Movies

Let's face it, anyone who grew up in the late '1990s​ and early 2000s likely blasted songs by Ashanti and Ja Rule. Hits like "Mesmerize" and "What's Love?" always took the No. 1 spots on "TRL," securing their place in music history. Though both artists have been out of the spotlight for quite some time, Ashanti recently hinted she's interested in collaborating with Ja once again.

The R&B princess of Murder Inc. opened up about her hopes for a Ja Rule reunion while appearing on Hot 97 with hosts, Ebro Darden and K. Foxx.

"Hopefully we get it all poppin.' There's no denying our chemistry," Ashanti told the radio hosts. "I mean, he has to focus on his stuff right now, and I gotta' focus on mine."

Ashanti also informed listeners that Ja is ready to make new music and had a recording studio set up in the basement of his home so he can get to work immediately. 

Though music will always be Ashanti's first love, the artist has also transitioned into acting. According to The Giro, Ashanti made her movie debut in the film "Coach Carter" and is currently acting on the hit Lifetime series "Army Wives."

Would you be interested in a Ja Rule and Ashanti reunion?

Actor and comedian Kevin Hart is known for his over-the-top sense of humor. However, he recently revealed he's able to be serious too - when it comes to fashion and being a father. Hart discussed these topics and more for an interview with Annex Man magazine. 

Though Hart's goal is to make people laugh during gigs like hosting the BET Awards or MTV Movie Awards, when it comes to his children, he finds the job anything but a laughing matter. 

"I have to be uncompromising when it comes to my kids' time with me," Hart told the news outlet. "I have to be committed to my kids or else the industry will always have you away from your family."

As for his fashion sense, the actor took it personally when the interviewer called his looks "underrated." However, after having a good laugh, he admitted he's more of a jeans and T-shirt guy than a fashion-forward person.

Next up for Hart? Deadline is reporting he's signed on to star in a currently untitled comedy from Screen Gems and Miramax alongside fellow funnyman Josh Gad.

Are you a fan of Hart? Do you want to see him on the silver screen?

New movie "42," the biopic of legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, offers a look into the struggles and hatred Robinson had to overcome as the first black man to play professional baseball in America, and it does so in a way that people young and old will enjoy.

It seems both baseball and Robinson fans alike did find the topic interesting - the film took the number one spot  at the box office this weekend, earning a cool $23.7 million in its first week. BET reports "42" beat out other fan favorites including "Scary Movie 5" and the indie flick "The Place Behind the Pines," starring Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes. 

According to Time magazine, producer Thomas Tull and the film's writer and director, Brian Helgeland, recruited Robinson's widow Rachel to help with the accuracy of the movie. Baseball took a chance on Robinson back in 1947, and Helgeland did the same when he cast relatively-unknown actor Chadwick Boseman to play the baseball star on the big screen.

The risk certainly paid off for Boseman as it did for Robinson.

Did you see "42"?  Do you think the film was true to what Robinson went through when he first started playing baseball?

The anniversary of Eazy-E's death due to complications from AIDS was March 26, and fans in both the hip hop world and the streets took a moment to honor the legendary MC. The date also sparked excitement about the documentary film E's daughter, recording artist E.B. Wright, is making to showcase the life and death of her famous father.

BET reports Wright is looking to reveal the issues surrounding his early death (he was 31) and how he was able to change the rap game during his short time on Earth.

"A lot of people don't know the truth behind his death," Wright told the news outlet. "There's definitely a story out there of how people think he died but a lot of it is a misconception, so I think it's time to tell the story of exactly what happened."

The documentary, "A Ruthless Scandal," is reportedly going to focus on Eazy-E's time prior to his death as told by his close friends and family. Wright is relying on the memories of such people because she was only 4 when her father passed. 

"I'm going to have interviews with everyone: his former [NWA] group members, business associates, friends, doctors, lawyers, court papers will all be in there," Wright told the publication. "Everything that was involved [in his death] is going to be a part of the documentary."

The young singer and filmmaker believes her father could have been a major player in the hip hop, fashion and entertainment industries had he lived to see his dreams come to life. She admitted she feels as if he'd be someone highly influential like Russell Simmons or Jay-Z because he was not only connected with the streets, he also had a mind for business.

According to HipHop DX, a six-minute trailer for the documentary was recently released and shows excerpts of people talking about Suge Knight's threats on Eazy-E's life, as well as certain reservations friends have about the way he died.

The documentary, reportedly set to drop in fall 2013, is being produced by Ruthless Records, the company Eazy-E helped launch prior to his death. The label is still in effect today and is run by Eazy's late-wife, Tomica Woods-Wright.

Would you be interested in seeing the Eazy-E documentary? What type of insight would you be looking to gain by viewing the film?

TLC is still one of the most electric female groups to ever come out of pop and R&B music. The trio led the way for other all-girl groups like Destiny's Child and even The Spice Girls. Now, their legacy within the music industry is being made into a VH1 biopic called "Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, casting for major roles is still underway, though actress Rochelle Aytes has been chosen to play singer Peri "Pebbles" Reid. Even though some fans might not be familiar with Pebbles, she was actually an important player in the success of TLC - she founded Pebbitone, the production company that is credited with finding the girl group.

Pebbles, alongside her then husband L.A. Reid, was also a big factor in why TLC had to file for bankruptcy back in 2011. BET reports she's denied all claims that she mishandled TLC's money, but it's not certain how big of a role she played in the demise of the girl group's fortune. 

