Two weeks before he died, Michael Jackson wrapped up work on an elaborate production dubbed the "Dome Project" that could be the final finished video piece overseen by the King of Pop, The Associated Press has learned.
Details on the project are scarce. Two people with knowledge of the project confirmed its existence to the AP on condition that they not be identified because they signed confidentiality agreements.
They said it was a five-week project filmed at Culver City Studios, which 70 years ago hosted the classic film "Gone With the Wind." Four sets were constructed, including a cemetery recalling Jackson's "Thriller" video.
Producer Robb Wagner, founder of music-video company Stimulated Inc., did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the project.
It's unclear what final form or forms the video project will take. According to Stimulated's Web site, the company also was hired to produce screen content for Jackson's planned comeback concerts in London. Source: Fox
Shooting the project lasted from June 1-9. Now in post-production, the project is expected to be completed July 15.
It's been said that Jay-Z is the reason we didn't see Chris Brown on stage at the BET Awards.
At tonight's BET Awards, a collection of artists came together to commemorate Michael Jackson's career and the legacy he left behind. Rumor has it that Chris Brown was among those who were to take part in the tribute, but was pulled at the last minute.
The rumor was fueled by one of Chris Brown's dancers, who tweeted "Jay-Z is mad childish. Never keep a person from paying there respect."
The award show's producer, Ron Weisner, told Billboard.com, "A day and a half ago, we had one show and today we have a whole other show. Overnight, literally, it changed. The show was completely rewritten, we booked additional people - we're trying to address a very unfortunate situation."
"It's something we had to deal with at the very last minute," Weisner added. "I wish we didn't have to, but it's just a fact of life."
Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson's father, made an appearance at the awards show, saying, "I just wish he could be here to celebrate himself. Sadly, he's not here, so I'm here to celebrate for him." Source: Examiner
After six years, Sweetface is halting production after the spring 2009 line, which is in stores now. Sweetface started in 2003 as a urban streetwear spin-off to the JLO by Jennifer Lopez line, but soon became a high end contemporary line.
While Sweetface isn't over forever - the company plans to relaunch with a new vision- no date has been set for its return to stores. But if you are a dedicated J. Lo shopper, you are still in luck - her JLO by Jennifer Lopez line still sells in 40 countries outside of the U.S, and she has six highly successful perfumes with another on the way later this year. Source: NYDailyNews
The Greatest to EVER DO IT, Michal Jackson was pronounced dead this afternoon after suffering from a heart attack...
Jackson was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center this afternoon by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics.
Fire Capt. Steve Ruda said paramedics responded to a call at Jackson's home at 12:26 p.m. He was not breathing when they arrived. The paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and took him to the hospital, Ruda told The Times. Source: LA Times
Michael Jackson has lived his live in LOVE. He has LOVED everything he has ever placed his hands on, whether it was on the shoulder of a loving fan or on his musical works. He has faced much criticism, hate, betrayal in his lifetime but he was always one to look past all of that and keep loving... Michael was the GREATEST to ever do it and we're happy to say that the man can finally be at Peace.
WE LOVE YOU MIKE. YOU HAVE CHANGED OUR WORLD. WE WILL FOREVER REMEMBER YOU AND NEVER FORGET YOUR PURPOSE OF SHARING LOVE.
According to WXVT, T.I. has been hit with an unknown virus outbreak:
Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Traci Billingsley has confirmed the virus' existence.
A number of inmates recently became ill and have been treated at the prison, said Traci Billingsley. The symptoms appear to dissipate within 48 to 72 hours, she said. "Swine flu is not suspected because these all are all gastrointestinal-related," Billingsley said. Visits were suspended Friday. They will resume when medical personnel are certain there is no risk of exposure, Billingsley said. The prison in Forrest City is a low-security facility housing male inmates, including rapper T.I., who is serving a yearlong sentence on a weapons charge. turned himself in to authorities late last month.
Beyoncé's star is shining brightly right now and she attributes much of her showbiz success to her long-term partner and husband, rap star Jay-Z, 39.
