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MIKE EPPS ACCUSED OF ATTACKING PROCESS SERVER: Man says comic and others jumped him.
*A process server claims he was beaten up by Mike Epps and two other men when he tried to serve him with a paternity lawsuit in Kentucky.
The alleged victim told Louisville police that he was backstage at Louisville Gardens waiting for his moment to serve the comedian. As he approached and tried to hand Epps the papers, the alleged beatdown ensued.
The man says he suffered an abrasion to the right side of his head and his left eye was swollen shut, according to his complaint.
Speaking of unwelcome deliveries, Epps just finished production on the film "Next Day Air," which centers on a UPS driver who accidently delivers a package containing hidden bricks of cocaine to the wrong address.
WESLEY SNIPES WANTS FREEDOM DURING APPEAL: Actor asks if he can stay out of jail during appeal of tax conviction.
*Wesley Snipes is hoping a judge will allow him to stay out of jail while he appeals his conviction and three-year prison term for failing to file income tax returns.
According to papers filed in U.S. District Court in Ocala, Florida, lawyers for the actor argued that his appeal raises "substantial" questions that are likely to result in a new trial or a shorter prison sentence, and that he isn’t a danger to the community. They also argued that he's not a danger to the community and he's too famous to be a flight risk.
The 45-year-old star of "Blade" was convicted Feb. 1 on three misdemeanor counts. U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges sentenced him April 24 to the maximum three years in prison.
He was acquitted of two felony charges of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service as well as three other misdemeanor counts of not filing taxes.
MARIAH 'OVER THE MOON' WITH MARRIAGE: Andre Leon Talley says singer is 'very happy.' People's Friday issue has wedding photos. Oprah weighs in.
*The paparazzi hasn't seen or heard from Mariah Carey since her marriage to Nick Cannon, but those closest to her continue to come forward with first-hand observations about how she's been doing since the nuptials.
She is very happy. I've spoken with her and she is superb. She is over the moon," Carey's friend, Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley, told People magazine. "I received an email from her [Monday] and she is so happy. She really sounds like someone on her honeymoon."
Talley also gushed over Carey's husband, stating: "I love Nick Cannon for Mariah. For Mariah, this is poetry."
Meanwhile, People magazine has exclusive photos of the April 30 ceremony in its new issue, on newsstands Friday. Some pictures of the ceremony at her Bahamian estate were shown on "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
yesterday after the TV host recalled missing a huge hint that Carey might be planning a wedding.
During her appearance on the show, which took place a week before the wedding, Winfrey said she saw Carey sporting a "Mrs. Cannon" tattoo.
Winfrey said that after the show, Mariah introduced her to Cannon backstage, stating, "Have you said hi to Nick?" Oprah told the audience that she responded, "Hi Nick" and kept it moving.
"Little did I know I should have paid more attention to the situation," Winfrey told the crowd.
GARY DOURDAN CHARGED WITH THREE FELONIES: Actor in trouble following April 28 arrest for drug possession.
*Gary Dourdan was formally charged with felony drug possession on Wednesday in connection with his recent drug arrest in Palm Springs, prosecutors announced.
The "CSI" star was hit with three felonies – possession of heroin, cocaine and ecstasy, according to People.com. His arraignment is scheduled for May 28.
"If convicted, Dourdan faces a probation term and could be required to complete a drug treatment program," said Michael Jeandron, a rep for the Riverside County District Attorney. "If he completes it, the charges will be dismissed."
Dourdan, 41, was arrested on April 28th when cops found him sound asleep in his car surrounded by a buffet of illegal drugs. In a statement to People last weekend, Dourdan said: "Obviously I am embarrassed to find myself in this situation, and I am profoundly grateful to everyone for their support."
RUSSELL SIMMONS WANTS JOINT CUSTODY OF KIDS: Impresario files response to Kimora Lee's request for sole custody of two daughters.
*Russell Simmons is now asking for joint custody of his two daughters in his divorce from estranged wife Kimora Lee, reports CelebTV.com.
In documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles court, the hip-hop mogul is seeking joint physical and legal custody of his children Ming, 8, and Aoki, 5.
Kimora Lee asked for sole custody in her March divorce filing, requesting that Russell get only "reasonable child visitation ... to be accompanied at all times by the children's nanny and security personnel."
Also, both parties are seeking to deny spousal support for the other.
Russell, 50, and Kimora Lee, 33, were married in 1998 and separated in 2006. She is currently dating actor Djimon Hounsou.
WALTERS COMES CLEAN ON STAR JONES DEBACLE: Veteran journalist says Star asked 'View' co-hosts to keep her gastric bypass a secret.
*Turns out Barbara Walters' secret affair with a black senator isn't the only juicy part of her new book "Audition," and it wasn't the only bombshell from the project dropped during Tuesday's appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
The veteran television journalist finally spoke out about what really happened during the final two years of Star Jones' tenure as co-host of the ABC morning show "The View."
Walters, an executive producer and co-host of "The View," confirmed previous reports that viewers began to turn away from Jones after she got engaged to Al Reynolds and began using "View" airtime to promote her wedding vendors as part of a deal to use their various services for free.
As for Jones's sudden and dramatic weight loss, Walters told Oprah:
"She decided to have a gastric bypass operation, but then she decided not to tell anybody. Then we had to lie on the set everyday because she said it was portion control and Pilates. Well, we knew it wasn't portion control and Pilates."
