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11-19-07 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
R. KELLY'S PUBLICIST QUITS: Regina Daniels releases statement saying singer 'crossed a line that…altered the scope of our friendship.'
*Something has gone horribly wrong between R. Kelly and his longtime publicist, Regina Daniels.
The woman who has cleaned up the singer's public relations mess for the past 14 years has suddenly quit. Daniels, the recipient of a shout out at the end of Kelly's "Step in the Name of Love" remix, released the following statement, according to TMZ.com:
"I have prided myself on loyalty, respect and professionalism. It saddens me that I was not always shown those same courtesies during my 14-year tenure as Mr. Kelly's publicist ... There are some lines that should never be crossed professionally or personally. Mr. Kelly crossed a line that forever altered the scope of our relationship. For this reason I made the decision to resign."
Meanwhile, R. Kelly kicked off his "Double Up" tour on Wednesday (Nov. 14) as he awaits trial on 14 counts of child pornography.
CHICAGO STATE REMEMBERS KANYE'S MOM: Dr. Donda West honored at campus where she served for 24 years.
*A memorial service was held for Donda West Friday on the campus of Chicago State University, where she taught for 24 years and served as chair of the English and Communications, Media Arts and Theater departments.
The mother of rap superstar Kanye West was remembered by hundreds of friends, colleagues and family members following her death last Saturday night due to complications from plastic surgery performed the day before.
West, who is reportedly devastated by his mother's passing, was not present at the memorial. According to reports, he is in Europe preparing for an upcoming tour.The artist's cousin was on hand in Chicago to represent the family.
"This is an absolutely impossible assignment, both emotionally and practically," said current English and Communications Department chair Dr. Brenda Eatman Aghahowa, who's also an ordained minister, in addressing the overflow crowd in the campus auditorium.
"Not only am I having to say something about my dear friend, whom we all have lost far too early, I also have to say what I want to say in just a few minutes," she said. "And as I often jokingly tell people, as a black preacher, I need at least five minutes just to clear my throat."
In her eulogy, Aghahowa spoke of West's quest to honor black culture, as well as celebrate each and every person's individual qualities and contributions to society.
"No big I's and no little you's in Donda's department" was one of West's mantras, according to Aghahowa.
A friend of West's read this poem at the memorial: "How shall we celebrate mothers?/How shall we call them in the winter of their lives?/What melody will cure slow bones?/Who will bring them worriless late-years?/Who will thank them for hidden pains?"
A funeral for Dr. West is scheduled for tomorrow (Nov. 20) in her hometown of Oklahoma City. Her family has asked that people send donations to the organization in lieu of flowers.
JAN ADAMS AVOIDS ARREST AFTER LATE COURT ARRIVAL: Plastic surgeon in court Friday over malpractice judgment awarded to former patient.
*A $30,000 bench warrant was issued, and then revoked Friday for Dr.
Jan Adams after he showed up late to a court hearing in San Pedro, Calif. to face a former patient who sued him for mistakenly leaving a sponge inside of her during surgery.
According to multiple reports, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Tracy Grant issued the warrant for Adams' arrest early Friday morning but pulled it after he finally showed up at 11:40 a.m., wearing a black, pinstriped suit and carrying a cell phone that had Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On" as a ring tone. The hearing was moved to 2 p.m.
The 53-year-old plastic surgeon, who performed surgery on Dr. Donda West one day before her death, was in Superior Court for a follow-up hearing in a malpractice lawsuit in which former patient Lori Ufondu was awarded a $100,000 default judgment after alleging that Adams left a surgical sponge inside her while he tried to patch up mistakes he made during a previous breast augmentation, causing her "severe physical pain and severe emotional distress."
Adams failed to show up at a previously appointed time and arrived Friday only after the judge issued the bench warrant.
"I don't think he answers any of these lawsuits," said Ufondu's lawyer Bob Nehoray, according to the Daily News. "He ignores them and lets them go into default with the hope that if he ignores them they won't exist."
Upon his arrival to court, Adams would not discuss Kanye's mother, stating only "We'll wait on the coroner's report and talk when it's appropriate. It's the least we can do for this family."
When asked if he felt badly about West's death, Adams said, "We all do."
According to TMZ.com, Nehoray said Adams once again denied that he had anything to do with the death of Kanye's mother, Donda West, who died one day after he gave her a tummy tuck and breast reduction.
"He felt the complications of her death was not a result of any wrongdoing that he performed and that he will be vindicated once the facts come to light," Nehoray said at the San Pedro Courthouse. "He said he thinks it's going to blow over."
MACON GA. GETS OPRAH'S 'FAVORITE THINGS': Annual gift extravaganza taped Saturday and will air Tuesday.
