Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Young, Black, and Fabulous

The Young, Black, and Fabulous

Chris Brown & Teyana Taylor's "Push Me Up" Single + Willow Smith ANNOUNCES Album Release Date

Posted: 01 Dec 2011 09:13 AM PST

 

Chris Brown and his bestie Teyana Taylor have released a duet called "Push Me Up." Listen to the track inside and get deets about Willow Smith's next album and video.....

Chris Brown and his bff Teyana Taylor have released a nice up-tempo duet called "Push Me Up."

The Brian Kennedy-produced song is about being supportive of your friends/lovers and lifting them to a higher place in their lives.  So far, neither Chris nor Teyana have commented about the leak or said if it will appear on future projects.  

Listen to "Push Me Up" here:

 

Also in music.....

Willow Smith appeared on “106 & Park,” recently and announced that she is dropping her "Fireball" video next week and her album on April 3, 2012. She also revealed that she loves mac-and-cheese and is a good cook. Is there anything she can't do? 

 

Bonus: 

Watch Mariah Carey's new video for "All I Want For Christmas" featuring Justin Bieber.

 

The Randomness:

1.  Miguel upset about Grammy nominations snub.  Story.

2.  Eminem joining Lil' Wayne's world tour.  Story.

Swizz Beatz & Alicia Keys REVEAL New Lotus Designs + John Legend & Iman At Alvin Ailey's Opening Night Gala

Posted: 01 Dec 2011 08:55 AM PST

Last night, Swizz Beatz hosted a launch party in NYC for the new line of Lotus cars he designed. See pics of him celebrating with wife Alicia Keys and Carmelo Anthony inside as well as Iman and John Legend at Alvin Ailey's opening night.

 

Last night, producer/professor/painter and now "car designer" Swizz Beatz hosted a launch party in NY for Lotus Cars at IAC Headquarters.  We told you earlier that Swizz had landed a swanky new gig with the luxury car company as one of its tastemakers and designers.

He attended with wife Alicia Keys who proudly snapped pics.

The couple posed with Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus Plc.

Ruff Ryders founder Dee came out to support.

Russell Simmons was also there.

Kid Capri got dapper for the event.

Meylssa Ford rocked a cute dark blue gown.

Carmelo Anthony was also spotted and he later posed with Russell.

 

Also in New York city........

The 2011 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Opening Night Gala Performance was held at New York City Center.

Iman was honorary chairwoman of the gala and she looked stunning!

Pauletta Washington looked lovely in her red gown.

TV journalist Jacque Reid was there.

BET CEO Debra L. Lee wore a yellow satin gown.

Author Crystal McCrary Anthony looked beautiful.

ABC New anchor Sade Baderinwa looked gorgeous in this pink gown.  Love the bow!

And guests were entertained by John Legend.


Photos via Wireimage/Nunez/Coppola

 

Rihanna, Usher, Ludacris & More Perform At The GRAMMY Nominations Concert, Kanye West LEADS With 7 Nods

Posted: 01 Dec 2011 06:21 AM PST

Actor LL Cool J took center stage last night, hosting the 2012 GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live concert, with a little help from Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry. The trio introduced viewers to performances by Rihanna, Usher and Ludacris while revealing that Kanye West leads the 2012 pack of nominees with 7 nods! Watch the performances and see pics inside....

Last night, tons of celebs and music lovers turned out for The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! - Show at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. And in between exciting performances by Rihanna, Usher and Ludacris, LL Cool J and Nicki revealed the 2012 Grammy nominees.

Rapper Kanye West leads the pack garnering 7 nods.  Among his most notable nods, he's up for Song of the Year for "All of the Lights" and best rap performance with Jay-Z for "Otis." He's even nominated against himself, with Watch the Throne and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy nabbing Rap Album of the Year nods. If he wins....I wonder will he be upset that the "other" album lost.

Adele received 6 nods while Lil Wayne and Rihanna both picked up five nods.  Bruno Mars got three nods and Nicki Minaj is up for best new artist along with J Cole. Surprisingly, Beyonce only got two nods (Best Long Form Video and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration).

View the full list of nominees here.

 

Best New Artist nominee Nicki Minaj joined LL Cool J in making sure things ran smoothly throughout the night.

Taraji P. Henson looked fab as she took the stage in a slinky silver number that showed off her legs.

Rihanna performed her number one hit "We Found Love" via satellite from London's O2 Arena.  She tweeted #GRAMMYS2012 5 nominations!!! This year keeps getting better and better!" #LOUD up 4 Album of the year is so #MAJAH"

Usher and Valerie Simpson performed a moving tribute to Nick Ashford.

Luda got a lil' country and performed with Jason Aldean.

