Muhammad Ali seemingly has passed his boxing gloves to his three-year-old grandson Curtis Conway.

In a Louis Vuitton ad that hit the web this week, Conway looks poised to take on the title of The Greatest, as Ali looks on in reverie. With feet firmly planted and fists ready to strike, Conway, the son of Laila Ali and her former NFL husband Curtis Conway, is the true star of this Annie Leibovitz-shot ad, but of course there’s some Vuitton eye candy to ogle too — the $1,525 “Keepall 50″ logo bag.

Angelina Jolie, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pelé, and Keith Richards have also been featured in similar Vuitton ads.

Just a day after Lauryn Hill was reported as being charged with three counts of misdemeanor failure to file taxes, the singer has taken to her personal Tumblr to address the matter.

Related: Lauryn Hill Joins Nas At Summer Jam [VIDEO]

On Thursday, TMZ reported Hill failed to file her federal taxes from 2005, 2006 and 2007; she earned more than $1.8 million during that time. The five-time Grammy award winner could face up to one year in prison for each count and $300,000 in fines.

In her defense, Hill says that in those three years she removed herself and her family from society “in order to keep them safe, healthy, and free from danger.” She states:

“For the past several years, I have remained what others would consider underground. I did this in order to build a community of people, like-minded in their desire for freedom and the right to pursue their goals and lives without being manipulated and controlled by a media protected military industrial complex with a completely different agenda.  Having put the lives and needs of other people before my own for multiple years, and having made hundreds of millions of dollars for certain institutions, under complex and sometimes severe circumstances, I began to require growth and more equitable treatment, but was met with resistance.  I entered into my craft full of optimism (which I still possess), but immediately saw the suppressive force with which the system attempts to maintain it’s control over a given paradigm.  I’ve seen people promote addiction, use sabotage, black listing, media bullying and any other coercion technique they could, to prevent artists from knowing their true value, or exercising their full power.  These devices of control, no matter how well intentioned (or not), can have a devastating outcome on the lives of people, especially creative types who must grow and exist within a certain environment and according to a certain pace, in order to live and create optimally.

I kept my life relatively simple, even after huge successes, but it became increasingly obvious that certain indulgences and privileges were expected to come at the expense of my free soul, free mind, and therefore my health and integrity.  So I left a more mainstream and public life, in order to wean both myself, and my family, away from a lifestyle that required distortion and compromise as a means for maintaining it.  During this critical healing time, there were very few people accessible to me who had not already been seduced or affected by this machine, and therefore who could be trusted to not try and influence or coerce me back into a dynamic of compromise. Individual growth was expected to take place unnaturally, or stagnated outright, subject to marketing and politics.  Addressing critical issues like pop culture cannibalism or its manipulation of the young at the expense of everything, was frowned upon and discouraged by limiting funding, or denying it outright.  When one has a prolific creative output like I did/do, and is then forced to stop, the effects can be dangerous both emotionally and psychologically, both for the artist and those in need of that resource.  It was critically important that I find a suitable pathway within which to exist, without being distorted or economically strong-armed.”

Read her full letter here…

Courtesy of Hello Beautiful

The challenge of love is sticking by each other through the thick and thin. But sometimes the “thick” gets damn near impenetrable and walking out the door is an almost-automatic response –well not for these women. Infidelities, liars and extended prison stays are usually breaking points for most marriages, but not for this special breed of women. This is a short list, honoring the women that have stuck with their partners through it all and deserve a round of applause because they’ve got a love that truly conquers all. Word to Shellie Zimmerman.

Continue reading at Hello Beautiful

Courtesy of VIBE.com

The ongoing rumors about Drake and Chris Brown’s nightclub face off at NYC’s WIP nightclub continues to be the hot topic of the day. TMZ has released a statement from Drake’s camp.

Related: Chris Brown And Drake Fight In New York [PHOTOS]

A rep for Drake tells TMZ … “Drake did not participate in any wrongdoing of any kind last night at W.i.P. He was on his way out of the club when the altercation began.”

The rep adds, “[Drake] did not engage in any activity which resulted in injury to person or damage to property.”

However, a source close to WIP tells VIBE’s Mikey Fresh a different story.

