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Will Smith was in Ukraine to promote the third installment of his action thriller, “Men In Black III,” when a reporter approached him on the red carpet and started hugging him. But the reporter got a tad bit too frisky and Will, like a true brotha, back-smacked him for getting all up in his grill, HelloBeautiful reports.

What did the hand say to the face?  SMACK!

“It’s just a part of the game, says Smith. “I’m not going to play that part, but I can understand where somebody would have something in their heart where they have to stab at somebody, they have to poke at somebody, but I’m indestructible. You gonna hurt yourself stabbing at me.”

The past year has been rough for the Smith. In addition to rumors of Jada having an affair with her “Hawthorne” co-star, Marc Anthony, Star Magazine ran a cover story back in March accusing him of having a secret affair with actor-friend Duane Martin.

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Will Smith and Denzel Washington are rumored to be teaming up for a sequel of the hilarious blaxploitation-era film, according to Vulture.

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Reportedly, Smith has held the rights to the film for over nine years. Washington’s name as a possible co-star in the movie has been kicked around since 2009.

Watch “Uptown Saturday Night” Trailer (1974)

It does appear that the remake has been green-lighted because director Adam McKay has reportedly been approached and the movie’s backers are waiting until he completes his shoot on the film “Anchorman 2.”

Smith has been seen in a comedic light via his old TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”  If ”Uptown Saturday Night” does make it to the big screen, will audiences be receptive to Denzel The Funny Man? Although the Academy Award-winning actor has made his Hollywood name playing more serious roles, he did however, have the lead in the 1981 comedy “Carbon Copy,” but no more comedic roles followed.

If the two Hollywood megastars decide to combine their acting superpowers for the remake, they will truly be a Hollywood force to be reckoned with!

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Will Smith

Jada Pinkett told the magazine:

“Every year, a celebrity couple is on the radar. This year, unluckily, it’s us! I almost want to say that we should have been expecting it.”

“But Will and I know the truth. We are waiting peacefully for when the storm ends.”

“These rumors are completely untrue. I’m travelling a lot because of my work, as Will does. And the fact that I’m accompanying our daughter, Willow, on her trips, while Will spends time with our son, Jaden, doesn’t make things easier.”

“But our way of living hasn’t changed. Before the children, we were already away from each other quite often because of our work.”

“In general, Will and I take two months of holiday, at the end of the year.”

Read more at Rhymes With Snitch.

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Lilies Of The Field was a film adaption of the novel of the same name by William Edmund Barrett. Poitier played Homer Smith, a handyman who encounters a group of nuns at an Arizona farm who are all of European descent. The lead nun, played by Austrian actress Lilia Skala, convinces Homer to fix an issue with their roof under the assumption of payment. When Homer runs into roadblocks from the mother superior in getting paid for his work, they both engage in a war of Bible verses. Although the pair bandy over payment, Homer eventually warms up to the nuns after learning of their hardship.

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The film continues its lessons of humility after Homer takes on a side job to help the nuns with food and other supplies on the farm where they make a meager living. The nuns believe that Homer was sent by God to help them erect a chapel on the farm for its surrounding Hispanic residents, as the nearest church was too far away. Homer’s side job is construction, and the lead contractor finds himself impressed with Homer’s ability to operate the equipment. At night, Homer helps the nuns with their English, and in the film, Poitier was able to show his singing abilities on screen as well.

The film’s feel-good ending culminates with the completion of the chapel, after Homer’s determination became a local legend. Although the nuns were denied help from philanthropists, the locals all pitched in, including the formerly resistant construction contractor, in completing the task. Poitier and Skala both own their roles as strong, bull-headed personalities but at the end, a mutual respect has grown between the pair.

Poitier’s Oscar win was also bolstered by him winning the Golden Globe that same year, jump-starting his career with the release of three popular box-office smashes with In The Heat Of The Night, To Sir, With Love, and the classic Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. This would not be Poitier’s lone Oscar award, after he received an honorary award in 2002 which recognized his achievements. Other awards include a Grammy in 2001 for Best Spoken World Album in The Measure Of A Man, an audio adaptation of his second biography of the same name.

Although Poitier hasn’t been in the theaters well over a decade, it would be difficult to ignore what his contributions meant for future African-American box office stars such as Eddie Murphy, Will Smith and Jamie Foxx among others. With his striking good looks and ease on the camera, Poitier paved a mighty path for many Black actors who would do well in studying his illustrious career.

