Green Dragon."
Whitaker, best actor Oscar winner for "The Last King of Scotland," also has upcoming roles in "The Great Debaters," opposite actor-director Denzel Washington, and "Vantage Point."
SNOOP SETTLES FOR ‘ENTOURAGE’ BUT WANTS ‘THE WIRE’: Rapper hopes to one day join female namesake on gritty Baltimore streets.
*Don’t get it twisted, Snoop Dogg is a huge fan of HBO’s “Entourage” and is happy to join Vince, Drama, Turtle an’ nem on an episode to air in July. But he’s secretly hoping the cameo appearance will somehow lead to a guest spot on his favorite HBO series, “The Wire.”
"They called me to be a part of ['Entourage'], I used that as leverage to try and be on 'The Wire,'" he told MTV.com. "You know how I get down. I'm trying to get in the system. I'm the type of person that if I love something, I'mma say it. If you an artist and you fly, I'mma tell you, 'Yo homie, I like what you do. You fly, you off the hook. Can I get with you?' That's how I was with 'Entourage,' that's how I am with 'The Wire.' They ain't call me yet. They just using my name in there."
The rapper is referring to actress Felicia Pearson, whose character is named Snoop and is perhaps the most cold-blooded female gangsta hit-woman in television history.
Snoop Dogg has just one last chance to grab a guest role on “The Wire,” as the show has announced that the upcoming fifth season will be its last.
THREE JOIN ICE CUBE FOR ‘FIRST SUNDAY’: Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan and Malinda Williams added to cast.
*Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan and Malinda Williams have signed on to star opposite Ice Cube in "First Sunday," a Screen Gems comedy about two petty thieves who try to rip off a church.
The script was written by playwright David E. Talbert, who also makes his feature directorial debut with the project. The cast also includes Regina Hall, Chi McBride and Loretta Devine.
Shooting began yesterday (5/16), according to Daily Variety, with plans to put the film in theaters next year during the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.
As previously reported, Cube Vision's Matt Alvarez is producing, along with David McIlvain, Julie Yorn and Talbert. Ronald G. Muhammad, Tim Story and Stacy Cramer are serving as executive producers.
DR. CORNEL WEST ALBUM DUE NEXT MONTH: ‘Never Forget’ examines R&B/hip-hop's historical role via Prince, Andre 3000, KRS and more.
*Dr. Cornel West's upcoming album, "Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations," features tracks by Prince, OutKast's Andre 3000, KRS-One and more in an effort to examine the historical role of R&B and hip-hop as a social force.
Talib Kweli, Rhymefest, the late Gerald Levert and Killer Mike are also featured on the CD, which covers such topics as the events of Sept. 11, 2001, racial profiling, the Bush administration and the "N-word."
"It isn't a commentary on hip-hop. And I'm not coming in as a hip-hop scholar or critic," West tells Billboard. "This is an attempt to go back to hip-hop's prophetic roots, which are about truth-telling, exposing lies and having fun. It's what I call a danceable education or a singing paideia, the Greek word for deep education. If there is one person whose spirit I try to embody on this CD, it's Curtis Mayfield. His music is about love and freedom and really informs.”
Due in stores June 19, "Never Forget" is the brainchild of Black Men Who Mean Business, an organization established by West, his brother Clifton and songwriter/producer Mike Dailey.
"This is a very political album that doesn't pull any punches," West continues. "There are critiques of the Bush administration as well as of unaccountable corporate power, unaccountable police power and homophobia. We're trying to get young people to wake up and recognize they're part of a great tradition of struggle, to become organized and fight for freedom and justice."
Although West says he is "unabashedly of the Motown, Philly Sound, Mayfield generation," he adds, "I've never met Lupe Fiasco, but I like that brother. Oh, lord, he's a free, young brother who honestly speaks his mind. That brother hits American terrorism, the American empire and still talks about his skateboard. I love that kind of freedom because, in the end, we've all got to be ourselves and that takes courage."
Here is the track list for "Never Forget":
"Bushanomics," featuring Talib Kweli
"America," featuring Black Thought, Rah Digga, Iriz & Lucky Witherspoon "Still Here"
"Dear Mr. Man," featuring Prince
"911"
"N Word," featuring Tavis Smiley & Michael Eric Dyson "Welcome to Chi," featuring Rhymefest, Neo-Abassy & Malik Yosef "Mr. President," featuring KRS-One & M-1 "Keep It PI," featuring Killer Mike, Doey, Roc & Lucky Witherspoon "Chronometrophobia," featuring Andre 3000 "Gonne Be Alright," featuring Dave Hollister & Chuckii Booker "Matter Of," featuring Lenny Williams "Soul Sista," featuring Daryl Moore "The Man's Gonna Getcha," featuring Gerald Levert
LONDON STILL DEALING WITH PRINCE MANIA: Ticket agency scrambles to handle sales volume.
