Urban Lifestyle

*Season 2 of “The Soul Man” begins TONIGHT, June 19 at 11/10C on TV Land! Cedric the Entertainer and Niecy Nash sat down with EURweb associate LaCora Stephens on a new set that will be introduced this season (hint: Boyce will be co-owner of a bar/restaurant). “The season is really turned up with more focus on the love and relationship instead of the ‘churchy’ aspect,” Cedric told LaCora. ”However, the backdrop is still the same, as I am still a man on transition. I think people are going to enjoy it, it’s more energy and the episodes are really funny.” Niecy Chimed in: “It so much fun! We turned the whole show all the way up; I’m excited!” When asked how does it feel to be a part of a television show that uplifts black love, Niecy said: “I didn’t want to do something where their just married for the sake of being married, I wanted to be in love! I love being a Black woman in love with a Black man on television…I Love It!” But don’t let the chemistry fool you! The two of them are very, very married to OTHER people. When asked if their spouses ever complained about the “great chemistry” Cedric said he can imagine that their mates watching it would say: “I know you’re a good actor, but pull up!” He explained, the chemistry is real because in so many ways they have come to have a great affection with each other by being on set every day. Niecy mentioned that they have new storylines where Cedric brother’s Stamps moves in and her sister is introduced.  She also said that several celebrities have appeared like Kim Wayans, Dawnn Lewis, Jamie Kennedy and others. Simply put, “we have real life story lines that can apply to anyone’s life.” Be sure to tune in to TV Land tonight, June 19tat 11 (10 Central) for the premiere of “The Soul Man!” If you are in the Los Angeles area, they tape in front of a live studio audience, so be sure to drop in on all the fun! Get ticket info at: www.tvland.com Watch Cedric, Niecy and LaCora:

*Kanye West has run afoul of a Parkinson’s advocacy group for using the disease as a punch line in a track off his new album “Yeezus,” which dropped Tuesday. In “On Sight,” Kanye raps: “A monster about to come alive again / Soon as I pull up and park the Benz / We get this b**ch shaking like Parkinson’s.” The group American Parkinson Disease Association responded swiftly, reports TMZ. VP Kathryn Whitford said in a statement: “We find these lyrics distasteful and the product of obvious ignorance.” Yeezus album cover For 50 years, APDA has been the nation’s largest organization dedicated to helping those with Parkinson’s and furthering efforts to find a cure. Listen to “On Sight” below. [Warning :NSFW.]

Speeding Charge Holding Keef Back Chief Keef attended a court hearing Monday for his recent speeding case (driving 110 miles-per-hour on the Edens Expressway), where he pled guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of license suspension, random drug testing, 60 hours of community service, traffic safety school and a $531 fine. Shortly after this video of him leaving the courtroom was taped, he was arrested again, this time for an outstanding misdemeanor trespassing charge.

Odd Future Frontman Gives Back! Odd Future frontman Tyler, The Creator has come a long way, so he decided to give back to those less fortunate than him. Go inside his closet as he gives clothes to the homeless.

He's The Newest Artist On Young Jeezy's Label YG caught up with Bootleg Kev recently for an interview, and revealed some major news during their chat. The California rapper announced he's now officially signed to Young Jeezy's CTE imprint. Congrats!

Earlier this year, while a New York Times story incited a huge controversy over the lack of women in President Obama’s inner circle, a quieter diversity debate was being waged. In his first several selections for his second-term Cabinet, Obama had not picked a single African-American. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio.), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, blasted the White House in interviews, while other members of the CBC privately fumed about what they viewed as another slap in the face: the Congressional Hispanic Caucus had had a group meeting with the president after the election, but not the CBC. A few weeks later, Rep. Mel Watt of North Carolina, one of the CBC’s own members, was nominated by President Obama to run the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx was tapped to head the Department of Transportation. Supreme Court ruling won’t change D.C. culture The debate about women and minorities in the Cabinet illustrated a important dynamic in the debate over affirmative action, which will be reignited when the Supreme Court releases its latest ruling on the issue. Both parties, whatever their public statements on affirmative action, actively look to find and promote women and people of color, desperate, just like colleges and universities, to make themselves look like America. And however the Supreme Court rules on university admissions systems that explicitly consider race, this affirmative action in politics is almost certain to continue. Republicans, many of whom are officially against racial preferences as a matter of law, are particularly eager to illustrate diversity, after losing 80 percent of the non-white vote in 2012. Party strategists privately admit it’s very unlikely that the GOP will run two white men on the presidential ticket in 2016, which effectively guarantees one of the 12 non-white males who are Republican senators or governors will be the party’s nominee for president or vice-president. While never said explicitly by GOP officials, the strong embrace by the Republican Party of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has much to do with the GOP’s need to have a key voice who represents the growing American Hispanic community. GOP wants to rope in racial minorities A report written by the Republican National Committee earlier this year specifically calls for the party to “create a program that is focused on recruiting and supporting African-American Republican candidates for office” and “hire field staff within Hispanic communities.” Democrats have long supported affirmative action and diversity programs and are less shy about openly talking about them. Top Democratic activists plan to promote a female candidate heavily for vice-president in 2016 if Hillary Clinton does not run for the top of the ticket, and party officials would love to find a strong Hispanic candidate as well. If Clinton runs, the choices for her campaign staff will be closely scrutinized by black and Hispanic activists who want to make sure she has a diverse team that would enter the White House. None of this diversity focus is new. While he was in office, George W. Bush urged the Supreme Court to strike down affirmative action in university admissions while at the same time explicitly making sure his Cabinet and top advisers were racially balanced. One of Bush’s top advisers, Dan Bartlett, told the Washington Post in 2004 ,”there has been an effort by the president to reach out and ensure that his staff and his team reflect the diversity of our country.” Bartlett argued the diversity of Bush’s top advisers, which included at the time Secretary of State Colin Powell, White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and National Security Adviser Condi Rice, had been “under-reported” by the press and said Bush deserved more credit on the issue. Since Obama’s election, Republicans have continued the practice of looking for minorities

Chris Brown’s Hollywood Hills Home *Chris Brown has filed an appeal with the City of L.A. claiming he has a right to have graffiti on the front of his home based on the First Amendment. The city is trying to fine him for having an “unpermitted” mural on the front wall of his Hollywood Hills home. According to Brown’s legal filing, obtained by TMZ, the singer argues: “The murals are a reflection of [my] aesthetic taste and a reflection of free speech and expression protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.” Brown’s case is now in the hands of the Dept. of Building and Safety’s board of appeals. If they rule against him, he can bring the case to L.A. County Superior Court.

Singer Mary J. Blige can’t catch a break with these lawsuits. Mary is getting hit with another lawsuit by a concert promotion company for skipping…

*A camera phone at Rihanna’s UK concert Monday night caught the singer hitting a fan in the face with her microphone as she was working her way in front of the frenzied crowd. Apparently, a girl in the front row of Birmingham’s LG Arena grabbed the singer’s arm and held on for dear life. A witness said on Twitter: “[Rihanna] just hit someone with her mic on accident haha oops.” To which Rihanna replied after the show: “Purpose! That b*tch won’t let me go.” A fan later tweeted: “How can you hit a fan that was excited too see you? Don’t go too the crowd if you don’t expect too be grabbed fans made you.” A poster on YouTube wrote, “She learned that from Chris Brown.”