The Young, Black, and Fabulous

The Young, Black, and Fabulous


Mary J. Blige, Angela Bassett & Forest Whitaker's Official Flicks From "Black Nativity" + Malinda Williams CO-HOSTING Aspire's New TALK SHOW "Exhale"

Posted: 30 Apr 2013 07:00 AM PDT

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New stills from the upcoming film Black Nativity starring Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, and Mary J. Blige have been released. See the official photos inside and find out about ASPIRE's New "Exhale" talk show with co-host Malinda Williams.

New stills from the set of the film Black Nativity (November 27th) just hit the net and we get to see singer Mary J. Blige in her role as a guardian angel...with a platinum 'fro.

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Jennifer Hudson, who plays Naima (the mother of Langston) will also be among the musical talents who lend their voices to the film.  She'll be joined by Nas, Luke James and Tyrese.

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The film will centered around Jacob Latimore's Langston (shown above) who will discover the true meaning of faith, healing, and family during a Christmas visit to the home of his estranged relatives Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett).

 

And heading to the airwaves.....

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ASPIRE, the cable network started by entertainment mogul Magic Johnson, has announced the creation of a new talk show, "Exhale", targeting African American women.  Styled after ABC's hit, "The View" the new chat fest will be on limited cable, instead of syndication, co-hosted by actress Malinda Williams, journalist Angela Burt-Murray, actress and comedian Erin Jackson, "Awkward Black Girl" creator Issa Rae, author Rene Syler.

Produced by Lynne Robinson and Black Robin Media, fans can expect to see the shows' eight-episode first run will kick off in June, coinciding with the network's one-year anniversary.  'Bird' on a talk show?  This should be interesting....

Aspire's General Manager Paul Butler spoke of the new gab fest saying, “We are thrilled to add ‘Exhale’ to our lineup of original programming. This fresh, hip and candid new series will enlighten audiences with its broad range of topics relevant to the community.”

Will you be watching?

DO WE LOVE IT?! Zoe Saldana's STAR TREK Glitz In BALMAIN

Posted: 30 Apr 2013 06:27 AM PDT

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Zoe Saldana rarely, if ever misses stylewise on a red carpet.  And last night's Star Trek Into Darkness premiere in Berlin, Germany appears to be no different.

 

Decide if we love the fab chick's BALMAIN look inside...

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She always looks like fabulousness personified, and last night in Berlin, Zoe Saldana took over the Star Trek: Into Darkness premiere in a bold & dashing choice.

The 34-year-old feisty Dominicana rocked a fresh off the runway Balmain Pre-Fall 2013 look, complete with a hot pink tulip mini skirt topped off with a sequin-embellished pink & gold leather & metallic long sleeved top.  And with a pulled back low bun and very simple jewelry & subdued makeup, she let her bold skirt & top do all the talking by pairing them with understated black mesh Louboutin Pigaresille pumps.

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So about Zoe eye-popping look...

DO WE LOVE IT?!

 

 

NEW MUSIC: Chris Brown's "I Can't Win", "X" Album Release Date Revealed + J.Cole Drops "Cole Summer" Track

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 11:22 PM PDT

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J.Cole is making his second round count this summer with his upcoming album, Born Sinner.  Check out the rapper's newest joint "Cole Summer" as he salutes Lauryn Hill & D'Angelo, plus Chris Brown's brand new emotional track "I Can't Win"....

North Carolina rapper J.Cole is giving us a piece of his family life in his upcoming sophomore studio album. For the cover of his band new single he just dropped super late Monday night, "Cole Summer," we see an older white woman--who resembles his mother Kaye--mysteriously heading to a USPS truck. And it foreshadows the news...and music...to come.

"Work Out" rapper Jermaine sampled Lauryn Hill & D'Angelo's classic "Nothing Even Matters" and sped it up a bit for his new real-story style track. Check out the new "Cole Summer" below, and get ready for the June 25th release of Born Sinner....

 

Meanwhile, Chris Brown dropped a brand new track of his own Monday night, but it won't be appearing on his upcoming album X.  Chris simply had some ish to get off his chest.  And here it is...auto-tuned and packaged for your ears.  Check out "I Can't Win" below:

Does this track have anything to do with Breezy's latest drama of UNfollowing Rihanna on Twitter, hinting at more relationship strife, and then following (again) his ex Karrueche?  Hmm...

By the way, Breezy also used this opportunity to announce the new release date of his upcoming X album.  It's July 16th.  The summer of music continues....

 

Malia Obama -- VIP At Rihanna's D.C. Concert

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:17 PM PDT

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And this is how the First Daughters ball out.  Malia Obama rolled to Rihanna's Diamonds World Tour when it stopped in Washington D.C. tonight (Monday).  Check out how she partied it up in VIP on a school night....

