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JOYNER SAYS PLEASE GIVE TAVIS SOME LOVE: Radio host writes open letter in response to Smiley's announced exit from morning show.
"Well, you did it. This isn’t the way you wanted it to happen, but it happened anyway. Just like I knew it would," begins an open letter from veteran radio personality Tom Joyner to Tavis Smiley.
It's the latest in ongoing drama that followed Joyner's announcement Friday that Smiley will end his twice-a-week commentaries on the syndicated morning show.
When the news broke, folks speculated that he couldn't handle the backlash he's been getting from blacks over his criticism of Barack Obama. Although Smiley released a statement saying he was leaving to focus on future projects under his company, The Smiley Group, Inc., Joyner isn't buying it.
"We all know that isn’t the real reason he’s leaving the show," Joyner writes in the open letter, posted on the radio industry blog Urbansite.com. "The real reason is that he can’t take the hate he’s been getting regarding the Barack issue — hate from the black people that he loves so much. He needed to feel the love. We all do, whether it’s from our radio audience or from people we know personally. He wasn’t feeling any love, so he quit."
As previously reported, Smiley sent a letter to EUR and other media outlets stating that he did not “quit” the Tom Joyner Morning Show effective immediately.
"In July I will celebrate my 12th anniversary with the show, and as I discussed with Tom, it is my intention to take on the issues of the day in my commentary twice every week with the same energy, passion and commitment until the end of June," Smiley wrote.
Still, Joyner claims Smiley is leaving because the black community has put him on blast. The cold shoulder was sparked after one of his TJMS commentaries urged listeners not to buy into the hype of Obama. It reached a peak after Smiley called out the senator for choosing to stay on the campaign trail instead of attending his recent State of the Black Union conference in New Orleans.
"I’ll also admit that I wanted Tavis to show a little more love to Barack Obama, and I was frustrated over his failure to do so," Joyner wrote before ultimately suggesting that listeners at least attempt to respect Smiley's different perspective.
"What Tavis was saying made us think. It had us talking, it had us listening to a different point of view, and it was damn good radio," Joyner continued. "Tavis on the radio not saying everything that we want him to say is a lot better than not having Tavis on the radio at all. 'The Tom Joyner Morning Show' without Tavis gives our listeners one less reason to tune in, and in case you don’t know, all of us in radio -- and in black radio especially -- are in a battle for our lives. We need good, controversial, compelling radio, and Tavis brought that."
"But because Tavis has not come out and said, 'I am for Barack Obama,' everybody has started hating on him and threatening him and clowning him, and he can’t take it," Joyner continued. "Those of us who know him well know that. If you read his autobiography, 'What I Know for Sure,' you know that no matter how deep his love is, if he feels that he’s right or that you’re wrong, he doesn’t back down.
"When his mom made him step down from being class president because his grades were slipping, he didn’t speak to her for two years. His own mama, a single parent of eight! He lived in her house, ate her food while he sat at her table and didn’t say a word to her for two years. All because he didn’t feel the love that his mom was trying to give him."
In conclusion, Joyner wrote: "Tavis said the things he said about Barack because he wants the black people that he loves so much to think -- but to most of you, it sounded like hate, and it sounded like that to me too. Love or hate, real or perceived, none of it matters now. What matters is that Tavis wants to quit the TJMS -- and that’s real.
"I want you to call him, e-mail him, text him, hug him, kiss him, get him in a corner and wrestle him and tell him how much you love him and appreciate his love for black people. Everyone needs that sometimes. And Tavis needs it right now."
*Meanwhile, the Tavis Smiley Group has just announced a three-year partnership with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company that will include exclusive sponsorship of Smiley's PBS television program, national sponsorship of the 2009 State of the Black Union event to be held next February in Los Angeles and sponsorship of an exclusive five-city tour in which Smiley and Nationwide will join forces to promote economic empowerment and financial literacy.
Tour stops will include Columbus, Ohio on May 17; Raleigh, North Carolina on May 31; Richmond, Virginia on June 14; Atlanta, Georgia on June 28; and Dallas, Texas on Nov. 8.
FOXY BROWN TO BE SET FREE THIS WEEK: Rapper completes sentence for violating probation.
