BEYONCE SPEAKS

Beyonce is really speaking out about her wedding these days....surprising!

"Now, they offer crazy money that's just ridiculous," she said in an interview with the Associated Press. "But in the end…it's so not worth it. If anything, if you wanna put something out, then put it out, not for (money)."

The singer and rap star Jay-Z exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony that they refused to admit publically for months afterward.

"We worked really hard at keeping it private," she said. "I've always been this way, and he's always been this way, so that's why we complement each other. We always knew that it would be private and quiet, for all the right reasons."

WHITNEY PROMO HITS THE NET

So the new album cover for Whitney Houston's upcoming album has hit the net. It looks great but I in no way think this is her real body.



Perhaps if there was no known drug usage I might be more inclined to believe this photo. In the words of Hov..."We don't believe you, you need more people."

KANYE READY TO SETTLE DOWN

Kanye told People mag rags that he's ready to settle down....guess he's tired of being the old man club. Why you men ask? Because it's not cool.


"I want to have kids," he tells PEOPLE. "But I want to have the right girl too – someone who really cares about me."

Still, the savvy hip-hop star is no easy prey. "When I'm in a club, girls are super-calculating, planning every step," he says.

West – speaking exactly a year and a day since the sudden death of his mother, Donda – said making his new album, 808's and Heartbreak, helped him deal with his sense of isolation. (It was a rough year for West. In addition to losing his mother, he also split with his fiancée, Alexis Phifer.)

"It's lonely at the top," he told reporters Tuesday at a London listening party for the new album. "Losing my mom, having no woman in my life to support me – I feel like I'm on my own and can only express it through my music."

One year after his mother's passing, West, 31, told PEOPLE that he's been profoundly changed by her death (due to complications following cosmetic surgery). "She influenced me to do exactly what I want to do," he explained. "With my mom's passing, I learned that ... you can't let people box you in. You gotta do what you want to do."

It's a subject that, for a long time, was too sensitive to discuss. "I didn't do any interviews after my mom passed, I wasn't ready to speak about [it]," he said. "Now I'd rather talk it through than commit suicide. I'm super devastated."

Cruelly, the rapper blames himself – or more specifically, his fame – for her death. "I feel like I moved to California, then my mom moved to California, and she did stuff she wouldn't have done if we'd stayed in Chicago," he said. "If I'd never made it in the music business, it never would've happened."

And fame has brought complications to his own life. "I'm an alien. The only place I can be alone is my hotel room – I can't even go to the grocery store," West added. "But don't feel sorry for me – I just did a shoot for Louis Vuitton. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay in the end."

GV Says: I wonder why he split with Alexis. I think it had to do with that sometimes stank attitude.

JOE THE PLUMBER HITS 40/40

TMZ is reporting that Republican mascot Joe the Plumber ended up at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club over the weekend and was greeted by staffers with "open arms and drinks on the house."


Surprisingly, Hov supported Barack Obama, whose tax policy was questioned by Joe during a campaign stop in Toledo. He was quickly adopted by the GOP as a middle class symbol after Obama said his tax plan sought to "spread the wealth around."

Born Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, Joe also dropped by the Navy's USS Intrepid and Coyote Ugly during his NY trip.

GV Says: When will Joe's 15 minutes be up?

R. KELLY NEPHEWS INVOLVED IN ROBBERY

R. Kelly's nephews Brayel and Brandon Kelly are in police custody and considered suspects in an armed-robbery attempt after a shooting at a Chicago-area barbershop Thursday that ended with one of them in the hospital.

After being shot in the abdomen/chest area, Brayel, 15, is in intensive care, at Advocate Christ Medical Center. The singer's estranged brother Carey Kelly, told a local Fox reporter outside the hospital that his son was shot twice and that one bullet collapsed his lung on the right side, while the other pierced his liver.

Calumet City police revealed that one of the two boys went into a barbershop and requested a haircut. After receiving his haircut, he allegedly tried to rob the barbershop owner by producing a weapon and demanding that the owner place his money and jewelry in a plastic bag. The man complied but also produced his own weapon. Police say the suspect fired, and the victim returned fire. The owner later told police that he believed he hit the robber.

