Paid In Full Entertainment: News

Jimmy Iovine Explains "Detox" Delay, "I Lost Dr. Dre To Eminem"
Written by Cyrus Langhorne

Interscope head Jimmy Iovine has come forward to explain the delay of Dr. Dre's highly anticipated, upcoming album.

According to Billboard, the music mogul claimed the super producer's follow-up release to 1999's multi-platinum selling album The Chronic 2001 was originally prepped to drop in late 2008. However, the return of Eminem prompted Dre to alter his schedule.

"We only tried to put [Em] out this year to replace Dr. Dre, but we got into a quagmire," Iovine told Billboard. "Eminem was always coming next year. But what happened was, I lost Dr. Dre to Eminem."

Assuring there were no personal issues involved, the music exec said Em's surprising work ethic forced Dre to move his solo project into 2009.

"Dre had to stop making his album to finish Eminem's album," Iovine added. "Eminem hit a streak, and when a guy like Eminem gets on fire, you stop everything. That's how we lost Dre."

While not offering an exact date, Jimmy promised the producer would be on hand to finish Em's new release and complete his own at the start of next year.

"Dre's going back in in January," Iovine continued. "He'll be finished with Eminem by then, and he'll finish his album."

In related news, Em's forthcoming solo project, Relapse, was recently pushed back to next year due to the rapper's diligent work ethic.


"Eminem has been through a lot," an insider told the New York Post. "He is being a perfectionist and is completely obsessive-compulsive about this album."

Reps for the Shady Records label head later confirmed the album's delay and are estimating a release date in early 2009.

Tyler Perry has reportedly settled the much-talked-about battle with the Writers Guild after a series of events including a picket at the grand opening of his new studio in Atlanta.

The deal, announced this week, came after five months of negotiations, reports Variety.

Perry's TBS comedies 'House of Payne' and 'Meet The Browns' will push forward as planned with season premieres early next year.,

The guild had accused Perry of firing four scribes around the same time they came in contact with the WGA. Perry denied the charge, saying the four were let go because he was unhappy with the quality of their work on "House of Payne" and the upcoming "Meet The Browns" spinoff (Variety).

According to the WGA, the deal does not include the reinstatement of the four writers, three of whom were WGA members.

"With a continued focus on fostering young, diverse talent, we are eager to continue our dialogue with the WGA to dramatically increase the number of minority writers working in Hollywood today," Perry said in a statement.

Tyler Perry, who is due to release 'Madea Goes To Jail' next year, has also completed deals with SAG, DGA, Teamsters and IATSE.

source: www.singersroom.com

Well According to an article from Associated Content, it was all a publicity stunt done by her then publist to get her noticed by the mainstream. Well, it has appeared to work, as Rihanna has gone from rumored to be broke and possibly dropped from her label DefJam to a crossover success.

Check out an excerpt from the article:

“Along with one of my partners, I then began to fabricate stories of Rihanna and Jay-Z, leaking false rumors to tabloids, working internet message boards, etc. We started to get an insane amount of media coverage very fast. There are so many things we did that people don't even know about, not even Rihanna herself.”

“Like when the rumor surfaced that Jay-Z had a new love life and was cheating on Beyonce...that was just to get attention. Rihanna had nothing to do with ANY of that, nor did she know what we were doing.”

“Rihanna is one of the biggest stars in the world now, and look at how she stormed into the business!” Hay continues. “Not to take anything from her - she is a great artist - but every artist needs a launching pad and there is nothing better than a good scandal to get the public's attention.”

I guess that is the new thing now, if you want to get noticed, just lie or make-up something! What is the business come to? Ahhh! money........

Jacko Settles With Prince

So that’s it for Michael Jackson’s lawsuit with Prince Abdulla of Bahrain. If Jackson hadn’t settled the case over the weekend he would have had to fly to London and testify today.

The Prince’s lawyers would have presented Jackson with a copy of the contract he signed with the Prince in which he agreed to record two albums, write a memoir and stage a Broadway show. In exchange, the Prince handed him an advance of $7 million. Jackson consequently took the money and left Bahrain, never to be heard from again.

