Queen Latifah on Walk of Fame

Queen Latifah is the first hip-hop star on Walk of Fame.
Rapper turned actress, singer, spokeswoman and producer Queen Latifah became the first hip-hop artist crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"I think the reason I am here is to inspire African-American women who are rappers, full-figured women to know that they can do it too," Latifah, 35, said at the unveiling of the sidewalk's 2,298th star.

Family and friends, including actor Terrence Howard, cheered Latifah on.

Born Dana Owens, Queen Latifah debuted in 1989 with seminal hip-hop album All Hail the Queen. Her third album Black Reign earned her a Grammy award in 1994.

You can read more at Latifah first hip-hop star on Walk of Fame

50 cent new movie premiere

50 cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin Movie

The Get Rich or Die Tryin' movie (50 cent new movie) opens in Australia on January 19.

Here are some facts about this 50 cent new movie:

"The film, which Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson describes as "75 per cent factual", tells of an orphaned boy, Marcus, who enters his mother's violent world of drug dealing before devoting himself to rhymes and rap. The film's title is the same as that of his debut CD, which has sold more than seven million copies.

The rapper is surrounded by quality talent, from villainous Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje to love interest Joy Bryant, drug gang godfather Bill Duke and prison buddy Terrence Howard, star of the indie hit Hustle & Flow.

The script of this 50 cent movie was written by Terence Winter, a two-time Emmy winner for the television series The Sopranos, who interviewed the rapper about his life for 10 weeks during his Rock the Mic tour last year.

Rated R, the 50 cent new movie rises above the standard genre piece; it is imbued with realism, intelligence and the raw charm of its star."

Some nice 50 cent quotes about his new movie:

-"I spent the majority of my life trying to figure out how not to cry in situations. I had anxiety about having to get that done," the 29-year-old New Yorker says of the scene in the movie based on his life. "If I don't pull this off people will look at me and say, 'Told you.' What helped me cry in that scene was me thinking about people viewing me as a failure." (about the most shocking image in the 50 cent new movie when the tear rolls down the cheek of the baddest man in gangsta rap, 50 Cent.)

-"For me, doing this film is a way of bringing my base closer and to actually broaden my base"

-"There's people out there that don't view hip-hop as a genre of music for entertainment but can sit and watch a film based on my life because there's a curiosity about me."


You can read more about the 50 cent new movie premiere in Australia at 75pc 50 Cent - new movie