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06-16-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
SNOOP DOGG'S WIFE BUSTED FOR DUI: Shante Broadus jailed early Saturday in Orange County, Calif.
*A mug shot of Snoop Dogg's wife Shante Broadus is not something one would expect to ever see, but there it was all over the Internet Saturday night after she was popped hours earlier for suspicion of DUI.
"Boss Lady" was driving alone when she was stopped by police at about 12:15 a.m. Saturday in Fullerton, California, which is located south of Los Angeles in the O.C.
The 32-year-old was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol, taken to jail and given a citation, reports the Associated Press. She was later released and will soon make an appearance before a judge.
Broadus and Snoop Dogg — whose real name is Calvin Broadus Jr. — were married in 1997 and have three children.
CHRIS ROCK PERFORMS AT BONNAROO: Plus, mayor gives B.B. King key to the city during festival near Nashville.
*Chris Rock took the main stage at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. Friday night and worked a "room" that may have included as many as 80,000 fans – his largest crowd yet.
According to the Associated Press, Rock had the audience "hanging on his every punch line." They even laughed when he mock-chastised the traditionally hippy festival-goers for taking what he called "performance enhancing drugs."
"You all should be ashamed of yourselves for taking an antidepressant to see a comedian," said Rock. "I am an antidepressant!"
The comic also had plenty of material about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, whom he supports. Rock said he was impressed by Obama's unmistakable blackness, joking that his name makes him sound like "the bass player for the Commodores."
Though Rock thinks America is "ready" for a black president, he doesn't think it's ready for a black first lady. When the crowd oohed, Rock insisted, "Yeah, I said it. At Bonnaroo I said it." His reason? Rock believes a black woman could never be in the background of a relationship, and that Obama would have been better off marrying a white woman: "Look what it did for Tiger Woods," he said.
One of Rock's best bits came while discussing rising gas prices despite the war in Iraq, which some predicted would help keep oil under control. "Let me tell you something," said Rock. "If I invade IHOP, pancakes are going to be cheaper in my house."
Much of Rock's act was taken from his "No Apologies" tour, which recently went overseas and set a record for the largest standup performance in the United Kingdom with a crowd of about 14,500. The AP reported:
"However many were there for his show Friday it was surely more than the London audience; the festival typically draws nearly 80,000 and the majority of Friday's festival-goers watched Rock perform."
The following day, blues legend B.B. King was awarded the key to the city from Manchester's mayor Betty Superstein. The 82-year-old musician accepted the plaque and thanked Superstein while the crowd cheered.
He took a wheel chair to get to the Bonnaroo stage, then walked slowly to a chair in the center with his prized guitar, Lucille. Sitting, King wondered if the crowd might be thinking he must be very old to be unable to stand up and play.
"I say to you, you're just about right," said King, who rattled off his list of ailments: diabetes, a bad back, bad knees, among them. "I can't remember anything, but I can remember that I am now 82-years-old," he said, as the audience cheered.
R. KELLY JURORS SPEAK: Most believed it was singer on the sex tape, but there 'wasn't enough evidence to prosecute.'
*The 12 jurors who set R. Kelly free of child pornography charges Friday were reportedly in agreement that the singer was actually on the tape, but could not find him guilty because there was "not enough evidence to prosecute."
TMZ.com reports that five of the jurors spoke to reporters following the acquittal and said they were unable to reach a guilty verdict because the alleged victim hadn't testified and refused to cooperate.
The jurors said they were "absolutely disgusted" by the tape, which was played in its entirety twice in court by prosecutors, and was presented in footage that was "clear as day", unlike the rough, dubbed versions seen in bootleg versions that hit the Internet.
TMZ also reported that the one juror asked the judge to be excused after only three hours of deliberations. The night before, "another juror freaked out and started cursing and banging a bottle on the table because he didn't get his dinner on time," according to TMZ. "He was allowed to stay on the panel after other jurors told the judge they could continue working with him."
R.I.P. TIM RUSSERT: Reactions to passing of NBC news veteran from Obama, Sharpton, Jackson, Gumbel and others.