Winfrey agreed, stating sarcastically: "We in the audience go, that's some damn Pilates teacher!"
RIHANNA NO LONGER COY ABOUT CHRIS BROWN: Pop star describes relationship as 'very close now.'
*Rihanna has finally come clean, sort of, about her relationship with fellow pop superstar Chris Brown.
After months of describing their situation as nothing more than a "friendship," despite various paparazzi photos of the two suggesting something deeper, the Barbados-born singer tells Elle magazine: "We've always been friends, but we're very close now."
She gets testy with the Elle reporter when asked about old rumors
that she and her mentor Jay-Z had an affair.
"I get asked about it all the time and I'm like, 'You're asking, but you know the answer,'" she says of the rap mogul, who married Beyonce in April. "I don't even like to address it anymore."
LIL WAYNE PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN ARIZONA CASE: Rapper faces several drug charges stemming from raided tour bus.
*Lil Wayne pleaded not guilty in Arizona Superior Court Tuesday on various drug and weapons charges stemming from a police search of his tour bus in January.
The rapper is due back in court on May 19 to face charges of possession of dangerous drugs, possession of a narcotic drug for sale, misconduct involving weapons and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
The traffic stop near a border checkpoint outside of Yuma went sour after a Border Patrol dog alerted officials to the presence of drugs on the bus. A subsequent search uncovered 41 grams of ecstasy, four ounces of marijuana, a little over an ounce of cocaine and a .40 caliber pistol, which is registered to Wayne in Florida.
Police also confiscated $22,000 dollars in cash and two other firearms.
BARACK OBAMA COVERS JUNE'S ESQUIRE: Article takes a 'cynical' look at senator's message of hope.
*Esquire magazine features a very long cover essay on Sen. Barack Obama in its new June issue, which arrives on newsstands May 13.
Timing couldn't have been better for the cover, which features the Democratic presidential candidate over the full-page headline "Ready, Set, Obama.'
On Tuesday, the Illinois senator won the North Carolina primary by 14 percentage points over his opponent Hillary Clinton and came within 2 percentage points of tying the New York Senator in Indiana. Despite a near mathematical impossibility that she will not have enough delegates to become her party's nominee, Clinton has vowed to continue her financially-strapped campaign.
The Esquire article, titled "The Cynic and Senator Obama,' is a lengthy exploration of his message of hope and change in pursuit of the Democratic nomination. "The cynic will need to be convinced,' warns the lead-in to the impressionistic article by Charles P. Pierce.
WILL R. KELLY'S TRIAL FINALLY BEGIN TOMORROW?: Not if his attorneys are granted their new motion to postpone.
*R. Kelly's trial on child pornography charges are finally scheduled to begin tomorrow after six years of repeated delays. However, defense attorneys on Wednesday filed a motion seeking to postpone the trial yet again, reports the AP.
The reasons for the motion were not disclosed. The judge could rule on the request Friday, when jury selection is set to begin.
Kelly, 41, is accused of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl. The alleged victim, now 23, says it wasn't her in the tape. Also, Kelly's attorneys have not admitted that their client is the man shown in the video.
The Grammy winner, whose first name is Robert, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
'STRANGE' SONG CUT FROM PRE-TONY SPECIAL: Producers say it's too sexually-explicit for a 7 p.m. TV audience.
*A song from the Broadway production Passing Strange was cut out of an upcoming CBS special that features performances from all 12 Tony-eligible musicals.
Producers for the Visa Signature Tonys Preview Concert said the song, titled "We Just Had Sex," was ruled as inappropriate for telecast by CBS' standards and practices, reports Variety.
The creative team from Passing Strange says they don't have enough time now to prepare another performance in time for the May 11th taping at Jazz at Lincoln Center, so they have decided not to participate in the concert at all.
Should they be nominated for a Tony on May 13, they will perform a different song during the Tony telecast, which will take place June 15.
Passing Strange, described by the New Yorker as a "funk-inflected show," tells the story of a young African American bohemian who charts a course for “the real” through sex, drugs and rock and roll. It is written and performed by indie-rock musician Stew, whose real name is Mark Stewart. He narrates the production while his semi-autobiographical character, Youth," is played by Daniel Breaker.
AMY WINEHOUSE ARRESTED FOR DRUGS: Authorities just now seeing video tape of singer at her house party.
*Troubled British pop star Amy Winehouse was arrested Wednesday after authorities came across a nearly 5-month-old video tape of the artist doing drugs at her north London home.
The footage, filmed in January, showed the 24-year-old inhaling fumes from a small pipe during a party at her home. Britain's The Sun tabloid published still images from the video later that month.
According to the Associated Press, Winehouse was confirmed to be in police custody by her rep Chris Goodman.
"Amy Winehouse voluntarily attended a London police station today by appointment. She was arrested in order to be interviewed and is cooperating fully with inquiries," Goodman said in a statement. "The interview relates to a video handed to police earlier this year."
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reported earlier Wednesday that the five-time Grammy-winner received a personal phone call from Nelson Mandela inviting her to sing at his star-studded birthday bash on June 27.
