You've studied the issues and cast your ballot. Now all that's left to do is bide your time until the results start coming in for John McCain and Barack Obama. To help you in that effort, we introduce a list of election fun facts for your brain-candy pleasure.
Why do we vote on a Tuesday... in November?
The short answer: We used to be a nation of farmers.
The long answer: Congress chose November because the harvest was over and the weather wouldn't be bad enough to prevent people from traveling.
As for Tuesday, people used to have to travel overnight to their polling location. (In 1845, horse was the preferred method of transport.) In an effort to avoid religious days of rest, Congress chose Tuesday, leaving Monday and Wednesday as travel days. Tuesday was voting (and horse-resting) day.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday: Join Usher and Hill Harper in Charlotte
This Tuesday, October 28th, please join the North Carolina Campaign for Change at an Early Vote rally in Charlotte with special guests Usher and Hill Harper.
Usher, a recording sensation since the age of 16, is a successful performer, songwriter, actor, and businessman, and is a five-time Grammy Award winner. Hill Harper has appeared on the television show CSI and in the movie Soul Food.
Here are the details:
Early Vote Rally
with Usher and Hill Harper
Grady Cole Center
310 N. Kings Drive
Charlotte, NC
Tuesday, October 28th
Doors open: 3:00 p.m.
http://nc.barackobama.com/NCusherharper
P.S. -- Don't forget to vote early by November 1st. You can even register and vote at the same time with One-Stop Early Voting. It's easy, even if you've never voted before. Find a One-Stop Early Vote location in your county:
http://nc.voteforchange.com
If you cannot make it to this event but would still like to support Barack, you can make a donation here:
https://donate.barackobama.com/wecan
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Obama!! Yes WE were there! Check this out! Essence 2007
Yes WE were there!
My mother kept telling people we saw Obama in 2007! Well, she was correct. Here is the footage. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
BET HIP HOP AWARDS! Co host with HIP HIP NONSTOP TV!!!
BET HIP-HOP AWARDS 2008 FOOTAGE IN ATLANTA,GA
I will post more pictures and the official IT Factor breakdown later today!
FF
I will post more pictures and the official IT Factor breakdown later today!
FF
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
NFLer Terrell Suggs Brings Las Vegas Nightlife Entertainment to Baltimore Charity Weekend
Join The Baltimore Raven's Terrell Suggs for The Team Sizzle Celebrity Weekend. Oct 24-26, 2008. from SENBaltimore on Vimeo.
NFLer Terrell Suggs Brings Las Vegas Nightlife Entertainment to Baltimore Charity Weekend
Two time Pro Bowl and outside linebacker, Terrell Suggs, #55 of the Baltimore Ravens in celebration of his birthday and in conjunction with his newly formed entertainment company, Team Sizzle Worldwide, will host the inaugural Annual Team Sizzle Worldwide Celebrity Weekend. Partial ticket sale proceeds will benefit "Imagine a World Without Sickle Cell" of the William E. Proudford Sickle Cell Fund, Inc. Inspired and impassioned by a recent encounter with a teen who suffers from sickle cell, Terrell has decided to direct energy toward funding compassionate care and research for those who suffer from the disease.
Suggs has invited his celebrity friends to help him celebrate his inaugural weekend: Reagan Gomez, Jazsmin Lewis, Winky Wright, Hosea Chanchez, Kelita Smith, Gary Sturgis, Jill Marie Jones, 'King of Bling' to the Stars Chris Aire, and esteemed members of the community, sponsors, press and the Baltimore community to assist him in his efforts.
Events will take place Friday, October 24th through Sunday, October 26th.
For more information, event schedule, and to purchase tickets, visit here.
Hip Hop's Finest Announce Winners of TAG's First Ever 'Make History National Grants Program'
Jermaine Dupri, Russell Simmons, Ne-Yo and Other Celebrities Join TAG Records and Hip Hop Summit Action Network to Honor Five Deserving Students Nationwide for Their Community Efforts, October 17, 2008 at Clark Atlanta University
TAG Records, the groundbreaking music label recently formed by Procter & Gamble's TAG brand and Island Def Jam, recently joined forces with the Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) to name five recipients of the first ever TAG Make History National Grants Program.
With help from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) and a panel of celebrity judges including hip-hop stars Jermaine Dupri, Russell Simmons, Ne-Yo, and Grammy-award winners MC Lyte and Chilli, TAG Records honored individuals who have made their mark bettering society.
To learn more about the TAG's Make History Grants Program go to HSAN and TAG Records' Web sites: http://www.hsan.org/ and http://www.tagrecords.com/.
BET NETWORK NEWS- BET HIP HOP AWARS AIRS OCT. 23, 2008!
News Release Issued: October 21, 2008 1:34 PM EDT
It's Must See TV on BET on Thursday, October 23 with the Premieres of the
'BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08' and the Critically Acclaimed 'AMERICAN GANGSTER'
Tune in to BET Starting at 7:00 P.M.* on Thursday, October 23 for "THE BLACK
CARPET" Pre-show, Followed by the "BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08" at 8:00 p.m.* and
"AMERICAN GANGSTER" at 10:00 p.m.*
NEW YORK, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- BET is the place to be on Thursday,
October 23, as the network premieres the hottest show in hip hop, the BET HIP
HOP AWARDS '08, as well as its critically acclaimed docu-drama, AMERICAN
GANGSTER. All the action starts with THE BLACK CARPET's coverage of the BET
HIP HOP AWARDS '08 red carpet at 7:00 p.m.*, with the main show starting at
8:00 p.m.* Rounding out the night is the premiere of the third season of
AMERICAN GANGSTER at 10:00 p.m.*
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-b )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO )
THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08
The BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 was full of non-stop, mind-blowing performances,
talented lyricists and incomparable collaborations, but above all, the night
was an empowering tribute to the upcoming presidential election, giving back
to the community and the reigning ladies of hip hop. With the ever-present
T-Pain serving as the surprise ringleader (with scheduled host Katt Williams
unable to attend), the third annual show was taped at Atlanta's Civic Center
on Saturday, October 18 and will air on BET Thursday, October 23 at 8:00
p.m.*
The show's most unforgettable moment was the ladies of hip hop medley,
featuring the reigning queens of the mic -- MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, The Lady of Rage,
Salt-n-Pepa and Spinderella. From MC Lyte's "Cha Cha Cha" to Yo-Yo's "You
Can't Play with My Yo-Yo," the performance was an inspiring reminder of how
amazing female MCs are and can be. Salt-n-Pepa brought the house to its feet
with a number of songs, including "My Mic Sounds Nice," "Shoop," "Big Girls,"
"Push It, and "Whatta Man" (which included a photo montage of a certain
presidential candidate and his wife!).
The BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 featured other sizzling performances and
collaborations, with ATL native T.I. kicking off the show with "What's Up,
What's Happening" and later teaming up with Swizz Beatz for "Swing Your Rag."
Nas showed off his lyrical skills with "Queens Get the Money" and "Hero,"
while Young Jeezy gave a high-energy rendition of "Crazy World." Plies was
joined by Ne-Yo for "Who Hotter Than Me" and "Bust It Baby," and Rick Ross
treated the crowd to "Here I Am" with Nelly and Avery Storm. Other
performances included N.E.R.D., Common, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, Soulja
Boy and one big surprise performance that viewers will have to wait until
Thursday night to see!
A star-studded line-up of the biggest names in hip hop made appearances at
the BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08, including 50 Cent, Kerry Washington, Keri Hilson,
Jim Jones, Derek Luke, Lil Cease, Big Boi, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Jamal Woolard
and Wu-Tang Clan members GZA, Raekwon, Masta Killa, U-God, Inspectah Deck and
RZA. Adding to the hype, rapper Jadakiss pumped up the crowd as celebrity
announcer, while the famed DJ Drama played all night.
AMERICAN GANGSTER
BET's critically acclaimed docu-drama AMERICAN GANGSTER returns for another
compelling season Thursday, October 23 at 10:00 p.m.* Gangsters have been
traditionally portrayed in films and television as European; AMERICAN
GANGSTER expands this theory by focusing on authentic, bona fide criminals
and sheds a different kind of light on the minds of America's worst
offenders. Narrated by Ving Rhames, this season returns to probe the lives
and crimes of America's most dangerous criminals, including "Monster" Kody,
Larry Davis, Mutulu Shakur and J. Edgar Hoover and COINTELPRO, among
countless others.
The first episode of AMERICAN GANGSTER will profile Larry Davis, who made
headlines when he wounded six NYC police officers in a dramatic 1986 shootout
after officers raided his sister's Bronx apartment to arrest him for murdering
five drug dealers.
For all BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 information, please visit
http://www.bet.com/hiphopawards.
For more on AMERICAN GANGSTER, please visit
http://www.bet.com/americangangster.
*All times ET/PT
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA)(NYSE: VIA.B), is the
nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public
affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary
BET channel reaches more than 87 million households according to Nielsen Media
Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the
dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business
extensions: BET.com, a leading internet destination for Black entertainment,
music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel and BET
Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET
Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET
Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home
environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides
ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET
International, an extension of BET network programming for global
distribution.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
SOURCE: BET Networks
It's Must See TV on BET on Thursday, October 23 with the Premieres of the
'BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08' and the Critically Acclaimed 'AMERICAN GANGSTER'
Tune in to BET Starting at 7:00 P.M.* on Thursday, October 23 for "THE BLACK
CARPET" Pre-show, Followed by the "BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08" at 8:00 p.m.* and
"AMERICAN GANGSTER" at 10:00 p.m.*
NEW YORK, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- BET is the place to be on Thursday,
October 23, as the network premieres the hottest show in hip hop, the BET HIP
HOP AWARDS '08, as well as its critically acclaimed docu-drama, AMERICAN
GANGSTER. All the action starts with THE BLACK CARPET's coverage of the BET
HIP HOP AWARDS '08 red carpet at 7:00 p.m.*, with the main show starting at
8:00 p.m.* Rounding out the night is the premiere of the third season of
AMERICAN GANGSTER at 10:00 p.m.*
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-b )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO )
THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08
The BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 was full of non-stop, mind-blowing performances,
talented lyricists and incomparable collaborations, but above all, the night
was an empowering tribute to the upcoming presidential election, giving back
to the community and the reigning ladies of hip hop. With the ever-present
T-Pain serving as the surprise ringleader (with scheduled host Katt Williams
unable to attend), the third annual show was taped at Atlanta's Civic Center
on Saturday, October 18 and will air on BET Thursday, October 23 at 8:00
p.m.*
The show's most unforgettable moment was the ladies of hip hop medley,
featuring the reigning queens of the mic -- MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, The Lady of Rage,
Salt-n-Pepa and Spinderella. From MC Lyte's "Cha Cha Cha" to Yo-Yo's "You
Can't Play with My Yo-Yo," the performance was an inspiring reminder of how
amazing female MCs are and can be. Salt-n-Pepa brought the house to its feet
with a number of songs, including "My Mic Sounds Nice," "Shoop," "Big Girls,"
"Push It, and "Whatta Man" (which included a photo montage of a certain
presidential candidate and his wife!).
The BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 featured other sizzling performances and
collaborations, with ATL native T.I. kicking off the show with "What's Up,
What's Happening" and later teaming up with Swizz Beatz for "Swing Your Rag."
Nas showed off his lyrical skills with "Queens Get the Money" and "Hero,"
while Young Jeezy gave a high-energy rendition of "Crazy World." Plies was
joined by Ne-Yo for "Who Hotter Than Me" and "Bust It Baby," and Rick Ross
treated the crowd to "Here I Am" with Nelly and Avery Storm. Other
performances included N.E.R.D., Common, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, Soulja
Boy and one big surprise performance that viewers will have to wait until
Thursday night to see!
A star-studded line-up of the biggest names in hip hop made appearances at
the BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08, including 50 Cent, Kerry Washington, Keri Hilson,
Jim Jones, Derek Luke, Lil Cease, Big Boi, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Jamal Woolard
and Wu-Tang Clan members GZA, Raekwon, Masta Killa, U-God, Inspectah Deck and
RZA. Adding to the hype, rapper Jadakiss pumped up the crowd as celebrity
announcer, while the famed DJ Drama played all night.
AMERICAN GANGSTER
BET's critically acclaimed docu-drama AMERICAN GANGSTER returns for another
compelling season Thursday, October 23 at 10:00 p.m.* Gangsters have been
traditionally portrayed in films and television as European; AMERICAN
GANGSTER expands this theory by focusing on authentic, bona fide criminals
and sheds a different kind of light on the minds of America's worst
offenders. Narrated by Ving Rhames, this season returns to probe the lives
and crimes of America's most dangerous criminals, including "Monster" Kody,
Larry Davis, Mutulu Shakur and J. Edgar Hoover and COINTELPRO, among
countless others.
The first episode of AMERICAN GANGSTER will profile Larry Davis, who made
headlines when he wounded six NYC police officers in a dramatic 1986 shootout
after officers raided his sister's Bronx apartment to arrest him for murdering
five drug dealers.
For all BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 information, please visit
http://www.bet.com/hiphopawards.
For more on AMERICAN GANGSTER, please visit
http://www.bet.com/americangangster.
*All times ET/PT
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA)(NYSE: VIA.B), is the
nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public
affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary
BET channel reaches more than 87 million households according to Nielsen Media
Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the
dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business
extensions: BET.com, a leading internet destination for Black entertainment,
music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel and BET
Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET
Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET
Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home
environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides
ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET
International, an extension of BET network programming for global
distribution.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
SOURCE: BET Networks
Friday, October 10, 2008
TAG's National Make History Grants Program
*** MEDIA ALERT *** MEDIA ALERT *** MEDIA ALERT ***
CELEBRITY JUDGES JERMAINE DUPRI AND
RUSSELL SIMMONS WITH HIP-HOP SUMMIT ACTION NETWORK ANNOUNCE TAG'S MAKE
HISTORY NATIONAL GRANTS PROGRAM RECIPIENTS
Grant's Program Awards Five Deserving Students From Historically Black
Colleges and Universities $10K Grants to Help Them Make History
WHO: INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE WITH: Event celebrity judge panel including HSAN
co-founder Russell Simmons, TAG Records President Jermaine Dupri, platinum
selling R&B/pop star Ne-Yo, Grammy Award winning hip-hop star MC Lyte and
Chilli from Grammy Award winning group, TLC
Also available for interview: TAG Representative, Adam Weber HSAN
President/CEO Dr. Benjamin Chavis, NAFEO President Dr. Lezli Baskerville,
WHAT: Winners of TAG's National Make History Grants Program
announced. Award empowers students to expand their winning
projects and continue on their journey in making a difference in their
communities.
WHERE: Clark Atlanta University
Thomas W. Cole Jr. Research Center for Science & Technology
223 James P. Brawley Drive, SW
Atlanta, GA 30314
WHEN: Friday, October 17, 2008 from 12:00pm-1:00pm
Media Check in at 11:30am
WHY: The 2008 TAG's National Make History Grants Program provides
unique opportunities for young, aspiring artists/students at Historical
Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions to
receive an award that will help them make a difference in their communities.
NAFEO, HSAN and TAG Records swept over 100 campuses nationwide in search of
five deserving students.
CELEBRITY JUDGES JERMAINE DUPRI AND
RUSSELL SIMMONS WITH HIP-HOP SUMMIT ACTION NETWORK ANNOUNCE TAG'S MAKE
HISTORY NATIONAL GRANTS PROGRAM RECIPIENTS
Grant's Program Awards Five Deserving Students From Historically Black
Colleges and Universities $10K Grants to Help Them Make History
WHO: INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE WITH: Event celebrity judge panel including HSAN
co-founder Russell Simmons, TAG Records President Jermaine Dupri, platinum
selling R&B/pop star Ne-Yo, Grammy Award winning hip-hop star MC Lyte and
Chilli from Grammy Award winning group, TLC
Also available for interview: TAG Representative, Adam Weber HSAN
President/CEO Dr. Benjamin Chavis, NAFEO President Dr. Lezli Baskerville,
WHAT: Winners of TAG's National Make History Grants Program
announced. Award empowers students to expand their winning
projects and continue on their journey in making a difference in their
communities.
