Well, Prince Harry covers the February issue of Town & Country magazine. So far, only a few outlets have these photos. It looks like T&C just bought some of the photos from one of the royal-beat photographers, meaning Harry didn't really pose for a Town & Country editorial. The photos are from his summer trip to Malawi, where he volunteered with an organization called 500 Elephant. Nice.
#RHoA: THIS AGAIN? Porsha tried to OUT Kandi as a Lesbian?
These Girls! On the latest episode of RHoA Porsha and Sheree set up a lunch meeting with Kandi to confront her about their grievances (which, again, were basically that Kandi was sharing information Phaedra had told her back when they were friends). "I just felt like it should have stayed in that space," Porsha argued to Kandi, who said Phaedra was just "running" her mouth. "She throws the rock and then she hides," Kandi added.
Kandi then revealed that Phaedra had also told Porsha about the new man she was seeing before Apollo went to jail. But Porsha just played dumb, arguing she just wanted the "back and forth to be over." She did add, however, that she did not believe Phaedra had an affair before Apollo went to jail.
Kandi left but Sheree and Porsha hung out a while longer. Sheree made a reference to something about Kandi in a closet and Porsha jumped right on, saying, "She was in somebody's closet or still is in one! OK? That's none of my business."
Sheree paused and then asked the camera, "Did you just out Kandi for being a lesbian?" Sheree told Porsha she was just talking about Kandi "peeking through a keyhole" and Porsha said that was also what she meant. Right.
Tell Us: Do you think Porsha just outed Kandi as a lesbian?
Secrets About Star From Jude Demorest, Benjamin Bratt, Amiyah Scott, and Lee Daniels
(Via Glamour) If you haven't watched the sneak preview of Lee Daniels' new drama, Star, then I ask you this: What are you waiting for? The companion series to Daniels' other series—Empire—premiered to strong ratings earlier this month when FOX aired a special preview. And you know what other show debuted in a similar manner from Daniels, airing on FOX, and only continued its rise towards TV dominance? Yep, Empire.
Before Star returns for its official run next month, I paid a visit to the Atlanta set to uncover some fascinating stories behind the scenes. (Including this interview with Queen Latifah about her own journey to stardom.). As Daniels told me during our time together, "I don't think we're prepared for the price that fame pays." His cast—both veterans and newbies—might definitely have something to say about that. Here, 10 secrets we learned from set.
Creator Lee Daniels never calls the actors on his shows by their real name. "Never!" he says. "When I create the character, that's who they are. I [still] call Helen Mirren from Shadowboxer [by the name of her character] 'Rose.' The only person I don't call is Oprah [by the name] 'Gloria' [from The Butler]."
There's a reason why Daniels wanted to cast a "badass white chick" on the show. "Star is sort of a healing," he says. "For me, it was a healing process. She represents someone that can help heal the country in some sick way. I can’t explain it. She’s cool for black people, and she’s cool for white people, and like, how dare a white girl say, ‘You’re a racist, bitch?’ We’re flipping the script!"
How did Daniels know Jude Demorest was the girl to play Star? It all came from a feeling, he says. "[Jude] scared me," Daniels now admits. "She terrified me so much that I told her to her face, ‘I don’t like you.’ Poor thing! What comes out of my mouth during these auditions! It scared [me] that she jumped off the page. To write someone and for her to come in and be that person?! And to know that person as good as I know that person?! She thought I didn’t like her. She didn’t think she had the job. [Laughs] It was scary [for me] because it had never happened to me before."
Benjamin Bratt actually based his character, Jahil, on Lee Daniels. "The second thing Lee shared with me was this character—for as fucked up as he is and as dysfunctional as he might appear on the page—he’s an extension of [Lee]. He said, 'Jahil Rivera is partly drawn from who I am as a young man when I was a manager in Hollywood.' Lee is nothing if not fascinating—what compels him, what drives him, what motivates him. He’s a bit of a mad scientist, really. It can be frustrating working with him because he’s all over the place, but it’s never less than thrilling."
When Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, and Brittany O'Grady met Bratt, the first thing they wanted to talk about was Miss Congeniality (Bratt played the colleague and love interest to Sandra Bullock's Gracie Hart in the film). "I remember the first time I met them," Bratt recalls. "They walked into the hair and makeup trailer just to say hi to everyone, and went, ‘Oh, cool! You’re the guy from Miss Congeniality!’ Which, of course, is funny, but an indication of the years of difference between us!"
New Music: Chris Brown Releases New Single & Video “Party” Feat. Usher & Gucci Mane
It’s a party, and Chris Brown wants you to be a part of it. As promised, the R&B superstar has returned, releasing his all-star featured new single “Party” with Usher and Gucci Mane.
Over the slinky production, Breezy flexes his playboy lifestyle, while Usher encourages some girl-on-girl action.
“Girl come to my place, but don’t bring no clothes / Lets get dirty babe (baby drop it low),” he sings.
Even before its release, the club banger received rave reviews from Guwop.
