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07-31-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
OBAMA CATCHES HEAT OVER LUDACRIS SONG: Rapper's anti-Hillary line causes calls for senator to denounce rapper.
*The Obama campaign had to release a statement yesterday denouncing lyrics from Ludacris that call his former Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton the b-word and also disparages John McCain, President Bush and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
The track, titled "Politics: Obama is Here," includes the line:
"Hillary hated on you, so that b*tch is irrelevant."
Clinton backers on the Web erupted with calls for Democratic nominee Barack Obama to criticize the rapper.
"I hope Senator Obama has the presence of mind to denounce and distance himself from Ludacris," wrote Yashar Hedayat, Sen. Clinton's former national finance co-chair, in an email to the Huffington Post. "In May, when Father Pfleger made those horrible remarks about Senator Clinton at Trinity United, Senator Obama didn't do much to defend her and John McCain was the first to rush to her defense."
Meanwhile, Obama's camp put out the following statement addressing the song: "As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn't want his daughters or any children exposed to. This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics."
Here are the lyrics from "Politics: Obama Is Here."
I'm back on it like I just signed my record deal yeah the best is here, the Bentley Coup paint is dripping wet, it got sex appeal never should have hated you never should've doubted him with a slot in the president's iPod Obama shattered 'em Said I handled his biz and I'm one of his favorite rappers Well give Luda a special pardon if I'm ever in the slammer Better yet put him in office, make me your vice president Hillary hated on you, so that b^$&%* is irrelevant Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what?
if you said it then you meant it how you want it have a gut!
and all you other politicians trying to hate on my man, watch us win a majority vote in every state on my man you can't stop what's bout to happen, we bout to make history the first black president is destined and it's meant to be the threats ain't fazing us, the nooses or the jokes so get off your ass, black people, it's time to get out and vote!
paint the White House black and I'm sure that's got 'em terrified McCain don't belong in ANY chair unless he's paralyzed Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped Ball up all of his speeches and I throw em like candy wrap cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant and you the worst of all 43 presidents get out and vote or the end will be near the world is ready for change because Obama is here!
cause Obama is here
The world is ready for change because Obama is here!
NELLY THROWS MONEY BEHIND NEW ENERGY DRINK: Rapper becomes part owner of ZizZazz Explosive Energy Mix.
*Nelly is expanding his business portfolio with part ownership in ZizZazz Explosive Energy Mix, which sets itself apart by coming in a portable single-serving stick.
"I'm excited to partner with ZizZazz -- the drink mix helps my energy stay high during rehearsals and performances as I gear up for the release of 'Brass Knuckles,'" said Nelly. "I didn't want to just endorse it; I wanted to be part of the growth of the company.
"ZizZazz is a product that definitely fits my lifestyle -- I can throw a few in my bag, grab a bottle of water and I'm set."
Nelly, who was just announced as the new spokesman for Sean John Underwear, will also be the face of ZizZazz, which has been released nationally and is continuing to expand to new markets. As an owner, he'll appear in television commercials, radio spots and at special appearances throughout the coming months.
A press release for the drink says it comes in four flavors, contains less than 1g of sugar, 20 calories per stick and has "no crash that consumers experience from most other energy drinks." ZizZazz also features vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, B12, C and E, as well as ginseng, green tea extracts and rhodiola rosea.
JACOB THE JEWELER SUES WYCLEF OVER BLING: Jail-bound Arabo trying to collect on $319,000 tab.
*On the heels of a 30-month prison sentence for lying to federal investigators about a multimillion-dollar drug ring, the infamous "bling king," Jacob Arabo, has filed a lawsuit against rapper Wyclef Jean over an unpaid tab.
In Manhattan court papers filed Tuesday, Jacob & Co. Inc. says the musician/lyricist bought several items between March 2002 and January 2006 for $765,100.
The company says Jean still owes $319,680 despite "repeated demands for payment."
Arabov, also known as Jacob the Jeweler, serviced bling to a cross section of entertainers. His clients included Madonna, Elton John and most of the hip hop industry. He is due to begin his prison sentence on Jan. 15.
TRIAL DIDN'T STOP R. KELLY'S SEXUAL LYRICS: Leaked songs from forthcoming album as salacious as ever.
*A round of songs leaked from R. Kelly's upcoming "12 Play 4th Quarter" album are making headlines for their steamy content despite having just been acquitted of child pornography charges.
Both MTV and Billboard mentioned the amount of sexual content in the leaked material – which includes the tracks "Screamer," "At the Same Time,"
"Two Seater" and "Son of a B*tch."
The album's first official single, "Hair Braider," peaked only at No. 56 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this spring, in the midst of Kelly's trial. The second single appears to be the confirmed album track "Skin," which has a music video that will be shot this weekend, according to Billboard.com.
The vocoder-laced "Screamer" uses a beat reminiscent of Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" as Kelly sings about trying to keep a lady friend quiet while having sex with her in a crowded house.
On "Two Seater," Kelly raps over a chopped-and-screwed chorus while boasting about his car and financial status. "At the Same Time" finds Kelly detailing sexual encounters over guitar plucks and a double bass drum. "Son of a Bitch" has Kelly using a conversational tone over rolling piano notes to describe yet another sexual encounter.
Other leaked tracks include "Might Be Mine" the retelling of a "true story" about a stripper whose lawyer called him one day to say the woman was pregnant with his child.
NEW MCCAIN AD TARGETS OBAMA'S CELEB STATUS: Clip shows pics of Britney and Paris Hilton to drive home point.
*The latest campaign ad from John McCain tries to use Barack Obama's worldwide adulation against him by suggesting he's too much of a celebrity to be President.
