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09-15-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
KANYE WEST BLOGS ABOUT ARREST: Brief note claims he's 'cool with the paparazzi."
*In a brief blog entry, Kanye West addressed his run-in with paparazzi at LAX airport last week that led to his arrest on suspicion of vandalism.
West and his road manager were filmed snatching cameras and camera equipment away from photographers and smashing them into the ground.
After his release from custody on Friday, Kanye boarded a private jet from Van Nuys to Honolulu where he's working on his next album at Avex Studios. But he found time to blog about his attitude toward the photographer he targeted Thursday morning at the United Airlines terminal.
"I'm cool with the paparazzi, but this guy wasn't cool," West wrote.
"I gotta work now ... I'll rant later! We back in the lab now!!!"
West is due back in court on Oct. 2.
LATIFAH CONSIDERED NAMING CD 'L WORD': Artist wanted to poke fun at rumors, but ultimately decided against it.
*For a second, Queen Latifah thought about stirring the pot by naming her upcoming album "The L Word," the title of Showtime's original series about a group of lesbian friends living in Los Angeles.
For years, the entertainer has faced steady gossip that she's in the closet. She told Rolling Stone that she flirted with the idea of setting the rumor mill on fire with "The L Word" title.
“Since people want to play games, I like to jab back sometimes just for fun, but I’m like, ‘Nah, that’s too much energy wasted,'” she told RollingStone.com.
The as-yet-unnamed LP is set for release in December.
O.J. SIMPSON TO FACE ALL-WHITE JURY: Former NFL star tries to avoid life in prison on kidnapping and armed robbery charges.
*The fate of O.J. Simpson will be in the hands of an all-white jury of 12 when opening arguments begin today in his trial on kidnapping and armed robbery charges in Las Vegas.
The selection process began back in mid-August when 500 prospective jurors filled out a 26-page questionnaire. The judge wanted to be sure that jurors would not be biased against Simpson, who is African-American, and was acquitted of the 1994 slaying of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, both of whom were white.
"If you are here thinking you are going to punish Mr. Simpson for what happened in Los Angeles in 1995 this is not the case for you," said Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass last Monday, according to the Associated Press. "I mean really, truly, folks. I'm not kidding around. Can you put that aside and understand that the case we are trying here and the info you're going to hear about here is totally separate from that case?"
Simpson, 61, faces 12 faces life in jail on charges stemming from a confrontation in a hotel room in September 2007 after which he and a gang of gun-toting cohorts left with pillow cases stuffed full of sports memorabilia. In the state of Nevada, kidnapping and armed robbery both carry potential life sentences.
MARIAH'S 'TENNESSEE' FILM DUE IN DECEMBER: Project is her first since disastrous misstep 'Glitter.'
*Mariah Carey's new movie "Tennessee" will be in theaters this December thanks to Vivendi Entertainment, which recently acquired all domestic distribution rights to the project, according to the trades.
Directed by Lee Daniels, "Tennessee" follows two lower-middle class brothers (Adam Rothenberg, Ethan Peck) who take to the road to resolve their economic and health challenges. Along the way they meet a waitress (Carey) whose dreams of a singing career have been dashed by a bad marriage.
"Tennessee" includes her character's performance of the original ballad "Right to Dream," which she co-wrote with Willie Nelson.
The indie drama, which premiered at this spring's Tribeca Film Festival in New York, features the pop supersta in her first headlining role since 2001's box office blunder "Glitter." She last appeared on the big screen in this summer's comedy "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," where she played herself in a cameo.
MIJAC TAKES KIDS TO HOMETOWN: King of Pop reportedly dips into Gary, Indiana and shows children where he grew up.
*The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Michael Jackson took his three children to the Midwest last Monday for a quick visit – first to Chicago, then onto his hometown of Gary, Indiana.
"It's all very mysterious, but I've learned Michael Jackson -- joined by a small (for him) retinue of bodyguards and assistants, plus his three children, Paris, Prince and Prince Michael II -- slipped into [Chicago] Monday for a quick overnight stay," wrote Bill Zwecker of the Sun-Times.
