lune 18. 2003
®hc Jlortlanb (Bbseruer
Page B3
Focus
P. Diddy Pleads for Drug Law Changes
Supporters say Rockefeller-era legislature is too harsh
1 You can't really even fathom the
S e a n “P. Diddy" C om bs
a d d r e s s e s th e m ed ia during a
n e w s c o n fe re n c e h e ld to call
for th e rep ea l o f th e s ta te s
Rockefeller-Era drug law s, la s t
w eek in N ew York. The law s,
p a s s e d in 1 9 7 3 a n d 1 9 7 4
during then-Gov. N elso n
R o ckefeller's adm inistration,
can s u b je c t first-tim e o ffe n d e r s
to 1 5 y e a rs to life in prison if
co n vic ted o f selling a s little a s
2 o u n c e s, or p o s s e s s in g a s
little a s 4 o u n c e s, o f a con
trolled su b s ta n c e . (AP Photo)
amount o f damage this is doing to
somebody’s family - somebody’s
mother, somebody’s father, somebody’s
child.
- Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, speaking out against New York drug laws he
feels are outdated
(A P)— S ean“P. Diddy” Combs som ebody’s child,” Combs said
joined fellow rap impresario Russell W ednesday. “Lives are changed
Simmons and former U.S. housing by this law, that if it’s not happen
secretary Andrew Cuomo in cal ling ing to you or to one o f your family
for the repeal o f New Y ork’s strict members you may not really feel the
R ockefeller drug laws.
effect o f it.”
“If you’re not affected by this
The R ockefeller law s, passed
law you can ’t really even fathom in the 1970s, can subject first-
the amount o f damage this is doing tim e o ffenders to 15 years to life
to somebody’s fami ly - somebody ’ s in prison ifconvicted o f selling as
m o th e r, s o m e b o d y ’s fa th e r, little as 2 ounces or possessing
as little as 4 ounces o f a co n
tro lled substance.
There is a broad consensus that
the laws are too harsh, but Gov.
George Pataki and the state Legis
lature ha ve been unable to agree on
how to reform or repeal them.
Joining Simmons, Combs and
Cuomo at a news conference at a
midtown hotel were the Mothers o f
the New York Disappeared, repre
senting family m em bers o f people
incarcerated under the Rockefeller
laws.
Rap Stars and R&B Legends
Join ‘Hollywood Homicide9
Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett jo in rap sensations
M aster P and Kurupt, as well as R&B veterans Gladys
Knight and Smokey Robinson, in the fast-paced ac
tion-comedy Hollywood Homicide.
The film which open in local theaters Friday pro
vides a rare inside look at the professional and personal
lives o f Los Angeles Police Department detectives Joe
Gavilan (Ford) and K.C. Calden (Hartnett), who turn
LAPD upside-down with laughter.
M a s te r P sta rs in
th e film ‘Holly
w ood H o m icid e’
which a lso
fea tu re R&8
le g e n d s Gladys
Knight a n d
Sm okey
R obinson.
Lee tells Viacom to
‘Do the Right Thing’
Gavilan is a wearied but tenacious police veteran at
the top ofhis game professionally, though his personal
life is rapidly unraveling. K.C. moonlights as a yoga
teacher and aspiring actor and is constantly getting in
the way o f their investigation into a high-profile gang
land-style murder.
Kurupt’sm otherisplayedby R&B legendGladys
Knight.
Master P plays club ow ner Julius Armas, a man who
D uring the film s final scenes, a w ild pursuit
takes pride in being a successful businessman and
ensues as G avilan and C alden close in on the
entrepreneur, but suddenly finds him self thrust into
suspect. W hen G avilan desperately needs a car,
the middle o f an intense police investigation after four
he com m andeers a taxi and takes it kicking and
rappers are violently murdered in his nightclub.
Rap sensation Kurupt plays K-RO, a young rap-
songwriter who witnessed the gangland-style m ur
scream ing from the cab driver, played by R&B
veteran Sm okey R obinson.
