HALL OF FAME ENTERTAINER--This March 26, 2013 photo shows Chaka Kahn attending her birthday party in New York. Khan will be inducted into the Apollo Theater's hall of fame. The theater recently announced that Patti LaBelle and Mary J. Blige will perform in Khan's honor at its June 10 New York gala. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, file)

by Genea L. Webb

For New Pittsburgh Courier

 More than 240 of the hottest Jazz artists on the planet will showcase their immeasurable talent at this year's Pittsburgh JazzLive Festival from June 7 through 9.

APOLOGIZES--This Sept. 29, 2012 file photo shows Rick Ross performing at the BET Hip-Hop Honors at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta. (Photo by John Amis/Invision/AP, file)

NEW YORK (AP) — A day after Reebok ended its relationship with Rick Ross, the rapper acknowledged that his lyrics on Rocko's song "U.O.E.N.O." were "offensive."

TOPS BOX OFFICE--This film image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson in a scene from "42." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, D. Stevens)

by David Germain

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Baseball has scored a rare hit in Hollywood, while another American institution — Tom Cruise — has delivered his latest hit overseas.

RUSSELL SIMMONS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lil Wayne, Ron Howard, Scarlett Johansson and Kim Kardashian are all on the same page when it comes to criminal justice reform.

They're among more than 100 entertainers calling on President Barack Obama to focus on changing drug laws. Rap mogul Russell Simmons helped assemble the coalition of celebrities and civil rights leaders that presented a letter to the president on Tuesday.

The group praises the president's efforts toward drug incarceration reform but insists "the time is right" to move toward replacing jail sentences with intervention and rehabilitation for non-violent offenders. The starry group, which also includes Jennifer Hudson, Nicki Minaj, Susan Sarandon and Will Smith, also asks Obama to form a panel to handle clemency requests and to support a measure that allows judges to waive mandatory minimum sentences.

"It is critical that we change both the way we think about drug laws in this country and how we generate positive solutions that leave a lasting impact on rebuilding our communities," Simmons said, citing Department of Justice data that shows that the United States jails more of its citizens than any other country in the world.

Drug offenders comprise nearly half the federal prison population in the U.S.