Monday Memo

"Gnomeo & Juliet" topped the weekend box office earning over $14 million dollars. "Hall Pass", "Unknown", "Just Go With It"  and "I Am Number Four" round out the top five films of the week.  The Academy Awards aired last night, with James Franco and Anne Hathaway co-hosting the show. "The King's Speech" won Best Picture. Colin Firth won Best Actor for "The King's Speech" and Natalie Portman won Best Actress for "Black Swan". All in all, the show was a mixed bag of stellar and not so stellar moments. The co-hosts spoofed an old Billy Crystal routine and some other moments occurred that could have been left on the cutting room floor. Singers Rihanna and Ciera reportedly got into a spat on Twitter over what Ciera assumed was a snub at an event the two attended. Hopefully, the two will meet to patch things up soon. Rapper Lil Wayne was detained and searched after arriving in Miami. DEA agents searched the New Orleans rapper, and after discovering he was clean, let him go. Rapper Juvenile was not so lucky. The rapper was arrested Saturday for possession of marijuana and driving with suspended license. He paid a $750 fine and was released. Be sure to catch the cliffhanger episode of "Castle" tonight. It is sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Terrance Howard and Jennifer Hudson are set to play Nelson and Winnie Mandela in a biopic about  Mandela's prison term, Winnies's legal trouble and the couples relationship before and after the imprisonment. No word on when the film will hit theaters. On the tube: "House" on Fox, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "The Bachelor" on ABC and "Chuck" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

The video for Kanye West's new single "All The Lights" was removed from You Tube after a epilepsy group claimed that the bright, flashy clip will cause seizers.  Reportedly, a research organization has confirmed this finding.The clip has been put back up, but with a disclaimer. In other Kanye West news, the rapper posted a picture of himself and teen sensation Justin Bieber on social networking site Twitter. No word on whether they were working on something for Kanye or Justin, but at any rate whatever the two come up with is sure to be a hot item on Twitter. Rapper Foxy Brown has weighed in on the Lil Kim/Nicki Minaj beef by saying that Kim should just stick to making music. Several days after the restraining order against Chris Brown was lifted,  photos of Rihanna's bloody and battered face have surfaced on mediatakeout.com. No word on if any legal action will be taken. Producer Jermaine Dupri weighed in on the recent letter in the New York Times by record executive Steve Stoute slamming the Grammy nominating process. He once served on Atlanta's NARAS board and says he knows what it's like to deal with a process that neglects hip hop culture and essentially pop culture. CBS has cancelled the hit show "Two And A Half Men" after its star Charlie Sheen made disparaging remarks during a recent interview. No word on what show the network will replace the sitcom with. The top 24 contestants have been chosen on Fox's "American Idol" and it's now time for America to do it's voting. Be sure to tune in next week as the competition continues. James Franco will co-host this Sunday's Academy Awards with actress Anne Hathaway and Hollywood's biggest night is bound to be an exciting one. The show airs Sunday on ABC at 9:00 p.m. In theaters this weekend: "Drive Angry 3D", "Hall Pass" and "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never: The Director's Fan Cut". On the tube: "Kitchen Nightmares" on Fox, "The Defenders" on CBS, "Supernanny" on ABC and "Who DoYou Think You Are?" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

