VIDEO CLIPS: CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER, D.L. HUGHLEY, STEVE HARVEY, FMR. CASTMATES SALUTE BERNIE MAC ON LARRY KING LIVE.

Hey guys! Sorry about the lack of updates. I'm thisclose to kicking my funky-ass, slow-ass, need-to-be-replaced computer up against my wall!! I intend to update the blog a lot more this week, but in the meantime I thought some of you all would like to see the following videos of Bernie's fellow Original Kings of Comedy: Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey (via satellite from Atlanta, Georgia) paying tribute to him on Larry King Live last night. Actors Kellita Smith, Camille Winbush, Jeremy Suarez and Dee Dee Davis, Bernie's co-stars from his self-titled sitcom as well as Ashton Kutcher, who starred alongside Bernie in the 2005 film Guess Who? also paid heartfelt tributes to the man who left us way too soon.

Below are clips from Larry King's Special Tribute to Bernie Mac which aired last night at 9 p.m. on CNN. Thanks to Nadia for throwing them my way!

In Part 1, watch D.L., Cedric & Steve reveal how they learned of Bernie's passing.

In Part 2 of the special tribute, Ashton Kutcher, who says he felt privileged and honored to even get to know Bernie Mac, explains his reasons why he believes Bernie would want us to celebrate his life, instead of grieve for him. Also check out Cedric's Mac Man imitation!

WATCH PART 3 HERE. AND CLICK HERE TO WATCH PART 4 OF THE SPECIAL TRIBUTE WITH THE CAST OF 'THE BERNIE MAC SHOW.'

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP!
Harvey, who was in Chicago when Bernie passed, but still nursed a beef with the late comedian that stemmed from Bernie landing a role in the Ocean 11 film series that garnered him crossover success--a role Harvey once said should have gone to him instead, told King that the late Richard Pryor, who died of a heart attack in 2005, had a big influence on the Mac Man. "You know, (MAC) was a storyteller. Pryor was the king of storytelling and in a very special cultural way. You know, Pryor, just like Bernie, whether you grew up in his neighborhood or you were around his lifestyle, he painted the picture and made you see it. And I don't see how Pryor couldn't have been an influence. He was an influence on all of us." Hughley added a bit of humor during the hour-long tribute when he told King that the one thing he loved about Bernie was his swagger. Hughley said, while on tour, he and the other guys couldn't wait to see what Bernie would wear each night because he always seem to wear suits in colors that even [Crayola] crayons hadn't invented yet! My heart went out to D.L. after hearing him say how much it saddened him that he never got a chance to tell Bernie how much he meant to him. The last time they talked was when Bernie was doing promo for Ocean's 13 and again several months ago.

Anyhoo, when King asked Cedric about Bernie's plans to retire, the comedian insisted he had no such plans....although in 2007 the Mac Man told late night show host David Letterman that he planned to hang up his acting shoes after shooting The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Mac. Cedric explained to King that Bernie was keen to return to TV after previously starring in The Bernie Mac Show and UPN comedy Moesha. "I had spoken with him probably in the last, you know, maybe about the last three weeks. And he was definitely talking about producing some more movies. And he planned on producing some other movies. He had even looked at doing television again." Harvey added, "Bernie was too big out there. He was too big on stage. For Bernie Mac not to tell jokes again, not to stand on the stage with a microphone, a bar stool, a spotlight and a bottle of water, I can't even see that, you know?"

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

ISAAC HAYES DEAD AT THE AGE OF 65; CAUSE OF DEATH STILL UNKNOWN.

24 hours after the world became a little less funny, it then became a little less SHAFTY with the unexpected loss of one of the entertainment industry's most famed, musical pioneers: Isaac Hayes. I swear, I had absolutely no intention of updating this blog today especially after learning of Bernie Mac's passing. Today I had planned to pop my favorite Bernie Mac movies into my DVD and get my laugh on something proper-like. Well, there's a saying that goes 'if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.' Something told me to get up, log on and check my email; and now, here I sit, at my computer making yet another blog post on the death of another fallen celebrity, who was coincidentally, Bernie Mac's co-star in the new movie Soul Men which also stars Samuel L. Jackson.

Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Memphis sheriff's office, said authorities received a 911 call after Hayes' wife and young son and his wife's cousin returned home from the grocery store and found him collapsed in a downstairs bedroom. A sheriff's deputy administered CPR until paramedics arrived. "The treadmill was running but he was unresponsive lying on the floor," Shular said. Hayes, who was just 10 days shy of his 66th birthday, was pronounced dead early Sunday morning at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis.

The cause of death was not immediately known. Hayes is survived by his fourth wife Adjowa Hayes; their 2-year-old son Nana Kwadjo Hayes; 12 children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

CONTINUE READING MORE ON THE LIFE OF ISAAC HAYES: SOUL LEGEND, SINGER-SONGWRITER, MUSICIAN, ACTOR, GRAMMY & ACADEMY AWARD WINNER AFTER THE JUMP!

Hayes was about to begin work on a new album for Stax, the soul record label he helped build to legendary status. And he had recently finished work on a movie called Soul Men in which he played himself.

In the early 1970s, Hayes laid the groundwork for disco, for what became known as urban-contemporary music and for romantic crooners like Barry White. And he was rapping before there was rap. His career hit another high in 1997 when he became the voice of Chef, the sensible school cook and devoted ladies man on the animated TV show South Park. The album Hot Buttered Soul made Hayes a star in 1969. His shaven head, gold chains and sunglasses gave him a compelling visual image. Hot Buttered Soul was groundbreaking in several ways: He sang in a "cool" style unlike the usual histrionics of big-time soul singers. He prefaced the song with "raps," and the numbers ran longer than three minutes with lush arrangements. "Jocks would play it at night," Hayes recalled in a 1999 Associated Press interview. "They could go to the bathroom, they could get a sandwich, or whatever."

Next came Theme From Shaft, a No. 1 hit in 1971 from the film Shaft starring Richard Roundtree. "That was like the shot heard round the world," Hayes said in the 1999 interview. At the Oscar ceremony in 1972, Hayes performed the song wearing an eye-popping amount of gold and received a standing ovation. He won an Academy Award for the song and was nominated for another one for the score. The song and score also won him two Grammys. "The rappers have gone in and created a lot of hit music based upon my influence," he said. "And they'll tell you if you ask."

Hayes was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

"I knew nothing about the business, or trends and things like that," he said. "I think it was a matter of timing. I didn't know what was unfolding." A self-taught musician, he was hired in 1964 by Stax Records of Memphis as a backup pianist, working as a session musician for Otis Redding and others. He also played saxophone. He began writing songs, establishing a songwriting partnership with David Porter, and in the 1960s they wrote such hits for Sam and Dave as Hold On, I'm Coming and Soul Man.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

*UPDATED* DETAILS ON BERNIE MAC'S FINAL HOURS; COMEDIAN'S WIFE & DAUGHTER WITH HIM TIL THE VERY END; FUNERAL PLANS MADE.

There's so much we didn't know.

FROM PEOPLE.COMBernie Mac’s wife and daughter were with him until the very end, says the late comic's sister-in-law in a personal and touching interview with PEOPLE that took place Saturday. Speaking of a heartbreaking moment between her younger sister, Rhonda, and the 50-Year-old actor-comedian – who succumbed to complications from pneumonia in a Chicago hospital at 2 a.m. Saturday – Mary Ann Grossett says that the night before Mac died, "He struggled for his life. He couldn't breathe. He opened his eyes on his own and looked at Rhonda. She called his name, and he opened his eyes and nodded to her. She smiled at him and told him, 'Don't leave me … 'I'm waiting for you to come back.' He shrugged his shoulders, and she said that's when she knew he was tired. He signaled to her that his body was tired." Rhonda, Mac’s wife since 1977, and their 30-year-old daughter, Je'Niece, 30, were with him when he died. "[The doctors] were working on him," says Grossett. "They tried to resuscitate him two times. One time he came back for about an hour. Then he went into cardiac arrest the second time."

