Hey everybody! Hope yall had a great Christmas. I took a few days off, as you can see, you know to spend some time with the fam and just relax and all that. But I'm back and here's the next story.
Past supermodel and creator and judge of the hit show America's Next Top Model Tyra Banks will be ending her talk show after this season. "This will be the last season of The Tyra Show,” Tyra told PEOPLE. “I’ve been loving having fun, coming into your living rooms, bedrooms, hair salons for the past 5 years.” The show's last episode will premiere in spring 2010.
With the end of her show, Tyra will be focusing more on the launch of her film production company based in NY, Bankable Studios (that's catchy), working on different projects. Of course, Top Model will still be going, as well as Tyra's other ABC reality show True Beauty, which she produces along with Ashton Kutcher.
“There’s a lot cooking right now and a lot of fire burning in my heart,” Banks wrote on her Web site. “And I salute you my amazing family of viewers; without you there never would have been a Tyra Show. I really love you all.”
Gotta be honest, I never really kept up with the show on the regular, but the episodes I did watch were very interesting. It seemed like she was doing quite well, but hey, I don't blame her for wanting to branch out into other fields. She's Tyra. She can do that. And, of course, I wish her well. Judging from her past production projects, she will do great in producing films.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Ok, this may be seem kind of stupid, and I'm really not the one to celebrate "half anniversaries" like that, but it's officially been six months since I started In The Spotlight! Six months ago today, I was bored at work, and decided to do something somewhat productive with my time. So I decided to start a blog about entertainment news, celebrities, fashion, music, movies and all. You know, things that I'm really interested in. While it still has a long way to go, I never knew that Spotlight would get to the level it has. More important than the recognition is that this blog gives me the chance to do what I love, TO WRITE! As a budding entertainment journalist, I gotta start somewhere right? And Spotlight gives me that opportunity.
I'm seriously appreciative of all the feedback and all of the support of my followers and faithful readers. I really really could see this blog going somewhere, reaching a national level. Without yall, it would be nothing. So thanks for supporting me, and thanks for supporting the blog!
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Well, I heard rumors that rapper T.I. was going to be released early from his prison sentence, just in time for Christmas. T.I. was set to serve three more months at the Arkansas Forrest City Prison.
Well sources at Atlantic Records have confirmed that T.I. was released and that he will be spending the rest of his time in a half-way house in Atlanta, according to BET.com.
“You live within this house that is broken into areas for living, and you are permitted to leave during the day for certain reasons of which would be employment, medical reasons, things of that nature, and you return to the halfway house in the evening,” T.I.'s attorney, Steve Sadow, told XXL concerning T.I's release. “So it’s a restriction on your liberty but it’s a way for you to reenter into society and not be confined within a jail type institution 24-hours a day.”
I'm happy...I mean, I know he could've and maybe should've stayed that extra three months, but it's T.I. He's one of my favorite rappers out right now, so I need him to get to the studio like yesterday. But I'm glad to hear that he's been released, especially in time to spend Christmas with Tiny and the rest of the fam! Welcome back Tip!
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
I just woke up to this terrible news....Brittany Murphy, actress best known for her roles in Clueless, 8 Mile, and Just Married, passed away at the age of 32 from cardiac arrest. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office confirmed the news to Access Hollywood.
A rep for the actress also confirmed the news, telling Access Hollywood, “In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy.”
I seriously just woke up about an hour and a half ago and got on Facebook and people's statuses were saying RIP Brittany Murphy. And I screamed "What?!!" This is crazy, and so incredibly hard to believe. Life is incredibly short, and I feel like we have seen that with all the huge losses suffered in the entertainment business this year, as well as maybe even in our own lives. I don't want to preach a sermon, so I'm just going to say this. Live your life and enjoy yourself. You never know when it will be your time.
RIP Brittany...Keeping your loved ones in my thoughts and prayers.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Dang...I knew it was coming! I knew it was coming! I knew it was coming! And to tell you the truth, I'm not that sad about it! Que (center) from Day26 has been kicked out of the group! That's right! In the video below, Willie (on the right of Que)confirms it!
For those of you who watched the last season of Making the Band 4, you saw that Que was acting a dag on fool, acting like he didn't have any type of common sense. Walking around giving everybody the stank eye and all of that, yelling and screaming, trying to fight people. Now the group is preparing for their third album, and since Que can't be reached, HE'S OUT!
Me and my friend were just talking about Day 26 the other day! I love the group, and I think they have a bright future ahead with or without Que. What I think he failed to realize was that his behind could be cut at any moment, and that he should've got cut after that season! Now this is just Brittany Shawnté's logic, but I would think that after showing your ass on national television, you would want to get back into people's good graces. But no, NOT QUE! NOT QWANELL! Now you ain't got no job no more, and maybe Day26 will be better because of it. Diddy said NO BITCHASSNESS QUE!!!!
Love to MediaTakeOut, always shocking me with the best news! I wanna write for them one day LOL
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Yooooo...WHAT?!!!!! That headline is right. America's Best Dance Crew judge and So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Shane Sparks was arrested early Friday morning on eight counts of child molestation, according to E! Online.
Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Bruce Borihanh stated the 40-year-old choreographer was taken into custody by detectives at about 8 a.m. at his North Hollywood home on a felony warrant. "Sparks has been the subject of an ongoing child-molestation investigation," Borihanh said. Shane was booked into Van Nuys jail and is being held for a $590,000 bail.
Apparently, the incident took place about a decade ago, and the victim is now coming forward, according to Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. "There's one victim, and it occurred in the '90s. I believe it started in '94 and went on for several years," Robison said. "It's an underage girl. She was under 15 when the alleged crimes occurred. She is an adult now and came forward to authorities."
