Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The Young, Black, and Fabulous

The Young, Black, and Fabulous


VIDEO FAB: Swizzy, Chris Brown & Luda's "Everyday Birthday" + Idris Elba DIRECTS And STARS In Mumford & Son's "Lover Of The Light" Vid

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 09:06 AM PST

 

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Actor Idris Elba makes his directorial debut in the new visual for Mumfords & Son's "Lover Of The Light" video.  Plus, we've got Swizzy's brand new "Everyday Birthday" visuals straight from the south of France.  Watch the videos inside....

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British import Idris Elba made his directorial debut in the latest video for British folk band Mumford & Sons' "Lover Of The Light.

Mumford revealed why he chose Idris to direct the clip saying,

"We are, quite obviously, huge fans of Idris Elba's acting work, as pretty much anyone can agree he's the most bada*s British actor since Richard Briars.  So we trusted him as the director for our latest video. We've been fortunate to work with some great directors in the past, but we've always been uncomfortable with the process of making music videos." 

Idris gives an intense emotional performance for the clip which was shot in Wales.  The sexy actor, who was the first man to grace the stage at Black Girls Rock recently, is currently filming Thor: The Dark World.

Watch the video here:

 

And Swizz Beatz's brand new video for "Everyday Birthday" just hit the net:

He tapped his homies Chris Brown and Ludacris to go over to Cannes over the summer to have some boys-weekend Hangover-style fun.  Director Taj TPK shot the fellas at Hotel Martinez, Club Palais, and Gotha Club for the fun visuals. 

And don't expect to see this on an album anytime soon, because Swizzy said he's focusing on capturing memorable moments in song and video instead of full albums, thank to this single-driven market.

Check the vid.

 

IT'S ELECTION DAY! Why TheYBF.com Supports President Barack Obama

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:07 AM PST

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Election Day is finally here!  And if you're like us, you're glad the day is finally here.  We can stop focusing on the overwhelming ads and negativity, and after today, we can hopefully focus on moving FORWARD with President Obama.

 

Check out TheYBF.com's Top 5 reasons why WE are voting to RE-ELECT Obama, and why we believe YOU should too....

Here's what matters to us:

1.  President Obama believes women's health decisions should be made by women themselves, NOT the government.

President Obama says, "I believe women are perfectly capable of making their own decisions about their bodies."

This belief encompasses a woman's right to choose, but it's not limited to only that.  This is the United States of America.  We pride ourselves on non barbaric, non-forced ways of human beings in this country doing what they feel is best for THEIR own bodies.  A woman's medication, contraception, reproductive rights and preventative screenings and healthcare decisions should be left up to YOU. Singling out women's medication & screenings to not be covered by insurance companies is not fair or healthy for this country.  And a woman's reproductive decisions being made for her by a government, or any man who will NEVER be able to relate to a woman's health care issues, is simply unacceptable for us.  President Obama agrees. 

Willard Mitt Romney said he would "be delighted" to ban laws giving women the choice over their reproductive decisions, and will also make contraception & preventative healthcare logistically harder to get for millions of women.

 

2.  President Obama TOOK ACTION on Fair Pay for women.

The very first bill the President signed into law was The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. He's not just talking about fair pay for women, he's being about it.  This act superseded the Supreme Court's decision that put limits on when and how women can file an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination.  So the President made the enforcement of the rule easier and more forceful for women.

This law does not just affect women.  It affects the economy as a whole.  It was reported that hundreds of millions of dollars could be put back into the economy if women were paid equally and fair for doing the same job as their male counterparts.

When Romney was asked about joining in on this act, he declined to take action.  And when asked how he feels about fair pay, he avoided the question and brought up the women he hired in his own administration years ago (which has nothing to do with how they were paid) after having to resort to finding "qualified women" in binders.

 

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3.  President Obama pushes the government to take responsibility in education. 

Obama said, "A higher education can't be a luxury--it's an economic imperative that every American should be able to afford."  Some in the black community have criticized Obama for "not doing enough for blacks."  Well, education is one of the best equalizers of race.  It indeed is one of the most important and most effective necessities.  When we give everyone an equal shot at higher education, we are indirectly helping our community as well.

Romney, on the other hand, said the way to circumvent the excessive costs of higher education many socioeconomic groups are priced out of, is to "ask their parents for the money."  Sorry Mitt--that's not a guaranteed option for 99% of America.

 

4.  President Obama does not use war as a means to make money, unnecessarily intimidate, or to boost his and this country's ego.

The President said he would end the war in Iraq...and he did.  He said he would end the reign of Bin Laden...and he did.  The USA has gained more respect with the rest of the world than we have had in years.  And President Obama has repaired the diplomatic relationships ruined by President Bush and others.  Diplomacy can be effective with the right person in office. 

Mitt Romney wants to go back to the same "fear & intimidation" tactics that got us in trouble with the rest of the world during the last administration.  Bad relationships lead to a worse economy and more wars. We're with our President on this one.

 

5. President Obama knows the REAL definition of small business, and how it affects job creation in this country.

Small businesses are the heartbeat of America.  Mom & Pop stores, regional stores, and local stores/marketplaces give more jobs to certain communities and with black women on the rise with starting businesses, this is a big issue for us. 

Mitt Romney likes to say he is for helping small businesses, but his definition of small business is a billion dollar company like Trump, Inc. and Bain Capital.  At least we know what we're getting with the taxes our President wants to place on businesses.  But we don't have time for Mitt's trickery that will likely kill most businesses.

 

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There are obvious, clear cut, fundamental differences between both candidates.  And it comes down to what you feel is right.  For example, we simply do not feel it is right to turn back the hand on the health care reformation the President has put forward.  Not everyone can just "pull up their bootstraps" if they never had any boots or bootstraps to begin with.  No matter how much money you have, taking care of everyone with the basics in life, and those who cannot care for themselves, is our duty as Americans and human beings.  Period.

For these reasons, we support President Barack Obama.  VOTE TODAY!

 

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Confirm your polling place HERE.

 

SPOTTED: Akon & His New Girlfriend Get CUDDLY In VENICE

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:05 AM PST

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Rapper Akon was spotted on a gondola in Venice, Italy getting cuddly with his newest mystery chick girlfriend.  Check the photos of Akon and his lady inside.....

 

Rapper Akon, who seems to keep a constant rotation of pretty chicks (and maybe wives since we know how HE rolls) on his arm, was spotted on a trip to Venice, Italy over the weekend.

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He and his mystery chick, who rocked a pair of studded-leopard Louboutin booties, took a long romantic gondola ride.

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The trip was one stop the couple made before Akon's concert in Abu Dhabi.

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Though we've never figured out how many wives/girlfriends/fiances Akon has or has had, he recently declared paternity of two sons in Georgia. 

We'e sure there's plenty more where that came from.

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And he gave his chick the 5-star treatment too tweeting this pic, 'Relaxing in my luxurious hotel in Venice, Italy.'  Must be nice...

 

Photos via Splash

ON THE SET: Future's “Neva End (Remix)” Featuring Kelly Rowland + "RHOA" Premiere Sets RATINGS RECORD For BRAVO

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 03:11 PM PST

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Future  teamed up with R&B chick Kelly Rowland for his latest video "Neva End (Remix)."  See pics of the duo on set shooting the video inside and find out how well "RHOA" did in the ratings last night......

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As Kelly Rowland gears up for the release of her Year of the Woman disc, fans could say this is her "year of the feature" as she's already appeared on tracks for Big Boi and Ludacris.  Now, she's featured on Future's latest single "Never End (Remix)."  

