Alicia Keys is back with a new look and a new sound. And while the tabloids have had their fun, she’s also back in control.

Related: Alicia Keys Nails VIBE Magazine’s Photo Shoot

VIBE Magazine got the opportunity to sit down with the Grammy award-winning singer– and husband Swizz Beatz– to discuss her “difficult choices,” new music and finding the true meaning of happiness.

On her past choices, both personal and professional…
“Let’s just say I’ve been very uncomfortable. I’ve been brave enough to be uncomfortable.”

On making new music and being in control…
“Oh please! [...] If anything, this has been one of the most challenging times of my life, in regards to finding my own self and being brave enough to separate from things that weren’t working for me anymore. This is really hard stuff. [...] “I’ve been fortunate in the sense that I’ve always been in control of my music. But music is the fun part. Everything else that goes along with making it and getting it to people, that’s the part that’s changed.”

On finding happiness…
“I think I always figured I was happy. What’s not to be happy about? I have a great life and can do things I only dreamed of, and go places I only imagined in my mind, and that seemed like happiness to me [pause]. But I didn’t actually know happiness until recently.”

Read the full interview at VIBE!

It should come as no surprise that Sean “Diddy” Combs comes in at No. 1 on “The Forbes Five”– a short list of hip-hop’s wealthiest moguls.

Related: Diddy To Launch Music-Themed Cable Network

The longtime self-promoter has worked his way up the ladder with profitable stakes in clothing lines such as Sean Jean and Enyce while building up Bad Boy Records. His latest ambition to launch a cable channel is taking shape as Revolt is scheduled to hit the air in 2013.

Writer Zack O’Malley Greenburg for Forbes reports Diddy has a net worth of $550 million, making him the king of cash in the world of hip-hop.

Behind the “All About The Benjamins” rapper is fellow mogul Jay-Z at $460 million. From $240 million clothing deals to $150 million concert contracts to part ownership of the New Jersey Nets (among other things), Jay-Z has enough wealth to keep Baby Blue in designer onesies.

Related: Jay-Z Takes Baby Blue Home, Inks New Deal

“Who’s going to be hip-hop’s first billionaire is still to be determined,” says author and advertising exec Steve Stoute. “But clearly Jay and Puffy are far and away positioned to surpass that.”

Three more moneymakers round out Forbes list, can you guess who they are? Check out them out here!

Courtesy of The Root

Folks are getting really comfortable with their blatant racism and sexism. A friend of mine emailed me a story about how Swedish Minister of Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, a self-proclaimed “anti-racist,” was photographed eating a cake made in the image of an African woman in minstrel makeup.

According to an article in Fria Tider (a Swedish publication), the minister of culture was celebrating with a “n–ger cake.” To add insult to injury, Liljeroth was invited to open festivities of World Art Day by — brace yourself — “performing a clitoridectomy on the cake” to bring awareness to the global practice of female circumcision.

If you think this story can’t get any more perverse, there is a video and photos of Liljeroth slicing the genital area of the cake and eating it. Did I mention that the body screams each time someone slices the cake?

Continue reading at The Root

[Racist cake image via Facebook]

Courtesy of EURWeb

We knew it was too good to last. Oh well.

Kentucky’s starting lineup of three freshmen and two sophomores did most everything together en route to the school’s eighth national title. Now, they will each go their separate ways in the NBA.

Continue reading at EURWeb

Courtesy of Sister 2 Sister

Jennifer Williams’ slapper, Nia Crooks, explained why she felt the need to lash out at her former friend on “Basketball Wives.”

Nia set the record straight on her truths about Jennifer and denied that she had premeditated plans to lay hands on the season’s object of contempt.
“Hell no, I did not go on television to slap Jen,” Nia told “Baller Alert.”

“I knew I was gonna address Jen, but me asking her what happened between her and I and her reaction to me, took me by surprise,” she said.

According to Nia, the two began a friendship in 2005 after meeting at Evelyn Lozada’s 30th birthday party. Nia stayed loyal and close with Jennifer, especially when problems arose with Jen’s ex-husband Eric Williams. During that period of time, the two were so tight that Nia allowed Jennifer to keep a set of keys to access her apartment as she pleased.

