Courtesy of Hello Beautiful

On this week’s episode of “Scandal,” dubbed “No Sun on the Horizon,” Olivia finds out the truth about Sally’s murderous ways and Cyrus’ great lengths to keep her out of jail, but the biggest cover up of the episode — and season 3, in general — has been of Kerry Washiongton’s baby bump. I know, I know I was supposed to be sucked into the aftermath of Daniel Douglass’ murder, the Presidential debate, Jake doing his best Command impersonations, Quinn being annoying, etc. … and I was. But I can’t stop cracking up at all the ways that “Scandal” has been shot to give Kerry the “Claire Huxtable treatment.”

Keep reading …

A Harris County jury will determine whether a Houston father will be charged in the fatal shooting of a 17 year old he believed to be an intruder in his daughter’s bedroom.

Investigators said that the 55-year-old father was alerted to noises coming from the bedroom of his 16-year-old girl around 2:20 a.m. When he entered the room, he discovered the 17 year old and an altercation ensued. Investigators say the man called 911 before the shooting. He shot the boy because he believed the teen was reaching for something. Only after the boy’s death, did the daughter acknowledge that she knew the young man identified as Johran McCormick.

“I really wish that he would have had a second thought,” says the boy’s mother Zakia McCormick of the shooter. “He didn’t deserve to die like that.”

The suspect was taken from the scene and treated at a hospital after suffering from a heart attack. He was not arrested or charged with the murder of the boy.

Few details were released about the family that had just moved into a modest, single-story brick home. Neighbors told investigators the family had just rented the three-bedroom house a month prior to the incident.

A news release from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said officers are preparing a case that will be presented to the grand jury. The jury will determine what charges, if any, will be filed against the shooter.

What recession?

According to consulting and research firm, the Spectrem Group, the number of U.S. millionaires are on the rise. The number of U.S. households with a net worth of $1 million and more rose to 9.63 million in 2013, the highest on record. That’s a 600,000+ uptick from 2012′s numbers according to the company’s 2014 Affluent Market Insights Report.

“The last few years, we’ve seen the number continually increase, but this was the first year that we’re finally beyond the economic crisis,” said the firm’s president, George Walper, Jr.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

After the financial fall of 2008, only 6.7 U.S. millionaires were recorded. Thanks to a rapidly improving real estate market, more Americans are becoming millionaires each year. But it doesn’t stop there. The number of affluent households making more than $5 million and $25 million have also shattered records.

“Because of their levels of wealth, they increased their exposure to equities during the downturn and were making investments in real estate when the market was at the bottom,” notes Walper.

He continued, “That’s why now they benefited the most from the return of the economy.”

Graphic via Millionaire’s Corner/Spectrum

For the past 25 years since its “formal introduction” to the masses via Billboard‘s Hot Rap Songs chart, rap music has evolved into what could be described as one of pop culture’s load bearing walls.

Music provides background to many of our life’s greatest memories and just like all genres, rap is no different. How many summers do you remember not by the calendar year but by anthem? What you listened to while unsuccessfully break dancing on cardboard boxes, how you got your head right before a high school track meet, or to get through all night study sessions in college.  It was also an anxiety blocker while getting ready for day 1 at your first corporate job, and it was what made you ‘get low’ in the club.

Whether its fans were looking out the windows of the projects in the Big Apple or on the streets of Compton, learning to navigate “the streets” and corporate America, Rap music has penetrated even the most remote pockets of the world.

After Monday’s head scratching revelation that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis “Thrift Shop” is the No. 1 rap song of all time (according to Billboard) we realized that ‘best’ is relative, and is truly in the eye of the beholder.  Feeling inspired, I compiled a list of 10 Rap Songs that are ‘bests’ in their own right because they’re reminders of life’s universally relatable moments…breakups, rainy days, summoning motivation and more.

Best Rap Song To Get Over A Breakup
“Lost Ones” - Lauryn Hill

Best R.I.P Rap Song
“They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” - Pete Rock & CL Smooth

Best Theme Song For Girls’ Night Out
“Ladies Night” – Da Brat, Left Eye, Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez, Lil’ Kim

Best Rap Song To Get Dressed To Before You Go Clubbing
“Change Clothes” - JAY Z

Best Rap Song That Will Cheer You Up On A Rainy Day
“Keep Your Head Up” - 2Pac

Best Rap Song That Belongs On Your ‘In The Mood’ Soundtrack
“Poetic Justice” – Kendrick Lamar

Rap Song That Your Aunties And ‘Nem Say Is Their Jam
“The Humpty Dance” - Digital Underground

Best Rap Song To Get The Party Started
“It Takes Two” – Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock

Best Rap Song To Apologize With
“One More Chance” – Notorious B.I.G

Best Rap Song For Motivation
“Lose Yourself” – Eminem

Courtesy of Sister 2 Sister

Mona Scott-Young doesn’t doubt that a copyright infringement lawsuit has been filed against her, but she doesn’t know much more about it than you do.