*It's that time of year again. No one ever knows when or where it will happen, but one lucky and unsuspecting audience each year at the Oprah Winfrey Show becomes the recipient of very expensive items hand chosen by the talk show host herself.
This year, folks who attended a special taping of the show in Macon, Ga on Saturday hit the jackpot.
During the show, which airs Tuesday, audience members were showered with gifts ranging from refrigerators to camcorders to wrapping paper, reports the Associated Press.
The episode will double as the kickoff to a series of shows highlighting towns across the United States. During her stay in Macon, Oprah toured the downtown area and visited well-known hot dog restaurant Nu-Way Friday afternoon. Afterward, she proclaimed the hot dogs her favorite thing about the visit.
Macon spent as much as $20,000 to prepare its City Auditorium for Winfrey's visit, AP reports. Her company, Harpo Productions, has offered to reimburse the city for some of the improvements to the historic building.
KANYE'S EUROPEAN TOUR STILL ON – FOR NOW: First show in Amsterdam cancelled, but others remain on schedule; Legend dedicates performance to Dr. West.
*Following the death of his mother last Saturday, Kanye West has cancelled the kickoff show of his U.K. tour, which was set for Monday in Amsterdam, Netherlands, according to CNN.
His Web site no longer features the previously scheduled date in its tour section, however the remaining European tour dates (through Dec. 4) are still listed – including his planned Nov. 22 performance at the O2 arena in London.
Meanwhile, the grieving artist is also tapped to work on upcoming albums from Mos Def and John Legend.
Legend, who is preparing a follow up to last year's "Once Again,"
says his thoughts are with West following the sudden death of his mother.
"She loved him and supported him unconditionally," Legend notes. "She was really there for him a lot and was ... really a great example for him. You could tell how close they were, and I just can't imagine how devastated he is right now."
Legend dedicated a performance of his hit "So High" to Dr. West at a Get Together show Wednesday in Detroit and said afterwards that he plans to attend her funeral tomorrow in Oklahoma.
THOUSANDS SHOW UP FOR HATE CRIMES MARCH: Sharpton-led effort surrounded Justice Department and 'two blocks more.'
*Thousands of demonstrators from across the U.S. heeded a call by Rev. Al Sharpton Friday and marched around the Justice Department in Washington D.C. to demand a government crackdown on hate crimes.
"We have so many people, we surrounded the Justice Department and two blocks more," the Rev. Al Sharpton told CNN as the orderly crowd marched around the building where newly sworn-in Attorney General Michael Mukasey was working. "This is a real outcry, a real outrage from people around this country."
In a statement, Mukasey said the Justice Department shares their vision of wiping out hate.
"Although there are limitations and challenges in bringing successful hate crimes prosecutions, the department takes each case seriously," Mukasey said. "As long as hatred and racism exist, the Justice Department will continue its hard and effective work on behalf of all victims of hate crimes," he said.
Led by Sharpton, Martin Luther King III and members of Sharpton's National Action Network, marchers walked from Freedom Plaza to the Robert F.
Kennedy Department of Justice Building, which they circled seven times in an ode to the biblical story of the fall of Jericho.
The protest was sparked by a series of racially-charged incidents over the past 18 months: the police shooting of an unarmed man in New York, hours before his wedding, in November 2006; the appearance of nooses in several workplaces and schools; the case of a black teen charged with child molestation after having sex with another willing teen; and the story of a black West Virginia woman whom six white people allegedly raped, tortured and forced to eat animal feces as they berated her with racial slurs.
In a fact sheet released Thursday, the Justice Department said its Civil Rights Division "has set records and achieved notable successes in prosecuting defendants for civil rights violations."
It said 189 defendants had been convicted of civil rights violations in fiscal year 2007, "the largest number ever in the history of the department," breaking the previous year's record of 181 defendants convicted.
Meanwhile, the number of reported hate crimes has declined, according to the FBI. In 2005, when the latest FBI figures were released, the bureau said that the number of hate crimes reported that year was the lowest in a decade.
VENUS LAUNCHES ELEVEN LINE AT STEVE & BARRY'S: Tennis star also set to receive degree in fashion design.
*In advance of her degree in Fashion Design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 13, tennis superstar Venus Williams announces the launch of EleVen, her new clothing, footwear and accessories line, available beginning this week at national retailer Steve & Barry’s.
Each item in the collection is priced at $19.98 and under and was co-created with a team of Steve & Barry’s designers.
“I love fashion and the idea that I am using my design education to actually create clothing and footwear that reflects my personality and energy both on and off the court,” said Williams. “My vision was to create a collection that will allow women to easily transition throughout their active lifestyles and still look fashionable. I worked really hard with Steve & Barry’s to launch EleVen and I’m really excited that it’s finally available for women all over the country.”
The partnership between Williams and Steve & Barry’s was announced in August, with Williams wearing key items from the line during her matches at the U.S. Open. That included her signature “V-Court” sneaker, which retails for $14.98.