Such is their deep love for each other that Beyoncé, 27, recently revealed that they plan to start a family before she turns 30. But behind the apparent happiness lies a secret that Beyoncé carries with her: the claim that Jay-Z has already experienced fatherhood without her.
Now can reveal that the fiercely private rapper - who's worth an estimated $400 million - reportedly has a secret 7-year-old son who he's amazingly managed to hide from the limelight all this time. The boy apparently bears a striking resemblance to his father and is the result of Jay-Z's romance with Trinidadian model Shenelle Scott which ended in 2001, before he met Beyoncé.
Jay-Z has gone to great lengths to distance himself from the claims, despite reports that he's privately admitted paternity. Beyoncé, whom he married in April 2008, is now apparently accepting of the boy and is even said to have gone on holiday with her stepson in the South of France.
Although Jay-Z's spokesman denied that there was any truth in ‘these ridiculous rumours', the rebuttal falls short of a denial that the rap star is the boy's father. Despite approaching Jay-Z's representatives repeatedly last week, they refused to comment.
Sources say that Shenelle and her son live a quiet life in Trinidad at a $2.5 million home that Jay-Z bought for them after paternity tests revealed a positive match. It's also thought that Shenelle, 28, brings her son to see Jay-Z in New York, where he's based, whenever she flies there for modeling assignments.
This isn't the first time Jay-Z has tried to keep his personal life out of the public eye. Even though he and Beyoncé have been together since September 2002, they kept the relationship under wraps for many months - and it wasn't until six months after they married last year that they officially confirmed they were man and wife.
The talented, beautiful, Ms. Jada Pinkett Smith took a moment out of her busy life to speak with Redbook Magazine about marriage and sex with husband Will Smith.
Jada: "We're constantly surprising each other," she said. "No matter what side of the scale one is on, the other will switch to keep the balance. We crack up about it all the time. We hardly every agree on anything, and we've learned to really respect that in our relationship. You might have an idea in your mind of what marriage is supposed to be, and you're driving, driving, driving, toward this ideal picture. But you have to be open to the fact that your relationship is meant to be something else."
Ms. Jada is an undercover freak. Watch out!
Jada: Think of places outside that are comfortable to have sex. Does he have access to his office? Have a fantasy date. Be his secretary! Be sneaky. Your girlfriend's house at a party. The bathroom! A guest bedroom! Just switch it up. Anything like that can keep it going. Anything it takes to keep the flame alive.
Essence caught up with Mr. Ginuwine to speak about a few interesting things....
ESSENCE.COM: Welcome back, G! Your new album, "A Man's Thoughts," is a 14-track of love. Was it difficult getting back in the swing of things after being away so long?
GINUWINE: (Laughs.) Well, I wrote 45 songs in all. I believe you can listen to my album from beginning to end. Of course, some might love certain songs better than others, but overall I'm proud of it. Plus, I have everyone from Timbaland to Missy to Bun B and Brandy on it.
ESSENCE.COM: Your album is typically you with an all-star lineup, but folks are accusing you of swagger-jacking Justin Timberlake because of the Timbaland-produced anthem "Get Involved." How do you feel about that?
GINUWINE: (Laughs.) Are you serious? If that's copying Justin Timberlake I want to know whether people say the same thing about him when he hooked up to work with Tim, whom I've worked with for years? People are real funny.
ESSENCE.COM: On a more serious note, you lost both your parents in 1999 and 2000. How have you been coping?
GINUWINE: After my father shot himself to death and my mother died from cancer less than a year later, I really didn't want to be here anymore, I didn't want to live and tried to commit suicide more than once. There was no one around that I really loved at the time, so I turned to the drinking and like weed and ecstasy. I was done mentally and emotionally to the point that I had to go see a psychiatrist, but that didn't do any good because I wasn't interested. In fact, the two times I visited him I was high. I was depressed and felt like I had nobody to talk to that could relate to me.
ESSENCE.COM: Wow. What was the turning point for you?