*"Meet the Press" began Sunday morning with dimmed lights and no one sitting in the moderator's chair occupied just last week and for the past 16 years by host Tim Russert, the beloved NBC news titan who died suddenly on Friday.
Russert, 58, was in the network's Washington D.C. bureau recording voice-overs for yesterday's "Meet the Press" broadcast when he collapsed of a heart attack. He had just returned from a trip to Italy with his wife, Maureen Orth, and son, Luke, to celebrate Luke's recent graduation from Boston College.
It was Tom Brokaw, the former “Nightly News” anchorman, who delivered the news on the air shortly after 3:30 p.m. Friday. In the minutes and hours that followed, journalists on his MSNBC cable news channel – Keith Olberman, Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd and Chris Matthews, among others – reported on the death as they, too, were still struggling to grasp what had happened. Competitors CNN and Fox News Channel also provided immediate and extended coverage of Russert's passing.
It was Brokaw who yesterday morning anchored "Meet the Press," the famous table and chair empty in tribute to the beloved newsman. Guests spoke in a semi-circle in front of the set. Reflections were offered by frequent "MTP" regulars – including Mike Barnacle, Gwen Ifill, James Carville, Marlee Matlin, and Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Listed below are some of the statements that have poured in from politicians, colleagues and friends of Tim Russert:
Sen. Barack Obama (Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee) • I’ve known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004. He’s somebody who over time I came to consider, not only a journalist but a friend.
There wasn’t a better interviewer in TV, not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics and he was also one of the finest men I knew. Somebody who cared about America, cared about the issues, cared about family. I am grief-stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. And I hope that even though Tim is irreplaceable, that the standard that he set in his professional life and his family life are standards that we all carry with us in our own lives.”
Congressman Charles Rangel (Chairman of House Ways and Means Committee) • "He was a quintessential New Yorker who had a lifelong love affair with his hometown of Buffalo and its football team, the Buffalo Bills. We in the delegation always admired him as one of us, as a real New Yorker."
Reverend Al Sharpton (National Action Network) • "I was shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of Tim Russert and the country has lost one of the best and fairest journalists to ever sit in a TV studio. I saw him recently and he told me fondly that people still approached him and called him 'Brother Russert' which was a title I came up with on an appearance of 'Meet the Press' several years ago. I have done his show several times and he was tough but fair and was one of the few journalists that one actually prepared to face because you knew he was the best prepared talk show host of his time. All the while he never stopped being a gentleman. He will be missed and he will always be respected.”
Rev. Jesse Jackson (Rainbow PUSH Coalition) • "He took 'Meet the Press' to another level. Whenever you were the interviewee and he was the interviewer, you always had to have your seat belt on because he was always prepared. The irony is, he wrote that book about his father [2004's "Big Russ & Me"]. And now it's Father's Day, so Tim becomes kind of a Father's Day gift to heaven."
Bryant Gumbel (Former Host of "Today" Show while Russert was a Producer) • "He truly was not just a giant in our industry. He was a wonderful, wonderful person, a fabulous friend, an incredible journalist, great father, big baseball fan. I just, I still can't believe Tim's gone. I really can't."
ITALIAN-AMERICAN GROUP ANGRY AT SPIKE LEE: Italic Institute of America says director has history of misrepresenting Italians in his films.
*Spike Lee, who just engaged in a back-and-forth volley with Clint Eastwood over the lack of black soldiers in his recent Iwo Jima films, is being called on the carpet by an Italian American group for the depiction of Italians in some of his past work.
According to Bill Dal Cerro, president of the Italic Institute of America, Lee should look at his own movies before casting stones at another director.
"Spike Lee is very talented, but I sometimes wish he'd practice what he preaches," Dal Cerro tells the Hollywood Reporter. "His points about African-Americans are well taken, but, ironically, he does the same thing to Italians in his films."
The Italic Institute of America has criticized Lee in the past for his portrayal of Italian-Americans in "Do the Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever," and has expressed worry that Italians will be misrepresented in his upcoming film "Miracle at St. Anna," a World War II drama set in Italy.
