The Daily Buzz For June 7

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Serena Williams EMBRACES Her CURVES In "ESSENCE" 

Tennis champion Serena Williams covers the July "Body Issue" of ESSENCE Magazine where she rocks a fabulous Carmen Marc Valvo swimsuit and Ben-Amun hoop earrings.

Inside the magazine, where Serena pulls double duty as special-guest editor, she opens up about a debilitating fight against a pulmonary embolism two years ago, the recent documentary Venus and Serena, and how she learned to embrace her curves. She joked,

“It can be a bit weird. Before it was, 'Serena has a big butt,' and that was all. Now there are way more people who feel comfortable with themselves and they're saying, 'I'm a woman, and this is what I look like.' I always say, 'We're popular now! We're finally in style!'"

Also, Serena is embracing the aging process and says that she's never felt better in her life.

"I feel lighter, I feel healthier, and even though I’m 31—which really isn’t old, but for an athlete, particularly a tennis player, it’s old—I promise you, my body has never felt better. Considering how much I’ve played and how much I’ve done, I feel fine. I’m strong...”

The July issue hits newsstands on June 7th!

Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe! Kirk Frost Out Kickin It With Other Chycs At Benzino’s Pool Party

We all know that Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star Rasheeda is expecting a baby with her husband Kirk Frost and Kirk was dissapointed by that piece of reality. It has been rumored that he was out cheating and their marriage may be headed for the rocks. We’re hearing that Kirk is allegedly cheating on Rasheeda with Atlanta model Alexis Miller. And there is even speculation that Rasheeda’s baby is for co-star Lil Scrappy. (I don’t believe that one at all)

Rasheeda has denied those claims, but that hasn’t stopped Kirk from having his fun. Kirk was caught mingling with some ladies at a private pool party thrown by Love & Hip Hop star Benzino.

Rapper Quay Meanz Arrested For The Stabbing Of Pittsburgh Steelers OT Mike Adams

A Taylor Gang affiliate is among those arrested for the stabbing and attempted car-jacking of Steelers Offensive Tackle Mike Adams.

Pittsburgh Steelers second-year Offensive Tackle Mike Adams was stabbed in the city he plays for early Saturday morning. Adams was leaving a restaurant on the city's Southside district when three men approached him in what is believed to be an attempted robbery and car-jacking. When Adams refused, he was punched and stabbed by attackers. Now recovering, the candidate for starting OT will remain sidelined for several months as he makes a "full recovery," according to team doctors earlier this week.

Pittsburgh Police have announced two arrests, with a third suspect identified. Rapper Quay Meanz (born Dequay Meanz, local to the city, is one of the suspects who has been arrested. News station WPXI reported that 26 year-old Meanz, who is a self-proclaimed affiliate of Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang, was identified when another suspect, Michael Paranay, left a phone at the crime-scene.

Preliminary hearings for both suspects are scheduled to take place June 12 and June 13.

Quay Meanz appeared on Taylor Gang's mixtape Taylor Gang Over Everything 2, which was released in January of this year. Additionally, Quay released his own mixtape, Speakers & Franklins in 20

Miguel’s Leg Drop Victim May Have Brain Damage!

It’s been a litle over a week ago, and R&B singer Miguel’s leg drop victim’s attorney revealed possible legal action could go down against him, more details on the injury’s seriousness have emerged.

During the performance, the “Adorn” crooner attempted to leap across a pit of audience members but unfortunately landed on a few people, pinning Shah against the stage.

“Some of the difficulties she’s experiencing are cognitive in nature and lead to suspicion of a neurological head injury,” details Khyati Shah’s lawyer, Vip Bhola.  Bhola says BMA responded to the accident with a pathetic gesture — an ice pack designed to soothe a bruised elbow. The attorney insists his client should have been rushed to the hospital.

Bhola tells us his client is waiting for test results from a neurologist. When the results are in — sometime next week — Khyati will decide if a lawsuit is in the cards. (TMZ)

Chroniclers, tell me what you think about this?

Wale Admits He Lost Tiara Thomas To Rico Love: ‘I Was A Casualty To the Game. People Are Not Your Friend.’

Tiara Thomas has decided to take her talents elsewhere. Wale worked with the 23-year-old singer/songwriter on the breakout hit, ‘Bad’ from his ‘Folarin’ mixtape. According to him, the two were friends and hung out for two years prior to doing the record and wanted first dibs on signing Tiara. Instead she inked a deal with producer Rico Love and his Division 1 label. In a recent interview with Hot97, Wale discusses what happened and his feelings on the situation. Peep the excerpts below.

