In today’s link round-up: Is Chris Brown featured on Rihanna’s newest single, Too Short apologizes for his “advice,” and much more!

TMZ
Bobby Brown Distraught After Hearing He’s Unwanted At Whitney Houston’s Funeral
Is the family justified or insensitive?

The Root
Jeremy Lin Hype: Because He’s Asian?
Would hot-shot Jeremy Lin get the same praise if he were black?

MTV News
Rihanna ‘Birthday Cake’ Cameo Will ‘Shock The World’
We’re wondering if “shock the world” is code of Chris Brown…

Loop 21
Too Short: ‘I Don’t Do Rape…I Love Black Women’
Too Short is on damage control for his disgusting comments.

Vibe
Nicki Minaj Cover’s Vibe’s Feb./Mar. Issue
Get a sneak peek of Nicki’s new cover and excerpts from the interview.

EURweb
Samuel L. Jackson: ‘I Voted For Barack Because He Was Black!’
Talk about honesty.

The Frisky
Our Favorite Looks From Fashion Week
Fashion Week is heating up and The Frisky captures some of the hottest looks.

By Temisha Palmer

What better way to will spring’s arrival than to incorporate one of the season’s hottest trends, high-voltage neon colors, now? Instead of waiting for 70-degree weather to show up and increase the volume on your look, you can mix bright neon pieces with your favorite winter items for a cool wardrobe mash-up. Whether you are a risk taker or like to play it safe, adding a few fluorescent touches can successfully transform your mundane look into a fun, chic ensemble. Here are a few ways to successfully add some shock value to your look with a few neon touches.

Last Thursday’s episode of We TV’s Braxton Family Values centered on Vincent Herbert and his sudden illness that left him in an induced coma in a New York City hospital. The Braxton family, including father Michael Conrad Braxton and brother Michael Braxton Jr., rallied around Tamar Braxton, the youngest of the sisters and Vince’s wife. And for the first time, audiences saw a vulnerable and stripped Tamar, who was absolutely distraught over her husband’s hospitalization. UPTOWN recently got a chance to speak with Tamar and Vince about his health, her new album and their spinoff series on We TV.

At the time of our interview Tamar was filming Braxtons in Atlanta, while Vince was getting a haircut at his home in California. Miles apart, their true love was still evident.

Fans of the uber-popular Vh1 series Basketball Wives will be pleased to know that the new season with the Miami cast will premiere later this month. In the meantime, all of the girls have been keeping themselves busy. UPTOWN recently caught up with the outspoken and talented Royce Reed regarding her role in the play Platanos Y Collard Greens. As it turns out, the stage is not unfamiliar ground for Reed, who holds a Florida A&M University degree in theater education and humanities. Reed will headline the NYC production as Malady, a student and leader, until Feb. 18. See what she has to say about her stage role and the behind-the-scenes Basketball Wives gossip …

By Mark Thompson

Just one year year ago this month, my mom was in the hospital with her life hanging in the balance. All I could do was pray for a miracle and listen over and over to Whitney Houston’s song “Miracle.” Now both are gone.

As each of us reacts in our own way to the incomprehensible news of Whitney’s passing, and as we mourn, she deserves something from us. She deserves to not only be acknowledged as one of the greatest voices of all time, but also as one who was on the right side of history.

I agree with those who would call her the voice of the post-Civil Rights generation, but she was also more than that. Her career was no mere segue from freedom fighting to arrival at some mythical post-racial moment. She picked up the baton from the civil rights movement and addressed the issues of her day. Whitney was a voice in the ongoing civil rights movement.

As Earl Ofari Hutchinson, President of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, said at the time of her passing, “Much will be said and written about Houston as an entertainer in the obits on her life and work, but she must and should also be remembered for the quiet contributions that she made to civil rights and humanitarian causes. Houston the humanitarian is a proud legacy that deserves to be remembered as much as Houston the star entertainer.”

