In the latest issue of GQ Magazine singer Erykah Badu tells writer Sean Fennessy about her early days working at Steve Harvey’s comedy house. The artist said she was doing more acting at the time and even tried her hand at stand-up. Given her sense of humor we think she should give it another shot. Read on… GQ: You were a rapper at one point, too. Was there a time when being an MC seemed more likely for you than being a singer? Erykah Badu: That was back when I was in college. I went to [Grambling State] university from 1989 to ’93 to study theater, so I was an actor at that point. It wasn’t my aspiration to be a singer, it was to be an artist. When I was 23 or 24, I was rapping and emceeing a lot with Free, but I was also working at Steve Harvey’s comedy house. He was my boss—the best boss ever. Funny, generous, considerate, and he knew I was an artist. When I started working there I was a waitress, and somehow I became a hostess. When he knew he could trust me, he moved me to the ticket booth. I handled money and helped organize transportation and hotel reservations for the comedians that came in. I noticed Steve didn’t have a stage manager, so I got that job, making sure everybody was taken care of. I love being of service to people—the whole act of it is really great to me. One day Steve was late going onstage, so I went out to the mic and threw out some jokes and stuff. People were laughing and heckling and having fun and Steve came onstage and scolded me in front of everybody. It was so funny. We started doing it every night. [Laughs] It felt like, This is where I want to be . Steve was really inspirational in that. Read More At GQ RELATED POSTS: Black Hollywood Attends Black Girls Rock! [PHOTOS] Erykah Badu Broke Up With Common Over The Phone Erykah Badu “Out My Mind, Just In Time” [MUSIC VIDEO] Get The Inside Scoop On Dallas, TX
Happy Wednesday! Also in today’s edition of The Broadsheet: Steve Carell faces a Conviction … Notes from the Expendables 2 stunt-death aftermath… The least-sexy award in Hollywood? …and more.
Apple held its own Steve Jobs memorial on Wednesday, closing of 1 Infinite Loop and shutting Apple Stores for over an hour to view the company’s own tributes to its co-founder and talismanic leader. The company was founded in Cupertino and operated out of a garage in the city, with Apple opening its own campus Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Next Web Discovery Date : 21/10/2011 02:58 Number of articles : 2
Beyonce Knowles is planning a new line of maternity wear for expectant mothers, and will release the clothes under her House of Dereon line. Since becoming pregnant, Beyonce admits she has had to to a lot of shopping to fill up her closets with maternity clothes . “I spend too much money shopping on the Internet!” In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Beyonce tells the magazine, “It’s been so exciting for me! I love figuring out designs that still make me feel edgy and sexy while pregnant.” She adds that flowy fabrics are always flattering for her and that she will continue to “rock my stilettos.” Bey isn’t the first celeb mom-to-be to design maternity wear, both Nicole Richie and Heidi Klum have designed maternity collections while pregnant. SOURCE Beyonce Reveals What Will Make Her “Go Crazy On You!” In Harper’s Bazaar [PHOTOS] Jay-Z & Beyonce’s Baby Due In February
If the internet is good for one thing, it’s creating instant rap sensations (ask Souljah Boy ). Within hours of news that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had died, some creative folks got together and created a loving, hip-hop tribute to the man — all to the beat of Jay-Z’s “What More Can I Say.” But these innovators weren’t the first to recognize Steve’s brilliance in rap lyrics. Below the video, see how Job’s influence was felt by everyone from Big Pun to Rick Ross . (Special shout to rapgenius.com for finding the lyrics below…) RELATED POSTS: Celebrities Tweet Reaction To Steve Jobs’ Death Apple’s Steve Jobs Has Died [BREAKING NEWS] Jay-Z “Prelude” “Befo’ Steve Jobs/made the iPod/Was gettin h*** jobs, we call that intimate.” Big Pun “Brave In The Heart” “Taking New York cats past the stars/First it was Nasty Nas/Now watch me turn an Apple into Macintosh.” Charles Hamilton “Windows Media Player” “You ain’t catch when I said put my Mac down?/Like I got a girl’s top on my lap now/That was mad hot, and mad foul/Now that I said it all here think back now/Mac lip gloss, Mac laptop/Girl’s top on my lap, that’s mad hot.” Rick Ross “9 Piece” “Iím smoking dope/I’m on my cell phone/Iím selling dope/straight off the iPhone.” Gucci Mane “LOL Smiley Face” “Pics on my iPhone/Gucci on her iPod/When she turn around/A** make me say oh God.” Pharoahe Monch “We Go Off” “Pharoahe the god strike the mic hard like Ty Cobb with a bat/Physicist the antithesis of Steve Jobs when he raps, mack.” Young Jeezy “Standing Ovation” “Once upon a time, I used to grind all night (grind all night)/With that residue, that was Ipod white (yeeeeeah)”
