It was ladies night and the feeling was right in Cuba on Sunday, as Kool & the Gang became one of the few U.S. musical acts to perform in the communist country amid Washington’s travel restrictions and the island’s ambivalence toward American music.
Robert “Kool” Bell,” his brother Khalis Bayyan, saxophonist Dennis Thomas and drummer George “Funky” Brown took the stage at open-air Anti-imperialist Plaza, which sits in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.
According to the Associated Press, thousands of spectators stretched down the city’s storied Malcon coastal boulevard, while other fans – many of them middle-aged with children in tow – danced and jumped up and down to the music while tenants in nearby apartment buildings watched from balconies.
“We are all about the music. We travel the world and our message is love, understanding and unity,” Bell, a singer and bass player, said before taking the stage for a performance authorized by the U.S. government. “We don’t come as politicians, we come as musicians.”
The most recent show by a U.S. group was the heavy-metal band Audioslave’s thundering concert before thousands at the same amphitheater in 2005.
At first glance, this Ethan Hawke-starred cop drama looks like a Training Day spinoff. But co-stars Don Cheadle and Westley Snipes push this to the top of our to-see list come March 2010.
It seems that Amazon made a big mistake and it may cost them millions. Everyone in the world seems to know Lil Wayne’s album has been pushed backed except the Amazon. Apparently, 500 pre-ordered copies went out, which makes it highly likely for it to be leaked all over the internet.
One of the pre-order copies landed in the hands of a bunch of overly excited teens who were on Ustream bragging about leaking the album.Young Money caught wind of it and its all caught on video, unbeknowing to these idiot teens who left their web-cam on. Its funny how they thought they were going to be rich and be flown to Amsterdam to negotiate a settlement with Lil Wayne and the gang.
If you’re supposed to be in prison, you probably shouldn’t Tweet about it. Prisoners in full-time custody aren’t supposed to have internet access or cell phones, so tweeting daily about your “prison” experiences is a dead giveaway that you’re not where you’re supposed to be.
Pulp Fiction screenwriter Roger Avary is in the middle of a prison sentence for vehicular manslaughter, following a fatal DUI car crash he caused in January. He fucked the sun when he provided the followers of his @avary Twitter account with daily updates of his prison experiences.
Tweets like the one above led author Neil Gaiman, one of Avary’s followers, to comment “My friend @AVARY is tweeting from the inside. It’s riveting, horrible strange. Jail in 140 character lumps.”
Gaiman wasn’t the only person who found the tweets interesting. The Ventura County penal system was also enthralled, mostly because Avary was supposed to be in full-time custody and should not have had access to anything that would have allowed him to Tweet.
According to the L.A. Times, Avary mistakenly ended upon a work furlough program that allowed him to leave custody every day from 8am-5pm to work a job, only returning to jail at night to bunk up with his fellow furlough inmates. Avary’s daily Twiiter updates caught the attention of Times writer Mark Milian, who wrote an article about Avary’s mysterious internet access. That article in turn caught the attention of the authorities.
The account has since been locked, and Avary has been transferred to a full-time “pound-me-in-the-ass” facility, but if he had refrained from daily forays into 140-character solipsism, he might not have ever been discovered.
NY Post: ABC has booked Rihanna-beater Chris Brown for an interview and a performance on “Good Morning America” — right after the network canceled guy-kisser Adam Lambert.
Brown will do a taped tell-all with Robin Roberts, followed by a performance of songs from his new album. But TV insiders say the appearance, slated to air the week after next, has outraged feminists and gay activists who wonder why a convicted girlfriend abuser is more palatable to the network than an openly gay man who broke no laws with his raunchy performance on the “American Music Awards.”
ABC source said, “The network is giving a mixed message — that it doesn’t trust someone who shocked with an unpredictable show and a gay kiss, but then it is happy to go ahead with Chris Brown, who was convicted of felony assault.”
ABC News has insisted that Lambert’s sexual orientation did not play a role in its decision to pull the plug on his “GMA” appearance this week.
