(AllHipHop News) From Cipha Sounds’ story of being deathly threatened to drink alcohol by the intimidating late Big Pun, it is easy to surmise that Christopher Rios loved to get people drunk. The consequences of this love of intoxication can be dire as Ja Rule explained that he once got into a high speed car chase with the police due to a night out with Big Pun and Fat Joe.
On the anniversary of Big Pun’s death last week (February 7th), Ja explained to the packed crowd at Cipha Sounds’ Take It Personal event that after drinking with Big Pun and Fat Joe, he got intoa high speed chase with cops from Manhattan to Queens. Ja was eventually arrested, but not before trying a hilarious evasive technique. Ja dedicated his story to Big Pun and Fat Joe because “they got me f*cked up.”
Check out Ja Rule explain his high speed chase with the police and the improvisers hilarious take on being friends with a man whose nickname is “Crack”:
(AllHipHop Features) Isaiah Washington is not a fan of the Hollywood movie system’s interest in profit over art. After appearing in over 30 films including Crooklyn, Clockers, and Romeo Must Die, the 50-year-old actor/producer is still taking on parts that reflect his interest in sharing thought-provoking stories rather than dictating mindless messages to the masses.
Washington’s latest work, Blackbird, is director Patrik-Ian Polk’s interpretation of the 1986 novel by Larry Duplechan. The coming-of-age film centers around a Mississippi choir boy (Julian Walker) coming to terms with his sexuality. While same gender love plays an important role in Blackbird, the picture addresses several other topics such as child abduction, abortion, teenage pregnancy, church loyalty, marital separation, and father-son relationships.
“It’s not just about homosexuality in the Black church,” says Washington. “That’s the overall story, but that’s not all the themes that we address in 95 minutes so brilliantly, poetically, innocently, and tragically.”
Alongside appearing in the movie, Washington serves as a producer on the project as well. He was also the person who got the script into the hands of Mo’Nique who is making her return to the big screen for the first time since her Oscar-winning turn in Precious. Other actresses were considered for the role at one point, but according to Washington the production found the perfect match to play his wife “Claire.”
“Other people were given offers – Janet Jackson. She passed. She’s going to regret it after seeing this film,” Washington says. “I just couldn’t see anyone else playing that role but Mo’Nique.”
Washington & Mo’Nique in “Blackbird”
Washington takes pride in the movie he, Mo’Nique, Walker, Polk, and the rest of the cast and crew created. In his eyes, it’s an undeniably powerful film that could be a contender during next year’s award season.
“No one will be able to say it’s a poor film. They just may not agree with all the themes, but they’ll never say it’s a poor film. Never,” states Washington. “I hope one day Patrick-Ian Polk can stand up at the Golden Globes like Matthew McConaughey and go, ‘alright, alright, alright.’”
While Washington can visualize Polk taking home one of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s trophies in the future, he makes it clear those critics still focusing on the perceived homophobic statements he made at a past Golden Globes ceremony and on the set of Grey’s Anatomy will finally be silenced by Blackbird.
The controversy over the claim he called fellow Grey’s star T.R. Knight a “fa**ot” was brought up again recently when E! Online placed Washington on its list of “9 Other Anti-Gay Celeb Scandals.” The site published the article in response to Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson’s “anti-gay” remarks in an interview with GQ.
Washington’s reaction to E! linking him to Robertson is a rebuke of what he sees as the media’s lust for hits at any cost.
“They’re trying to make money of some stuff that’s seven years old, and got it wrong,” says Washington. “By the time this movie comes out, if I ever go back to Grey’s, which is possible, they’re gonna look stupid. And then they still gonna try and use my name to pay their rent.”
Blackbird is set to premiere at this year’s Pan African Film Festival. The Los Angeles event also screened another Isaiah Washington project – 2013’s Blue Caprice. The picture, inspired by the 2002 Washington D.C. Beltway shootings, earned Washington Best Actor nominations at the Gotham Awards and Black Reel Awards.
Blue Caprice’s Washington & Tequan Richmond
“[Blue Caprice] is an art film inspired by those events. You’re not going to learn any more or less about the actual John Allen Muhammad, because I didn’t want to make that movie. That movie is too toxic,” explains Washington. “All I wanted to do as an actor and a producer, to make it worth my while, is see how I can inject some empathy for the character.”
Besides the movies Blackbird and Blue Caprice, Washington is set to return to the small screen as well. He will be appearing in the upcoming CW sci-fi drama The 100. Washington plays the leader of the surviving members of the human race after a nuclear holocaust.
“I’ve been hired to change the face of the CW network,” Washington claims. “I couldn’t be more thankful to [President of The CW] Mark Pedowitzwho is the same man that let me go when he was ABC president. Begrudgingly, he let me go on Grey’s Anatomy, but now he’s put me on a show that’s probably more profound, more provocative, more uplifting and educating than Grey’s Anatomy ever was the day I left.”
Don’t call it a comeback, but Isaiah Washington’s star is clearly rising once again. As the Texas native continues to make major moves in front and behind the camera, still don’t expect for him to fall in line with the status quo in show business. Washington is more concerned with inspiring and uplifting people.
