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Jamie Foxx: Returning to Television This Fall
Filed under: Television, News, Celeb Updates

It's been a while since Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx has been on the small screen. As of late, unbeknownst to many, the comedian has been making his presence felt behind the scenes.

The 'Blame It' singer produced the MTV series 'From G's to Gents' which turned slacker men into reformed gentlemen, and also served as an executive producer for the Emmy Award nominated HBO film 'Life Support.'

Now, he's gearing up to get back to his comedic roots with a new Fox sketch comedy series.This fall, Foxx will produce a new half-hour show tentatively called 'The Jamie Foxx Project.'

Similar to the now defunct Fox sketch comedy series 'Mad TV,' the new show will include spoofs of commercials, television shows and celebrities and according to the network will offer a "fresh take on pop culture."

The Sirius satellite radio host is excited about the new venture.

"I'm looking forward to delivering a groundbreaking new series and working closely with the talented team at FOX again," Foxx said in a statement.

And, FOX President of Entertainment, Kevin Reilly, seemed just as thrilled about the new partnership.

Reilly added, "Jamie Foxx's brilliance first shined on FOC, so it's fantastic to welcome him back to the network."

Before becoming a force in Hollywood with his Oscar-winning portrayal of singer Ray Charles in 'Ray,' Foxx joined the cast of the hit 1990s sketch comedy show 'In Living Color,' as a relative newcomer and made a name for himself alongside the Damon Wayans, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, as well as Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier and Tommy Davidson. The Terrell, Texas native, born Eric Marlon Bishop, followed that up in 1996 with his own sitcom 'The Jamie Foxx Show' which lasted for five seasons.

Also joining the production team for 'The Jamie Foxx Project' is comedian Affion Crockett (pictured above)who has worked on 'The Boondocks,' 'Nick Cannon Presents Short Circuitz' and 'Dance Flick.'

It is unsure whether Foxx and Crockett will appear on the show or simply serve as producers, but they plan to enlist the help of a diverse cast of comedians.

Foxx is rumored to be in pre-production for 'Skank Robbers' a movie with Martin Lawrence where the two men revive their infamous television characters Sheneneh Jenkins from 'Martin' and Wanda from 'In Living Color.' Sony Pictures has set an Aug. 19, 2011 release date for that film.

He will reunite with his 'The Soloist' co-star Robert Downey Jr. for his next film 'Due Date,' which hits theaters on Nov. 5.

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Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Being funny comes as a natural gift for man - but only the really talented (and really daring) ones have answered the call to make the masses laugh with their comedy. The wild and crazy Tracy Morgan, the much heralded Whoopi Goldberg, the brassy Mo'Nique and the late, great Richard Pryor are just a few of the black, famous and funny people who made us laugh over the last 50 years. There are many more. And they all have stories behind the funny. Check out who they are and what they've done.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Martin Lawrence
Started Out: Making an appearance on the national talent show 'Star Search,' which ultimately led to a gig on 'What's Happening Now!' Big Break: Hosting the groundbreaking comedy series 'Def Comedy Jam.' Hometown: Landover, Md. Also Was Seen: In the films 'Do the Right Thing,' 'House Party,' 'Boomerang,' 'Bad Boys,' 'Thin Line Between Love & Hate' and 'Big Momma's House.' In addition, he starred and executive-produced his own Fox sitcom 'Martin' for five seasons. Factoid: In 1989, Lawrence was engaged to 'Saved by the Bell' actress Lark Voorhies.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Steve Harvey
Started Out: Began doing stand-up in the mid-1980s and was a finalist in the second annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search in 1989. Big Break: Hosting the nationally syndicated TV series 'Showtime at the Apollo.' Hometown: Welch, W. Va. Also Was Seen: On the series 'Me and the Boys' and his eponymous sitcom. Also appeared in the movies 'Love Don't Cost A Thing,' 'The Original Kings of Comedy' and 'The Fighting Temptations.' Factoid: Born in 1957, Harvey (real name: Broderick Steven Harvey) made his literary debut with the New York Times best-selling relationship/advice book 'Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,' in 2009.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Wanda Sykes
Started Out: Began her stand-up career at a Coors Light Super Talent Showcase in Washington, D.C. Big Break: Played multiple roles on Chris Rock's Emmy Award-winning HBO show. Hometown: Portsmouth, Va. Also Was Seen: In the movies 'Monster-in-Law' and 'Pooty Tang' and on the TV shows 'Wanda At Large,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'The New Adventures of Old Christine.' Factoid: During a Las Vegas gay rights rally in November 2008, Sykes proclaimed she was "proud to be gay."