“It’s a banger,” Gucci told Los Angeles’ Power 106. “We shot the video…in L.A. I can’t wait until it comes out. Chris directs his own videos. Sitting with him and seeing how creative he is, it’s inspirational. He’s intense. He does everything. Seriously.”
Check out the single and video HERE
New Music: Bow Wow – ‘Use 2 Be My Dawg’
Bow Wow kicks off the year by taking on old friends on “Use 2 Be My Dawg.”
Over a trap-inspired instrumental, the Ignorant Shit MC bashes phony pals.
“You ain’t hard, ni**a, you ain’t ever even caught a body,” he raps. “No bodyguards with me, throw at least $100,000 at Follies / That’s more than your rent, ni**a.”
The song’s cover art pulls from a famous friendship-turned-rivalry, using a photograph of Jay Z and Dame Dash from the Reasonable Doubt era.
Bow is currently working on his Greenlight 6 mixtape and Underrated, his final album before retiring from the rap game.
LISTEN HERE
“6 years making this album. I wanna say i been playing but i haven’t,” he wrote. “2 years of hosting BET. 2 years on CSI another 2 to raise my kid. Thats been the delay.. STILL not done. So much work to do. Be patient…. its coming #underratedalbum 2017 last album.”
Dick Clark Productions CLAPS Back at Mariah Carey, Calling her claims ‘ABSURD’
Dick Clark Productions has fired back at Mariah Carey, blasting the singer’s accusation that the production company was to blame for her performance problems on Saturday’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” telecast on ABC.
Carey spokeswoman Nicole Perna was quoted by Billboard magazine on Sunday saying that producers “set her up to fail.” She asserted that the singer complained of problems with her earpiece before she went live on the show. Carey has blamed technical issues and her inability to hear the music for her failure to complete a planned three-song set on the telecast.
Dick Clark Productions late Sunday issued a lengthy statement challenging Carey’s claims.
“As the premier producer of live television events for nearly 50 years, we pride ourselves on our reputation and long-standing relationships with artists. To suggest that DCP, as producer of music shows including the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and Academy of Country Music Awards, would ever intentionally compromise the success of any artist is defamatory, outrageous and frankly absurd,” the statement said.
“In very rare instances there are of course technical errors that can occur with live television, however, an initial investigation has indicated that (Dick Clark Productions) had no involvement in the challenges associated with Ms. Carey’s New Year’s Eve performance. We want to be clear that we have the utmost respect for Ms. Carey as an artist and acknowledge her tremendous accomplishments in the industry,” the statement said.
Carey’s awkward appearance on the telecast that drew more than 8 million viewers became a New Year’s Day viral video sensation. The incident fueled speculation that Carey had intended to lip-synch the performance, a claim that Perna told Billboard was “adding insult to injury.”
In a statement, Dick Clark Productions said Mariah’s claims of sabotage are “defamatory,” calling it “outrageous and “absurd.”
Sources are actually blaming Mariah for the bad performance. They told TMZ Mariah refused to do a sound check AND there was ample sound on stage for her to hear the music.
Using words like “defamatory” almost sounds like DCP could possibly be thinking about suing Mariah (and her team) for negative backlash against their brand. They haven’t announced any lawsuits, but this could all be the beginning of one big mess.
George Michael’s Boyfriend Says He Was Hacked Following Suicide Allegations
George Michael’s boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz, is denying claims that he said the late singer had committed suicide.
The hairstylist spoke out after shocking messages that alleged Michael had killed himself surfaced on his personal Twitter account. The tweets, which have since been removed, claimed that “the only thing George wanted is to DIE” and “he tried numbers [sic] of time to kill himself many times… and finally he managed…”
“I am shocked with what’s going on with the Twitter thing,” Fawaz told U.K. paper The Mirror. “My Twitter account has been hacked and closed.”
A a week ago, Fawaz used the social media account to reveal that he was the one who discovered Michael’s body. According to him, he found the 53-year-old dead in bed when he went over to Michael’s Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day.
As previously reported, an autopsy was performed on Michael just four days after his death. The results were deemed “inconclusive” and authorities said more tests are needed to determine the music icon’s official cause of death.
Arkansas Teacher Resigns After Calling Michelle Obama “First Chimp” in Facebook Post
HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED!
An Arkansas teacher was forced to resign after he referred to first lady Michelle Obama as “first chimp” in a Facebook post.
Malvern High School teacher Trent Bennett thought he was exercising his first amendment rights to free speech when he wrote “Michelle Obummer… America’s First Chimp” in a now-deleted Facebook post.
After a planned boycott by black parents and teachers was announced, the Malvern School District held an emergency board meeting Thursday where members voted 6-0 to accept the science teacher’s resignation.
In an apology letter to the media, Bennett noted that his words were “disrespectful and offensive.”.
“I am aware of the impact this has had, and though I negate that I have ever conducted myself in a less than professional manner in regard to my students, I have resigned my teaching position at Malvern High School,” he wrote.
Bennett also deleted his social media pages to avoid “future issues”.
