Better Late than Never: 2006 Wrap Up

2006 was a different year - for me, the world, and celebs. Bobby and Whitney filed for divorce, Lil Wayne and Baby tongued (ok – I took it there), and George Bush pretty much cemented his fate as The Worst U.S. President Ever. In absolutely no particular order except what pops in my head, let's get movin:

**Jay Comes out of "Retirement"**
Of course Jay-Z came back this year with Kingdom Come, but Nas' Hip Hop is Dead knocks a little harder and deeper in my opinion. Kingdom Come might actually be a certified winner, but there was no way Jay could have lived up to the hype. I mean the man has conquered it all: he's not living in the hood - and hasn't been for some time, he has the absolute hottest chic in the game, everything he touches turns to gold or platinum, and he's The Man all over the world. Rap is a pain-driven art, and if your pain comes from too much money, well, you aint really in pain...

**Eddie Murphy Divorces, and Shines in Dreamgirls**
Eddie Murphy and his wife Nicole divorced, and now Scary Spice is supposedly knocked up by him. Eddie, however, is denying all of this and basically says Scary is a ho who might be carrying anybody's baby. Come on Eddie...time will tell...those Murphy genes are strong.

I could not post about Eddie without mentioning his outstanding performance in Dreamgirls. He gave us funny, vulnerable, serious, and entertaining. If anyone deserves an Oscar for Dreamgirls, it is definitely Eddie. I wish they would make a separate movie about James Early!

**The Game Keeps On Pushing**
You have to respect this man's tenacity. 50 knocks him down and he gets up every-single -time. Perhaps the best move he made in '06 was the remix to One Blood featuring every rapper except 50 Cent. Cold part about it is The Game even offered 50 a spot on the track, but he refused. Dumb move 50. The Game, with his name dropping ass, is pretty hot right now.

**Mary J. Solidifies Position as Queen of Hip Hop Soul**
MJB is my all-time favorite artist. Love Eykah Badu to pieces, but she's keeping an extremely low profile. Mary, however, comes and goes at just the right time. We never tire of her and we always always always feel her to the core! Mary did it big with The Breakthrough, and in true Mary fashion, she refused to back down and give us that heartwrenching painful music we begged for. She did HER by showing us that you can be in pain, but you don't have to be a fool about it. Check out Be Without You and Take Me As I Am.:

"Be Without You"


"Take Me As I Am"

More Later

NELLY AND ASHANTI ENGAGED?

Vibe Confidential says that Nelly and Ashanti got engaged over the holidays. If so, how sweet! They make a beautiful couple and they seem to spend a lot of quality time together. Lord knows, they haven't been putting out any music.

Nas Scores Third No. 1 Album With 'Hip-Hop Is Dead'

Nas moved 355,000 copies of Hip Hop is Dead according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Street's Disciple," peaked at No. 5 on the chart. Nas' two other joints to take the #1 spot were 1999's "I Am... The Autobiography" and 1996's "It Was Written."

Close, but no cigar, Jeezy

Jeezy did well, selling 352,000 copies of The Inspiration in it's first week, but didn't he downtalk Nas and say something about lookin "at them first week numbers and we’ll talk about it" just the other week?

...And I love it!

Spike Lee Signs On To Direct Film About James Brown

Famed director Spike Lee has signed on to shoot a movie about the late James Brown, titled "Godfather Of Soul," according to Daily Variety. The film is being developed for Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures by Brian Grazer, who won an Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind" as well as produced the highly successful film based around Eminem called "8 Mile." It is scheduled to being production in 2008. (more here)

As you all know, James Brown passed away on Christmas. It was just like James Brown to even die in some kind of grand manner. I hear his wife has been locked out of the house and the legal battle is about to begin. I wish these old black men (i.e., Lou Rawls) would get their affairs in order as soon as they marry these young(er) white women. They need to make sure their kids are provided for.

I'm too young to remember James Brown (I wasn't around in his hey day, fyi) but my mother and aunt were really taken aback by his passing. Apparently, James Brown was the man. R.I.P.

Fantasia. Stop.

RUDE.

Now, I know Fanny Mae done performed in a catsuit before. So why in the hell wasn't this backwoods beast prepared for such a meltdown?

