The second season of BET’s first original, hour-long scripted drama “Being Mary Jane” just launched and it’s juicier than ever. Gabrielle Union, who plays the cable news talk-show host Mary Jane Paul, recently discussed the highly successful show and opened up about her groomzilla Dwyane Wade.. Here are some highlights from her USA Today interview.

On losing “Scandal” and taking on BMJ:

“Sometime after not getting ‘Scandal’ and being so bummed — I thought that there’s never going to be another job starring a Black woman, created by a Black woman. It was a genie in a bottle and I missed it. And then [‘Mary Jane’ creator Mara Brock Akil] hit me [up]. I read the pilot, and to this day, there’s maybe three pilots you can look at and think, ‘This is gold.’ On the page, it was that good. It was just delicious.”

On Mary Jane’s romantic future:

“I want her to find the right love. I’m enjoying all the frogs she’s kissing. If you think of everyone you had to date before you found your husband — for a woman who’s almost 40-years-old who’s been single for a long time, a lot of people will come in and out before you find someone willing to take on a formidable woman.”

On why there’s so little diversity in Hollywood, despite the success of “Empire” and Olivia Pope being an icon:

“Because Black people aren’t making the shows. You look at social media and what trends like crazy. ‘Scandal.’ The Shonda [Rhimes] block. All very diverse. ‘Empire’ is a juicy soap with music. It’s everything. People are tuning in and their audience is growing every week. You can’t say that diversity doesn’t pay. Look at new shows. Does it change those shows if [the lead] is Black? But if the people who created the show say no, you won’t have it.”

On Dwyane being a groomzilla:

” … I dealt with little bits, like alcohol, where my expertise lies. He was into all of the details. All the NBA guys, all his friends, [were] micromanagers when it came to the wedding details. They’re just detail-oriented people. They were all big with the fashion. It carries over into centerpieces and napkins. I chimed in on where people should sit. I wanted to spread out the fun people.”

Bucking conventional wisdom here, the problem isn’t so much that self-anointed pop hip-hop impresario Kanye West didn’t know what he was talking about when breaking into a GRAMMY-fueled Beck vs. Beyonce diatribe. The problem is that many critics failed to separate the nuggets of sanity and logic in those comments from the Kanye’s clear struggle with irrationality.

When looking much more closely at the numbers, however – between what we know about the GRAMMY voting process and conclude about the mainstream music industry’s executive make-up and the demographics of the pop sound listening audience (and, yes, our very own UPTOWN poll agreeing that Beyonce should’ve won Album of the Year) – we can probably conclude that Kanye made sense.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.​

He just didn’t know how to articulate it.

Not surprising considering Kanye is known more as a controversial entertainer and hip hop carnival act than an endless archive of lyrical genius. But, giving credit where it’s due, Kanye probably meant to say (italics for emphasis): “Because when you keep on diminishing [Black] art and not respecting the craft [that Black people created] and smacking [Black] people in their [Black] face after they deliver monumental feats of [Black/African-centered] music, you’re disrespectful to inspiration.”

Of course, Kanye won’t say that since he’d fear alienating large and largely White segments of his platinum fan base. And, he gets it (with prodding from Kim): GRAMMY-watching, pop music idolizing White Millenials are mad tired of all this “race talk” and incessant #BlackLivesMatter debate. However, leaving it to us pundits, the gist of what he said bears itself out in the process and the numbers. Here are five reasons why:

1 – GRAMMY Voting is Shady … and fairly non-representative, anyway. Which is the conversation West could have triggered, but failed to in his endless quest for industry acceptance. The voting process created by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences is about as democratic as the Republican Party expanding its majority in the House through crafty redistricting and gerrymandering on the state level – which is to say it’s rigged. It’s the main annual event of the year which bills itself as the global pantheon of all things musical, yet it refuses to design a voting process built on meritocracy or any pure fan-driven recognition of what the people are actually listening to and preferring.

In this case, only Recording Academy members are eligible to vote, But, ultimately, it seems to end up in a brown-nosed voting process in which only the influential industry peers are voting for other peers without any real critical vetting of the work being voted on. Read how it works yourself.

2 – Which makes us wonder: What’s the demographic make-up of the Recording Academy members who do vote? With the GRAMMY’s being such a spectacle of an annual exercise, it would be great if the Recording Academy would be more like national political campaigns by releasing exit polling numbers.

Of course, when UPTOWN reached out to the GRAMMY media team for those numbers, we didn’t even get a response.

Not that we expected one. But if exit polling data were available, we’d get a glimpse of the age, race, income, genre, etc. make-up or demographics of the GRAMMY voting pool. That’s important to know, especially for such an influential multi-billion dollar culture incubator like the music industry. Based on who’s constantly winning and the paucity of Black folks winning GRAMMY’s over the years, it’s safe to assume that mostly White industry influentials are dominating the GRAMMY voting process. Which is probably what Kanye wanted to say, but for political reasons just shut down.

3 – Despite the ton of Black Culture-appropriating White artists winning GRAMMYs (donning accessorized gospel choirs and sidekick Black talent), People of Color are a huge force in pop music creation and consumption. But, you wouldn’t think so considering the disproportionate lack of Black musicians winning awards. Yet, a 2012 DraftFCB study dropped the dime on this, revealing that “[m]ore than 81 percent of Billboard Top 10 best-selling albums are now made by non-white or mixed-race groups of artists.”

4 – In addition, African Americans – specifically – make up a strong segment of the pop music purchasing, listening and streaming population. Recent Nielsen surveys bear this out. Blacks are not only 25 percent of the Pandora listening population, but they are also 33 percent of the YouTube streaming population compared to that platform’s total audience share.  Urban Adult Contemporary radio formats are the most widely listened to and lucrative with their majority Black listening audiences.