In related news, Pamela Taylor, a former executive in city government in West Virginia, was fired after returning off suspension for calling Mrs. Obama an “ape in heels”.
Both Bennett and Taylor are Caucasian Donald Trump supporters.
Angie Stone attempting to sue Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars over ‘Uptown Funk’.
Angie does an interview with Sun Uk and talks seeking legal action against Bruno Mars and she spilled some tea.
Angie Stone has accused Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars of copying one of her old group’s tracks for their 2014 smash hit ‘Uptown Funk’.
The star believes the track borrows too heavily from The Sequence‘s 1979 tune ‘Funk You Up’. Speaking to The Sun, Stone said feels “robbed” by the similarities.
She said: “As far as I’m concerned the song belongs to us. We have been robbed, railroaded, overlooked and completely disrespected. Everyone got paid but my group.
“The truth of the matter is no one on that suit deserves it more than The Sequence because those lyrics are ours – ‘Funk You Up was ours’. We branded it in 1979. Their record was not recorded before ours and I think it is because we are women on the ballot and we are getting railroaded. The truth is we have been trying to sue them long before the record became Record of the Year [at the Grammys].”
Angie added the enormous fees and the power of Warner, the label that has signed Bruno, have so far prevented a suit being filed. But her lawyers have since reached out to the MARVIN GAYE estate lawyers — who won £6million in damages from ROBIN THICKE and PHARRELL WILLIAMS in the Blurred Lines lawsuit.
She added: “A lot of attorneys didn’t want to take the job because the industry is crazy because they don’t want to p*** off Bruno Mars.
No shade her money must be funny!
Istanbul: American Survivor Recalls Playing Dead After Being Shot During Horrifying Attack
Jake Raak who is from Greenville Delaware was enjoying his New Year’s Eve at Reina Nightclub in Istanbul when a gunman opened fire in a horrifying terrorist attack that left 39 people dead. After playing deas, the American tourist survived to become one of 60+ people left injured after the shooting, and his story of the terrifying evening is absolutely chilling.
“When he shot me, I didn’t move. I just let him shoot me,” Jake Raak, 35, an American victim of the Istanbul nightclub shooting on New Year’s Eve, told NBC News. “I was shot when I was already on the ground. He was shooting people that he had already shot.”
The 35-year-old recalled staying perfectly still and silent, despite being hit with a bullet in his hip, which traveled down to his knee. “You just have to stay as calm as you can,” he explained. Jake is in stable condition and is set to travel back to the U.S. sometime this week. However, 39 people, most of whom were foreigners visiting Turkey, have been confirmed dead in the horrific attack, with at least 60 more injured.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly shooting on Jan. 2, and said the attack was carried out “in response to a call” from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the terrorist group. It is not clear whether the call was made directly, or if the shooter was simply inspired by the call.
The shooter fled the scene after firing around 120 rounds in a matter of ten minutes, and authorities have engaged in an international manhunt to capture the suspect. Istanbul police released an image from security footage of who they believe to be the shooter. “Efforts to find the terrorist are continuing,” Turkey’s interior minister confirmed. “God willing, he will be caught in a short period of time. This was a massacre, a truly inhuman savagery.”
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Craig Cub!
Ladies and others LOL! Meet Craig. You can see more when you GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
Enjoy!
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
Kim Kardashian on her post-baby body: ‘My body was mush, I felt like Gumby’
Kim Kardashian got (wait for it…) naked! This time she got naked-ish for the cover the GQ’s July issue. The editorial was shot by Mert & Marcus, and I guess this is what Kim has been previewing on her social media for a few weeks. She was excited about dropping trou for GQ. Seeing Kim semi-naked or mostly naked on a magazine cover is, at this point, sort of mundane? I’m saying that as someone who enjoys discussing magazine editorials, so let me say this: it’s more interesting when Kim gets to work with mag stylists who know what they’re doing and style her in interesting ways. This isn’t that.
GQ hasn’t released the interview yet, but People Magazine does have an exclusive with Kim. She talks about losing the baby weight, body image and more. Some highlights:
She hated how big she was after she gave birth to Saint: “I love curves, but I don’t love my butt and my hips being so big. I totally have insecurities. There was a moment after [the birth] when my body was mush. I felt like Gumby. There was definitely a moment when I looked in the mirror and I was like, ‘I am never going to be the same.’ ”
She wouldn’t even let Kanye see her butt: “My butt was huge. I would walk backwards so he couldn’t see. And I would be so insecure about changing in a fitting like, ‘Babe, you can’t look at me!’ ”
Kanye is a motivator: “I’d know when I was starting to look better because my husband would be like, ‘Babe, you look so good!’ he would never make me feel insecure. But I would always know when he was seeing a difference….He loves that my ass is bigger. And he loves when my boobs get bigger. When I was breast feeding, they were bigger than my babies’ heads!”
