Peace! Peace! Peace!

Below you'll find the latest e-mail from our group, VIPInfo. Every
week we send our newsletter with the latest info on entertainment
news & events across the nation. The e-mail was originally sent on
Saturday, February 12, so if you're reading this later you'll
understand why the info may seem dated.

If you like what you read, please join our group by e-mailing
VIPInfo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Enjoy!

Alli

______________________


Did you hear that? Hear what, you may ask… Well, not much this past
week. The past seven days have been rather low-key; boring, if you
will. Slightly bitter about the Super Bowl (if only McNabb could
calm down), a little crazy with cabin fever (will spring EVER get
here?), more than hype about the upcoming mixtape awards (did you log
on and vote?). Tomorrow night the Grammy's go live, giving fodder to
the gossip mill for next week. Will Kanye nab trophies for all ten
of his nominations? Will he go home with nothin' but a gift bag,
giving way to more inappropriate comments to be made by Kon?

Well, let's get this underway! Here it is – Your week in
entertainment…

**
According to Allhiphop.com, the legendary Goodie Mob has reunited to
release an album featuring all four original members. Goodie Mob's
breakup three years ago spurred reports that founding members - Cee-
Lo, Khujo, T-Mo, and Gipp - conflicted as Atlanta made room for the
duo OutKast. Cee-Lo was the first to part ways, releasing his debut
solo album, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections, in 2002, then
Cee-Lo Green is the Soul Machine in March 2004. The remaining three
Goodie Mob MCs released One Monkey Don't Stop No Show in June 2004.
Goodie Mob is often noted for pioneering southern rap on a major
scale, at a time when the East and West Coasts dominated the rap
scene. The Atlanta group released their first album, Soul Food, in
1995. In the meantime, Cee-Lo is preparing to release another solo
album.

**
Rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight was booked on suspicion of violating
his parole after police found marijuana in his truck during a traffic
stop, authorities said Sunday. Knight was arrested last Saturday
evening in Barstow, California and held by sheriff's officials
pending his transfer next week to state prison. State officials would
then review his case to determine if he should be held or released,
Riser said. Police said they searched Knight's Ford pickup and found
marijuana after pulling him over for making an unsafe U-turn. He was
cited for not having insurance. A woman in the vehicle, identified as
Alexis Wilkenson, 18, of Las Vegas, allegedly had a fake ID and was
arrested for investigation of providing false information to police.
She was later released. Knight, 39, co-founder of the pioneering rap
label Death Row Records, was released from prison in 2001 after
serving time for assault and weapons violations. He recently served
an additional 10-month prison sentence for violating his parole and
striking a Hollywood nightclub valet.

**
Ray Charles Robinson Jr., the eldest son of the late Ray Charles, was
arrested in Los Angeles last Thursday for alleged drug possession and
being under the influence of cocaine, authorities said. The 45-year-
old was taken in at the Dunes Wilshire Hotel after police received a
tip. Authorities gave no further details. Robinson was released on
$1,000 bail and has a previous arrest for possession of a controlled
substance, police said.

**
Stop what you're doing and log on to vote! Make sure you vote for the
Mixtape beast, DJ Dub at http://www.themixtapeawards.com for best
Midwest Mixtape DJ, Best Blends DJ, and whatever categories he's
killin' `em in...

**
What exactly caused the eye injury of R&B singer Houston is still
unknown. Reports of mental illness, spiritual crisis and more
continue to circulate following his alleged suicide attempt last
week. "Houston is going through spiritual warfare right now,"
Houston's bodyguard Marco Powell told MTV.com. "[Houston] showed no
pain and he had no remorse. He said that that had freed himself from
everything". Powell was in London with the 21-year-old singer the
night he gouged his eye out and insists it was not a suicide attempt.
Billie Summers, Houston's sister, also says the suicide rumors are
untrue and blames the ills of the music industry for her bother's
trouble. Summers acknowledged that her brother was injured while
overseas but called it "an accident" and that he was
recovering. "Everything is well," She reported. However, his former
managers, Reno Rankin and Andrew Rowe of On Point Productions, say
that Houston has a sickness. According to Rankin, he, Rowe and a
Capitol Records representative took Houston to a psychiatrist while
the family remained in denial. They say the singer was even treated
at UCLA Medical Center prior to his trip overseas. Meanwhile, Rankin
and Rowe said they haven't had any direct contact with their former
client since the incident. However they wish him well and went on to
charge that Houston's family may not be looking out for his best
interests. "We have a serious problem with the way the family is
handling this kid's situation," Rowe said. "There's no reason for
this kid to have no money. [He] still lives where he lives when we
met him - in a two-bedroom apartment with four other people. They
spent all the kid's money."

