Urban Thought Collective

HOLLYWOOD HAPPENINGS…

KANYE WEST TAKES ON TV
No surprise that Kanye West is heading to the small screen. On camera or behind the scenes, it’s about to be on! Kanye and Comedy Central have teamed for a new half-hour pilot that mixes music and puppets. Remember the puppet “Madame” on “Solid Gold?” Hilarious, I’m dating myself.

As of now it’s tentatively titled “Alligator Boots,” the project has been described as hip-hop meets the Muppets. After seeing hip hop artists hook up with Big Bird & after I choreographed the “Squirelles” on “Sesame Street,” this is right on the money!

You know Kanye ain’t taking the back seat to this project. Not only is he executive producer, he will also host the pilot and of course produce and perform the music for the show along with rapper Rhymefest. The project is set for a 2009 debut.

“Alligator Boots” is from Jackhole Prods., the production company founded by Jimmy Kimmel. Guaranteed late night promotion y’all!

UPDATE ON DRUMMER TRAVIS BARKER & DJ AM AFTER PLANE CRASH
After being critically injured & suffering from 2nd & 3rd degree burns in a plane crash that killed four, DJ AM and Travis Barker are expected to recover from their wounds. Word is recovery can take up to one year. Travis suffered burns to the torso, while DJ AM suffered burns to his hands and head. Both are in critical, but stable condition.

DMX FROM COURT ROOM TO HOSPITAL
Same story, different week…

DMX was admitted to a hospital in Florida for “fear of a stroke.” Yeah, y’all read it right, a stroke.

Now some might say it’s paranoia from “alleged” drug intake, but conveniently he is due to remain in doctors’ care through his scheduled court appearance in Arizona where he was set to face theft charges. What aco-ink-ee-dink!

DMX also faces several animal cruelty and drug possession counts in the state. Does the drama ever end!

ROCSI & FLOYD MAYWEATHER…SITTIN’ IN A TREE
BET’s 106 & Park’s host Rocsi has been spotted with her tongue down boxer Floyd Mayweather’s throat!

Now just a few weeks ago, word around the globe was that Rocsi was cheating with LisaRaye’s husband, the Premiere of Turks and Caicos.

To hell with the double standard of “mackin,” get yours ghurl! Just wrap it up, TIGHT, hit & run, and even if you got a gig, reap the benefits!

Now if I must play devil’s advocate, if you’re stepping to somebody else’s man, and you know the story he’s telling you about his present relationship is bull**** & you still go for broke, you deserve to get your ass beat!

I say this because the scandal is that Floyd has been dating Chilli of TLC for a long time now.

People on the street have changed her name from Rosci to “Wrecksi.”

Homewrecking ain’t cute! Besides, the way you get your man, is the way you lose him, to the next scandalous chick!

MARIAH CAREY HEADS BACK TO BIG SCREEN
No matter how much you try and sweep “Glitter” under the rug there’s no getting over the agony of that film.

Now Mimi herself is teaming up with “Monster’s Ball” director Lee Daniels to star in her second film called “PUSH,” and is developing a musical based on her Xmas CD.

Now the way I see it, Mariah needs a role like the crack head Halle Berry played in “Jungle Fever.” That was still one of her rawest performances. I don’t want to see Mariah all dolled up, and coiffed to “intended perfection.”

Mariah will play a Harlem social worker working with an overweight, HIV-positive woman impregnated twice by her father. The role follows her part as the battered wife of a state trooper in “Tennessee,” (Lee Daniel’s highly anticipated upcoming film) which won raves at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film is set in a town outside a city where a ruthless developer wants to turn it into one big mall.

Ms. Mariah is also developing a movie musical based on her 1994 holiday album “Merry Christmas.” Mariah teamed up with the infamous Benny Medina for this project. (google “Benny Medina, Apollo” the tight satin pants funk group he was
a member of….straight comedy!)

NEWS BLAST
NFL player Reggie Bush Confirms He’s Ready to Marry Kim Kardashian… Big Boi is nowmanaged by T.I.’s Grand Hustle Management… Hip Hop Honors new airdate….Monday, Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. (check local listings for time)…

See ya’ll next week…

Big Lez has interviewed everyone from Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. to Mary J. Blige and Tom Cruise. She was host of and producer of BET’s landmark show “Rap City” and has enjoyed an extensive tenure in radio as co-host of The Steve Harvey Morning Show in Los Angeles, plus stints at New York’s WQHT/Hot 97, Atlanta’s WAOK/V103, LA’s Big Boy Morning Show at KPWR/Power 106 and Sirius Satellite Radio. Currently, Lez is partnered with DVA Media + Marketing as producer and host of the syndicated urban radio report, “The Urban Eye,” which launches nationwide this summer.