The world lost one of its most iconic innovators yesterday when Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. and former CEO of Pixar Animation Studios died of pancreatic cancer. Word of his death spread like wildfire and celebrities took to Twitter to commemorate his genius: “RIP Steve Jobs Rest in peace homie” – Snoop Dogg “An innovator. Contributed so much to this generation & beyond. RIP Steve Jobs” – Nicki Minaj “For those of us lucky enough to get to work with Steve, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.” — Bill Gates. “#youchangetheworld we lost a great innovator … steve jobs designed a whole new world … he will be missed …” – Will.i.am “Talk about someone who left a mark on this Earth. Steve Jobs. What an eternal inspiration. A huge one for my collective & company Wondaland” – JanelleMonae RIP to one of my HEROS Steve Jobs!!! You’s a Bad Mother fucka! 4real. Changed the game. Thanks for dreaming So BIG!!! #ripSteveJobs” – P Diddy “If you have yr health consider it the top of the GIFT pile. SteveJobs did a lot in 56yrs&wished he had wht many of yoU HAVE… I did the Grammy webcast in 1996 for Apple at MadisonSqGarden as payment they said $1000 or 2 POwerPCs, ..I took the 2 PowerMACs” – Chuck D. And the staff at HelloBeautiful wants to add: Farewell to brilliance. Rest in Peace in your iCloud with your IPad in hand and IPod blasting in your ears. Thank you Mr. Jobs for changing the face of the technology, you were truly a man with a vision. R.I.P. RELATED: Apple’s Steve Jobs Has Died [BREAKING NEWS]
Bieber tour insiders, including road DJ and openers Cobra Starship, dish to MTV News about ‘absolutely ridiculous’ South America shows. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber greets fans at the W Hotel in Mexico City Photo: W Mexico City Justin Bieber has taken his My World Tour to Mexico and South America, and by all accounts, things are going really well. MTV News got the scoop directly from some of the folks that are on the road with the Biebs, including his tour DJ and one of his tourmates. “Everything’s been cool. Everything’s been great,” DJ Tay James told MTV News. “Absolutely ridiculous. I’ve been with him since his second show and just to see him do shows with 300 people to us doing [shows with] 50,000, it’s crazy. I’m just happy to be in the position that I am. That’s like my little brother.” Cobra Starship are Bieber’s opening act on the tour, and the group’s bassist, Alex Suarez, said he was amazed by the size of the crowds, not to mention the loudness. “You know, it’s not too different than how we kind of got our start,” he said. “When we started touring, we started touring with Fall Out Boy and doing big tours. I think we’ve come to the point where Cobra, our fans have stuck with us. “It’s really amazing,” he continued. “These are the largest shows that we ever played. As soon as they open the doors, there is a constant tone of scream. It is really amazing. We watched Justin’s set — it’s the loudest thing.” There’s a lot of downtime on the road, and according to DJ Tay, when they aren’t onstage entertaining the Beliebers, he and the Biebs often discuss music. “We definitely converse on new music,” he shared. “I know [Justin’s] a big fan of Drake and Busta Rhymes. He will put me onto music and I will put him onto music; we keep each other up on it.” They also spend a lot of time playing music and posting videos online. “This whole DJing thing came out of nowhere,” the DJ said. “We started this when I first got on with him and he just wanted to play around with the turntables. He was scratching here and there, and then he was like, ‘Man, teach me a few things.’ So every time we do a video, he gets a step better. And I just wanted to show everyone he’s trying. He’s open to new things. That’s something about him that I admire.” DJ Tay also teased Bieber’s upcoming Christmas LP, Under the Mistletoe, predicting the teen star will have everyone going bananas on November 1. “You guys got to get ready for this Christmas album. It’s amazing. It’s probably one of the best Christmas albums that I ever heard,” he said. Related Photos Justin Bieber Brings His My World Tour To NYC Justin Bieber’s ‘My World’ Tour Hits Los Angeles
We remember the late Apple co-founder and his glorious, game-changing gadget, in Bigger Than the Sound. By James Montgomery Steve Jobs with U2 Photo: MTV News Ten years ago, I was living in a rat-hole apartment in a crooked building in Baltimore (though we had a doorman!) when someone broke into my car. Of course, they took my stereo, which was probably to be expected, since it was a JBL and was, as I recall, pretty nice. But they also rifled through my most personal of possessions (at least personal enough to leave on the floor of my car): my CD case, filled with every single disc I owned at that point, a gloriously clunky collection of emotions and memories and bad bootlegs, alphabetized and cross-referenced within an inch of its life. Also known as the thing Steve Jobs was just about to make completely obsolete. Because within months, his corporation, Apple, would release the first incarnation of the iPod, a bricky, cream-spinach screened thing that could hold up to 2,000 songs (!) at the time and would, through various slipstreamed, memory-expanding upgrades, come to completely change every single aspect of the music industry, the least of which seems to be the complete disappearance of the CD case. Steve Jobs’ impact went way beyond computers. Check out his innovations in the film industry. Jobs’ iPod — and, of course, the accompanying iTunes Store, which arrived soon after — made music a tangible thing, a totem you could carry with you, share with your friends or add to out of thin air. It made the audiophile’s