AFTER THE JUMP, READ ABOUT BERNIE'S WIFE'S REACTION TO HIS DEATH AS WELL AS DETAILS FOR HIS FUNERAL WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK.

Prior to that, the couple had last communicated on July 31. "He told his wife [non-verbally] that he could breathe on his own, and he wanted the ventilator out. He motioned that he wanted it out," says Grossett. The sister-in-law says Mac's inflammatory lung disease contributed to his death. "He had sarcoidosis, but it was in remission," she says. "But because he had it, his immune system was compromised. He had an infection ... He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that's where the pneumonia came from." She reveals that Mac – having trouble breathing and running a fever – was actually hospitalized on July 24, eight days before the date given for his admittance. The actor was diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately placed on a ventilator. "He was critically ill when he was in the hospital," says Gossett. "He was in intensive care the whole time." She adds that doctors kept the star sedated, although he was conscious at times and he contracted a second strain of pneumonia while in the hospital.

Of her widowed sibling (like Mac, Rhonda is 50), Grossett says, "She’s devastated. However, she's at peace about his transition because of her faith in God. Her faith is what is sustaining her." She says of the couple's enduring union, "They had 30 years of marriage. That's unprecedented in today's time, particularly for celebrities. That brings joy to her. They loved each other and respected each other on a daily basis. She was by his side to the very end." Recalling the couple's early years, when they were still in their teens, Grossett says, "When they started dating, he said, 'Girl, you better come on board this train, because I'm going to be rich.' And her response was, 'Okay,' and they were married. That's how he charmed her, with his sense of humor." She adds, "When they got married they were kids. He was 20 and she was 19. They both grew up together, and they both matured in this marriage. What she will treasure the most is the fact that she was his wife for 30 years – and not only was she his wife, but she was his best friend. She's going to miss him dearly."

Mac’s funeral is scheduled for 12 noon on Saturday, August 16, at House of Hope on 11401 S. Prairie in Chicago. The family requests that donations be made to the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, 40 E. Ninth St., Suite 601, Chicago IL 60605.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

**EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS** COMEDIAN BERNIE MAC DEAD AT THE AGE OF 50.

Actor, comedian, author and one of the Original Kings of Comedy Bernie Mac is dead at the age of 50. I'd like to send condolences to the family and friends of Bernie who,according to Sun-Times Columnist, Stella Foster, passed away early this morning (Saturday, August 9, 2008) at Northwestern Memorial hospital in Chicago. I was absolutely floored when I my baby sister, who was watching Good Morning America when she learned of the news, rewind the DVR twice to make sure she heard correctly. I rushed to my computer to log on to the Internet hoping this wasn't another celebrity death hoax. Needless to say, I was past astounded upon seeing an article posted on Chicago's Suns-Time website confirming the worse. To say I'm at a lost for words would be an understatement. Mac had been hospitalized recently for pneumonia. Foster said that she received calls early Saturday morning from a close friend of the Mac family, confirming the reports of Mac's death. The columnist also said she was deeply saddened to receive such a phone call just an hour after Mac was pronounced dead. "It brought tears to my eyes because Bernie Mac has always been my all-time favorite entertainer and comedian. It pains me to have to report that," Foster said during a phone interview on Saturday morning.

"[He] passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his rep, Danica Smith, said in a released statement. "No other details are available at this time. We ask that his family's privacy continues to be respected."

