Idris Elba Music Career to Start

He’s not starring the movie version of ‘Mama, I Want to Sing’ but Idris Elba is doing just that.  In the August issue of Essence magazine, ‘The Wire’ hunk talks about his music plans.  “A lot of people are just getting over the fact that I’m not playing gangsters and now I’m singing. This is a new side of me I’m offering,” he said.  During the 2009 Essence Music Festival, the East London native deejayed the “Lincoln After Dark” soiree, presented by Ford Motors, at The Contemporary Arts Center.  The gift bags included a sampler of Elba’s music – under the moniker Driis — which included a reggae inflected, hip-hop fused romp ‘Please Be True,’ produced by Pete Rock. The ‘Obsessed’ star plans for a full length recording later this year, tentatively titled ‘King Amongst Kings.’

Michael Jackson Memorial Donations — Next to Nothing? Gov. Failure

Posted Jul 8th 2009 7:11PM by LA Times

The city of Los Angeles has only received $17,000 of the $1.4 million it cost to put on Michael Jackson’s memorial — but it’s not because MJ fans are cheap … it’s because of the complete failure of the official donation website.

The press release from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says, “The city’s Information Technology Agency could not handle the high volume of traffic or adequately respond to receive contributions for several hours Tuesday afternoon … for at least 12 consecutive hours Tuesday evening … and periodically throughout Wednesday morning.”

So Villaraigosa is begging MJ fans to go back to the website and cough up a donation — but please, not all at once.

Michael Jackson to be Buried Wearing One White Glove

Posted Jul 9th 2009 2:00AM

Michael Jackson will be laid to rest in pure MJ fashion — as in he will be wearing one (and only one) of his favorite gloves.

Dorothy Gaspar — who owns Gaspar Gloves in L.A. and designed gloves for the “This Is It” tour — tells us La Toya Jackson wanted Michael to wear a glove inside the casket. Turns out La Toya chose a white leather glove Dorothy made for Michael 10-12 years ago — a glove covered in Swarovski crystals.

Dorothy tells us she was informed of this today by Michael’s stylist — Michael Bush — when she went to pick up 20 green gloves she had made for Michael’s dancers

Janet Jackson Speaks for Family at BET Awards 2009

Janet Jackson Speaks for Family on behalf of Michael at BET Awards 2009

Janet Jackson at BET Awards

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Janet Jackson has taken the stage at the BET Awards to speak on behalf of her grieving family and thank fans for their love and support.

It was Janet Jackson’s first public appearance since her brother died last Thursday. With a deep sadness on her face, she strolled to the microphone and began to speak.

She said: “My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was just too painful, so they elected me to be here.”

She noted that the King of Pop was an icon to all in attendance, but that to the Jacksons, “he was family.”

After her brief comments, Ne-Yo and host Jamie Foxx took the stage and sang a poignant “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5.

AP, BET

Chris Brown – Settlement reached in Chris Brown’s alleged beating of Rihanna

2:09 PM | June 22, 2009

A plea deal has been reached between Los Angeles prosecutors and pop star Chris Brown, who is accused of assaulting singer Rihanna before the Grammy Awards.

Brown will plead guilty to a felony and receive six months in jail or community labor — such as graffiti removal or trash pickup — and five years’ formal probation. He will also undergo domestic violence counseling. Judge Patricia Schnegg said he will be allowed to complete counseling, community labor and probation in his native Virginia, but is to be treated there like any other offender.

[Updated at 2:15 p.m.: Schnegg says she plans to issue “a stay-away” order barring Chris Brown from having contact with Rihanna. But an attorney for Rihanna said she doesn’t want the order. Sources told The Times that Brown’s camp initially rejected the plea agreement and had been mulling the settlement for several days.]

[Updated at 2:26 p.m.: “I think it is comendable you took responsibility for your conduct,” Schnegg told Brown.

After Chris Brown left with his entourage, Rihanna was brought into the courtroom and informed of the stay-away order by the judge. “Thank you,” she told the judge and then left through a back door of the courtroom.]

Brown, 20, was arrested in February for allegedly beating and threatening Rihanna during an argument in a rented Lamborghini.

The alleged altercation occurred as the couple drove home from a pre-Grammy party. The news that Rihanna was injured and that Brown was wanted by police surfaced the next day as scores of celebrity reporters awaited the couple’s arrival on the red carpet.

If convicted of felony assault and criminal threats, Brown would have faced a maximum of five years in prison.

— Harriet Ryan and Richard Winton

More:

Live courthouse reports from the Chris Brown-Rihanna preliminary hearing