WHERE: Clark Atlanta University
Thomas W. Cole Jr. Research Center for Science & Technology
223 James P. Brawley Drive, SW
Atlanta, GA 30314
WHEN: Friday, October 17, 2008 from 12:00pm-1:00pm
Media Check in at 11:30am
WHY: The 2008 TAG's National Make History Grants Program provides
unique opportunities for young, aspiring artists/students at Historical
Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions to
receive an award that will help them make a difference in their communities.
NAFEO, HSAN and TAG Records swept over 100 campuses nationwide in search of
five deserving students.
SECRET LIFE OF BEES SCREENING IN CHARLOTTE, NC
You are cordially invited to the premiere private screening for “The Secret Life of Bees.” The premiere will be held at the Ballantyne Village Theatre (14825 John J. Delaney Drive Charlotte, NC 28277) at 7pm. There will be special invited guest and giveaways!
Please make sure you click the link below and register for the FREE screening compliments of RushmoreDrive.com.
***We have a limited amount of tickets and we will not allow unregistered guest to attend.
We ask that all guest are come with validate identification to check in. Photographers will be present so come prepared to bee scene.
Event: Private Screening for “The Secret Life of Bees.”
When: October 14, 2008 at 7pm
Where: Ballantyne Village Theatre (14825 John J. Delaney Drive Charlotte, NC 28277)
Attire: Bee Scene- Bee Ready for the cameras
“The Secret Life of Bees” Registration link: http://secretlifeofbees-charlotte.eventbrite.com/
So, REGISTER for the movie and come out and bee scene.
For additional information on the private premiere screening please contact: The IT Factor at 919.247.5973 or via email at socialdirector22@gmail.com
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
12TH ANNUAL URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL
News Release Issued: August 18, 2008 10:00 AM EDT
Queen Latifah Announced as 2008 Honorary Chair of Urbanworld Film Festival
Presented by BET Networks
2008 Slate of Diverse Films Features Special Closing Night Screening of 'The
Secret Life Of Bees' Starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson,
Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo
Festival Sponsors Include HBO, Time Warner Cable, Grey Goose, WNBC, Black
Enterprise, ESSENCE, VIBE, Power 105.1, the Directors Guild of America, AMC
Theatres, Fox Searchlight Pictures and the Weinstein Company
NEW YORK, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Urbanworld Film Festival presented by
BET Networks, the largest international competitive festival of its kind,
today announced that Academy Award-nominated actress Queen Latifah will serve
as Honorary Chair of this year's festival. Dedicated to the exhibition of
independent and mainstream cinema by and about people of color, Urbanworld
also announced it will screen 85 films at this year's festival in New York
City from September 10-14. All festival screenings will be held at the AMC
Loews 34th Street Theaters.
This year's selection showcases New York-based films and filmmakers
celebrating local artists and communities, as well as a strong representation
of international filmmakers from around the world. The 2008 slate will
culminate in the special closing night screening of The Secret Life of Bees,
followed by a Q&A with talent from the film including Queen Latifah, Sophie
Okonedo ('Hotel Rwanda'), and screenwriter/director Gina Prince-Bythewood
('Love & Basketball').
"These are really exciting times for the festival," said Stacy Spikes,
founder of Urbanworld. "On display we have films of nearly every genre,
created by filmmakers of nearly every background. This robust selection of
cinema, together with our new partnership with BET Networks, promises to make
this the best Urbanworld yet."
"We're thrilled to have hip-hop's first lady Queen Latifah sign on as
honorary chair for this year's festivities," said Alvin Bowles, Senior Vice
President, Integrated Marketing, BET Networks. "The exciting lineup of
cinematic talent rounds out our mission to embrace and support the new wave
of filmmakers of color through our partnership with Urbanworld."
"I am thrilled to be the honorary chair of the Urbanworld Film Festival this
year," said Queen Latifah. "It is an important and exciting festival and the
perfect place to showcase my new film The Secret Life of Bees."
The five-day festival includes feature, documentary, and short film
screenings, as well as panel discussions, live staged screenplay readings and
the celebrated Actor's Spotlight, featuring Queen Latifah and to be aired on
BET, with previous honorees including Vondie Curtis Hall, Samuel L. Jackson,
Billy Dee Williams and Rosie Perez.
Urbanworld and BET Networks also announced this year's roster of marquee
sponsors. HBO returns for the 12th year as the founding sponsor of the
Urbanworld Film Festival. Time Warner Cable joins the festival as a Prestige
Sponsor. Grey Goose will serve as an Official Sponsor. Principal Sponsors
will include The Weinstein Company, WNBC, Black Enterprise, ESSENCE, VIBE,
and Power 105.1. The Directors Guild of America and AMC Theatres return as
Benefactor Sponsors. Sponsoring studios include Fox Searchlight and the
Weinstein Company. The Hilton Times Square will serve as the host hotel of
the festival, where registration and panels will take place.
Highlights and Notable Films of 2008 Urbanworld Film Festival Include:
The Secret Life Of Bees, the special closing night screening, written for the
screen and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and stars Queen Latifah (the
Festival's Honorary Chair), Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and
Sophie Okonedo. A touching story about the need for love, family and
redemption, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES explores our undeniable desire for a
sense of belonging and the often daunting journeys that we must navigate to
achieve it. Set in South Carolina during the turbulent Civil Rights era, the
home of the intelligent and independent honey-making Boatwright sisters
(Latifah, Keys and Okonedo) is suddenly thrust into upheaval with the arrival
of fourteen year-old Lily Owens (Fanning) and her caretaker Rosaleen (Hudson).
Surrounded by the unexpected comforts, grace and deep rooted spirituality
Lily (Fanning) encounters in the Boatwright home, she forms a maternal bond
with each of these women whose unique and special gifts help reconcile the
loss of her mother. Lily ultimately comes to the realization that sometimes
you must leave home in order to find it. The film is scheduled for
nationwide release on October 17, 2008.
Wu: The Story Of The Wu Tang Clan, directed by Gerald Barclay, is a gritty
documentary that traces the history of the ever-popular Wu-Tang Clan. In the
summer of 1993, the Wu-Tang Clan emerged from the slums of Staten Island and
took the hip-hop world by storm. Their legacy spanned over a decade,
garnering fans worldwide and generating sales in excess of $50 million.
For more information about the 2008 Urbanworld Film Festival presented by BET
Networks, please visit or http://www.urbanworld.org/ or
http://www.bet.com/urbanworld.
ABOUT THE 2008 URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL:
Beginning this year, BET Networks has signed on for a three-year strategic
partnership to present the Urbanworld Film Festival. The unique partnership,
strengthened by BET's position as the leading media and entertainment
provider for African Americans and consumers of Black culture, will further
establish the festival as one of the world's largest competitive film
festivals designed to redefine and enhance the roles of multicultural
constituents in contemporary cinema.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA)(NYSE: VIA.B), is the
nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public
affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary
BET channel reaches more than 87 million households according to Nielsen Media
Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the
dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business
extensions: BET.com, a leading internet destination for Black entertainment,
music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel and BET
Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET
Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET
Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home
environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides
ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET
International, an extension of BET network programming for global
distribution.
ABOUT URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL:
Urbanworld launched in August 1997 and was founded by former executive at
Miramax Stacy Spikes. Over the past eleven years, Urbanworld has presented
approximately 700 features, shorts and documentaries, with estimated
attendance reaching 15,000+. Now in its twelfth year, the Urbanworld Film
Festival is the largest internationally competitive festival of its kind.
Urbanworld re-defines the competitive film festival landscape with its fresh
and necessary approach to spreading the voices of a multicultural world. The
Urbanworld Film Festival is an initiative produced by the Urbanworld
Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to implementing programs and
events that support the development and success of the urban filmmaking
community. Stacy Spikes serves as chairman emeritus. Gabrielle Glore serves
as executive producer.
12TH ANNUAL URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL
2008 ROSTER
Closing Night Film: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Spotlight Screenings Include:
WU: THE STORY OF THE WU-TANG CLAN directed by Gerald Barclay
TENNESSEE directed by Aaron Woodley
Narrative Features Include 16 Films:
BALL DON'T LIE directed by Brin Hill
BALLAST directed by Lance Hammer
CIGARETTES FOR BREAKFAST directed by Daniel Williams
I USED TO LOVE HER directed by Mark Harris
JAZZ IN THE DIAMOND DISTRICT directed by Lindsey Christian
PHANTOM PUNCH directed by Robert Townsend
SEAL TEAM VI directed by Mark Andrews
SECOND CHANCE directed by Iris Huey
SISTER'S KEEPER directed by Kent Faulcon
SOMETHING IS KILLING TATE directed by Leon Lozano
STREETBALLERS directed by Matt Krentz
THE HEART SPECIALIST directed by Dennis Cooper
THIS IS NOT A TEST directed by Christopher Angel
TRUTH HALL directed by Jade Dixon
UP WITH ME directed by Greg Takoudes
WHITE LIES BLACK SHEEP directed by James Spooner
Narrative Shorts Include 40 Films:
(MIS) LEADING MAN directed by Morocco Omari
3RD OF JULY directed by Ben Chace
A DAY'S WORK directed by Rajeev Dassani
A PRAYER directed by Louie P.
AFIA directed by Lacey Duke
AWILDA AND THE BEE directed by Lyndon McCray
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: THE MOVIE directed by Buttahman
CLASSIFIED directed by Sherman Payne
CRENSHAW NIGHTS directed by Pete D. Gelles
EXPECTATIONS OF A FATHER directed by Jerry E
HOLLYWOOD JEROME directed by Frey Hoffman
KUNG FU GRANNY directed by Myra Sito Velasquez
LARRY (THE ACTOR) directed by Eric Poydar
LIMPIANO SAPOS directed by Vero Shamo-Garcia
LINUS directed by Julius Onah
LO directed by Joe Kim
LOVE CONQUERS AL directed by Kamali Minter
NAPPY HEADS directed by Sabrina Moella
OVER DA RAINBOW directed by Jared Lapidus
PALM TREES DOWN 3RD STREET directed by Maria Judice
PAPICHULO directed by Marquis Smalls
PREMATURE directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green
SHY directed by April Rouveyrol
SIRI OKO FO directed by Heather Murphy
SOUTH CENTRAL DAZE directed by Marquise C.
THE DOLL directed by Dante James
THE PRINCE OF VENICE directed by Yaa Boaa Aning
THE SECOND COMING directed by Ya'ke Smith
THE SOUL SEARCHERS SERIES: GET THEE BEHIND ME directed by Jeffrey Wray
THE YOUNG AND EVIL directed by Julian Breece
UK SPOTLIGHT - BLANK SLATE SHORTS PROGRAM (8 FILMS)
URBAN GENESIS directed by Larry Bryant
VICTIM directed by Cesar Mazariegos
Documentary Features Include 19 Films:
ADJUST YOUR COLOR: THE TRUTH OF PETEY GREENE directed by Loren Mendell
ALL OF US directed by Emily Abt
ARUSI directed by Marjan Tehrani
BALLOU directed by Michael Patrei
BIGG SNOOP DOGG'S YOUTH AUTHORITY directed by Gabriel London
CALAVERA HIGHWAY directed by Renee Tajima-Pena
DIARY OF A TIRED BLACK MAN directed by Tim Alexander
FAMILIAR VOICES directed by Danny Mendoza
IN PRISON MY WHOLE LIFE directed by Marc Evans
LA AMERICANA directed by Nicholas Bruckman
MALCOLM'S ECHO: THE LEGACY OF MALCOLM X directed by Dami Akinnusi
NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET directed by James Dziura
ONE BAD CAT directed by Thomas G. Miller
SLINGSHOT HIP-HOP directed by Jackie Salloum
SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING directed by Robert Small
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WATER directed by Jeremy Robins
THE REAL GREAT DEBATERS directed by Brad Osborne
THIS IS THE LIFE directed by Ava DuVernay
TWO TURNTABLES AND A MICROPHONE directed by Guy Logan
Documentary Shorts Include 7 Films:
50 SHOTS directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green
EL PLAY directed by Pablo Medina
FRESH OF THE BOAT by Katrina Lucas
JUROR NUMBER SIX directed by Rachel Lyon
SEEN BUT NOT HEARD directed by Cyrille Phipps
THE 13TH AMENDMENT directed by Mike D.
URSULA RUCKER - POET directed by Michael J. Dennis
Queen Latifah Announced as 2008 Honorary Chair of Urbanworld Film Festival
Presented by BET Networks
2008 Slate of Diverse Films Features Special Closing Night Screening of 'The
Secret Life Of Bees' Starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson,
Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo
Festival Sponsors Include HBO, Time Warner Cable, Grey Goose, WNBC, Black
Enterprise, ESSENCE, VIBE, Power 105.1, the Directors Guild of America, AMC
Theatres, Fox Searchlight Pictures and the Weinstein Company
NEW YORK, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Urbanworld Film Festival presented by
BET Networks, the largest international competitive festival of its kind,
today announced that Academy Award-nominated actress Queen Latifah will serve
as Honorary Chair of this year's festival. Dedicated to the exhibition of
independent and mainstream cinema by and about people of color, Urbanworld
also announced it will screen 85 films at this year's festival in New York
City from September 10-14. All festival screenings will be held at the AMC
Loews 34th Street Theaters.
This year's selection showcases New York-based films and filmmakers
celebrating local artists and communities, as well as a strong representation
of international filmmakers from around the world. The 2008 slate will
culminate in the special closing night screening of The Secret Life of Bees,
followed by a Q&A with talent from the film including Queen Latifah, Sophie
Okonedo ('Hotel Rwanda'), and screenwriter/director Gina Prince-Bythewood
('Love & Basketball').
"These are really exciting times for the festival," said Stacy Spikes,
founder of Urbanworld. "On display we have films of nearly every genre,
created by filmmakers of nearly every background. This robust selection of
cinema, together with our new partnership with BET Networks, promises to make
this the best Urbanworld yet."
"We're thrilled to have hip-hop's first lady Queen Latifah sign on as
honorary chair for this year's festivities," said Alvin Bowles, Senior Vice
President, Integrated Marketing, BET Networks. "The exciting lineup of
cinematic talent rounds out our mission to embrace and support the new wave
of filmmakers of color through our partnership with Urbanworld."
"I am thrilled to be the honorary chair of the Urbanworld Film Festival this
year," said Queen Latifah. "It is an important and exciting festival and the
perfect place to showcase my new film The Secret Life of Bees."
The five-day festival includes feature, documentary, and short film
screenings, as well as panel discussions, live staged screenplay readings and
the celebrated Actor's Spotlight, featuring Queen Latifah and to be aired on
BET, with previous honorees including Vondie Curtis Hall, Samuel L. Jackson,
Billy Dee Williams and Rosie Perez.
Urbanworld and BET Networks also announced this year's roster of marquee
sponsors. HBO returns for the 12th year as the founding sponsor of the
Urbanworld Film Festival. Time Warner Cable joins the festival as a Prestige
Sponsor. Grey Goose will serve as an Official Sponsor. Principal Sponsors
will include The Weinstein Company, WNBC, Black Enterprise, ESSENCE, VIBE,
and Power 105.1. The Directors Guild of America and AMC Theatres return as
Benefactor Sponsors. Sponsoring studios include Fox Searchlight and the
Weinstein Company. The Hilton Times Square will serve as the host hotel of
the festival, where registration and panels will take place.
