Jay-Z’s $450 million Business Empire

Amid the carnage of the music industry in the past decade, Jay-Z has managed to parlay artistic success into financial fortune valued at up to $450 million, according to Forbes. Jay-Z's many business successes (and few failures) are described in a new book by Forbes writer Zack O'Malley Greenburg, entitled Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office.

BOX OFFICE REPORT Mar 18th - 20th Weekend

Limitless. The action-thriller starring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro found the 1^st place spot by taking in $19.0 million in its first three days. With the release premiering on just 2,756 theaters across the nation, the opening numbers has it averaging $6,894 per showing with the older crowds. The film’s opening audience was 52% female while 60% was aged 25 years and older.
  
And now we have the other two premieres rounding out the top 5 in a race that seems too close to call. 

We’ll have to wait until Monday’s actuals before deciding the next two places but estimates has Lionsgate’s courtroom drama The Lincoln Lawyer in 4^th place for now. The film opened up on 2,707 theaters and found $13.4 million over its first three days. Rentrak reports that 85% of the film’s opening audience was over the age of 25. 

 

 

Even more surprising for some insiders is the fact that Universal’s buddy-comedy sci-fi tale Paul couldn’t tempt the young crowds into theaters. The film which reunites geeky friends Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) in a trek across the American heartland---with an alien attached---only found $13.1 million in its weekend premiere. Much like “Lawyer”, the release skewered mainly to older fanboys with 58% of its being audience being over the age of 25. 

 

Rank	Movie	Weekend	Theaters	Average	Total	Budget
1	Limitless	$19.0 mil	2,756	$6,894	$19.0 mil	$27
2	Rango	$15.3 mil	3,843	$3,985	$92.5 mil	$135
3	Battle: Los Angeles	$14.6 mil	3,417	$4,273	$60.6 mil	$70
4	The Lincoln Lawyer	$13.4 mil	2,707	$4,950	$13.4 mil	$40
5	Paul	$13.1 mil	2,802	$4,695	$13.1 mil	$40
6	Red Riding Hood	$7.2 mil	3,030	$2,394	$25.9 mil	$42
7	The Adjustment Bureau	$5.9 mil	2,660	$2,230	$48.7 mil	$62
8	Mars Needs Moms	$5.3 mil	3,117	$1,706	$15.4 mil	$150
9	Beastly	$3.2 mil	1,810	$1,801	$22.2 mil	$17
10	Hall Pass	$2.6 mil	1,905	$1,365	$39.5 mil	$36

 

Friday, March 25, 2011 Releases:

Wide

Sucker Punch (3,000+)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (3,100)

Limited

Miral

White Irish Drinkers

Illegal

Peep World

 

low prices: Target beats Wal-Mart

Two recent price comparisons of grocery and household goods revealed that Target's prices are lower than at No. 1 retailer Wal-Mart. Craig Johnson, president of retail consulting firm Customer Growth Partners, compared 35 brand-name items sold at Wal-Mart and Target stores in New York, Indiana and North Carolina. They consisted of 22 common grocery goods such as milk, cereal and rice; 10 general merchandise products such as clothing and home furnishings; and three health and beauty items.

Target's shopping cart rang in at $269.13 (pre-tax), a hair lower than the $271.07 charged at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart typically maintains a 2% to 4% price advantage over Target. But in January, Johnson noticed that some products were cheaper at Target. Yahoo

TOTAL RECALL'S Leading Ladies

Paula Patton

Eva Mendez

Eva Green

Jessica Biel

Kate Bosworth

With director Len Wiseman having been confirmed to helm lead star Colin Farrell in Sony's remake of Total Recall, it's time to cast those leading ladies. Genre fans will remember that Douglas Quaid's world centered on two specific women in Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi tale. One was his devious wife Lori (Sharon Stone) while the other was the adventurous Martian babe Melina (Rachel Ticotin). 


