NEWS BIT: FILMMAKER WANTS BEYONCE TO PLAY ANGELA DAVIS IN MOVIE

Director Rachid Bouchareb, is setting up a movie on the early life of legendary civil rights activist Angela Davis (read about her life) and in a recent interview with THR, he said he wants Sasha Fierce Beyonce to play the leading role:

“I want Beyonce Knowles to play Angela Davis,” he said. “It’s a great dramatic role for her.” [SOURCE]

Hmmm....

JENNIFER HUDSON PERFORMS ‘NATIONAL ANTHEM’ AT SUPER BOWL (+VIDEO)

In her first public appearance since the tragic murders of her mother, brother and nephew last October, Oscar winner and Grammy nominated star Jennifer Hudson gave a stunning performance of the National Anthem before Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, February 1st.


HERE IS THE HD VERSION:

Morning Tidbits…

Beyonce, (Or shall I say Sasha Fierce) and Idris Elba’s new poster for their Obsessed movie is out.   Ehh...

Entertainment: DOCUMENTARY ‘TROUBLE THE WATER’ UP FOR OSCAR

In the running for an Academy Award is the excellent documentary, ‘Trouble The Water,’ up for best Documentary feature.

The film literally takes you inside Hurricane Katrina, in a way it’s seldom been seen – through the eyes of two true survivors, Kim and Scott Roberts. It was executive Produced by Danny Glover.

Jamie Foxx won’t sport diamond earrings anymore

American actor Jamie Foxx has given up his trademark diamond earrings to protest against the use of conflict gems in jewellery.

The Oscar-winner, famous for wearing big stones in each of his ears, has ditched them after learning about the history of jewels mined in warzones and sold to fund conflicts or profit warlords.

"I now wear cubic zirconia. I used to wear real diamonds, but there''s too much issue about blood diamonds," Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

REPORT: NATALIE COLE TO GET KIDNEY FROM HERE SISTER

Singer Natalie Cole, 58, has been battling Hepatitis C. We’ve also told to a few months ago that the legendary singer has been treated for kidney failure, and doctors have told her she needs a transplant.

Well now MediaTakeOut.com caught wind of a new report which claims that Natalie may have a donor. According to the National Enquirer, Cole asked family members not to donate, but her sister Timolin, 47, was tested in secret, and has been declared a match for her sick sibling.

Cole is currently too weak to undergo surgery, but doctors are reportedly building up her strength so they can carry out the transplant next month. A source told the Enquirer, "After (she learned of the match), Natalie kept saying, 'I can't believe this! I'm so blessed. My sister's giving me a tomorrow. She's saving my life.'"

SURPRISE? NOT: WILL SMITH TO PLAY OBAMA IN MOVIE....MAYBE ITS THE EARS

Smith has staked his claim to play the role, even before Barack Obama has been inaugurated as president.

Speaking at the premiere of his new film Seven Pounds at the Empire, Leicester Square, in London, Smith laughed about reports that the US President-elect had indicated that he would like the actor to play him if his life story were ever to be made into a movie.

“If I am ordered by my commander in chief to star in a film about him, I will do my duty as an American," he said, beaming.

Smith, best known for the Men in Black films and Independence Day, says however that he had no desire to move into the White House for real.

"If we were in the White House I don't know if that would exactly be a good thing. The Obamas are much more prepared to be in the White House than the Smiths.

"It's a whole lot more fun to be a movie star. That's a difficult job being President with a whole lot of lives on the line with every decision you make. In my job I just bring joy. I don't bring bad news. I think I'll stay in my position for quite some time." Smith said the “world had changed forever” with the election of Barack Obama.

He said he would be an "eyewitness to history" when he attends the impending inauguration of US President-elect Barack Obama.

Seven Pounds charts Smith's character Ben Thomas's attempts at redemption following a horrific accident. It also stars Rosario Dawson.

The actor added that he also has plans to do a Bollywood film with Danny Boyle following the success of Slumdog Millionaire.

He said: "I talked to Danny Boyle just a couple of weeks ago. When we find something it will be fantastic. I'm trying to expand as an actor and as an artist to bring stories to the screen that add to people's lives that work in service to humanity."

