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Wyclef's interview with VOA Creole Service:
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Haiti's electoral council recently ruled August 19 that Hip-Hop singer Wyclef Jean cannot run for president of the Caribbean nation. Jean was among 15 of 35 candidates for the office who were ruled ineligible by the council, which offered no explanation for the decision. An unnamed council official told Reuters that Haiti's electoral council ruled that Jean's candidacy did not meet several legal requirements. One could be Haiti's law that requires candidates to live in the country for five consecutive years. Jean lived in Haiti until he was nine years old, when he moved to New Jersey. Although Jean frequently visits Haiti, the country's constitution requires a candidate to be a resident for five years. In 2005, he formed his Yele Haiti Foundation, which provides scholarships to Haitian children and humanitarian aid to his native country.
Brown Gets Positive Progress Report from Judge
Patricia Schnegg, the Los Angeles judge overseeing Chris Brown's probation told the R&B singer that "You're doing very well" at a August 26 hearing on Brown's progress. Brown was sentenced to five years probation and six months of community labor last year after being found guilty of assaulting then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna.
Jay-Z Tops Forbes' Hip-Hop Cash Kings List
Forbes magazine recently issued its annual "Hip-Hop Cash Kings" list. Jay-Z tops the list by earning $63 million during the past year. Rounding out the Top 5 money makers are Sean "Diddy" Combs ($30 million), Akon ($21 million), Lil Wayne ($20 million) and Dr. Dre ($17 million).
Steven Tyler Will Be New Judge on 'American Idol'
Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton told a New Jersey newspaper that the group's lead singer, Steven Tyler, will be a judge on the upcoming 10th season of American Idol. The Star-Ledger quoted Hamilton as saying, "The ink is dry on that. Steven is someone who lives to be in front of an audience, and the people closest to him know how witty and entertaining he can be. I don't know if American Idol will be rock 'n' roll enough for him, but it is an opportunity for millions of people to see another side of Steven Tyler." American Idol producers haven't confirmed who will replace former judges Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi.
Brooks & Dunn Wrap Up Concert Tour
On September 2, Brooks & Dunn will wrap up their "Last Rodeo Tour" with a charity concert in Nashville. "Brooks & Dunn and Friends" will benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Museum's director Kyle Young says, "The enormity of this gesture, including the endorsement it implies and the example it sets, is something the Museum's board and staff will contemplate with gratitude for a very long time. We are grateful to Kix (Brooks) and Ronnie (Dunn) for supporting our educational mission and for putting the museum on the radar screen of their nation of fans. The only word for them is magnificent!"
Ricky Martin to Publish Memoir November 2
Latin pop star Ricky Martin will have his memoir published on November 2. In Me, Martin addresses such topics as his early childhood, his musical career, coming to terms with his sexuality, becoming a father to twins and his work with children's charities throughout the world. The memoir will be released in English and Spanish-language editions.
New Album Releases August 31:
"Now That's What I Call Music! 35" - various artists
"Something For The Rest Of Us" - the Goo Goo Dolls
"Asylum" - Disturbed
"Red Velvet Car" - Heart
"Screaming Bloody Murder" - Sum 41
"Dream Attic" - Richard Thompson
"Junky Star" - Ryan Bingham
"Better Than I Used To Be" - Sammy Kershaw
Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits:
The 40th annual Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival will take place September 4-6 in Seattle, Washington. Artists performing on the main stage include Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige, Drake, Weezer, Rise Against and Neko Case, among others.
Look Who's Going On Tour!
On September 2, Eminem and Jay-Z will kick off their "Home And Home" tour in Detroit, Michigan. A second show will take place in Detroit on September 3. The tour also includes shows at New York's Yankee Stadium on September 13 and 14. Eminem new album, Recovery, has sold more than two million copies, making it the second best-seller of 2010. Jay-Z's upcoming anthology, The Hits Collection, Vol. 1, will be released on December 20.
Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and the Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald are performing a U.S. tour together. Billed as the Dukes of September, the supergroup is backed by a nine-piece band that features members from Steely Dan's touring group. They'll be on the road through October 2.
