News
Men At Large Challenge America's Black Men To Lose 2 Miilion Pounds
Posten on: 2008-10-22 10:21:36
R&B singing duo Men At Large are challenging African American Men to loose 2 Million lbs. before the end of 2007 to improve their health. The duo (Dave Tolliver and Edgar “Gemini” Porter) were discovered by the late Gerald Levert and were inspired to begin their weight loss efforts after Levert died of weight related health issues late in 2006. “That really had an impact on us,” said Tolliver. The group who themselves weigh a combined 750 lbs. found it hard to get back in shape when preparing to go on the road to promote their forthcoming CD Back On Top due from Couzan/Universal Records in July. “We realized we aren’t as young as we used to be but obviously being over weight was having a serious impact on us. We knew we needed to make some serious changes,” said Porter. According to Tolliver “Our biggest effort has been the simplest, pushing back from the table and eating less. We are walking a lot and rehearsing more vigorously to get in shape. Our personal ! goal is to loose 100 lbs. each.” Tolliver said, “Searching ways to loose weight on the internet let us know just how big the problem is among Black Men.” Porter added “Gerald’s death was a big loss to us and when we began to look around at a lot of friends and family members who were also dying young it hit us that many of them were dying from either, being overweight, being diabetic, or having high blood pressure.” “We knew that on tour we would be before a largely Black audience and that we would be able to speak out on a lot of black radio stations and newspapers about these problems. It suddenly became clear to us that we would have an audience to really make a difference in an area that is far more of an impact than our music. That’s when we came up with the idea of a contest to draw attention to what is really an epidemic,” said the duo. Statistically over 69% of all Black Men are over weight and 40% of all African American Men suffer from high blood pressure compared to 27% of White Men. According to the CDC 8% of all African American Men have diabetes, which is nearly twice that of White Men. Tolliver concludes, “People have asked us if this is a contest what is the prize? I tell them the prize is a longer, healthier life.” Men At Large hit the music scene in 1992 with their eponymous debut CD that was followed up in 1994 with their sophomore disc One Size Fits All. The two CD’s spawned 3 hit singles “So Alone,” “Use Me” and “Mmm, Mmmm, Good.” Men At Large Performance Dates: 5/20 – Taboo 2 - Atlanta, GA – 6075 Roswell, RD NE 5/26 – Club Placc - Dayton, OH – 1130 E. Main Street 5/27 – Sinergy – Cleveland, OH – 1213 W. 6th ST, Warehouse District
Posted in: News | Men At Large | 0 Comments
Former Akon Wife to be Speaks Out on Why She Left Him
Posten on: 2008-10-22 10:21:36
Rachel Ritfield, who was set to become Mrs Thiam or wife number four to the R&B star Akon, has hit the road, saying that she wants one man. "I'm not a bad person, I don't do anything to hurt anybody else so why can't I be one of those women who have a normal relationship and have a family?," she tells The Voice about the break up of her relationship with Akon. The 5'11" model who was the face of street label Akademiks, added that she couldn't walk up the aisle and exchange vows, despite being in love with the Senegalese singer. Ritfield feared that he could later meet wife number five, which would no longer make her his favorite - and hearing the news about the birth of his fifth child to one of his other wives, woke her up from a two-year love dream. "The reality check really came when Akon told me he had his fifth child with one of his wives. For the first few months I got completely freaked out because even though I knew he had other wives, I never really thought about him being with them because his main attention was always on me - or so I thought.” "He does not live with his wives but the birth of his latest child made everything become real and made me realize that I would always have to share the man I love while accepting his other relationships.” "At first I was very supportive but I began to question that if I was taking him into consideration and he was taking his family into consideration, who was taking me into consideration? The answer was 'nobody' so I decided I could no longer be apart of Akon's world." Ritfield, who came from a violent abusive past, says Akon was like a breath of fresh air for her. "Nothing was an issue," she says. "I came from a past that was very dramatic and scary into a relationship that appeared to be perfect." "There was never any friction. Akon was honest with me about his mutiple wives from the start, which never got in the way of our relationship because his wives live in various parts of the world, so I thought why fix it if it's not broken? But now I have a had a complete change of heart." The 23-year-old model says Akon told her how much he loved her and called her 'his lady' promising that she would be his last wife and whatever she wanted he would grant. Speaking openly about her feelings over her break up with the Grammy award winner, Racheal added: "Akon's love and attention was not enough. I want a lot more from a man - I need him to be active in my life not passive.” Still mending a broken heart, the former face of Miss Reggae Gold is determined to be positive about her situation. "It's not Akon's fault," she says. "He is only following his cultural and religious tradition and I had to decide whether I wanted to be a part of his customs. In the end I chose to walk away. I wish him all the best and I hope that we can still remain friends."
