Urban Thought Collective

REST IN PEACE
Condolences go out to Jennifer Hudson & her family during this tragic time. Chicago police confirmed the murder of her mother, 57 year old Darnell Donerson, and 29-year-old brother Jason Hudson, as they suffered fatal gunshot wounds as well as her 7-year old nephew, Julian King found in an SUV. William Balfour, who is the estranged husband of Jennifer’s sister Julia, is being held in state custody on a parole violation. Balfour is not the boy’s father and has not been charged in the slayings. Our prayers of comfort are with you!

PHIFE DAWG GETS A NEW KIDNEY
For those of you who don’t know or have been wondering why Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest looked a little different, he has been battling diabetes for many years. God is good y’all because he has at last received a kidney transplant in his ongoing battle and a new chance at a better, healthier life.

I recently saw Phife at the “Rock the Bells” tour and even though he performed and gave 100%, he looked a little weary. Phife had been on a waiting list for the past two years following his initial diagnosis in May of 1990.

My fellow Queens homie admitted that his lax attitude toward proper diet, and continued consumption of fats, sweets and alcohol, caused his condition to worsen rapidly. By 1992, the diabetes began to breakdown his body, with his blood sugar level reaching fatal levels of near 1000 mg/dl, well over the normal 80-120 mg/dl.

Back in 2000, Phife was put on dialysis and was hospitalized two years later after the condition continued to worsen.

With the new kidney, Phife’s Tribe partner, Q-Tip says he’s already showing improvement. We wish you a strong recovery Phife Diggy!

LYFE JENNINGS ON POLICE CHASE & FACING GUN CHARGES
Damn, you’d think somebody who just got out of the slammer would do whatever it took not to go back. Let me jog your memory; Lyfe began a 10-year prison sentence on a felony arson charge in 1992 at age 19. 10 years people; my butt would chilling in a “Little House on the Prairie” minding my own business!

Your man, crooner, Lyfe Jennings, was arrested in Smyrna, Georgia, after police said he fired a gun in the air and attempted to evade arrest by leading them on a high-speed car chase. You know they didn’t waste any time in slapping the iron bracelets on that a** and booking him on misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass, discharging a firearm near a public highway and refusal to take a DUI test, as well as two felony counts of attempting to elude and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Lyfe at 35, and government name of Chester Jennings was said to be attempting to locate the mother of his children, Joy Pound, when he allegedly kicked in the door of a house in Smyrna and later fired a gun in the street. The Smyrna Police Department said that when police arrived on the scene to respond to the shots fired in what they believed was a domestic dispute, they witnessed a red 2005 Corvette leaving the address.

A high-speed pursuit went down, and Lyfe was snagged after he crashed the car. Once he was stopped, the warrant in the case said he refused a field sobriety test and police smelled “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” coming from his mouth.

Lyfe was able to post a $50,000 bond, so let’s hope he doesn’t bounce to Canada or Mexico.

EL DEBARGE ARRESTED AGAIN
Well, here comes a new candidate for VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew”.

El DeBarge, (no Janet Jackson was married to James), the former lead singer of his family group DeBarge, is back in jail without bail due to two outstanding warrants at the time of his newest arrest for possession of a controlled substance.

All I can say is his mug shot looks crazy. I put him the category of James Brown, DeAngelo, & ODB’s mug shots of looking crazy. El whose government name is, Patrick Eldra DeBarge, was arrested last year on charges including vandalism, drugs and domestic violence.

Somebody get this man some help, seriously!!!

El DeBarge has been sentenced and will spend the next two years behind bars thanks to this recent drug bust!

TONI BRAXTON OPENS UP ABOUT HER SON’S AUTISM
With women like Jenny McCarthy, Tisha Campbell, and Holly Robinson Peete being the voices of a crusade to help find a cure and funding for autistic children, Toni Braxton has confessed about her guilt and self-blame toward her own youngest son, Diezel Ky, 5 ½, how has autism.

Toni admits, “You tend to blame yourself. A lot of times, parents are in denial because they want to think their child is perfect,” She also says, “A friend of mine told me, ‘Toni, all these autistic kids in the world now, they are God’s new angels, and they are here to show us life differently.’ I’ve been embracing that,” she says. “He’s a wonderful kid.”

I just want to know why the more fathers aren’t speaking out, Rodney Peete excluded.

NEW BLAST
- BET’S Rap City Finale airdate has change, to early November, check your
local listings
- Director John Singleton is no longer attached to direct the feature film adaptation of the 80s TV series “The A-Team
- Jill Marie Jones, best known for her run as Toni Childs on the TV comedy “Girlfriends,” has been cast in writer-director Nancy Kissam’s dark comedy “Drool.”

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 first quarter of 2009.