WWW.MADNEWSUK.COM

Check out new artist Sim Simma doing her best Lil Kim impression (circa 1996-2000) UK style, and singer Alea.

The track isn’t horrible. I like Alea’s voice but Sim needs to work on her delivery and flow.

And both women seriously need to hire stylists. I mean come on now! That look is so cheap and dated.

Your thoughts please. Hit or Miss?

Richard Blackwood

It’s been reported that comedian/radio personality Richard Blackwood and Britain’s Got Talent ‘judge’ Amanda Holden are both set to star in Shrek The Musical, which will open in May 2011 in London’s West End.

From what I understand Richard will be playing Donkey.

I look forward to seeing him in make-up/costume.

[Thanks Kaydine]

Former X-Factor contestants Miss Frank want Heat readers to come up with a new name for the band.

The magazine reports,

Original member Shaniece is long gone, but Graziella and Shar remain. They have a nice new member, called Cherelle, who made it through to Boot Camp on last year’s show.

But the biggest problem facing the girls is that they don’t have a name. That’s where you lot come in. The trio want YOU to come up with a name for their new band, because they are kind like that.

The winner of the best band name will win two tickets to Thorpe Park with the girls, where you’ll get to hang out with them and go on scary rides.
Email your AMAZING suggestions to clubheat@heatmag.com

Thorpe Park.. wow.. Heat is really pushing the boat out on this one…

A lot of people really liked Miss Frank when they appeared on the X-Factor, but I wasn’t that impressed. Half the time they sang out of tune.

Anyway I’ve just scanned through some of the comments left on the Heat website and some people are just so mean and crude.

“Fanny Flaps”, “Rejects” and “The Hairy Beavers” are not appropriate band names.

[Thanks Yinka]

Via The Independent

Ellianna Placas, who has been appointed fashion director at Essence, America’s largest magazine for African-American women, is white. The row has turned attention once more to the lack of racial variation within the fashion industry.

 ”I am so, so hurt and confused and frankly angry by this news,” said writer, stylist and former Essence fashion editor, Michaela Angela Davis, on Twitter earlier this week. “I feel like a girlfriend has died.”

Davis’s comments have in turn prompted outcry and accusations of “reverse racism”, but many other readers and media figures have threatened to stop buying the magazine in the wake of Ms Placas’s appointment. Continue Reading….

 I wonder what Essence’s next move will be?  Fire Ellianna before she’s even started the job and then face discrimination charges or stand by their original decision and pray it all blows over.

Former Essence fashion editor, Michaela Angela Davis, on Twitter earlier this week. “I feel like a girlfriend has died.”

Oh calm down Michaela. Less of the dramatics luv!

In my opinion if the woman was the best candidate out of all those who applied for the position then just leave her alone to get on with the job.

Your thoughts please….

[Thanks Simone]

Via The Lala Report

Is Cassie still making music? Or have they just included her because she’s in a relationship with Diddy?

And the talented Janelle Monae is featured on the front cover, but why isn’t her name also listed on the left-hand side of the cover?

It’s just been brought to my attention that rapper Kanye West has apparently set up his very own Twitter account.

I find this news extremely funny because last year Kanye was very vocal in his dislike of Twitter and wrote on his website,

“DON’T HAVE A F****** TWITTER… WHY WOULD I USE TWITTER??? I ONLY BLOG 5 PERCENT OF WHAT I’M UP TO IN THE FIRST PLACE. I’M ACTUALLY SLOW DELIVERING CONTENT BECAUSE I’M TOO BUSY ACTUALLY BUSY BEING CREATIVE MOST OF THE TIME AND IF I’M NOT AND I’M JUST LAYING ON A BEACH I WOULDN’T TELL THE WORLD. EVERYTHING THAT TWITTER OFFERS I NEED LESS OF.

He even appeared on British TV talk show Alan Carr’s Chatty Man and bad mouthed the social micro blogging site.

So I wonder what brought on this sudden change of heart.

Oh wait that’s right…. he acted the FOOL at last year’s MTV Awards, suffered some serious back lash (still is) and now needs Twitter to help him promote his new album.

The folks over at Twit HQ must be laughing their heads off right now.

Noel Clarke

The problem was I got a bit soft, I got a bit friendly i got a bit emotional. I started worrying and focusing too much on helping others. And I did help a lot of people. I don’t need to name them, I know who they are, You know who they are, they know who they are.

I was always on this – “Gotta write a part for that guy, Gotta bring in that girl”. How can i help this person, how can i help that person. “yeah I’ll call that guy for you” “yeah, i’ll drag my arse round london with your scenes and get you an agent”.

Of course that didn’t/hasn’t left me a lot of time to focus on me. I wasn’t writing as much as i used to I was being loyal to others to see how i could help them.

Actor/director/writer Noel Clarke fired some subliminal shots last night via his blog at those who he claims have stabbed him in the back , and ONCE AGAIN talks about how much he’s done for people in the past, and the doors he has helped to open.

But anyway, I chose to highlight the above section from Noel’s post because I believe everything he wrote to be true.

Since his first film Kidulthood, Noel has gone out of his way to cast individuals in projects who really have NO BUSINESS starring in feature films (excluding Adam Deacon and Aml Ameen).  And out of loyalty he then went on to create random characters so that those same faces could be featured in his other projects.

It’s obvious that Noel was keen and focused on opening doors for individuals with whom he had developed close ties with. But in reality most needed to enroll on an intensive acting course, while others needed to gain more acting experience appearing in TV dramas like Eastenders, Holby City, Casualty and The Bill first. (e.g. one individual in particular who starred in his latest film 4.3.2.1 as one of the female leads – BIG MISTAKE)

Towards the end of the post Noel says,

I’ll still give opportunities to people coming up if i can, but now nobody gets anything unless it’s earned.

Well if this means that from now on he plans on helping people who can actually act, and he will refrain from hastily creating characters so that a bunch of inexperienced randoms from within the UK ‘urban’ scene can enjoy some big screen time, then that’s a good thing.

Kanye West performed his new tracks at Facebook’s headquarters yesterday (I think).

The new tracks sound FANTASTIC Kanye. Bravo Bravo!

*rolls eyes*

Via The Hip Hop Chronicle UK

Adam Deacon

SUPPORTING ARTISTES NEEDED for up and coming British film Anuvahood starring Adam Deacon. Any age, gender or race.

If you are interested then please email paulproducer@virginmedia.com

This is complete and utter insanity!

Last week I featured UK “artist” Shardinay on Mad News and now the “singer” is fast becoming an Internet sensation… for the WRONG reasons!!!

However this doesn’t seem to matter to some folk, because Shardinay has now been booked to perform at the popular event The Sunday Show which takes place every weekend in London.

Now I’m beginning to think that Shardinay is a comedian pretending to be a serious artist, the Sunday Show promoters are in on the joke, and she’s been booked to provide some comic relief.

But if this isn’t a joke then subjecting a delusional Shardinay to live and direct ridicule is just damn right cruel.

I mean can you imagine what this will sound like live?

(Rubbing temples)

I just hope the audience members are kind.