Posted in: News | Akon | 0 Comments
Hip Hop News: Snoop Dogg Reportedly Sentenced to Clean Park
Posten on: 2008-10-22 10:21:36
SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 11 U.S. rapper Snoop Dogg has been ordered to complete 160 hours of community service for illegal possession of a dangerous weapon. The penalty stems from a 2006 incident in which the recording artist was nabbed carrying a collapsible baton when he walked through security at John Wayne Airport, The Orange County Register reported Thursday. He pleaded guilty to the charge last month. As part of his community service sentence, Snoop Dogg has agreed to rake leaves, wash cars, clean toilets and pick up litter in a local park. Authorities have opted not to release the name of the park so Snoop Dogg fans don't flock there and disturb him while he is working. "He will do whatever it takes," said his attorney Donald Etra. "He will be making the park a better place for Orange County." Etra said his client, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, isn't balking about the tasks ahead of him. "Nope, Snoop has never pretended to be other than a man of the people," Etra said. Etra said he didn't know when Broadus will start the program or how long it will take to complete.
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Akon’s Former Label Flushed By Jersey Police
Posten on: 2008-10-22 10:21:36
Block Royal Entertainment, the label that kick started multi-platinum R&B singer Akon, was raided by Jersey City Police yesterday and yielded over 700 grams of cocaine and crack, $30,000, four handguns, hollow-point ammunition, four vehicles, and a bulletproof vest, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio. The studio was founded by Akon's former road manager Robert "Screw" Montanez, who was murdered in 2004 in a confrontation with a man trying to rob Capone of Capone-N-Noreaga. Akon, whose early career was promoted via Block Royal, was with Montanez at the time of his death. According to DeFazio, Block Royal's music business side was an alleged front for a drug operation. Jersey City police had been casing the headquarters for over six months before the time of the raid, part of a sting op they called "Operation Royal Flush." Nine men were arrested and face both state and federal drug distribution charges. Source: Vibe
Posted in: News | Akon | 0 Comments
Newcomer Leona Lewis Makes History With US No.1 Album
Posten on: 2008-10-22 10:21:36
Pop/R&B beauty LEONA LEWIS has made history by becoming the first British solo artist ever to score a number one in the U.S. album chart with a debut LP, according Nielsen SoundScan. The singer, discovered on "The X Factor," Simon Cowell's British talent show, leads the list with opening-week sales of 205,000 copies. “Spirit,” which has already sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide in the last six months, saw off competition from last week's (ends11Apr08) number one, Troubadour by George Gait, which only sold 59,000 copies. Last year, Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" set a record for the highest bow by a British female's solo debut when it entered at No. 7, although that set had not been Winehouse's first British release. The accomplishment makes Lewis the first British solo act to top the legendary countdown since Rod Stewart released Still The Same... Great Rock Classics Of Our Time in 2006. The release of "Spirit" stirs an 11% rise for Lewis' lead single, "Bleeding Love," which returns to No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs with 223,000 sold for the week (2-1). The song has sold 1.1 million copies since U.S. downloads became available in late December, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Posted in: News | Leona Lewis | 0 Comments
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