|
Video
Archive | Column
Archive | Photo
Gallery | www.myspace.com/obnoxious2 |
  Usher gave himself a very nice Christmas gift that will keep on giving.
A week prior to Christmas Usher Raymond opened his franchise
of the restaurant and bar called The Grape. Marked the opening
of the seventh location in Metropolitan Atlanta, Usher’s Inman Park location will be a sure hit according the franchise
president. Usher opened the doors to his pashe’ new business
venture with a private luncheon for members of the press on
a Thursday afternoon that would insure positive reviews. The
star and his mother were very gracious host and proud of their
new baby. In a purple sweater Usher was well dressed for the
event and greeted the press as he and The Grape staff laid
out a six course meal of all the high end offerings of the
quant new establishment.
A Grape in New York is scheduled to soon follow and the opening
will coincide with the release of his new album. After the
Grape conquers the Big Apple, the superstar will head West
to Las Vegas and possibly Los Angeles. Jack Mazur, Grape CEO,
shareed with me that he has a vision of the company growing
in cities like Chicago, South America, Shanghai, and Tokyo. “We
decided to capitalize on the growing interest of wine among
younger drinkers and came up with the concept for Grape,” Mazur
shared. “Usher fits that demographic perfectly.” Usher
was available to a number of questions during the opening about
his career and future business ventures. Broadway came at a
unique time for him during his career. “Most people
do Broadway first and then movies,” Usher explained. “It
was a wonderful opportunity and I had a great time, but now
my focus is not my next album.” Usher made it clear
that he will not return to “Chicago,” for the last
run of the Broadway musical that called on all of the artist
talent night after night. The singer will continue to do big
business. Already a partner in an NBA franchise and now with
the Grape under his belt a clothing line might be next for “Yeah” man. “You
will have to wait to see, you are going to fast man,” Usher
said smiling. “I want it to be right, whatever I do--I
want it to be a good product and not rush into anything.” Not
that a clothing line is totally out of the picture, but it
will have to happen at the right time for the singer and he
would have the time to devote to the success. “The number
of opportunities for celebrities and minorities in business
is amazing,” Usher said. “I want to be a part
of as many of them as I can.” Well, he is not doing
a bad job at making it happen.
|
 Steve
Harvey has back pedaled
many of his early comments about Radio One and the company’s
CEO, Cathy Hughes. The host of Premiere Radio network’s
syndicated The Steve Harvey Morning Show from Los Angeles radio
station KKBT-FM (100.3 The Beat). Harvey had just finished his
toy drive when he was asked about the removal of The Tom Joyner
Morning Show from the same station. “That’s really
sad. That’s really a sad thing that’s happened over
there to The Beat,” Harvey, who hosted mornings at the
Radio One station from 2000 to 2005 before leaving and eventually
being replaced by Joyner. Harvey parted ways with Radio One after
attempts to syndicate his program nationwide fell short. Radio
One soon partnered with Joyner to syndicate the Tom
Joyner Morning Show on KKBT—until news came that Joyner’s program
would be dropped because of a format change at the station.
“I don’t gloat and revel in stuff like that,” Harvey
said. ‘It’s just really sad what happened to the
station. The Beat was once a heritage station, for it to be happening
like this right now, it’s a sad day. I wish Radio One and
the owner the absolute best and I hope they can turn that station
around. They’re a black-owned business and I always want
that to be a success for them.” Well, Steve might really
have accepted Christ, since that is a long way from his statement
last year about Cathy. It was more like she and her staff could
kiss his black ass when his syndication deal did not happen.
Now he is reported to have said that he would have loved to remain
a part of Radio One because they had plans for growing in great
ways. Not sure what the plans are for Radio One, but they do
not include Tom Joyner. All of this makes you wonder if Steve
might be in the picture to get the deal he wanted two years ago. |
 Speaking
of radio, Star Jones made a crack at the mic. The former New
York prosecutor and host of “The View” hopes to
turn the tide with a temporary gig as substitute host for Radio
One’s “The Michael Eric Dyson
Show.” Star
is reported to have told the press that it was a new chapter
for a new Star. She went on to say that she is a new person
focused on her family, community, and things that really matter
in life. Star has been quite since all of the fuss about her
exit from “The View,” last year. Despite her vast
television experience, which included an analyst gig at Court
TV, where she mainly sat and accused O.J. Simpson of murder
on a daily basis, Star said she was very nervous about her
three day radio job. Star discussed real life issues in a down
home fashion more so then she ever could at the table where
he once sat. Prior to standing in for Michael Eric Dyson, Star
had never hosted a radio show, but has been a guest many times.
