More Details on New Beyoncé Album October 9, 2008

Album will be entitled I Am…, videos have been filmed for the first two singles

Up until this point, the hype for Beyoncé’s new album has come without a name. But now the hype can come with something other than, “that new Beyoncé”. I Am… is the official title and is still slated for release on November 18, as reported by VIBE.com.

While most of the details for I Am… have been kept under wraps, it’s been reported the album will feature a collaboration with Justin Timberlake and behind-the-scenes contributions will come from songrwiter/producer Sean Garrett, and Jim Jonsin, the producer responsible for Lil Wayne’s megahit, “Lollipop.”

On October 8, Beyoncé released the album’s first two singles, the upbeat, club-ready, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” and the empowering ballad, “If I Were A Boy” to radio. In this video clip below, Beyoncé thanks her fans, talks about the making of the new album, and shows some clips from the upcoming videos for both singles.

Lil Wayne Receives Special Gift From His “Daddy” October 9, 2008

Rap star celebrates 26th birthday recession free…

Lil Wayne has no regrets about resigning to Cash Money Records last month. At his 26th birthday party in Miami early this week,  Baby gave Wayne a Louis Vuitton briefcase…stuffed with a million dollars cash.

The party was held at popular Washington Ave. spot Mansion, the Miami Nightlife Examiner reports. Wayne arrived around 2 a.m. with Styrofoam cups, a bucket of cotton candy, and a smile. Inside, the party was jumping with Samba dancers wearing sliver thongs, and guests included Poe Boy Brisco and DJ Khaled.

Lil Wayne is currently in the studio working on Carter IV, Dedication 3, and a duet album with T-Pain called T-Wayne.

Nicole Richie & Joel Madden: ‘We’re So Blessed’ October 9, 2008

She purees her own green beans and records her daughter’s every smile in a journal – making her “the best mom I’ve ever seen,” Joel Madden, speaking in PEOPLE’s latest cover story (on sale Friday), raves about girlfriend Nicole Richie.

Richie and Madden just moved into a new L.A. home after spending the summer touring with Madden’s Good Charlotte band, and are in the midst of organizing an Oct. 19 walk in L.A. to help end family homelessness. But when they spoke with PEOPLE, what they really enjoyed talking about was their 9-month-old, Harlow.

Nicole: “Harlow’s a delicate soul. She studies people. She’s very coy. People say that she and I make the same expressions. But everyone says she looks like Joel.”

Joel: “I’m cool with it, as long as she doesn’t look like me in a wig when she’s 16. I like that she looks like me – it’s my get-out-of-jail-free card.”

Nicole (on maternal responsibilities): “I think my sense of self is still the same. But I don’t do things, we do things. I work around her.”

Joe: “Nicole is completely dedicated. I do whatever she tells me to do. I’m cool with that. She’s really good with the baby. I’m really good with finances. All of Harlow’s education and all that stuff, I already have planned.”

Nicole (on marriage plans): “When we get married, everyone will know. It will happen when it happens.

Joel (on having more kids): “If it could be as easy as Harlow, sure.”

MARIAH AND HUBBY CELEBRATE HIS B’DAY October 9, 2008

 

      According to People.com, Cannon served as the DJ of his own party Tuesday night at Pure Nightclub, and took time to give a “shout out to my beautiful wife in the building.”

 

      Carey, 38, was reportedly posted up at a VIP table next to Cannon’s deejay booth, where the soon-to-be 28-year-old worked the ones and twos for nearly three hours. Later, she arranged for a birthday cake to be brought out for her husband-of-five-months.

 

       “Thank you, my love,” he said into the microphone. “We about to take this to the next level!”

SLICK RICK STILL HAS IMMIGRATION ISSUES October 9, 2008

 

      “We’re in a better position that we was before,” said the recent recipient of a VH1 Hip Hop Honor. “We have a couple of hurdles that we have to go through, just clarifying everything with the immigration people. Other than that we’re just on standby to see what the board does from this point forward.”

 

       The rap icon, born Ricky Walters, has been jailed in the U.S twice – once in 1991 for attempted murder and assault , and again in 2002 over immigration issues. He was released from jail in 2003 after spending 18 months in detention, and Gov. Paterson officially pardoned the star for his crime in May.

‘AMERICAN GANGSTER’ BACK ON BET October 9, 2008

BET’s documentary series “American Gangster” returns for another season on Oct. 23 at 10 p.m. with a lineup including “Monster” Kody, Larry Davis, Mutulu Shakur, and J. Edgar Hoover and COINTELPRO, among others.

 

       Now in its third year, this series reflects the life and times of American criminals, how their actions have affected the public at large, and the black community in particular.

 

       The first two seasons have included close-up views of the Chambers Brothers, drug-dealing emigrants from one of the America’s poorest rural counties; Stanley “Tookie” Williams, who was executed for murder in California amid controversy regarding his real role in the founding of America’s most notorious street gang, the Crips; Frank Lucas, the larger-than-life subject of the Hollywood blockbuster motion picture, also titled “American Gangster”; and “Freeway” Ricky Ross — L.A.’s homegrown crack king — a hustler and pawn within a complex international enterprise.

SCRAPPED J.LO ARTICLE ENDS UP ON WEB October 9, 2008

A profile of Jennifer Lopez written by reporter Kevin Sessums for Elle magazine was reportedly “much too personal” for the publication and was  subsequently scrapped in favor of a more flattering profile written by Peter Rubin, at the request of J.Lo’s reps.

