Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Young, Black, and Fabulous

The Young, Black, and Fabulous

EXCLUSIVE: YBF Chick Melanie Fiona Dishes Up Album Details, Shows Off Her Style Evolution

Posted: 18 Oct 2011 09:01 AM PDT

During our exclusive red carpet coveragee of the 2011 Black Girls Rock Awards, we caught up with Melanie Fiona who spoke to us about her upcoming album The M F LIFE.  And we've also noticed how fab her style has gotten.  Get the deets on her artistic process, plus check out Mel's style evolution, inside...

 

When Toronto, Ontario native, Melanie Fiona, hit the music scene, she modeled herself as a bluesy-neo soul chick incorporating a variety of musical influences from her youth.  But all of that is changing...at least a bit.

When we caught up with with 28-year-old Mel, she was wearing a super stylish (and uber cute) multicolored dress by Proenza Schouler and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes.  As if this wasn't fabulous enough, she later hit the stage to rocking leather shorts and a dress by Peter Pilotto and some hot Givenchy heels. 

And her wardrobe isn't the only thing changing.  She shared that her upcoming album "The M F Life," dropping December 6th, focuses on her search for her own identity at this point in her life, something which all young women can identify with. 

She tells TheYBF.com,

"I really want to show my growth and identity as an artist on this album.  My first album was definitely more focused on bringing people together and paying homage and respect to my influences growing up.  That's why you got that retro-soul.  But now (the album) it a lttle bit more identifiable to who I am, my style and where I'm at right now."

Peep Mel's style evolution in the gallery below.  And See what else happened on the red carpet here with Mel, Tracee Ellis Ross, Mary Mary, and more:

 

Video by Kourtney Richard/Ashley Ennis

Style Evolution: Melanie Fiona

Mama Tina Reveals Beyonce's Waffle Cravings & That The Baby May Slow Her Down

Posted: 18 Oct 2011 07:56 AM PDT

Beyonce & Jay-Z aren't the only ones excited about their baby who arrives in February.  Mama Tina is over the moon too.  Beyonce's mom is dishing all about her cravings, how awesome of a mom she'll be, and even about that morning sickness.

 

Check her quotables inside....

Miss Tina chatted it up with Life & Style about her mom-to-be duaghter at last night's Angel Ball that she attended with daughter Solange.  She says Beyonce & hubby Mr. Carter indeed know the sex of the baby.  And now that she's over the morning sickness, she's craving waffles.  About if Baby Carter will be a boy or a girl:

"Yeah they know what they're having.  But I'm not telling!"

And about Bey's pregnancy so far:

"She went through [morning sickness], but she's got past it now.  She's doing really good. She's busy.  She's craving waffles.  The normal – just wanting to eat!"

"She’s going to be an awesome mom.  I think it will slow her down somewhat, but I think she’ll be the same great person she’s been."

And about Jay's fathering potential:

"I think he’s going to be awesome.  They are very, very happy and just glowing. It’s great to see."

Awwww.

PARTY PICS: LaLa, Carmelo, Angela Yee, Terrence J. & More Celebrate Bottles & Strikes 2nd Anniversary

Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:49 AM PDT

Celebs, including a quick appearance by The Carters, hit the 2nd Anniversary of the Bottles & Strikes event at Frames in NYC last night hosted by Angela Yee & Mike Kyser.  We've got pics of who came out to celebrate the event--in conjunction with celebrating LaLa Anthony's "Love Loss & What I Wore" stint--inside....

 

Angela Yee and Mike Keyser hosted drinks and fun at Bottles & Strikes last night:

They also celebrated LaLa's new stint off-Broadway.  So La's hubby Carmelo Anthony and homie Po were there:

And she even copped a huge cake for the occasion:

Yum!

 

Alesha Renee and Melyssa Ford were there.

Beyonce & Jay-Z made an appearance but barely got snapped on camera.

Clearly Melo had some fun.

Angela's Breakfast Club homies DJ Envy and Charlamagne were there.

Joe Buddens came through of course.

AJ kicked it with Charlamagne.

Terrence J and his manager Fred kicked it.

Oh...hello there Maino.

And a cute look for Ms. Yee as she kicked it with Mike Kyser and Julie Greenwald.

Pics: AllEyesOnWho.com

NON-SHOCKER: Soulja Boy ARRESTED For Weed Possession...Caught With Guns & $70,000 In Cash & Drugs!

Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:25 AM PDT

Its like Groundhog Day with these rappers.  Another day, another weed arrest.  Soulja Boy is the latest to get cuffed for weed possession.  Deets on his arrest inside...

TMZ reports De'Andre "Soulja Boy" Way was arrested in Temple, GA around 3:15 this morning.  All because the 21-year-old decided to ride around with weed and guns after he was pulled over for a traffic violation.  The site reports:

...during the stop, cops found a "substantial amount" of marijuana and cash inside the vehicle." Soulja and the 4 other men were all arrested.

