How’s life? The week is over and we’ve come away knowing that the Obamas have a new family member in Bo the first dog, Dominoes is going hard at two employees who made a mockery of the Pizza company by YouTubing themselves doing some sick things to their food, and John Madden entering a new phase in his life by retiring as football’s premier sports announcer (a damn sad day).Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Delfonics founding member Randy Cain, who died last week at the age of 63. Shout out to Capt. Richard Phillips, who came out OK after being held hostage by Somali pirates and the sounding boards for making sure I ride among friendsAnd now the main event…the Last Word for the week ending April 17, 2009.

1. Prince Musically Flirts with Salma Hayek and Penelope

Cruz

 

Over the years, Prince has been known to enjoy the company

of a beautiful woman. Vanity, Apollonia, Sheila E. Mayte…do I need to keep

going? But despite taking a more spiritual road nowadays, US Weekly says the hitmaker is exhibiting a bit of his former

self as he gets his musical flirt on with Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz in the

song “Valentina.”

 

The name of the track, which can be found on Prince’s new

three-CD set, may not strike a nerve until you realize that Valentina is the

name of Hayek’s 18-month old daughter. Hence the connection as the crooner

sings:

 

“Hey Valentina, tell your mama she should give me a call/

When she get tired of runnin’ after you down the hall/And she’s all worn out

from those late-night feedings/and she’s ready for another rock and roll

meeting,”

 

As tempting as a meeting with the Purple One may be, it may

be hard to make considering that Salma is now married. But hey, you can’t blame

the guy for trying. Two times if you count the part of the song where he

targets Cruz, who is currently dating Oscar winner Javier Bardem.

 

“If Penelope wants to Cruz there ain’t no way that we ain’t

gon’ dance,” Prince sings.

 

It’s nice to see the player in Prince still lives. Much

respect to the guys who have Salma and Penelope, but when Prince flirts with

your girl, you better tighten your grip. One song and it’s a wrap with a purple

rain of tears for not taking heed to the warning.

 

2. Jamie Foxx Practices Literal Insanity for The Soloist

 

Could this be why Jamie Foxx went in on Miley Cyrus and later

apologized?

 

With any actor, it’s always a plus when he or she can

completely dedicate themselves to a role, but Mr. Foxx may have put himself out

there a little too much. According to the Oscar winner, it got to the point

where he nearly lost his mind playing real life homeless schizophrenic cello

prodigy Nathanial Ayers in the upcoming film The Soloist.

 

“You had to lose your mind every day you’re on set, and

sometimes you didn’t have enough time to get your mind back before the weekend,”

Foxx told EUR’s Lee Bailey.   “I

just remember calling my manager like, ‘I know what it is; I know why he’s crazy!’

And my manager’s like, ‘Foxx? Are you okay?’ I said, ‘No, no, no! He does this

because of this, he does that because of this, and I’m gonna go crazy, and I’m

gonna lose everything, and I’m gonna be homeless, but I’m gonna be able to play

the piano great…’[My manager] says, ‘Foxx, I’m on my way over.’”

 

Despite believing that actors don’t need their own

therapists while filming difficult roles, Foxx ended up taking his manager and

agent’s suggestion that he talk to a psychiatrist, “just so you’ll have a way

to get out of your head,” they said, according to the actor.     

 

As a result, Foxx is sold on bringing in a therapist when

the need exists. “I had no idea that the mind could be that fragile,” he

said. 

 

To see how crazy Jamie gets, be sure to check out The

Soloist when it arrives in theaters on

April 24.

 

3. Amy Winehouse Turns Down Eminem Collaboration

 

Is it me or is Amy Winehouse deliberately trying not to make

a solid comeback? I could be wrong, but it looks like the embattled diva has

missed out on another chance to let her music do the talking rather than her

tabloid headlines.

 

According to The Sun,

Winehouse has turned down a chance to work with Eminem for the rapper’s highly

anticipated album, Relapse.

Eminem was hoping to repeat the success he had with his 2000 Dido-assisted hit

“Stan” by recruiting the songstress. But all plans for the collaboration fell

through according to a source, who revealed that it would only be a dream.

 

“Eminem has followed Amy’s career closely. They have both

had drug addiction issues and he empathizes with her and hoped to feature her

on (comeback album) Relapse,” the source

told The Sun. “His idea was to

make a track as magical as ‘Stan’ but unfortunately Amy declined”

 

Despite Winehouse’s snubbing, the source stated that Eminem

was optimistic about a joint project somewhere down the road.

 

“He understands that recently she hasn’t been in a state to

focus on music because of her tumultuous private life but he hopes they will get

together on a future project.”

 

I hope Amy gets it together myself. The thought of her and

Em on a song has classic written all over it. The “Rehab” remix with Jay-Z was

good, but this could trump it if they ever get around to it.

 

4. Halle Berry Makes Vanity Fair’s Most Beautiful; Calls Out Non-Exercising Celebs

 

Halle Berry has made yet another list. The only difference

is she isn’t sitting pretty at the top.

