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07-19-04 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE


Mike Phillips

(Jul. 19, 2004) Lee Bailey's EUR/Electronic Urban Report July 19, 2004 (Monday)

The EUR is factual online infotainment on today's hottest celebrities, events and issues in urban/black entertainment and culture.



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In This Issue:

* MIKE PHILLIPS IS 'UNWRAPPED'

* ROBOT STOMPS SPIDEY

* WHOOPI STRIKES BACK

* COSBY COOLS COMMENTS


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MIKE PHILLIPS IS 'UNWRAPPED' ... AGAIN Prince's saxophonist talks hip hop and 'Musicology.'

*Make no mistake, sax player Mike Phillips is steeped in hip hop. As a youngster, the budding musician used to freestyle battle against cats on the corner.

Although he’s now a grown-ass man pushing 30, (who got his current gig on Prince’s “Musicology” tour by filling in for famed sax player Maceo Parker), hip hop for Phillips will always be thick in the blood; pulsating through the notes of his saxophone no matter how deep into jazz the instrument dips.

“I’m a true authentic hip-hopper,” he says. “I mean, I used to be on my block rhymin’. We used to battle doing the beat box. To this day I can do 32 bars of freestyle right on one of my jazz songs.

It’s only natural that Phillips would fall into a music project that allows him to stretch his legs in both genres.

Phillips is featured on Hidden Beach Recording's “Unwrapped Vol. 3,” the third disc in a series that features jazzy, instrumental interpretations of popular hip hop records.

The disc includes jazzy renditions of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful,” and “Busta Rhymes’ “I Know What You Want.” Phillips put his saxophone stamp on three cuts: Outkast’s “The Way You Move,” Lauren Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime.”

“I’ve been not only a fan of the combination of jazz and hip hop, but I’ve done it on certain occasions myself,” says Phillips, who also performed on Volumes 1 and 2 and fused hip hop into his first CD “You Have Reached Mike Phillips.” "Understanding the vision of “Unwrapped” is something the community really needs to understand; where this music comes from and where it can go if we both are sensitive enough to combine two of our great musical pastimes – hip hop and jazz."

The musician dug the project’s emphasis on reaching deep into the crates for old-school material to reinterpret – citing Vol. 3’s medley tributes to Tupac, Notorious B.I.G. and Jam Master Jay, among others.

“I love the new stuff that’s out now,” he says. “The 50 Cent covers we did [“In Da Club” and “P.I.M.P.] were cool, but to go back to the Jungle Bros and Whodini - that’s part of the whole concept too, merging the past with the future.

The future for Phillips is about as bright as one of Prince’s suits on the tour. The follow-up to his debut album, tentatively due in January, will have its customary hip hop influence, but also reflect the experience of playing with Prince, and Stevie Wonder, whom Phillips had just finished playing with in Los Angeles when Prince hired him for “Musicology.”

“As a musician, you want to get to the point where you play with the Paul McCartneys, the Stevie Wonders, the Princes, the Phil Collinses,” he says. “Being an artist is cool, but sharing in someone’s music on their stage is something beautiful. I’ve had the opportunity to do it with Stevie and Prince, then come back and do my own thing. I get the opportunity to really be involved with another level of musical history. I have to take this and not only pass it down to the next generation, but totally be influenced and encouraged by this - for me personally - to get to the next level.


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EUR Newsbits

ROBOT STOMPS SPIDEY Smith’s “I, Robot” tops weekend box office.

*Surprise - Will Smith has himself another bonafide July blockbuster, and the actor is on course to set yet another box-office record.

His sci-fi thriller “I,Robot” pulled in $52.25 million this weekend, knocking “Spider-Man 2” from the top spot.

If the numbers hold when the final figures are tallied, later today, “I, Robot” will be Smith’s biggest-grossing debut ever, coming in just ahead of "Independence Day," "Men in Black" and "Men in Black II" - all July premieres that opened in the $50 million to $52 million range.

Here are the weekend’s top ten:

1. "I, Robot," $52.3 million.

2. "Spider-Man 2," $24.2 million.

3. "A Cinderella Story," $13.8 million

4. "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," $13.4 million.

5. "Fahrenheit 9/11," $7 million.

6. "King Arthur," $6.9 million.

7. "The Notebook," $5.45 million.

8. "White Chicks," $3.4 million.

9. "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," $3.2 million.

10. "The Terminal," $3.1 million.

WHOOPI STRIKES BACK Comedienne addresses Slim Fast drama.

*Days after Slim-Fast kicked Whoopi Goldberg to the curb for her anti-Bush remarks at a recent John Kerry fundraiser, the actress released a statement defending her right to spew such comments.

According to the New York Post, the Whoopster went on a Dubya tear during the Kerry benefit concert in New York, “[firing] off a stream of vulgar sexual wordplays on Bush's name in a riff about female genitalia.”