As chants of Obama ring out and pictures of his recent overseas tour flash on the screen with quick shots of Spears and Hilton, a female voice says: "He's the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?" The ad goes on to attack his stand on energy and the current gas crisis, ending with the line, "Higher taxes, more foreign oil, that's the real Obama."
After the ad hit the Internet Wednesday, Obama's campaign chair Tommy Vietor was quick with an official response, using a famous line from one of Spears's songs to point out McCain's succession of ads attacking Obama.
"On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Senator McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, 'Oops! He did it again,'" said Vietor.
He continued: "Our dependence on foreign oil is one of the greatest challenges we face. In this election the American people have a real choice -- between Obama's plan to provide tax rebates to American families while creating a renewable energy economy in America that frees us from our dependence on foreign oil, and Senator McCain's plan to continue the same failed energy policies by handing out nearly $4 billion in tax breaks to oil companies while investing almost nothing in the new energy sources that represent our future."
John Weaver, who had been one of McCain's chief advisers up until last year, tells blog wilshireandwashington.com that McCain's "Celeb" ad against Barack Obama is "childish."
"John's been a celebrity ever since he was shot down," Weaver told The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder. "Whatever that means. And I recall Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush going overseas and all those waving American flags."
"For McCain to win in such troubled times, he needs to begin telling the American people how he intends to lead us. That McCain exists. He can inspire the country to greatness."
McCain's Paris Hilton-Britney Spears Ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHXYsw_ZDXg
JEEZY PREPS FOR NATIONWIDE 'RECESSION': Rapper outlines tour dates for new album.
*Young Jeezy's new album, "The Recession," will be released on Sept. 2 via CTE/Def Jam and will be preceded by a three week promo tour throughout the U.S., reports Billboard.com.
The trek kicks off Aug. 10 in Houston and will hit such cities as New Orleans, Chicago, New York and Tampa before wrapping in Atlanta on Sept. 2. [View entire tour schedule below.]
The new album's first single, "Put On," sits at No. 7 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally. "The Recession" is the follow-up to 2006's "The Inspiration," which has sold 1.2 million copies to-date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Here are Young Jeezy's tour dates:
Aug. 10: Houston (Arena Theatre)
Aug. 12: Dallas (House of Blues)
Aug. 13: New Orleans (House of Blues)
Aug. 15: Detroit (Plan)
Aug. 18: Chicago (House of Blues)
Aug. 22: Norfolk, Va. (NorVa)
Aug. 23: Cleveland (House of Blues)
Aug. 26: New York, NY (Blender Theatre)
Aug. 29: Jacksonville, Fla. (Plush)
Aug. 30: Tampa, Fla. (Jannus Landing)
Sept. 2: Atlanta (Tabernacle)
CHUCK BERRY SAYS HIS HEALTH IS FINE: Rumors of illness spilled after rock vet pulled out of two sold-out gigs without explanation.
*Chuck Berry says thanks for the concern, but he is in "perfect" health despite rumors to the contrary after he pulled out of two sold-out concerts in Spain at the 11th hour and without explanation.
As previously reported, the "Johnny B Goode" singer was scheduled to perform in Estepona on Spain's Mediterranean coast Saturday, and in the northern city of Leon the following night. British newspaper Daily Mail quoted an unnamed source close to the entertainer as saying ill health may have been the cause.
It wasn't, according to Berry's rep, who told TMZ.com the sudden cancellation had to do with "contractual and financial problems" with the presenters of the shows.
Berry will be playing the Long Beach Blues Festival on August 31 as planned.
MR. T'S SNICKERS AD PULLED IN UK: Mars scraps spot after receiving complaints in the U.S. that it was homophobic.
*Candy giant Mars decided to pull its UK TV ad for Snickers after receiving complaints in the U.S. that the spot, featuring Mr. T harassing a male speed walker, was offensive to gays.
The commercial features Mr. T in the back of a flatbed truck barreling through a quiet suburban neighborhood to catch up with the speed walker, a white male dressed in tight yellow shorts.
"Speed walking? I pity you fool. You a disgrace to the man race. It's time to run like a real man," Mr. T yells at the man before shooting Snickers bars at him with a huge machine gun mounted on the truck. The ad closes with Mr. T saying: "Snickers! Get some nuts!"
The commercial, by ad agency AMV BBDO, does not air here in the States, and has barely ruffled feathers in the U.K. The country's Advertising Standards Authority received just two complaints since its debut on July 13 and did not investigate the commercial for a possible breach of the advertising code.
However, the ad caused an uproar on U.S. soil. The Human Rights Campaign criticized Mars for perpetuating "the notion that the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is a group of second class citizens and that violence against GLBT people is not only acceptable, but humorous".
Mars said that the ad was supposed to be "fun," that it never intended to cause offense and has pulled the campaign.
"This ad is the second in a series of UK Snickers Ads featuring Mr T, which are meant to be fun and have been positively received in the UK," said a Mars rep. "However, we understand that humor is highly subjective, and it is never our intention to cause offense. Accordingly, we have pulled the Mr T Speedwalker ad globally."
CED THE ENTERTAINER HEADED TO BROADWAY?: Rumor has it comic is in talks to join John Leguizamo in 'American Buffalo.'
*Cedric The Entertainer is rumored to be joining the cast of Broadway's upcoming revival of "American Buffalo."
The 1976 play by David Mamet follows a team of men who are conspiring to steal a coin collection from a wealthy man. The New York Post is reporting that Ced may sign on as one of the four men, junk shop-owner Don.
The character sold a nickel to a man for much less than what it was worth. Out of revenge, he and his friend-in-training, Bob, plan to steal the man's coin collection after suspecting that he went away for the weekend."
John Leguizamo has already been cast in the play.
SOMMORE BRINGING NEW STANDUP TO COMEDY CENTRAL: 'The Queen Stands Alone' to premiere in September.
