Amber Rose does a Grace Jones

Kanye West on his new blog, recently released a pic of model girlfriend Amber Rose outstretched and semi-nude holding a microphone. The pic, reportedly from an old Complex Magazine photoshoot, is an updated version of a Grace Jones photoshoot. Here are the two images side by side. Tell me, who absolutely kills it? Shar...

Regina King: Hardest working woman in showbiz?

Movie star Regina King is among a small cadre of African-American actresses we've literally seen grow up before our eyes (Janet Jackson and Cookie being among the others) on television. Born and raised in Los Angeles, it would be easy for King to be "Hollywood," in all senses, but the 39-year-old actress is as cool as a fan. Any movie of note within the last...

Big and Fine: Full-figured is in

If I changed the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, it'd go: "Dish water blonde, tall and foine". Of course, blonde is optional, but the point remains: Having a little meat on the bones never hurt nobody. Of courst the backlash against the skinny little things that model women's clothes have been going on for a while now. "Real shapes" are in, even if what...

Nicki Minaj: Hip-Hop Queen?

Young Money artist Nicki Minaj has nary an album out but is the hottest female in the rap game already? How could this happen? How could a lyrical novice with barely two mixtapes and a handful of features be a serious contender for hip-hop queen? Call it good timing. The female rap crown has been passed around like a spliff at a concert, with no artist with...

Diahann Carroll: Lioness of film, music, stage

Few people intimately know the historical treasure that is Diahann Carroll, singer, actress, activist, pioneer. Carroll, born in New York City, was the first African American to get their own show on national television. And she didn't play a maid, or subservient character either. From 1968 to 1970, "Julia" was a groundbreaking comedy in its own right, although...

Amazing Grace

When you think of the word androgynous, perhaps your mind harks back to Amber Rose, or even Omahyra Mota, but Grace Jones was the originator. A musical pioneer in the New Wave/disco genre, Grace Jones was a force to be reckoned with in the 1970s, creating three albums -- Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), and Muse (1979) --- that singularly defined gay culture...

Introducing ... the Carolina Chocolate Drops

You'll have to excuse the 'coon' imagery and thick Mississippi Burning-like sensitivity around this this project, for the Carolina Chocolate Drops are not an R-n-B band; nor are they a funk band. Nada on the rock band either. They are a black jug band, and the only modern day African-American one, too. Has this been done before? Sure it has -- it's not a comeback...

Bebel Gilberto: Bossa Nova Lova

With the recent successful comeback of Sade Abu, I'm reminded of another calm-voiced starlet that has simmered just below superstardom in the States but is part of a musical legacy in Brazil and parts of South American: Bebel Gilberto. One part Sade, the other part Sheila E., (no Bebel doesn't play drums) Gilberto learned the music business from her father,...

Ah, Carnival: Mardi for the Party

For much of Latin America it was the season of Carnival and what a party. What does 'Carnival' mean? Well, there is some dispute by some say it comes from the Latin expression carne vale, which means "farewell to meat," which is what Catholics gave up during the Lent season. Nowadays, especially in Brazil, it's all about the part...

The Family Deelishis

Admit it, you thought Deelishish, aka, London Charles was just going to be another reality TV skank with a Gucci charm bracelet for a moral compass. VH1 viewers can't be wrong, can they? Well, it seems Dee has tasted the real flavor of love, and his name is not William Drayton and he is not wear oversized clocks. Her new husband, Orlando Gordon, is obviously...

Buffie the Body unveils 'Bootynomics'

It's a monumental question: Where do washed up strippers go? When the flab is all there is left to grab, what do they do? Well, Buffie Curruth, aka Buffie "The Body" has effectively entered overtime of her 15 minutes of fame. She's recently came out with a barebones web site still under construction called "Bootynomics 101". Now, the obvious question is ......

Does Naomi Campbell still have it?

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Is Tiger Woods insane?

Is Tiger sick? If you play out some twisted sexual fantasy with one person you may be forgiven for following through on a God-awful judgment. Nobody's perfect so it's not people can beat you up for being perfect. But 10, 11 women? That's not poor judgment that's schizophrenia. Better yet, that's multiple personality disorder, which is called dissociative identity...

