Courtesy of Black Enterprise

Bravo’s newest reality show “Blood, Sweat and Heels” had an explosive 2.5 million viewer debut, and seems to be the fans newest reality “fix.” The show follows six up-and-coming black women as they struggle to succeed in the concrete jungle of New York City. Demetria, already becoming a fan favorite, is much more than your typical reality television star — she is about her business. Not only has she taken her blog A Belle in Brooklyn to national heights after writing a controversial blog which was the continued topic of conversation on the show, her brand(s) can also be seen integrated throughout the show on each episode.

Already apparent from the first few episodes, Demetria has set her sights on building her multi-platform brand, and advancing her career to her next level. Somewhat of an industry veteran, the former Essence relationship editor is also a critically acclaimed author, life coach and award-winning blogger.

BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Lucas as she discusses the challenges of exposing her life on reality television, her latest project “Don’t Waste Your Pretty,” and expanding her brand.

Black Enterprise: As somewhat of an industry veteran, what made you decide to do the show?

Demetria Lucas: I’ve been approached about doing some form of reality show before Bravo. What led me to it was the focus on professional women working in the city and on professional life. Over the years I have blogged and shared tons of life story as well as about my business. My book [A Belle in Brooklyn: The Go-to Girl for Advice on Living Your Best Single Life] is very all in. I thought this was an opportunity to share life in video and for people to see it and not picture in their minds. It was also a chance to show my professional career.

Continue at Black Enterprise…

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

First dates are tough. It’s a test between both parties, whether you want to accept it or not. If the location, company, or conversation sucks the chances for a second one go from possible to not at all. There’s tons of first dates we warned you not to waste your time with and now we want your creative juices to start flowing. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, your first date options will be rising steadily. Here’s 11 unorthodox first dates that’ll make sure you land a second date.

Comedy Club

What better way to get to know someone then to see them comfortable and laughing. It can be a deal breaker too because if a man can’t laugh at a hearty joke, there’s no need for another date.

Continue at Vibe Vixen…

Jenifer Lewis and Debbie Allen have linked up to recreate Billy Wilder‘s classic 1950′s film Sunset Boulevard for the contemporary flick Ventura Boulevard.

According to Shadow and Act, Lewis will take the lead in the dark comedy as a “self-deluded queen of 1970′s blaxpoitation movies who uses her guile, money and sex to manipulate a young white script writer into creating her comeback part.”

The Academy Award-winning film originally starred Gloria Swanson and William Holden.

Allen will serve as director, while Oscar nominee and Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman scores the project. Lewis will assume the role of executive producer.

“I am taking things into my own hands by producing Ventura Boulevard,” she explained, adding that she is excited to explore the themes of aging, race and deception.

“The Hollywood establishment isn’t going to finance a movie about a middle aged African-American diva who deceives and beds a young white man.”

Production is slated for summer 2014 for a 2015 release.

Sunday night’s Grammy Awards will be a lovefest as nominees Macklemore & Ryan Lewis orchestrate 34 weddings onstage with Queen Latifah as officiant.

The New York Times‘ ArtsBeat reports the event will feature nearly three dozen couples from different orientations and backgrounds– from gay to straight, Black to White, young to old and so on– and will be set to the sounds of “Same Love,” which is up for Song of the Year.

Lewis said the weddings “will be in our minds the ultimate statement of equality, that all the couples are entitled to the same exact thing.” The marriage-equality anthem and its subsequent performance will carry on the show’s tradition of addressing social issues through music, à la the Eminem/Elton John duet of 2001.

As Macklemore, Lewis, Latifah and featured vocalist Mary Lambert take their place on the stage, it has now been revealed that Madonna will join them for the one-of-a-kind performance.

Beyoncé, JAY Z, Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, Daft Punk, Lorde, Katy Perry, Pink, Pharrell Williams, John Legend, Robin Thicke and more are also confirmed to hit the stage.

The show airs live tonight (Jan. 26) at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards was full of leather, lace and Lanvin. Stars showed up in flowing gowns, flirty minidresses and dapper suits. And while many of the night’s nominees went home empty-handed, they still left an impression on the red carpet. Here are some of the night’s fashions.

Mommy-to-be Ciara was glowing, literally, on the red carpet in a floor-length, rose-gold gown by Emilio Pucci.