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The duo teamed up to shoot the video in LA over the weekend with Kelly tweeting, “Had a GREAT time this weekend shooting @1Future’s video for ‘Neva End (Remix)’ in Los Angeles.”  The song will appear on a repackaged version of Future’s Pluto 3D disc (Nov. 27th) featuring three new songs and two remixes.

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Kelly also tweeted a pic with her beauty team saying, "the Pretty Committee #GLAM #NevaEnd."  

 

And on television....

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Last night “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” broke records and became BRAVO'S highest-rated season premiere bringing in over 3.2 million total viewers and over 2 million adults 18-49. Also, this was the highest rated season premiere for all key demos.  And the success didn't stop on the small screen as "RHOA" had a 258% increase on Bravo Mobile and a 129% percent increase in Twitter mentions.

 

Watch a sneak peek of next week's episode here: 

 

 

 

Photos via Kelly Rowland

 

 

 

"BEHIND THE MUSIC" SNEAK PEEK: T.I. & Tiny Relive Their Wedding Day With Never-Before-Seen Footage

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:44 PM PST

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As T.I.'s remastered "Behind The Music" episode airs tonight on VH1, TheYBF.com has an exclusive sneak peek into new footage that will air tonight from Clifford & Tameka "Tiny" Cottle's wedding day.

 

Check it inside...

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We're getting an inside look into T.I. & Tiny's 2010 wedding with Mr. Harris explaining exactly why he walked down the aisle, making Tiny, Mrs. Harris.

He says in the preview:

Me and Tameka..ever since I met her, she immediately became one of my best friends.   Although this situation had been tough, without her there it would have been a lot worse.

Tiny revealed:

We're like, glued together.  I've never seen a man that is so nurturing and he's caring and he's very protective.  He's everything I could pretty much ask for.

Say what you want about these two...but you can't say they don't have major love shared between them.  Peep the exclusive peek below:

T.I.'s remastered "Behind The Music" airs tonight on VH1 at 10p EST.

EXCLUSIVE: Nicci Gilbert OFFICIALLY NIXED From "R&B Divas"!

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:03 PM PST

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Nicci Gilbert, the headstrong singer/fashion designer on "R&B Divas" has officially been fired (or nicely asked to leave) from the cast, TheYBF.com has exclusively learned. Get the deets on why she was dropped inside and where the show is headed for a spinoff.....

Though "R&B Divas" has become a success for TV ONE, TheYBF.com has learned that former Brownstone member and show co-creator, Nicci Gilbert, was given the axe.  A source from the show's executive production team told us that market research they conducted showed that viewers just didn't connect to Nicci.  In fact, we were told that 95% of those polled said that Nicci was their LEAST favorite diva.  WOMP.

The production team doesn't want to announce the firing publicly until a cast for season two is in place...but Nicci has already been shown the door.  Also, an L.A. spinoff is in the works for the show ad that cast will be announced soon.

But it doesn't seem like Nicci is letting the news get her down.  The "Curvy Diva" still has her Curvato clothing line and even Retweeted a fan's comment about getting her and her former co-stars on BET's Black Girls Rock.  At least she doesn't seem to hold a grudge against the other ladies. 

 

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Who do you think should be amongst the next group of selected "R&B Divas"?

 

LIVE STREAM: Jay-Z & President Obama's LAST HURRAH At RALLY In Ohio

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST

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AT 3:30p EST today, Jay-Z & Bruce Springsteen will be taking the stage with President Obama to give Mr. President a final push before tomorrow's Election Day. Check out the live stream inside...


Streaming live video by Ustream

November 6th is almost here.  We've got 1 day.  So Jay-Z and other big names rolled to battleground state Ohio today to fire up Obama's base in Columbus.

Hov will give a performance and the President will make his closing argument. The President’s grassroots events will also be streamed live at www.barackobama.com/live.  if you're having trouble viewing the video, try HERE and/or change browsers.

Check out the live stream of the last hurrah to see what goes down, the performances & hopefully a few surprise appearances.