Danggggg.....Shane really?!!! Wow....I have no words. Just a crazy situation. I hope that everything works out for him.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
I swear to goodness, reading MediaTakeOut will shock you sometimes. This morning, I made one of the biggest gasps in my life when I saw that Tina and Mathew Knowles, the parents of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, are divorcing! Yep I said DIVORCING!!!
I mean, there have been rumors floating around all over the place about them splitting, but now it's official. The official papers (provided by MTO, because they're amazing! Don't let nobody tell you different) are below (Click the image for a better view). I guess this whole business with Mathew getting or supposedly getting a 36 year old pregnant was too much for Tina, or maybe there were some other issues as well. But dang! Not Mathew and Tina!!!
I mean, it's Mathew and Tina Knowles. I've been reading about them since I was little watching Destiny's Child and Beyoncé. Mathew was the dedicated manager who even quit his job to make sure the group was on track. Tina designed the absolute hottest outfits for them, making sure they looked good in videos, on the red carpet, etc. They seemed like such the power couple. I know that that doesn't mean that they're perfect, but good goodness. I just would have never expected that. That's sad.
Not even just looking at celebrities, there are sooooooo many divorces in this nation yall. For real. I mean, sometimes it's best for people to get divorced, because they're going through hell and high water being together, and I know people are going to say divorce and happens, and it does, but it's getting crazy now. Here goes my little rant on divorce LOL, but some people divorce after a year or two. And I'm just like well what was the point of somebody dressing up and seeing your behind at the ceremony? What was the point of yall going through that when yall could've just stayed in a regular relationship and broken up and gone yall separate ways, without having to deal with courts and divorce lawyers and all of that? I think that people just get married just to do it sometimes, and it's really a bigger commitment than that. You're talking about spending or planning to spend the rest of your life with this person. It just makes me see that this is a big commitment that I want to make with the ABSOLUTELY right person, you know?
BUT....I digress. Wow. No more Tina and Mathew. That's crazy. Well I wish them the best, and hopefully Beyoncé and Solange are all right.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Sad story to report. After falling from a truck in a dispute with his fiancee, Cincinnati Bengals player, Chris Henry, has died from his injuries, according to CNN.com.
The dispute took place shortly before noon Wednesday when Chris' fiancee tried to drive off in the truck, only to have Chris jump into the bed of the truck, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a written statement.
The 26-year-old receiver has played for the Bengals for five seasons, but has been on the injured reserve list after suffering a dislocated forearm during a November 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Chris caught 12 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in eight games before being hurt.
This is a very sad situation. Especially since Chris leaves behind three young kids (see pic of the family above, provided by MediaTakeOut. I will be keeping his fiancee and his family in my thoughts. Yall do the same. RIP Chris.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Ok, one of my best friends got me hooked on Real Housewives of Atlanta, so when I heard this news, I got upset.
It's just gossip from NYDailyNews.com, but apparently NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak, two of the housewives in ATL, may not be back for the third season. According to a source, both of them are demanding more money to be on the show, and Bravo ain't having it and are tired of the dramatics from NeNe and Kim. So they may be replacing the two.
"Bravo has been taking meetings with some notable and wealthy Atlanta women about possibly joining the show," says the insider. "They're trying their best to keep the process under wraps, but they're gearing up to make a major move in the third season."
So there will be a new Southern Belle either joining the rest of the cast all together or replacing NeNe and Kim. All I have to say is huge mistake Bravo. I mean, seriously if this goes through, they better make sure that this new Housewife is gonna make some scenes or expect their ratings to fall. I mean, let's get serious. For those of us who watch Housewives, even if you only catch an episode or two, you know you watch it for the drama. And who causes more drama on that show than NeNe and Kim?! I mean, seriously. If they leave, you will have Kandi Burress, Sheree Whitfield, and Lisa Wu. Kandi and Lisa go head about their business and get involved in very little drama, leaving Sheree nobody to fight with. Boring. I mean, I would still watch it because I do like the rest of the cast, but no drama=boring. Just saying. Bravo better keep NeNe and Kim, or make sure that this new Housewife makes a huge splash.
Supposedly, Bravo was considering Tameka Foster, Usher's ex-wife to join the cast. The producers asked each of the women how they would feel if she joined, and EVERYBODY said they would walk LOL So uhhhh don't be on the lookout for Tameka to be on there any time soon...
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
According to E! News, there's a new Kardashian in the mix! Kourtney Kardashian and her boyfriend Scott Disick have welcomed a baby boy!
Mason Dash Disick, who weighed 7 lbs., 6 oz., and 19.5 inches, was born this morning in Los Angeles.
Her sister Kim Kardashian has noticed a complete 180 with Kourtney being pregnant. "Kourtney didn't even like kids," she said to Ryan Seacrest Thursday. I never thought she'd ever want to have a baby." But now, she added, "I think Kourt's going to be the most amazing mom."
Kourtney was really excited to be a mommy and looked forward to having her baby. She also talked to Us Magazine about her parenting ideas. "I feel like you don't want to be too much their friend, and you don't want to be too strict," she told Us. "My dad [the late Robert Kardashian] was always the perfect balance."
Wow, I was wondering when that baby was gonna pop out! Kourtney was walking around pregnant for a good minute! Congratulations to her, Scott, and their families!