5 – But, while People of Color are creating and listening to the music, it’s not like they own it, right? Digital Music News Paul Resnikoff sounds off on this point, arguing that “off the top of my head, I can’t name one Black executive from Pandora, Live Nation, Apple, Spotify, AEG, or SXSW, just to pluck from the above list.  That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, but for the most part, they are not in prominent, influential positions at these companies.  And, sadly, there’s a distinct possibility there aren’t any influential Black executives on the payrolls at many of these enterprises.”

Here’s to Jay-Z making an attempt to, perhaps, change all that with his $56 million acquisition of music streaming service Aspiro. If you can’t beat ‘em …. then do your own damn thing. The big question, however: will it sound like every other music streaming service?

CHARLES D. ELLISON is a veteran political strategist and Chief Political Correspondent for UPTOWN Magazine. He is also Washington Correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune and politics contributor for The Root. He can be reached @ellisonreport. 

By Niki McGloster | Photographed by Gomillion & Leupold/Getty Images

“This is the happiest I’ve ever been in my career,” Taraji P. Henson says from her temporary residence in Chicago—the city where Hollywood mogul Lee Daniels tapes Fox Network’s new record-breaking series, Empire, which he created and brought to Henson. “The cast is family. Bryshere [Gray] is always over here rattling through my pots and Jussie [Smollett] came over here the other day and spilled red wine all over my area rug,” she laughs. “I wake up the next morning, come out here and Gabby had told him to put salt on it. Salt is everywhere!”

She’s captivating within the first few minutes of our conversation, with her distinct Washington, D.C. native accent permeating our connection. Her charisma is wide-awake even during breakfast hours, when most folks are comfortably settled into their nine-to-fives or watching the second hour of Today. Shaking off the sandman with ease, she immediately weighs in on Cookie Lyon, her starring role as a sassy matriarch who, sprung from a 17-year bid, hopes to rebuild the connection with her three sons and reclaim her piece of her successful music family’s pie. “I played a lot of characters that could’ve been borderline stereotypical women, but my job as an actress is to make the audience understand and empathize with the people. Cookie is a lot,” she says. “She wears me out but I know this woman. I’ve done my research inside and out. I took Cookie from Lee and made her my own.”

Though it may seem as if this powerhouse force leapt out of the blue, Henson has put in almost two decades of work. For starters, in 2001, audiences received a taste of Taraji as Yvette, the loud-talking, unforgettable lead in John Singleton’s urban classic, Baby Boy, her first film. Since, she’s ping-ponged between runaway success on the silver screen with romantic comedy hits like Think Like A Man and Think Like A Man Too, an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and lukewarm reception to her TV roles, such as CBS’s Person of Interest. But even in the highest, most transitional tiers of her career to date, like today, where she’s accumulating the attention of not just African-American viewers but also about 4.2 million non-black homes nationwide (the show averaged a whopping overall 10.8 million viewers in its third week) Henson digests the talk of TV numbers (and award chatter) but zeroes in only on her craft. “Right now, the hype is great. I hope that now, because of my name, people are starting to connect the dots. But for me, it’s not about awards because that’s so political, so finicky. Yes, having that beautiful trophy is a great accomplishment, but that doesn’t alter how I’m gonna move in this industry. I just put my knuckles to the wall and I work.”

Her humility is a refreshing nod to her roots. A kid from blue collar lineage—her maternal grandfather was a sharecropper who raised eight children on a plantation then would later migrate to D.C.—the actress, now 44, learned early on how to hustle. “I was tryna babysit at 8,” she laughs. “I would say, ‘You go to the store, I’ll watch the baby. Gimme $5!’” However, it’s her mother’s account of a young Taraji’s clairvoyant words that adhere to the star. “My mother said she would be at the dinner table, you know, emotional over bills and stuff, and even as a young girl, I would come over to her and say, ‘Mommy, don’t cry. I’ma be really rich one day and be famous and take care of us.’ I just knew.”

Years after Henson’s promise, Cookie has become a fixture in some living rooms, joining the top tier social media ranks of another smallscreen African-American heroine by the name of Olivia Pope, albeit characters like How To Get Away With Murder’s Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) and black-ish’s Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross) have carved out a place for themselves with their top-rated primetime programs as well. Henson explains that there is room enough for everybody. No need to take turns. “It feels good that there’s not just one black person. I don’t like that we get fixated on one or two at a time, or three at a time. If you look at Caucasian Hollywood, every year there’s a handful of new faces you’ve never seen before, then after that, they got five movies coming out and they’re introducing you to more talent. So I’m just so happy to see what’s happening on television right now. We have options and that’s how it should be.”

While celebrating the variety of black talent currently on-screen, becoming distracted by her peers’ success, however, is not on Henson’s to-do list. With a tightknit, mega-watt circle that includes Gabrielle Union, Regina Hall and Sanaa Lathan, tunnel vision is imperative. “If you don’t stay in your lane and you start looking around, you’ll go crazy,” she says. “I use to have this crazy thing with Amy Adams, and I love Amy Adams. You see her [consistently] getting nominated, as she should, because Amy does good work. But, it’s like, ‘Well, I did good work too.’ But if you choose to stay in that place then you become miserable. It’s a pity party and nobody cares. I’m human, so I’ve done it. But I check that because it’s ego and it’s the devil.”

By the time you read this, there will have been enough stereotype-laden episodes aired on Empire to keep your tongues wagging and your Twitter soapbox on fleek. Since the pilot, backlash about homosexual and black stereotypes has kicked up—some creating harsh social media sparring, some sprinkled nonchalantly over the dinner table. Either way, talk is good, according to the show’s leading lady. “I’m just proud that people are talking. Everybody don’t like Barack Obama,” she says, referencing the second episode of the season where her on-screen son, Hakeem (Gray) slams the POTUS, calling him a sellout. “People are out there saying that. That’s what art is supposed to do: expose this shit. You know, we’re dealing with subject matter that’s not really dealt with. Art is supposed to challenge, start a conversation, so let’s lift the carpet up and deal with this dirt. It’s not like we bashed Barack Obama and the show went off. No, Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) jumped in his [son’s] ass. That’s real life stuff. So I’m glad you’re mad. Do something about it. Go in the hood and talk to the kids so they don’t do dumb stuff like that.”