Before responding to the armed-robbery call, police responded to a call two blocks away, where they found a juvenile who had been shot in the back. Brayel's older brother, Brandon, was arrested and police are investigating whether he acted as a lookout.

Brandon and Brayel are among Carey Kelly's six children. Carey previously told MTV News in 2006 that his sons, but not his daughters, used to have a close relationship with their famous uncle. "My boys have been around Robert to go to his house, shoot pool, play basketball, before all this," he said, referring to the criminal allegations against R. Kelly. After a falling out, those visits were no more.

Carey told reporters that he believes his sons were the victims of the attempted robbery, not the perpetrators, since there is a widespread belief that the more famous Kelly had shared his wealth with his family. "People have tried to rob us," Carey told Chicago's WLS-TV. "They think we got money. ... That's R. Kelly money, that's not our money."

In his earlier interview with MTV News, Carey said that there had been times when his family was so poor, they actually lived on the streets. He claimed that he didn't resent his brother for not helping them out financially. "I never was mad or angry," he told MTV News. "That's his money he made."

TRUMP EXTENDS SUPPORT TO JENNIFER HUDSON

Looks like Donald Trump isn't so bad after all. The real-estate mogul has been housing Jennifer Hudson and some of her relatives at the Trump International Hotel & Tower free of charge.



"She's a great girl. And we're protecting them well," Trump told reporters at a benefit honoring Australia director Baz Luhrman at the Museum of Modern Art Monday night. "They are very safe."

Hudson has been seeking refuge at the Trump holding since her mother, brother and nephew were murdered in Chicago on Oct. 24.

SUSPECT IN HUDSON MURDERS TO REMAIN IN JAIL

After a preliminary hearing on Monday (November 10), William Balfour, the only suspect named so far in the triple homicide of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew, will remain in prison at least through December 3, when a full hearing will be held to determine if he violated his parole.

A hearing officer for the Illinois Prisoner Review Board heard evidence on Monday from Department of Corrections investigator Derek Harris that Balfour — the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister Julia — had not complied with the terms of his parole from a prior conviction. Harris told the board that Balfour had not attended any of his anger-management classes, had not attended any of his substance-abuse counseling sessions, had not been available for visits with his parole officer, and had been seen in places where drugs were sold or distributed, resulting in a June arrest for cocaine possession.

Perhaps more importantly, Harris said he had been in discussion with the Cook County State Attorney's office, who had informed him that Balfour's girlfriend Shonta Cathey had claimed she had seen Balfour with a gun the day before the murders that allegedly was an identical match to the gun found by authorities. An unnamed source reportedly told the Chicago Tribune recently that Balfour had told Cathey he was involved in the shootings.

Balfour looked concerned during the hearing but remained composed, Prisoner Review Board Chairman Jorge Montes said. "He contested and objected to all of the allegations," Montes said. "He said he visited his parole officer, and had negotiated to meet with him at different locations. He said he was never told when to start his anger-management or substance-abuse sessions. He denies ever having a gun."

Balfour did not have a lawyer present, although he was advised that he could, Montes said.

Balfour was out on parole from the Illinois River Correctional Center on attempted-murder, carjacking and stolen-property charges, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. He was sentenced to serve seven years in 1999. Balfour was paroled in 2006, but if he is found at the December 3 hearing to have violated his parole, he will have to serve out the remainder of his term, until May 2009. Until that hearing, Balfour will remain at the reception center at Stateville Correctional Center.

CHRIS & RIHANNA SPOTTED

Chris and Rihanna were spotted arriving to Perth, Australia together for their next tour stop yesterday. Are these two dressed alike.....Me think yes.....Anywho, I suppose Miss Rihanna is feeling better these days.

The songstress nearly collapsed onstage during a concert Thursday (Nov 6) at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.

In videos posted online, the 20-year-old singer, clad in a corset, hunches over and holds her stomach while performing her hit "Umbrella" with tourmate Chris Brown.

"It was very hot at the venue, so after Rihanna's set was over, she went offstage and needed to sit down, catch her breath and have some water," a rep for the said on Friday (November 7).