*Foxy Brown will be back on the streets this week after serving eight months of a year-long sentence at the Rose M. Singer facility in New York's Rikers Island.
The rapper is due for release on April 18, according to her manager Chaz Williams. In Sept., she was sentenced to a year in jail for violating her probation after several arrests, including an altercation with two nail salon employees in August 2004 and assaulting a neighbor with a BlackBerry cell phone.
"She did every single minute of her bid in jail, and she did it under the most severe conditions," Williams tells Billboard.com. "They had her on continuous lockdown just because she is a celebrity. They were trying to break her spirit."
Upon her release, Brown, born Inga Marchand, will meet with several television networks to discuss a potential documentary and reality show on her life, Williams said. The artist will also prep for the release of her oft-delayed album, "Brooklyn's Don Diva," now due May 13 via Black Rose Entertainment/Black Hand/Koch.
"She's going to get on top of her career again. She's ready to hit the ground running and do anything she needs to do to get her career back on point," says Williams.
BOBBY MAD WITH WHITNEY OVER DVD HOLDOUT: Houston refuses to sign off on home video release of 'Being Bobby Brown.'
*Now that Whitney Houston is clean and sober, it looks as if she's trying to keep video footage of her darkest moments in addiction far away from video store shelves.
Her ex-husband Bobby Brown wants desperately to release his Bravo reality show "Being Bobby Brown" on DVD, but Houston, who appeared heavily in the series and seemed to be under the influence during most of the filming, refuses to sign the papers.
"Whitney blames the show for ruining her career and she won't sign off on the contract to release the DVD," Brown tells In Touch magazine. "There's a lot of money to be made, but, because she won't cooperate, we'll never see it. I have a serious problem with that because it affects my income."
RACISM BLAMED FOR LACK OF BEY-JAY MAG COVERS: Plus, PETA sends Beyonce a peace offering; Rihanna claims she didn't now about wedding.
*Of the big five celebrity glossies out midweek, only Us Weekly put news of Beyonce and Jay-Z's wedding on the cover. The others chose instead to feature Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston, notes New York Daily News columnist Ben Widdicombe.
He says one top editor blames the lack of attention on the notion that "African-Americans don't sell covers."
"None of the magazines landed an exclusive on wedding pictures, which would have made the story bigger," Widdicombe quoted of one tabloid insider, justifying why Beyoncé was relegated to a small cover box on his magazine.
But even wedding photos make less money for black stars, another source stated.
"Eva Longoria can get $1 million for wedding photos, but without the expectation of cover sales, Beyoncé might have gotten as little as $250,000 if she had sold hers," says a top editor.
Magazine publisher and black gossip pioneer Flo Anthony responds: "That sounds to me a very racist statement. Beyoncé is one of the biggest stars in the world, much bigger than Eva Longoria."
Another tabloid source says: "We have a saying, 'Only Oprah.' Oprah is the only black celebrity big enough to put on our cover."
But Us Weekly editor in chief Janice Min, the only non-Caucasian to helm a top celebrity magazine, told the columnist: "Janet Jackson has been on our cover twice, for two of our best-selling issues we've ever had."
She acknowledges there is a perception in her industry that black stars don't sell covers, but adds: "Typically, you will hear that discussion among a group of all-white editors."
Meanwhile, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has had their issues with Beyonce for choosing to wear furs. But the animal rights group, who once accosted her with video footage of slaughtered animals, has reportedly forgiven the artist and actually sent her a wedding gift.
In a press release, PETA announced they've decided to call a truce after noting that she hasn't worn animal skin all winter. Among the gifts at her recent wedding was a peace offering from the organization, along with a note.
“From all of us at PETA, we wish you much happiness in your life together," the message read. "Please accept this faux-fur throw with many good wishes and a hope from us that together, you’ll be a fur-free couple!”
In a statement, PETA Senior VP Lisa Lange called Beyonce “a real ‘dreamgirl’ for fur-bearing animals."
In other wedding news, Rihanna said she had no idea that her former boss at Def Jam had exchanged vows with Beyonce last week.
"I didn't know!" she told People at the Escada Moon Sparkle/Island Def Jam benefit for her Believe Foundation and DKMS, the world's largest bone marrow donor center. "No one knew!"