Best R&B Album winner Alicia Keys was radiant in a cobalt blue gown with a plunging neckline.

Grammy nominee Miguel rocked out in an all-black ensemble which included leather pants and pointed boots.

Tamar Braxton, who was nominated in three categories (Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song and Best Urban Contemporary Album), wowed in a sultry strapless dress by Michael Costello.

Funny man Kevin Hart wore a black and gold Lanvin suit on the red carpet while posing with his girlfriend, Eniko Parrish.

Chrissy Teigen, model and wife of Best R&B Album nominee John Legend, arrived to the Grammys in a glittering golden gown by Johanna Johnson.

Tasha Cobbs took home the Grammy for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music in a bold blue peplum dress.

Chrisette Michelle, who was nominated for Best R&B Album, showed off her sexy side in a patterned suit with a peek-a-boo black bra.

Ashanti sported a short blonde bob and matching mini dress on the Grammys red carpet.

Jamie Foxx was joined on the Grammys red carpet by his usual date, daughter Corinne Bishop, who wore a patterned skirt and cropped top.

Paula Patton supported her Grammy nominated husband, Robin Thicke, at this year’s Grammys in a zebra-print gown.

Grammy winner Pharrell stole the show with his casual threads and comically large Vivienne Westwood hat.

British singer Rita Ora lit up the red carpet in an iridescent Lanvin knee-length dress.

Amber Rose walked the carpet with her husband, Wiz Khalifa, in a Roaring ’20s-style gown by Naeem Khan. She even covered her tattoos for the occasion.

Disney star Zendaya Coleman ditched her usual sleek style for a sheer, patchwork and polka dot dress by Emanuel Ungaro.

Grammy performer Madonna showed up to the Grammys in a Ralph Lauren pantsuit, a cane, a hat and a grill. But it seemed her pimp-like threads were just an attempt to overshadow her recent racist tweet.

I’m not sure if it’s the giraffe-print embellishments or the thigh-high middle slit, but something about “R&B Divas” singer Faith Evans‘ black sequined gown is a bit unflattering.

Fantasia Barrino, who was nominated for three Grammys (Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best R&B Song), wore an interesting lace number by Isabel Toledo.

There are two things I’ve come to realize about music awards shows. First, taste is so subjective that it’s stupid to believe that the art of music can be legitimately judged in any way, shape, or form. And second, awards shows aren’t designed to reward the best acts. Instead, they are designed to attract big name performers to one venue for an evening in order to spike TV ratings and sell commercial time. It’s very much a business, and it has become very lucrative in the past couple decades with the advent of 24-hour news cycles and celebrity-centric blogs. We need crap to talk about, and awards shows give us something to report all in one night. So I know better than to emotionally invest myself into the outcome of the awards, yet seeing Macklemore win three hip-hop Grammy Awards actually bothered me.

I understand there are people who love his music, and their appreciation of him and Ryan Lewis is no more or less legitimate than my love for Kendrick Lamar‘s good kid, m.A.A.d. city album. But if we’re gonna be honest right now, most people will agree that Macklemore’s messages are what gave him the advantage in categories in which it appeared he was sonically-outmatched by his contemporaries. If his message is what makes his music so superior, what does that say about modern day hip-hop and the messages of the other artists that he beat?

When Macklemore won his awards, most people sounded off on my Facebook timeline like this:

And that’s what disgusts me. I’d like to know if this dude has listened to any of the other albums in the Best Rap Album category. Why does he need to belittle the other rappers as making “bitches and hos” music? Is it because Macklemore’s marriage equality and anti-bullying messages are intrinsically more important than Kanye West‘s “pro-Black” record? Or because Kendrick’s retelling of love, life, and loss in Compton wouldn’t connect with a broad (read: non-Black) audience?

See, it’s one thing for people to make ignorant generalizations about hip-hop when they don’t appreciate the culture. I don’t mind them, because they embrace their ignorance of the music so thoroughly, that even they know they can’t be reasoned with. But it becomes extremely infuriating when people who call themselves “fans” of this art form decide to manipulate the grounds that hip-hop was created on, only so they can attempt to fuse our music with their politically correct, non-urban ideologies. As a longtime hip-hop listener, it scares the shit out of me when I see Macklemore, with a special pop flare, sweep the Grammy rap categories. And while I can’t say that his messages are completely contrived to be on the right side of politics, it does trouble me to see that being PC is becoming an important part of controlling the lexicon of the hip-hop culture.