*Comedienne Sommore will present "The Queen Stands Alone," a film version of her stand-up act, on Comedy Central Saturday, Sept. 13.
The film will be released the following Tuesday (Sept. 30) on DVD/Home Video via Vivendi Universal and CodeBlack Entertainment.
"This is a show that I've waited oh so long to do," explains Sommore. "Over the years, I had other offers, but I turned them down because I felt that I wasn't ready at that point in my career. Comedy Central is a perfect fit. I really challenged myself with this special. I produced it and it is just fabulous."
The 41-year-old New Jersey native was last seen on TV in VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Ne-Yo and New Kids; David Banda's half-brother; Jim Jones pushes education; Rush's Art For Life benefit.
*Ne-Yo has teamed up with New Kids on the Block to record "Single," a song from the group's upcoming album "The Block," due out Sept. 2. The track will be available on iTunes Aug. 12. So far, NKOTB has recorded "Full Service" with New Edition, and "Grown Man" with the Pussycat Dolls. Listen To “Single” By New Kids On The Block & Ne-Yo here: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20215860,00.html
*Madonna's African son, David Banda, has a new half-brother. The wife of his biological father, Yohane Banda, gave birth to the yet-to-be named boy at the Mchinji District Hospital in Malawi, the same clinic where David was born in 2005, reports the Associated Press. "I am over the moon," Yohane, 33, tells the AP. "We thought of keeping this birth a secret. But now we are happy to announce the birth of our son." Madonna found David at a Malawi orphanage shortly after his father placed him there when his then-wife, Marta, died from childbirth complications. Yohane claimed he couldn't afford to feed the boy.
*Rapper Jim Jones has joined the board of directors for Entertainers 4 Education Alliance (E4EA), a campaign to encourage kids to complete their education. MTV host Sway Calloway and former New York Knicks basketball player John Starks have also joined the board of E4EA, which named rap star Lil' Mama as the face of its new "I Will Graduate," campaign urging teens to finish high school. Jones said in a statement: "It's only right that I give back to the community and E4EA is the perfect organization which offers such a great service where I can use my celebrity status to let our youth know to make smart choices and education is very important. Graduating from high school - that's balling!"
*Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation's Ninth Annual Art For Life East Hampton benefit gala sold out and raised a record $1.5 Million on Saturday, July 19th. The annual gala is held in celebration of the creative energy of New York City youth. An online auction at CharityBuzz.com, which ends today, includes dance lessons from Jason Taylor and tickets to the Victoria Secret 2008 fashion show. Proceeds will benefit the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, which donates to over 50 youth organizations, as well as Rush's own programs, providing arts education to disadvantaged New York City youth.
EUR FILM REVIEW: The Order of Myths
Deep South Documentary Discovers Segregated Mardi Gras Celebrations in Mobile, Alabama
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Judging from The Order of Myths, recent pronunciations of America as a post-racial society are a bit premature.
For this eye-opening documentary, directed by Margaret Brown (Be Here to Love Me), matter-of-factly examines the still-segregated celebration of Mardi Gras staged in Mobile, Alabama in 2007.
The city was ostensibly picked because it is steeped in tradition, being the site where the annual ritual was first introduced to this country way back in 1703, a full 15 years before New Orleans was even founded.
The event has continued to be observed to this day, ostensibly oblivious to the inroads achieved by the Civil Rights Movement elsewhere in terms of integration.
Consequently, Mobile simultaneously mounts two elaborate Mardi Gras
Carnivals: one for blacks, one for whites. Ms. Brown never presumes to take an editorial stance on Mobile's enduring color line, opting to allow the citizens' words speak for themselves.
Not surprisingly, the Caucasians are rather comfortable with the arrangement, and generally suggest that the affairs are essentially "separate but equal." They see the situation as simply a case of people choosing to associate with their own kind. As one salty cracker puts it, "Nobody's going to tell me who's going to come into my house. Black people have their own Mardi Gras and want it that way."
Most of the African-Americans who appear on camera avoid controversy and certainly seem content with the status quo, but one can't help but wonder whether they might be too intimidated to share their true feelings.
Dr. Cain Hope Felder, a Professor at Howard University, is a glaring exception in this regard. He speaks freely about Mobile's ugly legacy, including a lynching by a 19 year-old by the Klan as recently as 1981. He also notes that there's a neighborhood known as Slave Town, which is where Africans brought by a slave ship settled in 1859, well after the trade was supposedly illegal.
At least the picture ends on an upbeat, with the black Mardi Gras King and Queen being announced and greeted by the white King and Queen and their Royal Court at their gathering. A nice gesture, but in the sequel I'd like to see these refined rednecks really shaken out of their comfort zone.
Next time, how about taking these folks north of the Mason-Dixon Line to see how the other half of the country lives before they miss out on the 21st Century entirely?
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 77 minutes
Studi Lucky Hat Entertainment
Distributor: The Cinema Guild
To see a trailer of The Order of Myths, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVv2Zc52Gek
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BORIS KODJOE: The All about Us Interview with Kam Williams
All about Boris
*Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria on March 8, 1973 to Eric, a physician from Ghana, and Ursula, a psychologist from Germany which is where he was raised along with his siblings, Patrick and Nadja.
While attending Virginia Commonwealth University on a tennis scholarship, the striking, 6'3" student-athlete was spotted by a talent scout and signed to a contract with the Ford Modeling Agency.
After appearing in ad campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis, Yves Saint Laurent and The Gap, Boris blossomed into a rarity, one of the world's few male supermodels.
So, it's no surprise that he would one day be named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People Magazine.