We know that Whitney, as quietly as many celebrities do contributed to civil rights and humanitarian causes. But there were also causes she was involved in that weren’t so quiet. Her Whitney Houston Foundation For Children aided children with cancer or AIDS, homeless children, and worked toward the prevention of child abuse, taught children to read, and built inner city parks and playgrounds. She raised money for the United Negro College Fund, the Children’s Defense Fund and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. As the only artist to elevate National Anthem to the top charts after performing at the 1991 Super Bowl, she first donated her royalties to the Red Cross. After 9/11, Whitney re-released “The Star Spangled Banner” charity single to benefit the New York Firefighters Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police Fund and raised more than $1 million.

Before the environmental movement was as popular as it is today, Whitney Rocked for the Rainforest in 1994, helping to raise over a million dollars. And as politicians today pretend to be so concerned about debt, Whitney signed on to the Jubilee 2000 campaign to end third world debt over a decade ago.

And as Hutchinson says, “Houston also was deeply concerned about opening doors and improving the image of blacks in the film industry. Her BrownHouse Productions was dedicated to providing opportunities and a production vehicle for blacks in the industry.” All of Whitney’s films are unforgettable, but what more significant contribution to the heirs of the civil rights generation from an heir than positive self-imagery? For example, fairy tales were never African American stories. The pictures in bedtime stories were like the pictures of Christ: as white as the pages on which they were printed. Little Black girls had only white princesses, white queens and white fairy godmothers to visualize and aspire to be. Whitney changed all that with Cinderella.

Courtesy of Madame Noire

One of the certainties of growing through life is if you look at a picture of yourself that’s old enough, you’re likely to wonder what was going through your mind at the time. Exactly what were you thinking with that wacky hairstyle or questionable outfit? The younger you are in the picture, the more bewildered you’re likely to be by the choices (or circumstances) leading up to the snapshot.

The same rule holds true for the guys you’ve fallen for along the way. The only difference between you and starlet celebrities is that everyone else gets to look at her pictures and wonder what she was thinking too.

Maybe it was a phase, maybe it was for publicity but just like all your questionable photos from back in the day these next celebrity couples clearly thought it was a good idea at the time.

Beyonce and Marques Houston

Beyonce may have a squeaky clean, “I’ve only ever been with Jay-Z” image, but common sense holds that that’s a load of #@!$. Back in 2010, Rapper, Joe Budden tweeted as much, admitting that Marques used to “pipe down” Beyonce but “I guess he gets no credit.” And on top of that, Houston went on 106 & Park some years back and revealed that he and Bey had a thing going on before she blew up crazy.

So what was Beyonce thinking? Maybe, “I can always lie about it later.”

Continue at Madame Noire!

Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at fashion video shoots? Well, so did we, and we hit up fashion designer LaQuan Smith in NYC to find out.

LaQuan may only be 23 years old, but he has been making waves in the fashion industry since jumping on the scene in the late 2000s, designing custom garments for Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce and Tyra. LaQuan has had several collections under his eponymous label, but decided to move in a decidedly futuristic direction for spring 2012. The collection, an extension of 2011′s “Eclipse” collection, features neon brights, a healthy dose of beige, and lots of black. Oh, and since LaQuan used neoprene as the dominant fabric, many of the pieces are waterproof! We see this coming in handy for a lot of style mavens enjoying drunken nights.

During our behind-the-scenes video shoot, we not only chatted with LaQuan, but also makeup artist Sir John Barnett and hairstylist Dante Blandshaw. Both artists cohesively transformed model Paris, of Muse Model Agency, into a chic, beautiful and edgy alien — the ultimate being to embody LaQuan’s modernized edge aesthetic!

Check out the video below and remember to keep LaQuan on your fashion radar!

Courtesy of Loop 21

As if they want to ensure that no woman ever votes Republican again, the GOP has now made domestic violence a partisan issue. Just a week after they lost the contraception fight to the Obama administration’s clever maneuvering, the GOP is now set to take sides on the issue of violence against women. 

When now-Vice President Joe Biden introduced the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, the bill was aimed at the epidemic levels of intimate partner violence, sexual assault and stalking. The VAWA not only includes grants and training programs for prosecutors to ensure that abusers are put behind bars, but it also trains police officers to adequately deal with these types of crimes. Shelters for victims of abuse also rely on service grants authorized by the VAWA.