The 14-year-old daughter of President Obama--who turns 15 July 4th--lived out most teenaged girls' dream Monday.  Malia took some time away from her private school studies and made her way to the Verizon Center to watch Rihanna "pour it up" on stage.

We're told the eldest Obama girl spent the whole concert dancing and having the time of her life with her friends in their own little world above the concert goers.  Hey, we all have a lil ratchet in us.

The gorge teen, dressed in cutoff shorts, a white tee and a plaid button down, may have been singing and dancing along to every song, but don't expect for her to copy Rih Rih's serious tattoo behavior anytime soon.

Papa Obama said in a recent interview with NBC that he and First Lady Michelle have a plan to prevent their girls from getting inked:

“Michelle and I have used the strategy when it comes to things like tattoos – what we’ve said to the girls is, ‘If you guys ever decide you’re going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will get the same exact tattoo in the same place. And we’ll go on YouTube and show it off as a family tattoo.  And our thinking is that might dissuade them from thinking that somehow that’s a good way to rebel.”

Ha.  Gotta love it....

 

Photo: Instagram

Lil' Kim STARS In Tiffany Foxx's "Jay-Z" VIDEO, ROCKS THE MIC In NYC + Behind-The-Scenes of Beyonce's H&M Commercial

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 04:22 PM PDT

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Rapper Tiffany Foxx dropped her "Jay-Z" video today starring rapper Lil' Kim.  Meanwhile The Queen Bee also rocked the stage in NYC recently. See the videos inside watch BTS footage from Beyonce's H&M campaign.

 

After dropping a buzz video a few weeks back, Tiffany Foxx released the "official" video for her "Jay-Z" video today. The video pays homage to one of Brooklyn's finest and stars her mentor, Lil' Kim, and features a cameo from Mob Wives' Carla Facciolo.

Watch Tiffany Foxx's "Jay-Z" here:

And Friday, the Queen Bee hit the stage at New York City's Gramercy Theater on Friday.  She performed many of her classic hits from Hardcore and a few gems from the Junior Mafia days. And Kim looks like she's in good shape as she paraded around the stage in a lacy-red catsuit.  And no, nothing's photoshooped on here.

Watch Lil' Kim perform "Get Money":

 

And in other music news....

Beyonce wants to keep her name on the tongues of all, so it seems everyday she's releasing something new.

The other Queen Bey and H&M have released behind-the-scenes footage of Beyonce's 2013 swimwear campaign. Shot in Nassau, Bahamas, the video offers commentary from director, Jonas Akerlund, H&M creative director Donald Schneider and choreographer Frank Gatson Jr.

While dancing to her song “Standing on the Sun”, it's revealed that Bey didn't have time to rehearse and she learned all of the commercial's choreography while on the set.  Like her hubby says, she's the consummate professional.

And if you're tired of her taking over 2013, grab a pillow because chick just nabbed her third VOGUE cover of the year:

 

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VOGUE India used an outtake (they could have chosen a better one though) from the "Grown Woman" singer's VOGUE US shoot for their new May 2013 issue.  You feelin' it?

Photos via Youtube

PARTY FAB: Cassie's RockaByeBaby MIXTAPE Release Party in Atlanta

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 03:54 PM PDT

 

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Cassie went down to Atlanta, GA this weekend to celebrate the release of her RockaByeBaby mixtape. Chick is serious about promoting this project.  See pics inside....

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"Numb" singer Cassie was seen walking into the Atlanta hip spot Compound on Saturday for her official mixtape release party for RockaByeBaby.

 

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The pretty gal tweeted, "ATL... we're here!!! Come out tonight & turn up with us at Compound!!!! @agentertainment @cirocboybonds #cirocgirlz"

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it's been a busy summer for Cassie who's starred in ad campaigns for ASOS and Forever 21 in the past few weeks.

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She smoked from a hookah with friends.

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"Empire Girls" star Julissa Bermudez came out to support Cassie.

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Lifestyle expert and tastemaker Kenny Burns was there to celebrate.

 

Photos via Cassie-Ventura

Fantasia 'Finds Her Peace' On 'The View'

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 02:31 PM PDT

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Fantasia made her way to "The View" today to tell the world exactly how much she's changed over the past couple of years.  She's 50 pounds lighter, 1 toxic relationship lighter, she apparently nailed down a stylist, and has re-focused her energy on her music and herself.

 

Check out her kiss from Whoopi inside, plus what she said about her recent rough times....

Fanny is ready for the limelight again as she makes her rounds promoting her upcoming studio album Side Effects of You.  She kicked it backstage at "The View" today with actress Rebel Wilson and Sheree Shepherd:

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Fanny brought a bright outlook with a neon yellow blazer, white pants and white spiked Louboutins.

Fantasia also told her side of the "suicide attempt" situation when she reportedly tried to take her own life after things went awry with her ex, Antoine Cook, who was also married to someone else.

