Now, Christopher is back! He is currently starring in the Michael Baisden play, “Men Cry In The Dark,” which also features Allen Payne (“New Jack City”), R&B; singer Monifah, Richard Roundtree (“Shaft”), and Rhona Bennett (“Jamie Foxx Show”). He also released an independent album in August of 2001 called “Real Men Do.” Not only is Christopher happy now that his career has re-ignited, but he is also ready to clear the air about a lot the stories that have circulated about him over the years. Listen in:

Jawn: So you are doing your music independently now?

CW: I actually am getting ready to sign a deal with Sony Records. I’m giving up with the independent label thing and just pray that I can land with the right people at Sony and just be at the right place.

Jawn: Do you think you will continue to act in addition to being a recording artist?

CW: Yeah, possibly. Yeah I would imagine that I would probably be acting because out of sight, out of mind, right?

Jawn: Tell me about doing the play “Men Cry In The Dark.” How long have you all been on the road?

CW: We’ve been going since February [2002]. We took a break in July and August and started back in Houston in September. I’m enjoying it, man. I love the theater part of it. The traveling is sometimes fun and sometimes you miss home but overall it has been great.

Jawn: You are married now. Does your wife travel with you on the road?

CW: Just sometimes because she works too. She is a screenwriter, so just when she can come, because she doesn’t have that much time.

Jawn: What’s your experience been like in “Men Cry In The Dark?”

CW: It’s been great, I’ve been blessed but I didn’t know how it was going to be at first because even when we did our first press conference and a lot of people who are into my music were like, “I hope it isn’t one of those ‘I Need A Man and My Man Hurt Me,’ yeah, ‘Momma, I Burnt The Chicken’.” [Those plays are] almost like blackface in a sense. I’m not knocking it, I just never wanted to do it. Once I’m on stage everything is just great and my creative juices start flowing. I did a play in college with Wesley Snipes, which was the last play I did many, many years ago.

Jawn: How close is Pretty Tony, the character you play in “Men Cry in the Dark,” with you and your life?

CW: Real close, you know being young and making records, and being fortunate and unfortunate at the same time. I had a child at a young age, I got a child when I was 19-years-old so I had a lot on my shoulders. When I got out I had just started performing I had kind of just broke up with my baby’s mother so the world was open to me. You know I had the #1 record and my album was almost platinum and after that I’ve had problems with women. Once I got out there and they were coming in droves and as a young man I took advantage of it. I was a womanizer.

Jawn: Since you brought up your baby’s mom and being a womanizer, can we talk about the rumors of you being violent in past relationships with both Stacy Dash and Halle Berry? What happened with that?

CW: See, when I say womanizer I don’t mean abuser. I had a relationship that was turbulent with my son’s mom, Stacy, but it was turbulent in two directions. The stuff they wrote about Halle Berry was totally false! They said something like I bust her eardrum and I’m tired of it. I never said it [before] but I’m so tired of people thinking that I’m the guy [who did it]. Wesley Snipes busted her eardrum, not me! I’ve been married happily for 10 years and my wife and my son and my nieces and nephews all love me, and I’m just into the simple realness of life now.

Jawn: What about the story about you tearing up Andre Harrell’s office and breaking up furniture at Uptown Records?

CW: My career is a blessing to me, it took me by a storm in my 20’s and I just honestly wasn’t into giving up my soul. When you don’t want to bear your soul for this business and not go to all the industry parties…I remember one time Russell [Simmons] and Andre told me they were going to introduce me to the right people to have around me. I look at Andre ten years later and he still is sitting in parties lonely and he is still getting a check but money doesn’t make me and I will never sacrifice my principles. There is only one thing I fear and that is God and I’ve always put him in front of me. I have not always done the right thing. Honestly, I did have an incident with Uptown Records and I wish maybe that I could have kept my cool. All the other things that were written about me talking about how I didn’t show up to events and stuff. Anybody that knows and was involved with Uptown knows that we were booked at eight places at the same time and you’re going to miss seven of them. That was the most chicken and grits operation that I have ever dealt with. It was an experience, I learned from the good of it and I learned some bad from it. Me and Andre are cool, I mean we don’t have any bitter fumes or whatever, to be honest, after all that happened he offered me the job that he gave to Heavy D. That was my job because Andre has always known I’m like a schoolyard lawyer.

Jawn: So you have always been pretty business savvy?

CW: That’s why there are a lot of the major problems in a career. Anytime an artist can tell a business affairs person verbatim what is going on in a contract and what this language means, they don’t want that! So, they hold the pen, they hire the publicist, they have the relationships with the Post, the Times, the Chronicles, and other press. Like I said, as long as God can see my heart, I don’t care what man says and I have always been like that.

