~Elle Shanice~ APPROVED ✔:Raheem DeVaughn "She's Single"

If you didn't know about Raheem DeVaughn, then now you know...& he is JUST getting started.

A lot of people were shocked when they saw this "She's Single" video and felt that he did such a sexual song & video to get attention and I'm sure that he has a lot more fans now because of it. However, if you go back to his first album to get a taste of  his "grown man"  sensuality.

Don't get me wrong: it is not ALL about sex with him. He makes AWESOME music that is thoughtful and compassionate and shows how much he appreciate the concept of love and passion. Songs like "Love Drug", "Believe", "You", and "Desire" are timeless and I will be STILL listening to them 50 years from now.


I have been a fan of Raheem Devaughn's since 2008, when I first heard his seductive song "Customer"  from his album Love Behind the Melody, & I became hooked on his sexy collaboration with Floetry on "Marathon". Most quality artists with REAL talent and who don't run on gimmicks usually take a few albums to get the attention that they deserve.

I hope that this video, as SEXY as it is, gets people to start realizing what an awesome artist he really is. All of his albums are classics and can't wait for his new album A Place Called Loveland that will be released in early 2011. They are watching you now boo...so keep making good music & you will continue to receive the success that you deserve.


Official Video: Raheem DeVaughn - "She's Single" from 368 Music Group on Vimeo.

2nd Look: "Runaway" is a Lesson in Acceptance

When this video from Kanye West first premiered on all of the music channels at once (MTV, BET, etc), I don't think that I believed the hype or realized that it was going to be as significant as it was.

I saw someone of Twitter call it "our generations' Thriller", which automatically threw up a red flag in my mind. However, when I took a second look at the video, it might be THAT good.

In the mini-movie, directed by West himself, he finds a phoenix who has crash-landed onto Earth. He tries to show her the beauty in this world, even telling her "don't believe anything you see on the news" (hahaha). However, she is eventually confronted with the brutality of our world and has to leave.

I think that West does a good job in the message of the video, which is that we should be more open to accept things that is different. There was a powerful statement that is made by the phoenix, played by model Selita Ebanks.

“Do you know what I hate most about your world? Anything that is different, you try to change. You try to tear it down."

That is so true and made me think about all of my experiences that I had being "different" growing up and even now. My favorite part of the video was the end, where West wakes up and doesn't see the phoenix beside him, and she was going back to her world. It was powerful to see him running after her, and that paired with the driving beat of "Lost in the World" was a great way to end it. Also, the videography is AMAZING in this mini-movie and I enjoyed hearing some of the new songs that will be on his new album My Dark Twisted Fantasy, that comes out November 22nd.

~Elle Shanice~ APPROVED ✔: 10 Things I Want To Say To A Black Woman

When I first heard this poem by Joshua Bennett, it moved me in a way that I have NEVER experienced before. Maybe it is because I have never been in love or that I have always wanted to hear something like this being said to me.

This is not me being insecure and hearing exactly what I wanted to hear. It is the hopeless romantic in me that looks forward to having someone in my life that feels this strongly about me, but the overall message is just as strong to me.

I love being a black woman and it is VERY refreshing to hear a black man feel this way about us, especially in today's black culture. A lot of the things that he loves about black women were things that I didn't think most guys noticed. Maybe that is my limited experience with men, but I LOVED when he said that the way to a man's heart was through the "heaven in your hello". I LOVED how he said that "light dances off your teeth" or talked about the beauty of a black woman, from her determination to her skin.

My favorite part is #7:

You are like the SUNRISE in a nation at war: you remind people that there is ALWAYS something worth waking up to.

That statement is the essence of how I want my future husband and the father of my children to feel about me. I want him say something like this and above ALL else, I want him to mean it. 

THANK YOU Joshua Bennett...you help me remember that there is something worth WAITING for.

