Sort of the same fashion as other festival-like tours –ala The Lilith Fair, and Lollapalooza, the “Sprite Liquid Mix” is a six-hour event, with the said venue as an open and constantly evolving environment where fans participate in the event's free expression and free exchange of music, culture and activity. In addition to headline music acts for the tour, attendees may experience and participate in a variety of activities including: full-court street basketball, an urban playground featuring street-type skaters and BMX bikers, ongoing demonstrations by local urban graffiti artists, music mixing stations led by local DJs, and The BLOCKBUSTER Lounge, which is a video gaming area.

For $20 a pop, this aint a bad deal. For tour dates, log onto www.sprite.rocketcash.com/home/

To date, Nappy Roots’ critically acclaimed opus has scanned close to 700,000 copies via grassroots marketing campaigns and a boost of heavy video airplay. The group has even garnered a nomination for an MTV2 award for the “AwNaw” clip, directed by Lenny Bass. According to their rep, Sydney Margetson, the group has morphed into a multimedia entity of its very own. They’re currently featured in a Levi’s advertorial that is running in best-selling men’s magazines “Blender,” “Stuff,” and “Maxim.”

In addition to their half-hour live concert for MTV a the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recently airing, the Bowling Green, Kentucky-based group will also be featured on “CNN Headline News” today for a live interview. A cover story on the group for Mugshot magazine hits newsstands in the coming weeks. And they’ve already done all the late night TV shows.

A Nappy Roots DVD is being readied for release on September 17, featuring behind-the-scenes footage, videoclips, lyrics, live performances, exclusive tracks and remixes.

Underground remixes of “AwNaw,” featuring hip-hop bad boy Cam’Ron, and the fast-rapping Twista, is popping up on radio airwaves across the country while the new videoclip for the group’s newest track, “Po’ Folks,” featuring crooner Anthony Hamilton, has been added to the rotation of BET, MTV and MTV2.

Nappy Roots is currently in talks with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey for a potential partnership. And to add to the influx of activities revolving around them, the rock remix of “AwNaw” (with Marcos from P.O.D) is featured on the just released video game EA Sports’ “Madden NFL 2003,” which is available on the Playstation 2 console.

Now, that’s a reason to be happy to be ‘nappy.’

