Kanye West Announces New Album Title And Track List!
Kanye West has announced yet another title for his upcoming album: “The Life of Pablo.”
West shared the new title and track listing via Twitter on Wednesday evening. The collection’s previously discussed titles include “Swish” and “Waves,” the latter of which led to an impassioned Twitter battle between West and Wiz Khalifa.
Past Westian clues indicate that the title refers to Pablo Picasso, with whom the rapper has compared himself previously. On track “No More Parties in L.A.,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, which is conspicuously missing from the latest track list, West intones, “I feel like Pablo when I’m workin’ on my shoes / I feel like Pablo when I see me on the news / I feel like Pablo when I’m workin’ on my house.”
It was previously announced that the collection, West’s seventh studio album, would drop on Feb. 11. His previous outing, “Yeezus,” debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, selling 327,000 units in its first week.
West is also hard at work on his latest fashion collection, which must be demanding the bulk of his time, based on his recent Twitter activity.
West will be headlining NYC’s Governors Ball Music Festival in June with the Strokes and the Killers.
Source: Variety
Sketch Spotlight: WATCH ‘The Love Prescription’ Starring Comedian Marion Kendrick!
For the new episode of the SKETCH SPOTLIGHT we are featuring The Love Prescription which we discovered is a hilarious new web series about a guy (Marion Kendrick) trying to find love with all the wrong women through a scam dating agency.
The cast :
Jason: Marion Kendrick @mariongotjokes
Taryn: Tracey Buckner @traceybuckner
Faith: D’kia Anderson @dkiaanderson
Deja’: Mignon Famani @persianmignon
Tammy: Aimee Morrison
Watch the sketch below;
Idris Elba In Talks To Play Lead In Romantic Drama, ‘The Mountain Between Us’!
The actor is reportedly in talks to replace his “Pacific Rim” co-star, Charlie Hunnam, to star in the romantic drama “The Mountain Between Us” for Fox – a project that’s long been in development, with Hunnam and Rosamund Pike most recently attached to star.
An adaptation of the best-selling novel by Charles Martin, the story centers on a man and woman, survivors of a plane crash in the wilderness, who fall in love.
Here’s a summary of the book from the author’s website: “On a stormy winter night, two strangers wait for a flight at the Salt Lake City airport. Ashley Knox is an attractive, successful writer, who is flying East for her much anticipated wedding. Dr. Ben Payne has just wrapped up a medical conference and is also eager to return home to Jacksonville, FL for a slate of surgeries he has scheduled for the following day. When the last outgoing flight is canceled due to a broken de-icer and a forthcoming storm, Ben finds a charter plane that can take him around the storm and drop him in Denver to catch a connection. And when the pilot says the single engine prop plane can fit one more, Ben offers the seat to Ashley, knowing that she needs to get back just as urgently. And then the unthinkable happens. The pilot has a heart attack mid-flight and the plane crashes into the High Uintas Wilderness–one of the largest stretches of harsh and remote land in the United States. Ben, who has broken ribs and Ashley, who suffers a terrible leg fracture, along with the pilot’s dog, are faced with an incredibly harrowing battle to survive. As the days on the freezing mountains become weeks, their survival becomes increasingly perilous. How will they make it out of the wilderness and if they do, how will this experience change them forever?”
Rosamund Pike is no longer attached (she exited the project along with Hunnam), so Fox is now back on the hunt to cast its female lead opposite Elba (should they reach a deal with him).
Hany Abu-Assad is directing the film from a script that was initially adapted by Mills Goodloe and Scott Frank. Chris Weitz was tapped for a rewrite.
Chernin Entertainment is producing, with Fox 2000’s Marisa Paiva overseeing it. J for the studio. A 2016 shoot date is eyed.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film has “an Oscar-friendly storyline,” which would obviously put Elba in a potentially prime position, especially after what many saw as an Oscar snub for his performance in “Beasts of No Nation.”
Source: Shadow & Act
Tony Roberts Talks How He Almost Landed The Starring Role As ‘Uncle Buck’ Plus New Films!
Here is an interview we conducted with comedian Tony Roberts, and as expected he ALWAYS brings laughter! We were at The Wilbur Theater in Boston during the current Shaq Comedy All Star tour and we got a chance to chat with Tony about his upcoming projects and working with ABC’s new show Uncle Buck (he’s starring in with Mike Epps), how he almost landed that role, his new projects and more!
Watch the interview below;
Jermaine Fowler To Star New CBS Comedy Pilot ‘Superior Donuts’!
Jermaine Fowler has closed a deal to star in and co-executive produce Superior Donuts, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot written/executive produced by The Odd Couple showrunner Bob Daily and Community alums Neil Goldman & Garrett Donovan. James Burrows has come on board to direct the pilot for CBS TV Studios.
Based on the play by Tracy Letts, Superior Donuts follows the relationship between the owner of a donut shop, Arthur, his new young employee, Franco (Fowler), andtheir patrons in a gentrifying neighborhood of Chicago. Fowler’s Franco is a high-energy, fast-talking force of nature who sees Superior Donuts as a symbol of everything he loves about the neighborhood — it’s authentic and real. As Arthur’s new (and only) employee, he’s going to make it his mission to drag the shop — and Arthur — into the 21stcentury …
Daily, who serves as showrunner, executive produces the pilot alongside Goldman, Donovan, Mark Teitelbaum, John Montgomery and 3 Arts’ Michael Rotenberg and Josh Lieberman.
As a co-executive producer, Fowler is expected to have creative involvement in the project.
This is the second pilot directing gig this season for sitcom veteran James Burrows, who is celebrating a milestone — 1,000 TV episodes directed — with a primetime special on NBC. Burrows also is finalizing a deal to helm CBS/CBS Studios’ multi-camera pilot starring Matt leBlanc.
CBS has been very high on rising actor-comedian Fowler. It pursued him aggressively in the summer, signing him in a rich development deal for a multi-camera starring vehicle that also included a comedy special on sibling Showtime.
This is the second consecutive pilot for Fowler. Last year, he toplined a semi-autobiographical half-hour at ABC, with Whoopi Goldberg playing his grandmother.
Fowler, an alum of the CollegeHumor troupe, co-created, writes and stars in TruTV’s sketch comedy Friends Of The People and has been featured on MTV2’s Guy Code and Comedy Central’s Comedy Underground With Dave Attell. Fowler is repped by WME, 3 Arts and and attorney Jared Levine.
Source: Deadline
Opening This Week; ‘ZOOLANDER 2’ Starring Ben Stiller Debuts This Friday Feb 12th!
In case you haven’t heard Ben Stiller is back as Derek Zoolander and Owen Wilson as Hansel in the new Zoolander 2 film that debuts nationally this Friday February 12, 2016. For the sequel Derek and Hansel are modelling again when an opposing company attempts to take them out from the business.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1974 ‘Good Times’ Premiered On CBS!
On this day in comedy on February 8, 1974 Good Times premiered on CBS.
Created by writer Eric Monte (Cooley High) and actor, Mike Evans (the 1st Lionel from The Jeffersons), Good Times was developed by Norman Lear as a spin-off of Maude (which was a spin-off of All in the Family). The instant hit told the story of the long suffering Evans family: Florida (Esther Rolle), her husband James (John Amos) and their three children, artistic yet buffoonish JJ (Jimmie Walker), fine as hell Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and mini militant Michael (Ralph Carter) and their life in the projects. They have a drop in neighbor Willona (Ja’net Dubois) who has an adopted daughter, Penny (Janet Jackson) and they also have a fat building superintendent, Bookman (Johnny Brown). These characters became like the family we loved, but didn’t want to live with.
Good Times was set in the 1970s and dealt with a lot of issues from that era. Racism, child abuse, drugs, gang violence, police violence and political corruption were all portrayed (sounds like it could be today) and milked for laughs and pathos. James never could keep a job and the family was always in the midst of a crisis, but through it all they had good times. Why? Because they had each other. That dynamic was evident on camera, but behind the scenes there was conflict not scripted. Esther Rolle and John Amos objected to the stereotypical portrayal of the eldest son JJ and pressed their complaints for a more positive direction of the show. The producer’s answer to tampering with a hit was to fire them both. Rolle eventually returned, but Amos’ character was killed off and the show got new characters to keep the audience and sponsors happy; which they did for a while, but like all good things and times, Good Times came to an end.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1965 Comedian Chris Rock Was Born!
On this day in comedy on February 7, 1965 Comedian, Actor, Writer, Producer, Director, Christopher Julius “Chris” Rock III was born in Andrews, South Carolina.
Known universally as one of the premier comedians of his generation and voted #5 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Standup Comedians of All Time, Chris Rock’s road in comedy was paved with boulders. After putting up with enough bullying he dropped out of high school, got his GED and hit the work force in the lucrative fast food industry. He found that not to be a good fit. There had to be something better and because he now prized education he applied its principles in his future vocation. One of Chris Rock’s methods of developing an act is to bring his jokes on stage written down in a legal pad and try out each one before an unsuspecting and involuntary Guinea pig audience. It’s that kind of brashness, perseverance and hard work that established him in the many mediums of comedy: film, television, animation, documentaries and theater, but no matter where he used his comedic skills, standup was always the cornerstone of what made Rock so popular. His brand was unapologetic, insightful, bold, opinionated and above all – the unabashed truth.
The career of Chris Rock began in 1984 when he took the stage at New York’s Catch a Rising Star. It wasn’t long before he got his big break in 1985. It was in his first film – Crush Groove, playing “Person Standing Next to Phone during Fight in Club”. That didn’t do much for his career (nor did a Miami Vice guest starring role or a stand up set on Uptown Comedy Express), but when Eddie Murphy caught his act one night Rock got his real big break. Murphy took Rock under his wing and got him a credited part in Beverly Hills Cop II. Rock did his first concert film (Comedy’s Dirtiest Dozen), some more films (I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, New Jack City, Boomerang) a documentary (Who is Chris Rock?)and his first comedy album (Born Suspect). He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, but he didn’t find that to be a great fit so he moved from NBC to Fox to be a player on In Living Color, but then it got cancelled. So Rock made his own vehicle, CB4, a parody of the rap scene. It was not a success with the critics and Rock fell into a slump. Hollywood obviously didn’t know what to do with him during this period (The Immortals, Panther, Beverly Hills Ninja, Sgt. Bilko). He’d even considered quitting. Then he stopped agonizing over what he wasn’t getting and went back to his first love – stand-up.
In 1996 Chris Rock was a commentator of the Presidential campaign for Comedy Central’s Politically Correct. He was nominated for an Emmy for that coverage. It blended man on the street inquisitiveness with current event savvy. Rock was a hit and what happened next catapulted him into another league. Bring the Pain on HBO was one of their top comedy specials winning Rock two Emmys and putting him in the fast lane. You know you’re hot when you get animated (he played Lil Penny, Penny Hardaway’s alter ego for a Nike campaign). After the year of Rock he did more HBO specials and albums (Bigger & Blacker, Roll With The New, Never Scared, Big Ass Jokes, Kill the Messenger), hosted award shows (MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards), wrote a book (Rock This), did films (Dogma, Lethal Weapon 4, Nurse Betty, Grown Ups, The Longest Yard, Bad Company, Death at a Funeral), television (The Chris Rock Show), animation (Madagascar series, Osmosis Jones, King of the Hill, Bee Movie) music videos (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Big Daddy Kane, Johnny Cash) and more Chris Rock films (Down to Earth, Pootie Tang, Head of State, I Think I Love My Wife, Good Hair (his doc about hair) Top Five).
Rock defied odds. In 2005 when he hosted the 77th Academy Awards he lambasted the hallowed ceremony, the stars and the entire notion of the presentation. Despite this and the fact many members of the Academy were supremely offended he was invited to host again in 2016. His high school experiences were adapted into the successful sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris (he executive produced and narrated). Rock produced Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and The Hughleys. In 2011 he was nominated for a Drama League Award for his acting on Broadway in the play, The Motherfucker with the Hat. Rock has done the documentaries of others (Comedian, Torrance Rises, The N-Word, The Aristocrats), guest starred on sitcoms (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, The Bernie Mac Show), popped up in cameos in multiple motion pictures (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Paparazzi, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan) and directed, Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo.
