American Idol announces new judges

Today, American Idol announced who the remaining judges will be for the upcoming Season 12 of the show.  They picked country singer, Keith Urban, and cross-over artist, Nicki Minaj, to judge the show with singer, Mariah Carey, and original judge, former Journey bassist, Randy Jackson.  It was much speculated as to who the final quartet of judges were going to be since the departure of former judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.  Rumors swirled for weeks until the names of Carey, Minaj and Urban became solid candidates until today’s announcement, where the rumors became reality.



Sitting back and thinking about are these new judges suitable to be judges for this show, one may think about the background and accomplishments of the new judges.  Mariah Carey is a multi-platinum (too many to count), multi-time Grammy award winner singer and song writer.  Her career spans two and a half decades.  In short, she is regarded as to having one of the greatest voices to ever grace the industry.  In our book, she fits the profile to judge a talent show.


 Keith Urban has over twenty years in the music industry, and has won multiple American Music Awards, Country Music Awards, BMI Awards, and Grammy Awards, to name a few.  He’s most famous these days for a stint in rehab, and being married to Nicole Kidman, but that’s neither here nor there when it comes to his accolades to qualify as an American Idol judge.

Then there’s Nicki Minaj; the newcomer to the industry, two years strong.  So far, she’s been nominated and won multiple New Female Artist awards, and multiple wins for songs Starships and Super Bass.  When she first came on the scene, she was supposed to be the next top female rap artist, but as the months went by, her style and image began to morph.  She started off with the raunchy and racy lyrics, drawing comparison to Lil Kim, and Choice, the little known female artist from Houston, Texas of the early 1990’s.  Then she started taking on the image of Lil Kim, Missy Elliott (whom will be discussed later), Lady Ga Ga, and other female music artists who had a flamboyant image and personality.  The direction of her music began to change, as she still rhymed in her music, but the music itself became more pop themed.  The music was no longer geared for the 20-30 something’s, it’s now more for the 13 and under’s.  She still makes music for the older crowds when she is in a collaboration with other artists, but her main vice is to draw in the young listeners, as they are the majority of the individuals listening and purchasing music.  And this is why American Idol signed her up, at the tune of $12 million to judge this season.

American Idol knows exactly why they wanted Nicki Minaj as a judge.  I for one, think it’s not hard to dress and act like a clown to get attention, but it’s the individuals that support the act that American Idol needs to maintain their spot in the ratings.  Nicki Minaj is not that talented to judge a talent show.  What advice can she actually give someone with an unheard voice, when the majority of her success comes from her image?  She can rap, she can harmonize, not sing…………harmonize, but to tell a singer they are or not good enough to move to the next round to achieve their dream is quite asinine.  She’s only had success on the mainstream level for 3 years at the most, and the explosion of that success is only about 1.5 years.  Her opinion of a contestant won’t mean anything to me because I can see why she’s there as a judge in the first place.

Over the past couple seasons, American Idol has been struggling to maintain their viewership.  During Season 11, viewership has fallen off to the second lowest since the first season for the entire season through to the final performances.  Nicki Minaj is being brought in to boost the viewership and ratings.  Mariah’s first reaction to being informed of Nicki’s addition to the judge’s panel was to hang the phone up on the show producers.  She even knows that Nicki has no place being a judge on the show, but it’s not her call; she’ll simply roll on to the bank with a $17-$18 million check in tow.  Call her a diva, call her a hater, but it’s a talent show, and in return, we’ll see and hear about what goes down between these two, without question, it’s going to happen.  But back to why American Idol chose Nicki Minaj as a judge; she has a legion of fans, a majority young, but they will tune in just to see her and to hear her critique contestant performances.  As stated before, it’s not about what Nicki has accomplished in her young career; it’s about the numbers game to American Idol.  With numbers down, the producers are using Nicki and her fan base to get the numbers back up.  They could care less about her ability to critique a singer; it’s about needing her fans to tune in each week to maintain sponsorship and additional revenue streams.  This is why they have 4 judges, because she’s there to draw the numbers, while the other judges, Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Keith Urban, all who have 60 plus combined years in the industry are there to give the expert opinion for the contestants.

