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NeNe Leakes Fires Back At Brian White’s Comments

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Courtesy of Clutch

In a recent interview, Brian White said that “the most prevalent image in ‘urban society’ right now is women like Nene” Leakes and suggested that this portrayal was not a stereotype but the majority of black women. Aside from feeling irritated by his belief that the loud and petulant black woman trope is true more often than not, I’m sure many of us imagined Nene’s ears perking up as soon as her name was mentioned in a derogatory way. The reality star took to Twitter with a response for Mr. White.

 

 

Continue reading at Clutch


Listen To Brandy & Monica’s New Duet, ‘It All Belongs To Me’

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Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

Brandy and Monica are making music together again and this time they’re taking it all back. The singers are claiming it all and taking what is rightfully theirs in “It All Belongs To Me” (prod. by Rico Love). Set to appear on Monica’s New Life album, dropping April 10, the track will also be featured on Brandy’s upcoming project.

Check it out over at Vibe Vixen!

Jay-Z At Carnegie Hall, Performs ‘Glory’ [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

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From the moment we reported about Jay-Z‘s historic concert at Carnegie Hall, we knew it would be special.

Related: Jay-Z Auctions Concert Tickets For Charity, $50K Expected

The 42-year-old rapper brought the house down Monday night at the legendary concert hall in New York City as the first solo hip-hop artist to headline the venue. Proceeds from the show will benefit United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

Starting the show in a classic black-and-white tuxedo, Jay-Z opened with undeniably one of his strongest hits “PSA,” followed by more of his classics (“Heart of the City,” “U Don’t Know”) that would make any die-hard fan go nuts.

He was joined on stage by Alicia Keys to perform their super ode to New York, “Empire State of Mind,” as well as Nas, Bridget Kelly, a band including Questlove of The Roots and singer Bilal and a 36-piece, woman-led orchestra.

The night hit an emotional peak with the proud papa’s performance of “Glory,” dedicated to his 1-month-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

“I didn’t think I was going to make it through that one,” he said. “That was tough.”

The juxtaposition of nearly 2,800 conservatively dressed men and women rocking out to the gritty sounds of hip-hop inside Carnegie Hall made for a magical moment.

And that was only the beginning; Jay-Z will hit the stage again Tuesday night for part two of his benefit concert.

Jay-Z continued the party at his 40/40 club, where wife Beyonce made her first post-pregnancy appearance.

Check out the night’s best pictures and a clip of Jay-Z performing “Glory!”

(Getty Images)

Beyonce’s First Post-Pregnancy Appearance [PHOTOS]

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Beyonce delivered all kinds of fierce for her first post-pregnancy appearance!

The new mommy showed up at the 40/40 club Monday night to show support after husband Jay-Z‘s benefit concert at Carnegie Hall for United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

In a form-fitting, long-sleeve Alice Temperly dress, Beyonce showed the world what Blue Ivy‘s mom is [still] working with.

Insiders say the 30-year-old singer arrived with her mother, Tina Knowles, and went immediately to the VIP section to snack on wings with Jay-Z and Nas.

And her review of hubby’s show?

“It was amazing,” she told reporters.

Check out more photos and a glimpse at Beyonce’s complete look!

Chris Brown To Perform At GRAMMY Awards

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Get ready for the media frenzy: Chris Brown has officially been named as a performer at this year’s GRAMMY Awards.

Related: Adele To Make Full Recovery At The Grammys

A source told the Associated Press on Monday that Brown will take the stage at Sunday’s show just three years after his infamous incident with then-girlfriend Rihanna.

Brown assaulted Rihanna at a pre-GRAMMY party back in 2009 which resulted in five years probation, community service, domestic violence counseling, a restraining order (lifted last February) and, most importantly, the risk of his career.

Since the altercation, Brown has released two studio albums (Graffiti, F.A.M.E.) and is preparing for his fifth album, Fortune.

This year, Brown is up for three GRAMMY nominations including Best R&B Album (F.A.M.E.) and Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Look At Me Now.”

Rihanna is also scheduled to take the stage Sunday night with a performance beside Coldplay, singing “Princess of China.”

She is nominated for four Grammys including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (Loud), as well as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “What’s My Name?” and Kanye West’s “All of the Lights.”

