August 1, 2005

Law & Disorder

…A judge refused to issue an order concealing the identities of women who agreed to testify against Bill Cosby in his sexual assault civil lawsuit. 

• Lil' Kim was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for repeatedly lying to a grand jury about her connection to a 2001 shootout. Kim was also fined $50,000. 

• Cam’Ron was arrested after he was stopped by police in his new Lamborghini in Harlem. Cam posted bail and was released.

• A Chicago judge has ordered R. Kelly to give a deposition in a civil suit filed by a woman who claims her privacy was violated when Kelly taped them having sex without her knowledge. Tina Woods' lawyer, Susan E. Loggans, said the judge's decision was significant because Kelly had thus far avoided giving a deposition in this and other cases. Loggans said she doesn't want the deposition to take place until after Kelly's criminal trial for child-pornography charges, since his lawyer has said he'd likely take the Fifth so that he wouldn't incriminate himself in the criminal case. If the criminal trial doesn't start by this summer, Loggans said, she'd petition to have the deposition moved up sooner. 

• A Chicago judge in R. Kelly child pornography case asked prosecutors to give more specific dates of alleged crimes. The timeframe given by the prosecutors is between Nov. 1997 and Feb. 2002. 

• A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former employee against James Brown, in which the chick claimed Brown raped her 17 years ago and then used threats to silence the claim. According to a Reuters report, the judge ruled that statute of limitations had expired. Accuser Jacque Hollander -- who said she recently developed Graves' Disease as a result of the 1988 rape -- plans to appeal the dismissal. 

Luther Vandross' Medical Care Controversy

Roger Friedman is reporting that Luther Vandross was caught in the middle of a disagreement over his method of care at the time of his passing. “What will come out in the next few days will be the story of how his manager, Carmen Romano, fought to keep Luther on track with his medical care,” Friedman wrote. “Opposing Romano were Vandross' mother,” who, according to a source, “did not keep appointments he was supposed to have. It was a constant struggle to get Luther the attention he needed." Friedman says he was told that Vandross was having physical therapy at the time of his death. "They were walking him and he just collapsed," a source told him. The cause of death has not been determined, but a statement released by hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh said that Vandross "never really recovered" from a stroke two years ago. 

Music World/Bizz Updates/Ventures


The Bizz: The Daily News reports that Lil Jon is looking to end his deal with TVT Records. Lil John will no longer promote his Crunk Juice album, nor will he record a follow-up for the label. "He's unhappy," a source said. "It's about money." When contacted by The Daily News, label head Steve Gottlieb said, "Lil Jon and TVT have had huge success building the crunk movement together, and we fully expect to enjoy even greater success in the future." Lil Jon has a deal with Warner for his own BME label. 

The Buzz: Kevin Liles recently announced that he’s going to release an inspirational book in Sept. titled, “From Intern to President Make it Happen: The Hip-Hop Generation Guide to Success.” The book gives advice to up and coming executives on how to navigate the music industry.

The Ventures:Revelations Entertainment, a firm co-founded by Morgan Freeman, has linked up with Intel to form a digital entertainment company called ClickStar Inc. that will make first-run movies available to consumers via the Web. 

Albums/Music Etc...

Lil’ Kim plans to drop, The Naked Truth, on Sept. 13th. • DJ Kay Slay debuted the first record from Mobb Deep since they linked up with 50 Cent during his "Drama Hour" radio show. The song is called "Outta Control" which features 50 on a verse and on the hook. 

