Suburbarazzi

A very bad day.

First, The Journal News broke a story that rapper Lucky Me (below, right), aka “Mr. I Love New City,” aka Stephen Redmond, aka Daven Brown, was charged with felony count of cocaine possession. The arrest, which took place last Friday, Feb 18, was at 18 Francis Place in Central Nyack. Bail for Brown or Lucky Me or whatever he’s calling himself these days was set at $50,000.

Second, the other musical wordsmith known as Fire (below, left) has set our Rockland Magazine inbox on—well, fire. In the March issue, which just came out, we did a short piece comparing Fire and Lucky Me. After the break, find out what the public had to say.

This Friday at 7:30 p.m. EST, Ted Mann and I will join TV reporter Karen DePodwin for a live RNN segment about Sunday’s Academy Awards. I’ll be wearing my tux for only the third time since my senior year in college, so the comedic value of that alone might be worth the tune-in. Here’s a preview of one of the topics slated for discussion.

Stars with a connection to the Lower Hudson Valley have done very well for themselves at the Oscars over the years, and 2008 is no exception.

Eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken, a New Rochelle native and North Salem resident, has been nominated three times for his songs from the Disney movie “Enchanted.” He took home his first two trophies for Best Song and Best Score for “The Little Mermaid,â€? and his most recent ones were in the same categories for songs from “Pocahontas.â€? In total, he’s been nominated for a whopping 18 Oscars, but hasn’t won one since 1996.

First-time nominee and sentimental favorite Ruby Dee, a New Rochelle resident, is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her part in “American Gangster,” starring Mount Vernon native Denzel Washington and former Nyack dweller Russell Crowe—both of whom are Oscar-winners themselves.

LoHud also has at least two representatives in the Best Documentary/Short Subject category, including Ossining High School alumnus Francisco Bello (for “Salim Baba”) and former Croton-on-Hudson resident Cynthia Wade (for “Freeheld”).

After the break, check out a list of some other prominent current and former residents of the Lower Hudson Valley who have won or have been nominated for an Oscar in the last 30 years. (more…)

What do U2 frontman Bono and folk singer Pete Seeger have in common? In addition to being musicians, they’ve both been linked to the Nobel Peace Prize.

Citing a petition to nominate the Nyack-raised Seeger for his environmental efforts, a press release issued today promotes an upcoming “American Masters” episode about the activist:

In 1966, Seeger – disgusted with the ongoing pollution of the Hudson River – began his campaign to ‘build a boat to the save the river’ by singing to friends and passing his banjo around for contributions. A few years later, he launched the Sloop Clearwater and founded the Clearwater environmental organization (www.clearwater.org).

Pete Seeger’s beloved Clearwater environmental organization has been spreading its message of conservation, preservation and education through the annual Clearwater Festival, this year being held June 21 & 22 on the shores of the Hudson River.

“Pete Seeger: The Power of Song” will debut at 9 p.m. EST Feb. 27 on PBS. That station is, like, educational and stuff.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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At the end of the video and after the break is the answer to this week’s quiz: Didi Conn, who played Frenchie in the movie version of “Grease,â€? once visited visited Nyack Middle School to see its production of that musical. In that show, the role of Danny Zuko was played by what actor who would go on to star in “Freaks and Geeksâ€??

A. John Francis Daley
B. James Franco
C. Seth Rogen

Sneden’s Landing resident Aidan Quinn will discuss his acting career at 3:30 p.m. this Sunday as part of the Palisades Library’s Sunday Symposium series. Quinn reportedly will talk about his work in movies such as “Desperately Seeking Susan” and his Emmy-nominated role in “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.”

Also slated to chat about acting is Palisades resident Didi Conn, who’s known for her roles in the feature film “Grease,” the sitcom “Benson” and the PBS show “Shining Time Station.” She also appeared in Julie Taymor’s film “Across the Universe,” part of which was filmed at Muscoot Farm in Somers.

Fun facts! According to IMDb.com, Conn once visited Nyack Middle School to see its production of “Grease,” whose Danny Zuko role was played by “Freaks and Geeks” star John Francis Daley. Most recently, JFD appeared in four episodes of “Bones” as Dr. Lance Sweets.

The Palisades event will be held on the esplanade of 640 Oak Tree Road. The suggested donation to benefit the library is $10. Reservations are required and can be secured by visiting by the library at 19 Closter Road or calling 845-359-0136. For more information, visit www.palisadesny.com.

(AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)

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At the end of the video and after the break is the answer to this week’s quiz: Of the following celebrities who have called Mount Vernon home, who was scheduled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today?

