Jay-Z: We have to view rap as a serious art formThe greatest music, renowned hip-hop artist Jay-Z told Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" Wednesday, has the ability to connect with all kinds of people, regardless of background. “After we take the labels – black, white, male, female – after we take off the labels, we basically want the same thing, we love the same things,” Jay-Z explained. “The commonality of those emotions: angst, fear, aspiration… [A]t the core of great music is some of those emotions [and] that’s what people connect to.” Yet in spite of that, rap hasn't been viewed as a respectable art form, Jay said. “It was viewed as a fad, and then it became a scapegoat for everything in America," he told Stewart. Not that he’s talking about all rap – “because some of it is [expletive],” he said – but rather “provocative, great rap based on real life subjects and emotions...[I]t’s almost like being attacked for saying what’s happening anyway. Whether rap existed or not these things were going on in the community, daily.” 'Showbiz Tonight' Flashpoint: Is it fair for Sarah Palin to slam 'Idol'?I don’t know what Sarah Palin is thinking. She’s taking on the biggest reality TV show today, “American Idol,” while her daughter Bristol is on one of the other incredibly popular reality shows, “Dancing With the Stars.” Portions of Palin’s new memoir were leaked online just a week before its release, and some of the juicy tidbits include Palin’s views on “American Idol." In the book, she reportedly calls contestants on the show “talent-deprived” and goes on to say, "No one they have encountered in their lives — from their parents to their teachers to their president — wanted them to feel bad by hearing the truth…so they grew up convinced that they could become big pop stars like Michael Jackson." Ouch! Don't be late for the 'Modern Family' partyOn Wednesday night's "Modern Family," it was Manny's birthday and he could cry if he wanted to because a remark from Jay had him thinking that he'd never truly had a childhood. So the always mature Manny experiences something of a mid-life crisis. In a panic, he tried a prank call, but that didn't work out, and he lamented that he had never tried mixing different soft drink flavors. Jay had also given Manny a BB gun, which ended up in Gloria's hands, a hilarious development to say the least. 'Top Chef: Just Desserts' serves up a sweet finaleWe haven’t been recapping this first season of “Top Chef: Just Desserts” but we wanted to whet your appetite (yup, I went there) for “Top Chef All-Stars,” which premieres in two weeks. So, just this once, you can have your dessert before the main course. Normal spoiler rules apply, so if you haven’t seen last night’s finale yet, stop reading and go watch. We’ll wait. Ready? Good. NYC 'Housewife' Sonja Morgan's got money woes"Real Housewives of New York City" star Sonja Morgan may seem like the show's most easygoing cast member but now she's coming out swinging – at John Travolta. The reality star, who filed for bankruptcy protection in Manhattan on Wednesday, is blaming the actor for her financial woes, reports the Wall Street Journal. According to court papers, Morgan – who listed $19.8 million in debt and $13.5 million in assets on her bankruptcy petition - claims her money problems stem largely from a movie deal gone bad. Alanis Morissette is expecting a...Alanis Morissette has something she thinks you oughta know: The pregnant singer is expecting a baby boy. Morissette confirmed her wonderful news to CNN a few months after announcing that she and rapper husband Mario Souleye Treadway were in the family way. "I am pregnant!" the 36-year-old Canadian revealed to Us magazine in its "25 Things You Don't Know About Me" column in August, later tweeting, "yes, happy news....i'm pregnant. we're so excited to start our family.... xo." Though she's been sporting quite a baby bump lately, Morissette, who married 30-year-old Treadway in May, has yet to reveal when her bundle of joy will actually arrive. |
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