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02-07-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
BRANDY AND RAY-J BEGGED MOM NOT TO SUE KIM K.: Sonja Norwood says she held off as long as she could.
*Sonja Norwood, the mother and manager of singer siblings Brandy and Ray J., released a statement Tuesday explaining that her lawsuit against Kim Kardashian was a last resort that was filed against the wishes of her two kids and after exhausting all other options.
As previously reported, Norwood sued Kim K. for making unauthorized charges on her American Express credit card that total more than $120,000.
Norwood said Kardashian was authorized to use the card for one purchase in
2004 in her then capacity as a stylist for both Brandy and Ray J., who is also Kim's ex-boyfriend and the co-star of her infamous sex tape.
"I did not want to commence litigation against the Kardashian family without conducting an exhaustive investigation into the charges and discussing all options, including criminal prosecution, with my family,"
Norwood said in a statement Tuesday.
"After Ray J and Brandy urged me not to file criminal charges because of their prior friendship, I decided to afford the Kardashians an opportunity to resolve this matter without a lawsuit," Norwood said. "When the fraudulent charges were brought to their attention, they apologized profusely, and advised us, through their attorneys, that they would pay the debt in full. However, they have since reneged on that promise."
Norwood also said in her statement that her "investigation has revealed that the Kardashians used their two stores and other stores that I have never visited to take advantage of me. I very much look forward to having the Kardashians account for their misconduct in a court of law."
Norwood's lawsuit seeks repayment of the charges plus 10 percent interest.
OPRAH ASSISTS IN SUPER TUESDAY SNAFU: Plus, see what other polling mishaps took place around the country.
*Super Tuesday arrived this week with many voters unable to take part due to deadly tornados in the south, snow in Illinois, a lack of ballots in California and "Invisible Ink" confusion in Chicago.
Also in Chicago, at least one woman who arrived early to vote was told by her precinct that she wouldn't be able to because only one of five election judges was present. Rachel Waymire was about to head home when she was stopped by Oprah Winfrey, who happened to be at the precinct next door, reports ABC News.
The talk show host and Barack Obama supporter told Waymire she would stay with her until she was allowed to cast her ballot.
"She just kind of stood there and then as soon as I got to vote she left and she said, 'I'll call you later to make sure that you voted.' And probably about an hour later I was sitting at my desk and she called my cell phone," Waymire told Chicago's talk station WLS, adding that she voted for Obama.
Chicago's other voting mishap involved 20 voters on the city's North Side who were convinced by a precinct worker that a stylus for marking electronic touch screens was actually a pen with "invisible ink" to be used for marking paper ballots. The ballots were rejected by the machine and election officials had to scramble to find the voters who cast bad ballots, eventually getting 10 of them to vote with real ink.
Meanwhile, on the city's West Side, police were called to a polling place after a fight broke out between two female election judges, leaving one injured and one in police custody.
More Super Tuesday voting issues are listed below, courtesy of ABC
News:
• New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton, had to wait for almost an hour to vote because voting machines didn't work at his polling place, the Hoboken Fire Department Engine Company No. 2. About a dozen voters were turned away and it was unclear what caused the problem.
• Because another polling site in Jersey City opened almost an hour late this morning, a lawyer for Obama's campaign was in Hudson County Superior Court arguing that the site should be kept open until 8:50 p.m. that night, the Jersey Journal reported, but was turned down by a judge.
• In Arizona, there were scattered reports of irregularities that included registered voters' names missing from registration lists, identification problems and changes in polling locations that confused voters who were not provided an opportunity to vote by provisional ballot.
• After more than six polling sites in New Mexico ran out of ballots due to heavy voter turnout, new ballots had to be frantically printed and sent via couriers to those locations, according to the state's Democratic Party.
• Five precincts in California's Santa Clara County and about a dozen precincts in Alameda County also ran out of ballots, reportedly due to large numbers of independent voters requesting Democratic ballots. The Santa Clara County registrar was urging voters to bring sample ballots or wait in line to use the few electronic voting machines meant to serve the disabled and affected precincts in Alameda County were kept open until 9:00 p.m.
• There were problems with voting machines including temporary glitches in St. Louis and Chicago and two-hour waits at some polling stations in Fulton County, Ga. In Los Angeles, voting machines weren't delivered to several polling locations. Even in Beverly Hills, Calif., there were glitches and a shortage of poll workers forced some voters to cast provisional ballots. "
• In Wisconsin, Texas and Virginia, some clueless voters showed up at polling locations even though primaries weren't taking place in those states on Tuesday.
PRODUCER TEDDY RILEY REPORTEDLY BROKE: New Jack Swing creator puts studio up for sale to pay bills.
*The Virginian-Pilot newspaper is reporting that famed producer Teddy Riley has fallen on hard times and is selling his Virginia Beach recording studio to help get himself out of debt.
According to the newspaper, the architect of New Jack Swing owes $1 million to several creditors and is hoping money from the sale of his Future Records Recording Studio will satisfy the bill. But that's not likely to happen.
The one-story building was considered state-of-the-art when Riley purchased it for $3 million in 1991, but the equipment is now thought to be out of date. The house was reportedly assessed at only $460,000.
During a court hearing on Friday (Feb. 1), lawyers representing two different creditors to whom Riley reportedly owes money agreed to seek a buyer for the studio. Both attorneys understand that the studio has dated technology, but Richard J. Conrod, Sr., a lawyer for one of the creditors, is hoping to sell the property as a working business instead of just real estate.
"I'm trying to save this iconic studio for the cultural heritage it represents," Conrod said. "It would be a shame for it to be mowed down or become anything but a recording studio."
Riley has reportedly been in debt since at least 2002, when he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. He bounced back a year later, only to have the IRS file a $1 million lien against him for unpaid income taxes in 2004. Two years later he was forced to sell his home in the posh Church Point neighborhood of Virginia Beach for $1.5 million to pay off federal and city taxes, as well as the home's remaining mortgage.