"A spy at Jackson's exclusive Gold Coast hotel reports that the entourage 'did not venture out of their suites and only ordered basics like setups, hot water, milk and juice from room service,'" Zwecker wrote, adding that "the King of Pop traveled with his own organic food, plus bed linens and towels."
Zwecker learned that the Jackson entourage left early Tuesday -- 'before the sun was up' -- and reportedly drove (via several SUVs with blacked-out windows) to Gary.
"There MJ and his kids supposedly toured his childhood neighborhood in the northwest Indiana city before flying out of the area via private jet. There was apparently no contact with any Gary officials, so it's not known if Jackson's visit was related -- in any way -- to recent efforts to memorialize his family's origins in the city," Zwecker wrote.
In July, Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, received a key to the city from Gary's Mayor Rudy Clay. Papa Joe also unveiled plans for a proposed Jackson Museum and Cultural Center and unveiled a new street sign in honor of the Jackson family.
A month later, those plans were put on the shelf due to "various financial issues -- mainly facing Michael and the other Jacksons," wrote Zwecker. A family spokesman said at the time that the delay was only temporary and the Jackson museum in Gary 'is something that will happen.'
T.O. SAYS MCNABB WAS JEALOUS OF HIS FAME: Cowboys wide receiver insists previous Philly drama wasn't his fault.
*Tonight's showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles comes following a week of drama that has included some controversial comments by Eagle-turned-Cowboy Terrell Owens against his former quarterback.
"The fans and just the excitement of me coming there and being there, it became too overwhelming for Donovan," Owens told the Associated Press Thursday of his stint in Philadelphia. "I think at one point in time, I will say that we had a good relationship. I think I got too big for Philly, too big for him. I just feel like in a sense that he felt like I was just probably getting too much attention."
The Eagles dismissed Owens during the 2005 season — a year after they went to the Super Bowl — following a series of infractions, including repeated criticism of McNabb and the organization.
"I feel strong about my position and what happened in Philly, and I really don't feel like it was my fault," Owens said.
Meanwhile, McNabb told reporters on a conference call he and T.O. did enjoy a good relationship before things went sour.
"We had great times here. ... It's unfortunate the way things ended up," McNabb said. "But he's happy where he's at and I'm happy where I'm at."
Asked if Owens was a changed man, McNabb said he didn't know. "I'm just a guy on the outside looking in," he said.
Owens also spoke about the close relationship he once shared with McNabb, which included visits to each other's houses to watch Monday Night Football and mix drinks.
"He was the bartender or I was the bartender. We gave ourselves some alias names and we had a lot of fun," Owens said. "We had a lot of teammates come over and enjoy that. It was a situation where things didn't work out in Philly and now I'm here."
WAYANS, SMOLLETT URGE HU STUDENTS TO VOTE: Marlon says 'Bush is my fault' because he didn't vote in last two elections.
*Actors Marlon Wayans and Jurnee Smollett visited Hampton University Friday to underscore the importance of voting in the upcoming election.
Wayans, a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, admitted to students that he didn't vote in the last two presidential elections.
"Bush is my fault," he told them, according to Hampton's DailyPress.com. "The economy is my fault."
The actor-comedian says he hopes to make up for it by touring colleges in the swing state of Virginia to make sure he does everything within his means to get Obama into the White House.
Smollett, who starred opposite Denzel Washington in 2007's "The Great Debaters," led the packed student center in chants of "take the state" while joining Wayans in urging the hundreds on hand to meet Virginia's Oct. 6 voter registration deadline. The actress also reminded students that the Illinois senator would give every college student a $4,000 tax credit, and raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011.
Don't vote for Obama because he is black, Wayans told the crowd, vote for him because of his policies.
"Barack comes from people like us, and always has our best interest at heart," he said. "Make sure we get that brother in office. Our economy is hurting ... this is not a black and white issue — this is a red, white and blue issue."