And during a special performance of "The Message," Lupe Fiasco, Common and LL Cool J joined Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, and rapper Scorpio on stage. 

 

Watch Rihanna perform "We Found Love" here:

 

Watch Ludacris perform "Dirt Road Anthem" with Jason Aldean here:

 

Watch Lupe Fiasco, Common, and LL Cool J join Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, and rapper Scorpio for a special performance of "The Message"

 

Watch Usher perform a songwriting medley with Valerie Simpson in tribute to Nick Ashford with Mike Stoller of the songwriting team Leiber and Stoller here:

 

Photos via Wireimage/John Shearer

WORLD AIDS DAY 2011

Posted: 01 Dec 2011 05:38 AM PST

WORLD AIDS DAY 2011 is upon us.  And it's a day that every country possible participates in some form of action/education for HIV/AIDS awareness.

 

TheYBF.com is doing its part today....

 

World AIDS Day is observed each year on December 1. This year's theme is "Leading with Science, Uniting for Action". Aids.gov is your 1 stop shop for EVERYTHING you need to know about prevention, taking care of yourself if you have HIV/AIDS, how to educate others on the issue, and everything in between.

Today, women account for more than 1 in 4 new HIV/AIDS cases in the United States, according to WomensHealth.Gov. Of these newly infected women, about 2 in 3 are African-American. Most of these women got HIV from having unprotected sex with a man.

A few staggering stats from the Women's Health website:

AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African-American women ages 25–34. And African-American women are more than 21 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as non-Hispanic white women. Some reasons why African-American women are affected by HIV/AIDS more than women of other races include:

Poverty — One in 4 African-American women lives in poverty, which is strongly linked to HIV risk. People living in poverty also get lower-quality health care in general, which can mean advancing from HIV infection to AIDS more quickly.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) — HIV is most commonly spread to women through sexual contact. Untreated STIs that break the skin, such as genital herpes, give HIV easy access into the bloodstream. African-American women have high rates of many STIs.

Incarceration of African-American men — Based on current rates of incarceration, nearly one-third of all African-American men will enter prison during their lifetimes. Cycling in and out of the prison system leads to fewer available African-American men in the community to have long-term, faithful relationships and a greater chance of having multiple partners over time. Living in prison also exposes many men to risk factors for HIV. This raises a man's risk of getting HIV in prison and passing HIV to his female partner at home.

 

In recognition of World AIDS Day, President Obama will speak at 2:30p ET an event hosted by the ONE Campaign and (RED) at George Washington University.  You can watch the whole event live on YouTube.com/TheONECampaign.

And by the way, Get Tested.

How are you participating today?

ON THE SET: Rihanna Rocks BLONDE For "You Da One" Video

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 03:37 PM PST

Rihanna broke out some vintage ripped daisy dukes, suspenders, nipple rings, and a blonde wig on the set of her latest video for her new single "You Da One." See photos from the set of the video shoot inside....

The "We Found Love" diva, whose Talk That Talk album already went platinum in the UK, was spotted rocking some 80's inspired flavor on the London set of her "You Da One" video.

The track was written by Ester Dean and produced by Dr. Luke. The bright pink wall in the video was apparently inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange.

The visuals look interesting.  But I just hope Rihanna doesn't over borrow from the inspiration like she's done in the past.  We don't need another lawsuit.

Check out the rest of the pics from the set:


 

Not my fave outfit on her.  But we'll see how the finished product turns out....

FOOTBALL WIFE PERKS: Plaxico Burress Takes Wife Tiffany Shopping For Jewels

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:42 PM PST

New York Jet Plaxico Burress made a jewelry run yesterday with his wife Tiffany.  It's never too early for Christmas diamonds.

 

Check out the pics of the two eyeing the jewels...and each other.  Must be nice...

Tiffany Burress looked cute for her shopping trip with her hubby yesterday on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  The twosome, who have a son named Elijah and a daughter named Giovanna, was doing some Christmas shopping at Hublot Jewelers.

He has that look on his face.  The she just picked out damn near every diamond in the store look.  Hopefully he's holding steady with his 1-year $3 mill contract.  Nice.

Pics via SPLASH

WATCH NOW: T.I. & Tiny's "The Family Hustle" Premiere Episode

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:13 PM PST

VH1 is giving folks an early first look at the premiere episode of "T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle."  Check out the full first episode 5 days early inside....

 

T.I., Tiny, and all 6 of their kids are hamming it up for the cameras on their new show.  Check out the first episode above where the Harris family welcomes home daddy, T.I. & Tiny get their groove back, and more...

You feelin' it?

The actual TV premiere happens December 5th, 9p on VH1.

YBF's Holiday Giveaway Marathon Week #2! Win CARMELO ANTHONY'S Melo M8 Basketball Shoes!

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 12:18 PM PST

NBA star Carmelo Anthony has teamed up with TheYBF.com for our 4 weeks of Holiday Giveaways!  And the New York Knick star handing over 2 autographed pair of his Melo M8 Jordan shoes....STRAIGHT out of his own closet! 

 

If you're a shoe collector, Knick lover, or Carmelo stan, this one's for you.  Enter inside...

Two VERY lucky YBF readers will cop Carmelo Anthony's just released Melo M8 by Jordan shoes for this round of our marathon of giveaways.

Melo rocked the prototype of the new design last season, and now it's been released to the public.  But he's is dipping into his personal stash for our giveaway, and giving 2 YBF readers his actual yet-to-be-worn size 15 shoes...straight out his own closet!  The blue, white, and orange joints are

"I thought these would be a perfect way to kick the holiday season off," Carmelo said about TheYBF.com's Holiday Giveaway. "Hope you enjoy these autographed Melo M8's from me. Happy Holidays!"

 

Here's how to enter: Send an email to Giveaways@TheYBF.com with I WANT MELO'S M8'S! in the subject line.  Two (2) winners will win one (1) pair each of Carmelo's own and autographed M8 by Jordan shoes.

1 entry per person.  Contest ends Sunday, December 4th at midnight EST.

 

 

 

In the meantime, check out NY's fave b-baller at his recent Melo M8 NYC Flight Event.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Gwyneth Paltrow Talks Black Hair, Says Beyonce And Rihanna Should Have Covered "VOGUE" Long Ago

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:05 AM PST

NY Times bestselling author Steve Stoute sat down with Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow to talk about her views on Black and Jewish hair issues, her love of hip-hop, and why Beyonce and Rihanna deserved to be on the cover of VOGUE long before they actually landed it. 

 

Watch the controversial clips inside....

As part of his AOL Huff Post series, The Tanning Effect, Stoute chatted with the actress who's known for not holding her tongue.  Growing up in an all white neighborhood in Santa Monica, Gwyneth Paltrow, who counts The Carters as her and her hubby Chris Martin's best friends. admits she saw very little "tanning" in her surroundings. 

But it was the influence of her father, Bruce Paltrow, and his groundbreaking tv show "The White Shadow," that showed her the true meaning of diversity.  Some folks are saying she's factually incorrect, though, because "Star Trek" supposedly showed the first interracial kiss on TV, not her father's show. 

When discussing media representations of African Americans, Gwyneth brought up Rihanna and her bestie Beyonce finally appearing on the cover of VOGUE magazine.

"I don't want to bemoan the fact that it should've happened 50 years ago, because it's here now. And it's like the way I see it is that I have two little kids who are understanding the world in a time when Rihanna is on the cover of Vogue, and we have a black president. So their eyes are being as if they're experiencing the world for the first time. All of this stuff is just root -- it's normal stuff for them. And that to me is what's so incredible."

She added,

"When my daughter understood what a president was, it was a black man. It's not like me, where I grew up with all of these old white guys one after another ... Their perspective on race and everything is completely open and completely different to how it was when I was a kid."

And she also revealed that Jewish girls and Black girls have similar haircare issues.  "The heat makes the kitchen go crazy!" She shared that when moisture hits the back of her neck it ruins a good blowout!  What you know about the "kitchen" Gwyneth??  Let me find out....

Watch Gwyneth talk about her growing up in a lily-white neighborhood and her father's groundbreaking television series here:

Watch Gwyneth talk about singing "Song Cry" with Jay-Z and her love of hip-hop here:

And Gwyneth discussing Jewish "kitchens" and talking about Beyonce and Rihanna on VOGUE below:

Photo Credit: Bonnie Biess, AOL

Maino OPENS UP About His Relationship With "Love & Hip-Hop" Star Olivia Saying "We Played Around"

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:53 AM PST

We told you earlier about pictures of rapper Maino and "Love & Hip-Hop" star Olivia that sparked rumors of a romance between the two. Now Maino is revealing what really happened and if they were ever an "item." Get the deets inside....

During a recent interview with K97.5, Brooklyn-born rapper Maino addressed rumors that he was romantically involved with reality-star Olivia.

When asked about the photos of him kissing Olivia that recently surfaced, Maino revealed that the images were from a few months ago....but he wouldn't put an "exact" time stamp on them.

He said, "We was cool. We were having fun. We played around."  

He added that Olivia is a really cool girl and that she's moved on with a new boyfriend.   He wouldn't reveal, but we already reported his name is Terance Kinsey, the professional ball player who now plays overseas.

And while speaking about reality TV in general, he said he thinks the genre ruins relationships and people should keep their personal business behind closed doors. 

Watch Maino talk about Olivia at 3:44 below:

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