BV Entertainment Wire Nov. 9, 2005

As a result of protests, Paramount Pictures was forced to pull billboards promoting the new 50 Cent movie, 'Get Rich or Die Tryin,' opening in theaters today. But there is another potential storm brewing surrounding the marketing of another hip-hop star.

Def Jam rapper Young Jeezy and his trademark snowman t-shirts are coming under fire. The t-shirts have been widely distributed as promotional items and are considered the must have accessory for the hip-hop set.

The tee-shirts, which are believed to symbolize the snowman as a cocaine dealer, are available for sale at stores across the country. The rap kingpin (nee Jay Jenkins) from Atlanta, Ga., rhymes about his former life as a drug dealer. His major label debut album 'Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101,' debuted at No. 2 on the 'Billboard' charts and subsequently has gone platinum. The rapper reportedly owns the licensing for the image.

"If indeed Young Jeezy's snowman symbolizes illegal substances, than it is unacceptable for children to wear it, and wrong for marketers to capitalize from it," said Rev. Al Sharpton yesterday.

So is it censorship? Or is it people calling out companies who promote dangerous imagery to youth?

A representative for the anti-drug organization National Families in Action was not available for comment at press time.

Ronin Ro, the best-selling author of books on Deathrow Records, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Run DMC, dismisses the controversy. As a parent raising an eight-year-old daughter he's well aware of the potential ramifications of such dangerous imagery. Yet, he's still not buying into the hype. 'Banning a T-shirt makes for good headlines but won't really help anyone.'

Young Jeezy's record label, Def Jam, declined to comment.

New Mary J. On The Way

Grammy Award winning singer Mary J. Blige's new album will come out sooner than later. After much record label shuffling, the CD 'Breakthrough' has been put back on Geffen Records release schedule, and will be available in stores on Dec. 20. A few weeks ago, a record company spokesperson issued a press release stating that the anticipated set of new music was postponed until next spring. In the meantime, a "hits" compilation, titled 'Reminisce,' was scheduled for release on Dec. 6. That project will now come out next year. 'Breakthrough's' first single, 'Be Without You,' is currently on radio and plans for a video, to be shot in Los Angeles, are underway. According to Nielsen Soundscan, Blige's last album 'Love and Life' sold nearly 941, 000 copies to date. Blige has been tapped by nationally syndicated shock jock Wendy Williams to host her annual 'Dons & Divas Extravaganza' at New York's ritzy Cipriani on Dec. 22.

Hip-Hop Sundance

The 4th Annual Hip-Hop Odyssey International Film Festival got underway this week in and around New York City. With a mission to "continuously keep the original hip-hop spirit alive," the fest's founder and executive director Martha Diaz may have the next Sundance Film Festival on her hands. "Yes. That is my model," she says. 'We want to be considered the Hip-hop Sundance festival. That's what we are working towards building." Out of the 75 films being presented to the masses this year, two stand out: 'Bling: Consequences and Repercussions,' narrated by Public Enemy front man Chuck D., and 'Favela Rising,' a documentary about the Brazilian squatter movement and winner of last spring's Tribeca Film Festival's Best New Emerging Filmmaker Award.

'Bling's' director Kareem Edouard tells Black Voices he walked away from "a major studio" deal and instead opted for private investors. "'Making [the film] with private money allows me to tell the truth about conflict diamonds and who is behind them. When the film is completed the audience won't have to worry about me being censored. The H2O film festival created the buzz needed to get my investors on board and I thank them for that." On Saturday, (Nov. 12) the fest's Odyssey Awards will take place at Harlem's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, honoring the filmmaking Hudlins, Reginald and Warrington, and The Last Poets.