ALICIA KEYS SAYS GANGSTA RAP WAS A CONSPIRACY: Singer also believes East/West beef was government-created.
*In an interview with Blender magazine, Alicia Keys says she believes that "gangster rap" and the bicoastal feud that resulted in the deaths of Tupac and Biggie were created by The Man.
"'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. 'Gangsta rap' didn't exist," said Keys, 27, in the magazine's May issue, on newsstands tomorrow.
The singer also says that the rivalry between slain artists Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. was fueled "by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing."
The Grammy-winner, who wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead," says she wants to get more political with her material in future projects.
She said if black leaders such as the late Black Panther Huey Newton "had the outlets our musicians have today, it'd be global. I have to figure out a way to do it myself."
50 CENT DEFENDS DECISION TO EVICT EX: Rapper says she is not the sweet, naive woman portrayed by Joy Bryant in 'Die Tryin'.'
*50 Cent says he's surprised by all the attention surrounding his decision to evict his ex-girlfriend and their son from a Long Island, N.Y., home he owns.
A judge ruled earlier this month that Shaniqua Tompkins and 10-year-old Marquise must be out of the mansion by the end of the 2008 school year, prompting folks to question how the rapper could throw out the woman who cared for him after he was shot in 2000.
According to SF Gate, 50 denies claims that Tompkins was by his side after the shooting, insisting this was merely how she was portrayed in "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," the 2005 film loosely based on his life.
"That's a movie. I tried to paint a more positive outlook on her," he said. "She's not my shorty on the side. I haven't dealt with her since 2003."
"She worked for three months in 2001. She ain't had a job, she ain't done nothing. I was giving her $500,000 a year," he continued. "She thinks she's entitled to 17 percent, because these chicks she be having around her telling (her all this). I was giving her $25,000 a month, now she wants $50,000."
R. KELLY'S JUDGE MEETS SECRETLY WITH LAWYERS: What's being discussed? Gag order prevents attorneys from spilling the beans.
*The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the judge in R. Kelly's child pornography case has been meeting privately in chambers with lawyers on both sides, however, a gag order bars them from speaking to reporters about the nature of the discussions.
"The result is that, with the trial scheduled to begin next month, little is known about legal maneuverings in the nationally prominent case,"
the newspaper stated.
Amid heavy security Friday, Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan ordered the courtroom cleared of a couple of reporters, a handful of spectators and one of Kelly's bodyguards, according to the Tribune. The doors were locked and county deputies guarded the courtroom entrance, ordering reporters to wait down the hallway, well out of earshot.
Kelly was allowed to stay in the courtroom for the hearing, which lasted about two hours, the paper reported. Before closing the courtroom, Gaughan said several motions that had been placed under seal would be discussed.
"This type of information can affect the potential jury pool," Gaughan declared before he had the courtroom cleared.
"Obviously, the evidence in this case is likely to be very emotionally charged, which is probably why he's insisting that things be under seal," said Rodney Blackman, a professor at the DePaul University College of Law and an expert on constitutional law. "But the point of allowing the press in is to let the public know what's going on, including letting the public know if there's any irregularity in the judicial process."
Kelly, 41, is charged with child pornography for allegedly videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl. Jury selection is set to begin May 9. The case has languished for nearly six years.
HALLE GETS MAMA TIPS FROM NANCY O'DELL: 'Access Hollywood' homie says actress is 'loving every minute' of new baby.
*"Access Hollywood" host Nancy O'Dell says she's been in contact with new mom Halle Berry since the birth of her daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry last month.
"We've e-mailed, and she's loving motherhood," O'Dell told People magazine at Thursday's "National Lampoon's One, Two, Many" premiere in Hollywood.
O'Dell, 42, who herself gave birth last June to daughter Ashby Grace, says she sent Berry a nice long e-mail of motherly advice.
"I sent her a whole page e-mail about things I wish friends had told me," O'Dell says. "I said, 'I wish people had given me this advice. They didn't, so I'm going to give it to you.' She was appreciative, really appreciative."
While O'Dell would be happy to set up some play dates between their two girls in the future, the TV host joked that she was holding out for Berry to have a boy.
"I'm glad she had a girl, so the girls can play, but the other side of me went, I bet that would be a very attractive young boy to set up with my girl," O'Dell said. "I was pulling for either one."
