The Show (6-25-09)

MAXWELL: More Music on the Way

There's a lot more music coming from Maxwell. As we've reported, he's planning to make the July 7th release of Black Summer's Night the first part of a trilogy. Maxwell tells Black Enterprise, "After going through my life experience, I have material for the next 10 years... These records are split up... The first one is moodier, broodier. The second has a gospel, uplifting vibe. The third is all ballads... I think the world needs an epic, ambitious grouping for its singles-driven market."

Female Maxwell fans may be sad to learn he's "met someone. I'm just seeing where it goes with her. Right now, I'm on the road. I'm always in a different city, so I'm taking it one day at a time."

NORTH KOREA WARNS "FIRE SHOWER OF NUCLEAR RETALIATION"

North Korea is ready for nuclear Armageddon. In response to a U-S pledge to defend South Korea with nuclear arms against its rogue communist neighbor, the North responded in one of its main newspapers that the U-S promise amounts to "asking for the calamitous situation of having a fire shower of nuclear retaliation all over South Korea." The paper also proclaimed the North will "never give up nuclear deterrence...and will further strengthen it." The latest ratcheting up of tensions on the Korean peninsula follows the North's recent statement that it will fire a long-range missile at Hawaii. The U-S Navy is also currently tailing a North Korean freighter suspected of carrying weapons to the repressive regime in Myanmar.

TAMEKA FOSTER: Friend Dishes on Split

Tameka Foster's friend of 20-plus years, Nyeisha DeWitt, says rumors that Foster and Usher have been separated for the past year are untrue. DeWitt tells Essence-dot-com, "When I read that people were reporting they'd been separated for a year, I'm thinking, 'That's insane, because that would mean he left her when she was two months pregnant with Naviyd, and Usher Raymond the Fifth was only five months old." She also says Foster is not the gold-digger she's portrayed to be, and that it's sad that "people are excited to see her in pain... My hope is that people will not rejoice in anyone's failed marriage and allow Usher and Tameka to go through their process privately."


T.I.: Driver in Shooting Sentenced

The man who drove the vehicle in the 2006 shooting death of a member of T-I's entourage was sentenced yesterday to 17 years in prison. Padron Thomas, 41, told the judge, "I was a knucklehead. I wish I could take it back." Thomas was sentenced on gun charges and unrelated federal drug charges. Thomas drove the vehicle that engaged T-I's van in an Ohio highway gun battle that led to the death of Philant Johnson. Thomas testified against his younger brother Hosea in exchange for a reduced sentence. Hosea Thomas was sentenced to 66 years for killing Johnson.