:::Elise Neal Host SOUL TRAIN AWARDS & NEW VENTURES:::

We all know her by many movies and sitcom performances but she is best know for Will Smith's loosly based sitcom, All Of us. This was one of the top shows on the TV one network line up.BUt in addition, Screen Actors Guild Nominee Elise Neal appeared as a featured presenter for the 21st Annual Soul Train Music Awards ceremony produced by Don Cornelius.


Elise Neal, most known from her roles in Money Talks, Scream 2, All of Us, and the Oscar-winning Hustle and Flow, is a multi-faceted and award-winning actress known to audiences as a familiar face from both film and television.


Having started her career in musical theater, Neal continues to tap into her roots with the music group she created called “ELISE and Assorted Flavors.” Already featured in multiple magazines such as King and Ocean Drive and with performances including the Essence Festival, Neal has proven to be a well-rounded talent whose popularity is thriving. Most recently, Elise and her group performed at the 2007 NBA All-Star NIKE party and are currently recording new music with hit producers and writers.

Elise's solo record, "I'm Down Baby" produced by Al Kapone (EP Hustle & Flow soundtrack) will appear on the soundtrack for upcoming urban drama "4 Life," in which she stars opposite Wood Harris (The Wire) to be released this May. Elise has also just begun work on a pilot for 20th Century FOX called “K-VILLE,” a drama starring Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser which is shooting on location in New Orleans.

Elise Neal graced the red carpet at the 21st Annual Soul Train Music Awards at the Pasadena Civic Center. The Soul Train Awards will be broadcasted in Los Angeles via Tribune Entertainment Company Distribution. Check your local listings for specific channels and times.

Drug Possession Charges Dropped against Maurice “Parlae” Gleaton, Dem Franchize Boyz

Today charges against Parlae aka Maurice Gleaton, a member of Dem Franchize Boyz, have been dropped. Last June, Gleaton was one of eight individuals taken into custody and charged with drug trafficking, later reduced to drug possession, after a police raid at Making Big Moves Entertainment, a recording studio in Atlanta.
Gleaton’s attorney, Ash Joshi, stated that Parlae was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was not the target of the search warrant that police had; they were there for Anthony Blalock, CEO of Making Big Moves Entertainment.
“I’m thankful to God because I knew I was innocent all along, and it seemed like nobody believed me but my friends and my lawyer,” said Parlae. “But, it’s all good now. I tried to tell everybody I was innocent and today, the rest of the world knows the truth.”
“To my fans, this was an illegitimate charge. This is totally out of my character and I hate that it ever happened,” said Parlae. “I don’t condone being in that type of environment and I had no idea that drugs were even in the studio because I was just there to work. Apparently, I had nothing to do with the situation and I just thank all of you for your support.”
Dem Franchize Boyz, a foursome, is comprised of Bernard “Jizzal Man” Leverette, Maurice “Parlae” Gleaton, Jamal “Pimpin” Willingham and Gerald “Buddie” Tiller. All four artists are from the Westside of Atlanta, where they grew up together. The group was formed while they were classmates in High Schoo and are known for hit singles “White Tee,” “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It,” and “Oh, I Think They Like Me.”


Submitted by: NRP Agency

Musiq brings RnB Back

by: linda hobbs

Scratch that last Maxwell post of mine, and his comeback woes. Seems like the current R&B HNIC is Musiq Soulchild (until that R. Kelly album drops).

Dude got the # 1 album, Luvanmusiq, on the Billboard 200 chart. A good look for R&B, because, let’s face it: hip-hop hasn’t been the only thing on life support.

Monday I swung by the Metropolitan Pavilion, a.k.a. House of Courvoisier, for Musiq’s performance. When I got there, a throng of 20-something looking girls lined halfway down the block in their NY boho “I’m at a soul show” best.

The party itself was, unfortunately, not popping. And it’s sad because the venue was hot and the legendary Biz Markie, who still looks exactly like he did in the 80s, was slanging out hits on the one’s and two’s like Diddy in ’97.

What WAS popping though was the bar, which was stacked galore with free Courvoisier. I don’t drink, true story, but I couldn’t help but notice.

I also couldn't help but notice that Jojo Brim (Misa Hylton-Brim’s ex-hubby, Kevin Liles’ advisor at Atlantic, Musiq’s A&R, and industry homie of mine) was definitely having a good time.

He floated through the room looking ten years younger with a small posse of young scantily-clad girls circled around him, like they were the bees and he was the honeycomb.

He then sat up onstage during Musiq’s performance looking like he was singing louder than the audience. He was in the moment. We all were.