Rose Cordero: First black model on Vogue in almost a decade

The sisters are taking over: Eighteen-year-old Rose Cordero has landed the coveted cover of the March 2010 cover of French Vogue. Big deal? Tu che? Born in the Dominican Republic, like these sisters, Cordero has turned humble roots into superstar status. What is it with the Dominicans and producing models? Cordero is young but her fierce looks are described...

what your profile pic says about you

What makes a successful profile pic on a social networking site? You'd be surprised, according to OkCupid, which specializes in such things. It seems for men that look away from the camera and hold a stoic, unflinching look (better not smile!) are the winners here. As for women, the pic that flirts with the camera and shows a hint of cleavage wins out. Perhaps...

Multi-colored hair: Cool?

It is with reasonable trepidation that I ask your opinion on the following: Is multi-colored hair okay? I mean we all know that a number of factors come to into play when it comes to deciding what hairstyle you should rock: Culture, occupation, image, even head shape. But is it ever okay to mix the colors of the rainbow into your skull? And if so, which way...

Jay-Z said no to 'We Are the World'

Quick-tongued rapper Jay-Z says he turned down the "We Are the World" remake because of a musical disagreement with the producers. Quincy Jones and Lionel Ritchie personally invited Jay to rock out with the biggest names in music for the biggest cause in his lifetime: Earthquake-stricken Haiti. Jay declined due to artistic reasons, according to media reports. We...

Can girl groups survive today?

Ever since the estrogen juggernaut known as the Supremes have record execs and managers tried to create that most elusive of musical brands: The successful women's group. Sure, we've seen megawatt-acts -- TLC, Destiny's Child, Spice Girls -- but we've also seen some trainwrecks -- Envogue, Blaque, anyone? -- and even more prevalently, some trains that have...

Gaga for Barbie?

Just when you thought it was safe to take your little girl back into Toys R Us, they manage to combine the combine the cocaine that is Barbie and Lady Gaga into one substance: Lady BarBa? These toys modeled after the hottest singer of the moment lend credence to the olf motif: Life imitates art. What's next, Sponge Barb (wait, I. Like. that.)? Barbie's been...

Love Deluxe: Hip-hoppers jones for Sade

It is rare that a songbird from another era and genre is held in such high regard in the hip-hop community as Sade Abu, who just released her long-awaited album "Soldier of Love," to critical acclaim. Whether you think she should allow a rapper to be on her song or not is one thing, but the respect they have for her music is something else. Interviewed by New...

Sheree Whitfield: Actress?

Atlanta "Housewives" star Sheree Whitfield has been biten by the acting bug, albiet on the Chitlin Circuit. She'll star in the Gospel play "Heaven I Need A Hug," written by Dallas, Texas playwright Kendrick D. Young. The play, which is based loosely on Young's life growing up in a household that included a mother who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is...

Women with mustaches: Cool?

If you want to be technical about it, all women and men, boys and girls, and yes, babies, have hair above the lips. In the cases of the younger set, it's just so small that you can't see it. Genes, hereditary factors and other influences make some people's whiskers a little more pronounced. But is it cool to have hair, right there? I mean kissing would be a...

Would you make a better mother than wife?

If you had to choose between mother and wife, then the answer is obvious: New life, a fresh start at molding a human being is the most joyous, rewarding privilege in this world. So great is the duty, than thousands of women each week give birth to children, little people that love and embody their mothers so much. But does being a good mother automatically...

New TV fail: 'I'm Hotter Than My Daughter'

From the apparent biles of lost footage from the "Jenny Jones" show comes a show so vile that Jerry Springer would close his blood-shot eyes. Do you fight with your mother over guys? Apparently,  even outside the Appalachian Mountains, some people do. Welcome to "I'm Hotter Than My Mother." The British show, which pits ADD-fueled young women against their...

Woman wins $15K in bikini wax From hell

Imagine you wanting a bikini wax in anticipation of several days in the tropics: Sun, fun and yes, all things pleasurable. You reserve an appointment to get your procedure done, which involves simply removing hair around the pelvic region. Well, one woman got more than they bargained for when the procedure ripped her labia. Yep, her labia. Now, I don't know...

Nneka: Reppin' Africa

In the sea of new music that is on the horizon this winter/spring (Sade, Erykah Badu, Nicki Minaj are all skedded to drop) comes the Afro-beat/hip-hop/soulfulness of Nneka. Since Lauren Hill is still AWOL we've had a few activist-musicians step into the void, Nigerian-German singer-songwriter Nneka is the freshest face. Her music -- to American ears -- offers...

