Jamie Foxx Covers 'Uptown' x3

Jamie Foxx appears on the cover of the April/May issue of Uptown Magazine. In fact, he's on three of them. The magazine created three separate covers to coincide with its profile of Foxx as a triple threat--actor, musician, and comedian--and his new movie, The Soloist, that hits theaters this month. This is the second consecutive issue in which Uptown has presented three covers. Its February/March issue depicted President Barack Obama in three artistic designs.

If you aren't familiar with Uptown, it's a bi-monthly, national magazine that publishes stories that highlight the affluent African-American lifestyle. It launched in Harlem, New York in 2004 (hence the Uptown name) and last year began publishing regional editions in Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Chicago. It published its inaugural Charlotte edition in February ("A New 'Uptown' for Charlotte"), in which you may have seen my byline a few times. You can find a couple of articles written by me in the April/May issue as well, including an article on the best places in Charlotte to spot celebrities. Foxx wasn't one of those celebrities, but now you can spot him on a local newsstand.

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Allen Iverson a Future Bobcat?

That's the question quietly floating around the NBA. It was announced today by the Detroit Pistons that Allen Iverson will sit out the rest of the season due to his back problems. Many are suspicious because the team seems to play better without him. And since A.I. only has one year left on his contract, it's very doubtful that he would return to the Pistons next year where things aren't going too well. So where would he go? The Charlotte Bobcats have surfaced as a likely match.

This move would reunite Iverson with Larry Brown, the coach with whom he had the most success. It would also give the Bobcats some much-needed star power, as well as an explosive scorer and floor leader. And since there's only one year left on Iverson's contract, it wouldn't cost the Bobcats too much should the move not work out.

While the younger A.I. wouldn't have seemed like much of a fit for the Bobcats, today's 33-year-old Iverson could be. It'll be interesting to see what happens but nothing would transpire until this summer. The Bobcats still have to figure out what they're going to do with current team point guard Raymond Felton, who only has a year left on his contract as well. I envision a situation in which they embark on a three-team deal where they trade Felton and another player to a team, get Iverson from the Pistons, and the Pistons get a player or two from the team where Felton goes.

This is all very possible, but regardless we can expect Larry Brown to continue to shake things up through trades. With him leading the Bobcats to their best season ever this year (and has them in the playoff hunt with the team selling out games), he's shown that he knows how to put together the right pieces. And I think Michael Jordan and Bob Johnson will give him anything he asks for. He just may ask for The Answer.

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Weekend Warriors to Battle Like Panthers

If some of your coworkers, particularly males, appear to be in pain or moving a little slower on Monday, here's likely the reason why. This weekend the Carolina Panthers are hosting the sixth annual Miller Lite Weekend Warrior Flag Football Tournament at Bank of America Stadium and the Panthers' practice fields.

The tournament takes place Saturday and Sunday for ages 21 and older and features four skill divisions: Weekend Warrior, Couch Potato, 35 and over, and Matt & Ramona Co-Ed. Registrations for this popular event quickly filled up (128 teams) and long ago closed, but you can still come as a spectator. Play begins at 10 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.

The format is four-on-four with rosters comprised of a maximum of six players (four players plus two substitutes). They'll play on 25-by-60-yard fields. All teams are guaranteed to play a minimum of three games during pool play on Saturday. Half of the teams will advance to Championship Day on Sunday, which will be a single-elimination format.

Division champions will receive championship rings and will be recognized during an on-field presentation at a Panthers preseason home game this season. Oh boy, you can just see the bragging coming around the water cooler.

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Great, Live Hip-Hop Coming to Charlotte

Myspace Music is bringing another concert to Charlotte. Its "Beyond the Sound" series is presenting The Foreign Exchange for a live performance April 19 at the Double Door Inn. The Foreign Exchange is a hip-hop duo made up of Phonte (from Little Brother) and Dutch producer Nicolay. Special guest for the show will be DJ Rasta Root.

The great thing about these Myspace concerts is that they're free, but admission will be on a first-come basis. Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. If you don't make it in, you can watch it live on Myspace. Click here for more information. If you'll recall, Myspace brought Nelly here for a free concert in September at the Neighborhood Theatre ("Random Notes From Nelly's Myspace Concert").

Another hip-hop concert has just been announced for Charlotte, though it's not taking place until this summer. Bacardi B-Live is a global music series that has toured 25 countries. It kicks off a U.S. summer music series in May and will stop here July 2.

The liquor company has lined up a diverse group of hip-hop artists and DJs including: Toronto based duo MSTRKRFT; Kanye West's DJ A-Trak; the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff; the collaboration of Major Lazer featuring Diplo and Switch; Montreal-born DJ and producer Tiga; New York-based dance music producer DJ Steve Porter; L.A.-based producer and DJ Z-Trip; punk/dance duo from Brooklyn, New York, Matt and Kim; renowned hip-hop artist Q-Tip; and the genre-blending artist Santigold. Please note, however, that the exact lineup will be announced as the show date nears, as will the venue. Click here for more information.

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Tell Obama 'Bout My BoBerry Biscuits

I wasn't too big of a Bojangles' fan until I moved to Charlotte. I was always more of a KFC guy. I mean, I ate at Bojangles' growing up, but not regularly. But because the "famous chicken-n-biscuits" chain is based here, it's pretty hard to avoid. There seems to be a Bojangles' at every major intersection. So tonight, after attending two networking events I grabbed some Bojangles' on my way home.

Look at all that yummy icing.

I got the usual: a two-piece with biscuit and macaroni, and two BoBerry Biscuits...hmmmm. When I got home, I pulled out my tray table, laid out my late-night dinner, and sat in front of the TV to find that the Bobcats had just lost a tough double-overtime game to the Celtics. When I went to open the trademark yellow-and-red box of chicken, the receipt was taped to the top and I made a startling discovery: the two BoBerry Biscuits had cost me $1.49. You have to understand how upsetting this is. They've been two-for-a-dollar (99 cents actually) for, like, forever.

It's just another sign of how this economic recession is affecting our lives.

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