Bald is Beautiful

With summertime quickly approaching, and weather getting hot and humid, we thought it was high time we give a little love to those that decide to take it all off. No, not their shirts. This isn't Mardi Gras.
We're talking about going bald, clean-shaven or close to it.
And no, we're not talking about half of it.
All of it.

Bald is beautiful. We've known this for a long time, but we just haven't gotten confirmation from the media, which refuses to put shine on a shiney head, unless it's a male who makes us laugh.
Bald heads rock, and are cool. Nothing worse than sweating under a helmet of hair when you could feel the breeze with a low-hair cut.

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Is Beyonce about to retire?

She's opened No. 1 at the movies, captured the Grammys, the acclaim, the fame, and even got Mr. Carter on her arm.
What if she decided to spend the remaining days of her life by the poolside chatting up girlfriends?
Could her music career stand the test of time? The trio of really good Destiny's Child albums, and the few solo LPs she's produced, are they timeless?
It's a good question, because one day -- probably sooner rather than later -- Queen Bey is going to walk away from it all.
At 27, financially Bey could retire tomorrow. Artistically, she's about done, too. What's left?
Yeah, Bey, we know you're terrified of having a baby, but soon you -- or Mr. Carter -- crave one.
Hits like "Dangerously In Love" and "Irreplaceable," and even "Bills, Bills, Bills" will be hoisted on the shelf next to "Respect," and "Please Mr. Postman".
Will Beyonce's music stack up?
As she ponders time away from the game the question -- Bey's place in the pantheon of great female soul singers -- is one worth considering.
Striesand, Diana Ross, Aretha, Tina Turner ... Will Bey be awarded diva status?



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Beyonce Kicks Off House of Dereon Ad Push

With a killer album done, a monster tour finished, and a gaga video all wrapped up, Beyonce is turning her attention to her mother's first love: The House of Dereon.
If a big ad campaign is any indication, the Creole-flavored fashion house is coming out this summer with a vengeance, and Mathew and Tina's eldest daughter will be the face of it all.
Look for sister Solange to lend an assist, but it will be just cursory compared to the glam that Bey and Mrs. Tina have in store.
This is not the first time that Bey has pushed TeamFamily. But Mama Tina Knowles, who filed for divorce last year, has had time to put alot of thought into the House of Dereon's spring and summer offerings.
Don't expect to see anything you've seen before, if Beyonce's recent fashions are any clue.
But then again, she has been hanging out with the fashion equivalent of an electric chair lately.



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Lina: Totally Slept On Singer of the Decade

If it wasn't for Michael Baisden's radio show, you probably wouldn't know the sounds of Lina, the Hidden Beach recording artist who has truly been an underground in her quest for stardom.
Lina has been around a loooong time, I should know, I copped her first joint, way back in the late 1990s. Immersed in the "neo soul" movement back then, urban radio just didn't get Lina's retro sound. But now, with the succes of people like Amy Winehouse and even Solange's earthy, '60s soul sound, it must be said that Lina did it first. The only difference is that Lina's sound actually went back further than the 1960s, she tapped into pre-jazz ragtime for her first album.
Will she ever break out?
Time will tell. Check out her latest, "My Man".

Celebrity Style: Bey

How Long Will Jay-Z Wait to be a Father?

Beyonce announced to the world that she was going to take a much-needed break, up to two years off, after her world tour this summer to concentrate on family: Jay-Z.
The couple were said to have been considering baby-making in the near future. Jay-Z is approaching 40 years old (December 4), while Bey is a couple years from 30.
More importantly, Jay is winding down a fruitful career as one of the best rappers in the game. He's tried his hand as a music executive and it didn't work; his acting chops are non-existent, and his label mates (besides Kanye West) are life-long proteges and understudys. It's most likely only a matter of time before he openly divulges his want and need to have a little Jay-Z running around the crib.
Bey, on the other hand, can have a very real, very powerful career in film when she wants it. She's pretty much topped out musically as well.
What's next?
Does baby make three?