The contract with the Prince was clearly stated. Jackson would have lost the case anyway. This way, he’s spared the further humiliation of having to make a public appearance.

Over the weekend, Jackson did put out a story that he’d converted to Islam, that the former Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam, helped him, etcetera, whatever. This was done to divert attention from the London trial. It wasn’t true and didn’t help.

Jackson has had numerous opportunities to convert to Islam, starting with the days when the Nation of Islam was running his world back in 2005. He didn’t do it then, and didn’t do it now.

But in the real world, Jackson’s problems are tremendous. He has to pay the Prince, and he’s just barely holding on to Neverland. And then there’s the issue of his current representation. Michael’s manager and publicist is Dr. Tohme Tohme, a Lebanese doctor living in Beverly Hills.

One simple solution: take the AEG Live offer and play 30 dates at the O2 Arena outside London. There’s a $10 million guarantee, and Jackson could gross $30 million. If he showed up and played all the dates, he’d be on the road to financial recovery. But it’s too easy. He won’t do it. My prediction, and I’ve never said this in this space before: Michael Jackson is over. He’s painted himself into a corner, and there’s no way out. Soon he’ll be doing original ring tones.

source: fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,456584,00.html

The Annual Los Magnificos custom car show put on every year by Houston radio station 97.9 the box made history. The show, which was held on Nov.23rd attracted a record 30,000 plus which was sold out. That has never happened before since it's inception. But what made the event even more special is that it was an all Texas artist affair with the focus being H-town artists along with break out appearances from Dallas area artists. Some of the artists who performed were Scarface, Bun-B, Paul Wall & Chamillionare, Mike Jones, SPC, Street Military, Botony Boys, Mista Madd and ESG. There was also a surprise appearance from the 90's r&b group H-town.
Stay tuned for exclusive footage and pictures from the event!

Remembering MC Breed, A True Hip-Hop Pioneer
Published by MTV News on Saturday, November 22, 2008 at 11:01 pm.

By Shaheem Reid & Sway Calloway

Legendary on the West Coast for solo classics such as “Ain’t No Future in Yo’ Frontin’” and collaborations with superstars such Tupac Shakur (”I Gotta Get Mine”), Flint, MI native MC Breed died Saturday, his publicist confirmed. He was 36 years old.

Breed was rushed to the hospital in early September for kidney failure. The rapper was on life support for two days before slightly recovering. In late September, he conducted a phone interview with his publicist Jonathan Hay where he talked about his health crisis.

“The doctor told me my kidney was insulted and stopped filtering what I was taking in,” Breed said at the time.

Breed also talked about coming with a new album, boasting his skills were as sharp as ever. Before he passed away, Breed was in the process of inking a deal with Ichiban Records, according to his camp. His rep also tells us Breed’s album was to be called “Mc Breed - The Original Swag” and had lined up features from Too-Short, Erotic D, Ant Banks and others. The D.O.C was also writing records with him.

Our very own Sway Calloway was a friend of Breed and definitely has fond memories of some of their interactions. Here, he gives a little insight to his buddy as an artist and person.

I can honestly say that no rapper at the time made more people aware of the Midwest than MC Breed. The songs “Future in Your Frontin” and “Gotta Get Mine” with Tupac exploded around the country like an e-mail blast! I played “Future in Your Frontin” every day on KMEL. People in the Bay initially thought he was from there! The Dr. Dre-styled beat was competitive with street anthems around the country, but his lyrical delivery had an early universal swagger. He talked about a region in this country that was still trying to break through. It was refreshing, and the video was an introduction to a new world. Breed was important to the evolution of the rap game because he proved that Midwest rappers can make hits and sell records. He put Flint on the map. Breed, Common, Twista, Crucial Conflict, Da Brat were some of the early pioneers to open doors for the Midwest. I’m glad I had a chance to interview him at a time when his career was first taking off. One more soldier to R.I.P.

See one of his last interviews

MC BREED (THE LAST INTERVIEW R.I.P)



Editors Note: H-town was like Breed's second home as he was often in town coloborating and/or hanging out with 3-2, Scarface, UGK, Big Mello and others of H-town's rap scene of the 90's. He will truely be missed. R.I.P. Breed.

