MILLERS MAKING A KILLING: Master P and Lil' Romeo's Nickelodeon sitcom is red-TA-go!
by Ricardo Hazell
Master P and Lil' Romeo
(Aug. 20, 2003) *Master P had folks saying 'Unngh' a few years ago and, like magic, New Orleans was on the scene as a hip-hop hot bed. Now, this self-made multimillionaire is moving over just a bit to give his young son Percy Romeo Miller, aka Lil' Romeo, time in the spotlight.
Romeo, in turn, has carved out a niche for himself as a youngster with market and mass appeal that is almost unparalleled.
While Master P has produced and appeared in a myriad of film projects, Lil' Romeo is now prepared to slide over to the small screen with his new Nickelodeon comedy "Romeo!" in which he shares top billing with his dear ol' dad.
"My character, he's hungry, he wants to be successful and he wants to be number one," said Romeo, who turned 14 yesterday. "That's why he's always sneaking into radio stations and making plans to perform at his high school and everything. This show is about a family coming together through music and a lot of people can relate to that because a lot of families get together through music. This show's about a real comedy and it touches a lot of kid issues."
The characters that the elder and junior Millers play are pretty much the same as they are in real life. But the main difference is Master P, who's married, will play a single parent. In fact, P's character is described as a single dad and music industry executive struggling to maintain a normal life for his children while managing his son's ambition to be a musical artist.
"Well, (as far as) my character in the show, I'm the one that makes sure we put all the pieces to the puzzle. Like Romeo said, it's a lot of comedy and a lot of family issues in the show as well. I think the thing that makes the show different is me and Romeo being the first hip-hop father and son to get together."
While "Romeo!" will be the first rap-themed show on Nickelodeon, most people would bet against the likelihood of a show with hip-hop stars being a success on such a family friendly network. But P told EUR/EURweb that that's one of the primary reason why he wanted it to be on Nickelodeon. He wants to change a few peoples' minds.
"I think we're gonna change those perceptions. We were the first hip-hop family on the cover of Ebony. We're definitely breaking down a lot of barriers. I think we're going to be successful in this and it's going to enable us to go after bigger opportunities. And I feel that this is going inspire kids to go after bigger (goals) themselves. It's gonna show kids that they don't have to sit around and be hard all day. This is for real, you can be yourself and go after other avenues of being successful. You can chase your dreams and goals."
Though many would imagine Master P as somewhat of a slave driver to Lil' Romeo, a Joe Jackson to his Michael if you will, Romeo has an inner fire that burns with its own competitive flame.
"First of all, I feel like I want to be the best at everything I do. At school, I don't want to be satisfied with a B. I want to get an A or an A+. I always want to be the best at want I do because I'm a Leo. We're driven to be number one."
P seconded that motion. He knows that removing oneself from his/her peers takes a great deal of hard work.
"You can't be number one unless you work hard. The thing with us is that we know nobody is going to give you anything. I think that's the key to our success. It comes from us coming from nothing and coming from the ghetto, we learned early on that we had to work for everything we get. Romeo is showing people that you can be cool and handle you business in the rap game and still handle yourself in school. (He's an A student.) You can be cool and still believe in the Man up above. You can be cool and love your family."
You can check out the coolness and the love between father and son when "Romeo!" premieres on Nickelodeon on September 13. --Ricardo Hazell
((WHAT THE HECK, Imma watch!!))
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THE RU REPORT / AUGUST 14 / VOLUME 3.02 (First Edition): Beauty Shop Drama, CeCe Winans Worships & Big Universal Dealing
by Karu F. Daniels (New York, NY)
Mo’Nique
(Aug. 15, 2003) ’BEAUTY’ IS AS BEAUTY DOES: With the success of last year’s sleeper hit, “Barbershop,” there has been a rush to get a vehicle that can follow in its footsteps – this time catering to an urban female demographic. As of lately, four projects have been bandied about in Tinsel Town, with A-list names like Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Beyonce and Spike Lee attached. But only one vehicle may see the light of day – in the very near future.
“Beauty Shop,” starring multimedia maven Mo’Nique just finished filming in and around Los Angeles and is seeking major distribution from a studio. The low-budget, independent feature film, directed by first time feature film director Leslie Small, is in post-production stages.
The early word on the vehicle –which stars the plus-sized comedienne as the lead character who flees her hometown of Baltimore and finds herself trying to earn a living in the upscale Beverly Hills beauty salon of her estranged sister, played by Kellita Smith (of “The Bernie Mac Show”)— have been great, even ripe for circulation on the festival circuit.
The cast also includes Taraji Henson, Bryce Wilson, Keiko Agano, Andre Blake and Joe Torry, with appearances by Vivica A. Fox, Serena Williams, Gerald LeVert, John Salley and Tiny Lister.
“The goal was to assemble the best cast possible,” Mo’Nique tells The RU Report. “Our casting agent, Monica Swann, did a wonderful job. I sat in on some casting sessions, but overall, I trusted her to do her thing.”
“Beauty Shop” was shot within a four-week period spanning from June to July. The project landed in “The Parkers’” star hands in January and the scriptwriting began almost immediately, with Mo’Nique’s biographer and production associate Sherri McGee helming the process with Andrea Wiley and Devon Greggory contributing. “We only had about three months to get the movie in the can, while I was on hiatus from “The Parkers,” because I had another film [“Soul Plane”] to do after this one,” offers Mo’Nique. “We really didn’t have any idea that there were so many other beauty shop projects in the works when we decided to do ours. But we soon found out there were a number of others. My schedule is tight for the next two years, so it was either now or maybe never.”