A. Sean “Diddy� Combs
B. Sidney Poitier
C. Phylicia Rashad
D. Denzel Washington

Upper Grandview resident Stephen Baldwin said Thursday that he is a “full-blown, super-duper” supporter of Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee and shares his stance against gay marriage.

Baldwin made the statements while calling into the Howard Stern show to promote his appearance on “Celebrity Apprentice,” hosted by Westchester real estate maven Donald Trump. Baldwin, who is the conservative yang to brother Alec’s liberal yin, said he’d ban gay marriage if he were president:

I don’t believe that gay marriage is in line with God’s Word, which is found in the Bible. So, what I think doesn’t matter; what I believe is what’s in the Bible and the Bible says that gay marriage is not acceptable.

Stephen Baldwin also told Stern he stopped taking photos of the license plates belonging to patrons of an adult entertainment store in Nyack. (“I’m done with that.”) Baldwin once threatened to track down the identities of the vehicle owners and publish the names in full-page newspaper ads.

UPDATE: Web site Good As You has audio of the Stephen Baldwin clip here.

(Photo by Natalie Jade Ray for The Journal News)

Among the multitude of celebrities in our myriad People of the Year lists—in InTown, Rockland Mag, Suburbarazzi, and The Journal News—nobody generated quite as much controversy as a certain New City rapper. Yes, we’re talking about Stephen Redmond—henceforth to be know, at his request, as only Lucky Me.

We received a deluge of letters from Clarkstown parents complaining about Rockland Magazine’s decision to feature the artist, best known for his YouTube hit “I Love New City,” as No. 20 in our countdown. One wrote, “Why would you highlight to dregs of the county???” Another alleged, “Your magazine added to the hype of a drug dealer and an adult male who is known to frequent school events and exchange phone numbers with 14 year old girls, perhaps to add to his customer base.” And yet another said, “Does he [the author of said article] realize that he featured a drug dealer next to people who have tried to bring threater and movies back to Riverspace? What a disgrace!!”

Of course, all of the letters arrived unsigned and on the same paper—looking an awful lot like they came off an identical printer. Still, the Clarkstown parent(s) wasn’t the only Lucky Me hater out there. Another person, posting as Tiffany Spencer, had this to say on the blog back on December 5: “i have heard another rapper by the name of Fire who’s music is way more realistic and perfected he is also from Nyack juast as Lucky me.”

Naturally, when Lucky Me himself caught wind of this, it set off a heated comment war. And when we interviewed Fire shortly before Christmas—if only to give give equal time to all Nyack (or former Nyack) rappers—Lucky Me was one of the first people to sound off on the post: “ARE SERIOUS YALL GIVE THIS BUM SOME LIGHT / NO ONE KNOWS THIS GUY / HELL WILL NEVA BE AS GOOD AS ME / I WAS STAYED QUIET UNTIL I SAW THIS.” Lucky was also good enough to share his AIM handle in that comment, and—well, we couldn’t help but take the bait.

An extensive interview soon followed. The full text is after the break, in its full instant-messenger glory …

Over the summer, the Nyack-based rapper Lucky Me drew attention to his music by talking about drugs, Uggs, and slices of pizza in New City. When we included Lucky Me as one of our People of the Year, several readers informed us of another incendiary act from Nyack—Fire.

The 23-year-old, raspy voiced artist (Gregory Dubuisson on the dotted line) has been penning rhymes since he was 12-years-old and started passing out demo CDs back in his days at Nyack High School. He launched a MySpace page last year, which connected him to several promoters who got him gigs in Manhattan and Atlantic City, opening for Saigon at one point (Entourage fans will remember Saigon, who lives in Nanuet, as Turtle’s protégé). Fire has a deliberate, confident flow, and a gravelly voice that exudes character, but a few of the themes that pop up in his songs—sex, violence, contempt for the law—are bound to cause a stir among some Nyack residents. Especially nettlesome is a song where Fire slams the police, repeating a refrain that talks about proffering an insolent middle finger and a gesturing with his crotch. But more on that after the jump.

For a full list of the TV nominees, check out our sister blog, Remote Access, or for film nominees, go to the SAG site. But here, in short, are the locals you’ll be rooting for:

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANGELINA JOLIE / Mariane Pearl – “A Mighty Heartâ€? (Paramount Vantage): Jolie grew up in Sneden’s Landing

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
AMERICAN GANGSTER (Universal Pictures): Denzel Washington is a Mount Vernon native and Russell Crowe lived in Nyack while filming the movie.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Kline / Jacques – As You Like It (HBO): Kline lives (or at least used to live) in Garrison with Phoebe Cates.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Ellen Burstyn / Posey Benetto – Mitch Albom’s For One More Day (ABC): Burstyn lives in Nyack

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Glenn Close / Patty Hewes – Damages (FX): Lives in Bedford
Edie Falco / Carmela Soprano – The Sopranos (HBO): Attended SUNY Purchase

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin / Jack Donaghy – 30 Rock (NBC): Brother of Bedford’s Billy Baldwin and Upper Grandview’s Stephen

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Vanessa Williams / Wilhelmina Slater – Ugly Betty (ABC): Grew up in Millwood, currently lives in Chappaqua

(Nominations ceremony photo with President Alan Rosenberg, left, and actors Jeanne Tripplehorn, center, and Terrence Howard on Thurs., Dec 20—AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The 74-year-old film icon lit up the small screen this year with a memorable stint on the polygamy soap Big Love. But it was her new memoir, Lessons in Becoming Myself, that landed Burstyn a seat on Oprah’s couch. In the book, she shares the story of her abusive childhood and her troubled former husband, who stalked her for years, and eventually killed himself. The Nyack resident also told the big O about her recent Buddhist “street retreat,� in which she slept on NYC sidewalks, ate in soup kitchens, and begged for money. So remember, next time you see a panhandler outside Vertigo, you could be looking at an Academy Award winner.

Prediction for 2008: More Oscar-caliber parts, including roles in Greta and The Loss of the Teardrop Diamond.

Adapted from “People of the Year,� Rockland Magazine, December 2007

(AP Photo/Rick Maiman)

On the heels of the report that the Nyack resident is going to be going head-to-head against Larry King, now TV Squad is reporting that the rumors are true: MSNBC is in talks to have Ro join the network. Currently that 9 to 10 p.m. time slot is occupied by the filler show Live with Dan Abrams. This AP story (on MSNBC, ironically) also confirms the report, but an exec from NBC said, “We’re far from a done deal.” Still, with each passing day, an O’Donnell-King faceoff seems more and more likely.

(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Just because Mount Vernon native Denzel Washington always plays such phenomenal villains in the movies doesn’t mean he’s a baddie in real life. In fact, quite the opposite. One example: For the premiere of his upcoming crime drama “American Gangster” on October 19, AllHipHop reports that he arranged for all the proceeds to be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of America.

You may remember that Washington is a huge advocate for the B&G Clubs—in particular the Mount Vernon chapter, which he grew up with—and has been the group’s national spokesperson for the past 15 years.

If you haven’t seen the movie’s trailer yet, be sure to check it out (YouTube link). It appears to be Washington’s best bad-guy part yet, with him playing a 1970’s crime lord who smuggles heroin in the coffins of American soldiers returning from Vietnam. And Russell Crowe plays the detective trying to take him down. The movie goes wide on November 2.

Fun fact: Russell Crowe lived over in Nyack, at the Pretty Penny estate, while the movie was filming locally.

(Photo: Universal)

With Nyack resident and Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme as well as former Irvington resident Debra Winger both attached to the upcoming comedy “Dancing with Shiva,” I didn’t thing the film could pack any more of Lower Hudson Vally punch. I was wrong.

Now word is out that another Nyacker, actor Bill Irwin (right)—aka Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street—has also signed on to star. And, slightly off the LoHud grid (but still on our radar), according to Cinematical, the movie is supposed to start filming next month in Connecticut. It’s being billed as a romantic comedy, but it’s clearly also got a downright wacky mix of talent—the director of “Silence of the Lambs,” a recluse actress who hasn’t been in a mainstream movie since God knows when, the star of “The Devil Wears Prada” (Anne Hathaway), and Elmo’s comic foil.

But the real question isn’t, how did all these random people come to work on the same project? No, it’s how on earth did CT become the filming mecca of the tri-state region? Seriously, I’ve counted no fewer than 10 movies set to start filming there in the next few months. What’s a NY suburb got to do to get some of that Hollywood lovin’?

(AP Photo/Carol Rosegg)

You know Nyack resident Rosie O’Donnell is buzzworthy when Homer Simpson takes a shot at her on the (animated) stage of “The Tonight Show.”

Quoth the Simpson:

Here I am at NBC, which, by the way, stands for Never Been Crappier. Have you seen the crap they’ve put on this network? Networks are good sports. I’m not sure if this is a joke but GE makes a lot of other bad things. According to my daughter, Lisa, they fill the air with more dangerous hydrocarbon emissions than Rosie O’Donnell!

Leave it to New Rochelle native Jay Leno to put him in his place—on his bright yellow fanny just beyond the stage door.

(Photo Illustration courtesy of Fox.)