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Jamie Foxx
Started Out: Acting on a dare (from a girlfriend) and competing in an open-mic contest at a comedy club in 1989. Big Break: Playing the comely date-challenged Wanda on 'In Living Color' Hometown: Linden, Texas Also Was Seen: In the films 'Booty Call,' 'The Players Club,' 'Any Given Sunday,' 'Miami Vice,' 'Ali' and 'Ray,' for which he won an Academy Award for best actor in 2005. Also fronted his eponymous sitcom. Factoid: As of 2009, Foxx (real name: Eric Marlon Bishop) has released three music albums: 1994's 'Peep This,' 2005's 'Unpredictable' and 2008's 'Intuition.'

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Tracy Morgan
Started Out: Appearing on the sitcom 'Martin,' where he played 'Hustle Man.' Big Break: Morgan's claim to fame came in 1996 when he began appearing on 'Saturday Night Live.' Hometown: New York City Also Was Seen: In 'A Thin Line Between Love and Hate,' 'Martin,' 'Half Baked,' 'How High,' 'Head of State,' 'The Tracey Morgan Show,' 'Little Man,' 'First Sunday' and '30 Rock.' Factoid: Andrew Dice Clay inspired Morgan to pursue comedy.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Chris Rock
Started Out: Doing stand-up comedy in 1985 in New York City's Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club. Big Break: Was a cast member of the popular sketch comedy series 'Saturday Night Live.' Hometown: New York City Also Was Seen: In the movie 'New Jack City,' where he played a crackhead informant. Factoid: Born in 1965, Rock won a Grammy for best spoken comedy album in 1999 for the project 'Bigger & Blacker.'

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Mo'Nique
Started Out: Appearing at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet. Big Break: Starred on the hit UPN sitcom 'The Parkers.' Hometown: Baltimore Also Was Seen: In 'Three Can Play That Game,' 'Hair Show' and 'Shadowboxer.' Factoid: Born in 1967, Mo'Nique (real name: Monique Imes) is the author of 'Skinny Women are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World' and the cookbook 'Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted.'

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Eddie Griffith
Started Out: Griffith began his acting career the 1991 action-thriller 'The Last Boy Scout.' Big Break: In 1996, Griffith showcased his talent on a national scale when he landed the role of Eddie on the TV series 'Malcolm & Eddie.' Hometown: Kansas City, Mo. Also Was Seen: In 'Foolish,' 'Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo' and 'Undercover Brother.' Factoid: Suffered a heart attack in 1996 while taping an episode of 'Malcolm & Eddie' following a scene in which he did the salsa dance.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Bill Cosby
Started Out: While in his early twenties, Cosby appeared on various well-known variety programs including 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' Big Break: In 1965, he appeared as Alexander Scott in the Emmy Award-winning flick 'I Spy.' Hometown: Philadelphia Also Was Seen: In 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,' 'Uptown Saturday Night,' 'Let's Do it Again,' 'Ghost Dad,' 'The Meteor Man' and the groundbreaking NBC sitcom 'The Cosby Show.' Factoid: Beginning in 1965, Cosby scored the Grammy Award for best comedy album six years in a row.

Popular Black Comedians

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'Army Wives' Spinoff Series With Gabrielle Union Rejected

The spinoff series of 'Army Wives' that had actress Gabrielle Union in one of the lead roles has been rejected by Lifetime TV, reports Deadline.com.

The site states that the spinoff, starring Brigid Brannagh and Union as Atlanta detectives, got a lot of attention recently following its story about 'Wives' executive producer Mark Gordon's use of racial slur during the backdoor pilot's table read.
In an episode that aired recently, 'Wives' regular Pamela Moran (played by Brannagh) returns to her career as a police officer and is promoted to a detective with the Atlanta Police Department. Union was playing her partner, Detective Gina Holt.

Union was last seen in a supportive role on ABC's recently canceled series, 'FlashForward.' The Nebraska native also appeared the short-lived series 'Life,' 'Night Stalker' and 'City of Angels.'