In 2007, the IRS filed another tax lien against him for $196,747 and just this past month the state of Virginia filed a $93,684 income tax lien against the musician.
FLAVOR FLAV TO STAR IN NEW SITCOM: Public Enemy rapper books scripted series on MyNetworkTV.
*As if his VH1 reality show wasn't enough, Flavor Flav has just been cast in a new half-hour sitcom for MyNetworkTV titled "Under One Roof."
The fish-out-of-water project will star the former Public Enemy rapper as an ex-con named Calvester Hill who moves in with his rich, conservative brother Walter (Kelly Perine) and proceeds to wreak havoc.
During the course of 13 episodes, Flav's character parades his old prison buddies through the house, teaches his nephew to be a gangsta rapper and butts heads with Walter's snooty wife.
Production on the series is currently underway in Toronto.
ARETHA SAYS SHE'S LOST WEIGHT: Queen of Soul talks about her new health regimen.
*Aretha Franklin heads into 2008 with a new album due on her own label, a Grammy nomination and a MusiCares Person of the Year honor from the Recording Academy. She also begins the new year with a concerted effort to get physically fit.
"I've got a new trainer, and she's giving me a lot of good things, really educating me about nutrition and weight loss and how to do it, and cooking stuff for you," the singer told the AP in an interview at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. "I'm not on a diet. It's a lifestyle change. I'm going to be doing it for the long run. And eventually I'll reach my goal."
Franklin said her hectic schedule was motivation enough to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which also includes cutting out certain foods, fat content and salt.
"I feel lighter. I'm not as heavy, what you get with the red meat,"
she said. "You dragging yourself along when you have all that red meat. Much lighter. I feel a lot lighter, and a lot better."
Franklin's new diet consists of low-fat, low-sodium meals of turkey, chicken, fish, lobster and crab. But, she reserves one meal a week to eat whatever she wants, she divulges. Before leaving for Los Angeles from her hometown of Detroit, "I had turkey wings and dressing, and that was wonderful. My nutritionist would not like that; my trainer, not at all,"
Franklin said, grinning.
The Queen of Soul is in Los Angeles to receive her MusiCares honor in a ceremony scheduled for Friday. The singer's upcoming album, called "A Woman Falling Out of Love," is due sometime this year on her label, Aretha Records. Franklin said she decided to start her own label after she couldn't "come to a meeting of the minds" with Arista Records' Clive Davis.
"I wanted to stay and he wanted me to stay, but we just didn't meet halfway in the middle there," she said. "So I decided not to re-sign and just go ahead and start my own label and be distributed by some fabulous company."
MISSY WANTS YOU TO NAME HER NEW ALBUM: Plus, 3D glasses for new video available at various locations.
*Missy Elliott has left the naming of her new album up to fans who enter a contest on her Web site www.missy-elliott.com. Participants have until Feb. 20 to come up with a title for her seventh studio album, due on Goldmind/Atlantic in late Spring.
The set will feature her current singles "Ching-A-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom Pom," which also appear on the "Step Up 2 the Streets – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack."
The contest winner, to be announced March 2, will receive credit on Missy's new album and a $500 "Respect Me" adidas gift card.
Missy made live appearances on both MTV's "TRL" and BET's "106th & Park" earlier this week to premiere the 2-in-1, 3D video for "Ching-A-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom Pom." The glasses needed to view the 3D effects are available via FYE stores nationwide, at select adidas stores, and via radio giveaways in various cities hosting "STEP UP 2" movie screenings. For more 3D glasses distribution locations, visit www.missy-elliott.com or www.myspace.com/missyelliott.
KANYE, B.B. KING, LUPE BOOKED FOR BONNAROO: Annual music festival to be held June 12-15 in Tenn.
*The annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will take place this summer with its most diverse lineup yet. Rappers Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli were announced as performers Wednesday, along with blues icon B.B. King, alternative diva M.I.A. and the bluesy Robert Randolph Gospel Show.
The rest of the lineup consists of Bonnaroo's usual array of rock, bluegrass and folk acts. Metallica, Pearl Jam, the Allman Brothers Band, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Death Cab For Cutie, Vampire Weekend are also scheduled to perform.
The final 2008 roster features more than 100 bands and 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days. Tickets go on sale exclusively through www.Bonnaroo.com on Feb. 16 at noon.
'THRILLICIOUS' SUPER BOWL AD CONNECTS: Plus, more SoBe/'Thriller' activities scheduled during Grammys.
*One of the more memorable commercials during the SuperBowl came from PepsiCo's SoBe Life Water, which starred Naomi Campbell alongside a bunch of creepy lizards dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
Three of the top Super Bowl surveys ranked the spot as among the best commercial moments during the telecast. SoBe was tied for the 10th most liked spot in the USA Today Ad Meter consumer poll -- the highest ranking of any non-carbonated beverage advertising during the game.
The Thrillicious spot also hit the top 10 in TiVo's list which measured second-by-second audience data. And on the web, AOL's Super Bowl survey has the SoBe Life Water spot in its top 5 picks by consumers.
The ad was created to unveil SoBe Life Water's five new flavors:
Blackberry Grape, Pomegranate Cherry, Orange Tangerine, Strawberry Kiwi, and Passionfruit Citrus.
Look for a continuation of the Thrillicious momentum and more links between SoBe Life Water and "Thriller" during Sunday's telecast of the 50th Annual Grammy Awards at 9 p.m. on CBS.
View "Thrillicious" ad here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anLqu77uTH0
BBC APOLOGIZES FOR USING TERM 'BLACK MAN'S WILLY': Station expresses regret after listeners of gardening show complain.