TURKS AND CAICOS' MISICK DENIES ASSAULT: Premier said to have sexually assaulted a U.S. citizen.
*According to TMZ.com, the feds are currently investigating a sexual assault claim against Hon. Michael Misick, Premiere of The Turks & Caicos and husband of actress Lisa Raye Misick.
The allegations, first reported by MediaTakeOut.com, come from an American woman who says the incident took place over the weekend. While details are unclear, the woman may have been a celebrity friend of Lisa Raye, according to the Web site.
Misick vehemently denied the accusations in a video statement played over the local airwaves. He said he "strongly and categorically" denies the "false and outrageous" accusations against him.
KEMBA SMITH STORY HEADED TO BIG SCREEN: Producer Will Packer acquires life rights of former Hampton student caught in boyfriend's drug ring.
*Will Packer, producer of the Screen Gems box office hits “Stomp The Yard” and “This Christmas,” has acquired the rights to produce the life story of Kemba Smith.
The only child of professional, middle class parents in Richmond, Va., Smith had no criminal record prior to attending Hampton University where she would fall in love with Peter Hall, who unbeknownst to Kemba, was the leader of a $4 million crack cocaine ring and one of the FBI’s 15 Most Wanted.
At 23, Smith was taken away from her newborn baby to serve 24 years in prison under mandatory drug sentencing laws, which were harsher than that of rape or manslaughter. Smith, however, was a victim of physical and mental abuse. Being minimally involved with the crimes, she was still sentenced to the full extent of the law.
Her story made headlines in 2000 after Bill Clinton granted her clemency from a 24.5 year drug conspiracy charge.
Through his production company, Rainforest Films, Packer plans to produce the as-yet-untitled project for release in 2009. In the meantime, he's currently in pre-production on three films: "Obsessed," starring Beyonce Knowles; "Phenom," starring Chris Brown and Bone Deep starring Idris Elba and Matt Dillon.
MARIAH'S 'BODY' WON'T QUIT: Single begins second week atop Billboard Hot 100.
*Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body," the first single from her new album "E=MC2," spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, holding back competition from Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" at No. 2 and Madonna's "4 Minutes" at No. 3.
Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" rises 7-4 and is the fastest growing digital track on the Hot 100. The song also leaps 7-1 on Hot Rap Songs, the largest position leap and quickest move to No. 1 on the tally since it moved to an audience-based metric in 1999, Billboard reports.
Usher's "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy slips 2-5, on the Hot 100, Ray J and Yung Berg's "Sexy Can I" remains No. 6 and Jordin Sparks' "No Air" featuring Chris Brown slides 5-7, despite being the fastest growing track at radio.
Brown's "With You" holds at No. 8, as does Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" at No. 9. Flo Rida's "Low" featuring T-Pain is No. 10 for a second week to round out the top tier.
Meanwhile, "Love in This Club" continues to rule the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a second week.
KANYE BLOGS ABOUT HIS MOM: Artist credits her with teaching him important life lessons.
*Kanye West paid tribute to his late mother Donda West through a posting on his blog Wednesday, crediting her advice with giving him a new outlook regarding his daily grind.
"If there's anything my mom taught me is to enjoy life," he wrote in the post titled "Life is Good...in Japan Picking Out Fabrics for Pastelle." "I don't do anything I don't love anymore."
"While people chase money I pursue happiness," he continued. "So many people talk about [their] investments or how much money they have but there's so many rich people who spend a lot of that trying 2 buy a piece of happiness."
West, 30, also explained how his recent tour helped him – by way of distraction – to deal with the sudden death of his mother following plastic surgery.
"I absolutely lost my mind (in a good way) on the new Glow in the Dark Tour. The constant hours of creating helped me 2 keep from [losing] my mind in a bad way...tragedy can produce great art and this is definitely true," he wrote.
West said he has just finished recording his first new music since his mother's death while in Japan, saying the self-penned verse "felt good and I was inspired."
"I am a total mad man now, up till 3 a.m. every night, trying 2 fight pain, [boredom], and uncertainty with creativity," he continued. "All that said, life is good...good as finding the perfect fabric for a simple one button casual blazer with matching pants."
BRYANT GUMBEL SAYS GOODBYE TO NFL NETWORK: Exit follows two years of calling games.