**
Filmmaker Spike Lee says black representation is stronger than ever
on screens, big and small, but the true power in entertainment lies
behind the camera. Lee discussed the film industry and moviemaking
last week at his alma mater, Morehouse College. "We have to get in
gatekeeper positions," he said. "Even Denzel (Washington), he's
getting $20 million a movie. But when it comes time to do a movie, he
has to go to one of those gatekeepers." Lee also told aspiring young
filmmakers in the audience not to ignore nontraditional routes to
getting a movie made, including raising funds independently and
releasing movies straight to DVD. The event coincided with the DVD
release of Lee's She Hate Me and a special collector's edition DVD of
his 1988 comedy, School Daze, which was based on life at Atlanta's
historically black colleges. In Spike Lee's 1992 film
"Malcolm X," Ossie Davis recreated the eulogy he recited at the
Muslim leader's funeral in 1965. On Monday, Lee used an event
marking the release of a specialized "Malcolm X" DVD to eulogize
Davis, who died last Friday in his Florida hotel room at the age of
87. Lee showed a short film featuring highlights of Davis' career
spanning over 50 years, and said Davis and his wife, Ruby Dee, guided
him both creatively and politically both of who have appeared in his
films. "They gave me the courage to take stands that might be
unpopular," Lee said before several hundred people gathered at the
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem – among
them, Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, actors Denzel Washington
and Wesley Snipes, and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton commented on
Davis' role in the black community. "There have been bigger box
office attractions, but there never was a giant taller than him,"
Sharpton said. Washington, who played the lead role in "Malcolm X,"
said Davis, "is in good care and good company. My prayers go out to
Ruby."

**
Snoop Dogg commented on his recent rape allegations during a visit to
ESPN 2's "Cold Pizza" show last week. "I really can't say too much
about it because it's news to my ears," Snoop said of the $25 million
lawsuit against him filed by the alleged victim, makeup artist Kylie
Bell. "But what I can say is that I filed a lawsuit on her ahead of
time to let you know that it was garbage." As previously reported,
Snoop sued Bell last year for extortion, claiming she was
blackmailing him for $5 million.

**
Tune into DJ Dub on Music Choice (Digital Cable, Dish, & HDTV music
channels) this week... Tuesday 2/15/05 DJ Dub's Hip-Hop Mix Vol. 7
1pm

**
Babyface and his wife Tracey Edmonds are plotting to bring the life
of the TLC Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes to the small screen. Her life and
times with the Grammy Award winning group will be chronicled in a
movie, which will be released later this year through Edmonds
Entertainment. There is no title to the film, but it will highlight
the controversial episodes the rapper encountered throughout her fast-
paced career including the infamous 1994 burning of then-boyfriend
Andre Rison's home. In addition, the TV movie will feature a rarely
seen personal side of Left Eye, who died in a car accident in 2002.
In related news, casting for UPN's new series "R U the Girl with T-
Boz & Chilli" is presently underway. The series will follow the two
remaining TLC members as they search for a female performer to join
them in an upcoming concert and record with them in the studio. The
eight-week series will have contestants endure a rigorous series of
challenges en route to the winner. With this project, T-Boz and
Chilli are ready to launch the next phase of their careers after the
death of group member Left Eye in 2002. One thing the girls have
been careful to point out is that they are NOT looking for a third
member of TLC. When Lisa first passed, the remaining ladies were
quick to say that they would never replace Lisa in the group. Is it
just VIPInfo, or would YOU expect to be considered a member of the
group if you performed with them, recorded with them, and had to make
all the rounds?

**
Certified Hood is certified HOT! Thanks to everyone that has been
supporting the show. If you haven't checked us out, tune in to Power
96.5 FM WQHH this and every Saturday from 5pm-10pm. We will continue
to support unsigned artists! Make sure you hit us up with a CLEAN
EDIT of your newest studio-quality demo so we can drop it on the
Battle of the Beats (Head-to-head Edition).