*A BBC talk show that discusses all things plants caused a racial stir last fall when an audience member sought advice on the Rhodochiton Volubilis, which the Brits informally call "the black man's willy."
During the discussion on Radio 4's "Gardeners' Question Time" show, Bob Flowerdew admitted he had "only ever seen one close up - and not that color." Anne Swithinbank claimed: "I've never seen one in my life...They don't really like the cold, as you can imagine. They shrivel up and look very unhappy."
The comments, recorded at the Chilcompton Gardening Club in Somerset last October, led to a flood of complaints accusing the host of perpetuating a racial stereotype by using the plant's nickname. Producers initially defended the segment as "entertaining," but the BBC's editorial complaints department ruled that the phrase was unacceptable and potentially offensive "in ways not fully appreciated when the matter was first considered."
"Potential for racial offense is not always an easy thing to gauge,"
the BBC continued in its statement. "In this case, there was nothing derogatory of black people in the language used. Nevertheless, it is clear that some listeners did infer a derogatory intention. We regret this. With hindsight, we believe it would have been preferable to omit the item from the program because of the risk that it could be misconstrued."
MIJAC'S 'THRILLER 25' PROJECT INCLUDES DVD, PODCAST: New remix album gets serious promotion.
*Michael Jackson's "Thriller 25," a newly expanded deluxe 25th anniversary edition of the record-setting album, will arrive in stores on Feb. 12 as part of a multi-faceted global marketing campaign featuring television, radio and online events around the world and the major re-launch of Michael's official Web site, www.michaeljackson.com.
The campaign kicked off on Super Bowl Sunday with the premiere of "Thrillicious," PepsiCo's SoBe Life Water spot starring supermodel Naomi Campbell and a cast of animated lizards dancing to "Thriller."
The new album is also being promoted through "Thrillercast," a 40-episode podcast that launches on Feb. 12 and will be updated weekly throughout the year. The series features Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Nick Cannon, Chris Brown and talking about their own personal experiences with "Thriller" and its influence on them, both personally and professionally.
"Thrillercast" will be available for free through iTunes, Zune, and all major podcast providers, as well as directly through www.michaeljackson.com.
In London, a recent "Thriller 25" promotion featured professional dancers re-enacting the zombie choreography from the "Thriller" video on the London Underground, Trafalgar Square and other unusual locations. A competition has been launched for UK fans to submit their own versions of the "Thriller" dance to YouTube.
"Thriller 25" includes all nine of "Thriller's" original songs as well as seven bonus tracks including five featuring new collaborations with Akon, Fergie, will.i.am and Kanye West's "Billie Jean 2008. The album also includes a DVD featuring Jackson's short films from "Thriller" ("Thriller,"
"Beat It," and "Billie Jean") and his Emmy-nominated breakout performance of "Billie Jean" from the "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" television special on May 16, 1983.
Further details regarding the bonus tracks are listed below:
• "Thriller 25's" first single, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008," produced by Michael Jackson and Akon, is a brand new version of "Thriller's" opening cut showcasing newly recorded 2008 vocals by Michael Jackson and Akon.
• Previously unreleased in any form, "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008" by Michael Jackson with will.i.am is Michael's original pre-album demo remixed by Michael and will.i.am with newly added vocals and production from will.i.am.
• "The Girl Is Mine 2008" is another Michael Jackson with will.i.am collaboration based on a demo predating Michael's duet with Paul McCartney.
This is a new, previously unreleased track, newly produced and mixed by Michael and will.i.am featuring a will.i.am rap. "The Girl Is Mine 2008" is being introduced as the album's first single in numerous international territories and is already charting in Brazil, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Poland, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and Japan, where it entered the Top 10 at #5.
• "Billie Jean 2008" features the original tracks of Michael's watershed signature hit, newly remixed by Kanye West. "Beat It 2008" is both a remix and a new track featuring Michael's vocals and many instrumental tracks from the Thriller original coupled with seductive new vocals by Fergie with new band tracks and production by Michael Jackson and will.i.am.
• Thriller 25 closes with "For All Time," a nascent classic recorded by Michael during the original "Thriller" sessions in 1982 but never completed or released until now. Michael has added new vocals and band tracks to his original recording. Mixed by Mick Guzawski and newly-produced by Michael Jackson, "For All Time" provides a sublime and fitting close to this new, definitive edition of Thriller, the top-selling album of all time.
JAY-Z'S VEGAS 40/40 SPOT HAS MULTIPLE ISSUES: Laid-off, disgruntled former employees gripe to MySpace and TMZ.
*Las Vegas Weekly is reporting that Jay-Z's newly-opened 40/40 club in Las Vegas has suffered a number of difficulties since its opening on Dec.
30, including the exit of more than 100 staff members who were either fired or decided to quit their posts.
Former employees have hit up MySpace and TMZ.com to complain publicly about the club's policies, which reportedly include on-the-spot, mid-shift firings without investigations, threats, degrading treatment, use of the n-word by management, and a lack of preparedness.
Club manager Ramon Mata says such firings are normal for a new venture just getting off the ground.
"As with all new businesses, you find out in your first few days of operations what staffing levels are needed," he said. "We adjusted accordingly and followed all rules and regulations in terms of employees that were let go."
One manager was dismissed over questionable operating procedures before the club even had its grand opening. Of the original 10 managers hired at the club, only two are still employed.
Staffers complained that their initial introduction to the club's cash-register system came just one hour before doors opened. Bartenders, cocktail servers and managers also complained of a "no comp" policy that required them to pay for spills and breakage.
In addition, 55 of 90 security personnel were fired on Dec. 31. Other stories include bartenders being over staffed and fired without investigation for instances that were not properly investigated.
BABYFACE HITS THE ROAD WITH 'PLAYLIST': Singer to continue supporting album with more U.S. shows.
*Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds will kick off another round of dates in support of his fall release "Playlist," the singer/songwriter/producer's first set of cover tunes and his first release on the newly re-launched Mercury Records label.