On how Wale lost Tiara to Rico Love: 

I was a casualty of the game-

that bit of reality just hit me but it’s all good shout out to Tiara Thomas and her new situation. I don’t want to go there- shout out to Tiara Thomas though. She’s a dope artist, she’s an incredible artist. ‘Bad’ is an incredible record, she wrote it. She got a situation they doing what they gone do with her”

Why He Didn’t Sign Her Initially: 

Their situation met through [me] I was recording with the situation she’s in now and they met. It’s just the game though. My thing is I don’t believe in paperwork to soon cause I like to show and prove what I can do. And like, I ain’t want to scare nobody. Like yo ‘let’s make the music, let’s vibe.’ You live and learn so that’s why I’ll kick myself before I complain about somebody else. It’s the music business like a lot of people ain’t ya friend-friend forreal like that sometime. She got her situation and she’s happy.

His feelings about Tiara:

She did what she had to do. She did what she thought was in her best interest. And I guess that’s what all people do. So shout out to her and her situation.

What are your thoughts on Tiara signing to Rico Love? Should she have remained loyal, or was Rico a better long-term decision for her career? Anywho, check Wale’s third album ‘The Gifted’, dropping June 25th.

Celebs Pop Up At Kanye West's & Kim K.'s Baby Shower In L.A.

At Irving Azoff's posh L.A. mansion, friends and fam of the Kardashians made their way back to the same place Khloe & Lamar Odom got married in 2009.  Kanye & Kim's baby shower went down at his home as he's 'Ye's former manager and Kris Jenner's good friend Azoff.

Dad-to-be Kanye made an arrival while hiding behind his hoodie he closed around his face.  The irony of him hating publicity and paparazzi so much but making the Queen of it all his baby's mother.

Kim's long time friends Nicole Richie and Khadijah Haqq made their cute arrivals.

And her twin sis Malika was there looking cute in black & white.

Mel B.--mom of 3--looked fab in all white and her flower hairpiece parting gift:

She was spotted leaving in her red car with Kelly Osbourne:

Fashion designer Rachel Roy went to support her friend:

NeNe Leakes was there for her Hollywood friend Kim:

In this hi-low brown and green ruffle trim dress, a style that her girl was wearing as well..  

Hate the dress, loving NeNe's positive vibe these days.

And finally, Lamar Odom showed up and was spotted leaving with his wife Khloe.

Kim's mom Kris asked the doctor "if he saw a little peepee," Kim said, "It definitely would take after his father so you would see it." OH LAWD!

Jada Pinkett Smith Covers Redbook, 

Actress, director and producer Jada Pinkett Smith is covering the latest issue of Redbook. The 41-year-old Baltimore native opens up about why she’d never leave her famous husband (Will Smith), why she ignores ‘stuff’ like reality TV and what makes Queen Latifah’s new show a mix between Oprah and Ellen. Peep a few excerpts below.

On never leaving Will:

What is the thing about Will could do to make me not love him? That would make me abandon him?

I can’t think of one. I’m sorry. Except if he did something bad to the kids – now we’ve got a problem.

On enjoying the little things:

We tend to find magic in the mundane. Picking Willow up from her girlfriend’s house at 9:30PM, and enjoying that ride together, then stopping at 7-Eleven to get some ice cream as a family.

On producing “The Queen Latifah Show”:

It will be a cross between Oprah and Ellen – not series but heartfelt… to help execute this idea for such an amazing artist is really pleasing. I’m able to be creative on a whole different level.

On not being interested in reality shows and tabloids: 

I have been affected by gossip and I know people who have been too. I’ve seen marriages destroyed by gossip. It is cruel. At the end of the day, all that matters is: Do you love what you see when you look in the mirror? That is it, baby.

Atlanta Real Housewives of Atlanta Kenya “Gone with the Wind Fab” Moore EVICTED from Atlanta Mansion

Kenya Moore’s landlord sued to have her evicted from her $3,999 a month mansion due to failing to pay her rent in full. According to documents filed in Fulton County, Ga., Kenya failed to make the full rent payment for May — she was $848 short — and also defaulted on the terms and conditions of the lease.

Kenya’s landlord wants his tenant out! The owner of the six-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion in Roswell is seeking rent for June and $2,500 in eviction fees and damages. The sheriff’s department posted the notice on Kenya’s home last Thursday. Kenya might be learning about this on Twitter because according to a source she has not been home to see the notice.

There’s no hurt feelings about Kenya being evicted. Her neighbors describe her as the “neighbor from hell” and the landlord Conya Weems, has been inundated with complaints ever since she moved in the upmarket community specifically to film for the Bravo series. It is being said that Conya Weems is OVER Kenya and all of her Fabulousness,

“The homeowner is incredibly upset at what is unwanted attention that has been caused as a result of Kenya moving into the neighborhood”.

What do you think about the latest Kenya Moore news?