**
Fans of the artists on the Inc. are curious as to what will happen if
its head, Irv Gotti, is convicted of the money-laundering charges
facing him. According to an MTV.com report, Gotti, whose real name is
Irving Lorenzo, has an employment contract with the Universal Music
Group. In it, there is a provision that he must not be convicted of
any felonies. This is a standard clause and does not reflect the
federal investigation, as it predates the 2003 raid on the Inc.'s
offices. But should he be convicted, Gotti would be considered in
material breach of his employment contract, and it would be
automatically terminated. This may have a ripple effect ó because if
Gotti is terminated, he'd be unable to fulfill his duties as head of
the label, which would automatically dissolve the Inc.'s joint-
venture agreement with Def Jam. Def Jam would have the option to buy
the remaining 50 percent of the Inc. that it does not already own
from Gotti at a reduced price, and effectively take control of the
label. Def Jam would then own the artist contracts, the masters and
the catalog. Regardless of their individual contracts, Ja Rule and
Ashanti would then become Def Jam artists, as would the other artists
still on the roster, such as singer Lloyd and MCs Cadillac Tah and
Black Child.

**
Hit Factory, one of New York's largest and best-known recording
facilities, will close within a month. The company will move its
headquarters to its Miami facility, the former Criteria Recording,
which the Hit Factory acquired in 1999. The future status of the New
York studio at 421 West 54th St. is unknown. Since the late Edward
Germano purchased it from producer-composer Jerry Ragavoy in 1975,
the Hit Factory has become one of the world's most celebrated
recording facilities, offering an opulent work environment for the
likes of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Notorious B.I.G and many
more. Top producers and engineers have long favored it. The closing
serves as the starkest illustration to date of the precipitous and,
many audio professionals fear, irreversible decline in the fortunes
of commercial recording studios. The rise of inexpensive digital
audio workstation equipment has allowed high-quality recording to be
accomplished in virtually any environment by non-professional
recordists.

**
On February 12th Cartoonist Morrie Turner will be the focus of a
celebration in honor of Black History Month at the Charles M. Schulz
Museum in Santa Rosa, California. This year marks the 40th
anniversary of his Wee Pals comic strip. Turner, along with several
other black cartoonists from across the country will be on hand to
celebrate. Morrie Turner was inspired by Charles M.
Schulz's "Peanuts," and developed his own strip about black children
in the 1960ís called Dinky Fellas. He sold the strip to the Chicago
Daily Defender for 40-dollars a month. In 1965 Turners strip became
the first to highlight and celebrate the variety of races and
cultures of its characters after he integrated the cast, renamed them
the Wee Pals and began to syndicate the strip. It was after the
assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that the strip became
nationally syndicated, finding a greater audience to promote its
message of embracing brotherhood, racial tolerance and human rights.
Turner's Wee Pals have reached an audience of 25-million readers. He
continues to teach cartooning classes to children and teens and
appear as a guest lecturer in California Schools.

**
We've been talking about the new Urban Adult Contemporary station
that will be hitting the airwaves this spring, and things are going
well with making it happen. This AM station will reach Grand Rapids,
Lansing, Jackson, Flint, and everywhere in between. They are still
looking for your input on what you'd like to hear from the station. E-
mail them at NewForMI@... It's so nice to see that we're
getting more and more ways to get our information here in Grand
Rapids. I'm sure that this new station in no way will try to pull
your exclusive listenership from other venues in the market, but
instead will be looking to give you another station to check out. I
know that us over here at VIPInfo will support this new station, just
like we lend out support to 1140, and everyone else trying to make it
happen for Grand Rapids.

**
Rapper/Producer Dr. Dre kicked off his career in the late '80s with
N.W.A., but he'd rather keep his younger fans in the dark about his
age. Dre, who turns 40 on February 18th, has urged a British radio
station not to mention the big Four-O during a special day of
programming it had planned. According to Internet gossipmongers, the
top brass at BBC Radio 1Xtra had to send this e-mail out to their
staff, following a plea by Dre's record company: "Aftermath Records
in the States are VERY unhappy with us drawing attention to the fact
that Dr. Dre is going to be 40 years old - so tone down the mentions
of him turning 40. Just say it's his birthday so we're going to
celebrate with 'Dre Day.'

**
Three outstanding sailors will share their strategies for success
with Washington-area students during the U.S. Navy Memorial
Foundation's 2005 Salute to African-American Heritage on Thursday,
Feb. 24. The annual tribute to Black History will host students from
grade school to high school. The event begins at 10 a.m., with a
wreath laying outside, on the U.S. Navy Memorial, to honor those
African-Americans who have served in our nation's sea services.
Following the wreath laying, students will move inside to the Navy
Memorial theater to hear from three enlisted sailors who have
demonstrated how hard work and dedication lead to success.