2nd Look: "I Love My Hair" (Sesame Street Video)

I didn't know how to feel about this video from Sesame Street when I first heard about it. A little girl singing about hair? I didn't exactly know where they were going to go with that, but when I watched it and found out the story behind it, I couldn't help but think that it was the CUTEST thing EVER! I liked how the song showed the many different ways that black hair can be done and that all of them are beautiful. It is about time that positive aspects of the black experience are being highlighted and I know some grown women who could use this positive attitude about their hair.

I want to know who they little girl is that they got to sing it, because she is very talented and I thought that it was especially nice that the white writer did it for his black adopted daughter so that she would appreciate her hair as a part of her heritage. I can appreciate the message that is directed towards little black girls may be ashamed or teased about their thick, kinky, natural hair. I definately think that my 7-year-old sister can benefit from seeing this and can be ok if her hair is not as straight as what she may see on TV.

I Can't Wait To See "For Colored Girls"

November 5th can't get here fast enough!!!!!  I can't say that I am a fan of ALL Tyler Perry projects, but this movie has me excited and I think that this could be his best work yet. If this movie is as good as it looks, then he should seriously consider JUST producing dramatic films.

Other than the fact that this movie has a star-studded cast with 2 of my FAVORITE actresses in it (Loretta Devine & Phylicia Rashad), the preview (below) has me waiting anxiously to see it and the website http://www.forcoloredgirlsmovie.com/ is AMAZING!!!!! They have these living portraits of each of the characters that gives you a glimpse into each character. Some of them are haunting, especially Kelly (played by Kerry Washington) and the pain in her eyes gave me chills. Good job TP!!!!! You have captured my interest yet again...but now you have to deliver.
 

~Elle Shanice~ APPROVED ✔: Bruno Mars

Last night, I just happened to be flipping through the channels when I stumbled across Bruno Mars performing on SNL. He was singing one of my favorite songs right now, "Just the Way You Are", which is #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 right now. I really enjoyed his performance and his stage presence, plus his band was great also.

This performance did what it was supposed to: made me interested in him as an artist and made me want to listen to some more of his music. I also liked the other song that he performed called "Grenade", which is the 1st song on his album. I listened to the rest of the album and I think that it is one of the best of the year, especially from a new artist. I felt alot of doo-wop influence in songs like "Runaway Love", which is obvious from the title of the title.

Some of my favorite songs from the album show a vulnerable side of him, which made me like him even more. The song "Talking to the Moon" was especially sweet to me, because he was singing about lost love and "Our First Time" is my favorite song because of it's slow groove and his voice is even better.

I was first introduced to Bruno Mars when he was featured on the song "Nothin On You" by B.O.B. I remember seeing the video & not reallly thinking much of him, other than he was really CUTE. However, his first single off of his album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, began to grow on me. Every time I listened to "Just the Way You Are", it made it's way into my heart because of the sweet lyrics & made me wish that he was singing to me.

I look forward to seeing what he was in store for the future and I hope that I can go see him if he comes to NYC on tour one day. Bruno Mars...You are ~Elle Shanice~ APPROVED✔

Bruno Mars Performs On SNL
- Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

Fantasia & Alicia-How Much to Blame is the MAN?????

In the past few months, there have been two high-profile situations where two of my favorite artists have been labeled a "home-wrecker":


Alicia Keys' pregnancy and subsequent marriage to recently-divorced producer Swizz Beatz and Fantasia for her affair with married Antoine Cook.

I agree that both women have to take some responsibility in their actions, but there are parties that seem to not be receiving criticism:
Antonie Cook and Swizz Beatz.

I began to question why the media and general public were judging Alicia and Fantasia so critically, when there are two MEN who are equally responsible for these so-called indiscretions. Even though Swizz Beatz was headed towards divorce, the fact is that he was STILL married when he began dating Alicia Keys. Same thing can be said about Antoine Cook, who was clearly haveing an affair while still married.  