Whoever started that bullshit conspiracy about hip-hop being created by record executives during a secret meeting in some mansion somewhere, so Black folks would start killing each other, deserves to be pushed down a flight of metal stairs. That’s the most anti-intellectual crap I’ve ever read in my entire life. People who hate rap music won’t want to hear this, but hip-hop in its infancy did more to shed light on the problems of our communities than it did to make young men pick up guns and kill one another, especially since crime and murder rates have steadily DROPPED since the advent of hip-hop in the late 1970s. All rap music did was give an honest, visceral, and no-holds barred account of what was happening in our society.

While “proper Black folks” attempted to intellectualize police brutality, and cerebrally explain the lingering effect of slavery on the Black community, there were many young people who didn’t give a damn about being PC and needed to express their emotions in the most candid way possible, which resulted in songs like “Fuck Da’ Police” and “Cop Killer.” We talked openly about our own issues, like so-called Black-on-Black crime with KRS-One‘s “Self-Destruction,” misogyny with Queen Latifah‘s “U.N.I.T.Y.,” alcoholism with MC Lyte‘s “Poor Georgie,” and safe sex with Salt N’ Pepa‘s “Let’s Talk About Sex.” There were countless songs that referenced the ills of the street life, including Nas‘ “One Love,” The Notorious B.I.G.‘s “Missin’ You,”  and Wu-Tang‘s “C.R.E.A.M.” Before over-commercialization took over rap in the late-90s, the music contributed to some important discussions that needed to be had in urban epicenters all over North America.

So when I looked at the nominees for “Best Rap Album of the Year” specifically, I was really interested to see who would win, because this was the first year in a long time that the early-90s theme of unique messages came back to the music. Kanye crafted an entire album littered with complex race allegories (no matter how stupid you may think he is, songs like “Blood on the Leaves” addressed very real and current race issues), and Kendrick dropped a classic that featured one of the most brilliant messages of the entire year in “Sing About Me.” I do think it’s foolish to give an artist an award based simply on message, which probably disqualified Drake and Jay Z as being typical “rich rapper music,” which alludes to my point. The real reason folks should be mad about Macklemore’s Grammy wins is because his award was based on ulterior factors that had little to do with who made the best music. We’re all entitled to have our own taste in music, but a music award should be given on the merit of the songs that artist produced.

And before you Macklemore fans get your panties in a bunch, just remember that he texted Kendrick Lamar himself to admit that K.Dot got robbed.

LAB

Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.

By Jaia A. Thomas

Gil Robertson, co-founder of the African-American Film Critics Association recently said, “2013 has been a banner year with regards to the number of films that feature African-American themes.” If 2013 was a banner year for African-American films, 2014 may arguably be the banner year for African-American television. Here is a look at some of the recent deals inked by African-American producers and content creators:

Atlanta – Donald Glover, star of the NBC comedy, Community has inked a deal to write and produce in a half hour comedy pilot for FX. The project, titled Atlanta, will be set against the backdrop of the Atlanta music scene. Glover, who was raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia and raps under the name Childish Gambino will also star in the comedy.

Bill Cosby Project – Bill Cosby and NBC have finalized a deal for a half hour family comedy series starring Cosby. The currently untitled project will feature Cosby as the patriarch of a multi-generational family and depict themes such as marriage, parenting, and love. Cosby has partnered with producer Tom Werner, whose company with Marcy Carsey produced the original Cosby Show.

The Couple – Black and Sexy TV’s The Couple has landed an HBO development deal. The popular web series, created by Jeanine Daniels and Dennis Dortch launched in November 2011. Spike Lee is speculated to have signed on as an Executive Producer. The Couple follows a young black couple as they balance dating and living together. Black and Sexy TV is one of one of the popular African-American networks on YouTube, with over 60,000 subscribers.

Empire – After a bidding war among the major broadcasters, FOX has picked up Empire, a pilot from Lee Daniels. The family drama is set in the world of a hip-hop empire, featuring original and current music. Empire will be produced by 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine TV with Strong, Daniels, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo as executive producers.