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Since I'm still hyped about seeing Chris Breezy live, I might as well write another post about him. Well, according to MediaTakeOut, Chris has been upset about the "disappointing" sales of his third CD Graffiti. No real numbers have been released yet. It's only been the first week! Chris has been going off on his Twitter page about how major stores are blackballing his CD, refusing to sell them. MTO says that he's just bitter about the fact that nobody is buying his CD. People feel that he came out too soon after the whole Rihanna mess.
However, I follow Chris on Twitter and he's been getting a lot, I mean, A LOT of tweets from fans saying that they can't get his album in stores, that managers are refusing to sell them. He even stated that while he was in Connecticut for one of his shows over the weekend, that he went into a Walmart and they didn't even have Graffiti there. Ain't that some stuff though? Are stores even allowed to do that? Seems to me like somebody should be checking out some federal laws or something, cuz this seems mad shady.....Well, if you can't get the album in stores, buy it online or on iTunes!!!!
Ugh....the day when everyone finally gets over this nonsense cannot come soon enough for me.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Update for you guys: IN THE SPOTLIGHT IS NOW ON TWITTER!!!! Follow here!!!!!
People can say whatever they want to say. Chris Brown has been one of the hottest artists out since he stepped in the game, and he will be until he leaves. That's just fact. I'm sorry. I'm not even bringing up the issue anymore because I realized tonight that it's not necessary. He's mad talented. He's Chris Brown. Period. Get with it or keep it moving.
I spread the word about a month ago to you all about Chris' Fan Appreciation Tour that he was having, to show love to all of the fans who stuck by his side through his whole ordeal. Well, tonight, he rolled through Baltimore at SONAR, a popular club in downtown B-more. I told yall I was going. Got my ticket a few days after I made the post about the tour matter of fact. And my gooooodddddnesssssss.....that was the hottest show I've seen. Pics and videos (as blurry and staticky as they may be) are posted at the end of this blog....
Opening act was the New Boyz, as you can see from the poster. They did some songs from their debut album, Skinny Jeans and a Mic. And I got to admit, they did pretty good. I'm not a huge fan, but I know "You're a Jerk" is my song. And uh...Legacy, you can holla anytime. Ben J, I accept you too LOL. They were good, and they got the crowd hyped up.
Then Chris stepped out. MMMMMMMMMMM!!!!! Even if you've only seen him through the TV or computer screen, you already know! The boy is....incredible to say the least. First song he does is "I Can Transform Ya", which has broken Top 20 on the Billboard charts, showing off his moves with his dancers. He took it back to his debut self-titled album, performing "Run It!," along with "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" and "Gimme That." Yall remember them songs?!! It's been a minute!!!! He did some songs from Exclusive as well, "Throwed," "Wall to Wall," and the hot and sexy "Take You Down." Video is included people, so uhhhhhh yeah check that out! It's a bit noisy, but yall ain't really listening to the music, are yall? LOL
Then he did some songs from his new album Graffiti, which, if you ain't picked it up, then what in the world are you waiting for?!!! It's fire! (Check my Chris vs. Rihanna post to check a few tracks). In addition to "I Can Transform Ya," Chris sang "Crawl" and "Brown Skinned Girl."
Chris also had his moments where he just danced to house and go go music. In case yall ain't know, he's from Virginia (DMV! D.C. Maryland, Virginia, stand up!), so he took it back to his roots a little bit. I'm telling you, man, this dude can perform!!!! There aren't that many artists that do good performing live, and Chris did amazing!!! Proud of him...proud that he reps DMV. Proud that he's back! And like I tell people, if he don't have a fan in nobody else, he will always have a fan in Brittany Shawnté.
Shout outs to Nina and Gigi for rolling with me, and to my little sis Alexis and my girl Selam who wanted to roll and couldn't, but I still hooked yall up :) Here are pics and vids (If you're reading this on Facebook, I should have them up later today. If you want to see them now, head to In The Spotlight to view!) Sorry in advance for the blurriness!!! My camera is bad at taking pics with people moving and I was surrounded by too excited young attendees who kept pushing, trying to get their way to the front even though they had kind of no hope...First concert, you know? I remember those days....Scream Tour 2 with Bow Wow and B2K?! Yeah, I acted a fool too.
My boo Legacy from New Boyz
Ben J from New Boyz
Chris from the side
You're A Jerk-New Boyz
"I Wanna Be"-Chris Brown
"Take You Down"-Chris Brown
Again, sorry for the blurriness and static!!! Just a little taste of an amazing night!!!!
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
By now, unless you are living in no man's land or something, you have probably heard about the Tiger Woods scandal. Two weeks ago, Tiger crashed his SUV into a tree close to his Florida home. He later admitted to cheating on his wife, which I, for one, was shocked by. I mean, it's Tiger Woods! Tiger. Woods. He just doesn't look like the type. But then again, a lot of celebrities don't look like the type to do a lot of the bull they do, but it gets done.
After all of these women coming out and saying that they had affairs with Tiger (what's the number to? like 12 or 13???), Tiger has decided to take a break from the golfing world, according to OMG! Yahoo.
"I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children," Tiger said. "After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person."
Good move. I mean, in all honesty, he does need to just get away from it all. He just needs to refocus and get things right with his family. I know that golf is a big part of his life, and the endorsements that come along with it are nice, but without family, it's meaningless. So he needs to try to work on that.