She says she’s around 132 lbs now: “I want to get back down to 120. My butt and my hips are the last to go, but I’m not stopping! Anyone who has had kids knows your body changes and it’s hard to get your body back in shape. It takes so much determination and mental and physical power and energy. After having two kids, and being able to get in shape and still feel good about myself, I’ve never felt better. I worked my ass off, I’ve altered my life and I’m proud of that.”
WHATEVS!
King James and The Cavaliers Defeat Warriors to Win Their First N.B.A. Title!
OAKLAND, Calif. — Vilified when he left and celebrated when he returned, LeBron James had spent the past two seasons lugging his city’s championship dreams like a bag of rocks. The weight had only grown more cumbersome — the weight of history, of disappointment, of missed opportunities.
James could feel it all on his sturdy shoulders.
On Sunday night, before a dazed and defeated crowd at Oracle Arena, James delivered on the grandest stage of his superhuman career, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first championship in franchise history with a 93-89 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the N.B.A. finals.
James collected 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to punctuate one of the most remarkable individual performances in finals history. James, who was named the finals’ most valuable player, got ample help from his teammate Kyrie Irving, whose 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining gave the Cavaliers the lead — and an improbable title.
Improbable because the Cavaliers became the first team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit in the finals to win a championship. Improbable because the Warriors, after setting an N.B.A. record with 73 victories in the regular season, had spent months making the case that they are the most dominant team since Dr. James Naismith first affixed a peach basket to a wall.
And improbable, above all, because of Cleveland’s ragtag history as an also-ran. Not since 1964, when the Browns won the N.F.L. championship, had the city claimed a major sports title.
James, who grew up in nearby Akron, has forever changed all of that. He stuffed the series with thunderous dunks and fadeaway jumpers, blocked shots and glowering expressions, towing his teammates along in his ferocious wake. James won two championships with the Miami Heat, but this was his first with the Cavaliers — and his first for Ohio.
Not even the Warriors, who were pursuing back-to-back championships in a repeat of last year’s finals matchup, could slow his march.
Irving finished with 26 points for the Cavaliers, who survived three elimination games. In Cleveland, fans jammed the streets around Quicken Loans Arena for a watch party from afar.
Draymond Green had 32 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists for the Warriors, and Stephen Curry scored 17 points but shot just 6 of 19 from the field. In the final minute, Curry missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game. With 10.6 seconds left, James made 1 of 2 free throws to seal the win.
“It hurts, man,” Curry said.
The Cavaliers formed a raucous mob at the buzzer — joy and disbelief, all at once. On the postgame dais, James clutched the championship trophy to his chest and choked back tears. At his news conference, he wore one of the nets around his neck.
“I came back for a reason,” James said. “I came back to bring a championship to our city.”
From the moment the Warriors set about stalking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the best regular-season record in league history, they cautioned that it would mean almost nothing without a championship, too. The Warriors were greedy — they wanted all the records, all the wins and another trophy at the end.
“We’re stunned,” Coach Steve Kerr said. “We thought we were going to win.”
The Warriors found their postseason journey to be more jagged than they imagined. The tenor of the team’s chase was jarred off course in the first game of the playoffs, when Curry injured his right ankle. Three games later, he slipped on a wet spot against the Houston Rockets, spraining his right knee.
Though Curry eventually returned to help guide the Warriors back to the finals, thanks in part to a thrilling comeback against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals, Curry lacked his usual consistency. More trouble brewed against the Cavaliers.
Green had to watch Game 5 from a baseball stadium after he was suspended for collecting too many flagrant fouls. Andrew Bogut, their the Warriors’ starting center, injured his knee and missed the final two games of the series. Andre Iguodala, James’s primary defender, tweaked his back in Game 6.
As for Curry, his finals experience was an obstacle course of long-limbed defenders (he entered Game 7 shooting 41.9 percent from the field), spats with officials (he chucked his mouth guard after he was ejected from Game 6) and volleys from critics, who jabbed at his poor shooting.
The Cavaliers were no strangers to adversity, either. Sensing what he described as dysfunction, General Manager David Griffin fired the team’s head coach, David Blatt, midway through the season and replaced him with Tyronn Lue, one of Blatt’s assistants. Griffin made the move despite the Cavaliers’ sitting firmly atop the Eastern Conference standings.
It was championship or bust for these Cavaliers, who, make no mistake, were formed in James’s shadow. Not that his journey was without its share of hard feelings and trapdoors.
Drafted by the Cavaliers in 2003, James famously left for the Heat as a free agent in 2010. Fans who felt scorned by his departure burned replicas of his jersey in the streets of Cleveland. But James rejoined with the Cavaliers in 2014, vowing to lift the franchise to new heights, to do something that had never been done.
“I don’t think people imagined it this way — the route that we’ve taken — and that’s fine,” James said Saturday. “Like I always say, every day is not a bed of roses, and you have to figure out how to get away from the thorns and the things of that nature to make the sunshine.”
Nobody seemed consumed by the pressure. Kerr arrived at the arena following his usual game-day session of hot yoga with Luke Walton, one of his assistants.
