Michael Jackson's Just Chillin'

Loved that MTV item on DJ Whoo Kid and Michael Jackson. Whoo Kid just came back from spending some time in the Persian Gulf nation with its ruler, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Sheikh's son, John Legend, model Tyson Beckford and Jackson. Whoo Kid said he and Mike became so tight on the trip that he's trying to orchestrate a collaboration between 50 Cent and M.J. "I [saw] Michael Jackson sitting by the pool sippin' lemonade," Whoo Kid recalled of the beginning of his day with the royal family and others in Bahrain. "They didn't tell me he was going to be there - I didn't even expect Michael to be in the country. So I'm like 'F---ing Michael Jackson is here, sippin' lemonade!' "I said 'What's up?' to him and acted like I wasn't groupie-sized. I gave him respect for all the sh-- he did, but in my head I was going crazy. He said, 'I'm just chillin' ' - he actually said 'chillin'!' F---ed my head up, so I walked away from him. Everybody gave him his respectful space.

"Whoo Kid said he originally connected with Bahrain's royal family after he was recommended to DJ their parties by mutual contacts, including the Prince of Monaco and Seif Khadafy, son of Libyan dictator Moammar ("They're huge G-Unit fans," the DJ said).

During his trip, Whoo Kid also found himself invited to dinner with the sheik, Legend and Jackson. Apparently people were giving Jackson too much space at dinner - there was an empty seat next to him, which other guests were evidently too intimidated to fill. Finally Jackson, who'd laughed at some of Whoo Kid's jokes earlier in the day, called the DJ over to sit with him. "Mike was like, 'Whoo Kid, come sit over here,' the DJ said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking Jackson. "I was like poinng! He was supposed to be there for like 45 minutes; he stayed for five hours. We was talking about Eminem. He was like, 'Is Eminem really retired?' I forgot that Eminem totally cremated him in one video ['Lose It'], but [Michael] didn't even bring it up. Then he started talking about 50."Whoo Kid said that Jackson expressed some interest not only in working with 50 but also Kanye West on a new album. Whoo Kid arranged a phone conversation between Fif and M.J. awhile later.

As for the dinner itself, Whoo Kid said he was acting as a dietary and fashion consultant to Jackson. "You can't talk to Mike all fluffy like everyone does," he continued. "I got him to curse - he said 'sh--.' I told him he needs to cut his hair, get some million-dollar earrings, get a million-dollar watch and take all them spaceship clothes off. He said, 'I have to change my whole outlook.' He said he was trying to work out."

CLIPPETTES: Latifah, Rock, Hayek, Bowie, Pras

CLIPPETTES: Queen Latifah (as pictured by Glen Frieson) will join John Travolta in the film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray. Latifah will portray Motormouth Maybelle, a civil rights activist and dance show host in the 1962-set musical. The part was originally essayed by R&B legend Ruth Brown. After filming, Latifah is reportedly shutting things down for 12 months to concieve a child.....British R&B star Craig David is willing to pose nude for pornographic magazine Playgirl, as long as the photographs are "done carefully." The Fill Me In hitmaker tells Female First: "I'm not squeamish when it comes to nudity. Maybe a shoot done carefully could look the part, rather than me standing there looking like a dick - so to speak.".....Chris Rock will star in I Think I Love My Wife, a remake of the 1972 French film Chloe in the Afternoon. Charles Stone (Drumline) may direct the script by Rock and longtime collaborator Louis C.K......Mos Def and Sophie Okonedo are expected to co-star in Stringbean and Marcus, a exploration of the relationship between two former Black Panther members, written and to be directed by first-time feature helmer Tanya Hamilton.....Women in Law, looks to be the hot show on the TV horizon. So far, Regina King, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon and Kelli Williams (The Practice) are cast.....Keb' Mo' will release his eighth studio album, Suitcase, on June 13 and begin a tour with Bonnie Raitt that begins June 20 in Atlanta. Naughty By Nature's Treach and Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar will appear in upcoming episodes of the final season of The Sopranos.....Salma Hayek has a full-frontal nude scene in Ask the Dust.....According to Rosario Dawson, the Sin City sequel is being held up to wait for the expectant Angelina Jolie to star.....Jennifer Lopez has written a comedy script with Eva Longoria targeted for an upcoming movie. The two would play "sisters, both Hollywood stars, who fall out and dish the dirt on each other to the press.".....Martial arts superstar Bruce Lee is set to be the subject of a new Broadway musical featuring music provided by David Bowie. Tony Award-winner David Henry Hwang has been hired to write the musical hoped to be ready in 2008.....MTV2 is prepping the Chico & Guapo shorts from the FX Orlando Jones Show as a series premiering June 9.....Page Six reports that Pras, one of the stars of the Fugees, has agreed to appear in a documentary about homelessness called First Night in which he'll live on the streets for nine days with a mere $9 in his pocket.