The EleVen collection, which will be merchandised in a store-within-store environment featuring specially designed fixtures, video documentaries and signage, features over 120 pieces – including nine styles of athletic footwear in a wide variety of color ways, track suits, fleece outerwear, street active apparel, graphic t-shirts, puffy down jackets with removable sleeves, denim jackets and jeans, velour items, tote and gym bags, jewelry, sports socks and bras, and more.
Williams said the name EleVen comes from beating your perfect 10. “Why strive for a 10 when you can be an EleVen?” she says.
More information about EleVen, a current EleVen promo tour and Steve & Barry's are available online at www.elevenbyvenus.com and www.steveandbarrys.com.
BILL COSBY BRINGS MESSAGE TO NASHVILLE: Actor urges education to be considered a civil rights issue.
*Bill Cosby continues to promote his new book "Come On People" with a speech to the National Alliance of Black School Educators in Nashville, reports Tennessean.com.
The actor/activist urged the crowd at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center not to complain that "someone is airing our dirty laundry" when underachievement by black youngsters is talked about.
"We as a people have become cliched speakers when we address the concerns attacking our neighborhoods," he said, according to the Web site.
Teachers should go to the principal and say that conditions in the classroom are "horrendous," even when the principal doesn't want to hear it. Everyone should "wake up," march to city hall — not for higher salaries but to demand what's needed to provide solid public schooling, Cosby said.
Cosby's talk to the group that filled one of the hotel's largest ballrooms is part of an effort to launch the new initiative "Education is a Civil Right." It's a partnership between the alliance and the Pearson Foundation, which works to improve education.
Cosby praised the educators, but suggested that they take on even greater responsibility and action.
"You're so quiet," he said. "I bet I could get all of you to stand up and clench your fist if I blamed the white man."
T.I. CALLS MTV NEWS DURING HOUSE ARREST: Rapper said his record label will hand out Thanksgiving turkeys.
*T.I may not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with his own extended family, but it's not stopping him from ensuring that those less fortunate in his Atlanta hometown will at least have a turkey dinner on Thursday.
Confined to his home while awaiting trial on gun charges, the rapper has been recording tracks for his upcoming album "Paper Trail" and making arrangements for his Grand Hustle record label to feed the homeless for Thanksgiving.
"I want people to know that no matter what the situation is, I'm always going to be in the community giving to those who are in need and helping people out," he told MTV News correspondent Sway via telephone.
"That's what I've always done."
Grand Hustle K.I.N.G. Foundation will be handing out 400 turkeys in Atlanta: 200 on the west side, 200 on the east side. There will be Thanksgiving dinners prepared and served for the needy at Club Crucial on Thanksgiving as well.
T.I. is also assisting the Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry and Homeless Foundation by reaching out to his friends in the hip-hop community in hopes of raising $150,000 for a massive turkey giveaway at Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves. T.I. says the goal is to serve 20,000 to 30,000 people.
Several days before contacting MTV, T.I. recorded a video for the Web site streetcred.com in which he vowed to be exonerated of his weapons charges. The artist was arrested in Atlanta last month by ATF agents and charged with two felonies — possession of three unregistered machine guns and two silencers, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
UK BEAUTY QUEEN WINS DAMAGES OVER 50 CENT ARTICLE: Daily Mirror found liable for article claiming she had sex with the rapper.
*A UK court has awarded former Miss England Danielle Lloyd damages in her lawsuit against the Daily Mirror newspaper for claiming that she had sexual relations with rapper 50 Cent.
Under July's headline "Fiddy’s No Diddy, Danielle Looking Wobbly After A Big Night In With 50 Cent," the newspaper reported that Lloyd had propositioned the artist and had sex with him while she was dating soccer star Marcus Bent.
Lloyd’s attorney Magnus Boyd told judges that story was completely false and denied that Lloyd and 50 Cent were lovers.
"I was devastated by the disgusting lies about my private life which The Daily Mirror published without a shred of evidence to back them up and despite being told the truth in advance," Lloyd said after the ruling. "The allegations could not have been more hurtful and the story in which they appeared was unbelievably spiteful and malicious. I am glad The Daily Mirror has now admitted they published lies about me and I hope their admission and statement in court will go some way to restoring my reputation."
Lloyd was crowned Miss England in 2004, but was later stripped of the title after posing nude for Playboy magazine.
JACKSONS REUNION TOUR IN 2008? Promoter says everyone but MiJac has agreed.
*A concert promoter who says he worked with Michael Jackson during the late 1970s/early 1980s tells Access Atlanta that the singer's brothers – and even sister Janet – are game to mount a reunion tour sometime next year.