Henson exhibits the same intensity when talking about her real-life 20-year-old son’s unnecessary run-ins with cops. “My child has been racially profiled. He was in Glendale, California and did exactly everything the cops told him to do, including letting them illegally search his car. It was bogus because they didn’t give him the ticket for what he was pulled over for. Then he’s at University of Southern California, the school that I was going to transfer him to, when police stopped him for having his hands in his pockets. So guess where he’s going? Howard University. I’m not paying $50K so I can’t sleep at night wondering is this the night my son is getting racially profiled on campus.” Though sleep doesn’t always come easy when it pertains to her son, other parts of Taraji’s wheelhouse are pretty clear of disturbances to her energy. Her off days are spent in her Los Angeles abode letting her hair down and nurturing her passion projects, including a Civil Rights movement film. “We just sent the script to George Clooney. He’s looking for more endearing, emotionally moving projects to direct so we sent it to him. That’s what I’m really focusing on right now on my off time.”

“This journey is not over,” she says with a bit of defiance in her voice. Empire was officially picked up for a second season and the future is sparkling bright for the rising star. “I’ve come a long way from ‘Aye, that’s that girl from Baby Boy’ to now people know how to pronounce my name. But I’m just scratching the surface. For whatever reason, God gave me this life, and I’m not gon’ fuck it up.”

Three men were sentenced to federal prison on Tuesday for the racially motivated death of a black man who was beaten and run over by a truck in Mississippi. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves sentenced Deryl Paul Dedmon to 50 years, John Aaron Rice to 18.5 years and Dylan Wade Butler to seven years following a hate crime investigation into the death of James Craig Anderson.

Anderson was killed on June 26, 2011 when a group of 10 white teens—including the three men sentenced—drove into Jackson, Mississippi looking to assault and harass African Americans. The trio pleaded guilty in March 2012 to one count of conspiracy and one count of committing a hate crime.

Dedmon pleaded guilty to two state charges and received life sentences on each. Dedmon’s federal sentence will run concurrent with his state ones.   Seven others are awaiting sentencing.

Reeves will sentence Joseph Paul Dominick, William Kirk Montgomery and Jonathan Kyle Gaskamp on Feb. 25. Dominick pleaded guilty to conspiracy in 2013 and faces five years in prison. Montgomery, who pleaded guilty in 2012, faces life in prison on a hate crime charge and five years on conspiracy. Gaskamp, who wasn’t present the night Anderson died, pleaded guilty in 2012. He faces five years in prison for conspiracy and 10 years on a hate crime charge.

U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate will sentence four other people:

• Sarah Adelia Graves, who pleaded guilty in December, faces five years in prison on a conspiracy charge at sentencing April 9.
• Shelbie Brooke Richards, who pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy and concealing the crime by lying to police, faces eight years in prison at sentencing April 16.
• John Louis Blalack, who pleaded guilty Jan. 7 to two hate crimes charges, faces 20 years in prison at sentencing April 23.
• Robert Henry Rice, who pleaded guilty Jan. 7 to one hate crime charge, faces 10 years in prison at sentencing April 30.

On the day of the sentencing, Anderson’s sister, Barbara Anderson Young, often looked directly at the defendants as she delivered her emotional statement.

“Surely the violence you committed will fall upon your own head,” she said, adding that her brother “lives on in me, and in our family. He also lives in you, the last to see him alive on this earth.”

James Bradfield, Anderson’s partner, said that their young son now sleeps in the bed with him because “he doesn’t want those people to get me.” Bradfield was too emotional to read his statement and opted to have the prosecutor read it. He told the three young men, “There’s no room on earth for people like you.”

On Tuesday, a grand jury indicted NYPD officer Peter Liang in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, an unarmed black man who was in the stairwell of his apartment building because the elevators were broken.

Attorney Scott Ryneki, who represents Gurley’s domestic partner Kimberly Ballinger, made the announcement, but didn’t have any further information on specific charges. According to a source, Liang, 27, was indicted for a top-count second-degree manslaughter, indicating that he acted recklessly. He was also charged with reckless endangerment, second-degree assault and official misconduct. He can serve up to 15 years in jail.

“I’m glad the grand jury looked at the evidence and returned an indictment,” said Ballinger, who is the mother of Gurley’s 2-year old daughter. “I am happy, I have faith in the Brooklyn District Attorney and I thank him.”

On Nov. 20, Liang was patrolling the darkened stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project when Gurley and his girlfriend opened the door to the stairwell. Without a word, rookie Liang fired one bullet that struck Gurley, 28, in the chest. Liang and his partner did not respond to their radios in the six-plus minutes after the shooting, choosing instead to text their union delegates.

Liang is set to turn himself in on Wednesday morning, before his arraignment at Brooklyn Supreme Court. Patrick Lynch, head of the Policemen’s Benevolent Association, called for due process for Liang.

“The fact the he was assigned to patrol one of the most dangerous housing projects in New York City must be considered among the circumstances of this tragic accident.”

Rev. Al Sharpton applauded the handling of the case, noting how differently it went from the Mike Brown and Eric Garner cases.

“Unlike the case in Staten Island, this case shows the difference in a prosecutor who will respect the grand jury’s role to decide probable cause, rather than attempt to influence it.”

He dismissed the notion that Liang was a scapegoat due to the racially charged atmosphere of the time.

“I don’t think that he’s a sacrificial lamb since a jury will decide his fate,” Sharpton said. “If anything, Gurley was a sacrificial lamb in a program of vertical policing that we have strongly opposed.”

[Source]

Bobbi Kristina Brown’s family is furious about “false reports” saying they were planning to take her off life support on the anniversary of her mother Whitney Houston’s death.