Unrepentant, Goldberg released the following statement: "Just because I'm no longer in those (commercial) spots, it doesn't mean I will stop talking. While I can appreciate what the Slim-Fast people need to do in order to protect their business, I must also do what I need to do as an artist, as a writer and as an American - not to mention as a comic. I only wish that the Republican re-election committee would spend as much time working on the economy as they seem to be spending trying to harm my pocketbook.”


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DIDDY ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Rap mogul promotes July 20 press conference.

*Sean "P. Diddy" Combs made surprise appearances Thursday in Philadelphia and New York to promote a press conference to be held tomorrow.

The subject of the gathering has not been revealed, but Diddy flew into Philly early Thursday morning for a surprise visit to the NAACP Conference, where he spoke about the topic at length with Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry and Mayor Street. He then hustled back to New York for a second surprise appearance, /at Connelly’s Pub in Manhattan, to meet with members of the New York Young Republican Club.

Diddy’s press conference tomorrow will take place at high noon at NYU’s Kimmel Auditorium.

KEYS - AT GREAT WALL AND IN PRINT Singer plays China landmark & starts travel column.

*Alicia Keys will perform at an international pop music concert at the Great Wall of China’s Ju Yong Cuan North Gate on September 25.

Some 10,000 people are expected to attend the invitation-only event, which will be taped for future broadcast on international television. Proceeds benefit the China Children and Teenagers' Fund charity.

The singer/songwriter has also been hired to write a regular travel column for the New York Daily News. Her first piece – about a recent trip to Dubai - ran in yesterday’s paper.

"Writing a travel column is definitely new for me but I love the challenge," Keys tells “Billboard’s” Barry A. Jeckell. "Being on a world tour, I have been blessed to see some amazing places. I love the process of writing, so it's exciting to be able to internalize all I've seen and report back to my hometown, New York City."

Keys’ first poetry book is due in the fall, followd by a “diary-style” tome in 2005.


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LEBRON MAKES “SIMPSONS” DEBUT Baller voices himself in “indecency” episode.

*Fox’s long-running animated series “The Simpsons” will clown the nation’s obsession with broadcast indecency in an upcoming episode featuring Cleveland Cavaliers center LeBron James.

The storyline involves Homer doing an impromptu dance at a local carnival that leads to a gig choreographing the victory dances of several sports stars.

The ordeal leads to Homer organizing the Super Bowl halftime show, which creates a nationwide scandal and (a la Janet Jackson’s breast) and sparks a crackdown on what officials termed “indecency.”

The show also stars Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and Olympic ice skating champ Michelle Kwan, and will air in February following the Super Bowl, according to producers.

Future voice guests on the show include 50 Cent, Ray Romano and "Sex and the City" star Kim Cattrall.


YEAR’S TOP TOURS ANNOUNCED Prince and the 'ladies' make top ten.

*The numbers are in for 2004’s top grossing tours to date, according to “Billboard Boxscore.” Prince’s “Musicology” trek came in fifth, and the "Ladies First Tour," featuring Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott, grossed about $19 million to rank number eight.

David Bowie’s “A Reality Tour” was the top earner with $45.4 million over 82 shows.

The figures reflect tours between November 19, 2003 and May 18, 2004.

“IDOL 4” AUDITIONS SET Eight cities play host to aspiring singers.

*Auditions for the fourth season of “American Idol” will begin on August 4 in Cleveland, and continue through seven more cities in a two -month stretch. The new season will premiere in January.

Speaking to journalists Thursday at the annual Television Critics Association press tour, Fox Broadcasting Co. entertainment president Gail Berman said that minor alterations will be made to the "Idol" format, but declined to reveal specifics. One thing that won’t change is the voting system, which came under fire last season after viewers complained of blocked phone lines.

The maximum age of a contestant has been changed from 26 to 28, while the minimum age of eligibility remains at 16.

Here is the "American Idol" audition schedule:

Aug. 4: Cleveland

Aug. 18: Washington, D.C.

Aug. 26: Orlando

Aug. 31: New Orleans

Sept. 12: Las Vegas

Sept. 28: Anchorage, Alaska

Oct. 5: San Francisco

TBD: St. Louis


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COSBY COOLS COMMENTS He chooses not to rehash recent remarks at benefit.

*At a charity event for at-risk children Saturday in Miami, comedian Bill Cosby stayed away from recent comments criticizing parts of the black community, and instead focused on humor and praise for mothers and fathers.

Before a packed crowd at "Zo's Summer Groove," which is organized by former Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, Cosby joked that his parents and grandparents always knew exactly what he was doing at all time.

"All day long, you were watched," he told the audience. "Even if there was a drawn shade, there was at least one eye peeking out of it. My mother knew everything I did."

Before Cosby's speech, Mourning said he did not hesitate to invite the comedian. "No, because it's the truth. The truth is confrontational," Mourning said.


URBANWORLD ANNOUNCES FILM SELECTIONS Four-day festival to screen 103 movies.

*“The “The Seat Filler,” starring Duane Martin and Kelly Rowland; and “Beauty Shop” (the one with Mo’Nique) are among the 103 films to be screened at the 8th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival, set for August 4-8 in New York.

