Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson just opened his Harlem eatery Red Rooster and so submitted himself before Daily Intel's 21 Questions feature and, well, he had a doozy of a first trip to the city! When asked if he prefers the old or new Times Square he replied: "I love old Times Square; it's the first place I got to when I was 18 and landed in New York. They were filming a music video with Eric B and Rakim, with LL Cool J and some other guys in the background. People stole our bags, but despite that, I remember feeling like I had arrived."
An Ode To Old Times Square
Video: Sarah Palin's Show Airs Tomorrow, Filled With Lies
[UPDATE BELOW] Fox News' "Real American Stories," hosted by hockey mom Sarah Palin, will be airing tomorrow night with interviews with Toby Keith, Jack Welch and LL Cool J. But the rapper wants to set the record straight, because he didn't actually sit down with Palin for an interview. He wrote on Twitter last night, "Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palins Show. WOW." Watch what you say, Cool James; you might getcherself yer very own Palin target on your back!
Video: Governor Paterson's Star-Studded Birthday Wishes
PolitickerNY posted this video that Governor Paterson's reelection campaign has packaged from video taken during the governor's 55th birthday in May. PolitickerNY notes, "It's pretty remarkable: full of celebrities sending the governor their regards in a tone that's less Happy Birthday than Get Well Soon." You can see State Senate President Malcolm Smith proclaiming, "I love you. And just know that every decision that you've made thus far has put New York right back where it needs to be as the Empire State," while LL Cool J says, "I think he'll be fine. I think it'll work out. When you're laying on the weight bench and you inherit 2,000 pounds, it takes a bit to move it off your chest." There are also statements from MC Hammer, Carmelo Anthony and Allan Houston!!
Knock Out Work Out Songs
With many people trying to keep up that perennial New Year's resolution to lose weight/work out/get in shape, they're hitting their computers (or CDs!) to create the perfect soundtracks for their workouts. The other day, the NY Times chatted with a number of experts - physicians, life coaches, workout music producers - to figure out what makes a good work out song.
Pencil This In
EVENT: If you haven't taken a trip back to the Summer of Love yet, head over to the Whitney tonight for the exhibit and enjoy their Whitney Live event. DJ Scientific and Dana Leong will be providing the tunes.
Pencil This In
SIGNING: Just a few days ago LL Cool J was out signing his book (which, is actually a workout book). Tonight 50 Cent will be at Borders Bookstore with two of his writers for the launch of, wait for it...G Unit books! Some titles: Death Before Dishonor, Baby Brother and The Ski Mask Way. Get there early!
Elsewhere in the ist-a-verse
Let's take a look back at a week that raised this Zen koan: if Kevin Federline got into a wrestling ring with a wrestler, who would you root for?
The Hungry Cabbie Eats The Outer Boroughs: Kuntry Bickle
I broke my personal record for the single most lucrative fare I’ve ever taken in my five years a yellow cabbie. I drove a couple who’d been out on the town shopping all day to their place off Farmer’s Boulevard in Queens. We listened to the traffic report, and when they heard Matt Ward say that there was a jam on the Van Wyck, they told me to take the Belt. I warned them that it would be extremely expensive because it’s about twice the distance, but they assured me that cash wasn’t an issue.
Pencil This In
FILM: Dutch animator Paul Driessen (who you know even if you don't realize it - he did the Beatles' Yellow Submarine movie), will have films from the last 30 years screened at BAM - as part of their Animation Festival. Step into his socially conscious fantasy world!
Rocking And Hip-Hopping With NYC Pizza
The concept of the video is "then and now," with flashbacks to the eighties in which we see a young LL (played by his son Najee) courting his future wife, Simone. Young LL takes her to a pizzeria on the back of his bike, where dinner consists of one slice cut in half—this is James Tood Smith pre-bling. Even though he may have skimped on the slice, he delivers the ice, presenting his girl with a modest necklace after dinner, outside the pizzeria, where a sign can be seen advertising slices for $0.75.This was filmed at the Coliseum Mall in Queens, because LL wanted to show his fans that if he could make it, anyone could. NYC pizza, inspiration, six pack abs, what more could you ask for?