In the Alicia Keys situation, I just see her actions as those of a woman in love. Apparently the marriage between Swizz Beatz and wife Mashonda was ending, so falling in love with him was not as much of a "home-wrecker" situation to me.

 You can't help who you fall in love with and I do give the couple credit for waiting until the divorce was final before making appearances and announcing their engagement, and the fact that they are expecting a child is irrelevant because we all know that it takes TWO.

Now as for Fantasia, I am becoming MORE and more on her side after all of the details came out about her affair. First of all, WHERE is Antoine Cook's RESPONSIBLITY????? Was he not the cheating HUSBAND who was stepping out on his wife and telling Fantasia everything that she wanted to hear?

I have heard Fantasia be called all kinds of "home-wrecker" who ruined the marriage of Paula and Antoine Cook. I think that this is ONLY because she is a celebrity because if I was Paula Cook, I would be just as upset with my husband who AFTER ALL was cheating and according to Fantasia, telling her that he didn't want to be married to me anymore.

One thing that I take away from this is that even if you are a celebrity, you can't help who you fall in love with. However, it is up to you to figure out what the best situation is for you to be in. 

Tiger Will Think TWICE Next Time

It is always sad to me when a person has to have such a downfall and lose SO much just to realize that they are making mistakes and should fix it.

I am not claiming to know what goes on in the personal life of Tiger Woods but I do know that whenever he gets his life back on track, he will be a little more wary of the consequences for his actions.

It is the same situation as Michael Jackson; you have all of this fame and fortune. With that comes people who will do whatever you want them to do for you. For Michael, it was doctors prescribing drugs and for Tiger, it was women who would have sex with him.

I don't know what happened to make him have all of these indiscretions, but I do think that the price that he is paying will help him get it together. Not just monetarily, but also in the relationship between him and his children.

I heard so many of my guy friends and men on Twitter say that $750 million is too much to pay an ex-wife in a divorce settlement. Although I think that it is a bit much, that is something that Tiger should have thought of before sleeping with 17 other women, or even before he got married. The sum of money seems more and more fair to me because she is entitled to half. She also deserves some compensation because they have children together & being a mother is an invaluable job.

Maybe getting a divorce and losing half of his BILLONS will give him a wake-up call personally and help him be a better man. Hopefully by doing this, his next relationship (if he ever has one again) will be stronger.

"Just Wright" Gives Lesson About Finding True Love

As I watched the movie, I noticed that there were a lot of similarities between me & the main character. When Leslie went on a great date with a cute guy, everything seemed good, until he said that she would be the "perfect homegirl". He told her that he just got out of a relationship & that he wasn't ready for another one. When I heard him say that, it sounded vaguely familiar to me. 





I have heard this many times before from guys who think that I am someone that is cool to hang out with but they wouldn't date. Being a bigger girl, I usually use my personality to get guys' attention. I saw some of the same situations that I have been in before, like dressing comfortably for a basketball game and someone else telling me how to dress to catch a man. I felt that this story had a little piece of me in it all the way through. 


Queen Latifah stars as Leslie Wright, a physical therapist tired of being a guy's girl. She lives with her friend, Morgan (Paula Patton) who hopes to be an NBA trophy wife. After a Nets basketball game, Leslie helps star player, Scott McKnight (Common) at the gas station. He invites her to his birthday party, where she shows up with Morgan. He meets Morgan and suddenly takes an interest in her. After a quick relationship, Scott and Morgan end up being engaged. After Scott gets injured in the All-Star game, Leslie moves in to help with rehab. When rumors circulate that Scott may not be resigned, Morgan leaves him and Leslie continues to help him get better. 