While the pair have been spotted partying at the same locations recently, they have never attended an awards show together since 2009.

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live from Los Angeles Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, hosted by LL Cool J.

Why We Need To Do Better In Naming Our Children

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Courtesy of Madame Noire

A few years ago, when I was in the basement of a barbershop waiting to get a chop, I waited with a young 20-something black woman who had a 3-year old running about the shop. My barber Janet asked her of her boy’s name, and this is what she had to say:

“Q’Kavarimantis.”

Another older sista waiting – doing what older sistas do – asked the mother: “Well, does he even know how to spell his own name???”

“He’s working on it,” she said sweetly. “He’s got about half of it down.”

As of late, it seems like I’ve been having many conversations related to the tendency of black parents – especially of humble background – to come up with grammatical manglings of names masquerading as creative expression. I’ve heard a small band of defenders explain that it’s a display of our cultural eccentricities and creativity that reveal names like the monstrosities above. Q’Kavarimantis. Really???

Being creative is cool, but I think we’ve come to a point–black folks and all folks really (yes, you too celebrities)–where the names we’re choosing for our children are going a bit too far. Here are why these damn names can be a big problem:

Continue reading at Madame Noire

Mikki Taylor Speaks On Her 30 Years At ESSENCE [VIDEO]

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Former Beauty & Cover Director Mikki Taylor has devoted 30 long years as an imperative voice to Black women at ESSENCE Magazine. And in a recent interview with Media Bistro, she admits it was her mission from Day One.

“[...] When I got the job, I was ready to go on a mission,” says the Editor-at-Large and now author of Commander in Chic. “It became more than a job from the moment I walked in the doors and began serving black women.”

Check out the video as she discusses her first interview at ESSENCE, her favorite moments with the magazine and her greatest challenges with creating some of its most iconic covers.

Meagan Good Talks Faith, Sexual Roles

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Californication star Meagan Good is more than just a pretty face and the sexy roles she’s taken over the years. Starring in the upcoming dramedy Think Like a Man, she wants audiences to know how far she’s come during her extensive career and exactly where she wants to go in the future.

In a recent interview with Vibe Vixen, the 30-year-old actress speaks out about making music, her character in Showtime’s hit series, her hopes to play Whitney Houston in a biopic, and keeping her balance between her faith and sensual roles.

On her girl group H.E.L.L.O…
“I always said that I didn’t want to sing because I wanted to be considered a very serious actress, not an entertainer, but singing is a passion of mine, rapping is a passion of mine, and in the way that we decided to do it, it’s very fun. We’re not taking ourselves too seriously, and our vibe is kind of like Beastie Boys mixed with Gwen Stefani. We kind of just do what we want to do; that’s what I love about it. The music is fun, and I think that the audience that we’re trying to reach will definitely be receptive to it. It’s not negative; it’s not saying ‘Boy, you want me’ and all this other crazy stuff. It’s about girls having fun and respecting themselves and being fly, doing their thing.”

On playing Kali on Showtime’s Californication…
“Well, she’s a very different girl in a different place than I am at. This young woman, Kali, she basically wants to pursue her dreams and her goals, but she’s had a rough time and now she’s determined to make it. I didn’t focus so much on the singing as much as I focused on trying to bring the truth of who this character is and not trying to judge her.”

On wanting to portray Whitney Houston…
“I want to do Whitney Houston’s life story. I think that would be an incredible story to do. I talked to Whitney a little bit about it, and she’s open to it, so I want to see what happens with that. Hopefully, in the very, very near future. She has Sparkle coming out, and I’ve heard good things about it already. I heard she looks beautiful, she sounds beautiful, she looks healthy and she’s the Whitney that we know and love. And so I think that would be a great place for her story to end and really just be beginning, if they were to do her life story right now.”

On her faith and risqué roles…
“I think that they’re natural things. I think that, for me, it’s about portraying a character creatively and artistically as an actress. I believe that God has gifted me as an actress and intends for me to use that gift, but He also intends for me to use it to glorify him. So, if I’m playing the most perfect, religious girl then nobody gets anything out of it. It’s like being a Christian and only hanging out in church. When I play a character, I try not to judge her because ultimately it’s about where she ends up and what she learns from the journey, no matter what happens along the journey. Does she become a better person?”

Check out the full interview over at Vibe Vixen!


