What’s the deal people? The week has been crazy, to say the least. And
slow. But I guess that’s because I’ve got vacation on the brain, since
I’m taking a breather next week. Is it me or do you work your hardest
before you take your break, and when you come back from your break? I
don’t know.
But anyway, congratulations to Tamia and Grant Hill, who are
celebrating the birth of their new baby, according to People magazine.
And farewell to Karl Rove, who left his post as Bush’s Deputy Chief of
staff. So who’s going to do all of Dubya’s thinking now? I was so looking
forward to that highly anticipated MC Rove album.
Last but not least, shout out to the sounding boards, who never fail to provide a little help when I need it most.
And now for the business at hand…The Last Word for the week ending Aug. 17, 2007.1. Babyface Enjoys B-List Celebrity StatusBeing one of the most established producers in music can afford you
a lot of opportunities. You get to work with a who’s who of artists, as
well as collect awards and perks for all your hard work. But apparently, it’s not all that, if you ask Kenneth “Babyface”
Edmonds. In fact, the singer/producer is content with just being under
the celebrity radar as his heart goes out to his ex-wife Tracey, who
recently graduated to A-list status with her pending marriage to Eddie
Murphy.“It’s not like I feel like a star or have ever
really felt like that. A celebrity? Yeah, it gets me in restaurants and
I can [go to the head of the line] at Disneyland. I like that part,” Babyface confessed to EURweb.com. “But for me, I feel for Tracey and
Eddie because of what they gotta go through. Everybody’s on them and
now [that they’re engaged], they’re going to be on them even more. And I
wouldn’t want that. That’s like a little too much for me with people
all in your business with their opinions of you and what your life
choices are.”So with all that fame and money, you would think Babyface would be a
little bit conceited. Come on. You gotta live a little, right?”I am kinda happy being a B-list star. That’s OK to me. I like
being a musician and a writer. I’m OK with that,” the
hitmaker revealed. ” I don’t need to be the hottest guy, or being looked
at as anything other than with respect. I feel blessed to be in the
space that I’m in.”I guess you can’t be too mad at Babyface. With a catalog of classic
songs and collabos under his belt, he still carries the torch for
quality music. But still, a little cockiness wouldn’t hurt too much. I
know I could use a little of that clout. For us average Joes, a chance
to get to the head of the line at the club, or even a free meal or two
or some clothes would be enough.
I’m just saying. If you don’t want it, I’ll be more than happy to take it off your hands.
2. D’Angelo Returns for Courtroom EncoreIf D’Angelo made as many appearances in the studio as he did in a
court of law, it would be a good thing for us music fans. But I guess a
jury of your peers is a far more captive audience than a room full of
fans who are feenin’ for that follow up to Voodoo. Go figure. Anyway, the Associated Press reports that the Grammy-winning singer (born Michael E. Archer) pleaded
guilty last week to driving with a suspended license and driving under
the influence when he appeared in Powhatan General District Court.Judge Paul Cella fined D’Angelo $1,000, with $500 suspended, and
sentenced the crooner to nine days in jail -all suspended- and revoked
his license for 90 days on the suspended license charge.In addition, Cella fined D’Angelo $1,500, with $750 suspended,
sentenced him to six months in jail -also suspended- and suspended his
license for 12 months on the DUI charge. Also dropped was a reckless
driving charge. The legal moves stem from a single vehicle accident D’Angelo got into in 2005. According to reports, the singer suffered bruised ribs and
contusions after he was thrown from his Hummer.While it’s good that D’Angelo is alive and well, the legal troubles
are not getting us any closer to hearing some new tunes from the
singer. Maybe we can look at this as him mining for new material for
the album. After all, suffering does make for classic material. Just
ask Mary J. Blige or even Lauryn Hill.
3. Ving Rhames: My Dog’s Did Not Hurt AnyoneLess than a week after two of his three bull mastifs allegedly
killed a man on his property, actor Ving Rhames is lending his support
for the dogs as he weighs in on the tragic incident.
“I was out of the country when this shocking and terrible
tragedy occurred on my property,” the actor said in a statement
released Tuesday (Aug. 14). “Jacob Adams was not just a devoted
employee, he was also a dear friend. I want to offer my heartfelt
condolences to his family.” “I am relieved to know that
the coroner’s report confirmed that my dogs were not the cause of his
death, and that any wounds found on his body were superficial,”
Rhames continued. “I would appreciate the media’s privacy for me and my
family during this difficult time.” Adams worked for Rhames as a caretaker while taking care of the
actor’s dogs when authorities discovered his body on Aug. 3. The
40-year-old actor/screenwriter was found on Rhames’ front lawn with dog
bites all over his body. As a result, police believe the mastifs played
a role in the attack, but are unsure as to whether Adams died from
multiple flesh wounds or a heart attack he suffered during the attack. Although Rhames is certain his dogs had nothing to do with Adams’
death, it will be weeks before an official coroner’s report is
completed and released. 4. Jamie Foxx Catches a Wave To the Perfect Body. If you’ve ever wondered how Jamie Foxx keeps up his physical self,
look no further than the September issue of Men’s Health magazine. The Oscar winner revealed that he patterns his workout routine after those who frequently catch waves and soak up the sun.”I’m 39 now, and my shoulders started hurting from benching really
heavy weights,” said Foxx, who graces the magazine’s cover for the
September issue. “So I look at the surfers. They have serious cores.
How can I slim down and lean out?”I guess one way to do that is to work yourself out to the max, but
I guess the benefits outweigh the pain for Foxx, who strives to keep
his physique up to impress his female fans. “I just want to get my tight on,” he said. “If someone grabs your arm in a club, you want to let them know you’re sturdy.”Just what I need. More reason to feeling guilty as I strive to keep my 2¾ pack alive and well.
5. No Fush For Nick Cannon To Get MarriedLet’s face it. It’s no secret that some guys will do everything they
can to keep from jumping the broom. After all, who wants to miss the
freak train? But when that special person comes along, it makes sense
to slow it down and get to settling into the new role of hubby.
That brings us to Nick Cannon. According to People magazine, the Wild’n Out host is taking a nice loooooong trip to the altar.
“We haven’t really talked about a lot of that stuff. You’ve got to take
it slow,” Cannon told People Tuesday night (Aug.14). “It’s that
preparation time to see if this is what you really want.”
Maybe the time is deserved. After all, Cannon went to elaborate means
to ask his then-girlfriend Selita Ebanks to marry him by using a
jumbo-tron in Times Square, and a horse-drawn carriage to pop the
question to the Victoria Secret model in May.
Still, it’s August. You would think that somebody would have at least
thought about a date. But, that’s cool. I understand things happen when
they’re supposed to happen, right Nick?
“I did my part!” he said. “You did what you had to do…you made the
commitment. Now it’s like, let’s just enjoy this for right now.”
I don’t know about you, but it sounds like he’s trying to get his money’s worth out of that train ticket before the final stop.
What do you think?