MIJAC VEGAS ACT STILL IN THE RUMOR MILL: Group that bought Neverland suggests stage show, Oprah appearance and more to help singer repay loan.
*Michael Jackson appears closer than ever to the reality of re-launching his career via a long term residency in Las Vegas.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting news first tipped by Fox411's Roger Friedman – that the investment firm Colony Capital, which recently bought the loan on Jackson's Neverland Ranch to save it from foreclosure, is eying a long term stage show starring the entertainer to be housed at one of its hotel venues.
The Los Angeles-based private equity firm owns the Las Vegas Hilton and is a major shareholder in the Station Casinos chain. The suggested Jackson gig, however, was merely one idea under consideration as Colony Capital explores various scenarios for repayment of Jackson's $23 million loan.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Colony Capital CEO Tom Barrack as saying, "we've been having discussions with Mr. Jackson about a recapitalization and refinancing of Neverland in addition to various other business opportunities and mutual interests."
According to the Journal, Colony is negotiating an arrangement allowing Jackson to delay making payments for the time being in exchange for more money further down the road.
As for the proposed long term Vegas engagement, the Journal reports that Colony has at least two ideas. One is to install Jackson as a regular performer at one of its hotel-casinos, playing 180 nights a year. Another would be to create a musical extravaganza in which Jackson would appear 20 or 30 times a year, possibly with his brothers.
Colony also is pressing Jackson to go on TV, perhaps on Oprah Winfrey's show, to make a public statement putting the Neverland Ranch and the controversy connected with it behind him, and to perform in a TV special proving to the world that he can still sing and dance.
KANYE WEST DEALS WITH UNRULY FAN AT CONCERT: Rapper stops Glow tour's Minneapolis show after object thrown on stage.
*Kanye West took matters into his own hands Tuesday night after an object was thrown on stage during his Glow in the Dark tour stop in Minneapolis.
The rapper was in the middle of performing when an unspecified object was hurled onto the stage. According to People magazine, the MC stopped the show cold and addressed the unknown culprit.
"Whoever thought that was a good idea, I'm not gonna curse at you – that's a really bad idea," he said. "It really throws me off to have some [stuff] thrown on the stage. You can see I'm trying to do something different here."
"If anybody knows who did it, point them out," West asked the crowd. The lights quickly came on and audience members pointed to two stunned fans. Minutes later, the accused were escorted out of the show as the crowd cheered.
Kanye then continued on with a performance of "Can't Tell Me Nothin'." View footage here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=j2Q5ZKlNR5U
LIONEL RICHIE SAYS COMMODORES WILL REUNITE: Singer tells reporters tour could happen within next two years.
*Before his set at Antigua's Romantic Rhythms festival Saturday, Lionel Richie told reporters that he and his former band, the Commodores, will reunite soon for a tour – possibly within the next two years.
"We better do it now, or in the next 10 years nobody would care," he said, according to the Associated Press.
The 58-year-old singer also said the group needs to get a reunion together quickly before it loses more band members. Lead guitarist Milan Williams died two years ago.
Richie, who left the Commodores in the late 1970s and launched a successful solo career, says he's confident that synergy still exists between band members. He said Commodores' bass player Ronald La Pread joined him on stage during his last tour and played some of the group's old hits.
MASTER P, ROMEO REVISIT NC MIDDLE SCHOOL: Mogul and son return as promised to reward good test scores.
*Rap veteran Percy "Master P" Miller and his son, rapper Romeo, paid a second visit to a Monroe, North Carolina middle school recently to make good on a promise to reward 8th graders for good test scores.
On Sept. 13, the father-son duo surprised students at Monroe Middle School and promised to return at the end of the year if the 8th grade class kept their grades up.
The kids followed through with their end of the deal, so Master P. and Romeo left the set of their upcoming film in California and returned June 6 to serve as keynote speakers during their graduation ceremony.
"You've taken the first step. Education is so important,” P told the class. “I came from the streets, but I was able to change my life. I was able to change my life because I wasn't afraid to further my education. Go out and find yourselves. Find your dreams. This is such a great school to be at."