Sidney Poitier, we celebrate you on this historic day.

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Now actress and wife of Duane, Tisha Campbell-Martin, is reportedly fed up with all of the gay rumors and is speaking out.
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The former star of the ’90s hit sitcom “Martin,” who says that she usually ignores rumors, could not remain silent any longer, so she took to Twitter on Wednesday to vent:

Tisha4real ‏ @TishaCampblMrtn

Usually I ignore negativity but I’m tired of the media attacking TheSmiths. They’re n amazing couple n I wish ppl wld stop perpetuatin LIES

Tisha4real ‏ @TishaCampblMrtn

N LEAVE THEM ALONE!

According to Tisha, she has heard the gay rumors about her husband before so the current ones are nothing new.  The couple, who have been married for more than 15 years, have been subjected to rumors about not only her husband’s homosexuality but about her being subjected to domestic violence.

Tisha and Duane actually joked about the allegations back in 2007, when they were interviewed by Essence Magazine.  Despite the rumors that have swirled around the couple, Tisha and Duane have remained devoted to each other and to their two children, one of whom has autism.

Meanwhile, Will’s questionable sexual preference has been gossiped about for years.  The whispers actually began after he appeared in his first major motion picture back in 1993, when he played a gay con artist in the film “Six Degrees of Separation.”

Will’s character was supposed to engage in a full homosexual love scene in the film, but after he landed the part, he was not onboard with the idea.  Will’s character was also supposed to lock lips with a Caucasian man, but at the time, the 43-year-old balked, so mirrors and trick camera angles made it appear as if Will’s character kissed the male actor.

Will hasn’t been the only one rumored to be gay.

For years, rumors have abounded that Jada is a closet lesbian and both Will and Jada have kept their “down-low relationship” open.

Now Will and Duane’s longtime friendship has tongues wagging, suggesting they are involved in a “bromance.” According to Star, Will and Duane have taken one too many vacations together that include trips to Sin City Las Vegas, Miami, and supposedly a private cruise in Trinidad while Tisha and Jada sat at home.

An eyewitness claims that the pair dined at a Trinidad eatery on February 24, and that “it was clear Will and Duane both arrived and left together.” Another source swears that Jada hates that Will is “taking him on exotic vacations while she’s sitting home alone.” She allegedly “can’t stand [his] relationship with Duane” and feels that he “flaunts it in her face.”

Over the past year, there has been countless speculation that Will and Jada’s 14-year marriage has run its course.  Now a source allegedly told Star Magazine that the union is in fact “completely fractured” and that the more time Will spends with Duane, the more strain he places on his marriage to Jada.

So the question remains, will the rumors continue to rage between Will and Duane?

The unidentified source laments, “It’s only a matter of time until one of them makes the split official and files for divorce.”

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The 40-year-old actress posted on her Facebook page the words to a ballad entitled “Burn” for her hubby and accompanied it with a posting that alludes to the major losses that the community has experienced over the past few weeks (Don Cornelius and Whitney Houston).

We should remember…

Our lives are worth living fully.
…
Therefore…

Our risks are worthy.
Our mistakes are worthy.
Our traumas are worthy as well.
The very paths we are told not to
Tread are the paths that hold the
Keys to our deepest understanding of
Love for our lives and ourselves.

Self love is the gateway to truly loving
Another…deeply

We were born to be loved and to love…
Fiercely.

Will,
I love you.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
This is for you.

j

Jada and Will, who have been married 13 years and have two children between them, have been battling whispers of a pending divorce since last summer.  The rumor mill came to a head when In Touch Weekly claimed that the two had actually split.  In a widely released public relations statement that was released after the magazine’s allegations, Will denied the rumors about their alleged ill-fated marriage stating:

“Rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false,” it read. “We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”

The fires that got started about their impending divorce just kept spreading and despite countless efforts to speak to the media about how their marriage is totally intact, another damaging report leaked out last month.  In Touch again alleged that Jada had met with divorce attorney to the stars Laura Wasser, who has represented the likes of Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears, and Maria Shriver.

The magazine even quoted a source that said the Smiths have “finally begun to take steps to dissolve their marriage,” with Jada reportedly turning down a role in Keanu Reeves directorial debut to spend time with her kids during this “difficult time.”

