While everyone remembers the Kayne “Im’ma let you finish” West incident at the MTV Video Music Awards last month, Tyra Banks caught up with another artist who rushed the stage.

Lil’ Mama was a guest on the Tyra Banks show to clear the air about the incident involving her impromptu appearance on stage with Alicia Keys and Jay-Z.

See her response.

By Sherri L. Smith, BlackWeb20.com

New media company Moguldom Media Group continues to expand its vast digital empire with the recent launch of its newest property,HipHopWired.com. Where as big sister Bossip.com is all about the latest gossip and drama in the Hip Hop community, HipHopWired promises to tackle the broad topic of Hip Hop from a different perspective. And before you roll your eyes and write this off as just another Hip Hop publication spouting the same ole stuff on a different day, ask yourself this: When was the last time you saw a Hip Hop pub actively seeking social and political commentary from scholars like Dr. Boyce Watkins and Warren Ballentine? When was the last time that you’ve heard of a Hip Hop site that was dedicated to “rais[ing] the bar for what we expect of Hip Hop artists by asking them challenging and engaging questions?” Read the rest of this entry »

T.I.’s Journey to Jail is Documented
Rapper T.I. will be going to jail in a couple months, and MTV is documenting his voyage. The series, “T.I.’s Road to Redemption: 45 Days to Go” – the title will count down each day as he nears his incarceration date – provides a close-up look at T.I.’s lifestyle and family. “No amount of jail time is gonna teach me the lesson I learned at that moment,” T.I. says of the November night he got arrested in 2007. He said that as police raided his home, he thought to himself, “Oh sh**, you done f***ed up.” He was looking at a possible 30 years in prison for purchasing illegal weapons, but he’s likely to get a seriously reduced sentence because of a plea deal.  In “Road to Redemption,” T.I. also offers positive advice for seven at-risk teens across the country, urging them to change their lives. “We’re gonna shake his world up, and then we’re gonna help him whether he wants our help or not,” T.I. says of one of the troubled teens.

Naomi Campbell’s agreement was not made public.
Supermodel Settles with Maid Naomi Campbell has settled out of court with her ex-maid, who said the 38-year-old, hot-tempered supermodel hit her and called her names. The terms of the settlement were not released. Gaby Wilson, who worked for Campbell in 2005 and 2006, said in her lawsuit that Campbell also threatened to charge her with theft after she couldn’t find a pair of designer jeans.

It only took a month for MTV to pull the plug on rapper 50 Cent’s reality show, “The Money and the Power.” Officials with the station attributed the decision to poor ratings. MTV Entertainment President Brian Gradenthe also cited the network’s desire to find shows that better “reflect Generation ‘Why Not?’—living, working and playing on their own terms, ‘adventure capitalists’ if you will, pursuing a variety of thrill-seeking, 2.0, express-yourself enterprises.”

South African teen killer is sentenced. The White South African teen who went on a shooting spree that killed four people in a Black neighborhood was sentenced to four life terms in prison Friday, reports CNN. Two adults and two children, one three months old, the other 10 years old, were murdered during the spree, while the teen reportedly shouted racist slurs. Johan Nel was sentenced to 68 years for 11 counts of attempted murder, five years for possessing a firearm and three years for possessing ammunition, said Nell’s attorney, Frikkie Pretorius.  “I respect the court’s decision, [but] we are going to appeal,” Pretorius told CNN. “We believe there is a possibility that the court made a mistake.” Nel, who is now 19 but was 18 when he committed the crimes, confessed and pleaded guilty to the killings, so he wouldn’t have to stand trial, he said. But there were “compelling circumstances” the court didn’t consider, Pertorius said. The fact that Nel was home-schooled and didn’t learn how to socialize with Black children played a role in the crime, he said. A psychologist examined Nel and found he’s competent to stand trial, though. And the Congress of South African Trade Unions agreed with the sentencing. “No lesser sentence could possibly have been given for such an appalling crime, motivated purely by racist obsessions, for which there can be absolutely no mitigating circumstances,” a spokesman for the group said in a written statement. “COSATU agrees with the judge that there is no place for racially motivated violence in a democratic South Africa,” he said. The judge and prosecutor reportedly got death threats from people who hoped to stop them from giving Nel life sentences.
MTV holds its first African awards ceremony. MTV held its first award ceremony dedicated to Africans this weekend, reports the BBC. The MTV Africa Music Awards (the MAMAs) were held in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, and Nigerians dominated, winning six out of the 10 awards. Nigerian rapper D’banj won the artist of the year award and best male award; another Nigerian rapper, Naeto C won best new act; and 9ice took home the best hip-hop award. A Kenyan singer, Wahu, won the award for best female act. American acts, such as Rapper The Game, Flo-rida and singer Kelly Rowland hit the stage to perform during the ceremony. And U.S. artists, such as Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys, were also nominated in different categories, even though it was an African ceremony. The legend award went to Fela Kuti, the late Nigerian who spearheaded the Afrobeat movement. Kuti’s children accepted the award in his honor. “We’ll keep it in our house, and when the time comes then we’ll take it to him,” they said. The late South African singer Miriam Makeba, “Mama Africa,” was also honored during the ceremony. Winners of the awards were selected by fans who sent text messages.

Jordin Sparks is to be praise, and criticized for her stand on abstinence. Jordin Sparks made a bold statement when she stood up at MTV’s Video Music Awards on Monday for the Jonas Brothers’ right to wear promise rings, a symbol of their pledge to abstain from sex until marriage. But she also unwittingly chastised any teenager who happens to be sexually active. How? Vital Signs has the details. 

