Entertainment

NEW music from some of the hottest music artists in the industry!  Enjoy!

Usher ft. Jay-Z & Ester Dean – “Hot Toddy”

Teairra Mari ft. Mavado – “Coins”

Ne-Yo – “Laying Around”  

Kid Cudi – “Mojo So Dope”

Nicki Minaj – “Ice Cream Man”

Wale – “The Eyes of the Tiger”

Wale – “Ambitious Girl”

Ja Rule – “Man Down”

Nelly – “Just a Dream”

Nina Sky ft. Kidz In The Hall – “Only You (Take Me Away)”

Trey Songz – “Easy On Ourselves”

Jermaine Dupri – “I Heard Um Say”

Super Pop! An art showcase inspired by visionary, creator and editor-in-chief of Art Nouveau Magazine, Kendrick Daye.

This is Daye’s third art exhibition, featuring works from the pop art genre.  This collective, known as Super Pop! will showcase artwork that pays tribute to the pop art genre and reveals a dynamic and diverse collection of works from young and talented artists across the globe.

Super Pop! will host an opening reception on August 5, 2010 at the WM Turner Gallery where art work as well as copies of Art Nouveau Magazine will be available for purchase.   The show will run from August 5-12.

For more information on attending the Super Pop! Opening Reception or Art Nouveau Magazine visit them online.

Check out the trailer for a sneak peek at the new art showcase Super Pop!

Monday, July 27, indie record label Champ Camp Music, hosted its much anticipated mixtape release party, “Born on the Finish Line,” at MF Sushi in Buckhead Atlanta.

The free event, hosted by Grammy award winning producer D. Smith, was packed with awe-struck fans who jumped at the opportunity to mix and mingle with Champ Camp artists Lords and Lady, Hard County, Tha Daredevil, Bobbi Heart and Billy Lenox.

Atlanta’s who’s who turned out for the event as well, including celebrity stylist Kithe Brewster, Panel Coordinator and General Manager of the A3C Hip-Hop Festival, Tom White and upcoming artist Nate Walka.  A few even flew in for the event, including Los Angeles music supervisor Steve Collins.

After a rousing performance by the Champ Camp Music family, guests and fans partied the night away at the posh location and enjoyed drinks and the exceptional sounds of Born on the Finish Line, which has officially been released and is available for download at Champ Camp Music.

Pictured below:

Images shot by Amber Johnson (ADillatheGenius) of EyeQ Photography

NEW music from our favorite music artists making comebacks this year!  Enjoy!

Lauryn Hill – “Repercussions”

Fabolous – “Lights Out (I Don’t See Nobody)”

Public Enemy – “Say It Like It Really Is”

Dru Hill – “Shut It Down”

Nelly – “Tippin’ in the Club”

Marques Houston – “Operator”

Ne-Yo – “Hurt Me”

Ice Cube – “Drink The Kool-Aid”

Petey Pablo – “Go”

Jay Sean ft. Nicki Minaj – “2012”

Fat Joe ft. R. Kelly – “How Did We Get Here”

Usher ft. Bun B – “Get In My Car”

Calvin Richardson – “You’re So Amazing”

Ok, citiXIns!  This is it…The last reading excerpt of our Fiery Fiction Series novel, The Frog Pond.  Otis Randolf’s debut novel will be available nationwide next Tuesday, and he is on a virtual promotional book tour this week leading up to his novel’s release!  Readers can still visit PHE Ink to pre-order autograph copies of The Frog Pond before it hits stores.  But to hold you over until it’s August 3rd release, here is the final sneak peek of The Frog Pond…Searching the murky waters for a happy ever after.

This excerpt of The Frog Pond has been shorten and modified from the original copywritten manuscript to fit the specifications of this sneak peek sampler. This excerpt also contains explicit subject matter, language, sexual content, and/or violence.

New Year’s UnResolution

Renee’ Moore turned into Eric Moore, sliding her right thigh across his torso until she straddled his lap on bended knees.  He leaned back on the couch to accommodate the position she would find most comfortable.  Renee’s hips compressed around his waist releasing a moist, humid heat.  Of course the heat of her essence immediately aroused Eric. He wanted to touch her, but it had been months.  It was almost as if he needed a refresher course. He still remembered the language her body spoke, but did he have permission to respond? Eric cringed in suspense awaiting Renee’s next move as his shaft throbbed, creating an uncomfortable wet spot in his boxers.