**
Last Friday on BET's 106 & Park, Jermaine Dupri announced that he has
signed freestyle champion SunNY, who was officially named
to "Freestyle Friday" Hall of Fame after a seven-week winning streak.
Dupri surprised the "106 & Park" audience by appearing on stage,
presenting SunNY with a chain and announcing his signing to So So Def
Records. According to Dupri, it was a spontaneous freestyle session
at a radio station that compelled him to sign SunNY. The Rochester
native-turned-Atlanta resident had battled and defeated other
unsigned rappers for seven weeks straight until his final competition
Friday. Dupri himself recently made a big move, now president of
Virgin Records' Urban Music division. Under terms of the new deal,
Jermaine brought over his So So Def label to Virgin. SunNY is the
first artist Dupri has signed since his relocation. Dupri expects
SunNY's debut album, tentatively titled Overnight Celebrity, to drop
within four to five months.

**
Three former members of the hit group Earth Wind & Fire have formed
to create the new group, Devoted Spirits. Their first release will
actually be a tribute to the elements, affectionately and
appropriately entitled A Tribute To Earth & Fire. Making up the
members of the group are Sheldon Reynolds, who spent 14 years touring
and performing with EWF; Larry Dunn, who was with the group from the
beginning, and was even inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
along with the other members; and Morris Pleasure, who joined the
group over a decade ago and served as their musical director. Devoted
Spirits came together with the purpose of paying tribute to the band
from which they got their start, but do look forward to creating and
releasing more original music in the future. Their first single will
be Rhythm Of Love, which was written by Reynolds and produced by
Janie Hendrix, sister of the late Jimi Hendrix. A few other songs on
the album include, "September/Mighty Mighty," "That's The Way of the
World" and "Sunday Morning." The album drops March 22nd via Thump
Records in association with Experience Hendrix, LLC.

**
Members of the groups SWV, Jodeci and Black Sheep are due unpaid
royalties, but they may not know it. This is according to the
organization, SoundExchange, which was designated by the U.S.
Government to collect and distribute royalties on behalf of recording
artists and record labels. The organization had to file an extension
from its Board of Directors until July 2005 so that they can try to
locate these artists and apparently several more who are owed monies
and are missing in action. Some of these monies date back to as many
as 80 years. SoundExchange has reportedly already paid out almost 16-
million dollars covering over 200 million digital plays, which
include satellite radio, Internet radio and cable/direct TV/radio.
The organization is the first institution to pay the actual featured
performers for the public performance of sound recordings on which
they appear, and not the songwriters. This includes artists who have
previously not been compensated at all. There are nearly 30-thousand
acts that remain unpaid.

**
According to Allhiphop.com Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of the late
rapper Tupac Shakur, reported in for a parole hearing to appeal for a
release from an Atlanta-area prison. Mutulu Shakur was arrested on
February 12, 1986 and was subsequently sentenced to 60 years in jail
for an alleged conspiracy against the government. The feds charge
that Dr. Shakur aided in eight incidents where a "clandestine
paramilitary unit" attempted to hijack several U.S. Banks.
A "political prisoner" to his supporters, Shakur has steadfastly
maintained his innocence. Dr. Shakur was apprehended on charges
related to conspiracy to aid bank expropriation, racketeering and
aiding in the escape of Assata Shakur, a former Black Panther that
fled to Cuba. According to MXGM, the government was unable to present
any physical evidence, phone taped conversations, or eyewitnesses to
any of the crimes Shakur was convicted of. Although Mutulu wasn't
Tupac's biological father, both have previously openly recognized
that they had a father/son relationship.

**
Raven Symone has been tapped to star in the Lifetime original
movie "For One Night." The movie centers on a black teenager who,
with the help of a newspaper reporter, braves decades of segregation
to stage the first interracial high school prom in the history of
their small town. "For One Night" (working title) is scheduled to
premiere this year on the female-targeted cable network. "This is an
amazing and powerful story, not only about overcoming racial
prejudice but also about the personal journey of one young woman who
wanted to make a difference," Lifetime Senior VP original movies
Trevor Walton said. "Raven brings the perfect blend of tenacity and
sensitivity to this role.

**
Emmy-winning daytime talk show host Montel Williams has launched a
talent management firm specializing in stand-up comedy and focused on
developing clients for TV and film projects. The firm, called Letnom
Management further extends the industry presence Williams has through
ventures like his production firm Letnom Productions. Williams said
he hopes to start building a roster by signing about five performers
in the coming weeks and possibly expand that to about 10 during the
next six months. From there, he plans to build the business based on
demand. Williams plans to use his industry connections through the
various acting, producing and directing jobs he has done over the
years to find work for his new venture's comedians. At the same time,
the comedic talent of his new management company could help with
several film projects, as well as a sitcom that Williams has been
developing.