Honestly, Is Beyonce the Best Ever?

For argument's sake, let's say you could build a female super-artist: This person would be physically attractive, have a platinum voice.
You would start her off young, preteen and get her accustomed to being in a group and performing at events.
You would put her in a girl group and if you were her mother or father, you and your spouse would put your careers on hold and hone the skills of the group and your daughter in particular.
Let's say this female super-artist embodies skills of all the greats: the house-rattling voice of a Mahalia Jackson, the looks of Diana, the legs of Tina, the drive of Janet.
Let's say the girl group blows up and shatters all kinds of records, and then, she starts a solo career and works nonstop for 10 straight years.
(Whew).
Even if you did all of that, you still wouldn't have Beyonce Knowles, who, since her marriage to Jay-Z, has started to rap on her tracks now.
Is she the best ever?
She's certainly a candidate.

Beyonce's Touring ... Can Solange Come? YES!

When megastar Beyonce announced her 2009 tour Monday morning, people wondered if Solange was on the bill as well. Turns out she is.
And that's good, I mean, it woulda beem kinda strange ... and unKnowles-like for Big Sis not to give Lil Sis a hand. (See Nightmare on Hadley St.)
Bey's tour starts at New York's Madison Square Garden in June and ends in Vegas on July 30-August 2.

Solange: Was it the Stuffy-head, Sleepy ... So You Ca Rest Medicine?

When Beyonce's rival little sister fainted recently at LAX it was no laughing matter. But the recently released pic from an observer reveals that it was no quick fainting spell. Homegirl was out!
While she said on Twitter that it was because she was sick with flu-like symptoms, some have speculated that because she's from H-Town, where there is a strong propensity to use flu medication to get high, specifically Codeine, that she was on it.
But I believe Solange, who said that she took Nyquil, which does not have Codiene in it. She was rushed to the hospital and treated for dehydration, where she awoke to the friendly and concerned face of ... Mama, Tina Knowles.

Kelly Rowland Denies Home is in Foreclosure

Former Destiny's (step)Child Kelly Rowland says media reports that her Miami crib is in foreclosure proceedings are far from real.
Rowland, who bought a home in London last year, is said to be cutting loose the property because she's simply not there. Unlike many celebrities, Rowland has publicly cut back on her expenses during the economic downtown, including cutting Matthew Knowles loose as her manager.
Rowland has been trying to sell the house for a minute now, and has slashed half-a-million dollars off the $1.9 million house.
If she is having "foclo" difficulties, she won't be the only one.

2008: Shapeshifters of the Year (Cont.)

See the first installment of 2008 Shapeshifters RIGHT HERE.

Solange Knowles: Bombshell, the body, and the music

Solange is not one to play the sibling rivalry thing. She is a mother, a fighter, a lover, and a singer. In 2008 her "Hadley Street Dreams" album was all that she wanted it to be, which was not what we expected. Sales were dismal, critics were vicious, but the work still sits next to our collective speaker boxes, far from being played, but close enough to remain in memory. Months after its debut it's clear to see that her older sister Beyonce's album had one sole purpose: to make Solange's album listenable. Mission accomplished.

Sage Steele: Whoa, She's Hot, Wha--ESPN?

The year was good to a couple of African American sportscasters, both getting the job of their lives way up in cold, Bristol, Conn. Sage Steele is the chick on "SportsCenter," ESPN's flagship production. She graduated from Indiana, and got the job in 2007 after stints in Tampa and Baltimore. She's on record as saying that when she was just a cub reporter she interviewed Lou Holtz and got him to do the Macarena. WTF?

Reischea Canidate: Sports scores and more

Perhaps you've seen news anchor Reischea (REE-SHAY) Canidate on ESPN lately. The relatively new hire landed at the Sports network after about five years in New York's channel 5 and before that in San Diego. The fact that you can catch her dishing about T.O., the New York Yankees and Detroit Red Wings on most nights is a testament to the sales pitch that ESPN is pushing to lure promising African American talent. The old saying was that it was too cold in Bristol for a brotha (or sister), but I guess the money's right.