TMZ reported that Rihanna may have felt ill due to a problem with the venue's air-conditioning system, and Radar reported that she sought medical treatment at a local hospital.

BEYONCE GRACES SEVENTEEN

Beyonce is elected Style Star by Seventeen mag in the upcoming issue.


In her interview she hold no tongues on her marriage to Jay-Z.

You have been working so hard! But you found time to get married to Jay-Z this year too. Why was this the right time for you?
I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we first started dating. There was no rush – no one expected me to run off and get married. I really don’t believe that you will love the same thing when you’re 20 as you do at 30. So that was my rule: Before the age of 24, I would never get married. I feel like you have to get to know yourself, know what you want, spend some time by yourself, ad be proud of who you are before you can shar that with someone else.








GV Says: I'm not big on rules, but that's actually a great rule to have. Been there and done that girlfriend.....so I can attest to the accuracy of that statement.

NATURI ALL GROWN UP

No sooner than Adrienne Bailon hit the news circuit, here comes former 3LW member Naturi Naughton.


Taking Lil’ Kim’s raunchy persona by the horns for the upcoming Biggie biopic, Notorious, the starlet gives readers a dress rehearsal of what is yet to come.

GV Says: Nice cover.

ADRIENNE LITERALLY CAUGHT A*S OUT

Adrienne Bailon - a 3LW member and star of the TV show “The Cheetah Girls” - is the latest Disney star to have racy photos leaked online.

According to reports, the 25-year-old actress had her laptop stolen from JFK airport. Soon after, her family received a call asking for $1,000 for the laptops safe return. She paid the hefty sum, only to discover that the thief had stolen photos off her hard drive.

The partially-nude photos show the young entertainer posing in a bra and showing her bottom.

The intended recipient of the intimate photos was Bailon’s boyfriend Robert Kardashian — brother of Kim Kardashian.

Bailon’s spokesperson, Jonathan Jaxson, released a statement saying “These photos were taken in private. Adrienne will be pursuing legal action against the person sending these private photos out.”

He added, “It’s not a scenario where she purposedly leaked the photos for attention.”

GV Says: What's really going on with these Disney stars. Remember last year when completely nude photos of High School Musical Star, Vannesa Hudgens hit the net. Earlier this year, even 15-year-old Miley Cyrus had her racy photos leaked online.

WILL & JADA GRACE ESSENCE

Will and Jada grace the upcoming issue of Essence magazine. In it they talk how they keep the passion going for 11 eleven years and counting while maintaining their roots.





GV Says: What a handsome couple.

BEYONCE LETS SASHA OUT

Beyonce picked up a World Award. She opened with a high-energy performance wearing her cuchie cutter black leather pants and a white blouse. I guess she let Sasha out.

MARIAH & NICK SPILL THE BEANS

Mimi spills the beans about hubby Nick


The Mirror reports:

The singer has confessed that she kept the rap star waiting until they were married before, well, you know…they got down to the intimate side of their relationship.

But Mariah says hanging on for that two months from when they met in February to when they tied the knot in the Bahamas in April was well worth it.

She adds: “It’s not that we had NO intimacy, we just didn’t have complete intimacy. It’s just me, and my feelings.

“I definitely don’t want to push it on anybody else. But we both have similar beliefs, and I just thought that it would be so much more special if we waited until after we were married. And it was, and it still is.”

And the singer says life has been a blissful since they she and Nick got hitched.

Sitting in the Dorchester hotel in London, she tells the Mirror: “We celebrated our anniversary with a huge Halloween party. I went in a cookies costume, and Nick dressed as milk. We had the most amazing day.”

Lovingly caressing one of her huge heart-shaped diamond earrings, she went on: “He bought me these, and the biggest bunch of flowers you’ve ever seen. He’s incredibly romantic.”

She adds: “I was hesitant for a long time to get into a relationship and lose control of my heart and myself as a human being.

“I was very protective of myself. But this was something different. I was hesitant after having a bad experience, but this was something bigger than both of us.

“There was no question of not being ready when I met Nick. It felt 100 per cent right.”

