DAILY DOWNLOAD: Lights Over Paris - 'Turn Off The Lights'

Lights Over Paris front man Robb, a.k.a., "TaLLLLL", checked in to "The Ralphie Radio Show" to chat about the band's new EP, debut single co-produced by Kevin Rudolf, and what the band stands for - music and otherwise.

Part 1: "Turn Off The Lights"


Part 2: "Entourage", After Parties, Upcoming Tour

EXCLUSIVE: Saigon Missed Entourage 6 Premiere, Talks Atlantic Records

If you’re like me, you’re a faithful viewer of HBO’s Entourage. Season 6 of the Mark Wahlberg-produced show aired last Sunday. With the new season upon us, I figured what better time to catch up with a former character of the show – rapper Saigon.

The Brooklyn-native entered the show as an artist Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) wanted to manage. During the second and third seasons of Entourage, Saigon would play himself, and Turtle attempted to land him a record deal. Saigon eventually landed a deal, but with a different manager, cutting Turtle out of his career in the process.

Now three seasons later, Saigon seems a bit separated from the show. As of Monday, he hadn’t caught the premiere.
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In the interview, Saigon also speaks about a new LP dropping in September, and his current situation (or lackthereof) with Atlantic Records.

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“I was in the studio man,” Saigon explaned. “One of the writers (Rob Weiss) called me asked me if I caught it to. They like to get my opinion on the show.”

Surely the show catapulted the rapper in to the mainstream – he even landed in an edition of Rolling Stone. Now after a dispute with Atlantic Records – allegedly over creative differences – the hip hop artist is preparing to drop a new album with Just Blaze – due out this September.

Saigon still keeps in touch with a number of people involved with the show, and planned on watching the latest episode soon – noting his girlfriend DVR’ed it for him.

RALPHIE REPORT: T.I. Exclusive...

The following will appear in The Weekender, which hits newsstands this Wednesday.
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His jail sentence may be imminent; his music and acting career may be flourishing; but don’t think for a second that rapper T.I. may have mixed up his priorities.

The platinum-selling artist called up The Ralphie Radio Show exclusively last week, talking about a wide array of topics – from his scheduled performance at the Wachovia Arena on December 29, to acting career and his plans for the holiday season.

“We’ve been looking forward to doing something, and we look forward to doing more in the future,” T.I. revealed about his cameo on Season 5 of HBO’s Entourage. The rapper played himself in a small, yet hilarious scene across from actor Jeremy Piven, known on the show as super-agent Ari Gold.

But the Atlanta-born artist isn’t all business.

“Just spend (Christmas) with my family, and try and grant all of the wishes of my kids,” T.I. replied when asked of his plans for December 25, four days before he heads to Wilkes-Barre. “And try to give back to the community. We always try to give away about a thousand bikes on Bankhead (Atlanta) in the hood; every year… we make sure everybody in the hood got something.”

The rapper, real name Clifford Harris Jr., received a number of gifts this year: most of the positive ones stem from his LP “Paper Trail”, already spawning the number-one hits, “Whatever You Like” and “Live Your Life”, which features Rihanna.

The latter actually wouldn’t have come to fruition without a couple gifts, thanks in part to the Barbados-born bombshell as well as the man responsible for sampling the “Numa Numa” song.

“I can’t take no credit for the sample man, that’s all Just Blaze,” T.I.P admitted. “He brought me the track, and you know, I gave my contribution to the record. Rihanna did her thing. She seemed perfect for it, and when she agreed to do it, I think it took the record to another level.”

With Rihanna’s recent track record, no pun intended, of hits, as well as the performance that preceded the release of the LP, T.I.’s assessment of her addition to the song couldn’t be more correct. This is reaffirmed in news that broke this week: Kanye West will re-release the track, “Paranoid” off of “808’s and Heartbreaks” with RiRi featured on it.

Speaking of Yeezy, T.I. also talked about a track that he admits to rocking out to… yes, one of his own, the star-studded “Swagga Like Us.”

“I think all the music I do man, I do it because, you know, it’s something that I can appreciate as well as something I feel that the fans can appreciate,” T.I. told me regarding the song.

On the track, Lil Wayne, who shares the record with T.I., West, and Jay-Z, shouts out NBA Superstar and fellow Syracuse University alum Carmelo Anthony. Certainly Anthony and T.I.P. could be compared right… two superstars attempting to capture Mainstream America while maintaining street cred?

“(Laughing) Yeah I guess I’d have to agree, I guess the facts would show just as you stated.”

That really is the “type of ish that make them call you Carmelo.”
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Listen to Ralphie Aversa weekdays from 5-10p on 97 BHT.

EXCLUSIVE: T.I. INTERVIEW

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T.I. discusses "Entourage" - "Paper Trail" - plans for Christmas and 2009 on 97 BHT - A Ralphie Radio Show Exclusive.


Click Here To Purchase Tickets To The Show.

RALPHIE REPORT: damon, drescher, dbags speidi...

Looks like the Bourne series will become a tetra logy.