**
Some people will believe anything he wants them to: George W. Bush
and First Lady Laura Bush held a ceremony at the
WhiteHouse Tuesday in honor of the 79th Celebration of Black History
Month. "We're here today because of the dedication and persistence of
a man named Dr. Carter G. Woodson," began Bush, who went on to
explain Woodson's launch of the first black history week in 1926, and
its evolution throughout the years to become "a movement that began
in black churches and schoolrooms is observed all across America --
including the White House." The President also spoke about
legislation he signed on Dec. 16, 2003, that will create the National
Museum of African American History and Culture within the Smithsonian
Institution. Bush then gave shout-outs to those in attendance who
were instrumental in the passage of that legislation, including
Sen. Barack Obama; Congressman Mel Watt, the Chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus; Eleanor Holmes Norton, delegate from the
District of Columbia; Dr. Dorothy Height; Frederick Douglas IV and
his wife, B.J.; and Cicely Tyson.

**
Fans are still feeling the Game, prompting the return of his
Aftermath/G-Unit/Interscope debut The Documentary to #1 on The
Billboard 200. Despite a 28% slide, sales of 190,000 U.S. copies,
according to Nielsen SoundScan, are enough to stave off an influx of
new titles and retake the lead. In related news, while the Game puts
on a show on the charts, he may have actually been on a television
show. BET.com reports that years ago the rapper was on the canceled
reality TV show "Change of Heart" as a contestant, and a screen shot
from the appearance is now in circulation on the net. The concept for
the show involved couples getting to date other people. From there,
they decide whether or not they want to stay together or have
a "change of heart." In the picture, Game is to the left of
his "girlfriend" and to the right of her is another man, who she went
out on a date with. Game is holding up a sign that says, "stay
together," but his girl's sign revealed she had a "change of heart,"
meaning she would stay with the other man. Maybe a publicist can't
make everything go away after all…

**
When Tamara Green of California heard that a woman in Canada was
accusing Bill Cosby of drugging and groping her at his Elkins Park,
PA mansion last year, the 57-year-old lawyer and former fashion model
felt it was her "civic duty and moral obligation" to tell Montgomery
County investigators of her similar experience with the entertainer
three decades ago. "I realize that him doing it to me 30 years ago
doesn't prove he did it to this girl today, but when I heard the
circumstances, I felt compelled to call up and say, 'He did exactly
the same thing to me'" Green told the Philadelphia Daily News.
Cosby's lawyer, Walter Phillips Jr., has denied Green's allegations.
Green, who gave a statement by phone to a Montgomery County detective
on January 28th, has said that she would testify if necessary. The
Philadelphia Daily News usually withholds the identity of alleged
sexual assault victims, but Green requested that her name used. Green
was a model and budding actress back in the early-1970s, doing
television commercials for Coca-Cola and Pontiac among others. She
says that she met Cosby when she auditioned as a singer for his
production company. Mr. Jell-O denies this particular accusation.

**
Nine years after its conceptualization, Voletta Wallace, mother of
The Notorious B.I.G, is scheduled to launch Biggie's Brooklyn Mint
clothing line. Biggie initially started the line in 1996, but died
before getting a chance to get it off the ground. Wallace is now set
to introduce the line in collaboration with B.I.G's former manager,
Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow of Bystorm Entertainment. The sports line
will be inspired by the "lifestyle, culture and diversity" of B.I.G's
native Brooklyn. Brooklyn Mint's first launch will feature T-shirts
slated to premiere at the Magic Convention from February 14th to
February 18th in Las Vegas. Brooklyn Mint Tees will be made available
this coming March 9th; the 8-year anniversary of Biggie's death, and
a full line will debut in 2006. Fellow Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z
reportedly helped Brooklyn Mint close the line's deal and lent his
image to be used on one of the brand's first T-shirts
dubbed "Brooklyn's Finest." Proceeds from the "Brooklyn's Finest" T-
shirt will be donated to Biggie's Christopher Wallace Memorial
Foundation and Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

**
The Beastie Boys are fighting for the rights of chickens. The hip-hop
group has joined the campaign by the People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals over KFC's alleged use of mistreated chickens, the animal
rights group announced Wednesday. In an open letter to KFC Chief
Executive Officer David Novak, the Beastie Boys call for a halt to
the fast-food chain's use of suppliers that break birds' beaks or use
growth-inducing drugs. The Beastie Boys join the Reverend Al
Sharpton, who has called for a boycott of KFC. PETA also unveiled a
celebrity anti-fur ad this week in which former NBA star Dennis
Rodman. The ad's slogan proclaims, "Wear your own fur - let animals
keep theirs."