Leonard Rowe, who says he promoted Michael Jackson's Off The Wall tour during the late '70s/early '80s, claims to have met with the Jacksons to discuss the possibility of an outing, Access Atlanta reported.
"His brothers are ready. Janet is ready. But the motor of that car that makes the car run, isn't just yet," Rowe reportedly told the Web site.
Rowe added: "In April of this year, I flew out to Las Vegas and met with them all and he told me, 'Let's look at '08.' We wanted to go this year, but [Michael] said it would take a lot of preparation. He didn't say no."
ADRIAN PETERSON TO DONATE UNIFORM TO NFL HALL: Minn. rookie running back rushed for record 296 yards in those clothes.
*The uniform worn earlier this month by Minnesota Vikings rookie phenom Adrian Peterson when he set an NFL rushing record is en route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as we speak.
Peterson donated the purple No. 28 jersey and white pants he sported while rushing for an NFL-record 296 yards in a victory over the San Diego Chargers. The uniform has been guarded by the team's equipment staff since the game on Nov. 4, according to the Associated Press.
"The magnitude of what Adrian did on that day is really amazing, and you think about the fact that he is a young rookie and what that must mean for the future," said Joe Horrigan, a representative from the Hall of Fame.
When the running back mentioned it was never washed, Horrigan pretended to be overcome by strong fumes as he held the jersey next to him. Horrigan was headed back to Canton, Ohio, where the shrine to Peterson's accomplishment was scheduled to be on display beginning Friday.
Peterson has never been to Canton himself, but he's planning a visit soon with his family.
"You just look for the future and expect bigger things to come and envision maybe one day, God's will, that I will be in the Hall of Fame itself," Peterson said.
MOS DEF, JOHN LEGEND PREPARING NEW ALBUMS: Both planning to work with Kanye West sometime next year.
*R&B crooner John Legend and rapper Mos Def have both announced they will return to the studio soon to begin work on new albums, reports Billboard.
"We're really just starting," Legend tells Billboard, adding that he has " three songs I love already" for the follow up to his current album, "Once Again."
"I'm usually pretty prolific and pretty quick with my output, so I'm guessing I'll be done with it by the end of the spring and put it out either late summer or early fall. That's what I'm headed towards," he said.
Legend -- who will be releasing one more single, "Show Me," from "Once Again" -- says it's too early to predict a musical direction or theme for the new project.
"The songs I've done so far are different from each other," he says. He's already worked with producers will.i.am and Rick Knowles and plans to hook up with the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams, longtime friend and mentor Kanye West "and we'll see who else."
West, currently dealing with the death of his mother Donda West, is also on deck to work with Mos Def on his forthcoming debut release for indie label Downtown Recordings.
According to label head Josh Deutsch, Kanye will produce several tracks on the as-yet-untitled project.
Also, the label said it does not plan to re-release "Tru3 Magic," which was issued on Geffen without fanfare late last year after being pushed back numerous times. It has sold just 86,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Mos Def recently appeared on the track "Drunk and Hot Girls" from West's new album, "Graduation."
LENNY KRAVITZ ALL UP IN MYSPACE: Artist using site heavily to promote upcoming album.
*Lenny Kravitz and his label Virgin Records have decided to use MySpace.com as a marketing tool for the release of "It Is Time for a Love Revolution," Kravitz's upcoming album due Feb. 5.
"When I approached [MySpace]," Virgin senior VP of marketing Amani Duncan tells Billboard, "their first reaction was, 'Lenny who?' Their second reaction was, 'He'll never do anything with us,' because he never had in the past."
But the social networking site eventually came aboard with an innovative promotional campaign dubbed Get on the Bus With the Love Revolution. The initiative begins with a contest that allows fans to submit videos demonstrating why they want to be part of an upcoming Get on the Bus tour.
The tour runs Jan. 17-31 through select cities, and will feature an "old-school 1970 Eagle bus that we're totally vibing out a la Lenny," Capitol Music Group president Lee Trink explains. "The bus will pick up a contest winner and a friend in each city along the route, and Lenny will hang out with these winners on the bus. We'll videotape the whole thing and put it up on MySpace and Lenny's official site."
Duncan says the tour will have multiple sponsors, tentatively set to include Champion and Harley-Davidson, among others.
"All the sponsors are creating a new business model for us," Duncan says. "I've got a saying that's become a mantra in the office: 'Let's get it done, but with other people's money.' Industry-wide, we're all being forced to cut marketing spends; having sponsors allows us to brand our campaign in unique ways and get these cool things done we otherwise couldn't."
JAMES BROWN'S MONEY IS STILL FUNNY: Company that handles his royalties says income should be higher than its current state.
*A lawyer representing James Brown's estate claims millions of dollars made by the late Godfather of Soul during his legendary career, which should have been in the coffers of his company, James Brown Enterprises, are nowhere to be found.