Wayans said students should have at least three parties before the year is up — a registration party before Oct.6, a voting party on Nov. 4 and a "Barack is our president" party on Nov. 5.
"As Americans, we've got to take back this country," he said. "I wasn't around during the civil rights movement. This is my civil right, and this is our turn, and this is something we can tell our kids about — a black president."
The pair stopped at HU after speaking at Virginia State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, said Clark Stevens, spokesman for the Campaign for Change, a project of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
Moses Wilson, Hampton's senior class president and the state's coordinator for Students for Barack Obama, said the group registered 270 HU Freshman last week, and was to compete against Howard University over the weekend to register the highest number of voters before and during the rivals' football game in Hampton.
REGINALD HUDSON EXITS BET: Entertainment chief leaves after three years; Stephen Hill to fill shoes in interim.
*After three years of serving as the entertainment chief of Black Entertainment Television, Reginald Hudlin has decided to leave the cable network and return to his "entrepreneurial roots" as an independent producer.
News of his decision was delivered Thursday in an internal memo from BET Chairwoman and CEO Debra Lee that was released publicly by the network, reports the Associated Press.
As previously reported, Stephen Hill, BET's head of music programming and talent, will serve as interim entertainment president during the search to replace Hudlin.
During Hudlin's tenure, BET produced some of its highest-rated shows, including "Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown" and "Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is." The channel's first scripted series, "Somebodies," debuted this week.
Hudlin broke into the business producing the "House Party" movies and his credits include directing the "Everybody Hates Chris" pilot, producing "The Boondocks" animated series and writing the "Black Panther" comic book series.
FEW BLACK MODELS USED IN FASHION WEEK: The saga continues at recently-wrapped shows in NY.
*Among the more than 30 fashion shows attended by the wire service Reuters during New York's semi-annual Fashion Week, many designers used two or three black models, several only used one, and some had zero.
Most of the shows featured between 12 and 25 models overall, Reuters reported in a story over the weekend about the continued lack of black faces on runways.
Reuters reported:
Labels Tracy Reese, DKNY and Diane von Furstenberg displayed a high number of black models this season while others, such as Vivienne Tam, did not use any.
Too few industry types are following the lead of former Vogue editor Grace Mirabella, the first to use a black model on the magazine's cover, said Tim Gunn, creative director at Liz Claiborne and co-host of Bravo television's "Project Runway." Some designers consider cultural and ethnic diversity on the runway, "but there are not enough," he said.
While the issue was once left to pioneering black models Iman and Naomi Campbell to note, attention has grown recently. This year, Vogue Italia's first "Black Issue," with more than 20 black models, created worldwide buzz and sold out.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, the U.S. industry trade group, has said it is up to the designers to establish ethnic diversity. This season, the group's president, Diane von Furstenberg, urged them to seek a diversity of models.
"Visually on the runways, it has improved," said Bethann Hardison, a 1970s African-American runway model. "But the results are still racist. You choose the same white and you never go towards the brown or the dark."
Read Reuters' entire article here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSN1145982120080912?pageNumbe
r=2&virtualBrandChannel=10112
TODAY'S 'OPRAH' TO TARGET CHILD PREDATORS: Host urges viewers to support Senate bill punishing molesters.
*Today's TV-14 rated episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will focus on a new Senate bill that targets child predators, according to a release issued Friday by Harpo Productions.
The show will detail the "extent and pervasiveness of child pornography trafficking in America," and Winfrey will ask viewers to contact their senators about U.S. Senate Bill 1738, the Protect Our Children Act, Harpo said.
"What you are going to see is going to shock you to the core, but I'm asking you to please not turn away because this is happening in our country, to our children, in the United States every day," Winfrey said in the release.
Oprah testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991 to support a national database of convicted child abusers. The "Oprah Bill" was signed into law in 1993.