XXL magazine has selected 11 up and coming hip hop artists to become what it calls its Freshmen Class. For nearly four years now, the magazine has chosen new artists it believes will be a future force in hip hop. Traditionally, the magazine chooses 10 rappers for its annual freshman cover, but this year it has chosen 11. None of the artists chosen have released a album on a major label. The artists chosen for the cover this year are: Big K.I.R.T., Yelawolf, Meek Mill, Diggy Simmons, CyHi The Prince, Lil Twist, Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, YG, Fred the Godson and Lil B. Kanye West has taken to Twitter to taunt Wiz Khalifia regarding Wiz's relationship with his ex Amber Rose. Some disparaging remarks have been made and at present, there's been no response from Wiz. What do you do next if you're a rapper with multi-platinum albums and chart topping singles? If you're Soulja Boy, you try acting. During a interview with bet.com, the rapper stated  he'd like to break into films. He'd like his first film to be a romantic comedy.  Fabolous made a guest appearance on the hit BET show "The Game". The show has become the go to show for urban music artist to make appearances. The show airs on BET Tuesdays at 10:00 pm. 1980's pop group Inxs has returned to the charts with a collection of songs that feature lead vocal duties by various pop stars. Former lead singer Michael Hutchence died some time ago, and the band has revisited material it recorded previously. The release is refreshing and should be a hit with old fans and win the band new ones. The mother of NBA star Chris Bosh's child is slated to join the cast of "Basketball Wives". No word on when she will make her first appearance on the show. It was an emotional evening for Jennifer Lopez on last night's "American Idol" as she didn't want to give any of the contestants the boot. Tune in again tonight to see who goes home. Reality star Kim Kardashian is set to star opposite John Travolta in the up coming John Gotti biopic. No word on when the film will hit theaters. On the tube: "American Idol" on Fox, "The Big Bang Theory" on CBS, "Wipeout" on ABC and "Community" on NBC. Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Roundup

Buju Banton was sentenced to 15 years to life in his cocain conspiracy trial yesterday. He was not charged with possession of a firearm, but was detained by court and his bail was revoked. Several years after assaulting then girlfriend Rihanna, the restraining order against Chris Brown has been lifted. The order orginally asked that he stay at least 50 yards away from her. He can now speak with her as long as he doesn't annoy, harass or molest her. Aretha Franklin recently released a statement regarding Fantasia being left out of the Grammy tribute to the legendary singer. Franklin stated that Fantasia is a young artist and as such will not always get an opportunity to do everything she would like. In other Aretha Franklin news, she will reportedly give talk show host Wendy Williams an exclusive interview. No word on when the show will air. Rapper Rick Ross took to Twitter to announce that his Maybach Music Group has inked a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Although Ross will remain signed to Def Jam, his Maybach Music Group artists Wale, Meek Mill and Triple C will all be released through Warner Bros. No word on when a first project will be released. Singer Rihanna took the stage at the NBA All-Star game with Drake and Kanye West. She went through a medley of her hits before being joined by Drake for the pair's "What's My Name" Kanye West then took the stage for his set, then Rihanna later joined him to perform their duet "All Of The Lights". The video for the single aired on television for the first time earlier that day. While tuning in to Sunday's Academy Awards, fans will notice that some of the nominations will be films that they may have actually seen. Only time will tell who will walk away with the statue, however. Fox's "American Idol" continues and the competition begins this week, as the top 40 contestants have been chosen. The show should be an exciting one for viewers. On the tube: "American Idol" on Fox, "Survivor: Redemption Island" on CBS, "The Middle" on ABC and "Minute To Win It" on NBC. Happy hump day!

Tuesday Tales

After five years of legal rangling, rapper Jay Z has finally settled his suit against a British chef and resturant owner. The chef opened a resturant called "Rock-a-Fella", after Jigga's label some time ago and suit for copyright infringement was filed. Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. Mogul Donald Trump isn't too happy with singer Rihanna these days. He invited the singer to perform at a event he was hosting and she was a no show. The singer did appear at the NBA All-Star Game, however. Rock legend Jeff Beck is looking ahead to future projects after winning three Grammys. First, he releases "Rock-N-Roll Party Honoring Les Paul" today, and next could be a reunion with former bandmate Rod Stewart. The guitarist stated in an interview with USA Today that he's recorded some tracks and sent them to the raspy voiced singer and is waiting for a response. Stewart was lead singer of the Jeff Beck Group for its seminal albums "Truth" and "Beck-Ola". Buju Banton will find out the verdict in his cocaine conspiracy trial today. As mentioned previously, the singer was arrested after purchasing cocaine from an undercover officer. No verdict was reached during the last hearing. No deliberations took place Monday, due to the holiday. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Former talk show host Larry King will hit the road in a one man show titled "Larry King: Stand Up". The show kicks off on April 14 in Torrington Conn. During the show fans will be given an inside look at his life and also be able to ask questions. The show will also make stops in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Nevada. TV One's "Way Black When" continues it's month long salute to stars of the 70's, 80's and 90's. This week's episode will feature Christopher "Kid" Reid of legendary hip hop group Kid-N-Play. On DVD: "Unstoppable" and "Waiting For Superman". On the tube: "Glee" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "No Ordinary Family" on ABC and "Biggest Loser: Couples" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Monday Memo