What I can't stand, though, is people continuing to pass judgment. Like celebrities are supposed to be all perfect and everything. I mean, I do feel like they should be held to a higher standard and try to live their lives the best they can, because they have people who look up to them. However, THEY ARE NOT PERFECT! They are bound to mess up every once in a while, and this is the case with Tiger. He messed up, but there's no need to pass judgment. He's working things out with the people that matter the most in this situation-HIS FAMILY. And that's the most important thing. Just my opinion. Weigh in.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Sad news that I just got heard. Willie Maxine Perry, the mother of famous playwright , actor, and mastermind behind the hilarious Madea, Tyler Perry, passed away Monday at the age of 64. Tyler said on his website, “My mother is the wisdom of Madea. Thank you for all your prayers.”
According to entertainment blogger Clay Cane on BET.com back in August, Tyler said his mother was ill and asked for prayers. As of October, he planned to not work for the rest of 2009 in order to care for his mother.
Miss Perry was a pre-school teacher for most of her life and raised Tyler Perry in New Orleans, Louisiana. They both suffered abuse from Tyler's father, but were able to rise up, with Tyler becoming a huge name in Hollywood and opening up the first African-American owned film studio in Georgia.
Tyler had planned to take Madea back on the road in 2010 in his new play, "Madea's Big Happy Family." There is no word if the tour will be postponed.
Tyler's mom was a big inspiration to him and the inspiration behind Madea. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this difficult time.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Ok, not a post completely about celebrities. Concerns them somewhat but they're not the main focus. Social networking is taking over this world yall! I mean, you got Facebook, MySpace (when the last time you actually checked yours? LOL), Twitter, Skype, Blogger, and all these other new sites that allow people to connect with family, friends, co-workers, etc. It's cool. I appreciate being able to talk to family and friends while I'm away from home. However, reading this one article made me wonder if we are becoming a little too obsessed with it all.
It was regarding Miss Paris Hilton. So apparently, her sister Nicky's house got robbed, and what's the first thing that Paris does, ladies and gentlemen? She sends out a Tweet about it. A Tweet?! A Tweet. Read the article on OMG! Yahoo for yourself. "It's unbelievable how my sister called the cops over an hour ago and they still haven't shown up. Her house just got robbed, so messed up," Paris posted on her Twitter page around 3:30 PM PST on Tuesday afternoon (December 8). About an hour later, Paris was back to her old self, forgetting that Nicky had just been robbed. "Just got some funny clips sent to me from when I shot "I Get That A Lot" Me working undercover as a gas station attendant, so funny. haha," she Tweeted around 4:15 PM PST. What the...? Several celebrities have gotten a little too caught up in all this too, wanting the world to know what they're doing at every minute of every hour of every day.
I read this article, and the first thing that came to my mind was that we put way too much about our personal lives on these sites, whether it be through Tweeting, statuses on FB and MySpace, or even on blogs. I mean, my goodness. It was bad enough that the press was going to get a hold of it, but Paris, did you really have to go showcase it on Twitter like it was just this great news or something?! That's what it felt like to me, and since it's my blog, I'm gonna say what I have to say. I understand that we want people to know what's going on with us, but that doesn't mean we have to put out every little thing about our lives. People, we don't need 50 million statuses or Tweets. One or two statuses a day on Facebook will suffice. I give a little bit more leeway with Twitter, but, if you're going to post 50 million statuses, put up something a little bit more meaningful or important. Like if ýou're a celeb, letting folks know that you're going to be at a certain club is cool. Letting them know you're sweating out your hair on the dance floor during the party is not.
We, I say we because I too am a Facebook addict, (the first step is admitting you have a problem LOL), are getting just a tad bit too caught up. Texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, Skyping is starting to take over our lives a little, if you think about it. I'm not saying that social networking isn't great to have, because it's an excellent way of communicating with other people and the people who created these individual sites are getting their money! TRUST. And I give them a hand clap. Let's just not let it become an obsession OK? Just saying.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
That's it! The reviews have already come out on Chris Brown's new album, Graffiti, and I hate them already! There is so much bias on these reviews that I had to speak about it.
Ok, so Rihanna's album Rated R came out a few weeks ago. The wait is ova, and it's on my iPod, for sure. I have listened to that CD in full, and it is a good album. HOWEVER, is it four stars worthy? I don't think so. However, that's what the music critics at Rolling Stone, L.A. Times, and All Music gave her. Ok, "Wait Your Turn" is my jam. Must listen to it at least once a day. Basically, if you listen to the album straight from the intro "Mad House" to "Russian Roulette", it's pure hotness. To me, it falls flat after that until "Te Amo," a song that deals with a female friend trying to tell Rihanna that she LOVES her, although Rihanna doesn't feel the same way. After that, it falls flat again. The songs just aren't really memorable to me. I have been down for Rihanna since the very beginning of her career, and I will always be a fan of hers. I do like the album, and I appreciate her music and courage to take risks, but she's gotten perfect stars, and it's not a perfect album.
On to Chris. Chris' album Graffiti was released in the U.S. today. I downloaded it on iTunes early this morning around midnight or so, and have listened to the full thing at least 3 times. Not just because I'm still a fan of his, but also because I wanted to hear for myself if what the critics have been saying about this album is true. See, the same music critics that have given Rihanna four out of four stars, or four out of five stars, have made the BIASED decision to give Chris one star or two. So I get this album and take a full listen to it. Oh my goodness. Ok, this album is not Exclusive, his last album that I listened to on the regular, but it's also worth more than one star. First of all, "I Can Transform Ya" has broken Top 20 on the Billboard charts. "Crawl," his follow up single, is on the way to doing the same. You have tracks like "So Cold" and "Take My Time," featuring singer Tank, which is like a deeper version of "Take You Down" and he gets one star?! He has "Sing Like Me" and "Wait" featuring Trey Songz and Game and "Movie" and he gets one star?! (I'm going to showcase some of the songs from both Rihanna's album and Chris's at the end) I'm sorry, but what in the world are these people listening to?! This album is easy to rock to, and definitely has quite a few hits on it. While this album isn't the best, it's definitely worth at least 3 stars.