Words by Allen Starbury



T-Pain (Photo: Jive Records)

At the end of T-Pain's brand new remix for "Can't Believe It," featuring Justin Timberlake, he says that the Auto-Tune effect is "on its way out." Why? Especially after he's made a career out of its use.

In a interview with MTV, Teddy Pain clarified what he meant. "Not for me," Pain explained, "for everybody else."

However, if artists want to make use of the popular Auto-Tune effect, he says he'll give them his blessing ... for a fee. Diddy recently paid Pain for a collaboration, and now he feels everyone else should to.

"I gave T-Pain one point on my [upcoming] album for using the Auto-Tune," Diddy revealed on during "TRL's" Finale on Sunday night (November 16).

"Sign the papers," Pain told MTV. "Diddy actually gave me royalties on this album just for using Auto-Tune. He signed the contract and everything. If I can do that with Diddy, somebody else better be signing something. It's Diddy. He didn't have to involve me at all. ... I'm writing and producing on his album, and he gave me extra royalties on top of that for using something I just brought back."

T-Pain's latest album, Thr33 Ringz, hit stores last week, and debuts at #4 on this week's Billboard 200. The album features collaborations with some major star power, including Ludacris, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, T.I., Akon, and Kanye West, among others.

In addition, the singer plans to kick off a tour, called I Am Music, this December, and will hit the rode with Keyshia Cole, Gym Class Heroes, and Lil Wayne.

Ciara's 'Fantasy Ride' Hits Winter Bump, Album Slides To Spring?

Ciara's "Fantasy Ride" has reportedly slid to a Spring 2009 release period.

"The response to "Go Girl" wasn't strong enough to ignite an album," a Zomba rep reported Tuesday.

Peaking at #78 on the Billboard Charts, "Go Girl," failed to be the single needed to propel the "Goodies" and "Promise" singer to the top.

According to Zomba there is still hope: "It's a nice setup single because the video introduces Ciara's new look and her new body, but it's not the opener."

But is hope enough ?

With stellar competition from Britney, Beyonce, and Rihanna, Ciara faces a tremendous amount of pressure to move units like her previous chart toppers "Goodies" and "Evolution," while also trying to show maturity and growth.

"Ciara opened very wide with her first album, which gave her a broad audience and crossover appeal. Her second album was a little more urban. With Fantasy Ride, they’re trying to strike a balance [between pop and urban] while looking for the right single.”

In related news, Ciara has nabbed Justin Timberlake for "Fantasy Ride." The collaboration between the two is expected to add extra 'fire' to the album that is now up in the air:

"Right now, we are anticipating it for spring 2009, but we’re not gonna put another date on it."

SRC: Ent. Weekly

Jaz-O says he has some heat, you be the judge...


Peep this vintage Jay-Z from 1994. The dude was killin it just as hard then as now.


Now check out Jaz-O in the late 80's

The word on the street is that the purple one himself, Prince, is now leaving his gated community to do what most Jehovah's witnesses do: that is wake you up on Saturday morn. Lol... Nah, but seriously. He takes his faith to heart and actually walks it as his talks about it in this weeks New Yorker. “Sometimes people act surprised, but mostly they’re totally cool about it,” says Prince. What would you do if Mr. "when doves cry" should knock on your door? Would you go, Owawha!

Election spurs 'hundreds' of race threats, crimes

Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars.

Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony, highlighting the stubborn racism that remains in America.

From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack. Insults and taunts have been delivered by adults, college students and second-graders.

There have been "hundreds" of incidents since the election, many more than usual, said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate crimes.

One was in Snellville, Ga., where Denene Millner said a boy on the school bus told her 9-year-old daughter the day after the election: "I hope Obama gets assassinated." That night, someone trashed her sister-in-law's front lawn, mangled the Obama lawn signs, and left two pizza boxes filled with human feces outside the front door, Millner said.

She described her emotions as a combination of anger and fear.