*Prince is still causing all kinds of havoc in London over his series of concerts scheduled for the summer.
As previously reported, promoters were forced to add eight more shows to his stand at London’s O2 Arena after the first seven shows sold out within minutes. In the latest report of fan frenzy, the ticketing agency dealing with the shows had to hire new staff to accommodate the rate of sales, which at one point reached 1,000 tickets per minute, according to Contact Music.
"Prince is one of the greatest live acts of all time so we anticipated a big reaction and we weren't disappointed,” said Rob Hallett, live promoter at AEG. "The fact the ticket price is so reasonable and also included a copy of Prince's new album made this an unmissable opportunity for music fans and is perhaps a message to the entire industry.
"Live music is what the public wants and when they get the opportunity to experience an artist the caliber of Prince they can't get enough of it. This proves yet again that given the right artists the live music industry is booming."
During a recent press conference, Prince originally announced he would perform 21 shows in London with tickets priced at £31.21, to coincide with the name of his latest album, “3121.”
SCARY SPICE HAS ANOTHER MAN: Eddie’s ex is reportedly keeping company with a film producer.
*Eddie Murphy’s ex-girlfriend Melanie Brown has been spotted frolicking around Hollywood with a new man-friend, film producer Stephen Belafonte, reports The Sun Online.
Paparazzi has already captured Mel B in a Los Angeles park with Stephen and a young girl believed to be his daughter. The two were also seen partying together at LA’s trendy Hyde nightclub on Monday.
Belafonte’s biggest screen credit is serving as an associate producer on the indie film “Thank You For Smoking.” He was also an executive producer on the Mr. T reality series, “I Pity the Fool” in 2006.
The 32-year-old former Spice Girl reportedly told a friend: “I’m very happy, Stephen’s great fun and he satisfies me. The less said about the Beverly Hills c*ck the better.”
Murphy, 46, dumped Brown during her pregnancy and has publicly questioned his paternity of the child, born on April 3 and given the name Angel Iris Murphy Brown.
SCOTT STORCH SUED OVER 4-YEAR-OLD LOAN: Producer allegedly failed to pay back $100,000 of borrowed money.
*Hip hop producer Scott Storch is being sued for more than $550,000 for allegedly failing to repay a $100,000 loan he received in 2003.
According to allhiphop.com, LA Confidential owner David Menefield says he lent $100,000 to Storch and his company, Tuff Jew Productions.
Menfield said Storch had agreed to be solely responsible for paying back the money, as well as donate four musical tracks to Menefield, who is the former manager of rapper Knocturnal.
According to the lawsuit, Storch was facing foreclosure on his home at the time of the loan. Menfield says he requested repayment from the beat-maker on Nov. 15, 2006, and on March 14, 2007. The latter date included an offer by Menfield to forego any collection costs that might be imposed, the lawsuit stated.
To date, no attempt has been made to repay the loan or provide the musical tracks, court documents stated. Damages from Storch's refusal total $550,000 Menefield claims.
NAOMI CAMPBELL WANTS THERAPY WITH MAMA: Model believes joint sessions will get to root of her problems.
*Naomi Campbell says her mother, Valerie, has agreed to take part in her therapy sessions to help deal with the months she spent away from the catwalk queen as a child.
Campbell, who never knew her father, has always said she grew up largely on her own because her ballet dancer mother spent large chunks of time on the road.
"She left me with a nanny from the time I was three until I was 12,” Campbell recalls, according to W magazine. “I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to leave me, but she was a single mother and she had to work.
"I can't imagine the pain she felt when my father abandoned us. I would see her on vacations, when she would pop over for a few days. It was always a delight to see my beautiful young mother. How happy I'd be when she picked me up from school."
These days, Campbell and her mother are inseparable. The model told W that their joint therapy sessions will begin when she's eliminated all the negative elements from her life:
"It's something I wanted for a long time but haven't started because now I need to get myself on the right path first," Campbell said.
SPORTS BITS: Strahan’s to date two men; Anthony buys Colorado mansion; Serena advances in Rome.
*New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan placed himself up for bid at a recent charity auction and was hoping to get a date with a lady, reported the New York Post’s Page Six. But two male sports fans in the crowd ended up outbidding 13 women, leaving Strahan obligated to take both men to dinner for the price of $10,000 each. The money will go to the Institute for Civic Leadership, a nonprofit educational organization.
*Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony just bought the 25,000 square foot Sognare Estate mansion near Littleton, Colorado from Stephen Jacobsen, a former Qwest executive vice president who built the house in 2002 after pocketing almost $50 million in company stock when the Denver telecom was in its heyday. The home was originally listed at $17 million in 2004, which was then the most expensive house on the market, but last year the price was reduced to $11.95 million, reports RockyMountainNews.com. The estate includes seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a 5,000-bottle wine center, an 11,000-square-foot barn, hand-cut limestone floors, a Brazilian mahogany paneled library, and a cutting edge recording studio.
*Serena Williams advanced to the second round of the Italian Open in Rome Tuesday by beating Michaella Krajicek 6-4, 6-1. Williams, who had a trainer attend to her left thigh after the first set, hadn't played since pulling out of the Fed Cup match with Belgium last month, citing a right knee injury.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Ray J regret; racist Rickles; ‘Beautiful’ Lathan; Longoria rumor; Underwood an author; ABC loves Hayek; Johnson eyes cars; R’ruh’s hubris.
*Ray J is lamenting his candid interview in the new Sister 2 Sister magazine and has reportedly called on BV Buzz columnist Jawn Murray to do some damage control. As previously reported, Ray J sat down with Sister 2 Sister’s Jamie Foster Brown and detailed his relationships with Kim Kardashian, Karrine “Superhead” Steffans and Whitney Houston. Murray says Ray J and his mother were both on the line when they called to request an interview so that he could clean up some of his comments to the magazine. Read Murray’s entire column here:
http://blackvoices.aol.com/black_entertainment/bvbuzzcanvas/_a/may-14-2007/20070514002409990001
*An awkward moment happened yesterday on “Live with Regis and Kelly” when Rege’s beloved friend Don Rickles made a racist statement toward a black man in the audience. The comedian, who turned 81 this month, was riffing on folks in the crowd when he saw a black man and made a joke that played on racist stereotypes: “How’d the black guy get in here?” he asked, as Regis and Kelly politely laughed. “You’re laughing, but check your room,” he said to Regis, suggesting the man was prone to steal. The co-hosts quickly moved on to another topic.
*Actress Sanaa Lathan has been crowned Miss Soft & Beautiful 2007 by the hair care company in honor of her service as a role model to young women. Lathan was chosen based on a recent poll from Sister 2 Sister magazine and beat out such competition as Beyonce, Tyra Banks and Queen Latifah. In honor of the award, Soft & Beautiful will donate cash and a collection of its hair care products to Lathan's favorite women's charity, the HerShe group – which is a non-profit organization that helps girls who age out of foster care and successfully transition into adulthood.
*Eva Longoria is clearing up recent reports that she was withholding sex from fiancé Tony Parker until they are married. "Did you guys hear that rumor that there is no sex before the wedding?" the actress, 32, asked Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show Tuesday morning. "I did not say that!" The “Desperate Housewives” star, who will marry the San Antonio Spurs point guard in July, said the rumor got started when "Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about how Tony is in the playoffs, so no sex. And I said, 'Well, good thing the playoffs go until the wedding.' Now everyone is talking about it."
*Blair Underwood is co-authoring a new detective novel called Casanegra with husband and wife writing team Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, reports The A-List Magazine. Blair also owns the right to their supernatural novel, “My Soul to Keep,” which is currently in pre-production as a feature film. In the meantime, Blair is shooting his directorial debut for the indie drama “Bridge to Nowhere” starring Ving Rhames.
*Salma Hayek and her producing partner Jose Tamez have inked a deal to produce a series of new shows for ABC through their company, Ventanarosa Productions, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Last month the pair launched a film company, Ventanazul, in partnership with MGM to develop, produce and acquire mainstream films that either draw on Latin themes or feature Latin talent. Hayek is currently an executive producer on ABC’s "Ugly Betty."
*BET founder Robert L. Johnson and his RLJ Companies may be turning attention toward the automotive dealership industry. In an exclusive interview with Black Enterprise, prior to speaking at Black Enterprise’s 2007 Entrepreneurs Conference’s opening session, Johnson said: “We like it, we think we’ve found a unique way to enter, and we’re looking closely at it.” He didn’t provide specifics on the venture, but said he and his team are currently exploring a lot of ideas. He anticipates announcing further details within the next month or two.
*In the new issue of Hip-Hop Soul, R. Kelly boldly compares himself to some of history’s greatest icons, despite the fact that he’s due any minute to stand trial on child pornography charges. He tells the publication: "My greatest competition is, well, me . . . I'm the Ali of today. I'm the Marvin Gaye of today. I'm the Bob Marley of today. I'm the Martin Luther King, or all the other greats that have come before us. And a lot of people are starting to realize that now."