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“Crew leaving for Costa Rica already. A year and half of writing and prep is coming to an end. #AfterEarth will begin shooting on Feb. 6th,” tweeted M. Night Shyamalan on Monday.

In “1000 A.E.,” an injured father and son crash land on a ravaged planet Earth after an apocalyptic event. Although the son doesn’t possess the heroic nature of his father, he must do his best to find help. The film is set for a July 2013 release.

While not much else has been revealed of the script, savvy movie buffs have been hearing rumblings that Zoe Kravitz and Sophie Okonedo will also star in the film.  Teen actress Isabelle Fuhrman is also confirmed for the film.

Will Smith will hit the big screen again in a third film for the popular “Men In Black” series alongside Tommy Lee Jones. “Men In Black 3″ hits theaters this coming May.

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TMZ caught up with the actress as she appeared to be walking to her car. After TMZ asked Jada if hubby Will would be her Valentine, with a large smile, Jada responded, “Of course.” Check it out below:

The Smiths have been married for 15 years and have two children, Jaden and Willow, who have already made a name for themselves with successful acting and singing careers.
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Over the years, it had been reported that the couple has an open marriage. In an interview, Will said:

Our perspective is, you don’t avoid what’s natural,” Will said. “You’re going to be attracted to people. In our marriage vows, we didn’t say ‘forsaking all others.’ The vow that we made was that you will never hear that I did something after the fact.

Afterward, Jada went on the record, saying:

We always have people that we’re attracted to that we talk about. That don’t stop just because your married. Somebody’s always gonna catch your eye. That’s real. Somebody’s gonna always be prettier than me, somebody’s always gonna be more in awe of him than me.

Despite people’s theories that open marriages don’t work, the couple always maintained a blissful veneer.

Consequently, much of the public was caught off guard when it was reported that the couple’s relationship was on the rocks last August due to a power struggle over their kids’ careers. Adding fuel to the fire, Jada was allegedly seen with celebrity divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, who has also represented Kim Kardashian, Maria Schriver, and Britney Spears.

Time will tell whether Jada’s latest quote proves that their marriage is indeed intact.

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Hubert told TMZ.com that she is still blames Smith for her departure from the show, and that she wouldn’t do a reunion show with him unless he apologized to her.

“There will never be a reunion … as I will never do anything with an a—— like Will Smith,” Hubert told TMZ.

“He is still an egomaniac and has not grown up. This constant reunion thing will never ever happen in my lifetime unless there is an apology, which he doesn’t know the word.”

Read more at NYDailyNews.com

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Sources close to the couple tell TMZ they are doing “wonderful” now — but earlier this year, sources tell TMZ there was tension between the two over how best to manage the careers of Jaden and Willow.

We’re told each had their own ideas for how things should be handled — with Will pushing more for full-blown stardom and Jada leaning towards easing them in to things.

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All that was missing was a bow.

The Philadelphia 76ers are under new management — lots and lots of management, that even includes a dose of Hollywood star power.

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New York-based leveraged buyout specialist Joshua Harris and the rest of his ownership group completed the deal to buy the Sixers from Comcast-Spectacor and wasted little time Tuesday making a splash on their first day in power.

Ed Stefanski is out as general manager and team president Rod Thorn will assume greater day-to-day control in running the franchise.

Doug Collins will not only remain the coach, but was asked to stand at the Palestra and publicly heaped with praise from his new bosses.

Among the lengthy list of new owners and investors include co-managing owner David Blitzer, former NBA player agent and Sacramento Kings executive Jason Levien, GSI Commerace CEO Michael Rubin, real estate investors, film producers, and Hollywood power couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

The 76ers were valued this year by Forbes at $330 million, 17th in the NBA, and have a television deal with cable station Comcast SportsNet through 2029. Harris bought the group for a reported $280 million.

The Sixers lag well behind the Phillies, Eagles and Flyers — even Villanova — in interest and attendance. Collins led a rebirth on the court last season, leading them to 41 victories and a competitive, five-game playoff series loss against Eastern Conference champion Miami. Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks, and Thaddeus Young form a promising core, with veterans Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala also in the mix.

The new owners understand they have to win back the fan base as much as they have to win games.

Aron sounded like he was straight out of a late-night infomercial with his passionate pitch: Ticket prices are sliced, diced, and julienned! Harris could have been featured in Us Weekly magazine: NBA owners, just like US!