“I read about it on the blogs just like everyone else did,” Mona told Sway Calloway about the “Love & Hip Hop” lawsuit. “I haven’t been served anything…The only people they’ve served are TMZ and Bossip.”

Although Mona, founder of Monami Entertainment and creator of the “Love & Hip Hop” franchise, doesn’t have details to share about the $50 million legal battle, she didn’t deny that the plaintiffs may have had a similar idea.

“I have to assume there’s some basis to it because these are all very legal looking documents,” said Mona who acknowledged that it’s easy for one reality TV concept to sound a lot like another.

Continue here…

Courtesy of Cocoa Fab

Catch the video here…

If the latest rumors are to be believed, LeBron James is well on his way to becoming a proud father of three.

TheYBF.com reports the NBA champ’s wife Savannah James is 15 weeks along and has shared the news with fellow Miami Heat wives and girlfriends. The couple have yet to publicly confirm the news.

Pregnancy rumors surfaced when LeBron and Savannah attended a GQ event during All-Star Weekend in February. A source says she’s skipped out on several team events due to all-day morning sickness.

The pair– who tied the knot in September– already play parents to two boys, LeBron James Jr. and Bryce Maximus James.

Courtesy of The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Chris Brown was arrested Friday and will be held without bail on a warrant issued by probation officials in the latest legal entanglement for the R&B singer who has struggled to put his 2009 attack on Rihanna behind him.

The warrant was issued by the judge overseeing Brown’s case after he was informed Friday morning that the singer had been discharged from rehab “for failure to comply with rules and regulations of the program.” No further details were released, but more information will be presented to Superior Court Judge James R. Brandlin when Brown appears in his courtroom on Monday afternoon.

Sheriff’s officials said Brown was cooperative when he was arrested at a Malibu treatment facility where he had been staying and transported to a jail facility in downtown Los Angeles.

Continue here…

The long-awaited James Brown biopic Get On Up has finally arrived and we’ve got a first look at the official trailer.

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Tika Sumpter, Jill Scott, Keith Robinson, Nelsan Ellis and Dan Aykroyd, the story follows the star’s rise to fame after enduring extreme hardships.

Get On Up opens in theaters nationwide on Aug. 1. Check out the official trailer below.

Courtesy of Elev8

The Connecticut Post reported that Bishop Bobby Davis of Miracle Faith World Outreach Church, who was also a certified marriage and family therapist, was pronounced dead at Bridgeport Hospital after the ordeal.

“After the service on Sunday the bishop’s family asked us to remain in the church and the bishop confessed to us something that happened long ago,” Judy Stovall, an elder at the church, said. “He wanted to come clean with all of us. He wanted to ask our forgiveness.”

“We were shouting, ‘We forgive you, we love you.’ But the stress of all of it — he had a heart attack,” an emotional Stovall continued. “I held his head as he lay on the floor. … Our congregation is hurting now.”

One source, who asked not to be identified during an interview with The Christian Post on Thursday, said the confession wasn’t that clean-cut based on what they were told, and feels the situation could have been handled better.

Continue here…

Courtesy of Sister 2 Sister

Malik Yoba is speaking out in a new documentary that explores the fear of Black men and the stereotypes that encourage it.

Filmmaker Mya B is getting ready to release a documentary about the stigma that Black men face with Afraid of Dark. Examining the two major stereotypical depictions of Black men (Mandigo and the Brute), Mya aims to debunk “scientific racism.”

The film comes as the nation continues to ponder the impact of Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law that saw Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis’ respective killers walk away virtually scot-free. Not to mention the murder of New Yorker Sean Bell, who was gunned down by police just hours before his wedding.

Catch the video here…

Tami Roman is taking a break from the world of reality television to partake in a scripted series alongside Halle Berry.

The “Basketball Wives” star has joined the cast of CBS’s upcoming drama “Extant,” executive produced by Steven Spielberg. The futuristic thriller centers on a female astronaut (Berry) who returns from space to reconnect with her family.

Roman’s character is named Cass Hendy, but there are no specific details on her storyline.

Goran Visnjic, Grace Gummer, Camryn Manheim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Louis Gossett Jr., Annie Wersching and Michael O’Neill round out the cast.

