Posted July 21, 2008- Denver, CO is the new black. As we previously reported, Usher, Kanye West, N.E.R.D., and Wyclef Jean are all in talks to perform during the Democratic National Convention next month in support of Barack Obama’s run for the presidency. Now, according to the New York Daily News, Black Eyed Peas are confirmed on the schedule and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons has pledged he’ll be there representing. Simmons plans to join the convention after taking part in the Yoga Health Foundation’s festival that begins the night before. “I’m going to the DNC to add my voice to the growing collective consciousness I believe is rising in this country,” he said. “I want to add my voice to this phenomenon that I believe is this country and the world's only salvation: the promotion of love over fear.”

Although R. Kelly was found not guilty of all child pornography charges, the national court of his peers is banding together in protest. As we near the release of Kelly’s fourteenth studio album, 12 Play: Fourth Quarter (due in stores this summer), 19 Black male writers, activists, and professors collectively known as “Black Men Against the Exploitation of Women” (including MTV’s “Real World” cast member turned Congressional candidate Kevin Powell) submitted an online petition encouraging the community to recognize the degradation of young women perpetuated by the infamous “Kelly” sex tape. “We believe that our judgment has been clouded by celebrity-worship; we believe that we are a community in crisis and that our addiction to sexism has reached such an extreme that many of us cannot even recognize child molestation when we see it,” the petition states. At press time 1,942 signatures have co-signed the sentiment. The petition also sites that we have been careless by supporting Kelly (buying his music, cheering upon his acquittal, etc.), however, fans may already be aligning with the protest. His lead single “Hair Braider” peaked only at #56 on the Billboard chart after 9 weeks in rotation. To view petition, visit www.PetitionOnline.com/rkelly/petition.html.

Paul Wall continues to diversify his portfolio. The Houston rapper/George Foreman of mouth grills has launched the first detoxification line created to combat the effects of tattoo ink chemicals. “I love my tattoos but I was really upset to find out tattoo ink contains toxic metals” he says on the site TattooDetox.com. The all-natural mineral-based liquid was developed by his father’s research. According to a press release, his father, Michael, has long been a user of alternative health methods. “The goal is to educate about the risks of tattoo inks while providing a product that allows tattoo enthusiasts to continue their lifestyle without giving up their health,” Michael said. Apparently, tattoo inks, unregulated by the FDA, have been found to contain lead, beryllium, cobalt, arsenic, and other heavy metals detrimental to the blood stream.