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Oprah Winfrey: Gets Dr. Oz Through Health Scare
Filed under: Television, News, Celeb Updates

To be a friend of Oprah Winfrey definitely has its perks.

Close pals of the billionaire media mogul, who will soon kick off her final season of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' have reaped the benefits of her power status in the form of their own television ventures.

After serving as a mainstay health expert on her Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, Dr. Mehmet Oz was one of those people who launched his own television show.

Though the man fondly known as Dr. Oz is grateful for the opportunities that Winfrey has given him, these days, he's most aprpeciative of how supportive she has been since he discovered a precancerous growth in his colon.

"I talked to Oprah about this right after the colonoscopy results came back," Oz told People.

"Her main question, classic Oprah, was, 'I don't care about this stuff. Are you okay? That's the bigger question.' It's all about how do you deal with the rough waters you hit? This was a storm that came over the horizon," the 50 year-old Cleveland-born television personality said.

Winfrey, who produces his popular daytime talk show 'The Dr. Oz Show,' was further inspired to put her own health in check.

Oz shared, "She said, this makes me want to get a colonoscopy right away.She'd been putting it off, like I would have done. But she saw how important it is to have early detection."

Now, the Columbia University Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery says he's planning to tell his story to his viewers so that they might be encouraged to undergo colonoscopy screenings after age 50.

"Talking to people and giving them knowledge but not the visceral awareness doesn't work," he says. "Oprah taught me that. Use my story. The only way it's compelling is because you know me."

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On the Road Again With KEM: 'Album III' Debuts At #2, Returns Home for Tour Stop
Filed under: Music, News, Interviews

Hello everyone! We celebrated a big first week of 'Intimacy' album sales last week. When the final numbers were finally released, the album was #2 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart and was the top-selling album that debuted last week. I have to thank you again for your support of the project, and I hope you're enjoying the album!

Also...a shout out to all the fans in Columbus, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit and Philly...we had a great week on the Superfest. I really enjoying being back on the road and interacting with all of you...it's hard to believe there's only one week left on the tour.

The Columbus stop last week was actually just our show - not a part of the Superfest tour. Before the show, I visited Magic 98.9 - Columbus, Ohio's station for R&B and Classic Soul - and co-hosted the "KEM Intimacy Hour" with Warren Stevens. During the show we played some of my favorite classic soul songs including Anita Baker's 'Been So Long' - along with a few new songs from the 'Intimacy' album.

After the "KEM Intimacy Hour," Elizabeth, one of the station's listeners, came in the studio to meet me - she had won a contest for a meet & greet along with tickets to the show that night.Our hometown Detroit show was huge for us. I had two appearances scheduled during the day prior to the show. One was an interview on the morning news at Fox2 Detroit with Roop Raj, and the other was an autograph signing at Street Corner Music, a great shop that sells new and used music - including albums on vinyl.

That night, we played for a sold-out audience at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Detroit that included family, friends and fans who have been following my whole career. I would be nowhere without their love and support, and I appreciate each and every one of those people. It was an electric show in a spectacular venue that I know I'll never forget.

I've posting pictures on Twitter throughout the tour...you can check them out at www.twitter.com/KEM_Intimacy. Also don't forget to check out the official KEM Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KEMofficial and I'll see you back here next week! Until then...God Bless.

--KEM

ON THE ROAD AGAIN WITH KEM: Week Three

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Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

KEM performing in Detroit

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

KEM performing in Chicago

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

KEM with Columbus radio winner Elizabeth.

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

KEM performing in Chicago

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

KEM performing in St. Louis

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

Fans in St. Louis

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

KEM performing in Columbus, Ohio

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

KEM performing in St. Louis

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

Fans in Detroit

Snapshots: KEM On The Road Week Four

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Mike Epps, D.L. Hughley: Head Up Atlantic City Comedy Festival
Filed under: News, Celeb Updates

Hurricane Earl might be headed towards the Northeast, but that won't stop ten of the country's leading African-American comics, including Mike Epps, D.L. Hughley and Sommore, will take part in the Atlantic City Comedy Festival this labor day weekend.

This marks the first year for two-day festival, which takes places Sept.3 and Sept.4 at the Historic Boardwalk Hall, but festival organizers are hoping to make it an annual event.On Friday night, Don "DC" Curry, Earthquake, Mike Epps, Mario Tory and George Wilborn will share their side-splitting jokes and on Saturday night Gary Owens, Bruce Bruce, D.L. Hughley, Sommore and TuRae will take the stage to tell their jokes.