I was so excited to see this movie because it was a movie about basketball and I love a good love story too. The previews were just enough to have me waiting to see it, plus the fact that Queen Latifah was gonna be in it. The icing on the cake was Common, who not only pulled off the roll of NBA player Scott McKnight but also looked FINE doing it. His silky voice and beautiful smile made it hard to turn away from the screen, plus the fact that he had the body to pass for an NBA player. He obviously had to work out and train for this movie :-) 
The movie was a little predictable but most romantic comedies are: boy meets girl; boy falls for girl's friend; friend leaves him & girl has to pick up the pieces; boy falls in love with girl & they live happily ever after. You fall in love with the characters easily and become invested in their story. It was a good love story with a message that true love wins every time and was funny from beginning to end. It gives us BIG girls some hope that you can find love by just being yourself. 

Same Old So-Called "Reality" from VH1

Ever since the 1st episode of "Flavor of Love" all those years ago, VH1 has become the epicenter for the black reality show. From Fantasia to Tiffany "New York" Pollard, these celebs have been the main example of black life to some people who may not know what it is like. However, I think that some of the shows have a negative effect on that outlook because they might put all black people into categories that may not be fit for everyone. This round of shows may not be the worst, but they still may give off a negative connotation to those who do not know better. Sometimes it is not that they represent black people, but they do not always represent themselves and their business well.

The 1st show in their Sunday night lineup is "Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business", which follows the two R&B singers in their transition into the business aspect of their careers. While it is good to see a tight-knit black family on TV, there are some moments when I think that they should keep some things in-house. Every family has its problems, but I think that Brandy is a little over-emotional sometimes and Ray J is a bit immature for a grown man. The dynamic between them is the same as in a normal family, like dealing with parental favoritism, so it does have a higher level of "reality" than some of the others. It does not seem to be fixed or scripted, & I have been a fan of Brandy's since the beginning so I will continue to support her, which is probably why I watch the show.

The sweetest part of the show is the relationship between Willie Sr. and Sonya Norwood, the duo's parents. It is wonderful to see a husband try to ease his wife's mind and help her loosen the reigns on the children that she has raised. She has been struggling with letting go and enjoying her own life and Willie has been trying to help her think about herself for a change by pampering her, even though she is stubborn.

I was really excited about Shaunie O'Neal's project "Basketball Wives" because I thought that it would be a show about her. However, she just serves as narrator and pops in & out and the DRAMA level with the other women is through the roof on this one. The basic premise of the show is to follow the women linked to NBA players and how they deal with that life, but they only seem to deal with groupies and infidelity. IF YOU THINK THAT YOUR HUSBAND WILL CHEAT, THEN HE PROBABLY WILL. IF YOU EXPECT IT, THEN YOU WILL GET IT. First of all, only 2 of the women are actual WIVES & the rest are either girlfriends or ex-girlfriends (or fiances) & one girl is just a baby mama. & now that she & Shaq have gotten a divorce then she does not even fit anymore. Out of all of the ladies, I like Jennifer the best, the only one that is an actual basketball wife. I hope that she works it out with her husband who she is having a rough patch with.

The final show in the lineup is "What Chilli Wants" starring Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas of TLC. It follows her in her quest to find love with the help of a matchmaker, Tionna Smalls. It is a more classy type of dating show in the sense that she does not have a bunch of guys in a BIG house in Atlanta somewhere. Instead, she has her outspoken matchmaker set her up on dates after screening for guys that match Chilli's "list", which is a little over the top and leaning towards picky. I do like how Chilli is beginning to lower her guard and expectations, which has led her to getting close to the two white guys that Tionna brought. We will have to see if settles down with someone by the end of it. I think that Tionna is a real star of the show, with her outrageous outfits and ever-changing hair, not to mention her "outgoing" personality.

Dear John, Just Think Before You Speak

Let me preface this post by saying that I am a relatively new fan of John Mayer in the sense that I didn't used to listen to him as much as I do now. My favorite album of his is "Continuum" and I actually anticipated the release of his new album "Battle Studies" and actually bought it off of I-Tunes.

That being said, I don't think that he should have referred to having black fans as having a "nigger" pass because that word still has a sting to it that will probably never go away.