Funds are also missing from the entertainer's I Feel Good charitable trust, according to Louis Levenson, an Atlanta-based lawyer representing several of Brown's adult children and grandchildren in a South Carolina court hearing Friday to sort out the singer's finances.
The thief is said to be Brown's former financial adviser, David Cannon, who invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself and refused to answer questions regarding his management of the singer's money, reports the Augusta Chronicle.
Cannon's attorney told Judge Jack Early that his client could not divulge information about how much he earned under Brown's employ for the past 16 years because he was the subject of an Internal Revenue Service audit.
As previously reported, Cannon was forced to step down as an estate trustee earlier this year because of allegations that he misappropriated upwards of $7 million of the entertainer's earnings.
Levenson claimed Cannon laundered the money in a separate company he formed and never forwarded a penny of it to Brown or his estate after he died on Dec. 25 of last year due to heart failure.
"That probably the greatest entertainer of all time should be essentially working as an indentured servant for a company that he has no ownership of is absolutely irresponsible and insulting," Levenson told the court, adding that Brown's I Feel Good Trust, established to provide financial aid to poor kids to attend school in Georgia and South Carolina, was essentially cleaned out.
Cannon told the court that he was unable to pay back the $373,000 Early ordered him to pay the estate back in September to make up for those missing funds. But Levenson offered into evidence income tax records that show Cannon made at least $5 million from 2000 to 2006 and paid a Honduras contractor $866,000 in the past three months alone to build a retirement home in that country.
"Mr. Cannon, what happened to all this money?" asked Levenson.
Judge Early appeared to have been stunned by the revelations, and said Cannon was "treading on very, very thin ice." He also suggested a criminal probe into his money managing may be warranted.
"I've been very shocked today by what's been going on, and I'm getting ready to not be nice," said Early.
Cannon—who gave back $350,000 to the estate in August—has five days to make good on the court order and come up with the additional sum.
JUDITH REGAN NEARLY RELEASED BOOK ON NICOLE SIMPSON'S DIARIES: But deal fell through over ownership of rights.
*Publisher Judith Regan, the head of ReganBooks who scrapped plans for O.J. Simpson's book "If I Did It" amid public outrage, was reportedly set at one point to release a book based on the diaries of Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole.
According to the New York Daily News, Nicole's sister Denise Brown approached Regan in 1998 with the idea, and Brown's Literary Group agent, Frank Weimann, secured her a $1 million deal.
Soon, the ReganBooks catalogue began promoting the forthcoming publication of "Nicole's Story," told "through Nicole's own voice." But the deal hit a snag because Brown didn't have the rights to the diaries. They belonged to Nicole and O.J.'s children.
Regan decided to move forward with the book - based on Denise's memories of Nicole - though the search for a collaborator proved difficult. "She turned down every writer," recalls another source. "No one was good enough."
Also, "Denise couldn't remember many stories about Nicole," says the source. "Apparently, they hadn't spent much time together as adults."
"Denise never delivered a publishable manuscript," the source asserts. "She sent HarperCollins a box of garbage - notes and transcripts. Her contract was canceled. She kept the $200,000 advance, which she was supposed to return."
Brown has claimed to Larry King that she blew off the project because Regan "turned it into a tabloid version. … And I wasn't going to do that. I cannot sell out. I don't care how many millions of dollars people offer me.
I cannot sell my sister to the Devil."
O.J. Simpson's book "If I Did It" includes a chapter that offers a hypothetical account of the murders of Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman. The book was cancelled by ReganBooks but later published via another company after Goldman won rights to the title as part of a wrongful death judgment.
OBAMA TOPS ESSENCE MAG'S '25 MOST INFLUENTIAL': Online poll taken; Oprah, Tyler Perry, Jena 6, Shonda Rhimes make the list.
*Senator Barack Obama received the most votes in an Essence magazine poll of the 25 most influential African Americans, beating such finalists as Oprah Winfrey, filmmaker Tyler Perry, "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes and the Jena Six. [See full list below.]
"Some of the most poignant moments in African-American history took place in 2007, from the unified stance that was taken in support of the Jena Six and the Rutgers University Women's Basketball team to the triumphant victory made by Barry Bonds," says Essence editor-in-chief Angela Burt-Murray.
"Making their voices heard on essence.com, the overwhelmingly positive response from our 8 million readers for Senator Obama as African-American of the Year is noteworthy, as African-American women are predicted to be the tipping point for the black vote in the 2008 election," said Burt-Murray.
Although the list honors renowned ministers like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and Bishop T.D. Jakes, and famous entertainers like Beyonce Knowles and Don Cheadle, unsung heroes are included as well, such as Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx, a community organization dedicated to environmental rejuvenation.
Newark mayor Cory A. Booker is also featured for his accomplishments, including a decline in city shootings, which are down 28 percent under his leadership.
