ENTERTAINMENT
BRIEFS
urphy: w
Ibum nd movie
Con r tul tlon
r In ord r
Will Smith recently an­
nounced hi engagement to
longtime girlfriend, Cherise.
The wedding is set for May
9.
Wh t' . Up with .
Lion I Rlchl ?
- Eddie Murphy's work­
ing on a new album for release
this ummer. Eddie 0 gra­
ciously ppeared in Michael's
video (a fine job, too),
Michael' consented to ome
backup vocals Eddie begins
hooting . next rum, "Dis­
tinguished Gentkmm" (for
Disney) in April.
_; G ee Jones is one of the
tars in Eddie Murphy's film,
"Boonu:rang. "
Everybody wants to know
what' up with Lionel Richie.
Repol1l are the . nger i in the
. middle of a new album. Since
his 1986 release, "Dancing 0,.
The Ceiling, " Richie split from
hi wife and was sued and
cleared of plagiarism. He suf­
fered a vocal chord hemor­
rhage in October and has had
two vocal chord series.
Currently he's working
with Nile Rodgers. Whenever
the album' completed, Nile
says it will be "classic
Lionel .. .like when he was with
the Commodores".
Sh ring
th Dr am
John stngteton, Cuba
Gooding Jr, and Morris
Chestnut were among those on
hand for the announcement of
impending "Boyz in the
'Hood" release on videocas­
sette on March 11, 1992. Its
release will coincide with a
promotional marketing cam­
paign designed to benefit the
United Negro College Fund.
Highlighting the campaign
. is a two-minute public service
announcement at the top of
each video with Singleton ur­
ging that viewers "Share the
Dream" of education in ad­
dressing the urban crime prob­
lem. Singleton most recently
earned praise for his work ,on
Michael Jackson's "Remem­
ber The Time" video.
Jackson was so moved by
"Boyz N' The Hood" that·he
tapped Singleton to direct the
video. Singleton is continual­
ly surpri ed by the effect his
movie has had, "This film," he
says, "has given me the oppor-
tunity to see the whole world.
I didn't know it was going to
catch fire li1cc it did. I was j t
making a movie."
As to it's message, he adds
the impact has been even more
profound. "Expectant fathers
tell me that they're gonna take
better care of their kids, and
ome children tell me that
they're gonna try to set their
paren traight on how they
hould talk to them."
Singleton will begin work
on hi next film, "Poetic Jus- .
tice" in April.
-cOMplUd by K. B..u
-cOtrl1'ilHUrJ: Lisa ColliM (BI·
Iti"d.TIt e- Sc."u) de Radio­
ScoJH •.. TM ColUMlt
n
ltd n'tmatterifyoudon'tw nttohearit-IceCube' gonna 11
it Ii e it i . His current lbum "Death CmiflCate, " hich debuted t
number two on the c , Je, Korean-Ameri , nd other'
criti touting him an voca or of crime, cism nd violence. But
ccording to Cube, the m ge of "DetJth CertifICate" i sent to bring
life to a dying nation.
"We can't but r or ten it up," y Cube. We ot to tell it just
like the ldds see it. We've been beating around the b h 0 long it'
pathetic. We got to kick the real .. .so with the record, that' what it' ."
With "Death Certificate," Cube become "America' Most
Wanted"-wanted off the air and off the helv . He' been heavily
criticized for "No VaseliM" and "Block Korea" in particular.
In an unprecedented move, late I t year Billboard Magazino-the
premiere music industry publication-printed a trongly-worded
editorial against Ice Cube and his album, which prompted those in the
industry to take sides. Some labeled the editorial a call for censorship
and said it was racially motivated. Others id the critici m w
justified.
ICE CUBE S YS hi current rap re just powerful as the one
on "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted". The only difference is"M t
Wanted" foc ed primarily on Bl c and the 'hood while "Death
Certificate" takes a look at the problem African-Americans have with
whi tes, Jew and Koreans.
"Once I start pointing out the real problems not with my Black
brother, it's the white power tructure. It' not like I'm just talking out
of a puff of moke, my philosophy is this: not n nakes are poi nous,
but they're all nates."