 

      However, the original Sessums article lives on thanks to Tina Brown, who posted it ib her Web site, The Daily Beast,” reports the New York Post.

 

      According to Page Six, “Elle’s article flatteringly focuses on Lopez as a fashion icon. But Sessums describes a flu-ridden Lopez: ‘Her unwashed hair is pulled severely back and there’s a halo of frizz around the crown of her head.’”

 

       The singer-actress also told Sessums she doesn’t breast-feed her newborn twins, is willing to put the kids in Scientology classes, and said she had “a kind of nervous breakdown” while filming the 2002 film “Enough.”

 

       Lopez explained: “There were no signs leading up to it. You really don’t know what’s happening at first. I was going, ‘what’s going on?’ It was about five in the afternoon in my trailer and I just sat there. I remember telling my assistant at the time – Arlene – to go get the director Michael Apted and I asked if I could go home because I was feeling so, so sick and weird.  I kept saying, ‘I’m not weak, I’m not weak.’ It’s funny what tricks your mind play on you. I just didn’t want people to think I was falling apart. But when I look back on it now it’s so odd to me that those are the words I chose to say: I am not weak.

     The doctor told me to go back to work on Monday after a weekend of sleeping because if I waited longer that I would only get more panicked about working. So that’s what I did. I’ve still never been to a shrink. I’m not a shrinky person.”

      

       A rep for Lopez told Page Six of Sessums’ interview appearing on The Daily Beast: “We’re very unhappy about it, and think it was poor judgment on his part. As long as we have represented Jennifer, we have never heard her refer to having a breakdown of any sort.”

DJIMON HOUNSOU STORMS INTO ‘TEMPEST’ October 9, 2008

Djimon Hounsou is among the ensemble cast gathered by director Julie Taymor for her upcoming film adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

 

      According to the Hollywood Reporter, Taymor’s gender-bending twist on the story has Helen Mirren starring as the male character Prospera. Shakespeare’s play mixes romance with fraternal politics and the supernatural. Taymor’s revision will center on Prospera, her daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones) and a shipwrecked crew full of Prospera’s enemies.

 

       Hounsou will play the deformed slave Caliban, while Ben Wishaw stars as the airy spirit Ariel. Recent MTV Video Music Awards host Russell Brand will suit up as jester Trinculo, Jeremy Irons takes on Alonso, the King of Naples; and Alfred Molina has been cast as the drunken butler Stephano. Geoffrey Rush is in talks to play Gonzalo, a royal adviser and old ally of Prospera’s.      

       The film is eyeing a November start date in Hawaii.       

       Hounsou won best supporting actor nominations for “Blood Diamond” and “In America.”

FOREST WHITAKER TAKES ON LOUIS ARMSTRONG October 9, 2008

Variety is reporting that Forest Whitaker is on board to direct and star in a biopic of jazz pioneer Louis Armstrong that is named after his signature tune, “What a Wonderful World.”

 

      The first big screen project to be authorized by the Armstrong estate, “World” will follow the musician’s impoverished early years in New Orleans and primarily chronicle his career as a trumpet virtuoso and improvisational singer.

 

       “Armstrong left a monumental mark on our lives and our culture,” said Whitaker, who portrayed jazz great Charlie Parker in “Bird.” “He lived an amazing life and, through his art, shifted the way music was played and would be heard after him, not just here in the U.S. but all over the world.”

 

       Oscar Cohen, executive of the Armstrong estate and the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, began working for the musician in the late ’40s as his road manager. He’ll serve as an executive producer on the project and has granted the filmmakers exclusive access to his personal accounts as well as to letters and other material in the Armstrong archives.

 

       “What a Wonderful World” will begin shooting in the summer in Louisiana. Whitaker’s directing credits include “Waiting to Exhale,” “Hope Floats” and “First Daughter.” He won an Oscar in 2006 for his role as Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland.”

T.I. LEADS ‘PAPER TRAIL’ TO BILLBOARD APEX October 9, 2008

T.I.’s newly-released album “Paper Trail” entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 yesterday, marking the third consecutive disc from the rapper to reach the chart pinnacle following 2006’s “King” and 2007’s “T.I. Vs. T.I.P.”     

       The hip hop star earns his biggest sales week ever with the Grand Hustle/Atlantic set, which moved 568,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.      

       According to Billboard, the artist also makes history this week on the Hot 100, where he breaks the record for largest climb to No. 1 — a feat he already accomplished only six weeks ago.       

       “Live Your Life” featuring Rihanna, the second single from “Paper Trail,” leaps 80-1, replacing the album’s first single “Whatever You Like” at No. 1; the latter leapt to the top 71-1 the week of Sept. 6 and remained there for five weeks total.       

       That makes T.I. the first artist to replace himself at No. 1 since Usher traded in “Burn” for “Confessions Part II” in July 2004.      

       Meanwhile, with 217,000 copies, Jennifer Hudson’s self-titled Arista/RMG debut lands at No. 2 on The Billboard 200. Robin Thicke scores his best sales week and highest charting album on The Billboard 200 with “Something Else,” which enters at No. 3 with 137,000.      

       Elsewhere on the Billboard 200, Jazmine Sullivan’s debut “Fearless” (J) rounds out the top tier on The Billboard 200, falling 6-10 on a 35% sales hit to 42,000.