In 2000, he turned his attention to acting, making his big screen debut in Love & Basketball, following that up with well-received appearances in everything from Brown Sugar to The Gospel to Madea's Family Reunion. On Broadway, he's worked opposite James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
On TV, he was cast in the hit series 'Soul Food' as Damon Carter, a role for which he would land a trio of NAACP Image Award nominations. While doing the hit show, he fell head over heels in love with his attractive co-star, Nicole Ari Parker, and by 2005 the inseparable pair would marry back in his hometown, Gundelfingen, Germany. They now have two kids, Sophie Tei-Naaki Lee Kodjoe, 3, and Nicolas Neruda Kodjoe, 1. Despite being quite the power couple, they've decided to make their home away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood in relatively-sedate Atlanta.
Here, Boris talks about all of the above and his latest movie, All about Us, a romantic dramedy about a Hollywood couple who decide to settle down in Mississippi after shooting a movie there, rather than return to L.A.
Kam Williams: Hi Boris, thanks for the interview. How are Nicole and the kids?
Boris Kodjoe: They're good. They're on their way back from L.A. She was doing a pilot for ABC, called Never Better.
KW: What interested you in doing All about Us?
BK: First and foremost was the script, because I rarely, to that point, got a chance to consider playing a role like that, a regular family guy who is basically trying to balance his career goals with his obligations to his family. It's a very heartwarming story with some really interesting, fleshed-out characters. And when I had a meeting with the director, Christine Swanson, and her husband, Michael, I admired their passion for what they were doing. I think it's always a blessing to get to work with people who have that fire about what they're doing.
KW: What was it like filming All about Us on location in Mississippi?
BK: It was great. I encountered tremendous heat and lovely people.
KW: The script was semi-autobiographical. So, it must have been interesting to be acting out the filmmakers' life story.
BK: Yeah, it was interesting. I talked with Michael about the character, and about his path and his journey. And it was fun to sort of associate certain things that he went through with things that I've been through in my life. For instance, I had a young daughter, too, so there were many parallels that I could draw on. It was funny, because we were different people, yet all young fathers obviously go through some of the same stuff, and have some of the same concerns and anxieties. So, the process was really cool to me.
KW: And you and Nicole left L.A. yourselves, in your case for Atlanta.
BK: [His cell phone rings] Speak of the devil. [Talks with Nicole on phone for a minute]
KW: How did you decide to settle in Atlanta?
BK: We never wanted to raise the kids in Hollywood. We wanted to be in an environment that spoke to us, culturally. That's how we chose Atlanta and found our dream home. Also, I have family coming from Europe, and her family is in Baltimore, so the choice was very practical at the same time.
KW: I know you are quad-lingual: German, English, French and Spanish. What languages are you going to teach your children?
BK: Well, they speak three, right now: obviously English, plus German and Spanish. Our nanny is Guatemalan, and she only speaks Spanish to them. And we speak German to them.
KW: I heard that your mother's Jewish. Is that true?
BK: Well, by blood, yeah. My grandmother's part Jewish, which makes my mother and myself Jewish, by blood. But we weren't raised in the Jewish faith. I remember my mother teaching me from the age of about 3 or 4 that we had to find our own way based on many different religions, that there were many different doctrines but that they all had the same purpose. I always remember that, because it was so simple, and so poignant and deep at the same time. I try to apply that now and expose my kids to many different ideas and philosophies, so they can find their own way.
KW: Did you lose any relatives in the Holocaust?
BK: Yeah, on my mother's side, my maternal great-grandmother. It was ironic in a way, because my grandmother wasn't pure-blooded Aryan, and therefore she wasn't considered a member of the master race. But she got pregnant by my grandfather who was 200% German. So, it was quite a tumultuous time for her, because they had to hide her for her to survive the Second World War.
KW: Did she have any close calls?
BK: Yeah, she told me that someone once reported her, but she was lucky that when the SS came to investigate and found her hiding in a back room, one of the officers was in a good mood and didn't arrest her. She said those kind of experiences occurred frequently. It was a time of sheer terror and no one knew what was going on, and everyone knew somebody who had suddenly gone missing for no reason. And apparently you didn't talk about it over the dinner table at night. They were just paralyzed with fear. You didn't utter a word about what could possibly be going on or about what they had heard.
It was a very scary time.
KW: I hope she's writing her memoirs.
BK: Yeah, I'm going to help her write it. She had some quite interesting experiences. And then later in her life her daughter brought home an African from Ghana, which didn't go over so well with my grandfather. He kicked them out of the house until I was born. They went back with me when I was a couple months old, and said, "Look, either you accept us, or you'll never see us again." And at that moment he made a 180 degree turn and accepted me from that moment on.
KW: Wow, you're going to have to write an autobiography, too.
BK: We all lived under the same roof. He had lost both of his arms in the war from a Russian hand grenade. From when I was 4, I would shave him in the morning and feed him breakfast every day.
KW: Did you have to deal with racism as a child? You must have been one of very non-white kids in the neighborhood?
BK: Me and my brother were always the only black kids. Racism is universal, but it's very different in different cultures. Where I grew up, racism was more about ignorance and a lack of knowledge than a controlled and focused prejudice. So, I was subjected to the type of racism where people called me names, but I had a lot of great friends, too. Overall, it was a great environment to grow up in. The place I was raised was in the Black Forest and looks like The Sound of Music. We had a great childhood, full of fun and outdoor adventure. It was very sane and well-rounded. My mother always told us we were perfect the way we were, and that we wouldn't have to worry about what people said because there are just a lot of ignoramuses in the world, and that you will encounter them until the day you die. That was her approach, and now when I look back, I can really appreciate it.
KW: Barack Obama also had a white mother and an African father. What do you think of him?