Nearly 1 in 5 women will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Three women a day (on average) die at the hands of their boyfriends or husbands. Stats like this are alarming enough to ensure a swift reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, just like in 2000 and in 2005 right? Apparently, not.

Continue at Loop 21…

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

Even though Rihanna‘s birthday isn’t until Monday, the Barbados sensation celebrated on Valentine’s Day and threw a private party at the Hearst Mansion in Beverly Hills. Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Chris Martin were a few in attendance, as well as a very special guest: Chris Brown.

It seems that three years is a charm in the ex-couple’s case. Allegedly C. Breezy didn’t want anyone to know he was at the party. His reps tell TMZ confidentiality agreements were distributed only to workers at the party and anyone who was caught videotaping/snapping a pic of CB. Interestingly enough the two were spotted snuggling up and holding hands with one another.

Rihanna casually took to Twitter and wrote:

Continue at Vibe Vixen!

Another week, another day and another round of outrageous celebrity phrases! This week, the celebrity sound bites making headlines include everything from an arrogant R&B star’s disrespectful tweet to an Academy Award-winning actor’s embarrassing father to a legendary diva’s recollection of a drug-filled evening with another diva. Plus, guess which actor only voted for Obama because he is black and which pint-sized rapper thinks her competition is indeed a ‘stupid hoe.’  And I quote …

By Jessica Matos

From costume designs for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Broadway to Project Runway to fashion week presentations, Emilio Sosa has only tapped the tip of the fashion industry iceberg. True to his Caribbean lineage and metropolitan upbringing, Emilio is both smooth and unexpected … much like his designs. His focus on today’s woman has been the core of his E.SOSA brand’s success. His fall 2012 presentation, which took place at the Ailey studios in NYC, featured a collection of fresh color palettes, comfort and classic silhouettes. Invited guests inside, as well as, passersby could see the breathtaking display of apparel art through massive floor to ceiling windows. The digital world also got a taste of E.SOSA via a live stream on PatternRebellion.com. Refreshments, great music and of course impeccable fashion kept the fun going in New York, though.   We recently caught up with Emilio to talk fashion, travel and inspiration. Check out exclusive photos and get to know the man behind E.SOSA.

On the black carpet at the Good Deeds premiere, Gabrielle Union talks practical jokes, Brian White talks overachieving vs. self destructing, plus sound bites from Tyler Perry and Rebecca Romijn.

Click here for a gallery of photos from the premiere in L.A.

Courtesy of The Frisky

“Grooms get in free!”

That’s the generous offer from Austin Monthly, my local glossy society rag, for its “Couture, Cakes and Cufflinks,” uh, “Bridal Bash.” There’s nothing particularly unusual about this kind of shill party, and that’s what makes it particularly offensive. It’s every disgusting wedding narrative rolled into one day-long event that women are actually expected to pay to attend.

There’s so much to hate about mainstream wedding culture — the consumerism, the gender policing, the fucking consumerism, the body-shaming, did I mention the consumerism? — but perhaps the wedding-related narrative that pisses me off more than any other is the idea that men are incapable of being interested in weddings and must be coddled and babied so that their delicate wedding-hating sensibilities are not offended.

Apparently the men of Austin are so addled by the idea of marriage that they need a separate “Cufflink Lounge,” where they can “relax, play pool and more,” away from all that awful gross icky nasty wedding things ewwwwwww! I presume there are Axe-scented smelling salts at the ready in case some guy sees a slice of white cake and faints.

Everyone knows that men can only be manipulated and cajoled into marriage at length by nagging harpy bitches, as this is one of the patriarchy’s most enduring and successful narratives used to keep women from getting too uppity. Patriarchy tells women they’re only valuable when men find them attractive. Patriarchy tells men they’re valuable when they score the big home run or nail down that account or or scratch their balls. So when men deign to wed, they’re doing women a huge favor.

This is a game women cannot win. We get mocked and shamed for being anxious to find a husband and mocked and shamed for being excited about wedding-related things, which are apparently so fundamentally embarrassing that men can’t even be expected to participate beyond grudgingly showing up, and only then if there’s sports and beer. On the other hand, women also get mocked and shamed for staying single (so pathetic!) or not committing to a man, in which case they are lonely sluts.