I’m sure Nicki knows why she’s been chosen to be a judge, and I doubt she really cares because she’s got an easy $12 million not to care; and these types of decisions are why the show’s popularity have gone downhill.  The producers have sacrificed the true meaning of a ‘talent judge’ for the sake of a ratings boost from a demographic that may be too young to stay up and watch the show.  They have prostituted themselves for the sake of money.  The first thing that popped into my head, Mariah’s head, and I’m sure into the heads of many, many others, is that Nicki lacks the talent and experience to be a judge on a talent show.  But again, numbers rule, and it was the producers job to find a formula or individual that will bring those numbers up, and they found the source in Nicki Minaj.

The money American Idol will make from sponsors due to the increase in viewership will pay for all the judge’s salaries, plus much more.  It’s a strategic and bold move by the producers to bring in Nicki, even though she lacks the pedigree as an entertainer to be a judge.  In the end, that bottom line is all that matters, and American Idol will thank the legion of Nicki Minaj fans for the boost.

Yet, to keep the tradition of a true talent show, I have a better individual in mind that could have been the fourth judge for Season 12, instead of Nicki Minaj……….how about Missy Elliott?  She has over 20 years in the industry; she’s a singer, song writer, rapper, and have written songs for Grammy winners, she’s won Grammy’s, AMA’s, MTV Music Awards, etc as a performer; her list of accolades spans through the 1990’s into the 2000’s.  I say Nicki has taken a piece of Missy’s image and molded it to create herself, with the colorful hair and the animated, cartoon persona.  The respect and knowledge that Missy could bring to the show will be welcomed, but we know the direction the show is going in.  I’d rather have something I can see and hear on my television screen, in Missy Elliott critiquing future talent, from a professional point of view, instead of a confused pop star, whose opinion of upcoming talent is as worthless as a festering bowl of dog snot.  I can’t see nor care for the number of people watching the show.  I want to see an honest and professional critique of a performance based on knowledge of the game.  Just because an artist is hot right now or even at all, doesn’t make them a master of the craft, when it’s all smoke and mirrors pushed by the machine.

If Missy, Mariah, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson were the judges of the show, it’ll bring more credibility to the genre, rather than more fans of one judge, who may not be able to watch the show past bed time; but I’ve already said that.  Again, it’s all about numbers, and a show’s job is to maintain and grow those numbers, and they found a source to do just that in Nicki Minaj.  So be it, if it works, then it works, but it’s all hollow.  Let’s keep it real, and maybe that would be a formula that will work on a reality show.

PRIDE*PROSPERITY*POWER

PRIDE*PROSPERITY*POWER is what we're all about.  Everyone has the ability to be a legend in their own right if they continue to work hard at the craft and stay focused.  Don't let outside forces influence the direction you wish to take for yourself.  If you know you want to implement your own ideas to further brand yourself, then do them.  There's no benefits at the end if you don't take calculated risks.  Yet, some of those risks don't include listening to what others have to say about your direction.  Speak up if you don't like something, and in the end, you to, will have PRIDE in what you set out to accomplish.  If you stay on the path that you set for yourself, PROSPERITY will soon follow.  Only you can control the destiny of your own career, if you so choose to do so.  If what others tell you what's best for you sounds suspect, then speak up and take the time to think about the benefits of another person's decision for you.  Take the time to research all the possibilities of what's best for you, either by the decision making abilities of a vested interest, or by your own decision.  Take control of your career, and once you have control over every aspect of your being, then you have ultimately obtained POWER.

Each key word is represented by a color.  Each color has a definition which describes each key word.  Look up each key word and the color associated with them, and then you'll understand what P³ Entertainment is all about.  Apply each keyword to your daily routine, and you will come out on top of everything you set out to accomplish.  Know how to use each word to your advantage, because knowing how to use each word allows you to stand on your own two, without much assistance, because you are in control.  Knowledge and strength is key.

Washington Redskins defeat New Orleans Saints, 40-32

Hail to those damn WASHINGTON REDSKINS!!!!! Doin’ it big out there in New Orleans, with a win over the Saints 40-32.

On a day where 5 rookie quarterbacks started on Opening Day, Robert Griffin III was the only one to win his game. There was a lot of skepticism going into Sunday’s game on whether or not the pressure of a big first game against one of the NFL’s top teams would cause Redskin rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III to buckle. After watching the game, since the opening kickoff, RGIII not only quelled those feelings of skepticism, he looked like a poised veteran.

