Singer Sean Levert Dies at 39

Sean Levert has died after a medical emergency in jail.
Levert, 39, was taken from the Cuyahoga County jail in Cleveland on Sunday night after suffering from high blood pressure and hallucinations, but died within the hour at Lutheran Hospital.
Cuyahoga County jail, warden Kevin McDonough said Levert had been sick and guards were watching him at the jail's regular cellblock because he had been acting strangely.
"There was nothing that would show any of this," McDonough said. "He had an illness while he was here and it turned into an emergency at that time."
Last week Sean was sentenced to one year and 10 months in jail for failing to pay $85,000 in child support.
Sean was the second brother of the R&B trio LeVert to pass away. Gerald Levert was 40 when he died in 2006 of an accidental mix of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

www.mtv.co.uk

Quote of The Day

"The Black man is going around saying he wants respect; well, the Black man will never get anybody’s respect until he first learns to respect his own women….The Black man needs to start today to shelter and protect and respect his Black women!” -Malcolm X, from Autobiography of Malcolm X

Nickelodeon’s 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards

News Updates: March 31/08

Condeleezza Rice would consider VP job

Clinton faces tough odd as Obama's lead widens

Zimbabwe announces first results as riot police deploy

Michelle Williams Promo Pics

Mary J. Blige pays $12M for N.J. mansion

Portrait of Mary J by http://www.kurtiswatkins.com/#

It's a castle fit for the Queen of Hip Hop.

Grammy winner Mary J. Blige plunked down $12.3 million in cash for a Saddle River, N.J., mansion, the Daily News has learned.

"She fell in love with this one," a source said of Blige, who checked out several houses in the swanky area before settling on the 18,250-square-foot dream pad.

Thanks to the sagging housing market, the 37-year-old best-selling singer got a relative bargain.

Continue reading

Keyshia Cole “Sent From Heaven”

Keyshia Cole - Heaven Sent
by okamanori

I love her outfits in this video, I need to cop them for my trip to Barbados later on this year lol

Laila Ali Expecting a Baby

Laila Ali and her husband, former NFL star Curtis Conway, are expecting their first child together, she confirms exclusively to Essence magazine.

"I don't know yet if we are having a boy or a girl, but I'm excited that I have a life inside me that my husband and I created," Ali says in the May issue, which hits newsstands April 11.

The boxing champ, who co-hosts American Gladiators, and Conway married last July in the rose garden of the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, Calif. Continue reading

Teyana Taylor “Google Me”

Teyana Taylor Google Me baby smartenupnas.com
by copper_shots

Why are the Jackson 5 Broke!?!

The Jackson Five want Michael to join them for a reunion tour, not just for ole’ good times sake, but apparently so they can get out of the soup line. According to a story in The New York Post, the Jackson are broke as sh*t, thanks largely, in part, to Michael’s extravagant shenanigans.
Continue reading

News Updates: March 26/08

McCain seeks solutions to U.S housing crisis

China scholars vow patriotism drive for Tibet

Outrage at 'bimbo' website

An online game that encourages prepubescent girls to contemplate breast enlargement surgery and extreme crash diets to achieve a 'perfect figure' has been criticised by worried parent groups and health experts. Continue reading

Kwame Kilpatrick in 'Textual' Seduction

The problem with Textual Seduction...

Much of history is all about moments in time and in this politically charged era, where black America stands on the precipice of possibility; Detroit's hip-hop Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is not doing anyone any favors.

The time has finally come for the lid to be blown off this case of 'textual healing,' (or text-gate if you're so inclined) and truth be told, it's not looking too good for the 38-year-old mayor of the country's most dangerous city. Today, the prosecutor, Kym Worthy, announced to a packed news conference that she is charging Kilpatrick with eight felonies and his former aide Christine Beatty with seven. Continue reading

‘Meet the Browns’ is Easter Weekend’s Biggest Hit

I went to see "Meet the Browns" on Saturday night, and I thought the movie was great. It was funny and it also touched on real life situations that anyone goes through in life and gave solutions for them.

The Perry-labeled comedy-drama Meet the Browns, starring Angela Bassett, was the Easter weekend's biggest hit, theater for theater, grossing $20 million off about 2,000 screens, per estimates compiled Sunday by Exhibitor Relations.

Overall, the film placed second. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, playing on nearly twice as many screens, retained the No. 1 spot with a strong second weekend take of $24.6 million.

Continue reading

LeBron shrugs off criticism of Vogue cover

"Cavs star says he was just 'having fun' and photo was best one they had"

MILWAUKEE: LeBron James has done lots of magazine covers and heard lots of criticism for various things in the past five years. So he's brushing off the heat he's getting about his most recent close up.

James made a measure of history when he made the cover of Vogue's April issue alongside supermodel Gisele Bundchen. He was just the third male in the history of the publication to make the cover and the first African-American male. Continue reading

Heart Of The City Tour

Jay and Mary J Bliage kicked off the Heart of the City Tour in Miami last night.