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STUFF: “Sister 2 Sister” magazine honcho Jamie Foster-Brown loves to celebrate. On September 10, the gossip guru and entrepreneur extraordinaire will host the magazine’s “4th Annual Intergenerational Celebration” at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Hip-hop sexpot Lil’ Kim will join Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Bizzy Bone, and BET President and COO Debra Lee as honorees of this year’s ceremony. In addition, students from Washington, DC's Backus Middle School will enter the “Sister 2 Sister Words Are Tools" essay contest which requires students to submit essays about the importance of the media and the generation gap. Backus Middle School students were asked to participate in this contest because their 11-year-old classmate, Asia Cottom and her teacher, Sarah Clark, were both killed on September 11 as victims of the Pentagon terrorists attack. Past Intergenerational honorees have included politicos The Honorable Alexis Herman, former Secretary of Labor, Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), NAACP President Kweisi Mfume; and from the world of music, Mary J. Blige, Master P, Queen Latifah, Lil' Bow Wow and Da Brat; as well as TV Judge Greg Mathis… And while we’re on the subject of awards, The Hollywood Film Festival announced that Oscar winner Jodie Foster will be honored with the festival's "Hollywood Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award" as part of the Hollywood Movie Awards Gala Ceremony on October 7, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. "Mulholland Drive" star Naomi Watts will be honored with the "Hollywood Breakthrough Acting Award," and “Charlie's Angels" director McG will get the "Hollywood Breakthrough Directing Award,” that evening… Queen of hip-hop/soul Mary J. Blige played a packed house at the Apollo Theater on Tuesday night. The warm temperature was sweltering in the legendary venue and the music was so loud at some moments it became earsplitting, even in the far corners of the theater. Although it was as humid as Cuba, Mary J. was in top form, changing a number of times into some eye popping and form fitting outfits. With a crafty assortment of headwear, the 31-year-old songstress kept it ghetto fabulous with her attire. The crowd was so raucous at some points of the show –particularly during the gospelized climax of the ballad “No More Drama.”— that I thought I was at a spiritual rally. She was like a preacher in the pulpit, giving it up and turning it loose to her congregation. This sweaty show of emotion was a clear indication that very few of today’s singers can connect with an audience they way Miss Blige continues to. She’s not afraid to work up a sweat, and breathe hard, stumble on the stage or crack a high note. With her every nuance and her every movement the crowd clung to the bottled-blonde diva’s every word, and at times singing along with her. Sean “Puffy” Combs, his newest rap protégé Loon, Jadakiss and Fabolous joined the Queen during various times of the show, to perform remixed versions of her hit songs. This display of hip-hop camaraderie brought the multi-generational crowd to its feet. “60 Minutes” newsman Ed Bradley was spotted in the lower mezzanine of what seemed like a juke joint. I’m sure a pairing between him and Miss Blige will make very good television. If they do something and let it air this fall, it will be great synergy for Mary J’s new Grammy campaign. She may finally get that R&B; Grammy award that has eluded her over the course of the last few albums. (Because of the January re-release and re-packaging of the already released “No More Drama” album, she’s eligible for next year’s Alicia Keys-less Grammy race.) During her set, the Yonkers-bred former bad girl of R&B; talked candidly about her child molestation and spoke about the effects that 9/11 had on her and her surroundings. The near-two-hour set was impassioned, to say the least… I felt like I was at the opera house with all the ‘sopranos’ running around Time Square’s posh Laura Belle for the celebration of the opening night of Terrence McNally's “Frankie And Johnny In The Clair De Lune,” last Thursday. To help toast “The Sopranos” star Edie Falco in her big Broadway turn playing opposite a buffed-up Stanley Tucci as the leads in the play’s revival were James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Drea De Matteo, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Joe Pantoliano, Aida Turturro, Dominic Chianese, Steve Van Zandt, Robert Iler and other cast members from the hit HBO. Nathan Lane, Regis Philbin, Al Roker, Victoria Gotti, Molly Price, Steve Buscemi, Eva La Rue, John Callahan, Malcolm Goetz, Caroline Rhea, Debra Monk, Marisa Tomei, and Michael C. Hall were also on the guest list for the big night. “Frankie And Johnny In The Clair De Lune,” plays a limited engagement through December 29 at the Belasco Theatre. It’s a romance about two unlikely lovers searching for hope and connection in a small New York apartment on the eve of something that ought to last. The show was first produced in 1987 at Manhattan Theatre Club's Stage II starring Kathy Bates and F. Murray Abraham. The 1991 movie version starred Michelle Pfeiffer, Al Pacino and Nathan Lane… It must be magic! Hunky Hollywood phenomenon Vin Diesel’s name doesn’t only have muscle at the box-office, he also has cachet at the record store counters. The Universal Records' soundtrack to the #1 movie in America, ”XXX,” has already struck gold and sold over 76,000 copies its first week in stores placing it squarely at #11 on the “Billboard” Top 200 Albums chart and making it the #1 soundtrack in the country. Officially titled, “Music From and Inspired by XXX,” the 2-disc set is comprised of one rock and one hip-hop and features the likes of Nelly, Lil’ Wayne, Gavin Rossdale, Rammerstein, Moby, Orbital, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, Pastor Troy and Joi. According to a rep, the set scored #5 slot on Soundscan’s Alternative, Rap and R&B; charts overall, and the #2 in the Hard Music chart overall.

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WHEN HIP-HOP TRULY GROWS UP: “Essence” magazine’s former Executive Editor, Joan Morgan, has jumped ship and high-tailed her fanny out of the journalism game – after twelve years of toiling her hip-hop savvy, female friendly prose for such publications as “The Village Voice,” “Vibe,” “Spin,” “The Source” and “Ms.” magazines. Unlike other writers from the rap generation, Miss Morgan hasn’t resigned from the trade to write a hopeful best-seller, or become a TV executive or entertainment publicist – she’s transformed herself into the proprietor of Morgie’s Cafe, a six-week old Jamaican coffeehouse located in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Talking about flipping the script.

“It was just time for a different hustle,” Morgan tells The Ru Report. “I was a little burnt out from the journalism game…it’s incredibly hard work, but I’m having a ball.”

Featuring gourmet coffees, including imported Blue Mountain coffee, espresso-based drinks, sandwiches, soups, salads, ice cream, sorbets, and so much more, Morgie’s Cafe just may be the new cultural and artistic salon for NYC. Well, at least for Brooklyn.