Cube's new lyrical direction could have omething to do with his
current affiliation ith the Nation of Islam. He's working on becom­
ing a full-fledged member. His hard-core, treet image n't affected
hi standing In the Muslim community. However, once he does join
in full there will be '11 to keep in c
Cube talks a lot about respect. .. how different cultures, different
races and oppo ite sexes should all respect one another. So if he' all
hung up on respect, why i he constantly dis in' women by calling them
bitches? "If I used a word that didn't pi some people off or make
you mad or make you think, or make you want to change that, then it
wouldn't affect you," he explains. "How you gOMA de cribe some-
thing that ain't there?" '
Following the succes in "Boyz N' The Hood, " Cube taken on
acting as sort of a hobby. He's filming the upcoming Universal flick,
"Looters" with fellow rappe-r Iee-T, But be's not planning to make a
profession out of it unle he can have some real control.
DESPITE ALL THE controversy unounding "Death Certifi­
cate, n Cube says he won't give in to any media pressure. And for the
over 1.3 million people who've already bought his album, that's 0001.
r ot
h
/
II
In rap music, the frontman who
shou out his gritty street wisdom
with microphone in hand has long
been the center of attention, while
the DJ often toil in relative
obscurity, behind hi bank of turn­
tables, pinning and scratching out
the rhythms that propel the rhymes.
Changing a� of that is DJ. Magic
Mike, producer of an amazing string
of R&B hits since be burst upon the
. national music scene at age fourteen,
including the recently certified gold
smash album, "Bass Is The Name 0/
The Game," which spent over 56
weeks on the R&B charts.
Now, this influential scratch
producer and mix master. is bursting
out center stage to bask in the spot­
Ught of his own rhythmic creations.
His latest production, written anct
produced by Magic Mi� with Me
Madness is Ain't No Doubt About It
which has launched the new single
"Dynamic Duo. "
His last production for Vicious
.Base, featured the top 10 rap single,
"It's AlltOl1lQtic," from the album
"Back To Haunt Y(HI" (re ed on
Cheetah Records). In addition to the
LP's hot groov ,the video for the
new ingle "Dynamic Isuo" boasts an
ace production team ("MitJmi Vice, "
video for Ted Nugent and Anthrax,
"Godfather III") nd demonstrates
that Magic Mike at bome in
front of the came _ be II behind
the turntable.
Known as the uncI" puled father
of the Movement incorporating
heavy ounds (which originated
in Soutbom Florida). w
real name is Mike Hampton, has
earned his stripea as an arti t and
businessman. As Executive Vice
President of Cheetah Records, Mike
has been performing his magic on the
R&B charts with hit after hit, includ­
ing the aforementioned "Bass Is The
Name 0/ The Game" and DJ Magic
.Mike and the Royal Posse featuring
the single "Drop The Bass. "
BECAUSE OF HIS string of
successes and the credibility that
brings, Magic Mike is also perform­
ing another trick, changing the music
industry'S perception of the DJ' role
in the maldng of hit records. With
his creative ability to fashion killer
grooves nd mix and match seem­
inaIy incongruous sounds, Mike has
been .at tbe forefront of helping to
heighten the visibility of Drs ar­
tilts in their own right, and also en­
joys the career flexibility of working
with different groups.
"It' hard to describe what I do -
it' something inside of me that I
feel," says Magic Mike. "The ideas
that go on the record depend a lot on
my mood at the time. If �I'm feeling
upbeat, the music turns out that way:
if I'm feeling slow and laid-back,
tbat's how it will ound."
Magic Mike hails from the Orlan­
do area and played I major role in
putting the Florida rap scene on the
map. While still in junior high he
became the host of his own mix
how, "1M Traffic Jam," &ired on
the most influential R&B station in
0rlaDd0. Soon be to
rtist Of he ear
991
U
a
D.J. Magic Mike
M.C. Madness
records of hi own, igning with
Oleetah Records in 1987.
Magic Mike has produced ixteen
R&B hits iocluding Clay D's "Boot
tM Booty" and Half Pint' "Stop and
Grind." Now, with the rete of his
new prod uction wi th Madne •
"Ain't No Doubt About It," Magic
Mike will continue to cast his pell
on the charts and rap rans around the
worl .
Hi highly touted, Cheetah
release, Ain't No Doubt About It
featuring the Ingle and video,
"Dynamic Duo" i in tores and on
radio waves
country ... NOW.
the
acros