The crowd stood from the opening minutes. After James batted an attempted layup by Curry into expensive row of courtside seats, Curry got into James’s face. An official had to separate them. Green, meanwhile, went 5 of 5 from 3-point range and scored 22 points to guide the Warriors to a 49-42 halftime lead. The Cavaliers rallied in the third quarter. After Curry committed a turnover, Irving raced away for an acrobatic layup, drawing a foul for good measure. His free throw gave the Cavaliers a 5-point lead. A small subset of fans at Oracle started chanting, “Let’s go, Cavs!”
But neither team could find any separation, at least not until James and Irving emerged in the closing moments, not until it mattered most.
#RHOA: What Did the Housewives Do Before ‘RHoA’?
The Real Housewives of Atlanta cast is making bank now thanks to their Bravolebrity status, but before the women found fame on reality TV, many of them held down shockingly normal jobs.
From working as an in-demand stripper to clocking hours as a high-powered entertainment attorney, NeNe Leakes and her ilk did whatever they could to earn a buck before those big, fat checks started rolling in.
NeNe Leakes
Before earning a reported $2 million per season for her work on RHoA, NeNe was workin’ the pole as a stripper named “Silk” in Atlanta.
While some women might be ashamed of a past like that, NeNe has always been proud of her hustle and the fact she worked her tail off as a single mom to care for her son, Bryson.
Reflecting on her early job she said, “I was putting my son through private school. I knew how to talk game to get the money from the guys.”
The strippper stint ended up being a blessing in disguise for the now 48-year-old, who met her husband Gregg in da club. The rest, as they say, is history.
Porsha Williams
Porsha Williams has the distinction of being the most sheltered lady of the bunch.
So far as we know, she pretty much went from her mother’s house to now-ex-husband Kordell Stewart’s house when the pair married in 2011, and never really had to earn a living to support herself.
However, since divorcing the NFL great in 2013, the 33-year-old has really stepped up her game. In addition to the income she now generates from RHoA, she works hard as a well-liked Dish Nation host and has her own line of lingerie and hair extensions.
Porsha may have gotten a slow start, but she’s all work, work, work now, and that’s something we can really respect.
Kandi Burruss
Was there ever a point in time when Kandi Burruss was not working?
The Grammy-winning recording artist got an early start in the workforce as one of the founding members of Xscape, and she’s been earning a solid living ever since.
In her post-girl group days the mom of two has written tracks for artists like Destiny’s Child and TLC, and she’s still one of the most in-demand writers in the biz.
Though Kandi’s own singing career has taken a back seat lately, she’s currently managing two groups hopefully destined for super-stardom.
Oh, and the 40-year-old also has a sex toy line, a chain of successful clothing boutiques, and a restaurant in the works.
Phaedra Parks
The only gal who might rival Kandi in the career department is her one-time BFF, Phaedra Parks.
The 42-year-old worked as a successful entertainment attorney before joining RHoA, and she still practices law to this day.
In addition, the Georgia is now also an author, an aspiring mortician and funeral director, and the co-creator of the Phine Body workout DVDs.
As a mother to two young boys, Phaedra has also donated much of her time and resources to bettering the lives of young black men in the wake of things like the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown tragedies.
Cynthia Bailey
Cynthia Bailey was used to a life in front of the camera before she joined RHoA at the start of Season 3.
The Alabama native flew to New York City as a teen and began working as a model. Though she doesn’t model as much anymore, the 49-year-old has graced the covers of Essence and Ebony to name a few, and has appeared in editorials for Vogue.
These days Cyn has taken what she learned in the fashion world and parlayed it into The Bailey Agency School of Fashion and her successful eyewear and handbag lines.
Kenya Moore
Like Cynthia, Kenya Moore got by with a little help from her gorgeous looks in her pre-RHoA days.
The 45-year-old rose the beauty queen ranks before winning Miss USA in 1993. After that, she transitioned to acting, appearing in Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Waiting to Exhale, and more. She’s also produced various projects, including her ill-fated Life Twirls On pilot.
Now the Detroit native has added booty guru and hair care expert to her resume, and we have a feeling she’s not done yet.
Sheree Whitfield
Sheree Whitfield had it made as an NFL wife when she joined RHoA in 2008, and she was an aspiring fashion designer as well.
Though her marriage to Bob Whitfield soon crumbled and her She By Sheree line failed, the 46-year-old landed on her feet.
She returned to RHoA in Season 8 after a brief break, and now counts herself as an author and t-shirt designer.
They’ll all be back for Season 9 as well!
#EMPIRE: Lee Daniels' 'The Butler' Now Involved in Effort to Free "We Shall Overcome" from Copyright
(via THR) According to an amended complaint, the 2013 film wanted to make heavy use of the anthem but couldn't thanks to a $100,000 price tag.
A major motion picture that covered the civil rights era didn't have much of the iconic anthem of the generation, and now a lawsuit that seeks to establish "We Shall Overcome" is in the public domain will address that.
On Friday, Butler Films joined documentary filmmakers in a putative class-action brought against The Richmond Organization and Ludlow Music, which assert copyright dominion over a song whose roots connect to American folk singer Pete Seeger and the labor movement of the 1940s. The lawsuit challenges copyright registrations made in the 1960s.
