Eve is stepping up her acting chops playing a lesbian in an original Showtime movie, Getting Unstuck. The pitbull in a skirt is also executive producing the film.

Aftermath's Eve plays the title role of Conscious, a real-life former producer of short-lived daytime talk show, "The Queen Latifah Show." Conscious tells in her autobiography, Getting Unstuck: Girl to Girl, You Can Be Infected Indeed, how she persevered through drugs, abuse, homelessness, and HIV infection to a successful career.

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Pharrell Williams recently launched The Ice Cream skate team, lead by professional skateboarder Terry Kennedy.

According to an article published on expn.com, a sister site to television network ESPN that covers extreme sports, Williams snagged five amateurs who will tour the country for seven months with Kennedy.

The team will scout talent and film tricks for an upcoming DVD/Combo, which will be released in the fall.

Williams’ younger brother, Kato Williams is one of the team members, which is rounded out by Terrell Robinson, Kevin Booker, Jacob Walder and Jimmy Gorecki.

"You get these hungry ams off the street and you show them they can make something of themselves and that's what Ice Cream is all about," Williams told expn.com. "I want these skaters to get recognition for shredding and to show that what they are doing is a beautiful thing to aspire to."

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Two weeks after resigning his post as chief operating officer of The Source magazine, publisher Jeremy Miller has announced the launch of DOWN magazine, a new publication focusing on the southern Hip-Hop scene.

"I chose that name because essentially, it's a magazine entirely dedicated to southern hip hop and down south [music], that's pretty much where it came from," Miller told AllHipHop.com. "I want to focus on the music that's being played in the south, the music that's being performed by southern artists, or if you’re new and upcoming artist, music that I think could be played down south in the clubs or the radio, that might be more of a southern style."

Miller plans to have the new title on the newsstands on July 26 in 16 states across North America. The magazine will regularly highlight up-and-coming artists from southern regions and emphasizes that no other publication puts such a spotlight on southern hip-hop talent.

"I am somewhat biased when it comes to music I like," Miller said. "I like southern hip-hop music. I like the crunk type music. I am going to be open to every form of music coming out of the south, but I am going to have a focus on that grimy, country get crunk style of Hip-Hop. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel. The Source and XXL both have wonderful formats. I'm taking almost the same format and plugging in the niche style of music within Hip-Hop."

Each issue of the magazine, which will be initially published bi-monthly, includes a compilation CD featuring tracks from unsigned hip-hop artists from the South.

I have investors in the magazine, because it takes a lot of money to ensure you are going to be around for that third fourth or fifth issue," Miller said. "I told people I wouldn't put out the first issue until I could tell them when the second third and fourth issue were coming out."

As former COO of The Source for three years, Miller was involved in the hip-hop magazine’s publishing division, securing book deals and overseeing foreign licensing agreements among other things.

The Oklahoma native started as an intern at the magazine in 1991 while attending New York University’s Stern School of Business.

"After I moved into the circulation department, I helped grow the magazine from 50,000 copies to 800,000 copies," Miller stated. "My primary focus early on was expanding the magazine and getting the magazine to the streets and the stores.

"I am hoping I have that catch 22 of having to print more copies than I am planning on by the second or third issue. That will be a nice problem to have."

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Nelly is back performing and working after spending time mourning the death of his sister. It was his first appearance since his sister, Jackie Donahue, passed after battling cancer for three years.

Nelly resumed his Sweat/Suit tour on Sunday (3rd April) entertaining 9,000 fans at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, MO. Nelly was joined on stage by his Lunatic family, Murphy Lee, Ali, Kyjuan and masked hypeman Slo Down to perform some derrty tunes from past and present albums.

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Jamie Foxx released his last album back in 1994, that’s eleven years ago. The title of the album, Peep This, which very few did.

However it’s amazing what an Oscar can do to a career. After winning the best actor for Ray, and being nominated as the best supporting actor for Collateral. Jamie Foxx is back to give music a second chance with the release of his sophomore album, which has the working title Southern Gentleman. A release date has not yet been set. He is set to collaborate with some of the biggest names in music including hip-hop heavyweights Kanye West and 50 Cent.

After working with Kanye on 'Slow Jams', Foxx is back with his buddy from Chi-town.

"I just got through messing with Kanye West, I got a joint with 50, it's crazy," an ecstatic Foxx said Saturday. "It's gonna be nuts. And we're gonna get back to love music — young love music that old people can appreciate."


The 50 Cent collaboration is titled 'Build You Up.' "We're giving back to the ladies," Foxx said of song, repeating what seems like a common theme.

"I got a national anthem on my album called 'Sexy' that's for the ladies who are trying to do the plastic surgery and all that," he said. "You don't need that, just be sexy."

Also expected on the album is big Snoop Dogg.

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BET is developing a wave of new original series, including a "The Apprentice"-inspired reality TV show featuring Dame Dash.

In hopes to revamp its programming, BET is slated to premier a new primetime series each quarter beginning this month. First, an untitled series will feature Dash in a Donald Trump-like role as he oversees a bunch of moguls-in-the-making. The network is also developing a new show to accompany its countdown show, "106 & Park" and a weekday late night talk show.

With the arrival of new series, sources say BET is considering cutting its 11pm news program, "BET Nightly News." BET has been criticized in the past few years for downsizing its news programming.

Newly appointed Executive VP of Entertainment and Music Programming Stephen Hill and VP Programming Development and former Sci Fi Channel head Robyn Lattaker-Johnson will supervise the programming changes.

"We realized if we're going to make our mark, it's in original programming," Hill said. "We know it's ambitious, but it's a long time coming."

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