"I'm the oldest of three brothers and three sisters, so anytime I can give back to kids, I'm feeling good about that," said Romeo, who also performed for the students. "This is the future here. To see that people really do care about them really boosts their self esteem."
THREE 6 MAFIA NOW 'LAST 2' STANDING: DJ Paul and Juicy J discuss new album and dwindled membership.
*Three 6 Mafia members Jordan "Juicy J" Houston and "DJ Paul" Beauregard are preparing for the release of their new album, "The Last 2 Walk," the first studio effort following their 2006 Oscar win for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."
"We're the last two dudes to walk," Juicy J told Billboard.com of the former six-member Memphis group, explaining the album title. "We've managed to stay true to our plan: making good music and building our label/production company. We are the two people who saw the dream. We'll never stop doing our thing."
"We're grateful for the Oscar," said DJ Paul. "But we polished it, put it on the shelf and went back to the same frame of mind we've had the last 18 years."
"It's time for us to shake hands, throw back with the locals and make new friends as we promote this album," Juicy J said. "We had to get back to the main thing: music and our fans."
The Hypnotize Minds/Columbia Records project streets on June 24. The first single, "Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)" featuring Project Pat, was co-produced by Superpower and Hypnotize Minds artist Yung D and is currently No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
UNDERWOOD POWERS DOC ABOUT BLACK ENTERTAINERS: Film is from actor's new Intrepid production banner.
*Blair Underwood and his production partner Tommy Morgan Jr., under their Intrepid banner, are executive producing a 90-minute documentary about black artists in the entertainment industry.
Intrepid is teaming with Associated Television International for the as-yet-untitled project, which was conceived and will be directed and co-executive produced by ATI president David McKenzie.
"My goal is to chronicle the triumphs and hardships endured by a multitude of artists, relating stories through their own voices," said McKenzie. "We hope to interview entertainers from many decades in an effort to tell a compelling story that captures the shifts in societal tolerance and awareness."
Production on the documentary begins next month. Last year, Intrepid produced "Million Dollar Christmas" for TLC.
RUSSELL SIMMONS CLARIFIES REPORTS OF JEWEL THEFT: Mogul says his employee had 15 grand in gems stolen.
*A rep for Russell Simmons says the mogul did not have $15,000 worth of jewelry stolen from him as recent reports have suggested. The victim, rather, was one of Simmons' employees.
Initial reports claimed Simmons had been targeted by the thieves, who reportedly swiped a case containing bling from the Simmons Jewelry Company in the wee hours of June 7. Items in the case included three diamond rings, a pendant, three sets of earrings and two bracelets.
But the Simmons rep says the case belonged to one of his employees, who left it in a hallway of his Bleecker St. apartment building in New York for 30 minutes.
New York City police have confirmed they are investigating a theft.
ALICIA KEYS NOT RULING OUT ADOPTION: Singer says she admires Angelina Jolie's approach to motherhood.
*Alicia Keys says she's not ready to be a mother just yet, but when the time is right, she'll consider adoption as a way to build a family.
"I think that [adoption] is truly important to consider," the Grammy-winning singer, 28, told People Thursday night at a Manhattan screening of the documentary "We Are Together," about the children of Agape Orphanage in South Africa.
Keys – who co-founded the foundation Keep A Child Alive, promoting HIV/AIDS-awareness and which helps support Agape – says she looks to Angelina Jolie as an example.
"It's beautiful the way that she embraces children of the world, and that's the thing. We all are one. We're not as separate as we often think," Keys said.
"We Are Together" tells the story of 12-year-old Slindile, whose parents died of AIDS. The child and the other children of Agape find strength through singing in their choir.
"They are such a beautiful, beautiful group of children," Keys told the audience before the screening. "They've been through so much. But they are so bright and resilient and hopeful."
NICK & MARIAH'S STATESIDE WEDDING SCRAPPED?: Couple is reportedly bickering over who will foot the bill.