Morning Nuggets: TAJ FROM SWV ON SURVIVOR?

Remember SWV? Well SWV chick Taj George is set to appear on the upcoming season of Survivor. Not sure if she’s doing it for the money or just for the fame, but her hubby Eddie and their sons told her don’ come home without either.

Watch CBS Videos Online

From the looks of this pic, we are in store for a hot mess...

Let The Inaugural Festivities Begin

It looks like Sasha Fierce/Beyonce got her wish. She’ll be performing alongside Mary J, Queen Latifah, Jamie Foxx, and several other rock stars at an MLK/Obama event at the Lincoln Memorial on Monday the 19th. The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) is hosting THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL. It’s the Opening Celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural, to be presented exclusively by HBO on Sunday, January 18 (7:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT). The event will be free and open to the public, kicking off the most open and accessible Inauguration in history. Nice.

Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira and Stevie Wonder are set to perform at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball Airing Exclusively on ABC, Tuesday January 21


And to help out with the mass amounts of parties and events going down this week and next, here’s a few of YBF’s Inaugural Event picks:

The Cultural Academy for Excellence featuring the award-winning Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra presents… ” A Celebration of Change”: From Emancipation to Presidency! This historic concert will take place Monday, January 19th at the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, DC. The concert begins promptly at 7:00p.m. Please visit Cafeyouth.org to purchase tickets.
Barack Obama Film presents Obama for Change Staff and Supporter Victory Celebration Location: Zanzibar, 700 Water St,SW ( Washington,DC) Info: Barackdocumentary.com
The Brothers of Lambda Gamma Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. would like to invite you to celebrate the election of Mr. Barack Obama to the Office of President of the United States.To celebrate this historic event we will be hosting a party on Friday, January 16th, 2009 at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel located in beautiful Arlington, Virginia. Please visit Ques-LGG.org for more informatio
JCM Entertainment, LLC presents TheYBF.com Exclusive! Inauguration All Access Packages for this historic weekend! Special Access to the hottest events of Inauguration for TheYBF.com readers ONLY: Click Here for more details.
“Inauguration Weekend Edition”: $50 for all 3 events! Join Wylie K & Friends, The Honey Comb Set Models, The Coalition Models, and others as we celebrate the Inauguration of our 44th president, Barack Obama. There will be three different events for those that will be celebrating such a special occasion. Get your tickets now! Wylie K & Friends Inauguration events. Ticketalternative.com & DMVpics.com.
Check back tomorrow for more.

T. D. JAKES RELEASES NEW FILM ‘NOT EASILY BROKEN’: Movie from Potters House leader touches on marriage, relationships, family and romance.

“Not Easily Broken," the latest faith-based feature film from Bishop T.D. Jakes, touches upon themes of marriage, relationships, family and romance.
Jakes said he wrote the novel that served as source material, and that the film was directed and adapted by men (Bill Duke and Brian Bird).

Morris Chestnut plays the main character, the story is of a young couple struggling to maintain their connection to one another and God. It's that rare personal drama — with a largely African-American cast — told from a male perspective.

Jakes is among the producers of "Not Easily Broken" and also makes a brief cameo in the movie. It's his second feature film, following 2004's "Woman, Thou Art Loosed," and it's the latest offshoot of what has become a vast multimedia empire.

Jakes, who began his pastorate in 1979 with a small West Virginia church of 10 members, now oversees The Potter's House, which has more than 50,000 active outreach ministries and has been described as one of America's fastest-growing "mega-churches."

As an author he has penned more than 30 books and hosts a weekly Gospel television program. He's a frequent guest of Oprah Winfrey's and is regularly called upon to serve as an on-air commentator for network and cable news shows.

Jakes has a developmental deal with Sony that could produce a number of big-screen and direct-to-video titles, especially if "Not Easily Broken" proves to be a success. "Not Easily Broken," which opened Friday, is the saga of Dave (Chestnut) and Clarice Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) who face a breaking point in their marriage after she is seriously injured in a car crash. The accident brings to the surface divisive problems that have been festering for years, problems caused by a lack of communication, eroding respect for one another and conflicting life priorities.