The list is comprised of influencers, ranging from actors and advocates to moguls and students:
-- Senator Barack Obama
-- Gina McCauley- Blogger, whataboutourdaughters.com
-- Tyler Perry - Writer, Producer, Director
-- Majora Carter - Environmentalist, Founder, Executive Director,
Sustainable South Bronx
-- Victoria Lanier- Former Youth Director, NAACP, Northeast Region
-- Reverend Jesse L. Jackson - Civil Rights Activist, Minister
-- Reverend Al Sharpton - Civil Rights Activist and President, National
Action Network
-- The Jena Six
-- Beyonce Knowles - Singer, Songwriter, Actress
-- Oprah Winfrey - Media Mogul, School Founder
-- Timbaland - Music Producer, Recording Artist
-- Cory A. Booker - Mayor of Newark, New Jersey
-- Lovie Smith - Head Coach, NFC Champions, Chicago Bears
-- Tony Dungy - Head Coach, Super Bowl Champions, Indianapolis Colts
-- Deval Patrick - Governor, Massachusetts
-- Don Cheadle - Actor, Activist
-- Shonda Rhimes - Creator, Executive Producer, Grey's Anatomy and Private
Practice
-- Venus Williams - Tennis Champion
-- Charles Rangel - Chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means
-- Barry Bonds - "Home Run King"
-- Cynthia Tucker - Syndicated Columnist, Editorial Page Editor, Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
-- The Scarlet Knights - Rutgers University Women's Basketball Team, NCAA
Finalists
-- Kiri Davis - Filmmaker, Youth Activist
-- Bishop T.D. Jakes - Founder, Senior Pastor, The Potter's House of
Dallas
-- Steve Harvey - Radio Personality, Comedian, Actor
MARIAH'S M FRAGRANCE NEEDS VIRTUAL MODELS: Scent inks joint venture with MTV, Elizabeth Arden and Ford Models.
*MTV Networks, Elizabeth Arden and Ford Models announced they are launching a campaign to find the world's first-ever virtual supermodel. The three brands are teaming up to create M by Mariah Carey's "Virtual Ford Model Search" to find the new face of MTV's Virtual Hills.
Beginning Monday, viewers can go to http://www.vmodelsearch.mtv.com and create their own customized avatar. Participants can "meet" in-world with a roster of Ford Models' experts who will provide beauty and styling tips on everything from fashion, skincare, hair, and makeup.
Users are then given a virtual bottle of M by Mariah Carey -- complete with a spray animation -- along with a Ford Models portfolio book to carry throughout the virtual world. Ford Models' digital video content containing similar fashion and beauty insights will also be available 24 hours a day for viewing.
To plug the campaign, MTV will air 30-second Elizabeth Arden/MTV co-branded spots during several episodes of "The Hills" beginning tonight (Nov. 19), pointing viewers to co-branded microsites. The microsites, which will appear on MTV.com and inside Virtual Hills, will offer viewers directions on how to enter the campaign, profiles on the semifinalists and blog entries from contestants.
The sites will also contain links for users to purchase M by Mariah Carey as well as links to Ford Models' Web site.
At the heart of the campaign is a series of events in early January, in which models will be asked to show off their virtual acting capabilities by posing with the bottle and acting out a commercial for the fragrance.
They will also be asked to walk a virtual runway and compete in a virtual dance contest. Representatives from Ford Models, Elizabeth Arden and MTV will conduct the judging.
Three finalists will be chosen by an expert panel on Jan. 14. The winner -- as determined by viewer votes -- will be announced on-air on Jan. 31. The winning avatar becomes Ford Models' first-ever virtual world model, the fresh new face of a marketing campaign for MTV's virtual worlds, and the star of a 30-second Elizabeth Arden/MTV co-branded spot.
DEF JAM GETS OBSCURE FOR NEW COMPILATION: Disc includes rare tracks from Nas, Redman, Fabolous, Meth and more.
*Thirteen rare, unreleased and import-only tracks from some of Def Jam's top artists have been pulled for the new disc "Def Jam Session, Vol.
1," due in stores on Dec. 18.
Nas, Fabolous, Ne-Yo, Redman, Rihanna and Bobby Valentino have two songs each on the compilation, while Method Man contributes "OD" from the sessions for "4:21 ... The Day After."
Here is the track list for "Def Jam Sessions, Vol. 1":
"The N...," Nas
"Where Y'all At," Nas
"I Shine, You Shine," Fabolous
"Chirp Back," Fabolous
"That's What It Does," Ne-Yo
"Spotlight," Ne-Yo
"OD," Method Man
"F**k Da Security," Redman
"Let's Go," Redman
"Haunted," Rihanna
"Cry," Rihanna
"Wreck," Bobby Valentino
"Let's Go," Bobby Valentino
MUSIC BITS: Badu's 'Honey'; Jones' 'Dream'; Busta's fiancée; Rah Digga & Flipmode; Aguilera's son.