Black America Must Be At The Table In The Battle Against HIV/AIDS

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Courtesy of The Grio

After 30 years of the HIV pandemic, one might think that terms such as “community collaboration” and “community participation” would be commonplace among those fighting the disease. But in many communities across the country, this is not the case. In fact, the clock seems to be rolling back to the early days, when the opinions and actions of a small minority marginalized the voices of those who were most impacted by the global pandemic.

Make no mistake: many people are indeed living longer with HIV disease as a result of improved treatments. But with all of the dynamic shifts in HIV treatment, prevention, and policy, it is especially disheartening — and, we would say, dangerous — that women, black gay men, people of color, heterosexual men, transgender individuals and, most notably, Black organizations still must fight to be heard by the decision makers who develop, implement, and allocate funding for HIV-related policies and programs.

We all know the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. Blacks represent approximately 14 percent of the US population, but accounted for an estimated 44 percent of new HIV infections in 2009. Over the same period, the rate of new HIV infections among black women was 15 times that of White women, and over 3 times the rate of Hispanic/Latina women. At some point in their lives, approximately 1 in 16 black men will be diagnosed with HIV infection, many of whom will be black gay men, as will 1 in 32 Black women.

Continue at The Grio…

LOTD: Beyonce’s Second Night Out + ‘Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta’ Confirmed

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In today’s link round-up: Jazmine Sullivan is back to make beautiful music, Sanaa Lathan lands a new role and much more!

 Bitchie
Beyonce Steps Out In Sexy Black Dress For 2nd Post-Baby Night Out
Beyonce was dressed to kill. Again.

VIBE.com
VH1 Confirms ‘Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’ For Next Season
New city. New players. Same drama.

ESSENCE.com
Jazmine Sullivan Plots Return To Music
The “Lions, Tigers & Bears” singer is making a comeback!

HuffPost BlackVoices
Don Cornelius Death Ruled A Suicide
An official report confirms the cause of the Soul Train creator’s death.

EURweb
Sanaa Lathan Lands Big ‘Boss’ Role
Sanaa takes on a new role in addition to her character on The Cleveland Show.

The Frisky
5 Dangers Of Flirty Texting
Are you guilty?

Simon Cowell On ‘X Factor’ Shakeup, Beyonce/Mariah Rumors [VIDEO]

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Simon Cowell has a lot of explaining to do and it’s a wonder it took him this long.

The X Factor creator and judge sat down with Extra to discuss the recent firings of the show’s judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, along with host Steve Jones.

Cowell said he knew about the show’s cuts at the beginning of the year with Fox making it very clear on what they wanted and that “it had to happen straight away.”

And while he admits he would have liked to keep Abdul, things just didn’t work out in his favor.

 ”She was very gracious and I said that to her,” Cowell explained after breaking the news to Abdul. “She understands it’s business; it’s never personal.”

As for the reports on recruiting Beyonce for $100 million, the former American Idol judge says they are simply not true.

“The budget for the show is $100 million. That would never ever happen,” he said. ”It’s absolute nonsense. No one is going to pay $100 million for someone. I genuinely haven’t had a conversation with her about it. Not at all.”

And Mariah Carey?

“No, she’s not on the list because I don’t think Mariah would make that commitment. I really, really don’t,” he said.

“She’s just had kids. You have to work five days a week on this show and you’ve got to do all the traveling as well. Just to put it out there, she will not be on the list. I adore her, I would love her, but you can’t expect someone who’s just had two kids, who’s got a record career, to make the kind of commitment we would need on this show.”

Say ‘good night’ to the rumors– Simon just put them to bed.

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UPTOWN Girls Webisode #4: Sperm Donor

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In this week’s episode, Olive interviews potential candidates for her artificial insemination. Meanwhile, Sofie finds a note that makes her realize why her husband has been so distant.


Be sure to check back every Wednesday at 3pm EST for the latest in this web mini-series!

CNN Suspends Roland Martin For ‘Offensive’ Super Bowl Tweets

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CNN contributor Roland Martin has officially been suspended by the network for his controversial tweets during Sunday night’s Super Bowl.

During a commercial break, Roland tweeted, “If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him! #superbowl.”

He insists that his remarks were a shot at soccer and had no homophobic undertones.

Roland also made snide remarks earlier in the day about a New England Patriots player showing up in an all pink suit, tweeting, “[...] he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass.”

After catching heat from his followers and gay rights group GLADD, Martin was put on suspension by the cable news network.

They said in a statement:

“Roland Martin’s tweets were regrettable and offensive. Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being.” 

After the news broke, GLAAD posted this statement on their official website:

“CNN today took a strong stand against anti-LGBT violence and language that demeans any community,” GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro said. “Yesterday, Martin also spoke out against anti-LGBT violence. We look forward to hearing from CNN and Roland Martin to discuss how we can work together as allies and achieve our common goal of reducing such violence as well as the language that contributes to it.”

Martin has yet to speak on the suspension.

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UPTOWN Gentleman: Valentine’s Day Guide For Him

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Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. It is probably safe to assume that everyone is familiar with this phrase and the best-selling book. Based on the premise that there exists a fundamental difference between both genders, there is perhaps a sliver of truth to that assessment. Nevertheless, there are many instances when both males and females share common ground. Enter Valentine’s Day. Yes, I said Valentine’s Day. Please, ignore the annual diatribe directed at February 14, because if there is common ground to be shared with your significant other, it’s on the sacred ground of indulgence. Do not fall for the deception; a gentleman can appreciate a thoughtful gift any day of the week — Valentine’s Day included. It says you care, just like we do. And even though we are notoriously bad communicators, don’t hold that against us. We love gifts too. Check out this list for a little inspiration.

Sherri Shepherd Reveals ‘I’ve Had A Lot Of Abortions’ [VIDEO]

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The View has never shied away from its share of controversial subjects, but a new Texas abortion law made for a very “hot topic” and a visibly emotional Sherri Shepherd.

In a law upheld Monday, women will be required to have a sonogram at least 24 hours before the abortion, as well as hear the fetal heartbeats and learn of the fetus’ features. The only exceptions include rape, incest, fetal deformity and for women who travel long distances to a doctor.

Joy Behar called the law “totalitarian,” while Elisabeth Hasselbeck backed the procedure as making common medical sense. She likened it to being informed about a cyst being removed.

“You would never go through any medical procedure like that…without looking at the scientific evidence,” Hasselbeck said. “Why would you ask for an X-ray for those things but not in this case?”

But it was Shepherd’s personal story that put a face to the new law, a face that could easily be anyone’s mother, sister, friend, etc.

“We stop at the picket signs and we don’t help you past that!” Shepherd said. “I’m speaking as a girl who had a lot of abortions and I swear to God, if they had shown me a picture of the fetus I probably wouldn’t have…I would have put my child in a lot of situations that wouldn’t have been good because I didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with having a child. It was real difficult.”

Shepherd also touched on the lack of support for mothers who aren’t ready to have children, the recent attacks on Planned Parenthood and the guidance needed for women who decide to keep their baby after considering an abortion.


Are You Living in America’s Most Miserable City?

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We can’t all live in paradise, but are you literally living in one of America’s Most Miserable Cities?

Forbes compiled its list of the most miserable cities in America based on crime rates, unemployment rates, foreclosures, taxes (income and property), home prices and political corruption. Commute times, weather and pro sports teams were also factored in when looking at 200 large metro areas.

So what did they come up with? The results might shock you.

How about a city that attracts millions of tourists and fabulous celebrities? Or the third largest city in the United States?

Take a look at the top 10!

Roland Martin’s Wife Tweets In His Defense, Account Deleted

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Roland Martin might be keeping his mouth shut on his recent suspension but his wife, Jacquie Hood Martin, has some things to get off her chest.

Roland was suspended by CNN Wednesday after making ‘offensive’ tweets during Sunday’s Super Bowl.

During a commercial break, Roland tweeted, “If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him! #superbowl!”

After backlash from critics, the network and gay rights group GLAAD, Roland was ultimately suspended for his comments that were “inconsistent with the values and culture of [their] organization.”

Jacquie took to Twitter Thursday to express her feelings to CNN and GLAAD.

“[They] uses our history to gain their equality & then stabs the point man in the back,” she said. “Don’t ask us for nothing else! [sic]”

She went on to respond to a follower who stated CNN was only protecting its brand. She said, “What brand? If his comments can bring them down, they have no business in business.”