The newspaper quotes an "insider" who says: "Amy was stunned when she got the call. She thought it was a hoax. …But once she worked out it really was him she accepted straight away and gushed about how much she was looking forward to it. She couldn't believe it."
YUNG JOC BRINGS IMPRINT TO JIVE: Swagg Team label's first activity will be Hotstylz's 'Lookin' Boy.'
*Billboard.com is reporting that Yung Joc signed a one-off deal with Jive Records for his label Swagg Team.
The first fruits of the partnership will be the single "Lookin' Boy"
by Chicago trio Hotstylz.
Hotstylz is a comedy-rap group that gained notoriety early last year with their online sensation, originally titled "Lookin' A$$ N*gga." The remixed, radio-friendly version, "Lookin' Boy," features Yung Joc and was shipped to radio earlier this month, with a video scheduled to premiere on BET May 17.
Yung Joc is hoping that the group's Internet fame will help him land a larger label deal for Swagg Team down the line, at which time he plans on releasing Hotstylz' debut album.
REALITY SHOW TO HIGHLIGHT L.A. RADIO STATION: Executive producer of BET's 'Baldwin Hills' signs deal with 93.5 KDAY.
*Los Angeles's first hip hop radio station, 93.5 KDAY, will be the subject of a new reality show from Mark Brown, the executive producer of BET's "Baldwin Hills."
The show, under a new production deal between the station and Brown's Xonger Entertainment, will follow the lives of co-owner, Roy Laughlin, KDAY employee/female rapper SKG and various members of the staff.
"I love the show already, we have full access to the characters and that excites me," says Brown.
"Radio Play at 93.5 KDAY," billed as the first radio reality show ever, will highlight the station's personalities, such as comedian Mo'Nique; hip hop artists who are interviewed during broadcasts, such as Rick Ross, Master P and Warren G; as well as the promotional and advertising sides of radio.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Mario booted; Usher & Bebo; Blige, Scott, Keys cover Essence; Globetrotters finish strong; Rollins at Newport.
*Mario's run on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" came to a shocking end this week. The-year-old R&B singer and his partner Karina Smirnoff were in the bottom two with NFL star Jason Taylor and his professional partner Edyta Sliwinska. After telling the crowd, “I’ve had a great time, a great partner and great competition,” Mario said: “Len, thank you for all the comments you made. Ultimately, you helped me become a better ballroom dancer. The comment about me being an inspiration to young people, I want to say that the real great ones are the young men and women fighting for our country…I had a ball. Thank you guys.”
*In anticipation of the May 27th release of his album "Here I Stand," Usher will sit down with global social media network Bebo for his first ever live, streamed, interactive interview at 8 p.m. tonight and talk directly to his fans. The interview will feature tracks from the album, and folks are invited to ask him questions by becoming a fan of his Bebo profile at www.bebo.com/usher.
*Essence's annual “Black Music Month” June issue features a special triple-cover tribute to the Queens of R&B--Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott and Alicia Keys. In the article Ladies First, they talk about how they’re still holding it down and dominating the charts. This month's issue also features the Essence Summer Music Hot List, a guide to summer releases, gadgets and concerts, including the 2008 Essence Music Festival.
*The Harlem Globetrotters’ 2008 “Magic As Ever” North American Tour broke records with a nearly five percent increase in gross tour revenue, set all-time levels for merchandise sales, hit television ratings highs, and exponentially increased online traffic. The 241-game tour attracted close to
2 million people and traveled through 203 cities in 45 U.S. states; Washington, D.C.; and four Canadian provinces.
*Saxophonist Sonny Rollins will headline this year's jazz festival in Newport, Rhode Island, to be held Aug 8 through 10 at Fort Adams State Park and at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. More than two dozen acts are scheduled to perform, including pianist-composer Herbie Hancock and trumpeter Chris Botti. Tickets go on sale this morning.
EUR DVD REVIEW: African American Lives 2
Second Season of PBS Genealogy Series Arrives on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*A year ago, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates hosted a groundbreaking series on which he and eight other African-American icons explored their roots via a combination of genealogical and DNA research.
The show was so successful, that PBS brought him back along with eleven new recruits curious about their lineage.
This go-round, the luminaries include actors Don Cheadle and Morgan Freeman, poet Maya Angelou, Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, DJ Tom Joyner, singer Tina Turner. Ebony/Jet publisher Linda Johnson Rice, fellow Harvard Professor Reverend Peter Gomes, comedian Chris Rock and belatedly-black author Bliss Broyard.
The format features four episodes, the first focusing on each person's 20th Century relatives. Episode Two traces Civil War era ancestors, while the third goes all the way back to the Colonial Period. DNA testing is introduced during the final episode, which is when the participants learn what per cent African, Asian, European and Native American they are. Some then venture to their respective homelands.
Highlights include Tom Joyner's learning of the legal lynching of two of his grandmother's brothers for the murder of a white man and the reading from a slave ship's log about captives' deaths from sickness and suicide. Then, there's Ms. Angelou's heartfelt insights about her strong connection to the Motherland, even in absentia when she wistfully reflects, "I don't think you can ever leave home."
Ironically, probably the series' most compelling moments revolve around Ms.
Broyard, daughter of the late New York Times literary critic, Anatole Broyard. For her light-skinned father passed for white from the age of 17.
She talks about how she never knew she was part African-American until his death.
