The straight dope on what's going on in Hip-Hop, Media and Entertainment

Jun 26, 2003

Veteran R&B crooner Raphael Saadiq, formerly of Tony! Toni! Tone, is seeking talent for his label, Pookie Entertainment.

Pookie, which released the critically acclaimed and Grammy nominated self titled debut album by Lucy Pearl (which featured Saadiq, Dawn Robinson from Envogue and A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad), will release Saadiq's first ever live album in October.

The live album will feature up coming performances of Saddiq with his 12 piece band and various surprise guests. The concert will be taped in front of fans July 2 in San Diego at the Belly Up Tavern, July 3 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles and July 4 in Las Vegas at the House of Blues.

Saadiq parted ways amicably with Universal in 2002. Saadiq is currently hard at work producing for Snoop Dogg, D'Angelo, Kelis, Nikka Costa and others.

Interested upcoming soul and hip-hop artists can send demos to: Pookie Entertainment, 4850 Vineland Ave., #241, North Hollywood, CA 91601.

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Snoop Dogg recently revealed that he is done with the "Girls Gone Wild" franchise and will be releasing his own line, that focuses on ethnic women.

"If you notice, there hasn't been no girls of (ethnicity) at all on none of those tapes," Snoop told the Associated Press. "No black girls, no Spanish girls - all white girls, and that (stuff) ain't cool, because white girls ain't the only hoes that get wild."

Snoop said that constant complaining from a variety of women led him to his decision to market his yet to be titled line of women baring their skin.

"They've been complaining to me like crazy," the 31-year-old rapper said. "They think I like the white girls because I'm on there with them, and I don't. I just did that for money."
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In other Snoop news. . .

The 3rd Annual BET Awards went off the other night without a hitch, but drama ensued pre-show as police detained 10 men for possible federal weapons violations outside of the Kodak Theatre. Allegedly, the men were part of Snoop Dogg's entourage.

According to news reports, LAPD officers, working with federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, got information that a few individuals in vehicles that had dropped off BET Award attendees had body armor and guns and might be operating an armored vehicle. At around 5:30 p.m., police with shotguns drawn ordered the individuals out of the vehicles and had them spread-legged in the middle of the street. Police recovered some weapons, body armor and an "armored vehicle."
Snoop Dogg was allegedly dropped off by one of the vehicles just prior to the incident. Police are refusing to make statements regarding his affiliation with the arrested individuals stating the matter is still under investigation.

LAPD Deputy Chief Mike Hillmann said police got word from federal agents that the detainees might be in violation of federal law for providing protection for a convicted felon in possession of firearms. When asked whether Snoop was the "convicted felon" he referred to, Hillman simply replied that he was not at liberty to name names but clarified that one of the detained vehicles is believed to be owned by an ex-convicted felon.

In total, at least three vehicles and 10 individuals were detained though none were officially under arrest at press time.