Singers’ Beef with Essence Is Really About Being Black Monday, September 24, 2007

Filed under: EUR, Essence Magazine, KeKe Wyatt, Music, News, R & B, african american, entertainment, gossip — ilovemypublicist @

      KeKe Wyatt 

                                                                    KeKe Wyatt /photo credit:EURweb

Keke Wyatt is not happy with Essence.com following her Q&A that appeared last month to promote her new album, “Ghetto Rose.”The 25-year-old Indianapolis native vents her frustration with the article, and claims she was “badly misquoted” when the discussion turned toward her biracial background. Many readers were also offended by Wyatt’s reference to black people as “they” and reference to her straight locks as “pretty hair.” Actual quotes from the article reads as follows:

No, I’m not all Black, but I definitely stand up for the Black people. They’ve had it rough, they can’t help the fact that they’re skin is dark, or that their nose is a lil’ wider or that the curls in their hair might be tighter.I don’t think that it’s fair for people who look like me—the light skin, pointy nose and pretty hair—to think that dark-complected people are any less than them.

My best friends are Black—I mean, Black-Black…

Prescription: Now folks may not remember that Keke stabbed her husband back in 2002. Though it may be a coincidence, at the time sales of Wyatt’s debut album, Soul Sista, increased after the singer’s arrest.

The drama with Essence is perfectly timed to the release of her new album “Ghetto Rose”.   And while a rose is still a rose, church attendance and drama alone does not sell records. A little ignorance might get you a number one single. Wyatt explains to EUR’s Lee Bailey how she was misquoted in the response, as well as in other passages throughout the essence.com article.

Listen to her response here: http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur37014.cfm

 

Kayne West Makes a Dollar Out of 50 Cent Sunday, September 23, 2007

Filed under: Music, News, african american, entertainment, hip hop, media — ilovemypublicist @

 

 The two rappers spent much of the summer jousting about who would win the first-week-sales battle.

While Mr. West generally avoided triumphant predictions, 50 Cent wasn’t shy about reminding listeners that he was the odds-on favorite.

Now the numbers are in, and it’s not even close. According to Nielsen SoundScan “Graduation” sold 957,000 copies in its first week, while “Curtis” sold only 691,000 copies. It’s the best opening of Mr. West’s career. And it’s the worst opening of 50 Cent’s career.

This is a great day for Universal, the record company that distributes both albums- although you might feel sorry for the Universal executives who have to field 50 Cent’s angry phone calls.

Prescription:  In every “Win-Win” situation there is always a loser somewhere. Yes, there were tons of TV appearances and radio interviews- KUDOS to the PR department at Universal–Whoop Whoop! But, the real PR strategy here was not to let two ego maniac rappers direct their public relations campaign. It was to let two ego maniac rappers THINK they were directing their own PR campaign. The result: a PR stunt many say will go down in history, Universal sells a $hit load of records, Kanye West seems a little friendlier and 50 Cent feels a little short changed.

My boy Kelefah @ the NY Times sums it up nicely here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/arts/music/20feud.html?_r=1&ref=music&oref=slogin

 

O.J. in Illegal “Cell” Thursday, September 20, 2007

Filed under: News, TMZ, african american, celebrity, entertainment, gossip, legal, mediatakeout.com, o.j. simpson — ilovemypublicist @

           

Don’t take a picture of O.J. Simpson with your cell phone if you work in a courtroom!

TMZ has obtained a letter written to the Juice, sent in care of his lawyers, apologizing for the actions of one of its “contract employees.” In the letter, dated today, the Executive Office of the Clark County Courts says a court reporter took a cell phone picture of Simpson as he left his court hearing yesterday.

The executive called the behavior “abhorrent” and told Simpson and his attorneys it “would not be tolerated.”

The letter also says that the issue has been “addressed” with the employee, and the picture has been deleted from the cell phone.

The unemployment line forms to the left.

Prescription: Whomever took this photo should have pictured himself making a lot of money and not getting caught.

Read the letter here: http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/0920_simpson_apology.pdf

 

Why I want to be Osama Bin Laden’s Publicist..an editorial Thursday, September 20, 2007

Filed under: Business, Corporate America, IRAN, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Marketing, Music, News, Osama bin Laden, Television, african american, boxing, celebrity, entertainment, gossip, health, hip hop, media, mediatakeout.com, oscar De La Hoya, public relations — ilovemypublicist @

         

Just before the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden released a new videotape, in which he adopts a neo-Marxist posture, suggesting that mortgage debt, global warming, growing wage inequality and other ills are a result of greed from multinational corporations and politics of the West.

Osama released a new message today calling for attacks.

The hype surrounding the release of Osama’s new tape got me to thinking– if Osama was a rap star, or a big movie actor like Tom Cruise, I would probably be the richest publicist on the planet. So rich I could buy up all the world’s oil and sell it in cute little bottles at the 99cent store.