The U.S. tour will kick off Feb. 15 in Minneapolis and hit 13 cities before wrapping March 5 in Long Beach, CA.
The album, which dropped in September and peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, features Babyface singing renditions of his favorite soft-rock tunes by such artists as James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan and Dan Fogelberg,
"Playlist" also features two new originals: "The Soldier Song" and "Not Going Nowhere."
Babyface's tour itinerary is as follows:
February 2008
15 - Minneapolis, MN - Trocaderos
16 - Merrillville, IN - Star Plaza Theatre
17 - Covington, KY - Madison Theater
18 - Youngstown, OH - Chevrolet Centre
21 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
22 - Miami, FL - Carnival Center for the Performing Arts
23 - Phoenix, AZ - Fort McDowell Casino
24 - Tucson, AZ - Tucson Convention Center
26 - Alexandria, VA - Birchmere
28 - Richmond, VA - The National
29 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata/The Music Box
March 2008
1 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata/The Music Box
3 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
5 - Long Beach, CA - The Vault
'GRAND THEFT AUTO' FOLKS ADDRESS EMINEM RUMORS: Not only is rapper unaffiliated with film, but the film doesn't even exist.
*Rumors of Eminem starring in a planned big screen version of the Rockstar Games video "Grand Theft Auto" were dismissed this week, along with reports that such a film was even in the works.
Dan Houser, vice president of creative at Rockstar, tells MTV.com:
"Some movie producers were trying to put something together to entice us to make a movie, as studios and production teams frequently have done in the past. This proposal was no more interesting than the numerous others we receive. We never entertained proceeding with the project.
"Rockstar was not involved in this project in any way, shape or form.
It is not something we are currently interested in."
The Grand Theft Auto series includes many different protagonists who attempt to rise through the criminal underworld, although their motives for doing so vary in each game.
MONA SCOTT-YOUNG BEGINS NEW CHAPTER: Former Violator Management prez launches new company.
*Former Violator Management president Mona Scott-Young has announced the launch of her new multimedia company, Monami Entertainment.
The New York-based entity will offer such services as brand and product development, talent management, television and film production, and marketing, reports Allhiphop.com.
Monami's roster includes longtime Scott-Young clients Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, as well as up and coming Interscope Records artists Brit and Alex and BET host Tocarra.
In addition, Yandy Smith, Scott-Young's longtime colleague, will bring her client, Dipset rapper Jim Jones, to the company as she joins the mogul in the venture.
JANET JACKSON GETS CANDID IN PARADE MAGAZINE: Singer talks about search for true love; going to a Prince concert with her mom and more.
*In Sunday's issue of Parade magazine, Janet Jackson graces the cover and gets very candid in the cover story. The singer, whose new album "Discipline" is due Feb. 26, talks about her marriages, men cheating on her, her faith and the out of wedlock child her father had, amongst other things.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Janet on love:
• “I was always reaching out for love. I kept searching for it,
seeking it. Infatuation, lust—that stuff only lasts so long. You can get that from anybody. But true love is supposed to be forever. Jackson says she has found that love with record producer and hip-hop artist Jermaine Dupri, 35. They have known each other for six years now and may already be married, although that is a question Janet will not address beyond admitting that they are a couple and she is crazy about him. “This time, I wasn’t going to be the first to reach out,” she says. “It was Jermaine who touched me first.
Love came to me. He’s such a wonderful, sweet, very loving guy that I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to fall head over heels for this person.’ ”
On Janet’s father’s out-of-wedlock child and how it has affected her:
•Janet’s father had an out-of-wedlock child with a fan of the Jackson 5.
Five years later, he had another affair with an employee of his sons’ record label, Motown. His infidelities nearly ended his marriage and deeply affected Janet. “Besides my mother’s beauty and her smarts, what I always wanted was her strength,” says Janet, who is very close with her mother, Katherine, 77. “It’s a very cold world, and to have gone through what she has had to experience, from having polio as a child to those things with my brother Michael, and then for my father to have had another child!” Janet says angrily. “I’ve been cheated on a lot. I know what that feels like and how that hurts the heart. But, I mean, to give us a half-sister. I can’t even fathom what that’s like for Mother. For her to stay with my father all these years and never abandon her kids, that’s true love.”
On her two previous marriages:
• Janet was married twice and kept both marriages a secret until they
ended. “I wanted to keep something for myself and not have it be public,”
Janet says. “But after two divorces, I thought I was jinxed. Maybe marriage isn’t for me? Maybe it’s my fault it never works. I was always faithful. I always tried to give of myself. I was very loyal. But maybe I’m the problem.
I’m to blame.” She continues, “It was awful, and I was so tired of being hurt. When it was over, I put shields up to protect myself from being hurt again. I didn’t want to go there anymore.”
On Her Faith:
• “Jehovah’s Witnesses was the religion we were raised under. I’d get
up on Sunday mornings, go to the Kingdom Hall, go again on Thursday night and go to book study on Tuesdays, because that was my mother’s routine. I believe in God. I feel that spiritual connection. But, most of the time, I didn’t pay attention in the Kingdom Hall. I was asleep. I know that’s awful.
I was so tired, so busy, so knocked out, I’d fall asleep.”
On Growing Up in a "Religious World":
• “Being a Jehovah’s Witness, you grow up in a very religious world.
But as a kid I loved Prince and The Time, one of my favorite groups, and would listen to them all the time even though you’re not supposed to do that. When I was 16, I was promoting my first album and I went with Mother to see The Time’s concert with Prince. I did not want to sit next to Mother because I knew they were dirty. I was trying to be cool and calm, but oh my God, I was sweating bullets! How am I going to sit at this show and watch Vanity Six and Prince and The Time and sit next to Mother? She’s going to think, ‘Good Lord, what is my baby into? She really needs more of God in her life! Where did I go wrong?’ I could just hear Mother blaming herself for everything! Luckily, I got someone else to swap seats with me so I was able to enjoy the show and have the same great time I would’ve had if I were there without Mother."
