Elecia Battle Steps into the Boxing Ring - 12:39 p.m.
Once upon a time there was girl who had a dream, in her dream the girl was smiling from ear to ear. A well melted cheese grin spread across her face as she popped her head out the sunroof of a limo as it rolled down Main street. With her freshly permed hair blowing in the wind she let everyone within listening range in on her happiness; remixing Mary Tyler Moore's theme song she sang.. "It's you girl and you should know it. With each glance and every little movement, you've shown it. $162 million!! What chu know about that? I've made it after all. Y'all hating ass bitches, I made it after alllll!" (In addition to dreaming, she was watching a lot of Nick at Night - that accounts for the 70's TV show reference. Get your click on.)

The girl's name was Elecia Battle, in her dream she had just won the Ohio state lottery. When she woke up her name was the same but she wasn't a girl, she was a 41-year-old woman with no way to claim that lottery cash, but she had a story to tell. "I lost the ticket. Trust me, I bought it and dropped my purse when I left the store. That woman who just claimed it probably found it in the bushes. She stole my damn ticket!"

She later claimed that she made the whole thing up because she wanted to be rich. Who wouldn't like a little cash? But why the crap story? Elecia's brief 'shining' moment turned into a nightmare as her past history of credit card fraud, assault, trespassing and various other petty crimes surfaced in the papers. The worst was seeing an old mugshot begin to circulate on the internet. Ashy to crusty in less than a month; Elecia wouldn't know how bad things would get until she attempted to get a job and potential employers would ask, umm.. ". 'Aren't you that lady ...?'

When no one is hiring it's time to take matters into your own hands. In May, Elecia began working out with Romeo Conner, a boxing trainer with 20 years experience. It's now December and she has received her boxing license from the Ohio Athletic Commission and is ready to make her debut in the ring next month. A true star wouldn't enter the ring without a nickname, "Ladies and Gentleman.. bringing you 12 rounds of boxing.. in the velvet, leopard print trunks.. it's .. Mega Battle Bad Girl!" Not a joke, that's her nickname. According to Romeo Conner, Elecia's dedication to boxing is no joke either, "If she was pretending, I would have known by now. I deliberately make stuff extremely hard and she keeps coming back the next day. You can't do nothing but take her serious."

Elecia says she feels just wonderful, "I can knock a 20-year-old out. I'm in great shape." Without one official bout under her belt, Elecia is already looking at the top of the list. In women's boxing the big name fight would be against Laila 'She Bee Stingin' Ali. This is the fight she believes will get her reputation and good name back. Exactly when that reputation was so glorified isn't known. Regardless this is something I would most definitely watch. It may be a step down for Laila Ali, but she would have to love to be the one to give this girl a nap on the canvas. On the other hand, what if Elecia actually has some skills? If a jailhouse uppercut knocked out Laila it would be embarrassing to say the least. And Elecia would be well on her way to making some cash in a legitimate way.

Will this ever happen? No word from Laila's camp, Elecia will have to have a real boxing match first. You know maybe go 1-0, before she starts talking bout the Queen Bee. If things go Elecia's way, it will happen. She's already talking smack.. "She has that name from her daddy and I have the name from the lottery," said Battle. In other words, lets get in the ring and see who really stings.

Afterthoughts of the Tsunami - 1:59 p.m.
Going on vacation? Surfing in the Southern-Asia pacific sounds like a nice idea. I'm joking. Seriously. The tsunami that ripped up the shores of Asia was unfathomable in its scope and strength. Traveling 2800 miles, at speeds of 500 mph? Can you imagine sitting on the beach and seeing a huge wall of water, that extends across the entire beach, coming towards you at full speed? That's the stuff nightmares are made of.

There is a story about this little kid who had to be grabbed by his parents as he stood frozen looking at the oncoming wave. Just insane. The force of the waves didn't do the majority of the damage, it was when the wave rocked backwards and sucked whatever it could into the murky drink. If you were swimming in the water, or even near enough to be engulfed by the wave, it was the beginning of the end. The dog paddle would not have helped anyone, which means my ass would have been d-e-a-d.