Highlights and Notable Films of 2008 Urbanworld Film Festival Include:
The Secret Life Of Bees, the special closing night screening, written for the
screen and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and stars Queen Latifah (the
Festival's Honorary Chair), Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and
Sophie Okonedo. A touching story about the need for love, family and
redemption, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES explores our undeniable desire for a
sense of belonging and the often daunting journeys that we must navigate to
achieve it. Set in South Carolina during the turbulent Civil Rights era, the
home of the intelligent and independent honey-making Boatwright sisters
(Latifah, Keys and Okonedo) is suddenly thrust into upheaval with the arrival
of fourteen year-old Lily Owens (Fanning) and her caretaker Rosaleen (Hudson).
Surrounded by the unexpected comforts, grace and deep rooted spirituality
Lily (Fanning) encounters in the Boatwright home, she forms a maternal bond
with each of these women whose unique and special gifts help reconcile the
loss of her mother. Lily ultimately comes to the realization that sometimes
you must leave home in order to find it. The film is scheduled for
nationwide release on October 17, 2008.
Wu: The Story Of The Wu Tang Clan, directed by Gerald Barclay, is a gritty
documentary that traces the history of the ever-popular Wu-Tang Clan. In the
summer of 1993, the Wu-Tang Clan emerged from the slums of Staten Island and
took the hip-hop world by storm. Their legacy spanned over a decade,
garnering fans worldwide and generating sales in excess of $50 million.
For more information about the 2008 Urbanworld Film Festival presented by BET
Networks, please visit or http://www.urbanworld.org/ or
http://www.bet.com/urbanworld.
ABOUT THE 2008 URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL:
Beginning this year, BET Networks has signed on for a three-year strategic
partnership to present the Urbanworld Film Festival. The unique partnership,
strengthened by BET's position as the leading media and entertainment
provider for African Americans and consumers of Black culture, will further
establish the festival as one of the world's largest competitive film
festivals designed to redefine and enhance the roles of multicultural
constituents in contemporary cinema.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA)(NYSE: VIA.B), is the
nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public
affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary
BET channel reaches more than 87 million households according to Nielsen Media
Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the
dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business
extensions: BET.com, a leading internet destination for Black entertainment,
music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel and BET
Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET
Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET
Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home
environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides
ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET
International, an extension of BET network programming for global
distribution.
ABOUT URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL:
Urbanworld launched in August 1997 and was founded by former executive at
Miramax Stacy Spikes. Over the past eleven years, Urbanworld has presented
approximately 700 features, shorts and documentaries, with estimated
attendance reaching 15,000+. Now in its twelfth year, the Urbanworld Film
Festival is the largest internationally competitive festival of its kind.
Urbanworld re-defines the competitive film festival landscape with its fresh
and necessary approach to spreading the voices of a multicultural world. The
Urbanworld Film Festival is an initiative produced by the Urbanworld
Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to implementing programs and
events that support the development and success of the urban filmmaking
community. Stacy Spikes serves as chairman emeritus. Gabrielle Glore serves
as executive producer.
12TH ANNUAL URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL
2008 ROSTER
Closing Night Film: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Spotlight Screenings Include:
WU: THE STORY OF THE WU-TANG CLAN directed by Gerald Barclay
TENNESSEE directed by Aaron Woodley
Narrative Features Include 16 Films:
BALL DON'T LIE directed by Brin Hill
BALLAST directed by Lance Hammer
CIGARETTES FOR BREAKFAST directed by Daniel Williams
I USED TO LOVE HER directed by Mark Harris
JAZZ IN THE DIAMOND DISTRICT directed by Lindsey Christian
PHANTOM PUNCH directed by Robert Townsend
SEAL TEAM VI directed by Mark Andrews
SECOND CHANCE directed by Iris Huey
SISTER'S KEEPER directed by Kent Faulcon
SOMETHING IS KILLING TATE directed by Leon Lozano
STREETBALLERS directed by Matt Krentz
THE HEART SPECIALIST directed by Dennis Cooper
THIS IS NOT A TEST directed by Christopher Angel
TRUTH HALL directed by Jade Dixon
UP WITH ME directed by Greg Takoudes
WHITE LIES BLACK SHEEP directed by James Spooner
Narrative Shorts Include 40 Films:
(MIS) LEADING MAN directed by Morocco Omari
3RD OF JULY directed by Ben Chace
A DAY'S WORK directed by Rajeev Dassani
A PRAYER directed by Louie P.
AFIA directed by Lacey Duke
AWILDA AND THE BEE directed by Lyndon McCray
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: THE MOVIE directed by Buttahman
CLASSIFIED directed by Sherman Payne
CRENSHAW NIGHTS directed by Pete D. Gelles
EXPECTATIONS OF A FATHER directed by Jerry E
HOLLYWOOD JEROME directed by Frey Hoffman
KUNG FU GRANNY directed by Myra Sito Velasquez
LARRY (THE ACTOR) directed by Eric Poydar
LIMPIANO SAPOS directed by Vero Shamo-Garcia
LINUS directed by Julius Onah
LO directed by Joe Kim
LOVE CONQUERS AL directed by Kamali Minter
NAPPY HEADS directed by Sabrina Moella
OVER DA RAINBOW directed by Jared Lapidus
PALM TREES DOWN 3RD STREET directed by Maria Judice
PAPICHULO directed by Marquis Smalls
PREMATURE directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green
SHY directed by April Rouveyrol
SIRI OKO FO directed by Heather Murphy
SOUTH CENTRAL DAZE directed by Marquise C.
THE DOLL directed by Dante James
THE PRINCE OF VENICE directed by Yaa Boaa Aning
THE SECOND COMING directed by Ya'ke Smith
THE SOUL SEARCHERS SERIES: GET THEE BEHIND ME directed by Jeffrey Wray
THE YOUNG AND EVIL directed by Julian Breece
UK SPOTLIGHT - BLANK SLATE SHORTS PROGRAM (8 FILMS)
URBAN GENESIS directed by Larry Bryant
VICTIM directed by Cesar Mazariegos
Documentary Features Include 19 Films:
ADJUST YOUR COLOR: THE TRUTH OF PETEY GREENE directed by Loren Mendell
ALL OF US directed by Emily Abt
ARUSI directed by Marjan Tehrani
BALLOU directed by Michael Patrei
BIGG SNOOP DOGG'S YOUTH AUTHORITY directed by Gabriel London
CALAVERA HIGHWAY directed by Renee Tajima-Pena
DIARY OF A TIRED BLACK MAN directed by Tim Alexander
FAMILIAR VOICES directed by Danny Mendoza
IN PRISON MY WHOLE LIFE directed by Marc Evans
LA AMERICANA directed by Nicholas Bruckman
MALCOLM'S ECHO: THE LEGACY OF MALCOLM X directed by Dami Akinnusi
NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET directed by James Dziura
ONE BAD CAT directed by Thomas G. Miller
SLINGSHOT HIP-HOP directed by Jackie Salloum
SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING directed by Robert Small
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WATER directed by Jeremy Robins
THE REAL GREAT DEBATERS directed by Brad Osborne
THIS IS THE LIFE directed by Ava DuVernay
TWO TURNTABLES AND A MICROPHONE directed by Guy Logan
Documentary Shorts Include 7 Films:
50 SHOTS directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green
EL PLAY directed by Pablo Medina
FRESH OF THE BOAT by Katrina Lucas
JUROR NUMBER SIX directed by Rachel Lyon
SEEN BUT NOT HEARD directed by Cyrille Phipps
THE 13TH AMENDMENT directed by Mike D.
URSULA RUCKER - POET directed by Michael J. Dennis
Reverend Run's Words of Wisdom
Good morning. Will-power and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair. Be persistent!! The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard , and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. ONLY A FEW carry on despite all opposition or misfortune. (HERE'S MY QUESTION????) Are you one of those few????? JOIN THE FEW!!! PERSIST!!!
God is Love
Rev Run
God is Love
Rev Run
Reverend Run's Words of Wisdom
Good morning. Will-power and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair. Be persistent!! The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard , and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. ONLY A FEW carry on despite all opposition or misfortune. (HERE'S MY QUESTION????) Are you one of those few????? JOIN THE FEW!!! PERSIST!!!
God is Love
Rev Run
God is Love
Rev Run
Jackie Chan- UNICEF AMBASSADOR SINCE 2004
Action star Jackie Chan has received a special UNICEF award for his work with children.
Chan was a guest at a UNICEF reception held in China on August 9, where awards were presented to UNICEF supporting partners and goodwill ambassadors who have aided the organization’s efforts to help children all over the world. The event – called Champions for Children – served two purposes: to advocate for vulnerable children and to thank all of UNICEF’s partners, including the Chinese government, for their tireless work.
Attendees at the function listened to talks from Chan and world reknowned pianist Lang Lang, as well as the words of young survivors from the Sichuan earthquake
Story pulled from Look to the Stars
Chan was a guest at a UNICEF reception held in China on August 9, where awards were presented to UNICEF supporting partners and goodwill ambassadors who have aided the organization’s efforts to help children all over the world. The event – called Champions for Children – served two purposes: to advocate for vulnerable children and to thank all of UNICEF’s partners, including the Chinese government, for their tireless work.
Attendees at the function listened to talks from Chan and world reknowned pianist Lang Lang, as well as the words of young survivors from the Sichuan earthquake
Story pulled from Look to the Stars
Andre Aggassi Charitable Foundation
Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik will join James Taylor for a special VIP event to raise money for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.
Andre Agassi’s 2008 Grand Slam for Children will take place on October 11 at Wynn Las Vegas and feature a concert by Grammy-award winning singer Sheryl Crow, with other performers to be announced soon. However, the gala will be preceded the previous night – October 10 – by a special show featuring Ondrasik and Taylor for Gold and Diamond sponsors.
The Grand Slam shows will follow the charity’s annual A Night In The Hamptons event on August 16 at Ross School. The evening will be hosted by Agassi and will include dinner, a live auction and a special performance by Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas. Emcees for the evening will be Chevy Chase and Kelsey Grammar. The event is limited to 35 table sponsorships at $35,000 each, with 10 seats per table. Individual seats are also available at $3,500 each.
The Andre Agassi Foundation – which focuses on changing the lives of at-risk children through programs that provide educational and recreational opportunities and has raised over $70 million to support these programs in the last 14 years – hopes this will be a very intimate event where sponsors can hear directly from Andre Agassi how the Foundation is working to effect change in public education and at the same time, have a fantastic evening for a great cause.
Andre Agassi’s 2008 Grand Slam for Children will take place on October 11 at Wynn Las Vegas and feature a concert by Grammy-award winning singer Sheryl Crow, with other performers to be announced soon. However, the gala will be preceded the previous night – October 10 – by a special show featuring Ondrasik and Taylor for Gold and Diamond sponsors.
The Grand Slam shows will follow the charity’s annual A Night In The Hamptons event on August 16 at Ross School. The evening will be hosted by Agassi and will include dinner, a live auction and a special performance by Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas. Emcees for the evening will be Chevy Chase and Kelsey Grammar. The event is limited to 35 table sponsorships at $35,000 each, with 10 seats per table. Individual seats are also available at $3,500 each.
The Andre Agassi Foundation – which focuses on changing the lives of at-risk children through programs that provide educational and recreational opportunities and has raised over $70 million to support these programs in the last 14 years – hopes this will be a very intimate event where sponsors can hear directly from Andre Agassi how the Foundation is working to effect change in public education and at the same time, have a fantastic evening for a great cause.
P. Miller Makes History!
Better Black Television (BBTV) Set to Launch Worldwide in 2009
P. Miller Makes History as the First Hip-Hop Entrepreneur to Own a Television Network, Is the Youngest Chairman in the Game, and Takes His Fast-Paced, Growing Brand to Wall Street
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - August 15, 2008) - Percy Miller (formerly Master P) announces the launch of Better Black Television (BBTV) a family friendly network that will provide positive content for a black and brown culture that will appeal to all races with a goal to bring people of color a choice when turning on their television. The content on the channel will contain a wide arrangement from health and fitness, animation, financial planning, reality TV, sitcoms, dramas, movies, responsible hip-hop music and videos, politics, sports and entertainment news, educational children's shows as well as teen and family programming. Production has begun and will be based out of California, New York, Louisiana and Florida. In addition, BBTV is in the process of purchasing local cable channel affiliates across the country.
Born in Hollywood, Better Black Television is the brainchild and passion of some of the most diverse, powerful, celebrated entertainers, influentials and trendsetters from the Television, Film, Professional Sports, Corporate America and Music industries. These visionaries all share the common goal of enhancing the current television landscape for this highly coveted demographic currently monopolized by only a few significant providers, with fresh, innovative, uplifting and above all family-friendly entertainment. Envisioned and headed by its Founder, P. Miller, a legendary music, film, and television entertainer as well as world-renowned African-American entrepreneur and social activist, Better Black Television is guided, staffed and supported by a highly skilled, talented, and above all dedicated team of professionals that have been working for more than 5 years to make this dream a reality.
"Better Black Television has been a vision of mine for some years," said Miller, BBTV's Chairman & CEO. "I've done a lot to promote and change the way messages are relayed to our children and our families over the last few years. Promoting positive content and positive messages is so important to educate and preserve the next generation. Being exposed to positive content is what changed my life. I believe that there is a market in our community for a new diverse network that provides a new brand of superior programming that caters to all aspects of television from reality to original programming. In addition, I'm excited to be able to expose the urban community to a vast array of jobs in the entertainment community that they might not otherwise be privy to. I have a great relationship with BET and MTV and my son and I will continue to do work with them and support their networks. With BBTV, we're spearheading the initiative to meet consumer demand for family friendly hip-hop content."
The BBTV Advisory Board members consist of some of the most significant entertainers in Hollywood, professional athletes as well as movers and shakers in the community such as Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Denzel Washington; businessman and Academy Award nominee Will Smith; Vault Load Films President, entrepreneur and senior level business executive, Jim Finkl; NAACP Executive Director Vicangelo Bullock; Professional basketball player and businessman Derek Anderson (Charlotte Bobcats); an award winning, 20-year veteran of the cable television and film industry, Professor Sal Martino; businessman, community activist and founding father of hip-hop, DJ Kool Herc; entrepreneur, businessman and animation specialist, Olatokunbo Betiku; and community activist, Board President of Nailah House Foster Family Agency, speaker and teacher at Trump University, real estate mogul Curtis Oakes.
Preliminary List of Better Black Television Programming:
-- Sunset and Vine -- Hosted by Vyshonn Miller and Brittany
Phillips -- This video show will showcase the top 8 at 8pm, the top
hip-hop and R&B acts as well as play classic videos and will feature
a section where you can vote on new indie unsigned artists who will
showcase their talent and the audience will have the option to place
them in the "You Pick It Video" section by voting for them online.
-- One Shot Comedy Show -- will consist of clean hilarious comedy and
will be hosted by Gary Johnson (a.k.a. G-Thing) and some of the
funniest comedians around. It will give upcoming comedians the
opportunity to hit the stage.
-- Gee Gee the Giraffe -- Children's educational show featuring Gee Gee
the Giraffe, a magical friend that takes kids on educational
adventures focused on reading and writing. (Will air on BBTV Kids
Saturday Morning Show).
-- Manage Your Money -- Featuring financially successful people lending
information to viewers to help promote financial literacy.
-- Close to the Starz -- A behind the scenes show that takes the viewers
up close and personal to their favorite celebrities.
-- Karma TV Show -- Bilingual soap opera with an African-American and
Latino cast.