OBAMA RECOMMENDS 'YES I CAN' SONG TO REPORTERS: Plus, creator will.i.am discusses motivation behind viral video hit.
*The "Yes We Can" song, created by will.i.am and featuring a video with dozens of celebrities reciting inspiring words from Barack Obama, has been passed around on the Internet for about a week now – but only recently crossed paths with the man who inspired it.
According to the Associated Press, Obama is a fan of the video and recommended it to reporters on his campaign plane after he watched it Saturday for the first time. The clip is now on Obama's Web site with a form so people can share it, and the video was played before supporters Sunday at a UCLA rally headlined by Oprah Winfrey.
Will.i.am said he was inspired to create the song and video while watching Obama's speech after his second-place finish to Sen. Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary.
"It was as if he was talking to me," will.i.am told the AP Tuesday as Obama and Clinton contended for the Democratic presidential nomination. "It was as if he was talking to and defending everything that made me who I am.
I took that speech, and I wanted everyone else to be inspired by that speech as I was."
The artist spent two days last week recording the song and video, and has not heard from the Obama campaign since it was released. Will.i.am says he prefers it that way.
"They have more important things than to be contacting me to say thank you," he said. "If they had time to call me, I'd be panicking."
Although will.i.am is an Obama supporter, he says the point of the song was not a way to solicit votes for the Illinois senator, but to "remind people how powerful they are. The idea of 'Yes We Can' doesn't stop because he doesn't win."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Eddie's new lady?; Charlie tight-lipped; Wylef's Shopit; free 'Treatment'; Roker and Madden; J.Lo's twins.
*Does Eddie Murphy have a new woman already? On the heels of his "marriage" fiasco with Tracey Edmonds, the actor has reportedly started hanging out with Nischelle Turner, the bubbly roving reporter for Fox's "Good Day L.A." in Los Angeles. According to BV Buzz reporter Jawn Murray, the two were spotted at the Bellagio nightclub The Bank in Las Vegas, and also shared a VIP table at Prive in the city.
*Speaking of the Eddie Murphy, his brother, Charlie Murphy, clammed up recently when asked about the drama between Eddie and Tracey by Power 92 Chicago radio host Kendra G. All Charlie would share was that "somebody put the breaks on." View the interview clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDAatAM-R2Y.
*Win a signed guitar from Wyclef Jean when you sign up for his online merchandise store on Shopit (www.shopit.com/wyclef), the world’s first and largest peer-to-peer social commerce network, to offer fans exclusive access to limited edition merchandise. Fans who register for Shopit and join Wyclef Jean’s network will be entered to win the autographed guitar. Visitors will also find some of his personal items for sale, including a signed vinyl copy of Jean’s single “Cheated (To All The Girls)” from his Wyclef Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars.
*HBO will stream the first 15 episodes of its new original series "In Treatment" free of charge to generate buzz around the project. Blair Underwood stars in the nightly series as one of four patients seeking help from a therapist played by Gabriel Byrne. The 15 episodes are available on HBO.com and HBO On Demand. The network is also placing the content on its podcast channel that can be downloaded on iTunes. This marks the first time the cable company will be streaming this amount of episodes for free.
*NBC's Al Roker is producing a new reality show that will follow the daily life of shoe designer Steve Madden, reports the New York Post. Cameras will capture the pressures of his job selling hundreds of different styles of women's shoes, as well as his personal life as the married father of twins. Roker will produce through his company, Al Roker Entertainment. He calls Madden "an American original and a sole brother. Working with a guy who designs women's shoes," Roker adds, "is my wife's dream come true."
*J.Lo's father has confirmed rampant reports that his daughter is carrying twins, reports People en Espanol. David Lopez told Spanish-language show Escándal "The thing is in my family, my sister also had twins, so it's a hereditary thing. I'm very proud. Jennifer has yearned to be a mother for many years." Papa Lopez says he already has gifts ready for the babies. "In Puerto Rico, it's custom to buy an azabache [black stone] bracelet for babies to protect them from the evil eye, it's part of our culture."
OBAMA BITS: 50 fears for Obama; Q-Tip, Dave Matthews announce endorsement; Clooney comments; Pearl Jam members sing 'Rock Around Barack.'
*50 Cent says he voted for Sen. Hillary Clinton on Super Tuesday because he fears trouble may come to her Democratic rival Barack Obama should he become the next president. On "The O'Reilly Factor" Monday night, host Bill O'Reilly showed a clip of the rapper giving his endorsement to Hillary Clinton. "I just think she could do a good job," said 50, who added that he has nothing against Barack Obama but thinks America isn't ready for an African-American president. "I think they might kill him," he said.
*While a number of musicians performed in support of Obama in the days leading up to Super Tuesday – including a reunited Grateful Dead, will.I.Am, OK Go, a reunited Shudder To Think and members of Pearl Jam – rapper Q-Tip chose instead to release a statement announcing his support for the candidate. "I am endorsing Barack Obama because I feel that we can benefit greatly from a leader that offers sound judgment and experience rooted in the lives of real people," he said.
*Musician Dave Matthews also came out Monday in support of Obama, posting on his Web site: "It is time for a change, and that is why I support Barack Obama for president."
*Rock bands Bright Eyes and M. Ward will headline a free rally concert in Nebraska at the Saddle Creek Records-owned Slowdown today to raise awareness for Obama and recruit voters for the Nebraska Democratic caucus on Feb. 9. A maximum of two tickets will be given to people who are 18 and older, according to the Slowdown's Web site. Conor Oberst, who fronts Bright Eyes, performed in support of Obama last month at a rally in Iowa.