When I first heard about this interview on Twitter, I did not want to make any sudden judgments about my new favorite artist until I knew exactly what he said. After reading it, I felt that even though he is known for making outlandish comments in interviews and on stage, that he should have thought more about the comment before making it.

There were other seemingly disrespectful comments that I did not really take offense to. As a black woman, I was not offended that he called his penis a "white supremacist" in the interview because I do not care who he decides to have sex with. That is his business. What I was offended that he used the word "nigger" in a time where having a black president does not do much for racial tension.

‘Good Brother Blues’ sparks discussion with ‘Mad at Miles’ author

*Originally published on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 in The A&T Register*

By LaPorsha Lowry

Scene Editor

 

Pearl Cleage, author of “Mad at Miles: A Black Woman’s Guide To Truth,” was on hand last week at the Paul Robeson Theater to see the stage adaptation of her essays and to take part in the fishbowl discussion “Good Brother Blues” based on a portion of the play.

A panel of men was brought together to view the final act of the play entitled “Good Brother Blues”, in which the three women discuss what they want in a man.

The women in the audience were then moved into a separate room so that the men could have an honest conversation about what they saw.

Some of the comments from the men seemed to be controversial to the women, but others were in agreement with the act and believed that they were in fact a “good brother.” Afterwards, Cleage attended the 8 p.m. performance by the professional cast, and autographed books and took pictures with fans.

Cleage, who was present for the discussion, was surprised at some the things the men had to say on the panel.

“One gentleman said that women should not feel bad about the word ‘ho’ because there are some women who fit the word. That’s not the issue for me; the issue is personal responsibility. People know when they hit somebody and they know it is wrong and they know when they call someone out of their name that it is wrong. I was taken back by the fact that some of their responses to the part of the piece that is least confrontational and the most welcoming,” said Cleage.

Overall, Cleage enjoyed the play and the adaptation by Donna Bradby. She didn’t envision it at all because they were written as solo performances to be done by her.

She did like the “Facts of Life” portion, which was a military-themed part of the play.

“It was really amazing what they were doing just as soldiers and it was wonderfully staged.
I liked that is was both dramatic and funny at the same time and just the fact that they can do all that marching around. I really enjoyed that a lot.”

“I did not know what to expect, but when Donna asked can she put it together that way, I told her that she could and I trusted she would do something interesting," Cleage said.

"It is a wonderful feeling to know that I wrote these pieces 20 years ago and they now have found a audience and raise questions people want to talk about.” 

Cleage added that the underlying message that she wanted people to take from the play was for men and women to talk truthfully to each other about relationships and how they really feel about what they need and want from each other.

“One of the big problems with relationships is that we lie to one another and after awhile we do not remember what the truth is. We must figure out who we are, what kind of relationship we want, and what we are trying to put together,” said Cleage.

Martin discusses ‘new dream’

*This interview was originally published on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 in The A&T Register*

By LaPorsha Lowry

Scene Editor

Published: Monday, February 8, 2010

National journalist and syndicated columnist Roland Martin served as the keynote speaker in Harrison Auditorium on Thursday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration titled “The Dream: No Longer His, Now Ours. ”
Junior class president Wayne Kimball Jr. was the master of ceremonies for the evening, and began the program with a monologue in the voice of Dr. King as if he were here today.
After comments from Chancellor Harold S. Martin Sr. and SGA President Syene Jasmin, the university choir sang a powerful rendition of black national anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Senior Class Vice-President Sir Lawrence Conley introduced the speaker before he took the stage.
In his speech, Martin discussed the man whose famous “I Have A Dream” speech is commonly taken out of context.
He used playful and yet effective anecdotes to encourage young people to dream their own dream and said that people have to understand the context of the dream because they continue to get it wrong every year.

“The speech came from the ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom’ and we tend to paraphrase the speech to highlight just the ‘I Have a Dream’ portion which was unprepared and spur-of-the-moment,” said Martin.