*MSNBC's Scoop column is reporting that Mariah Carey and her new husband Nick Cannon are at odds over who will pay for their planned wedding on U.S. soil for friends and family.
“Mariah was willing to pay for the wedding, but the way she hoped to pay for the wedding was through the sale of photos. No one was interested,” MSNBC quoted of a "source familiar with Mariah's plans."
“The small wedding in the Bahamas was nice, but it was not Mariah’s style. The lady loves a spectacle,” the source added.
As previously reported, Cannon visited his wife's recent video shoot in Oahu, but he also found time to do a little shopping. According to In Touch magazine, he went to Macy’s at the Waikiki Kahala Mall in search of “his new line of PNB hoodies.” He also stopped by a local Tiffany & Co., where “he spent time choosing a gift for Mariah and put it in a regular paper bag so he could surprise her.”
LIL WAYNE VS. AL SHARPTON: War of words sparked by rapper's dis in track 'Misunderstood.'
*Rev. Al Sharpton has responded to a track featured on Lil Wayne's new album "Tha Carter III" that calls him out as a fraud and opportunist.
On the track “Misunderstood,” Wayne spits: “You see, you are no MLK/ You are no Jesse Jackson/ You are nobody to me/ You’re just another Don King with a perm/ Just a little more political/ And that just means you a little more un-human/ Than us humans/ And now let me be human by saying/ F**k Al Sharpton and anyone like him.”
Sharpton's rep has responded to the verbal assault by dismissing Wayne as an MC who has nothing to offer.
“While some of the rappers don’t like the fact that Rev. Sharpton has been leading marches against the degradation of women in music, a Gallup poll released last week revealed that Rev. Sharpton has a 50% approval rate among African-Americans. So why dignify a response to one rap artist who doesn’t even say anything substantive," the rep told Current TV's blog The Daily Fix.
NAACP THEATRE AWARDS PREPS FESTIVAL: Beverly Hills/Hollywood Chapter lines up activities before big ceremony on June 30.
*The 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards kicks off its 1st Annual Theatre Awards Festival weekend with a VIP Pre-Party on Friday, June 27, from 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at Clarity Theatre in Beverly Hills.
The festival continues with workshops scheduled for June 28 and 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel. Included are the panel discussions "Fade to Black," which focuses on entertainment from the African American perspective, and "How to Finance and Produce a Play."
A Pre-Show Luncheon follows on June 30 at the Renaissance Hotel from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Awards will be presented in the categories of Choreography, Costumes, Director of a Musical, Lighting, Music Director, Set Design and Sound.
Kimberly Elise and Anthony Anderson will host the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards on Monday, June 30, at the Kodak Theatre. This year's honorees include Harold Wheeler (Music Orchestrator / Music Director) – Lifetime Achievement Award; American Idol's "Idol Gives Back" - Community Service Award; David E. Talbert (Producer / Writer / Director) - Trailblazer Award and Vivica A. Fox (Actress / Producer) - Spirit Award.
The Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch of the NAACP will present the President's award to the group's newly appointed national leader, Benjamin Jealous. The honor salutes a corporation or an executive who has made a commitment to promote diversity and advancement of minorities in the community.
Stephanie Mills and Mario are scheduled to perform during the ceremony, while nominees include Ted Lange for "George Washington's Boy," S. Epatha Merkerson for "Come Back, Little Sheba," Malcolm-Jamal Warner for "Love and Other Social Issues," the cast of "The Divorce," which includes Vanessa Bell Calloway, Dawnn Lewis, Tatyana Ali, Freda Payne and Ananda Lewis, and the cast of "Whatever She Wants," which includes Boris Kodjoe and Vivica A. Fox.
For ticket purchases, please go to www.kodaktheatre.com. Prices are $452.50, $177.50, $42.50 and $27.50.
AKON TEAMS WITH PHILANTHROPIST FOR WEB SITE: Social action portal offers ways for folks to get involved and affect positive change.
*Akon is joining forces with composer and philanthropist Peter Buffett to launch www.IsThereSomethingICanDo.com, which aims to offer practical ways to get involved in affecting positive change.