On Friday, a spokeswoman for the actor, whose real name is, Bernard McCullough, said that he had been responding well to treatment for the illness. Publicist Danica Smith said Thursday in a statement that Mac's condition is ''stable.'' Smith first announced on August 1st that Mac was hospitalized in Chicago. Smith has said the pneumonia isn't related to an inflammatory lung disease Mac also has. That condition has been in remission since 2005. Foster noted that last weekend, several web sites reported wrongly that the comedian died. Mac made waves last month with off-color jokes during a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

There is no word on whether public services will be held. Bernie Mac is survived by his wife of over 30 years, Rhonda McCullough; one daughter, Je'Niece (30-years old), a son-in-law and one granddaughter, Jasmine. Bernie was proceeded in death by his mother, Mary, who passed way when Bernie was just 16-years old.

SOURCE: SunTimes.com

BELOW, WATCH MY FAVORITE BERNIE MAC CLIP FROM HIS ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY STAND-UP ROUTINE.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY AFTER THE JUMP AND FIND OUT HOW BERNIE MAC BECAME ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST RECOGNIZED COMEDIANS OF HIS TIME! SHARE YOUR FAVORITE BERNIE MAC MOVIE/TV ROLES IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. I'VE ALSO ADDED MOVIE STILLS FROM BERNIE'S LATEST MOVIE, SOUL MEN, STARRING HIM AND SAMUEL L. JACKSON. CHECK THOSE OUT AFTER THE JUMP AS WELL!

Mac started his comedy career at age 8, with a standup performance at a church dinner. In 1977, at age 20, he took that act to comedy clubs in Chicago. His film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans movie Mo' Money in 1992. Mac went on to star in the Ocean's Eleven franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney and his turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's Guess Who? — a remake of the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn 1967 classic Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? — topped the box office. Mac also had starring roles in Bad Santa, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Transformers.

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series The Bernie Mac Show, which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006. The series about a man's adventures raising his sister's three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion — and cool." The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac. He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his The Original Kings of Comedy co-stars, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.

In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS' Late Show that he planned to retire soon. "I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977." Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.

In his 2004 memoir, Maybe You Never Cry Again, Mac wrote about having a poor childhood — eating bologna for dinner — and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing. Mac's mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up. "Woman believed in me," he wrote. "She believed in me long before I believed."

Foster says she was remembers Bernie's comedic beginnings through his show, Midnight Mac, which aired for four shows on HBO and was taped in Chicago in 1995. "It was a variety entertainment show," she said, "He even had dancers called Macaroni's. That was my first exposure to how talented Bernie Mac was. And after that show, that's when Hollywood started beating down his door."

The actor's upcoming movies include Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer; and Soul Men with Samuel L. Jackson and Isaac Hayes.

If everything works out the way it's supposed to, Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac will be bringing some vintage Stax soul to the big screen this November. Soul Men is about two former backup soul singers Louis (Jackson) and Floyd (Mac) who travel cross country to perform at a tribute concert in honor of their famous former band leader, played by John Legend. They haven't spoken to each other in 20 years but reluctantly agree to travel together for the tribute performance. Both Jackson and Mac will do their own musical and dance performing in the film.

The film is directed by Malcom Lee (Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins with Martin Lawrence) and also stars Sean Hayes, Sharon Leal, Jennifer Coolidge, Isaac Hayes, Affion Crockett, Adam Herschman, Fatso Fasano, and Jackie Long.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

REAL OR RUMOR: DA BRAT TO SERVE 3 YEARS IN THE SLAMMER ON AN AGGRAVATED ASSAULT CHARGE.

While LisaRaye is traveling from city to city living it up in clubs, taking shots to the head (which some would consider unbecoming of a First Lady) with the likes of Lil Kim, Queen Pen, Missy Elliott and Gabrielle Union, and waiting for the day when she can throw her cheating hubby and his alleged mistress under the bus, her half-sister, rapper Da Brat could be walking in the same footsteps as fellow rappers Foxy Brown and Remy Ma. Word around the web is that the washed up rapper from Chicago has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors to serve three years behind bars due to an assault charge she picked up after knocking a cocktail waitress out cold for bumping into her at Jermaine Dupri's costume party last Halloween. Da Brat, real name Shawntae Harris, got into fisticuffs with the waitress and by the end of the night and after a bunch of shoves, pushes and windmill shenanigans, Da Brat had clocked the waitress in the face with a champagne bottle.