*Bryant Gumbel and the NFL Network have agreed to part ways, the cable channel announced late Friday.
After two years of calling games, Gumbel will not return for a third season following a decision that appears to have been mutual.
"We've agreed that we'd all be better served going in different directions," Gumbel said in a statement without giving any further details.
The NFL Network declined to comment about possible reasons for Gumbel's departure, but the channel's President/CEO Steve Bornstein said in a statement: "We appreciate everything Bryant did in helping us launch our NFL Network game telecasts. Bryant helped create interest in our first foray into televising NFL regular-season games."
The choice of Gumbel as the network's first play-by-play announcer didn't go over too well in 2006, when the channel tapped him and analyst Cris Collinsworth as their broadcast team for the Thursday night and Saturday night games late in the season. Although the former "Today" host is a veteran in the broadcasting field, Gumbel had zero experience doing football play-by-play.
Gumbel will continue hosting the Emmy-winning "Real Sports" on HBO, while Collinsworth will remain in his analyst chair for the NFL Network. The search for a new play-by-play announcer is scheduled to begin before the channel's eight-game package starts in November.
EMINEM BOOKED FOR MANDELA BIRTHDAY CONCERT: But TMZ says his camp has yet to officially accept offer.
*Will Eminem come off of an extended break to perform for Nelson Mandela or not?
Multiple reports over the weekend said the rapper had accepted a request to perform at the 90th birthday bash of former South African president Nelson Mandela, which is being organized by former Queen member Brian May.
But TMZ reported yesterday that Em's camp says May's invitation has yet to be officially accepted.
According to the New York Daily News, May first contacted the artist's team about a month ago without much expectation that he'd ever sign on.
As previously reported, Will Smith is tapped to host the celebration, and confirmed performers include Stevie wonder, Annie Lennox, Razorlight and Keane.
DANNY GLOVER FILM GETS MORE VENEZUELA MONEY: But local filmmaker says it's at the expense of country's poor.
*Venezuela has given an extra $9 million to the film "Toussaint," a co-production between Danny Glover's Louverture Films and Venezuela's film studio Villa del Cine. However, not all filmmakers believe the money should've been accepted.
The government has already donated nearly $18 million toward the $30 million budget of Glover's pet project about Toussaint Louverture, who led an 18th-century uprising in Haiti.
But Venezuelan writer-director Jonathan Jakubowicz – whose kidnap drama "Secuestro Express" angered Chavez's government for its hard-hitting portrayal of sociopolitical malaise in Venezuela – says the earmarked money is at the expense of the country's poor.
"In a country with rampant poverty, a catastrophic health crisis and 14,000 violent deaths a year, President Hugo Chavez gives away our money for his friends to play with," said the L.A.-based filmmaker. "I don't know if Mr. Glover's conscience lets him sleep, but he's certainly present in all my nightmares."
PARENTS DISPUTE SON'S FUTURE GANG TIES: Dad arrested after fighting with girlfriend over which gang their 4-year-old son should join.
*A Denver man was arrested for causing a public disturbance after fighting with his girlfriend over which gang their four-year-old son should join.
Police told Denver's KMGH that Joseph Manzanares showed up at the video store where his girlfriend worked, threatened to kill her and knocked over several video displays.
Manzanares, who is Hispanic, wants the child to eventually bang with his gang Westside Ballers, while his black girlfriend wants the child to become a member of her Crips street gang.
"They have different ideas on how the baby should be raised," said Commerce City police Sgt. Joe Sandoval. "Basically, she said they cannot agree on which gang the baby would 'claim.'"
D.C.-BASED WALE SIGNS WITH MARK RONSON LABEL: Rapper is flagship of producer's new venture with Interscope.
*Producer Mark Ronson, whose work on Amy Winehouse's album "Back to Black" earned him a Grammy, has signed Washington D.C.-based rapper Wale to his three-year-old label Allido Records, reports Billboard.
Allido, which launched in 2004 as an independent imprint, has just signed a distribution deal with Interscope, the first fruit of which will be Wale's as-yet-untitled debut due later this year.
Influenced by the region's go-go music, Wale is a popular underground artist best known for the Internet track "Nike Boots" featuring Lil Wayne and the mixtapes "Scion A/V Presents: Wale vs. 45 King" and "100 Miles & Running."