Continue at VIBE.com…

Welcome to Coupled Up, our new weekly roundup of celebrity coupledom — you know who got hitched, who hooked up, who’s divorcing whom, who’s dipping on whom and who got caught in the middle. In this edition, find out how Osama Bin Laden factors into Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou’s marriage.

by Mark A. Thompson

One day as my son and I were walking down Lenox Avenue from basketball practice,  I noticed two New York police officers on foot eyeballing us. I braced myself to be stopped and frisked. I feared for my son.

When I described this experience on my radio show the other day, a white listener called in to say that I am paranoid. But paranoia is fear of that which does not really exist. At least one in every four African American men is stopped and frisked by the New York Police Department (NYPD).

In 2011, the NYPD made more stops of young African American men than the total population of young African American men in New York. Contraband was found in only 2 percent of those stops, only 6 percent of those stops resulted in arrests, and they  were stopped for reasons as ridiculous as “furtive movement.” Were my son and I moving furtively?

So my concern about NYPD officers eyeballing my son and me is justified. Fortunately, nothing happened that time. But this Father’s Day 2012, the first since Trayvon’s sophisticated, modern-day lynching, all of us who are African American dads are faced with the perennial and most difficult question of Black fatherhood: What do we advise our sons to do to prevent being profiled by the police and others?

As we tip our hats to the all the wonderful dads in our lives this Father’s Day, we also applaud our favorite proud papas who excel in Hollywood and at home!

Courtesy of EURWeb

Last night, we were hit with the hard news of Yvette Wilson’s death.

The actress, who is most known for her roles on Moesha and The Parkers, was suffering from cervical cancer and was running out of funds to pay her growing medical bills.

She even had a website created by a friend to help her raise funds. Many of us were alerted to her condition by fellow Moesha actress Shar Jackson.

While many who learned of Wilson’s death this morning, many don’t know much else about her.

Here are 5 facts about her:

1. When and where was she born?

Yvette Wilson was born on March 6, 1964 in Los Angeles, California.

2. How she got started in entertainment?

In the early 90s, when she was majoring in communications at San Diego State University, she lost a bet and was forced to do a standup comedy show. Surprisingly, she never turned back and decided to make a career out of it.

Continue reading at EURWeb

Courtesy of Sister 2 Sister

From Basketball Wives and Real Housewives to Jerseylicious and Love & Hip Hop, there is at least one common theme: Women cannot get along.

Catfights are common among women on many reality shows that have a majority-female cast. But why? What is it about women in groups that always leads to shouting matches and someone ending up with vodka all over their clothes? Are we genetically wired to hate our own kind, or is something else at play?

In a glass-ceiling society, we have been conditioned to believe that there is only room for one woman at the top; so if you want to be that woman, then all others are your competition and essentially your enemy.

Continue reading at Sister 2 Sister

Courtesy of Elev8

From birth to death and every step in between, the greatest occurrences in any life are often preceded by a moment. Once a year the world dedicates 1440 of its moments to acknowledge its fathers, and once a year the men, defined by the moment that they decided to abandon their child or children, ruminate over what went wrong. What do these fathers miss out on? How will they ever know?

If you talk to anyone who grew up without their father, or a father figure, you will learn that the father who was absent from their lives missed the moments where his words and acts of encouragement could have prevented them from becoming a teenaged parent. According to statistics, being raised without one’s father raises the risk of teen pregnancy. If he’s left his son, this father missed the chance explain through words and action just why education is important, or to prevent that young man from seeking acceptance and his identity from those who would chose to exploit rather than exalt his child to that boy’s true potential.  Prisons are filled with wasted talent, potential and people in pain. 70% of inmates in juvenile prisons come from fatherless homes.

Continue reading at Elev8

[Father and baby image via Shutterstock]

So I wasn’t exactly a fan of the newly-released, Kanye West-hawked Nike Air Yeezy 2s, which retail for $245 but probably cost Nike less than $5 to produce.

But I do have to say I admire the track and field uniforms Nike designed for Team USA. The bright red unitards are a part of the Nike Pro TurboSpeed collection and actually make runners and jumpers faster! Nike tested the uniform in wind tunnels for 1,000 hours to increase the aerodynamic technology, creating the fastest uniform of all time. Oh, and did I mention the uniforms are made from recycled plastic bottles?