The family released a statement through Christopher Brown, an attorney who represents Bobbi Kristina’s father Bobby Brown. In it, they condemned the media frenzy that has circulated what they say is erroneous information.

On Tuesday, numerous media outlets, including UPTOWN, were reporting that Bobbi Kristina’s family had made the decision to remove her life support on Wednesday, the third anniversary of her mother’s death.

TMZ, for example, posted a story with the headline, “Bobbi Kristina Life Support Withdrawn Wednesday Anniversary of Whitney’s Death” and included that a source told the site that Whitney’s mother Cissy Houston wanted life support drawn on Wednesday “to bond mother and daughter for eternity.”

“The false reports that continue to appear in print and on the Internet are egregious, false and will be dealt with at an appropriate time,” the statement said. “In particular, the false reporting of TMZ, The National Enquirer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the (British) Daily Mail, citing police sources, family sources and Bobby Brown himself, will receive my attention.

“The desire to be ‘first’ has clouded the judgment of many reporters as they forgo accuracy.”

Bobbi Kristina, 21, was found face down in a bathtub in her home on Jan 31. Nick Gordon, whom she referred to as her husband, was the one to find her. She has been comatose in an Atlanta hospital for eleven days.

Thus far, no information has been released as to the cause of the incident. Police in Roswell, Georgia, where Bobbi Kristina lived, are investigating whether foul play was involved.

A public vigil was held for Bobbi Kristina on Monday night in Riverdale, Georgia. Hundreds of fans and a few of Brown’s family members were in attendance, singing gospel songs, and praying.

“We support the candlelight vigil for Bobbi Kristina,” the family’s statement said. “The Brown family is amazed by the love and support from all that attended.”

Source

In disturbing news of the day, the slain body of a Pennsylvania teen was posted on Snapchat in a selfie snapped by the suspected killer.

Ryan Mangan (pictured left), 16, was found dead in his mother’s home on Wednesday with a gun shot wound to the face. The photo, posted to the popular, photo-destroying app showed Mangan sitting in a chair, according to police documents. Maxwell Morton, the teen homicide suspect, is seen taking the photo with the victim behind him.

Police received a call from a mother whose son received a Snapchat photo from the 16-year-old Maxwell whose first name was visible across the top of the picture, and it matched the description of the crime scene. According to authorities, the suspect will be charged as an adult.

Authorities executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home, where they found a 9 mm handgun in the basement hidden under the stairs. Police say he confessed to using the gun to shoot Mangan in the face and leaving him in his room.

It’s always heart breaking when a Hollywood couple speeds towards Splitsville, but it’s even more disheartening when the union falls apart in front of our eyes. From social media posts, subliminal Instagram posts and notiacbly absent pictures from each other’s account, Toya Wright confirmed that she and her husband of four years, MeMpHiTz Wright, have indeed separated. What contributed to the downfall of what seemed to be a happy union? According to the 31-year-old mother of one, Toya, who continues to pray for her marriage with hopes of a reconciliation, says years worth of woman-beating accusations from outspoken singer/reality star K. Michelle toward her husband may have been the culprit. Michelle, born Kimberly Michelle Pate, claims former flame MeMpHiTz, real name Mickey Wright, assaulted her during an altercation in a Memphis hotel room. MeMpHiTz vehemently denied all accusations, but did admit to restraining her from hitting him.

In an interview with Necole Bitchie, Toya, ex-wife of rap superstar Lil’ Wayne, discussed the status of her marriage and the character-assassinating allegations of domestic abuse that eventually took its toll on her music producer husband’s health and career.

On the status of her and MeMpHiTz’s relationship and why he’s acting out:

The current status of me and my husband [is] we are separated at the moment.

I mean, what is going on with my husband, like I said when I spoke on it, is bigger than me. Mickey has been going through something for the last few years since the whole lawsuit thing against his ex [K. Michelle] and Viacom and it really took a toll on him and it caused him to be a different person. So I think that, going through all of those things, and having all of that stress and the world looking at you one way as a ‘woman beater’ and person that steals someone’s money. It’s hard for you to get back into your industry when you had a career and not [just] a job and somebody defames your character. I mean, it’s a lot to deal with day to day.

And I watched it. I went through it with him for three years. And I’ve been to counseling with him and all types of things so he can get back strong. It’s a lot for him that’s on him and choosing to live our marriage publicly. Everybody has an opinion and when somebody has the bigger platform to share their story and the other person doesn’t, it kind of gets one-sided.

On Social Media Making Their Marital Problems Worse

Social media is very, very funny. People don’t know you for real.

I had to tell him, like, that saying: ‘Half of the people are not what they ‘post’ to be,’ like people ‘post’ stuff on Instagram but it’s not really their life- like people don’t know the you that we know, the people that really know you. So when you get on there and you say crazy stuff and you act out of emotion and your feelings, people can take that wrong. I understand where it’s coming from; it’s coming from a place of you being hurt and angry and you’re just mad but you can’t put that out there. There is a better way of doing it.

On People Thinking that MeMpHiTz is Obsessed Over K. Michelle / On How it Makes Her Feel when He Feuds with K. Michelle on Social Media

I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. But when he does entertain it, it’s because it came to him first. The reason the last whole Instagram thing went on is because of what she said on ‘Wendy Williams,’ you know what I mean? When she uses her bigger platform to attack him, it draws people back to him to pick on him. And that’s what makes him start to say stuff and post all this crazy stuff because that’s the only platform to defend himself.

It’s tough not to react, because we’re all human.

Source: NecoleBitchie.com

The hammer has slammed on NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. The once esteemed journalist has been suspended for six months without pay for embellishing a harrowing story of his news coverage years ago in Iraq. His suspension will strip him of $5 million.

