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04-24-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
IT'S OVER FOR STAR JONES AND AL REYNOLDS: Former TV host files for divorce after four years.
*Star Jones has spent the past four years denying various rumors about her marriage to Al Reynolds, but it turns out the breakup reports of late are true.
In a statement to Entertainment Tonight, the 46-year-old former TV host announced she has filed for divorce from Reynolds after nearly four years of marriage.
"Several years ago I made an error in judgment by inviting the media into the most intimate area of my life," Jones said in her statement. "A month ago I filed for divorce. The dissolution of a marriage is a difficult time in anyone's life that requires privacy with one's thoughts."
The statement concludes: "I have committed myself to handling this situation with dignity and grace and look forward to emerging from this period as a stronger and wiser woman."
Reynolds, a 39-year-old banker, married Jones in 2004 in an elaborate ceremony criticized by many for its rampant use of corporate sponsors to help lower costs.
Meanwhile, TMZ.com is reporting that Reynolds is already lining up high-powered divorce attorneys for his upcoming battle, including Stanford Lotwin, who handled splits for Howard Stern, Donald Trump, and Diana Ross, among others.
In the meantime, Reynolds plans to finish out the semester at Florida Memorial University, where he is a professor, according to TMZ.
'THAT'S SO RAVEN'S' ORLANDO BROWN MISSING: Actor, 20, last seen headed to a 7-Eleven in Studio City, Calif.
*Family and friends of "That's So Raven" star Orlando Brown are concerned after losing all contact with the actor since early Tuesday morning, People reported.
As of press time, the 20-year-old was last seen leaving his manager's house around 10:20 a.m. to make a quick trip to 7-Eleven. According to Brown's publicist, Elayne Rivers, his day was crowded with meetings and appointments in preparation for a photo shoot Wednesday.
According to Rivers, the young Disney star is not one to be out of touch for long, and the convenience store was within a short walking distance from his manager's home in Studio City, Calif.
Ricky Romance, Brown's close friend and manager, has been calling all local hospitals and posting MySpace bulletins in hopes that someone might have seen him. Anyone who might have any information should contact Elayne Rivers at TLToonz@aol.com.
Brown has several projects in the works, including a "Raven" spin-off show, tentatively titled The Orlando Brown Show and a second album featuring tracks with top artists Akon and Sean Kingston.
JUANITA BYNUM VISITS TV'S 'DIVORCE COURT': Televangelist to discuss her drama on episodes airing today and tomorrow.
*In a special two-part episode of "Divorce Court," televangelist Juanita Bynum will confirm that she is completely through with her marriage to minister Thomas W. Weeks III, who is currently on probation for beating her in a hotel parking lot.
In episodes scheduled to air Thursday and Friday, Bynum says she and Weeks are not planning to reconcile, and in fact, she is "done" with the entire relationship.
"I can't speak for him, but I no longer want the marriage," she told Judge Lynn Toler.
Weeks' divorce attorney, Randy Kessler, said on Tuesday that the divorce is moving forward and a mediation date is scheduled for May 13.
"Reconciliation is not in the works and not even being discussed now," Kessler said, adding that the show appearance could affect the mediation.
Bynum also told Toler that she had thoughts of suicide in the wake of her assault.
"Suicide crossed my mind ... You know, I felt hopeless," Bynum told Judge Lynn Toler. "I didn't because the name Bynum represents a legacy of people that have gone before me and had I done that I would have given too much power to an individual to not just wipe me out but to wipe out the integrity of the legacy I was born in."
Asked to advise other women in situations similar to hers, Bynum said, "I have to make a decision ... to take the love that I had for him with me." She said she would always love Weeks, but made a decision to "love me more."
Weeks pleaded guilty in March to assaulting Bynum on Aug. 21 in a hotel parking lot outside of Atlanta; police said Bynum told investigators he choked her, pushed her down and kicked and stomped her. Weeks was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to perform community service and undergo counseling.
Bynum – a former hairdresser and flight attendant–turned–Pentecostal evangelist, author and gospel singer – said she first started seeing marital red flags well before the assault.
"I was just trying to make it work because I don't like losing relationships," Bynum said. "All of this just kept getting swept under the rug ... So you begin to adapt to a very wrong and very unhealthy marriage."
O.J. SIMPSON WANTS TO BE THE NEXT 'APPRENTICE': Reports say NFL vet asked The Donald if he could compete next season.
*Donald Trump is actually thinking about granting a request from Orenthal James Simpson to appear in the next version of his NBC series "The Celebrity Apprentice."
The New York Post's Page Six reported yesterday that the maligned former football star – famously acquitted of double murder – asked the real estate mogul if he could be a part of the cast when the top-rated show returns next season.
"Simpson really wants to do it. Trump and NBC are thinking about it, but are being very cautious," a source told the column. "There's a certain amount of heat associated with Simpson."
DENZEL, JOE BROWN AMONG SNIPES SUPPORTERS: Famous friends write character references for actor ahead of today's sentencing.
*Denzel Washington and Judge Joe Brown are among several noted celebrities who are supporting Wesley Snipes ahead of his sentencing today on tax charges.
Thirty-one character references were submitted by Snipes' legal team, according to Ocala, Fla's Star-Banner newspaper. The letters are written to Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges, who is scheduled to sentence Snipes today on three counts of willfully failing to file tax returns.
Snipes faces up to three years in jail and possibly $5 million or more in fines. His legal team hopes letters from Washington, Brown, Woody Harrelson and others will encourage the judge to go easy.
"Wesley is like a tree - a mighty oak," Washington wrote in his letter to the judge, adding he has known the actor for 20 years. "Many who know him have witnessed the fruit of his labors, have sat in his shade and even been protected by his presence. I am proud of him, proud to call him a fellow thespian and most importantly, proud to call him a friend."