“I’ve been a 76ers fans since college,” Harris said. “Philadelphia is like a second home to me.”

Yes, a second home. Harris intends to run the Sixers (“my night job”) from New York — though he can surely afford the Acela.

He said he wouldn’t hesitate to pay a luxury tax, if it’s included in the new collective bargaining agreement

Before the lockout, the Sixers would have had about $55 million in payroll committed to next season, led by Brand’s $17 million and Iguodala’s $13.5 million. The Sixers spent the summer in trade talks involving Iguodala — plans that have been put on hold because of the lockout.

Harris, Blitzer and his group are buying the team with the NBA in the midst of a lockout. The first two weeks of the regular season have already been canceled.

“We’re trying to move along as if everything is as it normally is,” Thorn said. “You have to get ready scouting wise.”

Once they return, it’s possible A-list actor and rapper Smith could be in the stands and, ahem, Getting Iggy With It. Smith, who was not available for comment, is a Philadelphia native who attended Overbrook High School.

Turner posted on Twitter, “think it’s dope that the fresh prince is one of our new owners. Maybe willow can perform at halftime.”

Harris said a mutual connection was made once Smith expressed interested.

How about Smith’s 76ers vs. Jay-Z’s New Jersey Nets in the first Rapper’s Delight game?

The start of the season seems well down the road.

On Tuesday, it was all about the optimism and bright-eyed enthusiasm of a new era in Sixers history.

“We will be active, long-term owners,” Harris said.

Update:

Son of Will and Jada denies split on Twitter

According to In Touch , actor Will Smith and his wife of 13 years Jada Pinkett Smith have decided to separate.

Will and Jada have two children together, Jaden Smith who starred in “The Karate Kid” and “Willow Smith” who had a hit with “Whip My Hair.”

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In Touch claims they received their information from an insider and will disclose details of the separation in their upcoming issue.

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According to reports, Smith fell from a cliff in New Zealand; a location that’s been named in several other spoof celebrity deaths.

The “cliff” in question is Kauri Cliffs, which seems to actually be the name of a five-star resort and golf club in New Zealand that is beloved by Conde Nast Traveler. Although that hasn’t stopped it from e-killing famous people like George Clooney, Tom Cruise, and Jeff Goldblum in recent years!”

Reports of Smith’s death come at a time when  another faked story claiming deceased rapper Tupac Shakur is alive and well in New Zealand recently made waves when hackers posted it on a PBS website.

Read more at the Village Voice.

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It has been confirmed that Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith are scheduled to appear on Oprah’s grand finale on May 25.

The Daily reports:

Speculation about who will appear on the mystery-shrouded last episode has been building as Oprah ends her 25-year run of “The Oprah Show.” Fans’ and journalists’ guesses have included Oprah’s longtime love Stedman Graham, Tom Cruise, Dr. Phil McGraw, Jennifer Aniston and Gabrielle Giffords. It’s not clear how many guests will appear on the final show. And there’s no word on whether the Smiths’ famous kids — “Karate Kid” star Jaden Smith and “Whip My Hair” singer Willow Smith — will join their parents on the couch.

The last week of the show will also feature an appearance from James Frey, the controversial writer whose book was praised by Oprah before it was found to be a complete fabrication.

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Sources prepped for those meetings say Tarantino would like Smith to star in the film, the script for which has been making the rounds in recent days to wide acclaim. No official offer has been made to Smith, and any deal would of course be subject to working out financials, which might be difficult given Smith’s status as one of Hollywood’s few sure-thing stars.

Read entire article at Reuters.com

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M. Night Shyamalan is directing and co-writing the movie starring the 42-year-old father and his 12-year-old son. Shyamalan also directed “The Sixth Sense” and “The Last Airbender.”

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Sony said Monday that the movie centers on a boy struggling to save himself and his estranged father after their ship crashes on an abandoned Earth a thousand years in the future.

As they did on their son’s 2010 hit, “The Karate Kid,” Will and Jada Pinkett Smith will be producers on the new movie.

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Will Smith with some help from friend Charlie Mack will donate around 30 computers to West Philly High School to replace laptops that were stolen right out of their carts last month.

The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation has teamed up with the Charlie Mack Cares organization to replace the remaining missing computers and will be donating 29 Apple laptops and one desktop.