Musiq is a fervid, no-nonsense performer. Wasn’t no, “I want to perform a new song for ya’ll I wrote last night.” He stuck to the songs we cared about. The stuff we sang when we thought no one was listening, when some dude took us for granted and rubbed us raw. And when his voice croaked (I think on “Love”) he did the common sense thing: let the starry-eyed, rosy-checked congregation finish off half the set list.

“The State of Hip-Hop”Screening of Studio

Beverly Hills, CA) - Howard University alumnus, Corey Grant, will debut his new film Studio on April 5, 2007 at the Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills. This action and drama film explores the Hip-Hop genre and how the lyrics of a rap star result in a deadly murder. Following the screening of Studio, a celebrity panel featuring music taste makers of the past, present, and future, will discuss “The State of Hip-Hop” in a Question and Answer session.

WHAT: New Breed Films presents Studio, a film written, directed, and produced by Corey Grant. The Question and Answer session, “The State of Hip-Hop”, will discuss the condition of music and how the genre of Hip-Hop has impacted various communities.

WHO: Special invited panel speakers include Ryan Ford (Source Magazine), Omar Cruz (Interscope/Geffen), Troy Marshal (VP of Urban Promotions Interscope/ Geffen), DJ D-Wreck (Wild-N-Out), and of course, Corey Grant, the director and producer of Studio. Other special invited celebrity guests include Elise Neal (Hustle and Flow), Tony Rock (CW’s “All of Us”), the cast of Studio including: Karimah Westbrook (Girlfriends, ER), Demetrius Grosse (CSI: Miami), James Jones (Hip-Hop Task Force), Geonard F. Butler (Producer), and Deidee Deionne (Sweet Home Alabama), and many others.

WHERE:
Fine Arts Theater
8556 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(Parking is located at the Larry Flint Building parking lot on the South/East corner of La Cienega and Wilshire)

WHEN:
Thursday, April 5, 2007
7:00pm Arrivals Begins
7:30pm Screening Begins
9:00pm Q&A Session Begins


CONTACT: Laura Wright (323)465-6697 or email at events@avidexposure.com
Space is limited. Please RSVP as soon as possible to ensure admittance.


# # #

::“The State of Hip-Hop”::

::Caught in a Love triangle @ Texas A&M:: Student killed

HOUSTON (Map, News) - A murder charge was filed against the ex-boyfriend of a missing Texas A&M student after he led investigators to a trash container where he allegedly put her body, authorities said.


Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, was charged with murder Wednesday in the death of Tynesha Stewart, said Lt. John Denholm of the Harris County Sheriff's Office homicide division.

Stewart, a 19-year-old college freshman, was last seen with Shepherd on March 15 while she was home for spring break visiting her mother.

Authorities said it will be difficult to find Stewart's body because the trash bin has been hauled off at least twice since last week and taken to different locations.

"We are exploring whether it's even possible to search for her remains at this point," Denholm said. "It's the literal needle in the haystack."

Shepherd had allowed investigators to search his car and apartment and had been cooperative during interviews through early Wednesday morning, Denholm said.

Shepherd met with community activist Quanell X on Wednesday. Denholm said Quanell X then arranged a meeting with Shepherd and Harris County authorities in the activist's car.

"He told me, with the investigator in the car, where to go. He led us all the way, and when he stood before the dumpster, he broke down, and he said, 'This is where I put her,'" said Quanell X.

Denholm said Shepherd had not made a formal confession. A Sheriff's Office communications official wouldn't release information on Shepherd's bond amount or whether he had a lawyer early Thursday morning.

Gale Stewart, mother of Tynesha Stewart, said Shepherd wouldn't let her daughter go after their relationship ended.

"He was older, and older men tend to be possessive," she said.

Kendria Smith, a longtime friend of Tynesha Stewart, said Stewart and Shepherd quit dating at the beginning of this school year.

.::Moni'que gets the cast offs from "Flavor of Love" for CHARM SCHOOL::.

Honestly,
What have we surcome ourselves to...Now I dont know if Mni'que just needs a job or she is keeping her name out there. What ever the case may be, she has gained the need to offer etiquette school for the cast offs of "Flavor of Love. "

Now we know that half of the cast look like they were strippers but honestly VH-1 may have a hit show on their hands.......UMMMM NO!

I think not. But indeed it may work. the ratings have sky rocketed for the Nielsen rating for shows that display nothing but minstrel show activity.



THERE WILL BE MORE THEN JUST TAXES DUE ON APRIL 15TH 2007.
THE SHOW WILL PREMEIRE ON THE 15TH. So let the drama begin!