As moving, informative and fascinating a four hours as you can hope to find attempting to reconstruct the genealogy of black families torn asunder during the days of slavery.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 240 minutes
Studi PBS/Paramount Home Entertainment
EUR DVD REVIEW: Wetlands Preserved
Rockumentary about Green NYC Nightclub Released on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*In 1989, Larry and Laura Bloch opened Wetlands Preserve in a rat-infested dive on Hudson Street in lower Manhattan.
What made the groundbreaking nightclub different from others in the seedy section of the city was its eco-friendly orientation and commitment to activist causes ranging from the environment to animal rights.
Reviving the spirit of the Sixties' Woodstock Generation, the Blochs set an anti-corporate social agenda which put people and the planet before profits.
As a result of the owners seeing humans as more than objects to be exploited, the unorthodox rock club cultivated a counter-cultural clientele while also attracting an eclectic array of performers.
Regulars included Blues Traveler, Macy Gray, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Erykah Badu, Branford Marsalis, Pearl Jam, Hootie & the Blowfish, Jill Scott, Spin Doctors and The Roots. In addition, Wetlands served as a proving ground for up-and-coming unknown bands like Screaming Headless Torsos and The Murder Junkies.
Over the dozen years the place was in business, a portion of its nightly proceeds were donated to various groups aligned with its progressive ideas.
Unfortunately, the popular haunt began to slide into a decline when it was targeted for harassment by the Giuliani Administration. During that reign of terror known as "zero tolerance," the club was ticketed for the slightest of transgressions, even receiving a $50 summons for each poster placed around town by acts booked to appear.
The coup de grace was delivered on 9/11, when the terrorist attack on the nearby World Trade Center altered the landscape of and access to the neighborhood. Part nostalgic remembrance, part rebellious rallying cry, Wetlands Preserved is a fitting tribute to those intrepid souls who dared to try to carve out an altruistic utopian escape right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a most materialistic metropolis.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 97 minutes
Studi First Run Features
DVD Extras: Outtakes, two live jam performances at the club, photo gallery and a list of everyone who ever played at the club.
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: Bad Penny
*A brief recap of some of the highpoints from the Jeremiah Wright resurrection tour:
The former pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago reiterated his belief that America has been a terrorist nation from its inception, defended his damning of America, stood by his belief that the American government created the HIV virus and placed drugs in the Black community in order to exterminate Black people, further derided the country as a place where "I can worship God on Sunday morning wearing a black clergy robe and kill others on Sunday evening wearing a white Klan robe." Finally, Wright dismissed the entire controversy over his words as an attack on the Black church.
Just a guess, but I am betting he did himself no favors. I would add that rather than pen op-eds telling us all how ignorant we are because we don’t understand Black liberation theology, the reverend’s supporters would do better to simply produce a tape where the former pastor is heard preaching something along the lines of “God bless this great and good country.” The problem for Wright’s supporters and ultimately for presidential hopeful Barack Obama, who counted the reverend as his spiritual advisor, is that there is no such tape because no such sermon was delivered. Rather, what was heard on video clips across the world wide web and then repeated in the speeches and interviews before the National Press Club and the NAACP is left to stand as representative of Wright’s views. The judgment of any candidate intimately associated with such views is a legitimate political issue and one that like a bad penny will continue to revisit Obama over and over again.
Considering the number of “good liberals” that essentially agree with the spirit if not the substance of Wright’s words and have rushed to his defense, it is also one that should haunt the Democratic Party as well.
A few questions to Wright and those that subscribe to a view of America as “Ameri-KKK-A.” are in order. Let us concede that everything you say about America is true. America is a terrorist nation, the government has indeed sought to destroy Black people through the introduction of man made race specific diseases and addictive soul destroying drugs and racism is running rampant throughout the nation. Given the abject evil of the American government, why do you look to that same government to provide you with health care, retirement benefits and an education for your children? Wouldn’t it make more sense to support policies that limit such a government’s involvement and power over its citizens?
The solutions proffered by the party Wright supports to each and every issue confronting Americans is an expanse of federal involvement. Both Obama and Hillary Clinton support government regulated health care; both have rejected personal ownership of retirement accounts and instead endorsed an expansion of the social security tax. Both Democratic candidates have expressed support of further government regulation of the insurance, oil and pharmaceutical companies. Both want federal funding of a universal pre-school program. If we can’t trust government not to clandestinely plan for the annihilation of the Black race, why on earth would we send our toddlers to federally financed (and ultimately run) pre-schools?
Or is it that the election of Barack Obama to the presidency would restore moral legitimacy to this nation’s institutions and traditions and put us on track to reconciliation and redemption? And if that is the case wouldn’t it be better for you to, well, -- to put it bluntly -- sit down and shut up?
To this last question, Wright answers that he is defending the honor of the Black church. Ain’t nobody gonna talk about his mamma! With all do respect, the reverend neither speaks for the Black church nor do I believe his scurrilous and idiotic theories speak for the majority of Black church goers. His continued allocutions do, however, raise his national profile and increase his speaking fees.