The couple are so certain their love will last they have both had tattoos of each other’s names etched on their bodies.

Mariah says: “We really do feel we are soulmates. We actually first met each other in 2005, and we definitely had chemistry then, but we were both with other people and it wasn’t the right time.

“But whenever he was asked on TV who his celebrity crush was he would always say me, and friends would tell me, ‘Nick Cannon really likes you.’

“I would just say. ‘Oh, he’s probably just saying that’. I didn’t know what to believe. Then we met again on my video shoot and it all just clicked. It was pretty whirlwind, amazing.”

Speaking about the time Nick, who is 10 years her junior, proposed, she adds: “It was the day that they lit the Empire State Building in New York in pink and lavender, my signature colours, because it had just been announced that I’d had my 18th number one hit, beating Elvis Presley’s record.

“Nick handed me a sweet wrapper. I got to the candy ring, he’s always giving me those as he has a very sweet tooth, and I said to him: ‘Mine’s broken, there’s no sweet inside.’ He told me to open it anyway and there was this beautiful diamond ring inside.”

CELEBS FOR CHANGE HIT TRL

Diddy, Common & 50 Cent hit up TRL yesterday to celebrate the win for Change




I don't get these glasses Common....are they prescription perhaps???

50 actually looks like a grown man here....thanks for leaving the oversized Ts and jerseys at home.

BEYONCE RUFFLES SIMMON'S FEATHERS

Word is Bey is jacking tracks again...

Simon Cowell is reportedly fuming that a song earmarked for Leona Lewis has been given to Beyonce to record instead.

Songwriter Ryan Tedder, who gave Leona a No 1 hit with Bleeding Love, had given Leona first refusal to another song called Halo, the Sun reports.

But when Leona couldn't find time in her schedule to record the song, Ryan handed it to Beyonce.

"Ryan didn't want to hang around, so he gave it to Beyonce. It's a shame, but I'm sure Leona will work with Ryan again," an insider said.

MOS DEF WANTED

Vegas police are on the lookout for rapper Mos Def over an alleged attack of a fashion event photographer in August.



Def faces charges of felony robbery and malicious destruction of private property and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Volker Corell -- an official photog for the Men's Apparel and Garment Industry Convention (MAGIC) in Las Vegas -- claims Def flipped out on him while he was taking photos of attendees at the event. Mos allegedly ripped Volker's camera off his neck, smashed it to the ground and then took off with the busted equipment.

Corell claims to have suffered a cut on his left hand during the alleged attack.

Def has a history of hating paparazzi, but Corell was a credentialed snapper for the event ... and get this: He says he didn't even know who Mos was until after the alleged attack.

GV Says: Mos...WTF. Quit acting a fool. You already have your ex about to drop a dime on you.

MINORITY REPORT: PLAYMATE KENDRA WILKINSON ENGAGED

Does anyone watch "Girls Next Door"??? Well, Hugh Hefner's youngest "EX" - Kendra Wilkinson - is gearing up for an aisle walk.

Outspoken "Girls Next Door" star Kendra Wilkinson is engaged to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Hank Baskett, Hefner confirmed in a statement on Thursday. And he plans to give her away.

"Kendra Wilkinson has met someone who she would like to spend the rest of her life with," the Playboy founder said.

"His name is Hank Baskett, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, and he popped the question last Saturday. I have given her my blessing and will be giving her away at a very special wedding ceremony at the Playboy Mansion this coming June."

GV Says: It'll be interesting to see if this chick makes it down the aisle. I don't see her as the marrying type.

SEX AND THE CITY SEQUEL

It's official....Sex and the City will return to the big screen

"They're in negotiations," a rep for Warner Brothers Studios has just confirmed to us.

This comes after Kim Cattrall appeared on Britian's The Paul O'Grady Show, with guest-host Spice Girl Melanie Brown. When asked point-blank if there will be a sequel to the movie blockbuster, Cattrall replied emphatically...

"Yes, there will!"

The 52-year-old actress went on to say, "We will do the sequel next summer. We wanted to the first time, and now we're hopefully doing it again for the second time."

She also admitted it is “difficult getting everybody who’s so incredibly busy all together at the same time.”