"In an effort to continue to marry the worlds of comedy with some of the country's most sought after and desired travel destinations, Atlantic City became the perfect place for this union to take place," Atlantic City Comedy Festival organizers told the BV Newswire.

"And what works better than to bring people from far and wide to Atlantic City for a great holiday weekend to hear some of the greatest comedians out on the circuit today, in one of the greatest resort cities the country has to offer. People get to laugh and let their hair down all at the same time."

The new comedy festival is being spearheaded by the same people who put on The Royal Comedy Tour and the Big Easy Comedy Festival, which takes place over Memorial Day Weekend in New Orleans.

Tickets are on sale now and are priced at $45, $59 and $85 for each show at www.ticketmaster.com and also available at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office.

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Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Being funny comes as a natural gift for man - but only the really talented (and really daring) ones have answered the call to make the masses laugh with their comedy. The wild and crazy Tracy Morgan, the much heralded Whoopi Goldberg, the brassy Mo'Nique and the late, great Richard Pryor are just a few of the black, famous and funny people who made us laugh over the last 50 years. There are many more. And they all have stories behind the funny. Check out who they are and what they've done.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Martin Lawrence
Started Out: Making an appearance on the national talent show 'Star Search,' which ultimately led to a gig on 'What's Happening Now!' Big Break: Hosting the groundbreaking comedy series 'Def Comedy Jam.' Hometown: Landover, Md. Also Was Seen: In the films 'Do the Right Thing,' 'House Party,' 'Boomerang,' 'Bad Boys,' 'Thin Line Between Love & Hate' and 'Big Momma's House.' In addition, he starred and executive-produced his own Fox sitcom 'Martin' for five seasons. Factoid: In 1989, Lawrence was engaged to 'Saved by the Bell' actress Lark Voorhies.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Steve Harvey
Started Out: Began doing stand-up in the mid-1980s and was a finalist in the second annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search in 1989. Big Break: Hosting the nationally syndicated TV series 'Showtime at the Apollo.' Hometown: Welch, W. Va. Also Was Seen: On the series 'Me and the Boys' and his eponymous sitcom. Also appeared in the movies 'Love Don't Cost A Thing,' 'The Original Kings of Comedy' and 'The Fighting Temptations.' Factoid: Born in 1957, Harvey (real name: Broderick Steven Harvey) made his literary debut with the New York Times best-selling relationship/advice book 'Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,' in 2009.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Wanda Sykes
Started Out: Began her stand-up career at a Coors Light Super Talent Showcase in Washington, D.C. Big Break: Played multiple roles on Chris Rock's Emmy Award-winning HBO show. Hometown: Portsmouth, Va. Also Was Seen: In the movies 'Monster-in-Law' and 'Pooty Tang' and on the TV shows 'Wanda At Large,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'The New Adventures of Old Christine.' Factoid: During a Las Vegas gay rights rally in November 2008, Sykes proclaimed she was "proud to be gay."

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Jamie Foxx
Started Out: Acting on a dare (from a girlfriend) and competing in an open-mic contest at a comedy club in 1989. Big Break: Playing the comely date-challenged Wanda on 'In Living Color' Hometown: Linden, Texas Also Was Seen: In the films 'Booty Call,' 'The Players Club,' 'Any Given Sunday,' 'Miami Vice,' 'Ali' and 'Ray,' for which he won an Academy Award for best actor in 2005. Also fronted his eponymous sitcom. Factoid: As of 2009, Foxx (real name: Eric Marlon Bishop) has released three music albums: 1994's 'Peep This,' 2005's 'Unpredictable' and 2008's 'Intuition.'

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Tracy Morgan
Started Out: Appearing on the sitcom 'Martin,' where he played 'Hustle Man.' Big Break: Morgan's claim to fame came in 1996 when he began appearing on 'Saturday Night Live.' Hometown: New York City Also Was Seen: In 'A Thin Line Between Love and Hate,' 'Martin,' 'Half Baked,' 'How High,' 'Head of State,' 'The Tracey Morgan Show,' 'Little Man,' 'First Sunday' and '30 Rock.' Factoid: Andrew Dice Clay inspired Morgan to pursue comedy.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Chris Rock
Started Out: Doing stand-up comedy in 1985 in New York City's Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club. Big Break: Was a cast member of the popular sketch comedy series 'Saturday Night Live.' Hometown: New York City Also Was Seen: In the movie 'New Jack City,' where he played a crackhead informant. Factoid: Born in 1965, Rock won a Grammy for best spoken comedy album in 1999 for the project 'Bigger & Blacker.'

