Q-Tip Calls On Fans To Help Get Video Played On BET October 2, 2008

His new song is called “Gettin’ Up” and fittingly Q-Tip is calling on his fans to do just that. And take a stand while they’re at it.

The A Tribe Called Quest front man took to his MySpace blog and asked that his fans help him work toward getting his video aired on BET’s 106 & Park.

“[BET] kinda played me,” the rapper wrote.

Tip explains how he tried to have his video listed to be voted on by 106 & Park, however the clip was never placed among the poll. He cites the network telling him the video was “different.” Although Tip makes it clear he’s not slighting the network, he is asking for his fans to support his having taken a chance.

“I have been doing my music for a long time and I want to continue,” he wrote. “But when you are a real artist and you take chances, which my whole career is based on, you have to force your way through to be effective sometimes. BET feels my video is “different” meaning it doesn’t fit. I want to change that. My video “Gettin’ Up” was posted four days ago and is already over 100,000 views thanks to you! Now let’s take this to the mainstream. A win for me is a win for Lupe, Mos Def, D’Angelo, The Roots, the Cool Kids, Pacific Division, J-Dilla, etc. If BET is forced to play it when it’s time for other artists of our nature to [get] play it will be easier.”

When A One Night Stand Goes Wrong October 2, 2008

By The Fly Guy

For the most part, my family supports my career from a distance. They aren’t the type that constantly call or email, looking for ways to influence the trajectory of my life as the Fly Guy. I love that about them. So when I received an email yesterday from my cousin Ben with the subject heading, “Possible Fly Guy Topic,” I knew that it demanded my attention.

Inside was a video link to a song by alternative R&B artists Rock City. The song, “You Gotta Go” found the group remixing John Legend’s “Green Light” in a successful attempt at discussing what happens once the one-night stand ends. That concept alone flooded my mind with a host of questions that I need the Fly Guy community to clarify their positions on.

Laila Ali Shows Off Newborn Curtis Muhammad October 2, 2008

Courtesy OK! for use on CBB

“You can plan all you want, but things happen.” That’s Laila Ali’s new outlook after the planned homebirth of her son, 5-week-old Curtis Muhammad took an unexpected turn in her 39th week of pregnancy. “The doctor thought that the baby might have a growth restriction,” Laila explains. “Sometimes, when the baby is not getting enough nutrients, the abdomen will be smaller because the organs aren’t really needed yet, but the head and legs will keep growing. When I got to 39 weeks, they [wanted him out] because he wasn’t getting 100 percent of his nutrients.”

For Laila, who wanted a natural birth, the change in plans was difficult to wrap her mind around. After the complication ended in a hospital admittance for a scheduled induction — “That was hard too, because I didn’t want to be induced” — Curtis Jr. entered the world on August 26th, after a 15-hour labor. “Curtis [Conway] caught him,” Laila notes. “He was able to pull the baby out. He cut the umbilical cord.”

“They gave Curtis Jr. to me. It’s important for the baby to bond with the mother in the first moments. I started crying immediately.”

Curtis Jr. “seems a little feisty,” Laila, 30, reveals. “He looks like a mix between his father and I. I wanted him to look like his dad!” The former boxer has quickly adjusted to motherhood, even giving Curtis — already father to three children from a previous marriage — diaper-changing lessons. When it’s mentioned that her husband is most likely quite comfortable with diapers already, Laila cracks, “Just because you’ve done it before doesn’t mean you’re doing it the way I want you to do it!”

FOUR ORE. STUDENTS CONFESS TO OBAMA EFFIGY October 2, 2008

Officials at a Christian university in Oregon announced Tuesday that four students have confessed to hanging a likeness of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama from a tree on campus.

 

       A statement from George Fox University said the penalties against the four students were “immediate long-term suspension and public service.” The school cited federal privacy rules in not disclosing more about the students or their punishment.

 

       “To the best of our knowledge these are the only people involved. We’re not pursuing it any further,” said university spokesman Rob Felton, adding that the four were discovered after the university led its own investigation.

 

      Students and staff were informed of the development Tuesday afternoon at an all-campus meeting attended by about 1,000 people, according to the Associated Press.

 

      Meanwhile, the FBI continues to investigate whether any civil rights were violated.

 

       The commercially produced cardboard cutout of Obama was found hanging from a tree last week with fishing line around the neck. A message taped to the cutout read, “Act Six reject.” That refers to a scholarship and leadership program for minority and low-income student leaders at Christian colleges primarily located in the Northwest.