"I can't say that every white person in Snellville is evil and anti-Obama and willing to desecrate my property because one or two idiots did it," said Millner, who is black. "But it definitely makes you look a little different at the people who you live with, and makes you wonder what they're capable of and what they're really thinking."

Potok, who is white, said he believes there is "a large subset of white people in this country who feel that they are losing everything they know, that the country their forefathers built has somehow been stolen from them."

Grant Griffin, a 46-year-old white Georgia native, expressed similar sentiments: "I believe our nation is ruined and has been for several decades and the election of Obama is merely the culmination of the change.

"If you had real change it would involve all the members of (Obama's) church being deported," he said.

Change in whatever form does not come easy, and a black president is "the most profound change in the field of race this country has experienced since the Civil War," said William Ferris, senior associate director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina. "It's shaking the foundations on which the country has existed for centuries."

"Someone once said racism is like cancer," Ferris said. "It's never totally wiped out, it's in remission."

If so, America's remission lasted until the morning of Nov. 5.

The day after the vote hailed as a sign of a nation changed, black high school student Barbara Tyler of Marietta, Ga., said she heard hateful Obama comments from white students, and that teachers cut off discussion about Obama's victory.

Tyler spoke at a press conference by the Georgia chapter of the NAACP calling for a town hall meeting to address complaints from across the state about hostility and resentment. Another student, from a Covington middle school, said he was suspended for wearing an Obama shirt to school Nov. 5 after the principal told students not to wear political paraphernalia.

The student's mother, Eshe Riviears, said the principal told her: "Whether you like it or not, we're in the South, and there are a lot of people who are not happy with this decision."

Other incidents include:

_Four North Carolina State University students admitted writing anti-Obama comments in a tunnel designated for free speech expression, including one that said: "Let's shoot that (N-word) in the head." Obama has received more threats than any other president-elect, authorities say.

_At Standish, Maine, a sign inside the Oak Hill General Store read: "Osama Obama Shotgun Pool." Customers could sign up to bet $1 on a date when Obama would be killed. "Stabbing, shooting, roadside bombs, they all count," the sign said. At the bottom of the marker board was written "Let's hope someone wins."

_Racist graffiti was found in places including New York's Long Island, where two dozen cars were spray-painted; Kilgore, Texas, where the local high school and skate park were defaced; and the Los Angeles area, where swastikas, racial slurs and "Go Back To Africa" were spray painted on sidewalks, houses and cars.

_Second- and third-grade students on a school bus in Rexburg, Idaho, chanted "assassinate Obama," a district official said.

_University of Alabama professor Marsha L. Houston said a poster of the Obama family was ripped off her office door. A replacement poster was defaced with a death threat and a racial slur. "It seems the election brought the racist rats out of the woodwork," Houston said.

_Black figures were hanged by nooses from trees on Mount Desert Island, Maine, the Bangor Daily News reported. The president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas said a rope found hanging from a campus tree was apparently an abandoned swing and not a noose.

_Crosses were burned in yards of Obama supporters in Hardwick, N.J., and Apolacan Township, Pa.

_A black teenager in New York City said he was attacked with a bat on election night by four white men who shouted 'Obama.'

_In the Pittsburgh suburb of Forest Hills, a black man said he found a note with a racial slur on his car windshield, saying "now that you voted for Obama, just watch out for your house."

Emotions are often raw after a hard-fought political campaign, but now those on the losing side have an easy target for their anger.

"The principle is very simple," said BJ Gallagher, a sociologist and co-author of the diversity book "A Peacock in the Land of Penguins." "If I can't hurt the person I'm angry at, then I'll vent my anger on a substitute, i.e., someone of the same race."

"We saw the same thing happen after the 9-11 attacks, as a wave of anti-Muslim violence swept the country. We saw it happen after the Rodney King verdict, when Los Angeles blacks erupted in rage at the injustice perpetrated by 'the white man.'"

"It's as stupid and ineffectual as kicking your dog when you've had a bad day at the office," Gallagher said. "But it happens a lot."