The m usic in the film also offers m ixed selec
ders, but he is fearful about pointing the finger. He is
tions o f today and yesterday w ith cu ttin g edge
convinced the man behind the murders is Antoine
hip-hop, as well as som e classic oldies. The mix
Sartain (Isaiah W ashington) a dangerous record com
adds to a w ild, but, ultim ately, satisfying m o v ie
pany executive, whose version o f tough love is death.
going experience.
Buck Braden 's “Zu Zu Mamou ” depicts the
human side o f the Big Easy. The ladies or “flow
ers “ are incorporated with the New Orleans
architecture, sights and sounds. The painting
goes on display from June 26 to July 27 at the
Talisman Gallery an artist owned cooperative at
1476 N.E. Alberta.
F ilm m a ker S p ik e L e e h a s
s u e d m e d ia g ia n t V iacom
o v e r its p la n s to r e n a m e th e
TNN c a b le c h a n n e l S p ik e
TV. In th e s u i t file d Tuesday,
L e e - b orn S h e lto n J a c k s o n
L e e - c la im s S p ik e TV re fe rs
to h is n a m e . V iacom d e n ie s
th e a c c u sa tio n .
if ev en b rig h t th in g s g e t you d o w n .
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Jackson ‘Thrilled’ Lawsuit Settled
(AP) — A $12 million lawsuit
against Michael Jackson by former
financial advisers that could have
revealed details o fh is finances has
been settled.
“It just got to a point where we
agreed on what we needed to do,”
Jackson attorney Zia M odabber
said, adding that the singer “was
thrilled.”
Union Investment Corp, o f South
Korea and its financial adviser,
M yung-Ho Lee, claimed Jackson
owed them $12 million in unpaid
fees and expenses for their efforts
to put his financial affairs in order.
The agreement came as the j udge
w as to ru le on a re q u e s t by
Jackson’s lawyer to dismiss the
suit on grounds that Lee was not
properly licensed to give invest
ment advice in California.
Court TV was asking to televise
the trial, which could have meant a
public airing ofrecords o f Jackson's
closely guarded finances.
The suit claim ed that Jackson,
who am assed a half-bi 11ion-dol lar
join o u r
M ichael Ja ckso n
h o ld s u p an honorary
d iplom a g iven to him
b y R o o se v e lt High
S ch o o l adm inistra
tors in Gary, Ind.,
la s t W ednesday.
J a ckso n retu rn ed to
th e city o fh is
h o m eto w n for th e
first tim e in d e c a d e s
a n d w as a lso
p r e s e n te d with a k e y
to th e city. (AP ph o to )
fortune as the “K ing o f Pop” over
the past 20 years, is saddled w ith
debt and teetering near b an k
ruptcy.
Jackson, mean whi le, was in Gary,
Ind., for cerem onies honoring him
in his hometown, which he had not
visited for decades. Thousands o f
fans lined the streets to watch his
dozen-vehicle motorcade go by.
Jackson, 44, was 9 when his family
left the city.
Stops included City Hall, where
the mayor gave Jackson a key to the
city, the neighborhood w here he
grew up and a high school where
Jackson was awarded an honorary
diploma.
Luther Vandross Leaves Intensive Care
(AP) — Luther Vandross has
been moved out o f intensive care
and upgraded to stable condition,
his business manager said Thurs
day.
Vandross “ is more and more re
sp o n siv e each d a y ,” C arm en
Romano said in a statement. “ I feel
as though I am watching a modem
day miracle.”
The 52-year-old R&B singer re
mains hospitalized at Cornell-Weill
Medical Center. He had been in
critical conditionsincehis April 16
stroke, at one point contracting
pneumonia and needing a trache
Luther
otom y to help him breathe.
Vandross
However, family and friends told
The Associated Press last week
that Vandross was beginning to
mouth words and had started light
therapy. He also no longer needs a comes two days after the release o f
respirator to breathe.
his new album, “Dance With My
His move out o f intensive care Father."
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