EVENT CALENDAR: T.D. Jakes in Chicago; New York’s HOT 97 Summer Jam; Coolio in the UK; Neville Brothers, KRS-One ‘Celebrate Brooklyn.’
*Bishop T.D. Jakes will be in Chicago today (5/17) signing copies of his new book, "Reposition Yourself: Living Life Without Limits," at 7:30 p.m. at Borders (2210 W. 95th St.) To ensure he is able to meet as many customers as possible, Jakes will be unable to personalize his signature. No posed photographs may be taken during the book signing. No memorabilia, videos or DVDs will be signed. Beginning at 10 a.m. this morning, wristbands will be given out to customers who would like to get copies of Jakes' books signed. These wristbands will be given out on a first come, first served basis and will hold each person's place in line.
*New York’s HOT 97 Summer Jam will take place June 3 at 3 p.m. at Giants Stadium. The Real Hip-Hop Network and HOT 97 will be looking for America's Next Rap DIVA, with a competition hosted by rapper Nikki D. More information is available at www.rhn.tv. As part of their participation, RHN will also host a pavilion and will team up with Metropolitan Grapevine to present business opportunities thru Digital Marketing, Dream Home and Dream Ride programs.
*Rapper Coolio is scheduled to headline the Luton international Carnival in the UK on May 28. The veteran West Coast rapper will perform his vintage hits as well as songs from his upcoming album, “The Return of the Gangsta.” “We are really excited that one of America’s most successful hip hop rappers will be our headline act at the Luton International Carnival," said Fahim Qureshi, arts development manager. "Where else can you see such a multitalented entertainer for free?" Find out more details here:
http://www.luton.gov.uk/carnival.
*The Neville Brothers and KRS-One are among the artists confirmed to perform as part of the 29th Celebrate Brooklyn free concert series, to be held throughout the summer in Brooklyn, NY’s Prospect Park. The Neville Brothers will open the season with a June 14 show. Other highlights include an African Festival with Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Sekouba Bambino and others on Aug. 11.
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 17: Singer Pervis Jackson of The Spinners is 69. Singer Taj Mahal is 65. Singer-guitarist George Johnson of The Brothers Johnson is 54. Guitarist O'Dell of Mint Condition is 42. Actor Hill Harper ("CSI: NY," "He Got Game") is 41. Singer Darnell Van Rensalier of Shai is 37. Singer Kandi Burruss (Xscape) is 31. Actor Tahj Mowry is 21.
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 17, 1875: The first Kentucky Derby is won by African American jockey Oliver Lewis riding the horse Aristides. Fourteen of the 15 jockeys in the race are African Americans. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: The Seven R's
*I lured my sons into the garage to help me look for some long lost document with the promise of buried treasure. We never found the document I was looking for. However, while sorting through some of my father's old papers that were mixed up with mine, I came across something entitled "The Seven R's Pledge". I don't know who wrote it or from where it comes. It was just a Xeroxed piece of paper that my father had tucked away someplace and forgotten. It also seemed to articulate rather well lessons I am trying to teach my sons.
It reads:
"I will honor my history by living by the social conduct of my fore parents.
I will vow to make the place where I live and learn better than the way I found it.
I vow to live a religious life always seeking to do what is morally right and good.
I will respect my parents, teachers and other elders in the community and in so doing; I will respect my peers and myself.
I will take responsibility for my conduct to give of my talents, my knowledge and skills to make the world a better place to live.
I will restrain myself from doing anything wrong that would embarrass my family, my school, my community or myself.
I will reciprocate. I will give back in kindness that which I have received because this is the only way to the good life.
I will live in the rhythm of oneness and wholeness with the universe, always creating oneness, joy and peace in the environment in which I live.
I will live a life of redemption recognizing that life always offers a second chance to redeem the mistakes of the past.
I will live the seven "R's" in my daily life because I will shape history, I will decide the future and I will take my people to the victorious shores of our destiny."
The pledge also has great resonance for adults. If time alone has not seen fit to provide essential wisdom, the pledge makes clear the nexus between virtue and happiness. The forward movement of our people to victorious shores requires strong families and strong communities and that requires strong faith. Our communities are safer, more productive and more joyful when we as individuals practice moral virtue.
Some will be quick to retort that morality has nothing to do with faith in God. However, the pledge requires a religious life for good reason. Morality emanates from an acknowledgment of an objective truth, that is to say a truth that is higher than man-made laws and higher than personal preference. It is a truth that is the same for all men everywhere no matter their race, class or time in history.
The R's do not endorse a specific church or doctrine, but they do recognize the importance to civic life of certain universal principles that are also biblically based.