“Hollywood tells people what you should and what you shouldn’t see. They make sure you don’t see enough positive images of yourself, but you’re going to give up that money for Lone Survivor; you’re going to give up that money to their dream, so their kids can feel secure around the world, and don’t feel hated,” expresses Washington. “We really have what you need. If you want to grow; you want to have questions; you want to stop hating yourself, then come check out Blackbird.”
(AllHipHop News) Less than two months before Andre 3000 is set to embark on his first Outkast tour in over 5 years, his biological father has been pronounced dead.
According to sources with Straight From The A, Andre’s father, Lawrence Walker suffered an apparent heart attack this past Wednesday (February 12th). Andre 3000’s mother, Sharon Benjamin-Hodo passed away less than 9 months earlier on his birthday, May 27th from natural causes.
Andre 3000’s starring role in the Jimi Hendrix biopic Jimi: All Is By My Side is set to debut at this year’s South By South West festival between March 7th and March 16th.
Last night, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve kicked off its NBA ALL Star Weekend “Welcome to New Orleans Party” at The Metropolitan.
The event was hosted by NBA Great Dennis Scott, comedian Brandon T. Jackson, and New Orleans Saints Cam Jordan took over The Metropolitan, which some say will be the spot during All Star Weekend. Even Big Shaq and Portland Trailblazers’ Lamarcus Aldridge turnt up on that Johnnie Walker Gold Label.
Que’s smash hit “OG Bobby Johnson” has been remixed by dozens of MCs. On this version it is an older T.I. verse but it does have a new Jeezy verse to add more flames to this already hot song.
What’s a Valentines day without a treat from Trigga Trey? However, this isn’t a soft R&B joint we’d come to expect. Instead, Trigga decided to go the opposite route and take on Nicki Minaj’s hard ass single “Lookin Ass N####”. Trigga’s version though is called “Look @ Y’all”, and is reaching out to all those groupies out there looking for that come up. The R&B singer plays double-duty singing and rapping to this new Detail-produced beat. Will this track/beat be the next big thing everyone freestyles to?
(AllHipHop News) The feud between James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond’s The Rosemond Organization and 50 Cent’s G-Unit has become a major topic in Henchman’s ongoing murder trial.
One new piece on information about the beef that has surfaced from the case is that Sean “Diddy” Combs apparently attempted to end the issues between the two factions at one point.
Prosecution witness Khalil Abdullah (who claims to be a former drug dealer for Henchman) testified during the trial that Diddy called a peace conference between Henchman and 50’s manager Chris Lighty that did not end well.
“Chris ended up mushing [Rosemond] in the face,” said Abdullah. “Puff jumped in between them and broke it up.”
Abdullah also testified that Henchman order him to shoot Lighty in the leg, but he refused to carry it out. Abdullah is providing his testimony for the prosecution in exchange for a possible reduction in the eight-year sentence he received for pleading guilty in his own drug case.
Henchman is currently facing a murder conviction for the killing of G-Unit associate Lowell “Lodi Mack” Fletcher in 2009. Prosecutors allege that Henchman hired two gunmen to carry out a hit on Fletcher.
Diddy and Henchman have been tied together for years. At one point, the two were accused of orchestrating the 1994 shooting of Tupac Shakur at the Quad Recording Studios in New York City.
While there has never been any accurate evidence that Diddy was involved in the Pac shooting, another Rosemond associate, Dexter Isaac, told AllHipHop.com in 2011 that he was paid $2500 and jewelry to shoot 2Pac by Jimmy Henchman.
(AllHipHop News) So many Kanye West interviews have become legendary that whenever the Chicago artist sits down for a Q&A it becomes a much watch event. Mr. West is now scheduled to conduct another interview appearance on the new Late Night With Seth Meyers.
Kanye will be one of the very first guests for NBC’s revamped late night talk show. Others scheduled to appear during the opening week of Meyers’ turn at the helm of Late Night include Amy Poehler, John Mayer, Lena Dunham, and Vice President Joe Biden.
Meyers replaced fellow SNL alum Jimmy Fallon on Late Night as Fallon moved into The Tonight Show chair. Fallon and house band The Roots begin their run on the iconic program on Monday, February 17th.
Kanye West will be appearing on the Tuesday, February 25th episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers. The show airs at 12:35 Eastern/11:35 Central on NBC.
(AllHipHop News) Nicki Minaj’s latest song “Lookin A** N***a” was met with criticism for several reasons. The Young Money femcee had to apologize for the track’s cover art that featured the image of Malcolm X, but she also caught hate from some fellas for her verbal take down of men on the cut.
Now, R&B star Trey Songz has created his own version of Nicki’s “Lookin A** N***a” called “Look At Yall.” On the remix, the Virginia singer calls out women who are only out for money. Trey also expresses his belief that there is a difference between “b*tches” and “ladies.”
(AllHipHop News) Detroit rapper Danny Brown is hitting the road again starting in April. The Fool’s Gold emcee has announced his “The Old Danny Brown Tour.” The 29-stop trek will include dates in New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, and other locales. For more information visit www.xdannyxbrownx.com.
