The Lottery Ticket offers a stellar cast that delivers stellar performances
By Eunice MoseleyShad "Bow Wow" Moss stars in the Alcon Entertainment/Burg-Koules/Cube
Vision /Warner Bros Picture, The Lottery Ticket. The Rated PG film is released Friday, September 20, 2010 in theaters everywhere.
Moss plays Kevin Carson, a resident of the projects that wins the lottery but has to "survive" the holiday weekend
- with the ticket - in order to get his $370 million dollars.
"Shooting
with a bunch of friends...It was great," comedian/actor Brandon T. Jackson said about being cast as the leading characters'
best friend, Benny "I met the director...he does a lot of music videos. He called me and told me the cast."
Jackson said that's all needed to be said. He was correct because this stellar cast
delivered a stellar performance. That's what you will find in The Lottery Ticket with everyone one involved, from rapper T-Pain
who sells the ticket to the leading man, Bow Wow, who carried the film.
The Lottery Ticket stars Shad, Ice Cube (Mr.
Washington), Loretta Devine (Grandma), Keith David (Sweet Tee), Mike Epps (Rev. Taylor), Terry Crews (Jimmy The Driver), Faheem
"T-Pain" Najm (Junior), Bell Bellamy (Giovanni), Teairra Mari (the seductress), Naturi Naughton (Stacie, Kevin's
best ‘girl friend'), Charlie Murphy (Demaj, the loud mouth), and Brandon T. Jackson.
"I took a meeting in L.A. with the directors and read the script," Bow Wow said about
how he was cast as the lead in the film. "I came on first and everybody else came later...It was crazy (during filming)."
When I asked what kind of craziness was happening on set he laughed, "What wasn't
happening! I'm a serious person and Brandon is the jokester. But Erik (the director) and the producers had this extra big
dude come up to us...I said ‘what's going on!!'"
"It
look like he was about to beat us," Brandon laughed. "He came in...and it wasn't in the script!"
Bow Wow also talked about his experiences with the legends such as actress Loretta Devine
who played his grandmother.
"It was exciting to work with her...she made it easy. I felt like she was my real grandmother,"
he said.
Shad admitted that the director (Erik White) - because
he saw Bow Wow in the role - said if he wouldn't do it, he wouldn't direct it. Now that I've seen the film (and I already
know allot about Moss' background) I agree with Erik, it is a role made - if not divinely - for him. He fits comfortable in
the character and according to Shad, "what you see is all Bow Wow."
The script writer for The Lottery Ticket is Abdul Williams and the story-line was created by both him and White.
The film is full of laughs and realisms (for those who have lived in the projects), something everyone can relate to and cheer
for - the ability to change lives because you now have the money to make it happen.
For more information on Warner Bros Picture The Lottery Ticket log onto www.LotteryTicketMovie.com and for more on rapper/actor Shad "Bow Wow" Moss log onto www.myspace.com/bowwow.
Faith Evans announces new CD release, ‘Something
About Faith,' October 5, 2010
Known for being the first lady off of Sean "P Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy imprint and later, as the widow of Christopher
"B.I.G." Wallace, Faith Evans has become an American icon because of her Soulful Urban voice that has transcended
it all. That signature vocal sound has inspired a generation of young artists, her eldest daughter Chyna included. On October
5, 2010 Platinum singer/songwriter Faith Evans will be releasing, "Something About Faith," her first independent
CD on her own imprint, Ten2One. The first single currently in rotation is "Gone Already" produced by Carvin Higgins
and Ivan Burias (Karma Productions).
I recently attended her listening
party held at the Compartes' chocolate shop in Brentwood, California and from what I heard of the CD, this is going to be
an award winning Platinum project for sure, and I felt quit honored to be one of the first to hear it.
This Grammy Award, MTV Video Music Award and Soul Train Award winner seemed to be very
excited about the release.
"I'm excited it's going to be my
first independent release on my own imprint," Faith pointed out. "I own my masters...It's a re-invention of the
old Faith."
As a newly signed artist to Bad Boy Faith initially
sang background and wrote songs for Mary J Blige and for Usher's self-titled debut. In 1995 Faith released her own self-titled
debut CD on Bad Boy resulting in the hit singles "You Used to Love Me and "Soon as I Get Home." That album
was certified Platinum- selling 1.5 million copies.
After the death
of Biggie, Combs collaborated with her on a song that is a tribute to him titled "I'll Be Missing You," which used
the melody of The Police's hit "Every Breath You Take." That single, which featured also the group 112, became a
#1 hit reaching the top of the Billboard charts and staying there for 11 consecutive weeks. The next year she collaborated
with Whitney Houston and Kelly Price on "Heartbreak Hotel."
In
1998 she release her sophomore CD "Keep the Faith," which went Platinum resulting in hits "Love Like This"
and "All Night Long." Her third CD was with Bad Boy also titled "Faithfully," a project she did with her
current husband Todd Russaw - this too went Platinum and resulted in the hit singles "I Love You" written by Jennifer
Lopez.
From 2004 - 2007 Faith Evans was signed to Capital Records
and released her fourth CD "The First Lady," which reached #2 on Billboard and was certified Gold and her fifth
CD "A Faithful Christmas." Today Evans is working through her own label Ten2One Entertainment, with distribution
from E1 Entertainment (formerly Koch).
"I'm launching my tour
when the album comes out at B.B. Kings...and places like that," Faith informed me. "I want to do something different....but
we don't know."
Whatever she decides to do her fans will be
happy just to see her looking good and to hear her voice again. "Gone Already" is a sweet song that is just the
appetizer to what's to come.
For more information on Faith Evan's
new "Something About Faith" project log onto www.myspace.com/FaithEvans.