Were Wright a Black separatist or even a (gasp!) conservative with these convictions it would make some sense, but to be a liberal Democrat preaching these theories makes him appear lunatic. A lunatic that, alas, will not go away.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
REGGAE UPDATES FROM JAMAICA: Elephant Man's 'Physical' tops chart; R City's caribbean flavor; Wayne Marshall mix CD
By Kevin Jackson
Elephant Man’s Lets Get Physical (Bad Boy/VP) album tops Billboard’s Reggae album chart
*Elephant Man’s Let’s Get Physical (VP/Bad Boy) album which was released commercially on April 8, has debuted at number one on Billboard’s Reggae Album chart. The album experienced first week sales of 2,764 units. By comparison, Elephant Man’s previous set, Good 2 Go for VP/Atlantic sold more than 31,000 units in its first week of release in 2004.
Elephant Man was overjoyed when he learnt that Let’s Get Physical had topped the publication’s reggae album tally. ‘We just give God thanks because this means a lot to me. I worked very hard to do this album and the fans have been waiting about three years now for it. We put in so much work that we had to ensure that the fans were satisfied with the finished product’, Elephant Man commented.
Let’s Get Physical which according to Elephant Man had gotten four star ratings in publications such as Vibe and XXL magazines, says he wants fans to appreciate the album. ‘The release of the album was put off many times and now we have something that the fans can listen to. This is the album where its going to be either or either. I know what I can do, and getting a number one album on Billboard is very motivating for me’, Elephant Man confided.
Let’s Get Physical is a joint venture between independent reggae label VP Records and Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs’ Bad Boy imprint. ‘I did the Hot 97 show in New York a few years ago and Diddy came there with Chris Tucker and he told me he came to watch me perform. He said his staff had been telling him about me and he wanted to see what I can do. That’s how the link with Diddy came about’, said Elephant Man.
Asked whether he came under any form of pressure while working on the album, Elephant Man said ‘None at all. Diddy said he wanted me to keep the album as dancehall as possible. The best moment for me while working on the album was when Diddy gave me a studio to work on the album. The studio is at his house and I took Baby G, Richie Feelings, and Assassin there with me and Diddy came out and met all of them. That was a good vibe’, said Elephant Man.
Boasting production work from the likes of Trevor ‘Baby G’ James, Swizz Beats, Mario Winans and Diddy, Let’s Get Physical isn’t short on collaborations. Among the guest shots are Demarco (who teams up on Our World); Rihanna (Throw Your Hands Up); Kat Deluna (Body Talk), Wyclef Jean (Five O); Shaggy and Busta Rhymes (The Way We Roll) and Chris Brown (Feel the Steam);
Let’s Get Physical is Elephant Man’s second number one album on the Billboard Reggae Album chart. His previous chart topper was 2004’s Good 2 Go. His 2001 effort Log On peaked at number two on the chart, while 2002’s Higher Level stalled at number 12.
R City bringing the Caribbean flavor to the R&B world
*They are originally from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, and today they are one of the most in demand songwriters in the hip hop and R&B world. The duo R City which is signed to KonLive/Geffen Records is set to release its debut album Wake The Neighbours.
Among the acts that R City has written and produced tracks for are Akon, Usher, Mario, Sean Kingston, Rodney Jerkins, Nicole Scherzinger and the Pussycat Dolls, Jesse McCartney, Macy Gray, Ashlee Simpson and Enrique Iglesias.
In between producing music for international acts, the duo has been able to produce an inferno of anticipation amongst the industry and the streets for the release of its album Wake the Neighbors.
R. City (comprised of brothers Theron a/k/a Da Spokesman and Timothy a/k/a Don’t Talk Much) have created a sound that blends Caribbean twangs of consciousness and struggles of street and island life coupled with hip-hop/pop appeal. They realized their immense talent and started honing their craft at an early age. By the time they reached 10 and 11 they were winning local talent shows and used their prize money to pay the family’s household bills. “We definitely are first and foremost artists more than anything else,” states Timothy. “We were getting a lot of love from the people in the streets from us performing.”
By the time they graduated from high school; they had a big choice to make. Their parents challenged them to “continue in school and we will find a way to help you, continue music and you will need to fend for yourselves and become men.” They obviously chose the latter and came to the U.S. to test the musical waters. “We’ve always been writers for ourselves. Then me and my brother were like, let’s try to write for other people”, said Timothy. Landing in Atlanta after a short stint in Miami, they began writing songs for other artists and placed their first song The Rain for Akon via his DJ, Benny D.
In a short time, R City has penned a number of tunes for well known artists. “We built a lot of relationships, got cool with a lot of people, networked and found ourselves in a lot of doors we never thought we were going to enter. When we started doing the writing thing, everybody started messing with us,” says Timothy.
The fact that their music is a genre bender isn’t lost on the siblings. “Give us the opportunity to be ourselves because what we’re doing, nobody has ever done.” It’s never been about money with us, to be honest. We don’t drink or smoke, or go to clubs. So when people are in the club partying, we work, when they sleep, we work, when they work, we work. So at the end of the day, we are going to get more work done than anybody”, says Timothy
The duo’s album Wake The Neighbors is anything but a work in progress. They are clearly masters of lyric, melody, harmony, hooks, and performance. Their St. Thomas, Virgin Island upbringing is also evident on the Madd Scientist produced, Calypso influenced party anthem Wave. ‘As soon as we did the song we called Akon. When he heard it, he went crazy and set up a meeting with Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair at Interscope Records to hear the song’, explain Theron.