The singer added vocals and remixed Buffett's song "Anything," from his 2007 album "Staring At The Sun." The track is available for free download at the Web site, which will also serve as a forum for users to learn and share information about their experiences with giving back.
Buffett wrote "Anything," after trips to post-war Liberia and Sierra Leone. Akon, an avid supporter of aid organizations benefiting his home of Senegal, viewed the video Buffett created after his trip and was immediately inspired to contribute.
"I didn't know who Peter was when we met, and he didn't know anything about me," said Akon. "That's the thing that makes our work together. It's based simply on our desire to encourage people to do something."
The "Anything" remix is the first project in what will be an ongoing relationship for this unique pairing. Next up, Akon will begin work on the song "Can We Love" from Buffett's upcoming album "Imaginary Kingdom," due Sept. 9 from BeSide Records.
OBAMA BITS: Bicycle outfit clowned; fashionista fund raiser; J.Lo's visit to Capitol Hill.
*US Weekly's fashion police have cited Obama for an outfit he wore during a recent bike ride in Chicago. (Click here to see: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5isOFwdbq0tsqatW6vJpkDRTI1gMgD9162UB80)
The senator wore a bike helmet during a ride with friends along the shores of Lake Michigan last Sunday. The magazine described him as also sporting "ill-fitting jeans, a tucked in golf shirt and big tennis shoes." His response? "I got a hard time from all sorts of blogs who said I looked like Urkel," he said during a recent fundraiser. "But I wanted to make sure that the children who saw that picture knew that even the Democratic nominee for president wears a helmet when he goes biking."
*Maybe he can pick up some fashion tips from a crew of famous fashionistas who are supporting his historic run for president with a $1,000-a-head fund-raiser in NYC tomorrow (6/17) at the Sikkema Jenkins art gallery (West 22nd St.). Calvin Klein, Andre Leon Talley, Anna Wintour and Wintour's boyfriend, Shelby Bryan, are chairing An Evening with Michelle Obama, reports Page Six. For $2,300, guests can get their photo taken with the senator's wife. For $10,000, there's a dinner after at the "home of Calvin Klein," which is probably his triplex in one of the Richard Meier buildings on Perry Street.
*Jennifer Lopez's recent fact-finding trip to Capitol Hill included a stop inside of Obama's senate offices. "Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Lopez was on the Hill with her sister to meet with staff members of several senators to discuss issues she is interested in, such as health care and education," her rep told People. "She did visit Obama's office, but the senator was not there. She did not meet him, but did discuss health care with members of his staff." Obama's rep said the new mother of twins "just came in for the meeting and departed. It was not campaign-related."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Aretha at Newport; Vonzell's house; 'Carter III'; Halle clowns; Pharrell wants Strokes; 'Memphis' musical.
*The annual Newport Jazz Festival will be anchored this year by the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The Aug. 9th event at Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island will also feature jazz saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter, trumpeter Chris Botti, and pianist/composer Herbie Hancock.
*Within days of being cited at a Florida airport for carrying an unloaded gun, "American Idol" veteran Vonzell "Baby V" Solomon got word that she may lose her home. The Bank of New York, according to TMZ.com, is foreclosing on the property and will put it on the auction block Wednesday if the mortgage isn't paid.
*Lil Wayne's new album "Tha Carter III" may surpass the 1 million sales mark this week, which would mark the first time this has happened since 50 Cent's release of "The Massacre" in March 2005. As previously reported, "Tha Carter III" sold 423,000 copies on Tuesday, the first day of its release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Conservative estimates are putting its total for the week at 950,000 – placing it within real reach of 1 million in sales. That figure would double this year's biggest first-week champ, Mariah Carey's "EMC2," which sold 463,000. Last year, Kanye West's "Graduation" posted the best first-week sales, with 957,000.
*Halle Berry got her clown on Thursday night ribbing her "Bulworth" co-star Warren Beatty at the 36th annual American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement ceremony honoring the veteran actor. Referring to the 71-year-old as "the greatest white rapper of the past 15 years," Berry said that, when it came to their working together, "there was the usual discussion with the studio if there should be a scene to spice up the movie – if somebody should go topless. But I have to say, to Warren's credit, he put his foot down and he insisted on keeping his shirt on for the entire movie."