As an intimate, small-budget movie, "Not Easily Broken" arrives on the scene free of blockbuster aspirations. But the fact that it has found its way into theaters nationwide has Jakes encouraged that Hollywood is finally starting to embrace films with spiritual themes.

Music 360: MOVIE PREMIERES: ‘NOTORIOUS’

Want to know the TRAGIC story of Biggie?  It's now on the Big Screen....

Naturi Naughton (who plays Lil Kim in the movie) and Jamal Woolard (who portrays Biggie) attend the premiere of “Notorious” at the AMC Lincoln Square on Wednesday night in New York City.


Just for the record, She Don't Look Nothin' Like Lil Kim..to me, but he Sho Nuff is Biggie Smalls!!!

Entertainment: LIVING SINGLE REUNION!!! CHECK OUT WHAT KYLE, OVERTON, SYNCLAIR, MAX AND RUSSELL LOOK LIKE NOW!!!

Throw back!  Where's Regine??

ACTRESS LISA BONET HAS A NEW BABY BOY … AND HIS NAME IS NAKOA-WOLF MANAKAUAPO NAMAKAEHA MOMOA!!!

Actress Lisa Bonet and her baby daddy actor Jason Momoa had their second child together – a boy named: Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.


Wanna know what all that means, here’s how Lisa explains it:

He was born on the stormest, rainy night.

so Nakoa(warrior)...Mana(strength/spirit) Kaua(rain) po(dark)...

The name was always going to be Nakoa-Wolf, but Jason did the research on first middle name, 2nd middle name as you know is Jason's.

Hmmmmm....I guess.  Our president IS named BARACK........

ANGELA SIMMONS: I BROKE UP WITH MY EX-BOYFRIEND BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP MY VIRGINITY!!!

Did any of y'all watch Angela and Vanessa's new show Daddy's Girls last night. It was AWFUL ... but there was one intersting thing about it. Angela disclosed the reason why her and skateboarder Terry "TK" Kennedy broke up. Here's what she said:


I'm picky about [boyfriends] because of my circumstances - the not sleeping with you until we're married ... not having sex until I'm married.

That was the downfall of me and TK. The man just COULDN'T WAIT!

Interesting ... such a wholesome girl...

'SOUL MEN' DIRECTOR DEVASTATED OVER MAC, HAYES: Malcolm Lee says death of his two stars on the same weekend 'was surreal.'

*Malcolm D. Lee, director of the upcoming film "Soul Men," had an unspeakably horrible weekend dealing with the deaths of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, both of whom starred in his upcoming film, "Soul Men."


"It was surreal," Lee told ABC News. "It had to be some sort of bad dream that these two giants would die on the same weekend, and both would be in my movie."

"Soul Men", also starring Samuel L. Jackson, tells the story of two estranged soul singers (Mac and Jackson) who reunite to honor their deceased band leader.

Mac, 50, died Saturday from complications relating to pneumonia; Hayes, 65, died Sunday after collapsing at his home near Memphis. Citing paperwork from the singer's family doctor, the local sheriff's department said Hayes may have died from a stroke.




Already a classic photo: Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes and Samuel L. Jackson from 'Soul Men.'

Though Lee and distributor The Weinstein Co. have announced no changes to the movie or its Nov. 14 release date, the director says he feels the pressure of creating a fitting farewell to both actors.

"This isn't like "Dark Knight," where Heath Ledger died while editing was in its infancy," Lee says. "Most of our editing is done. We'll go back and see if there is anything we can do better. But (Mac) left us with an indelible performance. I think I got him at the top of his game."

Mac plays a wisecracking counterpart to Jackson's dour character, while Hayes plays himself in "Soul Men." Lee says both roles "are emblematic, I think, of the men they were."

Lee, who first met Mac on the set of "The Original Kings of Comedy" (directed by Lee's cousin Spike), says Mac's character in "Soul Men" "is eternally positive, and that's the way he was in real life. (The movie) gave him an opportunity to be extremely raw and showcase his singing and dancing talent."

Hayes, meanwhile, "had to be in the movie," Lee says. "His impact on music is immeasurable. I've listened to his music my whole life; he changed what soul music could be. He's the man. They both were. I want my movie to be a tribute to both of them."