My Fellow Americans,

A quick survey of the Ebonyjet.com staff yielded the following suggestions to get your 4th of July on the way you should (Note: most of these titles involve either soldiers or BBQ. Any come to mind that combine the two?)

Movies To Rent

Dead Presidents + soundtrack

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Antwone Fisher

A Soldier’s Story

Madea’s Family Reunion

Glory

Music To Download

Family Reunion by the O’Jays

Summertime by Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff

Living In America by James Brown

Peace Out and Happy 4th!

The law is rolling up on Shaq and it ain’t pretty. Phoenix Suns’ center Shaquille O’Neal lost his second deputy dog badge last weekend over his, um, impolite rap about former Lakers teammate Koby Bryant (and we thought that beef had a fork in it — DONE!). Shaq’s second badge was revoked by Bedford County, Virginia sheriff, who cited the diss-delivering video (posted on TMZ.com) as the reason for revoking the badge, awarded to Shaq for his work tracking Internet predators.

Despite Shaq’s statement that the rap was “all done in fun,” the two sheriff’s departments weren’t laughing. Arizona sheriff Joe Arpio said of the incident, “…If any one of my deputies did something like this, they’re fired.” 

Wonder if Kobe was yucking it up after hearing Shaq’s inquiry about his taste buds.

Naomi Campbell has been bounced from the presenters line-up for the birthday benefit honoring Nelson Mandela and his “46664″ charity. Campbell, who is very active in the former president’s charity and calls him her “grandfather,” was D-listed following an incident at Heathrow Airport where she kicked and spit at police officers after one of her bags went missing.

The Times Online UK reported a source as saying it was “fair to say that Mandela was behind the decision.” Campbell, who has been counseled by Mandela before about her tantrums, pleaded guilty last Friday to assault and disorderly conduct. She has been ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.

If anyone is in need of some grandfatherly advice, it’s this girl.

The June 27 concert will be hosted by Will Smith, and features Annie Lennox, Leona Lewis, Amy Winehouse, Queen and others.

C’mon, now! They’re just picking on him!

The notice Wesley Snipes just got in the mail was not from Publishers Clearinghouse. The federal government delivered the bad news that they expect Snipes to pay for all expenses related to his prosecution, a sum totaling nearly $300,000. The princely sum includes travel expenses for witnesses, many of whom were IRS agents; the preparation and duplication of documents used in the case (including the 260 boxes of documents seized from the boneheads who tried to punk the IRS on Snipes behalf) and daily trial transcripts.

Snipes was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal tax returns for 1999-2001. He remains free on bond while his sentence of 36 months in federal prison is on appeal.

Michael Jackson and hot Ed Hardy clothing designerChristian Audigier have made a love connection. The two just announced the launch of a Michael Jackson clothing line that will be available only at Kitson’s in L.A. 

The $14 million Audigier partnership isn’t the first for the King of Pop. In the 80s he teamed up with shoe manufacturer L.A. Gear to launch a line of customized shoes (Jackson subsequently told the company to beat it in a round of nasty lawsuits).

Jackson has had a relationship with Japanese clothing designer, Wakita, for several years featuring a line of men’s suits available only in the Japanese market, and Roberto Cavalli introduced Thriller-themed duds as part of his Summer 2008 line for men in honor of the 25th anniversary re-release of “Thriller.” 

MJ’s international fan base is HUGE, but it remains to be seen whether or not he can drum up the same level of interest here in the States. Developing…

Wait, did I read that right??? Naomi Campbell is listed in the cast of Spike Lee’s “Miracle at St. Anna”! What role could she possibly play in the story of what happens to four Black soldiers stranded in a small Tuscan village during WWII?

Here are a couple of possibilities: -The town’s sole soul resident, brought in for the sake of not having to revisit the whole jungle fever thing of an earlier Spike Lee Joynt. Picture her in a bubushka and peasant blouse, balancing a bushel of grapes on her hip. Brings to mind Sophia Loren. Or Lucy. 

-The flashback girlfriend who tells the now older soldier played by Laz Alonzo to snap out of it when he wakes up in a PTSD cold sweat. 

-Sister Mary Pitchafit, the bitter young nun trapped in a life of celibacy and a wardrobe of itchy black wool.

A friend sent this link out to remind us of a couple of things about Jennifer Hudson, recently of “Sex and The City” fame. In SATC, Hudson plays the Vuitton-crazy assistant of Sarah Jessica Parker. Her character’s name? Louise. As in “Louise Vuitton.” For my friend (and for me) it still adds up to “Weezie.”

Still, I was excited about a little of that SATC wardrobe magic being spread around in Hudson’s closet. Alas, wardrobe dominatrix Patricia Field left Hudson doing a small town version of what she thought was NYC chic. Looked a lot like those Ghetto Prom galleries emailed around this time of year.

So, check this sexy JHud footage. Our girl has potential!

  The jury in the R. Kelly trial acquitted the singer on all 17 counts of child molestation and pornography. Early reports indicate the defense raised reasonable doubt about the identity of both the man and woman in the videotape.   

Neither Kelly nor the girl in question took the witness stand (they both denied being the people in question), and there were early questions about the authenticity of the videotape, the existence of a mole on Kelly’s back and conflicting testimony from the girl’s family over a positive identification. Additionally, Lisa Van Allen, the prosecution’s star witness had credibility issues, being branded simultaneously as a liar, extortionist and, ah, extreme party girl.   

What’s surprising is that Kelly’s “it wasn’t me” defense stood up to cross-examination. What isn’t surprising is that the girl denied her identity. What girl in her right mind, whether she’s 13 or 23, would publicly admit to being involved in them kind of shenanigans. 

In the end, the jury took less than 24 hours to deliberate a case that has been six years in the making. Who knew it would all come down to a bootleg-quality tape. Look for a new installment of Kelly’s “Trapped In The Closet” hip-hopera. Suggested title: “R. Kelly And The Golden Ticket.”  

Check the complete courthouse wrap-up from Clarence Waldron.

The jury in the R. Kelly trial has reached a verdict. The judge will be reading same in 5, 4, 3, 2… 

Read Clarence Waldron to catch up on what’s gone down in the courtroom.

Don’t know if Spike’s the brain behind this poster, but it is a study in marketing savvy. Lee, whose Miracle at St. Anna’s is scheduled for a September release, has been in the news of late for cracking on Clint Eastwood for not including any Black soldiers in his feature about Iwo Jima. Lee’s Miracle tells the story of what happens to four Black soldiers trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII.

So, note the carefully crafted image here, clearly designed to make the movie as “general market” as possible: The focus is on the Italian kid, OK to use because he’s a kid and a little bit “olive” in skin tone.
Similarly note the vaguely beige hand of the man (presumably one of the brothas in question), who has been cropped below the neck. Finally, note the overall sepia tone of the poster, possibly meant to convey “history,” but more likely done to shade the fact that the film’s main characters have more than a touch o’ melanin.