Harrelson, who has known Snipes for more than two decades, praised the actor for helping diffuse a tense racial situation with Harrelson and much of the black cast on the set of the movie "Wildcats."
"Wes took the time to discuss and dissect the issue of racism. ... He strives for rightness in all his relations and I realized early on what a true citizen of the world Wes is. ... it is an honor to call Wes my brother," wrote Harrelson.
Judge Brown spoke of Snipes' humanity, stating the film star is: "a traveler on that narrow path traversed by persons who look at the journey through life as an opportunity to deliver service to their fellow man. …He means well, but has yet to learn that his dedication and good purpose are not as universal with others as he tends to believe; a fault served up by a basic soundness and goodness of his heart."
Even actor Bokeem Woodbine submitted a letter. His handwritten note
stated: "Wes is a man of true and rare character and his positive influence in my life is incalculable.
NEW MARIAH ALBUM DEBUTS AT NO. 1: Set gives singer her biggest debut sales week ever.
*Mariah Carey has just scored her sixth No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart with her latest album "E=MC2." The Island Def Jam set moved 463,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, making it her biggest debut sales week ever.
Carey's last album, "The Emancipation of Mimi," landed at No. 1 in its premiere week on sales of 404,000 units. She is now tied with Madonna and Janet Jackson for the second most No. 1 albums among female artists.
Only Barbra Streisand, with eight, is ahead of the pack.
The first week success of "E=MC2" follows a pre- and post-release campaign that included appearances on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," MTV's "The Hills," BET's concert special, FOX's "Idol Gives Back" and "American Idol," and "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
TV appearances continue tomorrow (April 25) on ABC, when Mariah returns to "Good Morning America" for a live outdoor concert with New York's Times Square as her backdrop.
POLICE QUESTION TREACH IN NEWARK: Rapper detained amidst rash of gun violence within 24 hours period.
*Treach of the rap group Naughty By Nature got caught up in a police investigation of multiple shootings that took place throughout Newark, New Jersey within a 24-hour period.
Local police say the rapper was detained and questioned as gunfire was erupting all over Newark. Two men had shot and killed each other during a gun battle, a man and a woman were shot in the face, a third man was shot in the leg, one man was shot when bullets pierced his front door, while another man was shot in the foot, reports Allhihpop.com.
Treach was pulled over in his Hummer for driving erratically when it was discovered that he was wearing a bulletproof vest. No weapons were found in the car, but cops recovered a gun nearby, the Web site reported.
Additionally, a 27-year-old man was arrested for shooting a police sergeant, as well as two other shootings that the man committed within a five minute time frame.
WENDY WILLIAMS TO DEBUT FOX TALK SHOW: NY-based radio jock to host an hour-long celebrity-driven program.
*Radio maven Wendy Williams will host a syndicated talk show that has been cleared for Fox affiliates in four cities beginning July 14, reports the New York Daily News.
Airing daytime in a yet-unspecified time slot, the hour-long daily show will feature Williams interviewing various celebrities. It's scheduled for an initial six week run in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Detroit.
The gossip queen will continue to host her afternoon radio show, which is nationally syndicated 2-6 p.m. daily from New York's WBLS (107.5 FM).
Williams and her husband Kevin Hunter are currently embroiled in drama surrounding an EEOC complaint against them by her talent booker alleging sexual harassment.
SNOOP TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE CD SERIES: Rapper will oversee music for film, TV and commercial projects.
*Extreme Music, the music production unit of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has tapped Snoop Dogg to executive produce a multi-CD series of original music for film, TV and commercial projects, reports Billboard.biz.
Titled "G Series," the music is expected to be in styles similar to Smoking Grooves, Gangster Party and Slow Jams. The first CD should be ready this fall.
"When we decided to produce an urban series, we wanted it to be not only major league, but also 200 percent 'G,' with Snoop holding the reins," says Russell Emanuel, co-CEO of Extreme.
"I'm excited to get in tha lab and cook up some heat," says Snoop.
KANYE/ALEXIS BREAKUP RUMORS: Are they really broken up? Chicago Sun-Times does some investigating.
*The Chicago Sun-Times quotes a "close friend" of Kanye West and his ex-fiancée Alexis Phifer who says their split may not be as final as recent reports suggest.
According to the newspaper's Bill Zwecker, the source said Tuesday:
"I'm not convinced they are truly, totally over. They have had their ups and downs and, sure, things aren't working for them now. But I still think at some point Kanye will realize this is a great girl. She knew him before he had really hit it big — though he was on his way. It's the ones who were there with you, before fame hit, that make the best friends — and best partners in life."
The "close friend" also expressed concern that the breakup will give new life to rumors surrounding West's sexuality. He's been labeled as gay by some, while others have accused him of being homophobic.
In the meantime, Zwecker did some digging round to dispel other rumors that have already surfaced regarding the split.
"According to a number of people I checked with — all very close to both Phifer and West — there is no 'third party' involved in the breakup,"
he wrote. "The tragic death last fall of West's mother, Donda — and its devastating impact on her son — also did not lead to the end of the engagement."
Zwecker's source confirmed: "Alexis was so totally there for him through all that sadness. ... Plus, Donda wanted Kanye to marry her."
TEEN ARRESTED FOR MAKING GRANDMA GANGSTA: Florida kid, 18, puts pistol in her hand and feeds her lines for a video.
*A Florida teen was arrested for placing a semiautomatic pistol in the hand of his 85-year-old, feeble-minded grandmother, dressing her up in gangsta gear and telling her to shout obscenities at a video camera.
In addition to admitting that he filmed his grandma for the video "Gangstas and Thugs," Michael Alfinez, 18, of Lake Worth, also copped to shooting the same chrome .22-caliber pistol from a car window six times near Belle Glade, the police report states.