BK: That's just one of the aspects of him that I find intriguing. I think that he's an incredible and powerful man, very charismatic and intelligent. He also has great integrity and pride, and loves the country. I believe he's someone who will not only improve America internally in terms of the economy, healthcare, education, the environment and Social Security but also repair the country's reputation which has suffered around the world over the past eight years. He's someone who I believe can sit down with potential allies on the international level and try to make the world a better place for everyone. So, I'm supporting him wholeheartedly. I hope that people will wake up and take the country back. It's hard to believe that we have a president who could officially deny the fact that the world is being affected by global warming. It's embarrassing.
KW: What's it like being named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World? Has it changed your life?
BK: [Laughs] That's hilarious. No, it hasn't changed my life at all. It's one of those things, like the tabloids, that you can't really take seriously.
Obviously, I'm very flattered, but that's as far as it goes. It's a nice thing, but I can't take any credit for it. I don't wake up and go, "Woo-hoo! I'm one of the 50 Most Beautiful! Yeah!" There are a lot of things that are much more important, like being a husband and father. I've been blessed with a great wife and amazing children who have changed my life. It's not necessarily a walk in the park every day, but it's absolutely the most rewarding gift ever.
KW: How was it playing Brick on Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?
BK: It was a dream come true, getting to play one of the significant roles in one of the most significant classics. I was honored and humbled by the experience. Everybody was so supportive, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Debbie Allen, Anika Noni Rose and Giancarlo Esposito. And the crowd response was great, everything was amazing.
KW: Tasha Smith wants to know if you're ever afraid.
BK: Oh, absolutely? I'm terrified sometimes, not for myself, but for my kids. That's one of the things they don't tell you when you become a father, but along with unconditional love comes unconditional fear.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
BK: Extremely.
KW: Bookworm Troy Johnson wants to know, what was the last book you read?
BK: Right now I'm on a spiritual trip. I read a lot of that type of book. The last one I read was The Art of Power by Thich Nhat Hanh.
KW: Yeah, I've read some of his stuff. He's great.
BK: He summarizes what we all know, like that the power is within you, and that as long as you can visualize it you can achieve it. Things along those lines.
KW: Is there any question nobody asks you that you wish somebody would ask?
BK: What nobody ever asks me is how difficult it was to come to sound like this, probably because they all assume I'm African-American.
KW: True, your American accent has no traces of German. So, how difficult was it to sound like this? Did you study English in Germany?
BK: I learned it here. I took classes, had a dialect coach, and watched a lot of MTV. When I prepare for a part, I still have to figure out the appropriate accent and cadence.
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
BK: I want to be remembered as a great father, and as someone who inspired people to have integrity and drive.
KW: What's up next for you?
BK: I'm shooting a movie right now with Bruce Willis called The Surrogates.
KW: Well, good luck with that, and I hope to speak to you again when that gets released.
BK: Cool. Peace.
To see a trailer of All about Us, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NdgzKdXCMQ
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: The Master of My Fate
*Prior to the recent Supreme Court decision rolling back the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, the punishment for possession of 5 grams of crack cocaine was a minimum 5 year prison sentence. "Simple possession of any quantity of any other substance by a first-time offender-including powder cocaine- was a misdemeanor offense punishable by a maximum of one year in prison."
I think it important to recall that in the mid 1980’s when these sentencing guidelines came into effect America was experiencing a surge in violent crime, much of it fueled by the introduction of a new and extremely profitable (to say nothing of addictive) form of cocaine – Crack. There was tremendous violence associated with the crack cocaine trade as drug gangs fought over territory. There was a rise in gang activity and the front pages of our daily newspapers were filled with drive by shootings and turf wars between men that wore blue bandannas and men that wore red ones. We were also reading about the toll crack addiction was taking on families. The media told us that our neighborhoods were filling with crack babies – children born addicted to cocaine because their mothers smoked the deadly toxin while being pregnant. Americans were rightly concerned and took action to address what at that time was a cultural and law enforcement crisis. There were studies at the time indicating that the introduction of crack raised the level of crime in our communities by 10% so our representatives in congress decided to take a tough stance and introduced harsh sentencing guidelines for selling crack cocaine. The guidelines were passed with bipartisan support and this particular issue was of particular interest of the congressional black caucus as Crack cocaine was having a particular negative impact on Black communities.
I am as in favor of strong law enforcement as anyone. I have little sympathy for men and women that prey on the innocent hard working members of the community, wrecking lives, planting the seeds of anguish and despair. I am particularly critical of men that are guilty of criminal behavior, as this runs counter to what I see as one of the primary duties of men: to be guardians of the home and of the community, not parasites on that community. I am, however, uncertain that society gains very much by sentencing thousands of young Black men to prison for non-violent drug offenses. The sentences introduce them into a system from which it is difficult to extricate themselves and begins the downward path to joblessness, absentee fatherhood and more criminal behavior. In short, creating more of the very behavior we are trying to discourage.
The few thousand Black men in prison for non-violent drug offenses are not career criminals – yet – and their incarceration does not represent the best our justice system has to offer. In fact I would argue that it undermines faith in that very system, especially among Black folk. I therefore greeted the recent decision by congress and our Supreme Court to eliminate these sentencing disparities gladly. It represented to me a step—a small step in the direction of bringing healing and more importantly restoring opportunity to so many in our community. Yet it is only part of the solution.
Studies show that 50% of inmates have drug and alcohol problems. A large number used drugs immediately prior to their offense and many grew up with addicts as parents. When we are discussing non-violent offenders I think it may be prudent to spend a bit more time with rehabilitation as opposed to tossing folk under the jail. We have tried for many years to attack the supply side of this equation; it is in my humble opinion time to begin addressing the demand side. There are folks a lot smarter than I am, encouraging the government to begin to approach the drug war as a health issue as opposed to strictly a law enforcement issue. Do we have enough rehabilitation centers? How can we reduce the time men must wait to enter a rehab facility? Do we have enough counselors? And what do we do once these men (and women) have completed their punishment? These are some of the questions we need to begin asking.