Bey, Alicia Keys go Carnival style

Your favorite superwomen, Beyonce and Alicia Keys, got into the Carnival spirit recently with a video shoot in Rio de Janeiro recently. Keys, fresh off a condo buy in New York, has to be glad she's not back in the States after a blizzard came through this past weekend. The Brazil shoot is for the duo's song "Put it in a Love Song," which will be released shortly...

The Cult of ... Ray J?

It happened sometime a few years ago actually, but it's momentum has been speeding at a frightening pace: Ray j, who's singing career is akin to Tiger Wood's basketball game, is big. Let me repeat that: Ray J, who's acting career is akin to Diddy's rapping skills, is big. Some can argue that it happened when he got all the publicity of a B-movie superstar when...

Faith Evans signs up for reality show

It's no biggie for Faith Evans, the mother of the Notorious one's kids. She just inked a deal for a new reality show on BET, called "It's All About Faith." Evans, who is prepping a new album after a hiatus from music, said in a statement that the show will focus on her other exploits besides her pipes. “To be in a place where I have grown from an entertainer...

Kandi, Tiny, Diamond, Toya, Rasheeda, Nivea, & Neffe drop it on stage

Looks like the girls of A-town wanted to take it back to 1988 with a live and upclose version of Sir Mixalot's "Back Got Back". Go, 'Sheeda, Go, 'Sheeda, Go Kandi, Go Kandi, Go Neffe, Go .... just g...

Diddy, J-Lo sex tape?

If things couldn't get any more crazy for Diddy, there is a hint of possibility that there may be a Diddy-Jennifer Lopez sex tape out there somewhere, according to media reports. J-Lo's ex says he can produce the tape, for a fee. Ojani Noa says that bringing Diddy into the Noa-Lopez catfight can strengthen NOa's argument that Lopez is basically a maneater. We...

What if the Obamas were ghetto?

Let's be honest: When you first first heard about Barack Obama, you had no idea the substance of the man. You didn't know he had come out of Harvard or Harlem. You didn't know if he was a lawyer or a layman. You didn't know that his wife was a professional executive in Chicago, rather than a stay at home mom with two tween daughters. Now, when you found out...

Weave: Why it will never die

People have been all over weave as of late, from Tyra Banks declaring a 'Real Hair Day' to Chris Rock's Good Hair" myopic biopic on lye, stop it. Weave is wonderful, though. How else can a person with 1-centimeter follicles enter a building and emerge a few hours later with HTB (hair-touch-butt) syndrom...

Sanaa Lathan avoids critics of 'Tin Roof'

American actress Sanaa Lathan, currently enjoying a run in the play "Cat in a Tin Roof" in Europe, is throwing shade to all the theater critics.Lathan is determined to play her role (Maggie) without the emotional baggage that comes from hearing the naysayers chirp. "I learned my lesson a long time ago not to read reviews until the run is over because I don't...

Celebrity Style: Photographer Tony Chu

West Coast photography Tony Chu has been putting it down for a long time under the sunny skies of NoCal, but the East Coast has yet to experience the flavor. Allow me to introduce yo...

When will PETA pick the wrong one?

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has made no bones about going after people -- big and small -- in their quest to bring awareness to the suffering of animals.Oftentimes they do it in a public, very obtruse manner, some would say even mean-spirited. Their subjects are usually stuffy old people or unkempt young people who "didn't know" the plight...

Swizz Beats, Alicia Keys buy Lenny Kravitz' loft

It looks like ultra-hot producer Swizz Beats and songstress Alicia Keys are putting down roots together. The somewhat scandal-infused couple bought the former loft of rocker Lenny Kravitz. Kravitz bought and was trying to sell it for $19 milli as far back as 2002, according to media sources. Keys, who is fresh off the release of her new album, "The Element of...

Phat-a-tat-tat: Inked up is in

The prototypical woman is changing before our eyes. There used to be a certain look that American society dictated women to look like. In most cases, especially in the last 50 years, that look has been European (let's be honest). But now we're seeing a more independent streak in feminine grooming. Women are taking skin art, piercings and ink, to a whole new...