Lil' Kim's New Music Video Pics

Lil' Kim was spotted posing for pics after Summer Jam XX

Following a surprise appearance at Hot 97's SUMMER JAM XX, rap icon Lil' Kim was spotted filming a music video outside of the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  And we're just gonna say she looks good...all things considered.

Outside of her own projects, Lil' Kim has popped up on recent singles from Tiffany Foxx and Young Goldie's "1 Hunnit".

And while there's no release date for Lil' Kim next music project, she's looking good and we can't wait for her next release.

The New Nike Foamposite Pro “Army Camo” [PHOTOS]

Nike is back again with the first Foamposite Pro since last summer's “Gym Green” and “Bright Crimson” colorways. Reminiscent this year's Foamposite "Fighter Jet", Nike is gearing up to release the “Army Camo” Foamposite Pro.

Decorated with the familiar military jungle camouflage in dark brown, tan, black and forest green on its upper, the sneaker's inner lining is a solid black with vibrant yellow "volt" accents. The Nike swoosh on the side panel is glossy black and  rounding out the shoe is the fan favorite rubber gum sole.

The Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Army Camo” will be released June 8th. Previously advertised for $250.00 the price has been slashed and will now cost only $235.00.

Twitter Drags Draya For Filth Goes In On Her For Being A Bad Mother (AGAIN)

I swear Twitter is the devil, so Draya tweeted that her mother and son are finally moving to California in 6 days…

Then she hastags

#whathaveyoudoneforyourfamilylately….. I don’t know what possessed her to do that knowing the history of how she allegedly left her son to eat Hungry Man dinners and just all kinds of stuff… Twitter wasn’t so nice… They went in. I mean all the way in… One person was like “What does it feel like to be a typical black father ???” Damn, that hurt MY feelings…

She started trending…. All hell broke loose… I blame BET for starting the trend…On another note people may think that this is losing, but getting dragged by a bunch of strangers is not losing. She is still getting checks and promo whether good or bad. I dont like this trick but she is far from losing.. 

Keeping them pressed…

AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES

‘BISCUITS FOR LUNCH’

Cheetah biscuits. They’re like bottom biscuits, but they’ve got a more wild smokey flavor

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!

EFREM

Read More

The Daily Buzz For April 5

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Legendary Film Critic Roger Ebert dies at 70 after battle with cancer

For a film with a daring director, a talented cast, a captivating plot or, ideally, all three, there could be no better advocate than Roger Ebert, who passionately celebrated and promoted excellence in film while deflating the awful, the derivative, or the merely mediocre with an observant eye, a sharp wit and a depth of knowledge that delighted his millions of readers and viewers.

“No good film is too long,” he once wrote, a sentiment he felt strongly enough about to have engraved on pens. “No bad movie is short enough.”

Ebert, 70, who reviewed movies for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and on TV for 31 years, and who was without question the nation’s most prominent and influential film critic, died Thursday in Chicago. He had been in poor health over the past decade, battling cancers of the thyroid and salivary gland.

He lost part of his lower jaw in 2006, and with it the ability to speak or eat, a calamity that would have driven other men from the public eye. But Ebert refused to hide, instead forging what became a new chapter in his career, an extraordinary chronicle of his devastating illness that won him a new generation of admirers. “No point in denying it,” he wrote, analyzing his medical struggles with characteristic courage, candor and wit, a view that was never tinged with bitterness or self-pity.

On Tuesday, Mr. Ebert blogged that he had suffered a recurrence of cancer following a hip fracture suffered in December, and would be taking “a leave of presence.” In the blog essay, marking his 46th anniversary of becoming the Sun-Times film critic, Ebert wrote “I am not going away. My intent is to continue to write selected reviews but to leave the rest to a talented team of writers hand-picked and greatly admired by me.”

Always technically savvy — he was an early investor in Google — Ebert let the Internet be his voice. His rogerebert.com had millions of fans, and he received a special achievement award as the 2010 “Person of the Year” from the Webby Awards, which noted that “his online journal has raised the bar for the level of poignancy, thoughtfulness and critique one can achieve on the Web.” His Twitter feeds had 827,000 followers.

Mr. Ebert was both widely popular and professionally respected. He not only won a Pulitzer Prize — the first film critic to do so — but his name was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005, among the movie stars he wrote about so well for so long. His reviews were syndicated in hundreds of newspapers worldwide.

The same year Mr. Ebert won the Pulitzer — 1975 — he also launched a new kind of television program: “Opening Soon at a Theater Near You” with Chicago Tribune movie critic Gene Siskel on WTTW-Channel 11. At first it ran monthly.

The combination worked. The trim, balding Siskel, perfectly balanced the bespectacled, portly Ebert. In 1978, the show, retitled “Sneak Previews,” moved to PBS for national distribution, and the duo was on their way to becoming a fixture in American culture.