Williams’s stern punishment comes after an internal investigation, which is still active. On January 30, Williams retold a story about a helicopter ride during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and other incidents. His version included tall tales and imaginary stories of the anchor’s past statements, which were challenged by soldiers who were present at the time. The investigation also uncovered fabricated statements made on The News With Brian Williams, the MSNBC program he anchored in the early 2000s. His accounts of Hurricane Katrina and working assignments from the Middle East have also been deemed sketchy.

Lester Holt has been the 55-year-old’s replacement on the evening news program, as he took over Williams’s former post on Monday.

See Related Article: Lester Holt Replaces Brian Williams 

Holt, who’s been filling in for Williams for almost a decade is a friendly, familiar face on the NBC News lineup.
The 55-year-old newsman, who joined the network’s team in 2000, has been a co-host of the weekend editions of Today since 2003. He also hosts the weekend primetime broadcast, Dateline.

Valentine’s Day is this Saturday and as usual the “Single & Lonely” memes are popping up left and right on social media. Whether you’re a single woman who views the “holiday” as overrated or as a day that should be filled with grand gestures of love, there are a myriad of ways to avoid the Valentine’s Day slump.

Here’s your guide to surviving Valentine’s Day in five easy steps.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Step 1: Don’t Let Anyone Make You Feel Lonely

One year for V-Day a former co-worker, who was dating a married man, walked over to my desk and proceeded to tell me how her “boyfriend” surprised her by filling up her car with balloons. She ended her story by asking the following, “Are you OK? I mean, I know you didn’t get anything today.” Really? Really? I mean, REALLY?! As soon as she uttered the words, I imagined me flipping over my desk Incredible Hulk-style and karate chopping her in the larynx. Alas, I took her hypocritical judgment of my single girl status in stride, and did not allow her to make me feel lonely. There is absolutely, positively nothing wrong with not receiving a car full of balloons from your married boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. There is also nothing wrong with being single. Being alone and feeling lonely are two separate things. If you are feeling lonely, sad, or depressed, please reach out to friends, family, or a professional for help. Just know that there is nothing wrong with experiencing sadness and that no matter what, someone cares. You are not alone.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Step 2: Buy Your Own Damn Gifts

There are many things I love in life and chocolate is high on my list. What indulgences do you partake in or have yet to try? A professional massage, wine tasting, dance class, a bucket load of chocolate from GODIVA? Seriously, whatever it is go out and get it for yourself, and if you are not financially able to do so right now, then make it a goal to save the money or work towards making it happen for yourself. I am going to France for a few months. Do I have all of the funds for the trip? Not yet, but I have made it my goal to make this trip happen for myself this year. What will you do? Where would you like to go and what goals will you set forth? Love comes in many forms and love of self is important for your emotional health. This way, when you are emotionally happy and content with your life, the universe will reward you with the love of your life. Yes, finding love is a reward, and all of us deserve to reap the benefits of it. For now … be your own Valentine.

[Image: GODIVA]

Step 3: It’s OK to Stay Home

Maybe you are feeling a bit sad that you don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day, that’s OK. Sometimes we just need time to feel whatever emotions, we are experiencing without interruption. So, what can you do? Stay in, order your favorite food, and watch movies, but you have to watch horror films or gory action films. Absolutely nothing romantic needs to be watched whatsoever, because if you are feeling sad about not having a date, then watching The Notebook might not be your best choice. Invite your other single friends over and have everyone bring their favorite films, wine, and chocolates!

[Image: Shutterstock]

Step 4: Channel Your Energy

Love is hard. Finding it, maintaining it, or getting over it is really hard. It takes a lot of energy, focus, and emotion which can be very draining. At times we lose ourselves in love and our pursuit of it. Valentine’s Day can also be a reminder of that. Let’s look at this day as a catalyst for change. Shift your focus into a more productive and positive light. Focus on your achievements, goals, and physical and emotional well-being. Meditate, create a vision board, or pray. I have been single for over five years and just realized how much energy and effort I put into every other aspect of my life, as a result. From my blog to my web series “To Live & Date in L.A.,” writing, acting, family, and now a concerted effort to improving my well-being, that is my focus, and when love arrives — I will be ready. Like, readier then ready, so ready that I am even more ready as I type this. It’s been over five years, yo! You will be ready too.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Step 5: Have Patience

Lord Jesus, this is the hardest thing in the world for me to have. I am not patient at all, and I know this about myself. I want what I want, when I want it, and waiting for it is not an option. So what do I do? I force it, try to control it, and make it happen on my terms, then I end up defeated or hurt. Love is patient. Argh … I know how corny it seems to read that, but it is true. My good friend was super lonely last year, having come off of a three-year relationship that she thought was leading to marriage, and when it didn’t, she fell apart. Around the spring she met a guy who she introduced me to and I immediately knew she was not really into him, but she was lonely and he filled a need at the time. She dated him for six months and he fell hard, and she, well … she thought he was “nice.”

Here’s the thing: We must be patient and wait for who/what we really want. When we act out of loneliness or impatience, we attract what is not meant for us. While she was fulfilling a need to be wanted, he was falling in love, and ended up getting dumped in the end. It’s easy to go on that date with that woman/man you are “kinda into” or call up your ex, but think about why you are doing this. Is it because you need attention, are lonely, or are rushing into something out of impatience? Patience is not a virtue I have been blessed with, but ultimately I know that waiting on true love is what I have to do. Now I am not saying that you should not put yourself out there because you definitely should. No man is going to knock on your front door as you sit in your sweats in bed, watching “Scandal” reruns for the millionth Saturday night in a row. Be proactive but also be cautious. Take your time and have patience, we all need and want love, and the universe wants us to have it. Listen, I’ve been single for over five years, so if my impatient ass can wait — dammit, so can you. Five years people … five years … you can wait!

[Image: Shutterstock]

Azealia Banks is going the distance, as she has many times before, and has revealed that she will be posing for Playboy Magazine. The Harlem rapper took to Twitter to make the announcement, which was later confirmed by the men’s magazine’s website. She will be posing nude on the cover of the April 2015 issue, as well as doing a nude pictorial spread, along with an interview conducted by Rob Tannebaum.