Star is working for Radio One on a year-end review special.
Allegedly she has not watched “The View” since
Rosie has been one of the co-host. Star can tell us anything,
but we can be sure that she has watched the show since she
was dismissed.
|
 Well, it might be some trouble in this New Year for Kanye
West. The 68-year-old Evel
Knievel’s next
stunt will be an attempt to win a lawsuit against rapper
Kanye West for biting his persona in his extravagant
video for ‘Touch the Sky’. The lawsuit
filed in a Tampa, Florida, Federal court, the lawsuit
from Robert Craig Knievel claims that West’s
Evel Kanyevel character in the video is an infringement
on his trademark name and likeness. Additionally, he
claims the “vulgar and offensive” images
depicted in the video including a kiss with Pamela
Anderson and an attempt to jump a rocket-powered motorcycle
over a canyon that results in a fiery crash—has
damaged his reputation. “That video that Kanye
West put out is the most worthless piece of crap I’ve
ever seen in my life, and he uses my image to catapult
himself on the public,” the ailing daredevil
is reported to have said.
In the video, West wore the infamous Knievel star-studded
jumpsuit and uses a motorcycle “visually indistinguishable” from
the one Knievel used in his failed attempt to jump
the Snake River Canyon in Idaho in 1974, the lawsuit
states. Knievel also takes issue with the scenes involving
Anderson, who plays West’s girlfriend. He says
the clip contains ‘vulgar and offensive sexual
images, language and conduct involving ‘Evel
Kanyevel’ and women apparently trying to gain
his sexual interest,” according to the lawsuit. “The
guy just went too far using me to promote his filth
to the world,” said Knievel, who lives in Clearwater,
Florida and has been in poor health in recent years. “I’m
not in any way that kind of person.” The lawsuit,
which seeks damages and a halt to the video’s
distribution, also names Roc-A-Fella Records, video
Director Chris Milk and AOL for distributing it. Get
over it all ready Mr. Knievel. He should be glad that
Kanye resurrected his dead image. Face it many people
are far too young to know who he was. The old man must
need some money and is looking to make a quick buck.
West video is was not filthy and actually rather mild
in comparison to some of the Hip Hop video we see now
days. Clearly, Knievel has a problem with Kanye kissing
a white woman rather than him promoting filth and I
wonder if the retired dare devil is upset with Kanye
promoting one of his failed stunts. Hell Elvis should
have sued him for coping his style and costumes. West
cut this dude a check; he is a chump so just give him
some of your spare change.
|
|
 Judith
Regan was
nothing more than the fall guy for HarperCollins’ piss
poor decision to publish O.J. Simposn’s hypothetical
murder confession “If
I Did It.” The book and its companion Fox special
was simply in poor taste. The murder that is yet unsolved left
a wound in America and on the hearts of many people that feel
O.J. is guilty. The book ripped the scab off a barely closed
laceration. A number of people feel that O.J. killed his ex-wife and
her friend Ron Goldman and his book was a slap
in the face.
Rupert Murdoch of News Corporation personally
called for her ousting
after hearing “reports of a heated conversation
Ms. Regan had with a company lawyer that included comment that
were deemed anti-Semitic, according to two people familiar
with the News Corporation’s account of the firing.” Mark
Jackson, a lawyer with HarperCollins, a division of
the News Corporation that includes Ms. Regan’s imprint,
reported the alleged comments from a phone conversation with Ms.
Regan to Jane Friedman,
HarperCollins’ president and chief
executive. Jane in turn called Rupert who said he would not
tolerate that kind of behavior according to a source that would
prefer to remain anonymous. “The conversation with Mr.
Jackson on Friday afternoon was described by sources as heated
and confrontational, even for the famously forceful Ms.
Regan.
The alleged comments came in the midst of a tense conversation
in which, she berated Mr. Jackson, when she directed insults
at him and Ms. Friedman, who are Jewish, as well as toward
other Jewish people,” said the source. Yeah right! She
was fired when all of the heat came down on the company for publishing
such a distasteful book. It was as it O.J. was saying I killed
them and since I got off here is my confession. What may have seemed
has a hot money maker back fired and Regan had to take the fall
for the imprint? It remains to be seen if a lawsuit will follow
or if she was given a handsome payout to pack her bags. In a murder
case the burden of proof is on the prosecution and they failed.