He was arrested on charges of elderly abuse, discharging a firearm in public and improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon.
The video footage, seized during a traffic stop in January, shows a disoriented elderly woman, Marie Huertas, cursing out the police, holding stacks of cash and making statements such as, "This is for all the pigs" and "I'll shoot you," while brandishing the gun.
A voice off camera tells Huertas what to say, according to the report, and at one point in the video someone puts a black mask on her head.
Alfinez's mother, Michelle, called the arrest a misunderstanding.
"This is my mother. This is his grandmother," she said. "Just today when he called me he said, 'Tell grandma I love her very much.' And she told me, 'Tell Mikey I love him, too.'"
Detectives questioned Huertas and asked her the date to determine her mental capacity, she told him it was February 1908. She also stated that she didn't know what a video was, according to the report. When the detective showed Huertas the video, she said, "They are making a criminal out of me."
She said she was ashamed and doesn't normally use that type of language, the report says.
Huertas' doctor advised investigators that she "does not have the capacity to consent."
View 3-second clip here:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1507785075/bclid1504426292/bct
id1517402190
SOLANGE TAPS PHARRELL, SADDIQ FOR NEW ALBUM: Beyonce's sis prepares for summer release.
*Solange Knowles releases her sophomore album "SoL-AngeL and The Hadley Street Dreams" on Aug. 26 via her father Mathew's Music World Entertainment and its new label home, Geffen Records.
Pharrell produced the first single, "I Decided," while Raphael Sadiq handled the track "Same Song, Different Man" featuring Estelle. Solange said it was a challenge to convince her favorite producers to give her a chance.
"I literally had to beg Cee-Lo to listen to my music but once he did he signed on immediately," she said. "We wrote and recorded 'T.O.N.Y' and 'Sandcastle Disco' (produced by Soul Shock) that same week. Producer Jack Splash joined in to produce 'T.O.N.Y' and went on to produce two more songs for me: 'Would've Been the One' and 'Ode To Marvin,' my special take on Mr.
Gaye's 'What's going On,' both of which I wrote with Splash and Makeba."
According to the label, Lil Wayne makes "an intoxicated guest appearance" on "Champagnechronicnightcap," while Bilal helps write and appears on "Cosmic Journey" and "Wanna Go Back," the latter featuring vocals from Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry.
"By the end of the project, I had worked with all of the producers and artists I had ever dreamed of including Q-Tip, Boards of Canada and Mark Ronson," says Solange. "When I got a call saying the legendary Lamont Dozier would take the time out to write with little old me I was ecstatic beyond words."
NAOMI CAMPBELL TO GUEST STAR ON 'UGLY BETTY': Supermodel will be featured on season finale.
*The producers of ABC's "Ugly Betty" have booked Naomi Campbell to appear as herself on the show's second season finale, according to actress Becki Newton, who stars as receptionist Amanda Sommers.
"She's going to be in our last episode, which is exciting," Newton told The Associated Press. "I've personally requested that I don't stand next to her because Amanda would not like to be seen with such a tall, pretty person."
Campbell was originally announced as a guest star last year but didn't appear in the first season or the beginning of the second season, which was cut short because of the writers' strike.
Meanwhile, the 37-year-old model is now saying that her spitting incident involving a cop at Heathrow Airport – which resulted in her arrest – is uncharacteristic of her usual travel demeanor because she actually finds the friendly skies peaceful.
"I travel a lot. I love traveling. It's peaceful in the air. Nobody can get me there," she tells WENN, although the incident took place while the plane was parked at the gate. "What has been written about me is out of the hemisphere. Just wrong. I don't care if they call me a b*tch. A b*tch is someone defending their rights. I'm a fighter."
In still more Naomi news, paps caught the runway diva attending opening night at the Metropolitan Opera, which presented a new production of "La Fille du Regiment (The Daughter of the Regiment)."
The catwalker flew past photographers sporting a high-waisted black pantsuit designed by Yves Saint Laurent, which sponsored Monday night's gala benefit.
ROMANY MALCO TALKS 'BABY MAMA': 'Weeds' star plays a doorman in Tina Fey's comedy opening tomorrow.
*"Baby Mama," the long-awaited film from "Saturday Night Live" alum Tina Fey, arrives in theaters tomorrow with co-star Romany Malco, best known for his role in the hit Showtime series "Weeds."
Malco plays Oscar, a doorman at the building where Fey's character Kate lives and obsesses over her unborn baby carried by surrogate mother, Angie (Amy Poehler).
"I like that Oscar was a guy with good since of humor and has a lot of integrity," says Malco. "I loved the relationship between Kate and Oscar, this doorman who’s like her best friend, and her confidante in a way."
But Oscar also ends up serving as Angie conscience as well.
"He’s a 'pillar amidst the wreckage' as he recognizes that he and Angie are very similar," he says. "Coming from blue-collar families they understand the idea of not fulfilling their true potential and they both have been hurt and cheated by the system. You believe they are friends."
Malco, whose got his big break playing MC Hammer in the VH1 film "Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story," most recently co-starred alongside Will Ferrell and Jon Heder in the DreamWorks feature "Blades of Glory." He will next be seen in "The Love Guru," opposite Mike Myers and Jessica Alba.
TRIBE CALLED QUEST, NAS TO ROCK THE BELLS: Annual concert to also include Mos Def, De La Soul, Rakim and Pharcyde.
*Hip Hop circa late 80s/early 90s will be in full effect this summer as part of the annual Rock the Bells tour, featuring performances by A
(reunited) Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, De La Soul, Rakim and the reunited Pharcyde, among others.