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The Jacksons. The Osmonds. The Winans. And now let’s add the Smiths to the list. In the tradition of showbiz families, looks like Will and Jada Smith are in fast pursuit to transform their family into an entertainment dynasty.

Will Smith’s newest stage dad project is remaking the classic Hollywood film Annie, starring his ten-year-old daughter, Willow. Jay-Z (who signed Willow to his label) is on board to help develop the film.

The Smiths are obviously following the typical recipe for merchandising and branding a 10-year-old…

Step one: Have a very opportune connection to the industry. Most plebes will have to go the YouTube route, but if you’re really lucky, you will be born into it.

Step two: Release a crazy catchy upbeat pop song that even adults are forced to love.

Step three: Slap them in the lead role of a well-known and endearing movie remake. Bonus points if the resulting movie is a musical.

Read more at TheGrio

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While it’s still in the development stage, Variety states that through his film company Overbrook, Smith would produce the film with megastar rapper Jay-Z collaborating on the music.

Details haven’t confirmed whether the film would be a contemporary version and whether it will include any original songs.

Will Smith hit paydirt when he remade ‘The Karate Kid‘ with Jaden as the star. The film made more than $350 million worldwide.

Willow made her acting debut in her dad’s film, ‘I Am Legend,’ and later appeared in ‘Kit Kittredge: An American Girl‘ alongside Abigail Breslin.

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For those who are tired of looking at Floyd Mayweather’s mugshots, there may be something worth looking forward to in the sport of boxing.

Mark Wahlberg (pictured right) and Will Smith (pictured left) are being offered $1 million each to fight each other in a celebrity boxing match on February 26, 2011, in Las Vegas, according to RadarOnline.
The Hollywood Boxing Federation will be putting the offer out to them both on Monday. Jose Canseco, Rodney King (really?) and Danny Bonaduce have previously fought in celebrity boxing matches.

Read entire article at BlackVoices.com

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That said, in the year 2010, it should go without saying that we, as black people, should recognize by now that our history did not begin with slavery. Case in point: This past week, the Egyptian government announced the discovery of an ancient tomb in the Egyptian city of Luxor made for a 25th Dynasty Nubian priest named Karakhamun.

Now the 25th Dynasty of Egypt is a fascinating dynasty for a number of reasons, especially since its one of the few dynasties that modern-day Egyptologists will actually admit to it being black.

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Dr. Elena Pischikova, the white Russian Egyptologist who uncovered the tomb, has been a consistent voice in clarifying that ancient Egypt at its core –long before the 25th dynasty and late invasions by outsiders like Greeks and Romans– was a black African society. So one of the reasons she was so interested in this site was because it has established clear cultural links between this Nubian dynasty and earlier, formative Egyptian dynasties.

Another important aspect of this excavation is that Dr. Pischikova partnered with and was supported by an African American named Anthony Browder, an author & cultural historian who has been to Egypt 45 times. Browder conducts annual study tours to Egypt and was mentored in Egyptian history by the late psychologist & historian, Asa Hilliard, who the excavation project is named in honor of.

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After meeting in Egypt three years ago, Dr. Pischikova told Browder she may have to end her work because traditional funding institutions were not interested in the 25th Dynasty because it was openly acknowledged as being black. As a result, Browder founded the ASA Restoration Project, a non-profit corporation that raises funds for the continued excavation of the tomb and promotes awareness of Karakhamun and the 25th Dynasty.

Browder has also been recruiting teams of African American volunteers to work at the site in Egypt and help with the cataloguing of artifacts.

What they’ve uncovered so far has been amazing. The burial chamber is in very good condition and contains beautifully painted scenes with rich colors. Dr. Pischikova feels the tomb is turning out to be one of the most beautiful in Egypt.

So this is real history in the making right now and African Americans are leading the charge and actually keeping this excavation alive. Our community and our children need to be aware of such shining examples of our incredible African past.

You can get more info on the Asa Restoration Project by going to www.asaprojectblog.com where you can donate to this historic excavation or even find out of how you can take part in the dig itself.

Stephanie Robinson is President and CEO of The Jamestown Project, a national think tank focused on democracy. She is an author, a Lecturer on Law at the Harvard Law School and former Chief Counsel to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Stephanie reaches 8 to 10 million listeners each week as political commentator for the popular radio venue, The Tom Joyner Morning Show. Visit her online at www.StephanieRobinsonSpeaks.com

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Willow Smith, the nine-year-old daughter of actor Will Smith, has signed a record deal with rapper Jay-Z and her first single is already kicking up a storm on the Internet.