In 2005, Winfrey, who has said she was sexually abused as a child, launched the "Oprah's Child Predator Watch List" and pledged a $100,000 reward per case for information that leads to the arrest of fugitives featured on her show and Web site. Nine of the featured fugitives have been captured, Harpo said.
KELIS CLEARED OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT CHARGES: Singer was accused of running toward, and cursing out police in Miami.
*Singer Kelis has been acquitted of all charges in connection with a 2007 incident in which she was accused of disrupting a police investigation by bum rushing officers while screaming curse words at them.
Authorities said they were talking to some men in the South Beach nightclub district when Kelis barreled toward them, screamed and said one of the men was her husband, Nas, according to the arrest report.
She was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence, however, a jury acquitted her of the charges on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
In a statement to the wire service, the singer said she was happy justice prevailed and hopes this "sheds light on the fact that wearing a uniform and carrying a badge does not allow you to act above the law."
The singer, best known for her chart-topping single, "Milkshake," married rapper Nas in 2005.
J.LO PULLS OUT OF 'RUNWAY' FINALE: Entertainer suffers a foot injury; Tim Gunn takes over her chair.
*A foot injury has reportedly caused Jennifer Lopez to drop out of her appearance as a guest judge on the season finale of "Project Runway."
Lopez was supposed to be the surprise guest judge of the show's final runway face-off between the remaining contestants at Bryant Park during fashion week. But Klum announced to the crowd that the singer-actress had to pull out “due to a foot injury” and wouldn’t be able to help decide this season’s winner.
Tim Gunn, "Runway’s" resident fashion mentor, will fill J.Lo's shoes as the extra judge for the final competition. Although he has close relationships with the contestants because he advises each of them on their work, he promised to be “unbiased” as a judge.
SNOOP DOGG GRANTED AUSTRALIAN VISA: But formal counseling and charity work are part of the deal.
*After a thorough "character assessment" by immigration officials in Australia, Snoop Dogg has been granted a visa to tour next month on the condition that he gets conduct counseling and speaks to at-risk youth during his stay.
Officials had banned him from the country in May 2007 due to his criminal record. They decided to clear him last month for the October tour, but then demanded more information and a "full character assessment" of the rapper after a spate of public complaints from Australian victims groups.
Oscar-winning Australian actor Russell Crowe last week wrote a letter to immigration officials to support Snoop's visa application, citing the artist's charity work in support of urban youth. The department also considered the fact that Snoop's previous three trips to Australia – in 1998, 2006 and early 2007 – occurred without incident.
"We took into account all relevant factors and, on balance, the department decided to grant the visa," an immigration spokesman said. "In making this decision, the department weighed his criminal convictions against his previous behavior while in Australia, recent conduct — including charity work — and any likely risk to the Australian community."
Snoop is now cleared to join Ice Cube and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony down under for the 17-day Smokin' Out tour beginning next month.
"Mr. Broadus will need to abide by Australia's laws and he will be formally counseled before his arrival about his visa conditions and our expectations relating to his conduct," the statement read.
Snoop has also agreed to do charity work with at-risk youth during his visit.
DMX EXTRADITED FROM MIAMI TO PHOENIX: Maricopa County claims rapper on animal cruelty charges.
*DMX went from one jail to another last week in his never-ending round robin of legal troubles.
The rapper was extradited from Miami to Phoenix on Wednesday where he's facing 11 counts of animal cruelty and drug possession in connection with two raids on his Phoenix-area home, Maricopa County Sheriff's officials said Thursday.
The rapper pleaded guilty two weeks ago in Miami to attempted marijuana and cocaine possession stemming from his June 27 arrest during a police drug sting. He was sentenced to time served and fined $483.
Maricopa County Sheriff's officials had 15 business days to reclaim him, or else DMX would have been allowed to leave Florida on his own recognizance, according to the rapper's attorney.
He was brought in Wednesday by Maricopa County Sheriff's officials on an outstanding warrant for missing a court date and is currently being held on a $25,000 cash bond.