Jawn: I must be honest. You definitely seem like a mellow-type guy to me. At least right now, we’re talking about some serious issues and allegations, and you haven’t raised your voice or gotten the least bit upset talking about any of it.

CW: See, I’m talking to you now and you seem like a cool person. That’s why I feel compelled to say what I just wanted, to explain to you. It probably doesn’t mean anything to you or me but just for the record, I would just like to explain that you seem like the type of person that will put down exactly what I say. Like, I said I haven’t done everything right in my career and going away had something partly to do with me. I just needed a break. I have brothers come to me like, “How could you just leave Halle Berry?” I’m like, ‘How could you leave the last relationship you was with?’ [Halle] is just a woman but because her name is in lights, people are damned near ready to bare their souls. They would probably crucify Jesus again just to get with her. But for me I don’t put women on a pedestal like that and if you read the Bible you’re not supposed to. You’re supposed to respect them, take care of them, love them and that’s what I have learned in my new relationship. It was funny because my wife is younger than me and it was taught to me through the [Bible]. That book is a guide for me when I do tempt to deviate at times. That’s where I’m at right now. This play is rekindling me with the people that were down for my music, and me and it’s been great seeing them again. It’s funny because the stars that get all the good write-ups, you go and meet them and they are total assholes. But me they persecute, and they always have, and you can ask anybody on the cast, I do my thing, I mind my business, and that’s that it!

Jawn: I’m glad you were able to share your thoughts and finally tell your side of the story, doc. I’m also glad things are looking good for your career.

CW: Thanks for your time, Jawn. I appreciate it.

His 1995 album said it best, Chris is “Not A Perfect Man,” but he is sure striving to be a better one. Check him out in “Men Cry In The Dark” – tour dates are available at MichaelBaisden.com – and his latest CD, “Real Men Do,” is available at CDNOW.com and Amazon.com.

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Planning Ahead: With the recent sniper shootings in the Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland, all of the talks of potential terrorist attacks in the coming months, and the untimely deaths of entertainers like Run DMC’s Jam Master Jay and actor Merlin Santana, it’s time for all of us to seriously think about what we would do in the time of tragedy. Most of us try not to think about death and plan to live long lives, but we all know that ultimately, it’s not up to us.

“Life Moments” host Asha Blake launched a website called 4MyEmergency.com shortly after the tragedy of 9/11. While watching the unfortunate occurrences unfold on television, Blake sat in anguish as she contemplated all of the families that would be broken up by the happenings. “My daughter was at home with me and I thought, everybody needs what I created for her three years ago,” said Blake. That thought is what caused the news veteran and former host of NBC’s “Later Today” with Florence Henderson and Jody Applegate to spend thousands of dollars of her own money to launch 4MyEmergency.com.

The website is a non-profit website where visitors can download a form of more than 100 essential life questions that friends and/or relatives may need to know about you and your loved ones in the event of a tragedy. So far, nearly 1 million people have taken advantage of the resource and completed the vital information form. Asha has been touched by the overwhelming feedback she has received for her humanitarian effort. A 9/11 widow named Migdalia, who lost her husband Harry in the World Trade Center attack, has pledged her support to encouraging others of the site’s benefit. “I was in shock. I didn’t know if he had a will, where it was, or if we had insurance. The website will help you be prepared for any emergency,” expressed Migdalia.

Take the time and visit 4MyEmergency.com and I challenge all other media outlets to encourage readers, listeners, and viewers to do so as well.

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Crazy Over Anjel: I have been inundated with e-mails over the last week about the group Anjel, which consists of the former Destiny’s Child members Latavia and Letoya. Apparently, there are all kind of rumors circulating about the group, which also consists of newcomers Nadia and Tiffany, and their future in the music business. There are reports that the girls are signed to Jagged Edge’s 581 Entertainment, and that a single will drop early next year followed by an album in the spring. Then someone asked me if the group was working on an unnamed upcoming movie soundtrack.. Another e-mail said there was a rumor floating around that Letoya secured a solo deal with Universal Records. Whatever the case is with Anjel, I wish the girls the best and hope that whatever is about to happen with them, happens soon so that their fans can stop e-mailing me to death. Listen to the group perform live by going to the following link: http://www.tmhentertainment.com/media/anjellivegmny.ram.

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For The Kids: Comedienne Kym E. Whitley will hold her 7th annual “Comics For Kids” toy drive on Saturday December 7, at the Crenshaw Baldwin Hills Plaza in Los Angeles, CA. The event will include performances by Stellar Award nominees Brent Jones & TP Mobb and Howard Hewett. Also on hand will be actor Wesley Jonathan (“What I Like About You”), Marri Marrow (“National Security”), Miguel Nunez Jr. (“Juwanna Man”), and many more.

