March 05, 2010

By By Gail Mitchell, L.A.

-- TV One is ramping up four new episodes of its popular biography series, "Unsung." The next rollout of hour-long programs begins March 22 (9 p.m. ET) with a profile of Rose Royce. That episode will be followed by profiles of Sylvester (March 29), Stacy Lattisaw (April 12) and the Bar-Kays (April 19). Launched in 2004, "Unsung" has previously chronicled the careers of Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman, Minnie Riperton and DeBarge, among others.

-- : E-40 returns with not one but two separate new releases on March 30" "Revenue Retrievin': The Day Shift" and "Revenue Retrievin': The Night Shift." Guest collaborators on both sets include Snoop Dogg, Gucci Mane, Too Short, Jazze Pha, Bobby V and J. Valentine. The albums are being released through independent label Heavy On The Grind Entertainment, distributed by EMI. Heavy is owned by E-40's son Earl Stevens Jr. (aka Droop-E).

-- Kindred the Family Soul, best known for such R&B hits as "Far Away" and "Where Would I Be," is now producing its own web-based reality series, "Six Is It!" The show follows Kindred husband-and-wife duo Aja and Fatin Dantzler as the Philadelphia couple pursues their singing career while raising six children. The bi-weekly episodes are available through KindredtheFamilySoul.com and partner site blackandmarriedwithkids.com.

-- Atlantic Records has signed Georgia-based rapper Donnis. In the midst of completing his debut album, Donnis is out on his first U.S. junket, the Crowd Control Tour. The tour, which features Kidz in the Hall, 88-Keys and Izza Kizza, kicked off Feb. 28 in New York City and includes a stop at the upcoming SXSW festival in Austin.

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