**
RLA presents... Wednesday Night Lockdown this and every Wednesday
night LIVE from The Radio Tavern (661 Bridge) 21+ - drink specials -
old school, news school, underground true school - R&B and dancehall
in the mix - Beats by Omega Supreme, Selecta Hazey and DJ DUB

**
Rza has a date in court with the mother of his four-year-old daughter
as she is seeking more financial support from the Wu-Tang Clan co-
founder. Jamie Summers, the ex-girlfriend of the Rza, is taking the
rapper to court in an effort to get more money to support their
daughter, Rahindia. Summers told investigative talk show "Celebrity
Justice," "I go to school. I work. I'm not a gold-digger. I just want
what my daughter's entitled to and that's a fair share of his estate-
his other children have a fair share." Summers admitted that Rza was
already supporting the child, but she wanted the courts to get her
more. Summers said that Rza frequently speaks with his daughter, but
after the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard, she felt it was time for her to
make sure the rapper was legally named the child's parent. "It hurts
at times because I wish at times that we could be as a family and
things could have worked out, but it didn't," Summers said. "When I
look at my daughter's face, it looks just like her dad. It's very
hurtful." Rza and Summers will appear in a New York courtroom on
February 15th, the day after Valentines Day. More from Wu: Members
of the Wu-Tang Clan have regrouped to record a tribute to the late
Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died in November while working on his first
album since being released from jail in 2003. RZA says the track,
tentatively titled "I Go Through Life," will hopefully appear on
ODB's album, which will be a joint venture between RZA's Wu-Tang
Records imprint and the new Damon Dash Music Group. In an interview
with Billboard.com, RZA stated that every member of the Wu is on the
song so far besides Ghostface Killah. "I Go Through Life," would be
one of the first recordings to feature all members in four years. RZA
says he's thrilled Dash reached out to him to work together on ODB's
album, due March 22. Method Man, Raekwon and Macy Gray appear on the
proposed first single, "Intoxicated," which RZA produced and
describes as "pretty unique." About five other tracks he collaborated
on with ODB are expected to make the final cut, including "The Stomp
Part 2," on which ODB "got a chance to be his crazy self."

**
The Atlanta resting place of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. needs some
fixing up, to the tune of $11.6 million in repairs, according to a
National Park Service report obtained by "The Atlanta Journal-
Constitution." Among the problems plaguing the Martin Luther King Jr.
National Historic Site are fire hazards and leaks at the center's
archive building, which houses King's papers and other important
documents from the civil rights movement, according to the report.
Former Atlanta mayor and King Center board member Andrew Young said
the center is in "a slow deterioration" but "has very little
resources for maintenance." Young is the only one of the board's nine
directors who is not a member of the King family. He was a close
associate of King and was with him when he was assassinated in
Memphis in 1968. Rep. John Lewis, who was also a close associate of
King's, told the newspaper in Thursday's editions that he would be
willing to lobby Congress for federal funds to assist the center.
Founded by King's wife, Coretta Scott King, in the basement of her
home in 1968, the King Center was built in 1981 and consists of
Freedom Hall, a reflective pool and tomb, and an administration and
archives building. The National Park Service manages the site but the
King family operates the center through a nonprofit corporation.

**
Nas has teamed with filmmaker Spike Lee for his latest
endeavor, "Miracle's Boys." Nas wrote and performed the theme song
for the miniseries, which will premiere on the N cable channel on
February 18TH. The six-part series chronicles the lives of three
biracial-orphaned teenage brothers living in New York's Harlem
neighborhood. Nas says that he was excited to be involved with the
project because Lee is one of his "film heroes". In addition, the
rapper feels that he sees a bit of himself in the characters.

**
Missy Elliot's new fashion line for Adidas, "Respect ME," has been
pulled from Danish shops because the crown logo used by the
rapper/producer bore such a strong resemblance to the crest of Danish
Queen Margrethe. Nils Bartholdy, a senior researcher for the Royal
Danish Archives who oversees use of logos connected with the Danish
crown, confirmed to newspaper Ekstra Bladet that Adidas agreed to
yank the line after receiving complaints from the Danish government.