Continue reading at The Frisky

[Bride and groom image via Shutterstock]

In wake of Whitney Houston’s untimely death, Lauryn Hill spoke to a sold-out crowd Tuesday night in Hollywood, Calif. asking for their patience during her time of transition.

Related: Singers Who Keep Us Sane

“Aren’t you tired of losing our people?” She said before singing the last song of the night. “I am.”

She continued, “Love your artists. When they falter, hold them accountable. But love them. People are now showing Whitney Houston the love and respect she should have received throughout her career — through all of it.”

Hill’s message was filled with sincere meaning as it was one of the first times during the show that she took the time to speak to the crowd, let alone address her demons.

The 36-year-old singer is widely known for her early work as a member of the Fugees, but gained tremendous recognition for her solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The album was well-received by audiences and earned Hill five Grammy Awards.

Despite her personal problems and critique from fans and the music industry alike, Hill remains resilient; she just needs time.

“I’m in transition, still,” she said before closing with “Doo Wop (That Thing).”  “Be patient with me. New is coming.” 

Source

Courtesy of EURWeb

The story of Jeremy Lin is the reason why we watch sports. Anything can happen at any given moment.

Last week I sat in my living room in amazement during the New York Knicks game against the New Jersey Nets in which Lin played All Star point guard Deron Williams to a virtual standstill en route to a convincing New York Knicks trouncing of their tri-state little brothers. While Lin’s performance during that game was surprising it became less so the more I thought about it, and the more he performed. This ability didn’t come out of nowhere. Over the Knicks’ seven game winning streak he has displayed a shooting touch that from 3 point range, a lightening quick first step, court vision that rivals the very best in the game, and the confidence of a ten year veteran. His swagger was apparent almost immediately. He practiced with the Golden State Warriors for an entire season. You mean to tell me his skills went completely unnoticed? He practiced against Monte Ellis, arguably the second best shooting guard in the NBA behind Kobe Bryant, and hot shooting point guard Stephen Curry. These guys are among the leagues elite so it is understandable that he didn’t start there. But you mean to tell me he couldn’t crack the line up at all? A line up in which CJ Watson got considerable minutes in the back court in the 2010-11 season? CJ who? Exactly! I cannot bring myself to believe that his fearlessness and competitive nature was not on full display everyday in practice. So why didn’t he get any time there?

Lin would eventually be cut in the the off season because his salary was needed in the Warriors fruitless attempt at signing high-flying center DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers, who would eventually resign with Los Angeles. After being cut by the Golden State Warriors Lin was later waived by the Houston Rockets. Not unlike the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets have a deep backcourt led by overachieving, yet powerful, point guard Kyle Lowry and flame-throwing two-guard Kevin Martin and a slew of former first round draft picks. With that being said it is still very difficult for me to believe that someone of his demonstrated abilities couldn’t find a home there. But it is easier for me to believe that he couldn’t catch on in Houston, than with the Warriors. But fate has a funny way of playing out. After failing to land a splashy free-agent point guard in the off-season the New York Knicks picked up oft-injured NBA retread Baron Davis and pressed combo guard Tony Douglas into service as the Knicks’ starting point guard. It was a job that he didn’t perform well. They would later pick up veteran guard Mike Bibby as an insurance policy. But that didn’t work well either as Bibby had always been more of a spot up shooter than a passer.

Continue reading at EURWeb

The second issue of an African-themed L’Uomo Vogue is coming and, this time, it’s going far beyond fashion.

Editor Franca Sozzani spoke with Styleite.com on her plans of publishing the issue that is due to hit newsstands in May or June.

“It will be about the presidents, it will be about the people. But in a very positive way,” she revealed.

“I don’t want to say in a [glamorous] way, but I wanted to show the best side, but only the good side. There are a lot of talents, a lot of talented people in art, in music, in cinema and everywhere. So I really wanted to push that side.”

The first L’Uomo issue dedicated to African style was released in November 2008 on the heels of Vogue Italia’s “Black Issue” in July.

In the world’s eyes, Whitney Houston was the celebrated music icon with the voice of an angel. 

To Aretha Franklin, godmother, she was simply ”Nippy.”