She made no further advances.  She made no sound.  She just stared at him.  And he, stared back at her. Eric studied Renee’s thick, black hair as it cascaded over her collar bone and draped her breast.  Finally, she crossed her arms and smoothed out her negligee against the contour of her chest and nonchalantly nudged the spaghetti straps off of her shoulders.  Eric’s eyes widened as the delicate fabric trickled down to reveal her soft, supple skin.  She leaned in and rested her forehead on his. He noticed she closed her eyes to let out a faint sigh of relief.  The warm air from her sigh breezed over his moustache and gave him the courage to pucker his lips and rest them on hers.  She did not pull away.  Instead, she ran her hands down his arms and pulled them to hold her and invited his hands to caress her backside.

Slowly, Renee’ parted her lips to draw in oxygen and sucked in his tongue along with it.  At last, she allowed Eric to savor her kiss again. Their tongues crept by one another like distant strangers, and then feverishly intertwined when their taste buds remembered that they were husband and wife.  The palms of her hands rubbed firmly up his chest to unbutton his plaid flannel shirt. Eric reacted by racing his fingers up her spine to the back of her head, gathering her coarse hair. They released one another’s mouth and Eric tenderly pulled Renee’s hair to expose her neck. He tried to swallow up as much of her neck as he could while spelling his name along her jugular vein with his tongue. 

Renee’ defiantly tried not to make a sound, but he felt the dull vibration of her moans trapped her throat. Eric traced a pathway south to the valley where her cleavage met.  She shuddered in anticipation while he removed enough of her negligee to free her breasts from captivity.  Her back began to arch and this enticed him to cup one of her breasts with his right hand. He kissed her large, dark nipple and eventually took it into his mouth in its entirety. He hungrily sucked her breast until the nipple popped out of his mouth to recover from the erotic sensation. He immediately devoured her breast again, and diligently repeated the whole process several times alternating between breasts.

“Mmm… Eric,” Renee’ moaned as she conceded defeat with her silent treatment.

“You like it baby, don’t you,” Eric teased.

“Oh God Eric… yesssss.”

He wanted to be selfish and indulge in some other pleasures, but he also did not want to mess this up. Eric continued his attentiveness to her breast and released her hair to move his left hand down to her inner thigh. He could feel the moisture beading up into a lustful liquid that his two fingers started spreading around in circles.  Renee’s appetite must have intensified because her moans deepened. Her fingers found his crotch and ripped his pants open like a child opening presents on Christmas morning.  She unleashed his manhood, giving it the room it needed to grow to full capacity. They both looked down, gazing at it.

“It’s up to you baby,” Eric said quietly as he outstretched his arms to rest them on the back of the couch. He leaned back tautly, wondering if sex would be the same with her again now that fantasies of Denard consumed him. However, he was grateful that his wife of eleven years still could not resist him fulfilling her sexual desires.

If you want to learn more about The Frog Pond, its plot, and its complex characters, catch the author this week on various Blog Talk Radio shows discussing his upcoming novel:

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 – Simply Andrionna – Host: Andrionna L. Williams – 11pm EST/10pm CST/8pm PST Listen online at www.blogtalkradio.com/simplyandrionna and call in at (347) 857-3494.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 – A Date with Destiny – Host: Destiny Carter – 9pm EST/8pm CST (Nominated by the African American Literary Awards Show for Literary Personality & Talk Show) Listen online at www.blogtalkradio.com/destiny-c.

Thursday, July 29, 2010 – The1Essence: Let’s Talk Books – Host: The1Essence – 9pm EST/8pm CST Listen online at www.blogtalkradio.com/the1essence and call in at (646) 727-2827.

And in case you missed it, Otis was the featured guest on The Funky Writer Radio Show recently.  Check out www.blogtalkradio.com/thefunkywriter as Otis discusses how his novel got its title, The Frog Pond, and how it was originally a 60-page poetry piece.