The athletic giant also designed outfits, complete with hidden patriotic messages, for when Team USA is off the track — from ultra-lightweight shoes to letterman jackets to sleek black suede high-top sneakers Nike has our athletes covered. And hopefully that’ll be a winning look this summer in London.

Go Team USA!

Source

Courtesy of Essence.com

When ESSENCE.com caught up with Tyler Perry this week, he was in the middle of promoting his latest movie, Madea’s Witness Protection, wrapping up his next movie The Marriage Counselor (while fending off criticisms of his casting Kim Kardashian), and running his Tyler Perry Productions studio in Atlanta.

Perry admits he’s often exhausted and that his habit of spreading himself so thin nearly drove him to a nasty drinking habit (which he kicked). He spoke with ESSENCE.com about Madea, kicking his drinking habit, his thoughts on Atlanta-based reality shows and his friendship with Whitney Houston.

ESSENCE.com: I noticed a kinder, gentler Madea in Madea’s Witness Protection.
TYLER PERRY: Really? [Laughs] I’m getting old. I look at some of the other stuff and the people on the road go, “Where is the gun? I say, “Hell, I’m tired.” I stopped using the gun a while back when I realized how many children were paying attention to it. But she’s getting older that’s all that is.

Continue reading at Essence.com

Courtesy of The Root

According to an informal survey, 90 percent of African Americans in their 20s and 30s today were in awe of or in love with Dominique Dawes around the time she competed in three Olympic Games in the 1990s.

Today, with what the Associated Press calls “cover girl looks, a personality that leaps through the TV set and a nickname [the Flying Squirrel] you won’t soon forget,” 16-year-old gymnast Gabby Douglas — who’s expected to be chosen for this year’s Olympic team — might just follow in her footsteps as one of gymnastics’ next big stars, not to mention the black community’s next collective athletic crush.

Continue reading at The Root

We’re about a year into our overflowing photo gallery of “You Loved Them Then! Where Are They Now?!” that features your favorite celebrities and their transitions through Hollywood. From Kid ‘n Play to Roxanne Shanté and the entire cast of Good Times, we’ve covered practically any Black star you could think of.

But in the spirit of the 2012 Summer Olympics, we’re switching things up! Check out this gallery of our 9 favorite athletes from Olympics past and find out what they’re up to now…

EARVIN ”MAGIC” JOHNSON

Gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games (national team)

Now…

Johnson’s done alright for himself.

In addition to being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, he continues to be an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention, NBA broadcaster and philanthropist.

In March, Magic Johnson Group bought the L.A. Dodgers for a record $2 billion and launched his cable network ASPIRE in June.

 

LISA LESLIE

Gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games; gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games; gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games; gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (national team)

Now…

After retiring in 2009, Leslie kept busy with various roles in television and film. But, more importantly, the 39-year-old former baller joined the Los Angeles Sparks ownership group.

MUHAMMAD ALI

Gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games (light heavyweight)

Now…

Ali has received countless accolades and honors that include the Presidential Citizens Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom. His public battle with Parkinson’s syndrome has brought awareness to the disorder and in 1997 The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC) opened its doors.

SUGAR RAY LEONARD

Gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games (light welterweight)

Now…

Since leaving the boxing ring, Leonard has had his hands in a little bit of everything. From sports analyst to actor, he keeps a presence on the big– and small– screen.

Fans of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars can remember Leonard from season 12 of the popular series.

DOMINIQUE DAWES

Bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games (team); bronze and gold medals at the 1996 Atlantic Olympic Games (floor/team); bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games (team)

Now…

From 2004 to 2006, Dawes served as the youngest President of the Women’s Sports Federation and was appointed to be co-chair of President Obama’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition in 2010. The Olympian also works as a motivational speaker and sports analyst.

MICHAEL JORDAN 

Gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games; gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games (national team)

Now…

Jordan continues to bring in the BIG bucks with his partnership with Nike, among other brands, and is majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE

Silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games (heptathlon); two gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games (heptathlon/long jump); gold and bronze medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games (heptathlon/long jump); bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games (long jump)

Now…

In 2000, the Joyner-Kersee Center opened in East St. Louis for after-school activities. It briefly closed its doors in 2009 due to funding, but reopened in 2011 with help from Nike, Anheuser-Busch and Monsanto. 