We also need to get a handle on single parenthood and absentee fathers.
I can not--and responsible members of our community can not--stress enough the effects single parenthood has on the development of children and how that development translates into criminal behavior in the community.
A few numbers to consider: A study that looked at the relation between divorce rates and out-of-wedlock birthrates and violent crime between 1973 and 1995 found that nearly 90% of the change in violent crime rates can be accounted for by the change in percentages of out-of-wedlock births. A child growing up in a single-parent home (usually female-headed) is seven times as likely to be a delinquent. Even controlling for race, parents income and education, adolescents from a single parent home were twice as likely to have pulled a gun or knife on someone in the past year. 70% of kids -- and 93% of girls! -- in juvenile facilities came from non-intact homes. Children from fatherless homes are:
20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders.
14 times more likely to commit rape
9 times more likely to drop out of high school.
10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances.
9 times more likely to end up in a state-operated institution.
20 times more likely to end up in prison.
These are sobering statistics. A change in the sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine will have very little effect if we do not begin to commit this community to raising our children in two parent homes. There is nothing partisan in that, nothing conservative or liberal. It is simply a fact.
Finally there must be a corresponding responsibility on the part of citizens to avoid drugs and alcohol, obey the law and to borrow from the title of a Spike Lee joint: “Do the Right Thing.” There must also be a continued demand by the rest of us that our fellow citizens engage in moral and ethical behavior. We must insist that concepts like nobility, duty and honor are not sacrificed on the alter of relativism. Nothing distresses me more than the emails I receive attempting to explain away the anti-social and criminal behavior of some of our neighbors as the result of poverty and or racism. (Left unanswered of course is why they who have also been targets of racism and poverty are not engaged in criminal behavior.) There is much pathology one can lay at the feet of racism, but destroying the lives of our children and turning our communities into thugocracies is not one of them. I dare say those emails have not come from folks that actually live near a crack den or who fear allowing their children out of the home lest they fall prey to some act of violence directly or indirectly tied to drugs or gangs. Let us be absolutely clear that ones moral and ethical obligations do not cease to exist because of poor circumstances nor are they altered because of the existence of (pick your favorite)-ism.
To suggest that people attempt to live lives of virtue is not simplistic. It is in fact wisdom that reaches back to antiquity. It is the same philosophy preached in our houses of worship each and every Sabbath day. Neither is the suggestion that men have power to change their own lives unsympathetic. Without question there are ways each of us can contribute to the uplift of our communities. However, no amount of volunteering will replace the difficult work each individual must make. Whether it concerns sexual behavior, decisions concerning our education or how we conceive of civil behavior, when it comes to creating lives of purpose and fulfillment nothing will replace the individual accessing the wisdom that has been passed down through the generations in order to make good decisions. In the words of the poet William Ernest Henley, “It matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll. I am the master of my fate I am the captain of my soul.”
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
VERONICA'S VIEW: Stuck in the Middle
Veronica Hendrix
*I never thought much about being middle aged. But lately it’s been on my mind.
If we are promised three score and ten years – that’s 70 years – then the threshold of middle age is as early as 35-years-old.
That seems so soon to arrive at the middle of life’s promised trajectory. Life seems to have just gotten started and now its shifting gears.
Alas, I crossed that juncture some years ago. So that makes me middle aged.
Chances are if you are reading along, you may be middle aged too.
I will never forget the day I felt like I was “middle aged.” I was at a local market when a young cashier asked me, “Did you find everything you were looking for today, ma’am?”
Ma’am?
I literally froze.
My eyes jetted left, then right in a deliberate effort to see whom he was referring to. As he peered into my eyes, it was crystal clear he was talking to me.
But its all good, as my sons often say. After all, I’ve earned this badge of distinction. I’ve worked hard to gain the respect of my peers, and I do want to be viewed as an elder among the younger generation – or maybe a better choice is a respected voice -- in my community. However, I don’t want to be viewed as a relic either.
Middle age is defined as that period in life from 40 to 65-years old. Those twenty-five years can be a little wobbly. It’s a time when there is a heightened distortion between perception and reality. That’s because middle-aged people don’t feel old but at the same time the graying hair and deepening laugh lines are saying they ain’t what they used to be.
We all have our perceptions about middle age. In my mind, middle aged people aren’t stodgy, but they aren’t exactly the hippest among the hip either. They struggle with balancing their ambition and drive with the limitations of their energy and time, which they seem to have less of as they get older and amass more responsibilities.
Middle-aged people are stuck in a middle passage of sorts, doing what they can to defy age sometimes at the expense of their sensibilities, maturity, and integrity.
Could this be at the heart of the mid-life crisis?
I wonder because I’ve seen middle-aged folks who seemed decidedly sound, suddenly make some of the most impetuous, abrupt, and surprising choices - not to mention bonehead decisions.
And I confess, I’ve had a moment or two myself. My purchase of a pair of stiletto heels has been my latest transgression when I know my days of tipping around in 4-inchers have gone bye-bye. My lower back simply cannot withstand the torture anymore. Ah, but when I was younger, I could pull it off with grace.
Here are three things I’ve accepted about being middle aged:
1. It’s ok being middle aged. Just look around, the world is full of middle aged people, probably more now than at any time in history. You are in a mighty majority.
2. You have to be patient with yourself. Middle age is a time of change and transition personally, professionally, physically, emotionally and mentally. Accept it and adjust.