“Extant” will premiere on CBS in July.

Oprah Winfrey is set to drop some of her biggest gems in a book based on her “What I Know for Sure” columns published in the back of every O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine.

The book will be a compilation of the articles that she’s penned since the glossy debuted in 2000.

According to a press release, the essays will be organized by themes– joy, gratitude, awe, possibility and others– and will “offer a rare, powerful and intimate glimpse into Oprah’s inner life– her thoughts, struggles and dreams– while providing readers a guide to becoming their best selves.”

What I Know for Sure will hit shelves Sept. 2.

Name: Embry Kidd & Ashaki Noni Holmes-Kidd

Occupation: Embry: Attorney; Ashaki: Attorney/Consultant

Current City: Washington, DC

Hometown: Embry – Vincent, AL; Ashaki – Jacksonville, FL

Age: 30 (both)

REFLECTIONS:

Advice they’d have given themselves 10 years ago:

Ashaki: Relax. It will all work out the way it’s supposed to.

Embry: Stick with the plan (and the girl!), but take a few risks.

 Most valuable life lesson learned:

Ashaki: Keep calm and carry on.

Embry: Know your audience.

Words to live by:

Stay tuned for more profiles in our NMAAHC Ambassador/Black philanthropy series.

Afrika Bambaataa and other Hip Hop pioneers including Grandmaster Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz and Grand Wizard Theodore announced they are looking to preserve the roots of Hip Hop through the Universal Hip-Hop Museum.

“The Godfather of Rap” Bambaataa is looking to remind the masses that the genre that birthed rap into mainstream cultural domination is much more than a hot “16.”

“Many people have a misconception of what hip-hop is,” said Bambaataa. “When they say hip-hop, they only say it’s the rapper, and there’s a whole culture and movement behind it.” He will serve as the museum’s chairman.

The term Hip Hop is inclusive of the musical style that included breaks for “B-Boying”, fashion, graffiti or “tagging” and other elements that has evolved into the genre of rap. The Universal Hip-Hop Museum plans to provide an interactive experience to detail the historical and cultural roots of the genre and the contributions of break dancers and disc jockeys. Developers plan on opening a Hip-Hop museum in 2017 inside the Kingsbridge Armory, a long-empty fortress that is being redeveloped into a national ice sports center , according to The New York Times.

The Universal Hip Hop Museum is one of many developments that aim to preserve the history of the genre in New York City. In recent years, the National Museum of Hip-Hop has attempted to gain footing, opting for a Manhattan location instead of the Bronx. Craig Wilson, co-founder of the National Museum of Hip-Hop, is thinking of Manhattan due to the tourist factor saying “the numbers in Manhattan make more sense financially than in the Bronx.”  

President Rocky Bucano says the backing of some of Hip Hop’s prominent living pioneers sets their museum apart from other projects in the pipeline. Plus by placing the museum in the birthplace of Hip Hop this will show an air of authenticity. In addition, the museum could revitalize the Bronx neighborhood and bring foot traffic to the borough. Grandmaster Melle Mel said this could become a destination like the Yankee Stadium.

The fate of the planned museum will depend on a vote by an advisory committee appointed to oversee community benefits from the redeveloped armory.

Since that fateful summer day in 2001 when the shot of Derek Watkins walking and holding an umbrella over his then boss, music impresario Sean Combs (who was transitioning to “P. Diddy” at the time), while strolling down a beach boardwalk in hot spot St. Tropez, beamed across the world, the former retail and restaurant worker’s life has never been the same. That now iconic image not only solidified Diddy’s jet-setting, international persona, but it also instantly transformed Atlanta native and Morehouse graduate Watkins into an overnight sensation. From the morning and late-night merry-go- round of Live With Regis and Kelly and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno to mainstream pubs ranging from Time to People, everyone wanted to know about the man who suddenly became Fonzworth Bentley. No longer Diddy’s valet and personal assistant, he was now an arbiter of taste and a connoisseur of gentlemanly chic. He became a ubiquitous presence: performing with OutKast at the Grammys; starring in two MTV reality shows (Making the Band 2 and his own vehicle, From G’s to Gents); launching his own line of umbrellas; and joining the pundit circuit offering sartorial advice to the style starved. Thanks to his intriguing persona, impossible-to-deny sense of fashion and burgeoning  gentleman brand, Watkins covered the very first issue of UPTOWN in the summer of 2004. Here, he riffs on the early days of fame, his growth, his recent work with Kanye and how UPTOWN changed his life.

How did you find out you were chosen for UPTOWN’s first cover?

I received a call from the late and great David Watkins [the events and marketing guru, no relation, that helped launch UPTOWN, Vibe and The Source] who informed me that I was selected to be on the first cover. I was floored.

What was the response from those around you, including Diddy? Did the cover help  your career at all?

My friends were elated and celebrated with me. My haters had more reasons to hate! But seriously, people really began to see who I was and appreciate the gentlemen’s movement that I was passionate about. Diddy is always happy for me! And yes, the cover really helped my career. It completely validated my brand and gave credibility to my mission of bringing class and gentleman sophistication to hip-hop.

What do you think about UPTOWN’s evolution?

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since the first issue. Magazines come and go. And, for UPTOWN to still be here and weather the downturn of the economy and other factors, proves just how relevant and necessary this voice is to our culture. I am so proud of the dedication and commitment of the hardworking staff and how each issue continues to inform and capture the “right now” of our time.

So what about your own evolution?  What were you doing at the time you were on the cover? And what are you doing now?

At that time, in 2004, I was a correspondent for Access Hollywood. But, I was still trying to figure it out. I was being pulled in all kinds of directions, and had many opportunities and was having a lot of fun. As for right now, I recently signed on as the new host of BET’s Lift Every Voice, which comes on every Sunday at  10 a.m. Musically, I wrote on four songs on Kanye West’s Yeezus album, and I continue to work on my own projects. Educationally, I’m a cohost with Ledisi on the UNCF Empower Me tour, and I continue to lecture on college campuses with my New York Times best-selling book, Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence, and Style to Get Ahead.
How have you grown?

First and foremost, I’m now a husband to my beautiful wife, actress Faune Chambers Watkins, and the father of our daughter, Zoie Alecia Watkins [born July 30, 2013]. These two major events have transformed, blessed and enhanced my life spiritually, emotionally and economically.

What’s in the future for Derek “Fonzworth Bentley” Watkins?

To become an international multimedia conglomerate in music, television, film and fashion. I’m just getting started!

By Raphael Greene

Music makes the world go round and this weekend’s Instagram recap features notable snaps from Chris Brown, the queen Mary J. Blige, ASAP Rocky,  lyricist Kendrick Lamar and more hip hop heads trying to reach legendary status and nab an exhibit in the Universal Hip Hop Museum.

Never too busy: Though Chris Brown is in between rehab and jail, he still has time to post this #tbt picture.

Cinderella: Actress Malinda Williams headed to a Masquerade ball this weekend.

Lovebirds: Asap Rocky and his Victoria’s Secret girlfriend Chanel Iman on the AMFAR red carpet.

Focused: Mack Wilds is focused on building a name for himself in hip-hop now that he’s mastered acting.

Lady in Red: Lover her or hate her, Kim Kardashian is rocking that LRD.

Diva Status: Mary J. Blige cruises through New York.

Compton’s own, The Game and Kendrick Lamar back in the day.

Usher the Panamanian Devil

Taraji P. Henson getting all glammed up for the Celebration of Gospel on BET.

Anyone can have a miniature toy dog, but when you’re a celebrity, the world of exotic pets is wide open for you. Check out some of our favorite stars and their unusual pet sidekicks — many of which probably wouldn’t make great companions for average Joes.

Vanilla Ice & Bucky Buckaroo

Bucky is a wallaroo (a cross between a kangaroo and a wallaby) and shares a pen with goat Pancho at Ice’s Florida residence.

[Image: Spoki]

Josephine Baker & Chiquita

One of the most influential women of entertainment was known for leisurely walking down the street with her pet leopard. Nowadays, we’re sure PETA would shut that down.

[Image: LisaJaeggi]

Mike Tyson & Kenya

When it comes to making cameos, Tyson is one-half of a package. The Hangover not only featured Iron Mike, but also one of his three pet tigers.

[Image: Pinterest]

Salvador Dali & His Anteater

Dali’s eccentricity was obviously not limited to his art. The surrealist was known for walking his anteater through the streets of Paris.

[Image: reelfoto]

Dali also had a pet ocelot, Babou, whom he took with him almost everywhere.

[Image: matouenpeluche]

Justin Beiber & Mally

The international pop star had a Capuchin monkey that was recently seized after he couldn’t present the proper paperwork for the mammal.

[Image: Justinbeibercrew]

Mikki Moore & His Reptilian Posse

The Celtics center has alligators, boa constrictors, and other reptiles from time to time at his South Carolina home.

[Image: Sports Illustrated]

Nicolas Cage, Moby & Sheba

The well-known star has two pet king cobras, Moby and Sheba, as well as an octopus that reportedly cost him $150,000.

[Image: CoolFactsForKids]

Cee Lo Green & Lady Bird

Former “The Voice” judge Cee Lo found his salmon-hued Moluccan cockatoo while vacationing on Fantasy Island.

[Image: Examiner.com]

Johnny Depp & His Bug Collection

Last on our list is the modern-day Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp, who has his own bug collection, even though he reportedly made his fear of insects very apparent when filming Pirates of the Caribbean. Scientists even named an ancient insect named after him, the Kooteninchela deppi, a 505-million-year-old distant ancestor of lobsters and scorpions. The scientists who named the creature were immediately reminded of Depp’s character Edward in Edward Scissorhands.

[Image: Bedirhan]

RELATED: Tracee Ellis Ross, Chris Brown, Kerry Washington and More Celebs With Adorable Pets

The Queen of Media’s footprint in Chicago is decreasing, as Oprah Winfrey has sold the four-building campus of Harpo Studios to a Chicago developer in a sale-lease back agreement.

Winfrey sealed the deal over the weekend, concluding talks that began last October, to sell the three to five-acre campus. A spokeswoman for Harpo Studios confirmed the deal, to the Chicago Tribune, that the property would be leased back to Harpo for two years, with the studio continues to produce programming for OWN. The property is estimated to sell at $32 million. The spokeswoman did not release the financial details of the deal.

Winfrey purchased the Near West Side property in 1988 and moved her talk show to the then-struggling city neighborhood. Harpo Studios produced “The Oprah Show” from 1990 until 2011, the year she signed off to birth the Los Angeles-based Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The Harpo Studios Chicago location continued to produce content for OWN as her flagship network gained footing in cable television. About 200 employees continue to work from the studio.

Over the years, Winfrey expanded the property to double the size. Her presence in the area is credited with a renaissance of dining, shopping, and residential properties in the neighborhood.

The sale of Harpo Studios is one of many properties Winfrey has sold in Chicago, since ending her talk show. Winfrey put her sprawling Chicago condo on the market in January 2014 for $7.75 million. She continues to own small residential properties in Elmwood Park, Illinois and Merrillville, Indiana.

Oprah Winfrey Way, the street outside Harpo Studios and named by former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, will keep the Queen of Media’s name alive in the city.

Spring is right around the corner — Thursday, March 20 to be exact — and I know you’ve been aching to get out the house. There are so many festivals, concerts, and other events that bring you outdoors. While you’re out there catching the sun and having fun, don’t forget to protect your hair and skin from the elements.

Taking care of your skin is pretty simple: Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize inside and outside. Drink lots of water to keep your insides, as well as your skin, hydrated and fresh. Taking care of your hair is pretty much the same. Drinking water contributes to healthier hair, while making sure that you moisturize your hair keeps it from becoming brittle, dry, and damaged.

Another way to ensure the health of your hair is how you wear it. Protective styles are a great way to do this. African Naturalistas describes protective styling as any style that protects your hair from chemical, physical, or environmental disturbances.

• Physical disturbances: daily styling, combing, twists, stretched hairstyles, etc
• Chemical disturbances: heat, color treatments, etc
• Environmental disturbances: the effect of the elements (sun, wind, rain, frost, etc) on the hair

Protective styles also help your hair grow while keeping your mane in style, keeping moisture in, and minimizing primping time as you prepare yourself for the day.

Click through for a few of my favorite protective styles for natural hair. Try them this spring to keep your hair in its best shape, while showing off the latest hair trends.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Elegant Flat Twist Updo

This style is great for natural hair that has been stretched and needs a break. It only requires a few bobby pins and takes almost no time to finish!

Simple Classic 1940s Updo

This style is versatile and effortless. You can dress it up or down — and it only requires a few bobby pins to stay intact!

No-Fuss Everyday Style

This style is great for those who are making the transition from relaxed to natural hair.

Twisted Low Bun

This bun is great for maintenance over a length of time because moisture is maintained and your ends are protected.

The Twisty Topknot

This is another style that protects your ends, retains moisture, and is fit for any occasion!

[Image: Lipstickalley]

Rope Pompadour

This style is great for loc wearers who want a quick style that will retain moisture, and will look good from meetings at work to happy hour with your friends.

Check out more loc’d styles by Franchesca at her website.

The Chunky Crown Twist

This style will have onlookers wondering who did your hair. This will protect your strands from the elements and minimize the stress on your roots.

[Image: YayaDunn]