“If your accounts are frozen, and your husband has taken over everything, and you walk around living this lavish life, and you still want people to think you’re rolling in dough, by all means a front is put up,” said Nia about Jen staying at her apartment during the harder times.

Continue reading at Sister 2 Sister

Courtesy of Loop21

“Saturday Night Live” attempted to make it’s audience laugh this past weekend by addressing Trayvon Martin‘s death. Granted, the show wasn’t poking fun at the case, itself, but at the celebrity commentators chosen to speak on the matter. See the skit below.

A cast member kicked off the sketch by impersonating talk show host Piers Morgan, who famously went one-on-one with Toure over the Trayvon case in real life. The Brit joked, “If you just listen to my accent and not the words I say, you’ll think I’m quite intelligent.”

He then proceeded to invite “lesser officials and tangical celebrities” on his show to talk about the young slain teen.

Continue reading at Loop21

Courtesy of The Grio

A casting document from Japanese car company Acura has leaked. It explicitly states that they sought a “nice looking, friendly, not too dark” African-American to play a car dealer alongside comedian Jerry Seinfeld in the their Super Bowl commercial, which aired earlier this year.

According to TMZ, they attained [sic] a copy of the document from a “pissed” black actor who didn’t fit the profile.

Continue reading at The Grio

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

In last year’s PETA campaign, Taraji P. Henson told us she’d rather go naked than wear fur, and now she’s proving it again in Allure magazine’s annual “The Naked Truth” issue.

Alongside Heidi Klum, Maria Menounos, Debra Messing, Leslie Bibb, and Morena Baccarin, Taraji shows us just how good 40-plus looks. Shot by famous photography Patrick Demarchelier, the photo shows nothing more than Taraji, a little bling, the tattoo on her waist and the bed inside her New York City apartment.

She lets us know laying around in the buff isn’t something she only reserves for magazine spreads.

Continue reading at Vibe Vixen

Courtesy of Vibe

Earlier this month, a man named Quamine Taylor had the time of his life at Diddy‘s mansion in East Hampton, N.Y. On April 1, Taylor decided that he wanted to get out of the city for awhile. So, he bought a train ticket to East Hampton, found himself a fresh change of clothes at Diddy’s place when he got there, guzzled down some Ciroc, and then hit the sheets for a nice, peaceful sleep. He had quite the time, as you’d probably expect. After all, it’s Diddy’s house. The only problem? Taylor doesn’t actually know Diddy! So, what the mentally-ill man did earned him trespassing and larceny charges and some time in a local jail.

Pretty crazy stuff, right? It almost (almost!) makes us glad that we’re not famous. Sure, the glitz and the glamour are probably nice. But, can you imagine coming home and seeing a strange person in your house? Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life for many celebrities, who are often the victims of some really strange forms of home invasion. But, don’t just take our word for it. Instead, check out The 10 Strangest Celebrity House Break-Ins of All-Time. What in the world were these people thinking?

Continue reading at Vibe

Courtesy of Hello Beautiful

So, you’ve met someone that you like a lot, you’ve gone on a few dates and even spent some time kissing and feeling up on each other. It’s only natural that you want to take it to the next level. If a woman gets busy with a guy too soon, does she automatically nix her chances for long-term love? How soon do you give it up or go downtown?

Our dating experts share their thoughts on this hot topic.

(Jozen Cumming) HE SAID:

As far as I’m concerned, too many women are concerned with giving it up too soon. What they need to care about is giving it up too late?

Continue reading at Hello Beautiful

Courtesy of Vibe

Longtime “American Bandstand” — and “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” — host and TV producer Dick Clark died this morning. He was 82.

Clark’s agent Paul Shefrin released a statement that the veteran host died this morning following a “massive heart attack.” TMZ reports that America’s oldest teenager had been in St. John’s hospital in L.A. after undergoing an outpatient procedure last night.

Clark was famous for introducing new talent to America on “American Bandstand ” and throwing the biggest party on New Years Eve. He also hosted “Pyramid.”

Continue reading at Vibe

It’s the season of lists and the latest addition is The 2012 Time 100.  This year’s annual roundup of the most influential people in the world gave a nod to tycoons, heads of state, scientists and more.  There were the usual suspects – and even some unusual ones.