“Tall and thin, short and fat. Laurel and Hardy,” Ebert once wrote. “We were parodied on ‘SNL’ and by Bob Hope and Danny Thomas and, the ultimate honor, in the pages of Mad magazine.”

His colleagues admired him as a workhorse. Ebert reviewed as many as 285 movies a year, after he grew ill scheduling his cancer surgeries around the release of important pictures. He eagerly contributed to other sections of the papers — interviews with and obituaries of movie stars, even political columns on issues he cared strongly about on the editorial pages.

In 1997, unsatisfied with spending his critical powers “locked in the present,” he began a running feature revisiting classic movies, and eventually published three books on “The Great Movies” (and two books on movies he hated). A second column, his “Movie Answer Man” allowed readers to learn about intriguing little details of cinema that only a Roger Ebert knew or could ferret out.

That, too, became a book. Mr. Ebert wrote more books than any TV personality since Steve Allen — 17 in all. Not only collections of reviews, both good and bad, and critiques of great movies, but humorous film term glossaries and even a novel, “Behind the Phantom’s Mask,” that was serialized in the Sun-Times. He even wrote a book about rice cookers, The Pot and How to Use It, despite the fact that he could no longer eat. In 2011 his autobiography, “Life Itself” won rave reviews. “This is the best thing Mr. Ebert has ever written,” Janet Maslin wrote in The New York Times. It is, fittingly enough, being made into a movie, produced by his longtime friend, Martin Scorsese.

Roger Joseph Ebert was born in Urbana on June 18, 1942, the son of Walter and Annabel Ebert. His father was an electrician at the University of Illinois, his mother, a bookkeeper. It was a liberal household — Ebert remembers his parents praying for the success of Harry Truman in the election of 1948. As a child, he published a mimeographed neighborhood newspaper, and a stamp collectors’ newspaper in elementary school.

In high school, he was, as he later wrote, “demented in [his] zeal for school activities,” joining the swim team, acting in plays, founding the Science Fiction Club, co-hosting Urbana High School’s Saturday morning radio program, co-editing the newspaper, being elected senior class president.

He began his professional writing career at 15, as a sportswriter covering the high school beat for the News-Gazette in Champaign-Urbana.

Ebert went on to the University of Illinois, where he published a weekly journal of politics and opinion as a freshman and served as editor of the Daily Illini his senior year. He graduated in 1964, and studied in South Africa on a Rotary Scholarship.

While still in Urbana, he began free-lancing for the Sun-Times and the Chicago Daily News.

He was accepted at the University of Chicago, where he planned to earn his doctorate in English (an avid reader, Ebert later used literary authors to help explain films — for example, quoting e.e. cummings several times in his review of Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking “2001: A Space Odyssey.”)

But Mr. Ebert had also written to Herman Kogan, for whom he freelanced at the Daily News, asking for a job, and ended up at the Sun-Times in September of 1966, working part-time. The following April, he was asked to become the newspaper’s film critic when the previous critic, Eleanor Keen, retired.

“I didn’t know the job was open until the day I was given it,” Mr. Ebert later said. “I had no idea. Bob Zonka, the features editor, called me into the conference room and said, ‘We’re gonna make you the movie critic.’ It fell out of the sky.”

Mr. Ebert’s goal up to that point had been to be “a columnist like Royko,” but he accepted this new stroke of luck, which came at exactly the right time. Movie criticism had been a backwater of journalism, barely more than recounting the plots and stars of movies — the Tribune ran its reviews under a jokey generic byline, “Mae Tinee.” But American cinema was about to enter a period of unprecedented creativity, and criticism would follow along. Restrictive film standards were finally easing up, in part thanks to his efforts. When Ebert began reviewing movies, Chicago still had an official film board that often banned daring movies here -- Lynn Redgrave’s “Georgy Girl” was kept off Chicago screens in 1966 — and Ebert immediately began lobbying for elimination of the censorship board.

He had a good eye. His Sept. 25, 1967 review of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in “Bonnie and Clyde” called it “a milestone” and “a landmark.”

“Years from now it is quite possible that ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ will be seen as the definitive film of the 1960s,” he wrote, “showing with sadness, humor and unforgiving detail what one society had come to.”

It was. Though of course Ebert was not infallible -- while giving Mike Nichols’ “The Graduate” four stars in the same year, he added that the movie’s “only flaw, I believe, is the introduction of limp, wordy Simon and Garfunkel songs.’’

Ebert plunged into what turned out to be a mini-golden age of Chicago journalism. He found himself befriended by Mike Royko — with whom he wrote a unproduced screenplay. He drank with Royko, and with Nelson Algren and Studs Terkel. He wrote a trashy Hollywood movie — “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’’ for Russ Meyer, having met the king of the buxom B-movie after writing an appreciation of his work.