"They asked me, and I immediately decided to do it," A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip tells Billboard. "With the amazing lineup, Rock the Bells is definitely this summer's must see show. Plus, Rock the Bells has given me the opportunity to reunite with my legendary cohorts -- Ali and Phife -- and premiere my latest material from 'The Renaissance.'"
The festival tour will begin July 19 in Chicago and roll through amphitheaters in 10 major North American cities before wrapping Aug. 30 in Vancouver. This year marks the first time Rock the Bells will visit Toronto (July 20), Vancouver and Philadelphia (Aug. 3).
Also on the bill in various markets are Method Man & Redman, Raekwon & Ghostface (Cuban Linx), Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Murs and Kidz In the Hall, along with hosts Supernatural and B-Real of Cypress Hill.
COSBY JOINS DOC ABOUT 'BLACK COMEDY': Entertainer included in Robert Townsend project.
*Bill Cosby is the latest African American comic to join director Robert Townsend's documentary "Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the project is a no-holds-barred look at black comedy and its cultural influence. It also examines the social impact of black comedy and its notable artists.
The film draws its inspiration from a book by comedian and writer Darryl Littleton.
Other comics featured in the documentary include Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, George Wallace, Paul Mooney and Katt Williams.
VH1 PRODUCES ANOTHER 'FLAVOR OF LOVE' SPINOFF: 'I Love Money' features past contestants pursuing cash prizes.
*This summer, past contestants of VH1's "Flavor of Love" and "I Love New York" will join "Rock of Love" alumni on a new reality show that dispenses with the notion that they're actually looking for romance.
"I Love Money," slated to premiere July 13, will feature the past contestants squaring off against one another in a variety of challenges for cold hard cash prizes.
A VH1 spokesman confirmed the series was quietly shot a few weeks ago, reports Variety. A casting special is scheduled to air on July 6.
MTV VJ Alani "La La" Vasquez will host.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Mary Mary hubby ailing; Candace Parker's adidas; BE's Kidpreneur conf.; Nixon's Barbershop Initiative; EPMD gig; Reggae Carifest.
*Gospel singer Erica Campbell, one-half of the gospel duo Mary Mary, is alerting fans to a medical emergency suffered recently by her husband, producer Warryn Campbell. "In life, sometimes God throws a curve ball. And although we don't always understand why things happen, we trust in a God who does all things well. So as Warryn and our family go through this medical emergency, we hope everyone will understand our families need for privacy at this time. Please keep us in your prayers. And thank you in advance" Details of the ailment were not disclosed.
*Candace Parker – MVP of the NCAA Champion Tennessee Lady Volunteers and the WNBA's No. 1 draft pick – has just signed an endorsement deal with athletic apparel giant adidas. "After meeting with the team at adidas and hearing about their future direction, I was extremely excited about continuing to be part of the adidas family," stated Parker. "There were a number of companies looking to partner with me, but adidas' commitment to the game of basketball, their WNBA partnership, their future direction and how I could be an extensive part of that made me feel like this was the perfect fit for my future."
*The Black Enterprise Kidpreneur/Teenpreneur Conference presented by Wendy's International will kick off its popular business education program May 15 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. The conference teaches kids how to become successful business owners. Running simultaneously with the 2008 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo, the event offers instruction at three levels: Presidents Club (for youth ages 14-17 who are returning to the conference or are established business owners), Future CEOs (ages 11-13), and Futurepreneurs (ages 7-10).
Attendees will learn how to create a business proposal, build a business Web site, and learn a little about banking, among other topics. For more information, please call 800-209-7229 or visit www.blackenterprise.com/beec.
*NBA legend Norm Nixon joins noted podiatric surgeon Dr. Bill Releford with other celebrities and community leaders to launch the First Annual National Barbershop Initiative, which addresses cardiovascular disease in African American men. The project follows the 2007 Los Angeles launch and screen black males from Sacramento to San Diego. Illinois will launch its campaign May 10 in over 25 barbershops in Chicago. The mission of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach program is to screen over 500,000 black males for diabetes and hypertension by the year 2011 and promote healthy lifestyle changes.
*The legendary hip hop duo EPMD performs before a sold-out crowd tomorrow at New York's Nokia Theater in Times Square (Apr 25) to celebrate their 20th year in music. The show follows up to their reunion gig at BB King's (New York) in 2006. "Erick and myself have been making music since 1987. We are so blessed to still be able to perform for sold out crowds,"
states Parrish Smith. Meanwhile, the group is currently in the studio finishing their seventh studio album, "We Mean Business," to be released on their new imprint EP Records distributed by Fontana/Universal.
*The 10th annual Reggae Carifest will take place Sunday, July 6 at the USTA National Tennis Center: Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, NY. Performers include Lee “Scratch” Perry, Matisyahu, Eek A Mouse and roots reggae band Midnite. Reggae Carifest/Carifest C.A.R.E.S
2008 will donate $2 from every ticket sold for this event to Keep A Child Alive. Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com and at all Ticketmaster locations. For a full listing of local ticket outlets, log on to www.reggaecarifest.com, or call Team Legendary at 718-856-3336.
JEFFREY WRIGHT: The Blackout Interview with Kam Williams
Wright on Time
*Jeffrey Wright was born on December 7, 1965 in Washington, DC where he was raised by his mother, an attorney, with the help of her sister, a nurse, following the untimely death of his father when he was still a baby.
After attending a prep school, Jeffrey enrolled at Amherst College, discovering his love for the stage on his way to completing work for a bachelor's degree in Political Science.
Next, he earned a scholarship to NYU's prestigious film school, but dropped out after only two months to pursue a professional acting career.
In 1994, the gifted thespian won a Tony Award for his spellbinding performance as "Belize" in Tony Kushner's award-winning Broadway play "Angels in America."
