Word Up

3/8/10

Singer D’ Angelo was arrested over the weekend in NYC after trying to solicit sexual favors from an undercover cop posing as a prostitute. D’Angelo offered her $40, which we’re sure is below the going rate. To make it even more ridiculous, the 36 year old, whose real name is Michael Archer, had $12,000 stashed away in his first-class Range Rover. Can you say cheapskate? D’Angelo’s been out of the spotlight for a while and was just gearing up to release his first album in a decade. We’re guessing these are probably not the comeback headlines he was hoping for.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/8/10

Actress/comedienne Mo’Nique has another award to add to her mantle. She already took home 23 awards for her turn as the mom in Precious, and last night she became only the fifth African-American actress to ever take home an Oscar for acting. Not to mention one of the very few comedians to nab the coveted prize. Referring to herself backstage as “a stand-up comedian who won an Oscar,” Mo’Nique accepted her award with her composure intact and wearing a royal blue dress because “that is the color of dress Hattie McDaniel wore when she accepted her Oscar.” McDaniel, the first African American to ever win an Oscar, got a nod for her supporting role in Gone with the Wind. On the podium, Mo’Nique thanked the Academy for showing “politics doesn’t win over talent” and also thanked her hubby for showing her that “sometimes you have to forgo doing what’s popular in order to do what’s right.” Congratulations, Mo!

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/8/10

Actress Farrah Fawcett is gone and seemingly forgotten. The late Charlie’s Angels star was omitted from the In Memoriam tribute on last night’s Oscar telecast. It’s somewhat ironic that Michael Jackson, who appeared in The Wiz and the posthumous This is It, was included while the popular actress—whose credits include Sunburn, Saturn 3, The Cannonball Run and Dr. T and the Women—was not. This isn’t the first time Fawcett was eclipsed by the singer. The two died on the same day and, as you can imagine, Jackson dominated the media coverage. When asked about the snub, an Academy spokesperson told the Associated Press, “Every year it’s an unfortunate reality that we can’t include everybody.” Hmm we’re not sure if that excuse will be enough to satisfy Farrah’s family, or her disappointed fans.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/5/10

It seems as though everyone has caught the Lil Mama bug. Currently on his Blueprint 3 tour, rapper Jay-Z had a little surprise during his concert in DC when an overly excited fan joined him on stage. We bet Jigga Man was just as confused as the audience when a short, stubby guy jumped on stage and stood behind Jay-Z for a few seconds during his performance with Memphis Bleek. The escapade didn’t last long. Before the stage crasher knew it, a burly bouncer pounced on him and threw his tail off stage, with no effort! That dude definitely left with more cuts and bruises than he bargained for.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/5/10

Teddy Rafael Mendez, aka DJ Tedsmooth, is the latest DJ featured in hip hop weekly Behind the Beats. It’s no surprise they zeroed in on the Remix King. He has been a staple of the New York club scene for many years and has been attached to some of the hottest remixes released in recent years: Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It,” Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” and, currently, “Angels” by P. Diddy and Dirty Money. For more on Tedsmooth, including how he got started in music and developed his signature sound, check out page 65 of this week’s Behind the Beats.

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3/5/10

Columbian singer Shakira is clearly beautiful both inside and out. At a recent ceremony in Geneva, the United Nations presented the “She Wolf” with a medal recognizing all the charity work she’s done for children. “Witnessing subpar conditions shaped my dream and my vision of social justice: to see a world where every child can live a dignified life with the opportunity to reap the benefits of a good education and a chance to pursue their dreams,” the big-hearted singer said. Shakira’s very dedicated to her charity work. She is a founding member of both the Barefoot Foundation, which provides nutrition and education for as many as 6,000 children in Colombia, and the ALAS Foundation, which promotes public policies for children in Latin American and the Caribbean. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Wow. She’s a great example of how to use success for good causes. But where does she find time to make records?

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/3/10

Someone must be watching over Lil Wayne because the rapper avoided jail yet again. He pled guilty to a weapons possession charge last year and is due to start a year-long sentence at Rikers Island. Dental work delayed his sentencing last month, but when he showed up at the court house in Lower Manhattan, he STILL couldn’t get sentenced because the court house caught fire! “There was a fire in the basement, and the building is currently closed, and we’re still determining when it will re-open. The court house may not open for several days,” said David Bookstaver, director of communications for the Unified Court System. Lil Wayne is one lucky guy!

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/3/10

The event that everyone’s been waiting for is here: the next cast of Dancing With The Stars has been revealed! We’re excited to see this latest batch of random celebrities strap on their dancing shoes. Who’ll take home the top prize this time? Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger probably has a bit of an advantage, but then again astronaut Buzz Aldrin walked in zero gravity. Ballroom dancing should be a piece of cake after that. Also joining the cast are Baywatch beauty Pamela Anderson, soap star Aiden Turner, football player Chad Ochocinco, ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrew, Reno 911’s Neicy Nash, Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek, The Bachelor’s Jake Pavelka, and two divas who are sure to bring the drama backstage—reality TV star Kate Gosselin and infamous 90210 actress Shannen Doherty. The season starts March 22 and we can’t wait.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/3/2010

Actor/comedian Martin Lawrence is going to be back in a fat suit pretty soon. John Whitesell, director of Big Momma’s House 2, confirmed that production will start in April on the series’ as-yet-unnamed third film (the filmmakers reportedly don’t want the third film to be called Big Momma’s House 3). What kind of situations will Lawrence and co. get into this time around? According to reports, “FBI agent Malcolm Turner and his teenage nephew, Trent, will go undercover at an all-girls performing arts school after Trent witnesses a murder. The two will pose as Big Momma and Charmaine to find the assailant.” It already has us laughing. Variety is reporting that Tropic Thunder star Brandon T. Jackson signed on to the movie too, so we definitely expect Big Momma’s latest adventure to bring the funny.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/1/10

Oslo may be known for the Nobel Peace Prize, but there was nothing peaceful going on there this weekend. Singer Ne-Yo and his posse were detained by Norwegian police after a particularly raucous night at Oslo’s Emil & Samuel nightclub. Details are sketchy but here’s what we know: a big fight broke out at the afterparty for Ne-Yo’s concert. One of the club’s patrons allegedly grabbed a female member of Ne-Yo’s team and was immediately punched out! We also heard that a member of Ne-Yo’s entourage threatened the kitchen staff with a knife. OMG! It’s not clear if Ne-Yo was arrested or just detained, but Perez Hilton is reporting that the staff at the restaurant is looking to press charges. He’s got a lot of explaining to do or else jail time could be “closer” than he thinks.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb