Dec. 18, 2006

'Tis The Season

Christmas means different things to different people. So I asked some celebrities what exactly does Christmas mean to them:

"Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. To me it means a time to focus on love, forgiveness and giving. The music, the smells and the chill in the air just makes me think of how much love we have inside of us because of Jesus." - Terri J. Vaughn, actress ("All of Us"/"Steve Harvey Show")

"Christmas means a reunification of the family to appreciate another year we've been blessed to share together. It reminds us to come together as a family unit and celebrate our blessings as one." - Laz Alonso, actor ("Stomp The Yard"/"Jarhead")

"Christmas is my favorite holiday because not only do I love giving gifts, I love receiving them as well. Let's be real about it! We all love receiving gifts. If you are a good person you ought to receive a gift from somebody somewhere! Right?" - Deitrick Haddon, gospel singer

"Making time for family and sharing gifts that signify how much they mean to me. A Pause for a worthy cause!" - Yo-Yo, rapper and radio host

"Christmas to me is about the kids, you know what I mean, and mostly about the good spirit you can spread to them. That's how I was always raised to think of the holiday." - Drag-On, rapper

"The Christmas season is important to me because it's the time of year when I let the people know who work hard on my behalf and also family and friends know how much I care for them and appreciate them by buying lots of nice gifts. It's also a time when I reflect the most on the past year and look forward to trying to improve in all capacities as a human being moving forward." - Datari Turner, supermodel/TV producer ("Ultimate Hustler"/"I Married A Baller")

"Christmas means of course the obvious, being with family and seeing people you haven't seen all year. But the best part is betting which relative is gonna have a little too much of the happy sauce." - Reagan Gomez-Preston, actress ("Love Inc."/"Never Die Alone")

"Christmas for me signifies hope in that it represents a second chance as God decided that it was the day that he would send a Savior for the world." - Jeff Johnson, BET host and producer

"This is a time for giving and sharing with those that are less fortunate than others. It feels good to give to those that won't be able to have a Christmas. To bring smiles and enjoy the look on their faces after receiving gifts that you give from your heart." - Texas Battle, actor ("Coach Carter"/"Final Destination 3")

"The Christmas season means forgiveness. It's about the only time that I won't yell at my brother for wearing my shoes. It's also about being thankful that I have shoes for him to take!" - Daniel Curtis Lee, rapper/actor ("Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide")

"It's magical time for me. It's my window into optimism; I expose my vulnerability to the world. I believe that people are good at heart that it's better to give, and I have hope for all things positive. Problem is this window is sadly closed with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" and when I hit the subway Tuesday morning." - April Woodard, "Inside Edition"

"We shouldn't be waiting for Christmas to give. I think of Christmas as an occasion where we show yuletide love. But we also got to remember to do that everyday! Christmas of course has its Biblical meaning, but as far as the spirit of Christmas, I'll always go back in time when I and my brothers used to find it hard to go to sleep because of the next day anticipation of Christmas. Santa Claus used to always have gift wrapped presents for us under the tree. One day I and my brothers heard Santa Claus making some noise in the living room and we snuck to the living room only to see my mom and dad wrapping up gifts and signing Santa's name on gifts. They were busted! The spirit of Christmas is so, so positive, optimistic and about giving. That's why I try to keep it within me 24/7, every day of the year." - Bowlegged Lou, singer/producer of Full Force

Buzzworthy

Rapper Snoop Dogg will hit theaters early next spring in the movie, 'Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror,' directed by Academy Award nominee, Stacy Title. The movie, produced by Social Capital Films, BloodWorks, and Snoopadelic Films, is distributed by Xenon Pictures, Inc., and also stars Billy Dee Williams, Jason Alexander ('Seinfeld'), rapper Method Man, Ernie Hudson ('Ghostbusters I & II'), Aries Spears ('Mad TV'), Lin Shaye ('Snakes on a Plane'), former WCW wrestler Diamond Dallas Page and Los Angeles Laker Lamar Odom.

Former Miss. New Jersey, Crystal H. Jennings, launched Mystic Publications, Inc., earlier this year. Now the proud single mother will launch the company's first project, SM: The Magazine for Single Mothers, in mid-January 2007. The bi-monthly consumer magazine devoted to the needs and concerns of the nation's 10.4 million single mothers features Angelina Jolie on the cover of its premiere issue. "Each issue of SM will be chock full of valuable information that is not always available to single moms. We are taking a fascinating look at today's fashion trends for mothers and children, for those seeking information on health and fitness SM is offering another authoritative, lively and informative department," said Jennings.

'Dreamgirls' star Jennifer Hudson isn't the only who has apparently inked a deal with Clive Davis' RCA Music Group. I'm sold that Davis recently signed Philly-bred songstress Jazmine Sullivan to his J Records division. The 20-year-old singer, who possesses a smoky, deep alto voice and an innate ability to perform staggering vocal acrobatics, was previously signed to Jive Records but her debut album never materialized. (I remember when she was a 14-year-old aspiring gospel star; wowing churches in Washington, DC and Baltimore, Md. with her dead-on impersonation of gospel wonder Kim Burrell.) Sullivan has previously recorded backing vocals for Fantasia and Kindred The Family Soul and collaborated with artists like Christina Milian and Missy Elliott. She even recorded a version of the song "Resentment" that was re-recorded by Beyonce Knowles for her 'B'Day' CD. Sullivan is rumored to be preparing to release her debut solo offering sometime next year.

Can't Say Names…

Sources say a singer in a popular R&B group has surprisingly checked himself into rehab for what is believed to be alcohol addiction. Said singer had kept his substance abuse quiet throughout the years and I'm told his group members have been tremendously supportive throughout this time.

BV Scene

Talk about the block being hot. In the same week on the same street in Studio City, Calif., sources spotted Gabrielle Union and former 'Girlfriends' star Jill Marie Jones eating lunch at a Mexican eatery; soon-to-be Oscar nominated actor Forest Whitaker taking care of business on the copy machine at Kinkos; and singer Eric Benet at Starbucks…. Speaking of Starbucks, former 'BET Nightly News Anchor' Jacque Reid, who is a new personality on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, was spotted at the Starbucks counter at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.