Ok, so here's to the music critics. I understand that there is a HUGE elephant in the room. Chris hit Rihanna. We know, we know, WE KNOW! I'm gonna need people to get past this. It happened. While I don't condone it AT ALL, IT'S IN THE PAST! BOTH RIHANNA, CHRIS, AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE GETTING OVER IT, SO I'M GONNA NEED OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME!!!! Dang! People acting like they're the ones who got hit. And I'm hating these music reviews. "Why?" you may ask. Music critics are supposed to review the MUSIC, not the circumstances surrounding the music. While there are tracks IN BOTH CHRIS'S AND RIHANNA'S ALBUMS that clearly allude to their relationship and the problems, I feel like people are being more nitpicky of Chris' album, which is to be expected but it's still unneccessary.
I will tell you right now, both of their albums allude to their relationship and both of their albums seek pity from listeners. However, both of these albums are hot. Can we focus on the music itself? Can we build a bridge and get over this thing already? It's getting just a tad bit old.
Here goes some tracks from both albums. Enjoy! (For those reading on Facebook, head over to the blog to listen! www.inthespotlight1.blogspot.com)
Wait Your Turn-Rihanna (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Stupid In Love-Rihanna
Te Amo-Rihanna
Crawl-Chris Brown (Official Video)
"Sing Like Me"-Chris Brown
I Love U-Chris Brown (feat. Ester Dean) on Graffiti (Deluxe Edition)
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Real short post for you. Shortest I've ever done Here we go....
Allen Iverson unretires? I figured it was coming soon enough but LOL IT'S ONLY BEEN A WEEK!!!!! According to the LA Times, AI is signed back to the 76ers and making his re-debut Monday against the Denver Nuggets.
"We felt Allen was the best available free agent guard to help us at this time," Sixers President Ed Stefanski said in a release.
BUT HE JUST ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT!!!! I mean JUST DID IT! That gotta be the shortest retirement in the history of the NBA! Lol maybe AI was trying to get a better deal or something. I don't know. But it'll be nice to see him back with the Sixers. I feel like his name and that team are synonymous. Shoot, he's the only reason I even knew that team existed LOL
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Hola everyone! I'm back after a very relaxing Thanksgiving break! Hope everyone had an excellent Thankgiving!
It's been reported by OMG! Yahoo (by way of the Associated Press)that Miss Alicia Keys will be taking 5 people on a trip to Africa!
Alicia says her first visit to Africa was so emotional and inspiring that she wants to take people down there to experience it for themselves. Through her charity, Keep a Child Alive, which helps provide medication for those infected with AIDS, she is launching a contest that will give 5 people an opportunity to visit the continent with her.
"I was able to see the great separation between have and have not," Alicia said regarding her own experience. "I was able to see the incredible spirit of people. I was able to learn firsthand about the AIDS pandemic of Africa."
Alicia will officially announce the contest today, which is World AIDS Day, when she performs at the Nokia Theatre in New York's Time Square. The concert will air live on YouTube tonight(8 p.m. EST).
Fans will be able to enter the contest online at the foundation's Web site, or by sending a text. The fee for the text is $5, but it will be donated to Keep a Child Alive. Alicia said the winners, who will travel throughout Africa for five days sometime next year, will visit the people and places that were most influential to her.
Wow...that trip that would be amazing! I love to travel and I have always wanted to go to Africa! I think that it would be a very mind-blowing experience and chance for me to learn more about the continent besides from what I have read in books. It's great that Alicia is doing this contest, not only to give people the opportunity to go to Africa, but also to open the doors for them to be educated about the real issues there.
Well, it's the end of an era. After leaving the Memphis Grizzlies and reports surfacing that he was going to retire, Allen Iverson has officially announced that he will be retiring from the NBA.
According to ESPN.com, Allen believes that his retirement will give him more time to spend with his wife and kids. However, he acknowleges, as well as several others working in the NBA, that he is still more than capable than continuing. It was his decision to just move on.
Allen came in the NBA as the number 1 draft pick for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 and had a successful stint with them, even leading the team to the NBA Finals in the 2000-01 season. After being traded from the Sixers in 2006, Allen went on to play for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and lastly for the Grizzlies.
Wow...never saw this coming. I mean, Allen is 34 so his time to retire was probably coming, but he just seemed like the type of player that would last forever, you know? Like my man Dwyane Wade (LOOOVVVEE HIM!!!!). But I mean, it's better to go out while you still kind of on top, than to be looked at like "Why is your behind still in the game?" (*cough cough Shaq* yeah your time been here just saying LOL). So congrats on your retirement Allen...enjoy the time with the fam.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
According to OMG Yahoo!, singer Alicia Keys has launched her own jewelry line, each piece inscribed with uplifting messages.
Alicia teamed up with Canadian designer Gisele Theriault this jewelry collection called "The Barber's Daughters." It features silver and gemstone pieces with quotes and poetry from well known figures such as Gandhi, Buddha and Shakespeare.
Alicia felt like the transition from music to inspirational jewelry was quite natural. "I realized that this was another way to reach out to people and to really bring them inspiration in some way. If people tell me how much they love my music because it's gotten them though a certain time in their life, I felt like this was an extension of music." she said.
