Courtesy of EURweb

Exactly 30 years ago, Marvin Gaye sang the National Anthem at the NBA All-Star game at Los Angeles’ famous Forum and it was forever changed. He received his heavy share of backlash over his sultry rendition of the song because the usual suspects thought that it was disrespectful among other things.

Fast forward to today and now you have a group of folks that are asking to CHANGE the National Anthem to R. Kelly’s Ignition Remix?  Are you serious?  We thought it was an insane jokey joke, but nothing could be further from the truth.  It is authentic and can be seen on the White House website petition page entitled:

“change the national anthem to R. Kelly’s 2003 hit “Ignition (Remix).”

Continue at EURweb…

The post R. Kelly’s Ignition Remix Petitioned For Next National Anthem [VIDEO] appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

It might be a slow few months for paparazzi on the Kim Kardashian beat, as the 32-year-old celeb has been ordered to take it easy while carrying Baby Kimye.

Kardashian, who is expecting her first child with boyfriend Kanye West, reportedly endured a minor pregnancy scare on Tuesday after arriving home in Los Angeles from Paris. Feeling ill and fearing a miscarriage, the reality star was rushed to a local hospital, but a friend says she’s “all fine” and on “doctor-ordered rest.”

Related: Nuptials & Nurseries: 2013 Celebrity Weddings & Babies

On Sunday, Kimmy flew to Paris to join West at a Givenchy show and dinner, attended by Frank Ocean, Ciara, designer Riccardo Tisci and others.

Unfortunately, all that jetsetting, reality filming and divorcing has Kardashian feeling a little under the weather. But, Khloe Kardashian says her sister and the baby are doing well.

Related: Star Clique

“A lot of you have expressed concern in the recent hours about Kim, and I just wanted to let you all know that mommy and baby are doing fine and just taking it easy right now,” she wrote on her blog Thursday. “Thank you so much to all of our wonderful fans and loved ones for your concern and support. We love you!”

The post Kim Kardashian ‘Doing Fine’ After Pregnancy Scare, Sister Confirms appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

No tea, no shade! All tea, all shade! This week, a hip-hop mogul admits to wetting the bed as a child, a Hollywood A-List actress loves her “white chocolate,” and an Oscar-nominated actor relives his sex scene with Oprah Winfrey. Plus, guess which RHOA star is throwing criticism at a child pageant star. And Cuba Gooding Jr. said what?! AND I QUOTE …

“To be able to make out with Oprah and to have love scenes with her and those tig ol’ bitties. She’s such a lovely, voluptuous woman.”

Terrence Howard speaks about the love scene he shared with Oprah Winfrey in the upcoming film The Butler, in an interview with MovieFanatic.com.

Continue reading on UPTOWN

“We matter to a lot more people, with all due respect, than her. So, I really don’t care what she said.”

Kelly Rowland responds to Keyshia Cole’s criticism of group mate Michelle Williams’ Super Bowl performance, in an interview with Rolling Stone.

Continue reading on UPTOWN

“One thing I want to say is, I grew up as a Kool-Aid kid. I never drank water. I used to pour a half a pound of sugar into the Kool-Aid. Besides it having me bouncing off the walls, I used to be a bed wetter.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs admits to wetting the bed as a result of his excessive consumption of the sugary Kool-Aid drink, on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Source

“I got to go to Joe Biden’s house. I call him white chocolate. I said to him ‘thank you so much for getting lying Ryan in the debate. I appreciate you Joe.’”

Vivica A. Fox reveals her nickname for Vice President Joe Biden, after meeting him at a Black History Month event in Washington, D.C., while co-hosting “Anderson Live.”

Source

“C’mon, who brought gold teeth back? Let’s be honest. Honestly, I brought it back in a dramatic way. I made braids hot.”

A$AP Rocky, who recently shot a campaign for luxury clothier Mr. Porter, lashes out at being named No. 8, instead of No. 1, on MTV’s Hottest MC’s list, via Power 106 in Los Angeles.

Source

“When a little girl wears a lot of makeup, fake teeth and extensions, like hookers do — that’s just not appropriate.”

Kenya Moore criticizes child glamour pageants, which often require the young participants to dress like infantile adults, in a sit-down interview with InTouch.

Source

“I just got out of jail. I had sex with a leprechaun, who had sex with an alligator and got him pregnant. No, I’m lying, the alligator wasn’t pregnant.”