Mo’Nique is on board for hosting duties, putting the girls through their paces to learn proper etiquette to become well-mannered, respectable women. What’s to keep the girls in the competition, besides being on television? The grand prize is $50,000. Check in out on April 15th at 10 p.m. No doubt it will be a ratings winner like Flavor of Love and I Love New York.

::"Root" air in six parts on TV-One on easter::

Part 1: Sunday, 4/8 at 8 p.m. (EST)
One remarkable night in the year 1750 a baby boy is born in The Gambia, West Africa. His name is Kunta Kinte... and so starts the tale of one tribal family made up of Binta (Cicely Tyson), Omoro (Thalmus Rasulala) and Nyo Boto (Maya Angelou).

Young Kunta (Lavar Burton) grows up free and happy, guided to manhood by his father and other African tribesmen, until at age 17, when he is taken prisoner by slave-catchers and shipped to America.


Part 2: Monday, 4/9 at 8 p.m. (EST)
Onboard the slave ship, Kunta is involved in a disastrous attempt to rebel before his arrival in Annapolis, Md. There he is sold to his first owner and meets his first and only friend, an American-born slave called Fiddler (Louis Gossett, Jr.).

In spite of protests by his cruel overseer, Kunta's new owner insists that his friend Fiddler break him in as a new slave. Kunta tries to break his chains and escape, but he is captured and whipped into submission, being forced to say that his name is "Toby."


Part 3: Tuesday, 4/10 at 8 p.m. (EST)
The year is 1776 and the adult Kunta (John Amos) has lost none of his rebellious will. His final escape attempt costs him his right foot. On the plantation of his second owner, the now crippled slave is nursed back to health by a slave woman called Bell (Madge Sinclair).

Two years later Kunta becomes the plantation owner's personal wagon driver. In this position, he learns the secrets that the other slaves and servants always want to know - such as the affair between the owner and his brother's wife. Soon, with the encouragement of his wise friend Fiddler, Kunta jumps the broom with Bell. Soon after they have a daughter named Kizzy and Kunta passes up his last chance to escape.


Part 4: Wednesday, 4/11 at 8 p.m. (EST)
It is now 1806 and Kizzy (Leslie Uggams), now a teenager, helps a young slave to run away. As punishment she must be sold, and she is rejected even by her one white friend. The horror of separation from her family is magnified a thousand-fold when she is immediately raped by her new owner.

In 1824, Kizzy is now the mother of a boy nicknamed Chicken George (Ben Vereen), who is known as an excellent trainer on the grubby plantation where fighting roosters are raised.

Soon, as word of a slave rebellion led by Nat Turner reaches the plantation, the owner's wife becomes terrified of all Black people, and the slaves are guarded by the master's gun. Chicken George, who has taken a wife, is sent to England to pay his owner's debt, with the promise that he will return a free man.


Part 5: Thursday, 4/12 at 8 p.m. (EST)
It is 1859 and Chicken George returns to the United States a free man. He is reunited with his family. The possibility of abolition is in the air and George's freedom is deeply resented by many white men, especially two vicious, racist brothers named Evan (Lloyd Bridges) and Jemmy Brent (Doug McClure). When the Civil War begins, George's son Tom (Georg Stanford Brown) is recruited by the Army to work as a blacksmith, but then cruelly mistreated.


Part 6: Sunday, 4/15 at 8 p.m. (EST)
The Civil War is over, but freedom has a bitter side effect, as emancipated Blacks are still being treated as slaves. Chicken George and his family are constantly harassed by hooded "nightriders" and exploited by men such as Evan Brent and a carpet-bagging Senator. Finally, in a move that will truly affect generations to come, Chicken George's family move to the tiny town of Henning, Tenn. to start a new life.

::VH1 stays on top; BET is week’s winning network with nine shows in top 25::

(March 21, 2007) VH1’s “I Love New York” reality adventure was the number one show in black households for the second week in a row, attracting 1.3 million homes during the second week of March. The second and third place entries went to BET’s “Rip The Runway” and “College Hill, both of which had a million-plus homes watching.

BET was the week’s top network among African-American cable audiences with a record nine programs on the top 25 chart. The next closest was Disney which posted five programs, followed by USA with three.

The total number of black households watching the top 25 cable shows, according to Nielsen data, was 15.8 million, an increase of seven percent over the previous week’s total.