The photo shoot was shot by famed photographer Ellen Von Unwerth, and was named by editors as a “frisky pictorial that’s sure to break the Internet.”

Azealia wrote on her Twitter timeline, along with a teaser picture from the shoot, “Now I can finally tell you, I’ll be on the COVER of @Playboy’s April Music Issue!! #LeChatNoir ”

The issue featuring Azealia, 23, will hit newsstands on March 20, when she will make her nude debut. The spread will be released just in time for her North American tour, which starts at the Coachella Music Festival on April 10, in Indio, California.

Source: Playboy

Benzino has been arrested for a second time in 2015, after he was stopped by police when he appeared to not be wearing his seat belt. The former Love & Hip Hop ATL star was pulled over by police in Atlanta, and when they discovered he was driving with a license that was suspended, they searched his car, according to TMZ.

The site reports that officers found a stash of pot in the hip-hop entrepreneur’s vehicle, and arrested him on the spot for possession Wednesday afternoon. He was then taken into custody and charged for the seat belt violation, driving on a suspended license, and possession of marijuana. Authorities set his bail at $2,269, but there is no word on whether he has been released.

Benzino was also arrested back in January, just two weeks prior, as he was reportedly caught trying to send a loaded 9 millimeter firearm through security at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He was later released on $3,000 bail that day.

Source: TMZ

There have been questions about Kenya Moore’s romantic life. When the Real Housewives of Atlanta star first joined the cast, many eyebrows were raised over her relationship with Walter Jackson. Accusations, suggesting she paid the bachelor to pretend to be her man, flew fast and furious, and he did nothing to shut down the rumors.

During Kenya’s second season on the show, she hinted about an African prince who had caught her eye, but the former Miss USA’s cast mates responded to that news with skepticism. Add to that the fact that co-star NeNe Leakes failed to confirm a sighting of the mystery man and it’s little wonder fans and haters alike felt justified in second-guessing all of Kenya’s romantic claims.

However, the “Gone With the Wind Fabulous” singer has someone to vouch for her latest romance with a Princeton grad who shall remain nameless.

Kenya’s fellow Bravo star, Patti Stanger of Millionaire Matchmaker, has made a living making love connections, and she said the one she made for Kenya is still intact.

“She’s dating the guy that I fixed her up with,” Patti recently told Wendy Williams, who joked that Kenya’s crazy “tick” has kept her from the altar all these years.

“It will be just a moment in time, though, before he sees the tick,” said Wendy who shared more details about Kenya’s beau after the Celebrity Apprentice cast-off’s recent visit.

“He’s a regular guy. He’s a graduate of Princeton. He has no children and he’s been married,” Wendy offered. “Good for her.”

Though Patti said she succeeded at finding love for Kenya, she admitted that there were some issues Kenya needed to work through before she was ready for love, and Patti could relate.

“She was broken,” Patti explained. “She and I have very similar problems. We’re both abandoned children.”

Real Housewives of Atlanta viewers have likely heard Kenya’s story about being raised by relatives other than her mother. Patti didn’t elaborate, but encouraged TV watchers to tune into Matchmaker to see how she and Kenya deal with those issues. “We break the pattern,” Patti said. “She changes.”

While some likely assumed Kenya would be twirling on Atlanta rooftops proclaiming her love, she said she’s keeping this relationships out of the spotlight.

“I just want to keep it to myself,” said Kenya who responded that she’s “getting there” when asked whether she’s in love.

Victoria Rowell, one of the former main stars of The Young And The Restless, is reportedly suing the show’s network, CBS, and well as Sony. According to court documents that she and her legal team filed, the actress who played Drucilla Winters, alleges that the television channel rejected her re-employment after she spoke out on the need to have more African Americans present in soap operas.

The court documents say that she believes that CBS, particularly the President, Les Moonves, conspired to not re-employ her in retaliation “for her Advocacy for Employment of African Americans on the Daytime Drama.” She filed the complaint in federal court, stating that the network rejected her for her public and private comments on the lack of diversity, despite the show comprising of a huge percentage of African-American women.

There are currently four Black actors on the show, including Victoria’s former TV husband, played by Kristoff St. John. All of the African American characters on ‘Y&R’ now are members of the fictional Winters family. Shemar Moore, who originated the role of Malcolm Winters, made a brief return to the soap in 2014.

Victoria exited the series in 2007, after Drucilla fell from a cliff during a physical fight with her nemesis. Since then, the 11-time NAACP Image Award winner has made guest appearances on shows like Living Single and Law & Order: SVU.

Victoria’s attorney insists that she was “impoverished and blackballed because she had chosen to speak out against the discrimination and injustice that she had endured and witnessed happen to other African Americans.” Victoria is also seeking an unspecified amount for backpay, front pay, benefits, and punitive damages.

Source

Frequent FOX News contributor Star Parker described President Obama’s remarks about Christianity at his National Prayer Breakfast last week as “verbal rape.”

Parker appeared on Sean Hannity’s show on Monday along with Dallas mega-church pastor Robert Jeffress to discuss Obama’s remarks at the breakfast. In light of pervasive religious extremism, the president discussed the need to reconcile that with the “the profound good, the strength, the tenacity, the compassion and love that can flow from all of our faiths.” However, it was his comments about Christians needing to beware of getting on a “high horse” about such matters, when they also have a muddy past.

Obama said:

“Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history. And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ. Michelle and I returned from India — an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity — but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs — acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation.”

Parker said in response, “Let me put in context, then. Because I was in that room. And it was, frankly, verbal rape. Oh yeah. We were not expecting it. Nobody wanted it. It was horrible to sit through. And after it was over we all felt like crap.”

Geraldo Rivera, who was also on the panel, thought the comparison was “too harsh” and repeatedly said “yikes” in response to Parker’s comments.