A couple of years later, Wright would enjoy his breakout role on the big screen as the title character in Basquiat. The versatile scene-stealer has since made innumerable memorable appearances, mostly as a second banana in such flicks as Shaft, Ali, Syriana, The Manchrian Candidate, Casino Royale, Lackawanna Blues and The Invasion.
As for his private life, Jeffrey is married to Carmen Ejogo, the Scottish-Nigerian actress he met on the set of Boycott, where they played Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. The couple lives I Brooklyn which is where they are raising their two children. Here, he takes about his latest film, Blackout, recently released on DVD, a drama revisiting the chaos and looting which erupted in East Flatbush during the Great Blackout of 2003.
Kam Williams: Jeffrey, thanks so much for the time.
Jeffrey Wright: Thank you.
KW: Well, there are a million things I'd like to talk to you about. Let me start by asking you what interested you in Blackout?
JW: It was a film about my neighborhood, essentially. I live a bike ride away from Flatbush in Brooklyn. So, it was an opportunity to tell a story that was close to home. It was also an opportunity for me to experience the blackout, since I was out of the country when it actually went down. And I had heard nothing about this side of the New York story. Where I was, it was all reported as Chianti and Kumbaya. So, that things had gone down was news to me. In fact, when [director] Jerry LaMothe first approached me about the project, I went online to see what I could dig up, and couldn't find any references to it. But going over to the neighborhood and talking to the folks about it, I learned that it had been a very different story for them than had been presented through the mainstream media. So, this particular story represented in many ways how the lives and experiences of certain sectors of the American population go unnoticed. And it allowed us, as actors, to shed light on a story that might otherwise remain in the darkness.
KW: The picture shows how an already disadvantaged community's troubles can be further amplified by a disaster.
JW: Sure. sure. I'll tell you, I've rarely been on a film set that melted so organically into the location in which it was being shot. Folks who happened to be walking down the street ended up in the movie. While we were shooting in the barber shop, guys came in and got haircuts. I even offered to cut a few, but didn't get any takers. [Laughs] So there was an authenticity about it that was really special. But at the same time, what I came to understand as well is that there's a volatility in that particular section of Brooklyn which would only, as you say, require an incident like the blackout to really spark something.
KW: I think of you in the same light as the equally-underrated Christian Bale, as two of the best actors never nominated for an Oscar. Whenever I watch you at work, you're always quite extraordinary.
JW: Well, thank you. Some of it's okay.
KW: When did you develop an interest in acting?
JW: It wasn't until my senior year of college that I really seriously pursued it, and I've been trying to escape the business ever since.
[Chuckles]
KW: Why did you leave NYU after only a couple of months.
JW: I had an opportunity to do a Lorraine Hansberry play, so I took it. But I also left because I felt that I would better serve my craft by actually getting out and working, and digging my skills out of the boards of the stage, rather than within the safety of the classroom.
KW: Do you prefer working on the stage? Obviously, making movies pay a lot more.
JW: Yeah, that's an attraction of film work, but the stage is satisfying in a different way. It's harder work, but most importantly, you have more control over the final output on the stage, because there's no one filtering what you do for the audience. There's a certain freedom and fulfillment in directly communicating with the audience that you don't find in film work.
But they each have their own challenges, and I derive enjoyment from both.
But, yes, I think I have a preference for the stage.
KW: You've played a lot of famous figures: Basquiat, Bobby Seale, Martin Luther King, Sidney Bechet, and you'll be portraying a couple more soon in Colin Powell and Muddy Waters. How do you feel about being tapped to do so many icons?
JW: Basquiat was iconic in certain circles, but relatively unknown in larger circles. What was exciting about playing him was that it could be an invitation to a larger audience to his work. So, that was compelling to me.
In the case of Dr. King, it was an opportunity to do a piece about an icon, yes, but about an icon whose legacy was being lost on younger folks. It was a chance to remind those who weren't alive at the time about his work and his life.
KW: Why haven't you relocated to Los Angeles?
JW: Why haven't I? Hmmm. It's a nice place to visit. [Laughs] I grew up in a one industry town, Washington, DC. Los Angeles is a one-industry town, too, but the industry is a little too narrow. Also, I have kids now, and Brooklyn, in my opinion, is a far superior community to raise them in than L.A., just in terms of their being overshadowed by movies and things like that. And there's a lot more to the world than spotlights.
KW: Is there a question you always wished a journalist would ask you?
JW: That's a good question, but no.
KW: Are you happy?
JW: That's a good one, too. I used to say that "happy" was like "lucky,"
kind of imaginary. But now that I'm married and have children, I find that happiness is a real space. And I have to say that I am happy, although I'm probably pulled in too many different directions sometimes, and more stressed than I should be about things. But I'm blessed with a beautiful family, and that's all I can ask for.
KW: It must be very challenging for an actor and an actress to be married.
JW: Yes, a lot of drama.
KW: Thanks again for the interview, Jeffrey. I'm looking forward to your landing that Oscar nomination in the near future.
JW: Well, Kam, thank you very much. I appreciate it.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Blackout
Straight-to-DVD Drama Revisits the Great Blackout of 2003
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*On August 14th, 2003, a power plant in Eastlake, Ohio failed, thereby suddenly triggering the worst blackout in North American history.
The massive outage left over 50 million people in the U.S. and Canada without electricity for the next two days, forcing folks to fend for themselves.
Blackout, written and directed by Brooklyn native Jerry LaMothe, is based on actual events which unfolded in a predominantly African-American section of a tight-knit, East Flatbush community.
This engaging, ensemble drama paints a poignant picture of struggles against poverty further compounded by the looting and violence which erupted when night falls.