The death toll rests at 55,000, and will surely rise as the remote regions of that area are sifted through. Now that the wave is gone, the survivors face wrecked homes, livelihoods damaged for a long time coming, and one other small thing we rarely think about - water. Many of the water supplies have been contaminated with salt water, leaving the citizens with no water to drink.

I really don't think the pictures we see on TV reflect the experience so many people went through. In the areas that were hit the hardest, I doubt anyone was making sure the camcorder was on record. It shows the hold nature has on all of us. It doesn't take much to shutdown a city. NYC falls apart whenever we get 20+ inches of snow, or 2 weeks of extreme heat in the summer. And the hurricanes that hit Florida a few months ago, had everyone down south on edge. Forget your barbecue plans and tropical vacations. Whether you've got a pocketful of coins or are flat broke, we are nuthin but flimsy pawns living in the palms of Mother Nature.

Attack in Mosul: Was it an Inside Job? - 10:38 a.m.
U.S. military officials have concluded that Tuesday's attack on a U.S. military base in Mosul was the work of a suicide bomber. As 400 US soldiers and Iraqi troops ate in the dining area an explosion ripped through the structure, killing 14 soldiers and 8 other unidentified persons. It was initially thought that a missle was fired at the base, investigators later found small ball bearings which indicated a smaller improvised explosive device. The remains of the suicide bomber were also found.. maybe by the green beans.

How a suicide bomber got into the base, not to mention the dining area, hasn't been answered. For months there has been speculation by independent media sources that the Iraqi forces are sprinkled with men who side with the insurgents. They get inside information and give a call back to the boys. In this case it looks like someone popped open the back door to the movies and let the guy in. There he is.. bomb in his backpack, sitting down for one last drink in the mess hall and BAM! It's still unfathomable how someone can have a bomb tied to their chest or resting in a bag and pull the trigger thinking they have contributed to a great cause in the name of their Lord.

This incident makes for an uneasy situation for the U.S. soldiers, even when they're on the military bases, how do they know if an Iraqi soldier is with or against them? On these bases Iraqi soldiers and civilians hired for construction, office, and maintenance jobs are free to walk around and do what they like. On first look the answer seems to be - just separate the US from all Iraqi contact. That's hard to do when we are in Iraq to help them, it's their country. It's nearly impossible to walk outside the gate and say.. "Okay, he's cool. This one looks a little shady.." For all intensive purposes, everyone looks the same. Insurgents don't where jackets with "Amerikaz Nightmare" spray painted on the back.

Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a senior Army official spoke on the Boston Globe about the situation: "It's a challenge in a combat zone to balance the hiring of a local workforce while enforcing strict security. We are going to be redoubling efforts to ensure proper screening of local hires, and perimeter security efforts will certainly be tightened." He added that Iraqis inside security zones may have to be searched at various times during the day.

In the midst of all of this.. the Bush administration (or should I say, the Red state administration) continues to stress that these attacks are just "desperate" attempts to stop the Iraq elections on January 30th. I find this absolutely absurd. Election or not, the attacks against the U.S democratic ambitions in Iraq will continue. Do they think that it's going to be like our U.S. election.. where the next day the insurgents put the guns down and throw up their hands in defeat.. or in John Kerry's case, go back to wind surfing?

Forget it.. I'll throw my hands in the air. As we slide into the holiday weekend.. I want to wish the best to the U.S. troops. No one in my family is over there, but it's still two fingers in a peace sign, twisted to the side, tapping the chest two times.. that means one love. You can keep up with the soldiers on the independent vet operated website - optruth.org. The site was started by Paul Rieckoff. You can read about him in "A Soldier’s Tale" a great looking profile in Amherst Magazine that I'm gonna read later this afternoon.

Jay-Z's First Move: Lil Wayne to Leave Cash Money? - 2:10 p.m.
Nothing is official yet, but rumors are flying that Lil Wayne will leave Cash Money next year and sign with Def Jam Records. That isn't hard to believe if you take into account that Jay-Z is the new Pres of the label and Lil Wayne's, seeming, unshakeable love for the guy.

In the November issue of XXL Lil Wayne gave it up in the 360 Truth column (that's where artist's speak out free from journalist's interpretations.) Lil Weezie revealed that he's a big, big fan.. "I listen to everybody else, but if you're gonna quote anything about me, just say I listen to Jay-Z. He retired but his music didn't. I only listen to Jay-Z. I ain't gotta listen to nothing new. I'm listening to Jay-Z but I go out to record stores every Tuesday and cop.
That's the difference between listening and hearing. I hear everything, but I'm listening to Jay-Z. I mean, even if it is fake, his music seems real to the 10th power, and I could relate a whole lot to the things he's talking about, and the things I can't relate to, I'm trying my hardest to."

In addition to that lil quote, you peeped dude in Destiny's Child "Soldier" video. If there are no contracts being typed up as we speak, how else would that combination make sense? Lil Wayne and Destiny's Child? And Wayne repping their kind of man.. OK.

Say this is true. What I wanna know is.. How did Jay come to the conclusion that this is a good idea? Like signing Lil Wayne is stealing a star player in the second round of the draft. If there were groans when Dame Dash signed ODB, Nore, and Joe Budden to Roc-A-Fella, how does it sound to say.. you just signed Lil Wayne? Wayne moved some units this summer, but nothing on the level that he needed to be pryed from the Cash Money roster.

That same rumor mill is spinning that Baby is fine with letting Weezie go. His feeling is the same as when Juvenile and BG left: they gotta do what's best for them.

Flashback to the "Soldier" video and you'll see T.I. He's also supposed to be signing with Jay-Z through the S. Carter label (which doesn't even exist yet.) Add to that Foxy Brown's rumored advance cash for signing to S. Carter, and the new silver Bentley she's been driving around NYC for the past few months, and you have an idea of the kind of artists Jay-Z's gonna try to transform next year as Def Jam president. That's gonna be one helluva job.. and lots of cash for Pharrell and the House of Hits.

Last week MTV ran a story about Dame Dash saying he'll still be dealing with Roc-A-Fella artist's new projects, but through a new label. He's not gonna do anything to build the Roc-A-Fella name when he doesn't control it. That's dead to him. [Does that include Roc-A-Wear?] What's surprising is that he wants to do this new label with Def Jam. Dame says Jay-Z took the job that Kevin Liles used to do and he never dealt with Kevin Liles running Roc-A-Fella. "Jay is the president of Def Jam. That's Kevin Liles' old job. I never dealt with Kevin Liles," Dame Dash said. "That's why I had such a problem with people acting like I was underneath that infrastructure. One has nothing to do with the other. I never had to ask Def Jam for anything. Lyor ran the Island [Def Jam] music group. Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella were two equal entities under the Def Island umbrellas."

That sounds like a plan that's destined to run into trouble. If his label is under the Def Jam umbrella, at some point he's gonna have to talk to the President of the company. We all remember those infamous scenes from Backstage when Dame Dash was screaming on Kevin Liles for promoting the tour as a Def Jam thing when it was strictly a Roc/Ruff Ryder affair. But if they do continue doing business together it shouldn't be a problem anyway.. cause they don't have problems with each other. Right? One half of me wants to know what would make them split up, and the other respects them for not spilling their crap in the street. Regardless.. 2005 will be very interesting to watch from both fronts. Lil Wayne? Umm. Okay.

Eva Wins America's Next Top Model!!! - 12:10 p.m.
Eva is the winner of America's Next Top Model. I could not believe it. I shan't believe it.. I don't want to believe it. And I won't. Eva is a very likable person, nice smile, and can talk your ear off about nothing.. but she doesn't have IT. She'd make a fine MTV VJ, let's scoot Free out of her 106 and Park seat and give it to Eva diva. How about a singer? She'd be great at that too, the girl has personality to push whatever kind of music she comes up with; track a few ghost vocals to patch up her best-heard-in-the-shower harmonies and it's the Vibe awards, baby!

Eva would even make a great actress. I can easily see her starring in a movie or sitcom. Hey, if Ashanti can pull off a role in Coach Carter.. which I hear she did quite well, if Eve can prance around the set of her sitcom and yell at people for drinking her apple juice in Ice Cube fliks, then once again, Eva diva could most definitely make a rumble in Hollywood.

A model in the classic sense. *where's that buzzer?* BZZZZZZZ. Sorry, I don't see it.

If they were looking for that Yaya should have won this hands down. She breezed through every photo shoot. That headwrapped sister with the Ivy League tongue and Kobe-like arrogance was a stunner when the cameras popped off. Tyra Banks knew it and so did the rest of the panel. So why did the "first supermodel" chick jump into Eva's arms last night? Because Eva is the first person to get that far and have a personality that will work well in promoting the show and her career.

To have a model actually achieve something is what Tyra is looking for. I truly believe that she wants these girls to be successful, but those last two chicks.. well, they were just dry. Eva may not be a model in the classic sense, but she's a quick learner and has a realness about her that people like. For that, there are a lot of possibilities. Check for her on David Letterman tonight. If they made the right decision it should be a good interview.

My girl Yaya will still get work, and she'll get it from Tyra. But for now, the new face on the scene is Eva diva. She won't be a top model. If that happens for any of the winners of this show it'll be a huge surprise.. but you'll see her around. I'm pushing for the TV show, aspiring writers get your pens out and get that money. Here's where you start - How to Be a TV Writer

Louisiana Judge Suspended for Partying in Blackface - 1:19 p.m.
A Louisiana Judge was suspended for six months for attending a Halloween party dressed in blackface makeup, an afro wig, handcuffs and a jail jumpsuit. Judge Timothy Ellender, who is white, was accompanied by his wife who was dressed as a police officer - he was her prisoner. Ellender says they were only joking around. What he didn't explain was why the party's host, his brother-in-law, was dressed as Buckwheat.
So you don't think I'm joking as well.. here's the story in The Modesto Bee.

The Louisiana Supreme Court agreed that he didn't mean to insult black people, but in a 5-2 decision suspended him without pay for dishonoring his position. Not quite Ron Artest money, but one judge said it could be more than $50,000 from his pockets. They also ordered Ellender to take a sociology course, "which will assist him in achieving a greater understanding of racial sensitivity."

Shouldn't he have taken that course BEFORE he was ever hired as a judge? I would love to see this guy's record. How he has decided in cases involving black defendants, and the severity of any sentences he had to hand down. There's no way Ellerton and Co. did this as an innocent joke. With his brother-in-law dressed as Buckwheat and him in blackface.. it just shows the type of comedy that's going on in his circle. To laugh at anything, you have to believe it to be true in some way. This guy's beliefs had to determine the way he perceived black people in his courtroom.

Looking on one site people were saying this was no different than the Wayans Brothers and Eddie Murphy dressing as white people. They brought up Ted Danson dressing in blackface.. and of course Al Jolson. Notice that all of those people are entertainers. Their job is not to decide on how a person will be punished.

If anything.. Ellender deserves a dumb ass award. As a public official you've got to keep your best fried chicken and watermelon jokes at house parties and barbecues. *Holding up a nicely browned rib* "Hey look.. This looks like that nigger I sent to the electric chair in 72! *Everyone laughs* Who wants a taste? *A woman runs over with a plate* "Ohhh me.. I'll take two."

Karl Malone Made a Pass at Kobe's Wife - 10:49 a.m.
Yesterday Kobe Bryant told reporters that Karl Malone recently made inappropriate comments toward his wife at a game. Reading the headline I though this might be another case of Kobe Bryant flipping off at the lip. So many people have a dislike for Kobe because of the way he put Shaq's name on the street. Before anyone loads up the "F-ck Kobe!" cannon.. know that this isn't something he conjured up in a paranoid sweat. Kobe was told about Karl's action from Vanessa Bryant and Karl admitted making them.

It's been speculated if Karl Malone, recovering from knee surgery, will rejoin the Lakers this year or opt to go someplace else for another shot at a ring. When asked about it last week, Kobe commented that Karl would be very welcome, but whether Karl decides to or not he's happy with the teammates he has. He elaborated further saying the Lakers can't be sitting around wondering if he's going to join them or not. They still have to play ball. Karl Malone's agent, Dwight Manley, said Malone was furious about the remark and hinted that Kobe had made some additional personal attacks in private.

On Sunday, in the Lakers locker room, Kobe Bryant let reporters know what those remarks were. He said on November 23rd, his wife, Vanessa, told him that Karl Malone made some lewd comments towards her that night at a game at the Staple Center.
"The comments that he said, I don't know any man in this room that wouldn't be upset about that," Bryant said. "The past month, myself, my wife, (Malone's wife) Kaye, we've had fun together. We've been out to their house, just joking around, giving each other a hard time, just clowning, being sarcastic with one another, baby-sitting kids and all that."

Bryant said he called Malone and told him, "Stay away from my wife. What's wrong with you? How could you?" Bryant said his wife felt so uncomfortable that she was going to call Malone's wife. During the phone call Malone never denied making the comments, Bryant said he explained, "Aw, you know, I'm sorry if I said anything that was out of line."

I can see Karl now.. checking Vanessa out all those times at the house. Looking at that azz and thinking to himself what he would like to do with that. Everyone's all friendly, friendly, Kobe because he really wanted him to come back to the Lakers and Malone just hanging to pass the time. Finally, after a few good laughs and smiles, Karl decides to stick his toe in the water.. see what the temperature is like. "You know, I'm really hungry. After the game I could eat anything, especially if you're on the menu." *insert creepy feeling*

Can I ask one question.. now you can load the cannons.. Why was Kobe saying all of this in front of the reporters? Has Malone been harping on the 'personal attacks' and Kobe finally decided to clear up what he was bitching about? Or is it a case of him, once again, giving up way too much information. Without Malone whining, there was no need to put this out there.

I'll tell you, it seems like Kobe is a great player to have on your team (he's actually on my Yahoo Fantasy squad) but as a compadre he's a Rubber Lip Lame. It's why with all the beef between Jay and Dame I respect that not once have they ever fessed up to it in public. Whatever he said, Malone should not have been trying to *ehem* get the goodies (hah..that's shamefully corny) but Kobe could have kept this sealed up.

I wonder if this guy is gonna update his page now.. Karl Malone is a Menace. It details all of the 'dirty tricks' Malone has used over the years. Great stuff!

Bernard Goetz Gets Role in Low Budget Vampire Flick
I don't know how many people remember Bernard Goetz. In 1984 he shot four black kids on a NYC subway when they approached him asking for, they said.. spare change for video games.. and he said, were brandishing sharpened screw drivers and were going to rob him. Goetz had been robbed twice before, and no doubt that he was about to get robbed again. So Bernard Goetz did what few people would have: He pulled out and started blasting.

With all that gunfire, leaving one of the kids, Darrell Cabey, paralyzed, he was found not guilty of attempted murder. Now if your going by the law.. and strictly the law.. that was the wrong verdict. It's obvious, especially after shooting the guy on the floor, after the initial shots, that he was trying to body these dudes. But it can also be seen as self-defense, they were going to rob him.. he happened to have a gun to protect himself after being robbed the previous two times. NYC was really wild back then. Elements of race were thrown in by some people, I was too young and not at all concerned to have an opinion back then. Looking back, I tend to believe that if white bikers were robbing people on trains.. he probably would have shot them too.

In any case.. He was found guilty of illegal possession of a handgun and served eight months in jail. Darrell Cabey later sued him and in 1997 won a $43 million settlement. Wonder if he collected on that.. and if he still has that money.

If not maybe he'll get to scrape a lil something from Bernard Goetz's burgeoning film career. Oh yeah.. the man is huge.. absolutely HUGE right now. Goetz was recently cast in the independent vampire flick "Silver Night". In it he'll play a nutritionist who happens to know a thing or two about guns. He's blasting off in the movie, maybe with silver bullets into the hearts of the vampires, like a terribly, broke ass, pale and skinny Wesley Snipes.

In the Sunday edition of the Daily News, they report that he was on the set complaining that his gun was too small and showing cast members the proper way too squeeze.

The film's screenwriter and producer, Glenn Andreiev, must be a big Bernie Goetz fan, he cast Goetz in one of his other movies, "Every Move You Make." In it he played a criminologist who teaches a stalking victim.. what else?.. how to shoot a pistol.

What else has ol Licka shot been up to? In 2001 he ran for mayor.. I think I blurbed that up... and outside his umm, movie career, he owns an electronics supply company called Vigilante Electronics. hah! You really can't make this stuff up people.