Jennifer Lopez's Twins!

This week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, features 12 pages of new photos of the pop star with husband Marc Anthony and their 1-month-old bundles of joy inside their Long Island home and nursery.

The happy new parents spoke candidly to PEOPLE about the pregnancy, addressing everything from Jennifer's weight gain to rumors of infertility. For all the details, pick up the new issue, on newsstands Friday. www.people.com

Angela Basset gets Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Angela Bassett has had good days — giving birth to twins, winning a Golden Globe, being nominated for an Academy Award. Then there was Thursday.

"Do you ever have one of those days? I woke up and the sun wasn't really shining but then it burst through the clouds and it was glorious. Hallelujah!" Bassett exclaimed to the crowd at the ceremony for the 2,358th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Bassett, 49, was joined by husband Courtney B. Vance, their children and guests Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne and Rick Fox, her co-star in the new film Meet the Browns, out Friday. Continue reading

Quote of The Day

It is always the false that makes you suffer, the false desires and fears, the false values and ideas, the false relationships between people. Abandon the false and you are free of pain; truth makes happy, truth liberates.
~Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

TOP MODEL SALEISHA: SPRING PHOTO SHOOT

Obama addresses 'the race question'

"I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community," Obama said. "I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother — a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe."

The Boondocks vs. BET - The Full Episode

www.clutchmagonline.com

Obama confronts racial divide in bid to staunch damage from pastor's comments

Democrat Barack Obama called on Americans to move beyond old racial wounds in a sweeping call for unity Tuesday aimed at blunting damage to his campaign from the firestorm created by his former pastor's divisive sermons.

Obama has been disavowing for nearly a week contentious anti-American comments by his longtime spiritual guru Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who has characterized the United States as racist and the government as corrupt and murderous. Continue reading

Quote of The Day

"Intelligence is Beauty"

Sean Combs denies LA Times report that his associates planned '94 Tupac attack

LOS ANGELES - Sean (Diddy) Combs has denied a report by the Los Angeles Times that his associates were responsible for the 1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac Shakur at a New York recording studio, and that he knew about the attack in advance.

"The story is a lie," the hip-hop mogul said in a statement Monday. "It is beyond ridiculous and completely false. Neither (the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.) nor I had any knowledge of any attack before, during or after it happened. ... I am shocked that the Los Angeles Times would be so irresponsible as to publish such a baseless and completely untrue story." Continue reading

Pastry's One Year Anniversary

In related news, The Simmons sisters, who reportedly sold over $15 million in Pastry sneakers last year, expanded their brand to apparel, handbags, jewelry & more.

http://www.pastrykicks.com/

News Updates: March 17/08

Clinton, Obama tone down rhetoric

Woods releases the drama of yet another year

African countries work to promote free trade among nations

Halle Berry Gives Birth

At age 41, Halle Maria Berry is finally a mother! After an initial scare earlier in the day, Halle gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on Sunday morning in Los Angeles.

An insider tells Star, "Halle Berry had a 7lb 4 oz girl at 10:17am Sunday morning, March 16, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. The actress had checked into the hospital for the second time that day after feeling contractions earlier Saturday morning. Continue reading

Snoop's Sensual Side

Ok I have to admit that I do like this song by Mr Snoop, but I do feel that he could have invested a bit more money into the video, so it wouldn't look so "home made" lol. But I do see the vibe and era he was trying to create back in the 70's.

Lebron James on the Cover of Vogue

I won't even explain what comes to mind when I first saw this picture...Regardless of the subliminal message they are showing on the cover, the cover is wack for a company that's been around for decades..boo Anna Wintour....I stopped buying vogue 5 years ago.. I only support black magazines.

Meet The Browns- Premiere

Weather Girls: Trench Coats

www.essence.com

Black Parents Outraged as Police Arrests Miami Students for Peaceful Protest

Parents, community outraged at violence

Ten cops and 6 students were hurt and 27 students were arrested after police were called in to repress a Feb. 29 student protest at Miami Edison High School . Hundreds of students had been peacefully protesting against Vice Principal Javier Perez, who had applied a choke hold to a student the day before.

The Miami-Dade county schools are already highly militarized and the district has its own police force. The administration nevertheless called the Miami-Dade police department and, within minutes, 60 to 70 police cruisers surrounded the schools.

When the police officers threatened the students, the students fought back with books, soda pop, water bottles and milk cartons. According to the pupils, the police used stun guns and pepper spray. One student required stitches. Continue reading

Africa: Continent's Top Young Leaders Named

Twenty-three Africans are among 245 executives, scientists, journalists, sports stars and other public figures named by the World Economic Forum as "Young Global Leaders" for 2008.

The forum announced in Geneva on Tuesday a list of Africans aged 40 or younger who, it said, had earned their places on the list "for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world." Continue reading

Jada's Relaxation Ritual

1) Transform an ordinary bath with Ocean Body & Bath Oil. Pour 3-5 tablespoons into comfortably warm bath water. Cerulean blue skies and warm azure seas beckon as the body is eased ever-so-slowly into this bath. Let the stimulating fragrance enliven the mind while your thoughts gently drift.

