Laurence Fishburne returns to television. Laurence Fishburne is set to make his first return to the cast of a TV series since the late-1980s when he played Cowboy Curtis on the children’s show “Pee Wee’s Playhouse.” Fishburne will portray a forensic scientist on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Calling the new gig a “wonderful collaboration,” Fishburne is set to appear in the show’s 10th season that begins in October. Show executive producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar said in a joint statement: “Without hesitation, we said (to CBS bosses) ‘Laurence Fishburne.’ He is a powerful and intense actor, with an incredible range.” Fishburne is best known for his film roles as Morpheus in The Matrix and Furious Styles from Boyz N the Hood.

Battery Records has urban focus. A new Sony music company will revive the practice of artist development, AllHipHop.com reports. Battery Records is to oversee early development among performers on the rosters of RCA and Zomba. “We started operation back in mid-June, so it’s a brand new division,” head man Neil Levine tells All Hip Hop. “It’s really an incubator imprint label. Our main focus is really taking developing artists that are signed to our frontline labels.” Artist development has been used throughout the recording industry to groom new label recruits in career longevity and preparation.

Star-studded line-up in Africa runs short on stars

Music and fashion celebrities including local performers, Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford, were slated to appear at last week’s “ThisDay Music and Fashion Festival” to help bring attention to Nigeria’s tourism industry. But only Rihanna, Jay-Z and Usher performed at the first night of the event, despite fans having paid as much as $508 per ticket for a star-studded line-up. Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown and rapper Fat Joe appeared before the event’s conclusion.

Laurence Fishburne could join the cast of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”

The man who played such popular film characters as The Matrix’s Morpheus and Boyz N the Hood’s Furious Styles could soon become a TV crime investigator. Laurence Fishburne is a front-runner, along with John Malkovich, for a role on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Fishburne could replace William Petersen, who’s set to leave the show this season.

Coolio helps youth understand the environment
Grammy-winning rapper Coolio has joined the Environmental Justice and Climate Change organization, helping to raise awareness of global warming among HBCU students. Teaming up with jazz saxophonist Jarez, the West Coast performer will be a part of a sustained campaign to increase stewardship in the Black community. The campaign’s focus is on recruiting a “diverse group of African American youth in the fight for climate justice,” a spokesman says.