In later years, Ebert was alternatively sheepish and proud of the movie. It was the first “sexploitation” film by a major studio — 20th Century Fox, though Time magazine’s Richard Corliss did call it one of the 10 best films of the 1970s.

Nor was not Ebert’s only foray into film writing -- he was also hired to write a movie for the Sex Pistols, the seminal British punk band in the late 1970s.

Eventually, Sun-Times editor James Hoge demanded that Ebert -- who took a leave of absence and went to Hollywood to write “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” -- decide between making films and reviewing them. He chose newspapering, which increasingly became known because of his TV fame, which grew around his complex partnership with Gene Siskel.

 “At first the relationship on TV was edgy and uncomfortable,” he wrote in 1999, after Siskel’s untimely death, at 53. “Our newspaper rivalry was always in the air between us. Gene liked to tell about the time he was taking a nap under a conference table at the television station, overheard a telephone conversation I was having with an editor, and scooped me on the story.”

In 1981, the program was renamed “At the Movies” and moved to Tribune Broadcasting. In 1986, it became “Siskel & Ebert & The Movies” and moved to Buena Vista Television, and the duo began the signature “thumbs up, thumbs down” rating system that Ebert came up with.

“When we left to go with Disney . . . we had to change some things because we were afraid of [violating] intellectual property rights,’’ he said. “And I came up with the idea of giving thumbs up and thumbs down. And the reason that Siskel and I were able to trademark that is that the phrase ‘two thumbs up’ in connection with movies had never been used. And in fact, the phrase ‘two thumbs up’ was not in the vernacular. And now, of course, it’s part of the language.”

“Two thumbs up” became their registered trademark and a highly coveted endorsement that inevitably ran at the top of movie advertisements.

Ebert’s cancer forced him off the air in 2006. After auditioning a number of temporary co-hosts, Ebert settled on Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper in 2000. At its height, “Ebert & Roeper,” was seen on 200 stations,

All that need be mentioned of Ebert’s social life was that in the early 1980s he briefly went out with the hostess of a modest local TV show called “AM Chicago.” Taking her to the Hamburger Hamlet for dinner, Ebert suggested that she syndicate her show, using his success with Siskel as an example of the kind of riches that awaited. While she didn’t return his romantic interest, Oprah Winfrey did follow his business advice.

In his memoirs, Ebert writes of a controlling, alcoholic, faith-obsessed mother whom he was frightened of displeasing. “I would never marry before my mother died,” he wrote. She passed away in 1987, and in 1992 he married, for the first time, at age 50, to attorney Chaz Hammel-Smith (later Chaz Hammelsmith), who was the great romance of his life and his rock in sickness, instrumental in helping Ebert continue his workload as his health declined.

“She fills my horizon, she is the great fact of my life, she is the love of my life, she saved me from the fate of living out my life alone,” he wrote.

In addition to his TV and newspaper work, Ebert was a fixture at film festivals around the world – Toronto, Cannes, Telluride — and even created a festival of his own, The Overlooked Film Festival, or just “EbertFest,” which he began in Champaign in 1999 and dedicated to highlighting neglected classics.

Between 1970 and 2010, Ebert made yearly visits to the University of Colorado’s springtime Conference on World Affairs, where he has presented frame-by-frame critiques of classic movies to enraptured audiences.

He has also used the conference to speak on a variety of subjects, from his romantic life to his recovery from alcoholism — he stopped drinking in 1979 — to the problem of Spam e-mail. In 1996 Ebert coined the “Boulder Pledge,” considered a cornerstone in the battle against spam.

 “Under no circumstances will I ever purchase anything offered to me as the result of an unsolicited e-mail message,” Ebert wrote. “Nor will I forward chain letters, petitions, mass mailings, or virus warnings to large numbers of others. This is my contribution to the survival of the online community.”

R.I.P!

TV One Unveils Season 2 of ‘R&B Divas ATL’ Promo With new members Angie Stone & Latocha Scott

Yep, it’s about that time! TV One is returning w/ popular reality show, ‘R&B Divas’, taking place in the ATL.

And contrary to popular belief AND rumors (we absolutely stand corrected), the ENTIRE cast is back–including Faith Evans, Nicci Gilbert, Syleena Johnson, Monifah and KeKe Wyatt. What’s more? Two more ‘divas’ have been added, Angie Stone and LaTocha Scott (formerly of XSCAPE). Instead of spoiling the teaser, that you can see w/ your very own two eyes, we’ll let you watch for yourself.

Check it out: 

EXCITED? I am!

Say Whatttt……Pilar Is Dating “Slim” From Cash Money???

Well look at what we have here, I guess money can buy love. Deion Sanders’ estranged wife Pilar has a new boo in her life, according to Sandrarose, Slim reportedly is taking very good care of Pilar and her children, even tho she lost custody of them all.