RGIII threw for 320 yards and 2 touchdowns, all the while, maintaining his composure in this first NFL game. The New Orleans Saints put some pressure on RGIII to start the game, but the offensive line held up from start to finish. That’s a good thing, but it’s one thing that P³ Entertainment have noticed over the last few years; the offensive line holds up for the first 6-7 weeks of the season, then that first injury causes a domino effect that holds as drastic and tragic for the ‘Skins. Their depth on the offensive line has been a problem over the past few years, and when a first string player goes down, they usually have to replace him with a player that would then have to play out of position. Let’s knock on wood and hope that it doesn’t come down to this method of holding up a line, and let’s see RGIII succeed. The line needs to hold up in order for this franchise to get what they bargained for in order to move up the draft to select RGIII with the #2 overall pick in the 2012 draft.

Robert Griffin III’s rookie debut performance ranked second amongst rookies all-time in the categories of passer rating (139.9), behind Frank Tarkenton’s 148.6 in 1961; passing yards, behind Cam Newton’s 422 in 2011; and third in completion percentage behind Rick Mirer’s 74.1 in 1993 and Tarkenton’s 73.9 in 1961. That’s pretty impressive, and was expected by those who have followed him closely and truly believe he is the real deal.

Let’s hope the die hard ‘Skins fans don’t jump the moon over this one victory. Last season the team won in Week 1 over the eventual Super Bowl Champions, New York Giants, in convincing fashion, only to win 4 more games for the rest of the season. You have to remember the look on Mike Shanahan’s face during the post game press conference, as if he had a winner on his hands. He looked so proud, even with a certain sly smirk on his face, as if he had stuck it to the media and naysayers for not giving his team a chance to win……….after one game. Then the tumble began after a couple weeks and the rest is history, failing to improve from a previous dismal year. Let’s hope this trend doesn’t continue, as we’ve heard a few fans on the radio this morning proclaiming Super Bowl after 1 game. We know it’s pride and happiness after the team wins a hyped game that makes people say crazy things, but going to the Super Bowl after winning 1 game is………….crazy. Let’s just bathe in the success of a Week 1 victory, celebrate with each passing victory, and when we make the playoffs, and get into position to touch a Super Bowl, then say those crazy things; because then, those crazy things that one may say, may become an actual reality.

P³ Entertainment is proud of Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins after all the moves they’ve made to put themselves in a winning position. But the moves aren’t enough, it’s the play on the field. With each passing week, playing with PRIDE will lead to PROSPERITY on the football field; and with PROSPERITY comes the POWER. Obtaining POWER is the ultimate goal in whatever ventures you partake, whether it be your 9 to 5, or playing football for our beloved Washington Redskins; earning that POWER through PRIDE and PROSPERITY is the ultimate goal to success. RGIII has shown he plays with PRIDE, which led to PROSPERITY, and if he continues on, he can be a very POWERful man in the DMV.

If you follow the P³ Entertainment steps to success, you to, can be the person you dream of being. 

LET'S GO SKINS!!!!!!

P³ Entertainment has joined Facebook

P³ Entertainment has finally joined Facebook as a Business page. 

A Facebook Business page is different from that of a normal User page.  There is no Search function or the ability to LIKE other pages.  It's simply an online advertisement that people will have to know about through the owner advertising the page or simply stumble upon.

With the P³ Entertainment Facebook page, you will be updated on recent events going on with P³ Entertainment, as well as links to additional pages where interested customers can buy merchandise such as movies, music, jewelry and watches.

Check out the P³ Entertainment main Facebook page HERE. 

The P³ Entertainment Jewelry and Watch Store can be found HERE.

The P³ Entertainment  Movie and Music Store can be found HERE.

Remember to LIKE the pages when you visit them by pressing the LIKE button, and if you're interested, take a look around the stores.

We're working on deals to increase our inventory, so keep track of the stores and we'll get more merchandise in very soon.

BREAKING NEWS: R&B Singer, Whitney Houston dead at the age of 48

Various news sources (TMZ) are reporting that R&B songstress, Whitney Houston has been found dead in her Beverly Hilton hotel room.  When paramedics arrived Houston was found unresponsive. 