No news on when the biopic will start production has been announced, but news did leak regarding who will star as the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez. MC Lyte recently let the cat out of the bag during an interview with Hip Hollywood that rapper Lil Mama will play Left Eye. 

Are you excited about the biopic? Did TLC influence you or your music choices?

Most people have a tough time deciding between a few different cable and internet providers. But what if a new product could make such decisions obsolete? Freshness magazine reports this may be exactly what the Roku 3 digital media streamer might be able to do, thanks to its 750 built-in channels and a dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity capability.

A larger processing unit isn't all the third generation of this product boasts. It also comes equipped with a remote control that doubles as a motion-sensing game controller and a headphone jack built in to the controller, allowing a viewer to watch TV without disrupting others.

Some may think this sounds too good to be true, but it's really as simple as it appears. According to Freshness, after purchasing the media streamer, all you have to do is plug it in and connect it to your current internet network. CNET reports the third edition Roku is certainly much better than its predecessors, and for the price ($99), it's worth trying out. 

Aside from the bonus perks like the headphone capabilities, the interface has also improved, allowing owners to easily get to their favorite sites like Netflix or Pandora in a flash. There is one drawback - Roku still doesn't have enough data to support YouTube, so fans of watching funny videos will still have to use their smartphones or computers. 

Having Lenny Kravitz for a father certainly comes with a lot of perks - getting custom lullabies for one. Despite her musical upbringing, Kravitz's daughter Zoe seems to have picked acting and fashion over the stage. Most recently, the 23-year-old has teamed up with Swarovski Crystallized to create a limited edition capsule collection.

Zoe opened up about her latest gig to Women's Wear Daily, stating the line will feature a mix of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings. The actress and model added she'll be mixing the famous Swarovski crystals with her birthstones, turquoise and tanzanite. Zoe added she gains inspiration from her travels and being submersed in different cultures around the world.

"I was inspired by places I want to travel such as India and Morocco... Those countries have such vivid landscapes, so I wanted to pull in color from there," Zoe told the publication. She also described the line as "organic and fun" and"something that would allow each person to make it their own."

New York Daily News reports the nine-piece collection will cost between $90 and $194 and will be launched in New York, London and Austria as well as online.

Do you like Zoe's style? Would you be interested in any of her pieces?

This year's Academy Awards had its far share of up and downs, but perhaps the biggest controversy of the night surrounded a 9-year-old actress. Quvenzhane Wallis should have been on cloud nine - she was nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in the film "Beasts of the Southern Wild" - making her the youngest nominee ever. However, the satirical newspaper, The Onion, tarnished her big night, and many people around the nation and within the industry are up in arms. 

Tweet heard round the world
Known for its off-color humor, The Onion took it a step to far on its Twitter account, writing, "Everyone else seems afraid to say it, but that Quvenzhane Wallis is kind of a [expletive], right?"

Within seconds of the tweet, sent out at 8:42 pm, countless people from around the globe took to their own Twitter accounts to reprimand the site for using such an obscene word while speaking about a child.

Wendell Pierce, of the show "The Wire," used his Twitter account, @WendellPierce, to ask the fake news source to hand over the writer of the tweet writing, "@TheOnion Identify the writer. Let him defend that abhorrent verbal attack of a child. You call it humor I call it horrendous."

Is an apology enough?
The Onion took down the tweet shortly after it was posted, but the damage was done, and many were calling for an apology. An apology did come a day later and was posted on the paper's official Facebook page. The letter, addressed to the readers and written by Steve Hannah, CEO of The Onion, offered an apology to Wallis herself and to those who were negatively affected by the tweet.

"On behalf of The Onion, I offer my personal apology to Quvenzhane Wallis and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the tweet that was circulated last night during the Oscars. It was crude and offensive -not to mention inconsistent with The Onion's commitment to parody and satire, however biting. No person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorless comment masquerading as satire."

The letter went on to say the company was "taking immediate steps to discipline those individuals responsible."

How stars have reacted
Even though Wallis' special night was tarnished by the cruel words of The Onion, stars like Octavia Spencer have been stepping up to offer the young actress advice on how to best move forward. Spencer admitted to the New York Post that she told Wallis to always be herself no matter what anyone tells her to do or what they think she should be, to simply stay true to herself. 

It seems as though Wallis is coping amidst the scandal - she's reportedly been cast as the star of the new film version of "Annie."

Do you think The Onion was out of line? Do you think more should have been done to right the issue?

It's official, Rihanna should stick to singing. This week alone, her fashion line was called "a horror show" and her acting in "Battleship" earned her a less than stellar title. ABC News reports Rihanna beat out the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Biel, Brooklyn Decker and Ashley Green for the title of Worst Supporting Actress at this year's Razzie Awards. 

The annual anti-Oscars award show honors the worst in films and acting in the previous year. BET reports Ri joined a long list of actresses that have made this funny list, including Halle Berry and Mariah Carey. Berry, who was given the title of Worst Actress for her role in "Catwoman," earned major props for accepting her Razzie in person, going so far as to mock herself in her acceptance speech.

There has been no word yet on what Rihanna thinks about her recent win, though we bet it's a much different feeling than earning accolades for her musical talent.

Do you think Ri's acting in "Battleship" was the worst of 2012? How do you think the pop and R&B singer took the news?