Maybe you read about it this week on Perezhilton.com – but you heard about it first on The Ralphie Radio Show almost three weeks ago, when I exclusively interviewed actor Matt Damon.

“It looks like they’re gonna start writing a script on (Bourne 4),” said Damon. “We’ll shoot it in a couple years… we still have a few years to wait on it.”

The Boston-born star called in to the show on behalf of Senator Barack Obama. Damon, along with fellow actor and buddy Ben Affleck, were avid supporters of the Presidential Candidate from Chicago. The Academy-Award winner voiced a number of concerns about the current state of our country – almost none as adamantly as his gripe with our current education system and its emphasis on standardized testing.

“I personally, was a terrible test taker,” he admits. “But I got in to Harvard because when I looked at my first SAT scores, I went to one of these Stanley Kaplan courses and learned how to take a test better.”

Damon argues that we can’t base the funding of our education programs on standardized scores, because students will only learn how to take tests, and not the material they should be tested on.

I feel like somewhere here, there’s a prequel to the Ocean’s series. Couldn’t you see the gang meeting up in college and figuring out a way to ace some type of big exam, without studying what will be on it?

FRAN DRESCHER DOES FACEBOOK, THE RALPHIE RADIO SHOW

I wrote on Fran Drescher’s Facebook wall last week.

Really, I’m not one to brag about celebrity friends – but The Nanny?! Just too good to pass up.

Anyways, I shared on Fran’s wall a link to our interview from earlier this month on The Ralphie Radio Show. Appropriate that I spoke with her, since just weeks earlier she appeared on my favorite TV series.

“A lot of people watch that show, it’s awesome,” Drescher said of Entourage – which just wrapped up Season 5 on Sunday.

Besides HBO cameos, the actress keeps busy these days as a U.S. ambassador and as a founder of the organization, “Cancer Schmancer.”

Atleast, according to Fran’s Facebook status, updated not too long ago.

SPEIDI ELOPES

Congrats to newlyweds Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag – who eloped over the weekend in Mexico. The “reality TV stars” went hush-hush and low-key with the ceremony. Of course, neither forgot to contact US Weekly, who obtained the official first photographs and will run them as the cover story for the next issue to hit newsstands.

Does anyone else hope the same fate of other MTV couples awaits these two (i.e. Nick/Jessica, Carmen/Dave, Travis/Shanna)?

EXCLUSIVE: fran drescher!

Fran didn't ask for Mr. Sheffield or break out the trademark laugh - but she did talk about the election, her guest appearance on Entourage, and Cancer Schmancer with Ralphie. Plus - find out which member of Ralphie's family was most excited for this interview.

Part 1: Fran's Whereabouts, Speaking With The Troops:

Part 2: "Hill"raisers Backing Obama, Entourage, Cancer Schmancer, & More:

For More On Alkaline Levels, Click Here.
For Cancer Schmancer, Click Here.

entourage returns!

the boys are back.

my life finds purpose again on september 7.

how will e feel about this?

and of course by e, i mean eric murphy, vincent chase's manager/best friend on entourage, played by kevin connolly.

in real life, kevin dated nicky hilton, but the pair are no more.

now adrian grenier, who plays vinny chase, has been spotted on more than one occasion with nicky's older sister - paris. the two arrived together to a movie premiere last week and an art showcase last night.

and of course, tmz spotted the pair surfing together not too long ago.

i guess life could imitate art, with vinny and e already disagreeing on the show.

friiiiiiiiday!

some random notes for the weekend...

- last night's "bobbing for iPods" contest at the woodlands was hilarious. you will do anything for a free ipizzle huh? like women, full makeup and club attire, getting drenched to grab an apple with their mouth. when i say drenched - i mean head looks like they just took a dip in the pool/grabbed a shower.

atleast fresh towels are provided.

- tonight will be dope their as well. once again YA BOY marino will be hosting the festivities with club bht live to air. i will be gracing the complex with my appearance around midnight. in tow will be one of my college roommates, eric. or as we refer to him, "e" (clearly in homage of eric murphy).

- purchased a couple magazines last night that would seriously put my heterosexuality into question. us weekly... no biggie. people... thats not too bad.

cosmopolitan?

jessica alba graces this month's cover. but what caught my eye (besides her) was the headline "my boyfriend didn't change his boxers for 3 months!"

damn. expect me to talk about this on-air next week.

back to my iced mocha and the big bad radio show. more posts to come before club bhtizzle, hang on now.

vinny chase in the buildin'!

in case you didn't know, entourage is my favorite show on tv. big fan of the ari - but really i like every character (except dom from season three - he sucked).

so whenever a cast member makes headlines - whether it be the times or tmz, expect it here. exhibit a - adrian grenier, probably more familiar to you as vinny chase, or aquaman.

grenier partied in hollywood last night and then bought a dozen roses from one of those annoying ladies who goes around trying to sell flowers late at night. he then did the charitable thing by telling her to sell the flowers he just bought to make even more money. gotta love the vinny chase.

but afterward, adrian did the very un-chase-like thing of pestering the paparazzi for pestering him.

sorry, he does have a point though.

click the picture below to see it go down. thanks again tmz.