**
Virginia's House of Delegates recently passed a bill allowing a $50
fine to individual who wear pants that expos their underwear. The new
bill will target those who wear baggy, sagging pants or low riding
pants that reveal underwear in a "lewd or indecent manner." Lionell
Spruill Sr., an African American democrat, reportedly objected to the
bill and asked his colleagues to remember their own outrageous
fashion statements. During a lengthy monologue this past Monday,
Spruill recalled how he and his peers dressed and wore their hair in
their youth. The next day, Spruill said the bill was
an "unconstitutional attack on young Blacks" that would likely cause
parents to miss work to take their kids to court for expressing their
own fashion sense. The bill is now on its way to the state Senate.

**
Athletic-wear company Reebok is launching a $50 million dollar ad
campaign, I Am What I Am, which will feature rappers Jay-Z, 50 Cent,
NBA stars Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, tennis star Andy Roddick, soccer's
Iker, skater Stevie Williams and actress Lucy Liu. The global
campaign kicks off February 20th, with television ads running during
the NBA's All-Star Game. Other advertisements will be placed in
cinema and on billboards in key markets such as New York, Chicago,
Los Angeles, Paris, London and Tokyo. Previous ads have featured
rappers Jadakiss and Scarface, while the company has deals with Jay-Z
and 50 Cent. In addition to participating in the ad campaign, Reebok
will donate a total of $1 million dollars on behalf of the stars, to
the charity of their choice.

**
James Earl Jones is reuniting with his "Roots: The Next Generations"
director Georg Stanford Brown for the Hallmark Channel original
movie "The Reading Room." The movie centers on a widower (Jones) who
opens a reading room -- a library of sorts where he teaches people
how to read -- in a lower-income neighborhood to honor his wife's
dying request. But he encounters problems when the room becomes a
target for street thugs, who later burn it down. "Room" co-stars
Keith Robinson, Joanna Cassidy, Lynne Moody, Douglas Spain and Gabby
Soleil. Brown, who is set to direct "Room," will take the role of a
minister in the movie, which is targeted to premiere this
Thanksgiving.

**
With Valentine's Day looming, a mobile phone company in Australia has
come to the rescue with a service offering an escape from the date
from hell. All you have to do is discreetly dial three numbers and
then hang up without saying a word. "Virgin Mobile will call them
back a minute later with a perfect excuse to get them out of there.
We'll even talk them through what to say," the company, a joint
venture of the Virgin Group and Optus, said in a statement. A survey
of 402 people by Virgin Mobile found that 53 percent arrange in
advance to have a friend call them mid-date to check they are all
right or if they need an excuse to get out. The results showed women
were twice as likely as men to use the tactic.

**
Jewelry is the topic and word is that Fergie from the Black Eye Peas
was ogling over the new Right Hand ring by Kimora Lee Simmons. Fergie
is planning on wearing the rose gold ring for the 47th Annual GRAMMY
Awards. The gem is in the shape of a lotus flower and valued at 7,700
dollars. Paula Abdul picked out a pair of sexy micropave earrings and
Randy Jackson picked a 25 ct men's piece from Simmons Jewelry. Ms.
Abdul was also sipping Bacardi's new low calorie spirit Island Breeze
with Nick Carter in the Grammy Style Studio room. When they learned
that they could get a case delivered to their homes for free, the
eagerly filled out delivery forms. What lushes!
**
One word: WOW. A British woman was sentenced to two and a half
years in jail Thursday for ripping off her ex-lover's testicle with
her bare hands during a drunken brawl after he refused her sex.
Amanda Monti, 24, flew into a rage in May last year after Geoffrey
Jones, 37, who had ended their long-term relationship, rejected her
advances. She grabbed him by the genitals, tearing off his left
testicle, then hid it in her mouth before a friend of Jones handed it
back to him saying "that's yours." Monti, of Birkenhead, near
Liverpool, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding at an earlier hearing.

**
Smokinggun.com has gotten hold of Jay Z's scathing court filing
against his former "Best of Both Worlds" tour partner R. Kelly. The
filing was in response to Kelly's $90 million beach of contract
lawsuit last November. Jigga's Jan. 24 legal response, an 11-page,
detailed account of Kelly's shenanigans on tour, includes two
counterclaims against Kelly, plus details of R-ruh's impromptu
McDonald's Drive Thru gig in St. Louis. Here are a couple of
excerpts from Jigga's filing: *Although Jay-Z timely appeared for the
rehearsal, R. Kelly was late by more than two hours, and then he
squandered the remaining time by playing basketball. *R. Kelly
concentrated his time on a simulated sex skit involving a ménage a
trios inside a cage. R. Kelly also rehearsed a skit involving
simulated text messaging with a female audience member. That skit
concerned the audience member's age, inappropriately prompting
reminders of R. Kelly's criminal matter involving an underage girl.