CARL LEWIS

Four gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games (100m, 200m, 4×100 Relay, Long Jump); two gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games (100m, Long Jump) and silver medal (200m); two gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games (4×100 Relay, Long Jump)

Now…

In addition to becoming a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and a member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities board, Lewis has made several appearances in television and film.

MARION JONES

In October 2007, Jones surrendered three gold medals and two bronze medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games due to her use of performance enhancing drugs.

Now…

After giving up her Olympic medals and serving six months in prison, Jones focused on being a wife and mother.

The 36-year-old track star also started the program “Take a Break” that encourages children and adults to pause and seek help before making decisions that could have life-altering consequences.

Rarely will you catch Hollywood’s pretty, shiny things looking anything but flawless.  But New York artist Danny Evans has Photoshopped some of our favorite celebs into submission, giving us a sense of what they’d look like  without the trainers, the stylists and makeup artists.

He gives the phrases “beat face” and “whipped hair” whole new meaning.  Here is what Rihanna, Jay/Bey and Oprah would look like without all the extra help.

Looking pretty tame: Where Rihanna might be without her glam squad.

[Photo: Planet Hiltron]

Jay-Z and Beyonce family portrait: Keep moving people, Sasha Fierce is not to be found here.

[Photo: Planet Hiltron]

Oprah, without Andre Walker’s special touch.

For more of Evans’ work, visit Planet Hiltron and see more before and after’s at Daily Mail.

[Photo: Planet Hiltron]

I joined a new meditation circle today. The energy was potent and loving. We discussed pain and fear of death. Sigmund Freud says the goal of all life is death. The leader of the circle asked, “Why is it, then, that we fear the inevitable?”

We fear our goal.

How many times can we relate this to our goals, in general? We fear what we want. We keep it a little further than arms length in order to keep it unattainable. We fear the death of the familiar. How would our lives look bereft of fear?

It has been said that we were never born and can never die. What does this mean? Clearly our bodies die and return to the earth. I believe that it refers to our spirit, our infinite energy that can neither be created nor destroyed.

From that space of awareness, there is no fear of death … for there is no death … Only change.

In the spirit of change, here are our Well-Life Maintenance Goals for July.

Spiritual: Congregate with people of like mind and spirit and discuss the divine, meditate, and praise. The synergy in a group of two or more joined by spirit is magnanimous.

Mental: Set some goals. Utilize your courage and overcome your fears. It may help to see that fear is an universal reaction to many situations, but how we deal with it is our personal signature on fate.

Emotional: Love yourself through your issues and fears. Give yourself compassion and patience.

Physical: Take one small, attainable step towards your health goals. Is there anything you can add or remove from your diet? Check with your healthcare professional and start today!

Welcome to Uplift at UPTOWN.  If you are just joining us this week, my name is Anita Kopacz.  I am an author and spiritual adviser with a passion to see people thrive!  Collective energy possesses a divine power that can remove stubborn obstacles and open locked doors.  My intention is to join our UPTOWN family in spirit and forge our return to healthy living.  With the Well-Life Maintenance program, together we will take small steps in four areas of our lives to improve our quality of living.  The four areas include Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical.  You can find more in my new book,Finding Your Way: Alphabetical Keys to the Divine.

In today’s link round-up: Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kanye take over the BET Awards, Rodney King gets laid to rest and much more!

HuffPost BlackVoices
Whitney Houston’s Mother, Cissy, Performs During Tribute [VIDEO]
A tribute fit for a queen.

The Grio
Gabby Douglas Wins U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Trials
#blackgirlsrock

Necole Bitchie
Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye, Kim Kardashian & Nicki Minaj Front Row @ The 2012 BET Awards
You gotta love it!

CNN
Family, Friends Remeber Rodney King At Funeral
The civil rights symbol was laid to rest Saturday.

Loop 21
Dwight Howard Requests Trade To Brooklyn Nets
Where will the big man land?

Hello Beautiful
Rihanna Loses Gran Gran Dolly To Cancer
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time.