Law enforcement sources tell us officers also found guns inside the car -- though it's unclear if any of the men had the proper licenses to be in possession of the firearms.

One source with knowledge of the situation tells us there was roughly $70,000 in cash and drugs in the car.

Soulja's still sitting pretty in Carroll County Jail.

Solange, Miss Tina, Sessilee Lopez, & More Celebrate The ANGEL BALL With Denise Rich

Posted: 18 Oct 2011 05:39 AM PDT

Fabness ensued last night for Denise Rich's annual Angel Ball at Cipriani Wall Street.  Celebs like Solange, her mom Tina Knowles, and more came out to support Denise's Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research.

 

Check out the pics of the charitable affair inside...

Songwriter Denise Rich and her son-in-law, Philip Aouad, founded the organization in 1996 in memory of her daughter, Gabrielle Rich Aouad, who died at age 27 from AML Leukemia.

Solange, whose son Julez turns 7 today, came out to support and looked amazing in her one dolman sleeved long white beaded evening gown.  Loving the hair too.

And her mom Tina Knowles looked just as amazing in her long grey one-long-sleeved gown with ruffle detail.

Gorgeous ladies!

LaLa Anthony also rolled to the event in her pretty blush one-shoulder gown.

And, of course, posed with her bestie Kim K. and Clive Davis.

Model Sessilee Lopez kept it sleek in a semi-sheer ivory spaghetti strap gown.

I see Shauntelle thought going even blonder with her hair was a good idea.

Patti Labelle, who was there to perform, posed with her good friend and host Denise.

And so did Estelle.  I actually love her cocktail dress.

The gorgeous actress (who has a current role on "Gossip Girl") Michael Michele rocked this purple one shoulder ruffled look.

Anthony Hamilton paired his black suit with his black and white checked shirt.

E-V-E was there in a fur overlay and red suit:

Interesting pairing with her purple pumps.

Star Jones thought this was a holiday party. Not feelin' this look.

Russell Simmons brought his girl of the moment along.

Natalie Cole was spotted at the table with Star.

And Naomi Campbell was honored at the event along with her man Vladislav. The supermodel says it meant a lot to be recognized by such an important cause.

She posed it up with Johnson Publications CEO Desiree Rogers.  Not sure how I'm feeling about Ms. Roger's hot pink feathery look though.

Photog: Wargo

EXCLUSIVE: Keyshia Cole REVEALS What It's Like To Turn 30, Parties It Up 80's Style

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:22 PM PDT

We told you earlier that Keyshia Cole had a surprise 30th birthday party thrown by her husband Daniel "Boobie" Gibson in Cleveland over the weekend.  Now we can reveal deets about the party and what Keyshia revealed to TheYBF.com during our exclusive chat.  Get the deets inside.....

Keyshia Cole is a child of the 80s, so to celebrate her 30th birthday, she took it all the way back to where it all began.  Wearing a stylish party dress that paid homage to THE 80s material girl, Madonna, Keyshia came ready to dance the night away.  And Daniel wore a classic Adidas track suit and kangol.

During our exclusive chat, Keyshia reflected on her life saying, "I got signed in my 20's so I was blessed.  It was a time I learned, I lived and experienced so many great things.  It prepared for me my 30's."

The always sassy singer added, "I'm a wife, a mother now and I'm ready for greatness.  Ready to go in.  The 20's were GREAT but the 30's are gonna be GREATER!"

Cute.  And she even rocked the 80s Dr. Marten combat boots!  And with Biz Markie on the 1s and 2s they probably came in handy.

And it's only natural that Kevin Liles was there to celebrate at the Tavo Martini Loft as well.  He has played a big part in her career.

 

Fun times indeed.

Photos via Jay R. Fogle

SPOTTED: Beyonce Goes T-Shirt & Jeans Casual In NYC

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:39 PM PDT

It's another day out in midtown NYC for Beyonce.  She threw on her jeans and black and white slightly sheer off-the-shoulder tee to run a few more errands today. 

 

Pics inside...

It was a casual Monday for mom-to-be Beyonce Knowles as she made her way to a meeting today in NYC.  As casual as a pair of 5  inch nude and hot pink pumps can be.

Bey & her bangs just dropped the "Love On Top" video last night.  Fab times.

Pics via INF

NEW MUSIC: Bridget Kelly's "Seek & Destroy"

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 01:39 PM PDT

The newest Roc chick and Jay-Z's "Alicia Keys fill-in", Bridget Kelly, just dropped her second single off her upcoming debut album.  Check out "Seek & Destroy" inside...

In her follow up to "Thinking About Forever," NYC native Bridget Kelly just released her second single "Seek & Destroy."  In the track, she tells a potential lover that he better come correct.