Shortly after, her Twitter account was deleted.

Roland has yet to speak on his suspension, but did tweet early Thursday that he has accepted an invitation to meet with GLAAD to have a “productive dialogue.”

Nicki Minaj And The White Beauty Myth Machine

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Courtesy of The Grio

Nicki Minaj has made it no secret that mega-pop stardom is her ultimate destination. So her leaked song “Marilyn Monroe” channeling one of American culture’s super beauty icons should come as no surprise. Because it is Black History Month, however, Minaj’s flaunting of her internalized white American standards of beauty stand out more.

While it is doubtful that the entertainer, who just shared the stage with Madonna for the Super Bowl half-time show, is mindful of her perpetuation of age-old American beauty standards that largely exclude black women, she has been rewarded plenty for celebrating them.

Last month, nail salons throughout the nation began officially selling the Nicki Minaj by OPI collection featuring such hit single-inspired colors as “Did It On ‘Em” and “Superbass Shatter.” In December, Mattel created an official Nicki Minaj Barbie for a charity auction that sold for $5,605.

When her debut album Pink Friday was released in 2010, MAC successfully sold limited edition “Pink Friday” lipstick to commemorate the occasion. And this month the official MAC 2012 Viva Glam campaign featuring Minaj and Ricky Martin as spokespersons launched.

If that weren’t enough, she’s also been getting work as a fashion model. She was on the November 2011 covers of both W and Cosmopolitan as well as an alternate Elle May 2011 cover and there are talks that she might just cover Vogue in the not so distant future. Just last month, the coveted Sunday edition of the New York Times pondered “Nicki Minaj as a Rising Style Muse.”

All the mainstream attention Minaj’s self-proclaimed “Harajuku Barbie” image has attracted is extremely problematic. Her Barbie-like small waist coupled with her Venus Hottentot backside and almost-always Marilyn Monroe blonde hair certainly sends mixed messages regarding black beauty values. The fact that Minaj has generated so much success by merging the typical mainstream beauty standards of Barbie and Marilyn Monroe with the outlandish “ghetto booty” that so many black men celebrate speaks volumes.

Continue at The Grio!

Larenz Tate, Wayans Bros. To Star In BET’s New Series

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With the success of their original series Let’s Stay Together and Reed Between the Lines, BET has plans to develop two new scripted series that will bring in a larger, more diverse audience.

Gun Hill, starring Larenz Tate, will be BET’s first scripted drama. The series will center around the lives of identical twins on both sides of the law– one is a cop and the other is a con. The show is being developed by Reggie Bythewood (New York Undercover, Get on the Bus).

Second Generation, starring Damien Dante Wayans and Craig Wayans, is a family comedy show from that will show the pair as the “second generation” breaking away from their famous uncles and making their way in Hollywood. Marlon Wayans will produce.

Both shows are slated to premiere in the 2012-2013 season.

“We realize that BET will never be all things to all Black people,” says Loretha Jones, BET’s President of Original Programming. “But we felt we could be more. The diversity of projects shows how we can serve different parts of our demographic while being able to bring the BET voice to different genres.”

According to their official website, the network has several reality TV projects in the works with Jamie Foxx, Steve Harvey, T.D. Jakes and judge Greg Mathis.

 

 

Halle Berry Requests Move To France With Daughter [UPDATED]

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The war rages on between Halle Berry and her baby’s father, Gabrielle Aubry, as she has asked a judge for permission to move to France with their 3-year-old daughter, Nahla.

According to TMZ, Berry has filed papers with a court requesting the move where her newly confirmed fiancé Olivier Martinez is staying. Sources say Aubry is not happy with her decision because it would keep him from being in contact with his daughter.

The hearing is still pending.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Berry wants to move to France for the well-being of herself and Nahla. She has reportedly received death threats from Robert Hoskins, a mentally unstable man, who escaped from a mental institution last week.

Hopkins has a history of threatening Madonna and trespassing on her property. Berry had a run in with a stalker herself who has recently been released from jail.

The request comes after the child endangerment investigation against Aubry last month where a nanny for the couple accused him of pushing her while holding Nahla.

The L.A. Department of Child and Family Services have requested that Nahla go to counseling and Aubry has agreed to take anger management classes.

 

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