Wale is also prepping for a release next month titled "A Mixtape About Nothing," inspired completely by the TV show "Seinfeld." Included amid the music is a skit featuring an appearance by show star Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Allido co-owner Rich Kleiman says: "He took what he created in his hometown and became this unspoken prodigal son of Washington, D.C. Everyone from Jay-Z to RCA sat with Wale and loved him. Nothing from D.C. has worked before, but Wale has the core sound of D.C. with the commercial appeal of hip-hop."
Allido's prior releases, Rhymefest's 2006 set "Blue Collar" and Ronson's own 2007 album "Version," were released via RCA, but the imprint never signed an exclusive distribution deal with the major label, according to Billboard. Currently, Daniel Merriweather, Ronson and Rhymefest are still signed to RCA as artists.
RADIO ONE BUYS SOCIAL NETWORKING CO.: Deal, worth $38 million, gives company ownership of BlackPlanet.com and others sites.
*Radio One made a power move last week with its $38 million acquisition of social networking company, Community Connect Inc. (CCI), which owns and operates BlackPlanet.com and other social-networking brands under its umbrella.
With over 20 million members, CCI is the 4th most visited U.S. social networking property/publisher, according to Hitwise.
"CCI is an innovator and pioneer in social networking," says Alfred Liggins, III, Radio One’s CEO and president. “We believe that they are a great complement to our existing radio, TV, and online properties.”
The acquisition expands Radio One, Inc.’s diversification outside of the radio broadcasting space, which already includes the purchase of urban magazine Giant and African-American targeted cable network, TV One. The addition of CCI gives Radio One a strong foothold in the ever growing social networking and multicultural online space.
"This is a great opportunity to take CCI to the next level,” said Ben Sun, President and founder of CCI. “Radio One reaches over 20 million people every week in radio, TV, print and online giving us the opportunity to capitalize on cross-platform opportunities for our brands that will truly benefit our members and advertisers."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Diddy's foot; Oprah's money; Gnarls' gig; Vanilla's arrest; 'Pacman's' plea; Thandie's Barbie; Gayle's condo?
*Diddy is reportedly on the mend after cutting his foot on a champagne glass. According to reports, the injury took place while the hip hop mogul partied last weekend at his Miami home. Some outlets had Diddy getting 40 stitches to close the gash, but TMZ.com claims the cut only needed five. Either way, it was painful enough to keep the mogul from attending the Art for Life charity event hosted by Russell Simmons. Before anyone could accuse him of being a flake, Diddy sent Russell a videotaped message in his place.
*Oprah Winfrey's 2007 salary of $260 million is the most of any celebrity on Parade magazine's new "What People Earn" issue. Rapper 50 Cent made $33 million last year, while Tiger Woods pocketed $115 million. The salary survey compared the earnings of 18 celebrities and 112 "regular"
people who participated. The highest-paid person on the list is 52-year-old hedge fund manager John Paulson, who earned $3.5 billion last year. The lowest-salaried person in the survey is 26-year-old Peace Corp volunteer Edward Perry, who made $2,900.
*Before their appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," Gnarls Barkley had a warm-up performance Thursday night at the intimate Highline Ballroom in Manhattan. The hour-long show featured duo Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse flanked by a five-piece backing band showcasing tracks from their new album, "The Odd Couple." Gnarls Barkley will appear next at the Roots'
Family Picnic on June 7 in Philadelphia and at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on July 27. Also, the group is giving away a free MP3 download of "The Odd Couple," played backwards and housed in one continuous audio track, from the newly launched Web site www.fronttobackbacktofront.com.
*Vanilla Ice was released from a Florida jail Friday following his arrest on a charge of simple battery for allegedly pushing his wife. The former rapper, 39, was taken into custody Thursday night from the couple's Wellington home in South Florida. Police said his wife called 911, saying he had kicked and hit her during an argument over buying a bedroom set. She later changed her story and told deputies he had only pushed her. Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, has denied pushing her, according to authorities. He was released Friday after appearing in court.
*Suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will again ask NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to reinstate him, with his agent planning to send in his latest request on Tuesday. His agent, Manny Arora, said that being able to work out for teams before the NFL draft on April 26-27 would increase Jones' appeal to those in the market for a cornerback. "We were hoping something would get worked out with the Titans or another team to work out a trade, but the trade talks, the way I read, aren't progressing as well as we hoped," Arora said on Saturday. "If the commissioner reinstates or grants permission to work out at a team's facility, that should ease the risk factor for a team interested in picking him up."
*Thandie Newton and other celebrities have taken part in a London photo shoot in which they destroy toys to symbolize the destruction of childhood in Darfur. Yesterday (April 13) was "Global Day for Darfur,"
marking the fifth anniversary of genocide in the Sudan region – so some children who live there have known nothing but killings for as long as they've lived. "If it had been my childhood that was under attack I would have expected help," Newton, 35, who was depicted blow-torching a Barbie doll, said in a statement. "Five years is five years too long."
*Gayle King has finally responded to reports last month that her best friend, Oprah Winfrey, bought her a $7.1 million Manhattan penthouse. According to reports, Winfrey purchased the property through her LLC, Sophie's Penthouse, but King tells TMZ.com that she's not relocating to the city anytime soon, and workers in the building have not seen Oprah's BFF since the big purchase.
EVENT CALENDAR: Jeremiah Wright in Detroit; Michael Baisden on tour; Essence Fest adds talent; Giving Back Corp. dinner in L.A.
*Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Wright will deliver the keynote address at the 53rd Annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner hosted by NAACP's Detroit branch. Exploring the theme "A Change Is Going to Come," the event will be held Sunday, April 27, at Cobo Center in Detroit. In addition, CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien will bring a preview of CNN's "Blacks in America"
documentary and serve as a guest announcer. Tickets are $150 each, tables are $1,500 and corporate tables are $2,000. For tickets or more information, please contact the Detroit Branch NAACP at 313-871-2087 or visit www.detroitnaacp.org.
*On Saturday in Atlanta, ABC Radio Networks personality Michael Baisden kicked off The Michael Baiden Live Tour 2008, a seven-city trek combining music, comedy and local community activism. This year’s lineup includes neo-soul talents Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi and Algebra. The show will also feature a comedy showcase led by comedian George Wilborn as well as "The Pitch," which provides local business owners the opportunity to promote their businesses to attendees from the stage with Baisden. The tour will also make stops in New York, Miami, Detroit and Washington D.C.
*Rihanna, Keyshia Cole, Musiq and LL Cool J have been added to the 2008 Essence Music Festival, joining previously announced artists Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Chris Rock, Chris Brown, Jill Scott, Morris Day and The Time and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. The Essence Music Festival Superlounges will feature: Big Sam’s Funky Nation and the New Orleans Funk Soul Explosion; Terence Blanchard; Peabo Bryson; Mint Condition; Raheem Devaughn; Grandmaster Flash; Gill Scott-Heron; Lyfe Jennings; Kermit Ruffin’s Tribute to Louis Armstrong; Ledisi; Irma Thomas and the Professionals; Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra; Chrisette Michelle; Nicholas Payton Quintet; Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s Gospel Revival; Rebirth Brass Band; Christian Scott; Solange; and Marva Wright.
Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com or (800) 488-5252.
*The Giving Back Corporation hosts its 10th Annual Celebrity Spring Toast/Roast on Sunday, April 27, in Culver City, Calif. The evening will celebrate past honorees, including Ruby Dee, Bill Cobbs, Della Reese, and Ben Vereen, while also paying tribute to Brock Peters, Virginia Capers, Edmund J. Cambridge. Hosted by Hattie Winston and Ted Lange, the event will include performances by Loretta Devine, The UP Choir, Rosie Lee Hooks, Amentha Dymally, Patricia Belcher, 3D, and others. The Toast/Roast begins at
5 p.m. at the Radison Hotel (6161 West Centinela Ave, Culver City.) Tickets
are $65.00 (advance) $70.00 (at the door). Proceeds to benefit Giving Back
Corporation's "Books & Supplies" scholarships to college-bound students. For tickets, call Inglewood Tickets at 310-671-6400 or visit www.myspace.com/GBC_Givingbackcorp.
MAATHAI REFUSED TO CARRY OLYMPIC TORCH: Kenya's Nobel laureate withdraws from relay as part of human rights protests.
