THIS IS THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: The Daily Buzz For March 6

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Laz Alonso: Covers Rolling Out Magazine!

Meet Billy! Sounds like a strange name for a devilishly handsome Cuban American like Laz Alonso. But it’s the name of the newest TV character he’s added to his wheelhouse. Currently, the superstar actor is co-starring alongside Debra Messing in NBC’s drama pilot “The Mysteries of Laura,” written by Jeff Rake and directed by McG, as Laura’s (Messing) no-nonsense partner in crime solving.

It’s a departure for Alonso, who’s played dramatic roles in the feature films Avatar and Fast & Furious. Alonso has also been cast in other notable films such as Stomp the Yard, This Christmas and Just Wright. But after countless roles on the big screen Alonso has decided to put the box office on hold and focus more on his career in television.

No more drama this time around for Alonso! His new character (Billy) has brought out a much lighter side than we have seen him play before with a comedic role he tells us was quite a challenge for him to perform. Having to play a role outside of his norm has been a tough experience for Alonso but it has given him the opportunity to gain experience in an area he wasn’t too familiar with. But working with Messing has made the process a lot less stressful, according to Alonso. “Deborah is so easy to work with. I am learning a lot from her. For me to be learning again at this stage in my career is great,” he says.

Alonso has certainly made a name for himself in Hollywood, but his career in film didn’t begin with acting classes. Years ago, in his hometown of Washington, D.C., Alonso enrolled in the prestigious Howard University where he received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing. Although he had dreams of becoming an actor, in his mind, business always comes first. For Alonso, being in an industry that is ever-changing made him realize that having skill sets to fall back on is vitally important.

When Alonso is not juggling his businesses, he definitely knows how to have fun. He tries to get out as much as possible and attend charitable events where he can connect with his fan base and travel during his vacation time. Acting is Alonso’s passion, so work for him is exciting and fulfilling. Next on his agenda is to star in a feature film or create a few projects of his own. This guy sure knows what it takes to make it in a competitive industry.

Read what he has to say.

How is it working with “Will & Grace” icon Debra Messing?

I like working with Debra Messing. For me, it was challenge stepping into a role and working with someone who is well-known in comedy. The majority of the body of work that I have under my belt has been more dramatic. I look at it as a challenge and an opportunity to really work on building my comedic acting skills and lightening up my body of work, adding some levity and comedy to it.

I approached this role as an opportunity to get better in this area, and the experience has been great. I am actually learning from Debra. It feels good at this stage in my career to be learning again. That’s been awesome.

How does TV work differ for you compared to film?

I like them both. With film, it feels like you live within the character … while you are doing the film, you are completely immersed in the character. In TV, because it is a longer stretch, it feels like you can turn the character on and off a lot easier. Because you are taping television for nine months, you are running a marathon as opposed to a sprint.

Describe Billy Soto.

My character Billy Soto on “Mysteries of Laura” … I am the guy who is going to chase the bad guys down. I am the guy who is going to get to the root of the problem. I am going to get in their face in the interrogation room. I am the muscle behind our team. Billy has a tremendous amount of brains and investigative skills too. He is not just knocking people out; he’s also outsmarting people.

It’s important to play this character, this role with a certain level of respectability. Over the last few months, we’ve seen how serious the situations have become between law enforcement and our people. I feel that being an artist gives us a chance to be a voice and artistically show a balance of imagery. I think this character gives me an opportunity to play not just a cop, but also a good Black cop contrary to a lot of the images that we’ve seen in the last few months.

How do you balance your work life, taping for nine months, and making appearances at events, etc.?

It’s tough. It’s not easy because television production schedules are very demanding. You are working long hours and trying to do more per day than you do on a film. On a film, you have three months to shoot 90 pages. In TV, you have eight days to shoot 60 pages. When you do the math, that’s a lot of work that you have to cram into eight days. Television hours tend to be extremely long and grueling. Whenever I can get out [laughs], I’m out!

If I can get out and enjoy some events, especially some events that are meaningful, something that gives back and I get to connect with fans, then I am going to do it.

Do you like filming in New York?

I like filming in New York. New York has a humongous TV and film industry here. And, they have some of the best professionals that work in the business here, next to L.A. So, it’s great to work here. The city embraces you. You’re out and about; people show love. Everywhere you go, people are happy you’re here.

I lived here before I got started in the business and moved to L.A. It’s great to come back to what I consider the birthplace of my acting career.