Check out Pilar, and her kids rocking some YMCMB gear below:

All I can say is do you PILAR, because we see Deion is doing him, by dating Tracy Edmonds. But what a HORRIBLE choice…still do you!

Jay-Z Launches Sports Agency; Signs NY Yankee Robinson Cano

*Jay-Z has extended his empire into sports management.

The rap mogul’s entertainment company Roc Nation today announced the launch of Roc Nation Sports, a full-service sports management company led by Jay-Z (a.k.a. Shawn Carter) and partnering with Creative Artists Agency.

The group also announced the signing of Roc Nation Sports’ first client, New York Yankees All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano.

“Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years,” Hov said in a statement.

The formation of the agency creates an array of branding opportunities for Roc Nation athletes, who could take advantage of the global cachet in the entertainment world that association with Jay-Z would bring, reports USA Today.

“At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field,” Cano, who is leaving agent Scott Boras to sign with Roc Nation, said in a statement.

“I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports & CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- & long-term goals.”

Roc Nation’s next move could be a jump into the NFL with New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. The two have been friends for a while, with Cruz showing up at a few Jay-Z concerts last year.

Plus, Cruz added a twist to his touchdown celebrations last year. After his signature salsa, he flashed Jay-Z’s “Illuminati” symbol toward TV cameras.

Asked after a game in October if he and Jay-Z were working toward a business partnership, Cruz dodged the question.

“I’d rather keep that under wraps. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet.” Asked if he’d provide any clarity soon, Cruz said, “We’ll see in the upcoming weeks what happens.”

Cruz recently fired his agent and signed with CAA’s Tom Condon, which would seemingly set the stage for his aligning with Jay-Z in some capacity.

EMI Gospel And Motown Form A New Label

Motown Records and EMI Gospel have entered into a 50-50 joint venture partnership to create Motown Gospel. The new label launches officially tonight (APR02) with a press reception and showcase at Los Angeles’ Arc Theater featuring performances by roster artists Smokie Norful, Tasha Cobbs, Tye Tribbett and Kierra Sheard. Under terms of the joint venture, the team behind the former EMI Gospel — headed by president Ken Pennell — will still handle day-to-day operations Plans are also in place to staff up on the A&R front at the new joint venture. The first such appointment is Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer Aaron Lindsey as VP of A&R. His production credits include the Marvin Sapp No. 1 gospel crossover hit Never Would Have Made It.

The first new signing to Motown Gospel is fellow Grammy winner CeCe Winans, with a new album slated for early 2014. Rounding out the label’s 2013 release slate are new albums by Tye Tribbett, Kierra Sheard and Smokie Norful. The Motown Gospel roster also includes VaShawn Mitchell and Anita Wilson.

Forest Whitaker To Produce Richard Pryor Biopic

Actor Forest Whitaker is said to be producing a biopic about the life of comedian Richard Pryor. There have been several attempts to make a film but none have yet to come to life. Find out more details on this project inside.

Forest Whitaker is said to be working with the late comedian’s widow, Jennifer Pryor, on the new project. Several other comedians have had an opportunity to take the film to the big screen such as Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Damon Wayans, and Eddie Griffin. However, the film has yet to be produced.

It’s crazy that this film hasn’t already been produced because Richard Pryor has an interesting life story. He was born in a brothel and became one of the most famous forerunners in the comedy business. It’s also no secret about Richard almost catching himself on fire while freebasing with cocaine. With all of this drama and action, we’re surprised that hasn’t already been a film made yet.

Do you think Forest Whitaker will live up to the task? Would you go see a biopic about Richard Pryor?

CONGRATS: Tina Turner Engaged To Longtime Boyfriend ‘Erwin Bach’

Wow, after 18 years of living together Tina Turner and her boyfriend, Erwin Bach, are engaged. Turner is said to be planning a lavish ceremony at Lake Zurich close to their home in Switzerland.

According to Swiss newspaper Blick chefs Rico Zandonella and Horst Petermann from Turner’s favourite restaurant, Rico’s Kunststuben, have been called in to cater the reception.

This will be the icon’s second marriage after her tumultuous relationship with soul singer Ike Turner ended in divorce after 1976 after 14-years together.

Turner renounced her U.S. citizenship to become Swiss in January this year.

Spotted Out: Brandy Takes her daughter to ‘Disneyland’

Brandy Norwood was the center of all attention at Disney California Adventure Park hours ago, snapped by fans and paparazzi alike as she hit the fun filled venue with her daughter Sy’rai.

Caught enjoying the day together, the mother-daughter duo arrived days after Brandy returned from the Japanese promo leg of her new album, ‘Two Eleven’ and as she continues to grace screens across the US via BET’s ratings winner ‘The Game‘.

More from the ‘Put It Down‘ singer below!

Your thoughts?

