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Kanye West: Hip-hop must get over homophobia

By wire services
Published August 19, 2005

NEW YORK - Kanye West says "gay" has become an antonym to hip-hop - and that it needs to be stopped.

During an interview for an MTV special, the 27-year-old rapper launched into a discussion about hip-hop and homosexuality while talking about Hey Mama, a song on his upcoming album, Late Registration.

West said when he was young, people would call him a "mama's boy."

"And what happened was, it made me kind of homophobic, 'cause it's like I would go back and question myself," West says on the show, All Eyes on Kanye West, set to air Thursday night at 10:30.

West says he changed his ways, though, when he learned one of his cousins was gay.

"It was kind of like a turning point when I was like, "Yo, this is my cousin. I love him and I've been discriminating against gays.' "

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - A former personal assistant to Carlos Santana has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the veteran rocker, claiming he was fired after his consciousness was calibrated and determined to be too low.

Bruce Kuhlman, 59, alleges Santana's wife, Deborah, brought in a man known as "Dr. Dan" so employees could grow closer to God and become better workers.

"In Deborah's view, the higher a person calibrated with Dr. Dan, the better employee they were because they were more "spiritually evolved,' " the lawsuit said.

Kuhlman is seeking monetary damages for lost wages, emotional distress and unpaid overtime.

LOS ANGELES - Eva Longoria had to make a trip to the hospital Thursday after being bonked on the head by a piece of construction material on the set of Desperate Housewives, her spokeswoman said.

The actor was examined at a hospital but didn't require treatment. She's scheduled to be back at work Monday.

DETROIT - Eminem is undergoing treatment for dependency to sleep medication, his publicist said, two days after the Grammy-winning rapper canceled his European tour citing exhaustion.

Eminem wrapped up his nationwide "Anger Management" tour last week, then on Tuesday canceled 10 European concerts.

Interscope Records said at the time that Eminem was being treated for exhaustion, complicated by other medical issues.

Last month, the 32-year-old denied a report that he was planning to retire.

[Last modified August 19, 2005, 01:16:02]