Jay-Z told radio host Ryan Seacrest in an interview on Thursday that he thought Willow had a superstar career in front of her based on her first hip-hop single “Whip My Hair.”

“I heard the record first before I knew that it was recorded by a nine year old and I was like, man that record’s a smash,” the performer and record producer told Seacrest. “I believe in superstars. I believe on big records on superstars and I think she has both.”

Text continues after Pictures of the week gallery:
Pics Of The Week: 09.06.10

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“Whip My Hair” had been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube after just a day of being released.

“She has a child’s innocence but she has a clear vision of who she is and who she wants to be,” Jay-Z said, comparing Willow to a young Michael Jackson.

Jay-Z’s record label Roc Nation said in a statement that Willow “has an energy and enthusiasm about her music that is truly infectious…Willow is about to embark on an incredible journey and we look forward to joining her as she grows in all aspects of her career.”

Read entire article at ABC.com

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And let’s really do it right this time.

Let’s install our own leadership over there. Put Jay-Z in charge. Then let’s go after Ireland and install Will Smith. Then let’s take over the rest of Europe. As many countries as we have rappers for.

The good folks at BP are sonning us crazy. Carl-Henric Svanberg says, “We care about the small people.”

Small people?

Then to make sure that we didn’t miss the diss he added, “The American People”.

Look man, we don’t have no European class system over here. There’s no Duke or Duchess of Jacksonville, Florida. We don’t wear those funny outfits or powder our faces unless we’re partying in Greenwich Village!

We knew before you tried to clown us that the “small people” are the American people.

Text continues after gallery …

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If Barack Obama proves anything, it’s that our “small people” can become President. That’s why I hope Barack becomes so insulted that he sends out a bunch of rappers to conquer Europe. Puts Puffy in charge of France.

People have been waiting for Obama to show an ugly side and I think it’s high time. Lets send our soldiers right into the middle of Piccadilly Circus.

Let’s run the dreds outta Brixton.

Lets do to downtown London what we did to downtown Baghdad.

Then get those bloody wankers in Parliament to bugger off.

I mean think about it: one of their companies has virtually ruined our southern coastline. We’re the only country that’s allowed to be that callous towards the international community.

Great Britain is treating us the way Super Powers are only supposed to treat Third World nations and I say it’s time we dead that.

Also, if you know anything about Revolutionary War history, you know that British tried to incite Black slaves into attacking our masters.

We wouldn’t do it. We knew this day would come. And now that we have a Black president that can pay you guys back for trying to con us into a suicide mission that would have only benefited ya’ll, it’s time that we get some getback.

So brace yourself, England.

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From MSNBC:

They are three of the biggest stars in Hollywood. They are also black.

Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Tyler Perry are money machines, although each is unique in operation. As bankable entertainers, there are few who can match them for consistent box-office clout. That probably isn’t something that could have been said 20 years ago — or even 10 years ago.

Has Hollywood become more tolerant, more accepting, more open-minded? Or is it simply that its obsession with green makes it color-blind when it comes to backing a project? And do Washington, Smith and Perry represent a breakthrough, or are they isolated cases who have defied the odds?

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As Black History Month unfolds, the film industry sees the aforementioned titans standing tall on top of a pile of dough. Washington’s recent “The Book of Eli” grossed more than $32 million in its opening weekend ending Jan. 17 and has since amassed more than $63 million. Smith is the only actor in history to have eight consecutive films released that grossed more than $100 million each. Perry, a writer-producer-director and playwright, has raked in more than $400 million with his works and is a one-man cottage industry.

“I think they’d be the first to tell you that African-American actors have made strides in terms of movies and Hollywood,” said Glenn Whipp, a film critic for the Los Angeles Times, Variety, MSN and others. “I think it’s much like when Obama was elected president, people don’t pay attention to color and are able to see past it.”

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Sahr Ngaujah as the title character in the Broadway musical “Fela!”

From NYTimes.com:

Jay-Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have signed on as producers of the new Broadway musical “Fela!” and will attend the show’s opening night at the Eugene O’Neill Theater next Monday, Nov. 23, a publicist for the production said.