With Ice Cube’s “Barbershop” raking in more than $75 million at the box-office, it’s apparent that filmgoers are not just interested in sitting in a comfy chair to get coiffed. Funny-woman Jenifer Lewis has been making her rounds on the talk show circuit gabbing it up about “Norah’s Beauty Salon,” which also stars Tamala Jones, and Bobby Brown with an appearance by rap vixen Lil’ Kim. Ms. Houston, who produced “The Princess Diaries” and “The Cheetah Girls,” is rumored to be helming the production of this particular vehicle, which may be released next summer. Beyonce Knowles, fastly becoming a Hollywood hot commodity (with roles in last year’s “Austin Powers In Goldmember” and this year’s “The Fighting Temptations,” was said to have been approached by Spike Lee to star in a separate beauty shop project, but turned it down because of a conflict of interests. MGM, who distributed the Tim Story-direct “Barbershop,” has already green-lit their very own “Beauty Shop” vehicle with Queen Latifah as the lead. The Oscar-nominated rap superstar – fresh off the heels of a box-office success story (“Bringing Down The House”)—is currently in Chicago making cameos in “Barbershop 2,” which will set up her spin-off. According to a spokesperson at MGM, Latifah’s film is on schedule for November 2004.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Mo’Nique adds about the beauty shop film frenzy. “It’s definitely a hot project. Baby, Black women and hair is a serious issue. I’m sure every sister in America has some kind of horror story about something that’s happened to her in a beauty salon. I think that each project out there is diverse and there’s room for everyone. I wish them all good luck.”
Well, let’s hope the powers-that-be understand that.
Magic Johnson serves as an executive producer of “Beauty Shop,” along with Urbanworks Entertainment CEO Jeff Clannaghan, who is eager to break into feature films.
“The reason we shot it as an independent feature is because we didn't want it to get caught up in all the studio red-tape,” adds Ms. McGee – who co-wrote “The New York Times” best-seller “Skinny Woman Are Evil” (Atria) and serves as executive assistant to “The Parkers’” creator Sara Finney-Johnson. “This is a hot project and we wanted to tell the story our own way without studio execs telling us to make a lot of changes...so, we've shot it ourselves and are now going to them for distribution only.”
According to insiders, the crew from “The Parkers” pitched in their talents in hair, make-up, transportation and craft-services, to help bring this project to fruition, during their break in production.
Seems as someone found out away to circumvent the rigid Hollywood system.
“Frankly, I think this is a great way for Black filmmakers to operate because then we control our images,” Ms. McGee continues. “We have strong interests from several companies based on our cast and our association with Magic Johnson. The advantage to our film is that we are already shot and if we do not find major studio distribution, Magic has committed to placing the film in all of his theaters. So, we'll still get the audience we set out to get.”
Revlon Cosmetics and Bronner Brothers hair care products also lent a helping hand to really bring the project together. An extravagant hair show will also serve as the centerpiece for the movie’s storyline. “We’re not stereotypical with our characters or storylines,” Ms. McGee concludes, about the movie, which plans to be released to the masses by next spring.
“At the end of the day, this is about business and I hope we’re able to get our story in theaters first. Hell, if we do it right there won’t be a need for a second or third project,” says Mo’Nique.
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'FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS' SOUNDTRACK ALREADY FIGHTING FOR CHART SPACE: Set features Beyoncé and friends ... but mostly Beyoncé
Beyoncé
(Aug. 20, 2003) *The Fighting Temptations soundtrack is shaping up and, you know what? It's like a Beyoncé album with a whole bunch of guest stars.
Beyoncé, whose first solo project, Dangerously in Love, still sits comfortably in the top 10 on the Billboard albums chart, will also contribute the solo tracks "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Fever" and "He Still Loves Me" to the soundtrack of her first movie since making her Hollywood debut in last year's "Austin Powers in Goldmember."
Knowles, who co-stars with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the Fighting Temptations movie, recently completed a video for the soundtrack's first single, "Fighting Temptation," which teams her up with Missy Elliott, Free ("106 & Park") and MC Lyte.
The soundtrack is due September 9
HEY THAT IS MEEZDISCREET'S BIRTHDAY!! 
, and the movie opens 10 days later.
The full track listing is as follows:
Beyoncé Knowles featuring Missy Elliott, Mc Lyte and Free - "Fighting Temptation"
Destiny's Child - "I Know"
Solange f/ Papa Reu - "Don't Fight the Feelin'"
Angie Stone and Eddie Levert f/ Walter Williams, Melba Moore,
Montell Jordan, Zand and T-Bone - "Rain Down"
T-Bone, Zane and Montell Jordan - "To Da River"
Ann Nesby - "I'm Getting Ready"
Shirley Caesar and Ann Nesby - "The Stone"
Faith Evans - "Heaven Knows"
Beyoncé Knowles - "Fever"
Beyoncé Knowles and Bilal - "Everything I Do"
O'Jays - "Loves Me Like a Rock"
Beyoncé Knowles - "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
Beyoncé Knowles - "He Still Loves Me"
Beyoncé, Angie Stone and Melba Moore - "Time to Come Home"
Beyoncé Knowles f/ P. Diddy - "Summertime"
((BEYONCE IS WORKING HARD!!!))
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CED AND MANAGER INK MGM DEAL: Cedric to produce and star in several films.
Cedric The Entertainer
(Aug. 20, 2003) *Cedric the Entertainer, his manager/producing partner Eric Rhone and their Bird and a Bear Entertainment have inked a two-year first-look production pact with MGM.
The deal follows on the heels of "Flash," a pitch the studio picked up in June for Cedric to produce and star in, as well as continued collaboration with the actor/comedian on the studio's "Barbershop" franchise.
"We are very pleased with our ongoing relationship with MGM," Rhone said. "Our goal at Bird and a Bear is to create and produce quality, commercial-driven projects. We want to tell stories that represent issues that move us from comedies to dramas to nonfiction pieces."
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