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Singer's Friend Stabbed Near Paris Club
(AP, 10/24/2003 9:53 AM)

R&B star Blu Cantrell says she's in "complete shock" after witnessing her friend's stabbing outside a Paris nightclub where she was celebrating her latest album release.

Cantrell and party host Tony Dinero were leaving Le Cabaret Milliardaire on Oct. 16 when a disgruntled club employee attacked them, the singer said in a statement. Cantrell was unharmed, but Dinero suffered stab wounds to the back of his head and eye.

Dinero was hospitalized after the incident, the statement said, without elaborating.

"I am in complete shock by what happened," Cantrell said in the statement, released by her publicist Wednesday. "I cannot believe that anything like this can happen, especially in a city like this."

Cantrell said she hoped for a "speedy and full recovery" for Dinero. She was in the French capital to celebrate the release of "Bittersweet."

The motive of the attack by the employee, who wasn't identified, was not immediately clear.

Seeking additional details, The Associated Press attempted several times Thursday to contact publicist Beth Katz by phone, but no one answered or responded to messages left on an answering machine.

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On the Net:

http://www.blucantrell.com/

Blu Cantrell is influenced by Sting, Prince, and Whitney Houston.

Blu Cantrell sang background vocals for P. Diddy and Faith Evans.


Blu Cantrell Photo: Arista

Blu Cantrell will play the role of, well, Blu Cantrell in "Drumline," a movie about black college marching bands directed by Charles Stone III, who helmed the Cam'ron flick "Paid in Full." Cantrell performs the national anthem at a pivotal moment in the film, which also boasts appearances by Dallas Austin and Petey Pablo and stars Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana and Orlando Jones. ... Two singles from the upcoming "Queen of the Damned" soundtrack will be simultaneously released before the album hits stores on February 19: Static-X's "Cold" and "Forsaken," which was written by Korn's Jonathan Davis and former Oingo Boingo keyboardist Richard Gibbs and features Disturbed's David Draiman. ...

Blu Cantrell has set a June 24 release date for her second album, Bittersweet, which features collaborations with Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, Fat Joe, Lady May and reggae star Ian Lewis of Inner Circle. Sean Paul appears on the first single, "Breathe," which was produced by Dr. Dre and will be accompanied by a Hype Williams-directed video

Blu Cantrell To Appear On The Cover Of 'Playboy'
(LAUNCH, 04/15/2003 3:00 PM)

By LAUNCH Radio Networks

(4/15/03, 3 p.m. ET) -- R&B singer Blu Cantrell is scheduled to appear on the July cover of Playboy magazine, a spokesperson for her record label Arista Records confirmed.

The singer was reportedly paid close to $1 million to pose nude for the magazine, according to the gossip column Page Six.

In October of 2001, a nude photo spread Cantrell did for Black Tail magazine in the mid '90s began surfacing on the Internet.

At the time the singer told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, "It's a closed book to me. I know people are talking about it. I'm not surprised...but I don't care. I'm not ashamed of nudity. I did it a long time ago when I needed to pay my bills. Actually, I'm proud of it. I'll sign one (of the pictures) if they want me to. I've even caught friends looking, business associates looking at me on the Internet. And I'm fine with it. I did it so long ago. Now it's about singing and the album. I don't have any regrets."

Late last year, Cantrell released a new single, "Breathe," which was produced by Dr. Dre from her forthcoming sophomore set, Bitter Sweet.

Cantrell's 2001 debut, So Blu, was certified gold for sales of 500,000.

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Blu Cantrell Photo: Arista

Blu Cantrell is having problems with a man in her life again.

On her new single, "Breathe," she's "walking out the door" in search of space and a "cure" for her love woes. "All we do is make up/ Then break up/ Why don't we wake up, and seeeee," she sings over the same track Dr. Dre used for "What's the Difference" off of his last LP, Dr. Dre — 2001.

"When love hurts, it won't work," continues the frustrated Cantrell on the song. "Maybe we need some time alone."

Cantrell is currently recording in New York, trying to finish her sophomore LP, according to a spokesperson for her label Arista. While the album is still untitled, it has a tentative release date of December 17. Tricky Stewart, Missy Elliott and Lady May have already contributed to the project, as have Ivan Matias and Andrea Martin, the producers of "Breathe."

Blu Cantrell gave people a sneak peek of her new LP, Bittersweet, Thursday night at Nell's nightclub in New York. Among those mingling with the music industry attendees was Blu's Arista Records family member Anthony Hamilton, who's signed to So So Def. Bittersweet drops on June 24. ...