Top 25 Cable Shows in Black Households

Rank | Program | Network | Rating | # of Homes1
I LOVE NEW YORK
VH1
13.3
1,334

2
RIP THE RUNWAY
BET
13.3
1,289

3
COLLEGE HILL
BET
10.6
1,015

4
WWE ENTERTAINMENT
USA
9.3
902

5
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
BET
8.0
749

6
WWE ENTERTAINMENT
USA
7.3
735

7
JUMP IN!
DISNEY
8.1
687

8
MUSIC VIDEO
DISNEY
7.1
626

9
RIP THE RUNWAY
BET
6.1
577

10
FAMILY GUY
ADULT SWIM
6.1
570

11
THE FIRST 48
A&E
5.9
562

12
NBA REG SEASON WED
ESPN
6.0
548

13
RIP THE RUNWAY
BET
6.2
541

14
HANNAH MONTANA
DISNEY
5.7
505

15
COMICVIEW
BET
5.4
499

16
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
BET
5.8
497

17
NBA BASKETBALL
TNT
6.2
485

18
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
BET
5.2
484

19
HANNAH MONTANA
DISNEY
5.5
479

20
LUCK OF THE IRISH
DISNEY
5.3
463

21
JAMIE FOXX
BET
4.9
463

22
ZOEY 101
NICK
5.3
462

23
SPONGEBOB
NICK
5.2
462

24
FUTURAMA
ADULT SWIM
4.9
461

25
LAW & ORDER: SVU
USA
4.8
458




Source: Nielsen Media Research. Number of homes
shown in thousand

::Vanessa Williams Gets Hollywood Star ::

By Associated Press


Many predicted Vanessa Williams would fade into obscurity when she gave up her Miss America crown because of a scandal over nude photographs, but her star shone brightly Monday.



Williams received the 2,331st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Fellow cast members from the TV show "Ugly Betty," in which she plays a villainous magazine editor, showed up to cheer for her at the ceremony in front of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.



"We were so happy to get Vanessa," said Salma Hayek, the show's executive producer. "She is brilliant because she is so nasty on the show, but in reality she is the sweetest person."



Williams stepped down as the first black Miss America in 1984 after Penthouse magazine published nude, sexually explicit photographs of her taken several years earlier. In the years since, she has sung on Broadway, released Grammy-nominated albums and acted on screens both big and small.



On Monday, she thanked fellow "Betty" cast members for attending the ceremony on their day off.



"I love working with these people," she said. "I also want to thank my family for allowing me to live my dreams. The sun didn't shine today, but my heart is shining."



Others who attended the ceremony included producer Peter Gruber, "Betty" co-star Rebecca Romijn and Williams' brother, Chris, a cast member on the new Fox series "The Wedding Bells."

Blu Mandella

Blu Mandella grew up in the heart of Atlanta (ZONE 3). Signed with independent powerhouse MagicMan Records, he is destined to not only be the next best thing from the Southeastern region but an icon for upcoming artists in the music industry.
His determination drives him to perform at any given opportunity. “All shows are good shows, paid or unpaid. They allow me to practice and spread my music to different markets and people.” says Mandella. His debut mixtape titled “Kill Yourself Vol. 1” hosted by Legion of Doom’s DJ Dirtywork, gives 19 raw tracks showcasing his versatile talents. The title “Kill Yourself” suggests that change starts when your old way of thinking is deceased. Blu Mandella is no newcomer; he has performed at The Royal Peacock for Akini of HOT 107.9 best of the best, Apex Museum, 20 Grand, and Club Zone. Blu has also had the privilege to perform for the Mayor of Toledo, OH and the annual Juneteenth Heritage Festival in Alabama.

::HOT 107.9 Atlanta Vs. CJ::

By The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Although Fulton County Judge Wendy Shoob earlier this month ruled in her favor over a non-compete clause in her contract at Hot 107.9, the station appealed. This has left her in extended limbo.

CJ left Hot because they never offered to renew her contract, she said. So she got an offer from rival 95.5/The Beat. But Radio One tried to stop that deal by saying she was under a six-month noncompete. Her attorney Daniel Meachum successfully argued that the noncompete was poorly written and even then, she was no longer under contract at the time of her departure at Hot Feb. 2.

But Meachum said as long as the case is pending, Cox Radio won't give her the co-host morning job at 95.5/The Beat. He's hoping the Court of Appeals acts quickly.

"Frankly, this is terribly meanspirited," Meachum said. "They are keeping this woman from working. It's not like this girl is Ryan Cameron making $600,000 a year. They're going to spend more on legal fees than her salary. They're not doing this in good faith."

Her former boss Wayne Brown at Hot 107.9 hasn't returned a call. (He didn't return a call when the decision was made two weeks ago either.)

Across america

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