Contrary to what some would have us believe, the rights we claim are dependant not on government largesse, but on the recognition that those rights come from God. They are dependant on the recognition that with those rights come responsibilities. We have a responsibility to act with self-restraint so as not to infringe on the rights of others. We must, as the pledge suggests, respect the authority of our civil laws and civic leaders. We must pay our debts, delay gratification and contribute to -- rather than take from -- our communities.
I hung this pledge on the wall in my office as a constant reminder of the kind of man I continue to strive to become. My oldest boy recently asked if he could have a copy to hang on the wall in his bedroom. I gave it gladly. I hope it will serve as inspiration and a reminder that treasure isn't always silver and gold. Sometimes it comes in the form of words written on plain white paper.
ASK ADVICE CHICK: Answers to YOUR Dating, Sex, Life, & Love Questions!
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Dear Advice Chick,
*I love your advice, and respect your opinion so here I am asking for your help. I am a mature woman who's recently divorced after being in a very long, horrible marriage. My ex and I had been living in the home together, but our marriage had been over for years, and we had not been intimate for at least a year prior to him FINALLY moving out. I'm glad it's behind me and am not bitter about any of it. But this is where it picks up.
I recently met a very nice man who is five years my junior eleven days after my divorce was final. I'm comfortable with that, we're both over 45 years old. He has been divorced for three years, but moved back in with his ex-wife a week before we met and she lives relatively near so he is very careful not to be seen visiting me. He doesn't want to hurt his ex, and I respect that. He's told me he's not "feelin" the reconciliation, which isn't surprising, since those things don't usually work.
After he & I spent some time together we have discovered we love each other, have committed to each other, have had sex (which was very nice) and want to take our relationship to the next level (move together). We both have adult children, so this relationship would be just about us. BUT, lately I've been bothered because he can't get away when I'd like to see him, and he seems to be unsure of our relationship and what he and I are building. This is a real new thing (3 months) but we know we love each other and want to be together. What do you suggest? Please Go Easy On Me, Cuz' I've Been Through Enough.
Advice Chick replies,
You jumped into this “situation” too soon. This is a mess. He tells you he’s not feeling the reconciliation, but what is he telling her? You know about her, but my guess is she doesn’t know anything about you. That makes you a “secret.” Knowing, keeping, and spilling secrets are cool. “Being” a secret is not.
Sometimes we have to think for ourselves. This guy told you he’d recently moved back in with his ex-wife as an attempt to reconcile. Why in the hell did you decide to spend time AND have sex with him?! The two of you have not, I repeat, the two of you have not committed to each other; he lives with his ex-wife!
He’s not unsure of your and his relationship because it does not exist. You and he are building nothing. He is, however, continuing his attempt to reconcile with his ex-wife.
The things you say are troubling. We “love” each other? We want to “be together?” You don’t always have to be in a relationship. Strike this “situation” up as a loss (it truly is), and take some time to reconnect your life. You really need to rediscover yourself before you try to re-enter the dating scene.
!!! Advice Chick is partnering with http://www.BlackRelationships.com.
Send YOUR questions to Advice Chick right NOW! Please put “Dear Advice Chick” in the subject line so your email isn’t deleted as spam. Thanks! advicechick@ameritech.net.
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Ask Advice Chick about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING related to dating, sex, love, and life! She is THE resident dating expert at EURweb.com, and calls on over 11 years of dating and relationship industry experience.
THE ROBERTSON TREATMENT – Volume 10, Edition 8: America’s Leading Urban Lifestyle Column – Black Lightning Hits Tinseltown… A Conversation with Idris Elba
*Like a streak of black lightning, actor Idris Elba is making his presence felt in Hollywood. Best known for his audacious portrayal as Baltimore drug kin-pin Stringer Bell on HBO’s “The Wire,” the 34-year old British export looks to quickly attain A-list status for his commanding charisma, solid acting and good looks. With five films scheduled for release in 2007, Elba heads the class and brings a decidedly different flava to Hollywood’s current British wave of performers. The Robertson Treatment recently spoke to the actor who is currently promoting his new film “28 Weeks Later”. Stay tuned…
Robertson Treatment: How did you get involved in this project?
Idris Elba: I thought the film was very smart, and offered a new spin on the horror genre that attracted a new audience. For this film the creative team who put the project together made a really great effort to get me involved, so even though I am not a big fan of the genre, I decided that I would be a part of it.
RT: Tell us a little bit about the character you are playing?
IE: I play a really hard nosed general from the US army named General Stone who has been brought in as the law of the land. When I took the role on I thought I was a bit young to play the part, so we tweaked it in a way to make it more mine. My character goes to great lengths to make sure that London remains safe and nobody gets infected with the virus. He’s very by the book; and works very hard to keep his world on tack. Of course something happens and unfortunately it does not work out for him, which leaves him devastated.
