Essay 349

That’s entertainment with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• It’s a Rev. Jesse showdown. Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson is suing Rev. Jesse Jackson. The lesser-known Rev. Jesse claims the well-known Rev. Jesse assaulted him in 2001. The suit even accuses Jonathan Jackson, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s son, of battery and false imprisonment. Rev. Jesse Jackson denied everything without breaking into rhyme. Guess it’s all a messy Jesse fest.

• 50 Cent may lose some serious coin. Former 2 Live Crew member Luther Campbell is suing Fiddy for allegedly stealing the opening line of the 2003 hit “In Da Club.” “It’s the melody, it’s the pace, the style — everything about that one line is the same,” Campbell’s lawyer said. “We’re entitled to a portion of the profits.” Sounds like money in da bank.

• The family of Notorious B.I.G. got a big gift from a federal judge — $1.1 million. The loot was awarded to recognize the LAPD deliberately withheld evidence during the family’s civil lawsuit trial. “We were disappointed with the order,” said a city official. “We believe the officer’s conduct was inadvertent, and we will prevail at trial on the merits of the case.” Right. The LAPD would never deliberately mess with evidence.

• A group of German rappers have embraced Aryan attitudes, rhyming neo-Nazi lyrics that glorify crime and hate. “[Rap lyrics] are becoming increasingly pornographic, violent, and racist,” a government official said. “We need to restrict it in order to protect our individual rights and our young people.” Hey, the rappers are just looking to record the next big hit(ler).

• Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston are not heading for a divorce after all. “The rumors are wrong,” Brown said. “They’re false.” Guess we’ll get the real lowdown on the next season of Being Bobby Brown.

• A new movie portraying Jesus as a Black man premieres this weekend at the U.S. Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Jesus is a modern African revolutionary confronting gun-toting authorities. The director said, “The truth is that Christ was born in an occupied state and preached equality at a time when that wasn’t very acceptable.” When has preaching equality ever been deemed acceptable?