LL COOL J LAUNCHES READING INITIATIVE October 2, 2008

LL Cool J is scheduled to take part in the world’s largest “shared reading experience” during Jumpstart’s Read For The Record Campaign today in New York City.       

       The rapper will visit NBC’s “Today” show with host Matt Lauer this morning and read the children’s classic “Corduroy” by Don Freeman. The next stop is the Bank Street Head Start Center, where he’ll read “Corduroy” to a small group of Jumpstart pre-kindergarten students.      

       Both stops will be part of an attempt to set the record for the world’s largest shared reading event.

       Folks can register to read or donate books for children to read in low income areas by visiting www.Readfortherecord.org.   

BIG BOI TO FRONT ENERGY DRINK CAMPAIGN October 2, 2008

Outkast rapper Big Boi is the new face of Coca-Cola’s Full Throttle Fury Energy Drink.       

       The rapper, whose real name is Antwan André Patton, was announced Tuesday as the spokesperson of the new ad campaign designed to target the African-American demographic.      

       According to the energy drink’s senior brand manager Rafael Acevedo, it was Big Boi’s “drive to excel” which made him perfect for the brand relaunch, reports AllHipHop.com.      

       “He truly embodies the Full Throttle mindset of ‘Go Full Throttle or Go Home’,” says Acevedo. “Full Throttle Fury will play a vital role in Big Boi’s upcoming album release activities and concert tour – including product integration, customized point of sale displays, and sponsorship opportunities.”       

       In a statement, Big Boi adds” “My new album Sir Luscious Left Foot embodies the energy of Full Throttle Fury, where I feel like the body of work I’ve created on this CD will hopefully motivate my fans even more with its high energy and conscious lyrics as I’ve always created in my music.”       

       Big Boi’s album, “Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty,” will be released on Oct. 28.

NAOMI BLAMES 9/11 FOR HEATHROW INCIDENT October 2, 2008

 

      She was sentenced to community service in London after admitting to spitting at a police officer during a flight over her luggage, but she claims to have been provoked after being called a racial slur.

 

      She tells the Evening Standard” “I think after 9/11 you can’t say anything anymore on a plane. I’ve flown British Airways for years, since I was a child. The stewardesses will tell you that I would get on a plane, put on the blanket and go to sleep.

 

       “I’ll never fly that airline again, but nothing’s really lost. I did get my luggage. I was reunited with my (Yves Saint Laurent), and everything was cool.”

OPRAH’S MOTHER COUNTERSUES BOUTIQUE October 2, 2008

The mother of talk show host Oprah Winfrey says she shouldn’t have to pay her $156,000 debt at a high-end boutique because she shouldn’t have been extended credit there in the first place.

 

      Valentina Inc. sued Vernita Lee of Milwaukee for skipping out on $155,547 in purchases and interest owed as of July 1. The lawsuit claims she fell behind in minimum monthly payments of $2,000.

 

       Lee countersued on Friday, contending that Valentina took advantage of her “lack of knowledge, ability, and-or capacity” when creating her credit account, according to the Associated Press.

 

       Court papers also note that Lee resolved a 2002 case with Valentina over a $175,000 bill, and the resolution prohibited Valentina from extending further credit to her.

BEENIE MAN CLEARED OF TAX-EVASION October 2, 2008

Grammy-winning dancehall star Beenie Man has been cleared of tax-evasion charges in Jamaica after a judge ruled that the government never informed him of his legal rights.

 

      The artist owed nearly $1 million in overdue taxes, according to Jamaican authorities.

 

      But Judge Owen Parkin dismissed the case Tuesday, ruling evidence showed the entertainer was not informed of his rights when auditors issued their assessment last year.

 

       Beenie Man, whole real name is Anthony Moses Davis, won a Grammy in 2001 for his album “Art and Life.”

200 FORMER U.S. DIPLOMATS BACK OBAMA October 2, 2008

 

      Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama received the official endorsement of more than 200 former U.S. diplomats in the form of a joint statement signed before his Friday debate with Republican nominee John McCain.

 

      “We are supporting Senator Barack Obama because of his judgment, experience, and ability to inspire people to come together around a common purpose,” the letter said. “Senator Obama’s talents offer an historic opportunity; for the sake of America’s security and standing in the world, we must seize it.”

 

      The letter was signed by officials from both major political parties, including former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and Warren Christopher, former National Security Adviser Richard Clarke and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk. 

 

      “As former diplomats, we believe it is past time that we had a President with the judgment and confidence — in himself, our diplomatic corps, and our values — to talk directly to America’s adversaries with due preparation but without preconditions,” the letter said.