Crib Notes

BRAVO DARLING: Kandi Burruss' star is brighter than ever.

When Kandi Burruss reveals, during a recent telephone interview, that her favorite expletive is “motherfucker,” it’s almost too cute to bear. As if we really needed another reason to root for the Atlanta native, come to find out she likes to cuss up a storm, too.

“My mouth is bad sometimes,” she says, smiling through the phone. “I have to wash it out with soap. Luckily y’all don’t get to see that ’cause you can’t really say bad language on TV.”

It’s probably one of the few character wrinkles of Burruss’ that wasn’t excessively ironed out over the course of Season Two on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” While NeNe Leakes transgressed from fan fave to villain with a vengeance, newbie Burruss stole the hearts of viewers with her down-to-earth, charmed demeanor and an off-screen plot line that earned an outpouring of sympathy.

Considering all the tribulations and B.S. Burruss has publicly endured in recent months — from the gossip blogs that initially made a mockery of her relationship with former fiancé Ashley “A.J.” Jewell to the shocking tragedy that claimed his life before the season finished airing — it almost seems as if her decision to be on the show was cursed from the start.

Continue Reading “‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ star Kandi Burruss revels in the gift and the curse with Fly Above“

(Photo Courtesy Tremedia)

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Which came first, the BET Hip-Hop Awards or Atlanta’s steady flow of garbage-ass rap music?

The chicken-or-the-egg question occurred to me as I watched last night’s broadcast of the awards show, which should’ve been renamed the Gucci Mane Awards for the number of performances (3?) featuring the East Atlanta-bred MC.

It typified a night in which the show took every possible opportunity to reference Atlanta — which is odd considering the crowd is made up entirely of industry fucks (artists, publicists, label reps, promoters, radio heads, etc.) and almost zero fans. (more…)

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If you’re a fan of Madden and Jermaine Dupri’s music, whoa be unto your girlfriend.

Per the press release:

Download the OCEAN’S 7 mixtape at www.global14.comb5:00PM TODAY for a chance to be Jermaine Dupri’s VIP guest at a private celebrity preview party tomorrow for the unreleased Madden NFL 2010 video game!
Event hosted by Konsole Kingz, EA Sports and XBOX 360

But seriously, folks, download Ocean’s 7 to register. The mixtape, released in May, features Atlanta heavyweights Usher, Johnta Austin, Bryan Michael Cox, Dupri, Trey Songz, Ty and rapper Nelly in full-on Vegas rat-pack mode. It’s supposed to be a precursor to Ocean’s 7 the album and an eventual movie, according to Dupri.

Sample such originally-titled tracks as “Ain’t I” and “Too Much Swag.”

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On a sad day, this vintage video of ATL television personality Too Clean talking to the Hot Boys should cheer everyone up. I recently saw the DVD from which it’s taken, Clean’s Down South Exclusive, Vol 1, and it is amazing.

Filmed in various Atlanta clubs and released in 2002, it features interviews culled from the late ’90s with people like Ludacris, Pastor Troy, YoungBloodZ, Nelly, Big Boi, Trina, 8Ball & MJG and many more. Highlights include a wild, rambunctious Mystikal, a delightful and relaxed Jermaine Dupri, and, of course, the above interview with a very young Wayne and a rather fey-looking Juvenile. (The concert footage is blurry, but does a good job capturing the energy of crunk shows.)

Through it all Too Clean himself emerges as the most charismatic of the bunch. He lobs nothing but softballs, but in the process gets nearly all of his subjects to reveal something interesting about themselves. (With the exception of C-Murder, who looks nervous and paranoid.) It mostly helps that everyone looks to be about five or six drinks in.

It’s available for purchase or on Netflix. Well worth it.

What’s Clean up to nowadays? Was there ever a Down South Exclusive, Vol 2? I’d love to know.

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Speaking of Usher, here’s his latest on the music front. From So So Def:

MEDIA ALERT: MUSIC MOGUL JERMAINE DUPRI INTRODUCES SUPER-CREW ‘OCEAN’S SEVEN’ TO THE WORLD

WHO: Jermaine “JD” Dupri and ‘Ocean’s Seven’ Members Nelly, Usher, Bryan Michael Cox, Trey Songz, Johnta Austin, Tyrone Davis

WHAT: Jermaine Dupri will release the much-anticipated Ocean’s Seven: The Mixtape exclusively online this Friday on Global14.com, JD’s entertainment and lifestyle website. The mixtape features the singles “Vegas Baby” and “So So Much Swagg.” Guest appearances by Bow Wow and Q Da Kid. All production done by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael Cox. The Ocean’s Seven concept was born a few months ago while JD and Bryan Michael Cox were in Las Vegas working in the studio with Usher. Inspired by the popular film Ocean’s Eleven, Dupri and his colleagues, similar to Brad Pitt and George Clooney, have come together to establish a modern day Rat Pack and illustrate to the world, not just a music project, but a way of life.