*Kenya's Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai pulled out of the worldwide Olympic torch relay over the weekend, joining an international protest against policies practiced by host-country China.
Maathai was due to carry the torch Sunday in Tanzania during its lone stop in Africa, but she opted out of the honor to show solidarity with activists over rights issues, including in Tibet where China's crackdown on recent protests have sparked international anger.
"Yes, I have pulled out," Maathai told AFP by telephone Thursday from the Tanzanian commercial capital Dar es Salaam. "I have decided to show solidarity with other people on the issues of human rights in Sudan's Darfur region, Tibet and Burma."
"I have listened very closely to the message from the Dalai Lama about Tibet ... and his desire to see the Olympics (go ahead) and the games not be disrupted. All of us who care about human rights issues are of course very sympathetic about the events that have been unfolding there for a very long time."
Maathai said she hoped China was taking notice of the protesters who have shadowed the torch relay so far around the world. So far, protests have taken place in London and Paris, and in San Francisco where on Wednesday a massive police presence and sudden route change made the torch all but invisible to the public.
"They are having an impact. That is why we are hearing about them. I hope the world and China will hear their voice," said Maathai. "They are not doing it for fun, they are doing it because they are concerned with the human rights in Tibet."
EUR FILM REVIEW: Street Kings
Crooked Cops Terrorize L.A. in High-Impact Splatter Flick
Film Review by Kam Williams
*It's never a good sign when a movie makes you laugh out loud at dialogue intended to be taken seriously.
But this is exactly the reaction periodically elicited by the unintentionally funny Street Kings, a grisly shoot 'em up loosely based on a crime yarn by James Ellroy.
The story is set in Los Angeles, and revolves around the goings-on inside a trigger-happy police department so crooked that cops don't think twice before shooting a perp or even a fellow officer about to break the blue wall of silence. For, they can always count on Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie), the head of Internal Affairs, to look the other way.
Such is the case with Detective Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves), an alcoholic widower working on the vice squad who considers himself above the law. Drinking since his wife's murder, he has no qualms about unleashing a torrent of expletives and racial epithets in the direction of suspects before blowing them away and planting weapons on their bodies with the help of his boss, Captain Jack Wander (Forest Whitaker).
And why is Wander so eager to cover-up rather than discipline his reckless cowboy? Well, while he freely admits to having designs on a promotion to police chief, he might have another hidden agenda.
Everything comes to a head the day that Ludlow bumps into his estranged former partner, Terrence Washington (Terry Crews), at a convenience store just as a couple of machine gun-toting thugs (Common and Cle Shaheed Sloan) are about to rob the place. When the smoke clears, the gangstas have escaped and Washington and the cashier lay dead.
Although the surveillance camera seems to implicate Ludlow in the killings, Biggs and Wander, curiously, are still willing to clean up the crime scene. So, they reassign the shaken detective to a desk job in the Civilian Complaint Department till the controversy blows over. However, the fidgety cop can't sit still and so he secretly sets out on his own to find the creeps who committed the crime. And that quest for the truth uncovers a pattern of police corruption all the way to the top calling for a pile of corpses to rid the department of the foul stench.
Street Kings is a disaster for several simple reasons: a preposterous premise, less credible plot twists, too much gratuitous violence, too many ethnic slurs, an absence of likable characters plus another wooden performance from Keanu Reeves, an actor ill-suited for roles calling for him to exhibit a range of emotions. Forest Whitaker proves to be the most noteworthy of a supporting cast which includes Cedric the Entertainer, Jay Mohr, Naomie Harris and hip-hop stars Common and The Game.
But when you have trouble reading a hero's motivations at every turn, the result is a comical headscratcher like this unmitigated mess.
Fair (1 stars)
Rated R for graphic violence, ethnic slurs and pervasive profanity.
Running time: 109 minutes
Studi Fox Searchlight
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." — Friedrich Nietzsche
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
April 14: Rapper Da Brat is 34.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Texas based Kindred Gear is where you'll find all sorts of African designed and inspired fashions and more: www.cafepress.com/kndredgear
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Apr. 14, 2002: Tiger Woods wins his third Masters Golf title and becomes only the second person ever to win two of the titles in a row. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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