Cuba Gooding Jr, who will star in the upcoming Broadway play The Trip To Bountiful, using his alter ego Dick McWilly to pick up women at the screening of Electrick Children, via “Page Six.”

Source

The post AIQ…Diddy, Vivica A. Fox, Terrence Howard & More appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

Courtesy of The New York Times

Nascar, which has long struggled to develop minority and female participants, seemed to have a barrier-breaking athlete in its ranks in recent years: Tia Norfleet, a 20-something driver from Georgia. With a savvy marketing campaign, Norfleet garnered attention in several national publications while promoting her accomplishments as the first African-American woman to race in Nascar.

In speaking engagements with students and in news media interviews, Norfleet has for several years portrayed herself as an accomplished driver in the sport. She has sought sponsorships and  has a PayPal account on her Web site, which includes articles and videos about her achievements.

Her Web site, Tianorfleet34.com, indicates that she intends to compete in a full schedule this season in Nascar’s Nationwide Series, one rung below the top-tier Sprint Cup series.

But Norfleet is not licensed to compete at that level. In fact, the only sanctioned race that Norfleet has entered, according to the sport’s officials, was a low-level event last year at the Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., where she completed one lap before driving onto pit road and parking her racecar.

The discrepancy between Norfleet’s auto racing accomplishments and her public comments, as well as apparent legal issues revealed in court documents, have drawn objections from racing officials.

“I am uncomfortable with Tia representing herself in the way that she has,” said Marcus Jadotte, Nascar’s vice president for public affairs and multicultural development.

Continue here…

The post Nascar Driver Tia Norfleet’s Deeds Fail To Match Her Words appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

In today’s link round-up: Chris Brown gets fussy over ten dollars, Jeffrey Wright joins HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and much more!

The YBF
Lauren London & The Cast Of “The Game” Get Fab For The Season 6 Promo Shots
Game on.

The Root
Kelly On Colorism: Beyoncé’s Mom Helped Me
“I remember I went through a period where I didn’t embrace my chocolatiness,” she explained.

EURweb
Chris Brown Goes Off on Parking Valet over $10 (Watch)
Petty or the principle of the matter?

VIBE.com
Tony Winner Jeffrey Wright Joins HBO’s ‘Boardwalk Empire’
Happy Friday!

Hello Beautiful
LeBron James & Fiancee Savannah Brinson Finally Set Wedding Date
Get a glimpse of the couple’s “Save The Date” cards.

The Frisky
10 Tips for Finding Love At Walmart
It could totally happen.

The post LOTD: ‘The Game’ Season 6 Promo Shots + How Kelly Rowland Embraced Her ‘Chocolatiness’ appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

Courtesy of Mater Mea

“Stevie Wonder, Sali. Doesn’t that sound good?”

If there was ever a 2-year-old who would love old school Stevie Wonder, it would be Salimata Diarra. Her father, G. Idrissa Diarra, is an African Reggae singer, while her mother, Zuhirah Khaldun Diarra, spent a big part of the late ’90s taking some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop (think Jay-Z and Ludacris) beyond ciphers and mixed tapes.

Though Khaldun Diarra has left the flashing lights of the music industry to empower those affected by the housing crisis through the National Urban League, she remembers those days are still fresh in her mind.

“It was dizzying,” Khaldun Diarra admits now. “We worked when everybody slept. I’d be criss-crossing the country with these guys, then on a night off I’d run into, Jay (Z) or Damon (Dash) downtown at a party. and we’d throw up the diamond sign. They’d be so surprised to see me outside of work… We were entertaining the world. The beat that the world was moving to on the weekends and their off-time was our full time life.”

How has being a mom changed your life?

Prior to getting married and having the baby, I guess I was a bit of a — I don’t want to say party girl (laughs) — but I definitely loved the nightlife. I was a globetrotter who traveled quite a bit; I had worked in the music industry before and maintained a lot of that lifestyle even though I had transitioned into working for nonprofits before I had the baby. I was still out on the New York nightlife scene two to three nights per week. Burning the candle at both ends with that sort of lifestyle and a corporate lifestyle simultaneously up until I got pregnant prepared me to be a mother. There’s a lot of sleepless nights right after you deliver, and sleepless nights for many months after you deliver, and maybe for the rest of my life (laughs). [That lifestyle] gave me the stamina to deal with being up four times a night feeding the baby and having to go into the office the next day.

It’s been a drastic change. I’m not spending my nights out hanging out with friends and dancing anymore. I’m spending them at home with my child; since I do work, the evenings are our special time together. We’re weekend warriors as well.

I think it’s changed me professionally [as well]. I’ve become much more serious. There are higher stakes in life. I find myself more productive in the office, taking my career much more seriously. I’ve always been a high-obtaining individual, worked very hard, but I think being a mother definitely has helped me as a professional as well, in terms of a seriousness that I bring to my professional life and the work that I do, in managing my time. If I’m going to be away from my baby, it’s going to be for a good reason, and I’m not going to waste any time doing it either — the hours are going to be well-spent. I think that mothers are magicians, in terms of multitasking, and also in terms of having the seriousness and the focus.

Photo credit: Rog Walker

Continue reading at Mater Mea

Ailey II, the youthful second company of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, returns to its home at The Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York from March 13 through 24, to perform beloved numbers like “Revelations” and new choreography. This is the first season led by the recently-appointed artistic director, Troy Powell, who has a unique Ailey story all his own. He’s a veteran dancer, choreographer, teacher, and the former associate artistic director of Ailey II. But there’s more to Powell’s story than a string of titles, including being chosen at the age of 9 by dance icon and founder Alvin Ailey, himself. Keep reading to learn more about Powell, Ailey II, the importance of arts scholarships, and more!

UPTOWN: How did you get your start at Ailey?
Powell: I started at Ailey at the age of 9. I was handpicked by Mr. Ailey himself. I was offered a scholarship to be in a program entitled Arts Connection through Ailey’s Arts in Education department.

U: What does it mean to you to be one of the few who not only knew Alvin Ailey, but also was taught by the him?
P: Having Mr. Ailey in my life at an early age was life changing; not only did he serve as a mentor, [but] he was also a father figure – which was something I didn’t have growing up. He was very inspirational as well as loving, especially when it came to encouraging the next generation of dance talent.

U: How has your work with Judith Jamison and Sylvia Waters impacted you?
P: Working with Judith Jamison and Sylvia Waters has been a blessing. They both taught me how to remain humanistic as an artist/teacher/choreographer, and also to continue to inspire those coming up after me.

U: How has becoming the second person to hold the title of artistic director or Ailey II impacted you?
P: Becoming the second person to [hold the position of artistic director of] Ailey II is an honor. Filling the shoes of 38-year former artistic director Sylvia Waters is a challenge that I’m looking forward to tackling.

U: Why is it important to highlight the work of Ailey II, in addition to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater?
P: I think it’s important to highlight the works of Ailey II as much as it’s important to highlight the works of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater because I feel young dancers, as well as, emerging choreographers have a lot to say in this day and age. Young dancers (Ailey II) are reaching for their goals as professionals, so there’s a certain hunger, ambition that these artists possess when they’re on stage. It’s always so wonderful to see dance from a younger perspective.

U: Do you think your life would be different if you hadn’t been awarded a scholarship to attend The Ailey School? Why are scholarships within the arts important?
P: I truly think my life would be different had I not received a scholarship to Ailey. I’ve always been a performer at heart, so if Ailey didn’t come into my life, I still would’ve been in the field, but who knows how my future would have been re-written.
Scholarships are very important. It’s very expensive to study dance and everyone doesn’t have the means to pay for years of training. Often times, scholarships make it possible for a student to study, when without financial assistance the opportunity would not be attainable.

[Photo: Ailey II's Thomas Vavaro in Malcolm Low's One Forgotten Moment. Photo by Eduardo Patino]

U: Please speak a little about the recurring dance numbers, like “Revelations,” and the new choreography that Ailey II will perform. What can new and old fans expect?
P: I curated two very different programs so that audience members can get a taste of the old and the new. Fans of all ages and backgrounds will be entertained and delighted no matter if they see the traditional work, which will give them more of the spirit and energy of Alvin Ailey, or the new works program, which will showcase what choreographers of this generation are creating today. It’s fresh, it’s new it’s today!

U: How would you “sell” Ailey II to someone who isn’t necessarily a fan of dance in a theater setting?
P: I don’t have to sell Ailey II; Ailey II speaks for itself. It is a young, energetic company that combines the spirit and energy of today’s best young emerging choreographers with 12 dancers, who are [at] the edge of breakout professional careers. These are dancers that are not only educating audiences, they’re also educating themselves and using tools acquired during their two years with Ailey II to grow as artists on stage. This isn’t just a regular dancer company, these dancers are young, special, and have a very unique humanistic quality in the way they approach the work, on stage as well as off.

For tickets to the Ailey II 2013 New York Season, please visit www.AlvinAiley.org/AileyII or call 866-811-4111.

[Photo: Ailey II in Benoit Swan Pouffer's Rusty. Photo by Eduardo Patino]

Derek Luke is the newest addition to CBS’s drama pilot Second Sight starring Jason Lee, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The hopeful series, based on the U.K. television spot by Paula Milne, centers on Detective Ross Tanner (Lee) who suddenly suffers an autoimmune virus that causes hallucinations reflective of his subconscious, which interferes with his investigations.

Related: A Beautiful Escape

The Baggage Claim actor will reportedly take on the role of Detective Paul Giroux, an “eager-beaver know-it-all, trying to assert an authority that he hasn’t earned and doesn’t yet possess.” The overly-confident team member is new on the job and is gunning for Tanner’s top spot.

The lovely Jill Scott will join the cast as Dr. Callier, an optometrist who tends to Tanner’s ocular disease.

Kim Dickens, Erik Jensen and Madison Moellers will also co-star, with Homeland‘s Michael Cuesta and his brother Gerald Cuesta serving as writers.

The post Derek Luke To Co-Star In CBS Pilot ‘Second Sight,’ Jill Scott Added appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

We’re knee-deep in pilot season and just caught wind of another potential television spot on the horizon. House alum Omar Epps has been tapped to star in ABC’s drama pilot The Returned, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Based on the Jason Mott novel, the show will center on the puzzling event of people’s deceased loved ones returning to life as if they’ve never died. Criminal Minds‘ Aaron Zelman will serve as writer of the pilot with Charles McDougall (The Office, Sex and the City) as director.

Epps will take on the role of Martin Bellamy, a former cop and current agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Having no family of his own, he has a special soft spot for children and becomes consumed with the mysterious case of a boy, played by Landon Gimenez, who appeared out of nowhere in the middle of rural China.

Kurtwood Smith (That ’70s Show) will play Harold, the boy’s father, who is stunned by the reappearance of his son who died more than 30 years ago.

Devin Kelley, Matt Craven, Frances Fisher, Sam Hazeldine, Samaire Armstrong, Nicholas Gonzalez and Mark Hildreth will also star in the network pilot which will soon shoot in Atlanta.

The post Omar Epps Takes The Lead On ABC’s Drama Pilot ‘The Returned’ appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

Courtesy of Sister 2 Sister

If she had had her way, Tweet may have never recorded one of the tracks she’s most known for: “Oops.”

“Honestly, ‘Oops’ was a mistake. I never really said I’d want to do ‘Oops.’ I was riding in the car with Missy [Elliott], and she was playing some music that Timbaland did for her,” Tweet explained to VibeVixen.com. “’Oops’ came on. I sung it and she was like, ‘let’s just re-record the record.’ They didn’t push me to do it, but it just stuck. So, I compromised a little bit on that first album.”

Continue reading at Sister 2 Sister

Courtesy of NewsOne

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres announced that the newest CoverGirl model is 18-year-old Alexis Harris on her show Thursday.

RELATED: The Brown Beauties Of The Covergirl Club

Harris won the honor, along with a $20,000 award, in CoverGirl’s model search. During a mock press conference on the show, DeGeneres brought out Harris’ family to see her entry video, which featured her mother independently raising both her and her three brothers.

Continue reading at NewsOne

Courtesy of MTV News

Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” has spawned numerous viral videos and remix tracks from the likes of the Miami Heat to real Harlem natives like Azealia Banks and Jim Jones. Now, Jimmy is revealing that he recorded a song over the “Harlem Shake” beat well before the new craze began.

In a new interview with radio’s Jenny Boom Boom, Jim said that he recorded the track for Pauly D of Jersey Shore’s album.

Continue reading the full story.

The post Jim Jones Originally Had Baauer’s ‘Harlem Shake’ Beat appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

Early Thursday morning, Chris Brown decided to give men a little advice on how to treat women during an impromptu performance at the Emerson Theater in Hollywood.

In exclusive video obtained by TMZ, Brown puts the DJ on hold, takes the microphone and proceeds to croon about he “keeps his woman at home.”