What are your plans when you go on hiatus this April?

The train never stops. If there’s an opportunity to do an amazing film, I am going to take it and do it. I would like to travel to somewhere with a beach, some sand and salt water. When you are filming in 18-degree weather, and you look at the weather on your phone and [it] says [it] feels like 2 degrees … the thought of a vacation is what keeps you going. I will definitely find a way to fit in a little R and R before I jump on my next project.

“The Mysteries of Laura” airs Wednesday nights on NBC at 8 p.m.

TRIVIA: What does Beck And Beyonce Have In Common?

(Cue Alanis Morissette’s, “Ironic.”)

Here’s something the world might not have known: Beck’s father worked on Beyonce’s 2006 Grammy Award winning album, B’Day. Shocking right?!

We are now learning that Beck’s dad, David Campbell, worked on Bey’s hit track “Listen” and also conducted and worked on several arrangements on the project.

The universe has an interesting way of bringing things full circle, doesn’t it? Beck and Beyonce made headlines last month after Beck beat out the songstress and took home the Grammy for Album Of the Year.

As previously reported, Kanye West had a major problem with Beck’s win, ranting during an interview on E!, “If the Grammys want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us. We ain’t gonna play with them no more. ‘Flawless,’ Beyoncé video. Beck needs to respect artistry and he should have given his award to Beyoncé, and at this point, we tired of it.”

Needless to say, that didn’t happen. But Kanye did apologize for his comments, tweeting:

“I would like to publicly apologize to Beck, I’m sorry Beck.”

Beck’s father has also worked on albums for other household names like Taylor Swift, Adele and Justin Timberlake

Rihanna RELEASES Snippets Of New Track “Higher”

Rihanna has given us a thrill by posting a snippet of a new song called "Higher" from an unknown album on Instagram.

"Higher" sounds like a big, glossy throwback to classic R&B songs, with swelling strings and RiRi's throaty voice hitting us in all the right places. Alas, it's only a few seconds long. It's just the latest tease Rihanna's given us about her upcoming album, which reportedly also features a song that samples from Florence + the Machine. RiRi's no slouch when it comes to social media, so she's been peppering her Twitter timeline and Instagram account with details here and there about her next album. Here's an entire timeline of everything the Navy has gathered with regards to what we're thinking will be called R8.

On the Kuk Harrell and Marcos Tovar-produced track, Rih is feeling good after a few drinks of some whisky and is in search for some male attention. She croons,

“Higher, higher than I’ve ever been, babe / Just come over, let’s pour a drink, babe / I hope I ain’t callin’ you too late.” --

She captioned one snippet, "5 am drunk off da whiskey with these two rockstars @officialkukharrell @djanser !!! These guys always hold me down even at the craziest hours! We've made every album since #GoodGirlGoneBad together! The family!!! One Love #R8"

#1:

#2:

Who's ready for Rih to release her next album?

Harrison Ford involved in a PLANE CRASH!

Harrison Ford was involved in a plane crash near a Los Angeles golf course on Thursday afternoon, according to multiple reports.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the plane crashed at the Penmar Golf Course in Venice and according to TMZ, Ford was taken to the hospital following the incident. The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that the plane's solo occupant was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. There were no other injuries.

TMZ was the first to report that Ford was piloting the plane, and NBC reports that Ford sustained serious injuries, including cuts to his head. "There was blood all over his face," a Penmar Golf Course employee told NBC News.

Ford is a seasoned pilot, and was reportedly flying a vintage World War II-era plane. NFL's Andrew Siciliano tweeted a photo from the golf course:

That is a definitely a plane in front of the 8th green at Penmar in Venice. Pilot allegedly walked away.

Ford's rep did not return an immediate request for comment.

President Obama prepares to honor watershed moment at Selma

On the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama, Rep. John Lewis reflects on the severe beating he received at the hands of the state police. WXIA

Eight years ago, an up-and-coming black politician from Chicago talked about how he owed his career to bloodshed on a bridge in Selma, Ala.

"I'm here because somebody marched," then-senator Barack Obama said in Selma that day. "I'm here because you all sacrificed for me."

Now the first African-American president of the United States, Obama returns to Selma on Saturday along with thousands of others who have led very different lives because of what happened there 50 years ago.

The police attack on civil rights marchers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge led, over time, to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and a transformation of American politics, government and society itself.

