Believe it or not, I'm not trying to boast, however it was only a few weeks ago that I mentioned Three 6 Mafia. No one had heard of this rap group, it was only after they won an Oscar, for original song for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the movie "Hustle & Flow", that everyone is taking notice. Naturally, they are in the spotlight these days, and maybe making an appearance in a Pittsburgh court case soon. It seems that a fan Ramone Williams, alleges in his lawsuit that he was beaten as the Oscar-winner rap group performed in an Aug.26, 2003, concert at a Pittsburgh club. Oh, the price of fame!
Just like reality shows, rappers are still smokin' hot. Let's keep in mind that rappers with their lyrics could make a movie, or a mere mention of something into a cultural phenomenon. One of my favorite actors is Al Pacino, and thanks to a very special friend of mine who worked with this legend in the 1996 movie "City Hall", I have an autographed glossy of Pacino, signed in gold ink. I'm mentioning this, since Mr. Pacino is one of the A-listers that rarely gives autographs. He was a hit in many movies one of them "The Godfather", but who could forget his portrayal of Tony Montana in "Scarface" ("Say hello to my little friend!"), with the machine gun in hand, and the snarl on his face. Rappers like Ice Cube, Biggie Smalls have made this iconic movie into a pop phenomenon with their lyric references to the 1983 movie "Scarface". The movie today, is more popular than ever, with posters and T-shirts, memorabilia collectors are stocking up on one of the greatest cult movies of all time. Who could forget the clout of rapper Scarface who rose to fame in the 90's. Everyone from Dr. Dre, 2 Pac, Master P, and Ice Cube collaborated with Scarface, the former Ghetto Boy. The Scarface legend lives on!
If you are of a certain age, you'll remember a sitcom "Welcome back, Kotter", that made John Travolta a star. He played Vinnie Barbarino, who was among the Sweat Hogs. With so many sitcoms turning into the big screen these days, it shouldn't surprise you that this is one of them. Enter: Ice Cube. The rapper-actor will play the role of the teacher Gabe Kaplan; but no word yet on who will fill Travolta's shoes.
John Travolta, has been offered the role of Larry Hagman for the big-screen adaptation of yet another sitcom, "Dallas", reports Variety. Some other big names were offered roles to star including Jennifer Lopez, Luke Wilson, and Shirley MacLaine.
What's next Pig Latin? It seems the latest trend in making films in Hollywood these days is in ancient languages. The first one of course was Mel Gibson in the "Passion of the Christ", in Aramaic. The follow-up to the movie is "Apocalypto" in Maya. Now word is out that Vin Diesel wants to do a trilogy of the life of Hannibal in Punic.The Punic language is a dialect of Phoenician spoken in the ancient city and empire of Carthage. A language that hasn't been spoken in 2,000 years. In the April issue of Detail magazine, Vin Diesel tells us about his production company, and his research of Hannibal.
Here are some words of advice for contestants of "American Idol": Please respect your elders, especially Simon Cowell, not that he's a senior citizen by any means. I knew that it was only a matter of time before Kevin Corvais would get the boot. Snapping back at judges, especially at Simon was simply uncalled for, and a no-no. Speaking of Simon, I caught him on the "Larry King" show a few weeks ago, when his Mom Julie Cowell, 80, called in from England. His Mom mentioned something about his vocal talents. Should we ask Simon to sing us a song? Now, to the host of the show. Has anyone noticed one of the big changes of "American Idol "Season 5? " Seacrest, out", is no more! Yes, it's true, Ryan is no longer saying that, instead he's being more inquisitive on the contestants. His once-light-weighted questions have turned into third -degree inquisitions.
So who will be next year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's inductee's? Let me go out on a limb and say possibly Kiss. Gene Simmons, the outrageous frontman of the group has recently teamed up with the Indy Car Series. The 2006 season with the Toyota Indy 300 took place on March 26 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kiss has been around for 32 years, and has broken box-office records around the world set only by Elvis and the Beatles. The group has more gold records than any other American band, according to the RIAA in 2003. One of his many accomplishments is that Gene Simmons discovered the group Van Halen, managed Lizi Minelli's recording career, created the Oxygen series smash "Mr. Romance" with my favorite heartthrob model Fabio, and besides "Gene Simmons Rock School, A&E will feature the forthcoming "Gene Simmons Family Jewels. Need I say more.
Rose's Scoop: The MTV Video Music Awards are headed for Radio City Music Hall in New York. The event will be taking place on Aug.31. The last two years the stars have been arriving by yacht, with the glorious after parties held on South Beach. Rumors are swirling that Barbra Streisand will be on the road again. Billboard is reporting, that after 6 years Miss Streisand is planning a fall tour. Finally, Kid Rock's tape has been blocked. The explicit tape that features the rap-rocker, along with Former Creed singer Scott Stapp, the AP reports. This paper loves dogs, so without further a due, let me mention the latest book by the New York Post's gossip queen Cindy Adams, "Living a Dog's Life, Jazzy, Juicy, and Me.