“This is such a rich neighborhood,” Morgan says of her choice of locale (the café is located at 51 Lincoln Road, off of Flatbush Avenue). She was born in Jamaica, so she’s quite at home amongst the majority of Caribbean residents that dwell in that section of Brooklyn. “I love this area,” she continues. “And I was tired of going all the way over to Park Slope to get a decent cup of coffee.”

Nuff said.

Miss Morgan plans to turn Morgie’s into the new home for art openings, poetry readings, jazz jam sessions, and other hot happenings. Author signings & related panel discussions begin late September.

The entrepreneurial spirit of Miss Morgan follows in the footsteps of “Essence”’s former editor in chief, Monique Greenwood, who exited her high-post at the best-selling Black women’s magazine late last year to pursue her business interests in the restaurant and lodging industries.

And like Greenwood who penned “Having What Matters: The Black Woman's Guide to Creating the Life You Really Want,” Miss Morgan is also the author of a critically-acclaimed book, “When Chickenheads Come Home To Roost.”

Is something in the water fountain over there at “Essence”? Folks who leave there do quite well for themselves.

Well, at least some of them.

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RU RANTS: A lot of scuttlebutt has been made of this Ashanti being honored with the Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year award at the upcoming “8th Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.” Thousands of people are petitioning against it online. The all-mighty BET is all involved. “Soul Train” magnate Don Cornelius’ camp has fired off angered responses about it. It’s all a mess. What gives? Can’t people understand that Ashanti is just a young girl having a good time?

Maybe the award should’ve been dubbed “The Janet Jackson Award.” Isn’t that more befitting? That would make more sense to me. The Queen of Soul is such an institution, that the only young artist people will accept in association with her highness is Mary J. Blige. And a very gracious and appreciative Miss Blige hasn’t even brought into all of that hoopla. And Janet, well… she’s a little more interchangeable with her craft. She’s hip. She’s hot. And she represents the prototype that these young singers –and I do use that word rather loosely—emulate, with the electronically enhanced live performances and the tight-knit choreography. And that’s not to imply that there’s not a place for it because if it weren’t, these “singers” wouldn’t sell millions of records.

But no matter what folks do or say, Mr. Cornelius is a player from the Old School Chi-town and marches to the beat of his own drum. In other words: He don’t give a damn what you folks say about “his” award show. And the powers behind Ashanti, have long and deep pockets. As if you didn’t know that.

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Asked & Answered: Wow! You guys sure love that Larenz Tate. The mere mention of his name in last week’s column, drew plenty of responses. Well, The Ru Report has found out the whereabouts of Mr. Tate. The 27-year old actor is currently shooting the Dreamworks Pictures’ action film, “Biker Boyz” in and around Los Angeles. Directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood –yes, that’s this brother’s real name—“Biker Boyz” is based on the “New Times” magazine article of the same name about lawyers and city workers by day, they take to the streets in their leathers to race by night. The flick will star Laurence Fishburne, newcomer Derek Luke and a gang of folks including Kid Rock, Orlando Jones, Djimon Hounsou, Lisa Bonet, Terence Howard, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Salli Richardson, Melissa DeSousa, Kadeem Hardison, and Tyson Beckford. The Chicago, Illinois native has reportedly been attached to the F. Gary Gray-directed action-drama, tentatively titled “Diablo” starring Vin Diesel project. According to sources, the film is due out next year.

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Notable Quotable of the Week: “ I wanna apologize to J. Lo in the deepest sense. I truly apologize for the ‘Elle’ magazine comments. I called her a bitch. This is J. Lo, and I'm referring to her as a bitch! That's harsh. I killed her. I shouldn'ta killed her. She didn't deserve that. I was high when I did the interview… The street didn't care about her before she got with the Inc. They just hit the mute button and looked at that ass. She was a beautiful chick makin' wack records. Then a beautiful chick makin' hot records…After ‘Elle’ magazine, J. Lo ain't speakin' to me, she ain't returnin' no pages -- and she was actually a friend. I got word back that I really hurt her. She loved me as a friend and I really hurt her. It wasn't dishonest. I'm just not interview-savvy. I say what's real. ” -- superstar rap producer Irv Gotti on Jennifer Lopez in Rolling Stone magazine. RU

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