ABC insiders said they ruled the “American Idol” star’s sexed-up shenanigans on Sunday’s awards show — which included him groping a female dancer, kissing a male musician and shoving a male dancer’s face into his crotch — were inappropriate for morning TV. One said, “He was not canceled over a gay kiss. He showed himself to be unpredictable on live TV.”
Brown, who taped his interview with Roberts last weekend, was sentenced in August to six months’ labor and five years’ probation after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna in February. “GMA” hopes his appearance could provide a ratings boost, just like Rihanna’s “GMA” interview earlier this month where she told Diane Sawyer she saw “no soul in his eyes” as he beat her.
The top ABC insider added: “Chris Brown’s interview was booked way before Adam Lambert took to the stage. It is to give him a chance to respond to Rihanna’s interview. The possibility of him performing a song will be worked out next week.”
DMX may have wanted to fix his fight to avoid an ass-beating, but now he’s really cruisin’ for a bruisin’ — legally — because the promoters that hired X are suing him for chickening out last minute.
According to docs filed Friday in Birmingham, Alabama — Thunder Productions wants $1,000,000 from the rapper, claiming he’s a fraud and led them on … because as soon as they refused to fix his fight, he backed out.
The company says DMX’s jitters really put them under the wire and cost them a ton of moolah because they had to switch gears late in the game and find a celebrity replacement.
But if you want our opinion — DMX isn’t half the man who’s fighting in his place on December 12 … because that man is Coolio!!!
The Black Eyed Peas got the rare chance to perform three songs on Saturday Night Live (Most artists only perform two). Their latest album “The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)” has been a huge commercial success that has already spawned two major hits “I Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow”
Acclaimed street lit author Terri Woods, is taking a New York nightclub to court for $1 billion after experiencing alleged racism the night of a book celebration.
Woods showed up at the SoHo nightclub Greenhouse to celebrate her latest bestselling book Alibi, with an entourage of 175 guests. But when the guest arrived, Woods says they all were denied access due to alleged racism.
According to Woods, “They left all of my friends and family standing outside,” she told the press. “I had really serious people out there: Lawyers, doctors and people in the entertainment industry… I was embarrassed.”
Woods goes on to claim that Greenhouse owner Barry Mullineaux was overheard saying he wasn’t going to allow “300-pound girls” into the venue.
Mullineaux denies this, and without going into detail he called Woods angry allegations “pretty much bogus.”
According to Woods attorney John Nonnemacher, the $1 billion is for everyone affected by the alleged injustice.
“We’re not talking about four people, we’re talking over 100 people,” he said. “Our contention is Greenhouse didn’t let people in because of the color of their skin. Because they were black.” –Linda Hobbs
“I told their moms, don’t play that around here. If you gonna play something get the clean copy cuz it’s not on the clean copy.”
2009 brought about a new year for rapper Ghostface Killah as he reemerged with a more mature side that catered more to the needs of the women. The build culminated into Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City.
Full of tracks that explored the tumultuous trials that are relationships between men and women, Starks gave both the good and bad sides of the fence. No matter what the gender, Ghost proved that even a man is susceptible to being hurt by the opposite sex.
Like a climax, the standout track was “Stapleton Sex” which is simply a straight up porno on wax. With moans in the intro to explicit sexual explorations, Ironman went full throttle to give it to fans the best way that he could.
Ghost sat down with EZStreetShow in an interview to discuss how he reacted when word came about of a possible music video to accompany the sex-driven song.
“Yo, I can’t be in that video B cuz my kids be on the Internet and be surfing.”
The worst to be ever imagined came when the teaser dropped showing that there would actually be a video for the album cut. The actual video showed women draped in dominatrix-like attire and let’s just say that certain music videos might need a rating.
As a father, there comes a time to take responsibility as the world is changing. GFK understands this and expresses the fact that there might be some regret towards releasing the song.
“Being 10 years old, they are too young to be hearing that. Sometimes I be like, yo why I even put it on the album?”
Today’s society has become drenched with sex and oversaturated with images in the media that gear the youth towards engaging in sexual activities. Teen pregnancy is running rampant in the country and is heavily affecting the African-American population.
“Sex, right now is crazy for these young girls. Their minds just start wandering. There be girls that start having sex at 12 years old. I have a daughter that is 13. And they start getting developed. I’d feel bad…That’s why it’s not for the kids.”