Still, Parker stood by her statement and criticized Obama for being “too arrogant” to stick to the objective of unity. She went even further to say that Obama was subtly getting Muslims riled up for revenge and encouraging terrorists to “keep doing what you’re doing in the Middle East.”

By Ronda Racha Penrice

Finding a ride befitting the brash sassiness and no-nonsense “I’m every damn thing” aura of Cookie or that can keep up with Lucious’s Machiavellian dealings could not have been easy. But, somehow, Empire, FOX’s game-changing hip-hop-infused drama, found the right fit with the 2015 Lincoln Navigator.

Like Cookie and Lucious, this 2015 Navigator is old school. Its body is throwback, with that big feel that defies the sleek daintiness that has slowly been redefining this class of vehicle as a whole. In other words, it is no lightweight. Whether cruising on 20s or 22s, this Navi makes its presence known. Big and commanding inside and out, this Navi, like Cookie, is not to be underestimated regardless of how long it’s been in or out of the game. Both have brushed themselves off, picked up some new tricks, to slowly take over all over again.

Driving the Navi is certainly not for the meek. This is “King of the Road” terrain, so act accordingly. Gripping the steering wheel is like unleashing some superhuman strength. Yes, whipping into small spaces may be a thing of the past, but, as Cookie knows, it’s a wondrous thing when people just move out your damn way. On the open road, “Try Me” is truly a song on the stellar sound system because it’s already shutdown and handled.

Related: Taraji P. Henson Talks Empire, Race, and Not F*cking Up

With the Empire crew, the Navi is mainly a chauffeured experienced, which makes complete sense. Once the doors open, for example, a sliding step (or powered running boards as they are technically called) emerges. Inside, leather is everywhere. Whoever said it’s hard to relax when someone else is driving never rode in the back of the master Navi. And, for those who crave drama (kind of like Olivia’s baby-daddy bombshell at the end of last night’s episode), exiting the Navi into the darkness is unrivaled because that dang Lincoln hologram overtaking the ground is on fleek a thousand times over.

The power price tag to go completely top of the line comes at about $74,000. Fuel economy hits around 15 mph in the city and 20 on the highway to average out around 17 mph. Next year, the Navi will reportedly undergo a complete re-design. But, for those who like a healthy dose of old splashed with some new, new – the 2015 Lincoln Navigator will also complement your Empire.

Jon Stewart announced that he will be stepping down as host of “The Daily Show.” Stewart, 52, made the emotional announcement on Feb. 10 in the closing minutes of his show.

“It’s been an incredible opportunity to pilot this wonderful franchise,” he told the studio audience. “Seventeen years is the longest I have ever in my life held a job, by 16 years and five months … In my heart, I know it is time for someone else to have that opportunity.”

Stewart was vague about his future plans, but expressed that he was looking forward to spending some more time with his family. “I’m gonna have dinner on a school night with my family who, I have heard from multiple sources, are lovely people.”

Many are speculating that he will take more time to pursue directing. He took time away from “The Daily Show” in the summer of 2013 to direct his first feature film Rosewater.

Stewart took over the show in 1999, and he and his team have since won 19 Emmy Awards and one Grammy.

Comedy Central released a statement praising Stewart and his efforts on “The Daily Show.”

Thank you Jon. pic.twitter.com/yPdxjnkuLw

— Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral) February 10, 2015

President Obama requested a three-year authorization of military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from Congress on Wednesday.

“Now, make no mistake, this is a difficult mission and it will remain difficult for some time,” Obama said during an afternoon press conference. But, he added, “Our coalition is on the offensive, ISIL is on the defensive and ISIL is going to lose.”

Both Republicans and Democrats agree with the intent, but the details remain a point of contention. One of the glaring sticking points was the notion that Obama wants to restrict the military from engaging in “enduring offensive ground combat operations.”

“I am convinced that the U.S. should not get back into another ground war in the Middle East — it’s not in our national security interest and not necessary for us to defeat ISIL,” he said.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he will not back “efforts that impose undue restrictions on the U.S. military and make it harder to win.” Many other Republicans echoed the sentiment that they would want no restrictions on the power to use military force as needed.

Obama’s proposal does make the request for “flexibility” in the case of “unforeseen circumstances,” but the Republicans seem adamant about no restrictions whatsoever.

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats are worried about vague phrasing like his call for “flexibility.”

“There’s a real ambivalence there,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in an interview. “There should be more clarity in terms of what that means. There’s a lot at stake.”

This Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) would also repeal the 2002 AUMF that started the Iraq War. Although Obama withdrew troops in 2011, the military authorization was still in effect. This new resolution did not, however, repeal the 2001 AUMF that justified the war in Afghanistan.

Looking to distance himself from comparison to those AUMF orders, Obama stressed that this proposal would not authorize “long-term, large-scale ground combat operations.” He also said that he remains “committed to working with Congress and the American people to refine, and ultimately repeal, the 2001 AUMF.”

Source

Courtesy of Elev8

The story of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey isn’t really about dominance or bondage or even sex or love, despite all the Harlequin Romance–worthy character names. No, what Fifty Shades of Grey offers is a story about a young man learning, stripping down ( pun intended), and redefining his center.

In other words, you can find something redeemable, teachable, and enduring in Christian Grey’s life and this film.

Pastors, churches, and domestic abuse fighters have come after this film with sharp knives. Under normal circumstances I would support and agree with them. I have received no less than 25 petitions to protest the film. This time I can’t.

I would ask these same protestors:

Where are you on “Walking Dead,” “Orange Is The New Black,” and “Game of Thrones”?

Unlike those shows, there are actual a teaching moments under all of the glitz.