The Kevin Hart Project – ABC has given a cast-contingent pilot order to a multi-camera comedy produced by Kevin Hart (cast-contingent means the pilot will be produced if the network approves of the casting selection). The semi-autobiographical untitled Hart vehicle from 20th Century Fox Television revolves around a divorced couple who try to stay friends for the sake of the children. If the project moves forward, Hart is expected to have a recurring role.

Mr. Robinson – Craig Robinson, otherwise known as Darryl Philbin from The Office, has received a six-episode order from NBC for his new show, Mr. Robinson. Mr. Robinson centers around rough-edge musician Craig, who is adjusting to his new life as a music teacher in a big city middle school. Larenz Tate is slated to co-star.

There is also speculation that a particular music mogul is in early stages of developing a new television network. Stay tuned for more updates….

Jaia A. Thomas is a bi-coastal sports and entertainment attorney. For more information: www.jathomaslaw.com or @jaiathomaslaw

By Niki McGloster

Director Lee Daniels and Danny Strong aren’t sweating their snub by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and are pushing forward with a new hip-hop drama inspired by JAY Z for FOX, The Hollywood Reporter announced.

Daniels and Strong, who penned the Lee Daniels’ The Butler script, received news that their drama pilot, “Empire,” has been picked up by FOX after a multiple network bidding war.

“Empire” is reportedly a family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire, inspired by the JAY Z story, and will give audiences a behind-the-scenes look into the hip-hop industry. The series will feature both original and current music. Producers and songwriters for the original music have not been announced yet. Strong will take the reins as lead writer, while Daniels will direct the series. Daniels and Strong will also produce alongside Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo. Imagine Entertainment producer Grazer has been vocal about his passion for hip-hop culture and is assisting in bringing the character-driven series to the small screen.

“Empire” marks Daniels’ first foray into television. He is said to be working on a Richard Pryor biopic after Ava Duvernay replaced him on the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, Selma, once he left the project.

Related: 2014: The Year of Black Television

Courtesy of Black Enterprise

On the same day President Obama announced his nomination of Staci Michelle Yandle as the first Black LGBT federal judge to be appointed in 20 years, he also made public his intention to appoint an LGBT civil rights advocate to his Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, executive director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, is one of 15 newly-appointed members. Since 2009, Lettman-Hicks has headed NBJC, a national civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. NBJC’s mission is to end racism and homophobia. The Washington, DC-based organization was started at a press conference on December 8, 2003. Today, it is a leading national voice on behalf of LGBT persons of color.

Read more …

In a surprise move for many fans of Kendrick Lamar’s album good kid, m.A.A.d city was nominated for seven nomination and he walked away with zero, recalling the India Arie “worst Grammy snub in history.”

While Kendrick sat on the sidelines, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Album for The Heist. In fact, the Seattle duo swept all the rap categories before winning the Best New Artist award on the live show.

Interestingly enough after Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won the award for Best Rap Album, Macklemore sent Kendrick a personal text for taking home the golden gramophone. He later posted the conversation on his Instagram.

“You got robbed. I wanted you to win. You should have. It’s weird and sucks that I robbed you,” he apologized through text. “I was gonna say that during the speech. Then the music started playing during my speech and I froze. Anyway, you know what it is. Congrats on this year and your music. Appreciate you as an artist and as a friend. Much love.”

The Grammy award winner continued to explain his thoughts in the caption below the photo:

“My text to Kendrick after the show. He deserved best rap album… I’m honored and completely blown away to win anything much less 4 Grammys. But in that category, he should have won IMO. And that’s taking nothing away from The Heist. Just giving GKMC it’s proper respect…”

Kendrick showed no signs of disappointment though as he hit the stage in all white for his performance with Imagine Dragons‘ Radioactive in a surprise collaboration. He’s sure to put the Grammy snub behind him as he continues working on his sophomore album.

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

Imagine this: You’re stuck on the other end of the phone-line waiting for a this dude you met last night to text you. How do you know if he’s into you or not? He may be shy, he may be playing the game, or he may even be heartbroken, but whatever the reason may be just make sure you aren’t getting yourself stuck in a hopeless pool of disappointment.

Click next to read some tips that will help you acknowledge the signs of him not being that into you…

Read more …

[Image: Shuttershock]

Courtesy of Ebony

We tend to focus on the cat fighting and dysfunctional relationships on reality shows (this is why so many of us love or hate them), but if we zoom in we can learn a lot about our own life messes as we watch. For instance, we’ve been witnessing the stop-and-start relationship between Joe Budden and Tahiry Jose on “Love & Hip Hop” for several seasons now, and maybe we love their struggle love because we’ve all been in some crazy break-up-to-make-up roller-coaster relationship.

Nobody live tweets reality shows better than The Read phenomenon @kidfury. He tweeted the following a few weeks ago about Tahiry and Joe’s back and forth:

Tahiry gon be 75 years old ignoring Joe’s iMessages.

— Petty Rubble (@KidFury) January 7, 2014

Read more …

As women, we’re constantly changing up our looks. There are endless options for our hair, nails, clothes–you name it.

However, I bet you didn’t know that there are more than a few options for our Vajayjays. That’s right, it’s not just about landing strips or baldies anymore. We can primp our kitties in multiple ways now.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, perhaps you can use that as an occasion to treat your partner (or yourself) to a pretty pum. Check out our list of six options.

Steam It

Spa treatments abound for your little lady. Vaginal steaming is a practice that’s actually been employed in Korean culture for a long time to regulate periods, fight infection and prevent infertility. You sit on an open-bottomed chair under which a humidifier releases herb-infused steam for approximately 30 minutes. Many have reported that they felt refreshed afterwards and some have even said that it helps with menstruation cramps. Juvenex Spa in NYC is one of the places that provides this treatment for $75.

Decorate It

Some of you may have heard of vajazzling or vagina bedazzling. It’s been around for quite some time now and has proven to be more than just a passing trend. Completely Bare, a spa with several locations in NYC, offers the “vajewel” service and even has an instructional video for those who’d rather sparkle themselves. The spa also offers “vatoo”, which is a spray paint decoration. According to their site, both procedures last up to 5 days and are easily removed with baby oil or rubbing alcohol.

Give It A Smoothie

A vagina facial or “Vajacial” is also  known as a “Peach Smoothie”. It’s a rejuvenating procedure that’s especially great after a bikini wax. Typically, they cleanse, exfoliate and then tweeze the area to remove ingrown hairs. Some places will even do a follow-up acid peel to remove dead skin and unblock pores. The process takes anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes and usually costs around $50.

Trim It

For the less adventurous, a good old fashioned wax is just what the doctor ordered. However, you can get creative with maintaing the hair down there. Many places will accommodate different shapes. Maybe you want to show your love with a heart? Or point someone in the right direction with a triangle? The options are endless.

Color It

For some ladies, vaginal aesthetics goes beyond the surface. No one should feel self-conscious about the color of their labia, but if you do there’s a solution for you. My New Pink Button is a temporary dye that restores the youthful pink color to your labia. It comes in 4 different shades and according to the manufacturers, it takes only 1 minute to take effect.

Lift It

Now this takes kitty maintenance to a whole new level. Doctors in the UK are now doing clinical trials for a procedure they’re calling Femilift. It’s an innovative tightening procedure that doesn’t involve surgery. You go in for five 30-minute sessions, which are carried out every 2-4 weeks. You can read up on one woman who underwent the procedure and said, “It’s like going to the gym for your vagina!” Hmm…I think I’ll stick to my Kegels, thank you very much.

Sources say a Queens, New York, man, Carlos Amarillo, fatally beat his girlfriend, 56-year-old Estrella Castaneda, and her daughter, Lina Castaneda 26 with a hammer on Wednesday.  The murders occurred allegedly after Amarillo became convinced that the women were witches who performed voodoo and cast spells on him.  Amarillo told authorities that he killed them because they were witches. The 44-year-old allegedly told cops “I want the police to kill me.”  Officers responded to the East Elmhurst, New York, address after a 911 call described Amarillo walking from the door to the street carrying a Bible.  “I killed them,” he allegedly told cops. “I killed them.”

Cops said the older woman was found with a pillow over her face, lying on her back in one bedroom of the house, while the younger woman lay face down, with injuries to her head and a bloody hammer next to her body. Her 7-year-old daughter was unharmed in another bedroom of the house.

Former “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Janet Hubert is suing the American Federation of Television and Radio Acts (AFTRA) and their Health Fund, claiming that her insurer is refusing to cover her treatments for “intense spasms” and “strange chattering.”