Related: Whitney Houston’s Funeral Will Be Broadcast [DETAILS]

In a recent interview with Al Roker on Today, Franklin reveals the way she found out about Houston’s shocking death.

“I had just finished watching George Clooney in ‘The Descendants,’ and I flipped back to the regular TV and maybe two minutes after I did that it, came across the screen,” she said. ”I just jumped up off the side of the bed. [...] This could not be.”

Franklin said she believed Houston had “conquered her challenges” and was on her way to making a big comeback. But sadly, her life was cut short.

Related: Celebs React To Whitney Houston’s Death

Franklin, along with Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder, is expected to sing at Houston’s private funeral Saturday that will be broadcast worldwide. She explains to Roker how difficult the task will be. 

 ”It’s not going to be easy,” said the Queen of Soul. “But Cissy asked me to and I’m just going to try to do my best.”

She goes on to discuss Bobby Brown‘s responsibility for daughter Bobbi Kristina, the pressure on Houston and her legacy.

Courtesy of Hello Beautiful

I was diligently working on the Commitment workshop offered through my personal site Goddess Intellect, when I thought of the types of things and people I had to let go in order to receive a clearer vision on what my love life should look like. I distinctly remember maybe 4-5 years ago being one angry mofo. I was so angry at men. I was so paranoid of people hurting me. I was so resentful and envious, looking back now I’m embarrassed, but grateful.

Not one person in my life who has known me from back in the day can say that I have not changed for the better, but the thing is it took sacrifices. It took a lot of willpower and a strong desire to want better for myself and not anyone else.

What would happen was that I start to make advances and then as soon as I met resistance, by someone telling me it was impossible or by listening to others who weren’t sh*t I would retreat back to my comfort zone. In my comfort zone amassed self-help books, a large collection of DVDs and other ‘things’ I would hoard and collect.

See the connection. Na, I wasn’t about to audition for an episode of Hoarders but I kept a lot inside. I knew I wanted better but I didn’t know how the hell I was gonna get there. I know there are folks going through challenges in their personal life. Nine times out of ten we do not see the issues on the surface, so I’m grateful that I can reach those I may not be able to talk directly to through my words.

Here are five things I had to let go of in order to move forward with my love life:

Continue reading at Hello Beautiful

Courtesy of Madame Noire

If you think for a minute that we believe that these following women aren’t holding down relationships, then you must’ve taken us for fools. What we do know is that these ladies are not taking any man seriously enough to introduce them to their public lives. Luckily, Kelly Rowland finally let her new boo out of the bag and is now having him accompany her out in public. Did you see the Grammys? We’re so happy for Rowland. But these other ladies – we’re just dying to know what’s going on as we rarely get couple sightings of them arm in arm with a man worthy of their calibers.

Michelle Williams

She told People in 2008 that her dating life was “unfortunate” and that she hadn’t been in a relationship in over two years. Well, it’s been nearly four years since that interview and we haven’t seen Williams come publicly forward with a relationship or arm candy although she was linked to basketball player Taj Gibson in 2010.

Jill Marie Jones 

Besides Traci Ellis Ross, Jill Marie Jones, who played bourgeois Toni Childs, is the actress that Girlfriends fans have been most curious about. Although she lands regular acting gigs and is often out and about on the Black celebrity party circuit, we’ve never seen Ms. Jones out with a man. With her good looks, what’s the deal? Mediatakeout (credible, right?) did report that she was dating David Brown in 2009 but we can’t trust that, can we?

Continue reading at Madame Noire

Chris Brown and Rihanna did exactly what they set out to do: “shock the world.”

Related: Chris Brown & Rihanna: The New Bobby & Whitney

As rumored, the former couple released two new remixes Monday night, “Birthday Cake” and “Turn Up The Music,” featuring each other’s musical talents.

Their collaborations have certainly created a media frenzy from music critics to crazed fans weighing in on their decision to work together. Some can’t begin to forget the violent 2009 incident, while others consider the altercation a thing of the past.

No matter what side of the jagged fence you’re on, one thing is certain: Chris and Rihanna do not care. They’ve moved on and are looking to the future.

Take a listen to their latest music!