The jewelry line is being sold through Collette Blanchard Gallery in a temporary "pop-up" shop on Manhattan's lower east side. The pieces range from necklaces and earrings, to watches, cuffs and bracelets and are priced from $85 to $2,500. Yeah, kinda pricy but check out some sample pics below and tell me that it's not worth it!!!
The jewelry will be available publicly in 2010. Shoot, I'm fitting to save up myself LOL well maybe not cuz we're all in recession mode and I'm a college student with loans to pay LOL but it's really nice jewelry! Go ahead Alicia!!! Glad to see you expanding!!!!
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Yeah you read that title right! Oprah is ending Oprah! Oprah announced earlier today (Friday) on her hit show that her upcoming season, her 25th in fact, will be her last, with the show's series finale being some time in 2011. According to OMG Yahoo!, Oprah put a lot of thought into ending the show and moving on. "25 years feels right in my bones and my spirit. It's the perfect number, the exact right time," Oprah said.
I honestly gasped in shock when I read the news. I mean, it's Oprah! I feel like her show was one of those shows that was supposed to and could have gone on FOREVER! However, it is her show, and maybe she feels like she needs to move on and maybe do something different with herself, or maybe even just relax. I mean, Oprah's been doing this show since 1986! That's a long time to be working. In addition, Oprah has her own production company, Harpo Productions. She has O Magazine (that my mother is a faithful subscriber too), and she does acting! I mean, who can forget Miss Sofia in The Color Purple?! Also I found out she plays the mother of Tiana, the main character of the upcoming Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. Oprah's been busy!!!!! Let her take a break and chill! I mean, I will definitely miss her show because you definitely learn a lot about other people and yourself watching that show. Oprah makes you think. Her show will be missed, but I say let her branch out maybe, or even just enjoy the fruit of her success! God knows she deserves it.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Wow yall....I think I just found my favorite new song!!!! Ok so my favorite Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester, who plays Blair on the show (for all you GG fans out there), has branched out into the music industry! The sexy and sophisticated video was premiered earlier today. It features Robin Thicke (LOOVVVEEE HIM!!!!!!) and was directed by Zoe Cassavetes!
Leighton is signed to Universal Music and will release her debut album sometime in 2010! You can visit her website or connect with her on MySpace or Facebook. You can even send her a Tweet on her Twitter page! Gotta love social networking....lol
WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO BELOW!!! Oh and check that sexy leg movement too! Good work Leighton!!!
Shout out to Nathalie Levey with ThinkTank Marketing in NYC for hooking me up with the info!!! I'm telling yall In The Spotlight is about to blow up!!!!
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Well guys here it is! One of the hottest collaborations I have ever seen! Queen Beyoncé and Lady Gaga!!! Pure hotness is all I can say! If you want me you can watch on your video phone....ENJOY!
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Man....we done lost another one. It's been reported by BET.com and other media sites that rapper Gucci Mane has been sent back to Fulton County Jail in Atlanta for probation violation (I heard through the grapevine that he was doing drugs, but my sources could be wrong). He was sentenced to a year in jail, but can get out in six months for good behavior.
It's a shame though. T.I.'s is jail. Wayne's in jail. Now Gucci. That's messed up man. I've heard people say that there is a conspiracy against rappers or whatever and that could be. But I mean, people have to realize that the law is the law. In T.I's case, he was looking out for himself and his people with the gun possessions, but he still violated the law. Wayne got busted for gun charges too, and Gucci supposedly failed his random drug test. As much as I like these guys, nobody is above the law. But hopefully, Gucci comes back with a clear head and more hot music.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Ok, so I know that this isn't really celeb news, but bear with me. For those of yall who don't know, I am from Maryland and I felt the need to write about the execution of John Allen Muhammad, one of the DC Snipers that gunned down 10 people and critically injured three in the Washington Metropolitan area.
In October 2002, Muhammad and his then 17-year-old stepson Lee Boyd Malvo began a terror spree in our area, shooting and killing people at random. I cannot begin to tell you how scary it was. I mean, crime can happen anywhere, but it was scary pulling into a gas station or a parking lot at the grocery store during that time. I remember always ducking down in the car at a gas station and telling my mom to hurry up and finish pumping the gas so we could go. Events at my school (and at schools all around my area) got canceled because of the fear that these guys were out there, waiting to strike.
Yesterday, November 10, 2009, John Allen Muhammad was executed by lethal injection at the Greenville Correctional Center in Virginia. He was declared dead at 9:11 p.m. Malvo, his accomplice, is serving a life sentence without parole.
I really don't know how to feel. I watched reports last night and all I could say was wow. I knew the execution was coming, but it happened for real last night, and all I could say was wow. I'm not a fan of the death penalty, not because of "the value of life" that everyone talks about. You know, how one shouldn't be able to take away somebody's life. I just think that the death penalty is an easy way out for criminals. Others may disagree, but I feel that in death, you no longer have to really deal with the crime you committed. In jail, you have no choice but to sit and think about the consequences of your actions. However, what's done is done.
Representatives from the victims' families sat and watched while he was executed. From reports I've read, the family members were happy about the execution, and some even felt that Malvo should've been executed as well. However, since he was a minor when the crimes were committed, Malvo was sentenced to life. I pray for the families at this difficult time.
Listed below are the victims of the Sniper Attacks. Rest in Peace to those who were lost.
Killed:
* James Martin * James Buchanan * Premkumar Walekar * Sarah Ramos * Lori Ann-Lewis Rivera * Pascal Charlot * Dean Harold Meyers * Kenneth Bridges * Linda Franklin * Conrad Johnson
Wounded:
* Caroline Seawell * Iran Brown * Jeffrey Hopper
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
This Is It!, the movie that shows the late great Michael Jackson during his final rehearsals for his This Is It Tour in London, premiered this past Wednesday and has since made $101 million worldwide, according to OMG! Yahoo.