He also noted that African-Americans tend to talk about his dream and ignore the top two-thirds of the speech that talks about the economic inequalities in America and the check being stamped of insufficient funds at the bank of injustice.

“You can’t get to the dream unless you read the beginning,” Martin said. “If we want to talk about the dream you have to talk about the dream within the context of economics. I don’t waste my time talking about a dream, I deal with the nightmare because with a dream you are sleep, I deal with the reality where we are.”

Martin concluded by saying that people have to take action individually and must be the change they want to see.

“The issue for us has nothing to do with a program, the issue for us today has to deal with a individual decision as to what we will get involved in,” Martin said.

“If you don’t even bother to show up, why should they even speak up for you?” 

After the speech, there were presentations of appreciation for Martin from the Beta Epsilon chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the National Association of Black Journalists, of which Martin is the national secretary.
Senior Class President Katerra Riggins made the MLK scholarship presentation to its recipient, Janae Brown and Vice-President of Internal Affairs Valerie Dudley made the closing remarks.
Chancellor Martin said that he was very pleased with the manner in which the program was planned and executed.
“Our students’ involvement in the program and delivery was really exceptional. I really appreciated the ‘tough love’ message by Mr. Martin and he set the tone for students to be more engaged and focus on what makes a difference and embrace their dream now and make a difference; one small step at a time,” said Chancellor Martin.
Kimball Jr. felt that it was a very good program that was well attended by students and community members.    
Mr. Martin made a lot of key points that allowed people here to see the realistic view of ‘The Dream’.
He didn’t just talk about the good things; he also addressed the issues in our society that need to be addressed as a black race and as a society,” said Kimball.

RZA adds another acting role to resume’

*This interview was originally published on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 in The A&T Register*

By LaPorsha Lowry

Scene Editor

RZA, member of the legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, is starring in the new film, “Repo Men” with Jude Law and Forrest Whitaker.
He also starred in “American Gangster” with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
The Grammy award-winning music producer, author, and rapper is adding to a blossoming movie career.
He has made cameo appearances in “Funny People” starring Adam Sandler and “Gospel Hill” starring Angela Bassett. He has also been considered for association in Quentin Tarantino’s next Kill Bill project. He will be making his director debut, “Man with the Iron Fist.”

He discussed his new movie and working with Oscar winners in a teleconference interview.

Q: How was your experience working with such great actors like Forrest Whitaker, Russell Crowe, and Denzel Washington, who are all Oscar winners?

A: It was a blessing to work with such an elite group of people.
Some actors don’t get a chance to work with such great talent.
I can say that I am pretty lucky to have been cast with such great people.

Q: What have you been able to take away from your acting experience and what have you been able to learn from these great actors?

A: Each time I do a movie, I learn something because I was really committed to it.
I wasn’t shy about asking questions if people had the time to give an answer.
Sometimes some of these actors are in zone and don’t want to be bothered.
Fortunately, I had some down time with some of the actors so I asked questions and I learned a lot.

Q: How is it to go from the legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan to having a blossoming movie career, which some rappers try to do but really succeed at it?

A: I am still at the beginning of my acting career so I still have a lot to prove. I am taking it real serious and not taking it for granted.
I don’t go into it thinking that I am going to get a job because I have a name and I am not taking what I did in the past to get ready for the future.
For the love of the craft, it always makes sense to commit to a job. I’m a person who sticks to commitment.
I have had jobs that have been both humbling and lucrative, but regardless each job has helped me one way or another financial, morally, spiritually, and to help me to increase my craft. I’m willing to learn everyday.

Q: How did it feel to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award with the cast from “American Gangster”?

A: That was a great ego boost. I’m new at acting so being nominated for an award that early on.
I felt truly honored to be sitting there at SAG awards with Cuba Gooding Jr., Ruby Dee, and Denzel Washington.
 Even though we didn’t win, I feel like I won something and I hope that one day I will be blessed with an award or my own.