RT: Can you tell us a bit more maybe for those of us who are not familiar with the film, can you just set it up for us?
IE: Basically London has been put into containment and locked off from the rest of the world. General Stone leads a military team charged with setting things up for people to return to London, but all hell breaks loose when they find out that the virus has still not been fully contained. After the new outbreak occurs, the General makes the decision to kill everyone, which is when the action really gets stated.
RT: Tell us if you have scenes with the infected?
IE: The infected are some scary motherfuckers. I turned up today at 5:00 am to find some guys running around bloodied and looking lost. At first I thought something had happened to him, but then I realized he was infected. In most of my scenes I don’t have much to do with the infected characters, so I was a little caught off guard. It was scary to see all of them running around.
RT: What’s it like coming back to England to work?
IE: Coming back to England to work on a film has been a real treat. English crews are some of the best of the world; we have a really good appreciation of making film. I love NY and the crews in America, but I started off as an actor in England so it was cool to come back. Interesting enough the first AD and I did a production together years ago. In the States you get use to seeing some of the same people over and over again, so it was good to come home and see people from my past still working and doing their thing. Americans loved 28 Days, so I am glad that we are making it here. The studio could of decided to change locations and go somewhere else, but they brought it back here and got a good European team. Making this film is like an art house film, the photographer is amazing; the director’s stamp on it also gives it a real enhancement from the first one. Audiences are going to see London in a way like they never have before, which is going to really add to their movie going experience.
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BEST BETS – Home Entertainment
Stomp the Yard – (Sony Home Entertainment)
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 has 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 god awful, 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)
Review by Kam Williams
Visit: www. robertsontreatment.com
Email: syndicatedcolumn@ robertsontreatment.com
Copyright 2007, Robertson Treatment
GLENN ELLIS' STRATEGIES FOR WELL-BEING: Benefits of Chromium Picolinate
*Like many Americans, you might not know how important chromium is to your overall health. Chromium is an essential trace mineral. Its main function is to work with the hormone, insulin, to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Since virtually all bodily functions are dependent on carbohydrate, fats and proteins, insulin and its co-factor, chromium, affects most cells in your body. Chromium is also needed for proper insulin function. If you are not getting enough chromium, your insulin cannot perform as effectively as possible. Impaired insulin activity is referred to as “insulin resistance”. If your body becomes insulin resistant, more glucose remains in your blood stream and is more likely to be stored as fat, rather than moving into your cells to be burned for energy.
The typical American diet, high in refined foods such as flour and sugar, supplies little chromium. In addition, foods containing chromium, such as organ meats, mushrooms, broccoli, brown oysters and brewer’s yeast are not especially popular with many people in the US. And the amount of chromium in these foods can vary, depending on where they are grown, or how they are sourced and processed.
More importantly, your body’s ability to absorb certain minerals can be affected by a wide range of factors like food combinations, drug interactions, age, stress or other lifestyle factors. If your personal needs for chromium are even higher than average, it makes it even harder to get enough chromium through your diet. USDA research indicates that the average American’s diet provides only about 35 mcg a day of chromium. However, the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) or Recommended Daily Value for chromium is 120 mcg. A person would need to eat as many as 12 turkey legs or 50 egg bagels each day to get 100% of the RDI.
Chromium Picolinate is thought to be the best source of chromium. Picolinic acid is a natural substance, most commonly found in breast milk, believed to help babies better absorb the minerals found in mother’s milk. The addition of picolinic acid to a chromium molecule results in a complex called chromium picolinate.
Chromium picolinate can have many beneficial results used as a supplement. It enhances insulin's effect in the body, improving the uptake of glucose, thereby causing better blood circulation and maintenance of blood sugar levels. Gaining energy, burning fat, and building muscle with greater ease are among the benefits, to name a few. It assists the body in losing weight by helping it to build muscle to replace fat. Lowering body fat and increasing lean body mass are just a few of the positive properties that chromium picolinate exhibits on the body.
Over 12 published studies – involving more than 1,450 people with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes – have demonstrated chromium picolinate’s ability to help the body make better use of sugar and insulin. In terms of safety, chromium picolinate safety has been evaluated in 35 clinical trials utilizing over 2,000 participants.
Research and most literature suggest supplementation of between 50 and 300 mcg to compliment a 2,000-calorie diet is adequate. When taken in such doses, chromium picolinate has not been shown to cause toxicity in humans.
