Michael Jackson Movie Sellout

The documentary opens nationwide Oct. 28, but fans will get a sneak peek the night before in screenings at the new Regal Cinemas Stadium 14. - more on this story

Saturday Night F Bomb

AP reports: "Saturday Night Live" has started the season with a bang, or, more precisely, an F-bomb. It wasn't the first time this particular word had been heard on "SNL." Cast member Charles Rocket made the slip in 1981.

Newcomer Jenny Slate let the dreaded word slip during a parody of a talk show by biker women. Called "Biker Chick Chat," the sketch was laden with tough talk from its participants, played by Slate, Kristen Wiig and guest host Megan Fox.

But the most objectionable word was substituted, with rapid-fire comic frequency, with an inoffensive stand-in for that vulgarity. Then, midway through the sketch, Slate slipped and said the word she meant to avoid. - more on this story

Roman Polanski Detained In Over Underage Sex Case

Yahoo reports: Swiss police detained Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski and could extradite him to the United States for having sex with a 13-year-old girl three decades ago, authorities said Sunday.

The controversial Polish-French director, 76, was arrested late Saturday as he arrived to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich film festival.

US authorities have been pursuing the director of "Rosemary's Baby", "Chinatown" and "The Pianist" for many years. The Swiss Justice Ministry said it was now waiting for a US extradition request. - more on this story

Lost Snoop Dogg Songs Dug Up

PR reports: WIDEawake Entertainment Group will release Snoop Dogg's The Lost Sessions Volume 1, containing previously unreleased songs during his 1992-1997 years with Death Row Records.

"We are seeing historic enthusiasm for the Death Row catalogue across all types of our sales accounts and media outlets in North America," commented WIDEawake / Death Row CEO Lara Lavi. "We are grateful to fans and retailers everywhere for the incredible launch of WIDEawake and look forward to working with them in our upcoming release schedule."

Iconic in stature and in essence, Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. (or Snoop Dogg) has carved out a permanent place in musical history. Undeniably, the rapper, producer, actor, entrepreneur, coach, husband and father, has performed the most unique balancing act that hip hop has ever witnessed. Never short on vision, drive or ambition, the sharp talking wordsworth has managed to redefine and reinvent himself over the course of his fifteen year career, each time revealing a distinctive cache from the depths within. His rhythmic cadences are classic in nature and his demeanor is as laid back and effortless as the brand extensions he has created for himself. Signing with Death Row in 1992 Snoop's "Doggystyle" and The Doggfather" has sold over 7 million copies around the world, and still places on the American and Canadian Hip Hop Album Chart to this day. - more on this story

Conan The Headbanger

AP reports: Conan O'Brien was expected to be back on the job Monday after hitting his head during a "Tonight Show" stunt.

"Conan is resting comfortably at home. He is expected to return to work on Monday," NBC said in a statement Saturday.

The accident Friday halted production of "Tonight," NBC said. The network did not say what the stunt entailed. - more on this story

Spandau Ballet Offer Free Download of New Song Release

PR reports: Spandau Ballet's official site had this update on Friday: Spandau Ballet appeared on GMTV this morning to make the surprise announcement that they are releasing a new single "Once More" and a new album of the same name on Mercury Records this November.

Featuring reworkings of classic Spandau Ballet tracks, alongside two brand new tracks, the album is available to pre-order now from or from the Spandau Ballet store. Pre-orders from the official store qualify for competitions to win signed numbered canvas prints of the artwork, and pre-orders from either retailer qualify for the chance to receive one of 400 albums signed by the band.

Spandau Ballet are also giving spandauballet.com visitors a very special preview of the album by giving you the chance to download the incredible new version of "Only When You Leave" when you register. If you have previously registered, don't worry, you will be emailed a link to download the track on Monday. - more on this story

Swollen Members Set Release

PR reports: Swollen Members and Battle Axe Records have formed a partnership with California based Suburban Noize Records for the release of the group's upcoming new projects. The first release under the partnership will be Swollen Members heavily anticipated new studio album "Armed To The Teeth", which is slated for release October 27th, 2009 through Suburban Noize. The group also plans to release a greatest hits disc and the debut album from Battle Axe Warriors, a new project featuring Swollen Members along with newcomer Tre Nyce, later this year.

"We're very excited to announce we've signed with Suburban Noize Records for the release of our new album and upcoming projects," said Mad Child from Swollen Members in a statement. "When we decided to make calls to interested labels and shop our new material, Suburban Noize was the first and last call I had to make. After talking with them, I knew right away they were the best home for us because they were already fans of our music. We respect what the label has done for artists like La Coka Nostra and Kottonmouth Kings and we know that they will do everything that they can to push Swollen Members on a global level."