Other films showing include a 20th anniversary retrospective screening of “Purple Rain;” the Damon Dash-produced film “The Woodsman,” starring Kevin Bacon, Mos Def and Eve; and “Collateral,” starring Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise.

"We are thrilled to host a dynamic slate of films that reflect the energy and elasticity of urban cinema, said Urbanworld founder Stacy Spikes. “These first-rate pictures have been selected to illustrate the varied and rich textures of the international film experience. We thank the many artists who will share their work with us this year, and encourage cinephiles everywhere to join us for a four-day celebration of the best and brightest in urban moviemaking."

For more info, log onto www.urbanworld.com.


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OTHER NEWS: BEARDEN’S WORK EXAMINED Foundation holds 7-month course on famed artist.

The Romare Bearden Homecoming Celebration, a seven month multi-disciplinary schedule of programs and events designed to explore the span of his achievements, will begin this fall, and will take place from September through March 2005 throughout the city of New York.

The retrospective is being held in conjunction with the traveling exhibition, “The Art of Romare Bearden,” which opens at the Whitney Museum of American Art in October.

The citywide celebration includes exhibitions, gallery tours and performances examining Bearden’s paintings. Symposiums, panel discussions and walking tours of Harlem are also part of the festivities. Bearden (1911 – 1988) was widely considered one of the most talented visual artists of the 20th century.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina and raised in Harlem, he attended New York University and studied at the Arts Students League. In 1969, he founded the Cinque Gallery to provide a space for young minority painters and curators to display their work.


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EUR MOTIVATION NOTE

Temptation is a persistent, subtle, sneaky, seducing liar and destroyer of your life.

We all are engaged in a struggle between flesh and Spirit. I'm sure this message isn't about you but maybe you know someone who is lost in drugs, pornography, gambling, shoplifting, telling lies, smoking, shopping, alcohol, food, cheating on their mate or their taxes.

Some people find it difficult to let go of old and destructive habits. They rationalize, hide, make excuses and think just one more won't matter. It does matter. Fight temptation.

Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell. It wants to come in your life and take over. Temptation whispers your name and keeps you caught up in a game you can't win. Overcome the weaker self. Ask for help. As Kanye West song says, "God show me the way because the devil is trying to break me down."

-- by Jewel Diamond Taylor, Motivational Speaker and author, e-mail Jewelmotivates@aol.com, visit web site www.DoNotGiveUp.net


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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

July 19, 1848: Frederick Douglass attends the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY. He speaks in defense of its organizer, Elizabeth Cady Stanton

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK Check out the website of singer, poet, playwright and author of the controversial 'Nigger's Heaven,' Terrence Jackson. (www.TerenceJackson.com.

Submit your favorite website to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to: info@eurweb.com

BLACK HISTORY

July 19, 1848: Frederick Douglass attends the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY. He speaks in defense of its organizer, Elizabeth Cady Stanton

(source: www.BlackFacts.com)

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EUR FEEDBACK (send mail to: MYfeedback@eurweb.com)

*Kimberly Coleman, Van Nuys, CA: "I had the displeasure of reading the incredibly ignorant, self-loathing, hyperbolic words of Keisha from DC (07-16-04 EUR) regarding use of the term African-Americans. My issue with her comments stem not from the fact that she does not like the term, but her reasoning behind it.

Her vile reasoning strongly resembles the words uttered by white supremacists. She made several sweeping generalizations --for instance stating 'Africans do not like African Americans and think that they're better.'

Is Keisha suggesting that she has personally dialogued with every African person and can state unequivocally that this is the general consensus? I don't think so.

As people of African descent (and unfortunately that includes Keisha, whether she accepts it or not) we cannot afford to be divided any longer. Fighting amongst ourselves over BS is not going to counteract AIDS, poverty, homelessness, racisim and drug abuse.

Someone should encourage Keisha to read some history books, because its obvious she is disillusioned about the origins of 'Black' people."


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*Walter (no city given): "Yes my sister!Keisha, Thank you! I live in Central Europe for the last 20 years in my life. I've traveled extensively throughout my 50yrs. I socialize with many African's on a regular basis. And you are right! They think we are the lost souls.

Why do we say we're African American? They don't understand the pride, and power we had achieved to accept ourselves as being 'black.' Why is it gone? Why all the muslim names, when most of us are catholic, and baptist bound.

My generation fought so hard to be recognized as "Black Americans!" "Say it loud! I'm black and I'm proud!" And now. the confusion. We're on different levels. Not better than the other, but culturally we're different. I don't know any African -American who knows anything about Africa. We are Black! Mixed with so many blends of blood ... African's are pure blooded Africans! We are different. We share a percentage of our Blackness, but they are ... and we are ... different! Get real people of America!!! You'll be laughed at! For real! Black And Proud!"

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Mike Philips - "You Have Reached Mike Philips"


Unwrapped, Volume 3


Jill Scott (Live) (Mike Phillips played saxophone with her on this tour)


Unwrapped, Volume 2


Unwrapped, Volume 1

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[This message was edited Thu Jul 22 8:39:25 2004 by suomynona]