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Girls' Bite Out April 2008...are you ready for more?

Fab Sightings - New York City

Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who came out to see WEBEIME this past Sunday! It was an amazing play and the performers were spectacular!

JAD

Join Me This Sunday (4/4) To See My Crushin': Lamman Rucker In WEBEIME!

After gaining respect and accolades through his engaging portrayals on the stage, in popular daytime soaps, hit sitcoms, successful primetime dramas, and hot feature films like Tyler Perry's #1 movie "WHY DID I GET MARRIED?" where he captured hearts as the handsome hero 'Sheriff Troy', rising star LAMMAN RUCKER continues to impress the masses with his multi-faceted arsenal of talent and abilities with the BLACK GENTS of Hollywood's original play, "WEBEIME".

Come see Lamman and his incredible cast mates for the remaining performances of the highly-successful run of "WEBEIME" (We, Be, I, Me). Having won the interest of many suitors, this play is a 'must-see' and will be one of the most memorable experiences you'll ever have at the theater. A story about a young man who, in the last two hours of his life, re-lives his vivid recollections of the major events of his tumultuous past and is forced to come to terms with the experiences and choices that have created his present circumstance and impact his future. It's a roller-coaster ride of laughter and tears; joy and pain; anger and frustration; love and hope; childhood innocence and the accountability of adulthood; and of the vulnerability of man and the power of the human spirit! Told by a powerful all-male ensemble of eight dynamic, good-looking and talented African-American men, "WEBEIME" is a journey you will never forget!!! ... The BLACK GENTS of Hollywood & The NEGRO ENSEMBLE COMPANY present critically-acclaimed, award-winning play "WEBEIME" by: Layon Gray STARRING: Justin Biko, David Wendell Boykins, Layon Gray, Jason McGee, Thom Scott II, Donn Swaby, Darren Thomas, Gordon Timothy and *LAMMAN RUCKER*!

WHEN: Thursday, May 1st at 7:30 PM Friday, May 2nd at 7:30 PM Saturday, May 3rd at 3:00 PM Saturday, May 3rd at 7:30 PM Sunday, May 4th at 3:00 PM Only!

RUN TIME: 2 hours with One Intermission

WHERE: Harlem School of the Arts 645 St. Nicholas Avenue [Between 141st & 145th St.] New York, NY 10030 212-279-4200

TICKETS: Go to: "www.ticketcentral.com" By Phone: (212) 279-4200 Open 12-8 Daily At Box Office: Central Box Office 416 W. 42nd Street New York, NY 10036 Open Daily 12-8pm For more info, visit: "www.myspace.com/BLACKGENTS" Or: "www.necinc.org" *NOTE*: Please spread the word, and come ready to be moved! This is a great play!

Please be aware, however, that this play has very mature content, occasional profanity, stylized physical abuse, and moments of mild nudity - all which serve the style, storyline and message of the piece. We encourage the attendance of teens and young people, but please use your discretion. The BLACK GENTS of Hollywood greatly appreciate your on-going love & support of our gift and passion for acting and healing other people and look forward to this opportunity to share that blessing with you!!!

JD

Sean Bell: Ya'll Must've Forgot

....no we didnt! We have been on our grind however the Bell family is definitely on our minds and in our hearts. Nicole stay strong you and your family are definitely in our prayers. We disagree with the verdict and hope that justice will prevail.

Shakara

ViPink: Brian-Michael Cox

Last night the lovely ladies of WEEN hosted their first ViPink fundraiser in Manhattan at the lovely Bocarou Lounge. Grammy-award winning producer/songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox was featured and provided an exclusive performance and interview for attendees. Bryan is known for producing such hits as Usher’s “You Got It Bad” and Mary J. Blige’s “Be With Out You.” However, last night Bryan stepped out of the studio and flexed his vocal cords. After a great performance Bryan sat down with multi-talented lawyer and television host, ; Lauren Lake for some intimate conversation. The charitable event was successful and proceeds from ViPink will support WEEN’s “Don’t Judge Me…Empower Me Tour” for young ladies this summer.