 

That honor would have to go to Angelina Jolie, who ranked

Number One on Vanity Fair’s list to find

the Most Beautiful Woman in the World with 58 percent of the vote. Berry was

among 19 other beauties listed for the magazine’s survey. Despite coming in at Number

Three (behind supermodel Gisele Bündchen’s nine percent) four percent of the

vote, Halle did get a leg up on Beyoncé who tied for fifth place with Slumdog

Millionaire star Frida Pinto, Cate

Blanchett, Catherine Deneuve and Natalia Vodianova with 2 percent.

 

The biggest disappointment, in my opinion was the amount of

votes for Kerry Washington (one percent). Is it too late for a recount?

 

No matter what, Kerry always ranks high on my (and Mr.

Richardson’s) most beautiful list. But being beautiful, sexy, or whatever you

want to call it doesn’t come without its fair share of work. Just ask Halle,

who called out celebrities who say they stay slim without exercising. Talking

with Harper’s Bazaar, it seems the

actress shares other women’s pain as she admitted to having to work hard to

keep that body of hers.

 

“God bless them if they’re telling the truth. It’s

questionable if they are,” said Berry. “I always had to diet. I’m diabetic, so

it’s a lifestyle for me anyway just to stay healthy and not end up in the

hospital.”

 

And there you have it. Another celebrity we can relate to.

Take away the money, fame and I can picture her at Wal-Mart on any given day

searching for the next big bargain.

 

So fellas, who would you consider to be the most beautiful

woman in the world? Would it be a celebrity, co-worker, significant other or

that potential jump-off you saw the other day? What say you?

 

5. Eva Mendes Supports the Pleasure Principle

 

As one of the most beautiful women around, Eva Mendes can

command a captive audience. Maybe that’s why she was on hand last week to

launch the world’s largest survey on pleasure as Magnum’s Global Pleasure

Ambassador.

 

According to Fox News, the poll is aimed at discovering the

human pleasure quotient through surveying 100,000 people from around the world.

The results from the survey will be released in a few months.

 

As far as what gives Miss Eva pleasure, the answer is simple

if you ask her.

 

“I love chocolate! I like chocolate like no-one else and I

love indulging,” Mendes shared with Fox News. “In fact, I am all about

pleasure. I am the girl who will get three massages a week — that’s my

luxury and that’s where I spend most of my money. I’m not a big shopper, but I

love facials and spas and everything indulgent when it comes to the body and

pampering. I am a girly girl at heart.”

 

And while she loves her chocolate, Eva is quick to say that

she doesn’t mind paying the price as she works out at least five days a week to

maintain what she has.

 

“I put in a lot of time at the gym to ensure that I am able

to indulge at other times. Pleasure is pain.”

 

Well that’s nice to know. That and the fact that Eva

believes that women should learn to “ask for what they want in all areas of

their lives more than they currently do.”

 

“I want to encourage the world to inject more pleasure into

their lives and I think especially at this time in the world where it’s all

doom and gloom it’s a fantastic time to talk about pleasure and work out how to

get more pleasure into our lives.”

 

I couldn’t agree with her more. Why can’t we just

concentrate on the pleasures in life instead of all the drama? Makes for a less

stressful life. But don’t get it twisted. Despite advocating pleasure in all

its forms, Eva admits that being recognized for her talent rather than her

looks would generate more personal pleasure than anything else. 

 

How’s that for a pleasurable alternative?

 

In Other Words…

 

* TLC’s Chili is coming back to the public eye via the power

of advertising. Billboard.biz reports the Grammy winner will help promote

Coca-Cola’s Dasani and Dasani Essence water brands through a series of radio,

print, digital and in-store ads. According to Dasani’s Vice President of

African-American marketing, Yolanda White, the campaign will target

African-American moms as African-American women are heavy purchasers of

packaged waters and that the new effort is about “invigorating women in a that

allows her to escape her daily challenges.”

 

In addition to the main brand, Dasani’s recently launched

Essence unsweetened, flavored waters will be highlighted in the Chili-featured

effort. The 38-year-old entertainer/single mom was chosen for the campaign

because she embodies the struggles and the balance “we see in our target

audience,” White said. “She gives reassurance to moms that you can still be a

great mom, take care of yourself and look beautiful.”

 

* Famed R&B group Frankie Beverly and Maze will be the

latest collective to be honored with a tribute CD. Media sources report that

the production will being this month for the project, which is being helmed by

Beverly’s son, Anthony and will highlight the vocalists four decades of

entertaining fans with a catalogue that includes 30 hit singles and 12 albums.

In addition to the album, a commemorative DVD will be included that will

feature interviews with those contributing to the album as well as current and

former music industry executives and community leaders who will weigh in on how

Beverly and Maze impacted the music industry and African American culture.        

 

* Michael Jackson’s stuff is officially off the auction

block, thanks to a settlement reached between the iconic singer’s production

company and Julien’s Auction House. As part of the deal, Jackson has told

Julien’s Auction House to beat and gets away like a smooth criminal while

retaining the nearly 2,000 items that were slated to be auctioned off next

week.

 

Cost of organizing the sale: $2 million. Predicted revenue

generated by the auction items: $12 million. Cost of Michael (literally)

holding on to his past: Priceless.