3. You’ve got to grow up, now. Whether you like it or not, you’ve got to act responsibly and be accountable for your actions as well as your decisions. Your reckless days are over because the consequences can be devastating. At this point in the game, maturity pays dividends.
Simple advice, right?
I think so. But in those moments of self-absorption, temerity, and uncertainty, I have to remember to take my own advice when I feel stuck in the middle.
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: Art for Life
CAPACITY CROWD ATTEND RUSH PHILANTHROPIC ARTS FOUNDATION’S NINTH ANNUAL ART FOR LIFE EAST HAMPTON BENEFIT GALA
Russell Simmons, Danny Simmons And Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation Raises $1.5 Million At Ninth Annual ART FOR LIFE East Hampton Benefit Gala
By Audrey J. Bernard, Lifestyles/Society Editor
*In order to do justice to this wonderful event, I must first set up for you the fairytale ambience in which Russell Simmons' East Hampton estate was transformed into to form a true "Midsummer Nights Dream thanks to visionary experts Bruce Sutka and Sukta International on a breezy Saturday mid-evening, July 21.
“The theme ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ brought inspiration and made me think how a creative interpretation of a dream could fuse imagination, fantasy and nature,” described Sutka. “In my mind’s eye, I envisioned a world where everything seemed of gigantic scale, a place where statues come to life and where adults turned into children once more for just one evening.”
Guests played a big part in this enchanted evening donning purple and violet clothing in keeping with this year’s color theme, “Shades of Violet,” and made for great decorative pieces on Simmons’ palatial grounds which were turned into a virtual magical wonderland filled with gnomes, fairies, trees, oracles, and creatures of nature. These beguiling characters were donated by TEN31 Productions.
This event is one of the most sought after tickets of A-1 Hampton events and one of the most profitable. This year’s Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation’s Ninth Annual ART FOR LIFE East Hampton benefit gala sold out and raised a record $1.5 Million in support of providing arts education to underserved New York City youth, defying the odds in this economic downturn reported to be affecting most fundraisers.
In his cheerful greetings, Danny Simmons told the keyed up capacity crowd, “Fourteen years ago we did our first fundraiser event in Manhattan and raised $250,000. Today, we walked in to this event over $1 million dollars strong, and will see even more results after the online charity auction closes. We've come a long way!”
New York Governor David Paterson congratulated the Simmons dynasty for their generous support of the arts and the important role ART FOR LIFE is playing in keeping art alive by addressing the necessity of arts education.
“Throughout history, governments around the world have supported the arts because they knew its importance,” Gov. Paterson stated. “Here, in America, whenever government has an economic problem, the first thing they do is cut the arts and culture programs. The second thing they do is cut the youth services programs.” Then, to the cheer and adulation of the crown, he concluded, “I don’t know if you got the memo, but there’s a new sheriff in town!”
Russell was visibly elated and pumped up over Governor Paterson’s remarks picking up where the governor left off. “Even in this economic climate, it is clear our supporters understand the importance art plays in a young person's life,” he said. “I think Governor Paterson said it best when he made the point that anyone with a young child can see the critical role expressing themselves through art and creativity plays in their development. The imagination is everything and the cultivation of creativity is the most important thing you can do for a child. We were thrilled so many old and new friends came out and supported this important cause and helped us raise more money than ever for the over 50 art programs Rush Philanthropic supports.”
Every year the event honors “generous givers” and iconic model Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Turly, Inc. and the Christy Turlington Foundation; Patrice Motsepe of African Rainbow Minerals, one South Africa’s leading mining entrepreneurs and one of the richest men in the world and wife Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, a medical doctor, businesswoman and humanitarian; Frederick Iseman, Caxton-Iseman; Arnold L. Lehman and Norman M. Feinberg of the Brooklyn Museum of Art and Brett Ratner, RAT Entertainment, were all this year’s gala honorees.
Grammy® nominated R&B artist, Tamia and her husband, NBA star-athlete Grant Hill served as honorary chairs. Ted Alemayhu, executive chairman and CEO, US Doctors for Africa; Frances Hayward; Drs. Yasin Khan and Elizabeth Khan MD; Brenda D. Neal, senior vice president, wealth management, Smith Barney; Vivi Nevo, president, NV Investments, R. Donahue & Katrina Peebles, The Peebles Corporation; and David Tisch, managing member, LSV Financial served as event chairs. CNN’s Soledad O’Brien hosted the fundraising event gala.
This year’s dinner menu was one of the best ever! Catered by Ronnie Davis with Chris Harkness, serving as executive chef, the captivating dinner under a cavernous tent was created by Great Performances. Guests dinned on an international menu that included mouth-watering, delicious Tuscan fried chicken prepared in white beans and peppers, succulent boneless barbecued short ribs of beef accompanied by Jalapeno grit cake, and lobster martini.
A live Charity Buzz auction conducted by Simon de Pury, Phillips de Pury & Co., followed dinner and the bons vivants had a plethora of lavish items to bid on including artist Shepard Fairey’s Obama HOPE collage painting (up to $108,000); a tennis lesson with Serena Williams and her Wimbledon racket (up to $22,000); and a happy birthday phone call from Grammy winning artist John Legend (up to $5,000).
According to events specialist and publicist for the event, JLM PR, Inc. helmed by Jody Miller, the record breaking fundraiser is still not completely tallied, as the online ART FOR LIFE Charity Buzz auction continues until 2pm EST on July 31. Other online auction items still available include celebrity experiences from Donna Karan, George Clooney, Tyra Banks, Ellen Degeneres, Petra Nemcova, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys and more. Also fetching top bids are top designers Angel Sanchez, Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior, Prada, Gucci, Lorraine Schwartz, Jeri Cohen Fine Jewelery, Giuseppe Zanotti, Ana Reign and Rachel Roy who donated special items to this year’s ART FOR LIFE “Dream Closet.”