"Just Go With It" topped the weekend box office, earning over $30 million dollars. "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never", "Gnomeo & Juliet", "The Eagle" and "The Roomate" round out the top five films of the week. Six people have been arrested in connection with the shooting of rapper Waka Flaka Flame's tour bus. Reportedly, the motive behind the shooting was robbery. No word on a trail date for the suspects.  After creating quite a buzz on the internet, the group Odd Future made their television debut on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon". The group went through their single "Sandwiches" with backing from the Jimmy Fallon house band the Roots. All the group's music is available free. A who's who of the entertainment industry appeared at NBA All-Star weekend. Actress Gabrielle Union was seen chatting with the fiance of Labron James, and Beyonce appeared as well. Rapper Rick Ross reportedly went shopping for marijuana, and then blogged about the experience. Be sure to tune into TV One's "Way Black When". The talk show features interviews with stars from the 70's, 80's and 90's. It's an entertaining trip back in time to the best music, movies and television shows of the era. According to critics, the CBS show "The Talk" could use three or four new hosts and a more serious approach to topics discussed. The show has snagged 2.2 million viewers since it's debut on October 18. Only time will tell if and when things start to look up for the show. The Amanda Knox story will air on Lifetime. "Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy" will air at 9 p.m and stars Hayden Panettiere and Marcia Gay Harden. The film chronicles the story of the American student convicted in Italy of killing her British roomate. On the tube: "House" on Fox, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "The Bachelor" on ABC and "Chuck" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

As mentioned previously, 50 Cent went on a tirade about how Dr Dre was upset he released his own line of headphones to compete with Dre's. When asked about 50's headphones during an interview, Dre replied that he hadn't heard of them and that he knew nothing about a Twitter tirade. Lil Kim recently claimed that her mixtape "Black Friday" sold over 113, 000 copies, but there's no way to verify the numbers. Her arch nemesis, Nicki Minaj, has the top selling hip hop album in the country with "Pink Friday". There's trouble brewing with "The Real Housewives Of Atlanta". Reportedly, Sheree Whitfield loaned 5000 to co-star NeNe Leaks for a down payment on a home. Whitefield later asked that the money be paid back and Leaks has yet to make a payment. Stay tuned as this story develops. Rapper Waka Flaka Flame took to Twitter to assure fans that he's doing well after the MC's tour bus was fired on in Charlotte N.C. As mentioned, the bus pulled into the parking lot of a Charlotte N.C. car stereo store when two cars pulled up and open fired. Police have no suspects at this time. Though it may come as a surprise to some,  rapper Lloyd Banks, of G-Unit, is officially hip hop's ladies man. His latest CD, "Hunger For More 2" has female friendly tracks included along with material the rapper is better known for. The album is in stores now. The competition continues on Fox's "American Idol" and it will be interesting to see how things play out as the season continues. The final 40 contestants have been picked and the pressure's on. The show airs on Fox Wednesdays and Thursdays. In theaters this weekend: "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son", "I am Number Four" and "Unknown". On the tube: "Kitchen Nightmares" on Fox, "The Defenders" on CBS, "Supernanny" on ABC and "Who Do You Think You Are?" on NBC. Make it a weekend!