Now, Lee Daniels' The Butler is getting involved. According to an amended complaint filed today, the 2013 film distributed by The Weinstein Co. originally was going to use "We Shall Overcome" in several crucial scenes, including as background music to archival footage as well as scenes depicting the 1963 riots in Birmingham, Alabama, the 1965 riots in Selma, Alabama, the conflict that year at the Pettus Bridge, and the 1968 riots in Washington following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Permission was sought from the publishers on at least four occasions, according to the complaint, but defendants "repeatedly stonewalled and rebuffed" attempts to license "We Shall Overcome" for use in The Butler.
Finally, contact was made.
"After a series of communications between Plaintiff Butler and Defendants, eventually, on September 27, 2012, Defendants advised Plaintiff that Defendants should and could charge Plaintiff the staggering sum of $100,000 for Plaintiff Butler’s proposed uses of We Shall Overcome in The Butler," states the complaint.
That was apparently too much for the film's budget, and after further negotiations where an offer was made of $50,000 for two uses of the song, a synch license was agreed to where the song would be used for no more than 10 seconds for $15,000.
"In fact, it is very difficult to even hear the use of the Song when watching the movie knowing exactly where the Song is played in the movie," continues the complaint.
Some may think this is evidence of greed, though royalties from the song are earmarked for the Highlander Research and Education Center to support art and research projects in the African-American community as well as the preservation of Civil Rights Movement documents. On the other hand, it's also said in the complaint that the Butler filmmakers offered to donate a portion of proceeds from the premiere to Highlander.
Regardless, the case turns on copyright issues and the validity of Ludlow's 1960s registrations on the song. Even though some of the melody and lyrics may already have been published courtesy of Seeger and others, the registrations claim entitlement to an "unpublished derivative work."
The defendants aren't rolling over on this one. They've retained Paul LiCalsi at Robins Kaplan, a respected litigator whose most famous client is Apple Corps Limited, the company established by The Beatles.
In a joint proposed schedule that was filed with the court, LiCalsi previewed what the defense will be in this litigation.
"This Court can find as a matter of law that the prima facie valid copyright registrations in the 1969 and 1963 registrations owned by Ludlow Music contain sufficiently original expression which constitutes a more-than merely trivial 'distinguishable variation' from any predecessor version of the Song that may be in the public domain," argues the defendants.
In other words, even if there's matter in the public domain, a derivative is protected as maybe articulated in this 2012 post about Sherlock Holmes.
Asked to comment about this, plaintiffs' attorney Randall Newman responded, "Even if the Defendants' statement was accurate (which we dispute), the 1960 and 1963 copyright applications contained numerous false and misleading statements that would render those copyright registrations invalid. Moreover, after the 1960 and 1963 copyrights were registered, the melody and lyrics were printed without a proper copyright notice resulting in forfeiture of the 1960 and 1963 copyrights."
The defendants dispute the divesting of copyrights, saying in their papers that the cited sources had copyright notices, and regardless, add, "Plaintiff has failed to plausibly plead that any of the publications listed in the Complaint were printed or published with the permission of the copyright owner (Ludlow Music) or the authors of the Song — all such allegations are made "upon information and belief" — and a reliance on pure, unsupported speculation in this regard cannot sustain Plaintiff's claims."
In the complaint demanding that "We Shall Overcome" be ruled out of copyright, a passage from Pete Seeger's 1963 book is quoted where he writes, "In the early ‘60s our publishers said to us, 'If you don’t copyright this now, some Hollywood types will have a version out next year like 'Come on Baby, We shall overcome tonight.'"
Funny enough, it's now a Hollywood type like Lee Daniels who is joining the effort to make "We Shall Overcome" freely available while it's the defendant who will be using the argument that a derivative version is what saves the song from the public domain.
#NEW MUSIC FROM NEYO and USHER ‘Two’ and ‘CRASH’ The video!
First up, Ne-Yo wants to welcome you to Crown Alpha Hill.
And to step into this new phase of his career, along with a new SoundCloud page, he’s unleashed “Two,” a sentimental single about love.
“Let’s set it off slow and heartfelt. This song is called ‘Two,'” said Ne-Yo. “It expresses a love that makes you feel like the only two people on the planet, the only two opinions, the only two ideas, the only two hearts and minds. I pray you all find a love like this one day….in the meantime, enjoy.”
LISTEN HERE:
Next up
New Music Video- Usher ‘Crash”
Just days after its debut, Usher‘s new song, “Crash,” gets the video treatment. The R&B crooner is dressed in all black as he dances on a dimly lit stage.
Behind him is a huge screen, which a woman eventually appears on. Usher continues to showcase some fancy footwork alongside a duo of dancers, and is eventually brought to tears as he interacts with the beauty on the screen.
Last week, he also released a new track, “No Limit,” featuring Young Thug. The songs are expected to land on his upcoming album, Flawed.