___

Associated Press writers Errin Haines, Jerry Harkavy, Jay Reeves, Johnny Clark and researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

George Clinton Goes Country with Sheila E; Subscribes to Human Cloning

source: www.allhiphop.com

First, it was Bobby Brown and Sisqo. Then it was Jermaine Jackson. Now, we got George Clinton and Sheila E. making a musical switch as the newest cast members for the CMT reality show Gone Country.



The pair will join singer Taylor Dayne, American Idol first-season runner-up Justin Guarini, actor Richard Grieco, Monkees lead vocalist/drummer Micky Dolenz and former Miss USA Tara Conner for the third season of the series. Gone Country centers on a group of contestants who spend two weeks working with songwriters on a country song. At the end of the two weeks, the show’s host, John Rich, will decide which celebrity is most prepared to impress a country audience. Afterwards, the winner will record and release their single to country radio.



And while seeing Clinton bring the P-funk to country music lovers will make for interesting TV, the most interesting thing right now for music pioneer proved appears to be the idea of cloning human beings, which Clinton says has been practiced for years.



“Cloning – we got generations of that s***,” the Parliament Funkadelic frontman told Details magazine. “The pyramids? They was for cloning. That's why embalming lasts so long. Get the DNA and pull ‘em back. So somebody been cloned already, but not me. Not yet.”



“I’ve got my DNA stashed in the bank. And I got 14 kids,” continued Clinton, who is open to being cloned one day. “So there’s plenty of volunteers to take my DNA. It’s funky but they take it.”



Not that I don’t believe that human cloning is taking place, but George Clinton, what the funk are you talking about? It seems like all the rappers have taken your DNA to make classic hits. Calling Dr. Dre.

Did Rihanna 'Upgrade' Beyonce ?
By Njai Joszor

According to Kanye West Rihanna caused Beyonce to step her game up..

"This is a wake up call...people in music get comfortable."

"Rihanna was the best thing to happen to Beyonce," says the 808's & Heartbreak star.

In today's highly competitive music industry Kanye's point is all too real. If anyone slacks in their approach now more than ever it could be disastrous.

Since her debut in 2006, Rihanna has clearly given many pop stars a run for their money so to speak. The singer's last three hits have broken Billboard Hot 100 records, all while the Def Jam star rides through countless tours including Kanye West's highly anticipated "Glow In The Dark" tour.

According to Kanye, Beyonce has stepped her game up with "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)."

At a recent listening session for his new album, Kanye expressed his respect and love for the record, saying it was a concept that he never would have come up with...



What do you think.... Has Beyonce stepped her game up ?

James Brown Family Member Killed, Sources Blame 'Hit' Admist Estate Battle
By Njai Joszor |

James Brown's son-in-law, Chip Lumar has been killed according to Atlanta news sources.

Lumar, who went on record stating "There's not a bone in my body that believes my father-in-law (James Brown) died from congestive heart failure," was killed Wednesday night in the garage of his Buckhead home, just outside of Atlanta.

Sources close to the case, which eerily occurred during a bitter estate battle, believe the killing was a hit.

“I heard three gun shots, pow pow pow, really quickly and I jumped up,” said neighbor Michael Bang. “We ran down here and we saw gun shells on the ground and blood and we saw our neighbor drive off.”

“When he drove up to park his car in the garage, he was confronted. An altercation of some sort took place. That’s when the victim was shot multiple times,” said Atlanta police Officer Eric Schwartz.

The neighborhood where Lumar lived is a gated community.

“I think it was somebody that knew him,” Schwartz said.

Witnesses said after the gunman shot Lumar, it appeared the gunman was side-stepping away, as if he was looking to see if anyone was watching him. The witnesses said he then rounded a corner, possibly jumping a fence, and got into a car that was waiting for him.

The witnesses said Lumar then got into a car and drove four miles to Northside Hospital, where he died.

Lumar questioned Brown's death because there was no autopsy. Lumar was married to Brown's daughter, Yamma Brown Lumar, who had recently divorced him.