The song is written by The Dream and produced by Shea Taylor. Bridget new EP, “Every Girl” is available for free download on 10/19.

When asked what she would most like to accomplish as an artist, the up-and-comer states: "I hope to touch someone's life through my writing or my voice, even if it's just one person. I've always found music to be the most effective means for people to relate to one another, so if what I write and sing about is relatable to people, I'll be successful."

The Randomness:

1.  Mariah Carey gives a sneak peek of her upcoming Babs Walters 20/20 interview and sings to one of her babies.  Story

NEW GIGS: Marlon Wayans Creating And Starring In New ABC "Cop" Comedy + Mo & Kita Launch A Line Of Beauty Products

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:10 PM PDT

 

Funnyman Marlon Wayans is returning to network television in a new sitcom he's created about two cops.  Get deets on the show inside and find out how you can buy beauty products from Mo & Kita to raise money for a good cause.

Hollywood is buzzing about Marlon Wayans' new sitcom deal with ABC.  He's just signed on to write, executive produce and star in a hybrid single/multi-camera comedy about two brothers, who are both cops, and how their lives are turned upside down once one of the brothers is forced to move in with the other.

Marlon will be executive producing with his manager Lisa Blum and longtime producing partner Rick Alvarez of Wayans Bros Entertainment, (which he runs with Keenan Ivory and Shawn Wayans).

And if you were wondering where Marlon has been, he is  currently working with Jennifer Pryor and director Bill Condon on the Richard Pryor biopic, where Marlon will play the legend. 

Congrats to Shawn!  And it seems like ABC is a comfortable place for the Wayans.  His nephew Damon Wayans, Jr. stars on the network's "Happy Ending" and a few years ago, Damon Wayans had his own sitcom on ABC.

In other entertainment news....

Though the Basketball Wives Franchise may be the marquee act over at VH1, it's the star's of "The T.O. Show" Monique “Mo” Jackson and Kita Williams who deserve the attention and respect for what they are doing to empower Black women. 

The pair have recently formed a non-profit empowerment campaign entitled, Define Your Pretty which seeks to empower women from the inside out by creating a dialogue about the women are portrayed in the media.

So how exactly are they doing this?  For starters, the duo is headlining the United Negro College Fund’s (UNCF) 2011 “Empower Me Tour,” where they are discussing their empowerment campaign accompanied along with their Define Your Pretty Collection of hair and beauty products.

Some folks may ask why you need to sell beauty products if you are trying to focus on inner beauty, so Kita says,

“Pretty isn’t just about the visual aspects…a lot of young girls don’t understand that. Define Your Pretty means you define pretty by your own standards. You can be pretty talented, pretty creative, pretty smart...Once you define that from the inside, you can use the Define Your Pretty Collection products to gloss yourself up on the outside.”

And when you are ready for the gloss, you can start with Mo and Kita's line of lip gloss, flat irons, hair wax, head wraps and other essentials for Black women.

Do you think you'll check out their products?

PHOTOSHOOT FAB: Tika Sumpter & LaLa Anthony Channel "Thelma And Louise" For "VIBE"

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 11:16 AM PDT

Tika Sumpter and LaLa Anthony showed off the "sexy" side of danger when they stepped across the line and got "gangsta" for VIBE Magazine.  See the pics inside...

 

In the November 2011 issue of VIBE, Sparkle actress Tika Sumpter and Off-Broadway star LaLa Anthony make being on the other side of the law look quite fabulous. 

In the photo above, Tika wore CASHMERE KNIT TOP, SEE-THROUGH CRINOLINE SKIRT, PATENT LEATHER CORSET, MONOGRAM SHINE CLUTCH WITH HANDCUFF AND FETISH HIGH BOOTS, ALL LOUIS VUITTON; "HOOPLA" EARRINGS, LIA SOPHIA; AND GOLD RING, MEZI.

Meanwhile, LaLa wore LEATHER AND SILK EMBROIDERED JACET, CASHMERE BRIEFS AND PATENT LACE-UP BOOTS, ALL LOUIS VUITTON;"HOOPLA" EARRINGS, LIA SOPHIA;DRIVING GLOVES, GASPAR.

Then the pair of dangerous ladies kidnapped a hostage and LaLa  rocked:
BLACK COAT DRESS, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER; HOOP EARRINGS, LIA SOPHIA; LEATHER GLOVES, GASPAR; BOOTS, GREY MER.

Meanwhile, Tika wore, a TOASTED ALMOND TENNIS DRESS, LOS BY LAQUAN SMITH
CONE CUFF BRACELET, LIA SOPHIA. 

 
Watch Tika and LaLa behind the scenes here:

 
 
You can view photo galleries of LaLa and Tika over at VIBE.

 

 

The Randomness:

1.  The Throne will bring their tour to Madison Square Garden. Story.

 
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