Kelly Rowland Hangs Out and PARTIES IT UP In ATL

Kelly Rowland flew down to the ATL to wrap up her upcoming album and host a party at The Compound.  While in town, she chatted it up with Big Tigger on his V103 radio show. 

Kelly, who was born and raised in Atlanta until she was 7, revealed a few deets about her Talk A Good Game disc which will include a duet with Pharrell Williams.

"I'm actually in the process of wrapping it up. This is actually the last recording session I've got for this album, but I'm so excited. I've been in the studio with Dream. I've been in the studio with Harmony. I've been in the studio with Pharrell. I've been in the studio with Kevin Cossom, who is incredible. When I tell you, he is so incredible and I'm so happy I got the opportunity to work with him."

She also defended Beyonce's "Bow Down" record saying,

"I've heard pieces of what she's done. She's heard things that I've recorded and I just think it scratches the surface to everything else. I think it's a great record ("Bow Down"). It's her expression. I think, as an artist, you can express yourself however you want to and I just can't wait for everybody to hear the rest of the record. It is insane."

As her "Kisses Down Low" single climbs the charts, fans can expect to hear the completed project on June 4.

And later at the club. That night!

"Ice" singer Kelly Rowland was seen walking into The Compound on Saturday evening.

The sultry singer rocked a quilted black leather jacket over a long fitted dress with Christian Louboutin booties.

Once inside, Kelly, who just wrapped up her Talk A Good Game disc, danced all night and greeted tons of fans.

Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu was among her many guests.

And hit maker Sean Garrett was also spotted throwing his hands in the air at Kelly's celebration.

Producer Jazze Pha partied at Compound too.

Kelly hung out with Lala Anthony's cousin Dice.

Kelly was seen dancing with her boyfriend Tim Weatherspoon.

Later, the couple partied with“I Like It” singer Sevyn Streeter, who co-wrote Chris Brown's "Fine China" single.

Uh Oh? Professor Michael Fauntroy on Roland Martin: ‘A Marginally Knowledgeable Loudmouth’

'More sizzle than steak ... He is lucky to have had his turn (at CNN).' 

In street parlance he’d be called a hater, but we’ll just say that Professor Michael Fauntroy (George Mason University) intellectually disagrees with Roland Martin.

He thinks Martin is basically full of himself and well, wasn’t really qualified to be at CNN in the first place. In short, he thinks we should “resist the urge to make Roland Martin out to be some wrongly aggrieved talking head.”

And that was just for starters. In fact, you may be wondering why the hate, er, should we say why is the Professor not on the same page with Roland Martin?

Here’s Prof. Fauntroy in his own words:

I got into a back-and-forth on Twitter this past weekend with someone who is a fan of soon-to-be former CNN political analyst Roland Martin. The writer took umbrage with some of my tweets regarding Martin’s departure from the network. My position? Let’s resist the urge to make Roland Martin out to be some wrongly aggrieved talking head. He is a marginally knowledgeable loudmouth who was more sizzle than steak. No academic training politics and government. No significant campaign experience. No experience as a political reporter at a major media outlet (He wrote opinion pieces at CNN). He is lucky to have had his turn. So to those who are shedding tears following the announcement of his departure from CNN: Your time would be better spent applying pressure to the cable networks to put minorities on who actually know something about politics and government.

America’s public discourse on politics and government is infested by too many people with thin or nonexistent credentials. They are on television and radio because there are either well connected, telegenic, or otherwise project the image the network wants you to see; expertise is not at the top of the list of traits. Their exposure gives them a level of popularity that legitimizes their analysis while, concurrently, inoculates them from criticism of their inanity (“they’re on X network, so they must know what they’re talking about”). While Roland Martin is the subject here, he is not the only person I’m thinking about. There are many experts on television, but in political media, those who know are almost outnumbered by those who don’t.

I wonder why we accept this. We wouldn’t listen to a science and technology analyst with no academic or employment history in the fields in which he or she is commenting. We wouldn’t listen to a Wall Street analyst with no academic training in corporate finance or employment as a stock and bond trader. We wouldn’t listen to a medical analyst with no academic medical training or employment. So why should we listen to a political analyst with a similarly thin background? We deserve better from our media. We deserve a political discourse that includes real experts, not just well practiced-talking heads.

Roland Martin is an overrated political analyst. But because there are so few political analysts of color getting serious run on cable news networks, we accepted his inane, somewhat self-promotional pundit routine (And were happy to see a brother on CNN). I hope as we continue to debate where CNN is going after reducing the role of talented people like Soledad O’Brien or not renewing Roland Martin’s contract that we also include discussions about the kinds of backgrounds we want in our political analysts. I also hope the conclusion results in our demanding more of an emphasis on expertise. We can have expertise and personality. We will all be better for it.