Serena Williams: I'll Take Mine with Extra Cream - 2:23 p.m.
This morning on the The Russ Parr Show, some news was dished about a Serena Williams interview where she basically said the only thing getting into her coffee is thick, rich cream: extra light, extra sweet. There is some of that thick, rich cream standing next to her. He's her boyfriend/movie director Brett Ratner. You've seen a few of his flicks: Money Talks, Rush Hour, and Rush Hour 2. If you like Chris Tucker the way he likes Chris Tucker, then you'll be happy to know that Rush Hour 3 is in pre-production.

These two have been a couple for a little over a year and a half. Last month for Serena's 23rd birthday, he sweetened things up with a candy-themed party at a friend's home in Los Angeles. Contact music quotes her as saying.. "I love candy more than life, so what better theme for my party!"

Yup. Everything is lovely in Serena World, but I just want to knock on her forehead to see if her brain is working when I hear stuff like this.. When asked about her new boyfriend - she responded by saying "I stopped playing with boys when I stopped dating black guys. If Oprah would date outside of her race she would be married with children now."
You got that Oprah? But she's not done yet, far from it.. she's just getting started. "Let’s be real. If you are a successful black female you only have 2 choices… date outside of your race or date other successful black females. That’s why I am with a white man now. I am not going to settle for less just to stay within racial boundaries. A black man in my position wouldn’t do it so why should I?"

I'll be the first to admit that I was shocked to see Serena with this guy, and it was because he's white. He looks like some kind of jerk-off who's swinging through the jungle. But can you blame him? White or black any man peeping Serena's azz in something tight will bring a tear to his eye. I figured he saw her at some function and made his move. Even before reading the quotes as she waxes eloquent about her 'white man' I had the feeling that she was tripping over him. The question and the reason I say "swinging" through the jungle is because he looks like he just conned his way into the VIP section. Is dude really that serious about her?

After that reactionary response, I shifted back to my stance on interracial relationships. I have no problem with interracial relationships as long it's based on liking the person for who they are. It's entirely possible to fall in love with someone of a different race. If you hang around someone for awhile and things click. You tend to forget that the person isn't of your race. But Serena isn't talking about love, she's on that 'black men and shit' thing. There is a difference with falling in love and deliberately saying that you're only dating white men. That's the ultimate in self hate. She says any man in her position would do the same.. that's goes for men or women, black, hispanic, or indian. If you look at your own people and say.. "You know what? I really can't deal with you." Then you're also saying the same about yourself. Look in the mirror and before you know it you're wishing you could lose some of your features as well.

When "successful" black women say they aren't going to settle for less. That black men don't have jobs, don't make enough money, etc, etc. More than likely they are looking past dudes that are right in their face. There is no 'all men' anything.. That's stereotype bullshit. Jerks come in all flavors. Success does to. Serena talks about a woman of her status.. as if she's on a cloud alone, no other female black athlete has been able to find love within their own race? And again.. it's not even about sticking with your own race. It's about shutting out possibilities because someone is black.. or white.. or.. [fill in the blank]

That's dumb airhead talk.. that I really don't let bother me. It is her life. I don't know where Russ Parr got those quotes from, but he wouldn't go on the air spraying untrue quotes and risk a lawsuit from Poppa Williams. Ha ha. You've got to wonder what he thinks about all of this. I for one.. have officially put her name in the lost girls file. Thx to Nicky Mac for the lead.

*edit - two minutes later - As mentioned by nova star in the first comment, Serena's publicist said she never made those statements. Which, with the crazy nature of them, is why I asked where the quotes came from.. Even with that, would it be a stretch to think that when the mike is off she wouldn't say something like that? Until I see her with Chaka Zulu or some publication getting sued, I'm gonna think there is some truth to this.

I Made You Why Did You Play Me? - 3:23 p.m.
Whenever an artist explodes there always seems to be someone breaking through the police barricades screaming that they are responsible for the artist's success. Those kinds of stories are in the papers at least once a month. New month. New story.

Credit for this story goes to Miss Info of New York radio station Hot 97.