VINCE YOUNG SAYS HE'S NOT DEPRESSED: But new reports suggest he was suicidal during last Monday's ordeal.
*More details have emerged about Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young and his reported emotional state that led to his brief disappearance last Monday.
Young, who sprained his left medial collateral ligament during last Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, told reporters that the entire media account of his activity last Monday was overblown.
However, a supplemental report filed Tuesday by Nashville police showed that Coach Jeff Fisher said he was told by Young's therapist, Sheila Peters, that the quarterback had spoken of suicide, left home with a gun and was nowhere to be found. Based on that information, Fisher contacted the police for help in finding him.
"I asked [Fisher], 'What made [the therapist] worry about him?' Lt. Andrea Swisher wrote in her report. "He stated, 'His mood, his emotions, he wants to quit, and he mentioned suicide several times.' He went on to state that he left the house with a gun."
Young's manager, Mike Mu, told police he had tried to follow Young when the quarterback left his home. But Mu said he couldn't keep up with Young on Interstate 65 despite driving 90 mph.
During the search for Young, Peters arranged for an evaluation by employees from a psychiatric hospital in Nashville. There were also police and crisis negotiators on hand at the Titans facility waiting to speak with Young.
About four hours after Young drove off to parts unknown, Fisher heard from Young's agent that the quarterback was safe and at an apartment with a female friend watching Monday Night Football and eating chicken wings.
"I was never depressed," Young told reporters after practice Thursday, stressing his commitment to football has never waivered. "Football, this is my life. This is my dream. All I did all these years growing up to get to this point and never had an injury like this before in my life."
"It's a hard time because I'm a competitor, and I definitely want to be out on the football field with my teammates," he said.
Young explained he was emotionally down for about half a day on Monday because of his two interceptions against the Jaguars. Fisher told Young to go take the MRI exam needed to determine the extent of the damage to his knee. Young didn't go. But with so many people at his house, Young said, he needed space to think.
"Let the cloud go away for a minute, and that's what I did. I left. My mom seen me; she thought I wasn't in my right mind. At the same time, I was watching the game, watching Aaron Rodgers do his things ... eating some hot wings," Young said.
Young didn't talk about the police, including crisis negotiators, waiting for him at the Titans' headquarters when he arrived to talk with Fisher nor what they discussed. He thanked the franchise for being behind him.
Meanwhile, Young's mother, Felicia Young, said she is worried about her son's emotional state.
"Vince has gone through a whole lot as a young person," Felicia Young said. "And I think he has done pretty well up to this point. But it is hard, all he is going through right now. He’s hurting inside and out. But he will be fine if people are prayerful and help my baby boy out. He is a young man. He just needs a lot of love and support."
PAIR TO SUCCEED SMILEY ON 'JOYNER': Fan voting left Jeff Johnson and Stephanie Robinson in 'dead heat.'
*Turns out it takes two people to fill Tavis Smiley's shoes at Tom Joyner's syndicated radio program.
After fan voting resulted in a tie between BET's Jeff Johnson and Harvard lecturer Stephanie Robinson, both were announced Thursday morning as the newest commentators for "The Tom Joyner Morning Show."
Their selection follows a two month on-air search to replace contributor Smiley, who exited the show in June after 12 years. Johnson will deliver his commentary on Tuesday and Robinson on Thursday at 8:10 a.m.
“'I am honored to be part of the TJMS family. This is truly a bridge-building opportunity as Stephanie and I bring a gender balance to commentary,' Johnson said in a statement.
Also, journalist Roland Martin has left his gig at Chicago's WVON-AM, reports the Chicago Sun-Times, to join the TJMS as a commentator. There's no word yet on when his commentaries will air.
• Jeff Johnson, a Washington, D.C.-based award-winning journalist, social activist and political commentator who merges politics and pop culture, is the managing editor/host of the BET talk show, "The Truth with Jeff Johnson." He has served as senior advisor for media and youth outreach for People for the American Way, national youth director for the NAACP and vice president for the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.