Wayne Marshall to release mix CD this month
Wayne Marshall is in the final stages of completing a mix CD called True Story. According to Marshal, this will be a one of a kind project which will not only feature new music but also a mix of many artistes doing dub plates and exclusive freestyles.
The beats and the songs are going to be unpredictable as it will consist of dancehall, hip hop and reggae riddims. The CD will be for promotional purposes and will be available on the streets of Jamaica and the internet. Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, Mavado, Bling Dawg, Demarco, and Steven Marley are all featured on the Mix CD.
The CD was produced by Max Glazer and it will be available this month. A DVD will be included detailing the making of the project.
Marshall’s latest single Me by Myself is making the rounds at music video outlets.
BITS AND PIECES
Trinidadian roots reggae artiste Jah Melody will release his debut album Be Prepared on May 6 on VP Records. The album features production work from the likes of Bobby Digital and Carl James. Among the tracks on the album are Give Thanks, Ithiopia, Pressure, All That I Pray, Since You’ve Been Away and Since You’ve Been Away. There are also covers of Stevie Wonder’s Ribbon in the Sky and Boyz II Men’s Its So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.
The video for Beenie Man’s chart riding single Wine Gal was directed by Ras Tingle recently the Asylum Nightclub in Kingston. The video features lots of hot girls which should provide some eye candy for male viewers. The Wine Gal song was produced by TJ Records.
After winning most of the major awards that she was nominated in earlier this year, singer Etana is set to unleash her debut album Etana the Strong One on June 17 via VP Records.
MARIANN’S MIDLIFE MAYHEM & MISCELLANY: This Just In...
*In television journalism, this has been what would be called “a slow news week” for me. Usually something happens during the week that triggers a desire to write about it, but this week, I just didn’t feel “the fire,” so I’ve been sitting in front of my computer and staring at a blank screen for a while now trying to figure out what to write about, and I keep coming up, well...blank.
Usually, I’d at least have completed a first draft of my column by now and I’d be putting a polish on it and doing some editing and checking for typos before e-mailing it in. But this has been a pretty mundane and uneventful week. Let’s see...
...I helped my sister pack some boxes for her move back to Chicago. I spent a lot of time on the phone with Iona and our entertainment attorney on a project we’re working on but can’t make an announcement about till all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted on the contract. (Trying to build a little suspense here :-).
Hmmm...maybe I’m a little melancholy about the fact that I’ve got a birthday this week and that this will be the first Mother’s Day without my Mom? Could that be why I’ve been feeling a little sluggish?
Wait, a minute, I just thought of something to write about!
Last Friday night, my sister and I went to see WEBEIME,( http://www.myspace.com/blackgents ) a play which closed this weekend at NYC’s renowned Negro Ensemble Company and which starred two former soap opera luminaries: Donn Swaby, who played “Chad Harris” on Passions, and Lamann Rucker, who played “Garret Williams” on All My Children , “Marshall Travers” on As the World Turns, and most memorably co-starred in the Tyler Perry film, Why Did I Get Married?
Watching the powerful performances from all eight members of this phenomenally talented young (mid 20’s to mid 30’s) black male cast, I couldn’t help but think about the difficulties they would have to face in order to sustain acting careers which would allow them to continue developing their artistry, much less allow them to make a living.
With a birthday looming, and being a couple decades their senior, I also remember thinking how fortunate I was to have already weathered that storm and to still be as passionate as ever about continuing in my career as an actor.
How did I manage to do that in an industry renowned for hardship and difficulty in achieving even a modicum of success? That’s simple: commitment....like committing to not walking away from the computer until I got at least something down on paper.
Yep, it’s pretty simple, but it ain’t always easy. So that’s the lesson I want to share with you in this week’s column...and now I’m going to bed.
Hang in there! *
Mariann
www.mariannaalda.com
* As Rev. TD Jakes has said: “If you keep moving in the direction of your miracle, before you know it, your miracle will turn around and start chasing after you!
A veteran of the P&G soap opera, Edge of Night, (“DiDi Bannister,” 1981-84), Mariann Aalda’s 25-year body of work as a television, film and stage actress includes co-starring with Redd Foxx and Della Reese as their daughter, on the CBS sitcom, The Royal Family; three seasons opposite OJ Simpson, playing his wife on the HBO series, First & 10, and recurring on CBS’ Designing Women as the yuppie-from-hell, “Lita Ford,” opposite Meschach Taylor, with whom she also co-starred in the teen cult film, Class Act. Also a stand-up comedienne, she, along with Iona Morris, is co-creator/writer/producer of MOIST! – a “sexistential” musical comedy celebration of women in the throes of midlife (www.moistonstage.com) – utilizing her training as a hypnotherapist to bring new insight to the joys of being a “seasoned” woman. This column chronicles her own journey.
VERONICA'S VIEW: Pride Doesn’t Have to Come Before A Fall
Veronica Hendrix
*Making ends meet in this economy is more than challenging these days. It’s a real magic trick from month to month for many families.
Gas prices seem to have no ceiling. Fees for some municipal services are scheduled to increase. Here in Los Angeles, companies are cutting their workforce due to sagging sales. Reduced revenues have our City government planning layoffs from an institution that was long regarded as recession proof. People are struggling to pay adjusting mortgages; record numbers of people have even lost their homes.