*At the annual pre-Oscars nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills, George Clooney said the following about his early endorsement of Obama: "I've been an Obama guy for a year and a half and I'm very excited by his campaign. It just seems that the more time he's out there, his numbers keep growing. So I'm very, very encouraged." Clooney received a best actor Oscar nomination for his role in "Michael Clayton."
*Folks are still talking about the "Yes We Can" video directed by Bob Dylan's son Jesse Dylan and featuring such celebrities as Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Scarlett Johansson and others reciting and singing clips from a recent Obama speech alongside footage of the senator. The song is just one of several about Obama that have hit the Internet.
Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready and Matt Cameron, posted "Rock Around Barack" to PearlJam.com (Listen here: http://lists.pearljam.com/Roust/rock_around_barack.m4a). The song, a retooling of the 50's rock classic "Rock Around the Clock," comes days after the site posted a clip of Cameron playing drums on the Obama-inspired track "Fired Up and Ready to Go!" by Seattle's Bergevin Brothers and the Total Experience Gospel Choir (View video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ72iZ3tW4 or scroll down to watch).
SPORTS BITS: Shaq traded; LeBron fined; Amani invests.
*Shaquille O'Neal has been traded from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns in a deal that was finalized Wednesday after the 35-year-old passed the team's physical exam. The 7-foot-1 center, who has a bad hip and suffered numerous injuries in recent years, was traded for four-time All-Star Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, who head East to the Heat. Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr orchestrated the move, telling the Associated Press: "I'm well aware that I'm on the line. That's my job. That's why I'm sitting in this seat. I'm comfortable with the decision. I think it gives us a better chance to win, and a better chance to win in the playoffs."
*LeBron James was fined $259 Tuesday for the speeding ticket he received on his birthday in December, which equals what the NBA superstar makes in about five seconds of play, AFP reported. James pleaded no contest to the charge stemming from his Dec. 30 citation for driving 101 mph in a 65 mph zone.
*Fresh from his team's Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots, New York Giants star Amani Toomer hopped a plane to West Caicos in the Turks & Caicos to oversee his investment in a new multimillion-dollar project.
According to the New York Post's Page Six, Toomer and several other pro athletes are involved in a venture that will soon sprout a resort managed by Ritz-Carlton.
EVENT CALENDAR: 'State of the Black Union'; BE's 'Top 25 Moneymakers' party; 'America's Got Talent' search.
*Tavis Smiley’s annual “State of the Black Union 2008: Reclaiming Our Democracy, Deciding Our Future” symposium will take place in New Orleans Feb. 22 and 23 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The symposium will provide a national forum for leading African-American educators, social scientists, business leaders and clergy to discuss economic empowerment, the development and rebuilding of communities, as well as continued support of communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The event is being sponsored by McDonald's. "Through our sponsorship of the State of the Black Union, we understand the importance of uniting some of the most recognized intellectual minds to discuss issues affecting the African-American community," says Carol Sagers, Director, U.S. Marketing, and McDonald’s USA.
*Black Enterprise magazine will honor its exclusive list of the "Top 25 Moneymakers in Hollywood," as featured in its March 2008 issue, on Wednesday, Feb. 20 from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The evening will also honor legendary actress Ruby Dee, an Oscar nominee for her portrayal of Mama Lucas in "American Gangster."
Musician will.i.am is scheduled to perform, and DJ D-Nice will keep the music going throughout the evening. Tyra Banks, Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington and Will Smith are among the entertainers who made the "Top 25 Moneymakers in Hollywood" list this year.
*NBC'S "America's Got Talent" is currently looking for contestants in a nationwide search headed by former journalist-turned-producer Sharon Nash. "This is the biggest outreach we have done we are holding auditions in 13 cities , NYC, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, LA,-- we have already had record numbers of thousands at our recent auditions in Orlando, Nashville and Charlotte," said Nash, the show's senior casting producer. Auditions will be held Feb. 11 in Houston, Feb. 13 in Las Vegas, Feb. 15 in Miami, Feb. 18 in New Orleans and Feb. 20 in Branson, Missouri. Visit the show's Web site for more details. http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/
NICOLE ARI PARKER: The Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Interview with Kam Williams
Welcoming Nicole
*Nicole Ari Parker's really arrived in 2000 when she played Denzel Washington's wife in Remember the Titans.
Since then, she's appeared in Brown Sugar and King's Ransom on the big screen, while enjoying recurring roles on a couple of TV series, Soul Food and Second Time Around.
In 2001, the Baltimore-bred beauty eloped with actor Joseph Falasca, though their union would last just eight months.
Four years later, Nicole married her Soul Food co-star, Boris Kodjoe, and they already have a couple of kids, Sophie and Nicolas.
Here, she talks about her latest movie, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, an ensemble comedy about a Hollywood talk-show host who finds himself cut down to size when he returns to his Georgia roots for his parents' 50th anniversary. Directed by Malcolm Lee, the film features Martin Lawrence in the title role.
Kam Williams: How are you and Boris balancing raising children with your acting careers?
Nicole Ari Parker: Before we had kids, we would dream about having two kids, and we would say that we weren't both going to work at the same time. And we had this whole ideal game plan which we've totally thrown out the window. We both got work, and we both just jumped right in. We took the kids with us.
They're young enough right now that we can do that. To answer your question, we're winging it.
KW: What interested you in playing Lucinda?
NP: Honestly, for me, it was a lot of fun to play the sweetheart, because, as you know, for a long time, I wasn't a sweetheart on television. But I did marry a sweetheart. [Chuckles] Here, I got the opportunity to be the nice girl. And for me, that was a blessing.
KW: Tel me a little about your character.
NP: Well, I think the Lucinda aspect of the movie just adds another layer to the Clyde (Cedric the Entertainer) and R.J. (Martin Lawrence) battle, because I was another thing that they had competed over from childhood.