2) Next, wash with Ocean Body Cleansing Gel, creating mounds of lather with a bath sponge for an indulgent, skin-softening, and cleansing experience. Gently pat dry with a towel.

3) Continue to drench skin with moisture as stress is massaged away with Ocean Shea Soufflé.

4) The last step: Ocean Eau de Toilette - the perfect way to capture the relaxing, invigorating scent and carry it throughout the day.

www.carolsdaughter.com

Korus Wine Launch Celebrates Birthday's of Boris Kodjoe and Cynthia Bailey

Man Charged With Killing Teen Athlete

Victim: Jamiel Shaw

LOS ANGELES -- A man police say is a member of a Los Angeles street gang was charged with murder this week in the fatal shooting of a high school football star.

Pedro Espinoza, 19, is accused of killing 17-year-old Jamiel Shaw Jr., a standout running back at Los Angeles High School, yards from the student's home in the Crenshaw area on March 2. Continue reading

News Updates: March 13/08

Race flap forces Clinton supporter to quit

Prince Charles, Camilla jam with drummers at Jamaica's Bob Marley museum

Islamists behead three soilders in Somalia

China sees conspiracy behind Olympics criticisms

Sights of Africa

Ethiopia's coffee ceremony is an integral part of their social and cultural life. An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony is considered a mark of friendship or respect and is an excellent example of Ethiopian hospitality. Performing the ceremony is almost obligatory in the presence of a visitor, whatever the time of day. Don't be in a hurry though - this special ceremony can take a few hours. So sit back and enjoy because it is most definitely not instant. Continue reading

Foluso Olowude " Ebony Women"

Foluso Olowude was featured in HauTe’ Magazine ‘The Lady’ fashionable life section for her work as a mentor for secondary school children in Nigeria. Foluso Olowude was born on December 23, 1981 and is an inspiration to her peers, and well as older people around her. “The way to build a nation is through the youth and I think it’s important that everyone with the opportunity gives back in whatever way they feel comfortable with. I like talking to young people because I have experiences I want to share with them and also because a lot of young people don’t have young adults who they can ask for career and educational advice.”

David Paterson Becomes First Black NY Governor

For those of you who like seeing black people move to the head of the line (former vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferarro is not on that list), there's good news. Spitzer's resignation means Lt. Governor David Paterson will now take over the state's top post.

Paterson, 53, is a Harlem-Democrat who is legally blind and a fascinating man.

He is known for his ability to work with both Democrats and Republicans and is the son of former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, who was the first black New York City deputy mayor and ran for the Lt. Gov. spot in 1970. Continue reading

Quote of The Day

"If God had wanted us to think with our wombs, why did he give us a brain?"
Clare Boothe Luce, politician and playwright

Antonique Smith Will Be Playing Faith Evans In 'Notorious'

With the press release sent out last week announcing the main casting for 'Notorious', the story of Christopher 'Biggie Smalls' Wallace, it wasn't specified who would be playing the parts of Lil'Kim, Faith Evans, and Jan, who was Biggie Smalls' long-term partner and the mother of his first child.

Besides Angela Bassett as Christopher's mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur and introducing Jamal Woolard as The Notorious B.I.G, it was stated that the film also stars up and coming actors Antonique Smith, Naturi Naughton, Dennis White and Julia Pace Mitchell.

I have now received credible information stating that Antonique Smith will be playing Faith, Naturi Naughton will be playing Lil' Kim, and Julia Pace Mitchell will be Jan. Also cast in the film are Darlesia Cearcy, and Ricky Smith as Hubert, who was one of Biggie Smalls' childhood friends.

Smith is best known to New Yorkers who may have seen her play Mimi in Jonathan Larson's Broadway production of Rent. Naughton is a former member of the music group 3LW who later appeared in the Broadway musical Hairspray. Mitchell has also done theater in different parts of the country. Both Smith and Naughton come from East Orange, New Jersey. Since we know the film will discuss how Biggie and Faith got together, expect some fireworks in the film once Lil'Kim enters the picture. blackvoices.com

Rashida Jones, Fashion Designer?

In a time when everyone with a name is creating a fashion line, actress Rashida Jones, daughter of Quincy Jones, along with partner Angela Wilcox has jumped on the well-designed fashion bandwagon with a line called Laloo.

Laloo features comfortable tanks, tees and dresses made of organic cotton. The structured fit, delightful styles and reasonable prices will make any fashionista "laloo" around town.

If you like to see more of Rashida Jones check out the "The Office." New episodes begin April 10th on NBC.

News Updates: March 11/08

Obama wouldn't be winning if he was "white" ??

Sudan questions use of fresh peace deal with Chad

New York may get first African American Governor

Fashion Influences from the Far East

Take a romantic journey through the Far East with exotic prints, elegant obis and arresting origami details
Styling by Agnes Cammock
www.essence.com