Stepping out to actually state the fact that the song is not meant for kids, shows exactly how far GFK has matured as an artist and accepted responsibility for what he puts out.
For all us grown folk though, just sit back and press play.
While belting out her newest song, ‘Million Dollar Bill, Whitney Houston’s clothes became undone. During mid performance on the British television show ‘X Factor, her dress snapped causing the strap on her sweeping sequined gown to brake on stage. The “wardrobe malfunction” caused the Grammy Award winner to stop briefly and fumble with the strap.
“I sang myself out of my clothes,” she deadpanned after the performance. According to London’s newspaper ‘The Daily Mail,’ the high profile booking was Houston’s first UK television in over a decade.
As I had mentioned the other day, the whirly whirl of a circus seems like it will never end.
TMZ is now reporting that a company called AllGood Entertainment is now suing Micheal’s estate in the battle for profits from the upcoming “This is It” movie, as well as revenues from the Sony catalog totaling more than $300 million.
AllGood previously filed suit against Michael Jackson, AEG Live and Frank Dileo for $40 million — that’s when Jackson was alive. Now AllGood filed an amended lawsuit today in federal court, which now includes the estate of Michael Jackson. The original defendants are still named in the amended suit.
AllGood sued because it claims Dileo acted as Jackson’s agent and agreed to a Jackson family reunion concert and that got torpedoed when the London concerts were booked.
As for why the demand has swelled from $40 mil to $300 mil, AllGood says it never anticipated that Jackson would die and that a movie would be made, which now ups the ante.
AllGood is AlsoSuing John Branca and John McClain, co-special administrators of the estate.
This is really getting ridiculous. The man is no longer here, and now the vultures are really closing in trying to get all they can. And as far as the Jacksons, I guess now we see what they must have been going through knowing that the only people who have surrounded their son all this years are users and murderers.
The one and only Al Scales Reynolds is a featured celebrity notable on TV One’s much buzzed about docu-series ‘Life After,’ which explores the past, present and future hopes of some of black America’s most intriguing bold-faced names.
The eight-episode, half-hour series — which feature candid profiles on Omarosa Manigault Stallworth, Taimak, Eva Marcille and Daryl “Chill” Mithcell, respectively — is part biography, part confessional and an overall celebration of the human spirit.
Though the former husband of Star Jones isn’t a SAG card-carrying thespian (like the aforementioned actors and reality TV stars), his short-lived marriage to and messy divorce from a former TV personality has presented many public and professional challenges for the former Wall Street power broker. He has had more than his fair share of tabloid fodder and wants to set the record straight about any misconceptions and misrepresentations.
Reynolds exclusively offered Blackvoices.com some insight on why he chose to do ‘Life After’ - in his very own words.
When I decided I did not want to be married any more, the truth is I had no idea how it was all going to play out. The one thing I knew was that I did not want to do it any longer–not one extra day with how bad it had gotten.
I knew it was going to be a long road to recovery, but I was ready because I’d had enough, enough of the lies and deceit that existed in my life. It was becoming harder and harder to wake up and be satisfied with the face that stared back at me in the mirror.
I would like to set the record straight: I am not one who advocates divorce. That would be the furthest from the truth, but I am one who advocates happiness and moral responsibility. You see, before I got married, I was a private banker at the world headquarters of one of the most prestigious white-glove financial firms in the world. I had a client list that read like a who’s who of fashion, sports, design and education. I lived downtown in The Ritz Carlton Residence, and I was well on my way to realizing all the dreams I had envisioned for myself. I studied at some of the most prestigious universities and colleges in the country.
This all was the experience of a “country boy” from Virginia who started out in a mobile home in Horsepasture, Virginia, and ended up living in a penthouse in Manhattan.
I managed to defy every single statistic that existed in my era and pushed forward to become what many define today as a success. And guess what, it was not overnight. It was after 25 years of schooling, 12 years of work experience and 33 years of living. It was after three career changes and dozens of setbacks, failures and disappointments.