I think all of us are feeling the pinch of this tough economy, especially at the gas pump. And lets not forget the bite at the grocery store with food prices soaring to new heights.
It’s just tough all the way around.
For the first time many working families are faced with making tough choices when it comes to deciding what expenses to pay and what expenses they will have to cut. As their obligatory expenses such as housing, gas, utilities and medical care chip away at their already shrinking budget, very little money is left at the end of the month for food. The choice is daunting month to month.
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is seeing more families who have to make this kind Sophie’s Choice. I recently took a tour of their 96,000 square foot facility, which is located just outside of downtown Los Angeles. It wasn’t at all what I imaged. There were shelves of non-perishable, name brand and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) foods neatly assembled for distribution. And surprising, there was a huge refrigerated section for perishable fresh foods, dairy products, and vegetables.
The Food Bank is celebrating its 35-year anniversary in their fight to end hunger. And with the spiraling downturn in our economy, that fight is getting a lot tougher.
“Hunger is a hidden epidemic,” said Darren Hoffman, Communications Director of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “There have been a lot of job loses and we are finding that single mothers and working families need temporary help to make ends meet. And we are here to provide that help.”
How many people are they helping?
Last year they reported that more than 600,000 people in Los Angeles County received food through about 900 Food Bank agencies and programs including soup kitchens, homeless shelters, emergency food assistance pantries, and community agencies that serve low income families and seniors. That’s about 34 million pounds of food. The need is so great and increasing. In fact from February 2007 to February 2008, the Food Bank has experienced about a 28% increase in requests for emergency food assistance.
However, the number of non-perishable food donations received from the USDA have decreased from 24 million pounds to 9 million pounds in the past five years. To make up the increasing food gap, the Food Bank has looked to donations from the food industry, financial institutions, and fundraising drives.
“People are proud and we understand that,” said Hoffman. “We are not here to judge. We are here to help and encourage those who need help to ask.”
For many families this is a deeply private matter. But the reality is that one out of every 10 residents in the County of Los Angeles is at risk of being hungry and not having enough food to eat. And most of them are children.
How do you locate a food pantry or community center for food assistance? In the County of Los Angeles you can call 211. If you have access to the Internet, visit http://www.lafoodbank.org/ and click on Pantry Locator and enter your zip code.
To locate a food bank in other parts of the country, visit America’s Second Harvest, a national food bank network at http://www.secondharvest.org/. If you or your business or civic organization would like to volunteer, make a donation or organize visit these websites and look at the various ways you can give.
It is often said that pride comes before a fall. In the case of hunger, it doesn’t have to.
Veronica Hendrix is a syndicated journalist and columnist whose work has covered the span of the human continuum - from clinical trials of male contraceptives, to the gang violence. She is the producer of the highly acclaimed half hour talk show called "LA Woman," which airs on L.A. City View Channel 35, and is a Los Angeles Emmy nominated producer. Veronica's career as a journalist has included being a reporter for USA Today and a producer for a radio talk show in Los Angeles, which focused on issues impacting the African American Family. Veronica is a proud native of Southern California where she lives with her two sons.
AUDREY’S SOCIETY WHIRL: ASCAP HONORS QUINCY JONES AT ALL-STAR CELEBRATION
Quincy Jones Awarded Coveted ASCAP Pied Piper Award At His 75th Birthday Celebration at New York’s Nokia Theatre in Times Square
By Audrey J. Bernard, Lifestyles/Society Editor
*On Tuesday, April 22, Quincy Jones celebrated the big 7-5 at an all-star celebration at Nokia Theatre in Times Square, New York that was attended by distinguished members of the entertainment community and hosted by ASCAP president & Chairman Marilyn Bergman.
The composer, arranger, conductor, producer, instrumentalist, educator and humanitarian is one of the foremost exponents of American Music and its best ambassador worldwide and in honor of this, the ASCAP Foundation established a fund in his name to benefit and help support aspiring music creators.
Proceeds from the elegant evening that boasted a lovely cocktail reception and sumptuous dinner will be donated to the fund in his honor. Another gift making this milestone birthday a most memorable one was receipt of the prestigious ASCAP Pied Piper Award.
“Quincy Jones is an original, one of music’s true renaissance men who has done everything. And through American Popular Music – Jazz, R&B, Pop, Rap and music for Film and Television – Quincy has touched virtually everyone with an ear tuned in to our nation’s talent and its culture, commented Bergman.
In presenting ASCAP’s highest honor to Quincy, Bergman, who was joined by John LoFrumento, ASCAP chief executive officer, continued, “He has reached his 75th birthday but his perpetual energy and activity make him forever young, whether creating music, encouraging music creators or bringing music to millions everywhere. Quincy is most worthy of the highest honor bestowed by ASCAP – the Pied Piper Award.”
The invitation-only, all-star musical celebration was highlighted with a musical tribute to “Q” – as he is affectionately known -- featuring friends and admirers from the songwriting and performing world, including Ashford & Simpson, Patti Austin, Tony Bennett, Tevin Campbell, James Ingram, Gloria Estefan, Roberta Flack, Siedah Garrett, Savion Glover, Lesley Gore, Al Jarreau, Opus 118 Harlem School of Music, Greg Phillinganes, Take 6, Tamia, James Moody, Clark Terry, James D-Train Williams, and cast members of Stomp.