Q:  What did you take away from your experience with this movie “Repo Men”, that comes out on Friday?

A: For me, the movie is current with all of the health care issues at the time.
Some people cannot afford medicine or have to choose between house and family or people in this movie make operation and these choices.
For instance, the guy has to make payments on his heart, but when he cannot pay the bill, the “repo men” come and take it. I never want to be in that situation where I lose everything so I do everything I can to avoid that situation.

Remake of "We Are The World" Is Hit & Miss

I am not a fan of sequels and remakes of classic songs and movies, especially if it is not better than the first one. Not to downplay the tragedy of the January earthquake in Haiti or the intentions of Quincy Jones and Lionel Ritche, but I didn't care for the remake of the 1985 song.

The "We Are The World" remake for Haiti is not as good as the 1st, and may even be worse. The original has an array of artists from different musical genres as does the new one. However, I liked it up until Wyclef's yoddling, and I really could have done without the hip hop break and Lil' Wayne/T-Pain's autotune.

I did enjoy that some of my favorite artists in it, such as Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Pink, Usher, Mary Mary, and Maroon 5's Adam Levine. I was even suprised by the performances of young stars Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. However, it is a shame to think that one artist in particular is using his Haitian heritage for more publicity, and that would be Wyclef Jean.

I didn't like his part, not because he used "Nou se mond la" (Hatian for "We are the world), but because he just didn't sound good. I understand that it was for Haiti (his home country), but I just hope that his effortsto raise money for Haiti are for the right reasons and not to get publicity or something.

Overall, the "We Are the World" remake was ok, but it did not blow me away, but I didn't really expect for it to.

"Rude Boy" Brought Me Back as a Rihanna Fan

Ever since Rihanna has been on her "rock star" image, she had been slowly losing me as a fan, from a style standpoint moreso than musically. From the crazy haircuts to the outrageous behavior, I was beginning to have a different view of her as an artist, and NOT in a good way.

I had been a fan of hers since Music of the Sun and her 2nd album, A Girl Like Me is one of my favorites. I found it refreshing that her reggae style seemed to be genuine and I was really feeling it.

Don't get me wrong; I am ALL for change and evolving yourself and I know that she has been going through some things in the past year with the whole Chris Brown thing, but I wanted the old Rihanna back...

AND I GOT IT!!!!! First of all, I absoultely LOVE this song, and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites from her latest album, Rated R. Besides it being very catchy and rather raunchy, her blatent sexuality is refreshing to me, because I am not used to it but it didn't turn me off to the song.

This video is FIRE and I actually like the outrageous AWESOMENESS and her ability to put herself out there in this way. I think that it is fun and daring and I am sure that she had fun making it. I also enjoyed her returning to her Caribbean roots, from the colors to the dancing.

Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Arenas’ gun ‘joke’ was not as funny as he initially thought

Athletes are beginning to display a behavior that use to be expected from only the village idiot.


Whether it be steroid allegations or gun charges; these privileged individuals are showing that they not only take for granted their fortunate circumstances, they have no regard for their consequences.

Just as Plaxico Burress used poor judgment in bringing a loaded gun to a nightclub and subsequently shooting himself in the leg, which landed him in jail, another professional athlete has all but ended a promising career over a stupid decision and potentially faces legal charges.

When Gilbert Arenas brought unloaded firearms to his locker at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, he not only violated NBA conduct rules, but also violated D.C. laws as well. Reports said that he and teammate Javaris Crittenton were arguing over a gambling debt when both pulled out guns. Arenas later said that he was trying to play an ill-fated joke on his teammate and was not trying to harm him.

First of all, Arenas should have had his story straight. You can’t change your story a million times, especially if you are involved in a criminal case. There was no reason for him to use guns as a prank or draw a weapon on his teammate over a gambling debt. How much money do you make again? Why are you upset about someone owing you money over a card game. That just means that you need to practice whatever game you got dusted in.