*Erykah Badu is back on the scene with her new single, “Honey,"
produced by 9th Wonder for her upcoming album due Feb. 26 – also her 37th birthday. A special, 12-inch pink wax edition will be available only to DJ’s next month and will feature album tracks, “The Healer” and “Real Thing.” Badu says of her as-yet-untitled disc: “The music is the star. I just laid down my vocals and let the music breathe while the melodies tell the stories.” The new album will be Badu’s first full length outing in seven years.
*Mike Jones makes his film debut in "The American Dream," which arrives on DVD tomorrow (Nov. 20) paired with a six-song EP that includes his previous hit singles, "Still Tippin" and "Back Then." The film documents the journey of one man's struggle to break into the music industry and his path from having a dream, to living "The American Dream." Joining Jones in the cast are Clifton Powell, Tamala Jones, Reynaldo Ray and Chantal Nicole.
*Spies for the New York Daily News' Rush & Malloy column spotted Busta Rhymes celebrating his "significantly younger" fiancée's birthday at the Chinese eatery Chin Chin in NY. According to the source, "fellow diners cold not stop gawking at her approximately 20 carat engagement ring. But the happy couple barely noticed as they snuggled and fed each other. Rumor has it the rapper called the owners and asked them to stay open an hour later just so they could swing by."
*Speaking of Busta, his former cohort Rah Digga is denying reports that she's reuniting with members of his Flipmode Squad. According to Allhiphop.com, reports surfaced last week that the Rah had reunited with Flipmode members Rampage, Baby Sham and Spliff Star under the name Famous Millionaire Squad (FMS) – and that Busta was ousted from the crew. Not true, says the squad's former First Lady. "I left Flipmode almost a year ago so that whole story is ridiculous," she told AllHipHop.com. "I would consider doing another squad album for the right price, because I still got love for my dudes and we made some hot records together."
*Singer Christina Milian, one of the guests at Christina Aguilera's baby shower earlier this month, slipped up and revealed the sex of the baby to Us magazine. Her son is going to be pretty lucky because his mom. ...
She's just awesome! She is going to be a cool mom." Guess that means it’s a boy. The carnival-themed baby shower was the first of three to be held at the mother-to-be's Beverly Hills home before she's due to give birth next year.
FILM/TV BITS: Usher channels Gene Kelly; Food Network loves Louise's Soul Food; Xzibit's 'Pinkville' on hold; Freeman in PSA; J.Lo squashes rumor.
*Usher has revealed the nature of his performance for the upcoming "Moving Rocks" special, which is scheduled to air Dec. 7 on CBS as an ode to the role music plays in film. "I will do a remake of Gene Kelly’s 'Singing in the Rain.' We are going to cut it on the actual sound stage where they filmed it," he told People. As for other projects, Ursh said: "I'm waiting for [the birth of] my son and preparing for my album. I have a lot to be proud of."
*Proclaimed by the Food Network as the "Best Soul Food" restaurant, Atlanta's own Louise's World's Best Soul Food presents its local soul food dishes to the national audience of the Food Network's show "The Secret Life of Family Restaurants," airing tonight (Nov. 19) at 10:30 p.m. and 1:30 am. Also, the family-owned spot will celebrate the grand opening of its new home in Lawrenceville, Ga. on Dec. 1 at 12 p.m. In 2005, the original Louise's Soul Food opened its doors at 428 Ponce De Leon, in Midtown, Atlanta.
*Last week, rapper Xzibit was announced as the latest addition to the Oliver Stone film "Pinkville." Due to the writers strike, United Artists has had to postpone production on the Vietnam War drama because neither Stone nor screenwriter Mikko Alanne (both members of the striking Writers Guild of America) are allowed to work on the script revisions needed to get the film ready for production. The film stars Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Woody Harrelson in the drama about the 1968 My Lai Massacre, in which more than 500 people -- mostly women, children and the elderly -- were killed by U.S.
soldiers.
*Actor Morgan Freeman appears in a new public service ad that aims to raise awareness of health care and financial security. Hollywood's leading nonprofit organizations, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) and the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF), joins the national movement lead by AARP. For the "Divided We Fail" campaign. The spots are directed by actor/director Tony Goldwyn, with music composed by Philip Glass. Other actors in the campaign include Ben Affleck, Garth Brooks, Dakota Fanning, Eva Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Piven and Reese Witherspoon. The PSA encourages all viewers to go to www.dividedwefail.org in support of affordable, quality health care and peace of mind about financial security.