-- What's Cooking TV Show -- Talk show that covers wide aspects of
entertainment and current events while cooking and enjoying a good
meal. The host and guests prepare healthy, budget-conscious meals.
-- The Black List Movies -- Family friendly content featuring or created
by top filmmakers and actors. From the classics of the past to the
biggest stars of today, from original BBTV productions to quality
independents, you'll find them on "The Black List."
-- Hip-Hop Garage Show -- Saturday show that will play nothing but the
hottest new and upcoming artists in their latest music videos and
interviews selected with content appropriate to BBTV's mission and
standards.
"We're extremely proud of our programming that will be airing on BBTV," said Miller. "It's extremely important to feed clean, quality, and positive subject matter to our families. We believe TV content can be positive and responsible and still have good ratings with great content. BBTV will offer all kinds of family friendly entertainment that everyone can enjoy. Our mission is to target the new generation of responsible African-American and multi-ethnic English speaking American and family oriented and responsible hip-hop consumers who are taking charge of their families and striving for a better tomorrow.
"I remember Bob Johnson, founder of BET, telling me back in the day that if you wanted to know real estate, you've got to hang out with real estate investors. If you wanted to know sports, you've got to hang out with athletes. I wanted to know TV, so I hung out with Bob and learned the TV game from one of the best in the business."
Better Black Television Mission Statement:
Better Black Television (BBTV) is committed to being a leading African-American multimedia entertainment company by establishing a distinct, valued, trusted, and socially responsible consumer brand within the African-American and multi-ethnic, English-speaking marketplace. We plan to accomplish this mission by delivering quality, family oriented entertainment and information to the quickly growing urban consumer base of our target audience through the use of television and Internet resources.
www.BETTERBLACKTV.com
P. Miller Makes History as the First Hip-Hop Entrepreneur to Own a Television Network, Is the Youngest Chairman in the Game, and Takes His Fast-Paced, Growing Brand to Wall Street
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - August 15, 2008) - Percy Miller (formerly Master P) announces the launch of Better Black Television (BBTV) a family friendly network that will provide positive content for a black and brown culture that will appeal to all races with a goal to bring people of color a choice when turning on their television. The content on the channel will contain a wide arrangement from health and fitness, animation, financial planning, reality TV, sitcoms, dramas, movies, responsible hip-hop music and videos, politics, sports and entertainment news, educational children's shows as well as teen and family programming. Production has begun and will be based out of California, New York, Louisiana and Florida. In addition, BBTV is in the process of purchasing local cable channel affiliates across the country.
Born in Hollywood, Better Black Television is the brainchild and passion of some of the most diverse, powerful, celebrated entertainers, influentials and trendsetters from the Television, Film, Professional Sports, Corporate America and Music industries. These visionaries all share the common goal of enhancing the current television landscape for this highly coveted demographic currently monopolized by only a few significant providers, with fresh, innovative, uplifting and above all family-friendly entertainment. Envisioned and headed by its Founder, P. Miller, a legendary music, film, and television entertainer as well as world-renowned African-American entrepreneur and social activist, Better Black Television is guided, staffed and supported by a highly skilled, talented, and above all dedicated team of professionals that have been working for more than 5 years to make this dream a reality.
"Better Black Television has been a vision of mine for some years," said Miller, BBTV's Chairman & CEO. "I've done a lot to promote and change the way messages are relayed to our children and our families over the last few years. Promoting positive content and positive messages is so important to educate and preserve the next generation. Being exposed to positive content is what changed my life. I believe that there is a market in our community for a new diverse network that provides a new brand of superior programming that caters to all aspects of television from reality to original programming. In addition, I'm excited to be able to expose the urban community to a vast array of jobs in the entertainment community that they might not otherwise be privy to. I have a great relationship with BET and MTV and my son and I will continue to do work with them and support their networks. With BBTV, we're spearheading the initiative to meet consumer demand for family friendly hip-hop content."
The BBTV Advisory Board members consist of some of the most significant entertainers in Hollywood, professional athletes as well as movers and shakers in the community such as Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Denzel Washington; businessman and Academy Award nominee Will Smith; Vault Load Films President, entrepreneur and senior level business executive, Jim Finkl; NAACP Executive Director Vicangelo Bullock; Professional basketball player and businessman Derek Anderson (Charlotte Bobcats); an award winning, 20-year veteran of the cable television and film industry, Professor Sal Martino; businessman, community activist and founding father of hip-hop, DJ Kool Herc; entrepreneur, businessman and animation specialist, Olatokunbo Betiku; and community activist, Board President of Nailah House Foster Family Agency, speaker and teacher at Trump University, real estate mogul Curtis Oakes.
Preliminary List of Better Black Television Programming:
-- Sunset and Vine -- Hosted by Vyshonn Miller and Brittany
Phillips -- This video show will showcase the top 8 at 8pm, the top
hip-hop and R&B acts as well as play classic videos and will feature
a section where you can vote on new indie unsigned artists who will
showcase their talent and the audience will have the option to place
them in the "You Pick It Video" section by voting for them online.
-- One Shot Comedy Show -- will consist of clean hilarious comedy and
will be hosted by Gary Johnson (a.k.a. G-Thing) and some of the
funniest comedians around. It will give upcoming comedians the
opportunity to hit the stage.
-- Gee Gee the Giraffe -- Children's educational show featuring Gee Gee
the Giraffe, a magical friend that takes kids on educational
adventures focused on reading and writing. (Will air on BBTV Kids
Saturday Morning Show).
-- Manage Your Money -- Featuring financially successful people lending
information to viewers to help promote financial literacy.
-- Close to the Starz -- A behind the scenes show that takes the viewers
up close and personal to their favorite celebrities.
-- Karma TV Show -- Bilingual soap opera with an African-American and
Latino cast.
-- What's Cooking TV Show -- Talk show that covers wide aspects of
entertainment and current events while cooking and enjoying a good
meal. The host and guests prepare healthy, budget-conscious meals.
-- The Black List Movies -- Family friendly content featuring or created
by top filmmakers and actors. From the classics of the past to the
biggest stars of today, from original BBTV productions to quality
independents, you'll find them on "The Black List."
-- Hip-Hop Garage Show -- Saturday show that will play nothing but the
hottest new and upcoming artists in their latest music videos and
interviews selected with content appropriate to BBTV's mission and
standards.
"We're extremely proud of our programming that will be airing on BBTV," said Miller. "It's extremely important to feed clean, quality, and positive subject matter to our families. We believe TV content can be positive and responsible and still have good ratings with great content. BBTV will offer all kinds of family friendly entertainment that everyone can enjoy. Our mission is to target the new generation of responsible African-American and multi-ethnic English speaking American and family oriented and responsible hip-hop consumers who are taking charge of their families and striving for a better tomorrow.
"I remember Bob Johnson, founder of BET, telling me back in the day that if you wanted to know real estate, you've got to hang out with real estate investors. If you wanted to know sports, you've got to hang out with athletes. I wanted to know TV, so I hung out with Bob and learned the TV game from one of the best in the business."
Better Black Television Mission Statement:
Better Black Television (BBTV) is committed to being a leading African-American multimedia entertainment company by establishing a distinct, valued, trusted, and socially responsible consumer brand within the African-American and multi-ethnic, English-speaking marketplace. We plan to accomplish this mission by delivering quality, family oriented entertainment and information to the quickly growing urban consumer base of our target audience through the use of television and Internet resources.
www.BETTERBLACKTV.com
NIKE+ HUMAN RACE! KANYE PERFORMING!!
Kanye West Announced As Grand Finale Performance For The Nike+ Human Race - The World's Largest One Day Running Event
Moby Confirmed To Play London as Online Registration Opens Globally
Music takes center stage on the heels of the official registration opening for the Nike+ Human Race, the world's biggest one-day running event taking place on August 31, 2008. The race brings together the power of sport and music to inspire and connect runners from every corner of the planet. Participants in this unprecedented event will experience an exclusive music performance by some of today's top artists in each of the 25 designated race cities.
In Los Angeles, nine-time Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West will headline the run's post race concert for the grand finale of the 25-city Nike+ Human Race. Runners will take to the streets passing the city's most famous landmarks before ending at the LA Coliseum to see West take the stage.
"I'm hitting the stage in Los Angeles for the Nike+ Human Race, Nike's dopest 10k run ever. This race is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to run and listen to some great music while serving a higher cause, and I'm excited to perform in L.A. as part of the grand finale."
West's performance will bring to a close, an unprecedented day of races and activities around the globe starting in Taipei , ending in LA and including cities across Europe, Asia and North and South America.
In London, runners will be treated to an exclusive performance by world-renowned American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer Moby in the city's famed Wembley Stadium. Other all-star artists confirmed to play at the Nike+ Human Race include chart-topping rock band All-American Rejects in NY; hometown favorite Fall Out Boy in Chicago; R&B songstress Kelly Rowland in Paris; dance-electro-pop duo The Pinker Tones in Madrid, Turkish pop sensation Kenan Dogulu in Istanbul; the Fantastic Four in Munich; Beijing-based singing duo Yu Quan in Shanghai and American rock band Boy Likes Girl in Singapore.
Beyond running and music, the Nike+ Human Race is also an opportunity to give back. Participants will be able to run for a worthy cause and support the three official Nike+ Human Race charitable partners: the Lance Armstrong Foundation – uniting people in the fight against cancer; WWF - the global conservation organization addressing the causes and impacts of climate change; and the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign – bringing sport and education to refugee youth. Together, Nike and runners will raise funds to donate at least USD $3 million to the Nike+ Human Race charities. Money will be raised via givebacks from registration fees, a percentage of Nike+ Human Race t-shirt sales and a donation of USD $1 million from Nike.
The Nike+ Human Race will also feature an online pledge tool so individual runners can donate additional funds to the cause of their choice and invite friends and family to contribute on their behalf.
"As a committed runner and a cancer survivor, I'm proud to be participating in the Nike+ Human Race," Lance Armstrong said. "The race offers the best of both worlds by bringing together a global community to run together and support worthy causes like the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org and WWF in our combined efforts to have a positive impact on the world."
Other Nike athletes will also be joining the movement to run with the world and for a cause. Like Lance Armstrong, they will serve as honorary athlete ambassadors for the charities and join in Human Race activities. Six-time marathon winner and current NY Marathon Champion, Paula Radcliffe and middle distance runner Kara Goucher will be running to support WWF, while marathoner Meb Keflezighi will be representing ninemillion.org.
Nikeplus.com will be the official destination for the Nike+ Human Race and for all pre-race training needs. Here, runners can create a personal profile page or stay motivated by sampling and downloading the latest in Nike+ Sport Music offerings. Sport Music offers runners the best in original Training Run and Coaching Mixes designed specifically for treadmill and road runs. Beginning June 15, runners will also be able to visit Race City pages covering local race info and news, Training pages for information and links to in-city training runs, events with official race partners including 24Hour Fitness and Starbucks and Nike+ Coach training. Gear pages covering the latest in Nike performance training gear and Nike+ product will also be offered.
For more information on the Nike+ Human Race and a complete listing of race cities visit nikeplus.com.
Moby Confirmed To Play London as Online Registration Opens Globally
Music takes center stage on the heels of the official registration opening for the Nike+ Human Race, the world's biggest one-day running event taking place on August 31, 2008. The race brings together the power of sport and music to inspire and connect runners from every corner of the planet. Participants in this unprecedented event will experience an exclusive music performance by some of today's top artists in each of the 25 designated race cities.
In Los Angeles, nine-time Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West will headline the run's post race concert for the grand finale of the 25-city Nike+ Human Race. Runners will take to the streets passing the city's most famous landmarks before ending at the LA Coliseum to see West take the stage.
"I'm hitting the stage in Los Angeles for the Nike+ Human Race, Nike's dopest 10k run ever. This race is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to run and listen to some great music while serving a higher cause, and I'm excited to perform in L.A. as part of the grand finale."
West's performance will bring to a close, an unprecedented day of races and activities around the globe starting in Taipei , ending in LA and including cities across Europe, Asia and North and South America.
In London, runners will be treated to an exclusive performance by world-renowned American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer Moby in the city's famed Wembley Stadium. Other all-star artists confirmed to play at the Nike+ Human Race include chart-topping rock band All-American Rejects in NY; hometown favorite Fall Out Boy in Chicago; R&B songstress Kelly Rowland in Paris; dance-electro-pop duo The Pinker Tones in Madrid, Turkish pop sensation Kenan Dogulu in Istanbul; the Fantastic Four in Munich; Beijing-based singing duo Yu Quan in Shanghai and American rock band Boy Likes Girl in Singapore.
Beyond running and music, the Nike+ Human Race is also an opportunity to give back. Participants will be able to run for a worthy cause and support the three official Nike+ Human Race charitable partners: the Lance Armstrong Foundation – uniting people in the fight against cancer; WWF - the global conservation organization addressing the causes and impacts of climate change; and the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign – bringing sport and education to refugee youth. Together, Nike and runners will raise funds to donate at least USD $3 million to the Nike+ Human Race charities. Money will be raised via givebacks from registration fees, a percentage of Nike+ Human Race t-shirt sales and a donation of USD $1 million from Nike.
The Nike+ Human Race will also feature an online pledge tool so individual runners can donate additional funds to the cause of their choice and invite friends and family to contribute on their behalf.
"As a committed runner and a cancer survivor, I'm proud to be participating in the Nike+ Human Race," Lance Armstrong said. "The race offers the best of both worlds by bringing together a global community to run together and support worthy causes like the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org and WWF in our combined efforts to have a positive impact on the world."
Other Nike athletes will also be joining the movement to run with the world and for a cause. Like Lance Armstrong, they will serve as honorary athlete ambassadors for the charities and join in Human Race activities. Six-time marathon winner and current NY Marathon Champion, Paula Radcliffe and middle distance runner Kara Goucher will be running to support WWF, while marathoner Meb Keflezighi will be representing ninemillion.org.
Nikeplus.com will be the official destination for the Nike+ Human Race and for all pre-race training needs. Here, runners can create a personal profile page or stay motivated by sampling and downloading the latest in Nike+ Sport Music offerings. Sport Music offers runners the best in original Training Run and Coaching Mixes designed specifically for treadmill and road runs. Beginning June 15, runners will also be able to visit Race City pages covering local race info and news, Training pages for information and links to in-city training runs, events with official race partners including 24Hour Fitness and Starbucks and Nike+ Coach training. Gear pages covering the latest in Nike performance training gear and Nike+ product will also be offered.
For more information on the Nike+ Human Race and a complete listing of race cities visit nikeplus.com.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Name that tune...no...BRAND THAT SOUND!
Potato-potato-potato!” Know what that sound is? Maybe you don’t recognize the onomatopoeia, but you must certainly know the actual sound. It’s the “Hog Call,” the rev of a Harley Davidson, and it’s one of the most recognized sounds of one of the most recognized brands in the US.
As for “potato-potato-potato,” that’s the sound that Harley tried to trademark back in the ’90s. In 1994, Harley filed a registration for a trademark of its V-twin engine sound. It read “the mark consists of the exhaust sound of applicant’s motorcycles, produced by V-twin, common crankpin motorcycle engines when the goods are in use.” Though it was denied, there are more than a few sound trademark applications that made it through. About 300, in fact. Here are 17 of the most recognized:
1. NBC’s musical notes G, E, C played on chimes. NBC was the first to trademark a sound for its radio broadcasting services in 1950.