T-Pain produces on new Micheal Jackson Album

T-Pain Hangs With Michael Jackson, Works on King of Pop's New Album
Posted Oct 30th 2008 12:30PM by Steve Baltin
Filed under: Hip-Hop News, R'n'B News

Having collaborated with everyone from Ludacris and Ciara to Chris Brown, T-Pain has worked with most of his peers. So who's left for him to work with? No one, he says. "I pretty much did it already. I did two pieces with Michael Jackson, so I'm pretty much done; my list is all checked off."

And it looks like MJ's upcoming project will have T-Pain's touch. "I just worked on his new album," Pain says. "He actually invited me to his house. So I went to his house and it was pretty much that day where we just hung out ..."

While the vocoder-laced singer/producer seems to be taking his success in stride, he admits that he never imagined he'd have a chance to collaborate with the King of Pop. "I never thought Michael Jackson would ever work with me. He actually sent for me, so that was kind of weird and cool at the same time."

Being a big-time producer does have its benefits. Besides working with Jackson, Pain just returned from working with producer/rapper Kanye West. "I just went down to Hawaii with Kanye for four days and I came back making beats and songs like Kanye, like people can hear it."

Of course, it's not as glamorous as it sounds. "I was working on his album, but it was all work," he says. "So all I saw was the hotel and the studio."

Myspace Comments

Well this may or may not be true but, what the heck. Media take out is reporting that Kanye West decided the bathroom wasn't kool enough so he pissed on the dressing room floor. See the report below:


November 08, 2008. MediaTakeOut.com just caught wind of some VERY BIZARRE behavior by rapper Kanye West. Here's how the UK's Sun is reporting it:
Kanye was in the city to collect the Ultimate Urban gong at the MTV bash.

The evening before, he showed up for a star-studded party in the city’s Carling Academy.

But he stunned fellow artists by not bothering to find a toilet backstage, choosing to relieve himself on the floor of a dressing room shared with the TING TINGS.

Speaking at the MTV Awards, drummer JULES DE MARTINO said: “We ask for a lot of unusual things on our backstage rider but that ain’t one of them!”

In Kanye’s defence, the sink must have been full.

Ummm .... we hate to say this ... But Kanye might need some help. Cause this here just ain't normal


Now that's Pissy!!! Lol..

Ciara: 'Move Over Sasha,' Super C Is Here
By Njai Joszor

Ciara Sounds like a cartoon right ?

According to a recent interview with Right On! Ciara says her aggressive alter ego, Super C is coming out in full force on 'Fantasy Ride,' her forthcoming album.

While Ciara says her alter ego has been there all along in the recent issue, some have said the R&B star's unveiling of 'Super C' comes a little to close to Beyonce's introduction of 'Sasha Fierce' - her alter ego and title of the star's latest effort.

Regardless of the time, Ciara wants everyone to get to know 'Super C'.

"Super C is a character that people will learn more about on this record. That is my alter ego," says the "Go Girl" singer.

"Super C doesn't hold back. She is definitely aggressive. She goes hard. Super C can do some magical and funky things. She works hard. She dances to the 10th power. She does everything to the 10th power."

While Ciara is introducing Super C to the world, the 'alter ego' or "character" as Ciara calls her is reportedly coming out in 2009, a few weeks after her scheduled debut in December.

According sources, Ciara's new album "Fantasy Ride" will hit stores in January.

"There are so many things that you'll get from Super C and that's what is fun about Fantasy Ride."

The latest issue of Right On! Magazine is on newstands now !

Obama Sweeps To Historic Victory
By Njai Joszor

Barack Obama swept to victory as the nation's first black president Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself.

"Change has come," he declared to a huge throng of cheering supporters.

The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states — Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa and more.

On a night for Democrats to savor, they not only elected Obama the nation's 44th president but padded their majorities in the House and Senate, and come January will control both the White House and Congress for the first time since 1994.



Obama's election capped a meteoric rise — from mere state senator to president-elect in four years. In his first speech as victor, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead.

"The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century." He added, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face."

McCain called his former rival to concede defeat — and the end of his own 10-year quest for the White House.

"The American people have spoken, and spoken clearly," McCain told disappointed supporters in Arizona. President Bush added his congratulations from the White House.