Darryl Wheeler, a producer and vocal coach, says that he taught Usher the basics of what it takes to be a star performer. How to sing, how to dance, etc. In bios Usher is documented as being born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Darryl said Usher was born in Texas and moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee when he was a kid. It was during that time that they formed a bond. For some reason Usher's mother was living in Atlanta, while Usher stayed in Chattanooga, actually living with Wheeler for a few years. He said Usher was like his stepson and they were so close that he called him "Pop".

Darryl had a group called Nu Beginning which Usher was a part of and all seemed to be going right when Darryl Wheeler says Usher's mom became jealous of their close relationship. Usher's mom has managed his career all his life. From the time that he was - that lil boy in the picture - she called him "Big Time" because she knew he was going to be successful. Darryl said he's not sure why his mother pulled Usher away from him, but he noted that Usher was becoming part of his musical family and he thinks that his mother didn't want that for him.

He said Usher's mom would take Usher to Atlanta to work with other producers and would call Darryl saying that she didn't know what to do with him. Usher wasn't listening to her, would be crying and acting up, he just didn't want to change the stuff he was doing with Darryl and the Nu Beginning.

Darryl would have to go to Atlanta and bring Usher back "home."

Eventually Usher's mom got him signed to La Face Records and that's when the Chattanooga connection was severed. Something Darryl said Usher did not want. He said he had to literally drag him down the driveway to leave with his mother, with Usher saying, "Please Pop, don't let them take me."

Why would Darryl Wheeler wait all these years, after the millions of records sold, tours, and buckets full of money flowing in the Raymond's account? Speculation is that it is an accumulated hurt through zero recognition of his time in Chattanooga or the training that he got from Darryl, especially since they were like a family.

Darryl says that he sits and watches Usher and believes he doesn't have any kind of humility. Something he taught him to always have. He was especially hurt by an encounter in 1998 after a show at Bessie Smith Hall. He was with his son and saw Usher in the back of a limo, they walked up to say hello and Usher looked at them and rolled the window up.

If you're looking for any shady bizness here it may come in the form of the DVD Darryl recently released or plans to release (I couldn't find it online) called "When Dreams Are Shattered." In it he has footage of Usher's time with the Nu Beginning. I went looking for further information, and only found one story from The Chattanooga Times-Free Press, by way of The Seattle Medium, which actually popped during the summer.

Usher did acknowledge his "Pop" at an award show. And in a Rolling Stone interview he talked about spending time in Tennessee and then moving to Atlanta but that's as much recognition he'll give Darryl Wheeler or the Nu Beginning. Which has Darryl Wheeler spinning Jadakiss' "Why" all night long.

Stevie Wonder Disappointed in Eminem
In an interview with Billboard magazine Stevie Wonder chastised Eminem for mocking Michael Jackson in his "Just Lose It" video.

Ummm. Apparently Stevie has been listening to many Eminem records over the past 5 years. A vomiting Eminem dressed in a Michael Jackson costume sounds about on par with someone who would dress up like a superhero and do a skit about murdering the mother of your kid on record ie. "The Kiss" on The Eminem Show. In response to criticism of himself, he's also mocked himself as being Elvis. Which is so appropriate given that he stole all he knows from black people. And now that he's made it - 2.1 million sold in 3 weeks - it's about time he pay up and shut his mouth. Right Stevie?

"He has succeeded on the backs of people predominantly in that lower pay bracket, people of color. So for him to come out like that is bull----."

Do I even have to say that I love and respect Stevie Wonder's musical legacy? That's beyond obvious, but stated for anyone that might get it twisted. Songs in the Key of Life, Music of my Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, that's the stuff timeless greatest hits albums are made of. What drives me nutty is the point that he and others like Steve Harvey are getting at. How the hell does Eminem owe the entire black community an infinitude of love and devotion, just because they buy his albums?

To be real, when you're selling 2.1 mil in 3 weeks, the majority of that money is coming from fans of the caucasian persuasion. Maybe they should get some love too.

I know Stevie Wonder is just supporting his musical brethren, but I wish he would have left his remarks on the specifics of the video. Tying it into a debt Eminem owes to black music and black people in general is flipping the race card for no good reason. He only joked about situations that comedians across America, black, white, latino, have been doing since MJ started looking more and more like Liz Taylor.

What I wanna know is who told Stevie Wonder what happened in the video, cause you know, he's umm, he's.. yeah.