• Stephanie Robinson is the founding president and CEO of The Jamestown Project, a national think tank that focuses on democracy. She is a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School and former chief counsel for Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy and a recognized expert on social policy, women, race and family.
CEDRIC GOES MEDIEVAL IN NEXT FILM: Comedian joins Christina Ricci in cast of romantic comedy.
*Cedric the Entertainer has signed on for the romantic comedy "All's Faire in Love," about a drama school grad whose crush on a fellow actress in his Renaissance Faire theater troupe is thwarted by his swashbuckling colleagues.
Owen Benjamin and Christina Ricci will play the budding couple in the film, which was originally titled "Ye Olde Times." Cedric replaces the once-attached Jack Black as Professor Shockworthy, whose appearances bookend the film he narrates in fairy-tale style.
Ann-Margret, Matthew Lillard and Louise Griffiths also star in the That's Hollywood/Patriot Pictures production. Velazquez (NBC's "My Name Is Earl") and Engvall ("Blue Collar Comedy Tour") will be cast by the time cameras roll this month in Michigan, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
LIL WAYNE'S LIFE STORY COMING TO DVD: Documentary promises uncensored look at rapper's private life and career.
*A documentary chronicling the chaotic professional and private life of Lil Wayne is coming to DVD on Sept. 23.
The film, titled "The Nino Brown Story," will include uncensored footage following the rapper's travels throughout major U.S. cities such as Newark, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and his native New Orleans, reports Allhiphop.com.
The documentary is a reference to Wayne's constant lyrical references to the 1991 film "New Jack City," which starred Wesley Snipes as drug kingpin Nino Brown and followed Brown's crew, the "Cash Money Brothers." The latter inspired Lil Wayne affiliates Baby and Slim Williams to name their label Cash Money Records.
"The Nino Brown Story" will also include appearances from Kanye West, Jay-Z, Juelz Santana, Jae Millz, Freekey Zekey and Baby. The “I Run This” video shoot, Wayne’s Newark, NJ performance, and unreleased details about his NYC arrest have been added as special features.
View a trailer of "The Nino Brown Story" here/below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMH8v9QPCrM.
HERBIE HANCOCK ALBUMS GO DIGITAL: Seventeen new titles become available beginning tomorrow.
*On Tuesday (Sept. 16), all 30 albums that Herbie Hancock recorded as a leader for Columbia Records and its Japanese affiliate CBS/SONY between 1972 and 1988 will be available through digital providers.
Sony BMG Legacy will offer the following albums beginning tomorrow: Death Wish / Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1974), Sunlight (1978), Feets Don't Fail Me Now (1978), Monster (1980), Mr. Hands (1980), Magic Windows (1981), Lite Me Up (1981) and Village Life (1984).
There were also two electric albums made for CBS/SONY that have never been released outside of Japan -- Flood (1975) and Direct Step (1978).
The albums he made for Columbia in the U.S. were mostly electric and mixed elements of jazz with R&B, Dance and Pop. He played an arsenal of keyboards, and also was one of the first musicians to utilize a new piece of equipment called a Vocoder.
The Vocoder was a kind of synthesized voice processor through which he sang -- on Sunlight (1978) and a few other albums. Other recordings during this period used outside vocalists. Many of these records enjoyed airplay on non-jazz formats and also charted. Several of the U.S. titles have had only limited availability on CD, often just as imports.
ITTY BITTY BITS: JD sued; Trick Trick CD; Michelle Williams CD; 'Fela!' extended; Shaq's retirement; Jim Jones on 'Crash'; Gucci Mane in jail.
*Jermaine Dupri is being sued by a woman who claims he recorded their personal phone call for use in a song without her permission. Aika Kendrick is seeking $250,000 for the use of her vocals, according to TMZ.com. Daz Dillinger and Virgin Records are also named in the suit.