In his speech, Obama invoked the words of Lincoln and echoed John F. Kennedy.

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder," he said.

He and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009.

Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession, and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.

The popular vote was close — 51.3 percent to 47.5 percent with 73 percent of all U.S. precincts counted — but not the count in the Electoral College, where it mattered most. There, Obama's audacious decision to contest McCain in states that hadn't gone Democratic in years paid rich dividends.

Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.

SRC: AP

Obama's Full Speech

Reaction from the World

CNN's Roland Martin tears Up

Colin Powell Weaps

Jesse Jackson gets emotional

MLK Memories

UK Reacts
Asia Celebrates

Oprah speaks

Italy Supports

McCain Concedes

MSNBC Live

Barack Obama says that his grandmother has died.

The Democratic presidential candidate announced the news in a joint statement with his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng. He said his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, had died peacefully after a battle with cancer.

He said: "She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances."

The candidate learned of her death Monday morning while he was campaigning in Jacksonville, Fla. He planned to go ahead with campaign appearances.

Late last month, Obama took a break from campaigning and flew to Hawaii to be with the 86-year-old Dunham, who helped raise him.

The Associated Press

Let's lift him up in prayer during this time of loss!

Shakir Stewart, the man that replaced Jay-Z at the helm of Def Jam has reportedly killed himself. Stewart, who signed such artists as Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and Chrisette Michelle, is said to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Further details were not available at press time.

A native of Oakland, California, Stewart was appointed executive vice president in June, which he called his dream job. A graduate of Atlanta's Morehouse College, he previously worked at Hitco Music Publishing, to which he signed Beyoncé, according to Billboard.com. He was an A&R consultant at LaFace Records from 2000 to 2004 and signed Ciara to the label. He recently signed up-and-coming artists Rocko and Karina Pasian to Def Jam.

Stewart succeeded Jay-Z for the presidential spot at Def Jam in June and also retained his duties as senior VP of A&R.

Stewart said at the time it was his goal to help develop "new, young executives ... The hot executive who's 21, 22 years old and has a serious passion for music and the desire to work 27 hours a day. That's where I was at that time in my life. And that's who I'm looking to mentor. I don't see many people like that. Instead, I see a lot of kids who want to live the lifestyle but don't want to put in the work and do what it takes."

Stay tuned as details develop…

Myspace Comments

It is being reported by the Associated Press that election trickery has already begun and some of it has a racist slant. So what else is new; we all knew that people were going to try real hard to confuse or intimidate voters, but it will not work.

Complaints have surfaced in predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Philadelphia where fliers have circulated, warning voters they could be arrested at the polls if they had unpaid parking tickets or if they had criminal convictions.

Over the weekend in Virginia, bogus fliers with an authentic-looking commonwealth seal said fears of high voter turnout had prompted election officials to hold two elections — one on Tuesday for Republicans and another on Wednesday for Democrats.

In New Mexico, two Hispanic women filed a lawsuit last week claiming they were harassed by a private investigator working for a Republican lawyer who came to their homes and threatened to call immigration authorities, even though they are U.S. citizens.

"He was questioning her status, saying that he needed to see her papers and documents to show that she was a U.S. citizen and was a legitimate voter," said Guadalupe Bojorquez, speaking on behalf of her mother, Dora Escobedo, a 67-year-old Albuquerque resident who speaks only Spanish. "He totally, totally scared the heck out of her."

In Pennsylvania, e-mails appeared linking Democrat Barack Obama to the Holocaust. "Jewish Americans cannot afford to make the wrong decision on Tuesday, Nov. 4," said the electronic message, paid for by an entity calling itself the Republican Federal Committee. "Many of our ancestors ignored the warning signs in the 1930s and 1940s and made a tragic mistake."

Laughlin McDonald, who leads the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, said he has never seen "an election where there was more interest and more voter turnout, and more efforts to suppress registration and turnout. And that has a real impact on minorities."

The Obama campaign and civil rights advocacy groups have signed up millions of new voters for this presidential race. In Ohio alone, some 600,000 have submitted new voter registration cards.