Since the incident Da Brat has been out on bail and will allegedly turn herself in to law authorities by the end of this week. But considering Brat's 'preferences,' could this really be considered as punishment?

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READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

USHER FIRES HIS MANAGER, BENNY MEDINA, & REHIRES & 'UN-RETIRES' HIS MOTHER/MANAGER.

Someone once said,

"All bitches ain't female; they just have female traits. A dude can have a d*ck as big as an elephant's and still behave like a b*tchmade, b*itchass-b*itch of a man."

Yall will understand what I mean after reading what's below.

Well, well, well, well, well. Look who has come back to his senses a wee bit too late? According to E! Online, Usher has allegedly 'rehired' his mother, Jonnetta Patton as his manager. I hope he has prepared himself to get clowned unmercifully. Too bad no one never told him you can't 'retire' someone who has no intentions of being retired. Anyhoo, Usher's flop of an album, the mediocre promotion of said flopped album, poor record sales (I guess that falls under the category of 'flop of an album', right?) that horrendous and terrible lip-sync opening performance he gave at this year's BET Awards, and all that slick-at-the-mouth talking he did has all led to the singer kicking his manger--now former manager--Benny Medina to the curb. "He's leaving Benny. The record is pretty stiff, and nowhere nearly as successful as Confessions," an insider says of the singer's 2004 blockbuster album.

In a short statement issued by his LaFace/Zomba label Wednesday, it was announced that the artist "has dissolved his management arrangement with Benny Medina and has re-engaged Jonnetta Patton as his manager." Meanwhile, the singer has also cut ties with W&W Public Relations, a publicity firm that also serves as the official reps for Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys and Ludacris.

Down and out, whose the very first person Usher turned to for unconditional love and support? No, not his manwife. His mama. Confessions was a worldwide sensation, selling 19 million copies under the supervision of Patton. After debuting at No. 1 in June, Here I Stand, Usher's fifth studio album, has chalked up a relatively paltry 2 million in sales worldwide. This, despite the radio success of the single Love in This Club (Part II). I don't think even his mama, as good as she is, can undo the damage that he has already done to his pathetic career. And the truth of the matter is that he has no one to blame but himself. Watch his cocky ass release a statement saying that he has brought his mama out of 'retirement' to let her handle his career when in reality she never ever did retire. Tameka should probably thank her lucky stars that she has lil Cinco and that marriage certificate as insurance. I wouldn't be surprised if his mama told him the only way she'd come back is if he got rid of ol girl. And can you blame her? Especially when through it all, his mama has never (at least in the press) uttered one word, yay or nay about him kicking her ass to the curb. As a matter of fact, Patton told Vibe magazine's July 2008 issue that she's hard at work managing other music acts. 'I'm managing Nataha, an artist on Jive Records, a guy group called Kwiet Storm, and a solo artist, Dante. I started my own record label--JPat Records. I also manage my younger son, producer JLack--he's signed to Usher's production company.' Can someone please explain to me just what the word 'retire' means?

CONTINUE READING MORE OF THIS MADNESS BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!' BUT BEFORE YOU DO, CHECK OUT SEVERAL IMAGES OF USHER FROM A RECENT PHOTOSHOOT. CLICK THE PIC TO SEE FULL IMAGE.

Anyhoo, for those who need a refresher course, Usher dumped the momager for Medina last year amid reports of tension between Tameka and Mama Pat—and considering his previous remarks, it might be tough going home again. "This is great for me because it means I now get to have my mother strictly as my mother, with no added pressure," he told the Associated Press in 2007, when he and Patton parted ways. And just last month the 29-year-old entertainer was quoted in Vibe magazine calling his mom an "aggressive person" who made his decision to part ways difficult. "She makes hard decisions, and she caused me to make a hard decision as well. I hurt more than anything over these last two years, when I felt my mother didn't really embrace my situation," Usher told Vibe. Monkey-Monchichi, what situation? After firing Tameka for mixing business with pleasure, he knew good and well Mama Pat wasn't going to approve of any kind of relationship he had with his walking negro spiritual. Besides, how do you think she felt after you called yourself 'retiring' her? And if I hear his ass refer to his marriage as his situation one more time... Dude, you are married and the last thing you should consider your marriage to be is a freaking 'situation.' These fools gon soon learn that mama always knows best...that's with the exception of Kim Kardashian's mama. I don't know anybody whose mother would damn near beg and plead their own child to pose naked for Playboy magazine.

That's it, yall. I am through.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

NEW PICS: TYRA BANKS TRANSFORMS INTO MICHELLE OBAMA IN SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF HARPER'S BAZAAR MAGAZINE.

It's no secret that Tyra Banks like to play dress up – whether it's on the fashion runways as a supermodel, or in disguise while going undercover as an obese woman or stripper for her daytime talk show. Her latest endeavor, seen within the pages of September's Harper's Bazaar magazine, has the entertainer sporting hair, makeup and wardrobe designed to make her resemble would-be First Lady Michelle Obama. In one photo, Banks wears a slinky black shift dress, pearls, and poses next to a Barack Obama look-a-like in the White House Oval Office with a little black girl playing under the desk. "When Barack won the nomination, I just started bawling," Banks, 34, says in the issue (out August 19). "I started calling all these people, and everybody was talking to me like I was crazy. They’re like, ‘Well, he hasn’t won yet,’ but I’m like, ‘Yes, he has, because he’s gotten this far. So what gives me tears is if Barack Obama wins, kids are going to say that a black man can be president, too," she continues. “I think it will give so many people – black, Latin, Asian, even white people that feel forgotten – hope. I did not think I would see it in my lifetime, and I’m only 34.”

Calling Michelle Obama "one hot mama," Banks says: "With Barack Obama, his becoming president is them becoming president because Michelle was there from the beginning. Without Michelle, he wouldn’t be there.” Banks' prescription for a modern first lady? “Oh, I want her to not take herself too seriously," she says. "She’d need to know how to take a fierce picture, but at the same time be able to eat fried chicken, have grease on her fingers, and be okay with getting photographed like that, too. I’d want her to feel like every child in America is hers – to have a true connection. I would also want her to know how to beat her own face. That means do her own makeup. In the end, the first lady should be her man's rock and his boulder and his mountain. And she should be calling about 50 percent of the shots!"”

Click on each picture in this post to see its full image.

AFTER THE JUMP, READ DETAILS ABOUT THE FIRST TIME TYRA & HER BEST FRIEND KIMORA MET BARACK OBAMA.

Tyra also shared details of her first run-in with Obama which was back in 2005 at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball: "My friend Kimora Lee Simmons and I were walking around the ball," she remembers. "We had on these big Cinderella dresses — hardly anyone wore white tie, but we both did — and then we see Senator Obama. He goes, 'Hi, ladies,' and I told him, 'I want to congratulate you on that speech. It was gorgeous.' At the time, there was just a hint of him running for president. But then Kimora starts talking crazy, just totally embarrassing me. She walks away, and I'm like, 'Senator Obama, I have to apologize for my friend. She's almost like family, I've known her since I was 17 years old, and with family, you love them but sometimes you want to say that you're not related to them.' And he said, 'What are you talking about? You don't think that I could be down and talk crazy like that? You think politicians are all stiff and can't relate? Come on, girl.'" Banks says if she were First Lady, her Secret Service acronym would be "KMFA: Kiss My Fat A**."

To read Tyra's interview, click here.

READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

REMY MA MAKES MOVES BEHIND BARS IN ORDER TO WIN APPEAL .