Clyde always liked me, and kind of pushed that in R.J.'s face. R.J. never really spoke up about it, and this is one opportunity where I've come back into R.J.'s life. We haven't seen each other in a really long time, and we catch up about what we've been doing. He's gone off to become this huge star, and I've still had a simple life. We just meet up again, and I show up with Clyde, and that sets the stage for more competition. It just feeds the whole fuel.
KW: How was it working with Martin Lawrence?
NP: Really good. A lot of big stars, they don't want to stay for the coverage when the other actors are shooting. But he stands by the camera and feeds us his lines, every time, like he was still doing a performance on his close-up. It's been really amazing to have all that support . It's been a really wonderful experience.
KW: What was it like being on a set with so many comedians?
NP: It was interesting to watch because everybody has their own style. Everyone had their own magic. I have so much respect for what they do, and for how they kept their own thing going within the family theme of the movie. But for my character, for me being the straight man in the film, you start to get a little delirious between takes and think that you're funny and a comedian, too, because you're surrounded by Mike Epps, Ced, Mo'Nique and Martin. And so you're thinking, "Yeah, on my close-up, I'm going to say something funny, too." But it was amazing to watch them in action. I was blown away.
KW: We're they competitive with each other?
NP: Yeah, they were totally competitive. But it was the best kind, because they were inspiring each other, and helping each other improve their jokes.
They still knew they were making a movie and stayed with the same theme.
KW: How about working with a legend like James Earl Jones?
NP: I think I stared at him most of the time. I was just in awe that I was in the same frame with him, given his body of work. I was also in awe of his stature and his strength, because in real-life, he's bigger than his persona, even at his age. His still enormous and has got that charisma.
KW: As a serious Shakespearean actor, did he seem uncomfortable around so many comedians?
NP: Not at all. He even had jokes when he was hanging with Mike Epps. At first, I kept hitting Mike under the table, because he was saying things like, "That [N-word]." or "I told that mother-[expletive]." I had to remind him, "Mike, James Earl Jones is here today. You don't talk like that in front of James Earl Jones. Have some respect!" But Mike would say, "Oh, James, you know you're a player." And James was a remarkably good sport about it.
KW: What is Malcolm Lee like as a director?
NP: Malcolm is very focused, no matter what is going on. No matter how crazy it's getting, he's calm and very secure in the shots he wants to get, even if we're all exhausted. Even if we're in the 14th hour of a 12-hour day, he finds a way to bring the energy back, and get us all rallied up to stand in the rain and keep going.
KW: This film is being released in February, Black History Month. What do you see as the significance of Black History Month?
NP: I think it's important to find a way to make Black History Month less of a history lesson and more of a way of life. We need to inspire not just the young people, but the older people, too, because after school, the young people are going home to their moms and their dads. So, everybody has to be inspired by who they are, who they can be, and what their purpose is in this world. We have to start with history, but I think we have to bring it right into the moment, and make the best of our lives right now. That's how things can change, and take it out of February, and into the whole year.
KW: Jimmy Bayan, realtor to the stars, wants to know where in L.A. you live.
NP: We live in Atlanta full-time now. Boris was shooting two films down there, and I'd just had my baby. We'd been staying in hotels for maybe seven months, when I decided to call a real estate agent and look around. And we found our dream house! And that's how we're rolling right now. It's been a bit of an adjustment, but with the kids, it's just so nice to chill and not be so Hollywood all the time.
KW: Well, thanks for the interview and best wishes to you and Boris and the kids.
NP: Thank you.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Great World of Sound
DVD Shows Seamy Side of Showbiz via Black-White Buddy Drama
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Clarence (Kene Holliday) and Martin (Pat Healy) meet at a job seminar in Charlotte, North Carolina offering employment in the recording industry.
The company misleadingly bills itself as an independent music label interested in signing promising talent to lucrative recording contracts.
Though a little suspicious of the shady character (John Baker) running the fly-by-night operation, the unemployed men still accept positions as talent scouts.
Only during training do they see Great World of Sound for what it is, an elaborate scam to fleece local yokels before high-tailing it out of town.
Here's how the scam works: They place classified ads in the papers, encouraging aspiring stars to come to a hotel room for an audition. The trick is that everyone who shows up is told they have promise and are offered a recording contract. Then, they're pressured to fork over several thousand dollars as an investment in their own careers.
Truth be told, Great World has no intention of producing any CDs or promoting any of its artists. Instead, the sleazy owner simply plans to pocket all the checks and to pay his con men a commission for any sucker they sign.
Martin and Clarence are paired as partners for this unsavory endeavor, with the former's good cop persona serving as the perfect counterpoint to the latter's bad cop routine playing the pushy bully who closes deals via the hard sell. And these Willy Loman-like losers' co-dependent relationship rests at the center of this character-driven drama.
Note that, ala Borat, the bulk of the auditioning support cast had been hoodwinked into believing that they were actually getting a shot at of fame. So, kudos to first-time writer/director Craig Zobel for a daring debut, dependent on duping desperate wannabes. Such an earnest intensity could never have been coaxed out of real actors.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity.
Running time: 107 minutes
Studi Magnolia Home Entertainment
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: Me and my Wii
*I blame my mother-in-law.
Prior to Christmas, my wife’s mother announced that she was going to purchase a Wii (pronounced we) for our boys.
For the uninitiated, the Wii is a video game console made by Nintendo. Unlike many other video gaming systems, the Wii is interactive. Rather than sit and operate a joy stick, the Wii is equipped with a wireless handheld controller that detects movement in space. Players get to create characters, called a Mii (me), which mimic your movement in real time. When you swing, the Mii swings. It really is quite amazing. But it is still a video game system.