And if you’re interested, there is a long list of Black political scientist professors who actually know politics and government. Let me recommend a few (although I could easily give you 50 more names): Michael Leo Owens, Khalilah Brown Dean, Pearl Ford Dowe, Sekou Franklin, Wilmer Leon, Keesha Middlemass, Audra Gillespie, Mark Sawyer, Lester Spence, James Lance Taylor, and David Wilson.

OK, you no doubt want to see where/how this winds up.

Erykah Badu Calls Out Papoose for Unauthorized Use of Vocals

Erykah Badu has a message for rapper Papoose. The Neo-soul priestess and mother of two took to Twitter to call out the rapper’s unauthorized use of her vocals in his song, “The Cure”.

“This Papoose song Cure. I sang those vocals 10 years ago. That’s 2 babies ago. Sh—-t. So mcs just throwing out old material- no paperwork..”

The above-mentioned song was slated to appear on Papoose’s long-delayed album, “The Nacimera Dream”, during his stint with Jive Records. After leaving and releasing several mixtapes, the rapper finally saw a release on indie label Honorable Records.

Of course, with Erykah Badu calling out “The Cure”, there’s no telling what will happen to this particular project.

Denzel And Mark Wahlberg Star In “2 Guns”

Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg —now here’s a pairing! The trailer for their new film 2 Guns debuts, offering insight into a gripping thriller that pins the two juggernauts against each other as the world of operatives collide with betrayal and deceit. The actors star as Marcus “Stig” Stigman and Bobby Trench respectively, the story sees the two operatives working together only to find that the other is an undercover agent. The two then realize they’ve been setup by the mob – the organization they previously assumed to be stealing from for their respective agencies.

Check out the trailer:

Nice!

NeNe Leakes Set for Her Own Bravo Spinoff Show?

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes looks like she's getting her own spinoff.  And it was all accidentally leaked last night by Kandi Burruss.

While Kandi was answering a caller's question about the status of NeNe & former co-star Kim Zolciak's love-hate relationship, Kandi explained that they're good for now, seeing that NeNe has invited Kim to the wedding.

But then Kandi (wearing a Karen Millen zip zag dress and yellow Ruthie Davis pumps) revealed that Kim may even appear on NeNe's show.  Oh really?  Seeing that no one has confirmed a show was even in the works--it seems Kandi knew way more than the public.

Host Andy Cohen tried to quickly change the subject, but it looks like the obvious is happening.  NeNe seems to be getting either a wedding special a la "Tardy For The Wedding,"or another type of spinoff show.

It won't be a shocker if NeNe gets her own wedding special for her re-nuptials with Gregg, even though she says in recent interviews that it's unknown if she will have some type of show around her wedding. We're pretty sure the "Glee" actress was simply waiting on the right price.  Not mad at that.

Serena Williams Wins Her SIXTH Sony Open, Ranked #1 In The World!

Recently Serena Williams celebrated beating out her Russian opponent Maria Sharapova to win the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, Florida.

With her sixth win, Serena now holds the record for the most Sony Open victories by a female.  She gushed to the crowd, 'I felt good today. It's so good to be No. 6 now - I mean, the six-time - oh, gosh. Thank you.''

Despite coming out on top, Serena admitted it wasn't her best performance.  ''I'm happy to be holding the championship. It's definitely not my best tournament. I think everyone here can agree. But those are the moments that count - when you can still come out on top.''

And then, Serena headed over to Crandon Park beach where she took a few post-victory photos and celebrated her #1 world ranking:

So what does a champion do to celebrate an international victory?  Serena revealed what went on at her post-victory celebration to her Twitter followers tweeting, "Big day. Celebrate?? Chicken and karaoke. #family"

Prince May Be Lawyering Up For Twitter War, Hits Site With Copyright Complaint

Prince is not playing with one of y’all’s favorite social media sites. The legendary singer may be lawyering up for a potential war with social media site, Twitter. The Next Web reports that Prince’s NPG Records has issued Twitter’s Vine video app with a copyright complaint under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The site reports:

The takedown request was sent on March 22nd by an unnamed label representative, who pointed to eight clips that contained “unauthorized recordings” and “unauthorized synchronizations.” The offending videos seem to have been removed as the links listed at the end of the letter – which you can read at ChillingEffects.org, where Twitter posts every such copyright claim it receives – all lead to dead pages. Twitter’s copyright and DMCA policy, which is the same for Vine, allows the site to remove or restrict access to videos that contain copyrighted material. The site also attempts to contact account holders to explain the take down and how they might file a counter-notice.

No official response has been shared from Twitter, however, Rolling Stone reports that a Twitter says that this incident was not the first takedown requests issued for content on Vine, though The Next Web found no other such complaints listed on Chilling Effects.

AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES

‘Crack Is Whack?’

Remember kids, crack is always bad….always.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!

EFREM

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