Don’t forget to follow up with XI Reader’s Corner as we interview Otis Randolf and review his book The Frog Pond right here at www.XIMagOnline.com!

Enjoy new music from Jazmine Sullivan, Bruno Mars, Eric Benet, Mario, Young Jeezy and many more!

Jazmine Sullivan ft. Fat Joe – Holding You Down (Goin’ In Circles) Remix

Eric Benet – Sometimes I Cry

Young Jeezy ft. Lil Jon – Jizzle

Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are

Trey Songz – I Want You

Shareefa ft. Raheem DeVaughn – Ya Love

Gucci Mane – Street Cred

Mario – Backstage Pass

Mario – Tappin’ Out

Chris & Neef (formerly the Young Gunz) – We Back

Rich Boy ft. Drake & Lloyd – To The Floor

John Legend & The Roots ft. Melanie Fiona & Common – Wake Up Everybody

Where has this summer gone?  At the movies, its been quite the roller coaster filled with scream-inducing highs (The Karate Kid, Toy Story 3) and pain-wincing lows (Jonah Hex, Knight & Day) August promises to give us some more superstar power, incredible laughs and a whole lot of action.  Here’s your August movie preview!

Step Up 3-D

Yes, the third version of this dance series has arrived…in 3D!  This installment in the franchise takes the film overseas as the Maryland School of the Arts heads to Europe for a dance competition.  One of the major dancers – Moose - misses his flight back to Baltimore and decides to stick around Paris where he finds Americans abroad and a love interest.  Moose gets involved in the underground Parisian dance scene and is called to battle at the biggest international dance competition where he has to call on his school friends to help.  The cast is headlined by all newcomers.  It hits theaters on August 6.

The Other Guys

Mark Wahlberg?!  In a comedy?!  With Will Ferrell?!  A resounding yes to all of those questions as the Academy Award nominated actors teams with the former SNL star to headline The Other Guys, a screwball comedy set in the forensic/police world.  They both get the chance to step up to the plate on a major case when several things go awry.  Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson co-star in this caper.  It hits theaters on August 6.

Eat Pray Love

Based on the best selling book of the same name, Academy Award winning actress and America’s Sweetheart Julia Roberts plays a married woman who is discontented with the life she is currently living.  So she drops everything and decides to finally live her life…on her own terms.  Viola Davis, James Franco and Javier Bardem round out the cast.  The film hits theaters on August 13.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Michael Cera (Youth in Revolt, Year One) plays yet another affable teen who is confronted with life’s crazy challenges.  This time?  He’s finally found the girl of his dreams…but in order to be with her, he has to fight all SEVEN of her exes.  Did I mention crazy, deranged exes?  Brandon Routh (Superman himself) and Chris Evans (The Fantastic Four) go against type playing some of the exes.  The comedy opens on August 13.

The Expendables

Talk about throwback?!  Listen to this cast: Bruce Willis (Die Hard), Sylvester Stallone (Rambo), Jet Li (Cradle 2 The Grave, Hero), Arnold Schwarzenegger (the original Terminator) - wow, really?  Well also throw in Jason Statham (The Transporter) and Terry Crewes (Everybody Hates Chris, White Chicks) and you have this summer’s most unlikely hit-in-the-making.  It’s an action flick of course about a team of mercenaries who go on a mission to overthrow a South American dictator.  The trailer looked awesome.  Look out for it on August 13.

Lottery Ticket

Yes, the trailer has been playing seemingly forever but this movie is finally here. Bow Wow plays a young man living in the projects who wins a $370 million lottery jackpot.  However, when his neighbors discover he has won such a huge prize, they decide to get the ticket from him.  The film also stars Loretta Devine (Waiting to Exhale, This Christmas), Brandon T. Jackson (Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief), Naturi Naughton (Fame), Ice Cube (the Friday series) and Mike Epps (of Friday fame as well).  The film opens on August 20.

Piranha 3D

Elisabeth Shue (Hollow Man, The Saint), Richard Dreyfuss (W., Poseidon) and Ving Rhames (Undispited, Mission: Impossible III) headline this thriller set in Arizona where a tremor has caused the lake floor to open, unleashing a host of prehistoric piranhas.  Naturally, action and some gruesome scenes ensue.  Imagine When Animals Attack! on the big screen…in 3D!  It opens on August 20.