How did the list break down by industry? Some winners fall into multiple categories but a rough tally gave this snapshot:

23: politicians (Yes, POTUS too.)

11: activists

9: business persons

5: actors (Including two from “The Help.”)

3: musicians (You’ll never guess which 90′s crooner made the list.)

2: chefs

1: shapewear mogul (The creator of Spanx absolutely deserves a category of her own.)

The remainder:  a random mix including scientists, militants, athletes, comedians, techies, filmmakers, and more.

How did the list break down by race?  Just by visuals alone, we identified eight that belong on the ‘black’ list. President Barack Obama, Viola Davis, Rihanna are some of the boldface names. There are also the lesser-known but equally impactful influentials which include Freeman A. Hrabowski, Fatou Bensouda, and Portia Simpson Miller. Here, we highlight the winners from the ‘family,’ plus 2 honoraries.

Tupac Shakur’s hologram at Coachella may have sparked the newest trend in the entertainment world.

As the Jackson brothers embark on their 27-city Unity Tour, Jackie Jackson told E! Online that a Michael Jackson hologram could be hitting a stage near you.

Related: Jackson Brothers Reunite For Summer Tour

“It could have Michael– absolutely,” he said. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful? As a matter of fact, we had that idea two years ago for Michael’s Cirque du Soleil show.”

Of course, Jackie said the hologram wouldn’t make its debut until the bigger tour they’re planning for next year after they release their new album for Motown.

Related: Celebrating Michael Jackson

The Unity Tour 2012 will kick off in Louisville, KY on June 18 and hit venues in New York, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and more. Jackie said he and his brothers are still working on the set list.

“There are so many songs,” Jackie said. “That’s the hardest part because we want to include all the favorites and not leave anything out. We’re going to sing some of Michael’s stuff, too. We’re going to honor him on the stage. He’d want us to do our thing to the best of our ability.”

Courtesy of EURweb

Berry Gordy:

“I’m saddened and devastated over the loss of my dear friend, Dick Clark. We were friends for over 50 years. My thoughts and condolences go out to his family, especially his wonderful wife, Kari, who took such incredible care of him always.

Dick was always there for me and Motown, even before there was a Motown. He was an entrepreneur, a visionary and a major force in changing pop culture and ultimately influencing integration. It happened first emotionally.Music can do that. He didn’t do it from a soap box, he just did it. That’s who he was. American Bandstand was a platform for all artists. For me personally, he helped bring Motown into living rooms across America.

Dick did everything with class, style and integrity. He was a true gentleman. His groundbreaking achievements in music and television ensure that his legacy will live on forever.”

Continue at EURweb…

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

Tashay D. Edwards, a 19-year-old Ohio native, was arrested Monday (April 16) after brutally assaulting another young girl over a Twitter beef. A video of the incident, filmed by Edwards’ friends, was posted to WorldStar Hip-Hop on Wednesday (April 18), and the girls received internet fame instantly. With over 2 million views by the afternoon, the entire ordeal has been a trending topic on the social network.

In the one-minute clip, Edwards arrives to the victim’s house, brings up the Twitter argument and proceeds to drag, stomp and beat the girl from her door to the sidewalk. The scene is quite graphic and is a sad realization of how seriously things can be taken over “disrespectful” behavior on the internet.

Continue reading at Vibe Vixen

The feisty women of VH1′s “Basketball Wives” are threatening to boycott the show’s reunion because of Jennifer Williams‘ pending lawsuit against Nia Crooks.

Related: Nia Crooks Explains Jennifer Williams Beef

According to TMZ, the lawsuit for assault and battery stems from a January 21st incident between Williams and Crooks at a Florida race track; the episode aired Monday night.

Sources at the network say Williams’ lawsuit was “filed out of spite and desperation to dredge up drama around her character– in vain hope of securing a spot on the show’s next season.”

Related: Tamia On ‘Basketball Wives’: ‘Definitely Not Reality’

TMZ reports that several “prominent castmembers” have broken the lines of communication with Williams and are threatening to not attend the reunion show early next month if she attends.

Williams says she is “still suffering from a whiplash-like neck injury and post traumatic stress stemming from the slap.”