To accomplish all of that and wake up to find myself in a high-profile marriage that led to what felt like the raping of my character, integrity and namesake was a problem.
How did all of this occur in what felt like a matter of seconds and why was it happening to me? That’s what I found myself thinking about. I would frequently wonder when I heard or read anything about myself who the tabloids were they talking about?
Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, what I’ve experienced and how I’ve been misrepresented in the media is a real-life tragedy. And before now, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to say it and say it out loud. Now, I want to be very clear, I am not looking for sympathy. I only want to take responsibility for any part I had to play in this.
But at the same time, I want the respect that I worked so hard to obtain. How come, within the blink of an eye, people started questioning my sexuality? How come after all that I worked hard to achieve, I was being called a freeloader, a kept man or a fraud?
It was with caution that I originally took the call from TV One Network. Most of the calls I had received from most networks — and you name it, they’ve called — were not interested in showing who or what I was really about. They were interested in me living out the caricature that was so vividly portrayed.
TV One approached me about showing the world what I was doing now, using my voice as the platform. Finally, I thought, someone who was interested in exploring who the real Al Reynolds was and not who the media had made me out to be.
The producers said they were only interested in doing socially responsible programming that would allow me to just be me. They were interested in following me mentoring young adults, teaching my personal finance and leadership courses at the university, helping everyday Americans with their financial problems, writing financial articles, doing financial television commentary and exploring the road I have traveled from early childhood to the present.
I felt that ‘Life After’ was finally a project in which I could showcase who I really am, with no scripts, no red carpets, no paparazzi, no endorsements — just the real deal.
The show represents pushing through whatever challenges or obstacles you are experiencing in your life and persevering. It is the” life” you forge “after” your adversity.
This project represents to me the closing of a chapter in my life, as well the beginning of a new and exciting one, one that is filled with giving back to my community, which is thirsting for help in mentoring and motivating in order to achieve and overcome adversity.
It’s the beginning of embracing the entertainment side of my life. I look forward to having a much greater touch by writing, commentating and developing socially responsible projects for everyone to be inspired and uplifted.
Reclaiming my name, my identity and my voice back is the most rewarding and best part. From the bottom of my heart to the tip top of my head, I still say to any and everyone listening: What doesn’t kill you definitely makes you stronger!
‘Life After: Al Reynolds’ premieres Oct. 18 at 10 p.m. on TV One.
Today Fabolous took to twitter again to respond to 50 Cent’s response to his prior tweet. Fabo really trying to clear the air after blaming 50 Cent for the so-called crumbling of NYC Hip Hop when in all actuality stupid egos of grown “men” should be the blame!
Earlier this month HipHopDX interviewed broadcasting industry veteran Paul Porter, discussing the Performance Rights Act, also known as HR 848. Porter has been an outspoken advocate, raising awareness among artists, activists and listeners in an attempt to encourage others to support the bill which would require over-the-air radio broadcasters to pay artists and record companies for their music played on the airwaves.
On the opposing end, Cathy Hughes, founder of broadcasting conglomerate Radio One, has been criticized because of her strong opposition to the bill with claims suggesting that Hughes has “berated members of the Congressional Black Caucus,” to running ads “without even a minute of an honest debate,” according to Porter.
In an attempt to encourage Hughes to change her mind and support HR 848, Porter released an open letter to the media, addressing the RadioOne founder:
An Open Letter to Cathy Hughes
Dear Ms Hughes:
As the Founder of Radio One, the nation’s largest African American broadcaster, I have admired your unprecedented accomplishments for close to thirty years. While starting my career in Washington DC, I watched and listened to you for years during your humble beginnings at WOL-AM. In the late 80’s, I will always be grateful for you hiring me to program WMMJ, your first FM outlet.
Our accomplishments during my tenure at WMMJ continue to be the highlight of my career. Rising with a weak signal in a competitive DC market, Majic 102.3 was the third in the country to adopt the Urban AC format. Taking WMMJ from a zero market share to the number 4 AC spot, in a mere nine months, was the catalyst for what now makes you the dominant force in urban radio.