Chris Rock has been nominated for 19 major awards and won 8, including 3 Grammys, 2 Primetime Emmys. A Kid’s Choice Award and a Black Reel Award.
Bill Cosby Wins Dismissal Of Janice Dickinson’s Amended Defamation Complaint!
Less than a week after taking a big legal loss in his criminal sexual assault case in Pennsylvania, Bill Cosby was handed a win by the California courts today. An L.A. Superior Court judge Tuesday agreed with the actor-comedian’s lawyers to toss an amended complaint by Janice Dickinson in her defamation suit against Cosby and his former attorney Marty Singer. In a tentative ruling read from the bench, Judge Debra Weintraub also allowed Singer to be dismissed from the case.
“The court finds that the first amended complaint is properly striken,” she said, noting the long ongoing anti-SLAPP motion, “defendant Cosby’s motion to strike is granted.” Having said that, Weintraub noted to Dickinson’s attorney Lisa Bloom and the assembled lawyers for all sides that the original complaint remains in play and “we are moving this case along …we will see everyone here on February 29 at 8:30.” Cosby, Singer and Dickinson were not in the courtroom today.
The former America’s Next Top Model judge claims Cosby raped her in 1982 and that his then-lawyer Singer branded her a “liar” in late 2014 when she brought the incident up. Dickinson took the matter to court in May, and last fall she filed an amended complaint formally naming Singer a defendant.
Source: Deadline
Anthony Anderson To Guest Star With All Star Cast For New Disney Junior Animated Series Disney Junior ‘Doc McStuffins’!
Anthony Anderson (ABC’s “black-ish”), Molly Ringwald (“Sixteen Candles”), Ellen Pompeo (ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy”), Gabourey Sidibe (“Empire”) and Vanessa Williams (“The Good Wife”) will guest star on Disney Junior’s critically acclaimed “Doc McStuffins,” an animated series about a little girl who aspires to be a doctor like her mom and runs a clinic for stuffed animals and toys out of her backyard playhouse. They join previously announced guest star Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges in Season Four, slated to debut this summer.
The new season will find Doc and her toy friends magically transported to a make-believe town, made up entirely of toys, where Doc serves as chief resident of the Toy Hospital.
Since its premiere in 2012, celebrity guest stars on “Doc McStuffins” include: The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama; Audra McDonald; Geena Davis; Ty Burrell; David Copperfield; Taye Diggs; Patton Oswalt; Molly Shannon; Jeffrey Tambor; Tony Hale; Lisa Loeb; and five cast members of “Downton Abbey” – Joanne Froggatt, Lesley Nicol, Matt Milne, Nigel Harman and Robert Bathurst.
The series stars Laya DeLeon Hayes as Doc, Loretta Devine as Hallie, Lara Jill Miller as Lambie, Robbie Rist as Stuffy, Jess Harnell as Chilly, Andre Robinson as Donny McStuffins, Kimberly Brooks as Mom McStuffins, and Gary Anthony Williams as Dad McStuffins.
Created and executive-produced by Humanitas Prize and Emmy Award-winning Chris Nee and directed by Emmy-winning Norton Virgien, “Doc McStuffins” is a production of Dublin, Ireland’s Brown Bag Films in association with Disney Channel. The Hollywood Health & Society division of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center serves as its health and medical consultants, advising on basic health issues that are relevant to young kids and families. “Doc McStuffins” airs daily on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.
their patrons in a gentrifying neighborhood of Chicago. Fowler’s Franco is a high-energy, fast-talking force of nature who sees Superior Donuts as a symbol of everything he loves about the neighborhood — it’s authentic and real. As Arthur’s new (and only) employee, he’s going to make it his mission to drag the shop — and Arthur — into the 21stcentury …
CBS has been very high on rising actor-comedian Fowler. It pursued him aggressively in the summer, signing him in a rich development deal for a multi-camera starring vehicle that also included a comedy special on sibling Showtime.