REAL MEN

REAL MEN
With all of the DL rumors and truths swirling, I wanted to post something to honor celebs who we never hear DL rumors about—and never better:



Whether Vintage or Current, Ice Cube is the coolest rapper, actor, director to do it.


Big Boi could wear pink panties and get away with it; nothing but MAN exudes.


A.I. - I'd disfigure a b**** for starting a rumor about this übersexy, übercool piece of steel.
(First time using über!)


Tyrese - He might be Baby Boy and Black Ty, but he aint never Sisqo.


Denzel Washington - What can I say? He's the MAN. Pauletta knows it, Sanaa knows it...


Rick Ross - Teddy Bears don't do it for me, but Ricky definitely exudes testosterone to the limit.


Morris Chestnut - Fine, chocolate, married MAN. Morris is...!


Bun B - What?!
The Pimp isn't on the list because, well, as much as I love him, there was that long jail stint.

If I had to pick a #1, it would be Nasty Nas - no contest. Brilliant and sooo sexy.

Nas could get it, and in many dreams he has gotten it.

... and of course, King Latifah leaves no doubt about what's up.

Taye Don't Like Black Women

Taye Diggs has been lashing out after his new show “Day Break” (which I tried to watch, but couldn't after my interest flatlined 3 minutes in) was canceled. After reading Taye's interview with Rolling Out magazine, I got the impression that he believes black women have something to with his stagnant star. Dude actually sounds pretty bitter:

“What [black women] were happy about was that [Mendes’ character] wasn’t white; she was Latina,” Diggs explains when asked why Will Smith’s role in the film didn’t draw as much cultural ire as some of the choices he’s made on- and off-screen. “That’s what they were happy about, if we’re gonna be real. That’s how the scale goes. First off, if it’s a dark brother and the dark brother isn’t with a dark sister that causes issues. … After that, if you’re going to date outside the race, then they go down the list of how poorly other minorities have been treated after blacks. [So] after that, you have Latino. … Like, I’ve had people say that about my wife: ‘At least she looks Spanish.’ Like that makes it a little bit better. So that’s why people accepted it. If Will Smith had been with a lily-white woman, it would’ve been a completely different situation in the black community as far as females are concerned. I guarantee you that.”

“I’m too far along in my life and in my career to really give a question like that any type of dignified answer,” says Diggs, who was raised in black, middle-class Rochester, N.Y., intones. “When I was in high school, maybe. College, maybe. But I’m a grown-ass man and if people have a difficult time dealing with that, then I welcome them to see a movie with Omar Epps or Denzel Washington or some of those other brothers that have chosen to spend the rest of their lives with sisters, as you say. I just don’t have time for it. You can’t make everybody happy. And for the fans that are out there that are into me; they don’t really give a f— what’s going on with my personal life.” (more here)

While Taye's scale theory is embarassingly accurate, Black women don't like Taye because...we don't like Taye. He's unappealing and unsexy. (Not Seal-unsexy, but unsexy, still.) I'm hesitant to say he's not "black enough" because he's not really white either. He's just not a man you can imagine being with.

His strong-jawed wife started looking real distant after she realized her man wasn't going to be the next Denzel. Or even the next Morris Chestnut.

I hope Taye knows, in all of his bitterness, that Black women have little to no say in his lack of mainstream success. (And he obviously wants mainstream success.) White men and women don’t want to see Taye with a white chic any more than Black women do. We're actually more forgiving.

If white people thought Taye was The Man (i.e., Will Smith) he'd still be employed. So he might want to redirect his anger to the blue eyes who yanked his show because they couldn't stand watching a field-slave-like negro fawning all over their "lily white" woman. (See: Terrell Owens and Nicole Sheridan and the uproar that caused.)

Lil Wayne Aims High

Weezy F(?) Baby was recently interviewed in Complex Magazine:

He had some words for Jay-Z:
“I don’t like what he’s saying about how he had to come back because hip hop’s dead and we need him,” he says. “What the fuck do you mean? If anything it’s reborn, so he’s probably having a problem with that. You left on a good note, and all of the artists were saying, ‘Yo, this is Jay’s house. He’s the best.’ Now he comes back and still thinks it’s his house. But we fucked bitches in your bed already. It’s not your house anymore and I’m better than you.”