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Mo'Nique
Started Out: Appearing at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet. Big Break: Starred on the hit UPN sitcom 'The Parkers.' Hometown: Baltimore Also Was Seen: In 'Three Can Play That Game,' 'Hair Show' and 'Shadowboxer.' Factoid: Born in 1967, Mo'Nique (real name: Monique Imes) is the author of 'Skinny Women are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World' and the cookbook 'Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted.'

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Eddie Griffith
Started Out: Griffith began his acting career the 1991 action-thriller 'The Last Boy Scout.' Big Break: In 1996, Griffith showcased his talent on a national scale when he landed the role of Eddie on the TV series 'Malcolm & Eddie.' Hometown: Kansas City, Mo. Also Was Seen: In 'Foolish,' 'Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo' and 'Undercover Brother.' Factoid: Suffered a heart attack in 1996 while taping an episode of 'Malcolm & Eddie' following a scene in which he did the salsa dance.

Popular Black Comedians

Famous, Black & Funny
Bill Cosby
Started Out: While in his early twenties, Cosby appeared on various well-known variety programs including 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' Big Break: In 1965, he appeared as Alexander Scott in the Emmy Award-winning flick 'I Spy.' Hometown: Philadelphia Also Was Seen: In 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,' 'Uptown Saturday Night,' 'Let's Do it Again,' 'Ghost Dad,' 'The Meteor Man' and the groundbreaking NBC sitcom 'The Cosby Show.' Factoid: Beginning in 1965, Cosby scored the Grammy Award for best comedy album six years in a row.

Popular Black Comedians

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John Legend & The Roots: Team with American Airlines For New Tour
Filed under: Music, News

On Aug. 30, American Airlines' new social networking travel site, dedicated to sharing the experiences of African-Americas, launched a new series of exclusive events in New York City.

For the first event, Grammy Award-winning artists John Legend and The Roots performed select songs from their forthcoming album 'Wake Up' at New York's Bowery Ballroom. Another show in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is planned, as well.

The 'Green Light' singer told media elite at the evening's pre-concert reception the evenings venue was a special place for him.

"I'm very happy to be here and its really exciting to be performing in New York City," Legend shared. "This is the city where I've lived for ten years and I've lived in this neighborhood for ten years."

The Ohio-born singer added that he's excited for the new partnership with BlackAtlas.com.

"I'm excited to work with BlackAtlas.com and I'm a Million Miler and spend a lot of time on your planes and I'm really excited about the idea to have Blackatlas.com...a site that targets the traveling African American and highlight the exciting things out there for us to see, to eat and do," Legend said.

The site's Travel Expert-at-Large, Nelson George, who has shared his adventures throughout the world on BlackAtlas.com, echoed the platinum-selling singer's sentiments.

"It's always difficult to launch a website, but there is nothing like this. With American Airlines, there is so much access and the places I've been to and videos I've done it all works because American [Airlines] goes to all of these cities," he told the BV Newswire.

"We get so many videos and have so much content now that it is almost becoming like instead of a travel guide like Frommers, you can go to BlackAtlas.com and get the black take on things."

He continued, "There are two things black people want to know when we travel: Are there black people there and How are they treated? I think you're really going to get a sense of that from the site."

According to American's Vice President of New York, Art Torno, who got his start 31 years ago as a flight attendant for the airline and previously worked on Latin America and the Caribbean territories, "BlackAtlas.com is for anyone interested in sharing black culture all over the globe."

Following the special tour with John Legend and The Roots, BlackAtlas.com will have another exclusive event with 'Top Chef Masters' winner Marcus Samuelsson at his highly-anticipated Harlem restaurant Red Rooster followed by another intimate gathering at Russell Simmons' home.

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Description: Big Brother Africa 4 housemate Hannington Kuteesa shares an annoying laugh with host IK after getting evicted from the house on Sunday, 11 October 2009.