D’Lila + Jesse Combs October 6, 2008

Too cute.  I love it all.

 

The Combs twins had a photoshoot with Baby Couture magazine along with mommy and daddy. My have these little girls grown up. I think they are just the cutest little things ever, Kim and Diddy should be proud.

Kanye West New Album Release Date October 6, 2008

West pushes up the release of 808s & Heartbreak

Kanye West will no longer drop 808s & Heartbreak in December. Instead, he’s pushing it up to November 25.

According to Rolling Stone, the new release date was announced in Los Angeles this weekend at a T.I. concert. West reportedly came out to perform two tracks off 808s, and during his short set he said, “I just pushed my album up to November 25th,” before launching into the album’s second single, “Heartless.” The album will feature his hit first single, “Love Lockdown.”

Cam’ron Comeback Delayed ‘Til 2009 October 6, 2008

Cam’ron’s long-delayed comeback is gonna take a little longer now.

The Harlem rapper’s upcoming album, Crime Pays, was tentatively set to drop this year. Cam’s kept a low-profile since publicly jarring with 50 Cent and his Diplomat brothers Jim Jones and Juelz Santana. He released a double mixtape and a few freestyles, but hasn’t been as visible as he once was.

Dipset A&R Duke Da God now says Cam’s LP won’t be released til next year.

According to UDub News, the project will see the light of day in 2009.

No information has been released from Cam’ron regarding a firm release date

Paper Trail Soars Off The Shelves October 6, 2008

T.I. truly is the “KING”!

Rising through adversity, T.I. has come out unscathed and basically a brand new individual. Whether it was his “oh so sweet” deal he worked out the the legal eagles of ATL or the unprecedented success of Paper Trail, Cliff is riding high and has no intentions of coming down anytime soon.

Word around town, The Kaaaannng is set to move 357,000 Paper Trail units, locking his 5th solo lp at #1 (King and TI Vs TIP also debuted at #1) on the Billboard 200, not to mention, “Whatever You Like” is STILL #1 on the Billboard 100. Not to say I’m disappointed at his numbers, but I kind of expected more from the South’s throne holder. I mean come on people, Paper Trail is probably the best LP of 2008 (sorry Weezel). Regardless of what dude moved, his success is rightfully earned and we’re alll damn proud of ya, Cliff.

Bedtime Romance October 6, 2008

At the close of each day, you have the choice to either ignore your partner or embrace the opportunity for intimacy. Tonight, shake things up a bit and choose one of the great ideas below to help you enjoy that special time with your lover.

• A massage is the perfect way to end an evening with your lover. Get to know your lover’s body while pampering them with your relaxing touch.
• Read to each other from a favorite novel, book of poetry, or erotica. If you don’t already have some, LYC has plenty of reader-submitted romantic stories, poems, and erotica to choose from.
• Turn on some music and slow dance in your PJ’s. If you really want to romance them, choose the song you first danced to as husband and wife.
• Turn off the TV. It’s not that cuddling in front of the tube isn’t romantic, but TV time has a tendency to intrude on intimacy. Making the choice to focus completely on each other opens the door to romantic opportunities.
• Wear sexy night clothes. It doesn’t have to be lingerie, but it should be more than an old T-shirt and boxer shorts.
• Talk about your favorite memories together. Remember your childhood friends, compare scars, reminisce about the stress of your engagement, or look through the photos of vacations you took together. If you are keeping a love journal, make a timeline of special times to tuck inside.
• Before making your way to the bedroom, lie with each other in front of the fire and kiss, kiss, and kiss some more.
• Take a bath together. Nothing makes a night’s sleep sweeter than a nice relaxing bath before slipping between the sheets, so why not do it together? Wash each other’s hair and cuddle up in the bubbles together.
• Have a bedtime picnic before hitting the pillow. Some good menu ideas may include a snack tray of cheese and crackers or champagne and strawberries, or it could also be something sweet like cake and ice cream.
• Lie in bed together listening to music and holding each other.

Weekly Lovescopes October 6, 2008

ARIES (March 20 – April 19)
Don’t judge by first impressions. No matter what others may think, a close relationship is going well and there is no cause for concern. A quiet period in your social life is interrupted by a sudden burst of activity and a flood of invitations.

Key word for the week: tolerance
Your luckiest aspect this week: romance
Who to spend time with: Virgo

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)
A situation is developing into something deeper. Don’t just sit on the edge. It’s time to take the plunge and jump in there feet first. Your closest relationships, either intimate or family, could use a bit of an overhaul. Sticking your head in the sand will solve nothing.

Key word for the week: balance
Your luckiest aspect this week: finances
Who to spend time with: Libra

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)
Support, encouragement and a listening ear, you have it all, and yet you still feel something is missing. You may hit a low when you discover that friends are busy with other things. Soon, you two will be too busy to dedicate too much time to friendship.

Key word for the week: ambition
Your luckiest aspect this week: career
Who to spend time with: Cancer

CANCER (June 21 – July 22)
You will take great interest in social events, with plenty of choice on your plate. One thing you won’t accept is leaving before things are over. You are sure to be hanging in there for one last dance. Your approach to romance is somewhat outdated at times.

Key word for the week: Scorpio
Your luckiest aspect this week: friendship
Who to spend time with: Leo

LEO (July 23 – August 22)
A family member is asking for help in a disguised kind of way. You will reach out to this person and provide support, allowing them to move on to a happier situation. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.

Key word for the week: discovery
Your luckiest aspect this week: working relationships
Who to spend time with: Capricorn

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)
You have a look in your eyes that shows you are not ready to give up. You won’t let family matters get in the way of your personal plans for success. Others will have the choice to either step out of the way or jump on the bandwagon.

Key word for the week: nature
Your luckiest aspect this week: home life
Who to spend time with: Taurus

LIBRA(September 23 – October 22)
Your concern for a friend is well founded, but this person may not yet be open to receiving help and advice. Be there for them, and wait for an opportunity to offer more active advice or guidance. Don’t let a cloud of confusion turn into a storm cloud.

Key word for the week: steadiness
Your luckiest aspect this week: finances
Who to spend time with: Aries

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 22)
Scorpio’s arrival is a major boost to your love life, bringing new energy to your sign and allowing you to achieve your heart’s desire. Feel free to express your feelings. Now is the time to reassess your personal goals and aim for something you never dared dream of.

Key word for the week: success
Your luckiest aspect this week: love
Who to spend time with: Scorpio

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)
Your view of loving relationships is changing, and this can be disturbing at times, as you no longer know what’s best for you. Things are soon to become clearer A friend’s mistake has had some consequences for you and you are, quite justifiable, upset.

Key word for the week: communication
Your luckiest aspect this week: family
Who to spend time with: Virgo

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)
You need to take more care of your own personal wellbeing. There’s no point ignoring things, as they won’t just go away. A sudden invitation comes out of the blue and you are not sure whether to accept or not.

Key word for the week: competitiveness
Your luckiest aspect this week: career
Who to spend time with: Capricorn

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)
Your feelings are strong and they also run deep. Before you make any major decisions, wait a little to be sure these feelings will last. You are not at your most rational, so discussions may lead to conflict or communication problems.

Key word for the week: relaxation
Your luckiest aspect this week: socializing
Who to spend time with: Capricorn

PISCES (February 19 – March 19)
Love will not be number one on your list of priorities, as you have other things to think about. Don’t feel low just because all is not rosy. You have plenty going for you. You may be looking in the wrong place for fulfillment or recognition.

Key word for the week: openness
Your luckiest aspect this week: money
Who to spend time with: Virgo

Victoria Rowell’s engagement party; Baron Davis on ‘Lincoln Heights’; producer Johnny J commits suicide; Manly Short Film Showcase October 6, 2008

A fall engagement party for actress/author Victoria Rowell and her artist fiancé Radcliffe Bailey will take place Oct. 11 in Atlanta at the residence of Coca Cola Executive Vicki Palmer and her businessman husband John Palmer. Rowell, former star of CBS soap “The Young and the Restless,” was introduced to Bailey through actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson last year at the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta. Bailey is a celebrated artist represented by the Jack Shainman Gallery of New York and collected by over 25 museums. Their nuptials will take place next summer in New Hampshire.

       “Lincoln Heights,” the critically acclaimed ABC Family network drama, will feature a special guest appearance from NBA star Baron Davis. In the Oct. 14 episode, titled “Number One With A Bullet,” Eddie accidentally puts Tay in danger when he tries to stop a robbery which brings back memories from Eddie’s past. “Lincoln Heights,” currently in its third season, airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m.

Johnny J & TuPac Shakur in undated photo (via ThugLifeArmy.com)

 

      *ThugLifeArmy.com is reporting that rap music producer/songwriter Johnny Jackson, better known in hip hop circles as “Johnny J,” committed suicide on Oct. 3 in the Los Angeles County Jail. According to reports, the former rapper jumped off a tier in the jail while behind bars on a DUI charge. Johnny J, a native of Juárez, Mexico, is best known for his production on Tupac Shakur’s albums “All Eyez on Me” and “Me Against the World.” He also worked on Candyman’s biggest hit, “Knockin’ Boots.”  Johnny is survived by his wife and two children.

 

 

       *The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) hosts the 15th Annual African American Film Marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase October 23-27, in Hollywood. Friday’s Opening Night Reception (Oct. 24) will honor Regina Jones, Founder and Publisher of Soul Magazine (Lifetime Achievement Award): Actor and Humanitarian, William Allen Young (President’s Award): Veteran Producer, Charles Floyd Johnson (Ivan Dixon Award of Achievement): Community Activist and Watts Coffee House Owner, Desiree Edwards (Community Service Award): Acclaimed Animator, Lyndon Barrois (Award of Excellence) and Corporate Executive, Gloria Pualani (Corporate Partner Award). For complete information visit www.BHERC.org or call (310) 284-3170.