Deadline reports the search is underway for modern acting beauties to fill those roles in the upcoming reboot, with Kate Bosworth, Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, Paula Patton and Eva Green all reportedly reading for the two characters. Diane Kruger was also mentioned in the online trade before a rep said she bowed out of the casting process. Bosworth and Mendes are being looked at for the Lori character while Mendes is also in contention alongside Biel, Patton and Green for the Melina character. 


Production is being fast-tracked for Sony as the studio has set aside an August 3, 2012 release date. Mania.com

Usher / Tomeka Sex Tape?

The person that has the tape is looking to sell it and sent TMZ a very short clip of it. The people in the video are supposedly Usher and Tomeka Foster, his ex-wife. It is possible that this tape is one of the items that was stolen out of Ursh's car in 09. 

Runaway - Kanye West - live at SXSW 2011

Kanye West recently gave fans a free performance at SXSW in an abandoned Power Plant, showcasing most of the music from his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  This week the album sells 11,000 copies, takes the 35th spot on the countdown, and racks up a sales total of around 1,090,000.  Below is some “reasonably steady” video of some of the footage which is starting to appear on the internet from the packed show.

Sagging Pants Bill Passes In House of Representatives

A legislative bill that takes aim at sagging clothes was passed by members of the Florida House of Representatives' K-20 Education Innovation Subcommittee yesterday (March 15th).

The bill was introduced by Rep. Hazelle Rogers (D-Lauderhill, Florida) and passed unanimously by the subcommittee, reports The St. Petersburg Times. "This pro-family, pro-education, pro-jobs bill provides each school district ... adopt a student dress code of conduct, a policy that explains to each student their responsibility," Rep. Rogers said. "This would make for a better school district and more productive students."

The bill doesn't mention sagging pants, but its clear by the verbiage, which prohibits students from wearing clothing that "exposes the underwear or body parts in an indecent or vulgar manner." Although no one has positively identified where the trend of sagging pants started, the new legislation claims that the practice of sagging pants originated in the prison system, "where belts are not issued because they may be used to commit suicide or used as weapons."

Students face a variety of disciplinary actions if their style of dress is deemed "vulgar" to school officials. They can be issued verbal warnings, banishment from extracurricular activities and even in-school suspensions. The local branch of the NAACP in Florida has condemned the bill, claiming that black youth will be targeted.

Master P., Gucci Mane Announce Details Of Movie 'Get Money'

(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop mogul Master P. has tapped Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane to co-star in a new comedic drama, titled "Get Money." The pair will star in the flick, which centers around a street hustler and "philosopher" experiencing a mid-life crisis. Master P. plays a character named "Monster," who has his way with words and women. Gucci plays "Big G," who is focused on steering Monster away from a life of crime for a career in the Hip-Hop business. The two hustlers eventually snag $1 million dollars from a rival gang, just as Monster begins to settle down and renounce his former way of living.

In addition to Master P. and Gucci Mane, "Get Money" stars Meek Mill, Megan Good, AJ Johnson, Miss Chee, Bengie, Gangsta, Oaktree and others. "Get Money" is executive produced by Master P. and Gucci Mane. The movie is slated to be in theaters in August of 2011.

Lupe at number 3 this week on Charts

Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers continues to ride high coming in at number 3 this week on the charts.  Lasers appears to be selling on Lupe’s name alone because I don’t see many people that are excited about the music on the album.  Are fans excited about Lupe?  Yes.  The music? Not so much.  At least these sales should give him the ability to put out another album.  So far the album has moved around 250,000 copies.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells One Step Closer with New Recycling Method

Scientists have demonstrated that a lightweight material, ammonia borane, can feasibly store hydrogen on vehicles. Once the hydrogen is spent, the alternative fuel can be efficiently added back into the material.
"What this paper describes is an efficient way to add the hydrogen back to make the ammonia borane again. And it can be done in a single reactor." Practical, efficient and affordable storage of hydrogen has been one of the challenges in making the powering of electrical motors via hydrogen fuel cells a viable alternative to traditional gasoline powered engines. Benefits of hydrogen fuel cell technology include cleaner air and less dependence on foreign oil. 