VOTE!  November 6th!  No excuses!

Confirm your polling place HERE.

UPDATE:

Jay performing "99 Problems & MITT Aint One"

Rihanna FINISHES "Unapologetic" And TWEETS New Bikini Pic + Ciara SAYS Ex-Boyfriend 50 Cent Is "Afraid Of Love"

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:59 AM PST

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Rihanna has completed her Unapologetic album and posted a bikini photo to celebrate.  Also, pop singer Ciara appeared on "The Rickey Smiley Morning Show" recently where she talked about past boyfriends Bow Wow and 50 Cent. Listen to the interview inside and see Rihanna's photo.

We've seen her heading in and out of studios a lot for the past few weeks and now Rihanna happily reports that she has completed her Unapologetic album.  The singer tweeted, "We havin a celebration.... WE HAVE AN ALBUM!!! #UNAPOLOGETIC."

She accompanied the tweet with a shot of herself in an nude-like sexy strapless bikini while in a swimming pool.  The album will be released on November 19.

 

In other music news....

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During a recent interview with "The Ricky Smiley Morning Show", "Sorry" singer Ciaragave up the goods (well, some) about some of the famous men shes's dated, like Bow Wow and 50 Cent. 

She revealed that she remains friends with Bow Wow (though they haven't spoken in a long time) and is very close to his mother.  And when it comes to 50 Cent (whom she called Boo Boo) she says he only likes to get involved with things he could contol (like business opportunites).  She thinks when he is not in control, he gets afraid.

She said, "The one thing he is afriad of is love. And in that sense, he's afraid of me."  

Hmmm.....Well if 50 Cent is still interested, all has has to do is say "Sorry" or some ish.

 

Listen Ciara's interview here:

 

 

And in other news about 50 Cent.....

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We told you that 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather had been feuding and it seemed like the bromance was over...but now we're not so sure. In a series of tweets, the rapper revealed that it was all a publicity stunt (created by Floyd) where he was asked to tweet about the boxer because no one had been paying him much attention since he was released from prison for domestic violence.  Sounds like 50 is being his usual passive agressive self again.

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One thing's for sure...it did put both of them back in the headlines since no one seems to be checking for 50 Cent's music OR Floyd's boxing.

EXCLUSIVE CLIP: Ne-Yo Gives Inside Peek Into How He PENS HITS For Your Faves

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 09:32 AM PST

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Ne-Yo is prepping to release his brand new album R.E.D. tomorrow (Nov. 6th).  And before the big day, he's giving an inside look into how he writes those songs that become #1 hits for most of the pop & R&B chicks in the game.  And how he still knows how to get himself some hits too.

 

Check out our exclusive video with Ne-Yo inside...

From inside the studio where he's made himself hefty amount of cash by writing some of the biggest hits in R&B these days, Ne-Yo is giving folks the secrets to hit writing.  At least how he sees them.

In between writing and chatting it up with folks on his phone, Ne-Yo gave folks what it takes to write a big hit for the likes of Rihanna ("Unfaithful", "Take A Bow", "Russian Roulette"), Beyonce ("Irreplaceable"), Jennifer Hudson ("Think Like A Man") and even himself;

I don't have much of a process. There's been some songs where the melody came first. there's been some songs where the track will lead me to a lyric. There's been songs where the hook will come first or verse. That's the cool thing about music...there's no wrong way to do it. Unless you're off key...

And how exactly he pushes out hits left and right for Rihanna:

In writing for another person, you have to take into consideration how well that person can reproduce what is is you're trying to give to them. And you have to write according to it. I write well for people I have the luxury of having a relationship and can actually ask them what's going on in their lives.

Rihanna's one of those people. I can call Rih and go, "How are you feeling today? I'm about to go in the studio with you is there anything specific you want to say?" Can't do that with everybody. In that I have that luxury, it definitely helps.

Peep TheYBF.com's exclusive full 3 minute clip below:

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