I went to go see the movie opening day, and was very impressed. This movie shows just what a musical genius and loving human being that man was. It was sad, though, because you see him dancing and performing like nothing was wrong with him and you see how big this comeback would've been. It's just sad to know that Michael is no longer around to make more music, but his legacy will live on.
Some of his new music is going to be released soon from what I've heard, and This Is It!'s run is going to be extended from the original two weeks! So definitely, if you are an MJ fan, go see the movie! You will definitely be touched and inspired.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
What can I say? I love him. He's talented. The new album Graffiti comes out in December. He has his Fan Appreciation Tour coming up (that I already got my ticket to! He's comin to DC and Bmore btw for my locals) He's back in full motion! Haters fall back. Yep.
"I Can Transform Ya-Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Well yall, when I started In The Spotlight, I started with the intentions of blogging on celebrity news. I also had the goal of promoting up and coming artists.
So today on In The Spotlight, we have Joshua, a rising hip hop artist. Joshua was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and was raised in the city of Decatur. His mom was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was nine, and he began to take care of her, while still going to school, working, and playing basketball. All of this began to take a heavy toll on him, and he dropped out of school to focus completely on taking care of his mom.
Because of lack of transportation and his own "poor judgement", Joshua says, he ended up losing his job. "That threw me into a depression and a lack of motivation for basketball and more into music, mainly just rhymes." he says. He had begun writing his rhymes at the age of 12, just to make it through the day. Joshua contemplated taking his own life, but came to the realization that he needed to be around for his mom. He got serious about his music, and was determined to have his dream realized.
After getting a job as a custodian at Emory University in Atlanta, Joshua met up with Emory graduate and professional photographer Carlton Mackey. Mackey has been helping Joshua get his music "to the masses" since 2006. Joshua's musical inspirations include Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, Sade, Nas, and Stevie Wonder among others. He is also motivated by his father, Mackey, Malcolm X, and Denzel Washington.
So take a listen to some of his music. I've heard some tracks, and he's good, yall. Also make sure to check out his blog Joshua: Hip Hop For The People and his MySpace!
Dag man....You read the headline right. Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted weapon possession in a Manhattan courtroom Thursday and is to be sentenced to a year in prison, according to the Associated Press.
Police said a gun was found on his tour bus in Manhattan in 2007. He previously had pleaded not guilty to the gun possession charges, which carried a sentence of 3 1/2 years behind bars. His trial had been scheduled to start Jan. 20. But the rapper ended up signing a plea agreement with prosecutors after police used a DNA profiling technique to tie him to the gun found on the bus.
Man, so that's another good rapper gone to prison for a bit. All I can say is I hope that Weezy will have some time to contemplate his life and come up with some real hot lyrics when he gets out. Keep his children (fourth is on the way with Miss Nivea!!) and the rest of his family in your thoughts...
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Wow...it feels kinda weird to put this above Rihanna, but oh well LOL I'm excited because Mr. CHRIS BROWN IS GOING ON TOUR!!!! Yes, people! He is back and I am happy! Forget all this drama he has going on, he is getting back to the music, which is all I care about.
Chris has announced, on the same day that Rihanna released her new single ironically, that he is having a "Fan Appreciation" Tour to show love to the fans who supported him in all this mess. It is set to begin in November 14 in Houston. Just a little something something to show that he still got it, I guess. Here are the dates:
Nov 14 2009 Houston, TX @HOB Nov 15 2009 Dallas, TX @Palladium Nov 18 2009 Los Angeles, CA @Avalon Nov 19 2009 San Francisco, CA @The Fillmore Nov 22 2009 Richmond, VA @Landmark Nov 25 2009 Detroit, MI @Royal Oak Nov 26 2009 Chicago, IL @House of Blues Nov 29 2009 Ft Lauderdale, FL @Revolution Dec 1 2009 Orlando, FL @HOB Dec 2 2009 Atlanta, GA @CenterStage Dec 4 2009 Washington, DC @Warner Theatre Dec 5 2009 Providence, RI @Lupo's Dec 6 2009 Boston, MA @HOB Dec 11 2009 Baltimore, MD @Sonar (PEOPLE IN BMORE TIX GO ON SALE FRIDAY!!!!!!! I'M GOING!!!!!) Dec 12 2009 Wallingford, CT @Chevrolet Theatre Dec 13 2009 Philadelphia, PA @Electric Factory
I'm excited to see him! I've never seen him in concert, and I'm a big fan. Yall know how I feel about him and Rihanna. Neither one of them has lost a fan in Brittany Shawnté. I think that Chris is mad talented and his career shouldn't be over cuz of this. Soooo....hopefully his real fans are down to ride. Love his new song btw....
"I Can Transform Ya"-Chris Brown w/Lil Wayne & Swizz Beats (VIDEO COMING SOON)
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, RiRi is back. Here is her new song, which debuted officially tonight about a half hour ago. It's called "Russian Roulette" and was written by my boy Ne-Yo. I'm not gonna lie, the song is a tad bit creepy cuz Rihanna is still on her Good Girl Gone Bad kick but I still kinda like it. It may sound a bit depressing, but there is a deeper meaning to the song, if you listen to it.
For those of you who don't know the background of the risky "game" of Russian Roulette, it involves a six-shot revolver that has a single bullet. Basically, each player of this "game," if that's what you even wanna call it, held a revolver to his or her head and pulled the trigger. There is 1/6 chance of shooting yourself in the head. Now why somebody would want to do this unless they wanted to lose their life, I will never know, but OK. But Russian Roulette is connected to Rihanna's song.