GINUWINE: I had one friend who intervened and begged me to get help. Even though I didn't continue with my counseling from my pastor and got straight spiritually. I was able to turn away from all those things that were destroying me and finally think clearly. I had to ask myself whether or not I wanted to go out like my dad and have my kids hurt the way I was hurting. I've been clean for about seven years. Now, I keep all that stuff away from me, especially when I'm on the road.
ESSENCE.COM: Despite your adversity you've remained positive and are working with the mentally disabled.
GINUWINE: My wife and I own mentally disabled homes in Kansas City where the mentally disabled board through a program called SPRUCE (Special People Requiring Unique Care Equally). Many people don't realize that once they turn18 they are often thrown out the house and are homeless. At the home, they are able to learn the basic fundamentals of life, like finding a job, how to take care of themselves, clean their rooms, and other things. My heart always likes to give, and if I'm going to help somebody it might as well be someone who can't help themselves.
Kelis is asking the judge to order Nas to pay spousal support, child support, all pregnancy-related expenses, and one-half of all medical expenses after the child is born. She also wants $3,500 for the baby nurse after the child's birth, and $20,000 for strollers, cribs and other baby supplies.
Kelis says she's entitled to maintain the lifestyle to which she became accustomed during their marriage - they have five homes, fly first class, go to fancy restaurants, and on and on. My engagement ring is an approximately nine-carat cushion-cut diamond solitaire.
As Whitney Houston prepares for her first album since 2002, her camp members are requesting that all reporters lay off questions about her drug related past:
"They only want to let her talk to journalists who'll agree not to ask about her substance abuse," a source tells the The NY Daily News' Gatecrasher column this week.
"The deal is, if they want her, then Matt Lauer, Diane Sawyer or whoever isn't supposed to ask her tough questions" the spy added.
Whitney's still-untitled album is scheduled to release this year. We wish her the best comeback ever!
Ok so we did not see this one coming. Ms. Tameka Foster did a nice job of faking the funk.
It seems that all is not well with Usher and Tameka Raymond and the two are heading for a split.
We heard that the couple, who haven't been photographed together in months, are actually in mediation for a divorce.
Lately, Usher has been seen not wearing his wedding ring, and this past weekend, he was spotted out with a woman that the singer's people swear is just his "product manager." However, a source reported that she's actually a Def Jam executive named Grace Miguel. There are also rumblings that Usher might be filing for a legal separation from Tameka soon.
Meanwhile, Tameka has been fighting off speculation from Usher's fans who seem intent on bringing his rumored infidelity to her attention. Source: S2S
HHW: I noticed on your Twitter page that someone one from JD's camp was leaking some of your songs. Did ya'll clear that situation up?
FABOLOUS:Nah, I didn't speak to J.D. yet. I don't think it's J.D. himself, like I don't think J.D. is sitting at a computer and letting the songs fly off himself, but I do think that it was someone in his camp. Someone he was around, in the studio with, or just someone being irresponsible and left the songs to be leaked. All three of the songs that were produced by J.D. or his camp and that's what it was. I wasn't trying to go at JD's neck, I was just trying to make him aware. Maybe somehow my Twitter reached him or somebody said something to him about it because I couldn't get in contact with him at the time. I just wanted him to check it out on his end as well because I don't know who let these tracks out. Usually when an album gets leaked, they leak the whole album; sometimes one single will get let out but when singles get leaked and it's all by the same producer you kind of feel like it came from that area.
An ex-con is suing an upstate prison nurse who allegedly sent him back to his cell after medication side effects gave him a painful erection that wouldn't go away.
Dawud Yaduallah says he suffered for 55 hours before finally getting hospital treatment to relieve the problem in his pants.
Yaduallah, 43, claims nurse Judith Lovelace's diagnosis left him "irreparably injured" with "severe damage to his penis, including erectile dysfunction, inability to ejaculate and pain during sexual intercourse."
He now needs a prosthesis "to possibly restore some sexual function" and says "his medical problems have caused difficulty in his marriage," court papers say.