You ever have that “I need a vacation” urge, but then you find that your friends have school, work, children, husbands, mistresses, and everything else going on under the sun that you all just can’t seem to plan a trip? Don’t be scared of traveling alone, though. Many people find that traveling alone is just as great or even better than going on a group excursion. How do you think Stella got her groove back? Touring the world solo can be a wonderful experience, but just like everything else, you have to know how to do it right. Here are some tips for traveling alone successfully.

[Man jumping image via Shutterstock]

Plan Ahead of Time

Just because you have decided that you are going on vacation on your own doesn’t mean that you should just go there and wing it. You should already know what activities are offered to you and what restaurants are around when you get there. The best part about being solo is that you really don’t have to do anything or go anywhere. But if you do decide to partake in the sights and attractions, then you should have a list of what to do and where. Also consider the locations frequented by the locals, so you can get the best of both worlds. Isn’t it refreshing to not have to deal with the “we MUST do something” pressures?

[Map and compass image via Shutterstock]

Pack Clothes that Are Suitable for Travel

When you’re home alone, walking around in your sweats and old raggedy T-shirts may suffice, but when you are away walking around like you just rolled out of bed just won’t be tolerated. You want to look like you are a guest and not part of the housekeeping staff. Wear comfortable fabrics and do not wear clothing that will draw a lot of attention to yourself as a safety precaution.

[Eccentric tourist image via Shutterstock]

Bring Your Own Entertainment

If you want to make your trip a memorable one, bring your own entertainment. Bring a good book with you that you have been dying to read, but have not had a free moment to do so. Take along with you a great camera to document your journey. You can act as a professional photographer for a few days and nobody will even know the difference. If you do decide to bring your laptop or tablet, then try your best not to get caught up in social networking and what’s going on in your home life while you’re not there. Isn’t a break from all of that the reason you traveled alone anyway? Stay logged off! If you must, pick one day while you are away to Skype with your loved ones and then back to your “me” time.

[Man reading magazine image via Shutterstock]

Date Yourself

Who could possibly be a better date than you? So why not pick a day and go on one with yourself? You can treat yourself to a nice massage, get decked out for a fancy dinner or hit the hiking trails. If you do the proper planning, like advised previously, there are endless date options. Be spontaneous and do something unexpected that you can share with your friends upon your return. And don’t forget to live it up while you’re there.

[Female hiker image via Shutterstock]

Be Safe

Though having a fun yet relaxing time while on your solo mission is the goal, you do have to take the proper precautions to ensure your safety. You should always know where you’re going before you get there. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and those who are around you. Travel with your I.D., driver’s license, or passport, and also keep a list of emergency contacts should something happen. If you happen to meet other travelers, don’t reveal too much of your personal business. Keep the conversation casual because you just never know their true intentions. Make sure to be mindful of the fact that you are alone, but don’t let the fear of something negative happening ruin your trip. Be safe and have a good time.

[Water safety equipment image via Shutterstock]

Although one of the more lengthy BET Awards shows (and more censored), the annual event delivered with in-demand performers, tons of memorable moments and a Whitney Houston tribute done the right way.

Cissy Houston, brother Gary Houston and close friends Mariah Carey, Monica and Brandy all honored the music icon with an extensive medley of songs that brought nearly every individual in the Shrine Auditorium to their feet.

Courtesy of EBONY.com

What happens when your favorite music artists move on?

They move on to a new school of thought, a new relationship, religion, or even a different music genre all together. They move away from the people, places or things that inspired their music—the music you loved so much. What do you do then?”

I remember how I felt the first time I listened to Mary J. Blige’s iconic album, My Life. I was only 13-years-old, but I belted each song out in my bedroom like I knew the exact pain she felt. I could feel it radiating through my boombox’s speakers, and oddly, it was a great feeling for me. I didn’t know that those words and rugged voice were by-products of abusive relationships, hurt and addiction. 

Nearly 20 years later (has it been that long?), Blige is still singing, but it’s all about her drama-free life and real, real love thanks to her husband, sobriety and a better self-image. If we’re honest, though we were happy for our sister’s breakthrough, her new music was missing something. It lacked the grit and grime that made us cry over her tracks. The “Happy Mary” was a little too happy and kind of boring. 

Continue at EBONY.com…