LIONS GATE TAPS LL TO LURE BLACK WOMEN: Rapper signs multi-picture deal in a marketing move

Lions Gate Films is trotting out rapper LL Cool J as eye-candy to attract black female moviegoers. The first piece of bait under a multi-year deal between both parties will be a black version of "Fatal Attraction" in which the rapper/actor stars as an everyman who gets into serious trouble when he cheats on his wife. "What we are looking to do with LL is to get high-quality material that will attract talent," says Michael Paseornek, president of production at Lions Gate. "We are not looking to develop gimmicks but make real movies. LL has a huge following and is very credible with women.” Under the multiyear deal, LL Cool J will get a producer's credit on each film. "This is the perfect transition for me as I can now pour all my energy and creative juices into this fresh and exciting producing venture," says LL. Lions Gate has two more LL projects in the pipeline in addition to the urbanized “Fatal Attraction.” The films -- budgeted at less than $10 million, similar to Lions Gate's deal with actor/playwright Tyler Perry ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman") -- are looking to appeal to the black female market, which Lions Gate thinks is an underserved and often ignored segment. "We'd love to make two of these a year," Paseornek said. "And we'll keep them coming if the marketplace responds."



JANET, JIMMY & TERRY BACK TOGETHER: Production team laces singer’s new Virgin set due in 2006

Twenty years ago, production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis brought the youngest member of the Jackson clan out of her “dream street” doldrums and helped to make her a superstar. “Control,” Janet Jackson’s classic 1986 album, spawned a number of classic hit singles and set the bar for many more collaborations to come, including the multi-platinum “Rhythm Nation 1814.” In 2006, the three will hook up again for Jackson’s new as-yet-untitled album for Virgin records, due in 2006. Lewis expects the process to fall into a familiar rhythm. "It used to be a lot of involvement from all of us, and at some point when Janet became more confident with her writing ability, she [did] the bulk of the writing," he tells Billboard. "And it's kind of back full circle. We're all kind of back in there doing it again together, which I really enjoy." Jam adds, "It's the physical nature of sitting in the same room and really hashing it out. It's like, 'You're not going to leave until we got a lyric,' so it's fun. "Jackson’s boyfriend Jermaine Dupri is the executive producer on the set and has overseen some recording at his studio.



DAVE CHAPPELLE UPDATE: Comedy Central puts the call out for comedian’s return

Comedy Central’s president Doug Herzog addressed the Dave Chappelle situation following the channel’s presentation at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Beverly Hills. The comedian took off to South Africa for a break just as the third season of his top-rated sketch show on the network had been scheduled to begin under a $50 million deal. "The ball's in Dave's court," Herzog told The Hollywood Reporter. Herzog said that he had spoken to Chappelle a few weeks ago in a hotel lobby. According to Herzog, Chappelle said he needed a bit more time; Herzog said he told him they looked forward to working with him again. "If you see him, tell him to phone home," Herzog joked



COP FROM VILLAGE PEOPLE BUSTED: Loaded gun, crack cocaine found in car

The brother who suited up as the police officer in the 70s disco group Village People was on the receiving end of a bit of irony, as cops arrested him in the Bay Area last week after reportedly finding drugs and a pistol in his car. Victor Edward Willis, the co-writer of the group’s hits ‘Macho Man,” “YMCA” and “In the Navy,” was arrested late Monday after Daly City police found the loaded weapon and what they believed was crack cocaine in his vehicle, police Lt. Matt Bushong said. Willis was also wanted on an outstanding $15,000 felony warrant for possession of narcotics, which led to his arrest and the subsequent search of his vehicle, Bushong said. There’s no word on what prompted the cop to stop Willis in the first place. Willis was convicted of possessing drugs in 1990 and acquitted three years later of raping a woman after she ended their one-week relationship.



SHAQ’S SHACK WORTH $32 MILLION: B-baller breakin’ camp from tourist attraction

Shaq’s shack is on the market. Shaquille O’Neal’s Florida estate is going for the modest price of a cool $32 million – and only a year after the b-baller’s bought it for a mere $19 million. The 20,000 square foot mansion was built in 1993 by former Miami Heat center Rony Seikaly, insuring that the home was fit for a 7 foot 1 athlete. "Shaq bought it immediately because the doorways are very tall," broker Kevin Tomlinson of Esslinger Wooten Maxwell Realtors told Forbes.com. "It's the only house he could fit into." But Shaq’s departure from the posh residence is reportedly because of the massive attention the waterfront estate had been getting. The property, which lies between Miami Beach and the mainland, is also home to other celebs, including Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Gloria Estefan. O’Neal has reportedly had it with the parade of tour boats that cruise the area loaded with tourist hoping for a celebrity sighting. H's said to be favoring setting up house in the Ft. Lauderdale area. For interested shoppers, and the like, the Star Island home has eight bedrooms, ten baths, a tennis court, racquetball court, gym, 300 feet of dockage, a two-bedroom guesthouse, and sits on 2.5 acres of land.