The first Sex and the City: The Movie, starring Cattrall, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon earned more than $153 million in the U.S. and distributed worldwide.

In September, writer-director Michael Patrick King hinted he was willing to do more: “It doesn’t feel done to me at all. It feels like it generated a whole new burst of enthusiasm for these characters. If I could come up with a really fun, worthy story it would certainly be a great chance to do it again.”

GV Says: Can't wait. I loved the first movie!

BEYONCE READY TO SERVE

Beyonce reveals that she rearranged her schedule to be in the states on election day.


The R&B starlet was scheduled to promote her upcoming album, I Am ... Sasha Fierce, in Japan but postponed her apperance at the last minute.

"I said, 'What am I doing? I'm completely making a bad decision. I have to go home, I'm gonna kill myself if I'm not home in America,'" she told the AP. "I knew I needed to be here."

Knowles watched the election results at home with friends and family – while wearing a blue suit and tie with matching red, white and blue stilettos. (INTERESTING.....)

"I've never been so patriotic!" she said. "I fell asleep crying and smiling at the same time ... I woke up with mascara running and a smile on my face!"

Should Obama require her services, the singer is game: "Whatever they want – if they need me to volunteer, they need me to sing, I'm there and I'm ready."

"My nephew, who is 4, when we say, 'You can do whatever, you can be whatever,' it's not cliche," she explained.

GV Says: Go girl....smartest thing this girl ever said. We literally have proof that anything is possible.

MASON BETHA STILL IN THE CHURCH

You haven't heard the last of Mason Betha

The former Bad Boy is allegedly preparing to launch a new branch of his El Elyon International Church (EEIC) in Phoenix, Arizona. The entertainer-turned-pastor says, that he picked Phoenix after making several recent trips to the city. According to Betha, the new EEIC branch falls in line with his plan to expand his ministry beyond its Atlanta location, he told AllHipHop.

“It just makes sense that we are on both coasts. Our vision has always been to plant churches all over the world, and Phoenix is the first of many. We love the city of Phoenix and look forward to making a tremendous impact.”

GV Says: I'm sorry...Mase is a scam artist. He was born again when his album flopped. Then he came back and joined forces with one of the ugliest (and I don't mean this in the physical sense but in a spiritual sense) rappers - 50 cent. Once he saw no one was checking for him, he high-tailed it back to the church....Quit playing.

JAY-Z LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

What recession.....


Jay-Z's Rocawear has managed to stay above water and earn money for its parent company Iconix Brand Group despite a dramatic downturn in the U.S. economy.

Iconix, which bought Rocawear from Jay-Z in 2007 for $204 million, banked more than $18.3 million for the third quarter of 2008, reports Allhiphop.com.

According to Iconix CEO Neil Cole, Jay-Z’s direct involvement with Rocawear helped boost the company’s earnings, as did growing sales from the company’s London Fog brand of clothing. According to Cole, the two brands were the “two biggest standouts in the quarter.”

GV Says: He can not lose.

OBAMA'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

If you missed Obama's acceptance speech....Here it is! This is a bad man!

BARACK OBAMA IS THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

The inevitable has happened. BARACK OBAMA IS THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.





The first African-American president – named Barack Obama no less with a Kenyan father. He’s been called everything from a terrorist to an elitist. When they weren’t questioning his experience, they were scrutinizing his place of worship and the backgrounds of his associates. They even stole his slogan! Yet……He defied the odds.

Oh and he beat the bricks off McCain doing it.

The final tally so far is 349 to 169....Wow!!! And 61% of the voters were non-Blacks.

DIDDY, MJB & HOV CAMPAIGN IN MIAMI

It ain't over till it's over...Diddy, MJB, Kevin Liles and Hov hit up Miami yesterday along with Russell Simmons to host the Last Chance For Change Rally at Florida Memorial University






These students look hella happy....get your vote on!!!

Kevin Liles

NELLY CELEBRATES HIS B-DAY

Ford Flex hosted Nelly's Surprise 34th Birthday Party at the Palazzo in Vegas this weekend


Looks like someone was having fun!!