Although there are other forms of dietary chromium available, research suggests that chromium picolinate is the easiest absorbed, most effective and safest form of chromium. Chromium is critical to a healthy diet because it regulates the body’s insulin function, enabling its cells to perform many important functions, like metabolism, muscle building, and nervous system support. Here’s how it works:
The body secretes insulin upon eating. This insulin then binds to cells, unlocking them so that they can absorb glucose, a form of sugar, out of your bloodstream. Once the glucose is absorbed, the cells use it as fuel to power all their necessary functions.
This process cannot be performed effectively, however, without chromium. Failure to receive the necessary chromium intake can lead to impaired insulin activity, or insulin resistance. When the body becomes insulin resistant, more glucose remains in your bloodstream, often getting stored away as fat rather than being burned for energy as intended.
Proper chromium intake can ensure your insulin is functioning optimally. And along with healthy insulin function, chromium has been associated with a variety of benefits in several other body functions:
• Sugar and insulin metabolism
• Weight control
• Cardiovascular health
• Lean muscle preservation
• Cholesterol (LDL and HDL) levels
• Brain chemical activity
The role of insulin is much like that of a gatekeeper: it stands at the surface of body cells and opens the door, allowing glucose to leave the blood stream and pass inside the cells. Glucose is a vital substance that provides much of the energy needed for life, and it must work inside the cells. Without an adequate amount of insulin, glucose is unable to get into the cells. It accumulates in the blood, setting in motion a series of events that can ultimately prove fatal.
When insulin is deficient, the cells become starved for a source of energy. In response to this, the body starts breaking down stores of fat and protein to use as alternative energy sources. As a consequence, a person eats more; thus, we have weight loss in with a ravenous appetite. The body tries to eliminate the excess glucose by excreting it in the urine. However, glucose (blood sugar) attracts water resulting in the production of a large amount of urine. To avoid dehydration, we often will drink more and more water.
Refined sugar causes the body to deplete chromium more rapidly. Strenuous exercise can also deplete chromium levels. The refining of starches and carbohydrates robs foods of chromium. The elderly are unable to store as much chromium in the body as are younger people. American soil is chromium deficient. So, this might be something for you to consider.
If you have a medical condition, be sure to check with your doctor.
Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.
Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!
Glenn Ellis lectures and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics, including health education and health promotion particularly relevant to the African-American community.
e-mail me at info@glennellis.com
For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com
JASMYNE CANNICK: Gay Leaders Continue to Label Black Politicians Homophobic Until Proven Friendly
*Recently California Senator Sheila Kuehl lambasted Assemblymember Laura Richardson of Long Beach for being homophobic.
The occasion? Richardson is one of 19 candidates running to replace the vacancy left by the untimely passing of Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald. Richardson is considered the frontrunner in the campaign along with State Senator Jenny Oropeza.
In an email Kuehl denounced Richardson, who is Black, and urged recipients to support Oropeza, who is Latino. Kuehl said "Oropeza has long been a friend to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community," and that Richardson's earlier campaign mailers "were filled with homophobic hate speech so shocking that many of her biggest supporters withdrew their endorsements of her candidacy."
The campaign mailers that Kuehl referenced were sent out over ten years ago during Richardson's 1996 Assembly run against Gerrie Schipske. The mailer accused her opponent of being "committed to the radical gay agenda" and "strongly backed by ultra liberal Santa Monica Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl, the Assembly's only openly gay member."
Ten years ago was ten years ago, and a lot can happen in that span of time, including education and new sense of right and wrong. While the campaign mailers were nasty, Richardson is not who she was ten years ago and today she is supportive of gay and lesbian civil rights. I know because I asked her about this last year which is what prompted me to invite her to speak at the State of Black LGBT California where Senator Kuehl was also a guest.
During the discussion, then Assembly candidate Richardson, shared the story of her parents struggle with their inter-racial marriage during a time when it was unpopular. She compared the struggle of her parents to the gay community's quest for the right to get married.
Now mind you, Senator Kuehl was there as Richardson shared her story and discussed the mistakes that she'd made in the past regarding the gay community and where she was today.
Flash forward to a year later with a very controversial Congressional seat up for grabs that in some ways has pitted Black voters against Latino voters, and enter the gay factor.
In California, more often than not, Black politicians are labeled as homophobic until proven friendly, but the gay leadership is barking up the wrong tree with this one.
Us gays spend an incredible amount of time, energy, and money on trying to change public opinion on our issues, primarily marriage. From ad campaigns, to lobbyists, protests, and the like, we are all about changing the attitudes of Americans when it comes to our issues. But what happens when we succeed? What happens when we actually have an impact and we change the way someone views us or we cause someone to rethink their position on our issues? Richardson, like many of us have, had a change of heart, mind, and soul. We can't continue to demonize her for something she did in the past that she has worked hard to make amends for while repairing damaged relationships. If we do, then we are the hypocrites, and not the Richardson's of the world.