The Switch

It seems like Jennifer Aniston is popping up in almost every romantic comedy you can think of these days.  After starring in The Bounty Hunterjust a few months ago, here she is in yet another one!  This time, she plays a middle aged woman whose desperate to have a child.  In that pursuit, she steals the sperm of a married friend’s husband (played by Jason Bateman)  Ms. Aniston returns to the big screen on August 20.

Nanny McPhee Returns

After the surprise success of the original Nanny McPhee, Academy Award winning actress Emma Thompson returns to the mystical role of an eccentric Mary Poppins-wannabe.  Not much is known about the plot of this new edition but it’s hoping to garner the attention of kids who are about to go back to school and with no other new kiddie films out, it could make a (small) dent at the late summer box office.  Look for it on August 20.

Going The Distance

Drew Barrymore (Charlie’s Angels, Everything’s Fine) and Justin Long (Drag Me To Hell) play a couple involved in a long distance relationship that’s beginning to wane.  What a wonderful topic!  It promises to be a romantic comedy unlike any of the recent disappointments (Killers and Knight & Day come to mind)  The film opens on August 27.

Takers

This film was originally scheduled to be released in early 2010 but was pushed back after co-star Chris Brown was still heavily embroiled in the Rihanna mess.  Then, another co-star T.I. was still in jail so what was director John Leussenhop to do?  Patiently wait.  Well the premiere is finally here and the star studded cast includes Idris Elba (Obsessed), Hayden Christensen (of the Star Warsprequels), Michael Ealy (Seven Pounds), Paul Walker (The Fast & The Furious) and Matt Dillon (Crash). It revolves around a notorious gang of criminals who continue to evade the police with their perfectly executed bank robberies.  Dillon steps in as a police officer whose determined to bring down the empire.  The film hits theaters on August 27.

The Last Exorcism

Yes, yet another film around the eerie topic of exorcism.  This one finds Patrick Fabian playing a priest whose summoned to a Louisiana farm by a father whose convinced his daughter his possessed by a demon.  The priest agrees but decides to document what he’s hoping will be his final act of this kind.  However, once he arrives at the farm, he realizes this is a supernatural force he could not have possibly dreamed of.  Sound scary enough?!  It opens on August 27.

That’s your August wrap-up.  Personally, I’ll be taking in Eat Pray Love and Takers - they look like the safest bets in this very diverse bunch.

Check out the movie trailers for each August Movie on XI TV.

Monday, July 12th, I attended Aliya S. King’s launch party for her novel “Platinum” and I was excited to be there.  “Platinum” is a fiction novel based on an article that Aliya wrote in 2006 for Vibe on the “secret lives” of rapper’s wives.  I was immediately intrigued when I heard about the book because if there’s anything I love as much as fashion, it’s Hip-hop! The moment I walked into Bo Concept furniture store, I vibed to the dj spinning, the Hennessy Black flowing, and a beautiful crowd.  The spread was on point and was provided by XI’s own Ms. Sweet Potato Iman Dean and sponsored by Smart Water.  The fashion was on point too!  I love going to events where everyone has their own individual style…no copycats! 

I spotted author Aliya King right away.  She was rocking a black ruffle-back t-shirt dress, black booties, and the most beautiful curly hair!  Being that she was the Queen of the night, she was being pulled in every direction between photo opps, signing books and deep convo; so I decided to fall back and catch her when she caught a breather.  Finally I saw Aliya by herself, so I got her attention immediately to introduce myself.  She was so pleasant as I congratulated her on her success, then she was off to make more rounds. 

The party was filled with fabulous guests!  Bevy Smith was there along with countless others who had influenced the book or just knew and appreciated Aliya’s accomplishments and most recent success.  Though “Platinum” is her first novel, Aliya’s background includes but is not limited to Hip-Hop and Urban journalism.  She has covered an array of topics over her career and has written for Vibe, Essence and Black Enterprise, to name a few.  She even helped Faith Evans pen her NY Times best-selling book “Keep the Faith.” 