long-unfulfilled dream of having your entire collection with you an absolute reality (even if it also helped suppress the audiophile’s other passion, high-quality sonics), a fact that revolutionized the way music intersects with our lives. For the first time, we could create own soundtracks and do it within seconds. It made cases and bookshelves and shoeboxes full of CDs irrelevant and, in a lot of ways, is busy making the actual CD irrelevant too. It turned songs into commodities, brought into question the intrinsic value of art, destroyed the idea of the album artist and very nearly brought the entire industry to its knees. Not too shabby. And with Jobs’ death on Wednesday, one can’t help but begin to consider his place in music history . Were he and his iPod as influential as Ahmet Ertegun, Berry Gordy or Thomas Edison, the man who invented the phonograph? Absolutely. Did he change the business like Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson? Probably. Were all of their contributions as glossy? Most definitely not. But such is the case with most revolutions: There’s bound to be a few casualties. Remember Steve Jobs’ many innovations by flipping through this photo gallery. And while I can’t speak to the whole “Cult of Apple” thing, I can say that, as a music fan, Steve Jobs forever changed my life and the lives of a lot of other people. One day, we will look at our children and tell them all about these things called CDs and these places we used to buy them called record stores, and they won’t believe us, because it all seems so impractical. Take that however you will. Progress, regression, inevitable. Jobs was the man who seized the moment, turned the tide and will continue to do so, even in death. To wit, I own a 160GB iPod “Classic,” a pocket-size thing capable of holding some 30,000 songs. That’s equal to almost 18 CD cases. All my emotions, ever, alphabetized and cross-referenced, with album art miraculously added. And yet, I keep it with my keys in a bowl by the front door. Not only that, but I am often told that I should get rid of it, replace it with an iPhone or something better, smaller, brighter. And that’s all a testament to Steve Jobs, really. He was a man who kept changing the future so often that he made the present seem obsolete. Steve Jobs changed the world, but how did he change you ? Tell us on Facebook. Related Photos The Steve Jobs Legacy
Bill Gates, will.i.am, Ellen DeGeneres also remember the late Apple co-founder. By James Dinh Steve Jobs Photo: Getty Images Shortly after Apple announced Wednesday (October 5) that co-founder Steve Jobs had died , celebrities of all kinds — including the president himself — are paying tribute and mourning the loss of the technology giant. “Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it,” President Obama said in a statement. “By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. … The world has lost a visionary.” Nicki Minaj took to Twitter to remember that visionary. “An innovator. Contributed so much to this generation & beyond. RIP Steve Jobs,” the Young Money MC wrote shortly after the announcement. Steve Jobs almost singlehandedly brought the music industry into the future — here’s how. Jobs’ longtime rival in the digital race, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, released a heartfelt statement after Apple’s announcement: “I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. … Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.” The Black Eyed Peas’ will i am urged : “i hope the youth chooses to be like steve jobs…we need more innovators.” Remember Steve Jobs’ many innovations by flipping through this photo gallery. Ryan Seacrest offered his remembrance with a quote from the businessman himself, writing , ” ‘Have the courage to follow ur heart & intuition. They already know what u truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.’ – Steve Jobs.” Ellen DeGeneres learned of the news shortly after wrapping up her talk show. “I just finished my show and I heard the news about Steve Jobs,” the comedian tweeted . “He was an amazing man with an incredible vision. He changed the world.” Pharrell Williams referred to Jobs as “our modern day Leonardo da Vinci” on Twitter . “From Apple to Pixar, what a great life lived. He will be missed.” Tyra Banks used one of Apple’s many revolutionary products to mourn the news, tweeting , “As I type on my iPhone, tears spring2 my eyes4an amazingMan I never met. His genius has touched us all. Steve Jobs, you will b/with us 4ever.” The Roots’ ?uestlove remembered Jobs as more than just the Apple co-founder: “Adopted. DropOut. FontLover. LSDlover. Dreamer. Innovator. Fired from his own Apple 1ce. Pixarlogist. 338 PATENTS! philanthropist. #JOBS.” Steve Jobs changed the world, but how did he change you ? Tell Us on Facebook. Related Photos The Steve Jobs Legacy
Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivers the keynote address at the 2011 Apple World Wide Developers Conference at the Moscone Center on June 6, 2011 in San Francisco, California. It#39;s been reported that Steve Jobs has resigned as the CEO of Apple August 24, 2011. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO, the company announced Wednesday. His letter to the board and employees did not mention his health problems, but it was alluded to. “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no