Ford hooked him up Super Sweet 16 style with a brand new Ford Flex SUV. I actually like that color.

JENNIFER HUDSON LAYS FAMILY TO REST

Jennifer Hudson lays her mother, brother and nephew to rest.


Jennifer Hudson kissed her mother goodbye during a heartfelt private service for her slain family members in Chicago on Monday.

The Oscar-winning actress spent a few moments at the caskets of her brother and nephew, and gently touched the body of her mother before leaning down to kiss her, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Toward the end of the service, American Idol's season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino sang a rousing rendition of the gospel classic "Your Grace and Mercy." During the song, she walked into the aisle where she took Hudson's hand and sang directly to her.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley both spoke at the service. After the funeral, a horse-drawn carriage led the procession to the cemetery.

The private service comes a day after a public service was held for Darnell Donerson, 57, Jason Hudson, 29, and Julian King, 7, at the Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church near their Chicago home.

Source: People

BARACK OBAMA'S GRANDMOTHER PASSES

Just one day before this historic election, Barack Obama's grandmother passes. She was 86.


Just a week-and-a-half ago, Obama suspended his campaign for two days to travel to Hawaii to pay a final visit to the ailing Madelyn Dunham, whom he called "Toot."

"She has gone home," Obama, 47, said at a rain-soaked rally Monday on the eve of the election in Charlotte, N.C. "And she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side and so there's great joy as well as tears. I'm not going to talk about it too often because it's hard to talk about."

A statement released by Obama and Maya Soetoro-Ng, 38, said Dunham died after a battle with cancer. "She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility," they say.

Republican rival John McCain and wife Cindy released a statement, saying: "We offer our deepest condolences to Barack Obama and his family as they grieve the loss of their beloved grandmother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them as they remember and celebrate the life of someone who had such a profound impact in their lives."

In a campaign ad, Obama described his grandmother as the daughter of a Midwest oil company clerk who "taught me values straight from the Kansas heartland," and at the rally he called her "one of those quiet heroes we have all across America."

"She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances," says the family statement. "She was proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and left this world with the knowledge that her impact on all of us was meaningful and enduring. Our debt to her is beyond measure.

"Our family wants to thank all of those who sent flowers, cards, well-wishes, and prayers during this difficult time. It brought our grandmother and us great comfort. Our grandmother was a private woman, and we will respect her wish for a small private ceremony to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation to any worthy organization in search of a cure for cancer."

GV Says: Sad....My prayers go out to him

NELLY & ASHANTI SERIOUS???

Sounds like Nelly is finally keeping it 100. The rapper dished to People rag mag spies.



"That's the thing between me and her, we just like having fun," he said Sunday at Las Vegas's Lavo club, where he was celebrating his 34th birthday.

So is it serious? (Kudos to People for pressing)

"I think it's always serious,” he said, “when you can hang with a person continuously ... and [“still”] have fun." Earlier this summer, Ashanti would only call Nelly a "good friend." But, she coyly told People, an engagement could "definitely [be] in the future."

Barack Obama was spotted in Chicago on Friday spending QT with his daughter Sasha.




Reuters reports

It wasn't quite a Halloween nightmare on Obama street, but journalists on Friday drew a rare flash of anger from the normally unflappable Democratic presidential nominee.

Barack Obama had taken a break from the campaign trail for a few hours of Halloween fun at home with his family four days before the election, but ended up visibly annoyed when news crews dogged their footsteps in their Chicago neighborhood.

"That's enough. You've got a shot. Leave us alone," Obama told reporters as he walked down the block with his 7-year-old daughter Sasha in her costume on the way to a party at a neighbor's home.

Obama, usually cool in public during a campaign that has turned him into the frontrunner for the White House, did not disguise his irritation when his surprise walk caused news photographers and camera crews to scramble for position on the sidewalk.

He grew especially testy when a Polish television cameraman tried to approach them.

"Come on guys, get back on the bus," he pleaded with journalists, many of whom had accompanied him from the airport to Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood.

Obama, wearing sunglasses but no costume, and his daughter, dressed up as what campaign aides said was a "corpse's bride," then broke into a sprint, leaving the journalists behind.