Courtesy of The Root

Yesterday, in news that exists only to give our day comedic relief, the Hollywood Reporter reported on a class-action lawsuit filed against ABC’s dating-competition series, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, on the grounds of racial discrimination. Here are the two biggest claims:

The plaintiffs — Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson, both African American — claim that they were left out of the normal audition process because of their race, after they were taken to a side room and neither was called back, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Claybrooks and Johnson call out ABC; The Bachelor production companies Warner Horizon Television, Next Entertainment and NZK Productions; and Executive Producer Mike Fleiss for not casting a single person of color as the featured Bachelor or Bachelorette during the show’s 10-year, 23-season history.

Let us take a moment to think about the significance of this lawsuit, understanding that an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. Good. Now, with that out of the way, let us all laugh at what has to be one of the most frivolous race-based lawsuits in the history of law.

I hope that Claybrooks or Johnson don’t think they’re about to get a march started in their favor over this. Everyone knows that the reason The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have been on so long is that they stick to the same formula, right down to the color of people they cast. Everyone also knows that as popular as those series are, they are the definition of junk TV.

If these guys really want to stir up some fervor over injustices on television, they should be watching more television. I see injustices everywhere on my screen, and if I had the time, the resources and the space in my heart to care enough, here are the five television-related wrongs against which I would sue on the basis of race.

Continue reading at The Root

[The Bachelor/Girls image via Celebrity News/The New York Post]

Nearly three years before the tragedy of Trayvon Martin, there was Oscar Grant: the unarmed 22-year-old shot dead by a BART police officer in Oakland, Calif. early New Year’s Day.

Related: Pain Fuels Art For Trayvon Martin [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

The story gained national attention as the incident was caught on digital cameras/camera phones and uploaded online for millions of viewers to watch. Johannes Mehserle, the officer, was eventually found guilty of involuntary manslaughter but served less than two years in the Los Angeles County Jail.

Now, Grant’s story is being told in a new drama titled Fruitvale produced by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and Red Tails’ Michael B. Jordan are in talks to lead the indie film’s cast.

Related: Michael B. Jordan: Kind Of Blue [EXCLUSIVE]

“Jordan will play Grant, the 22-year-old man who crosses paths with friends and enemies, family and strangers on his last day,” THR reports. “Spencer would play his tough and protective mother.”

The project is taking shape at a critical time as Martin’s case continues to unfold.

Production of Fruitvale is said to begin in July.

Courtesy of HuffPost BlackVoices

A promising lead about the whereabouts of Phoenix Coldon turned out to be a cruel hoax, causing the missing Missouri woman’s family additional pain, their entire life savings and their home.

“Unfortunately, we will now be losing our family home,” the missing woman’s mother, Goldia Coldon, told The Huffington Post. “We have tried to explain the situation to our mortgage company but they don’t care.”

A tip that led the family to Texas came from a man who claimed to know Coldon’s whereabouts and provided her family with very convincing details, Goldia Coldon said. The family already had invested much of their money to search for Phoenix, she said, but spent the remainder of their savings on private investigators to follow up on the lead. It was not until after the family’s money was gone that the man who provided the tip admitted he fabricated the story, Coldon said.

“They said he made it up to get attention,” she said. “It cost us dearly and it led absolutely nowhere. It was just his idea of a joke.”

Continue at BlackVoices…

Officials at Spelman College announced Thursday that Oprah Winfrey will deliver the commencement speech in May.

The media mogul will speak to approximately 550 graduates at the Georgia International Convention Center on May 20. Students got the opportunity to hear First Lady Michelle Obama speak at last year’s ceremony.

Related: Michelle Obama to Deliver Commencement Speech At HBCU

Winfrey received an honorary degree from Spelman in 1993 and will receive the college’s National Community Service Award at this year’s graduation.

Earlier this week, director Lee Daniels (Precious) confirmed that Winfrey has been cast in The Butler, a film centered around a Black man (Eugene Allen) who worked as a butler in the White House, from 1952 to 1986.

Related: Terry McMillan: On Oprah’s Possible Role In ‘Waiting To Exhale’ Sequel

Butler, also starring Forest Whitaker, will begin shooting in New Orleans in July.