New York City shows largest decline in infant deaths. New York City has made the biggest improvement of all major cities in lowering its infant death rate, according to new numbers from the city’s Health Department. New York’s infant mortality rate fell again in 2007, reaching the lowest level ever recorded. The 2007 rate – 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, down from 5.9 in 2006 – marked the sharpest one-year decline since 2001, when the city’s rate dropped to 6.1 from 6.7 per 1,000 live births. Of the 128,961 babies born in New York City in 2007, 697 died before reaching a year old, 43 fewer than in 2006. The city’s infant mortality rate remained significantly lower than that of the nation, which was 6.7 deaths per 1,00 live births in 2006, the most recent year on record. The number of local births surged by 3,455 during 2007, and births to Asian women accounted for half of the increase. News reports suggest that many Chinese couples timed their pregnancies to coincide with the Year of the Golden Pig, a particularly auspicious year in the Chinese lunar calendar. Here’s how the numbers break down by ethnic group: The infant mortality rate was 9.8 per 1,000 live births among Blacks, 6.3 among Puerto Ricans, 4.3 among other Hispanics, 3.9 among Whites, and 3.1 among Asian/Pacific Islanders. “We are heading in the right direction, but substantial disparities remain,” said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City health commissioner. “Infant death rates remain unacceptably high among Blacks and Puerto Ricans and in low-income neighborhoods. We need to expand services for these groups and communities, and we also need to work to reduce inequities that persist in income, education, health care, safe neighborhoods and access to healthy affordable food and regular physical activity.” How did the city improve its numbers? Health officials say the department has been working on many fronts to help women stay as healthy as possible before pregnancy, obtain quality health care during pregnancy, and provide the care and support their babies need to thrive. Its key initiatives include breastfeeding education, safe-sleep education, cribs for families that can’t afford them, and nurse home-visiting during pregnancy and early childhood.

Comedian creates awkward moment at Obama fundraiser
Comedian Bernie Mac is still a Barack Obama fan, though Mac didn’t get a fan’s welcome at an event for the presidential candidate. Mac, a long-time supporter, performed at a recent Hyatt Regency Hotel fundraiser for Obama in Chicago. Some at the $2,300-a-head event resented Mac’s jokes, which included: “My little nephew came to me and he said, ‘Uncle, what’s the difference between a hypothetical question and a realistic question? I said, I don’t know, but I said, ‘Go upstairs and ask your mother if she’d make love to the mailman for $50,000.’” Other jokes reportedly touched on promiscuity and women until one spectator shouted, “It’s not funny! Let’s get Barack on!” Obama followed the popular star of the “Bernie Mac Show,” saying, “We can’t afford to be divided by region or by class and we can’t afford to be divided by gender, which by the way, that means, Bernie, you’ve got to clean up your act next time.” Although he later added, “By the way, I’m just messing with you, man,” Obama’s campaign rep later denounced the comedian’s choice of material, which also included a reference to ‘hoes,’ as “inappropriate.”

Jeffrey Wright arrested in incident involving W. star
Noted actor Jeffrey Wright, who plays Gen. Colin Powell in the filming of an Oliver Stone work on George W. Bush, titled “W.,” has been arrested and, later, freed from jail. Wright and Josh Brolin, who plays the president, were released after allegedly trying to impede police officers who were attempting to quash a brawl. Wright and Brolin were charged with misdemeanors for allegedly interfering with cops in the Louisiana bar incident.

Jamie Foxx to appear on “From G’s to Gents”
The film star who’s executive producing MTV’s “From G’s to Gents” reality series will also make appearances on the show. Jamie Foxx helped conceive the show that airs this week and will groom ‘hood cats into well-mannered young men. Host Fonzworth Bentley says he’s glad to be involved with the show: “It is cool to know how to treat a lady. It is cool to have faith in God. It is cool to go to college. It is cool to have respect for your seniors. I wanted to make sure that the show was edited in a way for that man that’s sitting at home, he can actually take notes.”

R&B superstar to join reality show ranks. 

Janet Jackson is set to become the next reality TV star with a show that will find her mentoring other singers and performers. The mega-entertainer’s MTV series will put Jackson in the role of talent scout, seeking the next undiscovered pop superstar. “It’s really about finding who’s the next Janet Jackson or Justin Timberlake or Usher,” says executive producer Dave Broome. “And we’ll find it from a pool of people who you wouldn’t typically find it from. We’ll go to YMCAs, church groups, local community centers and try to cast the show.” Jackson ’s world tour kicks off Sept. 10 and may showcase the winner of the series.

Young Jeezy is charged with DUI after arrest in Atlanta
Young Jeezy  was pulled over for allegedly driving a vehicle that had no license plate. Cops say he was also found with an open container and no proof of insurance. The rapper was released from the ATL City Detention Center on bond and scheduled for court July 17.

Gary Dourdan is re-hired to “CSI”
After his high-profile drug arrest this past spring, amid rumors that he has a dope problem, Gary Dourdan is expected to return to TV’s “CSI.” The actor pleaded guilty to possession after he was arrested in April while asleep in an illegally parked car in California . “CSI” show execs left questions about whether Dourdan’s planned separation from the show was forced or voluntary. But he’ll return next season, having been re-hired. Dourdan first gained notice on television as a cast member of the 1990s sitcom “A Different World.”