Jan. 8, 2007

Hollywood Hunches

Before I get back to my regularly schedule format next week, I thought I'd take this second week of the New Year to talk about some of my entertainment predictions for '07. So in the words of my Tom Joyner Morning Show cohort Miss Dupree, "I got the gift and I got to use it!" I'm really no psychic, but it'll be quite interesting to see how some of these stories develop.

Beyonce Knowles: When people start taking awards away from you, or in her case the possibility of being nominated, clearly its time for you to take a break. I believe that after award show season wraps and she completes a late spring/early summer tour to support that god-awful CD, 'B'Day,' Knowles will take a much needed hiatus from the spotlight. No magazine covers, no movie roles and no gyrating next to Jay-Z in music videos for at least a year. During this time I also believe she'll quietly get married to Jay-Z and either work to keep it a secret (a la Janet Jackson) or release the news on a major holiday so that the press misses the beat (a la Jessica Simpson).

'Girlfriends': I believe the show will return for an unprecedented eighth season-most Black sitcoms only get five seasons at best on TV. Despite the absence of actress Jill Marie Jones and many frustrated fans, 'Girlfriends' has had its highest rating ever without the former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. I believe 'Girlfriends' has helped to make The CW's newest show, 'The Game,' successful and the show will return to help 'The Game' solidify its presence on the network. What will be interesting is to see if all three original 'Girlfriends'-Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks and Persia White-will return if the show comes back yet again.

OJ Simpson: I think the troubled football Hall of Famer will have a nervous breakdown this year and finally come clean about whatever transpired with the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. I ain't saying he's a murderer, but I have always believed he's known more than he's ever admitted to knowing. Whatever the case, 2007 will be the year that The Juice cracks and tells the full story without it being guised in a hypothetical book.

Kelly Rowland: This will be the year that Destiny's step-Child will finally come into her own. She's shown she can act in movies like 'Freddy vs. Jason' and 'The Seat Filler;' and with guest spots on television shows like 'Girlfriends,' 'The Hughleys' and 'Eve.' Her solo album 'Simply Deep' was certified gold in the United States and sold three-million units worldwide. With her next solo effort 'Miss Kelly' slated for February, this could be the year Rowland finally steps out of Beyonce Knowles' shadow.

Queen Latifah: The Oscar-nominated actress could be gearing up for another Oscar season by the end of 2007 after her movie 'Life Support' is released to the masses. Her majesty is taking the film on the film festival circuit and preparing the usual set-up for Oscar-worthy films and performances. The rapper/singer/producer has had one of the more seamless transitions from music to Hollywood and if all goes well, she could have a trophy on her mantel to prove it.

Nelly & Ashanti: They'll finally make things official this year. After almost three years of riding under the radar with their romance, the hip-hop couple will quietly get engaged this year and began planning to get married. I wouldn't be surprised if the Murder Inc. songstress also ends up with a bun in the oven.

Whitney Houston: Well, well, well. If the two tracks leaked on the internet-"It'll Be Okay" with Ray J and "Family First" with Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick-are any indication of Houston's current vocal ability, the only thing Clive Davis may have her doing is recording a cover record of the Barry White songbook. Talk about smoking out your top! Houston's voice had gone from being a first soprano to a tenor with moderate range. Unless they abuse the Protools system to fix her voice-it's a digital system to make bad singers sound decent-Houston has a long way to go before she should record an entire CD.

Frankly Speaking

"First of all, I'm doing a lot in the United States…I just don't talk about!" - Oprah Winfrey to Diane Sawyer about the criticism of her investing so much time and money into her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

Buzzworthy

Congratulations to R&B darling Syleena Johnson on being pregnant. The Chicago-bred singer, who had succès d'estime with her three albums on Jive Records, is having a baby with her fiancé, former Sacramento Kings guard Kiwane Garris. The couple will wed this summer. Johnson appeared in the cabaret show 'Soul Kittens' prior to learning of her pregnancy.

One of my favorite former 'The View' co-hosts Lisa Ling got engaged to a Chicago oncologist named Paul Song. The couple plans to marry later this year. Ling is now a correspondent for 'Oprah' and works for the National Geographic Channel. The 33-year-old hard news journalist was previously engaged to media entrepreneur Philip Levine in October 2005 but the two broke up before jumping the broom.

Speaking of engagements, news magazine talent Giuliana DePandi is engaged to 'The Apprentice' winner Bill Rancic. DePandi works opposite Ryan Seacrest on 'E! News Daily,' which happens to be one of the most diverse news magazine shows on television. TV One is readying its new series, 'Black Men Revealed,' which is set to premiere Jan. 14. Each week, different Black men of "various ages, educational backgrounds, and economic strata come together in a swank loft with city views atop the Hollywood Hills, and toast to telling nothing but the truth about the facts, the fiction and everything in between that defines and drives black men." From "Why do wedding bells make us want to run?" to "Are brothers choosing cool over school?" to "Why some black men say white women are right for them," these guys will eventually leave no relevant topic untouched. The hour-long show is hosted by comedian David Arnold and airs at 10pm EST.

Those who have waited for the topic of race to be addressed in the Bible will get their wish with 'Color of the Cross.' On the Jan. 9 DVD, Jean-Claude LaMarre plays Jesus in the film that tells the traditional story based on the last 48 hours of Jesus' life. It also explores the role race may have played in the persecution, capture and crucifixion of Jesus. Certainly worth seeing!

In the follow-up role to his theatrical debut in 'Step Up,' R&B stud Mario stars opposite Hilary Swank in 'Freedom Writers.' The drama focuses around an inner-city school and how when education is the focus, troubled teens can thrive despite their circumstances.

The Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting that Prince is preparing to launch 3121 Magazine to coincide with his show at the Rio Las Vegas and his album of the same name. Apparently the purple one has been in talks with several Las Vegas publishers about printing the glossy.

Can't Say Names…

What sports figure brought to life the slogan of the Yellow Pages in the middle of the VIP room at a party? Don't recall the slogan? Well it's "Let your fingers do the walking." Neither the athlete nor the young woman involved seemed to mind that they were doing this right in front of me.