Desiree Rogers: Obama's Social Butterfly

Straight out of the Big Easy, Desiree Rogers, 49, Chicago corporate executive and civic leader, saw her star rise considerably in 2008. Not that being appointed by Barack Obama to plan social functions is a small feat, but Desiree, a Harvard grad, was embarking on running a social networking initiative for Allstate before she got the call. With that on hold for at least 4 years, the socialite is expected to liven up White House functions with the flavor of New Orleans.

Jazmine Sullivan: Old school voice, new school choice

Few singers can channel the gutter, the heavens and what's in between as seamlessly as new R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan. The Missy Elliott protege burst out on the scene with a few anthemic singles ("I Bust the Windows Out Ya Car"). (Have you heard "Lions, Tigers and Bears"? ) But in 2009, it's nobody's year if it's not Jazmine's.

Jeffrey Wright: The Consummate Actor's Actor

You probably don't know his name, oh, but you've seen him. Perhaps it was as Martin Luther King, or an activist type on "Get On the Bus." Wright, straight from Brooklyn, is known as a scene-stealer, with no greater display than in "Shaft 2000" when he jacked the whole movie from up under Samuel L. Jackson with his portrayal of a Puerto Rican drug dealer. In 2008, Wright did admirable jobs in "W" (as Colin Powell) and "Cadillac Records" (as Muddy Waters). Look for him even more in 2009.

Tyka Nelson: Sibling of The Purple One

With a heritage that includes "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry" it would be easy for Tyka Nelson to rest on her brother's laurels. But 2008 was the year she decided to jump back out there musically (she tried before in 1988). The urban soul thing had not yet erupted, so you'll have to forgive her reception. Now she's back with a gospel album after spending 2008 writing and recording, and her brother didn't even help. In 2009, the results will be in.

Keri Hilson: Musician/Singer/VideoVixen/Writer

It certainly can't be about the money: Keri Hilson tried and tried to make her music stick in 2008, even employing the services of Lil Wayne ("Turnin' Me On"). It just didn't happen. Radio completely ignored her, except as a backup singer or "model chick". It is as the latter that she may indeed have a future: She played the lead role in Usher's video for "Love in This Club", (as well as co-wrote "Pt. II" remix). She also starred in Ne-Yo's video for "Miss Independent" and appeared in Nelly's "Party People" video. She was also featured on Nas' debut single from his controversial album Untitled, "Hero". For 2009, look for the full swing as all-star video girl.

Candace Parker: Love and Basketball

Former Vols woman's basketball phenom Candace Parker had a great 2008. Not only did she win a national championship for Tennessee, but she became the first overall pick for the WNBA mere weeks later. Her first game? Dropped 34 points to set yet another record (not counting the slam dunks). The brawl? A first, too. You go, girl.

Solange Has the Hottest Legs in the Game. Period

You can have your hit records, your posters of big-booty celebrities, Solange Knowles has quietly carved out her own little niche in the entertainment world: Killer legs. The "Hadley St." singer is reportedly not dejected that her album didn't fly through the roof - and had prepared herself for such a reception from the public by stating that she did the album "for me." Obviously, she has a future as a prophetess, but there's no denying the girl's got some legs to stand on if the music thing doesn't work out.

What if Afrocentricity Came Back?

It would be surprisingly simple: In mid-2009, If Barack or Michelle Obama as the First Couple chose to discard his tightly-cropped fade and she ditched the permed coif and went au naturale, would the world follow? Would the top celebrities - what if Beyonce rocked a 'fro? - Rihanna, Jay-Z, Chris Brown, Bono, Sting (yes, they can grow 'em and so can others) all took the cue and started growing nappy roots? What if it didn't stop with the hair, what if a focused re-education on Africa took place in the West? What if Afrocentricity came back? Not just the hairstyles, but the world view that all things Africa were important. Could it?