My wife and I blanched. We had been very clear that we were not interested in having any video games in our home. We have seen far too many children sitting for hours in front of the television set, addicted to video gaming, avoiding the real world in favor of joysticks and imaginary characters. These kids become lazy, anti-social and fat opting to play video basketball instead of real basketball or Madden football instead of getting some guys together to play a rigorous game of touch in the street.
Yeah, I know. Video games give kids a chance to practice motor skills, follow directions and solve problems. What is more, they are entertaining.
Call me old school. But in my day, we used to get those benefits by going outside to play. My friends and I were outdoors all the time. We walked to the community center to swim or play basketball. We scraped up spare change and rode our bikes to the drug store to buy soda and gum. When the weather didn’t permit us to go outside, we made up games or wrestled on the floor until our mothers yelled at us to take the roughhousing into the basement. And yes, we watched television, but always we talked -- telling lies and spreading misinformation about girls. That is what teenage boys are supposed to do.
I spent some time with my nephews a while back and sat in amazement as their home filled with teenage boys. It was the quietest afternoon in the history of adolescence. A room filled with teenage boys and no one spoke. There were no comments about teenage girls, no jokes about farting, no arguments about Shaq versus Kobe, just silence and the working of the joystick.
Yet, grandmothers have a way of getting what they want. My mother – in- law looked at us with huge brown, sad puppy dog eyes – the kind of look grandmothers learn to give that no parent can resist – and we broke down. At least, we reasoned, the Wii will keep them active.
Surprisingly, after the initial novelty wore off the kids don’t play with the Wii that often. They have resorted to their old habits of going outside to play, riding their bikes and building inventions in the garage (read making an ungodly mess). Of course, that may be because their father is so busy playing on the game that they can’t get access. I am hooked! And I blame my mother-in-law.
I knew there might be a problem when I was rushing the kids to bed early so I could get in a few more holes of golf. “Daddy, its only 7 o’clock.” “Quiet! I don’t want you to be tired in the morning.”
I hear you asking the logical question of why I can’t simply play Wii with my kids. It’s a perfectly reasonable question. I have a perfectly reasonable answer. Because the Wii makes me a crazy person. During tennis, I am grunting like Serena Williams. During golf, I am yelling at them for distracting me during my shots. During baseball, I am grabbing my crotch and spitting on the carpet. My wife, of course, doesn’t understand any of this. She thinks I have lost my mind. And I have.
I tell her to look on the bright side. I am practicing motor skills, using problem solving and logic, learning to follow directions and entertaining myself, and she has her mother to thank for it.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
ASK ADVICE CHICK: Answers to YOUR Dating, Sex, Life, & Love Questions!
By - AdviceChick@ameritech.net
Straight, Gay, Bi, Tran, Woman, Man – Send your questions to AdviceChick@ameritech.net !
Advice Chick RANT,
*The views expressed in this column are my own. Last Thursday (Jan. 31, 2008) I walked my plus sized body into a Lane Bryant store in downtown Chicago. I was greeted by a friendly staffer who helped me pick out a great pair of wide legged black pants. I bought five pair.
I paid for my items and left. Once I got home I tried them on and they were “too” wide legged. On Friday (Feb 1, 2008) I returned to the same Lane Bryant and exchanged three pair of the wide legged pants for three straighter legged pair. Again, the staffers were friendly and helpful. I hopped on the Metra and headed home.
On Saturday (Feb 2, 2008) my son told me five women were killed in a Tinley Park Lane Bryant. I was very saddened and logged online for details. The murders were senseless.
Some loser ass #@!!* (y’all know what I really want to call him) went in to rob the store at approx 10ish Sat morning. He herded five or six ladies into a back room; duct taped them, and shot them in the back of the head. Five lives were snuffed out by a loser who doesn’t deserve the breath he breathes. After robbing the store and the ladies, (I read his take was approx. $200.00) he walked out of the store and vanished.
One lady survived to call the police and give details of the horrific crime. According to news sources she has given enough information to possibly create a sketch.
I am so sad for the ladies and their families. It could have been me. It could have been you, or someone you love.
Here are some details:
The funeral for Szafranski, 22, of Oak Forest will be held at St. Damian Church in Oak Forest at 10 a.m. Saturday. Visitation at Lawn Funeral Home in Orland Park will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday.
The funeral for McFarland, 42, of Joliet will be at Living Faith Church in Crest Hill at 10 a.m. Saturday. Visitation will be at Range Funeral Home in Joliet from 2 to 9 p.m. Friday.
Services for Woolfolk, 37, of Flossmoor will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Leak and Sons Funeral Home in Country Club Hills, following a 3 p.m. wake. The family has set up a fund for her two boys. Donations can be made to the "Connie R. Woolfolk Memorial Fund" at any Charter One Bank location.
Services for Chiuso, 33, of Frankfort will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Homewood. Visitation will be from 2 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Ryan Funeral Home in Homewood.
The funeral for Bishop, 34, of South Bend, Ind., will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend.
Her family set up a fund for her three children at 1st Source Bank in South Bend. Contributions can be made at the bank's locations to the "Bishop Children's Education Fund."
Send YOUR questions and comments 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.
MARIANN’S MIDLIFE MAYHEM & MISCELLANY:
Random Thoughts on a Souper-Bowl Sunday
*Thought I’d have fun with a little word-play and the fact that I’m writing my column during the pre-game show of the Super Bowl. Spell-check kept wanting to change “souper” into “super,” though…but I finally got it to cooperate!
This has been a “souper-bowl” week for me because soup is all I’ve wanted to eat. I’ve been sick with the flu -- with chills, fever, a cough that could clear out a subway car, and almost no appetite. My mom got the flu, too, and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. So, since my fever broke on Wednesday, I’ve been spending lunchtime through dinnertime in the hospital with her…and had to cancel my Wednesday night “Broads on Broadway” stand-up gig at Caroline’s – which I’d have
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