2. MGM’s lion’s roar
3. The song “Sweet Georgia Brown” for The Harlem Globetrotters
4. Tetris’ “electronic Russian folkstyle tune,” owned by Elorg Company
5. Intel’s 5 note ding
6. “D’Oh” spoken by Homer is owned by Fox
7. The 9 bars of musical chord in the key of B Flat that typically opens a Twentieth Century Fox movie
8. Looney Toons Theme Song, owned by Time Warner
9. The spoken letters “AT&T” with a music in the background
10. “Cha-Ching,” owned by Checker’s Restaurants
11. “Yahoo!” sung in a yodeling style
12. Nokia’s default ringtone
13. Mister Softee’s Jingle
14. “Hello and Welcome to Moviefone,” owned by America Online
15. The sound of the crowd & bell from the New York Stock Exchange’s trading floor
16. TiVo’s popping sounds (in 2 and 6 tones)
17. Pillsbury Doughboy’s giggle
Can’t you just hear them already? If not, head over to the US and Patent Trademark Office where they have each of the sound files ready to refresh your memory.
Article pulled from www.mentalfloss.com
‘Maddenpalooza’ Headlines 20th Anniversary
As the start of the 2008 NFL season approaches in earnest, one much-awaited event remains. At 12 a.m. EST on Aug. 12, sports fans won’t have to wait any longer as they will finally have the chance to get their hands on the popular video game franchise Madden NFL 09.Making this year’s game even more special, Electronic Arts will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Madden by celebrating its release with the biggest product launch event in its history.
“‘Maddenpalooza’ will be the single largest launch event in video game history,” said EA Sports president Peter Moore. “As we continue to extend the EA Sports brand, Madden acts as a leading vehicle to connect with our fans.”
With more than 70 million copies sold, the franchise is gearing up to put the finishing touches on its 20th anniversary release party. The launch event, “Maddenpalooza,” will celebrate its top-selling game with a fan festival featuring music, sports and gaming at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Launch festivities will take place on the afternoon of Aug. 11 leading up to the midnight release.
Anthony Stevenson, Senior Product Manager for Madden, explained, “We plan to pay homage to Madden’s history in a big way throughout the entire night at ‘Maddenpalooza.’ We’ll have former cover guys there to sign autographs, tons of imagery from all the old games and live musical performances from bands who have contributed to the Madden soundtrack over the years.” Headliners for the live musical performances will include Good Charlotte and Busta Rhymes.
“This event is a way to celebrate the history and future of Madden,” said Chris Erb, Director of Marketing for Electronic Arts. NFL PLAYERS Chief Operating Officer Andy Feffer agreed, adding, “The magnitude of ‘Maddenpalooza’ and the 20th anniversary of the Madden game are impressive. The fact that the Madden phenomena has grown to these proportions demonstrates the great innovation of EA Sports as an organization. We are thrilled to be partners with the leaders in the video game industry.”
The history of the Madden launch event dates back to 2006, when EA personnel began to realize that gamers were actually taking the day off from work and school in anticipation of purchasing a copy of the game.
Erb said, “With the growth of the EA Sports brand, we felt the launch of the game deserved an impact similar to that of a theatrical release.” So, in August 2006, EA trekked down to Madden, Miss. (the only town named Madden in the United States) and held an event, “Maddenoliday,” which featured retired NFL stars Jerry Rice, Marshall Faulk and Warren Moon.
“The idea was to do more to connect with our allegiance of followers,” Erb said. The Xbox-sponsored event included donations of Xbox 360 consoles to the town of Madden for everyone to get a first look at the game.
In 2007, EA took things a step further as “Maddenoliday” took place on the grandest of stages, New York City. Players and fans were able to compete against each other on the Jumbo-tron in Times Square. Not to leave any stone unturned, the midnight release of the game culminated with a countdown on the Reuters building, with New York Giants great Tiki Barber presenting the sale of the first game at a nearby Toys “R” Us.
So, how will next week’s “Maddenpalooza” top “Maddenoliday” from the previous two years?
“We want this year to be different and fresh. But most importantly, we want to get the fans more involved then ever before,” Erb said. “So, what we’ve done for the first time this year is create an interactive fan experience where the event is open to the public.”
Although the event is open to the public, there is still a bit of a VIP twist to it, as only the first 1,000 fans in line are guaranteed access. But those inside will not be disappointed—the newest version is extremely realistic, featuring authentic NFL stadiums, action shots from several angles and many added features.
Once inside, the event will include over 300 gaming kiosks, player autograph stages, the aforementioned live musical performances and even the chance to compete against NFL players on Madden NFL 09, “the best Madden to date,” according to head producer Phil Frazier. “It’s the most adaptable, visually stunning and deepest experience you’ve ever seen. I’m still amazed when I see the game in motion,” he said.
Madden fever is in full swing, and for the 20th time, there is no doubt that EA will deliver in a big way for its loyal customers. Fans have the date circled on their calendars, and don’t be surprised to see the most faithful Madden players camping out in front of the Rose Bowl. Some view it as the opportunity of a lifetime—to others, it’s simply this year’s Maddenoliday.
Friday, August 8, 2008
SEX with Designer Standards!!!
Here’s One Marc Jacobs Item We Bet You Don’t Have!!
You know you want IT!
Photo: eBay
We’ve been accused of being a wee bit prone to wearing anything with labels. Hey, it’s not our fault! Blame our job. On any given day we can count two or three designers from head-to-toe-to-bag. Pretty awful, we know. But even we have to draw the line at some things, though they may come with a Marc Jacobs label. Yes, we’re talking about an MJ condom. Available on eBay, it’s blue, made of rubber, and “100% authentic!” Well, we should hope there isn’t a market for counterfeit designer condoms, but you never can tell. And should your willy need to be decked out in such a high-end fashion, it’ll only cost you $1.99. Plus, it comes with a very special message from our favorite man himself: "REMEMBER, SAFETY FIRST! XXOO, MARC JACOBS.” The auction ends on August 11., so get those bids in! Though if you win it, you may be accused of being a label whore (not that we're judging). —Amina Akhtar
100% Authentic Marc Jacobs Condom Limited Edition Rare [eBay via Celebrityfashion]
You know you want IT!Photo: eBay
We’ve been accused of being a wee bit prone to wearing anything with labels. Hey, it’s not our fault! Blame our job. On any given day we can count two or three designers from head-to-toe-to-bag. Pretty awful, we know. But even we have to draw the line at some things, though they may come with a Marc Jacobs label. Yes, we’re talking about an MJ condom. Available on eBay, it’s blue, made of rubber, and “100% authentic!” Well, we should hope there isn’t a market for counterfeit designer condoms, but you never can tell. And should your willy need to be decked out in such a high-end fashion, it’ll only cost you $1.99. Plus, it comes with a very special message from our favorite man himself: "REMEMBER, SAFETY FIRST! XXOO, MARC JACOBS.” The auction ends on August 11., so get those bids in! Though if you win it, you may be accused of being a label whore (not that we're judging). —Amina Akhtar
100% Authentic Marc Jacobs Condom Limited Edition Rare [eBay via Celebrityfashion]
SEX with Designer Standards!!!
Here’s One Marc Jacobs Item We Bet You Don’t Have!!!
Photo: eBay
You know you want IT!
We’ve been accused of being a wee bit prone to wearing anything with labels. Hey, it’s not our fault! Blame our job. On any given day we can count two or three designers from head-to-toe-to-bag. Pretty awful, we know. But even we have to draw the line at some things, though they may come with a Marc Jacobs label. Yes, we’re talking about an MJ condom. Available on eBay, it’s blue, made of rubber, and “100% authentic!” Well, we should hope there isn’t a market for counterfeit designer condoms, but you never can tell. And should your willy need to be decked out in such a high-end fashion, it’ll only cost you $1.99. Plus, it comes with a very special message from our favorite man himself: "REMEMBER, SAFETY FIRST! XXOO, MARC JACOBS.” The auction ends on August 11., so get those bids in! Though if you win it, you may be accused of being a label whore (not that we're judging). —Amina Akhtar
100% Authentic Marc Jacobs Condom Limited Edition Rare [eBay via Celebrityfashion]
Diddy Wants to Anoint You With Fragrant Oils
Do you feel kingly yet?
Photo: Courtesy of Sean John
We know we're not alone when we say this, but we completely heart Diddy. His brazen love of self, propensity for speaking in the third person, how much he enjoys being rich. Some have called him "arrogant," and his grand displays of nouveau riche wealth "vulgar" but, to paraphrase Diana Vreeland, better to be vulgar than boring. And Diddy is definitely not boring (case in point: his recent YouTube dispatch warning that levels of global "bitchassness" are reaching record highs).
So we weren't surprised to hear that he was naming his new fragrance I Am King. (Though we were surprised to hear it's expected to make more than $100 million globally in its first year alone. For reals? Damn!) WWD reports that the new cologne will launch exclusively at Macy's in December before going global in February, to be followed by an I Am Queen perfume for all the lay days in 2009.
What's in a name? "I believe in positive affirmations," Diddy says. "If I say, 'I am not going to succeed, I'm a loser,' then that's what I am going to be. If we say we're kings and we say we're queens, that's what we're going to be. It has nothing to do with being arrogant."
The print and TV campaign for I Am King portray Combs as a mogul in a suit, cavorting around Monaco and Saint-Tropez with models Bar Refaeli and Ana Paula, on jet skis around the French Riviera, lounging aboard his palatial yacht and playing the tables inside the Casino de Paris in Monte Carlo. So, you know, his everyday life. According to Diana Espino, vice-president and general manager of Sean John Fragrances, "This is a story that needs to be told." Like the story of Jesus! Who was, coincidentally, also a king, and we bet would've totally dominated at the craps table as well. He would've passed on the jet skis, though: "No thanks, Diddy, I'll walk." —Noelle Hancock
Combs Crowns New Men's Scent [WWD]
Thursday, August 7, 2008
One Goal Classic Golf Tournament
One Goal Classic Golf Tournament
July 29th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under
Related Post
NHLPA Boss Says Revenue Sharing Key To NHL Stability
NHLPA Takes Issue With IIHF Suspensions
Glenn Healy Accepts Position With NHLPA
NHLPA Golf Classic Raises $100,000 For Ronald McDonald House Charities
Former NHL Enforcer Rob Ray Sues NHLPA
Filed Under: Events
Tags: NHLPA • One Goal Classic
Have you always wondered what it would be like to compete against the best players in the NHL?
Do you have what it takes to play at their level?
This is your chance! While you may not be taking to the ice against hockeys best, you can take your chances on the links against current and former NHL players, at the inaugural OneGoal Classic Golf Tournament at The Club at Bond Head in Toronto on Aug. 20, 2008.
The tournament will benefit the OneGoal Association, helping it to continue to deliver on its vision of increasing youth hockey participation by eliminating real and perceived barriers to entry, while consistently reinforcing the positive aspects of the game with kids ages 4 to 8. The organization is comprised of the biggest stakeholders in hockey, including the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), National Hockey League (NHL), NHL Alumni, USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and the International Hockey Industry Association. Major brands such as Nike-Bauer, Reebok/CCM, Easton Sports and Mission-ITECH are also part of the coalition and are working together to create a broad-scale invitation to new hockey families, easing the beginner process.
According to Bill Hattem, OneGoal’s executive director, “It’s a chance to get on a beautiful course and play with people like Mark Napier, Johnny Bower, Eric Lindros and Mike Pelyk, among others. OneGoal is truly a team effort for the major stakeholders in hockey, and this tournament gives us the chance to connect with people who love hockey and share our vision for the game.”
For a $500 entry fee players will enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, a power cart, a polo shirt, a duffle bag, refreshments, two complimentary cocktails, wine with dinner and greens fees, as well as use of The Club at Bond Head’s top-rate facilities. Companies and individuals are welcome to participate.
Participants will also have the opportunity to check out the silent auction and bid on items such as autographed Sidney Ovechkin and Mats Sundin jerseys. Sponsorship and silent auction donation opportunities are still available for this event.
Interested participants can register for this unique golfing opportunity by calling (514) 342-0366. If you would like more information about OneGoal, please visit us online at www.onegoal.com. The site, available in both French and English, serves as an introduction to the OneGoal Association, as well as to the game of hockey.
We hope to see you on links on August 20, 2008 with the stars of the game of hockey, all in support of the OneGoal Association!
July 29th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under
Related Post
NHLPA Boss Says Revenue Sharing Key To NHL Stability
NHLPA Takes Issue With IIHF Suspensions
Glenn Healy Accepts Position With NHLPA
NHLPA Golf Classic Raises $100,000 For Ronald McDonald House Charities
Former NHL Enforcer Rob Ray Sues NHLPA
Filed Under: Events
Tags: NHLPA • One Goal Classic
Have you always wondered what it would be like to compete against the best players in the NHL?
Do you have what it takes to play at their level?
This is your chance! While you may not be taking to the ice against hockeys best, you can take your chances on the links against current and former NHL players, at the inaugural OneGoal Classic Golf Tournament at The Club at Bond Head in Toronto on Aug. 20, 2008.
The tournament will benefit the OneGoal Association, helping it to continue to deliver on its vision of increasing youth hockey participation by eliminating real and perceived barriers to entry, while consistently reinforcing the positive aspects of the game with kids ages 4 to 8. The organization is comprised of the biggest stakeholders in hockey, including the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), National Hockey League (NHL), NHL Alumni, USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and the International Hockey Industry Association. Major brands such as Nike-Bauer, Reebok/CCM, Easton Sports and Mission-ITECH are also part of the coalition and are working together to create a broad-scale invitation to new hockey families, easing the beginner process.
According to Bill Hattem, OneGoal’s executive director, “It’s a chance to get on a beautiful course and play with people like Mark Napier, Johnny Bower, Eric Lindros and Mike Pelyk, among others. OneGoal is truly a team effort for the major stakeholders in hockey, and this tournament gives us the chance to connect with people who love hockey and share our vision for the game.”
For a $500 entry fee players will enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, a power cart, a polo shirt, a duffle bag, refreshments, two complimentary cocktails, wine with dinner and greens fees, as well as use of The Club at Bond Head’s top-rate facilities. Companies and individuals are welcome to participate.
Participants will also have the opportunity to check out the silent auction and bid on items such as autographed Sidney Ovechkin and Mats Sundin jerseys. Sponsorship and silent auction donation opportunities are still available for this event.
Interested participants can register for this unique golfing opportunity by calling (514) 342-0366. If you would like more information about OneGoal, please visit us online at www.onegoal.com. The site, available in both French and English, serves as an introduction to the OneGoal Association, as well as to the game of hockey.
We hope to see you on links on August 20, 2008 with the stars of the game of hockey, all in support of the OneGoal Association!
Emeka Okafor Meets with Charlotte Media
On July 31, the Bobcats re-signed forward/center Emeka Okafor to a long-term contract. An original member of the Bobcats organization, Okafor along with Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins, met with the local media to discuss the deal and what impact it has on the Bobcats as they look toward the 2008-09 season.
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Bobcats Forward/Center Emeka Okafor
(On re-signing with the Bobcats)
I’ve had a great four years here in Charlotte and it’s very nice to know that my career will be extended here. I’m looking forward to putting on the Bobcats hat and helping the team make great runs. I’d like to thank Bob (Johnson), MJ (Michael Jordan) and the Bobcats organization for showing me the commitment and giving me the opportunity to extend my career here.
(On how important it is to keep the Bobcats core group together)
The longer you can keep a core group together, the better they play. You learn the ins and outs of each other and your strengths and your weaknesses. I think history has shown that whenever you can keep a core group together, they just play better.
(On if he was confident he would remain in Charlotte)
I was hopeful. Basketball has a business side and in the business side, things need to be evaluated and things don’t always end up the way you want. Fortunately in this case it did. It ended up exactly how I wanted it. I was very fortunate in that regard.
(On having Larry Brown as the head coach of the Bobcats)
Larry Brown, he brings a certain dynamic and insight to the game that would make most teams better. I think he’s a perfect fit for us. Our team is young. We are hard working and he can give us that discipline and give us those little insights to the game that can take us to the next level. When I heard that Larry Brown was going to be the new head coach, I was very excited. I thought it was very positive that the organization was making great steps to try to make the team better. I’m just very excited to get the thing going.