*Pharrell Williams says he wants to produce the next album by rock band The Strokes after he and frontman Julian Casablancas collaborated on a track for Santagold. "Julian and I were in the studio together," he said. "We came together and did a track for the commemoration of the 100th year anniversary of the Chuck Taylor [shoe]," he explained. "I really wanna do it. I don't know [if Casablancas wants me], but I’d love to [produce the album]." The Strokes are scheduled to begin recording their fourth studio album later this year.
*The musical "Memphis," exploring the roots of rock 'n' roll featuring an original gospel, rhythm & blues and early rock score, opens this summer at the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, Calif. "The musical follows the life of the first white deejay who dares to play black music at the center of the radio dial. Taking place on legendary Beale Street in the early 1950s, this dynamic show puts audiences front and center at the birth of rock 'n' roll." Stars include Chad Kimball (Lennon, Good Vibrations), Montego Glover (The Color Purple, Dreamgirls) and J. Bernard Calloway (The Good Negro, "Rescue Me,"' "Law & Order"). Previews being Aug. 19 at the Mandell Weiss Theatre. The play runs from Sept. 3-28. Single ticket prices range from $42 to $100. To purchase, call (858) 550-1010 or online at www.lajollaplayhouse.org.
WHAT DO BLACK REPUBLICANS THINK OF OBAMA?: Armstrong, Watts, Gen. Powell, others discuss dilemma.
*What to do when you're an African American who believes strongly in conservative policies, yet connects personally with a fellow African American on the verge of making history – but as a Democrat?
Such is the dilemma facing black Republicans in regards to Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama and his race for the White House.
"I don't necessarily like his policies; I don't like much that he advocates, but for the first time in my life, history thrusts me to really seriously think about it," says black conservative talk show host Armstrong Williams to the Associated Press. "I can honestly say I have no idea who I'm going to pull that lever for in November. And to me, that's incredible."
"Among black conservatives," Williams said, "they tell me privately, it would be very hard to vote against him in November."
J.C. Watts, a former Oklahoma congressman who once was part of the GOP House leadership, said he's thinking of voting for Obama. Watts said he's still a Republican, but he criticizes his party for neglecting the black community. Black Republicans, he said, have to concede that while they might not agree with Democrats on issues, at least that party reaches out to them.
"And Obama highlights that even more," Watts told the AP, adding that he expects Obama to take on issues such as poverty and urban policy. "Republicans often seem indifferent to those things."
Likewise, retired Gen. Colin Powell, who became the country's first black secretary of state under President George W. Bush, said both candidates are qualified and that he will not necessarily vote for the Republican.
"I will vote for the individual I think that brings the best set of tools to the problems of 21st-century America and the 21st-century world regardless of party, regardless of anything else other than the most qualified candidate," Powell said Thursday in Vancouver in comments reported by The Globe and Mail in Toronto.
Writer and actor Joseph C. Phillips, a contributor here at EURWeb, got so excited about Obama earlier this year that he started calling himself an "Obamacan" — Obama Republican. Phillips, who appeared on "The Cosby Show"
as Denise Huxtable's husband, Navy Lt. Martin Kendall, said he has wavered since, but he is still thinking about voting for Obama.
"I am wondering if this is the time where we get over the hump, where an Obama victory will finally, at long last, move us beyond some of the old conversations about race," Phillips said. "That possibly, just possibly, this great country can finally be forgiven for its original sin, or find some absolution."
Michael Steele, the Republican former lieutenant governor of Maryland who lost a Senate race there in 2006, said he is proud of Obama as a black man, but that "come November, I will do everything in my power to defeat him." Electing Obama, he said, would not automatically solve the woes of the black community. "I think people who try to put this sort of messianic mantle on Barack's nomination are a little bit misguided," he said.
