May 15, 2008 Issue

Plus the Other.

                       by K-R Staff Writers

Kenny Edmonds (BabyFace) vs Anita Baker (affectionately known as Baby)

Say it isn’t so. Anita. Baby…say it isn’t so.

It has been reported that baby is being sued by another baby ending in face. Yes BabyFace has sued Anita Baker for  $250,000.00 specifically  for breach of contract.

This suit is over a song that was BabyFace and Anita sang as a duet on her last album entitled, “Like You Used to Do”. The CD (My Everything)  sold over 500.000 thousand copies which one could say was simi-successful giving the artist was coming out of hibernation.

Face is seeking $100,000  in damages as he has not been paid producer fees. The album credited him as singer, co-writer, and producer of the song. He also says Anita promised to perform four concert dates with him last year to promote the song. She has canceled two shows and has not paid him the $75,000 per show as agreed to for those dates.     

Thus the total amount due according to the lawsuit of $250K.

So you wanna work behind the Camera?

Calling all expiring film makers, American Black Film Festival is hosting film screenings, premiers, panel discussions, and workshops in South Beach on July 19 through the 23^rd. Check out their site at www.ABFF.com for full details.

Before that event, the 2006 Hollywood Black Film Festival is scheduled for June 13 through the 18^th at 8556 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills, California. Over 100 filmmakers from around the globe will feature 40 World Premieres and 2 United States Premieres. Their will also include 13 features, 49 short films, 17 documentaries, and 4 animation films. You can also see the list of films and shorts that will be offered at the HBFF web site. Click on www.hbff.org.

Condoleezza...Out of Touch?

Another out of touch Negro, Condoleezza Rice stated she knew Denise McNair, one of the little girls that was murdered in the church bombing in 1963. Bottom line, she says she was a busy 13 year old learning to play the piano and ice skating and did not pay much attention to the “counterculture” or what we called the Civil Rights movement. She uttered these classless statements on the Republican Network…Fox TV.   You can see why Bush likes her. She is another empty suit that happens to wear skirts in lieu of pants.

               Got Gas?

Gas prices…why even mention it? You’re talking about highway robbery committed by oil corporations with their men (G Dubya and coming to you from an undisclosed place…Chaney) as the Marshall and Deputy. Guess which one is the Deputy? Anyway…the foxes are watching the hen house. Hopefully we farmers will still have inventory on December 31, 2007. That is the last day for the Bush crowd. Who will America pick to serve after this debacle? 

Tom Cruise…yes that Tom Cruise, Actor.

Mission: Impossible III…what a ride. Who remembers Tom Cruise early films? The usual piff and puff, all American girl meets all American boy, fall in love, event splits them up, and a chance encounter gets them back together for a happy ending. It was pretty much the same theme in Top Gun. Remember, “I feel the need for speed”. Piff and puff for a pretty boy and girl.

Then came films like, The Color of Money, Born on the Fourth of July, A Few Good Men, and The Firm.  Mission I and II, with The last Samurai, Collateral, and the War of the Worlds. One gets the feeling that this actor has starred in and was surrounded by great actors and actresses in a number of very good films.

And now, Mission: Impossible III. What a ride. Close up does reveal he does most of his own stunts. Even so,, a picture like this is more about reaction rather than continuous serious acting. Yet, when he has to, pretty boy is more than up to the task. Two points here, Cruise is no longer a pretty boy actor, he is what you would call a star of motion pictures and films. And…Mission: Impossible III is worth your time, money and effort. Check it out…you won’t be disappointed.

 We are outta here....

Contact us at   KataraRhythm@chiia.com

 Authors Review  

                  by DeLois Evans 

A review of

         'The Preacher's  Son'                                      

                                     by Carl Weber 

Carl Weber has done it again! The Preacher’s Son is necessary read. The story centers on a Bishop of a large congregation and his family.