The announcement of what scientists call a "fuel regeneration process" overcomes one key hurdle. While there has been much progress toward making the widespread use of hydrogen fuel cell technology practical, Dixon said other challenges remain. "The basic three steps – the initial synthesis, the controlled release of hydrogen, and the regeneration of fuel – are actually in pretty good shape," Dixon said. "The next piece is to get a cheap source of hydrogen that doesn't come from coal or fossil fuels."

Xperia Play (PlayStation Phone)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Gamers are anxiously awaiting the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play smartphone -- also known as the PlayStation phone, the first-ever mobile phone to integrate Playstation games and controls into an Android device. TechNewsDaily tested out the Xperia Play at the CTIA Wireless conference and it was apparent that the device was first and foremost a portable game console and only second, a phone. 


The Xperia Play features a slide-out bottom, but this one is a bit different than others: A game controller is set up underneath the device instead of a QWERTY keyboard. Despite the controls being much more cramped than a standard PlayStation controller, even users with larger hands reported few problems with using the device.
The L and R bumpers appear on the side of the device, so pointer fingers easily rest on them and can still be used to support the device. The other buttons are smaller than usual, but they make a definite click sound so it's easy to tell when they've been pressed.

The Xperia Play is perfect for those who don't want to carry around a portable game console, such as a PSP, and a separate phone. It integrates the two devices well enough and will be a special treat for fans of the original PlayStation games. TechNewsDaily

Double Vision: Toshiba Unveils Second Monitor for Laptops

Toshiba recently announced the release of a 14-inch, USB-powered Mobile Monitor that is ideal as an additional screen for any Windows-based laptop computer. Long a necessity for the tech-obsessed, dual monitors can translate into higher productivity. And now for the first time, the portable cordless Toshiba monitor will allow users the bonus of a double-monitor set up while on the road.

The 2.8-pound, inch-thick widescreen LCD monitor boasts 1366 x 768 resolution and easily slips into most laptop bags. The monitor’s power and video are both through a single USB connection, eliminating the need to carry an AC adapter or video cable. The Mobile Monitor includes a protective black vinyl carrying case, which folds into an adjustable stand that can be set to various viewing levels. TechNewsDaily

New Estimate for Alien Earths: 2 Billion in Our Galaxy Alone

Roughly one out of every 37 to one out of every 70 sunlike stars in the sky might harbor an alien Earth, a new study reveals. These findings hint that billions of Earthlike planets might exist in our galaxy, researchers added. After the researchers analyzed the four months of data in this initial batch of readings from Kepler, they determined that 1.4 to 2.7 percent of all sunlike stars are expected to have Earthlike planets — ones that are between 0.8 and two times Earth's diameter and within the habitable zones of their stars.
"This means there are a lot of Earth analogs out there — two billion in the Milky Way galaxy," 

"With that large a number, there's a good chance life and maybe even intelligent life might exist on some of those planets. And that's just our galaxy alone — there are 50 billion other galaxies." After three to four years of Kepler data are investigated, the scientists predict a total of 12 Earthlike worlds will be found. Four of these have already been seen in the four months of data released so far, they added. Kepler mission scientists have estimated that, altogether, there could be 50 billion planets in the Milky Way, though not all would be Earth-size worlds within the habitable zone of their local stars. Space.com

US jet crashes in Libya

BERLIN – A U.S. fighter jet crashed in Libya after an apparent equipment malfunction but both crewmembers were able to eject and were back in American hands with only minor injuries, U.S. officials said Tuesday. 

A spokesman for the Libyan opposition, Mohammed Ali, said the U.S. plane went down about 25 miles (40 kilometers) outside of the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city.
Britain's Telegraph newspaper published a series of photographs it said was the wreckage of the plane, showing people milling around the burned-out aircraft in a Libyan field.