Kym stars in the upcoming film “Deliver Us From Eva,” alongside rapper LL Cool J, Gabrielle Union (“The Brothers”), and Jazsmin Lewis (“Barbershop”), and has recurring roles on ABC’s “My Wife & Kids” and UPN’s “The Parkers.” The former host of “Oh Drama” is also the weekly host of “Wacked-Out Wednesdays” at the HaHa Café in North Hollywood, which she owns.

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Forceful Collaboration: After scoring hit after hit with pop acts like N’Sync, the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, veteran R&B; group Full Force is now working on the upcoming album of rapper Lil’ Kim. “Yo, I don’t even want to say the title of the joint or even give an idea of what type of joint it is,” said Force’s Bowlegged Lou. “Just rest assured that once again Full Force will surprise the musical masses and so will Lil’ Kim. We personally recruited Lil’ Kim to work with us for the first time after we produced a cut off the new 3LW album titled, "I Like That (I Want That).” Kim came in and blazed that song!” Look for the collaboration on Kim’s upcoming 2003 release. For more information on Full Force, visit them online at ForcefulWorld.com or FullForceFamily.com.

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Things That Make You Say Hmm?: Former Dallas Cowboy Deion Sanders, now a devout Christian and CBS sports commentator, recently had to defend his involvement in CBS’s "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" broadcast. The Concerned Women for America (CWA), the National Organization of Women (NOW) and other groups in sent a letter of protest to CBS over the controversial hour-long show. CWA chief counsel Jan LaRue said the program was "nothing but [a] high-tech strip show." Sanders interviewed some of the models backstage, which he described as a "honeycomb hideout," and talked to one participant about "showing your birthday suit." During one segment Sanders said that "it seems as though I'm a kid in a candy store," but that he had brought along a personal assistant -- whom he introduced as his wife. "I have a happy home, and I'm going to keep that home happy," he told viewers. Sanders told Charisma News Service: "I can't separate my job of being a journalist with saying, 'OK, I can't do that.' It's my job to go in there and get the story out." Sanders’ wife enjoyed the show, and did not think that the program demeaned to women. Sanders talked with his pastor, Bishop T.D. Jakes, about the assignment, who said that he approved of the way Sanders conducted himself.

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Can’t Say Names: What urban pop “trio” is frustrated by the lackluster response to their sophomore album? Sources say that the powers behind the group blame the record label for poor promotion, however, others declare the group caused their own demise with their public problems. Nonetheless, said group has an album in stores that’s just collecting dust on the shelves since no one is buying it. * Why did a certain male TV star show up at a New York City radio station packing a gun? It’s no secret that the actor, who was recently married, was upset because he heard the notorious NY shock jock whose show he visited had allegedly questioned his sexuality. But folks can’t understand why he was carrying a gun.

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Quickies:

~ "Sister, Sister” series stars Tia and Tamera Mowry make the transition from small screen to big screen with their cheerleader roles in the upcoming Rob Schneider comedy "Hot Chick." "If you could sum up our characters in one word, it would be 'Ghettofabulous’,” Tamera told the Beck/Smith Syndicate. Tia added, "Rob was so cool. I guess it was their intention for us to come in and do a cameo, but he added more scenes with us. He said, 'I love your chemistry, you guys. I want you to just riff -- go out and do the best you can.' Oddly enough, we got our series the same way -- improvising." The film is in theaters on December 13 and also stars soulstress Angie Stone.

~ Beyonce Knowles of Destiny’s Child is apparently teaming up with soul vet Luther Vandross on a song called “Dangerously In Love” on her debut solo set.

~ Michael McCrary of Boyz II Men has officially announced his retirement from the veteran pop quartet. Boyz II Men’s will record their next album on Arista Records as a trio.

~ I’ll be back next week with a full report from Dr. Bobby Jones’ International Gospel Industry Retreat in Las Vegas, NV, news on Stephanie Mills and Hidden Beach’s Mike Phillips and much more.

~ Thanks to Arch Wireless for providing my paging service. For more information on Arch Wireless, visit their website at Arch.com or call 888-534-1397.

~ They have dressed Free from “106th & Park,” Ruff Ryder's deejay Swizz Beats, Jaheim, and even lil’ old me. A special thanks to Aja Imani for keeping me looking good. Aja Imani is located at 9244 East Hampton Drive, Suite #622, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. Contact them at 301-324-8300 or e-mail them at ajaimani@aol.com.

Well I’m Jawn and that’s your Juice! See you next week!

E-mail: GarekNews@hotmail.com

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