We asked if he thinks he’s better than Jay-Z:
“Who don’t? [to friends in the background] Ay-yo, am I better than Jay? [friends laugh and nod]. I ain’t got nothing to do with who he is. I’m better than him, though. I’m 24 years old… The dude’s like…? It’s scary. I’m 13 years deep with five albums and 10 million records sold.”

We asked if he thinks he’s better than Jay-Z: “Who don’t? [to friends in the background] Ay-yo, am I better than Jay? [friends laugh and nod]. I ain’t got nothing to do with who he is. I’m better than him, though. I’m 24 years old… The dude’s like…? It’s scary. I’m 13 years deep with five albums and 10 million records sold.” (more here)

Lil' Wayne is really showing his ass, but I'm not too mad about it. Aside from the total disrespect factor, think about it: Lil man has worked extra hard to either get some tight ghostwritten lyrics or to expand that mind when you know it don't wanna stretch too far. Then, people always doubt him because he's from the South and has that dumb look, but when they listen to his music they see how talented he is and how much he's grown. And he's only 24. So I'm sure that Wayne had been feeling like the "savior of hip hop" before Jay resurfaced. (Was he ever gone?)

Still, the negro is out of line. Jay-Z might not be quite as nice as he once was, but he can still put it down.
*Jigga will always be bigga.*

Actually, all of this is null and void because of this. Who, now, doesn't think of Lil Wayne as Baby's lover-son?

Video: Jay-Z- Lost Ones

I really want to post something other than Jay-Z and Nas' recent music, but these 2 apparently have my interest right now.



This is a pretty hot video. Of course, I love the Beyonce allusion.

Video: Nas - Blood Diamonds

I really like this. Nice to see Jay-Z giving Nas some promotion. This makes the second Nas video in one week. And he's not giving us any b.s. either. I'm really feelin Kelis' husband right about now. He's doing his thing.

Video: Nas - Hip Hop is Dead

Love it. Nas is the man. I'm real excited about "Hip Hip is Dead" (Dec. 15th).

Speaking of Nas' baby mama...I'm usually always on the woman's side, but I hate Carmen. (Almost hate her too much to read the book. Almost.)

Hip Hop is Dead - Verdict
Ffffire!
Decent.
Not Really Feelin' It.
Trash.

View results

Free online survey

Katrina Victims Sell House Without Moving In

In February, the Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ gave a New Orleans family, who was displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the keys to a house in Hickory Hill that church members said the wife selected. They got a $75,000 house for free. But the family sold it without ever moving in. [chuckle]

Click on the picture below to hear the family explaining themselves.



(You may not be able to tell from the still shot above, but that's a big punk.)
"I want to be on caaamera. I want to be on camera too...."
"Take it up with God. Take it up with God..."

HILARIOUS.

He's No Nigga Lover

I can say "nigga", but I don't think Kramer from Seinfeld was supposed to.

Seinfeld was one of my top three favorite shows, if not my all time favorite. I actually liked it more than Living Single. Now the show is tainted. I really didn't expect the unassuming Cosmo Kramer to go off like that. Did a black man marry his daughter the day before or something?

Click below to watch a clip of Kramer saying what the white guy in the cube next to you is thinking right this second:

I think I'm more mad at the black guys for not rushing the stage.

What kind of black men come to a Michael Richards show anyway?

RIP Gerald Levert

Gerald was a real singer with an infectious personality and I always wanted to meet him. He was so full of life...then he died in his sleep at 40. The whole thing is a little surreal. R.I.P.

See his obituary here or, you can click on the picture above.

The Game Arrested

The Game was recently arrested after impersonating an under cover officer. Jayceon Taylor jumped in a Lincoln Towncar and told the driver to run red lights while claiming to be an undercover cop.

*this nigga*

(story here)

Young Jeezy - And I Love It

I wasn't a Jeezy fan until this song. I might not be a fan even now, but I know I love this song. I wish I could find a clip of Snoop practically dancing in the aisles to it at the BET Hip Hop Awards.