Throughout the evening DJ M.O.S. kept the party spirit on high spinning pulsating dance beats right up to the closing number featuring Ed Lover on the mic. Lover got the partygoers up and out of their cushioned seats to create their own “Soul Train line” and then kept the music going as revelers danced out of the tent and over to the gift depot to pick up a lovely swag bag before heading out to their waiting limousines or to pick up their valet parked cars.
ART FOR LIFE East Hampton is Rush Philanthropic’s primary annual fundraising effort to help support thousands of underserved New York children. Proceeds from the event benefit over 50 New York City non-profit organizations, which offer education programming in all disciplines of the arts, as well as the Foundation’s own visual arts education programs.
This year’s beneficiaries included Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, who offer visual, performing and literary arts, arts education and artists’ programs, Marquis Studios, who inspire a passion for learning by bringing the arts into schools, and the dance troupe STREB, a youth focused dance studio treated the crowd to an electrifying performance of dance and acrobatics during the cocktail hour.
Celebrities, socialites, arts patrons and friends from the entertainment and financial community who made up the capacity crowd included Aretha Franklin, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Gayle King, Padma Lakshmi, Christy Turlington Burns & Ed Burns, Jill & Bobby Zarin, Ramona & Mark Singer and The Countess LuAnn de Lesseps (all from “The Real Housewives of NYC”), Lorraine Bracco, Al Roker & Deborah Roberts, Sante D’Orazio, Ruth Bowen & Billy Bryant, Lyor Cohen, Alan Patricof, Kevin Liles, Kelly Bensimon, Tracey Edmonds, Erika & Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Kehinde Wiley, Tracy Mourning, R. Couri Hay, Curtis Martin, Gerri DeVard & Gregg Smith, Marvet Britto, Flo Anthony, Crystal McCrary Anthony & Raymond J. McGuire, Sharon Lopez Rhoden and many more turned out in support of this year’s fundraising effort.
Also special to the ART FOR LIFE gala is a featured artist. This year’s artist was abstract painter Ed Clark who donated an original piece, of which Platinum Easel Table patrons received a signed limited edition print. Each year, three youth groups are also selected as the event’s Featured Beneficiaries.
This year’s ART FOR LIFE supporters included Maybach Mercedes-Benz (silver sponsor), Smartwater (silver sponsor), HSBC (valet sponsor) and Philips de Pury & Company (auction sponsor). Also Hamptons Magazine and Hampton.com (media partners), GM (staff ground travel partner) and City Year (volunteers’ partners). Kudos to Derrick Adams and Lucille Blair (art auction chairs) and Tybie Etoy Dotson, (luxury auction chair) for a job well done. (Photos: Jerritt Clark)
Audrey J. Bernard is an established chronicler of Black society and Urban happenings based in the New York City area.
DONLOE ON CARS: GM Shows Its Versatility
by darlene donloe
*General Motors Corp. is known for being innovative and diverse. The largest U.S. automaker popularized the Hummer. To show the diversity of the vehicles, we test-drove the Hummer, the Yukon Denali and the Saturn Astra 3-Door – with mixed results.
THE CAR: HUMMER H2 SUV
The Hummer, like its tagline, really is ‘like nothing else.' When you drive the Hummer, you feel that anything is possible. As you drive down the street other cars, feeling a bit inadequate, seem to move out the way. Although there is a lot of vehicle, the Hummer, surprisingly, is an easy drive with amazing maneuverability.
VEHICLE AT A GLANCE: Engine 6.2L V8 Vortec, 6-speed, independent front suspension, automatic, XM Satellite, premium Bose audio system, 9-speaker with surround sound, power sunroof, rear seat entertainment system
MSRP: $64,540
FUEL ECONOMY:
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURE: Antilock break system
THE DRIVE: Fantastic
WHAT’S HOT: Remote keyless entry
THE CAR: YUKON DENALI
You can’t beat the Yukon Denali on any level! It’s simply an awesome car! It’s chic, spacious, powerful and drives like a dream. Denali is the ultimate expression of professional grade engineering, delivering capabilities and amenities that reach an all-new level.
VEHICLE AT A GLANCE: Hydra-Matic 6L80, 6-speed automatic. Ultrasonic rear parking assist, power liftgate, XM Satellite Radio, Power fold-and-tumble second-row seats, chrome exterior accents, bold, Denali-specific honeycomb chrome grill.
MSRP: $48,570
FUEL ECONOMY: 13 city/19 hwy
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURE: Roof-mounted head curtain side air bags with rollover protection for all seating rows.
THE DRIVE: Exceptional!
WHAT’S HOT: Heating steering wheel
THE BUZZ: It’s special.
BOTTOMLINE: It all comes together.
THE CAR: SATURN ASTRA 3-DOOR
VEHICLE AT A GLANCE: Of course, it doesn’t handle like a luxury vehicle, but if you’re going to drive a compact car (and most people do these days), it may as well be this one. Compact, but convenient, smart with great gas mileage; Standard: 5 speed manual; optional: 4 speed Aisin auto; horsepower: 138@6300; European driving dynamics and bold styling; torque: 125@3800 rpm; six standard air bags.
MSRP: $18,495-$19,820
FUEL ECONOMY: 24city/32 hwy
THE DRIVE: Satisfactory!
WHAT’S HOT: Seven-speaker AM/FM stereo with CD/MP3 player
THE BUZZ: Gas Saver
BOTTOMLINE: Compact, but modish!
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." — Isaac Newton
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
July 31: Actor Wesley Snipes is 46.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
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BLACK HISTORY
July 31, 1874: Patrick Francis Healy was inaugurated as president of Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic University in America, and became the first African American to head a predominantly white university.
(Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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