Arenas must not have realized that different states have different laws, and the District of Columbia had its own separate set of laws. Once he left Virginia or Maryland, he went into an entirely different entity and would be subject to its own form of action.

Another excuse that he gave for bringing the guns to the arena was that he wanted to keep them out of the reach of his children at his home. Not only is it stupid to bring his kids into the situation, but it is also his responsibility to take care of it without breaking the rules of his employer. If he wanted to protect his family, then there were other ways to do it than to put your professional career in jeopardy.

Some people would say that professional athletes are targeted and they have to protect themselves, but that is what a bodyguard is for. If you want to protect yourself, at least use your second amendment rights and get the gun registered, and then follow the rules of your employer. Being an athlete is still his job, and if you break the rules at a regular job, then you will face the same consequences. As much as you are paid, you should not feel the need to pull a gun on somebody for any reason.

These athletes do not appreciate the opportunities that they are given and Commissioner Stern was justified in his discipline of Arenas. Apparently, the only way for one of these athletes to realize the error in their ways is to take their privileges and their livelihood away. This man can no longer make a living for his family because of the poor choice that he made, and now that spur-of-the-moment “joke” is not so funny is it?

The NBA indefinitely suspended Arenas on Jan. 6, coincidently on his 28th birthday, without pay until its investigation is complete. Initially, NBA Commissioner David Stern planned to wait until the investigation took place to give out a lengthy suspension. However, Stern acted immediately when Arenas pretended to shoot his teammates with guns made from his fingers during pregame introductions prior to a game.

Another example of how immaturely he handled the situation. If you are under investigation for this type of crime and they are still letting you play, then you need to show some level of remorse and make a better case for yourself. Arenas was a promising player in the NBA, and he had a lot of things going for him. However, athletes have to learn from each other’s mistakes or else they will fall down the same destructive paths and will not ever be able to fulfill their promise. Now he is probably going to face federal charges for having illegal firearms in DC and a suspension from the NBA will be the least of his worries.

Published: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The A&T Register

Unmarried BW Stats Are Scary...for an Unmarried BW :-(

When I hear the statistics about black professional women who have never been married (42%), I get scared because that is exactly the category that I have the possibility of falling into when I graduate from NC A&T with my Bachelor's degree.

When I walk across the stage in May and hopefully find a job, I will automatically be a part of this, and I am not looking forward to it. I do have my priorities in order and getting married is not the most pressing goal I want to accomplish now. However, even though I am only 21, it is VERY important in the long run.

Although some women may have unrealistic expectations for a man, there are few good black men who actually want a relationship. Also, there are a lot of good black men who don't fit into those standards and get overlooked. However, the same can be said for the women, like myself, who get overlooked for whatever reason the particular man sees fit.

Then I think of one of my favorite movies, "Something New", when they were discussing their "IBM"-ideal black man. However, it is hard for every black woman to have a black man because there are more of us. Of course if there multiple women to every man then he will try to take advantage, especially if he is NOT looking for a relationship. Whoever I am dating does not have to make more money than me of be more successful than me in his profession. However, I do want a man with a HIGH level of ambition who gets up in the morning wanting to make something of himself. I honestly do not have any specific requirements 

I do agree with Steve Harvey when he said that women should compromise their standards without losing sight of what is important to you. I think about my aunt, who is almost 60 and never been married. She always said to me, "If you are waiting for a man to come along, you will be waiting your WHOLE life". She is

It is not just the black women having "lists" or high standards for a potential mate that keeps this trend going, it is also the scarcity of good AVAILABLE black men. Out of 100 men, only 54% of them are NOT:

a) without HS diploma
b) without a job
c) in jail; aged 25-34

Honestly, the percentage is probably lower for those "brothas" who actually want a relationship with a black woman.