TC CDs

GERALD ALBRIGHT New Beginnings
(Peak/Concord); MONTY ALEXANDER Concrete Jungle (Bob Marley tribute w/ Luciano & Delfeayo Marsalis)(Telarc); LARRY CARLTON Fire Wire (Bluebird/RCA); D.M.C. (of Run-D.M.C.) Checks Thugs and Rock 'N' Roll (w/Rev Run, Kid Rock & more)(RomenMpire/From Rags 2 Riches); ETTA JAMES All the Way (RCA); JAVIER Left of Center (Capitol); JUVENILE Reality Check (Atlantic); KENNY LATTIMORE & CHANTE MOORE Uncovered (La Face/Jive); M1 (of dead prez) Confidential (w/ Q-Tip, Cassandra Wilson)(Kela/Koch); ODEAN POPE SAX CHOIR Locked & Loaded: Live at the Blue Note (w/ Michael Brecker, James Carter & Joe Lovano w/ rare liner notes by Ornette Coleman)(Half-Note); PRINCE 3121 (Universal); PUBLIC ENEMY Rebirth of a Nation (Guerrilla Funk); TAKE 6 Feels Good (33rd Street/Bayside); TANIA MARIA Via Brasil (Sunnyside); T.I. King (Atlantic); RANDY WESTON Zep Tepi - The African Rhythms Trio (Random Chance); PAMELA WILLIAMS Elixir (Shanachie) If you've heard any of the above, what do you think?

Dave Chappelle's After-Party

The movie world continues to be astounded by the success of Tyler Perry's flicks. Madea's Family Reunion topped the domestic box offices for a second week in a row earning a total of $47.7 million. This despite competition from the more critically accepted Bruce Willis/Mos Def led 16 Blocks and DAVE CHAPPELLE's Block Party, which phenomenally drew raves from 93% of the nation's cine-journalists. Count Tasty Clips in that group. The movie is the best of the year so far. With its musical contributions from the aforementioned Def, Kanye West, Common, Jill Scott, Big Daddy Kane, and a heralded Fugees reunion, it is the best cultural/concert film since Wattstax. So why did Block Party only gross $6.2 million for a seventh place showing, beaten even by the month-old remake of The Pink Panther? "Chappelle is a television comic," offers column contributor Emdee8ch. "He just hasn’t proven himself to be funny carrying a movie like an Eddie Murphy or Martin Lawrence. Because of the genre, many already have it on DVD or will wait until it comes out officially."

The week before his opening, Chappelle brought his soiree to an audience in North Carolina, but it was the after-party that got the attention. Tonya Jameson of the Charlotte Observer reports that she and a few hundred people at Tempo went home with tales to tell. For at least an hour, Chappelle, rapper Talib Kweli and friends celebrated singer Erykah Badu's 35th birthday. They cut loose. It was a jam session and sing-a-long. It was like hanging on their tour bus or behind the scenes on the set of the Chappelle's Show. Chappelle asked fans what they wanted to hear. Then he sang a few versus of Notorious' B.I.G.'s Fuck You Tonight. The crowd, Kweli and Badu joined in for that one. Chappelle sang the first line of Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing. That would be "Baayybeeee..." Then he started laughing and gave the microphone to Kweli. They went on like that for a while. Chappelle would sing a little something and then pass the microphone around. Badu sang Bag Lady and threw in impromptu rap about liquor, driving her man's car and sleeping with his best friend. When she finished, fans were cheering and laughing. Her brother and sister cut-up on stage as well. Even better than their stage antics was how approachable all three were. At the bar, Chappelle and Badu signed autographs, talked to people and posed for pictures with anyone who asked.

Nash Has A Bash

NIECY NASH, star of the hit Comedy Central series, Reno 911!, and host of The Style Network’s number-one program, Clean House, celebrated her birthday at a lavish red carpet party last week at the popular Asian-inspired White Lotus restaurant and nightclub in Hollywood. Looking like a real-life version of the famed cartoon character “Jessica Rabbit,” Niecy (pictured with Mehcad Brooks of Desperate Housewives - via Filmmagic) was a sight to behold in a beautiful full-length cherry red dress with a matching red rose in her long, curly black hair. She partied the night away with such celebrity friends as John Salley, Malinda Williams, Kym Whitley, Darius McCrary, Loretta Devine, Angell Conwell, Dorian Gregory, and her fellow TV cast mates. One of the sponsors of the party was Jenny Craig Incorporated. Niecy has lost 40 pounds on the famed weight loss program and credits them for her giving her a “new body!” Look for her this year in the upcoming Reno 911!: Miami, a big-screen spin-off of her hit TV series; and The Cleaner, an action-comedy with Cedric the Entertainer and Lucy Liu.

Nadine Goes Rogue

NADINE VELAZQUEZ, a regular scene stealer as sexy cleaning woman Catalina on NBC's My Name is Earl, is about to make a move to the big screen. Named as one of USA Today's Five Rising Stars to Watch Closely, the bombshell has been cast as the female lead in Rogue. Her co-stars are two of the hottest action stars in the business: Jet Li and Jason (The Transporter) Statham. The cat and mouse thriller begins filming this week in Vancouver, with the renowned Cory Yuen (Lethel Weapon 4; X-Men) directing and choreographing the action scenes.

Howard Learns Pimpin' From Affleck & Cooney

TERRENCE HOWARD (pictured with Gayle King, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith & Jamie Foxx in an Oprah exclusive) is receiving dating advice from some other Hollywood pros. The actor, nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Hustle and Flow, has been heeding the info regarding his personal life. The Crash star says he deals with his new-found fame by "taking really great advice from Ben Affleck and George Clooney." He explains, "They say, 'It's all right here in front of you - you can have your pick (of women). "You'll sleep with somebody and you won't tell nobody about it. "But if you sleep with a woman, she'll tell everyone she knows.'" On Howard's busy slate this year are PDR (Philadelphia Dept. of Recreation) with Bernie Mac; August Rush with Robin Williams; and The Brave One opposite Jodie Foster. Oh, and he celebrates a birthday this month on the 11th.