Kuehl's accusation was premature and only served to benefit her colleague and Richardson's main opponent Oropeza. Knowing that Oropeza already had the Latino vote, Kuehl's letter served as the official nod for the LGBT community's support as well. But I'm here to say that not all gays will be supporting Oropeza and that there's a significant number of Black gays who know, love, and admire Richardson's commitment to the LGBT community, I am one of them. Not to mention the fact that gay and lesbian issues aren't the end all in this race. As an African American lesbian I am also looking at
sending someone to D.C. who is going to represent my concerns on the rising cost of health care, the economy, education funding, ending the war in Iraq, and Social Security.
The gay political leadership has a sorry track record for supporting African American issues and it seems that the only time the two worlds meet is when one is accusing the other of being homophobic. While the gays are screaming "marriage, marriage, marriage!," those of us in the African American community, including Black gays and lesbians, are screaming "jobs, affordable housing, education, and health care!" And at the end of the day, in California Black politicians are more likely to support gays on their issues than gays are on Black issues.
After years of hard work in the Black community on behalf of Black gays to bring our community together, Kuehl's letter did nothing more than try to create a larger divide between Blacks and gays and I'm not having it. We've worked too hard in our community to heal wounds and repair relationships to have it all go down the drain because the "powers that be" are ill-informed and misguided.
Stooping to the level of accusing Richardson of being homophobic crosses the line for me in this campaign and is a dirty low blow coming from California's gay leadership. And while I am sure that there won't be a race among the Black political leadership to defend Assemblymember Richardson, because this is still a controversial issue for Blacks, I on the other hand have no problem raising my voice as a member of the LGBT community in support of Richardson and urging others to do the same.
Jasmyne A. Cannick is a commentator/critic who addresses social, cultural, and race issues and is based in Los Angeles. She can be reached via her website at www.jasmynecannick.com.
NOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS: Talk Is Cheaper
By Deborah Cotton
*The day Mayor Nagin made his infamous ‘Chocolate City’ speech, we had no idea we were watching the early stages of a post-traumatic leadership legacy. He informed us at the MLK memorial that he’d spoken with Dr. King, why…just that morning and concluded that “This city will be chocolate at the end of the day…the way God wants it to be. You can't have New Orleans no other way.”
Nagin’s soon followed up his Chocolate City Manifesto with a ‘Foot-In-Mouth USA Tour’. He said of New York’s 9/11 site: “Y’all can’t even fix a hole in the ground”. Upon returning from Philadelphia: Ya'll outa go to Philly, and you will appreciate how clean New Orleans is…We still have some work to do, but we definitely beat them by a long shot." And there was his ill-timing when he referenced the Ninth Ward’s gangsta battle cry from the old days during their Katrina anniversary service. “Y’all from the Ninth Ward…you don’t mind dying.”
We used to get worked up about this but, two years into it, we’re so worn out from his crazy nonsense now we just shrug and keep it moving. And truth be told, his embarrassing misspeaks are nothing compared to the scandals of some of his political peers: Congressman Jefferson caught with 90K of marked bills in his freezer; our former councilwoman busted still driving her government-issued SUV - she had conveniently donated it to a local non-profit run by her boyfriend who hired her after she lost her re-election bid; and the Clerk of the Court defying a judge’s order to appear in court, then going into hiding when she was supposed to be overseeing the mayoral election, and finally being tossed in jail.
As if our own homegrown cut-ups weren’t enough to endure, now it seems we have an out-of-town guest setting up a local recovery aid hustle:
The Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Jesse debuted his ‘Louisiana Disaster Tour’ right after the hurricane when he announced that he was bussing 200 displaced evacuees back to New Orleans to get their rightfully owed jobs and housing. During the caravan, journalists discovered that a large number of passengers had never set foot in New Orleans, hailing instead from Mobile and Memphis. When asked, he and his reps could not explain why so many of those brought here were not residents.
hmph. I’m a leave that one alone.
Fast forward to two weeks ago when he held a ‘March And Rally to Reclaim Our Land’ in the Lower Ninth Ward. His self-invited appearance to fight for justice on our behalf met with several facts inconsistent with his rallying cry: 1) residents began moving back last November after utilities were restored; 2) The state has approved funding to reopen Jackson Barracks and has given preliminary approval for a large-scale development project, both in the lower Nine; and 3) this area has the highest percentage of homeownership in the city, thus the strongest landowner rights of any other area in our renter majority city. In other words, the Ninth Ward recovery train has already left the station.
But never one to quibble details like ju
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