"I wouldn't say that, I would say I wanted away, I wanted peace.  I was taking care of everybody, holding everything down. And there were so many things that were going wrong in the career, being so young, winning ‘American Idol’ at 19, nobody really preps you. It just all goes so fast.”

Check out fab Fanny talking to the ladies below:

And her performance of "Lose To Win":

 

Keep it up Fantasia!

COMING OUT: NBA CENTER Jason Collins PENS Open Letter On Becoming "The First Openly Gay Professional American Athlete"

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 10:40 AM PDT

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On the cover of the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, debuting May 6, NBA Center Jason Collins pens an emotional open letter where he announces himself to the world as "...the first openly gay athlete."  Read the letter inside...

 

The first few months of 2013 have definitely been interesting as far as sexuality and disclosure are concerned, as we've watched several high profile situations play out on social media...starring African American men.  While we watched Magic Johnson's son EJ openly embrace being "outed" by the media, we've also seen the flipside as NFL free agent Kerry Rhodes refuted his "outing" despite a growing amount of "evidence" to suggest the contrary.  And we've also seen Sen. Kelvin Atkinson of Nevada come "out" during "gay marriage" talks on the floor of the state senate.  Now...enter Washington Wizards baller James Collins. 

Everyone was tipped of during the midst of the EJ vs. Kerry "outings" that there would be at least four professional athletes coming out over the next few months and surprise surprise.....it's a "brother" leading the way.

It's only fitting that at the opening of his emotional letter to SI, James, who's now a free agent in the NBA, addresses himself first as an athlete, then by his race, and lastly...by his sexual preference.  And here in America...you already know which category will be his "lead" for the rest of his life....and he's fine with that. 

In his letter, readers unfamiliar with James will learn a lot about his life, including that he has a twin brother Jarron (who also played in the NBA) and random fact-- actor Jason Segal was his backup during their high school days at Harvard-Westlake in Cali

But what's most interesting is how the Boston Marathon bombing played a role in his decision to live his truth.

He wrote in Sports Illustrated:

 

I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay.

I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.

My journey of self-discovery and self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles and has taken me through two state high school championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight, and nine playoffs in 12 NBA seasons.

I've played for six pro teams and have appeared in two NBA Finals. Ever heard of a parlor game called Three Degrees of Jason Collins? If you're in the league, and I haven't been your teammate, I surely have been one of your teammates' teammates. Or one of your teammates' teammates' teammates.

Now I'm a free agent, literally and figuratively. I've reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.

Why am I coming out now? Well, I started thinking about this in 2011 during the NBA player lockout. I'm a creature of routine. When the regular season ends I immediately dedicate myself to getting game ready for the opener of the next campaign in the fall. But the lockout wreaked havoc on my habits and forced me to confront who I really am and what I really want. With the season delayed, I trained and worked out. But I lacked the distraction that basketball had always provided.

The first relative I came out to was my aunt Teri, a superior court judge in San Francisco. Her reaction surprised me. "I've known you were gay for years," she said. From that moment on I was comfortable in my own skin. In her presence I ignored my censor button for the first time. She gave me support. The relief I felt was a sweet release. Imagine you're in the oven, baking. Some of us know and accept our sexuality right away and some need more time to cook. I should know -- I baked for 33 years.

When I was younger I dated women. I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue.

I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old roommate at Stanford and now a Massachusetts congressman, told me he had just marched in Boston's 2012 Gay Pride Parade. I'm seldom jealous of others, but hearing what Joe had done filled me with envy. I was proud of him for participating but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn't even cheer my straight friend on as a spectator. If I'd been questioned, I would have concocted half truths. What a shame to have to lie at a celebration of pride. I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore. I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, "Me, too."

 

The NBA Commissioner David Stern and others have already written statements of support.  NBA champ Kobe Bryant tweeted today:

Proud of @jasoncollins34. Don't suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others #courage #support #mambaarmystandup #BYOU

Read the full letter here.  Congrats to Jason on not being afraid to be HIM. 

VIDEO FAB: Sean Kingston's "Beat It" Ft. Chris Brown & Wiz Khalifa

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 10:07 AM PDT

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Sean Kingston has released the visual for his "Beat It" single featuring his boys Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa.  Watch the clip inside...

 

Sean Kingston has revealed the Colin Tilley-drected visual for "Beat It" video featuring Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa.  Kicking off Sean's Back 2 Life disc (due later this year), the video was shot at a mansion in Malibu and features the typical mix fast cars, swiming pools and flashy clothes.  And of course....there's a ton of T&A to go around.

 

Watch the video for "Beat It" here:

 

BONUS:

Despite his ongoing "feud" with Drake, Chris Brown didn't seem "insecure" at a party he hosted at NY hotspot Stage 48 earlier this month.  The DJ played Drake's "Started From The Bottom" and once the beat dropped, Chris partied along to the song...and liked it.  Maybe they'll put their differences aside and work together one day.  We're hoping....

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