He seems like he would be a typical client… always wanting the world to hear what he’s got to say. And, he would always be coming up with some new idea or theory for me to publicize.  Just like most celebrity clients, he would be somewhat hard to get on the phone.

It wouldn’t matter if people liked me or not because I would be holding the key to the voice of the most notorious person on the planet. Imagine it.  This guy releases a new tape almost every year and if it was available on iTunes, it would make a killing (not literally). He changes the color of his beard and people pay attention. Osama is, in fact, the new Britney Spears.

And just like Britney, at some point people will no longer pay attention to what he has to say and who knows, one day an Osama tape just might flop. But none of that will happen until Osama walks the red carpet in a hideous outfit. But then, that would be new, news right?

 

How O.J Simpson will be #1 in America Again Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Filed under: Barns & Noble, News, Oprah Winfrey, african american, celebrity, entertainment, gossip, media, public relations — ilovemypublicist @

    

Pre-orders for the O.J. Simpson book If I Did It on the Barnes & Noble Web site are higher than the chain expected, but its decision not to carry the book in its stores still stands.

“We still have no plans to stock it in our stores,” spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating told The Associated Press.

Last week, Barnes & Noble said it did not expect the book to sell well and would only offer it through their Web site, Barnes & Noble.com, or by special order at a Barnes & Noble store. Since then, the book has jumped into the top 50 on the Web site and ranked No. 48 as of Sunday night.

Interest in the book has been fueled by last week’s announcement that Oprah Winfrey would feature Denise Brown, Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister; and Goldman’s parents, Fred and Kim Goldman on a show scheduled to air Sept. 13.

After public outrage led HarperCollins to cancel the release, a federal bankruptcy judge eventually awarded the book rights to Goldman’s family to help satisfy a $38 million wrongful death judgment against Simpson.

Prescription: In holding back on a highly visible marketing push and standing firmly that the book would not be offered in stores, Barnes & Noble seems to come off as neutral, socially responsible and a possible avenue for monetary justice for the Brown and Goldman families. No one is mad at Barnes and Noble right now because frankly, sometimes drama can sell itself.

Read the full story here: 

 http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur36281.cfm

 

John Singleton Accident Kills Jaywalker, New Movie Safe Saturday, August 25, 2007

Filed under: Business, Illegal Tender, JohnSingleton, News, african american, entertainment, media, movies, public relations — ilovemypublicist @

   Illegal Tender

Oscar-nominated director John Singleton was driving a Lexus SUV when it struck and killed a jaywalker who stepped in front of the car, police said Friday. Singleton, 39, immediately stopped his car and waited for police to arrive after the accident Thursday night in the city’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, said Officer Jason Lee, a police spokesman.

“Mr. Singleton stopped and identified himself as required by law and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” Lee said. “He was questioned and released.”

The woman was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead Friday morning, Lee said. She was identified as Constance Russell, 57, of Los Angeles.

Other details were not immediately released, and an after-hours call to Singleton’s agent was not immediately returned.

Singleton, whose debut film, 1991’s “Boyz N The Hood,” earned him two Oscar nominations, has also directed “Poetic Justice,” “Shaft,” and “2 Fast 2 Furious.” He was the producer of “Hustle & Flow,” “Black Snake Moan” and the just-released “Illegal Tender.”

Prescription: The best thing to do when tragedy strikes is to be honest and follow the rules. Kudos to Singleton for doing the right thing and taking responsibility. Since this happened over the weekend, I’m sure we will be getting a formal statement any minute expressing remorse from his publicist. It’s NEVER good when a life is lost but this fatal accident and Singleton’s remorseful actions may garner new fans and drive ticket sales.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/24/ap4053600.html

 

Battle of the Black Blogs: Mediatakeout.com vs. Bossip.com Saturday, August 25, 2007

Filed under: News, african american, bossip.com, celebrity, entertainment, gossip, media, mediatakeout.com, publicity — ilovemypublicist @

        

According to Wikipedia, a PUBLICITY STUNT is a planned event designed to attract the public’s attention to the promoters or their causes. PR stunts are great ways to drive sales, increase viewers or… attract advertisers.

In today’s webisode of I Love My Publicist we look at what seems to be a fairly new online magazine called Expozure.com that posted an “exclusive in-depth interview” with Fred (no last name given in the story), founder and creator of Mediatakeout.com.

In the article, Fred gives up some big numbers about his site and really expo(z)es how he feels about his competitor Bossip.com.

“They aint got nothing on us. They cant mess with us! Man we have 80 million page views in a month. When you start talking 80 million page views, that’s not black blog numbers, that’s New York times, USA Today, that’s not black blogs numbers. Not even the white blogs can mess with us.”

The interview with Fred gives insight as to how MediaTakeOut.com gets it’s exclusive content and closes with some very interesting reader comments. The comments are angry and suggest that the person conducting the interview isn’t even a journalist and that the story is riddled with typehoes. I mean typos. It also suggests that MediaTakeOut.com lies about their juicy scoops setting up Bossip.com for an inevitable rebuttal.

Now USUALLY, when publicists allow their clients to be interviewed “exclusively” they pick the media outlet with the highest circulation and biggest demographic that suits their client. According to the comments, Expozure.com doesn’t seem to have been around too long.

Is this all just gossip or an attempt to take somebody out?

http://exposzure.com/e_interview_MediaTakeout.php

 

The Remake of Keyshia Cole Into Mary J. Blige Friday, August 24, 2007

Filed under: Keyshia Cole, Marketing, Mary J Blige, Music, News, R & B, african american, celebrity, entertainment, hip hop, media, mediatakeout.com, public relations, publicity — ilovemypublicist @

Keyshia Cole is just like you 

The seeds were planted early. When we first heard Keyshia Cole’s raspy yet distinguished voice it reminded everyone of only one person we had heard before- Mary J. Blige. Keyshia had that same swagger and toughness and that “thing” that made her a little rough around the edges but very likeable. Just like when we first met Mary back in the 90’s. Then we saw Keyshia team up with Diddy. Just like Mary. And sometime early last year the comparisons were just too many to overlook which brings us to the current marketing campaign for Keyshia Cole’s new album.

Both ladies are on the same record label so the hype can be controlled and managed internally. Nice set up right? Smart.

At first, the tag line doesn’t really make sense. Just like you? Is she trying to connect with her fans in a more personal way, trying to drive home the message, you and I are one?

Or, is there an underlying message to fuel new rumors, spark excitement for sales and set the stage for the entrance of a new diva into the world of R & B?

Do you think the record label is setting up a controversy to drive sales?

Read about the new cover and news here:

http://www.mediatakeout.com/

http://www.vibe.com/blog/vc/2007/08/keyshia_coles_new_cd_cover_sur.html

 

Was it media God or HUSBAND, Slapped Preacher Juanita Bynum? Thursday, August 23, 2007

Filed under: Juanta Bynum, Music, News, abuse, african american, celebrity, entertainment, legal, media, public relations, publicist, publicity — ilovemypublicist @

     

Photo Credit: Google Images/ Rich Addicks/AJC

 

Juanita Bynum, a preacher whose fiery and frank sermons about women’s empowerment have won her a national following, was attacked by her husband in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel early Wednesday morning, police said.

Bynum and her estranged husband, Thomas W. Weeks III, had met up at Renaissance Concourse Hotel near Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to try to reconcile, Atlanta police said. But while at the parking lot about 4 a.m., the two got into a physical fight until a bellman at the hotel pulled Bynum’s husband off her, Officer Ronald Campbell said.

“She was bruised up and battered,” Campbell said. “She had purple bruising around her neck and upper torso.”

The husband, who is also a preacher, left the scene. No charges have been filed against him, according to police.

Prescription: Every action has a reaction. Ms. Bynum is a public figure and there are really two options as to how she can handle this situation. She can either retreat and try not to comment because this story will eventually fade away Or, after the dust and emotions settle it might be a good time to chat with a publicist about how to use this public incident to leverage her divorce case, raise her public profile, elevate her platform for women’s empowerment and drive sales of her books and cd’s.

We’ll have to see how this prays out.

Like a rapper who goes to jail, does this incident give Ms. Bynum more credibility?Read the story here:http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/08/22/bynum_0823.html

 

Foxy Brown Joins Paris Hilton Jail Tour, Baby in her Bag Thursday, August 23, 2007

Filed under: Foxy Brown, Music, News, african american, celebrity, entertainment, hip hop, legal, media, public relations, publicity — ilovemypublicist @

    It’s the hottest ticket in town. A front row seat in the media pit to watch celebrities like Paris Hilton, Naomi Campbell and Nicole Richie go to jail. Get your tickets now for the Foxy Brown show. Clubbing someone with a Blackberry, driving with a few drinks in ya, or even a few drugs in your system is hardly enough to get quality media attention anymore. 

An heiress in handcuffs, a supermodel sweeping trash. Even Nicole Richie tried to top them all by getting pregnant with a ”little Richie” after her “eating disorder”. But no celebrity can top going deaf and loosing your hearing…for a little while….I said, no celebrity can top LOSING YOUR HEARING, assault, getting married and getting pregnant as you go off to jail.  

Now Foxy did get some media attention when she lost her hearing but it was mostly from hip hop and music press.  The story didn’t really move the dial with mainstream media. Until now.

Foxy’s lawyer sums up today’s prescription for spin with a great quote that  breaks down all the elements one might need to get the media’s attention if you are trying to promote a new project. He said “… Brown is three months’ pregnant….(she) has turned her life around with her pregnancy, wedding plans and deals for a new album and reality television show.”   His quote sums up the recipe for a Ratings Pie and juicy content for the Foxy Brown reality show.  And, apparently it tastes really good.  Going to jail can be now be considered part of one’s PR strategy.  According to google news there are 827 new stories reporting on this including CNN. 

When you hear about a celebrity heading to jail does it make you more or less interested in them? 

Read the story here:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/22/people.foxybrown.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch