Is there trouble in paradise for Eva Marcille and fiancé Kevin McCall?

According to TMZ, the “America’s Next Top Model” season one winner and actress took to Instagram in an attempt to quash the gossip over her surprisingly tumultuous relationship with the father of her 2-month-old daughter, Marley Rae. Eva and McCall posed with their daughter in an Instagram photo, just days after she accused him of kicking down several doors in their home and trying to snatch Marley Rae from her arms. The beauty captioned the image with the hashtag #familyfirst.

On March 28th, Eva filed a restraining order against the “Deuces” rapper, claiming he had become enraged during an argument and chased her around their home, while trying to take their daughter from her. Eva claims McCall kicked down four doors during his rampage and threatened to punch her.

Starz has announced that the new original series “Power,” executive produced by 50 Cent, will debut on the network on Saturday, June 7^th at 9pm ET/PT.

50′s new music video for the show’s theme song “Big Rich Town,” which also features R&B singer Joe, is available now. The single, created specifically for “Power” as the main title theme, features never before seen footage from the New York-based crime drama.

The music video was directed by Eif Rivera, known for his work with 50 Cent and G-Unit, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, and Fat Joe. Check it out on the next page.

The “Power” cast includes Omari Hardwick (Sparkle, For Colored Girls, Kick Ass, “Being Mary Jane”) as James “Ghost” St. Patrick, who unexpectedly rekindles a relationship with a former flame, Angela Valdes, played by Lela Loren (Snitch, “Gang Related”). Naturi Naughton (Fame, Notorious, “Mad Men”) and Joseph Sikora (Jack Reacher, Safe, “Boardwalk Empire”) also star.

Will you watch “Power”?

If you’re an American voter or a voting eligible American that has yet to register or exercise that right, you should be feeling somewhat salty about the fact that India’s election is bigger than ours.  That’s right: we might think we’re something with our billion plus dollar presidential campaigns, but India gets gold medals for voter turnout.  The world’s largest election is underway over five days to accommodate over 815 million voters – on the first day alone, there was 74 percent turnout spread out over 935,000 polling stations.

Back in the United States, we’re still squabbling over Voter IDs, early voting and absentee ballots. We can’t make up our mind what model of electronic voting machine we should use nor have we completely worked out digital bugs in those machines to a point where we can safely assume every election is secure.  And our politics are increasingly defined by those with enough money to waste: Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson spent $40 million in the 2012 cycle, dwarfing contributions from the bottom 98 percent.  The top “.000063 percent” as The Nation’s Ari Berman termed it dominate the resources needed to execute the campaigns.

In Afghanistan, 60 percent of the perpetually shit-holed country’s 12 million eligible voters turned out for presidential and provincial elections – and that’s mad high considering the constant threat of Taliban extremists daring to, literally, blow it all up.  Back here, we got twisted in our britches over a few harmless and unarmed Black Panther wannabes standing outside a Northeast Philly polling precinct – where voter turnout wasn’t all that great, anyway.

Indonesia’s recent national legislative elections garnered a 70 percent turnout rate out of 187 million registered voters.  France’s critical municipal elections were considered historically low – but, at 62 percent and enough to force President Francoise Hollande into pink-slipping his prime minister.

We should be jealous. Most of the countries mentioned above aren’t exactly model democracies – the world’s largest election typically posts armed paramilitary guards at its polling stations after years of political violence.  But, 815 million of the country’s 1.2 billion people – close to 70 percent of the population – still find the time and courage to vote.

Over 40 percent of Afghanistan’s population of 30 million is registered to vote, despite living in a country that faces a terribly uncertain future.  Over 75 percent of Indonesia’s population of 247 million is registered to vote in a wobbly emerging Asian economy still going through disruptive growing pains.  And 66 percent of France’s population of 66 million is registered to vote in a country with a 12 percent official unemployment rate and a youth jobless rate hovering at 25 percent.

In the world’s original democracy, only 57 percent of the U.S. population (now at 315 million) is registered to vote – but, over 76 percent of the population is actually eligible to vote.  And voter registration in 2012 was actually down 4 percent even as the U.S. population grew almost 4 percent.

In many ways, the voter turnout numbers in the U.S. aren’t as spectacular as some of the numbers above given our status as OG of established democracies and our extremely stable political environment.

We might be staging tea party uprisings, but real talk: folks aren’t getting shot or blown up at the polling station. Republicans incessantly whine about voter fraud as if it’s an epidemic, and I’m sure folks who happen to own a TV in Kabul are probably watching our bullshit in disbelief.

Of course, we’ve got battle scars to brag about. Democracy ain’t easy, should Big Daddy Kane be looking for a comeback. There was one time where our government on the state, local and federal level actively and rather violently prevented people of color from pulling a vote machine level, but our parents, grandparents and parents before them shed tons of blood, sweat and tears to make sure we didn’t have to go through that anymore.

In essence, our voter turnout numbers are a bit of a joke – when compared to places like Afghanistan … which we’re in the process of “rebuilding.” As we head into the 2014 Congressional midterms, we’re lucky if we get 45 percent  since turnout in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 midterms was barely at 40 percent. Yet, the lot of us get Twitter hashtagging raving ballistic when rednecks we can’t stand take over Congress.

And as historic as the past two presidential cycles have been, the fact we hit over 60 percent in turnout for 2008 seemed like an anomaly – we couldn’t even hit that threshold in 2012.

Yet, years later, we’ve lost as many voters as we gained people living here.

Granted, there are any number of valid reasons why many of us won’t turnout. That Republican-dominated state legislatures continue pushing creative ways to limit access to polls aggravates the situation.  India can hold an election for five days but we don’t want to let go of holding it in one day – and on a work-day at that.  We can’t agree on what type of voting machine we want to use nor can we promise if their fully secure.  Voting process standards are all over the place, so rather than one national standard we seem pleased with about fifty shades of it.

That less than 1 percent of the population dominates policymaking at the expense of the nearly 25 percent that are underemployed can be discouraging.  But, it’s not like Adelson and the Wall Street capitalists are standing guard at the polling stations with guns to your head.  It could be as worse as the chance you could be the victim of a bomb-strapped extremist in Afghanistan or Egypt attempting to derail an election.  Stepping away from it all for a moment, we actually have it quite good compared to a number of other places.  Yet, their turnout is higher than ours.  What’s the deal with us?

A Houston woman killed her boyfriend with a stiletto by striking him in the face at least 25 times with the 5 1/2-inch pointy heel during a domestic dispute.

Ana Trujillo was convicted of murder Tuesday for fatally striking 59-year-old Alf Stefan Andersson in his Houston condo during last June. However, Trujillo showed little emotion after the guilty verdict was read.

Attorneys for Trujillo argued that the 45 year old was defending herself while under attack from Andersson. When questioned by police, Trujillo said Andersson became angry after thinking she was going to leave him. During the attack she used the only weapon available, her shoe, to defend herself.

In an investigation video, she tells further explains to police that she hit him “a couple times.” Only after seeing blood on the floor, did she realize she had seriously hurt him. She performed CPR while waiting for paramedics and police to arrive on the scene.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Prosecutors disproved Trujillo’s statement with medical evidence and witness testimony. Photos showed she suffered no injuries, while her boyfriend had wounds on his hands and wrists, which indicate he was defending himself. Trujillo’s attorneys argued that she did have wounds.

Photos of Andersson’s bruised and bloodied head and his lifeless body in a pool of blood were allowed in court. The blue suede, size-9 platform pump was also displayed for the jury during closing arguments. Prosecutor John Jordan reenacted the murder during a demonstration.

“This is not self-defense. This is a vicious murder,” Jordan said during closing arguments on Tuesday.

Trujillo faces life in prison for the murder of Andersson, a University of Houston professor and researcher. Jurors will begin hearing evidence during the trial’s sentencing phase on Wednesday to determine her fate.

Destiny’s Child alumni Michelle Williams announced she is joining forces with “Preachers of L.A.” star Deitrick Haddon on the Oxygen reality show “Fix My Choir.”

The music-driven show will follow Williams and Haddon across the country as they help the selected community, school, or gospel choirs work through leadership and inter-personal issues and drama. The goal is to polish the choirs in order to present their best artistic direction and image.

Williams and Haddon were joined by gospel star Tye Tribett to make the announcement on Tuesday, during the unveiling of Oxygen’s upcoming programming. “We just unveiled a new TV show on the Oxygen Network called ‘Fix My Choir’ that we will start filming soon!!” Williams confirmed on Twitter. She is taking her job seriously, asking her fans, “Do you have a choir that needs to be fixed? Lol!!!”

The #PoorMichelle hashtag may have been trending last week, but the Grammy Award winner is having an incredible year, as an independent woman outside of her Destiny’s Child beginnings. She silenced critics on Twitter with: “#PoorMichelle that’s not what my accountant said! Y’all be blessed now.”

The Playtex Gentle Glide spokeswoman is prepping for her role as Mary Magdalene in the 50-date arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.  Michelle’s also in the studio cooking up new gospel music. Journey to Freedom is slated for an upcoming summer release and will feature production from top producer Harmony Samuels.

Haddon will serve as executive producer on “Fix My Choir.” He’s also slated to be featured in the upcoming season of “Preachers of L.A.,” which returns this summer on Oxygen.

RELATED: Star Style: Michelle Williams Meets Destiny In Style [PHOTOS]

WWE Hall of Fame inductee The Ultimate Warrior, James Hellwig, died yesterday at the age of 54 in Arizona.

An official cause of death has not been released. Hellwig was seen in his hotel room clutching his chest shortly before his death. Officials have ruled out foul play or drugs ahead of an autopsy due to be performed Thursday.

Hellwig was filming his return to the ring after 16 years to commemorate being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  Wearing a mask and a long jacket featuring his image, he addressed his fans in his final speech. 

“[A man's] spirit will be immortalized by the storytellers, by the loyalty, by the memories of those who honor him and make the running the man did live forever. I am Ultimate Warrior, you are the Ultimate Warrior fans, and the spirit of Ultimate Warrior will run for ever,” he said. 

Pro wrestlers recalled their memories of the WWE legend as well as an outpouring of support for his surviving wife Dana and his two daughters on social media.

 WWE Official Statement

“WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior.

Warrior began his WWE career in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Warrior became WWE Champion at WrestleMania VI, defeating Hulk Hogan in an epic encounter.

We are grateful that just days ago, Warrior had the opportunity to take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame and was also able to appear at WrestleMania 30 and Monday Night Raw to address his legions of fans.”

Hulk Hogan

We talked,both forgave each other,we hugged ,we shook hands as we told each other I love you,I am so sad,God bless his beautiful family HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) April 9, 2014

Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Deeply saddened. We just had a great talk & buried a senseless hatchet. Talked working together. RIP Warrior. Taking solace we made peace.

— JakeSnakeDDT (@JakeSnakeDDT) April 9, 2014

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Loss always has a way of reminding us to live and love as greatly as we can. My prayers and strength to his family. RIP Ultimate Warrior.

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 9, 2014

Diamond Dallas Page

Deeply saddened to find out about the passing of #WWE LEGEND, @UltimateWarrior. You & your legacy will FOREVER be remembered in our hearts!

— Diamond Dallas Page (@RealDDP) April 9, 2014

Triple H

Saddened to announce the passing of the Ultimate Warrior. Icon and friend. My sympathy to his wife Dana and his daughters

— Triple H (@TripleH) April 9, 2014

The Iron Sheik

Break my heart. I love you forever #RIPUltimateWarrior

— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) April 9, 2014

The name says it all. Joyful is an adjective of glee, electric energy, and jubilation. And actress Joyful Drake is the embodiment of her namesake. The outgoing series regular, who plays Tasha Woodson on the Queen Latifah-produced ”Let’s Stay Together,” is staking her claim in Hollywood as a comedic actress, emerging writer, and film star.

Nicknamed “The Hurricane” by relatives, Joyful is a whirlwind of depth and versatility. A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, this art enthusiast  fuses her talent with social service, not only with her acting, but also through dance and philanthropy. With a foundation dedicated to uplifting and empowering young women, Joyful is more than an upcoming Hollywood starlet.

Here, she explains why women are smarter than men and why sisterhood is always on her mind. Joyful also reveals her favorite hair and beauty secrets, favorite Atlanta hot spots, upcoming projects, and, of course, the inspiration behind that name!

[Image: Carell Augustus]

UPTOWN: Let’s start off with your name! What was the inspiration behind it?

Joyful: My dad named me. They were going back and forth between just Joy and Joyful. My dad said ‘there’s a lot of Joys in the world, but no Joyfuls’ so I guess he knew way back when that I would be me!

U: You’re from Milwaukee and you moved to New York. How did you get your start in acting?

Joyful: My big break was my recurring role on the Showtime series ”Soul Food.” I got my big break by pounding the pavement! It’s no secret except hard work, dedication, and you audition your heart out! That’s how I got my first acting job. And being on the set with Nicole Ari Parker, Malinda Williams, and Vanessa Williams — they were so embracing and such an amazing cast, I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

U: Was acting a childhood dream or something you fell into as you grew older?

Joyful: Acting was a piece of the puzzle, let’s just say. I’ve always been into entertaining and having fun. I was a very active child — I played every sport from volleyball to football. I was the quarterback in flag football! I was in jazz choir, drama theater, I danced in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks. I wouldn’t say I grew up saying I wanted to be an actor, but I knew I wanted to be in the artistic field and through trial and error I figured out it was acting.

[Image: Carell Augustus]

U: You mentioned you were a dancer for the Milwaukee Bucks, and you’re one of four daughters and you’re an AKA! How has all of that impacted your career and the roles you take?

Joyful: Well, I love the men out there but let’s just say — women were just smarter! (Laughs) I come from a family of women, not only do I have three sisters, but my mom has nine sisters! My mom being the female role model she is … she’s a wife, mother, grandmother, a doctor, and she’s an AKA, which is why I wanted to become an AKA. Women are very, very heavy in my family and we have a lot of strong, powerful, beautiful women. That sister support will never go away.

You know the trials you face [in] a society where women are paid less for doing the same jobs? A society where we’re supposed to look and act a certain way? We’re breaking those chains. Like Michelle Obama, you can be sexy and powerful  and still be feminine and support your husband.

U: You are a series regular on BET’s ”Let’s Stay Together.” How similar are you to your character?

Joyful:  I’ve been Tasha Woodson since the beginning-  for 55 episodes. So getting ready to go into our fifth season, there is this merging of yourself with the character, which is great. Tasha has a lot of Joyful in her, and Joyful has a lot of Tasha in her.

The biggest thing about my character and myself is, we like to have fun, we like to laugh, we love hard, and we love our families. Our families are our world and we’re all about family. That’s the biggest thing we have in common.

[Image: BET]

U: Tasha is a married mother of twins, do you have children of your own? Are you married?

Joyful: I’m not married. No, I don’t have children yet. I have two adorable nieces and two adorable nephews, who are the light of my life , so I can’t wait until I do have kids!

U: On set and off set your hair is always laid. What is your hair regimen?

Joyful: Thank you! I think you always need a good conditioner! I do not process my hair at all, it’s all natural, which makes it easy to wear curly or wear straight. When I’m not working, I love to have my natural curls in. But when I’m working and it has to be straight for my character, I let them straighten or blow dry it.

I love roller sets by the Dominicans. They are easy on my hair. But when I’m not working, the biggest key for me is condition, condition, condition! Put some coconut oil in there and just be a natural, pretty girl.

U: Any must have beauty products?

Joyful: Sunscreen! Living in California, you need some sunscreen and I’m not talking about SPF 15. I’m talking about SPF 85!

I love to keep a jar of natural, raw honey that I can just use over my face from time to time, if I have a big photo shoot or if I’m tired. It’s something about raw honey that gives you that glow and that extra oomph . Just put it on your face, lather it, let it sit, depending on how much time you have, rinse it off and your skin is smooth just like silk.

[Image: BET]

U: “Let’s Stay Together” is filmed in Atlanta. Do you have any favorite hangout spots?

Joyful: Houston’s is my spot after we shoot. On the weekend me and my sister — she works with me down here — we’ll go to Houston’s, have a nice glass of red wine, nice entrée, and I’m good. But other than that, we work so much I’m not hanging out in Atlanta too much. I’m too busy working and reading these scripts!

U: Outside of the entertainment industry you founded the Dream Big foundation. Tell us more about that.

Joyful: My Dream Big foundation is geared towards high school students and junior high students. I find that being from a family of women, I can really relate to young girls who are trying to find their path in life.

For me, I changed what I wanted to do frequently because sometimes you don’t know until you’re in it. We talk to the girls and ask, “What do you want to do?” and  ”What do you like?” If they don’t know, we ask them to try different things.

These are young girls who want to be judges, lawyers, and business owners. And just taking a little bit of time to talk to them and help them to figure out what schools they want to go to, what school is best for engineering, what financial assistance they can apply for. Coming up with a concrete plan can change their life and their destination. That’s what I hope to do for someone because that was done for me.

U: What can we expect for you this year what’s next for Joyful?

Joyful: I have a few things going on that I’m really excited about. I did this movie called November Rule, produced by Queen Latifah, with Tatyana Ali and La La Anthony. I did a movie called Shreveport opposite Ryan Philippe. He also directed it. He’s an amazing director, amazing actor, and amazing talent.

We’re going back to shoot season five of ”Let’s Stay Together.” I hope to cross over and do some drama parts. I’m studying at UCLA, where I’m taking a writer’s program so hopefully I’ll be able to get behind the camera, as well. Do some fun stuff behind the camera and watch some other actors go at it and make others laugh.

[Image: Carell Augustus]

Sure being a celebrity has its perks, but I would imagine that it’s pretty annoying to hear inadequate remarks, senseless opinions, and endless scrutiny. However, shutting down the negative noise with sweet success must be a major win.

This is the tune Michelle Williams is now singing. Although the actress, songwriter, and singer has continuously been the subject of her haters with hashtags and false Twitter accounts, she continues to prove that she is as phenomenal as a solo artist, as she was with Destiny’s Child. From R&B to Gospel to Broadway, Michelle possesses a range of talents with awards and accolades to boot. She has held major roles in top theater productions, such as Fela!, Aida, and Chicago. And this summer she will hit the stage again in Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock musical that’s set to kick-off a 50-city North American arena tour. Realty show fans can also catch Michelle in the upcoming Oxygen show, “Fix My Choir.” She’s also taking on the role of spokeswoman for Playtex’s upcoming “Play On” campaign.

Michelle Williams is a star in every sense of the word, especially when it comes to looking great. Here are some of the best looks of this Star Style celeb.

The athletic trend that is all the rage this spring shouldn’t be approached with fitness apparel in mind. Michelle’s zipper-detailed dress with its dressed up appeal is right on-trend.


Relaxed meets sophistication with a straight, white midi skirt and voluminous sheer white shirt. One might think that a black shoe is too heavy to pair with a white outfit, but if you balance the white canvas with other black accessories or a black and white graphic print, it will work.


Michelle looked stunning in this black, belted halter gown, which gave the illusion of curves on her slim frame.


Anything animal print during the warmer months seamlessly gives off a safari edge.


There isn’t one reason you shouldn’t jump into a one-piece this season. Jumpsuits are available in a range of sizes and happen to be the perfect one-piece solution for many occasions — from travel to desk to date night.

Sleek and minimal dresses with banded waists tend to work best on women who don’t have short waistlines. This adds a slight dimension to her dress, while keeping her proportions balanced.

Denim trends come and go, but a dark rinse skinny jean is one that will never do your closet wrong.


Voluminous pleats can give a woman with a thin silhouette more body.

Michelle gives off a spicy vibe in this red pantsuit with the sheer, lingerie-inspired top underneath.

Some dresses are meant to simply be party dresses, and that’s exactly what this Falguni & Shane peacock dress is for Ms. Williams. The fun things about a perfect party dress are the special stand-out details.

Like simple blue jeans, owning novelty denim pieces are closet must-haves when developing a casual style imprint.

 Keeping statement jewelry updated comes in handy, especially when needing to add a little je ne sais quoi to a simple dress.

According to reps for “Hall of Fame” rapper Big Sean, he and Glee actress Naya Rivera have called off their engagement.

Sean’s reps tell US Weekly, “After careful thought and much consideration, Sean has made the difficult decision to call the wedding off.”  As for the rumors surrounding possible infidelity on the behalf of the musician, reps said, “The recent rumors and accusations reported by so called or fake sources are simply untrue. Sean wishes Naya nothing but the best and it is still his hope that they can continue to work through their issues privately. We will not be commenting again on this matter.”

However, that doesn’t appear to be entirely true – at least as far as Rivera is concerned.

Rivera tweeted then deleted the following earlier today after news broke of the couple’s split:

Yikes.  Accusing Big Sean of stealing Rolexes is where this is going?  This will not end well.

The couple, who got engaged in October, often drew comparisons to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian for their similar aesthetic. Let’s hope that KimYe don’t follow suit!

On Tuesday, President Obama signed a pair of executive orders to strengthen reinforcement of equal pay for women.

The first executive action will push for the right to pay women equally. The second order will prohibit federal contractors from retaliating against employees who discuss pay in the workplace and with supervisors. Included in the order, employers will not be required to display pay rates.

The new executive orders are linked to the Paycheck Fairness Act , another law that will be considered this week.

Obama, who’s been lobbying for economic fairness his entire presidency, signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009. That act states that the 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination resets with each new paycheck instead. In another effort to combat economic inequality, Obama has lobbied to increase the minimal wage to $10.10.

A 16-year-old student went on a stabbing rampage at his Murrysville, PA, high school early Wednesday, before he was tackled by an assistant principal, according to authorities.

During the rampage, 20 students and one security officer at Franklin Regional Senior High were either stabbed or slashed.

The accused attacker was been identified as Alex Hribal, according to a criminal complaint obtained by CNN. Hribal was arraigned as an adult.

Dr. Timothy VanFleet, who treated six of the victims, primarily teens, told CNN that at first they did not know they had been stabbed. “They just felt pain and noticed they were bleeding … Almost all of them said they didn’t see anyone coming at them. It apparently was a crowded hallway and they were going about their business, and then just felt pain and started bleeding.”

Hribal is accused of using two 8-inch stainless steel kitchen knives in the attack, according to the complaint. He is being held without bail at the Westmoreland County Regional Youth Services Center.

According to a source whose sister survived unharmed, Hribal jumped on a student’s back and was stabbing him fiercely.

Hribal now faces four counts of attempted homicide, 21 counts of aggravated assault, and one count of possession of a weapon on school grounds. He is said to have been quiet and typically reserved.

Parents of children who attended a birthday party at Home Run Inn have yet to receive an apology for serving their children spiked punch.

On Tuesday, ten children at the Chicago pizzeria fell ill and were taken to a local hospital. After consuming what they thought was fruit punch, there was an additional ingredient that made the minor party goers sick- alcohol.

“The drinks tasted funny to begin with, but we didn’t pay it any attention. We thought it was just us,” said Neyante Eggleston, whose child was at the party.

Once the servers noticed the error, they quietly attempted to retrieve all drinks from the table, but it was too late. Upon removal, a parent caught wind of the smell of alcohol coming from the cups.

“Everybody makes mistakes, but why would you just come and snatch the cups up, and not say anything to the parents of these kids that you just served alcohol?” she said. “Those who did drink, they drunk everything.”

All children are in stable condition.

Once referring to himself as “an ordinary street dude,” Oakland teen Akintunde Ahmad is definitely not the ordinary student.

The Oakland Technical High School student has a 5.0 GPA and received a perfect 2100 score on the SATs. Affectionately called ‘Tunde by friends and family, Ahmad has also been accepted to Yale, Brown, Columbia, and UCLA, along with other esteemed universities.

But Ahmad hasn’t only focused on book smarts. He also plays three instruments and baseball. He may even attend college on a baseball scholarship.

According to SFGATE, Ahmad has faced private-school students who attempted to belittle his accomplishments, telling him that his success is due to easy classes and the low academic standards of public schools. Instead of defending his GPA, he shuts them up with his SAT and AP scores. Ahmad says:

“People looking at me funny is so common that it doesn’t stick out for me anymore. It’s something I’ve gotten used to … I’ll leave this school and there will be teachers who never knew I was one of the people on the honor roll.”

Ahmad and his family are practicing Rastafarians. Because of his faith, the teen has never had a haircut and wears dreadlocks. His parents, Zarina (an elementary school principal) and Mubarak Ahmad (a mechanic for AC Transit), raised all six of their children with good values.

Three years after his untimely 2011 passing from stroke complications, the family of Nate Dogg is still fighting over the crooner’s home.

Nate Dogg – real name Nathaniel Hale – owned a home in Pomona, California that was to sell for $350K last month. But the rapper’s six children want to halt the sale of the home because the price wasn’t high enough. The estate administrator, Hale’s wife Latoya Calvin and co-administrator Ruth Holmes, Hale’s mother, will allegedly pay off the artist’s debts, leaving the children with little to no money to split afterwards.

Aundrane Hale, one of the smooth singer’s daughters believe the administrators are only money hungry and do not have the children’s best interest at heart. She told TMZ , Latoya “didn’t even show up to Nate’s funeral” and Holmes, “was never a grandmother.”

It is now up to the judge whether the home sells.

It’s official. Comedian Stephen Colbert rises above the pack of speculated hopefuls to host CBS’ The Late Show.

The 49-year-old host of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report will replace David Letterman sometime in 2015. CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves and CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler announced the five-year deal between CBS and Colbert Thursday afternoon. Critically-acclaimed Letterman, who announced his retirement last week, has hosted the late night show for the past 21 years.

Colbert’s premiere date has not yet been set. More details, including producers and taping locations, are still under development and will be announced once confirmed.

It’s rumored that Colbert shared the news with the Colbert Report staff this morning and that they will be coming with him to the Late Show.

Next to parents, siblings are pretty much the best relatives to have. Why? Well, they’re basically built-in friends you have the minute you or they’re born. They usually don’t stay mad at you long. They also help you learn how to deal with other personalities. And they automatically understand your dysfunction or issues because they came from the same family. So don’t forget to wish your brother or sister a happy Siblings Day today. And thank them for always being in your corner, just like these celebrity siblings who always have their brother’s or sister’s back.

Beyoncé & Solange Knowles

Brandy Norwood & Ray J

Charlie & Eddie Murphy

Chiwetel Ejiofor & Zain Asher

Debbie Allen & Phylicia Rashad

Chudney Ross, Evan Ross, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, Ross Naess & Tracee Ellis Ross

Jaden & Willow Smith

Kidada & Rashida Jones

Pusha T & Malice

Tamera Mowry-Housley, Taj Mowry & Tia Morwy-Hardict

Tasha & Sidra Smith

Shawn, Marlon, Kim, Damon & Keenen Ivory Wayans

Tony & Chris Rock

Venus & Serena Williams

Vin Diesel & Paul Vincent

Lupita & Peter Nyong’o

(His claim to celebrity? Professional photo-bombing!)

A few days ago, my homegirl posted an image with the following quote on her Instagram:

“Until a man is completely satisfied with where he is in his life…he could never make a woman his #1 priority because he hasn’t met the goals that he has set for himself.”

Her caption read:

“Is anyone really completely satisfied? Sigh…so many women wait…patiently, impatiently, hoping, praying for something to happen.”

And as I read that, two questions quickly popped into my head. One, if this statement is true, how long have things been this way? Two, is it that men need to be accomplished in order to settle down, or is it that women require men to be accomplished in order to be considered a good man to settle down with?

[Image: Shutterstock/Shutterstock]

To answer the first question, I actually do believe that the quote in the picture is accurate. In today’s world, most ambitious men prioritize accomplishing their goals ahead of engaging in a serious relationship. But, the second part of that is analyzing how long men have been thinking like that, because it’s not an old-school mentality. If we Just look at our families, we will see numerous stories of our parents and grandparents struggling together, while creating a life for themselves and their children. This ranges from immigrants coming to a new land with little more than a couple of dollars in their pockets and a dream, to blue-collar parents that had to bust their asses to put food on the table. These men looked at family as the inspiration for hard work — not a burden preventing them from achieving their goals., So, what changed?

Some may think men, simply, decided they wanted to overcome financial insecurity by investing all their time into their professions before building a family. However, I think the truth is a little more complex than that. The answer to the second question is also the big difference between love today and love in the past: Women began to require men to be more accomplished.

Some women will read that as a slight, when it’s not an insult at all. The truth is, as much as we like to dwell in a nostalgic state and reminisce about how great our grandparents’ love was, we are not them, and the challenges we face in life have transformed how we conduct our personal lives. Today’s woman is not only more educated, better employed, and extremely entrepreneurial than women of the past, but today they are outpacing men in many categories. When you combine the fact that we live in a society with a greater focus on gender equality, with the fact that supporting a family with one income has become damn-near impossible, you get the professional scene we are left with today. Both men and women must be able to work, in order to support a happy home.