USHER GOES TO CAMP: Singer makes young entertainers happy campers

R&B superstar Usher headed for summer camp this week. The singer has opened a camp for aspiring minority youth entertainers in Atlanta. Usher dropped by the first day of Camp New Look to check on the 150 campers, ages 8 to 18, on the campus of Clark Atlanta University. The camp is for two weeks and gives the youngsters a chance to hone their singing, dancing, and sports skills. The camp also features panels and discussion sessions with agents, managers and sports executives to learn the financial side of entertainment and sports from guest teachers such as Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony and Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall. "This is truly about learning the business side," Usher said Monday. "You're not going to learn it all overnight, but maybe, just maybe, you'll learn enough to change your life." Usher, who is a co-owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, hopes the two-week session will teach kids to have expectations that go beyond superstardom to ownership and management. Their lessons will be put to the test July 23, when they are expected to coordinate a charity celebrity basketball game and headline the halftime show.




CAREY, STEFANI, AND BEP THE TOPS: Trio top a number of Billboard charts

According to Billboard, Mariah is staying higher and Gwen “Hollaback” Stefani keeps coming back, and fans want the Black Eyes Peas, please. The summer hits from these artists remain the most popular tracks on the charts.

Carey's "We Belong Together" is the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 for the seventh non-consecutive week of its 15-week stay on the chart. It also leads the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs list for an eighth week and notches its second week on top of the Pop 100. Stefani's "Hollaback Girl," a former Hot 100 No. 1, is sitting at No. 2 in its 17th week on the chart. On the Pop 100, the song dropped 3-5, but it remains at No. 9 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart. The Peas' "Don't Phunk With My Heart" holds again at its Pop 100 peak of No. 2 and Hot 100 peak of No. 3. All three titles are in the top 20 of Billboard's Hot Ringtones chart, where "Together" holds at No. 4, "Hollaback" rises 12-11and "Phunk" jumps 33-19. 
Hot on their tails are new tracks from Missy Elliott, Kelly Clarkson, Pussycat Dolls, and Rihanna. The Dolls' "Don't Cha" featuring Busta Rhymes makes a 7-4 move on the Hot 100 and stays at No. 6 on the Pop 100, while Rihanna's "Pon de Replay" moves 9-5 the Hot 100 and 9-6 on the Pop. Meanwhile, Elliott's "Lose Control" featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop makes a 10-6 Hot 100 drive and is up 14-11 on the Pop 100. Clarkson, whose single "Breakaway" holds the No. 1 post on the Adult Contemporary airplay chart for a 20th week, sees the follow-up "Behind These Hazel Eyes" moving 8-7 in the Hot 100 and 4-3 on the Pop 100. 
Bow Wow is also barking up the chart tree with his latest, "Let Me Hold You" featuring Omarion. The track rises 3-1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, is at No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop list and moves 15-11 on the Hot 100. On the latter two charts, "Hold" is the title that made the biggest airplay gains.




HALLE BERRY USED IN BRAIN CELL STUDY: Photos of actress used to research how brain stores memories