ICE CUBE VIDEO STARS FAMILY OF SHOOTING VICTIM October 6, 2008

In the video for his new single “Why Me,” Ice Cube speaks out against senseless killings in America’s inner cities with the help of parents still grieving the shooting death of their 17-year-old son Jamiel Shaw Jr.         

       The clip (watch below) begins with the tear-stained faces of Shaw’s mother, father and aunt recalling the moment they heard about his shooting. His father recounts a final conversation with his son.

 

      Shaw had been on track for a college sports scholarship when he was gunned down in March a few yards from his house in a working-class neighborhood south of downtown Los Angeles. His mother was serving in the Army in Iraq at the time.

 

       Pedro Espinoza, an illegal immigrant and suspected gang member who had been released from jail a day earlier on weapons charges, has pleaded not guilty to the murder. Prosecutors say Espinoza drove to Shaw’s neighborhood and shot him after asking him about his gang affiliation. Police have said Shaw was never in a gang.

 

      “It just was a tragic, tragic story of why,” Cube tells the Associated Press. “Young people are dying for no reason all over the world that don’t know why. It’s ugly, everywhere.”

 

       “To drive this home, it was only right to use real family and not use a bunch of actors,” Cube says of his video.

 

       The footage also features photographs of dozens of other crime victims blowing from a tree, then across the sand in the desert. It also depicts a young man in a football jersey being gunned down on a street. As he lay dying, he asks, “Why me homie, why me?”

 

       Espinoza’s early release from jail led the Shaws to call for the passage of “Jamiel’s Law,” which would push Los Angeles police to crack down on illegal immigrant gang members.      

       Cube says the video is not meant as an endorsement of the legislation. “It ain’t really a commentary on that,” he says. “You’ve got a person being killed by a person he don’t know for a reason he don’t know … Who cares if it was an immigrant or if it was a taxpaying citizen?”

 

       For the Shaws, appearing in the video was a chance to further their petition drive to qualify the proposed law for the November ballot.

 

       “Every time I start watching it, I start crying,” Jamiel Shaw Sr. says. “At the same time, I feel good that we are getting the word out.”

 

“Why Me?” – Ice Cube feat. Ice Cube

BEYONCE PLOTS A HUGE RETURN October 6, 2008

Beyonce will have a lot of tracks to choose from when finalizing the song list for her upcoming album.      

       “I have recorded over 70 songs and have created a sound that reveals all of me,” the singer writes of the project – due Nov. 18 – in a post on her official Web site. “I am in a different place right now and I wanted people to see the many sides of me.”      

       An album title and final track list has yet to be announced, but the disc will be preceded by tomorrow’s release of the first two singles, “If I Were a Boy’ and “Single Ladies.” Videos for both songs were directed by Jake Nava and will begin airing later this month.      

       “I have worked on this album for close to one year,” she writes in her posting. “I have taken the time so I can create my sound. Something that says who I am at this stage in my life. I have poured my heart and soul into it. It is my baby. It is the most time I have spent on any project since my first records as a member of Destiny’s Child.”      

       As for the sound, “The music is upbeat for the dance, fun side and it is reflective, passionate and serious for the personal side,” Knowles writes. “I have taken risks here. I am not afraid and my music will explain it all.”       

       Meanwhile, Team Beyonce has put together a massive effort to promote the Music World/Columbia album. According to Billboard, the artist will play international dates next spring, followed by a North American tour in early summer.      

       It is confirmed that she’ll perform one of the new singles Nov. 6 as part of the MTV Europe Music Awards in Liverpool, England. Also in the works are a Beyonce AOL Sessions and a deluxe edition of the album, also due Nov. 18, featuring as-yet-unannounced bonus tracks.

SHEMAR MOORE WANTS TO DATE JEN ANISTON October 6, 2008

Criminal Minds” star Shemar Moore used his recent visit to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to profess his interest in dating Jennifer Aniston, and ask that the talk show host hook them up.       

        After Moore danced his way onto the stage to Britney Spears’ “Gimme More,” Ellen asked during the interview session: “Who can I help you with? What is your type?”       

       The actor said: “There is one particular person in this town that I kind of got a little crush on. A lot of guys got a crush on this girl but she can’t seem to find that man who can get it right and I just want to raise my hand and try. And that’s Ms. Jennifer Aniston.”       

       Moore said he saw Aniston talking to DeGeneres at the “Stand Up to Cancer” telethon in September, but he was too chicken to approach Ellen and have her introduce him. 

      In Friday’s broadcast, Ellen told Moore she would try and make the love connection happen.       

       “She is a friend of mine,” the TV host said. “I will mention it to her.”