Paramedics performed CPR on the 48 year old multi-time Grammy Award winner, but was not able to revive her, and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM EST.  It is reported that she was identified by family members and friends.

It is reported that there are no obvious signs of foul play, but Beverly Hill Police Department detectives have begun a full investigation.  Police are currently seeking a search warrant to investigate the hotel room where Whitney was found dead.  The singer famously battled drug addiction for years, and have been the butt of many drug associated jokes over the years.  Houston was seen out in Hollywood Thursday night for a Grammy party, and many say that she did not look well.  As what seems to be her last performance, Whitney even took the mic and performed a song while at the event.

Many event goers say that Whitney "partied heavily" last night at the Beverly Hilton hotel where she was staying, drinking and chatting loudly with friends at the bar.  Whitney's mother, Cissy Houston, and Dionne Warwick claim the singer sounded fine just hours before her death.

Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party, which Whitney was supposed to open, is going on as scheduled this evening, though Clive will not be in attendance.  Bobby Brown is distraught over Whitney's death, going "in and out of crying fits."  He is scheduled to perform tonight with New Edition in Southaven, Mississippi.

Houston had one child, Bobbi Kristina, with Bobby Brown.  Houston and Brown were married from 1992-2007.
 
Houston won two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards during her record-breaking career. Her album "Whitney" was the first female album to ever debut at #1 on the Billboard Charts. She has sold 200 million albums worldwide.

"The Overweight Lover" Heavy D, has passed away

P³ Entertainment is sad to announce the passing of a hip hop icon, "The Overweight Lover" Heavy D passed away today at the age of 44.

There is no immediate news on why he died, but he recently returned from an overseas trip and felt a little under the weather.

Heavy D, born Dwight Arrington Myers, fell ill today around 11:30 AM EST, where an ambulance was called to take him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but was pronounced dead by 1:00 PM.

There was a time when rap/hip-hop music was fun to listen to.  Heavy D was one of those artists that you could listen to and he'd make you want to dance and get your groove on.  He was one of those dudes in the industry that no one had a negative thing to say about him.  Heavy D was a rare dude in the industry, an all round good soul.

Despite his size at its peak, Heavy D showed his versatility by dancing during his stage performances and in his videos.  He really got into his music, and for a man of his size, 6'4" and topping out at 395 pounds, it was appreciated to see him break a sweat by dancing and getting into the groove.  Seeing Heavy dance got his fans even more hyped and enjoyed the song even more.

Early Heavy D, if you listen closely, sounds to be influenced by legendary hip-hip group, Run DMC, but he had his own style.  He also rode the wave of the New Jack Swing era of the late 1980s and early 1990s, where many of his hits took place.  Combining his rhyme style and the New Jack Swing art of dance, he was that ultimate emcee.

When his full time music career was slowing down, he moved into the executive role at Uptown Records and appeared in several films and stage plays.  He did it without too much attention brought onto himself; and he did his job quietly.

Heavy D recently resurfaced at the 2011 BET Music Awards, performing for the first time in over 15 years, and the crowd loved him.  He went overseas and quite possibly caught pneumonia.  This could be a factor as to why he died, but we won't know until an autopsy is complete.  It's very sad to report losing such a great individual.  He is a much respected hip-hop artist, and he will not be forgotten.

To pay homage to the work of Heavy D, the P³ Entertainment Radio Show broadcast a two part show entitled, The Heavy D Experience: A Tribute to the Heavyweight Lover.  Check out these two parts and listen the work that the Overweight Lover left behind for us, his fans, to enjoy.

P³ Entertainment joins Spreaker Internet Radio

P³ Entertainment is proud to announce that we have joined Spreaker Internet Radio.

By joining Spreaker, we now have an platform to express our views on certain subjects, whether it be about Hollywood, music, and politics.  We won't kill your ears with a bunch of talk, but we will play the hottest music that you don't hear on the radio by your favorite artists, and even those not so famous.

Since P³ Entertainment is localized in the District, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region, we will strive to play local artists to help them with their exposure.  Even the music of the homebase, that good Go-Go, will be played during various broadcasts to show love, and to get the regional sound out there for the rest of the country and world to hear.

