Rihanna has landed her first major motion picture feature role in the movie Battleship, AllHipHop.com has learned. The live-action movie, which will also star Alexander Skarsgard and Taylor Kitsch, is based on Hasbro‘s board game of the same name. The video for “Love the Way You Lie” is slated to debut sometime this week. Battleship is slated for a May 25th, 2012 release date.
WYCLEF DENIES RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF HAITI – FOR NOW
Wyclef Jean has denied reports that he is currently planning a run for President of Haiti during the upcoming elections slated for November. According to multiple reports, Jean will make a run for President in his native homeland of Haiti, where he revered for his community service to the country. The rapper helped raise tens-of-millions of dollars in cash donations through his Yele Haiti non-profit, which is helping Haitians recover from the earthquake, which killed over 300,000 people. "I would say right now, currently at this minute, no," Wyclef Jean, 37, told Fox Business during an interview on July 25th. According to multiple sources, Wyclef Jean has assembled a team of legal experts and politicians, who are advising him on the feasibility - and legality - of running for President of Haiti. If the rapper is running for President, he must register as a candidate by the first week of August. “Wyclef’s commitment to his homeland and its youth is boundless, and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether he is part of the government moving forward,” a rep for the rapper said in a statement. “If and when a decision is made, media will be alerted immediately.”
COMMON LANDS ROLE AS FREED SLAVE IN "HELL ON WHEELS"
Chicago rap star/actor Common will add another credit to his resume when he stars in his first TV lead role for AMC as a freed slave in series Hell on Wheels. According to reports, the rapper will play the role of “Elam,” a freed slave who is heading west to seek work building the Transcontinental Railroad. The rapper will play a black/white man attempting to find his place in the world as the fabled railroad system is built. "Common brings a layered intensity to a very complex role," said Joel Stillerman, senior vice president of AMC's programming, production and digital content. "This part required someone who can transcend the stereotypes of the period and bring the character to life in a truly unique way, and he brings that. We are thrilled to have him join our cast." The actual Transcontinental Railroad was built between 1863-1869 and was the second highest priority for Abraham Lincoln’s administration, behind the question of slavery in the South. The railway, which was the first in the world to stretch coast-to-coast, was built by a mixture of a variety of ethnicities, including Africa-Americans, Irish-Americans, Chinese Americans, Italian-Americans and Native Americans. While Hell on Wheels is Common’s first television role, the rapper has had several high profile appearances on the silver screen. Common's acting credits include roles in movies like Just Wright, Date Night, Smokin’ Aces, American Gangster and Terminator: Salvation.
RUSSELL, KIMORA SELL MANSION FOR $13.9 MIL
Russell Simmons and his ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons have finally sold their 35,000-square-foot mansion in Saddle River, New Jersey. The pair were asking $13.9 million dollars for the sprawling mansion, which sits on four acres and features indoor and outdoor pools, ten bedrooms, a movie theater, a lions head fireplace and other amenities. Additionally, the lucky buyer will live in a residence that also houses a fitness center, a steam and sauna room, a large wine cellar with a tasting room, a full stuff to man the three kitchens in the luxurious residence. Just two years ago, the couple was attempting to sell the estate for $23.8 million dollars. Last month, Kimora Lee and her new husband Djimon Hounsou were in Capte Town, South Africa, to support for SOS Children’s Villages. Russell Simmons is planning to host their 11th annual Art For Life East Hampton benefit gala on July 24th. The star-studded event will be hosted by Russell and his brother Danny, who will honor philanthropists Allison and Chip Brady, entrepreneur Richie Akiya and producer Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean.