In recent months we have witnessed a media uprising of coverage that I believe is a direct effect of America’s first Black President.. Broadcast media is the country’s trend setter and Black radio continues to be Black America’s only mainstream voice. Although CNN airs Black in America in the midst of summer, and the complexion of pundits has darken during the rise of Obama, cable television and network TV still has no person of color hosting a prime time show.
What happens behind the cameras and microphones has been getting worse. Minority ownership is down, while the executive barrier in management still mirrors the post civil rights era. Debra Lee, Black Entertainment Television’s CEO, is a prime example of a face that accepts socially unacceptable imagery that permeates most corporate machines. BET continues to blind us with shows like “Franke & Neffe”, the modern day equivalent to the slapstick “Amos and Andy”. Historically, Black America has always been short changed in our images, perceptions and representations. We can’t expect change, unless people of color program it, demand it and change the Madison Avenue view on Non Urban Dictate. Educating listeners of what goes on behind the scenes will help not hurt. TV One has been a huge step in the right direction and for that I applaud you…
Former Executive Editor of Music at BET.com, Andreas Hale (HipHopDX), has been let go.
However, not without a letter he released, via internet, describing not only the reason he was released, but also a summery detail of the dysfunctions, trials and tribulations he encountered during his tenure there:
“As someone who has been critical of BET for many years, it surprised many that I would leave my post at HipHopDX last year to take a position at BET. But it was an opportunity I absolutely had to take. I could no longer be critical of this company without accepting the opportunity to change it when given. …
Although I was hired to bring about change, I was systematically shut down. I wasn’t hired to make noise, I was hired to be silenced. The truth of the matter is that everything that you thought was wrong with BET is true.
Over the past year I’ve seen a lot to reinforce my position that BET is too far gone in the negative to turn into a positive. We have all always thought the worst, but to actually see it in action is another thing in its entirety. The unprofessionalism, the tom foolery, the favors, the misappropriation of resources, the bad ideas that reinforce negative stereotypes, the emasculation of men, the meetings that break down in full fledged cursing battles, the unpaid overtime, the tears from employees scared for their underpaid and overworked positions and ultimately the unwillingness to change are all harsh realities that I’ve witnessed firsthand.
That is not to say that there aren’t some good people who have sat in the offices of BET. Unfortunately, the good people are not in positions of power to instill any change. Instead, they work their fingers to the bone just to keep their jobs in this harsh economic climate. The other good people ran out of the door as soon as an another employment opportunity presented itself. To say BET was a revolving door would be an understatement. I came in with a plan to provide balance and to deliver good music to the masses and help make BET relevant again - at least in the dot com world. Those attempts were shut down by out of touch executives who run a dot com but could barely turn on a computer. By those who judge their metrics by page views over absolute unique visitors (that’s ad sales talk). By those who simply don’t understand the internet.
They brought me in because of my track record but never once took a look at my body of work. If they did, they would have known that I was the pen behind editorials such as “BET’s Coon Picnic” or were aware of the many times I have been critical of their award shows and programming. All they knew is that I played a major role in making a once unknown website into a online media outlet that surpassed theirs and they wanted a piece of the action. Too bad they never researched who I really was.
During my tenure I worked long hours and sometimes succeeded at bringing in decent content to try to reflect the change I wanted to achieve.
But it wasn’t without opposition. While some interviews and content initiatives were able to make it through, many others were either shut down or met with ridicule. I offered ideas to incorporate the blog world and to spotlight new talent before MTV did. Those ideas were met with comments such as “This isn’t HipHopDX” or “You don’t know what you are talking about.” BET is not about the quality of your work. Rather, BET is about the relationships you have with powerful people within the company. BET is not about challenging. Instead, BET is about accepting and saying “yes.”
If you have known or followed me over the years, you would know that these are things that simply are not in my character and ultimately resulted in my removal. For the artists and labels that I have worked with for years, I tried. I did whatever I could to achieve that balance many of us wanted to see happen. To the writers who wanted to writer for BET, I made an attempt but was never given a budget to work with.
Upon my arrival, I was told I would be given a staff. Not true. I had a staff of one to carry out daily operations on a website. I fought tooth and nail to accomplish the minimum (an embeddable player and a site people could navigate) and was constantly brushed off. It was a position that was set up for failure. But I endured as long as I could.