If you're tired of the same ole' different radio stations playing the same ole' songs throughout the day, everyday, for months on end; then check out the P³ Entertainment Radio Show to get your fix of the hottest hip-hop, rap, R&B, and Go-Go music in the land without the repeat.


FOR ALL LOCAL MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS IN THE DMV
Looking for a platform to boost your exposure?  If you're a rapper, hip-hop artist, R&B singer, Go-Go band, poet, or someone who speaks spoken word, and looking for a place to share your talents, then send P³ Entertainment an e-mail with a file or link to the material you wish to get played on the air of an upcoming episode of the P³ Entertainment Radio show.  We look forward to helping promote all local musicians and artists, and with the help of everyone, we can achieve regional status in the music world.

Remember to check out the P³ Entertainment Radio Show and to be alerted when a new show airs and to follow the show, click the FOLLOW button on the P³ Entertainment Radio Show main page.

R&B Singer, Vesta Williams has died at the age of 53

R&B singer Vesta Williams was found dead in a Los Angeles, California hotel room today. Williams was 53 years old.


Williams' hits included "Sweet Sweet Love," "Once Bitten Twice Shy" and the 1989 smash, "Congratulations," a tale of heartbreak over a love marrying someone else that she later described as "a premonition that came true". The song, with its vocal acrobatics and dramatic story, became a talent show staple.

Though no official cause of death had been determined, John Kades of the L.A. County coroner's office told the Associated Press that it "could be a drug overdose," as there is a report that bottles of prescription pills were found in the hotel room, and that the authorities are treating the singer's death as an accidental overdose or suicide. According to various news sources, someone from the hotel called 911 from the hotel earlier in the evening when the singer’s body was discovered. Law enforcement is currently treating the case as a suicide or accidental overdose. It will take six weeks before a coroner can determine if drugs played a role in Williams’ death. An autopsy will be conducted, though foul play was not suspected.

Word of the singer’s death has been making the rounds on Twitter as fellow celebrities send out their condolences.

Jackeé Harry, the television actress, tweeted her condolences about the singer's passing.

"...just received truly devastating news: R&B great, and my friend of many yrs, Vesta Williams (@vesta4u), has passed away. #RIPVesta"

Williams portrayed Harry's sister on the sitcom, "Sister, Sister." She also appeared in the movie western "Posse" as a lounge singer.

Other celebrities that expressed their condolences include model/fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons. She tweeted,

“What tremendous talent, great soul! 'Cuz as long as I can breathe, you’ll always be the one for me!’”

1990s R&B star Shanice was shocked by the news and tweeted,

“My friend Vesta died…I can’t believe this…RIP.”

Comedian Sinbad wrote, “Our dear sister and one of the sangiest diva’s ever, vesta williams, has passed away. I loved that sister.”

In the 1990s, Williams made headlines for her dramatic weight loss. She told Ebony that she started to rapidly gain weight when her singing career began to falter. Williams, who was 5-foot-3, eventually reached a size 26. She said her size was the reason she lost her recording contract.

"When I lost my record deal and my phone wasn't ringing, I realized that I had to reassess who Vesta was and figure out what was going wrong," she said. "I knew it wasn't my singing ability. So it had to be that I was expendable because I didn't have the right look."

The singer went on to lose 100 lbs, and got down to a size 6, while finding something of a second career as a songwriter and session singer.

In recent years, Williams had become an advocate for the prevention of childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.



UPDATE

In late December 2011, the family released this statement, through a family friend singer/producer Norwood Young, reporting her official cause of death: "Following three months of intensive coroner's autopsy and toxicology research, it has been definitively determined that the cause of death for our beloved Vesta was 'natural death' from 'hypertensive heart disease,'" adding: "An enlarged heart can remain undetected for many years."

Vesta Williams was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) on October 4th, 2011 following the memorial service at West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, California. Attendees included notable friends Wanda Dee, singer Peggi Blu, Freda Payne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Kellita Smith, Norwood Young, Michael Collier (author), Miki Howard, Karel Bouley, Kiki Shepard, Jackee’, Luenell and renowned Blues singer, Linda Hopkins. A private reception was held following the interment.

She is survived by her mother, daughter, three sisters, a brother and three grandchildren as well as many cousins, friends and fans.