(On if this will be a continuation of what he learned while playing for Larry Brown during the Olympics)
I definitely think so. The Olympics are a little bit different in that the coaches come in and they know that the players aren’t necessarily theirs. There is only so much they can impart. That being said, Larry Brown, he still gave us a lot. I’m just excited to have the opportunity to learn more. I think that just the way the organization has been progressing, he’s just going to help just push us along further.
(On if he had any frustrations about not getting a lot of playing time during the Olympics)
I was a college player. I knew I wasn’t going to see the light of day. I was just happy to be there and get a nice welcome to the NBA. I was around Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, a young Dwyane Wade, a young Carmelo (Anthony) and a young LeBron (James), so I was able to come in and just get insight into what league life was about and how things would be conducted.
(On if the contract negotiations were a distraction)
Not at all. Like I said earlier, basketball has a business side, so I was prepared for that. My focus was just to workout and prepare myself for the season. In the back of my mind, I wanted to be a Bobcat, and like I said earlier, sometimes things don’t work out the way you want, but in this case it did. Worrying about the contract negotiations would have just been extra stress that I didn’t need to have.
(On if he ever felt like it wasn’t going to work out in Charlotte)
Not really. I started here and I had a strong inclination that I was going to remain here. That’s also why I wasn’t really worrying too much about it. Like I said, basketball has a business side and you almost have to learn to separate the two. Me understanding that, I knew that things would work out.
(On what he can do to improve his game)
Everybody can use improvement. I’m sure between my list and Larry’s list, Larry’s list will be bigger. (I can just improve) my all-around game, offensively and defensively. I’m just really looking forward to learning from Larry and just soaking up what all he has to offer.
(On if thought about accepting the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer)
That wasn’t in the best interest for anybody. I really wanted to remain a Bobcat and I felt that Bobcats wanted me to remain a Bobcat. Again, I keep eluding to this ugly business side of basketball, but it’s a reality. Sometimes the business side has to be addressed and issues like that pop up. I wouldn’t have liked that.
(On his contract)
It’s a substantial commitment that the Bobcats showed. I don’t think it’s quite hit me. I’m a humble person, so I tend to downplay a lot of things, but it’s kind of hard to downplay the generosity they showed. I’m thankful for it and I’m looking forward to showing how I’m committed once the season starts.
(On what he’s worked on this summer)
I’ve worked on just basic mobility and also to be more effective away from the basket. I’m just trying to expand my game. Once I get more of a feel for Larry Brown’s system and what he has in store, I think my game will get a little more shape as well.
(On if the coaching change had any influence on his decision)
You had to take notice of Larry Brown being hired. Larry Brown, he is a great, great coach, a championship coach. He’s taken multiple teams to the championship level. Like I said earlier, when the Bobcats hired him, it showed me that they were committed to making the franchise better. Hiring Larry Brown, an elite coach such as him, you have to take notice of that.
(On what he thinks Larry Brown will ask as a coach)
I think that Larry is a very defensive-oriented coach. He’s very particular in what he wants. He knows the game, so I think number one he will want us to work hard and be attentive and just to lay it all out there. Of me, I think that he will ask a lot of me defensively and he’ll want me to anchor the defense and shot-block and all that fun stuff. All the other details I guess will be sorted out later.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins
(On if there were any variables in the free agent market that had the Bobcats concerned about their ability to re-sign Okafor)
Not really. We knew we wanted to get a deal done. We held to our strategy and we said we have to get our best player, our best big man, back. Obviously Bob (Johnson), Michael (Jordan), Larry (Brown) and myself all wanted Emeka back. Once the negotiation process, as Emeka said, took care of itself, we were able to come to a resolution that we are all happy with.
(On how happy he is to have Emeka Okafor signed to contract)
I was telling Emeka that he might not have been nervous, but I’m sure we were in a lot of ways, me included personally. When you go through that process, you hope you can come out with a good conclusion and we know how much he means to us in terms of our improvement. Once we got a chance to show him that in terms of a contract, I think everything now is just moving forward and becoming the best basketball team we can become. He’s a huge piece to that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bobcats Forward/Center Emeka Okafor
(On re-signing with the Bobcats)
I’ve had a great four years here in Charlotte and it’s very nice to know that my career will be extended here. I’m looking forward to putting on the Bobcats hat and helping the team make great runs. I’d like to thank Bob (Johnson), MJ (Michael Jordan) and the Bobcats organization for showing me the commitment and giving me the opportunity to extend my career here.
(On how important it is to keep the Bobcats core group together)
The longer you can keep a core group together, the better they play. You learn the ins and outs of each other and your strengths and your weaknesses. I think history has shown that whenever you can keep a core group together, they just play better.
(On if he was confident he would remain in Charlotte)
I was hopeful. Basketball has a business side and in the business side, things need to be evaluated and things don’t always end up the way you want. Fortunately in this case it did. It ended up exactly how I wanted it. I was very fortunate in that regard.
(On having Larry Brown as the head coach of the Bobcats)
Larry Brown, he brings a certain dynamic and insight to the game that would make most teams better. I think he’s a perfect fit for us. Our team is young. We are hard working and he can give us that discipline and give us those little insights to the game that can take us to the next level. When I heard that Larry Brown was going to be the new head coach, I was very excited. I thought it was very positive that the organization was making great steps to try to make the team better. I’m just very excited to get the thing going.
(On if this will be a continuation of what he learned while playing for Larry Brown during the Olympics)
I definitely think so. The Olympics are a little bit different in that the coaches come in and they know that the players aren’t necessarily theirs. There is only so much they can impart. That being said, Larry Brown, he still gave us a lot. I’m just excited to have the opportunity to learn more. I think that just the way the organization has been progressing, he’s just going to help just push us along further.
(On if he had any frustrations about not getting a lot of playing time during the Olympics)
I was a college player. I knew I wasn’t going to see the light of day. I was just happy to be there and get a nice welcome to the NBA. I was around Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, a young Dwyane Wade, a young Carmelo (Anthony) and a young LeBron (James), so I was able to come in and just get insight into what league life was about and how things would be conducted.
(On if the contract negotiations were a distraction)
Not at all. Like I said earlier, basketball has a business side, so I was prepared for that. My focus was just to workout and prepare myself for the season. In the back of my mind, I wanted to be a Bobcat, and like I said earlier, sometimes things don’t work out the way you want, but in this case it did. Worrying about the contract negotiations would have just been extra stress that I didn’t need to have.
(On if he ever felt like it wasn’t going to work out in Charlotte)
Not really. I started here and I had a strong inclination that I was going to remain here. That’s also why I wasn’t really worrying too much about it. Like I said, basketball has a business side and you almost have to learn to separate the two. Me understanding that, I knew that things would work out.
(On what he can do to improve his game)
Everybody can use improvement. I’m sure between my list and Larry’s list, Larry’s list will be bigger. (I can just improve) my all-around game, offensively and defensively. I’m just really looking forward to learning from Larry and just soaking up what all he has to offer.
(On if thought about accepting the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer)
That wasn’t in the best interest for anybody. I really wanted to remain a Bobcat and I felt that Bobcats wanted me to remain a Bobcat. Again, I keep eluding to this ugly business side of basketball, but it’s a reality. Sometimes the business side has to be addressed and issues like that pop up. I wouldn’t have liked that.
(On his contract)
It’s a substantial commitment that the Bobcats showed. I don’t think it’s quite hit me. I’m a humble person, so I tend to downplay a lot of things, but it’s kind of hard to downplay the generosity they showed. I’m thankful for it and I’m looking forward to showing how I’m committed once the season starts.
(On what he’s worked on this summer)
I’ve worked on just basic mobility and also to be more effective away from the basket. I’m just trying to expand my game. Once I get more of a feel for Larry Brown’s system and what he has in store, I think my game will get a little more shape as well.
(On if the coaching change had any influence on his decision)
You had to take notice of Larry Brown being hired. Larry Brown, he is a great, great coach, a championship coach. He’s taken multiple teams to the championship level. Like I said earlier, when the Bobcats hired him, it showed me that they were committed to making the franchise better. Hiring Larry Brown, an elite coach such as him, you have to take notice of that.
(On what he thinks Larry Brown will ask as a coach)
I think that Larry is a very defensive-oriented coach. He’s very particular in what he wants. He knows the game, so I think number one he will want us to work hard and be attentive and just to lay it all out there. Of me, I think that he will ask a lot of me defensively and he’ll want me to anchor the defense and shot-block and all that fun stuff. All the other details I guess will be sorted out later.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins
(On if there were any variables in the free agent market that had the Bobcats concerned about their ability to re-sign Okafor)
Not really. We knew we wanted to get a deal done. We held to our strategy and we said we have to get our best player, our best big man, back. Obviously Bob (Johnson), Michael (Jordan), Larry (Brown) and myself all wanted Emeka back. Once the negotiation process, as Emeka said, took care of itself, we were able to come to a resolution that we are all happy with.
(On how happy he is to have Emeka Okafor signed to contract)
I was telling Emeka that he might not have been nervous, but I’m sure we were in a lot of ways, me included personally. When you go through that process, you hope you can come out with a good conclusion and we know how much he means to us in terms of our improvement. Once we got a chance to show him that in terms of a contract, I think everything now is just moving forward and becoming the best basketball team we can become. He’s a huge piece to that.
Rihanna Reaches for the top...
Week Ending Aug. 3, 2008: Rihanna, Queen Of The Download
Posted Wed Aug 6, 2008 11:36am PDT by Paul Grein in Chart Watch
Rihanna's "Disturbia" jumps to #1 on Hot Digital Songs, ending a six-week run in the top spot by Katy Perry's cheeky "I Kissed A Girl." This is Rihanna's fifth #1 on the digital chart, which is more than any other artist has amassed since the chart was introduced in October 2004 (which is when downloading took off). Rihanna, 20, first topped the chart in 2005 with "Pon De Replay" and has returned to the top spot with "SOS," "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z), "Take A Bow" and now this hit.
Rihanna is also the only artist with eight songs on Nielsen/SoundScan's running, all-time list of the top 200 songs with the most paid downloads. Fergie, Nickelback and Chris Brown are tied for second place with five each.
Rihanna is listed on that chart with "Umbrella," "Don't Stop The Music," "SOS," "Take A Bow," "Pon De Replay," "Shut Up And Drive," "Unfaithful," and "Hate That I Love You" (featuring Ne-Yo). These eight hits have sold a combined total of 13,155,000 downloads. Fergie's five hits, all from The Dutchess, have sold a combined total of 11,830,000 downloads.
One reason for Rihanna's success is her adaptability. She can move from a sexy R&B smash like "Umbrella" to a creamy pop confection like "Hate That I Love You"; from a striking and soulful kiss-off like "Take A Bow" to the hard-charging dance/pop of "Disturbia."
The week's other big story is Sugarland becoming the first country duo to reach #1 in the 52-year history of Billboard's weekly album chart.
We've all become accustomed to hit albums being re-released with bonus tracks, putting pressure on the act's biggest fans to buy the album again to get the new material. We've seen it, most recently, with Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad and its "Reloaded" edition. Sugarland took the opposite approach. The duo released a "Deluxe Fan Edition" of its new album last week and followed it this week with the regular version. (The special edition included five extra songs, an expanded booklet and access to download an exclusive music video and "behind-the-scenes" footage. It was priced $2-$3 more than the regular version.)
Did the strategy work? You might say so. Love On The Inside debuted at #2 last week and this week moves up to the top spot. With the striking success of this experiment, expect to see more albums released with a pricier expanded edition issued first, followed a week later by the no-frills regular album.
Billboard's Geoff Mayfield thinks highly of the Sugarland model. Writing in his Over The Counter column this week, he observed, "Applause to the act and to Universal Music Nashville for putting the extra content out front, instead of releasing the enhanced package months after thousands of fans already purchased the standard offering."
Mayfield also noted that this isn't the first time that a deluxe edition of an album has preceded the regular edition by a week. U2 did this twice, albeit with retrospectives, not a new studio album. In November 1998, the band released a two-CD set, The Best Of 1980-1990/The B-Sides and followed it one week later with the basic, single-disk The Best Of 1980-1990. Four years later, the band did the same thing, releasing the two-CD set The Best Of 1990-2000 & B-Sides one week before issuing the single-disk The Best Of 1990-2000.
Love On The Inside switches places with Miley Cyrus' Break Out. It's the first time that two albums have debuted in the top two positions one week and exchanged positions the following week since Tim McGraw's Let It Go and the NOW 24 compilation flip-flopped in April 2007. There, the country album got off to a faster start and was overtaken in week two by a pop-minded collection-the opposite of what happened this time.
Brooks & Dunn's 2005 album Hillbilly Deluxe had held the record for highest-charting album by a country duo. It peaked at #3. Two other country duos, Big & Rich and Montgomery Gentry, have had top 10 albums in recent years. Van Zant climbed as high as #21 in 2005. Country duos from the era before Nielsen/SoundScan began monitoring U.S. album sales in 1991 were underrepresented on the pop album chart. Even as popular a country duo as The Judds never climbed above #51. The Bellamy Brothers, who had a #1 pop single in 1976 with "Let Your Love Flow," topped out at #69 on the album chart.
Double Platinum: Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III this week becomes the first album to top the 2 million threshold in 2008 sales activity. This is the 31st week of the year, a little late in the year to see the first album hitting the 2 million mark. But at least it's better than last year, when we were 38 weeks into the year before Daughtry's eponymous debut album finally became the first album to top the 2 million mark in 2007 sales. A little ray of good news for the beleaguered music industry!
Jonas Item of The Week: Jonas Brothers' "Tonight" enters Hot Digital Songs at #2. It's the third track from the trio's upcoming A Little Bit Longer album to debut at #2 in the past six weeks, following "Burnin' Up" and "Pushing Me Away." The album hits the chart two weeks from now. I am on record saying that if it doesn't debut at #1, I will eat my hat. I think my hat is safe.
OZONE MAGAZINE STAR STUDDED LINE UP SURE TO TURN HEADS
Aug 05, 2008
OZONE MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES STAR STUDDED LINE UP OF PERFORMERS FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL OZONE AWARDS
Bun B to Honor Pimp C with Tribute Performance
ATLANTA (August 5, 2008) – OZONE Magazine (www.ozonemag.com) today announced the presenters and performances for its 3rd annual Ozone Awards. T-Pain and Rick Ross will help headline the show's chart-topping musical talent. Other performers will include The Game, Plies, Bun B, Lil Boosie, DJ Khaled and Trick Daddy.
Presenters for the awards include Flo Rida, Young Buck, Soulja Boy, Pitbull, Bow Wow, Trina, David Banner, Ray J, Lloyd, C-Murder, Mya, Paul Wall and Chamillionaire. They will be handing out awards in over 25 categories including "Best Rap Album"; "Breakthrough Artist"; "Best Rap Group"; Best Video"; "DJ of The Year"; and the newest "Pimp C Award (TRILLEST ARTIST)." A full list of nominees can be found by logging on to www.ozonemag.com/toa_voting.
Topping this year's performances will be a Pimp C tribute set, orchestrated by fellow UGK member Bun B. The set includes Big Boi, Webbie & Boosie, Too Short, 8Ball & MJG, David Banner, and other special surprise guests.
The OZONE Awards is the grand finale of TJ'S DJ'S Tastemakers Only Music Conference (www.tjsdjs.com), a weekend long celebration of the top artists, executives, DJs and tastemakers in the music business and southern hip hop. Heavyweights such as Nelly, Lil Wayne, T.I., and Young Jeezy will all celebrate during the weekend with private events. Conference registrants and DJs will have access to these private functions, which will be filmed for MTV Jams and BET Rap City.