An hour into the party, the dj stopped spinning and it was time for a few people to speak.  Mashonda, ex-wife of Swizz Beatz, spoke first.  She was looking very cute and had her new boo in tow.  She talked about meeting Aliya and how she influenced the book.  Up next was Earl Simmons’, a.k.a DMX’s estranged wife Tashera.  She spoke on how much of a positive influence Aliya had on her life and how she felt Aliya lived their lives, because “Platinum” was so on point with what they’ve been through.  Tashera also announced that Aliya will be writing her tell-all book about her life with DMX.  Finally it was time for the Lady of the Night to speak.  She ellaborated a bit on how she came up with the story and how persistent she was to speak to some of our favorite rapper’s wives.  

As Aliya was thanking her sponsors, one of the guests in the back kept yelling “read something, read something!”  Reluctantly, she blessed us with an excerpt from “Platinum.”  You could tell by everyone’s reaction, “Platinum” instantly became a “must buy” after hearing her excerpt.  Though, when she finished reading, Aliya encouraged everyone to check out the book, but keep the party going.

I loved Aliya’s spirit!  It resonated throughout the entire venue during the event.  She’s a down to earth, intelligent, and talented journalist turned author!!  It was a great night and I was having a ball.  But eventually, it was time for me to call it a night; my heels couldn’t take it anymore.  …Okay so my feet couldn’t take it anymore, LOL!  But I must say the book launch was a success and I suggest everyone go out and buy “Platinum” today!!!  It’s a must read!  I mean who isn’t intrigued by the lives of superstar wives?!  The secrets, the lies, the drama….I can’t wait for the next one!!!

It’s been a while, and I know that you are chomping at the bit to read another excerpt from XI Reader’s Corner Fiery Fiction Series novel, The Frog Pond. So, once again, submerge yourself in the murky waters of… The Frog Pond.   

This excerpt of The Frog Pond has been shorten and modified from the original copywritten manuscript to fit the specifications of this sneak peek sampler. This excerpt also contains explicit subject matter, language, sexual content, and/or violence.

Liquid Validation

At 7:20 p.m., DeAnna pulled the meatloaf with red tomato gravy from the oven. The stewed okra with corn and yellow onions were reduced to a simmer, and the fluffy mashed potatoes were hot. Her only son, Denard, should have returned from his doctor’s appointment hours ago, but Houston traffic was unpredictable, especially with impatient and distracted drivers causing most of the accidents.   

At 8:05 p.m., DeAnna fixed a small portion of food just to knock the hunger edge from her stomach. It was imperative to have dinner with Denard and investigate why he nearly died from drinking. What was going on in D.C. to cause that? He spent most of his day dodging her by staying in bed or by venturing out in the city until she was sure to be asleep. She finished her meal and kept busy by feeding the nine-month old German Shepard, putting leftovers in the refrigerator, and loading the dishwasher.   

DeAnna called her baby boy for the third time at 9:23 p.m. “What the hell is wrong with him?” she snapped. DeAnna popped off her sofa and paced back and forth in the family room, pounding the remote control looking for any breaking news. Fox and the CW Network were the only two local stations that started full news coverage at 9:00 p.m. Even the puppy licked her ankles, attempting to console her. She and the dog stood at the living room window examining every headlight roaming on the streets. “He’s a 33 year-old man and not a little boy,” she reasoned with the dog, gliding her hand over his head as he wagged his tail. The dog gazed up at her with concern.   

DeAnna and the dog were in bed at 10:07 p.m., channel surfing through nondescript programs in an effort to relax. Suddenly, the dog’s ears perked up. He leapt off the bed and scurried down the hall in the direction of the laundry room and the front door. His barks were loud and frantic, then they ceased. As a precaution, DeAnna retrieved her pistol she kept in her nightstand next to the Bible. She eased out the bed and tiptoed down the hallway where she could hear the dog panting wildly along with a dull whisper. She reached the laundry room and sighed in relief. Denard, was finally home.   

He looked up from his dog who was on his hind legs, embracing Denard’s waist for balance. An inebriated Denard slurred, “Well, dass be one way to get outta goin’ to da shrink,” noticing the gun in his mother’s hand.   