Alas, I have been removed from my position after infiltrating the system and the timing was perfect. I wasn’t let go because the site’s numbers were down. Not because I didn’t work hard. Simply because of a personality clash with an individual whose proverbial ass I didn’t kiss enough. Again, not about the work you do but about the relationships you keep and the sides you take.
I’d like to thank BET for covering the cost of my relocation to bring me to the great city of New York/New Jersey. I’d also like to thank them for putting me in close quarters with people who think like me and will hopefully work with in the near future. I’d also like to thank them for providing me enough controversial content that I observed firsthand and will make for many tales to be told.
I said it and I meant in: One year to either make changes or move on. I left HipHopDX on September 16th 2008. Today is September 8, 2009. Eight days short of a year. Most thought I wouldn’t even last that long. But in that year I’ve had my greatest fears about Black Entertainment Television affirmed.
There is so much wrong with BET that I’d rather not break it down in a single email. It is pretty good fodder for a book don’t you think?
As of today, Andreas Hale is a free agent.“
Not sure exactly how BET will respond to this, and that’s if they even respond at all. What I do know is that is does nothing to help their already declining perception when it comes to public opinion… especially in the black community.
According to Fashion Week Daily Gucci and Mary J. Blige are set to host a charity event during New York’s Fashion Week. In support of Mary J. Blige’s charity “The Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now” Gucci’s creative director Frida Giannini designed a limited edition black diamond bracelet timepiece that features a commemorative FFAWN engraving on the back of the rotating case. The watch will go on sale at Gucci’s flagship stores and several department stores on September 16th. Priced at $1,895 portion of the proceeds will go to Blige’s foundation.
At its annual convention this week, the NAACP endorsed Rep. John Conyers’ HR 848. In the resolution entitled “NAACP Celebrates the On-Going Legacy of Congressman John Conyers, Jr.” the organization said HR 848 is a civil rights issue: “We did not wage a civil rights movement to enable a few rich African American millionaires exploit and hoodwink African-American musicians.”
Now mind you, this is the exact same issue that Cathy Hughes of Radio One is currently running her “Reality Radio” series, which claims that if HR 848 is passed, not only will this “kill Black radio”, but “the RIAA will get paid and only half will go to artists”.
Although some say that in reality, the real issue seems to be that this is an issue that has come back to haunt the very same decisions of syndication format that no longer serves local communities. That these owners in opposition are calling out for help from a community they have not truly served, but instead used the sweat equity of the talent (air personalities,sales,etc.), rarely contributing any real money or time themselves.
What exactly is House Resolution (HR) 848?
Plainly put, HR 848 will allow performers to get paid when their songs are played on the radio. The United States is among only a handful of nations — including China, North Korea and Iran — that do not pay royalties to performers. All other nations pay royalties to both the songwriter and performer of music.
Let’s see how this one plays out (to be continued…)
Posted under UNCATEGORIZED by Kato on Friday 17 July 2009 at 9:14 am
This all was the experience of a “country boy” from Virginia who started out in a mobile home in Horsepasture, Virginia, and ended up living in a penthouse in Manhattan. 
TV One approached me about showing the world what I was doing now, using my voice as the platform. Finally, I thought, someone who was interested in exploring who the real Al Reynolds was and not who the media had made me out to be.
Earlier this month HipHopDX interviewed broadcasting industry veteran Paul Porter, discussing the Performance Rights Act, also known as HR 848. Porter has been an outspoken advocate, raising awareness among artists, activists and listeners in an attempt to encourage others to support the bill which would require over-the-air radio broadcasters to pay artists and record companies for their music played on the airwaves.
Former Executive Editor of Music at BET.com, Andreas Hale (HipHopDX), has been let go.
At its annual convention this week, the NAACP endorsed Rep. John Conyers’ HR 848. In the resolution entitled “NAACP Celebrates the On-Going Legacy of Congressman John Conyers, Jr.” the organization said HR 848 is a civil rights issue: “We did not wage a civil rights movement to enable a few rich African American millionaires exploit and hoodwink African-American musicians.”