Swollen Members have been clawing their way to the top of the hip-hop totem pole since their inception. Founded by two of the game's best MCs, Mad Child and Prevail, along with the help of DJ Rob The Viking, the group has released an impressive back catalog of classic albums and collaborated with some of hip-hop's biggest names, including Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Dilated Peoples and Everlast. Meanwhile the group has rocked stages from Los Angeles to Japan performing hundreds of shows a year in front of massive audiences with underground legends like Tech N9ne to mainstream chart toppers like Nelly Furtado, Ghostface and Black Eyed Peas.
- more on this story

Tanya Morgan Making An East Coast Run

Audible Treats reports: Fresh off the release of their critically praised album Brooklynati, Cincinnati and Brooklyn-based rap trifecta Tanya Morgan will be performing three shows in early October on the East Coast in New York, Baltimore, and Washington DC respectively. Performing alongside Tanya Morgan will be the highly regarded original members of The Native Tongues collective Black Sheep.

The first stop on the tour in New York is extra special as it marks Tanya Morgan's first appearance at the legendary nightclub S.O.B's. Emcee/producer Von Pea is especially excited about the NY show, "We've performed at a lot of spots in NY, but to finally headline at S.O.B.'s is something that we, as a group, are really happy about." Adding to the excitement, this occasion marks first time that the trio performs with a live band. When asked about this dynamic Von Pea replied, "We're used to having our music sound a certain way with samples, but when you bring in a live band, the sound that comes from that, is going to be something new and fresh for us." Emcee Dres of Black Sheep is equally excited about the live aspect of the NYC show as he explains, "For years I've been performing with live bands and I think it's great. The hip-hop elements are there so when you have good musicians around you, the creativity and room for experimentation create the potential for a great show."

With their most recent release Brooklynati garnering favorable reviews across online and print outlets such as Billboard, Spin, and XXL Magazine, Tanya Morgan is continuing to push the genre forward. Earning comparisons to the legendary super collective Native Tongues which Black Sheep themselves were once part of, Tanya Morgan is bridging a gap between two decades of hip-hop that only a select few can accomplish. Black Sheep, who have garnered the utmost respect for providing the soundtrack to many music fans' formative years with such songs as "The Choice Is Yours (This Or That)" and "Similak Child," will also be performing all of their timeless material along with some new songs. - more on this story

A R Rahman Goes From Slumdog Glory to Scoring Comedy

PR reports: Academy Award-winning composer and internationally renowned musician A R Rahman makes his first foray into composing music for an American comedy feature film with Universal Pictures' forthcoming romantic comedy, Couples Retreat. The soundtrack will be released via Relativity Music Group digitally on October 6 and in all retail outlets nationwide on October 13.

For Couples Retreat, A R Rahman has conjured up the sounds of a tropical island oasis fusing the laid-back rhythms of island music along with his gift for creating golden melodies. The opportunity to work on Couples Retreat was a welcome challenge for Rahman who created a score that complements the film's light-hearted tone with just a hint of his signature "Indian" sound.

"There are so many musical avenues to be explored," says Rahman. "I've wanted to try new things and for a long time and had hoped to have the opportunity to venture into American comedy. This film presented a lot of creative challenges and was deeply rewarding to be apart of. " - more on this story

Tupac University

PR reports: The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation and Afeni Shakur-Davis, mother of Tupac Shakur, will partner with the Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center to make available for research Shakur's manuscript writings and other papers.

Born in East Harlem, New York, Shakur honed his acting and performing skills at the city's 127th Street Repertory Ensemble and the Baltimore School of the Arts in Maryland. He first came to prominence in the early 1990s as a featured rapper for the vocal group Digital Underground and went on to become one of the most significant cultural icons of the hip hop generation. Prior to his untimely death at the age of 25, Shakur had released five record albums and appeared in four motion pictures to great success. Ten albums, numerous compilations and four feature films were all released posthumously, including Tupac, Resurrection,which received an Academy Award nomination for "Best Documentary (Feature)."

More than a decade after his death on September 13, 1996, Shakur remains one of the most influential writers and performers in the hip hop/rap genre and continues to be the top-selling hip hop recording artist of all time, having sold more than 75 million albums worldwide. A prolific writer, Tupac wrote The Rose That Grew From Concrete,when he was only 19 years old. The book contains numerous poems in Tupac's own handwriting and has enjoyed a substantial amount of success selling over 250,000 copies. Select poems from the book will now be included in the collection. There are three more books - Tupac Resurrection, Tupac Legacy and Tupac Remembered which were all published following his death. - more on this story

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