Pictures include: WEEN Founders(Sabrina Thompson, Lauren Lake, Valeisha Butterfield & Kristi Henderson), Melissa Ford, Datwon Thomas (King & XXL Mag), Ebro Darden (Hot 97), Noelle Hyman, Nadine Gayle and Dr. Ben Chavis



Pictures include: Valeisha Butterfield, Dr. Ben Chavis Rosci & Terrance J (106 & Park)
(Bryan- Michael Cox & Lauren Lake)





FabGirl

Get 'Em Girl of the Week : Valeisha Butterfield

Valeisha Monique Butterfield is an African-American entertainment executive and social activist.

Butterfield was born in Wilson, North Carolina to G.K. Butterfield, a United States Congressman and Jean Farmer-Butterfield, a Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives.

It was at the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) that Butterfield found a professional home and a way to successfully accomplish both goals. Valeisha's meteoric rise from intern to Executive Director of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, the world's largest non-profit coalition of hip-hop artists and entertainment industry executives, is analogous to that of a total eclipse – rare, luminous, engaging and a force to be reckoned with. Butterfield is the first woman to lead the organization's philanthropic initiatives and business operations under the direction of Russell Simmons and Dr. Benjamin Chavis.

Considered by most as the youngest African-American executive director in the United States, she is an exemplary illustration of the fresh leadership needed in today's entertainment corporate social landscape.

Upon witnessing the recent public outcry, particularly among women, on the issues of misogyny, sexism and racism in entertainment and in society, Butterfield felt compelled to take a leadership role in the discussion and the solution. As the Founder of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), Butterfield has dedicated her life to improving the quality of life of women of color and hopes to leave a meaningful legacy on the business and creative practices of the entertainment industry and in society. Her goal is to make significant improvements in the quality of life of women of color in the areas of education, self-esteem, financial independence and overall happiness through entertainment-based mentorship.

R & B LIVE- Ashanti

Last night I had the opportunity to attend R & B Live. Ashanti was the featured artist of the night. Ryan Leslie and Lloyd also performed. One of the opening acts was a new artist named Gritz. This young lady was the truth. Though I love attending R & B live, the crowd is very industry and can be rude sometimes...but Gritz commanded every ones attention. People were clapping and nodding their heads as this young lady sung about being abused by her father. I definitely look forward to hearing more from this young lady.
Ryan was also great. I love his energy, I got a chance to hear some of his new songs, but of course Diamond Girl is still my favorite song. Lloyd was next and he did a great job...his sweet voice is always a pleasure to hear.
Lastly Ashanti finished the night off. She looked great and sounded great. My only complaint is I wanted to hear more songs. I wish I had some pictures to show..however our favorite photographer, Johnny Nunez is out of the country shooting someones vacation...;)

Day 26, Co Star

I am really feeling this new Day 26 CD. I am sure Jeniece and Joan are tired of me playing it all day, every day...however it is the only CD in my constant rotation. Though I love the entire CD, my favorite song is Co Star. This song is so sexy and gives me the chills. I have written like a hundred video treatments in my head. Everyone that knows me well knows how passionate I am about music. Music truly makes me loose control. This lyrics are beautiful and the music is arranged perfectly. The guys sound great. People have compared them to Jodeci, but I think this song puts them in their own category. This song must be a single! I am about to start the campaign..lol Shout out to Mario Winans for writing this song.