Legislation removed barriers that had prevented black people from voting. Millions joined voting rolls across the country, and thousands went on to win elections to offices in city halls, state legislatures, Congress, and, eventually, the White House.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., one of those beaten in Selma on March 7, 1965, told USA TODAY that "some of us gave a little blood on that bridge to redeem the soul of America, to make America better."

Obama and others attending Selma events this weekend are expected to praise racial progress but also address many remaining challenges. The president and allies have accused some states of seeking to dilute minority votes through voter identification laws and various redistricting plans. The Selma commemoration also takes place amid tense police-minority relations across the country.

Still, the events of Selma transformed the nation, including its politics.

Black voters, reliably Republican for decades following the Civil War, are now overwhelmingly Democratic. The Republican Party — once anathema in the South — is now predominantly white and dominant in many Southern states. Former president George W. Bush and other Republicans are scheduled to attend this weekend's events in Selma.

Coming a year after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 quickened the pace of integration in the United States, bringing social and economic benefits.

Taylor Branch, the author of a three-volume history of Martin Luther King Jr., and the civil rights movement, said it helped de-stigmatize the South, which had suffered economically under the weight of legalized racism. In many ways, Branch said, everyone owes a debt to the black voting rights movement.

"It wasn't just for black people," he said. " It was about how or democracy functions."

Quite a different world from the one that marchers in Selma faced in early 1965.

Civil rights groups had been demonstrating for years in Selma and Dallas County, Ala., where only 1% of voting age blacks were registered the vote and white officials worked to keep that number low.

During a night demonstration in nearby Marion on Feb. 18, police shot and killed 26-year-old Jimmie Lee Jackson. His death inspired calls for a march from Selma to Montgomery to deliver the voting rights message directly to the Alabama governor, the proto-segregationist George C. Wallace.

Organizers set the march for March 7, a Sunday. As marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge — named for a Confederate general and former Ku Klux Klan leader — they confronted a phalanx of state troopers and sheriff's deputies, some on horseback.

When the marchers refused demands to disperse, troopers attacked with billy clubs, bullwhips and tear gas, injuring more than 50 people.

Television news cameras captured the attack that galvanized the nation. ABC famously showed footage after breaking into its prime-time movie: Judgement at Nuremberg.

Wiz Khalifa Disses Amber Rose's Fake Butt?

Last week a black market butt shot madame, on trial for killing a patient, testified under oath that Amber Rose was one of her biggest clients and had once been dropped off for a procedure by her then boyfriend Kanye West. Here’s a refresher. BUT, Did Wiz Khalifa just diss ex-wife Amber's fake body parts…?

Recently Wiz Tweeted

Fun Facts: back in January an Instagram account dedicated to exposing Amber Rose's fake butt and photoshopped pictures popped up online

Nick Gordon to tell all to Dr. Phil

Nick Gordon has certainly had a lot to say about Bobbi Kristina’s health as well his disdain for her father, Bobby Brown, but if the latest reports are true Gordon’s going to have a lot more to say in a tell-all interview with Dr. Phil.

According to TMZ, Gordon will talk to Dr. Phil about the events leading up to Bobbi being found unresponsive in her tub in late January.

Gordon will also discuss his long-standing feud with Bobby Brown and the Houston and Brown families, as well as being banned from hospital where Bobbi is staying.

However, the interview could have a major impact on the criminal investigation of Gordon if he says too much. Gordon will reportedly tell Dr. Phil information that he hasn’t told police in regard to the investigation of the visible injuries that were spotted on Bobbi Kristina after she nearly drowned. If Gordon says anything incriminating, it will be used against him by police in their investigation.

Gordon is expected to meet up with Dr. Phil in the next few days, but we’ll have to wait and see if he actually goes through with the interview

Is there a Secret Baby for Dr. Dre?

Hip Hop mogul Dr. Dre has been married to his wife Nicole Young since 1996 but insiders are whispering that Dre just had a secret baby with his mistress…

A source submitted this picture and scalding hot tea to The Dirty,

The source writes,

"Dr. Dre visiting the BodyBakery tanning salon. Owned by alleged mistress Kili Anderson. The woman he doesn’t cheat on his wife with. Who’s life he doesn’t sponsor. He didn’t buy her the spot. He just goes there regularly for a tan. Congratulations to Ms. Anderson a successful business owner who I heard just gave birth to a baby girl."