All the defendant had to do was prove a reasonable doubt and in
this case O.J.’s dream team did. It would be best if O.J.
did as Michael Jackson and leave the country for a while. What
kind of man could attempt to make a profit off the horrendous murder
of the mother of his children, children that he is actually raising?
A heartless human being could be the only type of person to do
such a thing. O.J. seems to not have thought about his children
when he entered the book deal. One day the world will be able to
hear from Nicole Brown Simpson’s children to find out the
true story about their dear daddy. Until that day we will have
to wait and continue to wonder did he really do it and got off.
|
 Writing a column
each week does not often allow the opportunity to give updates
on information covered the previous week. However, some stories
are so good you have to follow them to know how the situation
played themselves out. Carmelo Anthony’s apology for
pushing New York’s Nate Robinson and punching Mardy
Collins in the face and running is worth an update. The aforementioned
actions will cost Carmelo about $641,000 in salary that he
will miss due to the fifteen game suspension he must serve.
The apology, although noble was really not enough for these
guys to get the picture. If one of you hit a co-worker or
a colleague from a competitors company you would be dismissed
on the spot. Well, is the NBA above firing a player for poor
behavior and not living up to the standard the league up
holds? What is a suspension to a person that is filthy rich?
If David Stien is serious he would have made the franchise
dismiss the players for their behavior. America is sending
a message that if you are rich you can get away with low
down behavior and if you are poor you will pay the price.
For now a simple “I am sorry” does the job.
|
 Kirk Franklin has signed a deal with
independent movie studio Lionsgate to produce “Church
Boy,” a feature film based on his life story. Kirk
will star in the project and compose its soundtrack, which
will include old favorites in addition to several brand new
songs, announced Lionsgate President of Production Mike Paseornek.
He went on to say that Kirk is an incredible talent who has
touched countless lives through his music and his spiritual
message. “To hear his story is to realize how faith
and dedication can help a person overcome the most daunting
obstacles. With Kirk playing himself and bringing in brand
new songs –audiences are sure to be feeling the spirit
with ‘Church Boy.’” Kirk will join the
expanding portfolio of African American faith based movies
that have done well in the box office. Tyler
Perry’s films among others have proven to be successful. Now it remains
to be seen how much Kirk will allow us to see of his life.
The “Church Boy” has done a great deal that is
not all that Holy; like having a child out of wedlock, not
finishing high school, experimenting with drug, and the admission
of being addicted to pornography will be some of the things
that must be depicted on the silver screen. Will they tell
the truth or will just be a feel good movie?
|
 Drug Dealers and Killers Stirke
Again…Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Reggie
McNeal is accused of becoming unruly after being refused entrance
to a nightclub and was charged with resisting arrest. McNeal was arrested outside The
Red Door. McNeal and a friend approached
the entrance of the club and began to act up when a guard told
him the club was closing. He is said to have become aggressive
and started using profanity when he was refused entry. After
walking away briefly Reggie returned and tried to push his
way into the club and actually elbowed one of the officers
working security. Reggie was arrested and later released on
a $1,000 bond. The Bengals have a reputation of acting a fool
off the field with Reggie marking the seventh player arrested
this year.
|
 According
to my “Street Committee”…P.
Diddy received
a great Christmas Gift of twin baby girls, but he might
be losing one of his working girls in days to come. It
has been no secret that Bad Boy has been in trouble for
quite some time, but it seemed that Cassie might have been
the breath of life in the nostrils of the dying label.
Hard to believe Faith Evans and Mary
J. Blige were once
on the Bad Boy label. Now Cassie is ready to follow their
lead. Insiders say that Cassie and her manager Ryan
Leslie are trying desperately to be released from Bad Boy Records.
According to the source, Cassie’s team feels that
Bad Boy hasn’t put enough of an effort in marketing
the teen singer. However, it is said to be more to the
story than what is being said. The reasons may actually
be personal as to why Cassie wants to part ways with P.
Diddy, born Sean Combs. Cassie and her management may file
a lawsuit against Bad Boy. Allegedly, Cassie has been the
victim of a form of harassment. As of the time of deadline
Obnoxious was not able to find out what type of harassment
Cassie suffered; nor if it was at the hands of P.Diddy.
Cassie has asked for the support of her fans in her blog
and that she will be going in a new direction.
|
|
|