Secret Service agents and vans followed closely behind, and stunned trick-or-treaters broke into shouts of "Obama, Obama" as he rushed past.

There was no neighborhood trick-or-treating for the Obama family. "He didn't want to cause a disruption to the neighborhood," campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Instead the family attended a Halloween party behind closed doors at a friend's home. Obama's 10-year-old daughter Malia had planned to dress up as an "evil fairy," the campaign said.

The fact that Obama took time out for Halloween showed a candidate feeling confident about his chances on Tuesday, with polls showing him leading Republican nominee John McCain.

Obama flew straight from a rally in Iowa to Chicago, where he stepped onto the airport tarmac with a pumpkin -- brought on a campaign swing through Florida -- under one arm.

DEF JAM PRESIDENT DIES

Def Jam Vice President Shakir Stewart was found dead Saturday afternoon from a self-inflicted wound.

On Sunday (November 2), his fiancée, Michelle Rivers, released a joint statement with the rest of his family.

"We would like to thank Shakir's friends for the tremendous outpouring of love and support we have received during this difficult time," the statement reads. "It has helped us to cope with our overwhelming grief and sadness. It is difficult to express or explain in words what led to the tragic occurrence on Saturday. Over the past several weeks, Shakir's behavior was inconsistent with the man we all know and love. As much as we all tried to help him, Shakir was in deep pain and largely suffering in silence. Please remember Shakir for who he was ... a wonderful father, partner, son and friend."

Stewart was 34 years old. Cobb County Police spokeswoman Cassie Reece was quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, telling the paper that his body was found in the bathroom of his home around 4 p.m. Saturday. He was taken to the Kenne Hospital with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and later pronounced dead.

The Oakland, California, native was known in the music industry for his hard work and an ear for talent. He was recently instrumental in fattening Def Jam's roster with Southern rap staples Rick Ross and Young Jeezy. Both MCs released albums that debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts.

Def Jam released a statement Saturday night in the aftermath of the tragedy.

"L.A. Reid and all of us at Island Def Jam Music Group are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Shakir Stewart," the statement reads. "Shakir was an amazing man, in every sense of the word. A truly incredible friend and father who was an inspiration to not only our artists and employees, but to his family and the many people who had the privilege of counting him as a friend. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family at this very difficult time."

Stewart succeed rapper Jay-Z at Def Jam.

GV Says: I wounder what happened here.....Depression is a real thing.

MOURNERS REMEMBER JENNIFER HUDSON'S FAMILY

Tonight, friends and family paid their respects to Jennifer Hudson's slain mother, Darnell Donerson, brother Jason Hudson and nephew Julian Hudson in a public memorial service at the Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church near their Chicago home.



Flanked by three of her students, Carmen Williams, Julian's second grade teacher, spoke poignantly about the bubbly 7-year-old, and read a few comments from students' journals.

"I'm sad he didn't get to be President," one child lamented, while others remembered a generous and funny boy who loved to tell knock-knock jokes and play Power Rangers.

"Julian was a role model, an academic whiz and a best friend," Williams added. "You could look into his eyes and you knew he always had the right answer."

Shari Sweat, a cousin, focused on Darnell, remembering a woman who was proud of her academic background and loved the song, "From Out of Nowhere, Jesus Found Me."

"She was gentle, special and loving," Sweat said.

Another relative, Rev. Quentin Washington, recalled Jason as a caring, churchgoing man who encouraged him to pursue his career as a minister.

"They are all in Heaven having a 'hallelujah good time,' " he said. "Their lives … were not in vain. Their legacies live on."

Police discovered the bodies of Hudson's mother, 57, and brother, 29, on Oct. 24, and her nephew's three days later. Though no one has been charged, police have classified Jennifer's brother-in-law, William Balfour, as "a person of interest."

Meanwhile, Jennifer and her sister, Julian's mother Julia Hudson, have established the Hudson King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims in honor of their loved ones.

"The specific purpose of the Foundation is to care for the needs of families who have lost relatives to a violent crime," according to Jennifer's MySpace page."Thank you for your continued support."

Source: People