John McWhorter, a self-described political moderate who is a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute and a New York Sun columnist, said Obama's Democratic Party victory "proves that while there still is some racism in the United States, there is not enough to matter in any serious manner. This is a watershed moment."
"Obama is probably more to the left than I would prefer on a lot of issues," he adds. "But this issue of getting past race for real is such a wedge issue for me. And he is so intelligent, and I think he would be a perfectly competent president, that I'm for him. I want him to get in because, in a way, it will put me out of a job."
James T. Harris, a Milwaukee radio talk show host and public speaker, said he opposes Obama "with love in my heart."
"We are of the same generation. He's African American and I'm an American of African descent. We both have lovely wives and beautiful children," Harris said. "Other than that, we've got nothing in common. I hope he loses every state."
Moderate Republican Edward Brooke, who blazed his own trail in Massachusetts in 1966 as the first black popularly elected U.S. senator, said he is "extremely proud and confident and joyful" to see Obama ascend. Obama sent Brooke a signed copy of his book, inscribed, "Thank you for paving the way," and Brooke sent his own signed book to Obama, calling the presumed Democratic nominee "a worthy bearer of the torch." Brooke, who now lives in Florida, won't say which candidate will get his endorsement, but he does say that race won't be a factor in his decision.
"This is the most important election in our history," Brooke said. "And with the world in the condition that it is, I think we've got to get the best person we can get."
EUR FILM REVIEW: Kung Fu Panda
Jack Black as Clumsy Panda Bear in Charming Animated Adventure
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Po (Jack Black) is a clumsy panda who works in his family’s noodle shop in an idyllic oasis known as the Valley of Peace.
Instead of concentrating on customers, the young Kung Fu fan always seems to be distracted by dreams of studying martial arts alongside the Furious Five, a legendary quintet comprised of the Tigress (Angelina Jolie), the Crane (David Cross), the Praying Mantis (Seth Rogen), the Viper (Lucy Liu) and the Monkey (Jackie Chan).
However, he’s so uncoordinated that he’s too embarrassed to share his secret desire with his father (James Hong) who reasonably expects his son to take over the restaurant when he retires.
This all changes the day elderly Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim), a sage sensei, has an eerie premonition about Tai Lung (Ian McShane), a former protégé of his gone bad. He has a hunch that the treacherous leopard has escaped from prison after 20 years behind bars, and that he’s headed back to the region with revenge in mind.
So, in accordance with an ancient Chinese prophecy, Oogway stages a formal ceremony to name a Dragon Warrior to defend the kingdom. Everyone expects him to pick from among the Furious Five, but a comedy of errors leads to his settling on Po, a late-arriving spectator who makes an attention-grabbing entrance.
Now afforded an opportunity to prove himself worthy, the second act of this action-oriented cartoon revolves around Po’s being whipped into shape for the big showdown by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). If you’re at all familiar with the overcoming the odds fight genre, you know exactly what’s involved, a rigorous regimen featuring trademark tableaus ranging from Rocky’s one-handed pushups to The Karate Kid’s balancing himself on one foot.
Like a cross of Mickey and Mister Miyagi, Shifu employs reverse psychology, telling Po he’s nothing but a lazy bum who’ll never amount to anything, while mixing in trite fortune cookie philosophy like “There are no accidents!” for good measure. As for the third act, Tai Lung does indeed arrive, but far be it from me to spoil the events of the ensuing battle royal.
An animated cross of Rocky and The Karate Kid certain to delight this generation of tykes afresh.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG for martial arts action.
Running time: 92 minutes
Studi Paramount Pictures
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Only in growth, reform and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found." — Anne Morrow Lindbergh
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
June 16: Songwriter Lamont Dozier is 67. Singer Eddie Levert of The O'Jays is 66. Singer James Smith of The Stylistics is 58.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
The hippest, smartest spot on the 'Net for African-American intelligence is at www.urbanthoughtcollective.com.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
June 16, 1976: Hector Petersen, a 13 year old Soweto schoolboy, is the first to die in what will become the "Children's Crusade," the first nationwide black South African uprising in the 1970's. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)
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