“How very fitting that tonight’s celebration of Quincy Jones is bringing together some of our very finest artists in pop, jazz and R&B, all of whom have been touched by his musical genius, all of whom love the wonderful person he is,” commented Bergman about the show which was produced by Austin with lots of help from fellow musician and friend Phillinganes who both received critical acclaim from Bergman and a rousing ovation from partygoers.
Musical director Phillinganes (piano) was joined by a soulful group of top grovemeisters Alex “Al” Dunbar (bass); James Harrah (guitar); Bashiri Johnson (percussion); John Robinson (drums); and Michael Ricchiuti (keyboards).
Additional musicians adding pulsating sounds to the musical tribute included Lee Musiker (piano); Jerry Barnes (bass); Sherrod Barnes (guitar); Shelton Becton (keyboard); Ricardo Jordan (drums); and the Darryl Tookes children’s choir.
Some of the VIPs saluting “Q” and grooving to the music included Johntá Austin, Kathleen Battle, Jellybean Benitez, Hal David, Jon Faddis, Michael Feinstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Chuck Jackson, Hal Jackson, Johnny Mandel, Melle Mel, Rev. Al Sharpton, Julie Taymor, Jimmy Webb, Bebe Winans, Gordon Chambers, Ray Chew, Lu Willard and many more.
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 315,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has representation arrangements with over 90 music rights organizations such that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world.
ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American Performing Rights Organization owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. (Photos by Audrey J. Bernard)
Audrey J. Bernard is an established chronicler of Black society and Urban happenings based in the New York City area.
KEV'S VIEW (cartoon commentary): Education vs. Prison Funding
2008 – 2009 Florida State Budget: Cuts to Education, Concessions to Crime
*Though the current fiscal health of the state may be characterized as desperate, and in desperate times you counter with desperate measures, in the case of this budget those desperate measures have yielded a casualty that we certainly can not afford: education.
Budget cuts are a necessary evil in this challenging economy, however, what long term benefits do we offer future generations when we compromise the very education that will one day enable them to be productive contributors to our economy?
Contrary to the philosophy of “no child left behind”, when counting state dollars, clearly it is the children and youth of Florida that are effectually being counted out. Richard McCulloch
THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: A record deal and $100,000 to the winner of MTV's Rock the Cradle
By Eunice Moseley
Music industry off-springs compete for record deal and $100,000 on MTV’s Rock the Cradle
*A major record deal and $100,000 is the prize on MTV’s Rock the Cradle. The reality show has brought together the children of music industry’s legendary acts to see, and prove, that “music superstardom really is in the DNA.” In each episode judges vote and comment, and viewers eliminate two artists per show until the last episode, the finale. The competition airs every Thursday 10 p.m.ET/PT.
Competing was McHammer’s daughter A’Keiba Burrell-Hammer (21), a neo-soul/R&B singer; Bobby Brown’s son Landon Brown (22), a “Montel Jordan” style R&B singer; Al B. Sure’s son Lil’ B (22), the seductive R&B crooner; the Eagles’ Joe Walsh’s daughter Lucy Walsh (25), an accomplished pianist and Pop/R&B singer; the Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston’s daughter Lara Johnston (17), a Pop/Soul singer; Olivia Newton-John’s daughter Cloe Rose Lattanzi (22), a unique neo-soul/Jazz/Rock vocalists; Kenny Loggin’s son Crosby Loggins (27), a seasoned guitarist with Pop/Soft Rock vocals; Eddie Money’s daughter Jesse Money (19), a Pop/Rock vocalist, and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider’s son Jesse Blaze Snider (25) a seasoned hardcore rock artist.
“I got to hear everyone perform before (it aired),” Lil’ B, son of Al B. Sure, said about his competitors. “We went to hang out. We went to see where we were going to perform for the finale, they made us perform.”
Ladies man Lil’ Al B. Sure was voted off during the fourth episode but he feels too bless for the opportunity to feel sad. Landon Brown said he was 13 years-old messing around in Whitney Houston’s recording studio when he come to the realization that entertaining was what he wanted to do.
“I tried to set as many studio sessions as I could,” Landon, son of Bobby Brown, said. “My mom didn’t want me to do it and my Dad didn’t think I was serious.”
Landon said now his father can see how comfortable he is on stage. He said, “I put it (his performances) together myself, freestyle. I think my father will appreciate that.”
Landon Brown also was voted off the show on the fourth episode. MC Hammer’s daughter A’Keiba was voted off during episode three. Lara Johnston, daughter of Doobie Bothers’ Tom Johnston was voted off during episode five, along with Lucy Walsh.
Those acts left standing are Crosby Loggins, who scored a 38 (out of 40) during the last show; Jesse Blaze Snider scored 39 and Cloe Rose scored a 32. You can see all episodes, including the finale, by visiting www.mtv.com under Rock the Cradle or tune in the next two Thursdays on MTV at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." — John Quincy Adams
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
May 8: Singer Philip Bailey (solo and with Earth, Wind and Fire) is 57.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
This blog is the home of entertainment writer and author Shelia M. Goss. It's a blog with a flair for the dramatic (www.sheliagoss.com/blog).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
May 8, 1925: The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the trailblazing black labor union, was organized by A. Philip Randolph. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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