[Image: Shutterstock]

The truth about modern dating that no one wants to admit is that many women and men still have a very old-school outlook on how relationships are “supposed” to be. Men still believe it’s their job to be the breadwinner and the protector, and women still prefer to be with a man who makes more money than she. Both genders keep busting their asses to get to a point where they can deem themselves to be financially secure, all the while engaging in “casual” dating. Both bounce from one person to the next, not willing to pursue anything serious until they get their ish together. And both spend little time considering their emotional needs and their shortcomings as a significant other. And as we all collectively chase the magic salary we feel we need to earn and the job title we feel we need to have, we aren’t strengthening who we are as lovers and friends … but we damn sure are raising our collective expectations.

Simply put, the difference between love now and in the past, is we don’t believe in building with someone anymore, and we all just want finished products of people. The idea of being broke together and going through trials and tribulations, while growing in love is unappealing to our generation. We don’t want to learn how to love someone, we want them to be perfectly lovable when we’re ready, and any flaw in them will be over-exaggerated and seen as a deal breaker, as if our asses are flawless. We don’t want to become better people through the love and support of a unified family fighting for financial security. All of the things we propagate about the past, are the very same things we aren’t interested in pursuing in our own lives anymore. I can’t and won’t say whether this is a good or bad thing, but it is definitely a sign of the times … a time that is far more confusing than our grandparents’ era.

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.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Courtesy of YourTango

Casablanca. The Notebook. Brokeback Mountain. There’s something about epic love stories that can soften even the hardest of hearts. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re single or attached, what culture you live in or how you make your living; Great love stories are universal.

Even romantic comedies have a long tradition of inspiring our love lives: Think of Some Like It Hot or When Harry Met Sally. Or the love story at the center of Kristan Higgins’ new book from Harlequin, Waiting On You, which has many of the light-hearted and hilarious elements of our favorite rom coms, while maintaining a powerful message at its core.

The book tells the story of Colleen and Lucas, one-time sweethearts who get a second chance at love. Unforeseen circumstances separated the pair, but now — a decade later — they’re reunited and find that their chemistry is still alive.

Keep reading on YourTango …

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[Image: Shutterstock]

Outspoken track and bobsled star Lolo Jones took to Twitter after news that Drake will host the July 16th ESPY awards.

It’s amazing that Drake is hosting the @Espys but it’s gonna be tough for him to hand out all those awards to Rihanna’s ex boyfriends

— Lolo Jones (@lolojones) April 10, 2014

In the last two years, Rihanna has been linked to LA Dodgers Matt Kemp and J.R. Smith, shooting guard for the New York Knicks. After backlash from Rihanna’s faithful navy, Jones backpedaled with this response:

paleeeze. watching monologues of past espys, my joke was PG compared to how The ESPY Host will roast athletes there. http://t.co/DR6An2AOLX

— Lolo Jones (@lolojones) April 11, 2014

An extensive four month search has ended with authorities confirming a body removed from an Indiana lake Sunday is that of missing  doctor Teleka Patrick.

The body was discovered by a fisherman Sunday near where Patrick’s abandoned 1997 gold Lexus was last seen on December 5, 2013, according to a statement from the Indiana State Police. A previous search of the lake by police did not turn up evidence because police officials said that the harsh winter prevented them from using all available search methods.

Patrick’s family issued a statement via their “Find Teleka” Facebook page, thanking everyone for their continued support but have asked the media to respect their privacy during a difficult time for the family.

“Teleka’s death is not the outcome we would have hoped for,” the statement says, “However, the journey does not end here.”

Now that her body has been identified, police will handle the task of piecing together clues that reveal Patrick’s cause of death. Videos from the night of her disappearance are being reviewed for answers, Carl Clatterback, a private investigator said. Footage taken from a Radisson Hotel in Kalamazoo, which does not have any audio, shows that Patrick spent several minutes speaking to a front desk attendant but ultimately left. She then boarded a hotel shuttle bus.

Family members pointed to a possible theory involving gospel singer Marvin Sapp, who filed a personal protection order against the young doctor. However, the autopsy did not show trauma to the body. The death is consistent with drowning, the coroner stated. A review of toxicology results is pending to provide additional details in the horrible death.