Jim Jones - We Fly High 2 (Jay-Z Response)

Jim Jones responds to Jay-Z
Wack. The ad libs at the end are the best part of the song. Find a way to make that shit rhyme, Scruffy.

"Dreamgirls" on Oprah Monday

Click here to stream/download Beyonce’s Listen

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Spooky Wedding

So Tom and Katie are getting married in Rome this weekend? Why wasn't Oprah invited to the wedding? According to TMZ :

Almost a year ago to the day last year, O went on "Good Morning America" to hawk her DVD retrospective, and told Diane Sawyer that she thought Tom faked his infamous couch-jumping, fist-pumping, career-disemboweling antics."I was not buying -- not buying or not buying," said Oprah at the time. "That's why I kept saying 'you're gone, you're really gone' ... It was wilder than it was appearing to me." Was she unconscious at the time? Cruise apparently didn't take too kindly to O's skepticism.

I'm sure Oprah was offended. I would be too. But everyone knows how moody and sensitive Tom Cruise is. Katy will have her hands full. Somehow I think she's just as crazy as Tom, though...

Too Much Confidence

Do yo tiddies hang low

Do they wobble to the flo

Do they shine in the light

Is it powder, Is it gold...

A part of me feels sorry for Star Jones. Another part of me knows that her self image must be ridiculously high. Only a cocky bitch can walk around in public with breasts saggin low, slathered in cornstarch.

*I think I hate her for this*

Eddie Murphy, Jay-Z, MJ, etc.

Click here to see the trailer for Eddie Murphy’s film Norbit.

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I Promise to Make You Laugh (and Possibly Cry)

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Listen/Download: Jay-Z's Diss to Jim Jones.
I like this. I’ve heard better, but I'm glad he's not asking us to snap, rock, pop, soup dance, or walk anything out.

I hold Jay-Z to a standard that no human being can ever achieve, but aint he supposed to be JeHOVAh? I expect every verse to be 5-star. There's a reason why it's called Ethering. I’m waiting on a diss song to surpass Nas’ classic:



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MJ, Chris Brown, Rihanna Booed

Chris Brown, Rihanna, and Michael Jackson were booed at the World Music Awards in the UK because Mike didn’t perform and Chris Brown forgot the words to Thriller. I guess they just plain ole didn't want to see Rihanna.

UK review report here.

Apparently all that Jesus Juice has damaged Mike’s vocal cords. He barely whispered on We Are the World [zzzzzzzz]. And why would he sing a song that includes the lyrics we are the CHILDREN...?

Of course Mike ended the set in a sea of kids. But most of them were black and/or over 13 so the temptation was pretty null.

Is that hair feathered or what?

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Mike Tyson to Become Prostitute?

Former boxing champion MIKE TYSON is to become a male escort after agreeing to work at legendary Hollywood madam HEIDI FLEISS' new legalised brothel for women. Fleiss has bought 60 acres of land in Nevada and is work is scheduled to begin on Heidi's Stud Farm. She has high hopes for Tyson, once heavyweight champion of the world - despite the fact he is a convicted rapist. She says, "I told him, 'You're going to be my big stallion.' "It's every man's fear that their girlfriend will go for Mike Tyson." Tyson, 40, adds, "I don't care what any man says, it's every man's dream to please every woman - and get paid for it."

I so hate the double-standard.

* * * * * * *
Who is this Child's Father?



A. This man?

B. This man ? [Katy's ex, Chris Klein]

or, C. This Man?

OJ to Tell How He Did It

More than 12 years after the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goodman, OJ Simpson will revive memories of the case that gripped America with a controversial TV appearance later this month.

In the latest twist in a case that has captivated America for more than a decade, Simpson is to tell how he would have killed his ex-wife and her friend, if he were responsible for the murders.

"In the two-part event, Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade," Fox News said in a statement.

Well, I’m not surprised – OJ is crazier than Mike Tyson. I don’t have to read the book because we all know what what happened.

OJ is actually crazier than I suspected, though. To come out with a book confirms a person not of sound mind. But the good part is the fact that he's showing America how ridiculous that double jeapordy law really is.