With many expletives sprinkled in for good measure, 23-year-old Brown explained:

“Every guy in this building has said one thing to their female … If you’re not an insecure n—-, and you let her have fun with her friends, I applaud you. But you gotta say that one thing to her, and I made this s–t up. [sings] Don’t make me have to tell you again, that that’s my p—y baby! It is mine, baby, babe, mine. So you better not give it away!”

Brown went on to warn male fans to take note his advice:

“So every person in this motherf—– building, if you got a bad b—h you better say that to her. Cause she might f–k another n—-.”

Since the 2009 Grammys incident, Chris Brown and Rhianna’s on-again, off-again relationship has consistently made headlines–even serving as inspiration for a not-so-favorable special episode of NBC’s Law & Order SVU TV-series.

In the midst of it all, Brown has struggled to rebuild his reputation. However, we’re not sure serenades like this are helping.

Courtesy of MIJE.org

Constance C.R. White has disclosed that her departure as editor-in-chief of Essence magazine was involuntary and the result of repeated clashes with Martha Nelson, the editor-in-chief of Time Inc. who White says sought to limit the way black women were portrayed.

Constance E.R. White cites a ‘tug of war’.

“I went in there with passion and excitement and high expectations,” White told Journal-isms, referring to her 2011 hiring. “It wasn’t what I expected at all.

“What needs to happen is the reader is getting lost and the reader has to be at the center. To make their world smaller is unacceptable,” White said by telephone. “A lot of the readers have sensed” what is happening, she said.

Continue reading the full story.

The post Essence Editor, Constance C.R. White, Says She Was Fired appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

DMX (born Earl Simmons) is making another stop on the reality-TV circuit. After appearing on BET’s “Soul of a Man,” VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab” and “Couples Therapy,” he is taking another stab at overcoming the defects in his past on OWN’s “Iyanla Fix My Life.”

Late last week, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network announced that the infamous rapper will make an appearance on the season 2 premiere of the popular show, featuring self-help guru Iyanla Vanzant–best-known for her blunt approach.

But in a preview clip, it seems DMX didn’t agree with Iyanla’s coaching style. When Iyanla asks if he is “high,” DMX fires back: “Shut the f— up man. You ain’t got to be intimidated man. Just stop running your mouth!”

Still, Iyanla takes no prisoners, telling her TV crew: “He don’t get to roll up in our park and play his games.” Then she directly addresses DMX, saying: “You don’t get to speak to me ever again!”

The highly charged episode airs on April 13th on Oprah’s OWN at 10pm ET.

The post “Iyanla: Fix My Life”: DMX Signs Up For Season 2 Premiere appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

In today’s link round-up: Kevin Hart’s Real Husbands of Hollywood gets a second season, Fantasia responds to the JET magazine controversy and much more!

Madame Noire
Lil Kim Hits Former Lawyer With $1 Million Lawsuit & Rips The Paps
The Queen Bee is blaming the paparazzi for photoshopping images of her surgically altered appearance, among other things.

 The YBF
Kenya Moore’s “Gone With The Wind Fabulous” Video
For your viewing pleasure.

EURweb
Kevin Hart’s ‘Real Husbands of Hollywood’ Renewed for Season 2
Hat tip to our cover guy!

Necole Bitchie
Fantasia On JET Cover Controversy: ‘It Was Almost Like Using Me As The Clown Act. I’m Not That Girl Anymore’
Would Fantasia ever work with the magazine again? Find out.

EBONY.com
New York City Tries to Shame Teens Into Not Having Babies
The new campaign ads aim to show adolescents the “real cost of teen pregnancy.”

The Root
Nelson Mandela Returns Home After Checkup
The former South African president is said to be “well.”

The post LOTD: Lil Kim Blasts Blog For Unflattering Photo + Kenya Moore’s ‘GWTWF’ Video appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

R&B girl group SWV will bring their stories to television in a new reality show on We tv, joining network hits such as Braxton Family Values and Mary Mary.

According to AlwaysAList.com, Cheryl “Coko” Clemons, Leanne “LeLee” Lyons, and Tamara “Taj” George will reportedly star in an unscripted docu-drama that will center on their return to the music scene, their off-stage dynamic and the reason behind their disbandment, as well as highlighting their personal lives.