**
he Whitney Houston tell-all we knew would be coming is finally in the
works, courtesy of writer Kevin Skinner, an associate of Houston's
late father John, reports MTV. The book, titled "The Rise and Fall
of Daddy's Little Girl -The Whitney Houston Story," will be published
in the next few month and will offer Skinner's eye-witness accounts
of encounters with the singer and her husband, Bobby Brown,
including "the drugs, the affairs, the lies," says Skinner's rep.

**
Two men claiming to be DMX's brother and nephew made off with over
$6,000 last Saturday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, disappointing
some 500 paying fans. The scam artists hired local police to provide
security at the concert, took out $600 worth of radio advertising &
even conducted a sound check. The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office is
investigating the incident.

**
Jimmy Smith, a Hammond B3 organ pioneer, died Feb. 8 at his home in
Scottsdale, Ariz., apparently of natural causes. He was 79. Smith
began playing the trademark instrument in the early '50s. By
the '60s, he was in his prime and enjoying Billboard success with
such hits as "Organ Grinder Swing" and "Hobo Flats." Generation X
became hip to Smith after the Beastie Boys sampled his "Root Down"
for their track of the same name on the 1994 album "Ill
Communication." Smith continued to record and tour in recent years,
and recently finished an album with longtime friend Joey
DeFrancesco, "Legacy," due next Tuesday via Concord. "Jimmy was
one of the greatest and most innovative musicians of our time,"
DeFrancesco said in a statement. "I love the man and I love the
music. He was my idol, my mentor and my friend." R&B singer Tyrone
Davis, best known for the hits "Can I Change My Mind" and "Turn Back
the Hands of Time," died Wednesday from complications from a stroke.
He was 66. Business partner Leo Graham says Davis was hospitalized in
September and was in the midst of rehabilitation at a suburban
Chicago nursing home at the time of his death. Born in Greenville,
Mississippi, Davis learned his craft under blues legends Bobby "Blue"
Bland, Little Milton, and Otis Clay. He sang at clubs on Chicago's
west and south side before landing his first recording contract in
the 1960s. His popularity increased in the 1970s, and he continued to
record during the 1980s. According to Graham, he was promoting his
latest release when he suffered the stroke

**
Busta Rhymes said Hot 97 DJ Funk Master Flex leaked a new song from
the Aftermath rapper without permission. Flex premiered the Scott
Storch-produced "I'll Hurt You" on Wednesday. "I've been trying to
get a meeting [with Flex] so we can find out, first of all, how he
got the record & second of all, why wouldn't you check with me to see
if it was cool to play the record."

**
DJ Dub stays on the grind!! CHECK FOR THESE UPCOMING TITLES...
- 800 BULLETS Hosted by STAT QUO
- CRISPY REGGAE VOL. 5 Hosted by GERONIMO CHIEF
- SOLDIER STORY Hosted by CAPONE
- CLUB MADNESS VOL. 5
- CERTIFIED OFFISHALL Hosted by KARDINAL OFFISHALL
& COLLABOS ON THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hit http://www.mixtapemp3.com http://www.allmixtapes.com
http://www.mixtapesusa.com

**
And that's all of it! See, I told you there weren't anything "earth-
shattering" to happen this week! Have you heard the Game vs. Jay-Z
rumor? Next week we'll let you know more about it… If you are one
of those people who celebrate V-Day, I hope it turns out to be all
you wanted it to be.

Please keep the event info/feedback coming! E-mail your complete
event info to Alline.Fox@... so we can include your
information in next week's newsletter. BTW – If I receive your
information via bulk e-mail, it will not be added to the mailing. I
receive numerous bulk mailings that I signed up for and they are not
related to VIPInfo. There are two certain so-and-so's that have been
filling boxes with bulk e-mail for ONE event. We really do want to
include your event, but please be more professional and kill the
spam . It wasn't cute as a meat – it's not cute as an e-mail. I'm
sure you can feel me on this.

That being said, PLEASE remember that VIPInfo is about YOU and YOUR
events – The group name has changed, but the function remains the
same (just on a larger scale). Check out the page at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VIPInfo for updated calendar of event,
pics, artwork, and links for your viewing pleasure.

Until next time…

Alli


PS - PLEASE CONTINE TO SPREAD THE WORD! IF YOU ARE NOT A REGUALR
MEMBER OF VIPINFO E-MAIL VIPINFO@YAHOOGROUPS.COM TO SUBSCRIBE!
SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS/DJS/BUSINESS SO THEY CAN SUPPORT YOU!