I appreciate people who give their all in good and bad situations—so if OJ is as gully as he claims, he’ll kill again and hire another Dream Team. See if he can get off twice.

Kelis Gone Wild

Come get your girl, homie.

Politics

Bush Shuts Up

I’ve been super busy lately, and haven’t given two Nicole Ritchie’s of a damn about celebs. BUT, my interest has been renewed. So much has happened (and yet, nothing has happened) since my last post.

It's nice that the Dems have the majority now. I’m a conservative liberal and I’m curious to see what's in store for Iraq. Bush’s lame ass is suddenly ready to hear new perspectives on Iraq. What happened to all that big talk of “staying the course”?

Bush came into office and stole the vote just like his ancestors stole America from one of our distant relatives (we all got Indian in our blood, right?). Then he said fuck y’all I need some oil and dammit I’mma git me a punjab out a hole – and yes, I will be staying the course.

Bush was such a bully not so very long ago – and he talked an extensive amount of trash, but that govt. idiot is destined to go down in history as the worst president ever. People don’t even mention Nixon anymore when they speak of deceptive leadership. Bush and Cheney will have that honor on lock for quite some time.

Your President has got to feel like some kind of hated buffoon at this point. You can’t tell me he hasn't pulled a few Mel Gibsons lately.

BOO!

BOO!

(more here)

Pam and Gina scared the shit out of me when I first saw this. I love these girls because they put their all into everything they do. To look like Jay takes a lot of courage. But, Tisha know she didn't need to exaggerate that dome.

Dennis Rodman Gone Wild

WTF is this nigga on? This could be the result of alchohol + ignorance, but I doubt it.

Keep It Up, Whitney!

After today I think I'm going to make this a weekend wrap-up type of blog.

Moving on...

Whitney Houston is looking good lately! I hope she keeps it up and doesn't succumb to the lure of Bobby/Crack/Powder. She was recently spotted in superb make-up at a benefit for juvenile diabetes. I see Whitney's maintaining and taking it one day at a time, but I can only imagine what was going thru her head at the gala...

Things look so promising now, don't they?

Whitney, PLEASE don't let us find you

wearing a fur coat in a Stop n Go at 3:00 am

this time next week.

* * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile...

Funnier Than I Thought

I ran into this clip of Andrew Dice Clay and Charlamagne from the Wendy Williams Experience. Andrew Dice Clay? I know - black people weren't really feeling him back in the day (myself included), but he surprised me in this clip. I like how he steadily shoots ya boy down.

I Don't Kiss MY Daddy on the Lips

Weezy and Baby.

You be the judge.

CLICK HERE to hear Young Buck talking about the kissers. Starts talking about them around 7:40.

CLICK HERE to here Birdman (Baby) tell his side of the sorry. In summary: "It's whatever". Check it out around 5:20 into the audio.

The Game/UGK

Listen/Download: The Game - Sound Scan

I don't like a nigga who can't make up his mind. Don't like someone who apologizes, and takes it back. Don't like a name dropper. Don't appreciate someone who can't get off someone else's jock.

BUT

The Game's music has been jammin. Say what you will.

* * * * * *


UGK - The Game Belongs to ME

powered by ODEO

I got Bobby by the pound
Whitney by the key
DJ screw by the gallon
The game belong to me

Love it.

JD's BS at Virgin Records

Ok, Janet's album wasn't a huge or normal success. I don't understand why everyone is blaming Jermaine Dupri though. He did the best with what he had. He might look like a little elf but the nigga can't do Majic. Janet aint no Mariah. There is only so much you can do with a person who ACTUALLY can't sing. Janet was great in her day. You loved her for being a sexy, young, great dancer/performer. Well, she's still in shape and she's still a lovely lady, but over time that cute airy voice has turned into the 40 year old voice of a chic who was never a songstress. ("She's not a songstress" -- NY from Flava of Love...but I digress). I really like Janet's video for Excited though. I know it took a lot of Geritol and exercise to get thru that one.

Jermaine Quits As Virgin Executive
I don't think this was necessarily the best decision to make. But J&J are sticking together. Maybe they can be the next (mostly) sober Bobby and Whitney?