According to Radar Online, the 58-year-old, who played Will Smith’s Aunt Viv on earlier seasons of the series, says she began suffering in 2004 and was treated by a chiropractor for “military neck,” a rare condition involving the loss of curvature in the spine. She says she also developed an intense case of vertigo which left her unable to operate a vehicle. The lawsuit lists Hubert’s surgery and treatment with a dry needle trigger point specialist to fix a strange “chatter” in her jaw as cause for intense pain, leaving the actress unable to work.

Hubert says HR sent her a letter in 2011 stating that they never meant to pay for any of the injections and her usage was “excessive in terms of frequency and duration.”  HR said only four injections per year were “medically necessary,” however Hubert had received 42 since 2010. A remaining sixteen yearly treatments were granted, but the rest were to be paid out of pocket. Hubert has reportedly filed several appeals, stating that she “has been unable to afford continuous treatments” and as a result “has been unable to accept numerous jobs.” Hubert claims that without proper medical care for her ailments, she was forced to claim disability.

Andrea Peterson, the CEO of New York based fashion label, Stem University talks about the integration of math, science, Ivy League culture and fashion.

A few inches of snow is what did Atlanta in – see ”Atlanta Snowmageddon Leaves Motorists in Gridlock.”

However, Atlanta is not the only southern city reeling after Snowmaggedon impacted the U.S. Blankets of ice cover the south after Winter Storm Leon’s arrival Tuesday.

The storm claimed the lives of at least six people, stranded children in schools overnight, and paralyzed travel in several states. Given ample time to prepare, North Carolina’s roadways were covered in salt and sand in the early hours of Tuesday.

Some areas weren’t so lucky, where some drivers have been stuck in their vehicles for more than 24 hours with temperatures plunging into the teens. The National Guard was present, delivering food, water, and gas, as well as rides in Humvees to people who were stuck on roads in Georgia. The storm reportedly only brought a couple of inches of snow yet caused over 1,000 motor vehicle accidents in Georgia and Alabama.

To be named one of Paper Magazine‘s “Beautiful People” is certainly an honor. The publication uses this section to highlight rising stars from L.A. and Istanbul and everywhere in between for their talent as well as their style. Profiles have featured actors, designers, chefs, comedians and musicians. In their latest series, Paper presents a collection of creatives from Nigeria, who are moving and shaking the worlds of fashion, entertainment, media and business.

Former Paper editor Zandile Blay splits her time between Nigeria and the United States as Editor-in-Chief of Hello! Nigeria Magazine and professor of fashion journalism at Syracuse University. She describes Lagosian style as, “Houston socialite meets Atlanta housewife meets Vegas showgirl.”

Adebayo Oke-Lawal is the designer behind Orange Culture, a burgeoning line that draws from the strength and playfulness of the city’s inhabitants. “Lagos is one of the most vibrant cities in the world. It is colorfully diverse, artistically rich and a roller coaster of cultures,” he says.

Former “Top Model” candidate Eku Edewor believes that Lagosians reflect a style that is universally fashionable and effortlessly on trend. “People dress up every day, it’s so fascinating. Everyone is a fashionista or fashionisto.”

Read more about Paper‘s Beautiful People of Lagos here.

When John Andrews Welden, 29, and Remee Jo Lee, 27, a couple of seven months, found out they were pregnant, only one of them was excited for the arrival of their bundle of joy. The other, had different plans. Welden tricked his girlfriend into taking Cytotec by claiming it was the antibiotic Amoxicillin, scratching off the proper labeling. Cytotec is actually used to induce labor, and caused the abortion of their six-week old fetus.

It all started last February, after Lee visited Welden’s father, an obstetrician, who confirmed her pregnancy. Welden told his then-girlfriend her blood results returned with a bacterial infection, and she needed to take an antibiotic. Welden, who was studying sports medicine, proceeded to give Lee the abortion pill. She immediately fell ill with intense vaginal bleeding. He admitted the crime at the hospital to his girlfriend.

Welden faced a Tampa, Florida federal judge, who sentenced him to 13 years and eight months in a low-security prison camp, earlier this week. He also was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to Lee, who bled for nearly a month after the forced abortion.

“I’ve caused everyone a huge amount of emotional pain,” Welden said. “What I’ve done will stay with me every day for the rest of my life.” And we’re sure with Lee, as well.