BOX OFFICE REPORT Mar 11th - 13th Weekend

It was a weekend where Hollywood’s love for mass destruction and chaos could not hope to keep up with real-life mass destruction and tragedy of a different sort. On the same day that the residents of Japan had to endure through one of the last century’s worst earthquakes, and subsequent tsunami, Sony Pictures revealed a new alien invasion pic centered on the heart of Los Angeles in the fictional world. And for their part, audiences chose Battle: Los Angeles as their escape from watching the real-life tragedy unfold on their TV sets. The action-adventure pulled in a strong $36.0 million in estimated sales over its first three days, a strong debut for Sony considering they kept its budget down to only around $70 million in coin. 

Rank	Movie	Weekend	Theaters	Average	Total	Budget
1	Battle: Los Angeles	$36.0 mil	3,417	$10,536	$36.0 mil	$70
2	Rango	$23.0 mil	3,923	$5,876	$68.6 mil	$135
3	Red Riding Hood	$14.1 mil	3,030	$4,665	$14.1 mil	$42
4	The Adjustment Bureau	$11,4 mil	2,847	$4,025	$38.4 mil	----
5	Mars Needs Moms	$6.8 mil	3,117	$2,182	$6.8 mil	$150
6	Hall Pass	$5.1 mil	2,555	$1,998	$34.9 mil	$36
7	Beastly	$5.0 mil	1,959	$2,598	$16.9 mil	$17
8	Just Go With It	$4.0 mil	2,398	$1,668	$93.9 mil	$80
9	The King’s Speech	$3.6 mil	1,768	$2,050	$129.0 mil	$15
10	Gnomeo and Juliet	$3.5 mil	2,585	$1,372	$89.0 mil	----

 

First New Lupus Drug in 50 Years Wins FDA Approval

In what is being hailed as a hallmark in health care, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Benlysta, a medication designed for treatment of lupus erythematosus. Not only is Benlysta the first new drug for lupus in more than 50 years to reach the market, but it is the first drug derived from the study of genes (genomics), reports The Wall Street Journal. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that affects nearly 1.5 million Americans, with women of all races nine times more likely than men to develop the disease. African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans have a higher disease incidence than Caucasians. 

The development of Benlysta has been years in the making and is the product of a joint effort between Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline. To date, Benlysta is the first drug to be approved by the FDA that has been developed through the 20-year-old Human Genome Sciences company. 

A troubling fact is that the medication failed to show positive results for African American study participants. The FDA has requested and Human Genome Sciences has agreed to conduct a new study to ascertain treatment and safety outcome potentials for African Americans and those of African descent.

Watch raw footage of the Japan earthquake and tsunami

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Northeast Japan spawned a ferocious tsunami that's caused massive destruction; flattening whole cities, starting raging fires, and killing hundreds. Nearly 88,000 people are reported missing, according to the official Kyodo news agency.

We've gathered some videos that show the scope of the disaster, and you can also see The Atlantic's collection of photos of the quake. Footage of the tsunami quickly enveloping the city of Sendai, Japan. Officials say hundreds are dead, and the death toll is rising. As the sun rose on Japan, the rescue operations began:

Space Shuttle Discovery Lands on Earth After Final Voyage

The space shuttle Discovery has returned to Earth from its final mission, never to soar in orbit again.

In the end, Discovery — NASA's oldest and most traveled shuttle — flew its last mission the same way it flew its first: with grace and pride, and with keen eyes around the world watching it every step of the way.

Space shuttle Discovery sails high over the southwestern coast of Morocco in this image taken by International Space Station astronauts just after the two vehicles undocked on March 7, 2011 during the STS-133 mission.

NASA is bringing its 30-year space shuttle program to an end later this year to focus on exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. The orbiter will begin a months-long decontamination process to ensure that it is safe for public display in a museum NASA has two more shuttle missions planned — Endeavour's STS-134 flight in April, and Atlantis' final STS-135 flight in June. Space.com

Coming Soon to Theaters : I Saw The Devil

Coming Soon to Theaters : Super

UNDERGROUND JUKEBOX: Jaylib - The Official

Jaylib- The Official ( Audio )

R.I.P J. DILLA