See why we’re grinding our own coffee beans this morning:
• Last night, many of Eddie Murphy’s admirers came together to honor him for a Spike TV special, Eddie Murphy: One Night Only, set to air on November 14. Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Martin Lawrence, Arsenio Hall and more joined forces to roast their comedic hero. Murphy was a good sport about the jokes, saying, “When you get an honor like this, you feel like an old person.” At the end of the night, Murphy took the stage and thanked everyone for their kind words and warm hearts. “This is really a touching, moving thing, and I really appreciate it,” he said. [Hollywood Reporter]
• John Legend is set to create a sitcom based on his life. Get Lifted, Legend’s production company, will produce the show for Fox. It will focus on Legend’s early life as a struggling artist. There’s no word on when it will debut. [EURweb]
• Arsenio Hall says he wouldn’t mind having Bill Clinton as one of his first guests for his upcoming late-night talk show. “Having Clinton, the big dog of the Democratic Party, will be fun,” he said of the former president, who appeared on Hall’s first show and famously played the saxophone in 1992. Other guests in mind include Jay-Z. “I would like to have Clinton play horn while Jay-Z raps. That would a good first night,” said Hall. [Hollywood Reporter]
• Naomi Campbell is sparing no expense for her billionaire boyfriend Vladimir Doronin’s 50th birthday bash this coming Wednesday in India. The supermodel is flying in Diana Ross for the extravaganza. Campbell reportedly paid The Boss more than $500,000 to perform. [NY Post]
• Chris Brown has cleared yet another probation hurdle. He was given a good progress report at the end of last week. Brown has completed his community service requirement in addition to many others. He’s now three years into his five-year probation for assaulting Rihanna in 2009. [CNN]
• Toya Wright and Kandi Burruss are urging fans to hit the polls tomorrow. Together, they’ve teamed up with Advancement Project, by the Hip Hop Caucus, to spread the importance of voting. Check out their PSA below!