“Boy, were you driving DRUNK?” she roared.   

“No momma. Issss s-s—sober up nuff to drive with ssssome senzzz,” he replied as he gently brushed the dog down to the floor.   

“I’ve been calling you all evening,” she continued bitterly. Denard did not reply. DeAnna was getting disgusted. “I was waiting to see how everything went with the doctor.”   

“Not up fer discuss’n dat,” he huffed.   

“Why not!” she fumed. If it had been anyone else, Denard would have reacted with rage. So he looked into his mother’s eyes and said nothing. After a minute or two, she shook her head. “You can sober up with the dinner that’s left in the fridge,” she retorted and returned to her bedroom, slamming the door.   

Denard grabbed his head with his right hand and massaged the temples with his thumb and middle finger. Regardless if he was drunk or sober, the scenario with his mother would have yielded the same results. Denard concentrated on taking a few deep breaths, but the dog slightly pawed at his left hand, licking his fingers. Denard looked down at the precious puppy and cherished that brief moment of at least one living creature accepting him just as he was.   

“G’nite lil’ man,” Denard smiled as he stroked the top of the dog’s head. He released his head and flicked the light off in the laundry room and went to his bedroom which was on the right. He turned the light on and closed the door behind him.   

Denard leaned back on his bed and wondered about Eric and Anderijo and how they planned to bring in the New Year. He wanted to call just to check on them, to return their voicemail messages or something – but he was not ready. Besides, both of them probably had questions that he could not answer yet – at least not while his sessions were underway. Denard closed his eyes and filled his mind with random thoughts of Eric until he found relief in a fully-clothed slumber.

Otis Randolf’s highly anticipated debut novel will be available on August 3, 2010.  However, XI readers can visit PHE Ink to pre-order an autographed copy of The Frog Pond before it hits online retailers and stores nationwide.

Also, if you are in the Houston area, meet the author as he presents his novel at a mixer on Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 6:00pm at Taft Street Coffee (2115 Taft — Houston, Texas 77006).  Check out the flyer for additional details.

In case you missed it, click here to read the Character Profiles and Excerpt #1. Also, check out the book’s trailer on XI TV!

And look for the LAST official reading excerpt from The Frog Pond coming soon right here on www.ximagonline.com!

Lee Daniels’ film adaptation of the best-selling novel Pushby Sapphire introduced him to mainstream Hollywood last fall, as he attended almost every single major awards ceremony as a nominee for Best Director.  In March, his popularity reached a new high when he attended the Academy Awards as just the second African American nominee for Best Director (he would lose to Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker)

However, Daniels is not resting on his laurels or taking an extended vacation much like his counterparts do after an exhausting awards season.  Instead, he’s shifted his focus and is using his newfound notoriety to bring an historic and much needed story to the silver screen.  He is set to begin filming Selma, a film devoted to Martin Luther King, Jr., Lyndon B. Johnson and the civil rights marches that changed America.   The film initially hit a major roadblock when it lost its original financing but The Weinstein Company and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Production Company have jumped on board to co-finance this much needed film.  Daniels has also assembled a killer cast for this much anticipated picture, including Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List, Taken) to play President Lyndon B. Johnson, Hugh Jackman (X-Men) to play Jim Clark, Cedric the Entertainer (Cadillac Records, Talk to Me) to play Ralph Albernathy, Lenny Kravitz (Precious) to play Andrew Young, and David Oyelowo (The Last King of Scotland, A Raisin in the Sun) to play Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Robert De Niro is also rumored to be joining the cast in the role of Governor George Wallace.  The film is scheduled for release sometime in late 2011 as a potential Academy Award contender.

After wrapping Selma, Daniels is hoping to bring the Broadway smash Les Miserables to the big screen, proving that he’s not just a “black” director but one who is diverse and well rounded.  In addition, on deck for Daniels is a retelling of Madame Butterfly called Miss Saigon (another Broadway smash) and a movie for the HBO network.

I am getting goosebumps just typing this article because this could be a major accomplishment for black cinema if Selma lives up to the hype of its incredibly talented cast.  Look out for more updates here on XI about the status of the film and its release date.