*Apparently, a rumor was going around that Jennifer Lopez had a health scare with her pregnancy. A rep for the entertainer issued a statement over the weekend denying the gossip: "Despite erroneous reports of Jennifer Lopez having difficulties with her pregnancy, we are happy to confirm she is very healthy and continuing with her schedule as planned," her publicist tells People. The 38-year-old singer-actress finally announced her obvious condition during the Miami stop of her El Cantante Tour with husband Marc Anthony.
EVENT CALENDAR: BET's 'Gospel'; Ne-Yo in Philly and D.C.; Romeo is a Trojan; Neville Bros back at N.O. Jazz Fest.
*BET is offering free tickets for its eighth annual "Celebration Of Gospel" special, hosted by Steve Harvey and featuring performances by Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Mighty Clouds of Joy, J Moss, Israel and The New Breed featuring T-Bone, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Dr. Bobby Jones, and the top five "Sunday Best" finalists. The show will be taped on Dec. 15 at the historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles with a praise-filled "congregation" and a 24-piece orchestra led by musical director Ray Chew. Free tickets are available by submitting a request via BETRSVP@bet.net or calling (202) 608-2617. "Celebration Of Gospel" will air on Jan. 27 at 8 p.m.
*Ne-Yo will visit a McDonalds in Philly tomorrow (Nov. 20) as part of World Children's Day, a global program that raises awareness and funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and other children's causes. Throughout the country, participating McDonald's restaurants will donate $1 from the sale of every Beef, Chicken Sandwich and Chicken McNuggets Extra Value Meal Tuesday to RMHC. Ne-Yo and "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere will be inside of the Mickey Dees at 914 South Broad St. greeting customers from behind the counter.
*Ne-Yo also joins Vanessa Hudgens, Colbie Caillat and Katharine McPhee (who is reportedly engaged) as headliners for the annual Christmas in Washington benefit show slated to air on TNT Dec. 12.
*Master P's rapper/actor son Romeo Miller, a 6 ft, 170 lb point guard for Beverly Hills High School, has received a full scholarship to play basketball at the University of Southern California along with the No. 1 high school layer in the country, Demar DeRozan. A press conference is scheduled for noon today (Nov. 19) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills where both will sign their letters of intent. Miller (a.k.a. Lil' Romeo) will be graduating high school this spring with an average of 15 points and 9 assists per game.
*The Neville Brothers are confirmed for next year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, which returns in 2008 to its pre-Katrina duration. The long-running festival, held at the New Orleans Fairgrounds every spring, was reduced from seven days to six following the 2005 hurricane, but will bring back "Jazz Fest Thursday" during its 2008 run, which covers a pair of weekends: April 25-27 and May 1-4. Additionally, traditional festival closers The Neville Brothers return to the event, performing in their hometown for the first time since Katrina. The only other act announced by organizers was soul group Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, who will appear May 4. Full lineups for the festival will be released in late January or early February, according to a press release.
DEAL TO MOVE RADIO ONE TO D.C. HITS SNAG: Council votes against plan to move headquarters from Lanham to Shaw-Howard metro.
*A deal to bring broadcaster Radio One to D.C. has been stalled, reports local news station WJLA.
A plan to give a developer city-owned land worth $6 million on which to build the project was rejected by the city council. The $115 million development, called Broadcast Center One, would be built atop the Shaw-Howard University Metro station.
Radio One, currently based in Lanham, is the seventh-largest broadcasting company in the U.S. and the largest to target black listeners. The new project would include offices for Radio One as well as shops, 185 parking spaces and 180 apartments.
An official in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer said the city could consider increasing public financing to offset the developer's cost of buying the land.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
DO NOT CHANGE YOUR DECISION TO GO, CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION TO GET THERE!
By Willie Jolley, Host of the “Willie Jolley Show” on XM 169 –The Power!
You’ve got your dream. You’ve set your goal. You’re ready to get started and then you encounter difficulty. Don’t change your decision to go, just change your path to get there! Numerous paths can lead to each goal. For example, if you are on your way to work and you come to a street that’s closed, do you give up and go back home? No! You find another street that’s open or another route to get to work. With your goal, if you encounter difficulty, don’t change your decision to go; change your direction to get there.
Willie Jolley is America’s “Premier Celebrity Speaker, Singer and Author” and was recently inducted into the Speakers Hall Of Fame. Visit www.williejolley.com for FREE Motivation and Information on his Hot New “Money Making Music and Motivation” Program designed to Grow Your Faith, Your Future and Your Finances!”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Nov. 19: Sportscaster Ahmad Rashad is 58. Singer Tony Rich is 36.
Dancer-choreographer Savion Glover is 34.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
KennyKids is a unique site that encourages entrepreneurial talent and spirit in black children (www.KennyKids.com).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Nov. 19, 1953: Roy Campanella was named most valuable player of the National Baseball League for the second time. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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