Rapper Remy Ma has been busting her ass behind bars in an effort to obtain a 'get out of jail' free card. According to eurweb.com, Remy has hired lawyer William “Billy” Murphy, Jr. to handle her appeal on charges of assault, illegal weapons possession and attempted coercion. Murphy's name first made headlines when he successfully defended fight promoter Don King on federal charges that he defrauded Lloyd’s of London. Recently, he reversed a $1.6 million verdict against rapper DMX and secured a civil judgment of $35 million for former Ravens Defensive End Michael McCrary. “With the addition of Mr. Murphy, Ravenell, and Levitt, I now believe I have assembled a team that will have the might and expertise to tell my side of the story,” stated Remy Ma, according to Allhiphop.com. “I am confident that after hearing everything my side will prevail. Mr. Murphy comes highly recommended and I am pleased that he has agreed to lead my defense team.”

Murphy is a senior partner in the Murphy Firm and represents DMX, Redman, Mary J. Blige, and Missy Elliott. “We are pleased to handle Remy Ma’s appeal,” Murphy explained to AllHipHop.com. “We are confident that when we present all the facts, the public for the first time will get a true picture of what actually happened; and Remy will be vindicated.” Remy Ma is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County, New York.
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READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

MALE CELEB CANDIDS: TOMMY LISTER A.K.A. 'DEEBO'; KANYE SPORTS NEW BEARD; LL COOL J CHILLS @ THE IVY; SHAQ SCARES LITTLE WHITE BOY.

Shaquille O'Neal was seen leaving his Manhattan, New York hotel yesterday. Shaq stopped to sign autographs and even became pals with a little white boy who, seconds later, obviously changed his mind and didn't hesitate to let the baller know that he didn't even want him to touch him! LOL!

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The dude we all know as 'Deebo' (real name Tommy 'Tiny' Lister) was looking his usual cock-eyed self (I could've swore to God that the cockeyed thing was strictly for film and television!) as he arrived at the Newsroom on Roberts Avenue in Los, Angeles yesterday.

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LL Cool J. was spotted leaving the Ivy in Los Angeles.

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And are we even surprised at Kanye's latest stunt? Dude was donning a full beard at the premiere of Pineapple Express held at Mann's Village Theater last week in Hollywood.

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READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!

JILL SCOTT FINALLY CONFIRMS HER ENGAGEMENT TO DRUMMER LIL JOHN ROBERTS.

"Yes, I am engaged. And there's a wedding to be planned. Life is really good for me now, and we are enjoying each other. No there isn't a date set yet. We can't. He's out rehearsing for the tour with Janet [Jackson]... But I'd do it tomorrow if I could. And I know he would, but you know, we want a wedding. I never had one. He's never had one. And we want to be around family and friends and really do it — because this is it! I mean, right now, I'm glowing. John's such a good guy....And you know there's been a little bit of an issue with the media saying, you know, 'Jill jumped up and is marrying this drummer.' This is a master percussionist we're talking about here. I'm talking, at 15 years old he was playing with Wynton Marsalis. It's not healthy, not nice, for your mate to be diminished. He's an incredible musician. An incredible man." [John's proposal] "You know, I have to keep some things for us ... But I will say he did it splendidly!"

Jill Scott finally confirms her engagement to her drummer boyfriend, Lil John Roberts. Yall don't reckon Lamman is a little bit hurt or jealous over this news? LOL! Just kidding. Anyhoo, since Lil John is an Atlanta native and residence, Jill says there's a strong possibility that she will my the ATL her permanent home:

"Obviously I'm spending a lot more time here ... In fact, I just did a song with Bone Crusher a couple of weeks ago; which I just loved! John knows so many good people. So yeah, there is a possibility I could make Atlanta home. It's definitely been in the discussion. ... We haven't set anything in stone; but we definitely want to have a place, after our honeymoon, where can go home — together."


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READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!