Bishop T.K. Wilson is one of the largest black preachers in Queens, New York who is running for borough president. His political aspirations are not the focus of this novel it is his family, wife Charlene and children Dante and Donna.

Charlene, the first lady of a large church is all that when dealing with the membership and her children. Dante, that brother is truly a ladies man, good looking, smart wants to be a lawyer and his new love interest is straight ghetto. Donna is a twenty year old who recently lost her virginity to her father’s associate pastor. That is just a tiny insight into this page-turner. For church folks, this family’s skeletons and behaviors are way beyond the realm of what is expected of them.

Again, Carl Weber did a beautiful job of getting the reader to be right there with his characters. The book was full of excitement and a definite page-turner. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The book covered many issues and all were interesting.

Carl Weber is Publisher and Editorial Director of Urban Books. He graduated from Virginia State University with a B.S. in accounting and has a MBA in marketing. He is the bestselling author of Player Haters, Lookin’ for Luv, Married Men and Baby Momma Drama. He lives in Long Island, New York with his family.

            Network TV & Cable Notes

That's Black Entertainment

                                                   By the K-R Writing Staff  I challenge anyone to name another race of people, other than the black race who has had to prove time and time again that they could perform as a blacksmith, farmer, welder, machinist, businessperson, doctor, or lawyer in the United States.  Sure there are other races who have suffered the indignity of racism. But blacks have continually knocked on the door of opportunity and had the door open briefly only to find another, and another, and still another door closed.

   There is an excellent video on sale that looks at African Americans of the past and present that have paved the way for those unknowns who are auditioning for movies, recording demos to send to agents, or taking acting courses to enhance their abilities to perform in front of an appreciative audience.

The video is entitled “That’s Black Entertainment” and is    produced by Stan Lathan and John Davies and directed by Stan as well. You may know his daughter, Sanaa Lathan one of the most talented young black actresses on the scene today.

   Vanessa Williams is your hostess. She takes you down memory lane with the help of some of today’s biggest stars, directors, and producers providing their opinion on the artist in question. You have commentary by Russell Simmons, Jamie Foxx, Spike Lee, Barry Gordy Jr., Smoky Robinson, Little Richard, Gregory Hines, Debbi Allen, Quincy Jones, Suzanne DePasse, Whitney Houston, and Bill Taylor, to name a few.

  The 80-minute presentation has over 60 talented greats broken down into seven different groups. There are ‘The Dancers” which examines the best the black community had to offer  including Sammy Davis Jr., Rubberneck Holmes dancing in a short entitled “The Duke is Tops” from 1938.  Believe it or not

Crip” Heard is a tap dancer on a crutch because he has had his leg amputated. There is a 300-pound tap dancer in the team of Patterson & Jackson who does his thing while his partner sings. The Nicholas Brothers famous stairwell split routine is shown. You got to see it to believe it.

  Yet, one of the most spectacular acts in this segment was Stump and Stumpy who performed a routine from  “Boarding House Blues’, 1948. Gregory Hines, who remembers working with them in 1955, said they reminded him of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, “only different”.  Russell Simmons definitely thought they were better than Lewis and Martin. The fact is…they were. Simmons went on to say the white show business world were being cheated of not being able to view an outstanding talent. “Black   people knew it, but the shame is…America didn’t”. You have got to catch these guys dance routine in “This is the Army” from 1943.

  Other segments are the Divas, Rock & Soul, Jazz & Swing, Male Singers, Hip Hop, and From the Vault. You can call  1-800-968-4646 and prepare to pay $14.98 plus $3.95 shipping and handling. Believe me, this is a must have for your collection.

  You will see over sixty stars and clips of their                performances. Artist such as Diana Ross, Bessie Smith,  Billie    Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, Michael Jackson, Cab Calloway, and so on. Run, not walk to your nearest phone and make the call. This is not a paid advertisement for the video. Our aim is to share news of a historical and timely production that should be viewed by all black citizens. Check it out