Watch the emotional video HERE:
Hip Hop News: LIL WAYNE, WIZ KHALIFA, & G-EAZY JOIN ‘SUICIDE SQUAD’ SOUNDTRACK
Suicide Squad is filled with high-profile names, and the soundtrack for the DC superhero flick is just as star-studded.
The lineup looks like a who’s who in music, including Skrillex and Rick Ross (“Purple Lamborghini”), Grace and G-Eazy (“You Don’t Own Me”), Kehlani (“Gangsta”), and Kevin Gates (“Know Better”). Eminem’s 2002 hit “Without Me” is also among the 14 tracks.
But perhaps the most jam-packed big name collaboration is the mega posse cut “Sucker for Pain,” which features Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Logic, Ty Dolla $ign, and X Ambassadors. It will also serve as the second single, due June 24, with a music video featuring some previously unseen movie footage (per Billboard).
Suicide Squad, co-starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Ben Affleck, Common, and Margot Robbie, hits theaters Aug. 5. The soundtrack arrives the same day.
Check out the full tracklisting below.
SUICIDE SQUAD: THE ALBUM TRACKLISTING
1. “Purple Lamborghini” – Skrillex & Rick Ross
2. “Sucker For Pain” – Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons (with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X Ambassadors)
3. “Heathens” – twenty one pilots
4. “Standing in the Rain” – Action Bronson & Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) (feat. Mark Ronson)
14. “I Started a Joke” – ConfidentialMX (feat. Becky Hanson)
SADNESS; 'Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin killed by own car at age 27
(AP) — Anton Yelchin, a rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, was killed by his own car as it rolled backward down his driveway early Sunday, police and his publicist said.
The car pinned Yelchin, 27, against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Studio City, according to Los Angeles police Officer Jenny Hosier. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling.
Yelchin was on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal, Hosier said. When he didn't show up, the group came to his home and found him dead.
The freak accident tragically cuts short the promising career of an actor whom audiences were still getting to know.
Yelchin began acting as a child, taking small roles in independent films and various television shows, such as "ER," ''The Practice," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." His breakout big-screen role came opposite Anthony Hopkins in 2001's "Hearts in Atlantis."
He transitioned into teenage roles in films such as the crime thriller "Alpha Dog" and the teen comedy "Charlie Bartlett." He also played a young Kyle Reese in 2009's "Terminator Salvation."
Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. He briefly flirted with skating lessons, too, before discovering that he wasn't very skilled on the ice. That led him to acting class.
"I loved the improvisation part of it the most, because it was a lot like just playing around with stuff. There was something about it that I just felt completely comfortable doing and happy doing," Yelchin told The Associated Press in 2011 while promoting the romantic drama "Like Crazy." He starred opposite Felicity Jones.
"(My father) still wanted me to apply to college and stuff, and I did," Yelchin said. "But this is what I wanted."
His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted "Star Trek" films as the heavily accented navigator Chekov, for which he was able to draw on his Russian roots. The third film in the series, "Star Trek Beyond," comes out in July.
"What's great about him is he can do anything. He's a chameleon. He can do bigger movies or smaller, more intimate ones," ''Like Crazy" director Drake Doremus told the AP in 2011. "There are a lot of people who can't, who can only do one or the other. ... That's what blows my mind."
Yelchin transitioned between the big sci-fi franchise and voicing a part for "The Smurfs." He also appeared in more eccentric and artier fare, like Jim Jarmusch's vampire film "Only Lovers Left Alive" and Jeremy Saulnier's horror thriller "Green Room," a cult favorite that came out earlier this year.
The actor's publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed his death and said his family requests privacy.
'Finding Dory' Drowns Animated Box Office Records With $136 Million Opening
Disney finds itself atop the weekend box office for the eleventh time this year, this time it's the Pixar brand coming up big with Finding Dory. The release is another 2016 animated hit for the studio on the heels of Zootopia, as Dory broke its share of box office records this weekend including the largest opening weekend for an animated feature. It was also a good weekend for the week's other new wide release, the action-comedy Central Intelligence starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, which could be looking at a $100+ million domestic run after its opening weekend. Meanwhile, last weekend's new releases didn't exactly deliver the goods in their sophomore sessions.
Scoring a number one finish for the weekend and a record opening for an animated feature, Disney and Pixar's Finding Dory brought in an estimated $136.1 million this weekend from 4,305 theaters for a $31,634 per theater average. It's an opening comparable to the 90+% bumps both sequels in the Toy Story franchise saw over their predecessors with Dory's opening weekend serving as a 93.8% bump over Finding Nemo's $70.2 million opening back in 2003.
Dory also scored an "A" CinemaScore and played to an audience that was 45% male vs. 55% female. The age breakdown saw 65% of the audience being made up by families and 32% of the overall audience made up of children 12 and under.