*KOCH Records announces the release of "The Villain," the new album by Detroit rapper Trick Trick. The set features Eminem, Kid Rock, Ice Cube, Guilty Simpson, Paradime, Diezel, Esham, and Royce da 5'9. The set's lead single is "Let It Fly" ft/ Ice Cube. Trick Trick handled most of the production duties, while Enimem produced three tracks and Dr. Dre produced one song. The album also includes "Together Forever," a Run DMC remake featuring the late Proof, Kid Rock, and Detroit veteran Esham.
*Music World/Columbia Records will release "Unexpected," the new solo album from Michelle Williams, on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Executive produced by Mathew Knowles, "Unexpected" finds Michelle collaborating with Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Wayne Wilkins, Andrew Frampton, StarGate and more. "We Break The Dawn," the first single from "Unexpected," reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart. Other stand-out tracks include the album's two latest singles, "The Greatest" and "Hello Heartbreak" and "Stop This Car."
*Off Broadway musical “Fela!” has extended its run at 37 Arts by two weeks, pushing its closing back from Sept. 21 to Oct. 4, reports Variety. Directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones ("Spring Awakening"), the production follows the life and music of Afrobeat performer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
*Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal has said his retirement from the NBA will come at the end of the upcoming season. "My basketball career will be over in 735 days," he told News 13 television in Orlando, Fla. "And being an educated man, I've always had things to fall back on. So one of my options is law enforcement." O'Neal – who was drafted by the Orlando Magic but has since played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns – went through training with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Reserve Academy before becoming a reserve officer with the L.A. Port Police.
*Rapper Jim Jones will guest star on the series premiere of "Crash" on the Starz cable network. The television adaptation of the Oscar-winning film is being produced by Don Cheadle and is scheduled to premiere on Oct.
17.
*Rapper Gucci Mane is back in jail after prosecutors complained that he failed to complete mandatory community service. Allhiphop.com reports that the rapper only served 25 of 600 hours of his community service and violated his probation multiple times by using alcohol, marijuana and ecstasy. In July, he was accused of driving under the influence, marijuana possession and possession of a weapon by a felon. Because of the offenses, he must now serve the remaining year left on his three and a half year sentence, for assault.
'BLACK MAFIA FAMILY' SIBLINGS SENTENCED: Flenory brothers get 30 years for nationwide drug trafficking.
*The leaders of a multi-state cocaine trafficking ring known as the Black Mafia Family were sentenced in Detroit federal court Friday to 30 years in prison, reports the Detroit Free Press.
Brothers Terry Flenory, 38 of Los Angeles and Demetrius Flenory, 40, of Atlanta, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn. Formerly of southwest Detroit. The siblings pleaded guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise involving the high volume distribution of cocaine throughout the U.S. from 1990 through 2005.
Authorities said their operation began in Detroit during the early 1990s and eventually expanded to include Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, California and Texas. They used vehicles equipped with secret compartments to transport cocaine and cash.
Since 2000, authorities have seized more than 476 kilograms of cocaine and $5 million in cash. Members of the ring used drug proceeds to buy luxury cars, real estate and jewelry. They also purchased winning Michigan lottery tickets from the real winners to conceal the source of income.
Some 65 people have been indicted in the case, including celebrity Manhattan jeweler Jacob Arabov, 43, who was sentenced in Detroit in June to 2-1/2 years in prison and fined $50,000 for lying to federal agents about the true ownership of jewelry seized from the ring.
Most of the defendants have pleaded guilty and half have been sentenced, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The government has seized more than $19 million in assets from ring members, including 13 homes, 35 vehicles, over $5 million in cash, and millions of dollars worth of jewelry.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Do a little more each day than you think you can." — Lowell Thomas
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Sept. 15: DJ Kay Gee (Naughty By Nature) is 39.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Not just a bridal showcase, but www.BlackBridalGuide.com is a community where brides can chat with other brides about their pre and post-wedding experiences.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Sept. 15, 1963: Four black girls were killed in bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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