Across the country, many of these first-time voters are young and strong Obama supporters. Many are also black and Hispanic.

Activist groups say it is this fresh crop of ballot-minded citizens that makes some Republicans very nervous. And they say they expect the dirty tricks to get dirtier in final hours before Tuesday.

"Oh, there's plenty of time for things to get ugly," said Zachary Stalberg, president of The Committee of Seventy, a Philadelphia-based government watchdog group that is nonpartisan.

Other reports of intimidation efforts in the hotly contested state of Pennsylvania include leaflets taped to picnic benches at Drexel University, warning students that police would be at the polls on Tuesday to arrest would-be voters with prior criminal offenses.

In his Jewish neighborhood, Stalberg said, fliers were recently left claiming Obama was more sympathetic to Palestinians than to Israel, and showed a photograph of him speaking in Germany.

"It shows up between the screen door and the front door in the middle of the night," Stalberg said. "Why couldn't someone knock on the door and hand that to me in the middle of the day? In a sense, it's very smartly done. The message gets through. It's done carefully enough that people might read it."

Such tactics are common, and are often impossible to trace. Robo-calls, in which automated, bogus phone messages are sent over and over, are very hard to trace to their source, say voting advocates. E-mails fall into the same category.

In Nevada, for example, Latino voters said they had received calls from people describing themselves as Obama volunteers, urging them to cast their ballot over the phone.

The calls were reported to Election Protection, a nonprofit advocacy group that runs a hot line for election troubles. The organization does not know who orchestrated them.

"The Voting Rights Act makes it a crime to misled and intimidate voters," McDonald said. "If you can find out who's doing it, those people should be prosecuted. But sometimes it's just difficult to know who's doing what. Some of it's just anonymous."

We should all pray that this election go off fair and square and that God's protection will prevail

Michael Jackson opts out of Jackson 5 reunion

Jackson waves to fans at a U.S. military facility in Tokyo, as he walks to board a helicop...

Fri Oct 31, 12:21 AM EDT
A reunion of the Jackson 5 is not quite as easy as "ABC."

Michael Jackson denied on Thursday that he would take part in a reunion of the famed Motown singing group, a day after elder brother Jermaine said the faded pop star was on board.

"My brothers and sisters have my full love and support, and we've certainly shared many great experiences, but at this time I have no plans to record or tour with them," the self-proclaimed "king of pop" said a statement.

Jackson, 50, said he was in the studio working on "new and exciting projects."

But Jermaine Jackson, 53, said in Australia on Wednesday that the clan was working on the music and logistics for a tour next year.

"It is going to be more like a family affair," he was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press. "(Younger sister) Janet's going to open and, of course, the original Jackson 5 ... Michael, Randy and the whole family. ... We're in the studio, we're planning on being out there next year."

Michael Jackson has not encouraged reunion talk. He did not show up with his brothers to collect a lifetime achievement award in Los Angeles in September.

The Jackson 5, whose lineup is rounded out by Jackie, 57, Tito, 55, and Marlon, 51, as well as unofficial member Randy, 47, rose to fame in the early 1970s with such singles as "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "I'll Be There." The group last toured in 1984, by which time Michael Jackson was a huge star in his own right.

His statement was credited to a spokesperson dubbed "Dr. Tohme." The publicity firm that distributed the statement declined to elaborate on the person's identity.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman, editing by Alan Elsner)


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Jackson 5 Confirm 'Reunion/Tour' With Janet
By Njai Joszor

The much-talked-about Jackson 5 reunion is on the move according to eldest brother Jermaine Jackson.

"This has been a long time coming for the Jackson family to get back together."

A reunion tour has been rumored for several years but this time it appears to be a fact with their little sister Janet on the bill as well.

"It is just the timing, so what we've been doing is working on the music and all the logistics. It is going to be more like a family affair, Janet's going to open and, of course, the original Jackson 5 ... Michael, Randy and the whole family ... We're in the studio, we're planning on being out there next year."

The Jackson 5 received a lifetime achievement award from BMI earlier this year. No release date or tour kick off has been announced at this time.