Continue reading …

Chef Jourdan-Cha’Taun is at it again, this time cooking up some yum for Valentine’s Day. Obvi, nighttime would involve a romantic night on the town, so she’s putting a twist on the menu, offering up Valentine’s Day brunch recipes – or just brunch recipes, depending on your level of singledom.  These five items, including a boozy pre-game aperitif, span sweet and savory.  And there is even a veggie course.  #BrunchOfChampions.

In her own words:

“I was thinking, if I even had a Bae, what would I do for him on Valentine’s Day? (I’ve been Baeless for so many years I’ve lost track of all the lonely nights – lol.) But IF I had a Bae, I’d be waking up with him. So I figure an amazing brunch would be nice. (Clearly being the woman that I am, I’d want to be taken out at night, so I could play dress up and be shown off.)

We start the V-Day Brunch with a Spicy Hennessy Apple Cinnamon adult beverage – because I’m a cognac woman myself and what man doesn’t enjoy some cognac?

I don’t like to waste anything, so I thought “What else can we do with the leftover apples?” A brunch has to have a little something sweet, right? So I created the Bear Claw French Toast with an Apple Caramel Topping.

Lastly, what’s Valentines Day without lobster & steak? Most men love meat, why not add some steak to your eggs – in the form of Steak & Eggs cooked in muffin tins to make the cutest protein-packed ‘muffins’ ever. Next, I paired the lobster with the sweetness of yams and peppers to create the ultimate breakfast Lobster Hash.

Personally I love having vegetables with breakfast, so we round it all out with this tasty Green Bean & Heirloom Tomato Salad!”

Get the recipes on the next page….

Recipes: @chefjourdanchataun; Photo credit: @CarlosImani; Makeup: @makeupbymattiemarie

Spicy Henny-Cinny Apple Cocktail

Courtesy Chef Jourdan Cha’Taun
1 cup Hennessy
1 bottle ginger beer
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 green apple,  half sliced in rings, the other half diced small
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sliced orange
1 ice cube tray

Method:

The night before:
Put diced apples place in ice tray, fill with apple juice, place in freezer.

The day of:

Blend sugar and cinnamon in a bowl with a fork.

Rub orange slice on rim of glassware. Dip glass in cinnamon sugar mixture and set aside.

Pour 1/2 cup of Hennessy into each glass add 1/2 cup ginger beer to each glass along with fresh ginger.

Right before serving add 3-4 apple juice cubes. Garnish glass with sliced apple rings. Enjoy.

Bear Claw French Toast w/Apple Caramel Topping

Courtesy Chef Jourdan Cha’Taun
2 Bear Claw Doughnuts
1 orange juice + zest
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup salted butter

Apple Caramel Topping
1/2 honey crisp apple, sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Method:
Slice Bear Claws into 1/2 inch thick slices lengthwise (you should have about four total), set aside.

Beat eggs, add heavy cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice, zest, set aside.

In small sauté pan add 2 tablespoons butter, sliced apples, cinnamon, brown sugar. Sauté 2-3 minutes until apples are tender, add heavy cream. Sauté additional 2 minutes. Set aside.

Dip sliced bear claws in egg mixture.

Add remaining butter to large sauté pan on medium low heat.  Place claws in preheated pan, let cook without moving, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Just before serving add caramel apple topping. Serve with sliced fruit to add color to your plate.

Steak & Egg “Muffins”

Courtesy Chef Jourdan Cha’Taun
4 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 onion diced
1/4 cup shredded jack cheese
1/2 bunch fresh spinach washed chopped
1 ribeye steak
4 tablespoons olive oil
Pan Spray
Muffin Tin
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to Broil. Marinate steak in 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, salt pepper. Broil steak on high 6 minutes on each side. Remove from oven, set aside.

Set oven to 350 degrees.

In a small mixing bowl scramble eggs, add water, heavy cream, chives, pour half the mixture between 4 muffin slots. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium sauté pan on medium high heat, sauté diced onions 3-4minutes until lightly brown, add remaining garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Add spinach and sauté 1 minute, set aside.

Cut steak in half. Thinly slice one half against the grain. Take the other half and small dice. Add diced steak to spinach mixture, along with cheese. Place 1-2 tablespoons steak/spinach mix and put in prepared tins. Pour remaining egg mixture over steak mix filling 3/4 full. Bake 25 minutes. Garnish with sliced steak and herbs.

Lobster Breakfast Hash

Courtesy Chef Jourdan Cha’Taun
1 yam, diced small
1 russet potato, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 red onion, diced small
4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 Lobster Tails, meat removed/diced (save tails)
1 lemon juice + zest
1/2 cup olive oil blend
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice + zest, 2 tablespoons minced garlic and 1 tablespoon each herb in a small bowl. Add chopped lobster tails, set aside.

Bring 4 quart sauce pot of salted water to a boil and add diced yams and potatoes. Let boil 3-4 minutes until tender.Strain, place on a plate and set aside.

In large, pre-heated  sauté pan add 1/4 cup olive and potato mixture (the hotter the pan, the crispier the potato). Sauté 6-8 minutes on medium high heat, season to taste. Transfer to 8×8 pan, put in oven.

In the same sauté pan used for potatoes, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté onions and peppers on medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Add to pan with potatoes in oven and place it back in the stove.

Right before serving, sauté lobster mixture in remaining olive oil, fold with potato hash and finish with remaining herbs.
*** Serving tip: Sauté your lobster shells until they are bright red – use them to serve your hash. Plate with lemon slices.

Green Bean & Heirloom Tomato Salad

Courtesy Chef Jourdan Cha’Taun
1/2 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 zucchini, sliced in rounds 1/2inch thick
5 crimini mushrooms, washed & sliced
1 small shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place zucchini, shallots, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil in mixing bowl, season with salt & pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet, roast in oven for 30 minutes then remove from oven.

Bring salted water to a boil in 4 quart sauce pot.

Add green beans, let boil 3 minutes or until tender. Immediately add green beans to zucchini mixture, add chopped rosemary, set aside.

Can be served cold or at room temperature.