Nicki Minaj SPEAKS on her being IN LOVE with Over Meek Mill, & Cash Money Drama

Nicki Minaj is currently in L.A. gearing up for her upcoming “The Pinkprint” European tour with Trey Songz which kicks off in Sweden on Monday (March 16th).

But before she treks it across the pond, the “Only One” raptress called into BBC Radio 1 to chop it up with Charlie Sloth about a few things that are hot in the headlines. And, of course, her love life is at the top of the discussion.

Young Money's first lady and Meek Mill have been spending plenty of time together and they will have plenty of time to grow closer as they are slated to go on a joint tour later this year. Neither of them have confirmed their coupledom status, but it's pretty clear with their love-dovey Instagram posts and boo'd up body language when they're out on the scene.

Opening up a bit, Nicki gushed on the vibe she shares with the MMG rapper saying,

“We’re just super compatible and, you know, we just be having fun together. When the kid do it, the kid get it done, nah mean? [laughs]”

Switching gears, the “Anaconda” raptress then weighed in on her boss Lil Wayne suing Birdman/Cash Money for $51 million after he wasn’t paid the $10 milli he was owed for The Carter V album and other legalities. Although she says she super loyal to Wayne, she isn’t choosing sides because she’s just as close to Birdman. She said,

“People know I love Wayne and that I have loyalty towards him but I love Baby [Birdman] too. I am very close to Baby and I don’t think people know that. I am banking on the fact that they will work this out like family. They’ve gone through things before, just like family does. It is what it is. They’re going to get through it. I’m not even going to think that way.”

Balmain Hires Pretty Much Every Supermodel For Paris Fashion Week Presentation

It’s always one of the most-anticipated shows of Paris Fashion Week, and for the Fall/Winter 2015 edition, Balmain really pulled out all the stops.

There was a who’s who of posers on the runway including Kendall Jenner, Alessandra Ambrosio and Karlie Kloss, all of whom looked gorgeous in the popular brand’s latest offerings.

Also in the mix were favorites like Adriana Lima, Joan Smalls, Lily Donaldson, Gigi Hadid and Jourdan Dunn. Suffice it to say, Balmain dropped a small fortune on modeling fees this time!

A Promoter Baits Drake Fans With Fake Shows

Fans in eight cities, including Houston and Miami, jumped at the opportunity to see Drake perform at their neighboring arena. Unfortunately, the OVO rapper had no knowledge of these shows and won’t be performing at any of the promoted dates.

Houston’s ABC13 spoke with Drake’s spokesperson, who said the concert scheduled for May 17 at the Arena Theater is a falsehood, despite pre-sale tickets reaching prices upwards of $350.

“Drake has never been scheduled to appear at the Arena Theatre venue. When we learned of this situation we immediately encouraged the venue and promoter to contact law enforcement to initiate an investigation,” the spokesperson told ABC-13. “We are horrified that someone would use Drake’s name to take advantage of his fans. For any individuals who may have fallen victim to this, please contact your local authorities.”

Shady promoters pushing a faux-Drake tour appear to be behind this whole fiasco.

The Arena Theater has a capacity of only 2,750 people, which is a noticeably small crowd considering the weight that comes with Drake’s brand. One would think that a tour in settings that intimate would be better promoted socially by the OVO camp.

In any case, the jig has been spotted, and now it’s up to fans to get their funds back.

See a statement from the Arena Theater below:

Regrettably, we want to offer a full refund for your purchase of Drake tickets. The Arena Theatre was issued a contract and sent the appropriate deposit related to this contract, however, Drake has not confirmed his availability to perform under the terms of this agreement for the May 17th date. We are aggressively working with the OVO camp to arrange a mutually-agreeable date. Upon confirmation, you will be the first people notified due to your loyal patronage. Please accept our heartfelt apologies and know that we have all the documentation related to this date that would substantiate the veracity of this statement. We would never take your valued support for granted nor knowingly mislead you with false show information. Please follow the instructions below for your full refund, thanks

Funniest Kim Kardashian Hair Memes & Comparisons

It might be more shocking than Chris Brown having a love child. Okay, maybe not. But dang near.

Kim Kardashian dyed her hair platinum blonde and well … the jokes have already begun. Social media users have taken to Instagram to compare the reality star’s new look to that of The Incredibles character Dash and even Draco from Harry Potter.

Check out all the comparisons and funny memes in the gallery below