The event begins on Friday August 8th with the UGK Pool tournament, Nelly's Bowling Challenge, and the Rap-A-Lot/Cash Money Kickoff party. Producer, artist, and DJ panels featuring the biggest names in the music industry take place on Saturday and Sunday. T.I. and Grand Hustle host the OZONE Awards pre-party on Sunday night, and Young Jeezy hosts the Island Def Jam BBQ in the Park on Monday leading into the OZONE Awards red carpet. For a full list of events during the weekend please log onto www.ozoneawards.com.
About OZONE Magazine
Founded by Julia Beverly in 2002, OZONE Magazine represents the best in Southern rap music and is now internationally distributed at many major retail outlets and newsstands. The OZONE Awards are OZONE Magazine's annual star studded award ceremony honoring the biggest names in Southern Hip Hop. The event honors Southern artists in over 20 different categories. Past participants include Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, UGK, Pitbull, David Banner, Trina, DJ Khaled, and DJ Drama. For more information, please visit www.ozonemag.com
About TJ's DJ's Tastemakers Only Music Conference
TJ's DJ's was established in 1994 as an opportunity for thirsty DJs in North Florida and Southern Georgia to receive the best music first while providing powerful feedback that fuels the crucial decisions made by labels. Over the years, TJ's DJ's has evolved to an organization that builds bridges with the quarterly Tastemakers Only/DJ Music Conferences including the annual partnership with OZONE Magazine's OZONE Awards, takes advantage of technology by being the first urban pool to service CDs, incorporating mp3s to break music, utilizing the music traders on the message boards at www.TJsDJs.com to generate over 20 million hits per month, and provide first class promotions and consulting on how to navigate the dangerous waters of the music industry. For more information, please visit www.tjsdjs.com
OZONE MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES STAR STUDDED LINE UP OF PERFORMERS FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL OZONE AWARDS
Bun B to Honor Pimp C with Tribute Performance
ATLANTA (August 5, 2008) – OZONE Magazine (www.ozonemag.com) today announced the presenters and performances for its 3rd annual Ozone Awards. T-Pain and Rick Ross will help headline the show's chart-topping musical talent. Other performers will include The Game, Plies, Bun B, Lil Boosie, DJ Khaled and Trick Daddy.
Presenters for the awards include Flo Rida, Young Buck, Soulja Boy, Pitbull, Bow Wow, Trina, David Banner, Ray J, Lloyd, C-Murder, Mya, Paul Wall and Chamillionaire. They will be handing out awards in over 25 categories including "Best Rap Album"; "Breakthrough Artist"; "Best Rap Group"; Best Video"; "DJ of The Year"; and the newest "Pimp C Award (TRILLEST ARTIST)." A full list of nominees can be found by logging on to www.ozonemag.com/toa_voting.
Topping this year's performances will be a Pimp C tribute set, orchestrated by fellow UGK member Bun B. The set includes Big Boi, Webbie & Boosie, Too Short, 8Ball & MJG, David Banner, and other special surprise guests.
The OZONE Awards is the grand finale of TJ'S DJ'S Tastemakers Only Music Conference (www.tjsdjs.com), a weekend long celebration of the top artists, executives, DJs and tastemakers in the music business and southern hip hop. Heavyweights such as Nelly, Lil Wayne, T.I., and Young Jeezy will all celebrate during the weekend with private events. Conference registrants and DJs will have access to these private functions, which will be filmed for MTV Jams and BET Rap City.
The event begins on Friday August 8th with the UGK Pool tournament, Nelly's Bowling Challenge, and the Rap-A-Lot/Cash Money Kickoff party. Producer, artist, and DJ panels featuring the biggest names in the music industry take place on Saturday and Sunday. T.I. and Grand Hustle host the OZONE Awards pre-party on Sunday night, and Young Jeezy hosts the Island Def Jam BBQ in the Park on Monday leading into the OZONE Awards red carpet. For a full list of events during the weekend please log onto www.ozoneawards.com.
About OZONE Magazine
Founded by Julia Beverly in 2002, OZONE Magazine represents the best in Southern rap music and is now internationally distributed at many major retail outlets and newsstands. The OZONE Awards are OZONE Magazine's annual star studded award ceremony honoring the biggest names in Southern Hip Hop. The event honors Southern artists in over 20 different categories. Past participants include Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, UGK, Pitbull, David Banner, Trina, DJ Khaled, and DJ Drama. For more information, please visit www.ozonemag.com
About TJ's DJ's Tastemakers Only Music Conference
TJ's DJ's was established in 1994 as an opportunity for thirsty DJs in North Florida and Southern Georgia to receive the best music first while providing powerful feedback that fuels the crucial decisions made by labels. Over the years, TJ's DJ's has evolved to an organization that builds bridges with the quarterly Tastemakers Only/DJ Music Conferences including the annual partnership with OZONE Magazine's OZONE Awards, takes advantage of technology by being the first urban pool to service CDs, incorporating mp3s to break music, utilizing the music traders on the message boards at www.TJsDJs.com to generate over 20 million hits per month, and provide first class promotions and consulting on how to navigate the dangerous waters of the music industry. For more information, please visit www.tjsdjs.com
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Diddy not showing in FASHION WEEK??!
Diddy's New Pres
Sean John appoints Dawn Robertson; celebrates 10th anniversary
Monday, August 04, 2008
(NEW YORK) Sean "Diddy" Combs has become a champion for the electoral process with his Vote or Die campaign. But today his menswear brand announced the appointment of its own president-- Dawn Robertson--effective immediately. Robertson will work directly with Combs, founder and chief executive officer. She was most recently president of Old Navy. Previously, Robertson was managing director of Australian department store Myer; prior to that she was president and chief merchandising officer of Federated Direct, a division of Federated Department Stores. "We are very excited to have Dawn join the Sean John team on the eve of our 10 year anniversary," said Combs. "As the new president, she will help continue the dynamic growth and expansion of our brand."
Sean John will celebrate its diamond anniversary this month. In lieu of debuting the Spring/Summer 2009 collection at MAGIC in Las Vegas, Combs will be hosting an editor preview mid-August at his home base in the Sean John building at 1710 Broadway. And front rowers looking forward to a fashion week extravaganza won't get their fix this season--come September, there will be no Sean John runway show.NOLA WEINSTEIN
Sean John appoints Dawn Robertson; celebrates 10th anniversary
Monday, August 04, 2008
(NEW YORK) Sean "Diddy" Combs has become a champion for the electoral process with his Vote or Die campaign. But today his menswear brand announced the appointment of its own president-- Dawn Robertson--effective immediately. Robertson will work directly with Combs, founder and chief executive officer. She was most recently president of Old Navy. Previously, Robertson was managing director of Australian department store Myer; prior to that she was president and chief merchandising officer of Federated Direct, a division of Federated Department Stores. "We are very excited to have Dawn join the Sean John team on the eve of our 10 year anniversary," said Combs. "As the new president, she will help continue the dynamic growth and expansion of our brand."
Sean John will celebrate its diamond anniversary this month. In lieu of debuting the Spring/Summer 2009 collection at MAGIC in Las Vegas, Combs will be hosting an editor preview mid-August at his home base in the Sean John building at 1710 Broadway. And front rowers looking forward to a fashion week extravaganza won't get their fix this season--come September, there will be no Sean John runway show.NOLA WEINSTEIN
Friday, August 1, 2008
Chris Paul's PBA Celebrity Invitational
Chris Paul's PBA Celebrity Invitational
by Copperhead on Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:13 pm
to be televised by ESPN on 10/19.
--- AND IT'S FOR CHARITY ---
Hornets All-NBA point guard Chris Paul will lead a group of players against professional bowlers in a special made-for-TV fundraising event this fall.
The first Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational will be televised on ESPN. It will be taped for broadcast at the AMF Major League Lanes in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Sept. 20 and will air Oct. 19 to kick off the 50th Anniversary of Denny's PBA Tour season. The Invitational also marks the first time professional athletes from other sports will partner with professional bowlers for a bowling event with a dedicated telecast.
The event will be held in conjunction with the third annual Chris Paul's Winston-Salem Weekend, the signature fundraising event of the CP3 Foundation. Proceeds will benefit charities and programs in Winston-Salem and New Orleans.
"I am thrilled to have a PBA event be a major part of my charity weekend and bring some of the best bowlers in the world to Winston-Salem," Paul said. "I always tell people that I am a bowler first and a basketball player second, so I know this event will be an ultimate test of my bowling skills. There will certainly be a lot of bragging rights at stake among the NBA players who attend."
Paul will head up a field of five NBA stars who will team up with five PBA bowling stars to form five doubles teams consisting of one NBA celebrity and one pro bowler.
The NBA players are yet to be announced, but previous participants in Paul's charity weekend bowling event have included fellow All-Stars and Team USA members LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard.
The Bowlers include current Player of the Year Chris Barnes. Tommy Jones, Jason Couch, Doug Kent and Mitch Beasley.
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.s ... xml&coll=1
http://www.pba.com/news/feature.asp?ID=822
by Copperhead on Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:13 pm
to be televised by ESPN on 10/19.
--- AND IT'S FOR CHARITY ---
Hornets All-NBA point guard Chris Paul will lead a group of players against professional bowlers in a special made-for-TV fundraising event this fall.
The first Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational will be televised on ESPN. It will be taped for broadcast at the AMF Major League Lanes in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Sept. 20 and will air Oct. 19 to kick off the 50th Anniversary of Denny's PBA Tour season. The Invitational also marks the first time professional athletes from other sports will partner with professional bowlers for a bowling event with a dedicated telecast.
The event will be held in conjunction with the third annual Chris Paul's Winston-Salem Weekend, the signature fundraising event of the CP3 Foundation. Proceeds will benefit charities and programs in Winston-Salem and New Orleans.
"I am thrilled to have a PBA event be a major part of my charity weekend and bring some of the best bowlers in the world to Winston-Salem," Paul said. "I always tell people that I am a bowler first and a basketball player second, so I know this event will be an ultimate test of my bowling skills. There will certainly be a lot of bragging rights at stake among the NBA players who attend."
Paul will head up a field of five NBA stars who will team up with five PBA bowling stars to form five doubles teams consisting of one NBA celebrity and one pro bowler.
The NBA players are yet to be announced, but previous participants in Paul's charity weekend bowling event have included fellow All-Stars and Team USA members LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard.
The Bowlers include current Player of the Year Chris Barnes. Tommy Jones, Jason Couch, Doug Kent and Mitch Beasley.
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.s ... xml&coll=1
http://www.pba.com/news/feature.asp?ID=822
African American-Owned Condom Company Fears the Widening AIDS Epidemic
African American-Owned Condom Company Fears the Widening AIDS Epidemic
WEST MEMPHIS, Ark., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- When Kirk Manuel speaks,
you hear anguish in his voice. You hear the heartbreak of a man who has see
one too many members of his community impacted by HIV and AIDS.
When Kirk Manuel speaks, you hear courage in his voice, too. You hear a
man who believes in his product, Head Strong Condoms, and in the power of
hope.
Manuel is a serious man from a town in Arkansas, a town that has lost
several residents to AIDS-related illnesses.
"In poor and rural communities, you can find liquor, you can find
tobacco, but you can't always find condoms," Manuel says. "We need to do a
better job educating, and we need to do a better job making condoms
available, too."
Head Strong Condoms aims to do just that. There are no bright colors,
no fruity flavors, no glow-in-the-dark condoms. These are just condoms. The
focus is where it should be, Manuel says: preventing pregnancy and
protecting against sexually transmitted disease.
Manuel created Head Strong Condoms, the only African American-owned
condom company he knows of, after he heard of HIV-infected adults knowingly
infecting others with the virus.
"There is a growing trend of HIV-infected individuals knowingly
infecting others with the virus," Manuel says. "This is an unspeakable act,
but every person must take personal responsibility for their own
protection, which means using a condom every time."
Though the condoms currently are available in few stores -- nine in
Memphis, five in Little Rock, and three in South Texas -- Manuel plans to
expand his reach. His initial focus is on mom-and-pop retailers, but he'll
be asking Lil Drug Store in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Family Dollar and Dollar
General to carry his products, too.
"Dollar stores are in low-income neighborhoods," Manuel says, "but try
finding a condom in one of those stores. They're not there and it's a
tragedy."
Manuel says Head Strong Condoms will donate condoms to those in need as
part of the company's "no excuses" philosophy.
"Aside from abstinence, condoms are the most effective form of birth
control, the most effective way to prevent STDs," he says. "There is no
excuse for not using a condom. Head Strong Condoms are easily affordable.
If you can't afford condoms, there are places you can get them free. There
is no excuse."
WEST MEMPHIS, Ark., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- When Kirk Manuel speaks,
you hear anguish in his voice. You hear the heartbreak of a man who has see
one too many members of his community impacted by HIV and AIDS.
When Kirk Manuel speaks, you hear courage in his voice, too. You hear a
man who believes in his product, Head Strong Condoms, and in the power of
hope.
Manuel is a serious man from a town in Arkansas, a town that has lost
several residents to AIDS-related illnesses.
"In poor and rural communities, you can find liquor, you can find
tobacco, but you can't always find condoms," Manuel says. "We need to do a
better job educating, and we need to do a better job making condoms
available, too."
Head Strong Condoms aims to do just that. There are no bright colors,
no fruity flavors, no glow-in-the-dark condoms. These are just condoms. The
focus is where it should be, Manuel says: preventing pregnancy and
protecting against sexually transmitted disease.
Manuel created Head Strong Condoms, the only African American-owned
condom company he knows of, after he heard of HIV-infected adults knowingly
infecting others with the virus.
"There is a growing trend of HIV-infected individuals knowingly
infecting others with the virus," Manuel says. "This is an unspeakable act,
but every person must take personal responsibility for their own
protection, which means using a condom every time."
Though the condoms currently are available in few stores -- nine in
Memphis, five in Little Rock, and three in South Texas -- Manuel plans to
expand his reach. His initial focus is on mom-and-pop retailers, but he'll
be asking Lil Drug Store in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Family Dollar and Dollar
General to carry his products, too.
"Dollar stores are in low-income neighborhoods," Manuel says, "but try
finding a condom in one of those stores. They're not there and it's a
tragedy."
Manuel says Head Strong Condoms will donate condoms to those in need as
part of the company's "no excuses" philosophy.
"Aside from abstinence, condoms are the most effective form of birth
control, the most effective way to prevent STDs," he says. "There is no
excuse for not using a condom. Head Strong Condoms are easily affordable.
If you can't afford condoms, there are places you can get them free. There
is no excuse."
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Charlotte Benefit Concert Raises $25,000 For Family In Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Charlotte Benefit Concert Raises $25,000 For Family In Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Charlotte Benefit Concert Raises $25,000 For Family In Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
POSTED: 11:15 pm EDT July 30, 2008
UPDATED: 11:28 pm EDT July 30, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Hundreds of people withstood a steamy Wednesday night in South Park to attend a benefit concert at Symphony Park to raise money for a local family chosen by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
POSTED: 11:15 pm EDT July 30, 2008
UPDATED: 11:28 pm EDT July 30, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Hundreds of people withstood a steamy Wednesday night in South Park to attend a benefit concert at Symphony Park to raise money for a local family chosen by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
The show's producers said the concert raised about $25,000 for the King family.
Jennifer Wojten, of Charlotte, wrote a check for $50 while at the concert.
Jennifer Wojten, of Charlotte, wrote a check for $50 while at the concert.
"This family is definitely deserving of it and helps out anyway they can so we should help out anyway we can," she said.
Peyton Savage, another supporter, agreed.
Peyton Savage, another supporter, agreed.