“Fela!” represents the first time that Jay-Z and the Smiths have joined a producing team of a Broadway show. Their artistic involvement in the musical is bound to be minimal, given that the show is already in previews and had a critically acclaimed run Off Broadway last year.

But the presence of three high-wattage celebrities at opening night, and the likelihood that they will promote the show through television appearances and media interviews, is bound to raise the public profile of “Fela!” at a time when theatergoers have plenty of choices for Broadway musicals.

Revivals of “Ragtime,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” and “Bye Bye Birdie” opened this fall, as did the new musical “Memphis,” and the much-anticipated revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” opens next month. Several musical entries from last season, like “Billy Elliot,” “Hair” and “Next to Normal,” are still going strong.

Conceived by the Tony Award-winning choreographer Bill T. Jones, “Fela!” centers on the life and work of the Afrobeat superstar Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

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Will & Jada Pinkett Smith To Host Nobel Peace Prize Concert

]]> http://newsone.com/354797/jay-z-will-smith-jada-pinkett-smith-join-fela-as-producers/feed/ 1 Jay-Z, Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith Join "Fela!" As Producers (thumbnail) ionesfontaine Sahr Ngaujah as the title character in the Broadway musical “Fela!” http://newsone.com/315077/will-smith-and-jada-pinkett-smith-to-host-nobel-peace-prize-concert/ http://newsone.com/315077/will-smith-and-jada-pinkett-smith-to-host-nobel-peace-prize-concert/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:00:10 +0000 Smokey D. Fontaine http://newsone.com/?p=315077 ]]>

OSLO, Norway — American rap artist and actor Will Smith and his wife, the actress Jada Pinkett Smith, will co-host this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, organizers said Wednesday.

The Dec. 11 show — a day after the award ceremony — will feature performances by Wyclef Jean, Toby Keith, Donna Summer, Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi as well as Amadou & Mariam, a blues and jazz duet from Mali.

RELATED: Will Smith To Star In Katrina Drama

“The opportunity to recognize the laureate’s contributions to the world peace movement will be an awe-inspiring experience,” the Smiths said in a joint statement. “We are both humbled and honored to take part in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert this year.”

The winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize is to be announced in Oslo on Oct. 9. The award is always handed out Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896.

“We’re excited to have Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith join us as hosts for the Nobel Peace Prize Concert,” said Geir Lundestad, secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. “Together they’ve had a global impact on the arts and philanthropy and will be excellent ambassadors for peace.”

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Smith, 41, rose to fame in the 1980s as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince and as the star of a popular television comedy show. His many films include “Men in Black” and “Independence Day.”

His wife, 38, is an actress, model and singer-songwriter. Her film career has included roles in the “The Nutty Professor,” ”Ali,” and “The Matrix Reloaded.”

Will Smith’s production company has partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment to bring to life the story of one of the many heroes of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, the two companies announced Wednesday (May 20).

Overbrook Entertainment and Sony have earned the film rights to the story of former Marine John Keller, who rescued nearly 244 of his neighbors in New Orleans in the days that followed one of the largest natural disaster on American soil to date.

Keller, who was nicknamed “The Can Man” by the media, orchestrated the rescue of his elderly neighbors from their apartment building, the American Can Company in New Orleans’ Mid City neighborhood.

Following the levee breach that flooded the city and added to the damage already caused by Hurricane winds, American Can sat in over 11 feet of water.

Keller single-handedly kept his neighbors calm and controlled while helping them exit the building.

While the announcement from Overbrook and Sony did not specify a production start date or casting, The Times-Picayune reports that Overbrook executive Jeff Sommerville has confirmed that Smith is likely to portray the 6’7″ Keller himself.

“When I came back after Katrina and talked to the old people I had saved, they all said God was going to bless me, I’m going to receive my blessing” Keller told the Times-Picayune. “Well, I guess this is it. “I wasn’t in it for the money,” he added. “But I was able to affect so many people. It wasn’t just the people I got out of the building but everybody who valued those people too.”

The film will be written and directed by John Lee Hancock, the writer behind the 1997 blockbuster Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Source: Allhiphop.com

Eight of the top 10 highest-regarded public personalities in America are African-Americans:

10. Tiger Woods

9. Oprah Winfrey

8. Michelle Obama

7. Denzel Washington

6. George Clooney

5. Morgan Freeman

4. Michael Jordan

3. Will Smith

2. Tom Hanks

1. BARACK OBAMA!

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