Yaduallah, a career criminal formerly known as David Hanley, says he was imprisoned at the Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill when his daily dosage of Seroquel was boosted by 25 percent in March 2006.
Lovelace, 65, allegedly did nothing "other than telling Mr. Yaduallah to apply ice to his penis."
"The medical literature is clear that if you see a doctor within 24 hours, you generally won't have any permanent damage. He didn't see a doctor for over two days," lawyer Elmer Keach III said. Source: NY Post
Jay-Z finally has a release date for the blueprint 3. It's been set for September 11th. The first Blueprint was released eight years ago on that day. In addition, it'll be the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.
Since most of Jay's albums have had quick turnarounds, fans were expecting Blueprint 3 to be released much sooner. However, Jay has explained in interviews that he was taking his time and actually didn't like not having a deadline to meet. The MC recently parted ways with his longtime label, Def Jam, clearing the way for him to release Blueprint 3 via a different company. Last week reports emerged that Jay was in the process of negotiating deals with both Sony Music and the Warner Music Group. MTV News has confirmed that Blueprint 3 will be coming out via Roc Nation. WMG/Atlantic will be handling the distribution, marketing and promotion.
Neither Jay nor his rep has released a statement. Jay - who gave a surprise performance in Los Angeles with Eminem on Monday - kicks off his tour with Ciara in Las Vegas on July 3. Source: MTV
Jay-Z has never failed us when it comes to music . We're definitely looking forward to something incredible.
Word in the movie world is that a Barack Obama biopic will soon be in the works and ready to release after our President's term is finished. Names such as Denzel Washington and Will Smith have been mentioned to star as the President but nothing has yet been confirmed.
Denzel(54 Years Old) recently spoke to reporters about his involvement but fears that he will be a bit too old once Barack's(47 Years Old) term is done:
He says, "When Obama's story is ready to be told I'll be too old to do it. And if it were made now, he has too much to do to have me asking for tips on how to play him."
Who do you think will get this incredible movie role. Will Smith for his Barack Obama ears and physique or Denzel for his Obama look and swagger?
Eminem recently chopped it up with Rap Radar on the topics of getting tea bagged at the MTV Movie Awards and getting robbed...
RR: Can you clear up the Bruno stunt at the MTV Awards? Was it staged or planned?
Eminem: Sacha called me when we were in Europe and he had an idea to do something outrageous at the Movie Awards. I'm a big fan of his work so I agreed to get involved with the gag.
If it wasn't planned the way you agreed to, do you hold MTV or Sacha responsible and will you take any kind of action?
I'm thrilled that we pulled this off better than we rehearsed it. It had so many people going "nuts" so to speak. Everyone was blowing me up about it.
After you left the ceremony, where did you go?
After the ceremony I went back to my hotel and laughed uncontrollably for about 3 hours. Especially after I saw it on air.
There is a rumor that you hotel room was robbed and theives got 60K and your laptop while you were at ceremony. Is that true and if so what would someone find on your computer?
The only thing was that I lost a Nike watch that we were looking for. The rest it is made-up like half the other stuff out there.
We knew that prank was fake. What man would allow another man to have his balls in his face for 5-7 seconds without pushing him off? On another note, what man would allow another man to put his balls and ass in his face in the first place? LOL
I f*cked ya girl on D-low, cause I'm that nigga and I got a bigger ego. For free yo, I let her climb on the tree yo. now she with me yo, so adios amigo. No you ain't big as me yo. So when I hit , she said my d*ck too big, fat, wide, and thick. What I was born with is enormous, when I try to fit, she holler like ‘you got a big ego, AGH SHIT!' And that's why she on my d*ck, cause I got a huge ego, I'm a hero. I save the day, it's L-O-V-E yo, she never felt that way 'till she started fucking with me yo. I took her from you like D-bo, 'cause your ass always had her going to bed mad like Ne-Yo"."
Ha! We all know Amber Rose ain't no angel. We don't know who to believe.