"It's always nice to be able to come out and do anything for somebody whether or not you know them," said Savage.
Anyone who donated during the concert received a Extreme Makeover Home Edition t-shirt.
Everyone from former Carolina Panther Mike Rucker to cast members from the show turned out to help the King family.
Many believe the large crowd tonight shows just how generous folks in the Queen City are.
"People in charlotte have huge hearts and they always want to help out anyway they can," said Wojten.
"So this community will pull together and bond together to help out."
Kim Sipes, a volunteer, said she didn't think twice about being a part of it as she and several others made their way through the crowd Wednesday with buckets accepting donations.
Kim Sipes, a volunteer, said she didn't think twice about being a part of it as she and several others made their way through the crowd Wednesday with buckets accepting donations.
"People have been great. They're so friendly," said Sipes. "They're yelling for me if I can't see them. They're waving me down!"
All the money raised from the concert will go to the King's building fund and scholarships for the family's children.
Copyright 2008 by WSOCTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Nelly's New Underwear!
Nelly is now the new underwear model Sean John!
I think the picture speaks for itself!
Sean John Underwear taps internationally renowned recording artist, Nelly, as their new spokesmodel. The first campaign features the rapper donning the Fall collection of underwear basics and loungewear.
The campaign was shot by Randee St. Nicholas and showcases Nelly in both interior and exterior shots at a modern home overlooking Los Angeles.
Sean “Diddy” Combs on picking Nelly for the new campaign:
“I have known Nelly for many years and I really admire his work. To me, Nelly is the quintessential definition of the Sean John man. He has the attitude, the swagger, and most of all the physique that our customers can both aspire and relate to. And let’s be honest, all of the ladies out there are going to be thanking us for this campaign. The images are so strong; they speak for themselves. We are truly excited to welcome Nelly into the Sean John family.”
Nelly on the campaign:
“I have been a big fan of Diddy and the Sean John clothing line for years. So, when they asked me to work with them, it was a real honor. I hope my fans will enjoy this campaign as much as I did shooting it.”
Chris Brown and Neyo at Wrigley’s Gum Event
Chris Brown, Julianne Hough and Ne-Yo have all partnered with Wrigley’s gum to update the traditional Wrigley’s “jingles” for Doublemint®, Juicy Fruit® and Big Red®. They went to the event in NYC on Tuesday night. Chris Brown is re-doing the Doublemint jingle. Ne-Yo is re-doing the Big Red “kiss a little longer” and Julianne Hough is re-doing the Juicy Fruit jingle. Its about time, they haven’t been changed in forever and these young guys will definitely give the jingles a fresh perspective.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
"CHOOSE OR LOSE & KANYE WEST PRESENT: HOMECOMING"
Jul 21, 2008
MTV'S CHOOSE OR LOSE & KANYE WEST GIVE BACK TO IRAQ WAR VETERANS WITH THE POWERFUL MTV NEWS DOCUMENTARY
"CHOOSE OR LOSE & KANYE WEST PRESENT: HOMECOMING"
MONDAY, JULY 28TH AT 10PM ET/PT
New York, NY (July 21, 2008) – In this next installment of "Choose or Lose," MTV's ongoing campaign to bring awareness to young veterans issues, MTV News and Kanye West have teamed up to tell the stories of returning veterans in the powerful documentary "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming" set to air on Monday, July 28 at 10pm ET/PT. In this one hour special, Kanye West, along with MTV's Sway Calloway, give recently returned Iraq war veterans the surprise of their lives by unexpectedly visiting their homes. Viewers will see first-hand the d if ficult and often painful challenges young vets face when they return home. In order to make sure that the stories are heard Sway and Kanye traveled to the homes of veterans, heard their stories and expressed gratitude for their service. But it didn't end there…On behalf of MTV and the Dr. Donda West Foundation, Sway and Kanye gave each veteran a life changing gift. Debts were paid off, rents were taken care of and tuitions were funded.
"There are hundreds of veterans out there who are falling through the cracks. They make the ultimate sacr if ices for us by laying down their lives, but it seems like a lot of them just get forgotten about" said Kanye West. "I know my music inspires and helps a lot of people but you can always do more. I teamed up with MTV and took the opportunity to share the spotlight with these veterans and hear their stories. I went to their homes to listen and get their first hand experiences. I wanted to hear their stories."
"The stories of the veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are important and worth telling." said Dave Sirulnick, Executive Vice President for MTV News and Production. "In conversations with veterans over the last year, it became clear that Kanye's music is used by soldiers in Iraq as a way of connecting to home. Once these veterans return home, their stories are so moving that you can't help but want to do the right thing and help them out."
The "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming" special will shine the spotlight on three Iraq war veterans, representing the diverse cross-section of America 's returning armed forces. The issues faced by these three young veterans are emblematic of the issues that will be faced by the more than 1.7 million young people who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan . The documentary will also highlight how viewers can help through extensive resources available through Chooseorlose.com and the Dr. Donda West Foundation.
Viewers can go to Chooseorlose.com and interact with the show and the veterans, find ways to take action on these issues and share their own thoughts on the subject. They can also get more information on the veterans featured by clicking on the following profile links also available on chooseorlose.com: Tirann Lewis, Shameeka Gray and Lorenzo Zarate.
Recent MTV research revealed that nearly 70 percent of young people 18-29 personally know someone who has fought in Iraq . Through this special news presentation, Choose or Lose hopes to elevate the issues of young, new veterans; ensure Presidential candidates address these issues; and mobilize millions of young people to understand and take action in ways to help their peers who have served, who with the greatest honor, ensure that they register and vote.
The "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming" special will also be available on MTV Mobile through all of its wireless carrier distribution partners. To receive regular alerts on their mobile phone, viewers will be able to text ST to 84465 from MTV's 51 "Street Team '08" members, specially-recruited citizen journalists, one in each state and Washington , D.C. , covering the 2008 elections from a youth perspective. There will also be weekly MTV News stories on issues that affect young veterans. Online viewers will be able to get a sneak peek of the special on Friday, July 25th when the first act will be featured on the home page of AOL and within AOL Music's The Boombox (http://www.theboombox.com/) and PopEater (http://www.popeater.com/) sections, as well as AOL Video (http://video.aol.com/) and AOL News (http://news.aol.com/entertainment).
"Choose or Lose '08" (http://www.ChooseorLose.com) is MTV's Emmy-Award winning campaign to engage, inform and empower young voters on the political issues that matter to them most. First launched in 1992, the campaign has helped fuel several of the largest youth voter turnouts in US history, including in 2004, when it helped inspire nearly 22 million 18-30 year olds to register and vote. Other elements of "Choose or Lose '08" include the pioneering MTV / MySpace Presidential Dialogue Series, which has featured Senators McCain, Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Governor Huckabee and Representative Paul taking unfiltered questions – in person and online, in real time – from youth nationwide; "Choose or Lose Presents Clinton & Obama Answer Young Veterans"; and MTV "Street Team '08," 51 specially-recruited citizen journalists, one in each state and Washington, D.C., covering the 2008 elections from a youth perspective. "Street Team" members file weekly multi-media reports, tailor their coverage for mobile devices and focus on the political issues that most impact young people in their respective states. On July 4th Choose or Lose presented exclusive 60-second video messages on MTV2 from presumptive Presidential candidates, republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama. These messages paid tribute to the young men and women who have served in the nation's armed forces. All "Choose or Lose" content – plus more information on the candidates, issues, registering to vote and a spirited debate – can be found on http://www.ChooseorLose.com.
Think MTV (Think.MTV.com) is dynamic, multimedia-driven and enables youth to easily learn more about the issues that matter to them most, share their opinions – via uploaded online videos, podcasts and blogs – and connect with others to make a d if ference. The site is one of the only to reward members for positive actions taken online or off, serving up chances to hang out with socially conscious celebs, access to exclusive MTV events, exposure on MTV and other national media outlets, as well as grants, scholarships and more. For more information or to build a profile and become involved, visit Think.MTV.com.
About The Dr. Donda West Foundation
The mission of the Dr. Donda West Foundation, formerly known as the Kanye West Foundation, is to help combat the severe dropout problem in schools across the United States by partnering with community organizations to provide underserved youth access to music production programs that will enable them to unleash their creative ability and reach their full potential. Kanye's vision, and thus the vision of the Dr. Donda West Foundation, is its inaugural program, "Loop Dreams", a music production program designed to motivate students to stay in school and graduate. Students study hip-hop culture along with its historical roots, positive impacts and negative influences, write music and positive song lyrics, learn to operate music studio equipment, and produce demonstration recordings through an interactive, fully engaging curriculum. Additionally, the young people receive academic support and enrichment so that they stay on track for graduation and future academic success. Dr. Donda West Foundation is committed to providing high quality programs in partnership with community organizations such as Challengers Boys & Girls Club in South Central Los Angeles, California where Loop Dreams is currently implemented.
About MTV
MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 26 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries—giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV has been the number one rated 24 hour ad-supported cable network P12-24 for 16 straight years. Online, MTV.com scored double-digit growth in 2007 and MTV launched 15 dynamic online communities and eight new virtual worlds. On the go, MTV Mobile is the #1 music brand in the wireless space – delivering 90% more streams than in 2006. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Wanna know more? Come on in… http://www.mtvpress.com.
# # #
MTV'S CHOOSE OR LOSE & KANYE WEST GIVE BACK TO IRAQ WAR VETERANS WITH THE POWERFUL MTV NEWS DOCUMENTARY
"CHOOSE OR LOSE & KANYE WEST PRESENT: HOMECOMING"
MONDAY, JULY 28TH AT 10PM ET/PT
New York, NY (July 21, 2008) – In this next installment of "Choose or Lose," MTV's ongoing campaign to bring awareness to young veterans issues, MTV News and Kanye West have teamed up to tell the stories of returning veterans in the powerful documentary "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming" set to air on Monday, July 28 at 10pm ET/PT. In this one hour special, Kanye West, along with MTV's Sway Calloway, give recently returned Iraq war veterans the surprise of their lives by unexpectedly visiting their homes. Viewers will see first-hand the d if ficult and often painful challenges young vets face when they return home. In order to make sure that the stories are heard Sway and Kanye traveled to the homes of veterans, heard their stories and expressed gratitude for their service. But it didn't end there…On behalf of MTV and the Dr. Donda West Foundation, Sway and Kanye gave each veteran a life changing gift. Debts were paid off, rents were taken care of and tuitions were funded.
"There are hundreds of veterans out there who are falling through the cracks. They make the ultimate sacr if ices for us by laying down their lives, but it seems like a lot of them just get forgotten about" said Kanye West. "I know my music inspires and helps a lot of people but you can always do more. I teamed up with MTV and took the opportunity to share the spotlight with these veterans and hear their stories. I went to their homes to listen and get their first hand experiences. I wanted to hear their stories."
"The stories of the veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are important and worth telling." said Dave Sirulnick, Executive Vice President for MTV News and Production. "In conversations with veterans over the last year, it became clear that Kanye's music is used by soldiers in Iraq as a way of connecting to home. Once these veterans return home, their stories are so moving that you can't help but want to do the right thing and help them out."
The "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming" special will shine the spotlight on three Iraq war veterans, representing the diverse cross-section of America 's returning armed forces. The issues faced by these three young veterans are emblematic of the issues that will be faced by the more than 1.7 million young people who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan . The documentary will also highlight how viewers can help through extensive resources available through Chooseorlose.com and the Dr. Donda West Foundation.
Viewers can go to Chooseorlose.com and interact with the show and the veterans, find ways to take action on these issues and share their own thoughts on the subject. They can also get more information on the veterans featured by clicking on the following profile links also available on chooseorlose.com: Tirann Lewis, Shameeka Gray and Lorenzo Zarate.
Recent MTV research revealed that nearly 70 percent of young people 18-29 personally know someone who has fought in Iraq . Through this special news presentation, Choose or Lose hopes to elevate the issues of young, new veterans; ensure Presidential candidates address these issues; and mobilize millions of young people to understand and take action in ways to help their peers who have served, who with the greatest honor, ensure that they register and vote.
The "Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming" special will also be available on MTV Mobile through all of its wireless carrier distribution partners. To receive regular alerts on their mobile phone, viewers will be able to text ST to 84465 from MTV's 51 "Street Team '08" members, specially-recruited citizen journalists, one in each state and Washington , D.C. , covering the 2008 elections from a youth perspective. There will also be weekly MTV News stories on issues that affect young veterans. Online viewers will be able to get a sneak peek of the special on Friday, July 25th when the first act will be featured on the home page of AOL and within AOL Music's The Boombox (http://www.theboombox.com/) and PopEater (http://www.popeater.com/) sections, as well as AOL Video (http://video.aol.com/) and AOL News (http://news.aol.com/entertainment).
"Choose or Lose '08" (http://www.ChooseorLose.com) is MTV's Emmy-Award winning campaign to engage, inform and empower young voters on the political issues that matter to them most. First launched in 1992, the campaign has helped fuel several of the largest youth voter turnouts in US history, including in 2004, when it helped inspire nearly 22 million 18-30 year olds to register and vote. Other elements of "Choose or Lose '08" include the pioneering MTV / MySpace Presidential Dialogue Series, which has featured Senators McCain, Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Governor Huckabee and Representative Paul taking unfiltered questions – in person and online, in real time – from youth nationwide; "Choose or Lose Presents Clinton & Obama Answer Young Veterans"; and MTV "Street Team '08," 51 specially-recruited citizen journalists, one in each state and Washington, D.C., covering the 2008 elections from a youth perspective. "Street Team" members file weekly multi-media reports, tailor their coverage for mobile devices and focus on the political issues that most impact young people in their respective states. On July 4th Choose or Lose presented exclusive 60-second video messages on MTV2 from presumptive Presidential candidates, republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama. These messages paid tribute to the young men and women who have served in the nation's armed forces. All "Choose or Lose" content – plus more information on the candidates, issues, registering to vote and a spirited debate – can be found on http://www.ChooseorLose.com.
Think MTV (Think.MTV.com) is dynamic, multimedia-driven and enables youth to easily learn more about the issues that matter to them most, share their opinions – via uploaded online videos, podcasts and blogs – and connect with others to make a d if ference. The site is one of the only to reward members for positive actions taken online or off, serving up chances to hang out with socially conscious celebs, access to exclusive MTV events, exposure on MTV and other national media outlets, as well as grants, scholarships and more. For more information or to build a profile and become involved, visit Think.MTV.com.
About The Dr. Donda West Foundation
The mission of the Dr. Donda West Foundation, formerly known as the Kanye West Foundation, is to help combat the severe dropout problem in schools across the United States by partnering with community organizations to provide underserved youth access to music production programs that will enable them to unleash their creative ability and reach their full potential. Kanye's vision, and thus the vision of the Dr. Donda West Foundation, is its inaugural program, "Loop Dreams", a music production program designed to motivate students to stay in school and graduate. Students study hip-hop culture along with its historical roots, positive impacts and negative influences, write music and positive song lyrics, learn to operate music studio equipment, and produce demonstration recordings through an interactive, fully engaging curriculum. Additionally, the young people receive academic support and enrichment so that they stay on track for graduation and future academic success. Dr. Donda West Foundation is committed to providing high quality programs in partnership with community organizations such as Challengers Boys & Girls Club in South Central Los Angeles, California where Loop Dreams is currently implemented.
About MTV
MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 26 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries—giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV has been the number one rated 24 hour ad-supported cable network P12-24 for 16 straight years. Online, MTV.com scored double-digit growth in 2007 and MTV launched 15 dynamic online communities and eight new virtual worlds. On the go, MTV Mobile is the #1 music brand in the wireless space – delivering 90% more streams than in 2006. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Wanna know more? Come on in… http://www.mtvpress.com.
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