WHEN: Friday, May 29, 2009

WHERE: www.global14.com

Apparently, it’s some “3000 and 9 shit.”

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Earlier this week Bow Wow announced his retirement, making him the only 22-year-old American confident enough to hang it up during these recessionary times.

His recently-released New Jack City II was his last album with Sony, and he’s hinted at retirement for a while, including during this interview during the promotion of his ill-fated 2007 collaboration with Omarion, Face Off.

Still, what’s strange about the declaration is that he made it after his new album flopped. It debuted at number 16 on Billboard, moving just over 30,000 units, which puts it on track to be the worst-selling CD of the seven he’s released. Everyone knows you’re supposed to announce your retirement before your album comes out, so you can pump up sales. Announcing it afterward is basically admitting you can’t hang anymore.

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Talk about change.

I never thought I’d live to see the day that Yin Yang Twins would be advocating to get out the vote. HAAANHH?!? But Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy seems to have that kind of effect on people — especially African Americans.

Atlanta, aka Black Hollywood, is not exempt.

The new testimonial video Believe. Vote for Change features a laundry list of Atlanta-based athletes, politicians, intellectuals and musicians including rapper Yung Joc, Jermaine Dupri, choreographer/executive DeVyne Stephens, singer Q from 112, producer Bryan Michael Cox, Spelman professor/writer Jelani Cobb, actor Idris Elba of “The Wire,” Hot 107.9’s Rashan Ali, writer/former CL contributor Ronda Racha Penrice, and yes, one-half of the Yin Yang Twins.

Produced by Condraversy Films and Tycor International Film Productions, the video weaves together black-and-white footage of the artists voicing their support for Obama and discussing the monumental significance of his candidacy.

Click here to see the full video. The Yin Yang Twins might surprise you.

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As the audience grew tired of waiting at the Samsung AT&T Summer Krush, a symphony of boos circulated the almost full Tabernacle on Tuesday night. Meanwhile fans ranging from young to old continued to fill the auditorium in anticipation to see the often half-naked rapper Nelly.

Just as he did on the BET awards, Nelly showcased his all-female marching band dressed in matching Apple Bottom outfits and Air Jordans to open up the show. As the ladies got the crowd hyped while dancing to Soulja Boy’s “She Gotta Donk” and other ATL favorites, the blinged-out bracelet and Army dog-tag wearing rapper appeared onstage to give the audience what they’d been longing for since the doors opened.

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The bloggers and press snubbed Jermaine Dupri, and he snubbed them back by making it nearly impossible for working press to get into his much-hyped Jackson 5 New Year’s Eve reunion party at his suburban Atlanta club, Studio 72.

The certified hit-maker Jermaine Dupri has never gotten the industry respect he feels he deserves. When urban superproducers are mentioned, his name rarely comes up. And when it does, it always runs a distant second to guys such as Dr. Dre, Timbaland and Diddy. As a result, J.D. has developed a bit of a Napoleon complex.

When CL called (after sending several unanswered e-mails) Studio 72 manager Solo, he said Dupri wasn’t planning on giving up any press passes. He went on to mention something to the effect of Dupri being the only person big enough to pull something this huge off in Atlanta.

And for the record, he did pull it off. Dupri deserves major kudos for that. But if he really wanted the nonbelievers to eat their words, he should’ve opened the party up to more press. Hate to sound all self-righteous here, but J.D., you could’ve really used us on this one.

Check out the grainy YouTube footage above to see Jackson brothers Tito, Jermaine, Jackie and Marlon in the minutes leading up to the countdown. While the crowd ogles them as if they’re fish at the Georgia Aquarium, the brothers awkwardly stand in place looking like they haven’t been on a stage together since the Victory tour. Janet was also in the house, playing it cool, though she isn’t seen on the video.

And Michael Jackson is believed to have been absent, though there were reported sightings of him around town. Maybe he decided showing up at the club wouldn’t be worth his time once he realized there wouldn’t be any photo op.

Believe me, dude didn’t become the Thriller without knowing how to work the media. MTV can vouch for that.

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