Using multiple photographs of actress Halle Berry in a new study, scientists have discovered that the same brain cell reacts to various pictures of a particular individual, which sheds new light on how the brain stores memories. In one case, a single cell was activated by different photos of Berry, including some in her "Catwoman" costume, a drawing of her and even the written words, "Halle Berry." The findings surface in a part of the brain that transforms what people perceive into what they'll eventually remember, said Dr. Itzhak Fried, a senior investigator on the project. The findings do not mean that a particular person or object is recognized and remembered by only one brain cell, Fried said. In other words, there is not only one cell that codes for Halle Berry, according to Fried. “That would be impossible.” What the study does suggest, Fried and colleagues say in today’s issue of the journal Nature, is that the brain appears to use relatively few cells to record something it sees. The study also included photographs of Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow, co-stars on the NBC sitcom "Friends." In one participant, one brain cell responded to both actresses, suggesting that neurons represent concepts – like membership in the cast of “Friends.” These findings “could lead to much more extensive studies of how conceptual information is organized in human memory," said the study's other senior investigator, Christof Koch of the California Institute of Technology. "It's much more specific than people used to think."



“IDOL” TOUR NOT THAT IDEAL: Critics yearn for the idols of yesterday

The “American Idol” Tour is underway to the delight of tween-teens, though critics are not surprised at the amateur performances. Furthermore, the Hollywood Reporter states that the show was void of expected fanfare at the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida kickoff show Tuesday – there appeared to be “little money and even less imagination onstage in the new "AI" tour.” The Reporter continues that the show was rather flat and poorly paced with singers parading onto stage, doing two or three songs, with a few group performances sprinkled here and there. A highlight of the songfest came when Vonzell Solomon belted out “Best of My Love” and “I’m Every Woman.” Runner-up Bo Bice wasn’t too shabby either. He sang renditions of “Vehicle” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” Audiences of past season tours were treated to grand performances from Tamyra Grey, Frenchie Davis, LaToya London and Jennifer Hudson, but The Reporter calls this year’s batch “nonstarters… Only the continually improving Nikko Smith would seem to have any breakout possibilities.”



LL back in the house, BEP goes gaming, Ray Charles Orchestra hits the road, Jack

*LL Cool J is in back in the “House.” The rapper-actor will guest star in the season premiere of the Fox medical series as a death-row inmate stricken with a mysterious deadly ailment. The episode airs Sept. 13.



*The Black Eyed Peas, G Unit’s Tony Yayo and the Bravery will gig at the video games awards show, G-Phoria, on July 27th in Los Angeles.



*The Ray Charles Orchestra is heading out on a world tour featuring a new cast of Raelettes – the quartet the legendary soul singer used while on the road. The tour begins August 9thinNewYork.Eightdaysafter, the Ray Charles Museum in Los Angeles will break ground.



DUPRI, ROOTS TEAM WITH FORD, CINGULAR & SONY: Unique promotional tour takes ‘last minute’ to new levels

Jermaine Dupri, Fat Joe and The Roots are set to participate in Fusion Flash Concerts, a series of free, unannounced-until-the-last-minute concerts performed by 10 music artists in secret locations across the country. Fans can visit http://www.fusionflashconcerts.com or text "Go" to 35274 (Flash) on their mobile phones to register as an "Insider," to find out if their favorite artists will be performing at a park, club, pier or parking lot near them. Insiders receive up-to-the-minute e-mails as well as "Flash Alerts" (text messages) which reveal details on the artists, cities, venues and show times. "We're really excited to get this summer-long party started in New York," said The Roots' ?uestlove. "With our music fusing together an audience of hip hop, rock, jazz and funk fans, we're a perfect fit for this one-of-a-kind concert series." Ford Motor Company and Sony Pictures Digital have teamed for the unprecedented experience, which kicks off with The Roots in New York this month, and continues with Dupri weeks later in Atlanta. "There's a spontaneity factor unique to this concert series," said Dupri. "The last minute release of show details and ongoing interaction with fans really builds energy and excitement." Cingular Wireless subscribers receive added perks for registering, including early "Flash Alerts" and premier viewing area access at the concerts. The Fusion Flash Concerts web site also features exclusive video, a tour blog, concert reviews, a "mash-up" remix contest hosted by ACIDplanet.com, 10 music downloads provided by connect.com, and the chance to win prizes including an all-new 2006 Ford Fusion sedan, Sony consumer electronics and VIP access to the shows. The series sets the stage for the early fall launch of Ford's 2006 Fusion sedan.