Related: Top 10 R&B Songs From the ’90s

The platinum-selling trio is best known for several hits, including “Weak,” “Rain,” “Right Here,” “You’re Always On My Mind” and more. Over the span of their career, the group has garnered a handful of Billboard Music Award and Grammy Award nominations. After the release of their third studio album Release Some Tension and a special holiday record, the women took a hiatus to focus on solo projects and their lives at home.

Sisters With Voices reunited in 2005 with a set of worldwide tour dates and released their first album in 15 years, I Missed Us, in April 2012.

The pilot of the untitled reality show, produced by eOne Entertainment, was shot last fall.

You really can’t please everyone.

The recent addition of Law & Order star Jesse L. Martin to Sexual Healing, a biopic about legendary singer Marvin Gaye, seemed to be wonderful news for many, but the late crooner’s ex-wife is none too happy. The 44-year-old actor was cast as the film’s lead character in place of Lenny Kravitz who stepped away from the role after facing harsh criticism.

“Ultimately, I think it was Lenny’s heart and soul and conscience that caused him to step away,” Janis Gaye told The New York Daily News. “Hopefully, that touches Jesse in the same way.”

The film, directed by Julian Temple, will center on Gaye’s time in Europe in the early 1980s as he struggled with addiction and career troubles before meeting a tragic end in April 1984. Production will begin later this month in Europe.

Ahead of its premiere, the touring play My Brother Marvin will open in New York City on April 11 at Beacon Theatre, which will also chronicle the singer’s late years according to his sister Zeola Gaye. And as you can imagine, Janis isn’t thrilled about that project either. She stated:

“I don’t think Marvin is a very happy spirit right now. This is the last thing he would want to have happen. I haven’t read the script, but it’s supposed to be based on  [Zeola's] book and I did read the book from cover to cover, and it was very difficult to read. Some of the characterizations, like saying Marvin’s father killing him was a ‘mercy killing,’ you can only imagine how that makes the kids feel. It makes me feel bad enough.”

Janis was married to Gaye from 1977 to 1981 and had two children with the singer.

The post Marvin Gaye’s Ex-Wife Upset With Upcoming Biopic appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

A book tour for Philadelphia Eagles star Michael Vick has been canceled due to death threats against him for his well-known involvement in a dogfighting ring, according to USA Today.

The four-time pro bowl quarterback was set to sign copies of his autobiography Finally Free at Barnes & Noble stores in Atlanta, New Jersey and Pennsylvania but with knowledge of “credible threats,” Worthy Publishing found it impossible to move forward with the events.

“While we stand by Michael Vick’s right to free speech and the retailers’ right to free commerce, we cannot knowingly put anyone in harm’s way, and therefore we must announce the cancellation of Mr. Vick’s book-signing appearances,” said Byron Williamson, president of Worthy Publishing. “We’ve been assured these threats of violence, which have been reported to the police, are being taken very seriously by local authorities.”

Related: Yes, Michael Vick Owns A Dog

While specific details of the threats have not been released, the publishing company confirmed they were extended to retailers, their business, Vick and his family.

After serving 18 months for owning and operating the dogfighting ring and an additional two months of house arrest, Vick was banned from owning a dog during a three-year probationary period. Since his release in 2009, the 32-year-old athlete has worked with The Humane Society of the United States to raise awareness about animal cruelty.

The post Michael Vick Cancels Book Tour Due To Death Threats appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.

Courtesy of BlackVoices

Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and the other celebrities and officials whose financial information ended up online are reportedly victims of a new prankster trend called “doxxing.”

Unlike “swatting,” the Hollywood trend by which pranksters place 911 calls to alert authorities about fake home invasions in celebrities’ homes, “doxxing” is a cyber crime. More specifically, it’s the process of obtaining or deducing information about a person based on a limited set of initial information, the FBI told Yahoo.

Since the story broke yesterday, the list of high profile victims has grown to include Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, and Britney Spears, according to ABCNews. The Department of Justice told ABC they are investigating the site and its content.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck is also among the dozen “doxxed,” and the LAPD issued the following statement last night (Mar. 11): “LAPD detectives are investigating the recent disclosure of Chief Beck’s personal information. Apparently this is not necessarily a hacking incident. It is called ‘doxxing.’ This has happened to the Chief on two other occasions prior to this in a similar nature post Occupy LA. We are not at liberty to discuss the others mentioned in the web post. There will be no further comments or press conference on this matter.”

Continue at BlackVoices…

The post Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian And Others Victims Of ‘Doxxing’ appeared first on UPTOWN Magazine.