The film, which features a talented cast that includes Jeffrey Wright, Zoe Saldana and Melvin Van Peebles, sensibly, takes the time to familiarize us with the intersecting lives of its assorted characters before the impending calamity strikes. Thus, we meet Nelson (Wright), the affable owner of the local barbershop; Ali (Nehal Joshi), the Muslim manager of a busy bodega; and slumlord Sol (Saul Rubinek) who's planning to fire his superintendent, George (Van Peebles).
Other principal players include Sol's tenant, Mrs. Thompson (LaTanya Richardson) who is relieved that her teenage son, C.J. (Michael B. Jordan), has just earned his ticket out of the ghetto, a scholarship to Penn State.
Unfortunately, C.J. is presently being pressured by an ex-con (Jamie Hector) plying the drug trade on the corner.
Then there's promising publishing executive Claudine (Saldana), who's just about fed up with her boyfriend (Sean Blakemore) who's been unemployed since 9-11, and what's about to transpire isn't going to make things any better.
Finally, we have Fatima (Susan Kelechi Watson), a poetry slam performer who has an interest in Ali ever since discovering that her man has been cheating on her.
A well-crafted, slice-of-life saga which amply illustrates how easily matters might go from bad to worse in the already-overburdened inner-city when disaster strikes in the 'hood.
Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 95 minutes
Studi BET/Paramount Home Entertainment DVD Extras: Interview with director Jerry LaMothe, deleted scenes, interviews with survivors of the 2003 Blackout, Meet the Cast, and a "Behind-the-Scenes featurette.
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: State Discipline
*California State assemblywoman Nancy Lieber (D) has reintroduced her anti-spanking bill to the California state assembly. The bill amends the current child abuse statute to now define as child abuse spanking with an implement such as “a stick, a rod, a switch, an electrical cord, an extension cord, a belt, a broom or a shoe.” There are more than a few grandmas that will find themselves on the way to the pokey if this bill passes.
My knee jerk response was that this is but more liberal, narcissistic nosiness; an appeal to protect children as a pretense to supplant individual rights with state dictates. The current law already makes it a crime for any person to “willfully cause harm…or inflict upon a child unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering.” What can be gained by amending this language other than to have social workers and police officers second guessing parents when they choose to use corporal punishment to discipline their children?
It is also notable that Lieber has no children of her own. Certainly the irony of a woman that has never raised children presuming to legislate how parents can and can’t discipline their children can’t be lost on the bill’s supporters.
However, more studied meditation has me wondering if Lieber like so many of our particular generation is simply eschewing the old school notions of sparing the rod and spoiling the child in favor of a new school idea of less strident disciplinary measures. Having been on the receiving end of the old school rod…the shoe, the belt, the switch, (in fact it might be easier for me to list those things with which I was not hit as a child), I am similarly inclined not to visit such trauma on my own children.
It may indeed be that Lieber’s heart is in the right place. Nevertheless, the bill is a direct assault on the rights of parents and it would be a shame to sacrifice freedom on the altar of noble ambition.
I have from time to time engaged in a bit of “tactile aid” with my sons and there have been occasions that I have used a belt to discipline them. Oh, I bluster a great deal. I threaten and make a big show of pulling out “the belt” (cue scary music), but I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually used it. In my capacity as a responsible parent, I used my discretion and deemed the breech of house rules sufficient that I used a belt when they were disciplined. It wasn’t pleasant for them. It hurt! It was meant to. And herein lays the issue.
As a parent, it is my duty to prepare my children for an independent and adult life. Discipline is a way of teaching my children lessons that are meant to ensure that they become contributing members of society rather than parasites upon that society. I am of the mind that these lessons will either be absorbed through the head or the bottom. I tell my sons the choice is theirs. My sons have weighed the alternatives and found it much easier to learn their lessons from the top down rather than the bottom up.
There are among my neighbors those that would disagree with my methods. I would encourage them to observe that my children, while spirited, are well-behaved, honest and respectful. Where my sons are concerned, they need not fear for their safety or their property. I would also note that while they are free to privately disagree with my methods and free to raise their children as they choose, they are not and should not be free to use the power of government to determine how I raise mine. The bill introduced by Lieber (and no doubt coming to a state assembly near you) suggests something very different. This bill suggests that children do not belong to parents rather they belong to the state.
The change Lieber seeks in the law lumps spanking with an implement in the same category as burning, cutting or choking a child. The amendment also places the parent in the rather precarious position of having to justify the use of spanking to a judge. Failure to persuade the court that such measures were justified could result in imprisonment for up to a year.
This should not be read to mean that I favor protecting parents that harm their children. I do not. I simply remain of the opinion that parents – even those that occasionally resort to corporal punishment – are far better judges of the measure of discipline their children need than are police officers or social workers. I am also convinced that parents are better able to love and raise their children than is the state of California.
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 !
Dear Advice Chick,
*I hired a stripper to my home for entertaining a ladies group which I am associated with. Everyone had a wonderful time and after the performance he was interested in keeping in contact with me. I was taken by surprise but agreed, we both are single. Over the months things have been ok, due to his schedule we see each other when we can, my dilemma is there is a 19 year difference in age, me being the elder.
Most people are surprised as it is not visible for me at all. For a long time I kept him a secret from my friends I guess out of shame, he is no longer a secret and he never cared if people knew about us in the first place. Frankly they all assumed there was something going on anyway. He performed for my Birthday, he has given private dances for me, he is far more mature than I had expected. I care for him dearly, he has no children, I have two, when we are together we have a good time. He often invites me to his show which it is really difficult to watch other women all over him but that’s what he does as a secondary income, and he is damn good at it too. My question is should I be concerned about the age difference?
Advice Chick replies,
Oh lawd. Another Cougar is in love with a stripper. Sweetie, a n-i-n-e-t-e-e-n (19) year age difference is a BIG deal. You have almost two d-e-c-a-d-e-s on this man! You’re already acting all “Cougarish” (old and dumb) with your insecurity over other women being all over him.
You said, “We see each other when we can.” What? He stops by to hit that when he has a few free minutes?
He performed for your party. “So?” He gives you private dances. “So?”
The two of you have a good time when you’re together, right? Wow. Life is happening while you’re having a good time. What about your two kids? I’m willing to guess that one of your children is close to his age. Would you want your child dating some old lonely loser 19 years their senior? Hell to the neezy! How about building a life and a future with a stable man who has something in common with you?
I happen to know many male dancers, boo. Your situation is nothing new. Many strippers have an entire zoo of Cougars willing to do almost anything for them sexually AND financially. He is putting it down and you are putting out – money. Don’t lie to me or yourself. In closing, yes – be concerned about the age difference and stop giving your money to this stripper who is young enough to be your son. I know the dykk is good, but have some pride. Damn.
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! Send your emails t 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.
REGGAE UPDATES FROM JAMAICA: RDX signs with Universal Japan; Harry Toddler's 'Don't Run In'; Erup's shoots video; Beenie Man, Ky-Mani at Jamrock.
By Kevin Jackson
Dancehall duo RDX snaps album deal with Universal Music Japan
*Dancehall duo RDX has signed with Universal Music Japan. The one-album deal, with possible options, was recently sealed by the duo's publishing company, Jamdown Music, which is based in the UK.
Carlton 'Renegade' Williams, one half of the RDX duo declined to disclose much about the deal, when contacted for a comment on the weekend. "It was handled by our publishing company, Jamdown Music, and we are working on an album that is coming out this summer in Japan," said Williams.
The album, which is still untitled, will contain 14 tracks including two bonus cuts. "The songs that people know RDX for will all be there, plus many more. We have a collaboration with Richie Stephens and there might be a surprise or two, but I can't say much more right now," Williams added. RDX comprises Williams and Andre 'Delomar' Bedward. The duo shot to the top of the charts last year with hits including Dance and Everybody Dance. They picked up an award for Best Duo/Group at the recently held EME Awards. Subsequently, the duo was nominated in the Reggae Academy and Irie FM Music Awards.
RDX formed in 2005, after both members broke away from the Xcytement Gang trio. The other member of that outfit is currently pursing other musical interests.
Williams declined to state what the deal meant in terms of monetary value. However, a source close to the duo reliably informed the Observer that the deal was close to US$50,000.
Williams stated that the duo has creative control over the album. A video for the song Everybody Dance will be re-shot on film under the direction of Rick Elgood. "We will be adding a club scene to the video, but we still want to keep the Dutty Fridayz theme," said Williams.
RDX is currently being managed by Dwayne Edwards of R&R Records. The duo's latest single, Dancers Anthem, is already making moves on the charts.
Universal Music Japan (UMusic Japan) is a subsidiary of the US based Universal Music Group (UMG). It is the largest record label in Japan. Universal Music Group has a 25.5 % market share and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vivendi.
Harry Toddler rises to the top with Don’t Run In
It’s been eight years since Harry Toddler had a major chart hit. His latest smash Don’t Run In recorded on the Truck Back label’s Gear Box rhythm, has taken over pole position on most local charts. The song’s success in Jamaica and in other parts of the Caribbean, has resulted in a major licensing deal with Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation (BaTelCo), to sell downloads of the ring tone for his number one hit.
In a statement issued, Josef Bogdanovich of Downsound records said the telecommunications company was impressed with Toddler’s voice and his delivery. He also said that the deal represents a potentially lucrative one for Toddler. The telecommunications company also inked Tony Rebel to a similar deal.
BaTelCo is a major sponsor of this year's Down Sound Records produced 'Millennium Countdown' show.
Toddler was in high spirits about the recent turn of events in his career. ‘I just have to give thanks to management and everyone who has played a role in my career. Things like these motivate me to continue doing what I am doing. I feel good about all of this’, said Toddler.
Toddler, a former member of the Scare Dem Crew, embarked on a number of solo projects towards the late 1990’s. He topped the charts with Dance the Angel in 2000, and later followed up with Drive By and other club treats.
With a renewed energy in his career, Toddler has been making contributions on a number of hot dancehall projects in recent months.
Erup to shoot video for Click My Finger
Dancehall artiste Erup is getting ready to shoot the video for his chart topping single Click My Finger on May 4. The video will be directed by Gareth Cobran.
Cobran worked on Erup’s first video Gal a Run Dem head.
Click My Finger spent multiple weeks at the top of local charts a few weeks ago. It also topped several charts across the Caribbean as well as reggae charts in the US and the UK.
Beenie Man, Ky-Mani Marley and Third World set for Jamrock Reggaefest
When the Jamrock Reggaefest takes place on June 14, the likes of Beenie Man, Third World, Ky-Mani Marley, Etana, Christopher Martin, Sanchez and Demarco will hit the stage.
The 11th staging of the annual event will be unveiled at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
ROBERTSON TREATMENT (America’s Premiere Lifestyle Column) Issue 11, Edition 6: Jeffrey Wright is right on time!
*Jeffrey Wright was born on December 7, 1965 in Washington, DC where he was raised by his mother, an attorney, with the help of her sister, a nurse, following the untimely death of his father when he was still a baby. After attending a prep school, Jeffrey enrolled at Amherst College, discovering his love for the stage on his way to completing work for a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
Next, he earned a scholarship to NYU’s prestigious film school, but dropped out after only two months to pursue a professional acting career. In 1994, the gifted thespian won a Tony Award for his spellbinding performance as “Belize” in Tony Kushner’s award-winning Broadway play “Angels in America.”
A couple of years later, Wright would enjoy his breakout role on the big screen as the title character in Basquiat. The versatile scene-stealer has since made innumerable memorable appearances, mostly as a second banana in such flicks as Shaft, Ali, Syriana, The Manchrian Candidate, Casino Royale, Lackawanna Blues and The Invasion.
As for his private life, Jeffrey is married to Carmen Ejogo, the Scottish-Nigerian actress he met on the set of Boycott, where they played Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. The couple lives I Brooklyn which is where they are raising their two children. Here, he takes about his latest film, Blackout, recently released on DVD, a drama revisiting the chaos and looting which erupted in East Flatbush during the Great Blackout of 2003. .
RT: Jeffrey, thanks so much for the time.
JW: Thank you.
RT: Well, there are a million things I’d like to talk to you about. Let me start by asking you what interested you in Blackout?
JW: It was a film about my neighborhood, essentially. I live a bike ride away from Flatbush in Brooklyn. So, it was an opportunity to tell a story that was close to home. It was also an opportunity for me to experience the blackout, since I was out of the country when it actually went down. And I had heard nothing about this side of the New York story. Where I was, it was all reported as Chianti and Kumbaya. So, that things had gone down was news to me. In fact, when [director] Jerry LaMothe first approached me about the project, I went online to see what I could dig up, and couldn’t find any references to it. But going over to the neighborhood and talking to the folks about it, I learned that it had been a very different story for them than had been presented through the mainstream media. So, this particular story represented in many ways how the lives and experiences of certain sectors of the American population go unnoticed. And it allowed us, as actors, to shed light on a story that might otherwise remain in the darkness.
RT: The picture shows how an already disadvantaged community’s troubles can be further amplified by a disaster.
JW: Sure… sure… I’ll tell you, I’ve rarely been on a film set that melted so organically into the location in which it was being shot. Folks who happened to be walking down the street ended up in the movie. While we were shooting in the barber shop, guys came in and got haircuts. I even offered to cut a few, but didn’t get any takers. [Laughs] So there was an authenticity about it that was really special. But at the same time, what I came to understand as well is that there’s a volatility in that particular section of Brooklyn which would only, as you say, require an incident like the blackout to really spark something.
RT: I think of you in the same light as the equally-underrated Christian Bale, as two of the best actors never nominated for an Oscar. Whenever I watch you at work, you’re always quite extraordinary.
JW: Well, thank you. Some of it’s okay.
RT: When did you develop an interest in acting?
JW: It wasn’t until my senior year of college that I really seriously pursued it, and I’ve been trying to escape the business ever since. [Chuckles]
RT: Why did you leave NYU after only a couple of months.
JW: I had an opportunity to do a Lorraine Hansberry play, so I took it. But I also left because I felt that I would better serve my craft by actually getting out and working, and digging my skills out of the boards of the stage, rather than within the safety of the classroom.
RT: Do you prefer working on the stage? Obviously, making movies pay a lot more.
JW: Yeah, that’s an attraction of film work, but the stage is satisfying in a different way. It’s harder work, but most importantly, you have more control over the final output on the stage, because there’s no one filtering what you do for the audience. There’s a certain freedom and fulfillment in directly communicating with the audience that you don’t find in film work. But they each have their own challenges, and I derive enjoyment from both. But, yes, I think I have a preference for the stage.
RT: You’ve played a lot of famous figures: Basquiat, Bobby Seale, Martin Luther King, Sidney Bechet, and you’ll be portraying a couple more soon in Colin Powell and Muddy Waters. How do you feel about being tapped to do so many icons?
JW: Basquiat was iconic in certain circles, but relatively unknown in larger circles. What was exciting about playing him was that it could be an invitation to a larger audience to his work. So, that was compelling to me. In the case of Dr. King, it was an opportunity to do a piece about an icon, yes, but about an icon whose legacy was being lost on younger folks. It was a chance to remind those who weren’t alive at the time about his work and his life.
RT: Why haven’t you relocated to Los Angeles?
JW: Why haven’t I? Hmmm… It’s a nice place to visit. [Laughs] I grew up in a one industry town, Washington, DC. Los Angeles is a one-industry town, too, but the industry is a little too narrow. Also, I have kids now, and Brooklyn, in my opinion, is a far superior community to raise them in than L.A., just in terms of their being overshadowed by movies and things like that. And there’s a lot more to the world than spotlights.
RT: Is there a question you always wished a journalist would ask you?
JW: That’s a good question, but no.
RT: Are you happy?
JW: That’s a good one, too. I used to say that “happy” was like “lucky,” kind of imaginary. But now that I’m married and have children, I find that happiness is a real space. And I have to say that I am happy, although I’m probably pulled in too many different directions sometimes, and more stressed than I should be about things. But I’m blessed with a beautiful family, and that’s all I can ask for.
RT: It must be very challenging for an actor and an actress to be married.
JW: Yes, a lot of drama.
RT: Thanks again for the interview, Jeffrey. I’m looking forward to your landing that Oscar nomination in the near future.
JW: Well, Kam, thank you very much. I appreciate it.
Story written by special Robertson Treatment guest contributor Lloyd “Kam” Williams
AUTOMOTIVE SPIN
2008 Malibu 1LT
I knew the car was “hot” from the moment it arrived in my driveway, but I was still surprised by the number the gawks and positive comments I received during my week in the Malibu 1LT. After only one day, I knew that I was in for a great deal of attention while sporting this ride.
Wow Factor: Much like the iconic Southern California coastal city that shares its name, the 2008 Chevy Malibu is not only appealing to the eye, but it exudes a personality that’s loaded with sexual energy. First of all its clean and sleek exterior indicates stamina and durability, and if that’s not enough, its long wheel base gives the car an elegance missing from other cars in its class.
Ride: Well let’s start with its drive train equipped with an Ecotec 2.4L DOHC 4-cylinder engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission – Heaven! The performance and handling this ride achieves on v
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