On the record front, on top of the animated opening weekend record, Dory broke the record for the largest single day and opening day for an animated film with its opening day totaling an estimated $54.9 million. Included in that opening day total is $9.2 million in Thursday previews, also a record for an animated feature. Of course, it's a bit of a conflict to call both items "records" when you consider Dory wouldn't hold the single day record over Shrek the Third's $47 million if you don't include the additional $9.2 million. Also going down was the record for the largest per theater average for a wide opening animated release, topping Shrek the Third's $29,507 average after it opened to a then record of $121.6 million from 4,122 theaters.
Dory also opened in 29 international territories this weekend scoring an estimated $50 million for a global opening gross of $186.2 million. Its international roll-out includes the largest Pixar opening ever in China ($17.5M) and the biggest Disney/Pixar opening weekend ever in Australia ($7.6M). The release, so far, makes up 32% of the international marketplace with openings in France and Spain taking place next weekend along with the rest of Europe in the coming weeks.
Finishing in second, the Warner Bros. release of Central Intelligence starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart scored an estimated $34.5 million for the three-day weekend, a solid start for the comedy. In terms of demographics, the audience was pretty much split down the middle, 49% male vs. 51% female, and it received a solid, "A-" CinemaScore from opening day audiences. The CinemaScore is an improvement over the "B" Get Hard received, while opening with $33.8 million and finishing its domestic run just over $90 million. The score is closer to the "A" received by the first Ride Along, which managed a 3+ multiplier suggesting Central Intelligence could be looking at a domestic run over $100 million.
Looking at the sophomore session for last weekend's new openers isn't quite as pretty as this weekend's new releases. The Conjuring 2 dipped 61.5% after its #1 finish, bringing in an estimated $15.5 million. That's a much larger drop than The Conjuring (46.9%) and even Annabelle (57.3%).
Now You See Me 2 fell 56.9% for an estimated $9.6 million, much steeper than the first film's 35% drop, but nothing on the board really compares to Warcraft's second weekend.
#RIP: P.M. Dawn's Prince Be Dies Of Kidney Disease
"I'd Die Without You" and "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" was on everyone's mixtapes in the 90's. Now, the Jersey City hip-hop duo that may have been ahead of its time, has lost half of its voice.
Prince Be (Attrell Cordes) has died at 46 of kidney disease, and he also reportedly suffered from diabetes. He had been struggling with his health for a very long time, this according to bandmate Doc G.
Doc took to his Facebook page to pour out his heart saying:
The duo was known for mixing traditional hip hop with sensitive and positive lyrics and melodies (much like Drake does today) over vibed out beats. Definitely a unique sound in the 90's.
2016 has been one of the roughest years yet. Our condolences to Doc G. and the friends and family of Prince B.
Bobby Brown Believes Nick Gordon Was Whitney Houston's Drug Dealer
In a newly leaked excerpt from Bobby Brown's new memoir, Every Little Step: My Story: Bobby Brown, Bobby suspects his daughter's ex boyfriend Nick Gordon may have actually been Whitney Houston's drug dealer...
Excerpt provided by iHeartRadio
"It didn't make any sense to me why my ex-wife would let some nearly grown-a** man live in the house with my thirteen- or fourteen-year-old daughter...I heard stories from some of my friends in Atlanta that he used to hang around Krissi's middle school, which was extremely suspicious to me because he was at least five years older than the middle schoolers," Bobby wrote in the memoir.
He continued, "What would a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old want with middle schoolers?"
When Bobby would explain his reservations for Nick to Whitney, she would try to ensure Bobby that Nick was harmless. But, he wasn't buying any of that.
"I didn't have enough information about him to be comfortable with the arrangement, I started to suspect that his presence was more about Whitney than Krissi--I began to believe he was providing my ex-wife with drugs."
And you did what BOBBY? Nothing! STFU!………………In the meantime!
This week, Bobby Brown sat down with Larry King on “Larry King Now” and responded to Whitney Houston’s mother Cissy calling his recent conversation with Robin Roberts “disturbing.” He says,
I think Ms. Houston is going through the same thing I’m going through.
Bobby Brown also tells Larry that he’d like to rekindle a relationship with the Houston family, and is willing to meet with them, admitting that he
reached out several times before, but there’s no love lost from me. I respect and love that whole family and I’d hope that they know that. But my life has to go on and I’d like to stay well.
Bobby Brown’s episode premieres Wednesday, June 29th at 11am PST/ 2pm EST on www.ora.tv/larrykingnow.
Miko Grimes Reaches Out to Ayesha Curry
Back in March Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross admitted he cut star cornerback Brent Grimes because of his wife Miko's frequent Twitter tirades bashing the team and her husband's teammates
After Golden State Warriors' star player Steph Curry's wife Ayesha Curry angrily Tweeted that the NBA was rigged during the Championship Finals [click here if you missed that], Miko offers Ayesha a bit of advice...
Fun Fact: 4x Pro Bowler Brent Grimes signed a two-year $13.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after leaving the Dolphins.
Well hold on now, maybe she is like a star marathon runner and they nicknamed her legs “White Power”. Just saying it’s a possibility. Don’t want to jump to conclusions. Although if I had to bet, I probably wouldn’t put money down on my theory.