Here are the lyrics to my favorite part of the song. The ad libs are in parenthesis and are sung by Willie and Robert.
We both know what will go down on tonight.
(We know what's going down, yes we do)
You've been teasing until the time was right.
(You've been teasing, ohhh)
So let go.It's your show. (It's your show, baby)
All I wanna do is co-star. (All I wanna do is lay right next to the star)
I'm in the right place at the right time. (Oh, I just wanna be everywhere you are)
I'm in the right place at the right time. (Oh, your body's looking to me and it's saying that I am)I
'm in the right place at the right time.
(You don't have to worry no more you're in my hands)I'm in the right place at the right time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Shakara

Westin Philadelphia versus The Game

OK...so I know this isn't hotel.com but I just had to voice my feelings about an issue I ran into this weekend. Anybody that has been reading the blog knows that we are Stans Fans of CW's The Game, so when we decided that if we would stay overnight in Philadelphia after the HSAN event, we knew we had to have good eats, good accommodations, and good television.

So we set off: we hit South Street for cheesesteaks and gremlins at Ishkabibbles - good eats (Check!), we had reservations at The Westin, heavenly beds and all - good accommodations (Check!), and we checked the tv listings, a new episode of The Game was coming on - good television (Check!). Valeisha hit us and invited us to go bowling that evening but we had a plan set (sorry V). Shakara opted to go bowling which left Joan and I to get our grub and Game on...NOT!

Picture us...pajamas on, under the covers, cheesesteaks in our lap, and remote in hand: begin channel surfing now...FOX, ABC, NBC, HBO...hold up, let me try this again. FOX, ABC, NBC, HBO...WHAT IN THE HELL??! Somebody tell me, how in the hell can you not have The CW? I mean come on! I called everybody reception, concierge, even the parking attendant...I could not believe it! Joan didn't seem to upset considering she hasn't watched television in 11 months...but me, I was done. Needless to say, although the bed was nice I'll stay at the HOJO on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST lol.

Thank the Lord for DVR!

Turn Up the Vote - Philly

The Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) hosted the 2008 Team Vote Launch this past Sunday in Philadelphia and we had the pleasure to be in attendance. There were more than a few folks in attendance including Russell Simmons, T.I., Flo Rida, Ciara, Lil Mama and more... The event was hosted by Dr. Ben Chavis and was put together by uber Get 'Em Girl, Valeisha Butterfield.
Source: Wireimage

Get 'Em Girls' Presents: Girls' Bite Out

After months of planning, prayers, tears, arguments, joys and pains the Girls' Bite Out went down beautifully on Thursday, April 17th. We want to thank everyone that came out to support us and forgive us for not being on time...we were working hard y'all!

We will be adding photos daily starting Wednesday so check back regularly! If you see a picture of yourself that you would like for your collection, just hit us up!

Thank you God and everyone that had anything to do with the production of this event: Therese Nelson, Nadine, Noelle, Tashana, Darrylle, Eric, Sherise, Terrell Belin, and Johnny Nunez! All the editors that came out, the vendors: B. Star, Ally Marie, WEEN, Luxe Essential, Neero & Anna, and our sponsors!

Last but not least, thank you to everyone that attended...Let's Go Get 'Em! Oh, Etwin, thank you for the delicious and beautiful cake; it was definitely Get 'Em Girl Approved!

Dreams Do Come True…Crushin’ on Lamman Rucker Part II!

Monday night NABFME (National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment) hosted, Breaking the Silence in Song, a music competition centered on domestic violence. I had the pleasure of meeting my crushin’ Mr. Lamman Rucker! OMG, in the words of B. Scott…TAKE ME HIGHER LORD! I thought I was going to need an asthma pump and I don’t even have asthma! Talk about a nice, fine, tall glass of water!! After meeting Lamman and hearing about some of the great things he’s involved in, my crushin’ on him is now on a totally different level and I have soooo much respect for him. Mr. Rucker is such a well-rounded individual and he actively participates in various awareness programs including domestic violence and HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness!

Lamman is currently acting in the hit play WeBeIMe, a dramatic portrayal of one man's coming to terms with the repercussions of the decisions that he has made in life before the inevitable happens. With little time on his side, he searches his soul for inner peace and his mind wanders back down the road that put him in his current predicament. My business partners and I will be going to see WeBeIMe this month and I hope you guys will join us, additional information and an interview with Lamman will be forthcoming.

Joan

WEEN Empowerment Gala

Gala Speakers
WEEN C0-Founders
Gala Participants

Procrastination is a big problem for me, but I could not allow another day to go by without talking about the awesome event WEEN held on Saturday, March 29th. The Get ‘Em Girls’ along with other fabulous women spoke at WEEN’s first Empowerment Gala for young ladies ages 15-20. I honestly thought that because I watch 106th & Park and I can do the Soldier Boy, I was in touch with the youth; however I could not be further from the truth. When I was young, I was allowed to be a child. I was carefree. The only time I was stressed was when I knew the phone bill was coming and my parents would see all of the phone calls I made down south to a boy I “thought” I was in love with (if only unlimited calling was available back then..lol). However, these young girls seem to have a lot of real life issues affecting them. They were very excited about this event. We talked to them candidly about our careers and also raffled off internships for the attendees. I left feeling empowered and sensing the urgency to get more involved with our youth.

Shakara

Sunny Anderson is Cooking For Real

Today I got a chance to catch the new Food Network show Cooking for Real with Sunny Anderson and I really like it! It usually takes me a couple of episodes to really get into new cooking shows, but I must say she won me over early. I was really anticipating this show, as I liked Sunny on Hot 97 as a radio DJ, and when I heard that she was making the transition to Chef I was like...'a girl after my own heart!'

I will say, when I first saw the gadget show she did in the summer, I wasn't feeling that, but she has definitely redeem herself. I will be setting my DVR, and I suggest you do the same! You can catch Cooking for Real on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. EST on the Food Network.

JI

Come Party with The Get 'Em Girls in NYC!

After months of planning the event that we’ve been talking about and you’ve been asking for is almost here. With the premier Girls’ Bite Out event a little over a week away, we're offering you one last chance to buy tickets NOW and celebrate with us in NYC. We’ve teamed up with wonderful sponsors, including Macy’s, Clutch Magazine, and WEEN and we can’t wait until next week to get the party started in pure Get ’Em Girl fashion!

The theme is Taste the Life, so come prepared to indulge in delicious food, drinks (NUVO!), fabulous shopping, and hurry on down to the Westside Loft, Thursday, April 17, at 6:00 p.m. in NYC. There will be opportunities for over-stuffed VIP goodie bags, and fabulous giveaways, courtesy of our wonderful sponsors. If you are a company who wants to be a sponsor or included in the giveaways, please email us here.

For more information on the event please visit us here

Ruby Dee Honors the Memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Yesterday, Friday, April 4, 2008 marked the 40^th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To commemorate Dr. King, Ruby Dee read from his “Beyond Vietnam” speech, delivered April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in NYC.

Russell Takes the Philanthropy to Miami

The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation hosted a VIP reception yesterday for its Annual Art For Life benefit held this weekend in Miami Beach, FL. The star-studded event included Kansas-City Chiefs RB Larry Johnson, Julissa Bermudez, John Legend, Model Christine Teigen, Russell Simmons, Model Porschla Coleman, Danny Simmons, and Rush Philanthropics' Executive Director, Tangie Murray.

The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation was founded by the brothers Simmons (Russell, Danny, and Reverend Run) and is dedicated to providing disadvantaged urban youth with exposure and access to the arts. For more information on the foundation and how you too can become a volunteer or make a donation, click here >>

From a concerned (future) parent to another.....

Dear Ms. Hawkins,
Please come and get your son. Our friend who shall remain nameless is coveting your child Chris. Joan and I were in the process of staging an intervention, but then 106 & Park aired his new video "Take You Down" and all hell broke loose. Some of the moves your son did were reminiscent of a young Bobby Brown when he performed "Roni." Therefore we offered Bobby aka "The King of R &B" as a substitute since he is closer to her age, but she declined. At this point we are just going to have to let the chips fall as they may.

Please tell Chris' bodyguard to be gentle..she's harmless


Shakara & Joan