This single is the first single off of Rihanna's upcoming album Rated R. The album is set to be released November 23.
So try to figure out the meaning of the song (Rihanna IS NOT talking about trying to kill herself people!!!). I'm kinda wondering if this is a song for Mr. Chris Brown???? Anybody think so? I think it could be...Take a listen.
Russian Roulette-Rihanna
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Ok, EXPLOSIVE NEWS THAT I JUST FOUND OUT!!! TMZ and MediaTakeOut has reported this phone call to 911 by R&B singer Usher. Apparently he had an altercation one night with his ex-wife Tameka Foster and in the morning, USHER'S CAR HAD BEEN KEYED!!! Take a listen....
Dang...Tameka don't play!!!! Can we say restraining order? Or has one already been filed? I don't know, but man this situation is getting a little crazy. Maybe just maybe it was all because of this song right here!!!
"Papers"-Usher
Hot song Usher, but dang! Did you have to put out your failed marriage in song?!! LOL guess Tameka's kind of salty....
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Well, by now, I'm sure you all have heard about Filippa Hamilton, the international supermodel who was fired by Ralph Lauren, for being too fat, according to NYDailyNews.com.
"They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore," Filippa said. She also said that her contract with Ralph Lauren was terminated in April, but felt she had to speak out after a severely Photoshopped ad of her came out recently in Japan.
"I was shocked to see that super skinny girl with my face," she told the NY Daily News. "It's very sad, I think, that Ralph Lauren could do something like that." The ad shown on the left has Filippa's hips shrunken greatly. Another ad (shown on the right) shows Filippa's true body proportions.
Polo Ralph Lauren said in a statement Tuesday night that Filippa is a "beautiful and healthy" woman but their relationship ended "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us." The company also said that the ad was not meant to be released and the ad is not running in the U.S.
Filippa is concerned about the impact the ad will have on the public. "I think they [Ralph Lauren} owe American women an apology, a big apology," she said. "I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy."
Now you tell me, how in the world is a girl who is 5'10 and weighs 120 pounds too fat for your ad, Ralph Lauren?! I'm seriously outraged! There is absolutely nothing wrong with this girl! And Ralph Lauren ought to be ashamed for letting a beautiful model go!
Many clothing stores, including Ralph Lauren, show these ads of ridiculously skinny girls and make females feel like this is the standard. There are so many girls in this country and in this world that have issues with their body because ads like this make them think that if they aren't skinny, that there is something wrong with them. It's sad that this is the world we live in, but people feel like this is beauty. Girls STARVE THEMSELVES to achieve this level of "perfection." But, in my opinion, it's all so unrealistic and unhealthy!
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Happy Monday everybody! Sorry for not writing last week. Busiest week of my life, I swear, but I'm back! And back with Michael's new single, "This Is It!"
The single officially was put on his website at midnight last night. It will be featured on This Is It movie in the end sequence. I've taken a listen, and I really like it! I hope yall do too! Take a listen...
MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THIS IS IT! It's starts October 28, and runs for two weeks only! RIP Michael...we miss you.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Wow...so my mouth literally dropped when I heard this news. A.J. Jewell, ex-fiance of Kandi Burress who is a former member of the R&B group Xscape and a cast member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, was killed in a club brawl in Atlanta Friday evening. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported this news.
Burruss' publicist Lisa Nelson confirmed to WSB that the actress has been informed of the incident and said the family asked for privacy.
Police said it's unclear what prompted the fight. No arrests have been made.
I am a regular viewer of Housewives and the show shows just how in love Kandi and A.J. both were. And to lose someone you love is extremely hard, but to lose someone over what seems to be senseless violence is even harder. I send prayers and condolences out to Kandi, her family, and A.J.'s family. RIP.
PEACE.
~Brittany Shawnté
Ok, I know most of yall who read don't know me like that but today is my 19th birthday!!! So shout out to me right quick LOL and my "fraternal twin", my girl Christina turned 17 today. And shout out to my girls Tiffany and Tiffani (difference in spelling LOL) who celebrated their birthdays yesterday!!! And now back to my news LOL!
MediaTakeOut first reported the rumors that it would happen, and now Access Hollywood has confirmed. The "Fame Kills" tour starring Kanye West and Lady Gaga has been officially canceled. The three month tour was set to begin this Sunday.
Last month, Kanye interrupted Taylor West as she accepted her Best Female Video award at the VMA's. A day later, while on The Jay Leno Show , Kanye told Jay that he planned to take a break.
"I need to, after this, just take some time off and analyze how I'm [going to] make it through the rest of this life, how I'm [going to] improve and because I am a celebrity and that's something I have to deal with," Kanye previously told Jay. "And if there's anything I can do to help Taylor in the future or help anyone I like, 'cause you know, I [want to] live, this thing is hard."
Ugh...I wish that people would just let this thing go. I mean, sure I feel like Kanye ain't had to open his mouth at that moment and he should've just let Taylor have her shine. But dang! This has gone on long enough. Kanye apologized, Taylor and her family have accepted. Beyoncé gave Taylor a moment to say her speech. IT'S OVER PEOPLE! Kanye, I have to be honest with you. Sometimes, I feel like you have let the fame gone to your head, but you are still a good rapper and I'm behind you for sure. If you need this time to get your head straight, all power to you. But don't let these new found Taylor Swift fans stop your shine. (Not dissing Taylor Swift at all btw...she's cool).
